Chapter Text
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Another day, another mission. It was pretty high-risk, but with the black lizards, Akutagawa and Chuuya covering it, it would be solved. There was a rival organisation threatening the Port Mafia's territory, and that never ends well. You would think people would learn. There were 10 unidentified ability users before they showed up; now there was one begging for his life as Chuuya crushed him with gravity.
"I may be dying, but you will remember me, for I shall do you a favour even as you kill me. I’ll fix your biggest regret.'' The man croaks, trying to bolster his ego, trying to show some power to the gravity user who had him at his mercy.
But honestly?
Chuuya called bullshit. Why would this man help Chuuya solve his biggest regret? The redhead was killing the man, but as he saw the light leave the man's eyes, and the flash of him using his ability, he saw 5 figures appear in the distance.
Five figures he thought he’d never see until he joined them in death. He knew their names by heart, and he froze in place as he saw them.
Albatross.
Doc.
Pianoman.
Iceman.
Lippman.
Shit, that dude wasn’t lying, was he? He really had brought them back; Chuuya could question the logistics of this later.
He just really needed to be sure that this wasn’t a bad dream where he’d wake up in the end all alone.
''The fuck?" is all Chuuya could let out before his jaw dropped open. Akutagawa gives a glance to Hirotsu because in the years Akutagawa has known Chuuya, he has never seen the redhead....this shaken. Hirotsu is so still that Tachihara is convinced he's a statue or has finally died due to old age.
"What happened, Ol' man, why is Chuuya shocked?" Tachihara asked, his eyes flicking over from the men to Chuuya, to Hirotsu. Looking for an answer, maybe this could be something he could tell the Hunting Dogs…They were getting pretty agitated that Tachihara didn’t have new info.
He had loads of it; he just…found it too personal to share with them. He was getting too attached, and he shrugged it off.
''Those men! They can't be...they're supposed to be..'' Hirotsu trailed off...
''Dead?" Chuuya replies, finally slipping out of his trance, ''I am going to go check on 'em. Do not follow me.'' His jaw clenched as he walked to the 5 men in the distance. He was a man on a mission.
''Dead? What does he mean by that?" Akutagawa asks impatiently; he wanted answers, and he wanted them fast.
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''Are we not supposed to be dead?" Lippman asked, suspiciously eyeing his surroundings. ''Yes we are,'' Iceman replies simply, with a brow raised, not that shaken. Then again, there was little that could shake the man seemingly made out of ice.
''Waittt is this not the Yokohama port?" Albatross replies since he had many transport jobs here while he was alive. He knew this place by heart.
''Yes, it is...'' Pianoman supplies, trying to catch on to Albatross’s plane of thought.
''Are we alive again? This is great! We can meet Chuuya!" Albatross said, waving his hands around at the idea of meeting the 16-year-old boy.
And then the gravity manipulator himself showed up. He was stunned, and his expression was eerily calm, aka his brain was resetting, which was expected; no one was calm to see their old dead friends show up randomly.
"Chuuya?" Lippman takes a step forward to meet the gaze of the redhead. It was really him, he had the same blue-brown eyes and red hair ( a bit longer ), and he was wearing his coat like Lippman. It warmed his heart.
''How-Why-...'' Chuuya asks, taking in the unscathed appearances of the five men. He did wish for them to be alive, truly; he just didn’t think it’d happen on a random Tuesday.
''Good to see you too, Chuuya!!'' Albatross beams, grinning like an idiot as he pulls Chuuya into a side hug.
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“Those men died 6 years ago! They were people who had the potential to be executives. Chuuya is horrified because...they died in his arms.'' Hirotsu answered, re-adjusting his monocle and coat. He could imagine the long status report to Mori.
He wanted to smoke a cigarette, but he was out of them.
''....fuck!'' Tachihara hissed, his eyes widening with alarm. This, too, was too personal to tell the Hunting Dogs, and jeez — this was? Unbelievable.
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"So...Chuuya...you did not grow," Albatross said dryly, patting Chuuya’s back. As Chuuya took in the insult slowly and mumbled, “Huh-...’tross? Oh shut up, I’m growing!’’
“Sure you are, buddy,’’ Albatross responded, amused.
''Hirotsu-san!'' Doc greets, tilting his head to the side at the elder man coming with 3 new mafia members in tow (at least according to Doc's memory,ry which stopped being accurate 6 years ago.
''Doc,'' Hirotsu replies, perplexed at the idea of the Flags breathing since their death was one of the triggers or first signs of what became the Port Mafia's most lethal fight.
It was also just odd to see people you’d mourned 6 years ago suddenly walking and joking around you.
''Ol' man!'' Albatross smiles brightly as he high-fives the grey-haired man.
''Hirotsu-san, you’re looking good. Still smoke?" Iceman replies, eyeing the very characteristic box of cigarettes in the man's hand. He could also tell that they were empty, so he must’ve used them already. A shame, Icecman wanted a cigarette.
''Yes, I do, Iceman,'' Hirotsu replies without wasting a second. He smiled grimly; it was faint but visible.
''Hirotsu-sama! How old are you now? 60?" Lippman asks, his natural actor’s charisma shining through his tone — making a ‘rude’ question seem good-natured.
In reality, Lippman was just trying to understand how long it had been since they passed away.
''50,'' Hirotsu replied, catching on to what he was doing. Albatross whistled and said something about Hirotsu looking good for a fossil.
''Ah! Nice seeing another familiar face.'' Pianoman smiles; it truly was, since they were surrounded by a couple of unfamiliar faces who were hard to trust.
Tachihara grumbles something to Gin, who snorts.
Akutagawa continues eyeing the 'strangers' with suspicion. He couldn’t tell who they were, and it irked him. Those fools seemed at ease with the executive, even touching him like old friends!
Chuuya was still, pale as a ghost. He was standing off to the side in Albatross’s iron grip ( dying did not make him weaker… ), and let out a groan, to which Tachihara chuckled; he found it amusing.
“Chuuya-san, who are these people?” Akutagawa found himself questioning out loud. He had short patience, and it was reaching its end.
“The Flags, I’ll explain it to you later, Ryuu,’’ Chuuya said easily, as he tried to shake off the pit of dread in his stomach, as he couldn’t accept the fact that it was this easy.
Their graves were still near Yokohama. What happened to the bodies?
The bodies, as in one limb or two, considering Verlaine had practically left them torn to pieces.
Thinking about it made Chuuya want to throw up.