BELLADONNA

Book one; chapter eleven

"I- what are you doing here?" You asked her as she smiled up at you. "Where's Mori?"

"Rintaro is looking for me!" She answered cheekily. "I went missing!"

You smirked, nodding in understandment. "To make him sad. I get it."

Elise crossed her arms, pouting. "I haven't seen you in four years and you don't even hug me."

You rubbed your temple, sighing. "I know I shouldn't feel happy to see you but, for some reason, I do." You placed a hand on her back, pushing her towards you and put another hand on her head. "I missed you, darling."

"I missed you too Y/N-chan," her voice was muffled in your stomach but you still heard her. She squeezed your stomach, and you choked, patting her on the back repeatedly. However, she didn't let go. "Why'd you ever leave us? Were you so weak, you couldn't handle a simple bullet?"

"Elise-chan, darling"-

"Answer me Y/N-chan."

You were breathing heavily, gripping onto her shirt, not wanting to hit her. "El. Eli!"

She finally let go and you fell to your knees, hugging your stomach. The pain of her intentionally poking at your old wound stinging. You clenched your jaw and looked up at her, smiling. "Let's go shopping Eli-chan!"

"So, you promise Mori won't kill me when he finds out?" You asked Elise again, chewing your bottom lip.

"I promise," she answered cheerily. "2 million dollars isn't much anyways!"

You held your hand to your chest. "I'll pretend I'm okay with that," you muttered to yourself. She skipped alongside you, the two of you about to cross the road when five people appeared on the road out of nowhere. You put your hand out to stop her, and she immediately grabbed onto you.

As you inspected the crossroads more carefully, you noticed Kenji. You were about to call out to him when Elise pulled on your arm, keeping you with her. And then you noticed him. Mori. "Elise-chan!" He fawned. "Where were you? I'd looked all over and I couldn't find you! Oh, you had me so worried!"

"I thought Rintaro would worry if I suddenly disappeared." You made eye contact with Atsushi as he looked at Mori and Elise happily. Little did he know. Elise squeezed your arm again. You smiled at him, waving, when thankfully Kyouka distracted him with a hug.

Mori then turned his gaze to you, a terrifingly friendly smile on his face. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Y/N-chan?"

You couldn't bring yourself to answer, the words getting stuck in your throat. Elise pinched your arm, hard, and you slightly flinched as you nodded. "Yes, it has. I never thought I'd run into you so soon."

Mori tilted his head in the direction of Atsushi and Kyouka, and you and Elise- well, more Elise who pulled you- stood with him in front of the two young kids. "We'll be taking our leave now."

Atsushi looked up at you confused. "Ah, Y/N-chan? Do you know these two?"

You glanced at Kyouka before looked back at Atsushi. She knew the situation you were in. "Mori is an old friend.. We were college.. Buddies."

Atsusshi nodded, satisfied with your small explanation. "For your advice earlier," Atsushi turned to Mori. "Thank you. So, you're a doctor?"

"Ex-doctor. Right now, I'm just a middle aged man keeping a small group of people in line." You bit your lip as you caught the way Kyouka grabbed onto Atsushi's sleeves. "Boy.. A logical, optimal solution exists in any wartime situation, no matter how difficult the challenge. You must not forget that, especially in times of confusion, when you might feel inclined to recklessness."

Atsushi nodded slightly. "Okay."

Mori grabbed Elise's hands, prying her away from you. "See you then." As Mori glanced at you, it was brief, but it was threatening. You were inclined to go along.

"Ah, Atsushi, I'll be going with them as well.." You smiled at the boy. "Tell Dazai"- you stopped at the feel of a glare. "Tell everyone that I won't be coming back. Today. I should be at home by the time your shift ends, so just tell Dazai that." You waved, hurriedly. "Bye!"

Atsushi waved awkwardly as you quickly rushed to catch up at Elise and Mori. You followed them quietly until they turned a corner, into an alleyway. You gulped, rubbing at your shaking forearms.

Elise and Mori's light hearted chatter went through one ear and out. You were at their side, constantly, for 5 years, since you were eleven years old. And yet, here you were, almost 10 years later, not numbed to the fear.

Thankfully, you didn't yelp when you saw a dead body, blood poured out, arms twisted in ways you hoped yours would never be. Around the body, were members of the port mafia. Many you recognized, but you kept your head down. You didn't want to make eye contact. They all got down in sync.

Back when you were always by Mori's side, you never bowed. It was possibly because you were younger, a child, and he'd taken a liking to you. But you were unsure of what to do now. Despite your fear to do so, you looked up at him, to see a wide smirk, to hear a small chuckle.

He walked ahead, across the body. "So this is a guild assassin?"

"Yes, sir," Chuuya answered, head still bowed.

"The agency and the guild." Mori spoke, walking "It seems we are in a challenging wartime situation, ourselves." Mori turned around, pushing his hair back. "We need an optimal solution. The agency and the guild.. Those who oppose us will be crushed, and killed."

What had you gotten yourself into?