Yayayayayayay: Yay puzzles! And craziness? Haha, yeah, finishing each other's sentences is fun...
Amy: Maybe... Or perhaps farther? Or not so far? I suppose we'll have to find out, huh?
Hey it's Amanda: You don't? I like puzzles. ...Usually. Sometimes they irk me, but I do like them... Kinda... Not Near for you, though, eh? So who do you think you would be paired with? I'm curious! o3o Yes, last chapter was lighter in tone (You're so punny, hahaha!) and I do wish for more fun times throughout, yes? It's good you think I did the Anna and Near scene well, though, so thank you... I agree with you, though. L and Near definitely have their differences. Near is calmer and... more dull. Yet also more childish. Hm... Ooh, Natalie's dream; I had such fun writing that! Haha, though anxiety is definitely not fun... Oh, Light and Natalie aren't speaking through thought as much because Light no longer has his memories. Natalie is afraid to speak through thought for fear of giving something away, and so closes him off as best she can. You know, Sam is freaking awesome. xD And she can be a good inspiration; yes... Hah. Long reviews are fine! They make me happy inside~
Guest: Do I? Portray the characters so well, I mean? Well, thank you... And crawl out from under that table; it's fine, haha. Light has lost his memories, yes. He forfeited as soon as Natalie wrote that first page. Perhaps I didn't get that down well enough...
Double update this week because today's Anna's birthday! :D Also, I reached 200 reviews on It Is Done~
First official pairing scene coming up in this chapter... I'm gonna say right now that I'm not happy with how it turned out... I hope you enjoy it anyway, though!
"How's catching Kira going?" Sam asked, crouching beside L's sitting – yes, sitting – figure. He was, for once, sitting in what looked to be a quite comfortable position: one leg bent in front of him on the floor and the other upright, with his arm resting on the knee. Said arm was bent in a way that L could bite his thumbnail pensively.
"Near compiled a list of intelligent Kira supporters in Japan, but none of them seem to be someone that would be the right one…. I know he is in Japan; that is a fact. Particularly this area…. If it was Light who chose this person specifically, then he wouldn't have had much time to pick, considering he's always being watched…. So—"
There was a beeping sound, and a W appeared on the screen on a white background. "L," said Roger.
L frowned and pressed one of the buttons attached to his little microphone. "What is it, Watari?"
"I've been keeping an eye on the areas you've mentioned, and, just as you thought, there's been a murder in one of them."
The exact date I thought, L commented mentally. "Where?" he asked.
"Moscow, Russia."
Of course. "Alright…." He bit his thumbnail, deep in thought.
"I'm sending you the pictures of the crime scene now," said Roger.
"Yes, thank you." Soon, a picture of a man that had been chopped apart appeared on the screen, followed by an image of another message on a wall, scrawled in blood:
L, I'm still here.
"Wait," said Sam, "what is this? You mean the murders that happened in England? The guy's in Russia now?"
"Yes," L confirmed, putting one hand over the microphone. "But…." He drifted off as he was lost in thought. Sam tried to hear what he was thinking, but it was thought quickly and was a bit confusing, so she backed out of his consciousness.
"…L?" Roger asked after a while of silence.
L didn't respond at first. Then, he slowly removed his hand from the microphone and said, "We'll be going to Russia this afternoon. Please prepare a flight." Then he pressed the other button to close the connection. He then clicked a few keys, then pressed the connecting button on the mic again. A fancy N came up on the screen.
"Hello, L," Near greeted. "What is it?"
"I'm not going to be on the Kira case anymore," he said.
Sam was surprised, but didn't question him.
"I'd like you to go to Samantha's house as soon as possible."
There was a pause. "…Of course," Near said eventually, and L closed the connection. He clicked a few more keys, then pressed the connecting button again. This time, an M came up on the screen.
"Mello," said L, and waited for a response.
"It's Matt," said Matt's voice.
"Oh!" Sam said, and leaned in toward the mic. "Hi Matt!"
"Uh, hi Sam…. Let me just get Mello…."
L gently pushed Sam away from the mic.
"L," Mello greeted. "What have you got?"
"Please go to Sierra's house as soon as possible. I'll meet you there."
"Why?"
"Please don't ask questions."
"Alright…. See you there." Mello disconnected before L could, then L got to his feet and began walking to the door of the hotel room. "We're going to your house," he said, and Sam got to her feet, tripped on the floor, then scrambled to catch up with him. "Call Anna and Sierra to let them know we, along with Mello and Near, are on the way." Sam did so, and once she hung up, it was silent between them for awhile as they walked towards my house. It was only when they neared the hill our house stood upon that L broke the silence, asking, "Do you want to come along?"
Sam blinked, looking at him confusedly.
"You don't have to," he said. "This killer is no amateur, and your lifespan is inconsistent, making it quite possible you'll be killed if you're caught. On the other hand, if you stay here, Kira cannot kill you, as you are impervious to the Death Note. It's your choice completely whether you come along."
Sam frowned. "I already told you I'd be working with you," she replied, "so I'm going, Kira or no Kira on the loose. Besides, if this guy's still killing even with Kira back, he's either stupid, insane, confident he won't be caught, or is taking this challenge for you very seriously."
"I believe it's a combination of the last three."
"So he's not stupid? Wait, that's make sense, considering he's made you, L, have to think about what he was trying to say…. Hell, he left a code at a murder scene; he thinks nothing of killing people! Anyway… so he's insane?"
"Maybe, but perhaps not. He's logical enough, and he's… a neat sort of psychopath."
"Why, because he washed the inside of Zoe's skull?" Sam asked as she opened the door to the house.
"Not necessarily," L replied, and Anna and Sierra ran to greet them. (I, of course, was at work.) They waited for Near and Mello while talking idly with the nieces. The nieces asked Sam and L multiple times what they had come for, but neither of them answered the question. Mello was the first to get there, and immediately asked what it was all about, whereon L told him they needed to wait for one more member of the group.
Imagine Mello's irritation when Near came through the door.
Anyhow, once Near got there, L was able to explain what was going on. "I am no longer taking charge of the Kira case," L explained.
"Whaaat?" Sierra cried.
"What?!" Mello barked.
Anna blinked in surprise, and Near was silent.
"I no longer feel the need to go after Kira. I solve cases for my own amusement, and there's an… interesting murder going on elsewhere at the moment. Perhaps I'll continue in the investigation after I complete that case," L explained.
"Someone's killing people, with Kira back?" Anna asked.
"There are still criminals, Anna, even with Kira," Near replied.
"I will be working on that case instead," said L. "Now, since I will no longer be at the head of this case—"
"Who'll succeed now?" Mello demanded, stepping forward. His voice was hard. "Me, or Near?"
"Considering the circumstances, I think both of you should work on it."
"Together?" Sierra asked, eyeing Mello cautiously.
"Yes," L confirmed. "Together. If you remember, it was only together that you were able to defeat Kira; otherwise, you cannot surpass me, nor can you defeat Kira. If Mello hadn't nearly sacrificed his life, then Near would have lost; but if Near hadn't created the SPK and come up with the Yellow Box plan, then there's no saying whether Mello would have gotten very far in catching Kira."
Mello did not look very happy with the idea. In fact, his expression was set in a wide-eyed glare. "You're kidding."
"Well, you don't have to, like, work together in the same building, right?" Sierra yelped. "Just—Just share the information with one another. That's bearable, right?"
"But they'd have to cooperate idea and plan-wise," L added.
Sam released a bark of laughter. "Mello ain't gonna like this!"
"Mello doesn't like this," Sierra said.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not right in front of you," Mello snarled.
"Still, wouldn't Mello and Near conflict with one another in a lot of ways?" asked Anna. "I mean, if one comes up with a plan, the other might not agree with it, and then they won't get anywhere…."
"I'm sure we can work it out," Near responded calmly.
"Shut up, Near!" Mello snapped. "You know full well I do not want to work with you!"
"That's true," said Near. "However, that doesn't change anything. L is making a point. I lack the action, and you lack the calm."
Mello scowled at him.
Near glanced at Anna, some unseen thought passing between them. "Um, if you work together, you can surpass L and defeat Kira," Anna said.
"Yeah!" Sierra squeaked, jumping to her feet. "Think of it like a challenge to overcome!"
Mello glared at Sierra. Sierra swallowed, easily receiving his bitter thoughts on how he hated to be told what to do.
"I'm not working with him," Mello spat, gesturing to Near irately. "I won't work with him."
"You need to—" Sam began, frustrated, but Mello interrupted her.
"I can defeat Kira on my own! Just watch!"
"Mello—" said L.
Mello swung his arm around Sierra's neck and put her in something similar to a chokehold. Sierra squealed in distress, grasping at his arm. A sense of surprised urgency settled over the atmosphere. Near was looking up at Mello with childishly wide eyes, his mouth pulled into a little frown of surprise. Anna jumped to her feet; Sam stepped forward and yelled, "Mello, let her go!"
Anna began pounding on Mello's side with her fists. "Let—my—sister—go!"
He turned on her, swiftly pulling out a gun and pointing it at Anna's forehead. Anna stopped pounding on Mello's unfortunate ribcage, and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she stared down the barrel of the gun.
Sierra squealed in protest. "Don't shoot Anna!"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Sam cried.
"This is unnecessary," said Near.
L put his hand to his forehead with an irritated expression. "Mello…. Now isn't the time to argue with Near and place threats…. Think about what you're doing."
Mello scowled. "I am thinking about what I'm doing," he growled. "Besides," he said, pointing the gun at L accusingly, "you shouldn't be abandoning your post like this. If you weren't to leave, this wouldn't be so complicated!"
Sam barred Mello's line of fire, stepping in front of L. "Oh, you are not going to shoot him."
"Samantha," L said firmly, pushing her aside. Sam grudgingly allowed it but tensed herself to pounce if Mello should shoot. "Mello, I act on my own terms, not necessarily for justice."
"I know that!" Mello snapped, lowering his gun. "But none of you think I can do this on my own? I'll prove my worth!" He wheeled around to glare at Near, yanking Sierra along with him. "I'll be better, you have my word," he said to him through clenched teeth.
"I'll be looking forward to seeing that," replied Near. "I wish you luck."
Mello glowered at him, then jerked his arm to pull Sierra into a position that allowed him to face everyone in the room, as he backed out of it. "And don't go trying to look for me; you won't find me unless I want you to."
"So… is that why you're taking my sister along, even though she doesn't look like she wants to go at all?" Anna asked. Her voice was slightly higher than normal. "So no one can find you?"
"Well, I doubt Mello's taken a liking to her," Near responded.
"Mello," Sam said evenly, "don't take Sierra along. She belongs here."
"Where does anyone truly belong?" Mello asked bitterly, backing toward the exit with his gun aimed at Sam, then L, then Anna, then Near….
"Um—" said Sierra, but her voice cracked. In a strained voice, she said, "Uh… bye…! Mello, I can't breathe…."
Mello swung open the door, then dragged Sierra along with him as he slammed it shut behind him. There was the starting of a car and then the revving of an engine before utter silence fell over them.
"…Well," Sam said awkwardly, breaking the silence, "this isn't good."
"Sh-she's been kidnapped again!" Anna wailed. "What is with her and getting kidnapped?!"
"Perhaps it has to do with the fact she greatly annoys her kidnappers," Near suggested.
"Wouldn't that just get her killed?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Near gave a little shrug in reply. "Where will you be going, L? What case are you working on?"
"The three main murders haven't been connected yet by the police forces. It's a challenge meant specifically for me," L explained. "The most recent murder was in Russia."
"Hm," Near responded. "I'm supposing you already suspect someone."
"Yes."
"Of course."
"So," said Sam hesitantly, "bye, Anna…." She spread her arms, and Anna hugged her gratefully, looking a bit shaken. She had to be, having had a gun pointed to her head and her sister kidnapped in front of her….
"I'll tell Aunt Natalie you say bye," Anna said quietly, then looked up at Sam. "Don't die."
"I won't," Sam assured her in response.
"Anna," asked Near, "do you have some toys I can occupy myself with? I'd like to explain to Natalie myself what just happened here…." He twirled his hair.
"Sure!" Anna yelped, and ran up the stairs to grab a few things from her toy chest.
Sam chuckled despite the events that just happened, and she and L left, out the door. "Where to next?" Sam asked as they made their way down the driveway.
"Mello's most recent residence."
"Why?"
"If he's left Matt behind, it would be good to tell him what just happened. Otherwise he's going to wonder where his partner is later on, and then he'd just be as confused as Matsuda is on a daily basis."
Sam giggled. "Poor Matsuda."
"Yes," L agreed. "Poor Matsuda."
So they walked down to the city to Matt and Mello's apartment, then knocked on the door upon getting there. "I find it funny," said Sam, "that Mello just has this little apartment, while Near has this huge, epic headquarters."
"Near has higher standards," L replied. "Besides, because Mello quit and refused the inheritance of the L name, he didn't get the money—" There was a ringing sound, and L frowned. "I hate cell phones," he muttered, then lifted the cell phone to his ear as he flipped it open, holding the device in his peculiar way. "Yes?" he asked. "Yes…." He held the phone slightly away from him. "Samantha, if Matt answers the door before I hang up, you explain it to him."
"Uh, alright," Sam responded.
"If he answers. Mello might have stopped by to take him," L added, then put his cell phone to his ear. "Can you repeat that? …Yes, I was not listening."
Sam giggled, and the door opened to reveal Matt, a cigarette in his mouth.
"Hello Matt!" L yelled. "…Oh, no, I wasn't yelling at you, Watari."
"What's with him?" Matt asked, jerking his thumb toward L.
"He's talking to Roger…."
Matt snorted. "That annoying geezer? No wonder…. I didn't think L had a sense of humor, though."
"He does," Sam said.
"No, I'm utterly humorless," said L. "…I wasn't talking to you, Watari, I know that was completely unrelated to the escape."
Matt let out a heh as he looked at L, while Sam squinted at him questioningly. Escape? she thought.
"So… why are you here?" asked Matt. "I doubt you're here to just stand in the doorway talking idly. Right?"
"Right…." Sam said, and walked in the door.
"He coming?" Matt asked, looking to L.
L stared at him and didn't move.
"I'll take that as a no…," said Matt, then shrugged. He closed the door behind them, then walked over to an ashtray to smother his cigarette. "So, hi," he greeted.
"Yeah, hi. Uh… we came to tell you what happened with Mello."
"Mello? What, did he die? I wouldn't put it past him."
"Not quite," Sam replied, shuffling forward a bit. "He got mad because of the whole 'L quitting the Kira case and leaving it to him and Near' thing, and—"
"Whoa, L's quitting the Kira case?"
"Oh. Right. Yeah. He's working on another case."
"Alright then…." His brow seemed to furrow. "So how'd Mello react? He didn't freak and run off without me again, did he?"
"Uh…," Sam responded.
"…He freaked and ran off without me again, didn't he?" Matt asked. Sam guessed he was raising his eyebrows, but it was hard to tell because of the fact he was wearing those ever-present orange-tinted goggles, along with the fact his red hair hung in front of his forehead.
"…Yep," Sam said in answer to his question.
"Figures," he said. Sam thought she could see him roll his eyes behind the orange lenses. "Now I'll just be bored out of my mind, of course. Tch…. There's no point in involving myself in the Kira case anymore…. I only did it because he asked me to; I couldn't care less about justice or beating Near."
"Yeah, well…." Sam shrugged.
"Mello, at least, had a way of bringing a thrill to the case."
"A thrill?" Sam asked, subconsciously stepping forward again.
"Yeah. Most the time it's boring as hell, but the plans he comes up with are fun to carry out, most of the time. I nearly died in his last big plan, but it was still really epic." He smirked. "And now I got some manly scars to show for it."
Sam snorted. "'Manly scars?'"
"Oh, yeah," Matt snickered. "Nowhere near as awesome as Mello's facial scar, however. It's the true sign of a man."
Sam sputtered.
"Now, though," said Matt, serious again, "I need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do." He sighed. "Sure as hell not helping Near. Mello'd kill me, whether he's gone or not." He frowned. "He could've at least told me he was leaving."
"Yeah…. He should have called or something…." Another shuffle forward, and then—a rug. She stumbled over the rug, then stopped herself from falling into Matt just in time. Nevertheless, she felt her face get warm. Okay, that's just stupid, she thought. I'm blushing when nothing even happened! …Except maybe tripping over a rug and therefore looking like an idiot….
Matt chuckled. "You're cute when you blush!" he commented, amused.
This just made her face heat up even more.
Luckily, the ring of Matt's cell phone saved her from further awkwardness, and Matt answered it swiftly. "Hello?"
Sam straightened up so she was no longer in the position that had allowed her to keep her balance.
"Oh, yeah, Mello, Sam told me," said Matt. "Yes, Sam. …Bastard, why'd you leave me behind? …You obviously could have picked me up before you 'disappeared.' …Why the hell is Sierra with you? …Huh; that makes sense. …Yeah, I'll do that, if you want me to…." He flipped the phone shut then stuck it in his pocket again with a sigh. He looked at Sam, seemingly raising his eyebrows. "So, what was that? You trip?"
"Uh…," Sam responded, unable to come up with words. So he just has to go right back to it, doesn't he? Jerkface.
"Here," he said shortly, then leaned in and kissed her. It was over quickly; a simple kiss, a brush on the lips, but it left Sam bewildered and confused, her eyes wide. His face lingered close to hers. "Is that what you meant to do?"
She knew her face was probably beet red at that point, but she tried to ignore it. "I—uh—you—um—what?"
He chuckled and leaned back again, opening the space, just as L came in the door. "Alright, Samantha, are you ready to...?" He looked at them a second, then looked at Matt in particular. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing!" Matt insisted, holding his hands up in a peace-like gesture.
L stared at him in his creepy way a moment more before turning back toward the door and walking away. "Alright, Samantha, are you ready to go to Russia?"
"Um…," Sam replied awkwardly, still a bit speechless. She eventually came to herself, then trotted along after him. "Yeah…."
"Whoa, going to Russia?" asked Matt.
"Er, yeah. Uh, b...bye Matt!"
He smiled crookedly, cocking an eyebrow. "See ya."
After Mello called Matt, it was utterly silent between Mello and Sierra. Sierra said nothing, gazing down and wringing her wrists uncomfortably. The quiet seemed to weigh on Sierra's shoulders, making her even more uncomfortable. Mello only continued driving, his hands gripping the steering wheel and his blue eyes set on the road. He glanced at Sierra, sensing her discomfort even without the mind sync, and then continued staring at the road in the silence. "You know I wouldn't have shot her," Mello said eventually, and Sierra looked up. "Your sister. I wasn't going to shoot her, or you, or even the goddamned twit Near. You know that, right?"
Sierra blinked.
Mello heaved a sigh, sounding obviously irritated. "You know it can't work; me working with Near. Anna was right; our ideas and plans would conflict, and we'd get nowhere. We do our best when we're not working together. It was an act; I had to do it. To get away. Otherwise, it would all fall apart and Kira would win. Besides, there's a better motive when we're competing against one another." He pulled out a chocolate bar and tore open the wrapper, then snapped a piece off with his teeth. "Sorry about having to take you along. It's only so they can't find me."
"What, you think I'd give away your location to Light and Near?" Sierra asked.
"No," Mello replied, "but I think you might give my location to Natalie or your sister."
She frowned. He had a point.
"Besides," he said, "it's much more fun working away from the law."
"Uh, just because you're not with everyone else doesn't mean the law doesn't apply to you," Sierra pointed out weakly.
He stared at her pointedly, then looked back to the road. "So? Just because it should apply doesn't mean it has to."
"But—but you were only just cleared from all the stuff you did before Light lost his memories! I don't think they can clean your slate again…."
"That doesn't matter."
"Well, what if Kira is caught again? Then what? You're stuck being a criminal? Or will you actually settle down in jail, which I doubt?"
"That's just it. If I win and catch Kira, they'd have to give me a clean slate: the ends justify the means. If I lose, then I'd either be dead like I'm supposed to be, or stuck on the run."
"But – and I don't mean to sound selfish here – but… what about me?"
He eyed her. "I'll make sure you won't die," he said, "and if I lose," – he frowned at the idea – "then you won't be considered guilty by association. You'll be fine."
Sierra blinked then looked out the windshield and at the road beyond. "Alright then…." There was a pause. "So can I have some chocolate?" she asked hopefully, bouncing up and down in her seat.
I... am not good with pairings. I'm sorry! ;A; I hope I did okay with the Matt and Sam scene... It doesn't seem right... But it's the only time it could have happened, and it had to, soo...
Sorry. e3e
...Happy birthday, Anna!
Fun Fact: While I was writing Matt and Sam's scene, there, my mom asked what I was writing about. I told her, and so she started playing love songs. xD I couldn't stop laughing.
Review? For Matt! :D
