Path termination
"Open up." Izaya banged his fist on the door. "Hey! Open up!" The door opened Celty answering.
How's Shizuo? Was shoved in his face. The dullahan showed no sign of moving out of the way if she didn't get an answer.
"Still unconscious. I need to have a word with Kasuka-kun." Izaya moved to push past.
Why? Is something wrong? Celty wasn't budging planting herself stubbornly in his path. Shinra said you were angry and stressed.
"Shinra has a big mouth and needs to learn the meaning of patient confidentiality. I need to speak to that waste of space." Izaya slipped a hand into his pocket reaching for his knife.
You're not a patient. Shizuo is. He won't be happy if you hurt his brother. Ever the faithful best friend. Izaya rolled his eyes.
"Even if that brother is the reason Shizu-chan is unconscious?" The informant hissed. "I think perhaps you'd best let me in, Celty-san."
The truth wielded in such a brutal manner worked. The dullahan stepped to one side allowing him to place one foot over the threshold. That was enough for him to duck underneath her lax arm and into the apartment.
Izaya ran for the door he knew Kasuka was behind. He didn't get far before catching a slither of inky blackness shoot towards him. Side stepping the tendril Izaya span on his foot turning to face the dullahan. Friend or foe was difficult to determine when the dullahan was standing blocking what would be his escape exit. Shadows writhed low around her feet connected to the large, deadly looking sycthe held in two hands.
You're wrong. Shadows spelt out across the apartment wall. Izaya was mildly impressed. It wasn't a decent enough attempt to keep him distracted. Kasuka wouldn't harm Shizuo.
"You're willing to bet Shizu-chan's life on that, are you?" Izaya questioned hopping away from the thin shadow curling around his ankle. "Humans are full of greed. Bonds of blood mean nothing."
Liar. I've witnessed humans as much as you have. They're kind and foolish.
"I wasn't talking about Shinra." Izaya threw himself backwards to avoid losing his head. "I'm talking about the human that cut you open to see how you worked. The humans that exploit your existence across the news. The human that chases after you every time you go on the roads. Humans change!"
Like your relationship with Shizuo?
"Perhaps. I was thinking more along the lines of love and friendship turning to hate." Izaya groaned his shoulders slamming harshly against the floor. The dullahan was nice enough to cushion his head underneath a blob of shadow.
Celty stood over him crouching down. Izaya glanced at the screen. You're wrong. Shizuo wouldn't allow Kasuka to do anything harmful.
"Then you might as well go to the hospital now because depending on what that drug addled imbecile actor has given Shizu-chan, he might not wake up." Izaya bit his lip staring into the depths of Celty's visor. "Best say your goodbyes, ne?"
x-x-x
"Are you okay?" Kanra nodded numbly staring at the other side of the desk where Mikado's parents were sitting.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry. What can I do for you?" Under the desk her hands were clenched into fists. The pain she was causing herself was a distraction from the truth bubbling inside her. Both of them looked as if they were ageing years. They both looked haggard deprived of sleep.
"I'm sure you know about it. Mikado Ryugamine. He was our son. He died."
"...I've heard about it." Kanra answered slowly digging her nails into her palms.
"We thought you might have. It's taken us a while to come this far. Our son's death tore us apart. Recently we've been thinking that we didn't know what he was doing. Our request is for information on our son. We want to know who he was friends with, his school grades, if he had a crush on anyone. Everything."
"Ryugamine-san-" Kanra breathed.
"We weren't the perfect parents. Our home back in Saitama was safe. Mikado never adjusted. He would spend hours on end in his room. The only time he showed enthusiasm was when we brought him a computer."
Kanra averted her eyes hating to see the tears well up in the woman's eyes. The man was more composed-barely. For her it was torture. Punishment for being so selfish. Her actions- no Mikado's had caused this.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment." Kanra smiled apologetically. Slowly she walked from the apartment closing the door behind her. Her breathing was ragged even before she began running for the rooftop.
Vaulting up the stairs Kanra burst through the hefty door before the tears began to fall streaming down her cheeks. Her legs became useless flying out from underneath her. Knees scraping across the rough concrete, Kanra hung her head in her hands giving a soundless scream.
Izaya wouldn't pick up the phone, Shizuo was unconscious. Her lover's weren't by her side. Right now she was alone as Mikado had been in his home town.
x-x-x
"What's the plan then?" Izaya asked one arm thrown over his face. He had carelessly charged in full of anger like his protozoan lover. The result had been overpowered by the dullahan leaving him on the floor.
His knife was somewhere under the sofa, Celty's shadow wrapped around his throat in warning. She wasn't going to budge. Not until she had concrete evidence from him or Shinra. Even then she would probably only trust Shinra.
His ankles were bound together looking like the beginning of some bizarre mummification ritual. The shadow underneath his head seemed to be keeping it bound to the floor.
I'm waiting for Shinra.
"Of course you are." Izaya rolled his eyes reaching into his pocket. He did have another three knives but it would be a pointless exercise to flaunt those. Instead he pulled out the phone from his pocket. A tendril snaked around his arm. "I'm late for check in. Kanra has probably been ringing non-stop."
Celty's hold relented giving him easier access to the phone. Izaya's brow furrowed hearing the call go to voice mail. "Celty-san, where is Anri-chan?"
Why? The shadowy question slithered across the wall within his peripheral vision.
"Assuming you're not going to let me out even if I tell you I won't touch Shizu-chan's precious little brother, I'm loathe to leave Kanra alone for long periods of time. She tends to get in trouble quite often."
I'm not letting you go.
"Didn't think so. Send Anri around to see her then."
Stay there.
Izaya managed a shrug. "Where am I going to go? You and Shinra must be into some kinky stuff." With a hiss his face whipped to the side. Poking his tongue out he licked at the cut across his cheek.
I don't trust you. Did you do this to Shizuo?
Izaya narrowed his gaze his mouth set in a thin line. "Watch yourself. I didn't do this. Did you forget that Shizu-chan is my lover? Last time I checked I didn't screw those I hate."
The informant was stuck waiting for an unknown conversation between Celty and Anri as well as Celty and Shinra. It was more of an annoyance waiting for something to happen. Still it gave him ample time to slip a knife from his pocket stabbing at the shadowy substance. Izaya was left disappointed as the blade bent to the side useless.
The knife clattered to the floor as his back crashed against the wall kept bound by more inky shadows. The wind was knocked out of him leaving him painfully vulnerable.
I've asked Anri to go and see Kanra. Celty shoved the screen in front of him.
"I suppose I should say thank you. Except I could be done with Kasuka-kun by now and there myself. If anything happens to Shizu-chan, I'm holding you responsible."
Is that a threat?
Izaya closed his eyes falling silent. There wasn't much to do suspended above the floor. He would have to trust Shinra and Anri to watch over his lovers whilst he got around the dullahan. Humans were easy. Legendary creatures- not so much.
x-x-x
Kanra took a deep breath wiping her eyes dry with her sleeve. "Sorry about that. Something urgent came up." Forcing a smile she returned to her desk.
"Nothing bad I hope." Mikado's mother looked concerned.
"We're here for you not me. Carry on. You wanted to talk about your son." Kanra wasn't sure how much more punishment she could take.
"Yes. We brought him a computer. Mikado looked so happy. He didn't need help setting it up. We wouldn't have been able to help any way. Computers weren't our thing. Mikado loved it unwrapping the gift, putting all the pieces together."
Kanra opened the desk drawer her hands trembling as she passed over a box of tissues. Mikado's mother was crying.
"Sorry about this." Mikado's father sighed placing an arm around the woman. "We haven't spoke about him in so long. Our counsellor told us that talking would help."
Kanra retreated back against the window pretending to check something. "I'm sorry, I don't have much expertise in psychological issues. Izaya-nii is much better at this sort of thing. I can reschedule-"
"That's okay." Mikado's mother sniffed. "This is helping. You remind me of him. The curiosity in your eyes. I thought so when we bumped into you. Won't you hear us out?"
Kanra nodded numbly her tongue felt thick and as useless as the rest of her body. Even if she wanted to run back the rooftop her legs refused to move.
"Thank you. The age of technology is advancing. On the news now you hear about people getting in trouble after meeting up with strangers in chat rooms. I can't help but think if we had monitored what he was doing- something like this wouldn't have happened."
"You're wrong." Kanra rasped speaking out before she could stop herself. "Your son loved you. He was thankful for everything you'd done. It was his curiosity that brought him to Ikebukuro. A sense of adventure to explore something new, something exciting. You did nothing wrong!"
Kanra flinched staring in shock at the woman standing up. "Thank you." Mikado's mother breathed arms wrapped around her. "Thank you. It warms my heart to know Mikado had such good friends. If you don't mind can we talk again?"
Kanra whimpered her own arms threading around the sobbing woman. "I think it's time for us to leave." Mikado's father stood gently pulling his wife back. "It was good to meet you."
"Wait!" Kanra cried out standing quickly arm outstretched. Her eyes widened seeing the front door open Anri was standing in the doorway. "...you'll have to let me know ahead of time." Kanra ended lamely letting her arm drop by her side.
"Thank you." Mikado's mother smiled sadly. The pair of them left the apartment. Kanra slumped in her chair.
"I can't do this." She choked beginning to shake. "I can't do this any more." Looking up she stared into Anri's eyes. "I don't want to hurt anyone any more." Kanra sobbed.
"...it's necessary." Anri whispered embracing her. "This is so you can live."
Kanra shook her head. "I'm living a lie. My- Mikado's parents are suffering! What am I supposed to do? I can't do this."
"Yes you can." Anri whispered softly. "You can do this. One day maybe you'll be able to become your old self. It's not over. You're still alive." Kanra raised her head tears streaming down her cheeks. "I believe in you."
"What if I don't? I don't know who I am any more."
x-x-x
"Aren't you going to get that?" Izaya drawled hearing the phone ring. A pointless feat since it looked like whoever was on the other end was forgetting that the dullahan couldn't speak.
Sliding his eyes to the side Izaya glared at the door he knew the traitor actor was behind. All of a sudden a voice came over the phone. "Celty, Izaya is there right?"
"Hey, Shinra." Izaya called out. "Can you call off your guard bitch?"
"Izaya, you need to get back to the hospital. Now!"
He could hear the panic in Shinra's voice. "What happened? Did you find anything on the tox screen?"
"Izaya, Shizuo's gone." The silence that filled the room was deafening. The illegal doctor didn't wait long to continue with the bad news. "After you left the nurses started paying more attention to Shizuo. They said there were some tests to do forcing us from the room."
"You left him alone?"
"We didn't have a choice. We were forced to stay in the waiting room or be ejected from the hospital by security. We waited for a while. Shizuo's boss snuck back to check on him. The room is empty. The nurses have no recollection of him or a medical file to say he was even admitted. I can't explain it."
Izaya slumped to the floor released from Celty's shadows now that she knew this wasn't his fault. Head in his hands he didn't bother reaching for his phone or a knife. There was only one explanation given the current events.
"Kasuka-kun, are you happy now? Shizu-chan was taken away. He's vulnerable and in no control of his actions." Izaya yelled out slamming his fist against the door. "Both of you are responsible for this. I won't forgive either one of you."
I'm sorry. Izaya slapped the phone away watching it skitter across the floor.
"Too late. If I were to take an educated guess Kasuka-kun was offered his fix if he drugged his brother. Of course the precious little brother wouldn't do something harmful." The informant laughed bitterly. "That's why he was told it wasn't dangerous at all. Maybe something to muddle Shizu-chan up a little. Am I right?"
Izaya didn't bother moving when the door inched open, the bedraggled actor looking worse for wear still sporting the grey hooded sweatshirt. "...it wasn't meant to do any physical damage. They said so."
"Pathetic." This time he did stand slapping Kasuka around the face as hard as he could before Celty pulled him back. "It causes psychological damage. Seeing as how Shizu-chan was before collapsing, it was a hallucinogenic of some sort. The protozoan thought everyone was turning against him."
Kasuka nursed his bloody cheek where Izaya's ring had scratched across. "...it's a misunderstanding-"
"That we could fix if he was here with us. If we can't talk to him we can't help him." Izaya kicked the wall in frustration. "I shouldn't have left him. Shizu-chan is gone."