Double Black

denial

Warning: mentions of death. like a lot of it. this is a major character death fic!!

Maybe for the first time since since it's establishment, the Armed Detective Agency was taken over complete silence. The only sounds in the office were made by the fans, and other electronics. Everything was still silent, and the Agency members were completely subdued.

It all started about two hours ago, when Kunikida got a phone call from the hospital associated with the Agency. The receptionist asked him to send someone as a representative of the Agency to receive some really bad news on everybody's behalf. 

Of course, everyone suggested that it should be Kunikida who goes, tight knots lodged in their stomachs at the mention of 'bad news'. Especially from a hospital. It obviously means somebody was hurt.

As soon as Kunikida left, everyone obviously put their heads together to figure out who might be hurt. It was obviously someone from the Agency. A quick look around made it clear that most of the Agency members were right there. The only ones who weren't were the Tanizaki siblings and Dazai.

Atsushi called Tanizaki immediately, who fortunately answered the call once. The ginger confirmed that both him and his sister were safe. So, that ruled them out as being in the hospital. So, by the process of elimination, Dazai was most likely to be the one in the hospital.

Atsushi definitely found it difficult to believe, but who else could it be? Maybe one of his suicide attempts had gone extra 'right' and he was actually badly injured. Everyone figured he'd be fine and up on his annoying two feet soon enough. 

Yosano, the expert in all matter related to death, was very convinced that Dazai wasn't the person to die so easily. He'd be fine. Right?

Not right. When Kunikida returned from the hospital, he was deathly pale. He looked absolute sickly, and in shock, as if someone had just told him that ideals were suddenly banned or something. The Agency members were more worried at the sight of him, to say the least.

After a lot of coaxing on Yosano's part, Kunikida finally spilled the beans and told everyone what he'd found out.

Dazai Osamu, was dead. 

Everyone's first reaction was to laugh, and tell Kunikida to stop joking. But, the idealist didn't look like he was joking at all. He looked faint, as if he'd burst into tears any moment now. So then, his news must be true. That means Dazai is actually dead.

Everybody had varied reactions, and oh, so many questions.

Was it suicide? Did he finally succeed, his investment in The Complete Guide to Suicide actually working out?
(No.)

How can you be sure, Kunikida-san? Maybe he's fine and managed to convinced the doctors to lie for him!
(I saw his body, Atsushi-kun. He had no pulse, and wasn't breathing. His heart was silent.)

When...?
(Earlier today morning, according to the nurse.)

The Agency members also felt unbelievably guilty. Dazai had been missing from work for a week, but they had passed it off as his usual antics. Maybe if they had looked more into it... Maybe if they had tried reaching out to him, calling him, this wouldn't have happened. 

Maybe if they had sent out a search party for him, like they had done when Atsushi had gone missing. Ranpo, more serious than anyone had ever seen him before, was quick to convince everyone that their search party could never have any hope of finding Dazai. He had hidden from the Port Mafia for two years, after all. 

Everyone felt absolutely sick. Nobody had ever expected this in their wildest dreams. How was in possible?! That Dazai, Dazai Osamu, who didn't even die during the Apple Suicide incident, was dead now?