Chapter Text
Chapter 1: A Big Bang Murder
Akechi smiled as he squeezed on the trigger, Okumara’s shadow letting out a gasp as it faded into dust. These thieves, he had to chuckle. He didn’t even have to strain himself like he normally did to get the shadow to succumb. No, they had the gall to beat a scumbag like him to his knees, and then rob him of his free will as if that suddenly made their actions redeemable. Pathetic. It was better to exterminate the trash, and he looked forward to the day he took out his.
As the world faded back to reality, he allowed himself a smile. With the metaverse at his fingertips, the hardest part of a murder was trivialized. No one would ever be able to discern the method, and those that could would be laughed off because what evidence could they have? It was a perfect crime, the detective Prince thought to himself.
With the photos he took earlier of Amamiya’s little group, he should easily be able to blackmail them into the bastard’s plans, and then, he could finally enact his revenge. Just a few more bodies to stack, and then he can crumble the man down the tower HE built for him.
He opened his phone and dialed the man. “It’s been done. Okumara will no longer be a problem, and it’s been done so the thieves will take the fall.”
“Good.” The Worm’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Now I want you at the ready, play up your part of detective. I’ve heard rumors recently that the US has been talking about sending a special operative to aid in the investigation, and I want you to watch him closely, to eliminate him if he turns out to be a threat. But don’t be stupid, or I will cut you loose.”
Akechi could barely contain his laugh. The sheer arrogance, of the man. He had everything in place. Photos of them entering the metaverse to blackmail them into his trap, the manpower needed to enforce it, and the drive to put down the attic gutter trash for good.
It went down perfectly. Okumura, the fool, had called a press conference for the confession the thieves had forced out of him, and the whole world was there to see the old fool shut down on stage, it was perfect.
The only regret was not seeing the look of shock, savoring in the horror as the attic trash’s plan came crumbling down around him, that him and his little band of misfits days were now numbered.
It was diabolical, it was brilliant, it was all his genius work.
It took Akechi everything he had not to smirk as he stood outside the hospital room and heard the doctor declare the leech dead. Out of all the kills, that one would hold a special place in his heart. But it was getting closer to the moment of his justice, his moment of glory, and all he had to do was-
“Uh, excuse me, young man? Is this the hospital of Mr Okumara Kunikazu, the CEO of Okumara foods? I’ve been trying to find it for a while now, but I’m still not great at reading the Japanese characters for the rooms, you see.”
Akechi looked to see a short scuffed looking American wearing a wrinkled and battered old trench coat over a cheap tan suit, standing in front of him looking rather lost. Goro adjusted himself quickly, the role of the detective prince sliding over him “Why, yes, it is, Mr…?”
“Oh geez, where did I put it…” the man mumbled, fumbling around the inside of his jacket before finally pulling out a wallet with a police badge in it. “Lieutenant Columbo, I’m from the United States, California if you wanna be specific. The people overseas decided it would be a funny idea to ship me over to help with these mental shutdown murders. Me personally, I think they just wanted an excuse to get me out of the area. Glass eye, see? I’m a bit of a lousy shot. Can’t hit the broad side of a barn. So, I’m now in Japan, here to investigate the murders.”
“I believe you mean accidents?” Akechi asked. “No one has been able to find concrete evidence of the mental shutdowns being caused by another person, to call them murders would be inaccurate.” He corrected the bumbling buffoon. If this was who the States sent, then this would be a cakewalk.
“No, young man, I mean murders. If that man is dead, then it would officially make these murders.” He said, a pondering look as he inspected Akechi for a minute. “Hey, haven’t I seen your face before? I think I have, I just can’t place where…”
Akechi plastered his tv smile for the foreigner. “I suppose you might have seen me on television. Goro Akechi, otherwise known as the detective prince.”
The American brought a hand to his forehead in disbelief. “No kidding? And you help the police with cases around here? Is that true?”
“Yes, although it is largely played up for the audience. Most of my work lies in consultation on cases and helping view over officer reports.”
“Really? Well, you must be doing something similar to what I’m doing, I suppose.”
Akechi could barely hide his disdain of this American, comparing himself to him, the genius detective prince. “Well I suppose it does. Right now, I am helping a prosecutor with an interesting case right now however.”
The man just shook his head, still processing it. “You Japanese kids are something else, let me tell you, when I was your age, I was a bit of a delinquent, raising all sorts of trouble. We’d stick potatoes in people’s car exhaust, just for the fun of it. I think I went into this career to help ease my conscience and give my parents some peace of mind. But yours, they must be proud of you!”
Akechi’s smile dropped, and he did his best to keep up his princely facade to this buffoon. “My mother died when I was a young child and I never knew my father. But I do like to think my mother would be happy with my actions.”
“Well, I bet she is very proud of that what has become of her son.”
Akechi felt his tv smile shatter for a split second. Oh.
Oh he was gonna hate this man.
The short detective gave a nod, “well, that’ll be all. I gotta get to nurse, talk over details, I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”
Akechi had never met a stranger he hated so quickly, not even the gutter trash had pissed him off so fast.
He was going to have to find an excuse to kill him, find him in the metaverse, use his shadow. Yes, find Columbo…
He never got the first name.
He needed the first name.
Goro spent the entire rest of the day screaming to himself.