~~~~~~~••••••~~~~~~~

Nearly four weeks have passed since the incident at the park made by the wives and sisters of three of the men in the Armed Detective Agency.

The two fathers of twins and triplets surprise their wives by keeping to the silent promises they've made to themselves, ones in which they claimed to treasure the family they have more often.

Including when at the office or on a mission.

One of which leads us to a small group of four leisurely walking over a bridge. 

This particular group is made of two twenty-two year old men- one writing in his book labels Ideals, the other waltzing alongside him with his hands crossed behind his head, while watching a little blonde two year old, with an right eye bandage walk along the brick railing, while an recently turned five year old boy grumbles in complete displeasure over everything, as he just has his hands shoved into his pockets with his shoulders raised into his ears. 

These characters are: Doppo Mjolnir Kunikida, Osamu Dazai, Dawn Mjolnir Dazai-Arisu and Damian Yagi, and they are on a mission. 

The mission of a Hunt.

~~•••~●~•••~~

"Tch! Couldn't that imbecile at least make his last document even the least bit convenient."

I sighed, at Kunikida's words, for they are relatively accurate. 

"Unfortunately you and I both know him and the word convenient isn't compatible—-" I placed a nervous smile on my face. "Not even in a standoff~." Kunikida immediately went quiet, as I took that as my cue to turn my attention to my special little daredevil walking along the bricked railing, with that goat-child walking beside it on the ground. "At least the peon isn't all that moronic~."

I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I think Kunikida knows this, especially since how we actually met.

I heard him sigh, as well groan.

"You're right, unfortunately." That caused me to turn to him, as he continued. "He did manage to somehow switch places with Chuuya, giving him the remote chance to be a hidden informate with Itadori-san as well be on speaking terms with Chieko." 

I clicked my tongue from those facts, immediately looking forward with narrowed eyes, and a grotesque smile.

"Still have no clue as to how he managed to snag her of all women."

He immediately went quiet, with the exception of letting out a groan, telling me that he agreed.

"But I have to admit, despite the background differences, he treats Itadori-san alot better than you treated Angelique—" '!!!' "You're bringing up our Academy days there Kunikida~!"

I heard him scoff at my words.

"With how you are now versus then, who wouldn't bring it up."

'💢 that was a stated sarcasm there, wasn't it~?' But then I got to thinking deeply about his words. 'However, he's not wrong. At ten, I really didn't treat Angelique the best like I should have.' I then stopped and turned my head to look up at the orange view above, which strangely reminds me of Angelique, the twins and Sakurano. 'If I did everything differently, would I still end with what I have n—' 

*Thwomp*

I immediately grabbed hold of the back of my head with both my hands, and quickly turned to glare at Kunikida who just raised his hands, mind the left one holding his itinerary in defense, before I heard a snicker.

Turning, I see Dawn blinking her left eye at the goat-child in confusion, and I was about to ask her what she was so focused on.....

.... However her question immediately answered my very own.

"How come you threw a black froggy at my daddy~??"

That little punk just snickers, which caused me to grind my teeth in irritation... but something in Dawn's question got me quiet.

'Hold up, a Black frog?'

I leisurely turned to Kunikida with what I know was a look of utter confusion.

"Hey Kunikida~---" He immediately groaned but nevertheless my brother-in-law acknowledged my existence and turned my way. "Is a Black Frog poisonous?" 

He just blinks at me before narrowing his eyes.

"Is this a relapse question, or—" "---- no no~!!"

I immediately waved my hands around, because this really was genuine curiosity.

"A genuine question, mostly for the fact that it can't kill me if it was—" I made sure that brat heard me, with the groan I got in return making me smirk, before turning my attention back to Kunikida, who was shaking his head, mostly due to what I did just now. "--- but I also want to know how a goat of all things was able to hit me in the back of my head with it~."

I watched Kunikida's face go into shock, as if he just realized himself that the brat that he was forced to take in, did in fact throw a potentially dangerous amphibian at me.

"You have a point—" He then goes to reach in his back right pocket for his phone. "Hang on, let me get—" "It's a Dendrobates auratus." 

All eyes immediately went to the goat-kid, as I just recognized the name, for it immediately sounded familiar.

"Hold on, isn't that a frog from Costa Rica~?"

All eyes, including my little ball of sunshine were on me, as I just stared at the goat-kid, who just glared at me with narrowed eyes.

"And how does a dumb clown like you know that?"

I just blinked before smirking, and started to walk again to continue our mission with both arms crossed behind my head.

"That story isn't for frog eaters~."  

Hearing Kunikida choke instantly told me that he knew exactly what that meant and was trying not to die from the irony.

'Especially since it was an Academy mission with Angelique and her older brother that became the whole reason behind me being what I am now~.'

I snickered at that thought with closed eyes, so I wasn't aware of Kunikida's smirk-like smile, or the goat-kids and Dawn's confused looks.

"Hey daddy~!" I immediately hummed, telling my adorable ball of sunshine to continue. "The left side of my head feels funny~." 

I stopped and blinked confused, as well worried at her words just now, Kunikida stopping a few steps ahead of me, turning to face me with a confused head tilt, but I didn't see it for I immediately spun around the moment I heard the sounds of something falling into the river below us.

Not seeing Dawn standing on the brick railing, I grew pale and quickly leaped into the river after her, completely disregarding the yells of Kunikida, as well the gasp of Damian.

Hitting the water head first my air nearly got knocked out of my lungs, but I steeled myself, twisted my body around and started looking for Dawn.

.....

'!!' She was literally sleeping with the fishes on the bottom of the river. 'Hang on Dawn!!'

Immediately I took off my coat with difficulty, due to hastily swimming to the river floor, and pulled out a device, placing it over Dawn's nose, as well her mouth.

I quickly wrapped my coat around her, tying the belt around both her and me, while trying to pull us both topside..... 

....

But...

..

'I forgot that Wesen weapons sink like a rock!!' Feeling my lungs burn, I curl into a ball in order to keep Dawn close to me, making the top half of my body heavier, and the lower lighter to the point where I felt my legs touch air with several twitches. 'I'm aware that I can't die, but I honestly prefer if Makoto was down here instead of us..... and I'm curious on how I'm getting us out of this.'

Releasing the air from my lungs, not intentionally I curse inside my head with my consciousness leave, and my eyes too slowly closed while my arms, if at all possible tightens around Dawn even more.

'At the very least, I can make sure Dawn doesn't leave my side.' 

Not being able to stay awake, I let myself slip, so I didn't feel the back of my shirt being grabbed, or being dragged throughout the water.

.....

All because of one particular dream. 

~~~~~●○•●•○●~~~~~

I felt as if someone was shaking my left shoulder and turned, only to be surprised to see someone I knew that I wouldn't see again.

All he did was stare at me, while I stared back, with the occasional blinking.

"Well~, I'm dead if I'm sitting here talking to you, aren't I, Odasaku."

He just laughs, surprising the hell out of me, before shaking his head.

"Not quite, it's not time for you yet and not here."

I was confused until I heard the laughs of multiple people that sounded familiar to me, but the feminine laugh of how Angelique and Kiyomi sounded when we attended the Academy attracted my attention.

About to stand and walk that way, Odasaku stops me, forcing me to look him dead in the eye.

"They still need you Dazai.." He then pressed his forehead against mine, like how Makoto and I used to do in order to get our message across. "Immortal or not, they still need strength, she still needs her main anchor."

I gulped when we both took in a breath and everything around me turned white while hearing: "Those three, they need a father to watch them grow."

..........

'That's right, I'm the only one who can fill those roles. The one meant for them; to protect in both your will and my own...... The only one who can keep my own promise.'

~~~~~○●°○°●○~~~~~ 

Sharply inhaling through my nose I felt my eyes roll back to where they should be and slowly, like every accidental drowning, I for some reason pull the Zombie move when I go to sit up.

.... In doing so I heard a gasp and a grunt.

"You were floating down the river, clutching your balled up cloak—" I just blinked, staring straight, actually wondering how much luck I have. "Are you alright??"

Just staring I heard the feminine hum, and just blinked once more. 

"I... made it."

I was quiet before hearing the quiet words: "..... Damn." immediately analyzing the words from one of the bodies beside me, I quickly felt around my person and felt no ball of cloth, not seeing the shock reaction of one, or the wide eyes of the other.

Turning to look everywhere around me, I found a wriggling ball that happened to be in my coat, and instantly knew what, or who it was.

'!!'

"Dawn!!" I spun around behind me, crawling to the little ball of a trench coat. "Hang on, Sunshine!!"

Quickly I gathered her up, and uncovered Dawn's head.

Seeing that she was breathing easy with the device still in place, I let out a sigh of relief and sat on my knees, while placing her head against my left collar bone.

"Tell me, are you the one who pulled us out of our unfortunate submersion?"

I carefully stood up, cradling Dawn like I did when she, and Daigo were first born, walking past the boy on all four, towards the girl with pale pink hair with gray ends. 

"What you don't remember?" My eyebrows twitched from the amount of sarcasm I heard in that. "I saved your life, wait—" I saw the girl tilt her head left, blinking while I turned my head back and left to see that boy immediately turning his upper body in our direction with a look of exasperation. "Submersion!?" He also then blinked. "Wait our??" 

"Indeed, I was rescuing Dawn when I basically got stuck." Turning my head left to face the two with my body facing the river and Dawn still in my left arm, I place my right hand in my pocket. "--- but I guess to some like you two, it would almost look like a relapse suicide~."

"S-SUICIDE?!"

A faced him with a nonchalant expression.

"That would be the case~, if this wasn't a personal rescue I would be lecturing on how upset I would've been over a failed Suicide attempt~."

"Hang on–" the girl who was quiet throughout this whole ordeal speaks up. "So, you in some odd-ball form of rehab or something, cause with the way you're speaking you sound as if—" "--- as if I'm still committing suicide~?" 

She went quiet, as did that boy while I mostly wanted to make sure Dawn was breathing against the skin of my collar bone.

I hummed both in relief that she was breathing just fine, and in humor to that girl's question.

"I would instantly call myself a lair if I said it didn't pop up once or twice~---" The faces I got from the two of them were absolutely priceless. "---- but I have a purpose to live, as well a reason to fight off the relapse~."

'As well an imbecile to scare off my wife~.'

"Uhh—"  

I watched the boy look to the girl, who just blinks before she continues with: "So you don't—"

"Nope~!" I then give them the soft, closed eyed smile that I give my family everyday..... except Makoto and Kunikida. "My beautiful family is all the medicine I'd ever need~."

Turning the expression down to the little ray of sunshine in my left arm, I didn't see the exasperated faces they were making, for I then laughed through my nose when I heard Dawn snoring through the breathing mask on her face.

Not really noticing that the other two have finally realized that this whole I had her with me, despite the fact that Dawn was brought up quite a few times.

"W-wait a s-second—" "--she was with you?!"

I hummed at the two, who looked too shocked to asked anymore suicide questions, not that I'd personally cared for in all honesty......

..... though I can't really say I'm not disappointed that they just now saw the adorable two year old that I have in my arms, that was spoken of not even a while ago.

"Seriously~--" I gained their attention, but they reeled back at the dead expression I gave them. "-- you just now see the adorable ball of sunshine bundled in my coat~?"

They both got quiet, the boy tried to make himself look small, and the girl looked like she wanted to fight me. 

"U-uh, about t-that—" "Why the hell do you have a child with you!?"

I playfully scoffed at her question, doing so I playfully turn Dawn away from their eyes. 

"It's not my fault Dawn got sick and fell off a bridge into the river~!"

I then playfully stuck my tongue out for kicks, and mostly to see their comedic reactions..... Even went as far to blow a raspberry at the girl to make her pissed.

I smirked when I saw her face turning the color of an old friend's hair~.

"H-hold up—" The boy that pulled Dawn and I from the water gained my attention. "You s-said you got stuck rescuing the kid in y-your arms?"

I hummed, with a curious expression on where he was going with this.

"I did, sunshine and her brother sink like a rock when it comes to water they can't touch with their feet~."

'The very same with their mother, but I find it absolutely adorable~.'

.......

"Then how did she fall into the water.... If she knows she'll sink??" 

"..."

'This kids got a point.'

Quietly humming to myself, I start thinking back to the bridge, I do remember Dawn saying that the left side of her head felt funny, so while the girl was basically trashing me with no mercy to the boy, I was examining Dawn's head, and thanks to the special training from Ranpo, as well the president I found something I discreetly removed from Dawn's Temple.

.... A broken needle, however after analyzing it a bit more, I noticed the end of it looked vaguely similar to the needles Angelique, her sister, along with the assistance of Chieko treated the nerve damage that Chuuya, Makoto and I caused on a daily basis at the Academy.

.. which meant one thing to me, and I didn't like it.

'This was to purposely get my attention....' My eyes narrowed, as I then felt my pupils turn to slits slightly for some reason. '... but what I don't get, is why an acupuncture needle, a broken one at that?'

Carefully running my left thumb around the sharp end, I came to realize that I lost a bit of feeling on the exposed skin that was touching said end. 

'A local anaesthetic attempt, huh?' Weaving the needle throughout the bandages around the palm side of my left wrist with only my left hand, I made sure to not let the needle touch neither Dawn or I. 'I'm gonna have to let Ranpo know about this and see what he can pick up from its origins.'

Turning back to the two children in front of me, a thought occurred to me.

"While it wasn't my goal, nor purpose to commit a relapse Suicide, no matter how clean or not—" I carefully placed my right arm around Dawn's head, in which she then snuggled into my neck further if that was even possible. "It would appear I troubled you, so this fault lies with me–" I watched the boy sluggishly stand up with the girl, who was glaring at me, look at the boy with her head tilted left. "I should apologize, or better yet make it up to you—"

*Growl~~~~~*

I blinked, with slightly widened eyes, surprised or shocked, same with the girl who looked stunned. 

"Are you perhaps hungry?"

The boy slowly threw his head forward... he looked oddly tired for a kid that pulled Dawn and I out of water.

"Well.... The truth is I haven't eaten in several days—"

*GROWL~~~~~~~~~*

My eyes immediately traced that growl to the bundle who was squirming, so I didn't see the boy fall back as if the sound from Dawn's stomach smacked him in the head, surprising and confusing the girl beside him.

"How odd, my little sunshine seems to be hungry."

I watched the boy immediately sprung back up.

"L-lucky coincidence!!"

I felt Dawn wake up, surprising the two kids in front of me as Dawn place her arms into the sleeves of my coat before crawling out of my arms and around my head to sit on my shoulders, as I could feel her tiny fingers covered in my coat sleeves in my hair, with me seeing the sleeves framing around my face slightly.

"But I'm afraid—" I used both my hands to pull the pockets of the coat, worn by Dawn currently inside out. "---the river has taken my wallet."  

I then felt Dawn shift.

"Frog."

I hummed, turned to look up at Dawn and saw her point, well more her right arm covered sleeved to our right, with us following.

I immediately glared at the Black Costa Rican Frog that just stared back.

"Also kids—" I felt both their eyes on me, but I kept my glare on the Death frog. "Stay away from Black frogs okay~?"

The boy just slouched, as the girl just nodded as if she'd agreed with me, which I found suspicious.

"Just my luck."

"THEY YOU ARE, YOU TROUBLESOME BLOCK HEAD!!!!"

We all turn to see a figure standing across the river, arms crossed, with a small child standing to his right.

"Oh Hey!!" I then raised my right hands, in a slight mock wave to my brother-in-law. "You found us~! Nice work Kunikida~!!"

He looked pissed.

"Nice work?! And just who caused all this work, you relapse maniac!! I've had enough this, do you realize how often you screw around with my schedule with your shenanigans—"

'💢💢' 

I turned back to the two kids in front of me with my right hand in my pocket, left palm faced up.

"I just had a great idea, he's a colleague of mine from work, let's have him treat you two a meal."

The kid then jumped in his skin when Kunikida started to scream if I was listening, which I wasn't out of spite.

'Better make note to explain everything to him later.'

Pushing that aside, I place my attention back to the two kids in front of me. 

"So tell me, what are both your names?"

The boy jumps back, unsure I'm sure, before turning his head slightly in my direction.

"Atsushi– Nakajima, sir."

"Very good, you young lady~?"

I then turned to the girl, who just scoffed, shoved her hands into her pockets, shoulder raised, as she looked to her left, up then to me.

"Asashi Ann Franken Sryn."

I just blinked at the name, with my head tilted left at the familiarity the girl's name held, the boy doing the very same with a raised brow.

"Are you named after a man covered in stitches???"

'This girl's name is quite similar to his.' I hummed at this thought as I watched her gain a look of shock for a moment. 'I wonder–'

I noticed that she was about to either answer, or question me before she was cut off and I felt little covered fingers tighten in my hair.

"Daddy." 

I looked up at my little sunshine, and saw her point to the boy who was trying to keep away from the frog that kept inching to him closer, despite looking tired.

Glaring at said menace, I watched it immediately stop, look at me, as I growl causing it to actually jump in its grotesque skin and hop into the water, making its way back to the goat-child.

"Anyway, poisonous death frog aside—"

I didn't see the looks of shock or stun on their faces, as I watched Kunikida back away from the frog that the Goat-kid picked up and hugged.

"H-hold up!!" "What did he–"

I turned my attention back to the two kids in front of me, before nonchalantly turning my and Dawn's form to face the wall.

"---Why don't you two come with us, Atsushi, Asashi~, what would you like to eat?" 

I watched as the boy just suddenly looked small, as the girl just narrowed her eyes at me.

"Hmph!! I'm fine, thanks."

I nodded, because she does have the right to refuse, and I'm not going to force her to eat if she doesn't want to.

"Well, if it's not to much trouble–"

I smiled, slightly turning my body towards him.

"Oh, come on! There's no need to hold back~."

I watched his face turn into a Forlorn look.

"I would really like some Tea on Rice."

I just blinked, as the girl just looked stunned, before I just chuckled with closed eyes.

"So a boy on the brink of starvation wants to eat Tea on Rice~!" I just continued to chuckle as I heard Dawn start to giggle with me. "Very well, let's have Kunikida and the Goat-boy treat you to thirty bowls of Tea on Rice, large bowls of it~!!" 

I purposely said that last part very loud~.

"DON'T YOU DARE BE GETTING SO GENEROUS WITH MY MONEY DAZAI, THAT'S FOR ME AND DAMIAN!!!"

I scoffed, with my tongue out, dismissing it and the annoying fact that in a short amount of time Kunikida grew surprisingly fond of the frog eater... so annoyed that I didn't notice Dawn was doing the very same action as me, but cutely.

"You're Dazai??"

"Dazai, huh?"

I straightened up, with closed eyes. 

"Yep~, that's my name." The wind then suddenly started, and I knew how much Dawn was like her mother when it came to the wind, so I turned to face so she could purr into it that the little cub she was, as I turned my head left so I could see them with my hands in the pockets of my pants..... Not really knowing that I was proving Angelique's point about somehow gaining an Ethereal look. "It's a pleasure to meet my new friends. We're Osamu Dazai and my daughter Dawn."  

To be Continue••••••••••