It continues. . .

. . .

Chapter 8: Eight Rolls of Sushi

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At first, Izaya didn't know what to do. One hundred million yen-that's the amount that was demanded. Ok-no problem. He knew how to get the money. But what he didn't know was how to a sure that Shizuo wasn't going to die. Normally, he'd chuck it up to Shizuo pulling his leg, but being somewhat of a sadist, he knew that what he heard of the phone was real. And that's what scared him. But why? Why did he care? The questions would have to worry. Right now he needed help.

So, once again, we visit the home of Celty Sturluson and Kishitani Shinra.

"Izaya?" Shinra seemed pretty surprised. "How's your cold?"

"Not important." Izaya stepped past Shinra

"How is that not important? You were running a 106.8 fever the other day!" Shinra squabbled.

Izaya just turned around and glared at him. "Because Shizu-chan's in trouble." The room fell silent.

"Do you know what's going on?" Celty asked standing up.

"Not much, other than that some idiot gang decided to write their death wish." Izaya could feel eyes on the back of his head. "They're asking for a ransom, and if they don't get it-let's just say that Shizu-chan's not going to be throwing vending machines any time soon."

"How much are they asking?"

"Don't worry about it. I have the money. That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" Shinra asked wiggling his eyebrow. "What could you possibly need help with?" Celty, not literally speaking, shook her head.

"Will you stop that? This is serious!" Celty quickly typed on her keyboard.

"But Celty, don't you find it curious as to why he's telling us this with concern?" Yeah, she was curious, but she wasn't worried about that right now. Now she was worried Shizuo, the person that was possibly dying right now! 'All' eyes fell on Izaya.

"You're not going to start that are you?" The one in the furry coat sighed.

"Are you still going to deny the truth?" Shinra countered.

"There's nothing to deny!" The tone in Izaya's voice was more than a little emotional. "When are you going to drop it?"

"When you-"

"ENOUGH!" Celty had had it. "Look, sitting here doing nothing is only allowing time to ticks on by with Shizuo's life's in danger! What is wrong with you?" The two young men just looked at her. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to go look for Shizuo."

"Celty, you can't!" Izaya grabbed her wrist as she tried to pass him.

"Why not?"

"Like typical terms of an agreement, I bring the ransom to the docks alone." Izaya walked over towards the window to watch the snow fall over the gloomy looking city. "But I'm not going alone. Celty, I want you to come with me so that way Shizu-chan can quickly get to hospital, or if it gets real ugly, back to the pervert you live with."

Shinra grinned proudly. "And what about me? Is this where you tell me that I play doctor?"

A smirk rose on Izaya's face. "Yup. Unless you can beat the shit out of people." Izaya said heading towards the door. Celty followed. The two of them mounted Celty's 'horse' and were off. . .

Shizuo laid on the stone cold ground. He was in pain as the possible infection was running through his leg. These bastards, they were all dead the second he was able to stand.

The nitwits, unaware of Shizuo plotting their demise, laughed and high fived each other.

"Dude! That was so fucking awesome!"

"I know! Not only will we be swimming in cash, but Heiwajima will be off the streets!"

Shizuo groaned. These morons had no idea. Not that he could do much. The only thing Shizuo could do was lie there and hope that Izaya didn't hate him as much as he let on. . .

Izaya's plan was simple. Stop by the bank and withdraw the funds. After that they'd head off to the docks and where Izaya would dismount and leave Celty to hide near the cargo boxes. Once he paid the ransom, he would grab Shizuo and run. If a fight were to happen, he'd fight and he had Celty for backup if needed. The plan was laid out, now to put it into action. . .

The ride to the docks seemed to have gone by in slow motion. Either Izaya's heart was racing or his adrenalin was really coursing through his blood. Everything pasted by like it would in the movies. The lights blurred, objects passed by slower, and sounds muted. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. . .

The docks were cold-cold and bleak. Celty sat at the ready by the side, out of sight. She watched as Izaya's footsteps echoed off the metal of the docks. Izaya entered the rundown building where he was met with curious looks and grunts.

"Wooh, didn't think you'd come this early." The leader said in his annoying wannabe way.

"Well, ya'know, I figured that Ikebukuro would be quite boring without Shizu-chan around." Izaya tried to keep calm and his heart in his chest. "So where is he?"

"Right here." The leader moved out of the way to reveal a tied up blond in a pretty bad state. Panic started to rise in his throat and he was careful not to let it on. "The money?"

Izaya put the sliver case down on the ground and kicked it over to the leader. He knelt down and counted the bills. Satisfied with the cash, the leader stood up. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, but this is too much of an opportunity to give up, so we're going to rid the city of both of you. Then that way we'll be the most powerful and feared gang in the whole city!" Izaya just cocked an eyebrow as the moron did that stupid laugh most wannabes do. "Alright, get him boys!"

Izaya braced himself as the people crowded around him armed with pipes, bats, and crowbars. And what did Izaya have, his little switch blade. So, what to do. Izaya saw only one option, fight! Two went into jump him. Unseen, Izaya slashed their chest, not killing them, but immobilizing them. Then a few more jumped in and Izaya didn't get away so easily. He slashed two of them and a third bashed his shoulder of his right arm, knocking it out of commission. Then another crowbar came across his face, sending Izaya into a dizzy spell. Shizuo watched in horror and confusion. How the hell could Izaya survive getting hit with a vending machine unscaved, yet get hurt by a crowbar? Where is the logic in this? Let's just blame the cold. He had to do something.

Putting through the pain, Shizuo found his feet. Magically, he went unnoticed as he stepped through the loop his tide hands made and bradded a near-by pipe. He stalked up onto the leader, who should have been watching and stuck. It was then that everyone else realized the Shizuo wasn't completely immobile. A few members, all in the name of their injured leader, went after him. Shizuo was in no condition to fight, but he pushed on anyway.

After only a few blows by pipes and kicks, Izaya was down for the count, where the beatings weren't any better. Something hard met his stomach, knocking he air, and some blood, right out of him. Then suddenly, it stopped. Izaya wasn't sure why. He figured he was just dying. So-he looked over towards Shizuo, who was still on his feet, still fighting-even though the people attacking them had stopped. What was happening? Before he got his answer, Izaya was overcome by darkness . . . and the scent of a light cologne.

Sorry it took so long. I've been playing with my new sewing machine.