7/24/17 – Sunday

The team had eaten their fill and then some before heading back home. Morgana fidgeted in the satchel with great anticipating, eager to snap the fatty tuna purchased for him. After so much stress from exams and the issue of Medjed, it felt therapeutic to finally relax. Definitely made up for getting rained out.

The subway tunnels' menial shade and slight internal air conditioning offered some bit of reprieve from the harsh sun above the surface. They would spend the rest of their day relaxing around Leblanc. Perhaps indulging themselves even further with some of the remaining money Akira had left. All in all, today had been a good day, and Akira had nearly forgotten the near heart attack he had endured earlier from Ryuji. Though the rest of their day would pan out smoothly as long as he didn't run into-

"Niijima-san? What are you doing here?" Akira froze in place and felt a great sense of dread rising in the pit of his chest. Immediately recognizing the source of the voice without even needing to look. A heavy sigh escaped him, and he turned to see the man he was not at all planning to meet today. Goro Akechi. He stood before them, a blue and grey diamond-patterned sweater vest with a white collared shirt underneath and sporting khaki pants. In his hand was a heavy silver suitcase.

"Akechi-kun," Makoto stated simply with surprise.

"Akechi?" Ryuji whispered. The blonde was on immediate edge now. He would not have a repeat performance from earlier and let anything slip. The boy detective sized the lot of them up with genuine surprise.

"You're the ones from the TV station," he stated. "Could it be that you're friends of Niijima-san?" What a quaint turn of events he found himself stumbling upon. Like they were all connected.

"Do you know this guy?" Yusuke asked.

"Would've been nice to know," Akira muttered softly, flatly and with a frown. Makoto felt a heat rise on her neck from Akira's disapproving glare. She was not only the younger sister of a police prosecutor but was also well-acquainted with the rival detective? It was bad enough that Sojiro was being investigated and Akira kept running into Akechi everywhere.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Akechi. Glad to make your acquaintance, Yusuke Kitagawa." The young artist blinked in surprise.

"How do you know my name?" The detective delivered his most award-winning smile at the artist's question. Which only served to further raise Akira's ire.

"Well, it's because I'm a psychic, of course." Akira's eyebrow twitched, and he twisted the strap of his satchel in his hand impatiently. "I'm only joking, of course."

So glad you needed to clarify, Akira thought, seething internally. The detective broke the rule of explaining the joke, thus negating the punchline. As part of his namesake, the Joker took comedy very seriously.

"In truth, I'm a rookie detective. You're a former pupil of Madarame, right?" Yusuke furrowed his brow and eyed the detective suspiciously. "I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves. Did you see Medjed has declared war on them?" The others blinked in surprise save Akira, who couldn't look any more disinterested.

"War?" Ryuji asked.

"Big deal," Akira said flatly with a shrug. "More important goings-on in the world than an internet feud." If there was one thing he was more tired of than seeing Akechi everywhere, it was hearing about Medjed squaring up. The ego mixed with the near-constant daily reminder from the gossip around school. Just for once he'd like some long-term peace and quiet. Akira couldn't for the life of him imagine why Ryuji would want to be at the center of attention for all this.

"Don't be so sure," Akechi said, an expression of concern on his face. "Their website was updated just a moment ago."

"For real?" Ryuji fumbled with his phone and almost whipped it across the station. Akira merely shook his head at the lack of subtlety. They needed to lay low. Especially right now, in front of the detective looking into them. "English again!" Ann retrieved her phone and set to work translating. What she found was rather surprising.

"What?" she declared.

"What's it say?" Ryuji asked. Akechi gave them a peculiar searching look.

"Hm? Why do you seem so agitated?" Ann holstered her phone in her back pocket, averting the detective's gaze.

"Oh! Um…"

"She's, uh… a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji lied. "A total nutjob for 'em." The blonde offered a clumsy agreement to further bolster his cover story. Whether Akechi believed it or not, Akira couldn't read. But his playful smirk just twisted the knife even further.

"Hm, I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like them," he said simply. The mood took an immediate shift from his words. Uncertainty, worry, and irritation pervaded the group in tandem. Akira's lip curled up into a sneer at just how condescending his tone was, be it intentional or not.

"Excuse me?" He took a step forward, hands shelved into his pockets. Now he was really getting under the boy's skin. Trying to dictate their behavior with such unwarranted comments. It positively reeked of egotism to him. "Is having an opinion a crime now?"

"What is with these comments?" Makoto asked, now feeling less charitable herself. She had tried to remain steadfast in remaining cordial to Akechi. As anything could come back on her through her connection with her sister. But he just remained steadfast in poking that beehive.

"My apologies," he said, holding up a hand. "I didn't mean to butt into your conversation."

I bet.

"But I must say, this is an interesting group." Akechi began to slip into his analytic state, dissecting their composition like some sort of science project. "Prosecutor Niijima-san's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame, and a few Shujin Academy students…"

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Akira asked flatly. He just wanted to go home now. Put the detective and his intrusiveness out of his mind. But Akechi merely delivered a sweet smile.

"It just seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves. Perhaps you have better intel than I do." Ann could physically feel the disdain emanating from Akira. They all could. Akechi had to be able to sense something in the air. No way could he be so ignorant. "Ah, yes. I wanted to ask you something." His soft brown eyes fell upon Akira. "Do you mind?"

"You're going to anyway," he huffed. They had painted a rather large target on their back by bringing Yusuke and Makoto into the fold. Cutting it way too close now. Akechi's observations were right on the mark. Almost like he could see right through him. This all just felt like he was a cat dangling them by his claws.

"Regarding this whole Medjed commotion…" He gently ran his fingers through his long auburn locks, an innocent act that somehow managed to agitate Akira even more. "If you were one of the Phantom Thieves, what would you do?"

"I don't care about Medjed in the slightest so the question's moot." Akira took his glasses and polished the lenses with his shirt. "I got real things in my life to deal with than focusing on some internet fight." Akechi's smile faded ever so subtlely, but he kept it on his face the best he could in front of them. Akira's lip curled up to the right a hair with the satisfaction that he took the wind out of him, albeit slightly.

"Hmm. That is unexpected. Only a small minority of people seem to share your sentiment."

"Interesting..." Akira's tone sat flatter than the ground they stood upon.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're just normal high school kids," Ryuji huffed. "If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective."

"We do?" Akira asked flatly, turning to give him a cold look. Ryuji averted his eyes from his icy glare.

"Gladly," Akechi said with a smile.

Goddammit…

The detective wasted no time in showcasing his knowledge on the subject at hand. Almost as though he had been chewing at the bits for such an opportunity.

"My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has led me to believe they are a group of juveniles," he continued, lost in the sound of his own voice. "They have a relative amount of free time after school, and a hideout to slip away to." The others' eyes darted amongst each other, a soft heat building up on each of their collective necks save Akira. He merely stood there and listened to the detective ramble on, huffing with obvious agitation at prolonged exposure to him. Which was only surmounting from how on the mark he was. "Furthermore, considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems they began activity around April." His face grew serious, and his eyes burned with a sternness that focused intently on Akira himself. "In a way, all I've just said about the Phantom Thieves coincides with the group you have here." Ryuji let out an annoyed huff and glared daggers at the boy detective.

"What?" he spat. "You gonna report us?"

"I didn't say I was being suspicious of you," Akechi said reassuringly. Only half-teasing them.

"So what then? Did you just come here to hassle us?" The others eyed Akira warily as they could all sense his patience was dangling by a thread. But he forced himself to behave. To remain cordial. But boy did he feel his insides boiling as a roast festered to the surface.

"I just like gauging your reaction is all," the detective answered earnestly. "You really are an intriguing one and always provide some valuable insights into what I have to say." Despite the sincerity in his words, Akira couldn't help but feel he was just buttering him up. Just another part of his game to catch him in some sort of slipup. A gotcha moment. "I lack your calm mannerisms, but don't you think my deduction is an interesting one?" Akira certainly had a lot he could say. Enough for all of them. But all he could muster was a weary sigh. Being so angry and irritated was draining him, and he didn't want to deal with Akechi lest he say something he might regret.

"Sure, whatever…" His aloof dismissal of the detective's words had his smile wavering. This had been on his mind all day, and he had been chewing at the bits to poke at Akira once more. No way could he allow himself to be sandbagged like this. "Look, we gotta get going so-"

"But surely you must have some opinion in the matter," Akechi pressed. "That clever wit of yours would go to better use at my side. I bet we'd make a great team if we worked together." This was the second time he had made such an offer. What exactly made Akira stand out so thoroughly that Akechi wanted on his side? Or in his pocket? For the life of him, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. Neither could Ryuji, who was much more vocal about his disbelief. But Akechi had actively tuned the rest of them out. Hyperfixated solely on Akira. "I'm curious to hear what you have to say. You seem to be a wealth of information." The detective narrowed the gap between the both of them excitedly, prompting Akira to take a step back. "In return, I'll teach you how to make deductions. I believe that is a fair trade-off for you."

Now Akira felt like laughing. Not out of amusement but contempt. Akechi really believed he was doing Akira a favor by offering himself as a mentor. Yet couldn't bust any of the Phantom Thieves' three previous targets despite all the evidence floating around. It was like a joke. Though Akira couldn't deny the opportunity was rather lucrative. Access to inside information and he could bust targets as well as cover their tracks without the police knowing a thing. But to have to play second banana to Akechi. Even worse, be in the pocket of another corrupt politician who'll throw some kid under the bus to save his hide.

"Pass. I'm not interested in working for feds." As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over. Akira was tired of being strung along by Akechi. They were going to enjoy the rest of their day even if it killed him. Just choke down the anger and turn away. It was as simple as that. Or it should've been. But it seemed Akechi didn't know to leave well enough alone.

"I can understand your hesitation given your criminal record and all." Akira stopped dead in his tracks after having turned away. A cold and deathly silence had fallen over the group as the exchanged worried glances between the two boys. Akira remained blank and emotionless, but they could all feel the heat resonating off of him. "But working with us would help heal your reputation in the eyes of the public, wouldn't you think?" Slowly and with great deliberation did Akira turn around to face him, gazing darkly at the detective from beneath his shaggy bangs and glasses. He had not only crossed the line but leapt straight over it by a country mile. The others could all sense what was coming.

"Akira…" Morgana warned cautiously from inside the satchel.

"Get his ass," Ryuji muttered with a devilish grin. He had been waiting for someone to take the wind out of Akechi. He was positively living for the chance to see this. Makoto tugged nervously at her shirt collar, knowing full and well what Akechi was about to get. She could only pray Akira wouldn't be as harsh in language with him like he was with her on that rooftop.

"I have your attention?" Akechi inquired.

"Oh yeah you do…" Akira growled darkly. The detective was delighted to hear what he had to say. Blissfully unaware of what was about to hit him.

"Excellent! Now please, I have to know what your thoughts are on my deductions." Akira clenched his fist, the popping of his knuckles sounding like a bomb detonating to the rest of them.

"Well, you have some very astute observations there, buddy boy," Akira said dryly. Yusuke rubbed his rising heat on his neck, being able to taste the palpable venom in his voice. Makoto had told him of Akira's vicious tirade against her before. As though it were a legend being passed down from prior generations.

"Why, thank you." Akechi beamed with pride and basked in his words of praise.

"If only Tokyo's finest had that precision busting Kamoshida or Kaneshiro, then there wouldn't be a need for the Phantom Thieves." The smile on Akechi's face evaporated almost immediately. Like his words had slapped it clean off. Unexpected from the polite young man he perceived before him. "So if you're not suspicious of us, then what? You're just coming over here to waste our time by being an asshole? Just to flex on your knowledge? Must be tough having no friends so you gotta harass me unprompted and air my dirty laundry." Akechi blinked in surprise at his language.

"Oh boy," Ryuji muttered to Ann from the corner of his mouth. "Here we go." He positively shook with excitement. Ann felt less enthused, feeling her stomach sink in sympathy for the detective.

"Akira-kun," Makoto whispered, holding out a hand.

"In fact, you wanna know what I really think, Detective Conan? I think you're just some two-bit wannabe pretty boy detective whose only real talent is being a useless manwhore on television so the girls can get their panties wet. And an asshole for coming over here to harass a bunch of kids doing nothing but hanging out and heading back home with your inane conspiracy theories about teenagers at war with some internet trolls while you twiddle your dick in the corner because you couldn't be bothered to stop a Yakuza member extorting the poor and trying to traffic high school girls. In fact, what the fuck do you even do besides take up space? You breathe air. Here's my hypothesis on the situation since you like to be up my ass about it all the damn time since I had the unfortunate opportunity to meet you at the studio. About you, the Phantom Thieves, and all these changes of heart. I think you're a piece of shit fuckface bastard whose insecure about the fact that he's never contributed to anything useful in his life outside of being a flavor of the month TV pretty boy desperate for attention because your parents probably didn't give you enough at home, I bet. And now you gotta venture into my neck of the woods and give me shit for living my mundane life because I guess you've got nothing really important going on in yours, is that it? That how you get your kicks? Dragging up my personal business in front of everyone unwarranted? Make me feel like shit about my criminal record after society already did so? Everyone at school avoids me and thinks I'm dangerous, the teachers find me a nuisance, my own parents won't talk to me, and the guy who's taking me in wouldn't give a single shit if I dropped dead. So since you wanna dig into my personal life and hassle me for it in front of my friends, there you go. You get to know all the little facts. Satisfied? That what you wanted to hear? It's not enough I have to live on probation for a year but you have to hound me too? In fact, instead of twiddling your dick in my business, go find one of your raving fangirls and twiddle it in hers. Or are you lacking the proper length to do the job down there, Dickless?" He stepped forward and jabbed his finger at Akechi, poking his chest firmly like he were using a knife. "So if you don't mind, " Detective Prince", would it be at all possible for me and my friends to go about our business and enjoy ourselves on what little time we have this Sunday evening without you trying to climb up my ass? Is that alright with you?"

They all stood in a stunned uncomfortable silence as the heat built upon their necks. Never had any of them been so embarrassed on someone else's behalf before. All save Ryuji who was sporting the biggest grin imaginable. Everything he had wanted since the Madarame aftermath had been given to him on a silver platter. Akechi stood dumbstruck by his verbal onslaught, mouth hanging open but no rebuttal to be found. He had never been thrashed so verbally before by anyone else besides his boss. He licked his dried lips tentatively.

"I…. wasn't anticipating that response," he managed to make himself say. The melodiousness tone that once shimmered in his voice was gone. "I, um… I suppose I have overstayed my welcome here."

"What gave it away?" Akira asked rhetorically. The boy had endured enough. Whether deserved or undeserved, he let his temper fly free to tear into Akechi. Guilt or remorse could come later. He just wanted him off his back.

"I-I apologize," Akechi said swiftly. It took great effort now to speak after being thrashed in front of all of them. "I won't take up more of your time. Please, excuse me." The detective swiftly made his exit away from the group without a single glance backward. A devious smirk rose on his Akira's face as he watched the detective flee with his tail between his legs. The others were still too stunned to speak, necks hot and anxiety twisting in their chests.

"Daaaaaaamn," Ryuji finally said. "You lit him up, dude! Up and down and all around!" A heavy sigh escaped Akira as he felt the equivalent of an anvil being shrugged off from his body. The display was utterly cathartic for him. All the frustration and toxin allowed to bleed out onto the surface.

"Did you really have to be so harsh?" Makoto asked, wincing sympathetically. It felt almost as painful as being on the receiving end to witness such a display. Yusuke stood in silence while tending to his sketchpad. The sheer passion and ire he felt emanating off Akira had him inspired. The way he tended his lines. The sharpness, the stark contrast. Akira himself was almost as bewitching a muse as Ann was.

"Fuck him," Akira dismissed with a huff. "I've got no time to be followed around, interrogated, and have my personal business put on display like that."

"He was being kind of a dick," Ann had to agree. Even if no ill intent was meant, it was rather rude to pull the rug out from underneath Akira unprompted. Akechi might have been a cop, but Akira had done nothing to deserve such treatment. Though it didn't really detract from how far Akira had gone himself. "But still… you didn't have to lay him out like that. Just felt really extra and kinda mean."

"Don't play with fire if you're not looking to get burned. That's what I say." Ryuji grinned and wrapped his arm around him, nudging his ribs playfully.

"That's our leader," he said. "Don't take shit from nobody. Maybe he'll think twice before comin' 'round here again, eh?" Ryuji was on top of the world and over the moon. Seeing the man having dragged their name through the mud repeatedly be cut down to size. He was really itching to go after their next target now. Throw salt in the fresh wounds.

"I've heard of your impassioned temperamental state before, but to witness it firsthand…" Yusuke trailed off, getting lost in his pencil sketch. Just more and more ideas kept bleeding out and over onto the canvas. "You must harbor a lot of resentment within your soul."

"Um, did you guys forget why he's here in the first place?" Ryuji asked. "Cops and the people Akechi's battin' for screwed him over. And after all we did for this place, you don't think we got a right to be a little pissed off about it all? Gettin' shit talked all over TV without being able to defend ourselves? Like we're the bad guys or something?"

"Well, you're not wrong," Makoto admitted, looking towards the ground glumly. "I just don't like seeing people get torn to shreds like that is all."

"I guess you're a little right, Ryuji," Ann agreed. "But I'm with Makoto as well. That was pretty harsh. But he did have some of it coming for that comment about his record." Ryuji glowered at them.

"You're takin' Akechi's side?" Ann shot him a look.

"I just said he had part of coming, didn't I?" She didn't like the accusation of picking a "side" in this case. Akechi was a bit invasive and working for a rather incompetent police force, but Akira was in a league of his own as well. Always had he insisted he never be above reproach, something that only deepened her respect for him. But this was still very thin ice to tread upon given his history.

"Enough," Akira stated, holding up his hands. "We all got our own opinions on the matter. Ann and Makoto are right, though." Ryuji blinked in surprise at him. "Akechi had it coming, no doubt about that. Even if he didn't, I still would've gutted him then and there like that. But was it harsh and over the top? Yeah. I won't apologize for it, though, or act like you have to agree. But we're a team. I'm not gonna let this Akechi nonsense tear us up. We know what we've done and what we're about. Akechi can't take that away from us, right?" The team nodded amongst themselves. Nobody was really wanting to make this into a larger thing than it already was. They were all rather back and forth on how to feel about it. But Akira wasn't in the mood to hear about it. He was already troubled as it was by his display. Yusuke was right. His resentment really did go deep. Deeper than he thought. And the others saw his open wounds.

He didn't like it.

"But what do you think that was all about though?" Ann asked, looking to where Akechi had departed. "What brought all that on?"

"Do you think he's ascertained our true identities?" Yusuke asked.

"Nah," Ryuji said, a twinge of unconvinced apprehension in his voice. "Couldn't be…. Right?"

It was a clever deduction, Akira had to admit. The composition of their social group made them prime suspects. He was actually kicking himself for not having seen it before. It was getting too close a shave with everything building up. And yet…

"Doubtful. We left no fingerprints, DNA evidence, video surveillance, footprints, plans, backdoor entrances unlocked, or any of that jazz. The Metaverse leaves nothing behind." He smirked smugly and pushed his glasses forward. "He's got nothing. We can't be touched."

"Maybe," Makoto stated. "I'd like to say that it's simply us overthinking this, but…" She chewed on her bottom lip tentatively. "It may be best to remain cautious from now on. We shouldn't forget that Alibaba was able to discover who we are." Akira nodded in agreement. Though he bore little confidence in Akechi's abilities, Alibaba was an unknown. A wild card with abilities far beyond theirs' or Akechi's. They had even sent a calling card to his address personally.

"True," Yusuke noted. "But Akira is right. It's not as though he had tangible evidence to prove that discovery. If he did try to convict us, his name would be sullied forever. Just keep acting normally." Ann retrieved the phone from her pocket and opened the Medjed tab.

"More importantly, things are getting serious with Medjed!"

"Oh, yeah!" Ryuji said excitedly. "What'd they write?"

"Here. I'll read it." Ann scrolled down through the page swiftly. Akira merely sighed and shook his head.

"Again with the computer nerds?" he asked. "We just put Alibaba in his place when we told him to show up in real life. What are these guys gonna do? DDOS the Innocent Sin Online servers?"

"We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice." Akira sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"This is not my problem," he muttered to himself. "We got bigger shit to worry about." If he had to hear about Medjed one more time, he was going to lose his mind. What was the worst they could do behind a computer screen?

"Hence, we shall plan to proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commence on August 21st. As a result, the Japanese economy shall suffer devastating damages. However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent. As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public. We will attack if these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil."

"For real?" Ryuji asked, wide-eyed with shock. He gulped nervously. "Sounds bad." The high he was riding from Akechi's roast had gone up in smoke.

"In other words, if we don't unmask ourselves, Medjed will attack Japan, correct?" Yusuke clarified. "It seems they are quite the attention seekers." Ann shelved her phone into her back pocket, worry rife on her lovely soft face.

"What are we gonna do?"

"If only we could get in contact with Alibaba," Makoto said.

"Our only clues are Boss and Alibaba," Ryuji said, scratching his head. " Anyways, it's too damn hot out here. Why don't we go to Leblanc? We can talk more over there." He looked to Akira for a response, but he only stood there, rubbing his eyes. A heavy sigh escaped the boy's chest, heavy with agitation, weariness, and reluctance. He shook his head, lips pursed with frustration.

"So… now Japan's entire economy and people's livelihoods have been threatened because a couple computer nerds wanna square up. They just had to make it real…" He cracked his knuckles, the pops echoing loudly through the tunnel. His silver eyes slid slowly open, a fire burning within his irises harboring intensity possessed only when dueling shadows. They just couldn't leave well enough alone.

"Now it's my problem…"

Their Sunday seemed to only grow wilder after leaving the sushi joint. As though exiting the place had opened the doors to Pandora's Box.

Upon entering Sojiro's house and discovered the identities of both Futaba Sakura and Alibaba. They were one and the same. Sojiro had gathered them all back to the coffee shop and explained her situation. Futaba's sorrowful backstory and living state had made the circumstances with Medjed even direr. On top of that, Morgana had vanished in the ensuing chaos of Futaba and Sojiro startling them. Akira had never felt this tired outside of a trip into Mementos before. The stressful combination of his worry for Futaba, Sojiro, the Phantom Thieves, and now Morgana was too taxing on his seventeen-year-old mind. The boy hit the bathhouse, changed into his sleeping clothes, and rested atop the bed. His shaggy head leaned back on the pillow as he stared out through the window. The moonlight was the only illumination provided in his tiny room.

"Hey!" a small voice said. Akira rose from his bed to see none other than Morgana standing in the entrance. "Were you just going to go to sleep without even wondering where I was? I take it the chief told you about Futaba, and then you guys disbanded in relief for now." Akira leaned back onto the bed, letting out a great sigh of relief.

"I'll definitely be able to sleep tonight knowing you're safe," he said. "Where the hell'd you go?" The cat gave a cheeky grin, his tail flicking side to side eagerly.

"Running recon," he said beaming. "You can't underestimate my intel-gathering skills, you know." He stretched and climbed into the bed, purring as Akira scratched his chin. "I was checking out the chief's house."

"I hope you didn't shed anywhere," Akira said.

"Well, of course not!" Morgana said indignantly. "I'm not some alley cat! I'm perfectly well groomed, you know."

"It's that fine-toothed comb I bought. You're welcome, by the way." Akira had taken it upon himself to keep Morgana spruced up in their spare time. Trimming his nails, brushing his teeth, bathing him gently, and delicately tending to his black coat. At first, the cat was utterly indignant to be subjected to such treatment as though he were a mere pet. But Akira had the magic touch. Combined with his winning charm, Morgana consented and made it part of his routine.

"Well, needless to say, I didn't think our Alibaba would be so young." Akira leaned forward intently.

"You got to see her?" he asked. "Like up close? What was she like?" There was very little Akira had managed to see in all the darkness and commotion. It was still boggling his mind to know Sojiro even had children. Not his biological children but still. The cat pondered, rubbing his chin with his paw.

"Well, she's probably about the same age as you guys. At least her voice was pretty young sounding. Oh, and she had long hair too!" Akira leaned back onto the bed, hands behind his head.

"I never thought somebody would volunteer to have their heart changed," he said. A hefty sigh escaped him. "But we know Sojiro isn't an abuser." He grinned with satisfaction to himself. "Knew it all along." Morgana pounced on his chest, smirking at him.

"You told us you checked the Nav!" he said playfully.

"Only because Ann wanted to." The cat swatted his nose.

"Whatever!" Akira's smile disappeared as his gaze fell to the window, fixated on the faint moonlight falling in.

"You were spying on her, Morgana. How good is this chick?" Morgana returned to the space by Akira's legs and curled up.

"Well, she's certainly no amateur," the cat admitted. "She completely overheard your conversation with the chief, and she can hack into our chats too."

"Yeah, about that," Akira interrupted. "After we steal her heart, I'm gonna have to talk to her about this spying business. I'm not a big fan of being watched." If she knew of his chat logs, Futaba had dangerous amounts of information on him. Private contacts like Iwai and Takemi were in danger of being exposed for aiding a Phantom Thief. What shook him to his very core, however, was the thought that she might have known what type of "private materials" he perused in his free time when he caught a break from the others. A cold sweat fell down his back. "B-but anyway. Do you think that she can help us kick Medjed's ass?" Morgana shrugged.

"Even if she can't take Medjed down directly, she might have some kind of lead on them." Akira sighed and ran his fingers over his brow. His mind felt utterly exhausted.

"Not exactly the answer I wanted," he muttered, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter. She's a person in need, and that's what the Phantom Thieves do. They help people. Even if she can do nothing with Medjed, I owe it to Sojiro-san to help her. And to Futaba." Morgana smiled and nodded approvingly.

"That's our Joker," he said kindly. "In any case, we'll need to rely on Futaba to get closer to Medjed. This is the only lead we have, so we might as well pursue it." Akira nodded in agreement, letting out a heavy yawn. "Hey, when are we meeting again?" The boy merely shrugged.

"Tomorrow, probably."

"Good idea. How about we do it in here? It's way too hot outside."

"I'll text everyone before school tomorrow. For now, let's get some rest. It has been a fucking day, let me tell you." Morgana merely sat there, tail flicking slowly. Blue eyes fixated on the boy on the bed. Akira opened one eye and saw him just sitting there. "Something on your mind?" The cat nodded.

"You mind if I ask you something?" he sat.

"Go ahead."

"Promise you won't get mad?" Akira opened both and looked down at Morgana peculiarly.

"Why would I get mad?" The cat fidgeted nervously in place, eyes darting around the room.

"Well, it involves Akechi…" A low weary sigh slipped through the boy's lips as his body slackened on the bed. Letting his arms dangle off the edge like a limp ragdoll.

"What about?" he asked flatly. He was tired of thinking about the detective. Medjed took priority now. Especially now that they could do some real damage. "Don't tell me you're feeling bad for him after I owned his ass on a platter?" The cat folded his ears and hunkered down into the bed.

"Well…" Akira groaned and leaned back on the bed, hand over his eyes.

"Come on, man!" he protested. "Don't do this to me now!" It wasn't what he was looking for before bed. Some sort of debate.

"Well, it's just -I mean, you see-" Morgana stammered as he tried to form his argument the best he could. Akira merely sat and watched him, interested in what he had to say. "I think you might've gone a bit overboard on him is all. Like, you've only spoken a couple times to him. You don't know him that well so it's a bit presumptuous to write him off the way you did. It didn't seem too fair to lay into him like that. You were mad at Yusuke for threatening you and Ryuji and at Makoto for blackmailing you, but this was a completely different level. A bit… unnecessary." Akira sighed and hung his arm over his eyes. "But I will admit him bringing up your criminal record unprompted was unnecessary." Akira sighed once more while the cat vented his feelings. He wasn't wrong. Akira wouldn't fault him for his opinion.

"You don't play sides, do you?" The cat chuckled and delivered onto him a teasing smirk.

"The only side I play to is justice."

"Pfffft!" Akira closed his eyes and shook his head in drowsy disbelief. He rose up and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward. "And you're right. Perhaps it was a tad presumptuous." Morgana felt himself relax. A small smile graced the cat's face as he listened to Akira's calm voice. One reason he enjoyed spending time with Akira was that he listened. He listened, was engaging, and re-evaluated things, even himself. "Maybe I went a bit too far. I'll admit that. Will I say all of it was undeserved?" He shook his head adamantly. "Nah. Not at all. But…" He sighed once more and rose from the bed. "Perhaps if I explained my thoughts behind all this, you'd understand where I'm coming from."

"Okay," the cat said with a nod. Akira began to pace back and forth in front of the bed. This was one of his many habits Morgana had noticed during his stay. When something weighed heavily upon his mind, he would go from wall to wall in a synchronized pattern. He held his hands together, pulling the tips of his fingers up to his nose.

"So," he began. "Kamoshida, right?" Morgana nodded. "You know the story. You know of all the vile things he's done." He huffed through his nose and shook his head as he recounted the many heinous acts he bore witness to and heard from others. "Beating up the boys, molesting the girls. He was the volleyball coach, and he was supposed to protect us. To look after the students. That's what teachers are supposed to do." He paused, shaking his head soberly. "All these things went on. And you know what the others did? What Mr. Kobayakawa did?" He inhaled slowly and sharply, still shaking his head. Akira's gaze turned to Morgana, glowering darkly in his direction. "He let it happen." Morgana gulped as the disdain and bitterness in his voice manifested itself. "The adults we were told all our lives to listen to. To respect and come to help when someone was doing something wrong. The adults we were told would protect us." He paused once more, turning away to glare darkly into a shadowy corner of the room. "They sold us out. They measured Kamoshida's star power over the safety as well as the mental and physical health of the students." He turned, eyes peering through the shadows at him. "And we drew the short straw. The people who were supposed to protect us left us out to dry." He fell silent, turning back to the corner. He shook his head, a look of disdain obscured by shadow upon his face.

"Akira…" Morgana said softly. He inhaled sharply through his nose before continuing.

"That bastard broke Ryuji's leg," he growled lowly. His fist was clenched, the knuckles popping loudly in the small room. "Turned him into a social pariah that everyone wrote off as just a punk. Disbanded the track team for the volleyball team's own glory and blamed it on him. Then he tried to rape Ann, and then raped Shiho when he didn't get his way. And now she's been in the goddamn hospital for months of physical therapy because of him!" He swung at the air absently. Though Kamoshida was behind bars never to be seen again, his lingering presence in his mind and in the Shujin Academy air never faded. Morgana tentatively crept forward on the bed, a paw reaching out to Akira.

"I understand," he said. "But Kamoshida has been sent to jail. We've gotten justice-"

"That's right." Akira swung around, pointing at the cat. "We stopped him. We showed the world what Shujin Academy let happen. We'll never fix the people and lives he's destroyed. But we stopped him from ever doing that to anyone ever again." He turned away, inhaling sharply through his nose. "Now here comes this… little prick." Morgana hunkered down as the familiar venom and seething tone returned. "This shitbird has the nerve to go on television and insinuate we're just as bad at him. Him Even straight up says we're as bad as Madarame, a guy who literally let a woman die so he could steal her life's work and enslave her child. Him and the rest of those hack TV hosts and news reporters. We're as bad as Kaneshiro for making him confess to his crimes of smuggling drugs, abusing the poor, and trafficking high school girls. Because as we all know, vigilantism and changing a person's foul heart is just as bad as raping underage girls and being complacent in the death of an innocent woman. Don't you know, Morgana? If you force a rapist a confess his crime, that makes you just as bad because you didn't go through the law to do it." He scoffed harshly and rubbed his eyes. "What a crock of shit." Morgana merely nodded solemnly as he listened to his friend air his grievances.

"I suppose when you say it like that, I can see your point," he admitted.

"Akechi talks a big game about "the law" and how we can't "take justice into our own hands" as though in order to learn what's right and wrong, you have to go to a prestigious school and get a degree that shows the world that you spent thousands of yen to learn that rape and murder are bad. That man is a drone. Plain and simple. One of those guys that's lived a sheltered life, I bet. Little Mister Prim-and-Proper. Telling us to listen to the people in charge who are supposed to protect us and do their job. But the ones in power looked the other way or were useless. The school covered up Kamoshida's actions. Madarame abused his students and drove one to suicide. The local police were useless in busting Kaneshiro." He sat at the foot of the bed, leaning forward. A sweat had built upon his brow. Morgana placed a comforting paw on his arm. "Society and the people who swore to protect us. They failed us. They betrayed us." Morgana fixated on that word. Betrayal. It hung heavily in his voice. His limbs seemed to tremble from the weight behind it just from hearing it spoken.

"Betrayal," he breathed. "You make that word sound so personal…" He didn't reply. Merely sat in the dark as the moonlight shined on his back. In his mind, he was back in his hometown. On that dark street barely illuminated by the lights. Walking down the quiet avenue. And stumbling across those two. The drunken man and the woman he was forcing into his car.

"You know the story," he muttered. Akira didn't face his furry friend, content to stare into the dark. "And you know the answer."

Damn brat! I'll sue! His voice echoed in his head. That man. With the scrap of hair on his chin. Baggy eyes and red cheeks. Reeking of alcohol. A bloody gash on his forehead from where he stumbled over. Make this statement to the cops. "This kid suddenly attacked me." Got it? Then he remembered being hauled into the police cab. His parents yelling at him. Getting kicked out of school. His so-called friends cutting ties. The court date. The cold trade-off from his quiet life to Tokyo. He sighed, slumping forward to stare at the ground.

"The law is supposed to protect the common man," he said, half to Morgana and half to himself. "What good is it if it can be bought? If you can get away by just having enough money? Why does the acting authority get to punish and judge people for defending themselves from abusers when they're the ones doing the abusing or letting it happen through incompetence or apathy?" He rubbed his brow, the sweat on his palms offering a semblance of coolness against his hot flesh. A harsh scoff echoed in the room. "But we're just as bad as those criminals, right? Just as bad as child abusers and criminals. Rapists and murderers. We wear masks and don't kill anyone. But we're just as bad as them, right?" Morgana climbed onto his lip and pressed his head against Akira's. A low purr resonated from Morgana. Akira sat in silence before wrapping his arms around the cat. He held him quietly in the darkness, rocking him back and forth. "Pfft…" He let out a low snicker.

"What's so funny?" he asked. A soft smile could be seen on Akira's face, showcased by the moonlight rays.

"You didn't get your fatty tuna." His snickering picked up, and now Morgana felt himself joining him. His sushi had been sacrificed to get the information from Sojiro despite his militant protests.

"You owe me a double order," Morgana joked, swatting at his nose playfully. He let out a low chuckle in response.

"Alright," he said softly. "Two orders of fatty tuna. I'll start putting some yen away." They sat in silence for a bit. Morgana could feel his chest rise and fall.

"I never knew you felt so strongly about all this, Akira." He stroked the cat's far as he contemplated his own words.

"I didn't want to turn this personal," he admitted. "But I guess everything becomes personal after a while. Especially when your friends are all wrapped up in it." Morgana said nothing, sitting in silence and letting himself be petted. Yet despite the righteous indignation he felt at thrashing Akechi – the sympathy he garnered in some degree from Morgana – something still didn't feel right. To let himself bleed like that in front of his friends. Show his open wounds, his pain. He felt vulnerable now that his flaws were visible. He was supposed to keep this in control. Remain composed and not let emotions take over sound reasoning. But Akechi had just cut so deep with his words – whether about the Phantom Thieves or himself personally. It was a side he hadn't wanted them to see. Sure, he had managed to vent his frustrations before about Kamoshida, his expulsion, and at Makoto's spying. But why did this moment feel so different?

"Maybe that's a good thing," the cat said. "It lets you remember what you're fighting for." Akira sat in silence for a moment before nodding.

"The greater good."

"Right," Morgana said with a smile. "The greater good. What the Phantom Thieves stand for and always will." Akira nodded and climbed back into the bed. Morgana nestled next to his legs, snuggling warmly under the blankets. "But even so… I think you might want to apologize to Akechi. He might irritate you, but it would be better to be on friendly relations rather than unfriendly."

"Weren't you the one calling him a problematic guy to get involved with? Plus, I don't think Akechi's that… petty…" Petty. Was he petty? For how he acted? For lashing out at Akechi in such a way for what he represented? Who he represented? The police had definitely left him embittered after his treatment, but that was hardly Akechi's fault.

Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as the adults say…

"Fuck… Maybe you're right." His gut twisted as his pride fought with his goodwill and empathy. He still felt Akechi was dead wrong and incredibly egotistical for his ignorance. But it was just that.

"We know our own justice, but he's on the outside looking in. We can't make him see it our way without revealing ourselves. Wouldn't you feel the same if you were him?" Akira let out a growl through his teeth as reason slowly won out. He didn't have much pride after his expulsion but did he desperately try to hold onto what he had left. It felt good to tear into Akechi, like he was getting back at the law somehow. But Morgana was right.

"This sucks…" Morgana couldn't help but laugh at his apparent agony. Pride was a fickle thing. "Fine… if I see him, I'll… say something, I guess…" Now Morgana's laughter was picking up as Akira turned over to pout. It was embarrassing to be seen like this. The leader of the Phantom Thieves being temperamental and wildly emotional. He was supposed to be more mature than that. The position demanded it. But he couldn't fight his hormonal teenage state in the end. He was a kid, still human. Flawed, emotional, and even prone to mistakes. "Hey, Morgana."

"Yeah?" The cat stared at him, ears twitching and blue eyes shimmering.

"Thanks," he said softly. "For listening. And for talking some sense into me." Morgana giggled and shut his eyes.

"Anytime, pal." Akira smirked and leaned deep into the pillow.

"See? I told you you're one of the few people on this team with any real sense. Man, after today, I feel like I could sleep for eighty years…" His eyelids felt like lead on his face. His mind grew numb and fuzzy as he seemed to melt into the mattress. With a heavy yawn, sleep finally claimed his body. Morgana remained awake, however. Peering into the darkness of the room as he thought about today. Akira had never let his emotions bleed out like that before. It was raw, a touch unnerving. He would have to keep a better eye on him. Keep him under the proverbial thumb he lacked.

He was the glue holding the team together. They still needed him. As to what they would do after he became human and swept Lady Ann off her feet was no concern of his. They could go back to living their directionless lives outside of being Phantom Thieves once that was all over. To part ways afterward…

That was how it was supposed to have been, right? They just work together to get Morgana his body back. He had even gone into this with the notion that it was just a temporary alliance. What changed? And would it be so bad to just stick around afterward? Obviously, he would have to for Ann's sake. He hadn't given up on courting her just yet. He just needed more time.