A/N: Hello everyone. Watching Death Note the other day and this idea popped into my head. The machine was inspired by Person of Interest. Any brand name is owned by their respective owners.
Harsh white light sliced through the darkened room. Matt sat curled up quickly pressing the buttons on his PSP Go. He frowned as he concentrated on his game. The computer he sat in front of him gave a small bleeping noise. "Matt," an old gravelly voice called.
"Yes," Matt answered eyes glued to his screen.
"What is the status on Guardian?" the old man continued.
Matt lowered his game with a frustrated sigh. He looked to the screen that now showed a white-haired man with a bushy mustache. "Just a couple of more lines of code and then Beta-testing can start," Matt said setting aside the hand-held console. "I was thinking about first starting in the Winchester area and then expanding."
Watari nodded, "I want to be informed as soon as the testing begins."
"I'll have it done by tonight," Matt answered, closing the video chat screen and opening up his code. The complex numbers rolled past as Matt found where he had left off. His fingers flew over the keyboard. The numbers filled the screen.
Hours later, Matt clicked the enter key for the final time. The monitor turned black. Green letters typed out. "Welcome Admin."
"Hello Guardian," Matt greeted. He pushed his computer chair away and got to his feet. "It time to start your training." The screen remained black. "We are going on a trip." Matt pulled on his cream sleeve-less vest and headed out the door. He stepped out into the hall and quietly walked down the dim hallways.
"Where you going, Matt?" Mello called as he walked past the gamer.
"I'm going to town for the new Assassin's Creed game," Matt answered nonchalantly.
Mello nodded his understanding and asked, "Could you pick me up some chocolate while you're at it?" Rather than waiting for an answer, the blonde continued to his room. Matt didn't take offense to this he would do anything for his fellow Whammy.
Closing the front gate, Matt walked to the garage and headed to town. There were few people out on the streets of Winchester, so he was able to find a parking space easily. He looked up to find a small white camera on a light pole. "Do you see me?" He asked the empty air.
His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Matt pulled it out. The screen showed him that he had received a text. Matt opened the text. "Affirmative" the text read. Matt grinned excitedly; not that he doubted his program to work, but it was invigorating to be proved right.
The Whammy walked into a café. Looking around at the empty serving area, Matt muttered under his breath, "How about now?" His phone was silent for a moment. Matt lowered his shoulders disappointed with this failure. The vibrating of the phone shocked him. He pulled out his phone to read the new text he received. "Admin located."
"Good job, Guardian," he muttered to himself as he searched the café for a camera. He couldn't find one on the ceiling and he was out of view for a street camera. However in the corner of the café a woman was texting. In this angle he was in the line of sight of the phone's camera. Matt pleased with himself went back to his car and drove to a local convenient store to buy some chocolate for Mello.
Matt with a bag full of various chocolate bars left the convenient store and walked to his car. "Where's your game?" Mello's sudden voice called.
Matt turned swiftly around. "The store closed before I got there," He lied quickly.
"Of course it did. You left at ten," Mello said crossing his arms. "That's when the store closes," he added in a condescending voice.
Matt realizing that Mello knew he lied just shrugged and tossed the blonde the bag, "You got chocolate so why do you care."
Mello caught the bag and narrowed his eyes, "I didn't want you to pull a BB on us." Matt unlocked his car door and opened it. "Why did you leave so late?" Mello asked.
Matt sighed, "Get in the car." He lowered himself into the seat and Mello did likewise. With the doors closed Matt begun. "About five years ago Watari asked me to build something," he began slowly. "A machine to stop crime."
Mello gave him a confused look, "That's impossible. There's no way you can prevent every crime. And how can you stop something before you know there's a problem?"
Matt sighed frustrated, "Most crimes are premeditated. The perpetrator will give small indications of the crime they plan to commit."
"This is ridiculous Matt. A machine can't stop crime," Mello shouted.
"But it can inform the ones who can," Matt said. He saw Mello give him a disbelieving face. "You'll see tomorrow."
Mello groaned, but pulled out a chocolate bar and begun to eat it. "If that's all you've got to say, I'm going back to Whammy's." Mello got out of the car and slammed the door.
~DN~DN~
After breakfast the next morning, Matt pulled Mello aside. The gamer knew that Watari had asked him to keep Guardian a secret, but Matt knew that he needed Mello's skills to accomplish Guardian's mission. "What do you want Matt?" Mello groaned.
"Just wait a minute. I asked Guardian to send me a way to prove its existence to you," Matt said. As soon as he finished the sentence his cell phone buzzed. Matt swiftly pulled out his phone and opened the text message that had a picture attached. The picture was of a young lady; one similar to those many put as a profile picture on social media sites. "Jessica Withers," Matt read out loud and turned the phone to Matt to show the picture.
"Is that a chick you like?" Mello asked, "Looks a little old for you."
"I don't know her," Matt said angrily.
"So you're stalking her?" Mello asked the look on his face confused.
Matt shook his head, "No, Guardian says this woman is going to be in trouble."
Mello nodded slowly, "Your imaginary machine?"
"It's not imaginary," Matt shouted. He lowered his voice, "Just follow her and you'll see."
"I'm not doing your stalking for you," Mello said turning to walk away.
"Do it and I'll do your Math homework for a month," Matt tried to bartered.
"Two months," Mello added, "and you have to alter Near's L assessment scores."
Matt sighed, but agreed. "All you have to do is follow her and make sure she doesn't die."
"Yeah, Yeah. Just start working on those scores," Mello called back as he headed out the door.
"Mello," Matt called as the door closed. "You don't know … never mind." The gamer hoped that Guardian would be as upfront with Mello as it was with him.
~DN~DN~DN~
Mello stuffed his hands in his pockets. He didn't intend to follow the woman and was just going to kill time till Matt completed his task. As he walked down the sidewalk the vibration of his phone drew his attention. Mello pulled it out expecting it to be Matt with more instructions. Instead of Matt's familiar number, an unknown one flitted across the screen. He looked at the text he received from the number. "Asset: Mihael Keehl." Mello seeing his real name took a step back and looked around him. The phone in his hand buzzed again. He looked down to see another text message from the same number. "I am Guardian." Mello looked at the phone in disbelief. A third text message came; "Jay-Jay's Café" Mello unsure whether this was a practical joke by Matt hailed a cab and headed to the café indicated.
He got out of the vehicle paying the cab driver. He looked through the large glass windows. On a stool at the bar, sat the girl that Matt asked him to follow. "Jessica Withers. Impending violence. Chance of survival: 75%"