A/N: Happy birthday to me! It's the big one-four! I am also aware that Halle actually worked for the American FBI, yet I have her in England… let's just pretend that she got moved from England to America? Also, I tried looking up if smoking can get rid of shaking, but I couldn't find anything… so I just pretended it did…
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Matt ripped his arm from Roger's grasp and ran towards the lights.
"What's going on?!" He exclaimed, shoving past bystanders. The crowd was contained behind a yellow line of police tape, but Matt ducked under it and towards a gurney where an all-too-familiar tuft of red hair sprouted from beneath the blanket. He darted towards the gurney, ignoring the protests of the policemen, and touched his brother's hair.
"M-Mail…" Matt gently shushed him and smiled sadly.
What did they do to you? A hand grabbed his free arm roughly
"Sir, you cannot pass the police line, I'm going to have to ask yo-"
"This is my brother; get off me!" He exclaimed. James' bush of hair was suddenly pulled away from his grasp. Matt flailed in the man's grasp and no doubt was drawing the attention of all the bystanders; but he didn't care. Still swinging his arms around frantically, he managed to get out of the policeman's rough hold and ran to the ambulance where his brother was currently being pulled into on the gurney. One woman in a police uniform glared at him.
"Please let me see my brother!" He pleaded. Matt gave the woman a look of pure distraught and depression, to which she cracked immediately. Matt knew that he had a power over women (and sometimes men) to make them think he was a poor little needy child, to some extent though, it was true. But, Matt didn't like to think about that.
"Yes, come this way, child." Matt winced at being called that, he would like to think he was an adult… he had thought of himself as an adult since he was nine, since he had to take care of his brother. The woman led him into the back of the ambulance where his brother was unconscious.
"M-Mail…" His brother moaned. One of the doctors chastised him to not talk, but motioned to Matt to go to his brother.
Matt did not need to be told twice.
"Make it quick and make it count, kid." He whispered. Matt put one hand in his brother's hair and the other hand entwined with James'. James smiled up at him and coughed up something red… blood.
What the hell happened?
Water started to fall freely from Matt's eyes as he felt James squeeze his hand gently. Then suddenly his hand was on Matt's face, tracing a line through the tears down to his collarbone. He moved to pick his spotless orange goggles from his own neck, and placed it in Matt's hand, squeezing slightly to encase Matt's fingers around the object. James smiled sadly again and Matt had a sudden remembrance of his brother grinning at him in the airplane. It was a brief glimpse of their past life, but it was enough to cause a whimper to sound from his throat. He leaned forward to lay his hand on James' chest; it was wet, maybe from the tears.
"I love you, Mail." His brother gave his hand one last squeeze, before closing his eyes. Matt leaned in and hugged him for a few seconds before pulling away. He pulled his hand back, shaking, and finally took a look at it. His hand was covered in blood. Looking back over at his brother, he noticed the blood stained blanket, which was growing redder by the second. The paramedics around him weren't doing anything!
"What are you all standing around for?!" He exclaimed, standing up.
"Look, with his injuries, it was obvious he was going to die." One of the male medics said.
"What do you mean?! What were his injuries?!" He yelled. The woman from before sighed and gently touched his shoulder, pushing him out of the door of the ambulance and to the street outside. When had they even gotten to the hospital?
"I'm so sorry, child…" She muttered, leading him into the building, with the gurney a little ways in front of them. Matt put his head in his hands and sat in a chair the woman led him into.
"My name is Halle Bullook, if you need anything, just tell the kind lady at the front desk. I'll let you know when you can talk to a doctor okay?" The only response she got was the redhead putting his knees up onto the chair, putting his face between them. He was painfully aware of the people staring at him in the waiting room, but didn't care. He just sat there with tears steadily falling out. It was a few minutes before the woman "Halle" came back.
"You can come now." She said quietly, avoiding the stares. Matt got up silently and followed Halle to an elevator, watched her press the fifth floor button, listened to her talk to a doctor about patient ninety-four, and left his gaze on the floor as she stood to the side, waiting for Matt to say something.
"What are his injuries?" He mumbled.
"I beg your pardon?" The doctor asked leaning towards Matt a bit. He looked up at the doctor, getting a good look at him for the first time. The man must've been at least fifty, with a nearly bald head-yet a small comb over of the little bit that was left- and half an inch thick glasses. He was wearing the normal attire of a doctor, but with a long, white tail coat looking part at the end.
"What are my brother's injuries?" Matt knew his voice would crack at the end, it was inevitable, but he needed to know.
"Well," the man hesitated, flipping through papers on his clipboard, "I'm assuming that patient number ninety-four is your brother…" Matt held back a hiss and glowered at the man. Halle breathed out heavily, worriedly looking between the young redhead and the doctor.
"Well, first of all, he had chloroform in his system; he also had three stab wounds-"
Blood stained blanket…
"Seventeen of his ribs were crushed-"
Coughed up something red…
"His left kneecap: shattered, his right ankle: twisted-"
How did I not notice this?
"And we found bruises in-"
"That's enough." Halle put her hand on Matt's shoulder, and glared at the doctor.
"Well he asked-"
"He's a child." She stated. "He does not need to know any more. Come with me." Halle turned the crying Matt around and back towards the elevator. When had he started crying again?
When had he stopped?
Matt wiped furiously at the tears as she pressed the first floor button.
"Do you have parents?" She questioned. Matt let out a sob, and willed himself to stop crying.
Needless to say, it was futile.
"I'm sorry," she said with a sigh, "which orphanage do you go to?"
"W-Wammy's…" Matt sobbed.
"I need you to stay in the waiting room… I'll get someone to come pick you up…" Halle bent down and engulfed the boy in a much needed hug. After a few seconds, she let go and stalked down the hallway to find a phone. Turning back into the waiting room, many of the same faces were there as earlier. Sitting back in his seat from before, Matt knew he only served as those peoples' worst nightmare; what could happen to their loved ones. He was curled up in the chair with his knees to his chest just as before, when someone gently laid their hand on his shoulder. Looking up with his tear stained face, Roger came into view. He had a look of sadness and pity on his face at the sight of the young boy, but Matt didn't need pity.
He wasn't crying anymore.
He was going to find whoever did this. He was going to give them what they deserved.
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He woke up that morning to a dry pillow.
He wore his normal attire; a white and black striped shirt with blue jeans, and his brother's goggles. Matt hadn't studied for any test he may have, he only replayed the events of the night before over and over again in his head. Specifically his brother's injuries or anyone suspicious he had seen around. Of course, if the criminal had any sort of intelligence, he would have gotten away from the scene long before an ambulance arrived. This thinking was futile, though. Matt did not have any access to computers, so he could not confirm any hypothesis he may have. A gentle knock on the door brought him out of his musings.
"Come in." Roger came into view, smiling softly at him.
"You do not have to attend classes today, Matt." He said. Matt shook his head and sighed.
"I will go to classes… I must get high grades if I am ever to feel as if I have not failed him completely…" Even without looking at Roger, Matt knew he still had that look of pity etched on his face.
"Alright, Matt."
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Matt knew he aced the test in Science that day with flying colors. It was on the Periodic Table of Elements. Who in this school wouldn't pass that?
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Then, there he was, once again, pacing around his room wondering what number he would be at that week. His hands were shaking, and he felt a crave for something; he just didn't know what…
Then he heard it again; the pitter-patter of feet across the hallway. Matt could picture a certain blonde haired bastard leading them… Matt raced out of his room to see the weekly scores, but, as always, there was a huge crowd around the smartboard. He sighed, leaning against a wall in the far corner, waiting for the kids to move, when a cloud moved in front of him.
"Hello, Matt." It said. Matt shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked back down, it was actually Near.
"Hey Near, first again?" He questioned, smirking. Near shrugged.
"I do not know for sure, but there is at least an eighty-seven percent chance I am." Matt could have sworn there was a trace of a smirk on Near's face.
"Damnit!" Someone yelled from the board.
"Take that to one-hundred little guy." Matt laughed. Near looked visibly uncomfortable with the name, but smug nonetheless.
"You should be proud of your accomplishments Matt, it is unfortunate that I did not expect this kind of behavior from you…my first miscalculation." The redhead laughed.
Well I'm going to taking your spot soon, so you better be ready, Near.
"Well, what can I say? My eyes have been opened."
James…
"Hey!" Matt didn't have chance to respond to the person as his arm was gripped roughly, and pulled out of the room into one of the many hallways.
"Matt." The person stopped and stared at him.
That blonde bastard.
"Couldn't you tell I was in a conversation?" You blonde bastard.
Mello rolled his eyes and shoved him into a door, which happened to be open partially, which caused it to fall all the way open, which caused Matt to fall into the room's floor. Matt glared at the blonde as he stood up and pulled his goggle over his eyes. Mello walked past him and to the large pantry.
"They should know by now to lock the kitchen,"
They really should.
"But I guess they think that I am only going to pick the lock. I mean, let's face it, even the kitchen women know that I'm just fucking amazing." Matt winced at the language and pompousness, but stayed quiet. He didn't need to have a slip-up of information like last time…
Why does Mello keep talking to me?
A loud crack broke Matt away from his thoughts.
"So, Matt, are you trying now?" Matt gulped; this is exactly why he shouldn't talk to Mello.
"U-um…" He stuttered. Mello smirked to himself and stalked over to Matt, pushing his blonde hair out of his face, and then putting that same hand on Matt's face.
"I dare you to try and beat me, little guy." Matt sucked in a breath. Even though Mello was the same age as him-just a few months older, though- and Matt was a few inches taller, Mello still made it seem as if he was a child, and Mello was the adult. The blonde backed away suddenly and smirked again, biting off another piece of chocolate.
"Don't like to talk much?" Mello teased. Matt looked at the floor and noticed he was trembling again.
"Nicotine." Mello stated.
"Wh-what?"
"You need some nicotine." The blonde fumbled around in his jean pocket until he found a packet of something. Cigarettes. 'Course.
Mello took one out of the package and lit it before handing it to Matt. He looked down at the thing with disgust.
"Haven't you been to health class? There's like, dog poop and cat pee and this stuff kills more people than sharks, Mello." Are you trying to kill me, you bastard? Mello laughed.
"Do you honestly believe that? Would you rather have the shakes, and be a gullible little bitch like they want you to be? Or be able to stand without looking like a leaf and maybe getting lung cancer when you're like sixty?" The blonde grabbed the cigarette from Matt's hand and shoved it into the redhead's mouth.
"Who are they?" Matt mumbled between the cigarette.
"The illuminati." Matt raised one eyebrow.
"Just kidding! Now will you please breathe in that cigarette?" Matt sighed and did as he was told, immediately coughing a lung out. Mello laughed.
"You bast-" Matt and Mello's eyes widened. There were footsteps coming down the hallway. The blonde quickly grabbed the cigarette from between Matt's fingers and threw it into the pantry before gripping Matt's arm and roughly pulling him into the hallway; running opposite of the footsteps.
"Y-you're going to start a fire!" Matt whispered.
"Don't be a baby, Matt. If we get caught with that, we'll get in huge trouble!" Mello exclaimed. The redhead sighed as Mello came to a stop in front of his door once again.
"See ya tomorrow, Matt!" Mello waved, running down the hallway. Matt allowed a small smile to creep onto his face as he stared after Mello. Of course, the next day was Saturday, where the children hung around the common room or library, doing nothing. This meant no classes, which meant Matt didn't have to wake up early. He sighed happily and laid down on his bed, snuggling up to the pillows and turning on his Gameboy. Luigi and Mario jumped around on the screen until about three in the morning, when his drowsiness caused them to turn into green and red blobs.
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Yawning, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and stretched. Matt sighed and looked at the clock, but there was a paper taped over the numbers. He picked it up carefully and unfolded it.
Come to the front. I'll be waiting, lazy.
-Mello
Matt couldn't help but smile at that blonde bastard's words. He stumbled out of the bed and pulled on his normal attire, and made his way outside. Mello was playing football with some other kids, but turned to Matt. Just as they made eye contact someone tapped on his shoulder.
"Roger needs to see you." A pale girl said.
"Gotcha." He smiled, then laughed at Mello's quizzical expression. As he walked the long hallway, he contemplated why Roger would need to talk to him. He hadn't gotten in trouble or any bad grades. Well, he had not gotten a chance to look at the weekly scores, but they couldn't have been bad, based on Near's reaction. There was a slight hesitation in his hand just before he was going to knock, but he had to act strong.
"Come in." When had he knocked? Matt sucked in a breath and opened the door slowly. He did not expect to see L standing at Roger's desk. Well if you could call that half moon slouch standing. The older man walked over to Matt and closed the door.
"I do not think Matt will want anybody listening in on this conversation." Said L. Matt frowned and tilted his head.
"What do you want to talk about?" He questioned.
"I know who killed your brother." Matt let out a small gasp and stared up at the older man.
"W-who?!" He exclaimed. This was the work of an amazing detective, figuring out who murdered his brother in one full day, even while working on another case.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself." Matt couldn't keep himself from letting out a full gasp this time.
"Wh-you-what-no-"
"It will feel more fulfilling to you if you find it out yourself." Matt glared at the older man, and gritted his teeth.
"You can't do that!" He exclaimed.
"Matt will be given a computer and an excuse from his classes this week. Try to find out quickly." And with that, the detective walked out of the door and down some hallway. Matt glowered at the wall where the detective had been standing seconds before, then ran down the hallway to his room.
There was a laptop lying on his bed.
Time to get to work.
The redhead sighed as he sat on his bed, booting the computer up.
Do I really have what it takes to find the killer?
Matt sighed again and looked around the desktop; there was a lone folder in the lower left corner, which he clicked on.
Three stab wounds
Seventeen crushed ribs
Chloroform in system
Broken right ankle
Shattered left knee
Bruises on left hip
Matt sighed. He had to find his brother's killer, and fast. Of course, that was much easier said than done. He looked up the backgrounds of all the doctors that worked there, but none of them had any criminal record. That wasn't saying anything though, that one doctor tried to get Matt to have sex with him. The place also didn't have security cameras, or check-in sheets. Sighing, Matt sent e-mails to the surrounding stores, asking if they'd seen anyone suspicious walking into the institution or loitering around it, posing as a police agent. As he waited for responses he searched through the computer files, and sure enough, there was one more file on the computer which L had decided to not put on the desktop. Why would L be testing him with his own brother's death? Matt opened the file and it was a picture. A picture of James' room, with blood stains on the walls, and a strange doll on the far right wall. The redhead stared at it with disbelief. Who would leave a doll on a wall of their victim's room?
Have they checked it for fingerprints?
Matt was about to stand when he got an e-mail. Reading over it he sighed heavily. The store directly to the left of it hadn't seen anything suspicious… how was he supposed to find anything out? Matt ran his fingers through his hair, and left his room. Where exactly was L supposed to be now? He had left Roger's office, and Matt had no idea where his room was.
"Have you found anything Matt?" The redhead jumped around to face the detective.
"U-um… have you sampled the doll-thing for fingerprints?" He questioned. L stared at him.
"You mean the wara ningyo? Of course we have. There was nothing on it." Matt sighed-for the sixth time- and slumped back into his room. Though getting on the computer, he was quite pleased to see three new e-mail responses.
No. I am sorry. Good luck your case though!
Matt bit his lip, but continued.
No, sir, But you better catch the evil man who done this. I don't want no serial killer runnin round this town. Especially with them kids in that orphanage.
He let out an exasperated sigh.
I do recall seeing a man with one horrid slouch walking to the doors on that same night the police came. But I already told the police this…
Damn L!
Matt growled at the computer and typed a response to the person quickly.
I apologize; we must have lost that report ma'am. I'm going to need you to describe how this man looked, if he was holding anything, and what exactly made you suspicious of him.
The redhead received a response almost immediately.
This man came inside my store, bought two jars of strawberry jam, and walked over to the orphanage. He wasn't holding anything that I can remember. He had really pale skin, really big dark circles, and was wearing really basic clothes. Like jeans and a t-shirt.
Matt stared, gaping at the screen. L. This person just described L in perfect detail. But… what if she had seen L and not an actual suspicious person? But why would L be at Wammy's on the night of his brother's death? Matt fisted his hair.
Why does this have to be so hard!
Matt sighed and looked up his only lead on the computer; wara ningyo. As it turned out there were three murders before with wara ningyo involved. They were recent as well.
So James wasn't killed for personal reasons
The murders were very interesting, and seemed baffling to Matt. But there was one thing that was very strange about the murders. Not only did the victims have the strangest names that he's ever heard in his life, but they all had names where the first letters of their first and last names were the same letter.
Quarter Queen
Backyard Bottomslash
Believe Bridesmaid
James Jeevas
There wasn't anything else Matt could figure out; he couldn't go to the crime scenes… and besides, the names probably aren't even related at all… Matt groaned and leaned his head back on the wall behind him, closing his eyes. There was a flash of a face in his minds eye, and his eyes snapped open. He rubbed them with his palm, and looked back at the computer, willing the face to come back. For some reason, the whole jam thing was starting to sound very familiar…
B!
Matt had to stifle a yell as the picture came back to him. Of course it was B! Backup! The creepy black haired guy that crept around the school with bottles of jam! Matt stood up and ran down the hallway, looking for L. Beyond was the oldest here, when Matt came and was only there for a week or so. Matt couldn't really remember him, but he was certain this guy did it. When the redhead reached the library he saw L talking to Near, but ran up to the detective and grabbed his sleeve.
"B! It was Backup!" He exclaimed. The other children glared at him as he took his voice down to a whisper.
"It was B." L sighed, and pried the child's arms from his shirt.
"Can you prove it?" He questioned. Matt's face immediately turned downcast.
"W-well… the owner of that shop next to it described him exactly and-"
"How do you know he wasn't only buying jam and leaving, or that it was me?" The child sighed for the umpteenth time that day and turned around slowly.
"Though," the detective started, "If you can prove that he did it in court, or if you can get him to plead guilty, then your brother will be avenged."
"So it was Backup…" L smiled and turned to Near again, returning to their conversation.
The only way to avenge James was to get Backup to plead guilty…
How is Matt going to do that?
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Cases are supposed to take a while to get to court right? Well not with L. L got Matt a court-date for the next day. Of course Matt wasn't going to be in it. No, he was much too young. Matt was going to be the little orphan brother sitting in the audience while Backup took the stage. Matt had a plan to make Backup confess to this murder…
"I call James' brother to the stand."
Well, maybe he wasn't only going to sit in the audience.
A man escorted Matt up to the stand, where he swore to tell the truth, and finally got a good look at Backup. The guy was still a near perfect replica of L.
"You are Matt, James' younger brother, yes?"
Starts out easy…
"Yes…"
"He was admitted to Summer Springs Mental Hospital on March twentieth is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, Matt, what was your home life like before your parents died?"
"Fine."
"How often did your parents beat you, Matt?"
How did they even know?
"N-…not often…"
"The medical examiners found multiple belt-marks on his bottom that they concluded were created several months ago. By your saying, he's only been at the Hospital for a little over three months."
"W-well… yes, but-"
"We are only trying to help you, Matt. Tell us the truth." Matt bit his lip.
"Well, they did, but that's… the past…"
"And you are the last person James had talked to before he died?"
"U-um… Yes…"
"Did he say anything to you that would have to do with his attacker?"
"If he had I would've told the police before…"
"Did Mr. Jeevas say anything about his attacker?"
"No!"
"Do you know all of the details of the murder?"
Knowing L…
"Probably not."
"Do you or your brother eat jam, Matt?"
"N-no…"
"Are you aware that there were traces of jam at the scene of the crime?"
"No…"
"That is all I have to ask." Cursing L under his breath, he walked back to his seat. Though he was happy that now Backup would go to jail for sure.
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Matt didn't put his plan into action, he didn't need to. He knew that with the jam left at the scene, and L's influence, Backup would be put away for a while, then, Kira would kill him. Kira would surely kill a mass murderer.
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Halle Bullook visited Matt on Tuesday. They had talked about the case, and the court, and school. Halle was a very good listener, and Matt was a very good talker…
Matt thought on this as he waited for the other children in his social studies class to turn in their tests. He knew he had gotten at least a one-hundred on it, if not a one-hundred and ten with the extra-credit. A smug smile appeared on his, much like the one Near wears when Mello screams about not being number one.
Lying back in his seat, Matt glanced over at a blonde girl beside her and hissed as she circled the wrong answer for one of the questions.
How does she not know the capital of Tuvalu?
Matt was shaken out of his thoughts as a bell rung, signaling an announcement over the intercom.
"Will the top three students please come to Roger's office?"
Matt sighed as that blonde bastard to his right stood up, smugly, started to walk out of the door, and then stopped. Much to Matt's dismay, he turned towards him, and grabbed his arm. Matt didn't have time to say anything before Mello pulled him out of the room and into the hallway.
"Wh-what are you doing?" The blonde looked at him incredulously.
"Didn't you see the SmartBoard?"
"Um… well…no…"
"You're third Idiot!"
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A/N: Wow… I think this is the longest story I've ever written in my life. And it's not even over yet…
But anyways, this chapter was realllyyyyyyy angsty, but the next chapter I'm very excited to say… Is going to be HAPPY. I am just as excited as you are!
I also had no idea how to write a court scene, so I kept it really short… I'm sorry.
Kye Above… Thank you! It took me a while to think of a reason to have him want to be L-other than money for games- and I am so happy to get a review :D
