Vol. 2
Ch. 14
Following The Voice Inside Your Heart
Alu continued to stare at Ranpo. She blinked, her tears drying a bit. She wiped her eyes. Ranpo just continued to stand in front of her, with that childish carefree grin on his face. "C'mon, you know you totally wanna join!" He said, chipper.
Alu wondered if everything she'd been building up to emotionally inwardly had just gone over his head. Honestly, that didn't surprise her. He seemed the type to not be able to read social cues. "Um…" she blinked up at him. She felt awkward and didn't know why he was giving her his hat. Was it symbolic?
She tried to give it back but he was already walking away back towards the other members of the Armed Detective Agency. Alu felt awkward. She wiped her eyes furiously. There were police here now handling the children, some bald guy talking with Ango, and well, she realized that besides Odasaku—Dazai had disappeared?
That's right, other stuff was going on.
She needed to focus on at least making sure those kids were okay! And, besides, even if she felt like she shouldn't ask selfishly for the chance to stay in this city longer, it didn't mean she should alarm everyone with her tears. Get it together, she thought to herself, rubbing her eyes furiously.
Juubi just growled in the back of her mind. He hated anyone in a government uniform, not that Alu could blame him. The law wasn't always kind to someone like them.
Yosano looked at her and then gazed at Ranpo as he trotted over. "Hey, shouldn't we give her time to decide?" Yosano asked, actually concerned about Alu's apparent fragile mental state.
Fukuzawa and Kunikida were in agreement with Yosano but Ranpo merely shrugged. "Eh? She's totally gonna come around and say yes, I'm not wrong about these things, ya know~" he said, confidently, hands on his hips like the sassy little detective he was.
"Ranpo, read the room," Kunikida said, deadpan, rubbing his temples.
Alu took Ranpo's hat off and looked at it in her hands. She felt a mixture of emotions. You should leave before you get too attached, Juubi remarked, matter-of-fact, in her mind. You saved those damn brats. Let's leave town, before you get all kinds of government whack jobs tryin' to capture us. I thought you were wanting to be low key.
Alu grimaced. You know, you're the reason I have to be low key! If I let you out you go and do whatever you like…
Hmph. I hate humans, so of course if I'm out I'll gladly rip one or two to shreds~ he hummed in her mind.
Alu inwardly sighed. Her inner fox demon could really be childish sometimes. I think you're right, she admitted though, gazing at Ranpo's hat, depressed. I want to stay here but I think that's just selfish at this point. I need to let things take their natural course—my lack of visions, must have something to do with the fact that there isn't anything more I can do here…
Oh? I thought you hated admitting when I'm right? Juubi seemed surprised if not a bit smug. He liked being right. He liked it even better when Alu acknowledged he was right.
I helped that man and his orphans, Alu replied, but the truth is, I don't know what else I'm doing here. Not to mention, you've attracted me more attention than I really wanted to let on. Although, I'm grateful to you for earlier…Thank you Juubi…for saving those people.
Juubi was actually silent.
If he was going to say something, it was interrupted by Ango's voice.
"Do you have a moment?" Ango approached Alu and Alu blinked, looking at him, unguarded.
Odasaku was still wary but didn't think that Ango would pull anything anymore now that there were so many people—including police and his own boss, that guy —Taneda— around.
Fukuzawa quietly observed everything. How things unfolded would depend on that girl in the end, he concluded.
Kunikida, Yosano, and Ranpo just watched on as Ango approached Alu. Odasaku kept hanging onto the little girl in his arms, tasked with keeping her out of the hands of Taneda's agents as was Alu's wish.
"What is it?" Alu asked, eyes dry again. She looked at Ango, still holding Ranpo's hat in her hands.
"Earlier," Ango began, "You asked if you could ask me a question…but I realized…you never did get a chance to ask it."
Alu blinked. Oh. That's right. She had meant to ask him something.
Alu tilted her head at him. "Oh, I forgot," she said sheepishly.
Ango felt awkward. "Oh, right, of course, then, that is all," he said gruffly, turning away, stiff.
Alu's eyes flickered. She hadn't forgotten. But it wasn't a question she wanted to ask in front of so many people.
Ango paused again. He sighed. "Are you really going to join the Armed Detective Agency?" He asked her, gazing at her over his shoulder.
Alu looked at Ranpo's hat. Ranpo seemed confident she'd say yes. On some level, it would make sense to join. She'd have job security for one, a roof over her head for another, and on top of that, the ability to keep helping people with some sort of agency protection from other organizations that would seek to recruit her—or capture her. But… Her expression was distressed.
"She'll decide when she's ready," Yosano said curtly, glaring at Ango, a hand on her hip, coming over to where Alu was.
Alu didn't want to let anyone down. But it seemed that Ranpo's expectation that she would choose the agency wasn't wrong. Alu did want to say yes. She wanted to say yes so badly. But, she just couldn't allow herself to commit. If she did, she could no longer be an unbiased agent of her own making.
"She's still a child," Chief Taneda pointed out, coming over as well. He was an older man, wearing traditional swordsman attire, but his eyes were sharp. Alu felt a shiver.
Why did it feel like a cold dunk of water washed over her just then?
"And what is your point?" Fukuzawa said calmly, stepping over to where Yosano and Alu were standing with Ango and Taneda, now. Ranpo followed in tow. Kunikida found himself hanging back awkwardly with Odasaku. They honestly didn't know what was going on.
"My point, President Fukuzawa," Taneda continued with a smile, "is that perhaps she should be taken under the wing of The Department of Unusual Powers."
Alu looked at Taneda and Ango, confused. She was a bit alarmed and suspicious as well. She knew without a doubt that Taneda had used some sort of ability on her. "You," she said, gazing at Taneda. "You just used your ability on me, didn't you?" She bluntly called him out for it, drawing some surprise from Fukuzawa who hadn't realized Taneda was using his ability to assess another person's ability on her at all! It would make sense though. As far as he knew, Taneda and her hadn't formally met before now.
"My apologies," Chief Taneda nodded, "it seems your fox ability—as you refer to it— is constantly in an active state within you…it seems my ability just picked up on its presence."
Alu's eyes flickered. Oh, so she wouldn't have been able to conceal Juubi's existence for too long from this sort of person. She knew that when Juubi had been released a month ago that it would be pointless to act like nothing had happened. But she also had a feeling as to why someone like Taneda would want her to go to his agency. It wasn't because he actually would value her. In fact, he seemed rather cold. She couldn't explain it, but there was a lack of warmth to this man than what she actually felt with Fukuzawa.
"I think, between you and President Fukuzawa….you still have a ways to go before you can call yourself a leader," Alu found herself saying, deadpan.
Ango's eyes widened with horror.
Everyone—even Ranpo, stared at her stunned at the way she addressed Taneda. Even president Fukuzawa did a head swivel.
Chief Taneda merely chuckled after a moment of silence. "Oh my, that is quite a scorching review," he joked.
"Uh, sir, I'm sure she didn't mean it like that," Kunikida said quickly.
Ango nodded as well. "Please excuse her, she is still young," he said additionally.
"No," Chief Taneda chuckled again, "In my line of work, it's hard to come across truly honest people who speak from the heart. I appreciate your honesty, young lady," he said, extending his hand out to her. "I'm Chief Taneda of the Division of Unusual Powers…if you'd consider this unworthy leader a possible employer, please do, consider it."
Alu looked at the hand extended to her. She closed her eyes. A lot of emotions were lumped inside herself, but she knew that this wasn't the type of person who takes a simple no as an answer. Well, maybe she could use this to her advantage if the time called for it. Alu was calculating though she didn't act it outwardly. She took his hand and shook it. "Alright," she said finally, "I'll consider it."
Her response left Ranpo completely stunned.
"Wait!" He yelped, popping between them, and breaking them up comically by spreading out his arms like a scarecrow between them. "Time out! That's not how this is supposed to go!" He complained, looking at Alu with a look of utter betrayal when someone learns who took the last cookie from the cookie jar—specifically Ranpo's cookie jar.
Alu quirked a brow at him. "Okay Mr. Know-it-All, how is it supposed to go?" She asked, a hand on her hip, the other hand still clutching that damn hat of Ranpo's. Oh, she could give it back now, she mused.
Officer Taneda also looked at Ranpo, though his expression wasn't readable to Alu. However, he seemed rather used to Ranpo's behavior.
"Well! First I give you the hat and then you say, "'Yes! I will join! Thanks for being awesome, Ranpo!'" He whined at her like a child.
The others just kinda stared. They had no comment on Ranpo's behavior. Only President Fukuzawa and Yosano, who had known Ranpo the longest, knew that he was actually throwing a tantrum because once again, Alu wasn't acting according to his deductions.
Alu found herself wondering why Ranpo cared so much about whether or not she joined. Honestly, she couldn't figure it out. With someone like Kunikida, Yosano, or even President Fukuzawa, she could believe it was because they saw she was someone trustworthy. However, Ranpo?
"You still didn't answer my question from before," Alu said, crossing her arms, looking at him.
"Eh?" Ranpo huffed. "Well I got distracted by stuff that was going on!" He complained.
"Do you have the answer now?" Alu asked, wondering if she'd get one that was actually legitimate.
"Sure I do!" Ranpo said confidently, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, with a grin.
Alu waited.
Chief Officer Taneda waited.
The Members of the Armed Detective Agency waited.
Odasaku, who had waved away the officers who wanted to take the little girl originally, also waited.
Ranpo smiled hugely. "I totally forgot, what was the question?" He asked, puzzled.
Fukuzawa casually face palmed like a gentleman.
Yosano just put a hand over her mouth, with a small chuckle. That was so like Ranpo.
Kunikida wanted to hit him. How do you do this, Ranpo?! How can someone so brilliant…be like this? He admired Ranpo, again, for his skill of deduction but really… what the hell, Ranpo.
Alu actually found herself smiling. She handed the hat Ranpo had given her out to him. "I think this belongs to you."
Ranpo pouted and looked away. "'No. It's yours!"
Alu blinked, puzzled. "Um, no, I'm pretty sure it was yours first," she said, exasperated.
"Idiot!" Ranpo huffed, wagging a finger at her, "I'm saying, it's a present! It's for you!"
Alu blinked. "Huh?" She found herself asking, blank. "But you're not the kind of person to do random acts of kindness for others? In fact you're most likely really lazy, eat junk food all day, and go around flexing how much smarter you are than everyone else, like some kind of cocky bastard?"
Kunikida put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. It just wouldn't be appropriate.
Yosano however just began to giggle. "Wow, Ranpo, she really has you pegged," she said, grinning at Ranpo with a smirk, swinging an arm casually over his shoulder. They were around the same height—but it was possible Yosano was actually the same height as Alu.
Ranpo actually started to turn red, blushing due to the confusion making his face warm. "Hey! Leave the deductions to me!" He whined at Alu.
"Despite this," Fukuzawa said calmly, falling into line next to Yosano and Ranpo. "Ranpo says it is a present. If it is too much pressure, you don't have to accept it. Please, excuse him. He doesn't mean to put you on the spot."
Alu looked to Officer Taneda and then everyone else. Before she could speak, an officer came over to Chief Taneda. "Chief Taneda," he said politely, "the children are all accounted for, however we can't seem to take that one girl from that man," he pointed in the direction of Odasaku who was hanging back from everything, still holding onto the little girl.
"Oh?" Chief Taneda blinked. "Why is that girl different?" He asked curiously. He looked to Ango for clarification.
Ango pursed his lips. Right, report time it would seem. He should of course inform Chief Taneda about the threat that little girl posed. After all, she had used her powers to attack them and she clearly worked for the British woman even if she didn't actually have much information herself on the inner workings of the British woman's deeper plans for her time in Japan. "Sir," he began but his eyes fell on Alu.
She was just gazing at him, with that damn smile of hers. As though to say, "I won't blame you for what you choose to do." As if to reiterate this, she just tilted her head, and addressed him. "That girl is different because she happens to be under my care—although I asked Mister Oda to help out since I don't have all the resources needed at this time to care for her on my own."
Ango could feel Odasaku as well, eyeing him.
Odasaku was waiting for Ango to take the little girl from them. Even though it was Alu's wish that she stay with him, Odasaku knew better than to resist a government official. If the Department of Unusual Powers were to take this girl into custody, there wasn't anything he'd be able to do about it. He tensed a bit, worried about how Alu would handle that turn of events, honestly.
"The truth is," Ango's voice was cold and clear, "…that girl is actually one of the victims. Since she is an ability user, it seems the British woman was exploiting her for her own gain."
Alu kept gazing at Ango, honestly surprised but she knew instantly what he was doing. Odasaku as well was very confused. This was Ango. Ango of the "follow the rules" mentality. Was he actually lying to his own boss? Was it to protect the girl? Or prove a point to Alu and Dazai? Honestly, Odasaku didn't know the answer. He turned to talk to Dazai and his eyes widened with alarm. There was no trace of Dazai in that large factory room.
Dazai was gone like a phantom.
"Oh?' Chief Taneda scratched his head. "I know all about you, Oda Sakunosuke," he continued, looking at Odasaku though it wasn't judgemental or with an air of hostility. "You are the young man who has taken it upon himself to take in the orphans from the Dragon head incident two years ago and Ango has told me a great deal about you."
Odasaku grimaced. Of course Ango had. He had been a spy after all. Odasaku didn't have much in the way of a past that went beyond what Ango already knew. Not like he had anything to hide. "Yes," he found himself saying politely. "Though, I no longer… work in what I used to do."
"Yes, he did inform me!" Officer Chief Taneda said, with a huge smile. "Actually, that offer for that girl extends to you as well!"
Fukuzawa looked at Officer Chief Taneda like, how many other potential employees are you planning on poaching from me today? Fukuzawa found himself oddly frustrated. It bubbled under the surface but he wasn't one to give outbursts easily and in the end, it was their choice.
"Oh, thanks," Odasaku replied, blankly, "but I already have a new place of employment."
Fukuzawa's eyes widened a little. Yosano smiled.
"Oh?" Officer Taneda glanced at Fukuzawa. "So he took you up on your offer?"
Fukuzawa looked to Odasaku for clarification, honestly. He didn't want to assume. But he found himself, actually hoping just a little. If Odasaku was willing to turn over a new leaf and entrust that to Fukuzawa's organization, then Fukuzawa would of course honor that.
"Yes," Odasaku said, and it actually felt like he was no longer drowning in the dark. A small light was at the end of all this. And also…
"People only exist to save themselves…"
He recalled faintly saying that, but how? And When? Why did it sound so sad? He knew it was based on what he'd read by that novelist he talked with back when he was a teenager himself no older than 15. But was that true? His eyes fell on Alu. Alu gazed at him, though her expression was just observant with a small smile. He couldn't read what was going on in that girl's mind. However, she proved that she didn't fall into that category again and again. Could he also…possibly change that way of thinking?
Odasaku smiled, and for the first time, he felt like his world was just a little bit more beautiful with people like her and the Armed Detective Agency in it. "Yes," he said again. "I am Oda Sakunosuke, Private Investigator of the Armed Detective Agency."
Kunikida blinked and he patted Odasaku on the shoulder, honestly thrilled to have a decent person working there that wasn't Dazai. "Hey! That's great to hear!"
Yosano herself looked at Fukuzawa smiling. "So, it seems we have gained a valuable individual, President."
Fukuzawa nodded to Odasaku, with a small pleased smile. "Yes, it is good to have you."
Officer Chief Taneda sighed with a dejected huff. "Oh, darn, seems I was too late with my offer," he laughed, looking at Ango. "So, you say this girl happens to be one of the victims, then?"
Ango pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Lying was not something he liked to do when it was on his own side. But, there was something about that girl. Something about her, just moved him. He couldn't apologize properly for almost killing her.
There were no words to fix that.
And if there were, she had said herself that she wasn't into pretty language. In a lot of ways, he actually respected her for that. She was… someone that really was truly one of a kind.
"Yes. I used my ability and can certify that little girl is one of the victims. As an ability user, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep her here for the time being, under the care of the Armed Detective Agency, until further notice."
Chief Taneda nodded. "I see," he quieted, smiling, and gazing at the police officer again. "You may leave that girl then to P.I. Of the A.D.A., Oda," he said.
The police officer nodded. "Understood, sir."
Alu was relieved. That little girl would be taken care was great! Alu smiled at Ango. She sounded genuine and grateful. "Thank you, Agent Sakaguchi," she said, "…for your support in this matter!"
Ango couldn't look at her. He didn't deserve to look at someone like her who was shining brightly. He realized that maybe, this whole time, he had been the one who had gotten too comfortable lurking in the very shadows he fought to push back. He just nodded stiffly before turning away.
Chief Taneda laughed good naturedly. "Well! Today has been very exciting! So President Fukuzawa, I think it's safe to say that this matter regarding that British woman will be handled by my division. However if we need your assistance in the future, we'll definitely give your agents a call. Shame that Oda Sakunosuke already chose where he wanted to to work—his ability—Flawless— would have been a great asset to my team!"
President Fukuzawa nodded, respectful. "Yes, although that's not why I asked to recruit him," he said, gazing at where Odasaku was holding the little girl. Alu had gone over to check on her and they were talking almost themselves.
"Oh?" Chief Taneda tilted his head. "What other reason would there be?"
Fukuzawa was quiet. The words that Alu spoke so sharply to Officer Chief Taneda, made sense to him now. He gazed at Chief Taneda, a bit irritated. He felt protective of those put under his care. When Fukuzawa extended his wings to those in his care, he didn't do so lightly.
"I think, between you and President Fukuzawa….you still have a ways to go before you can call yourself a leader…"
Her words made sense to Fukuzawa. He realized what she had somehow deduced about Chief Taneda without even knowing him. In some ways, that girl could honestly be as sharp as Ranpo. President Fukuzawa smiled smally to himself. While Ranpo was logically a genius, he wondered if she was in a way, his foil. He handled matters of the mind, but this girl, it was possible entirely, that she managed matters of the heart.
"Do I need any specific reason?" President Fukuzawa found himself asking, Chief Taneda. He couldn't explain it, but he felt proud of the organization he led. He was proud of the agents within it. That girl, without knowing next to nothing about him, or Officer Taneda, had stated that he was a leader because… he put the value of his agents as people, not pawns.
"I suppose not," Chief Taneda smiled, bemused and lost in thought. Fukuzawa knew that it wasn't just underhanded organizations like the Port Mafia that would be after that girl. What Ranpo had predicted—was something even Fukuzawa knew without having it deduced. That girl would be seen as a tool regardless of the side she was on…Ranpo's concern about her future was completely verified by how Chief Taneda had approached her today…
And this made Fukuzawa angry.
"Alu!" Odasaku said suddenly, jolting everyone from their reverie. Kunikida and Yosano had moved quickly over to where Alu collapsed on the ground. Ranpo too, ran over. There had been no warning, but she lay there, unconscious like a doll.
Odasaku was already holding onto the little girl, but Ranpo and the others quickly were by their side. Kunikida gently lifted Alu's unconscious form into his arms. "What happened?" He asked Odasaku, alarmed.
Odasaku looked at the others, bewildered. "I don't know. She was just asking me about the little girl—and then she just…she just…collapsed."
Ranpo was quiet, but he looked at Yosano. "She's just drained," he said nonplussed. He sounded confused as to why the others were making a big deal out of this.
Yosano frowned, and she checked Alu's pulse. "Yes, Ranpo's correct," she said, with a sigh to the others. President Fukuzawa hurried over himself, leaving Chief Taneda to hang back with Ango.
"We should take her back," President Fukuzawa said, sharply. "Yosano, you will treat her."
Yosano nodded. "Of course, you got it!" She gave him a thumbs up.
Chief Taneda spoke up. "Ah, actually, she won't be going with you."
Everyone tensed, even Ranpo, looking at Chief Taneda. Ango as well, looked at the chief. Of course he shouldn't be surprised. This was the logical move. There was nothing wrong with it.
Chief Taneda gestured to the girl. "While it is true that Oda Sakunosuke may have found employment with you all, that girl has stated she hasn't. Therefore, until she makes her decision, we need to ensure she doesn't become a threat. You agree with me, don't you, Ango?"
Ango felt his blood running cold, no it was freezing. He felt his throat go dry. The members of the A.D.A. ; and even Odasaku: looked positively murderous. They had no intention of handing this girl over. In fact, even President Fukuzawa stepped between his agents and the Chief, glaring at the Chief. "That is her decision," he said sharply.
"Is it?" Chief Taneda mused, "I think you understand, President Fukuzawa, that first and foremost keeping the peace of Japan is why organizations like ours even exist in the first place.
While it's admirable that she does have high respect for you, it doesn't change the facts of this matter. She has a "fox demon" —as she calls her ability— and thus, it has shown itself to be dangerous when let out. If it wasn't for that chance encounter with that man, Osamu Dazai, could you really say that Japan—no… this includes your Head Quarters— wouldn't have taken some level of damage?"
President Fukuzawa couldn't argue with that. But still. Still. He grit his teeth. He couldn't argue with the logic. Honestly, the others couldn't either. Ranpo was quiet as well. After all, what Chief Taneda was saying had been what Ranpo had previously stated as well. "That may be true," Ranpo said loudly. "But I think we both know that she has already made her decision."
"Oh?" Chief Taneda tilted his head at Ranpo. "And what evidence do you have?" He wasn't being rude, or even hostile. He was just curious. After all, while he was just doing his job, for the Greater Good, he knew that the Armed Detective Agency had a tendency to rely too heavily on their hearts and not their minds.
"Just see for yourself," Ranpo said, beaming confidently. "That's all the evidence you'll be needing, Chief Taneda." It wasn't an opinion—-it was a fact.
The others, including the Chief, and Ango, looked to where he was pointing.
Chief Taneda's eyes fell on the girl in Kunikida's arms. There didn't seem to be any apparent evidence. She was slumped, head resting against Kunikida, and in her hand, she was still clutching Ranpo's hat. Even though she was unconscious, she hadn't let it go. Chief Taneda's eyes flickered. "Oh, I see now," he said, as it dawned on him. He chuckled a bit.
"It seems that your greatest detective, Ranpo, has done it again," he said brightly, to Fukuzawa with a chuckle.
Fukuzawa didn't quite know what that meant. Neither did the others. Ranpo just grinned, and put his hands behind his head. "Well duh, I am the best, after all!" He said, basking in his own praise like a fat cat taking in sunlight on a windowsill.
"Come Ango, I know when we're beat," he said, gesturing to Ango.
Ango was quiet But he obeyed, not one by his very strict nature to disobey.
He followed Chief Taneda as they finally departed with the other officers and the children to outside the abandoned factory. He knew that it was logical to want to take that girl into custody. It was logical to label her as the threat she posed potentially. All of it made sense. Even with his emotions involved, Ango couldn't shake his own sense of how things should be. He had his own ideals. They were just different from those of the Armed Detective Agency, it would seem. And yet, that made Ango suddenly feel a little down. Why? He liked his job. He liked Chief Taneda. He was making a change with everything he was doing in the Division of Unusual Powers. He was a man of the law first and foremost. Still.
Why did he suddenly feel jealousy for Odasaku finding his place with those people?
Ango didn't want to dwell on it. Stepping out into the harsh sunlight of the early morning, he merely followed Chief Taneda, quiet. He wanted to know what the plan was from here. "Come along, Ango," Chief Taneda said, getting into one of the black cars.
Ango nodded. He got in with the Chief. As the car drove off, Ango couldn't help but feel restless. He didn't know what to feel. This had been one hell of a night, was all he could finally conclude.
"Ango," Chief Taneda said, patting Ango's shoulder to get his attention.
Ango blinked. "Sorry, sir!" He said, with a gasp. He hadn't realized he had been ignoring his boss. "Yes?"
Chief Taneda chuckled. "It's not like you to be so jumpy." He rested his chin on his hand, elbow leaning on the inside window ledge, gazing at Ango with a bemused expression. "I do have to wonder though, what really happened?'
"What do you mean?" Ango said, feeling self-conscious.
"Well, it's not like you to lie to my face like that," Chief Taneda casually remarked, and for the first time, his tone was unamused and serious.
Ango flinched. Of course he had caught on. How stupid had he been? Thinking that he could fool this man of all people. Ango bowed his head, trembling slightly, palms sweaty as he dug his nails into his pants legs, the fabric just clenched under his fingers. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying. "I accept my punishment, sir."
There was a momentary silence. But then Chief Taneda began to laugh. Ango looked at him, completely and utterly confused. "You are as serious as ever, glad to know that didn't change overnight," Chief Taneda snickered. He wasn't angry at all. In fact, he found Ango to be amusing as always. Honestly, having his own stiff agent rebel at him a little bit because of that girl—no doubt—made Chief Taneda even more curious about what kind of person she was.
Ango felt his face go red. "Are…are you teasing me…sir?" He found himself pouting, heavily. He really didn't want to be seen as a joke.
"This isn't a bad thing," Chief Taneda hummed, looking out of the window as the car drove back towards the main road. "In fact, you actually made my job a lot easier."
Ango blinked. "Sir?"
Chief Taneda looked to him with the smile of a man who had a chance of winning against all odds. "You gained her trust. Now you can use that to get her to agree to become one of us."
Ango felt his heart sink somewhere into the floor. No it was left behind in the road at those words. "Become one of us?" He found himself repeating.
"Yes," Officer Taneda continued, gazing at Ango. "You know as well as I do that the A.D.A. isn't capable of protecting her the way we could. We can—unlike Fukuzawa—not only grant her citizenship, but ensure that she never has to worry financially about her prospects. She can prove she isn't a threat to Japan by proving her loyalty lies to this great country. Her power is truly extraordinary. I'd say it's on a level that goes beyond even anything in this known Universe, wouldn't you agree? Not having her at our side would be detrimental to us. Her power is incredibly useful and she could use it to fight for the greater good. You understand the value of that, don't you?" He asked, gazing at Ango.
Ango agreed with that.
He nodded. "Yes, I do think she would be…better off if she worked here, sir," and to be honest, he kinda believed that much. True the A.D.A. may be a good temporary placement for her, but in the long run? No way such a small agency could be more advantageous for her than the one that Officer Chief Taneda led. He looked to Officer chief Taneda, a fierce look in his eyes, his resolve determined. "What are your orders, sir?"
Chief Taneda smiled now, pleased, and relaxed. He knew Ango was back in his corner—it had been looking actually momentarily shaky there but he planned to ensure that Ango got the job done—as always. "Your orders are to maintain that trust and convince her to join us."
Ango nodded. "Yes, sir!" Ango looked out the window. However, a fire had been lit in his soul. He was going to get that girl to join the Department of Unusual Powers, no matter what! That way— he clenched his teeth as he looked at the passing scenery— that way, he wouldn't have to point his gun at her again.
A/N: All my chapters are gonna be the title of the song that inspired the chapter. Thanks for sticking it out for the upcoming Volume 3 folks! Things are starting to get more intense here as well! With the return of Gide and mimic, how will Alu, Bungou's Stray Dogs and the Armed Detective Agency handle this threat? Why is that little annoying kid, Ryou, demanding Alu return with him to Europe like she's his new favorite pet? Danger is still ripe in Yokohama as well with a certain Rat still lurking in the shadows pulling strings like how he plays his Cello…Also…who is that little blonde girl in the frilly dress and why does she look so sad? Next time in volume 3…