Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Atsushi didn’t know where he came from.

He just knew he had always been at the orphanage.

There was no before the orphanage.

Atsushi was pretty sure there would be no after the orphanage either.

Atsushi was just grateful that they didn’t single him out. Atsushi swore that they would try to. Probably because of his unique eye color and hair color. There was no other reason that Atsushi could come up with.

But thankfully, thankfully, they would lose interest in him.

He could be in the same room as them, they could be staring him dead in the eyes, and yet they would act as if he wasn’t there.

As if he wasn’t in the room.

As if he didn’t exist.

As if he simply wasn’t a person.

But that was fine.

Atsushi wasn’t hurt anymore than any other orphan in this place. At least, he didn’t think he was.

Atsushi noticed it when he first came to the orphanage when he was six.

Or had it been when he was five? Or four?

No, he had been three, right?

No no no, he didn’t exist before the age of three, he knew that.

So when had he noticed?

Was it important?

Atsushi decided it wasn’t.

He had noticed it when he was due to have a punishment for something. He didn’t remember what, he thinks it was about his grades. Which was stupid, because he knew he got all the questions on that stupid extra test they gave him right.

He knew that. He had memorized the questions and his answers, then cross-referenced them in the library afterwards.

He knew he got everything right.

He KNEW that.

So why was he being punished?

Atsushi didn’t know, but he knew it wasn’t right! How could he not know? He was more than upset, he was outraged.

But he couldn’t show that on his face, beyond the twisting of his lips as the headmistress in charge of the schoolwork dragged him to the headmaster of the entire orphanage, and threw the extra test that they had forced him and him alone to take at the man.

The man looked over the test, his eyebrows drawing together and making a dark face.

“Do you know what you’ve done, boy?”

Atsushi stood on shaky feet, shaking his head as he gripped the edges of his shirt.

“Something that needs to be punished.”

And that was that.

The man pulled a fire poker, that had been sitting in the fire.

It glowed red.

Did he have no choice here? Was there nothing he could do?

Atsushi had done something, and there would be no trial, no jury, only a conviction, and he was guilty as sin itself to these people.

No.

Atsushi wasn’t gonna let this stand.

He wasn’t gonna be the person that was at fault, because no evi- evidencie had been providied, like that book had said it should be.

I don’t want them to see me. I don’t want them to remember me.

And suddenly, they all blinked as one.

Confused expressions started to blossom on the caretaker’s faces, one by one. The last one for it to happen to was the headmaster.

He looked at the fire poker in his hand, frowning as he contemplated it. “Does anyone know what we were doing?”

The rest of the room let out a chorus of negatives, shaking their heads and trying to retrace their steps.

Atsushi knew a gift when it was given to him.

He eased himself to his feet, and started to shuffle out of the room.

They didn’t notice him.

Atsushi didn’t know why, but he hoped it would happen more.

~~~~~~~~~~

It happened again.

Atsushi would not want to be seen, and they would lose sight of him.

Atsushi would not want to be remembered, and they would forget he was in the room.

He didn’t know what was going on, but he hoped it stayed.

Atsushi kept his back to the wall, most days.

No one could sneak up on him that way.

Not the other kids, not the caretakers here who would only hurt him, not the headmaster who was hellbent on singling him out.

So Atsushi would wish and wish whenever they tried to single him out.

When they pulled him into the basement, when they tried to punish him for things he didn't do, they forgot he was there.

Atsushi made sure to follow the rules as well as he could. There were things that he couldn’t follow, some of those rules were things he would never do.

So for things he was at fault for, or he thought he was at fault for, they still could try to catch him.

He would never sell out fellow orphans for mere points on the stupid point system. Others could, but he would never. How could he look them in the eyes if he did that? How could he try to engage with other orphans and try to survive this place if he did such things to them?

Unfortunately, they did not feel the same way.

They would sell out the other orphans with no hint of remorse or any tears falling.

The library became his sanctuary.

The books would never betray him.

The winding halls made of the shelves of many books became a map in his mind, one that only he knew by heart, as not even the librarian of this orphanage could find him, even if he wasn’t wishing that they couldn’t.

The shelves on the bottom held so few books that he could squeeze into one of them, and the woman would just walk past, searching for him.

Atsushi would restrain a giggle, because this was almost like hide and seek that the other kids played, but one that he was never allowed to join in on, because of his unique hair and eyes.

The other children didn’t like these qualities of his, but Atsushi liked them.

His hair was light and soft, and was getting long enough that he could tie it back, if he had a hair tie. He would need to find one soon.

His eyes were a pretty shade of stone he read in a book about stones, a dictionary on stones, it was called ametrine. They were purple and gold, and they reminded him of a line in the stone dictionary.

The stone dictionary said that ametrine was made of colors of “sunlight and lavender,” and “no ametrine stone is like another. Each is unique.”

That meant Atsushi was unique, because his eyes were perfect mirrors of each other!

Atsushi clutched the book on science closer, reading on sunsets.

“For every sunset, there is a sunrise.” He muttered to himself, remembering a line in a different book. He closed his twilight-dusk eyes, and hummed happily. He reopened his eyes and started rereading where he left off.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi crouched in a ball, eyes flicking around the headmaster’s room.

What punishment are they gonna try and force on me this time? I was busy reading. He groused in his head, and rocked back and forth as he tried not to show how much this was affecting him.

He was eight years old, he was a big boy and could take care of himself.

If the punishment was just starvation again, then he’d just sneak in the kitchen and get some bread later, when everything was dark. He’d get some for the person that was in the bunk that was above him, they weren’t getting any food lately.

They wouldn’t remember that Atsushi was the one to give them that food, but it was fine.

Atsushi didn’t want anyone to be hurting, and stomach pain was some of the worst pain.

The headmaster glared down at him, and Atsushi twisted his hair in his hands, but didn’t back down. He was quivering, he was shaking in his slippers, but he wasn’t gonna back down from this guy.

“Do you know what you’ve done, boy?” The headmaster asked, reaching for things in that big, big desk of his, and Atsushi idly wondered if the headmaster knew any of their names.

Atsushi still shook his head, and rocked back and forth on his feet to stabilize himself.

It wouldn’t be too hard to remember everyone’s names. Atsushi mused to himself. There are kids that come and go so quickly, but there are kids that stay. So surely he knows their names? Or does he just not know mine? I would think I’m quite unnatural and unique looking, thanks to my eyes and hair. I haven’t seen anyone else with this hair or these eyes.

Atsushi tugged on the one black strand in his gray hair. There was only one strand of black, and Atsushi wondered if his hair used to be black, and it turned gray through stress.

It didn’t, he knew that.

His hair was like this when he was brought into the world.

His hair would always be this way.

There was no other choice for him.

“You took candy from the trash, boy.” The headmaster said, and it brought Atsushi out of his musing. “You broke the rules.”

“How?” Atsushi found himself asking, and then clamped a hand over his mouth.

He swallowed as the aura from the headmaster grew bigger, more suffocating.

“How? You broke. The. Rules.” The headmaster hissed, and faintly, very faintly, Atsushi felt upset.

That’s not an answer! He wanted to cry. He wanted to shout about the unfair treatment from the top of his lungs, because he knew that life wasn’t fair, he knew that, he was at the orphanage after all, but this was undoubtedly more unfair than anything.

Atsushi needed an explanation.

He knew from simply existing around the other kids, that explanations were needed. Everyone needed an explanation, but the headmaster refused to give them one when they were being punished and it was unfair and Atsushi wanted to scream it out.

He wanted to stamp his feet.

He wanted to scream from the top of his lungs.

He wanted to wave his fists and huff and puff.

But he didn’t do any of that.

Atsushi simply stood there, hand clamped over his mouth as the man loomed over him.

“Sit.”

Atsushi sat on his rump, swallowing bile back down his throat.

The headmaster revealed a hammer and two nails in his hands.

“For your punishment, you will put a hammer through your foot.”

Atsushi felt the tears welling as he started to shake again.

I don’t wanna be here.

Please. Please don’t remember me.

Please, please don’t see me.

The man blinked, and shook his head as he leaned back on the balls of his feet.

There was a knock at the door, and Atsushi scrambled to the side, so the new person wouldn’t be able to see him.

Another matron of the orphanage poked their head in. “Headmaster? The government agent is here for the wellness check.”

The headmaster immediately straightened and put the hammer and nails in the drawer that he took them from. “Yes, send them in.”

A man with black hair and gray eyes walked into the room, and as his eyes swept over the room, they landed on Atsushi.

The man had a sharp suit, and an even sharper smile to match it.

Atsushi froze.

The man blinked, looking at him.

Atsushi looked back.

“May I help you, sir?” The headmaster asked. “Are you particularly interested in the woodwork of the orphanage?”

The man finally looked away from Atsushi, and he could finally breath again.

Atsushi started to edge his way out of the room, taking care not to make any sound as he eased the door open and closed.

He missed the gray eyes tracking his movements again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Izumi Seiji knew that he was here on a punishment mission.

He was rather far from his wonderful wife and sweet daughter, he was the only one sent on the mission, and he was the one that had made the executive decision that last mission.

The one that had cost them people, but had been the “right” decision.

Seiji sighed as he cracked his neck, shaking the tension out of his shoulders.

However, it seemed that he had stumbled upon a hidden gem here.

The child that had been in the room with the adults had been tense, and had probably not been warned against talking to him like the rest of the kids.

Now. To find the kid in question. Seiji sighed, and mentally waved goodbye to the free time he had to get home to his beautiful wife and cute daughter. He’d make it up to them later, when he got the pay raise later from exposing this orphanage.

Seiji beelined to the orphanage dormitories, but he still hadn’t found the kid he was looking for. But, he had found a kid that was willing to talk to him about the other kid.

“Oh him?” The other child blinked up. “Yeah, he’s probably hiding out in the library. That’s his go to hiding place, and no one can find him when he goes there.” The kid shrugged.

Bingo.

Seiji strolled leisurely along, taking in the droll atmosphere and drafting the report in his head about this place.

Only the facts Seiji. You can get the kids out later, but you need to get the facts in now and get this place investigated. He reminded himself, his voice of reason almost sounding like his lovely Suzu’s. He shook his head at that, because he knew Suzu, his darling Moon, would sooner slit all these people’s throats for what they have done, or haven’t done, for these kids.

Motherhood only made her more vicious. Especially over children.

It was hot.

At last, Seiji seemed to find the library, and hummed softly to himself as he started searching the shelves for the child that hadn’t been warned not to talk to him.

He finally found him, hidden deep in the back of the bookshelves, and surrounded by books, almost like a mini book fort. The boy’s head was completely buried in the book that was in his hands.

How cute. Seiji’s father side of his mind cooed, and he viciously tried to shove it down for the work side of his brain to take place.

It may take hours of the day, but Seiji was thorough. He was a government agent.

He also knew that Suzu would chop him to tiny pieces if he didn’t check the wellness of this one child, who was so scared that someone looked at him.

Like he said, his wife’s viciousness had grown thanks to her motherhood.

“Hello young one.” Seiji whispered, crouching to the kid’s eye level so he wasn’t hovering over the boy. He put on his father smile, not his agent smile. He needed to show he was not a threat.

The boy squeaked, jerking his head out of his book, and looking at Seiji with wide eyes. He clearly hadn’t heard Seiji approach, lost in his head and in his book.

And then there was empty air in front of Seiji.

Seiji blinked at the empty air, his jaw unhinging slightly.

What- no. Please no.

Alarm bells started to faintly ring in the back of Seiji’s mind.

Seiji reached forward, to where the kid had been. He poked where the kid’s arm had been.

He met resistance. Soft, squishy baby skin.

A squeak, and the boy popped back into existence.

Oh no.

No no no no.

This is bad.

Seiji hoped his poker face was clamped on tight, that it wasn’t portraying his panic to this small child, who was now looking down at his hands, as if there was something new and fascinating about them.

How bad are the conditions here that there is a child here with the ability to be invisible?

Seiji swallowed the lump in his throat.

The kid was poking at his own skin. Like he hadn’t been aware of his own ability.

Seiji inhaled slowly, trying not to get bent out of shape. He had to be fluid like water here. He had to adapt and help this small child. He started redrafting his report in his head, before he was frozen again.

What would they do to this child?

Seiji didn’t need to ask that question.

He knew the answer in his bones.

He could see the child in the future.

A mere husk of himself.

The kid made his hands invisible on command, and his already wide eyes went wider.

The flame in those eyes would disappear under the government’s crushing hand.

Seiji exhaled slowly.

Sakaguchi-kun was already so young, and he was rising through the ranks at a nearly impossible rate. Seiji reminded himself to check up on his little mentee, but he would do it later.

Seiji licked his lips and prepared himself for what he was about to do.

Because it was law that you report all ability users to the government.

Seiji opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

Seiji made his voice soft, like when he was talking to Kyouka after a nightmare.

The boy looked up, his forearms going invisible with a little flicker, before they started to trickle back into view.

Seiji softened his face into a smile.

“What’s your name, young one?”

“’m Atsushi.” The kid whispered as his hands popped back into view.

Seiji nodded. “That’s a very nice book you’re reading, Atsushi-kun.”

One way above a kid your age’s normal reading level.

But Atsushi-kun lit up, almost like a little firecracker. He held the book to his chest, cradling it to his chest like it was something precious. Because it was something precious to this child.

“Mhmm! It’s really nice! I like books about adventures and myths and legends!”

Seiji allowed himself to rock back on his heels.

Suzu is going to adopt you in a heartbeat. I can feel it in my bones.

His darling Moon also loved the adventure novels, hiding away in the life that wasn’t hers.

“Atsushi-kun, can you do something for me?” Seiji asked, and was pleased when Atsushi-kun shot him a wary look and cast his gaze around for his exits.

Good. He knows not to immediately trust someone, even if they’re nice to you.

“Those people seemed to forget you. How did you do that?” Seiji coaxed.

Atsushi-kun shrugged. “I just wished they didn’t ‘member me.”

“Can you do that for me? And make yourself invisible? I want to try something.” Seiji smiled.

Atsushi-kun eyed him, but nodded.

Seiji blinked at the books surrounding a certain place and shook his head at the fact that the librarian hadn’t cleaned back here. He stretched and stood, heading for the entrance of the library.

I need to draft that report. Seiji grumbled to himself.

Seiji stepped out of the library when he stopped dead in his tracks. Wait. I had to do something. Something to do with the report. What was it?

Seiji stared at the wall across from him as he pondered this sudden hole in his memories. I’m at an orphanage, right? Was there a child that I had to include?

Twilight eyes flashed in his mind. Moonlight hair with a streak of ebony darkness played on the edges of his memories, before being squashed again. Ah, that’s right.

Seiji turned and headed right back into the library, thanking the government for the resistance training.

He turned and saw the piles of books again.

He smiled to the middle of them. “Good work Atsushi-kun.”

Atsushi-kun reappeared, and so did the memories of him in Seiji’s mind.

What a dangerous ability in the wrong hands. Seiji fretted.

“You’re far more powerful than I thought you would be.” Seiji noted as he sat down near Atsushi-kun (yes, that was his name), but not blocking the exits.

Atsushi-kun looked startled. “Powerful? Me?”

“I thought it was a simple camouflage ability, with a little misdirection thrown in.” Seiji leaned his head on the shelves. “But Atsushi-kun, you completely erased yourself from my mind. I’ve never heard of anyone with an ability like that. An ability so powerful.”

Atsushi-kun blinked up at him. “Ability?”

Seiji nodded. “You have an ability, a gift, Atsushi-kun. Something that isn’t quite supernatural, but isn’t quite natural either.”

Atsushi pondered a little bit, drawing his finger along the spine of the book in his hands. “That makes a lot of sense, looking back.”

“Do you have a name for it now? Can you sense the name?” Seiji asked in a coaxing tone.

Atsushi stared at the book.

He was quiet for a bit.

“Chameleon Diary.”

Seiji shivered, and he knew it was the ability’s name, like he knew Yasha Shirayuki was his wife’s ability.

The name carried the same power that hers did.

Seiji studied the boy in front of him.

He thought of his daughter at home.

His wife who had stared at his daughter, because she was their little miracle child.

Seiji and his darling Moon weren’t supposed to be able to have children, and yet they had managed to have Kyouka.

And his wife’s body was unable to handle another pregnancy.

His darling Moon loved children.

His sweet Moonflower yearned for companionship, no matter the strong face the four year old put on.

Seiji opened his mouth.

“Atsushi-kun?”

Atsushi-kun looked up from the book.

“Would you like to be adopted?”

Chapter Text

Atsushi-kun looked up at Seiji with cautious hope.

There was so much hope, but it was so cautious, like someone who had been burnt too many times seated in front of a fire again.

Seated in front of the fire, told that it won’t hurt them, as the flames grow brighter and brighter and the embers and ashes start to lick the sides of the pit.

Seiji could never blame this small child for being so cautious about wanting to hope.

So Seiji scooted closer, still not blocking the exits, and pulled up the slideshow for his beloved wife and daughter pictures.

“These are my wife and daughter, Suzu and Kyouka.” Seiji explained in a soft tone, and watched Atsushi-kun’s face absolutely melt and fall in love with the cute pictures.

“I think they would love to meet you, Atsushi-kun.” Seiji hummed, allowing the boy to take the phone. “And I know I want you to meet them.”

Atsushi-kun looked so shy all of the sudden, and the father part of his brain cooed again over the child’s cuteness.

He looks longingly at the pictures, and an adorable little smile traced across his face, his eyes softening and his tense little body relaxing as he watched Seiji’s girls on the phone.

Yes, I do believe you’ll fit right into the Izumi family. After all, you never gave me a family name. Seiji’s father side sounded so pleased with this turn of events.

Seiji himself, as his whole self, was rather happy as well.

He was getting tired being the only male in the house, and he knew his darling Moon and sweet Moonflower would love Atsushi-kun.

About a week later, and he knew that his darling Moon was starting to doubt his peace of mind as he brought them to this place, but he put on his best placating smile.

“Trust me my darling, I swear you will understand.” Seiji said as he coaxed her through the halls of the orphanage, and he knew that she was also seeing what he had seen.

She was the less legal assassin between them, but was still better than him.

Suzu had learned the art of the sword from the feared Silver Wolf after all.

His darling Moon only sighed, hiking their beloved daughter up on her hip a little higher. “When have I ever not trusted you, my sparkling Moonstone?”

The husband part of Seiji absolutely melted when his beloved called him that, but he very carefully packed the feeling away for later, in the privacy of their home.

They made it to the library, and sure enough, after they made their winding way to the back where he had met Atsushi last time, there the child was, reading another book well above his supposed reading level.

“Atsushi!”

Atsushi snapped his head up.

A brilliant, happy grin lit the boy’s face.

Ah. Seiji realized as his heart thumped the same way it did when Kyouka smiled at him. It seems that there will be no more leaving you here.

Seiji’s soul would not allow it.

“You came back!” Atsushi said, and the sheer happiness in that simple sentence made Seiji’s heart ache.

“Of course, I promised, didn’t I?” Seiji asked, crouching to the child’s level. “And look! Do you recognize these two?”

Atsushi peeked out around Seiji’s shoulder. His eyes widened as he took in Suzu and Kyouka, and he immediately grew flustered, his fingers tapping at the book he was holding.

And then as soon as Suzu stepped a little bit closer to see him, half of Atsushi’s body disappeared.

Suzu, his darling Moon, his light of his life, simply flowed like she always did and took everything in stride. She crouched next to Seiji, tucking her kimono under herself, and smiled at the boy.

Er, half of the boy?

“It’s so nice to meet you, Atsushi.” She hummed, and her hand that wasn’t supporting the sleeping Kyouka came out slowly and gently pat Atsushi on the non-invisible part of his head. “I’ve been hearing so much about you from my husband.”

Atsushi slowly balanced back to being seen, the book in his hand the obvious gateway for Suzu, and Seiji simply sat back and watched everything happen.

His wife so effortlessly calmed the anxious child, coaxing the name of his ability out of him, how long he knew he had it, and how much he had been practicing with it now that he knew about its existence.

When Atsushi excused himself for a restroom break, and probably to get some air to breath around people that actually wanted to talk to him and didn’t want to make him disappear, Suzu pinned Seiji with a look.

“We are not leaving this place without him.”

Seiji smiled as he pet Kyouka’s hair, his little girl starting to rise from her nap. “Of course we aren’t. I wasn’t going to leave him, even if you didn’t care for him.”

Suzu shook her head. “You know me too well to get attached to a child that I won’t love.”

Seiji felt himself chuckle, and Kyouka yawned as she started to rouse more. “Of course my Moon.”

Kyouka looked around with the sheer curiosity of a four year old.

“Mama? Papa? Where are we?”

“We’re at an orphanage my love.” Suzu hummed, stroking their daughter’s hair as well.

“Why?”

Seiji smiled as he gently tapped his daughter’s nose. “How would you like an older brother, Moonflower?”

Kyouka’s eyes grew wide.

“A nii-san? Really?”

“Yes.” Suzu nodded. “But we mustn’t overwhelm him, okay?”

Kyouka looked to Seiji.

“We can’t scare him. He doesn’t know love.” Seiji whispered in a stage whisper.

Kyouka gasped, looking outraged. “How!?”

Seiji shook his head. “Bad people are here. So we’re rescuing him, okay?”

Kyouka, darling little girl that she was, nodded her head fiercely. “Mhmm!”

Soft padding footsteps announced Atsushi’s arrival, and he rounded the corner to Kyouka’s eyes pinning him.

Kyouka’s little jaw dropped.

“Papa!” She whispered, which was not a whisper at all. “Papa, he has eyes like the sunset! And hair like the moon!”

Atsushi’s cute little face blossomed into a deep red color, that had Seiji laughing and Suzu chuckling, and gently beckoning Atsushi closer.

“Atsushi, this is Kyouka. Kyouka, this is Atsushi.”

Kyouka tumbled out of Seiji’s lap, and darted as fast as she could to Atsushi, nearly making him fall over from the force of her tackle. “Atsu-nii!”

The red that had been receding from Atsushi’s face came back with a vengeance.

What a happy family this will be. Seiji sighed happily to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was very little Seiji wanted to change.

Perhaps the biggest thing was his job, but right now, his life was the happiest it had ever been.

The adoption had gone so smoothly.

However-

Seiji felt the nerve under his eye jumping as he set the morning newspaper down, and watched his wife make breakfast.

Their children (two, they had two, two children, when it had been a pipe dream to only have one) played in the garden as they waited for breakfast to finish.

Kyouka was absolutely enamored with her older brother, and Atsushi in turn was turning out to be a rather doting older brother, making sure her plate was full first, ensuring that she had enough clothes on for the weather outside, making absolute certain that there was no one else around when they went outside to play and that they stayed in their parent’s watchful eyesight.

Kyouka in turn made sure that Atsushi was eating everything on his plate or that he was full, that Atsushi also put gloves on if the weather was chilly, and that Atsushi would have fun.

However!

“My darling Moon?” Seiji asked in a completely neutral tone as he folded the paper that was sitting in front of him.

His wife, his beautiful, stunning Suzu, hummed as she continued to make tea for breakfast.

“Could you explain why the caretakers and head director of the orphanage that I found Atsushi at are now dead? And the police can only determine that it was done at night and with a sword?”

“I wonder if I can?” His wife’s airy reply told him everything, and Seiji faceplanted onto the newspaper.

“Suzu, you can’t just kill off the caretakers!”

“I didn’t.”

“You also can’t order Yasha Shirayuki to do it as well!”

“Too little too late, my sparkling Moonstone. They’re all already dead after all.”

“Dad!” Kyouka raced up, kicking her outside shoes off and not even bothering with slippers. “Are you okay?”

Seiji raised his head to smile at his daughter, although it probably looked pained.

“I’m fine Moonflower. Did you and Moonshell have a good time?” Seiji raised his eyebrows at the older child, who was fixing the shoes that his youngest had left in her wake.

Atsushi looked a little flushed, but he also looked happy.

He was also notably stronger, faster, and more capable of moving around than he had been in that hells damned orphanage.

Seiji sighed, looking back to his beautiful Moon who was setting the table.

“You could have left a few for me you know.”

He knew his tone and face were pouting, but he couldn’t help it.

His gun had a bullet with the headmaster’s name on it, and now he needed to find a new target.

Suzu smiled at him, a picture of perfect innocence. “I’ll remember that in case there is a next time.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Seiji groaned as he leaned against the wall of his home.

He breathed through his teeth, trying not to feel the pain.

Once again, he was apparently the one at fault for doing the “right thing” and finishing the job assigned to him.

What were his superiors thinking!?

Throwing rookies into a fight like that, Seiji was going to write some strong words to their own superiors.

No, he didn’t really care that he was circumventing the chain of command. He couldn’t give a flying fuck about it, thank you very much.

He was just glad everyone was asleep right now-

“Seiji-tou?”

Oh shit.

Atsushi stood there.

In the hallway.

In the very early morning hours.

While Seiji was currently bleeding from the slash that the target had given him.

Currently looking at Seiji with concerned eyes about the slash.

"Shit." Seiji hissed as this revelation hit him, along with the pain.

He then pointed at the young boy. "Don't repeat that around your mother or Kyouka."

Atsushi nodded, but his eyes were glued on Seiji’s side. “Who hurt you?”

Was Seiji imagining it, or was there a hint of steel in his son’s voice?

“Someone got a lucky hit in.” Seiji sighed as he continued on his way to the bathroom, which would be well-stocked with medical supplies. Most important of all, medical sewing supplies.

Atsushi walked alongside him.

“And what are you doing up anyways?” Seiji asked.

“Nightmare.” Was the plain answer, and that was that.

They were quiet as they made it to the bathroom and Atsushi watched and actually helped him with the slash wound.

“Seiji-tou?”

“Hmm?” Seiji asked, trying to remember to keep breathing while he was stitching himself up.

“Can you teach me to defend myself and others?”

Seiji finished the stitches, and cut the thread, and looked at his son.

His son, whose eyes were fastened on the stitches. Because of course this was the catalyst here. What else could it possibly be for a nine year old Atsushi, who was slowly growing into his own person?

“I’ll ask you this. How do you know how to do all this?” Seiji countered as he poured rubbing alcohol on his wound and bit his hand.

“They wanted to take a fire poker to my side, so I wanted to be able to stitch myself up if my wishes, my ability, failed me.”

A flash of sheer, white-hot anger, flashed through Seiji, and he had to remind himself that the man was already dead and buried and was a cold case.

He needs to know how to defend himself. The agent part of Seiji whispered. What will happen if you aren’t there, and he needs to protect himself and Kyouka?

That will never happen. Seiji, his whole self, snarled back fiercely. I will always be here for him and Kyouka. They’re my babies.

The doubts were silenced, but what they said was simply the truth.

Atsushi did indeed need to know, and he simply wanted to know too.

“Alright.” Seiji acquiesced after he took his hand out of his mouth. “We’ll start you on some lessons tomorrow, okay?”

Atsushi’s shoulders relaxed.

“Now let’s ensure that your mother never knows that you helped me, okay?”

Atsushi giggled, and got the hydrogen peroxide out to clean the bloodstains.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi had gotten a lot better with Chameleon Diary.

He could do so much with it, turning himself invisible, parts of himself invisible (something he used to sneak some sweet treats, and that was something Suzu turned a blind eye to), and erasing himself from the mind of his target or targets. Turning his clothes invisible was a second nature to him as well.

So really, Seiji and Suzu should have seen this coming in hindsight.

But alas, hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

Seiji finally managed to get Sakaguchi-kun to take a day off and come over.

Sakaguchi-kun was working himself to the bone, and as the person who was responsible for introducing Sakaguchi-kun to the governmental scene, Seiji felt a strong sense of responsibility for the young man.

But they had forgotten to tell Atsushi that they were having a friend over.

Sakaguchi-kun opened the door.

Atsushi had had his hands in Kyouka’s hair, playing with it and putting it up in a style that took intense concentration.

Atsushi snapped his head around to meet the new person’s gaze.

A squeak when Atsushi realized there was a new person.

And then both of their children were invisible.

Seiji felt his jaw drop as he stared at where his kids, his dear Moonshell and sweet Moonflower, were probably still.

They hadn’t gotten the hang of walking silently yet.

Sakaguchi-kun had frozen where he stood.

He then turned and absolutely deadpanned at Seiji. “I know you don’t have him registered.”

Seiji smiled.

Suzu approached, and placed the tea down. “Would you like some tea?”

There was hidden steel in her tone, and both Seiji and Sakaguchi-kun knew that she would kill Sakaguchi-kun where he stood if he posed any threat to Atsushi or Kyouka.

The offer of tea was one that if Sakaguchi-kun took, made him compliant in evading a government law to report all ability users.

Sakaguchi-kun looked over to Atsushi and Kyouka, who were fading back into view.

Sakaguchi-kun’s hand came up, and he rubbed at his eyes under his glasses.

“Tea would be lovely, thank you.”

Suzu smiled brightly, and Seiji hummed as he beckoned the two kids closer.

“This is Sakaguchi-kun. He was my work kohai, but now he’s in a different division from me entirely.”

Atsushi partially hid behind Seiji, peeking out at Sakaguchi-kun.

Kyouka in turn stood boldly in front of her father, feet planted and studying the man in front of her.

Seiji placed his hands on their heads. “This is Atsushi, our Moonshell,”

Atsushi nodded his head at Sakaguchi-kun. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Kyouka, our Moonflower.”

Kyouka scrutinized the man, raking her blue eyes over him. “Hmm.”

Suzu finished pouring the tea. “Alright, that’s enough Kyouka. Come, drink your tea.”

Kyouka sighed and the precocious six year old flounced over to her mother.

Seiji crouched in front of Atsushi. “Moonshell?”

Atsushi met Seiji’s eyes, and like every time he did so, Seiji marveled at the colors. “Yeah d-dad?”

The father side of Seiji’s mind melted and cooed, but he had to get this into Atsushi’s head.

“I know you don’t understand it now, but Sakaguchi-kun is someone you can trust. If you ever get into a bind with the government, just contact him, okay? After you realize you can’t contact me.” Seiji winked, and Atsushi giggled.

Later, when the kids were asleep and Sakaguchi-kun was simply sipping at his tea, yawning due to the amount of work that the government was throwing at him, Seiji sits with him on the engawa.

“Sakaguchi-kun?”

“I know, I know.” The boy, barely on the edges of adulthood sighed, but carrying the weight of the world sighed. “I’ll keep them a secret.”

“We appreciate it.” Suzu noted, and Sakaguchi-kun was very careful to not show how startled he was on his face. His body was tense, but his face was calm, so it was better than last time.

Seiji would take what he could get.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi threw his tanto and it struck true, quivering from the force as it hit the center of the bullseye.

His target was human shaped though.

Clapping from behind him made him turn around, and he smiled at his little sister, who had a water bottle for him.

“Atsu-nii, how do you constantly hit the bullseye?” The seven year old asked as Atsushi took a deep drink of the ginger water.

Atsushi shrugged. “I just do, Kyouka. Dad says I have good aim.”

Kyouka tilted her head. “Maybe it runs in the family, since Mom has really good aim too.”

Atsushi choked on his water.

He had been a part of this family for three years, and yet his sister always acted like he was born into it. Like he was a biological child.

So did dad and mom.

Atsushi swallowed the water after he got his breathing under control. “T-thanks.”

His little sister beamed up at him. “Do you think you can teach me how to throw knives?”

Atsushi sweatdropped. “I think Dad would prefer to teach you.”

“Okay!”

The boy let out a breath of relief as Kyouka ran off and he turned back to the target. He started pulling the tanto out, going back to the engawa and started to sharpen it.

Either Kyouka would come back, or Dad would come out, so Atsushi wasn’t going to get any more practice in.

A shadow fell over Atsushi, and yep, it was Dad.

“Kyouka apparently wants to throw knives now?”

Oh good, his voice was simply amused, not upset.

Atsushi shrugged as he finished sharpening the tanto and started polishing it. “I figure it would be better to ask you than to simply teach her and possibly let her get hurt without someone being there.”

“Like you wouldn’t be there for her.” Dad chuckled, reaching forward and started fixing Atsushi’s bun.

“Well duh.” Atsushi puffed out his cheeks. “But you know what I meant!”

“Did I?” Dad teased.

“Daaadd!” Atsushi whined. “You know I meant someone with authority!”

“Ooooh. I suppose I did.” Dad teased more, scooping Atsushi up after he plucked the tanto so easily out of his hands.

Atsushi eyed the maneuver. One day I’ll make you teach me how to do that.

“I heard back from the tutor.”

Uh oh.

“Atsushi, Moonshell, you know you’re allowed to simply relax on days off, right?”

“But I can’t!” Atsushi huffed, crossing his arms as he swayed in his father’s hold. “I can only think about the schoolwork that’s piling up, and it’s so easy to do, so why shouldn’t I do it?”

Dad hummed, taking him to the kitchen. “Would you like to see a doctor for that?”

“A doctor?” Atsushi asked, perplexed as he was set down at the table. “How would a doctor help me?”

“Well, they could help with anxiety. It sounds like you get stuck up in here.” Dad poked Atsushi’s forehead. “They can give us an idea for how bad it is.”

Atsushi was quiet for a little bit as he thought it over. “Is it because of back then? That I’m like this?”

“I don’t know.” Dad said softly. “It could be. But it could also not be.”

Atsushi mulled it over. “Can I ask mom what she thinks?”

A hand, large as it had ever been, warm and rough and kind, landed on his head. “Of course you can.”

Atsushi’s tenseness finally left him.

“So what are you gonna try and burn for lunch?”

Dad sighed. “Right through the heart, Atsushi.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi stared at the target.

He did the motions.

The whip cracked.

The target didn’t get any new marks.

Atsushi let out a groan of frustration.

He shifted his shoulders.

Mom had wanted him to get the feel of a long-range weapon, because while he could go invisible, there was no guarantee that he could get close to a target.

Atsushi narrowed his eyes at the target and shifted back into the starting position.

Again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kyouka’s knife sang as it flew, and it was true as it hit the target dead center.

“Well done!” Atsushi cheered for his little sister.

Kyouka looked up at him with flushed, happy cheeks.

Seiji sighed happily as he watched his children play with knives in the garden. The nine year old loved her brother so much, and was constantly seeking his approval and love.

They were two peas in a pod, and Seiji could honestly say that this was the happiest that he has ever been since they had Kyouka.

The door to the engawa opened and his darling Moon walked out on silent steps, smelling oh so faintly of blood, but not a speck on her perfect kimono.

“Hello my love.”

Suzu smiled down at him. “Hello my darling.” She returned, crouching and kissing him.

“How are they?”

“Playing with their knives and Kyouka is constantly accusing Atsushi of cheating at hide and seek.” Seiji chuckled.

Suzu’s smile was a beautiful moonbeam that graced the earth with its loveliness. “And is he?”

“It’s not cheating! It’s using my advantages!” A small, quiet voice from beside them huffed.

Suzu chuckled and carefully didn’t look in that direction. “Is Kyouka aware you’re using this advantage?”

“Yes!”

Seiji’s smile grew mischievous, and he swiped his son up and plopped the invisible child in his lap. He immediately began tickling him, causing him to go visible again.

“H-he-hey! You’re che-cheating!” Atsushi protested through his laughter, wriggling in his lap.

“No, I’m using my advantage!” Seiji teased.

“Dad! You found him!” Kyouka ran over. “Atsu-nii, no fair using your diary!”

Suzu laughed behind her sleeve as her husband and daughter ganged up on her son to tickle him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi shifted around on the stool, and got stabbed for his troubles.

“Ow!”

“Well maybe you should keep still then.” His mom teased, readjusting the needle.

Atsushi grumbled. “My arms are tired though.”

“A few more needles dear. I want to see you in a haori. You’d look so cute in one with a yukata.”

Atsushi hummed. “What pattern are you thinking? I know you like flowers. You’re thinking of the red and gold sprouts for Kyouka.”

“You’d look adorable with irises. Maybe red with gold edging. And a blue background.” His mother hummed. “Alright, one final measurement, then you can send your father in for his own torture session, as you put these.”

Atsushi laughed loudly, knowing that his dad hated needles as much as he did.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi smiled as he read the email from the online tutor.

He had done it!

At the age of fifteen, he had finished his high school schooling!

His mom and dad always said that he was smarter than a normal child, with an above average reading level, but he didn’t really believe them until he met the tutor and they were absolutely blown away by the speed Atsushi could do things.

Atsushi chanced a glance out the window as he walked through the house, seeing Kyouka outside playing with a temari ball.

He frowned. Mom and dad don’t let her play outside by herself, not without Atsushi there.

There would be too many people who would take advantage of the daughter of their parents playing alone.

Atsushi quickened his steps.

And then he smelled it.

Blood.

He froze, before racing to the kitchen that connected to the engawa to Kyouka outside and slammed the sliding door open.

His father was pointing his gun at his mother.

“Dad!” Atsushi yelled, his whip coming out and cracking, hitting the gun and sending the bullet off course.

Dad looked at him.

Atsushi felt his heart drop.

His stomach fell.

One of his father’s eyes were red. Bloodshot. Veins bulging out and there was pain, so obvious pain on the side of his face that didn’t have that red, red eye.

His family was under attack.

“Atsushi.”

His father’s voice was pained. Strained. It was hurting him to talk.

“I love you so much.”

Tears started to collect in Atsushi’s eyes, like his father’s own eye.

“Protect your sister.”

Atsushi nodded, drawing his tanto.

The control was taking over his father more and more, and there would be no choice but to kill the once kind man.

But he didn’t need to.

His mother’s ability took care of it.

His mother breathed heavily, and Atsushi looked down at the bodies of the people who had snuck into his home.

“Mom? What do we do now?”

His mother’s breathing started to get heavier.

Tap tap tap.

Kyouka was coming.

“Ngh!” His mother reached up and grabbed her face.

“Mom!” Atsushi cried, readying his tanto and whip.

Her eye was also red.

Why!? WHY!?

Atsushi wanted to howl, wanted to grieve, wanted to break down crying.

But Kyouka was here.

He needed to keep his promise to his father.

His whip struck out to protect his sister from the sword that the monster that who once was his mother was carrying.

She breathed heavily.

A brilliant flash of light, centered on Kyouka.

“YASHA SHIRAYUKI! PROTECT MY CHILDREN!”

Their mother’s ability turned on her owner, stabbing her through the chest.

She collapsed.

“Mom?” Kyouka whispered, the ball dropping. “Dad?”

Atsushi sprinted over and held her, shielding her from the gruesome view that used to be a happy place.

Kyouka’s hands wrapped around him in shock as he hid her face in his shoulder.

It seems, I can never escape the fate of an orphan.

Never.

It’s your destiny.

Always and forever.

The orphan.

Chapter Text

Atsushi held his little sister close.

The government agents were milling in and out of the house, their house, and he wouldn't let his little sister watch.

She had seen too much that night already, he wouldn’t let her see more.

He wouldn’t let her see them taking their parents’ bodies away.

"It looks like an ability gone wild." One agent sighed.

“Probably the girl’s, considering the fact that she doesn’t have a speck of blood on her or any weapons.” Another sighed.

And something in Atsushi, the thing that whispered at him to stay quiet when adults were in the room, snapped.

“It wasn’t my sister.” He hissed, holding her close and covering her ears to protect her from their vile speculations. “It was someone else.”

“Kid.” One sighed, the one who suggested the theory. “You can’t deny that-“

“I was HERE!” Atsushi snapped. “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t tell!”

Atsushi held his sister close, glaring fire and brimstone on the agent who dared to suggest that his little sister was responsible for their parents deaths.

"I want to speak to Sakaguchi Ango-san."

The agents choked, undoubtedly not expecting that request.

"Kid, he's got a huge case load-"

"I want to speak to Sakaguchi Ango-san." Atsushi insisted.

"Or you're not going to see me or my sister ever again."

The agent raised their eyebrow and reached for Atsushi.

Atsushi activated Chameleon Diary and moved himself and his sister across the room on silent feet.

“What the fu-“

“I want to speak to Sakaguchi Ango-san.” Atsushi insisted as he reappeared.

“Teleportation!?” One of the agents gasped.

“Has he been registered!?” Another whispered.

Atsushi allowed his ability to swirl, barely able to be seen as it whirled around him.

“I’ll reiterate my stance one last time.” He hissed. “You either bring me Sakaguchi Ango-san, or you never see me and my sister again.”

Sakaguchi-san was seated in front of him in no less than fifteen minutes later.

He looked more tired than he did the last time Atsushi had seen him.

But he was here.

They sat down in an alcove, away from all the nosy agents and stupid people. There was a table for them to sit at too.

Atsushi wondered what his parents’ had used this alcove for.

Sakaguchi-san sat across from them, giving them sealed green tea.

Atsushi made sure that Kyouka drank hers first, before he opened his.

After he tasted them first to make sure there wasn’t anything in them.

"You requested my service, Izumi-kun?"

"They're suggesting that my sister somehow manifested an ability so similar to my parents and then proceeded to slaughter my parents, despite the fact that Yasha Shirayuki works on the will of the person using it, not anything else." Atsushi's voice was cold.

"So what really happened in the house, Izumi-kun?" Sakaguchi-san asked. “Or would you like me to read it from you?”

“Read it from me?” Atsushi muttered, clutching his sister close.

“My ability allows me to read the memories from objects. I can do it to humans as well.”

“Are you just going to do both anyways?” Atsushi muttered, looking at the man with sullen eyes.

A sad smile. “Not how I wanted you to use your favor, Izumi-kun.”

Atsushi closed his eyes. “I’ll tell you, and you can read to corroborate, okay?”

“If your ability hurts my brother-“ Kyouka finally stirs from her silence, turning to pierce Sakaguchi-san with a cold look that their mother must have taught her, “-I will stab you.”

Sakaguchi-san’s smile grew a bit more genuine. “There’s the Izumi-san I know.”

Atsushi recounted what had happened when he left his room after the email from his tutor, the smell of blood, the scene of their father attacking his mother, his body reacting instinctively, and seeing the ability controlling their father through the eye.

How their mother killed his father.

How their mother suddenly was possessed with the same ability.

How his sister had stumbled upon the scene moments later.

How their mother sacrificed herself to ensure their own survival.

And how those insensitive people thought it was to speak, to speculate about their parents deaths in front of them.

Sakaguchi-san sighed, writing everything down.

“And it was the eye that tipped you off?”

“Mhmm.” Atsushi nodded, feeling exhausted, holding back his tears so his little sister wouldn’t see him cry like this. “His eyes were always so kind, so soft, when looking at me. But that eye was bloodshot, the white of the eye was red, the veins were bulging. He wasn’t himself, I know that.”

“Alright.” Sakaguchi-san sighed, reaching his hand forward. “I don’t think my ability hurts people. But I do apologize for any pain or inconvenience I might cause.”

Kyouka’s knife glittered in warning.

Atsushi let the hand touch him, and the memories were brought full force.

He bit his hip to avoid the tears threatening to fall actually falling.

“Alright.” Sakaguchi-san sighed as he withdrew his hand. “I can corroborate you now.”

The man closed his notebook after jotting something down, and sighed. “I am so sorry, for your loss you two.”

Atsushi clutched his sister closer. “Thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi didn’t like being in an orphanage again.

Not now that he has tasted the wonderful family life that he had lived for seven years.

And he definitely didn’t want his little sister to live this horrible life.

This bloodless free for all that gnawed at your bones and tried to drag you under and drown you with malice and hatred.

Kyouka didn’t deserve this sort of life, she only deserved life and beauty and light.

If Atsushi could survive for three years, then he could get them out of here.

The worst bit was separating at night.

He could fantasize he could hear his little sister crying at night, and he wanted nothing more than to sneak out and go to her, to hold her and comfort her from the nightmares that must surely plague her nightmares and waking thoughts.

At least in the day he could teach her in the library, could teach her while being a teacher’s assistant, thanks to the fact that he’s finished his schooling already.

Something this new teacher raised eyebrows at, but didn’t put him down for.

How odd, this orphanage that was so much like his own and not like it.

Atsushi doesn’t understand it.

But he would protect his little sister.

And then that person came.

A man with eyes that were sharp and hungry for blood.

Atsushi knew from his parent’s dealings that you never entered a contract with these sorts of men, not without a loophole to escape. Whoever this guy was, Atsushi wanted nothing to do with him.

But he sought Atsushi out.

Atsushi and his sister.

“Hello young ones.” The man smiled at Atsushi, and it made Atsushi’s skin crawl with it’s insincerity. “You’re the one with the unregistered ability, right?”

Atsushi shifted his sister behind him, refusing to let him see her fully.

“What if I am?” Atsushi whispered softly.

The man’s smile grew brighter, and Atsushi’s skin prickled with revulsion at this man.

“I am Tonan Tanzō. It’s such a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Izumi Atsushi.” Atsushi said bullishly. He refused to give his sister’s name. He wouldn’t give it to this man.

“Do you know who I am, Atsushi-kun?” Tonan-san cooed, crouching to Atsushi’s height. It was stupid, Atsushi wasn’t that small dammit! His mom wasn’t that small either!

Atsushi shook his head. “No sir, I don’t.”

Mom taught him that being polite could get you far.

It could also allow you to stab people in the back without them seeing it coming.

A good tactic.

“I’m from the government, Atsushi-kun.” Tonan-san explained slowly, and Atsushi had to stop himself from bolting with Kyouka in his arms right then and there.

Hell, he should just erase their existence from this guy’s mind so he would never remember them and would never come after them again!

Could Atsushi do that?

It didn’t matter. I WILL do it if I have to. Atsushi decided.

“Atsushi-kun, do you know what you’ve done wrong?” Tonan-san asked, a smile on his face.

It was far from friendly.

Atsushi wanted this man gone.

They had been building some happiness here.

Not what they had before, nothing could compare to what they had before, to their home.

Nothing could compare to dad’s smiles and mom’s headpats and dad’s laughter and mom’s food.

And this man was trying to encroach on the happiness that they were starting to build.

“I’m afraid I don’t, sir.” Atsushi said, his smile baring his incisors to the man in a façade of a smile. “Would you be so kind as to tell me?”

Tonan-san nodded. “It’s because you used your ability to threaten someone.”

“I don’t remember doing that.” Atsushi whispered.

“Ah, but you see,” Tonan-san hummed, “Because you didn’t register your ability, you have threatened a multitude of people with your teleportation ability.”

Teleportation?

They think Chameleon Diary is a teleportation ability?

“Sorry about that.” Atsushi whispered, shifting to hide his sister’s knife. “I didn’t even know I had it, truly.”

His sister gripped his clothes tighter. She knew he was blatantly lying.

“Ah, it seemed that your parents death triggered it then.” Tonan-san hummed, and tilted his head in a thinking pose. “Well then Atsushi-kun, I have a proposal for you.”

Never. “What is it?”

“Would you like to join a special division in the government? It would pay you very well.” Tonan-san proposed.

“I say for you to go to hell.” Atsushi finally let the smile slip and powered his ability to its maximum power.

Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence!

The man’s face went slack, and Atsushi hid himself and his sister with his normal ability, and kept them hidden in the corner of the room.

The man walked out of the room, muttering to himself about not remembering what was so important and why he was here.

But Atsushi knew.

They couldn’t stay here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi knew he could do better for Kyouka than this.

A dingy little apartment in an abandoned building and he could barely get her enough food for her stomach to be full.

He didn’t want to resort to stealing money, and digging around in the dumpsters with who knows what germs were going to be a last resort. Mostly those were going to be for his own food, and never going to pass his sister’s lips.

Most of his sister’s food was stolen from the store, sealed and packaged. For her complete safety.

Atsushi felt that he could still do better for her though.

His sister deserved the world, and he couldn’t give her that.

Some hot water would be a plus, would be a substantial difference.

His sister loved taking care of her hair.

Unfortunately he couldn’t buy her the proper hair care things that she needs right now. He could steal them; it would be so easy to. So very easy to.

But his sister wouldn’t let him.

“I don’t need them. They aren’t worth the weight on your conscience.”

Kyouka was an angel.

He didn’t deserve her.

Atsushi was a complete newbie at pickpocketing. He could walk silently, he could be as silent as a shadow.

But he was horrible at pickpocketing.

When he was out and about pickpocketing, sometimes he got caught.

They would chase him.

Atsushi didn’t like going invisible right off the drop, word would spread that way. So he would run into the alleyways, would dart into crowds, and only then would he go invisible.

Only then would he erase the memory of himself and the fact that they were pickpocketed.

Kyouka sometimes joined him, ran with him, loved running with him.

His sister was able to keep up with him, always keeping a hand on him.

He would forget sometimes, that they didn’t always run into the slums.

Atsushi would forget where the slums ended, and the Port Mafia began.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ozaki Kouyou was not someone who actively recruited members for the Port Mafia.

She left that usually to the lower ranking members who liked to drag people into the inky blackness and plunge them into the very depths of humanity’s darkness.

However-

She studied the camera footage that had been sent to her, and was rather intrigued by it.

Children who disappear from their pursuers sights. She mused as she sipped some wine and watched the silver haired boy and the girl with black hair lose their pursuers for the fifth time since they were caught on camera.

For someone like these two, Kouyou would be quite fine with being a recruiter.

In fact, she wouldn’t mind taking these two under her wings.

Chuuya-kun was getting antsy without a new person to spoil.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi gripped his haori tighter around his sister and himself as they walked along in the dusk.

No one was along this street with them.

Atsushi was sixteen and Kyouka was twelve.

They had been living on the streets for an entire year now.

Atsushi had taken care of them for over a year now.

He had found a haori he thought his mother might like. One with a blue background and red and gold irises.

And Atsushi had found his sister a kimono, a red one with gold sprouts on it.

He was saving it for a special occasion, once she grew out of her pink one.

And then out of nowhere, someone appeared.

Atsushi startled, yanking Kyouka closer to him.

The person was dressed in a dark cloak, a mask over the bottom of their face, and their dark hair held up in a ponytail.

Atsushi nearly screamed, he didn’t hear this person coming at all.

Kyouka’s knife flashed in the dying light of the sun and the sputtering streetlights.

Atsushi didn’t let his sister try.

He simply activated his ability and grabbed her and ran.

They lost the person in the streets and the dying shadows.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi calmed his sister down.

“It’s your ability now, there’s no need to be afraid of it.” He soothed her, easing her grip on the phone.

Her eyes were large and wet.

“What if it comes back and stabs you? You won’t survive. I can’t lose you too!”

“You won’t! You won’t!” Atsushi brushed his thumbs under her eyes. “Yasha Shirayuki works on the intent and will of the person using it. And you don’t want to hurt me, I know you don’t. Right?”

Kyouka shook her head. “No. I’m never going to hurt you.”

“Then we don’t have a problem.” Atsushi assured her, patting her on the head. “Now, let’s try it.”

Kyouka inhaled, and opened the phone that their mother gave her.

The light of Yasha Shirayuki lit up the apartment, and Atsushi’s jaw dropped as he saw the new appearance of the ghostly specter.

It looked like-

It looked like-

“Mom?” Kyouka whispered, the phone slipping out of her grip and clattering onto the floor.

The figure picked up the phone, placing it back in Kyouka’s hand. It then placed its hands on Atsushi’s and Kyouka’s heads, gently stroking back and forth.

Tears sprang forward.

Atsushi wasn’t allowed to mourn.

He had too much to do, he had to take care of Kyouka, he couldn’t allow himself to mourn-

The ghostly figure of his mother embraced him and Kyouka, holding them close.

Atsushi let the tears fall where his sister couldn’t see.

She didn’t need to know that her big brother was so weak.

The ghostly hand, cold and yet so warm, wiped away his tears before they could drip onto Kyouka’s head.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ango sighed as he walked the halls of the Division, rubbing at his eyes.

He was exhausted, completely and utterly exhausted.

But there was still work to be done.

“Ah! Sakaguchi-kun!” A boisterous voice called, and Ango could feel his heart sinking, and waved goodbye to the thought of coffee.

Fukuchi Ōchi was striding towards him, and there was absolutely no one to hide behind to avoid this talk.

Oh c’mon, no one? Did everyone desert the halls when they heard he was here? Ango grumbled in his head, but refused to let his irritation show on his face.

“Fukuchi-san. How may I help you?” Ango instead said pleasantly through gritted teeth. Ango kept walking though, because he was a very busy man and had places to be and was not going to let anything stop him.

Fukuchi fell in step with him. “I just heard of a wonderful ability user on the streets! One that isn’t registered and one that isn’t with any agency!”

Alarms started blaring in Ango’s head.

“Oh really?” Ango asked pleasantly. “What user is that?”

“A teleportation ability! Apparently, the Ghostly Sword had a son and a daughter, and the son awakened the ability from their parents death. It’s quite perfect for the Hunting Dogs, don’t you think?” Fukuchi hummed.

I buried those files! How on earth did you find them!? Ango screamed in his head, but refused to let Fukuchi see anything other than his perfectly crafted poker face.

“I didn’t know that.” Ango lied with ease.

It seems I’ll have to call in that favor.

After all, he had promised the Izumi's that he would do everything in his power to protect their children.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi was seventeen and Kyouka was thirteen when their world shifted again.

Someone was chasing them.

And no matter what tricks Atsushi employed, no matter the level that he put Chameleon Diary on, they just would not give up.

They could see him.

They could see Kyouka too.

Atsushi wasn’t going to let these guys catch them.

He was the son of Izumi Seiji and Suzu.

He was the Moonshell.

He would protect the Moonflower, like he promised the Moonstone.

Like the Moon would watch over them, he would watch over his sister.

That fate was set in stone, no matter what universe.

To always keep Kyouka safe.

To cherish her.

To love her as a sister.

But still-

Atsushi was starting to doubt his ability to remember his parent’s teachings.

Because this bandaged freak would simply not give up!

And it was like they were being herded too.

No, scratch that.

Atsushi knew with absolute certainty that they were being herded with the amount of police that were out in force today.

They were being herded to the warehouses.

Atsushi grit his teeth.

Whatever was going to happen, he had his weapons, and he had his ability, and his training to fall back on.

He would do anything to protect his sister from this man.

Chapter Text

Atsushi kept a hold of his sister as they ran.

The police out in force, this guy chasing us, they seem to know our every move, what the hell is going on!?

Nothing was making sense right now.

Atsushi and Kyouka were simply existing, trying to carve some sort of semblance of life and happiness for themselves on the streets.

Atsushi thought they had been doing okay.

Kyouka had been happy.

Atsushi would be content, so long as his sister was happy.

And then this happened.

It was like the world had a vendetta against them.

To make matters go into the worst-case scenario, Chameleon Diary wasn’t working on their pursuer.

The bandaged man was dogging them, just on the outskirts that Atsushi could see him. Turning a corner, Atsushi would see the brown coat and flash of the turquoise pendant.

Running down an alleyway, Atsushi would see the stark white bandages on the man’s neck and wrists.

Kyouka was panting out of fear now, and Atsushi was seriously considering turning those white bandages red if he continued to scare her so much.

Atsushi knew they were being herded.

He couldn’t do a thing about it though, because of all the police flanking the bandaged man.

The bandaged man could see Atsushi and Kyouka, which meant that if Atsushi tried to slip through the police patrol, the bandaged man could call out to the police to capture them.

Are they with foster services?

Atsushi let anger, fear, and protectiveness for Kyouka turn into resolution.

We’re NOT going back there!

They slammed into a warehouse, and there was nowhere to go now.

The only way in and out of this warehouse was the way they had come in, and the man who was following them was mere footsteps behind them.

Atsushi herded his sister into a corner, pressing her against the wall, while he gripped his tanto tight and let the blade glitter threateningly as the man entered the warehouse.

“Ah, finally done running, you two?” The man’s lilting tone was grating, and it was only the breathless quality that told Atsushi that this man had been running as well.

Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence!

The man blinked, then shook his head and chuckled. “Sorry, but I still see you~!”

Atsushi’s spine straightened, and he shifted, his grip on his tanto growing tighter.

“Hey there, there’s no reason to be scared you know.” The man said, in what he probably hoped was an assuring tone. He walked forward, his shoes tap tap tapping on the concrete of the warehouse floor.

The tone was probably supposed to be assuring. It only seemed malicious to Atsushi’s ears as he pressed Kyouka behind him more, hiding her with his haori.

If this man wants to get to her, he has to go through Atsushi first.

It didn’t matter if Atsushi didn’t have his ability right now.

His ability was a boost, a help.

Atsushi could fight without it.

It didn’t matter if Atsushi’s ability wasn’t working right now (-it did, how could he keep his promise to Dad if he couldn’t keep his sister safe, this was bad, this was a worst-case scenario-) because Atsushi had a tanto, and he could fight. He could fight this person off so Kyouka could run.

Click

Yasha Shirayuki exploded into existence above them, summoned from his sister’s phone.

Atsushi still couldn’t look at it.

Not when it looked so much like Mom.

“Oh?” The bandaged man stopped advancing, tilting his head at the ability that came into existence to defend them. “A sword? Well then, please aim for the neck little lady!”

The man’s face held a carefree smile as he started his advance again.

His moves screamed confidence.

Alarm bells and sirens blared in Atsushi’s head.

“If your opponent looks calm, even in the face of something unplanned, something that wasn’t in the file, I want you to be on your toes and wary to the nines. Do you hear me Atsushi?” Dad’s voice whispered in his head, the faint image of him in the peripheral of Atsushi’s eye. “They have something planned, an Ace up their own sleeve.”

“Kyouka,” Atsushi whispered under his breath, watching the man who was watching the ability, “I want you to be very, very careful.”

He felt his imouto nod against his back, her eyes probably barely seen to the man who was advancing.

He heard her whisper the attack into the phone, the “delay him, go for the hand.”

Their mother’s ability, now Kyouka’s, unsheathed her sword and swung it with all her power. It brought it down on the man’s skin, just below the bandages.

Teal and blue fought in a spectacular light show.

Kyouka shivered against his back, a soft gasp falling out of her lips, like she had been hit by something.

The teal won over the blue.

The man stood there, completely unharmed.

Atsushi’s eyes widened, and his heart dropped into his stomach.

Nullifier. A damn nullifier. No wonder Chameleon Diary wasn’t working on him!

“Kyouka.” Atsushi muttered, shifting his grip on his tanto so he could throw it if need be. “I want you to run.”

Kyouka shook her head against his back. “No way.”

Atsushi grit his teeth.

Why are there no good options!?

The man’s smile grew more menacing, and he took another step forward.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He cooed.

A shot rang out.

A bullet sang through the air, and Atsushi tracked it in the air.

It hit the man in the temple, and-

And it turned into paper?

The bandaged man reached up and rubbed at his temple. “Ow! Kunikida-kun! Those still hurt!”

“Not as much as I’m going to hurt you later, you bandage-waster!” A loud voice snarled as a man, presumably who the voice belonged to, stormed into the warehouse. “You’re not supposed to scare them! So stop playing your stupid mind games you shitty person!”

The man with glasses was glaring at the bandaged man, so Atsushi immediately liked this person more.

The man with glasses then turned to Atsushi and Kyouka, and Atsushi got his tanto ready for defense or offense.

“Izumi Atsushi and Kyouka, right?”

Atsushi eyed the man warily. “Depends on who’s asking.”

“We’re from the Armed Detective Agency.” The man with glasses continued, gliding over Atsushi’s huff.

Atsushi’s knees nearly went out from relief as it swept over him.

Armed Detective Agency.

ADA.

The Agency.

Mom and Dad both praised and hated them because of how well they protected clients.

“A friend of your parents recently reached out, hoping we could find you, once they realized you had slipped through the cracks of the system.” The man with glasses continued, seemingly oblivious to Atsushi’s weak knees and Kyouka’s tight grip loosening in relief.

Friend of our parents? Who-

Sakaguchi-san.

He’s the only one with our best interests in mind.

Atsushi pat his sister’s hand, taking in a calming breath. “And now what’s going to happen?”

“Now!” The bandaged man waved his hands to get all attention on him again. “Now, the president of the Agency would like to meet you!”

Atsushi’s guard was immediately back up.

“Why?” Kyouka asked, poking her head out from behind Atsushi. “Why would he want to meet us?”

“I don’t know.” The bandaged man shrugged. “He got really concerned about you two when he heard about you. He’s like a papa wolf you see, very paternal leaning.”

Atsushi held his sister behind him, and sighed. “If anyone tries anything, you’ll never see us again.”

“Except you.” Atsushi grumbled at the bandaged man who was opening his mouth.

The man grinned at him goofily, and Atsushi squinted at him, flashing his tanto, before sheathing it.

A long walk later, because there was no way that Atsushi was going to let them take them in a car, and the siblings were seated in front of a stern-looking man.

The man poured them some tea, and Atsushi kept an eye on the teapot and the grip the man had on it.

It wasn’t a teapot that their mother had when “special” guests were over. When he and Kyouka had to be sent away for a few days.

Fukuzawa-san, the director, the president, of the Armed Detective Agency, didn’t change the grip on the teapot either.

So the tea probably wasn’t poisoned.

Probably.

All three cups of tea were poured by the same teapot too.

So probably not poisoned.

“I’m afraid I did not get the chance to know your mother very well.” The man started, reaching for his own cup and sipping at it delicately.

Atsushi reached for his cup, and Kyouka reached for hers.

He took a cautious sip of his tea, not tasting anything in the tea, hoping that the man wasn’t using tasteless poisons.

“You’re the Silver Wolf?” Kyouka asked cautiously.

“I am.”

“You taught Mom how to use the sword?” Atsushi whispered, his muscles relaxing with the warmth in his hands.

“Yes. Unfortunately, we did not share the closest of bonds.” The man said, and his face seemed to be honest. “Not with the sort of field we worked in.”

Atsushi nodded.

“Before you went into the foster system, I did not even know you existed. Your mother and father guarded your existence like dragons. It wasn’t until a friend in the government reached out to us and asked us to search for you did I learn of your lives.” Fukuzawa-san continued.

Atsushi nodded again, knowing how much Mom and Dad protected them.

“I hope you can forgive me for not looking for you beforehand.” The man’s calm voice cut through Atsushi’s memories.

Wait what?

Kyouka immediately echoes those words out loud, staring at the man with intense eyes.

“I should have looked into what exactly caused your parents deaths, instead of being placated by the government.” Fukuzawa-san bowed his head. “I allowed myself to wallow in grief and not think as to why Suzu-san had so many rooms in her home.”

Atsushi bit his tongue, staring at his tea as memories of those nights resurfaced, before he shoved them back into their box.

“And because I did not look into what happened, you both have been without a home for three years.”

The man’s voice was sorrowful, as if he was about to-

“Ah!” Atsushi quickly put his teacup down, so he could wave his hands. “You needn’t bow, Fukuzawa-san! You didn’t know about us, and how could you? Mom and dad kept us hidden, and I didn’t help in that area because of my ability. So it was only our family friend who knew we existed, really. So there’s really no reason to apologize!”

“What happens now?” Kyouka asks after everyone settles down.

“Well, there is the matter of Atsushi using his ability without a permit.” Fukuzawa-san said, making Atsushi wince slightly.

Speaking of, Atsushi was fighting the urge to not use his ability right now.

He’d like to be invisible right now.

Using his ability for three years straight and then not using it was having some interesting side effects.

“If you join the Armed Detective Agency, then not only would we be able to provide for you both,” A twinge runs through Atsushi, because he could finally provide for Kyouka again if they joined, “but we can also help with your abilities.”

“If we join, I want a condition.” Atsushi said.

Fukuzawa-san tilted his head at Atsushi, showing he was listening.

“I want Kyouka to go back to school, not to join the Agency right away.”

“Atsu-nii.”

“Kyouka. You’re thirteen, and had your education cut short. I at least finished high school. Besides, you liked poetry and science. I saw you looking at those books in the store.” Atsushi sipped at his tea.

“Alright, any other conditions?” Fukuzawa-san asked, reaching for a contract.

“I can’t think of anything-“ Atsushi started to say, but was cut off by his sister.

“Atsu-nii gets birthdays off. And the day our parents died.”

Fukuzawa-san nodded and wrote it down as well. “Anything else you can think of? Kyouka going to school and days off are written down.”

Atsushi shook his head.  “I think we’re okay now.”

Fukuzawa-san nodded, and stopped writing.

“I’ll have Kunikida take you to your new apartment.”

Kunikida-san, that’s the guy with glasses.

Atsushi nodded, grabbing his sister’s hand, and once again refusing the call of his ability to simply disappear again, they walked out of the office, and into the office area.

Kunikida-san was writing something on his computer, and the man with bandages, Dazai-san, was playing around at his desk, making a paper airplane.

A man in a brown cape was munching on some sweets a few desks over, turning to look at them as they entered the room.

“Kunikida-kun! They’re ready to go to the apartment!”

Kunikida-san looked up, still not finishing typing, and raised his eyebrows. “Done already? That was fast.”

Atsushi shrugged, not knowing what to say. He hadn’t really talked to anyone other than his sister, so he wasn’t really sure how to respond.

“The older brother only wanted his sister to go to school, and the sister only wanted her brother to have some definite days off.” The man in brown that they hadn’t been introduced to yet said through a yawn.

“Eh? Those are some boring conditions! You should’ve asked for all days off except for one, Izumi-kun!” Dazai-san trilled, like an oversized songbird. “Right, Kunikida-kun?”

“Don’t corrupt someone who actually wants to work, unlike your lazy ass.”

Atsushi squeezed his sister’s hands.

Maybe we’ll be okay here?

~~~~~~~~~~

Scratch that, why did I think we would be okay here? Atsushi grumbled to himself as he crouched behind some boxes.

Of course, the day right after we join, there’s a bombing scare here. Why wouldn’t there be one?

“What are they even after?” Atsushi asked Kunikida-san.

Kunikida-san shook his head, and the guy with the bomb switch suddenly yelled.

“BRING ME THE DOCTOR! THE DOCTOR OF YOUR AGENCY!”

“Oh. That explains it.” Dazai-san muttered, on the other side of Kyouka.

“Who’s the doctor of the agency?” Atsushi whispered as he started calculating.

“Yosano Akiko. She has an ability that can heal practically anything.” Kunikida-san explained just as quietly. “Alright, I’m going to try and deescalate the situation.”

And then Kunikida-san was immediately threatened with a gun, and had to put his hands in plain view.

But they still had Dazai-san at least.

“Dazai-san. You can still see me when I use my ability, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, no abilities work on me.”

“Great. Get ready.” Atsushi muttered.

Chameleon Diary.

Atsushi, now invisible to anyone but Dazai-san, walked silent as a ghost around people, gliding around the terrified office people.

First, the bomb.

His parents knew that bombs were something that anyone could and would try to use on their house. So they taught him and Kyouka how to defuse them, or at least duds.

Using his tanto, he carefully touched the bomb to make it go invisible, and then started carefully cutting away at the wires in it.

Once he was finally happy with the mess of wires, he set the bomb back down, now gutted, and approached the bomber.

Kunikida-san’s eyes widened at the revealed bomb, and his eyes darted to the bomber.

The poor bomber never saw the punch coming.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m so sorry!” Atsushi bowed, his hair flowing around him, hiding his beet red face.

Dazai-san’s cackles hadn’t stopped.

Atsushi vaguely wondered how the man hadn’t run out of air yet.

“No no, you were doing what was needed!” Tanizaki Jun’ichirō waved his hands. The black eye stood out starkly with his fair skin.

“In hindsight, we shouldn’t have chosen a test that could be turned into stealth mission.” Kunikida-san sighed, reaching up and taking his glasses off to rub at his eyes.

The move reminded Atsushi vaguely of Sakaguchi-san.

“Atsu-nii is ruthless.” Kyouka said in a monotone voice, but Atsushi could see the smile and giggles that were trying to escape.

“Stop, please stop!” Atsushi whined.

“Why? We’re having so much fun!” Dazai-san laughed, throwing his arms over both of Atsushi’s shoulders and Kyouka’s.

Atsushi buried his face in his hands.

He really wanted to die right now.

At least he and his sister had apparently passed the entrance exam?

~~~~~~~~~~

“Where are you?” Tanizaki-san hissed, looking around, and Atsushi bit his lip as he glided around the office and the cans that were placed.

Team training was different from how his parents taught him.

Tanizaki-san had to find him, and when he did, then Atsushi had to find him.

Sort of a game of hide and seek.

It was fun.

Especially since Tanizaki had Light Snow, which made them a unique team.

“The hide and seek team!” Dazai-san had teased.

“Our intelligence gathering team.” Kunikida-san had nodded, still working without looking up from his computer.

“Our older brother team.” Ranpo-san deadpanned, studying the marble that had been extracted from the ramune.

Atsushi barely stopped himself from bumping into the glass bottle for Ranpo-san, and stopped completely when Tanizaki-san snapped around to look in his direction.

Atsushi’s objective was to get out of the room.

Tanizaki-san’s was to find him.

Atsushi was nearly to the door, he just had to touch the doorknob and he’d be out.

Very carefully, oh so carefully, he reached for his tanto.

Flicking it out, the cans on the opposite side of the room rattled, and Tanizaki-san’s head snapped in that direction.

Atsushi dove out the door.

“And Atsushi-kun wins! As I predicted!”

“Dammit!” Tanizaki-san huffed as he left the room after Atsushi. “At least you let me remember that you were in the room and what my objective was this time.”

Atsushi snickered as he remembered the first time he used Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence on Tanizaki-san.

“That was funny. You just let me out of the room.”

“It was humiliating!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi chopped up the carrots, sighing as he stared at the clock.

Kyouka had gone shopping with Yosano-sensei, and she hadn’t come back yet.

He understood the want to be near another woman, he did.

He still missed his little sister.

He really did.

But he did want his sister back.

A key in the lock, and Kyouka and Yosano-sensei walked through the door.

“Atsu-nii! Atsu-nii! You’ll never guess what Yosano-sensei found today!” Kyouka, nearly fourteen now, never ran unless it was to run from school to the Agency’s building.

“Oh? What did you find Yosano-sensei?” Atsushi asked with a smile.

Yosano-sensei started digging around for one of the bags on her arms. “Let’s see, I put it in the little magenta bag, didn’t I Kyouka-chan?”

“Mm!”

“Ah! Here it is!” Yosano-sensei pulled out a bottle of-

Nail polish?

No-

That’s-

Yosano-sensei held it out to him. “Kyouka-chan told me about this a little while ago. Sorry it took me so long to find it.”

Atsushi took the bottle of nail polish, running his hands over it. “I thought you couldn’t get this sort of thing legally?” He whispered, remembering his mother applying this venomous nail polish when he was younger.

“You usually can’t, but as a part of the Armed Detective Agency, you can get a lot of things.” Yosano-sensei placed her hand on his shoulder gently. “I know you have your whip and your tanto, but I and others will feel better if you use that.”

Atsushi swallowed, and he dimly remembered the dinner that was halfway made behind him.

“Would you-“ He stuttered, and he cursed himself for it, because he was always so bad with social situations, “would you like to stay for dinner? And, would you like to help with our nails?”

His voice had gotten quiet towards the end, almost a mumble, and it was sheer luck that Yosano-sensei could hear him.

The hand ruffled his hair.

“I would love that Atsushi-kun.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi hummed as he tapped away at the computer in front of him, yawning.

No one told him that reconnaissance was so boring, or that stakeouts were so boring either.

“Long night, Atsushi-kun?” Ranpo-san snickered, and Atsushi sent him a mild glare as he wrapped up the report on the night before.

“Ah, you’ll get used to it! You’re only a year into this after all!”

Huh.

It’s been a year already.

Atsushi smiled as he hit PRINT and got up to walk to the printer.

How time flies.

It’s time.

The needles on the clock of time have struck their places.

No where to run now.

You’re where you’re supposed to be, and you can’t run away from your destiny.

A ringing of a cell phone broke the monotony of the office.

Tanizaki-kun answered his phone.

“Hello? Yes? You have a case? Some smugglers? Yeah, come right up!”

It’s time.

Chapter Text

The man stared ahead of him.

He had no beginning.

He had no end.

He had no purpose.

What am I here for?

He closed his gray eyes, unable to answer that question as he moved through the city.

He was only supposed to be here for a little while, just passing through as always.

But he was approached by That Man.

That Man offered him a purpose.

How could he not grasp onto it with both hands and hold on tight?

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi hummed as he set some tea down for the client as Tanizaki talked to her about the smugglers.

Ranpo-san had already gone out for the day, skipping along with Kenji-kun and waving goodbye in the time it took for them to get the client to come here.

Kyouka had thrown a fit when she had realized that a kid her age was working with the Agency already, and she wasn’t, but Atsushi had put his foot down one night when they were doing each other’s hair.

“Mom would kill me if you didn’t complete your schooling, Moonflower.” He said, braiding her hair for the night. “She’d find a way to come back alive and haunt me.”

His little sister had huffed, but acquiesced to the point.

Besides, one couldn’t really stay mad at Kenji-kun for long.

Especially not his little sister, who had a heart of gold like Kenji-kun did as well.

Back to the present, Atsushi listened in on the client explaining her dilemma to Tanizaki.

It seems rather open and shut. Just gotta catch them in the middle of the act and throw them at the police.

But . . . .

Atsushi looked at the client from under his bangs, carefully readjusting his blue kanzashi hair comb into his bun to secure it.

Did we ever get her name?

At that moment, Dazai-san decided to throw himself at the client, proposing a double suicide as he was wont to do nowadays.

Atsushi felt himself sweatdrop as Kunikida-san dragged Dazai-san away to deal with him.

“So?” The client asked all of the sudden. “Can I count on your help?”

“Ah! Of course! Uhm- Atsushi-san? Would you like to join us?” Tanizaki’s eyes were flitting from the client to his sister to Atsushi.

Translation from Tanizaki: Please come with me, I don’t like this client. And I don’t trust them near Naomi.

Atsushi smiled beatifically. “Of course! It’s much easier to catch people with multiple detectives after all!”

Tanizaki relaxed minutely, and Naomi-san’s eyes were sharp as she skipped away to the other side of the office to grab her bag.

The bag that held a knife for self-defense purposes.

Atsushi himself grabbed his tanto from his desk when Kunikida-san stopped him.

“You’re going to the edges of the Port Mafia’s territory, so I want you to be on the lookout for this man.”

A photo was placed in Atsushi’s hands, and the man in the photo reminded Atsushi of the myths of vampires, or of wraiths.

“Who is he?”

“Akutagawa.” Dazai-san’s footsteps had been heard, but Atsushi didn’t think he’s ever seen the man looking quite so. . . . sad? Upset?

“He’s dangerous, Atsushi.” Kunikida told him. “If you see him, I want you to run. Fighting him is an effort in futility.”

“What makes this guy so dangerous? It looks like a strong breeze will knock him over.” Atsushi rolled his eyes as he tucked his tanto into his pocket.

“It’s his ability. He’s one of the Port Mafia’s deadliest gifted. Akutagawa is highly skilled with using his ability.” Kunikida-san explained, his hand drifting upwards to his shoulder. “I barely escaped, and that was because he underestimated the power of Matchless Poet.”

“He didn’t just underestimate your gift, Kunikida-san.” Atsushi sighed, shrugging his haori on. “He underestimated your mind too. You need your mind to use your ability as effectively as you do, and he underestimated you. As my dad would have said, take pride in that and prepare for the next attack.”

A shocked smile fluttered across Kunikida-san’s face, before it fell back into its normal stoic mask. “Your father was a wise man.”

Atsushi nodded his agreement and hurried to the door, blinking back tears and shoving his hands into his pockets. “Ready?”

“Just waiting for you.” The client said in a short tone.

“My sincerest apologies.” Atsushi said with a short bow. “My colleague heard we were going near Port Mafia territory and wanted to warn me of some dangers.”

Atsushi gave a disarming smile. “I’m still rather new to this detective business you see. It’s why I’m tagging along.”

The client gave a dismissive hum and started walking.

Atsushi kept pace with Naomi-san and Tanizaki, keeping the client in front of them and not allowing the client to get too close.

There was just something off about her, and while Atsushi couldn’t quite put his finger on it, Tanizaki and Naomi-san could feel it as well, judging from the fact that Naomi-san had her bag, and Tanizaki was keeping himself in-between her and the client.

Atsushi thumbed at his whip’s handle, recalling the forms in his head as he chattered with Naomi-san about the newest song that had come out from a band that both she and Kyouka were interested in.

Kyouka had made Atsushi listen to it so many times that he could probably recall the lyrics in his sleep if he needed to.

“We’re here.” The client suddenly announced, drawing them all to a stop, and Atsushi looked at the alleyway in question.

Atsushi squinted at the alleyway.

This isn't safe.

As an older brother, there was something that Atsushi was looking for first and foremost, and that was safety for others.

"Tanizaki." He whispered, and the redhead hung back just enough so the client didn't notice.

"Activate Light Snow. Something isn't right with this client."

It was a testament to their bond that Tanizaki didn't ask questions, he simply did as Atsushi asked.

Their images walked in after the client, and Atsushi grabbed Tanizaki and Naomi-san's hands, activating Chameleon Diary, and following, sticking to the wall so if the illusions fell (a very unlikely possibility, Tanizaki was impeccable with his ability) they were still hidden.

Tanizaki’s illusion image of himself pointed out the idiocy of the smugglers if they used this alleyway, and the client started to reveal her true colors.

“That’s because I was assigned the mission to get you here.”

Sunglasses? In a dark alleyway? Do we even need Light Snow to hide? Atsushi thought in amusement, before she made the phone call.

“Akutagawa-senpai? I have them. Both the bounty and others.”

Both of the Tanizaki’s choked beside him, and he squeezed their hands, before slowly sliding them towards the exit of the alleyway.

They were hidden and invisible.

But why are they targeting us?

Atsushi had been lucky, having been out of the office on the days when the Black Lizard attacked the Agency, so he wasn’t quite sure what exactly the grudge between the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency was.

They got out of the alleyway, and Atsushi let go of his ability and the Tanizaki’s hands. “Go back to the Agency.”

“You’re not coming with us!?” Tanizaki choked.

“She mentioned a bounty. I want to know what’s going on, and we need intel.” Atsushi sighed, readying his ability again. “Tell Yosano-sensei to get her room ready for me?”

Naomi-san’s eyes grew hard. “Don’t you dare make me look Kyouka-chan in the eyes and tell her that you’ve got a suicidal streak like Dazai-san.”

Atsushi cracked a grin at that. “Don’t worry. I’m nothing like Dazai-san.”

And with that, Atsushi disappeared back into the alleyway, barely dodging a hail of bullets from the woman’s gun.

“Where are you!?” She was yelling.

Tanizaki’s Light Snow was still effect, green flecks of snow floating around and disorienting her.

Okay, that’s way too dangerous. Atsushi thought with a grimace.

Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence!

The woman stopped holding her gun aloft, bringing her hand to her head and shaking her head. “Wha-what? Where? What am I doing?” She whispered to herself.

Atsushi said a silent apology, he knew that using this was disorienting to the person that it was targeted to, but he didn’t want to come back to his sister full of bullets.

“Higuchi.”

The wraith was here, somehow looking even more gaunt than he did in that security camera photograph that Kunikida-san had shown Atsushi.

“Akutagawa-senpai! What are you doing here?” The now named Higuchi asked, still holding her gun, and looking up at her senpai with a confused face.

Akutagawa’s eyes narrowed, and his coat rippled. Like it was alive.

Atsushi’s eyebrows shot up.

Oh SHI-

Atsushi dodged to the side, but was still caught on the arm by the now sharp cloth.

Atsushi winced, the blood spilling over the, for some reason, sharp cloth.

The cloth retracted, but the man's eyes were pinned where Atsushi was hiding in plain sight with his ability.

The blood dripping from Atsushi’s wound was probably helping him find Atsushi.

"Found you."

Atsushi grimaced and let go of Chameleon Diary after he put a smile on his face. "Oh? Were you looking for me?"

"You're the one with the bounty." Akutagawa hissed, and Atsushi's head blanked.

Bounty? I’m the one with the bounty? I'm known enough to have a bounty?

"And you've come to collect? How kind! But I’m afraid that my little sister won’t allow me to leave the country without her." Atsushi said, pulling a length of bandages out of one of his hidden pockets and tying it around the cut that Akutagawa had given him.

"My motives are anything but kind."

"Oh I know." Atsushi acknowledged with a nod, pulling the knot on the bandage tight. "But answer me this, Akutagawa."

Atsushi made his hand go invisible out of their sight and delve into his pocket.

Akutagawa tilted his head, studying Atsushi.

Atsushi allowed his smile to grow taunting.

The man narrowed his eyes, seeing the challenge in the smile.

"Can you hit what you can't see?"

Atsushi dissolved into thin air, his tanto singing and knocking the woman's gun out of her hand.

The black cloth raced and tried to hit him, but Atsushi had moved.

CRACK

Akutagawa paused, his hand reaching up and touching the cut on his face.

Atsushi came back into view, his whip now out, and he twisted it threateningly as he swayed up to his full height.

“Senpai-!” Higuchi gasped, looking for her gun.

But Akutagawa wasn’t paying attention to her. He seemed enamored by the blood on his fingers before he snapped out of it.

Akutagawa looked up from the blood on his fingers to look Atsushi in the eyes.

Atsushi had the distinct feeling of doom settling on his shoulders as Akutagawa continued to maintain eye contact with him.

And grinned.

Atsushi fell back, allowing his ability to barely swirl around him.

Retreat retreat RETREAT-

CHAMELEON DIARY

“RASHŌMON!”

Atsushi barely dodged around the sharp arrows of Akutagawa's cloth, it nearly ripped his haori.

Akutagawa's eyes darted around the spaces that weren't pierced by his ability. "I know you're still there."

Oh fuck you! Atsushi thought grumpily, unable to get a clear shot with his whip. He regretted throwing his tanto now. I should start carrying multiples of those.

More tendrils of the ability, sinking into more spaces, and Atsushi can see why Kunikida-san said why fighting this guy was an effort in futility if his ability is this powerful.

No way out now. Chameleon Diary: Evanesc-

"Okay, I think that's enough for now."

Atsushi doesn’t think he’s ever been so happy to see the resident ability nullifier than right now.

The shock on Akutagawa’s face when his ability was canceled and all that was left of the concrete was holes was priceless, and Atsushi wished he could grab his phone without his injury twinging in pain.

“Dazai-san!” Akutagawa gasped, staggering back, and for a split second, Atsushi could commiserate.

The cold wash of No Longer Human, if you weren’t expecting it, was like being dunked with ice water.

“Who-“ Higuchi looked even more confused than when she had been under the influence of Atsushi’s ability, and was clearly reaching for another one of her guns.

Dazai-san didn’t seem to care, only reaching for Atsushi’s tanto.

“Atsushi-kun~! Come on out before I slit my throat with this and say goodbye to this cruel world-“

Atsushi reappeared to pluck his tanto out of Dazai-san’s fingers. “You know slitting your throat is one of the more painful ways to go. Isn’t your motto to have a painless, cheerful suicide!?”

“There you are~!”

“Like you couldn’t see me anyway.” Atsushi grumbled. “My ability doesn’t work on you.”

“Hmm, I guess. But what’s going on here? The Port Mafia after a cute little subordinate of the Agency’s?” Dazai-san asked, turning back to the mafia people, who had been suspiciously quiet.

Akutagawa was staring at the bandaged man, with something akin to respect, or worship.

But now with that, Akutagawa’s face contorted. “Is he your subordinate?” He whispered, and there were whispers of rage in there.

“Hmm? No, Atsushi-kun belongs to Kunikida-kun.” Dazai-san said with a smile full of warning.

“I don’t belong to anyone but my sister.” Atsushi huffed, fiddling with his shoddy fieldwork bandages. “She’s not going to be pleased with this stupid bounty on my head.”

“Oh ho ho~! A bounty you say? Why Akutagawa-kun, care to explain?” Dazai-san asked, and to Atsushi’s surprise, the man actually answered with an affirmative. Sort of.

“There is a bounty on the head of the person who has the ability of disappearing from sight and mind. One of seven-million-yen worth.”

Atsushi felt his jaw drop.

Seven-million-yen!? What the hell!?

“How interesting. Well, let’s get back to the Agency, shall we Atsushi-kun? Yosano-sensei will be wanting to train you in fieldwork bandaging now.”

Atsushi grumbled, tightening the bandages one final time. “Yeah yeah, it’s almost time for my sister to get there anyways.”

“You think you can just leave!? We can crush you here and now!” Higuchi suddenly spluttered, having been stunned silent until now. Atsushi guessed her rage was making her talk now.

“Higuchi. You cannot fight this man.” Akutagawa said in a solemn tone. “He knows more than anyone, the power that the Port Mafia holds.”

Dazai-san looked at the two in front of him, and Atsushi got the feeling that he had the same look from before that day as he reached up and rubbed at the back of his head. “Yeah, you can definitely say that.”

“After all,” Akutagawa continued, speaking over Dazai-san. “He’s an ex-executive of the Port Mafia.”

The woman took a step back, shock coloring her face. “No way.”

Dazai-san took this opportunity to grab Atsushi’s wrist and breeze past the two mafioso’s. “C’mon Atsushi-kun! We’ve got places to be!”

Atsushi was quiet as they walked back, and Dazai-san wasn’t humming any of his funny suicide tunes.

Atsushi blinked up at the man. “Dazai-san, did you think I didn’t know already?”

Dazai-san steps stuttered for a second.

“We lived on the streets for maybe the last year you were there, and then the Port Mafia was in turmoil because someone big was gone. We never saw you, but your presence was known on the streets. Mostly people warning us to not catch your eye.”

Dazai-san sighed. “And you didn’t try to cash in?”

His tone was strained, trying to be jovial.

“I didn’t think Kunikida-san had enough money.”

“Atsushi-kun! You think I would make Kunikida-kun pay the bet money!?” Dazai-san gripped at his clothes above his heart.

“Yes.” Atsushi delivered with a deadpan tone.

“Well you’re right~!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi grunted as the bandage was tightened to the point of near discomfort.

“Still have some blood flowing?” Yosano-sensei teased, loosening it a little bit.

“Yeah. I’m just a little upset I couldn’t scratch his face with the nail polish.” Atsushi pouted. “I doubt he’s got some poison resistance training. He’s too thin for it.”

Yosano-sensei let out a laugh at that, patting him on the head for that and readjusting his kanzashi hair comb for him. It got knocked around during the fight, Atsushi was just lucky it hadn’t been lost on the alleyway floor.

“Has Kyouka-chan heard the news?”

“She hasn’t. I’m scared for her reaction.” Atsushi sighed. “Remind me to take you shopping sometime soon, okay?”

“Oh? So charitable Atsushi-kun.” Yosano-sensei cooed.

“You got the space ready in case I was in critical condition. It’s the least I can do.” Atsushi kicked his feet, before hopping down from the table, his yukata fluttering around him.

He left Yosano-sensei’s office and was met with the odd sight of Dazai-san typing at his computer with a determined look on his face.

“Are we sure that’s Dazai-san?”

“Atsushi-kun! So mean!”

“Okay, that’s him.” Atsushi sighed.

“He’s trying to hack the Port Mafia and see who put the bounty on your head, Atsushi.” Kunikida-san sighed.

And then froze, his blood draining from his face.

Geta tapped behind him, and Atsushi understood Kunikida-san’s fear.

“Who has what on my brother’s head?”

Atsushi swallowed, turning to look at his little sister, who was holding her bookbag.

“Heeeeyyy Kyouka! How was school today?” Atsushi asked, trying to distract his sister and save the world from her wrath.

Her eyes narrowed on his arm, the bandage clearly seen due to the fact that his yukata sleeve was rolled up.

“Who hurt you?”

“Just an idiot.” Atsushi said quickly.

“A Port Mafia associate.” Dazai-san said at the same time, not looking up from the computer.

“Dazai-san!” Atsushi hissed, his eyes darting from his sister’s growing killer aura and his stupid work senpai.

“I’m not going to lie to Kyouka-chan! She’s scary~!”

About twenty minutes later, when everything was explained, his little sister’s face was completely blank.

Atsushi was scared.

“Ah. So the world wishes to die by my hand.” She said in a monotone, turning towards the door and reaching for her phone.

“Moonflower no!” Atsushi lunged for his sister. He hauled her up, making her feet pinwheel.

“Atsu-nii, put me down. I need to deliver retribution.”

“You’ve been reading too much poetry!” Atsushi huffed. He placed his sister down in his desk seat, planting his hands on her shoulders. “Kyouka, listen to me, okay? You can’t go after that guy. I could barely hold my own. I know you’re strong, but I don’t want you to try and fight him without me nearby, okay?”

“I wouldn’t downplay your abilities Atsushi.” Kunikida-san stated, placing two cups of green tea on his desk for them. “You said you cut his cheek with your whip. I say take your father’s words from before to heart.”

Atsushi opened his mouth to refute it, but Kyouka’s hand came up and slapped over his mouth.

“Listen to the adults.”

He sent his little sister a warning look, and she took her hand away before her hand got licked.

“You’re one to talk, Miss I’m-going-to-take-on-the-Port-Mafia.”

Kyouka pouted at him, making him ruffle her hair.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi yawned the next morning, prompting Kyouka to yawn beside him.

“I still think you should go to school today.” Atsushi huffed.

“No way.” Kyouka refuted.

Atsushi rolled his eyes, and they climbed up the steps to the Agency.

“Morning Atsushi-kun! Morning Kyouka-chan!” Ranpo-san called. “Atsushi-kun, is your arm bothering you today?”

“Heh? Not really.” Atsushi sighed, taking his crossbody bag off and taking the files out that he had taken home.

“That’s good, because Yosano needs to be entertained today.”

“Oh.”

Well. There goes my work schedule.

Atsushi looked at Kyouka, who was looking up at him. “You up for shopping today?”

Kyouka let out a smile and nod.

“Great! ‘Cause you have three seconds to prepare yourselves!” Ranpo-san warned, before pulling a disappearing act worthy of Chameleon Diary.

Atsushi grabbed his wallet and smiled when Yosano-sensei walked through the door.

“Good morning Yosano-sensei! Ready for shopping with Kyouka and I today?”

Yosano-sensei blinked, before a genuine smile creased her face.

“Let’s get going kids. There’re deals to be made and people to break.”

Kyouka cheered and they left.

It is different from before.

It is not the same.

There is a difference.

How will you handle it?

Chapter Text

That Man called him.

That Man smiled at him while in his office, the little girl off to the side and eating her cake like she always did.

That Man had a job for him.

That Man wanted him to go outside the building, to go with Kaji-san and capture someone.

He didn’t know if he could do it.

That Man didn’t let him out.

Not really.

Not with an ability like his.

But he had no choice.

That Man had given him a meaning to his miserable life.

So the least he could do, was follow these orders.

Gray eyes watched the outside world in wonder.

“The sunshine. . . . feels so warm.”

It had been so long since he was out.

It had been so long since he was outside of the Port Mafia headquarters.

“Yo! Lilac-kun! Let’s go!” Kaji-san called.

The man stood, pushing his long hair over his shoulders.

“Right.” He sighed, and started walking, his head down.

He had a job to do.

He saw his mark, and made his way to him.

The long trench coat was almost like a beacon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi hummed as he watched Yosano-sensei and Kyouka beat down the poor, hapless merchants. It was always hilarious to watch the horror overtake the features of the shopkeepers when they saw his little sister and Yosano-sensei again.

It was always fun, going shopping with his sister and resident doctor.

They always sniffed out the best deals like bloodhounds on a trail and they wouldn’t stop until they got the lowest possible price.

Atsushi always wondered if this was some sort of extortion, but he mostly hung back and laughed behind his sleeve.

He was here mostly to carry the packages afterwards anyway, but he did want to buy something for Yosano-sensei as a thank you for preparing the room the other day.

It had been three days since then, and it seemed everything had settled, at least a little.

In fact-

Atsushi frowned as he put his purchase in a small bag that hung on his hip.

It’s been too quiet.

It’s been three days.

“Yosano-sensei?”

The woman hummed, glancing over her shoulder to meet Atsushi’s eyes.

“It’s been three days since anyone saw Dazai-san.”

“It has.” Yosano-sensei sighed. “But don’t worry, Kunikida is going to go to his apartment this afternoon.”

Atsushi nodded. “Good.”

“Are you missing him?” Kyouka teased lightly, carrying her own set of bags, but not nearly as much as Atsushi.

“Hardly.” Atsushi scoffed. “The office is just too quiet without the idiot and his antics.”

Kyouka let out the smile that said she knew something, and he didn’t “But you do miss him. You made the third bento today for him and was upset that he wasn’t there to eat it.”

“He’s wasting food!” Atsushi huffed. “The least he could do is show up to eat it!”

(Halfway across the city, Dazai Osamu in the Port Mafia’s basement sneezed, wondering who was talking about him. His stomach growled with disappointment, and he mentally berated himself for allowing himself to indulge on Atsushi-kun’s delicious meals.)

The bento-making for Dazai-san had started sometime during the half-year that Atsushi had worked at the Agency. He had been passed around the older, more experienced members, so he could catch up quicker to his peers.

He hadn’t had just one mentor, like it was in the past.

(“It’s because there’s not a lot just one person can teach you!” Ranpo-san divulged when Atsushi was escorting him. “Dazai-kun would teach you how to interrogate someone, Kunikida-kun would teach you how to file and how to fight in a proper martial arts format, Yosano would teach you how to disarm someone without actually hurting them, and then teach you how to really hurt them. But! All this could be taught to you within a matter of weeks, possibly a few months if we stretched it out. So! Shachou made the executive decision to have you passed around like a hot potato!”)

It had been when Atsushi had been learning under Dazai-san for a week.

Atsushi had noticed that the man didn’t eat much.

In fact, he hardly ate at all.

When Atsushi wasn’t assigned to Dazai-san, he kept an eye on what the man ate, what he liked to eat.

His favorite food was crab, apparently.

And while that was all well and good, crab could not fill you completely. It couldn’t keep your body going if you just lived off a crab, but surely Dazai-san was also taking some sort of supplements as well, since he didn’t have scurvy.

So, as Atsushi made bentos in the week for when he was under Dazai-san’s tutelage again, he made a light, but filling, soup for the man.

He didn’t think he’d ever get over the delight when he saw the surprise on the man’s face when he placed it in front of him.

“Eat it. It’s good for you.” Atsushi had huffed, and dug into his chicken curry.

“Aww, Atsushi-kun! You really DO care!”

“I’m not going to have my mentor for the week up and collapse on me because you refuse to eat any vegetables like a toddler.”

“But Atsushi-kun! I do indeed like vegetables!”

“Name three.”

“. . . . . okay fine.”

The bowl was only half finished by the time lunch was finished, but Atsushi had just been pleased that the man was eating.

Slowly, he made more meals that were more filling and heavy, and soon Dazai-san could eat them with ease.

Once he was done shadowing Dazai-san for the week, Atsushi just . . . . didn’t stop making him meals once or twice a week.

At least once a week there was a bento made with Dazai-san’s name on it in the Agency’s communal fridge, and everyone knew that you don’t touch it. Not if you want the man coming after you.

And now three of those meals have been untouched in the Agency’s fridge. Because for the last three days, Dazai-san has been missing and hasn’t come into the Agency.

Atsushi had stress-cooked, and also today he had bought some more tantos.

The fight with Akutagawa had shown him just how outclassed he could be in a fight when he didn’t rely on his ability.

And his mom and dad had taught him too much for him to rely solely on his ability in battle. That was a recipe for disaster.

“Don’t worry Atsushi-kun.” Yosano-sensei’s voice brought him back to the present. “We’ll find Dazai-kun, don’t you worry about it. And we’ll definitely let you have your turn of giving him an earful.”

Atsushi chuckled softly as they continued walking, and Atsushi was half-tempted to just use Chameleon Diary to get through the crowd easier when he-

Saw.

Him.

Atsushi stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the man.

The man’s eyes were downcast, and they didn’t meet Atsushi’s.

But Atsushi knew him.

Kin! Kin kin kin kin! His heart and soul sang.

Atsushi knew his half-purple hair, his half-white hair. He knew that the man had gray eyes.

The man that Atsushi knew without knowing was dressed well, in dark colors, with varying shades of white. A black vest and a white collared undershirt. Gray slacks were the last piece of clothing, and the man’s longer pieces of hair were tied back into a low ponytail. The last thing Atsushi saw was the necktie with a pin with a black jewel embedded in it around the man’s neck.

The man passed by Atsushi, and Atsushi could only stand there, completely frozen, the air knocked out of his lungs by the force of his heart and soul singing.

Atsushi’s eyes tracked the man as he continued walking past.

“Atsu-nii? Do you know him?” Kyouka asked and Atsushi could practically hear her head tilt, but he couldn’t bear to tear his eyes away from the man that was disappearing into the crowd.

Yes yes yes! Kin kin kin! My sibling, my brother, my kin! His body screamed to run after the man, to grab his arm, to hold him tight in a hug.

Atsushi opened his mouth. He closed it. How could he explain the emotions that were swirling around him like a typhoon?

“I feel like I should.” He whispered, his eyes on where the man with two-toned hair had disappeared. “I really feel like I should.”

Yosano-sensei’s gloved hand came down on his shoulder. “We need to hurry, if we want to make our train.”

Her voice was hushed, soft, like she knew Atsushi wanted nothing more than to drop every package and run after the person that he felt like he should know.

Atsushi licked his lips. “Right.” He whispered.

“Right.”

He ripped his eyes away from where the man had dissolved into the crowd, and followed Yosano-sensei and his sister.

“I’m sure you can find him later, Atsushi-kun.” Yosano-sensei soothed as they put the packages from the shopping above them and took their seat.

Atsushi inhaled deeply. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll find him.”

“Oh, Yosano-sensei. Here.” Atsushi remembered, standing and grabbing the gloves that he had bought for the woman. “As a thank you for your quick preparation in getting your room ready for me the other day.”

Yosano-sensei cooed over the material of the gloves. “These are rather high quality, thank you Atsushi-kun. And you’re sure you weren’t hurt other than that nasty cut? In a fight with Akutagawa, that’s quite an impressive thing you know.”

Atsushi laughed, scratching at his cheek. “He wasn’t expecting my whip.”

“No one ever does. Not when you hide it under your haori.” Kyouka noted with a deadpan, messing with the ends of the whip.

“Be careful with that Moonflower, I don’t want you to cut yourself.” Atsushi admonished softly.

Kyouka let out a hum to show that she acknowledged him, and Atsushi rolled his eyes at Yosano-sensei who grinned.

Kyouka had just let go of the whip-

When the train jerked.

The public address system crackles as soon as the bombs stop going off.

“Yosano-sensei, which do you want to take?” Atsushi asked, using his normal tanto to break the packaging on his new ones and slip them into his pockets.

“I’ll take the front.” Yosano-sensei grabbed her black bag that everyone in the Agency was afraid of. “Be careful Atsushi-kun, they’re after you.”

“I know.” Atsushi said, and started off for the rear of the train.

“I’m helping.” His sister said, appearing at his side. Her tone was sharp, and it was clear in her posture and her eyes that she wouldn’t be backing down.

Atsushi can do nothing but groan, because there’s no time to argue with his sister. “You’re going to stick right beside me, you got it? No leaving my side.”

“I’m with you to the ends of the earth, silly Moonshell.” Kyouka returned, and grabbed his hand when he offered it so he could activate Chameleon Diary.

The nickname made him startle, ever so slightly.

It had been years since someone called him that.

He called Kyouka by her family nickname as a way to bring her back, to remind her that life was still worth living. To remind her of the silly childhood memories that were attached to the nickname and calm her down.

Does she think I’ll turn myself into the Port Mafia to protect people?

Atsushi thought about it, and almost sullenly saw the importance of it.

Okay yeah, I would, if the situation was dire enough.

They weave through the throng of people who were pressing to the end, and Atsushi deactivated his ability to usher them away, to assure them that help was here and nothing bad would happen.

Kyouka opened the door to the last train compartment.

A man darted past everyone, past Atsushi, and past Kyouka.

“Wai-“

“Sir-“

KIN!

Click

Beep beep beep

Atsushi’s eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

The man he saw before, the one that his body and soul sang and screamed out as kin, stood there. With a bomb on his chest and a gun in his one hand and the transmitter for the bomb in his other.

“Yasha Shirayuki.” Kyouka hisses as they enter the last train compartment, and Atsushi takes care to close the door behind them so the normal passengers don’t listen in on this.

Their mother’s ghostly figure hovers above them protectively, and Atsushi sees the man’s eyes widen slightly at the figure, but nothing else changes.

“You- who are you?” Atsushi asks, stepping forward with his hands hovering around his waist, his palms open.

Dull gray eyes now held a shimmer to them, a sign of life at last.

“You may call me Sigma.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Osamu hummed as he walked through the Port Mafia’s headquarters without a care in the world.

He knew what to do to ensure that no one took a second glance at him.

Walk with confidence, walk like you belong here, and no one will think you don’t.

Finally getting to the records room, he closes the door behind him and leans against it, allowing himself to slouch over and feel the pain in his stomach and ribs.

Even after so long, Chibi still had the same monstrous strength.

One of his ribs was likely cracked, maybe broken if he was being honest with himself.

Would he tell anyone at the Agency that?

Hell no.

You’re still breathing. You still have work to do, Osamu.

You still have people to help.

Memories of a boy and a girl, protecting each other in a warehouse while he played with them mentally.

Memories of the boy feeding him, not giving up even when Osamu couldn’t finish the whole meal.

Memories of the girl who reminded him so strongly of Odasaku, who refused to allow people to wallow in their self-pity and dragged him places.

You still have shit to do, Dazai Osamu. So get to it.

Osamu pushed himself off of the door and approached the closest computer, cracking his knuckles and getting ready to start hacking.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi studied the man in front of him.

“I feel like I should know you. Why? Who are you?” Atsushi asked, feeling like someone punched him in the gut, feeling like a carpet under his feet had been tugged away.

Their mother’s visage hovered over him and his sister protectively, sword at the ready and ready to defend the both of them in a moment’s notice.

“I am Sigma. I’m a Port Mafia operative.” Sigma sighed. “I like cookies and talent. I do not like deserts and hunger.”

Atsushi frowned. No. That’s not it. Who are you?

Atsushi’s shoulders drooped. “Why are you doing this?” He motioned to the bomb on Sigma’s chest. “What do you gain from this?”

“I get to live another day. I get to make myself useful like this.”

His tone was so cold, so devoid of emotion.

Kyouka, his Moonflower, stepped forward with a frown on her face. “How is this living?”

For the first time, Sigma visibly falters. “It. . . .”

“Are you sure that you’re living?” Atsushi whispered, stepping forward as well. “And not simply surviving?”

Sigma’s mouth opens, but he has no rebuttal, and the hand that’s holding the gun lowers ever so slightly, away from people. His eyes are conflicted.

It’s the opening that Atsushi needed, because his whip is singing, cracking out. It knocks the transmitter for the bomb out of Sigma’s hand.

Yasha Shirayuki’s sword sings as well, cutting the gun’s barrel and then holding it at Sigma’s neck in a warning.

Atsushi carefully eases what’s left of the gun out of Sigma’s hand, breathing a sigh of relief.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sigma swallows.

He knows that he wasn’t the most clever, or the most capable person, thanks to That Man keeping him in the Port Mafia’s building.

But he expected to at least be able to hold his own!

Akutagawa-san even warned him about the whip, and yet he was still outfoxed and outgunned at every angle!

Then again, he thought with a grumble as he eyed the girl. No one knew that there was a girl who had an ability like Ozaki-san’s.

But still-

“Why?” He whispered. “Why did you ask me that question?”

The boy, his mark, smiled at him. He carefully wrapped up the whip again to hide it under his haori. “I wanted you to realize it yourself.”

Sigma frowned at the floor.

No one does anything for nothing.

He was so puzzled.

When Sigma had traveled, after he had woken up in that desert, when he had escaped those people and started traveling through cities, he never met anyone who did something for another’s sake.

It simply wasn’t done.

Not in this world.

People were selfish creatures.

They always were.

Sigma’s hand lashed out, snagging the bounty’s bare arm.

Sigma’s ability danced.

Why would you help someone like me?

Memories filtered in, of this person in front of him at a place of utter coldness and indifference and pain.

And then suddenly, as if the clouds parted on a full moon night, Izumi Seiji extended the hand. And Atsushi (the bounty's name) took the hand.

I wasn't living there. I was surviving.

I want to pay Dad's kindness forward, always.

And Sigma feels the question for Atsushi ring through his head for the exchange.

Why are you so familiar to me?

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi feels emotions that aren’t his and memories that aren’t his dance in his head.

They unfold like a flower in his head, like a precious gift that’s been given to him.

Memories of the person in front of him simply APPEARING out of nowhere, with nothing on his person other than the clothes on his back and a ticket to a station that doesn’t exist.

The image of a book floated in front of Atsushi’s eyes for a few seconds, a thread connecting him and the person in front of him.

He snaps back to reality, with the man in front of him looking confused and shell-shocked, and his sister looking at him with worry.

Then the public address system crackled, and Yosano-sensei’s voice called through it.

Her voice calling to him and Kyouka that the bomb in the back can be disarmed with the transmitter that had given to the operative back there.

Atsushi is wary, but he can only believe it as he stares down at the button on the transmitter.

The Port Mafia wouldn’t get rid of an asset? Would they?

He pressed the button.

The bomb started to beep faster.

Atsushi realizes that he, no, they all gravely miscalculated how much the Port Mafia values their “assets.” Even Sigma himself is staring at the bomb on his chest in horror.

“Kyouka-!”

“Yasha Shirayuki!”

Their mother’s sword sings, and the straps holding the bomb to Sigma’s chest are sliced away. The sword sings again, and the side of the train car is gone.

Atsushi reminds himself to talk to his sister about public damage later, but instead grasps the bomb and throws it with all his might away from the train.

He then tackles Sigma and Kyouka down, hovering over them protectively, and their mother’s ghostly visage hovered over him in turn, a protective shield from the shockwave.

The bomb explodes in midair, and rocks the train back and forth, but no one was killed.

Atsushi counts it as a win.

He counts it even more as a win when the police allow them to take Sigma away to the Armed Detective Agency.

No one on the train spoke up, so there was no reason for anyone to suspect that he was the bomber at the other end.

(He didn’t know that his sister was threatening them all behind his back, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.)

Atsushi counts it the most as a win when Sigma tips his head back breathing in deeply.

“It’s been so long since I was last out.”

“You never have to be locked up again.” Atsushi promises.

Chapter Text

Osamu groaned ever so silently as he typed on his computer.

He was putting the information he had gotten from the Port Mafia in the Agency’s database, and his ribs were far from happy with him right now.

His saving grace was the fact that Ranpo-san wasn’t here right now, and didn’t call him out right now.

The door to the Agency slammed open, and he prayed a quick prayer to a god he may not believe in that it wasn’t Ranpo-san or the Black Lizard.

He could not deal with them today.

He hated pain.

But no, instead, Atsushi-kun, Kyouka-chan, Yosano-sensei, and another person stood there.

Atsushi-kun had his hand on the other’s wrist, probably to keep him from running away. It was a gentle grip, so the other obviously wasn’t trying to run away. Most likely they were dazed.

He was dressed like someone from the Port Mafia, however.

Atsushi-kun however, puffed out his cheeks when he saw Osamu. “You! Where have you been!?”

“Spending time with the Port Mafia in their basement, Atsushi-kun! Why, did you miss me~?” Osamu teased, still pulling the firewalls down and letting the thumb drive into the Agency’s database.

The Guild was an American-based organization, he didn’t know why they were after the resident intel-gatherer, and he didn’t have to know right now.

Not right away.

He could figure it out along the way, as he pulled apart their plans and destroyed their outposts and crushed their people.

If they thought they could come in here, to Osamu’s city, and try to take one of Osamu’s brats, then the Guild was going to going to have a very rude awakening.

“Who is this?” Osamu nodded to the boy who was now trying to hide behind Atsushi, which was a rather comical sight.

Atsushi was at least seven centimeters shorter than the other.

“You’re the-“ The boy with half-white, half-lilac hair stuttered. “You- he talks about you-“

Osamu raised an eyebrow.

“This is Sigma-kun.” Atsushi-kun shrugged. “He’s an ex-Port Mafia associate.”

Ah.

“He talks about you-“ can refer to Mori-san, Chuuya, or Akutagawa-kun. Chuuya would only refer to me as a bastard, so he’s out, Akutagawa-kun would only refer to me in dark clothing, so the last option is-

“That Man, a lot of his memories centered on you.” Sigma-kun whispered, still trying to hide behind Atsushi-kun.

Memories?

“Memories?” Atsushi-kun echoed out loud. “Does your ability rely on memories?”

Sigma-kun shuffled, and nodded. “Yes. In exchange for what I want from someone’s memories, they get what they want from mine.”

“Ah.” Osamu said out loud, finally letting his fingers relax as the upload from the thumb drive started. “You were an intelligence gatherer. Probably when Kouyou-san was having a day to herself.”

Sigma-kun looked at him like he peered into his own memories.

Atsushi-kun and Kyouka-chan looked at him with suspicion.

“Dazai-san.”

Uh oh, he knew that tone of voice from Atsushi-kun.

“Have you eaten anything since you were gone three days ago?”

Quick as a wink, Osamu’s shit-eating grin was clamped onto his face. “I’m a-okay on food, Atsushi-kun!”

Mostly because Osamu didn’t think he could keep anything down with his cracked ribs and possible concussion.

Atsushi-kun’s squint became even more suspicious.

“Yosano-sensei!” He called over his shoulder, tugging Sigma-kun farther into the office. “I think Dazai-san is hurt!”

Yosano-sensei poked her head in, a smile creeping on her face. “Ara~? Dazai-kun, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Osamu shot Atsushi-kun a dirty look as Yosano-sensei grabbed his arm and herded him towards her office.

Atsushi-kun stuck his tongue out in response from where he was pushing Sigma-kun to sit down on the couch.

Brat!

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi snickered as he instructed Sigma to sit on the couch.

Ranpo-san entered a few moments later with Kunikida-san, Kunikida-san blinking at the new person.

Ranpo-san simply ignored them and beelined straight for his desk, pulling out a packet of pocky from his stash and started munching on it.

“Atsushi? Kyouka?” Kunikida-san’s voice was concerned, and while he was heading towards his desk, he was also keeping an eye on Sigma.

“This is Sigma. He’s defecting from the Port Mafia.”

“Shand fwe’s fwour pwobwem.” Ranpo-san said through his mouth full of pocky.

“Yes, of course he is Ranpo-san, but he’s not a problem.” Atsushi corrected, throwing his haori over Sigma. “Sit there while I get you some tea. You like cookies too, right?”

Sigma’s mouth opened and closed, clearly unused to this.

“He did.” Kyouka nodded, sitting next to Sigma to ensure he wouldn’t run out of the office. “Cookies and talent are his likes, he dislikes deserts and hunger.”

Sigma snapped his head around, staring at Kyouka. “You remembered that!? But I only said it the once!”

“Kyouka is talented like that.” Atsushi heard Kunikida-san say as he prepared the tea and got cookies out.

He hears Dazai-san come back out, pouting, and whining all the while.

“So a Port Mafia associate hmm?” Dazai asks, making his way over to Sigma and reclining on the couch with him and Kyouka. “Are we going to have to beat the police off with a stick?”

“Uhh. . . .” Sigma starts playing with his fingers. “I don’t think so?”

“Sigma-nii usually was getting information, not hurting people.” Kyouka said, swinging her feet.

“S-S-Sigma-nii!?”

“Oh?” Dazai-san’s eyes were sparked with interest.

Kunikida-san was at his desk, and turned around in his seat to squirt his water bottle at Dazai-san’s head.

“Hey! Kunikida-kun!”

“Brats one and two have already laid claim, Dazai.” Kunikida-san scolded, putting the spray bottle away. “No stealing.”

“Aww, but stealing is so much fun~! Including your wallet!”

“GIVE THAT BACK YOU SHITTY BASTARD!”

Dazai-san ran past Atsushi, hair still wet from the water spritzer, and snatched a cookie off the tray as he continued to run from Kunikida-san, who wanted his wallet back.

“What is going on?” He heard Sigma whisper, and snickered.

“Just go with it kid.” Ranpo-san said, digging around in his desk for another snack.

“Atsu-nii won’t let them take you back.” Kyouka nodded, grabbing the tea and pouring it for Sigma. “He won’t let them take you and you going into survival mode.”

Sigma stares at the cup in his hand for a few minutes.

“Thank you.” He finally says, his voice thick with emotions that Atsushi dared not to name. “But the bounty is still on your head, Atsushi-san. And they’re not going to stop until there’s absolutely no way for them to cash in on it.”

“Let them try.” Atsushi shrugged, pouring tea for Kyouka as Kunikida-san comes back, dragging Dazai-san by the scruff of his coat and his shirt. “If they try anything, I’ll just erase myself from their minds.”

“Erase yourself?” Sigma asked, looking mildly alarmed.

He was suddenly blinking at thin air after Atsushi activated Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence. “Who. . . . was I talking to?”

Dazai-san snickered. “Never gets old.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuunosuke paced back and forth in the bowels of the Port Mafia, his coat sparking and snapping at anyone and anything that got too close.

One question was running through his mind at this moment, and it was driving him mad.

Why?

Sigma had been an exemplary member of the Port Mafia in the year and a half that he had been a part of it.

He had gotten information with his ability so easily, and he never said no to a job.

So why-?

Why did he leave? What power does the Bounty have?

Because make no mistake, this was the Bounty’s fault. It was not Dazai-san’s fault, it wasn’t Kaji-san’s fault, it was the Bounty’s fault.

It had to be his fault.

Ryuunosuke pulled out the tracker for Sigma’s necktie gem.

It was beeping steadily, then started moving from the Agency’s headquarters.

On the move again.

Sigma was heading towards the more neutral ground of Yokohama, the shopping districts.

And the Armed Detective Agency would not have let him go there without some sort of supervision.

And Ryuunosuke would eat his coat if the supervision wasn’t his Bounty.

Instead of getting angry, he pulled out his phone.

Ryuunosuke flipped his phone open and didn’t have to scroll far for the number he wanted. He dialed it, tapping his foot with impatience as he waited for the person on the other phone to pick up.

They finally did.

"It's my day off."

"I know." Ryuunosuke sighed. "And I'm sorry for that. But to get the bounty I'm after, I'm going to need your help."

"You owe me oranges."

Ryuunosuke made a disgusted face. "Fine. On your head be it, Gin."

“They’re not poisonous, you know.” Gin’s voice was amused, and Ryuunosuke allowed himself the luxury of rolling his eyes. No one else was in the room, so it was fine.

“They are, you just haven’t realized it yet.”

Gin’s laughter, free and natural, flowed in his ear, and he allowed himself to feel happy that he made his sister laugh.

“Send me the coordinates, and I’ll be there.”

Ryuunosuke sent them to his sister’s phone, and turned towards the door, his coat swirling dramatically behind him.

Chuuya, who was coming in the opposite door, blinked.

For a second, maybe it was simply because he was dealing with the fact that he saw the damn traitor in the basement just a day ago, but he swore just for a second, that Akutagawa looked like Dazai. If only for a second.

He shook his head.

No way. Chuuya huffed, rolling his eyes at his own brain.

Akutagawa is way better than that damn mackerel.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sigma stares at the clothes bag in front of him.

Atsushi-san had been. . . . rather insistent on buying him some new clothes.

There were quite a few bags in front of him, and Sigma didn’t know whether he was scared or awed at the fact that Atsushi-san and Kyouka-san could hunt down deals like they did. Maybe a bit of both. He wondered if there was a word that explained that feeling.

The sleeve of the pastel green yukata peeked out of the bag, and Sigma very carefully folded it back it, treating it something to akin to blown glass.

Sigma did prefer Western style clothes, the pants and the shirt felt right on him, since he woke up with them in that desert, but-

“Everyone in our family at least has some sort of traditional clothing!” Atsushi-san had said brightly, very gently leading him to the shop and towards the back where the yukatas and kimonos where hanging.

It was Kyouka-san who had seen the pastel pink and gray haori and added it to the pile.

Atsushi-san had clapped when he had seen the two together. “Perfect! The pink of the haori matches the pink of the sakura flowers on the yukata! And there’s purple-lilac and white edging too, so it goes with your hair!”

Sigma couldn’t help but smile at the memory, even if it was only an hour ago.

Family.

He never had one before.

He had never had the luxury of having someone to lean on.

Sigma had believed that the world was every man for himself. Every person for himself. Even when in the Port Mafia, it was everyone who had a modicum of power stepping on the weak.

The whispers of others protecting those under him, of Nakahara Chuuya and Ozaki Kouyou, were only something that he heard in passing, and he was never allowed to leave his room without That Man’s permission.

Atsushi-san hadn’t been the only one who had felt the connection between the two of them. And while he would probably only wear the yukata during a festival, maybe during a day he felt fancy, Sigma wondered if he could allow himself to wear the haori in day-to-day life.

It was nice.

To plan a future.

To plan a life outside of the place That Man had built for him.

“Here!”

Sigma startled, his gray eyes going wide with shock as a crepe was put in front of his face.

It was chocolate.

Sigma followed the hand holding the crepe, and saw Atsushi-san’s smiling face. In his other hand was a green crepe, and Kyouka-san had one that looked like it was primarily strawberries.

“They didn’t have a cookie one, sorry. This was the closest I could find.”

Atsushi-san’s tone was apologetic.

Sigma swallowed.

How could the world be so cruel to someone so kind?

Because make no mistake, Sigma at least had some smarts in his head.

There was no Izumi Seiji and Izumi Suzu anymore. There had been no mention of them in the day that he spent with the Izumi siblings.

The parents were gone, so of course, Izumi Atsushi was stepping up to be the adult here.

Sigma took the crepe, allowing himself to smile. I will help you.

“I appreciate it regardless.” He said, smiling at the kind young man in front of him, his apparent brother.

He then stared at the crepe in front of him. “How. . . . do I eat this?”

Kyouka-san sat down on one side, and Atsushi-san sat down on the other side. “Like this.” The girl said, demonstrating.

Sigma followed the motions she had shown him, feeling like his limbs were clunky and out of whack, and took a bite.

He blinked.

“It’s good.”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised!” Atsushi-san laughed, chewing on his own crepe.

Sigma chewed on his crepe, allowing himself to relax. The chocolate was good, it didn’t take anything away from the pastry, and it wasn’t too sweet either. Maybe chocolate cookies are good too? I’ve only had sugar cookies.

“Atsu-nii, I’m going to go look at the pets.” Kyouka-san said, standing, somehow finished with the crepe already. How on earth she’s eaten that so fast, Sigma does not know. Should he be in awe?

“You mean you’re going to go look at the bunnies.” Atsushi-san rolls his eyes, but nods, and Kyouka-san’s geta taps as she walks towards the pet shop.

“Should you let her out of your sight?” Sigma asks nervously, only one-third of the way done with his crepe. It was definitely awe that he was feeling that Kyouka-san had finished the crepe so easily.

“She’ll be fine.” Atsushi-san waved away his concerns. “We’re in the neutral ground on Yokohama, and she’s far more capable at hand-to-hand combat than I am. She can make me eat the mats any day of the week.”

His tone is proud, his posture happy.

He loves his sister deeply and is proud that she can do such a thing.

Sigma can only shake his head. “Why am I not surprised?” He whispered to himself, and he’s not surprised to find himself smiling.

A few minutes later, and Sigma finds himself finishing the crepe, and his stomach is pleasantly full.

“Done?” Atsushi-san asks, and is holding his hand out for the trash. Sigma gives it to him, and watches as he walks away to the trashcan that was only a few meters away.

Woosh

Cold metal was held at his neck, and Sigma’s spine was rigid.

Atsushi-san turned around, his hand diving into his pocket where Sigma knew the tanto’s were, and started to draw one out when he caught sight of the person behind Sigma-

His eyes widened and he leaped back, and black streaked where he was, red lightning coating the deadly weapon.

Sigma’s heart dropped, and he knew who it was behind him.

Akutagawa AND one of the battalion leaders!?

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuunosuke takes care to keep his face blank, but he knows the edge of his lips is creeping up into a smirk, because he really has his Bounty pinned here.

“What will you do now, Bounty? Erase yourself and abandon your new comrade? Or will you stand your ground and fight?”

The Bounty was mad, Ryuunosuke could tell. His eyes were narrowed, and his teeth were bared.

But, the Bounty very carefully straightened up, and a mean smile was now bared at Ryuunosuke.

“Oh, I don’t have to do a thing.”

A sword sang.

Black cloth was cut from Rashōmon’s extension, limiting his ability as it retracted from the new threat.

Ryuunosuke’s head snapped to the side.

Geta tapped on the concrete, and a knife was unsheathed.

Fierce blue eyes stared down Ryuunosuke, her face set in a fierce glare. “So you’re the one who’s after my brother?”

Her voice is quiet.

It’s anything but calm.

Ryuunosuke’s body is instinctively turning towards the more dangerous foe, Rashōmon rising again to meet the threat of the ghostly woman with the sword hovering around the girl.

He recalls the words that the Bounty said before, in that alleyway as he was binding his wounds.

“ But I’m afraid that my little sister won’t allow me to leave the country without her."

Beforehand, he had taken the words as a farce, a way to gain sympathy. Staring into the sharp blue eyes that were promising him a hell’s worth of pain, Ryuunosuke could acknowledge that the Bounty and himself were on opposite sides of a coin.

They both had little sisters who would tear the world, tear hell and heaven apart for them. They would do anything for their siblings.

Just as Ryuunosuke would do anything for Gin, he knew that this girl would do anything for her newfound brother.

With Sigma predisposed by Gin, this girl was the most dangerous one here, the one with the most dangerous ability.

Rashōmon lashed out, attacking, trying to restrain the ghostly woman and cut her and get her out of the fight. But the sword-wielder, much like Kouyou-san’s, was deadly with her sword, and met the attacks with her own and chopped the attacks to pieces.

What’s more, the girl leaped towards him, her knife flashing, her form practically perfect.

Out for blood.

Ryuunosuke responded with smaller tendrils sneaking under the larger ones, as he also held up the shield and managed to kick the girl away.

The smaller tendrils wrapped around the ghostly woman, growing and keeping her there.

“You’re finished.” He said coldly, other parts of Rashōmon coming out with threatening deadly points.

“Am I? I’m Atsu-nii’s sister.” The girl countered, her eyes narrowing in concentration, and the name made Ryuunosuke pause.

Atsu-nii?

The woman in Rashōmon’s grip went intangible and invisible, and his ability collapsed on itself.

“Speaking of-“ The girl commented, and she started to fall back. “You lose track of your target easily.”

Target?

The Bounty-!

A knife was at his neck, and Ryuunosuke could feel the poison on the blade, the danger that it posed beyond the metal at his neck.

It was practically dripping down the blade, he could feel the poison sliding along his skin where the blade was pressed against his neck.

Ryuunosuke can only freeze.

“What will you do?” The Bounty asks, and now that Ryuunosuke can remember him, and that stupid ability was such a NUISANCE- “Are you going to stab me through the stomach? Going to kill me and not get any of the money that’s on my head? Or are you going to let me kill you?”

Ryuunosuke can’t move.

He can’t use his ability.

He never learned how to use his ability to do anything but kill.

His mind is scrambling for something, for anything that he can do.

All his mind can conjure up is the image of a butterfly. One that he saw on a documentary when it was a day off and he was bored and just letting the television roll.

A butterfly, one that had wings that one could see through.

One that was poisonous to humans.

The glasswing butterfly.

Ryuunosuke felt a smile start to curl his lips when he remembered this particular breed of butterfly.

What an apt name for you. So gentle looking and yet you’re the most dangerous person here, aren’t you?

~~~~~~~~~~

Sigma couldn’t move.

He shifted, and the knife moved with him, a constant reminder that his life is at stake.

“Don’t move.” Gin-san’s husky voice hissed in his ear, and Sigma squeezed his eyes shut.

Isn’t there something I can do?

Sigma opened his eyes, trying to think of something.

He couldn’t reach down and get something from the bags that they had bought today. The knife would prevent him.

What can I do?

His eyes darted around, and his eyebrows furrowed.

He blinked.

No, it didn’t disappear.

Snow? But it’s green?

He opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, when something hits the back of Gin-san’s head, and he grunts, before slumping over, the knife falling from its place at his neck.

Sigma turned quickly, and he’s surprised to see the person from the Agency, the redhead with the sister, lowering Gin-san to the ground and pulling out zip ties from his pocket.

“Are you alright, Sigma-san?” Tanizaki-san asks, fastening them around the wrists of one of the most dangerous leaders of the Black Lizard.

“I- what’s going on?” Sigma whispered.

“This is my ability, Light Snow. Do take care not to say anything too loudly, I don’t know how well Akutagawa’s hearing is. If he looks back at us, he’ll see that person still holding you hostage.”

“An illusionary ability.” Sigma whispered, awe creeping in his tone.

“Kyouka-chan called me right before she jumped into the fray. Which made me rather upset. Atsushi-san and Kyouka-chan have gone through enough without the Port Mafia coming after them every time they leave the Agency.” Tanizaki-san’s eyes grew fierce.

Tanizaki-san started to edge around the standstill that was Atsushi-san and Akutagawa-san, his footsteps were light, barely there.

Once he was in front of the man, one of the most dangerous ability users in the Port Mafia, he reared back his fist.

Like the test for Atsushi, the recipient of the punch never saw it coming.

A grunt.

Slumping.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke was falling to ground, completely knocked out, and Tanizaki-san was shaking out his hand.

“Plus, I was shopping for my sister! This Black Lizard attack made me interrupt it!”

Sigma stared in awe.

What is this Agency? What do they feed their people?

Chapter Text

They finally got away, into a safe alley away from the possible waking up Port Mafia members, and took a breather. Well, most of them did.

Atsushi-kun immediately started patting down Sigma-san and Kyouka-chan. Looking for injuries, things like that.

Sigma-san looked utterly bewildered by the fact, and Jun'ichirō could only sigh in commiseration. 

"You'll get used to it eventually, Sigma-san. Atsushi-kun is a mother hen."

"Am not, shut your pie hole Tanizaki." Atsushi-kun huffed, checking Sigma-san's neck for the third time.

"Make me." Jun'ichirō stuck his tongue out.

Atsushi-kun shot him a dark glare, but moved onto Kyouka-chan. "Moonflower, are you okay? Moonheart, nothing happened?"

Sigma-san looked baffled. 

"I'm alright." Kyouka-chan nodded, before turning to Sigma-san. "Moonheart? Are you okay?"

Sigma-san pointed at himself. "Me? I'm Moonheart?"

"Everyone in our family gets a moon-themed nickname." Kyouka explained with a shrug.

"But me?" Sigma-san asked.

"Yes you." Jun'ichirō nodded with a sigh. "The Izumi's have claimed you. There's no escaping them now."

Sigma-san looked confused, but nodded his head. "Gin-san knows not to cut skin. I'm fine."

"I want Yosano-sensei to look over you at least when we go back." Atsushi-kun huffed. "And then we can- Oh no!"

Atsushi-kun let out a cry of dismay out of nowhere, looking down at his hands.

Atsushi-kun's face fell as he took in his empty hands. "The bags were left back there."

"Atsushi-kun." Jun'ichirō sighed.

"It wasn't for us! It was for Sigma-san!" Atsushi-kun defended, and turned. "I can go back for it-"

"Oh no you don't!" Kyouka-chan hissed, grabbing his arm and latching on. "Last time you went somewhere without me, you got cut by Akutagawa!"

"Are those clothes really so important?" Sigma-san sighed, and got two looks by the siblings pinning him down.

"Yes. It was for you!" 

"Atsushi-san, I can go get it, no problem." Jun'ichirō sighed, patting Atsushi-san's head. "I may even get some useful intel."

Atsushi-kun pouted. "Fine. But be careful Tanizaki."

Jun'ichirō nodded, and headed back the way they all had come.

And they were awake. And the blonde woman was back.

At least the black eye looked good on Akutagawa.

Jun'ichirō edged around the Port Mafia people, the one who he had knocked out grumbling and shaking their fists and wrists out. Gin, Sigma-san said their name was, seemed to be pissed off, pacing back and forth.

"So now what do we do? The Guild is going to be landing on Japanese soil soon." The woman who lured them to the alleyway from before noted as Jun'ichirō carefully gathered Sigma-san's bags.

"For now, we plan." Akutagawa said. "They have someone like Kouyou-san. And the Glasswing Bounty will be far from easy to claim, especially with her guarding him so fiercely. Sigma may as well be a lost cause at this point."

Gin paused, staring at Akutagawa.

"Glasswing, Akutagawa-senpai?" The blonde asked, tilting her head as she put the gun away in its holster.

"A poisonous butterfly with see-through wings. A rather apt name for this bounty."

"Glasswing butterfly, huh?" The person who had a knife to Sigma-san's neck muttered. "Interesting choice of animal."

Akutagawa sent a glare at the person, but headed back towards the roads that held the way to Port Mafia territory. "What matters is getting back on Port Mafia territory before the Guild lands on Japanese soil, like they promised to do if we failed to get them the Glasswing this time."

"Yeah, that's the only reason you're calling him that." Jun'ichirō heard Gin mutter under their breath as they followed.

Interesting. Jun'ichirō thought as he headed the other way with the bags.

~~~~~~~~~~

"He called you Glasswing." Tanizaki relayed when he handed Atsushi the shopping bags.

Sigma-kun blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "How odd. I've never known Akutagawa-san to give a bounty a unique nickname."

Atsushi huffed as he went through the shopping, making sure everything was there. "Does it matter if he gives me a nickname or not? Everything is here, let's go back to the Agency."

Tanizaki nodded. "I need to tell them what I overheard."

Once they were back, an awkward train ride later thanks to Sigma-kun wondering if he should even be allowed back on one thanks to his last time on one, Tanizaki told Kunikida-san the information.

Dazai-san whined in the background about being captured for three days until he got the information, and Tanizaki just got it easily.

"You could have easily escaped those chains." Atsushi sprayed him with a water bottle. "Stop whining."

He set the water bottle down.

It started to rattle.

So did the paintings on the walls.

Everyone in the Agency ran for the windows, looking out of them just in time to see a helicopter of all things descend and set itself on the street.

"Is anyone going to tell them that doing that is highly illegal?" Sigma-kun whispered as people disembarked from it.

"I don't think they care." Kyouka muttered back. "Atsu-nii. Go invisible."

"Kyouka?"

"Not a bad idea." Dazai-san muttered. "They want a reaction, especially from you Atsushi-kun."

Atsushi weighed the pros and the cons in his head, debating on whether he should expand the energy or not, before turning to Ranpo-san for the final verdict.

Ranpo-san is still watching the people leave the helicopter and enter the building as much as he can before they leave his line of sight. "Invisible, Atsushi-kun. You too, Sigma-kun."

"Me!?" Sigma-kun pointed at himself.

"They don't know about you. Let's keep it that way."

It's nearly painful, to watch the apparent leader of the Guild try to buy their permit.

Atsushi wonders if there's some ulterior motive, or it's simply the permit that they're after.

Finally, negotiations are done and they're leaving.

Kyouka stands from where she's been sitting. "I'll show you out."

She had been watching with furious, narrowed eyes. No doubt too much interaction for the day. Atsushi bit his lip as he watched his sister leave with these people.

The second the door closed, he was at the window again.

What is this foreboding feeling?

It is now turned around.

Another was chosen for this

Time for her to show her mettle.

What will you do?

The Guild leaves.

Atsushi turns back to the door.

He watches the clock.

A minute passes.

A minute and a half.

Two minutes.

Atsushi is storming towards his haori, ripping it off of his chair and heading towards the door.

"Atsushi-san!?" Sigma-kun asked, his eyes wide with concern.

"They have my little sister."

Tanizaki stands as well, grabbing his knife. "Wait for me!"

Atsushi's racing through the streets, he knows he's being impolite to the people he normally is so very polite to, but he hardly cares about that right now. Not with his little sister missing.

Everyone is giving him a very wide berth, clearly seeing how he was going to move them if they didn't move out of his way.

"Atsushi-kun! Do you even know where they are!?" Tanizaki called, trying to keep up but not doing it very well with how Atsushi was practically running through the streets.

Atsushi didn't hear his friend, his eyes catching on brilliant red hair. The girl from the Guild. "There."

"Hey!" Atsushi called, running faster, approaching her quickly, intent on getting some fucking answers-

She looked over her shoulder, and grinned, showing off her braces, and practically exploded with gold ability light.

Atsushi froze, his hands coming up to shield his face from the light, afraid that it may be something that could harm him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy giggled, looking at the three people who were left after her spiel. 

"Man, everyone always runs. Well, almost everyone. That little girl didn't. She actually fought Anne!"

Lucy grinned, holding the key aloft. The two people in the room looked at it. 

Two people, I'll get two Anne's out.

"Alright then! Shall we start the ga-"

The key was yanked from her grip, her feet were knocked out from under her.

What? 

Her eyes widened as she floated in the air for a second.

She slammed into the ground of her own room. "Ack-"

Her arms were twisted behind her back, held by one hand. She was thoroughly, utterly pinned. Mr. Poe had taught her this pin. There was no escaping it unless the person decided to free you.

She twisted her head to the side to look at the person who was pinning her-

Furious purple-gold eyes glared down at her, and a knife was held in his free hand, nearly the same make and model as-

Oh. Oh no.

"I'm not going to play your game."

His voice crackled at the edges with restrained anger, and the knife's deadly point was held at her vulnerable neck.

"You will let us all go. There is no other choice here, girl." 

Their target.

Her target.

Lucy's target was pinning her.

Lucy's target has her pinned, a knife at her neck.

Lucy couldn't even get Anne to move. She herself couldn't move.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The ability around them dissolved, and Atsushi got off of the girl as he put his tanto away.

Kyouka, his little sister, his imōto, barreled into his back, and Atsushi brought his hand up to hold the ones that were currently clasped around his middle.

A sigh of relief escaped him, and he very nearly closed his eyes.

And his other hand snapped out to grab the redheaded girl's arm in a gentle grip. Just enough to not let her go. "Why. Why did you take her?"

"When you have no choice in what you do, then you can ask me!" The girl snarled, ripping her arm out of his grip and running away.

Atsushi watched, remembering the past. Remembering when his only choice was to hide himself and his sister away on the streets to protect themselves.

He had had no say, no choice, in what had happened to them.

"Are we going after her?" Kyouka whispered, holding him tightly around his middle, gripping the extra fabric of the haori.

"No. Not yet." Atsushi whispered back. "She needs to realize some things."

He just breathed for a moment, holding his sister's hands to his body, cherishing the fact that she was here with him right now.

"Tanizaki! Let's head back now!" He called to the other boy, seeing him talking with another person.

Huh. That's the guy who was in there with us. Hopefully he's not too put off with how I acted in there.

"Ah, okay! I'm glad you found her." Tanizaki told the man, and the trio made their way back to the Agency.

Completely oblivious of who they just interacted with.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What an interesting bunch." Ougai hummed. 

"That silver-haired one was scary!" Elise-chan sighed, shaking her blonde head. "Rintarou! How on earth can you call them interesting when that one was so scary!?"

Ougai let a smirk grace his lips as he got to the dead body surrounded by his loyal people. "Because."

He pushed his hair back and sighed as it was finally out of his face as he tied it up.

"That boy was as protective as his sister was. If they're so equally protective, they're equally dependent on each other."

His smirk turned cruel. 

"I'd love to see what would happen if we took one out."

~~~~~~~~~~

"What's our next move?" Atsushi asked as Yosano-sensei looked over Kyouka. "They're after me, we know that from Tanizaki's intel. Do we hand me over, I disappear in their care, and gather intel while I'm there?"

"Not a good plan." Ranpo-san sighed. "We don't know what abilities they have. And besides, you've told us before that your dad remembered you when you tried that trick on him."

Atsushi pouted. "I was eight. I've gotten loads better since then."

Kyouka pat him on the head.

"We'll need to divide and conquer." Ranpo-san sighed. "It's our best defense here. And we'll need a combat person with each group too. So that means!"

Ranpo-san pointed at Atsushi and Kyouka.

Atsushi immediately hugged his little sister. "No! No way!"

"Yes way. You two are both combatants. We need you both in two different groups."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Children please." Yosano-sensei sighed.

"Atsushi-kun. You'll need to let your sister go for this~!" Dazai-san teased, and Atsushi sent him a venomous glare.

"We fought the Guild in the streets and won! I say we strike at their heart and get it over with." Atsushi huffed as Kyouka went behind him and started playing with his hair.

"Atsushi-kun." 

Uh oh, that was Ranpo-san's serious voice.

"You got very very lucky in that fight. We don't know what powers they have. You were reckless because they had Kyouka-chan. Right now, splitting up is our best option here."

Atsushi turned his head and crossed his arms, refusing to acknowledge this with a pout.

"For now, Atsushi-kun will be with Shachou, Dazai-san, Yosano, Kenji-kun, and myself in the bunker. Sigma-kun will be joining us. The rest of you will be in our place in the mountains."

"Oh yeah, can't see how this isn't going to end well." Tanizaki grumbled as he walked by with his mug of black tea. "Kunikida-san and Naomi existing in the same space for an indefinite amount of time? Perfect idea."

"Do Atsu-nii and Sigma-nii and I have to split up?" Kyouka's voice is just shy of whiny. Her arms are locked around Atsushi's neck, and he can understand it. 

Unfortunately, he can also understand where Ranpo-san is coming from too now.

"It'll be okay. Don't be afraid to use Yasha Shirayuki on anything you don't know and that Kunikida-san says that he doesn't know."

"Brat number one!"

"What? It's a good plan."

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi is groaning, twirling around in his seat and throwing his tanto's at the target placed on the wall.

The one he just threw just barely missed the bullseye.

"Oh, only a point off Atsushi-kun!" Yosano-sensei cheered from the side as she poured herself a mug of hot tea. 

"How much longer do we have to be in here? I'm so bored." Atsushi yawned as he walked over to pull his tanto's out of the wall.

A clack of a piece, and Fukuzawa-san still hasn't answered the question. Too focused on teaching Sigma-kun Go!

"However long we need to be in here, Atsushi-kun. Although I am running low on snacks." Ranpo-san grumbled, glancing at the monitors. And freezing.

"Shachou. The enemy is attacking."

Atsushi darted over, grabbing his haori and tucking his hair up into a bun. "The Guild?"

"No, the Port Mafia."

"How many?" Fukuzawa-san asked, making his own way over.

"One."

"Oh that's not good." Atsushi muttered as the guy smirked up at the camera.

"If the enemy only has one person, they're either understaffed, or highly capable." Dad's voice echoed in his head.

Yosano-sensei started the turrets up.

They locked onto the guy.

He grinned.

And three cameras went out.

"Uh oh." Sigma-kun whispered. "That's Nakahara Chuuya. I recognize him by the hat."

"Information?" Atsushi asked. 

"Gravity Manipulation. Anything he touches is under his control. And he's highly intelligent too, he's the second youngest Port Mafia Executive on record." Sigma-kun relayed.

"So we only have one shot to take him out." Atsushi whispered as Nakahara asked the camera why they sent robots to meet a human.

"Atsushi-kun, Yosano, Kenji-kun." Fukuzawa-san decided. "Go greet our guest."

"Please be careful. He's not known for leaving people alive." Sigma-kun whispered.

Atsushi nodded at his brother as they walked out the door, before activating Chameleon Diary.

Yosano-sensei and Kenji-kun nodded, and they all rounded the corner to meet Nakahara.

"Oh c'mon, what is this? Only two people to meet an envoy?" He teased.

"If you want more people, make an appointment." Yosano-sensei taunted back, swinging her machete up onto her shoulder.

"The Port Mafia doesn't need an appointment to knock on an enemy's base." Nakahara smiled as Atsushi edged around carefully to get behind him, walking on silent feet.

"Where's your boss?"

"Over there." Yosano-sensei pointed with her machete at one of the remaining cameras.

He turned to it, his movements oozing with confidence, and Atsushi was putting this man firmly in the "highly capable" category.

"I have a present from my Boss." Nakahara said, holding out a photo.

"A very generous gift. What does that man want in return?" Fukuzawa-san's voice echoed back, and Atsushi was now in range to stab Nakahara. 

He would only get one chance though.

"Nothing in return." Nakahara replied, closing his eyes as he smiled, and dread filled Atsushi.

"I see." Ranpo-san's voice echoed through the tunnel. "You leaked the location of our people to them first."

Atsushi slowly straightened, his other hand pulling out another tanto.

"This is war." Nakahara shrugged.

"It is. Atsushi-kun, you have one chance, please remember that."

Nakahara's smile finally fell, and Yosano-sensei distracted him by calling out to him.

"Oh that sounds amazing!" Nakahara was replying. "By all means-"

Atsushi struck out, his tanto sinking into the man's shoulder, before he was kicked up into the tunnel's roof.

Wide azure eyes stared at him. "Where did you-"

The conversation was quite literally derailed by Kenji-kun pulling up the train's rails and using it as a bat to swing at Nakahara.

Atsushi strained at the force that was keeping him on the ceiling, but at least gained some satisfaction at the fact that Nakahara now had limited range due to the metal in his shoulder.

"Oi! Port Mafia Envoy! Mr. Fancy Hat!" Ranpo-san's voice echoed again.

More negotiations, and Atsushi was pulled back to solid ground. He fixed his haori and hair, fluffing them both out with a sigh.

How embarrassing. I only got one hit in.

Still. His eyes narrowed on the retreating back of Nakahara.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Oi. Port Mafia Envoy."

Chuuya paused, very carefully turning because the metal in his shoulder hurt like a bitch. How the kid managed to sneak up on him, twice, he didn't know, but it was rather impressive.

Oh fuck-

A tanto was held just before his eye, poison dripping from it, and just beyond it, Chuuya could see the angry purple-gold eyes glaring at him.

"My sister is at the location your Boss leaked."

Chuuya very discreetly called on Upon the Tainted Sorrow, ready to jump to the ceiling again.

"If she's considerably harmed, no one will be able to stop me from killing your Boss. Is that understood?"

The voice is delicate, light, airy.

Ane-san would fuckin' love to get her hands on ya.

"I'll make sure to pass yer message along." Chuuya says instead.

Ametrine eyes narrow, and the tanto is sheathed. "Make sure that you do."

He turns, walking back the way he came, and Chuuya is cradling the knife in his shoulder again, wondering if he had coated that one with poison too.

How did I not notice him though? Chuuya wondered as he watched him walk away. He has some fucking flower pins in his bun.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kyouka drags Haruno-san and Naomi-san through the small forest, phone out and having her ability cut away at any vines that try to grab them. 

They had abandoned the car when the vines tried to close around them when they were in it.

Naomi-san had already contacted Kunikida-san and her brother to let them know that the people will likely be there.

"There!" She said, sighting the train station. "Let's go."

They boarded it quickly, and she only put away her mother's visage when the train started moving again.

"Let's, let's find some seats." Haruno-san gasped, bending at her waist. 

Kyouka nodded. 

As they walked and found some, Kyouka's eyes caught on a child sitting by their lonesome.

"Hey." She said, approaching the kid. "Are you okay?"

The kid looked at her, and she had to blink. Their eyes were two different colors, like Atsu-nii's. 

Are they a long-lost member of Atsu-nii's biological family?

"Okay?" The kid said, drawing the word out, before smiling. "Hm, I don't know!" They squeezed the plush toy they were holding.

Kyouka held her hand out and smiled. "Would you like to join us? I can tell you stories about my older siblings."

"Sure! I'm Q!"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kyouka."

Chapter Text

Atsushi leaned against the bench, tapping a finger against his thigh. 

His sister's train should be getting here anytime soon.

"Ne ne, Atsushi-kun, did Chuuya give you any trouble? You're not hurt too terribly, are you? Your hair's a mess~! Usually you'd have it fixed by now!" Dazai-san teased, reaching for Atsushi's hair.

Atsushi batted the hand away. "You stop that, I know I fixed my bun!"

Dazai-san pouted, massaging his hand like Atsushi had hurt him deeply. "Atsushi-kun isn't answering my questions!" He whined.

Atsushi blew his air out of his mouth, blowing his bangs up as he sank deeper into the bench. "I only got a single hit in. My damn tanto went in his shoulder and then I was stuck on ceiling for the rest of the time." He grumbled.

He felt like shit. 

He could take out targets with ease, his ability was wonderful for that. His physical prowess was not slacking either.

And that damned gravity user had taken him out after one strike.

Dazai-san was quiet.

Atsushi grimaced. 

Dazai-san had worked with the Executive that the Port Mafia had sent to their doorstep. Dazai-san was probably disappointed in him-

"That's one more than many, many people get on Chuuya, Atsushi-kun." 

Atsushi paused in his sinking. "Really?"

His voice was stupidly hopeful. Like he was begging for Dazai-san to tell him that he hadn't screwed up. 

Stupid, stupid boy. What good are you if you can't do much-

"Chuuya has ridiculous control of his ability, Atsushi-kun. Anything that touches him, barring myself, is under his control. The fact that your tanto went into his shoulder, and wasn't simply deflected off of it, shows just how much you caught him off-guard and how well your stealth skills have come along."

Atsushi peeked an eye up at Dazai-san, and the man was simply staring out in front of him, a whimsical smile on his face.

Atsushi tucked the praise close to his chest, deep in his heart, letting it warm him and letting himself smile a small smile.

Praise, straightforward praise from Dazai-san like that was so rare.

He'd keep it safe, for a day that he was feeling down again.

Atsushi inhaled, then sat up straight. 

"Thank you, Dazai-san."

"That doesn't mean you get to-"

"I'm still going to sweep all the alcohol out of your apartment."

Dazai-san's glare was dark, but it wasn't a truly dark glare. "I'll put locks on the cabinets."

"You taught me how to lockpick." Atsushi pointed out smugly. 

Dazai-san cursed.

The train rolled into the station.

Dazai-san stood, his eyes dark but his face was smiling. 

"I'll be right back, okay Atsushi-kun?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Q followed the older girls as they got off on their stop.

They stood in the doorway of the train that led to the station, and watched the family reunite.

Their eyes fall on their mark, the person they need to bump into, the person who needs to fall under Dogra Magra. The person Mori-san doesn't exactly care for, by his rantings as he led Q out of the rubber room and to the outside for the first time in forever.

Silver hair with one black stripe, differently colored eyes, a yukata and a haori.

Kyouka-san gripping him tight in a hug.

Q should be using their ability. Should be running over there and bumping into the taller male. Should be turning Izumi Atsushi against his people his family.

Should be, should be, should be-

But. . .

But-

"Atsu-nii saved me." Kyouka-san's soft smile danced across their memory.

But that person, Izumi Atsushi, was the person who protected Kyouka-san. Izumi Atsushi was largely innocent in this stupid three-way "war" that was being waged.

Kyouka-san's stories whispered in their head. 

How "Atsu-nii" gave up food and went to sleep hungry. How "Atsu-nii" had kept them safe for three years while on the street.

How "Atsu-nii" had kept his ability on for three years. Nearly three years straight of using his ability, to keep Kyouka-san and himself safe.

Q knew the pain of keeping Dogra Magra up and active for simply two hours. It hurt. It hurt so much. The pain ripped into their being and grabbed their attention and wouldn't let go until Dogra Magra was let go.

Mori-san couldn't bribe Q with enough brown sugar to keep their ability on for two days. Not with the pain that it took.

For this person, for this Izumi Atsushi, to keep their ability on for three years, only for seemingly Kyouka-san's sake? For Kyouka-san's safety? 

Q's feet didn't move from their place on the train entrance.

Their eyes didn't move from Izumi Atsushi's face as he looked down at his sister, checked in with Naomi-san and Haruno-san.

Q didn't move.

They were supposed to use their ability.

. . . . . . . . .

They couldn't.

But how could they?

Izumi Atsushi was seemingly light, crafted from nothing but it, a prism that entrapped it and let it out in a sparkling ray that gifted others with its beauty.

Q didn't move from the train entrance, not even when the whistle blew.

They couldn't taint such light with their darkness, with such a simple touch they could infect the light. But Q wouldn't do that now. They wouldn't move from the train, wouldn't taint the light that was Izumi Atsushi with their overwhelming darkness-

Hands gripped their wrists, pulling them off of the train, and into the light of the train station.

Q looked up at Izumi Kyouka-san's face, her smiling face.

"You said this was your stop, didn't you? And that you wanted to meet my brother?"

The train took off behind them.

And taking the darkness with it.

Kyouka-san dragged them over, over to the older boy, who looked at them with such gentleness and kindness that they hadn't felt since their mother-

"Hello little one." Izumi Atsushi crouched, patting Q's head, and Q couldn't help but lean into it.

"What's your name?" Izumi Atsushi asked softly, and Q blinked.

"Yumeno Kyuusaku."

Q's hackles went up, snapping around to glare at That Man.

The one they hated. Perhaps more than Mori-san.

Because while Mori-san was the one to lock them up, it was Dazai-san's suggestion. 

Q wanted to run. Q wanted to fight. Q wanted to yell, wanted to scream, wanted to hide and be silent and never be close to this man ever again-

Dazai-san's eyes (eyes, two of them, the bandage was off, it was scary, the bandage shouldn't be off because that meant Dazai-san could see them clearer and-) bored into them, making their legs tremble, and Q locked their knees to prevent that from happening, but they were now feeling lightheaded-

Pop

A bullet struck Dazai-san between the eyes, turning into a piece of paper, but his head still snapped back like it was an actual bullet.

"Ow! Atsushi-kun! That hurts!" Dazai-san whined (whined) as he came up to rub at his forehead.

"You're scaring them." Izumi Atsushi's voice is sharp as he places a hand on Q's shoulder and tugs them back, back against their body.

Dazai-san huffed, still rubbing at the mark on his brow, but his eyes flicked down to Q.

And he started to approach.

Q stiffened, itching to grab their doll, to rip his eyes out, to do something to defend themselves-

Dazai-san kneeled in front of Q.

Could Q pull a razor out of their skin fast enough to scratch him? To defend themselves? To keep themselves safe? Or maybe the barbed wire would be more effective, would be easier to wrap around Dazai-san's neck and-

"I'm sorry, Kyuusaku."

Q's thoughts screeched to a halt.

The air left their lungs.

Their heterochromic eyes stared at Dazai-san's solemn, dark brown eyes. Eyes glittering with gold now. When they flashed ruby-red before.

"You don't have to accept my apology. Not now, not ever. And you don't have to ever forgive me." 

What is this?

"What-" Q whispered, making the ex-Port Mafia Executive pause with his apology (apology! An apology from Dazai-san, of all people!?)

Is this the effect of the light?

"Why are-"

Chin trembling, lips quivering, eyes filling with tears. 

"Why are you-"

Hands, gentle and kind, pressed on Q's shoulders.

"It's okay." Izumi Atsushi whispered. "You can cry."

Q's hands- Kyuusaku's hands, snapped up to their eyes, covering them and crouching in front of the person who seemed to be made of light.

Sobbing their lungs out seemed like a good alternative than-

Than facing that right now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi finished bandaging the last of Kyuusaku's injuries, self-inflicted though they were, and sighed.

The poor kid had cried themself to sleep, exhausted completely after the sob-fest.

Dazai-san hadn't come anywhere near them after he had apologized.

"What happened?" Atsushi asked, turning to look at the man, who was looking into the distance again.

Dazai-san hummed.

"I made a poor decision."

"Obviously." Atsushi scoffed.

Kyouka had looked ready to stab him when he had exacerbated the entire thing with Kyuusaku.

Atsushi supposed they still had room in their flat for a fourth body. And this one was tiny.

Dazai-san sighed. "Don't look at me like that, Atsushi-kun."

Atsushi hummed, not knowing the face he was making, and wrapped Kyuusaku in his haori before he scooped them up into his arms. "You can answer to Kyouka for your crimes."

"Aw c'mon Atsushi-kun! Isn't that a bit harsh!?"

"Justified, is the word I would use." Kyouka snapped, appearing behind the man.

"I'm being bullied!"

Atsushi chuckled, hoisting Kyuusaku up higher. "C'mon little Moonchild. It's gonna be a long road to your recovery, but you'll be alright."

Kyuusaku hummed in their sleep, pressing into his shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~

Fitzgerald was far from happy right now.

Louisa's plan hadn't gone according to plan.

According to Louisa's plan, a person of great calamitous power was supposed to meet Lovecraft on the bridge. 

According to Louisa's plan, the Guild was supposed to snatch that person.

Things had not gone according to Louisa's plan, because Lovecraft had stood on that bridge for hours, and yet no one had approached him.

Edgar sighed, sipping his tea and watching under his bangs as Fitzgerald paced about the room.

"Louisa." He whispered out of the side of his mouth, making the girl jump, and look at him, hiding half her face behind her packet. 

"Yes, Mr. Poe?" She whispered back, glancing with worry back to Fitzgerald, and then back to Edgar.

Edgar tapped his fingers on his cup, his mind whirring.

A lot of people could have stopped the calamitous person of power from getting to that bridge.

Only one floated to his mind.

Sharp green eyes, a lazy, self-assured smile.

Edgar closed his eyes, and Karl pressed against his legs under the table.

"If we could trap some of the sharpest minds of the Armed Detective Agency, could that help us?"

Louisa lowered the information packet, her green eyes, familiar yet different, whirring with the implications Edgar was putting down.

"I- yes. That would probably help. Help quite a bit." She murmured, the thumb running through the corners of the information packet in a nervous tic.

Edgar hummed, and his hand itched for a quill. 

His smile started to kick up, and Louisa shifted, no doubt finding it unnerving.

"Wonderful. Talk it over with Fitzgerald, would you. I need to start writing."

"Wait just a moment, Poe." Fitzgerald called, making Edgar stop.

"I have a little wager, for what will happen."

"Should you do that?" Edgar tilted his head.

"I wouldn't be a businessman otherwise."

The shark grin did not ease Edgar's nerve.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ranpo-san yawned, stretching his hands over his head as they walked along.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Sigma asked, his fingers tapping along the inside of his pocket. "And I still don't see the point in bringing me along."

"Yeah, this is a good idea, because the more people the better. And Atsushi-kun would poison me if I left you alone without someone." Ranpo-san yawned.

"He wouldn't. He prefers straightforward conflict." Sigma shook his head. "You're joking, right?"

Silence.

"Yosano-sensei?" Sigma squeaked.

"I supply their poison nail polish, Sigma-kun. I wouldn't put it past Atsushi-kun to simply use something else to take Ranpo out."

"I- why would you- no! Why would THEY use that!?" Sigma was sure his jaw was somewhere on the floor.

"We're here!" Ranpo-san yelled, throwing open the door.

Sigma's mind was in a whirl, barely able to catch anything.

But the one thing that he did catch was that if Ranpo-san solved the book's case, then they got their intel.

Sigma's mind was whirring at the implications.

That's- that's so one-sided. It's completely in our favor, because we have Ranpo-san.

Sigma's eyes trailed to the man who was sitting behind the desk, the book sitting plainly in front of him.

He looked. . . So unassuming.

It sent warning sirens off in Sigma's head.

There has to be a loophole. Something that tips it in his favor. There HAS to be.

Sigma backs away from the book, from Ranpo-san and Yosano-sensei as he opens it up and she peers at it over his shoulder.

And then the book started to glow.

"Ranpo-san! Let go of it!" Sigma yelled.

Ranpo-san's face was shocked, something that Sigma had never seen in his short time of knowing the man. So was Yosano-sensei's.

Not good, not good, not good-!

Then Ranpo-san's face filled with determination.

"Perhaps you both will live, if you escape the book that takes away your abilities!" The man at the desk said, and they disappeared, disintegrating in golden letters, disappearing into the book that clattered onto the floor.

Sigma stared at it for one, two, three seconds-

Sigma-

Sigma doesn't often get attached to people.

He couldn't, not in the Port Mafia.

"Are you okay, Moonheart?"

But now-

He had allowed himself the luxury to do so.

And this man-

Sigma's gun was drawn, and he was turning and pointing it at the man at the desk.

Only to realize that the man himself was also pointing a gun at him.

"What did you do!?" Sigma hissed, looking at that thrice damned book out of the corner of his eye. "What did you do!?"

The man smiled, and Sigma did not like that smile. It was self-assured. Dangerous.

(It was almost like Ranpo-san's.)

Why!? Why did we come here!? Yes, intel is important, but sacrificing two, maybe three of I get taken out, member of the Agency is a bad gamble. Sigma yells at Ranpo-san in his head, at Kunikida-san who gave Ranpo-san the letter. This was a stupidly bad gamble. The cards were stacked against us from the start.

The man's gun wasn't wavering. He had a brace in the desk beneath him.

Sigma's gun was starting to. He didn't have a brace, other than his other hand.

He wasn't trained like the other Port Mafia operatives had been.

He was just an intelligence gatherer through his ability.

He didn't have the muscle.

If he got out of this, he swore he was going to workout with Atsushi-san and Kyouka-san.

Clearly, one of them was more used to the dangerous situations. Sigma hadn't been in a room with dangerous people for more than five minutes in the Port Mafia.

And then-

Out of the corner of Sigma's eye.

He saw the book starting to rattle.

Please please PLEASE let that be a good sign. Sigma prayed to a god that he didn't know existed.

"Why?" Sigma whispered, the gun in his hand feeling heavy. "Why are you doing this!?"

Distract distract distract him-

"It's a challenge, after all." The man purred. "I've been waiting six years to beat Edogawa Ranpo, ever since he beat me."

The novel's rattling is starting to get louder, but the man's own voice drowns it out.

And the worst bit?

Sigma can understand him.

He can understand the man's reasoning. Sigma can understand being embittered at someone beating you. Hell, he himself had been bitter over Atsushi-san and Kyouka-san beating him with such ease on that damned train.

But then his ability had told him about Atsushi-san's past. 

Kyouka-san had shown her resolve in standing up to more Agency members, protecting Sigma from the crueler words of the interns.

How could he be bitter now?

Bitterness was a paralyzer, and Sigma could never let it stop him from moving forward, to stop him from finding out if he was truly human or not. 

He couldn't be bitter and paralyzed, when he was attached to people and wanted to protect them.

"I understand where you're coming from. I truly do." Sigma's voice rang out, clear and true, and his arm was so sore, so tired. He can't keep holding this gun up. "But letting yourself be so stuck in the past for six years? I can't imagine it."

The novel's rattling flipped the book open, and golden light, words, started to spill out.

The man's shocked face was bathed in it.

"How- he couldn't use-"

"I can't allow myself to be so bitter when I have people who care for me. I can't be paralyzed by the last when I want to protect those people." Sigma finally let the gun drop, breathing easily when his- his friends, came out of the book. 

Yosano-sensei stepped forward, and Sigma slipped the gun into his pocket again, starting to massage his arm.

Ranpo-san swaggered forward, laying things out as if he was at a crime scene. Then, and only then, does he confirm that he remembers the man in front of him

Edgar Allan Poe.

Sigma burns the name into his mind.

Ranpo-san snatches the information packet up. "Bye bye~!"

They start to leave the complex, and then and only then, can Sigma breathe easily again. "Did you really have to pretend that you didn't remember him?"

"Of course I did!" Ranpo-san sang, going through the information. "By the way, Sigma-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"How'd ya know the book was a trap? Obviously I knew, but how did you know?"

"If something is too good to be true, it probably has a trap inlaid in it." Sigma sighed, remembering his motto before he met Mori-san.

Ranpo-san hummed, peeking at him with a green eye, a sly smile on his face, before he shrugs, and throws the packet at Sigma. "Here! Dazai-kun can deal with this!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Across the city, Atsushi sneezed.

Chapter Text

"So what's the plan then?" Atsushi asked as he stood by Kyuusaku as Yosano-sensei checked them over.

"Hmmm? What plan? We're supposed to have a plan, other than adopt every orphan in sight?" Ranpo-san shot back.

"You started it with me, Ranpo, you don't get to say anything." Yosano-sensei rebutted, making the great detective pout.

"Yes, a plan, other than Atsushi-kun's plan to adopt every orphan in sight-" Dazai-san started 

"You're not an orphan and I adopted you!" Atsushi cried, making the older man pause for three seconds. Atsushi counted it as a win.

"-we need to destroy the Guild's resources." Dazai-san continued with a slightly strangled tone.

Kyuusaku tugged on Atsushi's yukata sleeve. "Do I have to get along with him?"

"Not all the time." Atsushi nodded. "And not at first, I'm sure he's hurt you a lot. But not killing him is a good starting place." 

Kyuusaku hummed. "I can try."

"Thank you, Moonchild." Atsushi ruffled their hair.

"They have a giant, floating whale. How are we supposed to compete with that!?" Tanizaki was huffing. 

"By taking it down from the inside out, of course!" Ranpo-san replied, waving the packet he got from someone in the Guild in a bet.

Sigma-san had not seemed pleased with it. He had been muttering about bad bets and people who were way too confident in themselves, and about raccoons?

Atsushi didn't know what his brother was talking about, but he'd make sure to ask him about it later.

"And how do we take it down?" Naomi-san asked, leaning forward, grasping her brother's arm to keep her balance. A curious soul as ever.

"Well, we would have had to deal with their mountain support, but it's non-existent thanks to Atsushi-kun stealing Kyuu-chi over there." Ranpo-san hummed as he spun in his chair. "So, we just gotta take the airship down. And we'll do what Atsushi-kun wanted to do from the start!"

Atsushi lit up. "Hell yes!"

"Huh?" Sigma-san asked.

"We're taking them out by striking at the heart." Atsushi grinned. "We'll bring their whale down into the bay, or the ocean. Which one wouldn't endanger the citizens of Yokohama?" He asked, leaning over the map.

"The bay would be better, less time for bigger waves to form." Kunikida-san noted. 

"And you'll be taking Kyouka-chan with you." Dazai-san said with finality.

Atsushi turned and stared at Dazai-san. Dazai-san stared back. His eyes sharp and big and knowing.

"Really? I finally get to join?" Kyouka lit up at his side. "I can finally be a field agent?"

"I think Kyouka-chan would be a great field person!" Kenji-kun piped up, not really seeming to understand the conversation going on as he was showing Kyuusaku how to use a phone. "She has strong hands, she would be able to pull up a lot of weeds."

Kyouka smiled at that.

Atsushi narrowed his eyes slightly. 

Normal compliment and reaction, or-

Atsushi's phone started ringing. 

He flipped it open, listening to the request being made in his ear. "Uh huh. Hmm. Yeah, I understand that, but-"

His eyes searched out Ranpo-san, who would understand his concern, probably also knowing what this was about as well. The man was far too smart, ability being used or not.

Ranpo-san was already holding a file. The one that the client was currently requesting. "Take Kyouka-chan with you."

Atsushi nodded, grimacing, taking the file. "Alright sir, we'll get it to you in a timely manner."

"Should I bring my taser?" Kyouka immediately asked. Her eyes sparkled.

Atsushi immediately hung up. "Absolutely not. You're deadly enough with your knife."

Kyouka pouted. "Party pooper."

Atsushi rolled his eyes, ruffling Kyuusaku's hair, which made the younger one protest. 

"You'll get a taser when you're certified to have one." Atsushi deadpanned, rolling his whip up. "Until then, you get the knife and the cell phone."

Kyouka huffed, but tucked her knife, one that used to be Atsushi's, into her pocket. "Fine." 

"We'll be back soon." Atsushi said, talking to Kyuusaku. "We'll go clothes shopping!"

Kyuusaku blinked their multicolored eyes at him. "Why? A new induction piece?"

"Induction piece?" Atsushi muttered to himself, before shaking his head. "No, nothing of the sort. Just thought you might want some new clothes."

Kyuusaku pulled at the yellow scarf. "That would be nice. Can I throw this away?"

"Sure, if you don't want it anymore." Atsushi shrugged. "I'm not going to make you wear something you don't want to."

Kyuusaku beamed. "Okay! Have fun!"

Atsushi laughed as he grabbed his haori and threw it over his shoulders, the irises glinting. "No promises!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Kyouka hummed as she clutched the file package to her chest. 

This was seriously important to her that this small mission she was on go right.

It would prove to Atsu-nii, first and foremost, that she was ready for missions like this!

She was more than capable of doing this small mission, delivering a file. Sure, okay, maybe taking a taser would have been too much.

But Atsu-nii has been in so much danger recently.

Her brother, her first brother, was so important to her.

Do not misconstrue her words or thoughts, she loved Sigma-nii, and she loved Kyuu-chan. She had more than enough love for her newest member of the family.

But Atsu-nii has been there the longest. He had been the one to protect them. Had been the one to keep them safe in the orphanage and on the streets. 

Atsu-nii had been there since the start of Kyouka's memories. 

It would make sense she was the most protective of him.

Barring Dazai-san.

For some odd reason, Dazai-san was fiercely protective of them both. He was protective of the Agency as a whole, protective of the children in the Agency, (and yes, Kyouka was still a little upset that Kenji-kun was a member before her!).

But Dazai-san went out of his way to protect the two Izumi's, Kyouka had noticed. 

He walked with them to and from work, when he wasn't trying a suicide method. He tried to protect them from the crueler side of their work, but did not sugarcoat the harshness of the world.

Kyouka appreciated it as she thought about it as they delivered the file to the man in the room.

Kyouka did not like him.

He looked at her brother weirdly, like Atsu-nii was a defenseless girl, and she wanted to grab her knife and use it as a threat. 

Unfortunately, she was the one holding the file.

No doubt a clever ploy on her brother's part to keep her from acting out.

She slammed the file down on the desk when the man propositioned her brother one too many times (the first time. Kyouka was sure that if Kunikida-san was here, the man would be getting glared at with the fire of the sun) and withheld her own glare for a fierce stare. "Here's your file. The Armed Detective Agency will bill you. Good day."

She grabbed her brother by the sleeve and started dragging him out. 

"Kyouka? What's wrong?" Atsu-nii asked, tilting his head, and his silver hair in his ponytail flower like a river, catching the light and reflecting it.

Kyouka could understand the stares her brother attracted.

Didn't mean she had to like them.

"Nothing." Kyouka bit out.

She hadn't noticed, when she was younger. She was too naive, too idealistic, too innocent.

Her brother drew a lot of stares when he wasn't using his ability. 

His eyes narrowed, and he stopped moving, which made her stop moving.

They both knew she had a better fighting technique, but if Atsu-nii wanted, he could always win.

"C'mon." He started tugging her towards a park.

"We have to get back to the Agency." Kyouka said petulantly.

"We're allowed to take a detour. I'm making an executive decision to make a detour." Atsu-nii rebutted.

He pushed her onto a bench and ordered her to stay there.

She gripped at her kimono, swallowing around the lump in her throat. Everything was happening so fast right now.

"Here." A strawberry ice cream cone held out in front of her, and she took it with shaking hands, and just stared at it while it started to melt in the midday sun.

"Kyouka." Her brother's voice was a coaxing, gentle tone. "Talk to me. What's wrong, imōto?"

Her bottom lip trembled. She took some ice cream to avoid talking.

"Kyouka." Atsu-nii pressed against her. "You know, no matter what happens, I'm always going to be your brother, right? No one can change that."

"What if something happens though?" Kyouka whispered, the ice cream clogging her voice. It was only the ice cream doing that. "You're not invincible, the Agency isn't invincible. Atsu-nii, there's a bounty on your head."

"Bounty or not, nothing will stop me from coming back to you." Atsu-nii wrapped an arm around her, bringing her tight to his side. "No one, not even the gods, are allowed to break us apart."

"Change is inevitable." Kyouka pointed out.

"Yeah, well, so's our bond." Atsu-nii squeezed her. "Kyouka, Moonflower, I promise. Nothing, no gods, no powers, nothing in this world or any other, can stop me from coming back to your side and being your brother. It's kinda my job, y'know, to annoy you in every single universe." He poked her cheek, and she couldn't help but smile.

"It's not an annoyance." Kyouka muttered. "It's never an annoyance. Not with you."

Atsu-nii chuckled. "Well I'm glad you see it like-"

Cough

Atsu-nii and Kyouka leaped off the bench, rolling.

The ice cream splattered on the concrete, wasted. Oddly, Kyouka was more upset about that. Atsu-nii had paid money for that to cheer her up, dammit!

And then she had her hands full.

Because that damned Port Mafia dog was back.

And he brought a friend, again. Great. 

She rolled her eyes and began searching for Atsu-nii-

Oh no.

Oh. No.

Atsu-nii was stuck in a cage, made of pure cloth. Sharp cloth but still-

"Izumi Atsushi and Izumi Kyouka." The dog spoke, and Kyouka opened her phone, dree her knife, glaring at the dog, but keeping her eye on the older woman.

"Meet Ozaki Kouyou." 

The woman with the umbrella dipped her head, a smile on her face.

It wasn't a kind smile.

It looked like the ones that Dazai-san sometimes had on.

"Port Mafia Executive."

The woman glowed, and another swordswoman was attacking Yasha Shirayuki.

Kyouka grit her teeth, and attacked the woman with her knife.

Apparently her umbrella could turn into a sword. How wonderful.

This was turning into, as Mom used to say, an absolute shit-show.

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi eyed the bars of his cage, studying them.

He had to admit, this was clever of Akutagawa. Really clever. The man was proving he had been trained by Dazai-san, that was for sure. 

Atsushi couldn't escape through the bars of the cage without being cut, and the cage being created was enough energy expansion for the man to wonder why he had done it if Atsushi used Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence. 

Damnit all.

"Will you abandon your sister?" Akutagawa laughed into his hand.

Something in Atsushi froze, and he turned and looked at the older man.

He didn't know what expression he had on, but it apparently was enough to make him falter.

"Do not." Atsushi whispered, anger rolling through him like a typhoon's flood. "Do not even joke about that."

Atsushi? Abandon his sister?

There was nothing in this world that could even make him dream of doing that.

His sister, all his siblings, were so precious to him.

Abandoning them?

Leaving them to their hurt?

Atsushi would rather die.

In fact, Atsushi would die first, before he ever hurt his siblings so much by leaving them.

His tantos were in his pockets, he had so many of them. He could figure a way out of this.

He had to figure a way out of this.

His whip wouldn't work, not with the small space of the writhing cage around him.

The sounds of his sister fighting in the background was not calming in the slightest either.

It was clear that the Port Mafia executive, Ozaki, was merely toying with her. Their beings, their ghosts, clashed above them, neither giving an inch, but below? The actual, physical fight?

His sister, his Kyouka, his Moonflower was good.

She wasn't Port Mafia Executive good though.

But she was still amazing. Atsushi had faith in his sister. 

"Why the hell are you here, Akutagawa?" Atsushi sighed, turning around, turning his back to the fight that his sister was going to win.

She had to.

"Seriously, we were on a walk. Are you just wanting to see me? Just so desperate to get my attention?" Atsushi taunted.

Akutagawa snarled. He stalked forward. "If you think that I am here simply for you-"

"But aren't you?" Atsushi tilted his head, pressing a finger to his cheek as he pretended to think. His eyes still continued to scan the cage for weaknesses. 

There had to be something. 

Anything.

Anything he could use to free him.

"You're constantly popping up wherever I go. Which is so weird, if you think about it. I mean, if the Guild is here already, on Japanese soil, then what's the point?" Atsushi leaned forward, not touching the bars, but getting closer to Akutagawa still. 

"You-!" Akutagawa's face was growing red with anger. 

Atsushi loved pointing out fallacies in an argument, so it sucked to be him.

Atsushi smiled.

And Akutagawa had even shown the trick to the cage too, it was so nice of him~!

Atsushi then made a face.

Ugh. Sounding too much like Dazai-san right now.

"You. Are being taken for a bargaining chip." Akutagawa said slowly, as if he was struggling with getting the words out.

"Ya sure?" Atsushi shifted, and his hand delved into his pockets.

Akutagawa immediately fell back, most likely remembering that he had tantos, and wasn't afraid to use them.

The Spatial Distortion shield was a pain to work around. 

But hitting Akutagawa wasn't Atsushi's priority here.

His eyes turned around, as if he was still searching for a weak spot, his sister's fight still going on strong in the background. The female voices yelling things back and forth, and Atsushi swore he heard words about "flowers" and "darkness."

Wasn't his problem right now.

Only for the moment, it wasn't his problem.

The cage tightened around him, and Atsushi flinched when the ability started to brush against him.

"Hey!" He yelped, glaring at Akutagawa.

"Do not ignore me." The man hissed.

"Well someone's needy!" Atsushi sighed. "Need a lot of attention, don't you? Get irritated when no one pays attention to you?"

A skewer of Rashōmon whizzed by his head, taking off a lock of his hair with it. 

"Rude. You're just proving my point here." Atsushi glared.

"Ah!"

Atsushi snapped around.

His sister's arm shouldn't be twisted like that.

Shit. Now. Gotta escape now. There's no way I can help from inside here, Chameleon Diary only works when I touch someone-

Atsushi searched for the way out, looking for a weak spot he had seen earlier, the one he could easily exploit because Akutagawa was a fool-

"AH!"

Atsushi snapped around. 

He froze.

His sister-

His Kyouka-

His Moonflower-

She was bleeding. She was bleeding, and it- it wouldn't stop. It wouldn't stop, the blood wouldn't stop flowing, he needed to help his sister stem the bloodflow-

"Kouyou-san, we want her alive." Akutagawa's voice sounded like he was underwater. Or was Atsushi underwater?

The blood wouldn't stop. 

It wouldn't stop.

White noise rushed in Atsushi's ears.

Something in him snapped.

Do you want her to live?

Well, I suppose it is what is written in this universe, after all.

Alright then, just this once.

Because you are my beloved defender.

Ɔ̵̨̘̘͖̘̆͐͛͒̍ʜ̴̨̣̠̬͇̌̇̓́͠-̷̟̞̦̣̦͂̈̐̋̐-̷̮̣̹̠͌́̇́͜͝ɘ̶͕̝͈̬̗̀̋͆͐́l̸̹̤̣͉̟͊́͋̄̕-̵̪̖̱͉̪̔̏̚̚͝-̴̟̦̫̻̞̉̏̂̈́͝n̶̳̞̭̪͇̎̉̍̈́̑ ̶͓̯̱̯̿́̌͠͝ͅ-̴̝͎̙̬̈́͑̀̉̾͜ì̷̭͚̱͔̜̏̑̍̄-̶̞̗̦̹̪͋̿́͛̃ɿ̶̛̣̻̬̙̟̓̉͆͛γ̵͈̞̤͕̬͋̎̿͆͌:̶̰̯̩͔̱͌́̂́̉ ̷̢̛̛̬͎͖̍̉̈́͜-̸̧͕̞̺̞̊̊̾̓̚-̸̨̗͈̥̌̔̽͘͝ͅv̵̭̦̜̠̫̆̓͂̀̊-̶̡̢̦̞̳̌̍̂̀̃ƨ̸̮̖̠̠̫̍͑͗̔̔i̸̘̯̳͓͌̎̎̌̒ͅ-̶͚͉̞̻̱͊̏͊͆̌d̷̛͇̖̤͙͂͊́̍͜-̴͓̟̲̪͙̀̽̀́͘ɘ̶̹̺̹̰͈̾̽̽́̐ ̸̟͉͈̰̹̎̆̓̐̄Ő̶͍̗̖͇̯̍̿̃̑-̴̧̙̦̩͕͌͂̐̑͘-̵̪͔̞̲͇̎͗̚͝͠ɿ̴̧̻͇̟̰̇́̈́͛̕w̸̖̹̱͙̖͂̅̈͠͝-̶͉̙͓̰̖̀̾̋͌̚ì̵̦̼͎̳̅̾̊̕ͅ-̵̺̟͕̟͋͌̆͘͜͠-̸̧̡̲͓̫͒͗̑̏̒

Chapter Text

"You. Are being taken for a bargaining chip." Akutagawa said slowly, as if he was struggling with getting the words out.

"Ya sure?" Atsushi shifted, and his hand delved into his pockets.

Akutagawa immediately fell back, most likely remembering that he had tantos, and wasn't afraid to use them.

The Spatial Distortion shield was a pain to work around.

But hitting Akutagawa wasn't Atsushi's priority here.

Atsushi's grin was wide as one of his tantos sang and hit the tendril of Rashōmon that was digging into the ground.

The trick with this cage was the fact that it was only created by one tendril of the ability, and then burst into many to wrap and warp around Atsushi.

However–

Take out that one tendril, you take out the support.

Atsushi dived out of the wavering bars of the cage, and his whip snapped against the back of Ozaki-san's hand, right as she was about to use her sword on Kyouka.

"Hands off my sister."

The Port Mafia Executive studied him, her sword shining in the light of the sun.

Atsushi heard movement behind him, and flickered out of view from everyone.

Atsushi snapped back around, his whip snapping again.

Akutagawa froze, the whip cracking right beside his ear probably having something to do with that.

Atsushi felt a smirk growing on his face as he came back into view, his sister's smaller form pressed against his back and their mother's visage hovered over them protectively.

"Your fight is with me, Mad Dog."

Akutagawa’s eyes narrowed, and his coat crackled with his ability.

What happened next was probably the hardest five minutes of Atsushi’s life so far. He never really had to fight before, and definitely not someone with Akutagawa’s style of attack and maiming. What made it worse was Kyouka trying to jump in and defend him, while also fighting her own battle against the Port Mafia Executive.

Atsushi was covered with scratches, he was panting, and he was exhausted. But he was grinning as he fell back with Kyouka to one side of the park.

The poor concrete of the park was riddled with holes, knicks, and tunnels from the Port Mafia’s abilities.

But Atsushi was grinning.

And it was obviously putting the two Port Mafia operatives on edge, that he was allowing himself to be seen so easily, that he was grinning so broadly, that he was grinning while being covered in cuts and bruises and scratches and he was aching and tired and he just wanted to disappear with his sister.

But he couldn’t now.

Especially not now.

Atsushi’s grin grew wider, and Akutagawa grew tense, his ability roaring into a dragon-like head above his and Ozaki-san’s head.

It soared towards Atsushi and Kyouka–

Rashōmon disappeared in a flash of cyan blue.

Complete cancellation.

“I know you like messing with our resident sneaky chameleon, but really Akutagawa-kun. This is something you should talk to the Slug about, since you’re borrowing his ‘Ane-san.’”

Atsushi was so grateful that Dazai-san’s annoying voice was taunting the enemies.

Ranpo-san waltzed past the two Port Mafia operatives, pouting at Atsushi and Kyouka. “You two can’t go anywhere, can you? It took me two minutes to deduce what had happened and a minute more to find you.”

“Sorry Ranpo-san.” Atsushi muttered, shifting and wincing as he finally allowed himself to feel all the cuts and scratches and bruises that had been oh so generously gifted to him.

“Yosano-sensei is gonna have a field day with you, Atsushi-kun.” Dazai-san’s voice sounded near him, and he felt a poke on a hidden bruise.

“Quit that!” Atsushi smacked the finger away. “I’m injured, don’t be mean to me.”

Dazai-san hummed, pulling away, the dark dark eyes raking over his injured form, then to Kyouka’s less injured form. At least, without any major injury form. Atsushi nearly took offense to his scanning his sister for injuries.

As if Atsushi would allow anyone to harm those he loved.

Dazai-san tilted his head, the eyes lightening a little, and turning back to the Port Mafia agents, who had dared not attack while he was in the area.

He was apparently feared in the world that the man had left behind.

“Now, why don’t we leave this all behind?” His voice was light and airy, gentle and sweet.

Atsushi shifted, holding his shoulders back and tossing his head high. He would not let these people see how the sneak attack had affected him so. He would never let them see that them hurting Kyouka had hurt him as well. Had hurt him as deeply, probably more deeply, than they had hurt her.

The failures of being an older brother weighed on his shoulders.

Akutagawa stared at the man. Stared at Dazai-san, He looked almost–

He looked half like he wanted to run away, and half like he wanted to skewer the man in front of him.

The younger man shook his head, closing his eyes and taking a breath, before reopening his eyes and staring at the Armed Detective Agency people.

“You cannot keep him safe forever.” Akutagawa warned.

“I can keep myself safe, thank you.” Atsushi snarled, his whip in his hand feeling heavier than ever and he could not let anyone know that.

He was exhausted.

Completely. And utterly. Exhausted.

He was going to up his training regime, if he was exhausted from a little five minute fight. Maybe he would manage to wrangle Sigma-san into working out. Goodness knows that the other needed some sort of workout.

Armed Detective Agency members were armed, but they were dangerous without being armed as well. And Izumis? Well, they were just plain dangerous in general, so that meant the second that Atsushi and Kyouka adopted Sigma-san as theirs, then Sigma-san definitely needed to be brought up on some sort of workout routine.

He had been rubbing his arm earlier.

Atsushi needed to ensure that he also had a stretching routine too.

Did Atsushi recognize that he was floating off, away from the real world? Yes, yes he did. But Dazai-san was here. Ranpo-san was here. He could afford to float off, Kyouka would guide him around. Guide him back home to their newer two siblings.

Kami-sama.

They had two new siblings. Atsushi had two new siblings, two more siblings to look after while he also looked after Kyouka.

What was he thinking?

Kami-sama, what was he thinking?

How could he care for two more people on top of Kyouka? He was just eighteen, he was barely out of his teen years, how could he even dream of doing well with Kyuusaku and Sigma-san?

Atsushi was so overwhelmed.

He just needed a few days to himself. He just needed an hour to himself. He just needed time to himself. He had no time to himself, he needed to decompress didn’t he?

But he couldn’t.

He had too much to do, far too much to do.

He had an airship to infiltrate, he had to do so much to prepare for that infiltration, he had so much to plan for–

A slightly sticky, warm hand grabbed his. Whoever was attached to the hand guided him along.

“This is quite different, ain’t it Atsushi-kun?” Ranpo-san’s voice hummed in his ear as the hand squeezed. “You’re always the one leading me around, and yet here I am. Leading you back to the Agency. You’re so much trouble you know? You’re gonna be in so much trouble. Yosano is going to be quite unhappy with what they did to you.”

Atsushi squeezed the hand.

“Oh yes she is, and she will be. You’re her little terror you know, or maybe the little terror from the Port Mafia that Kyouka-chan snagged will take your place? She likes you both too much for you to completely leave her infirmary though. She’d probably break into you guy’s apartment for your weekly nail nights too.”

Atsushi squeezed the hand again, mindful of the nails on his hand that could scratch the hand.

“You’re not going to hurt me, you little sneak. You’d rather cut your own hand off before you harm a friend.”

Okay, point. Atsushi would rather cut his own hand off before he harmed a friend with his nails, his last defense if his tantos and his whip was out of commission.

Atsushi drew in breath, finally opening his eyes.

Ranpo-san was guiding him along, and Kyouka had a hand in Ranpo-san’s other hand to guide Ranpo-san along.

“There we go.” Ranpo-san hummed. “You really need some downtime, don’t you? Why don’t you take a nap once we get back to the Agency? That way you can sleep and we can plan.”

Atsushi nodded.

About five minutes later, on the Agency’s couch, he did just that.

The last thing he felt was Kyuusaku pressing against his side, practically snuggling against him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Edgar. . . . . was not feeling the best right now.

He did not feel very good.

God, he did not feel good right now.

He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t do anything right now.

“Here.” Lucy placed a plate of food in front of him, sitting by his side. She brought a leg up, pulling the knee to her chest as she stared down to the floor.

Edgar stared at the food on the plate in front of him.

He and Lucy weren’t so close, but he had taught the dear girl some self-defense because of just who she would go against. And when what had happened, happened–

Edgar swallowed, staring at the bread on the plate. He wanted to eat. God he wanted to eat.

But he couldn’t. He really couldn’t. He didn’t deserve that luxury to eat, he didn’t deserve the luxury to eat, or sleep, or drink. How could he? He had failed.

He had failed the damn mission to get Edogawa Ranpo out of the way, along with another power hitter.

And maybe another, Edgar mused as his mind wandered to the boy who held the gun that had wavered only under the lack of muscles.

But still.

He had failed in his mission.

He had failed to contain two to three powerhouses. He had failed. He had failed so badly.

Edgar’s stomach churned with stomach acid, and he could not eat, because if he ate, he was going to throw up. And if he threw up, then he would try to eat again to calm his stomach, but that meant that he would throw up again, and wasn’t that such a cruel cycle?

If the food wasn’t poisoned in the first place.

“Mr. Poe.” Lucy whispered.

He startled, looking at the newest member of the Guild. “Yes? Lucy?” He asked, after clearing his throat.

“Am I weak?”

Edgar stared at the girl. What? Where did–

“Where did that thought come from!?” Edgar spluttered. “No! No, you’re one of the most powerful, most innovative ability users I’ve ever met Lucy. Wherever did this thought come from!?”

“Because.” The girl said sullenly, staring at her foot. “I couldn’t win.”

Edgar sipped the tea that the girl had given him, taking in the soothing notes of bergamot and citrus. She had made him some sort of Gray tea, but he wasn’t sure if it was Lady or Earl.

“You were up against someone who can disappear.” Edgar whispered. He wouldn’t admit that he longed for such an ability. Something that could help him hide away and keep him safe from the world. “Someone who can disappear from both mind and from in front of you. I do not know who else you would have been able to fight.”

“But– but it was Anne’s Room!” She huffed, bringing her foot down onto the floor. “It was MY room! I should have been able to win, even with someone who can disappear on a dime!”

Edgar sighed, sipping the tea more, letting it sit on his tongue before he swallowed. “Lucy, you can’t wallow on the what-ifs. You also held his sister, yes?”

Lucy, not seeing what this was about, nodded. Bless her, she was an orphan. She didn’t have any connections in that orphanage either.

Edgar felt a tugging on his lips as he remembered periwinkle eyes and hair like his, but much, much longer.

“When you try to get in-between an older brother and a sister, it is a very bad idea, Lucy.” Edgar sipped the tea again. “Older brothers may not always be the same. They may not always care in the moment for whatever you do. But the second you are in trouble, the older brother is the best defense, and the sharpest sword in your arsenal.”

Lucy crossed her arms and leaned her chin on the crossed arms. “Are you an older brother, Mr. Poe?”

“I used to be.” Edgar gave a rueful smile. “She doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

“Whaddya mean used to be!? What kind of idiot sister do you have that gave you up!?” Lucy sat up straight, indignation in her spine and turquoise eyes.

Edgar sighed, leaning back in his seat.

Indignant gray eyes flashed in his head, the memory from his failed mission making his stomach churn once again.

"I can't allow myself to be so bitter when I have people who care for me. I can't be paralyzed by the past when I want to protect those people."

Edgar’s smile twisted.

Memories of his sister flashed in his mind, his Rosie’s sharp tones and cutting words tearing him from the inside out.

He had needed to beat Edogawa. Not for himself, oh he could claim it was for himself and for himself alone.

But he also needed to beat Edogawa for Rosie.

Rosie had doubted his ability to be a detective. Had doubted his ability to be “the most amazing detective in the world!” as she used to call him, once upon a time. Rosie had doubted him. Rosie had doubted him, and he had promised her that he was the most incredible detective in the world. That he would beat every other detective in that room.

And he had lost.

And Rosie, his Rosie-posie.

She had screamed at him, told him to never come near her again, told him that he was nothing.

Edgar knew his sister wasn’t herself lately, he had been trying to figure that out, but he thought he could have appeased her with the win, and then deduce what was happening to her.

But no.

Edogawa had beaten him.

And his sister had screamed in his face and then ran off.

It had been six years.

He wasn’t bitter. Paralyzed? Maybe. He wasn’t quite sure, he wanted to find his sister for sure.

But not bitter.

He wanted to beat Edogawa on a pride point.

He wanted to see the man’s jaw drop in awe at his story that he would never escape from.

But Edgar never going to win, would he?

“She simply. . . . . lost faith in me.” Edgar said, answering Lucy’s question at last. “She lost faith in, and I lost faith in myself.”

Lucy’s lips twisted, and Edgar had the faintest feeling of concern.

Lucy was a girl who held grudges and she would hold one against Rosie, he feared. But what would come of it? She would never meet Rosie, because he would never see his sister again.

He would never beat Edogawa and go find her.

“Ah, there you two are!”

Fitzgerald’s voice grated on his nerves like a piano wire and cut him deeply and he was on edge already.

Edgar placed the teacup in his hand down and turned to meet Fitzgerald.

His eyes were wild and his hair unkempt and he was unshaven.

“I have a new plan. And it requires the two of you, so it is wonderful that you’re both here.”

Louisa, behind Fitzgerald, swallowed, her eyes concerned and bright with tears.

Edgar got the feeling of foreboding rippling down his spine like the touching of raven’s wings.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuunosuke stared down at his teacup, wanting to fling it against the wall.

He had been so close!

Each time.

He had been so close to snatching Glasswing up, to gaining respect from the man that he respected and feared.

Ryuunosuke sipped the tea angrily, letting the taste of green tea and lemon fill his mouth. It was a good tea. Much better than green tea and orange. He didn’t know how his sister stood those vile things.

She teased him, poking at his shoulder and saying that he would get scurvy if he didn’t take his vitamin c. He had sent Rashōmon after her, missing her hair by a few inches, but she hadn’t moved in the first place.

She trusted him, after all.

A cough scraped its way up his throat, forcing its way out and pulling the air from his lungs.

It was getting worse.

The pain was getting worse.

The aches in his body stayed longer, he couldn’t heal as long as he did, hell, he wasn’t even as creative as he could have been!

What had he been thinking, trying to save his energy with the one tendril of his ability that split into multiple for a cage? What was he thinking? Of course Glasswing would see the flaw with it, exploit it and get out.

And of course, no doubt Glasswing gloated about this to Dazai-san. No doubt Glasswing was gloating over his win, no doubt Glasswing was relaxing after his win and resting peacefully as he was in pain.

Ryuunosuke felt his lips twist up into a painful smile.

At least I’m in pain from exerting myself, and not from Dazai-san.

He truly had done his best to grab the Glasswing without harming him. Had done his best to not skewer the butterfly to the wall and have him spill his blood on the concrete.

Ryuunosuke leaned over, the coughing fit gone, and his body was tired, so very, very tired.

But.

He was the Mad Dog of the Port Mafia.

The Black-fanged Hellhound of the Port Mafia.

The Attack dog.

The Silent Black Dog.

The Diablo.

The Apostle of Calamity and Despair.

He was–

He was alone.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke was alone.

His phone lit up, a familiar contact tone pinging him about a text.

Chapter Text

Atsushi peered out the window of the helicopter, wondering how and why exactly Tanizaki had a license to drive it.

He also wondered how and why exactly the Armed Detective Agency had a helicopter, and it had never come up in conversation in the year that Atsushi and Kyouka had been a part of the Agency.

“T-th-th-this is f-f-fine! I'm-m dr-ri-i-i-iving a helicopter!” Tanizaki stuttered, and Atsushi tried to repress a laugh. His friend, for all that he was fearless when facing down the Port Mafia and hardened criminals, could be such a fraidy cat sometimes.

“Tanizaki-san, if you can't drive it, I can.” Kyouka popped her head in from the back of the helicopter.

“Absolutely not.” Atsushi pushed her helmeted head back. His sister was getting ridiculous about being useful right now, when all she needed to be was a child. “You can't even drive a car, how could you drive a helicopter?”

“I'd figure it out.” Was the petulant reply, and it made Atsushi roll his eyes.

“Ky-kyo-kyouka-ch-cha-chan. D-d-d-do-donn’t be s-s-so eaaager t-to g-gro-ow up!” 

A hmph came through the speakers that were connected to their helmets, and Atsushi sighed in his head.

Ever since they had pseudo-adopted Kyuusaku and Sigma-san, Kyouka had, for some reason, been rather eager to prove herself. Wanting to join the Armed Detective Agency, wanting to do great feats.

Atsushi had no problem with that, he knew his little sister was capable of the most amazing feats in the future.

But that was the problem.

Those feats would be in the future, when she had more maturity and more capabilities and more skills and more training and–

And how would she get that training and those skills without learning first? A voice that was eerily a mix of Dad’s and Dazai-san's hissed in his head. She has to learn to fall before spreading her wings.

Atsushi pushed the voice back. He knew that. He knew that too well. But he wanted to protect his little sister for forever. He had lost so much, he had lost practically everything before he had the Armed Detective Agency. He had lost everything but his sister. So sue him, he was a little protective of her.

Whatever.

Apparently she was going to become a part of the Armed Detective Agency with or without his input. This was her challenge, and he had no right to say no to her growth now. He could only watch. Wait for whatever to happen to happen, and if Kyouka fell, then he would catch her and prop her up again, and unleash her on her adversaries.

They neared the whale shaped airship, and Atsushi tensed in preparation to jump out of the helicopter. 

“Be careful!” Tanizaki yelled as they both jumped out and onto the airship. Atsushi threw back a cheeky, two-fingered salute he had learned recently from Dazai-san. Kyouka’s giggle was everything.

“Okay Moonflower, ready to kick these guys where the sun doesn't shine?” Atsushi asked.

[“So uncouth Atsushi-kun!”] Dazai-san’s voice sounded in the earpiece he had, and Kyouka tilted her head, hearing it from her own.

“Yeah, well come here and make me stop.” Atsushi shot back, thumbing at the handle of his whip.

[“Mean! Alright, so we're currently on the–”]

“Atsu-nii and I are on the airship, you aren't.” Kyouka shot, her eyes twinkling.

A groan resounded down their earpieces, and Atsushi and Kyouka resisted the urge to giggle.

[“You're both so horrible. So mean to me. You both are currently on the third level below the place that will have all the gadgets and gizmos to control this hunk of machinery. Happy?”]

“Extremely.” Atsushi drawled. “Left or right?”

[“You'll want to head left, then go up a staircase when you get to one. If that's acceptable?”] Dazai-san snipped, and Atsushi rolled his eyes.

“Yeah yeah. C'mon Moonflower.”

Atsushi and Kyouka started making their way across the Moby Dick. Atsushi marveled at the structure of the great mechanical beast, wondering if there was anything that could match it by human handiwork. It was obviously created by an ability, and then modified later, but Atsushi did wonder if a human could create this with his own two hands–

Atsushi nearly stumbled when his sister grabbed his haori and tugged, helping him avoid being skewered through the middle.

He was nearly skewered by an increasingly familiar black cloth.

“Don't you have anything better to do!?” Atsushi called, catching his balance and patting Kyouka on the hand. “I'm starting to think you just like me or something.”

Akutagawa, the guy who Atsushi really couldn't seem to shake, opened and closed his mouth in confusion. 

“You're like a dog with a bone!” Atsushi planted his hands on his hips as he stepped in front of Kyouka. Protective is his middle name. “Or a bloodhound with a scent! Like, what the hell dude? Can't you leave me alone?”

[“Atsushi-kun, poking the bear is not the best idea here. I trained him, I would know.”] Dazai-san’s voice cautioned him in his ear.

Atsushi threw caution to the wind. He was the one this guy was constantly targeting, and he was really done with Akutagawa dogging his every step.

“Kyouka, keep an eye on the time.” He told his sister and leaped forward.

Akutagawa met him, his black ability streaking towards him. Atsushi leapt onto it, his feet touching down for a second and a half before launching off the ability and towards the man in control of it.

Atsushi and Akutagawa engaged in a short battle of fisticuffs, and the warning from Dazai-san jingled in his head again, about training Akutagawa.

Atsushi targeted the weak spots he had seen Dazai-san have, and was met with surprising resistance and caution. Akutagawa was guarded, knowing that those weaknesses, like his blind spots and his ankles would be targeted by someone who knew Dazai-san.

He must have had another teacher in the time that Dazai-san left. Or he was clever enough to notice Dazai-san's open spots and guarded them himself.

Atsushi had to hand it to the Mad Dog. He was good. Atsushi was pretty sure he had a few new cuts and bruises thanks to the man.

Unfortunately, Atsushi was better. Had had better teachers thanks to his parents tutelage. He wasn't afraid to go so low like Akutagawa was.

Atsushi saw his openings and weighed them and took them when he deemed them profitable. Just like his parents had.

A kick to Akutagawa’s middle had Atsushi falling into a series of back handsprings when the man’s ability tried to snap at him. Atsushi found himself breathing heavier than he had been expecting, but grinning despite it.

“Atsu-nii.” Kyouka said, just a few short feet behind him. 

“Got it.” He muttered, and his sister placed her hand on his shoulder.

“It's been fun Akutagawa! Maybe we can do this another time!” Atsushi teased, before nearly invisible whirls of his ability enveloped him and Kyouka.

Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence

Atsushi and Kyouka got up, hiding their footsteps and walking right past Akutagawa as he blinked, staring down at his hands which had bruised knuckles and split skin.

Was it playing dirty?

Maybe.

But Atsushi never played clean. He was an assassin’s kid, a government agent’s kid.

Izumi Atsushi was never going to play clean.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuunosuke stared down at the split skin of his knuckles, the bruises that were swelling.

What happened?

The question swirled through his mind as he stared. 

His ankle twinged, he had been fighting obviously. He had been fighting hard, had he been winning? But where was he? Where was the person he had been fighting?

But who?

And why?

Why was he even at this place in the first place? Where even was Ryuunosuke to begin with? How could he get somewhere without remembering?

He didn't have any memory problems that he knew of.

Then again, Ryuunosuke wrinkled his nose as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking, following Rashōmon’s craters. Craters he didn't remember creating. Gin and I's mother was a mad woman. Who knows what she had that we don't know about?

It was a scary thought. A rather daunting one.

How was Ryuunosuke supposed to protect his sister from everything he could when he couldn't remember the threat?

Ryuunosuke paused. In both his train of thought and his movements.

Couldn’t remember.

Those words rung a bell.

Those words rung several bells in Ryuunosuke's head.

Why? Why did that pull something loose in his head? What had happened?

Ryuunosuke pulled his hands free from his pockets, tracing the broken and split skin. The bruises swelling beneath his knuckles. The twinges and pains of his body that said he was fighting someone, but simply couldn't remember.

Couldn't remember.

Those two words rattled around his brain.

Didn't he. . . . Didn't he have a bounty he was after? A score to settle? Something about pride, about the rift of the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency.

A bounty on an Armed Detective Agency member. . . .

A key slid into a lock in his brain. It turned, opened the door in his memory that he didn't realize was locked. And it could only be locked by one person and one person alone.

“FUCKING GLASSWING! BASTARD BOUNTY!”

He turned and sprinted the way he came, his bad lungs be damned. He had a bounty that was slippery and he wanted to even the score dammit!

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi paused in their run, nearly stumbling.

“Huh. Huh. That's not happened since–”

Since–

Since Dad.

“Atsu-nii?” Kyouka asked.

Oh gods.

What was that saying? The one that mom used to tease dad about? It was for Kyouka, and Atsushi has overheard it multiple times as he practiced with his ability.

Wasn't it, your kids look for a significant other like their parent?

Something like that!?

Izumi Seiji had been the only one to date to break through Chameleon Diary’s hold on their mind. 

And now another tally had been added to the one person list. Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, the Mad Dog of the Port Mafia, the Wraith, the one that was currently no doubt hunting Atsushi down because Atsushi had used his ability again to make Akutagawa forget so they could sneak by him.

“Atsu-nii, what's wrong?” Kyouka asked, his Moonflower asked, reaching for his hand, trying to comfort him because he was really being a shit older brother right now.

Dazai-san's tinny voice sounded in his ear, trying to grab his attention. Asking if Akutagawa found them again, asking if they needed an extraction, asking if they needed to abort the mission entirely.

Atsushi inhaled and exhaled shallowly.

Later.

Later.

Later.

Think about this later. You're on a mission, Izumi Atsushi. Your sister is counting on you. You'll think about this later.

Atsushi could definitely tell he was not. That he'd bury down this revelation and refuse to think about it until he was forced to confront it again.

So he squared his shoulders, his hand lingering on the hilt of his whip. The other hand squeezed his sister's, trying to keep his breathing steady while thinking of a way to keep himself steady as well.

“I'm fine Kyouka. Will be. Akutagawa just broke the hold of Chameleon Diary on his mind is all. So he's probably heading this way. And is probably very angry. So we should really up the ante and get moving.”

Dazai-san’s hum sounded in his ear from the earpiece. [“Interesting.”] Was all the man had to add.

They dove back into the mission, a furvor added to Atsushi's side of things, the need to keep one step ahead of Akutagawa there and prevalent throughout their next steps. They went further and further into the Moby Dick, and with each step Atsushi pressed the thought of the man dogging their steps down. Trying to repress and not think about the fact that Akutagawa was as committed to a job as Izumi Seiji had been once.

Atsushi pressed the thoughts down into a tightly compressed little ball and threw them into the ocean, the whirling, whipping waters of his mind.

Atsushi refused to think of the parallels that he could draw between Akutagawa and the man he knew as his father. He refused, so he threw himself into his work, his mission. Kyouka sent him little glances, obviously concerned. He wasn't hiding it well enough.

So he dug deeper and buried it further. Practically buried it so deep it sat with the memories of his parents dying in front of him. 

He would not let something like feelings become a hindrance to him or the mission.

“We can take a break, if you need one.” Kyouka whispered as they raced along. Quickly yet quietly, and Atsushi could only wonder just how his sister managed to learn how to do this when their parents died before they could teach her this.

“I don't need one.” Atsushi shook his head as they paused, in contradiction almost. They didn't need to catch their breath, only to listen to Dazai-san rattle off their next set of directions.

His sister looked at him with worried blue eyes.

He ignored them, almost painfully.

How exactly was he supposed to explain what he was feeling? The realization that he had stumbled across in his own idiotic brain?

That he liked men? More importantly, he liked men like their father? And a man that had shown characteristics paralleling their father was currently trying to hunt him down, to do who knows what, the bounty was probably out of commission at this point. Maybe get some petty revenge.

Another thing that connected the dead Izumi Seiji and the living Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.

Dammit! He was supposed to not be thinking about this! Stupid, stupid, stupid! This was the man who brought a Port Mafia Executive to try and reel Atsushi in when Kyouka was nearby! Kyouka had nearly been hurt by that woman! He couldn't have an interest in the enemy. He refused.

Atsushi shook his head and rolled his shoulders.

He wished he could go back to being completely ignorant of things of this nature. Things like this were completely out of his depth, feelings like this were completely out of his depth. And why now of all times had he realized!? On a mission? With Kyouka? As they were trying to take down the Moby Dick!?

The worst timing, the utterly worst timing. Only Izumi Atsushi was capable of this, and he hated it.

[“Alright, are we ready to continue moving forward?”] Dazai-san asked in his ear, and Atsushi nodded, even though he knew the man couldn't see.

“Always. Always moving forward, isn't that the nature of the world?” Atsushi asked back, trying for a snarky remark. It ended up sounding wistful, because the three of them had lost people. They had lost people so important to them, they had lost people who had moulded and fashioned their personalities and their brains, and had just made them, them, in that time.

They were lost souls, burdened by those who had been ripped from them in cruel and dirty games of another's playing. All they could do now was move forward.

A cleared throat, and Dazai-san is speaking again.

[“Alright, up those ladders and double back to the ladders on the other side. You should be able to get to a service ladder and climb up to where the Guild members stay from there.”]

“Thanks Dazai-san.” Atsushi said, Kyouka echoing it. They quickly scaled the steps, trying to spy where exactly their newest ladder would take them.

“Are you sure you're okay, Atsu-nii? It's okay if you're not.” Kyouka said softly, and Atsushi tossed her a smile over his shoulder, his silver braid swinging.

“When'd you grow up? Where's my little monster of a sister?” He teased as the walked along, conserving energy for what would no doubt be an arduous battle against Fitzgerald, even with Chameleon Diary.

Kyouka smiled briefly, before it mellowed into something mischievous. “Well someone had to mature, since you switched into adoption mode each time you see a sad person.” She teased ruthlessly.

“My heart, Kyouka, my heart. How could you tease your big brother like this? What a cruel little sister I have.” Atsushi said, ignoring Dazai-san's soft cackles over their earpieces.

They turned the corner, and stopped.

“Ah, that's a problem.” Atsushi hummed.

The redheaded girl from the Guild stood in their path, turquoise eyes fierce as she glared them down.

[“Atsushi-kun, Kyouka-chan, talk to me.”] Dazai-san urged in his ear, and Atsushi could just barely make out the click-clacking of a keyboard.

“Hello. Are you still mad at me for taking you out when you tried to kidnap my sister?” Atsushi called to the girl, pressing his sister behind him as his hand drifted to his hidden tantos.

The girl's mouth worked itself into a snarl, a soft golden glow appearing around her figure.

[“Oh, the girl with a pocket dimension! Fun, but I can't help you there Atsushi-kun, Kyouka-chan.”] Dazai-san said, somewhat sorrowful in his tone. [“Don't get caught you two. And remember that Akutagawa-kun is still in your tail.”] 

Oh yeah, there was that tidbit, wasn't there? Atsushi was so happy to have taken this role, truly he was. But what the hell were these complications?

Kyouka shifted, her hand on her phone. “Let's get this over with.” She hissed. Atsushi could feel her eagerness, her want to fight this opponent and win this time.

Kyouka had lost to this opponent once, and Kyouka was a very, very sore loser.

But Atsushi–

Atsushi remembered those wet turquoise eyes when the girl yelled at them. The lost and yet so hurt look on her face when she tugged herself free of Atsushi's soft grip on her arm.

“Do you have a choice in fighting us?” Atsushi asked. He didn't want to dilly dally here, but if he could gain an ally, then that was all the better in his eyes.

“Of course I don't!” The girl snapped, growing brighter.

“Are you positive? We all have choices.” Atsushi said softly. He took a step forward, hands open and low around his waist. Not that it mattered, he could whip out a tanto and snap out his whip without warning to this girl’s face if he wanted to.

He didn't want to though.

And the girl hesitates.

The glow around her dimmed.

The turquoise eyes grow just the hint wetter, just the hint more broken.

“I remember what it was like.” Atsushi says, his voice not one of pity, but commiseration. “You can't do anything on the streets. You don't have a choice, do you? How could you, when the only option you can see is simple survival?”

The glow around the girl petered out. Until it was just her.

“We always have a choice, Lucy.” 

That wasn't a voice Atsushi was familiar with, and he tilted to see a man clinging to the side of the catwalk. His hair was tilted over his eyes, preventing anyone from seeing them. He was refusing to look down, clinging to the hand rails and his legs shook like a newborn fawns.

“Poe-san, I. . .” Lucy whispered, her voice soft and broken. “We can't not fight back.”

Thundering footsteps, and Atsushi was yanking his sister to be on the side with the Guild members. He'd take the lesser of two evils here.

Akutagawa had rejoined them.

Two Guild members on one side, and someone who had proven that they could break the hold of Chameleon Diary on their mind on the other side.

This mission has gone to shit. Atsushi thought crossly.

Chapter Text

Doppo did not appreciate this plan in the slightest. He did not like this plan, he did not like the way that this plan could pane out.

He was concerned, he was very concerned for Atsushi and for Kyouka. The two had only been in the Armed Detective Agency for a year, Kyouka not even that long. Doppo didn’t appreciate sending those two into the field, but he needed to keep an eye on the two that the Izumis had picked up.

Sigma, dressed traditionally to support his new siblings, was going through filing and some administrative work. It seemed he liked this side of the work, as opposed to actually doing the detective side. That was fine, they always needed some competent people on that side.

For the amount of cases that people came to the Armed Detective Agency for, it was a very good thing to have someone as competent as Sigma on the administration side, and Doppo had a feeling that his siblings would prefer having him on the “safer” side of their work.

Meanwhile, Kyuusaku simply refused to sit still. The kid paced, rubbing at the fabric of their doll and trying their best not to rip it apart. They were antsy and didn’t want to be near Dazai, which, considering what Doppo could piece together of their shared past, was pretty good of the kid. They weren’t actively trying to rip Dazai’s eyes out.

That was a plus.

Unfortunately, because Kyuusaku couldn’t stand to hear the updates, because Dazai was giving them, that meant the kid was antsy and unforgiving to those that crossed their path.

Doppo, however, didn’t give two shits about what a thirteen year old wanted, picked the kid up around his middle, and sat them down in a seat.

“Kunikida-san.” Kyuusaku hissed at him, dual-colored eyes narrowed on him, and Doppo wondered how exactly the kid got the genes for a star. What a lottery winner. “Why did you make me sit down?”

“Because while expending energy is a good thing, you can’t welcome your siblings if you are asleep.” Doppo stated, resuming his typing. “You need to remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Kyuusaku looked thoughtful, turning on their knees and leaning on Doppo’s desk. The gray hakama pants that the siblings had given them was large on the kid, but they seemed to enjoy that. They seemed to enjoy the ambiguity of the bigger clothes.

They also wore a red kimono top, that was the exact same shade of Kyouka’s kimono. It had purple and white flowers along the edges of the sleeves, matching both Sigma’s hair and Atsushi’s eye color.

“What do you mean by that? Pouring from an empty cup? How can I pour something to my siblings?”

Doppo shook his head, still typing. “It means that you can’t help your siblings if you don’t put yourself and your body’s needs first.”

Kyuusaku tilted their head, a frown on their face. “But I need to help them. And I’m stuck here. I could have helped them up there!”

“You are thirteen.” Doppo pointed out.

“Didn’t stop the Boss.” Kyuusaku muttered, deflating onto the desk. Doppo pulled a hand away from the keyboard and stroked their bi-colored hair.

“I know that it didn’t stop the Boss of the Port Mafia.” Doppo said, and allowed himself to feel the anger rolling over his body for a moment. “But it isn’t like that here. We protect out own, and you are our own now.”

Kyuusaku tilted their head, before flopping it back on Doppo’s desk. “You’re like Kouyou-sama.”

“Oh am I now?” Doppo asked, wanting to ask what exactly the kid meant by that, but didn’t want to interrupt the kid.

“Mhmm. You’re tryin’ to be kind. And you’re the one that loves the most when you try to hide it the hardest.” Kyuusaku folded their arms under their flopped head. Boosting it a little bit, which was good and ensured that the kid had an open airway.

“Well I certainly hope I’m kind.” Doppo said, looking away from the screen long enough to pull something out of the drawer beside him and drop it in front of the kid. They poked at it with interest, carefully picking it up to study it.

It was just a small stim toy. A marble inside a mesh tube, and the person who held the tube could work the marble up and down the tube, or play around with the tube and see which way the marble would go. Fun if you were interested in physics, distracting for one’s hands if you needed to get out nervous energy.

“Why do you say that?” Kyuusaku asked, working the marble up and down the mesh tube, eyes narrowed on the marble. Tongue sticking out and not even thinking about their siblings and the possible peril that they could be in.

The distraction was working then.

“Because I’m in the service of helping people kid.” Doppo scoffed, not mentioning his Ideals. “I should certainly hope I’m kind, especially to those who need extra kindness when their world could possibly be going to shit. When their entire world has been turned around in one day and they don’t know left from right, or up from fucking down.”

Kyuusaku hummed. “You’re also like Chuuya-san.”

“The Port Mafia’s gravity manipulator?” Doppo stopped typing to look at Kyuusaku in perplexation. He wasn’t strong enough to be compared to that man, maybe it was their age? They were the same age, if what Dazai had said was true. His ability certainly wasn’t strong enough, maybe it was their fondness for hand-to-hand combat? “Why do you say that?”

“Neither of you mince on the swearing.” Kyuusaku grinned.

Doppo blinked, before shaking his head. “Yeah, get used to it you brat.” He scoffed, turning back to his typing.

“But you’re also not Chuuya-san.” Kyuusaku said, still playing with the mesh marble stim toy.

“Oh really?” Doppo asked. “Is it because I can keep my temper?”

“It’s because you’re kind to me. Chuuya-san doesn’t like me too much.”

Kyuusaku almost seemed sad, at that fact.

Doppo looked at the screen he was supposed to be typing a report on, before shaking his head. “That seems like his loss kid.”

He could see the creeping smile that was working its way up Kyuusaku’s lips.

“So any idea when you’ll be changing your name to Izumi Kyuusaku?” Doppo asked without changing his tone, and completely ignored Kyuusaku’s head whipping towards him. He kept his stoic façade on and simply kept typing.

“And now you’re like Dazai-san!” Kyuusaku cried out, dropping the stim toy on the desk in their surprise. “You’re a little shit!”

“Don’t let Atsushi catch you swearing. He’ll wash your mouth out with soap.”

“You think they make brown sugar soap?”

“If they do, he’ll make sure not to use it.”

“Mean. What a cruel family I have.” Kyuusaku whined.

But they were smiling brightly, and the stiffness from the concern for their family was no longer seen in their shoulders.

Doppo would count it as a win.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sigma, while looking calm under pressure, was instead a complete mess under his calm façade.

The two people that had dared to try and extend a hand to him, that helped him escape the dark waters of the Port Mafia. Kyouka-san and Atsushi-san had so easily dragged him out of those waters and into the easy, light filled air of the Armed Detective Agency. The gentle care that Atsushi-san could give while providing the danger of his training at the hands of his parents.

Sigma never had parents. He just was. He had no way of knowing the pain that Atsushi-san and Kyouka-san had been through when their parents died.

But he supposed that he was going through at least some of that pain right now, with the inability to do anything to help them right now.

He was helpless.

Like he had been when Ranpo-san and Yosano-sensei were pulled into that book and he was stuck with that author. Sigma was utterly helpless and completely unable to help his siblings.

Siblings.

They had given him a name.

Izumi Sigma.

It was on the card that the Armed Detective Agency had authorized to him, it was the one that he was staring at right now. Sigma wondered if Kyuusaku-san also had a card like his, if their card also had the Izumi name emblazed on it. Sigma wondered if the parents that they used to have would mind having Sigma in the family, or they would think that he tainted the family name by having it spread to him. If the parents would have liked having more children, like Kyuusaku-san, or would have accepted someone like Sigma.

He was quite sure that Izumi Seiji and Izumi Suzu would have been able to understand Kyuusaku-san and help them in ways that Sigma wouldn’t be able to. All Sigma could do was learn to make cookies right now.

Sigma wondered what sort of cookies Kyuusaku-san liked, he knew what sort of cookies that Kyouka-san and Atsushi-san liked.

He wondered if he would be able to make them for Atsushi-san and Kyouka-san again.

Fingers intercepted his staring holes into the card held in his hand, snapping them harshly. Sigma snapped his head up, coming face-to-face with Ranpo-san. Ranpo-san, who did not have a pleased look on his face.

“Do not doubt their abilities. Even when we do not know everything, we have to trust your brother. He’s a tough little one, and absolutely slippery if he wants to be.” Ranpo-san admonished Sigma, and Sigma felt himself deflating.

“I just wish–” Sigma muttered, frustrated. “I just wish I could do something. I can’t do anything, I can barely hold a gun for very long. I can’t fight.”

“All true.” Ranpo-san said, and the words stung Sigma’s ego. He had wanted to be soothed, not confirmed in his incapability to help his siblings. To not be confirmed in his weakness.

“But you’re also the person that helped us get the plans for the Moby Dick in the first place.” Ranpo-san said. “You saw the trap and avoided it. That’s not something a rookie is usually capable of doing. You may not have the strength you need right now, but strength can be built. You know where your chinks in your armor are, Sigma.” A green eye peeked out at him, freezing him. “So now you have to pad your suit of armor and ensure no one hits you there.”

Sigma nodded, not really realizing he was doing so because he was utterly dazed by the intensity that Ranpo-san was radiating.

Ranpo-san nodded, seemingly satisfied with himself, and flounced off to Yosano-sensei, who refused to put sugar in the man’s tea. Perhaps childish, but considering what Sigma had seen in the Boss’s memories regarding Yosano-sensei, it made sense that they were so childish around each other.

They had grown up around each other, of course they would allow some sort of walls to come down when around each other.

Pad my suit of armor. . . . . . Sigma thought, thinking of what Ranpo-san had said as he stared down at the card in his hand.

What was Sigma? How could he use his power to help?

His power. . . . .

Sigma blinked, before pushing himself off his desk and sitting down in his chair, booting up his computer.

He turned to the computer, first ensuring that Kyuusaku-san was still being taken care of by Kunikida-san, and then started to type. He shouldn’t have belittled himself so quickly.

Sigma was an information gatherer.

Perhaps his best work was in person when he used his ability, but the Boss of the Port Mafia did not keep him for two years only for him to not teach Sigma anything substantial.

Firewalls pulled down, data being scrapped apart and then put back together again, the world of electronics at his fingertips, and Sigma was the king of this world. Information was his domain, and no one could stop him from pulling the truth from his target’s lips.

He hit PRINT and one file was done.

Sigma had at least five more to go through before his siblings came back triumphant from their mission to bring the Moby Dick down, there was no reason for Sigma to allow his skills to grow rusty.

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, keeping his wrists parallel with the keyboard.

Sigma would not let his skills become rusty, and he would not allow his suit of armor to grow holes.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kyouka was not having a good time right now. There were two people that could hurt them behind them, and the person that was after the bounty on Atsu-nii’s head in front of them.

As much as she wanted to leap forward and cut Akutagawa’s head off with her knife, she knew she wasn’t strong enough for that. Yet.

She would be strong enough for it one day, and then she would take his head from his shoulders like it was a damn soccer ball and she would send it through a goal post.

Yasha Shirayuki glowed above her and Atsu-nii, and Kyouka wanted to use her to cut Akutagawa to ribbons. She would do it one day, once she took his head off, the rest of the body would be cut to ribbons to ensure that the motherfucker would never come back to hurt Atsu-nii.

She should really rein in her want to kill the guy. Dazai-san’s voice was in her ear, asking for updates, his voice getting faster and asking what the hell was going on. He was getting worried, he wanted to know what was going on, and he was getting extremely worried about the fact that they couldn’t or wouldn’t respond.

Kyouka pressed a free finger to her earpiece, deciding to leave Atsu-nii to defending them. He was good at it, and he was a wonderful fighter.

“Akutagawa broke through Chameleon Diary.” She reported, tilting her head to look at the two behind her, who were staring at Akutagawa. “We also have the woman who took Kenji-kun,” And didn’t that spark anger in her? She wanted to cut the girl for that, but apparently she was in a bad situation too, “and a man with long, curly bangs. He seems to be refusing to look at the ground.”

[“Well that’s wonderful.”] Dazai-san muttered huffily, and Kyouka could barely hear the typing of keys in the background. He was keeping busy trying to help where he could, and Kyouka felt a bit of guilt at that. Here she was holding onto anger and hatred for Akutagawa, justified though it may be, but Dazai-san was trying to help, even when stuck on the ground.

Kyouka could let go of the hatred and anger for a few moments just to get through this obstacle. Isn’t that what was required of a detective?

“Dazai-san, I have a plan.” She muttered in her earpiece, her mind quickly piecing parts of a hair-brained plan in her mind together. She whispered it to the man, and he agreed to it.

Kyouka wiggled past Atsu-nii, and her brother had his whip, ready to attack if need be. He wouldn’t need to, because Kyouka had a plan, one that Dazai-san, as crazy as he was, even agreed to it.

She held the earpiece out to Akutagawa.

“Dazai-san wants to talk to you.”

The man dressed in black stiffened, his black eyes latched onto the earpiece in her hand. Kyouka wiggled it, and his ability crackled with red lighting. He looked ready to pounce, ready to attack for the earpiece in her hand.

Too bad for him.

Kyouka turned on her heel, reeled her hand back, and tossed it over the side. “Well! What are you waiting for!? He’s waiting to talk to you!” She yelled as it left her hand, and the man actually leapt after it!

Kyouka honestly felt her jaw drop at the sheer concern that worked its way into her heart at that fact. That this man was so obsessed with Dazai-san that he would jump off of a bridge for simply a way to connect to him in any way!

She actually felt a little sorry for Akutagawa.

(That feeling actually disgusted her a bit.)

Yes, Kyouka was also obsessed with proving herself. But that was because she wanted to ensure that her power was seen. That she could stand beside her brother and everyone else in the Armed Detective Agency and that she could hold her own. Her obsession would absolve itself when she got to her goal and had proved herself worthy of standing by his side.

But to this extent–!?

She wondered, just briefly, what Dazai-san had done to inspire this sort of obsession and having this man completely locked onto him. She wondered, just briefly, if Dazai-san had moved on from being the Demon Prodigy, but shook her head at that thought.

Dazai-san was working to do better. He was.

Kyouka was going to believe in him, believe in his actions and what he was trying to do now, not what he had done in the past. Dazai-san had changed. Was trying to do better, be better.

So instead, she turned to her brother, who was staring after the man, blinking.

“I hope he doesn’t die.” Her brother said, because of course he does. Her brother has a heart that’s too kind for this world, a heart of gold that was hidden by his sharp edges of protection and whip and tantos. Atsu-nii would never let his anger at someone let his concern for them cloud his judgment.

Kyouka had a lot to learn still, it seemed.

“Atsu-nii. The fight’s not over yet.” Kyouka turned, looking at the man and the girl who were still watching.

The girl had incredibly wide eyes, still focused on where Akutagawa had jumped off of into the abyss below them. “There’s no way he actually just did that, right?”

“He did.” Atsu-nii nodded. “He’s crazy like that. Now,”

He turned to look at the people behind them and his eyes were narrowed, Chameleon Diary swirling around him, just barely seen.

“Why don’t we talk about you two?”

Chapter Text

Edgar’s life didn't used to be all that bad.

He had a life. Two parents that may have not been all there for him and Rosie mentally and physically, but they were there emotionally and sometimes that was all that they had needed.

He had had Rosie. His silly little Rosie-posie who would huff and puff at the nickname and blow her cheeks out and insist that she was a big girl now and didn't need a silly little nickname! Said at the age of five years old, and Edgar would pinch her cheeks, barely seven years old himself as he snickered lightly.

His dad was a nice enough man, he supposed. Clever in wit and quick to protect them, but never earned enough money for the household, and always spent it on something. The money would come into the household and then go out in some funny little envelopes the next day, and Dad would look so sorry, but he'd smile at Edgar and Rosie and pat their heads and tell them “Everything will be alright.”

Nom was a more reserved woman, her sharp purple eyes that Edgar had inherited watching like he sometimes did, making sure that no one got close enough to the house to hurt Edgar or Rosie.

“You'll understand when you're older Eddie.” She had told him, patting him on the shoulder and then pushed him gently to go play with Rosie. “Now go look after your sister. She needs you, you know.”

Edgar hadn't known. Rosie was with Dad anyways, there was no need for Edgar to be with him. But Mom when she was in this watching mood was always in the tallest tower of their house, watching the entire neighborhood. And Edgar always felt like he would fall through the floor, the floorboards always so creaky and bouncy up here.

(Maybe that's where Edgar's fear of heights came from. Only appearing after his mother was gone, after he knew she wouldn't be there to catch him anymore.)

But Edgar was an obedient boy, so he got up from his mother's side, and he went downstairs to go look for his sister and be by her side, like his mother said. Rosie was with Dad, like he had thought she would be.

It was silly.

If Edgar wasn't with Mom he was with Dad. If Rosie wasn't with Dad she was with Mom. If Mom was in one of her watching moods Dad would have both of them or only one of them, but Mom wouldn't have both of them. They even slept together in the great big bed, making sure that they were tangled together like a pack of puppies.

Maybe that should have raised a few red flags with Edgar. But what parents didn't want their kids to be safe? And what better way for kids to be safe than for them to be with the parents forever? Every step of the day, every single moment, Edgar was with someone. With his Mom, with his Dad, with his sister.

Edgar was tired a lot of the time.

It was a bone-deep tiredness, aching and ever-present. Edgar couldn't understand why he was so tired, especially when his parents ensured he slept. 

He didn't understand it at the time, but Edgar needed time to be alone. He needed to be alone so he could be at peace, and no one else could be around him for those minutes. Or hours.

Edgar didn't get that time alone. He was constantly around people, so he couldn't really rest. He wondered at some point down the line if that's why his Ability turned out the way it did. As an escape route that was needed when he was aching from pain he couldn't articulate.

So Edgar went to find his sister, humming lightly to himself and wondering if he could make friends with the ravens and talk to them. Maybe he could finally talk Dad into that? He wouldn't be alone then, because he'd be with the ravens and they were such smart birds. Walking along, he trailed his fingers along the crumbling wood that made the hallway, wondering when Dad would make the hallway new again.

He found his sister and Dad in the library, reading. Well, Dad was trying to teach Rosie to read. Rosie was being huffy because she couldn't read like Dad wanted her to read. She had told Edgar that the p's looked like b’s sometimes, or even d's. And that the words got all jumbled up and she got really frustrated because she couldn't read. But she didn't tell Dad that. She didn't want to disappoint him.

If Edgar could take his sister's struggles from her, he would. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't.

And Dad couldn't take them either, especially since Rosie didn't want to tell him. Edgar wanted to tell Dad, but that was Rosie's secret to tell. That was technically against the rules that Mom and Dad had set, to keep a secret, but Edgar didn't wanna tell. 

Dad was getting frustrated, trying to teach Rosie to read. Edgar could tell, his hands were twitching as he turned the pages and his brow was furrowing and his jaw was tense. Rosie, on the other hand, was getting smaller. Shoulders shrinking and head bowing and hands coming up to her chest.

“Dad.” Edgar called from the library door, making them both startle. Rosie looked so relieved to see Edgar there, he could swear he saw a tear in one of her eyes and frowned. Rosie isn't supposed to cry around family. 

“Yes? Edgar?” Dad swallowed, his jaw untensing at Edgar presenting himself as a distraction.

“Can we go outside?” Edgar looked out the dirty window. The sun was trying so valiantly to shine through it regardless, and the vines growing over the windows didn't help either. “It's so pretty. And the sun is shining. You said it was good for us to get sunshine.”

Edgar could see his Dad staring at him with wide blue eyes for a few minutes, before clearing his throat. “Yes. Yes, of course. Let's go outside to the backyard.”

Edgar smiled and led the way to the backyard, humming lightly again and trailing his fingers along the crumbling wood again. 

“Edgar, stop that.” His father said.

“Stop what?” Edgar asked for clarification. He was doing two things after all. 

“Don't get cocky with me boy.” His father sounded angry.

One of those days then. Usually Edgar could ask at least a few clarifying questions before Dad got mad at him and angry and locked him and Rosie in a room together. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like today was that sort of day, since he was already so upset from trying to teach Rosie how to read.

Rosie caught his eye, periwinkle eyes glittering with tears as she mouthed “sorry,” at Edgar. She knew she was responsible for Dad's mood. Edgar just shook his head at her. 

Dad was a grown man. He should know better than to get upset at Rosie and Edgar for stuff like this.

. . . . . . . . .

Right?

~~~~~~~~~~

Edgar supposed he was about ten when everything changed permanently. He didn't really know, because they never really kept a track of birthdays.

It wasn't a bad day to start with. Mom was doing her watching thing, and Dad was still trying to teach Rosie how to read. She had gotten better, definitely. But she wasn't as good as Edgar, or as good as Dad wanted her to be.

And then Mom came flying down the stairs, her eyes wild like Edgar had never seen and her hair all disheveled. She looked almost scared, but Mom never got scared.

Right?

"They found us.” She breathed out, and that's all that it took for Dad to react, snatching Rosie’s hand and grilling Edgar by the shoulder and pulling them forward. 

“Move. Move move move.” He hissed. “To the basement.”

Edgar hated the basement. It made his skin crawl. It was all damp and dark and the dirt was always so wet and there were so many spiders. He dug his heels into the floorboards, feeling the splinters in the hallway floors that he avoided so often finally bite into his feet at last.

“Edgar!” His mother snapped, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. “They're trying to take you away from us! Do you want that? Huh? Do you want to be taken from your father and I? Away from Rose? We need to go.”

Edgar felt his lips wobble, and hot tears trying to build up in his eyes. He needed to keep from crying though, because crying for a man was shameful. He needed to keep moving. Although moving really hurt though, because now he had splinters in his feet. He wanted to stop and take them out, but he couldn't, because he needed to keep moving.

They needed to go to the basement. The basement door was hidden in an alcove, so it was kinda hard to find at times, especially if you didn't know the house. Which is why the Poe family used it as a safe place to hide.

Edgar limped down the stairs, wiping at his eyes. Rosie reached out and squeezed his other hand, showing how scared she was too. Rosie hated physical contact except for people touching her hair with permission.

He squeezed back, afraid.

“WHERE ARE YOU!?”

Edgar stopped in his tracks, and so did Rosie. It sounded like Dad. Almost. It almost sounded like Dad, but it also wasn't Dad. The voice wasn't right but it sounded a lot like Dad. 

Dad said some bad words, the words he always told Edgar and Rosie never to say.

“How did he find us?” Mom sounded worried as they hunkered under the stairs, against the cold, damp dirt wall.

“I don't know. I'm hoping he'll go away soon.” Dad muttered back. “And keep quiet.”

They were quiet, all of them, as walking sounds continued upstairs. It sounded more like stomping sounds. Then the stomping sounds stopped as a floor creaked.

Movement back and forth.

The floorboard creaked again beneath a foot.

“There's a basement! Check for a door!” The voice that was similar to Dad’s yelled again.

Dad said the bad words again, and Mom joined in this time. They were quiet though, and maybe that's how you said bad words? You said them quiet enough that only certain people could hear. Edgar would have to try that in the future.

The door to the basement creaked open.

Everyone stopped breathing. And then Dad reached forward and gripped the space over Edgar's mouth and nose with a palm, and Edgar had a really hard time breathing. He hit on the hand lightly, just tapping really. Just trying to tell Dad that he needed to breathe.

But Dad didn't move his hand.

If anything, Dad gripped Edgar's face tighter, and it was starting to hurt. Edgar couldn't breathe properly and his lungs hurt. His chest ached. Edgar needed proper air.

Light from a flashlight descended the stairs, one at a time. Thumping footsteps accompanied the light.

Rosie tugged herself free. From Edgar, from their parents. She ran towards the light.

“Help Ed! He's hurting Ed!” She wailed, and someone click-clacked something.

“Stop! Stop that's my sister!” The voice that was like Dad's yelled, and someone ran past the light and scooped Rosie up. She wriggled and struggled, but went limp. Edgar wished he could help her. Wished he could go to her.

“Ed! He's hurting Ed! Dad is hurting Ed!” Rosie yelled, and the lights flared all about until they shown in Edgar’s eyes and he couldn't see and Dad gripped his face so tight that he couldn't breathe.

“DROP THE KID. DROP HIM.” A commanding voice yelled, and Dad finally let go of Edgar at last, and Edgar could breathe. Tears welled up, or maybe they hadn't gone away in the first place, because they started streaming down his cheeks quickly, and his breaths started coming in quick huffs.

“Edgar? Ed c'mon buddy. Come over here.” The voice that was like Dad's cajoled him, and Edgar peered beyond the light to see a bigger boy that looked a lot like him, Rosie placed on the ground now and holding onto the bigger boy’s pant leg.

“C'mon Edgar, it's okay.”

Edgar slowly stepped forward. One foot in front of the other, splinters digging in with each step on the cold dirt floor, but he was finally in front of the bigger boy.

“Oh Edgar.” The bigger boy whispered, picking Edgar up. “C'mon. It's time to go. Follow me Rose.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Edgar? May I come in?”

Henry’s voice was kind, much unlike Edgar’s father’s voice. Henry asked for permission to enter wherever Edgar was, and that included Edgar's hospital room.

“Yeah.” He called back, not looking up from his writing.

His older brother entered, eyes calm at Edgar's glance. 

“How are you feeling? Better? Worse?”

“I'm okay.” Edgar sighed, putting his notebook down. “Where's Rosie?”

“In her own room. Would you like to go see her?” Henry offered, patting his hand on the wheelchair that the hospital had given Edgar to use. It made it handy to get around, especially since his feet were infected from the splinters and the dirt floor of the basement.

Edgar nodded, and Henry helped him move from the hospital bed to the wheelchair and started moving him along.

“When do we get to go home?” Edgar asked as he looked out the windows that they were passing by.

“Well Aunt Maria is currently trying to prove to the court that she can handle custody, so–” Henry started, and Edgar sighed.

“No, not to a family member. Home.” Edgar whined. “I wanna go home with Mom and Dad and Rosie soon.”

Edgar felt the hair on top of his head move with the force of Henry’s sigh. 

“Edgar, honey.” Henry hesitated. “That home. . . . You can't go back to it anymore.”

“Why not? It was a good home.” Edgar grumbled.

“Because it was run down. You got splinters from the floors Edgar.” Henry stopped pushing and moved to be in front of the wheelchair, crouching to look Edgar in the eyes. Violet eyes looked in violet eyes. “And our parents, they weren't. . . Good. They didn't parent you right. So Aunt Maria will parent you.”

“Until Mom and Dad can?” Edgar asked. He wanted to go home.

Henry's face fell slightly. 

“Edgar– there isn't– you're not going back to Mom and Dad.”

“Why not? We were fine.” Edgar muttered.

“But you weren't fine.” Henry said in a gentle tone. “You told me you like being alone, remember? But you weren't allowed to be alone. That isn't a good thing. Sometimes we need some alone time, and our parents weren't letting you get that alone time.”

“That doesn't mean they were bad parents.” Edgar mumbled.

“No, it doesn't. But there were other things, weren't there?” Henry tried to catch Edgar's eyes with his own. “C'mon Edgar. Please, at least try to be nice to Aunt Maria? She's a sweet woman, she raised me when Mom and Dad–”

Henry cut himself off.

“When Mom and Dad what? You can tell me. I'm good at keeping secrets.” Edgar said, leaning forward.

Henry sighed. He looked a lot older than eighteen. “When Mom and Dad didn't pick me up from Aunt Maria’s.”

“Mom and Dad left you?” Edgar was horrified. How could leave family? Family was supposed to stick together, they said so themselves.

“They did.” Henry nodded. “That's why I'm making sure they get punished for leaving you and Rosie. Leaving children behind is a crime, so I have to make sure that they get punished for that.”

Edgar frowned.

He could understand, kinda. Leaving family is a crime, so Dad and Mom needed to be punished for that. But they didn't leave Rosie and Edgar, so would they be punished for that? But they had left Henry, so that was a crime that needed to be punished.

“Okay.” He sighed, leaning back in his seat on the wheelchair and crossing his arms.

Henry raised an eyebrow at Edgar.

“Okay? What's okay?”

“I'll be nice to Aunt Maria.” Edgar huffed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Paradigm shifts came and went in Edgar's life. His awakening of his power and his job under Mr. Stevenson were paradigm shifts that Edgar could handle. He liked these paradigm shifts actually.

Paradigm shifts like Rosie withdrawing into herself and suddenly turning against himself and Henry and Aunt Maria, and Edogawa beating him, those weren't paradigm shifts that Edgar liked.

But staring into the eyes of another older brother, an older brother to people that Edgar had indirectly threatened. Which wasn't the best feeling, to be quite honest. He knew what it was like, to have his little sister hurt by his parents so long ago and be unable to do anything about that. It made sense for this older brother to do everything he can to protect those he loved, the city that the boy loved.

“What is your proposition?” Edgar asked, managing to screw his eyes tightly shut again, hands tightly holding to the railing. He hated heights. Henry and Aunt Maria were going to kill him once they learned he had exposed himself to heights. They had sued the pants off of a therapist that tried to force Edgar to do exposure therapy.

The silver-haired boy let out a hum, soft and low as tapping sounds were also heard. Likely walking closer.

Lucy let out a distressed sound, backing up into Edgar and gripping onto his cloak.

“Well, let's talk about Fitzgerald. How does his Ability work?”

Edgar felt anger surge through him at the mention of his employer. The fact that he had continued to do what he did, despite Edgar trying his best– Edgar understood mourning your loved ones, but Fitzgerald was going a bit too far with what he had done, and Edgar was too vengeful to let it stand. Henry had done his best to try and stamp out the vengefulness in Edgar, but he hadn't counted on Aunt Maria nurturing it.

His eyes opened a sliver, focusing on the young man in front of him.

“What do you want to know? Because I have a lot of knowledge.”

Chapter Text

Atsushi raced down the halls with Kyouka hot on his heels. They had only a few minutes to plan with the two Guild members who did not want to be a part of the Guild, and the man had only been too willing to divulge some information on his boss. It had made Atsushi upset at first, but then he learned why exactly the man, Poe-san, had been willing to give up the information on the Moby Dick and what Fitzgerald had planned.

To do such a thing, to dare to do such a thing—

He shook his head, thinking about the directions that Poe-san had told them about to get to Fitzgerald. Atsushi wasn't so full of himself and his powers that he thought that he could take down the leader of the Guild. There was no way that he could, that they could. Kyouka was strong yes, Atsushi and Kyouka had made sure to complement each other on their capabilities that their parents had taught them. But Fitzgerald apparently had some sort of augmentation Ability, that made him stronger, and Atsushi wasn't going to risk fighting the guy head-on.

That wasn't his style anyways.

He was taught by an assassin, after all. Going straight for the kill was overrated. Where was the thrill of the hunt if someone did that? The attempts to hide into the crowd and keep your target from knowing that they were going to be eradicated? Atsushi didn't like these thoughts, and Dad and Mom had tried so hard to keep these thoughts from him, but they still weaseled their ways into his mind. It was fine, anyway. He would become anything that was needed if it meant protecting the ones he loved.

Kyouka kept pace with him as they ran through the halls of the Moby Dick, finding the control room easily. With a mere flick of his fingers, she had gone to one side and he was on the other side as they started to type in the commands for the whale-ship-thing to crash into the bay. Moonflower was rather apt with computers, but Atsushi had skill over her, and he was dancing through the firewalls easily enough before he was hacking and ordering the whale to dive.

"Do you think it will be enough?" Kyouka asked as she put in the command for the whale to tip to the side, away from civilians and people who needed to be protected.

"It's going to have to be enough." Atsushi muttered. "Poe-san seemed rather confident of the fact that these codes will bring everything down."

"What if. . . ." Kyouka drifted off as she typed in a particularly brutal code. "What if someone hacks in and undoes our work? Someone with an Ability like Katai-san?"

Atsushi frowned as he finished his own codes. That wasn't out of the question. There was a vast world out there, and who knows how many connections Fitzgerald has to ensure that his plans would go through, even when his own subordinates turned against him?

Then again, if he didn't want his subordinates to turn against him, he should treat them with respect. Atsushi thought crossly.

"Are you done? With the codes?" Atsushi asked as he stepped back and away from the keyboards.

"Yes." Kyouka finished up.

"Step back."

Kyouka stepped back, concern on her face, and then her eyes went wide as Atsushi unfurled his whip and started destroying the control panels. Quick cracks of the whip, determination painting his face as Atsushi was not going to let someone undo all their hard work, and about ten minutes later, the control panels for the Moby Dick were in a complete set of disarray.

Electrical wires that were now exposed sparked at the air. Atsushi panted, wiping at the sweat at the point of his chin and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done.

"Atsu-nii?"

"Yes Kyouka?"

"You realize I could have had Yasha Shirayuki do that in like, half the time, right?"

Atsushi's smile fell.

"Ah."

They stared at the control panel for the Moby Dick for a while, Kyouka with her wide blue eyes and a hint of amusement in them, and Atsushi with the realization that he could have saved a lot more strength if he had just asked for help.

"Well, too late for that." Atsushi sighed. "Now, to find Fitzgerald."

He hesitated at this part. They needed to get Fitzgerald and take the guy out, because if he really did have an augmentation Ability, then he could possibly go outside and turn the Moby Dick back into the city. Undoing all of Atsushi and Kyouka's hard work. Which, Atsushi would not appreciate. And they also had to find the captive too.

"I'll distract, you get the captive and get them out." Kyouka suggested.

"No." Atsushi immediately vetoed. "I'm the bounty, remember? He's going to be focused on me, so I need to be the focus. You can use Yasha Shirayuki to get the captive. We just need to trick him for long enough for you to get the captive and then we can pull of that small trick. Or I'll pull a Chameleon Diary: Evanescent Presence on him and then pull the trick off."

Kyouka didn't look pleased by the veto, but he was the senior detective on this mission. He needed to think about their strengths and keep everyone safe and utilize their Abilities to the strongest. Plus, even though Kyouka got rid of Akutagawa, they still had to think about him and what insanity he might try to pull. He still obviously thought that Atsushi was some sort of prize or bounty or something to turn in.

Atsushi firmly pushed down the emotions that bubbled up with that particular thought, and focused on what needed to be done.

Get the captive.

Distract Akutagawa, somehow. Atsushi wasn't sure how to do that one exactly, dangle himself on the end of a stick? Would that work?

And then beat Fitzgerald and trick him into giving up on whatever his goal was. Atsushi wasn't really sure on that last one either, since the man had apparently put a huge bounty on Atsushi's head, and that wasn't something that someone did without a plan in mind, and a plan of a plan for that plan and then a backup plan for that plan.

Or maybe Atsushi was just used to spending time with Dazai-san. That sounds like something that Dazai-san would do.

~~~~~~~~~~

Osamu sneezed twice.

Who the hell was thinking about him? He couldn't afford to think about who was thinking about him, he had brats to ensure the safety of!

He shook his head as his fingers flew over the keyboard and he hacked into the mainframe. Atsushi-kun had destroyed the Moby Dick's mainframe, thankfully. So the damn rat, should he come crawling out of whatever woodwork that he had hidden himself in, wouldn't be able to hack into it and try to continue the death charge against Yokohama. Why on earth this damn rat was so determined on the destruction of one city, Osamu couldn't pretend to fathom.

Oh he could certainly dance around and pretend to dance and pretend to understand all he wanted. But he wouldn't understand, and he couldn't. The death of so many people would make the brats, his brats, upset. That would be a tragedy, and it wasn't like those kids had lived through so much already. They had gone through enough, in Osamu's humble opinion, but since when did anyone listen to Osamu?

Certain not the fates. There would certainly be more in store for the kids. Especially as they took on more and more orphans that were destined for hell. Saving drowning men seemed to be something the Izumis wanted to do and would do religiously. Maybe it was their religion? Saving the poor and the orphaned from the dark.

Once upon a time, Osamu would have also subscribed to such a religion. It was something that Odasaku asked of him, after all.

But now. . . .

Ah, no reason to do such a thing. All he had to do was take care of his brats, and they would bring in the poor and the orphaned. He would take care of his brats, and they would bring those that needed help. Like Kyuusaku and Sigma. Osamu would help them, as much as they wanted Osamu's help. Kyuusaku decidedly did not, and Osamu could and would respect that. It wasn't like he was the one to irreversibly hurt the kid years ago or anything. No not in the slightest.

Sigma was much easier to interact with. Sigma had no tie to who Osamu used to be, except the fact that the both of them used to be in the Port Mafia together. And their Abilities were both touch-based. But that was where their similarities ended. Osamu used to be an Executive, his blood running black with his sins. Sigma was merely an information gatherer, and he used his Ability for it, making it painless.

Osamu thrived in causing others pain. It was something that he looked forward to, years ago. The pain and terror that he caused made his heart race, wanting to see what the difference was between life and death, and should he try to keep alive in any sort of way. Should anyone give him a reason for living, for filling the hole inside his heart that craved to be lightened up. And yet it never was, and so Odasaku's final wish to him propelled him forward.

Kyuusaku also thrived on causing pain. It was just something they did, a way to defend themselves against others. Being hurt first meant that Kyuusaku should hurt the other back harder, that had been one of Osamu's first lessons to the child when he had learned of their Ability. And yet, the lack of control made Kyuusaku dangerous. Too dangerous to be utilized properly by the Port Mafia, so on Osamu's directive, Mori-san had locked the child away.

Now, Osamu could see how wrong that was. Emotionally could see how it hurt Kyuusaku. He had apologized to the child, and they did not need to accept until they felt it was necessary to do so. Until they felt that Osamu had atoned enough. Truly, Osamu believed that he would never atone enough for the child, for what he had done to the child, and that was fine. Kyuusaku owed him nothing, not their forgiveness and not their smiles and not their happiness. They gave all of that to Atsushi-kun and Kyouka-chan.

Speaking of—

Osamu tuned back into Atsushi-kun's earpiece, trying to gain snatches of whatever the two children were saying and what plan the two sneaks were going to try and play against Fitzgerald.

"What is this plan that the two of you are talking about? I only got your side, Atsushi-kun." Osamu asked.

["Oh right, Kyouka threw her earpiece for Akutagawa to try and catch."] Atsushi-kun sighed. ["Fitzgerald has a captive. So I'm going to draw Fitzgerald's attention and make him come after me while Kyouka goes for the captive. Since I'm the bounty, I'm hoping that maybe he'll focus on me the most and ignore Kyouka."]

Osamu hummed. Simple. It could work. But—

"And what are you going to do when Akutagawa-kun comes back?"

He could practically hear Atsushi-kun wincing.

["Are you sure he's going to come back at all?"] Atsushi-kun asked sullenly.

"Atsushi-kun, I trained the boy. I know him. He's going to be locked onto you like a heat-seeking missile and not give up until his objective is complete." Osamu sighed. He should have discouraged the insistence when he was training Akutagawa-kun. But he had not, seeing it as a boon to the Port Mafia.

Atsushi-kun's groan came over the speaker and it made Osamu's lips curve, just the slightest bit. He did so adore these kids. They were quite adorable when they were frustrated, especially with a problem that Osamu had technically created.

["Dazai-san, you're the worst, you know that right?"] Atsushi-kun whined through the speaker. ["You couldn't let me live in ignorance?"]

"And not prepare you? Not hear you be upset! But my entertainment!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke was not someone who often got angry.

Okay that was a lie.

He was often angry. He was often mad. He was known as the Mad Dog of the Port Mafia after all, someone who would hound whoever the focus of his mission was, that was something that had been ingrained inside of him.

He never let go of a target, he never let them free from a debt owed. Ryuunosuke would never let them be, because that was just the type of person he was. "Mad Dog," while a name he hated, the moniker he loathed the most, was the most aptly fitting.

Ryuunosuke did not let things go. He held on tightly, tight enough that they started to break apart in his hands and he could not handle them gently, because he was never handled gently. But he had never needed to be handled gently, so why should the things that he wanted to hold onto be needed to be held onto with gentleness? The only things in this world that Ryuunosuke had kept by his side were things that he kept by his side with his strength of grip.

His sister, who followed him anywhere and held back just as tightly. The coat on his shoulders, that he mended every time it needed it. The people in the Port Mafia that were just as bad as he was at holding on too tightly. People who managed to weasel their way in and avoid shattering under his too tight grip as he held on so tightly to them.

And then there was the one man that managed to escape this too tight grip.

It shouldn't have surprised Ryuunosuke. Dazai-san was always very good at escaping whatever was chaining him down, even if that was human hands. And because of his Ability, Ryuunosuke couldn't hold onto him with Rashōmon, not like he could with Gin.

Now though—

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke wouldn't let go of the prize in front of him. The Glasswing Bounty that continued to slip out of his grip, time and time again, refusing to stay in the glass cage that Ryuunosuke tried to trap him. Ryuunosuke even found a way to utilize Rashōmon directly harming him! The perfect cage for a Glasswing butterfly so Ryuunosuke could keep it in his grasp until he had to let it go for the bounty that was on his head.

It didn't help that the Glasswing's Ability could make him literally forget about the fact that he even existed.

But now, it looks like even that won't work anymore.

Ryuunosuke held tight to the memories of the Glasswing in his mind's eye as he stalked down the halls, determination and anger and hatred and something that he didn't know bubbling in his gut. He just wanted that damn Bounty. He wanted the Bounty and he wanted to prove that he was stronger than the damn Butterfly of all things.

He was a dragon! A butterfly, of all things, even if it was a glasswing butterfly, shouldn't give him such trouble. And yet, time and time again, this damn Butterfly slipped out of his grasp, but no more. It appears that now Ryuunosuke can break the chains that the Glasswing puts on his memories, he could break through the mist that the Glasswing spun to hide himself, to hide the memories.

Slamming up ahead let him know just where the damn Butterfly was, and he sped up his walk, finding the Glasswing dodging the American. The American, that was trying to punch him and was instead putting holes in the walls of this whale-shaped ship in the sky. Why wasn't he just making the American forget about him? Why not use his Ability to his advantage? Glasswing was so lucky that Dazai-san wasn't his mentor, because Dazai-san wouldn't have stood for that.

"What's the matter Fitzy? Can't hit a teenager? Oooh, the allegations!" Glasswing taunted. He had a manic grin on his face. One that immediately faltered and soured when he saw Ryuunosuke.

Rude. Ryuunosuke was a delight to be around. Don't ask Gin. Ask Chuuya-san, Chuuya-san liked having Ryuunosuke around.

Glasswing slammed the grin back on his face and cracked his whip at the American. Who caught the whip's end.

Beautiful, gemstone-like eyes widened.

"Ah shit."

Ryuunosuke didn't even have time to get a Spatial Shield up to protect himself from the warm body that slammed into him. The power behind the throw sent them both flying down the hall that Ryuunosuke had just COME DOWN and Ryuunosuke used Rashōmon to try and soften the roll and cling to the carpet.

They finally rolled to a stop, and Glasswing, on top of him, let out a groan and forced himself off of Ryuunosuke and fell to his side.

"I fucking hate enhancement Abilities." Glasswing muttered. "And now I'm without my fucking whip."

"Should you be swearing like that with an impressionable young sister?" Ryuunosuke should be skewering the Glasswing, but he really wanted to know. Besides, he could always break the guy's Ability and find him. And Glasswing probably knew that too.

"She's not here, that whip was one of the last things my mom and I trained with. I'm allowed to swear over it." Glasswing shot back hotly, and there was a streak of red across the upper cheeks and nose and the barest glimmer of a tear in those eyes.

Ryuunosuke couldn't understand. Then again, he didn't have parents that loved him. But if he had lost the knife that Gin had given him, then he would probably rip someone to pieces.

"So what's Dazai-san's plan?" Ryuunosuke asked, still absolutely pissed off at what the Rabbit had pulled. Tricking him into thinking that Dazai-san wanted to talk to him and then throwing the damn earpiece, only to find it dead. Ryuunosuke just wanted to talk to the kid. But if they were following Dazai-san's plan, they would have a fighting chance.

"No plan. Not from Dazai-san." Glasswing sighed. "It's all mine."

Ryuunosuke didn't like that. Maybe he should go back to the plan of skewering the Bounty.

But then studying, sharp, intelligent eyes looked at Ryuunosuke. And there were pounding footsteps coming down the corridor and Glasswing was grabbing his hand—

Tingling shot up from their connected hands and Ryuunosuke nearly took the hand that was gripping his simply because he wanted the tingles to stop. And then the tingles spread over his body. The barely seen wisps of an Ability swirled over Ryuunosuke, and then Fitzgerald raced around the corner, didn't spare them a glance, and continued down the corridor.

Oh. Ryuunosuke realized. He's using his Ability on me.

They hadn't known that Glasswing's Ability extended to just normal invisibility. That was actually kind of cool. The sort of power that Ryuunosuke wanted on the streets, because it would have made life a lot easier.

"You gonna follow my lead?" Glasswing asked. "Or are we gonna have a problem?"

Sharp steel at his neck once again, dripping with poison once again.

His heart raced at that, and Ryuunosuke had a sinking suspicion that it wasn't due to the fear of death this time.