Falling

Bonus 1 - Rencounter in the Forest of Death; Part 2 - Lament for the two

"You... are not dying... on me... hatrack..."

Glass did a great job, making him lose a lot of blood. A blood he so desperately needed right now. It would give him more strength. It would make him walk faster. He would be able to do something to get them out.

The moment Dazai had woken up, everything smelled like a mixture of ashes, arson and blood. A block had been covering his lower half, pressing his ribs. Dazai had had a hard time with lifting it and wiggling from underneath it. It had taken quarter an hour, but he'd done it.

On the other hand... Chuuya had been almost buried whole, only his head and left arm were visible. Dazai had removed all the debris from him with the scarce.

Chuuya was luckily alive, but he was breathing faintly, almost not at all. Dazai had checked his pulse and tried to wake him up, but it didn't work.

Without wasting any more time, he had gotten Chuuya on his back and was currently trying to find another exit out of the mansion. The way to the stairs was blocked, which was maybe their only hope.

Only by the breaths he would hear from time to time, Dazai was sure Chuuya was alive. But how long is he going to be? It depended on whether or not Dazai will find their way out safely. Death could come in a minute, two, five, ten, twenty, sixty or not at all. But Dazai didn't want to bargain with time nor with Death. Not this time.

How did this happen? Dazai thought.

Truly, how could something like that happen to them? They were Double Black, the most vicious duo in the history of the Port Mafia and whole Yokohama. Duo darker than night who can eliminate every enemy in their way by Dazai's ingenious strategies and Chuuya's incredible strength. So how could they allow themselves to be fooled?

Bombs planted in the wall... How creative and deathly. Even I wouldn't conjecture such a thing. So... they actually wanted to kill us, huh?

Of course...

That's why they attracted attention by attacking our squads. They knew Mori-san was going to send us. They knew we'd search around. Cameras... they were just a distraction. They wanted to convince us that they are hiding. If they really had left, they wouldn't have had a special security such as those.

Slight and faint hope was that there were doors that could lead them out. Doors were supposed to be on the opposite side of the windows like in the now cluttered halls far behind them. Doors were supposed to exist in every part of this mansion, Dazai knew it from the layout he'd drawn in the van. But in the part they were in, there were none.

Doors were there when him and Chuuya had searched, but later had disappeared. And it wasn't an ability. Dazai wouldn't be surprised if this was another part of their enemies' plan.

Barricade all the exits and ventages and your enemies will be running around like rats in the cage.

He started shaking out of exhaustion at this point. Blood leaked through his shirt, his legs trembled ever so slightly. He almost stumbled forward, but somehow Chuuya's weight on his back hindered his fall.

Just a little more, he pursued.

Swallowing his nonexistent saliva, he continued scuffing.