A/N: I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter. One I was procrastinating and two my beta hasn't edit this chapter yet so don't be surprise if there are a lot of mistakes. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Power Within

"You never cease to surprise me with how many wounds you manage to obtain in one day," Shinra commented as he tended to Shizuo's wounds.

There was pretty much wounds all over the blonde's body and enough blood to make someone wonder how Shizuo was still alive.

Luckily for Shizuo, Celty was going pass the park that the Dollars beat the bodyguard in after completing a job and noticed him on the ground.

Celty tried to help him but Shizuo wanted to walk on his own to Shinra's. The carrier considered texting the underground doctor to come to them instead of them coming to him but the blonde insisted not to; that he could get to the apartment just fine.

Just in case, the dullahan followed beside the ex-bartender with her horse disguised as a motorcycle, ready to carry him on it if he collapsed or couldn't go on anymore.

A couple of times he almost tripped and Celty rushed over to Shizuo to help but Shizuo would swat away her hand and keep walking/ limping.

When they finally arrived at the apartment, the blonde collapsed on the nearest couch and the Headless Rider ran to get the brunette.

"What happened anyway?" Shinra asked out of curiosity. Shizuo was quiet for a moment.

"Those punks."

"Punks?" Shinra asked. The underground doctor stopped what he was doing for a moment and thought about it. Then it hit him. "Oh! You mean the Dollars," he said as if remembering something happy that happened in the past. He went back to tending to the blonde's wounds and said, "They're really becoming popular lately."

*type type type* Wasn't Tom with you? Why didn't you ask for his help?

"I don't need anyone's help to beat a couple of punks," Shizuo responded.

"Tell that to your body I'm fixing right now," the underground doctor commented. 'The strongest man in Ikebukuro' glared at the Shinra and he quickly apologized. Though Shizuo didn't feel all that strong being beat up like he was and his confidence to beat the flea once and for all if he ever got his hand on him began to slip.

*type type type* You can ask for help, you know.

Who? Who would help a monster like Shizuo?

He was most likely…no, most definitely labeled as someone you didn't want to be around more than needed and absolutely under any circumstances don't annoy him or you would regret it.

Most of Ikebukuro feared him. So who in their right mind would help the blonde who needed serious anger management lessons?

Anger…

Something Shizuo always wished he could control but just not quite there yet. If only he could control it…no…the strength. The inhuman-like strength.

If he didn't have it then maybe he would be normal. He would be like anyone else who got angry. He would punch a hard object like any normal person, hurt his hand like any normal person, and be laughed at by his friends like any normal person for thinking that the hard object would break under his fist.

But that wasn't Shizuo's case. He wasn't a normal person. If he punched a hard object, it would break under his fist and his non-friends would run away screaming in fear. Just like any else who has seen his strength.

Or they would taunt him about. Try to keep him in his place. In a monster's place. Like a certain informant. Izaya always believed that Shizuo wasn't considered a human but a monster and that Shizuo shouldn't try to be human because he was far from becoming one.

"What's up, Shizuo?" Tom asked as he loomed over his kohai to look down at him. The blonde was lying on the bench in the very park he was beat up in just yesterday. Although it should've been a place that Shizuo want to be least, he felt at peace there. His head was being cleared like a start over.

"I wasn't expecting to see you today," Tom commented. Shizuo wanted to go back to work right after Shinra finished patching him up, feeling as though he made Tom wait too long, but Celty insisted that he take the rest of the day and the next day off to rest.

Of course once Shizuo called his employer and told him the whole story, Tom felt the same way Celty did and actually gave Shizuo the rest of the week off to heal. The debt collector even made it a paid vacation since he felt bad about leaving Shizuo in his time of need.

The blonde sat up and replied with a tired smile, "Me neither." Tom noticed the smile but not how Shizuo wanted him to. Shizuo smiled to hide any worry or sadness that might show on his face.

Although Shizuo never hid his emotions, he never wanted to trouble those close and dear to him. If his emotions troubled them, then he would put them behind him for their sake.

But Tom saw right through Shizuo's act.

Tom scratched the back of his head, frustrated. Not knowing what to say or do to make Shizuo understand that they're friends so it wouldn't trouble him at all for Shizuo to open up to him.

Maybe he wouldn't destroy stuff half as much as he did if he actually talked to someone.

Shizuo was known to bite off at least three less heads on days he talked to Celty.

Tom sighed and started, "You know… I don't mind talking or just listening if that's what you want.

Shizuo stiffened. Great. He made Tom worry. The exact opposite of what we wanted to do. Shizuo lowered his head to look at nothing in particular on the ground.

Tom was a good person. He probably only worried because of his good nature. It was probably no more than just that. If Shizuo wasn't a monster… Shizuo's eyes widen. Did Tom think-

"Do you think I'm a monster?" the blonde asked in a shaky voice. Then Shizuo realized that he asked it. The question he always knew the answer to but didn't want to actually hear it. Because then it would be set in stone. There. Never to have a small chance that Tom would say-

"No."

…What…

He…didn't?

No way…

Impossible…

The subordinate looked up at his boss with even wider eyes if that was even possible.

Maybe he didn't hear that correctly. Shizuo smiled a sad, I-should've-known smile.

It was in his head he played it so many times in his head that he probably started to actually believe it himself.

That moment when anyone…someone other than his family would tell him that they didn't think he was a monster and…that they except him. HIM. SHIZUO HEIWAJIMA.

That they except him as human.

"I don't think you are a monster. You're human," Tom continued, "Just like me." Tom said it like it was natural. Like it was a fact that everyone should have known. Like why wouldn't everyone think that Shizuo wasn't human? Like it was as much as a fact the sky was blue and the grass was green.

Shizuo lowered his head into his hand and covered his eyes. Trying to hold in his tears but just in case he couldn't hold it in, Tom wouldn't see them. Shizuo also smiled uncontrollably. He tried not to but it seemed that he couldn't control his facial muscles.

Tom didn't seem to mind though. He would give Shizuo all the time he needed. All the time he needed to understand that he was there not only as his boss, not only as his friend, but also his fellow human.

A/N: The next chapter will be the final chapter. Look forward to the final battle between Izaya and Shizuo. Also follow me on my tumblr at mrswagangel dot tumblr dot com for updates and other junk I do instead of writing the next chapter for my waiting fan(s).