A/N: My version of the other side of Death Note. This is what happened at Wammy's house, and where Mello, Near, and Matt started. The main pairing is Mello x Matt. Their story will follow up to their death, as I continue the story. I hope you read and enjoy.

Wammy's House.

From the outside it seemed like any other orphanage. Ordinary and with what seemed like more children than the limited number of staff could possibly handle. The children, while they were all well clothed and cared for, seemed to hold a sense of knowledge about them, as if the tragic events that they no doubt held within their pasts gave them a deep insight on the world. To a passerby looking in, their dark gazes even seemed lost of nearly all emotion, as if life's tragedies had stolen away all their joy. Of course, it wasn't a joyless place that was there; just it seemed that the children held within them a different outlook on life than the rest of the world. It was probably something anyone would expect from an orphanage, given the fact that the children there would invariably have lost all relatives in order to be living there. This more than likely meant tragedy had befallen the children.

Some things should never be judged on appearance and assumptions alone. Wammy's house was no different. Within the confines of that house were the only true successors of the notorious "L". Each orphan held a mind to rival nearly any person on the outside world. They were nurtured from the very day they arrived in that orphanage, learning everything they could in order to heighten their intelligence and allow them to go beyond the abilities of any normal person. They were taught to exploit their talent and obsessions in order to gain what was considered 'justice'. In essence, every child was taught to be a genius. Perhaps no one would rise to the same seat L sat, but within the walls of that orphanage existed the only… back-ups, if you will, for L. They were the only people meant to take over if the greatest of detectives to exist should fall.

L, the greatest detective of the time, was still gaining notoriety for what he could do around the world. He'd started solving cases anonymously and gradually his ability to catch murderers had become notorious everywhere. In many ways, he would have been the face of justice, that is, if he ever showed his face. This was probably the one thing L refused to reveal, though. Any personal information about himself would remain a mystery to, well, everyone. While many might find issue with working alongside someone they would never meet, many of these biases were overcome by his skills. When he could solve a case that had been going on and stumping an entire police force, it hardly mattered if he showed himself, as long as he got the job done. Besides, a man like that was bound to make a lot of enemies. So better he was to stay in the shadows, even if it meant hiding himself from those that would someday take his place in the world.

Every week, L would talk to the children in the orphanage through a set up of a camera mounted on a computer monitor, with two speakers on either side. The monitor always gave off a distinctive glow with the letter L shining boldly on it. Still, coming through this way made it so that no child would ever meet L, unless it was absolutely necessary. Of course, L could easily see and recognize every person on the screen. He studied every single child, letting them all be the only weakness he probably had, or thought himself to have. It was those that seemed different from the rest, perhaps more like himself that drew his interest the most. To them, he looked on as if a proud parent to his children. One of these children was an extremely bold and hot headed blond boy. He held a logic that often surpassed all the others, and a different thought pattern as to how plans should be laid out than even L would have thought of sometimes. Another of these boys was extremely methodical in all his actions, and spoke only when was needed; he may have been perhaps, more childish in his ways, despite the fact that he was less hot headed than the blond. He was probably the most like L, considering L often considered himself more childish in some of his thoughts and emotions. The last of the three boys was a small, at the time, red head that seemed to be withdrawn from the rest.

"Matt," the synthetic voice rang out, making the small red head lift his gaze to the monitor for a moment. Away from the other children, Matt sat lazily against the back wall with a Gameboy in his hands. He wasn't often noticed by many, and was often forgotten by the other children. Extremely quiet, he always seemed content to give the others their space while he went on as normal, observing while he tinkered with his games and computer. No one else in the orphanage really viewed him as anything extremely special, aside from a few perhaps. In that moment, though, all eyes were drawn to him with interest.

L rarely, if ever, addressed any of the children outright and by name… or rather, codename. Even when he did, it was one of the other two, Mello or Near, whom had always drawn his interest. This was the first time he'd ever called upon someone else in such a manner. It was enough surprise that Matt actually turned his complete focus away from his game and allowed the character he was playing as to die; it was a rare scene indeed. Still, though, Matt merely quirked up a single brow at the screen and camera. The children looking back at him seemed either confused or angered, Mello being with the latter group. Near, however, didn't look up, nor did he seem to care that much. Near, though, was probably one of the very few people that Matt found friendship with at that point, and Near already seemed to know of Matt's intelligence. Needless to say, Near wasn't very surprised that L could pick up on it too.

"Matt, if you were on a case where a killer kept his identity hidden perfectly, leaving no trace of evidence in any of his murder scenes, how would you go about finding him?" the synthetic voice of L asked from the screen.

Matt cocked his head to the side. Was this really all the great detective L wanted from him? It seemed almost too simple, even to Matt's young mind.

"L… If it were me, I'd draw him out somehow. I'd force him into a corner and make him reveal himself," Matt stated without a second thought. "People are predictable, and depending on what happens to them, they react in a certain way. I would set up the situation, perhaps bait him with something that he'd be too tempted to take, and force him to react in a certain way, not unlike the various scenarios that are set up within my video games in which I bait a monster to a certain spot and bam, they're dead."

There was a silence in the room as most of the children turned back to the screen waiting to hear L's response. Matt, however, turned back to his game and restarted it from the last saved point.

"I agree with your idea, Matt," the synthetic voice stated to which several children cast jealous glances in Matt's direction. Others looked sullen at Matt, a child they all so easily ignored without a second though, gaining any sort of praise from L. Matt didn't even act as if anything had happened. The only sign he gave at all that he had heard L's praise was the slight glance at the screen and then back to his game, which lasted no longer than a few seconds. Only one person in the room seemed happy for Matt's accomplishment. Near, who was continuing on in his usual way, had a small smile on his lips, only visible if someone were to look extremely close.

/-+-+-+-\

Lunch was always an interesting part of the day in the orphanage. It was the only meal that any of the orphans were allowed to make themselves with minimal to no adult supervision. Every week three of the older children were chosen to make food for the younger ones while the others who were old enough to make their own did so without supervision. The kitchen was open from noon to three o'clock for anyone to make their meal. Often all the children would make were simple sandwiches, but at times a few you become adventurous and make something more.

It was at the main rush for lunch, though, that things normally broke out between the children. Arguments and fights weren't often, but when they did occur it was during this time of the day, causing Roger, the older children, and the other few adults a lot of headaches.

Matt wanted none of it, however, and remained away from the kitchen till it was cleared out of children. It wasn't like he was missing anything anyway. His closest friend at the time remained with him in the main living area that was virtually deserted aside from a few children that either preferred the quiet or weren't hungry yet.

"L liked you today, I think," Near stated, glancing away from the Lego's he was currently stacking to see Matt leaning over in a chair as he tapped repeatedly at the buttons on his Gameboy. It was always like that with Matt, as he very rarely lifted his attention from a new video game.

"His question was too simple," Matt stated not even glancing away from his game or slowing down in his actions. "I expected more of a challenge from him. I mean, we're all supposed to live up to him, aren't we?"

"You drew his interest, though," Near replied as he took up another Lego and delicately placed it on top of tower the current Lego tower. "I think he wanted to see how your mind works and how you'd react more than anything."

Merely shrugging his shoulders, Matt continued on with his game. "We're L's next lives," he stated. "If he is to loose and be knocked out against his current enemy, we're here to pick up where he left off. We're his new lives till his missions are done and there is some sort of happy ending."

Near smiled again, nearly laughing, if such a thing were possible for him. It's why he enjoyed being with Matt so much. The other boy always had a differing viewpoint on things than the other children in their orphanage. It made him interesting and unique.

Near diverted his attention away from Matt at the moment and began to delve himself into his own world of thought while Matt continued on with his game. Neither one of them was very interested in idle chatter, being more interested in their own thoughts than anything. Still, when things needed to be said, the two of them would talk easily with one another. For now, thought, they remained in their places while other children slowly filed in from eating their lunches. In contrast to Near and Matt, the rest of the children began to play and talk to one another, raising the noise level several degrees. The other children were far more interesting in the present games and childish antics than were Near and Matt.

It seemed that an odd noise approached Matt as a shadow moved over him. There was a soft click then some crunching with the shadow. Lifting his gaze, the young gamer found a taller blond boy standing over as he finished off a bar of chocolate. He must have just returned after lunch with the chocolate because it really was nearly gone, or perhaps he just ate his chocolate that fast. The blond seemed extremely agitated, though, and Matt really didn't want to deal with him as he turned his attention back to the game and away from Mello.

"You!" Mello growled as if it would draw Matt's attention away from the game, which it didn't. Matt merely remained, as he always was, with his focus strictly on the new video game he had before him. Mello, though, was becoming visibly agitated. Near even glanced up at him. Mello, unlike the majority of the children at Wammy's was hot headed and libel to do any number of things when he was agitated. Though, he was incredibly smart, his hot head and short temper often got the better of him. No one could ever really predict what he was thinking or going to do next, except, perhaps, for Near.

"You," Mello repeated seeing again that Matt gave no indication of his presence in the slightest. With a sudden burst of anger, the boy grabbed the game from Matt into his own hands, instantly drawing Matt's attention like magic. "You should look at people when they speak to you."

"You should address a person by their name, Mello," a cool and very calm voice said from the side. Near wasn't one to speak up for anyone else often, but Matt was one of his closest friends. Instantly, though, anger flared up in Mello at Near's words. This had nothing to do with Near. Besides, did Near really want some unknown kid to take the lead as L's next successor?

I seemed too ridiculous to even think about.

L had never called to any of the other children beyond Mello and Near. They were the only ones singled out, and it was a known fact that L was considering one of them to be his successor. But today… today he had called upon this red head that did nothing but play video games all day. Perhaps the video games were the reason.

Mello glanced that the Gameboy and for a moment, he tried to discern how to play it with all eyes on him. Matt stared hard at Mello showing none of the distress he felt at the loss of his game. He didn't move nor do anything, though, merely stared. Still, something in his gaze said he wasn't at all happy as he waited for his Gameboy to be returned to his possession. He couldn't have been prepared for what happened next.

Out of frustration, being unable to figure out the game he held, Mello threw it hard on the ground, shattering the game into a myriad of pieces. "Stupid thing! Only idiots would play with something like that," Mello growled, unaware of the red head's chocked expression. Near noticed the look Matt held, though, and it wasn't one he had ever seen before on his friend's face. It was shock, yes, but beyond that, Matt looked as if he desperately wanted to cry, something that everyone in the orphanage learned was pointless and altogether futile to do. Still, the expression was there, and Near didn't think it was a good sign at all. Mello didn't ever fully think about what another's full reaction might be to him in Wammy's, since almost all the children were calm and wouldn't react to Mello's sudden outbursts. Still, all the children had their vices to retreat into and Matt's had just been shattered before his eyes.

"Matt calm-"

Matt was suddenly standing up and grabbing a hold of Mello, pinning him to the wall with his entire force. Mello let out a sudden gasp at the unexpected action and dropped the last remainder of chocolate he had. Near's words were cut short with these actions. Without his game, Matt seemed to have nearly as short a fuse as the chocolate eating blond.

"Don't steal from others and destroy their property," Matt stated, growling it into the other boy's ear. Mello wasn't even reacting, a look of horror planted on his face. "I'm nowhere near whatever level you and Near are on being L's pets. I don't even want it. Getting jealous of me won't get you anywhere."

To Matt's credit, he didn't harm Mello in any way. After he'd said his peace, keeping in mind that he'd probably said more without pause than most people had heard from him, Matt released Mello and began to collect the pieces of his broken Gameboy. Near instantly stood and abandoned his Legos in order to help Matt gather the pieces of the broken game. Mello was left standing where he was, still in semi-shock. Something in Mello's mind had changed about Matt in that instant.

"C'mon, Matt," Near said softly, tugging on Matt and drawing him away when all the pieces had been gathered up. As they left, the room seemed to slowly return to normal.

Mello, however, was left gazing after them. Matt's words were true. He shouldn't be jealous of Matt, since, after all, the other boy was never looked at or even asked questions from L before that day. No, Near and he had always been L's favorites; Mello was certain of it. So, why had L chosen to call on the boy who chose to remain so invisible to anyone but Near? Why Matt? Why now? Mello began to retrace what had happened before hand, before Matt was called on that day. L had been addressing Near when Near had spoke of a friend… Matt?

Suddenly, Mello's hands were balled into tight fists. So that was Near's game. Mello and Near were on an even playing field when it came to intelligence, and both were equally looked upon by L. But, if Near had found someone almost as smart as them to help him… Mello wouldn't let it happen. He'd take Matt for his own, and Near's plan would ultimately fail. But now, if Mello was going to steal away Matt, he'd certainly started out in the wrong fashion.

Mello stalked picked up his fallen chocolate and threw it in the trash as he came up with a plan to beat Near at his own game.

/-+-+-+-\

Matt sat, cross legged, at the head of his bed. Staring at the pieces of his Gameboy which he and Near had splayed out on the bed, it seemed hopeless to him that it would be whole again. But then again, this was him and Near he was thinking of. They had to be able to fix it; they might just have to find the proper pieces later. Speaking of Near, the silvery blond sat across from Matt, sorting through the pieces and trying to see what pieces had been fully broken and what seemed to still be in working order. Near's expression betrayed no emotions at the moment as he created the two separate piles.

"I don't think many of the electronic parts are broken beyond repair," Near stated, and then he held up the game cartridge gingerly from one pile. It was probably the most obvious thing that was broken. The game cartridge was in more than two pieces and virtually shattered. "I don't think your game survived, though."

Matt smiled ruefully at the sight. Well, at the very least the Gameboy might be fixed in the long run… if they were lucky. Not everything was completely lost, though. Matt took a deep breath to calm himself. He really did have a short fuse when his game wasn't in hand, and it felt like he couldn't think strait. It was probably why his outlook was so dim at the moment. Still, Mello had chosen the wrong thing to harm when he'd broken Matt's Gameboy.

"I'll go find some super glue so you and I can piece it back together somewhat," Near stated, jumping from the bed and leaving Matt to himself right now. Perhaps he could sense the other's not-so-great mood. Whatever the case may have been, Matt didn't move to acknowledge Near's absence. He did, however, pull two pieces of the Gameboy towards himself and slowly sorted through the remaining pieces by himself. He even put a small majority of it back together as he waited for Near to return to the room.

His ingenuity would have been marveled at if he were anywhere else beside's Wammy's. Kids there, though, were all at an exceedingly high level as far as their IQ went due to long hours of training and an optimal environment. Perhaps, though, if Matt couldn't be L's successor, due to his lesser intelligence when framed beside Near and Mello, at least that's how he saw it, he could be a video game designer. Maybe, even, he could become a race car driver. Yeah, that last one would be awesome. Matt would love to feel that much power in his hands as he speed past a dozen or so other cars. It would be an amazing experience.

Plop. Something very solid suddenly landed on the bed before Matt, seemingly out of nowhere. Glancing, first, down in confusion, Matt saw a seemingly brand new Gameboy that was still in its box. It hadn't even been opened! Matt picked it up as if he were mesmerized by it. It took him a few seconds to even comprehend fully what it really was. But, then, how had it gotten there? Surely it had to have come from somewhere. Gameboys didn't just randomly fall out of the sky.

"Well, are you just going to stare at the stupid thing or are you going to take it out?"

Matt whipped his head around to see a familiar blond boy standing in his doorway. Matt's disposition darkened many degrees almost instantly, despite the fact that the blond had come with a gift. It seemed a little too much like the Trojan Horse, to Matt. What was Mello trying to get out of this seemingly amazing gift? There had to be something. Nothing was this simple, ever. Especially in their little Orphanage, where they were expected to think, rethink, and then question their own thoughts on everything.

"Where'd you get it?" Matt asked with enough anger in his words to make any normal man flinch. Of course, Mello wasn't normal, and he certainly wasn't a man… yet, at least. "Steal it from one of the other kids?"

Mello growled in disgust, as if the very idea upset him. Rather funny, seeing as he was seen as a hot-headed bully within Wammy's and didn't seem to care or object to it. "I got it last Christmas, but never touched the stupid thing. If you don't want it, I'll take it back, but I meant it as a peace offering. I want to apologize."

Matt shrugged his shoulders then, and he quickly discarded all focus on Mello as he tore into the Gameboy's packaging, pulling out the system. Already he was about to find one of his games and restart it. Of course, this didn't replace his lost game, though, but he supposed it was far better than nothing, or having to deal with his shattered one.

"So, you accept my apology?" Mello asked a moment later.

Matt didn't even look at Mello as he began to ready the gaming system so he could play on it. "I accept your peace offering. You never did apologize to me."

Mello's gaze seemed to bore into Matt who wasn't even paying him any ounce of attention. Was Matt really going to make him fully apologize? Was he really going to make Mello say those fatal words? This was even after Mello had given up his own game to that red head brat, too. Matt should have forgiven him in an instant, then sided with him as his friend, rather than that stupid Near's. After all, Near hadn't given Matt anything to keep him as a friend. Look at what Mello had given up! Why was Matt being so difficult about it?

Balling his hands into tight fists, Mello spoke between clenched teeth at a slow pace, as if attempting to not yell. "I… am sorry, Matt. Please accept my… apology." From the way he spoke, it seemed more than obvious he was forcing the words out.

Matt glanced away from his new toy for half a second to give Mello a quick look over. Quickly, turning his gaze away, though, he said, "No. Your apology is not accepted."

"NO!" Mello yelled suddenly. His eyes were wide as anger flared within him. How dare Matt? Mello had given up his very own possession for the stupid brat and had even gone further to make him happy than he had anyone else. He'd apologized as the spoiled child had demanded! Yet, he wouldn't even accept his apology. Mello never apologized to anyone for anything ever. Still, the other boy wasn't going to accept his apology, but he was willing to take Mello's own Gameboy? Not to mention, Matt's actions earlier of aggression against him. How dare he?

Mello suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Matt by his collar, forcing the younger boy to not only release the Gameboy, but also to look at Mello as he was hailed off of his bed by the other. Matt managed to keep his emotions away from his face, though, only allowing a slight hint of his true anger to leak into his eyes. Mello's face, though, was completely contorted with rage, the anger flowing through him was obvious to Matt as Mello help the younger boy up as high as he could from the ground and away from the bed.

"I went out of my way to try and be nice to you," Mello stated. "How-"

"Nice to me?" Matt hissed, interrupting Mello. Matt's eyes narrowed and glared hard at Mello as he finally allowed some of his own anger to show. "You went out of your way to come over to me, attempt to intimidate me, insult me, and then break my Gameboy earlier. Now you come in, expecting me to jump for joy that you gave me a new Gameboy."

Mello's grasp on the other's collar tightened a great deal. "I apologized."

"You didn't mean any of it, just said the words. You had to force it out, didn't you? There was no sincerity in it," Matt stated. "To hell with such an apology when there's no meaning in it."

Mello growled, lifting his other arm as if to hit the younger boy within his grasp. Before he could lay contact with the other's face, though, he doubled over in pain, releasing Matt, as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Matt had kneed the blond hard in his stomach with as much force as he could get with his awkward position. Mello, even as a child, had set about cursing many words he shouldn't have known at that age as he stepped away from Matt. The other boy had staggered back, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You bastard!" suddenly Mello leaped forward as if to his Matt.

Matt, thinking fast, dropped low to the ground and swiped Mello's feet out from under him. Mello was sent to the ground, once again cursing all the while. Now, Matt had avoided Mello twice while still managing to get hits in of his own. How was it that the other could predict Mello's actions so easily? How could he? There was no way that Matt was intelligent enough to do that. He wasn't as smart as Mello and Near. He'd never shown any signs of even being really smart till L had called upon him that day.

"You're too slow," Matt stated to Mello. Matt, who wasn't hurt in the least had pushed himself to sit against while remaining seated on the floor, at the same level as Mello. "You're actions are quick and hot tempered, not to mention they hold no thought. You never mean what you do with your heart and mind in agreement. Until you do, you'll never land a hit on me, and I won't accept any of your apologies. I accepted your peace offering, though; so, on my part, there are no grudges. There is no friendship, either, however. You have to earn friendship, not just try and buy it."

This said and, having spared a great deal more words for Mello than he had for nearly anyone else, Matt pulled himself up onto his bed. While his back was turned, though, Mello had pushed himself back to his feet and moved towards Matt…

"Mello!" a familiar voice called from the doorway, immediately halting Mello's movements while Matt turned to see Near standing in the doorway with a couple tubes of super glue in his hands. Matt raised a brow to his friend, wondering how long Near had been standing there in the doorway. "Matt did nothing more than protect himself from you. You have no right to hit him, especially while you are a guest in his room and his back is turned. Don't you find that more than a bit cowardly?" Near gave a half smile as he asked the last bit that seemed somewhat barbed towards Mello, though, you'd never know it with Near's unaffected voice.

Mello gave a frustrated sound, slamming his fists back down to his side. With a dark glare towards Matt, he gave another angry noise that seemed to make him look all the more ridiculous. Matt merely sat, expressionless, only some slight amusement playing in his eyes as Mello walked swiftly past Near, exiting the room and cursing them all under his breath as he went.

Matt's gaze transferred to Near next. The look in his eyes and on his face seemed to transform into slight anger or annoyance. "You shouldn't have interfered with us," Matt stated softly to Near who actually had the decency to look surprised. Matt could already see the other boy's mind working fast. Like seeing the gears in a clock move and knowing that the clock was properly predicting exactly what time it was. No wonder Mello seemed to dislike Near so much, the two were completely different in their methods and thought patterns.

"You wanted him to hit you," Near said a moment later. "You wouldn't have turned your back on him otherwise. You're not one to show that much disrespect to anyone unless you had some other sort of motivation for it. Why?"

Matt shrugged the question away as his friend came to sit on his bed with him. It wasn't something he did often. Answering questions, that is. He'd had to answer quite a few that day, and he was beginning to tire of it quickly. "Why do you want to know, Near?" Matt asked in return after several seconds. His gaze no longer angry but tired. "Is it so you can better understand us, Near? So that everything can play out like your puzzle pieces in the end? Find the right pieces and it all works out like you planned. Maybe that works on normal people, Near, but we aren't normal. None of us will work out like a video game or puzzle. We're too smart for that. Near, you can't predict the actions of us the same when we all have the same intellect."

Near seemed to grow more and more solemn with the other's words. Still, they hadn't had much effect, it seemed, as Near quickly responded. "Isn't that exactly what you were doing with Mello only moments ago?"

Matt shook his head lightly, leaning against the wall behind his bed with a deep sigh. "I wasn't predicting anything. I was freely giving him an opening. Whether Mello chose to take it or not was his own decision. I merely thought I owed him enough to allow him a shot. Besides, whether he took it or not, I didn't want him to remain angry. I have nothing against him at all now."

"But he broke your Gameboy," Near stated, seeming to be unable to comprehend it. Matt hardly made sense sometimes. He was smarter than Near had given him credit for originally; which was saying a lot, seeing as he was the one who first believed in Matt's intelligence. Still, though, his logic seemed to change depending upon many factors, including whether he was playing a game or not. Normally, without the game, Matt was more emotional. So, why would he want to get hit by the same person who had destroyed said Gameboy, and had purposefully picked a fight?

"He replaced it," Matt stated, helping up his other Gameboy for Near to see. "And I sort of goaded him into fighting me this time. I wanted to see if I could out do him. I was being stupid in my own right."

In any other case, Matt might have said childish, but then, they were children so that didn't seem to fit well. They were allowed to act like the kids they truly were at times, after all. In what other way could they grow? As children, they would all learn off of one another. Acting their age was something they did rarely, but it was necessary.