Work Text:
"The number you have dialed is not available. To try again-"
An irritated growl left Goro's mouth as yet another attempt to contact Ren failed. As he hung up, the screen displayed his previous attempts to message Ren.
[Sunday, February 3rd - 09:30AM
Goro: Ren, we need to talk. The deadline's passed and we still haven't taken down Maruki.
Goro: Meet me in Odaiba. If the palace is still there, we need to try again.
16:21AM
Goro: Ren, where the hell are you?
Monday, February 4th - 11:46AM
Goro: Ren. I just saw Yoshizawa-san, she's referring to herself as Kasumi again. Maruki's reality is in effect. We need to act now.
Tuesday, February 5th - 08:15AM
Goro: Ren, what the hell are you doing? Where are you?
Wednesday, February 6th - 17:09PM
Goro: I'm really starting to get pissed off with this silent treatment, Ren. I know damn well you didn't accept Maruki's deal. Answer me.
Thursday, February 7th - 13:51PM
Goro: I can't wait any longer. I'm going to investigate Maruki and see if I can track him down. Contact me when you can.
Thursday, February 14th - 15:16PM
Goro: I haven't found a damn thing. What is going on, Ren?
Sunday, February 17th - 09:01AM
Goro: Ren, what the fuck is going on?! I just saw Sakura-san and he had no idea who you are.
Tuesday, February 19th - 10:43AM
Goro: Answer me, Ren! Why can't Haru remember you?!
Friday, February 22nd - 18:52PM
Goro: And Yusuke?! Ren, answer me now!
Monday, February 25th - 12:01PM
Goro: Ren, this is getting ridiculous. Even Ryuji has no idea who I was talking about! Answer me already!
Wednesday, February 27th - 06:58AM
Goro: Ren, I am begging you to answer me! No one remembers you and I can't track down that bastard at all! What the fuck is going on?!
Saturday, March 2nd - 03:14AM
Goro: Ren, please… It's been a month… Where are you?]
A stressed sigh left Goro's mouth as his foot anxiously tapped against the concrete. He decided that he should investigate Leblanc.
He had been avoiding the café after reality began warping again. Seeing everyone acting so strangely made him nervous. He wasn't even convinced that Ren would be there; Surely Sojiro would notice if there was a boy he supposedly didn't know living in the attic of his café.
But it was worth a shot, at least… There might be a clue to where Ren went.
The familiar sound of the bell ringing filled Goro's ears as he entered Leblanc. His heart was pounding against his chest. Ever since Maruki warped reality, the café's calming atmosphere had turned into an oppressive one for Goro.
"Hey, it's been a while. Want the usual?" Sojiro chuckled as he saw the chestnut haired boy. Futaba, Morgana and Wakaba Isshiki all turned to look at him.
"Oh, hello, Goro! We've been wondering where you went! It's good to see you again! Futaba missed you!" Giggled Wakaba with a kind smile on her face.
Just the sight and sound of it made Goro tremble. Her kindness towards him made him feel sick. He didn't deserve it, especially from her.
"It was getting boring around here with no one to annoy!" Snickered Futaba as she pushed up her glasses.
"You say that, but you've been tormenting poor Yusuke everytime he comes to visit!" Wakaba refuted with an amused grin. Futaba whistled innocently as she averted her eyes.
"I'm fine with just a house blend. And, um, I'd prefer to sit upstairs, thank you." Goro replied bluntly, slipping past the happy family.
"Huh? But, there's nothing up there? You'd just be sitting with a bunch of junk?" Sojiro replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Goro ignored him and made his way up the stairs. There had to be some trace of Ren. Maybe he left a note saying where he went? All those possibilities went flying out the window when he entered the attic.
Ren.
Ren was there!
But, the room was coated in dust and cobwebs. The ceiling, the floor, the desk, the sofa, even the bed where Ren was laying was covered in a thick layer of dust. Goro broke out in a cold sweat at the sight.
Something was very wrong.
"Ren…?" Goro called out as he walked over to the raven haired boy, each footstep leaving a print on the dust covered floor.
Ren didn't react in the slightest.
"Ren, can you hear me?" He called out again, raising his voice a little. Ren still didn't stir. When Goro reached the bed, he placed his hand on Ren's shoulder.
He was freezing.
Goro couldn't feel any body heat from him at all.
"Ren?!" He gasped as panic swept through him. He clutched onto Ren's shoulders and shook him in a desperate attempt to rouse him. Ren's body simply flopped on the bed with a shake. But… Goro heard him breathing. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before checking for a heartbeat.
There was a heartbeat. A steady heartbeat. He was alive. Goro involuntarily let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"Thank god… You're alive…" He muttered under his breath. But… That didn't change the fact that something was clearly wrong.
If his heart was beating, why was his body stone cold? Why wasn't he waking up? Why couldn't anyone remember him?! Goro knew that Maruki had something to do with it. He continued shaking him since he couldn't think of any other solutions.
"Hey, Gorororo~ Gotcha drink right here since you wanna sit with the garba-" Futaba cheeky remarks were cut off by the cup smashing onto the attic floor.
"Are you alright, Futaba?!"
"I told you to be careful!"
The orange haired girl stared at the raven haired boy in disbelief.
"Wh-Why is there a sleeping boy in the café…? A-And why does he look so familiar?" She stammered, looking to Goro for an explanation.
"I'm trying to figure that out myself." Goro admitted as he instinctively grabbed onto Ren's hand.
"I-I should tell Soji-"
"No! Listen, strange things are happening and I need to keep him safe. If you tell Sojiro, god knows where Ren'll be taken… So… Keep quiet for now, okay? Can you do that for me?"
"R-Ren…?" Futaba repeated, frowning down at the floor. She clutched her head. "Why does that name sound so familiar…?"
"Promise me you'll keep quiet, Futaba…" Goro pleaded. He dreaded to think what would happen to Ren if he were taken to a hospital. He wouldn't be able to contact him or keep an eye on him at all.
Wait… contact… Where was Ren's phone? Goro scanned across the room but didn't find a single trace of it.
"Is everything alright up there?!" Sojiro asked worriedly.
"Yes! Yes, everything's fine! Futaba just tripped, don't worry! I'll clean it up!" Goro quickly called back, not wanting anyone else to discover Ren. He was paranoid that more people learning of his location would put him in danger.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's fine!"
"U-Uh… Goro?" Futaba anxiously asked with a concerned frown.
"Go back downstairs and keep quiet." Goro ordered as he began picking up the pieces of the shattered cup.
"Oh, um… Okay… But… Can you tell me what's going on?" Futaba requested, continuously glancing over at the unconscious boy in the corner of the room.
Goro looked up at her, a troubled scowl covering his face. If he was going to take down Maruki, more teammates would be helpful… Not to mention, Futaba's navigation would be a life saver… Maybe this would help bring back her memories of Ren…?
".... Okay. But, in private. Would your room work?" He eventually spoke up as he dumped the broken shards into the nearby trashcan. Futaba nodded enthusiastically.
"Sure thing!"
It was difficult to explain the situation to Futaba without confusing or overwhelming her but after a few hours, it seemed that Goro had managed to get through to her. She seemed a little dazed by the revelation and her memories hadn't returned by the looks of it, but she kept muttering to herself. Goro was hopeful that everything would come back to her.
Although, the conversation did last a lot longer than he had anticipated… Sojiro had closed Leblanc already by the time Goro left the Sakura household. He only had one choice at this point; he had to break into Leblanc. Luckily, all the heists he had gone on with Ren had taught him how to pick locks.
He glanced around the dark streets of Yongen-Jaya to make sure no one would see him before getting to work. It only took a minute and a half. That's a Phantom Thief for you. A triumphant smirk made its way onto his face as he opened the door and snuck through. He froze as he closed the door.
Humming.
He heard humming.
And that voice didn't sound like Ren…
Panic coursed through his veins as he flung himself up the stairs. Who the hell was in there with Ren?!
He froze at the sight that greeted him. Ren was still unconscious on the bed. But Maruki was sat next to him. He was softly stroking Ren's hair as he hummed a quiet lullaby, and in his hand, he held Ren's phone. He scrolled through all of the missed texts as he glanced up at Goro.
"I really didn't plan on you finding him…" He sighed in disappointment, sliding Ren's phone into his jacket pocket.
Goro pulled out his gun and pointed it at Maruki's head without even a hint of hesitation.
"What the hell did you do to Ren?!" He demanded, pulling back the safety. Maruki didn't flinch even the slightest as a sorrowful expression enveloped his face.
"He couldn't make a decision. It was tearing him up inside and it wasn't fair to let him continue suffering. And since he didn't want my reality, this was the only way to free him…" He explained, looking down on Ren's peaceful, sleeping face with a loving smile.
"That's bullshit! You think you can make his decisions for him just because he's your son?! God, you make me sick!" Goro spat out with a seething fury.
"Do you think I'd let him be with someone who shot him?" Maruki shot back, raising an eyebrow. Goro clicked his tongue as he faltered for just a second.
"He's been through enough already. He doesn't need to suffer anymore…" The glasses wearing man continued, still smiling down at Ren.
"So you put him into a fucking coma?! Enough of your goddamn Messiah complex! I am taking Ren and I am waking him up!" Growled the chestnut haired boy. Takuto's smile fell as he looked up at Goro.
"I can't let you do that."
Before Goro could even blink, a tendril from Azathoth knocked his gun out of his hands and pulled him onto the floor. Goro's chin hit the floorboards with a painful thud. After regaining his bearings, he looked up to see Maruki carefully picking up Ren from the bed.
"Get the hell off him!" He snarled, trying to lunge towards the two before being pinned down by Azathoth. Takuto simply sighed as the sleeping Ren nuzzled his head into his chest like a tired child.
"He's my son. As his dad, it's my job to protect him. Don't hate me for doing my job." He told Goro, a sad expression in his eyes.
Goro didn't buy it at all. A furious glower appeared on his face as he wrestled against the persona holding him down.
"Bull… shit! Dammit…! Ren, wake up already! Don't let this bastard control you!" He growled, desperate to get Ren back.
"I knew you wouldn't understand…" Takuto huffed regretfully.
"Ngh… Go…ro…" Uttered Ren, wincing as he stirred slightly in his father's arm.
Both Takuto and Goro's eyes widened at the sudden sound of Ren's voice.
"Ren…! Ren, listen to me, you gotta wake up! Right now!" Goro hurriedly commanded, trying to seize the opportunity to steal Ren back.
"Shhh… Shhh… It's okay, kiddo… Go back to sleep…" Takuto gently whispered as he patted Ren's shoulder, lulling him back into his slumber.
The raven haired teen sighed peacefully as his consciousness faded again.
"Shit…!" Hissed Goro as he continued trying to free himself from Azathoth's grasp.
"You don't need to worry about him… I'm going to keep him safe. Goodnight, Akechi-kun." Takuto softly called out before clicking his fingers and disappearing from sight.
Goro collapsed onto the floor as Azathoth disappeared along with its master. The chestnut haired boy's eyes burned as he slammed his fist onto the wooden floor in frustration. He was right there…! He was right in front of him…! And he couldn't do a damn thing…! Is this how Ren felt in the engine room…? Damn Maruki! That son of a bitch…!
"Goro?" A voice called out from behind him as he wallowed in his failure. He lifted his head and turned around to find a worried Futaba… holding a feline Morgana. Goro's eyes widened at the sight as he scrambled to his feet.
"Wha-?"
"I've got this place bugged, remember? We saw everything that just happened. After seeing Ren and Maruki… Everything came back to us." The orange haired girl explained, carefully placing Morgana onto the floor.
"We're done running from reality. Although, if we're gonna get Ren back, we're gonna need some more help. Tomorrow, let's make a start on convincing the rest of the team, yeah?" The black cat suggested as he softly swished his tail from side to side.
Goro's stunned expression morphed into a determined scowl as he remembered the chess piece Ren gave him in his pocket. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled it out. He remembered the promise they made. He would give it back to Ren once he beat Goro in a chess match. He couldn't really keep that promise if he was stuck in an endless slumber.
"Right. I'm gonna get him back… No matter what."
"There we go… Safe and sound." Muttered Takuto as he carefully lied Ren down on a bed he'd prepared after learning that Goro had discovered his location.
He was just doing what any father who loved his son would do… Why couldn't anyone see that…? A troubled frown enveloped his face as those thoughts crossed his mind again. He softly ruffled Ren's hair, just like he used to when Ren was little. Takuto smiled as a memory of him soothing Ren after a nightmare popped into his head. The way Ren clung to him and smiled brightly up at him after Takuto had 'scared off all the monsters' warmed the father's heart.
He was pulled out of those thoughts by Ren groaning quietly in his sleep and rolling onto his side. This caused Takuto to notice something in Ren's hand. He lifted the teenager's hand and pried it open to take a closer look at what he was holding.
It was a glove. A black, leather glove. Takuto recognised it from Ren's memories. It was the glove that Goro had given him. A pained grimace consumed Takuto's face after the discovery. Takuto slid the glove into his pocket as he stood up and looked at his son again.
"I'm not letting anyone hurt you ever again… I promise, kiddo…"