An Hour Too Late

Summary: Masaomi Kida was generally on time for any event or outing he planned. He was like this to 'please the ladies', as he put it. However, in this instance, he sleeps in for an extra hour...on the day that his best friend, Mikado Ryuugamine, arrives at Ikebukuro. Taking advantage of this 'misfortune', Izaya Orihara makes his move, and brings the young man closer to him much faster than anyone could anticipate.

Well, I'm a huge Durarara! fan, so I thought I'd write a fanfiction about it...although it may seem like an emulation of the series at the start, I plan on diverging from the plot. One of the changes in this chapter is that the Entrance Exams for Raira were not taken three months before Mikado's arrival in Ikebukuro, but instead, taken a week before the beginning of term. In Japan, I believe that is April 21st, but I may be wrong. Mika will not know of Seiji just yet, and Seiji hasn't broken into his sister's lab yet. Anyway, it's my first story here, so I hope you all enjoy! -bow-

Prologue: Arrival

The light clacking of a silver train that held black streaks zooming along it's track had been the only sound that could be heard sans for the various creatures that were making themselves known to those that listened long enough, as the sky's light coloring began to fade away into the darkness that was night's steady approach, preparing to plunge the area in black. The winds had died down, and not even they dared to stir in this moment, as the metallic giant cleared through a small patch of woods. Although they were slightly tinted, the passengers could see the scenery transition with ease; Forests, plains, and even the occasional town. It was quite lovely to most of the occupants of the train, as silence reigned over them. It was a sense of peace and quiet...something that those riding the train to Ikebukuro would not have the opportunity to enjoy for a long while...after all, it was quite the prominent city. The lack of sound gave those aboard time to think, time to reflect on their traveling decisions, and time to plan everything out without making hasty choices...Basically, it was a generic thought process that happened every day. No excitement.

One of the passengers aboard, Mikado Ryuugamine, held great disdain for this truth. It wasn't unique...wasn't something that could generate interest...it was simply an existing thought process. For Mikado, this was the absolute definition of worthlessness. Existing without a unique purpose, unable to further one's self into new exciting things...rather it be talking to a stranger, or getting into a fight. Mikado was the type that constantly wanted something to happen...even if it wasn't convenient. He was easily bored by 'daily life', and thus, made the decision to travel out of his home town of Saitama. He had boarded the train about three hours ago, after receiving a fond farewell from his parents and neighbors.

The boy was very plain in terms of physique, with a slim build and dark, mildly spiked hair. His eyes, which were a shimmering cerulean, seemed to be the only thing that stood out about him aside from his name. Mikado himself currently wore a white jacket with green arms, along with long black pants. Unlike most of the people, whom had come with several bags of luggage, the dark haired child had but one brown leather bag with him. He had most of his clothes folded neatly within, his wallet, and a cell-phone. It was a modest packing, much like the boy himself. For Mikado, although seeking excitement and a fast-paced life within Ikebukuro, was mild-mannered and shy. If one were to compare the boy's personality to his dreams, many would laugh it off and call the boy a walking contradiction, which was something Mikado whole-heartedly agreed with, even if it was grudgingly.

As for his choice of destination, Mikado had two reasons for picking Ikebukuro. One was for the obvious change of scenery, having lived in a small town where everyone was kind with upstanding morals, well, a good portion of the populace anyway. Mikado still held a small grudge against some of his hopefully soon-to-be former classmates for teasing him. The second, was Masaomi Kida. Masaomi was his best friend that had moved away with his parents when he was ten, leaving an emotionally distraught Mikado...he had grown attached after all, and Masaomi was quite entertaining and kind...so imagine Mikado's joy when one day, Masaomi invited Mikado to Ikebukuro to stay with him. His parents travelled quite a lot, so they personally preferred that their child had some company. With Mikado being as polite as he was, they were hard pressed to decline their son's choice. Meanwhile, Mikado's parents were against the idea with every fiber of their being. Their reasoning was because although they were strict, they loved their child and wanted what was best for him...which they thought keeping him with them would be. However, after days of arguing and pleading, Mikado's father had relented, and given his son a condition. If he could pass Raira Academy's entrance exams and continue his schooling with Masaomi, they would permit him to go and stay with the living ball of energy. With this as motivation, Mikado had retreated to his room for most of the summer, studying various subjects of not only his grade, but the grades above, and memorizing them so he could easily pass the exam. Masaomi was slightly worried, because he said he heard the exams were a nightmare, mainly because the school was outstanding and only wanted those whom took their education seriously to enter it's halls.

With that in mind, not even his religious studying had satisfied Mikado's fears when he had approached the ticket master. Quickly stuttering out what he wanted, he quickly swapped the money for the ticket and bowed before scurrying off, much to the ticket master's amusement. Luckily, he didn't have to sit on the hard benches for long, for his train was departing shortly. However, his worry was soon replaced by excitement, because he knew Masaomi would be waiting for him at the 'end of the line'. After all, it was the first thing they talked about after Mikado had eaten dinner yesterday. Masaomi expressed his want to take his best friend on a tour around Ikebukuro, stating that he knew all of the best places to 'pick up chicks', and that he hoped that Mikado would finally 'man up and get some'. Although flustered, there was agreement, and their conversation continued for a few more hours before Masaomi said he had other things to do.

Grinning a bit, the blue eyed boy leaned back into the soft, cushioned seat of the train. It was rather surprising, seeing as he had imagined them to be metallic and uncomfortable. It was one of the few times that the boy had been glad to be wrong about something, even if it was a slight sting to his pride. Letting his gleeful orbs gaze through the windows and stare at the cloudless sky, Mikado took in the beauty of the moon before it fully ascended, watching it move at a nearly unnoticed pace. Giving one more content sigh, Mikado broke his gaze from the window. Letting his eyes flutter closed, he melted into the seat as his muscles relaxed...but didn't dare sleep during the ride.

Thus, began Mikado's wait for the train to arrive in Ikebukuro. Seconds transitioned to minutes, and minutes into an hour. There was nothing for Mikado to do but look out of the window, which he had already grown bored of. Listening to the other passengers and observing them from the corner of his eye also proved to be pointless, seeing as the only ones on the train aside from him were either sleeping or clacking away on their laptops...which Mikado was unfortunate enough to not be able to do either. As he began scowling because of his irritation, the intercom blared to life with a young woman's voice, which was slightly distorted. "Good evening passengers. We're now arriving in Ikebukuro's Tobu Tojo Line. Please retrieve your luggage from overhead, and thank you for riding with us today."

As the intercom went dead after delivering it's message, Mikado's head perked up with anticipation, and he gleefully shot up from his seat, resisting the urge to begin giggling at the prospect that he would soon be in Ikebukuro. As he did this, he slowly came back down to earth as he took in all of the stares he was receiving. A red hue quickly scrawling across his face, he sat down rather fast, and hung his head low. 'That was so lame and embarrassing...they probably all think I'm a weirdo now...' Mikado thought, feeling thoroughly humiliated by acting like a small child.

An elderly woman seemed to understand the boy's plight, for she had gotten up from her seat by her husband, and grasped her oak cane firmly. The clack of the wood could be heard against the train, and as Mikado let his head rise, he took in the appearance of the small thin woman that looked to be in her sixties whom had plopped down next to him. Her silvery-blond hair was tied up into a bun in the back, and her eyes were relaxed, containing soft obsidian orbs. She had a grandmotherly smile etched onto her face, despite the slight accentuation it gave her wrinkles. She had worn a pink kimono with white flowers on it, and a white jacket that was draped over her shoulders.

"Hello there dearie...my name is Aria, and you look a tad bit troubled...maybe this old woman can help you, eh?" She offered, her tone polite yet firm. Mikado simply gulped a bit, and whispered something under his breath. Aria raised her eyebrow a bit, before playfully placing a hand to her ear. "You know sonny, my hearing isn't what it used to be...could you perhaps speak up?"

"I'm M-Mikado...Mikado Ryuugamine...and I said I-I'm scared a bit..." Mikado admitted, trying to meet the woman's eyes but failing, staring down at his hands. "I'm going to a new place, and with what I just did, I'm afraid I might do something stupid in Ikebukuro and end up in a bad situation..." With that, Aria giggled just a bit before clasping her right hand on Mikado's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as she tried to tilt her head to see his cerulean pools. Meanwhile, Mikado was a bit shocked he had admitted all of this to a complete stranger, and was currently going over the pros and cons of the situation inside of his mind.

"You needn't be so worried!" Aria exclaimed, getting Mikado's attention, before repeating herself, "You musn't worry about this here city you're going to. Ikebukuro isn't nearly as dangerous as some of the people make it out to be, and from what I can tell, you're a smart young man." With that, she flashed him a toothy grin, pumping her fist in the air. "Why, when I was your age, I was just a foolish young thing, running about through the city, going to various shindigs and such...but it was in Ikebukuro's own Sunshine Street where I met my husband over there...so just make the right decisions, and you're bound to find your own happiness." Without giving him a chance to reply, she hobbled back over to her seat.

Mulling over Aria's words, Mikado nodded to himself. 'I know I can make the right choices...and besides, I'll have Kida-kun to help me, right? Yeah...he's pretty street-smart, so he can be of use. I will stay out of trouble...while enjoying the city at my own pace...' His fears slowly began to recede as he held onto the last sentence like a mantra, but Mikado knew that such peace for him would not last long once he actually got out of the train. As capable as he'd like to think he was, Mikado knew that he was quite nervous when it came to new people in an area he had no familiarity with. He knew it would be a struggle for him to get through the train station on his own, much less trying to find his old friend whom he had no idea of what he looked like now. That thought slowly began to put Mikado into panic mode once more...'What if he isn't able to identify me either...?'

As he was lost in his thoughts, Mikado didn't even notice the train's speed diminish, before coming to a complete stop. All of the passengers began to pack up their things, and head for one of the doors that were available within their compartment. It wasn't until Aria tapped him on the shoulder to wave good bye, did he notice that he was finally at Ikebukuro. Struggling to push down the nervousness that began to swell in his chest, Mikado grasped his bag tightly, and made his way to the middle door, taking a deep breath.

"Well...here I am..."

As he exhaled, Mikado took a gentle step onto the platform, and was instantly thrown into the scrambling mess of people that seemed to file through every direction as the trains delivered and received passengers. Biting his bottom lip, Mikado tried his hardest not to be pushed around as much, even shoving a few people back with a hurried apology. Not wanting to be caught in this mess any longer, Mikado hurried over to one of the various pillars that supported the station from underground. Still winding down from the anxiety that had developed, the boy slumped down onto the cement floor, back resting against the pillar.

'Kida-kun...where are you?' Mikado whimpered inside his mind, staring out into the numerous clusters of people that were in motion, and those that stayed stationary. There was no sign of anyone noticing him, in fact, people seemed to be ignoring him as if he didn't exist. It was almost insulting, had Mikado not appreciated the gesture. 'Please...don't just leave me here like this...I don't want to have to go back to Saitama...' If he even made it back...after all, now the raven's mind began to go through scenarios where one of the color gangs snatched him up...nobody would ever know. Well, aside from his parents, Masaomi, and his two online friends...

Their names were 'Setton' and 'Kanra', and they were both on a chat site that Mikado frequented. They actually met a few years ago, when Mikado was thirteen...and they just stood out to each other, mainly because most of the members in the public forum lacked any sort of intelligence, and they quickly bored Mikado with their simple-mindedness. Kanra was rather eccentric, but knew a lot of information, which Mikado found amusing...while Setton was more quiet, but had a sage-like wisdom about them. Overall, they were two of Mikado's favorite people to socialize with. They had even chatted late at night, before he had gone to bed...

[Yesterday (Saturday, April 12, 2008), 23:15]

-TarouTanaka has entered the chat!-

TarouTanaka: Hey guys! What's up?

Setton: Oh nothing...just lazing about after a day of work.

Kanra: UUUUWWWWWAAAAAAAAAA! Kanra-chan has been waiting for you, Tarou-kun! Setton isn't being very nice to Kanra-chan! \( TAT )/

Setton: And how am I being mean to you -this time-..?

Kanra: You aren't being interesting!

TarouTanaka: Friends shouldn't have to be interesting for you to enjoy their company, Kanra-chan. You could easily be as boring as you're claiming Setton-san has been.

Setton: Believe me, you don't know the half of it...

TarouTanaka: See?

Kanra: Both of you are against poor Kanra-chan? Meanies! I'm leaving you both, depriving you of my awesomeness!

-Kanra has left the chat!-

Setton: Let's countdown...3

TarouTanaka: 2

-Kanra has entered the chat!-

Kanra: I thought I had punished you two enough. I need a hug now! (/ ^A^)/

TarouTanaka: Anyway, I have big news!

Setton: Oh? What is it, Tarou-kun?

Kanra: Yeah, hopefully it's more interesting than Setton-san's fear of aliens...

Setton: Shut it, okay! They're weird...I can't help but be afraid of them!

TarouTanaka: As I was saying, I am moving to Ikebukuro tomorrow. You both told me you lived near that area, right?

Setton: I actually live in Ikebukuro, Tarou-kun. It's quite the interesting city.

Kanra: I, unfortunately, do not live in the glorious city! ( T.T ) However, I still hear plenty of rumors about the town itself.

TarouTanaka: Think you two can give the newbie some insight?

Setton: Well, sure...what do you want to know?

TarouTanaka: Anything is fine, really. Just something to get me all hyped up...

Kanra: Well, there are plenty of things for that...The Color Gangs, the Yakuza, Superhuman People, and...the Black Rider!

TarouTanaka: The first two sound believable...but what about the latter two?

Kanra: There are quite a few people in Ikebukuro with strange abilities...such as Simon Brezhnev, or Shizuo Heiwajima. They both have monstrous strength...but Shizuo is even worse, because he goes into random fits of rage! He throws vending machines, stop signs, and there are rumors he once threw a car at someone!

TarouTanaka: Yikes...I'm actually sort of terrified now...but what about the Black Rider? That sounds kind of spooky...like a monster movie thing...

Kanra: That's actually very spot on...most people think the Black Rider is some sort of ghost or demon...they say it rides around on a pitch black motorcycle, that doesn't make engine sounds but instead sounds like a banshee...there is also one other thing...

Kanra: They say the Black Rider doesn't have a head...

TarouTanaka: That's absurd...there is no way that can be true!

Setton: Indeed...that would make the Black Rider inhuman...and there would be much more suspicion if it were true.

Kanra: Enough about that, though. When is Tarou-kun going to be at Ikebukuro, and where is he arriving? Maybe I can meet him sometime! \(^o~)/

TarouTanaka: I'm actually going to be there sometime at night, at Tobo Toju. It was cheap, so I went with it...

Kanra: Yay! Maybe once you get settled, you can invite Kanra-chan over?

TarouTanaka: Maybe...anyway, I have to go now. Big day ahead. Night guys!

Setton: Look at that, Kanra...you scared Tarou-kun off. Anyway, night!

Kanra: Bye Tarou-kunnnnnnnnn~

-TarouTanaka has left the chat!-

[Present Day (Sunday, April 13, 2008), 20:32]

Grinning as he reminisced, the blue-eyed boy felt a level of calm as he thought about his online friends. It wasn't exactly enough to stop him from having negative thoughts, but at least now, he had a level of mental clarity so that he could plan logically instead of acting on his fearful emotions. By now, some people began to leave the station, most traveling in groups of two or more. There were quite a few that stayed within the station though. Tilting his head towards the side a bit as he adopted a curious expression, Mikado began to scope out some of the people that were still there. Maybe he would find some hint of Masaomi if he searched hard enough.

Unfortunately for Mikado, there were plenty of people around the station that were either his age, or looked young enough to pass for his age. It was actually starting to become an annoyance for him...he was not fond of being made wait for another person if there was no reason given. The idea that he had been ditched started to slink about in the back of the Saitama native's head, whispering things that only seemed to strengthen his anger. Masaomi was not here as he promised he would be. Mikado was alone in a city he did not know. It felt like he had been 'fed to the wolves' so to say.

Mikado couldn't just leave the station though. He knew that he would probably end up getting lost in the winding roads and various intersections. Masaomi could show up at any moment, and Mikado didn't want to miss his friend's arrival...no matter how pissed he may or may not be. Besides, if he were to venture of on his own without any preparation, he could end up stumbling into some gang's territory and get himself killed rather easily. 'No no no!' Mikado yelled at himself, whimpering slightly as his imagination began to get ahead of him. 'None of those thoughts...or else I'll be too scared to even leave this spot...'

As he continued to observe the people, he began to panic as he continued to notice the more...dangerous looking individuals. In particular, he noticed a group of three thugs chatting in one of the corners, each with sinister grins as the taller one talked on a cellphone. The taller one had chestnut colored hair that was parted on the right with a single bang hanging down, and sharp slate eyes that were behind half-circle glasses. He was wearing a black button up shit and a dull yellow jacket, with black pants that were held up by a silver belt. The middle one was a bit on the heavier side, with spiked brown hair and beady black eyes. He had a purple over shirt with teal stripes on the torso and shoulders, with tan slacks. The last one was rather short, with dark orange hair and wide eyes to match. His attire consisted of a pink sweatshirt and jeans. The taller one hung up his cell phone abruptly, before speaking with his friends. The middle one snorted and took out a cigarette and lighter, before fingering what appeared to be a knife handle that was sticking out of his pocket. The short one just cackled a bit and bounced off, leading Mikado to believe that he was not only higher than a kite, but had probably torn it on his way up.

Suddenly, the taller one seemed to meet his gaze, and a smirk overcame his face. Motioning for his friends to follow, he began to stride over to Mikado's position, his grin increasing all the while. Reaching him within a few moments, the Raira-hopeful froze as the smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol reached his nostrils. Feeling the strong urge to vomit, he recoiled a bit when the tall man contorted his smirk into a gentle smile, and bowed. "Ah, I noticed you over here all alone, and wondered if we could be of assistance. We're regulars around Ikebukuro, and we haven't seen you around, so we figured that along with you being at a train station...you must be new." The tall man spoke, before giving a small bow, "Ah, forgive my manners. My name is Nakura, and my friends here," he gestured to the heavyset man with his left hand, "are Kitomaru," then he gestured to the smaller with his right, "and Bozu. Whom might you be?"

Mikado contemplated his next actions carefully. He could give his real name, but then if they decided to do something, and he were to run off, they would have his name to track him down. However, if he gave a fake name, and they caught him and took his I.D., they would know he lied and probably kill him for it. There was really nothing he could do to fight them all off, either. There was also the fact that the station's occupancy had dwindled down fast, and many people were not looking in his general direction, so they could easily kill him...It was almost as if fate had really decided to piss on him today. The middle one seemed to grin as he began to slip out his knife, letting Mikado see the shining steel as it was withdrawn.

'No...I will not comply...' Mikado thought, tensing up as he began to regulate his breathing, trying to even his body out as much as he could without letting it tense up. 'I refuse to die in such a meaningless way...to have my existence ended like this, by this trash...but what should I do...' This was quite the question. He could try to get the attention of other people, but then again, he would only have a split second if he screamed. That wouldn't be enough in a station where there were various noises all about. There seemed to really be only one logical choice...and Mikado took it.

"Excuse me...I have to go to the bathroom." With that, Mikado slowly turned on heel so that he could swerve around the pillar, before breaking off into a mad sprint down a hall that extended to the left. There seemed to be more people that went down there than the right hallway, so perhaps there was an exit somewhere around there. He had gotten a decent start on the thugs, at least, because they had only just grasped what had happened and began giving chase. Thankfully, Mikado found himself nearing a right turn, which according to the sign that was posted on the wall, led up some stairs towards the noises of a city: A lot of cars, the clacking of shoes on pavement, and people chatting. With relief spreading through his body, the Ryuugamine teen rounded the corner with a grin on his face...

Only to see that this particular exit was locked up for the night, and the security panel near it was vacant as well.

"There you are, you little shit..." Came 'Bozu's' mutter, as the trio had caught up to Mikado, looked annoyed and a bit worn out as well. It was then, that Mikado noticed his own shape...his legs were aching painfully, and his stamina was depleted. He was also cornered by three people, with one for sure being armed. Letting his steadily rising anger fade into depression, Mikado didn't even get a chance to cry out before a hand clamped a rag over his nose, and darkness began consuming him...the last thing he saw was the taller man pulling out his cellphone once more, and remarking how they'd be late for their actual job.

So, this is the end of the prologue...I wanted to make it longer...but I really had no idea where else to take it. Whoopsie...Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it so far. Have a nice day!~