Izaya dashed down an alley, past repetitive brick walls and further into a dark, wet maze. His monster was back. The beast that had been slumbering for so long was finally back and chasing him again. Sure, Shizu-chan wasn't completely normal, he was acting sort of pathetic really, but he was chasing him again and that was a start.
He'd spent four weeks, closer to four and a half now, without running for his life. Two weeks alone in Shinjuku, waiting to make a grand reappearance after giving Shizuo some false hope. Two weeks by the idiots bedside, waiting for him to wake up until he did and ruined all of Izaya's hope by being mostly peaceful. Three days of walking freely around Ikebukuro and waiting for the beast to come running. And now he finally has.
He's zipping around corners fast as lightning, and though Shizuo is fast he's starting to fall behind. He's keeping up well enough, though, without being able to smell or see him and Izaya isn't sure he'll be able to lose him completely. If he can't he'll have to fight, possibly to the death.
There's always that risk with Shizuo and nothing makes him feel more alive. No one makes him feel more alive. As always, this could end up being their final fight, tonight in the rain where violence consumes them both.
Or, well it would have been something like that if he didn't turn a particular corner deeper into the maze of dead end alleyways and find a group of teens in red surrounding a naked body.
He stops dead in his tracks, feet sliding a little in the rain. He moves back, ready to duck around a corner possibly spy but a hand comes from his left and across his shoulders to cover his mouth and grab his right arm keeps him from doing so.
"Yo!" The man greets, keeping a tight hold over his mouth. Izaya uses his left free hand to reach in his pocket for a knife but at this angle he can't hit the man's face or torso, and he can't move his head down to find a thigh that isn't his. Instead he opts for slipping the knife into one of the secret pockets in his coat sleeve and lets his arm and body relax.
"Oh, you sure gave up quick." The guy whistles and drags him forward to the group that haven't noticed them yet. "Hey Hero, text shark. Tell him to bring extra stuff." There are three boys gathered around a naked woman. She's on the ground, unmoving and completely bald. If it weren't for her rather large breasts he might have assumed she was a man.
He can't tell what she's died from. Maybe rain is washing away blood, she's face down so he can't see any injuries on the front of her body, but something doesn't seem right. All the boys are clothed, and it doesn't look as though they've done anything sexual to the body.
"On it!" Chirps a boy, supposedly Hero, who goes under a small roof hanging down over a barred up door to pull out his phone and text this Shark fellow. Another boy follows to stand next to him, and close together he realizes how similar they are looks, the only difference being hairstyles.
There's also a man off to the side, staring at the body with possibly the saddest eyes Izaya has ever seen. He looks like he might cry, which is bizarre with his huge bulky frame and menacing appearance.
"Oh, sorry Alpha." Comes another voice, and Alpha turns both of them around. It's yet another boy, japanese and honestly he's creepy. He's smiling wide with small pointed teeth and slicked back wet blue hair. He's kind of reminiscent of Shinra, were he a super villain. "I'm already here."
"Damn." Alpha sighs, shaking him a little. "Think you got enough stuff to take care of this guy?"
"No, we need that for later. But dude, that's Izaya Orihara! He's famous. Famously hated, even. We can just give him some bleach and let the police speculate on who did it." Shark grins wider, digging around in one of the bags he's carrying. Izaya can see the other boys watching passively from the sidelines.
"You got enough?" Alpha asks.
"Yeah." Shark replies easily, smiling at him. "Just need around a cup, I have plenty." Alpha's hand slides down to brace against his jaw when Shark pulls out the bottle and sets the rest of the bags down. They quickly fill and spill with water. It's a big bottle that Shark is holding, and he thinks he spots another one in a waterlogged bag. He stays relaxed, smiles at Shark when he twists off the cap and comes closer in the dark. His mouth is free enough to talk, even with the hand gripping his jaw.
"Pleased to meet you." He greets calmly. Shark smiles back, black eyes on him as he comes closer.
"You won't be for long." He laughs. Alpha moves his head, wet cornrows brushing against Izaya's cheek. He's motioned another boy over, the big sad one.
"You're probably right." He smiles back. "But you're not gonna be very happy either." His tone is confident, final. Shark doesn't buy it, but Alpha takes the bait right away.
"What are you talking about?" He asks, grip painful suddenly. Izaya stays cool, glancing down briefly at the odd red necklace Shark is wearing. The other boys have them, too.
"You know who I am, you know what I can do, and yet you're going to kill me. It's a waste, I can tell you have potential."
"We don't need help, we don't like rats."
"Of course." He agrees, nodding carefully. He cranes his head back slowly, catches Alpha's eye and smiles very sweetly. "You wouldn't want that kind of unfair advantage now, would you?" He asks. Shark laughs.
"It's bait." He informs Alpha calmly, cupping a hand over the mouth of the open bottle so the rain doesn't get inside. "Clever bait, but bait nonetheless. We don't need him."
"Oh!" Izaya feigns surprise well, nodding his head respectfully at Shark. "My apologies. I assumed from the name "Alpha" that he was your leader, my apologies." It's a weak blow, a stab at pride in attempts to get them to keep talking, but it's effective. Just not in the way he wanted.
"What the fuck did you say?" Alpha hisses. He shoves fingers in Izaya's mouth, yanks his mouth open wide. "Do it!" he snaps, mood flipped fast as Shizuo's. Izaya makes his move, slicing his knife up and across Alpha's knuckles and biting down at the same time. Blood wells in his mouth and he can see the dark spilling and washing across his hand in the rain.
Alpha hisses, letting go of his jaw and shoving his off to the side. He crashes into the biggest man, who takes Alpha's place and holds him still with a hand once again over his teeth and jaw and another giant hand holding his wrists.
"S-Shh…" The big guy whispers, bending down to start rubbing his cheek on Izaya's wet hair. "O-o-over s-soon. P-p-pr...pr….o-ok-okay." He stutters quietly, deep voice meek. Izaya isn't sure what he means by that, but it sounds like he's sad for Izaya.
"Don't comfort him, Shakespeare." Alpha snaps, glaring at Izaya. "He fucking bit me."
"S-s-small. S-sc-sca… a-afri..ad." Is his reply. Quieter, so Alpha cant hear, he whispers with lips barely moving, "S-s-sorry... P-pr-pretty."
"Just do it already!" Hero shouts. "Zero wants to go home!" Alpha sighs and nods at the big guy and, Shakespeare, of all things, rubs his thumb over Izaya's cheek and tightens his grip accordingly. The bottle is again at his open lips via Shark, the stench of bleach stinging his eyes and nose. The tries to bite again but Shakespeare is tougher than Alpha. He doesn't even flinch, and shark starts to tip the bottle. His words aren't going to save him now.
A lampost might.
"Just what the fuck do you assholes think you're fucking doing?!" Shizuo roars, swinging a huge lampost to knock shark away. The both hit the opposite wall, bottle of bleach bursting and getting lost in the downpour.
He lunges for them, grabbing Izaya and shoving him into the wall. He abbandons him, moving off towards Shakespeare and slamming a fist into his stomach. The big man gasps, halfway doubles over, but he does not fall. Even bent over in pain, he's still intimidating. Alpha calls for the other boys but he cuts himself off when the far off wail of police sirens reaches them.
"Shit!" Shark hisses, gathering up the bags on the ground as quickly as he can. He tosses a can off to alpha who quickly sprays something on the body. It doesn't stick, rain washing it away and just leaving a red spot on the dead woman's side. The sirens are getting closer, and while the other boys are distracted Shakespeare grabs his arm and shoves him into Shizuo's chest. He panics, trying to shove himself away so he can run but he's caged in when the big man leans over him.
"G-g-get p-p-pre-etty a-aaaaway...!" He hisses at Shizuo, pushing them both past a pile of garbage hiding another, longer alley. Shizuo, for some inane reason, simply forgets his pervious anger with Izaya and grabs his hand. They run, rushing down the dark maze and away from the gang of kids in red. Izaya wonders if Shizuo ever even noticed the dead body.
It's just as well. They were never meant to see it, but he recognized the signs, and the red spray paint confirmed his suspicions. That bunch of kids were responsible for the mysterious murders happening all around Tokyo, and Izaya is probably the only one to realize it. He has a very valuable piece of information now, and he intends to use it. This is, if he can escape Shizuo before the beast comes to his senses.
If he does, this information might die with him. He slips his hand away from Shizuo's grasp, his long wet coat actually helping some even though it isn't a very slick or water resistant fabric, but the beast takes notice. He stops, Izaya nearly crashing into his back, and turns around. Izaya backs up but Shizuo follows, golden blonde hair dripping wet and golden eyes dark.
"Why the fuck were they trying to make you drink bleach?" He hisses, obviously having seen the label on the bottle. Shizuo must assume Izaya did something, and he debates on letting Shizuo believe that or telling him about the body.
"Boys will be boys?" Izaya laughs, evading for a second. Shizuo looks exhausted the closer he looks, tired in a deep mental sort of way. Izaya knows that look from the faces of his humans he's played with and, recently, even his from own face. Up until tonight, anyway. Maybe he can get away from Shizuo easier than he first thought.
"What?" Shizuo asks, frowning hard at him. "You trying to tell me they just saw you and decided to try and kill you? Oh C'mon, who would do that-"
"Shizu-chan." Izaya cuts him off, staring incredulously. "YOU do that. Every time you see me, since you first saw me!" Shizuo huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. They both know he can't really deny that.
"Okay, yeah, but I know you're a no good piece of shit." He fires back. "I did right from the start."
"Flattering." Izaya huffs. "Though personally I find myself to be immensely charming, perhaps their feelings for me were as strong as yours?" He smirks, and Shizuo looks angry for a moment, before his face smooths back out into the usual annoyed expression Izaya is so used to.
"Whatever, louse. C'mon, let's go." He grabs Izaya's wrist this time, tugging him back out into the thrum of city. With all the umbrellas, rushing, and slow traffic they aren't as noticeable, but Izaya still tugs his hood up anyway. He doesn't want his precious humans to die in boring car accidents right in front of him, after all. They'll never love him if they're dead.
"Where are you dragging me now?" He asks, letting Shizuo pull him along, if only for the sake of his curiosity. "Back to your cave?" He huffs at the barb but doesn't seem fazed, glances back quickly to give Izaya a nod.
"Yeah. We're going back to my place." Shizuo says. "You're gonna tell me what kind of sick shit you're up to."