human ~ dazai osamu

13 : the temple of the golden pavilion

A/N:  long chapter warning!

~

The sun crept downwards as the two executives stared at the laboratory in front of them. What was left of the day's sky had turned a pleasant pink, it's hues reflected off of the building's white exterior and filled the light a tinted rose.

The smaller of the duo had his hands in his pockets, clicking his tongue at the immensity of the laboratory. The building was exceptionally well hidden. It had taken them a while to find it as it was buried within the depths of forest, until finally they found the clearing to the organisation's headquarters. It was a modern looking building, one that you would turn a blind eye towards in the city for its mundaneness. Though in the space of rural earth; it's octagonal superstructure, each face containing over sixty windows; and the blazing fluorescent lights inside, the building seemed almost alien.

"Golden Pavilion Laboratories." Dazai mutters whilst looking at the large illuminated crimson letters 'GPL'. He smiles for a moment.

"Oi, how are we going to do this, look at them." Chuuya grumbles and points to the windows in front of them. Many people in white lab coats could be seen scurrying around in the building, Dazai thought they almost looked like mice. "It doesn't seem like they're armed at all, we can't just attack them."

"Hm? I didn't think you were such a softy, Chuuya." Dazai smirks, earning the redhead to scoff and turn away from him.

"I'm just saying that they don't seem like a threatening organisation, maybe they really are just chemists and are working on drugs or something."

"No, they're definitely a threat, if they were just honest pharmacists then there would be no need to station a laboratory away from the heart of the city - especially when they already have one in central Yokohama." The brunette replies, he then starts walking out from the cover of greenery, turning towards his partner.

"Come on, we're going through the back. Be ready for anything, this place is making me uneasy."

"Yeah right, you're only saying that to put me on edge too, you bastard." Chuuya grumbles and scuffs some dirt towards the taller man with his shoe.

~

The duo had made it inside suspiciously easily. Usually when on a mission, a person is either dead or unconscious within the space of 5 minutes once they have broken into a building - but the executives have yet to have seen another living being since entering the facility. It didn't sit right with Dazai and his senses heightened slightly in adrenaline as he and Chuuya walked deeper into the laboratory.

"Where is everyone?" The amber-haired man murmurs. The brunette ignores him and only carries on staring ahead with a mildly apprehensive scowl.

It isn't until the two executives reach an opening do they finally see other people.

They both freeze in revelation as their eyes rest upon countless men, women and children locked in dark, dirty cells.

Some notice the men and start sobbing in relief, tears stream down their faces as they ask the mafioso's to set them free. One woman even pushes a young child to get a better look at Dazai and Chuuya, she gapes as if she can't believe they're real. Her face was sunken and her eyes dull, Dazai could have mistaken her for a corpse if he looked only slightly.