-Bulletproof-

Oh, hi. A few words of warning to the reader: this story is sort of centered around a really cliched trope, and I won't tell you what it is because I'm a bastard like that, but um, don't be upset later on when it comes up. Also, this was pretty much written for my own entertainment, so it might get a little bit silly at times, even though it is supposed to be SRS BSNS HARDCORE PLOT-DRIVEN DRAMU (well, kind of). Also also, I am going to use Japanese suffixes and phrases whenever I find it apt to use them (it won't be too often, I promise), so if that bugs you, then uh... too bad. That is all.

Disclaimer etc: I don't own anything.

The bright, unearthly glow of fluorescent lamps saturated the streets of Ikebukuro, creeping along the concrete, lighting the roads for the young and the sleepless. A few drunken delinquents, reeking of cheap cologne and cigarette smoke, stumbled through the area, giddy in their intoxication. They sauntered along behind a young lady, slurring obscene compliments and barking out loud laughter. In her nervousness, the girl began to walk more briskly; she was only ten minutes away from the subway station, but her fear grew as she heard their uneven footsteps picking up pace behind her. Breaking out into a run, she hurried around a corner, then down an alleyway, and crouched behind a large trashbin, waiting for them to pass her by.

Soon enough she heard them cursing and arguing amongst themselves, blaming one another for having lost 'that hot chick in the slutty dress'. She blushed furiously, but remained silent; her dress wasn't that provocative, was it?

"Whatever man, I'm gonna go take a piss in that alley," one of them grumbled in an annoyed voice. The woman stifled a fearful gasp as she heard him walking in her direction. Glancing behind her, her heart sank as she realized the alleyway was fenced off on the other end; she could only sit there and hope he didn't see her. She watched in dread as his shadow grew ever closer with each passing moment, swaying slightly from his inebriation.

In the next few seconds, however, something odd happened. The woman wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but there was no doubt in her mind that it had happened. A soda vending machine had somehow flown straight through the chainlink fence at the end of the alleyway, nearly slamming into the man who was only steps away from her hiding spot. The woman stood up immediately, and saw that her pursuer had fallen over in bewilderment. Eyes wide in shock, she whipped her head around and looked in the direction of the fence, and without a second thought, bolted for it, slipping her heels off so that she could run unhindered.

A young man heading in the opposite direction passed her by as she was running, but in her panic, she paid him no heed. It wasn't until she was nearly at the end of the alleyway that she saw another man come into view, with a second vending machine impossibly held up above his head. For a moment, he looked as if he was about to throw it at her, and she let out a horrified shriek.

Shizuo's mind skidded to a halt when he heard the girl's high-pitched scream. He blinked at her, as if confused by her presence, then frowned, and shot her an irritated glare.

"What the hell? Get out of the way!" He growled, without lowering his arms, and the girl stared at him fearfully before nodding once and dashing away.

"My, Shizu-chan, what a gentleman you are!" A grating voice called out from across the alley, and Shizuo gave a furious roar as he threw the vending machine forward with all his might. He ran after the projectile, having heard it collide with the concrete, which definitely was not his intended target. Glancing left and right at the end of the alley, Shizuo spotted that loathsome flea gleefully skipping away into the crowded streets. Cursing under his breath, Shizuo pushed through the mass of bodies, knocking a few people over in his haste. And, as the bystanders began to realize that they were in the way of Heiwajima Shizuo, they quickly parted, not at all eager to lose their lives just yet.

Of course, being the wonderfully talented genius that he was, Izaya merely stepped aside with the frightened civilians, ducking behind a taller man. Izaya had to stifle a laugh as he watched Shizuo run right past him. At the intersection Shizuo stopped, whirling around in confusion and fists clenched in rage, and Izaya simply had to indulge him. Stepping out directly into view, Izaya waved a hand at the blond cheerfully.

"Getting ahead of ourselves are we, Shizu-chan?" Izaya said in what he considered his most charming tone, which sent Shizuo sprinting at full speed towards him, a crooked street sign already in hand. Smirking in amusement, Izaya gracefully sidestepped the deadly projectile, and rushed off in another direction.

Their chase led them down winding streets, across the roofs of buildings, and at one unfortunate point, through a department store. They had left the busy city streets long ago and were now encroaching on industrial areas. Hiding in a leafy tree to catch his breath, Izaya idly wondered if Shizuo even knew who it was that was paying for all the destruction and mayhem that he caused. Because those damage fines were certainly not just magically disappearing! Huffing at Shizuo's lack of appreciation (or, more likely, lack of intelligence), Izaya watched the street corner expectantly, waiting for the other man to come into view.

After a few minutes and no sign of the brute, Izaya began to pout. Had Shizuo given up already? It had barely even been an hour!

"Well, that won't do at all," Izaya sighed to himself, as he lowered himself from the tree branch, brushing off a few twigs that had snagged on his coat. Not two seconds later, a heavy trashcan blindsided him, sending him sprawling across the concrete. Gasping in pain, Izaya clutched a hand to his ribs, somehow still managing to stagger to his feet. where the hell had that come from? Had Shizuo been hiding somewhere as well, waiting for Izaya to show himself? A smile twisted Izaya's lips; such sneaky tactics coming from Shizuo were simply unheard of! Perhaps he was finally learning a thing or two. Izaya hummed contentedly, merely watching as the other man drew closer. Shizuo approached him ever so slowly, looking entirely like a predator who already knew his prey was done for. Izaya suddenly started to laugh, which hurt terribly, but he just couldn't contain his mirth any longer. Did Shizuo really think he had won so easily? Oh, this was just too good...!

Shizuo stopped in his tracks for a moment, disturbed by Izaya's inappropriate reaction. "The fuck are you laughing about?" He demanded, wishing there was something else around to throw at the infuriating man. He didn't want to get too close, and was biding his time, waiting for Izaya to make the next move; injured or not, Izaya probably wouldn't think twice about gutting him with that stupid little knife of his. Izaya paused, his eyes glimmering with a maniacal light, and gave Shizuo a toothy grin. Shizuo gave him a scathing look in return.

Glancing at the discarded trashcan he had thrown, Shizuo decided it was probably safer to just chuck the thing at Izaya until he couldn't get up again. Yet, in the mere seconds that it had taken for him to formulate this plan, Izaya had already turned and ran. Still, Shizuo could tell from his slightly uneven steps that Izaya was probably more injured than he let on. A burst of adrenaline flooded through Shizuo's veins, and he couldn't help but smirk to himself as he gave chase. All these years, and it was finally coming to an end.

A few minutes later, they came to a long, straight path, and Izaya was beginning to get a bit winded. Shizuo saw his chance; ripping a signpost from the street, he took a deep breath and aimed carefully. Time seemed to slow down. He would probably remember this moment for the rest of his life...

The first gunshot didn't even register in Shizuo's mind.

The second, however, did, as it had gone straight through his thigh, and his nerves informed him that he was wounded by flaring to life painfully. What the hell? Shizuo's fingers dug into the metal of the signpost as he whirled around to look for the source of this uncalled for assault, and he just barely felt a bullet graze by his head. Shit. He ducked, quickly scrambling to cover in the alcove of a nearby building. The wound in his leg was gushing blood, and Shizuo gritted his teeth- not from the pain, but rather, in anger. This was seriously pissing him off. He had just lost the opportunity of a lifetime. Shizuo dared to lean out from his cover to see if Izaya was even around anymore. If this mystery gunner had been covering for Izaya, Shizuo was going to find him and shove his gun down his fucking throat.

Much to Shizuo's surprise, however, Izaya was not gone. In fact, Izaya was lying on the ground, completely still, and there appeared to be a small pool of blood forming around him. Shizuo's breath caught in his throat.

"No. No, no, no-" The words came tumbling out, and before he could stop to reconsider, Shizuo was dashing out into the open towards Izaya, the forgotten signpost clattering to the earth with a hollow sound. He grabbed the smaller man by the cuff of his shirt and easily slung him over his shoulder, quickly moving behind another building. Not quickly enough, though, as Shizuo felt another bullet pierce his lower leg. He barely even flinched, his mind entirely preoccupied with a singular thought.

Ignoring his own wounds, Shizuo put Izaya down roughly, more or less tossing him onto the concrete. His shoulder was wet, and Shizuo realized Izaya had bled all over him, ruining his shirt. Clenching his jaw subconsciously, each heartbeat sounding impossibly loud in his ears, Shizuo knelt down to check for any signs of life. He quickly took his sunglasses off and shoved them carelessly into his pocket, squinting to get a better look at Izaya in the dim lighting; a quick glance over revealed that he had been shot in the chest. Shizuo moved to take Izaya's pulse, but his hand stopped just short of the man's neck, as he finally noticed that Izaya was weakly grinning up at him. His mind reeled in a flurry of contradictory thoughts, and Shizuo felt simultaneously relieved and absolutely livid.

"Oh, fuck you. I did not just save your life, you worthless piece of shit." Shizuo snarled, thoroughly annoyed at himself for having panicked over the possibility of Izaya dying before he could be killed. What did it matter how the bastard died? Shizuo shook his head slightly, pinning his illogical actions on the adrenaline high, or the blood loss, or something. He started looking around desperately for a weapon- something, anything would do -to put an end to the flea's miserable existence.

"Ahh, Shizu-chan, I never knew you had a possessive streak~!" Izaya managed to say in a singsong voice, though the effect was somewhat ruined as he coughed suddenly, a bit of blood trickling down from his lips. Shizuo narrowed his eyes at him. Izaya certainly had a lot of nerve, to be putting on this obnoxious act even now.

"What a waste of your last words," Shizuo spat venomously, hauling Izaya up by his neck and slamming him into the brick wall of the building. Izaya, however, didn't even bother to struggle; his eyes had lost that insane gleam they normally held, and Shizuo suddenly found his own ferocity diminishing. The situation felt surreal. He had wanted this, hadn't he? Yet, there was something extremely disquieting about choking a man to death. It required... an extra bit of ruthlessness, on the murderer's part.

This was supposed to be the defeat of his arch-nemesis, someone he had hated passionately for years, and yet, as vaguely satisfying as it was, it also felt innately wrong on so many levels. Shizuo swallowed, reminding himself that if anyone deserved to die, it was definitely Orihara Izaya. He tightened his grip, and Izaya winced ever so slightly, a quiet, choked sound escaping his lips; Shizuo could feel Izaya's throat convulsing below his fingers as his body automatically fought to breathe.

His fist hit the wall a split second later, creating a sizable crater and no doubt breaking multiple bones in his fingers. Shizuo's other hand fell from Izaya's neck. Izaya leaned against what remained of the wall for support, taking a quick, ragged breath and coughing almost immediately afterwards. Wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his sleeve, Izaya peered at Shizuo wearily, just the slightest hint of amusement visible in his expression.

Shizuo said nothing.

"Saved, twice, in one day, hm?" Izaya murmured, between slow, laboured breaths. Smirking, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and continued, "Well, actually, I'm not sure, if I'll, recover... so here's, a parting gift, just in case, I never, get, to see, you, again... Shizuo."

Temporarily surprised by the sound of his own name coming from the other man, Shizuo was caught off guard as Izaya took out his switchblade and plunged it into the blond's stomach in one swift motion. A cruel smile on his lips, Izaya began to twist the handle of the blade, and Shizuo cuffed him hard across the head, knocking him to the floor easily. Panting, Shizuo clutched at the knife instinctively, his hand becoming slick with blood. He fixed his gaze upon Izaya, fully expecting the man to get up and launch another attack, but Izaya didn't move. He was probably unconscious. Grimacing at the pain, Shizuo looked away, and glanced around the area; now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was beginning to realize the danger he was in. If the man who had shot at them were to come after him now, Shizuo wasn't entirely sure he would make it out alive. He glared hatefully at Izaya, who was lying face-down on the pavement, bruised and bloodied. The bastard somehow looked more innocent and victimized than he had any right to. Wiping the blood off his unbroken hand, Shizuo slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialled one of the two numbers he knew. Then, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear, he shifted awkwardly to retrieve the lighter and packet of cigarettes from his other pocket. As the phone rang on the other end, he lit up and took a deep drag, relishing the way the nicotine cleared his mind and calmed his nerves.

"Hey," Shizuo muttered, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat a bit, eyeing the blade lodged in his abdomen. Blood was still seeping slowly from the bullet wounds in his leg, so he left the knife where it was, not wanting to risk bleeding out. "... Yeah, sorry for waking you up. I'm not doing too good. I got shot. Twice. Get Celty to pick me up, I'm near the corner of 57th and- no, you can't have a blood sample, fuck, I've lost enough blood already!"

Annoyed, Shizuo finished giving his location to Shinra, and abruptly hung up, not wanting to hear any more of the man's psycho doctor nonsense. He had a feeling Shinra might have heard the exhaustion and anxiety in his voice, and was only trying to cheer him up, but Shizuo really was not amused in the slightest. Shinra had the absolute worst sense of humour. Breathing out a long trail of smoke, Shizuo finished off his cigarette, and promptly put another one to his lips. He was beginning to lose his patience; Izaya's mere presence nearby was weighing down heavily on his mind. About ten impossibly long minutes passed before Celty arrived on the scene. The dullahan moved with haste over to Shizuo, looking appalled to see him drenched in blood, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Izaya. She looked frantically between the two injured men, and began typing on her phone at a blinding speed.

'What the hell?! What's he doing here?!' The screen read. Shizuo shrugged. 'Wait, you were stabbed too?!' Another shrug. '... Did he stab you?!'

Celty began pacing back and forth, and Shizuo pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Celty, can you just take me to Shinra?" He said, struggling to keep the frustration out of his voice. Was it really so surprising that Izaya was here too? Who else could have done so much harm to him?

'What about him?' Celty bent down and gently rolled Izaya over onto his back. Her shock was somehow evident despite her lack of facial expression. She hastily typed out, 'He was shot in the chest?! Shizuo, if we don't get him some help, he really will die...!'

"So what?" Shizuo snapped, walking over to Celty's motorcycle with a slight limp, and sitting down on the vehicle. He felt disgusted with himself for having spared Izaya's life. Hadn't he been outraged at the very idea of Izaya dying to hands other than his own? Why couldn't he kill him, then? Shaking himself out of his circular thoughts, Shizuo noticed Celty looking at him disapprovingly. He gave the best excuse he could think of: "Anyway, it's not as if you have room for three."

At this, the shadows below the bike seemed to twist and turn, converging on one another until they formed something tangible... namely, a sidecar. Shizuo stared wordlessly. Surely, this was some sort of elaborate joke. The events of the evening were becoming unbelievable to the point where Shizuo thought he might wake up at any moment and discover that it had all been a dream. He was still processing the reasons why, exactly, he had faltered at that crucial last moment. Izaya certainly hadn't hesitated to attempt to kill Shizuo as soon as he was unguarded. In fact, he had probably purposefully said Shizuo's name to startle and distract him. But, it wasn't right to compare himself to Izaya in the first place; their standards for moral conduct were entirely different...

Celty waved her phone in front of his face, and Shizuo blinked, not realizing he had zoned out. 'I'm not leaving him.' There was an adamant finality to the words.

"... Fine. Do what you want." Shizuo finally said, much too drained, both physically and mentally, to argue. Celty nodded, and began awkwardly dragging Izaya over to the sidecar. She looked to Shizuo for help, but Shizuo merely stared at some interesting spot on the wall beside them, completely refusing to acknowledge what she was doing. Shaking her head in exasperation, Celty carefully willed the shadows around her to lift Izaya up and towards her bike.

'What happened to the gunman?' Celty asked suddenly, as she finally managed to secure Izaya in the sidecar. 'I didn't encounter any difficulties in getting here.'

"Guess the coward ran off." Shizuo said, shrugging again, and taking one last drag before putting out the cigarette stub with the heel of his shoe. Celty gave him a look. He stared back at her. "What?"

'Don't you think it's suspicious?' Celty folded her arms across her chest, looking concerned, and a little paranoid. She glanced behind them, as if expecting someone to lunge at them from the darkness, but there was no one else in the area.

"Yeah, I'd say people with guns are pretty suspicious," Shizuo mumbled monotonously. He was starting to feel a little dizzy, probably from the blood loss. Celty shook her head, and began typing something, before erasing it and retyping it. Finally, she showed him the screen:

'What I mean is, who could possibly be after both you and Izaya...?'