Wild Cards [AkiraxAkechi P5]

Chapter Thirty-Five

    Kasumi showed up to Leblanc about an hour after Takuto left. She was all smiles, beaming brighter than the sun, excited to journey with the Phantom Thieves into the Metaverse. Then Ann came to her side and explained everything Takuto had told them.

   Kasumi's smile dropped.

   "Wait... so we're not going to Akira's Palace...?"

   "It's too risky. We could end up with him and Ren dead if we do it," Morgana said.

   "We'll figure out how to save the both of them soon, but right now we have to focus on stealing Osoroshi Usagi's heart," Makoto added.

"But..." Kasumi shook her head, "Akira is insane, you guys know that right? You have to! Why can't half of us take care of Usagi and the other half deal with Akira, why can't we—!"

   "Yoshizawa, calm down!" Ann said.

   "Why are you so set on us infiltrating Akira's Palace?" Yusuke asked.

   Kasumi was silent, her cheeks puffing up and brow furrowing. She put her hands over her face and tried to steady her breathing before speaking quietly.

   "No, forget it. It's nothing. You guys are in charge..."

   Futaba came hurrying upstairs just then with her eyes glued to her laptop, not noticing the cold atmosphere of the room.

   "Hey guys? I think we have a problem!" she exclaimed, taking attention away from Kasumi.

   "I knew it, you did do something wrong with your Metaverse software!" Ryuji said.

   "Shut—!" Futaba threw a pillow at Ryuji's face before sitting down. "I mean, we can't enter Usagi's freaking Palace! It says it's in process of deconstructing or something like that!"

  All eyes were on her. Kasumi glanced up from between her fingers.

   "Deconstructing... wait, you mean like the Palace is collapsing?!" Makoto cried. "But Palaces don't collapse unless we change their hearts or the owner is dies—"

   Silence. Panic. Chaos.

"Oh SHIT!"

   "Look up her name online! Check and see if she's in the news!"

"Someone should call the hospital and ask about her—Yoshizawa, you know her right?!"

"Guys! GUYS!" Futaba yelled at everyone. "It gets worse! I think Akira and Akechi might've crossed over a while before the crash!"

"What?! Well then get them out!" Morgana cried.

"I've tried! They can crossover by dreaming remember?! I think they ended up there without the my earpieces, I can't force them out without them!"

   Kasumi stared silently, faking a look of worry.

   "Shouldn't you guys check on them or something? Where are they?"

    "Akechi's apartment!" Makoto stood up, "I'm going now, maybe we can wake them up ourselves,"

"I'm coming too!" Haru and Yusuke said at almost the same time.

"We'll stay here and try to figure out what's going on with Usagi," says Ann.

Kasumi's lips almost pinched into a grin as Makoto, Haru and Yusuke left. She looked over at Ann and Ryuji checking their phones then at Morgana sitting beside Futaba to see her computer screen. Four was enough. Ann yawned then and her eyes looked drowsy. Futaba was pushing her glasses up to rub her face.