Kidnap Atsushi.

That was your next assignment.

Kidnap the boy and bring him back to base. Alive, preferably.

How to go about it, you weren't entirely sure; deception wasn't a strong point of yours. You were more attuned to keeping under the radar, going about unseen and unheard. Lying for you was unpredictable. Some barely saw past your act, others caught you out from the onset.

You merely hoped you didn't fumble this up and ignite Akutagawa's hatred for you even further; you weren't sure how long you could last doused in the flame of his wrath.

Before you even got as far as deception, however, you had no definitive plan as to how you'd meet the boy again. They had forbidden you from entering the Armed Detective Agency - where he apparently spent most of his time - leaving you to walk aimlessly with the hope you'd somehow bump into him again.

After doing just that for little over two hours, you had decided to establish a base in the small teahouse you'd taken Atsushi to that one time, hoping - by some coincidence - that the boy happened upon this place of his past also. Choosing a seat by the high-arched windows gave you access to a view that panned over the town beyond, allowing you to watch absentmindedly as the world passed by.

Whistling a sigh, you ran your finger around the lip of your cup, blinking at your reflection in the dredges of tea still sitting at the bottom. Those bags of yours hadn't lessened in the slightest, and the chalky pallor of your skin was indicator enough of your deteriorating health. Lack of unpolluted air was probably one of the reasons; most of your time was spent 'training' at the base, and missions were often centred in downtown Yokohama, where the air was more toxic than a rat's den. So-called 'free-time' was sparse and often limited to but an hour out on the town.

The door to the teahouse rattled open and someone scuffed their shoes on the mat, and you lifted your head for less than a second before retuning gloomily to the cup in your hand, watching the black liquid slosh at the sides before replacing it on the table. Scraping back your chair, you eased yourself out of the seat and gave your muscles a stretch; they were stiff and cramped from being stuck in the same position for a few hours, and your stomach felt heavy from the amount of tea you'd consumed to reserve your place in the café. There was no point in wasting more time loitering somewhere the boy probably couldn't even afford to dine.

Leaving the squat building, you emerged out onto the streets, letting your gaze sift through the passerby's, brushing you off as merely another stranger on the sidewalk.

Not so long ago, you'd had a life not dissimilar to those passing by you; you had a job, money, an apartment. It hadn't been easy to build a life from scratch.

But it sure as hell didn't take much to crumble it back into a pile of dust and ashes.

"[L/N]! [L/N]-san!"

Your body reeled with shock at the familiar voice, your feet falling over one another as you stumbled around in a circle. "Atsushi?"

Sure enough, the snowy-haired male was tripping towards you, a dimpled smile thrown carelessly your way.

"Hey," you choked out, your throat drying up all of a sudden. Your spine tingled with shivers of apprehension, though you were still unsure of why you were so reluctant to execute this mission. You hardly even knew the boy.

Yet here he was, those mottled purple eyes brimming with concern. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."

You shook your head, smiling forcefully. "All fine. What are you doing here?" Your feet shuffled restlessly, scraping your heel against the loose stones on the path. How exactly were you planning to do this? Coax him into a backstreet and knock him out? If he was part of the ADA, surely he wouldn't fall for such an ignorant trick.

Appearing unconvinced, Atsushi hooked a thumb over his shoulder, directing your attention to the companion you hadn't yet noticed. "I'm on a job with my-"

"Dazai," you finished, your lips dropping open with a hitched breath. The tall male was lingering by Atsushi's shoulder, his eyes dark and narrow, predatory.

"Hello [L/N]." Your name ran smoothly off the tip of his tongue, enticing a shudder.

Atsushi's questioning gaze slid between the two of you, oblivious to the heightened tensions. "Oh, you know each other?"

Dazai raised his hands with casual indifference, neither of you taking your eyes off one another.

"From a long time ago. I didn't think you were still in town," he mused, resting his hands inside the deep pockets of his coat. His feet manoeuvred him forward with a confident stride, advancing past Atsushi. You subconsciously backed up, your stomach gripped with nausea.

"Yeah, I hung around," you answered quietly, finally dragging your eyes from his, focusing on the loosened buttons of his coat.

Atsushi didn't say a word, watching the scene unfold with mingling apprehension and curiosity.

"You look a bit... battered," he remarked, feigning concern. "What happened to you?"

You looked up sharply, fixing him with a burning glare. Shadows pooled impulsively by your feet, spiking with each influx of anger.

The bastard was toying with you; he knew exactly what had happened.

"I'm sorry Atsushi but I think I should be going now," you said evenly, already taking steps away from the duo.

With a doleful look, Dazai reached over and dug his fingers into your arm. You blanched under his touch, feeling suddenly fatigued as his ability nullified your own. You had no chance of escape now. "You're not going anywhere."

Your attempt at shrugging him off was futile, his nails digging harshly into your skin. You bit back a cry, unable to pull away. "You're back with them, aren't you?" He jeered, eyes sparking embers. "Couldn't resist his twisted charms, hm?"

Atsushi stuttered behind the two of you, reaching out a hand but making no move to help. "Uhm, D-Dazai, maybe we should l-let her g-o?"

The dark-haired male uttered a small growl, scratching at your face as he forced you to look at him. "She's Port Mafia," he spat, "she was sent here to trick you, Atsushi."

The boy let out a strange cry – a cry of defeat and disbelief – and you dropped your gaze to the floor. "W-what? Is that... true?"

You didn't bother answering him; there was no need.

"Dazai, let me go," you pleaded quietly.

He responded with a laugh – a laugh so cold and bitter that it made your hairs stand on edge. This man was ruthless. More ruthless than Akutagawa. And yet he played his charm so damn well. He had everyone fooled; even you, at times.

Heartless bastard.

And now part of the ADA? You didn't trust for a second that he'd changed.

"No can do, Shadow Thief. You're coming with me."

Cursing loudly under your breath, you planted your hands firmly on his chest and tried to push him away, grappling with his brute force. Yet his hold only tightened, shoving you against a wall with your chin locked between his fingers, one arm restrained across your chest.

You met his bloodthirsty eyes evenly, your blood thrumming loudly in your ears. "Let. Me. Go."

Dazai licked his upper lip, his breath falling against your cheek like hot wax. "Make me."

The moment his words scorched your skin, you brought your knee up to his groin. His grip slackened, but didn't loosen, yet it gave you enough leverage to connect your knuckles with his nose.

"Dazai!" Atsushi cried as his blood sprayed your cheek and he stumbled back from the impact.

"Run, Atsushi, it's you she's after."

A second later, with a small utterance from your chapped lips, the shadows sprung from the pavement like black stallions, galloping towards Atsushi and tethering his ankles together with black rope.

"Huhh- what the hell?"

Unfazed by the blood pouring from his face, Dazai jerked a finger toward you, his face dark and twisted. "All I have to do is touch you and those grisly little beasts will disappear."

"Hm, maybe so. But first you gotta catch me."

With a twist of your lips, you broke out into a sprint, tearing down the pavement at break-neck speed. Skidding round a sharp corner, your dress snagged on a broken gutter protruding from the wall, the black material tearing up your thigh and reeling you back.

The distance you'd created had severed the shadows you'd used to bind them, and both Dazai and the weretiger were hot on your heel.

Barely seconds after you'd freed yourself from the obstruction, something connected with your back, hard. Gripped by dizziness, with breaths whistling sharply through your nose, you staggered straight into the adjacent building, the rough stone grazing your cheek.

Someone yanked at your hair, forcing you to turn around before slamming you up against the wall again. Dazai's eyes were livid, consumed by frenzy, as his hands found your neck, crushing your throat. He made it impossible to breathe, your vision already starting to deteriorate like embers crumbling into ashes.

"Looks like you'll be coming back with me."