Choices & Chains

Kate

 They hopped off the boat and allowed themselves to finally take in the sight of the sinking Moby Deck. Atsushi fell to his knees, mumbling something to himself.

" Kyouka... that little fool. If she didn't embrace the hope of living in the light, she wouldn't have had to die in vain." Akutagawa wore a frown on his face, somewhat soft. One that Kath knew too well. One that marked the loss of a friend, either due to the cold nights, wild dogs of the slums, or the guns of older and stronger groups.

It didn't take her long to link the dots. " It can't be... that jet was..." Now Atsushi's state made sense to her.

" This is how it ought to have been." They all looked back just to find Dazai and Fukuzawa standing behind them.

The sudden shift in Akutagawa's demure didn't go unnoticed by Kath. She could have bet anything it had to do with Dazai's presence there.

" Kyouka-chan overcame herself and saved the city. With the high-mindedness expected of the Agency."

" But there was no reason she had to die!" Atsushi argued back, taking the words right out of Kath's mouth. If it wasn't for her injured right hand and the president's presence, she would have shot Dazai right then right there.

" True, this is a merciless conclusion. But there was a reason that it had to be this way."

" My ability, All Men Are Created Equal, has an effect only on my subordinates... That's, on members of the Agency."

" The president's ability..." Now Kath was interested. She didn't know Fukuzawa had any ability for the years she had worked under him.

" The ability allows for control over the output of the ability of another..."

Something clicked at the back of her mind. Kath was able to hone her skill even more and improve it only when she had joined the Agency. True for Dazai's words, her control over her ability seemed to get easier since she had gone through the entrance exam.

Wait... Entrance Exam... All Men Are Created Equal... Kyouka-chan who couldn't control her own ability... Kath's eyes widened when a gust of air picked up and Kyouka was dropped before them by a spectral woman in a white kimono.

" I used Demon Snow's katana to cut the chain and escape." Kyouka offered a soft smile. " I'm back."

Atsushi bolted ahead, locking the girl in a tight hug. Kath thought he might be strangling her.

 Katherine then heaved a sigh of relief, slowly dabbing at the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. " This is quite the happy ending."

" Dazai-san!"

Aaaah. So much for a happy ending. She thought as Akutagawa faced the older man, ready to activate Rashomon any moment now.

" There's no one left to get in my way. Please see my strength now."

" I don't know. You're at your limit now, aren't you?" Dazai walked up to him. " You just defeated the Guild's leader, after all."

Kath blinked at that. Hold up! What am I missing here? What just happened up there that I don't know of?!

" That's irrelevant. I am-"

Dazai placed a hand on Akutagawa's shoulder as he offered a smile. " You've become strong."

Everything went still for a moment... two... and then Akutagawa keeled over and fell to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

" He collapsed, perhaps a concussion," Kath said as she crouched by his side and poked his jaw. " Don't even know if he heard your last words."

" Oh my, whoops."

" Come on Ryuu," she continued to pinch his jaw. " Rule number one, no fainting in the open like that, remember?"

No response.

" Hanazawa-san! Don't do that! It's dangerous! What if he uses Rashomon and-" Atsushi tried to warn her.

" Nah, he won't. We used to wake each other up like this back in the day." Make sure we were still alive and warm.

" Used to...?"

" Anyway..." She pulled the taller man to his feet, leaning his weight on her back while placing his left arm over her shoulders. " Since it seems he will be out for a while, I'm getting him back to his caretaker." And she began shuffling away, ignoring the questioning looks from the rest.

" His caretaker?"

✦ -─────────- ✦

" I can't believe you just went and fainted just as Dazai was complimenting you..."

" He did?!" She caught a hint of happiness in his tone. No one would have picked on it, but for Akutagawa, it would be the same as jumping around joyfully.

" He said you've become strong." She smiled as she readjusted his arm on her shoulder.

" Dazai-san had..." It seemed as if he was in a daze, like a little kid mesmerized by a brand-new toy. Maybe he was still under the effect of the concussion. It would explain why he still didn't push her away yet like he always did whenever they ended up face to face.

Akutagawa came to completely not too long after she had left Dazai and the others. Well, you can give it to him for his strong head. Kath shook her head with a weak sigh. " Anyway, Higuchi is not too far from here, I'll get you over to her and..."

" There is no need."

The weight was lifted from her shoulders as Akutagawa managed to balance himself on his feet before letting a dry cough into his hand.

" You shouldn't push yourself... is what I want to say but you would never listen anyway. At least, stay away from fighting for a while. Give your wounds time to heal. What use is breaking your body time and time again? It's like you're in a hurry or something."

" I-" He coughed again. " No, forget it." He turned around so their eyes were peering into each other. His, cold and merciless, and hers, warm and caring. " Thanks..."

" Huh?"

" I'm not repeating myself." He turned around, facing an alley between two storehouses. " Until we meet again then... Kate..." And he was gone.

Something in her chest fluttered for a moment then crunched as she watched over his departing form.

Was it too much to keep leaning on her for a few moments?

It was then that her mind processed something...

" Now that I think about it... it's been a while since he called me that." Kath looked at where he had disappeared into the shadows...