Chapter Text
Atsushi stands in front of the police station, racking his brain for any reason that Dazai would lock Akutagawa up. He finds himself storming back to the ADA's office. Dazai is sitting in the office, at his desk with his feet propped up.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demands, knocking his feet off.
Dazai sits up, looking annoyed, but mostly blank still. "You're making an awfully big deal out of this. He's not going to be convicted or anything, I just needed Chuuya's attention. There's a mission I need him, and the Black Lizard for. They worked with a group a while back that we're trying to hunt down, but the mafia has a code about giving out information about coworkers."
"What does that have to do with Akutagawa?"
"I'm gonna tell all of his secrets if Chuuya and the Black Lizard don't give me the information I want. Or I’m going to tell their secrets and make it seem like Akutagawa did. After all, everyone else would believe me if I said I told him to.”
“What in the hell? What’s wrong with you?”
“They already said no, and I need this information. People’s lives are on the line. You need to understand that this gang needs to come down.”
“Yeah, we are talking about people’s lives, but that includes Akutagawa! He’s a person too, and we need to think of him. What if they say no again? Will you really tell everyone that he snitched? Just cause Chuuya and Gin wouldn’t believe it doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be killed for a rumor like that!”
Dazai rolls his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. Nothing is going to happen to him, and I’m going to get Chuuya on my side. You know how much he loves his pet projects.”
Atsushi can feel his blood begin to boil, hearing Dazai call Akutagawa a pet project. Probably because he knows that’s all Akutagawa was to Dazai, and here Dazai is accusing someone who really cares of using Akutagawa the same way he did. The way he still does.
"I'm not risking it. I'll take down the gang myself, and then you and I are going to get Akutagawa out of there. Your plan is insane, and they might not even know what you want them to. Do you realize the risks you're putting Akutagawa in?"
"I don't care, and I'm not really sure why you do either."
"Because he's a person, one who's doing better. Who hasn't even been killing people, and has helped us save the world on multiple occasions. He doesn't deserve for us to treat him like that, even though he does still try to stab me every once in a while," Atsushi adds absentmindedly.
"It's just Akutagawa, you're making a big deal. Nothing is going to happen, and he'll be fine. He's not even mad about it. I spoke with the officer watching him, he's fine."
"You didn't see the look in his eyes. Not that you would have cared if you did. You know what, forget it. I'm going to talk to Chuuya and the Black Lizard myself. I'm going to figure this out without your help, and I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore."
Dazai rolls his eyes, attempting to say something else, but Atsushi storms away before he can. He doesn't even stop to consider what he's doing until he reaches the mafia's headquarters. It's not as though it was hard for him to find, he already knew where it was. Dazai had taken Atsushi to pester Akutagawa and the Black Lizard at work a few times until they agreed to whatever Dazai wanted. Atsushi hadn't thought much of it, just lingering in the background, thinking that the end goal justified the means it took to get there. Now he's not so sure, not after seeing Akutagawa's mask drop. Not after seeing just how defeated and tired he was, worn down by everything that had happened to him. The guards don't try to stop him, instead Gin is the first one to reach him. She's glaring, her face set into hard stone.
"What did you do?"
"Dazai got him arrested. I need your help to fix it. He's going to blackmail you and Chuuya about some gang you worked with. I figured you would know which one since the Black Lizard and an executive working together can't be that long of a list."
Gin's eyes soften, just by a fraction, but her fists unclench a little, and she nods. "Walk with me," she says, waving off the security guards still hanging around behind her.
Atsushi complies immediately, sticking close to her, but not close enough for her to stab him before he has a chance to move. He learned the hard way that the Akutagawa's could be faster than his enhanced speed.
"I'm pretty sure I know what gang it is. It's one the mafia cut off a few months ago, the only one we all worked with. Chuuya figured out that they were dealing drugs to minors, and almost killed them all. Mori stopped him, didn't want to insight a gang war."
"What do you want to do? All I need is the name, and I can figure everything else out on my own."
Gin laughs, sounding genuinely surprised. "Really?"
Atsushi nods, earnest and confused about her reaction.
"Of course you would. Anyway, that won't be necessary. We'll be helping you if that's what it takes for Dazai to back off, and then we're going to get Ryuu. Hirotsu is calling Chuuya now. It's his day off, so he might be a bit whiny about it, but he'll deal with the jailbreak itself. We'll take care of them, and then you'll tell Dazai to back off."
Atsushi nods, honestly ready to fight Dazai over this if it comes to that. "Will Akutagawa be ok? This doesn't really fix the root of the problem," Atsushi adds tentatively.
"He'll be fine. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. He's always had odd ways of punishing Ryuu."
She opens the door, leading him into the room where the rest of the Black Lizard are gathered around a round wooden table.
"What is he doing here?" Higuchi demands, standing fast enough to shake her chair.
"He's going to help us with Dazai. He knows what Dazai wants, and he's going to arrest them after we gather them up. That way when Chuuya breaks Akutagawa out, we don't have to worry about Dazai going after him."
Higuchi looks angry, but she doesn't say anything else, dropping back into her chair. Her eyes stay on Atsushi, hateful and intense. Gin opens her mouth to say something else, but Chuuya walks in before she can. He looks like he might have just woken up though his outfit is still pressed, and he has his hat clutched in his right hand.
"Ok, what's so important that you called me on my day off?" he asks, barely giving Atsushi a single glance before turning back to Gin.
"Akutagawa was put in jail while working for Dazai on Mori's orders. We need you to break him out while we deal with the reason."
Chuuya raises one eyebrow before pinching the bridge of his nose in between his thumb and forefinger. "Ok, I can do that. Are we meeting back here afterwards?"
Gin nods, and he hums. "Ok, I'm going to get the schematics of the high security place in town."
After he's left, Gin turns to the people around the table. "Who here as a problem with the weretiger being here?"
Tachihara and Higuchi both raise their hands.
"Ok, you're both dismissed."
It's quiet for a few minutes before Higuchi says, "I am your superior. You can't dismiss me!"
"We all know you're only here cause you want to impress Akutagawa, and that's not going to help. Neither is both of you acting like children cause you don't want him here. Leave. You can either go take it up with the boss, or you can go home, and wait for us to be done. I don't want to make you leave."
Tachihara pauses. "I want to help."
"Can you behave?"
He nods.
"Then you can stay. Higuchi, either you leave, or I'll escort you out."
Higuchi stands, and storms out.
"Now, I'm going to research what tabs we still have on them, and then we're going to leave. You all can start on mission prep, weretiger, you're with me."
Atsushi nods, wringing his hands. He follows Gin back out, and through a few winding hallways. He knows that he should probably be paying attention to where they're going in case he needs to leave quickly, but he's too anxious to care. Gin doesn't say anything as she goes through their records and files, though she does make sure he doesn't see them. He turns to look at his feet, standing by the corner.
"Alright, will you have any problem doing what I tell you to?" Gin asks, turning her hard look back to Atsushi after a few minutes.
He shakes his head. "I know my biggest role is arresting them, and dealing with Dazai. How we get there, I can leave that up to you. I'll do what you need me to."
Gin nods, and then takes him straight out to a car. "Get in, I texted the others, and they'll be taking a different car. They feel more comfortable that way."
Atsushi nods, and climbs into the passenger's seat. Gin makes a phone call before climbing in behind him. "Chuuya said he'll have Akutagawa out and back home in an hour and a half. We have till then for you to deal with Dazai."
Atsushi nods, his jaw set. It's a fifteen minute drive to the main base for this gang, and Gin climbs out immediately.
"I'm going to scout, and you'll wait for the others. Follow Hirotsu's orders, and send Tachihara in after me."
"Ok."
She jogs off towards the building, disappearing into the shadows of the building next door. Atsushi stays crouched behind the car as he watches people mill around the building, clearly on watch. Another car drives up after a few minutes, and Tachihara and Hirotsu climb out.
"Gin wanted you to meet her inside, and for me to go with you," Atsushi says addressing Tachihara first, then Hirotsu.
Tachihara nods, and makes his way towards the building.
"Come on, son. We're going through the front door," Hirotsu says, putting a gloved hand on Atsushi's shoulder.
Atsushi blinks, surprised. "Oh, alright."
The fight lasts longer than Atsushi thought it would, a few skilled ability users inside. Though he can see why the Black Lizard are some of the mafia's best. They always seemed subpar with the things they were up against, but watching them work in their natural mission type is astounding. They're efficient, and while it took some time, that's because they were careful to make sure no one got killed, and none of them got hurt. Gin wipes the blood from her hands, her head cocked to the side as she surveys the pile of unconscious bodies.
"You can call the police now. We'll be taking our leave, but I trust you'll deal with Dazai."
Atsushi nods, his phone already in his hand. It takes almost an hour for the police to fully process them, and all the evidence in the warehouse, but Atsushi already has seven missed calls from Dazai by then.
He finally picks up once everything is taken care of, "Hey."
"You really dealt with them yourself?"
"Yep, and you're going to leave Akutagawa alone. I don't want to hear anything about it, and you don't want to know the chaos I will cause if you make any more problems before I've mentally worked through this one, and figured out what to do. Are we clear?"
Dazai laughs. "Yeah, I guess. You'll get used to my way of doing this eventually, and you'll realize that the methods are far less important than the results."
He hangs up, and Atsushi finds himself walking back to Akutagawa's apartment. He doesn't even know that he'll be there, but he remembers Dazai taking him one time. Akutagawa's haunted eyes play through his mind over and over again. He knocks; once, then twice. Right before he's about to knock for the third time, Akutagawa opens the door. He's dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, dark circles under his eyes. He looks surprised to see Atsushi, his arms coming up to wrap around himself.
"What are you doing here, Jinko?"
"I wanted to check on you, and apologize for my part in all of this."
"There's no need for that. My sister told me what you did... and I greatly appreciate it."
"Can I come in?" Atsushi asks, straightening up.
Akutagawa looks surprised again, but nods. "Gin was just making tea. We were going to turn something on the TV. You're free to join us if you want."
Atsushi nods, and Akutagawa leads him to his living room. It's cozy, and Atsushi settles on the comfortable couch while Akutagawa flips through TV shows. For the first time since he left the police station that morning, the nausea in his stomach goes away, and he's able to relax, sitting next to Akutagawa and letting his muscles untense.