-๑-๑ ஜ ๑- Chapter 18: Run -๑ ஜ ๑-๑-
Events that surprised Izaya were of a rare nature. And when he said rare, then he meant they close to never happened, but this right now- it was a situation he couldn't even grasp while being in the midst of the events unfolding in front of his eyes.
That girl, Sonohara Anri, she had transformed into a titan. That was clear- it was something the raven even somewhat expected to a certain extent, or rather what he ought to be a possibility. Even in this state of confusion and pain his mind was still able to think clearly.
But this-
Soft, almost carefully the gigantic fingers of the titan encircled the raven, as if to make sure he wouldn't accidentally squish the human to death.
Turning his head Izaya faced an expression of such a distinct and familiar nature-
There was just no doubt left- no other conclusion-
Shizu-chan had just transformed into a titan.
"Oi, when did you plan to tell me that you could do this, huh?" the raven started slowly, even accompanied by something that almost sounded like a laugh, a laugh that was so painful it caused him to choke on his breath for a second.
But even while speaking those words he realized that he was asking an impossible question.
Firstly if Shizu-chan had known he could do this sort of thing, then he would have protected everyone at the clearing before- he would have busted those titans up. Sure titans couldn't be trusted, but Izaya knew the blond by now. He believed he gathered enough pieces of information and lead enough conversations to know just who he had been fighting alongside with.
But that wasn't even the main point why this questioned seemed so utterly pointless, because apart from Izaya suspecting that the blond actually no idea what the fuck was going on either, he also noticed with a grim feeling in his guts that Shizu-chan didn't seem to hear what he said at all.
Or rather, he did hear, but either he didn't understand or just couldn't comprehend anything at the moment, because that expression, so stern, so angry was aimed at no one but that female titan opposite to them.
Before the raven knew it Shizu-chan already set into motion and charged the girl-
"Oi, wait!" the raven yeled- or rather tried to- the words died on his lips as his voice faded out into a pained groan.
Shizu-chan obviously didn't hear, didn't see, didn't register anything but that female titan.
Fist after fist was thrown at the woman and god damn, that inhuman strength the blond possessed was something he apparently still owned while being a titan because when that fist flew forward and the girl tried to catch it with her only remaining hand, it was pretty much the last time she used it.
Tearing with a sound so crude it caused the raven´s stomach to lurch that arm tore off her chest, ripping half of her body´s right side with it.
But not even that seemed to stop the blond in his blind rage because he kept punching, kept tearing at her- the titan woman was screaming-
For just the fraction of a second Izaya's stomach dropped, because it was loud- and it wasn't that he felt sorry for her or anything ridiculous like that- after all she was a titan, so no matter what she did he wasn't going to feel sorry for her.
No, that wasn't what caused his blood to run cold- it was the volume of her scream.
They were outside the wall, inside the woods- and not too far from that endlessly long landscape filled with titans to no end- with a scream that loud, what if she was attracting them all?
Quick, as if the blond had actually understood the situation, and without even a shred of hesitation that warped expression of the woman was terminated as the blond punched that head of hers- a sickening crack broke her voice as he busted that head right off her neck.
That was the final blow- as if having smashed a power button the titan´s body suddenly just froze, slumped down- folding into a pile of nothing as the skin started to slowly evaporate.
Izaya was too stunned, to surprised by the events and too damn out of it to even understand what was going on at the moment.
The blood loss, no, not only that- The cut in his abdomen-
He couldn't feel the lower half of his body anymore.
Maybe it was for the better, maybe not- his sight, his sense of perception, they were all suffering from the loss of blood, the shock in his system. But still his head flew around, trying to look out for any titans, for any more danger approaching- because Shizu-chan was a titan, okay, but who knew if he could take on any more titans apart from that girl.
It was at that second that the flea halted, paused in his thoughts- his grip on the blond´s finger tightened and his eyes widened for a second as he swallowed hard.
He didn't dare turn around- he couldn't, he was like frozen, because one more option just crossed his mind- like a bullet it pierced his skull-
Honestly- at the moment his brain came up with the option the raven felt like screaming in despair- maybe even cry.
His ears were ringing, his body hurt and frustration along with pain was the only thing ruling his mind as he harshly swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
Shizu-chan was a titan- and he had just terminated that girl- what if next his titan form decided that Izaya was just the right snack after a fight like this?
The raven couldn't turn his head.
Couldn't move.
Too scared to maybe attract any unwanted attention.
He knew Shizu-chan, he knew he would never hurt him on purpose, for fucks sake he said he was going to carry him back to the wall on his back if he had to- that guy would never hurt him- but in this form?
Squeezing his eyes shut the raven tried to think of his next actions- of what he was supposed to do-
Except, there was no need to.
Feeling his stomach drop quite literally the fist that had encircled Izaya moved downwards- down, to the very ground-
Fingers were unwrapped- barely holding on to his consciousness Izaya held his breath as his body dropped to the ground only to have the blond titan´s head crash down right next to him a second later. He didn't understand-
His vision was clouded, so terribly unfocused- he couldn't make sense of what was happening anymore.
The need, the call to just let go, let go of everything was calling so urging to him. And then there was a blotch of blond hair, even with this kind of vision he could make it out. And it wasn't the titan´s head he was seeing.
"Shiz..-" his voice died in his throat, his brows furrowed deeply the feeling of nausea finally forcing him to throw up whatever his stomach still contained.
Fuck.
Blood along with its contents re-appeared in front of him.
Fuck.
He couldn't- no longer-
"Shizu-chan...!" putting every last bit of effort into his voice he called his name- honestly speaking he had no idea what was going on. What had happened- he didn't even know if there was already another titan or not- if Shizu-chan was even listening or not- what happened-
his brows were furrowed, his expression just so strained.
He had no idea what was going on.
But he knew the blond was in front of him.
And the blond- he had actually heard the call.
Far, in the distance, almost as if he were under water he could perceive that by now familiar voice calling out to him. And yet- he couldn't reply- couldn't quite makes sense of what was going on.
Furrowing deeply he realized his eyes were closed- some kind of odd sticky substance seemed to be attached to both sides of his face- just what…?
He could feel air, gently, brushing past his beck- He was warm, no not warm- hot.
All of a sudden the ground he seemed to be stuck in just felt so unbearable hot to his skin.
his breathing was impaired, a hint of panic was overwhelming the blond for a second as he pushed himself of whatever it was he was stuck in.
The sound of something ripping reached his ears and he coughed violently for a moment as he was surrounded by fresh air again.
"What the hell?!" Curses, questions dropped of his lips as he took a deep breath, and his eyes opened.
his sight was somewhat blurry, his hands still stuck inside the sticky substance he had been caught in.
Blinking twice he looked at his arms- his vision becoming clearer- and then he saw it.
he saw just what that substance he had been trapped in had been.
Panic was overwhelming his senses for a second as he stared at a titan, or to be precise at the backside of a titan´s head, just above, while he was sitting in what he could only describe as a hole inside that said titan´s neck.
Just what had happened?!
In the middle of a titan's neck he was sitting there. Half of that flesh surrounding him attached to his limbs- disgusted, panicking he tore that shit off his body- scrammed from the scene-
He hadn't quite checked his surroundings, all he wanted was to get the hell away and so he unavoidable found himself grabbing air instead of substance and he lost his balance.
With a soft thud and a groan his back met the cold, dirty ground.
And then he saw it.
Or rather him.
And his expression just fell.
Blank.
The flea-
Izaya was on the ground.
Just next to him.
Eyes closed.
Motionless.
"Izaya!" he yelled, loudly- the flea would have probably scolded him for being so damn ass loud- but now he didn't. his expression was unmoving, his body just so lifeless, his skin, so pale and grey-
He had passed out.
Panicking the blond got on his feet, moved over, his eyes closed and his ear flew to the raven´s chest.
Please-
He couldn't be dead-
Please-
For a second the world around the blond just seemed to stop.
The noises in the distance tuned down. His breath was held.
And then he felt it.
So softly.
Badump.
Izaya's breath ghosting faintly across the back of his head- and he heard it.
Badump.
Faint, incredibly quiet, slow and disturbingly out of rhythm- Izaya's heart.
Badump.
Thumping still.
Backing off the blond´s expression grew stern, that familiar frown tearing his forehead apart as he scooped the raven up. Izaya's face was drowning in misery, the cloth he had tied around his waist had become loose-
He was dying.
The blond had no idea what was going on, nor what had happened to that titan or what happened at all- or rather he suspected what happened- he had a feeling, his guts, churning so terribly- in the back of his mind the answer to his question was sitting, grinning so evil, but he couldn't waste any time now.
Izaya was dying, right now, this instant- if Shizuo didn't act fast enough then this was it.
He could see the wall from here. The forest was at its end. There were titans roaming around, but not many- just a few scattered here and there. Shizuo glanced around, to the left to the right- the horse was gone, so he had no other choice but to run. Run and hope- that none of the titans were going to spot him.
Freezing for a second the blond had been about to start, to take off into the direction- he couldn't waste a single second anymore.
But he didn't, because something caught his attention.
The girl.
Steam was raising from weird mounds on the ground. And the girl was laying there on the ground, out of it. it was the one that had transformed into a titan- yes- and yet… she was just a little girl.
Without even wasting another thought on it the blond grabbed the back of her clothes, pulling her up, throwing her above his shoulder- and ran.
Ran.
Ran like he had never run in his life before.
Sunlight, so blissfully ignorant, illuminated his path and he dashed out of the wood.
It was dangerous- titans were everywhere, left and right- and yet it was okay, because they were on the ground, they were quiet. Why would a titan even feel the need to look around? To search for them? When they didn't even have any kind of clue that some of their troops were running around here?
He saw some of them, too close to his liking, but seeing as the creatures were just so inhumanly huge- why would they bother to look at the ground? Look at the three of them, that had to be nothing but mere insects in their eyes?
The flea was pale, too pale- and the fear inside Shizuo´s chest only grew with each step he took, knowing that he couldn't stop to check whether they flea was even still alive- but he prayed he was- he prayed that he was going to hold out until they reached the wall.
A minute passed.
The titans were still so terribly close and yet not noticing a thing.
Five minutes.
The flea´s body was just dangling from his grip- so awfully limp.
Fifteen.
Any other human would have already been exhausted at that time, but not Shizuo. With his strength he has had to fight so many fights- sheer endless fights. So after a while he had decided to avoid them to run instead. No one could keep up with him.
He was trained in a sense.
Thirty.
The wall was getting closer.
Forty.
No titans had spotted them yet.
Fifty- and then he was there.
The wall.
it wasn't too far anymore- the opposite it was within reach! The blond´s lungs burned, screamed for oxygen, his feet begged him to stop and yet he couldn't help but feel a radiant smile creeping onto his lips.
His grip on the flea and the girl tightented.
They were almost there- almost-
And then they were there.
The titans.
For a moment the blond felt as though time was starting to slow down-
Two of them had appeared in front of the three. They were not exactly blocking their way since there was more than enough room to pass left and right or in between the three, but considering that it would take them just a second to lean down and grab the humans they acted just like a giant wall that was now hindering Shizuo´s run.
And yet the blond stayed calm- because he could see the wall, it was just behind those titans- not too far, the opposite, so, so perfectly close.
He knew he was too stupid to handle the maneuver gear, there was no doubt, but one thing he was still able to do.
And that was shooting one of the wires and let them throw him into the air.
He had a plan- a plan he wasn't quite sure would succeed, but it was the only option he had considering the danger they were facing.
And so he shot the wire.
Metallic reflections blinded the blond for a moment as the sun´s rays touched the silver- the goal however, was not a tree as there were none around to use, and not the wall as it was still just a bit too far.
No, the spot he was aiming for, was the titan running towards them.
With a groan the monster twisted its head as the sharp end of the harpoon pierced one of his eyes-
The motion only adding to the speed with which Shizuo was suddenly pulled off the ground. His grip on the flea and the girl tightened, air blast past his ears as he was sent off into the air, high up-
Before the wire could even start to tense up the blond ripped the thread off his belt with almost no visible effort. Glittering, loose the thread dropped to the ground.
And now there was just one more wire to use.
High in the air, past the titan there was only one more object he intended to use it on.
The familiar noise of gas being used pierced his ears and that silver thread shot towards the wall and embedded itself into the gray substance.
It was too low- but nothing the blond couldn't manage.
With an ear numbing crack his shoulder and arm hit the wall, a groan escaping his lips and his expression churned. But he had to go on.
Pulling his body and the two he wanted to save up he made his way towards the ledge of the wall- it was just a minute it took for him to reach the edge.
"What the-" the guards that were supposed to watch the wall were sitting on a set of boxes, alcohol in their hands as they were obviously doing everything but watching the wall.
But Shizuo couldn't even care less as he crouched there on his knees, tiny pants leaving his lips as he was too busy trying to catch his breath.
Izaya was right next to him- same for the girl he saved. Out of it their bodies were resting on the ground.
He made it.
Heart beating fast, the blond suddenly realized with so much relief that he had succeeded. He saved the flea, that girl-
"Shizuo?!" a familiar voice had screamed his name and caused him to turn his gaze towards it.
A man the blond had believed was already dead approaching him with huge steps followed by his two friends and the scarred man Shizuo had met the day before.
Kadota, his friends, Akabayashi-
They survived-!
How?! He thought they were dead- he thought the titans had eaten them as well-
Kadota, Karisawa, Yumasaki, Iza-
And suddenly Shizuo´s thoughts froze and intense relief was replaced with utter horror.
Wait, Izaya- twisting his head sharply his eyes focused on the flea- a flea that had been close to dying-
The guards from the walls were gathering around the raven and the girl.
"Get the doctors!" one of them screamed on top of his lungs.
"What on earth happened?" and suddenly there was another guy entering the scene.
"That's what I want to know as well."
It was the guy that had accused Izaya of killing his comrades.
Shizuo had no real idea what had happened but he knew it was definitely not Izaya's fault. And yet his mouth didn't open as his mind was just caught up with the idea of Izaya possibly having died already.
But then he heard a voice, a voice he didn't think he would possibly hear again.
"That girl… is the titan that crushed wall maria... sir..." broken, so quiet and yet clearly audible, the flea was speaking.
His eyes were closed, his breath laboured but still- he was talking.
Relief washed over the blond before he even had a chance to grasp what the raven had said.
"Everyone from our unit got killed except for Kadota who returned. Heiwajima Shizuo and me however survived, which sadly isn't my deed," the raven continued, choking on air for just a moment as he took a shuddering breath.
"Izaya, are you okay-" the blond questioned, his body moving over to the raven faster than he even realized what he was doing.
His eyes were squeezed shut in pain, he was sweaty, pale, blood was starting to decorate the wall- his bodies condition was obviously still anything but healthy.
"Heiwajima Shizuo took it upon himself to bring me back here safely. Upon reaching wall Rose however we saw this girl running towards the woods with nothing on her, no blades, no air gear, no visible help," he wheezed, "We decided to follow her and saw her transform into the titan that broke wall Maria."
Murmur and agitated whispers were raising at those words and the raven closed his eyes for a moment as he caught his breath.
"But then- how did you-" one of the soldiers started only to be interrupted by the raven instantly.
"Shizuo did, with his brutish strength we all know of he severed her head- consequently injuring her slightly it seems-"
The blond´s eyes narrowed in confusion as he realized what the flea was saying. What disturbed him wasn't the content of the raven´s words but rather his inability of remembering the past events. The only thing he knew he saw was how that titan girl reached for the flea- after that nothing.
"You-" Shizuo had been about to say something, ask maybe just what exactly he had supposedly done, but Izaya squeezed his hand hard, nails digging into his skin making him shut up as quickly as he had risen his voice.
"Don't." It was hushed quietly, quick- no more than that word, before the raven's eyes closed in pain again.
Shizuo wasn't stupid. He knew what the raven was saying.
Don't speak.
Shizuo kept silent for a second wondering just why- but his streak of thoughts was quickly interrupted when a certain doctor dashed around the corner.
"Izaya-!" Horror was reflecting in his eyes as he flew to his knees next to the flea. "HEY YOU, don't zone out!" A soldier next to the three had been addressed and flinched upon realization, his body tensing up instantly. "Quick! You two lift him up! And bring him to the basement!" he ordered his eyes only briefly meeting those of another soldier. "Carefully!"
Only barely Izaya recognized his old friend´s voice- he wanted to speak up, tell Shinra he didn't need to freak out, he was the doctor after all, but somehow he was missing the strength to do as little as open his eyes.
He could feel himself be lifted, the pain he had felt all of a sudden starting to fade- Shinra must have already administered him some kind of drug or painkiller.
And then he heard a voice.
"Smart move." Distant, threatening, so terribly familiar. "Coming back injured and with at least one of your troup, Heiwajima Shizuo must be very loyal."
It was Shiki´s voice. "Let's just hope your new favourite won't slip up."
Frowning the raven realized what the man was saying- what he was going to do-
And yet all the flea could do was hope for Shizu-chan to keep his mouth shut and pray that he was going to wake up again before the two had a chance to meet, as he drifted out of consciousness.
to be continued~
Wohooo finally back inside the wall~! xDD Aw too bad, guess I can´t let Izaya suffer much more now-... or can I? trolololo x'DDD Anyway~! Things are going to take an interesting turn from now on hehe C: One of my favourite scenes that´s going to come in this story is just up ahead xD
I'm a little late again this time cuz I got sick again XC Honestly, this has been the third time in two months that I was out of order like this x'D
Did someone curse me?! x'DD
Maybe it's Izaya's revenge for making him suffer lololol
Anyway, I hope this was it with being sick xD
I gave up trying to catch up on everything at once so the next updates and also the late ones will be coming out one every three days :3 Promising anything else would probably only end up in disappointment again x'D
Anyway!
With that being said, see you again with the next chapter on approximately (lol) 27th December 2018! :3 Hopefully my health won't fuck my plans up again xDD
Guest 2: bwahahah that was the plan C; I love giving hints on shit like this and then just wait, wait just long enough until the readers forget again so i can surprise them anyway xDDD oh- you are as usual pretty perceptive again~ who knows what Anri´s purpose was? hehehe lol and how right you were xD Shizuo had no problem at all beating the living shit out of Anri xDDDD oh and again, smart smart~ ahh you know it´s so reassuring to read over and over again how you pick up all the small details and make just the right predictions hehe tells me my story telling isn´t as chaotic as i sometimes think it is xD That´s why i value your opinion so much hehe