Chapter 25

Call of the Wild

A/N: I made it a little longer because I owe you guys.

"Is my daughter safe?"

"Yes sir. Akane is with my two best men on her way back to Tokyo."

Mikiya Awakusu sighed in relief and turned to his father, Dougan, "That Nai has some explaining to do."

"I'll be glad to tell you everything." Every man in the room flinched and a few even pointed their guns at the young woman as she materialized out of black smog in the middle of the room. She bowed to her elder cousin and uncle, "I apologize for putting your lives in danger, I will accept full responsibility of my actions."

Mikiya hesitantly touched her shoulder, "We just want to know what's going on, what happened to you?"

"I'm not what's important right now."

"You're spewing black smoke! How is that not important?"

Dougen held up a hand as he sat behind his late nephew's desk. He picked up the nearest picture which, coincidentally, was of himself with his sister, brother in law, and their two boys; Daiki and Daifu. He'd found what his niece said at the funeral too hard to believe. "Nai, what happened?"

She turned away from her cousin and bowed again before speaking, if only to hide the water forming in her eyes, "He killed him. Right where you're sitting."

The man clenched a fist. "How can you be so positive in pointing out your father?"

"I can help explain that."

Nai looked up at Izaya as he entered the room. Several men approached him and he held up his hands, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Who the hell is this?" Mikiya glared at the informant.

"Nii-san, this is Izaya Orihara." Nai spoke.

He turned to Shiki, "The info broker?"

Shiki bowed slightly, "Yes."

He crossed his arms tightly and turned back to easily the smallest man in the room, "What do you know?"

Izaya whipped his cell phone from his pocket and pressed a button. The room went completely silent as a recording was played.

"Who is trying to kill me Nora?"

"…"

"Tell me."

*rustling* *gun cocking* "Can you do it?"

"..."

"You have to. Yakuza rules remember?"

"Stop questioning how I do things!"

"You're being weak. I'd rather you kill me than them."

"They expected me to kill you?" *a pause* "They're setting me up again..."

"Nai listen to me. Your father wants both of us gone. If you kill me, my father can elicit war under Yakuza rule."

"Then I won't kill you."

"If you don't. My father will."

"What is it with fathers not wanting their children?"

"I wish I knew. I'd rather you kill me. Then I want you to go down the hall and kill my father. There won't be anyone left to elicit war, and you can request trial against your father."

"Hagane this and Hagane that huh?"

"Just take good care of my territory. The way I would have taken care of yours."

There was a gunshot on the recording and Izaya hit the button again, "There's more."

"You killed my son."

"Better me than you."

"And now you're here to kill me. That won't stop the war. Your father is now Ojo of Shinjuku. And your uncle will be put-"

Another gunshot cut off the older Noramibu and Izaya stopped the recording. Mikiya just looked at his niece in shock, "Put to death. Daiki was put to death and you're sure that Daifu killed him?"

Izaya spoke up for the woman who was still reeling slightly from the recordings, she had no idea he'd had those, "I have more recordings of meetings between Daifu Hagane and Fuji Noramibu. The old man promised him the Noramibu Ojo seat if he could get his hands on the Ikebukuro Territory." he chuckled, "But the idiot attempted to simply dethrone his daughter instead of killing her, at least, until now."

Dougen rubbed his chin, "Daifu was never very bright honestly."

"Too bad he didn't spare me simply because he loves his daughter." Nai said.

Dougen frowned at the woman as she lit a cigarette after making her statement, "You've grown well, with or without his love."

She nodded, thankful, "So, in regards to this war i've started?"

"You have the full force of the Awakusu family, Ojo Hagane, whatever your plan is." Mikiya approached her, "But in regards to this…" he held up the letter she had slipped him.

"There is nothing in that letter that needs to be discussed Nii-san. Unless there was something you didn't understand…"

He frowned, creasing his brow much like his father, "No. I understood it all." he tucked the letter back in his jacket and turned to Izaya, "And you?"

"Oh I'm just along for the ride~!" Izaya sang.

Nai chuckled shortly, "That's only because you can't go home now."

The informant just continued to grin like an idiot, "That much is true."

"He isn't here."

Daifu Hagane's face was currently turned up in a maniacal grin/grimace. His black suit had a hole in the left sleeve and blood stained the shirt. Nai had managed to at least graze him, "That has become painfully apparent. And you are?"

Namie hand't flinched or moved a muscle as men went about tearing through Izaya's condo. Now they were stacking files in each other's arms and flipping through the pages as if Nai's plan, and the broker's whereabouts, would spill off the paper. Saki was somewhat as brave, unmoving, but slightly behind the woman.

"Namie Yagiri."

"Oh right." he approached and circled the two females, "Izaya hired you after the buyout of your company… Lovely drugs by the way, never tried the things myself…"

"My company didn't make those types of drugs."

"But you did experiment on people and make a high school girl disappear…" he chuckled, "Didn't think I knew about that? All the underground knows. Just like I know about your little brother and your affinity for him."

Namie tensed up. Her brother could be in danger behind Izaya's fuck-up and that Nai woman's recklessness. "Seiji…"

"He goes to Raira right? Along with that little blonde brat Nai keeps around and those other two kids. The one rumored to lead the Dollars, and the Slasher…"

Her face said it all.

"How do I know all this? Izaya has a big mouth."

"Izaya only ever gives information when he can get something out of it. How do you know he didn't trick you?" she tried.

Daifu fell onto the couch and examined his wound boredly, "I don't. But at this point I don't care. I'll kill him on sight either way."

Namie scoffed and walked over to the couch, "What are you expecting? That he'll come to get us and you'll get your chance? Izaya doesn't care about anything."

"Izaya wouldn't leave me here!" Saki shouted. The adults looked over at her, she suddenly crumbled at the thought of Izaya truly abandoning her.

The older woman frowned at her, "He already has."

"No! I'm going to find him!"

A burly man grabbed her by the arm as she tried to run from the condo and almost lifted her off the ground. Daifu put his arm over the back of the couch as Namie sat next to him, not too close of course, and smirked, "Sorry little girl. No one gets in or out of Shinjuku without my permission."

She struggled a little before shoving a hand in her pocket, "I'm calling him!"

"Go ahead." he put his feet on the coffee table, "I'll bet my territory he doesn't answer."

"I take it this is everyone with enough balls to show up?"

Nai looked around the lopsided circle of family and friends. She stood with Mr. Shiki behind her, and around clockwise; Izaya, Celty, Shinra, Kadota, Walker, Erica, Saburo, Tom, Simon, Mikado, Anri, and Masaomi.

Tom adjusted his glasses, "I called Shizuo but he didn't answer."

The woman took a deep breath to keep from showing any emotion on the subject of the blonde. Kadota shuffled about impatiently, "Why am I always the last to know everything? Why isn't he here?"

"It doesn't matter." the woman spoke up.

"It matters to me!"

"Drop it Kadota!" Her stern gaze froze him. He huffed.

Saburo put a hand on his friends shoulder, "What is this about?"

"Ikebukuro is about to enter into a war. Much different than the petty gang wars you've endured since i've been gone."

Simon folded his hands in front of his face, "Fighting no good."

"We don't have a choice."

"Always choice." he battled her.

She sighed through her nose and rummaged in her blazer for a cigarette and lighter, upon looking up from the flame she saw a familiar silhouette approaching. Shizuo joined the circle quietly and Nai continued to address Simon, but this time in Russian.

"My dolzhny borot'sya. YA ne locing moy dom nikomu." We have to fight. I'm not losing my home to anyone.

"Gotovy li vy, chtoby poprosit' ikh o pomoshchi?" Are you prepared to ask them for help?

She nodded, "Kak skoro oni mogut poluchit' zdes'?" How soon can they get here?

"Tomorrow evening at the soonest." Simon switched back to flawless Japanese. To the shock of most of the circle.

"Chto vy planiruyete delat' s nimi?" What do you plan to do with them?, Izaya chimed in as he silenced a phone call and put the device away, a large grin covering his narrow features.

"Prinyat' stol'ko territorii, skol'ko ya mogu vo imya Hagane." Take over as much territory as I can in the name if Hagane. , She looked over her shoulder, "I Awakusu, konechno." And Awakusu, of course.

The man was tickled at that, "Sounds like a plan."

Everyone else in the circle was thoroughly confused, which Nai had no problem with. They didn't need to know anymore than what she was going to tell them. She finally acknowledged Shizuo, "Hello Shizuo."

"If you don't want me here I can go…"

"I never said that, and I wasn't going to." She bowed to him slightly, "I'm glad you're here."

Tom pat the man on the back, "So Nai, what's the plan?"

"First, the plan is we set up a perimeter around the city. No one get's in until I say so."

Mikado and Anri looked at each other, "We have the people for that." Seeing as he could mobilize half the city, Mikado was right.

Nai nodded, "I know. I'm leaving that job to the two of you." She exhaled cigarette smoke mixed with black smog, "Mikado, I need to you to post that there's a curfew in effect for the city. No one will be on the streets except members of the dollars, people affected by the slasher," Anri blushed, "and Yakuza."

"What about me?" Masaomi asked, hands balled into fists in the pockets of his hoodie.

The woman smiled at him, "You, will be in charge of organizing and giving orders to the remainder of the family alongside Shiki and Tom."

The aforementioned man stepped around his little cousin, "C'mon kid, we need to go now."

Tom rubbed his dreads and sighed, "Man, this is going to be wild."

She winked at the small blonde as the three males left together. "Kadota, Walker, Erica, and Saburo, you'll see to it that every cop in the city is more focused on you than on anyone or anything else."

"I thought you owned the cops." Walker scratched his head.

Nai smirked, "Not all of them. The one's I do own will be with Tom, Masaomi, and Shiki."

The young man turned to Erica excitedly. "This is so cool!"

"Like right out of an action flick!"

"What should we do?"

The woman exhaled smoke and smirked, "Get creative."

Saburo rolled his eyes, "Am I gonna get arrested? I really don't want to get arrested."

Kadota approached the woman, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"That's a bold question."

"I'm serious Nai. This is dangerous we could all get seriously hurt."

"If you're scared, don't do it."

He narrowed his gaze at her then turned to join the other three back at the van. The people left standing in the circle had unknowingly stepped in closer. The woman had never before seen Shizuo and Izaya so close together without lampposts and switchblades being crossed. Shinra looked nervous and like he wanted to say something. Celty, without her head, remained a mystery, and Nai herself tried hard not to let her expressions speak for her.

Shinra finally spoke, "And us?"

Nai looked round at them, took in their presence and after a few seconds her squared shoulders fell just a touch and she scratched the bridge of her nose, "I don't know."

"I'll do what I do best." Izaya paused for what he thought was dramatic effect, "Know everything." Shizuo growled, causing Shinra to take a step closer to Celty. The informant laughed, "And what do you plan to do Shizu-chan? Howl at the moon or maybe you'd like to hump Nai's leg and whimper."

The woman stepped between them, "You both stood here, this close, without fighting until now. You can go back to chasing each other if you both live through this."

"If?" The blonde stepped forward and into to the woman's hand, now flat on his chest. "If anyone is going to die it's the flea. And I am staying by your side."

He challenged her hazel gaze with his brown one until she broke, "Fine."

"How cute."

"Shut it." Nai shoved Izaya out of the circle, "Since you know so much go to the house and start doing what you do."

"I need my equipment."

She rolled her eyes, "Tell Masaomi to give you my computer. You'll have to deal with just that."

"Fine. Can I get a ride Celty~?"

The Dullahan's shoulders slumped but Nai saved her, "No, I think I'll put Celty on patrol. Work the city perimeter and help the kids." The woman vanished without a word and the gangster tossed the informant her car keys, "Take my car and Shinra."

The doctor adjusted his glasses, "What should I do Nai?"

She shrugged, "Be ready to patch up some wounds I guess."

Shizuo fidgeting next to her put Nai on edge. Her new accompanying black smoke circled him, but almost lovingly, and did so in copious amounts. She adjusted her collar and cleared her throat, "Thanks for choosing to stay by me."

The blonde noted her blush and stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her middle, grunting in that way he does, and kissing her temple, "Where else would I be?"

Saki stared down at her phone in disbelief, water welling up in her eyes and eventually falling down onto her hands. He'd ignored her call, it barely rang twice before she was shipped off to voicemail where his voice cheerily mocked her.

Somewhere in the room Daifu chuckled a little, "Did he answer little girl?" a few minutes of whimpering, "No? I didn't think so."