Chapter two-II
Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara, nor do I wish to.
Please read the A/N s.
Hello! I know it's been almost twenty days and I apologise for the delay (I'm a perfectionist; I can't help it, it takes me a LONG time to write anything).
This chapter contains my third favourite (after both Shizuo and Izaya) Durarara! Character: ERIKA KARISAWA!
It was a pleasure to write this; because I was going through a tough spot and it helped me persevere!
Enjoy the chapter! I apologise in advance if either Shizuo or Izaya are OOC at any time in this fic.
Lastly , please read and review as it will keep the flames of author inspiration going.
7 years later.
The tombstone read: SHIZUO HEIWAIJIMA 1986-2003, MAY HE REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.
Izaya wiped the dust from it with the sleeve of his jacket; before he set down a bunch of bright yellow tulips on the slight mound in front of the headstone.
"Hello Shizu-chan!" he cheerfully exclaimed "Just visiting to pay my respects and to bring you your weekly flowers!"
Izaya rubbed the bandage around his left arm and knelt by the grave. "This week Shinra treated me for a bullet graze that I got while dealing with an aggressive Yakuza member. It's funny because if it wasn't for Celty, he wouldn't have nursed me… Oh and your brother is in a movie with that singer you always liked!" he babbled to the unmoving earth "My secretary-Namie- is as entertaining as ever! Just the other day I found her eavesdropping on a conversation her brother was having with his girlfriend. You should have seen the look on her face when I stole her phone and used it to butt into the exchange! She-"
Just at that moment, Izaya's own phone started to ring; interrupting his soliloquy.
Izaya made a face and stood up. Mumbling an apology to the headstone; he turned away and answered his phone with a solitary flick.
"Izaya Orihara speaking"
"Where are you? Celty's worried; apparently you had a delivery for her today" the tone of the caller was clipped.
"Hello to you too Shinra" Izaya replied lazily.
"Izaya!"
"It's Sunday Shinra; you should know where I am" He momentarily paused; then continued on before the other could say a single word. "As for a delivery-any delivery -, I am not aware that I asked Celty to make one." Izaya crinkled his brow in mock thought; even if he was aware that Shinra couldn't witness the action. "Nope! I'm searching my mind and all I'm coming up with are blanks… maybe she's the one who's mistaken".
"Really Izaya, you shouldn't waste…" Shinra went silent; Izaya imagined him sighing and scoffing on the other end.
"You know what! I really can't deal with this now. Go and do something productive and leave me alone." The line went dead as Shinra hung up.
Momentarily taken aback by the outburst; Izaya started at his phone's screen for a moment before he snickered and put it away.
Giving a final –but not in any way lingering- look at Shizuo's grave; Izaya put his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.
He had better things to do anyways… it was just a waste of time talking to someone who was dead and buried.
Even if-
I miss you Shizu-chan…
Meanwhile; in another, more familiar Ikkebukuro…
"COME BACK HERE!" yelled -a very much alive and increasingly frustrated- Shizuo Heiwaijima.
As angry as Shizuo sounded; he was not chasing the infamous informant of Shinjuku. No, He was just doing his job as a debt collector's bodyguard in his own ferocious way and was having a crappy afternoon because of it.
Tearing a nearby lamppost from its confinements; Shizuo threw it in such a way, that it knocked down and trapped the obese man he had been pursuing.
He ambled towards the weakly writhing form until he was coldly glaring down into its piggy eyes.
Shizuo raised his foot.
The monsters prey gave up its futile struggle and fainted in terror.
Shizuo put down his foot and spat on the ground next to the immobile man.
"Good riddance; offering, your wife like that…" Shizuo growled as he took out and lit a cigarette to calm himself.
Behind him; Tom sighed. "I'd better call the hospital… this is the fourth one so far".
Shizuo grunted an unintelligible reply and took a long puff.
A few minutes later; both bodyguard and debt collector where heading towards their next and hopefully last client of the day.
Tom broke the ice.
"It's been a long day Shizuo" he said comfortingly.
"Yeah… I'm sorry Tom" Shizuo answered tersely. "It's just that, lately the flea has been annoying me more than usual." He tensed. "The little bastard has been targeting my love life. The last few times that we've crossed each other, he starts trying to kiss me or flirt with me and somehow he's found a way to flood my email with sappy love letters. It reminds me of something similar that he tried to pull in high school; usually I wouldn't let it get to me but you know…"
"It's okay Shizuo. Someday you'll find someone who'll appreciate you for who you really are; Flaws and all" Tom gave him a friendly smile. "Ah were here!" he suddenly added.
They stopped in front of a grubby apartment building with a peeling door.
"Don't worry Shizuo; the guy we have to collect from is some deadbeat kid. It won't take long to get the payment and you can head home"
Shizuo merely huffed and stubbed out his cigarette at the assurance.
They headed into the building.
Unfortunately; in contrary to Tom's words, it was taking a long time.
The client turned out to be some sniveling science weirdo who kept on pushing his glasses up his nose since they were too big for him.
Apparently, He had spent his rather large loan on "research" for a "technological breakthrough" and instead of getting around to how he was going to pay up; he went on and on about parallel universes and how it was going to make him wealthy.
Despite trying to keep his calm; the dumb idiot was starting to piss Shizuo off. Even more than the fat slob he had had to deal with earlier.
Fuck it; the jerk was dithering now.
"If you came back in about a week I could-"
"We need the money now or at least a starting payment" Tom stated firmly.
"Um… my machine will be a breakthrough in science; I could pay you back ten times! Please".
Tom shook his head and pinched his brow as the ceaseless talking continued. It was obvious that he was deeply tired.
This was the last straw for Shizuo; he got up and reached for the nearest object.
Then he was suddenly surprised as the idiot swept past him and unfurled a curtain which had taken up a half of the entire apartment. It unveiled a mass of wires around a large metallic object and a wall covered in diagrams and calculations that made Shizuo's head hurt if he tried to decipher them.
"This is my prototype! I haven't tried it yet; I've spent all my money on it" wheezed the unfortunate genius. "I tried asking for a university loan; but nobody wanted to support it. So that's why I went to a-your- agency". As he finished blathering; he flicked something on that caused the entire thing in front of Shizuo to roar into life.
It was enough to hold Shizuo's attention for a single moment.
If Tom had spoken to him at that precise time; he would have managed to calm him down enough to leave the apartment… and the following events wouldn't have even taken shape.
But fate wasn't so kind; the geeky dropout opened his mouth and said something that caused Shizuo's (barely in check) rage to turn white-hot and flare up.
"I'm just turning in on to show that it works. I've almost perfected it. Just imagine anything! Parallels are limitless; there could be a world where our own lives could have taken a completely different turn and we might not even be living in Ikkebukuro! Worlds where we might not even exist! "The man stuttered and adjusted his glasses. "Of course it might not work; it's all just a theory anyway. But I've done all the working out, so it should… I'm gonna make so much money from this!" he finished excitedly.
The guy's at the top of a fucking mound of debt AND he's boasting about it; all over some stupid machine that probably doesn't even work…
Shizuo snapped.
In one swift motion he caught the shirt of the hapless geek and hauled him into the air until his face was inches from Shizuo's own.
"You used ALL your money; which you could have used to actually make something of your fucking life, to create something that MIGHT work" Shizuo tightened his grip and angled one of his hands into a fist. "You've defaulted on your debt… you need to pay up somehow, right?"
Just as he was about to punch the living daylights out of the pathetic moron; Shizuo caught a glimpse of Tom's face. He was cradling his face with one hand and he had a disappointed expression on.
Swearing, Shizuo took a deep breath and managed to fling the idiot he was holding aside. But still needing to let off some anger; he settled for ramming his fist into the buzzing object which had caused him so much annoyance in the first place.
Something within the mass of cables and metal cracked; there was a loud BANG!
Shizuo's vision was overcome by a sudden bright white light; he had a brief sensation of being tugged-no pulled- somewhere.
Shit he thought.
Then he lost consciousness.
Shizuo woke up in a dark and dusty but vaguely familiar room. Blinking, he hurriedly got up and wiped all the dust off himself; he then surveyed his surroundings.
What the fuck… this is the room where that machine was! All the walls are the same… there just empty.
Scowling and cursing his luck; Shizuo started to make his way around in the darkness until he found the door.
Opening it; he found that the outer hallway was also dark and musty.
Something is going on here… where the hell is tom, or that dumb bastard we were collecting from?
After he made his way around a notice declaring that the building he had been in was a safety hazard; Shizuo found himself out in the street.
Everything was normal; except for one thing.
No one is giving me looks… usually a few people always stare at me, because they know I can snap their necks in a split second. Everyone is just ignoring me… as if I'm…
Bewildered, Shizuo took off his sunglasses and halted a passing woman.
"Excuse me… but do you know who I am?" he gingerly asked.
All she did was shake her head at him and give him an odd look before continuing on her way.
Shizuo slid his glasses back on and frowned. Puzzled, he checked his watch; only a few minutes had passed from when he had last seen Tom.
This is weird… I need to ask someone who will definitely know where Tom is… Wait! Kadota and his group usually hang around the main square in their van at this time, I'll ask them!
Erika Karisawa was having a bad day. Firstly her boyfriend was ill; this was bad because the new volume of Black Butler had just come out and she had no-one to discover it with, Walker (her boyfriend) was the only one in her group of friends who liked anime and manga as much as she did. Secondly, she was all alone because Saburo and Kadota had left her to guard the van while they –apparently quickly, though more than half an hour had already passed- did an errand. Thirdly and lastly, she was bored out of her mind.
You can only watch so much anime by yourself before you go psycho she lonely reflected.
Luckily, her boredom came to an end when a tall blond man wearing a cool pair of violet shades and dressed as a bartender appeared before her.
"Hey Erika! Where's Kadota?" he asked; somewhat wistfully.
Heck yes! This guy's a gift from heaven, come to rescue me from my monotony! But…
"How do you know my name?" she replied.
The man shook his head and rubbed his face. "Not you as well…" he mumbled "everyone's forgetting me"
Is this guy mental or something? Erika inwardly wondered.
"I've never met you-or seen you- in my entire life, until now at least" she slowly said. "Do you need help?"
The man gave her a dry chuckle. "Nah, I'm just trying to figure out what the fuck is going on… maybe it's the fucking fleas fault" a look of intense hatred overcame him.
"Flea?"
"You know who I mean" he sighed. "Izaya Orihara; probably the most fucked up and annoying person in the entire world. I usually try to kick his ass… Wait! Do you know HIM? Does he exist?" his voice had cracked with a slight strain.
In the deep recesses of Erika's mind; something began to form… an idea…
Keeping her voice neutral; she spoke. "Yeah the information broker from Shinjuku. Who doesn't know him, he knows everything about everyone"
"Hmmm… then I'd better pay him a visit and beat some information out of him" The man grinned wickedly. "Thanks!" he also mumbled something under his breath (which Erika caught). "I'd better teach the flea a fucking lesson… he's been messing with everyone again…"
The man began to walk away.
Sensing a lost opportunity; Erika called out. "Wait! What's your name?"
"Shizuo Hewaijima" he yelled back.
As soon as Shizuo's back was turned. Erika got out her phone; with the intention of texting Walker.
Who would top… and the name… Shizuo and Izaya… Shaya? Izuo? No! SHIZAYA!
A voice disturbed her typing and her thoughts.
"Erika, who was that?" she looked up and met the stricken eyes of Kyohei Kadota.
"He said his name was Shizuo Hewaijima. He wanted to know where Izaya lived so he could kick his ass" she intoned; before going back to her important task.
Saburo and Kadota are back… but that doesn't matter! I've got something to spread around…
She barely registered what Kadota said next as her thoughts grew hot.
"But … Shit! I need to call Shinra"
"Kadota… you sound out of breath. What is it?"
"Shinra, I'm sorry… Get Celty and get over to Izaya's now! Somehow Shizuo…"
"What, Shizuo?"
"He's back… somehow; and he's gone over to Izaya's"
"Is this a joke Kadota? If it is I'm not finding it very funny…"
"Shinra, I'm being SERIOUS. Hurry and get Celty. NOW."
"Sheesh, no need to yell. Fine I'll –we'll- go. I'd better get something to calm Shizuo down. Since this apparently isn't a joke… and knowing Shizuo's temper… hmmm."
Izaya sighed; it had been a bad decision to visit Shizuo's grave earlier that day.
He couldn't get him out of his head. Whenever he tried to do work; the blonde would appear before him and smile at him in the same way that he had before he had died. It reminded Izaya, that he…
Izaya shuddered and went back to his paperwork. Yet, as much as he tried to concentrate; his thoughts kept on… wandering.
I have no regrets... it's not as if the blonde will spontaneously return to life he sarcastically thought. Maybe I should just annoy Namie…that always works...
A loud noise shook his office as the door was shoved open and ripped off its hinges by a large figure.
Izaya looked up and flinched.
My doors still in place, It's only a hallucination after all… strange… this time he's seems older and he's wearing a bartender's uniform.
A furious and shaking Shizuo Hewaijima stood in his doorway; clutching the door as if it was a shield.
"What the fuck did you do Izaya?" he bellowed.
"Ah Shizu-chan! Still as beastly as always! Even when you're haunting me" Izaya calmly replied; looking back down as he did so and rustling through the papers on his desk in mock interest.
The monstrous hallucination roared and threw the door at him.
Stunned, Izaya barely managed to dodge the door by throwing himself aside as it slammed into his desk.
Looking over the splintered wood; He locked gazes with the equally surprised "hallucination".
How... He's real and he's alive…
"Shizuo… " he breathed "You're dead, you can't be alive… it's been seven years".
Cliffy! Just what will Shizuo do to Izaya or what will Izaya do to Shizuo… and will anyone intervene…
Please R & R.