Chapter Text
“An odd occurrence has arisen these past few years, and only now are we made aware of them.” Kunikida held a laser pointer in his hand, the bright red dot skimming over intricate writing and profiles on the projector screen.”Twenty-one people have come forward from all across the globe to reveal incriminating evidence against the company C&A, a software company. They've reported some sort of scheme, a confidential project that they unknowingly took part in.”
Across the meeting room, splayed over two chairs in an impolite manner and a bandaged arm resting on the table, Dazai yawned.
Kunikida's refined look sharpened into one of annoyance, a scowl threatening to emerge. “As I was saying, all of these victims came forward to expose a plot involving artificial intelligence and unconsented medical procedures, from what I understand.”
Dazai yawned again.
“What?” Said Kunikida, clenching the laser pointer tightly.
“Where exactly does this involve any of us?” Dazai gestured to the small group of detectives sitting around the meeting table, a smug look in his eyes. “It sounds like this case is already solved, from the heaps of information you're so graciously piling onto us and the amount of victims, no?”
Tapping his foot on the group in a rhythmic manner, Kunikida pushed up his glasses and sighed. “It's not solved. Out of twenty-one people, no one could describe precisely what occurred, just that they knew something was wrong.”
“So what do you want us to do?” Piped in Tanizaki, who was sitting nearest to the projector screen.
“I got it! Say it was all a dream; they're crazy!” Dazai chipped in, hand raised in the air like an eager-to-please school kid.
Kunikida breathed in, then out.
“We,” Kunikida announced, “have to find out what events went down, and register the closure of C&A for good.”
…
“... Was that some sort of dramatic explanation speech that cartoon characters do? Because it sounded like one.”
“Dazai!!” Kunikida seethed.
***
After the meeting officially ended, the Armed Detective Agency members took their leave one by one, until only Dazai and Ranpo remained.
Ranpo sighed, deep.
Dazai looked to the side, careless yet completely intent, and raised an eyebrow at Ranpo.
“This case is going to be a long one.” Muttered the heterochromatic-eyed man. It wasn't a guess, not at all. It was a declarative at its finest.
Huffing out a laugh, Dazai closed his eyes. “I can only hope I'm not the one sent out to figure out what's happening.”
The sound of a chair scraping against wooden floorboards told Dazai Ranpo had gotten up.
“I wouldn't even hope if I were you, Dazai. You're the only one equipped to solve this case.”
Dazai smiled, bittersweet. “I know.”
When Dazai opened his eyes again, the detective was gone.
***
TUESDAY
“So, Kunikida, got any news from the big boss? Any idea when this ‘medical malpractice’ case is being fully handed over to us?” Dazai poked at Kunikida. The man sitting in front of him stopped typing on his laptop abruptly.
“No news from President Fukuzawa,” Kunikida stated, a suspicious look forming on his face. “Why? Are you excited to start a case, for once?”
Dazai leaned back in his chair. Early in the morning (11 AM, actually, the second he got to work), one of the office clerks had informed him of his role in the newest job. Dazai had not been surprised. He was, however, mildly annoyed.
“Never,” he replied. “Just curious.”
Kunikida huffs. “Curiousity never goes well for you, Dazai. Need I remind you of the time you were curious about that lady two blocks down?”
“Ah, yes! She gifted me a bomb, I remember.” Dazai unhelpfully supplied.
“You're a lost cause,” Kunikida groused. “But I'll ask the president about anything on the situation, on your behalf.”
“Awwww, thanks!! That's why you're my favourite, Kunikida-kun!!” Happily goaded Dazai.
Kunikida exhaled and rose from his seat. “I'll be back.”
In the brief few minutes Kunikida was gone, Dazai actually did some work. Last night, he had been researching the company, C&A, and came up with nearly nothing. There was no hint of what either the ‘C’ or ‘A’ stood for; the only thing documented about them was that they were a software company that had been testing the waters of creative and adaptive AI in the 90s, which was supposedly their prime. There were very few theories he could make off of such scarce information, so, today, he searched up for the twenty-or-so people who had gone through whatever C&A were doing.
After a little bit of looking, Dazai concluded that many of the people who came forward chose to stay anonymous; only a few names were on the Internet: Grant Best, Abigail Brooks, Leeroy Mateo, and Suzie J. Ackerman. Surprisingly, Grant Best was a high regarded employee of C&A, having spent several years in computer science. But the one who really caught Dazai's attention was Abigail. With some surface level digging, he found her YouTube channel, which was mainly composed of multiple ‘exploring abandoned _’ titles, one of the latest ones being of an office. Curious, Dazai clicked on it.
He sped through the first two-or-so minutes of the video, until something blue caught his eye. He paused the video and zoomed in on the desolate grey building. On one of the concrete walls, surrounded by dead and dying trees, there was a sign protruding, a faded azure thing with two dirty white letters printed on it: C&A.
It didn't mean much, really. It solidified the fact that this C&A building was abandoned, and for a peculiar reason, since many other branches were still up and running. But, however, it did mean that Dazai was gaining interest.
Dazai hummed as his mind wandered, numerous theories beginning development within his brain, until there was a tap on his shoulder.
“Yes, Kunikida?” Said Dazai, gazing at the tall, blonde man before him.
Kunikida cleared his throat. “You're being sent out to search for any leads tomorrow.”
“Ah, no need!” Dazai spun his laptop to face Kunikida and picked up a ballpoint pen, pointing at the C&A logo with the tip of the plastic cap. “I've found the building where all of it started already, hon.”
“Oh.” Kunikida blanched, staring at the screen for a beat too long. Without asking for permission, he took the laptop within his own hands, scanning the screen and then clicking out of the video to see its owner. “Abigail Brooks-?”
“-one of the victims, yes.” Concluded Dazai. “The building is located in the states, based on the foliage, though I haven't figured out where exactly.”
Kunikida chewed his bottom lip.
“In that case, you and I will be flown to the US within the next week, and we'll be able to do a thorough search of the building for any incriminating evidence.”
“Just us?” Dazai asked. “That's such a bore. You're always such a stick-in-the-mud, you know?”
“You've said.” Grumbled Kunikida, handing over Dazai's laptop before leaning down to press a short kiss to the black-haired man's cheek.
“I should really break up with you, you know?” Dazai said, pushing the man away jokingly.
Kunikida straightened his red ribbon. “Get back to work, Dazai.”
Dazai laughed. “In your dreams.”
There was a brief silence whilst Kunikida sat back down at his desk and Dazai closed his laptop. Spinning minutely in his swivel chair, Dazai wondered what would go down next week.
“Uh, Dazai-san?” Entered a mildly timid voice.
Dazai turned towards Atsushi. “Yes, my glorious mentee?”
“Are you aware of what PDA is?”
“Yes, I am, Atsushi-kun.” Grinned Dazai.
“... Okay.”
“Well, anyway, you're gonna have to do my paperwork while I'm gone! Doesn't that sound exciting?”
Atsushi sighed. “Not particularly, no.”
***
FRIDAY
The journey to the airport was mind-numbing.
On Wednesday, Ranpo had taken a single look at the video and declared that the structure was in California, USA, and the President packed them off there with little-to-no warning.
Immigration was tedious, and Dazai got questioned multiple times about the gun stashed away within his suitcase, and every time Dazai gave more and more absurd reasons, going from ‘being a detective’ to ‘needing protection against the sharp-teethed, carnivorous fairies that were out for him after he stole a city's worth of riches’, which was when Kunikida decided it was time to intervene.
By the time Kunikida and him finally landed in San Diego, it was nearly midnight and they were driven to a shabby hotel not too far away from the suspected C&A building, with a terrible view and rock-hard cushions- expected from such a cheap establishment, of course.
It was when Kunikida exited the tiled bathroom and when Dazai lounged on the bed did Dazai ask the question he had meant to ask on the very day Kunikida held that meeting.
“Do you think we could bag an interview with one of the people that came forward?”
Kunikida hummed, folding his glasses and setting them on the bedside table.
“Depends who.”
“One of the employees. Grant Best, preferably. I believe his name was that.”
Kunikida stood for a moment in silence, thinking. “I suppose, if we don't have to venture far, we could try to arrange a meet up with him in due time. If he consents, of course.”
“Of course,” Dazai amended. “But I'd prefer we know more about this whole C&A thing before we charge into an abandoned building that steals your brain.”
Sliding under the covers with Dazai, Kunikida provided him an incredulous look. “Trying to do things properly for once?”
The ravenette man smiled. “This case intrigues me, as much as I said otherwise. Twenty-one different people coming together to say a software company was messing with their minds? And with no evidence? Quite an alluring mystery, no?”
“If you say so, Dazai.”
“I do say so!”
“... Go to sleep already.”
***
SATURDAY
Dazai had rolled over in his sleep, restless as always, loosely bandaged arms curling around his partner's waist, his cheek pressed up against Kunikida's shoulder. The latter was still asleep, and the duvet had been kicked off of him sometime in the night, with his long lashes peacefully shut.
The curtains, which were of poor quality, let slip a slice of early-morning sun, bright sun spilling into their hotel room with a certain eagerness the night did not possess. It begot a warmth to wash over his lover's face, his hair a cascading river of white-hot fire, his face tranquil as the moment went on.
It would have been a serene sight, if it had not been besetted from the dread building up in his stomach- the same dread that often threatened to scream and shout and crawl up Dazai's esophagus to spill its dark, murky substance out into the world for anyone to see.
Dazai knew something was wrong.
And they were too far in to fix anything now.
***
Kunikida woke up at 7:30 AM. It was late considering his usual schedule, but with their lack of an established plan, this day would unfold calmer and sluggish compared to the coming days in this investigation. Of course, the blonde-haired man was still distraught, annoyed that he had woken up so late; that Dazai had not done anything about it.
When Kunikida complained as such, with a tired voice and droopy eyes, Dazai smiled. He kissed him on the cheek and asked the other to make coffee.
“I am not making you anything, Dazai.” Kunikida groaned. He threw himself around, his fingers grazing his rectangular glasses with an outstretched hand.
Dazai huffed, but said nothing.
… Which was odd, considering he usually retaliated in some way.
At 7:45, Dazai sat at the (excuse of a) wooden table by the kitchenette, sipping his coffee and staring at Kunikida cool with hooded eyes. Kunikida was setting down their plates, which held nothing but an omelette and a little bit of seasoning, damn his lack of supplies, that Dazai spoke up again.
“What are our plans, then?” He asked.
Kunikida picked up his fork. “Get an interview with a first-hand account, then use the knowledge we gain from it to figure out what's occurring in C&A.”
“Mmh,” said Dazai, “are you going to be emailing Grant today?”
“It's my top priority after finishing breakfast. Speaking of which-”
Dazai shushed him. He set down his white coffee cup, picked up his fork, and chewed. He scrunched up his face. “You know I hate omelettes, hon.”
“It's the only type of egg you'll eat, so I beg to differ.” Shot back Kunikida.
Dazai couldn't help it: his lips quirked upwards. Something so little as remembering his preferences in food could make Dazai swoon, and he was always a little annoyed with himself about it. He finished his plate rather slowly, though, letting a languid conversation wash over Kunikida and him.
Kunikida cleaned up their dirty plates and wandered off into the bedroom to write an email, leaving Dazai alone in the kitchen area. His weariness had not yet subsided, instead becoming something like a fading headache- dull and painful only when thought about. He did not yet know the source of the uneasiness.
Perhaps it was sourced from the curious circumstances of their new case, the mysteries that had yet to add up (a terrifying thought for a person possessing such an admirable IQ), or the absolute lack of evidence to even pursue the case. Maybe it was something else entirely.
Whatever it was, Dazai was anxious to find it out.