"What do you fuckin' think, Matt? You led such a damn sick freak to fuck you? You're fuckin' kidding me, right?" Mello wasn't in a good mood. Or better to say: Mello was furious. And I couldn't blame him. If I saw my best friend being fucked by some guy, I would be angry, too. Even if it was for money. But I'm not so sure if I would point my gun at that guy and shout at him that I'm gonna blow his damn head up, so the guy would immediately run out the door - naked.

Mello stopped his cursing for a moment to catch a breath and I bent down from the couch I was sitting on for a cigarette in my trousers that lied on the floor.

Mello seemed to calm down a bit but it wasn't something I should be happy about. Till now, he was just angry and furious, he couldn't think straight. Now it will be even worse.

"Sh-shit, Matt... At least put something on when I'm talking to you... fuck..." I obeyed him and put on my trousers. Then I lit my cigarette.

All of a sudden, Mello finally hit me. He hit me with the handle of his beretta. I heard some of my teeth crack and felt the iron taste in my mouth. I spit it on the carpet.

"Say something, Matt! Fuck! Just defend yourself... you sick... bitch..." And then he collapsed.

It's not like I didn't notice that there's something weird about the way Mello stood or even his hair that hid half of his face but I still wouldn't be able to say that Mello was this badly injured. Nearly half of his body was covered with severe wounds and burns.

"Shit, Mello, what were you doing...?" I asked more to myself, since Mello was unconcious.

I carried him to my bed and started to think about what to do. It was a long time since I had to think about something. It felt a bit nostalgic. I smiled to myself. Mello always knew how to twist things.

Yeah, my friend was fighting for his life and I was enjoying myself. It probably sounds horrible but my life sucked from the bottom of the deepest abyss to the top of Mt. Everest. Ever since I got from Wammy's it was one hell of ride. Without a place to stay with just my gameboy, my cell and enough money to stay in some shitty apartment for a month I was kicked out on the street.

Well, I wasn't particularly kicked. I was offered a chance to stay until I find a job or someting but I refused the offer and left. It didn't really matter to me what will happen. Mello left me and that was the only thing that really mattered. My best friend left Wammy's a year before me and didn't even bother to say "Goodbye, Matt."

I managed to find a job in a group of hackers. Illegal but they paid enough. However, soon the police tore the group appart and thanks to some strange luck I wasn't caught but ended on the street again.

Left. I always felt that I was being left behind. All the time.

You know, a hacker without a computer is no hacker. So I just sat there on the street, didn't care if it was raining or if the sun was shining. It never really shined on me, so what.ยจ

So some sick guy picked me up and I ended here. Doing what I was told with some strange freaks that didn't like doing it always alone.

It didn't matter to me. Nothing really mattered to me. As long as I had a place where I could charge the batteries to my PSP. And as long as I had the money to buy my cigarettes...

I carefully put off Mello's clothes and started to clean his wounds. It was pretty bad. Mello had a fever and was just half-asleep so he resisted a lot. I got punched again and then I finally decided to bind him.

"Sorry, Mello. Can't help it." I told him and tightened the last knot. "I know, it hurts, Mello. But you have to endure it for now."

"I'm glad... you saiyn' that... you mother... fucker... I prey you... would feel... the s-same..." Ahh, Mello was probably at least for a few seconds fully concious.

"And I'm glad, you're able to curse. Guess, you're going to be alright." I answered, really glad he actually said something.

"C-can't you... put that freakin' cigarette... away? What about a s-sterile enviroment...?" Mello held onto the bindings tightly and tried to control himself and not scream.

"Sorry, can't be helped. I need it. Wanna one, too? It always calms me down." I know that it's not fair to make fun of someone who's fighting for his survival but I really... yes, I couldn't really help it. That untamable Mello that held mafia bosses in this town in his own hands now lied here, bound to my bed and relied only on me and my first aid kit.

I bandaged every burn and every wound on Mello's body and then I lit another cigarette. Mello was unconcious again and I knew that when he wakes up, he'll be in a lot of pain. I left for the living room and picked up my cell phone that lied on the ground, where it landed along with all my things from the table that Mello had kicked when he arrived.

I dialed a number that I once remembered.

"Jay? Yes, it's been a while. No, I don't need it. Not that. I need something else. Can you get me a few doses of morphine? No, I'm not kidding. No, I'm not trying to kill myself. It's not for me, Jay. Of course, I have the money. Yeah, this time I do have it. Can you bring it to me? Thanx, Jay. Yeah, thanx. Bye."

I waited for about a half an hour and my cell rang. It was Jay. I went downstairs to get the morphine and paid him the promised price. Well, it cost me almost all the money but for Mello I would do anything.

I went back and prepared first injection of morphine for Mello.

"You... skillful with that stuff..." Mello woke up.

"I used to do this all the time," I bitterly smiled and injected Mello the morphine. "This should make you feel better."

"Fuck you, Matt... better, you say... aren't you just tryin' to... make... to make me high...?"

"You could say that. But I've heard somewhere that doctors use this stuff, too."

"You've heard..." Mello fell unconcious again. Of course, we both knew very well, for what purpose is morphine used.

I sat next to Mello's bed and waited. It was the only thing I could do.

Mello fought the most fearsome battle for three days. I sat next to the bed and just watched him. Twice a day I changed his bandages and three times a day I tried to give him something to drink. And I injected him morfium.

Early in the morning, on the third day of taking care of Mello, someone knocked on the door. Before I even realised what that sound was, my door came flying and two bodyguards showed up.

I stood up from couch and took a cigarette from my pocket. I placed it between lips and lit it.

Well, it's true, more than their appearence there was another even more interesting fact, what took them so long? Normally they would come the next day when I don't bring the money from "customers".
"Welcome." I tried to start a conversation, even if it looked useless. "Please, have a seat. If it's about the money..." I got pounched in the abdomen. I bit into the cigarette and backed off a few steps. But another hit lended on my face and I fell on the small table next to the couch. I spit the cigarette out and choked on the blood in my mouth. "F-fuck...!" that was the only word I managed to get out of myself.

"Don't hit his face," one of them said. "Boss likes him for his pretty face, you know."

The gorilla, that was about to punch me again, showed his bright ugly smile. "Understood!" And I got kicked in my stomach again.

I fell on the ground, tightly holding my abdomen in pain. The world around me went black and for a moment I though, I'm going to faint. I felt sick and just thanks to my 3-day starving and taking care of Mello I didn't puke.

The other gorilla caught me by my hair and made me stand up and face the third guy that entered my apartment.
"Hello, Matty," he started. This guy was known as Pinky Jack. He didn't have a pinky on his right hand. Pinky Jack put his fat face near mine. I tried not to look him in the eyes. It just didn't feel ok. They were wide and red with big bangs under them. For a moment I was glad, I could hide myself behind my auburn fringe and the orange-green goggles.

Pinky Jack leaned even closer to me. "Matt? How is it possible that you didn't show up at all, Matt? And what about your work, Matt? And the money you're supposed to give us, Matt?" His speech was dangerously sweet and each time he said my name he put a special stress on it. This was pretty bad. I decided to play an idiot and let them them do anything to me as long as I keep them from entering Mello's bedroom.

"Well, the money..." I started, "you see, I didn't get the chance to..."

"Shut, the fuck, up!" Pinky Jack shouted and grabbed my striped T-shirt. "Where's the money?"

I didn't replay. There was nothing to reply. Or better to say, nothing that would satisfy him.
"Here, it is." I looked at the said direction and my mind went blank for a moment. The first gorilla pointed at the small mountain of empty doses of morfium and injections. I really should have thought about this.

"So?" the slimy guy looked at me again. His glare was burning me. "So you fucking spent the money of your lenient boss! I guess I will have to teach you a lesson, little boy..."

I'm not sure anymore what happend after that. After the fourth punch my mind went blank and since my whole body was hurting, I can't say when they actually punched or kicked me.

Then they made me kneel while grabbing my hair again. This time they had to because I couldn't sit straight.

"What more there is to do..." Pinky Jack looked a bit bored. I had to smile to myself, even though, it hurt like hell to move my lips.

"Should I wipe that smile of your gorgeous face, brat?!" he shouted.

I shrugged. "Do... as you... wish..."

I got punched again and again. Then he stopped.

"Hey boy," that was one of those gorillas talking. "I've heard, this guy can do a pretty good mouth job."

Shit, I wasn't really in the mood to be raped by those guys.

"Really," Pinky Jack smiled to himself. "I'm not a gay but this sounds interesting..."

Idiot, every guy that fucked me said this.

"Hey, what are you doin' to my precious lover." I was as surprised as those guys were. I knew that raw voice.

Mello... He was standing in the doorway, half-leaning on the jamb, holding a pack of fresh paper money.

"That guy's mine now. Here's your money, punks. And fuck off. I'm gonna borow him for a while."

So Mello was finally awake. After I managed to put him back to the bed, I made him something to eat. Not that I had anything in the fridge.

I think, I made him some cup noodles. The best thing I could give him at the moment.

At first, it looked like Mello won't eat the food that someone like me prepared for him but the hunger was probably much greater than his pride and as soon as I left the room he ate the whole thing.

I went to the bathroom and washed my bloody nose and cut lips. I got the first aid kit and went with all that to bedroom because that was the only room in this appartment with mirror.

With scissors I made some plasters and tried to put them on the places that were still bleeding.

"Shit!" I swore as I tried to get the plaster on my bleeding eyebrow right.

"You silly." Well, Mello seemed to be watching me all the time as I was struggling. I saw him as he stood up from the bed and cautiosly came to me.

"You've never known how to take care of yourself," he uttered and placed the plaster for me.

"Thanx," I said and stared at him.

"Watcha staring at, you perv?" he asked angrily and crossed his hands on the bandaged chest.

"Nothing. Was just thinking, you're never gonna speak to me again." I shrugged and went to put the first aid kid back to the bathroom. On my way through the door, Mello's voice stopped me.

"Wait!" he ordered and I immediately obeyed.

"Strip."

"What?" That kinda scared me. Not that I've never heard such an order but it never crossed my mind that this guy would say something along these lines.

"I bought you just now, didn't I?" I couldn't read in his face. He was probably just joking but his expression was cold as a stone's.

"So strip that fucking shirt."

"O-ok."I pulled the stripped T-shirt over my head and waited for next orders.

However, Mello remained silent. He just knelt down to me and slightly traced his fingers along my body and the wounds on it. But his long fingers were unexpetedly cold. There was no warmness comming from them. I shivered a bit and got goose bumps on my arms. But Mello didn't notice or pretended not noticing anything.

"You silly brat," he stated afterwards. "These aren't just from today, right? And what about this one?" Mello pointed at a 3-centimeter-long scar on the right side of my abdomen.

"That's from a knife, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"When? And who?" Mello looked up at me with his one eye hid under the white bandage.

"About half a year ago. I wanted money from a guy that didn't want to pay. I think, he was some drug dealer from the ghetto in downtown."

Mello didn't say anything and stood up. "OK, put it back on."

Well, I didn't see what he wanted to acomplish by this so I just lift my T-shirt from the ground. But Mello stopped me again. He caught my left hand and looked at it with hate in his eyes.

"What's this, Matt?" Mello pointed at my forearm full of injection shots.

"Bugs' bites." Mello hit me. Thanx to his condition, it wasn't a strong punch but it made my lips bleed again. However, I wasn't the only one in pain.

I could see that Mello was hurting by every simple movement, not to mention a punch. Mello started to breath heavily and had to sit back on the bed.

"Say Matt... That drug dealer... did you get into a fight because of the drugs or the fucking?"

I clenched my fists. Mello was the last person I wanted to let know about this. Or better to say, he was the only one in this world, in front of whom I felt like a total trash at the momment.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, right? Sex or drugs you'll do anything that makes your life worthless. As long as it's the easy way out..."

I became totally speachless. I went back to the living room, sat on the red couch in the middle of the mess that those three left behind and lit a cigarette that I found lying on the floor. No living person could make me feel like a shit like he did just now.

I sat there and smoked one cigarette after the other and after few hours that felt like the worst aftertaste of morning's withdrawl I fell asleep.

Yeah, thanx to Mello, it was the same dream I didn't have for at least a month. The same everlasting nightmare of the night when I got my scar.

Again I sat on the wide bed in that big room, putting my clothes on. A weird-shaped lamp that gave a rather weak light, a huge cabinet, probably full of black suits and black glasses which this guy always wore, a big mirror with a few cracks in the right bottom corner, really gross red curtains with patterns that seemed to be too large...

Again I turned around and waited for that black guy to give me my money. And again he didn't turn to me with his wallet but an injection.

At first, I thought it was his share so I didn't say anything but than he grabbed my hand and turned it his way.

"Hey, what are you...?!" I tried to get away but suddenly I felt the cold metal piercing trough my skin. The sharp pain of the short momment as the transparent liquid flew into my vein...

"No, I don't... want to..." I hissed and finally was able to pull my arm back. The injection made a shallow but long wound on my forearm.

I got my clothes and with tipsy steps I went slowly to the exit.

The guy watched me, spread all over the bed with a rather amused look in his ugly face.

"So, how d'ya like my payment? Wanna some more?"

I felt the drug getting more and more into my nervous system. I held out my hand to the handle and than I passed out.

Everything after that is blurry, just some short flashbacks of the times when I was, by chance, sober. Faces, words, touches, voices, pain, darkness, light, people, places... All of these mixed together.

There is just one scene I remember clearly. It was a room full of carpets and pillows of red colours. There were too many people in this small place, lying one over the other. Young people like me. Men and women. Some of them had clothes, some of them didn't. I think, I had my trousers on but I'm not so sure about the upper part.

Yes, I lied there, too. I couldn't really feel my right leg, since someone else used it as a pillow. I didn't care, as long as it didn't hurt like my head did. It was an insanly horrible pain. I looked around and saw a sleeping (or I hoped she was just sleeping) naked girl holding my hand.

She held onto it as if the end of the world should have been comming.

I was probably the only one in the room awake. Or alive. I started to panic a bit about it because I've never heard such silence before.

And sleeping people should make some sounds! The only thing moving in that room was a lightbulb, swaying from left to right, from right to left, from left to right... right above my head.

I watched it swaying side to side. It kinda calmed me. And the shadows moving in the same rhytm.

I don't know for how long I just lied there. But after some time, there were suddenly some guys. They pointed at me and said something. Probably, that I have to come with them or what. Then they grabbed me and made me stand. The girl that was holding my hand, had to release it. As soon as she did that, she started to cry. It was a desperate cry, silent but for my ears it couldn't be noisier. I thought my head was going to explode. At the moment I prayed for someone to finally stop her by any means.

Yeah, a few seconds ago I lied there, holding hands with her and just now I thought of pressing one of the pillows on her crying lips.

I turned around to one of those guys with a request in my eyes.

"Don't worry, boy, this will make you fine again..." And they injected me my shot.

I still felt the cold sweat running down my face. I slowly opened my eyes. Ok, I was lying on my couch... in my appartment. Everything was fine.

I sighted. OK, now I should get something to eat from the shop.

I got up and looked into my wallet. Nothing much. It was nearly empty. But was else to do. I went out and got some instant food and chocolates (I remembered that Mello can't function without them) from the shop on the street parallel with mine. It was the only shop in this area. Well, can't be helped, this was a rather famous street for the illegal things going on in there. Drug dealers, prostitution, gangs, it was near the downtown ghetto and policemen were a rare thing around here.

"Hey, Matt!" I heard a voice behind me. I turned around. "Hey, Jay," I greeted.

"Wow, expressionless as always? Sorry, hey, I've heard you've got yourself some guardian or whatever. Your Boss isn't glad about it. And you know, you owe him one."

I sighted. "So it's spreading really fast, huh? Or I guess, Pinky Jack got to you through the morfine, since you're the only one providing it around here and now he sent you to me to get some info about "my guardian"?"

Jay smiled. "Smart as always. Sometimes I wonder what you're doing here. Yeah, he said I have to "get the info" out of you or else he's gonna tell the Boss that I drugged his precious boy or something."

"So just tell him that he's some kind of a rich mafia guy that's here to relieve some stress with me, ok? It's not a matter of weeks. It's just for a few days." Yeah, even I wasn't hoping for Mello to stay longer then until he's recovered enough to be able to walk out the door. "And he's got lots of money. So Boss shouldn't worry."

With that I parted with Jay and went back home. Jay wasn't a bad guy. Well, pretty much but if you compare this rather weak looking short guy with funny T-shirt on with the other guys selling drugs... At least, he didn't stand everyday in front of a school or something. I went back home. Mello was sleeping so I put some chocolates on the small bedside table and went to play some games.

Mello didn't talk to me if it wasn't absolutely necessary. If he needed a new bar of chocolate, for example. He occupied my notebook most of the time, searching and hacking somewhere. It had probably something to do with the thing why Mello ran away from Wammy's. I'd heard that he got some work after L died. Some dangerous business which L couldn't solve. And beacouse he got the work with Near, he refused to cooperate.

Yeah, after Mello ran away I tried to search for him that's how I ended up here. I wanted to be near if he ever decided to come to me for help and I New that he's gonna keep an eye about my whereabouts if I do so. Because everyone needs somewhere to run to when everything else seems to betray you.

And he really ran to me. That and the fact that he still didn't leave my appatment proved that he still trusted me. Even if I disappointed him at everything else, he knew that I would never betray him.

Boss's guys came every day to demand money from Mello and unexpetedly he always gave them the exact sum. "Just how much money do you even have?" I asked him one day.

Mello looked up to me over the notebook. "What? Well, if you don't want them, you can just go do your fucking-job. I don't necessarily need you here, that's right. On top of it it'S kinda more expensive than a 4-star hotel and the service is not that great."

"No, that's not it, Mello. I'm really grateful to you..." Mello's eyes watched me with a rather dangerous gaze. "Don't think, it's gonna be like this forever."

Yeah, he kinda sent me back to Earth. It's not gonna be forever.

I think, it was a week and two or three days after the night Mello showed up in my appartment, when Pinky Jack and his guys decided to cause trouble again. "So you're still here, huh?"Jack smirked as he looked at Mello sitting on the bed. They came right after I finished changing Mello's bandages, so he still sat there half-naked.

"So?" Mello wasn't in the mood. He was in the middle of something and he hated every single sign of disturbation. I had to nearly fight him to make him let his bandages changed. Mello didn't even bother to take his look off the screen.

Jack looked at me angrily. Yeah, Mello knew how to get under people's skin. It looked like the high time to get these guys out of there so I thrusted the money to Pinky Jack's hands and hoped that he's gonna go away as always.

Unfortunately, those guys didn't have the same ideas. Pinky Jack was a bit slow so it took him a while to figure out something that would break Mello's wall of "get-away-if-you-don't-wanna-be-killed-I'm-working".
"So you like playing the nurse?" Pinky Jack triumphantly trew in the battlefield and pointed at his bandaged chest and face. His two gorillas laughed.

"No," Mello answered, "I like HIM playing the nurse. Now, can you leave, finally? I was just thinking about fucking his georgeus ass and your ungly face is ruining my mood." Mello closed the notebook and watched the reaction in Jack's face.

His face was red (well, that was a normal colour for him), then kinda white, and then angry, and then everything mixed together and then he swallowed it all and calmed down. His self-control surprised me. But before he could say anything, Mello spoke again.

"Look, I know you wanna fuck him, too but I'm the one who's paying for him so I'm the one who gets to fuck him. Isn't it right? Now get out!"

Yeah, Mello didn't have self-control. At least, when it came to annoying things and this guy certainly was annoying. At least, to Mello.

Pinky Jack grinned. "Oook. Boss just wants to ask, how's it going? Understand, we can't let him be just with you for a long time. He has another customers waiting for him. And you see, if you have a thing for this guy or whatever, you'd better give up 'cause we cannot let you have him. He's Boss's. Boss owns him. And the long scar on his left side proves that, ok?"

"You mean his right side, right? If you wanted to check on our relationship, is this enough?"

Mello was good, even I could have missed that he mentioned the wrong side.

"Well, it could be enough for me but I guess that Boss wanted to REALLY be sure that you keep him here for fucking and nothing else. And when we're talking about it, Mattie's gonna probably have to go to his other customers, too. He can stay with you most of the time but not the whole time."

"Can't be helped, I guess. But don't think, I'm gonna pay you as much as I did till now. 'Cause I pay you for the fucking time and since we're fucking all the time..."

One of those gorillas looked at me. "Well, he looks a bit pale," he whispered to Pinky Jack. Yeah, but for a different reason. This whole situation seemed really weird and dangerous to me. I wasn't sure what kind of game is Mello playing so I couldn't be even sure if I'm gonna play along well.

"So show us some of your fuck-time," Pinky Jack suggested and sat on a chair. Mello showed me with a gest of his hand to come to him. I came to the bed.

Mello wrapped his right hand around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"Fuck the hell out, you freaking perverts!" he shouted. Pinky Jack smiled to himself. "Well, if you're not gonna show us anything, we'll have to take care of you. And then we're gonna have to punish your lovely Mattie, too. The decision's all yours..."

Mello clenched his teeth but then he almost immidiately calmed down. All the three guys pulled out their guns. As a warning. "Well, then," Mello smiled, "looks like we've got no other choice, right, Matt?" He looked at me.

You've gotta play along, his eyes said. I nodded and looked at the men in front of us.

"You know, there's a special price for looking, right? And if you're gonna wait for a blow job from me afterwards then I'm gonna disapoint you 'cause this guy makes me always really REALLY exhausted." I smirked.

"Thanks," Mello grinned, looking pleased. Then he took a deep breath. "So shall we start?" he asked and leaned to me, his hand holding my hip. "Don't think, we're gonna go until one of you cumms," Pinky Jack laughed and the other guys, too.

"Don't forget to remind me to kill him and his company and you, too afterwards," Mello whispered. "And if you're not gonna get me hard it's us who's dead."

Then he kissed me. Well, it was kinda weird to kiss my best friend but there was no other choise. At least, for the meantime. Mello had a gun under his pillow and I was sure, he's gonna use it.

So I lied down on the bed and let Mello kiss me more. If I shall say anything about him kissing... Yeah, Mello's technique was good. It was so good that for a moment I forgot myself and moaned aloud. I forgot to tell Mello not to use his tongue. That was not how you kiss a prostitute.

Mello started to trace his hands under my T-shirt along my body. I moved a bit to the pillow, so Mello could have a better access to his gun. But it still wasn't enough. So I shifted up and pulled off my T-shirt and along with that I moved some more to the pillow. Mello kissed my neck and chest and then he lied on me, kissing me hard on the lips. His left hand in my hair and his burnt right hand searching for the gun under the pillow.

He got it and moved it along with his hand under my back. Then he removed his hand and placed it on my waist.

"What's with all the kissing," Pinky Jack uttered. "Some action, heh?" And they laughed. Mello stopped kissing me and for a while I thought, he's gonna get up right now and suffocate him with just his hands.

"Don't mind him, Max," I said and stroke Mello's hair and then kiss him again.

So what now? There were three guys with guns. We were two but had just one gun and that was located under my back.

Mello shifted and started to unbotton his pants. I did the same and as I pulled the trousers down my legs I showed the gun to Mello, so it now lied in between us and was hidden from the other three by Mello's back. Mello grinned and took the gun while kissing me again. But he had to take it to his left because his right hand probably still hurt and he couldn't shoot with it. That was bad. I placed my hand over his and took the gun from him. There were two reasons, at first, I had a better view to shoot, Mello would have to turn around and the second was the fact, that right now, I was the better sniper, since my dominate hand was alright. Mello didn't protest, he probably thought the same.

Now we just needed some distraction for at least one of them, the less guys can react at the right time, the less problems we have.

"Hey, you there," Mello turned to a guy on the left, "get me the lubricant. It's on that shelf." He pointed to the left corner of the room.

The guy looked at Pinky Jack and he nodded amusedly. "Looks like it's gonna be fun," he smiled to himself and crossed his legs. I could see from the bed, he was getting hard. Yeah, he sure was "straight".
I got my goggles down, so I could see clearly and waited until that guy got to the shelf. Then I slowly leaned onto Mello and made him lie down. Now I've got a clear area of vision. I moved the hand I hid till now between us and quickly pointed the gun at Pinky Jack. I got him unexpetedly right to the middle of his ugly smile. The other guy was surprised for a bit but then he pulled up his gun. Too slow, I shot him to his hand and on the second try, to his heart.

But it took me too long and right after that I felt sharp pain in my left arm. And everything went black for me for a moment. And then there was another shot but nothing after that. I looked at my arm. "Oh, my arm's one fucking shit now..." I said and then I passed out.