Disclaimer: The obligatory "I do not own Death Note." :sighs dejectedly:

Recommended Reading: Duality, Heat, and Bleed, although you should be able to infer what is going on without necessarily having to read Heterodox's predecessors. (Hopefully.)

I'd also recommend reading By Flashes of Lightning, which has absolutely nothing to do with this storyline, but is an amazing MelloxSayu by the talented Bialy. Seriously, you'll pee your pants. In glee. It's that good.

A/N: … yeah, I know. I'm weak, guys, I'm not going to lie; the idea of Mello and Sayu in a post-Kira world is just too interesting of an idea to simply pass up. For those of you who are just tuning in, this is a what-if AU (the 'what-if' pertaining to Mello and Sayu falling in love, and Mello and Matt actually living) revolving around the end of Death Note. With lyrics provided by Shiny Toy Guns. Rated for Mello's potty mouth and blood, as well as smutty drivel later. You like it. Do not deny.

Please R&R!

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Heterodox

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"If it were only so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

- Alexsandr Solzenitzyn

--

"I am the law, the one who maintains order. Now, I am justice, and the world's only hope." Light's voice was smug as he spread his arms out, his stature like that of a crooked cross. He flicked his gaze back over his shoulder at the others. At the forefront of the SPK were L's heirs, side-by-side, united at last. Near watched on dispassionately, unmoved by Light's theatrics, but Mello was glowering at him, his shoulders trembling slightly with barely-controlled rage. "Are you going to kill me?" he challenged, as Mello fingered the gun holstered in the belt of his pants. "Is that really the right thing to do?"

"Mello." The ivory-haired child gave him a warning look, but the elder boy seemed not to have heard. "Don't." Light reveled in the raw hatred etched upon the blonde's ruined face, basked in it; his smile grew even wider as he continued in a sneer:

"Capturing Kira, then?" He said, nodding back in Near's direction. "That may have been the just thing in the past. But the mentality of the world has changed: people want Kira around. They revere him. He is single-handedly ridding the world of evil, one pen-stroke at a time. Are you sure you want to capture Kira simply for your own satisfaction?"

Near's expression remained unfathomable. Mello's, however, was much easier to read. He bared his teeth like a rabid dog, outraged. It overjoyed Light, knowing that he was the source of those ill, spiteful feelings. It was empowering, intoxicating.

"The world was rotten, and I have been purifying it. Do you really want the world to turn back to the way it was before? Do you want the minds of the people, who have already begun to change, to change again? Would that really be right?

"If you claim that this is to avenge L's death..." Light said, purposely locking gazes with Mello's as he spoke. "...Then that is an act of folly."

Mello suddenly yanked his weapon out by the hilt, releasing the safety and leveling it at Light's head. "Say that again," he hissed, and there was a surge of movement on both sides as Taskforce and SPK members alike stepped forward to subdue the murderous blonde. Light laughed; he couldn't help it. Mello's look was mutinous.

"What you see before you is Kira..." Light rhapsodized, his voice ominous. "The God of the New World."

"No..." came the fair-haired child's voice, who was sprawled out on the dirty floor beside Mello. The blonde lowered his weapon as Near held up one of his finger puppets - the hideous caricature that served as his representation of Light Yagami - between his forefinger and his thumb. "You're nothing but a crazy mass murderer." He squeezed it between his alabaster digits, causing the figure's eyes to bug out comically.

"Nobody can tell what is right and wrong, what is justice or evil..." Near continued to preach, and Light tuned him out completely.

What a bunch of hopeless fools... he thought scathingly, as his attention was drawn to his wristwatch, a seemingly ordinary thing that held a deadly secret. He glanced at Near and Mello, his own thoughts drowning out the younger prodigy's words. If I can kill them here, then... calm down. Think... I just need the time and the opportunity to kill them...

"Near," he began, and the albino abruptly fell silent. That's right. Obey me. "You first thought the fake notebook made by Mikami was the real one, and then replaced it." Near inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. "And Mikami had the fake notebook that you made." The younger boy didn't say anything. "In other words, both notebooks turned out to be fake when the other side believed them to be real. And the mistake made by both sides was that they did not check to see if the notebooks were real or not."

He could feel everyone's eyes upon him; Mello's burning into him, like a tangible, acidic thing. "The notebook that you have with you right now... and the one that Aizawa brought... are they real?"

He glanced around the warehouse, taking in their shocked and horrified faces. Matsuda fell to the ground, making terrible retching sounds before gasping out: "You can't mean--"

"The only way to test them..." Light announced, with borderline giddiness. "...is to write Mikami's name or my name in Aizawa's notebook."

Mello stepped forward eagerly, nodding at Aizawa. You insignificant little fool, Light thought in disgust, shaking his head. I'm going to kill you first.

Mikami, who had remained relatively quiet throughout the entire ordeal, cried out in fear. "God--!" he wailed.

"Be quiet, Mikami." Light spat in disgust, and the onyx-haired lawyer whimpered but obligingly fell silent. Light rounded his gaze on Aizawa. The policeman's face was flushed and slick with perspiration. "Go ahead, let him." He nodded in Mello's direction.

"No," Near said, as Aizawa glanced uncertainly between them. "Light Yagami... Kira... we have no plans to kill you..."

Light had turned his back on them already. You'll never understand... he thought, and twisted the knob on his watch four times.

Click.

Light didn't even try to obscure what he was doing now: it didn't matter. The only thing of any real importance then was squeezing in Mello and Near's names before--

"He's got a hidden note on him!" Rester's booming voice resounded in alarm.

Light heard the sound of two guns being cocked behind him, as both Matsuda and Mello raised their weapons. Matsuda was fast, but Mello was faster: there was an explosion of noise and suddenly, a white-hot flare of pain. Light gave a scream of rage and agony as the note was blasted completely out of his hand. He whirled back upon them like a wrathful and vengeful god, blood dripping onto the pavement as he went.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded, his voice lifting up into a scream. Mogi and Aizawa held Matsuda back, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. But there was no one restraining Mello, who stalked forward, aimed again, and fired.

Light cried out as the second bullet pierced his shoulder, causing him to stagger back.

"What did he die for!" Matsuda kept yelling, over and over again. "If Kira is righteous, if we're in the wrong, what did Chief Yagami die for!"

"Dad? Are you talking about Soichiro Yagami?" Light screeched, clutching his wounded shoulder as he swayed threateningly on the spot. "That's right, Matsuda! People crowned with justice like him always wind up losing in the end! Do you really want to live to live in a world where people like him are made fools of? Don't forget who you're allying yourself with: Soichiro Yagami's killer is standing right beside--"

He never got to finish. The third bullet missed by a fraction of an inch, but the fourth did not. Light teetered on the spot as his left side flared up, and then toppled over backwards, landing with a splash in a nearby puddle.

"He's got to die!" Mello snarled. He fell onto his knees and straddled Light's struggling body, pulling the brunette up by front of his shirt. They were nose-to-nose now, and Mello's breath smelled like Godiva liqueur and chocolate up close, a combination that was offensive to Light's very senses. "Forget it, Near, he's got to die!" He pressed the still-smoking barrel of the gun against Light's left temple.

"Don't!" Near's authoritative voice rang out. Light didn't know if his words were directed at Mello, or those currently advancing upon him. Light gazed up in horror, his hazel eyes searching Mello's deranged face for any source of pity, any kind of hesitation he could capitalize on. There was none - the blonde seemed completely beyond reason, and pride would not allow Light to beg for his life.

"Say goodnight, Kira," Mello said distastefully, his eyes glittering with malice as he pulled the trigger.

--

"You're not touching your food," Sayu said, indicating the half-eaten slice of pizza on Matt's paper plate. The redhead blinked up in alarm, as though just realizing she was there.

"Huh?"

"Matt? Are you alright?" They were in the dilapidated, one-room flat that served as Mello's de facto headquarters. Matt had recently splurged and bought himself a television, its iridescent glow the only source of light in the opaque shadows of the apartment. The two of them were watching the news - that is to say, Matt was watching the news, his eyes flicking anxiously back at the screen every time Kira's name was mentioned (which was a lot) while Sayu licked greasy cheese off of her fingertips.

"Oh. I'm fine, just... not a big fan of pineapple." He pushed his plate away with a grimace. "You can have the rest, if you want."

Sayu got the distinct impression that the lanky, older boy was withholding information from her. Sayu also knew that there was no point in making demands, because whatever it was, Matt had surely been sworn to secrecy by Mello. Moreover, part of her didn't really want to know. Sayu's brother was Kira, and her lover was Mello, two clashing elements that could not co-exist in harmony. Sayu was acutely aware that it was only a matter of time before she would be forced to give up one for the sake of the other.

Sayu just hoped that it wasn't today.