Summary:

Joshua wants Neku to shoot him at the end of their game, and he's stuck repeating the events of the original three weeks until he can make him do it.

Endless Loop

Neku saw the boy running towards him out of the corner of his eye and he turned, ready to jump out of the way in case the he decided to run into him. It was the boy's face that made him stop. It was the look of cold-blooded murder that made him stumble backwards several steps, the ashen haired boy stopping just a few yards in front of him, raising the gun in his hand.

"W-who are you?" Neku stuttered out. He stared at the boy as the fear he felt settled in his chest, causing a shooting pain to rip through his torso, which in turn made his breath catch.

"Kiryu Yoshiya. But you can call me Joshua." The boy said calmly. He bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Sakuraba Neku." Neku's eyes widened.

"How—how do you know my name?" Joshua giggled.

"We've met before, of course. Although you wouldn't remember that, now would you?" Neku couldn't formulate a response, simply staring at the gun in Joshua's hand. "It's just a huge cycle for me, so it doesn't really matter what I do to you here as long as I succeed in my mission." He smiled cruelly, circling around Neku as Neku tried to back away. Neku knew he was in trouble when he felt his back bump into the mural, the cold from the concrete seeping through his skin. He tried to look for a way out, but he had a creeping feeling that Joshua would simply shoot him before he made it anywhere where he could call for help.

It was too late anyway. Joshua was already mere inches from his face, his warm breath making Neku's skin crawl. The gun in his hand was firmly pressed to Neku's chest.

"What do I have to do to make you do it, hmm? How violent must I make this murder? How many times must your blood paint these walls until you understand?" Neku simply stared, uncomprehending and barely able to hear with his heart pounding so loudly. He felt Joshua's fingers wrap around his wrist, pulling it up in front of their eyes. The pressure of the gun left his chest, Joshua producing a sharp dagger seemingly from nowhere.

Joshua rested the dagger on Neku's wrist, Neku trying to pull his arm away but finding that the boy's grip was much stronger than it seemed. His other arm seemed to not want to cooperate with his brain's commands. Joshua pulled the dagger slowly across Neku's wrist, pushing the blade deep into his skin, and Neku sucked in a sharp breath. The blood pooled up around the blade, dribbling down his arm and dripping onto the ground. Neku watched in horror at the amount of blood flowing from him, trying to stem it with his other hand.

He didn't see Joshua moving the blade again until he felt it plunge into his chest. Neku screamed, the blade working its way deeper through the flesh between his ribs. He started to slump, his body sliding down the wall until it rested on the ground. Neku coughed and heaved, blood flying from his mouth and dripping off his chin as he gasped and fought for air. Joshua stared cruelly down at him.

"Your blood is the most beautiful crimson." He remarked coolly. He squatted down in front of Neku, bringing the gun up so that the end rested on Neku's forehead. Neku stared ahead, his eyes full of terror and pain, unable to focus anymore. "Now then, Neku… won't you die for me?"

There was a deafening bang; Neku's blood painted the entire wall above him, dripping from the face of the graffiti reaper who watched the scene without feeling. Neku's body slid sideways, the blood behind him streaking across the wall in an arc, and came to rest with his cheek pressed against the cold ground. His eyes were staring blankly ahead, the life completely gone from them.

Joshua reached out and closed Neku's eyes, pulling a pin from his pocket. The white skull adorning it flashed in the fading light of the day. He pinned it to Neku's bloodstained shirt.

"I'll see you in a week, dear proxy. Do your job right and shoot me when the time comes. I'm tired of doing this over and over."

Three Weeks Later

"Life's little crossroads are often as simple as the pull of a trigger." Neku held the gun loosely in his hand. It was almost time for the final stage. "Let's play a game, shall we? It's simple; I'm going to count down from 10. On one, we shoot. See? Easy."

"You're a monster." The lines were always nearly identical. It was Neku's anger that mattered.

"10… 9…" Joshua started his countdown, coolly raising his gun, taking aim at Neku's heart. The tears were once again falling from Neku's eyes, soon he would also raise his gun, and then Joshua would know if he had succeeded or not. Did Neku hate him enough to pull the trigger?

"6…5…4…" Neku's gun was still aimed steadily at him. Just two more seconds. Neku always put his gun down at the mark of two. Just before Joshua would have to pull the trigger and restart the cycle all over again at square one.

"3…2…" Neku's gun didn't falter. His eyes burned with hate. Could it be? "1." There was a deafening bang once more, but this time, there was something missing. There was something different. Joshua hadn't felt his gun kick back as he had shot. He hadn't shot. And now he could feel warm blood soaking through his shirt. He looked down in shock, sinking onto his knees.

He looked up at Neku, seeing the guilt in his eyes. He couldn't help but smile. He had finally done it. He had finally done enough to push Neku over the edge. He fell forward, hitting the ground of his personal chamber with a dull thud. He could probably heal himself if he tried—the bullet had missed his heart—but he didn't want to try. Much to Joshua's surprise, he felt Neku's hands on him, turning him over, holding him gently.

"Joshua… what—what have I done?" The tears were falling from his eyes again, dripping onto Joshua's face. Joshua's eyebrows converged on his forehead. Neku wasn't supposed to feel sorry. He was supposed to still be angry. Angry enough to kill someone out of revenge and feel no remorse. But why were these tears falling on his face?

"Neku…" Joshua reached up and touched Neku's face, wiping away a tear but leaving a streak of blood in his wake. "Don't cry for me. I already murdered you so many times. I don't deserve your tears. I had to make you hate me. You had to kill me. I was stuck in a loop, reliving this game over and over again. The only way to break it is if someone else takes Shibuya from me. Shibuya itself has placed me under this curse, because it knows how I wanted to destroy it."

"But… but you don't want to destroy it anymore, do you?" Joshua shook his head.

"Shibuya does not care. It no longer trusts me. That's why you must be the new Composer and appease it. Take my place and care for this city."

"I can't do that! How can I take care of this city? I couldn't even take care of myself…" Joshua smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Neku. Shibuya understands you. Shibuya will take you under its wing." Joshua's eyes slowly drifted closed, the smile still resting on his face.

"Joshua… Joshua! You can't do this to me! I didn't ask for this!" His cries went unanswered as Joshua's soul burst into static. "How can you only explain yourself after I've done something I can't take back?" He whispered into the air.

Neku sat still, his arms empty, the tears still rolling from his eyes as the light enveloped him, crowning him as the new ruler of Shibuya.