Vol2.
Chapter 5
Shadows Don't Discriminate
In the meantime, Fukuzawa took off after the direction that Tomoe had run, to get that boy out of harm's way. Panting, Fukuzawa looked around the large ship deck. His eyes widened. In front of him was Tomoe—but they weren't alone. There was that familiar brown haired man standing with Odasaku— and the ship deck looked like it had been hit with mini-craters. Standing before Dazai and Odasaku was a mysterious man with crackling red electricity at his wrists.
"Oda!" Fukuzawa yelled, alarmed as he saw a flash of red heading right for the boy, Tomoe. He wouldn't get there in time!
"Shit!" Odasaku was already on the move—even as Fukuzawa was yelling— and he reached the boy, grabbing him and yanking him by his shirt, out of the blast's way. It crackled, striking the floor boards. Dazai flinched, having had barely enough time to even react to his friend suddenly dashing past him with no explanation as it was.
Tomoe let out a yelp of surprise as he found himself grabbed by this strange red-haired man. Flinching instinctively, he suddenly found himself yanked out of the way and then practically shoved to the ground, seconds later. Landing on his ass, he grimaced as Odasaku's form loomed in front of him, back to him. Tomoe's heart thudded loudly.
The masked figure eyed the three men now facing their direction. However with a bow and no explanation, they disappeared into a sudden black hole that circled under their feet. Dazai tried to run over, realizing too late that the culprit was going to get away. "No!" He yelled, reaching out to grab on to the cloak but he was too slow.
"This must be the other ability user that Ranpo warned me about!" Fukuzawa said sharply to the others.
"Great, now we are all gonna die!" Tomoe complained.
The three men breathed hard, now left alone with Tomoe on the deck. Fukuzawa breathed hard, before he walked over to where Tomoe was still sitting, jaw agape. "Have you finished?" He curtly asked Tomoe.
Tomoe gazed at the three men who now looked towards him. He grimaced. He got to his feet, glaring at them. "Don't think I'm scared or feel like I owe you!" He said, haughtily. "You lot don't care! You're just trying to satisfy some sense of heroism!"
Fukuzawa sighed, rubbing his temple with a sleeve. He was really starting to get a headache from this kid. "Where'd you pick up this bundle of joy?" Dazai remarked, strolling over to Odasaku, hands behind his head, while quirking an eyebrow.
"Ugh…" Fukuzawa replied but before he could finish, Odasaku had another vision. He froze. Odasaku shuddered. A blast of lightning shot out of the floor, from a black space that opened with no warning from behind Fukuzawa's feet, striking him in the small of his back, causing him to collapse.
Odasaku yelled, "Move!" And shoved Fukuzawa hard from the spot he'd been standing seconds before. Instead, the lightning shot out of the ground, striking Odasaku in the small of his back. Odasaku let out a yelp of pain as his entire body was electrocuted with the red lightning.
"Odasaku!" Dazai yelled, in alarm, quickly rushing to Odasaku's crumpling form.
Fukuzawa quickly looked around, eyes narrowed. "The enemy is still here," he said, stunned and bewildered. "Looks like the backup Ranpo warned me about hasn't actually left…" Fukuzawa's sense of feeling troubled only grew. Why hadn't he sensed anything?
Odasaku groaned, as Dazai gingerly tried to help him sit up.
"No shit," Dazai found himself snarkily replying, but he didn't care. He couldn't seem to touch the bastard in question so he wasn't able to nullify the ability. And apparently there weren't one but two ability users they couldn't seem to physically get to that they were dealing with now! He growled, irked. Odasaku panted, sitting up with a wince.
"We can't do anything more," Odasaku reasoned, grimacing at Fukuzawa. "We have the kids—and the girl...we need to leave."
Fukuzawa nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right…" but something bothered Fukuzawa. Actually, something had been bothering him for a while now. Although he had managed to beat the personnel on this ship, he hadn't seen anything about the submarine. Ranpo had mentioned that it was no doubt where the woman in charge was actually making the commands—but that submarine had been moved since Ranpo had first discovered it so he didn't know the location exactly— just the fact it had to be close to this ship.
His eyes flickered.
No, it couldn't be...Ranpo wouldn't do something that stupid….right?
"Hold on…" he looked to Odasaku and Dazai. "Dazai… I trust you will take care of Oda and the boy?"
Dazai didn't particularly care about Tomoe but he huffed, nodding. Odasaku was his priority. "Yeah, okay."
"The boy—Dazai!" Odasaku groaned suddenly, gripping his friend's arm weakly.
Tomoe meanwhile yelped.
The men turned to see Tomoe falling into a black hole without any warning that had opened up under him, from where he'd been sitting.
Dazai grit his teeth, as the three mens' eyes widened with shock and realization that the enemy had just got the boy from under their noses! "No!" Fukuzawa moved swiftly but as he reached for the boy, the boy slipped from his grasp like he was grabbing air—and disappeared from their sight into the black hole that swallowed him up and disappeared.
"Dazai," Odasaku breathed hard, struggling to stand, despite the numbness from being electrocuted still shooting through his very bones. His back was in pain and he felt like a few layers of skin had definitely burned off—well, he was gonna be one hell of a bloody mess when this was over, he thought, grimacing. "I'm fine…"
"Don't move too much," Dazai said sharply, frowning. Odasaku was not in great shape. Taking multiple lightning shots despite his ability, Dazai knew this masked annoyance was no grunt. Whoever they were, they were able to anticipate Odasaku's ability and act accordingly. He'd been observing the fight after all. Still, what was so important that they'd go to such lengths?
Something didn't feel right but Dazai didn't know what it was that was unsettling him about this situation. "Dazai, get Oda to the lifeboats where my partner, Ranpo, is, it's to the left from here," Fukuzawa said sharply. "I'm not ordering you...but you know as well as I do that he's in no shape to stay here."
Dazai just nodded, helping Odasaku lean on him, straightening up. Odasaku groaned again, swaying a bit. "No...I'm fine," he murmured, but he was already showing his body was at its limits. Dazai grit his teeth.
"I got it." He pulled Odasaku gingerly towards the direction he knew the lifeboats would be and by extension, Ranpo and the other children. Fukuzawa followed, swiftly. However, when they got to where Fukuzawa directed, Fukuzawa's eyes widened with shock.
No one was there. The lifeboat had been in the process of being lowered and it just swayed emptily like a birdhouse on a blustery day from the side of the ship. "No," Fukuzawa said, alarmed. "He was here...This was where he said he would be…"
"Well, he's not here, so that either means he didn't arrive or…" Dazai trailed off, as Fukuzawa began to grit his teeth, covering his face with his hand.
"Damn," Fukuzawa hissed. "What the hell...Ranpo…"
"Oh, there's something in the boat," Dazai commented.
Fukuzawa leapt over the rail with ease, landing down in the life boat itself. Dazai blinked. Well, he hadn't expected someone old like Fukuzawa to be that swift on his feet. He reminded Dazai of a cat.
Fukuzawa instantly saw something tucked under the seat.
It was Ranpo's hat.
He picked it up. Inside was a note. He unfurled it. His lips drew into a thin line. He looked to Dazai and Odasaku. "Is it true that Taneda is involved?" He said, gazing up at Dazai.
Dazai was quiet for a moment. But he nodded.
Fukuzawa sighed. "I see…" he leapt up with ease from the boat, grabbing the railing and landing on his feet next to Dazai and Odasaku. "You two, get in that boat and head for shore. You're to regroup with Kunikida and the others involved."
Dazai blinked. "Odasaku needs medical treatment. I think he's had enough playtime for now," he said curt.
"You think this is playtime?" Fukuzawa's head swiveled like an angry owl, and he glared at Dazai. "There are lives on the line."
"Agreed," A voice said from behind the three men.
Dazai grimaced.
Odasaku looked surprised, and Fukuzawa whirled, startled. There, standing before them, a hand in his pocket, pushing his glasses up on his nose, with a frown on his dimpled face, was Ango Sakaguchi. "...And I've been tasked with assisting you —President Fukuzawa of the Armed Detective Agency— with lending you some aid."
Ms. Austen hummed, smirking down at her prey.
Before her was the girl Alu, Kunikida and Yosano. They were all locked behind a door in a room of an indiscernible building. Ms. Austen tilted her head, smirking at the unconscious fools behind the door from the window she peered through.
She twirled the blue parasol, before the little girl from before, appeared before her, coming out of her black hole. "I have the Mister Snoopy and the others," she said, trotting over to Ms. Austen. Ms. Austen hummed, petting her head with a smile.
"You've done well," Ms. Austen praised her.
The little girl beamed, grinning past her messy black long hair and orange eyes. She had pale skin and looked no older than elementary age herself. She giggled, pleased with the praise. She pulled out Ranpo's phone from her jacket pocket. It was low on battery. "So can I play with Mr. Snoopy and the other children?"
Ms. Austen chuckled. "Don't get too carried away. We still have to transport that girl for our client," she hummed. "Just make sure to destroy that phone."
"Aw," the little girl pouted. "I like it when my prey gives up hope and does whatever I want, though," she pouted.
Ms. Austen smirked darkly.
"All in due time."
Ranpo blearily opened his eyes. He sat up, rubbing his neck. The needle prick had left a small bruise that honestly could be mistaken for a hickey though it hurt more than one. Not that Ranpo had ever gotten a hickey before but he deduced the similarities just based on what he could feel when he touched his neck. "This sucks," he mumbled, taking in his surroundings. His stomach growled. Ah, he was so hungry—red bean buns… yes… he drooled a little.
The other kids were huddled in a corner of this room. Ranpo looked around. That boy, Tomoe was here too and glaring at him. However, Ryou was nowhere to be seen. Ranpo's eyes flickered. Ah, he had a hunch as to why but to reveal everything this second would totally take away from the climactic moment. A good Detective always reveals all in the heat of the climax, after all! Ranpo's eyes fell on the other children again.
Fukuzawa had made it clear that they were to rescue these kids as part of the operation. Ranpo grimaced. Well, it wasn't impossible but it sure made his life harder. His eyes scanned the room. No good, he'd need his glasses. He felt for them.
He blinked.
What the hell?
He searched himself, suddenly frantic. His face paled. "No, no, no!" He said in frustration, patting himself down. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. He felt a lump in his throat. It took a lot to make Ranpo Edogawa anxious—but not having his glasses from the president—would certainly do it.
Ranpo began to breathe hard.
His glasses had been taken. That was the only explanation.
Ranpo began to pace, agitated.
Without those glasses…
He was nobody.
Eight years ago, Fukuzawa had revealed to Ranpo that he had a special ability of Super Deduction—and that his power could only be controlled by those black framed glasses he gave him.
Ranpo knew better though.
Of course he did.
He wasn't a fool.
His special ability had never been an ability to begin with.
At first, he believed Fukuzawa. Back then, he was 14, lost, and had lost his parents due to an accident. Fukuzawa was the one who had put up with him and even saved his life. Fukuzawa had also been the only one to yell at him and slap some sense into him during their first official case together of the "Murder of the Theatre Angel". Fukuzawa had used some martial arts move on him to make him think that those cheap-ass glasses were actually holding his power in the balance. And even now, he continued to keep up that ruse with Ranpo, going as far as to let the other agency members know how his "ability" worked as well.
But Ranpo knew better.
He'd known better for years now.
Fukuzawa had taken him in like a son after Ranpo had lost his own father. For years now, those glasses were the extension of Fukuzawa's fatherly feelings for Ranpo. Sure, Ranpo could just buy another cheap pair...there wasn't anything particularly special about a pair of black cheap boring frames.
Still…
Still.
Still.
Ranpo's throat felt heavy. Something wet dribbled down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes, furiously. No, not gonna happen! He was too mature for this! He wiped his eyes, gritting his teeth. He glared at the locked steel door keeping him and the kids trapped inside. Ranpo wasn't angry.
He was flat-out pissed.
From inside the seam of his jacket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. It had Kunikida's writing on it. Ranpo looked at it. When the time was right, he'd be using this. Whoever was doing this, had picked the wrong detective to mess with.
Ranpo was going to Super Deduction the pants off these perpetrators.
Kunikida groaned.
It felt like a bad hangover—but worse because as his eyes opened and his vision cleared he realized that him, Yosano and that girl, Alu, had been stuck in a strange bare room together in some building, god knows where.
His glasses had been knocked off at some point—so his vision wasn't great to boot. Grand. With a groan, he sat up. Yosano had a strange collar around her neck— Kunikida's eyes widened with shock. The collars were back around all three of their necks! Alarmed, he knelt near Yosano, trying to wake her up.
"Yosano," he said urgently, voice low, "Yosano. Hey, wake up!"
Yosano groaned. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up herself. "What?" She blinked, bleary eyed at Kunikida. "Where are we?" She sounded confused and discombobulated.
"Captured—again," Kunikida said with a huff, "it seems whenever we do one thing—the enemy is doing something to counter it," he deduced, utterly certain if he didn't have a bald patch before—he was getting one before he was twenty. He was only eighteen. He was far too young for this level of stress...then again he had joined this agency. He glanced at Alu who was still unconscious. His eyes widened with horror. "What the—!?"
He moved from Yosano, cradling Alu in his arms. Yosano's eyes flashed too. Their expressions mirrored the shock they felt, looking at Alu's neck.
She had what appeared to be red glowing veins snaking up her neck from the collar. She was breathing hard—still unconscious. "Ranpo warned me about this," Kunikida growled. "It's that mysterious ability user's special skill… Ranpo calls it "red lightning energy absorption." He described it as needing those red stones to work effectively—but once it gets into your system… your body's electrical current is as good as the skill user's to control and sap for themself..."
"What...like an electrical parasite…" Yosano murmured, worried. "What do we do?"
Kunikida grimaced. He had no idea. He wasn't a leader. He didn't even know the first thing about what to do in this situation.
He groaned.
Yosano took Alu gingerly from Kunikida's arms, allowing him to straighten up.
"Ranpo mentioned something about a submarine and a ship but this isn't either. It's clear we're on land again—in some sort of remote building," Kunikida put a finger to his lips, thinking hard. He couldn't see great without his glasses, but he'd have to make it work. Kunikida was definitely asking for a raise if he lived through this. "Yosano, the first thing we need to do is break the gems in these collars." He took out a small pad from his pocket that Ranpo had given him previously on the ship.
Scribbling a word on a page, he murmured, "Doppo poet… hammer." A small hammer came out of the page, and he went over to Yosano with it, before he gingerly held his own collar first, smashing the gem. It shattered, falling out like pieces of red shard rain.
He made quick work of the other gems as well. However, the strange red glowing veins didn't disappear from Alu's neck simply because the gems were smashed. Kunikida furrowed his brow in confusion. "This doesn't make any sense," he growled. "Ranpo said that the ability user needed these gems to charge their power… when the jewels are smashed, by default their ability can't function…even with the current being charged in her body, it should at least lessen the effects some..."
Yosano's eyes narrowed. "This means something else," she said sharply to Kunikida. "I'm a doctor...I think I understand what Ranpo is saying. Even though the power comes from the gems—like he stated— it comes from a person's electrical current first and foremost—it seems that the ability user has already gotten inside this girl's body somehow…"
Kunikida grimaced. "What the hell are we supposed to do with that?"
Yosano eyed the girl in her arms. She pursed her lips. "Isn't the answer obvious?" She looked at Kunikida, with a small confident smile that promised absolute murder to the people involved with putting this girl's life in harms way—as well as the members of her agency which she viewed as family. "We're going to save her."
