A/N: I uploaded this a few months back, but my account went all crazy on me and deleted it. D: I have a small suspicion that someone hacked into my account...anyway. A thousand thank you's to my beta, SunaT.U who puts up with all my craziness. ^^'

Namie Yagiri reread her acceptance letter for the third time. She was slightly skeptical at the speed with which it was sent to her. Only five days after she had sent out her initial application letter. Usually it took them several weeks, maybe even months, but never under seven days.

Narrowing her eyes slightly in concentration, she scanned the letter for the fourth time for any signs of fraud. Finally, she leaned back in her chair, satisfied at the authenticity of the letter, and allowed herself to relax as she looked out of the opposite window and admired the fleeting landscape as the train whistled by.

Kadota Kyohei shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't used to the hard, plastic train seats. Car seats with their supple leather and cushioned seats were much more to his liking. However, he was looking forward to meeting an old friend and was willing to put up with the discomfort. Pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, Kadota unfolded the well creased letter and reread it:

Dear Kadota,
It's been a while, hasn't it? Don't you remember the days when we would race in my old van against the cops? All I seem to do is reminisce nowadays, which is what prompted this letter. I heard you've moved back to your old place and I'm in the area. Is the 22nd of next month okay? I'll be where we usually meet. It sure brings you back, eh?
Togusa

'Ah, Togusa.' Kadota grinned to himself and resettled himself in his chair not for the first, nor the last time that trip. He tucked the letter back in his pocket, unaware of a young man with a predatory air about him looking intently at Kadota.

Celty Sturluson patted her hat nervously. There was a black, heavy veil which shielded her face from the public hanging from it. The veil attracted some attention considering the hot weather of oncoming summer, but most where too busy to spare a glance to their surroundings, let alone gawk at the young veiled woman.

This was fine by her. The preference to wear a veil was not to attract attention. By some degree, it was to detract attention. She clutched at it again when the train went over a bump, jolting all its passengers. It was going to be a long ride.

Izaya Orihara checked his phone again. No messages. He wondered when his idiot of an agent would contact him. He had specifically told her to text him at one. It was now two thirty.

Repressing a sigh of annoyance and frustration, Izaya took to inconspicuously observing his fellow passengers. A young woman dressed in green staring blanking out the opposite window, absorbed in her thoughts. A man wincing slightly at every little bump the train went over. Another woman, her face covered by a thick veil, youngish, and very concerned about her hat. She adjusted it every minute or so. A very young man, barely out of his teens. He appeared to be sleeping, but Izaya noted the slight tension in his legs and the angle of his arms, and concluded that he was pretending. And, the strangest of his observations, a blonde man who had been openly staring at the uncomfortable man. The latter was probably being too apprehensive to notice the unusual behavior.

Izaya ran through a list of possibilities of why the blonde would be staring at a supposed stranger, when his phone buzzed. He allowed himself a sigh of relief as he flipped the phone open.

Kida Masaomi wondered how long he was going to have to do this. His employer had been very specific in telling him to fake sleep on the train to his destination. He could feel his neck cramping and he wanted desperately to stretch his leg.

All at once, he felt a strange prickle and the hairs on his neck raised slightly. Kida was almost certain someone was staring at him. Then he heard a faint vibration, and the sensation passed. He flexed his fingers slightly; they were beginning to fall asleep themselves.

Shizuo Heiwajima studied the man opposite him, three chairs down. He didn't know if he was being rude or too conspicuous. Subtlety had never been his strong point. The man, who hadn't noticed his stalker yet, shifted again as the train turned a corner and tipped everybody to their left.

Shizuo's gaze left the man long enough to notice a woman firmly resetting a hat on her head and a man who was texting. The texting man seemed completely at ease with his surroundings, and leaned a bit to his right when the train turned. As the train resumed its steady track, Shizuo resumed his staring.

Tom Tanaka raced along the bumpy road, listening carefully for the sound of screeching tires. 'There it is,' he thought grimly to himself as he increased his speed and turned a corner.

The sudden swing almost tipped him over. Noticing an advancing van just in time, Tom swerved sharply and almost fell into a ditch. He flinched a bit at the indignant honk, and sped on. There was no knowing what they'd do if they finally caught him.

Shinra Kishitani thought worriedly about his bag which was now lying in a heap on the ground. The near accident with that absurdly fast car was jarring enough, but not three seconds later, four other cars, crammed one behind the other in the narrow road, had zoomed by, knocking his bag off the seat next to him as he slammed on the brakes to avoid a potentially fatal accident.

He leaned over and picked it up, silently praying to whatever god was listening, and opened it. Heaving a sigh of relief, Shinra picked up the whole glass tube and admired its shine in the sunlight before searching through various medications and a stethoscope to find what he had been ultimately worried about.

He ran his hands over, looking for any flaws or cracks. Thankfully, it was whole.

The train halted abruptly to a stop at the next station. Izaya stood quickly and was the first to leave. Kadota stretched and resolved never to ride a train again. He followed Izaya out. Namie consulted her paper to be sure and also left. Shizuo hesitated, before following his target out as well. Celty, setting the hat firmly on her head, hurried out. Kida took a little time to get up and act like he had just been roused from a deep sleep, regardless of the lack of audience to appreciate the act. He then also left, leaving the carriage ominously empty.

The five passengers stood on the platform, each minding their own business, and each steadfastly ignoring each other to avoid being rude. Except for Shizuo, who approached the man he had been carefully watching.

"Excuse me," he said. "Are you Kadota Kyohei?"

The man seemed startled; he had obviously been unaware of his stalker. "I am," Kadota replied. "And you are?"

"I'm a friend of Togusa, he sent me to pick you up."

Kadota looked surprised. "Togusa never mentioned any of this to me."

Shizuo hesitated, then shrugged. "Will you follow me?" he asked finally.

Kadota looked around a bit helplessly, then sighed and gave in. "I assume you know where to go?"

Shizuo nodded, and walked away. Kadota followed him.

Namie raised her eyebrows a bit at the unusual charade, then shouldered her bag and walked in the opposite direction.

Celty pulled a phone out of a small purse and checked it. Typing something quickly, she patted the hat for a final time before leaving as well.

Izaya snapped his phone shut, then nodded with a hint of a smirk on his face towards Kida, strolling away. Kida frowned a bit; that man had unnerved him. Crediting it to short nerves, he sat down on a lone bench and waited.

A/N: Apologies for OOCness. It's quite hard imposing character templates on other random characters. _ Review...? *_^