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Now, then...
More Than Alive- Chapter 10
Etheria's wings were burning. She couldn't fly much further. She could feel her shoulders weakening, but the gritted her fanged teeth and pushed harder. It didn't matter if she died like this. If she slowed down even a bit, she would only be sealing her fate. Rega wouldn't be far behind. He knew what she'd done. He would kill her, then he would tell everyone about the human girl she had been hiding in the glen. Then little Sara would die as well.
A bloodcurdling roar thundered across the rocky cliffs. He was close. Etheria pumped her wings harder, ignoring the agonizing ache. Suddenly a sharp pain tore through the thin, leathery skin of her outstretched wing. She let out a startled cry before shuddering to a stop and plummeting to the ground below. She landed roughly upon the rocks. Etheria twisted her head to look up, only to see a huge, dark shadow soaring down...
"FATALITY."
"God dammit!"
"Yes! Yesss! I won! I won, bitches! Suck it, Matt!"
Light dropped the book he held in front of his face, letting it drop and fall open into his lap. He looked up at the common room tv, where the backdrop of Mortal Kombat was displayed on the glowing screen, FATALITY splashed across the image in dripping red letters. In front of the tv, Matt was sitting cross-legged on the floor, one hand holding a controller and the other slapped against his forehead. Mello danced around him, laughing, her controller sitting on the floor where she had dropped it.
"Yes! Hell yes! I am the master!"
"Oh my god, Mello, shut up." Matt sprang up and grabbed Mello by the waist, dragging her back to the floor. The blonde squealed and playfully beat her fists against Matt's shoulders.
"Come on. You're just upset because you got beaten by a girl."
"Mello, it was one game." He laughed. "And you are damn hardcore for a girl."
Light glared at the two younger hackers. "Would you two cut it out? I am trying to read here."
Mello and Matt both looked over their shoulders at Light, who was, as usual, sitting couch with one of Rinn's hundreds of dragon fantasy novels in his hands. He wasn't sprawled or curled up, like the others always were in their spare time. He was sitting straight up in his place, as if he were in school.
Matt let out a sharp laugh. "Okay, okay, professor. We'll keep it down."
"Hey, I've got a better idea," Mello said, pulling herself off the floor. "Why don't you come and join in for a few rounds? We've got two more controllers. It'll be fun."
Light sighed. "I'm not really into video games."
"Why not?" Matt mused, spinning around to face his straightlaced crewmate. "Come on. You're always so serious. Just one round, and if you hate it, I won't ask you to play again."
"Really, guys," Light said flatly. "I'd rather just stay here. Video games aren't... well, they're not my thing. I never played them much. I'm not interested, okay?"
Mello cocked her head and looked up at Light. "Okay, what is it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're always like this. You're all stiff and serious all the time. It's weird."
"What? No it's not. I'm just-" Light trailed off.
"Seriously," Matt said. "It's like you've never had fun a day in your life. You're not Kira anymore. We're not jacked in, and there's nothing we have to do right this second. It's a free world, Light. Learn to relax." He turned back and picked up his controller, sliding his goggles back into place from where Mello had knocked them askew. "You up for another round, vamp?"
Mello snuggled up next to him and picked up her controller. "Only if you're ready to get your ass kicked again."
Light looked down at the two of them as they returned to the menu screen, selected new characters and began another game. He looked back at the novel lying open on the couch next to him. I guess that fight with Rega can wait.
Light watched as the battle ensued between the two gamers. It was kind of entertaining to watch, Matt's precise focus, Mello's button mashing tactics, the both of them shouting out when either of the characters on the screen got hurt, missed a crucial strike, or landed a decisive move. Light laughed. This was hilarious.
"FATALITY."
"Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Second win, BITCH!"
"What? Again? Dammit, you learn fast!"
Light got up from the couch and moved over in front of the tv to settle down next to the two of them. "Hey. Think I could give it a try?"
Matt turned around, smiling. "So now you want to play?"
Light shrugged. "What? It looked like fun."
"Knew you'd come around eventually." Mello handed her controller to Light. "Go easy on him, okay Matt?"
"I'll try." Matt grinned back at her and returned to the menu. He let Light choose a character and gave him a quick runthrough of their abilities. Then the battle went on. It wasn't even five minutes before FATALITY had once again been splashed across the screen.
"What?"
"Wow."
"You really suck at this, Light."
Light placed the controller on the floor and sat back. "Well, I tried."
"See? Wasn't so bad, was it?" Matt said, handing the second controller back to Mello.
Light laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess you were right."
Light watched as Matt and Mello started up another game. As the fight dragged on, he got lost in his thoughts. Maybe they have a point. Maybe I really have been a bit too serious.
0o0o0o0o0
The holodeck was filled with the usual low buzz of everyday activity. Light watched from a corner of the room as L, Rinn and Matt read through the files on Near that they had collected two days earlier. The Task Force had collected a lot of information, and it had taken longer for them to get through all of it than they would have liked.
Light's eyes drifted to L. He once again found himself staring at the dark-haired detective, the one who had freed him and sent him spiraling into this mess. The one who had stirred up those strange feelings. They were still there. In fact, they never left. Not after what he'd done.
L had been unusually shaky around him for the past few days. It was no wonder. Light had put him through hell He'd been hated, abused, threatened, murdered- then Light had kissed him. Kissed him right on the lips. If that couldn't scare the absolute hell out of someone, he didn't know what could.
L suddenly looked over his shoulder. His clear, stormy eyes immediately registered Light's appearance. "Can I help you?"
Damn it. He knew I was staring.
"Um... I was just... I was reading the file. I mean, I should know what's going on between the Task Force and Near too, shouldn't I?"
L nodded. "Good point," he said flatly, turning back to the file. He won't even speak to me.
Light tore his eyes off of the back of L's head and focused on the file. There was no point in trying to remedy the situation between him and L. There was no way he'd accept his apology for... for... I don't know. Kiss rape?
A whisper caught Light's attention. He'd finally managed to turn his thoughts to the file in front of him, and now he was distracted all over again. Light kept his eyes on the file, but he strained to hear the hushed conversation going on right in front of him. The whispers went on, and eventually Light couldn't take it any longer. He stole a quick glance at the others at the control panel. Rinn was silent, still reading obliviously through the file. His gaze flickered to the blaze of blood red hair leaned in next to a spray of black. Matt was talking with L. The whisper sounded again. L nodded slowly, then there was another whisper.
Matt's head moved, and Light's eyes flickered back to the screen. He didn't want to get caught staring again. The fact that he was standing in the same room as L was awkward enough. He stared intently at the text, trying to force thoughts of the kiss out of his head.
It was one time... I didn't mean it... It wasn't serious... It didn't mean anything...
"Light?"
Light's eyes widened. "Huh? What?" He tore his gaze away from the file. Matt had turned around to face him, his goggles perched on his forehead to reveal inquisitive dark blue eyes. L had turned around as well. Light's palms went cold. "Oh. What is it?"
"Matt's noticed that your behavior has been a little strange lately," L said.
Light nodded. His heart was thudding in his chest. Oh god...
Matt nodded. "Yeah. You're always so rigid, and I thought that maybe something was up."
Oh no. Oh god no. Don't say it. Please don't say it.
"Your stress levels haven't seemed to change since your arrival in the real world, despite the fact that you don't have many of the pressures that you used to. Granted, there are some new ones, but not nearly as many as there used to be. So Matt was thinking, maybe..."
No. No, no, no, no, no, no...
"Maybe you're still hanging onto that stress."
Light's pulse slowed back down. What?
Matt looked pointedly at Light. "I've been talking it over with Mello, too. Everybody agrees. You've been acting way more strained than normal. And I was just thinking that maybe you were still thinking of the life you had in the Matrix, and, well, we all know what that was like."
Light's mind stuttered at the accuracy of Matt's diagnosis. Wow. You are good.
"Okay, maybe I have been a little serious for what you're used to," Light admitted, nonchalant. "Maybe that's just how I am. What's your point?"
Matt flashed a sly smile. "Mello and I were planning to, well... help you let go."
Suspicion nudged its way into Light's thoughts. "What do you mean?"
There was a pause. Matt grinned. "Have you ever been to a rave, Light?"
Light opened his mouth to protest, but L cut him off before he could speak. "Now before you get any ideas, Light, I want you to listen to Matt. He's just trying to help."
Light sighed. "Alright," he said. "I'm listening."
"Okay. This is the plan," Matt began enthusiastically. "It's only for one night. Me and Mello know this place in the middle of Tokyo. It's called Netherworld. The place is completely underground. We used to sneak out and go there all the time before we broke free. I can get us in for free, and it's never insanely crowded, purely because no one knows about it. And don't worry, the security there is pretty selective, so minimal drugs and nothing weird going on. If you hate it, we can leave. No pressure, and we'll go whenever you say you can't take any more. How's that sound?" The redhead's eyes shone with excitement.
Light thought it over for a minute. "Um..." he murmured, "You sure you're okay with this, L?"
"They're 21, Light," L said. "They've been through this before. I'm sure they know what they're doing."
"Come on," Matt implored. "You don't plan on being a tightwad all your life, do you?"
Light growled under his breath. "You're really set on going through with this, aren't you?"
Matt shrugged and smiled shyly. "Well... What can I say? I'm compassionate."
Light sighed. "Okay. I'll do it. Just this once."
0o0o0o0o0
Light was opened his eyes to find himself in an alleyway, hidden between the thin metal walls of a payphone. Outside, the city lights of the Tokyo streets flashed bright against the night sky. Light placed the phone back on its cradle and stepped out into the light. He felt different. Something was amiss. Light looked down at himself. He gasped. His outfit had changed completely.
"Kira-kun!" A high, spirited voice echoed out of the darkness. A slender, strong hand grabbed his arm. Light whirled around to see Mello, or at least someone who looked like her. He could hardly recognize her behind the black and green streaks in her hair and the multicolored smudge of shadow around her dark eyes. She drew herself close to him, grinning. "I can't believe you actually agreed to this."
Light looked down at the new outfit that Mello and Matt had chosen to blend him in with the ravers. Bleach-splattered black skinny jeans, a tight vintage comic tee, bright blue high-top converse and at least 30 bracelets covering his arms, all topped by a neon green jacket with checkered sleeves. Light could feel that his hair had been spiked and was probably colored as well. He laughed awkwardly. "Neither can I."
"This is going to be EPIC. Trust me, you will not regret this." Mello herself looked like a survivor of the rainbow apocalypse. She wore black converse knee-high boots, neon pink fishnets, dark gray cutoffs, a seamless Sleeping With Sirens shirt, and a cropped leather jacket, her arms underneath coated with bracelets. Her hair had been altered from its smooth blonde cap into feathery layers, streaked with green and black, a fringe of bangs falling just above her eyes, which were dusted with a rainbow of color and lined with black kohl.
"I certainly hope not," Light murmured to himself.
A laugh drifted out from the darkness. "Nice job with the outfit, Mello." Matt's voice. Light watched as he stepped out of the shadowed alleyway. He wore a broken-in striped shirt under a black vest covered in unnecessary electric blue zippers, his signature fingerless gloves and tinted goggles, fade-dyed turquoise skinny jeans and combat boots. Even over the long sleeves of his shirt there were rows of cheap rubber bracelets.
Light pulled back the sleeve of his own jacket to look at the small arsenal of colorful bands that rubbed against his skin. "What's with all the bracelets?"
"It's a raver custom," Mello said. "I'll explain it to you when we get to the Netherworld."
Matt walked towards the two of them. "Remember what I said. If you don't want to go through with this-"
"You know what?" Light shot back suddenly, cutting him off. "Screw it. I don't care what happens at this point. Let's just get this over with before I change my mind."
The two younger hackers grinned at each other, their eyes lit with excitement. Mello grabbed Light's arm again. "Come on, then. Let's get this started."
The walk to Netherworld was fairly short. They had jacked in only a few blocks away. The entrance to the club didn't look like much at all. It was nothing but a decorative metal door, spray painted with black flowering vines, a black lighted sign hanging above. A silver moon glowed against the inky dark background of the sign, the name Netherworld in pale blue gothic script stenciled overtop of that. There was hardly anyone gathered around the entrance, only a few people dressed the same as Light and his captors, and a pale-skinned security guard watching the door. He eyed the three of them suspiciously as they approached the club entrance. He opened his mouth to speak. "I'm going to need to see some ID-"
Matt pressed a finger to the man's forehead. His eyes glazed over and his breath caught, then returned to normal not a second later. He watched nonplussed as the three rebels walked through the door and into the club's entranceway.
Past the entrance was nothing but a dark hallway, lit by the dim purple glow of black lights. White designs of twisting vines, scattered cracks and strange tribal designs glowed green against the dark, velvety walls. Light's heightened senses picked up faint vibrations rising up from the floor, pulsing from the room below. Wow. Matt was serious. This club really is underground.
The hallway came to an end. Flickering golden torch light lit up a stone-walled stairwell, a black metal spiral staircase rising up from the floor below. As they descended the pulse grew stronger, an earthquake of sound shaking the foundations of the building. Light heard strains of electronic melodies leak through the walls, growing stronger as they drew closer. The staircase ended, and they were standing in a small room, facing a soundproof door, another gothic bouncer standing guard. He offered a fanged smile and opened the door. "Welcome to the Netherworld," he said in a cold, sugary voice.
The door opened. Light could have collapsed from the sensory overload.
It was like hitting a wall made of sound. Blasting bass shattered the air, laced with bursts of bright electronic noise and synthesized melodies with strains of auto-tuned vocals shining through. Blinding lights flashed and spun in time to the music, lighting up the pitch-black room in a flickering, pulsing rainbow. Matt and Mello pushed Light into the crowd. The entire room smelled like people, sweat, perfume, intoxicatingly hot despite the low hum of air conditioning vents scattered throughout the room running at full blast.
Light found himself drowning in a human sea. Movement pulsed all around him, other dancers moving in time with the music, pushing him in random directions and no one seeming to care. The deafening music blasted against Light's eardrums. His brain lost all focus. Light froze, standing in the middle of the crowd, unsure of what to do next.
Light felt a hand come to rest on his back. A whisper of a voice rose above the music. "Hey. You alright?"
Light spun around. It was Mello. Matt was pushing his way through the crowd not far behind. Mello spoke again. "I asked you a question. Are you doing okay?"
"I don't know," Light said. Somehow, despite the earthshaking music, Mello seemed to hear him perfectly. "It's just... What do I do now?"
"You dance," Matt cut in, slinking up behind Mello. "Just let the crowd move you. Then the music takes over and... boom. You're golden."
Light took a deep breath and tried to relax. He closed his eyes and listened to the pulse of the music, letting the people around him sway and shift him around on the floor. His pulse slowed, his breathing deepened. He was so close to letting go, then-
Light's eyes snapped open. Damn it. The crowd had been pushing him all over the place. He was so sure that he'd moved. He was still in the same spot in the middle of the floor. Matt and Mello had let the music take them over and were dancing along with the rest of the gathering. Suddenly Mello paused. She glanced over her shoulder and her dark eyes fixed on Light. She turned towards him and slipped over to him. She placed her hands on his arms. "Still not getting into it?"
Light shook his head. "I'm sorry, I just can't- I don't know- lose focus, I guess?"
Mello smiled. "Here. Let me help you out." She took Light's hands in her own. "Now relax. Let go of everything and just listen to the music."
Light breathed in as Mello started to sway. The music filled the air and swarmed into his head. The blonde leaned her face next to his ear and whispered. "Now follow my lead."
Then she was dancing. Her eyes were closed, false-lashed lines of dark, smudged kohl on her serene face. She raised her arms above her head and swayed with the music, rolling her shoulders and shaking her hips as if it were the most natural thing in the world. At first, Light could do nothing but watch, mesmerized by her dance, the smooth, flowing movement of her arms through the air and her hips swaying from side to side. He closed his eyes and raised his arms above his head. He felt his focus starting to let go, slowly melting away into the deafening music and sporadic flashes of light. Then he was dancing as well, head tilted back as he moved to the pulse of the music surrounding him, hands clawing at the air, moving smoothly through the crowd like one of the fish in this sea of light and sound.
Before he knew it, Light had become one of the crowd. He stayed close to Matt and Mello, the three of them reaching out to each other every time the crowd pulled them apart. The ravers seemed oddly serene, held in a trance by the darkness, the music, and, Light suspected, probably a few other things as well. The crowd danced endlessly around them, reaching out and taking their hands, slipping off one of their bracelets or giving them one of their own as a sign of raver familiarity. Oh. So that's what all the bracelets were for.
Light didn't know how long he was there. Time seemed to fade away as he moved through the crowd, dancing, oblivious to everything except the music and the glare of the rainbow lights, sinking into it like a soft, dark ocean. Eventually Light found himself growing tired. He looked through the surrounding crowd to find Mello and Matt. There.
The two young hackers were pressed close against each other, staring deeply into each other's eyes, still assimilated into the spellbinding dance of the crowd. Light turned away and began to push his way through to the edge of the sea of ravers. I could just take a break. I wouldn't want to drag them out of here just yet.
Light managed to pick his way through the writhing crowd until he reached a clearing, a few feet of space between the dance floor and the wall. Cool, uninhabited air washed over him, and he took a deep, grateful breath. A few of the tired-out ravers were leaned against the wall as well, wallowing in front of one of the air-conditioning vents or making their way down toward the DJ booth to make a request or the small glowing bar against the wall for a drink. Light leaned against the wall and took a few gasping breaths, his entire body aching from the endless dancing. His eyes wandered through the crowd, taking in all the other ravers who had left the crowd. Then one in particular caught his attention. A flash of memory flooded his brain. I know her.
She was leaning against the wall with a sort of angelic charm, despite the fact that she looked depressed and dead-tired. She was wearing a gothic-lolita dress, black fishnets, and shiny black schoolgirl heels. Her shoulder-length, golden-blonde hair fell straight, except two small sections between her soft bangs and the rest of her hair, which were tied up into tiny pigtails with black satin ribbon. Silver jewelry glittered against her shadowed throat and wrists. Her innocent brown eyes were trimmed with long, dark lashes and lined with glittering black shadow.
Suddenly her eyes lifted up from the floor and looked ahead. Her gaze fixed instantly on Light. Something in her face lit up with surprise. Yes. I definitely know her.
Memories of his past like came rushing into Light's head like a tidal wave, drowning out the music and filling his mind with thoughts of the Kira case, the death note, everything. And her...
He remembered her.
Misa.