Nightwatch
It was dark. No, that was an understatement: It was freakin' pitch black. The door creaked open, allowing what little light there was outside to pour in, revealing the dingy doghouse of a room Sayu Yagami found herself trapped in.
" Had a nice nap, girly? " The voice was hoarse, and it sent shivers running down her spine, and so she decided to just sit still and pretend to still be unconcious. That frightening voice belonged to a hulking giant of a man, but there was too little light to reveal his face. A second person stepped in. He looked relatively normal compared to the first.
" No problems with the kidnapping, I hope? " The second voice sounded considerably younger. Angry, yes, but young, nevertheless. Like a little boy who grew up deprived of every good thing life had to offer.
" Nah...you should really learn to stop underestimating my boys, Mello. They're dumber than you, but that's not saying much. "
The one called Mello laughed humorlessly. " You crack me up, Ross. You know you're just using them as pawns, why defend them? You're gonna let them all die anyway. "
It was Ross' turn to laugh. " You're a smart kid, Mello, " he said gruffly as he made his way to the door. " Just keep this in mind: Cross me and you die. I don't like insubordinates. "
Mello forced out a decent, honest-sounding reply through gritted teeth. " Yeah. Sure thing, boss. "
" Just behave. " Ross seemed to have detected the sarcasm in that statement, but chose, instead, to overlook it. Mello's brains were necessary if they were to obtain the murder notebook, and they would not fail. His only concern was that Mello would suddenly desert, along with that friend of his. If that ever happened, all hope of getting the notebook would be lost. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't that smart.
" Oh, and before I forget, why isn't anyone guarding the hostage? " Mello knew the answer, but, hey, a guy could only wish.
Ross grinned evilly, displaying a set of hideous teeth. God, every single dentist in the world would kill himself before he touches those. " You're going to be guarding the pretty little thing. "
He chuckled darkly at Mello's astounded expression.
" Who're you? "
Beep. Beeeep. Boop.
" Hellooo?! "
Beep. Boop.
" Hey! You! Goggle-Boy! "
Well, that definitely did it.
GAME OVER
" What do you want? " He was not in the mood to deal with the captive's childish antics. Yet, here he was babysitting the freakin' hostage, when he'd much rather be back in his hotel room, blasting heads off extraterrestrials.(And he'd be loving every minute of it. ) Why the hell does it feel like he got demoted? Damn you, Mello, damn you...
" ...Uh, n-nothing... " She seemed rather taken aback by his tone of voice. Of course, she didn't know that due to all that noise she's been making, he got his first 'game over' in years. (This greatly troubled him. )
" Come on, spit it out. " Mello warned him about this girl. Said she was too loud-mouthed for her own good.
" Nothing...it's just...you're not the same guy from last night... " she replied in a small voice. Why did she find him so damn intimidating? He couldn't be any older than she was, and yet he had her stuttering. Her eyes caught on the gun that was hanging out from the holster fitted loosely around his waist. Oh. So he had a gun. Just great. If she annoys him enough, he might just shoot her. She really didn't care at that point. Death might just be better than that hellhole.
" Does it really matter? " He sounded bored. Bored, and tired. He stuffed his outdated Game-Boy back into his jeans pocket, and made a mental note to get a new model the next time he went out. The battery had just died. He'd be next if this girl doesn't stop talking to him.
Things were silent for the next few minutes. He had pulled out a cigarette from his vest, lit it, and took a good long puff. Another seven days of his life gone. Oh, well, he didn't want to live that long anyway. Just that day he had about two packs, and he's never felt so alive. He saw her wrinkle her nose in disgust.
" You know those things are gonna end up killing you, right? "
" And you care because...? "
" I don't! " She had gone on the defensive at once. She knew very few people who smoked. And all of them ended up in a hospital with lung cancer.
He smirked as he stubbed out his cigarette. " Then don't ask me. "
Silence once again. It was killing her. She couldn't take it.
" Man! Don't you ever talk for more than five seconds? "
He didn't reply. He wasn't entirely sure this girl had any idea why she was here. She didn't seem to be the least bit scared. He didn't look like the sort of guy who said 'hi' to everyone he passed on the street, did he? Hell, he wouldn't even be on the street. He'd be at home, if he ever had one, playing M-rated video games, and eating ridiculously cheesy pizza he ordered in from some cheapskate pizza place. He did not need company. He'd eat the whole damn pizza by himself.
Screw fresh air.
Screw exercise.
Screw reality.
" Could you at least tell me your name? " Her confidence seemed to deteriorate every time he ignored her. He couldn't help but feel a little bad, though. The only other person considered to be in his age bracket was Mello, and all Mello ever wanted to talk about was Kira. Kira, Kira, Kira, L, Kira, Kira, and the possibility of Near being gay, which, by the way, was not a very good subject. Then, he'd talk about Kira some more. He was sick of it.
" Matt. " he said finally.
Man, he couldn't believe he was doing this. What did Mello call it? Fraternizing with the enemy? Ah, well...
" Wha...? " Why did he have a weird way of confusing her everytime he spoke? She might never know. What really did confuse her was when he repeated himself, as though to be polite. As though they were sitting next each other on board a bus full of diabetic senior citizens on their way to Candy Mountain, which does exist, according to Mello.
" Matt. My name's Matt. "
It had been the same guy watching her for three nights in a row now. That guy wasn't Goggle-Boy. She actually found herself wishing it was. Even though, he was pretty much mute, he was way much better company than this guy. (She referred to him as Bob.)
It was funny how she actually thought of one of her kidnappers as a friend now. How sad was that? I mean, who would've thought that she would ever hang out with him? The very idea was ridiculous. So, she dismissed every thought of her and Matt ever being buddy-buddy.
Until the next night.
" I see you're still alive. " He had just walked in, and shut the door behind him. The clanging of rusty metal meeting half-decomposed concrete wasn't very good to hear. But his voice was, strangely enough.
" The hell are you implying? " She honestly didn't curse that much. But, the since everyone in the whole damn building threw in an average of two curse words every sentence, it was bound to rub off.
" ...Nothing. " He stepped over the many crushed beer cans, and took a seat next to her. Then, he pulled out his new and improved Game-Boy, and did what he always does.
" So... "
" So? "
" Ugh, you're hopeless... "
" Yeah... " He sighed heavily. " ...Maybe I should go shoplift, just to give Kira a reason to kill me. "
Sayu didn't know whether that was a joke or not. " You...you don't think Kira's doing the right thing, then? "
It was a stupid question, she knew. Her father and older brother had been working hard to catch him, weren't they? Yes, they were. It was a miracle he even replied.
" Depends. "
" What do you mean? "
" Oh, I dunno...it's just...you can't really blame him, can you? I mean, maybe all those people did deserve to die. Maybe he's just cleaning up after the world. "
" Still doesn't mean it's right to kill people! "
" True. "
" So, what's the point of everything that you just said, then? "
Matt laughed. " That's just it. Nobody can really justify what he's doing's right or not. "
Had he not looked the way he looked, she would've taken his statement as a nerd's deduction. Where had he come from again? She didn't think he's ever told her. His Japanese had a barely noticeable accent to it, but it was still there. She thought twice about asking again, but suddenlly recalled what happened last time, and pretty much every time he wanted to avoid a question: He didn't answer.
" So, what's this notebook everyone's talking about? " She might as well milk him for every bit of information he has, now that she's got him talking.
Matt chuckled half-heartedly. She took note of how awkward his laugh sounded. His laugh made her want to laugh. It was in the verge of pathetic. " Don't get the wrong idea. Just 'cause I talk to you doesn't mean I'll tell you everything I know. "
" Was it that obvious? "
" Yep. "
Sayu watched him sleep, annoyed by the idea that he'd found her company so unbearably boring that he'd chosen to fall asleep instead. She tried to wake him, but the closest thing to a reply that she got was a low snore. She never took him for the type that snored. He was too quiet for that. She could hardly believe that that inhuman noise that escaped his lips every few seconds actually came from him. Then, she realized something very important.
He was asleep.
His keys were hanging loosely from his front pocket. All she had to do was grab them, and she'd be free. Not completely, though, it's not like he was the only person required to stay up in case she got any funny ideas. But, still...the thought of freedom. The thought of home. The thought of a nice, warm shower, and a whole tub of double chocolate chip mint ice cream all to herself...it all sounded so good. She had to have those keys.
Slowly, she pried her hands loose from the cloth that tied them together behind her back. She could feel the rough material rubbing her skin raw. She bit down on her lip to prevent herself from screaming when the cloth came loose, and her wrists started to bleed from the cuts that were produced by friction. It hurt like hell, mind you.
Next, she crept over to where Matt was sitting, cursing her high-heeled boots all the while. It was a good thing that he had chosen to sit so close to the bars that seperated them. She stretched her arm out, and was about to grab the keys, when...
" Ow! "
She winced as she watched his gloved hand clutch her wrist firmly, blood dripping from the cuts.
" C-can you please let go now? "
" No. "
" Let go, damn it! "
" Hey, it's not my fault you're stupid enough to think that I'm stupid enough to fall asleep. " He still hadn't realized that she was in pain. His gloves were way too thick to feel the wetness of the blood.
She hung her head. Her hand felt like it was going to fall off, so, in an act of both stupidity, and desperation, she yanked her arm out of his grip, letting her skin rip open more than it had to begin with, and practically allowing the blood to spill out.
" D-damn... " She hugged her hand to her chest.
He felt a pang of guilt when he realized how much he had hurt her. God, what was this girl doing to him?
" I'm sorry. " It came out muffled.
No reply came. The look on her face said it all. She looked like she was in the verge of hysterics. He'd seen it before. And it wasn't all that pretty.
" Let me have a look at that. " He held out a hand. See? He wasn't completely heartless, contrary to what he liked to believe.
" It's fine, it'll close up soon enough. " Sayu looked up at Matt. There were two of him.
Ignoring what she just said, Matt unlocked the door to the cage, and let himself in. He knelt down beside her ,and ripped a particularly large strip off the sleeve of his shirt. He had always been sloppy at first aid. He lived in the gaming world, all you had to do in there was drink a potion, or something and you'd get back to full health. He could feel Sayu flinch as he tried his hardest to make a decent job of bandaging her up.
" Thanks. " she said, smiling weakly at him as he was finishing up. That smile just made him feel, if possible, all the more guiltier.
" For what? It's my fault you're still in here in the first place. "
" Yeah... " She looked at him thoughtfully. " But, if you had let me get away, then all those other guys out there would've just shot me dead. "
" Then, I guess we're even. " Like hell they were. He had been responsible for her kidnapping under Mello's orders. Now, he had pretty much injured her. Would that be considered harrassment? One thing's for sure, even if he gave her the freakin' moon they still wouldn't be even.
Matt tied his makeshift bandage in a knot, but just as he was about to leave the cage, she had grabbed hold of his arm.
" Thanks. You're nicer than everyone here put together. " She seemed genuinely sincere, and he felt his cheeks start to burn.
" It's no big de- "
" Yeah, it is! " She lifted her free hand up to her chin in thought. " So...does this mean we're friends now? "
He looked at her, shocked. Did he just hear her right?
She just laughed at him.
No, apparently, he didn't.
It had been the seventh night of Sayu's stay. Matt had been her nightwatch every night since Bob, the Smelly Beer Dude, had been shot for stealing beer from Ross's personal freezer. Matt had taken to sitting next to Sayu in her cage, and listening to her talk, just to make himself feel even a little better about being involved in her kidnapping.
" And then Yuko was like, ' I'm allergic to strawberries.' even though we're just trying to get her to eat apples- "
Matt was about to doze off when Sayu punched him in the arm.
" Hey! "
" What now? "
" You're not listening... "
" Look, I really don't wanna hear about how some people don't know the difference between apples and- "
" Oh! " Sayu's face brightened. " So you were listening. "
He simply shrugged.
At around midnight, Sayu had fallen asleep, head on his shoulder, and had inexplicably found a way to link their arms together. No matter how much he said that they weren't 'friends', one factor made it clear that it was just denial talking. He didn't pull away.
He liked her warmth. He liked her scent. All he wanted to do was lie there, all his life, playing the role of her favorite teddy bear, wishing that the sun would be merciful enough to never rise again.
But, instead of that, what he got was a reality check.
Sayu's eyes snapped open, as the metal door flew open on its rusty hinges, that unpleasant clanging noise echoing throughout the room yet again. Rod Ross's hideous bald head popped into the room, making everything around him seem a whole lot prettier.
" Hey, Goggle-Head, there's- "
He stopped short. There was Matt, and the hostage. In the cage. Apparently in each other's arms. There was only one thing left to assume.
" Step outside for a minute, will you? " Ross's face contorted into a something reminiscent of a sneer. " Excuse us, Miss Yagami. "
Anyone could have detected the sarcasm there. Matt obliged, and once out in the dingy corridor, Ross had pulled out a gun and held it to his 'colleague's' head.
" Didn't Mello tell you not to get too attached? "
" Is that thing even loaded? " Matt indicated the handgun.
" Of course it is, moron! "
" Well, I sure hope so... " Matt said quietly, but there was a certain confidence in his voice that could never have been present there before. Ross blinked, confused. Then, he felt cold metal grazing his stomach.
" 'Cause I've got one, too. "
" What the hell were you thinking?! "
" G'morning to you, too. "
" Cut the fucking crap, Matt. You- "
" I wasn't even doing anything. "
" For fuck's sake, just fucking listen to me. " Mello's voice was hushed, but furious all the same. He's never been this pissed since their humiliating loss at the Wammy's House junior soccer tournament when they were seven. Score was thirteen goals to none. And it was all because he, the self-prolaimed captain of their team, got benched.
He got benched for giving some kid a bloody nose. (How dare anyone make fun of his hair? )
Matt got benched for laughing at that kid's bloody nose. (He thought the red stuff was ketchup. )
Near got benched for having a bloody nose. (Not that he was any good at soccer anyway. )
" This better not happen again. You're lucky they just let you off with a beating this time. "
" Oh, God, don't remind me... " Matt held an icepack to his left eye. " Damn, that stings... "
" It's your own fault, jackass. You should have- "
Matt didn't get to hear exactly what he should have done, he had gotten so tired of Mello's 'do this, do that' speeches that he taught himself to avoid getting caught up in one as often as possible. So, he hung up.
Gingerly, he got out of bed, and walked, slowly, to the fridge, where he kept a nice stock of iced coffee. Ah, caffeine.
He almost spit a extremely refreshing mouthful of coffee out when his phone rang, loud and shrill. Assuming it was Mello, he didn't pick up. After a few more annoyingly persistent rings, his answering machine took over.
" ...Uh, yeah, Matt here...blah, blah, blah... "
No sooner had the second resounding beep been heard, Mello could be heard swearing as loud as he can from the other end. His mailbox was almost full. Full of Mello's messages. Rants, raves, you name it. But, the very last one was what really got him concerned.
" -oh, and by the way, the hostage is going home tomorrow. Daddy dearest is gonna pick her up- "
Beep.
He listened to that one message over and over. No matter how much he didn't want to, he knew he'll have to accept it.
He'll never see her again.
January 26th, 2010
There were gunshots. She heard them loud and clear. Everyone in the cafe had ducked under their tables for cover, spilling their untouched coffee all over the place. Sayu coudn't help but wonder why people insisted on meeting at coffee shops. They'd order a cup of a riduculously expensive brew, and not drink it. They just talk. What was the point of all that?
She waited for a few minutes before lifting her head up to see what was going on. A large crowd was gathered right in front of the cafe, all cheering for Kira. Her expression hardened, as she pushed past a group of nervous teenagers, ignoring her mother's pleas to not go out into the riot.
The cool January air whipped her face as she stepped outside. Taking care not to draw to much attention to herself, she jogged over to the scene of interest. About five dozen Kira supporters were there, some had even parked their cars in the middle of the street. She didn't get it. What were they so happy about?
She pushed further into the crowd, and, finally, found herself before a badly damaged car. There was a bloody mass beside the wreck. She gasped when she realized what, or, more appropriately, who it was.
" No... "
He didn't move. His arms lay by his tattered body, limp, lifeless.
" ...it's not possible... "
He didn't even look at her. His eyes were closed behind cracked goggles.
" No...he can't be... "
He didn't talk. Not that he talked that much anyway.
She couldn't take it. So she ran.
She didn't even look back when her mother called out to her. She couldn't hear. She couldn't see. The tears were too much. She wondered why she was even crying in the first place. She barely even knew the guy. He was a just a little more than a complete stranger to her. So, why won't the tears stop?
She walked, and walked. In a straight line. Through a park. By a school. She didn't care where she was going. Did she overreact? She knew, deep down, that Matt was doomed to die, what with the people he's been hanging out with. She asked him countless times why he insisted on helping Mello out, even when he knew that just sticking would get him killed. He never answered the question. He just...stared back into his gaming screen, and let himself get sucked back into his own little world. The world where Kira didn't exist. She finally understood why he never wanted to live in reality in the first place. Before or after Kira's tyrannical rule, it didn't matter.
Reality had always been an ugly thing.
Thirteen Years Later
Sayu Yagami didn't live a happy life. She never believed anybody ever did. True happiness was just a lie. A beautiful lie. A lie parents told their children, until those children were old enough to realize that everything they've ever hoped for would never come. A lie unbelievably cruel fairytales tried to convert to truth. It never happened. It never will. There is no such thing as 'happily ever after' because stories never end. 'Happily ever after' is just a phrase that writers everywhere would scrawl at the end of every story they've ever written because they can't live long enough to see how the story really ends. Laziness is but a contributing factor.
Despite all this, Sayu Yagami, out of love and concern, still told her only child that there was such a thing as 'happily ever after'.
Daddy's going to come back someday, sweetie. And he'll bring you lots and lots of presents.
Truth be told, she herself didn't even know exactly who 'daddy' is. All she knew was that he was just some lucky bastard who took advantage of her while she was intoxicated. It broke her poor mother's heart to find that her only daughter had been impregnated by a total stranger.
Grandma's fine, she's just spending time with some friends in Kyoto.
Ah, yes. After everything that's happened to her family, Sachiko Yagami had finally cracked. Her old house was sold, and she was sent off to live in an asylum, where she did, indeed, make some friends, and which was, indeed, in Kyoto.
Don't worry, these things can't hurt Mommy.
She had said that to her seven-year-old, just as she took a long puff from her cigarette. Her son didn't look too convinced, but decided to argue no more, and returned to his game. It was just another quiet day at the park.
" Hey, you wanna play? "
Another child had approached hers, holding out a baseball. She recognized him to be one of her co-workers kids, but she couldn't remember his name. Of course, never in her life had she been good with names. Heck, she didn't even know what to name the fatherless baby when she gave birth to him. So, she named him the first thing that came into her head. It was a foreign name, and he hadn't always been too happy with it. (Everyone in his class kept saying it wrong; everyone except for a single transfer student from Australia.) Sayu nodded in aprroval when her son was just about to ask her for permission to leave.
" Go on. "
He smiled, rather awkwardly, just as someone else had. " Thanks, Mom. " he mouthed, getting up.
Sayu saw him push his tinted goggles up to his forehead as he ran along, just as someone else had.
She watched them run off, and almost laughed out loud when her son's companion asked him what his name was. He sighed, correctly assuming that he'd soon have to repeat himself, and replied in a bored tone.
" Matt. My name's Matt. "
Just as someone else had.
A/N: Not very canon, I know. But, you gotta admit, MattxSayu can happen. I fell in love with it a couple days ago, and so, this fanfic was born. By the way, I'm appalled by Matt's green hair in the anime. I refuse to acknowledge that they used that color scheme for him. So what if he's just a minor character? He's badass enough to deserve decent-looking hair, right?
Right.
Review! You know you want to.