Withering moon lit rose

Chapter 16

It was now six in the afternoon, Ryuunosuke had found the individual who had an ability that appeared to match the symptoms of Atsushi. Vivid nightmares, a constant unconscious state. He'd gotten the address and everything, he was just waiting for his superiors to turn in for the night. He didn't want them following or intervening. That was until Dazai knocked on his door.

"It's Dazai, Akutagawa, may I come in?" Akutagawa grunted in acknowledgment, the bandaged male made his way inside. Not being too close to Atsushi. "Is there something wrong Dazai?" Akutagawa asked with a slight bit of concern as he closed the lid of the laptop.

"No, nothings wrong. I just thought I'd check in on Atsushi. How is he?" Akutagawa shrugged his shoulders, "No change. He seems to panic every now and again but me messing with his hair seems to calm him down. Do you have any idea why that is?" Dazai shook his head in response, "It's a mystery to me, however I usually give him a pat on the head after a good job in the agency, his face always lights up if that's of any correlation." Akutagawa nodded in acknowledgment to this new information.

"So you've done exactly as I did." Dazai muttered to himself, Akutagawa only heard partial words.

"Sorry?" This gave a small laugh from Dazai, "Oh nothing, you just remind me of myself when I was seventeen." Akutagawa raised a non-existent eyebrow. "How so?"

"The care you show him, despite your claims of wanting him dead you haven't once been spiteful or cruel to him. Treating him as a prince." Ryuunosuke felt his cheeks turning a pale pink slightly.

"The constant bickering, the awful nicknames. It's been forced this entire time, hasn't it?" Dazai raised an eyebrow to the boy, as he leant against the door frame. "That's not- It wasn't- He was-" Ryuunosuke groaned in annoyance, he couldn't lie to his ex-mentor, he was never able to in the past and he still couldn't now.

"How long then?" Dazai pondered aloud not expecting an answer. "The first day he entered Yokohama..." Ryuunosuke muttered while he covered his face with his hands trying to hide any embarrassment he had.

"He was severely starved, I don't know why I helped him. Maybe because he reminded me of myself in the past, but I brought him to the riverbank. Hoping someone who passed by would help him instead of me, if no-one turned up within a couple hours I would have opted to take him to the mafia. I just... I didn't think it would be an ideal place for someone like him, he looked so wounded already. But just as I was going to grab him, he woke up. Started muttering nonsense, he made his way down the riverbank. Starting muttering things about stealing from the next person he crossed. Then you showed up, you showed him something I could never hope to attain." Dazai tilted his head in confusion as Akutagawa got off the bed and headed to grab his coat which was nearby. "And what would that be?"

"Hope."

Akutagawa had left about an hour ago, Chuuya had chased after him not long after. That left Dazai alone with Atsushi, what did the pair think he could do if someone came knocking looking for a fight? Dazai wasn't even supposed to touch Atsushi, besides almost patting him on the head on multiple occasions. He hated seeing Atsushi in that state and it reminded him of that fateful day.

Dazai's mind started to wander, fearing slightly that if someone came he would have to grab him and run, maybe some gloves would stop his ability? Dazai shook his head at the idea. Chuuya had punched him before while using his ability and it had worked through the gloves.

"Knock! Knock!"

That was the front door, maybe Akutagawa had come back. He didn't exactly have a key to get in so it made sense. Dazai made his way to the front door, he was just about to unlock it until he thought to check through the eyepiece of the door just to be safe. He was greeted by a hooded figure. The figure seemed to be watching Dazai's shadow behind the door, Dazai froze, he didn't have any pre planned next moves. No backup. No allies at his side. With no other option he sprinted down the hall to the bedroom, by the time he'd slammed the door shut he heard the front door be blown off its hinges.

Chuuya would not be happy when he found out later.

Dazai quickly tapped Atsushi on his forehead, he quickly came too, breathing heavily. He looked incredibly disturbed. Dazai tightened his hand around Atsushi's wrist and dragged him over to the window slamming it open. The fire escape. He threw Atsushi out the window as he dragged himself through afterwards.

He began to race down the steps dragging Atsushi along behind him, while also gripping his phone tightly and dialling a group call between himself and two others. Kunikida and Chuuya. They both picked up almost instantly.

"Dazai! Why haven't you been in contact since yesterday!" It was Kunikida and his usual rant to him.

"Is this your co-worker Osamu?" Chuuya questioned, everyone was silent for a minute.

"Look you guys can discuss things later, right now me and Atsushi are being chased by someone. I had to use my ability on him so he's fully conscious but I haven't had time to explain anything." They were about halfway down the fire escape when a loud crash was heard above them, the hooded figure had found their location.

"Where are you right now, I'll come and back you both up." Kunikida requested, Dazai could hear him slamming the agency door open and running down the hall as he spoke.

"We'll head towards the shopping district, it's not too far from here, be ready to leave immediately." As soon as he finished his words the individual jumped directly in front of the pair. Dazai wasn't sure if Atsushi's ability had kicked in yet or not but he pulled them over the railing and they landed in a dumpster.

"Chuuya, have you located Akutagawa?" He queried, if he hadn't he was sure these people had him.

"Yes, he's standing beside me right now. We'll meet you at the agency. You better be okay." Dazai didn't have time to say anything further to the others as he received a bullet to his leg. He grunted in pain but refused to scream.

"Atsushi, take this and keep running to the shopping district. Kunikida will be there, I imagine Chuuya and Akutagawa will be at the agency soon. Whatever you do. Don't stop!" Dazai shoved the phone into Atsushi's hand, a deadly glare upon his face. Even though Atsushi wanted to stay and find out more of what the actual hell was going on he knew he had to run.

"Good. Good..." Dazai moved to lean himself against the wall to reduce the pain in his leg, he was not a fan of pain.

"Oh you're here. He's long gone now, you'll never catch him. Shirase."