The Damned Chapter 2

                                  ~Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt ductus exemplo~
Dark. Why was everything around me dark? Oh, my eyes are closed. I attempted to sit up but something was on top of me. No, someone was on top of me. It was a young man with black hair. His head rested on my chest and his throat was ripped wide open. I rolled the body off and saw that it had left blood all over me. Who was that man? Who…who am I?
I closed my eyes trying to remember something, anything. That’s right I’m (F/N). I’m twenty-six years old, oldest of four kids, and the head at my job.
I stood up and looked around.
“What… happened here?”
The city was completely empty, eerily silent and there were bodies scattered around the park. I walked towards the body closer to me. Its head had been blown off and all that was left was a mess around the body.  Pieces of brain matter formed a small circle around the neck area. I leaned down closer to inspect its fingers. All of them were caked in dried blood; especially in its fingernails.
“Huh…”
Maybe these deaths are connected?
I returned to the carcass that had been lying on top of me and examined the gash in its throat. The muscles had been scooped out and his tissue was completely shredded. His blood was dried as well, but it was obviously fresh, and his skin wasn’t rotting yet he couldn’t have been dead for more than twenty-four hours. The way the man’s front neck was slit was messy and strings of skin were hanging off where his throat used to be.
The cut was rough and didn’t appear to have been slit with a knife because a knife would leave a much smoother mark. By observing the two bodies I put two and two together and assumed the headless corpse slit the other man’s throat using his hands.
“But that still doesn’t explain how his head exploded…unless…”
A gun had to have been used. That was the only think that could’ve possibly caused his skull to shatter like that; leaving his brains all over the place.
I walked toward the body and tried to determine where the bullet came from.
“If the bullet came from behind wouldn’t the body fall forward?”
The body was lying on its back so I eliminated the idea of the bullet being shot from behind. It had to have been fired from the front, left, or right side. I bit my lip in agitation when I realized the other factors such as someone may have fired from a building…
“No, I’m over thinking. I’ll just work with what I have.”
A sound interrupted my thought process. A bush was rustling directly in front of me. I stepped towards it not knowing what I was in for. I separated the brush when-
“Ah!”
I ducked as some birds flew out of the bush and past me flapping their wings furiously. I looked over at what was behind the bush. It was another body. This one was a cop and it appeared to have been partially devoured. He was lying flat on his back and a gun was by his hand.
“So I was right…what ate him?”
I couldn’t ponder the thought any longer because I was distracted by something shiny on my hand.
“A ring…?”
Memories flooded back to me almost instantly. At school with him, our first date, our reunion; I also remembered why I was in the park and what had happened before I passed out.
“Oh God, Matsuda!”
I rushed to his limp body and lifted him up and into my arms.
“M-Matsuda… I-I could’ve protected us both and you wouldn’t have died like this…”
I wanted to cry but I couldn’t, I just sat there and stared at the corpse of my beloved with dry eyes.
“I’m so sorry Matsuda…”
I ran my fingers through his soft black hair. I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to stay by his side, but I had to find out what was going on. Ikebukuro was never quiet, or empty.
I laid him down gently and kissed his lips for the last time.
I rose slowly and headed for the park exit. I was almost there when I heard footsteps behind me and someone grabbed my shoulder.
I broke away quickly and did a back flip so I could face my attacker.
“Matsuda?!”
This can’t be possible he’s dead!
Matsuda let out a growl and charged towards me. I moved to the left swiftly before he could grab me. When he clawed at me I grabbed his wrist and pinned his arm to his back. He didn’t have a pulse.
How is he moving he’s dead!
Matsuda broke free of my grip with such force which surprised me since he was never strong. I stumbled back and fell on the ground.
Matsuda was towering over me now; his eyes empty of any emotion yet somehow animal like. I didn’t want to hurt him, no, I couldn’t. I just sat there waiting for him to strike.
What happened next was unbelievable; it almost seemed to have happened in slow motion. A stop sign flew right at us. The pole dug into Matsuda’s skull directly in the center of his forehead. Blood oozed out of the hole and rained down on me. The sign kept flying with Matsuda still attached until it staked onto a tree.
“Where did that come from…?” I got up and turned towards the direction the sign came from and saw a man breathing heavily. He came towards me and I took a step back just in case he became a threat.
“Are you alright?” His voice was a deep, rich tone.
“Yes, who are?”
The man stepped closer to me slowly he was being cautious as well. He had dyed blond hair and wore sunglasses with blue lenses. He was dressed in a nice suit; or rather it appeared to have been a nice suit. It was now ripped and stained with blood.
“You must not be from ‘bukuro. Almost everyone knows who I am.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” I inquired.
“I guess you can say it’s both a good and bad thing; the names Shizuo Heiwajima.”
“Heiwajima…” For some reason the name felt familiar on my tongue. I probably knew this man, but thanks to my head smashing on concrete I couldn’t remember. He looked younger than me though, by three years maybe?
“I think I know you.”
“You think?” He asked with a bit of suspicion in his voice.
“I hit my head and passed out. I don’t remember everything just yet. My name is (F/N).”
Shizuo looked as if he recognized my name.
“(F/N)… Did you go to Raijin Academy by any chance?”
Raijin Academy.
                                                             ~Flash Back~
“(F/N)-san! (F/N)-san! There’s another fight in the first year hall way!”
“Not again…” The dark haired teen groaned in annoyance.
This was the third fight this morning and no third-year seemed to know who was responsible. (F/N) was supposed to plan the events for the upcoming school fair with Takeshi Matsuda, her fellow class representative. This, of course was hard to do when they had to stop ever thing they were doing and chase after whoever was fighting, not to mention cleaning up the mess after wards.
“Matsuda! Come on we gotta go!”
The shy boy looked up from the papers he was sorting through. His ink black hair was twisted into a small ponytail and his bangs framed his face. He adjusted his glasses and followed after his superior.
“R-Right!”
The two ran into the hall trying to find out where the fight was taking place. A large crash was heard coming from the north side of the school. (F/N) bolted towards the sound, her long braid swinging side to side violently as she ran. Takeshi struggled to keep up with the girl, but managed to stay close as they ran. Takeshi nearly ran into her when she suddenly skit to a stop.
At that moment, a desk came flying from the corner of the hallway. A young teenage boy with dark brown hair turned the corner and ran towards the two. He tried to run pass them, but (F/N) grabbed him before he could escape.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Her voice was cold.
“IZAYAAAAAAA!”
All three turned towards the direction the yell came from.
This time, another teenage boy with dyed blond hair emerged from around the corner holding a desk firmly by its leg. He pulled his arm back and threw the desk at the group.
The boy with brown hair broke free of (F/N)’s grip as the desk flew towards them. The girl tackled Matsuda just in time; the desk soared past them barely missing them by a few centimeters.
(F/N) was now currently straddling Matsuda who was still underneath her.
“Oh, I can tell he likes women on top~.” The male brunette smirked as Matsuda turned bright red.
Satisfied with the boy’s humiliation, the smirking boy took off running.
(F/N) quickly rose completely unfazed and ran after him.
“Matsuda look after the other one!”
“W-Wait! (F-F/N)-san!”
The boy was ignored as the girl continued running. Matsuda looked at his blond haired underclassman with a worried expression. At that moment the blond glared at him.
“The hell are you looking at?!” He snapped.
The shy class representative looked away immediately, cowered in fear and prayed his superior would return soon.
“Tch, no one’s gonna baby sit me!”
The blond haired first-year rose quickly and dashed off in the direction (F/N) and the other boy went. Matsuda stood there helplessly before sighing and going after them.
                                                                       ***
(F/N) panted as she chased after the dark brown haired boy.
“Oh, not as skilled as we used to be are we~.” The boy taunted as something silver caught the light.
(F/N) caught the blade quickly between her fingers, but paid the price as blood seeped through her new wound. The boy threw more knives at her; she caught them all almost gracefully.
“Now, now Izaya shouldn’t you respect your elders?” The third year threw the knives back at him furiously.
Izaya dodged quickly, though the boy was surprised.
“Stand down now.”
“And why would I do that~? We’re having so much fun together~.”
“If you know what’s good for you you’ll do as I say.”
“Is that a threat? Is the third year class rep threatening me? Isn’t that against your duty?”
“When it comes to you, my position doesn’t matter. I’ll discipline you however I’d like.” (F/N) glared at the boy menacingly.
“Alright flea, you and me are gonna end this right now!” The dangerous blond-haired boy growled when he saw Izaya, who in turn looked annoyed at the interruption.
“Oi Shizu-chan! Can’t you see we’re a bit busy here?”
“Why you piece of shit! If you hurt that girl-“
“If I hurt (F/N)-chan? You hurled a desk at her earlier if I remember correctly.”
The blonds’ light brown eyes flickered with anger.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Nee Shizu-chan stop making empty promises.”
“Both of you shut up-“
“(F-F/N)-san…”
Matsuda fell to his knees exhausted from chasing the group down. (F/N) was in way over her head as she stood between two boys about to kill each other, and Matsuda on the ground who looked like he needed medical attention.
“Alright! You two are going to listen to me or so help me-“
(F/N) was cut off as Izaya put a knife to her throat.
“(F-F-F/N)-san!” Matsuda yelled.
The girl didn’t struggle, even when his knife pierced her neck.
“Nobody move or (F/N)-chan gets a new look.”
Nobody expected what happened next.
In what seemed like a split second the girl broke free and her skirt flew up as she delivered a round house kick that sent him flying.
As she walked towards him, Izaya stumbled and threw more knives at her. (F/N) dodged a few, but some managed to cut her clothing. She kept walking until she was standing directly in front of the boy.
(F/N) grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed his head against the wall.
“That’s enough.”
Izaya rose shakily and strained a smile.
“Go to class.”
“What no medical treatment?”
“You won’t need any right now because I’ll deal with you later.”
“Y-Yes, nee-san.”
As the boy limped back to class, (F/N) turned to face the other two. Both of them were red faced. (F/N) had been unaware that she had flashed her panties when she kicked Izaya.
“Nee-san? You’re the flea’s older sister?”
The blond first-year looked completely shocked, while the third-year nodded y as she helped Masuda who blushed at her touch.
“Matsuda, I want you to go back to work while I get Blondie here to the nurse.”
“R-Right.”
The boy left the two alone and set out for the task at hand.
“Tch I don’t need to go to the nurse.”
(F/N) looked at the boy’s wounds and thought otherwise.
“Swallow your pride and come with me.”
The hot-headed teen muttered under his breath but followed regardless.
“What’s your name? Izaya called you Shizu-chan but I don’t think that’s your name.”
“Stupid flea… My name’s not Shizu-chan its Shizuo Heiwajima.”
“Shizuo Heiwajima eh? Doesn’t seem like you live up to your name.”
“You sound just like your damned brother.”
“I was only teasing, no need to get upset. Izaya and I are like night and day, so there’s no need to worry about me attacking you. You seem like a good kid, you’re very strong too. Would you mind if I watched you train one day?”
“I don’t train. When I get angry I throw stuff no matter what it is. That’s it.”
“Interesting. Well as long as you don’t kill him, feel free to beat him up whenever you’d like.”
Shizuo gave (F/N) a menacing look unintentionally.
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”
“All right, then know this: I don’t like to fight, but if you are fighting Izaya and your anger becomes blood lust I will have to take matters into my own hands. We can be friends but as annoying as he is he’s still my brother and I’ll protect my family no matter what with my life.”
“I didn’t ask for your friendship.”
“And I didn’t ask for you to destroy this part of the school; we’re even.”
The two walked silently the rest of the way until Shizuo headed for a class room.
“What are you doing Heiwajima?”
“I’ll never hear the end of it from him if we go to the nurse.”
The blond teen opened the door and shouted into the room.
“Oi! Shinra! I need some patching up.”
There was a shout of approval and soon another first-year exited the classroom. He was dressed accordingly, had shoulder length light brown hair, and wore glasses.
“Alright! Let’s head up to the roof so I can get started- Oh who’s this?”
“I’m (F/N) Orihara, third-year class representative.”
“You’re Izaya’s older sister right? He doesn’t talk much about his family.”
“Yes that’s right; Izaya has never been a family person so I’m not surprised he doesn’t talk about me or the twins.”
“Well that makes sense. He cares more about meddling with other people and himself. Enough dwelling on your brother let me get to work on you two.”
                                                              ~End Flashback~
“That’s right you were the first-year that hates my brother! I’m (F/N) Orihara.”
The man stared at me in disbelief.
“(F/N)-san?”
“Yes. I can’t believe it. It’s been too long.”
I mentally slapped myself when I remembered the situation we were in.
“Do you know what’s going on?”
Shizuo lit a cigarette casually and took a drag.
“My guess is as good as yours. One minute ‘bukuro’s filled with people, the next empty. I’ve been walking around trying to find out what happened. Guy came up to me and tried to bite me. He smelled like shit, sure enough I turn around to get a look at him and half his head is gone, and his skin was rotting.”
I bit my lip trying to figure out what was going on.
“This could be some affect of radiation, but-“
I remembered Matsuda charging at me with no pulse.
“Takeshi got his throat slit; he’s the man you staked to the tree. He charged at me, and when I pinned his arms back I didn’t feel a pulse. He was dead, but moved like he was alive.”
Shizuo swore.
“What the hell is going on?”
An ear piercing scream through both of us off guard.
Shizuo and I looked at each other and headed in the direction of the scream.