(DISCONTINUED) Night Raid's Joker (Akame ga Kill x Persona 5)

Prologue

 Prologue: Life after Ruin

((A new story by me! This time it's a cross over of Akame ga Kill and Persona 5. The preview image will be that until I draw my own. Hope you enjoy!))

*beep beep beep*
"*Groans of agony* Why...I was having such a good dream..."
"*sigh* Get up Jo-I mean Akira."
Rubbing my head in annoyance, I sat up straight after I felt the weight on my chest jump off me. My alarm was still blaring, so I got up and smashed the snooze button twice. It's amazing how the thing isn't even broken yet. Looking to my left, I found the familiar black cat with his yellow collar on looking up at me with his blue eyes. Sighing and putting my prop glasses on, I got dressed swiftly and fixed my frizzy, black hair. The cat followed me everywhere I went, scratching its ear every so often. It told me to hurry up, as I had school today.
Did I not mention that my cat can talk? To be honest, whenever we have these exchanges, I'm not sure who is the owner here.
Let me introduce myself.
My name is Akira Kurusu.
Former outcast.
Former Shujin student.
Former Trickster
And former leader of the famed Phantom Thieves.
Codename Joker.
And my cat's name is Morgana, one of my most trusted companions. He's been with me since the start of the Phantom Thieves.
"How long are you going to stand there and stare off into space? Get moving! You need to leave soon Akira!" Morgana urged me, jumping into my book bag. Shaking my head to snap out of it, I picked up my book bag and set it up so Morgana can rest on my shoulder. When I felt his paws placed firmly on my shoulder, I walked downstairs. There, I found Mother drinking coffee and writing something. She's probably writing forms for her next business meeting with Father. They've been doing this a lot lately. Ever since I came back from Yongen-Jaya, in fact.
It's been exactly one year since I came back to my hometown. I'm eighteen and a third year in high school now. I don't think I've changed that much in terms of appearance, but I've definitely changed as a person. Who wouldn't, after going through what I have?
I used to be part of the world famous group called the Phantom Thieves, a team of high school students labeled as outcasts. Our job was to change the hearts of rotten people by going into another dimension called the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a world where the distorted desires of the public come into fruition, and those with desires twisted enough have what's called a Palace. A Palace was the manifestation of one's inner thoughts, often taking a disgusting form of how they see reality. There live the creatures called Shadows, monsters taken shape from Human Desire, and everybody has their own Shadow, a counterpart to themselves. For example, if I saw the world as my castle, then the world would become a castle in the Metaverse, but only in my Palace. Also, a doppelganger of myself would reside in that castle, the king (just like Kamoshida). However, me and the Phantom Thieves are the select few who don't have a Palace or a Shadow, as the power of an app called the Meta-Nav allows us to come and go as we please into Palaces. A set of clothing we dubbed as "Thief Outfits" protect us from any distortion in the Metaverse, and the strange beings we can summon call "Personas" also help.
A Persona is the manifestation of our will to fight and rebel against our fate, forming a mask that must be torn away. In other words, a Persona is our true selves, who we are without a mask to hide it.
However, we lost that power to use Personas and go into the Metaverse last year, when we found that a place called Mementos, the Palace of the general public, held a dark secret. A God named Yaldabaoth wished to plunge the world into ruin in disappointment for humanity resided within the depths of Mementos, and nearly succeeded. Thankfully, we managed to defeat it, and humanity was saved, for a price of course. The Metaverse disappeared, along with our powers and Persona. Now, we were just normal high school students, living normal life.
"Good morning, Mother." I greeted.
"Morning son." She glanced at me, then got back to work. Walking past her, I walked out the door for school.
As much as I would like to, I don't go to Shujin anymore. I go to a school that knew nothing of my background so nobody pried about me being a Phantom Thief. It seemed impossible, but it is. Despite me turning myself in, nobody at my new school knew about my past, but they sure did gossip about the Phantom Thieves. I wonder if Sae had something to do with it?
Talk of the Phantom Thieves was starting to die down recently due to our disbandment. The government stopped trying to investigate me and the rest of the Thieves a long time ago, much to my relief.
"Don't cause trouble at school, okay son?" Mother warned. My parents know about my old profession.
"I won't. See you!" I left the house with Morgana hiding in my bag.
"What were you dreaming about, Joker? I heard you say it was a nice one." Morgana poked me with his paw, making my head tilt toward him. We were currently at the bus stop, and I had a little time, so I decided to entertain him.
"I guess, Kamoshida's Palace." I responded. The other students waiting by the bus stop looked at me funny, whether it's because of a cat on my shoulder or I'm talking to it, I'm not sure. After all, I'm one of the few who can hear Morgana speak, everyone else can only hear cat meows.
"Ah, yes. I remember those days. You were little more than a rookie who needed my guidance in being a thief. And Ryuji was just as pathetic as he is now." Morgana snickered. He was always insulting Ryuji.
"Hey, Ryuji isn't pathetic. An idiot, sure, but I wouldn't say pathetic." I replied, defending and insulting my blonde friend at the same time. I felt a small pang at the memory of the vulgar boy. Honestly, I miss being at Leblanc with the others, there's not a day that I don't.
When the bus arrived, I hid Morgana again and sat down, checking my phone, I noticed the date, May 2nd. I remembered that this was the day that Kamoshida admitted his crimes, and turned himself in. My hand tightened around my phone a little. I still hate adults like that, and I know that there are still people in the world with distorted desires, and I can't do anything about it. I did lose my power to go into the Metaverse, after all.
"May 2nd, huh? Hey! Isn't this the day after we completed our first heist?" Morgana meowed, making me look around to see if anyone heard. Pets weren't allowed on this bus, after all.
"Yeah...It is." I replied, smiling a little at the memory of our first heart we changed. It was our first victory and debut as Phantom Thieves. There was something else though. It felt like there was something important I had to do today, but I couldn't remember. Shaking my head and the feeling off, I felt the bus stop. Leaving and heading for school, I sighed. Time for another normal day.

//Time Skip\\

Walking out of school and towards the bus stop again, I finally remembered why I had that feeling again. Not only was it the day of Kamoshida's confession, it was a reunion of the Phantom Thieves as well! When I told Morgana about this, he meowed in excitement.
"Oh! It'll be nice to see how the team has changed and matured! Though I doubt that Ryuji has changed at all. Is Futaba still a shut-in? Is Yusuke still weird? Is...Is Lady Ann still the same? W-what do you think Joker?" Morgana listed off in excitement.
"It's been a year, and you still have that crush on Ann? I guess it's true of what they say. Love is powerful. Guess you can become human, if you do have those feelings." I smiled a little, a mischievous glint in my eyes.
"Of course I can become human! I may know my true origins, but I know there's a way for me to walk on two feet! And what do you mean about my love for Lady Ann? Of course it's powerful!" Morgana hissed in my ear, making me chuckle a little. I looked up at the sky. In all honesty, I hope things didn't change with the others.
I better head to the train station now. Getting on the bus again, I notified Mother and Father of what I was up to. While initially they were reluctant, they eventually gave in. I smiled to myself when I saw this. Morgana laughed a little in my bag, excited and jittery. I could hear him say something about "grooming," and "Lady Ann." When the bus came to a stop, I put Morgana on my shoulder again and left. I could hear the familiar sounds of the Train Station. Memories flooded through me, when I first came to Shujin, when I was off to school every day, and whenever I went out of Leblanc to visit my friends. Adjusting my glasses, I waited for the line to Yongen. Morgana went back into my bag again, so I didn't have to pay the pet fair. When the train arrived, I got ready to see the rest of the Thieves.

//Time Skip\\

"Where should I go first?" I asked myself aloud. I was standing in the middle of Shibuya. Walking the crosswalk, I remembered when the Meta-Nav first appeared on my phone, when time seemed to stop and a version of me as a Phantom Thieves appeared before me in flames. I wonder if that was my Persona revealing my true self to me?
"Akira? Akira? Hey, snap out of it. You've been really spacing out a lot, you know? I told you to go to sleep! Were you on your phone again when I was taking a cat nap?!" Morgana scolded me, making my eye twitch.
"Morgana...We've had this conversation before...You're not my Mom! *Yawn* You're half-right though. I'm just really excited to see everyone again." I replied, rubbing my eye.
"I am too. A reunion of the Great Phantom Thieves!" Morgana repeated this a couple times as I walked around the familiar territory, searching for the nostalgic back-alley Café.
And there it was. Right in front of me was the curry and coffee Café, Leblanc. Still looked the same as always from the outside. Looking through the window, I could see a small amount of people there, probably the regulars. On the bar stool, I could see someone with gray hair. Gray? Sae? Deciding to stop standing outside, I entered my old home, and a man with black hair and a beard, definitely Sojiro Sakura, was there with his back turned.
"Oh. Can I get you anything?" Sojiro asked, still turned around.
"That's a first. I've never heard a greeting from you without threats to throw me out!" I quipped. Sojiro froze up and turned around, seeing me with a small smile and a mischievous glint in my eye. The gray-haired also turned around, confirming my assumptions. Morgana meowed in greeting to the two. The customers looked up, then back down.
"That you kid? *chuckle* You look just as crappy as when you left." Sojiro laughed. My mood quickly plummeted and I pouted silently.
"That really how you treat me after looking after me for a year?" I sighed.
"Well well, if it isn't the leader of the Ph-" Sae Nijima started, but I crossed my arms to silence her. She nodded, and went back to drinking whatever it was she was drinking. I then felt something slam into me full force from the back. I got the wind knocked out of me and Morgana jumped away from me before I hit the ground. When I looked at what hit me, I found a...Head Mask? Only one person owns something like that.
"Fu..taba?"
"Hey Akira! WHY DIDN'T YOU VISIT ME?! IT'S BEEN A WHOLE YEAR?! THAT'S MESSED UP!" Futaba Sakura yelled, coming from the sink. Guess she's helping Sojiro now. What scared me was the fact that her eye was twitching.
Futaba was a short girl with black hair dyed orange and glasses. She was an ex-shut-in, so her skin was a lot paler than a normal human's.
"Hey to you too. How's high school?" I asked, getting up from the ground as if nothing happened. Her eye twitched again when I didn't answer her. Sighing she shook her head. I noticed that Futaba looked a lot better now, she wasn't as skinny and pale. Still really short though.
"Well well, how are you Oracle? Morgana asked, sweating from Futaba's throw.
"Oh! Mona!" Futaba exclaimed, hugging the talking cat. Morgana struggled a little, but stopped when he realized it was useless. As Futaba was smothering Morgana, I took the time to catch up with Sojiro. When the customers looked at us funny, I slipped away, moving to my old sleeping area, the attic.
It was still clean, but the makeshift bed wasn't there anymore. The shelves and the plant were just as I left it though. I wonder if Sojiro was cleaning the place up while I was gone. There isn't a speck of dust. I heard a couple of footsteps from behind me. Sae, Sojiro and Futaba followed me, Morgana in the orange-haired girl's arms. They smiled a little as they saw me explore the place.
"It's good to be back." I sigh. I heard Futaba laugh, so I turned towards her. She looked up at me as I smiled.
"Wanna go get the Phantom Thieves back together?" I asked.
"Who should we find first?" Morgana asked, grinning.
"I have an idea." I responded, going downstairs. Everyone looked at a painting called "Sayuri," a painting that belonged and was precious to a friend. I grinned inside, and Futaba groaned.

. . .

"Never thought I'd see you here, Yusuke. Still pestering Ann for a nude painting?" I asked with a tone of mischief, spotting the blue haired boy at the train station. At the sound of my voice, he had a sharp intake of breath. The artist turned towards me, and we both stared at each other. All of a sudden, we both struck a pose, raising our arms and standing on one leg.
"Splendid. It's good to see you again, Akira." Yusuke Kitagawa replied, getting out of his pose. I smiled, while Futaba started getting into an argument with him, calling Yusuke "Inari," just like old times. Yusuke was a tall, thin boy, with dark blue hair. You could describe him as a "pretty boy," if you could look past the fact he's extremely eccentric. I stared at the two blankly as they bickered, with Morgana sweating on my shoulder.
"Who should we get next, Morgana?" I asked the black cat, ignoring the fight.
"If these two keep fighting, I don't think we can get anyone. Let's get Miss Council President so she can keep them in line." Morgana replied, referring to Makoto Nijima. The Vice Leader of the Phantom Thieves.
As we walked off, we found ourselves in front of an old shack, much to Yusuke's surprise.
"Sensei's...old home..." Yusuke spoke slowly. Even Futaba stopped when she saw his discomfort. Yusuke's teacher was a crook named Madarame, who plagiarized his students and even watched Yusuke's own mother die so he could steal her art. Madarame was the second big target we changed, and the day Yusuke joined the Phantom Thieves. Patting Yusuke's back, my usually reserved but mischievous gaze changed to a serious one.
"Although he was a rotten adult, remember that he was still there for you in periods of time. What you did was the right decision. If he continued to get away with his crimes, then we wouldn't be able to avenge you, the other pupils, and your mother. Stay strong, Fox, and be proud of what you've done." I assured him, nodding. Yusuke smiled and nodded back, his gaze fixing to determination.
"I understand, Joker. Now, let's go find Makoto."

. . .

We walked towards Waseda University, due to Makoto most likely having to study after school, because, come on. This is Makoto the honor student we're talking about here. We actually found her about to leave, and me and Futaba looked at each other and smirked, sneaking behind Makoto when her back was turned, and took a deep breath. Morgana covered his ears with his paws, somehow while Yusuke watched us with his fingers in the shape of a canvas.
"TEAM MOM! TEAM MOM! TEAM MOM!" Me and Futaba shouted, well, more like Futaba shouted, while my voice was a little softer than hers. Makoto jumped and looked back, her red eyes widening.
"Well, I said I'd visit, and I visited. How's it going, Makoto?" I asked, smiling a little. Makoto's eyes widened even more, and she smiled a little as well.
"It's nice to see you again, Akira. I see you're still the same. Hopefully your still studying." Makoto replied, looking up at me.
"You're seriously going to bring this up now? Come on." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"What is the Golden Ratio?" Makoto quizzed me, her eyes flashing. Keeping a cool expression, I pushed my glasses up my face.
"A mathematical equation that is used, though not limited to, architecture. Japanese architects and artists use a similar ratio called the Silver ratio. It's also the one thing that Yusuke worships like a God." I answered, remembering when Yusuke kept bringing up a pyramid's perfect Golden Ratio in Futaba's Palace, while Ryuji was ogling Ann and I was wondering what he was looking at. I didn't find out until Ann called him out on it.
"Ah, so you are keeping up still. At a question that was a topic last year, in fact. Surprised you remembered." Makoto replied, nodding.
"The pyramid's Golden Ratio was perfect! I can still imagine it!" Yusuke cut in, striking a pose and making us give a comical sweat drop.
"See, this is why we call you Team Mom. Always pestering us to stay smart." Futaba laughed, making Makoto sigh. Yusuke came over to greet her properly as well. As we all caught up with each other, Morgana asking about Waseda to Makoto, we soon decided to move on to the next person. As we were walking, Makoto seemed to be a lot happier than she first looked, coming out of school.
Makoto Nijima is an uptight girl with brown hair in a bob cut. Her most noticeable traits are her red eyes and her ability with aikido, or as Ryuji calls it, "pure ass whooping."
"Are you still pursuing your goal to become a cop, Makoto?" Yusuke asked the red eyed girl, to which she nods, clenching her fist. She looked around Waseda, then at any students still there, and her gaze hardened.
"While we may no longer be able to change the hearts of selfish adults, I can still help others in some way. I was shocked by the amount of students blackmailed by Kaneshiro when I first became a Phantom Thief, and I know that there are others still out there who are suffering. I wonder if my peers and upperclassmen are still suffering... Am I making the right decision based on my Justice?" Makoto asks, her mood plummeting. Kaneshiro was a Mafia boss who made students low on cash do drug deliveries, then put them into debt after being paid through blackmail. That money-crazed asshole was the Phantom Thieves' third target. My own gaze hardened as well, and I made her look at me by flicking her head. My face was serious, but my eyes soft.
"Don't forget, Kaneshiro was able to avoid the police, and if we didn't do something, many students would continue to suffer under his selfish actions. We changed his heart, and in the process saved ourselves and others. There's no need to question our actions, Queen. After all, the Phantom Thieves wouldn't have our advisor if we didn't stop him." I reminded Makoto, poking her shoulder when I mentioned her. She smiled, and nodded.
"Understood, Joker. Now, you're looking for the others, correct?" Makoto asked, and I nodded in response.
"That's right! Who's next? Noir? Panther? *blegh* Ryuji?" Morgana asked, spitting on the ground at the blonde's name.
"I have an idea, actually. In fact, she's still on the school grounds." Makoto replied, ignoring Morgana's insult. Nodding, we all began to follow her. I already had a good idea of who we were looking for, so I went ahead to look for them. Makoto unlocked a series of doors in Waseda University, soon leading up to the school roof. Wonder what she's still doing up there.
Makoto unlocked the roof's door, and I opened it, revealing the daughter of our fourth target, Haru Okumura. Haru is a slightly short girl with chin-length auburn hair. She's taller than Futaba, which upsets the poor girl. She noticed us, and broke into a soft smile.
"Good to see you, Joker! I'm glad you came over to visit us!" Haru greeted us.
"You still come up here Haru? School ended like two and a half hours ago." I asked, while everyone else waved at her. She waved back to them, then turned her attention back to me.
"I just like seeing the view from here, Akira." Haru smiled at me. My gaze turned serious.
"So you sat up here for basically three hours to see this?" I ask, pointing at the cloudy sky. Haru recoiled while the others had a sweat drop. Sighing, I pulled out a phone, and looked at my messages. I smiled when I saw the one I was waiting for finally responded.
"Putting that aside, let's catch up. We have to wait a little. So how you been, Haru?"

//Presenting. . . Le Time Skip\\