Chapter 101: Prelude to chaos

How long had they taken? Half an hour? Maybe a little more?

Too much for Shijima it appeared as the engine of their car stopped right in front of the museum.

Izaya expected to see figures on the roof- Shizuo on top of all and Vorona, looking out for them. But neither were to be spotted. Only Phil and his friend.

Circling the roof like sharks in a tank they patrolled back and forth.

Occasional zombies were shot from a distance, but overall there seemed to be less than before.

Which made sense.

With everyone focusing on their duty and shooting, let's say one zombie per minute in order to save bullets, they had to be down by over two hundred zombies at minimum.

Looking towards the plaza the sight displayed there seemed to approve Izaya's conclusion as the corpses spread coated the ground like a fine layer of powdered sugar on a chiffon cake.

They were being left behind to rot or be devoured by other zombies. Fungi. Or perhaps flatworms.

Eyes narrowing, Izaya quickly slipped back into the safety of their car.

They hadn't left its close vicinity. Namie for one thing was still gripping the doorframe and looking around in search of their group.

"Where did they go?" she whispered, afraid to trigger some unwanted attention and quickly glanced over her back.

But the road was empty. And along with their allies they seemed to be missing their enemies as well.

Shijima was nowhere to be seen. The same accounted for his bodyguards.

"Ordered back to the mall most likely due to our disappearance," Izaya quickly concluded and Namie unfroze from her petrified state.

"And Shijima?" she asked while slipping into the driver's seat. The cables she had cut earlier in order to hotwire the car were still freely dangling from the front and she quickly brought them together to start the vehicle.

"Ratted us out I suppose."

Gut plummeting her hands stilled the second the engine started.

Izaya wasn't quite sure what she had expected. A welcome party? Happy faces on top of the building waiting for their return and Shijima magically disappearing and getting off her case?

All of that was wishful thinking and for a second Izaya sighed with a mild frown on his face.

"They went back to the mall. Both. Vorona, Karisawa, Kadota and Shizuo as well as our dear allies." It was Shizuo's name that visibly caused the woman to relax and Izaya realized that she seemed actually more worried about Karisawa than her own fate and that was an emotion Izaya could get behind.

He doubted Shijima had acted against their group with the priest having ordered them to complete a mission, but knowing that Shizuo was back at the mall and the mercy of the priest's whims didn't exactly elevate him.

"Come on, let's go," he whispered, and Namie gave a quick nod before steering the car back up the road.

They had taken only a few minutes to make their way from the mall towards the museum, and the same was true for the other way round.

Sunlight graciously poured down onto the pavement and the van that parked in front of the mall.

Izaya duly noted that Kadota had most likely driven it back and with a quick glance towards the front he spotted the familiar face of Shijima.

Had he waited for their return? Or had someone simply informed the priest about their sighting? The latter was more probable and surely Izaya spotted some figures collecting on top of the roof.

"Where were you?" Shijima yelled from afar as soon as Izaya stepped out of the car.

His expression spelled anger and a slight tinge of disappointment.

All Izaya had to offer was a smile.

Because this was what he could do best.

Talk.

A sweet spring breeze brushed across the parking lot of the mall as Izaya barely even shrugged at the question.

"You know how it is sometimes. A batch of infected surprised us and we had to move."

Every fiber of Shijima's being screamed of doubt, but gladly it was not him that Izaya had to convince. Eyes trailing to the side he watched as the priest emerged from the mall as well. As usual his demeanor spoke of pure control.

Control over his own emotions, body and everyone else present.

"We were standing close by, why not move in our direction?" Shijima hissed, failing completely to hide his anger and Izaya left the question unanswered on purpose.

Had his story been true he wouldn't have moved into Shijima's direction either. An accidental shot to Namie's head was what he expected and while discarding her corpse, still warm and moist, Shijima would have excused himself in order to finally fuck her.

At least that was the kind of psychopath Izaya believed he was.

There was no meaning in starting to defend his preposition. It was the truth as far as Izaya was concerned and trying to convince his opponents of. And the truth didn't need any defence.

Besides, all Shijima was hoping for was a response he could warp into something that offended their grand goal, their god or maybe the priest himself.

Eyes settled on Izaya and for a second Izaya braced himself internally.

The priest's questions were the only ones he needed to answer in the right way.

But funnily enough he didn't get to do so.

A shadow, having accompanied the priest on his way outside suddenly stepped forth and caused Izaya to blink in mild surprise.

"I'm sorry that was my fault. When we returned I told them the old routes."

Masaki.

Standing right next to the priest as though he belonged nowhere else than at his side he spoke those words directly to the priest.

A glance was cast towards the guy and the priest hummed slowly.

"Old routes?" he repeated and Shijima seemed to be just as confused as Izaya felt but failed to show.

Facing the leader of their facility Masaki quickly nodded with newfound passion.

"I memorized some places and the fastest ways away from zombie infested regions before I met you. On our way back I showed them one and he must have taken that instead of the direct route."

A lie.

Considering Shizuo and Izaya had exchanged barely any details about the area at all during their rescue mission it was clear as daylight that Masaki just came up with his excuse on a whim.

It caused Izaya's body to tense and his eyes to narrow slightly.

He didn't like it one bit.

Not Masaki and his obvious attempt to spare them any punishment the priest might have had in mind, but the fact that he had no control over this situation whatsoever.

Izaya could lie as naturally as he could breathe, but what about Masaki?

Eyes brimming with confidence and heartfelt guilt he presented the best act he had seen in a while, but how long could he keep it up.

Silence hovered over the parking lot of the mall for a couple anxious seconds as the priest seemed similarly doubtful of Masaki's words.

But then he turned.

Towards the mall.

"I want a map of those so-called safe routes," he ordered without sparing Masaki a glance and Izaya's body relaxed.

He did it.

He convinced the priest on his own.

"First I would like to check their accuracy. It's been a while after all and the zombies are moving daily," Masaki added quickly and the priest stopped for a moment, contemplating the idea.

But it seemed he decided in Masaki's favor and a quick, sleek smile spread across his face.

"As you like."

"And us?" Izaya asked quickly, not wanting to let this chance slip.

Namie and him had returned from a failed mission, but what about the rest?

"Your group is on standby. You are to wait until you receive further orders," the priest informed, and with that he turned.

Uneventful.

That's what their return was.

Glancing towards Shijima the guy only spat onto the ground before following the priest into the mall. The disappointment of not getting what he had hoped for was written all across his expression and Izaya released the breath he hadn't realized he had held the second these two were gone.

This- went into an unexpected direction.

Glancing towards Masaki, Izaya wasn't sure what to think of the guy. He had lied.
For their sake? Or for the sake of attaining a favor he could use in any way he liked?

Or rather.. blackmail?

"Where is Shizuo?" Izaya asked quietly and Masaki turned his gaze away from the door the priest had disappeared through and faced Izaya.

"Already inside. They ordered him to," he answered and Izaya snorted softly.

"And he didn't resist?"

Was hard to believe that Shizuo would abandon the museum, their last meeting point, without any opposition. But to his surprise all Masaki had to offer was a smile.

"Seems he trusts you more than to run amok anymore."

Heh.

This guy… was he on their side after all?

Abandoning all down Masaki signed to follow inside the mall and Izaya did.

There were not many other options to take in the first place.

Because from what Izaya had concluded it seemed most likely that the rest of their group had returned to their newest hideout.

Namely the bakery on the first floor.

Eyeing the other inmates of this prison like building, Izaya moved up the stairs.

Namie was close behind, probably even more uncomfortable than him, but a face framed by blond hair entered their vision soon enough and their tension dropped.

"Izaya-" Relief was written all across Shizuo's face and for some reason Izaya found himself calming at his sight.

The familiar face of Kadota followed next along with a question. "Did you-" but it was never finished as his eyes fell onto Masaki.

A stranger for all Kadota knew and Izaya showed his brightest smile as he took over.

"Our mission sadly failed as we were surprised by some zombies, but it seems you cleared more than enough zombies anyway."

The message was clear.

Not because of his words, but because of his act. Shizuo knew as much the second Izaya opened his mouth. Kururi had to be safe.

Otherwise he wouldn't be facing Izaya at all.

Vorona's eyes met Izaya's first and she nodded in silent approval as she too recognized the true content of Izaya's words.

Only Karisawa seemed a bit lost, but a pat to her shoulder, executed by Kadota, was enough to make her understand.

Sighing softly, Shizuo approached Izaya. "Just for future reference, I like it better when I see you," he whispered and Izaya smiled.

"Noted."

But there were more dire matters to be addressed and so Izaya's attention refocused on Masaki.

"Now-" he started after glancing left and right to make sure they weren't being listened to by any of the priest's followers. "... why did you cover for us?"

"He did?" Vorona asked surprised and within a few seconds Masaki found himself showered in stares.

"He told the priest something about maps that don't exist. Not that I couldn't have come up with a similarly adequate excuse," Izaya explained and Masaki's expression softened.

"You saved my life," he whispered in equal volume. "Without expecting anything in return. Would be pretty ungrateful to not do the same when I can."

Good.

So he really was on their side just as Izaya expected.

"Masaki," Izaya spoke, and pulled at his bloodied sleeve. It was an action that might have seemed reckless, but Izaya had thought well about his actions.

Kururi's bite mark was sitting on his upper arm like a butterfly on a flower. Izaya knew he was safe, but Masaki didn't and it showed on his expression.

Horror, regret and maybe the slightest hint of sadness befell his face.

All emotions Izaya wanted to see.

"I'm immune."

Almost immediately Masaki's expression changed, from disbelieving, to confused, to the kind of smile that didn't dare to hope anymore.

"Izaya-" Namie hissed but Izaya didn't really care about her worries.

"Created an antidote. Got bitten a while ago as well," he continued and pulled the sleeve down again with eyes serious as the night. "Nothing happened."

An array of emotions passes by on Masaki's face as no one said a thing.

"No way-" Masaki whispered slowly and looked at Vorona and Kadota almost waiting for them to reveal Izaya was just messing with him.

But they didn't.

"I'm trying to create an antidote and spread it across the entirety of Japan," Izaya continued without even batting an eyelid, and that seemed to jerk at least Karisawa and Kadota out of their stupor.

"You-" Kadota spoke, but Karisawa was faster, "Wait, all of them?"

Eyes glittering like those of a child waiting for christmas presents her entire expression spelled just one thing: Hope.

Vorona on the other hand seemed to have suspected something along those lines as she merely nodded after exchanging a glance with Namie.

There was no need to elaborate. Izaya was crazy enough to do as he told.

And Masaki seemed to have understood the same as he looked at Izaya like the savior he didn't realize he was and his expression changed to one driven by the excitement of change.

"What do you need?"

Even Izaya was surprised by how quickly he had managed to draw Maski in. But at the end of the day with the priest acting as a ruthless dictator, the people that had not joined voluntarily were sure to jump at any chance given.

"Are you offering your help?" Izaya asked, half joking, half serious.

He didn't expect much from a single guy, but for once his assumption was wrong, and Masaki's answer was even more exhilarating than he thought.

"I'm offering you more than half of the priest's goddamn army."

to be continued~

Yo xD Seems I can't count hahaha I just realized the next update is the second to last xD So now it's two more xD Had to move some dialogues into the next chapter too because it got too long, but hey, worst case we might end up with another haha xD

See you next friday everyone C: