Of Monsters and Men
Shizuo was breathing hard, chest heaving up and down while the dust settled around him. The unconscious-but still live-bodies littered the soccer field around him, along with the debris and aftermath of destroying the field. Shizuo's ears were ringing as he continued panting, rage fading into the back of his mind. And then he heard it. The sound of clapping came from behind him, and he turned around in annoyance.
Izaya smiled. He had watched the entire thing with Shinra, who was currently introducing him to Shizuo. The blond still looked annoyed, and he was looking at Izaya with a skeptical look, as if he were trying to figure him out. Izaya, admittedly, had enjoyed the show. He couldn't help but think 'What outstanding strength he has'. The raven could imagine countless possibilities of how it could be used, and it thrilled him, it excited his desire for chaos.
"This is Orihara Izaya from my middle school," Shinra stated cheerfully, then shrugged, "Well, he's not that good a person… maybe I should say he's a horrible person."
"You're so mean, Shinra," Izaya feigned feeling hurt. Though he knew Shinra was only being truthful about how he felt. Despite that, Izaya couldn't deny that Shinra was still one of the humans he so dearly loved. And perhaps one of the only ones who dared to call themselves his friend.
"No, I didn't mean it in a bad way." Shinra amended, still with a smile on his face, but Izaya had stopped listening, face turned down as he kept up his mask of distraught, while keeping his ears open to his surroundings.
"I don't like him." Heiwajima Shizuo spoke up. Izaya glanced up with a small smirk on his face. How interesting. Right off the bat, this stranger was saying something like this.
"Oh?" Izaya began, then sighed dramatically, "That's too bad. I think I could have some fun with you." He teased, smirk tilting up even more in his sick amusement.
"Shut up." Shizuo snapped, turning away from the two. He had had enough today. That was evident with the bodies still scattered around. He didn't understand why people kept provoking him. And the way Izaya had said those words, it just didn't sit right with him.
"Don't say that, Shizuo-kun," Orihara Izaya said with a pout. Shizuo didn't understand what happened next. It was a gut reaction. Something in the other males face spelt danger. It was in his eyes. Those eyes that were narrowed at Shizuo as if he were a lab rat, an experiment, a display for entertainment purposes only. And he could say he knew exactly how that felt because he was friends with Shinra. In one instant, Izaya was sitting there, smirking at the blond, and in the next instant, he had jumped away, dodging a punch. In result, the bench broke into pieces around them, flying into the air with dust and debris.
Shizuo glanced around, but couldn't find the raven haired boy anywhere. He heard movement from behind him, and then turned just in time to see Izaya rush towards him, something glinting in his hand. A knife slashed his shirt open, biting into the skin underneath. Blood seeped past the cut, and Shizuo glared at the small blade in the other's hand while his own went up to his chest in reaction to being injured. It didn't hurt him, of course it didn't hurt him. However, he had been shocked. No one had tried to stab him before this. Others had used their bare fists.
"See? This is fun, isn't it?" Izaya asked, eyes calculating the phenomenon in front of him. He received no answer, and the two stared each other down. Shinra popped in, smiling awkwardly, probably about to attempt to defuse the tension. Izaya wasn't about to let that happen. This was too much fun.
"Ah, guys, this isn't exactly what I –" Shinra tried to chime in, but it was too late. Shizuo was aiming another punch, and Izaya then decided that it was the right time to start running in the opposite direction. The chase continued through the streets of Ikebukuro, Izaya always just out of reach, the smirk on his face never faltering. With a glance back, he saw the blond, shirt still ripped, blood still on his chest, breathing heavily with inhuman anger. Amusement fueled Izaya to continue forward, and he turned a corner up ahead, stepping to the side to watch as the beast raged onward into the street, stopping to turn and look for him.
'Right on schedule,' Izaya thought, looking past the blond teenager to watch the truck rushing forward. A car horn sounded abruptly, but it wasn't soon enough. The truck hit its target, and Shizuo went flying into the air before falling and rolling onto the pavement. Groans escaped his mouth, so it was obvious he was still alive and breathing. The truck driver jumped out of his seat and hurried to check the damage.
"Are you alright?!" he asked, voice shaky and frightened at what he had just done. Izaya fought the urge to laugh. If it had been anyone but this beast, there was no way they would be okay, so that question would have been hysterical.
"He's fine." Izaya assured, stepping forward from his spot on the sidewalk, where it was safe, "He's built strong."
Shizuo picked his head up off of the street to glare at the man he had been chasing, only to see him pulling out his wallet and handing money over to the truck driver. The blond groaned, turning over to lay on his back. His body was in pain, but he knew it would heal. He narrowed his eyes up at the bright blue sky, wondering why it had to be him, wondering why he had to be surrounded by violence. Whoever this Orihara Izaya was, he was twisted, and sick. Shizuo decided then and there that he hated him.
Izaya waited. He waited, and waited, after having stalked his prey, he waited in the shadows by the eastside exit of Raira High school, where he knew Heiwajima Shizuo would be bursting through the double doors like the animal he is in a few minutes. Other students had avoided this particular exit when they realized the monster used them every day when leaving school. No one fancied crossing paths with him.
One of the doors flew open, hitting the side of the school building with such force that the bricks chipped just slightly before the pieces crumbled to the ground.
'Right on time.' Izaya mused, seeing the mop of blond hair atop the blue uniform step out of the entryway, 'And he doesn't seem too happy,' he noted, glancing at the dent the door had made.
"Shizu-chan!" Izaya called out, pushing off of the bricks he had been leaning against. Shizuo stopped walking, and the raven took notice of how his body tensed up at the sound of his voice.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to fight you!" Izaya assured with a cheery smile, laughing as Shizuo turned to face him. Sure enough, the blond had a scowl on his face, proving Izaya's prediction of the monster's sour mood. Or maybe it was his presence.
"What do you want?" Shizuo demanded gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest, "And stop calling me by that ridiculous name!" Izaya wasn't intimidated by the sight at all, only curious and intrigued. His face maintained its composure, smile never fading, never faltering or falling, not even a centimeter.
"What do I want?" Izaya repeated mirthfully, waltzing right up to the blond, "It's not about what I want, really. This is about what you want. Or, should want, anyway."
"Hah?" Shizuo replied ineloquently, "What are you going on about?"
"Let me explain it to you simply," Izaya sighed, moving to circle the beast like a hunter circling its prey, moving in for the kill. Blood-red eyes were sharp and calculating, fearlessly meeting brown ones.
"You see, Shi-zu-o," he emphasized the pronunciation while his smile grew to a smirk, aimed at the boy in front of him, "You're not like anyone I've ever met." Izaya stated, eyes shining, with what, Shizuo didn't want to know, "You're different. And that doesn't have to be a bad thing."
"What are you talking about, Orihara?" Shizuo asked, eyes narrowing in distrust. This was the Orihara Izaya who had gotten him hit by a truck. The same Orihara Izaya who had left a scar on his chest. The very Orihara Izaya who Shizuo hated. And here he was, talking like he was making a business offer. Which could be possible, considering all of the shady things he's rumored to be involved in.
"Don't you get it? You have an incredible gift!" Izaya exclaimed, "You have incredible power in your bones, Shizuo."
"Gift? You think this is a gift?!" Shizuo growled, stepping forward towards the raven, who only stepped back, never flinching, "This isn't some kind of super power!" the blonde shouted, throwing a punch forward, only to have it hit the brick building where Izaya had been standing in front of. Shizuo snapped his head from side to side, then spun around to find the bastard standing there, hands behind his back patiently.
"Shizu-chan! I said I didn't want to fight!" Izaya reminded him, eyes wide in fake astonishment, "Honestly, I just want to help you."
"Shut up!" Shizuo yelled, seeing right through the façade, "You don't know anything about me!"
"Oh Shizu-chan," Izaya sighed, shaking his head as he dodged another attack, "I know everything about you. It's what I do best," he shrugged, a Cheshire grin on his lips.
"Go to hell," Shizuo spat. This only resulted in a laugh escaping the smaller boy, a laugh that had formed in the darkest part of his soul, created from insanity and madness.
"Oh, I'm planning on it," Izaya promised, laugh dying down to a chuckle, "Though I prefer to call it by another name." He shrugged offhandedly.
"Why do you care?" Shizuo suddenly asked, "Do you think this is funny? Is my life a joke to you?" he accused, anger boiling up and over his limit.
"A joke? Not at all." Izaya argued, shaking his head, "I'm completely serious here, Shizu-chan. I don't find this humorous, not even one bit."
"Well neither do I! So if you want to make sure you can laugh again after today, I suggest you fuck off!" the blond threatened, rushing forward to attack the other, only for Izaya to slip out of sight once again.
"Stay still so I can murder you!" Shizuo yelled, feeling frustration building from this encounter.
"No can do, Shizu-chan! If you murder me, then this conversation ends, and I won't achieve what I came here to do." He explained, hopping to the side and facing Shizuo once more, "So maybe, you should stay still, and stop waving your fists around like a barbarian." Izaya suggested, eyes becoming narrow slits as his patience wore thinner.
He sighed, closing his eyes and opening them once more with a big smile on his face, looking like nothing had happened. His eyes were no longer slits, but open wide, almost innocently.
"As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted," Izaya shot a look towards Shizuo, then continued stalking around his victim, "You see Shizu-chan, you may not see it as a gift, but I can see it. I see the potential!"
"Potential? Potential for what?" Shizuo questioned, spinning around to keep his eyes on the flea to avoid finding a knife stuck in his back.
"Potential for greatness. Potential to be a legend." Izaya asserted.
"You're foolish, Izaya. You can't really believe that my strength, my so called gift could make me a hero. I'm a freak! I never asked for this life. I don't want this strength." The blond stressed, growing tired of this topic.
"You're the fool, Shizu-chan. Do you not realize the kind of power you wield?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer, too far immersed to stop now "Do you not see how it is a gift? Do you understand the things you could do with it?" Izaya's voice was rising with enthusiasm, his eyes alight with a look of insanity, "You're powers are that of a God! With your strength, you could have the world at your feet! Just imagine! Forcing humans into submission, like they were born to do. Anything you wished for, anything you desired would be at your fingertips…" Izaya paused, eyes looking into Shizuo's with such amazement it threw the blond off. Izaya's voice then came out in a whisper, sounding breathless when he said "It would be such beautiful disorder."
"What kind of freak are you?" Shizuo bit out, teeth grinding together in an attempt to remain calm. His words had snapped Izaya out of whatever little daydream he had been lost in, and he simply raised an eyebrow at the question, looking quite amused.
"What makes you think I want a life like that? Violence. Force. Disorder. What makes you think anyone in their right mind would want to live like that?" Shizuo asked.
"Ne, is that a serious inquiry, or are you asking that rhetorically?" Izaya asked, teeth flashing in his saccharine grin. Shizuo remained quiet, and Izaya briefly wondered if he was trying to figure out what rhetorically meant. The thought was amusing.
"It seems you don't realize how people think, Shizu-chan. The way of the world today is something else. Mere humans would kill for even a taste of what you have." He insisted, stepping even closer.
"Not everyone is as shitty as you expect them to be, Izaya." Shizuo argued.
"Well, you're right about that Shizuo. That's what keeps them entertaining. They make their choices. Some remain goodhearted and pure, but I know the majority of humans have one trait in common. They're greedy. Everyone wants something. Mostly power and money. Sometimes love or fame. They can't be happy with what they have. That's why they murder and steal and cheat and lie!" Izaya was talking faster and faster, the shine returning to his eyes, "I truly do love humans."
"I find that hard to believe when you only love them if they make bad decisions." Shizuo scoffed.
"Ne, Shizu-chan, don't you love humans? As a God, you can love them all."
"I've heard enough of your bullshit, Izaya." Shizuo grumbled, clenching his hands into fists by his sides, "Your version of love is a lie."
"I'm offended by that comment, Shizu-chan! How could you say that?"
"You don't love humans. You love feeling powerful. You crave having the power over all of them, feeling smarter, superior to them. This isn't about me, is it Izaya?" Shizuo blinked, his eyes widening a fraction as if realizing something.
"This is about you." He stated simply, "This is about you, and your obsession with control over anyone with an influence in this city."
"Ha! You should watch what you say, Shizuo." Izaya warned, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. He took a step back, no longer feeling the urge to taunt Shizuo up close.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Shizuo continued on, just as unafraid of Izaya as Izaya was of him.
"No, Shizu-chan. You're wrong. Once again, you fail to realize how this world works. I am simply an observer. Not a God. I am above humans because I can love them all for their faults and wrongdoings. Who else can say that?" Izaya challenged, "Who else can love every human for every detail, for every action, for every choice they make. No one! I'm not a God, Shizuo. But you could be! You could be immortal. You could love humans better than I could."
"How many times do I have to say this?! I want a normal life! I want peace! And I would never, ever, stoop to your level and fuck with people's free will. If you want a God, find someone else." Shizuo growled.
"Ne, Shizu-chan," Izaya sighed, "I would say I'm disappointed, but I should have known better." In one second, Izaya was smiling, too sweet to be real. The only real it was, was real evil. But then in the next second, Izaya's face contorted into a scowl.
"You're nothing but a monster." Izaya mocked, shrugging his shoulders in disregard.
"Shut up." Shizuo muttered, glare hardening as his heart beat faster with pent up frustration. His fingernails were biting into his palms but he didn't feel it. All he could feel was rage bubbling up inside, threatening to spill over.
"Ah, but it's true. No one could ever look up to you and see a mighty God. You're nothing but an anomaly. A brute. A monster. You're no hero. You're no human. You have always been the villain, Shizu-chan, and the villain you shall remain." Izaya bit, eyes as sharp as the blade he had used to scar the blonde's chest.
"Shut up!" Shizuo repeated, teeth clenched together in a feeble attempt to remain calm. It was impossible, he couldn't remain calm if he had never been calm during this conversation to start with. Izaya had that effect.
"My mistake. I never should have thought that you could be anything more than the Monster of Ikebukuro. Feared by everyone, and loved by none. That's your fate, Shizu-" –
Suddenly Izaya was cut off when his throat was trapped between the rough bricks of the school building and Shizuo's hand. All of his breath left his body as it was lifted a few inches off the ground, feet dangling uselessly with no escape. Izaya left his arms by his side, showing no surprise or attempt to get away.
"I said shut up! The only villain I see here is you. You don't know when to stop, do you?"
Izaya laughed weakly, the noise struggling to escape.
"You're just as different as I am, Izaya. You're a freak too," Shizuo declared.
"H-hah!" Izaya struggled to get his words to move from his throat to his lips, "Don't compare me… to the likes… of you." He managed through the firm grip, "I'm not like you."
Shizuo tightened his grip to stop the flea from speaking, "You're right Izaya. You aren't like me. But we have something in common. We've both been cast aside by society. However, yours was by choice, so tell me…" he leaned in closer so his eyes were level with the raven's own pair, "Who's the real monster here?" Shizuo asked, then without waiting for an answer, he released his grip on the other, letting Izaya fall to the ground. Air pumped through his lungs in raspy gasps, trying to make up for what he had been deprived of. Izaya sat there on the pavement, face shielded from the world by his hair falling forward as his chest rose up and down in an unsteady pace. Eyes were wide with an unknown emotion. Disappointment? Disgust? Defeat? Even after regaining the ability to breathe, Izaya felt shaky. His eyes burned red with rage so strong it was foreign to him. With a quick movement, he pushed himself up, turning his wrath filled gaze upwards, ready to spit out clever words with a sharp tongue.
Only to see nothing. Shizuo had already walked away.
"Ha!" Izaya forced out, though his face was anything but cheerful, "Stupid Shizu-chan! That monster!" he yelled, scaring a few groups of people who were walking by. Izaya didn't notice, nor did he care.
"I could never be a monster like you Shizu-chan." He scoffed, yet with those words, Izaya looked more demon-like than ever, face twisted beyond human recognition and the flames of hell burning in his eyes.
"And since you decided to choose the life of a monster over the life of a god, then I promise, I will make you a monster."