CHAPTER III

One Who Has Control of the Language May Change The Narrative

"What the hell are you saying?" Dazai's voice was strangled. His wrist didn't shake. Much. He snarled, "I'm not in the mood for tricks—"

"It's not a trick!" She said, exasperated. "If you delay me, I won't be able to do anything!"

Dazai grit his teeth hard but he pulled his gun away from her. She breathed, barely. She stood up slowly, as to not startle him, and with her hands still up, moved over to Odasaku's limp figure. She could feel the gun pointed at the back of her head however. "Fine. You fail, and my last act as a Port Mafia member will be putting a bullet between your eyes," he said with a cold growl.

How charming. Really, how is it that you don't have a girlfriend already? She thought to herself with a grimace as she knelt by Odasaku's body. She looked at his face. He looked like he was asleep. For a man that lost hope in living, he looked oddly peaceful. She glanced at the white haired man, across from them. She felt a bthmp suddenly in her chest.

Another vision was coming!

"Ugh—" She held her head. Dazai growled.

"What the hell is going on with you now? Are you trying to buy yourself time?" He fired off a warning shot at the ceiling, shattering a glass chandelier that fell with a crash behind him. She jolted.

"It's a vision! Give me a second! Please!" She cried out, holding her head.

Dazai was not in the mood but not like she could stop him from shooting her. Especially as her vision took over her reality for a split second. Her eyes widened. In front of her stood Dazai from four years in the future. He was dressed differently, a sad expression on his face as he sat at the grave of his best friend. Oda Sakunosuke was on the tomb. "I miss you, old friend," Dazai murmured, holding a pack of cigarettes from Bar Lupin in his hand.

With a gasp, the girl was brought back to reality. She panted. What the hell was that? She'd never had a vision that far in the future before but for some reason she knew it had been four years? How did she know that. Her heart raced. Why was Oda dead in the future? Wasn't her ability going to change the outcome? She glanced at the white haired man and then back to Oda. Her heart sank.

"Oh no…" she paled.

"What?" Dazai prowled around her, impatient and at the end of his fuse.

"I...I saw you… in the future," she said finally, weakly.

"Me?" Dazai's eyes narrowed.

"I can't explain it...somehow… even though I use my skill...your friend….your friend still dies," she said pained. Somehow, she knew it was by the hand of the white haired man.

Dazai was quiet. Then he started to laugh. It was a psychotic laugh. One of a man who had been dangling to his sanity by a thread. "Of course he dies! Why wouldn't he!" Bemused he pointed his gun at her again with an empty smile. "Well, you've wasted enough of my time."

"Hold on!" She yelped holding up her hands. "My ability can still change the outcome!"

"You just said he still dies!" Dazai retorted, angrily.

"Yes! If nothing changes! Think! What caused his death? Huh?" She quickly pointed to the white haired man. "The reason I had a vision just now—I think it's tied to this man!"

"Wait, you're saying if you bring ...my…. if you bring Oda back...that this bastard lives too?" Dazai gnashed his teeth like he had fangs. He pointed his gun at the white haired man's corpse. A shot rang out, making the girl jolt.

"Bullshit." Dazai fumed.

He shot the corpse again.

And again.

"Bullshit."

Bang.

"Bullshit!"

BANG!

"There, now he's so riddled with holes I'd like to see him come back from that," Dazai said emptily.

The girl grimaced. Short fuse? More like no fuse. She knew she had no more time. He was going to shoot her, that much she could tell.

"Da…." She trailed off. She didn't want to use Dazai's name inappropriately. She swallowed. She wasn't close with this guy. "Mr. Osamu," she said formally. It sounded weird. Apparently Dazai wasn't used to being called Mr. Osamu either because he grimaced. "I think… there are certain times when my ability...conflicts with…"fate"."

"Fate?" Dazai repeated in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that something like "fate" exists?" He cackled. "Wow, I really am losing it. I'm going to shoot you now, okay?"

The girl groaned. "I mean that these two men are tied together! The white haired man mentioned that neither of them can live while the other survives! We just have to change the outcome so that your friend doesn't end up dying!"

Dazai paused.

She could see the wheels turning in his head. She hoped it meant he wasn't going to shoot her brains out. He pointed the gun at her. Okay, well, so much for that.

"Do it. Use your ability," he said coldly. "If you try anything you'll be joining this piece of shit on the other side."

She gulped. "Yes sir," she couldn't help but reply and it was half sarcastic. She grimaced. She saw his eyes narrow but just quickly pulled out her pen from her pocket. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. The floor under her began to glow. Around her words in multiple languages swirled. Alphabets swirled around her. She could see all the languages.

Dazai stepped back. "Runes?" He furrowed his brow as the dominant language of Runes presented itself to the girl. The girl didn't reply. She merely moved her pen swiftly in mid air putting the runes before her together as though she was writing on paper. She said what she wrote to herself as well as within earshot of Dazai. She figured she had nothing to hide about the contents.

"Even though Odasaku was fighting valiantly, his opponent was just as skilled as he was. As The two men exchanged blows, they exchanged conversation as well. Finally, as the last shot rang out, Odasaku's eyes widened, for a girl came seemingly out of nowhere, taking the shot in her left shoulder, in his place.—"

Dazai put his arm up as the blue light blinded everything in sight. He was alarmed and shut his eyes instinctively. It was so bright! When he opened them again, his pupils dilated from shock. He was back to being just outside the building! But how? His heart beat fast. He heard the gunshots upstairs. Had the girl done it? He grit his teeth. He had to see what the hell the outcome was. Dashing inside, he hoped beyond all hope that Odasaku would be alive.

Even though Odasaku was fighting valiantly, his opponent was just as skilled as he was. As The two men exchanged blows, they exchanged conversation as well. Finally, as the last shot rang out, Odasaku's eyes widened, for a girl came seemingly out of nowhere, taking the shot in her left shoulder, in his place.

Shit, she really hated this part of her job sometimes. If she didn't directly put herself in the way then fate would try to find a way to bring these two men back together—she knew it. She cried out in pain, clutching her shoulder and falling against Odasaku. Odasaku's expression changed to one of absolute bewilderment at the same time as Jeed's expression.

"What the actual fuck!" Jeed snarled, but the damage was done. Staggering back, he gripped his chest, as the blood poured out from the wound to his heart. "This isn't...how it's supposed to go…" He collapsed finally, leaving Odasaku breathing hard, with a few minor scrapes and a gunshot wound to his leg and shoulder—but nothing he couldn't recover from. With a groan, the girl staggered to her feet, clutching her shoulder.

"Sorry," she said to the absolutely shocked Odasaku who was just staring at her like she was a ghost.

"Who...are you…?" Odasaku couldn't help but ask, his blue eyes wide.

"Odasaku!" Dazai's strangled cry forced them both to look up. Odasaku's throat constricted. But before he could speak, Dazai knelt by him, his hands shaking. "Are...you okay?" Dazai's entire demeanor was like a terrified puppy.

"Ngh…" Odasaku groaned, sitting up more and holding his right shoulder. "Some light blows...nothing serious… thanks to her," he pointed to the girl who was trying not to lose consciousness from how much her shoulder really hurt. She grimaced. She wore bullet proof underclothes but damn her shoulder was sore. The bullet clattered to the ground, to Dazai and Odasaku's surprise. "Dazai...she...one of your crazy ideas?" He panted, looking at Dazai.

Dazai was quiet a moment, eyeing the girl. The girl felt uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. "No, he doesn't know me."

Odasaku was more confused. "Then, why?"

"Because," she hesitated but she knelt before Oda Sakunosuke, squatting and hugging her knees to her chest. "You can't honor the memories of those who have passed on...by giving up on your own life…" she spoke softly. The pain that flashed in Odasaku's eyes made her heart pang but she knew that she had done the right thing.

"I… don't have that right," Odasaku said, voice quaking.

"Odasaku! Enough talking. We'll discuss everything later, just let me get you some medical treatment!" Dazai tried to help his friend up but Odasaku pushed Dazai away with a grunt and stumbled backwards, shakily on his feet. Dazai let out a noise of surprise landing on his back. The girl blinked quickly, straightening up.

"I don't care! None of that matters anymore! I don't deserve to live in this world, or pursue anything worthwhile! Because of me….because of me… those kids are—" before Odasaku could finish, a loud resounding slap resounded in the room. Dazai's eyes widened along with Odasaku's.

They both looked wordlessly to the girl, whose eyes were filled with tears. "Don't...talk down on your existence like that!" She yelled at Odasaku. "We lose precious people every day—but that's no excuse to lay down and join them!"

"What the hell! I didn't ask for some brat to save me!" Odasaku yelled back, glaring at her. He grimaced, still in pain and Dazai hurried to his side to steady him.

"Odasaku— don't …" he glanced at the girl. "You…" he trailed off though. Though no words were exchanged, they both mutually understood that despite her ability, Dazai had perfect memory of the other outcome that had occurred.

"Dazai… I can't...go back to the Port Mafia," Odasaku said, strained. Dazai's eyes flickered.

"I know…" he sighed. "I'm leaving too," he admitted, cradling Odasaku by the shoulders.

"What?" Odasaku looked shocked. "You? Why?"

"Because…" Dazai trailed off, quietly.

"Because, like you, he realizes that helping others… regardless of how painful it can be...makes the world...just a little bit more beautiful," the girl replied, holding her shoulder as she smiled weakly at the two men. Oh no, a headache was seriously coming on. This was bad. She was going to faint. She used a lot of energy to change the outcome after all. Going back in time to undo a death was a lot more taxing on her.

She collapsed before she realized she was falling. Dazai and Odasaku's faint voices reached her ears. Had she done enough? Would Odasaku at least try even a little? As her vision shifted to black, she couldn't get the faces of those five orphans out of her mind. Her gift was truly a cruel thing… no matter how much good her gift could do, it couldn't save everyone after all.

The last thing she remembered was a gentle hand on her head, and a quiet voice that said "Thank you…"