you can take my Soul, but never my Heart (omegaverse)

Chapter 22: six year safe house

The iron fire escape clatters and sways unsteadily under their combined weight, even after Atsushi decides to test the theory of cats landing on their feet and jumps the rest of the way. Kunikida's car is already waiting, the alpha helping Atsushi shove the suitcases in the trunk before grabbing the bags from Dazai.

(The pain in Dazai's abdomen is nearly debilitating at the sudden movement and the strain of the bags; he's operating on adrenaline alone.)

It's a blur of action as his things are shut tight in the trunk and he's manhandled to the back seat, squashed between Yosano and Atsushi. He doesn't even think to buckle before Kunikida is punching the gas and the car is burning rubber to peel out of the alleyway and onto the street properly. Tanizaki is sitting in the passenger seat with a map folded on his lap, glancing over to offer Dazai a tired smile.

"You okay?"

Dazai barely manages a nod.

There are a million questions that he needs answers to, but he can deduce the solution to most of them as they speed away from the agency building and Tanizaki faces forward in time to tell Kunikida to take a right turn at the next traffic light.

One, though, he blurts out.

"Where's Koko?"

"Safe," Yosano answers as she shoves the seatbelt into his hand so he'll buckle up.

He holds it, not moving.

Atsushi understands that it's not a good enough answer, offering a tense smile that he's trying to force. "She's in Anne's room with Lucy and everyone else from the agency."

He blinks. He hadn't expected that, but it's a harsh relief. No one can reach Anne's room unless Lucy invites them in. She had been the one to protect Fukuzawa at times during the entire cannibalistic infection from the day before. She may have been a Guild operative, following orders and nearly taking out four members of the Armed Detective Agency, but Dazai knows they can trust her. Especially if the rest of the Agency is there too.

Kunikida speaks up as he makes the right turn. He takes it so fast that Dazai ends up half on top of Yosano, but at least he used his blinker. "Everyone has been evacuated. I alerted the neighboring buildings, as well. With any luck, they're gone."

Dazai finally manages to buckle in as Yosano shoves him back upright, turning to try to see the agency building from here. He can't see it now, nor any sign of a fight or an explosion either, which is a good thing. He wants to go back, to be there to help, but he knows that whatever happens between those two, not even he can diffuse safely. He just hopes it doesn't devolve into something between Arahabaki and Guivre.

He shakes the thought from his head as he peeks at the map on Tanizaki's lap, but he hasn't written down their destination. A smart move, and one he expects; Tanizaki is excellent at memorization. It's another thing that makes him so good for stealth and intel. "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere I want to be," Kunikida mutters.

"Chuuya said it's a safe house." Yosano gives a thin smile, gauging Dazai's reaction as she adds, "it's in Port Mafia territory."

He shakes his head at the doubt in her eyes. "Chuuya isn't with the Port Mafia anymore. If there's one thing Mori has a zero tolerance policy for, it's infighting between executives; especially those two. There's a reason he kept them so far apart." But Verlaine had permission, if not orders, from Mori to bring back Dazai, alive or dead. Chuuya is fighting him over it. He may as well be fighting Mori himself right now.

Atsushi's hands curl into fists on his thighs. "Will Chuuya be able to win?"

"Yes."

He says it with absolute belief in the single syllable. They've fought before, after all, and Chuuya has only gotten stronger since. He doesn't need Dazai there to help him. He's strong, but he's also an alpha in protection mode.