Mello looked without pity at the man kneeling before him.
"Don, you have lied to me. Stole from me. Now I find you trying to run from me."
"Mello, please, it's not what you think. I—"
"Shut up." Mello put a hand to his temple as though trying to sooth away an approaching headache. He was sitting in an important looking chair that could have easily have been called a throne. At his feet a jean-clad redhead sat bound to the chair by a length of chain that hooked to a loose leather collar around his neck.
Mello lazily scratched behind the redhead's ear. His pet gazed at him contently with his chin resting on Mello's thigh and a hand curled around his knee.
"Take him to the pit." Mello ordered one of his followers and Don Malargio was dragged away, kicking and pleading.
Mello looked down and his pet who had suddenly taken great interest at the word 'pit'. He was sitting up looking at Mello excitedly, pupil-less emerald eyes alert.
"Are you hungry, my pet?" Mello asked with a smile.
The redhead replied with a smile of his own, flashing pointed fangs. Both canines and the teeth in front were pointed like daggers, as were a set at the bottom. The redhead, once known as Matt, used to have a friendly and welcoming smile. He used to play video games and hack into networks just for the fun of it. Now his grin made people nervous, he didn't speak to anyone but Mello and was completely happy being Mello's pet.
Mello unclipped the chain and stood, his pet followed closely and as loyally as he always did. Mello smiled a little when his pet took his hand. He knew the redhead was in love with him and didn't question it.
The pit was exactly that. A pit. It was a six metre drop to a dirt bottom that was five metres wide. When Mello got there, Don Malargio was waiting at the bottom, most likely pushed into the pit. Not that Mello cared how he got down there.
Mello turned to his redhead, putting his hands on his pet's bare chest. Mello had given up buying shirts for him. His pet never wore them anymore and if he did they always ended up badly torn. It was hard enough making the redhead wear pants though if Mello was completely honest, he didn't mind when his pet walked around naked. It was just… distracting.
"He's all yours" Mello whispered.
"To kill?"
Mello looked into his redhead's eyes. Sometimes he wished the pupils of those eyes were still there. Without them the redhead looked hypnotized or drugged. That, and it was another reminder that this was no longer the geeky, outgoing Matt that Mello grew up with.
"You can do what you like with him, my pet. Now show me those claws."
The redhead held up a hand and before Mello's eyes lengthened his nails until they resembled inch long claws. "Thank you, Master. I promise to enjoy my gift."
Mello sat at the edge of the pit as the redhead jumped into it, one leg dangling over the side. A perfect view to watch his pet in action. Don was cowering away from the redhead, pleading for his life. The redhead slowly paced toward Don, paying no heed to the pleas, his movements sure and smooth. It wasn't long before Don ended up in the middle of the pit and the redhead circled him like a shark with eyes that were just as cold.
In a blink the redhead attacked, hitting Don in the upper stomach, digging claws into flesh and throwing the man into the stone wall of the pit.
The redhead let out a noise that was somewhere between a hiss and a growl. Mello smiled.
Don had given up pleading and tried to fight back. He ran at his attacker but the redhead sidestepped and sliced Don's back as he passed.
As Don felling to the ground bleeding the redhead took the time to lick the blood from his fingers. He looked down at Don again and noticed a ring on the mans right hand. He stomped on the hand, breaking the bones and he pulled off the gold ring. He had a collection of jewellery that he kept in a simple wooden box. He liked how they shone and he wasn't interested in them if they didn't. He had no need to care for there value, only that they shone under his fingers.
He kicked Don onto his back to see if the man was wearing any other jewellery. A silver chain was around his neck and the redhead reached for it but was met with a fist to his jaw. He growled deep in his throat and slashed across the man's face, leaving deep claw marks. He ripped the chain from Don's neck. He placed a foot on the man's chest and inspected the chain, blood dulled it in some places but once it was licked away the silver shone nicely.
He looked up at Mello. It took only a small run to leap high enough for the redhead to grab the side of the pit, right next to where Mello was sitting. He wordlessly handed his master the jewellery and let go of the edge, landing back in the pit. He knew Mello would keep his new additions safe until he could add them to his collection.
Don was still alive and moaning in pain, the redhead grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up. Don weighed more then he did but he found it easy to lift the man.
Don may have only been able to see out of one eye now but he still seen the redhead open his mouth to reveal deadly fangs. Don had little time to scream as teeth sunk into his neck, ripping and tearing at his throat. He was dead within seconds.
The redhead let his prey fall to the ground with a dull thud. He felt full and satisfied and a lingering gaze at his Master told him Mello was also pleased.
Mello smiled. A traitor was dead, he'd enjoyed a good show and his pet would be peaceful for at least the next few days. He watched with interest as his pet jumped once again up the side of the pit and Mello extended a hand to help him out.
Once out, the redhead took to licking away as much of the blood as he could reach on himself as he followed Mello away from the pit.
Hours later Mello sat alone in silence on his throne. Mello wasn't a king by any stretch but he was the leader of an underground mob. His whole operation revolved around drugs and money.
Suddenly his phone started to ring. He frowned. Only a handful of people had his number and at the moment there was nothing major going down so there shouldn't be anyone calling him. Flipping the phone open revealed the caller. Near.
Near was the leader of a major rival gang. His group was just as big and controlling as Mello's and if Near was out of the way Mello would solely rule the underworld.
"What do you want?" Mello snapped.
"A little more formality from you would be nice, but I don't suppose I'll even get that will I?" Near replied.
Mello hated that smooth know-it-all voice. Near was younger then he was by two years which put him at nineteen. Still a kid really.
"Oh I'm sorry. What the fuck do you want you stupid albino cunt?" Mello snarled into the phone.
Near was hardly ever seen in anything but white, his hair was white and his eyes were grey. Mello knew that most albino's had pink eyes but he'd heard of cases where they were blue or grey. A small part of Mello told him that Near wasn't an albino but just appeared to be one. Mello suffocated that small part with expensive chocolate.
"As brash as ever. But then again you are capable of nothing else are you? Let me ask you something, have you ever heard of a substance many call Hemlock Powder?" Near asked.
"It's a slow release poison. It causes an extremely painful death." Mello answered immediately, and then cursed himself for it. Mello had grown up priding himself on answering questions quickly and as they say, old habits die hard.
"As sharp as ever, Keehl. I trust Don Malargio is dead? Though I doubt you killed him yourself."
Mello could hear the smirk in Near's voice. He was doubly pissed off that Near had the balls to use his last name. Only five people knew his real name. One was too senile to know anything anymore, two of them were dead (and one of them turned out to be a serial killer), and the other was his pet and the last was his biggest rival. It was just a sick joke to know that Mello had grown up with Near. The pale emotionless boy had always gotten on Mello's nerves and now he was the single biggest threat Mello had. But alas, Mello's world thrived on such cruel jokes.
"What the fuck are you getting at, River?" Mello return the 'true name' card for spite and payback. Though it probably didn't bother the younger man as much as it did Mello.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Say hello to Matt for me wont you? Oh, that's right. Matt doesn't exist anymore does he? No, you just keep what's left of him as a pet, don't you?"
"You don't know anything about it Near."
"I know that you are nothing without him and I know that you should have let Matt die years ago. I'll tell you now that I did it because he was once my friend too, but mostly to hurt you for what you did to him. Goodbye Mello." Near hung up before another word could be said.
Mello stood and threw his phone at the nearest wall, shattering it on impact. Mello didn't have much time to think about the conversation and what it meant before one of his lackey's came rushing in, holding a bleeding arm.
"Mello! He's gone nuts! He's killed three of my men but we managed to lock him in his room. You gotta do something!"
It was no use asking who he was talking about, Mello already knew. "Get everyone out of here, on exceptions. Don't even think about coming back until I call you."
Mello knew the second he seen Matt that he'd been poisoned. Now he knew what Near had been talking about. He didn't know how or when the little basted had done it but he knew that he was going to kill him for it.
There was blood everywhere, Mello wished it was from the three men who had been killed but they were dead in the hall. This blood had obviously come from his redhead. He was throwing up blood and curling up in pain. Crying and scratching at his own body in hope of somehow lessening the pain inside. Mello was at his side in a flash holding Matt's hands away from him to stop him from hurting himself any further. Matt was stronger than he was but Mello managed it anyway and pulled the redhead into his lap.
"It hurts. Please…. Stop the hurt." He pleaded, crying and gasping for breath. He was breathing hard and heavy and it hurt Mello to see him like this. To see him in so much pain.
"Matt, I—" Mello gritted his teeth; Matt had sunk his nails deep into Mello's back and showed no sign of letting go.
"Please…. It hurts." Matt was shaking violently.
Mello reached for his gun, hidden away in the hem of his black leather pants. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. There was nothing he could for Matt this time; a quick death was the kindest thing he could give him.
"Mello…. Please."
The gun went off, the redhead lay still and Mello sat crying.
---
--9:34am--
A dishevelled blonde emerged from his room and somehow found his way into the kitchen, only to have his eyes assaulted with familiar and comforting stripes. "Aggh, Matt. I had the most fucked up dream." Mello announced.
"Yeah? What about?"
Mello rubbed his eyes. "You were there and there was this pit or something, Near… poison… ah fuck it, it's gone."
"Oh well, that's too bad. I made pancakes, want some?" Matt offered.
"Fuck, yeah. I'm starving."
The end
