Disclaimer: I Do not own Death Note or any of the characters. But praise the geniuses who do, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
Thanks to my reviewers...
A/N:(This chapter will be very significant to my story so pay attention. Not so much humor in this chapter, but it needs to get serious for a quick second.)
Two Months
A Puzzle?:
"Are you sure Mello-chan won't mind that we left him?"
L sat across from Near who was working on setting up his train set so that the tracks traveled around the room. It's journey started at L's feet and moved towards the puzzle shelf before making a sharp turn, andtraveling through a small town built from blocks. The tracks circled around the town and led through a self made train tunnel before leading back to L's feet.
"Mello is one who let's the most silliest things distract him from his main purpose and right now that is to find out whether or not you are L. He only has two months and he's letting simple things like a dirty face pull him away and absorb all his time, so it is his own fault if he gets left behind."
L kept his attention focused on Near trying to decipher exactly what the boy was trying to say. Was he disappointed about Mello being so simple minded or was he glad being that he now had all of L's attention. Were these two boys actually in competition over who would become his successor or were they just playing a simple game in which to test the other's skills?
Near took a seat next to L after completely piecing together his train and placing it on the tracks.
"I understand Near-kun, but after all Mello-chan is just a child and children do tend to get distracted."
Near pulled his leg close to his chest.
"...Not me..."
L smiled as Near pressed the go button for his train and watched as the train pulled off on its journey with a loud blow of it's whistle. The same space man Near carried around earlier was placed on top of the very last car.
Without looking away from his train set, Near continued to talk to L, a solemn look on his face.
"I never get distracted and that is the reason why I am always a step ahead of Mello... He doesn't realize that when it comes to intelligence, we are evenly matched..."
Near reached behind himself digging into a red toy chest. He pulled out of it, a blue dart gun and began to load it with just one orange dart.
"...But when it comes to common sense..."
He aimed the gun at the train that was now heading around the town. The train circled the town and went through the tunnel as it headed now towards L's feet.
The teen noticed that the tracks by his feet were not connected and the way the end track ran off, the train was planning on crashing directly into him.
He sat perfectly still though, his hands placed gently on his knees, watching as the train closed in just a couple of inches from his feet. A small pop was heard and he watched as the front of the train fell over just a centimeter away from his toes with an orange dart stuck to the side of its window.
"...I have the upper hand."
After the first car fell, the rest of them fell with it, a domino affect. Everyone of them fell except for the last car which was still being held up by the weight of Near's spaceman. L looked towards Near who was holding onto the dart gun, the solemn look still on his face.
"That may be so, but sometimes it is good to get distracted because you may notice something that wasn't there before. Though it may be a rare occasion, I sometimes find myself getting distracted too."
A small hum came from Near as he grabbed his train and began to piece it back together. He stopped however when L stood and walked over to the puzzle shelf.
He watched as the detective scanned through the puzzles and then pulled out a box that had been placed in the back, long forgotten.
"I had no idea that this one was still here."
He took the box over to a small table that sat next to the window and dumped it's contents onto the surface. All of the pieces to a puzzle fell onto the table, except for one which landed on the floor next to L's feet.
Near stood from where he sat and made his way past his train tracks over to the table where L still stood. He leaned forward and picked up the fallen puzzle piece.
Near sat down in a chair opposite to L, pulling a leg up to his chest as he inspected the piece in his hand.
The detective smiled as he also took a seat, pulling both of his legs to his chest.
"It's a two sided puzzle I used to always play with when I was younger."
L took the empty box and began to put the puzzle together inside of it.
"I never got bored with it because when I completed one side, I would just turn it over and complete the next. I would do this for hours over and over again."
Near placed a hand on his knee and rested his head on it while he continued to stare at the puzzle piece. Things remained quiet for a while, while L continued his puzzle. Near finally looked up from the object in his hand and broke the silence in the room.
"L...are you afraid?"
The detective looked up from his puzzle and stared at Near.
"...afraid?"
Near lifted his head from his knee and began to twirl his hair between his finger tips.
"Yeah, you know you're taking a big risk with this Kira case and I saw the broadcast you did in Japan. Calling Kira out on t.v. like that is not very smart, especially when you don't know his exact means of killing. It is said that all he needs is a face and name to kill off his victims. You say that there is a high chance that Kira is located in Japan and so you're going over there to search from him among so many people. You may not know it, but from a crowd of people walking in the street, one of them could be Kira and they may know who you are and why you're there. So in that short instance, they will already have your face and will only need your name. I understand that your name is kept a big secret but, if Kira is using super natural abilities to kill off its victims, then what will stop them from using that same power to get your name. I know you have been through a lot of cases, but this is the most dangerous one as of yet. Aren't you afraid that things won't turn out the way you think they will, are you not afraid about being killed by Kira?"
L looked up from his nearly finished puzzle and stared at the piece that was still placed in Near's hand.
"The most I am afraid of, is not being able to solve the puzzle, not being able to win this game."
"Game?"
"Yes, as quiet as it's kept, I am very childish when it comes to being wrong. I dislike losing and so that is why I make sure I solve every case that I choose to take. If I don't win or if I am proven wrong about something, I tend to fall into a depressed mood."
Near continued to hold on to the puzzle piece that was still in his hand.
"So, you are telling me that for every case you take, you look at it as another game for you to win? Another puzzle for you to solve?"
L looked back to his puzzle and began to put in the last few pieces.
"Yes, that is correct."
Near stood up and walked over to L's seat looking over his shoulder at the almost complete puzzle...there was just one piece missing, just one piece that was stopping the puzzle from being completed.
"Then let me ask L...if you look at all of this as just one big game, what are your reasons for needing a successor?"
The detective began to nibble on his thumb as he stared at the spot where the missing puzzle piece belonged.
"Like I stated before Near-kun, I am one who dislikes losing. So if I ever am killed, which I do not fear too much, I still want to be able to solve the puzzle and in order to do that I need all the help I can get. Though it has yet to have happened, someday I may not be able to completely solve a puzzle on my own, so I will need help and that is where you and Mello-chan will come in."
Near took the puzzle piece that was in his hand and placed it into the last spot where it belonged, completing the puzzle.
"But L, I am told that you can only have one successor...So I am very curious about who you will choose between. There's me and then there is Mello, the tension between us has grown fierce, but in the end, the choice will only be up to you. What exactly are you looking for in a successor?"
L looked at the finish puzzle, which was a picture of the orphanage...their home.
"I don't know..."
Near looked at L who began to get up from the table, he was confused about what the detective had said, though his face didn't show it. How could he not know, exactly how long would it take for him to choose a successor?
"I think I'll go look for Mello-chan, he has been gone for quite a while...will you come?"
Near sat down in the chair L had just stood from and looked into the empty box top at the completed puzzle.
"No, I think I'll stay here a little longer..."
L smiled as Near lifted the box and flipped the puzzle over, ready to start on a new picture.
"Ok, I will see you later."
The teen walked out of the room closing the door behind him. He sat in the hallway for a moment, recounting the events that had just transpired between him and Near.
His thoughts were interrupted however, when a loud crash and a familiar shout came from outside. L tilted his head as he stuck both of his hands into his pocket and followed the sound, which he was sure had come from the missing blonde.
TBC...
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