It had been a week since the last time the informant had heard from the beast. The man had promptly changed the number to the phone that Shizuo had began to contact him with.
The raven pushed the covers off of himself, getting up from another sleepless night.
He made his way to his bathroom, walking on unstable legs, stressed with exhaustion and fatigue. The informant let a small yawn escape him as he twisted the two handles on the sink until the water was the proper temperature. He splashed his face, hoping that it would help melt away the exhaustion that plagued both his body and his mind.
As he expected, it did nothing for him. The raven glanced up at the mirror, his gaze lingering on the tips of his jet black hair that he had finally cut before meeting his own dull, red eyes. Not only were his irises red, but his eyes were fairly bloodshot from the lack of sleep and energy.
He seized a change of clothes before twisting a knob, turning on the shower and watching as steam eventually clouded the mirror in front of him. He pulled his shirt off, his pants and boxers following. His eyes landed on the scar on his thigh. The informant's breath hitched, remembering when he had first received the laceration and then when he had popped the stitching after his encounter with the monster. He steadied his breathing before continuing with his plan to take a shower.
When he had finished, he dressed himself in the clothes he had set out earlier. He glanced in the mirror, noticing how his skinny jeans looked like normal jeans and how his black v-neck shirt looked incredibly loose on his body. He sighed, leaving his room in favor of the downstairs area of his apartment.
He was glad to see that Namie hadn't arrived yet, she would probably harass him continuously about his eating habits. It wasn't as much about him not wanting to eat as it was that he capable of keeping the food down. Somehow it was always eager to escape his body as if it was a prison. No matter how little he ate, ranging from a few spoonfuls of soup to a piece or two of otoro, it would alway come back up, tearing itself from his body, leaving him heaving over the toilet seat with violent waves of nausea racking through his figure.
He made his way to the coffee counter, turning on the machine and waiting patiently for it to brew. He had to leave his apartment for the first time in a while to meet a client and deliver some information. It was a small group, ran by a businessman who didn't exactly have a high social standing, but also wasn't a nobody living on the streets. He wanted information on a competitor from another company. Just a simple business dispute.
When the coffee was finished brewing, he took out a mug from one of the cabinets and poured himself a cup, watching the steam rise from the dark brown liquid.
He settled down at his desk, setting the mug down before opening up a few chat rooms and reading some of the gossip. The informant raised his mug up to his lips, about to take a drink, when he stumbled upon a line of text.
I bet Heiwajima Shizuo killed the bastard.
Izaya let out a bitter laugh. As if he would let the beast kill him. He swallowed the lump in his throat before tearing his eyes away from the text.
The informant checked the time and decided that he had better leave now. He picked up a file that was filled with at least twenty documents before slipping on his jacket and tucking the file inside.
He took a train to Ikebukuro. He could've easily taken a taxi, but he enjoyed observing his humans during their daily life. Something as simple as them riding a train was entertaining to him. Most of them kept to themselves, reading a book or gazing out the window. It was fascinating.
When he arrived in Ikebukuro, he pulled out his phone to look at the address he was given before heading in the correct direction.
The ex-bartender adjusted his glasses as he left the bakery. He had a day off and decided to go out and visit a local bakery and ended up leaving with a slice of cake.
The blonde glanced across the street, about to look away when he saw the familiar brown of a certain someone's fur-trimmed jacket. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the figure turn around a corner.
Ikebukuro's beast quickly rushed after the man but made sure to stay a small distance behind him, making sure he wasn't detected.
Shizuo hadn't seen the flea in so long that he had almost thought something had happened to the informant, well, other than himself.
Shizuo continued to follow the man until they ended up at a warehouse of some sorts. The raven's hand was in his pocket, no doubt gripping his flick blade. The man entered the building after a moment of slight hesitation.
Izaya let his gaze sweep across the room. The room itself was bare, most definitely not a place of business. There were at least five men standing behind a man in a suit, who the informant assumed was his client. The informant made his way over to the man, putting on a charming smile.
"Orihara-san, it's so nice to meet you." The man in the suit said with a smile that somehow unnerved Izaya.
"Likewise, Tatsuno-san," He took the file out from his coat. "I've brought the information you've asked for." The informant handed the man the file, watching him flip through the documents before giving a satisfied nod. "Shall we discuss payment?"
The man gave a smug smile before replying, "Maybe some other time, Orihara-san."
"Excuse me-" Izaya's words were cut short by the sound of a gunshot and an intense, searing pain tearing through his shoulder. He cried out, his right hand instantly shot up to his shoulder, where a familiar wetness was beginning to form. His gaze shifted to his fingers, which were covered in blood. He drew in a shaky breath. This wasn't happening. He couldn't end up bleeding to death before making the beast pay. He needed to make the monster suffer.
"That wasn't very nice, Tatsuno-san." The informant said in a strained voice, laced with pain. He wasn't sure how he was still standing, but he wasn't going to question it. He looked up from his bleeding shoulder just in time to see a gun aimed at him. He jerked his body to the side just in time, the bullet piercing through his coat and grazing his side, sending a shock of pain through his body.
His vision was starting to blur and he was trying desperately not to fall over. The informant's head was pounding as he heard a loud crash behind him. His legs gave out from underneath him, leaving him to fall to the floor, gasping when his wounded shoulder came into contact with the hard surface.
He looked up, only for fear to settle in when he saw a familiar mess of blonde hair grabbing a man by his shirt and throwing him at a nearby wall.
He had to get out of there.
The informant pushed himself off of the ground, his body shaking from the pain and blood loss. He grabbed onto the wall once he was he was on his feet and took small steps towards the entrance, blood smearing onto the wall.
The roaring from the beast stopped and Izaya immediately switched into panic mode. He was injured and most likely unable to fight. He breathing was uneven as he struggled to keep his eyes open long enough to get to the door.
"Izaya!" He heard the beast behind him. He wouldn't die. He couldn't. He also wouldn't let the beast use him for his own pleasure again. He finally reached the door, or what was the door before it was affected by the monster's wrath. When he was outside he took out his phone, almost dropping it due to his shaking hands. He was about to try and call a cab when he realized that none of them would let him in while he was bleeding out and covered in his own blood.
He leaned against a wall outside of the warehouse as black dots began to invade the corners of his vision. His shoulder felt like it was burning, the pain was intense and he couldn't seem to ignore it like he had so many times before. He slid down the wall until he was in a sitting position. He finally allowed his eyes to fall shut.
A hand was placed on his shoulder and he was shaken roughly. "You still alive?" Izaya recognized that voice and instantly flinched away. He squeezed his eyes shut at the pain that was coursing throughout his body. "Hey, stay still. I'll take you to Shinra's just don't move." The blonde tried to pick the man up, only to get elbowed in the face. It didn't hurt. It actually felt quite.. Weak.
"Get the hell away from me!" The informant rasped, red eyes becoming dull.
"I'm trying to help you!" Shizuo slightly yelled, letting out his frustration. The raven pushed himself away from the ex-bartender, trying to put as much distance between the two as he could.
The informant's back soon hit a wall and his eyes brimmed with fear when he realized he couldn't get any further away from the monster. "Izaya, calm down." Shizuo said as he attempted to help the informant stand. The raven pulled out his switchblade the moment he felt the blonde touch his body, slashing blindly at the man. Shizuo hissed as one of the poorly aimed attacks sliced through the skin of his chest, near where Izaya had cut him during their first encounter in high school.
The blonde groaned in frustration before tangling his fingers in jet black locks and hitting the man's head on the wall behind him. It wasn't enough to cause any real damage, however, it was enough to knock the flea out.
Izaya's movements stopped and his body relaxed against the bricks of the wall before it was scooped up by Ikebukuro's beast.
