A/N: Hello!
I'm back, for a new update, but I would like to let you know that I have a new official update schedule! This story will update every month on the first week, Although I've done quicker updates before, I think this is the best one for me and my busy schedule.I haven't updated since the new season started but how are you liking it so far? Personally, although the fifteen episodes are good, they aren't as good of an adaptation as I'd hoped but whatever! I just wanted to let you know that I'm super duper shy and I do read all the reviews even if I don't comment, I really really love reading your comments and love and I'm so grateful to write this for you guys.
Anyways, please enjoy!
The episode begins with Kunikida sitting on a mat, calmly watching off to the side.
What are ideals? The answers to this question are infinite..
He stares off into the distance, his glasses were off and teacup steam rose off the desk.
"Very deep looking Kunikida," snickered Yosano, "Are you going to start contemplating life? Ask the real questions?"
Dazai let out a snort as Kunikida glared at her, "For your information, I was feeling very deep that day."
"What does that mean Kunikida?" Dazai smirked as Tanizaki smothered a laugh.
"It means I was doing my thirty minute morning reflection."
He paused his explanation as Ranpo, Dazai and Tanizaki laughed harder.
They are words, thoughts, the source of various meanings. However, if you ask me the answer is obvious. The word written on the cover of my journal.
He puts his glasses on his face and grabs the journal. One the cover of the book, the word, "Ideal" is written in thick calligraphy. He slips the journal into his bag.
My ideals.. Everything in my life is in the journal. My schedule, my plans, my goals. This journal is my future.
"This makes you think," Naomi said suddenly, surprising some people as she hadn't spoken in a while, "If this is a show, then what would be the arc of Kunikida?"
Kyouka shrugged, "If I was an enemy, I would try to destroy the journal. Kunikida seems to value it, so that would be my target."
Atsushi pretended not to notice as Kunikida grabbed his journal and held it closer to his chest.
Kunikida stops at the door of the detective agency and looks at his watch.
"I'm ten seconds early." He muses aloud.
My name is Kunikida Doppo.. I'm an idealist based in reality, and a realist who chases his ideals.
His watch hits exactly 8:00am.
"Seriously?" sighed Ranpo, "You get to work that early and you stand there until you hit the exact time…"
"Early?" asked Kunikida, "8 am is quite late in the day."
They all blinked at him for a while as confusion filled his face, "It's not?"
"Hell no." Dazai responded, scratching under his bandages, "That's way too early."
"Perhaps I have been misinformed."
Ranpo chuckles, "It's most likely because Kunikida is the closest to a functional human being in this whole agency."
They all laughed at that, most of them missing the look of utter confusion on Kunikida's face.
"It's time."
He walks into the ADA building, "Good morn-"
"KUNIKIDA! HELP!"
Kunikida opens his eyes to stare into the eyes of an absolutely panicked Atsushi.
"What's going on?" Kunikida asks dryly.
"What's going on Atsushi?" Kenji questioned Atsushi as the other sank lower into his chair, "Oh god…"
Yosano glances at Kunikida's face which is almost unnaturally calm. She follows his eyes and sees that he's looking at Dazai with an eyebrow raised.
That can't be good...
Atsushi stammers out his reply, "D-d-dazai is.."
He turns around showing Kunikida that Dazai is standing on a office desk looking completely insane. He waves his arms crazily.
"KUNIKIDA!" He points to the ceiling, " THIS IS INCREDIBLE! LOOK AT THIS!"
"Dazai, what the fuck are you doing?," Tanizaki snarled as Dazai laughed, "Some fun stuff!"
"He took shrooms" Atsushi glares at Dazai, "In front of me because he knew that I wouldn't know what he was doing"
"Seriously?" Tanizaki sighed at Dazai, "Are you going to be a responsible for once?"
"Never." Dazai told him.
"What are you talking about?" Kunikida's eyebrow gets slowly higher and higher.
"RIGHT HERE! LOOK!" Dazai's crazed smile grows as he shouts.
Kunikida doesn't miss a beat, "All I can see is your stupid face."
"Nice one Kunikida," Ranpo said, his face clearly showing that he thought Kunikida could do better.
"Thank you, Ranpo!" beamed Kunikida, oblivious to Ranpo's sarcasm.
Dazai laughed as Atsushi rolled his eyes. "Can we not right now?"
"Not what?' Kyouka asked as Kenji shrugged at her, "No one knows."
"I'VE FINALLY DONE IT! THIS IS LIFE AFTER DEATH! THE PATH TO THE PEARLY GATES!"
Kunikida simply sighs, exasperated, "The hell is wrong with him?" He asks Atsushi.
Atsushi glances between Dazai and Kunikida, almost worried he'll get in trouble so he's weighing his options, He decides Kunikida is the safer bet. He shows Kunikida a mushroom and Dazai's book, 'The Complete Guide to Suicide."
"Of course it's that fucking book," sighed Kunikida, "It always gets us into trouble."
Dazai simply giggled, like a schoolgirl, and pulled the book out of his bag. He held it up, "You are the secret to my success!"
He continues raving about the book until Ranpo leans over and smacks the book out of his hand. Dazai screeches as the book lands on the floor.
Atsushi snorts at the look of absolute agony on Dazai's face as he falls to the floor near his book, "MY BOOK!"
He shakes a fist at the sky, "IT WAS INNOCENT!"
"IT'S SUCH A MASTERPIECE OF LITERATURE!" Dazai shouts, "ONLY THAT BOOK COULD GET ME TO THE AFTERLIFE BY TELLING ME TO EAT THOSE MUSHROOMS I FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINS!"
"He's eaten a poisonous mushroom.." Kunikida doesn't sound mad, he sounds tired.
"That's the thing.. It's not an instant death mushroom like he hoped." Atsushi stammers nervously.
"YES RAINBOW BEETLE! I SHALL KEEP YOU!" Dazai shouts from behind them.
"Where did you even find that?" asked Tanizaki, gesturing to the mushroom. Dazai laughed, " I pulled it out of the dirt."
"That explains so much.." Atsushi sighed as Naomi snickered.
Ranpo grinned, "You have to show me where you pulled them up."
"NO!" Kunikida said as Dazai and Ranpo laughed together.
Atsushi and Kunikida watch as Dazai flails around the desk.
"I'm going to go organize reports." Kunikida says calmly, turning away from Dazai.
"WHAT?" Atsushi exclaimed.
Kunikida sits calmly at his desk and begins his morning routine, Dazai quickly jumps onto his desk and grabs Kunikida's face.
"DAZAI!" Yosano laughs, "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH THE SACRED FACE OF KUNIKIDA!"
Dazai howls with laughter as Kunikida writes angry scribbles in his notebook, most likely threats and angry messages.
"KUNIKIDA COME TO THE OTHER SIDE!" sings Dazai, moving Kunikida's face, "IT'S INCREDIBLE, THERE'S SO MUCH TO EAT!"
Kunikida flips Dazai around and slams him on his back, "Enough!"
How are these two even partners? Wonders Atsushi, watching them with confusion.
Fukuzawa almost laughs but instead sips on his tea.
"Just like me and Mori." He says to himself, "And Dazai and Chuuya.."
He gazes at Dazai who gives him a wave, "And Atsushi and Akutagawa." His brain supplies the implied partnership.
He wonders why Dazai is so determined to get those two together. He wonders if it will work.
The room stays silent until Haruno steps in, "Kunikida. The president has a contact for you."
The scene shifts and Kunikida, Atsushi and Dazai walk around a small complex, Dazai a couple feet behind the others.
"At least his high is over," laughs Ranpo, "You should be grateful Kunikida that he isn't tripping anymore."
Kunikida grumbles to himself but doesn't protest. Kyouka wonders how Dazai burned through the drugs so easily. She glanced at him but her view is blocked by Kenji, who is happily swinging his legs.
She leans back into the couch.
"Dazai stop lagging behind and move it."
"Fine."
Kunikida turns sharply around, "We only have two minutes and fifteen seconds till we meet this guy."
"Oh no," drawls Dazai, "The end of the world."
"Are you sure I should be here?" interrupts Atsushi.
Kunikida doesn't look back as he nods, "It's all part of your are investigating a series of missing persons cases here in Yokohama."
"Don't you think I should be trained in combat as well?" remarks Atsushi, glancing at his mentor, who sighs.
"If you think that's important then we can go for it." Dazai agrees.
Atsushi bobs his head up and down, "I think it would be smart. That way I can fight the Port Mafia!"
Dazai remembers Akutagawa's training, shooting bullets and screams as punches and kicks were thrown and Akutagawa bled onto the floor.
"Of course."
"Oh!" Atsushi snaps his fingers, "Visitors have been going missing, right?"
"We have an anonymous tip," Kunikida shakes a piece of paper, "They are being stored in a specific location."
"How omnious." Dazai remarks.
Kunikida sighs, "We can't ignore it either."
"I assume we are investigating the location," Atsushi says, bouncing a bit.
"That is what one would presume," Yosano agrees with Atsushi.
"But knowing Kunikida's mind, He's going to be cautious."
"Exactly," Kunikida scribbles again, "There's no point acting on a tip if it's a anonymous one, we had to confirm if it was genuine."
Tanizaki nods, remembering Higuchi's lies, "We should be careful."
"No."
Kunikida glances at him, "We are investigating the tip."
Kunikida starts down a dark path and stops when he sees a young man at a computer,
"Any luck?"
The guy grins, "Hey Four Eyes. Still obsessed with your diary?"
Kunikida chokes on his own breath at the sight of Rokuzou. Kenji quickly hands him a water bottle which Kunikida downs gratefully.
"It's hard isn't it."
They turn to see Tanizaki, who smiles, "To see what's already happened and know you can't prevent it."
Dazai nods, remembering Ora's hands on his and him heading off to his fate, Dazai unable to stop him. Already happened.
Kunikida gazes at Rokuzou, "He was too young."
Atsushi enters the room and stares around with amazement, Dazai follows him and sits looking quite bored.
"Should you really be talking that way to a detective agency? What would your father say?" Kunikida remarks.
"Don't mention his name." snarls the man.
Atsushi cocks his head to the side and gives a side glance at Dazai who ignores him.
"If anyone dates Kunikida, they'd probably run away screaming." Ranpo giggles.
"We don't need that," Kyouka says softly, "Kunikida shouldn't rule by fear."
Atsushi manages a laugh, "He isn't ruling. He just has bad taste."
Kyouka's mouth forms in a silent O. She turns back to the tv.
"Anyways, it's not like you to be late, Out on a date?" The man eyes Dazai who waves at him.
"No," says Kunikida, "Im saving up for a certain woman. It's written in my journal that we will marry in six years."
"YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU WANT TO MARRY, KUNIKIDA?" Atsushi shouts with surprise.
"I will in four years," Kunikida says calmly to Atsushi's utter confusion.
"Have any ideas yet, Kunikida? " Asked Yosano, sounding genuinely curious.
Kunikida shakes his head with a sigh, "None. I did think maybe Sasaki, but.."
Dazai cringes at that, "That's horrible Kunikida."
Kunikida simply nods, not trusting himself to speak.
"Are you a newbie?" The guy asks a clearly nervous Atsushi, who nods, "I'm Nakajima Atsushi."
The guy grins, "I'm Taguchi Rokuzou. I sell info. I bet there's nothing I can't find!"
Kunikida nods, "Can you find who is behind the tip off?
"The Azure Messenger." Rokuzou says flatly, ignoring Kunikida's surprise.
"Azure Messenger?" Kenji says, looking confused, "I've never heard of them before."
"Well…" Dazai started but caught a look on Kunikida's face and snapped his mouth shut.
Atsushi glanced at Kenji's beaming face and the stoic one on Ranpo, Ranpo has figured it out already hasn't he?
Rokuzou nods, "There's data still floating around the server. Now you will ask me for victim photos?"
He tosses Kunikida some photos.
"It doesn't make them a bad guy, right? They've given us the hideout of the culprit."
"It's all a mind game," Naomi says, twisting her hair, "It's just how some bad guy's operate. We have no idea if the Messenger is being sincere or not."
"They weren't." Dazai replies coldly, ignoring Kunikida's flinch, "Not for the right reasons at least."
Kunikida jots down some notes, and Ranpo leans backwards with a strained smile.
Dazai shrugs in response, "Who knows? I hope we don't figure it out just to find out they are working with the kidnappers."
"Azure Messenger," hums Kunikida, "I want you to look into this further."
Rokuzou sighs, "I will if I feel like it. I've got some tropical fish to check up on."
Kunikida smiles sadly at his paper, "Always about his fish."
They watch him in silence till Atsushi feels a now familiar tap on his shoulder.
"What happened?"
He knows his smile is watery as he answers and he doesn't even know why, He didn't even know Rokuzou at all really, but the idea of someone no longer being here, their smile gone forever and someone mourning an empty block of stone, never to see them again.
He nods at Kyouka, "Rokuzou is no longer with us."
Kyouka's face that had begin to light up falls and Atsushi realizes he might've made a mistake.
"No no!" He tries to take it back, but Kyouka takes a breath and turns away.
The scene changes and The ADA members stand on the sidewalk together. Kunikida makes a quick call to someone, "Great I'll be waiting."
He turns to the other, " I called a taxi, We're going to head to a hospital."
"Why are you taking care of Rokuzou?" Dazai interrupts.
"Why are you asking?"
Kyouka shuffles her feet, "He's taking care of Rokuzou? Why doesn't Rokuzou seem to reciprocate those feelings?"
"He never wanted me involved in his life," Kunikida said as he overheard Kyouka. He laughs weakly "Teenage rebellion."
He's literally 22.. Atsushi sighed, internally.
"It's not like you to give work to an illegal hacker or come all this way for something that can be handled over the phone. Isn't his father dead? Are you trying to substitute?" asks Dazai, raising his eyebrow.
"We came here so he could meet Atsushi." Kunikida says bluntly.
Dazai shrugs, "If you say so."
A taxi pulls up in front of them. Kunikida gets into the front seat, and the other two get into the back.
Atsushi snarls, literally snarls as he thinks about the taxi driver. Kenji startles backwards, "WHOA!"
"Atsushi, did you know you could do that?"
Atsushi blinks a couple of times as he registers what sound he just made.
"I CAN DO THAT?"
"This driver is one of our informats. He used to be a stage actor." Kunikida informs them.
The driver nods, "It wasn't really my thing so I changed my line of work."
Kunikida softens, "You made the correct choice. I've never met anyone who knows Yokohama like you do. On top of that, you've seen two of the victims."
"I don't know if you can say I saw them. I merely drove them to their hotel," The Driver replies.
"Asshole."
"THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT RANPO!" Kunikida wails, the sounds echoing in the room, Kenji simply smiles, "I know far more curse words than you think I do."
They all stare at Kenji, who smiles, "I grew up on a farm, Do you really think I don't know curse words?
Tanizaki, who had been silent for a bit, scoots away from Kenji.
"Is it really a kidnapping case if there aren't any ransom demands?" asks Atsushi.
Kunikida hands him photos, "You're sure these are the people you drove."
He nods, "Those are the clothes."
Dazai leans over and grabs the photos from Kunikida.
"That's rude," comments Yosano, "Dazai don't be a child. Ask before you take something."
Dazai simply laughs and sticks his tongue out at Yosano, who rolls her eyes, "Nevermind you are a literal child."
"And this is news to you?" Dazai snickers.
"AH!" Dazai shouts, "I SEE! LOOK THEY ARE WEARING GLASSES!"
Kunikida growls under his breath and Dazai continues, "THIS IS A SERIAL GLASSES KIDNAPPING CASE! THIS IS YOUR KIND OF THING KUNIKIDA!"
Kunikida rolls his eyes, "Some don't wear glasses. It's not a common thread."
"I still think it's your kind of thing."
"I'm not letting that slip! Are you trying to say that I'm not needed unless glasses are involved?" His voice rises with anger.
"Where ever did you get that conclusion, KUUUNNIIKKIDDAA?" drawls Dazai in a condescending voice.
"You hate me that's why."
"Not really," Dazai chuckled, " I don't hate you. I just like annoying you!"
The taxi driver slams on the breaks.
"What is it?" Kunikida asks the man.
"We are here."
The hospital stands alone in the pitch-black.
"Looks friendly!" Kenji says cheerfully, as Tanizaki shrinks back in fear.
"H-how can you go in there?" Tanizaki mutters, as Kunikida nods appreciatively, "Thank you for validating my fear of dark, ominous, hospitals."
Dazai snorts, "Who isn't scared of hospitals?'
"YOU MADE IT SEEM LIKE YOU WEREN'T!"
"How charming," Dazai says sarcastically.
Kunikida just sighs, "Don't start."
Kunikida, Dazai and Atsushi walk through the gloomy corridors of the abandoned hospital, The only sound is that of their footsteps.
"This is creepy," Atsushi sighs.
"I love it!" sings of Dazai, "I feel so full of life."
"Wow."
"Wow, indeed,"
Yosano sighed, "You aren't even checking for evidence or anything. You guys are terrible detectives!"
Dazai shrugged, "In my defense, I've only been a detective for a couple of years, I was a Mafia member before that."
The silence was deafening, Dazai's involvement in the mafia a known fact now, but no one wanted to truly address it.
"Have you been eating those damn mushrooms again, have you?" mutters Kunikida from behind the other two.
"Are you scared Kunikida?" Dazai hums.
"It's ok if you're afraid of ghosts, Kunikida." Atsushi says warmly.
Kunikida bristles, "I'm not afraid of anything?"
Ranpo snorted, "Yes he is."
Atsushi grins, "What is Kunikida afraid of Ranpo?"
"Losing his notebook, being tardy or HEAVEN FORBID, absent from work."
Tanizaki nods, "I remember one day Kunikida cried his eyes out because he thought that Fukuzawa would notice he was 15 minutes late for work two months ago."
Kunikida irritatedly writes a note in his notebook, Don't cry in front of Tanizaki again.
"Hurry up then."
Kunikida snaps back, "Fool. In movies the person in the front dies first."
"Look!" Atsushi points out, "These are still fresh!"
He jolts as an ear-piercing scream echoes down the halls.
As the scream echoes throughout the room the newer ADA members jump together, Ranpo simply yawns.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Naomi shouts at the screen, as the screen versions of the ADA members slowly turn towards the noise, "RUN DUMBASSES!"
They do.
"HELP!"
"A voice?"
"It came from downstairs!" Kunikida races towards the stairs.
He stops at the bottom, "The hell?"
There's a large water tank on the floor and a woman floats inside, her face towards the ceiling. Iron bars cover the top of the tank so she can't escape. She turns her head and her eyes meet Kunikida's.
"GO!"
Kunikida squints down to stare at Sasaki, trying to see cracks in her act, He jots down notes quicker than normal so much so that Kyouka eyes him, fear and awe on her face as she stares captivated at Kunikida's quick writing.
"He won't be ok after watching this…" Atsushi mutters to Dazai, "He's not ok now."
Kunikida's pen bobs up and down as he writes frantically.
Yosano side-glances him and then switches her gaze to Fukuzawa who has remained silent, He doesn't even look at her even when she awkwardly clears her throat.
She wonders if he's asleep.
He steps back then draws his gun and fires. She falls out of the tank and Dazai puts his coat onto her.
She coughs up water, "Thank you for saving me."
"I am Sasaki Nobuko. I am a professor at a university in Tokyo." She coughs again.
"Being a professor gives us an impression that she's smart." Ranpo says, "It allows us an idea of what she's like, without giving us the really specific details, like which university she teaches at or what subject she teaches. That way we let our perceptions of a professor cloud our judgement of her, which is what she wants."
"Odd to assume that is intentional," Naomi rolled her eyes, "It's possible she's just not thought to tell anyone yet. She's literally said two sentences, give her a break."
"Hmph."
The twelfth victim, Atsushi thinks.
"Did you see the face of the person who kidnapped you?" Dazai asks her.
She shakes her head, " I fainted at the station. When I woke up and was about to drown in the tank."
"Suspicious."
"Until you discover that she's anemic, and she has records that prove it."
Tanizaki scoffs, "That doesn't prove could be faking those records."
"Well considering what she does later I wouldn't be surprised."
"Dazai?" Kunikida looks at his partner.
"I think Sasaki looks cute."
She glances at him, dripping wet and still wrapped in his overcoat.
"Be serious!" snarls Kunikida.
"Damnit Dazai," sighs Kunikida, "Why must you always bring it back to women?"
Dazai simply exhales, "It allows me to have a personality."
They all stare at him as he folds back into himself, Atsushi takes a gamble and leans on his mentor, who although hesitant leans into him as well.
Sasaki ignores this, "I'm sure there are other people here."
Kunikida quickly nods and stands up as Sasaki continues, "I hear their voices when I was in the water tank."
"What?"
They race down the halls checking each door, when Atsushi opens the door, "KUNIKIDA!"
"OH SHIT!"
Kyouka digs her nails into her palms and stares at the treatment of the group of men in the gas tank. Kenji's brilliant smile was gone and his brown eyes were wide in horror.
"Oh my God," Naomi breathed.
Yosano blinked, "How did they even get in there?"
"They were put in there?" Tanizaki's voice cracked as he asked the question.
He runs to the room to find a group of men all trapped in a gas tank. They spot Kunikida and scream for help.
"Is everyone ok?" Kunikida shouts, moving closer to the glass, stepping back as something pours from the vents in the ceiling.
"Get back!" Dazai shouts, "It's gas!"
"That's the photo from the newspaper," Ranpo pointed out, "There must be a security camera in there."
"So it was a set-up," commented Yosano, cleaning on of her blades.
"Precisely."
"By who?" Kenji swung a leg, quieter than normal.
Dazai finally gets off Atsushi, "The Azure Messenger."
"Makes sense," Kyouka says, "Who else could it be?"
"Just hang in there!" Kunikida shouts at the people trapped as the gas grows thicker.
Dazai desperately pulls Kunikida away from the glass.
"LET ME GO! THEY CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS!" shouts Kunikida, clawing at the glass, unknowing that a camera was recording him.
A newspaper is slammed on the floor the headline reading, Victims of Yokohama Missing Persons Case Die Due to Interference from Private Detective Agency.
"Well planned on the Azure Messenger's part." nods Yosano, "They obviously know what they're doing."
Ranpo grins, "Well I mean, they are a professor."
He turns to Kunikida, who pauses in his scribbling to look at the shit-eating smirk on Ranpo's face.
"If you are guessing who the Messenger is, you are correct."
Ranpo leans back onto his chair, Kyouka watching him.
He doesn't look like much. But it's obvious why he's here.
Yosano smiles internally, the only indication she was happy was a twitch of her eyebrow, Ranpo isn't letting his pain over his "ability" trump him. I'm glad he seems to be doing ok.
Atsushi glares at the story. The photo was from Kunikida's desperate fight against Dazai.
"This was all intended." Kunikida sighs.
"They were trying to set us up." Atsushi nods.
Kunikida sighs, "Perhaps I should've done nothing as Dazai said. Where is Sasaki?"
"In the infirmary." answers Atsushi.
"Dazai, the real question is…" Tanizaki started before Naomi interrupted, "DID YOU SLEEP WITH HER?"
Dazai chuckled, " 't be worth it. She's pretty but me sleeping with her would cause possible legal problems, plus I'm not really into people with dark hair."
"You aren't?"
"Nah I like redheads and brunettes."
"You have weird taste, Dazai."
They walk into the infirmary, and their faces turn to shock.
Sasaki smiled at them, with Dazai sitting calmly next to her, "Thank you so much for what you did you hadn't saved me.. I wouldn't be alive."
"Think nothing of it."
"Thank you for giving me a place to stay." She continues.
"When did you even ask her to stay with you?" asked Atsushi.
"When I took her home in my car, I asked her about it." Dazai responds simply, "It wasn't very hard."
"Wow, you were actually nice for once." Naomi rolled her eyes, with a sigh.
"I can be nice if I want to!" Dazai snaps offended.
Kunikida looks utterly confused and Atsushi asks, "Where did you stay?"
She glances at Dazai who gleefully points at himself, "My place."
"He treated me very well!" She says, blushing.
Both Kunikida and Atsushi stare in horror as Dazai continues smiling.
"WHY DID YOU IMPLY THAT?" Kunikida says annoyed, "THAT DOESN'T HELP YOUR CASE!"
"I thought it would be funny to see your face," giggles Dazai, "And it was."
Atsushi's poor face turns redder and redder as Kyouka cocks her head, "What does that mean?"
"Is that ok?" Atsushi asks Kunikida.
The scene shifts as Dazai types on a computer with Kunikida and Atsushi watching him.
"It appears that Sasaki didn't see the face of her kidnapper. She anemic and faints easily. Which is how she blacked out? but how was she kidnapped?"
"See," Dazai smirks, "She is anemic."
Tanizaki scowls, "Doesn't prove anything."
Ranpo didn't say anything but instead finger-gunned at Tanizaki and winked.
Tanizaki spotted him and turned away, his face red, glad Ranpo had acknowledged him. Naomi spotted this and rubbed her brother's shoulders.
"Is that the kind of woman you like?" Kunikida raises his eyebrow.
Dazai smirks, "I like woman, especially Sasaki. She seems like she'd die with me if I asked."
"What do you think?" Dazai says cheerfully.
Kunikida looked angrily, "She's a victim and a witness. Nothing more."
"That is the best way to view a witness," Yosano smirks, "With no personal biases. It gets the cleanest and most honest ideas from the interviewer."
She narrows her eyes at Dazai, " That's why we don't let a witness or a suspect INTO OUR HOUSES!"
Dazai just smiled mysteriously.
"That's expected." Dazai steals Kunikida's notebook, "Feel like doing some reading Atsushi?"
He hands Atsushi the notebook, "About the ideal woman."
"WHA?" Kunikida blinks.
"It's written in here." Atsushi reads the book, Dazai points out the page to Kunikida's ideal woman.
"That page is mentally scarring for all people who are cursed enough to read it," remarks Ranpo as Tanizaki glances at Kunikida, whose face is flushed.
Kyouka turns, surprisingly to Dazai, "What is written there?"
Dazai covers her ears with a small grin, "It's not for the eyes of children."
"WhoA!" Atsushi says going closer to the page, his face changing rapidly.
"This is too much!"
Kunikida steals the journal back from Atsushi, "Is there a problem?"
"N-no. I believe it's a good description of the ideal woman…" Atsushi trails off, not being able to come up with anything to say.
"ATSUSHI!" Tanizaki shouted, getting a jump from the tiger boy, "WHAT DID IT SAY?
Atsushi's face turns green and he swallows, meeting Kunikida's face of absolute murder.
"uhhh…"
"Just don't let a woman see that." Dazai chuckles.
Kunikida growls angrily, "WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THE KIDNAPPINGS!"
He sighs, "Anyone have anything?"
Dazai nods, "I do."
He points to the newspaper photo, "You look very handsome in this photo."
"I thought said your type was brunettes and redheads?" Naomi asked Dazai who laughed, "Blondes work too."
Kunikida's face flushed and he stammered, "Thanks.."
Dazai winks at Kunikida with a smirk and turns away as Kunikida angrily and embarrassedly wrote down more notes.
"Are you asking for a punch in the face?"
Dazai sighs, "There's only one issue."
He smiles, "You should wear a sexier pair of glasses."
Kunikida looks about ready to attack Dazai, "Hey."
Dazai quickly snatches Kunikida's glasses off his face and puts them on.
Naomi blinks, " Wow, you actually look pretty good."
"So you think I look sexy."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT."
Dazai held his hand out and Ranpo obliged, handing over his precious glasses that he usually kept safe in his pocket.
Yosano instantly knew her earlier guess was wrong, Ranpo might not be doing ok…
She watched his hand shake as he handed over his glasses and he drew back quickly. She turned away from Ranpo, I hope his guess on this case is right.
Or his confidence might be shattered.
"These ones only look good on someone with natural flair like me! What do you think, Atsushi?"
Atsushi nods, "You look pretty good."
"You look like a con artist." snaps Kunikida.
He stops, "Wait."
He grabs the glasses back from Dazai and thinks about something. The other two watch him.
"Let's go."
Kunikida looks at them, "I know who's behind this."
"Hmm? How did you figure that one out Kunikida?" Ranpo asked, his familiar smirk smaller than normal.
Kunikida sighed, "I worked through the people connected with the case and realized that the driver was the only one who had seen all the victims plus cross referencing the victims with the profile of the driver gave me the idea."
"Wait it was the driver?"
Kunikida, Dazai and Atsushi sit in the same taxi as normal, in the same seats as normal.
"Sorry for this last-minute call." Kunikida says to the driver.
The taxi driver nods, "You said that you've found the culprit. Are you heading to arrest your guy?"
Kunikida stares ahead and nods.
Kyouka cocked her head and smiled at Kunikida, "He is trying to figure out what to say."
"Indeed."
Dazai glances at Kenji, who stares fascinated at the screen.
"City life is so interesting!"
"In that case, Let's get a move on! What's the situation?" The driver seems too excited to go.
"Right here."
"Huh?"
"This is where the kidnapping occurs," Kunikida informs him, "And you are behind them."
"CALLED IT!"
Yosano relaxes her grip on her knife that she didn't even notice was there as Ranpo danced around the room.
He's ok.. We'll be ok...
Kunikida narrowed his eyes, "You gassed the victims in your taxi and kidnapped them. You wore a gas mask to protect yourself."
Atsushi twitches, "Why would you do that?'
"It's easy to imagine," Dazai says calmly.
"Fuck this guy," murmured Naomi, "Fuck this guy."
Kenji swallowed and nodded agreeing, "Fuck this guy."
"He might've not been the guy who killed all those people," Yosano twisted her knife around in her hand, "But it was his fault they died. He was involved. It is just as much his fault as anyone else involved."
At Atsushi's face he explains, "Cargo."
"Cargo."
"To sell," Dazai nods, "There's a black market for organ trade in the underworld. He'd be selling them on the overseas market so they're not very expensive but you can still make a fortune."
"Organ trade?" Atsushi asked, "That's a thing?"
Dazai nodded, "There's so much you don't know about the underworld, Atsushi. It's an awful awful mess down there."
"The fact that this driver got involved in this dark activity," Tanizaki hums, "It just goes to show you how far the underworld spreads."
Atsushi shudders, "That's horrible."
"You said it Atsushi." Kenji nods swiftly, the others just noticing his horrified face, Yosano slowly gives his shoulders a massage.
The taxi driver stammers, "Wait a second! If I was the one abducting the victims then surely the police would have noticed!"
"No," Kunikida says resolutely, "Because no one thought the taxi was important. The reason being the day after they would disappear they were untraceable."
"I still can't believe the driver did it." murmurs Atsushi as on-screen Kunikida launches into his explanation, "And I was there."
The taxi driver is quiet and Kunikida speaks again, "Once you found the right victim, you gassed them and then took their clothes and belongings. That's why everyone at the hospital was in their underwear. You would wear the clothes you took from them and impresonanted them. Then you would check into hotels for them and make sure you were seen by cameras. The victims were all similar to you so you could change into their clothes. A lot wore hats and glasses which makes it easier for you. You knew you could fool the police if the people on camera looked vaguely similar. They last appeared on camera after the kidnapping."
Dazai pipes up, "It was probably easier for you to get Sasaki. She just fainted at the station and was put to your taxi by a bystander who sent her to the hospital."
"Except if you know a bit more about her," Dazai concludes to the bewilderment of Kenji, who still hasn't recovered from the organ trafficking mention.
Kenji blinks, "Whatever do you mean, Dazai?"
"Sasaki is the Azure Messenger," he tells the boy, whose eyes light up as he receives the explanation.
"That makes sense!" he says with an air that he doesn't really get it.
Dazai affectionately rubs Kenji's hair as Atsushi smiles at the farm boy.
The driver shakes his head, "That's a circumstantial evidence."
Dazai nods agreeing, "True. What shall we do about this Kunikida?"
"Don't think i'll buy that?" Kunikida angrily says.
"That's a good tactic," Ranpo observes, "If you confront someone with evidence and they deny it Then stand your ground."
"It could also backfire if that person decides to sue you or that person turns out to be innocent and ruin your reputation," Yosano gives Kunikida the stink-eye, "and Kunikida is very concerned with his reputation."
Kunikida scoffs, "My reputation doesn't matter. Only the ADA's."
The taxi driver sweats some more, "Let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"I'll turn myself in if you agree to my terms," The taxi driver has shifted from friendly to meancing, "I want you to take me into protective custody for 72 hours, until they can finish the investigation and a deal for witness protection is made."
"He isn't a witness," snarls Tanizaki, "He's a murderer."
"And the police knew that," Dazai states calmly, trying to diffuse Tanizaki, who gets more riled up.
"HE KILLED PEOPLE!"
"Indirectly," corrected Ranpo, which caused an enraged Tanizaki to scream in fury.
"Why?" asks Kunikida, very angry.
"I let myself get talked into this," stammered the driver, "I was approached by them and they said they had something going and that we'd never get caught."
"There's someone behind this!" Kunikida realizes, "Where are they?"
The driver shakes his head, "I don't know but we always conducted our deals at the central port building."
"That's Port Mafia territory," Dazai observes, "That organization is playing with fire. Someday the Port Mafia will find them and they would be shut down."
Atsushi blinks, "The Port Mafia is that good?"
"Sure," Dazai shrugs, "They'll find out eventually, they normally 'd come for them eventually."
"I know that place."mutters Kunikida.
Dazai cocks his head, "Why do you need protective custody?"
The driver smiles sheepishly, "One of the people I kidnapped had Port Mafia connections."
"Told you" Dazai said with a smile,"They'd make a mistake eventually, the Port Mafia came for them."
Atsushi swallowed in fear, "Would they come for us if we did something like that?"
"We aren't stupid enough to," Ranpo sighed sarcastically.
Yosano snorted so hard it hurt.
"Unfortunate," hums Dazai, just as bullets explode through the car window.
"THE PORT MAFIA!"
"Don't let them take me!" cries the driver.
"Kill him!" Tanizaki shouts, "I'm rooting for the Mafia!"
Kunikida quirked an eyebrow, "That's not very ADA-ish of you. Maybe you should calm down a bit."
Tanizaki sighed, "The Port Mafia is already a bunch of lunatics, if they take out one more then who cares."
Kunikida turns and shouts, "Hey!"
"I don't want to die!" sobs the driver, backing off as Kunikida shouts, "Don't move!"
The driver ignores him and makes a run for it, the ADA members take cover behind the taxi.
"Good planning!" Kenji clapped, his earlier state of sadness forgotten, "Hide!"
"There is nothing cowardly about hiding your presence," Fukuzawa interjected, " There is cowardice in stabbing a man when he is unarmed."
"Unless you are an assassin," Kyouka hummed, before falling silent, Dazai sighed and leaned over to her and muttered something to her. Her expression went through several things at once before settling on surprise.
Atsushi quirked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head and separated from Dazai.
"Kunikida!" Atsushi says, "My phone isn't working."
"They are jamming communications," Dazai agrees.
Kunikida nods, "If we lose the driver, we lose the truth. Dazai, get the driver. Kid, get the police. I'll fight off the mafia."
Kunikida writes something down quickly in his notebook, "ABILITY: DOPPO POET!"
The familiar screen where the letters form and break apart as the ability activates, "Flashbang!"
The page turns into a flash grenade which he throws at the Port Mafia henchman. A loud explosion goes off. Both Dazai and Atsushi nod and take off running in opposite directions.
"Nice Kunikida!" cheers Tanizaki, "Good planning!"
Kunikida nods, taking notes as he watched the henchman flinch back from the flash grenade.
Fukuzawa watches his successors' actions with a smile.
A perfect successor.
Kunikida pulls out his gun and quickly begins to fire at the opponents guns in an attempt to stop the firing. He is stopped by a large black blade that slices the taxi in half, he barely manages to dodge the attack.
Akutagawa steps out of the explosion, his face as monotone as normal. "Metal is weak. So are the hearts of men. What about you, Armed Detective?"
Kyouka's heart stops and she shrinks back as Akutagawa appears on the screen.
"Kunikida?" Atsushi says with fear, "You were attacked by Akutagawa?"
Kunikida nods slowly, "He is formidable, but he is arrogant."
He sees Kyouka shaking like a leaf, and smiles, "I was okay! Neither of us were badly injured."
Yosano rolls her eyes and speaks, "You don't know how bad Akutagawa was injured."
"True.'
Kunikida steps back in shock, "The Rabid Dog! Akutagawa!"
"The one and only," snaps Akutagawa.
He immediately moves his Rashomon towards Kunikida and the last possible moment Kunikida jumps out of the way. Kunikida fires his gun back at the mafioso. The shots don't even touch Akutagawa, Kunikida looks too panicked to aim correctly.
"Hey Dazai?"
"Yea?"
Kenji bounces up and down, "If you worked for the Mafia, wouldn't you know what Akutagawa's ability is?"
Dazai blinks, startled that Kenji was the one to point this out and grins devilishly.
"I do know what it is."
Atsushi and Kyouka glance at each other and Atsushi murmurs first, "What is it?"
Dazai moved an arm, "His power allows him to control clothing, as long as he's wearing it."
"Huh."
Dazai scowls at Atsushi, "What do you mean, Huh?"
"I thought it was something more, cryptic than that."
Dazai's voice gets irritated, "Well, most things are disappointing and Akutagawa is one of those things."
"I have no need to devour, what will not hit me." Akutagawa says, voice devoid of emotion, as one bullet slices his cheek.
"I don't take pleasure in killing people," responds Kunikida.
"Weak."
The shots that had missed Akutagawa hit a pipe behind him, which breaks soaking him in water.
"The dog gets a bath," Dazai snickers as the others glance at him as he bursts out into laughter.
Yosano narrows her eyes, "Mind explaining?"
Dazai gets a breath in and gasps in laughter, "Akutagawa HATES taking baths."
"What?"
"He hates taking baths, It's hilarious," observes Dazai, "He gets all embarrassed and angry and it's pretty funny."
Atsushi glances down at Kyouka, wondering if it was weird for her to hear random things about Akutagawa, her former oppressor.
He knew it was weird for him.
"Doppo Poet!" Kunikida grabs a page out of his book.
Akutagawa looks startled as Kunikida whips out a stun gun, He chucks it at Akutagawa.
"Get back on your leash dog."
The stun gun hits the puddle of water that Akutagawa is standing in. The mafioso shrieks in pain as the electricity courses through him.
"F."
"F."
"F."
"F."
Kunikida sees everyone staring at him in anticipation. He exhales, "F."
Akutagawa uses Rashomon to jump himself out of the puddle but collapses to his knees, "So."
He coughs and continues, "The Armed Detective Agency is not just a collection of fools. No wonder Dazai has chosen to hide there."
Dazai grins, "I'd hardly call hanging out with you guys, hiding."
Fukuzawa hums, "He acknowledges the ADA's strength," He turns to Dazai, "Does Mori normally tell them to be mindful of the ADA?"
"Not really," Dazai says, "It's more like, these guys have abilities you should be more careful than usual."
"Hm."
A grin breaks his usual monotone expression but it comes back as the police sirens are heard.
"It appears we are being interrupted. So be it. We will cross blades again. It is not over."
He stands up and grins again, "You are worthy of being Dazai's partner."
Kunikida watches him leave, "Good riddance."
"Damn, Kunikida, Straight savage." Ranpo chuckles.
"Thanks?"
Atsushi exhaled, "He's gone," He told Kyouka, who slowly nodded and finally lifted her head.
"Thanks."
The scene shifts as the ADA members stand in front of an office building, "The driver is in police custody."
The voice is Dazai's sad and tired.
"Is this the organ smugglers' building?" asked Atsushi. No one replies.
Yosano stares at the building and gently grasps Kunikida's hand. She runs her hands through his and smiles, "Are you ok?"
Kunikida's hand shakes but he brushes Yosano's comfort off, pulling away and beginning to write quickly, his brow furrowing more and more.
Dazai watches Kunikida suffer and sighs.
Reminds me of me.
When Odasaku died.
He gets up and wanders over to his partner.
"Hey."
Dazai hates getting close to people and he knows it, He pushes everyone away, even his co-workers didn't know much about him. This experience was going to change that and Dazai wondered if that was really a bad thing.
"Hey Kunikida, It's my turn."
Kunikida looked up at Dazai, his face had a slight sheen that indicated he had been crying.
Dazai opens his arms and grins, "Don't blame yourself makes it worse."
Kunikida awkwardly hugs his partner back, face pressed against Dazai's shoulder. He pulls away and breathes, "Thanks."
"No problem."
They enter the building as Kunikida heads over to a section of the building. There is a large table there with many equipment sitting on it.
"They've already moved on." Kunikida growls.
Atsushi looks around, "The walls are scorched."
"The idea that this group is using this place to murder innocents, just like the Azure King is unsettling," Yosano whispers to Ranpo, who is watching Kunikida and Dazai hug it out,
"Yea."
Kenji stares at the screen captivated, "City life is so weird."
Dazai nods, "This is where the Azure King blew himself up, correct."
Kunikida simply nods.
"The same one from the Azure Flag Incident?" Atsushi asks again.
Dazai heads into a flashback, "Yes. A terrorist who blew up a number of government and corporate buildings. When I hear the name "Azure Messenger" I had a feeling there was a connection."
"Most people would assume that and the Messenger even said that the connection was intentional." Dazai stated as Kyouka blinked at him.
Ranpo nodded, "Seems like a person with that name associated with a group that uses the death place of the Azure King would want that to be the case."
"She did."
They all look at Kunikida as he speaks, but turns away as he falls silent.
Atsushi touches an ashy wall, "I heard that he blew himself up in the end. I didn't know this was the place. The police cornered him here?"
Kunikida agrees, "I found out that this was his hideout and told the police."
"You found it?"
"How were you involved in this, Kunikida?" asked Kyouka to which he responded, "I was doing one of my first jobs for the ADA at this point."
"Huh?"
"I was recently accepted into the ADA and this was one of my first jobs that I had to do, investigate the Azure King."
"Ranpo was out of town and I was the only one on call, " Kunikida narrated, "I worked hard on the case and insisted we take him down as soon as possible. It was stupid of me."
"I don't think it was," Tanizaki told him, "It was youthful enthusiasm."
Dazai snorted.
"But. On the day of the incident, the police and military were conducting a joint operation and the chain of command was in disarray. Only five detectives were able to move on the hideout immediately after I sent the information. It made it worse was the Azure King caught wind of the movement and holed himself up in here with a bomb strapped to his chest. The result was the order to storm the room, what could a handful of detectives have done. They cornered the Azure King and he blew himself to hell with the detectives with him."
"One of the dead detectives is Rokuzou's father, right Kunkida?" asked Dazai.
"He was a good detective and had a strong sense of justice… I was the one who told the police about the hideout. I sent him to his death."
It was at this moment that Kunikida sobbed harder. Dazai hummed a small song and whispered stupid jokes to Kunikida.
Kunikida threw back his head and laughed, Atsushi watched his two mentors bond over this and grinned to himself, Good for them.
Kenji grabs a drink from near Ranpo and chugs the whole thing and throws the can at the two of them, "STOP! SOME OF US ARE STILL TRYING TO WATCH!"
"Sorry."
"What!" protested Atsushi, "You did not! The terrorist who blew himself up is to blame!"
"Yes," Dazai sighs, "But Kunikida cannot help but blame himself. So he looks after Rokuzou."
The computer in front of them beeps and they all fall silent.
"What is it?"
Words appear on the screen, "It's from the Azure Messenger."
"I have a question," Kyouka spoke up, "How did the Azure Messenger know when to send the message? because that was perfectly timed."
"I have no idea, anymore."
"Cinematic logic," Naomi stated dramatically, "We have no idea what the Azure Messenger was thinking."
"Well that was perfectly timed," Kyouka sighed, "And it freaked me out."
Dazai squints, "I see. I believe I know who it is. What does it say?"
"A contract to disarm a bomb."
"A BOMB!" asks Atsushi, scared.
"Hundreds would die if the bomb isn't disarmed by sunset tomorrow," Kunikida reads.
"I didn't realize it was this serious," Ranpo spoke, "When you mentioned a bomb, I kinda just came up with what the most evil place to put a bomb would be."
"Ranpo."
"Yea?"
"Never join the Mafia."
Ranpo chuckled, "I mean, if they have better candy…"
"RANPO!"
"It can't be easy to disarm." notes Atsushi.
"Anything can make a bomb." sighed Kunikida, "With the stuff here, you can make a serious explosive."
"You've got to be kidding me."
Kunikida narrows his eyes, "I won't let it go off. WE WILL STOP IT!"
"Heck yea!" Kenji pumped his arm in the air, "Let's disarm the bomb!"
"I'm glad we were able to!" Atsushi smiled at Kyouka, who nodded, "It saved so many lives."
"This city would be destroyed without us wouldn't it?" Tanizaki asked to which Fukuzawa replied, "Absolutely."