Chapter Text
Today, the ADA was on track for its regular schedule. Atsushi and Kyouka returned with lunch since a hungry Kunikida is not a good Kunikida. It's like that with Ranpo, too. That guy leaves and never returns if hungry, but Atsushi always finds him napping with a full stomach.
“What are you worried about?” Naomi asked Atsushi.
“I'm not nervous?” Atsushi must have been caught staring while the group ate. “Uh, in my head, I suppose.”
Dazai made a noise that could vaguely be a giggle. He reclined back in his office chair, and that creak was oddly eerie.
“I bet you're thinking of a ball of yarn,” Dazai said condescendingly.
“I'm a tiger. Not a cat.” Atsushi patiently reminded him, though he's slowly losing his temper with that.
“Ah, I figured you were stressed because of that mission you had today,” Naomi said casually.
There was a brief silence.
“What mission?” Atsushi’s eyebrows furrow.
Kunikida seemed only slightly offended as he continued to type on his laptop. “I would have been aware if something important had been assigned to him. It's simply a rumor.”
“Nope. I was there when the president read the letter.” Naomi reclined, “something about blah blah claws.”
“Insightful.” Kunikida sassed.
“I wasn't made aware of this.” Atsushi changed the energy to be more inquisitive. “Maybe he wanted to tell me later?”
“He didn't seem to like it at all,” Naomi added. Her chin sank into her fingertips. “Yeah, actually, he seemed to know what it said already.”
“I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.” Junichiro smiled, “Atsushi’s strong, so they'll most likely just need grunt power.”
Atsushi just laughed, “Yeah, but— From an organization with way more powerful ability users than me?”
“There are only two people in the world who can stop abilities from getting to them. Dazai and your claws. I'm sure they just need you to get through something.” Naomi seemed excited, “Like‐ You're a lot like a superhero now. Answering calls for help.”
The energy made each of the agency members giggle.
“So are you gonna start wearing underwear outside of your pants?” Junichiro teased.
“We should get you a costume. Heh, imagine yourself all dressed up.” Dazai sat up, “I know what to name you!”
“I swear if you call me a cat variant of some kind — I'm about to be mad.” Atsushi crossed his arms.
“So Pussy Slayer is off the table?”
“Dazai,” Kunikida growled.
“....”
“That's implying that he's killing cats. That's not the hero name you want.” Junichiro added.
“Ok. The answer is simple. Tigerman.” Naomi shrugged.
“I—” Atsushi tried to speak.
“No. Mr. Whiskers the Greatest.” Dazai sat up.
“That's stupid. Come on!” Naomi rolled her fingers.
“Why not— Just Atsushi?” Atsushi commented.
“That's lame.” Dazai shut that down.
Just as the sentence was said, Fukuzawa walked in. The man had always been rather stoic. This time, he had an expression that had the room waiting.
“Atsushi. May I visit you in my office?” Fukuzawa's tone was so cold it actually burned.
“Yes, sir.” Atsushi stood and walked with him.
It was incredibly awkward being next to the president in silence. Atsushi glanced over to see if any facials were there. He just looked mad with how expressionless he is. Once inside the office, they sat down. Atsushi patiently waits, but this silence is eating him alive. Fukuzawa just seemed to meditate there, and then he lifted up a file to hand out.
The official Special Division symbol was on the cover. Wait, this is real.
Atsushi opened it up to reveal what looked like a cut in the air. Inside was black and had a red outline around it.
“A black hole?” Atsushi mocked it.
“Of sorts.” Fukuzawa took a deep breath. “There was a situation with a member of the mafia.”
“They made it?” Atsushi looked up.
“I suppose you can say that. The mission was originally to the Mafia but the situation quickly went wrong.” Fukuzawa sighed, “I'm not supposed to disclose who it is, but they specifically requested you to attempt to withdraw them.”
“If it's an ability, why not just ask Dazai?” Atsushi tilts his head.
“Because he has a chance to close it.”
Atsushi looked back at the file and read the contents. There was a section of violent attempts to go in. People looked burned, but a closer look seemed to reveal that their skin was ripped off.
“They need someone who can heal, too?” Atsushi commented under his breath.
“It seems you're slowly picking up the pieces here.”
Atsushi just closes it. “I'm going in there, aren't I?”
Fukuzawa nodded.
Atsushi sighed. “One day, I'll have a mission that'll not be scary.” He laughed a little.
“There's a chance you won't return.” Fukuzawa didn't share the humor.
Atsushi exhaled, “Those words are never a good sign.”
The elder man seemed hesitant but went on anyway, “Your target is Chuuya Nakahara. The gravity user.”
“Chuuya?” Atsushi echoed.
Chuuya? In danger? It is as if he's seen from afar of Chuuya’s influence and how strong he is. Yet, could it be that he also gets burned?
“How will I get back?” Atsushi asked.
“If this rift is in our world, there must be an exit wherever it sends it too. They put in a GPS to see where it sends but it only comes out blank.”
“Like some dimension hopping?” Atsushi said it as a joke.
“Most likely,” Fukuzawa replied rather aggressively. “I'm not going to force you to take this mission. I'm not going to make you do things you don't want to do. I'd rather keep my own safe, but… The gravity manipulator is one of the main keys in keeping the balance in the city.”
“I get it.” Atsushi nodded. “I'll do it. I’ve done this stuff before.”
Fukuzawa just smiled, “To think you used to be so hesitant with missions.”
“He's saved our agency on more than one occasion.” The tiger boy looked down, “At least try to bring him back. It’s the best way to try to thank him. Will he even listen to me?”
“That was a topic discussed. Tell him, you're just looking for him, and the executive should know you're there to help.” Fukuzawa nodded.
“I can do that.” Atsushi nodded. “Okay. When are we doing this?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Fukuzawa answered. “I suggest you get your goodbyes in. I'm not sure how long you're going to be gone.”
Atsushi swallowed hard at that. He was trying not to think of that aspect. In a low bow, he then turned to exit.
“Atsushi?” Fukuzawa called out.
Atsushi looked back over his shoulder.
“I'm proud of you for taking this.”
Atsushi instantly got flustered. To be praised by the President himself is actually insane.
“T-thank you.” Atsushi sounded like an idiot, well, at least to himself.
Goodbyes were heartfelt and Atsushi nearly cried when the “just in case” topics started to surface. He was quick to dismiss and insist he was coming back — just as he did in the past.
Kunikida and Dazai were so sure of Atsushi's return that they ended up joking about Atsushi taking this time to go on vacation instead of the mission. Mostly Kyouka wanted him to say no and just stay home.
Atsushi, of course, rejected the plea. Though he could not actually properly tell her why he felt like he needed to go. Her brows furrowed and accepted his decision but threatened to hunt him down if he left her. Atsushi didn't know if he needed to laugh or be worried so he did both.
When it was time to actually meet up with Ango is when he got nervous. All those comments and worries were like fatigue and it wasn't till the end it started to weigh down on him.
It was Dazai who walked with him to the site and it was Dazai that made his nerves sky rocket.
“I want to talk to you about this.” Dazai lifted a half-hearted shrug, “If you can't get him to follow you, don't take it personally. Chuuya is hyper-independent.”
“He's… What?” Atsushi blinks rapidly.
“You have to approach this very carefully. If you suddenly drop you're there to save him, he's gonna get pissed off. Though, don't lie either, cause he's way too smart for you to try that.”
Atsushi went quiet and lifted a brow.
“Worst comes to worst, just leave him there. He'll figure something out.” Dazai laughed a bit to himself, “That is what he gets for thinking he's a one-man army.”
“I don't understand. Aren't you and Chuuya mortal enemies?”
“Yes. In every way. Nasty mutt, he is.” Dazai replied quickly.
“Oh.” Atsushi mocked him, “I see.”
They approached the enclosed street, a military set up surrounded the scene. Ango was there at the entrance looking ever so tall.
“Oh good. You're here.” Ango rested his phone down to slip it into his pocket. His long limbs made his way over to greet yet be permissive of the guests that was there.
It bothered Ango that those dark eyes locked onto him and haunted the scene like a child scared of a teacher.
“Why are you here, Dazai?” Ango's voice was soft, yet authoritative.
“Make sure you don't throw Atsushi under the bus if shit hits the fan, since you're good at that.”
“I promise you, I just want to extradite Chuuya back to our world. We're going to do everything possible to ensure it.”
“Why? Because you see him as a weapon or something?”
“Hey, don't put words in my mouth.”
Atsushi grew wildly uncomfortable with the energy the two started to create. Ango was at first nervous then grew annoyed. They didn't push it further, instead Ango sighed.
“Whatever.” Ango just averted his eyes. “Are you ready, Atsushi?”
“As ready as I'll ever be.”
Ango nudged his head, running down what he had already said. Atsushi listened intently.
“The catch is, we have no connection to the gravity manipulator's phone. His connection to our world could possibly be severed. So, we're going to have an ability repellent chain shackle, a communication device that only you can connect to. Follow this back and we'll go from there.”
He was presented with a box that seemed heavy-duty. As if fireproof, this was going to hurt a lot, huh? The trio approached the rift, eyes locked to its shape, almost fire-like movements. Atsushi prepares himself and his nulle-infused satchel.
“Perhaps you should be the tiger for this,” Dazai suggested.
“I'm not entirely in control of it yet… I think I'll do more harm if I lose control. I need to be there to assess the situation.” Atsushi whined, “So of course, it's the painful route, huh?”
“It's pure concentrated energy,” Ango explained the premise of that, though Atsushi had long zoned out. The general gist is, ‘this is like a window that is made of the sun's radiation— So quite literally anything melts’ .
Atsushi listened. He just sighed. “Let's get this over with. The sooner I pull him back in, the sooner we can be done with this.”
The two were a bit surprised by Atsushi’s dismissive tone, though they found themselves agreeing.
Atsushi took deep breaths as he prepared himself for an experience he knows it's going to fucking suck. He hates pain, but at this rate, it's just attached to who he is.
Atsushi shifted his limbs into the tiger, eyes peering at the rift. He lowers to prepare to take off. If he rips past it, it'll not hurt as much… Right?
Atsushi was fast, just a little slower than a bullet. He shoots in.
Light faded as he entered. The part that he noticed was not the pain. No, it was the ache of a surplus of gravity. It was as if his body weighed a lot more, and he was descending because of it. The light from the opening of the rift faded, and it was impossible to see.
To be void of all his senses, honestly, is how Atsushi assumed dying would be like. However, he didn't revel in it long. A small exit of the rift shot him out. It was thrown down into the ocean.
Atsushi barely screamed before the frigid temperature halted him still. His natural instinct to swim to the surface was a success. He peers over, opening his eyes to see nothing but the open night sky.
Atsushi spit out water from his mouth. Using his feet to kick and rotate himself and seeing distant lights of the shore. The city's shore . Another peer went into the sky to check for the rift, but it remained useless.
Nothing was there, as if it never was. He couldn't stay here in the cold for long. So he made the kick to start his journey to the beach. He's never swum this much in his life. By the time he's there, he wants just to lie there and nap.
He just crashed on his back, breathing heavily as he calmed down. His eyes locked to the sky. To say he's simply calm over this is a lie, how he got here and where he landed was not what he imagined. In turn, he looked to see Yokohama. Did he just get thrown elsewhere?
“Hey! You!” A security patrol officer walked over, “No swimming after curfew.”
“Curfew?” Atsushi lifted a brow.
“Don't play dumb with me. You want to die?” The man basically chased him with his baton. “Now get it!”
Atsushi trots his distance away. Getting on the street and glaring back… Suppose he could just go and alert everyone that it didn't work. As he walks, he rings out his hair.
There was distant mumbling, and Atsushi's ears picked up on it. There were a couple staring at him, confused and in awe. He's used to these actions, cause hell: he turns into a damn tiger.
Atsushi approached an area with a slight shiver. His eyes caught the attention of the TV.
“Armed and Dangerous! Mysterious Hatman” Was the news hook.
In the casting was a low quality picture of Chuuya walking off from a pile of people. They seemed just battered and passed out. He's here, alright.
The city is huge! How the hell is he going to track down one tiny redhead in this city? What makes him think Chuuya’s still here?
Atsushi recalled that he was supposed to be in pain, but he didn't feel any. His clothes didn't say the same; his body was barely covered, and massive holes took residence in his shirt.
He didn't recall shifting back, his eyes locked onto his hand and rotated. It's weird, he feels different. Atsushi reached in and tried to get the box open, but he was so cold, it was useless. He just needs to warm up and get started.
The next morning. Atsushi had then found himself a place to stay that asked no questions. He paid in cash and the keeper just gave him a dirty key. He was in, washed up, and crashed for a bit.
Once he could get his clothes to a dry enough level he went out to search for more. A thrift store held his next set of clothes. Which were all off variants of white and black but he can't win them all.
Just as he stepped out, he felt the whip of the air run past him. His consciousness was nearly fading as he felt something grab him by the shirt and yank him. Like some flag, he trailed behind. Sirens blared and followed them.
Atsushi was jerked onto the bike, looking at his kidnapper, but his target was there. Chuuya looked irritated, just grabbing him by his belt to get him to sit.
“Hold on, bitch.” Chuuya gave him a brief warning before he whips the bike a perfect 120 degrees and sped in a different way.
Atsushi nearly fell off, his eyes shut as Chuuya peeled to a spot and dipped away from a few. The ass spun into a shadowed area. He had to get off the bike to roll it back.
Chuuya pants and just groaned.
“Chuuya— Uh, are you okay?” Atsushi finally asked.
“Don't talk to me like you know me?” Chuuya snaps a moody glare. “I… I don't need your damn help.”
Atsushi went quiet before inhaling. He was cut off with nothing but a glare from under expressive eyebrows.
“Tch.” Chuuya just waited; the police sped past.
“Why are they chasing you?” Atsushi asked.
“I… May have misunderstood my… Uh…” Chuuya looked away. “Look, it's not important.”
“I mean… It's sorta important,” Atsushi said.
“Dude.” Chuuya looked past the corner to see, “I think I lost them.”
“That means we can focus on getting back,” Atsushi said with such relief. “Wait, why did you use a bike if you could literally fly?”
Chuuya chirps through his teeth, “That damn bastard talks about me a lot, huh?”
“Dazai-san? Yeah, kinda.” Atsushi's head pivots as he watches Chuuya stomping around him.
“Ah, this is bad.” Chuuya paced as he talked to himself. He growled and rubbed his neck. “That means it was that fish that sent you?”
Wait, he doesn't think the government is in charge. Dazai did warn him, but lying could damage the trust. Atsushi had his sweat as pearls, and it streamed down his forehead.
“Ey.” Chuuya snaps his fingers, “Focus.”
“Sorry!” Atsushi just slightly mumbled as he gained his wits. “Dazai was there to send me off.”
“Okay. Okay, that's good.” Chuuya said under his breath. “How do we get back?”
Atsushi stood there, with a cat face and dull eyes. He remembered the box is in the room he's staying in. Now how to say this without seeming like he's asking for other things.
“You see, there is a box.” Atsushi made the general shape with his hands.
“ Okay? What's in it?” Chuuya crossed his arms.
Atsushi took a long, slow blink before looking aside, “I… I don't know exactly.”
“We're doomed.” Chuuya groaned like it was quite literally the end.
“If we go back to the inn, it'll be there.” Atsushi shrugged.
“Then let's go.” Chuuya walked to the bike.
“Why do you keep using this if all it does is get the police after you?” Atsushi tilts his head.
Chuuya was quiet, “I can't use my ability.”
Atsushi could feel this thought process like a stream of light as he came to terms with this new revolution.
“That's why you didn't get out on your own.” Atsushi gasped. “How long have you been stuck here?”
“About 2 weeks.” Chuuya nudged his head, and as if Atsushi was commanded, he trotted over to the bike.
“They left you in here for 2 weeks?”
“They?” Chuuya huffed and glared.
Atsushi almost lost his cool when those dead eyes locked onto him. He lifts his hand to surrender.
“This is just a mission for me.” Atsushi tried to save his ass.
Chuuya glanced away, “It's nice someone cares about me.” A temporary silence. “Come on. We'll get there then ditch the bike.”
“Wow, it's like you run from the law,” Atsushi said, bewildered.
Chuuya just looked over his shoulder, a brow arched in confusion. It clicked again.
“Wait a minute,” Atsushi exhaled.
Chuuya chuckled and patted the back of the bike, “Come on, pretty kitty. I wanna get out of here.”
Atsushi stepped over and crawled behind. He labeled where his place of stay was. Chuuya knew instantly and was speeding. Atsushi gripped onto Chuuya’s jacket and locked his eyes to the center of his back. He is 100% sure he's going to fall off.
“Do you have your ability?” Chuuya asked as he yelled at him.
Atsushi looked confused and pulled his arm back to attempt to shift. Nothing happened. In a slow pull-back, he looked at his hand.
“No, I can't.” Atsushi looked ill.
“Shit.” Chuuya cursed at the air. “It's this universe. Well, dimension if you're annoying.”
“Why would that matter?”
“Have you never seen a goddamn movie, kid?” Chuuya scuffed, “Each variant has laws of its own that purposely separate it’s shit from other variants.”
“You know way too much about this.” Atsushi teased, “Dimension hopper?”
“No, this just wasn't my first one. I was able to find the rift and keep going through it. I can't use my ability here, so the search has been… Difficult.”
“How long were you in the actual rift?”
“3 weeks.” Chuuya growls, “Don't you dare make fun of me!”
Atsushi surrendered with a little hand lifted and a violent head shake, “I won't!”
Just as Chuuya glanced back, he hit a bump. Atsushi could quite literally feel himself ascend on the back as if selected and dragged. Chuuya caught him by a grip to his belt and forced him back.
Atsushi’s heart was in his throat, and relief brought nothing but nausea. He almost fell off. He just leaned over and put his face on Chuuya's back and hugged. He wants to wake up now.
Chuuya seemed to tense, and his body would shift as if looking into his lap. Impossibly, Chuuya stopped breathing. Atsushi sat up to look at him.
“Are you okay?” Atsushi asked.
“Fine. I'm fine.” Chuuya replied quickly. His tone pitched, “Just so you know, I don't know you very well.”
Atsushi was confused. His brow furrowed as he looked around to try to find the answer in the air. Chuuya sucks in his teeth in frustration and just relaxes.
“Whatever.” Chuuya scuffed.
Atsushi just fixed his position and looked at where his arms were placed. His hands gripped his waist and the urge to squeeze instantly popped into his mind. He didn't of course but because of that impulsive thought, he understood perfectly.
Where the hell is he gonna put his hands? He needs something to hold onto. He can't go lower, or for sure, he'll be thrown off the bike. Any higher will not only throw Chuuya off balance, but also make him feel like he's groping him. Atsushi felt dizzy in his dilemma.
Chuuya tensed his stomach as Atsushi slowly squeezed his waist. One of his hands instantly shot down to smack over his hands.
“What's gotten into you!” Chuuya harped.
“Sorry!” Atsushi retracts his hands just to grip his jacket instead. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that.”
Chuuya twitched and aggressively had to scratch his neck. He just growled, “Look, it's fine.”
“I really am sorry.” Atsushi plops his face back on his back.
Chuuya went quiet before pulling off to the side. Oh god, he's going to kick him off. Atsushi pulled back to watch Chuuya get off the bike. He just glared as he corrected his clothes.
The word sorry burned a larger pit into Atsushi’s throat. He was panicking as he just peeled off the back of the bike.
“Where is your place?” Chuuya just cuts off the thoughts.
Atsushi didn't verbally respond and led Chuuya to the place as sneaky as he could. He was avoidant of cameras and seemed to be successful in this area. Atsushi opened the door and let him in.
“I'm surprised you chose here.” Chuuya looked around.
Yeah, it’s a bit ugly and not well taken care of, but it was cheap. Atsushi shrugged and went to his stuff and pulled the box out. He placed it on the bed and knelt to open it.
“This is way out of the agency's wage,” Chuuya commented.
Atsushi just blushed from embarrassment but opened it regardless. A singular device in foam sat there. Atsushi pulled it out to turn it on. Turns out it was just a GPS and a communication device. The special division's logo appeared. Atsushi's eyes slowly pan to a pouting Chuuya.
Chuuya's arms wrapped within themselves, “Really now?”
“If it makes you feel better, all three sections asked this of me.” Atsushi shrugged.
“So that you know, I could do this on my own.” Chuuya presented this as if he had just slid a file over a desk.
Atsushi blinks slowly, “But?”
Chuuya just looked even more pissed. Atsushi corrected his, well, everything. He taps it a few times before his body fills with a strange cold chill.
“I can't get any reads.” Atsushi kept trying to refresh it.
Chuuya groaned, annoyed, and took it. He taps it several times before slowly facing Atsushi.
“What makes GPS work?” Chuuya glares down past his cheeks.
“Satellites,” Atsushi answered.
“Where are we right now?” Chuuya lifts a brow.
“Inside.”
“What happens when a GPS is inside?”
Atsushi quiets before looking to the side, “It doesn't work.”
“So, what should you do?”
A pause, “So that you know, I don't appreciate the sass.” Atsushi rested his hands on his hips.
“Take this and go outside.” Chuuya forced it onto him. Then turns and throws him out the door.
Atsushi got a glimpse of Chuuya before the door closed. He just stood there for a bit. He clicked the device, but like before, he was still searching. He spun around to get anything, but it all meant nothing.
Atsushi had to give up and come back. He knocked on the door.
“Not right now.” Chuuya harped.
“Hey! You can't just take over my room.” Atsushi harped.
“Go get food or something.” Chuuya didn't sound well. “Just go.”
Atsushi stood up straight. He looked at the door number before making up his mind. He walked around to find things to pick the lock, and shortly after, he opened it.
Chuuya was in the bathroom, obviously in pain. He hissed and took deep breaths.
Atsushi peered in and saw Chuuya fixing his bandages over the middle of his stomach. The redhead stopped and slowly looked over at a dumbfounded Atsushi.
“I took your key-” Chuuya went to yell.
“Look, I know how to get into just about anything. Dazai is my coworker.” Atsushi's hands were up in a surrender.
“I wanted some privacy.” Chuuya glared at him, “Don't tell me you're a pervert too.”
Atsushi's entire brain halted. “What? No?” He blinked as he thought, “I heard your voice and thought something was wrong! I didn't know you'd be halfway naked in the bathroom.
Chuuya rolled his eyes and placed the used gauze over the wound.
Atsushi's eyes softened when Chuuya groaned in pain. The weretiger reacted without thinking and walked into the bathroom.
“Don't you dare come close, I don't need your help.” Chuuya elevated his voice.
“Stop it. If you wanted to do this solo, you would have been gone by now.” Atsushi replied bluntly.
At a glance, Atsushi saw Chuuya’s reaction. The redhead's expression was almost entirely unreadable. Only a blush ran over his nose. Atsushi gave him mercy and focused on the damage. It was a little older than new since the process was already trying to heal.
Atsushi was careful as he touched Chuuya’s ribs to get him to straighten up and get a better look. His thumb soothed over his skin.
“You need to switch these out.” Atsushi looked around, “I'll get you some more while you rinse off.”
Chuuya just held his wrist and pushed Atsushi’s hand back.
“You're oddly touchy,” Chuuya commented rather grumpily.
Atsushi stares at him deadpanned. He's grown so used to the agency that he didn't even consider that Chuuya disliked being touched. He instantly retreated.
“Right! I'm sorry.” Atsushi bowed and stepped away. He started unraveling, “Should've asked. If it's any consolation, your skin feels nice, and you shouldn't feel bad.”
Chuuya was just quiet and watched. They stare at each other before Atsushi turns on his heel to get what he needs. He locks the door behind him and instantly goes to the local pharmacy.