Oh my god I can't believe it took this long to update... I can't apologize enough guys but I hope you're all still reading. Also, I know that x2 has come out and if I can get my hands on it I may try and incorporate some of that into the story if I can since this was supposed to be a kind of between time. Otherwise I'm going to let you get to it, if you enjoy please review because I like the feedback.

-Chapter 11-

Yrsa danced her way down the brightly illuminated road, skipping and playing an invisible game of hopscotch as she wandered the nearly empty streets. Ever since the color gangs had gotten serious most people wouldn't be caught dead outside at that hour from fear of a mugging or worse. But she wasn't about to let the threat of some petty thugs ruin her good mood.

The debt had finely been cleared and it was a joyous occasion, one she didn't plan to squander in her stuffy little apartment. Anyways, it wasn't like she would have company if she was back there. Once Mashi had managed to score a job from Tom the woman was barely home anymore; what Mashi actually did Yrsa didn't know, it could have been helping Shizuo collect debts or even holding him off from beating some of their clients. Whatever it was Mashi was doing so late at night Yrsa didn't care for the details. But, she thought dirtily as she tiptoed along a crack in the cement, it may not have been the job that was keeping her out so late these days.

Yes, it was certainly a night to celebrate, but it was so boring to attend a one man party. A private party for two would be much more fun. She pulled out her cellphone and started dialing up Izaya's number when she bumped into someone. Looking up she found a tall man scowling up at her from the sidewalk flanked by a couple of friends.

"I'm so sorry," Yrsa apologized and offered her hand to help the man up. He slapped it away and climbed to his feet extending himself to his full height. She fought the urge to giggle at his attempt to intimidate her. He tried drawing himself up past her height to no avail and only succeeded in looking about as threatening as an angry kitten with that childish frown on his face.

"Yeah I bet," he growled shoving his hands deep into his pockets and conjuring up a half-decent glare that kept flickering between her face and chest, not that she was surprised. What did surprise her was the slowly growing recognition the longer his stare lingered. Strange, because she had never seen any of them before. "Do you even know who we are, bitch?"

Yrsa paused to ape thought, sticking her finger on her chin and furrowing her brow as if deep in concentration. They weren't going to ruin her good mood. "Well if I had to guess you're just some hoodlums that were too stupid to properly finish high school- no middle school, definitely middle school. Am I close?" She chirped. "Ooh! Or maybe you're a trio of secret agents pretending to be a bunch of losers that have never seen a woman's breasts before. The way you three are staring is making me think the latter-"

The stranger to the man's left interrupted her. "Isn't that the info guy's jacket?" He asked with a voice muffled behind a purple bandanna. "The one that got Kido pinched?"

So that was where the recognition came from. It wasn't her it was the coat. They must have run across Izaya at some point, the poor idiots.

"That true? You wearing that asshole info broker's jacket?" The man in the middle took a menacing step forward. Anger darkening into a violent rage was coloring his spirit an ugly shade. She hoped he had enough brains not to act on it but the sudden grip on her arm told her no.

"You mean Izaya-chan?" She asked innocently when her thoughts were anything but. If this man continued to touch her like that she would break him. "This was his coat but I decided it suited me much better."

The pitiful grip on her arm tightened. "You must be pretty good friends than. But I bet you don't know how he screwed our friends over. I think we should return the favor." He tugged on her arm as one of his friends grabbed the other. They had no idea what they were getting into.

She put up an intentionally pathetic fight as they dragged her into a nearby alley, the third of their little group keeping an eye out behind them for any late night do-gooders. When the man with her arm slammed her into the cold brick of a building she just stared at him with calculated fear, wondering what his plan was exactly. If she was to salvage her evening she might as well ask, but only how they expected.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" She asked slathering the fear on so thickly it would have been easy to see though, just to see if they could. The sudden smirk of superiority told her that he probably couldn't have seen through a brand new window.

"I'm going to show you not to mess with the Purple Stripes," he cackled letting her go to crack his knuckles as his friend helped corner her against the wall.

"Purple Stripes? Oh no are you a color gang?" She fluttered her lashes and drew frightened hands to her face. "I'm so sorry!" Yrsa cried and shrunk back against the wall. "I had no idea I was insulting gangster. Please don't hurt me!"

They bought the act and relaxed, the two men grinning around her while their friend kept watch far away enough that he wouldn't react in time.

"Please I'm really very sorry," she pleaded. "If you let me go I won't tell anyone-"

A sharp flicking noise drew her attention. The man she had knocked down had pulled a switchblade from his pocket and waved it dangerously through the air; his grip on the weapon was precarious, like he didn't know how to use it. From his arrogant air and the way he played with the knife she could tell he probably hadn't used one before, let alone threatened someone with the tool.

"Not good enough," he smirked and brought the tip of her blade under her shirt.

"No please…" She sobbed gently. "Please don't ruin my favorite shirt."

Silence fell and the two looked at her dumbstruck, the knife poised against more fabric than flesh. The hands they had failed to restrain shoved the man and the sound of cloth tearing punctuated the still air. Yrsa slapped the knife from the man's hand and punched him so hard he hit the other side of the alley. His friend dove at her and she tripped him with ease before dropping her elbow into his spine. He crumpled to the filthy ground and she sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. Best not to get carried away and do any real damage.

Footsteps echoed down the alley. She looked up and saw the third man running down the alley back towards the street. His disloyalty was disgusting, but she didn't blame him if he had seen what happened.

"Damn it…" she murmured examining her shirt as she headed back towards the street. A large tear ran from chest to hem, not even some clever stitches could remedy it. "And this was such a nice shirt."

She took her time reaching the mouth of the alley, hoping the idiots she had flattened had enough sense to go home and lick their wounds. At very least she hoped they would reconsider accosting anyone else that looked helpless. Yrsa stopped just short of the street, the exit to fresh air only a couple feet away when a shrill caw caught her attention.

"Horfinn," she sighed and extended her arm. The bird landed gracefully and hopped along her forearm as he crowed, puffing out his white chest and glancing at the mouth of the alley.

"So, he didn't run," she scoffed quietly to her familiar and stroked his head, "he just went ahead to ambush me."

The bird clapped his beak and let out a throaty rattle before taking flight. She turned at his warning to see the other two gang members had recovered enough to be running after her and were now armed with what looked like the switchblade and a broken bottle that must have hidden among the refuse lining the alley.

"You've got to be kidding me," she growled in irritation. She was half tempted to draw her own blade and end the battle quickly. No, that was stupid thinking, she had to take them out with either her fists or something nearby, something they could survive a blow or two from. Scattered with the garbage around her were shards of glass that wouldn't be any help, some overstuffed plastic bags she didn't have time to dig through, and a large rusted pipe that could easily kill them if she struck with enough force. Another sigh passed through her lips as the men drew ever closer. Fists would do well enough. She just had to wait until they came to her.

The knife stabbed out at her. She leapt backward out of the alley and caught sight of their friend just as he swung a wooden bat down nearly hitting his friend in the process. Where he had gotten the bat didn't matter, but it would be a great defense if she could get it away from him. While the man with the bat was recovering his footing after barely avoiding his friend she lunged and wrapped her hands around the center of the bat but the broken bottle slashed toward her arms making her retreat for the moment.

"You're gonna regret messing with us," spat the one with the knife. "You're dead!"

He ran at her again, both hands around the handle of his blade now that he understood it could be lost to him. She danced to the side only to twist out of range of the bat. The bottle whizzed by her and she managed to turn and jab the man in the gut; the satisfying sound of breaking glass was behind her as the annoying squawk of a raven passed overhead. The man fell to his knees grasping his stomach and choking for breath.

Yrsa heard one of them running at her again. It was knife-man again, still charging at her like an enraged bulls with the knife straight out. Didn't he learn? She rushed him and caught his hands before the knife could dig into her exposed stomach. The damn bird squawked, again ordering her to run away from the fight.

"Shut up, Horfinn! I know what I'm doing!" She snarled to the bird in the only tongue he understood and she twisted hard enough to throw the man into his friend with the bat. They crumpled to the ground in a twist of limbs that fought to untangle itself, their weapons clattered uselessly into the road as she struggled to calm down.

Horfinn's cawing pulled her attention once more; he was flapping angrily from the top of a trashcan and still telling her to run away. He was always doing this, but not without good reason she supposed. She finally relented to his pleas and turned to head home, the evening totally ruined by the diversion.

"You…you bitch!" Snarled the man that had started all of this and could have just as easily avoided it.

Yrsa stopped and turned to glare at him. "Can't you just shut up? You've already ruined my evening and now your voice is grating on my last nerve," she spat bitterly.

He struggled to one foot but still leaned heavily on one knee to support himself even as he grabbed up the knife. He had spirit, she'd give him that, but not a whole lot of brains if he was going to try and come at her again. All that energy wasted to attack her and all he had managed to do was irritate her.

"We're going to… we're going to get you back for this," he growled slashing the knife through the air. "You just wait! The Purple Stripes are going to rise again and you're going to be our first target, even before that asshole info broker!" Yrsa rolled her eyes. He was still talking. "We're going to cut you and beat you and- Daichi now!"

It had been a trap, and she had been stupid enough to fall for it. The man she had punched had snuck away and was on her fast, swinging the heavy pipe from the alley straight into her ribs. Even if she hadn't felt the ribs break she would have known from the sickening crack of bone as the pipe made contact. She had been too confident and didn't pay attention to all three of her attackers. Now they might die because of it.

Yrsa stumbled and coughed feeling the blood dribble down her chin, gripping the pipe that rested against her side while the man holding it laughed at his victory. Red seeped into the corners of her vision. She tore the large pipe from his hand and threw it aside like it was nothing. In an instant she was on him, one hand around his throat slamming him to the ground so hard that he stopped laughing, he stopped moving at all.

"Daichi!" Screamed one of the men. His footsteps ran at her. "What did you do to him?!" If he hadn't become her new target she might have finished the first.

It was the man with the knife, again, and he was charging at her with the same finesse as before. She didn't bother dodging the blade as it sliced through her waist and brought the man closer, close enough that she could grab his head and bring it slamming down on her knee. He crumbled and lay as motionless as his friend. Before she could finish him there was a shrill cry and Horfinn had flown at her, clawing and pecking at her face, ordering her to flee before she was fully berserk.

With the red receding she could finally think and feel the blows that had landed. The last gangster had fled sometime during her rage. He could have simply run or he could be getting backup. Either way she couldn't stick around the find out. After all the raven's warnings she finally ran.

It was hard to move now that the pain was throbbing through her. Cracked or broken ribs on one side and a jagged gash straight through the other. Just perfect. Her tolerance for pain was greater than any normal human's but it coupled with the fatigue of nearly going berserk were slowing her down. Not even a block away she had to stop and rest behind a building. Her mind wandered back to the men she had downed. Were they dead or had she just knocked them out? Would the one that have run gotten some backup by now? If the two recovered would they really swear revenge on her? These questions and others were cut off with the blare of her cellphone. Frankly she was surprised it stayed in her pocket during the fight.

The number was blocked but she answered anyways. "Hello?" She asked cautiously.

"That was a nasty fight, Yrsa-chan. You really should have run a lot sooner."

How he knew about that so quickly or why his number hadn't shown up were questions for later. "Izaya…" The relief that swelled in her chest at the sound of his voice was strange to say the least. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"They're coming after you," he relayed. "With what little of their gang is left."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Of course. I've got to look out for my girlfriend don't I?" He was probably saying it to work some angle but it made her smile nonetheless. "So get in the car."

"What?" She asked but heard the click from the line.

She shoved the phone back into her pocket and looked around. There wasn't a car in sight. It must have been a joke, a bad one. She wasn't stupid enough to assume his warning had been. She risked a peek around the corner and could make out a several people hurrying up the road.

Without more rest she stumbled down the street as quickly as she could. For a foolish moment she considered taking flight, but if Izaya had seen what had happened just minutes ago he might see her now, and she wasn't about to confirm his suspicions. Her legs struggled through the pain as she ran another block praying that she could make it to her apartment before that gang found her. As she prepared to run through an intersection a car horn blared. She threw herself back to the pavement sending a ripple of fresh pain up her side. Tires screeched and a van skid to a halt before her, the large image of some anime girl painted on the door that was thrown open.

"Hurry up and get in!" Yelled a girl from inside.

Izaya's words echoed in Yrsa's mind and she climbed into the back of the vehicle with a reasonable amount of doubt. The driver took off as soon as the door was shut at such a speed that she and two others were thrown to the floor. Yrsa grit her teeth and sat up clutching at her side as a fresh wave of blood oozed out. The girl and boy back there with her were laughing heartily.

"Man it's been a while hasn't it?" Chuckled a blonde boy with thin eyes and a wide grin.

"I know right?" Added the girl who had lured her in. "What do you think this is about?"

"Pipe down you two," ordered a deep voice from the front though it held more exasperation than authority. "You okay?"

"Been better," Yrsa admitted to the man. "I appreciate the lift but who are you people?"

The man turned around to address her. "Kyohei Kadota, that's Erika and Walker, and Saburo's the one driving. Don't worry we aren't going to hurt you."

He was sincere, a little suspicious, and very curious by the feel of things, though not nearly as much as the two in the back with her, their eager stares boring into her back. Before she could ask anything the girl had piped up energetically.

"So why's Izaya having us pick you up?" she asked eagerly leaning in.

"Yeah he told us you were his girlfriend- that's a heck of a cover!" Walker added, also leaning in.

"Cover- is that what he said?" She growled sourly leaning back into the side of the van so she could keep an eye on the pair of ever-approaching weirdos.

"No but it has to be right?" Erika chirped. "I mean he and Shizu-chan are totally-" Whatever she was about to say was covered up by Walker's hand. The girl fought viciously to get away and finish whatever dirty delusion was trying to escape her mouth.

"I am his girlfriend," Yrsa snapped behind an tight smile.

"What?!" The pair was practically in her lap they had drawn so close.

"Leave her alone you two," Kyohei commanded with a sigh. Despite his lackluster tone the pair returned to their seats. "That explains why we're taking you to Shinjuku. But listen up, he's not someone you want to get involved with."

She had heard that from a couple of people, like the chef at Russia Sushi or a blonde boy that had looked livid when he had caught sight of her coat until he realized the person wearing it was a woman, and then he had flirted shamelessly. His warning would deter her no more than those she had already heard.

"It's a little late for that," she laughed softly but even that made her wince. "So what's in Shinjuku?"

Kyohei scoffed. "That sounds like him to not tell you. He asked that we bring you to his apartment."

His apartment? That was certainly curious. She couldn't help but feel Izaya was scheming something as she rode with the strangers out of Ikebukero and into the adjacent ward. The drive wasn't long and before Yrsa knew it they had pulled to a stop outside a large complex. She slid out passed Erika and Walker, and stared at the image of the anime girl with amusement, wondering why something so garish was plastered across the side of this otherwise normal van. Her phone buzzed with a text. Like the call before it had come from an unknown number but it told her a door code and room number, probably– hopefully –Izaya's.

"Hey, you gonna be alright?" Kyohei asked as she stepped around the side of the van. He was genuinely concerned. That was odd.

Was Izaya really so dangerous? Probably, given that he had sent a wanted poster to Shizuo and then later dropped her from a roof. Maybe she was being too reckless, too relaxed. She knew she couldn't simply vanish. Not only would that leave Mashi alone to battle her psychotic mother and all the resources she possessed but Izaya had proven tonight that she was as good as a slide under a microscope unable to escape his gaze so easily. She'd have to keep a better guard up.

She turned a smile to him. "Yeah it'll be fine," she told him with a confidence she wasn't sure she possessed just then. "Thanks for the ride guys. Maybe I'll catch you around again."

Kyohei nodded to her, the concern she divined from him not leaving until he and the van had disappeared behind a corner. Well, she thought turning to the apartments, she may as well head up before something else happened to make the despicable night even worse.

The lobby was quiet, the only sounds the tiny beeps as she entered in the combination on a gate that would let her deeper into the complex. She half-expected the code to be a fake and let out a relieved sigh when the lock clicked and allowed her access to the elevators. Izaya's apartment– or what she was still assuming was his apartment –was on one of the top floors, pricey but then again he did like looking down on others. The apartment was easy enough to find once she was on the correct floor. She knocked and waited. And waited. And waited until she was ready to kick the damn door down. Her foot was poised in the air to kick when the door swung open to reveal the grinning man.

"Ah, Yrsa-chan, so glad you could make it," Izaya greeted cheerily as his eyes ghosted over her body, his smile never faltering as he caught sight of the bruising now flowering over her stomach and chest and the drying blood that was gluing her tattered shirt to her other side.

"Well, you were kind enough to send a ride," she quipped back and entered once he had moved aside.

His apartment left her in shock. Her apartment could easily fit twice over in there at least, and that was just the bottom floor. Hell, his kitchen alone looked like it was half the size of her bedroom, and two people had to fit in that. If she hadn't been so awestruck she might have been a little jealous.

"Nice place," she complimented before cutting to the chase. "So why am I here?"

He ignored her question. "Tea?" He offered closing the door. "It's a little late for coffee."

"Izaya, please." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't think about the sticky blood still there until she felt her hair caught against her fingers. Great. She didn't remember the last time she looked so shoddy in front of a man.

He fussed about in his kitchen, the sound of a stove lighting and the clattering of a pot alerting her to his task. "So serious," he teased. "If you'd gone to a hospital how would you explain yourself? Or how you're still walking with those injuries?"

He had her there. "True. I wouldn't have been able to foot the bill anyways. I don't suppose you have some bandages around here."

Izaya peeked out of the kitchen long enough to point her towards his entertainment nook. There was a first aid kit settled on the coffee table between the television and couch. She thanked him and hurried to rummage through the well-stocked box. By the time he brought over tea and an ice pack she was finished treating the slash on her side; it would bleed a little but it would be healed up in a few days, she only wished her ribs would repair themselves as quickly but the ice pack would at least relieve them for the time.

"I added some sugar. I know how you like sweet drinks," Izaya commented and took the seat next to her.

She snapped the box shut and pushed it back onto the coffee table. "You're such a stalker," she laughed trying to ignore the stinging it pulled from her ribs. "Speaking of which, how did you know about the fight?"

"There are cameras everywhere," he answered vaguely as he sipped his tea. "And now you're on the bad side of a defunct gang. How unfortunate for you."

She pressed the ice into her side and could've moaned at the cooling relief. "I can handle myself." She sighed relaxing into the couch. The tea from Izaya's cup smelled good. Her own cup lay on the table, steaming invitingly. "I should tell you, defunct or not, they seem hell-bent on revenge against you. And probably me now. Said something about you doing something to one of their friends?"

Izaya smirked and let out an arrogant chuckle. "Of course they want revenge. I'm the reason their little gang fell apart. How desperate they must be, scurrying around the streets like roaches and trying to claw their way back up the food chain."

"You don't sound worried," she remarked picking up her tea and taking a sip; true to his word it was delightfully sweet.

His smirk widened. "Why should I be? There's only a handful of them left and the current gang activity will be more than enough to keep them from getting out of hand. They won't be a problem."

There was a sinister gleam in his eyes as he spoke. Sure there were rumors floating around about a gang war about to break out and people were more worried about going out at night, but the way he spoke made her think he knew more about the situation than what the rumors were telling. His next words only made her more suspicious.

"There's no need for you to worry either, I guarantee it. Not about the color gangs at least," his eyes twinkled dangerously as he took the cup from her hands and settled it back on the table.

She hadn't realized she couldn't feel her legs until numbness began creeping into her hands; if Izaya hadn't taken the cup away she would have dropped it, and he knew that. He really couldn't be trusted. "Izaya..." she managed to say.

"No need to glare, Yrsa-chan," he cooed lowering her gently to the couch when the numbness tugged at her body.

"What did you do?" She slurred on her back with him just inches above.

"I decided it was safest for you to stay here tonight since those people are after you. Aren't I nice?" He teased and brushed some hair from her eyes. She didn't like the way he was hovering over her.

"You need plenty of rest with those injuries. So get some sleep, Yrsa-chan," he said leaning in. He pushed his lips to hers before the numbness penetrated her mind and the world spun into blackness.