But in the End

Secret Ally

"You sure are something else..." Atsushi mumbled, staring after Mushitaro.

"Yeah, but don't let your guard down, Atsushi." I spoke up, closing my eyes.

I heard Atsushi let out a hum of confusion. "Why's that?"

I opened my eyes back up, crossing my arms. "Even though that trick worked back there, my father is very intelligent... he'll figure it out quickly and guess our next move."

Atsushi nodded before the two of us followed Mushitaro to where Kyouka stood. "This sewer line will take us to a parking lot far away from where the guards are stationed."

"I'll handle it." Atsushi offered, rushing over, activating his ability to change an arm into a tiger's, grabbing onto the lid to the sewer.

I came up beside Kyouka as he lifted the lid, staring down in disgust. "Why can't it ever be an underground passage and not a sewer..."

Atsushi suddenly collapsed, causing us to raise our guard before hearing metal clanking toward us. Seeing it was a grenade, Kyouka was quick to slice it in half, only for it to be a fake.

"What the hell?!" I gasped out, noticing Kyouka being hit with a dart. A tranquilizer... I quickly glanced behind us, gritting my teeth.

"Unacceptable." I widened my eyes as I saw my father standing a couple feet away. "I can't have you thinking you can deceive me that easily."

"Impossible! How did you find us?!" Mushitaro gasped out in surprise.

"Ango... please listen." Atsushi tried to speak up, struggling to move due to the dart. "The Armed Detective Agency is innocent. The real enemy is the Decay of Angels. I need you to understand! Believe me!"

I glanced at my father as he got closer, seeing the scowl on his face and let out a sigh. "It's no use, Atsushi... he won't listen to reason."

"There, there. I understand." My father spoke up, coming to a stop and dropping his gun. "I have Special Abilities, too. My Special Ability, allows me to extract memories residing in objects. I used this bundle of stacked bills to determine your escape route. My ability helps me learn about the crime scene. Therefore I can be certain the Detective Agency is guilty and a member stabbed Chief Taneda!"

I widened my eyes at the revelation. I never knew... I stared at my father before me, who may as well be a stranger. Just what else has he been hiding all these years?

"Ranpo said, the Government has a gifted... who has the ability to read the memories of an object. He also said, if we're captured, we're bound to be executed." Kyouka explained what Ranpo had told her.

"If you can read the memories of objects, and saw what transpired that day... then you know I was there as well." I spoke up, staring my father down. "Do you honestly think I or the Agency would do something like that?"

I watched as my father pushed his glasses up. "To be frank, I believe in evidence and facts. And the fact of the matter is, the evidence points to and in the Agency are guilty, including you."

I widened my eyes as he picked his gun back up, walking towards Atsushi, pointing it at his head. "You'd really beg a secret government organization to believe you? The Agency's jokes has never struck me as funny." My father told Atsushi.

It was then I watched as he pulled the trigger, missing Atsushi on purpose before knocking the three into the gutter below. "What..." I trailed off, confused as to why did that.

"Hurry." My father said, causing me to snap out of it. "Go down there and get out of here." He then held a finger up to his lips, signaling to not say anything. "My car is two blocks from here to the east. I'll meet you guys there."

Not wasting a second as I heard footsteps coming near. I nodded and jumped down, joining the others. "Quickly, let's move."

"What's going on?" Atsushi whispered as I Mushitaro and I helped him and Kyouka stand.

I began to walk, holding on to Kyouka's arm around my shoulder as my other arm secured around her waist. "Not sure, but we'll get our answers soon." I replied as I led them through the sewers.

...

"So you believe me that the Detective Agency is innocent?" Atsushi asked my father as he drove us to who knows where. "Because you really seem to hide it well."

"Let me put it this way. You saw Dazai's message, back when you were inside Francis' office." My father spoke up, causing me to raise an eyebrow, wondering how he knew about that. "I was actually the one who sent that message."

"Huh?" Atsushi and I gasped at the same time. "So then..."

"Osamu Dazai and I had been cooperating since the very beginning." He replied as if it weren't surprising. "I'm Dazai's messenger while he's in a European Detention Center."

The hell? Seriously?! I then thought back to the day my father called asking about Dazai's whereabouts when he went missing. So, he knew then. But why even call if he already knew where Dazai was?

"But if he's locked up, how's Dazai communicating with the outside?" Atsushi asked.

"All of the prisoners at the Merco Detention Center are implanted with a vital signs monitor in order to prevent escape." He began to explain. "We have a system. Dazai has the ability to encode his messages within his heart rate. Which I then use my government access to retrieve and decode."

I widened my eyes at this, shocked that it's even possible. "Damn... he continues to surprise me." Then again, it is Dazai. Man's too clever sometimes.

"You're saying he can control how fast his heart rate beats?" Astushi gasped out in shock.

"It's the type of party trick Dazai's so good at. No one would suspect a thing." My father smirked.

"I don't believe you." Mushitaro exclaimed from beside me. "You're an enemy. What was the point of your little charade back at the bank, anyway?"

"Because he's being watched." I answered, glancing over to my father. "Am I right?"

"There's no telling where Fyodor has his eyes watching. With my ability to read the memories of objects, I can pursue any escapee that leaves something behind. If I lost you, the enemy will be suspicious."

"The enemy?" Myshitaro asked in disbelief. "The cunning Seventh Agency is afraid of an unseen enemy." My father spoke up, glancing over to Mushitaro.

"That's the thing, Mushitaro. I'm guessing you've been told I'm a part of the Seventh Agency or perhaps that I'm their leader."

"And what if I have?" Mushitaro pushed.

"It's simple. I have absolutely nothing to do with the Seventh Agency at all." He revealed. I let out a small sigh. So it all was a ruse by whoever told Mushitaro.

"You don't?" Mushitaro was the next to gasp in shock.

"Fyodor lied. In order to keep you away from me. That's how afraid he is of you and I talking. Let's continue this conversation elsewhere." My father said. "I know a place we can go. We'll be safe there."

———
Published: 08/09/2024