Izaya could barely contain his excitement as he walked alongside Mikado. What the teen had planned was beyond what he expected, using the Dollars in such as simple manner to take down Yagiri Pharmaceutics.

Izaya walked with a slight bounce him his step, completely opposite to how Mikado was walking which was not timid this time but that of someone who was determined, his head was up and his sharp blue eyes looked forward.

As they reached 60-Kai Street they stopped and turned to each other. "Remember to be careful, these guys aren't against foul play." Izaya reminded the teen who nodded, "I'll watch in case something goes sour, no one will notice me if I mingle in with the crowd." Izaya reassured the teen, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you, Orihara-san." Mikado bowed slightly and the man chuckled.

"Just call me Izaya. Good luck." Izaya said with a little wave before slipping into the crowd.

Izaya watched Mikado closely, it was only minutes away from the time that the teen had agreed to meet Yagiri Namie in relation to the unfortunate Harima Mika.

This is so amazing, this just makes me want Mikado-kun more. I knew there was something deeper inside him, under all that innocent and naivety is this gem; an incredibly smart and determined leader.

I really hit the jackpot this time but somehow even now that I know his true nature, I just want more of him. That dream confirmed how much I want him, I won't stop, I won't stop until he is mine.

His mind, body, heart and even his soul will all be mine. Mikado-kun is mine. Izaya's thoughts grew more possessive as he stood there watching the source of his obsessive thoughts.

Izaya leaned against the wall of a building and took out his phone, from where he was standing he could see Mikado perfectly even with the huge amount of people filling the street from either end. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Yagiri Namie approaching Mikado with various armed guards.

Their conversation began and much to Izaya's annoyance they were too far away for him to read their lips correctly but he could read Mikado's facial expression just fine and that was all that really mattered to him at this moment.

It seemed the informant had mastered the skill of pretending to look at his phone while doing something else completely.

Good Mikado-kun…don't show any weakness to her and you'll be alright. The teen's face was stern as he spoke; as if he had no fear of the woman before him and armed men surrounding them.

Though as Namie said something to the teen, Izaya could see his expression slip as he faltered. Izaya hid concern behind his usual smirk.

What is it? I know that woman is an ice queen…what did she say to him?

Izaya felt a chuckle bubble out of his throat as Mikado regained his expression, narrowed his sharp blue eyes and started to tear into the woman with his anger.

"How lovely…" Izaya whispered to himself, completely captivated while watching the teen take a fearless step towards Namie, his blue eyes like fire.

The street was full of people by now not that Namie and her men had noticed, Izaya noticed by this time the teen had slipped his hand into his pocket.

Ah, it's time! The informant grinned resisting the urge to jump up and down in joy like an overexcited child at a candy store.

The lone sound of a cell phone echoed throughout the street before hundreds more joined it, it was like a deafening roar of noise that clashed together to form a disturbing storm as every cell in the street went off. Izaya's own phone vibrated in his hand he looked down to read the message.

[Right now anyone not looking at their phone is an enemy. Do not attack, just stare quietly.]

Even more unsettling than the noise of ringtones was the silence that passed over the hundreds of people that made up the Dollars as they stared at Namie and her men. Namie started shouting obviously shocked by the events and Izaya giggled as Mikado stepped into the crowd, disappearing from the woman's sight and appearing at Izaya's side.

"Good job." Izaya praised the teen who looked at him his blue eyes shining with overwhelming excitement.

"This is amazing." The teen gushed struggling to hold in his excitement as they looked over the crowd.

"It sure is." Izaya nodded in agreement, from where they stood they could see Namie and her men freaking out.

The noise of chilling horse's neigh broke the mob's attention, including Izaya and Mikado. The teen gasped loudly as Celty dropped over the side of the skyscraper, riding vertically on the side. Izaya watched stunned, it was the first time he'd even such a thing.

People were obviously alarmed seeing something so inhuman, the dullahan's shadows swallowed the world around it making fear flow through everyone's veins. Screams and shouts were heard as the bike and its rider reached the ground right in front of Namie and her group of men.

Mikado stumbled back overwhelmed. Izaya easily caught the teen but was too caught up in what was happening to celebrate that Mikado was pressed against his chest.

Izaya could feel his heart beating in his chest, the blood rushing through his veins as the events unfolded before him. One of Namie's guards rushed at Celty with a police baton, hitting her helmet that flew off to reveal, nothing but a neck that flowed with black smoke.

Panicked screams echoed through the streets and phone cameras started rolling. Izaya stared at the dullahan in wonder. He knew what the woman was but seeing it with his own two eyes was a completely different thing.

A thunderous noise echoed through the street, so loud and inhuman the hairs on the back of Izaya's neck stood up as his face changed and became a wide, half-crazed smile for it was the scream of a dullahan, something that wasn't meant to be heard in the streets of a city, it was a true cry of battle, of war.

"My, that was really something." Izaya commented after everything was over which was within a very short span of three minutes. Mikado had found his legs again and was now standing apart from the older man and just stood there still processing everything that had happened before his eyes.

The crowd had already broken apart, disappearing into the many streets of Ikebukuro leaving nothing but a few parked cars and the normal amount of foot traffic for this time.

"Were there seriously that many people here just now?" a familiar voice asked and Izaya looked towards the voice making Mikado finally break out of his thoughts and look up at the tall man before them, recognising him.

"Why, hello there Dotachin. Tokyo is a very populated place for its size, it's not that hard to appear and disappear" He shrugged as if he wasn't all that impressed but considering all those people had been called to this area by the very unassuming boy at his side, he was amazed.

Mikado was silent as they continued their small talk but the teen soon turned his attention to Celty who had returned to the scene looking rather worn out.

"Say Izaya-kun…what is that? I've never seen anything like it before, it's not human is it?" Kadota Kyouhei asked as they watched the dullahan draw closer.

Izaya chuckled, "You saw it right? It's a monster, you should be more polite." He joked before following Mikado who was making his way over to Celty.

"Seems you lost your prey huh?" Izaya smirked his voice surprisingly casual for what he witnessed, the woman's disappointment was easy to read through her body language.

"Well, at least you cleared your head." He said cheerfully making Mikado glance up at him like he wanted to hit him and Celty looked the same as he shamelessly stared at her headless neck. The dullahan quickly picked up her helmet from the ground and replaced it in its rightful place.

Izaya continued to tease the poor woman making Mikado look at him in disapproval. "After all that no one's going to be scared of you anymore, you didn't even cut anyone with that scary scythe of yours." He continued gesturing with his hands at that point the dullahan walked away.

He looked down at Mikado by his side, his smirk softening. "Honestly, I'm amazed." He murmured pleasantly, "I knew there were many people calling themselves the Dollars but to call a meeting so suddenly and have this many people show up all at once really surpassed my expectations." He shook his head in disbelief, he softened his tone before speaking again.

"I know you crave an extraordinary life but in a year or so, this city will become completely ordinary to you. If you really want something abnormal you'll have to either move elsewhere or get into something more unsavoury in the deep underground." Izaya explained and Mikado looked at him those blue eyes once again swirling with thoughts and the informant knew he understood.

The man smiled, "Life becomes normal even for those who do leap into the underground. Do it and in two or three years, you'll be used to it." Izaya rested his hand on the teen's shoulder to comfort the obviously now upset teen.

"If you really want to escape the ordinary, you'll simply need to keep evolving – whether it be above or underground." Izaya murmured gently touching the teen's soft cheek. "You should enjoy your normality and out of respect I won't sell the Intel that you're the Dollars' founder." Mikado looked into Izaya's eyes.

"Thank you Oriha-" the teen paused and gave a small smile to the man, "Izaya-san."

"You're welcome. I have been watching over you online for some time now, it would be a shame if something terrible were to happen to you over something as silly as the Dollars, don't you think Tarou Tanaka-chan~?"

Mikado's blue eyes widened and Izaya turned away with a slight giggle. "No way…can it be…?" the teen whispered and Izaya playfully grinned at him from over his shoulder.


Soon the police came to sweep the area, having heard of the suspicious gathering. Mikado was still in his school uniform, never having changed in his rush to organise everything.

Izaya pulled him into the shadows of an alley, if the police found him out so late in his uniform, the teen would surely be punished. Once they were finally gone the teen sighed in relief and looked up at Izaya. "Thank goodness."

They left the alley, looking around to see Celty walk towards Togusa Saburo's van where Harima Mika sat. The two ravens trailed behind her out of curiosity, they blinked surprised as a figure suddenly appeared, attacking the dullahan.

"No way." Mikado gasped as the woman fell to her knees in pain. The attacker was none other than Yagiri Seiji who also was still in his school uniform, brandishing a large scalpel.

"I guess that wasn't enough to kill." Seiji commented before opening the van door and climbing inside without a shred of hesitation. It was so brazen and sudden that nobody stopped him, not even Erika who was sitting in the van. Seiji grabbed the scarred girl and carried her out, not knowing who she truly was.

The smile on Seiji face was blinding as he put the girl down and took her hand. "I've come for you, let's go." He said with pure devotion on his face. The entire group of people watching this unfold were completely surprised at the girl's response, all but Izaya really.

"Okay…" they started walking away.

"Huh…? What just happened?" Mikado looked up at Izaya who was watching the scene amused, he looked down at the teen and shrugged with a smile. Somehow, Seiji recognized Mikado standing there and stopped.

"Hey." The greeting was completely ordinary like they'd happened upon each other in the street, Izaya had to stop himself from laughing at the situation. "I really owe you and my sister. If it wasn't for my sister, I never would have found her and if it wasn't for you, she would have been locked in that lab forever." And with that, the teen started walking away.

Izaya thought Mikado was going to continue to stand there in shock but his expression suddenly changed and he glared at Seiji.

Has he figured it out? The informant wondered waiting to see what would happen.

"I want to ask you something…I tried to ask your sister earlier." Mikado said his voice stern and cold.

"You're asking if I killed someone, right? Something like that might have happened." The other teen replied emotionlessly, Izaya didn't miss the shiver that went through Mikado's body.

Izaya narrowed his eyes as Seiji pointed the scalpel right at Mikado's face. Izaya's hand went into his sleeve, grabbing his hidden knife. He wouldn't hesitate to use it to protect his precious teen.

Don't you even think about it, kid. I'll tear you apart, I swear. Izaya silently threatened the armed boy.

"Now move it. If it's gotten out that I killed that bitch stalker. Then my girl and I have to get out of here before the cops show up."

"But-!" Mikado exclaimed only to be cut off, "I've been watching her for so long, I wanted to free her from that cramped glass tank, that's all I ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever thought about."

Izaya moved closer to Mikado preparing for the worse, everyone seemed to have the same idea because the entirety of Kyohei's gang gathered around ready to protect the young teen.

"What are you doing?" Kyohei asked in a threateningly even voice.

"No matter what you do the power of love cannot be stopped by anyone!" Seiji cried his expression showing no fear nor anything. A completely normal expression made it all the more chilling as the teen lifted the scalpel to the sky only point it back at Mikado who took a step back, almost into Izaya's chest.

"Not even someone like you! Both then and now, you rely on nothing but numbers!" he shouted, "You're like a sad third-rate villain. I bet you've never even been in love before." Seiji sneered.

Well, I'm working on changing that but okay. Izaya thought blandly before focusing back on Mikado who basically seethed at Seiji's comment.

"You can't be third rate if you understand the effort that goes into gathering these numbers." Mikado muttered coldly, glaring at the other teen before him, his eyes like ice and fire.

Seiji only smirked and raised the scalpel. Izaya grabbed Mikado's shoulders, pulling him back and out of harm's way at the same time Celty made her move, smacking the disturbed kid's wrist with the handle of her scythe.

But despite the pain, he did not drop it but instead, he swung it was Mikado again causing Izaya to have to drag the teen along with him as he jumped back slightly.

"My love will not be broken by this." Seiji said swinging the scalpel in a large arc trying to cut the people surrounding him but they all dodged out of the way and Celty hit him again. "That won't work on me." His eyes focused on Mikado again and Izaya pulled the teen behind him, his hand going to his knife once again.

"Is this guy totally insane!?" Kyohei exclaimed watching in shock as the teen stared forthright without an ounce of pain or hesitation. "It doesn't work, I don't need to feel pain- I just shake it off. My life with Celty doesn't need pain so doing what you want, I refuse to feel pain!"

"You're acting insane!" Mikado shouted from where he stood behind slightly behind Izaya, he'd moved over a bit to be able to see.

Celty raised her scythe again, it no longer had dull edges anymore; it was now razor sharp and could through anything.

It was now Mikado's turn to pull Izaya back, everyone took a wide berth as it swung in a full arc and descended on Seiji's arm.

"Stop!" everyone froze and the scythe stopped just before it hit Seiji's body.

Harima Mika, the girl that had been behind Seiji the entire time boldly pushed her body between the scythe and Seiji's body.

"Stop it! Seiji-kun might be harsh, violent and a little different from other people, but he saved me! He saved me and Anri-chan! But even if he's in love with someone else, I love him…so…you can't kill him." She exclaimed but her voice became a trembling mess near the end and she collapsed into Seiji in a fit of tears.

Izaya felt his coat pull and looked down to see Mikado was still holding onto him tightly and pride swelled in his heart.

"Harima…Mika…" the teen mumbled quietly but it was silent enough in that moment that everyone heard. Mikado stepped out from Izaya a bit more, still tightly holding onto the man's coat.

"You're Harima Mika-san aren't you? The girl Yagiri-kun supposedly killed?" The teen said louder and more certain.

"That's a lie." Seiji said certainly before looking down at the girl after a long moment, "It's not true right?"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry…I wasn't really dead…I clung to life and your sister asked if I want you to love me. And even though you almost killed me, I still loved you so much, so I accepted! This doctor told me that with a bit of plastic surgery and make-up I could look just like that head that Seiji-kun loves so much!" she cried and Izaya held back a grimace.

I might be a little interested in Mikado-kun but that's ridiculous. If he tried to kill me, I would kill him instead not go back to him, not that Mikado-kun could ever kill me but still…if I ever become this crazy, someone please stab me or something. Izaya thought his face giving no hint to his strange mindset as she continued.

"The doctor said 'Your name is Celty. That's the name of the head.' So I decided to try and become Celty but your sister wanted to take away my memories and I didn't want to forget how much I loved you…so I escaped the lab to come tell you how I felt."

Oh Shinra, sometimes I wonder if you have a death wish. Izaya though as he watched the real Celty tremble and clench her fists. What a shame, I'll have to find a new doctor.

Mikado blinked as Celty bowed to him before taking off on her bike and disappearing into the night with a mighty horse-like screech.

"No way…how come I didn't notice…" Seiji said in disbelief which drew everyone's attention back to him.

Izaya snorted, "Well look at that. You couldn't even tell a fake from the real thing. I mean, if we're being honest, it just shows how real your love for that head really is. Nice work, kid." Izaya crowed a wide smirk on his face, next to him Mikado managed a wry smile; considering everything that had happened, it was like an absurd comedy really.

"Umm…" not moving from Izaya's side, Mikado spoke up. "Maybe you didn't realise that she was an imposter but you still risked your life to save hers and that's pretty incredible." He told Seiji and Izaya raised an eyebrow.

Is he serious? This kid was literally threatening to kill him before and now he's trying to cheer him up? Izaya watched his disbelief as the blue-eyed teen turned to Mika.

"And after I heard your side of the story I realised something…you might have some... flaws but you're not a stalker."

Um no, Mikado-kun…she's definitely a stalker…Izaya felt as his thoughts were echoed by everyone else.

"Then again…she's probably about as bad, she has the possessive urge that leads to stalking. But she put her life on the line for Yagiri-kun…I don't think you could do something like that if it was solely out of selfish desire. Plus, the fact that she still loves him after he tried to kill her is beyond astonishing…in various ways." Mikado spoke so quietly, as if to himself and Izaya wasn't really sure if anyone but him could hear the teen.

He watched as the teen looked at the two people on the ground and tilted his head, "I think you two are very alike." Mikado said softly before glancing up at Izaya who smiled down at the teen, agreeing silently.


Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback are very much appreciated.

To be Continued next week~