Vol. 6 Ch. 1

When You Learn You Don't Have to Weather The Storm Alone

"President!" A grating yelling energetic bossy voice crushed Fukuzawa's sensitive eardrums as the door to his office was slammed open with no prior warning. Fukuzawa, who had been looking over some ADA paperwork, looked up to see Ranpo, in the doorframe, breathing hard, and looking positively peeved.

Ah, Fukuzawa wondered if it was that girl again. Did she finally make contact with Ranpo after all this time? He rarely looked this riled up. "Yes, Ranpo?" Fukuzawa asked, with a sigh, weary for whatever shenanigan his adopted son was about to spew now.

"We have to go and kidnap that girl, now, this instant!" Ranpo insisted, hotly.

"Uh," Fukuzawa replied, blinking. He knew it would be pointless to ask 'why'—Ranpo would barrel into the explanation soon enough.

"Y'see, she went ahead and is now insisting she's going to hang out more with the annoying Port Mafia folks and less with us!" Ranpo complained loudly, pacing in the study. "I can't believe her! I know I've gotten the most accurate read on her and nothing indicated that she'd be so irrational!"

Fukuzawa sighed. "We did finally agree that she isn't someone to 'join' an organization, but rather, assist those she deems her 'friends'," he felt the need to remind the riled up young 22 year old detective.

"Not according to this letter!" Ranpo hotly growled, and he strolled over, slamming down a piece of paper on Fukuzawa's desk. Fukuzawa nearly jumped out of his skin like a cat with its back arched from shock.

Feeling his lips instinctively 'fht' in alarm, Fukuzawa quickly composed himself, grabbing the letter, recomposing himself with all the samurai will he mustered. The letter read:

Dear ADA,

Cease any contact with me for the time being. However, utilize your network with Ogai Mori to prepare for my further instructions. I've decided to spend more time with the Port Mafia since their interests align with my own.

Take care,

A

Fukuzawa read that a few times just to see if there was any hidden context he was somehow unaware of. He sighed, glowering at the letter, now frustrated himself. Ranpo was pissed and Fukuzawa's own mood was unsettled. Despite their repeated attempts to prove to the girl that they were just as reliable as the Port Mafia in coming to her aid for anything, why did she insist on going to that damn Mori Ogai every single time! It really was the influence of that perverse disgusting ability of his!

What the hell did that even mean, 'their interests align with my own'?

"Do you know where she is now?" Fukuzawa found himself asking, bewildered.

"Obviously!" Ranpo hotly stated, with an eye roll and nose snort. "She's with Odasaku and the orphans. Apparently she's staying with them for the time being—according to Yosano who stays in touch with Odasaku!"

"Alright," Fukuzawa sighed. "However, if we lecture her, that won't work in terms of getting her to tell us what the hell is going on."

"Hey," a light knock on the doorframe alerted the men to the presence of another party. Yosano stood, in the doorframe, arms crossed, frowning, dark eyes gazing at her boss and close friend. "Let me see that letter."

Fukuzawa wordlessly passed the letter to her, walking over to her with it while Ranpo hung off to the side, just tapping his foot in irritation, lost in his thoughts. Yosano looked it over, and then she took a deep breath, crumpling the letter and tossing it into the trash, dismissively. "I'm coming with you," she stated with the smile of a woman that would cut you down if you asked her to stay behind for literally any reason.

—x—x—

"What smells so good?" Katsumi loudly asked, clambering onto a barstool at the island counter in the kitchen of Odasaku's current residence with the children.

Alu hummed, continuing to stir the batter in the bowl. "Nice to see you're awake. Do all you kids sleep until high noon?" She teased, grinning at Katsumi.

"When didja even come over?" Katsumi asked, excited that Alu was here.

"I've been here since last night," Alu admitted.

It was odd though. She had planned to talk with Odasaku but he hadn't shown up even though it was now the following day. Working late was one thing, but Odasaku would never just leave the orphans. A few of Ango's men had been there last night into the following morning but since Alu had a certain ginger guard Pomeranian to protect her, she wasn't too terribly worried about security and had given the agents unofficial paid time off(l.o.l.).

Speaking of which, the red-head ducked into the room just then from his return from outside. "I've checked again," he started but he paused, seeing Katsumi, staring at him, and Alu flipped a pancake on the griddle, back turned to him for the moment. Looking over her shoulder, she spoke to him.

"Thanks, Chūya," Alu smiled.

Chūya just huffed. "I've done some digging and apparently agent four-eyes has no idea where Oda is either. He wasn't at work this morning," he growled, crossing his arms.

"Odasaku is missing?" Katsumi asked, eyes wide.

Alu sighed. She trusted Katsumi to actually be able to comprehend these more adult matters even if he didn't completely understand what was going on. Actually, she felt strongly that kids should be allowed to be given the benefit of the doubt more—in certain instances. The whole reason Kōsuke had been so fired up and run away in the first place had to do entirely with the fact that not even Alu realized just how powerless not knowing what was going on had driven Kōsuke crazy.

She remembered being his age, once upon a time. She should have noticed sooner. That silly boy was just like she used to be.

Back to the present, she spoke up, as Chūya clearly didn't have anything further to say. "Odasaku is working but we just lost contact with him," She said, tilting her head at Katsumi. "I don't want you kids to worry though…can I leave it to you to keep everyones' spirits up, Katsumi?"

Katsumi blushed bright pink in the cheeks. But he grinned, showing off his toothy front gap, and pointed a finger to himself, confidently and pleased to be tasked with such an adult responsibility if it meant helping out Alu! "You bet!" He exclaimed.

Chūya remained quiet. Alu flipped the pancake onto the plate, and began to start another. The warm smell of cinnamon and pumpkin wafted over to both the boys' noses. Apparently, it didn't reach only their own.

"Pancakes!" Yū exclaimed, thudding downstairs ahead of the other two sleepy kids who had only just now woken up.

Alu grinned. "Set the table, kid!" She commanded, brandishing her ladle at the drooling young boy.

Yū didn't object, but he was incredibly clumsy and Alu realized the plates were too heavy for his small arms. "Hold on—!" She exclaimed, but before she did anything, and as Yū almost dropped the plates, a thin veil of red energy surrounded them all, and lifted them wordlessly over to the table—setting the countertop itself up for the children.

Alu blinked, and head swiveled to look at Chūya with surprise. "I didn't think your powers could do that!"

Chūya himself, hilariously looked like someone who until that moment, hadn't realized they could, himself. His hand had just been outstretched, instinctively, as thought to stop disaster from striking. "Tch," he griped, dropping his hand to the side once the plates were safely secured on the table. "Not a big deal," he huffed.

Yū however, gazed at Chūya with awe and wonder in his eyes. "You're so cool!" he gushed, fascinated, gazing up at Chūya like a fan gazes at an idol. Chūya was clearly not used to being fawned over by children of all things, but the subtle pink blush didn't go unnoticed by Alu, who giggled, still glued to the stove, not wanting to cause a fire hazard.

"Give him some space, Yū," Alu chided good-naturedly, almost done with the batch of pancakes. Sakura and Shinji hovered near Katsumi.

Sakura sniffled suddenly, and Alu's head whipped around. "What's wrong, Sakura?" She asked, concerned.

Shinji looked depressed and Alu had no idea what happened to make the mood suddenly uncompressed and sad again. Yū moved over to the countertop island table to sit with Katsumi, but he too felt melancholy. "Kō used to like to talk about cooking in the kitchen," Katsumi finally admitted. "Actually, sometimes he would make us food," he looked at the bar counter. "We haven't seen the kitchen really used in such a fun way since…" He trailed off.

Alu closed her eyes. "I see," she murmured, turning back to the stove.

No doubt the kids were fed by Odasaku ordering food or Ango's agents assisting in the kitchen, but it was clear that cooking 'for fun' was something typically executed by Kōsuke. Alu wondered just what sort of light Kōsuke had been for these other kids in the absence of their parents. She missed that bubbly boy, herself. But, Alu knew what that boy had turned into as well which made her feel incredibly sad.

Because she hadn't even seen it coming.

For someone who prided herself in her perception of other people, Alu had overlooked the pain of the orphans in her care under her own nose. Whatever consequences were a result of this, was only karma coming back into play.

Chūya sensed the shift in mood for everyone. He also smelled something starting to burn. Striding over to where Alu stood, lost in her thoughts, he was going to be the one to say something but found his voice leap to his throat. Alu's eyes were filled with tears? He opened his mouth but no sound came out. Finally, determined to get that sad look off of all of their faces, not able to stand the depression a moment longer, he found his voice again.

Chūya spoke loudly, next to her without any warning. "Oi! The pancake will burn!" He barked at her, and Alu felt herself jolted a little from surprise.

"Ah!" She exclaimed, with disappointment, as the edges of the pancake were as crispy as the color of Dazai's Port Mafia blazer. "Oh no…" Alu put the burnt pancake onto a paper towel, distressed. It's ruined," Alu felt terrible.

Chūya clicked his tongue in annoyance. "What are you talking about?" Chūya took the pancake, burnt edges and all, and in his gloved hand, just began to take a bite of the side like a cat ripping into a fish.

Alu's eyes widened with surprise. "Hey! You don't have to force yourself to eat that!" She stammered, feeling guilty.

Chūya stubbornly continued to eat it.

The kids watched him, with amazement and intrigue. Alu knew it was pointless to stop Chūya at this point. But,the small act oddly lifted her spirits just a little. This hot head could be very amusing. Alu chuckled softly, smiling again, at him. "You're hopeless," she teased.

Chūya thought she looked much better when she smiled. He felt that way about everyone though. Chūya was not someone who found pleasure in other people's pain. He wasn't that motherflubbing Dazai Osamu who somehow crawled out of the deepest ring in hell. "Hah? That should be my line," he quipped back.

She was the hopeless one. Trying to clearly hide her pain and failing at it miserably, he thought to himself, with disgruntlement. Jeez, why couldn't people just be honest with how they're feeling sometimes? He found it liberating to be completely honest and unapologetic about his own.

"I want some!" The kids began to whine.

"Ye, ye!" Alu giggled, and she began to bring over the plate of none-burnt pancakes to the kids. "Katsumi, help serve these, okay?" She juggled silverware and the pancakes, entrusting everything to the children. The children helped themselves to the food, allowing Alu to turn back to clean up after the pancakes.

Chūya continued to hover near her, like an awkward bat. Alu placed the dishes in the sink, turning on the sink. Chūya didn't speak, mostly because he didn't really know what to say. Besides the burnt parts, her pancake had actually really tasted good, and Chūya could feel his stomach growl comically for more. He had only meant to eat the one to be polite and try to cheer up the sad person in front of him, who, despite having a powerful demon inside of herself, had exhibited a very vulnerable human side to him just then. He still remembered how she didn't pry about his past but had defended him on board of Fyodor's boat when he had been taunted for not being truly 'human'. He still hadn't even properly addressed how that had made him feel to her yet and Chūya didn't like complicated feelings.

He felt strangely compelled at that moment. He couldn't even explain himself, but just then, she spoke again, three little words that shouldn't mean much.

"Thank you, Chūya."

And the feeling she was giving him was unlike anything Chūya had actually felt before.

Chūya grabbed the dishes from her, feeling his cheeks warm. "Whatever. Just go eat with the kids! If you keel over then I'll be the one in trouble!" He complained, trying to push down the odd sensation her smile had just made him feel. He couldn't explain what it was. It was usually a feeling reserved for when he got praised or completed a mission successfully with no casualties to report. Why it was applying in this scenario made no sense to the young carrot-top.

Alu blinked, but she nodded, still smiling. She left his side, and Chūya couldn't help but smile a little to himself as he did the dishes for her, to make himself useful more than anything. A considerate short fedora wearing bean pole at heart.

Alu sat with the orphans, helping herself to a pancake, and the kids and her enjoyed each other's company. Sakura needed some help with her food, and Alu chuckled, cutting it up for her, and helping her eat it. Sakura cheered up immediately from Alu's cooking. "Yummy!" She squealed.

The other boys continued to eat their own.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

Alu blinked. Who could that be? "Alu! Are you there?" A familiar voice called out, impatient, bossy, and demanding.

Chūya's own good mood immediately evaporated. "It's them?" He scowled.

"I'll get it," Alu started but Chūya held up his hand.

Alu really didn't want a fight to break out between the agency members on her doorstep and the Port mafia Executive. But, she wanted to trust in Chūya to not escalate the situation. She just nodded, gazing quietly at him.

Chūya, pleased that she was trusting him, even without her saying anything, was determined to keep his head as cool as a cucumber, no matter what. He answered the door and immediately came face to face with an annoying short detective who hilariously was still two inches taller than himself.

"Ah, you!" Ranpo exclaimed, green eyes shut, just squinting at Chūya with disapproval. Flanking him were both Akiko Yosano and Fukuzawa.

"…" Chūya wasn't even sure how to greet these guys.

Great, even the president was here? Chūya felt outnumbered and was relying solely on Alu's faith in him to not panic and presumptively feel the need to strike first. Before he could speak, Ranpo shoved past him, practically shoving Chūya. "Outta my way, Mr. Fancy Hat!" He snapped.

Chūya felt his vein pop.

Chūya began to snarl, but Alu spoke from the hallway. "Chūya, calm down, please."

Strangely, when Alu asked it didn't feel like an order. Chūya forced himself to calm down, instead averting his gaze and stepping aside to let the other agency members enter. Begrudgingly.

"So it's true! You're working with the Port Mafia!" Ranpo huffed, crossing his arms, indignant. "If you're asking for their help, why not ask for ours as well? At this point, does it matter where the help comes from if it's all the same to you?"

Alu sensed the orphans listening in. She glanced at Ranpo though, wanting to clarify something before she handled the matter of the orphans. "You're wrong, Ranpo."

Ah yes, three little words that Ranpo never thought he'd ever hear from anyone that was not this person.

"Hah?" His jade eyes opened, and he just glared at her, hands on his hips, completely astounded and bewildered. "You're the one who doesn't plan to use our assistance until it's convenient for you, yet you go around hanging out with the Port mafia even when there's no work to be done? Sounds pretty damn flaky," he pointed at her, frustrated. "And that's what I said from the moment I laid eyes on you, you know? I told them, I said, 'she's a flaky one', and I was—and am still— right!"

Alu pursed her lips. She could logically or try to nicely explain to Ranpo what her thought process was, but honestly, she decided to just troll the know-it-all detective instead, feeling a little spicy. "I hang out with them because they're important to me," she said, her hand on her hip, staring at Ranpo levelly. "And I avoid hanging out with you because you're also important to me," she concluded.

Ranpo held his head looking like his head was going to pop. "That. Makes. No. Sense!" he yelled.

Alu just shrugged and stuck out her tongue at the detective.

Fukuzawa grimaced.

Yosano just sighed a mushroom cloud, keeping an eye on Chūya mostly, to make sure he didn't try to strike Ranpo down, although why he would attack at this time didn't actually make a whole lot of sense, so Yosano was pretty confident that the only fighting that was going to occur here right now was between Ranpo and Alu—just like usual. "Tch, why are you here?" Chūya found himself interjecting, hoping to move this little show along.

"To stop you from corrupting her," Yosano stated back at him, levelly, a chilling smile on her lips.

Fukuzawa himself, kept an eye on his agents, directing a clearly disapproving frown at Chūya.

Ranpo continued to whine even as the orphans now trickled into the hallway, behind Alu, mostly, to peer at the new folks that had walked in.

None of the kids really knew what was going on, but Katsumi spoke up, regardless. "Are you here to help find Odasaku?" He asked, directing his question at no one agent in particular.

"What's going on with Oda?" Yosano asked, immediately, frowning at Alu.

Alu directed her attention to Yosano. "He didn't come back last night," Alu admitted. "Chūya was just helping me try to gather clues," she added, leaving out the part that she was technically a walking human tomato and that her powers didn't work. That was something only Mori, Elise, and now Chūya, knew.

"Did you plan to take care of this with only the help of that disgraceful man?" Fukuzawa asked, voice smooth like glass and compressed like the tranquility of a lake.

"No," Alu bluntly said, gazing at the agents. "I knew if I wrote that letter it would be my best shot at setting Ranpo here off, and then you'd just come to me." She brightly concluded.

Ranpo looked like he swallowed an eel.

Yosano pursed her lips. Alu was pushing Ranpo's rather predictable buttons and that was just always a little comical. While she would prefer Alu just send a normal text message, she mused that Alu must have a reason for this circumventive route she'd chosen to take—unless it really was just to mess with Ranpo.

Chūya snickered. "Mr. Know-it-All detective is led around the nose for a change? That is something worth seeing," he sneered.

"Ora, ora!" Alu loudly exclaimed. "I said no fighting!" she warned, wagging a finger at Chūya and Ranpo who looked like he was about to snap back at Chūya along with Yosano. "Now that you're all here, we can actually discuss my plan!"

"What plan?" Fukuzawa asked, sharply. He couldn't help but feel incredibly concerned about this.

"I don't feel like it!" Ranpo brattily replied, huffing, his cheeks puffing out, tantruming like he was no older than Katsumi. "You don't give us many straightforward answers, you insist on running around with common bottom-feeders and low lives instigating their help instead of ours first, and then you go and state you don't spend time with me because I'm too important for that when in actuality you just don't care at all about me!"

The last bit was turning into a rant all about Ranpo feeling slighted. Yosano and Fukuzawa decided to let Alu have a chance to explain, since she was gearing up to say something before Ranpo's outburst. Chūya was enjoying the show and saw no reason to actually interject further. It was true that Alu spent her time with the Port Mafia—mostly Elise— but he was aware that his boss, Mori, was ecstatic that Alu was clearly picking their side when she truly needed help. He knew Mori wouldn't be pleased to learn Alu was trying to get the Port Mafia and the ADA to work together, but that wouldn't be his news to deliver—hopefully.

"Ranpo," Alu said, gazing at him. Ranpo turned to storm out, but Alu reached for his sleeve, gripping it tightly. Ranpo flinched, about to shake off her touch but Alu spoke firmly. "Look at me."

Yosano and Fukuzawa gazed at Alu, sensing her serious mood. Chūya himself also observed, politely silent. The orphans just stared with wide eyes at the adults in the hallway.

Ranpo's eyes gazed back at Alu's own honey-brown ones. He disliked how she kept pulling him back into her life so naturally, like the ocean pulling the tide back to sea. He disliked how he knew he was right but somehow also wrong only when it came to figuring her out. He grit his teeth, feeling frustrated with this constant passing like ships in the night between them both. He wanted her to rely on him just a little! He wanted her to trust him just a little! He wanted her to admit he was right—he wanted her to apologize—

"I'm sorry," Alu said, hanging onto Ranpo's sleeve. She kept gazing at him, but her expression was guilty. "For troubling you, Miss Yosano, and Mr. Fukuzawa with everything I've put you all through," she continued. "When I said you were wrong—-I only meant that you believe if I had to choose I'd only choose The Port Mafia—but that's not true. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but the one thing you can always count on, Ranpo…is that I will always choose to rely on my friends because I want to believe in them even when they don't believe in themselves."

Alu was thinking on some level about Dazai. Oddly, she felt a parallel between his intelligent nature and Ranpo's own. People have similarities that make them compatible but it was their differences that Alu felt made relationships persevere for the better. She hoped that working with the ADA, that maybe Dazai would learn that these people could be the purpose he had been searching for and hadn't found with the Mafia and didn't desire to explore with The Department of Unusual Powers.

Ranpo grit his teeth, but finally, he pulled out his glasses, and he shook free of her grasp. Alu let him go, and he stepped back, holding his frames. "I'll put these on and then none of your pretty words will be enough to make up for this! Do ya really want me to use my ability? Once I do, you'll no longer be able to hide behind your excuses!"

It was apparent to Yosano and Fukuzawa that Ranpo, who normally didn't hold back and was eager to execute his 'ability' to get down to the bottom of things, was hesitating with Alu. A small part of them knew it was because Ranpo wanted to believe in Alu's words but his scary ability to see through people made it difficult for him to trust easily. Still, the fact he was hesitating at all just proved how much Ranpo actually cared about Alu's integrity as a person.

"Um, what's going on?" Katsumi asked, the other kids hanging back, honestly alarmed at the tension.

Yosano's eyes flickered. She knew this was something for them to work out. And she didn't want to leave the children in the hands of a lowly criminal like Chūya. "Do you kids have something you can do in your rooms to stay occupied while we talk down here? It'll just take a bit but there's no need to be alarmed!" She moved towards the kids, to usher them up the steps.

Yū nodded, and glanced at Shinji and Sakura. "We'll go upstairs," he agreed, nervous.

Katsumi felt powerless. He could tell something was going on with the detective and Alu, but he felt the distress bubble up in his throat. Standing in front of Alu, he glared at Ranpo, defensive. "If you need to use an ability to determine whether or not Alu can be trusted, then you're the one who is not a very good friend!" He raised his voice, fiercely glaring at Ranpo.