Chapter 102: A doctor's condition

Izaya had expected a lot from Masaki. Spilling some rumors that might throw shade onto the priest had been one of those hopes, but this?

Gaze unwavering Masaki's expression remained the same after casually speaking about half the mall's people being on his side.

"I thought his believers were awfully devoted to his preaches?" Izaya pointed out, remembering too well how the people they had seen so far had acted. Not a shred of disobedience was seen in their eyes. "I mean that's the whole reason why I didn't ask Vorona to snipe him from a distance yet," he added while pointing at the blond woman inside the bakery.

A head shot. It would have been simple. Executable not only by her, but the retaliation factor was too high. If they killed the priest the rest of his followers were going to kill them. Outnumbered and without the arsenal of weapons that they had at their disposal it was a scaled war Izaya had no intention of starting.

That's the conclusion he had drawn. If that was not the case-

An empty laugh filled Masaki's throat, and bitterness swayed his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong, there are some. So-called believers. But we were a group first before that bastard arrived." Confidence of the convincing kind clung to his words and his eyes matched his optimistic belief. "If I tell them your plan they won't hesitate a second to support you."

A fantastic offer. More than Izaya had hoped for, but his eyes narrowed at the loopholes this idea left. "What about the other half?" he asked, and just as expected Masaki was lacking an immediate answer.

Half was half. Meaning of the approximately hundred people here fifty would see no issue to get their heads rolling on the ground. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your help, but having you shoot each other will help no one," Izaya emphasized, but Masaki seemed not convinced.

Eyes narrowing and hands tightening next to his hip all his body language was screaming was seething hatred. "The only one we really need killed is the priest."

Harsh words.

Looking at this guy Izaya couldn't help but think about the last couple months. About the apocalypse. The way it started. How people reacted to it and most importantly how it changed humans at their core.

Masaki was speaking about killing a human being and he didn't seem to hold a shred of bad conscience about it.

Arguably he was right, the priest and Shijima really needed to be wiped off this world's surface, but the thought pattern easing these actions was one Izaya was oddly unsettled by.

"Then why didn't you already kill him?" Kadota was the one to ask the most obvious question inside this room.

The mall was a locked space and even someone like the priest had to sleep at some point, shit at some point. But judging the way Shijima enjoyed these new surroundings he figured they were taking turns looking over each other.

Or at least he had hoped it was only that.

Eyes narrowing Masaki took a deep breath before speaking of the worst news yet.

"That bastard is spiked with explosives from chin to ankle."

That was more like it.

Nodding softly to himself, Izaya seemed to be the only one who had anticipated the priest's actions. Especially Karisawa seemed mildly unsettled as she glanced towards the corridor leading to their mall almost as if she were expecting the priest to arrive at that moment and push the button that would blow him to bits with a sadistic grin on his face.

"He is sick in the head. I saw him put them on. He saw me too. I asked what he was doing. You know what he said?" Masaki continued and his expression churned into more hatred than Izaya thought possible.

"That he is making sure the lord is going to be ever in his favor?" Vorona assumed, coldly as usual, but her assumption appeared to be correct as Masaki was only left to nod. "Pretty accurate," we whispered while gritting his teeth. "That bastard wants to take as many people with him as he can in case he dies."

It made sense.

From the day they arrived at the mall Izaya had suspected something like this. The confidence the priest had held himself with was just of a kind that couldn't stem from belief in his devoted followers alone. This was the back up plan, and somehow Izaya couldn't help but snort at how similarly this priest's approaches were to his own.

"I knew there was something off about that devotion. Even immune, he shouldn't hold this much power," Namie concluded quietly as well.

It was simple.

First the priest gathered a man trustworthy enough to shield him at all times. Shijima. Then he started gathering followers. Protected them too most likely. Offered them food. Weapons. Freedom to do as they pleased.

And after finding a similar group he brought them into his own control by means of suppression now backed by his own self made army.

Masaki probably informed those that opposed the priest of his explosives and to stay away from him and those who already followed with no regret would treat the devotion as a sacrifice of the noblest kind.

It was the perfect symbiosis.

"Why don't you just poison him?" Shizuo suddenly asked, missing the point of the priest's followers' existence entirely.

"We thought of that," Masaki sighed, "But he always lets someone else taste his food before him."

There was no point to poison him. At least not like this. But any other means than slipping some overdoses of pharmaceuticals into his food were out of question.

Electricity was down. Modernity ceased to exist.

There was no way to search online what kind of drug killed people, not to mention where to find it, how to dose it, how to hide it without being spotted. Knowledge like this was easy to be found were the city still working like it was back then.

But now? In the middle of an apocalypse?

Technically speaking some people didn't even know how to get from point A to point B without a phone telling them which direction to take.

"Seems like he is aware of his popularity," Kadota concluded correctly and Izaya sighed softly.

He rarely found himself unsettled by the lack of modernity all around, but right now their limitations were starting to reach an annoying point.

"How did a traitor like you end up as his right hand?" Izaya asked instead, but all Masaki had to offer was a shrug.

"Beats me. I think by keeping me close he is trying to retain control over those that followed me."

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, huh?

That bastard was even more cunning than he thought.

"You don't seem intimated," Masaki pointed out, not bothering to hide his impression and healthy dose of doubt.

And Izaya smiled.

"By a couple explosives?" he asked with the calmth of buddah sitting amidst a bed of flowers and a clear blue sky. A glance was cast towards Shizuo and he shrugged. "I have dealt with Shizuo Heiwajima on a daily basis for fun, who do you think I am?"

Surprised to hear his name mentioned Shizuo looked up.

At some point during this discussion he had leant against the doorframe leading into the bakery. Just to make sure no one was closing in on them.

Hearing Izaya talk about the past and their chases like this he felt an odd flash of nostalgia pull at the corner of his lips.

The lively streets of Ikebukuro. The sound of cars, people and crushing metal when he picked a ripe street sign from the road, ready to throw at the one person he tried to chase out of the city.

How much he would love to reenact such a scene right now.

"Then tell me, how do you want this done?" Masaki asked, bringing Shizuo's attention back to the present. Shizuo was awfully calm. He could see Izaya from over here. He trusted in his ability to do what he set out to accomplish, and if worse came to worst he would make damned sure that the two of them would make it out alive.

But Masaki? He seemed awfully desperate and just this close to despair over their situation.

"I know you are smart. I know you are scheming something too. So tell me," he repeated, and somehow those words brought a snort to Izaya's lips.

A bit perplexed, Masaki paused and his eyes were left to blink.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just funny how I managed to build a reputation even in this kind of setting," Izaya chuckled, more than mildly amused by how the tables had turned. He used to be someone people kept their distance from exactly because of his schemes and goals. But right now? He was being sought out for exactly the same trait. A paradox.

But not one he didn't welcome.

"Tell me everything you know about him. What is he up to? Who is he talking to?" Izaya continued, his expression one serving the topic at hand and his eyes narrowed before he asked the number one question that he craved an answer to. "What's on the second floor?"

Tilting their heads the rest of the group seemed to have forgotten about the floor above them as they glanced towards the border of the balcony above.

Even Masaki had it seemed, as he was left with only slips of intel.

"The second floor has been off limits ever since we arrived. No one ever really goes up there except the priest and Shijima," he started slowly, digging around in memories that never truly saw any meaning in venturing to the top. "Sometimes we hear weird noises," he continued, and his expression churned, as if he were re-living the scenes he described. "Zombie noises," he whispered, "I don't know what he is doing but I think it's some sort of experiment."

"Why do you think so?" Namie was quicker to ask than Izaya was and Masaki shrugged a bit lost in this area of expertise.

"They are carrying up supplies all the time," he tried to explain, "And that wound I suffered- the object that caused it was supposed to be some sort of medical device, but I don't think it was."

It clearly hadn't been.

Izaya had seen it- it was the first hint that revealed the priest's true goal. Recreate the virus. Spread it.

And ultimately infect and kill every single person still sane.

"But I heard something yesterday," Masaki suddenly threw in, "When Shijima and the priest came down. They were talking about the day of salvation and a feast. Shijima was laughing and talking about fetching some more food for them to celebrate before the spread." Fast, faster those words bubbled forth from Masaki's lips. "I don't know what he meant exactly but-"

And Izaya froze and his guts dropped.

Because it meant the priest was done with his experiment. He had extracted the virus-

He was done.

Had he beat him to the race? How was he going to spread it? How were they going to stop it? Did he keep it on the second floor?

Should they get up there by force?

Shizuo was there, he could surely manage, but what then? What if it was transmittable by air? What if-

"STAY AWAY-!"

A scream.

Heads turning towards the corridor the entirety of Izaya's party flinched in their stance.

Even Shizuo did, before immediately tensing his body as he readied himself for an attack. The scream had come from the floor below-

"What-" Izaya started and dashed over to the railing before looking down and seeing it.

A fungus.

Clutching onto a guy of the priest's army, its teeth buried itself inside his neck. Involuntary goosebumps traveled down Izaya's spine as his eyes narrowed.

Where did that one come from?

They were inside the mall- a mall that was guarded at every entry option- just how?

But the fungus was not left long to survive.

Quick shots from close vicinity quickly filled its head with lead, along with the poor guy whose fate had been sealed.

"Why is that here?" Izaya heard Karisawa whisper behind his back and his eyes narrowed.

Good question.

Was this part of the priest's plan, or was this an experiment of the finished drug?

"Wait- wasn't that the guard?"

Slowly, dreading, those words slipped from Masaki's lips and Karisawa's eyes widened.

"Guard?" Kadota asked, not quite following what he was talking about, but Karisawa did and Izaya guts dropped.

"For Shinra?" she whispered and it was as though the air had just stopped being breathable out of nowhere.

The doctor the priest held hostage- he- no way-

And their bodies moved.

Quick. Down the corridor to the shop that had been remodelled into Shinra's personal prison. The cage, standing in the middle of it.

Vorona was first and her expression grew even more blank than usual as her eyes settled upon the room-

"No-" Karisawa whispered between quick heaps of breath and her hand grasped the doorframe of the shop before her eyes settled upon the doctor.

Ragged motions.

Glassy eyes and an open jaw greeted her upon first sight and her breath choked right then and there.

No funny joke, no witty attempts to ease the mood dropped off the doctor's lips as his pale arm tried to claw past the iron rods.

"No, no, no-" Karisawa repeated quietly and droplets of salt gathered at the corners of her eyes as her expression churned.

"Shinra-" Shizuo seemed equally lost- confused- angry- sad- he didn't know which emotion to stick to as he looked at the one guy next to Izaya that had never shown fear when facing him. "How- he was in the cell, he-" Shizuo spoke with hardly moving lips, but Izaya's expression was unreadable as all he did was stare.

At Shinra. At the jagged motions. His thigh, still recovering now moving in motions that should hurt.

"I'm afraid we have to kill him." Nobody had seen him coming, or heard him approach.

The priest.

He was standing behind them, looking at Shinra as though he had expected to find him in this state.

"What do you mean kill him?!" Karisawa yelled, but Namie was quick to stop her from approaching the priest as she quickly circled her arms around her body from behind. "Hey. Don't," she whispered, and the demise of the knowledge they had just received, the explosives attached to the priest's body and the insurmountable advantage it brought crushed all hope that was left to be felt.

Teeth grit and hands tightened into fists, Shizuo had to give his best to contain himself and even Kadota seemed to share that resentment as they glared at the bastard.

All of this just happened because of him- Just because he brought them here- Just because he insisted on locking Shinra up- If he hadn't been inside this cage he might have had the chance to save himself, but with the damned priest's order he just-

"Can I be the one to do it?"

Izaya.

Speaking up with barely enough volume to be heard he approached the priest. No resentment was spotted in his eyes. No anger. No sadness. No nothing.

It was as though his mind had disappeared for the sake of functioning only.

"He is my best friend."

Slashes of knives grazing skin would have hurt less than those words from Izaya's lips. Feeling his own mouth go dry, Shizuo cursed under his breath as he looked towards Shinra.

Clawing, struggling to get out of a cage that would never move.

Why did he have to end that way?

Why?

Everything was going so well- They even found Kururi! They had a chance to cure her so why-

A short glance was all that the priest had to offer and after a few seconds filled with nothing but the sound of Shinra's growls the priest finally shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

And with that he turned. Headed down to the first floor, as if nothing had happened at all.

The air was thick. All their conversations, discussions and plans suddenly seemed so useless in the face of what had once been their friend.

Kadota opened his lips to speak, but not sound followed as he retraced his words.

"How do you even want to move him?" Vorona was the first to whisper.

She had known the doctor for the least amount of time and her shock was arguably the least of all.

But Izaya said no word.

Instead he moved.

Towards the cage.

"Follow me, won't you Shinra?" And opened it with quick agile hands.

Surprised by the action and the speed Shinra exerted as he pushed himself out of the cage Karisawa yelped. A ludicrous expression flashed across Vorona's face and under a second she was next to Namie and Karisawa, shielding them with her body from whatever may happen-

"Come on!" Izaya yelled, and Shinra spared them no mind.

Jaw moving up and down all the blind creature had to offer was heading for the loudest source of noise. And Izaya knew about that- and ran.

"IZAYA!" Shizuo's yell was loud, louder than him and for a second Izaya's eyes narrowed for the slightest hint of anger

"STAY HERE YOU DUMB OAF!" he yelled at the top of his lungs- and dashed-

Fast.

Faster-

Stairs were passed, the corridor of the first floor left behind-

"MOVE-" people shoved aside with not a care in the world as Shinra dashed after Izaya with all he had.

The door leading out of the mall was opened with rough force, causing it to slam into the opposing wall, but Izaya didn't stop.

His legs simply carried him without slowing down as the mall disappeared into the distance.

He could hear Shinra.

Just behind him.

The pavement was cold and the sun slowly descended as it was starting to set. An awful tinge of orange crawled across the floor and Izaya watched it as his body came to a standstill.

He saw it.

Shinra's shadow.

Moving closer by the second.

Shinra had slowed down as well. Grunting noises, jagged motions and the distorted gaze of blinded eyes settled upon Izaya as he turned to face his best friend.

Shinra approached- but Izaya didn't move. Didn't run.

Grunting noises, heaving motions and a leg that shouldn't be able to move. A flash of nostalgia shortly claimed him whole and he quickly looked around in search of any presence apart from them.

But they were alone.

Shizuo hadn't followed and for a second it was just him and the doctor and his expression slipped into the brightest grin.

"Alright, you can stop pretending."

Jagged motions immediately stopped and for a brief second the creature that was supposed to be Shinra stilled. The jaw ceased moving, the eyes meant to be blind focused on Izaya and a smile spread across Shinra's lips.

"How was I?" he grinned and Izaya snorted.

"Absolutely atrocious."

to be continued~

Tse- I'm writing too much xD Another chapter it is xDDD How did you feel about the Shinra jumpscare? mwahaha xD

Did you think he died? Did you notice how there was no Izaya point of view in order to keep you tricked? C: xDDDDD A warning ahead though, Shinra has not died this chapter, but that doesn't mean you won't see someone's corpse soon C:

See you next friday everyone C: