Chapter Text
"Hey Kunikida," [Name] said, stopping in her tracks. "Where's Osamu?"
Kunikida raised an eyebrow, stopping his walking as he turns around to face the woman. "Huh?" His eyes widen in realization that they're missing a third person in their group and those eyes narrow in anger. "Where is that suicidal bastard?”
[Name] simply shrugs her shoulders. She's not sure where Dazai had went exactly and she noticed he walked off, but she might have an idea of where that suicidal bastard probably went. He's always trying to do something to kill himself, but he fails all the time. Perhaps it's a sign that the man shouldn't kill himself and he should just live.
"Let's go look for him, Kunikida," [Name] suggested. She keeps her hands in her pockets as she starts walking. "We might even find the tiger while we're at it."
---
[Name] stands on the other side of the river with Kunikida, her eyes landing on Dazai as there's a homeless teenager in front of him. The two of them are on the other side of the river and [Name] figured that Dazai was trying to simply drown himself. That boy must have saved Dazai without knowing the true intentions.
[Name] raised an eyebrow at the teenager's appearace, seeing the ripped and old clothing. She's curious about how the teenager became homeless and what he could possibly be doing near the river.
"There you are, blockhead!" Kunikida yelled.
Dazai looks over. "Oh, hey. Nice work, [Name], Kunikida-kun."
"Nice work?" Kunikida asked, his arms crossed. "And who caused all this work, you suicidal maniac?! I've had enough of you disrupting my schedule!"
"Oh, right!" Dazai said, completely ignoring Kunikida. [Name] chuckled. "I have a great idea. They're both colleagues of mine from work. Let's have him treat you to a meal."
"Are you even listening to me?!" Kunikida exploded.
Dazai looks back at the teenager. "What's your name?"
[Name] manipulates the wind around her, her feet coming off the ground. The wind whips around below at her feet and [Name] smiles kindly at Kunikida before she makes her way over to Dazai and the teenager. She's able to cross the river quickly and she holds a smile on her face as she caught the teenager's eyes.
Her feet touch the ground, standing at Dazai's side as she looks at the teenager. The teenager has silver hair with uneven bangs resting on his forehead. His eyes are pretty, though. A yellow color with a tint of purple in them. Definitely a unique color. He has a small build to him though, lanky almost, but he’s been homeless so that’s probably why.
"Nakajima... Atsushi," Atsushi said, looking nervous.
"Well, come along, Atsushi-kun!" Dazai said, he throws his arm over [Name]'s shoulder. "What would you like to eat?"
"Um..." Atsushi trailed off, looking down. "Well, if it's not too much trouble..."
"Oh, there's no need to hold back!" Dazai stated.
"I'd like to eat tea on rice..."
Dazai starts laughing while [Name] simply blinks at the boy in confusion. "So a boy on the brink of starvation wants to eat tea on rice? Very well, let's have Kunikida-kun treat you to thirty bowls of that!"
"That's going to piss him off more," [Name] stated. She moves away from Dazai and she looks over at Kunikida, seeing his expression one of anger.
"Don't get all generous with my money, Dazai!" Kunikida yelled.
"Dazai?"
"Yeah, that's my name," Dazai stated. The wind starts blowing and it's not from [Name]'s ability. "I am Dazai. Dazai Osamu." Dazai gestures to [Name], looking at the woman beside her as she's staring at Atsushi with a smile. "She's [Last Name] [Name]."
---
[Name] sits next to Atsushi in the teahouse while Dazai is sitting next to Kunikida. [Name]'s still looking at the menu, deciding whether or not she wants to eat something here or making something at home. [Name] put the menu down a little, seeing Atsushi devouring another tea on rice bowls after there’s quite a few bowls on the table.
"You're unbelievable," Kunikida stated, looking at Dazai in irritation. "Who goes 'that's a nice river' and jumps into it in the middle of a job?! Thanks to you, look! Look how off-schedule we are now!"
"Osamu is the only one who does the in the middle of a job," [Name] stated, putting the menu down.
"You sure like your schedules, Kunikida-kun," Dazai commented.
Kunikida slams his ideal notebook on the table and he stands up. "This isn't a schedule! This is an ideal! My guide in life! And nowhere in this book is it written that my work partner is a suicidal maniac!" Atsushi looks up, talking with his mouth full and [Name] isn't sure what Atsushi is saying. Kunikida sits down. "Shut up! Nowhere on my projected expenses page will you find written that I will buy a million bowls of tea on rice for a snot-nosed brat!"
[Name] pouts. "If it makes you feel better, I can pay half for him."
"It's fine, [Last Name]," Kunikida lets out a sigh, shaking his head. Atsushi talks, but his mouth is full and [Name] still doesn't understand him. "Like I said, it's a job! Our job today? It involves the military."
Dazai looks at Kunikida. "How are you two communicating, actually?"
"Yeah, I was gonna ask that, too," [Name] voiced, looking from Atsushi and Kunikida.
[Name]'s eyes look at the many empty bowls in front of Atushi, pondering how long the boy has been homeless. Or rather, how long has he been starving for. [Name] sees the wide smile on Atsushi's face and she smiles, seeing the boy happy.
Atsushi finishes his food with a very full belly and he pats it. "I'm so full. I don't want to see another bowl of this for at least ten years. "
"Why, you...." Kunikida hissed, scowling at the boy. "How dare you be so shameless after eating on my dime?"
"You're a real lifesaver," Atsushi confessed, looking down at the table. "After leaving the orphanage and coming to Yokohama, I've had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. I thought I'd die of starvation."
[Name] looks at Atsushi with curiosity. "You're from an orphanage?"
"Putting it one way, yes," Atsushi answered. "But they kicked me out."
"That's some non-profit there," Dazai commented.
"Hey, Dazai!" Kunikida said, Dazai glancing at him from the side of his eye. "We're not some philanthropists going around helping brats down on their luck, okay? Let's get back to the job at hand."
"That reminds me, you said earlier that your current job involves the military," Atsushi recalled, glancing at [Name] and then looking at the two men. "What is your line of work, exactly?"
"Oh, we're just private investigators," Dazai answered, his lips pulling into a smile.
Atsushi blinks. "Private investigators...?"
"That's not to say we only handle lost pets and alleged extramarital affairs," Kunikida said. "Perhaps you've heard of the Armed Detective Agency, an organization with individuals possessing supernatural powers?"
"What?" Atsushi asked. He looks surprised at first before he slightly narrows his eyes. [Name] could see him trying to think about the organization as [Name] noticed a flash of recognition in his eyes when Kunikida mentioned the agency.
Dazai lets out a noise and [Name] looks at him, seeing the man's eyes go wide with a smile. "Check out that nice beam up there."
[Name] looks up before she slightly narrows her eyes at Dazai. "Don't analyze whether you can hang yourself in a random teahouse we just walked into."
"Don't get me wrong," Dazai said, looking at [Name]. "We're talking about the hanging health method."
Kunikida looks to Dazai. "What's that about?"
"What, you don't know?!" Dazai asked, his eyes widening. "It's so good for shoulder cramps!"
"What?! Such a thing exists?!" Kunikida asked.
"Hey, write this all down!" Dazai suggested.
[Name] chuckled, knowing that Dazai is simply teasing Kunikida. He does this all the time especially when Dazai tells the man to write it down in his notebook. [Name] glanced from the side of her eye, seeing Atsushi staring up at the beam that's above him and [Name]. [Name] then looks to the two men in front of her as Kunikida opens his notebook while Dazai looks off to the side.
"Hanging... health... method..." Kunikida said, writing in his notebook.
"I'm messing with you," Dazai stated.
Kunikida clenches his hand into a fist so tight it breaks his pen. He then slams his notebook on the table and grabs Dazai by his throat. [Name] simply watches as Kunikida shakes Dazai as [Name] couldn't possibly save Dazai from Kunikida's anger.
"My partner gets himself washed up in a river, a brat on death's door just stuffs himself with no shame, and [Last Name] is the only is the only one I can tolerate right now," Kunikida yelled, shaking Dazai while his hands are still around the man's throat. "My schedule for the day was just perfect, but I have to start over from square one! I'll ensure that job will be completed on schedule, if nothing else!"
"They're always like this," [Name] said, smiling kindly at Atsushi and pointing at the two men in front of her.
"I see..." Atsushi trailed off nodding his head. He lowers his head, looking at [Name]. "So, about your job today..." Kunikida stops shaking Dazai and glares at Atsushi. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked! R-Right, of course your jobs are classified!"
[Name] places a hand on Atsushi's shoulder, hoping that would calm the boy down. "Today's job doesn't really require secrecy." Kunikida and Dazai stop their antics, looking at the woman across from them. "We're actually looking for a certain tiger on behest of the military."
"A tiger?" Atsushi mumbled, his eyes wide.
"A man-eater who's recently appeared in these parts," Dazai informed. "Well, not that we know for sure it's devoured anyone, but it's ransacked warehouses and eaten farm produce and the like, doing whatever it wants. It's been spotted around here lately."
[Name] watches as Atsushi stands up in his seat and he backs up until his chair falls and Atsushi lands on his butt. A few bowls landed on the ground from Atsushi's sudden movements. [Name] wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from the boy, but perhaps this boy may either witnessed seeing the tiger or he is the tiger.
"What's wrong, Atsushi-kun?" Dazai asked, looking at the boy.
"I... I... I'll be leaving now," Atsushi said, beginning to crawl on his hand and knees. "G-Good-bye."
Kunikida stands up, grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt. "Wait, brat!" [Name] chuckles, seeing Atsushi trying to run, but his feet are above the ground and Kunikida's stronger than the boy too. "You know something, don't you?"
Atsushi stops moving. "You can't. No one can take it on!"
"You know the man-eating tiger?" Kunikida asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
"It's after me," Atsushi confessed, his eyes wide with fear. He tries to start running again. "It almost killed me! If it's been seen around here, I have to run, now!"
[Name] looks at Dazai, seeing his eyes narrowed as he looks at Atsushi. She then turns back to look at Kunikida, seeing the the man drop Atsushi and Kunikida quickly grabs Atsushi's wrist as the boy's body hits the floor.
"Hey, brat!" Kunikida yelled, holding Atsushi's arm behind his back and standing above the boy. "You'll either pay for the food with your arm or by telling us everything."
"Now, now, Kunikida-kun," Dazai called out, standing up. "Whenever you try to ask questions, it becomes an interrogation. The CEO's been talking to you about this." Kunikida lets go of Atsushi as Dazai walks over to Atsushi and crouches down. "What do you know about this tiger?"
Atsushi sits up, holding his throbbing shoulder. "My orphanage was trashed by that tiger. It ravaged our fields, it ravaged our chicken coop, and even our warehouse... No one died, sure, but the orphanage was already on a shoestring budget. I got kicked out so that they had one less mouth to feed."
"Well, that is tragic," [Name] voiced, crossing one leg over the other.
Dazai takes the seat that Atsushi was once in, sitting next to [Name] and Kunikida is on the other side of [Name]. [Name] kept her gaze on Atsushi, pondering if the boy is really the tiger himself. She's sure that Dazai already figured it out because she noticed how Dazai narrowed his eyes at Atsushi.
"So, boy, what's this talk about the tiger almost killing you?" Kunikida asked.
"The man-eater always shows up wherever I go," Atsushi confessed. [Name] narrows her eyes slightly. "Just a while ago, when I was walking around Tsurumi... I'd seen it out of the corner of my eyes many times, starting two weeks before I was chased out of the orphanage." [Name] nods her head, knowing the tiger came to Yokohama two weeks ago. "I'm sure it's come all the way to the city in search of me."
"When was the last time you saw the tiger?" Dazai asked.
Atsushi looks up at him. "I think I saw it around Tsurumi about four days ago."
"It's true that its antics have been focused here for the past two weeks," Kunikida said, looking in his notebook. "In addition, it was sighted around Tsurumi four days ago."
Dazai lets out a hum, tilting his head. "Atsushi-kun, are you free?" Atsushi jumps as Dazai turns around to face the table and writing something down on a piece of paper. "You being the man-eater's target presents an excellent opportunity."
"Huh?"
"Please help us find the tiger," Dazai said, smiling at the boy.
Atsushi jumps up. "No way!"
Dazai holds out the piece of paper. "Kunikida-kun, please go back to the Agency and give this to the president."
"Hey, don't tell me you plan to catch the tiger all alone with the three of you?" Kunikida said, glancing at [Name] and Dazai. "We should first confirm whether this information is accurate."
"It's fine," Dazai assured.
Kunikida takes the piece of paper, his eyes scanning the words Dazai written.
"I'm not doing this, okay?!" Atsushi announced, looking at Dazai and [Name]. "This means you're going to use me as bait, right? Who in their right mind would agree to that--"
"There's a reward," Dazai informed.
"What? Reward?" Atsushi asked, his eyes widen with his eyebrows furrowed. "A reward? Nah..." Atsushi turns his back on the detectives. "You're not gonna tempt me with that! B-But just for reference, how much would the reward be...?"
Dazai reveals a calculator to Atsushi after pressing a few buttons. "About this much."
Atsushi looks over his shoulder, his eyes landing on the numbers. [Name] laughed, the noise that left Atsushi's mouth being one of complete shock. She wasn't expecting the boy to make that kind of noise.
---
[Name] leans against one of the many crates in the dark warehouse. She could hear a boat blowing a horn as Dazai is sitting on top of a crate and reading a book. Atsushi is also sitting on a crate with his knees pulled to his chest. Kunikida parted them when everyone left the teahouse and [Name]'s curious about what Dazai written on the piece of paper.
"Dazai-san, what are you reading?" Atsushi asked, glancing at the man.
"A good book," Dazai said. [Name] rolled her eyes, knowing which book he's reading.
"I'm surprised you can read when it's this dark," Atsushi said, holding his legs.
"I have good vision," Dazai informed, holding the Complete Guide to Suicide in his hands. She ponders who would even write the book too. "Besides, I already know everything that happens in this book."
"Why are you reading it, then?" Atsushi questioned, smiling nervously.
"A good book is always good, no matter how many times you've already read it," Dazai stated.
Atsushi looks down at his lap. "Will the tiger really show up here?"
"It will, without a doubt," [Name] answered, stretching her arms above her head. Atsushi lets out a gasp, [Name] looks over at him. "Don't worry. Even if the tiger shows up, it's no match for me and Osamu."
"We may not look like much, but we are operatives of the Armed Detective Agency," Dazai stated, looking up from his book.
'That and we were with the Port Mafia once,' [Name] thought, crossing her arms on her chest.
"You're really confident," Atsushi said, pulling his knees closer to his chest. "I'm kind of jealous. They called me a good-for-nothing at the orphanage as far back as I can remember. And now, I don't even know where I'll sleep tonight or whether I'll be able to earn my keep tomorrow. No one'd care if someone like me were to die in a ditch somewhere. Yeah, I may be better off eaten by a tiger..."
Dazai and [Name] stare at Atsushi, the teenager having his head in his arms. She looks at the boy, wishing he didn't have to go through that, but sometimes things happen for a change. She wished she could have changed something in the past for Atsushi, but time traveling doesn’t exist.
"I think it'll be soon," Dazai said, [Name] snapping out of her thoughts.
"What?!" Atsushi jumps at the sudden noise. He backs up, falling off the crate and standing up. "I... I just heard something back there."
"Yeah," Dazai said.
"I bet that's the tiger, Dazai-san, [Last Name]-san!" Atsushi exclaimed, looking at the pair.
"No, I think the wind just knocked something down," Dazai said.
[Name] chuckles. "It's a bit windy and it's not from my ability either."
"It's the man-eater!" Atsushi yelled, looking panicked. "It's come to eat me!"
Dazai closes the book. "Calm down, Atsushi-kun. Tigers don't show up from places like this."
[Name] noticed the clouds move out of the way of the moon. The moon's light shining into the warehouse partly and being the only lightsource that's shining through the windows of the warehouse. [Name] can hear the wind
"How do you know for sure?!" Atsushi yelled.
"Something wasn't quite right to begin with," Dazai stated. Atsushi lets out a gasp. "Just because their finances went south, why would an orphanage banish a child? It's not some farming village from a bygone era. Banishing one or two mouths to feed would hardly put a dent in their deficit. It'd make more sense to downsize by transferring half of the kids to a different orphanage."
Dazai jumps down while [Name] stands up, her hands still crossed on her chest. Although [Name] was an assassin for the Port Mafia, she sometimes still can't figure out how fast Dazai could figure things out. It's only a miracle that Dazai was able to somehow find Atsushi although it was Atsushi who found Dazai.
"What are you talking about, Dazai-san?" Atsushi asked.
"You came to this city two weeks ago and the tiger also appeared in this city two weeks ago, too," [Name] voiced, catching Atsushi's gaze until he turns around to look at the moon. "You were in the Tsurumi area for days ago and the tiger was also sighted there four days ago, too."
"Remember what Kunikida-kun said?" Dazai voiced, his gaze focused on Atsushi. "The Armed Detective Agency is comprised of individuals with supernatural powers." [Name] noticed the ability ring appear from Atsushi as the boy grabs his head and screams. "Though not well-known fact, there are quite a few individuals who possess supernatural abilities in this world. Some use their powers to achieve great success, while others fall into ruin as a result of being unable to control their powers."
[Name] watches as Atsuhi's clothes are torn as the boy's body turns into a white tiger. The ability rings are still around him as the transforming process is still being developed. When the tiger lets out a growl, the ability rings disappear as the big cat's eyes narrow at the sight of Dazai and [Name].
"I'm guessing that the orphanage staff knew who the tiger was, but declined to enlighten you," Dazai said, him and [Name] staring at the big cat. "You were the only one who remained ignorant. You also have supernatural powers. You have the ability to transform into a wild beast in the moonlight."
The tiger runs towards the two. [Name] has the wind collect at her feet and she flies towards the ceiling while Dazai simply jumps to the side before the tiger could pounce on them. The tiger jumps at [Name] and she quickly dodges while the tiger lands on the ground, going to pounce on Dazai. Dazai jumps away and the tiger pounces again, Dazai missing the deadly claws as the tiger tries to strike at him, but destroys a crate instead.
"This is impressive," Dazai commented. [Name] watches from up high, crouching down while she still has wind underneath her feet. "You could easily... snap a person's neck." Dazai jumps over crates, landing on the other side in the warehouse and [Name]'s eyes widen when she sees his back hit the wall.
"Osamu..." [Name] mumbled.
The tiger jumps out of the dust, landing on the ground. The tiger charges towards Dazai as [Name] makes her way towards the side that Dazai and the tiger are. She knows that Dazai is going to be okay because of his ability, but she still worries about him. Sometimes, he can still be reckless.
"It wouldn't be so bad to meet one's end being eaten by a beast," Dazai said, looking at the tiger calmly. "But you can't kill me." Dazai's hand lights up with the ability rings, the tiger jumping up with his paws out. "My ability is... No Longer Human." As the tiger gets close, Dazai thrusts his hand out and with a finger does Dazai touch the tiger's nose. "My ability allows me to render any other ability null through simple touch."
With a bright light, the tiger turns into Atsushi and [Name] lets out a sigh of relief. Her feet touch the ground and she makes her way over to Dazai and Atsushi. She chuckles, seeing Atsushi being held by Dazai and he lets out a hum, looking at the boy in his arms.
"I have no such tastes in men," Dazai stated, letting go of Atsushi. He turns towards [Name], a wide smile on his face. "I'll gladly hold you, though, [Name]!"
[Name] throws her hand out, making sure that Atsush's body doesn't hit the ground too hard. She manipulates the air, creating wind and the wind rustling underneath Atsushi's body and she lowers his body on the ground. She lets out a sigh of relief and she looks at Dazai. The man holds his arms out open, smiling at [Name].
She blushed, looking away from Dazai as she noticed Kunikida.
"Hey, Dazai, [Last Name]!" Kunikida yells, running towards them.
"Oh, you're late, Kunikida-kun," Dazai siad, putting his hands in his pockets. He then looks to Atsushi. "We've captured the tiger."
Kunikida appears at [Name]'s side. "What, it's this boy?"
"He has the ability to transform into a tiger," [Name] stated, her gaze landing on Atsushi.
"Jeez," Kunikida groans, he takes out the piece of paper. "What was with this note?"
Dazai and [Name] lean forward, this being [Name]'s first time seeing the note while Dazai has seen this note before. He was the one who written it in the first place.
"A tiger will appear in a warehouse in the fifteenth district," Dazai read outloud. "Secure the perimeter so that it can't get away." He then smiles. "It's an excellent, concise note."
"You've left out the most important detail!" Kunikida stated, scowling at Dazai. "Next time, explain in advance. Thanks to you, I had to bring in guys who weren't even on call." [Name] looks to the side, a bright and wide smile appearing on her face when she sees Ranpo, Yosano, and Miyazawa walking towards them. "Take them out for drinks later."
"Hey!" Miyazawa exclaimed, running over to Atsushi.
Yosano places her hand on her hip. "What, no casualties? How boring."
"You've come a long way, Dazai," Rampo said, fixing the hat on his head. "Though you still have a ways to go before you even come close to me.
Miyazawa is at Atsushi's side. "But what are we going to do with him? He didn't know he was doing it, right?"
"Yeah, you're right," Kunikida voiced, he looks over at Dazai. "What do you think, Dazai? The ward's designated him as a major threat."
Dazai lets out a chuckle, the others looking at him. "I've already made a decision." Dazai looks at Atsushi, he closes his eyes and smiles. "We'll make him one of us."
"Nice!" Miyazawa said.
[Name] smiles, looking down at the floor with her hands in her hoodie pockets. She's glad that Dazai made that decision as it'll help Atsushi live a better life. He won't have to worry about his next meal or a decent place to sleep. Atsushi will finally have a place where he can belong with other people who are gifted like him.
"Are you serious?" Yosano questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Dazai, you are an idiot," Ranpo commented, his arms crossed.
"What gives you the right to decide that?" Kunikida asked, moving his notebook around.
[Name] smiles kindly at the others. "I think it's a good idea."
"Are you turning into an idiot, too, [Name]?” Ranpo added, [Name] merely shrugged her shoulders.
"Wake up, boy!" Dazai exclaimed.
[Name] smiles, staring at Atsushi as she sees his closed eyes squint. She sees his eyes open and he sits up, seeing Miyazawa beside him, a new face he hasn't seen before yet.
"Atsushi-kun," Dazai said, the boy looking over his shoulder at Dazai. "Do you remember nothing at all from when you were transformed?"
Atsushi faces Dazai, confusion on his features. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh," Dazai said, he points at Atsushi. [Name] looks at Atsushi's hand, seeing that it's the white tiger's paw. "But your right hand's still there."
"Right hand?" Atsushi asked. He lifts his hand, opening and closing his fingers. [Name] snorted, covering her mouth as Atsushi is moving his arm as if shaking it will get rid of the tiger arm. "What?! What the? What's this? What the hell?!"
"Nakajima Atsushi!" Dazai yelled, Atsushi stops as he looks at the detectives gathered. "You'll become one of us. From this day fourth, you'll be a member of the Armed Detective Agency."
A look of surprise washes over Atsushi's face before it turns into a scowl with narrow eyes. "Huh?"