Title: Things that change for better or for worse
Chapter 23: Challenging the Change 3
By: Sissy

Disclaimer: DRRR shall never belong to me otherwise there'd be more yaoi.
Warning: People going about in circles.
A/N: Did anyone notice what sort of song I had Ruka sing? Also, anyone like the story cover I placed? It's from this post on my DA (just use the name and everything after the slash art code, FF hates me right now): kiki-shinigami deviantart /art /Change-ch0-04-267244824

"Even Izaya-san is gone? But he was here just a while ago, right?" Walker asked curiously, eyeing the surroundings of the café. The waitress nodded, somewhat confused as she wasn't entirely sure what had happened in the short period of time. It seemed that there was a crash and Mikado stood up, looking a bit pale. Izaya commented something and Mikado yelled back some things. But then, after that, everything became fuzzy. All that the waitress remembered was that she heard a soft roar.

"Oi, listen to this interesting story!" Chikage came from the kitchen with his arm around a cook's shoulder. "Go on, tell 'em what you told me." He seemed to be threatening the cook, who whimpered and spoke up.

"W-well… Orihara-san… He, uh, he asked me to prepare their drinks…'cuz I owed him… So I put some…some…d-drugs…" The cook stammered as all four stared at him but Anri was the most shocked. "But he should've fallen unconscious! And he didn't! I, uh, don't know what happened. And I was in the kitchen…so I didn't see."

"Good, good. Now let me escort you back to there." Chikage said with a glint in his eyes.

"I can't believe Izaya-san would do something like that. Was he really planning on kidnapping Mikado-kun in broad daylight?" Walker asked himself and noticed Anri bent down next to the table where the two had been. The man saw the young woman and headed towards her curiously. "What is it, Anri-chan?"

"There's blood here. Ryugamine-kun or Izaya-san is injured. I can't tell which." Anri was worried, not for the informant, never for that man, but rather for her friend. She wondered what the informant had done to him.

Saburou comes back to them after asking something to the manager. "There isn't security video. They've been off for a week. I think this was part of his plan." He gave his opinion and points outside. "Should we try to see where they headed off to?"

Walker thinks it through and receives a message from his beloved partner. After reading, he seems in shock. "We'll have to hurry. Looks like it isn't really over yet. Shizuo-san is after Mikado-kun now and, for some reason, Ruka-kun is also in the middle of this mess." Walker showed them the image of a blurry Mikado holding onto a child they all quickly recognized.

… … …

"My, my. Doesn't that hurt? You're not Shizu-chan, you know?"

"Even if I'm not like him, my hatred for you right now could compare to his."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. You made the challenge. Aren't you tired yet?"

"Izaya-san, you've never been honest with me. I know this, but what do you want? What could you possibly crave so much that you'd bother even the one person you despise the most?"

"Isn't that obvious? It's always been you. I find that breaking you is the most pleasing thing for me."

"That's so useless, Izaya-san."

"I still think it's mimicry, by the way."

"After all, I'm already…"

"GAO!"

Interesting… My memory doesn't go beyond the small roar. I wonder what it was. Izaya smirked to himself as he watched the string of comments that he caused. He might've bashed himself a bit with it, but it served its purpose. Everyone was now diligently keeping an eye out for Mikado, who seemed to be carrying a child in his arms.

After stretching a bit, he assessed the damage given to him. Mikado had managed to break his arm. It surprised Izaya that such a thin figure could deal that much damage. He had a few scratches all over as well, not just from the glass window he was kicked out through, but from the knife that Mikado had picked up.

Trying to hold in his chuckles, Izaya remembered how the teen paled while forcing himself awake. He should have fallen unconscious by then but it seemed as though his willpower was higher. It reminded him of someone he hated. The similarities between the two irked him now and he wondered how wrong could he be when Mikado resembled that ex-bartender so much then?

[What do you need, idiot?] Namie's voice on the other side of the line was the same as always. No doubt the woman was following his movements through the forum he left open on his computer, but that wasn't important to him right now.

"You sure you want to call me an idiot. I sign your checks, you know." Izaya joked around on reflex, failing to realize one important detail.

[I don't work for you, moron. You haven't said that you'd hire me again.] Namie bluntly retorted.

"Ah, but now I might not even pay you the work you've done these last few days. Not to mention that little thing you want of me." Izaya laughed, not missing a beat.

[…What do you want?] She eventually asked without any mocking comment.

"Just a few things, really." Izaya tried to think about how he could work things out to his advantage and gave Namie two easy instructions.

… … …

"So, I know this is a totally wrong time to ask, but since when have you been calling him by his first name? I'm actually feeling pretty jealous here. I thought I was the only one who called my best friend, 'Mikado'." Masaomi asked as he managed to catch up to Shizuo. They had lost Mikado twice already and were waiting for information from Erika.

"What exactly do you know?" Shizuo asked hesitantly. He didn't want to reveal too much since it didn't have anything to do with Masaomi, as far as he knew anyways.

"Just bits and pieces. Like, Heiwajima-san and Mikado were friends six years ago. Something happened and Mikado ran away. Now he came back and is still avoiding you even though he's trying to find enough courage to face you." Masaomi explained and Shizuo looked to be in shock. "Ah, but, I think Anri-chan knows more about it, she just won't tell me. I don't really care but I'd appreciate it if you two resolved your problems already. I need Mikado for something important."

"Now, look here you. I'll just say this once before I get pissed off. This isn't any of your business." Shizuo warned Masaomi with a glare, taking a step closer to him. Kyohei noticed them and kept watch just in case Shizuo decided to hurt Masaomi. The last thing they needed right now was infighting.

Masaomi quickly frowned and retorted, "Actually, it became my business the moment Mikado became my best friend. I worry about him, and no matter how much I tease him, that's not going to change. I'd rather you disappear and be done with Mikado's problem."

"Hey, Erika just read that they got seen somewhere near the station." Kyohei intervened, thinking something might've happened soon. The two fake blonds turned towards Kyohei and followed him.

… … …

The room wasn't dark and neither was the outside, but Namie felt as though it were. She was looking for the recordings of the security footage Izaya likes to tape around his apartment. He had set the damn things up to keep tabs on people and in case he needed leverage against anyone in particular. The footage she needed at the moment was of the day she had come back. Izaya sounded as though he wanted to check if something had happened that day. Namie didn't care, really. She just wanted her pay for personal reasons.

Unfortunately for her, when she finally found the footage, she saw nothing.

To Be Continued…