Author's Note—

Hi, dear readers!

I'm aware that L/Mello isn't a very popular pairing, but hopefully this story will introduce just how lovely of an idea it is! I've shipped L/Mello for a very long time, and while the shotacon possibility is just as nice, it isn't exactly my OTP when it comes to Death Note.

In addition, spoilers galore! If you haven't finished Death Note, stop reading here.

PLEASE READ: IMPORTANT PLOT INFORMATION

I am very well aware that L is ten years older than Mello in canon. However, in this story, the timeline will be altered. The Kira plot still takes place. Nearly everything in the main series will remain the same except for a couple of things.

Firstly, Mello will only be three years younger than L. Also, the real differences between this story and what is canon take place when looking at L's death. Mello, Near, and Matt are only introduced after it is discovered that L has died; however, I will have this excluded from my timeline. The Wammy boys will involve themselves with the Kira case voluntarily.

Summary/Prompt—

It was all according to plan for both Light and L, but what neither of the opposing forces expects is the involvement of three young geniuses in the Kira case: L's top three successors. Kira is put at a disadvantage with what is now four wildly different detectives that have joined forces on his trail, and L himself is also finding the new additions to his surroundings a challenge. L/Mello, one sided Near/Mello, one sided Matt/Mello. Rated M for adult content, language, and violence.


At the Price of Oblivion

I – Enter the Chaos


Ryuuzaki,

One has just reported that both Two and Three have gone missing. One states that it is highly probable that they are headed your way. I trust that you will know what to do.

–R

In the dark room, a young man's ghastly face was lit up by the glow of his laptop. His brow furrowed as he scanned the text displayed on the screen in front of him. Emails directly sent to this particular address only come from two other trusted sources, one being Wammy—current code name Watari—and Roger, who was currently managing the orphanage. This particular email was from Roger, marked "URGENT".

"Damn."

The detective gritted his teeth and closed the laptop, bringing his hands to rest atop his knees. He couldn't say he hadn't expected this possibility; however, it was a very undesirable turn of events.

The involvement of the successors in this case—especially when dealing with Two—was incredibly risky and nothing short of a death wish. Yes, Two was highly intelligent, but according to the information he had, he was also unpredictable, and an explosive ally would only endanger chances of L finally capturing Light Yagami as Kira. This operation was down to the detail enough already, and with Two on the way—with Three in tow, nonetheless—things were bound to become chaotic.

L sighed and leaned back on the sofa, relaxing from his usual crouched over stance. Both Light and the others were sleeping at their own houses—even still, ever the paranoid man, he allowed himself a quick check of the security cameras, reassuring himself that he and Watari were the only people in the building. His infamous hunched-over posture gave his back incredible pain, but he couldn't allow either his allies or his enemies to gain a solid idea on what the detective was truly like.

The messy, unkempt hair and odd behaviors were highly exaggerated from the moment L met the Japanese Task Force, and even more so after meeting his first suspect: the popular and academically advanced Light Yagami, son of Soichiro Yagami. The façade was uncomfortable, but it gave him a unique upper hand—if he was ever in a situation in which his enemy would have to rattle him for information, they would be at a complete loss when they discovered L was nothing like Ryuuzaki.

L glanced out the window, as if expecting an answer to be written somewhere on one of the surrounding buildings. He had very little idea as to when Two and Three would arrive, or if they even would. After all, it wasn't a one-hundred percent chance that the Kira case was what drove the pair out of Wammy's House, especially when considering Two's supposed nature.

But it wasn't like One to make an open statement like that without being extremely certain, L thought with a slight frown, closing his eyes tiredly. The faint glow of the computer screen remained visible even with the source being gone and his eyelids closing his line of vision from the outside. He couldn't be positively sure, but common sense told the detective he might as well try to get a good night's sleep; tomorrow was going to be, for lack of a better word, unpredictable.