Disclaimer: I own absolutely positively nothing!
Chapter 1: The Dilemma
So, I actually started this story awhile back, but I didn't like where it was going and it got deleted. Now I'm trying it again, and it's going to be smidge different than the original. My dearest pal helped me on this with plot bunnies.
I'm typing this while my piece of shit home computer is trying to load INTERNET EXPLORER HOMEPAGE. That thing is so old, and I have to share the awesome laptop with my mom. She's such a damn computer hog!
Anyway, Enjoy!
"I promise, we'll always be together. Forever."
"*ditches in like 2 seconds* MOVE IT CRIPPLE."
"Mio! Wait! D':"
-Me in fatal frame 2 when Mayu is with me
For Izaya, the day started out like any other day. He'd gotten dressed after waking up, annoyed Namie, and ate a great breakfast. It was early January, and the winter was back with a vengeance. The young information broker had a client to deal with that evening, and Izaya needed to finish checking over all the information the man wanted. It was just over some petty gang war. Simple really. "Get information for me on this gang." and all that stupid nonsense that made his humans just so predictable.
"I'm off, Namie-san!" Izaya shouted over his shoulder as he walked out the door.
It didn't take long for him to reach the destination that the man indicated to be met at. It was in a back alley of Ikebukuro, and the snow made it even harder for others to see the two conversing. When the raven haired man arrived there however, it wasn't the client he was planning to meet. In fact, the person was of a different gender! "Well, well," the woman, whose long yellow coat contrasted greatly with the pale snow. "If it isn't Izaya Orihara." The woman seemed to be taunting him.
Izaya took in her appearance. Her black hair was cute short, her glasses framing her cold, brown, calculating eyes, and her expression was blank as ever. "Kurjiraki Kasane." Izaya calmly stated.
He knew who she was. She was Yodogiri Jinnai's secretary. She was as cold as she was mean. Izaya's crimson eyes scanned his surroundings; the only way out was from behind him, and a couple of sluggish looking thugs were blocking his way. He smirked, 'Underestimating me, ne?' His thoughts were cut short when Kurjira smirked devilishly was well, "If you think you have any chance of escaping unscathed, you've got another thing coming." Her eyes glowed red, along with the other thugs (plus the four that practically appeared out of thin air).
"A Saika wielder, eh?" He needed to get out of this situation, and fast. That fire escape looked perfect…
"Get him." Kujira's eyes flashed a deadly glow before her minions ran after him, the zombie look in their eyes annoying Izaya immensely.
The informant ran for the fire escape, and expertly climbed up to the top. He could here them and Kujira hot on his heels. At the top of the building, he sprinted to the left, hoping to lose them once he started jumping to different buildings. "Oh please, Izaya." Kujira laughed frostily, "This little stunt going to help you?" she was gradually getting closer.
"It's making your minions fall of the buildings isn't it?" he taunted, jumping to another building.
He was going to turn to go to the left, but his progress came to a cruel end.
The roof of the building was covered in snow and sleet, making footing hard to keep. Izaya could easily do that, but his shoes lost traction on his turn and he started sliding.
Right. Off. The. Roof.
'Fuck.' was all Izaya could curse to himself before he landed rather harshly on a railing.
His ribs had definitely broken on his right side, and after bouncing off the railing and nearly landing face first, his wrist was too. The snow comforted his landing a little bit, but not much. Those Saika children would be on him in a second if he didn't do something. Izaya tried to get up, only to realize his ankle was in serious pain. His consciousness was barely holding, and his vision was blurring. 'This… this can't be it.' He couldn't die here. There was no way.
No… way…
.
.
.
.
"Set him down on the couch." Shinra instructed his headless girlfriend.
Celty did as instructed, and made sure to be gentle. Izaya may be a heartless bastard, but the painful way his face was contorting in made a soft spot in Celty's heart immediately want to help the man. The underground doctor looked at her while he removed Izaya's coat, "Tell me exactly what happened."
Celty told him. She'd been relaxing, enjoying the scenery when something fell out of the sky to her right. At first she thought it was aliens, which frightened her, but upon further inspection she discovered it was Izaya. The man was barely hanging on to his consciousness. The snow was slowly enveloping his body, making his thin form shiver even when he was knocked cold. The dullahan used her shadows to move the man on to her the back of her bike.
She didn't know what to do about the situation except head for Shinra's apartment.
"Ah~ Celty! It's so good you're - is that Izaya?" The doctor greeted the headless woman before pointing to his friend draped over her shoulder.
[I found him outside in the snow. I think he fell off a building. I'm surprised he's still barely conscious.] Celty typed, continuing in through the door.
The two set to work. The informant was taken to the back room for treatment, and Shinra had to finally knock him out before they could any sort of help for the man. The initial look over suggested Izaya had a broken wrist, possible concussion, possibly broken ankle, and his ribs were definitely cracked. It was tedious work, setting the raven's ribs back in place along with his wrist. The injures were both wrapped in their respective way; the wrist was casted to prevent further injury, and his torso was wrapped tightly with bandages.
The ankle turned out to just be severely sprained. For that, Shinra was grateful. It was simple to help Izaya's problem with that, and the doctor made sure the man didn't suffer from a concussion. When he was glad he was wrong about the concussion, the doctor practically jumped in joy. "That's all for now!" Shinra cheered to Celty, who was using her shadows to put Izaya on the couch.
[What are we going to do with him? He can't stay here for more than a day.]
Shinra pondered this. He snapped his fingers, "I have an idea!" his eyes gleamed mischievously, picking up his cell phone.
[Are you doing what I think you're doing?]
"Maybe~!" the phone went off, someone was calling Shinra.
"Hello?" he answered, the number marked as private.
"Shinra Kishitani? I would like to have a word with you." a calm voice from the phone spoke.
.
.
.
.
Shizuo really hated for his sleep to be interrupted.
Especially at three in the morning.
His cell phone had begun to ring, and the fortissimo groped blindly on his nightstand for the damn object. Without even looking at caller ID Shizuo pressed the answer button. "What?" he asked angrily, rolling over to lay on his back.
"Shizuo! Quick, get to my apartment as fast as you can! It's an emergency!"
Shinra. There was no mistaking that voice. "What kind of emergency?" The last time the doctor called for Shizuo's help was when the guy needed help opening a pickle jar.
Yeah, Shinra has a weird definition of emergencies.
"Uh- Celty needs your help! She really needs you here!"
That woke him up, "Celty's in trouble?" No one should dare mess with one of his closest friends!
Without waiting for a reply, or changing out of his pajamas for that matter, Shizuo was already bolting out of his apartment and toward the brunette's place. It didn't take long to reach there, and when he knocked on the door, Shinra was acting different. "Shizuo! I'm so glad you're here~! Please come in!" the blond walked in, a suspicious look planted on his face.
"Where's the emergency?" he asked, noticing Celty was actually in no danger in all, but was hunched over something (or rather someone) that was laying down on the couch. "I-ZA-YA!"
Why was that… that parasite laying on the couch?! Why would anyone let that flea anywhere near them?!
Shinra didn't miss a beat, "Now now, Shizuo! Let me explain what's going on first!" He was flailing around frantically, "I called you over here for a reason: I need you to protect Izaya for a little while."
"Fuck no!" what else did they expect?
"Listen, Izaya's being chased by someone, and I'm pretty sure they're not through with him just yet." The brunette adjusted his glasses. "It's just for a little while, and- and I'll even tell you a funny secret of Izaya's each week he's alive! You know how fun that would be? I know some pretty juicy stuff!"
"What makes you think that alone will get me to take care of that pest?" He was seething now.
"… They threatened Celty." That made Shizuo stop his anger to give the smaller man a shocked expression. "They called earlier, and they offered a trade of some sort, and if I didn't hand him over they would kill Izaya anyway and Celty. I can't let that happen, Shizuo! Please, take him with you tomorrow afternoon back to your place. If not for me, but at least for Celty."
Why did he have to go and pull that card? Both Shinra and Celty were important to him… he would even watch that fucking flea for them. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Yay! Thank you so much, Shizuo!" The doctor hugged him, and Shizuo nearly threw the man out the window if Celty hadn't made a warning face through her text.
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"I'd like to offer you a trade. The informant, Izaya Orihara, or you and your precious Dullahan's life?"
Shinra's brown eyes widened, "W-What?"
"I know you're holding that poor excuse for a human up in your apartment currently. My children watched the Black Rider go back to your house and deliver him to you. I am giving you this chance now; if you don't give him over to me, I will kill you and that dullahan."
A pause. The bespectacled man stared at the carpeted floor, Celty was stuck close to him, trying to figure out what was happening that made her usually talkative boyfriend fall silent.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not handing Izaya over to you, even if you threaten my life. Celty can take care of herself, and I'll kill you if you lay one finger on her." That part made Celty's smoke puff out in heart formations, "I won't betray my friend. If you want to get Izaya, I bid you good luck because there's no way I'll ever let you get to him." The phone call ended with a loud click!
[Now what will we do? I can't stay here all day to help you guys out.]
"No, but we can leave him with someone that's immune to Saika's blade, and can challenge Izaya's stubbornness."
[Shizuo?]
A nod was the only reply she was given.
Song at beginning: Are U Ready? By mini
Song at end: Rain tears by Ruri Hijiribe (or sung by her)
I hope you enjoyed this! I'm getting back into this shindig, and I'm hoping I kept everyone in character.
If you enjoyed this story, thank Akari Yukimura for asking me to upload this again! ^_^
I hope you enjoyed this! By the end of this I was getting attacked by this goddamn bug that INSISTED on getting all up in my face.
Please, Read and Review! :3
I'd greatly appreciate it!