"And you're so cynical, Narcissistic Cannibal,
Got to bring myself back from the dead,"
Misa was five years old when she first witnessed death.
It was a burglary attempt. And it was all her fault.
"Misa, always remember to lock the door," mom constantly reminded her.
"I know, mommy!" she always answered in frustration.
It was a sunny day, nothing was amiss, then, it suddenly started raining and Misa was soaked wet. Her hair and baby-pink sundress clung to her sticky cold body.
She was at the playground, and all alone.
I should be getting home, Misa thought, not wanting to worry her papa or mama.
She started skipping on her sandals as she whistled a theme song she heard on the radio, a soothing tune that most would consider creepy.
Then, she paused, noticing there was someone else around.
"Don't talk to strangers, Misa," her dad also bugged her.
"I know, daddy!"
"Hi, what's your name?" Misa folded her hands behind her back and leaned a bit too close to the creepy man sitting on the bench. His legs were folded to his chest and he was wearing a white shirt and long denim jeans. His white sneakers were filled to the brim with rainwater, untied, and he wore no socks.
He was as soaked as Misa, yet his ebony hair stubbornly defied the gravitational pull as much as it could.
As he turned his head to look at her, his dead, black eyes, glimmered red, Misa could've sworn they were red, and what did she know, they were red. Either that, or it was a child's imagination.
Misa stared back into those red eyes, so fascinated at the sight, that she didn't realize she'd climbed onto the bench and seated herself right beside him.
Placing his thumb to his lip, the man watched her like an insane scientist at a particularly fascinating specimen, his eyes taking in her entire size and body shape, before he smiled and whispered something under his breath.
Misa heard, though. Children had good ears.
"I've never done an innocent little girl before."
"Do what?" Misa questioned aloud.
The man widened his red eyes. Then, suddenly, against all his previous displays of calm, collected expressions, he grinned, a deranged, maniac grin that took up half his face.
He leaned close to her face and she pulled back just slightly.
"Killing," he hissed, as if telling her a lethal secret.
Misa quirked an eyebrow. She knew killing was bad, or it was supposed to be bad, but it was a vague notion to her. If someone asked her if she knew what killing was, of course she'd say yes, but deep down she wasn't sure what it really meant.
"Um, okay." Misa answered, not knowing what to think. "So, um, what's your name, mister? Are you lost in the cold?" Misa bit her lower lip. What was she doing asking if this man was lost? She couldn't help him find his way home, could she?
The man drew back, and grabbed her hand, holding it absently as he gazed off into the foggy distance.
Misa squeaked, but didn't pull back. She waited expectantly for an answer.
"I'm supposed to be Ryuuzaki." He answered, and she believed him. It could have been because this man truly wasn't lying, or that children tended to believe everything they heard.
"But let me tell you a little secret," Ryuuzaki continued, and Misa held her breath. "I'm only the Backup. One that's lost."
By this point Misa was beyond intrigued and was already sitting identical to 'Ryuuzaki,' her legs pulled to her chest and her entire left side cuddled against his right side, futilely seeking warmth.
She strained her ears, and watched him with large, adorable blue eyes. Her mouth was twisted into a pout, though. "Backup? Why not #1?"
At that, 'Ryuuzaki' chuckled. It was a husky, deep sound, and Misa found herself shuddering, yet for that reason, she pressed harder against 'Ryuuzaki,' seeking comfort away from his own voice. Ironic, it was.
"Yes, why am I not number one?" 'Ryuuzaki' asked softly. "WHY?!" He yelled harshly, and Misa cringed, flinching away.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF L! EVERYTHING IS!" 'Ryuuzaki''s feet kicked out, swinging over the bench. Now, he was sitting naturally like any normal person would.
It suited him, that even Misa could tell that…his previous, hunched way of sitting wasn't his natural form, but an attempt to copy someone else.
"But you know," 'Ryuuzaki''s voice softened, and his gaze swept back towards her serenely. "I can become #1."
Misa tilted her head in query, forgetting that just seconds ago he was acting like the scariest man alive. He was acting nice now, so Misa was willing to sate her curiosity. "How?" She asked.
"Heheh. I just have to make L lose. Just once, to me. That's all." He smiled. "Sounds easy, isn't it?"
"Um, it depends on the game," Misa answered, thinking of tag, hop-scotch, jump-rope. She also assumed L was a rival of 'Ryuuzaki.'
"It's a game of intelligence," he whispered. "If he can't figure out the puzzle, it will haunt him for the rest of his existence, and beyond." 'Ryuuzaki' smirked, stifling a chuckle. "He's never failed to solve a case before, but when he loses to me, I'll be superior to him. I'll be the true Number One." 'Ryuuzaki''s hand reached for Misa's chin, and tilted her face up to look her in the eyes. "You'd want that, wouldn't you, Misa-chan?"
Misa sucked in a breath, shock in her face, suddenly scared and defensive. "How do you know my name? I never told you!"
He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Why, I'm a Death God, of course."
"Huh?!" Misa stopped struggling and gaped at him. "But you look human."
His surprise turned real. "Really?"
"Hah, well, duh!" Misa grinned. "You're nothing like a Shinigami!"
He scratched his head, deep in thought, before looking back at Misa. "I'll tell you my real name. You're the only one who will ever know it."
Misa folded her hands and waited diligently. She was a selfish child. If it was such a big secret that she was the only one in the world to know it, she'd make sure it stays that way, even if she had to take it to the grave.
"Beyond Birthday." The name sounded foreign on his lips.
Misa smiled charmingly, reaching out her hand. "I'm Misa Amane! Nice to meet you!"
'Beyond' claimed her hand, unsure what to do with it.
Misa shook it eagerly and rapidly, causing 'Beyond' to lose his balance and almost trip onto her. He caught himself just in time and drew back, staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Yes, I guess it's nice to meet you as well."
The rain had stopped, and the sun was peeking over the horizon.
Misa sneezed, and Beyond's mouth twitched in amusement. "I suppose you have a home?"
"Yeah! I do! Wanna come?" Misa asked eagerly, hopping off the bench and tugging him along by his hand.
"Maybe later," he answered, nudging her away by her back. "I have some preparations to make."
"Umm, okay!" Misa answered reluctantly. "I'll see ya soon, then!"
"Yes. See you soon, Misa-Misa." Beyond waved until she was out of sight.
Then, he burst out laughing, like he hadn't laughed in years, and was just relearning how. A dry, hoarse laugh with the sound of evil intents and victories.
Yes, BB was going to have so much fun.
死神
When Misa entered her house, her parents were already asleep and the lights were off.
It wasn't unusual for Misa to stay out past curfew; this neighborhood was one of the safest in the city.
Only top-class wealthy celebrities lived here, and there were professional police patrols around every street corner.
And they trusted Misa to always find her way home, or ask someone if she got lost. Everyone trusted everyone else within this tight-knit neighborhood.
Misa pulled open the door, skipped inside, and shut it behind her.
"Misa, always remember to lock the door," her mom constantly reminded her.
"I know, mommy!" she always answered in frustration.
But Misa forgot this one time.
She ran straight for the shower, pulling her clothes off and discarding them to the floors on the halls. She was spoiled like that, her parents would pick them up later.
She grabbed her pajamas from the closet bin and and tossed them into the dry sink. Then, Misa jumped into the tub and turned the warm water on.
The water was cold at first, freezing her toes, before slowly warming up. Misa sat her butt in the tub's marble base and relaxed.
Normally she'd be playing around with the water, but today was a tiring day and her body felt all numb from the rain.
The clean water reached up to her chest, and she turned the runner off. She held her breath, ducked her head under the surface, scrubbed her blonde hair a bit, and came up for air.
A banging sound. Something loud, a thud, a crash.
Misa squeaked. A ghost?! Shakily, she grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squirted some out onto her palms, before scrubbing her fingers in her hair in panic.
There were more noises outside the bathroom, and some screams too.
Misa didn't dare open her eyes lest the soap get in, so she blindly ducked under, and got all the shampoo off. Then she, being the stupid girl she was, grabbed the soap and scrubbed the rest of her body as quick she can before rinsing herself off.
That was a dumb move, Misa never got out of a bath unfinished, and it didn't occur to her to start now.
Which means she wouldn't be there to save her parents in time. Those precious thirty seconds could have made a difference in life-or-death, after all.
After getting the soap off her body, Misa jumped out of the tub and didn't bother drying herself. She grabbed her pajamas and tried to slide her limbs in, but the water was all stick so it was hard to them through.
Finally getting her nightwear on, as it clung roughly to her body like sandpaper, she unlocked the bathroom door and ran out to the living room. The lights were all off but that was the first place she arbitrarily chose to check.
Spot-on.
"Oh hey, Misa-chan," the familiar yet remote voice called, and Misa tensed.
"B-Beyond…kun?" Tentitively, she approached him, squinting her teal eyes through the dark. She could make out the sihouettes of her parents, tied up and gagged on the kitchen floor.
Beyond was standing over them, a knife in hand, and a jar of something sticky in his other.
Strawberry jam.
"Hey! You're not supposed to eat it like that!" Misa shouted indignantly.
Beyond chuckled, setting down the jar onto the kitchen counter. "You've always been one weird little girl," he remarked, swinging the knife around his fingers, "A pity you have such a short lifespan…But that might work to my advantage…"
"Huh?" Misa tilted her head.
"Is this really the best time for you to act dumb?" Beyond questioned, crouching down and positioning the blade over her mother's neck.
Her mom struggled and screamed, muffled by the gag. Her eyes were glazed over. Drugged?
"What's 1+1?"
"Two!" Misa cried as she ran towards Beyond.
"4+4+4?"
Misa hesitated. She'd never added three numbers before. At pre-school they only taught her addition of two numbers...a third factor was just...She glanced at her fingers, counting quickly.
Fourteen?
"Twelve!" she hoped she was right, as those fingers grabbed his sleeve. "Let mommy and papa go!"
He had muscle under his slender build. He didn't budge, but rather, placed the knife in her mother's hand and angled it towards her father. "32951+2951+2040+1111?"
Misa paused, assessing his question. She was weak. She couldn't overpower him. But he would let mom and dad go if she told him the right answer, that she was sure of.
But what's the answer?!
"Thirty nine thousand, fifty three," Beyond answered for her. "Time's up." He twisted the blade away from her father, and dove it into her mother's neck.
Misa flinched, her mind a mess. Mom didn't get the chance to scream. Mom's head twisted at an impossible angle, and Beyond tried to force the knife through her spinal cord, tried.
It didn't slice through, and he sighed, disheartened. "Such a pity. She was a beautiful woman, the progenitor of your perfect genes, something to be grateful about."
Beyond tugged the knife out, and slid his tongue over the blade. "Yet you lost her, because you weren't clever enough."
"Stupid-stupid Misa-Misa," Beyond chuckled. "You've killed my mood," he lied, the real reason was the woman's dense collarbone. "It's your turn, Misa-chan."
Misa didn't scream, she just watched him in disbelief, ignoring the churning at her stomach to heave up the contents she ate. Only, Misa hadn't eaten dinner tonight, so she had nothing to puke out.
But her papa's eyes were bulging out and his veins were visible and he was shaking, twisting madly from his bonds. Beyond's foot kicked his head and smashed his face to the floor. Keeping his heel planted there, Beyond pointed the bloody knife towards Misa.
"Come here, and finish him off." Beyond ordered with a warm tone.
Misa shook her head stubbornly, tears starting to fill her eyes. She'd lost her voice.
Beyond tilted his head in wonder. "That reminds me, you never answered my question from earlier…"
Misa watched. What question? What if she got it wrong? She didn't want to answer more questions.
"Kuhuhu. You're a lucky girl. I've never given my subjects two hours to prepare an answer." Beyond tilted his head completely to the side, his eyes wide. "The odds favor you, but should you answer it wrong...your father dies."
Misa chew her tongue. She had two hours to answer a question and she didn't take it? She tried to think back. She was having trouble remembering. She cursed her stupidity.
"To become #1, I have to beat L at his own game…to give him a case he cannot solve…a murder case." Beyond smiled sadly, walking towards Misa, hunched over. "I will no longer be just a Backup."
Misa backed up, but Beyond crouched down, and took both her clean-white hands into his dirty bloodied ones, staining them permanently.
"You'd want that, wouldn't you, Misa-chan?" Beyond asked, moving his hand towards her cheek. She shut her eyes as he brushed it, leaving a streak of her mother's blood behind. "Your heart is warm and kind," his hand moved towards her chest, feeling her heartbeat. It was slowing down. Good.
"Will you help me defeat L, Misa-chan?" Beyond took her hands again, unrolled her clenched fists, and placed the knife into her palms, curling her fingers over the hilt.
Misa hesitated. This was the question? Obviously the answer was yes. Listen to adults. L was the bad guy. Beyond Birthday needed her help. Misa nodded mutely.
Her father struggled, shaking his head and trying to plead through his gag at his daughter to stop this madness. But, Beyond mouthed something, and her father could lip-read.
She didn't know or see what was communicated, but her father suddenly stopped struggling and strained a smile to Misa.
He nodded slightly, trying to reassure her, and Misa felt this was wrongdoing.
"Ten seconds, or you lose." Beyond checked the clock. "Kill him."
"I'm sorry papa!" Misa shut her eyes and tried to position the knife over his neck, since stabbing his chest or face was disgusting.
Beyond sighed and grabbed her hands, shoving the knife into the man's neck and supporting her weak limbs.
Her father glugged up blood, and died instantly, eyes rolling to the back of his head. His heartbeat stopped.
Misa screamed, and Beyond clamped his hand over her mouth.
"It's time to go," he informed her, grabbing the jar of strawberry jam. "Open your mouth."
Misa's screaming stopped but her crying didn't. She thought she'd never run out of tears.
Beyond stuck his hand into the jar, scooping a bit of the sweet jam into his fingers and placing them into Misa's mouth.
She clamped her mouth down and tasted the substance.
Sweet, but also sour.
It was a strange mixture with the blood but it was comforting. Misa stopped crying.
Beyond smiled, wiping the jam completely off onto her tongue as she sucked. He pulled back, and screwed the lid shut.
"'Papa,' you called him?" Beyond grinned. "I won't make you an orphan; it's the worst kind of torture a human can inflict."
Beyond moved his hands under her arms, and she noted they were gloved and wet with an oily liquid, aside from all the blood.
He hefted her over his back, pulled her arms around his neck, and approached the window. "Call me 'papa,' if you still want one," BB laughed, pulling the window open with a grunt.
Misa placed her cheek against his head. "I don't want to be alone."
"Loneliness is boring, that's true," he climbed out the window, gripping Misa's thighs steadily. "But games are entertaining, ne?"
With that, he jumped and landed to the ground, and Misa screamed through the fall and thud, too terrified to let go.
But she wasn't completely traumatized.
Misa doesn't break her promises.
"Yup!" she rubbed her face on her pink pajama sleeve as he set for a light jog, gaining distance from the house.
"The only way to win them is to pay attention, and learn faster than anyone else."
At a safe distance, Beyond stopped, setting her to the floor. He took out a match and set it to something on the floor. Misa couldn't see in the dark, but it could have been a liquid or a wire leading back to the house.
Misa watched, intrigued, as the light traveled, backtracking.
"It's impossible for me to beat L as the best detective, but as a criminal." Beyond smirked creepily to himself. "You might be capable of doing both."
Misa opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he suddenly grabbed her hand and ran.
She kept up as best she could, feeling exhausted and sleepy but forcing her feet to run.
The house incinerated into flames, the explosion taking down the neighboring buildings.
Misa Amane never looked back.
"Sometimes, I hate, the life, I made,
Everything is wrong every time."