Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Aces Wild
An optional rule in Liars Dice which allows the one face to match to that of the current bid.
Goro’s heels clicked loudly as he fought to keep his steps even down the hall. This act was one he pulled every day – face straight, smile in place, stride measured, and shoulders relaxed – but today he was practically jumping out of his skin at every noise.
The culmination of his plans, and yet just a step to something even larger.
His right glove crinkled in response to his clenched fist – a new replacement for the one he had thrown at Akira just days ago.
He was confident in this plan, but ridiculous anxiety nipped at his heels with every stride.
Nothing has gone awry, this is necessary. That bastard knows nothing and will continue to know nothing.
Goro, after all, had a perfect poker face.
Just before he reached the elevator down, it opened to reveal Sae Nijima. Irritation prickled at him; just another obstacle to delay him when he would prefer to speed things along.
“Akechi!? Why are you here…?”
Script time, he had prepared for this, and his mask was porcelain smooth as always.
“Why do you seem so surprised?” Pleasant smile firmly affixed, Goro tilted his head slightly to complete the innocent picture.
Sae was clearly displeased. “I needed my director to step in to get access, and I was directly responsible for this case,” she gritted out with narrowed eyes, “How did you get approval?”
Easy question, time to deflect. “For the same reason you did. I am heading up the investigation team, after all.” Goro looked directly into her eyes, “It’s only natural I’d have the right to interrogate our culprit as well, don’t you think?” His smile did not slip.
Sae’s eyes went wide, and she gaped at him. “They assigned you command…!?”
Hook, line, and sinker.
“… That was a joke of course. I’m merely here to assist with the public security interrogation.” Goro allowed his smile to turn slightly teasing and modest. Play it up now that she’s frazzled.
He tilted his head the other way and brought his hand to his chin, playing clueless. An idea came to him, this could work in his favor. “I am surprised it’s this far underground though… there aren’t any others incarcerated here, yes?”
Make it obvious, she needs to be just suspicious enough. Perhaps she can be of use…
Goro could feel the plan forming more solidly, and his smile turned slightly sinister. “Nobody would ever know if things got a little… violent.”
Sae stiffened and narrowed her eyes again.
That was a good clue to Akira’s current condition – and not an optimistic one – but Goro pushed that aside. She was getting suspicious now, faster than he had anticipated. Interesting… perhaps Akira had charmed her, and she was now an ally of the Phantom Thieves. All the better.
“If I remember correctly,” Sae began, bringing a hand to her briefcase, “didn’t you say there was another culprit besides the Phantom Thieves?”
Oh, Akira most definitely told her. Clever of them to figure it out.
Keep the ruse going.
He airily shook his head. “That was but a lie I spread to set them up.” Now a pinch of mockery so she would hone in. “Oh, I’m sorry! I forgot that I had deceived you too Sae-san.” This part was complicated – the cameras were still active in this area, but he needed to make his intent clear. “After all, if you wish to trick your enemies, you must first trick your allies.”
“So it was you…”
Goro wanted to strangle her for being so obvious in a hallway littered with surveillance equipment. While not technically damning, she needed to tread carefully, or she would be taken out by one of Shido’s… messier methods.
“You’re the one who sold out the Phantom Thieves.” Did Sae almost look mournful!? Goro could laugh at her audacity. Too little too late and I’m short on time.
“Is there a problem?” Goro could tell she wasn’t picking up on his cues perfectly. She probably still considered him an enemy. No matter, she could be enlightened later when the rest of the Thieves were.
Sae suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out a very familiar phone.
“Akechi-kun… does this phone look familiar to you?”
Fuck it, she must be playing along with a plan the Phantom Thieves formed. Back to Option A.
“Hm? Excuse me?” He made sure his voice remained soft and clueless. He wanted that phone though.
A jolt, and his body felt lighter.
Oh, Akira that is a brilliant plan. Great minds really do think alike.
Goro had to fight extra hard to keep his mask in place as he discreetly returned them to the real world from his own phone in his pocket. It was possible Sakura was blocking all feeds and Shido wouldn’t catch his brief dip into the Metaverse, but Goro had not survived this long by ignoring his paranoia.
If Shido asked, he would claim to have outsmarted the Thieves once again. If not, there was no issue.
Sae was looking at him oddly. Shit. He played it off by tilting his head in confusion. “What is this phone?” he asked softly.
It seemed he had satisfied Sae, who was back to business immediately. “It belonged to the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I believe you’ll need it for your investigation.”
“Ah, thank you Sae-san. I appreciate it.” Goro reached out and lightly received the phone from her.
“Well, this is undoubtedly a great accomplishment. Good luck in there Akechi-kun.” Sae strode past him. The door shut behind her, and Goro pulled himself together. If Shido was watching, he needed to maintain his image.
An equally fake mask of glee slid over his face, and he scoffed viciously. “Foolish woman.”
He strode forward once more and briskly stepped inside the elevator as it dinged open. One floor down and the cameras would be off, then he would be home free.
The descent felt like years, and as the door closed behind him, Goro steeled himself. The guard ahead had to disappear, one way or another, or the whole plan would be blown and Shido would know. He maintained pace as he approached the only door in the hall.
Carefully, he studied the guard. Uniform looked newly pressed, no rank signs, and a slight tremble in his hands. New recruit then, not a part of the conspiracy. Carefully folding a piece of paper out of his sleeve and into his palm, he stepped forward.
“Excuse me sir.” He made his voice as high and innocent as he could stand. The man glanced at him, looking surprised.
“What are you doing down here Akechi-san?”
Oh, a new new recruit. They tended to respect Goro a concerning amount.
“Ah, I’m here on orders sir, I need to give you this.” Goro held out the paper – a warning to disappear and an attached plane ticket to get the fuck out of Japan until the new year.
“Wha- I- I don’t understand.” The man’s face looked pale, and he grabbed it. His eyes darted from the paper to Goro’s face in confusion.
“It’s quite simple. I’m giving you an out. A chance to slip under the radar, or die here. Our superiors intended your death, and I am granting you mercy instead. Leave. Now.” Goro dropped all polite veneers and let Loki’s ruthlessness rise in him. He reached into his blazer pocket and barely revealed his gun.
The man paled even further, hands shaking violently now. He nodded haltingly then stuttered, “Will- my family-”
“They are not targets; you were just convenient. Get out and do not be seen.” Goro hissed violently, willing the man to just fucking leave already Jesus Fuck.
Finally, the officer pocketed the ticket and speed-walked towards the emergency exit rather than the main hallway elevator. Well, he had at least one braincell then.
Goro was finally at his goal, and no longer surveilled. He swiftly unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him just in case.
He knew it would be bad. Sae had basically confirmed it, but his heart still dropped at the sight of Akira slumped over the table, covered in blood and bruises. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He had to take care of this now before it was too late, and suspicions arose. Quickly, he dialed his phone and pulled his mask laboriously back into place.
“Shido-san, my job is complete.”
He tuned out Shido’s response – scolding Goro for use of his name. As if from far away, he heard himself diverting Shido’s attention from the rest of the Thieves, and hung up as quickly as possible. His voice had clearly alerted Akira who blearily pushed himself up to look at Goro.
“Go-rro…?”
Goro swiftly pocketed his phone and rushed to Akira’s side. Only, he stopped halfway there from a combination of Akira’s violent flinch and the chime of his shoe hitting something on the floor. He looked down and-
Those bastards… I’m going to kill them, I’ll rend them limb from limb!
Truth serum was a goddamn fallacy only really used to cause pain and there were multiple goddamn syringes on the ground. Goro could feel violence boiling under his skin, but pushed it down for now.
Soon, soon, soon, I’ll get my justice soon.
Goro returned his attention to Akira who looked hazy, confused, and maybe a little frightened.
“Though’… wann… kill me…?” Akira appeared to be barely clinging to consciousness, and when he shifted his torso, he flinched violently.
Probably broken ribs by the look of it.
Goro took slow steps forward, and eventually crouched by Akira’s side. He needed to move this along, so the barest explanation would have to do. “Have you ever heard of lying, Akira?”
Akira rasped out what might have been a snort, “Yea… you… all th’ time.”
Goro felt a real grin crawl up his face, crooked and sarcastic and messy. “Well Akira, since you noticed, I do happen to love lying. Especially to my enemies.”
Unlike Sae earlier, Akira immediately seemed to realize Goro’s intent. Goro could feel satisfaction purring in his chest. Even drugged and injured, Akira and he still knew each other as always.
“Sh..ido?”
“One of. But for now, we need to get you out of here.” Goro began to gently push Akira up so he could assess the best way to carry him.
Akira huffed out a sound of pain, but seemed to be trying to help get himself upright.
“Sss…Sae?”
“I met her on the way over. I could tell you did your sappy bullshit.”
Akira sluggishly nodded with a slight grin. “Phff…one?”
Goro slipped Akira’s phone out of his pocket and handed it over. “I assume Oracle has secured it to hell and back?” At Akira’s nod, he continued, “you had best let them know you’re safe before they charge in here like a herd of moronic bulls. I’m taking you out of here through the Metaverse. Sae-san returning will only be suspicious.” Goro could guess at their plan now. Unfortunately, it would have gotten them all caught if he hadn’t intervened.
Akira texted something slowly to Sakura, then hazily looked over at Goro. “Leblann…”
“Absolutely not. Tell your idiot squad that Leblanc is a wildly obvious place for the conspiracy to keep under surveillance, especially since they already ransacked it. I’m taking you to my apartment.”
Akira furrowed his brow at Goro, clearly concerned.
“Boss is fine. It was just a cheap attempt at intimidation. They don’t actually have anything on anyone but you.”
Dutifully, Akira returned to sluggishly texting Sakura. Goro took a moment to pull out his own phone and check the time. Clean-up was coming in about 30 minutes and both he and Akira needed to be gone. Goro could say the body was in the Metaverse, but first he needed to get Akira out.
Glancing over at a thud, Goro realized that Akira had dropped his phone and slumped back in the chair again, breathing unevenly (but not wetly, so no punctured lungs, thank god). Goro grabbed the phone off the table and pocketed it again, simultaneously using his own to bring them into the Metaverse. Akira’s back seemed to have sustained the least damage, so Goro scooped him up in a bridal carry.
“Mmmf.”
“It’s going to be a bit of a walk, but we need to be out of surveillance range before we leave the Metaverse.” Goro kicked his way out the door and quickly made his way towards the elevator. He couldn’t depend on the accuracy of Sae’s recreation of the emergency exit route within her palace.
“Go-ro.”
“Yes?” The elevator dinged open and Goro stepped inside. Akira had basically melted into him and was nuzzling at his neck. Goro determinedly ignored his own reaction, reminding himself that it was probably just the drugs.
“Go-ro…”
“Spit it out, already.”
“Than… you…”
“Ugh, don’t thank me, it’s stupid.” Despite himself Goro’s cheeks began to heat up. That he could feel Akira smile loopily against his neck wasn’t helping at all.
“Thhann…..”
“Don’t go to sleep either, I’m fairly certain you’re concussed.”
“Mmmfffff.”