Distortion

"In position." Came the whisper over the radio.

"Move in on 3…2..."

"Wait! Something is argh!"

The radio went silent and the dancing stopped, the music switching off abruptly. Synchronised, everyone turned in the direction of the outsiders.

"Abort! Abor-"

"Found a rat."

x-x-x

Mikado stormed through the building, pausing at every gate to swipe his card. They'd been outsmarted again. Traitors were easy collateral, too easily charmed. At this rate they'd lose the war.

The gates became further apart as Mikado sank into the depths, basement level where no one could hear the screams of the insane. No. He needed someone just as smart, ruthless. They'd finally listened to him after the last raid had been wiped out.

Mikado forced himself to slow. He couldn't show weakness, couldn't show fear. Clutching the slither of a file in his hand, Mikado swiped his card and stepped into the solitary room.

Small, no communication available, padded and in the centre sat its sole occupant. Overgrown black hair, pure white straight jacket containing the athletic menace. The prisoner didn't look at him, but even beneath the overgrown bangs, Mikado could see the cruel smirk. He didn't need to see the blood red abyss on top of that.

Wordless Mikado tossed the device in front of the bound evil. He'd already done it once before. He'd had nightmares for weeks. The device was what they'd found on anyone captured from the raid, those left behind for some reason. It looked like a slim watch, but the technology was unknown.

Mikado prepared himself for the wicked, grating laugh that would eat away at his own sanity. Did he really want to release madness?

Maniacal laughter ricocheted off the walls. "No."

Mikado opened the file and took the best photo for what he wanted. They'd managed to get a hit on the surveillance cameras close by. It helped the unit had gone in with body cameras. Crouching slowly as it in front of an animal. Mikado set the photo down and stepped back.

The laughter stopped and Mikado realised he preferred it to the deafening silence that followed. The prisoner twitched and his head lifted. "You lie."

"No."

Izaya Orihara smiled and Mikado knew he could never sleep again.

x-x-x

Mikado wasn't under an illusion of control. He knew who had figured out what the device was. He knew who had figured out where they were and he knew who had shoved him in a disguise and left his ID at the door.

Mikado sighed, tucked uncomfortably in a lot of makeup, a corset and jeans. No wig. Apparently that would be suspicious. He had a distortion band around his wrist.

Izaya hadn't cut his hair, leaving it to hang over his eyes and shoulders. He was wearing a short skirt and a barely there shirt. Mikado didn't know where the second band had come from.

Walking to the bouncer they both flashed their wrists and went through. Just like the raid it was loud music, abstract lighting and a whole lot of people. Mikado immediately looked up seeing the staircases and how the party got more sparse.

Izaya was already slipping through the crowd like a shadow. Mikado tried to keep up and crashed into a hard body. He might have just made the biggest mistake of his life.

x-x-x

"Welcome to Distortion." The woman blocking the stairs beamed. Izaya flashed his wrist. "You're about to step into the VIP section. If you're lucky you might even get a shot at the inner circle. Remember the rules, the band stays on. No discussing soulmates or anything personal.

Izaya nodded, the music making his ears sing. His voice wasn't unused but his social skills were. He'd still managed to leave Mikado behind. So easily as expected. Izaya adjusted his expression taking on the hurt look he'd seen on those allowed upstairs. The woman touched his arm and he smothered the feeling of wanting to kill her. His blades were in his boots, one to his wrist and the last was in a sheath in the bra strap he wore.

"Hey, it'll get better." The woman smiled as if he were a victim. "I'll tell you what. I'll get one of the inner circle to give you a pep talk. It's a big decision."

Izaya bobbed his head. Too much lip biting? Were his eyes watery enough? Apparently so. The woman took out her phone.

"Hey, got a border on the stairs. One of you free? Cool thanks. Don't send Masaomi!" The woman smiled. "They'll be here soon. You want to wait with me?"

Izaya bobbed his head again. Sure enough there were two voices growing louder. One grumpy, one sunshine.

"We're here! Everything will be a-ok!"

The woman groaned. "I told you not to send Masaomi."

"He was bored."

"And the pep talks are always fun." Masaomi grinned.

"Take care of her." The woman stepped out of the way. Izaya was in the spotlight.

"Hey, I'm Masaomi and the grumpy one is Shizuo. You got a name?"

"Izaya." Izaya said watching. Neither one showed recognition.

"Cool. Nice to meet you. We won't ask the circumstances, we'll explain how this works." Masaomi said. "Take it away Shizuo."

"Damn it." Shizuo grumbled. "This is Distortion. The band on your wrist blocks the soulmate bond and whilst you have it on, you won't be able to find each other. It can be removed at any time, but not around others with the bands as it may endanger them if you're running from someone. You'll eventually have to make a choice. We can leave you somewhere safe or you can break the soulmate bond. If you don't want to break it, then you can get an implant which does the same thing as the band."

"The implant does make you forget anything to do with your soulmate the longer you have it on." Masaomi said.

"Really?" Shizuo startled.

Masaomi groaned. "This is why I don't want an implant. You alright to take this one Shizuo?"

"Pass. I'll be in the cage if you need me."

Izaya twitched staring at Shizuo's retreating back. His soulmate didn't get to just walk away. He'd drag him back by his hair screaming, he'd- "cage?" He asked Masaomi.

"The implant makes you feel sick around those that have similar or the same qualities as your soulmate. It's supposed to be a foolproof system so you don't meet by accident. Shizuo didn't mean to be rude." Masaomi shrugged leading them away from the party. "Depending on the matchup the sickness can be severe. The cage is sort of like a reset, clearing anything out."

Izaya bobbed his head. Sick? His soulmate deserved a little nausea and more. He'd show him that, when he got his hands on him, he'd- "what if you run into your soulmate with the implant?" Patience. Patience. Information first.

"You get sick, pass out and maybe die. Dunno the implant is a risk but better than breaking the bond. That one really is death for some."

"Masaomi!" Someone else burst through a doorway where they were heading. "You're to go the cage."

"Hey Kadota, something wrong?"

"Your soulmate is here again."

Masaomi groaned. "Damn. How'd he get past the bouncers?"

"Dressed as a chick." Kadota sighed. "You need to make a decision. This isn't the first time and you're putting everyone at risk."

"I'll handle it. You take care of the little lady. I'll go play with Shizuo. Bye Izaya."

"Hi, I'm Kadota. I'm part of the security team. You wanna take a look?"

Information first. Izaya reminded himself. Punishment later. His fingers twitched and he felt like he was crawling out of his skin. The small room didn't help with nothing but computer screens, each one showing a camera feed.

"So this is the lower floor. Then we have the sparser area going into the VIP. We have the inner circle rooms further up and the dorms are scattered. This is the cage."

Izaya focused on that screen. It was a series of small isolated rooms, just like his cell. There were two of the cells occupied and one of those was Shizuo. Masaomi walked in just as someone with Shizuo turned around and started yelling.

Izaya opened his mouth when someone spoke for him. "Ooh, Shizuo got sick."

"Leave it alone, Karisawa." Kadota said without turning around.

"Looks like boss is mad. Still so sure we're here willingly?"

"Karisawa! Enough!" Kadots snapped.

"I want the key to the archives."

"No. Stop it with your conspiracy theories."

"They're lying to us. You know that."

"They saved us."

"They took my soulmate away from me!" Karisawa hissed.

"You had a knife!"

"Not for him! We were having fun."

"You're confused."

"I didn't consent. I cut out the implant." Karisawa lifted her bloodied arm.

Kadota shot up from the chair. "You idiot… you cut it out? Really?"

Karisawa nodded. "I didn't consent. My soulmate is still alive. I need to leave."

"You can't. You're inner circle."

Karisawa teared up. Izaya recognised a psychopath. "Then I'll cut Shizu-chan's implant out. They can't do anything without his strength."

Kadota flinched. "You'll kill him."

"It's just a little cut-"

"Shizuo's implant is in his heart. Shinra's is in his brain. The more important they are the harder it is to remove. They can't risk breaking the soulmate bond so they made sure the implant couldn't be removed. Masaomi is scheduled for an implant before the next relocation."

"He doesn't want it."

Kadota dragged Karisawa over the chair and yanked open a medical supply drawer. "They'll use the excuse of his soulmate showing up."

Karisawa grimaced and blinked finally noticing him. "Who are you?"

"One of Masaomi's." Kadota answered cleaning the wound. "You know he deliberately chooses those that look like his soulmate. Why did you cut so deep?"

"Needed it out."

"There were other ways! Damn it." Kadota grumbled.

"Like what? I can't find my soulmate if I can't even reach him."

"That's exactly what you do." Kadota scowled. "You break through. The implant is a giant wall of repellent."

Karisawa giggled and clapped her hands throwing blood over the keyboard. "You're going to help Masaomi!"

"His soulmate is here. They're holding him in the security pen in the basement." Kadota shrugged. "You have time. Get going. Take the newbie."

The woman grabbed his wrist and yanked him along with her. "This way!"

x-x-x

Izaya almost liked the woman. Karisawa didn't mess around and she flew down the stair cases to the basement with him in tow.

"Coming through! You need to stop jailing false alarms."

The two guards looked at one another. "Not a soulmate." Karisawa shrugged. "Just one of Masaomi's." A thumb jerked his way. "See, he got a double act again. Masaomi is in the cage, boss is chewing him out again."

"Another one?" The guard on the left groaned. "How is it he finds so many look alikes?"

"No idea. Let the poor guy go." Karisawa grinned.

"Yeah, alright." The guard on the right went to let Mikado out.

"So any gossip from the inner circle?" The left guard asked.

"Shizu-chan and Masaomi are in the cage. Tom is going to attempt a soul mate break next Thursday. Shinra might have gone awol."

The guard whistled. "Damn you guys are a mess."

"What'd I miss?" The other guard joined them, with Mikado looking downcast.

"Shizuo is in the cage again."

Both of them looked accusingly at Karisawa. "Thought he got used to you?"

"Not me. I'll get rid of the copies."

"Nah, take them to the cage. Just make sure Kadota sends a copy. We need all the entertainment we can get down here."

Karisawa grinned wickedly. "I'll see what I can do."

Karisawa was whistling happily as she guided them back upstairs. Izaya saw the signs though. She was jittery, scratching at the bandages and twitching. By the glances it was clear this was a common occurrence.

They didn't reach the cage. Shizuo and Masaomi were already hurrying towards them. That was when he realised the woman had a gun. "Shizu-chan, I'm going to see my soulmate. Walker needs me."

"...Yeah. Okay. Let's go."

x-x-x

This wasn't going the way he wanted. No one stopped Shizuo as he left the building. Kadota joined their group but Masaomi had chosen to stay behind. Mikado didn't get the choice. They were deliberately being separated.

Karisawa was heading towards a psychotic break that no one else seemed bothered by. The woman was wrapped around Shizuo like a koala and he didn't seem to care.

"You'll like Walker." Karisawa babbled. "Now that the implant is gone, he'll find me."

"Yeah, you'll see each other again." Shizuo said stroking the woman's hair.

"Yeah. We'll continue our fun." Karisawa nodded. "We once gouged a star from full metal alchemist into someone's eye. There was so much blood, it was perfect."

"Yeah."

Creepy fuckers. Mikado just wanted his soul mate.

x-x-x

"We're here." Kadota spoke.

Mikado cringed. A cemetery.

"This way! This way!" Karisawa jumped out and dragged Shizuo along pointing. Kadota sighed taking a shovel out of the boot.

"Down here!" The woman laughed leading them through rows of graves.

"Here! Here!" Karisawa screeched clawing at the earth. It was soft and showed movement.

Kadota and Shizuo dug down easily as if practiced. They peeled the lid from the unearthed coffin. "Walker!" Karisawa scrambled inside. Mikado felt sick. No one said anything about grave robbing.

Karisawa only had eyes for Shizuo though. "Shizu-chan, I found my soulmate!"

"Yeah."

"I'm staying here." Karisawa grinned holding the corpse's hand.

"Yeah."

"Goodbye hug?" She grinned holding a hand out.

Shizuo crouched down and hugged her. Kadota looked away as his hand came up her back and around her neck. "Be happy."

"Bye." Karisawa closed her eyes. There was a sickening crack and her body went slack. Shizuo lay her down next to corpse, repositioning her. They looked like a twisted couple cuddling.

"Shizuo, I can-"

"It's fine." Shizuo closed the lid and started shovelling. When they were done the psycho's soulmate eyed Kadota. "You wanna see yours?"

Kadota shook his head. "No. I'll handle it myself."

Shizuo nodded and snapped the shovel in half. "We should get back."

"Yeah. Don't want the retrievers here."

Shizuo and Kadota walked back to the car as if they hadn't just murdered a woman.

x-x-x

Masaomi was waiting outside. Mikado wanted to grab him and run into the sunset. His soulmate wasn't even looking at him. Shizuo walked closer and Masaomi's hand snagged his wrist.

Kadota sighed but moved to join them. No one questioned him and Izaya. "Masaomi-"

"She was your responsibility." Masaomi snapped.

"I fucked up. She was my friend."

"Fuck you Kadota. She was all our friend. You don't get to keep dumping your responsibilities on others. Do it again and I'll do everyone a favour!"

Kadota wilted.

"Shizuo, come on man." Masaomi glanced at them and then settled a glare back on Kadota. "Look after the newbies and start the application for a new inner circle member."

"Yeah sure."

Masaomi was gone through the crowd and Shizuo with him. Mikado's gaze was glued to their joined hands. Next to him he felt Izaya snap.

x-x-x

It took a while to track his soulmate down. But it seemed like Izaya beelined his way back to the security room. Mikado panicked. Masaomi was straddling Shizuo's lap with a gun at his head. "What the-"

"Don't worry, it's nothing." Kadota said slumping back into the chair. "There's a buddy system in place. He's asking Shizuo if he wants to die. Shizuo will say no, Masaomi likely won't shoot him since Shinra isn't around and then they'll fuck around."

"What if Shinra was around?" Mikado asked.

Kadota shrugged. "Then he'd shoot him in the stomach. You two will probably get paired up in the buddy system."

"What's the buddy system for?" Mikado asked.

"Support, sex and termination if the other asks for it." Kadota sighed. "Those without soulmates tend to go two ways. Off the rails into one night stands or into madness. The buddy system stops that."

"Wouldn't it be better to have soulmates then?"

Kadota scoffed. "The ones that think that usually get behind. The ones with the distortion bands are temporary. They have the choice to go back. The ones with the implants are permanent but don't want to risk death yet. The ones who have broken the bond become the high ups since it's so rare to survive."

Mikado glanced away from the screen, catching Izaya's focus glued to the pair. Shit. "How is Masaomi in the inner circle if he doesn't have an implant?"

Kadota cringed. "He did. He reacted badly to it, so Shizuo had to stop him. Usually a broken arm or something." Kadota looked at the screen and jumped. "Oh fuck! Those idiots."

Kadota leaned over and pressed a button on the screen. "Hey! Shinra isn't here to patch you up! You'll- what?"

The lights went out. No, they were covered. Over every screen there was a fluid black mass, followed by screams. Mikado looked back and the same blackness. "What the hell?"

Kadota cursed and slammed a large button, setting a high pitched alarm throughout. The blackness recoiled and vanished like it wasn't there.

Below, there was panic. On the screens the inner circle was unconscious. His own soulmate slouching over Shizuo's still form.

"Oh fuck! It's the retrievers!" Kadota pushed up and swayed. Mikado watched as he dropped. Quickly he ripped off the distortion band. Izaya kept his on and dropped like everyone else.

There was only silence.

x-x-x

Mikado woke in a large room. They'd clearly been moved. It looked like a school assembly, everyone sitting still in their seats and on stage was a row of chairs, occupied by the inner circle. They were still unconscious and chained to the chairs.

At their feet was the same inky blackness that had knocked them all out. Next to him was Izaya. He didn't have a clue what was going on in the mad man's head. All he'd done was watch Shizuo. That's all he was still doing.

As one the room filled with clapping, a man in a suit walking onto stage with a cane. "My children, my family, my poor unfortunate children without their other half. It has come to my attention one of the inner circle was murdered." The man pointed the cane at Shizuo. "And what do we do with murderers?"

"Kill them." Voices rang out in unison.

"If only I could. No, punishment will happen, along with forgiveness. The inner circle exist to protect the rest of you. However they've proved today that they can easily turn. Which is why each of them will be punished and retrained. In the mean time we'll be looking for replacements and the retrievers will be in charge of security. The distortion bands will be no more and everyone will be given an implant."

x-x-x

Izaya was gone. Mikado watched as they were ushered into a line and the inner circle were taken away. There was panic but no one could escape the blackness at their feet. Except for Izaya apparently. Mikado looked around but there was no sign and everyone trying to escape was dropping to the floor.

x-x-x

Shizuo woke with a scream. Electricity pierced through his body from the damn suped up taser. His limbs jerked on the rack he was hung over like drying laundry. The stick pressed against him again, his stomach this time. Shizuo screamed. He knew what this punishment was about. He'd never gone through it before now, but Karisawa had.

The electricity would short circuit the implant until it was repaired. He'd have to face knowing that he might go insane from the blank space in his heart. His soulmate was dead. That was why he was here. He didn't remember his soulmate. But he'd managed a picture from those he felt sick around.

His soulmate had been dominant, a man since his preference was being fucked. Sharp eyes, smart. Black hair. He didn't know what colour eyes. Small, smaller than him at least and wore black.

After all that was the side effects of the implant. Anyone that matched any of his soulmate's traits made him feel ill.

"Pay attention!" His boss's voice snapped. Shizuo raised his head and opened his mouth. Blood dribbled out of his mouth, dripping onto the floor below. There was something about his soulmate involving red.

The taser pressed lower, right at his hip. Shizuo kept still. Karisawa had said the worst thing was feeling her soulmate bond empty. But that was before they'd 'trained her' and she'd gone insane. She'd started believing her soulmate was alive.

Shizuo grit his teeth feeling the taser move lower, over his clothed cock. The man wasn't touching him directly but it still felt gross. He must've showed something on his face because the taser went to his heart and the pain was there. He felt the implant switch off, prepared himself for the emptiness coming.

Shizuo closed his eyes and frowned, focusing on the other presence inside him. It wasn't a black hole or a crater that the others had described. It was warm and binding, cold and sharp. Shizuo felt like he'd get cut touching it, but at the same time he felt like it was there to embrace him and cut everyone else. It was beautiful. Shizuo submerged into that feeling and felt himself being surrounded by something both protective and possessive. When the implant was activated, he hoped he could stay.

x-x-x

The man was going to die. How painfully would be the question. His soulmate was hung up, slumped unconscious from the electric shock. No, not just that. The implant had been disabled and Shizuo was with him. He could feel what had been missing. Izaya tightened the grip on his knife and moved closer.

No one saw him coming, unless they wanted him to and where was the fun in that? Quick and silent wasn't his preference, no he wanted screams, emotions and for the idiot torturing his mate, an eternity of pain.

Izaya slashed straight across the man's back, kicking out the back of his knee and watching the idiot crumble. The taser dropped to the ground and rolled, looking more like a harmless torch. Before the man could turn, the knife was at his throat and the second one in his leg. All arteries missed. This one would be a long project. Izaya knocked him out and stepped over to the rack. Sheathing his knives he reached out and touched his soulmate's cheek. Shizuo would be his longest project.

x-x-x

Mikado didn't know where he was or why he felt okay. At least physically. He was in a white room, tied up on the floor. Next to him was Masaomi.

There was a camera pointed directly at them, a bed and a closet. The door he guessed was for the bathroom.

x-x-x

Shizuo didn't want to leave wherever he was. It was only going to be bad outside. Except he could feel the hot and cold push and pull at him. Closer to the surface he could feel the cold on his skin. Naked, he could feel someone touching him. Shizuo didn't want to wake up but something told him it was safe. So he opened his eyes and stared into the red. "Oh, that's why." He murmured. Shizuo wanted to reach out but found himself firmly chained to the bed. So he'd died. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Shizuo murmured.

He relaxed knowing it was his soulmate touching him, he could feel the link between them. Shizuo watched the man's finger trail up and down his torso. It was strangely hypnotic. Shizuo felt his breathing slow as he just stared, following the man's finger. "I don't know your name." Shizuo confessed.

The finger paused. "Izaya Orihara." The finger resumed. "You don't remember me?"

"No. We'd met?" Another pause. Shizuo frowned realising Izaya was going across, back and forth over his scar. "Oh. How did you die?"

Another pause. "I'm not dead, Shizu-chan. Neither are you."

Shizuo frowned. "That doesn't make any- ow!" He'd been cut. The scar slashed open. He was bleeding. "How? That's-oh."

"Oh." Izaya mimicked him and Shizuo felt like he was seeing the same madness Karisawa had suffered but a lot worse. His soulmate might actually kill him.

Shizuo smiled.

x-x-x

Izaya tilted his head. His soulmate was smiling. "What's there to smile about, Shizu-chan? We're not even past the starting line yet."

"How long has it been since the implant was deactivated?"

"Six hours." Izaya answered.

"Then you have less than twenty four hours to get the master, or it goes back on." Shizuo sighed. "But you'll kill me when that happens? I don't want to forget again. You feel so warm."

"You're mine, Shizu-chan. You'll never forget me. I won't let you." Izaya promised, smashing his mouth roughly against his soulmate. He captured Shizuo's lips in a searing kiss.

"I like that." Shizuo murmured. "You feel nice. Like you'll keep me. It's nice."

Shizuo dropped to the floor.

x-x-x

Izaya worked better with deadlines and pressure. He'd long since gone mad. He feared nothing. His sole weakness and his reason for living had been stripped away from him. He was no fool to who had more to gain with his soulmate gone.

He didn't need twenty four hours. He didn't need half of that. Izaya destroyed the culprits keeping Shizuo from him. He had the implant de-activated permanently.

He had Shizuo moved to an undisclosed apartment. His soulmate hadn't stirred once since he'd gone down. Izaya stripped him naked, spreading Shizuo across their new bed, flopped on his belly.

Sitting on the bed wasn't any fun. He liked holding Shizuo's hand but it wasn't enough. Izaya smoothed his hand over Shizuo's taut bare skin. Moving to his knees, he brought his hand to caress Shizuo's fine globes.

Izaya stiffened at the thought of someone else touching his soulmate. Gnashing his teeth, he spread Shizuo open to him, staring down at the twitching rim. It was impossible not to think of someone else's cum dripping down.

Izaya snapped his hips forward, rutting into his mate. He grabbed his cock, forcing the tip into Shizuo's hole. Shizuo was his and only his.

x-x-x

Shizuo felt sore. There was a familiar pain in his ass. He was naked. The door opened and clicked shut. Footsteps. Shizuo stiffened at the dip of the mattress. He grit his teeth at the cock slamming into him.

"Mine." Came the familiar growl. "Mine and only mine."

He felt warmth in his channel, his mate pulling out and leaving him on the bed. That explained the soreness.

Izaya was a frequent visitor, popping in to fuck him and then leaving again. The third time, Shizuo grabbed the man's arm.

"You're finally awake. Good."

"I'm awake," Shizuo muttered. "The implant?"

"Deactivated. For good."

Shizuo wished he could believe that.

"Dead."

Shizuo frowned.

"Dead. Anyone involved is dead."

Shizuo dare not hope. "Really?"

"I promise, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo threw himself into his soulmates arms.

Izaya bit him, raking nails down his chest.

End