"L!" a child said once again.

"And what would you like to be when you grow up Near?" The teacher asked again. Of course, anyone could guess what he would say…

"L." He stated monotonously. You really should've seen that one coming. Everyone in this room is going to say the same thing; Even though their hopes should be shattered when Mello and Near say that-

"L! I will be L because there is nobody that could stop me!" Mello exclaimed with a glare towards Near. The redhead child that sat beside Mello snickered, but quickly regained himself as he felt a sharp jab in his side. Was it a pencil?

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Matt?"

"I want to play video games." He answered, his gaze not once faltering from the blonde jumping boy clad in orange stuck in the Gameboy he was currently playing. The teacher sighed, though she should've known better, there is no way to make a boy stop loving games and actually try to make something of his life.

"Loser…" Muttered the second smartest child in the school. Matt smirked, knowing full well that the blonde was only too happy to have less competition. As the bell rung, the redhead marched out of the classroom and down to his room. He threw his things on his bed and sighed, ruffling his hair. There were two beds, but only he stayed in the room. Sighing again, he jumped onto his bed and started playing his Gameboy. It was like this every night, merely playing his game into the late hours of the night.

He didn't sleep until five in the morning, and classes started at eight.

Matt woke up with a groan; whilst looking at the clock, realizing it was nine, then groaning once more. It was then that Matt realized what had awoken him in the first place, it wasn't an alarm clock, (which Matt had thought it should have been) but footsteps. Loud, tedious footsteps echoing down the hall, to his door. He scrambled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt merely seconds before his door was opened by none other than Roger. Roger put a hand on his shoulder and started to lead Matt out of his room.

"Matt, I see you're not attending classes today…" He hesitated to put a hand against Matt's forehead. "I see you're not running fever either. So, can you please explain why you decided to not attend class today?" Roger silently opened the door to his office and led the redhead inside. Matt kept his head down and scratched the back of his head.

"Well… ya see…" he drifted off and sighed. "I was really trying to beat this super hard level of Naruto Clash Of Ninja Revolution two, where you have to use Rock Lee to defeat Gai Sensei and Gai Sensei is like, really strong and so it kinda took a while…"

"Is that so?" A voice questioned. It was different from Roger's. Matt jerked his head up, (cricking his neck in the process) and stared at this man with wide eyes. It wasn't just any random man.

It was L.

"U-um… yeah…" L smiled and motioned to a chair in front of Roger's desk. Matt hesitantly sat down.

"Wh-ehh… what exactly is, you know, going on?" Matt questioned.

"Matt," The detective started, "We know you're smart, and we also know that you're not using you're brains to the full potential. And being a student at Wammys, that is what you are here for." Matt sighed, and hung his head.

"Well what's the point in trying if you're only going to lose?"

"Is that your attitude you have when you play a level of Mario? And, my point, was that you could 'win'." Matt looked the detective in the eyes and huffed.

"Games aren't the same. And besides, I'm not as smart as you think I am…"

"You finished Naruto ultimate ninja storm two in three hours." The redhead laughed softly.

"How do you even know that?" L smirked whilst walking to the door, and gently pulling it open.

"Just try your hardest on the next test, and see if you like it, and, you know, there is a new treatment for down-syndrome…" Matt stood up, leaving without a word.

.

.

.

"What do you think, James? Do you think I should try to become L?" Matt questioned while stroking James' hair. He didn't expect an answer from his older brother, but it was nice to just have someone there, if only to listen.

"W-walk…" James mumbled.

"Walk? No, I'm sorry… they won't let me take you out of this place… I wish I could…" Matt cuddled up to his brother and rubbed his hair. Sighing, he glared at the wall behind his brother's head. This place, he hated it. Though he didn't have a choice, the government had decided that this hellhole was the best place his seventeen-year-old brother to stay. This-this institution for people with mental problems.

"The best place for catering to their every needs and caring for them as their own parents would!" The website had said.

A load of shit. He thought. Yes, Matt would get James out of this place. He would be able to get him away; he only had to endure seeing his stick-skinny and shaking-like-a-leaf brother for five more years and then-

"Excuse me?" A man opened the door, smiling a huge, fake grin. "Your visiting time is up." Matt slowly crawled out of the bed/cot given to James, careful to not wake him up.

That was another thing; they gave you thirty minutes every week to see the "patient".

Sighing, the redhead started to walk out of the door, but a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I've noticed that you've come here every week without fail every since patient ninety-four has been here," Matt clenched his teeth, "Do you enjoy seeing patient ninety-four?"

What the hell kind of question is that?

"Yes."

"Well, I could get you more time with him." The doctor started rubbing his hand up Matt's arm, reaching the collar of his striped shirt.

Once a week… he could see his only living family more often… but would he really do what this man was insinuating?

'No." He turn away from the man's fingers and ran down the hallway and outside to the sidewalk.

Of all the places for there to be pedophiles…

Matt was out of breath by the time he reached the silver gates of Wammys, with his hands on his knees he had a new idea.

"There is a new treatment for Down-Syndrome…" Of course. L was insinuating that the detective L gets millions of dollars for each case he solves, and he solves about one case a week, sometimes more… since L is rich, there would be plenty of money to pay for any kind of treatment for James, and once James is okay, he can get himself out of that institution and buy an apartment or house…

Oh yes, Matt was going to be L. And make a happy life for his brother. But for now, there was one setback:

Mello was going to kick his ass when he left him in the dust.

.

.

.

Matt had a new resolve; he was going to do well on his tests now. He was currently at eighth place on the "smartboard" above him being:

7: Linda

6: Keith

5: Cadance

4: Peter

3: Dax

2: Mello

1: Near

Matt could see it; he could see his name under number one, and then everything else would fall into his hands, the money, the treatment, and his brother being happy and healthy.

Though he could also see Mello pounding his face into a pulp, the blonde bastard.

But, that's the price he's willing to pay.

Matt did as he usually did, play his video games 'till he decided he should get some sleep. The next morning he actually did wake up early enough to take a shower and go to classes.

"Alright class, today you will be taking a test, as I said yesterday."

"A test?!" Matt exclaimed. Well, there goes his plan of being number one. The test was probably on things the class had learned yesterday.

"Yes you idiot." The blonde beside him smirked. Of course that blonde bastard hadn't missed yesterday. Or probably any day before that. Ever. Matt sighed as the packet was passed to him, and then sighed again, this time from relief. It was all things they had learned the day before yesterday. Matt, for the first time in his life, tried on the test.

And later that night, also for the first time in his life, was pacing around his room waiting for the results on the test to be put upon the smartboard. He looked at the clock, usually right about now he would be on his bed, playing his video games with those nice orange goggles over his face, not having a care in the world other than to see which Mario character was going to get his ass kicked on Super Smashed bros.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by commotion in the halls; it was like this every Friday. There would be a test, the results would be put on the smartboard, and screaming ensues to see if it would be Mello or Near in the number one slot.

Matt ran out of the halls-for the first time in his life- and raced to see the numbers. He was panting with his hands on his knees-because this was also only like the second time he's ever ran in his life-waiting for the crowds to clear.

"Hey Matt!" Linda waved as she stalked over to him. "Good job!" She patted him on the back.

Well that's good. I passed someone. I just need to find out how many… Matt pushed past the other kids around the smartboard and his eyes widened.

He was fourth. Fourth. Mail Jeevas passed three people. Of course, this had next to nothing of an affect on the overall score, but he didn't even study on that test and made himself the fourth best of this entire orphanage out of one hundred and thirty six kids. How?

Matt's happiness was short-lived.

"Hey, Ginger." Someone called from behind him. Matt turned around only to be met with two tall fifteen-year-olds.

Keith and Peter.

The two guys he passed.

The bad thing about this situation was that Keith and Peter are athletes, and Matt is a video game playing, Lazy, Couch potato, nerdy, string bean. Matt had a fleeting thought of why James was so skinny before a hand connected to his shirt and pulled him up, his feet about a foot off of the ground. The redheads face turned a color that could match his hair when he noticed that everybody around them had stopped looking at the smartboard, and was instead looking at them.

Whilst his shirt was riding up above his bellybutton a few inches, the distance growing the more Keith shook him.

"You think you're so damn smart huh? You little nerd." Matt sighed and looked down, it wasn't the first time he had been called a nerd. It was just the first time it had been true.

Today's just a day of firsts is it not?

"Answer me queer!" The redhead met Keith's gaze. Was he really expected to answer that question?

"You forget you used to have sixth; and if it upsets you that I passed your spot, then you use it in a derogatory way, yet you want that spot. Makes no sense, no?" The boy smirked at him, and then punched him straight in the face. Matt fell from the boy's grip and onto the tile floor beneath him. Everyone in the room gasped. The redhead lifted himself from the ground and looked over at the two boys.

That's pretty pathetic, you're two years my senior and you're going to punch me over something so petty? You didn't deserve the spot anyways." He spat. The boy leaned down to hit Matt again before a small, pale hand grabbed the boy's collar and pulled him away from Matt. There was a flash of blonde and black as Keith fell to the ground on his bottom.

"You shouldn't screw with people just because you're a dumb shit."

Oh great. That blonde bastard is here. The two boys didn't try to fight, the just ran down the hall and back to their rooms. But, couldn't blame 'em. Mello was a scary bastard when he wanted to be. And despite his feminine looks, and scrawny body, that bastard could pack a punch. Or a kick. Or and elbow.

Basically, you just didn't want to fuck with Mello.

"You okay?" There was a hand in Matt's face. He eagerly accepted it, and stood up to his feet. The blonde smiled and picked up something orange off the ground…

…Oh shit.

"M-my goggles…" Mello laughed.

"They looked stupid anyways. You should be glad that Neanderthal cracked them off your face. You look better without them." Matt figured that was about as close to a compliment he was going to get, but still. Those were his glasses. He had gotten them when his grandfather took him and his brother on a plane ride, just before the last good member of his family died, except his brother of course.'

"Hey, so you got to fourth place I see." Mello said while grabbing Matt's arm and pulling him down a hallway.

"Y-yeah, but I don't know if I want to try on anymore tests if that's going to happen every time!" He laughed. Matt was going to try to avoid every confrontation about him getting good grades, especially when him and Mello are alone.

Like right now.

"Try? You weren't trying before?" Mello questioned.

Wrong thing to say. Stupid Matt.

"W-well-"

"I'd like to see you try to beat me." Mello stated and opened a door. Matt looked inside, it was his room. "Goodbye Matt." He called running down the hall.

.

.

.

The next few days were spent with Matt trying on his homework, and trying on quizzes-not studying though, dear god no- eager for the next Friday to come, to see if his name was any higher.

Hopefully not any higher than Mello's though.

Yet.

Matt had really gotten into the rhythm of trying, but on Thursday, something different happened…

.

.

.

Matt spun around in his chair, having just finished his homework, and thinking about seeing his brother, which he was allowed to see in-he looked at his watch- thirty minutes. Wammy's had allowed Matt to see his brother every week (as the institution had let) since the place was only about a ten-minute walk from Wammy's, yet he had to see him at certain times, either 10:00am or 5:00pm. Today he had chosen the latter, since last time he had chosen the former, and Matt was pretty OCD about those kinds of things. But a soft knock at his door took him-very dizzily-out of his thoughts. He stumbled to his door and greeted the Brunette tresses at the door.

"Hey Linda! What's up?" Linda smiled at him and handed him a card.

"Well, I kinda noticed that you've actually been trying lately and I thought I would give you a card!" Matt laughed and thanked her, but just as he was about to close the door, a very distressed looking Roger came running down the hallway.

"Matt! Matt you have got to come now!" Without warning Roger gripped Matt's arm roughly dragging him down the hallway and out of Wammy's. His eyes widened at the scene before him.

Red and blue blinking lights.

Just across the street.