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CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE:
Go get'em, you two.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The explosion made the entire ground open up, smoke and fire engulfing the room. Chuuya grabbed Aki, his ability glowing red around them, protecting them from the explosion. As more assassins flooded the room, bullets began raining on them. Chuuya pulled on her, dragging them through the hole in the floor, dropping into the room beneath them.

                 The pair landed on their feet before rushing to the door of the office they had landed in but right before they could open it, Aki grabbed him and yanked him back, "Don't!" She exclaimed, pulling him deeper into the room. It was faint, but she could feel the presence of others on the other side of the door—and she knew that the hallway was filled with assassin's. It seemed that she wasn't the only one with a plan. Katsu had also planned out his attack from the very beginning.

The door handle jiggled, ready to open before there was a hard bang on the door and a grunt. Aki and Chuuya stared at the door in confusion at the sound of a commotion outside. It sounded like fighting—but why would the Double A be fighting each other? It went on for a few moments, guns firing, groans and yells filling the air before it all came to a stop. What the actual fuck is going on? Aki thought to herself just as the door handle turned.

When it opened, the pairs mouths dropped at who stood behind it, "Dazai?!" They exclaimed in unison, their eyes widening, bodies lurching forward, surprised to see the man from the Detective Agency standing in front of them.

The man smiled at them, his eyes lighting up, "What a mess you two have managed to get yourselves into," He cooed before opening the door wider. "The coast is clear. You can come out." He assured them, making the pair exchange a glance before walking towards the man and stepping out of the room, into the hallway.

Aki's jaw went loose, "What the..." She mumbled, looking around the hallway. The assassin's she'd felt on the other side of the door had been taken out completely, each of them either dead or unconscious on the ground.

A young, blond boy in a straw hat and overalls turned around, dropping one of the assassin's to the ground, "Oh, hi Mr Fancy Hat!" He exclaimed, giving Chuuya an enthusiastic smile. Chuuya looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

The redhead gritted his teeth together, "What the hell is going on here?" He demanded, looking to Dazai for answers who was standing behind him with his hands casually shoved into the deep pockets of his trench coat.

The man rose a dark brow, "Isn't it obvious?" He rhetorically asked, looking between the pair. "We're here to help." He said in a boastful tone, taking out one of his hands from his pockets to gesture around the group in the hallway.

Aki looked between them, taking them in—they were definitely not Port Mafia, which meant that they had to be the Armed Detective Agency; Dazai's comrades.

One woman out of the group of men with a short-black bop and a butterfly hairpin stood with a hand on a jutted out hip, wearing a black skirt, black tights and a white blouse, holding a huge machete between her gloved fingers.

A small and younger blond boy, holding no weapons except for the smile on his face—the first one Aki had noticed who had seemed to have taken down a man twice his size.

A tall, slender man with blonde hair tied into a long ponytail, a red-ribbon hanging from the top button of his black shirt, wearing a beige waistcoat and matching trousers, two guns in each hand, his brows pushed together.

A average height redheaded boy wearing jeans and a red hoodie tied around his waist, an off-white t-shirt hanging from his shoulders, a friendly smile on his lips.

A boy with silver-awkwardly cut hair and yellow-purple eyes, wearing suit trousers and a shirt. But the thing Aki noticed about him was the fact that his left arm wasn't an arm at all—instead, covered in grey and black fur with huge claws as fingers. What the fuck?

A tiny girl with black-hair tied into two low pigtails wearing a red and yellow kimono, a cellphone with a bunny-charm dangling from her neck and a small dagger held between her fingers.

Chuuya narrowed his eyes, "And why would you help us?" He prodded further, feeling very sceptical of why the Detective Agency was willing to help them on their very personal mission.

"Would you believe me if I told you Mori reached out to us?" Aki and Chuuya blinked back. Yes, that was very hard to believe. Dazai gestured with his hands. "He came to us with an offer—we help you and the Port Mafia makes a truce with the Detective Agency, for the time being at least. We were quite surprised too, but we couldn't not help. The fall of this origination is the good this world needs and that's exactly why we're here." He explained, gesturing between him and his co-workers, all too happy to be telling his ex-partner that he was there to save his ass.

Chuuya's brows furrowed together, "But why would the Boss help us?" He wondered aloud in a quiet tone. Mori had put out a kill order on Aki, so why would he suddenly want to help them? Did he think they had a chance to bring down the Double A? That was the only reason Chuuya could think of. Mori wanted the Double A to be wiped form existence. Had he put Aki's betrayal aside for the sake of having them destroyed?

"Because we vouched for you," Another voice said, making the whole group turn their heads. Hirotsu entered the hallway, a lit cigarette between his lips. Aki and Chuuya's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him along with Gin and Tachihara. "The Boss understands that Akira was simply under orders. And after we explained how you both intended to return to the Port Mafia, he took down the kill order on Akira." Aki's head snapped towards Chuuya, looking up at him with wide-pretty eyes. Those words had sent a wave of relief over both of them, as well as fuelling their determination to bring down the Double A.

Hirotsu removed the cigarette form his lips, "For the time being, The Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency have joined forces for the sake of your mission to destroy the Double A," He continued, momentarily giving a nod in the direction of the Agency members. "You have us in your corner—Higuchi, Akutagawa too, they're downstairs, taking out the stragglers. We're all here for you, we're just waiting for your orders." Aki looked up at Chuuya, a big smile on her face.

                  She had never been wrong to give herself to the Port Mafia, because there they were, ready to back her up in a fight that was completely personal to her. They were all there and more than willing to help her burn them to the ground. It made her heart swell with pride.

Chuuya gave a nod of respect to Hirotsu, holding his head high, "Aki says they keep the children underground in the basement," He began saying before turning his head, glancing to where the Agency members stood—though he still didn't look pleased by their presence. "The Detective Agency will head to the basement and free the children. Aki and I will make our way to Katsu's office—we can handle it up there. What I need from you is to make sure there isn't anyone left to get to us before we get to him, can you do that?" He asked, his eyes shifting between Hirotsu, Gin and Tachihara.

Tachihara rose his arm, using his free hand to clutch at his biceps as he rotated his arm, "It would be our pleasure," He boasted, a large grin on his face. "We'll see you guys on the flip side." He said, giving Aki and Chuuya a firm nod, making them return the gesture.

Gin smiled from under her mask, "Be careful." Was all she said, her eyes locking on Aki's.

"We will." Aki assured her, watching as the three turned their backs and headed down the stairwell they had come from.

Aki and Chuuya turned to Dazai and the rest of his Agency members, "There will be assassins guarding the children but they should be easy to eliminate—they aren't allowed to use their abilities without permission," Aki assured them, glancing between each member. Her eyes met Dazai's. "The children, though. They've been taught to attack those that will separate them from Katsu. They might fight back. Be prepared for that." She informed them, her gaze shifting to meet the eyes of the Agency members once again. She noticed the tall blond man squirm uncomfortably at her words.

The silver-haired boy nodded his head with determination, "We'll get the children out. You can count on us." He reassured her, making Aki's lips part. She wondered what his story was—because it seemed that he was majorly invested in saving the children. But when she met his eyes, she immediately knew why. She recognised the look in his eyes—he was a child without a family, just like those children in the basement. And he was going to do everything he could to help them.

Aki gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Alright, then," Dazai chirped, clapping his hands together. "Off you two go! Go do your thing! We've got it covered!" He exclaimed, moving his hands in a 'shoo' motion.

Chuuya gritted his teeth together, an annoyed expression on his face, "He's never gonna let me live this down, you know." He said in Aki's ear, making her smile a little. She supposed be was right. There wasn't a chance in hell his ex-partner would ever shut up about the Agency coming to their rescue. He was about to be very boastful about it for potentially a very long time.

She looked across at Dazai, giving him a nod he returned with a smile. She looped her fingers around Chuuya's wrist and pulled him towards the stairwell whilst the Detective Agency watched them go. Dazai smiled softly, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Go get'em, you two."

The stairwell was eerily quiet, not a single soul in sight. Aki was walking ahead of Chuuya, her fingers still wrapped around his wrist and a look of determination on her face, "Do you think you can use your ability yet?" He asked her from behind, knowing that the both of them using their abilities together was their best bet. They were powerful together without them, but with them, they were unstoppable.

"I think so. I'm starting to feel it again, my aim might just be slightly off," She told him as they reached the top floor—the only place above them was the roof. She stopped outside of the door, dropping Chuuya's wrist to put her palm to the metal and closing her eyes. "The hallway is covered in assassin's. At least... forty? Forty-five maybe." She said, her brows pulled together as she tried to focus on the heartbeats she could feel through her palm and fingertips. It took a lot more concentration due to her wet skin.

"Can you sense Katsu? Is he there?" He asked her, speaking his name with venom on his tongue.

Aki reached deeper, feeling for the man's presence. It was so dark, she could seek it out anywhere, even when her ability wasn't at its full strength. After a moment, her heart hammered in her chest, "Yeah. He's in his office—there's only one assassin with him, though," She inhaled shakily, feeling for the assassin's presence. She perked up, her eyes widening. "It's Kana." She told him, feeling her heart beating quickly in her chest. She could remember everything Kana had said to her. She wanted Katsu dead, which meant she wasn't there to protect him. The most likely scenario was that Katsu was using her as leverage.

Chuuya put his hand on Aki's shoulder, "It's gonna be fine. We won't let anything happen to her," He assured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "You told me before that you don't know his ability, right? Do you think it could cause us some trouble?"

Aki inhaled through her teeth, "No one knows his ability—not even his closest comrades. Though, he always says he relies on his mind more than his ability so I'm betting it isn't a combative type of ability," She explained, lowering her hand from the door. She looked over her shoulder, meeting Chuuya's blue-eyes gaze. "You ready, Nakahara?" She asked him, giving a nod to the door.

"Let's fucking do it."

AUTHORS NOTE.

             i love being able to write the detective agency in this book! and i promise them being in it is actually leading up to something🤭.

              — taylor xx