You're my Dog in Life and Death

Frozen Loyalty

"Another one?" Dazai sighed, shutting his laptop in defeat. "I swear, they just keep pouring in..."

"What does this make; fifty of your people?" Chuuya asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Fifty two. A whole family just froze up and went comatose just like all of the others." Dazai said, rubbing his eyes. 

"It's definitely Nix. When will that slimy bastard show his face?" 

"Whoever they are, they're smart. They're operating from literal shadows; I can't trace them." Dazai sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I have a headache..."

"How long has it been since you slept?" Chuuya asked, leaning forward on Dazai's desk to get a good look at him. He looked half dead, and it was obvious that the only thing keeping him awake was the Beelzebub energy drinks stacked on his desk.

"I don't know... a couple days?" 

"Let's get you to bed, stinky mackerel," Chuuya said softly, taking his arm. Dazai didn't protest, and just followed Chuuya to his room and collapsed on the bed, fully dressed. 

"You really should take better care of yourself. Look at you; your stupid tired- you've been wearing the same clothes for days, and now your gonna sleep in them?" Chuuya asked, bending down to unbutton Dazai's shirt. 

"Thanks, Chibi..." Dazai said sleepily, stroking the other boys cheek with his hand. Chuuya almost let himself smile, but stopped just in time. 

"I'm only doing this because your my dumbass boss, and you can't fucking take care of yourself." Chuuya huffed. He reached to undo the bandages on his arms next, but Dazai stopped him with a firm hand. 

"What's the problem? I've seen your scars before-"

"They stay on." Dazai said firmly, and finished taking off his own shirt. Chuuya rolled his eyes and tossed his partner some clean clothes. He didn't understand Dazai's strange behavior, but he wouldn't press it. 

"Get some sleep, dumbass. You'll feel better tomorrow." 

Chuuya walked back up to Dazai's office and opened up his computer. It only took a couple tries to guess the password(slug/mackerel69); Dazai could be so predictable. It was open to a file filled with scattered article clippings and hastily typed notes. He scrolled to the bottom and started to read, even though he knew that it was unlikely he would discover anything that Dazai had overlooked. "The most recent victim was attacked in a locked room with no windows or other exits. The door was still locked from the inside upon inspection. The victim is unresponsive, and was found covered in a thin layer of ice. It's uncertain what the cause of this peculiar state is, but we can assure you that they are still breathing and therefore alive."

Chuuya moved on to the next article, reading: "Witnesses say that they heard "the ringing of bells" coming from the house a few hours prior to the discovery of the bodies. These two were also covered in ice like the previous victim, and completely unresponsive. We are left wondering: are these two cases connected? Is this a demon spell or some other phenomenon?"

"A fourth victim was discovered this morning; comatose and ice cold just like the rest. We have made no progress in discovering what is causing this or how to treat it, and every attempt to revive the patients have failed. These attacks are only happening in a localized area, and we are now trying to contact The Demon Prodigy (Osamu Dazai)." 

Chuuya kept reading, his eyes growing tired as he skimmed article after article, each one saying the same thing. The victim had been found encased in ice and apparently dead to the world. Sometimes, nearby witnesses reported the eerie ringing of bells late at night, but no one had actually seen anything. It was making Chuuya frustrated.