Oh yeah! Finally updated! The final chapter of Darker Than Black! Woo! I was going to update Saturday but all the desktops and laptops in my house decided to freeze up and shut down once nine o'clock hit.

Thank you to all of my Reviewers and (even) Flamers for taking time out of your day to actually read my story, the fact that my storyline even peeked your interest is enough to make me beyond happy. And I am so sorry for that long ass delay - but the last episode took some time to sort out…!

Now that I've given my teary speech, let me give you what you've been waiting for all this time! So without further delay!

Disclaimer: I do not own this, sadly.

Chapter 32: Last Stand…Is this The End…

Celty lifted her helmet to the hill in the distant as an ice cold shiver ran done her spine. Something was going down, something big. The headless woman could feel the same presence of that evil spirit she and the others encountered that night, but this time it was different this time. Something else was there. She couldn't put her finger on it but something in her told her to go find Izaya and Shizuo.

"Ah!" Shinra shrieked gripping tightly on to Celty's leather outfit as she made an abrupt turn down an alley at full speed, "Celty! Where are going?" The underground doctor howled against the rapid wind that blew his hair back.

All that answered him was the loud roar of her bike as they raced to the high point of town.

OoOo

The silence between the trio was stiff and cold and full of angst, much like a Mexican standoff Izaya mused.

Each waiting. Waiting for one of them to make the first move.

My my, this escalated quickly, Izaya giggled to himself as his gaze shifted from his helpless blonde lover to the older man who seemed unmoved by the situation at hand, This problem proved to be more trouble than expected…

"Well, isn't this pleasant?" Izaya grinned like ear to ear, "We're all together for this special moment in our lives." The raven laughed.

A bead of sweat fell down the side of Shizuo's face. Why was this thing back? Why did it come back to harass him now? What the hell was its motive? To ruin their lives? All these thoughts ran through his head as he tried to steady his racing heart.

The ex-bartender nearly jumped out of his skin when blank ink black eyes settled on his tall frame, those eyes…they creeped the hell out of him. Dark, emotionless, bleak - a never ending pit of black.

All together disturbing.

"Shizuo." The surprisingly serious tone took Shizuo aback, "I take it you will stay for this historical event, no?" Izaya sneered climbing to his feet.

Shizuo furrowed his eyebrows at this question, Historical event…? What the hell does that-

The thundering of the double doors slamming shut cut of his train of thought short, both Sagawa and Shizuo whirled around to the now tightly locked door.

"I mean…it's not like you have a choice." He smirked.

Celty jumped off her bike roughly and stomped up the hill to the small building that casted a large looming over the town, leaving Shinra to clumsily peel himself from the bike.

"C-Celty…! What's going on? Why are you so quick to get up here?" He received no response as she quickened her stride up to the top. "Celty!"

Said headless woman pressed her palms against the cool metal doors and pushed forward – the door merely creaked not even budging in the least. This door won't be opening any time soon if I use just my brute strength, maybe if I…, She trailed off silently slinking her shadow under the doors rimming but inwardly shrieked and snatched the ink black arm back into her shadow. A spiritual field I should have known, there's nothing I can do now…but stand here.

"Is this where they are? What do we do now…?" Shinra breathed.

Celty pulled out her PDA and started to type before revealing the text.

[We wait…]

OoOo

Clenching and unclenching his fists did little to relieve Shizuo of his anxiety; it had only been three minutes that they had stood there for and he was very short on patience, and sanity. Izaya remained still staring at Sagawa with empty eyes, ever so often did a red gleam flash across those unblinking black holes.

Unwearied by the obvious heavy tension, Sagawa smirked. When he awoke this sunny morning, he was greeted by soft words whispering in his old ears. What the hell was that…? Being wide awake from his abrupt start, the tired elder shuffled up from his worn out mattress on the floor to the parted floor boards above him. Hastily searching the abandoned house from the cracks, he caught sight of someone's fabric cover bottom sitting on wooden floor above. I have guests…!

Lately, he had been having a kid barging into town uninvited at any time of the day…

At first he had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, seeing as how sometimes he would turn around and the boy that was atleast in his early twenties, would be standing a meter away from him and to what he assumed – staring…! But before he could register his shock and fright – the boy disappears without a trace.

No footprints. No hair. No skin follicles. Nothing but dust and gravel left in his wake.

Sagawa was almost certain that his age was starting to mess with his mind until it came to him. These hallucinations all started that day he knocked that runt in the leather trench coat over the head with his shovel. He had spotted the guy kicking the (now) unlocked chains from his path before strolling inside town poking his nosey face into places he shouldn't be in.

Sagawa pondered on the choices of whether to kill the young man or to use his sliver tongue to persuade him in leaving. The old man had almost decided to persuade the boy until he peeked from his spot behind a building, looking over this snooper.

Sagawa felt his breath being sucked from his lungs in an instant.

Beautiful…

Mopped jet black hair caressing the pale unblemished skin of the back of his neck. Long cloaked black leather sticking tight to his long thin frame, its tanned fur edges flowing around his wrists and hoodie.

Who was this man? He needed to know him. The excitement that rapidly coursed through his old veins was almost unfamiliar to him – it had been so long since he had felt this way towards someone, thirty-eight years and three months exactly.

So many nights he lay restless just dreaming how beautiful she looked drenched in her own blood or how her agony filled screams sounded like song birds singing to his ears. She was perfect; he just had to keep her alive for more days – to explore her inside and out.

That same thirst gravitated him towards the oblivious young man.

That scent. Those dazed red eyes. And those long black locks soaring against the light breeze.

Perfect…!

He would have this boy, cut him open and watch those sinfully beautiful eyes fill with fear and rage – to watch those full pink lips open and coated in crimson blood and mucky dirt. This excitement was too much…!

He hit the raven hard on the head with the handle of his shovel, but not hard enough to kill. To Sagawa's surprise, there ended up being more blood than he had anticipated - to which he decided to move faster. This Kurami look - alike would be of no use dead.

In an attempt to drag the unconscious body away from the messy scene, Sagawa encountered a bit of a mishap; this Kurami reincarnate seemed to have a friend along with them. The gears in his brain started to turn as he realized who he was really about to face and who he was about to haul away, Sagawa fled the area as fast as his old bones could take him!

Sneering at the thought of his first disadvantage, the greying man pondered on how to get close to informant. He was starting to think he was as good as he used to be when he was younger but with a stroke of luck, Sagawa meet and earned the blonde monster's trust and friendship; it seemed that the Ikebukuro Monster and the Shinjuku informant stayed in each other's company and became (more or less) an item, this certainly put the ball in his court. Now the only thing he had to do was get them both out of capacity and erased from everyone's mind – that's where the problem lied.

Unlike his other masterpieces, Shizuo and Izaya were very much well known and practically famous in Ikebukuro – their sudden disappearances with raise eyebrows. Not to forget, the two were young and strong and would not fall easily to his aged body. Izaya was smart and fast, and would not be easily trusted with. While Shizuo was (interestingly enough) very smart and strong – but from not having many friends as a child into adulthood, the bodyguard would be eager to befriend him.

But once again lady luck was in his favor and brought the two to his domain despite the reincarnates strange behavior and appearance at this moment, he had a good feeling about this.

Izaya glared menacingly at the smiling older man, tempted to claw that damned grin off his aged face but paused when Shizuo spoke up.

"What are you doing here?" Shizuo growled tightening his fist, "I thought we agreed that you'd leave…!" The ex-bartender snapped.

Izaya slowly turned his head to Shizuo and stared blankly; said man flinched back but regained his stance, Izaya smirked at this.

"Hmm?" He hummed, "I don't remember ever promising something like that."

"You son of a bitch! We made a deal that night that you would leave and never come back - " Izaya cut him off sharply.

"I said if you find me, then I might just leave you two alone – but you in fact did not find me nor did I make that promise sincere…!" The raven roared, his mixed voices stabbing at their eardrums; Sagawa cringed slightly but watched with full curiosity between the lovers.

"Besides," Izaya murmured shifting his eyes on to his main target, the old man's eyebrows jumped at the attention turned on him. "I believe I have an offer that will get everyone what they want…!" He grinned widely like a Cheshire cat.

I'm not quite sure what is happening here but it certainly has caught my attention…, Sagawa thought raising an eyebrow.

Shizuo opened his mouth to protest once more but was interrupted by Sagawa who's voice laced with curiosity as he finally put in, "Is that so?"

Izaya tilted his head as grazed his tongue dangerously sharp white teeth, "Peeked your curiosity again have I…? That's fourth time now…!" The old man mirrored his smirk.

"Again you say? I don't recall ever coming into contact with you before this…!" He sneered.

The ink eyed informant strode over to the two swaying his hips back and forth, flipping his hair in the sinisterly yet mesmerizingly way. Sagawa's eyes followed him intentfully; this did not go unnoticed by Shizuo.

What hell was that? Why is he looking at Izaya like that…? How does Izaya know him…? What does Izaya mean the 'Fourth time'? Now that the blonde thought about it, there were more questions bothering him.

Like, what was with that room filled with those rotting pieces of meat – that now looking back looked abnormally large for any wondering animal? How was it that Sagawa had a job in this deserted town, and for that matter doing what? Why did he have to carry around that shovel around? Why did that shovel look familiar to hi-

"Izaya…?" I suddenly blurted upon seeing a man wearing a black hoodie holding a bloody dented shovel in one hand, and… in the other holding a bloody Izaya by his ankle …

The man jumped shocked to see me, "Who the hell are you…?" I heard my self say. I was too shocked to believe what I was seeing…

Shizuo's eyes slowly widened.

"Oh my god…" Shizuo breathed stepping back; Sagawa turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes well, we all want something and I am feeling generous…!" The raven snickers crossing his arms over his chest catching the elder's attention again.

"Sagawa, you want me. Izaya wants this to be over. Shizuo wants answers – which from what the look on his face said, I think he's finally catching on. Took you long enough – but I guess better late than never, huh?" He cackled. Sagawa glanced to the right, seeing Shizuo stare back at him with a horrified look, What is about to happen here…– Izaya continued.

"Hehe…and I want Sagawa…!" He sneers tightening his gaze.

Shizuo turned sharply to Izaya, his face stern and cold. "Why." He snapped, more of a threat than a question.

The raven grinned madly, "Hehehe…I have a little score to settle with Sagawa. Would you like to hear about it…?" Shizuo remained silent while the man of the hour was losing patience.

"I don't think I want to but you're probably going to tell me anyway…" The false blonde blanched when the raven grinned wider (if possible).

"That's right. You wanted to know in the first place." He sighed contentfully twirling the tail of his coat. "Quite a number of years ago, Sagawa and I knew each other." He sighs twisting a lock of hair between his fingers.

Sagawa raised an eyebrow and listened intentfully. "He gained my family's trust and became a family friend of ours." Sagawa's face scrunched up. He had been "family friends" with many of his masterpieces, but this man who claimed not to be what his blood would confirmed was starting to pick at an old memory of his.

But that's impossible….! He thought, but this situation he was in was proving to become more dangerous but exciting all the same.

"In the three days of my disappearance I was raped repeatedly and brutally tortured then murdered." He spoke nonchalantly as if it didn't bother him in the least –but they all knew better. The raven pauses and chuckles darkly, "I suppose the pun in this is, I was sleeping with the fishes…!"

To Sagawa this was enough to prove his theory and excitement, for he had dumped only a handful of his masterpieces in streams but he had heard enough to realize who he was dealing with.

Izaya spun slowly, playing his nimble fingertips over his upper lip. "I believe your exact words for my last days were…oh yes. The perfect victim."

A single salty tear trailed down Sagawa's wrinkled cheek. "It is you…!" He whispers, unrated joy filling his old heart as put a shaky foot forward. The corners of his lips curl up into smile, "I knew you were special…!" he cried out passionately stepping closer.

A small smirk graced the ravens face as he also step forward to close the gap between them.

"The others never understood our love for each other…!" He shouted. His eyes wide and crazed as he stood only a foot from the raven. "From the very first time I saw you…my goal was to hear you scream…"

Shizuo stepped away slowly as he watched Izaya closely, Izaya is going to kill him. He thought backing up further till his back hit the wall, I don't know what I can do – can I really watch as this thing manipulates Izaya…?

Or should I let this happen…?

"Now we can be together…!" Sagawa cackles wildly, Izaya's eyes gleamed dangerously.

Shizuo gritted his teeth together and looked down, Izaya I'm sorry…but I don't know how to protect you from this.

Izaya lifted his hands to Sagawa's face and cupped his cheeks, "Yes, you were right." He says softly, closing his eyes slowly as he plants a sweet long kiss on Sagawa's lips.

Sagawa closes his eyes…

Khck…

Blood splatters over the smooth ground behind Sagawa. His brown eyes shakily open to meet unmoving black pits. "Akek…akek…" The old man coughs, blood spewing from his cracked lips onto Izaya's blank face and the dusty ground beneath their feet.

Sagawa stiffly bows his head to the grossing pain that filled his gut, "…I am…" A leather covered arm embedded elbow deep into his torso piercing his left lung. "one of a kind…"

Blood droplets pattering against the floor as Izaya curls his fingers, joints cracking swiftly. "Uh…ah…" Sagawa choked staring hopefully into those black depts, his grin flattering slightly but remained no less.

Izaya tilts his head curiously to the side staring back at him before his gaze slowly lowered to the elder's shoulders. The pale aged skin over Sagawa's shoulder blades started to burn, causing him more discomfort.

Said man hissed sharply as the burning sensation soon started to feel like a lit torch jammed into his shoulders, "Ghngh!" He grunted with a violent jerk as flesh and veins bursted from under his skin and through the back of his hoodie, smoke and gas bubbles scarring the holes in each shoulder. The rims of the small openings churned and mangled brutally rapidly turned from dark brown to coal black. "Ngh – Hah…!" He cried out when the burn holes abruptly jerked him up, his feet were no longer planted on the ground but hovering over it, the tips of his shoes scratching the floor– as if he were being held up by hooks that soon to rip through his skin and flesh to greet the chilled air.

The informant craned his neck to the side again. His face bared no rejoice nor hurt as he twisted his embedded arm, not even changing at the various of Sagawa's shouts of agony or that after Sagawa caught his breath only to grin once again.

"Hn." Izaya hummed, swiftly tearing his arm through skin and muscle clean through.

"AHHHH!" Sagawa's blood curled cry pierced Shizuo's eardrums violently causing him to hunch away and cover his sensitive ears and eyes.

Blood. Skin. Muscle. Bone shards. Crashing against the pavement and painting the walls and their bodies.

The left side of Sagawa's torso hung mangled over his pelvis, few pieces of skin hung desperately to their other half. The bottom half of his lungs sloppily gushed crimson liquid all over the old man's legs and soaking Izaya's boots. One of Sagawa's floating ribs stood high from its embedded position in his tangled small intestines.

Shizuo retched and fell hard to his knees as his stomach contents was forced up from his throat to the dusty ground. "Oh my god…" the false blonde gags, gripping his stomach in hopes of comfort.

"That's from Izaya." The possessed man mumbled shaking off the blood that soaked his sleeve and hand, droplets slashing across the marble.

Blood bubbled and coated his teeth as he started to choke and sputter on the blood that rapidly filled his lungs with no escape to find. It stung horribly but not as much as his heart swelled, so much pride and happiness filled him as he watched his Perfect masterpiece tear away at him.

Beautiful.

Ruthless.

Cold and Aloof.

He felt that he really out did himself with this one, she truly was the one. Sagawa shakily flashed blood stained teeth in his moment of awe. This fill of pain was rimmed with the most pleasurable a man could go through…

Izaya narrowed his ink eyes and smirked slyly. With his arm back at his side, the raven fingers twitched with anticipation before craning stiffly into a fist by an invisible force.

"Ghngh!" Sagawa muffled at an all too familiar burning sensation but this time the heat pierced his midfeet and his palms, "Ahh! Haha!" He chuckled in a pain strained breath as his cuneiform cracked under the pressure only to shatter and have the skin and muscle ripped through, shattered bone pieces embedding themselves into tissue. "Gaha!" The old man gasps, his veins pulsing the blood down to the newly made holes – scarlet sliding down the soles of his boots to pitter against the dust riddled floor. Steam whistled from his hands as crimson burned and turned black, crusting around the edges – much to his displeasure.

Izaya slowly raised his arms before him, his black gaze watching the black cloth shift down from the greying skin of his palms. "…" The raven looks up at the bloody but still live man that hung limply.

Izaya swiftly snaps his hands close into a tight fist – bones snap and crush, muscles and flesh churning tightly into themselves. "AHHHHH!" Sagawa screamed thrashing as his arms and legs twisted clockwise into unnatural ways; his fibula broke in half immediately, forcing its way out of the muscle and mangling the skin above and continuing to twist till it was almost revealed completely to the eyes of Shizuo and Izaya.

The bones in his elbows slammed inward – bending at the will of the unknown force as his humerus slams back into his shoulder blade, shredding through his skin. "Ahhhhhh! Hahaaaa!" Sagawa screams out again at the white hot pain.

"Hm, I now see your fascination with torture Sagawa –kun. It is rather beautiful." Izaya comments twisting his fist up so his knuckles touch, that red gleam flashing over his eyes again.

"Nghaaaaa!" Sagawa shrieks spitting up blood when his broken arms are abruptly forced above his head.

"Now…for the finishing touches." Izaya grinned flashing his sharp teeth, unclenching his fists and caressing his arms to where they wrapped around each other lazily.

Sagawa's right leg shakily bent behind his other leg and snapped sickeningly to curl around it like a snake around a staff. "AHHHHHH!" blood and skin flung as the bone sprang from its muscled cage.

Shizuo shielded his eyes. This was complete chaos – and he found he couldn't bring himself to stop all of it, his brain was telling him to stop Izaya and that this was wrong and cruel – but his heart told him that this was justice and this had to happen, and that all he can do was hope Izaya will be okay.

But I can't just sit and watch!

"Ah, truly a masterpiece, Sagawa-kun." Izaya spoke bitterly over Sagawa's harsh pants and blood choked sobs. "Definitely a sight I will take to hell with." He smirks wickedly.

"Hah…haha…ha…" Sagawa laughed between pants and occasional pained groans. "So…amazing…" He murmured under his breath, blood clinging desperately to his bottom lip.

Izaya lowered his eyelids, unaffected by the compliment. "Yes yes, I know." The raven responded nonchalantly flicking his wrist, sending Sagawa flying back.

Now's my chance to stop this! Shizuo thought finally making a decision, on his feet now Shizuo stepped forward only to feel his body seize up. "Tch!" The blonde grunted crouching as he was forced to his knees by the unseen.

"And what do you think you're doing…? Trying to play hero, are we?" It spoke; Shizuo's ears were ringing as he glanced over at the possessed figure that was his lover. Izaya's hand was pointing straight at him, nails bared at him as if a form of a threat. "I don't want to hurt you, Shizuo." He said sounding more like Izaya this time, Shizuo noticed."I know what I'm doing; you don't have to worry about me." He confirms with a small smile, Shizuo's heart tightened. "But…!" He strains against the hold over him.

"Ha!" Shizuo gasps out feeling the invisible hold on him release. On all fours, Shizuo breathes in as much as he can.

This thing that was controlling Izaya is crazy and yet it seems as if Izaya can handle himself just fine at the same time – Or maybe that thing was lying to my just now… No. That smile just now was the real Izaya. The first time he saw that smile was the first day he followed the informant home, claiming he was just returning his jacket (which was true) but his real objective was to get information out of him.

Lifting his head to watch Izaya he gritted his teeth, What can I do…?

Sagawa coughed and gasped harshly at the rising dust and from colliding with the marvel floor head first. "Hak!" He coughed, spluttering blood all over himself. The open wound over his torso was gushing all over the place and the rest of his broken body was proving to become unbearable to mask.

So much pain…I only wish she had made it slower for me to actually enjoy it…, He mused spitting out a clog of blood that sat in his throat. It was not long for the rhymatic click and clack of Izaya's boots came into view, Sagawa moved his gaze to the ceiling only to meet eyes with Izaya who loomed over him.

Said possessed man gracefully sat himself on top of the old man's chest, Sagawa spewed blood in response. "I've grown bored of my play." Izaya says snatching the old man's face in one hand and cupping his cheek with the other.

"I don't have much time and you've been alive for too long Sagawa…"

Sagawa stared silently, completely vexed by Kurami's new vassal. Although they shared fair skin and hair like night, Kurami's bittersweet aura cling to the informant's skin.

While Sagawa breathed in Izaya's scent, said raven bent down and softly kissed Sagawa's left cheek then the right without uttering another word as he slowly pulled away.

"Goodbye Sagawa…" Sagawa's eyes cracked open.

Izaya opened his mouth wide…

White canine teeth sheening against the light gleaming down on them…

"I'll be waiting in hell for you."

Sagawa smiles, "Perfect…"He whispers.

Izaya stared back blankly at the corpse underneath him, blood smeared on his chin falling to Sagawa's cold face.

Shizuo felt himself grow cold when Izaya's teeth had descended on Sagawa's throat.

Skin and blood painted the ground before him as the raven violently chewed and ripped at the man's jugular, leaving as nothing but a torn strip of flesh basked in dark blood. Shizuo's hand flew to his mouth when pile started to rise in his throat again. Even now as moments of silence have long passed, the ex-bartender feared to look at Izaya but swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up.

Izaya was still sitting on top of Sagawa's corpse but his shoulders were slouched and his eyes (sadly still completely black) stared lazily up through the hole in the ceiling where the lowering sun blazed through. His mouth and chin were coated in dried blood that trailed down into his dark shirt. His dark eye brows knitted into each other, his full lips pinched into a fine line and his inky eyes brimming in what Shizuo couldn't believe were tears. This thing in Izaya looked so miserable which was totally the opposite of what it was moments ago.

Izaya's mouth moved inaudibly, "I'm sorry mama…daddy…Yuki…grandpa…! We won't meet in heaven…" A fear tear ran down his cheek.

Shizuo stared wide eyed. "A family…?"

Immediately after, Izaya let out a long and loud sigh. The inky darkness slowly creeped from his pupils and scarlet irises, sinking back into his corneas. Izaya could feel himself taking back control, tidal waves of nausea and sleep hit full force. Izaya fell to his knees all too quickly, placing one hand on his head to focus his vision and the other clutching the marble floor. "Nng…Shizuo…" Izaya calls out wearily as he glances around for said man before his head collided with the floor beneath him, falling on top of Sagawa.

Shizuo immediately snapped from his thoughts and quickly got to his feet, practically skidding across the blooded floor before coming to a stop before his partner. "Izaya, are you okay?" Shizuo asked pulling Izaya into his arms. Said man all but breathed heavy and shifted uncomfortably.

He felt so tired and cold, what was happening? Izaya strained to open his eyes, immediately closing them at the headache that hit him like a mallet. Through the ringing against his eardrums and the pulsation of his head, he fainted heard a muffled grunt.

"Izaya…" Shizuo watched the dark red liquid trailed downward from Izaya's nose. "You're going to be okay …" He murmured as he held his sick lover tighter to him.

Shizuo's chest tightened unbearably. Was Izaya going to die? Why was this happening to them? Of all things, when he really starts to care for the damned flea. Damnit! Tears started to burn Shizuo's eyes. The one time when I'm not strong enough to save someone…

"Calm down, child."

Shizuo's eyes shot open as whipped around to face the voice. "What…" The faint clicking of heels (that he didn't recall hearing) came to a stop a meter away from them.

"The boy will be just fine," Standing a meter away in a suit of black was Joker, a small smile gracing across her full red lips. "A few hours of rest should do him good – especially with how long she held on to him for, but from my presence he could be out for longer." Shizuo opened and closed his mouth, he couldn't find the words – How in anyway is Joker apart of this?

Said woman smoothed out the crinkles in her tight black pants as she continued, "I was starting to think Izaya-kun was going to rot away if she held on any longer to him. It's not healthy to use a vassal for as long as she did, his body and mind were starting to spoil." She laughs.

Shizuo face scrunched in, "You have a part in this too?" He hissed.

Joker snickered when Shizuo held the unconscious Izaya protectively against him, "Hehe, more or less." Shizuo growled lowly. The older woman saw and laughed haughtily, "Haha! Okay okay, so I am the reason she did this to you two." She confessed with a laugh.

Shizuo's blood was boiling. She was why he and Izaya were involved in this – why Izaya was hurting – and why he was getting all these new feelings…

The ex-bartender bows his head and sighs heavily, "Where'd it go…?" He asked in a small voice caressing a sweat drenched black lock from said man's pale cheek.

"Hm?"Joker hummed with a smile, "Who? Kurami?" The blonde turned his head and stared for a moment before slowly nodding.

The strange woman in black swiftly dug into her pocket and pull back out with her gloved hand cupping something that gave off a dim glow. "Right here." Opening the palm of her hand floated a tiny dark blue ball.

Shizuo's eyes widened in awe at the tiny glowing thing in her hand. It not only glowed but it gave off a pulse, slow and rhymatic like a heartbeat. "…That's it…? What was controlling Izaya…?" He asked completely puzzled by the pulsating blue thing, Joker nodded without a beat. "Wh…What is it?"

Joker smiled warmly and said, "This my boy, is a spirit." Shizuo blinked, his lips parted.

"Yes, a spirit. A vengeful one at that that is why she gives off such an awful blue glow." Shizuo stays silent for to continue. She caught on and continued to educate him, "When a human dies they have two choices – that is if they are good, they go to heaven and be reborn or walk the earth as a ghost. But in cases like this one, in which it is a murder, there is a special choice that goes with those two." A yellow gleam raced across her eyes.

Shizuo swallowed the lump in his throat tightening his hold on Izaya, he knew that would leave bruises.

"Kill one person." She grinned widely revealing inhuman sharp teeth.

And here Shizuo thought that Izaya had the disgusting scent of evil, this woman was practically was the smell itself. Hers was different from Izaya's, hers was mixed with the foul smell of death and decaying flesh and nails.

The blonde turned away covering his mouth from the vomit that rose in his throat.

"But Kurami made a deal with me." Joker's voice was distorted and lowly. "She gets to kill three people and I get four souls to drag to hell." Shizuo could hear the grin in her voice.

"You see Shizuo," Said blonde doesn't look at the woman, his body screams for him to get away from this place but his brain tells him to stay and listen. "not many take this opportunity to get back at their killers. No. As a matter of a fact, they believe that they are better than that and choose to be reborn again – But there is another – more off putting reason – why they refuse." Shizuo could hear Jokers heels clicking towards them just as a headache rammed into the side of his head, hissing he buried his face into Izaya's hair.

"The moment you kill that person, your soul belongs to me and I drag you to hell. So not only do they go to hell but so do you. The moment you kill another, you have lost all of your humanity." His hearing became muffled but he could still her Joker talking and the faint banging noise. "A bittersweet revenge but that's the whole point, some are just too weak minded to move on – but I'm not complaining. She had all that time to go back and be reborn again." Shizuo felt something wet trail down from his nose.

"But four for two? Sounded like a fair deal to me – shame really, she won't be able to reborn along with the rest of her family. They'll never see her in heaven or in the next life." Joker stopped right in front of the couple. Shizuo's blurry eyes landed on her skeletal jaw that curled into the grinning skin on her face that was starting to rot away.

"Now the only thing left is…" She kneels down in front of the false blonde, "figure out what I'll have to do about you two…" Shizuo groaned at the unbearable pain and foul smell that wracked his brain. He held his sleeping lover closer to his body, shielding the raven from this woman, Or whatever she's become.

"Don't…touch…him…"

Then everything went black.

"Izaya!" Shizuo lurched forward from his sleep, caked in his sweat.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down Shizuo." Shrieked the surprised doctor, "You shouldn't move so much." Shinra says placing a comforting hand on Shizuo's tanned shoulder. "You've been out for a while, I called Tom to tell him that you were in my medical care." Shizuo tuned him out and rose from the bed again.

The blonde shifted slightly as his golden eyes searched the room only to snap shut as his head started to throb, "I told you not to move so much. Celty told me to tell you that once you wake up to take it easy then come talk to her when ever you're ready, so take your time. The side effects are just wearing off – " Shizuo cut him off.

"Where's Izaya?" He snapped his voice hoarse.

The young doctor sighed and frowned, "Izaya was rather low on blood yet none of the blood at that place was his other than the blood on his nose…! I'm still checking his body but none the less he's fine." He pauses and looks at Shizuo, his soft brown eyes darkening.

"There was another body there, Shizuo." The debt collector continued to stare blankly but the images of Sagawa being mutilated and tortured were still fresh in his mind, blood was everywhere and the old man's screams bouncing off the walls.

"Izaya killed that man didn't he." Shinra said taking Shizuo from his thoughts.

"It wasn't him." Shizuo immediately came to the absent raven's defense.

In a way both Shizuo and Shinra was right, the false blonde realized. Izaya didn't kill Sagawa, rather it was this Kurami person who took over the informant's body – but at the same time Izaya did want to kill the man and he did agree to be a vassal for murder (whether with his permission or not was still a mystery to him).

Shinra scoffed, "Shizuo, I'm not going to go to the police. I did some research on this guy when I got his blood results; he was good at covering his tracks but not good enough. He was criminal but what his crime is still unknown." Shizuo didn't make any sign that he was going to talk. He and Shinra may have been friends since they were kids but that didn't mean he trusted the underground doctor completely.

Shinra gave an exaggerated sigh and turned in his wheeled chair, "Ugh, I'll never get anything out of you!" He pouted.

Seeing that the conversation was over Shizuo shimmied himself of the bed and carefully made his way out the door. "Hey Celty." He greeted when he saw the headless rider sitting patiently on the sofa. Celty raised her helmet in acknowledgment before gesturing him to come over. Shizuo complied and stiffly sat himself on the other couch across from her, "Shinra said you needed to talk to me."

She nods pulling out her PDA to start typing but Shizuo speaks again, "I already know it's about Izaya."

The headless woman hesitates but continues to type anyway. The false blonde was truly exhausted and didn't feel like having this conversation - he just wanted to take Izaya home and forget all of this but he knew they had to talk about whether now or later, but it was going to happen. And quite frankly he was sure what to tell her or what she'd tell him.

{You two weren't alone there were you? Aside from that man.} The flashing text in his face made his eyebrows furrowed, how did she know? Did she feel Joker's presence?

"What makes you say that?" He questions her; Celty sat for a moment in thought before she pulled back her phone and started typing again.

{I guess you can say I "smelt" something familiar appear inside that building, whatever or whoever it was it was strong and evil. I had to back away from the building because it felt like I was being squashed by its energy. It smelt so foul - awful, but Shinra didn't smell it. That's how I knew something was wrong. But when the doors opened, all I saw was that man's corpse and you unconscious holding Izaya for dear life on the ground.}

Ah, He thought, That explains why I'm here. "Hm, you said it smelt familiar, huh?"

Celty pulled back her PDA and shook her helmet, {I don't know and I must have known that smell from somewhere before I lost my head because it's never hit me till now.} Shizuo turned his gaze down to his hands, I wonder if what Joker said was true, that Izaya would be out for a little bit longer then me and not dead.

{She's gone.}Shizuo looked up and scrunched his face up in confusion, "Who?" He asked but the image of Izaya seating in orange light that pierced through the hole in the ceiling his eyes black as tar, automatically flashing across his mind. "Oh...!" He replies softly, "How do you know?" He scowled suddenly not quite convinced by what she typed to him, he learned from the prier events that evidence means everything and not to believe it just because someone says it.

Celty started to type again, {Izaya's body is healing now, because of that evil spirit -} Shizuo stopped reading and grumbled, "She's not evil..." Celty seemed surprised by Shizuo coming to the spirits defense, the debt collector continued reading. { - Izaya's body and mind started to weaken and dry up, literally. The flow of blood in his veins and left kidney were coming to a complete stop. Had she held on to him any longer he could have died or become a walking corpse.}

Shizuo blanched at the thought of Izaya's soft pale skin becoming gray and clammy, and his silky raven coloured hair falling flat and dull – the smell of rotting flesh sipping from his pores. "Agh..." He groans turning away from his best friend.

{I don't believe Izaya killed that man.} She types, {No matter how much I dislike him, I don't believe Izaya was that insane or cruel to do something like that. Also he doesn't seem like the type to get his hands dirty – but I am going to ask you this and I hope you tell me the truth and even if you lie to me I won't stop being your friend.} Shizuo clenched his jaw at the text. He knew what she was going to ask him.

{Did Izaya kill that old man, by his own free will?}

OoOo

His heart was pounding in his ears as he clutched the handle to Izaya's temporary room. He still couldn't believe he lied to Celty's face (well helmet)! He'd never lied to Celty before until now, especially for the flea – the man he claimed he hated since high school – the man that got him fired from every job he ever had – the man that made him known as the Monster of Ikebukuro!

These feelings he was experiencing were making him change his view on things. Like he used to think this thing – no. This child was pure evil, some demon drawn in by Izaya's already sinister life style to fuck up the man's and everybody else's lives around him. But when Shizuo saw the child show so much sadness and pain and hearing the fate that she was going to suffer for, well it broke his heart.

No one deserves to go on without their family and a child no less. She was going to be tortured and burn in hell for all eternity that just wasn't right.

Shizuo grunts releasing the now disfigured door knob. He jumped at the muffled giggle that emitted from behind the wooden door, "Shizu-chan, I know that's you at the door." Said Shizu-chan's cheeks dusted over in pink.

Turning the nob, Shizuo sheepishly peeks his head from behind the door to see Izaya sitting up in the hospital bed. Izaya was wearing an oversized long sleeved powder blue tunic with the thick blanket draped over his lap; his left arm sleeve was rolled up revealing the needle that pumped blood into his seemingly frail body. His black hair hung gracefully down his pale neck and face, the tips tickling his shoulders. From what Shizuo could tell, the informant was healing very well he was even gaining the colour back into his skin, which was still too pale but he wasn't sheet white.

"Don't be shy, I won't bite." Izaya teased, his sly attitude coming back with a revenge. Shizuo frowned and opened the door wider, "Yeah right, no one's scared of you." he smirked closing the door behind him, locking it.

"Such a mean protozoan." Izaya laughs watching Shizuo take the seat next to his bed. The false blonde tapped his finger lazily on the tube that stuck out of the raven's skin, "You okay now?" He asks, Izaya shifts.

"Ow! How rude of you. Yes, I guess – I've had better days." He answered sarcasticly. "Oh but please tell me, this long hair on me is just not working, isn't it?" He brags on pulling at the tips of his split ends.

Shizuo smiled at the snarky remark but it quickly faded into a frown when he remembered what he was going to say when he came in, "Celty says she's gone now."

Izaya dropped the lock of hair and slowly turned his crimson orbs to meet golden ones, his gaze showing that he was unaffected by this. Of course Shizuo knew that Izaya knew already but he was expecting something like a reaction – what type of reaction he wasn't sure when it came to Izaya.

"You aren't happy?" The informant questioned his expression unreadable. The debt collector was taken aback by this reaction, He's hiding his true feelings. He realized that that was Izaya's way of protecting himself from showing too much emotion on certain subjects.

Shizuo merely shrugged and mumbled, "I'm not so sure now..." That wasn't a lie; Shizuo really didn't know how to feel. So much happened in such a small amount of time that it was all still sinking in.

Izaya turned away from Shizuo to the window, "Hmm…" He hums as his eyes stared blankly at the blood stained Zinnia that laid itself on the window sill, it was there when he awoke. Still fresh and young, untouched by time.

"Yeah...she's gone…hooray...!"

"So that's the whole story, huh?" Shizuo asked looking down at Izaya, said man was crouching before a tiny wooden cross. Izaya blinked slowly as he held the green flower he held on to after they left Shinra's, sighing softly he gently placed the flower in front of the cross.

"Yes…" The informant said rising from the gravel, "More or less." He added, receiving a glare from his blonde monster. "Flea…" said brute growled slipping his fingers into Izaya's.

Red dusted over his pale cheeks as gently squeezed Shizuo's hand. "Let's go home." Shizuo said bumping shoulder against Izaya's playfully. The red eyed man smirked and bump back replying with, "You mean let's go to my home."

Shizuo rolled his eyes, "Shut up flea." He said as he and Izaya walked away from the gates Onge.

"Ugh, I never wanna go to that place ever again!" The blonde yawns, it's been tough these couple weeks and he could go for a long nap.

"Mm…" Izaya hummed quietly in response. Shizuo glanced over to the smaller man, noting that something was definitely weighting on his conscience.

"Hm…?" The informant exclaimed raising red eyes to match golden ones when they came to a stop, "What is it Shizu-chan?" He asked, curious as to why his protozoan stopped them mid walk.

"Izaya, what's wrong? Now I don't want any more lies, so be honest." He demanded straight out. Ever since the time he and Shizuo talked about the kid leaving at Shinra's flat a couple weeks ago Izaya has been awful quiet like he had something he wanted to say but couldn't really find the words to say it.

The red eyed man frowned and glared stubbornly at the brute. He never liked it when people told him what to do, but somehow he felt he didn't really have a choice right now seeing as how both he and Shizuo agreed that they would start fresh with their relationship. Relationships meant no lies and no secrets; they only made things complicated Shizuo told him and that it was okay to care and be honest. They both knew that one first hand.

Izaya aimlessly walks ahead of Shizuo and come to a halt with a sigh, "I wonder…" He sighs again. Shizuo raises an eyebrow and strolls over to his side, rubbing the raven's forearm.

"I wonder…was it worth it…?" Shizuo lowered his eyelids and mimicked Izaya's sigh.

"I don't know…no, it doesn't really sound like it was worth it looking back on it." He answers staring at the orange and purple sky, the sun was going down soon. Izaya blinked up at the sky as Shizuo continued.

"What happened that day made me really think about how much I used to hate you and how much I wanted to kill you for what you did to me all these years…" The raven turned to stare curiously at Shizuo. "Oh?" He poked interested in what was going through the ex-bartender's blonde head.

"Yeah, but after seeing what that kid did…" Izaya noted how Shizuo's golden eyes darkened as he continued, "And what she had to give up just to kill those men that did that to her. It just doesn't sound fair…!" He seethed.

"She was so angry and hurt that she was willing to give up her own humanity and the chance to be with her family again, all for revenge. Life and Death are cruel women, they have no mercy for the innocent…"

This defiantly surprised Izaya, How righteous. He thought, Izaya defiantly never thought about Kurmai losing her humanity - that seemed to have been lost before she had even met him or that Shizuo would even think - let alone feel so much passion on the topic of Kurami. "I only wish she would have seen that they weren't worth it." Shizuo cursed bowing his head in frustration.

Izaya reached up and rubbed his back and confessed the lie that burdened their minds.

"Shizuo, I think we both knew that she could have moved on and lived a new life but we both can't deny that she was very aware of it the entire time. She just couldn't let the pain go…"

How humans can harbor so much hate and malice over time that they would sell their souls and everything they hold dear for revenge would have been the most thrilling new thing to him before, but now he can hardly force a smile out at that thought. It made him think of all the people that he screwed over that were probably dead because of him, how much hate must fill their souls before they chose to kill him. He was probably going to hell anyway for all that he's done, he realized.

I'll never get to see Shizuo ever again after I die. A good guy like him is probably too good for heaven…

Izaya snapped away from his train of thought when Shizuo murmured something.

"Then again, who are we to judge? We're only human. We'll have to move on from this at some point." He grunts pulling out a pack of cigarettes as he walks down to the border of Ikebukuro leaving Izaya to think to himself.

Hn…all this time I believed I was a god…but now I think I'm becoming more human than even Shizuo...

"Flea hurry it up, I'm making dinner tonight." Said blonde shouted down the street, waiting for him.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! Don't be so impatient." Izaya yells back.

Maybe being human for a little while won't hurt.

Thank you all for reading, this is the end of Darker than Black. I hope you enjoyed reading. Love you guys!

And for those unanswered question, like what is joker – is she a demon or something? Why would Celty feel like Joker's presence is familiar? Is that really how it ends for Shizaya and Kurami?

Joker is not a demon or the devil, rather she is Death itself (although death doesn't have a gender, I decided to pick on). With her sick sense of humor and easy to bore she takes advantage of the murdered spirits for sport, and aside from this Joker is very wise and proves to always keep her promises but still not one to easily trust. In this story of mine, I took advantage of the fact that Celty was a dark mystical creature that wields a scythe (in some places, the headless rider is an accomplice to Death). The fact that she had no memory of what she used to do before she lost her head gave me a chance to put in my two cents, so yeah…! And yes that is how the story ends for Kurami, she got what she wanted but at what price(?), a bittersweet end is good end in my mind. As for Shizuo and Izaya's relationship, well that friends is for your imagination to run wild with. That is all. If you have any more questions feel free to inbox me, but be aware that if you don't have an account I cannot respond sadly.

Review please.

Deuces.