Hunted
Izaya starts again. The informant is on his own the way it begun. There's no mercy in his actions and once he's set his mind on something, there's no stopping him. The streets of Ikebukuro are peaceful thanks to the quashing of the gangs. They were an eyesore and noisy in his time of grief. The informant had warned them and being humans they hadn't listened. That was why the raven cloaked in an aura of death had swept through taking care of the situation. No one had died. Instead they had all been hospitalised.
Ikebukuro was safe. Safe enough for Mikado to walk through as himself. It's something he should have done in the first place. Holding back had made things strained and complicated. There's no complications now. The informant didn't complain about how small the apartment was when he brought it under an alias. As long as it was close to the top of the building to warn of intruders. As long as he got left alone and no one knew where he was.
The apartment itself is unfurnished. To start with it was devoid of any homely sense. That hasn't changed since Izaya moved in. The floor is bare. Smooth floorboard panels instead of an expensive carpet or tatami mats. What is supposed to be a bedroom is an empty shell.
Izaya doesn't need a bed. He doesn't remember the last time he slept. There's no sofa either since the informant doesn't have any intention of letting anyone else in the apartment. There's one light, a small one on the back wall giving a soft glow overhead. That's all he needs to sit on a new leather computer chair at a smooth glass desk.
The desk is sleek and stylish, something that he can have now since there's no careless violence around. "Shit."
Izaya shakes his head, pinching at the bridge of his nose. He's thinking again. Thinking of those that held his heart, those that he's let go. Closing his eyes he tilts his head back trying to clear his thoughts. Starting from scratch is a little harder than he anticipated. Typical humans have killed him off saying that he perished in the fire. It's almost poetic. A fire started it all and a fire marked the end of it all. It's given him adequate enough time to decide what he's going to do.
Shiki was his biggest client and now that he's cut ties with the yakuza, Izaya has to rely upon the desperation and curiosity of normal civilians. It's a new start supposedly but the informant isn't sure how things will work out.
Reaching for his glasses, a yawn escapes the raven, smothered by one tired hand. The latest caffeine fix is wearing off. Languidly pushing the chair back, Izaya shuffles to the kitchen using his slippers on the smooth floor to give himself the momentum to move. There's no skip in his gait. The last time he tried that, he fell flat on his face. The price to pay for doing something he didn't feel like.
The only appliance in the kitchen is an overworked coffee machine. It sits on the edge of the counter close to the door so he doesn't have to walk that extra bit further. The rest of the counter is lined with empty coffee cups that haven't been washed out. Izaya hadn't found the energy to be bothered, instead using one empty cup after the other to push them up. There's no space now. That's why he's bulk brought styrofoam disposables.
The coffee is black because the milk has run out and Izaya doesn't want to go outside and buy more. It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth but he's getting used to it. Izaya slouches against the wall waiting for the cup to fill. There's no energy in his exhausted frame, his legs ache to stand. There's no point in sitting down because he'd have to use effort to stand up again.
Even then he's too slow watching the coffee overflow the rim of the cup. With a sigh Izaya turns the machine off ignoring the overspill. Cup in both hands the informant trudges back to his desk. There's a window in the apartment. Izaya made sure to hang the darkest curtains he could find. No balcony. No point since he has no plans to see outside. The desk is arranged in equal distance to the bathroom and the kitchen.
x-x-x
The coffee machine sits on the desk behind his laptop. It was more effort to move the appliance. Izaya knows it will work out better in the long run. It means less space for him to travel.
Izaya lifts his head glancing at the door to the bathroom. With a sigh he slumps in the chair. The apartment was too big. On the desk his phone lights up. A reminder that he hasn't eaten for a few hours. "...lunch time."
Stretching out his arm, Izaya grabs the first small bottle lined up beside the laptop. The lids are already off making it easier. Taking a single capsule out of each one, the raven lines them up on his palm. "Calcium,Iron, Zinc, vitamin c..." Smothering another yawn, Izaya finishes his meal tossing them back. The coffee makes it easier to swallow.
It's only out of pride that he continues to look into Shiki's cases. There's only three left and then that would be it. Pushing the glasses further into his nose, Izaya pushes himself up staring at the glaring screen in front.
x-x-x
They're done. All three solved and he didn't even have to leave the apartment. For him it's a new record, a testament to how good he his. Through back channels and a maze of data that can't be traced back to him, Izaya sends his findings through to Shiki's email.
The reward will tide him over for a bit. It will give Izaya time to rest or maybe leave Ikebukuro all together. There's nothing left for him anymore. An email pings back almost immediately. Izaya clicks it open sure it would say that the payment has been deposited already. Instead he sees another message.
These requests have already been taken care of. I no longer have requirements for your services.
Izaya reads over the message again. Taken care of? Dropping his head in his hands, the informant shakes his head in disbelief. "...after all that. Shiki had someone else in mind anyway." It didn't have to be Mikado. Izaya's fingers twitch, a spark of anger driving him to find out about Shiki's new pawn. What he finds is disturbing.
x-x-x
Izaya isn't sure how he's managed to miss it. This new informant of Shiki's has quite the popularity. There's plenty of rumours and eyewitness accounts. Most of them suggest that it's him back from the dead.
Dual. It's a stupid name yet it's seemed to grab all of his humans' attention. According to the rumours the informant has only been active for a week yet already there's a web page up for requests. The page itself is flooded with requests.
"It looks like I'm not needed after all." Izaya shrugs wincing at the ache in his shoulders. "Well then Dual-san, Ikebukuro is yours." It's a new start after all. This is only a temporary pit stop.
Clicking on the add request button, Izaya types in not a request but simply 'good luck'. He doesn't use an email or fill in the contact details. With a final click the message is sent and Izaya's final task as an informant is done.
All that's done is to leave. Izaya rests his hand on top of the screen, ready to close it down. A soft ping sounds in his inbox. Curiosity gets the better of him. Seeing that it's from the new informant, Izaya has to admit he's impressed.
Found you.
It's not an email he's been sent but a link to a chat room. Izaya clicks it wanting to have a least a small conversation with his successor.
Nakura:- hello there. Found me? Were you looking?
Dual:- yes. I wanted to talk to you.
Nakura:- I suppose so. I'm not giving any of my secrets away.
Dual:- I don't need them. I don't need any help from someone like you!
Nakura:- someone like me? We've never met. It's a bit harsh to judge someone isn't it?
Dual:- I know everything about you.
Nakura:- Scary. What is it you want then?
Dual:- I want you to suffer.
Nakura:- ah. I get the feeling you don't like me. What a shame.
Dual:- I hate you.
Nakura:- too bad. If you'll excuse me I have a train to catch. Bye bye Dual-san.
Dual:- going to Saitama?
Izaya froze staring hard at the latest message. Why Saitama? Mikado was in Saitama. Did the informant know everything?
Nakura:- nope. I was thinking somewhere else. Ikebukuro is boring. Have fun.
Dual:- after the chaos you caused, you want to run away?
Nakura:- there's nothing to run away from.
Dual:- we won't let you leave Ikebukuro.
Izaya smirked tiredly at the screen. Like anyone could.
Nakura:- we? There's two of you? I suppose that's why it's Dual. How unoriginal.
Dual:- if you leave we'll turn our vengeance to the ones you care about.
Izaya narrowed his eyes, fist clenching.
Nakura:- go ahead. There's no one I care about.
Dual:- Shizuo Heiwajima.
Izaya gasps bolting upright. They shouldn't know. The protozoan could take care of himself.
Dual:- if you leave Ikebukuro, we'll hurt him.
Nakura:- I doubt that. Looks like someone didn't do their homework.
Dual:- we know his weakness.
Kasuka or Celty but it was doubtful they would manage to hurt the dullahan.
Nakura:- what did I do to piss you off, ne?
Izaya didn't have the first clue about who he was dealing with. An adult? A teenager? One of the gangs? There were too many enemies he had made.
Dual:- you know what you did. We won't rest until we destroy everything you hold dear. Run or stay it will be the same.
Nakura:- it's not good to provoke me, Dual-san. You'll regret doing so.
Dual:- I regret meeting you. Be prepared Izaya. We won't forgive you!
"Ah. This looks troublesome." Izaya sighed closing the laptop. "I suppose I'd better warn Shizu-chan...or get Shinra to warn Shizu-chan." That way they wouldn't see each other. The raven didn't want his ex to see him in this state.
The phone skittered off the edge of the table onto the floor as he reached for it jarring the desk. The remains of his coffee spilled over the side seeping under the laptop.
Pushing himself up Izaya staggered, one hand pressed against the desk to steady himself. His vision span as he wobbled. "Shit." He gasped breathless.
Easing himself around the table, Izaya crouched slowly to reach the phone. His knees gave out sharply sending him to the floor. "Ugh."
Phone in hand the informant guided himself through the menu calling Shinra. Shinra would still be in contact with the blonde. Or if not then Celty would be.
"Izaya!" Shinra's voice portrayed his friend's frustration. "Where have you been?"
"Shinra...too loud." The informant growls shying away from the phone. It's been a while since he's spoken to anyone.
"Are you drunk?" Izaya looks at his place on the floor. He might as well be. It's a better explanation than the truth. Vitamins and coffee weren't enough to keep his strength up.
"...have you been in contact with...Shizu-chan?" Izaya asks choosing to ignore the question entirely. There's a long pause on the end of the line. It's not a good sign.
"No. I haven't. I'll ask Celty." Another pause. Izaya uses the time to sit up placing a hand to his head. The room is still spinning. "She says he's with Kasuka. She hasn't spoken to Shizuo...I know my beloved...Kasuka has a press conference midday tomorrow."
Izaya's brow furrows, his mind trying to work through the thick fog. "A press conference? Is this about the drug scandal?"
It's clear Shinra is sore about being lied to. More so that he was fooled by an actor. "Yes. Celty says Kasuka is going to retire from acting. They'll be leaving Ikebukuro by the end of day tomorrow."
"...t-they?" Izaya asks past the lump in his throat. The thought of the blonde leaving shakes him up more than he expected. "You mean Shizu-chan too?"
"Yes." Shinra answers bluntly. Izaya's eyes widen grabbing at his chest.
"Why?"
"Celty says Kasuka didn't tell her. Tomorrow is your last chance to see Shizuo."
"Where?"
"I don't know. All we know is they're leaving."
"How?" Izaya asks finding strength to clutch the phone tighter.
"Like I said Izaya, we don't know." Shinra sounds exasperated. "If you want to see Shizuo, you'll have to turn up at the press conference."
"...I can't." Izaya closes his eyes.
"Then you can take Sonohara to the hospital tomorrow. Celty and I will be going to see Shizuo off."
"Since when am I a babysitter?" Izaya grumbles. "Why? Is she hurt?"
"Huh? Oh she's fine. It's Kida that's hurt. Well hurt is a bit mild. He's on life support."
Izaya gapes at the phone as if Shinra can see him. Shizuo was leaving, Masaomi was on life support? What else had he missed? "Shinra...I'll text you the address. Can you get Celty to bring some IV drips?"
"I thought as much." Comes a long sigh. "You're the second one to ask me that." Who's the first? Izaya wants to ask but he has a feeling about the answer. It's the only reason Shinra would mention it. "Izaya?"
"Fuck! I'm still here." Izaya murmurs feeling his eyelids slip. He's managed to keep sleep at bay long enough, not it creeps along the edge of consciousness slowly closing in. In barely a whisper he says the address. The phone slips from his fingers, Izaya falls to the side collapsing on the floor, losing the fight against his current enemy that's been chasing him down for days.