Life of a Stray Fox

Chapter 2

After Dazai and I had reunited, we made our way to a restaurant with Mr. Angry Glasses. Atsushi sat and shoveled food into his mouth, with me beside him. So far he had eaten 6 bowls of chazuke and I wasn't even finished with my first helping of food. So far, Dazai and Kunikida had spent all this time arguing. Granted it was mostly Kunikida just yelling at Dazai about how stupid he was. Dazai made some comment about Kunikida's notebook, causing him to blow up at the dark haired male.
I grumbled and put my hands over my ears, Jesus, does he ever shut up?
Atsushi interrupted their bickering and said something with his mouth full of food. Kunikida glanced up at my brother, "Shut up. There's no 'treating a couple of brats to chazuke with my own money' on the page of my planned expenses either."
I quirked a brow and looked at Kunikida with a glare, "A couple of what?!"
Dazai kicked Kunikida under the table and then smiled mischievously at me, "You do understand that last I saw her, she could, and would knock you flat on your ass Kunikida."
Atsushi glanced at me and then back at Kunikida, "Nngumunu?"
I flicked my brothers forehead, "Stop talking with your mouth full, stupid."
Kunikida slammed his fist onto the table, "LIKE I SAID, IT'S WORK!! DAZAI AND I ARE TRYING TO DRIVE OUT A WILD BEAST UNDER THE REQUEST OF THE MILITARY POLICE!"
I was in the middle of taking a drink of water when he said that, causing me to choke. Oh shit... if they find out that... No! I can't let them. Well... maybe Dazai. But Angry Glasses? Hell no.
I coughed, trying to clear my air way of the water I had just inhaled and Atsushi began patting me on the back to try and help.
A good bit of time had gone by, Dazai and myself occasionally chatting about the past, and me more or less... lying to Atsushi. He didn't know about my ability, or even his own. I don't even think he knows what ability users are, or that they even exist.
I glanced over at Atsushi, he had eaten 10 bowls of chazuke and didn't even seemed phased. I stuck my tongue out and blanched, "How were you even able to eat that much??"
My brother shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "Ahh... I'm full! I can go without chazuke for the next decade!" He leaned forward again, "Well, you really have been a big help! My sister and I haven't been able to find food or shelter ever since we made our way from the orphanage to Yokohama... I honestly thought we were going to die for sure."
Dazai looked up at us, "So you were released from a social welfare facility?"
I glanced up at Dazai, "Realeased? That's a funny way of putting it."
My brother nodded, "Kicked out would be a better choice of words. Suffering from deficits, in need of downsizing... something like that."
I rubbed my temples and propped my head up with my hand, "The guy that ran the orphanage wasn't exactly great as it is."
Dazai raised an eyebrow, "What a heartless orphanage."
Kunikida's brow twitched slightly, "Hey, Dazai. We're not philanthropists taking pity on unfortunate little brats. Hurry up and get back to work."
My eye twitched and I glared at the glasses wearing jerk, "Do you ever shut up?"
Atsushi nudged me and then looked at Kunikida, "What... exactly is your work?"
I perked up slightly, also wondering what my former colleague was up to now a days.
Dazai closed his eyes and smiled just the slightest bit, "Nothing much..." he opened them and looked at us. "We're detectives."
I hummed and began to lightly drum my fingers on the table, Detective Dazai, huh? Pfft He never struck me as the detecting type. Maybe a mafia leader, but not a detective.
Kunikida scoffed, "By detectives, we don't mean those who do petty things like looking for lost cats and investigating adulterers. We specialize in violent cases. Murders and the like."
I smirked slightly and closed my eyes, Murders? I've committed a few of those... Then again...
I cracked an eye open and glanced at the brown haired male across from me, So has Dazai. We both have things from our past that we can't erase... but I guess... you don't have to erase them, as long as you make up for it. Actually... now that I think about it... there is an organization out there that's like the polar opposite of the mafia. Mori never shut up about some guy named Fukuzawa? I think. It's been so long since I've had to worry about that stuff.
Kunikida cleared his throat, bringing me from my thoughts.
"Have either of you heard of the Armed Detective Agency?"
I blinked slowly and looked down at my hands, The ADA, huh? Now I think I know why Dazai is involved. Oda said something to him... but I don't remember what it was.
I started to think about the stories I had heard of the ADA, I'm pretty sure it's a group that specializes in cases the regular MPs can't handle. Cases like special ability users gone rogue... Or...
I glanced briefly at Atsushi, A wild animal roaming Yokohama's streets.
My brother was staring at Dazai, so my gaze shifted to the dark haired male. He was staring at a beam above his head in awe, causing me to roll my eyes.
"That beam looks really sturdy... if I had to make a guess... it looks sturdy enough to support a person's weight."
I groaned, "Not again..."
"Don't think about hanging yourself every time you're in a tea shop!" Kunikida obviously had dealt with Dazai enough to know how crazy and suicidal the man was.
Dazai waved his hand at Kunikida, a devious look entering his eye, "I'm not! Haven't you heard of the hanging health regimen?"
I raised my eyebrows, There's no way Kunikida is stupid enough to believe...
"What? It's good for your health?" Kunikida stared with intrigue.
I facepalmed, Nevermind. He is that stupid. Maybe Glasses is too stupid to figure out that Atsushi is connected to the tiger. Just as long as my dopey brother keeps his mouth shu-
Atsushi looked at them nervously,
"T-then... you two detectives are here today to..."
You moron....
Kunikida adjusted his glasses, "Hunt a tiger."
I sighed, Great. Fantastic. Way to go Atsushi.
My brother froze, "...Hunt a tiger?"
Dazai folded his hands and placed them under his chin, "Recently a 'man-eating tiger' has been causing trouble in town. Destroying warehouses, eating crops... basically doing whatever it wants."
My eye twitched and I had to quickly calm myself, There's not much I can FUCKING DO WHEN HE JUST RUNS THE HELL OFF AFTER TRANSFORMING!! It's like the worst fucking game of tag I've ever played! I try to keep his stupid furry ass occupied so he DOESN'T go destroy shit... BUT HE STILL TAKES OFF AND GOES TO DESTROY SHIT.
Dazai glanced at my strained calm expression before continuing, "Apparently, it has been seen prowling around here recently..."
Suddenly, Atsushi fell from his chair and onto the floor, his body shaking. He turned around and started to crawl away, "I... I-I-I'd better get going..."
Kunikida and Dazai watched him, the blonde standing and quickly grabbing the back of his shirt.
"Hold it."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, This is just great.
Atsushi whipped around, fear in his eyes, "IT- IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! IT... HUMANS CAN'T POSSIBLY DEFEAT IT!"
His panic made me feel the slightest bit guilty that I hadn't told him that he was the tiger. However, that meant I was going to have to explain that I also had an ability and that I also had a past he didn't know about. I personally didn't want to have that conversation yet.
I turned in my chair to look at Kunikida and my brother, the former tightening his grip on Atsushi's shirt, "Little brat... Do you know something about this man-eating tiger?"