Hey peeps! This is my first serious fan fiction. I am very excited to finally be uploading this first chapter. I wanted to get another one done before uploading, but I'm too eager!

Just to let you guys know, this story will be primarilly focusing on the alts, namely P-420 and V-138. If you don't know who those guys are, I trust you to figure it out on your own. Normal Izaya and Shizuo will be in this story, but I am not yet sure to what extent.

Also, I drew a picture of Virus-138 to go with this chapter. You can find it here: oi59 [PERIOD] tiny pic [PERIOD] com[SLASH] 2qte44l [PERIOD] jpg

*It is important to note that P-420 is commonly referred to as Psy in this story.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, highly encouraging, and highly encouraged! Like I said, this is my first serious fan fiction, so any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks so much for reading guys, I hope you enjoy!

The first thing he knew was sound. The dripping of water, the howling of dogs in distant land, and the creaking of the old building's shaky foundations expanding and retracting formed the soundscape of a world the sleeping man would soon come to know as his own. He drew his first breath before opening his eyes, the air tasting bitter and grainy against his tongue. A pipe rattled in the ceiling. Anti-Psyche opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.

The room he occupied was spacious and dimly lit. Stepping onto frigid and slightly moist pavement, Anti-Psyche walked forwards, towards the centre of the room. His footsteps made a cold, resonating echo as he advanced into the hollow space. He stopped and turned around. His eyes scanned what little he could make out in the dim light. Directly in front of him was the open chamber from which he had emerged. Nine others were aligned next to it, standing sombrely in the dark space. Their presence was heavy, their silhouettes cold and geometric. A thick cylindrical metal door possessing one glass panel garnished the front of each chamber.

Anti-Psyche stood in silence.

Through each window, he could see a face. No, that wasn't right. He could see two faces. Just under half of the men shared the face of a handsome blonde. Upon witnessing the faces of the others, a chill was sent down Anti-Psyche's spine. Glancing at his reflection in the window of the chamber from which he emerged, the boy's face grew pale.

Upon the shoulders of the rest of those men… was his own face. And above the chambers, three words were spray painted on the wall, dripping red.

You Can't Win.

2 years later

Psy-420 was in a quiet sort of haze. He wasn't aware of his surroundings, as one would normally be, however he wasn't exactly unaware of them either. He couldn't say where he was, but he could feel the soft tickling of grass against his arms and taste the fresh ocean air on his tongue.

The blonde didn't need to be able to pin point his location on a map because he was simply exactly where he was supposed to be.

He felt the warmth of the sun seep into his skin and lazily opened his bleary eyes. He made no effort to move, instead opting to lie in complete tranquillity as his pupils adjusted to the brightness.

The transition from obscurity to light was not sudden and piercing, but warm and gradual, which Psy was grateful for.

He lay in the grass a while longer, until he felt a cool breeze against his cheek, beckoning his attention. The blonde shifted his gaze to his left, where the breeze had originated from, and slowly shifted so that he was sitting upright as he saw a figure in the distance.

He didn't need to be told anything to know that they were waiting for him.

Getting up completely, Psy made his way through the grassy planes, towards the alluring stranger. The air was silent except for the rustling of plants. It was springtime, and although many flowers had blossomed, no birds sung. The early morning atmosphere was serene and mystical.

An undefined amount of time passed, but Psy found he was not growing any closer to the man he was meant to meet. Growing frustrated, he began to run. He suddenly felt irritated. The faster he ran, the further he seemed to get from the other.

This is stupid. If I'm supposed to catch him why the hell won't you let me?

Suddenly, the distance separating him from the other man vanished. Psy gasped in shock and suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt for getting annoyed, as if some sort of omnipotent force had planned for him to arrive here in due time all along and he was the one who was foolish for not knowing.

His worries were silenced, however, as the other spoke. He was standing with his back to him and his voice was soft and gentle, like the song of a baby bird.

"Help him."

Psy stood in questioning.

Help him? Help him from what? What am I supposed to do?

Psy grabbed the man's shoulder only to release him in shock as his pristine white hair began to bleed a thick, ivory ink and his previously black and blue parka changed to a white button up and black vest. After recovering from the shock of the transformation, Psy stared at the back of the other man's head, enraptured. The slimmer man's hair was now akin to the deepest of oceans, so full in contrast to the anemic white that had previously occupied the messy strands.

He began to open his mouth, feeling as if he should speak, but before he could formulate a cohesive thought, the figure turned to face him.

Psy was, once again, taken aback. This man had eyes unlike any others he had ever seen. The almond-shaped orbs were a saturated, cherry red and framed nicely by what appeared to be some sort of black chalk. He was even thinner than Psy had originally anticipated and his inky locks fell elegantly over his delicate features.

This time, when Psy spoke, he did so without thinking.

He didn't have to anymore.

The blonde knew exactly what it was he had to say.

"I will find you."

Suddenly, the world was being sucked into an abyss of emptiness. Psy tried to warn the man, but no matter how hard he screamed he couldn't hear his own voice. The world continued to disintegrate around him until the only patch of ground left intact was the area of which he stood. Psy knew the other could see him as he struggled to warn the raven that there was no longer any ground beneath his feet and that the lithe man was simply floating over the vast expanse of emptiness. Surely the man should know that something was astray, but still he made no hint at moving. The raven stared calmly into his eyes, not saying a word.

And then he was engulfed.

Psy shot up from his slumber in a panic, panting frantically. It took the blonde a moment to gather himself and realize that what he had just experienced had been a dream.

Dropping back to the hard mattress, Psy allowed his heart rate to slow.

"What the fuck," he muttered.

That had felt entirely too real.

Groaning and pushing his dream to the back of his mind, Psy decided since he was up he might as well get something to eat, but before he was able to make his way off the bed, he was overcome with an intense pounding in his head.

Psy grasped at his hair and clenched his jaws together to try and make the pain go away, his eyes shut tight. His vision was swimming with white.

Shit, he thought. What the fuck!

Falling to his knees, Psy grit his teeth together in agony. The pounding was accelerating at an alarming pace, rapidly getting to a point where he was no longer sure he could take it. The whiteness seemed to be expanding around him. Psy was about to release a desperate sob from his trembling lips, but then something changed. Amidst all the blank space, which surrounded him, a blurry form appeared. It was massive although it was distant and had an oppressive aura. Psy clenched his eyes shut tighter, instinctively trying to focus the wavering image. As the ambiguous shape finally began to stabilize, the blonde realized that the form was a building. It was tall and had boards nailed over its windows. The doors also appeared to be sealed shut, forbidding its entrance. Psy's brain was wracked with momentary confusion as he felt the strain of a memory lingering in the back of his mind. It all seemed to be scarily familiar to him, like a dream you wake up from but can't remember.

No, not a dream, Psy corrected himself at the tense sensation growing in his chest.

A nightmare.

And then, before Psy could further question himself, just as quickly as the vision had appeared, it vanished.

Psy had somehow managed to move himself to the floor during his mental spasm, and there he sat, panting. His thoughts revolved around the structure he had just saw. Something was hiding in there.

He had to find out what.

Quickly getting dressed, Psy made his way hurriedly out of his room, not even bothering to fully button his shirt. Slinging his gun over his shoulder, he ran down the hallway leading to the exit, where he threw on his shoes and made his way outside, slamming the door in his wake. He dully noted the noise of someone calling his name as he left, but ignored it.

He had to find that building while the image was still fresh in his mind.

Hibiya awoke at the sound of Psy's bedroom door slamming open. Groaning as he heard footsteps running down the hall, he called out "Psy? What on earth are you doing up at such an unsightly ho-"

The entrance door was slammed before he could finish his sentence.

Hibiya quickly sat up from his bed. "Psy? Psy, what the hell! Don't leave as I'm talking to you!" The raven ordered, suddenly irritated.

Grimacing at the lack of response, Hibiya lay back in his bed.

Who does that lunatic think he is?

Hibiya glared crossly at the ceiling.

Whatever. As long as the bastard doesn't take Vlad-

His thoughts were silenced at the sound of a horse whinnying outside and the galloping of hooves on pavement.

Hibiya shot up from his bed in a rage for the second time that day, this time making a bee-line straight for his window in record speed. Pulling the dysfunctional, rusty thing open as far as it would allow, Hibiya yelled out furiously at the blonde.

"PSY! YOU FAMILIAR-THEIVING BASTARD, I'LL KILL YOU! GET YOUR FILTHY INEXPERIENCED HANDS OFF MY STEED!"

But Psy didn't hear his threat, as the blonde was already far out of sight.

Psy clenched the mane of his teammate's nightmare as they galloped through the decaying city. He made a brief mental apology to the owner of said steed for taking it without permission, before realizing he didn't actually give a shit.

Instead, the blonde opted to keep important matters on his mind, such as "Hibiya's gonna kill me when he finds out," and "Shit," and more importantly, "How the hell am I gonna find this place anyways".

Psy ultimately decided he'd deal with all the bullshit when he got to it. A nearby howl in the early light of dusk caused the blonde to clench his machine gun tightly against his chest.

And so the search began.

Two weeks had passed since the beguiling stranger had visited Psy's dream, and after days of restless searching accompanied by stressful nights devoid of sleep, the blonde had given up.

Currently he was walking, or rather slumping next to Hibiya, who rode his steed proudly, bazooka slung over his shoulder but hidden by his cape. They were out doing something. Psy didn't remember exactly what. The blonde was sleep deprived, exhausted, and frankly done with putting effort into things for the time being.

Clouds darkened overhead, further adding to the blonde's ambience of despair.

"So," Hibiya started, snapping Psy out of his depressive trance, "Are you ever planning on telling me what it exactly it is that you've been looking for these past couple weeks?"

Psy's nerves were suddenly ticked at the mention of his failure, irritation at the stupid question quickly replacing his tiredness. Hibiya never was good at small talk.

"How many times do I have to tell you I DON'T FUCKING KNOW?" Psy yelled.

Hibiya's eyes narrowed menacingly. A storm was brewing.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Psy."

"If you didn't have your head stuck so far up your ass then you'd realize I'm not! "

Lightning cracked in the distance. Suddenly, it was raining.

"That's it," Hibiya exclaimed, halting and dismounting his nightmare, "You have no right to speak to me that way! Do you understand? I show interest in your stupid game of lost and found and this is the thanks I get?! Your pointless search is a waste of resources and time!" The prince's voice rose menacingly.

"So this is all just a stupid game to you, Hibiya? Huh? Is that what it is?" Psy's volume gradually built, "WHY DON'T YOU TAKE YOUR MISPLACED SYMPATHY AND SHOVE IT, BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED IT!"

Hibiya gasped, "How dare you-"

The sudden drumming of thunder cut him off. His hand froze from where it had risen to strike his teammate. A frightened nightmare whinnied, kicking its front hooves into the air before taking off down the asphalt roads of Tokyo, the fire of its mane burning bright despite the onslaught of rain.

"Vladimir!" Hibiya yelled, his anger towards his comrade forgotten as his familiar took off without him. The caped man took off after the beast, desperately calling its name in attempt to draw him back, but the creature would not listen. Feeling the strength suddenly seep from his legs at the abandonment, Hibiya fell to the ground. The past two weeks had taxed enough on the raven's ego. Psy had been lost in another world, enraptured with some sort of cryptic pursuit. The blonde had been so bewitched by his dream that he failed to pay attention to his own teammate's needs. Psy and Vladimir were there only company Hibiya had, and after having been put aside by both simultaneously, the frail man felt the walls he had built to keep the blonde at arm's length crumbling away. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, but they were indistinguishable from the rain.

Feeling a sudden pang of pity for his prideful companion, Psy calmly approached the kneeling man. His limbs were still stiff with anger, but his voice was reassuring and concerned.

"Get up. We'll find him."

Hibiya found himself crying. "This isn't right… Vladimir would never disobey me. Something is wrong… It has to be," his whispered response barely audible over the pouring of rain, unwilling to admit that he had this coming for pushing others away to begin with. Hibiya was far too dignified to acknowledge such a flaw in character.

Psy's heart clenched at the shaking of the other man's shoulders.

"I said get up," he said roughly, grabbing Hibiya by the shoulders and pulling him into his chest. "He'll be fine. We'll find him."

Hibiya tensed at the physical contact and pushed the blonde away, a scowl adorning his gentle features. He stuck out his chest and stubbornly acted as if he had not just broken down in a disgusting outburst of despair.

"We will," he stated firmly, voice unwavering, "but I don't need your pity," he concluded, an audible tang of distaste in his tone. The mask he guised was slick and cool, but Psy could see through the cracks. It wasn't as if Hibiya could change his exterior so recently after having been unguarded and tearful.

Sighing at his companion's arrogance, the blonde decided not to bother demonstrating any further signs of compassion. Instead, he tucked his gun under his shoulder and loaded it.

"We'd better hurry, though. It'll be getting dark soon."

The pair diverged through empty streets, desperate for any sign of the fiery beast. It was Psy who finally noticed a faint flicker of light down a narrow, previously unexplored alleyway.

"I think he's over here!" he called over his shoulder.

Hibiya quickly made his way across the other side of the street and towards the other.

"Are you sure?" the raven asked, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Yeah. Look," Psy responded, gesturing to the faint glow that resided on the other end of the alleyway with a tip of his head.

Hibiya's eyes lightened up and he broke into a sprint down the narrow passageway, Psy following close behind. The smaller man let out a cry of joy upon realizing that the origin of the light was indeed Vladimir, running up to the nightmare to hold his muzzle fondly to his chest. Psy was overtaken by a sense of accomplishment upon exiting the alleyway as well, but the excitement dissolved like sugar to water as he took in his new surroundings. Vladimir stood in front of a solemn concrete erection. The building's mass was built up of brick on the higher floors, which seemed to be more recent, but the bottom was supported by a foundation of barren concrete.

It was the one he had been so desperately searching for all this time.

"Hibiya," he spoke, snapping the smaller man out of his reverie.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This is the building I've been looking for."

"…"

"Do you think this was a fluke?" Psy spoke again at the raven's silence.

"No," he cut in sharply, "Vladimir tells me he's led us here purposefully."

The air was heavy with a prevailing feeling of fate recognised by both men.

"Well?" Hibiya asked, breaking the mutual silence. "Aren't you eager to find whatever it is you've been looking for?"

Yeah. I am.

Psy nodded with resolution and made his way up the crumbling steps. A tightly coiled and locked chain stood between him and the entrance. He tore it from the door's handles as effortlessly as if it was the finest of tissues and opened the doors, pushing his way forth into the building.

He walked into a vast entrance hall, Hibiya and Vladimir following shortly after.

The raven-haired man shifted his weight (which was considerable due to his bazooka) on the wooden planks, causing them to creak in protest. The entirety of the building seemed to hum ominously, welcoming them.

Now that Psy was here, the intimidating nature of this whole situation dawned on him. Whatever was in here… Someone didn't want it to be found. Psy Shivered. He could so easily leave now. It was not yet too late. All he had to do was turn around and never come back, but…

Help him.

Wine red eyes burned into his vision. He made his choice.

"I'm going in. Leave if I'm not back before sunset."

"Wait-" The raven interjected, "What is it you're even looking for?"

"I already told you," Psy responded, taking a decisive step forwards, "I don't know."

Hibiya sent a glare in Psy's direction, still convinced the blonde was keeping something from him. "Hurry up or I'll return to base without you," Hibiya ordered, his tone snotty.

The blonde grinned at his companion's response, merely holding up his middle finger in retort.

Back to normal so soon, Hibiya?

The blonde ventured further into the seemingly abandoned building. The wooden floors squeaked in and groaned as he made his way through a large doorframe and down a corridor to his right. Not soon after reaching a halt, the blonde was faced with a window looking out over the west end of the city. Psy noted with a hint of disinterest that he had less time than he thought before the sky turned completely dark.

"Dead end," he muttered to himself, turning around to explore the other end of the passage, making of point of not lingering to admire the view.

The hallways, he found, were unnecessarily wide, and the lack of furniture gave them a strange sense of emptiness. It's not that buildings like this were uncommon. In fact, it was the opposite. Since the incident, over half of Tokyo's buildings had been abandoned. However, Psy couldn't shake the sickening and misplaced nostalgia that consumed him as he travelled deeper into the edifice.

A man stood serenely still, a hint of a smile graced his lips as he was consumed by darkness.

Psy shook the grim memory from his head. Focus!

After a bit more aimless roaming, Psy came across a stairwell. Not bothering to check if it was unlocked, he kicked the door in and instantly began to make his way down the metal stairs. It was too dark to see the bottom of the stairwell, and taking a moment to look up, Psy realized he couldn't see the top either. He had no reason to choose to go downwards, the action was completely instinctual. The discomfort blooming within his chest grew.

The passageway seemed to narrow as he continued his descent. His presumption was validated by the metallic clinking of his feet as their sound became less distorted in the smaller space. Psy felt a vague clench of claustrophobia creep over him. He quickened his pace, too distracted by his intense unease to notice the surface that was quickly approaching.

A loud smack sounded in the stairwell.

Psy was momentarily shocked as his body came into collision with a metal wall. The man ignored his rattling headache to scan his hands against the chilled surface, searching for something to grab onto.

Doorknob… Doorknob…

Clink!

Relief flooded through his one-track mind as he found just that. Psy twisted the appendage slightly only to find it was sealed. Letting out a sound that was partway between a groan and a sigh, he ignored the growing pain in his head to kick the door in.

One kick merely dented the surface.

Come on…

The second one was delivered with much more force and sent the heavy material flying forwards off its hinges.

Psy grinned at his small victory.

Standing in front of the opening, the blonde was faced with a sort of looming presence. A peculiar light seemed to emerge from the chamber. Taking a deep breath, Psy stepped into the room. The floors here were pavement, inhospitable and inorganic. A dingy light flickered on the ceiling, relieving his eyes of the strain of trying to see in complete darkness. As Psy ignored the forbidding aura of the room and stepped further into the space, he noticed something he hadn't before. Ten open chambers were aligned along the far side of the wall. Psy shook the eerie feeling that he had been here before as he noticed something. One of the chambers on the far right was still sealed. Taking cautious steps forward, Psy approached the mysterious object.

It took him a while to make it out, but hidden under a thick layer of dust was a glass panel. He felt his arm rise to wipe it away. It was as if his muscles had moved of their own accord. He couldn't explain why, but whatever was hidden behind this barrier was meant for him to see. As the coat of dust was removed, Psy was met with the pale face of the stranger from his dream, which gazed blankly at him. Its eyes were lifeless and unrecognizable, as if the absence of life rendered the familiar features completely foreign. The face was unrelenting in its staring.

As if it had been waiting.

Psy was tearing the door to the chamber down before he could process exactly what he was doing. The thin body of the raven within fell limply against his chest. Psy held his breath as the being in his arms drew his first. Helping the boy to steady himself on his feet, Psy watched as the serene eyes from his dream slowly opened, gleaming red. They glanced from left to right, absorbing their surroundings with a novelty only known to new-borns.

And then the figure spoke. Or rather, he croaked, as his voice was hoarse and weak.

"Where the fuck am I?"

Good? Bad? Let me know! Also I'm really concerned with my pacing- I hope things aren't progressing too quickly ;)