Love Me Till The End

Chapter Four

"...Celty?" Shizuo frowned, obviously confused.

The dullahan 'stared' at her old best friend in complete disbelief, her body frozen.

Even his voice sounded the same.

She chose not to reply to the blond and instead stormed up to Shinra. In one quick movement the Black Rider slammed him against the wall, shadows angrily shooting out of her neck.

[What did you do? Tell me!] Celty demanded of the doctor, taking note of every detail displayed across his face.

Shinra looked so relieved. His dull eyes were light now but his smile strained. His brown hair was a total mess and even his glasses were covered with dust, as if they hadn't been cleaned for days. His usually ironed lab coat still a wrinkled mess.

It seemed like he was just finally starting to get better with Shizuo and Izaya back.

Except, they weren't. Those two were still dead and they would be forever, Shinra couldn't change that.

So...what exactly were these replicas of the two strongest men in Ikebukuro?

"Shinra, what's going on?" Izaya narrowed his eyes at the giddy man.

The small raven jumped off the operating table on, preparing to land on his feet and walk over to his friend.

Instead he collapsed onto the floor, legs buckling underneath him. Shinra rushed over to Izaya and lifted him, helping him back onto the table.

"Stop it, Izaya! You're not ready to walk just yet!" The brunet scolded him.

Celty felt a shiver run up her spine as she watched Izaya try to hide the obvious fear in his eyes and how Shizuo desperately tried to move his legs.

The blond whirled on Shinra, fury slicing through his mocha eyes.

"What the fuck did you do to us, bastard?!" He snarled.

The doctor simply smiled and leaned against the wall, watching his three bewildered friends.

"Well first off I should say that you and Izaya died but I brought you back to life using your blood samples. The two of you were fighting in the road and a speeding car hit you, killing both of you on impact. For the past two weeks I've worked nonstop on creating fake skin tissue to cover up the machinery keeping you two alive." He began proudly.

Izaya and Shizuo simply stared at him, too shocked to even speak. Shinra took that as a sign to continue.

"The hardest part was finding a way to have you both retain your memories as well as your individual thoughts that make you yourselves. After all, you'd just be mindless robots if I didn't and I couldn't let that happen." He sighed, finally cleaning off his glasses.

"That's where Haruna came in." Shinra grinned like a kid as he stuck out his tongue.

"Haruna...?" Izaya blinked, not understanding how the doctor knew about her.

"She came to me a week ago, gloating about your death and accidentally let it slip that she possessed a Saika. So, I made a deal with her that if she cut the both of you and ordered the chip in your head to act like Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo then I would help her with her crush on that teacher. She luckily agreed and I finished making your bodies." He finished off, now smiling like a complete madman.

Celty couldn't believe what she's heard. These were just knockoffs of Izaya and Shizuo, not the actual people she knew. They were goddamn robots made simply for Shinra's benefit!

[Take them apart. I don't wish to see these...things taking your old friends places] Celty ordered, unable to even look at the two.

"W-What? Like hell, Courier-san. I'd rather not die again." Izaya smirked at her easily, folding his arms.

It was the same smirk, but different.

[You're already dead. Rest in peace] She typed out hesitantly, waiting for Shinra to do as she asked.

"Celty...please don't. I don't feel any different so what's the problem? I'm still myself." A soft voice murmured.

The dullahan turned around and saw her friend looking up at her pleadingly, desperation in his eyes. She felt her heart slightly crack inside, wanting to welcome Shizuo back.

However, she couldn't accept this. He wasn't Shizuo.

[Shinra, do it!] She pressed the doctor furiously.

In absolute shock, Celty saw him slowly shake his head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." He whispered.

What was going on?

Shinra always listened to her!

"I love you more than anything, Celty. You know I do...but I can't live without Shizuo and Izaya. They've been with me too long. I refuse." He bit his lip, understanding why his beloved was so upset.

Still...he would never destroy his two friends.

Celty was still, watching the two imposters. She huffed and exited the room.

Izaya turned to look at Shinra with narrowed eyes.

"What will this change in my daily life, four eyes?" He hissed, knowing well that this couldn't be an 'all good miracle'.

Shinra laughed at the return of his old nickname, feeling tears prick his eyes.

Shizuo bit his lip nervously, head still reeling from the new information.

"Yeah, let's talk about that now."