I'm so sorry about the wait for this :,D I started back up college and then the hurricane hit and I had to evacuate and now I'm back at school, so everything's been a bit of a mess OTL Oh well, got around to finishing this, so I hope you all enjoy!

"Yo, Boss, sorry we're all just dropping in so suddenly." Ryuji greeted.

The motley group of thieves, minus one technophile, filed in through the door to Café Leblanc. School had finished for the day and the moment the students were free, the teens had gathered, not wasting any time. They promptly arrived in Yongen Jaya and were eager to see what was so important they had to meet face to face. The café was empty, aside from Sojiro behind the counter.

"No worries, I knew you were coming. I'll let the kids know you're here." Sojiro walked off towards the direction of the attic.

Ann and Haru snagged a booth while Ryuji pulled out a barstool. Yusuke chose to stand, leaning slightly against one of the booths. Makoto paused for a moment in thought, then slowly took a seat next to Haru.

"Why do you think he asked us to meet? Think it's just a request?" Ryuji asked the group.

"Unlikely. He wouldn't have been so vague if that was the case." Makoto replied, her hand held to her chin in thought. The rest of the thieves hummed in agreement, confusion and worry written across several faces.

Makoto was anxious about this meeting. She hadn't known Akira for a particularly long time, only a few months, but she felt she knew him enough to see that this was unusual. The previous night she had dismissed Akira's absence as being harmless, but the more she thought about it the more her mind was plagued with worry. Ryuji was right; Akira was usually fairly prompt in his replies to the group. His sudden reappearance that morning had settled her turbulent thoughts but the call for an urgent meeting right after just dredged it all back up again. Did something really happen yesterday? She shook her head, clearing her clouded mind.

"Well, we don't have to wait long to find out." Ann said. The sound of stairs creaking resounded through the small café, and a moment later three figures rounded the corner. Sojiro was the first to emerge, followed closely by Futaba, gripping the hand of what appeared to be a young boy.

"Uhh who's the kid? Akira got a sibling or cousin or something? And speaking of which, where is he? And where's Mona?" Ryuji asked, breaking the silence.

Makoto looked the boy over. Indeed, she could see some resemblance to Akira in his face and hair. It wouldn't be a surprise if they were related. Akira never mentioned any siblings though, so it would be a wonder as to why one would show up at a time like this.

Futaba chuckled.

"You're never going to believe it guys." Futaba smirked, obviously excited. A long sigh dragged out of the boy.

"Oh Ryuji, you're as dull as ever." The boy commented, picking at the undersides of his nails.

Everyone's eyes went wide, and Makoto could hear a gasp of surprise from Haru. 'It can't be, that voice!'

"No way." Ann let out.

"M-Morgana?" Makoto stuttered.

"Wait, for real? Is that really you Morgana?" Ryuji exclaimed, his eyes round in shock. The boy let out a chuckle.

"It is I! The great Morgana, finally in my rightful form!" He puffed up his chest and stood proudly. Ryuji scoffed.

"That's definitely him all right, with that attitude. Figures you'd turn out to be some snot nosed brat."

"Hey, I might be small but I'm still not as useless as you, Ryuji." Morgana bristled.

"What did you-"

"Alright that's enough you two." Makoto intervened. They both backed down, settling for shooting glares at each other. Even when there was no reason to bicker the two could somehow start a fight from nothing. Typical.

"Wow, they always like this?" Sojiro questioned.

"You have no idea…" Ann sighed.

"Mona-chan you're so cute! I'm so happy you've finally become a human." Haru cheered. Morgana blushed.

"Thanks, Haru." He replied, a tight smile spread across his rosy face.

"Incredible, how did you manage to do it? Did Akira figure out a method? Speaking of which, where is our leader? He still seems to be absent." Yusuke inquired.

"About that, that's why I asked you all to come here." Morgana said, looking down at his feet.

"You were the one that sent that message?" Ann asked. Morgana nodded.

"Akira's missing." He blurted out quickly. Makoto felt like her heart skipped a beat.

"Missing?" Haru exclaimed.

"Wait, what?" Ann questioned, confused.

"For real?"

"Morgana, start from the beginning, what exactly happened?" Makoto said sternly. Morgana swallowed.

"Well, last night after Akira got back we might have got in a fight, and he might have walked out without his phone on him." Morgana grumbled.

"You got in a fight?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah, it was really stupid too. Akira said he was envious of me and I might have gotten a bit frustrated, but he was really irritable it seemed." He explained, shuffling his feet slightly.

"So you two got angry at each other, he walked out, and then you woke up and were… human." Makoto went back through the information. Morgana nodded in affirmation.

"Yes. That's the gist of what happened."

"Well, this isn't good." Ann murmured.

"What should we do?" Haru asked.

"We have to find him!" Futaba declared. Yusuke nodded.

"You're right. But where do we even start?"

"Morgana, do you have any idea of where he might have gone?" Makoto asked.

"I'm not sure. He could have gone anywhere really."

"Then we'll have to split up, cover more ground." Makoto proposed. "We can look into different places he might have gone and see if we can find any trace of him."

"That sounds like a good plan." Morgana responded.

"I'll stay back and see if I can dig up anything online. If I hack into the police database and hospital records I can check if he's turned up recently anywhere." Futaba suggested.

"Good idea. As for the rest of us, let's break off into pairs." Makoto explained. "How about… Ann and Haru, you're together, Yusuke and Morgana will be a team, and Ryuji, you're with me." Everyone nodded in understanding. "If anyone finds anything, message the rest of us."

"You kids be careful out there, who knows what trouble that kid's run into." Sojiro warned from behind the counter.

"Don't worry Boss, we'll bring him back safe and sound." Ann assured him. Sojiro grunted in response.

"Alright, if we all know what we're doing, let's not waste anymore time." Makoto slid out of the booth and headed for the door, the rest of the Phantom Thieves in pursuit.

"Keep an eye on Morgana, okay Yusuke? We don't want him getting into any trouble his first day as a human." Ann giggled.

"Hey! I don't need a baby sitter." Morgana protested.

"Sure you don't." Ryuji remarked, ruffling Morgana's hair. He swatted Ryuji's hands away and looked up indignantly.

"Alright, let's get our leader back!" Futaba proclaimed.

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji followed up. With an excited energy they left the café, though Makoto couldn't let go the nervous feeling that this wouldn't be as easy as they hoped.

'Come on, come on, almost there. Can't these stupid short legs go any faster?'

Akira rounded a corner and sighed in relief, seeing the familiar backstreets of Yongen Jaya. The station was close to his temporary residence, but as a cat it seemed miles farther than usual. He picked up his pace, knowing his home was only a few blocks away.

He ran down the street, spooking a few passing people and a pet dog, but he paid them no heed. He just wanted to get home so he could end this nightmare. 'We'll figure this out somehow. I can't be stuck as a cat forever. That's simply not happening.'

He rounded the last corner and immediately was hit with the drifting aroma of coffee. He took a deep breath, taking in the familiar scent. He could hear the jingle of Leblanc's door bell, and a moment later one by one his friends exited the establishment.

'Yes! They're already here!' He sped down the alleyway, coming to a stop in front of the group. "Hey! Down here!" He called out. A moment later his heart dropped to his stomach. 'Oh no, don't tell me…'

"Hey! Someone? You can hear me right? Please tell me I don't just sound like a cat!" Akira called out, panic now evident in his voice. Makoto glanced around and then looked down in Akira's direction.

"A cat?" She murmured. Everyone else turned to look at Akira and he found himself shrinking back under all the stares.

"Aww! Look at him, he's so pretty." Haru cooed.

'Man, is this what we all looked like to Morgana? We're like giants- wait, Morgana! Where is he?' He padded his way through the group, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. That's when he noticed the new human addition to the group.

'Wait a minute, if I'm a cat does that mean…'

"Come on, we don't have time to sit around and look at a stray, we have to find Akira." The newcomer said.

'Yep, that's him alright, but wait, no! I'm right here!'

"Guys come on! You have to recognize me!" He quickly trotted over to Makoto's leg and wrapped himself around her.

"Man, he's a loud one." Ryuji commented.

"And affectionate." Makoto grumbled, trying to shoo Akira away with her foot. "Sorry little guy, but we have to go." Akira whined, not knowing how to translate his current status to his teammates. He cursed, watching them walk towards the train station. Morgana looked back at him for a few moments before turning forward and following the others.

'I have to make them understand somehow..' With that he took off after them.

"Man this is getting us nowhere, Shibuya is too effing big." Ryuji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck in irritation.

"It is rather unfortunate, but we have to keep looking." Makoto was at the end of her wits as well, but kept trying to keep her head high with optimism. The two had questioned the locals and storeowners for the past hour but no one seemed to have spotted the frizzy haired boy. The only lead they had is a late night worker had seen him walk by the previous night, but hadn't seen him since.

"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. At this rate, Akira is as good as gone."

"Don't say that, we do have a decent lead. Maybe the others have had some better luck?" Makoto suggested.

"Feel like they would have said somethin'." Ryuji murmured, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the chat. Makoto did the same though nothing new had been sent within the last ten minutes. She paused when she saw Ryuji suddenly jerk his head to his right. "Yo, do you see what I see?"

"What do you mean?"

Ryuji pointed down the street where a fluffy black cat was walking in their direction. It seemed to pause as it noticed their stares, but then resumed at a more comfortable pace.

"That can't be the same one from before right?" Ryuji asked, dumbfounded.

"It sure looks like it." Makoto said, mystified as well by the strange feline.

"Did it follow us?"

"Now that I think about it, I think I saw it a few times while we were searching Shibuya. It's possible it did tail us."

"All the way to Shibuya? What, did it take the train?"

"It's unlikely, but not impossible. It could have walked as well. Regardless, it's almost time to meet back up with everyone, let's go." Makoto finished, turning away.

As they made their way back to the station, Makoto kept a watchful eye on the dusty feline. Sure enough, it was following behind at a distance. What could possibly be the reason for it to follow them specifically? Was it their clothing? Their scent? Regardless, it was all rather odd and was starting to unsettle her slightly.

They made their way through the station to the train that would connect them to Yongen Jaya. As Makoto took a seat, she pulled out her phone to once again check to see if anyone had found him yet. There still seemed to be no luck, and now she was beginning to grow worried.

After their return announcement across the screens of Shibuya, the secret of Akira's survival was blown. Anyone who knew of his true identity now knew he wasn't so dead anymore. This left him in a troublesome area. She didn't think they'd act before election day, but was it possible that Shido's men had gotten their hands on him? She clenched her hands, fingernails digging sharply into her palm and her knuckles going white. She chewed at her bottom lip, anxiety and worry for her friend suddenly eating at her.

"Hey, you okay? You look a bit shaken." Ryuji inquired, sensing her stress. Makoto shook her head.

"I'm fine, it's just…"

"You're worried, aren't you?" She sighed.

"What if Shido's men got him Ryuji? What if he's hurt and alone and has no way out?" Ryuji reeled back at the sudden outburst.

"Woah hey, it's okay. If anyone can deal with those guys, it's definitely Akira. Trust me, we'll get him back, no matter where he is." Makoto nodded.

"Thanks, I know I should have more faith in him, it's just this has never happened before."

"Don't worry, you'll see. He'll be home in no time." He gave her a confident smile and Makoto gave him one of her own, though beyond that she could see in his eyes that he was just as worried as she is. He put on the strong façade, but below she could see the deep unrest that came from his closest friend disappearing without a trace.

Both were suddenly thrown out of the moment however when a stream of curses and shouts sounded from down the train. Makoto sat up, straining to see through the crowd of people. There were more shouts and yelps and it seemed people were throwing themselves out of the way.

"For real? You won't believe this." Ryuji said in shock.

"What do you mean?" Makoto leaned forward to get a better look.

A security man was charging through the crowd of passengers, and ahead of him darted a fuzzy black shape. It scrambled around and under and over people's legs and laps, avoiding the grasp of the officer trying to apprehend it. When it finally reached Makoto she jumped as it leaped into her lap, pressing its head into her stomach. Shocked, all she could do was hold the poor thing as it trembled in her grasp. In her stupor she didn't notice the security guard approach her, and it took Ryuji nudging her to break her free.

"Excuse me miss, could you please hand over the cat? Stupid thing snuck onto the train and caused quite the disturbance." She stared back at him, still slightly in shock over the turn of events, and the black furball hissed back at the officer's comment. He reached down, trying to pull the cat from her lap, but it yowled and hooked its claws into her leggings, obviously very intent on not leaving. Her thoughts raced for a moment, and a startling realization washed over her.

"Sorry officer, I think I left a window open and he followed me out. He's quite attached to me, you see. I'll make sure he gets home." She spoke calmly, trying to push her act into sincerity, and softly pulled the struggling cat back into her lap/

The officer seemed skeptical and a bit bewildered, but didn't push it. "Alright, just make sure he's off with you at your stop. And miss, I recommend locking your windows from now on."

"Yes sir, will do." She gave him a smile. The officer turned away, grumbling to himself. Makoto sighed in relief.

"Uhhh Makoto, why did you help the cat?" Ryuji wondered, looking at the fluffy form in her lap.

"I was thinking…" The cat looked up at her, staring with intense grey eyes. It meowed at her and pawed at her stomach, as if trying to get her attention. "It obviously has a reason to be following us, and it knows how to use the trains." Makoto explained. "So now I'm wondering…"

'Strange how the day that Morgana becomes a human, a cat appears and seems to have an attachment to us. Not only did it come to Leblanc, but it followed us to Shibuya and back. It also knew to come to me when it was chased. It's a stretch and could totally be a coincidence, but if I'm right…'

"Makoto? You okay there?" Ryuji waved his hand in front of her face and she snapped her head back toward him and then to the cat.

"You're probably not going to believe this, but…" She lifted the cat from under his arms and held him aloft in front of her. He mewled and struggled in her grip, obviously not liking being held like this. "Akira?" She asked, feeling a bit silly. Her heart skipped a beat as the cat's ears pricked and its eyes became saucers. It meowed in response, wiggling even more.

"Wait what? You're suggesting that cat is Akira? How is that even possible?" If cats could give a deadpanned look, the supposedly-Akira kitty shot Ryuji the annoyed glare he could. He mewed and lashed his tail about and Makoto had to relinquish her grip and settle for placing him in her lap.

"I feel like his response settles it. Think about it, Morgana suddenly becomes human and then this cat starts following us everywhere? Not to mention it seems intelligent." Makoto offered. Ryuji looked uncertain, but seemed to come to agree.

"Is that really you, dude?" Ryuji asked. The cat meowed a short quip and flicked his fluffy tail. "Sheesh, how'd you get yourself into this mess. More importantly, how do we get you out of it?" Akira turned his head away; ears drooped, obviously a little despondent about the situation.

"We'll figure it out, for now we have to meet back up with everyone and we'll make a plan from there."

Wooo almost done this weird intro section, and then we can get to some shenanigans. Also, you may be wondering why no one can hear Akira?

Some of the functions of the metaverse are kinda odd, but I'm going off of the idea that it's similar to Morgana in they haven't heard him speak yet. Since Akira was only ever human, their cognition hasn't changed in the metaverse. So no cat speak. At least, not yet ;)

Also, if you want to see my idea of Akira kitty, here's a drawing I did a while back:

twitter lextheglider/status/891830282415992833

Thanks for reading!