Chapter 54: All According to plan?

The remaining retention cells had been empty. As far as Izaya had witnessed so far they were mostly used for drunks to sober up and leave as soon as they regained their common sense and guilt of actions.

A few crackheads had been there too, probably retained whilst their goods were inspected. So it didn't come much of a surprise when the corridor leading to his own cell filled itself with murmured voices around 11am.

Usually they caught most drunktards at night, but fetching one who had been pulling an all nighter from the morning streets wasn't too uncommon either.

Dragging his pencil along the cell sketch that had sometime in between turned into a piece that could have been drawn by Picasso Izaya spared the sounds no further interest.

Only when a shadow reached his paper did he turn his head.

"Inmate 005." The fresh guard announced Izaya's number, and Izaya stilled.

Eyes narrowed he put the pencil aside before standing from his desk.

His retention was still going to last for another two to three days- but Vincent's promise still hung in his ear and his eyes narrowed.

What did that bastard come up with now?

Was he feigning some kind of visit? Izaya had given no such order to anyone.

At this point in time not even Shizuo would visit him without confirming that, that's what he should be doing.

Keys clanked against the heavy iron lock and the guard pulled it from its confinement.

A deep sigh left the officer's mouth and before Izaya knew it he stepped aside. His land lifted and he signed to the hallway with just a few simple words.

"You are released as of now. Step out of the cell."

… what?

The confusion that single sentence brought hit Izaya heavier than expected.

He had come up with many intrigues Vincent could try to use against him. Even considered straight up murder. It was the reason Izaya hadn't quite slept well that night and kept drawing senseless cell bars.

But being fred?

That option had certainly been no part of his assumptions.

Not having moved even a step, the officer that had come grew a little impatient. No word was sayid, but it was obvious from the way he rolled his eyes.

It was then that another pair of legs joined the scene.

"What are you waiting for?" Stepping into Izaya's line of vision he saw the one guy that he had to remain cautious around.

Vincent.

His sole appearance only confirmed Izaya's suspicion of this being some sort of trap.

"...is this some sort of trick?" Izaya asked, and Vincent feigned absolute innocence.

"Pardon?"

Eyes trailed up and down the guard's bodies. They were wearing guns. Sure, they always were, but right now that fact caused Izaya's caution to spike.

"Are you going to shoot me the second I step out of this cell?" Izaya glared, "Excuse me, I mean, prevent a dangerous prisoner from escaping of course."

A creepy smile played along Vincent's lips as he was growing more and more entertained by this situation.

Izaya seemed to have struck a nerve with this release being not of a good willed nature, yet he seemed to have failed to pinpoint the actual purpose.

"We would never." Vincent announced sweetly, and somehow Izaya actually believed that this kind of easy plan was not what this sadistic officer had in mind.

No.

If he wanted to shoot him for trying to "escape" he could have done so way earlier.

… this was about something else.

"I request my lawyer." The words came faster than Vincent expected, and yet not a sign of a set back was to be traced in his mischievous eyes.

"You have been freed of all charges sir," the other officer announced once more with a deep sigh. To him this was probably a joke. A retainer refusing to leave?

Only homeless people were probably more difficult than Izaya in that regard. But if there was one thing that Izaya could be, then it was being stubborn.

"Yes. I would like to confirm my leave with the law and an eyewitness."

As if having been served an egg benedict instead of an omelet, Vincent shrugged with too little care for Izaya to feel safe. The realization of that was uncanny.

It meant that Izaya's idea was only slightly setting back whatever it was that this bastard had planned, but not defusing the situation entirely.

"I don't know why you are so keen to stay in this cell, but if you insist," Vincent shrugged, and nodded towards the officer.

Following the unspoken order he quickly scurried to the back of the hall, and Vincent smiled. "Enjoy your stay." And with that he left.

The cell's bars had been left open.

Staring at the route to freedom, Izaya's eyes narrowed.

He was free to go.

But he didn't move.

Only his brain did as it performed various artistic patterns of thoughts.

The word why stood above them all as Izaya let himself slip back onto the chair at the table.

Moving it towards the cell he folded his hands and his eyes narrowed.

Why?

He was to be retained for an entire week. In order to make sure that he was no Incubus. He had been given aphrodisiacs made for his kind only to ensure that he fucked up.

So why?

Why release him two days earlier?

It made no sense-

Had Vincent somehow noticed that Shizuo had recharged him? No, he couldn't have. The time stopping affected everyone equally.

Then why?

What was the ulterior motive in letting him leave unharmed?

Vincent's words from the day before still sat at the back of his mind, grinning menacingly.

This bastard definitely had something in store for him. Izaya wasn't stupid enough to just smile and accept whatever this man offered with no questions asked when he had been threatened directly.

But then- letting his back hit the backrest Izaya frowned at the ceiling.

What was it that Vincent planned to do…?

Shizuo was also looking at the ceiling.

Albeit not for answers, but rather as a means of dealing with the annoyance that aggravated his nerves.

"Disgusting." Kururi announced and Shizuo felt a vein pop on his forehead.

Using a hand to palm his face he tried to ignore the warmth that seeped into his mind.

"It's fried rice," he repeated calmly, but the two sisters still stared at him with nothing but absolute lack of understanding.

"Bellpepper." Kururi announced once more and Shizuo felt his sense of reason snap.

It was midday and so far all these two girls could do was complain, complain, complain, complain-

Shizuo you have to fold the bed sheets, Shizuo why is there no breakfast, Shizuo we are bored, Shizuo, Shizuo, Shizuo-

"Why would you put that in there?" Mairu joined in her complaint and Shizuo truly felt that no job in his world that he had ever had to work as had been as much of a hassle as watching two fucking kids.

"We didn't have anything else at home," Shizuo repeated what he had been saying all along.

Sitting at the table and picking at their meal with absolute disgust Shizuo felt the need to snatch that god damned forked and shove it down their picky little throats.

"Then you should have just left it," Mairu announced and tossed one of the pieces out of her plate. "As I said, you can pick them out if you want to," he tried once more, gathering the nonexistent remains of patience left in him- only for them to be trampled with no care at all.

"No way, everything got its taste on it." Mairu whined, and with that she shoved the plate away-

"Not hungry," Kururi agreed, and mimicked the action- and Shizuo swore he could feel something snap in his mind.

Calm down, calm down.

These were Izaya's sisters. If he killed them, Izaya would kill him.

But goddamn bloody hell, he hoped he would never ever have children.

How come Kasuka was so easy to care for?

He had never complained about food no matter what they got for lunch- he had never complained about anything in fact-

At that Shizuo paused shortly.

… Kasuka really never said what he wanted.

… didn't do so until this day.

Feeling the rage dissipate slowly a soft feeling of guilt befell him instead. That was kind of his fault, wasn't it? That Kasuka had never been able to voice his desires…

Groaning softly he took the plates from the table.

"Fine, I will make you a new one, okay?" The girl's faces lit up like christmas trees- seriously. It was the rough sound of a phone ringing that made Shizuo put the plates down again while shaking his head.

Was this all it took for kids to be happy?

"Yes?" he asked, failing to check the caller on the screen and startled surprise flashed across his expression.

Pausing in their cheer of receiving new food the twins fell quiet as they looked at their new caretaker.

Shizuo's expression had grown serious, then delighted-

"Really?" Moving closer Mairu tried to listen in to the conversation, but the settings on the receiver were too low to be heard.

"Of course, I will be there," Shizuo announced, and with that the call was cut.

Quizzical expressions met Shizuo's face and somehow suddenly everything these two little girls had annoyed him with didn't seem to matter anymore.

"Izaya is getting released." The amount of happiness lighting up in the girls' faces was second to none but Shizuo's himself-

Izaya was getting released-

"Brother," Kururi said, and Mairu cheered, "He is coming back!"

Back.

Right- and suddenly the relief Shizuo felt was tainted black.

Izaya was being released. The police had called him to come over to fetch his "client."

But- if Izaya was just being released, why did he ask for his presence?

An unsettling depth was suddenly opening in Shizuo's stomach and his forehead layered in a deep frown.

Wait-

… why was he being released two days earlier in the first place?

Something was off- something about this release.

Not noticing any of Shizuo's worries, the siblings were too immersed in their joy to realize that this was not the time to celebrate yet.

But Shizuo wasn't going to tell them that.

The familiar face of a certain secretary and her offer suddenly came to mind and Shzuo looked at the clock.

12pm.

"You two, can I trust you to behave for an hour?" Surprised by the sudden request, the two stopped their chatter and glanced towards Shizuo. A quick smile was flashed and the two grinned with the most untrustable innocence Shizuo had ever seen.

"Of course."

Not.

Like hell they would be up to anything good as soon as he set a foot out of this flat- but what other choice did he have?

"The woman who showed up yesterday, she will be coming by. Open the door for her, but only her," he announced quickly, and something about his words seemed to have triggered at least Mairu's suspicion as she grew awfully quiet.

"Aren't we picking Izaya up?"

Ah- no can do, he didn't want the two to pick up on the situation. Forcing a quick smile to his own face Shizuo shrugged. "I am. But I would like you to stay here for the meantime."

A doubting glance was given and for a moment Shizuo almost feared they would insist on tagging along- but thank god they didn't.

"Alright." Kururi agreed in her sister's place and Shizuo sighed relieved.

Good.

That was one obstacle cleared.

Now to the next.

"You want me to do what?" Izaya's office was as fancy and vibrant as ever, and Namie just as unamused as Shizuo expected her to be at his request.

After the twins were done polishing Shizuo up for his pretense of being a lawyer for one last time they had finally let him go. Standing in the doorframe with his suitcase and way too fancy suit he really felt like some sort of shady client or annoying salesman that was trying to explain to the woman why his vacuum cleaners were the best to purchase.

The frown on her expression really fit the mood too as she leant against the door.

"I thought you needed help, not a babysitter," she added further, garnishing her reluctance with even more complaints.

"It's just for an hour. Or two," Shizuo tried, but felt like he was talking to a flat wall of concrete.

Narrowing her eyes the woman clicked her tongue, "Why not leave them alone then? They are old enough."

Shizuo opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated for a moment.

A glance was shot inside the apartment, and into the hallway they were standing in, before he whispered.

"I'm not sure if I will return."

That changed Namie's demeanor. Within seconds the frown on her forehead disappeared and her arms uncrossed themselves.

Stepping backwards she signed for Shizuo to get inside the apartment, and he did.

The door closed quietly and with the slow sound of heels clacking on the ground the woman returned to face Shizuo.

Her gaze had turned serious and non negotiable. "What's the idea?"

Shizuo didn't want to tell the twins anything because he disliked the idea of worrying them without reason. But this woman had to know the truth.

"They are releasing Izaya two days early," he explained, and as expected of the flea's secretary she seemed to be way faster than Shizuo to grasp the meaning of his words.

"Suspicious," she immediately replied and honestly Shizuo couldn't help but feel slightly inferior for having taken at least a few minutes to recognize the oddity of it.

"Right?" he asked, but Namie was already deep in thought.

A glance was shot towards him, "Did Izaya ask you to do this?"

Not really. Izaya merely asked for Shizuo to pick him up. Or rather, for his "lawyer" to come pick him up. But he also told him to watch his siblings, so in order to fulfill both-

"More or less?" Shizuo answered, and Namie sighed. "Phone," she announced, and for a second Shizuo could do nothing but stare at her extended hand dumbfounded. "I doubt you have my number. How are you supposed to call me if anythings up?"

Ah-

"Right-" quickly reaching into his pocket he drew the device from his pants.

"You really aren't the brightest light are you?" She snorted while typing away on the screen. Quicker than he expected her to be, the device was tossed back and Shizuo barely reacted in time to catch it.

"Let's go," she suddenly announced, grasping her mantle from the hinges behind the door, "You have places to be, right?"

Surprised by her quick actions Shizuo found himself nodding pretty dumbfounded as the door opened again.

He had expected more of a resistance and maybe some arguments why she didn't want to watch the devilish siblings- not for her to act this swiftly.

"By the way, I meant to ask-" she suddenly said, snapping Shizuo out of his thoughts. "Why black?"

It took Shizuo a second to realize that she was talking about his hair. About the way the twins had dyed it in order for Shizuo to be as recognizable as he usually was.

They had exaggerated of course, but the cover had to stay at least for the time span that he was still needed as "the lawyer."

"That was the twin's idea," he sighed, and Namie hummed.

"Looks better than the blond at least, you should keep it." Shizuo snorted, and the door fell into its hinges as they descended the flight of stairs.

Only this woman could make her words seem like an insult whilst still being a compliment.

to be continued~

Okay I had to cut this scene up into two parts unexpectedly xDDD This day, is going to be one hell of a day ahahaha Izaya's "release" day C: Any thoughts on why Izaya was let go? What the grand plan on Vincent's part could be? C:

I can only tell you this: It will be the 180 turn that sends the course of this story into a very different direction xDDDDD