Chapter 3:

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for any mistakes and if something is not accordingly to the original story line(habits, personalities and such) please let me know:) i'm sorry if it sucks...

Shizuo was, yet again, worried that something might have happened to Izaya

The next day Shizuo woke up early in the morning.

Feeling more enthusiasm than the previous day, he got up quickly, and did his everyday routine.

Not being able to keep himself from worrying, the blond was determined to find out what was actually going on with Izaya.

He went to the door and dashed outside.

As he walked through Ikebukuro, Shizuo found his way to Shinjuku, where the raven's house was located at.

He walked for what seemed to him like a long time, until he finally arrived to Izaya's office which was also his living apartment.

He stopped himself at the entry of the building. He wasn't quite sure why, but deep down, he knew. Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew that the reason for his hesitance was fear. The man was afraid of what he could find. In between all of the possibilities the one that scared him the most was not that he would get hurt or killed nor the thought that Ikebukuro would be harmed or destroyed, but the one that he couldn't understand nor admit, the thought of Izaya being missing or hurt, that alone was the thought he was most afraid that would be the truth to be found when he entered the raven's apartment.

He lit up a cigarette and finally decided to enter the tall building, prepared to whatever was to be found inside the house.

Already outside Izaya's apartment, Shizuo clicked his tongue still not being able to understand why he was worried about the man whom he hated the most and was hated by. Although, certain that he was going to get mocked for the rest of his life if Izaya was actually alright Shizuo decided he was going to unravel the reason behind the raven's absence.

As a matter of habit, Shizuo was already preparing himself to kick the door inside when he remembered that he could always knock first, and so he did.

He knocked sometimes and rang the doorbell, when he started to feel anger rising. Thinking that Izaya was inside rolling on the floor laughing of him, the blond lost patience and punched the door inside, smashing it under his feet as he got inside ready to kill Izaya for actually making him go all the way from Ikebukuro to Shinjuku.

''Izaya! Where are you?! You louse!'' - he screamed.

As he got inside Shizuo was approached by a small - compared to himself - brunette. It was Izaya's secretary. Even after seeing that the beast of Ikebukuro had just broken his way inside her boss's office and house the green eyed woman remained as calm and stoic as always.

''Oh. Heiwajima-san. If you're looking for Orihara-san, he's not here.''

''Oh yeah... you wouldn't know where he is, do ya'?"

''Ah, that... I've been in vacation for the last 3 weeks. I came back today.''

''Oh...''

''Although...I think there's something wrong...''

''What do you mean...*something wrong*?"

''Orihara-san always has the studio clean... ''

Before being able to finish her sentence Namie was interrupted by a impatient Shizuo.

''So... that's not weird...''

At this, Namie, who had a pretty short temper that she only controlled when she knew she was going to get something in return, responded angrily, yet, maintaining her cold attitude and stance.

''If you were to actually let me finish what I was previously explaining, you would have understood that his cleaning habit was not the main problem. ''

Almost shocked at the small woman's response, Shizuo was starting to think that the lack of feelings and emotions towards what others think of her was the only reason that could explain her strength to work for Izaya. That, and the hunger the *Ice Queen * (as Shizuo now thought of her) had for money.

''Sorry...''

''Now, Heiwajima-san, I refuse to explain anything else before you properly clarify the why you're looking for Orihara-san. It's really nice that you came all the way here instead of him going all the way to Ikebukuro, trying to escape work and leaving all the paperwork to me. However, as you can see, he's not here. And I can't have you chase and kill my boss.''

''Oh, that. I'm not here to kill Izaya. Not today anyways... I just find it strange that he hasn't showed up to annoy me for, like 3 weeks.''

''Humph... You know, Heiwajima-san, you don't exactly have the best of records. But, I think I will trust you this once.''

Shizuo found it strange that the Ice Queen was actually this cooperative, but, he went along with her to see if he could find anything else out.

''Well, as I was saying, Orihara-san has a cleaning obsession, so he always makes me or anyone else clean the studio every day. Nonetheless, when I got back from my well-deserved vacation, the studio was all messy. If you ask me, I'd say there were actually signs of struggle. The furniture was knocked down, the table and chairs were broken, the computer wires were cut, and I haven't yet checked the rest of the house.''

That statement knocked Shizuo down like he had just been hit by a 100 km/h travelling truck. * What is this woman thinking!? * Shizuo thought to himself.

The blond wasn't very fond of thinking and/or over-thinking things - that being the reason for his often clashes with Izaya- but, even for him it was obvious that, for a man who is obsessed with cleanliness, to have the house that messy, and to have actually signs of struggle in the house, there was obviously something wrong. Namie wasn't stupid, nothing like that, so, she couldn't have not understood that there was something wrong with her boss, despite that fact she acted so coldly and heartless at her boss's almost-certain-disappearance.

''I'll go check...''

Shizuo answered a little bit shocked with his own quick response. * Why am I damn worried about the flea?* Shizuo asked himself.

''His room is at the end of a corridor up the stairs.'' - Namie answered coldly yet again.

Even the beast of Ikebukuro felt insecure as he passed by Namie. The blond feared she might stab him or something just because when he threatens Izaya it is like threatening her money source. Even so, the man immediately forgot his insecurity and went by her without any trace of emotion. He put his left hand in his pocket and was about to take out a cigarette when he heard a soft yet imposing voice behind him.

''Heiwajima-san... I'm sorry but Orihara-san doesn't like people to smoke inside the apartment. It would be a bother if were annoy me because you smoked, don't you think?" - she asked rhetorically.

Shizuo wasn't afraid of this woman. He couldn't be. Nonetheless, the fact that she talked rashly to a man that could easily beat or even kill her was something that sent icy shills through Shizuo's body. The blond clicked his tongue, refusing to let out any signs of weakness, and led his remaining hand to his pocket.

Shizuo kept on climbing the never ending stairs stepping each stair steadily as if something was preparing to attack him from the shadows. And attack they did, only it wasn't the ordinary kind of attack. As Shizuo reached the end of the hall, he found, as Namie had said, the door to Izaya's room. The blond let out a breath he wasn't even aware of holding, entering the room. As he did so, he couldn't help but to immediately look away from what he had just seen.

Inside, there was a large bed in the middle of the room directly in front of the door, and bedside tables at each side of it. Everything would be normal in the exaggeratedly big room, if it wasn't for...

*What the fuck is going on here?!* - Shizuo thought to himself.

The man finally entered the room struggling to look closer into it.

The bedside table on the right was knocked down, the one on the left was clearly out of place and everything that was once on top of the small table, was now either destroyed, knocked down to the floor or both. The bed sheets were undone but what shocked Shizuo the most was the absurd amount of dried up blood that was spilled everywhere in the room. Those were clear signs of struggle.

*The bastards attacked him while he slept!* - Shizuo guessed.

Te blond dashed out of the room and hurried down the stairs, he was so shocked at what he had just seen that he wasn't thinking clearly. As he ran down the stairs he miss-calculated the distance and fell, landing at the end of the stairs with his face followed by his entire colossal body with a *thump*.

Not yet recovered from the impact, Shizuo slowly and clumsily got up, feeling dizzy and wishing that the world would stop spinning.

Only to aggravate even more his already bad mood, the blond looked in front, only to notice that Namie was staring at him suppressing a laugh.

''Ara, Heiwajima-san, I would appreciate if you didn't make hoes in the floor, because I know you don't have the money to repair it.''

Shizuo was starting to understand why this woman was able to work for Izaya having to put up with the raven every day. They looked alike. Although, Namie's style of mocking people was subtle compared to the way Izaya would just troll people always letting out the worst about someone.

Trying to repress a vein already popping out on his forehead, Shizuo clenched his fists and let out a grin, when he remembered the reason behind his unsettling mood. A worried expression led its way to Shizuo's face.

"So, Heiwajima-san, what did you find? You look quite worried."

Still trying to find the words to describe what he had just seen, the blond took so long that eventually the green-eyed woman spoke again.

"And, the cat ate your tongue? You look like you have just seen a ghost."

"It's Izaya... I think he might've been taken"

"Taken? As in kidnapped?"

"Yeah! What other meaning would 'taken' have?!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, fist of all, that bastard ain't been 'round Ikebukuro for a while now. And his blood stained bed sheets helped me with my conclusion!" - Shizuo said angrily.

"I think you may be right...then, that means..."

Suddenly, for the blonds' surprise, for the first time Namie was showing some concern for her bastard-of-a-(missing)-boss. Her eyes widened, and she broke out in a cold sweat, looking truly concerned. Namie made a run for Izaya's-full-of-computers-desk and started running her long fingers through the keyboard of what looked to Shizuo the main computer. Thinking the woman was searching for the raven, the blond started to consider that he had, somehow, managed to melt the Ice Queen's heart.

A few minutes went by. Shizuo had sat in a black-leather couch in the middle of the room, wanting for Namie to warn him if she found something. An awkward silence had installed in the large living-room. The only audible noise was the sound of the keyboard has the green-eyed woman quickly tapped the keys.

After 15 minutes - or so it seemed like to the blond Namie stopped her activity and sighed in relief. Shizuo abruptly got up from the couch hoping that the secretary had found something about Izaya's whereabouts.

''So, did ya find him?" - the blond asked quickly.

''What?" - also for the first time, Shizuo saw Namie confused after the happiest episode he had ever seen her have.

''The flea. Izaya. Weren't you just lookin' for him?"

''Oh, Orihara-san. No, silly you. I was just confirming that he had paid me this month's income. After all, I *did* promise my beloved brother that I would help him with his expenses~'' - Namie said in a what seemed to Shizuo like a too happy sing-song and somewhat disgusting voice that wound send chills through the bravest men's spine. *I mean, is this woman in love with her brother?!* - Shizuo asked himself.

Suddenly breaking out the happy character Namie, the Ice Queen, returned to her *normal* self.

''So, Heiwajima-san, what do you plan on doing?"

''What?"

''Don't play dumb. What do you plan to do about Orihara-san's disappearance?"

Shizuo did not see that coming. Sure, he been worried sick about Izaya - even if he himself didn't admit - sure he had gone to the raven's apartment looking for him, sure he had almost panicked when he imagined what he had suffered as he saw the blood stained sheets, and sure he wanted to do something for the brunette. However, when he decided to go look for Izaya in the raven's apartment, he didn't consider the possibly of him actually being missing. *He didn't want to consider that possibility*, so he didn't know what to do.

*I mean where do I even start?* - Shizuo was starting to feel the uneasiness growing inside him. As he sank in his thoughts, a small but impatient voce interrupted him.

''So...?"

''Ha?"

''What are you going to do? You did come all the way here to look for him, didn't you?"

''It's not like th-''

''What I'm saying is - Namie said, raising her voice - you have to find him.''

''Why? Just a minute ago yo' weren't concerned at all. Yo' were more worried about your money and your brother, weren't yo'? Why the sudden I-care thing?"

''Well I'm not. You are quite right Heiwajima-san. I do care more about my brother and money. Orihara-san just happens to be the source of that money. Hence, I need you to find him.''

''Oh yeah? Why would I do that?" - Shizuo couldn't help it. He was already trying to discover a way to find Izaya. Although he didn't like this woman's attitude. He didn't want to let her think she was somehow in control.

''Well, first of all, Heiwajima-san, I know you wouldn't want me to send the bill of that door you broke, directly to your house because like I said before I know you don't own the money to pay it. And I do believe you don't like crowds nor too much outside attention. How would you feel like if my mouth happened to let out that you are that Hanejima Yuuhei's older brother. Or is it Heiwajima Kasuka? What do you think would happen?"

The blond took that as a threat. And that was exactly what it was. Aside from the door that he would have to pay, if the world were to know that him and the famous actor Hanejima Yuuhei - which was just a stage name, being his real name Heiwajima Kasuka, Shizuo's younger brother - were blood related, not only it would be bad for Kasuka to be known as the beast's brother, but it would, in a way be bad for Shizuo, for he would forever be haunted by monsters with cameras, the paparazzi. Like that all the privacy he had gained by dying his hair in a stay-away-from-me color would be lost. He didn't want that, and his brother's career meant more for him than his pride.

''You bastard. You are just like that Flea. Promise Kasuka won't get involved and I'll help.''

''Sure.''

''If you somehow get to him. If something happens to him, I swear! I'll come after you, and I'll kill you! Even if th-''

''I think that's enough Heiwajima-san. I told you I won't say anything. I don't break my word. Now, won't you please leave? With or without a boss, it's the same. I still have work to do and having you here is a distraction. You have already wasted enough of my time don't you think? I do expect to hear from you soon."

She was right. Nevertheless, that never stopped Shizuo before. He was starting to feel his blood boiling; he clenched his hands into fists, and let out a scary grin glaring the smaller secretary. Their eyes met and as Shizuo fought not to punch her, a bipping sound interrupted him. His shirt pocket was ringing echoing in the silent room. It was Shizuo's cell phone.

He calmed down, relaxing his hands and smoothing his grin and dark glare. He slowly took his cell phone of his pocket still staring Namie in the eyes when the Ice Queen dropped her glaring, clicking her tongue and slowly walking away. As she stepped aside Shizuo took a glance at his still-ringing cell phone, it was Shinra.

At long last a Shizuo interrupted his glaring at the secretary and reluctantly answer the phone.

'' Yes?! What the fuck do you want Shinra?!"

''Whoa, Shizuo, calm down. I think I found something.''

''Ha?!"

''About Izaya! I think I have a lead...''