A/N: Back with a lovely update! Or so I think. Thanks a lot for all the immense support as well, guys. Although, I was extremely troubled what to think of the review count being '69' for a while… Lol, joking.
Also, this chapter may seem unnecessary or boring due to the flashbacks that are irrelevant to the ship of Shizaya, but regardless, it is very crucial to the plot. Please don't skip them.
The italicized words mean either flashback scenes, or thoughts. It'd be easy to tell them apart from the context, but I just wanted to make sure people wouldn't get confused while reading.
Please, help yourselves!
Chapter 7 – The Story of the Past
Ikebukuro, Raira High School, 198X…
"Shirou! Hey, Shirou!"
"What? The annoyed voice, brown hair, and dark green eyes. Resembling one of those foreigners, a boy spoke with personality. "I'm trying to study, Shingen."
"Haha, you're always all about the studies. No wonder you're the smartest one in the whole grade." Kishitani Shingen waved his arms in the air, wearing a lab coat over his uniform. "I tried out a new experiment on Kichirou, you know? About his super strength. It really was quite fascinating – the results and the process."
"I'm not interested." Shirou reverted his attention to the novel he was engaging himself with. He was never on good terms with Heiwajima Kichirou – they were like the meeting of water and oil, the compatibility of fire and ice. They never mixed, or matched. Despite that fact, they weren't exactly on bad terms, either. It was all rather complicated to explain with words. "Why are you so intrigued about inhuman characteristics? It's better off to be left off as a mystery, if you inquire of my opinion."
Shingen, however, simply shrugged and slumped down on his chair. "That's because you don't know the art of the world of science, my dear friend. Oh, right! How about you come over to my house today with Kichirou, and I'll give you a one-hour lecture about the biology of human –"
"I'll refuse."
"But Kyouko is coming over as well."
Orihara Shirou froze at that. "… Who?"
"You know," Shirou smirked, knowing that he had hit the bull's eye. "Kyouko. Mitanozuka Kyouko. The girl in our class, the one with the nice eyes and ponytail. I invited her over."
With a small silence of hesitation in between, Shirou grumbled. "… I'll think about it."
"Great!" Kishitani Shingen clapped his hands excitedly together. But then, his expression turned solemn as he reminded himself about Shirou's grave situation. "Do you think your father would approve?"
Shirou flinched, feeling his fresh bruise ache at the remembrance. "I'll find a way."
The friend folded his arms, and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry I said anything. Maybe it was beneficial for you if I didn't mention –"
"Ara, Orihara-kun!"
This girl, Mitanozuka Kyouko, was not a breathtaking female in particular. She definitely had some beautiful eyes and a swinging ponytail that was bound to capture one's attention at some point. But it wasn't those components that Shirou cared about – it was the girl's special character. The brightness surrounding her body almost seemed to neutralize his inner darkness into something more… ordinary.
Kyouko grabbed his hand, which almost made Shirou take a step back as his face flushed dark red. "Orihara-kun, are you going to Shin-chan's house today as well?" Her gigantic orbs glittered. Shingen looked away, his face paling as he turned his head towards the wall in guilt – he already was aware of the fact that Shirou could never manage to say no when Kyouko was giving him such a hopeful gaze.
"Uh, yeah! Sure I am." The Orihara said a little too quickly. "You are too, Mitanozuka-san?"
When Kyouko playfully hit Shirou's chest, Shingen's face went even paler. Shirou looked like he was about to faint from the heat. "Oh gosh, I love your formalities! You can call me Kyouko, Orihara-kun! Maybe I should call you Shirou-kun as well? Shin-chan's friends are my friends, anyway."
"T-then, Kyouko." Shirou mumbled in a very low voice, as Kyouko nodded.
"Yes, I am going too, Shirou-kun."
It was then when the romance seemed to bloom, with Shirou not considering the consequences.
Kishitani Shingen stared dreamily out the window. It was approximately thirty something years ago when the event occurred, but the scene was still fresh and alive in his head. It was a long past he preferred not to recall – the transformation of the three best friends' relationship was terrifying, but it was what he had came to accept.
The morning dawn hit his goggles, as Shingen leaned back. He had spent the whole night having an extensive conversation with Heiwajima Kichirou at his own house, whom he had completely, ended any form of contact with before. Although they were still neighbors, the two had never encountered one another during the past years, after Orihara (or as previously introduced, Mitanozuka) Kyouko passed away, at her funeral.
Kichirou told Shirou it was an unfortunate accident, nothing more and nothing less. Shingen on the other hand, told the latter that every human was bound to face death at some point in their life, and that Kyouko was just forced to face it a little earlier than the rest of the group. But even then, for some unknown reason, Orihara Shirou did not say anything. Even until after twelve years, Kishitani Shingen was unaware of the cause behind Shirou's silence.
And now, after their separation, everything had changed. Heiwajima Kichirou divorced his wife, and gradually lost his superhuman powers of overwhelming strength – instead, it was passed onto his first son. Shingen also divorced his previous wife, Aizome Kaname, and remarried as he met his coworker, Emilia. He did realize something was wrong the first time Izaya entered his house with Shinra, covered in wounds. But Izaya's excuse was that he was caught up in a gang fight, and Shingen didn't interrogate the boy further.
The second time was when Heiwajima Shizuo brought all the siblings over, asking for assistance. Judging by Kururi's reaction, Shingen couldn't assume that it was also a mere gang fight they were involved in. He had his suspicions, but he wanted to think otherwise, mainly because of what Orihara Shirou had vowed to himself during his youthful years, a few months before his marriage.
"I'll never become like that man, Orihara Torakichi. I'll tell my children I love them everyday, and play with them too. I won't ever raise a hand against them and simply label it as discipline. I promise you, Shingen." Shirou raised his voice, talking in an enthusiastic manner.
Kishitani Shingen, now in his twenties, brushed it off. "I get it, I get it. How's Kyouko doing?"
"She's doing great."
This time, Heiwajima Kichirou butted in. "That's great and all, but make sure you don't annoy the hell out of her with your fucked up personality."
"Mind your own business, Kichi-chan. You have your own woman to care about."
Shirou had promised in front of both friends that he would never abuse his children – just like the way he was abused by his father, Orihara Torakichi. Shingen wanted to trust his best friend, and that was that. But he became dubious as days passed, and Kichirou seemed to think the same.
It was truly infuriating. Kishitani Shingen, Heiwajima Kichirou, Orihara Shirou, and Mitanozuka Kyouko. Where had it all gone wrong? It was beyond Shingen's knowledge, and in all honesty, he was fearful to uncover the truth. He could tell by Kichirou's tone, that he was in the same boat as he was.
The last thing the older Kishitani expected was his son to form a close bond with his former best friends' children. It was now Heiwajima Shizuo, Orihara Izaya, and Kishitani Shinra. The generation was continuing, and Shingen was uncertain whether that was a joyful thing. Although, the resemblance was rather creepy – between them and their children.
Shizuo was so alike with his father, in terms that he possessed the older man's foul mouth and strength, along with the dense head and the uncontrollable temper. Izaya had his father's intelligence and slightly evil personality, while Shinra just followed his father's way with medicine and nerdy experiments.
The conversation he shared merely a few hours ago with Heiwajima Kichirou came back to his mind.
"Shingen… I do not want history to repeat."
"So do I."
"It already is, though. Shirou and his children – it isn't right. It isn't right at all, you know that, right?"
"Yes, I do know. What do you take me for, an idiot? Don't underestimate the intellect of an experienced member of the Nebula, Kichirou."
Kichirou leaned back exhaustively on the couch. "It already is repeating, much to my disappointment. After Kyouko's death… I don't even know what to assume anymore. And assumptions are supposed be the easiest to thing to do, first."
"Not necessarily. And it is not confirmed whether Shirou is really abusing his own children, albeit the percentage of that being factual is estimated to be about 92 percent, or precisely 92. 3987 percent. However, when proved, I will not hesitate to take action in order to support the police forces in arresting Shirou. I hope… I do hope you'll do so as well, Kichirou." Shingen said hesitantly. He knew that Kichirou was a one that cherished relationships – whether it was romantic, or in matters of friendship. The bond he possessed with Shirou was an odd one, but was once considered a friendship nevertheless.
Kichirou averted his gaze, his dark brown hair swaying at the movement. "… I will. The safety of the children is top priority, after all. We cannot have a criminal running loose on the streets now, can we?"
"We indeed can, but I want to prevent that from happening as much as possible." Kishitani Shingen nodded, conversing through his rather paranoid oxygen mask. "I'll investigate this more with Emilia, and while being on it… I'll try finding more information about Kyouko and Shirou. I need your assistance when it comes to protecting the girls, and Izaya."
"And your son?"
"He probably knows a handful – I saw him analyzing some papers yesterday."
"No, I mean… what if any harm approaches him?"
Shingen looked up, and Kichirou could see the glowering eyes through the goggles. "If that's the case, I will not hesitate for a nanosecond to dissect Shirou's body. Shinra is not going to be involved with any violence in this incident." His friend flinched at the threatening aura. "… But again, it isn't like my son will voluntarily jump into a riot without a reasonable cause. He's a sensible kid – he'll stay out of the red zone, most of the time. The problem is your son, Kichirou."
"I agree." Kichirou laughed a little. "He was always such a temperamental child. Really, he took up all the useless personality traits from me. And not to mention, he now loves Shirou's son… It's a first, you know? For him to ever love someone apart from his family. And Shizuo gets extremely protective of those he loves. Which is precisely why this matter… is troubling."
"Talk to the boy." Shingen said smoothly, "I bet he'll listen to you. You're the original beast of Ikebukuro, anyway."
"Oh, that's history."
"History repeats, Kichirou."
It was a friendly yet serious conversation that they first shared in years. Shingen was quite unsure of how to label it – but one thing he was certain about was that the whole situation wasn't to his liking.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Kishitani Shingen glanced at the clock – it was eight in the morning. "Emilia, is that –"
"Dad, I'm going out." Shinra muttered, his shirt worn backward and his socks being different colors. He was obviously in a hurry, as he didn't seem to notice how hideous he looked. "Don't call me – I'll be busy."
"What's going on?" Shingen frowned under his mask.
"Shizuo- no, Izaya, well, yeah, Izaya – he disappeared."
"What?"
"He disappeared when Shizuo woke up. Shizuo called me six minutes ago, saying that he needed my help. He was panicking a lot and- great, my shirt!"
"And socks." Shingen added helpfully, as his son quietly cursed under his breath, running back up to his closet to get a new pair of matching socks. Then he came rushing down, and slammed the door shut without another word to his father. The older Kishitani heaved a sigh, as he went to his office and turned on his computer.
Time to make my move, then.
Heiwajima Shizuo's head went instantly blank when he didn't see Orihara Izaya on the top bed. He searched the whole house, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. So he had immediately contacted Shinra, who hung up and rushed to his front door exactly eight minutes after receiving his call.
"Shinra- he- Izaya, I just don't know –"
"Calm down, Shizuo." Shinra snapped, as he stepped into the house. Kichirou was still sleeping, unaware of the chaos occurring outside. "Does your father know about this?"
"No."
"Well, we'll inform him later. When was the last time you saw Izaya?"
"Yesterday night, around… half past nine. He was on his bed, then."
"How was he acting?"
"Weird."
"Wow. Someone is setting the Guinness Record for being the most specific person in the universe."
"Alright, I'll elaborate! Elaboration… and specification. Well, to provide a backstory, my house was ransacked when we came back from school yesterday, and Izaya's sisters – they were gone. We searched the whole house, and then Izaya just started acting weird when we met in my dad's room. He was going all nonsensical and said he didn't care what happened to his sisters and shit, and was… he wasn't himself." Shizuo almost sounded pained when he muttered the last segment.
Shinra however, calmly made his deductions. Orihara Izaya was an exceptional actor, but there were certainly situations and people where he just couldn't put up an act against. Kishitani Shinra used to know one person that Izaya could never lie to, and that was his own father. Now there seemed to be another human being added to the minority list – and that was Heiwajima Shizuo. Sucks to be you, Izaya. Kishitani sighed. "Well, it's too early to jump to conclusions, although I can kinda grasp the basic idea of what's going on. Izaya goes crazy when it comes to sisters, after all. Hey, mind showing me your dad's room?"
"Yeah." Shizuo frowned in confusion, but led the boy up to the parent's room.
Kichirou was awake, and was on the phone. He looked quite pale – panicked, if one had to say. Frantically whispering something over the receiver, he ran his fingers through his hair, until he noticed Shizuo and Shinra by the doorstep. Gently putting the hand over his phone, Kichirou smiled. "What is it, boys?"
"I came to… inspect the room, Kichirou-san." Shinra fixed the position of his spectacles. "I apologize for the rather sudden intrusion."
"No, no… I just heard the chaos from Shingen. So Orihara-kun is out of the house, now? Well, that certainly is a problem… anyway, take your time. I need to go to work for the meantime, but I'll return as soon as possible." Kichirou mumbled, although evidently distracted, as he continued talking to the person the teenagers assumed was Kishitani Shingen.
When the door shut behind them, Shinra spoke up immediately. "So, where were you and Izaya and standing when you barged into the room?"
"Uh…" Shizuo fumbled around, trying to remember the precise locations. "I think I was around here…" He stepped a few centimeters in front of the door, and then moved. "… And Izaya was right about here." He then took a few strides forward, and stood in front of the desk, where existed a trash bin right beneath. "He had his back facing the desk, if that helps anyhow."
As I hypothesized. Shinra nodded in approval. "I get an idea of what occurred. Thank Izaya for being such a terrible actor around you."
"What?"
"Nothing. Anyway, Shizuo, your dad didn't clear out his bin yesterday, right?" Shinra kneeled down in front of the bin that had some pieces of paper here and there. "I'm seriously hoping he didn't, because I am not willing to follow the rubbish truck around town."
Shizuo shook his head, his responses always a second faster than usual – which Shinra found very convenient. "No. We were all too preoccupied with cleaning the house and everything. It was really a mess."
"I don't doubt your words." Taking out his tongs, Shinra reached in to the bin and fondled around, tossing out tissues and beer cans. The blonde delinquent made a pile of the trash his best friend was casually throwing out, not uttering even a syllable of complaint. Then Shinra reached a crumpled note, and he opened it. Bingo.
"Found something?" Shizuo stood up and made his move towards Shinra. The young doctor scanned the note that was now a bit blurry, stained with beer. "What's that?"
Putting the tongs back in his pocket, Shinra grunted. "It's bad news."
"What now? Give me that, Shinra." Grumbling, Shizuo made a face as he snatched the note out of his friend's hands. He read through the wriggly words that were out of shape, somehow still finding them legible. His eyes widened in shock, and then filled with fury. "Curse everything." He whispered under his breath, as Shinra just looked down on the floor with slight guilt of not finding out faster. "That idiotic flea…"
"There's nothing we can do, at least for now. We'll have to wait until the police inform us with further data about Shirou and his whereabouts, and then track him down. If Shirou is serious about the deal he had suggested to Izaya, which I am very skeptical about – what was that idiot thinking? But anyway, if he is, then Mairu and Kururi will certainly be able to tell us something."
"No way."
"… Shizuo?"
"There's no fucking way I can wait that long."
Shinra closed his eyes. "I don't want to wait too. But Shizuo, we're two teenagers, putting aside the fact that I am an unlicensed doctor and you are the beast of this town. We are going up against not just somebody called Orihara Izaya's dad (heck, that would make everything so easier to handle) but a person that owns one of the most successful companies in Japan. There's no possibility that we can win – if I have to give you a percentage, our chances of victory is exactly 0. 0271 percent."
"I don't care about the possibilities. What if Izaya actually…" Shizuo held down a choking sob. "What if he actually dies this time?" However, this statement of concern only earned a punch on the head from Shinra, who gave Shizuo a calm yet furious glare.
"Don't underestimate Orihara Izaya. It's the worst thing to do."
Indeed, it was.
Izaya groaned, as he woke up. Where am I? He stirred, only to hiss at the shot of pain that ran up his quivering spine. Fuck… Barely being able to move, he observed his surroundings. He was obviously not at home, or Shizuo's for that matter- wait, Shizuo?
The memories came flooding back into his head, as his face darkened at the remembrance. "Now I've done it." Grunting, he reminisced about the events that occurred the previous night.
It was nine-fifty when he was at the playground. There was no good for him in coming ten minutes early, but there was no harm either. He shivered. It was oddly chilly that night – and there wasn't anyone to provide him warmth. No, that's not it… He mentally corrected himself – it was always like that. That's right, Heiwajima Shizuo was unusual disturbance that entered his life. Izaya wasn't supposed to adapt his one-week lifestyle, after the years he had lived like a loner.
"Never knew you'd really come."
A chill ran through Izaya's whole body. He hated it. He hated how his body started crunching inward due to the fear, not the cold. It was all because of Orihara Shirou that he had suffer this much.
But nevertheless, he turned to face the man. He had an unconscious Kururi and Mairu on the ground. "I never knew you'd really keep your promise." Izaya commented, and Shirou snorted, as if Izaya was some sort of comic relief to a serious movie.
"I didn't even give them back to you yet. What makes you think –"
But the younger Orihara didn't give the man a chance to finish. He lunged forward with all his might, and sent the older man staggering backward, eventually as he lost his balance and stumbled over his own feet. "KURURI, MAIRU, NOW!" The teenager shouted, quickly untying his sisters from the restraints. The girls, seemingly awake from the very beginning, nodded, as they tugged on Izaya's sleeve.
"Iza-nii, you come with us too/Nii-chan, you need come too!" The twins said simultaneously, but Shirou was already regaining his normal composure. Izaya bit his bottom lip – he already knew from the start that he only possessed one chance to free his siblings, and that he probably wouldn't have a route of escape himself.
He lightly pushed the girls forward and gave them an encouraging brotherly smile. "I'll follow you girls later. Now, just run. Find someone to help you, alright? Quick, we don't have a lot of time." He urged them, as they exchanged worried glances. Despite how young they both were, they had both witnessed too much for their age to believe their brother's words. But they also acknowledged the sore fact that if they didn't elude from their position, Izaya might get into more trouble.
So they ran.
Izaya turned back, and instantly was kicked by his own father. "You fucking little shit." He snarled, as he threw another fierce punch at the boy. "You just fucking had to do that." Coughing, Izaya struggled against the man – but as always, Shirou was simply too powerful for him to deal with alone.
Several more men arrived – Izaya recognized some of them from his father's company. "Take care of him, and confine him in the storage room. Teach him a lesson." Sneering, the man made his exit as he got into the car. Izaya's eyes widened in only slight terror – he couldn't allow other people to know his weakness.
"Well, here goes." A gruff voice said first, as his fist came in contact with Izaya's lower torso. If it was just a fist it might've been bearable, but considering the male's physical size, and not the mention the spiky iron rings we was wearing on every single finger, Izaya almost knocked out at the impact. The metal pierced his body, and he felt blood trickling out from the wound. "I have nothing against you, but the cash is the cash."
Another man grabbed hold of a dizzy Izaya, as two men started beating him into a pulp. One just kept on aiming for his damn chest, and the other for his legs. Later on he was in too much pain, he almost forgot who he was. "Ugh…" He spurted out the crimson liquid from his mouth, as he hung limply in the man's hold. "… Hurts…" Murmuring silently, Izaya felt himself slipping, as the final blow hit him directly in the face.
"It was a mistake to pass out like that…" He said to himself aloud, still finding it quite difficult to move. His body was painted with colorful bruises that were visible through the white shirt he was wearing, now saturated in dried blood. The places where the spikes went through were untreated, leaving him with immense pain. It hurt him so much, but he couldn't even muster up the strength to cry.
Pathetic. He was so pathetic.
He was now locked up in this storage room that had absolutely nothing he could make a use out of, and to be honest, even if there were something, Izaya wasn't entirely sure whether he would be able to move a muscle and take a plan to action. I can't even think… Oh no, I feel like vomiting. Covering his mouth hastily with his mouth, the raven collapsed on the ground and released uneven breaths of agony. "Shizu-chan…" He whimpered, slightly regretting that he had actually mentally refused to receive help from the blonde. It seemed like the right decision at the time, but it really broke Izaya to be in a state like this again.
Inhaling a deep breath of determination, Orihara Izaya tried to focus his undivided attention on scheming a way to get out. He promised Kururi and Mairu – he couldn't possibly let them down. Albeit it was pitch-black, his eyes were gradually adjusting to the tone of brightness, as he got a better look of the area.
There was a metal door a few meters to his left, and there was no window or whatsoever to be in sight. I need something… Someone… He dragged himself, using his better hand to reach the door. Fumbling over the rusty metal, the injured teen managed to touch the doorknob. Next to it was a lock – a lock that could be undone with a password from the inside.
Orihara Izaya lightened up – so there was a chance of escape. But that's odd… That man should be aware of what I am capable of. Oh well, that's not my business. The password was supposed to be four numbers, judging by the way the system appeared. "Just how many combinations are there with four digit numbers? A million?" Izaya put on a disgruntled expression, as he slumped back, out of energy.
Oh wait… what's this? Izaya frowned, as he felt his fingertips brush against something that seemed caved in – carved, to be precise. A carving? In a place like this – on the floor, too? Due to the fact that his vision hadn't cleared enough to actually see the carving, Izaya just started using his index finger to follow the trail of it.
"Zero…" He traced the number, as the carving followed. "Five… Zero… Four." Stopping midway, Izaya's eyebrows creased in suspicion. There was obviously no harm done even if he actually tried out a million combinations – but this was too much a coincidence. Someone was obviously trying to assist him out of the predicament he was stuck in – so who was it?
Whatever. Izaya rolled his eyes, as he turned around and entered in the four digits, his finger trembling.
Click!
"Holy shit, it actually worked?" He mumbled in awe, but tumbled out of the room, trying his best not to leave a trail of blood behind.
But he was too lost in his thoughts, that he had never noticed the familiarity of the password.
