Revelations {BSD/SKK}

17 : Forwards

Chapter Seventeen : Forwards

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I fully edited and posted chapter sixteen, without realising I had already posted chapter sixteen months ago. Yes, I am an idiot. Yes, I did add two thousand words to it, and a very important author's note at the end, so it is worth rereading imo.

Anyways, here's another 9k words as an apology (: see you guys in the end notes

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"Mori's keeping Dazai in his second highest-security compound" Ranpo pointed to the exact location on a map of Yokohama, and Chuuya was suddenly so, so glad Yosano had dragged him to the Armed Detective Agency in the first place, because their help was quickly proving to be absolutely invaluable.

Chuuya had very quickly learnt not to ask Ranpo how he knew the things that he did. Now he just went along with it and trusted the kid's deductions. Yosano had insisted that Ranpo knew what he was talking about, and that was enough for Chuuya to trust him.

Kunkida spoke up then, leaning over Chuuya to peer down at the large-scale full detail map Fukuzawa had provided them with "Kyouka was stationed in the complex, so we've got a full understanding of it's layout. Be aware that it's currently their main base of operations; Mori will be there, and so will several of his executives."

Chuuya frowned at that, nodding to himself, running through more vague outlines of plans in his head. They already had a plan, two plans, three - but his mind could hold so much more. Backups of backups of backups. He needed to be ready. He needed to be certain they'd succeed.

Back when he'd ran the Mafia side by side with Mori there had been no such thing as 'executives', but.. he supposed it was a smart move, to delegate to others. Mori had never been too bothered about micromanaging his people, knowing absolute fear would secure him all the control and loyalty necessary.

Through the ADA's intel, Chuuya had learnt that the man Dazai had lovingly referred to as "Hiroshi" was in fact one of these 'executives' of the mafia. Now that Chuuya thought back on it, the memories still blurred and warped with pain, Hirotsu Ryuro had also been present at the assault on his home, blowing chunks of root and vines away with ease.

Kouyou...

Chuuya took a deep breath to still the anger simmering in him, his chest twanging in response to the memories of pain - memories of ribs snapping and cutting into his lungs, of blood and bile and - ah. Yosano was staring at him.

He took another deep breath, calmer this time, steady in through his nose. The blond kid who'd introduced himself as Kenji clapped a too-friendly hand on Chuuya's shoulder, drawing his attention. Chuuya didn't flinch, but it was a close thing.

"It's okay, we'll get Dazai back for sure!"

He could only manage a weak smile and nod in response, but it was friendly enough. The kid's optimism was sickening, made his stomach turn, but Chuuya didn't snap. He wasn't about to lash out at a kid who was just trying to make him feel better. He was stronger than that, for sure.

Kunikida spoke up next, providing some more rational words of reassurance. "The Mafia are our sworn enemy. While it's true that we will not be entering the complex ourselves, we will regardless give our all in every move we make against them. That includes this one."

Chuuya nodded again, his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth. But he knew he needed to say something. It'd be rude if he didn't. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. It's not that I doubt you guys, I just know we only have one real shot at this, and it's... a lot of pressure."

It might already be too late. The words hung unspoken in his mind, a heavy and inescapable truth, but Chuuya didn't dare to voice them. Speaking them would make them a little more real, a little more possible. If he thought about the possibilities... he felt despair creeping up his insides like vines, infecting and burrowing into every part of him, squeezing his heart and lungs tight until he felt he couldn't breathe.