Disclaimer: I do not own the Durarara! characters.
Rating: T for swearing and violence.
Pairings: Shizaya friendship, Shinra/Celty, other canon pairings
Summary: AU. Super powered government agents Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya are partnered together on a relatively simple search-and-rescue mission. That is, it seems simple until Shizuo is given the instructions to permanently silence his partner…
Notes: Now that I've almost finished my other DRRR! story, I thought I'd start my new one. This one will definitely be longer than UtS one with a wider and slightly more complicated plot. The Shizaya in this fic is friendship in my mind (though I'm sure that if you look hard enough you might be able to find subtle hints of something else, haha) and it will definitely have elements of many different genres.
Also, this is an AU so it's different from the DRRR! universe, but there's only a few slight changes. Things will be explained in the story itself, but as a starting point I'd just like to bring to attention that in this universe, all of the main characters (and others who aren't mentioned in the story) have inhuman abilities. So Shizuo's strength is in fact 'super strength', an inhuman super power bestowed upon him by genetics or something to that effect. Everyone's powers will be explained eventually.
The relationships between the characters will stay the same as in the canon, in the beginning at least – Shinra/Celty romance and so on – and might develop or change during the story.
That's all for the moment! Except to say that this focuses mostly on Shizuo and Izaya (obviously), but will still have a lot of the other characters involved.
Enjoy! (And review please!)
Random In The Agency
Chapter One
The Working Partnership
"Hold him down! Damn it, hold him down!"
He struggles against the arms pinning him to the ground, roaring like an animal.
"He's too strong! I can't-"
"Shit – someone grab his legs, before he-"
He lashes out, kicking a man in the chin. The man's head snaps back and his eyes glaze over. He slumps to the ground. Empty. Dead.
"Heiwajima-san, calm down! Stop struggling!"
He twists his body, wrenching his arm out from their grips and punching one of his captors in the stomach. Cracking ribs. A harsh scream. Yells. He jerks his body so violently they are forced to let go to avoid being hit. Their words are senseless, too soft in his ringing, blurry head. Nothing means anything to him.
He's too angry.
Killkillkillkillkillkill-
He grabs the nearest man and throws him forward, somewhere, anywhere. The rest try to jump on him again but he's prepared this time. He grabs two of them and slams their heads together. They drop.
Another kicks him in the stomach – he barely feels it. He reaches out and grabs the man's head with his hands. And squeezes. When he lets go, there are bits of bone and blood and what could be brain in his hands.
He can smell fear.
Of course they're scared. He just squished a man's head like a grape with his bare hands.
He can taste blood.
"Stop this."
It's him. It's his voice. Something breaks through his fog of rage and he looks behind him, seeing him standing there.
"Stop this now."
Not a command, but a request. Not a request, but a command. Command, request, command, request, question, killkillkillkill…
"Don't be like this. Don't be a monster."
But with the blood and the bone and the brain and the blood and the blood and the pain and the madness in his hands and his head and his heart, he thinks it's too late.
He's too angry.
-o-o-o-o-
-o-o-o-o-
Shizuo dropped his cigarette onto the floor and crushed it under his foot without mercy. This particular action was usually followed by a heavy object being thrown at some innocent bystander – or Izaya but God knows the bastard deserved it more often than not – but this time, miraculously, his blind fury abated into a sharp bitterness that simmered under the surface.
He breathed deeply, nostrils flaring as he attempted to keep his strength at bay. It worked, somewhat, and the only victim of his flash of anger was the mug in his hand, which shattered and fell to the ground. That was an improvement. Mugs were easily replaced, unlike lives. He knew that from experience.
At least his informal therapy sessions with Tom were working. He'd never said anything out loud, but Shizuo knew that the debt collector silently helped him with his temper during their missions together. Shizuo always felt that strange push in his mind forcing him to calm down, to feel cheerful even, and he was grateful. The lasting effects of the push weren't as strong without Tom's presence, but Shizuo fancied the idea that they still helped keep him under control.
He dropped the remnants of the mug onto the table before leaning down to pick up the shards on the floor. Once he'd gotten all of them he dropped them into the trashcan, where he spied the broken shards of some other casualty, probably a mirror or another mug.
I can't keep reacting like this; it's not safe. It's not like it hasn't happened before anyway, he thought reluctantly.
If he didn't get more self-control, he'd have no more mugs left in his apartment. If he wasn't holding something when the Agency called to give him bad news then he'd always find something within reach to throw or crush in his inhumanly strong grip.
He certainly labeled being partnered with him as 'bad news'.
His eyes traveled to the phone on the table. He'd managed to put it down without damaging it before reaching for his cigarette. It wasn't such a big deal if he broke his phone; the Agency had other, more efficient ways of contacting their Agents. Kadota had no problem reaching him as long as he was within a couple hundred kilometers – the exact number was unclear.
Unlike other telepaths, Kadota only heard thoughts directed at him and could easily direct his own thoughts at someone else. It was, he said, having the gift of telepathy without the added insanity of having constant voices in your head. He could focus on communication without being interrupted by the passing thought of some stranger wondering what they were going to cook for dinner or how hot their secretary would look whilst naked. Kadota had to be the calmest telepath he'd ever met, and Shizuo had met quite a few telepaths, all of them pretty crazy.
God if there was one power Shizuo was grateful he didn't have, it was telepathy. He liked his peace and quiet – and unfortunately for telepaths, they had to live a life of constant noise. Even Kadota, who only heard thoughts deliberately meant for him, complained of being woken up at midnight by his friends demanding random things from him, or waking him just to tell him something that could easily wait until morning.
Speaking of Kadota, why hadn't he been the one to give Shizuo the mission?
Shizuo checked his watch. It was only 6pm, so Kadota shouldn't be busy at this moment. He glanced at his crushed cigarette on the ground, then sighed and picked up the pack. He lit up a new one and took a long drag, feeling himself calm slightly. He was pretty sure that his friend Tom had done some mind work on him to enhance the relaxing effect of cigarettes. He would be angry with that – nobody fucking conditioned him – but it was helpful at times like these.
Gently – he knew that if he was too rough Kadota would end up with a migraine for the rest of the night – he reached out in his mind, trying to make that familiar link until he felt a response. Telepathic communication was something that had taken months of practice and in the beginning, only Kadota had been the one able to initiate a 'link'. Now he could do it with ease, and there wasn't that uncomfortable feeling of his mind being violated (okay, that may have been an exaggeration on his part).
'Kadota, you there?'
It only took a few seconds before he heard a response:
'Shizuo? Is something wrong?'
'Damn right something's wrong,' Shizuo began viciously, his anger momentarily taking over. He almost felt Kadota wince.
'Ow, calm down. You don't have to yell.'
Shizuo felt sheepish and he quickly apologized, knowing he'd probably given Kadota a minor headache. It was a curse that telepaths had to live with – migraines and headaches when their thoughts got overloaded. A lot of people weren't strong enough to really cause Kadota any trouble, but Shizuo was apparently quite aggressive when he communicated telepathically and so the blond made it a point to try and say calm during their conversations.
'Why didn't you give me the mission? I had to hear about it from loser who almost cried when I yelled at him.'
'I've literally just finished a mission. And anyway, I'll be giving you the details later on, since we're going to be the ones transporting you to your destination.'
'Think you can…convince Hawkins to give me another partner?' Shizuo asked hopefully. It was unlikely that Hawkins would change her mind – she'd never listened to Shizuo's complaints before – but maybe if Kadota were the one giving the suggestion she'd be more likely to listen. If she were in a good mood and completely plastered. Which was actually quite often.
'Shizuo…'
'Yeah, okay, I get it. I have to work with that flea and I don't have a choice.' He grimaced, picking up his wallet and keys before moving to leave the apartment. He wasn't any angrier than before though. It wasn't like he'd expected any different. 'If I can't do it without him, then I'm not taking the damn mission. Hawkins knows better than to force me to do something I don't want to.'
'Hasn't she made you work with Izaya before?'
'Yeah, but I really needed the money back then. Not this time. It's not worth it.'
'Hawkins already briefed me on the mission – it's a pretty interesting one. You'll like it. If you take the mission that is. Just…think about it.'
He felt Kadota retreat and the connection was broken. Shaking his head to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling of invasion he stepped into the elevator.
The Agency was only about a thirty-minute walk from his place. He could have gotten a taxi if he was feeling lazy, but he wanted to delay meeting either Izaya or Hawkins. He could honestly say he wasn't looking forward to seeing either of them. Hawkins was usually drunk and tactless and yelling profanities. As for Izaya…
He didn't even want to go into that. He shook his head, walking down the street at the slowest possible pace. A few people who saw him scattered and some even crossed the road onto the other side just to avoid being near him. Few people knew of the existence of the Agency, but most people in the vicinity knew about Shizuo and his monstrous strength. At least, they knew enough to stay away from him.
He smoked several cigarettes as he walked, going through them faster than usual thanks to the stressful situation in front of him.
I'm not doing it. I'm not working with the flea. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. His thoughts became more and more vicious the closer he got to the Agency and by the time he reached it, there was a trail of crushed cigarettes littered on the pavement leading from his apartment building to the Agency.
He looked up dully at the building that was his destination. It wasn't the main headquarters of the Agency, but it was one of the smaller branches. It was a nondescript, unnoticeable office building that wouldn't have anyone looking twice. This had been done on purpose of course – it wasn't really in the public interest to have everyone knowing where the place was located.
He walked down the alleyway in between the building and its neighboring structure as casually as possible, knowing that nobody would really notice his disappearance. It didn't hurt to be extra cautious though.
Once he reached the back entrance of the building he let himself in using a Key Card given to all those connected to the Agency. Anyone who entered the building from the front would find themselves face to face with a receptionist who wouldn't let them go any further.
The inside of the office building was shiny and well kept, completely sterile, looking like a hospital almost and it unnerved him. He could see the cameras in the corner and knew that there were several security guards on each floor. Some of them were humans, others were Agents who had been trained for security. He had encountered a few of them whilst working here, in the past when he'd been a lot less cooperative. Now though, he kept his temper in check when he was in the building.
Shizuo walked down the large halls, passing by a few people who all seemed to be busy talking into their cell phones or conversing with each other or reading papers. None of them noticed him and he didn't spare them a glance as he walked towards Hawkins' office.
A couple of doors from Hawkins' office, he felt something smack into his chest, hearing a soft 'oomf' and then the sound of someone falling onto the ground. Frowning, his confusion dissipated when a colorful shape flickered into view, then disappeared once again.
"Hn," he grunted, reaching out and grabbing the boy's collar when he flickered back into view. "You really should stop walking down the halls like this. You keep bumping into everyone."
"Ah – sorry Heiwajima-san," Mikado said sheepishly, looking slightly afraid. His invisibility seemed to be going out of control at the moment but Shizuo could see the concerned expression on his face.
He and Mikado weren't close, in fact they barely talked. Shizuo usually saw Mikado with the two other kids – the loud blond boy and the shy girl with glasses and…a large chest. It was understandable that he didn't know them well. Not only were they younger, but they were still Agents-in-training. None of them had enough control over their powers to even live outside the Agency, never mind begin taking on missions.
The three of them attended Raira Academy, the Agency's school for so-called 'Gifted Kids'. Shizuo himself had been forced to attend when his strength had surfaced, and the results had been disastrous. Broken tables, ruined classrooms, broken bones…then again, most of that was Izaya's fault.
He'd watched Mikado and his friends in some of their training sessions. The kid always seemed to lose control when he got nervous or scared, and now was no exception. His form sputtering in and out of sight was starting to give Shizuo a minor headache.
"What are you doing here? The dorms aren't in this area."
Mikado seemed to be focusing on his powers and after a short pause he remained visible, though the edges of his skin still seemed a bit blurry.
"I just finished my training session, Heiwajima-san. I…didn't do so well." Before Shizuo could ask he continued hurriedly. "I heard that you were here and wanted to see you."
Shizuo raised an eyebrow. What could Mikado possible want with him?
"Yeah?"
The boy nodded, looking hesitant. "One of my friends…a psychic…informed me that you'd been assigned to rescue Sonohara Anri today." Understanding dawned in Shizuo's mind.
So that's why he's here…
"I just…I just wanted to thank you," Mikado said hurriedly, bowing slightly. This made the blond uncomfortable and he grimaced, not really sure what to do in this situation. He wasn't used to people being grateful to him, and definitely not bowing to him. He didn't really want to mention that he'd been planning on trying to get out of the mission. "Anri is my friend, and I'm relieved that they chose someone as capable as you to go rescue her. I feel like she's in good hands now, Heiwajima-san, and I'm grateful that you accepted the mission, even though you barely know her and it's incredibly dangerous."
Shizuo groaned inwardly, feeling cornered by Mikado's grateful expression. It wasn't often someone laid a guilt trip on him, even an unintentional one, and now that the boy had said this he couldn't very well back out now, could he? That would make him seem like a complete bastard, and a coward on top of that.
Instead he took a deep drag on his cigarette, then sighed before speaking:
"You psychic friend mention anything about the outcome of the mission?"
The black-haired teen shook his head – "No, he doesn't know. He doesn't really know the future, just seems to know things without having been there. I asked him about Anri and he said that he didn't know where she was, but he knew who was assigned to rescue her. He has…good intuition."
"I'll bet he does," Shizuo grumbled under his breath. He took his cigarette and threw it onto the floor, ignoring the fact that there was a trashcan at the end of the hall. "I have to go. I'll see you round." He granted Mikado a short nod before moving past, trying not to feel the teen's eyes burning into his back.
He felt the bitterness growing inside of him and he clenched his fists.
No matter what he did, he could never escape the flea. The bastard just seemed to pop up everywhere, all the time, and just piss him off with everything he did.
He didn't want to admit it, but his fuse was growing shorter. Every time he saw Izaya, he got angrier in a short space of time. It would only be a matter of months before he snapped. And Shizuo didn't want to snap. When men like Shizuo lost control…bad things happened.
He felt a deep ache growing in the back of his head and he pushed it down. Now wasn't the time to think about things like that.
God knows, he thought about it enough when he slept. When it was dark, he remembered things he didn't want to. And that was more than enough for him.
He headed towards the briefing room, mentally preparing himself – a useless task. He knew he'd start feeling annoyed the moment he saw Izaya.
But still, a man could try, couldn't he?