Kyandi: Hey all Kyandiacs. Sorry we've been gone so long.
Dimir: She's taking this one slow so she doesn't catch up with the manga too quickly.
Kyandi: Yep. That being said, I got a little ahead of myself and have two chapters to upload for all of you today.
Dimir: She reached a part she had been looking forward to.
Kyandi: I did. Now, before we start, everyone needs to remember...Dimir is a very...unique and odd person.
Dimir: Am I suppose to take offense to that?
Kyandi: No. Not one bit. I'm just reminding them so when they see how you act, they'll remember and just be like, "Oh! She's quirky and weird!".
Dimir: Okay, that's starting to sound a little insulting.
Kyandi: Okay, I'll stop. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.
Dimir: Kyandi-sama does not own Bungou Stray Dogs.
Chapter 4 Sneaking Around
As punishment for her heroic, yet reckless actions, Dimir was confided to the office for the next few days, leaving Atsushi and a newly healed Junichirou to finish their job. This left Dimir sulking at one of the spare desks that had been given to her to use. Currently, she was bent over the desk, head pillowed on her arms.
"Sulking isn't going to make the time pass." Kunikida called to her from across the room.
"I'm not sulking, I just don't know what to do. I can't go out on jobs and Haruno and the others don't need my help." Dimir replied, sitting up in her chair, looking the part of the thoroughly scolded, adorable young lady.
Today's outfit of choice for Dimir, was a sleeveless, high necked, mid-thigh length, pale grey dress with a vermilion red bow tied at her neck. Knee length stockings matched the bow in color and grey flats clad her feet. Someone, Kunikida was sure it had been either Naomi or Ranpo, had stuck a freshly plucked, red flower into her hair right where she pinned back the hair on the left side of her head.
Her expression was sad, her head hung to one side as a sigh left her lips. Kunikida couldn't take it anymore. Dimir just had this way of making a person feel guilty, even when they didn't have anything to do with it. Kunikida quickly turned back to what he was doing, deciding that not looking at Dimir was probably in his best interest. Seeing that, Dimir heaved another sigh.
It was then that Atsushi came flying into the office. When Kunikida turned to him, asking what he was in such a hurry about, Atsushi answered him with something that instantly caught Dimir's attention.
"Dazai's gone missing?" Kunikida repeated.
"He's not picking up his phone, nor has he returned to his apartment." Atsushi replied.
None of the others looked the least bit concerned. Then again, given how many times Dazai had tried to kill himself, Dimir wasn't really surprised that they weren't concerned.
"He's probably in the river again." Kunikida said.
"Or maybe in the earth again?" Kenji suggested.
"He's definitely being detained again." Ranpo said with certainty.
"But some nasty things happened a few days ago...could he have been assassinated by the mafia?" Atsushi asked.
"Don't be stupid. That man is extraordinarily sensitive to danger and adaptable at surviving. He has repeatedly committed suicide but has never succeeded once." Kunikida told him. "How could a guy who can't be killed even by himself, get done in by the mafia?"
"I think that his unsuccessful attempts speaks more to his lack of capability in that area, rather than his resilience." Dimir chimed in.
"He's still incredibly difficult to kill." Kunikida insisted.
"Still..." Atsushi continued.
"I'll look into it."
All eyes turned to the doorway. Standing there, still looking a little pale to Dimir's eyes, was Tanizaki.
"Tanizaki, you're alright!" Atsushi said in relief.
Dimir was instantly on her feet, hurrying over to him.
"Shouldn't you be resting still?" she asked.
"I'm alright. Thanks to you showing up." Tanizaki told her.
"I'm sorry I didn't show up sooner." Dimir apologized. "I'm just glad to see that you're alright."
"Thanks to Doctor Yasano's treatment." Kunikida remarked. "Tanizaki. How many times have you been dissected?"
Dimir watched as Tanizaki's face went as white a sheet, his eyes widening in horror as if he was reliving a horrid nightmare. She grew concerned when he hung his head, his shoulder hunching up.
"...Four times." Tanizaki said before sinking into a crouch, clutching his head like he was about to cry. "Atsushi, Dimir...as members of the Agency, you'd better not get hurt."
Okay, that solidified Dimir's thoughts. She would never get hurt because she honestly didn't want to know what Yosano did to her patients. Dimir crouched next to Tanizaki and patted his back.
"You didn't run even when you knew it was the mafia. You brought this on yourself, Tanizaki. And don't get me started on you, Nabokov." Kunikida said.
Dimir smiled up at Kunikida as she continued to pat Tanizaki's back. The lecture she had gotten from the Director had been more than enough for her. He had been sorely displeased with Dimir for her actions. While she had been helping her co-workers, possibly saving Tanizaki's life, she had also possibly put herself on the Mafia's radar, which was somewhere that the Director didn't want her to be.
"If you want me to apologize for helping a friend, then you're going to be sadly disappointed, Doppo, because I'm not going to. If it's in defense of a friend, I will never regret my actions." Dimir told him simply, making Kunikida want to strangle her.
"To realize something's wrong and run for it. That's the ability to notice danger." Ranpo chimed in, pulling a pocket watch from his pocket. "For example, ten seconds from now..."
Dimir turned, Tanizaki nearly jumping out of his skin, when the door opened and a yawning Yosano came into the office. Dimir thought he was going to try clawing his way through the wall to get away from the doctor.
"I overslept." Yosano said.
"Yosano." Atsushi greeted.
"Ahh, you're Atsushi, the newbie, right? Does it hurt anywhere?" Yosano asked.
"No, I'm fine." Atsushi replied.
Yosano clicked her tongue in displeasure before turning to Dimir. Looking the younger girl over, Yosano took her gloved hands in hers. Dimir blinked in confusion as Yosano ran gloved clad finger tips over her skin.
"Such smooth and scar free skin. I'll be sure to return it to such a pristine condition whenever you get hurt." Yosano told Dimir, a sinister grin on her face.
Dimir, smiling brightly, calmly pried her hand from Yosano's, taking one step back. She tucked her hands behind her back and gave Yosano a cute little giggle/smile that betrayed none of her unease at the though of possibly being treated by Yosano.
"Oh, no worries, Doctor. Ao, one of my Ten Dark Women, acts as a healer for me. You will never have to bother yourself with healing my injuries." Dimir told her. "And to be honest...it's not as scar free as you think it is."
Yosano was just as displeased as with Atsushi and turned away from Dimir. Atsushi, his voice pitched low, leaned towards Dimir.
"You really have a healing element to one of your abilities?" he asked.
"Nope, none. I just don't want that woman healing my injuries. By the way, unless I'm about to die, any injuries I receive, stays between you and me." Dimir replied.
Atsushi was more than happy to oblige just as long as she agreed to do the same thing for him. Dimir agreed before retreating to the desk she had been given, perching herself on the edge. It was from there that she watched as the others slipped away after Yosano begun to speak once again.
"By the way, I'm going shopping and need someone to carry my stuff..." Yosano looked around, noticing that Atsushi and Dimir were the only ones left. She turned to Atsushi then. "Seems like you are the only one around."
Atsushi whipped around, finding all but Dimir gone. Dimir smiled brightly at him when he gave her a pleading look, as if he thought she could do something to help him.
"I'm not allow to go out on any jobs or errands, remember?" Dimir replied, Atsushi deflating with every word. "Have fun with Doctor Yosano!"
Dimir remained on her perch, waving as Yosano drug Atsushi away. When the door closed, the smile slipped off her face. Digging in her pocket, Dimir pulled out the cellphone that Dazai had gotten for her under the orders of the Director. Flipping it open, she scrolled through the short list of contacts she had until she landed on Dazai's name. Hitting the call button, she put the phone to her ear.
She listened to the ring before it took her to voice mail. Dimir hit the end button, snapping her phone close, one side of her mouth scrunching up. Dazai always answered the phone for her, even when she called in the middle of the night. Which she did a few times just to see if he actually would answer her call anytime. If he wasn't answering now, then something was up.
Dimir tapped her chin with the end of her cellphone as she thought about what to do from there. Technically, she wasn't allowed to leave the office without someone else. The Director's way of keeping her out of trouble and out of danger.
But...if there was no one there to watch her...
Dimir's phone suddenly beeped, alerting her that she had an incoming text message. Flipping her phone open, she peered down at the message that popped up on her screen. Her eyes widened for a moment before a grin curled her lips. Flipping her phone close, she jumped down from her perch and grabbed her sleeveless trench coat.
Well, if no one was there, then who could really stop her from leaving?
She would blame their lack of foresight later.
-0-0-0-0-
"So you've brought back another troublesome one."
After the day he had, Atsushi really didn't know how to reply when Kunikida said this. Looking up from where he was crouched in front of the doors to the Agency infirmary, he had just a moment to catch the cellphone tossed to him.
"The battery has already been removed." Kunikida told him as Atsushi looked at the phone.
While out with Yosano, running errands, they had come across two member of the Port Mafia. One of those members, was a young girl whose ability was being controlled by another member of the Port Mafia, via her she had failed her mission, the girl had tried to blow herself up. Atsushi had saved her, barely, and had brought her back to the agency.
"If I had noticed earlier..." Atsushi remarked.
"Don't sweat it. It wasn't your fault. It was already too late." Kunikida told him, showing him an article in the paper with the headlines, "Family of police officers brutally murdered" and "The culprit is a young girl?". "That little girl is an infamous assassin in the neighborhood. She fools enemy factions into letting down their guard with her appearance and slaughters them. But she fights too ferociously. Her face has been seen. Her arrest is just a matter of time."
"No way...the evil ones are those abusing her ability." Atsushi protested.
"Abilities don't necessarily bring happiness. Look at Nabokov. She hasn't exactly had it easy. And you...you know this very well, don't you?" Kunikida retorted.
Atsushi knew he was right. His ability hadn't brought him anything but scorn and misfortune up until he joined the Agency and, even then, it still brought him trouble. Over hearing Kunikida mention Dimir, Haruno looked up from her work and peered around the office.
"Speaking of Dimir...where is she?" Haruno asked.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and started looking around. Dimir was nowhere in sight and even her coat, phone, and keys were missing from her desk. This didn't bode well to any of them. If Dimir had defied orders and had gone out on her own, they could only imagine that it was something serious and she hadn't left any note or message behind for them.
Just what was the girl up to now?
-0-0-0-0-
Bored.
Bored didn't even begin to describe how Dazai felt at the moment. Just standing there, strung up by chains in one of the Mafia's hideouts. Letting out a yawn, he turned his attention to the shackles on his wrists. Focusing on his shackle, he begun to wiggle his wrist.
"...can I make it in time?" he wondered lowly.
"You're as wily as ever, Dazai!"
"That voice..."
Dazai's eyes went wide as he turned to look at the person approaching him, a grin on his face. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking happier than ever, was Mafia Executive, Nakahara Chuya, Dazai's former partner.
"What a glorious view! Even better than some costly famous painting!" Chuya declared.
"Crap. Oh, crap." Dazai muttered.
"What a lovely reaction. I'm so happy I'm dying to strangle you." Chuya said, proceeding to crack his knuckles in glee.
"Wow. The little guy in black is talking!" Dazai remarked, annoying Chuya with the comment. "I've always wanted to ask you, why did you buy that embarrassing hat?"
"That's rich, coming from you, you vagabond. Aren't you always babbling about suicide when you're at the prime of your life?" Chuya asked.
"Yeah." was Dazai's simply and straight forward answer.
"You should at least have the decency to deny it. But now, you're nothing more than a pathetic prisoner. Don't cry, Dazai. No. Now that I think about it..." Chuya reached forward, grabbing Dazai by the hair and pulling his head down to his eye level. "This smells a bit fishy. You might be able to fool that inexperienced Akutagawa, but not me. I am your old friend, after all. What are you up to?"
"What am I up to...? As you can see, I got caught, and am waiting to be executed." Dazai replied back, faking innocence when Chuya knew better.
"The Dazai wouldn't have been captured out of bad luck or carelessness. If you were that incompetent, I would've killed you long ago." Chuya snapped, crossing his arms.
"You're being paranoid. Your hair will fall out if you fret so much. Are you...!?" Dazai started, Chuya pulling his hat off his head to show him his hair.
"I'm not trying to hide a bald patch. That was for your information." Chuya said tartly, putting his hat back on his head. "I didn't come all the way here to chat with you."
"Then why are you here?" Dazai asked.
"Why? To spite you. Back then, your 'spite' was almost an art. You made a fool out of everyone, be them friend or foe. But," Chuya lashed out, swinging a kick so powerful that not only did it sever the chains on Dazai's shackles, it cracked the wall Dazai was chained to. "You'll end up having a taste of your own medicine, but multiplied tenfold. I don't know what you're up to, but with that, your plan is ruined. Let's duel, Dazai. I will bash you up along with that plan in your head."
"Chuya..." Dazai gave a snap of his fingers, the shackles falling free. "You want to foil my plan? You're kidding, right?"
"So, you could've escaped whenever you wanted? Now that's much more interesting!"
Chuya launched himself forward, attacking with speed and power. Dazai dodged most of them, catching Chuya's fist as it flew past his face, and landing a punch of his own to Chuya's gut. A punch that, against Chuya, had no effect.
"What kind of punch is this?" Chuya asked, smirking as he kicked Dazai, sending the taller man flying back into the wall with enough force to crack the wall and send Dazai sliding down to the floor. "It's even weaker than a massage. Your close combat skills have always been below average in the mafia. Your nullifying ability is troublesome, but it won't do you any good in this case. Get up. The party has barely started."
"As expected of the best martial artist in the mafia." Dazai said, popping back to his feet. "I thought the arm I used to block the blow would be broken."
Chuya frowned as he realized what Dazai had done. Right before impact, Dazai had raised an arm to block the kick, lessening the blow. Dazai had seen through his attack.
"After all, I've been your partner for a long time. I know all your moves and habits like the back of my hand. That's what being a partner means, right?" Dazai asked.
Annoyed, Chuya shot forward, his speed faster than Dazai remembered it being.
"Then you should be able to see through this attack, too. Right?!" Chuya demanded, landing a hard punch to Dazai's face. "Now this! Is how you throw a punch!"
The next punch landed hard to Dazai's gut, making him spit up blood from the force. Seizing Dazai by the throat, Chuya pinned him back against the wall. Dazai tried to pry Chuya's hand away from his throat, but Chuya wasn't letting go.
"You think you could win just because you knew my moves? Game over." Chuya said, pulling a knife and aiming it for Dazai's throat.
"I think that's enough now."
Chuya froze on the spot, as thin fingers curled loosely around his neck, finger tips pressing against the pulse in his neck. Dazai peered past Chuya and grinned when he saw who stood there.
"I was starting to wonder when you would show up." Dazai remarked.
"Well, it's not exactly easy to sneak into a Port Mafia building, Osamu. Especially since I wasn't suppose to be leaving the office in the first place."
Chuya tensed, ready to turn and strike whoever was behind him. Dazai's grin grew and his grip on Chuya's hand tightened.
"I wouldn't if I were you. Her touch is...well, electrifying." Dazai warned.
Chuya tensed further when he could hear as well as somewhat feel the electricity that crackled off the back of the hand touching him. Thankfully, it stayed away from the fingers pressed to his throat or he would have gotten quite the shock. Turning his head just enough to peer over his shoulder, Chuya was greeted with the beautifully smiling face of Dimir.
"Chuya, meet my new co-worker...Nabokov Dimir." Dazai said introducing the girl. "Dimir, this is Nakahara Chuya."
"So you were a mafioso, Osamu. You owe me seven hundred thousand yen for guessing right, isn't that right?" Dimir asked, Dazai chuckling.
"I though you didn't like what that kind of money could do to you." Dazai remarked.
"I'll find some nice charities to give it to." Dimir replied, before her eyes turned back to Chuya, her eyes locking in on his.
"How'd you...?!" Chuya begun, Dimir smiling brightly at him.
"How did I manage to sneak in? I'm just very crafty, is all. When you spend most of your life the way I have, you learn how to go unnoticed." she told him simply. "Now, if you don't mind, I've come to pick up Osamu and would greatly appreciate it if you would release him."
Chuya grit his teeth, turning his eyes back to Dazai. He still didn't drop the knife he held to Dazai's throat and didn't release him.
"One last thing, tell me...why did you let yourself be captured? What are you waiting for in this place?" Chuya demanded. Dazai didn't say anything at first. "Not telling? Suit yourself. Even with your little friend behind me, I'm not concerned. You're only making this interrogation more fun."
Behind Chuya, Dimir raised an eyebrow, her fingers pressing just a little more into his skin, all four fingers now resting on his skin. Chuya could feel the crackle of electricity building and Dazai knew that a fight was about to break out between the two. While he knew Dimir could handle herself, he knew the girl wouldn't fare so well if Chuya managed to get his hands on her. It would be best for him to just answer.
"I did it...mostly for Atsushi." Dazai answered.
"Atsushi?" Chuya asked.
"The man-tiger you lot are so obsessed with. I'm dying to know what kind of rich sod would put a seventy billion yen bounty on him." Dazai replied.
"You put yourself in danger for him? You put her in danger by making her come here for you, just for him? What a touching story...is what I wanted to say, but this is how it ends." Chuya said, tightening his grip on Dazai's neck.
Dimir pouted from behind Chuya. He apparently wasn't concerned about her in the least. The look Dazai cast her way, though, kept her from doing anything to stop Chuya.
"You're a shadow of the man you used to be, Mr. "Youngest Boss In History". Still, how unfortunate of you...being captured six months later, on the day I returned from suppressing some small fry in the west. If I may say so myself, I'm damned lucky." Chuya remarked.
Dazai chuckling, ruined Chuya's good mood.
"What's so funny?" Chuya demanded.
"Let me tell you something interesting. There will be a Five Boss conference tomorrow." Dazai told him.
"Five Boss conference? No way. It is only held every few years, only when there are extremely important internal issues to be decided. If that were true, they should have contacted-"
"It's because I had Dimir, there, send a letter to your higher-ups. You found it and sent it, right, Dimir?" Dazai asked.
"I found it right where you told me I would and sent it out. Express mailed it, in fact. They should have it now." Dimir confirmed, Chuya glancing back at her before turning his eyes back to Dazai.
"Now, it's just a bet, but you won't kill me. You will tell me where to find information about the one offering the bounty. Then, you will leave this room, talking and walking like a girl with turned-in feet." Dazai said, much to Chuya's outrage.
"Osamu, you don't have to go that far." Dimir protested, but Dazai just grinned.
"My predictions always come true. I thought you knew that, Chuya." Dazai said,
"Under such...circumstances? You must be kidding. What letter?" Chuya asked.
"Dimir, you read it. Care to share?" Dazai asked, smirking.
"It was a simple letter. It read, "All thy secrets shall be brought to light on the occasion of Dazai's death."." Dimir replied.
The girl stepped to the side as Chuya, figuring out what the letter meant, threw himself backwards, away from Dazai. He stared in horror at Dazai as Dimir stepped up to his side.
"No way. You..."
"I, an executive member turned traitor, am captured. But the higher-ups have received a letter that basically says, "if Dazai dies, all your dirty little secrets will come out.". If the authorities ever get a hold of these secrets, the mafia executive members will all die a hundred deaths. The threat is serious enough to call for a conference." Dazai said.
"The mafia won't be threatened so easily. You'll die for this. It's an execution for you." Chuya retorted.
"And that is partly why I called in her." Dazai said, laying a hand on Dimir's shoulder, drawing Chuya's attention her. "She's a very special member of the Agency."
"Osamu." Dimir warned, turning her eyes to him, but Dazai wouldn't be dissuaded.
"She's an ability user with multiple abilities."
Chuya's eyes, widen in shock and disbelief, turned his eyes to Dimir, who glanced at him with weary eyes. All it took was one look at the girl's expressive face for him to know that Dazai spoke the truth.
"That can't be..." Chuya remarked.
"It is. You can try to execute me, but Dimir is my trump card to be used against the mafia if that happens. But as far as an execution goes...that is to be decided on the executive meeting. Before a decision is made, it is treason to punish me without authorization." Dazai said, Chuya catching on to what he was saying before he said it. "You'll be outlawed, the worst penalty there is."
"That aside...even if I were to disregard everything and kill you, and that girl wouldn't stop me if I wanted to, you'd only rejoice that you finally got to die, right?" Chuya demanded.
"Exactly." Dazai said cheerfully. "Come at me all you want. I'll even have Dimir step off to the side and just watch."
Dimir looked from Dazai to Chuya as the shorter man bristled with annoyance and anger. She could tell, easily, that Dazai knew exactly how to get under Chuya's skin and did so just for the hell of it. How the two had ever been functioning partners, was beyond her. And Dazai just kept egging Chuya on, making him more and more angry by the second.
"C'mon, hurry up." Dazai taunted. "Still. Not. Ready?"
"Osamu." Dimir scolded lowly, trying to get him to stop before Chuya burst a blood vessel or something.
Finally, Chuya threw down his knife, his hands curling into fist. He was trying so hard to hold on to his anger, that his whole body was shaking. Dimir, being the person she was, wanted to comfort him, but she was sure he wouldn't take it so lightly from an enemy.
"What, you quit?" Dazai asked. "'Chuya, hunted by the Mafia because of me". How great would that be!"
"You lil' shit...you mean..." Chuya trailed off as he remembered Dazai said that he had done it mostly for Atsushi, meaning that there was another reason. "In other words, your second objective...is to force me into the hardest dilemma ever?"
"Yep." Dazai answered simply, Dimir still looking between the two.
"I didn't come here to spite you...turns out you've been waiting here just so you can spite me?" Chuya asked.
"I haven't seen you in a while, after all. I thought I would give you a little surprise." Dazai told him, grinning brightly.
Chuya fell to hands and knees, completely exhausted by Dazai and his plans. Dimir kind of felt bad for him. While he usually didn't give her a hard time like that, Dimir knew that Dazai could be quite exhausting for those around him. Case in point, poor Kunikida who wanted to pull out his own hair when around Dazai.
"You know, Osamu...I can kinda see why he doesn't like you." Dimir remarked, but Dazai simply smiled at her.
"I'll kill you...I'm definitely gonna kill you..." Chuya muttered, Dimir and Dazai turning to look at him.
"Oh. Before you collapse, there's one more thing to settle." Dazai said. "You're the one who broke the chains. If I run off just like that...won't you be suspected of assisting in my escape?"
If Dimir thought Chuya couldn't get any more annoyed, she was proven wrong. Enemy or not, she really couldn't just sit back and watch this continue.
"Alright, Osamu, that's enough." Dimir told Dazai. "You don't need to continue to rub salt into already open wounds. I really can see why he wants to kill you with the way you treat him."
It surprised Chuya to see her take his side, but Dazai knew that Dimir was a kind soul. She would never begrudge anyone, friend or foe. So he would throw Chuya a bone.
"If you listen to me, I don't mind pretending to be rescued by the Detective Agency in a effort lead by Dimir, here." Dazai told Chuya who got back to his feet.
"Can I trust you about that?" Chuya demanded.
"I never lie when it comes to making deals. I thought you knew that." Dazai teased.
"You bastard..." Chuya grit his teeth.
"Besides...Dimir will keep me honest. She doesn't like liars." Dazai replied.
Dimir gave Chuya a smile when he looked at her. She really didn't like liars and she would make sure to hold Dazai to this after seeing how relentlessly he teased and taunted Chuya. Enemies, or not, Dazai didn't have to rub it in like that.
"What do you want?" Chuya asked.
"I just told you." Dazai replied.
"If it's about the man-tiger, Akutagawa is in charge of that. He should've left some records in the correspondence archive on the second floor." Chuya told him, picking up his jacket.
"Ah, I see. Just as I thought." Dazai said in a matter-of-fact way.
"Osamu." Dimir sighed as Chuya growled.
Chuya turned on his heels, done with the whole situation. He headed for the stairs, throwing his coat over one shoulder.
"Get the hell out of here once you're done." Chuya called over his shoulder, heading for the stairs.
"Thanks. But you got something wrong." Dazai called to him. "Right now, my dream is to commit double suicide with a beauty. Being killed by you is no fun at all. Sorry."
"Ah, I see..." Chuya's eyes went to Dimir as he said this.
Dimir blinked in surprise and begun to shake her head, waving her hands in front of herself.
"I am neither a beauty nor suicidal." she assured him.
Chuya turned his head back towards Dazai and though Dimir knew he was being sarcastic, apparently Dazai didn't hear it. That or he was just playing dumb. The more Dimir thought about it...it was probably the latter more than the former.
"Then go look for a suicidal beauty." Chuya told him.
"Chuya..." Dazai lit up. "Perhaps you're actually a nice person?"
"I'm asking you to hurry up and die, you idiot!" Chuya retorted. "I'm warning you in advance, Dazai. Don't think this is over. I won't let you off next time."
"Haven't you forgotten something?" Dazai asked.
The look on Chuya's face was one of mix horror, humiliation, and anger. Especially when he looked down at Dimir who blinked back up at him in questioning. Clenching his fists and fighting with himself, it looked like it was taking all he had not to explode and attack Dazai. Finally, he turned to face Dazai, turning his feet inward and dropping his voice to sound like a girl's.
"There will be no next time!" he declared.
Dazai broke into laughter, only serving to tick off Chuya that much more. He would have actually lost his temper, if Dimir hadn't stepped forward and spoken up then. Stepping up to the steps, she gave him a soft smile, so sweet in appearance that it caught Chuya completely off guard and had him cooling down quickly.
"I know he's a lot to handle, but...thank you. And I'm sorry for the whole threatening to zap you thing." she told him.
"Dimir, come on." Dazai called.
Dimir looked over her shoulder, calling back that she would be there in a second and turned her attention back to Chuya.
"Sorry for his..."
"Personality." Chuya supplied, making her give a laugh.
"Something like that. Thank you, Chuya."
With another smile directed at him, she turned and rejoined Dazai. Chuya watched her go. It was a little difficult to hate someone who was so sweet and smiled so softly despite him being an enemy. Dazai, though, was another case. Chuya glanced towards Dimir one last time, catching Dazai's eyes over her head, the bandage wrapped man smirking at him. Annoyed, Chuya left.
Once he was gone, Dazai pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, putting them on. He turned to look at Dimir. Between her tuff of white hair and over all appearance, Dimir would stand out like a sore thumb.
First things first...find a way to disguise her until they got out of there.
-0-0-0-0-
"Is this really necessary?"
Dazai, who had been peering around a corner, turned to look at Dimir. Once leaving the room where Dazai had been held, they had managed to find a room where someone had left a hat and a pair of glasses. Both of which, Dazai stuck on Dimir, hiding all of her hair under the hat. It was during his efforts to stick her hair under the hat, that Dazai had made a discovery.
Hidden under the tuff of her white bangs... was a scar.
The scar started somewhere under her hair and spread past the hair line and down her forehead to her eyebrow. Usually, it remained hidden behind her bangs, but now it was on display. Dazai had questioned what the scar was from but Dimir had merely given him a smile and told him that it was a topic to be discussed another time.
Between the scar and the hat and glasses, no one in the mafia would recognize her unless they really paid attention. And that was only if any of them knew her face to begin with. It worked on keeping her from drawing attention nonetheless.
"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Now, stay close." Dazai told her, leading the way down the hall.
Dimir followed him, trying her best to appear normal. The few men they passed, they were easily able to fool. Dazai finally got them to the archive room, punching in the code as if it was something he did every day.
"Keep guard." Dazai told her before approaching the shelf. "Well, then...someone willing to spend seven billion yet just to acquire the man-tiger. Who would that be...?"
Dimir stood beside the door, waiting as Dazai flipped through records. Now and then, she would peek out the door, making sure they were alright. When she heard the flipping of pages stop and heard Dazai take in a sharp breath, she turned to him.
"Osamu? What is it?" she asked.
"They are..."
When Dazai trailed off, Dimir took one last look out the door before making her way to his side. Peering over his arm, she looked at the record book in his hand.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"The Guild."
Dimir looked up at Dazai's face, her gut turning when she saw that his usual smile was nowhere to be found. Whoever these Guild people were, it was a serious matter.
Dimir had a bad feeling that things weren't going to be peaceful for much longer.
END
Kyandi: Remember what I said at the beginning of the chapter.
Dimir: You mean about me being unique and odd?
Kyandi: Yeah, that.
Dimir: What about it?
Kyandi: They just need to keep that in mind for the next chapter.
Dimir: Is me being nice really that odd.
Kyandi: Not a lot of people are as carefree as you are.
Dimir: Again, is that bad?
Kyandi: Uhhhh...sometimes?
Dimir: Gee...thanks. I feel so loved.
Kyandi: I know you do. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.
Dimir: We'll return shortly.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!