Chapter 75: Revival of the fallen

Getting the bastard from the inside out- it sounded too good to be true.

Doubt wavered in Namie's eyes and she crossed her arms. "How do you plan to do that?"

Eyes gazing at the matter of facts that was their present situation Izaya took a moment to ponder on the question.

Their starting point had been awfully weakened. Sitting around in the library and having Shinra come up with an antidote eventually would have been the safest option. Shizuo and Izaya could have gone out to collect necessities.

Vorona could have helped Kadota too.

But now?

With Shinra gone, Vorona down and Karisawa possibly dying anyway?

"First we need information," Izaya mumbled in between a set of thoughts as he looked towards the sleeping woman. "A lot of it," he added before pausing shortly.

Information was one thing. He needed it to create a proper plan. Something to use to actually regain control over their lives.

It was simple. They needed to get Shinra. Shinra would create the antidote. The antidote would reverse the zombifying effect or at least make those immune that were still left.

A three step plan, riddled with obstacles of various kinds.

"We will follow their orders. Meet them tomorrow, see what they throw at us," Izaya hummed, more to himself than to the others, really, but Namie caught the suggestion nonetheless. "What if they just want to kill us?"

But Izaya shook his head. "They could have done so today easily if that were their goal."

The woman of science obviously lacked conviction as she scrunched her nose at the conclusions Izaya drew from his five minute cold reading.

Glaring, she crossed her arms in front of her body. "You do realize that if you are wrong we will all die?"

Shizuo couldn't really follow this whole conversation. Or rather, he didn't choose to. At the end of the day he knew Izaya well enough to know he was going to get what he wanted and as long as that included Shizuo staying by his side he didn't care about any details. Especially now that they had a real chance to survive.

It was funny, Shizuo was aware how protective he had become over Izaya, but somehow right now he felt that emotion growing exponentially.

No matter what Izaya's plan was. Even if they marched right into the heart of Jo's hoes' base, he would make sure that idiot stayed safe.

A smile drew upon Izaya's lips and he nodded to himself, as if praising a child for having done something exaggeratingly stupid with rectified intentions.

"Ah, yes, of course. So you see more chances of survival in an endless escape with two people shot, one unconscious and yourself?"

Shut down efficiently in her own arguments the woman bit down her next words. She had obviously been about to complain, but seemed to choose not to.

"No." What Izaya said was right, and she was aware.

A quick clap followed in which Izaya showed a beaming smile. "So you did retain your sense of reason! Could have fooled me there."

Eyes were rolled and the attention shifted to their surroundings. "Shut up." Namie complained, whilst moving towards the window. Having been presented as a tempting exit of life previously by Izaya it was still clear of books and served a good outlook from above.

"The van, is it still below?" Izaya asked, less hostile and Shizuo joined the woman at the window.

He could see it from above. Their van. The doors that they had left open as there was no way to properly close them after having torn them open on the site.

Barely a few hours had passed and yet Shizuo felt as if a decade had gone by ever since they visited the blood donation facility.

"Yeah, it's still there," he answered Izaya's question and the former informant nodded as if having received some kind of confirmation.

"None of these people looked like they understood even a shred of science. They won't know what the machine is that we got."

Shizuo blinked a bit confused, before turning. "Do we still need it?" Somehow after everything that happened he had been under the impression that their previous plan to analyze zombie blood had been ditched.

But both Izaya as well as Namie seemed to have a different plan in mind.

"Now more than ever with this bastard here," Namie announced while pointing towards her former boss and Izaya agreed with a sleek smile. "We can use it to create an antidote."

Kadota seemed about as lost as Shizuo when it came to the plots these two were scheming and for a second their gazes met.

"Uhm, why don't we do that first then?" Kadota asked, voicing the exact same thought that had crossed Shizuo's mind.

"That would be the easiest option," Izaya agreed, then sighed, "But I guess…" he faded out and Namie's eyes trailed to the ceiling as if trying to avoid any judgmental stares coming from Izaya.

"I don't have the knowhow to do that. Creating artificial drugs with programs, solutions and what not is one thing, but to reduce one from a patient's blood from scratch…" she faded out and Izaya did her the favor to finish her words. "I bet Shinra would know."

Right. Shinra. This one mad doctor and scientist that was more invested in medicine and biological structures and processes than human relations.

Izaya had known him for ages, and even Namie seemed to have learned just how much knowledge that guy had accumulated over the years.

"I believe so too," even Kadota agreed, and Izaya nodded as he was met with surprisingly little resistance. "That's why attaining our doctor is the first step in our plan."

Namie blinked, "First? What's the second?" She had been under the impression that once they got their hands on Shinra they would simply escape.

Run off, to somewhere where Jo's hoes wouldn't find them. Or retreat to a location that they could defend well enough.

But somehow the way Izaya announced their first goal made it seem like he had something different in mind.

A mischievous grin spread across Izaya's lips as he smirked. "I will tell you once we accomplish the first."

Namie snorted, "Secretive as always."

"The less you know, the better, no?"

Right.

There was some truth to what Izaya had said. Sighing softly the woman retreated from the window and traced back to the center of the library.

"Alright, go on. What are we going to do?"

Glances were thrown to the side as Izaya created a quick roadmap of what it would be that they were really going to need.

"We are taking bare necessities," he announced while picking up what was left of their medical supplies. "It is essential that we appear as weak and useless as possible," he paused shortly before looking at Namie. "Submissive too."

The idea of sucking up to the priest and his companions was anything but a pleasant one and honestly made Namie want to throw up on the spot.

Especially when she thought about the guy that was dreaming about using her corpse to pleasure himself.

Izaya seemed to anticipate her disgust and quickly continued. "The priest isn't stupid enough to believe we suddenly joined his sect, but he will believe that we are scared of him if we act our parts well enough."

Certainly.

Izaya was right. Namie was aware of that fact as much as she was disgusted by the suggestion. "Well, I am scared of a barrel aimed at my face, so that won't be much trouble," she sighed, and Izaya smiled. "Good."

A bag resting in the corner was dragged over with quick motions and without further delay Kadota and Namie joined Izaya in his collective task. Apart from medical supplies there were a variety of other substantial necessities. Food for one thing, but not too much of it. Matches, ropes, the scientific tools Izaya had worked so hard to gather.

It was when Izaya pulled a map from the area out of one of the bookshelves, that a piece of paper slipped.

The timing was comical somewhat as he found himself looking at the calendar he made with Shizuo. They were still there. Their birthdays. Kasuka and his sisters' death dates too.

Despite being smeared halfway Izaya could still decipher Shizuo's handwriting.

Izaya being less annoying for once.

Folding the paper with quick and delicate motions he put it into his pants pocket.

"The moment we set foot out of his library we will be watched," he announced loudly, while ripping out the pages of the maps that they would actually need. "I am pretty sure they left someone behind just in case."

The idea of being watched unsettled not only Shizuo as Kadota turned to the window. "What if they listened in?"

The bag was tied up and Izaya shrugged. "We saw them leave through the front door and the structure of the building doesn't allow for a second entrance. If there is anyone nearby then he will be in the streets just below and that's a bit far for voices to travel." Namie and Kadota didn't seem all too convinced by Izaya's argumentation, but honestly, he couldn't really care less about that. "Now, as for the antidote-" Izaya started, only to be interrupted by a well known voice.

Unexpected and out of nowhere it whispered into the silence of the library.

"... what happened…?"

Namie jerked around quicker than a zombie being hit by a shovel as she stared into the direction of the makeshift bed.

Karisawa.

Groggily, pale as fuck, but alive and awake, she had turned her head slightly and fought the dazzling brightness of being alive with a few bats of her eyelids.

She had woken up-

Namie was rarely someone easily overwhelmed, but right now she undoubtedly was.

Rushing over fast enough to hit her knee on the bedside edge she hurried to the girl's side.

"Karisawa-"

Stirring lightly, Karisawa was immediately punished for her action as a jab of pain shot up her neck.

"Ouch-" she hissed softly and Namie's already guilt glazed eyes tainted further.

"Don't move, you might injure yourself," she said, much softer than Karisawa was used to. Thinking she was still out of it to some degree, Karisawa looked around.

"Where are we?"

"Back at the library," Namie quickly filed her in, "everything is fine- We got rid of the zombies, Vorona knocked the guy out and Shinra-"

Sudden silence choked the end of her words and an oppressive silence followed.

A silence that left room for only one question.

Eyes flickering to the right Karisawa looked towards Shizuo, towards Kadota, she could see Vorona, on the ground but she was there. But Shinra…

"Where is Shinra?"

It wasn't even like this situation was Namie's fault or anything. Sure, Karisawa had shielded her from the shot and sustained a critical injury. So did Vorona. But at the end of the day if anyone was to blame then it were Jo's hoes.

Namie seemed to view that differently and so Izaya pulled up to the newly awakened member of their group.

"We split up for the moment. Not really by choice but we will get him back."

Confused, Karisawa looked back and forth between the two. "Split up? How?"

A grin was shown, not fitting the message at all, but it was all Izaya was willing to give. "Jo's hoes got him. And we will be joining them this afternoon."

His words had been simple but managed to confuse her nonetheless.

"... huh?" A bit perplexed, she blinked. She obviously thought it was a joke. "What do you mean we will join them?"

Pushing at the mattress Karisawa tried to shift, only to be met with the resistance of a palm forcing her back down.

"Just rest for now, okay? We will explain everything later," Namie halfheartedly scolded her, but there was not much bite behind her words.

She was worried. Izaya could tell.

After receiving a gunshot that close to her artery Karisawa had sustained the worst injury without doubt.

Apart from her overall condition a simple action like moving her without worsening it was going to prove a challenge.

Their entire team was actually. Namie was good to go, but Vorona? Kadota was acting his best but Izaya could tell he was far from recovered either.

Shizuo shared a similar fate.

Lifting his fingertips to his lips Izaya frowned as he let his head thud against the library's wall.

"How about a camper?"

The suggestion came pretty unannounced and caused not only Shizuo to frown in mild confusion.

"Huh, do you have any idea how huge that is?" Namie complained first, thinking about the more practical issue of traveling inside one.

"We will need to travel around in a group anyway and considering how many people we currently have to transport while laying down, having a couple beds inside a car doesn't sound too bad," Izaya quickly dismantled her argument and shut her down.

A camper.

It was the best idea he could come up with at the moment. At least as far as it regarded their goal of joining Jo's hoes by today evening.

"And how would you find one?" Kadota asked.

"I saw one. When we were moving out. Someone probably had a similar idea but abandoned the vehicle halfway," Izaya quickly followed up and Namie frowned.

A camper.

Driving beds.

Considering their various injuries it really seemed like a tempting idea. Or at least she couldn't come up with anything more decent.

Flinching softly a jab of pain marked Karisawa's expression for a second and Namie's hard gaze softened.

"Are you in pain?" Having moved just barely Karisawa regretted her action, but it was nothing to draw attention over.

"I'm alright," she quickly whispered, already used to Namie's complaints and bursts of scoldings and she was fully prepared for another, but it didn't follow.

"I'm sorry-" Expression growing pained, Namie lowered her gaze, "Just because of me you…" she faded out and Karisawa blinked.

Namie wasn't mad.

She was concerned.

"It's okay," she spoke as quick and assuringly as her body allowed, with a soft smile forcing the corner of her lips upwards. "But if you are really sorry you could yell a bit less at me."

It was a joke, or rather half a joke, half a wish and somehow Namie couldn't help but snort, before nodding in agreement.

"I can do that."

"... Namie?" the sound of another unexpected female voice filled the room and Izaya rolled his eyes.

"What's this? The great awakening? Your timing is really creepy."

to be continued~

Yo~! Just a quick newsflash xDDD For one thing, It's officially been exactly 10 years now since I wrote and published the first fanfiction haha xD

Ten years damn. A fucking decade xDDD

So I just wanted to say thank you for sticking with me and my stories for the last DECADE holy fuck

xDD Ahem anyway~ Thank yo love you all, from everyone who comments and delights my days with awesome conversations to everyone who quietly reads and simply enjoys my stories haha 3

I will continue to write tons of stories and as a matter of fact a new one is just about the corner called: "Angel shot" which will start right after SnS ends.

Which leads me to the second info I wanted to give you xD There will be only one update next Saturday which will be the final chapter of Shingeki no Shizuo - one reason for that is that I suck at writing last chapters and tend to procrastinate on them and this is a countermeasure to that xD

The other is that I am having my sister over, and with her final exam in 8th grade and a job interview at my workplace hovering over her like the blade of a guillotine I will be spending time with her and probably not have a lot of time to write xD

So yeah, in a nutshell: Thank you for reading and see you in the final SnS chapter on Saturday xD