Work Text:
Dazai blinked his eyes open. He could feel the cold steel biting into his skin, the chains of his shackles clinking as he tried to move them. No luck. Whoever had restrained him must have known about his uncanny ability to worm his way out of any restraint - handcuffs, rope, even barbed wire, at one point - though that one was an experience he’d rather forget.
Wait.
Metal against his skin. Skin. Not bandages .
He couldn’t feel the ones against his neck, even though they had definitely been there this morning. Assuming it was still the same day - in the darkness, Dazai could barely make out the walls in front of him, let alone work out how long he had been knocked out for.
Why had he been restrained, again?
He racked his brain, searching for the memories. A mission. Chuuya. An unexpected ambush, perhaps? Then things went black. Dazai assumed a hit to the head was what knocked him out, based on his throbbing headache.
Where was he again?
Restrained. Shackles. His arms were shackled, though his fingers were starting to grow cold and numb from the lack of blood flow. He had to give his captor credit, tying him up so tight he couldn’t move was certainly one way to stop him from escaping easily.
If he couldn’t escape, what could he do?
Sending a signal wasn’t an option, not while he remained...wherever he was. No light, not even a hint of sound gave him any clues to his whereabouts. Just him and his thoughts alone in the darkness.
Would Chuuya be coming soon? Or was he equally restrained elsewhere? Potentially being questioned, or worse. But both were more than prepared to deal with torture. They had been extensively trained in the art or torturing and being tortured.
The throbbing in the back of his head intensified, and Dazai lowered his head. He could deal with dizziness - it was unpleasant, but manageable, at least. Now he could see his legs chained up to the chair beneath him. He hadn’t noticed that before.
The world jolted. Silence followed for a few seconds, then the sound of a padlock being unbolted. A heavy screech of metal, then a blinding white light. Dazai blinked a few times until his vision had adjusted. Two men in uniform stood before him, their arms reaching behind him. He could feel the chains and shackles moving again. Another two men appeared, kneeling before him, addressing the chains on his legs.
A tall man in a matching uniform stepped through the door. He wore a loud sash and several medals on his jacket. A higher ranking member, he assumed.‘To whom do I owe the pleasure of this luxurious meeting?’ Dazai’s attempt at a sly smile quickly turned into a grimace as he was forced to stand, chains rattling with every movement. The medals the man wore looked vaguely familiar. Maybe a government official?
The taller man offered him no reply. ‘Let’s get this over with, kid.’
Dazai’s retort died in his throat as he was led out of the metal cell and the officer stepped aside. In front of him hangs a single noose.
A familiar hat lay on the ground beneath it.