Dead Note

AkatsukiMemberWoolfy

MattMello

Chapter 1

The Human whose name is written in this notebook shall hunger for flesh.

...

A shadow crept through the darkness of the night, gun in hand and sharp eyes glancing in all directions. They were out there, watching him as he neared the Facility in the centre of the city, the hordes of walking flesh that had overtaken the world. All too easily, they had managed to mould it into a paradise of deformity. The apocalypse had come and gone, and the human race was dwindling day by day. Hope was lost.

That was why he needed help. That was why he sought out the Facility, even though he had been warned to never undertake such a journey. However, he no longer had a choice in the matter. He needed help and the Facility was the only place that could offer any assistance in this tattered world of terror. The Fleshlings had killed his group and had taken his superior, the man he had come to view as a father, and now he was the only one left.

The man who crept through the shadows was in his early twenties and possessed the sharp eyes of a killer. Not a murderer of man, but a killer even so. A hood covered his face as he slunk through darkness, but the hint of blonde tresses occasionally swung from below the black faux fur that lined the leather. The gun in his hand was an AK-47, and had the appearance of being well worn. It was a weapon from before the Fleshing rise, with enough stocked ammo to last a lifetime of this lifestyle.

He could feel the eyes glued to him as his scent caught the attention of the stalkers. Even though he could not see them, the blonde could hear them in the false solitude of night as they grew ever closer. Those idiots! Why would they allow such masses of Fleshlings to be this close to the Facility?

Red eyes were finally in sight; the first of hundreds. Crap! The blonde broke into a run, his hood flying off of his face as he bolted at top speeds. A horrific scar covered half of his rough face, descending across his neck and disappearing beneath the cover of clothing.

The screams caught his ears, the wails of the dead that haunted this land. They were after him, blinded by hunger. His father may have been taken alive to the base of their master, but he would not be of any value to them except as a delicious meal. He turned and fired into the darkness wherever he thought he saw movement or the faint glow of red glints.

Death yowls filled the air as he gunned down a mass of the mob but there were masses more where the first had come from. Shit! He turned ahead once again and continued to run, knowing that flight was the only option he had that could possibly end in life.

-o-

The darkness was void of movement...as per usual. Smoke trailed from the cigarette the man held in his mouth as he stared through the orange tinted goggles that he had worn for years. At his belt was a simple SR-22 pistol for defence. If a horde really did appear, all he would need to do was to press the alarm and he would be able to escape. The pistol made him feel a tad stronger, however, in the case of a surprise attack.

His thumbs itched and his mind was elsewhere. He had been banned from playing his handheld console during watch long ago, and he had deemed the night of his watch as the worst part of each month. At least he could still smoke while on watch, but even that was of little comfort for him tonight. There was an unspeakable chill in the winter's air.

He pulled his tan jacket closer as he leaned against the cold steel wall of the Facility, running a hand through his blood red hair. Beneath orange goggles, a pair of large eyes stared into the deep depths of the dark, searching for something beyond solitude.

Nothing as of yet...No, what was he thinking? There was no excitement to be found in this night of all nights! So then, why was he so tense? The Fleshlings had kept back beyond the beams of the search lights that scorched a perimeter around the Facility. The narrow bridge that connected the world of the living and the world of the undead was narrow and empty of all but the red head.

Yes, those noises he had heard earlier, the sounds that he had mistaken for distant gunshots, they had been nothing more than his imagination. Hallucinations of sight and sound were not uncommon for watchers during the cold nights of solitude, and the red head was just thankful that he only had to watch one night a month. One of his colleagues watched once a week, though he was a strange one who found peace in the night and its illusions.

The king did not particularly like the red head, but he knew better than to force the slacker into doing something that he disliked. After all, the slacker was actually very important to the Facility, for the slacker was a hacker. Even before the Fall five years ago he had been a prodigy, but now he was twenty and a master. All of the technology in the Facility was running because of him and his fondness for machinery. So he only worked one night a month actually doing something he hated out on the border between the light and the dark, while the rest of his time was reserved for activities he loved. Even the work he did outside of watching was pleasant for him.

"DON'T SHOOT!" The strange voice cracked the silence of the dark night like thunder and lightning. What? The red head jolted forward off the wall as a figure burst through the intangible barrier between the darkness and the light. "I'M HUMAN! DON'T SHOOT!"

Although it was obvious by his movements that the stranger was indeed human, the red head drew his pistol nevertheless. Strangers did not just turn up out of nowhere these days. His fist hit the emergency button before he even realised he was doing it. The bridge trembled and began to separate.

The stranger noticed the gap forming ahead of them and they noticed the deadly bloodied spikes that lined the moat surrounding the Facility. They did not stop running. The red head stared in shock as the stranger picked up pace and threw themselves forward at the last possible second. The red head watched in awe as the figure flung themself through the air, almost reaching the other side...but not quite.

The stranger missed the platform and the hacker watched as he disappeared into the gap...Were they dead?

He crept forward slowly and spied over the edge, eyes widening behind his goggled gaze. The stranger was clinging to the edge of the platform, using all of their strength to keep himself from falling onto the spikes below. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The blonde's face was screwed up in suffering, teeth clenched tightly together. "HELP ME, YOU IDIOT!"

-o-

The blonde's grip was slipping and his arms were aching from carrying not only his own weight, but also the weight of his supplies. "WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?"

The stranger with the orange alien eyes stared down at him, with a cigarette half hanging out of his gaping mouth. "...I can't..." The red head's voice was clearly unsure and the blonde was stunned. Had he really come all this way just to die...?

His hand slipped. Then he was falling. He opened his eyes wide and stared up at the blinding light.

He stopped unexpectedly in midair. A hand had grabbed him by the wrist and was currently keeping him was falling. The one who had taken hold of him was clearly not as strong as either of them had hoped, for the blonde felt them both slowly sliding deeper into the pit. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"I'm trying!" The voice grunted and slowly the blonde felt the man gradually drawing him from the pit of death. "You're not exactly a feather!"

The blonde grabbed onto the ledge with his free hand and with the help of the idiot he managed to scramble onto the metal platform, landing between the man's legs. They were both panting from adrenaline and exertion. Before either of them could say anything, the sound of yowling filled the crisp night air.

Both stranger and stranger turned to see beyond the yawning gap of the moat, to the end of the spotlights reach. In the darkness lurked red glowing eyes, staring with both bloodlust and frustration at the loss of their prey. More yowls followed the first and one creature dared to step into the light.

Fleshlings: a human turned zombie with an insatiable taste for fresh meat.

The monster yowled, sagging dead flesh hanging half off the once mortal countenance. The zombie woman lurched forward mindlessly, falling into the moat and onto the bloodied spikes below. Rabid canines burst out of their den at the scent of dying flesh, and the beasts began to tear and rip at the living corpse while it was still moving.

The blonde flinched and looked away from the fate he had escaped so slimly. Instead, he turned to the man who had both saved him and almost killed him. The lights of the Facility still blinded his sensitive icy eyes and he had to look away from the strange man and his alien-orbs.

"Matt, are you okay?"

-o-

The red heard turned to see the steel door opening, with a group of three soldiers armed to their teeth stepping out. It could only be Gevanni, Rester and Lidner. The woman was the one who had addressed him and he nodded slowly. "Yeah...I think I am..."

Suddenly he felt a pain in his cheek and he was oblivious of its origin for a few moments, until the stranger suddenly spoke in a deep ominous growl. "Dumbass...You almost got us both killed!" Had he really just been slapped?

There were several clicks from the agents and all three soldiers had their guns targeted at the blonde, having not noticed him until then. "It's okay!" Matt quickly spun around to face the soldiers, hands in the air as he stood between the guns and the blonde. "He's human! I think the lights are just blinding him."

"No shit, Sherlock, I can't fucking see with high beams staring me right in the face!" The blonde got to his feet and shoved the red head to the side roughly, glaring at the three guards through the blaze of light. "I am here to see that fat-head Near. He knows who I am; tell him that Mello needs to see him."

"You are not going any further until you surrender all weaponry to us." Rester stepped forward, gun still aimed at the snarky blonde, prepared to shoot at a moments notice.

Mello bit his lip but nodded, pulling the AK-47 from his back and offering it to the red head roughly. "Only if this bitch holds onto it and is the only one to touch my stuff." Matt blinked in surprise and looked to Rester for approval, which was given in the form of a nod. The red head took the gun by the strap and pulled it onto his back while he looked the blonde up and down, finally taking a good stare at him. He wore a leather jacket with faux fur lining, along with leather pants and a pair of boots that looked both worn and durable. A fresh scar covered half his face and his eyes were squinted due to the sharp light of the perimeter. He wore a backpack, or at least he had been since now he was offering it to Matt. "I won't be staying long, you can count on that." Mello suddenly turned to glare at the red head, icy eyes piercing through his orange goggles. "If I find any of my supplies missing or tampered with, then I will push you into this fancy moat you have around here. Got that?"

Matt swallowed and nodded just as the rabid dogs snarled an unsettling howl, sending a chill up his spine. He certainly didn't want to piss off this guy...

"You may have hidden weapons on your person." Gevanni was clearly the most restless of the three guards, and Matt could practically sense the sweat running down his face. "Take off your shoes and we will perform a search."

"Oh my god!" Mello groaned loudly and unzipped his jacket, "Do you want me to just get naked or something? Full body cavity search while you're at it?" He pulled a pistol from the back of his pants and drew a small knife from his boot as he took his shoes off, handing both weapons to the red head. Matt fumbled a little before managing to stash both knife and gun in the blonde's confiscated backpack. "That is all of my weapons. Now could we at least perform the search inside? I'm not used to lights this intense."

"Matt, pet him down." Lidner straightened up and put her own weapons away, but the two male soldiers kept theirs aimed at Mello. "Make sure he doesn't have anything and then we can go inside. Matt, you can remain with us and we can put Mido on watch duty for the rest of the night. I'm sure our guest would feel more comfortable if his possessions were in sight at all times. We will be sure to scan him and his things properly before he gets close to Near."

Matt nodded begrudgingly and stepped in front of the blonde. He had never had to pet someone down before and he could feel the responsibility weighing on him all of a sudden. Why couldn't this man just leave his possessions with someone else or something? He hated to be dragged into things unwillingly...

The red head crouched down and began to feel his way up the blonde's inner legs, deeming them the best place to start his search. He managed to keep his mind on professional thoughts as he began to pet the man's inner thighs for weapons. Matt could feel the blonde tense up at his touch but he made no verbal remarks as the red head continued to search him. Matt moved his hands to the sides of the boy's legs, running his palms along the soft leather from ankles to waist. Nothing yet...

He slid his hands around to pat the man's leather-clad ass, feeling him up indifferently. "Stop enjoying yourself so much." The blonde glared at him accusingly and Matt just ignored the comment as he continued to search him for weapons. He slipped his hands into Mello's open jacket, feeling along the leather vest he wore beneath. A necklace with a crucifix at its end was graced around his neck and the red head decided it wasn't of any importance.

For a last measure he began to pet around the blonde's pockets, letting out a drag of smoke from his cigarette once he felt a weight in the boy's pocket. He slid his hand into the clothing and pulled out a strange rectangular object that he didn't recognise at first. "What's this?"

"It's mine." The blonde snatched it from his grasp, glaring at him darkly. "I really don't consider chocolate as a weapon." Mello ripped the foil off and revealed that it really was just a bar of chocolate. He even snapped off a piece with his teeth and chewed it roughly, as if to demonstrate its lack of poison. "You going to confiscate confectionary now? You've already got my entire life in that bag you're holding."

Matt frowned and turned to the three agents, who all were quiet for a few moments. Lidner was the one who finally nodded, "You may keep the chocolate."

"Good." He snapped off another piece and straightened up his stance. "Now could we please get out of these blinding lights? My vision will never be the same ever again." Matt stepped aside and so did the three soldiers.

"Yes," Rester gestured to the open doorway that led into the Facility, "I will lead the way." Mello nodded and Matt spied Mido waiting curiously beyond the steel wall, clearly wishing to know what was happening. "Come on, I have already sent a message to Near about your arrival via my WMS." His 'Wireless Messenger Service', a device that Matt had designed himself.

"Whatever. Let's just go already."

-o-

His eyes still burnt from the outer lights, but at least the inside of the Facility was dim enough to see clearly. The three guards surrounded him, and the idiot was by his side as they were led through the maze-like corridors of the Facility. Mello had seen a few people walking around as well, but he guessed that most were asleep at this time of night. He turned to glance at the man known as 'Matt', looking him up and down critically.

He had red hair that was neither neat, nor was it messy. Matt wore a cream sleeveless vest with fur trim, along with a loose fitting white and black shirt with baggy blue jeans. Cargo boots graced his feet, thick black gloves coloured his hands, and a trademark cigarette hung from his lips as he looked ahead as they continued walking. What Mello had firstly mistaken for alien-eyes in his blinded state was in fact a pair of orange-tinted goggles that covered the man's eyes audaciously.

Despite his willingness to let the man hold onto his equipment, he did not trust him one bit. At least the man hadn't been waving a gun in his face like the others, but that could have been all the more reason to distrust him. Certainly not the cautious type, but if he hadn't been so cocky then he may not have decided to save Mello from his descent into death earlier. The three soldiers certainly wouldn't have saved him.

Matt...

"Are we almost there?" Mello glared at the back of the commander's head, snapping another piece of chocolate off. It was his last bar, so he would have to stock up if at all possible. "We've been walking for ages."

"We're almost there." The female soldier was the one who answered him, and Mello just sighed in irritation. Never a straight answer from people like this! No wonder L had warned him never to come here. But Mello needed help if he was to rescue his 'father', and this was the only place he knew with a stock of living humans. "Be patient."

"Oh I'm sorry," he spoke with heavy sarcasm and glared darker in all directions, "I should be more patient! I mean, my father has only been kidnapped by-..." Mello managed to cut himself off with a growl, shaking his head. "No, I have to tell Near who kidnapped him. He will understand the severity of the situation."

It really hurt Mello's ego to seek help from Near, but he had no choice this time. The albino had people to spare and Mello knew the location of L's kidnapper. The man who had started this apocalypse...Kira.

Mello knew where he was, and he knew that he needed to save L if this apocalypse was ever to end in victory for the human race. Near was wrong; this Facility was not victory. It was a prison to cage the remainders of human kind, the losers of the game between the people and the Fleshlings.

-o-

"We're here." Rester stopped and looked directly at Mello, standing tall in front of the solid steel door. "Near is in the room just beyond this one."

"Finally!" Mello groaned and took a step forward, "Now get out of my way. I have to see that twit ASAP." Matt and the nsoldiers were genuinely shocked when the blonde shoved Rester aside without a hint of hesitation. "NEAR!" Mello banged loudly on the door with his leather-gloved hands, "OPEN UP, DUMBSHIT!"

The room was intensely silent, and all except for the blonde were shocked when the shiny door suddenly slid open automatically. Mello walked in without a glance back and the four others followed him inside cautiously, Gevanni and Rester with their guns still drawn. Lidner on the other hand seemed amused by the boy's determination, while Matt was just curious about his goal.

The red head's eyes widened in surprise as he spied the figure that sat in the centre of the monitor-filled room, feeling a gasp escape his mouth. This was N?

Matt had never had the opportunity to see the king of the Facility previously, and he was nothing like he had imagined. A young man sat in front of a castle of cards, twirling a lock of albino hair between his fingers. He wore white pyjamas and seemed far more preoccupied by his cards than the group of people who had just intruded on his domain.

"Hello M, it is good to see you again." The albino placed another card on top of the castle cautiously, still far too focused in his play to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "It has been a while since we last met. How is L?"

"He's been taken." Near was still for a few moments before he moved to place another card on top of the tower. "Our camp was raided by a group of Fleshlings. We were betrayed by one of our own members who turned out to be a spy for Kira. The others were killed and devoured while L was kidnapped by the horde. Someone must have been controlling the Fleshlings; they must have been under direct orders, or else they would not have been so keen to take L away alive." Mello clenched his fists and scowled darkly, "It turned out that Neylon was a traitor for Kira, and he intentionally left a portion of our defences unprotected to give the Fleshlings a chance to break through. They ate him along with the others, and I barely managed to escape myself..."

Near picked up another card, but seemed to think deeply over where he was going to place it. "So you are saying that Kira can not only control Fleshlings...but that he can also control people?"

"Yes, but he must only be able to control people to an extent. L and I both noticed that Neylon was grimmer than usual on the night of the attack, but he could not tell us anything of value. Kira must have controlled him to screw up on the defences and the only thing he could do to warn us was through his emotions." Mello bit off another piece of chocolate, the sneer still straining his scarred face. "I was forced to blow up our hideout to escape. L and the Fleshlings that took him had long since been gone by then, and my only option was to come here." He finished off the chocolate and dropped the wrapper carelessly on the ground, and for a moment Matt felt inclined to pick up the litter. "Don't misunderstand me, Near. I loath you more than anything, but I know that I can't rescue L by myself."

"How long ago was he captured?" Near placed the card down at last and the castle wobbled, but at least it remained standing.

Mello seemed to hesitate for a moment and he looked away from the albino while he spoke, "...A week...I was caught in the explosion I used to wipe out the attacking Fleshlings. I'm sure you noticed, even without looking at me."

As if on cue, the albino turned his head to glance at the group at last. Matt stared at his face, blinking in surprise. His eyes were large and dark, while his complexion was without blemish. He looked even younger than the red head had guessed. "I see. Mello, what leads you to believe that L is still alive at this point in time?"

"...What?" Mello stared in shock and took a firm step forward, unnerving the three soldiers with the sudden action. "OF COURSE HE IS STILL ALIVE! THIS IS L WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Why would Kira want him to be captured alive?" Near turned back to his cards and he carefully placed a two of hearts onto the smallest level of the castle. "Surely Kira wants him dead."

"As if I know!" Mello glared in frustration, clearly not prepared for these sorts of questions. "I managed to see the direction that the Fleshlings were taking L. They must have been taking him to Kira's lair! If I get enough people we will be able to find his base and kill him! Perhaps if we do that all of the Fleshlings will die as well! Hiding the human race is not winning, Near. We need to be out there, defending our right to exist with our weapons in hand! If my small group managed to have a spy in its midst then there is bound to be at least one spy in your precious Facility! It won't be long until they lead you to your death!"

"...No." Near took another card and hesitated once again before he finally placed it down. As he did so the entire castle of cards shook violently and fell to the ground in a heap of chaos. The albino was still but seemed almost indifferent to all the hard work that had just gone to waste. "We are safe in the Facility. You are free to join us here as well, Mello."

"You're joking!" The blonde gaped in utter horror, "You're just going to sit here? I need people to help me capture Kira!" Near was silent in reply and Mello scoffed before turning on his heel. "Fine; I knew it was mistake to come here! I'm leaving! I'm going to save L by myself if I have to!"

"You may spend the night to gather supplies if you wish." Near picked up two cards and began the tedious task of reconstructing his castle. "Gevanni, Rester and Lidner: all three of you are to remain here with me. I am sure that Mello would feel more comfortable without the escort. Matt, you may return his weapons and his supplies; I know that he won't attempt anything irrational. However, the bridge will not be extended again until morning, when the Fleshlings will seek the refuge of darkness."

It was common knowledge that the Fleshlings hated bright lights, but sunlight was capable of killing the zombies within seconds.

Realising the fact that he was trapped in the Facility until morning, Mello grew still and quiet. Seeing his sudden reaction, Matt stepped forward hesitantly, all eyes except for the blonde's turning to him. "...He can stay with me." The red head didn't even know why he was volunteering himself, but it would just be for the night. No harm done and the blonde would leave in the morning...if things didn't turn out as planned, that is.

"..." Near twirled a lock of white hair between his fingers and he turned to look at Matt, an apprehensive expression covering his face. "Very well, Matt is willing to accommodate you." He turned away and the red head wondered why Near was so distrusting of him, even though he knew the answer to that. "You may stay and restock your supplies for the night, and in the morning you may leave on your solitary quest. I wish you luck."

"Whatever." Mello didn't turn back as he marched forward, shoving Lidner aside so that he could leave through the opening doorway. Matt quickly followed behind him, waving clumsily to the soldiers and their king before the door cut them off from sight. Mello continued to walk ahead without slowing, and the red head scrambled in front of him sheepishly, offering a friendly hand to the stranger.