Dire
Chapter One
Ikebukuro was a bloodthirsty city located in the shadowed depths of Tokyo, Japan shrouded in mystery and preserved by calamity. This metropolis was a web of lies and deceit, spun by an information broker with a love for humans. This place had a certain eerie presence which sucked you in and surrounded you with constant gang violence. An urban jungle filled with hunters and the hunted. If you kept your head down and your voice low you'd survive for another day.
Few people struck fear into the hearts of all men and women alike, hushed names whispered in secret with connections to dangerous individuals. Shiki, the Headless Rider, and two names which sent chills down the backs of all who had ever lived to meet them face to face. Shizuo Heiwajima and Izaya Orihara were those such people, each with dark past's and enemies in many places.
It was a rather peaceful day in Ikebukuro, at least by Shizuos observation. Work had come by calmly, well as calm as debt collection went, and not a single scum bag was left bloodied and traumatized by Shizuos very hands. At the moment he was enjoying a leisurely walk through the darkened streets when his phone began to ring. The number was blocked but Shizuo naively answered anyway.
" Hello," Shizuo demanded, a blood curdling scream was his only answer which in turn sent shivers down his spine.
Usually Shizuo despised violence of all kind, but he distantly recognized the scream in which he heard.
" Who the hell is this," Shizuo demanded, oddly stated though his mind spun with questions.
" My name is Ryukagi Chow and I'm afraid the screams you just heard were our unsatisfied guest's. Perhaps you know them, they go by the names Mairu and Kururi Orihara," the voice was thick with a dark drawl.
Shizuo held his phone in a death grip, dreading the out come of this phone call, " What the fuck did you do to them," he snapped.
" Well you see one of the little brats attempted to bite my men so we ripped out her pretty little teeth. Honestly we didn't want to hurt them to bad, until you could make it that is," the voice seemed over confident and sarcastic and Shizuo HATED it.
" If you lay a fucking finger on them I'll -," Shizuo was suddenly cut off by a hysterical laugh on the other line.
" You'll what Shizuo Heiwajima? Come find me? I'm counting on it," Shizuo could practically hear the other man's smirk.
" If you really wanna save them then meet me on the top of Mikages Martial Arts at twelve o'clock and be punctual we wouldn't want my knives to accidentally slip," then as suddenly as he had called Ryukage had hung up.
Shizuo could practically feel his rage consume his whole being, blinding him with fury as he quickly called his closest friend Celty, knowing she would always help. You might be asking why Shizuo was keen on saving Mairu and Kururi, the relatives of his arch enemy and the answer was simple. He was quite fond of them. Unlike Izaya they held a more optimistic and mystical energy around like the sun or some shit.
Shizuo wasn't the most poetic.
When Shizuo arrived on the rooftops of Mikages Martial Arts with the Headless Rider he was expecting a group of stupid thugs, not Mairu and Kururi tied up, covered in blood, and barely hanging on to life. Shizuo's instincts kicked in and before he could properly asses the situation he was rushing to their rescue. He could see the helpless plea in Mairu's broken eye's and when he reached them, two ear deafening gun shot's exploded. Hitting their target and as if in slow motion Shizuo watched the silver bullets hit their targets with professional aim. If it hadn't been for the mouth gags Mairu and Kururi would've screamed out in pain as crimson blood poured from their stomach's.
" So there are thing's that even Ikebukuro's strongest man can't do? Give my condolences to Izaya Orihara and his family, and when you tell them how you couldn't save their precious daughter's and beloved sister's do it with a guilty conscious and broken spirit," the voice of Ryukage Chow taunted.
Shizuo swore he would never forget that voice and for the first time in years Shizuo shed tears as held Mairu and Kururi's bodies, the life draining quickly from them. Shizuo tore the gags from the twins mouths in his overwhelming panic. He could hardly seen with his tears blinding him and when Kururi, blood bubbling from her mouth, mumbled a broken ' Iza-nee' Shizuo truly broke. He was so consumed that he jumped like a small child when a soft tap startled him on the shoulder.
Suddenly Celty's PDA flashed and with it a new found hope, ' We need to take them to Shinra's and stop the bleeding.'
Shizuo followed Celty's calm lead and stopped the bleeding as the Headless Rider rushed them to the underground doctor's. And upon arrival Shinra went straight to work leaving Shizuo alone as a twisted darkness swallowing him whole. All the while repeating the phrase " I'm so sorry," again and again. Wringing his hands to the point of blood and bruising.
Celty sat across from him, the house a creeping silent as she observed Shizuo, never had she seen him cry, in all her year's of knowing the debt collector. The sight brought her to a crushing fear and shallow feeling budding in the pit of her stomach. How would Izaya take this? Izaya who secreted his love for the small twin's and only ever wanted their protection. Celty felt sick as she remembered the time Izaya had begged for her protection over the twin's and for the first time she had failed and now two innocent children, caught up in all this mess, were fighting for their lives.
Celty had to find Izaya.