Anni left the dojo running. She was tired already, even if the nightmares had only gotten her once last night. Today was one of her favorite days, and she would be damned if she missed a minute. The Orihara twins hadn't shown up to the dojo at all, so Anni was certain she was late to the party already. As she expected, she passed said twins on her way to the filming location, dangling by their hoods from the corner of a truck. "How's it hangin'?" Anni asked as she skipped by.

"Anni-san! Help us down! We can't get to Yuuhei-san like this!" Mauri demanded.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I have places to be!" Anni said without a hint of remorse. At the very least it would irritate Shizuo if she let them roam free. Izaya was going to ruin his day anyway, and Anni didn't plan on vexing him any more than absolutely necessary.

"Mean...(Anni-san is being cruel)" Kururi accused as softly as ever.

"Pay me back later!" Anni suggested as she continued at a jog down the street. She found the large crowd in front of the cinema and wormed her way through. There was no KFC sign lying around, and people were chatting normally, so she hadn't missed anything just yet. She couldn't help but grin as she caught sight of Kasuka interviewing Anri and Mikado. Simon stood a bit farther back in the crowd, chanting his advertisement.

"Hanejima Yuuhei!" someone behind her yelled, drawing everyone's attention. I'm just in time Anni celebrated to herself as she turned to face him in sync with the crowd. "Give me back my girlfriend!" the delinquent shouted. The crowd was taken up in a small panic of chatter. Anni couldn't keep the smile off her face, so she settled for a small smirk. He was digging his own grave. "Drop dead!" he cried out as he charged. Anni didn't have time to see everyone's reactions, but there was no way to miss the most important one. The sign plowed down Kasuka's assailant, managing to hit no one else as it threaded perfectly through the crowd and directly over her head. Shizuo's precision was just as amazing as she remembered. There can be no room for error when his little brother is involved.

She didn't need to check behind herself to know when Shizuo disappeared, Kasuka's expression was enough. However much she wanted to see the forte of Ikebukuro snatching knives out of the air with his teeth, she couldn't go watch the start of his fight with Izaya. She would be too much of a distraction for both of them, so she would have to settle for hanging around near Mikado and Anri for a while. She stayed with the group, keeping out of the camera's view as best she could. Then came the smashing sounds. A grin of excitement took over her face as she watched Izaya spinning around the poles that embedded themselves in the side of the building. She nearly burst out laughing as the flea and Shizuo bounced off Simon's back, who could only hold his head and call after them. Her poorly stifled giggle got her a few odd looks from those around her, including Kasuka. Anni shut up quickly and went red. She reflexively bowed and backed away, blending back into the mob. Attention was the last thing she needed.

Anni stayed in the back until Celty and the gangs showed up. It wasn't hard to hide in that little group as Simon kidnaped the cameraman, or as Shizuo and Izaya arrived. The chaotic skirmish that followed their entrance left street signs peppered throughout the crowd, and everyone in view shocked into silence. Not even the three groups who'd shown up specifically to fight Shizuo moved a muscle. Anni watched in enraptured silence. Izaya chuckled at how tired his opponent already was and turned to run, continuing the chase. Anni stayed with Celty and the Raira duo as they disappeared from sight. She headed over only once they'd heard the blaring horn and following smash. She didn't particularly want to see the way Shizuo flew helplessly after he was hit. It was bad enough that she couldn't stop it, she didn't want to see him hurt like that in person. The mob rushed as one to see what had happened, the little blonde following obediently. What the group found was Shizuo's still legs sticking out from under the large truck, as its driver scampered away. Anni stood out front with Mikado and Anri as the murmurs of doubt started.

"Is he dead?" a voice asked.

"Anyone would be after that" one of the yellow scarves replied.

"Heiwajima Shizuo isn't just 'anyone'" Anni corrected confidently, not taking her eyes from her friend's motionless feet. Everyone seemed to take notice of her at once, falling quiet. Izaya sauntered up to the truck's victim. Even if she couldn't make out the words from where she stood, Anni knew exactly what he was saying.

"Falling for the same trick you did in high school… You haven't matured at all, Shizu-chan" the flea observed. Then the truck started moving.

"Who" Shizuo started slowly, lifting the back end of the truck above his head, "hasn't matured?!" The entire vehicle went flying behind him, landing with a resounding crash. Everyone recoiled from the impact but the informant and bodyguard. "Izaya!" he challenged, stalking up to his enemy.

"Is that what you call maturing?" Izaya taunted.

"Shut up!" Shizuo shouted, throwing a few punches that missed their retreating target. When he couldn't land a hit in melee, he stopped to rip a streetlight from the concrete. When the streetlight missed as well, sending everyone scrambling, Izaya took off to lead yet another chase, Shizuo following quickly on his tail. The brawl that broke out in their aftermath forced Anni to retreat to the sidewalk, which she knew was safe from this bit. She waited there calmly until Celty had had enough, and used her shadows to forcibly end the fight. While watching them all flounder about amused her, Anni didn't stay any longer. This party was over. It would be getting dark in a little bit anyway, and there was something she wanted to do before night fell.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was absolutely exhausted and furious by the time he got home. His back still hurt where the truck had slammed into him, and he hadn't held back at all in chasing that damned flea across his city and back. He turned on the light, and was almost disappointed to find his apartment was empty. There was something on the coffee table, however. After stepping out of his shoes, he walked up for a closer look. It was actually two somethings. A small chocolate cake sat next to a paper, folded to stand upright. "To better days" it proclaimed in colored block letters. Of course she would.

-A/N-

Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix