Chapter Text
Since joining the Port Mafia Chuuya had been put in the care of Executive Kouyou Ozaki, under her care he'd proven himself to be both capable and loyal, if not a little too quick to anger and rash on top of it. Quick to establish himself as the best martial artist in the Mafia, it was difficult for him to even find a sparring partner, and that was even considering he fought without using his abilities. To his own annoyance his only regular practice partner was Dazai, and Dazai wasn't even any good at it, no challenge at all.
Though he tried not to dwell on it, he still carried wounds from a year ago. The betrayal of Sheep was not something he'd easily forget, or let go of. It frustrated him to even think of it, and yet he supposed he could not entirely fault them. He was also to blame for how things had turned out. However he felt about it, it didn't change that the Mafia was where he belonged now, as well as being the place where he'd finally get the answers he wanted. He just had to make it to Executive level. He'd already begun to move up quickly, but still had far to go before he'd be able to read the reports on Arahabaki which had once been in the possession of Randou......Or rather Arthur Rimbaud....Reports which he hoped would also provide answers to deep rooted questions he had about himself.
Though he wouldn’t admit so out loud, Chuuya often felt that he didn't know himself and as if he were a stranger inside his own body....Was his body really his? Sometimes it felt like it wasn't. Sometimes when he became truly scared or unfathomably angry he could feel things starting to slip, like something else was begging to take over. Rimbaud had told him to live, but how exactly could he do that when there were so many unanswered questions about where he'd come from? Who he was?......What he was? He had some ideas, fragments of memory but nothing concrete. He rested his head against the table top, clutching his hat to his head, and kicking his legs under his stall in frustration. He hated being so uncertain, he hated feeling like he didn't know himself. Hated this.
"Chuuuuya~"
Urgh not that voice. He knew that sing song voice. Only one person called his name like that. He only clutched his hat tighter. He didn't think he had it in him to deal with that guy while he was already feeling so shitty.
"Chuuuuya~"
Maybe if he ignored him he'd go away?
"Come on Chuuya, we've got work to do." Now the voice even had a scolding tone to it. Even more annoying.
No such luck he supposed. Chuuya sat up slowly, or perhaps dragged himself up would be more accurate. He turned towards the source of the voice, and sure enough there stood Osamu Dazai, his usual bandaged self, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Atta boy, though....You don't need to have such a sour look on your face. You know it might get stuck that way!"
Argh....Seriously annoying.
"What are you talking about? What work do I have with you." It was difficult for Chuuya to mask the distaste in his voice, but then it wasn't exactly as if he was trying particularly hard. He was already in a bad mood, self inflicted though it might be, that wouldn't stop him directing it at Dazai.
"Well that's rude.....I'll soon out rank you, you know?" Dazai feigned hurt feelings. while also smugly reminding Chuuya of their respective positions. Dazai was already considered a potential candidate to become the next Executive, and it wasn't exactly as if Chuuya couldn't see why. He hated to admit it, but Dazai had a sharp mind and at times could seem disarmingly disinterested. Chuuya couldn't help but click his tongue with distaste, though he held back his ever growing frustration while waiting for Dazai to actually answer his question. The taller teen seemed to be momentarily disappointed when Chuuya didn't rise to his bait.
"Boss’ orders," Dazai finally revealed, waving an envelope in the air only to yank it out of Chuuya's reach when he hopped down from his stall to grab it.
"Manners," he chided before holding the envelope out for Chuuya to take. The shorter eyed it suspiciously for a moment before wearily reaching out and taking it.
Chuuya opened it, pulling out the letter inside. He read it thoroughly a few times before stuffing it back inside with a huff. The signature at the bottom seemed authentic enough, and the 'mission' itself serious. Why the Boss insisted on partnering him and Dazai together he didn't know. Surely all the animosity that existed between them was obvious? Even Ane-san didn't seem to fully understand the Boss’ reasoning.
"Do you even know where to start?" Chuuya asked with a huff.
"I have a few ideas." Dazai looked thoughtful, but Chuuya couldn't tell whether or not he was just putting it on. If the Boss considered Dazai an enigma, he was even more so to Chuuya. The red haired Mafioso just couldn't get a grasp on Dazai, other than that something about him was unsettling....(And that he was extremely aggravating and seemed to get too much joy from harassing him). Sometimes it felt like Dazai was toying with him, like a child. Would he eventually get bored? For some reason that particular thought made Chuuya sad, something that just made him angrier. So he shook it from his head. Soon he realised that Dazai was staring at him, was he doing something weird?
"Well? Lead the way then," Chuuya said, pushing his vexation onto Dazai's inaction instead. To this Dazai simply nodded as he turned to lead the way out, though Chuuya noticed the small smile in the corner of the other's mouth. That just fuelled his bad mood even further. .
Sometime later the pair arrived at one of the many warehouses that lined the harbour of the port city. There were already a couple of Port Mafia guards stationed outside. They both nodded as Dazai approached, and did not stop either of the teens from entering.
"Tch!" Chuuya couldn't keep his disgust hidden at the sight which greeted them inside. Though they were already covered with black sheets, many bodies were lined along the floor. The ground nearby stained with blood. Scenes like this were not unfamiliar to Chuuya, even before he joined the Port Mafia. Still the stench of death and blood....So much blood. Took some getting used to, and that was before you even addressed the amount of bodies. Dazai on the other hand seemed indifferent, as usual.
"All ours?" Chuuya asked going over and lifting one of the sheets to get a look underneath. Even he could tell at a glance that these people had been shot execution style. The lifeless face he now looked at belonging to a boy not much older than himself.
"Seems to be a couple that don't belong to us, otherwise you are correct," Dazai replied as he was handed a report from one of the men who had already been investigating the scene. He scanned it quickly. As he did Chuuya was shown to the two bodies that weren't theirs. Of these only one had been shot in the same manner as their own, the other had received a couple of shots to the chest, and one to the knee.
"Do we have video footage?" Chuuya asked as he took a glance at the body.
"Uh...It seems that all the cameras in here were disabled bar one...We're currently looking into getting a hold of the recording s-sir."
Chuuya frowned. It was clear this man was nervous about having to address someone so much younger than himself so politely, but more than that being called 'sir' just irked Chuuya somewhat.
"It's Chuuya," he said as he stood up dusting off his hands. "Are there any other bodies that were shot in a different manner?"
"Two." This time it was Dazai who replied, having walked over to join Chuuya. "Show me," he instructed to the man who had been talking with Chuuya. He nodded, quickly leading the two over to another pair of bodies which had been separated from the others. "These two belong to us," he said before pulling away the sheets. These two bodies had multiple bullet wounds, but also looked as if they had been beaten, before then being executed just like the rest.
Dazai's eyes scanned the two bodies before him, taking in every detail. He brought a hand to his chin as he considered the facts. He glanced back at the other body which had been shot a number of times, but had no wound to suggest they'd been executed like the rest.
"Well!?" Chuuya demanded, growing impatient.
“Well my current thinking is that our two men managed to get free, and shot one of their captors before being shot and recaptured. They were then beaten before being shot the same as the rest, either after or before they died, but likely before,” Dazai explained. “However this is just my current hypothesis. The camera footage may reveal something different, if it’s salvageable. And I don’t know who this person is…. Perhaps a member of another gang or an unfortunate witness?” He added waving to the other body that didn't belong to them casually. “Maybe even a traitor? Though he’d be in much worse shape if that were the case.”
“Make sure to bring back all the bodies, even the two that aren't ours so they can be properly examined,” Dazai instructed before beginning to walk off, Chuuya lingered for a moment before following.
“Where are we going now?” He asked.
“To look at the camera footage….. Assuming there is any.” Dazai answered, but only after waiting just enough time for Chuuya to start getting annoyed with him. He could hear the frustration in Chuuya’s foot falls. The other teen was probably unaware of it, but he walked heavier when he was annoyed.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, but were soon inside the security room for the building. Dazai only had to look in the direction of one of the men stationed there to get a response. He shook his head.
“It appears most of the cameras were disabled before the executions took place. We only have recordings of the act itself from behind and of a vehicle entering and then later leaving the premises. “
“Have the footage delivered to my desk regardless, there might still be a clue there.” Dazai then turned and left, leaving Chuuya a little confused, but he still followed close behind.
“You don’t want to watch it here?”
“Correct. Who knows who else is watching.” Considering how many of their men had been caught in this attack Dazai had to consider the possibility of a mole. “They didn’t try to dispose of the bodies which means either they were disturbed or-”
“Or...They wanted us to find them?” Chuuya interjected.
“Exactly. I think it’s more likely that they wanted us to find the bodies. The fact that they only left camera footage of the act itself and little else is also an indication they wanted us to see this,” Dazai continued to explain.
“A message? Or Warning?” Chuuya questioned.
“A strong possibility. Quite a bold move of itself to target the Port Mafia.” That aside he’d rather watch any footage they had alone first, without the opinions and bias of others. Chuuya made a sound like he wasn’t entirely convinced of Dazai’s reasoning, but ultimately didn’t argue. While he wouldn't consider himself stupid, he knew that Dazai was the brains behind their partnership, while he was the muscle, and he could at least trust Dazai’s deductive ability….Even if he trusted little else.
When the two returned to the Mafia’s headquarters Dazai immediately went to review the footage, while Chuuya went to report on what they had discovered so far.
So the day drew to a close on what was the first day of what would eventually be the catalyst to starting the Dragon Head incident, that would shake all of Yokohama.