Guilt (Shizuo X Izaya)

Chapter 7: A Tiger Without A Cage

Shizuo POV

I pound on Shinra's door ferociously, the walls shaking with every slam and the hinges squeal. I'm sure everyone in the area can hear but I don't have the patience to care. The threat that erupted from the message I had received stirred up chaos in my mind and for some reason, it made me desperate to save my enemy.

"Hey, hey, hey!" A high male voice cracking nonstop rings out down the hall. "I hear you!"

Shinra opens the door, his glasses crooked and hair disheveled. The man wore a green cashmere sweater, appropriate for the chilly and surprising temperature of his house.

"Oh, Shizuo," he said, puzzled. "What are you- it's late..."

There wasn't any doubt that Shinra would be confused; I'm just as astonished of my actions myself. But just like the passion that drives me to hate, it's driving me to act a way I never imagined I would. I push my way inside, ignoring Shinra's protests.

"Where are your reports," I say sternly.

"H-hold on," he stammers, running over to a large filing cabinet and rummages around for what seems to be an eternity to me. But he manages to pull out a stack of papers the width of a brick and hands them to me, somehow out of breath. I grab them impatiently and dig through each carefully alphabetized report.

"You know technically I shouldn't be letting you see those...my patient's private lives are just that: private."

"The moment your patient's actions interfere with me and the people I care about is the moment their privacy goes to shit."

"Wait, I don't get it...who's at risk?"

I can't bring myself to respond.

It takes a while, almost half an hour before I find who I'm looking for.

"Whoa...not a good idea to go looking for that guy," Shinra sighed. "Gave me half the pay he promised for a broken shoulder."

"Where's Celty?"

"Out on a job."

I punch the wall. The apartment shakes and Shinra squeaks, covering himself for protection.

"Where's Celty?"

"I'll call her now."

He runs over to the phone and rapidly pushes the buttons, calling the woman who's number he thoroughly memorized.

"Hey there...yeah, I think I'm gonna need you over here...no, not really...Shizuo's in a bad mood and I think he needs you to take him somewhere...yes, immediately...have a safe trip."

He hangs up and turns to me. His eyes are a little more awake now and his posture tells me he's aware of my seriousness of the situation.

"She'll be here as soon as she can. Please relax while you have the time," he says. "This isn't like you."

"I know."

Exhausted from the sudden exertion of energy, I slump into the couch set conveniently behind me. My mind flashes back to Izaya. While he isn't what anyone would foolishly call weak or fragile, he is small and stubborn. Undeniably so. No matter what situation he may be put in, I know my enemy better than anyone else. He won't show fear until the very end, and knowing Izaya's gallant and aloof personality...the end may be coming fairly soon.

Ten or twenty minutes pass before Celty arrives. Normally one would think that a headless woman in a black riding suit could make an entrance but she simply walked in and gestured for me to follow her.

Where do you need to go? She types rapidly. Seems like a desperate situation. 

"I need you to go to this address," I say. "Please, I don't know how much time I have left."

Right.

Celty takes a look at the address and immediately her body slumps. Her neck tilts slowly towards Shinra, as if her body were saying "really?"

"Sorry," Shinra shrugs. "I think Shizuo can take care of himself though so you can just drop him off out front."

Celty's torso shifts as if she's sighing  and before I know it, I'm racing down the streets of Ikebukuro with the Headless Rider.

Sorry for asking but...why do you need to go here? Celty types.

"An asshole told me to. Besides, I need to have a chat with an old friend."