Authors Note: Hello! This is Eru en grey [Aka Alice Liath] back from a 2 year break! I had totally forgotten about my stories (and, unfortunately, Death Note). However, this past month, I've rediscovered the wonderful world of L, and have decided to take up my stories once again! If you've seen, my original "Angelic Blackbirds" is marked as finished. After reading it over, I found that it was, in reality, an immense let down. My english was horrible and Koree was horribly portrayed. Here, I have begun my redone version of "Angelic Blackbirds," which will, hopefully go on longer than 5 chapters.
Accordingly, I will soon redo "Merciless Cult." However, the death of L depressed me to the point of finding this story more attractive.
Please enjoy. :)
~~LaLa-chan
Mello stalked down the hallway towards his room. How fucking dare Roger think I'll work with Near…No, I'm going to do better than Near…
Near...
Fucking Near. Always, always, with that puzzle. That sound of subtle superiority both he and Mello knew would be forever present.
But no more. I've had e-fucking-nough with this house - all the goddamned tests, the stupid competition to be a successor... The only one really cut out for all the bullshit is...
He came to an abrupt halt as his thoughts were manifested by a girl in the way. Koree stood staring at him, an amused look in her eyes. She had a small grin on her lips and her arms were crossed. She looked several years older, suddenly.
"Hi Mello… So I heard that Roger wants you and Near to work together huh?" she asked casually, sliding her thumbnail under the nailpolish of her index finger.
"Uh yeah…" Mello replied quickly, looking away, grimacing. She was the only one cut out to be L's successor. She was far more aggressive than Near, like Mello, but she was, by far, the most intelligent - even more so than Near - though she would never be one to out-do the kid. "Who the hell told you?"
"Rumor," she shot, and returned to staring questioningly at Mello, her nails paused. "Where do you think you're going, then? Going off to find knowledge and riches in the Americas or something?" Mello ignored her, considering whether or not to shove his way past or not. "Believe me, they aren't quite as well off as the television would have you believe."
How would you know? "I dunno." He pushed past her and went to his room where he began grabbing anything in arm's reach, dropping everything into a bag he'd stolen last week.
"Really… well I'm coming," she informed him, leaning against his door frame.
"What?" He scoffed. " No you're not. What the hell gave you that idea?" Mello spat.
"How much money do you have? How long do you plan on being gone? In that time, aren't you going to need to eat, by clothes, and maybe live somewhere?" she asked, grinning at him.
"What -do you have money?" Mello attempted to sound disinterested, but he couldn't help the look of surprise.
"Yes, yes I do."
Mello paused and watched her for a few moments, before sighing; "Fine, you can come… But you're not the leader here, got it?"
"Sure, okay…" she began walking out the door, but added, "but neither are you."
"Jesus, that's gross, Mello…" I muttered. Mello was carrying a cardboard box carefully. Inside, I knew, was the head of a mafia boss.
"Whatever- s'long as we get people to work behind me."
Behind you. I nodded, chewing the inside of my cheek. Behind me, rather.
"What?" Mello asked - was I making a face or something?
"Nothing it's just… that's really fuckin' gross," I repeated. "Look, it'll be dripping soon. You didn't even have the decency to put it in a damned bag or anything."
"God, you're such a girl, Kore," he murmured, shaking his head.
"No wonder Near beat you. I am a girl, smartass." I hoped that he hadn't heard.
"Just shut up and some on." I raised my eyebrows and sighed before following obediently. The boy seemed to think he'd been better off had I not followed him out of Wammy's house a couple years ago. You know - not that my small fuckin' fortune had helped or anything.
"So what, exactly, do you plan to do once you get these mafia people to work with you?"
"We're going to catch Kira…" he told me for the umpteenth-fucking-time.
"Yes, yes - I've heard- but what are you going to do immediately after?"
"I dunno… probably… something…"
I paused. "What, like chase some kittens?"
"Fuck - I don't know! Christ, Kore…"
"What?! It's not as if you've actually been planning this out very well, it seems, lately." I defended. "It's just that I like to know what is going to happen. I need to know if I'll have time to," I hesitated, "play some Mario or something. Maybe I'll need to do my hair."
"Fine… I guess we're going to shake hands and go to some hotel," he replied irritably.
"Oh, which hotel?" I asked excitedly. "I love hotels. Can we go to a nice one, though - I really hate those motel things. Those places with cheap signs usually mirror the fucking sign."
"I don't know, Kore," he growled.
I rolled my eyes, turning my head. "Fine…"
I stood beside Mello – in his very black, and very fluffy long jacket – in a shit room full of large men, all standing around a very frightened-looking man tied to a chair. I sat down on the metal stairs, Mello walking past as they all began talking about the Japanese Police. The entire time the man – named Takimura - kept hunched over horribly, his head nearly to his knees.
"So the Japanese police are so afraid of Kira that the only ones actually working with L are Soichiro Yagami, Kanzo Mogi, and Touta Matsuda… That right?" the freakish one (should that be any indication) asked.
"Yeah…" Takimura answered painfully, "and there was a guy named Ukita but he died a while back."
Ukita… sounds like a type of fruit. I remember his name.
"What's with the Japanese police?" another guy laughed in reply to what was said without my paying attention.
I returned up the stairs, seemingly unnoticed by the group, to retrieve a small black felt bag from my backpack. Inside, there was a small silver necklace I'd made last night - braiding strands of silver and hanging a small marble cross in the middle. These were made for those I thought would die.
As I was walking back to where Takimura was, Mello and his pawns walked by, and I received merely a nod of recognition from Mello. It was the most he'd give me around these men - dignity and all that.
I was still wiping clean fingerprints left on the necklace when I stood before Takimura. There were two men besides him in the room, but they weren't paying any attention. Instead, they went to playing 'Bullshit!' and blasting some crap band through their small stereo.
"H-have you come to k-kill me?" he asked softly, his voice hoarse.
"No, no… why would you think that?" I answered in Japanese. Hopefully, the men in the room wouldn't understand. Takimura understood and we began a soft conversation.
"Well you were with those men, and you all have already gotten all the information from me that I have- what use am I now?"
"That's a pretty dark way of thinking about your situation… but no, I'm not here to kill you, Takimura-san. I'm merely here to help you."
He looked at me hopefully, and I really did feel hurt inside. "Only in spirit, though, I'm afraid, sir…"
"Oh…" he murmered, almost heartbroken, it seemed.
I held the small black bag up and he stared at it as if it were some kind of poison… I untied his hands and let him stretch them a bit before holding the bag open for him to pull out the necklace. None of my DNA was allowed on the necklace - so I had constantly cleaned my fingerprints from it before handing it to him. He held the small cross and then looked at me quizzically.
"It's to keep you safe… should you die at any time in the near future. I was taught that those who keep something innocently crafted with them at death, they'll be kept save after death," I told him thoughtfully.
"How beautiful - you're very different than the men around here... Are you going to kill me?" he asked quietly.
"Not that I know of, no. I don't think Mello-kun has any reason to… Please know that Mello-kun isn't bad, really. Just the men around here. They've not been civil towards you, have they?" I asked sadly.
"Not completely, no."
"I'm very sorry. Have some food, please?" I asked, offering him a sandwich and water bottle I'd bought before the interrogation had started.
"Thank you- you're an angel in this hell of a world," he said as truthfully as I think he could've – would've – been.
"That's my purpose, Takimura-san. Please live well once you're released."
He paused as he ate. "How well can I live with Kira on the loose and the criminals still alive making the best of it? No one's really safe…"
"No… I guess you're right, sir, but…" I went behind him and politely asked for his wrists so that I could tie him back up. "Sorry, but if I don't, they could suspect something and nothing good would follow."
"Please… don't… I want to… die..."
"Sorry?" I asked, obviously confused. "Why…? You wouldn't-"
"I do. Please…"
Kira... it had to be. A man so high in his world would never wish his life away without true reason - besides, we would release him. I wouldn't let Mello kill him. He should be well aware of this...
What would come of him should I ignore his request? Probably a much more painful death would happen - such as provoking Mello's minions or smashing his neck against the chair...
"Yes, sir… but please refrain until I'm completely gone. Say about… 10 minutes so that I won't get in trouble?"
"Okay…" he said, and actually thanked me. He had no reason to want me to get in trouble- he'd called me an Angel… so….
"But I have to make it look like you're still tied up, okay?"
"Of course."
"I hope wherever you go is a good place," I wished him, and walked away- back up the stairs- back to Mello and his pawns - hoping that Takimura didn't really die… Hoping Kira truly had no play in this.
