The shadow raised his hands, taking a step back but saying nothing further.
"Alright. I'll bite. Why can't I use a Persona?"
"Not a clue?" He titlted his head. "That's the wrong question, Bargain-Bin. We only have until this Dreamscape collapses... so I'll ask for you." The Shadow leaned in, making no move to attack, but mere inches away from Joker's face, eyes lingering for a moment- before peering at the boy behind him. "I'd say listen to him, since he knows better than you seem to- but this? Has. To come. From you.
Who are you?"
"... I don't know."
"Look. I promised Yoshizawa I wouldn't hit you and I've only done that one time so far which I think is a very fair compromise, don't make me upset her- Who. Are. You. Shido's bastard?"
"No."
"Really. You could've fooled me. Bitter, angry, murderous... fundamentally alone. That sounds right, but you tell me. Who are you? Yaldabaoth's prized knight, his perfect little witless agent of ruin?"
"No." Akechi snarled, kept for the moment at bay by Ren's presence between them.
"Now that was the closest thing to a feeling you've shown all damn day. Should we go down the list of everyone who's ever manipulated you, played you like a damn fiddle, can we cut to the chase, or am I going to have to beat this incredibly. Simple. Lesson into you. What's left, when you take away everything forced on you, everything you were twisted into being, everything stolen by people who think that people like you are less than dirt. What name did you carry with you, even though everyone around you told you the name of a dead whore was worth less than dirt?"
"This is pointless. I know what you're getting at, and we've already established that I'm not him. He's dead. None of this matters."
"So what?" In contrast to the previous near-scream, the quiet tone from the Shadow's mouth was like a slap in the face. "So your life is meaningless. In what way is that any different from anyone else? He's dead, but you- we- remain. Doesn't that mean that we're- finally- able to make that meaning ourself? Is that who you are, a sad little footnote on Takuto Maruki's rap sheet?"
"No," came the whispered response, and the Shadow's expression softened, a gloved hand coming up to remove the twisted mask.
"No. I know you know the answer, because... I know it. But you need to accept it. You're the best of him- the brightest, all that's left... of Hinawa Akechi's son. You have a second chance, something that precious few people ever get. You have his memories, his experiences, and even if Maruki made you like this, that doesn't have to define you- any more than Shido did. You can just... move on. We can just move on. I'm not saying it won't be hard, because it will-" he glanced at Ren, smiled softly. "But what the hell has been?"
I've been there friend, no worries
"Alright. I'll bite. Why can't I use a Persona?"
"Not a clue?" He titlted his head. "That's the wrong question, Bargain-Bin. We only have until this Dreamscape collapses... so I'll ask for you." The Shadow leaned in, making no move to attack, but mere inches away from Joker's face, eyes lingering for a moment- before peering at the boy behind him. "I'd say listen to him, since he knows better than you seem to- but this? Has. To come. From you.
Who are you?"
"... I don't know."
"Look. I promised Yoshizawa I wouldn't hit you and I've only done that one time so far which I think is a very fair compromise, don't make me upset her- Who. Are. You. Shido's bastard?"
"No."
"Really. You could've fooled me. Bitter, angry, murderous... fundamentally alone. That sounds right, but you tell me. Who are you? Yaldabaoth's prized knight, his perfect little witless agent of ruin?"
"No." Akechi snarled, kept for the moment at bay by Ren's presence between them.
"Now that was the closest thing to a feeling you've shown all damn day. Should we go down the list of everyone who's ever manipulated you, played you like a damn fiddle, can we cut to the chase, or am I going to have to beat this incredibly. Simple. Lesson into you. What's left, when you take away everything forced on you, everything you were twisted into being, everything stolen by people who think that people like you are less than dirt. What name did you carry with you, even though everyone around you told you the name of a dead whore was worth less than dirt?"
"This is pointless. I know what you're getting at, and we've already established that I'm not him. He's dead. None of this matters."
"So what?" In contrast to the previous near-scream, the quiet tone from the Shadow's mouth was like a slap in the face. "So your life is meaningless. In what way is that any different from anyone else? He's dead, but you- we- remain. Doesn't that mean that we're- finally- able to make that meaning ourself? Is that who you are, a sad little footnote on Takuto Maruki's rap sheet?"
"No," came the whispered response, and the Shadow's expression softened, a gloved hand coming up to remove the twisted mask.
"No. I know you know the answer, because... I know it. But you need to accept it. You're the best of him- the brightest, all that's left... of Hinawa Akechi's son. You have a second chance, something that precious few people ever get. You have his memories, his experiences, and even if Maruki made you like this, that doesn't have to define you- any more than Shido did. You can just... move on. We can just move on. I'm not saying it won't be hard, because it will-" he glanced at Ren, smiled softly. "But what the hell has been?"