"What do you want?" Jiro asked, his voice sounding tired. Izaya didn't doubt he was exhausted from attempting to fight the drug, not to mention the still fresh knife wound.
"I wonder?" Izaya asked in response, pressing his blade against Jiro's cheek. "What was it you wanted from me years ago? 'You're a brat who has gotten too confident', and 'it's entertaining to see people break', wasn't it'?"
"So all you want is revenge?" Jiro rolled his eyes, "How predictable."
Izaya let out a dry laugh. "I don't give a fuck about predictablility. I'm done messing around. I could make your life a living hell. I have enough information to blackmail any of your subordinates and maybe even you into working for me. I could find even more crimes to pin on you and keep you running from the police or yakuza for the rest of your life. Hell, I could easily have you possessed like your friends and make you do whatever I want or even turn yourself in to the police. But no, you hurt me in a way nobody else ever has or ever will. Then you tried to kill the man I love. You should see what I've done to people for less than that. You are not walking away from all of this."
Izaya dragged the blade across Jiro's cheek as he spoke leaving a shallow gash in its wake. His heart raced with excitement as he watched the blood drip from the cut. He was the one with the power this time. It would be so easy to drag his blade across the man's disgusting throat… But he wasn't done yet.
"You thought you had power over me because you got a reaction out of me," Izaya continued, "but all you've done is add fuel to the fire that's going to burn you. In the end, power is all about connections. Not just making them, but also how they're used. And as you've found out tonight, some of the connections I've made in the years since you knew me are… not exactly human. In addition, thanks to you forcing yourself back into my life, I now have Shizu-chan as an ally. Speaking of which, it wasn't you that gave him that DVD, was it?"
"DVD?" Jiro questioned, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Izaya's grin faltered for just a moment. "I had my suspicions that it wasn't you. I'll have to tie up that loose end later. Either way, Shizu-chan's disdain for violent, disgusting men like yourself is ultimately what made him want to help me. So in a roundabout way, you've made me much stronger."
"So he really didn't die, huh?" Jiro sighed.
"You underestimated him," Izaya said, pressing a finger to Jiro's forehead, "I can tell you from experience that's a bad move."
Izaya stood once more, slipping his knife back into this pocket and stretching his arms out as much as he could without it hurting. "To be honest though, you were quite lucky to escape with only that wound after pissing him off as much as you have. I don't know if you were aware, but just a few months ago that man shattered the bones in both of my arms with a single punch. If you hadn't shot him, I don't think you'd be alive and talking to me right now. Although pretty soon you may wish he had been the one to get to you first. He probably would have killed you with one hit. I won't be quite so merciful."
Izaya kicked Jiro to the ground with more force than he anticipated he'd be able to use. He was seething with anger and the sound of Jiro wincing in pain only made him more eager to continue. Reaching down, Izaya pulled off Jiro's belt and wrapped it around the man's neck. With strength he didn't even know he had, Izaya yanked Jiro by his neck over to the crate he'd been sitting on earlier, pulling his limp form upright by the belt around his neck. The action likely once again hurt his healing wrist, but Izaya barely felt it. Jiro choked, struggling the most his body would allow, but it wasn't enough to free himself. Just before Jiro looked like he was going to pass out, Izaya let the belt go slack.
"You two can go turn yourselves in to the police now," Izaya instructed to Jiro's subordinates. They both nodded before spinning around and heading to the stairs. It was almost too easy for his liking, but with them out of the picture he could turn his full attention back to Jiro.
"I think I like this dynamic better," Izaya sneered, "I'm almost tempted to have you call me 'master', but I don't get off on that shit like you do." Izaya pulled up on the belt once again, relishing the way Jiro's face contorted as he choked. "But I will admit, this feels good."
"So now what?" Jiro coughed when Izaya let him drop to the ground once more, "You have me here, and you have your monsters to back you up. You've made your threats and shown off your power. What are you going to do with me?"
"That's the real question, isn't it?" Izaya laughed, "When you came back I admit you caught me at a bad time. I had been so distracted with other matters that I completely forgot about you for a while and didn't prepare accordingly for you to come after me. On top of that, I'm still not fully recovered from the beating I got from Shizuo. Regardless, you going after him makes my decision on what to do with you much easier."
"So you're going to kill me yourself, is that it?"
"I seriously considered it," Izaya said, his glare darkening, "I really did. Even now, nothing would give me more satisfaction than destroying you with my own hands. But in the end, that's not how I operate. And someone like you isn't worth me changing who I am and what I do. So I came up with a better idea: The Awakusu-kai.
"When we met I was just getting started, but I've become much more valuable to them now. Of course they would turn to me when they happened to hear a rumor about a trafficking ring operating in their territory. And with your connections to rival groups it was too easy for me to make you their problem as well as my own. I plan to leave you at their mercy. But we still have a few minutes before they arrive and I still have some ideas on how to pass the time."
Izaya's fist collided with Jiro's cheek and immediately that feeling of excitement tinged with rage began to boil over once more. He could feel his control slipping as he hit Jiro again and again, unable to make himself stop. Each punch felt like weight off of his shoulders. His own knuckles began to bleed, but he didn't feel anything. He felt separate from his body, almost as if it was moving on its own without his consciousness in control. All of his focus was on hurting Jiro as much as he could, all traces of rational thought gone as his mind went entirely blank, releasing all of his anger with every hit. His knee collided with Jiro's chest, knocking him over and pinning him to the ground. He could feel Jiro's ribs give under him with the force of his weight.
Izaya yanked on the belt again, cutting off Jiro's strangled cry of pain. He could only hope it hurt just as much as when Jiro strangled him with the collar all those years ago. Izaya pulled harder as the memory of Jiro suspending him by the neck forced into the forefront of his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to push the thought away. Jiro's face was growing red, his eyes screwed shut as he gasped for air. Izaya finally relented, allowing the other man to breathe.
"P-please," he croaked, "That's enough."
Hearing Jiro beg should have been satisfying. While it still was on some level, Izaya couldn't help but feel more enraged. "Enough? How many times did I tell you to stop? How many times did you intentionally push me past my limit? I told you to leave me alone. I told you not to go after Shizuo but you just kept going. What gives you the fucking right to tell me it's enough?!"
Izaya dug his fingers into the wound on Jiro's side, the bandage now soaked with blood from the wound reopening. Jiro yelled and attempted to shift away which only prompted Izaya to press harder.
Suddenly he remembered the knife he'd used moments ago was still in his pocket. In one fluid movement, Izaya pulled the blade from his pocket, flicked it open and drove it into Jiro's shoulder. His pained shout echoed in the space around them as Izaya twisted the blade before he tore the knife out, blood pouring freely from the wound. He stared at the blood-coated blade for a moment before his gaze focused back on the wound he'd left. Jiro was growing pale, barely conscious as he groaned in pain. Izaya raised this knife again, prepared to bring it down into Jiro's heart.
However, something caught his arm. Izaya spun sharply, surprised to see Shizuo, holding his wrist back. "That's enough, Izaya," he said quietly, "Besides, I think those Yakuza guys just got here."
Izaya attempted to catch his breath as he stared into Shizuo's eyes. He then realized just how heavily he was breathing, and the way his hands shook. His thoughts were jumbled in a mess where he couldn't pick out whether he should be happy, angry, or upset at Shizuo's interference. It didn't feel like enough. He didn't want to stop yet. But before his mind could catch up with his surroundings, Shizuo was already guiding him back to his feet and walking him closer to the stairs.
"It's okay," Shizuo reassured, carefully taking the knife out of Izaya's grip, "I'm here now. Just breathe."
Izaya gasped for air as everything started coming back into focus. Shizuo's arms were around him, holding him against the larger man's chest. "Calm down, you're okay." Shizuo whispered, stroking the back of his head as he finally was able to take a slow, shaky breath.
Slowly he was beginning to come back to his senses, Shizuo's presence gradually calming his racing heart. Footsteps coming up the stairs caught his attention just as his breathing finally evened out. He had just enough self-awareness to wipe the tears from his eyes that he hadn't even noticed were falling before Akabayashi and Shiki came into view. They were accompanied by four other men Izaya recognized as lower ranked members of the Awakusu-kai, weapons at the ready as they stationed themselves around the room.
Akabayashi spared Izaya a quick glance before heading directly over to Jiro, using his cane to prop the beaten man back up against the crate. Shiki on the other hand took his time looking around, assessing the area as he headed directly towards where Izaya and Shizuo stood.
"The leader delivered to us as promised. You also loosened his tongue for us I see," Shiki commented, eyeing Izaya up and down suspiciously, "Though I will say, you may have taken it a little far. We didn't ask you to do that. I'd say it's almost like this was personal."
"Almost," Izaya said flatly, his face absent of emotion.
Shizuo seemed to sense the tension between Shiki and Izaya, grabbing hold of Izaya's arm and pulling him closer somewhat possessively. Shiki clearly didn't miss the gesture as he glanced between the two of them.
Shiki looked as if he were about to comment on Shizuo's presence, but ultimately chose not to and instead addressed Izaya. "I know you're smart enough not to involve yourself with people in his business, so unless this 'almost' personal business is going to cause a problem for us, I won't ask."
"I assure you, there won't be a problem," Izaya stated, surprising himself with how steady his voice was despite everything, "Dispose of him as you see fit."
Shiki looked him over once more, seeming to accept the response as he turned to join Akabayashi.
"We should leave," Shizuo said, pulling on Izaya's arm again.
"No," Izaya said, tugging his arm back, "I'm not leaving until this is over."
"Yeah, alright," Shizuo grumbled, positioning himself directly behind Izaya with his hands resting on Izaya's shoulders. The touch was light, just barely there, but it was comforting to feel Shizuo there.
Shizuo's grip tightened just a bit when one of Shiki's men was instructed to get closer. Shiki and Akabayashi stepped back as the man raised his weapon. Izaya stared, unblinking and unflinching as the gun fired. Jiro's head jerked back as the bullet hit directly between his eyes. His body slumped onto the ground as Shiki stepped forward to confirm he was dead. With a curt nod, he signaled the other men to begin their exit, likely also calling for clean up.
Izaya wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel, but he knew he should feel something. His mind was having a difficult time processing what he knew his eyes had just seen. He could see Jiro's lifeless form, blank eyes staring off at nothing, but it had happened so fast it didn't feel entirely real. Part of him wanted to go check for a pulse himself, not fully believing this could finally be over.
It felt wrong to see how mortal the man had been. For years the memory of him had hovered over Izaya, haunting his dreams. Those memories forced to the forefront of his mind any time Izaya felt unsure about a client… He didn't expect all of that to come entirely to an end, but at least the cause of it all was no longer a concern. He didn't have to dread hearing his voice or seeing his face again.
He blinked a few times as he watched Shiki's men begin to discuss the information they'd gotten from him, some making calls on their own phones likely to coordinate the take-down of the rest of Jiro's group.
Shizuo's hands squeezed slightly as he began to gently rub the back of Izaya's neck and shoulders. It helped him to be able to focus on that touch, using it as a means to stay grounded in reality and to trust his own senses. Finally he started to feel a hint of relief.
Jiro was dead. He wasn't getting back up. It was done.
"You okay?" Shizuo asked quietly behind him.
"Yeah," Izaya replied, leaning slightly back against him for support. Shizuo might not know it, but he really was the only reason Izaya was able to keep his composure. Without Shizuo he would probably be a complete mess on the floor in front of Shiki. He didn't want to imagine what that would have been like.
"Jiro… he called me before I went after you," Shizuo mumbled, "Said some disgusting shit that pissed me off."
"He was probably trying to get you angry so you would be easier to trap," Izaya pointed out.
"I didn't like the way he talked about you," Shizuo continued, "like he owned you… I wanted to punch his face in. I'd probably have killed him."
"And I wouldn't have stopped you. But thanks for stopping me. It's better this way."
Shizuo hands slid down Izaya's arms, one hand reaching for Izaya's, gently interlocking their fingers together. They stood there for a moment as Shiki and Akabayashi talked, too far away to hear exactly what they were saying. Izaya could sense Shizuo's urgency to leave as soon as possible, but Izaya had a bit more information to pass on before he could officially walk away from this.
The two were approached again, this time by Akabayashi who looked particularly satisfied with the information he'd gotten out of Jiro. If he noticed the two of them holding hands he didn't say anything about it. Izaya slipped his hand away as Akabayashi got closer.
"Got some important names out of him," Akabayashi said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope to hand to Izaya, "Here's the last of what we owe you. If you leave now, nobody will even know you were here."
Izaya accepted the cash before reaching into his own pocket and pulling out a flash drive. "Just in case he didn't tell you everything, I got some more information from a couple of his closest contacts who should be in police custody by now. There is also a comprehensive list of customers that dealt with his group. Some are higher ups of other organizations, and some politicians as well. Worth looking into. No charge for that."
Akabayashi raised an eyebrow as he accepted the flash drive. "Above and beyond as always. Nice work, Orihara-san. We will be sure to take them down."
Izaya nodded, taking one final look at Jiro's lifeless form, eyes vacant and empty before he finally turned his back. "Let's go, Shizu-chan," he said quietly as he headed for the stairs. Shizuo followed close behind.
At the bottom of the stairs Celty was waiting, looking nervous. When she saw the state Izaya was in she rushed towards him, fingers flying across her PDA.
"[You're bleeding! I told you not to take it too far!]" She grabbed his shoulder and shook him slightly for emphasis as she held up the message.
Izaya looked down at his hands, only now seeing the cuts and bruising. He probably had Shinra to thank that he still couldn't feel any of it.
"I'll be fine," he sighed, "Let's just get Shizu-chan back to Shinra's."
"Let him fix you up, okay?" Shizuo mumbled, his exhaustion now beginning to show on his face. He was breathing heavily as well. He must be struggling with his injuries. Izaya began to feel guilty making him wait all that time when he should be back at Shinra's resting.
"I will," Izaya replied, "Let's just get out of here."
…~-~...
I hope this was satisfying enough for all of you... I went back and forth for so long trying to decide what I wanted to happen to Jiro, most of which Izaya himself said in this chapter. I originally actually did plan for Izaya to kill Jiro himself but what I ended up with here just felt more right. There was no point in Izaya taking his life himself when there were so many other options. I hope you all agree and at least enjoyed Izaya getting to beat the shit out of Jiro. :)