To conduct the singing misfortune [Dazai and Reader]

Those Who Fight

Through the static of our connection to Atsushi, a new voice comes through, one that had, of course, come to disrupt our efforts. Akutagawa's on the Moby Dick with him, "I've found you, weretiger." Atsushi responds with his voice strained and the poor audio quality breaking up the volume in my headphones, "Akutagawa!" We hear the two make contact, presumably already prepared to fight it out there and then. "Looks like you've improved your acrobatic skills, weretiger."

"Why are you here, Akutagawa?"

"To kill you." The sheer emotion that Akutagawa manages to cram into every one of his actions, uncaring of his situation, is admirable for all the wrong reasons. His passion will kill him, not Atsushi nor any other human. "Don't you understand the situation we're in right now? We may no longer have a place to live... I don't understand you one bit." Atsushi resigns from attempting to pry or change Akutagawa's mind. "I don't remember ever asking you for your understanding."

Osamu sighs, "Oh dear," under his breath, continuing, "Akutagawa still has a terrible habit of going solo. All right. Atsushi, we don't have time to deal with him. Let's move on." It would be easier if the pair were less emotive and all hands on deck for their passion. "But..."

"Don't worry. Just do as I'll say, and you'll make it." Atsushi sternly replies, "Understood."

The audio abruptly becomes distant from Atsushi – still audible but quieter. "Akutagawa, I'm speaking to Dazai on this intercom. He wants to talk to you." The audio completely cuts out, the last thing known being a desperate cry from Akutagawa. Even Atsushi isn't against using people's weaknesses against them, then.

I sit back, taking off the headphones for a moment after my ears begin to hurt from the pressure, "Well, that explains it. You can't comply with the conditions of an agreement if one of your members has decided to go haywire."

"It isn't much of a setback. Especially not when Atsushi and Akutagawa collaborate excellently against this group." I smile. Of course, it's all planned and accounted for. "What next, then?"

Osamu pulls along his mouse, typing a random set of letters and numbers. I place on my headphones again, and a bleep comes in through the feedback. A monotonous buzz fills the silence.

"Hey, Kyouka? Can you hear me? It's Dazai and [Y/N]. The Agency has negotiated with the Gifted Special Operations Division – We can bring you back down for now. I'm going to teach you how to pilot that drone."

There's a quiet pause filled with tired misery, "No more." She's exhausted with the idea of trying for her light. After all the events she's been through, I don't blame her. "...To tell you the truth, the Agency doesn't have a reason to rescue you. You aren't an official member, after all. The Agency has an entrance test, and you haven't passed it yet. The test is to see if you have the heart and strength to help even a stranger."

"I don't think I'd pass."

Osamu is quiet, contemplating how he would debate with her. For a man like him, I suppose it's hard. Osamu, too, has been in a hopeless position where the effort felt too much to handle. My eyes shifted to where he was pondering, the monitors giving a sickly green to his complexion that's been starved of good care his entire life. Motivating her will be like facing a mirror.

"...I don't like that." I see him going somewhere awful, his mind's toils arising from the simple clink of glass to the two simultaneous bullet shots in a hall. "A former killer isn't qualified to become a good person? Do you believe that?" I grip onto the fabric of Sakunosuke's pinstripe shirt. The sleeve, where I'd hold it had Sakunosuke never left our side to that taunting mantra.

Osamu digs his hand into his coat pocket, holding the bar Lupin matchbox given to him by Sakunosuke, "Kyouka. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You clearly have a talent for killing. You think that, therefore, you can't become a member of the Detective Agency – That's foolish. I'll prove to you in one second how devoid of reason that belief is."