Chuuya followed after the good doctor carrying the Tanizaki siblings, his boss trailing behind them with his right arm supporting Higuchi's middle. Doctor Yosano opened the door to the infirmary and walked into the room with medical cabinets full of supplies attached to off-white walls. The executive closed the door and remained by it as he placed the two siblings on their own beds. Mori released Higuchi onto her own bed to find the necessary supplies. The two doctors started to survey the room and began to pull out the needed supplies to better help their patients. Chuuya watched as he leaned against the door. The infirmary was simple, with four beds, each with its own curtains on the right side. The left side had cabinets which Chuuya assumed were filled with medical supplies. A glass window looking out into a foggy void stood out against the pale white walls across from the entrance door. The redhead also noticed another door on the right, most likely for more intensive care.

He felt the eyes of the older Tanizaki on him. He was quite surprised that anyone within that agency outside of Dazai could pull off murderous intent. A part of him wanted Tanizaki to try his luck; however, the more emotional side understood the anger directed at him was not really for him. No, Tanizaki was unable to direct his anger at Dazai, which left him no choice but to stare down Chuuya, the man that forcibly removed him from the theater. It brought a wicked grin to the executive's face as he eyed the college student. There was a slight recognition on the boy's face, but even that didn't stop Junichiro. Their eyes remained locked on each other's crosshairs until the younger doctor steered the boy's face to her person, having already finished her treatment of the younger sibling, who was now unconscious on her bed. Chuuya felt the headache he was nursing growing into a full forced migraine.

His vibrant blue eyes gravitated to his boss and subordinate. He felt uncomfortable watching Mori's hands gently provide medical treatment, but as he looked closer, his eyes screamed a sadistic curiosity. It remained him of the times Dazai couldn't patch him up to which Mori, out of the kindness of his heart, treated him. It sent a shiver down his spine. As he observed his boss, the redhead focused on the man's eyes which occasionally glanced over to the younger doctor. The older of the group sighed, seeming disappointed to find nothing abnormal about Higuchi's person. He turned in his exam chair, the seat squeaking from his weight.

"Akiko," He said. The good doctor turned abruptly to the mafia boss, frustration lined her eyebrows. "has your patient exhibit any abnormalities?"

"…No, but I am not looking for that right now." The younger doctor seemed annoyed by the use of her first name.

"Well, you never know…" he hmmed in thought, then stated. "If you want, I can go get the weretiger for you." In an all too eager tone with a smile that cut his cheekbones.

She turned to him fully. "That will not be necessary Doctor Mori."

For a moment, the two stared at one another. Both wearing neutral expressions, the others within the room felt the growing hostility.

"I understand, Doctor Yosano." Directly into her eyes, he was accepted but not resigning. Doctor Yosano didn't want to be alone with him. He turned away from the woman doctor to Higuchi. "Well, I have not seen anything that concern me. However, I suggestion to suck on this lodging," He pulled a cough drop from his right pocket. "and to not talk for a bit. You can rest here for as long as you need." Mori removed the blue plastic gloves that covered his hands. Then walked to the trashcan behind the counter and threw away the disposable tools.

"If you do not need my assistance, I will take my leave." He proclaimed to the room.

Doctor Yosano only nodded in response to the statement, letting out a subtle breath. The executive watched the whole interaction with curiosity. as Chuuya watched, he was reminded of how the boss would talk to Dazai. All of his words not meaning what he said, the award-winning smile that didn't match his face. The way he wore a now neutral expression. And the certainty that he would bend his mentee to his will by the end of the exchange. Mori began to walk towards him. The redhead detangled himself and opened the door for Mori. The raven-haired man gave him a nod as he closed the door, now with Mori on the other side.

Moments earlier…

The door closed behind Atsushi; the raging storm of emotions did not fade with his mentor out of his sight. Heavy breaths took up the space around him. He tightened his hand into a fist, nails digging into his palm. The rookie detective didn't know what to do with this new information now spinning in his head. Atsushi just stood there staring out into the porcelain courtyard; a building pain from his right hand centered him in his anger. His violet-gold eyes focused on the oak wood tree sitting in the middle of this otherworldly place. Leafs swayed back and fore. The bark seemed to pulsate with white light moving through its cells. 'Had it always done that…' Atsushi felt like his soul was floating away from his body. It called to him, begging for something beyond his reach. His body started to move towards it. He felt a hot throbbing pain in his gut. The weretiger reached out to the light it was creating; it was all-consuming to him. Then he was back to the day he took Kyoko on a detour. Hot sweet treats they ate as they looked out at the skyline of the city. The broken smile graced her face as if the concept of freedom from her anger and sadness was possible, as if it had never occurred to Kyoko. It was peaceful, but the stabbing pain remained. The sound of a door creak broke Atsushi out of his trance. The fog cleared in his mind, the dizziness fading away with the blinding light. Atsushi turned his head to the opening infirmary door. The older doctor came out of seeming exhausted by what had transpired within its confines. Two sets of eyes meet, and Mori's face took on a different quality as Mori began to approach him. The emotions he had felt before coming back to the forefront.

Atsushi spoke up. "How long-?"

Mori paused, taking in the statement. "How long is not relevant at the moment you're in need of treatment." He continued his approach until he was standing right in front of the weretiger. Atsushi let out an angry breath as the doctor gingerly took his right hand and noted the blood that Atsushi had caused with his claws, cutting through his gloves.

"I'm Fine." He almost hissed out, removing his hand from the man's grasp. Mori leveled his eyes back to the youth's face.

"Yes, of course. However to be sure let me treat you and then after I will answer your question. Is that okay with you?"

Atsushi narrowed his eyes at the older man. "…Just the one?"

"Just the one."

The older of the two gestured to the infirmary. The weretiger was unsure about letting the Port Mafia's boss walk behind him. He scanned the courtyard and saw Mii-chan staring back at him. It was weird. It felt like the cat wanted to say something to him. Mii-chan broke the staring contest and started grooming itself. Begrudely, Atsushi moved forward towards the burning answer. The weretiger glanced back at the tree and the cat, but Mii-chan was gone.

Atsushi entered the room and found the other agency's members knocked out on two separate coots with IVs coming out of their arms. Dr. Mori directed him to sit on the furthest coot next to Higuchi, who seemed to be out cold. The weretiger made himself comfortable on the infirmary coot as the port mafia's boss gathered the necessary items to do his check-up. He had been avoiding the magenta eyes that stared daggers into his own purple-gold iris.

"What are you doing with him, Atsushi?" Yosano said, her voice lacking any identifying emotions, but he knew she was pissed.

"He offered to look me over." Atsushi stammered out.

"Why?" She said, growing angrier with the younger detective.

"Cause I'm a not so horrid to not offer assistance to someone in clear need of a doctor, Akiko." Doctor Mori turned to his first mentee with a smiled that screamed he was a saint. He was no saint.

Atsushi sat on the edge of an infirmary coot as the port mafia's boss looked him over. The doctor took off his glove and checked out the weretiger's injuried hand to only find the hand itself slowly healing on its own. Mori was gaining more and more of an interest in Atsushi.

The eyes of agency's doctor hovering over them as Mori's gloved hands tested areas of concern. Atsushi's eyes slowly shifted to the red-haired executive, who looked like how the weretiger felt, confused. The weretiger didn't understand his life at the moment, all because he saved a drowning man. What he thought was fate might have been nothing more than a manipulation by the drowning man. He locked eyes with Chuuya; the man seemed to stare straight into his purple-gold eye.

"You said he planned it?"

"Huh…"

"You said that Dazai planned our meeting on the riverbank."

Chuuya pondered what to say. He didn't feel comfortable talking about this. It wasn't that he didn't understand that anger. The knowledge that someone or something took your choice and twisted it to match what they wanted for their own benefit. However, he felt in his heart of hearts that even if it wasn't fated, the social misfit did it out of kindness. Did it make it okay?

Chuuya's face grimaced at the question.

"You should talk to him, kid." The executive turned his attention to his boss. "Do you need me for anything else, sir?"

"No, that will be all Chuuya." With that, Chuuya made his way out of the room. To ponder the thought alone, was he better off for knowing Dazai?

Atsushi was not pleased with that answer. He didn't want to speak with his mento–Dazai. He couldn't right now. All he could see was the headmaster's cold eyes staring back at him. He was stuck in a place that wasn't death or life as his greatest enemy tended to him. He felt bad for only Mori to conduct an exam on him, but he wanted to know what the older doctor knew. So he let Mori poke and prod his body, with an all too pleased smile plastered on his sinister face. Then it changed into something more concerning as he gazed at his stomach. The doctor began to poke and prod at him as the good doctor came closer to them to observing his stomach. Both looked unsure at the concerned injury.

"He has–" Doctor Yosano said, shocked by the inconsistency of her patients.

"I know."

"The others didn't–"

"I am aware, Doctor Yosano." Mori said, looking up at the female doctor. "It's not of concern but–" Mori looked up at the boy who was silently freaking out. He continued, "we will monitor him to make sure this doesn't increase."

"What doesn't increase?" The weretiger said with a slight tremble in his voice.

"It would appear you have some bruising and a deep wound on your abdomen, however we will treat it then get you some pain killers. I would like to ask you just take it slow for the next few days. No additional stress."

The weretiger almost scoffed at the statement 'no extra stress' that would not be possible. Right in front of him was Mori, the boss of the port mafia it was like a sinister joke. They both looked at him, expecting an answer. He responds with a nod. As if something had just occurred to him, Mori hummed and then said.

"Did you do something strenuous before you came here?"

"I-I'm unsure."

The other conscious individual started to gather some medication and the proper equipment for the weretiger. Said weretiger sat and wondered what to make of this, and he didn't want to start thinking about Dazai. Atsushi lay down on the bed.

Mori looked over to Yosano as she put on a pair of blue gloves. With a small smile that graced his face.

In a quiet tone, she stated, "I will conduct his treatment from here. I don't know whatever you two work out but it ends now. He is my patient, my colleague."

"I will wait on standby then… I am here if you need me."

The theater seemed to drop in degrees once his younger apprentice left. Curious eyes taking in his every breath, they wanted an answer; their eyes demanded it. Dazai sighed; he wondered what part made them angry with him. It wasn't like they were saints. An incoherent mumbling was heard, and many turned to the blond detective with glasses as he awoke from his faint spell.

"I had the most absurd hallucination-" His voice sounded strained and tired. If either of the doctors were around, they would come running to aid though he was sure that Mori would have ill intent in his examination. he began to look around, and his face fell. It was, in fact, a reality, one he would be stuck in for the time being. He adjusted himself in his chair, locking in on Dazai standing in the middle of the theater. Anger and confusion poured through him as he became more aware.

Ranpo, for his part, was reflecting. He rarely ever felt genuine emotion from Dazai outside his mentoring of Atsushi, his constant need to bother and interrupt work around the office, and his quest to end his life. As he looked at Dazai, the great detective was all too aware of the gravity of the situation. He turned to look at the boss. What did he make of this development?

"We will discuss this after dinner." Dazai made his way up the theater. All eyes followed until he vanished through the door.

"I have no idea where to start." Said Kunikida, staring blankly at the exit. Kunikida couldn't make sense of this new development, but as he reviewed his partnership with Dazai. The moments of utter seriousness and the emotionless expression that took over the ex-mafioso's features from time to time. ADA's members looked around, each trying to find the words; even Kenji didn't know how to ease the people he cared about. For the port mafia members part in this, they felt uncomfortable, like a dark storm had come over them.

"Wells, who's up for hotpot." Said Ranpo stretching himself out as he rose, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

The sounds of a gentle breeze filled their room as the curtains slightly flutter, which he couldn't see. Chuuya cuddled Mii-chan as said cat nuzzled closer to him. The mafioso contemplated how there was a wind to begin, but both Mii-chan and him wearily watched Dazai, who had barged in about thirty minutes ago. He had hastily opened the window on his side and then promptly flopped down on his side. Chuuya watched as Dazai blocked himself off from the world. His solo focus was locking himself in his head, running through as many scenarios as possible. He had seen him do it only a few times during their partnership, and he never enjoyed what this downward spiral did to him. And Dazai, he wouldn't eat. He wouldn't sleep; Dazai would just stare, but once the staring stopped, he would pace. The exe didn't want him to start pacing. Then a loud, exacerbated huff was released from the other side of the room. The bed cracked as Dazai got up from his twin bed. The brunette was displeased by whatever his mind had conjured up for him. At present, he was pacing from his side to Chuuya's.

The redhead could guess what was spinning around in that head of his. Dazai didn't know what to say to the kids. He would perform wonderfully in front of his enemies and friends, but those kids, more specifically Atsushi. He was lost. He fell into old habits with Akutagawa. Kyoko, though not directly affected by him, also fell victim to his psychological torture. Atsushi is far removed from the monster he was in his mafia days and yet so close to seeing that person with his own eyes.

"You're not like how you were… You seem… better." The other's head turned to Chuuya. Dazai said nothing, but his eye did all the talk for him as the color altered slightly from the statement.

"Okay, sometimes you are like him, but you have good reasons. Most of the time… now."

"Then…"

Chuuya remained quiet; he reflected on their time together. A word came to mind, trust. He smiled.

"Most.. Most of the time."

"So I'm the same…"

"No."

Dazai let out a sigh. Seem to reset as light in his dark maroon-brown eyes returned. "What do you think I should do, Slug?"

Even when he was in distress, he had to get in a short joke. However, he couldn't bring himself to be angry at him. Chuuya smiled from his bed.

"I think–"

Kunikida was very intent on something normal which lead him to the kitchen like most of them. Some of them sat on the chair provide for them others stood talking amongst themselves, all others were in the kitchen helping Kunikida with his cooking. They pulled out ingredients for an easy meal. But Kunikida's thoughts kept spinning. What was their dyminic now? Not when everything he thought he knew had change. How can he trust Dazai with his life when he still had connections to them . Overall, he need answers. He stirred the broth until his thoughts were only about suppling the food needed for the group. Soon enough the hotpots where ready one for each organization.

"Okay, everyone the food is ready. Can someone get the Doctors and anyone else that can stomach a meal. I will go collect Dazai." Kunikida proclaimed to the gallery. He stormed out with his apron still in place. He made his way to Dazai's room. When he came to it, the door was left a jarred. What he found was Dazai lazy on Chuuya's bed, Dazai's head resting off the edge of the bed. Chuuya was sitting by the headrest nursing a bottle of wine. Where he got said bottle was to be determined at a later date. The two seemed to be thick as thrifts despite what they told the group. Who the hell was Chuuya Naruhara to Dazai.

"The food is ready."

Chuuya turned to him, unhazed by Kunikida's presence in their room. The exe turned to Dazai. They seemed to have a full conversation via the looked they shared. Then the redhead man put the bottle of Gravity down on the bedside table and got up from the bed. He stretched out his limbs, to which the brunette chuckled. He knew Dazai's line of thought was something about his height. Chuuya elbowed his stomach in response. Dazai doubled over in pain, but an amused smile remained. Mii-chan brushed passed the blond detective's leg as he exited.

"Coming, ass for brains." The redhead growled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's showtime." Dazai lifted himself off the bed.

The two followed after the detective walking into the courtyard. Dazai, out of the corner of his eye, saw his young mentee with Mori and Yosano. His younger mentee, who only stole one glance at his mentor seemed to be good health. 'This will be a unpleasant dinner.' Dazai thought. Finally, at the door of the hall, the brunette could smell the food that was prepared, only getting stronger as he crossed the entrance. He walked into the hall with his emotion locked in a box as the stares of the individuals within the dining hall aimed to cut him.

Tachihara, Kouyou, and Kenji were setting up bowls and silverware for everyone on the counter.

"We made a hotpot full of ingredents so get yourself a bowl and–" He stopped and turned, "once that's over you answer my questions, all of our questions." Kunikida then walked away from the two and went to go collect himself a bowl.

Double Black just looked at one another and went to collect their meals with the doctors, and Atsushi trailed behind, creating a queue. Once the duo made their bowls, they separated to their sides of the hall. Dazai found a table alone to collect his thoughts with a bowl of beef, green onions, seaweed, an egg, and some noodles. He held the bowl with two hands letting the heat burn his hands. Once satisfied by the pain, Dazai took a gentle sip of the broth. Suddenly, this day seemed to smelt away. And for that moment, it was quiet despite the chatter in the hall of pleasant conversation. Suddenly, he could hear the sea breeze and seagulls flying around. It was peaceful. It was shattered by Atsushi sitting down across from him, his bowl in his hands and a scowl on his face. The boy couldn't leave him alone; it was his nature.

"Me sitting here doesn't mean I've forgiven you," Atsushi harshly whispered as he grabbed his chopsticks. "Or anything." He choked out as he stuffed his face with much-needed sustenance.

"Of course, not." Dazai could grin at the statement. It warmed his heart in a way that only the kid could. They remained in their own world, enjoying the meal that was provided. Every warm sip and every hearty bite until it was gone. Soon enough, they were all done, and Dazai knew it was time.

"Hey–,"

Dazai look into the weretiger's eyes, which had softened since he had sat down.

"Just give me a reason I can accept," Atsushi said, almost pleading in his tone. The weretiger needed to see the Dazai he knows, he needed it to make sense because Dazai saved him from a cruel fate. He gave him a home and showed him how to live. He couldn't be… Atsushi was spiraling and he wanted to know if Dazai would be there to catch him when he fell.

Before Dazai could reply back to his mentee's distress, the sounds of a chair scraping against the hardwood floor took his attention. The detective looked up at the sound to see Kunikida dragging a chair to the middle of the hall. 'What is this an execution!?' Dazai thought. Finally, the chair came to a halt, seeming to get everyone's attention as well as Dazai's.

"Dazai, it's time." The blond said, hovering over the chair.

He rose from his seat and walked to where he would be sitting in his interrogation. The brunette made a show of taking his place, to which his partner rolled his eyes at the action and went to his seat at a nearby table. Dazai looked around towards his two apprentices seemed to be sharing the same expression, 'a reason I can accept.' Atsushi's words rang in his head. The brunette saw from the corner of his eyes older Tanizaki staring him down with an ever-growing scowl. Kunikida broke his thoughts with his arm crossed as he began the interrogation.

"Why didn't you inform us of your previous occupation when you were accepted into the agency."

"Our relationship is already so… delicate Kunikida. I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"Bullshit." Kunikida cursed.

"You could've told us. How many cases could have been solved with your knowledge regardless of how limited it is. What victims of their tyranny," He pointed at the other group, more directly at Mori, his voice rising with anger and disbelief. "could've been saved with your knowledge of the port mafia's operation?" Kunikida stood to his full height, now towering over Dazai, his anger reaching its peak. He wanted to strangle the bandage-wasting machine, but right now, he wasn't sure if he could avoid killing the brunette.

Ranpo wanted to laugh. Limited was not the word for describing what Dazai knew about the port mafia. No, from what he gathered, the brunette was one of its architects. The great detective's eyes looked at the members of Port Mafia they seemed to have the same myth held in their eyes. Akutagawa and Dazai both scoffed at the statement, Kunikida looked quite ready to punch his partner.

"They were solved were they not."

"That's not the point."

"It's always the point. It's the only point. You might never understand but every choice I made was a calculated risk. Only one optimal solution to use not on some-" Dazai exclaimed in a neutral voice as his body grew more relaxed, his hands comfortable in his pockets which to those who knew was not a good sign.

"Yet-"

Kunikida interrupt Dazai statement. The brunette increased his volume as he continued, "random no body but on the whole of Yokahame."

"I Want You To Show Some Damn Remorse!"

There was a pregnant pause as everyone waited with weight breathes. Both were not back down from this confrontation, their eyes staring daggers into the other as they both seethed. Kunikida could smell the shampoo Dazai used to wash his hair; it smelled like spring rain. The glasses detective was breathing heavily, Kunikida wanted something from Dazai that he feared his partner, an ex-mafioso, was incapable of showing regret or remorse. Dazai let out a sigh removing his hands from his pocket, but his steel gaze remained. Now what lingered was a question did he feel anything towards his past actions?

"You left without notice?" Kouyou cut the tension steering the conversation back to his mafia days. To which Dazai turned to her, shocked by her question.

"Big sis," said Dazai, turning to his former boss. "I was fired by the boss himself. So, I gave notice."

All eyes turned to Mori, who was just as shocked by this turn of events.

"You Fired him!" Akutagawa's frustration turned to the boss.

"You were fired?" Kunikida exclaimed, losing all of his anger and flopping down into his chair.

"Well, I guess that is one way to look at it. However, I always felt that you quit." Mori said, more interested to see how far this would go.

Heads turned to Dazai, whose eyes were slowly losing their light.

"Quit… How revisionist of you."

"Well, then a equable split. If you would like–"

"I would not like."

"I would gladly reinstate you with all your benefits intact."

"There is nothing that the Mafia can provide that I can not get through the agency plus I can't get arrested from doing my job under the agency."

"So is that it, was just a job?" Kunikida all but exhausted by the conversation, his face was half covered by his hand.

"Yes, being part of the mafia is a job just like how you go about your days, the mafia's night are the same. We have paperwork, meeting, and performances reviews."

"And they kill people–you killed people." Junichiro stated.

"It is a function of the job, yes. The Port Mafia's currency is violence which can lead to individuals in and out of the organization losing their life."

"Do you regret your actions?" Kunikida questioned in a low whisper.

Dazai paused to think over the question. What did he feel towards those days? Dazai looked at Chuuya, who looked back at him with a look of pain, something that came from all the time they spent together as a team. Then he looked at his first apprentice, who seemed to be asked if he regretted taking him in and putting him on this path. Then there was Mori, and all he could see was his future if he had stayed. Did he regret it? No. But he could've been better so much better to them.

For Kunikida and Junichiro, the pause made them angry; Kunikida couldn't understand why this needed a moment for him to collect his thoughts.

Finally, he answered, "Let me ask you a question do you regret your actions at your previous job?"

"Not the same thing–!"

"But it is, I did my job. There are small things here and there that I regret but the bigger picture not really. I needed to be there to be here as I am." He trailed off in thought. Dazai continued now in his usually cheery tone, "The food was lovely. Can't wait to do this again, good night everyone." He said, trying to escape any more questions. As he was almost out the door, Atsushi spoke up for the first time since the questioning started.

"One thing I need some clarity on Akugatawa?"

"It is none of your concern, weretiger." Atsushi turned to the table where Akutagawa was sitting with Gin. "You already know too much as it is."

"I wasn't talking to you." said Atsushi, then turned back to Dazai. Who looked between the two trying to find an acceptable answer. "You can't say your influence didn't make him that way." Akutagawa let out a low growl as he stood from his seat.

"Yes, my influence did make him like that. I…" Dazai looked at his current apprentice in thought before something in his eyes changed. He couldn't place the emotion, but Dazai looked tired. But then he turned to Akutagawa, and all he could see were the eyes of the man that he had locked up in the dungeon. "I could be demanded at times and ask too much of him."

'Ask too much of me. Never, never…When had he ever cared.' His former apprentice found himself standing in front of Dazai, contemplating how much the man had changed, and moreover, all he could see was the Demon Prodigy. Atsushi stood up as Akutagawa got too close to the brunette. It was clear that the mafioso felt that words weren't enough. No words could express this feeling in his chest something was breaking.

Akutagawa locked eyes with Dazai and saw the same eyes he had shown in the dungeon of the port mafia's headquarters, yet it was missing the edge, the taunt. Then, he turned to the younger of them. The way he stood in defense of this man despite how he personally felt from the new discovery.

'My new apprentice is superior to you in every way, imaginable.'

He didn't see anything worthy of note even after being forced to watch the boy's backstory; nothing changed. Said weretiger's gold-purple eyes stared into his own steel ones. He wanted to run him through with Rashomon. So, he thought back to when he did run him through with Rashomon, not but a few hours ago.

Atsushi felt extreme bloodlust coming from his older apprentice, but as quickly as it was felt, it vanished. Akutagawa took a breath.

"I've shown restraint, haven't I? Despite the mockery, you have put me through, I have shown restraint." His aggression shining through.

"What restraint, is restraint the injuries my sister and I optain from you." Tanizaki interjected.

"I have an idea, I finish you off right here, and then I do the same to your sister. To ease your mind."

Tanizaki was standing down from the mad dog. He wouldn't, his sister was sitting in the infirmary she had to relive that pain all over again cause of this asshole.

"Akutagawa." Dazai said, his voice holding a lever authority he never shown. It was quite unsettling. They lock eyes, Akutagawa couldn't maintain the contact for long and said, "Whatever."

Tanizaki met Dazai's eyes, it felt like he was missing too many pieces of this man. It made him feel uncomfortable but he couldn't forget his part in his sister injuries.

"This isn't over." Akutagawa turned his gaze to Atsushi and scrowled at the younger. Then he sat back down next to his sibling.

Dazai turned his attention to the older Tanizaki next. "What would you have me do to make this better, Tanizaki?"

Tanizaki approached his senior.

"Let me reciprocate the pain she felt."

Atsushi was slightly worried about where this was going.

"Okay, then…" and with that, Junichiro sucker punched Dazai in the gut. The brunette took in the impact, hunching over slightly, then straightened himself. Junichiro stared daggers at the detective it didn't satisfy anything, and he knew. He knew needed to let it go, his fist still clenched tight. Yet, he still wanted to punch him again. But it was Dazai; Junichiro considered him a friend. It was messing with his head. He couldn't even tell if he was just mad about the incident or what Atsushi had brought up in the theater. And his face then, his face now. He let out a sigh. He needed to let it go cause it was just hurting him.

Ranpo turned to the president, who seemed displeased with this turn of events. The man himself let out a breath.

"We've talked about this before Kunikida." His voice sounded strained by Junichiro's punch and the other injuries he had collected from Chuuya. Kunikida angled his head to the floor. He just had to bring up the Azure Messenger. It was all too much and opening wounds that had never got a chance to heal.

To which many raised their eyebrows up at the statement. "I am…"

'–Far from human.'

"what I made myself. You can judge me via what you've been shown. I am sure my secrets are no longer my own." Then he left with the good doctor trailing after him. Leaving many at the agency with thoughts and the mafia quite pleased with the conclusion of the conversation. The main being Mori, he only wished he had a bag of popcorn.

Kyouko, for her part, upon discovery of Dazai's sorted past, found hope many she could hope. Away from the darkness she had grown accustomed to in her short life. Atsushi gave her hope he believed in her and, despite only knowing her for only one day, would sacrifice his life at the agency for her. It made warmth bloom in her chest. Dazai should've been the blueprint, but after this, she wasn't sure there was a place for her in the light. She just… wanted a place to call her own with people who loved her and asked nothing of her. She got up from her seat next to Kouyou, whose eyebrows raised at the action. Her wooden clogs click against the wooden floor as she approaches the weretiger. Kyouko timidly pulled on his sleeve. In response, he looked up to meet her eyes and gingerly smiled.

"Thank you, Atsushi." As she tried to match his expression.

"...You're Welcome."

"Is there a reason, you feel the need to follow me." Dazai said in that uncaring tone. As Yosano hastily followed after him, which was quite a struggle as his stride was longer than hers.

"Let me examine." She exclaimed.

"I'm good."

"I'm not so sure."

There was a pause, but he kept walking to his room. She needed to get his attention so she could look over his injuries. Yosano didn't want to go down this route, but no better ideas came to mind.

"I knew him. I know how he makes you just want to make him proud. How he twist something so pure and turns it into something unrecognizable to what it was when you gave it to him."

This time his steps faltered as he thought it over. Then he let out a thousand-year sigh and turned to the good doctor. Her body facing his, she got a good look at his appearance. Dazai was twenty-two years old, but he looked so much older, and it occurred to her that Dazai never looked his age. Sometimes she sees him and sees a child, other times, he's too old for his skin. Not that there's much to see anyway.

"Okay, then you leave me alone and I am not answering any of your questions."

She chuckled, "I just…" The doctor rephased, "You are important to me. You're not a tool."

That seemed to make an emotion flash across his face and then gone, replaced by the mask she had known as Dazai.

Sometime in the dead of night, Atsushi sat on the stairs of an empty theater. He was still processing all that had happened; it was too much for him to think about at some unknown time in the night, but here is where he found himself. He knew what kind of man Dazai was, and he wasn't that oblivious to the truth. It's just a disconnect. And then there is Kyouka. She was a prime example of all of Dazai's actions toward his rival and how quick that mad dog was to pass down those teaches to Kyouka.

Dazai was good. His Dazai isn't the Dazai that was on the screen nor who answered those questions early. So he sat with it and wondered if he would get clarity on who Dazai is. Was his just a beautiful illusion created for some greater purpose? That their relationship was heavy manipulation by the other Dazai.

"Did any of it matter–?!" The weretiger folded in on himself. It was driving him up the wall.

He heard a gentle swing of the theater door open. The young adult turned to the door as it revealed Dazai. He wondered if he even needed to search for him or if it was a given he would be here.

"I can be manipulative." The first thing Dazai said to Atsushi.

"Your knowledge of the fact doesn't make it better." He turned away from the door. The sounds of Dazai's shoes descending the stairs echo throughout the theater.

"He brings out the worst in me." His voice sounded closer in sound but distant in tone.

"Can't you jus–."

"I see him and I am reminded of those days."

"Can't you just say sorry is that so hard." The younger said, letting out a breath.

There's a pause, and in his usual style, he completely, ignored the question in its entirety. "So, have you made a verdict, yet."

"No, cause I just can't put it together." He was annoyed by the brunette's choice to brush over his question. "And you!" He turned back in anger to find Dazai right in front of him with his signature smile. He narrowed his eyes at the older. "You can be dishonest." He whispered, letting the feeling of betrayal coating his words.

"That I can." His mentor directed his eyes away from his own purple-gold ones.

Silence fell over them as Dazai sat down on the stair Atsushi had been sitting on. Begrudgingly, Atsushi sat next to him, folding in on himself to avoid more conversation. The little discussion drained him of all his fight and anger; all that was left was exhaustion. Which is what Dazai tended to always do to him drain him. He believed that Dazai was a good person and that he was trying. But DAMNIT, he could try just a little more.

"Tell me, what was it that you came up with for my past occupation."

"Dazai."

"I'm curious."

He reached into his pocket and pulled at a piece a paper. The youth handed it to his mentor. Dazai slowly unfolded the piece of paper to see several crossed out occupations until he looked at the bottom of the page. There circled, the final conclusion was a, "An insurance investigator?" Dazai said out loud.

"Yup, that's what we came up with."

"I can see it." His tone cheerful and warm. A part of Atsushi wanted to wrap himself in that security he found in his tone. Dazai, the Agency was his home and he wouldn't let any one destory that weather it was the port mafia, Dazai, or himself. So, he made a decision.

"I've decided, I'm not going to listen to a word you say. I'm just–?" The weretiger broke off in thought.

"Is that so." A smile graced Dazai's face, his answer seemed to have pleased him.

"I will see it with my eyes and make up my own mind."

Then in action, he had grown accustomed to, he reached out his hand to pet Atsushi's head, but he stopped midway.

Dazai sighed, "I'm proud of you." Letting his hand rest back by his side. A slight blush formed on the the youth's face.

Atsushi got up from his seat on the stairs and stretched his arms. "I'm going back to bed." He walked up the stairs and said, "I don't understand why you can't show this side."

As the door closed behind Atsushi, Dazai's whispered,

"I'll try…"

Everyone was finally seated in their respective places after a good breakfast and check-ups with the doctors. The projector roared to life, signaling the start of another episode. Many wondered what the screen would show them this time. Tanizaki was going to try to be back to himself, he was going to be positive. It did help that his sister was in good health once again. For Kunikida, he already felt his exhausted mind take over. He just hope it would be a calm and relaxing episode.

The episode begins with the words 'What is the ideal?' spoken by Kunikida, sitting on a mat, legs crossed in contemplation. 'The question seems to beget more questions…'

"The ideal cookie is what I seek." said Ranpo.

"I seek the ideal surgical blade." The good doctor said.

"Truly the question beget more questions."

"Haha very funny…" said Kunikida at the two joke.

"No, but serious what are you doing?" said Yosano.

Kunikida took a breath in. It would seem this will be a trying viewing.

The man stares off to the side, intense eyes looking out. 'is it merely a concept, a lofty notion or the goal of life, itself. If you were going to ask me however, the answers is quite simple. The word rest in the front of my notebook in a sense, it's meaning, the ideal.' It was apparent that Kunikida was getting ready for his day.

"I don't know man, even this mediation seems stressful." Said Tachihara, his legs crossed on the floor.

"Well, it's Kunikida so…" The good Doctor Yosano sighs out.

"He just looks so rigid, its suppose to be relaxing." Kouyou nail's tapped the armrest.

"How often do you do this Kundika?" Kenji said, interest to learn more about his routine.

"Well, normally once a week."

"You need to do it more than once week Kunikida." Ranpo proclaimed through a mouthful of sweeties.

'My ideals... Everything in my life is in the journal. My schedule, my plans, my goals. My future is forever bound to this journal.'

"Maybe you shouldn't put all that in there like what if someone bad got their hands on it like the Port Mafia or Dazai." said Tanizaki.

"That already happened." said Atsushi

"Which one the port mafia or Dazai." turning to the weretiger.

"Dazai…" The detective said through a sigh.

Music flowed through the speakers as the screen showed water reflecting the lights of the city as sound waves. A closer showing of Yokohama City, shrouded in green light, was shown. The camera zoomed further to show port mafia headquarters glowing with evil red lighting.

The camera moves up to show a man falling from the building and rapidly swifts to the man's face, revealing Dazai's looking at peace with his choice.

"Oh, hell yeah. We get a opening number fucking finally." Everyone turned to the outburst coming from the great detective.

"What! You guys were thinking about it too."

"Real question: why is Dazai falling from a building?" Said Atsushi, concerned at the moment they were paused on. Dazai, for his part, was interested in what the opening would show them.

"That is not just any building. Isn't it the Port Mafia headquarters?" Atsushi exclaimed, nervously playing with his tie. Dazai reached out to the youth and started to pet him.

"Before you start to stress out, Dazai would never choose to kill himself via jumping off a building, especially not the port mafia headquarters." said Doctor Yosano.

Atsushi looked to Dazai for confirmation of this statement. The man smiled gently at his mentee, and that was enough for now.

"It's quite an unpleasant way to go, it would seem to be more of a metaphor than anything else." Ranpo mumbled out from behind his snacks.

"Metaphor for what?" said in a loud tone, gathering attention.

"The choice to leave and yet it not being his choice at all. Accepting reality for what it is instead of what we want it to be." Ranpo concluded.

"What are you implying, detective." Glowered Mori.

"I don't imply, I deduced and it would seem that you two can't agree on who left who. Thus a choice, but not a choice he would make without feeling it was needed." He looked Mori directly into his eyes. He had no fear of the man, and the detective was certainty that Dazai acted as a replacement for his first apprentice, which he broken with his own hands. So, he was not surprised he would do it again to his second. The Port Mafia boss disgusted him in every way imaginable. If one asked where the nexus point was, he would point to Doctor Mori.

"Is that, so." Doctor Mori replied, as reflected on the great detective's words like the other in room.

In time with the music, the words Bungo Stray Dogs are revealed as if being typed in a typewriter as Dazai continued to fall.

'A metaphor…' He pondered, looking at the screen as it shifted between the title and his mentor. The only thing it did was bring a bittersweet emotion to the forefront. Despite the anger that burned in him, he couldn't lose Dazai. He wanted to know him and understand the complex enigma that was Osamu Dazai.

But then there was Mori and Dazai's past. Too much to pondered in one sitting.

The city lights flashed as the logo from earlier flashed, the screen spinning to show the underneath of a bridge, where someone walked towards the camera.

As the camera got closer, Atsushi Nakajima was revealed, his serious expression highlighted. The camera spun, revealing Dazai walking next to him with his signature smirk on his face.

"Pause. Pause! Is that who I think it is… Is that the Hatrack I think it is?" Dazai proclaimed to the theater.

Chuuya stood on his seat and put one of his feet on the armrest, pointing at his ex-partner, looking ready to murder the detective. "Fuck you, Mackerel!"

"Chuuya, you can sing?" Exclaimed Atsushi seemingly, amazed with the executive.

"Oh, Of course my boy can sing, I taught him everything he knows." Kooyoo answered for him.

"Well, that does explain it. Big sis really gives a full set of skills but that voice truly beautiful." Explained Tachihara.

"It really is beautiful and those r's. Swoon worthy, not that I am think he his hot or anything." said Haruno sinking into her chair.

Chuuya was blushing up a storm. He simmered down and sank into his seat. "Whatever, just continue the fucking episode."

Then Kunikida and Ranpo were shown walking next to Dazai, followed by Tanizaki, Kenji, and Yosano. Fukuzawa being the last one shown, staring into the camera grimly.

The camera zoomed out, showing the ADA as a whole, the light shining from behind them with the vocals saying, "I will take you there,"

"I'm Getting sick of this I want my cool moment. We get it the agency is cool and they love their boss. I want my cool moment!" Said Tachihara, looking like a disgruntled dog. "I want backlight and-and slow mo walking. Am I not a star."

"No, you're not. And shut up." said Akutagawa.

Then a mugshot background appeared, and lined up across the screen were a bunch of the port mafia, changing poses every few seconds. The camera zoomed in on the Mad Dog with his hand over his face, and his eyes opened to stare at the camera.

The port mafia seemed pleased with the show of themselves. Tachihara clapped as he watch himself.

"Work it, Work it! You're a Star baby girl." sang Tachihara as he pose for no in particular.

A table with three candles in front of it and two individuals at the end were shown, one hidden in shadow, and the other was a young-looking blonde girl, the camera only focusing for a second before spinning away.

"Um… who's the little girl. Do you have a daughter?" The weretiger nervously questioned the port mafia's boss.

"Is that your question?" The doctor said through a scary smirk.

"NO! I mean… no of course not Doctor. I-i just—"

Dazai raised his eyebrow at the exchange but said nothing despite the scheming smirk on Mori's face.

"That is a Elise dear, isn't she beautiful."

'That's not really an answer.' The theater thought in unison.

Atsushi didn't know how to reply to the remark. So, he quietly replied. "Um… yeah…She is…"

For some reason, the boss started to glare at the boy, which further surprised Atsushi. Tachihara kneeled a bit to whisper in Atsushi's ear.

"If I were you I wouldn't bring the girl up again. I would hate to see you stuffed and hanged on a wall." He pulled away from the detective to be met with terrified eyes.

"Got it." Atsushi nodded and avoid the man's gaze.

The camera went back to Dazai falling down the building, zoomed in on his face. The vocalist sang, "When it seems within reach, yet too far away, make some noise,"

Ranpo reflected, 'Within reach… yet far away. The feeling of never being close to anyone. It truly does write itself.' The great detective could understand the sentiment. 'Always two steps ahead or one behind.' He turned to Dazai, wondering if his body would give away his thoughts, but as usual, Dazai was like stone, unreadable. It took too much energy to analyze Dazai when he did not want to be observed. Ranpo turned back to the screen with his hand already searching for another sweet treat in his pocket.

Then the interior of the ADA was shown, Kunikida near Fukuzawa, then Ranpo, Naomi, and Tanizaki, the shot transferring into Kenji jumping across cars with a smile. Then most of the ADA was shown ready to fight.

"I really hope none of this is real cause if it is we will need to have another heart to heart about you jump on cars to get to places, Kenji." Kunikida, looked at the fourteen-year-old.

"I remember our discussion Kunikida no jumping on cars unless a life or death sitution." Kenji said with his usual cheer.

"Isn't your job, always a life threatening situation." Tachihara pondered looking up at the youth.

"Now that I think about it." putting a hand under his chin in contemplation. Then like a lightbulb went off, the young blond bounced in his seat. "Your right it is, thanks Tachihara." Smiling brightly at the mafia member. Tachihara couldn't help but beam back at him. He was swift to share this warm feeling in his chest to be met with Kunikida's cold death glare. The mafia member sighed, 'Just great another person who want to kill me.'

It cuts to Dazai opening his eyes wide then Chuuya then Akugatawa finally showing Atsushi who is activating his ability. Shifts to Akugatawa and Atsushi fight in a warehouse.

Atsushi found him grimance at his on-screen counterpart. It would seem he could not avoid the confrontation with the mad dog. He looked out the side of his eyes to see his rivial's evil smirk. The weretiger felt like life would not being giving him any breaks anytime soon.

Cuts to Kyoko looking at the camera with a phone in her head. Then switches to Higuchi then Doctor Yosano. To then show Dazai and Chuuya fighting.

"Is that Dazai fight Chuuya." Atsushi bleached out suddenly, a wave of anxiety overcoming him. 'Does that mean he will fight Chuuya? How does he get himself in so much trouble?' He turned to Dazai like a mother cat would with a troublemaking kitten.

"It would appear so." Tanizaki said.

A low growl came from the other side of the theater. Everyone knew what was about to happen. "First off we ain't fighting. I am kicking his scrawny ass. Look he's runnning away and why cause I am a badass."

"Or that's part of my technique. But you wouldn't know anything about that being a such a pipsqueak. I mean, I can barely see you from all the way over here."

"Barely see me puting my foot up your ass!"

"Ow, Kinky! Chuuya didn't know you were into that kind of stuff."

Chuuya looked ready to murder the detective when the episode continue.

Kyoko appears again with her ability active. Then it cuts to Kunikida with events from the show playing behind him. And it did the same when it showed Tanizaki, Kenji, then Ranpo.

Ranpo seemed displeased, he pondered when his episode would be shown. It was becoming unclear where they were in the timeline of events. And as he thought about he felt his episode had been skip which didn't make any sense to him. He can accept being a side character in the events being told but did he not add anything to Atsushi's story.

Dazai was shown on the left with his eyes appearing crimon red as blood was flying at him. Then Akugatawa was shown with a similar display however he was on the right. Lastly, Atsushi was shown standing in the middle of the street, looking determined as the rest of the ADA walked past him. The vocalist sang, "Do I get my worthless award yet," the final frame being the red moon above the group.

If people had thoughts, they chose not to voice them. The group had already put to rest the topic of Dazai's former occupation and his connection to Akutagawa. They were all hoping for an episode that would not remind them of the topic.

Atsushi just looked away from the screen; he searched for something more positive to focus on instead of the stabbing betrayal in his gut that felt all too real.

The opening ends, and the camera cuts to Kunikida standing at the door of the detective agency and looked at his watch.

"I've arrive a whole ten seconds early." He muses aloud.

Ranpo started slowly clapping, to which the theater followed suit.

"Maybe none of you understand but those ten second matter when your partner is Dazai."

The clapping stopped.

Some nodded others apologized to Kunikida. Unfortunately, it was a byproduct of working with the bandage man.

"My name is Doppo Kunikida... I'm an idealist at heart and a pragmatism in pursuit of those ideals."

"And I am looking for locate honies in my area." said Yosano in a raspy voice, to which most of the theater got a good chuckle.

He waits until his watch hits exactly 8:00 am.

"It's time."

He walks into the ADA building, "Good morn-"

"Please Help us Mr. Kunikida!" Said a frantically Atsushi.

"See, this is what I mean. Barely put my foot through the door, and I am already being accosted." Kunikida could only shake his head at his past self.

"Poor Kunikida and Poor Atsushi… " said Tanizaki.

"You should be nicer two those two boys." Kouyou said towards Dazai.

"Yes, big sis." He said like a child but then returned his signature smirk as he looked at Atsushi.

Atsushi could only shake his head in fondest of his mentor's antics. 'It's his life's goal to mess with people.' He thought.

Kunikida opens his eyes to stare into the eyes of an absolutely panicked Atsushi.

"What's it this time?" Kunikida asks dryly.

Atsushi stammers out his reply, "I-It's , Look at him!"

He turns around, showing Kunikida that Dazai is standing on their office desk, looking completely insane. He waves his arms crazily and rumbling.

"What The FuCk?!" "What The ActuALly FuCk?!" Most of the theater said in unison in different varieties as they stared at the screen.

"Dazai is too Lanky to be pulling this kind of shit." said Yosano in horror.

"He would fit in perfectly in a hunted house," said Ranpo, which many in the agency got a good chuckle out of the idea; the mafia did not.

"Or the psychiatric ward of a hospital." Said Chuuya to which Dazai glared at his former partner.

"Kunikida!" Dazai sang as he pointed to the ceiling, "It's an emerGeNcY! Just take a Look At This!" Pointing to something not there above his right shoulder.

"Look at what?" Kunikida's eyebrow gets slowly higher and higher.

"Right Here! Silly!" Dazai's crazed smile grows as he shouts.

Kunikida doesn't miss a beat, "All I can see is your stupid face."

"Classic Kunikida burning Dazai left and right." said Ranpo through his munching.

"He really doesn't let up with his jabs." said Tachihara.

"Well there only jabs." said Haruno, petting Mii. Over her shoulder, the agency's boss looked on in sadness as he watch the cat lean into her touch. She continued, "That's they're thing you know. The push and pull on one another. Both having something that makes them unique. T-t–."

At this point, most of the theater was looking at her and her cat, who now was not liking the attention, and proceeded to jump off Haruno's lap. Despite this, she finished the thought.

"The idea is maybe the positive part–the positive attributes of one another will rub off and they both grow as a result."

"How long did that take you to come up with that." Tanizaki said, bitterness souring his normal cheery tone.

"A while and I reminded myself of it everytime those two destroy the office as well as when they solve a high profiled case. They're good together–for each other."

Naomi looked at her brother. The only response Haruni got from the older Tanizaki was a huff as he turned back to the screen. He wanted to let it go, but…

"Mr. Kunikida," He looks at Atsushi. "I found this…" He shows Kunikida a mushroom and Dazai's book, 'The Complete Guide to Suicide."

"The evidence, detective. I would like propose the cause of insanity–" Tachihara paused, then with a dramatic flare. "Magic Mushroom."

"I knew that the 'The Complete Guide to Suicide' was A MasteRPiece-e-e!" Dazai cackled, "Who Would Have Guess I WoUld Only NeEd To Eat ThOse MUSHroOms Near By To Have Such An EnTERrtaining Exit!"

"So he thought those mushrooms were poisonous..." Kunikida said, having reached his limits years ago.

"Oh, well… He thought they were but in actuality they were–!" Atsushi stammers nervously.

"YES, I Finally Catch You Mr. Rainbow Pill Bug!" Dazai shouts as he launches at Atsushi.

"I'm going to go organize reports." Kunikida says calmly, turning away from Dazai, who was immobilizing the weretiger.

"You're just going to leave that poor weretiger to the insanity that is Dazai." said Tachihara.

"He made his choice when he choice Dazai to be his mentor thus he gets to babysit him until I'm done." The blond detective leaned his head on his hand, slightly distancing himself from his partner.

"HUH?!" Atsushi exclaimed as Dazai hung off him like wet clothes.

"Couldn't you just throw him off." said Kyoko.

"But that would hurt Dazai plus he's stronger than he looks remember ex-mafia member." Atsushi said with a blush forming on his cheek.

"Kid that means nothing that lanky basterd is below average when it comes physical prowess I mean the bottom of the barrel." The Mafiosos stated with plain indifference to his ex-partner.

"I'm not sure that opening gives a lot of evidence otherwise plus he out run the tiger." The weretiger said to Chuuya, who replied with a low growl.

"Well at least I don't wear tacky hats to increase my height."

"Knock it off about my height already."

"Make me pipsqueak."

The both started to growl at the other from their respective seat.

"Can we get back to the show, please." Atsushi exclaimed from his spot. The weretiger found himself confused by the two's relationship, it was nothing like Dazai and Kunikida, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Kunikida sits calmly at his desk and begins his morning routine; Dazai quickly jumps onto his desk and grabs Kunikida's face.

"Kunikida You should come to The afterlife TOO!" sings Dazai, moving Kunikida's face. Kunikia looks over to Atsushi, who was tied in bandages.

"Hmmp…Seem to me he had no problem tying you up." said Chuuya, arms crossed.

"He's high on mushrooms." He excused.

"Still…"

"All the drinks you can handled. Mountains and Mountains of food to eat. All the sleeping beauties you can ever–!" Kunikida flips Dazai around and slams him on his back, "Stop this nonsense!"

'How can two people this completely incompatible, work together?' Atsushi, watched the two's interact with confusion.

"Simple kid, it's Dazai." The executive pointed out.

The room stays silent until Haruno steps in, "Kunikida. The president has a contact for you."

The scene cuts to Kunikida, Atsushi, and Dazai walk around a small complex, Dazai a couple of feet behind the others.

"Dazai stop lagging behind and move it."

"Oka~y."

"Be gentle Kunikida he just came down from his mushroom high. Give the man a moment." said Tachihara.

"No, I don't think I will." said Kunikida.

"BOOO! You a big meanie Kuni~kida." said Dazai to which Kunikida could only roll his eyes.

Kunikida turns sharply around, "We only have two minutes and fifteen seconds till we meet this guy."

"That a caused for worry." drawls Dazai.

"Is it really okay for me to come along?" interrupts Atsushi.

Kunikida doesn't look back as he nods, "It's part of your rookie training. We need to solve a case involving a series of disappearances in Yokohama."

"Oh wonderful, we finally get to see what that agency gets up to in an real investigation. How interesting." said Kouyou.

To which Chuuya let out a little chuckle at her comment.

"A good old anonymous tip. How very convenient and terribly suspicious," Dazai remarks with his arms above his head.

Kunikida says, "Even so, we can't ignore it."

"So we are going to check out this place, whatever it is?" Atsushi looking at Kunikida.

"No."

Kunikida glances at him, "We are investigating the tip's source."

"Detective work seems to be headache inducing. Couldn't be me." said Tachihara with a slight laugh.

"Well, that's more because Kunikida is a taskmaster." said Dazai.

Kunikida starts down a dark path and stops when he sees a young man at a computer,

"How's the work coming along, informant?"

The guy grins, "Not bad, Four Eyes. Better than your notebook, I bet." The man is surrounded by a computer with a mainframe setup and a giant fish tank behind him.

"That's a lot of attitude coming from someone who be consider a glorified cyber crimal." Kunikida remarks. Finally, coming to a stop with Dazai behind him looking bored and Atsushi seeming amazed by the cyber criminal's setup. "If your actives came to light your father would be very disappointed in you."

"Don't bring him into this, Kunikida." snarls the man.

To see him lively and full of life. Kunikida could only see him at the end bleeding out after he took a bullet made for him. He wasn't his father; he wasn't even closer. He wish the boy could have walked away from his revenge that day took another way. As his angry and sorrow grew he could only turn away from the screen and from the corner of his eye he saw Dazai. He seemed to see right through him, reading his thoughts and the direction it was going.

Atsushi was surprised by the tone shift.

"More importantly, you're late. How unusual so what where you on a date?" The cyber crimal said turning to the group.

"Of course not–."

"Yeah, he had a date with Dazai's insanity." Tanizaki said, finally feeling a little bit more like himself.

"Honestly, those two are attached at the hip. Like a mother and her son." His sister stated.

"Who the son in this equation?" Questioned Atsushi, looking over to the siblings.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Kunikida let out a dry sighed.

"Huh! So your saying you already have someone your planning to marry?" Atsushi shouts with surprise.

"The blondie moves fast. So what's she like I'm assuming neurotic, like you. You know Dazai would love another mother next to his motherhen" said Chuuya.

"Well, actually–" Atsushi was interrupted by the past Kunkida.

"I will in another four years," Kunikida says calmly, turning back to Atsushi. Who is utterly confusion and regretting his choice to join the agency once again. Dazai seemed all too pleased by the interaction.

"So, who's the new kid?" The guy asks Atsushi, who straights to match a pole, and strutters out, "I'm Nakajima Atsushi."

The guy grins, "I'm Taguchi Rokuzou." A title card giving his name and next to it saying, 'Cyber Network Warrior'

"What does that even me?" Tanizaki said.

"It means he's a hacker." Said Ranpo through a hand full of chips.

"No, that seems too simple. Maybe more of a gray hat." Chuuya chimed in.

"Yeah that sounds about right." Tachihara thought out loud.

"I'm a spy, for the right price I can dig up dirt on anyway."

"Oh, I like him can screen bro bring him. He would liveny things up around here. We really need some fresh people." Tachihara exclaimed to the theater as the drury group.

Kunikida soured at the statement.

"Screen bro?" Atsushi questioned.

"The person who brought us here." Tachihara said, with hope of another person to joke with.

"He can't." Kunikida said pointedly, ending any more conversation on the topic.

Kunikida nods, "So did you figure out who's behind the anonymous tip?

"Azure Messenger," Rokuzou says flatly, ignoring Kunikida's surprise.

Rokuzou nods, "Swipped some of the data left off the server. Which included these pictures of the victims."

He tossed the photos on the desk.

"The man can't be that bad of a guy? I mean he did let you know where they were being kept and all."

Dazai says now holding the photos of the victims, "It's possible. It would just be a shame if we went there and after all that they turned out to be the the kidnappers."

"Azure Messenger," hums Kunikida, "Stay on there trail."

Rokuzou sighs, "Sure if I have the time, I'm very busy looking after my fish."

The scene changes to the episode tittle, 'The Azure Messenger' then to outside the warehouse the group standing, looking out into the night sky.

"What is this, do you guys do this often." Chuuya exclaimed.

"Do what?" Atsushi wondered.

"Your joking right?" He said then the exec turned to Akutagawa, "He's joking right?"

"They are standing pretty model like." Haruni thought out loud.

"I think it looks pretty. Like a painting." said Kenji.

"Or maybe it suppose to show their difference never closer, never far away, not able to move from where they stand now. The future being forever alter by the event that will transpire in the next episodes for this series. Maybe a show of the coming end of not only Armed Detective Agency but the Port Mafia as we know…" Tanizaki said, sounding deep and thoughtful.

There was a pause. Then Tachihara whispered, "It's still weird."

He turns to the other, "I called a cab, we'll head to the abandon hospital the tipster's mention."

"Tell me Kunikida, why are you looking after that Rokuzou's boy?" Dazai interrupts.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not like you to give work to an hacker a job not only that but you could've just talked to him over the phone. But you took the time to meet him face to face. His father deceased, isn't he? Are you trying to fill that role for him?" asks Dazai, raising his eyebrow.

"So, he is your Atsushi, huh." Said Yosano with sadness laced into her words.

"No…" He looked away from the screen. "He was my mistake."

Which many felt that was quite a cruel thing for him to say yet they wondered…

The scene shifts to Dazai and Atsushi in the backseat and Kunikida in the front seat.

"This driver is one of our informants. He used to be a stage actor." Kunikida informs them.

"God his life must suck." Tachihara exclaimed.

"Rude…" said Haruni.

"It's fact. He was a stage actor and now he is working a yellow taxi. You think he wants to do that."

"Well maybe he likes having a pay job, you know."

"Sure…"

The driver nods, "It wasn't really my thing so I changed my line of work."

"Bullshit!" Shouted Chuuya.

"But he said he like his job." exclaimed Kyouka.

"Let me repeat with Chuuya said, BullShit." said Tachihara.

"She is fourteen, boys." And with an intimidating facial expression, Kouyou continued, "Watch It."

"Yes, big sis." they both said in unison.

Kunikida softens, "You made the correct choice."

"ButterBun what…" Tachihara threw his hands up. Which most of the theater found an odd expression.

"She said no bad words."

"You can say them just not to my Kyouka." Kouyou stated.

Tachihara could only hum at her logic.

"I've never met anyone who knows Yokohama as you do. On top of that, you've seen two of the victims."

"It was all right there." Kunikida said with anger and disgust at what the man had done. Moreover, the fallout from it all.

"Oh, I was wonder where I seen that man before. Him and his group was using our warehouse for their operations. And here you are riding in his car." said Kouyou, a smirked played on her lips.

"I don't know if you can say I saw them. I merely drove them to their hotel," The Driver replies.

"Are you sure these people were adbuctive there weren't any ransom demands?" asks Atsushi. Dazai and his mentee were holding onto the handles attached to the roof of the car in responds to how the driver was driving.

"Can't handled a bumie ride Weretiger." Akutagawa

"Dazai is doing the exact same thing." Atsushi exacerbate by his rival.

"Your point?" He crossed his leg and leaned further into his chair.

"My point is your biased." The weretiger leaned further out of his chair and narrowed his eyes at the mad dog.

Dazai leans over and grabs the photos from Kunikida. "I See–!"

"He is about to say something dumb isn't here." Chuuya sighed out.

"Yes, yes he is…" Atsushi said disappointed.

"This had to be a Serial Glasses abduction case!" The camera focused on dazai as he takes the frame. His eyes sparkle, "This is totally your time to shine."

Kunikida annoyed, "Not all of the people who were abduction wear glaess so it's not a pattern."

"Ahh, too bad, I guess it will never be your time to shine."

"Damn, sorry Kunikida. One day your glasses will be seen all over the world. And they will shine." said Tanizaki.

Everyone agreed with the statement as they nodded or hmmed.

"Okay, now you've gone too far." His voice rises with anger. He reaches over to strangle the brunette in the backseat.

The taxi driver slams on the breaks sending the group stumbling forward.

"What happened?" Kunikida asks the man.

"We've arrived, sir."

Abandon hospital stands alone surrand by nature in the dark of night the moon being the only source of light.

"What a cheery atmosphere, think it's haunted." Dazai said enjoying where this was going.

Kunikida said as the midcard showed, "Yeah, Right."

Dazai and Atsushi walk through the gloomy corridors of the abandoned hospital, Kunikida trailing behind the two, clearly uncomfortable with his surrounding. The only sound echo through the corridors were footsteps.

"It's really creepy, isn't?" Atsushi sighs.

"Agreed, Atsushi why do you let Dazai drag you into this be a main character and say no." Tachihara said hiding behind him.

"You do know that nothing is going to come out of the screen, right?"

"You don't know that main character. Screen bro could do what every he wants."

"I think it's refresh actually." Dazai answered. "It really gets my heart pumping."

"Have you been eating those damn mushrooms again, have you?" mutters Kunikida from behind the other two.

"You seem a like jumpy, Kunikida?" Dazai hums.

"Is he afraid of ghosts, or something" Atsushi says warmly.

"You're not scared of ghosts, Atsushi." Kyouka asked.

"No, I'm scared of ghosts, just not these types of ghosts."

"Like poltgist…"

Atsushi looked at Dazai who didn't seem willing to help him out of the hole he had dug. He turned to Tachihara who face's screamed 'you're on your own'.

"No, the ones that linger within."

Kunikida could understand that sensation. The fear of ghosts that remained in your head, and so did most of the gallery. Tachihara looked down at his shoes and let out a sigh.

No one needed or wanted to ask for clarity.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"Down there!" Kunikida said on the stair they were on.

Water is shown rushing into a tank. Then shown was them all rushing towards the shout.

"What is this?" as he looked at the tank. The shot changes to show a woman in her underwear floating inside the tank. She held onto iron bars that cover the top of the tank making it impossible for her to escape. The woman unable to breathe she lets go turning her head, as she sinks into the water and her eyes meet Kunikida's. The detective steps back, then draws his gun. It cuts to black as two shots fire. A few seconds later a woman is heard coughing up water.

"I'm glad you guys got her out safe…" said Kenji.

"Yeah, with you shooting the tank and all." said Tachihara.

Kunikida's face darkens at the comments. He should have left her to drown. It wasn't worth it.

She is shown again in Dazai's coat, coughing up the rest of the water, "Thank you so much, you saved my life."

"My name is Sasaki Nobuko. I am a lecturer at one of universities in Tokyo." Her voice sounds hoarse. A typewriter is heard as a title card displaying similar information.

"So, that would make her victim number twelfth." Atsushi wondered out loud.

"Did you see the face of the person who kidnapped you?" Dazai asks her.

"Its kind of weird seeing Dazai do actually detective work." said Tachihara.

Hirostu looked at Dazai and could only find happiness. He had found something, that the mafia could not provide. Even if the fallout was devastating to the mafia in the time after his exit. Hopefuly the agency could slowly let go of Dazai's deception because he looks right with them.

"No, I get it. He was on shrooms earlier in the episode. It's hard to believe he does any work but he does once in a blue moon." Said the good Doctor. Ranpo got a good laugh out of the thought of Dazai actually working and raised his hand to give her a high five to which she matched.

"–your take on the sitution?" Kunikida looks at his partner.

"I say, she sexy as hell."

"Stop thinking with you dick." Chuuya yelled out, over the laughter in the theater.

"Not Helpful!" Yelled out Kunikida.

Sasaki ignores this, "I'm sure there are other people here."

Kunikida quickly nods and stands up as Sasaki continues, "I heard them before I passed out."

"Is that so."

They race down the halls checking each door, when Atsushi opens the door, "Mr. Kunikida, I found them!"

He runs to the room to find a group of men, all trapped in a gas tank. They spot Kunikida and beg for help.

"Get back, Atsushi! It's gas!" Dazai turned to Kunikida. "We got to get out of here."

"Hey, you hear me!" Kunikida shouts at the people trapped as the gas grows thicker.

Dazai desperately pulls Kunikida away from the glass. "We got to go!"

"GodDamnit! We can't just allow them to die like this! You Hear Me!" shouts Kunikida, trying to separate from Dazai, unknowingly being recorded by a camera in the corner.

"LET ME GO!" Cuts to black.

Kouyou would never understand those who decided to act on the side of the light. To protect people you don't even know, and for what more pain. She found it revolting knowing you could save them if you had just known. The older executive looked over to the detectives more especially Kunikida, who was looking down at his hands in defeat, but there was something else as well it felt like anger.

A newspaper is shown with Atsushi reading the article titled, Victims of Yokohama Missing Persons Case Die Due to Interference from Private Detective Agency.

Atsushi looks down at the story sourly, "They all died." The photo was from Kunikida's desperate fight against Dazai's hold.

"This must have been the enemies objective." Kunikida though-out loud.

"You think they set all this up in order to frame the agency." Atsushi still looking at the newspaper.

Kunikida sighs, "Despite what Dazai said, maybe it wasn't my time to shine."

"Damn, I was just starting to have a good time. Then that shit happened." Tachihara proclaimed.

Atsushi turns to Kunikida, "Mr. Kunikida-?"

"Where's Ms. Sasaki?"

"I think in the infirmary."

They walk into the infirmary, and their faces turn to shock.

Sasaki smiled at them, with Dazai sitting calmly next to her, having a pleasant conversation. They both turned to the new people that entered the room.

"You have a problem." Chuuya was unfortunate re living all the times Dazai took time out of their missions to flirt with the closest member of the opposite sex.

"You acted as if that's a new development." The man in questioned said with all his normal annoyance.

"Oh no, I was just reminding you."

Kunikida looks utterly confused, and Atsushi asks, "Where did you stay?"

She glances at Dazai, who gleefully points at himself, "My place."

"What!" Kunikida and Atsushi said in unison.

"He treated me very well!" She says, blushing.

"Oh, I am sure he did…" said Doctor Yosano.

Both Kunikida and Atsushi stare in horror as Dazai continues smiling.

"Are you sure that's not break professional conduct?" Atsushi asks Kunikida as he stares in horror.

The scene shifts as Dazai types on a computer with Kunikida and Atsushi observing him. Atushi eyeing him suspiciously as he lays his head on the desk.

"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 she was transported, I'm not sure?"

"You're taken quite a liking to her haven't you?" Kunikida raises his eyebrow.

Dazai smirks, "I like all women. She does seems like the type who would commit suicide with me if I asked. That's so nice."

The collective had one singular thought, 'WTF…'

"How long did you know?" Kunikida questioned.

Most in the audience missed how Dazai's comment related to whatever was the result of the case.

"I had a theory."

"You could've share–."

"To what end."

"I've been your partner for two years. And yet you can't find it in you to communicate with me."

Kunikida wanted to say more, but they already had this argument, and it was already tiring.

"We work, Kunikida why fix something that ain't broken."

"It's broken to me…" He said with clenched teeth.

The president darkened at the statement. He had hoped maybe they could better understand each other with the help of this viewing, but it seemed to only open up old wounds that had barely healed.

Dazai holding open Kunikida's notebook, "Atsushi, you want to know right?"

"About Kunikida's ideal woman, is."

"How did you swip that you, Bastard!?" Kunikida freaks out.

"He wrote it all down." Atsushi reads the book.

"Atsushi is such a ride or die." Said Naomi with a giggle.

"I was curious." Atsushi said with a slight pout.

"Haven't heard the expression, curiosity killed the cat." Ranpo stated as he rubbed his hand of his coat.

"Well, I'm a tiger so that doesn't apply to me."

"Oh, yes. Kunikida notebook has a comprehensive list of obligations and ideals required in it." Dazai points out the page to Kunikida's ideal woman. "RIght here for example."

"WhoA! Your kidding that's a lot of…" Atsushi says, going closer to the page, his face changing rapidly.

"Well, now I'm slightly curious…" Haruni said as she consider what was in it and the female Tanizaki nodded in an agreement.

Kunikida started to get nervous about someone snatching his journal away from him. Hold the notebook slight tighter than before.

"Share the wealth Atsushi. What did you learned?" said Tachihara

Kunikida looked at Atsushi as he would Dazai, ready to kill him if he shared what he had learned. In an act of self perverse, he stared forward.

"It's not worth sharing."

"Aw, Booo!" "Scaried Cat." The Tanizaki's siblings said in unisons.

"Tiger!"

Kunikida taking the journal back from Atsushi, "Do you have a problem with it?"

"N-not at all. I can understand yout vision of an women but maybe…um." Atsushi trails off, not being able to come up with anything to say to not get him killed.

"You shouldn't share that with any actually women." Dazai looking at the newspaper looks out the corner of his eye.

Kunikida growls angrily, "Argh. That's not important right now. We should talk about the abductions!"

Dazai nods, "Indeed, I have deduce without a doubt that you look very manly in this photo."

"Oh, that's so sweet Dazai." Beemed Kenji.

"You want to see how manly I look when I punch your lights out."

Dazai sighs, "What's regrettable however you should've worn sexier glasses. Here you are in the paper and those don't photograph well. There so plain."

"Hey." Kunikida shouted as Dazai quickly snatches Kunikida's glasses off his face and placed them on his own.

"Only someone with my unbridle charm can pull them off. What do you think, Atsushi?" Dazai stated.

Atsushi nods, "Not bad actually."

"You look like a con artist." snaps Kunikida.

"I don't know, I feel like a different pair of glasses Dazai would rank above a ten." said Tachihara.

"So, you don't disagree that he is a con-artist." said Ranpo.

"Of course, he doesn't…I mean it's Dazai." Said the good Doctor.

"What the Doctor said, he was one of us. He is beyond a con artist. Mans a criminal." said Tachihara.

"Actually, my record is clean."

"Bish, how!"

"I don't leave a record." His eyes had a shine that disturbed Tachihara.

"...Okay," Tachihara, under his breath murmured, "creepy."

"Wait." Kunikida said, grabbing 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."

Kunikida, Dazai and Atsushi sit in the same taxi, in the same seats as before.

"Sorry for this last-minute call." Kunikida says to the driver.

"This ass for brains." said Chuuya

"Hmm… agreed." said Naomi in an agreement.

The taxi driver nods, "You said that you've found the culprit. Are you heading to arrest your guy?"

Kunikida stares ahead and nods.

"In that case, Let's get a move on! What's the situation?" The driver seemed too eager to get to work.

"Criminals always reveal themself when they think the danger has passed." said Tanizaki.

"Thanks for the note. I will keep that in mind for when I'm in the act." said Tachihara.

"Oh, your welcome."

Gin raised his notebook and it read. "Spoliers." Hirotsu read out for him.

"Oh, come on its a given at this point." Said Tachihara. "No one should be surprised by this reveal at this point."

That is where Tachihara was wrong see Kyouko was surprised by this and despite that her colleague spoiled the ending. She sighed in disappointment.

"This is where the kidnapping occurs," Kunikida informs him, "And you're behind them."

Kunikida narrowed his eyes, "You gassed the victims in your taxi and then kidnapped them. You wore a gas mask to protect yourself."

Atsushi twitches, "Why would he go through all that trouble?'

"I can think of one idea." Dazai says calmly with his arm behind his head.

Atsushi looked surprised by his statement and turned to Dazai, he explains, "Merchandise."

"What do you mean?"

"He would sell the bodies for there parts." Dazai leans forward, "There's quite a longer black market for organs if you know where to look. The cut may not be ideal because of the various economical facts involved. But–"

"Is that what you use to do?"

There was a shocked pause at the question. Most in the gallery turn to the blond detective and partner of Dazai in astonishment. Mori was all too pleased by this constant barrage of questions on Dazai sorted past. The brunette detective slowly turned to Kunikida in a surprised show of emotion, the emotion was anger.

"You're joking, right. Cause if you are, it's a bad joke."

"I find no humor in this topic."

Dazai let out a sigh. "I thought we already discussed this."

"Yes. Well, I-I reliezed that you are just a little too knowledgeable on these kinds of topics. So, was this your job."

"My job in the Port Mafia was strategy planning. The same thing I do now."

Dazai watched for a moment as Kunikida process the information before he could follow-up with another question.

"I didn't dealing with anything to do with black market organ trading."

"But you did deal with the black market."

"Yes, I was in the Mafia. I did what the Mafia did."

"Dazai, you know what I mean–"

"Enough. You two can dicuss this after the episode complete until then reframe from asking anymore question pertaining to Dazai's previous occupation." The president commanded, the two detectives.

"–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." Kunikida finished.

"Quite creative…" Mumbled Tanizaki. It always amazed him how people could engage in such vile deeds and for what.

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."

The driver shakes his head, "That's circumstantial evidence."

"Not even trying to hide it anymore." Haruno was physical disgusted by this person.

"Got to love when they say it's circumstantial. If you want evidence look no further then the car. It would most likely have residue from the chemical he used. Criminal think they are so smart but most of them are just fools who harm innocent people because of their greed, pride, and ulgy nature." Ranpo stated, getting into a mood by his own words. He seemed ready to continue when Doctor Yosano nudge him. The great detective turned to her and stared into his eyes clearly saying he was an idiot and he needs to shut up. He sighed, grabbing a handful of chips.

Dazai nods agreeing, "True. What shall we do about this Kunikida?"

"Don't think I'll buy that?" Kunikida angrily says.

The taxi driver sweats some more, "Let's make a deal."

"This asshole got's some nerve to ask for a deal when he is selling body parts to the highest bidder." Naomi expressed, look away from the screen in frustration by the turn of events.

The taxi driver had shifted from friendly to cunning, "–protective custody for 72 hours until they can finish the investigation and a deal for witness protection is made."

"Why?" asks Kunikida, very disgusted.

"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."

"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."

"Unfortunate," hums Dazai just as bullets shoot through the car's window.

"The Port Mafia! Don't let them take me!" cries the driver cowering in fear of death.

The driver ignores him and makes a run for it, the ADA members take cover behind the taxi.

"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." They both take in their orders.

Watching them on screen, it was clear why they worked well together. Despite the clear difference, they can and do get the job done. But at the recent turn of events, a fracture was forming, and it was getting hard for it to be fixed.

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, the blond detective throws the grenade at the Port Mafia's henchman. A loud explosion goes off. Both Dazai and Atsushi nod and take off running in opposite directions.

Kunikida pulls out his gun and quickly begins to fire at the opponent's 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.

"Fuck!" Kunikida as he felt the impact of the attack. 'So, this is how it feels. Shit!'

"Are you okay, Kunikida?"

"I'm fine. Doctor Yosano."

Akutagawa steps out of the explosion, his face as monotone as normal. "Metal can be fragile. Just like the human psyche and perhaps like the Armed Detective agency as well."

"Kick his ass Akutagawa." Tachihara shouted.

Said man turned to his annoyance.

"Sir…" He mouthed, the mafioso could feel his appending death caused by Rashomon.

Kunikida steps back in shock, "So it's you, Akutagawa of the port mafia!"

"The very same," said Akutagawa, cool and calm as he launches at the detective.

"He's just as dramatic as his mentor."

He immediately moves his Rashomon towards Kunikida and at 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.

"Are you feeling alright? You can't even fire a straight bullet." Akutagawa says, voice devoid of emotion, as one bullet slices his cheek.

"I don't have killing anyone in my schedule." responds Kunikida.

"That's our Kunikida." Said Haruni.

"You should know better with our Kunikida you got to book an appointment." Stated the great detective.

"You say that but out of the two of them, who's more injuryed." said Hirutsu reading out Gin's notepad.

"I expect as much from you." The pipe behind him cracks, he turns to be meet with an outpouring of water, soaking him in water.

A close-up of Kunikida's face is shown as he shouts. "Doppo Poet!"

Akutagawa looks startled as Kunikida says, "Stun Gun." He proceeds to turn it on.

"Now play dead you, 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.

Akutagawa recoiled as the electricity shot through him. Despite the pain, he refused to scream out, not with Dazai a few seats away from him. Chuuya put a hand on his arm to steady him to which he shook off. His bodyguard ran to him, trying to comfort him but his eyes told her to stay away from him. Atsushi, for his part, felt uncomfortable watching his rival experience such pain, but the emotion was not shared by Kyouka, who found enjoyment from his pain. As his body twitched from the electricity. Dazai looked on as his first mentee went through such pain. He couldn't even think of away to comfort him, so he remain where he was seated.

Finally, his on-screen counterpart left the puddle, and Akutagawa slumped against his chair, completely out of it. So much more pain than when he was fighting the blond the first time. He closed his eyes. He needed a moment to collect himself.

He laughs. Now on his knees, "It appears the Agency isn't merely a collection of clowns. You're worthy of being Dazai's partner."

Based on Akugatawa's thoughts on his former mentor, Kunikida wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. This whole thing was giving him a headache. He needed this to come to an end. This wasn't anything new it was something he had lived through, something he wanted to bury. To whose benefit was this for all it had done was make everyone unhappy? And to top it all off his body felt like someone just push him down a steep mountain.

"So, now your former apprentice is going after your new partner. What's next he's going to go after your new boss." said Tanizaki.

"Yeah, if he did that Akutagawa would be dead." said Ranpo mid-munch. The only reaction from Akutagawa was a shift in posture and an eye roll.

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 smirks, "You are worthy of being Dazai's partner."

Kunikida watches him leave, and it cuts to black as the detective hissed out, "And stay gone."

"Tik for tak…" Said Tanizaki.

The scene shifts as the ADA members stand in front of a hospital 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.

They enter the building as Kunikida heads over to a section of the building. There is a large table there with many types of equipment sitting on it.

"They've already moved on." Kunikida growls.

Atsushi looks around, "The walls are scorched."

Dazai nods, "This is where the Azure King blew himself up, correct."

"Brooo." said Tachihara.

"I could've lived without knowing that." said Naomi.

"Main character, stop him." Tachihara proclaimed.

"From what?"

"Being Dazai."

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."

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."

"That was you?" Hirutsu spoke with slightly questioning tone for Gin.

"Yes." Through his frustration. 'So many mistakes.'

"You found it?"

"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 was 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."

The tonal shifts that these episode could give even Chuuya whiplash. It was the cruel fate of those that choice either side no one was free from it. And that gave Kyouko pause, living with the pain, that one's choice made. She curved the path for herself and yet she had no control over the outcome. Those who die because of her weakness.

'We search for answer for why bad things happen. Someone to blame, someone to curse but in the end we will always point the sword at ourselves when everything comes to rest.' The president reflected. 'I can only ask of them to do their jobs to allow for healing.'

"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."

'Despite how things are now, there's a balance they give one another.' thought Mori. 'Oh, so similar to Chuuya and Dazai. How humorous, old friend.' Mori looked over to Fukuzawa.

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."

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.

"Damn this is getting spicy again." Tachihara trilled by the turn of events.

"Hundreds would die if the bomb isn't disarmed by sunset tomorrow," Kunikida reads.

"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!"

"Well, okay Kunikida…" said Doctor Yosano.

"Guess next episode it is…" whispered Atsushi.

"Maybe, you guys take a moment to–" stated Kouyou.

"No, I am only going to be more pissed by the end of the next episode." He turned to his Boss and continued, "Can we wait until then to have that discussion."

"Of course, as long as you keep your end of the deal."

"Understood, sir."

"Then, let's keep going." Enthusiastically Kenji bounced in his seat.

The scene cut.

Atsushi was shown holding a book as the pages started to fly away.

I was searching for the reason

….