November 5th 2007. Daylight flooded through the gap between the heavy drapes that hung in Wammy's office. Otherwise, the office remained shrouded in an unpleasant darkness. Behind Wammy's desk, Roger slumped, almost lifelessly, over an array of papers that had been spread all over the top. Every now and then, Roger's aged face became lit in the light flicker from his phone, but then he'd allow it to switch to power-saving mode after a short while.
The uncomfortable silence was nauseating. It wasn't often the children of Wammy's were called to his office, and especially not in such circumstances. I became irritant, watching the aging man stare emptily at his phone over and over, without a word being said to either of us. Meanwhile, Near continued his puzzle not bothered by the strange aura that had hold of the room.
I huffed, not prepared to withstand the silence any longer. "Come on, Roger. I don't have all day." I crossed my arms. He did not reply instantly, but he rose from his chair in a trance and walked slowly towards the curtains. Grabbing each felt curtain, he pushed them apart from one another allowing daylight to spill into every corner of the room. I winced, as I had become accustomed to the light levels in the room. "Roger." I repeated sternly, but I was distracted, as the sheets of paper from the desk spread across the room form the sudden draft brought on by the curtains.
I slipped down to the floor and gathered the paper, curiously skimming over the small print. I gasped, tightening my grip on the paper. I looked up at Roger, who returned my glance.
"L is dead…" His words echoed through the suddenly thick atmosphere.
"What…" I quivered, my eyes narrowing as I read over those three words myself. My fingers loosened around the papers and I allowed them to gracefully fall back to the floor. "Why?" My voice shook wih anger. "Why is he dead!?" Roger remained quite and sorrowful, returning to the seat behind the wooden desk.
"Mr. Wammy as well?" I uttered.
No answer.
I leaned forward planting my hands firmly onto the desk in a fit of rage. "It was Kira, wasn't it? He was killed by Kira!"
"Most likely." He replied softly. I grabbed his shirt and shook him harshly.
"Are you telling me that after spending so long on one case, after ensuring us all at Wammy's he'd catch Kira, he's gotten himself murdered?" I cried out to him as he looked at me in horror. "Is that what you're telling me!?"
I couldn't accept such a thing. L can't die. It was impossible; no child at Wammy's was even close to filling L's large shoes as the greatest detective. So if L couldn't catch Kira, no one else stood a chance. The only chance that the world had at finding Kira's identity was if Near and I put aside our fierce rivalry and worked the case together. And I just wasn't prepared to do that.
My thoughts were lost as the sound of a million white, cardboard pieces clattered everywhere on the wooden floor. I swerved facing Near, who had flipped his jigsaw which he had been so fixated on. "Unless you win the game," he began, grabbing each singular puzzle piece and placing them back on the board. "Or solve the puzzle… You are nothing but a loser." he calmly stated, placing the last piece of the jigsaw in the centre. His voice was bland and uninterested. I glared down at him scornfully; how an earth a thirteen year old boy could slander the name of the man he idolised bewilders me even now, but it was yet another reason why I hated the boy; everything had to be a game to him, and if you were to fail the puzzle, you are merely another loser in his eyes.
It's not like he could say it and not sound like a complete hypocrite. I don't recall Near ever leaving Wammy's house upon his arrival. He just remained cooped up inside in the warmth sheltered from all bad. He had never faced one of these 'puzzles' head on like L did. He couldn't have a solid opinion on the outside world if he had never really experienced it first-hand.
I turned away from Near again, unable to withstand the incredible tension Near had created with his remark. I released my grip on Roger's shirts and pushed him back to his chair. "So," I started. "Who did L pick? Near or me?" It was best to stay blunt and to the point.
"He… He had not decided yet." Roger supported his head with his hand, looking into the distance mournfully. "The responsibility would have fallen to Sir Wammy, but he too has gone. Neither of them can decide now…" Losing them both was really like losing the monarchy- everyone was left lost and confused. Roger's eyes lifted up to me, and then to Near. "Have you both considered joining forces?"
"That doesn't bother me." Near had no objections. However, working with Near was never something I'd be quick to do.
"I'm sorry Roger, but it won't work. Near and I have always had bad blood and nothing is going to change that- not even L's death." I straightforwardly said. Roger's face, although I believed it not to be humanly possible, dulled down even more. I remained hard-faced. My mind had been permanently made up. "You know what? Fuck it- have Near succeed L. You've seen how emotional I get under pressure- a robot would be perfect for the job." I spat at Roger impulsively.
"Let's not act too rashly, Mello…" Roger sighed.
"Take this on for size then- I'm leaving the orphanage permanently. I'm going to live my own life elsewhere." I growled.
"Mello don't be ridiculous!" Roger's voice became loud in his frustration as I walked briskly towards the doorway ready to leave.
"I'm nearly fifteen. It's about time I left this prison and got on with my own-" The doors flung open setting me back slightly.
A young girl-no older than myself- stood straight in front of me looking me blankly in the face. She was dressed in tight, dark denim jeans and a black suit jacket with little frills along the trim over a plain white dress shirt. She had sharp, black lines resting under each of her green eyes, and long dark hair that rested in the arch of her back made up with a black piece of ribbon. Her presence confused me. What an odd time to walk in at. I thought to myself.
"Excuse me," She had a quiet, indoor voice that wouldn't disturb a mouse, but it was equally as flat as Near's. "Is this Roger's office?" Roger's face twisted with even more angst.
"Crow, what are you doing here?" He rose abruptly from behind the desk and walked around. Her head fell loosely to her feet and she clenched her small hands into fists.
"Is what I heard true then?" She ignored his question. "He's gone?" Roger approached her slowly widening his arms as if to hug her. Near raised his head to the girl in interest. Who on earth was this girl?
"It's ok, Crow. I completely understand why you're upset-"
"Don't talk to me as if you know me." She snapped, unclenching her fists and swinging to her sides in a hostile manner. "I'm not upset. I'm anguished. First of all, you send me away so I don't distract him whilst he's working cases. Then, when I finally get the chance to see him again, he's too busy with the Kira Investigation to give me a second glance. I've spent hours travelling the world just hoping that I could speak to L just once and being sent away again because I'm 'harming the case'. And what do I get in return? I get a letter of inheritance telling me he's dead!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. We only received word this morning-"
"This is all your fault." She fought tears as she started accusingly at Roger. "You killed Lawliet. You all did."
Near and I exchanged looks of suspicion. How could a girl we had never met before know the one thing that many did not? How did she get his name? Roger's eyes grew wide in shock. "Please do not speak of L's true name around the orphans."
"Like it matters now. Now please, grant me the satisfaction and tell me this: who is next in line to succeed L?"
"That would be me." Near mumbled from the ground refusing to stand.
"You?" she said in disbelief. Although she was not much older herself, she didn't look impressed to see someone so young succeeding L. "Is there no one else?" she frowned.
"There's Mello." Roger signalled towards me.
"No, Roger. I've already told you I cannot work with Near. He's going to have to do it on his own." I sighed.
"Who's stopping you from continuing the investigation on your own?" Crow asked, looking expectant at me. "I bet with sufficient funds, you'd be able to get your own task force up and running, correct?"
"That's not the point," I stressed. "The matter of the fact is that two people working separately in the Kira Investigations will get us nowhere. Neither myself nor Near could fill L's shoes individually and, considering the rivalry between us both, we would not coincide well within a team." She scoffed, surprising me.
"Oh, so this is what it's all about really? You don't get along so you won't give it ago?"
"Yes." I gritted my teeth beginning to lose my patience.
"You have a lot of nerve saying that to me, kid." She placed a hand on her hip. "I think you're pathetic."
"You have no right to judge me!"
"Oh, but I do," she argued. "I've read through all your files- Near's as well. I know you both inside and out and I am fully aware of this one-sided quarrel you hold with Near. At first, I even considered the possibility that Near wasn't independent enough to work on his own, but to think it's because you hold a grudge…That's disgraceful." Crow continued to push all of my buttons.
"Who gave you the authority to look a such private files?" I edged towards her angrily.
"Oh, do you not know who I am?" she arched her brow bemused by me and belittling me once again. "I'm Lawliet's sister. I have access to all files related to any of his cases including yours. You could even argue that I'm his next successor." she smirked.
"Sister?" I blinked taken aback. It was a possibility I had not considered at all, but then again, no one could have guessed that such an emotional girl would be related to a man who managed superbly to keep his emotions at bay.
"Yes- I'm also the one that decided to have Near and yourself work in a team originally. Unfortunately, it looks like you can't be the bigger man and forget this trivial squabble you both seem to be having."
That was the last straw. I definitely wasn't going to stick around and be abused by some riled up girl that I didn't even know. I pushed passed her and hurled myself out of the door not saying a word. I was done. Done with it all. I just wanted to be alone. I strode down the corridor and through the boys' dorm determined to leave. I kicked the door open and immediately slipped under my bed grabbing my suitcase from when I first arrived. "…Mello?" I heard a muffled voice from behind me. Matt was lounging on the singled bed opposite me. He sat with a lollipop hung loose from his mouth and a PSP in his hands. Strands of flaming auburn hair dangled in front of his baffled face as he watched me furiously pack my belongings into a small black suitcase. "What's going on, bro? Are you moving rooms?" he had a disheartened look about him, like a puppy being abandoned at a post whilst his owner goes into the store.
"I'm moving more than just rooms, Matt. I'm moving away for good- maybe even to America." He frowned removing the green lollipop from his mouth and laying his PSP on a nearby pillow.
"Why?"
"Well," I took in a deep breath. "L is dead, Near and I are expected to work with one another when I'm just not ready to do that, L's sister came in and started screaming about it being all our faults L is dead ,then she called me pathetic, then I came in here and started packing as I just can't stand to live here anymore where I'm either living in Near's shadow or expected to be like L when I just simply can't be."
I watched as the cogs in Matt's head slowly started turning and processing what I had just said. "Wait," he looked shocked. "L is dead? L has a sister? What?"
"I'm sure Roger will clear things up," I slammed the top of my suitcase down and zipped the lid shut, then I rose to my feet firmly gripping the handle and rolling it to the door. "In any case, I'm leaving."
"Don't you think that this is all a bit much?" Matt slid off the bed and onto his feet looking at me seriously. "I mean- what am I going to do without you, Mello?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I felt my eyes narrow significantly.
"What do you think it means? You're my friend, hadn't you thought about the people you are leaving behind? And I can't do the tests without you, Mello!" he pleaded. I'd obviously misinterpreted what was saying.
"You'll be fine." I softened my voice back to a relaxed tone; my throat was feeling hoarse from all the yelling. "It's not like we won't meet again."
"That's a pretty big remark coming from someone who just said they're moving to America." I heaved, and walked over to Matt leaving my case in the doorway, and pulled out a pen from my pocket. I quickly scribbled down a number on the back of his hand.
"Use this," I reassured him. "That way, we can keep in contact. Then, one day, you can join me when you're ready." Matt smiled lightly, looking at the back of his hand. When he looked up again, I was already out of the door.
I was pretty confident in myself to do well. I had decent social skills, a large IQ, a wad of money and a credit card that could get me to America three times over. I thought I was escaping a shitty life in England to explore elsewhere and become independent. I thought I had nothing to worry about.
And I thought wrong.