Joshua waited for his Proxy to shut his door before looking at the being he considered a father.

"I will happily bet my own existence, Sanae. I want Neku out of the equation. Don't think I didn.t notice Apollo including him in his little threat. My Proxy is...special...to me. He's done a lot, and win or lose, he's to be rewarded."

"Josh, Phones made his own wager. You might not like it, but it's the fate he's chosen if things go south. He feels a degree of responsibility in this endeavor. Your loss...is his loss. He's willing to fall with you...or fight with you."

"Show me."

Sanae looked at him "Hmmm?"

"Don't play ignorant Sanae. Show me both outcomes!"

"You know clairvoyance is not one of my talents, Josh." The barista protested

"Use your Mind's Eye!"

"The Mind's Eye is a window to events I already witnessed, and it's already being used elsewhere."

The Composer looked at him with pleading eyes "Please...Sanae I have to know. Win or lose..I need to know the outcome. Not for my sake...but for Neku. It may even help me focis, hmm?"

Sanae Hanekoma sighed. He could hardly argue with a request like that. The Producer sighed and went to the kitchen, got a large bowl, and filled it with water. He then brought it to the coffee table and set it down.

"This technique hasn't been used since the middle ages, but it still works."

The angel touched Joshua's hand to the water, then took it out.

"Ok now...just watch."

The Composer stared hard at the rippling pool until something began to appear.

There was champagn, Ramen, everyone was happy. Kariya was drunk on the carpet. Neku and himself were chatting on the couch, chopsticks raised in celebration.

Joshua snickered

"That's the good ending. A bit predictable. That's our goal. Now, show me Neku's future...if we fail."

The water rippled, and became dark and murky. Finally, it revealed his Proxy.

Head bowed, gaunt, barely being kept alive. The once proud, imaginative teen looked about ready to keel over. But he didn't. he was being kept in that condition on purpose, he wasn't allowed to die. His body suddenly spasmed as a psych ripped through it, throwing him to the ground.

"No..." Joshua croaked "Not Neku!"

When it stopped, the teen limped over to a prone form in the corner and put the ash-blond head in his lap. Joshua waved his hand over the pool, distorting the image with a rough "I'm well aware of my own fate should we lose." He then turned burning eyes to the Producer.

"This...cannot happen. You kill him. You snap his neck and end him, Sanae. Kariya has his instructions on what to do after that. I've had plans for my Proxy since before my trial. He won't play again. I owe him that much."

The barista ran a hand through his hair

"So, he kills you. I kill him...where's my release?"

"You ascend, I suppose. There'd be nothing keeping you here. Don't think I didn't figure out that the only reason you haven't become an archangel or the High Councilman yet is because of our relationship. You can claim it's for Shibuya, but I know better."

Hanekoma rubbed his neck "Guilty as charged."

"I'm serious Sanae." Joshua hissed lowly "Apollo's right. If you two kill me, Neku will pay the price. I'm not going to risk that, but I also refuse to watch him...deteriorate without being able to fully die! Please, Sanae...Please...just put an end to him if things go south. I'll honor Neku's wish and let him erase me, even if it's not right away, but Apollo can't have him in exchange!"

Hanekoma raised both hands "Alright, J! Alright."

The Composer lay down, a relieved air around him

"Thanks, Sanae. You can let Neku rejoin us now."

Suddenly, there was a BANG from the Proxy's room.

Joshua narrowed his purple eyes.

"That was a gunshot! NEKU!"

With no strength, no coordination, and no thought but what the hell did Neku just do he won't get thirty miles close to a firearm since what I did to him WHAT THE HELL HAS HE DONE!? Joshua dragged himself up the stairs and threw open the door to reveal...

Neku Sakuraba facing his window, a scowl on his face as his body shook in barely controlled rage. Both arms were outstretched, and clutched in both hands, finger still on the trigger...was a smoking revolver.

Gritting his teeth, the Proxy roared, "BASTARD!" and shot twice more before the Composer promptly tackled him to the ground, wrestling the smoking handgun out of his grip. Sanae took it and then wrapped the raging, flailing proxy in his strong beargrip

"Eeeeaaasyy Phones! Just calm down...easy...What got you so riled?"

"I'll KILL HIM! I'll Kill him! Let me go, I'll KILL that son of a—I'll KILL HIM!"

"Sanae...employ your psych please." Joshua said from the floor. He hadn't gotten up, being too weak.

"Sorry about this, kid, but you need a time out. Have a rest, on me."

With a single touch, Neku was forced to sleep.

"What was that all about?" the Barista asked vaguely "Phones would rather eat puke than come near a firearm again."

"Not sure Sanae, but I'm guessing it has to do with my stalker." Joishua growled with a scowl.