yokohama hyacinth; fem! oc x bsd [Bungou Stray Dogs]

A Dark And Stormy Night

It's raining hard when I get back to my apartment, and I'm worried that my groceries are soaked. Fumbling around in the dark for my keys, I finally unlock the door and race inside. I close it behind me, shutting the rain out. Breathing in the warmth of my apartment, I strip off my clothes and take a quick shower.

Bundling my hair up into a towel and changing into some dry clothes, I unpack the groceries and start making dinner. My cat, Achilles, nuzzles my leg as I stir fry some vegetables and meat. When the meal is ready to eat, I heap it onto a plate and set it down at my small but cozy dining room. Achilles leaps onto my lap when I sit down, and I scratch his head. I've just taken the first bite when a dozen gunshots ring through the air. For a second, the war and strife of my home country flashes through my head, and I start to shake. But then I remember where I am, remember that I am safe here in Yokohama, that there is no one tracking me down. But those gunshots...

It falls quiet, nothing but the sound of rain outside. And then another round of shots blares outwards. That's it. I stand up, causing Achilles to leap off of my lap. I grab my thick trench coat and a tweed cap, pulling it down low.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

More gunshots.

Reaching down to pet Achilles goodbye, I unlock the door and step out into the night.

***

Immediately, the rain slaps me in the face like a cold, wet hand. I shiver as I walk down the steps of my apartment, but I do not let it stop me. As I'm turning the corner to go investigate the gunshots, someone grabs me roughly by the arm. I almost grab their arm back and use their momentum to trip them over, but I stop myself. Even after years away from home, it seems I cannot shake my bad habits.

"Please, Heather, you mustn't go out! Not at this time!" It's my neighbor, Watanabe Kaito. He's got graying hair and droopy but warm eyes. Though in the pale lamplight, they look stark and sharp with worry.

"Don't worry, Watanabe-san. I will be fine," I reassure him, calmly releasing myself from his tight grip.

"No, you don't understand!" He's even more frantic now. "It's them! The Port Mafia! If you interfere with their business, they'll track you down and kill you! I've heard they have connections all over the underground of Yokohama!"

"Watanabe-san, I'll be fine. I know you are only trying to help, but I'm not as helpless as you think." A Port Mafia? Interesting.

Before he can respond, another round of gunshots goes up. He leaps so violently that he seems to jump to the skies. "You have a death wish, Heather," he says sadly before scurrying back to his own apartment. I observe as he quietly locks the door and then shuts off all the lights. Then, after making sure no one else will get in my way, I walk into the alley lining my apartment, heading to the space behind the apartment complex.

Pressing my back against the dirty brick wall so that I sink into the shadows, I dart down the alley. Every time a gunshot rings out, my heart gives a little jump, but I continue to press onwards. I reach the end of the alley, which opens up to a dusty, enclosed space. I crouch next to the dumpster, shifting my weight back and forth as I try to get a view of what is going on. In the pale, greenish lamplight, I see men in suits and dark glasses wielding machine guns. They are lined up in rows, their weapons pointed at someone. I crane my neck and my eyes widen.

Gruff, huffing breaths come from the bloodied man that lies against the wall. When he lifts his head and sneers, I have to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep myself from sucking in a sharp breath. It's my upstairs neighbor, Fujita Riku. The men raise their guns to fire another round, and my body surges forward on its own.

I stumble into the men's view, placing myself in front of Fujita Riku. "Stop!" I shout, spreading my arms apart. My heart starts to beat so loud that I'm surprised they can't hear it. What have you done, Heather? What have you done?

The men lower their guns in confusion, and then they part down the middle, creating a path. An old, silver-haired man steps into the light, his black shoes clacking against the concrete. He wears a glinting, golden monocle, and a cigarette hangs from his lips.

He stares at me for a long moment, and then he says, "Get out of here, girl. And forget what you saw." He turns away and starts to walk to the back of the line of men.

I'm tempted to do so, for just a second, but then I hear Fujita Riku groan in pain behind me, and I steel my trembling lips. "No. Leave him alone."

The man turns his head towards you, and something like sadness shines in his eyes. It disappears in a flash when he orders, "Fire."

My training kicks in, and I yank Fujita Riku onto the ground. Bullets rain down, but I keep close to the soaking concrete, running in a zigzag pattern. I punch my way through the gunmen and place my hand on the old man's back.

"Ability: The Odyssey," I murmur. Pale blue rings of words burst from where my hand is, and I feel the old man's might rushing into me. I shudder as I examine his ability. What a horrible power.

He whips around and places a hand on my shoulder. When nothing happens, a shocked expression crawls onto his face. "What did you do, girl?!" He demands, drawing a knife.

He never gets an answer, for I place a finger on the knife and it crumples into pieces. The gunmen have stopped firing and now have their attention on me. Good. I dart through the crowd, slapping my hand on their guns. Frightened grunts follow me as their weapons bend and crinkle into useless pieces of metal.

"Fire on her! Fire!" The old man's voice carries over the air, but I have spread too much chaos. The gunmen are in panic, unsure of what to do, and I revel in that panic. In the corner of my eye, I see that Fujita Riku has made his escape. I leap out of the crowd and circle around, grabbing onto the chainlink fence that blocks off a path to the main road. The old man yells for his troops to fire on me again, but I've destroyed all their guns.

My heart races with adrenaline and excitement as I hoist myself up and hop over the fence. The gunmen and their leader can't do a thing as I dash down the street and turn a corner. A grin spreads across my face as I escape into the night, and even though it starts to drizzle, I don't stop running. The cold air whips against my face, contrasting with the heat of my beating heart. For a moment, I only feel pure ecstasy from the adrenaline and the fight.

And then someone yanks me back by my wrist and into a dark alley. I can't even scream before their hand is around my mouth.

"Look what we have here." My captor backs away for a moment, and in the pale moonlight, I draw in a breath. It's a handsome man in a dark suit, perhaps about my age. Locks of hair fall from his head to the nape of his neck, and a good fourth of his face is bandaged. "A little bird that strayed too far away from home." His voice is sultry and deep, but also airy and light at the same time.

Then I hear the sound of guns being cocked, and I push him off me. In my desperation, I activate the old man's ability. No!

"Ability: No Longer Human!" Teal light flares up, and I pull my hand back. I stare up in shock; he's completely unharmed. He gives me a cat's smile and cocks his head to the side. "Say, you're quite interesting, aren't you?"

"Get away from me!" I can feel the tension in the air; any moment now, bullets are going to rain through this alley and I'm going to be a bloated corpse.

Surprisingly, he lets go of my wrist, and I slip out of his grasp, racing away from the alley. I almost trip in my haste, but I keep on running, all my adrenaline replaced with fear. From behind, the man calls out, "We'll meet again!"