Alright, it took me a while to work on this one, as Death Note goes through a time skip between Mello leaving the institution and going to Los Angeles, and I had to come up with my own filler. This chapter took me a lot of time to get it perfected, and then my writing program fucked up on me and I had to fix it. After nearly a month of waiting, I got it done. Woo! After this chapter, things start to get a bit darker as Mello joins up with the mafia soon and shit hits the fan. For now though, enjoy the leather, chocolate and the priest.

-IsnowtheInsatiableFaggot


Chapter 2 - I'll Live My Own Way

Of all the things I've ever done, leaving Matt after saying those things... That was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do. I knew that the path I would take would be unpleasant and most likely dangerous, but I couldn't take Matt with me. He deserved much better than me.

God, that sounds terrible. I've had to do some very difficult things in the past, like...

No, no, no. Nononononono. If I tell you what I did this early, I might as well just skip to the end of the story, and that would make all of this a waste of time. And if there's one thing that I absolutely can't stand, it's wasting time. Let's just say that I've done plenty of bad things, but the hardest one to do was leave Matt after what I said.

The worst part was that I would have killed him if he tried to come after me.

I couldn't just threaten him like that and not follow through.

I knew from the moment I left Roger's office that I would have to leave, and that I would not be able to bring Matt with me. I know I hurt him. I know how he saw me, how he felt about me, and once I'd walked out of the gates into the rain, I thought about how he'd kissed me.

It was unfair for him to take advantage of my confused and flustered state, but even so... I had enjoyed it. I hadn't pushed him away. But not only was it abnormal, I was Catholic. A relationship between two boys is a sin, isn't it? Not to mention that not only were we both boys, but I was almost sixteen and he was only a few months younger than me. We were far too young physically to get into all of that emotional baggage and it would only become a distraction to me in the long run.

I'll live my own way.

I never thought that would mean living alone.

Well, without Matt at least.

So when I walked through the massive gates that marked the edge of Wammy's House, it hit me just how hard my life was about to become. I pulled my jacket tighter around my small frame and stalked off down the road.

After hitching a ride into the city, the first thing I did was make my way to one of those internet cafes. I figured I could probably use my limited hacking skills to get some of the money out of my trust fund – something that each of the Wammy's House children receive on the day they leave the orphanage, something to help them get through their life. If I wanted to get out of Winchester and hunt down Kira myself, I'd need the funding to do it.

So after a series of events that I will refrain from writing here, as I classed hacking as one of my many sins that I do not want others to mimic, I walked away with my pockets full of money. To defeat Kira, I'd need to ally myself with one of the largest and most powerful organisations in the world. Would it be best to go for criminal syndicates such as the mafia or to work with the government agencies?

No, definitely not the government. If Kira snapped his fingers and growled at them, they'd crumble before him betray me without a moments hesitation. It'd be much better to go with an underground organisation like the mafia. With a cold gaze and an even colder countenance, I could work that to my advantage.

To join with the mafia, I'd need to go to one of the largest mob-run cities in the world. Los Angeles, California.

Land of the heat and Hollywood. Oh joy. The fun times I'll have there.

I made my way to the airport in Southampton and bought myself a ticket, ignoring the glances from the woman behind the ticket booth. What, is it really so odd for a fifteen year old kid to buy himself a plane ticket? Do I have to have an adult with me? What is with the adults of this era?

Anyway, I took my seat on the plane a few hours later next to a man in a suit, his briefcase resting on his lap. With a small sigh, I took out a bar of chocolate and ripped open the wrapper before snapping off a piece with my teeth.

"Hello there young man." he said, turning and plastering a fake smile on his face.

I gave him a curt nod and swallowed the piece I had snapped off, pausing to lick the broken edge of the chocolate. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the smile waver for a moment before coming back full force. Goddamn, what will it take to get this man to leave me alone?

"Where are your parents?" he asked as he brushed his raven hair off his face with the back of his hand. My teeth clenched and I snapped off another piece of chocolate. He wants me to talk to him? Fine.

"Burned to a crisp." I muttered.

"Ah... I see. What's your name?" As if I would tell him my name. This man has no idea just how intelligent I am. I could run circles around him with my logic.

"My name is Matt." he tilted his head slightly and turned to face me properly, causing me to sigh again. Why did I have to use his name. His face was flashing before my eyes, as cliché as it sounds. A small part of me was beginning to ache, having finally realised just how dull my life would be without my redheaded friend.

"Short for Matthew or just Matt?" God, he can't shut up, can he? I shook my head and let my blonde bangs fall down in front of my eyes, leaning my elbows on my knees.

"Just Matt." What a foolish man. He never suspected a thing, even when Kira killed him a week later. The poor man who had sat next to me on my flight to Los Angeles had accidentally killed another man and was found guilty in court. Kira had taken it upon himself to kill this man with a heart attack. Just lovely, isn't it?

One man's view of justice is another man's crime.

"What a nice name, Matt. Do you have someone picking you up at the end of this flight?" he spoke slowly, as if he didn't think I was capable of understanding him if he spoke normally. I rolled my eyes internally and shook my head again. The rest of the flight went on like this, the man asking me pointless questions only to be answered with a small nod or a shake of my head.

Finally, the sun began to poke through the clouds, signalling the arrival of dawn. I yawned softly and ate the last piece of the chocolate bar I'd started minutes before. The raven haired man had fallen asleep about an hour ago after asking me if I had a girlfriend. I made a quick decision to visit a church once we landed and drummed my fingers on my thigh as I waited for the plane to come to a halt.

With a jolt, the man next to me sat upright and opened his eyes before grabbing his briefcase. Dammit, was I going to have to put up with another ten minutes of an endless tirade of questions? I hoped not. The plane came to a halt and I grabbed my backpack with one hand, unbuckling my seatbelt with the other.

As I shuffled my way out of the plane and into the airport, I wondered how I would contact the mafia. A few hundred pounds were converted into American dollars at a small booth and I pocketed the new cash, tapping my chin as I thought. I'd have to acquire some mode of transportation – I couldn't just hitchhike everywhere, after all.

A quick survey of the parking lot guaranteed my suspicions. I'd have to steal a car. I had already been given a fake drivers licence that was registered in America, so legally I was allowed to drive, but I'd have to pick a car and break into it. That was proven to be quite difficult. Few cars suited my tastes, and after a short while it became a choice of vanity. Would I look good in that Chevrolet over there or in that black convertible? Huh.

After about ten minutes of standing around munching on a bag of chips that I'd bought in one of the small stalls inside the airport, I dropped the empty bag into a trash can as my eyes alighted on the perfect vehicle for me. A Harley Davidson motorbike, probably a Nightster or some similar make. Perfect, right down to the black helmet that rested on the handlebars.

Another ten minutes later I was racing down the highway on the Harley, grinning like a maniac as I sped up to overtake a car. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw myself reflected in the tinted windows of the car, a lithe body clothed in black straddling the shining motorbike, the few areas of the bike that were dripped in chrome glinting in the light. Damn, did this motorbike suit me. I let out a cry of pure joy and sped up again, darting in front of the car and onto the turnoff lane.

The steeple of a nearby church caught my eye once I raced into town, but I decided to put off going just yet. I had to get myself some new clothes to replace my old ones if I wanted to get anywhere near the mafia. One store stood out from all of the rest and I skidded to a stop out the front of it, nodding in satisfaction.

An hour later, I found myself standing outside the church I had seen earlier, clad in leather from head to foot. A black pair of tight leather pants hugged my legs tight, my midriff bared for a few inches above my waist until being wrapped in leather. The leather vest had a zip down the front that I pulled all the way up, leaving my rosary to rest against the front of the vest. A black leather jacket to replace my white one protected my shoulders from the cool air, my wallet shoved in the hidden pocket.

I tightened my fingers on the bar of chocolate I held in my gloved hand, the black leather shining mutely in the morning light. The large wooden doors seemed to loom above me but I let myself in anyway and made my way to the altar, letting my eyes wander over the pews.

"Young man, do you come here bearing a confession?" the warm, deep voice came to me from the pew at the very front; I'd not noticed the priest sitting there until he spoke. A slight nod of my head gained a smile from the old man, his features crinkling upwards.

"I do, Father." he went to stand once I'd finished speaking but I shook my head and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to get up. I seek penance from the Lord, yes, but I will confess to anyone who will listen."

The old man's eyes widened beneath his glasses in what I guessed was mild surprise, with a hint of admiration. "You are very wise, it seems, seeing as how you are quite young." his rich tone warmed me, pushing away the chill that I had begun to feel earlier.

A small smile graced my lips, a true smile that I hadn't felt since I left Wammy's House as I knelt before the priest. "Do you mind if I give you a little bit of a background history on my situation, Father?" I asked, one hand raising up almost unconsciously to cradle my rosary.

With a shake of his head, I began my tale – leaving out the major details that would come back to bite me in the ass if I spilt them, such as the name of the orphanage. When I had finished, the old man seemed to look at me in a new light; one that let me know he understood just how intelligent I was.

"So, you seek revenge for the untimely death of your predecessor and you want to succeed your competition?" What a simple way to put it, I mused.

"Yes, Father. He died an unjust death, and I seek to avenge him. As for my competition, this boy doesn't make any effort, it just comes naturally to him." I mumbled bitterly, the image of the albino boy floating before my eyes.

"My son, you'll find that you can truly be great in the future, even if you never overtake your competition." his words calmed me somewhat and I knew he was speaking the truth. "The one you left behind, do you ever wonder if that was a mistake?"

I gave a small nod as an acknowledgement and closed my eyes slowly, my grip tightening on the rosary. "Father, I thought we just shared the bond of friends, but it seems I have deeper feelings for him." I cursed inwardly once I finished speaking, mentally berating myself for revealing the nature of my feelings for Matt.

"So this boy, you love him?"

Such a simple question, such simple words. Shame the answer was nowhere near as simple.

"I do love him. He knows what I'm about to say before I say it, he can almost read my mind. But isn't it against our belief for two boys to be in such a relationship?"

The priest shook his head slowly and gave me another soft smile, his hands clasped together on his lap. "True, the Catholic church does typically frown upon same-sex relations, but we are emerging into a new era. I personally disagree with that belief, so do not worry, my son, I will not reprimand you for your feelings. If you truly love him and it is not merely a physical relationship you seek, then I'm sure the Lord would want you to be with the one you love, even if he is a boy." he chuckled quietly and leaned forward, placing his hand on my head.

"Go out and do whatever you must to avenge your predecessor, then go and make up to this boy if you find that you cannot live without him. If he is as smart as you suggest, you two would be able to form a bond that succeeds that of lovers." I raised my head up and opened my eyes, lowering my hand and letting the rosary fall back around my neck.

"Thank you, Father. Thank you for listening and for giving me your advice." I murmured, pulling out my wallet. "Please, add this to the collection plate for me. Put it to good use for me, Father." I held out a bundle of notes, probably a grand there.

The priest smiled again and took the notes from me, slowly getting to his feet. "There are times when I think that this generation's youth has begun to fail us; you have restored my hope in this world, my son." I bowed slightly before standing up.

"I cannot thank you enough. Goodbye, Father." with another nod to him, I made my way past the pews and out into the cool morning air of the California winter. "It will be Christmas soon." I mused, pulling on my helmet.