Assignment 7: Words Have More Worth But Also Weigh Heavier On The Heart Than a Well-Timed Punch

The fight with The Guild was ongoing.

The Port Mafia was on edge.

The Armed Detective Agency even more so.

To top it off, Atsushi found himself once again, going head to head with someone from the Port Mafia. A woman with her own samurai woman spirit fighter skill, and all he could do was watch helplessly as Kyouka-Chan was being taken away from him. Powerless, once more, to not be able to turn the tide.

Suffering from being stabbed despite having regenerative healing powers.

He and Kyouka had been trying to deliver papers for a judge, something easy to help ease Kyouka into working with the ADA. However, that had backfired splendidly when she accidentally ended up tasering the judge himself, lmao. While Fukuzawa had swooped in on their behalf, clearing up the misunderstanding, at the same time, there was still a lot to be done to help Kyouka-Chan ease into a less 'murderous' way of handling things.

She hadn't been with the Mafia long, but it concerned Atsushi just how quickly she picked up on the dark tactics they utilized. Then again, he was one to judge. If his situation had been different, he could have easily also been captured. He shivered. It wasn't like she'd joined of her own free will. She'd only been there about six months or something, from what he could recall.

But here she was, all on her own, fighting this woman.

"Even so… I cannot unsee the dream I have been shown!" Kyouka-Chan declared.

She didn't want to lose the ADA.

She didn't want to no longer be by that boy's side. In a critical moment he had been the one to pull the bomb off. Hug her. He had been willing to die trying to save her. Even though they had been enemies.

It had been so brief, but it felt like a precious amount of time had passed. Kyouka-Chan recalled how everyone had been so supportive of her. Despite her past, they cared about her. Despite everything she'd done. Could she atone for the things she'd done, if she stayed by that person's side?

"If you stay, only misfortune will follow!" Kouyou said, tenderly. "I too was unfortunate…"

Kyouka clenched her teeth.

In her mind's eye, she felt the woman pat her head. Felt her gentle encouragement. It was unspoken. But her words were more meaningful to Kyouka than the weight of this person's doubt about a better future.

"A wise person once told me…Only cowards take out their misfortune on others!" Kyouka-Chan declared, echoing the words of that strange woman. Though they had been informed she was a person of interest in the war against The Guild, Kyouka just couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't a bad person.

Her eyes glittered, despite everything. She wanted to believe in something again. Herself. And her own ability to change.

"I see…so that boy really brainwashed you, huh?" She sounded sad.

"No, though he has done a lot for me, this person…was a kinder woman than you!" Kyouka-Chan declared.

Kouyou narrowed her eyes. "I see…I'll have to meet this person intent on brainwashing you, then~"

"No. I won't let you hurt anyone I care about, any longer!"

Kyouka's tone was thunderous.

Kouyou was relentless. She refused to lose her hold on her precious Kyouka-Chan. Because she understood how it felt to be fed lies and deceived into thinking things could be different. But she wanted to spare Kyouka from that pain. In her own way. But the only way to do that would be to eliminate all those that blinded Kyouka with the misguiding light.

"You know I'm right," Kouyou sighed. It was cute how Kyouka tried to fight back, really. Even using her ability, 'Demon Snow' despite the trauma. Despite everything. The fighting spirit sent a shiver down Kouyou's spine. But she would have to crush that spirit—in order to save Kyouka from her own delusions. "I don't know what pretty words this woman put into your head but she really shouldn't mislead a child. What a terrible person~"

"She's not terrible," Kyouka grit her teeth, expression hard and illuminated. "She is a good person! They are all good. I want to be on the side that makes me feel like I belong!"

Atsushi was quiet.

He recalled the conversation from earlier in the office before he and Kyouka even went out on the botched assignment for the judge.

Atsushi was in the office with Kyouka.

Yosano entered with Kunikida just then. "Atsushi, Kyouka, you two will handle some easy work today," Kunikida barked at them.

"Oh, uh, okay," Atsushi said.

"Keep your eyes peeled as well for that woman," Yosano said curtly. "I am unable to look for her as I have to tend to Ranpo."

"Huh? What happened to Ranpo-San?" Atsushi's eyes widened.

"That young woman did something to his mind. He's unconscious for the moment," Yosano said with a sigh. "He's medically just fine, but mentally…we won't know until he wakes up."

"W-wait, you think she did that on purpose?" Atsushi's eyes widened. "When did this happen?" He exclaimed.

"Not so loud," Kunikida barked. "Do you want the Port Mafia to hear you from here?"

Atsushi grimaced. "But…if it's an ability, Dazai-San can just annul it, right?"

"Certain abilities need him to still touch the main instigator," Kunikida sighed. "And in this case…she's a suspect that may be innocent."

"Huh?" Atsushi was even more confused by this logic. "But…you have evidence that she hurt Ranpo-San…"

"Unintentionally, according to Dazai's assessment…" Yosano sighed, crossing her arms. "At this time, we don't know what to believe. But she gave both Dazai and Kunikida the slip here, so she's clearly not someone who bends to pressure easily. Otherwise…" Yosano's eyes glinted, "I would have been able to have a little chat today with her~"

Well, that sounded like Yosano wanted to commit murder.

Yosano was basically the only one who could handle Ranpo's hyperactivity, funnily enough. They got along well. It was understandable that she was upset that he was currently in this state.

"Does Dazai-San believe she is a threat?" Atsushi frowned.

"Doesn't matter what that womanizer believes," Kunikida disgruntledly huffed. "I swear he's defending her because she's—-!"

He caught Yosano looking at him like she was ready to saw him in half. He quickly backtracked, hahaha. "Uh…I mean, he wants us to just look at other possibilities, that's all," he quickly corrected himself.

Atsushi got the district feeling that Yosano ran the agency, lol. She seemed to make the men in it snap to discipline—even Dazai and that was terrifying in itself to think about.

Kyouka was not outspoken but it would appear she did believe in that woman…as much as Dazai-San did at least. Atsushi wanted to believe in her too since they did.

"You justify murder in order to achieve your goal…that is your true nature, Kyouka," Kouyou stated. "If that weren't the case, then Demon Snow wouldn't even be able to be used in battle…It took that Demon after all to kill your parents. I doubt that anyone who hasn't been touched by the shadows, would want anything to do with you knowing that!"

Atsushi was stunned speechless. Kyouka was white as a sheet. Like a ghost.

"No…why?" He asked, staring at Kyouka-Chan with horror.

Kyouka-Chan shuddered. That look he was giving her. He thought she had the capacity to kill her own parents? That shuddering revelation made Kyouka scream inside.

Kyouka shuddered. No one knew about that. No, even though time had passed— she couldn't face that even now. Her phone clattered to the ground, breaking. With it, Demon Snow went up in smoke, much like her will to fight any more.

"No…you're wrong…." Her voice wavered.

Suddenly, the sound of multiple vehicles approached.

They were all mafia-grade.

Kouyou extended her arm elegantly to Kyouka. Even though she'd been stabbed, she cared deeply for Kyouka and appreciated her own honest feelings being on display during that fight. It moved Kouyou to know that Kyouka was much stronger than even she knew. She had so much potential. Kouyou wouldn't let the insects of that brainwashing agency ruin her precious Kyouka-Chan's possibility to survive in the shadows where she belonged. A beautiful flower that deserved to bloom without the sunlight's harsh heat to wither it away to nothing.

"That's right, come with me…you no longer have to look for a home, it's right here," she said gently. It was a motherly gesture. Maybe big sister. Who knows honestly. Lol.

"Heads down, please!" A sweet boy's voice called suddenly.

A few moments later a mafia vehicle went flying over the heads of the stunned personnel about to shoot Atsushi. They scattered, leaving Atsushi now in the presence of Kunikida and Kenji. "Are you alright, Atsushi?" Kunikida said, dashing over.

"How did you find me?" Atsushi shakily asked, sitting up.

"I had Kyouka's phone tapped so if she was called it'd send a signal," Kunikida curtly replied. "That being said…" he hoisted Atsushi comically up by the scruff of his shirt like he was a naughty cat. "Get up. How many times are you gonna make me keep saving your dumb hide?"

It was gruff, and naggy, like a housekeeper. Kunikida did worry in his own way about the people he cared about. He just had terrible bed-side manners showing it.

"Being stabbed and being down for the count already is pretty pathetic," he scolded Atsushi.

Yep. Kunikida sure was a man of inspiration.

Kunikida glared at Kouyou as she let out an outburst. "You poisonous insects! How dare you try to take Kyouka away!"

"Tch, looks like all-out war after all between our two organizations," Kunikida glared, adjusting his frames with his fingers as Kenji and Atsushi stood near him.

Atsushi didn't know if they could take on the Port Mafia at this time. But maybe Kunikida would think of something. "How is Ranpo-San doing?" He quietly asked Kunikida.

Kunikida blinked. "Ranpo…"

—-

He clenched his jaw.

He fiddled with the blanket.

Once. Twice. A couple hundred times in the last hour perhaps.

A man of patience, he had very little of it at this time. His eyes gazed at the sleeping person before him. The worry creased his brow. He clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the edge of the bed. He was not a man of prayer, but he was finding it hard not to feel lost at this time.

A woman with dark hair, shoulder length, and a butterfly clip in her hair, tapped with her stilettos quietly into the room now. She wore a simple white top and long dark skirt past her knees. "Any change?"

"No," the man's tone was taut.

The young woman, Yosano, sighed. But she, too, gazed at the sleeping young man. His jacket was folded neatly on a table next to him along with his glasses. He looked like he really was just sleeping. But, it was obvious. He wasn't waking up like a normal person would by now. "…I have the others keeping their eyes peeled…rest assured, we will find that woman again," Yosano said, her tone dark.

Fukuzawa's eyes flickered. His thoughts were with Ranpo's health being alright. But, he couldn't shake the feeling that Dazai's intuition was correct.

'That girl is not the enemy,' Dazai had stated, almost echoing Ranpo's original assessment verbatim.

Fukuzawa took a deep breath through his nose. "I hope they're right," he murmured softly. For Ranpo's sake.

As well as for that girl's own. Because Fukuzawa honestly didn't know what he'd do if something ever happened to Ranpo because of his own carelessness. Fukuzawa felt guilty for never considering the possibility that there may be an ability user who could turn Ranpo's own skill against his own mind that could do so right under Fukuzawa's own nose in his own damn territory.

He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He looked up. Yosano smiled smally at him. "He'll pull through this. He's Ranpo," she said confidently, giving him a thumb's up. "He's too stubborn to let his mind be down for long, just wait. He'll reboot with a vengeance!"

Fukuzawa half grimaced and half smiled, at the thought of Ranpo just waking up and immediately demanding to be fed so he could go back to reminding that person why he was the #1 detective. Haha. He hoped that would be the case. He wanted that to be the case.

"Yeah…" he said, his voice as controlled as soft waves returning to the sea.

—-

Do~oooom.

Steinbeck whistled at the turn out, holding a potato in his hand, casually. He played with it. This was John Steinbeck. His ability was 'Grapes of Wrath' and it was an incredibly odd ability. He had managed to stretch it so what unfolded before him was pretty impressive and insane.

Mafia vehicles were overturned.

Kunikida, Kenji, and Atsushi were struggling to find cover though failing due to Margaret Mitchelle's 'Gone With The Wind' ability ensuring there was no place to hide for them.

Nathaniel Hawthorne used 'Scarlet Letter' to bind the Mafia side, rendering them completely obsolete. His ability allowed him to control Words of God to create a wall, shoot bullets, and 'pass judgment' on his foes. If you were a sinner, the mark would burn. He had never met someone who was not a sinner. Not even himself. But he was a man of the Church. His own sins were naturally forgiven.

Even Kouyou, a powerful Port-Mafia Executive, was struggling to stay afloat. But she turned to Kyouka, who was frozen, wide-eyed, still processing the utter defeat that had happened in the blink of an eye to both sides. "Run…Kyouka…Be safe—We will be reunited soon," Kouyou said almost tenderly, before her ability, 'Golden Demon' grabbed Kyouka, fleeing with her from the vicinity.

Kouyou's eyes were already empty.

To where Kyouka was taken was unknown.

Mark Twain's ability, 'Huck and Finn' activated two dolls that could be used for surveillance or to help ensure Mark never missed his…'mark'. Hahaha. Terrible time for humor but she couldn't resist, as she assessed all of these crazy guild members. LoveCraft hadn't actually done anything this whole time—the enemy was so pathetic he honestly just slept while standing, waiting for the boredom to end.

Not that it would.

He really wanted to just sleep somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.

Alu almost wished he would, because damn he was a creepy bastard.

Another member, an older man, also didn't use his ability. Instead just hanging back with Lovecraft while the more enthusiastic members took the stage. Not that there was much of a stage left. They'd all but obliterated everything.

Alu wondered if 'plot armour' would be enough to save even the ADA, though considering they had a child with them, figured it would by default—maybe.

"Aw man, I'm bored, you take this one," Twain said brightly, tagging Nathaniel on the shoulder.

Nathaniel's head swiveled as he glared at Twain. "Don't touch me," he growled.

"Oh yikes," Twain held up his hands, quickly, still smiling. "I just wanted to say 'tag'~ you're it, or something? You know?"

"This is so annoying. I wish everyone would just die," Miss Mitchell huffed, holding her parasol but otherwise completely turning her nose up in disdain at how events unfolded. Honestly it sounded like she wanted both sides to drop dead. What a charming ball of sunshine she was.

Steinbeck hummed, sucking back in his ability by this point. "There's just one left," he said brightly.

"She's hardly worth the effort," Miss Mitchell sniffed.

Kouyou resented that statement but in her current condition and with where Kyouka had previously stabbed her, it wasn't looking good. At least that girl was safe. Kouyou had made sure she got away. At least, she got away, right? Kouyou couldn't tell. She'd already collapsed, unconscious.

The Guild members left the scene. It really was something beholden of a war zone.

Meanwhile, the undetected party furrowed her brow. Would help come for the ADA? Sure enough, some help arrived, to cart Kunikida, Kenji, and Atsushi away. But Alu shivered. She saw Dazai there as well. He discussed something with some unknown agents and pointed at Kouyou.

Huh, they were taking her too? Probably as a hostage…Alu thought inwardly. It made sense. After all, The Port Mafia's feud with the ADA was nothing new, and with the added stress of this 'foreign' threat, it was causing tensions to be ridiculous levels between these already two volatile existing organizations.

Alu grimaced inwardly. Honestly, if at least one of these organizations was run by a woman she could tell the mortality rate could be halved easily…but no… it was run by 'big' men who thought brute force was literally the only way to flex their say. Alu sighed a mushroom cloud. Why didn't she get involved?

It wasn't her fight to get involved in. At least, not at this time.

Alu had her own goal though.

Atsushi was upset.

No, upset didn't begin to describe it. After he had been healed, he'd learned that Kouyou had been taken hostage for information. He accompanied Dazai-San to wait for her to wake up.

When she had, she immediately began to speak coldly to Dazai.

Atsushi was aware by now of Dazai's past ties to the Mafia. But, his mentor was different. If he hadn't been different, then president Fukuzawa wouldn't have picked him to join the agency right? Atsushi's eyes flickered. Morally speaking, Fukuzawa himself had been an assassin once, according to Ranpo. Though he did jobs for the government mostly back in his prime and was retired now.

He was still puzzled even now, by a question he'd been asked by that woman back in Montgomery's play room. Though now seemed hardly the time to bring it up.

He knew he had to keep his temper.

Dazai-San had implied that getting upset wouldn't help the stressful situation.

And yet.

"Welp, is Kyouka safe?" Kouyou had asked, directing the question at Atsushi.

Atsushi glared. "Kyouka has gone missing…and it's no doubt all your fault!" He snapped, his anger getting the better of him. This person didn't care about Kyouka like he did. She didn't care to understand how she was inflicting only pain on Kyouka. And she had the audacity to ask how Kyouka was fairing? If she was alright? Safe, even?

What a hypocrite.

And then she began to laugh at him.

Dazai grabbed Atsushi by the arm when Atsushi almost hit her with a tiger paw. It doesn't sound that intimidating but honestly, no one should want to be smacked by kitty claws. They hurt.

Why had Atsushi lost his temper so easily?

Because he was weak dammit. He knew he was only taking his frustration for his own inability out on this person who was already restrained and imprisoned herself.

Dazai had finally managed to steer Atsushi out of the room.

Kouyou was quiet again. But she was relieved inwardly. She had laughed. She laughed because despite the attack from The Guild, at least she knew that Kyouka got away. There was at least one less to add to the body count.

Dazai now tilted his head at her. It was time for their trip-down-memory-lane chat to continue.

"Let's talk like adults, mm?" He menacingly said, striking that classy pose that makes all fans fall over themselves for apparently, lol. ~

"Mmm…" A voice groaned, from where Fukuzawa was sitting, reading a book.

He looked up immediately. His eyes widened. Ranpo sat up, blinking, and rubbed his eyes. "…?"

Fukuzawa shut his book, eyeing Ranpo, immediately. "…Ranpo?" He asked, keeping his voice from shaking too much. He was so relieved that Ranpo was okay. Just like Yosano had said he would be. It'd been a few days so he had been worried.

The Guild War was secondary to the health of Ranpo.

"Ah…" Ranpo blinked and then he looked around. He looked at Fukuzawa and then began to laugh. Fukuzawa was mildly concerned.

Yosano came in just then, and saw Ranpo giggling. "He's awake?" She sounded relieved.

"Akiiii~~ play with me~" Ranpo threw his hands up in the air with a childish giggle.

Both Fukuzawa and Yosano—whose first name was Akiko—- realized immediately that Ranpo was still not okay.

"Uh, Ranpo, do you know where you are right now?" Fukuzawa asked tentatively, increasingly worried.

"I'm in a bed, silly~" Ranpo said, and he poked Fukuzawa's nose. "Boop~ hehehe, got your snozz~"

He was acting like a drunk for all intents and purposes.

"Um, yes," Fukuzawa awkwardly gripped Ranpo's wrist so he would stop trying to pet him and poke him as he was apparently currently fixated on doing. "R-Ranpo…do you know who I am?"

Ranpo paused. "FukukuNeko!" He said brightly. "Big, fluffy, white Neko kitty~Lemme pet you~" he tried to touch invisible ears he apparently thought he was seeing on Fukuzawa's head.

Yosano and Fukuzawa doom-faced.

This was far worse than they thought.

This would be funny if it weren't for the fact they were in the middle of all out war. This was terrible timing. Absolutely the worst.

—-

A/N: Ah. This elevator is going down ? have no idea how to write side theatre but here is more side campiness lol

Side theatre: Dazai Reads Something Other Than Suicide Part 2

Dazai trailed after Alu comically over the next few days.

Alu seemed to be looking for something. He trotted over, waving the book. To his utter surprise. She pulled out one just like it.

"Huh more than one? Guess that makes sense, it's like Kunikida and his notebooks," Dazai reasoned.

"Didja, like the content you found?" Alu tilted her head, innocently. Actually she'd just switched out her actual content for shameless smut to throw Dazai off the scent, so far, hilariously enough, it seemed to be working.

"…I have a few constructive critiques, the main one being—- why am I the neko*?" He asked, innocently.

"It suits you," Alu deadpanned, shrugging.

"I prefer women," Dazai said, dazzling her with his debonair smirk, holding her hands. "Maybe this next time you could write—-!"

Alu comically shoved the book he'd been holding onto into his face. "You'll just give me writer's block," she deadpanned, making Dazai cry.

Later Dazai cries to Kenji who is the only one willing to listen lol. "And she says I'm a cat! Kunikida is the hissy one!" Dazai complained, as Kenji sipped his milkshake at their usual stomping grounds.

"I think a cat is good though, on the farm, they are useful in catching rats and other vermin!" Kenji beamed, completely unaware of the context Dazai was using the term "neko" here. However Dazai pauses and strokes his chin.

Fyodor with rat ears appears in Dazai's mind.

"Huh….." a dark smirk grows. "Me~ow"..

End. El Fin.

A/N: *Neko means 'bottom' in some yaoi slang. I think, hahaha I don't know anything at this point. *jazz hands* enjoy. UNTIL NEXT TIME.