"And, I find it kind of funny.
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I'm dying,
Are the best I've ever had.
I find it hard to tell you,
'Cause I find it hard to take.
When people run in circles,
It's a very, very,
Mad World."
Mad World – Gary Jules
L perched himself at his laptop reading over case notes from Beyond. "I'll admit… Some of these are impressive. He even included the likelihood of guilt in percentages." His dark orbs sped through the pages of notes from the first case. A pleased hum came from his throat as he came to the conclusion. "Well done indeed, I believe it's acceptable to send in." His slender index finger made its way to his bottom lip, gently caressing it. He raised his eyebrows at an annoyed scoff over the speaker from his cell phone.
"You act as if he's something special. You had three successors who could have done that in half the time and summed up the case in shorter report."
L flicked his eyes over to a slumbering Beyond. He watched the other's hand twitch and the younger man's eyebrows furrow. "But could you say that seven years ago?"
"Seven years ago I was a kid…"
A tiny smirk grew into a small smile on L's lips, "So was he. Think about yourself right now. Could you imagine… Two years ago, you're locked away for being the most sinister and intelligent on the streets of Los Angeles? Would you be able to do it… Alone? I'll be honest with you. If he didn't all but scream for us to look at him… I'm not sure we would have ever caught him. I think, were he doing this out of a malicious lifestyle. If he wasn't leaving breadcrumbs to be followed… He would have gotten away with it, for a very long time." Diving his long fingers into a bag of gummy bears L let out a long drawn out sigh, "To my own embarrassment." His dark eyes glanced over at the small carton of strawberries and he quickly abandoned the gummies.
A long silence enveloped the room before a apprehensive reply was heard, "So. You're using the 'it takes one to know one' approach?"
Pinching a strawberry by the leaves, L dangled the luscious scarlet fruit in front of his charcoal, sleep deprived eyes. "He's solving the cases you, Mello and Matt couldn't solve together. You mentioned my successors. Beyond, was, is and always will be, my true successor. Whether he likes it or not." Another deafening silence was heard before an abrupt dial tone resounding from the phone. The raven flicked his deep eyes towards the monitors that contained the sleeping danger. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly to make sure he was hearing right. He watched the younger of them curl into a ball and softly call out, reaching his hand towards the empty side of the bed.
"I'm sorry..." L witnessed a small smile creep along his successor's lips.
9...
The brilliant sun rays poured into a rundown apartment through tattered green drapes, the loud ruckus of traffic could be heard from the streets below. A deep groan was heard before the ashen wool blanket was tugged over a head of ebony hair. "Not yet… To early to care…" Red eyes snapped open as a devious smile curled the lips of porcelain like face, "But I wonder…"
Bare feet landed on the floor and the obsidian haired man ruffled his hair tiredly, blinking his sanguine eyes over exaggeratedly in futile attempts to awaken himself more. The boy leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, cupping his face. Dragging his spindly hands down his face creating a comical scene before lightly patting his own cheeks. "Right. The clothes…" His crimson eyes fell onto a bloody mass of the clothing he wore the night before. "My own frustration even took me by surprise… I'm sorely disappointed in the results. Perhaps I should try on a male subject." The late aged teen rifled through the nightstand pulling a small contact lens case, a bottle of concealer, and eye liner pencil and a medium sized bottle of hairspray.
Flopping back onto the bed with his arms splayed out staring blankly at the bland white ceiling, "Maybe a short nap first… Who cares if I'm late. I've solved every murder for the dumb broad. What a pathetic excuse for your eyes, L."
A couple hours later, the scarlet eyes reopened. A displeased and groggy gruff was heard. Beyond lifted his head and squinted his ruby eyes, focusing on the clock. "Yep. An hour late…" Reluctantly sitting himself up, he looked into the mirror that was perched on top of a chest of drawers that matched the nightstand and the pine bed, and betrayed a sullen sigh. "Nine more days. Nine more. Then I can finally rest." He glanced down to his hands wearing a crestfallen expression before a devious smile curled against his features.
Pulling himself from the bed, the raven grabbed the bottle of concealer, spreading it meticulously, careful to avoid getting it in his eyes once again, but sure to cover any spots of his own skin tone. Though his complexion was already sun starved, it wasn't pale enough.
Beyond glanced his eyes over to the contact lens case and let out a quiet sigh. Padding his bare feet over to the pine nightstand he grabbed the lenses and the hairspray. Walking himself to the once grimy bathroom that now sparkled with cleanliness. It was a small bathroom with a tiny window behind the shower. Leaning his hips onto the porcelain sink he washed his hands to perfection then opened the contact lens container. Blinking the first of the lenses into place, he felt his breath catch when he glanced back into the mirror. One eye; as dark as the night sky. The other; a daunting blood red. He blinked quickly several more times white gently shaking his head, before leaning in and placing the other lens over his eye in the perfect place. The raven leaned in once again and drew under his eyes a perfect imitation of sleep depravation.
Turning his attention to his ebony tresses. Though already a flawless shade of onyx, his shine wasn't the same. His; shined and reflected a warm chocolate… The others… Shined a navy color, it had to be perfect. He scowled his eyes narrowing in annoyance of his on negligence of this detail that may have seemed minuscule to others. But he wasn't perfect. "I'll fix it. I'm already late…" Beyond tousled his hair and sprayed it lightly to create a disheveled appearance. Then ran a brush through it once it dried more before shaking his fingers through it, creating a perfectly messed look.
He crinkled his nose at the near perfect replication of his nemesis. A deep, "humph" sound came from his nose as he turned from the bathroom, throwing a white shirt over his head and slipped out of his sweatpants and into a pair of faded jeans.
A timid whine was heard from the closet. Beyond rolled his eyes and stepped over to the closet. Opening it to reveal a woman bound in rope, a cloth in her mouth acting as a gag. "If you can keep a secret. I'll let you out when this is all over…" His voice was laced with both insanity and comfort. The female hung her head in defeat and nodded quietly. Allowing a silent tear to pass down her cheek. Crouching down to her sitting position on the floor, he tenderly wiped the tear away from her cheek with his thumb. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you… You don't fit my motive. You can go back to your life. Like none of this ever happened." He betrayed a cynical but sincere smile as he shut the door holding a finger over his lips, mocking a shush.
Walking into the simple living room and kitchen area he sighed as he looked at the sink. He pulled the black walnut cupboards open and filled a glass with water from the sink. Beyond glanced his eyes up from his current action, up to a Siamese cat perched on the microsuede couch, eyeing him carefully. He raised an eyebrow, opening several cupboards, he then opened the cupboard under the sink and found cat food. He poured a small amount into the bowl nearing the dining area of the open concept apartment. He received a happy meow and a brisk rub against his leg as the cat passed by. The cat as it haunched itself in a sitting position and began to eat.
His attention returned to the filled glass, he walked back into the bedroom and opened the closet. Her fearful emerald eyes shot up to meet his cold, currently charcoal eyes. He leaned down and pulled the gag down and held the glass up, "Are you thirsty?"
She nodded silently. He cradled the back of her head and brought the glass up to her lips and tilted the glass and her head slightly. She glanced at him before starting to slowly sip the water. Beyond nodded and pulled the gag back up into its original position. He held his finger up to his lips and shut the door once again, leaving the half empty glass on the nightstand.
The door to the building shoved open aggressively and brilliant casts of sunlight blinded Beyond for a moment. He sighed with his hand above her eyes shielding himself from the obtrusive rays of light. Adjusting his eyes he stepped off the stoop and stuffed his hands into his pockets while expertly dodging the foot traffic of commuters. He waited at the bus stop, people watching mostly. A younger looking man with blonde hair and bland clothing, a pair of dark jeans and a black shirt, stood next to him. His nose buried in a book.
Beyond glanced his eyes towards the cover, 'Being and Time'. The raven raised his brow in intrigue and produced a tiny smile at the shimmering golden locks and hidden sapphire eyes behind them. "Great book."
The sky blue eyes departed the page immediately and let a small smile caress his full lips. "You've read it?" The bus stop's population grew slightly more around them.
A small lopsided grin spread across the pale lips as Beyond nodded. "One of the most important philosophical works of our time, a work that has had tremendous influence on philosophy, literature, and psychology, and has literally changed the intellectual map of the modern world." He ruffled his own hair in embarrassment and was thankful the concealer would hide any traces of the blush that was forming.
The brilliant blue eyes blinked a couple of times in surprise, eyebrows raised in interest, he closed the book and held his hand out, "My name is Caspian. It's nice to meet someone else who has an intellectual fiber in their body in this less than intelligent city."
Beyond clasped their hands together in a handshake, "Ryuzaki."
The blonde recoiled his hand quickly and opened his book with a tiny smirk, "You don't even look Japanese. Maybe one day... You'll tell me your real name." Beyond opened his mouth to retort but was cut short, "Don't worry about it, I'm a stranger. For all you know, the name I gave is false too. Who in the hell would name their kid Caspian?" His lips curled into a mischievous smirk from behind the black book.
Hanging his head in slight defeat, he hid his now charcoal eyes behind his ebony hair, concealing the small smirk that was growing into a smile. They waited in comfortable silence until a couple others waiting started to get a little rough with one another. One guy, dressed in casual clothes sporting gang colors, snatched the book from Caspian's hand and smacked the other with it. Beyond sighed and seized the book from the grasp of rough housing male and handed it back to Caspian with a small smile. "I'm sorry..." The smile was returned with an appreciative nod. Golden bangs falling into his resplendent blue eyes.
Crimson eyes opened slowly to the empty side of the bed and he let out a sullen sigh before lifting himself from the mattress and sitting himself up. The computer screen lit with a single monogram of gothic text. 'L'. A soft voice came through the speakers, "Are you alright?"
Beyond smiled bitterly at the attentive nature of his senior. He folded his legs in a butterfly fashion and rested his hands in his lap. "Just a dream. Hey, L?" A hum that seemed to raise as it continued through the speakers. "Think you could get me a copy of, Being and Time by Martin Heidegger?" The beginning traces of sun rise could be viewed from the grand window of Beyond's room. The younger man hung his head expecting to be rejected.
A moment of silence passed before a quiet response, "Of course."