Durarara 4

Six months before…

She awoke from her light slumber by the cool press of steel in her temple. She knew what it was immediately, without having to look. A gun. She followed the arm up to a face, full of fear and anxiety. It was Mike. Her secondhand man.

"Mike, what are you doing?"

His face was contorted with regret at the task he had been given.

"I-I'm sorry. They have my sister."

Slowly, letting Mike know her actions, she swung her legs around to the floor.

"Who, Mike? Who is ordering you to do this?" Her voice was as hard as steel, despite the situation. She showed no fear, which didn't surprise Mike. He had been her secondhand man for three years. He still knew nothing of her past, just that she was an exceptional fighter, fearless, and something had happened to make it hard for her to trust. Even after the three years he had known her, she still didn't trust him. She was a monster on the battlefield and it was difficult to reach her sympathetic side, though she put on a good front.

"I can't tell you. They'll kill her."

She was silent, analyzing the information he had put in front of her.

He lowered the gun.

"I can't do it. I can't shoot you."

"Do it." She suddenly said and Mike shot her a surprised look. "You're sister is your only family and if this will keep her alive, do it."

She reached forward, wrapped an arm around his wrist and raised it back up, the barrel once again pressed to her skull.

She closed her eyes, prepared for the pain, but it never came. Mike moved backwards, shaking his head.

"No, I can't do it. Rowan…you may not trust me, but you are my best friend and I can't shoot you."

Rowan stood up.

"Thank you, Mike."

He nodded his welcome. "But you should go. If I don't do it they'll move on to someone else and blackmail them. Disappear."

She snatched up a small bag, already packed then grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Then he noticed her clothes. She was already dressed. His eyes reflected the realization. "You knew!" He accused.

She smiled grimly. "Yes I did."
"Then why…?"
"I wanted you to choose what was right or wrong." She headed for the window, pushed the curtains to the side, and opened pushed the glass up. The night's breeze kissed at her skin and she climbed onto the sill. Before jumping, she threw a comment over her shoulder. The first glimpse into her horrifying past. The first thing she had said since the occurrences, but it was still quite vague.

"You know, my brother was a lot like you."

Then she was gone.

Present Time…

She pounded down the alleyways. She chanced a glance behind her and saw the four men, still there. She had no idea who they were, but they all had a yellow scarf tied somewhere. Kidding, she wasn't stupid, she knew who they were. I you lived in Ikebukuro, you'd have to be ignorant and retarded not to know about the Yellow Scarves. And this girl was neither of those things. As she passed another opening she darted down it, knowing that it was a dead end. The men seeing this, shared seductive smiles. But the girl didn't stop, she even sped up. When she was just the right distance away from the wall she jumped, placed one foot on the smooth cement, and threw herself up, managing to catch the top with her hand and throw herself over. She landed in the other alley with ease.

"Hey! Did you know I used to be a free runner? Might as well give up now!" The men just stood there, panting as her footsteps echoed in her continually swift pace to get away. As she rounded a corner she ran into someone, falling back. She looked up at an angry blonde man in a bartender suit who had hoisted a vending machine above his head. She stood up and scrambled back, only to be grabbed by a brunette and yanked in front of him. She cursed loudly, having run into a detour. Then the man threw the vending machine. The girl placed her hands on the machine, pushed off it, placed her feet on the top, then lunged. She landed an accurate kick to Blondie's chest. He stumbled back with the force. Not knowing who he was, she preferred not to kill him. Fur-Coat raised an eyebrow at her and Blondie's jaw dropped. She did not look like someone who could handle herself in a fight. She wore a black short-sleeve dress with red lining the bottom and black shorts underneath, a violet short-sleeve jacket, black boots that reached up past her knees, the top lined with red, and violet gloves that showed her fingers. Her blond hair hung loose to the middle of her back and she had striking, dark blue eyes. She didn't look more than eighteen, but the strength in her kick had been practiced, and the accuracy was precise. And what she had done with the vending machine…she seemed to have defied gravity.

Izaya was also quite surprised, but he hid it behind his trademark smirk.

"So, a new girl in town, huh?" He stepped closer and twirled a strand of her hair around a finger. It smelled like strawberries.

"I'm not new."
"Really? Who are you, then?" Shizuo asked.

"My name is Rowan and I've lived here my whole life," She shot a pointed look at Izaya, pulling away from him. "And don't bother introducing yourselves. You're Heiwajima Shizuo," She said, motioning to Blondie. Then she turned on Fur-Coat. "And you're Izaya Orihara. The 'monster' as people describe you, and the rat, as others describe you."

They both frowned. Just then, the four men who had previously been chasing her, stepped into the line of view and saw her.

"Uh, I gotta run. See ya around." She spun and took off, the four gang members following in hot pursuit.

Izaya's POV

As Izaya was skipping along the sidewalk, heading home, he saw the four men who had been chasing the girl. Unconscious and bloody. In the mouth of an alley. He stared at them a moment, then continued his trek home, except this time he was walking, deep in thought.

Who was she? How did she throw off even Shizuo? Why have I not met her before? She obviously has a lot of strength and skill and isn't that bad looking, either. Hmm…