-๑-๑ ஜ ๑- Chapter 19: At court -๑ ஜ ๑-๑-
Eyes glued to the sight of Izaya being carried away by the soldiers Shizuo couldn't do anything but stand there like frozen. His blood was still pumping fast, filled with adrenaline after having been doing nothing but running to get away from the titans outside.
Goose bumps were travelling down his skin even though he was now inside the safe walls that they had left just a few hours prior.
"I'm sorry- If I had known- we thought you already were-" it were Kadota´s words that snapped him out of his daze. Guilt was striking the brunette as he had left one of his closest friends behind to die- of course it was by accident, but that didn't matter to him.
"It's okay, you had no idea we were still alive," Shizuo found himself saying, his mind partly on Izaya who had just been carried away and partly on Kadota whose brows were still dipped in deep regret. His heart was beating like crazy, his mind occupied with those few minutes missing back in the forest-
"Still we should have checked-" Kadota continued, blaming himself and regretting not having checked whether they were still alive.
But with those titans there, left and right, everywhere, there had been so much blood, so much death-
Shizuo´s stomach lurched just thinking about it.
But it weren't even the titans that made him feel so god damn nauseous.
"Whoa that's just like Shizuo, taking that giant titan down all on his own! You rock!" Slowly but surely more and more people seemed to fill the already too small space around Shizuo.
Left and right, people that were glad they had returned, people that were just curious what was going on- all of a sudden the blond just felt so trapped.
Suffocating.
"That wasn't really-" his dry lips started softly, trying to make sense of what had happened, but his words were too quiet and quickly blended over by another girl´s words.
"I'm so glad that titan got found- what if there are more though?!" Panic was residing in her voice and for a moment the blond froze.
"I heard she keeps saying she has no clue and that she is on humanities side," one of the others spoke.
"What a joke- that fucking titan-"
"You can't trust those monsters."
More and more the people started to ramble, started to say words that only caused the blond´s stomach to churn more and more.
Twisting painfully he swallowed hard trying to get rid of the panic that was suddenly surfacing from inside out.
He felt as though he was falling, falling from somewhere high up- his body was hot, his ears ringing-
"She should be killed already!"
Like an arrow the sentence pierced the blond´s skull.
"But Shizuo took care of that girl, right?" a suddenly pat on his shoulder made the blond flinch. It was Kadota who had said the word. "So we have nothing to fear," He had just wanted to be nice, was probably still burdened by this huge amount of guilt piling up on his shoulders, but Shizuo found himself unable to respond.
His entire body felt like it was burning, his palms sweating.
He felt nauseous and this odd want to breathe, breathe more, get some air because with all these people around him he felt as though he was going to choke.
"Don't."
That had been what Izaya had said to him.
Don't.
Don't as in- don't tell them about what happened in the woods.
Shizuo wasn't stupid, he knew what Izaya had been referring to, he knew that Izaya wanted to keep this a secret.
But what he hadn't understood right away however, was why he had said it.
Now he started to realize, he realized slowly and painfully frightening.
"But Captain Orihara sure looked bad," the girl he didn't know suddenly said, only reminding the blond just who it was that had saved his ass.
More than once by now- hell so many times he couldn't even count anymore.
"Serves him right," one of the others laughed, and if this had been any other day Shizuo would have busted his head in for spouting bullshit like this, but right now his mind was just thrown into chaos.
What had happened in the forest?
His memory was disarranged, blurry and yet he had this feeling in his guts- this feeling that maybe he-
"Heiwajima Shizuo," and suddenly someone called his voice, someone he hated downright to his guts.
The guy that kept accusing Izaya of shit. Shiki or whatever he was called.
His face was stoic like usually and yet there was this hint of a grin hidden in the corner of his lips. He was approaching the blond from the right side of the wall.
And suddenly there were more soldiers, soldiers from inside the walls following right up, their eyes directed at Shizuo only.
"You will be questioned regarding the incidents within the woods," the man spoke slowly, but definite and Shizuo´s blood ran cold.
"Huh?"
Internal panic immediately overwhelmed his senses- did they know? Did they see? Were they going to kill him now? Lock him up?
Hell he wasn't even sure if what he thought had happened really happened back in the woods, he had no idea if maybe he was just really imagining things big times, or-
"Heiwajima?" the man repeated, snapping the blond out of his thoughts.
"Ah, sure," he managed to get out and as if on auto pilot his feet started to move, following the death bringing guy as he got down the wall.
Okay, first things first- they didn't just put him in handcuffs yet- so maybe they didn't know?
What was he even so afraid about?
What happened back then?
The only thing he remembered was the moment that titan girl tried to get Izaya. She had been reaching out for him- and then- then-
Huge doors opened.
Two of them, impossibly huge.
Shizuo had never been here before, but he didn't need to be a genius to know that he was at court.
Left and right people were gathering, whispering, looking at him with those scary eyes. And up in front there were a chosen number of people.
"Heiwajima Shizuo," the man started, and the whole hall fell silent.
Fuck-
Fuck.
Fuck!
What was he going to say?
What was the blond supposed to answer?
What if-
"Is it correct Izaya slaughtered his troops as to remain the one and only best slayer of the survey corp?"
… Silence.
The blond blinked.
And suddenly all pressure lifted from Shizuo´s shoulders in what he could only describe as complete and utter confusion.
The hall was quiet, everyone was waiting for an answer it seemed as the blond tried to process just what the judge had just asked.
"What are you talking about?" the blond inquired, thinking that he must have misunderstood something. Because there was just no way they-
"Answer the question." The man repeated, only causing the blond´s confusion to grow even further.
"The hell he did, he almost died out there trying to protect my life!" Shizuo said, finally finding his voice again. There must be some sort of misunderstanding going on, why else would they-
"Heiwajima-san are you sure the captain did at no time give commands that resulted in the death for his comrades?" the judge repeated once more, that stare of his so cold and intent.
"Didn't you hear me? I just said-" but then Shizuo paused.
Paused because he realized what was going on.
This wasn't about Izaya giving out any orders. Nor did these men care even a shred about the people that died today.
For just a second Shizuo had considered the possibility of them doubting how the guy with his hammer and his smaller brother died.
After all that guy had been nuts and attacked the titans with no fighting experience or logic whatsoever.
But no, that wasn't even it.
They weren't interested in finding out how he or the others died, they weren't interested in the truth either.
All they were doing was to search for a reason to kill Izaya.
Kill the commander, the one that was protecting their asses for so long- what the hell.
Overwhelming rage started to fill the blond´s mind at the realization and his gaze hardened.
He felt like punching all of these bastards into the face. Especially that Shiki guy- that grin on his lips- he had already known what this would be about. But he couldn't do that.
Not here, not right now.
"Izaya gave his best to protect and save everyone from our troup at all times, that's the truth and you won't be hearing anything but that from me," he said instead, glad actually. Because they were asking him. Not any of the others that might as well say they didn't know or accuse the flea of the very same just because they disliked him.
They were asking Shizuo, and he was definitely not going to say anything but the truth.
What did they even expect? That he would just-
"Heiwajima-san, I heard your brother is in hospital?" the blond´s eyes widened a fraction and he lifted his head a notion to look at the judge in confusion. He was holding some kind of paper, reading from it, it seemed. "Inside wall Sheena are skilled doctors that might be able to better your brother's condition," he continued, fixing that pair of glasses on his crooked nose.
"Why are you-" Shizuo mumbled aloud, although too quiet for the judge to hear from down here.
"Ah, but Wall Sheena is expensive, and there is no free room for your brother," the judge continued, not fazed by the blond´s confused expression at all as he directed his intent stare back at him. "Except Orihara were to be … moved, then it would be an entirely different case of course."
… moved?
He didn't-
No way-
Those assholes-!
Clenching his fists tightly the blond could swear he heard something crack right then and there, inaudible for the audience of course.
They were trying to throw Izaya out of the wall- and even worse they were trying to use him to achieve that goal. They were trying to lure him with his brother- haha, no, even worse, they were trying to blackmail him with his brother.
Just what kind of assholes were these people that they played around with human lifes like this?! Just what kind of assholes-
"I may repeat my question, did Orihara Izaya give out any orders that resulted in the deaths of the survey corps team?" the judge suddenly repeated and Shizuo swore he had never hated someone anyone in his life this much before.
Eyes filled with hatred, glare hard the blond tried to remain calm.
"No," the words was firm, hard, definite, "He tried to protect everyone."
That might not be the truth, at least not to its last extent, because Izaya wasn't stupid enough to try and save every last ones lives while risking his own.
Shizuo go this point, he understood before they headed out, and yet Izaya had broken his very principles for him. He had tried to save Shizuo and almost lost his own life in exchange, hell Shizuo didn't even know whether they flea was going to survive this whole shit.
A tremendous feeling of anger and something the blond could only define as a cold hand squeezing his insides were overwhelming his mind.
"You insist on your first testimonial?" the judge asked once more, still not letting up and god it only pissed the blond of even more.
"Go to hell," offended gasps followed all around from the audience watching the scene. Shizuo had no idea who these people were, but he couldn't care less about something as unimportant as that.
"Heiwajima-san?" the judge repeated, saying his name as though he wanted to scold the blond for using such language inside his oh so glorious presence.
"I insist on the truth," Shizuo spat, "And the truth is that Izaya didn't kill anyone on that trip nor was at fault for any of those deaths."
Enough. He had enough of this.
Turning around he wanted to head back, out of this room and this shitty building but almost instantly a group of soldiers was in his way, obviously unsure of what to do.
Shizuo had no idea how far the rumors about his strength had travelled, but the way some of these soldiers looked as though they were about to piss their pants, he guessed they had travelled far.
"I think i said everything already," the blond said, while glancing over his shoulder at the old sack that was now grumpily swinging his hammer.
"The commission is over," he announced annoyed and Shizuo knew he only was because he didn't get to kill the flea.
But right now Shizuo couldn´t care less- he had seen Izaya lose one hell of an amount of blood- and right now, after basically having been asked to give an okay to kill the flea off there was suddenly this panic bubbling inside his chest that someone might as well just let the flea bleed to death after all.
Sure Shinra was there, but that didn't mean the kind doctor couldn't be overwhelmed by some assholes.
"Go to hell huh? First time I heard anyone dare and say that in this room." Surprised the blond paused for a moment the familiar voice being one he had only recently gotten to know.
Red hair and a scar above his eye he was leaning on the wall next to the huge door Shizuo had just left.
Apparently the man had been waiting out here and listened to the judge from outside the court.
"You are the guy from the corps," Shizuo mumbled, remembering how he had checked on them when izaya introduced Shizuo to everyone.
A little girl had been accompanying him, but now she didn't seem to be here.
"Akabayashi is the name," the man chuckled and pushed himself off the wall. It was just a step, a touch on the shoulder and a quick hushed set f words that left his lips as he passed the blond.
"It's good to know not everyone is corrupted inside these walls." And with that he was already walking away, down the hall.
Shizuo liked that guy, not only like, he respected him.
Like Izaya he seemed like he had experienced so much more than these shitty uppers inside the walls that were living a life of peace with no idea what it meant to fight these monsters.
"By the way I heard your captain is being treated at the same hospital as your brother, you might want to check on him," Akabayashi suddenly said, waving with one hand before disappearing around the corner.
The hospital his brother was at?
That wasn't far from here- before the blond knew it his feet moved already. He wanted to see with his own eyes whether the flea was okay, and even more than that he had to warn him, because these assholes, what they had tried to do-
Izaya needed to know about what was going on here.
To be continued~
DUN DUN DUNNNN mwahahaha you didn't expect that now did you? eheheh I'm one saddistic little motherfucker xD And ohhhhh yesss we are finally getting in the - let´s play games of power part within the shitty walls plot- xDDDD If anyone is wondering what I have been talking about rambling about the true plot only just starting, maybe now you know what I have been refering to~
Things are going to get very very interesting now :3
Well then, with that being said, see you again on 24th April 2019 :3
Guest 2: xD Well fuck Anri, lmao I don´t like her x'DDD Well well, as you can see Shizuo is in serious denial of whether what he think happened really did happen after all xD Lol shiki isn´t stupid xD That bastard knows what he is doing xD but more to that late~ ;3 you will get quite angry with our dear friend xD BUt I don´t wanna spoiler too much ehehehehe let´s just say things are gonna get really interesting now xD