Author's Note: I almost have the entire story typed out, but it's really long so I'll be submitting it in seperate chapters. There should be three, but there might be more or less (depending on how I split it up from here). So, this chapter is kinda a downer, and from here it becomes much more light-hearted, so just get through this and I'll try to upload the next chapter soon. And I know this had Lent themes, but I wrote it around Lent of last year, but didn't have a fan fic net account, and then this year I did have the account but my laptop was having trouble and I knew I probably wouldn't post it next year so here ya go. (And if you came here from WBDA: I sorta experimented with different personalities for mini-Mello and mini-Matt.)

Warnings: Mentions of past absuse, and some not so nice language.

Pairings: None. They're little kids, I'm not going to pair little kids.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. In fact, I can't afford to own much of anything right now.


Mello stared at his lasagna. Matt noticed his friend not eating, and put down his own fork.

"Not eating again? You know what I told you about not eating! Eat, or I swear to God that I will force feed you!" The blond eight year old flinched at his friend's harsh words. The whole lunch room quieted momentarily to see if the gamer would go through with the threat. He had before, which proved to be an interesting experience. To the crowd's disappointment, Mello picked up a fork, and everyone went back to their own business.

"I was just admiring how gross the lunch staff was able to make this stuff," Mello said, playing with the food more than eating it.

"Whatever you say, Mells."

"Stop calling me that," Mello said, slinking back in his chair. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar, electing to eat that instead. "It's lent anyways, so I'm giving up eating the gross food in this place."

"And have decided to eat only chocolate instead?" The gamer asked around a mouthful of his lunch.

"Pretty much. At least I know what's in this stuff."

"I think I'm going to give up homework."

"You already have."

"And I still score the same as you on tests. Funny, huh?" For that he was rewarded a light punch on the shoulder.

Mello suddenly stuffed his chocolate away into his pocket, and got a panic-stricken look across his face.

"What?" Matt asked, turning around. "Oh. What's that douche bag want?" He asked, watching Rodger carefully walking over to them.


Mello watched Near out of the corner of his eye.

"Spying on him won't make you smarter than him, if that's what you're trying," Matt whispered at him.

"Got any proof," Mello asked.

"Nope, but it proves that you're crazy."

The blond smiled. "You already knew that."

"Please enter my office," Rodger said, standing in the doorway.

"So you call us over here to make us wait outside the office for fifteen minutes, then remember that you didn't have anything else to do anyways then let us in? Smart move, Rodge, smart move. We could have blown the whole school up in that time, gramps. I would have had more fun if we did."

Rodger glared at the boy, but didn't otherwise react. He was used to the nicknames Matt gave him. Adults made the child nervous; after all, he had been in a sex ring for a while. Being constantly abused by adults made him weary of them, so he put his guard up, and his version of this was by making fun of them. Rodger almost smiled. He was good at figuring out the physiological reasoning of these kids, and Matt was always a fun one.

Mello was interesting, too. His parents were burned alive in a fire set at a church by some crazy radicalist believing that the church was out to get him. Even knowing that, Mello was still a devout Christian. Maybe he thought that the fire was God's way of getting revenge for some sin of his parents, or something, and that by following the bible he might not suffer the same fate. He also went through stages of extreme stress causing him to because anorexic and an insomniac.

Rodger's all-time favourite, though, was the little almost-albino orphan. Near. No one really knew what happened to him, besides from the fact that he was found under a cardboard box experimenting with cubism at the age of four. He was immediately sent to Wammy's after that, but refused to divulge any information about his past. Sometimes, when Rodger was really bored, he'd try to figure the boy out. He'd made charts before, filled walls with diagrams about the boy's physiological state, but hadn't made too many advances in the past three years. To him, these kids were nothing more than one of Near's puzzles.

"So," Rodger said. "It's come to my attention that against my strict orders none of you have decided to actually take part in any religious practices." Mello opened his mouth to talk, but Matt promptly covered it with his own hand, whispering "nope, if I'm going down I'm taking you with me," into his ear.

"What was that, Master Matt?"

"Nothing, Servant Rodge."

Rodger took a deep breath through his nose. "Right, I'm in full understanding of Master Mello's situation, but I figured you wouldn't willingly come to my office unless I told you it was him in trouble." Matt rolled his eyes. "But, don't fret, he'll be doing the same assignment as you."

"'Fret?' Who the hell says 'fret?'" Matt got an elbow to the ribs from Mello for his language. "Wait, hold up, you also said 'assignment?' I don't like that word."

"Yes, I want you all to take part in lent. It'll give you some culture ideas. Maybe you want to be Christian. Maybe you want to be Hindu. Maybe you want to create your own beliefs, or just stick with what science tells you: Whatever it is that you choose, you won't know until you try it. So here's a chance to try something."

"But I already know I'm an atheist," Matt said. "So can I leave?"

"No. You have to at least try this."

"Then I'll try Buddhism sometime if I get some free time between homework, and stuff."

"That reminds me, we have to make an appointment some time to discuss your failure to complete any homework."

"Make all the appointments you want, I'm still not going to do it."

"We'll see about that. In any case, this is mandatory. And it won't be like your homework, I will make sure that you do this, and if you don't then you won't like the consequences."

Near piped up for the first time all day. "Isn't it illegal to force children into religious practices?" He asked, still fiddling with the toy in his hand.

"Technically, yes."

"Cool, so I'm not doing it." Matt turned toward the door.

"Master Matt, you will do it."

"Why us and not the other kids?" Near asked again.

"Because, you children are the ones with the tops scores in ratio to your ages, thus you're expected to be the role models. Plus, what we have planned for your futures requires you to have firm beliefs in something. It doesn't really matter what, but it must be something. And I'd prefer you try a few things to figure out what that something is."

"I'll give up talking to you for lent," Matt grumbled.

"Very funny, but no. I have decided what you shall all give up, being that I feel like you wouldn't make the smartest choices."

"You remind me of a killer robot I once saw in a movie. He talked the exact same, how your voice stays consistent. Hey, Mells, ya think he's a killer robot?" Mello smiled for a moment before noticing the glaring expression from Rodger. "Th-that's not funny, Matt," he mumbled to the floor, avoiding eye contact with Rodger.

"Continuing: Near, all your toys are being cleared from your room, and I will take the one you have with you at the moment-" Rodger reached for the toy robot as Near's eyes widened with shock. "N-no," he stammered, trying to pull the robot back. "Mello, we're checking your room for any chocolate, and keeping it in storage until lent is over. I'd appreciate if you'd empty your pockets please." Mello was fighting back tears.

"Hey, man, that's not cool. You know very well that those are their ways of dealing with the whole orphan thing. I guess you wouldn't know, though, you posh bastard."

"And, Master Matt," Rodger was smiling now, "I've taken the personal liberty of disconnecting the T.V. in your and Mello's shared room, and also have men scouring it for any hidden games. Please hand over the gaming device in your pocket."

"No." To Rodger's surprise, it was the calmest thing the red-head had said all day.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, I said no. That's that: no."

Rodger sighed. "I was really hoping you wouldn't make me do this." He hit the intercom button on the wall next to his desk and said into it "it's as I expected. Assistance, please."

A few moments later two men working for Wammy's walked into the room. One walked up behind Matt and held him to the chair, while the other walked around in front, patting down his pockets. Matt began to panic, having not been restrained since his past abuse. He kicked one man in the chin. "Let go!" he screamed, struggling against them. After less than a minute, they found all that they were looking for, handed them to Rodger who put them into a drawer and locked it with Near's toy and Mello's chocolate, and left the room. Matt curled up in a ball in his chair. "Dick," he spat. "You're a real dick."

"So you've told me before," Rodger said calmly. "You all may leave now."


Author's Note #2: You should review this and tell me how to improve it to your taste. Also, if you liked it (well, not this chapter because it's kinda a downer, but the general idea of this) then you should read Wammy's Boys Disneyland Adventure (I need better names for these). It's also about the Wammy's Boys as kids, and is a cute little thing. It has B and L in it, too, and a little bit of Raito/Light, and a new god-guy I made to take place of all minor characters because I couldn't come up with any myself XD (It's just a random guy who drives taxies and operates rides and such.) And you should review that, too!

Thanks for being awsome!