AN: Updating again! i'm not really gonna have an update schedule, but I will be trying my best to get at least one chapter up a week, sometimes more. :P This chapter is more dialogue heavy and showing the reactions of Akira's pals towards his growing friendship with Makoto. Please review it helps lots, and let me know if I characterized them correctly!
Makoto was beginning to get frustrated. It had been multiple days and there hasn't been a single change to the situation. If she hadn't seen Akira and his gang snooping around for information, she would have thought they were doing nothing at all. They seemed to be taking small steps in collecting information and while that would be fine and dandy under normal circumstances, Makoto needed them to speed up the process. After all, the longer they took to collect information, the more students were coerced into danger. This can't be all the Phantom Thieves could do, surely? Maybe she could give them a hand?
Akira was feeling extremely satisfied. Ann had used her impressive "acting" skills to gain the locations of where some students had been approached by Kaneshiro's men. Now they had to plan. He quickly sent off a text to Ryuji and Ann telling them to meet at the usual location.
"Hey Joker?" Morgana stuck his feline head out from the flap in Akira's schoolbag.
"Hm?"
"Why are we helping the student council president with this? It's not really our problem."
"Morgana, we had been struggling to find a target for weeks, and now that she's given us one you're gonna complain?"
"Well, it's not so much that. I'm really energetic about this target and excited to take down another criminal as the impressive phantom Thieves! But, it's just that-"
"Just what?"
"It's just that when Miss Niijima asked you for a favor, you went out of your way to immediately start fulfilling it."
"And that's bad? Weren't you the one telling me to expand my confidants? Try and learn so that I can be the best Phantom Thief I can be?" It's true, Morgana did encourage him to do these things. What Akira hadn't told Morgana was that Makoto was not a confidant, at least, not with a social link like all the others.
Morgana looked slightly disgruntled and uncomfortable, "Yes, but with Miss Niijima you seemed...different." Now it was Akira's turn to be uncomfortable.
Giving Morgana a suspicious look Akira asked, "Different how?"
"Never mind, it must have been just my imagination. Now come on! We can't leave Lady Ann with stupid Ryuji for so long!" Although Morgana acted enthusiastic, he sent a wary and concerned glance toward his companion.
Morgana looked sadly at Akira. 'Be careful falling for those outside of our group my friend. It won't be easy to hide secrets this big from her. I can only worry about the future for you.' Morgana thought to himself, shaking his head sadly.
The walk to the secret hideout was silent and slightly awkward between Morgana and Akira. Finally arriving at the location, Ann and Ryuji welcomed them with smiles and waves.
"Yo Akira!"
"Hey Akira, Morgana!"
Wasting no time jumping from the Mona bag™, Morgana leapt onto the railing by the window.
"Alright team, according to the very valuable information that Lady Ann has graced us with, most of the students were approached somewhere in downtown Shibuya."
Ryuji gave his two cents, "Well there we go! Case closed! All we gotta do now is stake 'em out and take 'em out!" Ryuji made a fist and shoved it in the air.
"Not so fast Ryuji. We have to come up with a plan."
"Come on Akira! We already know where they'll be so all we hafta do is take 'em down!"
"Um, Ryuji I think Akira is right. After all, we don't even know if this Kaneshiro person has a palace," Ann crossed her arms.
Morgana gave a cat's grin at her, "That's a very astute observation, Lady Ann! But Akira already checked him out."
"As soon as Makoto told me the name of the man in charge, I checked the app and sure enough he has a palace."
Ann gave Akira an odd look, "Makoto, huh."
"Yeah man when did you and the prez get on a first name basis?"
Akira focused as deeply as he could to keep his blush down, but even with all his effort, a small hint of pink appeared through his mask. "Listen guys, It's a completely professional relationship. We realized that we may be working together every so often and decided that it would be simpler to just shorten the names and drop the suffixes."
Surprisingly Ann and even Morgana seemed to believe him. Both adopting similar relieved expressions. Even more surprisingly was Ryuji who was watching his best friend with a doubtful expression. Ryuji had known Akira the longest and he could feel deep in his gut that part of Akira's sentence was a lie. He had no way to prove that however, so he simply let the subject drop.
"Anyway," Akira took charge of the conversation once again, "The plan is this, we are going to spend the day tomorrow investigating Shibuya. Once we find the area that we believe Kaneshiro's men are targeting students at, we will set a trap."
"A trap Joker?"
Nodding slightly at Morgana's question, "That's right. Once we find the area, I will pretend to be interested in his drug trade. After that, you guy's will follow me to where Kaneshiro is and hopefully we can get the jump on him. If all works according to plan, even if he attempts to blackmail us like all the other students, we should have enough information to enter his palace and take him down." He knew his friends would object to him being the bait, but it had to happen so they could get an audience with Kaneshiro.
Sure enough Ann was the first to speak up, "Akira it's a good plan and all, but I'm not sure how I feel about you being the bait. There's gotta be another way."
"I agree with Lady Ann, this is too risky Joker, even for you. There are too many unknown variables and it's really dangerous!"
"Listen guys, I know you don't want me doing this, but it's the best shot to talk to Kaneshiro, and we need to find out about him to save the students he's tormenting. You get it right Ryuji?"
The boisterous boy seemed unusually reserved, "I get it dude, really I do. And I do think this is the best way to take the bastard down, but it does seem dangerous."
"Ryuji, don't you trust me?"
"I do man. You're right," He turned to Ann and Morgana, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Besides, it's our fearless leader! He's got this!" Giving a loud laugh and a small punch to Akira's shoulder, Ryuji gives Akira a look of approval.
Reluctantly agreeing with their teammates, Ann and Morgana give each other worried looks.
"It's decided, We'll put the plan into motion after school tomorrow," softening his eyes Akira glances towards his friends, "I'll be fine guys, promise."
They all split and head their separate ways home, all worried about the operation that would begin the next day.
