A/N I added a poll on my profile. Please check it if you have time. Btw, please don't expect me to update this fast all the time. I just had the prologue finished and went straight into working on ch.1. It's also a weekend. I will try though.

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Death Note? Well I don't.


~Ch.1~

~F is for Failure~

~0~

"Report cards!" Sayu yelled, as we walked in the door.

"Oh, come show me them dear. Yours too, Light." I heard Sachiko say in a kind manner.

'Sigh. Why must we go through this every 2 weeks?' I thought to myself as I unloaded my back pack.'

'Yes, I was annoyed that I had to show off another one of the fruits of my effort. It's not like they're going to change any time soon.'

I watched with boredom as my mother went over my sister's grades.

"B in Arts and Literature, B in Art, C in History, C in Science, B in gym. Awe! An A in F.A.C.S. nice Sayu! Oh but a D in Math."

"Sorry, but math is sooooo haarrrrd."

"It's ok dear, just study more next time. Ok Light, your turn."

I handed her my card, already knowing what her reaction would be.

"C in math, B in psychology, D in Chemistry,-" she looked at me with disapproval. "C in European history, B in Grammar, an A,-" she gave me a smile at that.

'Of course. I had to be good at something, why not make it Gym. A nice safe non-intellectual class. And now her eyes will drop down to my last class and she'll say…'

"An F in English? Light, you should do better." Sachiko said with a twang of disappointment.

'Called it. I'm already fluent in that language, so failing was pretty easy. But honestly, if I actually used my knowledge and did better, I'd disappear never to return. And you wouldn't like that very much, now would you mother?' I thought vindictively.

"I'll try harder mom. I promise." 'Pfft. As if.'

"Good. How else will you get into college?"

'Oh I don't know maybe I'll just go to America, where they let just about everyone into college.'

"Don't worry. I'll try harder." They say repetition helps, right?

"Ok dear. And if I notice some improvement, we will get something nice." 'Of course, the all important incentive for me to do better. Sometimes I wonder if my mom really does want me to be taken. Either that, or she thinks there's no hope for me anyway.'

"No fair. I want the new Ryuga Hideki poster. And I got an A. Pleaassseeee!"

'Ahh Sayu. Thank you for a subject change. Now I can just quietly slip out into the background, round the stairs, reach for the knob, aaaaaaaaaand sa-'

"Light come down here. Your father will be home early for once, so we're going to eat as a family. Get washed up and help your sister set the table if you please, would you dear?"

'No, I do not feel pleasure in anything about this situation. Crap. I just hope Dad doesn't ask about my grades. Even if I'm acting, it still hurts when I see his disappointment.'

"Of course mother. I'll just go wash up first."

"Thank you dear. You're such a good boy."

~0~

"Dad!" 'Sayu no! Please don't.' "I got my report card today, and guess what! I got an A in F.A.C.S.!" 'Damn you.'

"That's great dear. How about you Light, how're your grades?" You little Brat! How could you! Crap, Dad's giving me a look. "Oh you know. Same old, same old." 'Please leave it at that. . . .Oh shit. Sayu don't you dare!'

"Nuh uh! Light has an F!" 'Little Bitch!'

"Light! Is that true!"

"…Yes."

"…" 'Crap. Silence is never a good sign. God damn you Sayu! God damn you to hell!'

"I had always hoped you would follow in my footsteps, but at the rate you're going, you'll be lucky to be accepted for the academy. Let alone a college. "

'What is this! National make Light feel like a failure day? The way you describe it, I either have to be smart and be taken, or I am going to fail at life, and be homeless and bored forever.'

"That's not fair. You shouldn't just assume your son is going to fail!"

"Don't raise your voice at me. And you haven't done anything to show me otherwise. Face it Light, you're a failure"

'Ouch that actually stings. Apparently it is national make Light feel like a failure day.'

"Soichiro!" 'Ugh, Mom. Just stay out of it.'

"No Sachiko, he needs to hear it. No one else will tell him." He turned to me. "You need to get your act together son."

'On second thought, stay in. Don't leave me here!

Also, nice choice of words father, act in deed. In fact, my act is amazing. I've kept it up, so well, for so long, that there's no one who would ever think I'm smart, not even you. But this is depressing. Maybe I should do something smart. I mean one smart thing after years of failure? They'll probably call me a cheater. But if I "study" really hard for a while, I might just pull it off. I doubt L would notice one person going from stupid to smart once and think anything of it. In fact, it will probably make him think even less of me for "cheating".'

"FINE! You know what! I'm going to take the To-ho entrance exam and ace it! You'll see!" 'I hope I won't regret this, Stupid Pride! I should just give it up.'

Soichiro stared at me in disbelief for a minute, and I swear if he breaks into laughter I'm going to punch him. Appearances be damned.

"Enough of this! I'm going to the library to study now. Good night!"

"Light, you shouldn't b-"

"No! Save it until I ace it or fail! That way we'll know if it's warranted or not."

At that, I left for the door before they could call me back.

~0~

L was working on the Youtube Killer case when Watari walked in with his strawberries.

"Watari did you bring the chocolate as well?"

"Of course L. Have any of the testers caught your eye?"

L groaned inwardly at the reminder of his, so far, failure of a plan. But L is never wrong, and L doesn't fail. Or so he says. … No! L doesn't ever fail. . . . But it wouldn't hurt to ask someone else's opinion just this once, right?

"Watari, why isn't this working? It's been 5 years, 2 months, and 13 days since we have started, and not a single person we have found is fit to be L."

'Wow that almost sounded whiney. Thank god for monotone.' L thought to himself

"Well, there are still people on the list, and new people get added everyday."

"Yes but a good half of them fail the 1st test. And if they pass it, everyone either cracks

under the pressure of the 2nd test or the training. Only a handful has made it to advance training, and they just aren't good enough to take over.

They have become valuable assets though."

"And what of the Wammy's House trio?"

'Ugh don't get me started' L thought in despair. Well, with as much despair as a person like him can have. Which is, surprisingly, a rather small amount.

"Matt still doesn't care, and Mello still refuses to have anything to do with Near."

"And what of Near himself?"

"Still way too cautious, and would never be able to talk to a witness."

"Well, I have the data on the next batch, and I think one might interest you."

'I wonder how long until he gives me the strawberries.'

"You say that every other batch. Who is it this time?"

"A Tsuki Yagami."

'37 seconds maybe?'

"A Japanese genius? What's so special?"

'No, probably not until this conversation is done. Damn.'

"Well until yesterday, he has done average to below average work on every assignment."

'Oh no, what if the chocolate hardens? . . . Mmm, chocolate.'

"And yesterday he what, got all A's? He probably decided to cheat." L said with dismissal.

'I wonder if he got me powdered sugar as well.'

"No, he aced the Toho entrance exam."

'I think I should ask for some.'

"So? He probably just cheated."

'Yes, I definitely will ask for some.'

"L, he got 100 percent on it. No one else even came close."

'Hmm, and some caramel maybe as well. . . . Wait, what!'

"Hmm, that's different. 100 percent you said? But how did he do it."

"He could have studied"

L waved his hand in a negative gesture.

"No To-ho test is the same, and he would have had to study everything he was supposed to have learned in his entire school life."

"So how do you think he did it?"

"I think this is a genius whose been hiding so as not to be seen by me. The fact that he succeeded is interesting enough, but for so long as well."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, I think he may be the one we're looking for."


A/N: As I said earlier, please check my poll if you have time.

So, is this better, or should the chapters be longer? I'm trying, but it's hard to remember to meander a bit. I have a straight and to the point nature. (I'm a rather blunt person. *blushes* leads to awkward conversations and social situations unfortunately.)

Is my style confusing? There are a lot of thoughts so I don't know if I should italicize them or not. Sorry if the L scene was confusing to anyone.

Questions? Should the chapters be even longer or is this good? Should I italicize thoughts? Any story suggestions or guesses? Is Coke better than Pepsi? Mello or Near? L

or Light or LxLight :D ? Are these too many questions? Lol, I'll shut up now.

One more thing…

Special thanks to; DarkMemories, V, hai, and dark circles. My reviewers at the time this chapter went up. If anyone reviewed in the hour it takes for this to go up, I'm very sorry and I'll mention you next Ch. Which is already outlined! Yes!(If you can call it an outline, that is.)

A not as special but still sincere thanks to everyone who is reading this. :3