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“Shit they’ve got us surrounded” The mafia’s gravity manipulator said in a slight alarm after being backed against the far wall of a warehouse.
“Wow Slug, I didn’t take you for an intellectual! How impressive.” The brunet mocked with a deadpan glare.
Chuuya rolled his eyes at his partner, observing the dozens of men who were currently holding them at gunpoint and shouting at them to drop their own weapons and surrender, threatening to shoot otherwise. Typical.
“So what’s your genius plan now, jackass?” He snapped back in a whisper, returning the glare with one just as bitter.
The bandaged teen sighed nonchalantly as though pondering over whether he would have tea or lemonade during a picnic.
“There’s an option that can end this rather fast. But that isn’t for me to decide.” He turned to look at Chuuya, tearing his gaze away from the enemy.
“Stop your plotting, we will shoot! Last warning!” One of the men spoke, cocking his gun threateningly at the duo.
“You don’t mean-“ Chuuya closed his eyes and let out a steadying breath before giving dazai a wary look.
“Aren’t we supposed to take these guys in for questioning? We would be going against direct orders if we kill them.” His tone was barely auditable, only enough for Dazai to badly make out his words.
Dazai only gave him a reassuring smile, and Chuuya could almost hear what he was trying to say.
Trust me, Chuuya.
Sighing in resignation, he readied his stance, gaze taking on a determined glint. “It’s never really a choice when you propose that.”
“It’s always your choice, partner.” He added pointlessly, as Chuuya had already come to his decision and was already pulling off his gloves.
“Don’t be late, Dazai.”
Said man only gave a fond smile in return, and stepped away, mock surrendering to the soon-to-be decimated group.
Red sigils swirled and wrapped their way around the surface of Chuuya’s skin as he recited the words to open Arahabaki’s gate. His consciousness soon being lost to the power of the god of calamity.
Within a matter of minutes, the warehouse was leveled to the ground, not a single opposing member still standing. In the middle of the wreckage stood two boys, the taller one’s hand gently caressing the other’s cheek, supporting his weight as he collapsed.
“I’ve got you, partner.” Dazai muttered softly, resting an utterly exhausted Chuuya on his lap. “Let’s get you back to HQ, you’ll be barking again in no time!”
The obvious jab received no retort, the injured teen passing out shortly after.
Dazai let out a sigh of dread, Mori won’t be pleased with this failure.
-
His partner was always very vulnerable after Corruption. Something about unleashing Arahabaki made the god increasingly volatile once it’s gate was forcibly closed by no longer human.
After all, Chuuya’s gate wasn’t meant to be closed at all. If it weren’t for Dazai’s nullification, Corruption would be a fatal, one-time-use trump card.
Every time Chuuya recovered post-Corrupton use, his body and mind would be plagued by the wrath of the god residing within him. Only finding respite when Dazai kept in contact with him.
Dazai used his foot to tap the button for the floor containing the medical wing. His arms preoccupied with carrying a limp and gently snoring redhead.
He immediately called for a nurse. A middle aged girl who was wheeling a stretcher quickly rushed over, ready to take the injured teen into the wing for treatment.
She was stopped when a grunt stepped between her and the two boys, not budging even when he met the deadly eye of the brunet that promised nothing but pain.
“Boss has summoned you to his office.” The man spoke firmly.
“I know that already. I’ll head up as soon as we’re done here. Boss knows I won’t leave his side until he receives proper treatment to his injuries.” Dazai spat in a rush, moving to shoulder past the grunt, but was stopped by a strong arm.
“Then you can bring him with you. The boss ordered me to escort you to his office, without delay.”
Alarm bells immediately rang in the brunet’s head. Mori was well aware of Chuuya’s complications after using corruption, he always allowed Dazai to postpone his mission reports in favor of allowing Chuuya the time to recover enough to be left alone.
Something wasn’t right about this.
Clenching his jaw irately, he pivoted himself and marched off to the elevator, bumping the button for the top floor. He glowered at the grunt as the elevator door shut in front of him, Dazai’s unmistakable bloodlust causing the man to stiffen.
He doesn’t give a damn if the low ranking grunt was just following orders.
His sudden, sharp movements must’ve jostled the redhead’s wounds, as he groaned softly, blinking awake.
“Ah- Sorry. We’re at HQ, we have to take a quick detour to the boss before we can get you treated.” Dazai informed a bleary-eyed Chuuya, whose brows pinched in confusion, knowing that the boss normally waited before giving them a summons.
Each tone that marked the elevation to another floor made Dazai’s unease rise with it. Mori must have known that Chuuya used Corruption, why would he delay healing one of his most powerful combatants?
Was he already aware the mission was a failure?
His rumination was interrupted when the elevator doors slid open.
“M’ legs are fine. You can put me down.” Chuuya voiced. Dazai knew that Chuuya shouldn’t be walking, but respected his opinion to look strong during an audience with the boss. He gently lowered his legs to the ground and kept a steadying arm to his back to help him balance as he walked.
Please let my intuition be wrong just this once. He pleaded as they walked with steady steps towards the dual doors of Mori’s office, announcing their arrival before pushing inside.
“Ah Chuuya, how lovely of you to join us.” Mori chimed from his spot at the desk, the heavy doors to his office closing with a loud click
“You called?” Dazai stated coldly, not in the mood for any of the man’s games when he still had his injured partner next to him.
Mori gave Dazai an amused and knowing grin, standing up from his seat to approach the pair.
Dazai willed himself to stay calm. Mori would see through him and exploit his emotions the moment he showed any weakness.
The raven haired man stopped a few feet away from them, his pleasant smile schooling into a cold grin.
“Care to give a report on your mission?”
He knows.
“We infiltrated the warehouse just as planned, but the enemy saw through our motives, and we were ambushed and surrounded. Despite needing the intel on the stolen cargo from our targets, we were left with no choice but to-”
“You mean you decided to defy orders and compromise the mission.” Mori interrupted, tilting his head.
“There was no other w-”
“Save the excuses, Dazai-kun. There are two things you have to learn from this slip-up of yours. One, ultimatums are just a way for people to convince themselves that failure was okay. There is always another way.”
Both he and Chuuya knew that was not true. They were backed into a corner, literally, with no plan of escape, it was either corruption or be shot dead.
“And two, just because you have the authority to use chess pieces to your liking during missions, that is still a privilege, and abusing this is untolerable. I expected better from you than risking such a valuable pawn in battle when there were other options.”
Dazai tried not to show his distaste at Mori referring to Chuuya as nothing but a pawn. More specifically, as his pawn. He did not see Chuuya as a pawn, and he never will.
“Alright. Chuuya-kun, you are dismissed.”
Dazai stiffened, eyes widening, immediately rejecting the idea of them being separated so soon after Corruption.
“Mori-san, you can’t-” His voice displayed his fear clearly, he was no longer trying to hold onto the unbothered act.
“That’s an order, Chuuya-kun.” Mori ignored Dazai’s protests, smiling faux-sweetly at the still weakened teen.
Despite Dazai’s persistence to maintain his hold on his partner, Chuuya turned towards the door and pulled himself out of his grasp, barely making it a few steps before his knees buckled from pain, he fell to his knees then collapsed to the side.
“CHUUYA!” He screamed, darting back to help his partner, but a hand clasped around his wrist, jerking him back harshly.
“No Dazai-kun, this is the result of your own actions and inability to concern yourself with your partner’s health. He is suffering now only because of you and your incompetence.” The man tightened his hold on Dazai’s wrist, bringing his other hand to his shoulder, nails scraping his skin harshly.
Chuuya muffed a whine, curling into himself, hands flying to claw at his own head.
“Mori-san. He could die. He needs treatment now, it isn’t logical to deprive the mafia’s strongest chess piece of the aid he needs.” The brunet tried to reason, using logic as leverage to convince Mori to allow Dazai to end Chuuya’s torment.
But the boss did not respond, nor did his crushing grip falter or weaken in the slightest. Dazai could only watch as his condition worsened, the redhead letting out a sickening screech as he writhed in pain on the floor. The pristine marble splattered with a deep red as Chuuya’s untreated wounds reopened.
“Mori-san please.” His voice cracked with desperation. The demon prodigy has never once begged. Yet, as he watched his partner squirm and convulse with pain, he didn’t care what it took, he just wanted to make it stop. He wanted Chuuya’s pain to disappear, and he could only do that if he touched him directly.
“I trained you better than to react like that to something as small as this.” Mori scoffed, but ultimately decided that he had paid his penance and Dazai let go.
Dazai practically leapt to Chuuya’s side, clutching him tightly. The redhead gasped at the sudden relief, his chest heaving violently, lungs working overtime to intake air. His body quivering aggressively from the aftershocks of intense pain.
“You’re okay, you’re fine. I’ve got you.” He whispered gently, not wanting the boss to overhear his consoling so soon after the weakness he had already shown.
He gathered the teen into his arms and hefted him up, bolting for the exit before Mori could possibly change his mind and call them back. He slammed through the doors, breaking into a sprint to the elevator, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the lift to reach the lobby. He forgoed the medical wing, he would treat Chuuya at home. He only hoped his wounds didn’t worsen since then, as even Dazai couldn’t do much past first-aid and stitches.
He only allowed himself a breather when he was within the safety of Chuuya’s apartment, he laid Chuuya down on the couch. He was out cold, he must have passed out shortly after Dazai nullified Arahabaki’s sadistic assault on his mind and body.
“It’s going to be okay, Chuuya. We’re okay.”
He didn’t know if he was saying that more for Chuuya, or himself.