Shinra stretched his arms up over his head, yawning as he stood up from his chair when the bell rang to signal the end of class. More importantly, the end of the day, and even more importantly – the half-term break. Shinra smiled widely, feeling excited. School breaks never used to be like this because he had no friends to share them with, and now, he looked forward to all of them. Like summer, for example, that whole break consisted of dramatic water fights - always started by Izaya and Shizuo - festivals, campouts in Izaya's garden, which usually involved his little sisters joining. Shinra almost blushed when other memories entered his mind because, let's not forget, the lack of clothing due to the intense heat. Izaya in nothing but shorts and sometimes a thin sweater in the cooler evenings. It was a memory Shinra would not forget anytime soon.

He'd known Izaya for seven months now, and five and a half of those crushing on him, or more accurately, falling in love with him, since June. Shinra had come to terms with his feelings, and although it killed him not to act on them, he would rather carry on this way than ever lose his friendship with the boy. He also figured that it would affect his other two friends because Kadota and Shizuo had known almost from the start, and he didn't want to make things awkward for them.

Surprisingly, they hadn't had any requests to help with ghost activities over the summer, and the four friends were actually grateful. It had been way too hot, and much to Shinra's shameful delight, Izaya and Shizuo fought more throughout the summer break than usual, but they had fun times.

Shinra knew his feelings toward Izaya were accelerating on the day he witnessed the raven devouring his ice lolly. His lips were swollen from the cold treat, and it physically and quite mentally destroyed Shinra's pure mind. Shinra refused to think about it - ever! He couldn't handle where those thoughts led him. The days when some nights were hotter than others were a bitch, and not only was he frustrated because of the weather, his dreams kept him awake too. He could not control his thoughts while he slept, and Shinra hated himself for it. It seemed very perverted to think of his best friend that way, even if he was in love. Again, he blamed the summer heat; it made him crazy, and he also blamed all frozen treats, especially ice lollies. His thoughts had died down considerably now that it was winter, and he felt he could think straight - in the literal sense.

Izaya and Shizuo's fighting dwindled too, and in a way, Shinra was relieved because he really did want them to get along most of the time.

Shinra didn't understand why he was jealous anyway. Izaya wasn't his in any way romantically, nor did he have a say in his friend's love interests. Even if such feelings developed between the constantly arguing pair, Shizuo was the kind of friend who would never do anything about it because he knew how Shinra felt about the raven. Izaya, well, he was just way too stubborn, wasn't he? Let's face it, it took Shinra long enough to form a friendship with the boy.

Shinra laughed to himself; he was overthinking this way too much. "What's funny?" He heard Kadota ask from beside him, packing away his things. The two were the last in their class, clearly in no hurry to leave school grounds. Kadota knew Shinra and Izaya were rather excited about setting up their new equipment today.

Since they had no requests except for Kira's, they took responsibility to get summer jobs. They kept some money for themselves, and the rest went into their funds. They were serious about starting up their own business someday.

Izaya and Shinra took part-time jobs from their dads, much to their parent's surprise, and Kadota and Shizuo got jobs as lifeguards at the local outside pool that opened during the summer season. They were both good swimmers, and no one ignored the basic pool rules too much, so Shizuo's temper wasn't a problem. There were perks to the jerk since they had two free hours on Sunday between 4-6 to enjoy the pool without other people disturbing them and were allowed to bring some friends.

With the money earned, they could purchase one infrared camera, one high-tech computer system, and a set of microphones.

Today was their first time testing their equipment's capabilities, and hopefully, it was money well spent.

"Nothing," Shinra finally replied with a smile. "Thank god, half-term week," he said as they left the classroom.

"Halloween next Saturday. Do you think we should do anything special?" Kadota had pondered the thought all day. They were too old for costumes and trick or treating... but still, doing something might be fun. "Was thinking maybe a horror night? Ya know, snacks, pizza and just your average selection of horror classics."

Shinra nodded in agreement with a wide smile. "Wow! I was thinking the same thing too! I had those plans already."

"Really?" The two walked through the corridor, making a right turn, and headed up the stairs toward their club room. "Good, I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Sounds like it could be fun I guess."

"Agreed! I'm sure Izaya and Shizuo will be up for it too. we can each pick out a film and we'll all chip in for the snacks and dinner."

"Good idea." The two reached the corridor of their room. "They text you at all?" As if on cue, Shinra's phone bleeped, and the bespectacled boy took it out from his back pocket and sighed once he'd read the received message. "Something wrong?"

Shinra merely chuckled. "They're going to be late," he said and showed Kadota the message. The brunet leaned forward.

'Get started without us. I may or may not have got Shizu-chan angry, and he threw a sculpture at me and we're both in detention, or in our case "Time-out" according to the teacher.'

Kadota rolled his eyes. "I knew they were bound to argue at some point. I wonder what Izaya said or did to piss him off this time."

Shinra laughed as they reached their room, and he pulled out the key. "I have no idea, but if a sculpture was thrown, we probably don't wanna know."

"Probably right about that." They entered the room, and Shinra grinned at the unopened boxes in the back corner of the room, wasting no time in rushing over to them. "Can you handle all this by yourself? I'm not big on tech, but just tell me what to do, and I'll help as much as I can."

"I'll leave the computer system up to Izaya and we'll work on setting up the camera to make sure it works properly."

...

Izaya and Shizuo were seated with two desks between them, each staring at the clock on the wall. Izaya jotted something down on a sheet of paper, screwed it up into a ball, and threw it over at Shizuo when the teacher's back was turned as she scribbled across the green chalkboard.

Shizuo blinked at the paper and unscrewed it. 'This is your fault.' That was it, simply put, and no trace of sharing the blame. Not that the blond expected such a thing anyway.

Growling to himself, Shizuo wrote an angry reply and threw it back over, hitting Izaya in the head with it. He smirked when an annoyed glare was directed at him. Izaya opened it and rolled his eyes. 'You pissed me off!'

Honestly, such a simple brute. Izayawrote something back. 'You weren't paying attention and were doing it all wrong.'

This went back and forth until the teacher told them they could go.

'You didn't have to criticize my drawing.'

'Your "drawing" wasn't anything! Nothing to do with the arts of poetry!'

'Who the fuck knows how to "draw" poetry!'

'I did! If you had listened in the first place!'

'You were being an ass!'

'You weren't paying attention! Your drawing looked like something a five year old would draw!'

'Fuck you!'

'Food is not poetry you stupid protozoan!'

'Shut up! It could be!'

The two gathered their books in a pile and placed them on their teacher's desk as they left the class.

Once they were far away from the room, Shizuo stopped and grabbed a fistful of Izaya's red shirt, slamming him against the wall. The raven grinned at him, and Shizuo gritted his teeth. "You're lucky that sculpture didn't actually hit you." Izaya chuckled - like Shizuo would have really been happy if it had.

"Whatever, Shizu-chan. Next time, try to at least listen to me, and you might actually learn something for once."

Shizuo slammed him against the wall again. "You're pushing your luck with me, fleabag."

Izaya clicked his tongue, brought his hand down at his waist, and withdrew his knife, holding it to the blond's throat. "You are the reason we got permanently paired together in the first place. If you weren't so idiotic, I wouldn't have had to cover for you on that test and lie about my own."

Shizuo brought him forward, almost head-butting him in the face when their foreheads touched. "I didn't ask you to!"

"But I could tell you were grateful. At least now the teacher won't know how unfocused and simple you really are." Izaya smirked. "I know that it kills you because you have to rely on me during the whole lesson. I hate to think what you're going to do during a-" Shizuo slammed his fist against the wall beside Izaya's head, and the raven actually jumped a little, eyes widening.

Shizuo shoved him away and stalked off down the corridor. "Tell Shinra and Kadota that I'm going home. I don't trust myself around you right now."

Izaya sighed in frustration as he leaned against the wall. "Why don't I just shut up for once." He shrugged and started walking. "He shouldn't be so fun to annoy," he chuckled.

…...

Izaya walked into the classroom and instantly noticed the glare from Kadota. He rolled his eyes and took a seat on the floor next to the computer boxes. "What did you do this time?" Kadota asked, his tone stern.

Izaya used his knife to cut across the top of the first box. He opened up the flaps and started taking out the loose cables. "Not sure what you're referring to, Dota-chin."

Kadota snorted. "Cut the crap, Izaya. You know what I'm talking about. Shizuo sent me a text telling me he went home already, and that he'll see us whenever."

Izaya sat back, unraveling the cables and placing them side by side out of the way. "If Shizu-chan wants to sulk about it, then let him. His weapon of choice is violence, and if he wants to hit me with objects or fists, I'll hit him back with words."

Kadota frowned. "Did he hit you?" He already knew his answer because Izaya showed no obvious injuries, and where Shizuo was concerned, that was inevitable.

Izaya avoided his gaze because he knew Kadota was mad at him, and he always did feel guilty whenever he said something to Shizuo that caused the angry teen to retreat like he had done. Ever since Shizuo went berserk on Izaya that day in the classroom, the blond would just leave whenever Izaya's words hurt Shizuo too much. "No," he replied, the slightest hint of remorse in his voice.

"Words can hurt more than physical attacks sometimes, Izaya."

Izaya sneered at the remark; yes, he felt bad now, but he would not sit here and get scolded like a damn child. He frowned up at his friend. "That's the point, isn't it?"

Shinra bit his lip as he looked between his two friends.

Kadota stood up from his spot on the floor, walked over to Izaya, and lifted the raven off the ground without warning. "Don't you think he's been through enough? That he's had enough bullshit thrown at him in his life? We're all he has, Izaya, you included. I know neither of you wants to get along, but you can because I've seen it. He knows when to back off when his temper gets too much, and maybe you should too."

Izaya glared at him but didn't reply because he knew Kadota was right. But he wouldn't let Shizuo get away with attacking him at any given time, and if Izaya had to use his sharp tongue to fight back when Shizuo physically attacked him, he would.

"Put him down, Kadota," a deep voice sounded from the doorway.

"Shizuo!" Shinra was the first to acknowledge him. "You came back!"

Kadota smiled and released Izaya from his hold. "Hey."

Shizuo glanced over at Izaya, and Kadota stepped to the side. Izaya narrowed his eyes as Shizuo stopped in front of him. The blond shoved his hands in his pockets. "I heard what Kadota said, and while it is true that I've had nothing but hassle in my life, it's not an excuse to always act out with violence. Most of the time I can't help it, but I shouldn't think it's okay to attack you just because you piss me off. I don't have a right to hurt you just because I can. Not gonna lie, your words hurt, but I know it's your way of retaliating back, I guess."

Izaya half wanted to reply with something to send Shizuo flying off the handle again, and the other half couldn't think of enough reason why Shizuo deserved it. "What is it you want, Shizu-chan?"

"If I agree to try not to hit you all time, then you gotta meet me halfway. Stop running your mouth off at me because we really can be civil. We know how to be friends, Izaya, but we just choose not to." Izaya opened his mouth to say something, and given his expression, Shizuo knew what he was thinking. The blond grinned. "Not saying we should be the best of friends and just never be as before. Because, well, that would be weird, right?"

Izaya smirked back, getting the hint. "Right." He huffed. "I know I annoy you, and I'm not going to stop doing that by the way, but I'll try to keep it somewhat light."

Izaya shrugged, and Shizuo blinked in surprise when the raven held out his hand, grasping it with a grin. "Flea."

"Protozoan." They laughed quietly for a moment and released their hands. Izaya grinned down at the box beside his feet. "So, can Shizu-chan use his monster strength to lift the heavy computer up to the desk without breaking it?"

Shizuo frowned and huffed in defeat. "You're a lazy ass sometimes, you know that?"

Izaya pouted before his grin returned. "But Shizu-chan is stronger, no?"

"Don't act so feeble, we both know you're not that weak."

Izaya gasped and held his chest, feigning shock. "Was that a compliment just now? I'm so touched."

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

Kadota and Shinra shared a confused glance and shrugged, deciding it was best not to say anything. The two were getting along for now, and that's all that mattered.

They started to attach the equipment together and worked in comfortable silence. Kadota helped Shinra set up the camera's tripods and check each microphone, then tested the filming quality by switching off the lights for a few minutes.

Shizuo helped Izaya lift certain parts of the computer so he could connect them together. Once it was operational, Izaya installed the microphones and other components. They did a few test calls to make sure the speakers worked. Izaya installed the camera's into the system to record live feedback and playback footage. Shizuo watched him work, not really sure what else to do. Izaya felt his gaze on him and turned with a grin. "Impressed?"

Like I'd admit that to you. "Shut up," Shizuo replied with light humor, and Izaya laughed.

A knock on the door brought their attention away from the technology. Shinra smiled at their familiar visitor, walking forward to greet her. "Hey, Kira. Thought you would have gone home already. What brings you here?"

Kira smiled and waved. "Hi guys. Is this a good time?"

Shinra looked at his friends, and they gave him a gestured wave, telling him they didn't mind. Shinra turned back to her. "What's up, don't tell me your house is haunted again?" Shinra knew it was a bad joke and laughed nervously.

Kira shook her head with a small laugh. "No, everything has been great since you left. We're doing really well. You guys are the best."

Shinra shrugged with a smile. "It was nothing really. So, what's wrong?"

She turned her attention back outside, motioning for someone to join her. "It's okay. They will help you."

The four listened intently to the girl's story. Kumiko was in Kira's home economics class, and they seemed to be good friends. She lived a normal family life with her mum, dad, and little brother, aged 8. Let's not forget their family dog. Kira had suggested coming to them after hearing about how Kumiko freaked out over the phone. "Tell us more about the dog. Why do you think it's possessed?" Izaya asked once he'd heard the short version of her story.

Kumiko nodded. "Sometimes, it attacks me, my mum and even my little brother without warning. It foams at the mouth too. It's so violent and no amount of talking calmly or walking slowly near him is enough."

"What do you mean by that?" Shizuo asked.

"We've called several veterinarians over, and they can't figure out what's wrong with him. He bit the last one we had and now on one will see him at all. One suggested calming sprays, or to try and pinpoint what freaks him out the most."

"I see, and I take it none of those worked?"

Kumiko shook her head. "I remember waking up one morning to see the dog staring at me from the doorway. I tried to see if it would let me near him since he looked calm and-" she pulled up her sleeve to reveal a white bandage wrapped over her forearm. "It scratched me."

"Ouch," Shinra said with a wince. "Is there anything you can think of that might be causing it to act like this?"

"I don't understand. Nothing happened when we first got it, and it's only been in the last week or so. We've only had him two weeks."

"How old is the dog?"

"Two years, I think. Our neighbour across the street from us was moving away, and she gave us the dog for free because she knew we were looking to buy one."

"And the dog never acted like this with the neighbour?"

"No. He was really a lovely dog."

"Maybe it misses his original owner," Kadota said. "New family and all, it might feel abandoned."

Shizuo snorted. "I know how it feels."

Izaya glanced at him, and a small amount of sympathy etched across his features before turning back to the girl. "Let's back up. You said it attacks you without warning, including your mother and your little brother."

"Yes. Luckily it hasn't gotten them yet. We keep it locked in a pen at nights."

"What about your dad? It's never tried to attack him?"

"No, and I don't know why that is. Maybe he likes him better."

Shizuo frowned in thought. "What about the house? Anything weird happen before that dog started living with you?"

"Huh? No, nothing like that." She narrowed her eyes. "I see, you don't believe me, do you?"

Izaya drummed his fingers against the armrest of the couch. "Your story isn't entirely clear, but what Shizuo is asking is a valid question. Is there something in the house that might be why your dog seems possessed? Like random knocking, or things moving around on their own, anything like that?"

"Oh, no. We've never had any experiences like that before. Please, you have to help us. I don't know how much more we can take. I'm worried it might really hurt us. My little brother is terrified."

"If you think it's that dangerous, perhaps it would be best if you put it down." They all gasped at the raven's suggestion.

"No! We could never do that again!" Izaya raised an eyebrow, then sighed.

Shinra smiled and clicked his fingers. "Don't worry, we'll come by tomorrow to check things out, is that okay with you?"

Kumiko smiled in relief. "Yes, thank you. Kira told me you guys have fees."

"We'll discuss that once we know what we're really dealing with."

Kumiko stood up with a bow and smiled brightly at them. "Thank you so much. Kira told me how much you helped her, and I really hope you can do the same for me and my family."

Shinra nodded and said, "We'll try our best. We'll come by around eleven in the morning, is that okay?"

She nodded. "I'll let my folks know. See you tomorrow." She handed Shinra a slip of paper. "Here's the address." And with that, she and Kira said goodbye.

"Somethings up," Shizuo said once the girls had left.

"She did sound pretty freaked out about it all," Kadota replied.

"S'not that, not the parts she told us, it's what she didn't tell us."

Izaya smirked; he knew Shizuo's strong instincts would come in handy one day and was surprised by the blond's perceptiveness. "For once, Shizu-chan, you and I are on the same wavelength."

Shizuo looked at him. "We are?"

Izaya chuckled at the disbelief in Shizuo's tone. "Don't sound so surprised. My intelligence was bound to rub off on you eventually."

Shizuo narrowed his eyes for a moment before scoffing.

Shinra and Kadota shared a glance, and the other raven spoke. "Care to share your mutual insight?"

Izaya looked at Shizuo and gestured with his hand, but he grinned at him knowingly. "Go ahead, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo growled. "You know damn well I can't explain things as well as you. Just get on with it."

Izaya shrugged. "I was only giving you the opportunity, that's all."

Shizuo huffed, and his shoulders slumped in guilt. "Sorry."

Izaya laughed inwardly like he was really affected by Shizuo's outburst. He's so gullible. It's almost cute. Izaya shook the thought from his head and leaned forward, resting his arms over his knees. "She's not telling us everything. I think there's something she's hiding. For example, she didn't say anything about the dog not attacking her father until I acknowledged it. She said it was staring at her when she woke up one morning, despite telling us it gets locked up at night. She also reacted very strongly to what I said about putting the dog down. She used the words again, which indicate they've had to do that before to another pet."

Shinra tilted his head and replied, "A family goes through that at least once in their lives, and if she's that freaked out, maybe she just forgot to tell us a few things."

Izaya smirked at him. "That was oddly defensive. Do you have a little crush on her, Shinra? Or maybe it's Kira since you know her more. They're good friends after all, so it would only be natural you'd want to impress her."

Shinra stammered. "N-no! No way. That's not true. She's - she's not my type."

Izaya laughed. "I don't even really want to know what your type is Shinra."

Kadota cringed. No, you really don't.

Shinra pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Izaya ignored him, stood up from the couch, and walked around the desk to shut down the computer. "I don't think we'll be needing this, but it's probably best to take it with us, just in case. Not sure how we're supposed to get the equipment all the way over there." Izaya looked over at Shizuo, who glared at him.

"I'm not a damn mule!"

Izaya laughed. "I didn't say anything."

"I know what you were thinking flea and forget it."

Kadota scratched the back of his head before speaking. "Actually, I was waiting to surprise you guys. I got my license over the summer, and my dad gave me his old van. It's a little worn down, but it still runs well."

Shinra smiled excitedly. "That's great! How did you find the time?"

Kadota shrugged. "My dad taught me most of it. We'd go out on drives at night, and all I had to do was show up for the big tests."

Izaya grinned. "Then Dota-chin is our official wheel guy!"

Kadota faked a hurt expression. "Thought I was the muscle? Feels like I've been demoted." They laughed at the joke and began packing away their equipment back in the boxes. "So, I guess I'll meet you all here tomorrow with the van."

"Good thing the school is still open tomorrow," Shinra said. "Bless those teachers." The others gave him a strange look, and he covered his face with embarrassment. "Why did I say that?"

…..

They were greeted by who they assumed was Kumiko's mother. She smiled at them and stepped to the side, allowing them to enter. "Kumiko said you would be coming by, but I didn't expect you all to be so young. I spoke with Miasaki just the other day, and she said she received some amazing help from you. I know how much she went through, so I don't think I have a reason not to trust you."

Shinra pushed his glasses up and held his hand out. "I'm Shinra Kishitani, and I guess you could say I'm the boss." He laughed nervously, and Izaya rolled his eyes. "These are my friends. Izaya Orihara, Kyohei Kadota, and Shizuo Heiwajima. We're going to do everything we can to help."

"Sure you are," a voice off to the side sounded, and a short brown-haired man appeared in the doorway to their right. He glared at them like intruders, and Shizuo narrowed his eyes in return, not in the least bit affected by the man's attempted intimidation.

The woman turned to face him, hands on her hips as she spoke angrily. "Don't be so rude. They are guests, and they've come here to try to help us. We will be giving them a chance."

The man snorted and left them alone, retreating back into the room he appeared from. Shizuo clenched his fist, angered by the man's presence. Asshole.

She turned back to face the teens. "Forgive him, it's been a hard couple of weeks for us all."

Shinra nodded and replied, "We understand."

"Well, I'm Nanaka Akiran." She motioned to the doorway. "That's my husband, Jude. We also have an eight-year-old son, Teichi."

Izaya glanced around the narrow hallway. A few pictures hung on the wall, the wallpapers were plain, and the décor was modern. This house is probably newly built on the estate. "How long have you lived here?" he asked.

"Since Teichi was born. It was a new block of houses built on the estate, why?"

Izaya smirked to himself. I'm good. "Just ruling out a few things, that's all. Sometimes when a house is old, it causes something called subsidence, which might cause unexplained occurrences. If this house is new, then we can rule that out already."

"We've had no experiences with paranormal activities in the house, if that's what you're asking."

Izaya smiled. "That too. It just helps narrow the options down, so we can solve the matter quickly for you." She seemed surprised by his intelligence, and he hoped it would work in their favor. "We'd still like to look around if that's alright? Even if you haven't heard or seen anything out of the ordinary, there are still possibilities that a spirit might be trapped here somehow."

"But…didn't you come here to look at our dog?"

"We'll get to that. I have a question about him actually. Would you say his behaviour is consistent, or does it vary?"

"I haven't seen him act any other way except violent. He's always growling and trying to attack us whenever we get near. I honestly don't know how much more we can take of this."

"Miss Akiran told us he doesn't act that way around your husband, have you noticed that?"

Nanaka nodded. "I have, but that's not consistent either. I mean, it tried to bite him last night."

"We'll look around first. then we'll take a look at your dog."

"My daughter took my son out to buy a costume, so they should be back soon. Please, do whatever it is you need to do, and all I ask is that you respect our privacy."

Shinra nodded, and Nanaka left them alone, walking into the room. Shinra turned to his friends. "Let's split up."

…..

Once the four had familiarized themselves with the house, they met back in the hallway. "Well, nothing screamed evil spirits to me," Shinra spoke first. "Nothing moved or creaked."

"Same here," Kadota said.

Shizuo nodded in agreement; the house was, by all standards, normal. He turned to Izaya. "You see or sense anything?"

Izaya shook his head. "Not a thing." He walked into the living room and shoved his hands in his pockets as he acknowledged the occupants. "We're going to look at the dog now, would you mind leading us to the backyard?" Nanaka smiled and stood up. Izaya stepped aside and glanced over when he felt a gaze on him. Jude's eyes were glued to him, glaring intently.

"Laddie. The dog's name is Laddie."

Izaya raised an eyebrow, nodded, and retreated toward the door. "Are you coming with us? Your presence might keep it calm, or so I've heard." Izaya tried his hardest not to act smug about it, and he could tell the man didn't like them here. "It might help, that's all," he added, a little less complacent.

Jude stood up. "All right. I guess you got a point."

They were led through the open kitchen to the backyard by a long sliding door. The garden was half gravel and half grass and was well maintained, surrounded by a pearly white fence. Izaya glanced around until his eyes fell on the large doghouse toward the back. "Is it locked up at the moment?"

Nanaka nodded as she reached for her husband's hand, seeking his protection.

The four teens approached the doghouse slowly to not alert him too much. They halted their movements when they heard a small growl and a clink of a chain before four white paws appeared, followed by a mixture of sandy gold and light brown fur. "It's a Corgidor," Shizuo commented, causing them to look at him. He shrugged. "It's a cross between a Welsh Corgi and a Labrador Retriever." They continued to stare at him, clearly surprised by his knowledge. He rolled his eyes. "I like dogs, alright?"

Jude chuckled a little. "I'm impressed. At least you realize what a special dog he is."

Izaya narrowed his eyes. Oh, yeah, he's special alright. Cuddly mutt by day, rabid monster by night.

Shizuo knelt down closer to Laddie, putting them on high alert. "Doesn't seem like he's harmful right now." The teen raised his hand toward the dog's head. "Hey boy," the blond cooed gently, and everyone tensed. "You're not a bad dog, are you." Cautiously, the dog sniffed him and then licked his fingers. Shizuo smiled and stroked his ears.

"Shizu-chan the dog whisperer," Izaya teased. Shizuo rolled his eyes and continued to stroke the pet.

Izaya stepped beside him and knelt down. The dog locked eyes with him, and then the raven saw it.

Immediately, the dog barked loudly, startling them. Laddie bared his teeth and snarled viciously. Shizuo moved to pull his hand back but was slow to react. Izaya fell backward when the dog sunk its teeth into the blond's hand. "Shizu-chan!" Shizuo gritted his teeth, hissing in pain, but got between the other teen and the dog, his other hand pushing Izaya back. Shizuo pulled against the foaming mouth, flinging his arm as gently as possible, and the dog let go.

"Holy crap!" Shinra exclaimed as they scrambled backward. The dog lunged at them, jaws snapping and teeth dripping with the blood from Shizuo's hand. Thankfully, the force wasn't enough to break the chains that bound him.

Izaya stood shakily to his feet, not believing the sudden change in the dog. He glanced over at Shizuo, who held his left hand, trying to ignore the pain.

"Shizuo, are you alright?" Kadota asked with obvious concern. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No," Shizuo gritted out. "I'm fine…. I think." Izaya stepped forward, taking Shizuo's bloodied hand in his own. "Well, it clearly didn't like you."

Izaya glared at him. "Me? You're the one whose hand got mauled."

Nanaka ran into the house and quickly came back with a white box. Shinra held his hand out. "I'll take that, my dad is a doctor, so I know what to do."

Kadota looked over at the dog, still growling at them. "We should go inside," he said slowly.

As they retreated into the house, Jude remained. "I'll try to calm him down," he announced.

Nanaka turned to him. "Don't be stupid! You'll just get hurt."

Jude smiled at her, waving a hand submissively. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just take care of our guests." And with that, she led them back into the house. Izaya looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing suspiciously at the man, before following his friends.

Shizuo sat at the kitchen table as Shinra poured pure alcohol over his hand. The blond flinched. "It was fine," he said as Shinra cleaned the blood away. "You all saw that, right?"

Kadota folded his arms and replied, "Yeah, he was acting normal. Just your average cute pet dog." He looked over at Izaya. "Until Izaya got close to him."

Izaya clicked his tongue. "I don't see why I'm to blame. I did nothing to provoke it." He hesitated before continuing. "There's definitely something wrong with him."

Shizuo turned his attention to the raven as Shinra bandaged his hand. "What do you mean? Did you sense something?"

"When he looked at me, it was only for a few seconds, but I could see a dark shadow emitting around him. That dog is definitely possessed by something."

Nanaka gasped. "Then it's true?"

Izaya nodded and walked over to Shizuo, holding his shoulder. "Maybe you should get a shot?"

Shizuo scoffed. "Do you think it's got rabies or something? You said it yourself, it's possessed." Izaya tightened his hold on Shizuo's shoulder, and the blond looked at his hand. "Izaya, I'm alright. Honest." Izaya inclined his head and released his hold.

"We're home!" they heard a shout from the hallway. It was Kumiko. "Mom? Dad?"

"In the kitchen sweetheart!" Nanaka said, and her youngest came into the kitchen.

"Mommy! Lookie! Look what costume I got!" the eight-year-old year old jumped in excitement. "It's a knight!" he exclaimed, pulling out a fake sword. "Isn't it cool!" Nanaka smiled apologetically at her guests and then looked down at her son.

"It's wonderful, Teichi, but calm down, we have guests." She nodded to them, and he turned his attention their way.

"Are they here to fix Laddie?" he asked innocently.

Shinra smiled and knelt down beside him. "We're going to do our very best."

"Teichi, why don't you put your costume upstairs in your room."

"Okay!" The boy ran off, and they waited until the sound of footsteps became distant.

Kumiko gasped when she saw the bloodied tissues and first aid kit spread over the table. "What happened!"

Shizuo held his hand up. "Dog got a bit hungry, don't worry about it."

Kumiko shivered and took a seat. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Nanaka stroked her daughter's arm in a comforting manner. Jude came into the house with a slight smile on his face. "He's calmer now."

She turned to him and sighed in relief when she saw he wasn't injured. She smiled. "He's got a gift. Much like you, Heiwajima-kun."

Shizuo shrugged. "Nah. I've just always liked dogs. I guess they like me too."

Shinra laughed nervously. "Maybe a little too much." Shizuo glared at him. "Shutting up."

Jude stepped beside his wife and wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry about the attack. Are you sure we shouldn't call an ambulance?"

Shizuo shook his head. "It doesn't hurt that much. Don't worry about it."

Kumiko sighed in relief and turned to Shinra. "What's going to happen now?"

Shinra hummed in thought. "Idealistically, we know exactly what we're dealing with now, so I think we can think of a solution pretty quickly."

Izaya looked over at him. "Are you thinking about performing an exorcism?"

Shinra nodded. "I think it's the only way. Of course, I won't be able to do that." Shizuo raised an eyebrow when his friends looked over at him. "Shizuo, you can take a shot at it, right?"

"You're the only one who can perform such a task, Shizu-chan," Izaya said. "And you're the only other one who can get close to him it."

Shizuo rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I could give it a go."

Izaya turned his attention to Nanaka. "Not to sound blunt, but given the risks already, I'd like to discuss fees with you - we ask for a non-refundable deposit and then the rest of the fee once we've completed the job. 13,600 Yen is required now, and the remaining 20,000 only if and when we're done." Shinra, Kadota, and Shizuo stiffened. Kumiko looked at her parents and wondered if they would turn them away.

"I admire your confidence, young man. You're dedicated, and I think what you're asking is fair."

Izaya smiled. "Thank you." Nanaka disappeared to retrieve her purse, and Izaya glanced at Jude, half expecting him to protest. He remained quiet but wouldn't take his eyes off him. Nanaka came back with a slip of paper and handed it to Izaya. The raven nodded his thanks and placed it in his back pocket. His hand grazed another paper which reminded him of what he'd found earlier. "There's a question I'd like to ask," he said. "I apologize for taking this, but I found a photograph in Teichi's room." Izaya pulled out the photo and slid it onto the table. "The dog in the photo with him isn't the one you currently have now."

Nanaka sighed sadly, and Kumiko sniffled. Jude frowned and wrapped his arms around them, and said, "It was our last dog. We've had him since Teichi was born, and they basically grew up together. A couple of weeks ago, we had to put him down because he had developed a tumor. What's that got to do with Laddie?"

Izaya shook his head. "Nothing. I wasn't aware that you'd recently lost a pet. Kumiko mentioned something about having to put a dog down before, and I was just curious."

Kumiko bowed her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before. We're all still upset about it, especially Teichi."

"He was heartbroken when Benji died," Jude said. "I wanted to make him happy again. I thought another dog might do that, but Teichi was still upset, and now that Laddie is like he is, it's not better at all."

"Getting a replacement dog just weeks after losing one you've had for so long doesn't always make it right," Izaya said, and maybe a little too bluntly, because Jude got angry.

"What the hell do you know! We're not here to talk about Benji! You're here to fix Laddie!"

Nanaka placed a hand on her husband's shoulder and spoke softly, "Jude, calm down."

Izaya noticed Shizuo had stepped closer but didn't comment. "Not everything can be fixed the way you want it to be. Even if we succeed, Teichi might not feel the same as he did with the other dog. That's all I'm saying. It's just advice."

Jude scoffed and relented, but Izaya could see the worry in his eyes. "Just do your job."

Shinra clapped a hand on Izaya's shoulder and turned to the family. "We'll come back tomorrow. It might not be wise to try and perform the exorcism right now. We should give the dog some time to calm down a little more. We'll be back."

Nanaka nodded and walked them to the front door. "Thank you for coming, and I'm sorry again about my husband."

"Don't worry about it. Grieving is hard, even if it's for a pet. They're family too."

"I really appreciate you're understanding in all this, and I'm very sorry about your hand, Heiwajima-kun."

Shizuo smiled. "Don't be, it's really alright."

…..

The four teens slipped into the van, and Kadota drove them away. "Did you have to mention the other dog, Izaya?" he said with a sigh.

Izaya turned to the front seat from the back. "Yes. I was curious, and it's not like Kumiko told us directly. You saw the man's reaction, right? He's clearly hiding something, not just from us, but from his family too."

Shizuo stopped looking at his hand and glanced up to make a comment. "Have to agree with the flea this time. He knew we were suspicious of him, and that's why he got defensive."

"No offense, but Izaya does cause that reaction in most people," Shinra teased, and Izaya glared at him, making sure the other teen could see it in the rear-view mirror. "I said no offense!"

"Whatever. My point is, he can't be trusted. He knows something, and I intend to find out what. We should hold off on the exorcism for now until we can figure out what he's hiding."

….

Izaya shifted in his bed, trying to get into a comfortable position. The house had been quiet when he got home since his parents had taken his little sisters down to visit his grandparents, and Izaya had convinced them to leave him behind, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't entirely alone.

Izaya glanced at the clock: 12:00. Izaya mumbled curses under his breath and pulled back the covers.

A sudden slam of a door caused him to jump.

It had come from downstairs.

By the time he got to the stairs, the sound was consistent.

Izaya flicked the light on the landing and jogged down the stairs, clenching his hand around his phone, silently cursing he hadn't thought to bring his knife with him.

Izaya shook his head.

When Izaya reached the bottoms step, the sound grew louder. He realized the back door hadn't been properly secured when he reached the kitchen. Izaya sighed. "I'm overreacting. It's just my imagination." He walked through the kitchen, pulled the door in, and bolted it.

Izaya stilled when something shuffled across the hallway behind him.

Izaya spun around, but nothing was there. He slowly took a few steps forward, and the moment he flicked the light on in the hallway, his phone rang. Izaya almost jumped out of his skin, nearly dropping his phone. "Just my imagination," he muttered again and looked at the caller ID, suddenly feeling calmer. He brought the phone to his ear. "Shizu-chan? Does your brain not compute with how late it is?" he teased instantly, hoping the edge of fear was kept out of his tone enough for the blond not to notice.

{Shut the hell up. Shinra called me, and he's telling Kadota too. We've got a problem.}

"What is it?"

{Shinra said Kumiko's mom called him just now.}

Izaya walked into the living room, flicking the light on, but he frowned when it didn't work. He tried again, but nothing. "More apologies?"

{Not exactly. Well, there were, but the thing is - Laddie escaped, and they can't find him.}

Izaya stiffened. "What do you mean they can't find him, wasn't it locked up?" The raven tried to keep the panic out of his voice. "Are you telling me there's now a possessed dog running loose?"

{Pretty much. Shinra wants us to meet up right away. We should start from the house.}

Izaya was about to reply when he suddenly heard heavy breathing.

Izaya felt something drip onto his forehead and scrunched his nose up when he touched it - it felt slimy. The breathing got louder, and Izaya slowly turned around, looking up.

His eyes widened, and his breath hitched. "Oh god..."

Shizuo could barely hear him. {Izaya? Are we regrouping or not?}

"Shit…"

{Izaya? What's wrong?}

"Shizu-chan….."

{Izaya, what's the matter!}

"You…you gotta come…. please."

{What? I can't hear you.}

"It's - it's here…. the dog…it's standing right above me…. Shizu-chan…. please get here."

Shizuo jumped when he heard Izaya's scream and ran out of his small apartment, not bothering to lock it. "Izaya! Hang on! I'm coming!"

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