Thanks For The Memories is by Fall Out Boy

— I don't own Durarara!

- Masaomi

It had become routine by now. He wasn't being paranoid, was he, checking his best friend's laptop for anything suspicious every week? He couldn't have Mikado knowing about this, so Masaomi peeked in secret whenever he visited Mikado's apartment.

He was doing it again today, but this time it felt like something was off. Masaomi went through the desktop icons, search history, files— wait.

What was this? It looked like a transparent icon, nameless. It faded almost perfectly into the pixelated background on Mikado's desktop screen. Had it been here all along and he'd simply missed it, or was this created recently? He'd only just scanned the computer last weekend. Masaomi hesitantly clicked the icon, hoping his friend wouldn't look up from his history essay too soon.

It turned out to be a second file folder, consisting mainly of… anime? Mikado wasn't a big anime fan like Erika-san, and he had no reason to hide it in a secret folder, so why? It wasn't like there was any Boku no Pico-esque stuff in there. Masaomi peeked at the files under "Recent" one by one.

Mirai Nikki Openings, Kuroshitsuji Doujinshi (now that was interesting), Durarara! Clips (Masaomi had never heard of that anime before), Baccano! Episodes—

It wasn't Baccano.

Masaomi was taken to the Dollars website through the folder, which held a single link. He knew it. He'd been right to suspect Mikado, but he never thought through what to do if he ever actually found anything. Should he delete the file? But that wouldn't change anything and Mikado would know he'd been there. He couldn't just leave it be. Who knew what could happen, how much trouble could start up again….

And yet, he knew his words alone wouldn't convince him. He had no idea how anyone could grow so attached, even addicted, to a website like that. He needed a way to keep his best friend safe from this city permanently.

But there was nothing Masaomi could do about it right now. He closed the Dollars tab and took a deep breath. He had no choice but to talk to him again.

Masaomi took a deep breath and knocked on the metal door. He couldn't believe he was here, at that office he swore he'd never so much as walk by again after everything was over.

Yet here he was, standing before that fatal door — again. To protect his friends — again. About to face that chilling soulless grin — again.

The secretary, Namie-san, let Masaomi in with somewhat of a flat expression.

"Good luck. He's in a good mood today." With that, she returned to sorting the bookshelf.

Masaomi strengthened his resolve during the short walk through the entrance of the office. He knew what he'd be greeted with. A smirk, maybe a "welcome back", and the remarks to make him question why he was doing what he was.

He wouldn't react. He wouldn't. Not this time.

As Masaomi entered the office, he noticed an Othello board set on the coffee table showcasing only two game pieces — a black and a white king. As usual, the board didn't match the pawns. The kings would ignore traditional rules, moving in accord with the people they represented, and Masaomi was afraid he may already know who those people were.

He didn't realize he'd been staring until a dreadfully familiar voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"The game just started. Nobody else has joined yet~"

Masaomi kept a straight face. Don't panic.

Izaya-san stood at the other end of the table, in that black shirt he always wore inside. No other words needed to be exchanged for Masaomi to know that he was right.

Two kings. Two gang leaders. It had already begun, from the moment he stepped through the door— no, from the moment he even thought to check Mikado's computer. Izaya-san would have his fun the Ikebukuro's game again. All he could do now was try to control the damage.

He turned to face the grinning informant. "I don't need you to explain what that board represents. I came here for one thing and one thing only."

"Trying to avoid ridicule by declaring your mission outright? Just what I'd expect from you, Masaomi-kun," Izaya-san taunted, "But you of all people should know that one favor can turn into many more."

Masaomi caught himself before he could flinch. He couldn't let a simple comment on his time with Saki shake him up. He was better than that. Remember what you're here for.

"Cut the crap, Izaya-san! Just give me the information, I'll pay you, and after that, I'll never have to see your ugly face again."

"You wound me~" The man faked a hurt expression. "And when you haven't even told me what you want yet! Kids these days, so rude~" He sighed sarcastically.

Oh, right, Masaomi realized. He hadn't stated his business yet. Well, here goes.

"I want the password to join the Dollars."

The insane glint in Izaya-san's eyes made him regret coming here in the first place. He had to remind himself that this was for the sake of nearly everyone he knew. Let's just get this over with.

"It's not a password that you need, Masaomi-kun. It's an invitation. Now why would such a secretive website use a password that could so easily be posted online?"

But that didn't make sense. If everyone in the Dollars had an invitation directly from Mikado, then it would just be like a single chatroom.

"Of course, that invitation can be forwarded," continued the informant, "so that's why there are so many people in the Dollars."

Oh. So he wouldn't have to squeeze it out of Mikado after all. Not that he would've don't that, of course.

"So you can forward it to me, can't you?" Masaomi rushed. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

"Alas," Izaya-san stepped over to him, almost like predator stalking prey, "nothing in this world comes free. And if it does, it's probably a scam~"

Masaomi reached into the messenger bag he'd been carrying.

"How much do you— "

"I'm not concerned with money. Instead, I want you to hold onto something for me."

Hold onto something? What could he possibly have that he couldn't keep around him? A nuclear missile?

It was almost as if the informant read his mind. "You see, if I kept it with me, it'd be found all too easily," the bastard dragged on, "so I'm giving it to you for safekeeping. The original owner of it already got it back once, so I don't wish to let go of it a second time…." That probably meant whatever he was hiding had been stolen. Izaya-san went over to retrieve the mystery item from some secret cabinet in the shelf.

Masaomi knew he'd be stuck now. Like the smug man had said earlier, one thing would inevitably lead to many others. Now that he had another solid connection to the information broker, he knew that he'd end up coming back for help of some kind eventually, maybe later when danger heated up again. No use denying it now. He knew it would happen, all of it, like an endless roller coaster of doom and destruction, and he wanted to take himself and Mikado off of it as soon as possible.

When Izaya-san returned, Masaomi suddenly doubted whether he would, or even could, do this anymore, for he was holding something far worse than a nuclear missile.

"Namie-san brought this back with her. Naturally, Seiji-kun and Mika-chan followed like lost puppies~"

With that, the informant handed Masaomi a glass container encasing a beautiful dullahan's head.

Wow, only the 2nd update and I've already failed you! No matter, I shouldn't have any issues anymore now that the virus has been removed from my computer. I can assure you that the rest of the chapters should be uploaded on time. Ta-ta! (=^w^=)