An (Un)Tragic Lovestory

Chapter 6

Warning: Talks of child abuse, and Mori being his creepy, pervy self. If that triggers you don't read it, and just skip Fukazawa's part at the end. 

Chapter 6

Atsushi doesn't know what to do. He's never been put into a situation like this. It's not every day that you get kidnapped by an evil organization bound and determined to exploit you for your superhuman ability. But he knew he had to do something, or they'd probably kill him, whoever they were. And he likes where his life is now, thank you very much. He knows that he has a hefty bounty on his head for his ability. And after weeks of trying to find out who was behind it all, it was driving everyone at the Agency nuts, including him, that they couldn't figure out who was behind all of it. Ironically enough, the person most annoyed by this wasn't Atsushi himself but his new mentor Dazai.

Granted, Atsushi admits that he probably should be a lot more concerned about his life than he currently is, but he thinks he's still in shock about having the ability to care about any of it. Dazai, on the other hand, seems to be bothered about all of it. He feels flattered because Dazai is so upset by this on his behalf. Atsushi had never had anyone who cared about whether or not he was hurt. Dazai was the first person in his life that showed genuine(Or as real as Dazai could be) concern for his well-being and cared when he was happy about something. The day the two of them first met, Atsushi thought that he had saved Dazai's life from ending in that river, but now he realizes that Dazai saved him too. If not for Dazai, Atsushi would have starved to death on the streets or befallen a much worse fate, especially if the tiger had gotten out of control.

He owes both his freedom and his life to Dazai. And the least that Atsushi thinks he can do is not squander the chance he was given by not fighting for his life now. He's not exactly sure who these people are that have him, but he knows that he has to get out of there. If not for himself, for the new friends he made at the Armed Detective Agency, then for the people of Yokohama, who needed to be warned about whatever was happening. For Dazai and for Kyouka, who deserves a chance just like him, and that's something she won't get if he doesn't get out of here now.

The weretiger knows he doesn't have the best track record of being courageous and brave enough to do things like that on his own. That's typically Dazai or Kunikida's department. The two of them are always bolder and more courageous than he and are both willing and unphased to dash into danger to help save someone who needs help. Atsushi still struggles with not running away as soon as he can when trouble comes and completely freezes when he's tasked to try and do something that could end his life. He knows that he needs to grow up and grow a spine if he really wants to be a good detective. There are people out there, innocent people who do not deserve to be hurt, that are relying on him and the other members of the Agency to do their jobs and do them well. And Atsushi knows that having a cowardly tiger afraid of his shadow isn't the best addition to that team. But he wants to change and be a better person for everyone in the city if he can help.

But the thing is that he still feels like there's just so much wrong with him that he can't meet these expectations. And it's plagued his mind for months since he joined the Detective Agency after leaving the orphanage. Everyone there was just so, so good and had so many good, valuable qualities to offer both the Agency and society in general. What does Atsushi have to offer anyone? He's a poor orphan with no education, life skills, or social skills, with an ability he can't control. And he just knows that he needs to be able to do something and try to save himself and the innocent lives later on. He just hopes that he can live up to everyone's expectations of him and that he doesn't screw this up too badly.

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Dazai would be dead on site as soon as the bandage-wasting machine decided to show his fast again at the Agency if Doppo had anything to say about it. His blood was boiling, and he was beginning to think that he was, in fact, going to die of a stroke at a young age, like Yosano always joked that he would. Members of the Agency have been vanishing left and right, and they have a child assassin that they are hiding from the law, and Dazai picks now to go and mysteriously disappear?! It doesn't take a genius to figure out how this messes up all of Kunikida's hard work and strict schedule that he planned for today, and he doesn't even have his resident vice to take his anger out on.