DeathAngel [Akutagawa x Reader]

Chapter 23 (Dead Apple)

--6 Months Later--

I breathed deeply as I crouched on the roof, the moon shining above.

"It's clear, the security cameras have been disabled." A voice crackled through my ear piece as I nodded.

I leapt from the roof and down onto the safety ladder, I leapt over, landing on a window sill.

The streets were empty and I made sure to stay hidden in the shadows as I crept along the window sills.

I crouched down, "I'm going in." I said as I reached towards the window, unlocking it quietly.

I snuck into the room, closing the window as I pulled out my gun, expecting someone.

However, the room was empty, nothing was there.

I clenched my jaw as I ran around the apartment room.

Everything was gone, no paper, not even a single receipt.

I sighed, "We're too late." I whispered, hand on my ear piece.

I heard someone sigh as well, "Okay, come back." Dazai-san's voice echoed through my ear as I nodded.

"Don't worry, y/n-chan. We'll find him." Dazai-san said as I nodded.

I leapt from the window as I let my wings grow out as I soared above the clouds.

It has been six months. And I still haven't been able to find Dr Tsukuda. Every time we find something, he's always one step ahead. It's like he's vanished from the face of the world.

I sighed as I let the cool, night breeze ruffle my feathers and caress my face.

Next time. I told myself. Next time, I'll surely catch him. Nobody will suffer at his hands again.

--Time skip--

Where could Dr Tsukuda be? I thought to myself as I instantly shook my head, walking through the hallway.

Dr Tsukuda could be anywhere, since he's under the radar again. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I cracked my neck as I turned the door handle, revealing the dark room filled with Agency members.

"Sorry I'm late." I muttered as everyone turned to stare at me.

"That's fine." Atsushi-kun said as he gave me a small smile.

I sat down next to Kyouka-chan as she turned to me and titled her head.

"Did you find him?" She asked quietly as I shock my head.

"No, he disappeared again." I explained as Kyouka-chan gave me a small smile.

"You'll get him next time." She said as I nodded.

Kunikida-san cleared his throat as I looked up.

"Carrying on, suspicious bodies were found like this burnt corpse." Kunikida-san said as the photo changed to a burnt corpse.

"Terrible." Atsushi-kun muttered as Kyouka-chan nodded in agreement.

It has been six months since Kyouka-chan had joined the Agency and since the Moby Dick incident.

It has also been six months since I had seen Akutagawa. 

The temporary truce between Port Mafia and the Agency broke after the incident with Guild had been settled.

"Kunikida." Ranpo-san said, breaking my thoughts as I looked up.

"This persons gifted." Ranpo-san said as I frowned.

"You're correct, Ranpo-san." Kunikida-san confirmed. 

"He was a well known fire-wielding gifted in his area." Kunikida-san said as the photo changed to the person, who was the burnt corpse.

"This is Singapore, a year ago." Kunikida-san said as he went through more cases.

I frowned as I studied the pictures.

"In other words, after the strange fog, these gifted people across the world died by their own abilities." The President said as I frowned in confusion.

"Is the fog somehow related?" Kenji asked.

"Whoa, wait." I said as everyone turned to me. "I'm sorry, you need to back up a bit. Fog? " I asked as Atsushi-kun laughed.

"There are strange fog that only last for minutes and then the bodies are found." Kyouka-chan explained as I frowned.

I frowned, "Fog..." I murmured.

"There are 128 confirmed cases that are thought to be of the same nature. More than five hundred have died." Kunikida-san explained.

Kunikida-kun sighed as he pushed his glasses up.

"The Gifted Special Operations Division calls this series of events the 'Serial Gifted Suicide Incident'." Kunikida-san said.

He sighed again, "Speaking of suicide..." He muttered.

"Where's that fool Dazai, Atsushi-kun." Kunikida-san asked, eyes flashing with anger as Atsushi-kun tensed.

Atsushi-kun smiled sheepishly, "He said he was going to pass, because he came up with a new suicide technique." He explained softly as I chuckled.

"Huh?!" Kunikida-san exclaimed in anger. "That bonehead!" He cried out as Atsushi-kun flinched in surprise.

"I see..." Ranpo-san muttered silently before grabbing his safety vault and placing all his snacks back into the metal box.

"What are you doing, Ranpo-san?" Kenji asked, staring at him in confusion.

"It's a secret." Ranpo-san said as he closed the safety vault.

"So any gifted who touched that fog kills themselves?" Tanizaki-kun asked, worry lacing his voice.

Naomi-chan leapt up and wrapped her arms around Tanizaki-kun's neck.

"I'll never let you do that!" Naomi-chan said as Tanizaki-kun choked in her hold

"I'm never going to let you kill yourself and leave me behind." She said, tightening her grip.

Yosano-san interrupted the two siblings, "So, what does this have to do with us?" She asked.

"There's more to this than, 'Let's be careful, because we're gifted, too,' right?" Yosano-san asked, eyes bored.

"The Special Operations Division has requested that we investigate. We've received information that a man thought to be involved in these serial suicides is in Yokohama. We've been asked to capture him." Kunikida-san explained.

"This is that man." He said as the screen behind him flipped to a file.

I saw as Atsushi-kun tensed as his eyes widened in shock as he saw the photo of the man.

"Shibusawa Tatsuhiko. Twenty-nine. All we know is that he has some kind of special ability, and that he goes by the street name, 'Collector'." Kunikida-san kept explaining.

"Are you ok?" I whispered to Atsushi-kun as he stared in shock.

"Is something wrong?" Kyouka-chan asked as well as Atsushi-kun blinked.

"Huh?" He said, broken from his thoughts as he turned to us.

"Oh, no nothing." He said, smiling as I frowned.

Before I could ask anything the lights in the dark room flicked on.

"The Armed Detective Agency will accept this job." The President said, making the Tanizaki siblings pause from their fret.

"Gifted are the most direct victims of this case. This is also important to protect the lives of the Agency." The President carried on.

"More than anything, I get the sense that this is going to cause broader public harm." As we all nodded in agreement.

"The Detective Agency will hereby commit all of its resources to investigating this man." The President said as everyone stood up.

"Yes sir." We all said.