A/N: Chapter 10, baby! Yay for double digits!
And, I know I sound stupid and repetitive, but really, the reviews I've been getting, not to mention all the story alerts and favorites, have totally made my week. I love you all so much! :3
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, its characters, nor am I mute- though I'm sure several people wish I was...
Also, I kinda stole the first sentence from Another Note. Sorry, it was just for dramatic effect.
Mello was one of the few people who ever met L as L. The first time that this happened, he was excited and honored. This time, he was ready to strangle him.
His patience was frayed, and he wanted answers.
He wasn't the only one who was upset. This was easily the most stressful week of L's life. Beyond Birthday had not been located, his main suspect in the Kira case had left the country, and now he was being called away from headquarters by a kidnapped student.
When he expressed all this to Mello, the blonde got a strange feeling, but he ignored it. L, he was sure, would take care of everything.
After much pestering, L finally shared his insight with Mello. "We have decided to pursue Matt's father, William Jeevas. He has a criminal record and is being investigated as a suspect in the murder of Laura Jeevas, Matt's mother."
"Wow... Okay, so what do we do now?"
L hesitated. "The thing is Mello... we don't do anything. I don't want you to have anything to do with this case."
"What? Are you insane? He's my roommate, he's my best friend, and he's my boyfriend. I love him. And I know him better than anyone else! You can't stop me from working with you, from getting him back! You can't do this on your own!" Mello stopped, breathing heavily. His short temper was already being pressured by Matt's disappearance. He had needed an excuse to yell, and L had just given it to him.
L remained irritatingly calm. "I understand, but, as you've just demonstrated, you're too emotionally connected. We don't want you doing anything rash. This is for Matt's good- just let us find him."
Mello scowled. He was ready to fight, and usually he would. He had just been dismissed like a child, told to go and play while the grown-ups worked, and he hated that. But fights took time, time that he knew Matt might not have if he was indeed with the man who had murdered his mother. He probably wanted to finish the job...
Mello shuddered. No, he couldn't think like that. He'd have Matt back in his arms in no time, with or without L's assistance... he just had to think.
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it, shook his head, and walked away. L watched him go, worried, but glad that he hadn't put up too much resistance.
Mello took refuge in his room. Sat at his desk, head in his hands, he prayed for fate to be on his side for once. That he could finally surpass those above him. He retreated deep into his memories, searching through every word Matt had said about his childhood. He had never even acknowledged the fact that he'd had a father. As for his mother, he had glorified her. Mello had always assumed she had fallen ill or had some sort of tragic accident; no one could kill someone as perfect as Matt described.
"Mattie," he groaned to the empty room, slumping forward and burying him face in his arms on the desk. "Where are you? Why would you keep all these secrets from me?"
A second later, he straightened up. The more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed that there was something Matt hadn't told him. Of course, he wouldn't tell Mello how he'd lost his voice, but other than that...
No, he was sure of it. If Matt had been afraid of his father, or of anyone else, he would have let Mello know about it.
Whoever took Matt... it had to have been a stranger. But who, and why? He felt like he already knew the answer, he was just missing something.
About Matt's childhood? No, he'd ruled that out. It had to be something more recent. Something from right before he disappeared? He'd been acting totally normal; he probably had no idea that he was in danger. More recent. Something L had said? Mello rolled his eyes at the thought. L barely knew what he was doing right now. Something L had mentioned...?
He had gotten a funny feeling when he heard that Beyond Birthday and the prime suspect in the Kira case were both missing at the exact same time as Matt was kidnapped. One's a fluke, two's a coincidence, three and you have a point, right?
So what did that mean? People L were close to were going missing... maybe all three had been taken by the same people.
But that didn't make sense either. Logically, it seemed to, but something was still off. BB had been in prison-why go through all of the trouble to break him out when there was entire orphanage of victims that, obviously, wasn't too hard to get into? More than that, Matt was working under L, while B and Kira were working against him...
It all fell into place. They were working against L. They hadn't been kidnapped, they were missing because they were together, kidnapping someone else.
Mello rose from his chair, his eyes burning with fire and lightning, a look that could easily kill anyone it was aimed at. "Those bastards..."
Matt stirred lightly, coming to his senses. His body felt heavy and he was dizzy. Was he sick? He tried to open his eyes but decided it wasn't worth the effort.
"Mello?"
He frowned a little. As if he didn't feel shitty enough, now Mello was in trouble. Was this about the paint?
"Mello?" The voice was louder now; closer, and a touch more insistent.
He groped around him, trying to find Mello and shake him awake. What he felt was an unfamiliar, narrow bed from which is boyfriend was missing.
He forced his eyes open. His vision was hazy, but he could make out faded gray sheets were his soft blue ones were supposed to be.
He bolted upright and nearly jumped out of his own skin when a voice from right next to him said "Relax. No one's going to hurt you."
He looked. He had never seen this man before, but something in him told him he knew this face. He recalled a story Mello had told him two years ago.
L or B? He really hoped it was L. He was scared enough without being in the hands of a serial killer.
He got his answer when he saw the glaring red eyes. His heart sank.
"Are you awake?" B asked. Matt nodded. "Good. Listen, Mello-" he stopped as he saw that the redhead in front of him had a confused look on his face and was looking around the room like he was searching for someone. He frowned. "You are Mello, correct?" Matt shook his head helplessly.
B's expression became murderous, and Matt was momentarily frozen with terror, but the dark-haired man directed his anger towards the hallway just visible through the partially open door.
"YAGAMI!"