Atlas

Chapter 1: Intervention

It started out as quite a dull day, by Shizuo's standards. Grey clouds, snivelling debters, Tom.
Though, if he was honest, days without a flea to chase usually were. Dull.

That bastard.

Izaya'd been coming less frequently recently. It was just like him.
The moment Shizuo had realised how much those fights helped him release stress, the arsehole stops visiting, and did what he was goddamn told just when Shizuo had started being grateful he didn't.

He lit a cigarette and gazed up at the overcast sky.

———

His reverie was halted by a phone being shoved in his face, the words on it, the last he expected.

We need to talk about Izaya.

Once he'd read the message a few times he brushed the hand out of his face, and gazed at the black rider.
Celty seemed tense, nervous he would go on a rage just reading Izaya's name. Then again, he might well do so on a bad day. He was a monster after all.

"Celty, what the hell? Why would you ever waste a minute on that damned flea?"

Please.

Had she ever said that before? Probably, she was nice after all. But there was something in her body language...this was urgent.
He searched for reasons to avoid it regardless, but finding none, gave in.
Removing the cigarette and flicking the butt into a nearby trash can, he raised his head to look at the dark visor of the Dullhan's helmet.

"Tch, fine. What is it he's plotting now?"

She seemed to relax a little, restarting the engine of her motorbike, she raised her phone one last time.

Come to Shinra's.

And with that she drove away. He scowled after her, but work was done for today, and he was going.

She knew that.

He knew that.

So he went.

———

Shinra grinned at him when he opened the door, gesturing broadly with his usual confidence.

"Shizuo! Come in, come in! My dearest Celty is in the living room."

Shizuo scowled again, and strode into the apartment, slouching on a sofa and glaring expectantly at the couple.
With a glance at his beloved, Shinra sighed and turned to Shizuo.

"I'm breaking a promise here, but he leaves me with no choice."

Shizuo raised his eyebrows.

"We've thought this all over but can't think of a way for you to help, so we'll explain the situation and you can do as your conscience commands!"

Shinra tried for his usual energy on that, but fell short.
Shizuo shifted in his seat.

"Help? You better not be asking me to aid the damn flea in anyway."

Celty's shoulders slumped in exasperation, she raised her phone.

Just hear us out, how you act on the information is up to you.

The pair watched as a flood of emotions rippled across the blond's face.

"Any information on the flea is useful. I'll listen." He eventually grumbled.

Celty settled a little more into her seat.
Surprisingly, Shinra seemed to tense up at his words, thinking over his answer.

"I think...I think Izaya is going to kill himself."

Shizuo had many ideas of what Shinra would say...but this wasn't one of them.
A thousand words of humour and derision rose to Shizuo's lips...almost out of habit, but he couldn't manage to say any of them.

Izaya commit suicide?

The concept was so bizarre and alien to his - so often called protozoan - brain, he simply couldn't process it. That psychopath...suicidal? Mind you, his did pick fights with him on a regular basis.
Shizuo gazed at the floor, mind scrambling to understand.

Seeing Shizuo wasn't going to speak, Shinra continued.

"He chose this life for many reasons, and he believed that he could survive being hated by everyone... it's been so many years, I started to believe he could too. But he can't."

"He gets thinner every time I see him, and I see him more every month. He is a talented fighter but unlike you, his body is normal, a single attack you land could permanently injure or kill him, and I see it in his eyes...with everyday he is less motivated to dodge...and with lack of food and lack of sleep...he is increasingly likely to fail to do so.
He keeps putting himself in more dangerous situations - I start to wonder if it is deliberate, plus talking online to suicidal people has its toll too."

At this last statement, Shizuo found his words, spitting them out bitterly.

"The bastard deserves that irony, for the number of teens he's tricked to the edges of buildings."

To his surprise, Shinra seemed to hesitate, and it was Celty who began to type furiously.

Those girls and boys he spoke to...Shizuo, he was convincing them not to do it. Those he couldn't win over he told me about, and made himself the bad guy to make them keep living out of spite.

Shizuo stared at the phone then turned to examine them. Celty looked almost ashamed, Shinra was gently rubbing her shoulder in support.

"You're serious? What about everything else that psychopath has done?"

Shinra shrugged.

"We only know about this because he had to involve Celty.
He doesn't talk to me, and his gift for acting is brilliant, I can only tell he is sinking because of the medical results. I've known him the longest...but to tell the truth, I've no idea what Orihara Izaya is really like."

The blond rose to his feet, striding angrily to the door.

"I don't believe that flea can feel, this is just another elaborate way to mess with you."

Shinra seemed disappointed...but he nodded.

"Just...watch him closely in your next fight...
...Whenever that'll be."

Shizuo left, the doctor's last words spinning in his head.