CHAPTER 2:
A Man With Nothing To Lose Is as Stupid as a Man With Everything To Lose
No one knows how abilities first came along. There are theories, rumors, and stories, but in the end, skills tend to be limited to a very specific trait linked to a person's individual personality. There are those who aren't blessed with a special skill that still strive to improve themselves. That's admirable.
Sometimes, it's easy to lose sight of what's important. Everyone grows blind at some point when their desires overcome their ability to see clearly what's right in front of them.
As she stood, in her dark brown coat, from the roof of the western styled restaurant, she observed the screaming man with red hair. Why was he screaming? Well, he'd just witnessed a fiery explosion of a van that held his five orphans. The owner of the shop was riddled with bullets inside the building, and Mimic, the organization responsible, had long left the scene. It had been tricky avoiding getting caught in the crossfire, but it was even harder to watch the kids being forced into the van.
"Tch," the young teen girl sighed. "I really hate this part…" She grimaced. It wasn't that she enjoyed watching carnage. Far from it. However, her skill required her to witness the particular scene in order to be able to change it. That's right. Her skill was "rewrite", something she'd dubbed herself. With her unique ability to have dreams that come to pass, she had one chance to change the outcome. She'd been following Odasaku for a few days now, ever since the dreams had started.
To be honest, not even Dazai knew about her. Which was good for her because she frankly couldn't stand the Port Mafia. She hated all large organizations—and cocky small ones too.
She continued to stay hidden, long after the sound of wailing sirens pierced the grey stormy sky.
She hadn't allowed herself to get to know the kids prior to these events unfolding—because she knew if she did, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions while using Rewrite. The thing about her ability was, she had to be in a place of calm and serenity—resolved. If she couldn't keep her cool, her power wouldn't actually work. Still, it was different seeing a dream and being a part of the reality.
She slid off the roof finally, making sure not to be noticed by anyone in particular. It wasn't hard, since the focus was on the parking lot anyways. She sniffed the sky. It smelled like rain. Smoke billowed out from the van. She wondered if now was the time to actually use re-write. Suddenly, she had another vision.
Odasaku lay, bleeding in Dazai Osamu's arms. Dazai begged for Odasaku to hang on. But it was to no avail. Odasaku had managed to kill the leader, only to take a bullet he himself hadn't been able to avoid in time. But it hadn't been like he'd been trying. In a way, Odasaku chose this. He wanted to die. His only regret... was leaving Dazai behind.
With a small gasp, she leaned against a nearby tree, covering her face. A small headache always followed one of these visions. "Dammit," she groaned quietly. Now she had to choose. Use her ability now or use it at the point of Odasaku's actual death. That was another thing about "Rewrite", she could only do one particular scene. So she had to make it really count.
She didn't want to leave the kids though. It wasn't fair to them. What was the point of her ability if she couldn't even save both?
Why was she getting involved in the first place? She had no connection to either of them. As far as they all knew, she was a complete stranger. And yet, the girl knew there was a reason for her dreams. This just happened to be "plot", a prelude to what she was meant to do with her ability. Unfortunately, there was no guidebook to scroll through for directions, no app on a phone to guide her—she had to just go with her instinct. With a thud in her chest, she knew her instinct was telling the truth. Now wasn't the time, hard as it was. She grit her teeth. Those poor kids.
She found herself blending in to the crowd that was gawking at the scene. Amongst the chatter, she couldn't help but overhear their conversation from a distance. So Odasaku had wanted to be a writer? Dazai had joined the Port Mafia to find some sort of fulfillment in the meaning of living? She didn't get these guys. Men had such weird ideas sometimes. Women did too, but these two in particular, she knew that this was the moment where her next vision was certain to play out. She heard Dazai's panicked voice yell, and lightning crashed in the sky without warning.
Odasaku was leaving—that meant it was time for her to move. She had to do it so as to not arouse suspicion from Dazai. She blended into the crowd and tried to catch up to Odasaku discreetly but as she passed by Dazai, she couldn't help but glance in his direction. Her eyes widened.
The rain had started to fall and it was pouring in seconds. But that wasn't what made her stop. Dazai stood, eyes empty, staring after Odasaku, his tears mixed with the rain, fists clenched by his sides, gritting his teeth. Like an animal that needed to desperately sink its teeth into something, he turned on his heel, walking past her without so much as a gust of breeze between them. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath until it forced its way out of her lungs long after he'd left in a black car.
She breathed out. Her heart was pounding. She'd wanted to say something to them both. But honestly, her ability would make them suspicious of her. No, she had to carry out her own mission… As a sole Renegade.
She had an umbrella and she used it now, walking along the bridge swiftly, hoping Odasaku hadn't gotten too far ahead. She paused, spotting Odasaku talking with some kid in brown clothes. Their conversation was brief, and Odasaku walked off. The kid however, sighed, turning away and shaking his head. She didn't have a place to hide but she knew this kid well. His name was Ranpo, and he was far more dangerous than any skill user. See, if he could deduce her from just looking at her, she knew that her peaceful days would be over. Even if the A.D.A. didn't recruit her, she still had to deal with the fact that her unique gift would be sought after. After all, she'd used it as a child to get out of more scrapes than she could remember.
Crap! Her eyes widened as the kid with green eyes walked past her. He glanced up with a small sound under his breath but she quickly blocked his view with her umbrella and hurried on. She knew that she was going into the line of enemy fire, so she had to be careful. Trailing him wouldn't be easy. Another aspect of rewrite is she had to be close to the scene in order for her power to even work.
The sound of gunfire made her flinch. She was close, she knew it. She was glad she had a bullet proof outfit on under her clothes, but she was still nervous. Hiding and tailing Odasaku, she found nothing but bodies, littering the woods.
It felt like this went on for hours.
She felt the dawn on her through the trees, the rain having long left. Looking at the building in front of her. She could hear the gun shots firing from inside. Ah, the boys were already playing with their guns. She grimaced. She only had recollection of the final scene of Odasaku's death. She had no idea what to expect leading up to it.
Slipping inside the building, she found nothing but more bodies. She really didn't know why her ability had led her to Oda Sakunosuke. Perhaps it was to save the children after all? No, that wasn't right. There was another reason. She didn't know it though. For now, she had to get to Odasaku.
Gunshots continued to ring out. Metal clanked to the floor, she made it to the door of the room finally. There were bodies everywhere and the stench of blood filled the air. She felt like she was going to gag. She could hear them talking behind the door and she paused. If she entered, she knew she would affect the outcome—negatively. She had to let the scene play out if she was to be able to change it. Rewrite really was a curse disguised as a blessing.
There was a sound of one final gunshot. The silence after the shot rang even louder in her ears than all the shots before. She heard the white haired man speak, "Sakunosuke," the man said, "You were perfect. Even your very last shot was sublime…" Followed by the clank of a gun on the floor and a loud thud.
Behind her, she could hear pounding footsteps. Crap! Someone else was here! It had to be Dazai! She quickly hid on the ground, pretending to be one of the corpses, pulling the heavy body near her, trying not to gag. The footsteps ran past her and into the room. A sound like a strangled animal tore from the boy's throat. "Odasaku!"
She gulped. This was it. This was the scene. She grit her teeth and slowly raised herself from the floor. Blood was smeared on her outfit but she didn't care. She had to do this. Those orphans flashed in her mind. Why couldn't she save both? Why was fate making her choose? She really... hated her gift sometimes.
She stood by the door, as Odasaku told Dazai the truth about Dazai's pursuit for living. "Nothing in this world will be able to fill the loneliness inside you. Try as you might, the darkness will always be there."
"Odasaku, tell me what I should do?" Dazai's voice was scared and emotional. The girl didn't make a move or a sound, she just watched the back of a man losing everything at once through the door.
"Be someone that protects people," Oda Sakunosuke replied weakly, "If both sides are the same to you, then become a good man, protect the vulnerable—help out some orphans. I know that the concept of good and evil doesn't mean much to you, but at least it would make your world...a little more beautiful…"
Dazai's voice shook. "You can't know that…"
"Of course I can," Odasaku replied, smiling weakly, "I'm certain of it. Because, I know my friends better than anyone…"
"Alright. I'll do it," Dazai choked out.
"It's funny, the story I read said people only live to save themselves… it's true...I understand that now…" Odasaku slowly pulled the bandage off Dazai's face, as his eyes closed for the last time. The girl put a hand over her mouth. She didn't know why, but she felt pain in her soul. This was what her power wanted her to hear. She grit her teeth. If she changed this, would Dazai still work for the Port Mafia?
Her gut gnawed at her. Odasaku's words, though faint, had been picked up perfectly by her sharp hearing. What they meant made her sad. She'd been watching both Dazai and Odasaku for the past week. Though she hadn't met them directly, she had tailed Odasaku since he had been the point of her visions to begin with. She mulled over how to talk to Dazai Osamu. He was a part of the Port Mafia after all. Ever since she'd come to this city, she didn't even know if he was even someone who wouldn't kill her on sight. She sweated a bit. She realized she hadn't calculated for her own possible demise. She grimaced.
She had to try. She couldn't chicken out. This was for a man who had lost the will to live...and she was the one who had to make him get it back. After all, that was how she first learned of her gift. Her desire to help people get second chances...was what made "rewrite" a skill she came to realize she had developed.
Closing her eyes and letting out a shaky breath, she could feel her palms sweating but she had to play it cool. After all, she was mysterious and stuff. Yeah, she acted cocky out in the real world and she had to act like Dazai Osamu shooting her didn't scare the living shit out of her. Yeah, no problem. She could totally do it.
She gulped, finding her throat oddly dry like the Saharan desert.
Entering the room with gentle footsteps, her boots making only the lightest tap on the tile, was all Dazai needed to straighten up quickly, hand on his holster. His eyes flash with alarm as he made eye contact with the girl. "Who are you?" His voice sounded angry and strained. The girl quickly held up her hands.
"My name is…" her voice trailed off. She didn't want him to track her down. "I… don't have a name," she finally said, realizing that it hadn't bothered her before but she really didn't have a reason to give him her name.
"Alright, hands where I can see them," Dazai said, cocking his gun at her. His eyes were cold and empty, though his cheeks were dry from the tears he had been shedding only moments before. The girl grimaced. Okay, so this Dazai really meant to kill the next living thing. The blood lust was strong but she held her hands up in compliance.
"I'm not with Manic!" She quickly said.
"Manic?" Dazai repeated, momentarily puzzled.
The girl realized her mistake. "Er, you know….the organization with….uh...that nut case," she pointed with a finger at the dead white haired man on the floor near Odasaku and Dazai.
"Oh...Mimic," Dazai blandly realized, "If you're not with them, then who are you with. Why are you here? Come to take me out while I'm down? An assassin from a rival organization, perhaps?"
The girl sweated. This guy really was a lot more violent in nature than he appeared. "Uh, no...not any of that…" she weakly replied, trying to stop her legs from shaking. She had to do this. She didn't want to be afraid but she couldn't help it. There was something about this man's aura that was just unsettling. She took a deep breath.
She started to step towards him but the gun rang out loudly. A bullet richocheted near her feet and she yelped, hopping back. "W-Whoa! What the heck, dude!" She cried out, landing on her ass. Dazai slowly walked over to her wordlessly. Honestly the lack of conversation was making this no less terrifying. But, she was getting a bit frustrated as well. Why did her ability not help her foresee danger like this? Ugh, she just wanted to explain things to this guy but the gun going off had rattled her resolve to stick around.
She clenched her teeth. No, she couldn't give up. She had to fulfill this. It was the right thing to do. Besides, he was grieving for his friend. Of course he was on edge. "I...I can help you!" She said sharply, resting on a knee, looking up at Dazai.
Dazai stopped before her, and he had his gun pointed at her forehead. "Tell me one reason why I should give a damn?" His cold voice made her flinch but she was used to assholes. She bit her lower lip and she closed her eyes with a shaky breath.
This guy had serious trust issues, not that she could blame him. She knew that she too was skeptical about human nature but at the same time, despite everything, she believed that humanity was worth saving. She clenched her fists and she pressed her forehead against his trigger, looking up at him, a fire in her eyes as they opened again. "If you don't want to believe me...then I won't stop you. I know you're a good shot. Even if I were to get away—you'd still not miss."
Dazai was quiet for a moment. It seemed he hadn't been expecting her to be so gung-ho about being shot in the head. She wasn't, of course, but well, she had to show her serious attempt at fixing this entire situation. "Alright. You have exactly ten seconds to change my mind," he said coolly, cocking the gun.
"I can save him." She said, looking right at Dazai, fiercely, her own autumn orange eyes glaring at Dazai's empty dark red brown ones. "I can save your friend."
"What?" Dazai's expression changed to one of confusion and disbelief.
