The scene opens on a title card. Bungou Stray Dogs, it reads. As the image fades another takes its place, reading "One Bowl of Tea on Rice"

"One bowl of tea on rice," says a disembodied voice.

Ranpo moved in his seat, "Hey I know that voice!" Atsushi shifted uncomfortably, hating the sound of his own voice.

Kyouka spoke from next to him, "I like tea on rice."

Atsushi gave her a small smile, "Me too! It's actually my favorite food."

Kyouka blinked at him, "Really?"

He nodded and she smiled, nestling closer to this man who made her feel better, her actions not going unnoticed by the other ADA members

"Pickled plums, slivered nori and leftover chicken doused in piping hot water and salted with kelp," the voice sounds dreamy, almost as though it hadn't seen food in a while.

An image of tea on rice forms on screen, looking as appetizing as the voice made it sound, however this is rudely interrupted by a train blaring by.

"Damnit Atsushi," Dazai remarked, eyes glued on the screen, "You are making me hungry."

"Agreed," said Yosano, moving her feet. "Can we get food here?"

Maddie nodded, "All you must do is ask."

Yosano stared at her, "Seriously?"

Maddie just shrugged.

The scene shifts to a close of a face, quiet and contemplative.

"It all sounds so good, a bowl of tea on rice, like the ones we used sneak into the kitchen to make back at the orphanage."

"I forgot you lived in an orphanage, Atsushi." Naomi said, "It feels like you've been with us forever."

Atsushi gave her a grin, " I get that, I feel like I've always been at the ADA."

The man is sitting along the edge of a river and he quietly collapses, face first into the floor.

"I'm going to die of hunger."

"Fucking mood," Ranpo said, shoveling candy into his mouth. Both Kenji and Kunikida gasped at his language.

"RANPO CONDUCT YOURSELF LIKE AN ADA MEMBER AND ACT MORE DIGNIFIED. WE HAVE A GUEST."

He moves his head slightly to look into the camera.

"My name is Atsushi. And due to unfortunate circumstances, I'm about to die of starvation."

A title card appears on screen, "Fortune is Unpredictable and Mutable"

Naomi put her finger to her mouth, "I wonder if the episode title has any deeper meaning."

Tanizaki nodded, "Maybe it become ironic or something later?"

Maddie stared at them, "Are you really analyzing them like an actual TV show?"

"Of course," Naomi told her, rolling her blue eyes.

The train blares by again.

"After being thrown out of my orphanage, I've had nowhere to eat or sleep and not even a cent on me. I don't really have the courage to steal to survive. That is how I've arrived at my current situation."

"Damn that sucks, Atsushi." Ranpo remarked, his mouth full of chewy candy.

Yosano just sighed, "That's a sad reality. There just isn't enough space everywhere for everyone to have a place to call home. Some kids grow up in the slums and there's just nothing we can do about it."

Kenji exhaled through his nose, "When someone became an orphan in my village, the whole village would adopt them, they would rotate homes and live with whatever family had enough to give."

Atsushi sighed dreamily, "That sounds nice."

Atsushi shifted on the floor moaning, then punching the floor as hard as he can, pushing himself off the floor.

"However if I wish to live then I have no choice but to steal from others"

His face set in grim determination, shifted as a flashback started.

"GET OUT YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING! THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF YOU JUST DIE IN A DITCH SOMEWHERE"

A child version of Atsushi stared up at several adults, their faces in shadow.

Silence.

Atsushi swallowed.

"Atsushi." Dazai was the first one to speak.

"Yes?"

"Will you be ok?"

Atsushi stared at the screen, quietly. "Maybe"

He felt a small hand squeeze his and he looked down to see Kyouka's big blue eyes staring at him, tears threatening.

"Kyouka?"

"I'm sorry, Atsushi," she murmured, holding his hands in both of hers, "It must've hurt a lot."

Atsushi gave her a watery smile, "I got used to it."

Kunikida spoke, "Those words are not something that any child should 'have to get used too."

"I'll kill them for you, Atsushi," Yosano's business voice was slightly wavy.

"There will be no murder, right now, However we will put these men on our list," Fukuzawa said as Kunikida began writing it down in hs notebook.

"Shut up."

Said current Atsushi, standing up

"Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP"

He screamed the last one.

"Good on you," Dazai said. "Shout your feelings away! Drown them if you must."

"Was that a suicide joke?" Atsushi wondered

"Die in a ditch," Atsushi's fist clenched, "I won't let that happen. Just you watch. I'm going to rush the first person I see and STEAL EVERYTHING THEY'VE GOT."

Hie eyes narrowed and his mouth set in grim determination, Atsushi turned towards the road behind him.

A car flew by. Atsushi closed his eyes in regret, "Maybe someone going less quickly."

Laughter filled the room as the ADA members laughed at Atsushi, who slunk down in his seat embarrassed.

"Sorry, Atsushi," Tanizaki wiped a couple of tears from his eyes, "That was perfect comedic timing."

"Its fine," Atsushi stuttered, his blush even more obvious.

The next group ran by, a squad of military police. Atsushi looked terrified out of his mind, "I'm not sure the police carry wallets while training."

"Nah," Ranpo said with a smirk, "I bet you could take the military police."

Dazai smirked, "I'd pay money to see that."

Atsushi whipped his head around so fast, he got whiplash.

MONEY?

Which caused the ADA to laugh at him harder.

"Next time." He excused himself, "And this time I'll really do it."

A noise behind him startled him and he turned around quickly, "YOU'RE MINE."

He froze at the sight of somebody's legs sticking out from the water, drifting downstream.

"Dazai." said the entire agency simultaneously.

Dazai just shrugged, "I wanted to do it."

Kyouka tapped Atsushi, "Why is that man underwater?"

Atsushi sighed, "I have no clue."

"He's not what I had in mind." Atsushi said, watching with a hilariously freaked out expression.

The bubbling noises of someone drowning came from where the guy's head should've been. Atsushi watched him drift along.

"Maybe the next one?" he asked himself, the screen cutting back to the guy's feet, which now had birds resting on him.

"He'll be ok? FINE, damnit!" Atsushi muttered before running into the water to save the drowning guy.

Dazai narrowed his eyes. Leaping in to save someone.. He smiled to himself, the perfect partner for the Rabid Dog. I chose right after all.

The sound of a splash echos in the silence.

The guy is laying next to Atsushi as a small card pops up next to him, "In the end, I saved a life."

The guy's eye opens in a zoomed in shot and he slowly rises up, a comedic sound playing when he does.

Naomi pointed at the screen with a smile, "A NOISE! I CALLED IT!"

Tanizaki ruffled his sister's hair with a smile, "Yea you did."

He was so focused on Naomi that he missed Maddie's eye roll behind his back.

Atsushi asks him, "Are you ok?"

The camera zooms in on his angry face, "I made it. Damn."

Atsushi hears this and looks at the guy, " Damn?" His face contorts and his eyebrow raises.

"Tell me," says the other guy, standing up as he does, "Are you the person who interrupted my submersion?"

"Are you kidding me, Dazai?" Kunikida seethed, "Submersion? What the hell were you going on about?"

"There are many methods of suicide I wanted to try, Drowning just happened to be the one that day." Dazai shrugged his shoulders.

"That's dumb." Kunikida told him, to Dazai's amusement.

Kyouka tugged on Atsushi's arm again, "Submersion?"

Atsushi awkwardly shuffled, "Uhhh…"

Dazai answered Kyouka for him, "I was trying to kill myself."

Kyouka blinked at him a couple of times, "Do you not have a purpose?"

"What is that supposed to mean ?" Atsushi kept the calm in his voice.

Kyouka's voice went monotone as she spoke, like she was reciting something that had been drilled into her head many times.

"Those who do not have a purpose, are not fit to survive."

The ADA all stared at her, shocked into silence.

Kyouka turned back to the screen, indicating that the conversation is over. Atsushi narrowed his eyes, thinking of the man Kyouka said ruled her. Akutagawa.

"Yes of course I saved your life? Wait? Submersion?" Atsushi stares at this man.

The title card pops up.. "Submersion?"

"I was trying to kill myself," the guy says matter-of-factly.

Suicide? Gets added to the card.

"I like the cards!" Naomi says, voice strained from reacting to Kyouka's worldview.

"They add a nice aesthetic."

Her voice faded back into silence.

"Sure I was, and everything was going fine!" The guys sounds oddly happy at this, suddenly his face turns annoyed, "Til you interfered."

The camera switches to Atsushi's face, "Is he scolding me for saving him?" he asks himself as the title card reads "Am I being lectured?"

The guy sighs, "It's not your fault. My goal is to have a clean suicide without bothering anyone, but unfortunately, I did burden you. I should apologize or at least make it up to you."

"That is nice of you, Dazai." Kenji said, his face slightly flushed.

Dazai just shrugs, "It was the least I could do. He'd saved my life so I was going to make sure he got something out of it."

Atsushi nervously spoke, "Thanks for the food, Dazai.."

He glanced over to Kunikida sitting behind him, " You too Kunikida."

Kunikida smiled to himself, "You are welcome, Atsushi."

Atsushi sways back and forth, his stomach letting out a rumble.

The guy speaks again, "Are you by any chance, Hungry?"

"Well I haven't eaten in several days." Atsushi replies, as he gets interrupted by the guy's stomach also growling.

"Wow I'm also hungry." The guy agrees, sounding quite bored, "But I think the river ate my wallet."

Ranpo laughed. "Seriously Dazai? You're already broke as it is and you have a massive debt at the cafe we always go to. Do you just lose your wallet on a daily basis?"

Dazai shook his head, "I really didn't have anything in that wallet."

Yosano glared at him, "Still, you should keep better track of your belongings."

Dazai just leaned back and put his arms behind his head.

He opens his pockets, frogs jumping out of them. Atsushi visibly deflates, "Just my luck."

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS," shouts a voice, Atsushi turning his head to look.

"Kunikida," the entire room guessed.

Kunikida managed to look embarrassed and he looked at Atsushi.

"I hope that my first impression wasn't also your first impression of the ADA."

Atsushi shook his head nervously, "Of course not." He stammered out, wondering if he should inform Kunikida that Dazai was his first impression of the ADA and then realized Kunikida would probably get angrier.

An arrow floats over another man's head, pointing directly at him. "Hey," says the guy near Atsushi. "YOU FOUND ME," he shouts across the river, "NICE WORK KUNIKIDA."

Kunikida screams back, "Nice work? You're the one who gave me all this work! You've disrupted my schedule with your shenanigans, you suicidal maniac!"

As Kunikida keeps talking, the guy turns to Atsushi, "Kunikida is a colleague from work. Let's have him treat you to a meal."

Naomi sniffed at Dazai, "Rude"

Dazai shrugged for what seemed like the millionth time, "He had money and I didn't and I promised Atsushi, that I'd feed him"

Kenji beamed at him, "At least you are trying, Dazai."

Dazai nodded to himself, "Hell yea I am."

A chibi version of Kunikida appears, rage evident, "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

"So tell me," says the guy, "what's your name?"

Atsushi startles back, "It's Atsushi. Atsushi Nakajima."

"Cool!" the guy responds, "Come on, Atsushi. What would you like to eat?"

Atsushi looks embarrassed, "Tea on rice sounds great, right now."

The guy blinks and then laughs. The arrow blinks, still pointing at Kunikida.

Atsushi shrinks down, "I thought it sounded good."

"Tea on rice isn't something I'd expect a starving kid to ask for." Dazai told him, "It threw me off."

Kyouka looked at the ceiling, "I'd like some tofu."

Magically a small bowl of tofu appeared in front of her and she stared at it. Atsushi just smiled and grabbed it for her.

"Here."

Kyouka took it, with a small warm small on her face.

Atsushi closed his eyes, thinking to himself, "How could anyone be so mean to this little girl?"

Then he remembered who she said had hurt her and his fist clenched. Akutagawa.

"Only a starving orphan would want a bowl of tea on rice, LETS HAVE KUNIKIDA TREAT YOu TO THIRTY BOWLS OF IT." He shouts the last part, making sure Kunikida can hear him.

Kunikida then flies into a rage, " DON'T GET GENEROUS WITH MY MONEY, DAZAI!"

Atsushi turns towards the man, "You're Dazai?"

"Yes," says the newly-named, Dazai, a wind picking up around him.

He smiles at Atsushi, the wind whipping around him, "Dazai Osamu. It's a pleasure to met you."

Ranpo laughs, "That was very dramatic, considering that it was just Dazai."

Naomi spoke up, "But Dazai is how he meets all of us, it's his call to adventure."

"Pretty shity first impression if you ask me." Ranpo popped another candy into his mouth.

Dazai mock-gasped, "RANPO! I am deeply hurt that you would think so little of me."

Ranpo glared at him again, "Grow up loser," He stated, eating more candy as he did so.

Yosano snickered as Ranpo leaned back again.

The screen goes black.

Then Yokohama at night shifts in, the sounds of the city calming, the camera heading to a restaurant.

Kunikida speaks first, "You are an unreliable fool, Dazai. Who just thinks 'wow that's a nice river, let me jump into it' in the middle of a job. Now I'll have to revise our whole schedule."

Kenji blinked, "But he always does that."

Kunikida scribbled something down, "That's sarcasm Kenji."

"OOOOOHHHH," Kenji stretched out his words, "Sorry I forgot what that was."

Kyouka turned to Kenji, "I don't know what it is either."

Kenji gave her a smile and his hand for a high five, " We are very similar than,"

Kyouka meekly tapped his rough, calloused hand.

The camera shows Atsushi shoveling food down his throat as fast as he can. Then the camera shifts to show Kunikida and Dazai watching him. Kunikida is furiously writing in his notebook, while Dazai just looks bored.

"You're obsessed with those schedules, Kunikida," Dazai returns.

Fukuzawa blinked, "I think that your schedules are good, Kunikida. They keep us on track."

Kunikida blinked rapidly, "You… you like them?"

Fukuzawa nodded solemnly, ignoring the tears that threatening to spill out of Kunikida's eyes.

Kyouka looked at him, "Are you ok?"

"YES," Kunikida said hysterically.

Kunikida slams the book labelled "Ideal" into the table, "This book isn't some day-plan, It's an Ideal, my sole guide in life. And nowhere in this book is there a sentence that says my coworker is a suicidal maniac."

Dazai manages to pull off an extremely bored face. Atsushi leans to the camera, speaking in a muffled voice through the food.

Kunikida sits down again. "Quiet. Nowhere on my projected expenses is a million bowls of tea on rice for some kid."

"How the hell are you two communicating?" Yosano asked.

Kunikida glared at her, "How can you not understand him? It's obvious what he is saying."

Dazai eyed Kunikida, "I can't."

Kunikida shut his notebook angrily, "Well then you are very dull."

Atsushi locked eyes with Yosano, shrugging his shoulders. She rolled her eyes and looked back down at her knife that she was sharpening.

Atsushi responds back, mouth still full.

"Great and now he's got questions," Kunikida rolls his eyes.

Atsushi spoke again, unable to be understood.

"It involves the military." responds Kunikida.

"How are you two talking?" Dazai asks. Both men look at him confused.

"See?" Yosano told them. "I don't understand what you were saying, Atsushi."

"Im sorry, Yosano. But I was so hungry at the moment that I didn't really care. Also, I didn't know anyone else would see this…"

Kunikida sighed, "It's fine, Atsushi," He glared at Yosano who managed to pull off a annoyed and bored face at the same time.

The screen then shows the empty tea on rice bowls.

"I'm so full," Atsushi sings, patting his belly, "I've had enough rice to last a lifetime."

Kunikida imediately yells at him, "I suggest you show gratitude after you ate this on my dime."

Dazai sighed, "That's rude, Kunikida. Let the broke man eat."

"I'm sorry for my behavior, Atsushi," Kunikida apologized profusely as Ranpo held back laughter.

Atsushi looks downwards, "You're a real lifesaver. I came to Yokohama from an orphanage and I've had nowhere to eat or sleep since. I thought I'd starve to death."

Dazai asks the first question, "You're from an orphanage?"

"I was, yes," responds Atsushi. "They kicked me out."

"They didn't really." Atsushi said into the silence, Kyouka looked up at him, "They kicked me out because they were scared of me. The tiger, I mean."

Kyouka touched his wrist, "Demon Snow is scary" She told him, "Rashomon is scary too. I don't think your ability is scary. I think it depends on how you use it."

Fukuzawa spoke ," I agree with the assassin. Abilities depend on how you use them, nothing is inherently evil."

Atsushi remembered the multiple Port Mafia members who had proven otherwise.

"I suppose."

"Sounds like a real warm organization."

"Look Dazai, We're not going around and helping people with hard luck cases," He lifts his book up, " We have a job to do."

Atsushi leans back, "That reminds me, What do you guys do anyways? I know it relates to the military.."

Dazai gives a smirk, "We're private investigators!"

Tanizaki interjected, "That's a very broad term. We are more like 'detectives' with benefits."

Kenji beamed, "I like to think of us as 'friendly neighborhood detectives who help the poor and beat up bad people."

Naomi glared at him, "That's not what we do at all."

"I don't know, Naomi." Dazai said, "Seems pretty accurate to me."

Kunikida interrupts, "We don't handle lost pets and cheating spouses. Our office specializes in tough cases that not even the military would be able to handle We are the Armed Detective Agency"

Atsushi recoils in shock, "I've heard of them. I thought they were a myth"

A smoky background filled the screen and four silhouetted figures stood in a ring around one man in the center.

"Damn we look sick," Ranpo said, chomping on a piece of gum.

Naomi puffed, "I'm not even there."

Tanizaki replied instantly, "I bet these are the silhouettes of the ability users, I can see my sweatshirt."

Naomi glared at the screen, "Why isn't everyone else that works there shown? We do a bunch of work too."

Fukuzawa opened one eye, "I believe that it is just Atsushi's imagination bringing the ability users to the forefront."

"Still," Naomi finished, "The other girls and I that work there should be included."

"Sorry Naomi," Atsushi said, a slight blush on his face.

"They are said to have supernatural powers."

The camera shifts to Dazai staring at a beam on the ceiling and Kunikida writing angrily in his notebook.

"Am I in the presence of two supernaturally gifted people?"

"You both gave a very terrible first impression." Ranpo told Kunikida and Dazai.

Kunikida grew flustered and Dazai simply smiled.

"I'm aware." Dazai responded.

Dazai squeaked out, "Check out that beam up there!"

Atsushi glanced upwards. Kunikida sighs, "Don't even think about hanging yourself in this teahouse."

"I'm not, I'm thinking of the hanging health technique."

"Kunikida, Are you going to fall for Dazai's bullshit again?" Yosano questioned

Kunikida already red grew, flushed in color.

"Maybe."

Kunikida sounds amazed, "What are you saying?"

"YOU DON'T KNOW? It's perfect for shoulder cramps."

"That would be perfect for me."

Kunikida begins to write in his notebook, muttering out loud when Dazai interrupts him, "I'm messing with you,"

The pen snaps and Kunikida grabs Dazai by the neck and screams at him.

The entire ADA started laughing at these two as Dazai raised his arms reveling in the praise while Kunikida sunk lower in his seat.

Kyouka spoke, "Why is Kunikida trying to murder his friend?"

Atsushi tried to explain, "He's just angry. Kunikida might threaten a lot but he wouldn't actually kill Dazai."

"Huh"

Atsushi tries to interject, "So about the job, you are doing.."

"WHAT" Kunikida shouts, fury across his face as Atsushi apologizes profusely.

Kenji looks sour as he glances at Kunikida.

"That was mean, Kunikida."

Kunikida spoke stiffly, "I know."

Kenji beamed at him, "Don't be mean again, ok?"

Kunikida's face twisted into a small smile, "Ok."

Kunikida seems to calm down as Atsushi makes mention of their job being classified, "Actually we require no secrecy today, We are looking for a tiger."

"A tiger?"

Dazai nods, "A man-eating one that has appeared recently in the city. We're not sure if its eaten anyone, but it's caused general chaos. The authorities have a bunch of scary reports."

Atsushi fell over, the bowls clattering.

Dazai looks more bored than normal, "What's wrong?"

Atsushi tries to crawl away, "I'll be leaving now." He gets jerked back by Kunikida who grabs his shirt.

"Not so fast."

"Kunikidaaaa," groans Kenji, "What did I just saaaayyyy?"

"Don't be mean." Kunikida answered.

"Yes and what are you doing in this clip?"

"Being mean."

Ranpo rolled his eyes, " He's always like that when he interrogates people."

Atsushi tries to run as Kunikida begins to interrogate him.

After Kunikida begins, Atsushi stops moving, turning around, his eyes showing real fear.

"You can't stop that hing."

Kunikida quirks an eyebrow, "Really? Tell us what you know."

Atsushi starts trying to run again, " That thing is after me! It tried to kill me! If its been seen then I should go now!"

Tanizaki looked at Atsushi, "How can the tiger be after you if you are the tiger?"

Atsushi pushed his fingers together, embarrassed. "Well…"

Dazai interrupted him, with a smile, "He didn't know he was the tiger."

Ranpo blinked, "You didn't know?"

"Yea, but now that I look back on it, it was obvious," Atsushi replied, "I never actually saw it, just felt it or saw it in reflections. I never looked at it."

Dazai narrowed his eyes again, Still, having some sort of awareness is impressive. Most people with monster abilities have no idea what they are doing.

I guess this is just more evidence for Shin Soukoku's inevitable success.

Kunikida drops him and jumps on top of him, "Pay for the food or I'll take your arm."

Dazai sighs, "Now, Now Kunikida, you always turn questioning into an interrogation, The Boss has spoken to you about this. Let me try"

Kunikida lets up Atsushi and Dazai sts next to him, "What do you know about this Tiger?"

"The tiger attacked my orphanage, it ruined our vegetables and destroyed our chickens. We had no money left and we were already on a tight budget, they had to let some people go."

The screen shifted to Atsushi standing in front of the gates of an orphanage, the adults who ran the place, screaming the same lines from earlier at him.

"Oh Atsushi.." Yosano trailed off.

Atsushi tightened up his shoulders, "It's fine.."

Kenji patted his head again, "It's really not ok. You should've run away earlier instead of getting kicked out."

Dazai closed his eyes and spoke, "Someone with an ability would've found you eventually."

Atsushi wondered what he meant by that.

Dazai interrupted the flashback, " That's a tragic tale."

Kunikida spoke next, "The tiger?"

Atsushi responded, "It shows up wherever I go, like its tracking me. I saw it when I was walking around the next town over."

The flashback appeared, Atsushi looking deformed in a small glass orb on screen, a tiger's growl reverberating throughout the scene.

Two eyes flashed in the dark and people screamed, "It's the tiger! RUN!"

Atsushi ran as he narrated, "I've been seeing it for about two weeks before the orphanage kicked me out. My instincts tell me that it's come looking for me."

"Some fucking instincts," Ranpo said, "It's even funnier when you know that you are the tiger."

Atsushi chuckled, "Yea I barely even remember that one flashback, I just remember seeing it everywhere."

"Your ability is an odd one," Yosano said, scratching her arm, "It's very powerful and versatile. I think it's one of the strongest physically in the agency"

Atsushi flushed, "Thank you, Dr Yosano."

Dazai's voice was eerily calm, "When was the last time you saw this thing following you?"

Atsushi looked up, "About four days ago, in Sudami "

Kunikida looked at his notebook, "That matches our intel as well."

"Atsushi, Are you free later?" Dazai asked, almost at random.

The camera zoomed in on Atsushi again, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Your bad feeling is correct!" Dazai said with a smile on his face.

Atsushi groaned.

Kyouka tugged on his sleeve again, "What's going to happen, Atsushi?"

"Dazai is going to use me as bait for the tiger."

Kyouka cocked her head, "But you are the tiger?"

Atsushi sighed, "But I didn't know that at the time."

Kyouka nodded in understanding.

Dazai turned his back on Atsushi, clearly writing something on a piece of paper. "As the target, you provide us with an excellent opportunity. You are going to help us find the tiger!"

"FORGET IT" Atsushi stood up, looking terrified, "NO WAY."

Dazai handed Kunikida the piece of paper he had been writing on, "Kunikida, please give this to the president."

Kunikida looked skeptical, "You two are going to catch the beast? We should be confirming his info first."

Fukuzawa narrowed his gaze at Dazai, "You are supposed to check information before you act."

Dazai shook his head, "I already had figured out Atsushi was the tiger at this point. I didn't need to fact check anything because at the time, I already had all the info I needed to figure it out."

Ranpo nodded in agreement, "It's not a hard case to solve if you paid attention to Atsushi's body movements and speech."

Kunikida sighed, "And yet I didn't notice it."

Dazai smirked, "It'll be fine."

Kunikida reluctantly took the paper.

"Are you kidding? You're just gonna use me as bait!" Atsushi shouted.

Dazai gave a cheeky smile, "There's a reward."

Atsushi looked incredibly nervous at that as another title card popped up, "Currently penniless."

"Re.. reward?"

"Same" Ranpo grinned at Atsushi.

"W..What?"

"I'd be live-bait for a tiger for that amount of money," Ranpo shifted his position on the couch, moving an aggravated looking Yosano.

Atsushi sighed dramatically, "I obviously agree."

"You can't tempt me with money!" he shouted turning his back onto Dazai.

"But just so we are clear….. How much is it worth again?"

Dazai's cheeky smile grew, "About this much." He held up a piece of paper, which Atsushi slowly turned around to glance at.

His face turned to absolute shock at the amount.

Naomi laughed, "Damn Atsushi, you really were penniless."

Tanizaki put his arm around her, "Why were we offering that much anyway?"

Fukuzawa answered him, " People will do anything for money, especially loosen their tongues."

A title card showed another shift in setting.

The scene of an old abandoned warehouse was shown. The lights of Yokohama danced on the water.

Atsushi and Dazai were shown, sitting on boxes. Dazai was reading a book.

"Dazai, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what are you reading?"

"A good book"

Atsushi sighed, "I'm surprised you can read in the dark."

"I have excellent night vision. Plus, I've read this book before."

The book is shown, reading the "Complete Guide to Suicide" on the cover.

Everyone facepalmed simultaneously.

"Why am I not surprised?" Atsushi groaned.

Kyouka narrowed her eyes, "I still don't understand, Do you not serve some sort of purpose within the agency? You cannot die, because you are important."

Dazai blinked a couple of times, "Maybe I just don't like living. Maybe my suicide attempts are for pleasure."

"For pleasure?"

Kunikida smacked Dazai before he could answer.

"DON'T TEACH HER YOUR BRAIN-DEAD LOGIC!"

"Why are you reading it again then"

Dazai sounded a bit annoyed when he replied, "A good book is always good."

Atsushi smiled, before curling into himself. "Will the tiger really track me down here?"

"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT!" Naomi shouted.

Kenji frowned at Dazai with annoyance in his soft brown eyes, "That's very rude, Dazai. You scared him."

Dazai closed his eyes, "It was important so he would anticipate that the tiger would show up," he opened his eyes again, "Whether it showed itself inside him or not."

"Yea."

Atsushi almost screamed in fear.

Dazai was calmly reading as he replied, "When it shows up, it will be no match for me, I may not look it but I am part of the Armed Detective Agency for a reason."

Atsushi looked down again, "I admire your confidence. They called me good-for-nothing at the orphanage for as long as I can remember. Now, I don't even know what my future holds anymore."

Another flashback of the orphanage occured, the same hate-filled words, Atsushi spoke alongside the flashback, "No one would mind if I died in a ditch somewhere."

Atsushi could feel the tears dripping down his face now, remembering the absolute crushing despair of that moment. He had thought that he was going to die by the claws of a blood-thirsty tiger and he had accepted his fate.

He felt a small hand reach up and attempt to wipe away his tears and he opened his eyes to see Kyouka. Her face was solemn as she wrapped him in be same crushing embrace that he had done to her on the train and she whispered, "I would care, Atsushi."

He held onto her and sobbed into her shoulder, almost gasping in shock as another weight fell into his shoulder.

He raised his head slightly, seeing Dazai's warm tan coat pressed against his body. He closed his eyes, for the first time in a while feeling like he belonged somewhere, barely noticing as the rest of the ADA joined in.

They stayed like that for several minutes until Maddie awkwardly cleared her throat, the screen had paused as they held onto each other.

Ranpo untangled himself first and sat back down the others following suit and as soon as Atsushi's tears had dried, the video played again.

Dazai's face showed no emotion as Atsushi said brokenly, "Maybe I'd be better off eaten by a tiger."

Atsushi squeezed his eyes shut and felt Kyouka gently grab for his hand, sliding hers into his.

"You'll be ok, Atsushi."

He couldn't help but feel embarrassed, given he had just pulled her from hell. And now she was here with a bunch of people she barely knew. But she seemed ok with it, and if she was, he bet he could be too.

"Well, it'll probably be soon"

He looked up seeing the clouds shift and the moon shining through. A loud noise startled Atsushi out of his depressive state.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

Dazai didn't even flinch as he replied, "Probably the wind."

Atsushi screamed at him, "ARE YOU KIDDING? IT'S THE TIGER. IT'S COME TO EAT ME."

Tanizaki laughed, "Knowing that you are the tiger makes this entire scene much funnier."

Atsushi blushed furiously, burying his face into his hands as Kenji patted him sympathetically.

"I really was overreacting.."

Dazai snapped his book closed. "Calm down. A tiger doesn't just show up."

Atsushi was growing frustrated as he yelled at Dazai, who calmly spoke.

"Your story doesn't add up. An orphanage wouldn't kick out a kid just because of a food shortage. Kicking out one kid wouldn't put a dent. Instead it would make sense to transfer kids to a different orphanage. However it is more likely they realized who the tiger actually was."

"If any unsuspecting viewer was watching this they could've figured this out for themselves," Ranpo pointed out, "The clues were all there and all one had to do is piece them together."

Naomi rolled her eyes, "Or if they know stories very well, they can just guess that the main character would have a power." She adjusted her position before continuing , "It seems obvious."

Ranpo looked into her eyes and very slowly took a bite out of his chocolate bar.

Dazai jumped down from his ledge. Atsushi stared at him, "Who?"

"You and the tiger appeared in this city, two weeks ago." Dazai stated.

The moon glowed gently and Atsushi's eyes seemed to glow blue as the moon covered them.

"The Armed Detective Agency handles those with supernatural gifts. The people at the orphanage didn't tell you, huh."

A pulse and Atsushi was surrounded by a blue ring as he began to transform. Dazai watching calmly from the sidelines.

Atsushi blinked.

"Do I really look like that when I transform?"

"I've never seen it," Kenji replied, "But that looks painful."

Atsushi sighed, "Yea it does, but it doesn't really hurt that much."

Dazai nodded, "Abilities aren't built to harm their user, but some can be activated through pain." He decided not to make a mention of a Port Mafia member who worked like that.

And the tiger emerged, charging at Dazai who expertly dodged.

Dazai smiled, "You are the tiger, Atsushi."

The tiger and Dazai danced around each other, Dazai commenting lightly, "Impressive you could snap someone's neck."

"Are you seriously thinking of death when the tiger could eat you?" Kunikida asked, stopping his incessant note-taking, to glare at Dazai.

Dazai's voice was flat as he responded, "Yes."

"Geez," Kunikida managed an impressive eye roll.

He dodged again, his feet sliding into a wall. "Hm, this isn't a bad way to die at all. Getting eaten by a tiger."

Dazai watched the tiger jump, its claws and teeth sharp and ready for the kill.

"But you can't kill me," he said, activating his ability, its white light flooding the warehouse.

"My ability is…"

And a title card was displayed with the words, "No Longer Human" written on them, the symbols activating, sliding against each other effortlessly.

"WOW!" Kenji said, "That's really cool-looking!"

Naomi nodded eagerily, "It fits the whole aesthetic of the show quite well and explains the ability name!"

Dazai smirked, "My ability isn't really impressive in real life but in this show, it looks way cooler."

"No Longer Human."

With his fist glowing, Dazai punched the tiger in the face. His white light eating up the tiger's blue light.

"I can neutralize anyone else's ability. It works through a touch"

The lightshow stopped to reveal Atsushi, with his eyes closed, Dazai's hand on his forehead. Atsushi landed onto Dazai's chest.

Dazai shoved him to the floor, "I have no such tastes in men."

"DAZAI!" Kunikida shouted at him.

"What?"

"YOU DON'T SHOVE AN INJURED BOY TO THE FLOOR? THAT'S NOT ETHICAL."

"Whoops" answered Dazai.

"HEY DAZAI," said Kunikida's voice as he and a group of people walked into the warehouse.

"You're late, Kunikida!" Dazai called, "I've captured the predator."

"It's him?" Kunikida asked, approaching.

"Yep, he can change into a tiger," Dazai shrugged.

"Damnit Dazai," Kunikida said, "You should be more specific,about this note."

"The tiger will be in the warehouse, secure the perimeter," Dazai read off,"What a concise note!"

"Oh yea?, Well I thought this would need tons of backup so I brought everyone, even people who weren't on call."

The group of people who had followed Kunikida in stepped into the light.

"Hey it's us!" Ranpo said, swirling his ramun marble.

Yosano muttered, "I hope we get a good introduction."

"You owe them a drink."

"We never got one by the way"

Kenji turned to Dazai, "Just another thing to add to your tab."

Dazai's face scrunched up, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey!" said a chipper voice, running up to Atsushi.

Two pairs of legs followed, one in stocking and the other in red heels.

The red heels stopped, revealing a woman, with a title card next to her, "Yosano Akiko, Ability: Thou Shalt Not Die."

Her voice was bored out of her mind, "There are no casualties? Talk about boring."

Tanizaki laughed out loud and a grin grew on his face as he looked at Yosano, "Of course the first thing you would say would be about death or boredom."

Yosano glowered at him, "Do you want a treatment?"

Tanizaki waved his hands around in front of him, " You can't treat someone who's ok at the moment."

Yosano took out a knife, "I could make you unwell."

A loud swallowing sound was heard as Tanizaki went silent.

The other pair of shoes stopped, "You've gotten better at solving cases, Dazai." A man wearing glasses was revealed, his card reading "Edogawa Ranpo, Ability: Ultra Deduction."

He smirked, "But let me solve the big ones."

"Don't worry Ranpo," Dazai answered the on screen counterpart, "I will."

Ranpo beamed at him.

Naomi leaned over to Kenji, "Why does his title card have an ability on it? He doesn't have one?"

Kenji just shrugged.

The last one crouched next to Atsushi, "What will we do when he wakes up?"

His card read "Kenji Miyazawa. Ability: Be Not Defeated by The Rain."

"He didn't know he could do this," Kenji finished.

Kunikida fixed his glasses, a title card appearing next to him as well, "Kunikida Doppo, Ability: Doppo Poet."

Ranpo spoke up, "Hey Kunikida. Why does your ability have your name in it?"

Kunikida looked up from his notebook, "Not sure, I never really questioned it."

Fukuzawa answered, "Abilities don't have an explanation for why they are named the way they are. All we know is that you know their names instinctively after it manifests."

Atsushi blinked, "I never thought about why I knew my ability's name after I got it."

"Its an unexplained mystery," Kyouka murmured, "I knew mine since I was very little."

"Really now?" Dazai asked her.

She turned her head away from him, nodding.

"What will we do now?" He asked.

Dazai grinned, "I've made up my mind."

His card flashed, "Dazai Osamu. Ability: No Longer Human."

Dazai looked at Atsushi laying on the floor, "He's going to join us."

Dazai had a flashback to Atsushi telling him that no one cared about him. His face softened.

"AWWWW" Naomi sang, "Dazai cares!"

Dazai decided not to strangle Naomi and instead stared at the floor, slightly embarrassed. He turned his head to see his apprentice giving him a wide grin. He awkwardly smiled back, knowing in his heart that the smile would leave when his past was revealed.

"COOL!" Kenji said.

"Are you serious?" Yosano asked, Ranpo looking bored next to her.

"Dazai you are an idiot." he told Dazai.

Kunikida immediately started yelling as Kenji pet Atsushi, "There there were-tiger."

"GET UP ATSUSHI!" Dazai said happily, just as Atsushi woke up.

"How odd." said Dazai's inner voice, "In a detective agency full of eccentrics, i feel like something big is about to happen."

"That's one thing we can call ourselves," Fukuzawa put his hand on his head, "Full of eccentrics."

They all chuckled at that, even Kunikida.

Kyouka just cocked her head and looked back at her now cold tofu. These people were so much nicer than Akutagawa. They didn't yell or hurt her and she was beginning to like staying here, curled up next to Atsushi. She lowered her head…

She'd go back to Akutagawa eventually. He would kill them to get to her.

Atsushi pulled himself off the ground. "Who are you?" He murmured at Kenji, who opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Dazai.

"Do you remember anything that happened?"

Atsushi narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Huh," Dazai said as a way of response, "Your right arm didn't change back."

"Huh?" Atsushi raised his right hand, revealing a tiger paw.

He blinked a couple of times before screaming as a title card formed next to him, "Atsushi Nakajima. Ability; Beast Beneath the Moonlight."

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT SCARED ME!" Atsushi shouted over their laughter, " I THOUGHT DAZAI HAD GLUED THAT THING TO MY ARM."

That comment made them all laugh harder at their resident tiger's own cluelessness and the fact that he thought it was a prank.

Atsushi was flushing even harder until he heard laughter from next to him and saw even Kyouka was laughing at him.

She looks way happier.

Dazai spoke, distracting him, "Atsushi Nakajima, from this day forward you are the new member of the Armed Detective Agency."

Atsushi blinked, "Uh, what…"

The screen went blank and the ADA was silent.

"That's it?" Kenji said, standing up.

Naomi laughed, "Definitely not, we still have many more episodes."

Kenji stared at her, "OH…"

Atsushi wondered how much of what happened at the orphanage would be shown. He knew that the ADA cared for him and would support him no matter what, but some part of him wondered if TV logic applied to his own life now and if the ADA would be in danger because of him. He ran through every thought he'd had since joining the ADA, but soon found this to be fruitless had no idea what he had been thinking about, but he hoped that the TV show format wouldn't find a way to implement these thoughts into itself.

He watched the ADA members talk and laugh about the show and he took a deep breath.

Whatever happened didn't matter, as long as they were all here with him.

A small hand grabbed for his and he looked down at Kyouka, who gave him a smile, and he returned it.