Izaya had been staring at the letter and black rose on his nightstand for about three hours now, trying to predict all the ways this could have happened, all this could entail. My room is on the seventh floor of the complex, and the window has neither any fire escape nearby, nor a ledge. So... How did they get in? My apartment doors are still locked, and the security is all intact from the inside, as it had been. Nothing else is out of place, messed with or missing. There's nothing on my private security footage except one second, the window was closed, no letter or rose, the next, the rose, letter and opened window were all present. I even slowed down the frames, and it was a split second change, and nothing else could be seen, even at that slow. I am confused, to say the least. The feed from the video cameras weren't tampered with, I already checked. The letter is more than likely a death-threat, hinted ever so subtly by the black rose. It's not like it is uncommon for me to get them... But they're usually in person, not slightly poetic ways of telling me to jump off of the 'suicide-building'... Yeah, I'm not the most respected person, but in the line of work I'm in, plus all of my other games, I've made plenty of enemies... But none of them have this kind of eerieness. I'm certain even Saika and Celty's abilities are below this, but then again, Celty's true abilities are more or less a mystery, since very few know of what she's capable with her head intact...

Nothing made sense... he decided should just open the letter and gain whatever information he could from it, then send the cruelest gang he could hire after whoever sent him another death threat. But that's what bugged him... if they, whoever they are, have someone who can do something like this, then why not just kill me then and there? To frighten me? Get my nerves up and make me paranoid? Probably... but why wait until now to show themselves, he hadn't even done too much shady stuff recently, he'd been so exhausted from the thing haunting him he'd lost time to do his usual chaos-making. The only one he specifically made time for was Shizu-chan...

To hell with it. I'm just going to open it and get it over with... Izaya thought, reaching for the envelope that was sealed with black wax with a star stamp on it. He noted that in his head.

Izaya,

I decided it was finally time to write to you, after all this time. Ironic, isn't it? I've visited you fifty-two times now, so why am I just now deciding to do this now? Hmmm. I'll let you ponder that. Anyway, I want to meet with you in person now, I think I am sure enough to try it this time. Don't worry, it's nothing bad.

I calculated you will stare at this for about three hours before opening it, trying to figure out all it could entail, its meaning. That will leave you time to research for about two hours, and then come to Ikebukuro. Don't worry, I know this you and the old you well enough to know you won't walk into this blind. I wouldn't want you to, after all, how many times have I tricked you now. I need you to be smarter this time for this to work out between us. I hope you like the rose. It fits us both this time, as you are not as innocent as you once were, where as I have always been tainted.

Meet me at the Midnight Cafe in Ikebukuro at midnight, it's just opening tonight, at midnight, so there will be plenty of people there, just so you'll feel more at ease. I don't want you to worry. Surely in your profession, you know where it is...

I'll be at the entrance waiting for you, but hey, I may not be dressed how I usually am, so I'll have to find you, unlike every other time.

And, I think I finally understand what that saying you have always told me means. You probably don't remember it yet, so I'll tell you: Darkness does not always equate to Evil, Just as Light does not always bring Good.

I want to make amends for what I did to you so long ago, so I hope you'll come. Bring the rose with you.

Ever yours,

Darkness

Izaya thought for a minute to himself. I'm actually genuinely surprised! One of my humans thinks that they are more tainted than me?! That I was once innocent! Ha! I haven't been 'innocent' in all my fucking life. And as far as I know, I've never said those words or anything like them to anyone! I don't even know what they mean. Oh, and that part about me being tricked by whoever the hell this is! Heh, I've never fallen for anyone's tricks, I am above that. I am God!

So, he went to his computer, that phrase the letter had written in it in his mind, and looking it up in all of his files, and in any search he could think of. Of course he knew the Midnight Cafe was going to be opening tonight. He'd been waiting for it to open to check it out, it was supposed to be a place for all those insomniac people who have nothing better to do, and a place for like-minded people to meet up, but he just wanted to stir up more trouble there, as with everywhere.

He searched and searched for anything on the phrase, but found next to nothing relevant, which was rare for this informant. It was like anything pertaining to the phrase was non-existent.

His arms were sore now, having rested his wounds on the arm-rest for so long. Shinra had yet to see these wounds, Izaya having promised months ago to stop, but the feeling he got from them kept him from feeling like he was just in a dream. The pain kept him in reality. The stitches weren't staying tight, though, so Izaya was planning on going to Shinra's tomorrow.

Izaya looked at the clock, trying to decide if he should go there. He hadn't even gotten dressed yet, only being in his boxers and a towel around his shoulders. His hair had yet to fully dry, and it wasn't exactly warm out this time of year... If he wanted to go, he needed to get ready and leave soon. He wanted to be early, by at least a half hour and scope the place out. He needed to know who and what he was walking into.

So, with the plan to arrive early in mind, he set it into motion. Izaya went to his bedroom, got out his usual outfit of a black v-neck, black skinny jeans and put it on, along with his shoes, socks and his usual fur-trimmed jacket. He dried his hair as best he could, and then grabbed his keys from the decorative bird bath he'd put by the front door... he stopped in his tracks, going back to his room and stocking up on his switchblades, hiding them throughout his clothing so he could access them at any point. As he was walking out of his room, he stopped yet again, and quickly grabbed the rose. They had asked he bring it, even though it was inconvenient to have to carry around.

...

...

...

Izaya was on top of the building across the street from the soon to be open Midnight Cafe. there were thirty or forty people already in line, but no one seemed to really stand out as waiting for someone in particular who hadn't shown up yet. It was three minutes until opening time, so Izaya figured he should head down. He didn't want to be late to what could be a trap, after all, he didn't like being late, even if it was what he thought it was.

Izaya left the building, climbing down the fire escape, the same way he'd come up. He crept around the building, being careful not to bump into any of the gathering crowd around the cafe, wanting to try and remain unnoticed until he found out who the other was. As he crossed the street, he froze. He wasn't sure, but Izaya could've sworn he'd seen it. A mop of blonde hair. He searched the crowd again, his eyes resting on the blonde, who was notably not in his black and white bartender get-up, but a black and red version of it.

Of course! Shizu-chan just had to show up! Now I have to leave, and I'll never find out who sent me that damned letter and this stupid rose. He looked at the blonde one second too long, and his crimson orb was met by honey-mocha ones. Run. That was his first instinct, until he saw the genuine smile on Shizuo's face at meeting the raven's eye, and to his surprise, Shizuo's eyes went to the bandaged right eye, a look of regret visible, then his eyes rested on the black rose in Izaya's right hand and he was smiling happily once more. Then in a flash, those mocha eyes turned to concern as Izaya heard his name being yelled by the ex-bartender.

"Izaya! Loo-" That was all Izaya made out before he felt a crushing force smash into him from his blind right side.