Behind white walls of dice 11
"…You will be alone in the end…"
About two days later Reject was finally allowed to go back to work under the condition that she would not overwork herself and take appropriate brakes and she would eat properly.
Reject was not too thrilled about cutting her workload in half but she wasn't in any position to argue with Mello, Matt and Gill so she cooperated with them since it was the easiest rout, at least on a brighter note she was allowed to stay in their room.
*****************ONE*WEEK*LATER*********************
October 13th
Fall was finally in the air and the trees were shedding their leaves and the sun gave a lovingly warm harvest glow. The chill in the air was crisper and more refreshing but of all that was that Reject would be working outside more.
It was one particular afternoon, the sun was shining and shades of yellowy orange and reddish browns covered the floor of the mighty forests that the orphanage backed on to. Reject was raking the leaves (or rather raking into a pile and jumping into them) when suddenly she heard a voice rip through the air.
"!"
Reject bolted up out of the leaf pile and ran toward the scream thinking that someone was in trouble, instead she found Linda standing in front a large wooden easel with a half panting upon it.
"Hey Linda, what's wrong?" Reject asked tilting her head to one showing a look of mild concern. Linda sighed and turned around looking rather upset and looking past her shoulder to the canvas behind her Reject could see why.
There at the corner of the unfinished painting were some crudely drawn and quite offensive pictures that were hastily painted over a finished part of the canvas.
"Damn him! Damn him and his cronies!" Linda yelled clenching her fist angrily.
"Sorry if this seems like a completely clueless question, but exactly who are you damning?" Reject asked sounding dreadfully confused.
"Oh I'm sorry ReRe I thought you would know about them" Linda replied bashfully sitting down on her stool in front of her easel.
"It's Ickarus and his boys Hal and Dirge, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them, with all the stunts they pull on a daily basis I thought for sure they would have done at least something to you" Linda explained letting out a tired sigh looking back at her ruined work.
"Would you like me to go speak to them for you?"
"Oh ReRe you don't have to do that, and also I wouldn't want you to suffer from they're ridicule too"
"Oh don't worry Linda I've got some tricks up my sleeve for handling a bunch of snot nosed brats even if their genius snot nosed brats" Reject smiled putting a hand on Linda's shoulder like a mentor.
"Let me handle this hun" and with that Reject stood up and walked off around to the other side of the house. She didn't need to look far when she came upon three young boys that just so happened to be toilet papering the north wing of the house.
"Hmmm I don't you but I bet you that if Roger saw you doing this he'd be pretty pissed, however I'll make a deal with you, if you go apologize to Linda for wrecking her painting I'll clean up the mess and I won't tell Roger, deal?"
The boys looked up at Reject then looked at each other then burst out laughing. Reject was not amused by any standard and she watched as the burnet of the tree boys stood up and came toward her.
"Here a new deal, how's about you go run along and we won't rearrange your face, deal?" The burnet said as the other two boys laughed and circled Reject in a threatening manner.
"You know, I really did not want to use this but you unfortunately need to be taught a lesson in respect" Reject reached into her pocket and pulled a small silver whistle. She put the whistle between her lips and blew it three times.
A sudden chill swept trough the air, and the pale blue form of A suddenly appeared behind the burnet baring a shy toothy smile.
" 'Ello Reject, you called?" the spirit asked gently in a sweet boyish British accent. Reject didn't say anything back but she did acknowledge him with a simple nod.
"Ah, you want me to take care of these little twats for you love?" A asked grinning mischievously. Once again Reject didn't say anything but instead inclined her head in such a way that it seemed as if she was saying 'Go ahead, knock yourself out' and A was more then willing to.
"Ok little Ms. Retard, you need to learn why you don't mess with m-AAAHHHHHH!"
Before the burnet could finish his underwear was magically pulled up out of the back of his pants and over his head in a, for lack of a better term, atomic weggy. The other boys stared in aw as the burnet flailed about blindly trying to get his tighty-whities off of his face.
"What the fuck? What the fuck did you do?" one of the boys hollered at the sight of their ring leader.
"Me? I didn't do anything…But A's ghost did" Reject said with slightly sinister face. Then just as suddenly as before, a white sheet was swiftly pulled from the need clothes line and had come flying toward the boys in a haunting fashion.
"Oh no, here he comes, you better go apologize now before he gets even angrier" Reject said darkly as the floating sheet swept toward them. The boys quickly got to they're feet and ran off to the other side of the house.
Reject slowly walked over and peeked around the corner of the house to see something she did not expect. The boys were apologizing and Reject could hardly believe it the unexpected civility from the boys.
"Thanks A, I owe you one" Reject said giving her living impaired a high-five. A laughed a very ghoulish laugh and floated off but before turning to face Reject again.
"Your welcome, it was a lot of fun"A said finally before floating off into the autumn sky. Reject waved casually before turning to walk over to where Linda sat baring a warm and welcoming smile.
"Thank you so much ReRe, now maybe those boys will think twice before causing anymore trouble" Linda said thankfully setting herself back on her stool and returning to her painting.
Reject started back inside feeling incredibly proud having done a good service to the orphanage. So happy in fact that she had a slight need to reward herself with a nice big jar of peanut butter so she started in the direction of the kitchen.
When she got there the door to the kitchen suddenly opened and Near stepped out. Reject stood back in shock and strangely enough so did Near to some extent even if it was a little vague. They both stood staring at each other before Reject finally stepped back further and turned and walked off.
Her good mood was now gone thanks to that wretched albino Near, but it didn't matter she could always get her peanut butter later when Near wasn't around. Reject went upstairs and started sweeping down the hallway.
She continued sweeping for about 15 minutes before stopping for a short break. She sat with her back against the wall in the hallway. There was silence for a few moments before she suddenly heard a series of rustling coming from one of the many rooms in the hallway.
Curiosity took hold of her as Reject got to her feet to investigate the sudden commotion. She stopped at a door that was open about an inch. She quietly crouched down beside the door and peeked inside.
She saw Matt, Mello and Near sitting in there along with L, and Roger across from the boys. Reject sat and observed not making a sound and keeping her eye focused through the crack.
"Ok, what's going on L, what's going on? Why have you called this meeting?" Mello asked impatiently. L licked his sugar covered fingers before facing the blond with a stoic expression.
"There is something I need to discuss with all of you, there maybe some changes that are about to happen and I wish to hear your opinions on the matter before I start" L said taking another sugar cube and depositing it in his mouth.
"Is it about who you're going to pick to be the next in line for your position" Mello asked eagerly throwing Near a dirty look before turning to face L again.
"No Mello it's something far more important, this is concerning R" Reject had to cup her hand over her mouth to cover the massive gasp that followed the shock.
"She's not in trouble is she? C'mon she's worked 12 to 24 hour shifts for you so I think she's got the right to indulge, cut her some slack she's human too"
"That's enough Mail, and no she is not in any trouble" L said firmly taking a sip of his tea before setting it down.
"When R had returned a month and a half ago did any of you notice anything peculiar about her?" L asked resting a thumb on his lip methodically.
"What do mean?"
"What I mean is did you see her perform an activity that for some reason she excelled beyond expectation?"
"Huh?"
"In simple terms, when you play with her did she out skill you in what ever you were doing?"
All of the boys were silent and then Matt and Mello finally raised their hands in conformation.
"I caught her playing one of my games and she beat my score by 1,000,000 points" Matt said scratching the back of his head.
"That is intriguing but I don't think video games qualify, now Mello what did you find interesting"
"…Well…I found her in the firing range and she told me she never fired a gun before so it would be good if she knew how, and she first unloaded the clip into the target I was surprised to find that she was almost a better shot then me"
L gently nibbled on his thumb, silently debating what Mello told him before turning to face Near who was sitting on the floor quietly assembling his puzzle not bothering to glance up at L.
"Well how about you, did you see any strange behavior?"
"…"
"Well Near?"
"…No comment…"
L sighed looking down at Near before turning to face the rest of the group and picking up his tea. He took a long sip from it before placing it back on the table and settling his hands on his knees.
"Matt, Mello and Near, do to the current events that have taken place, R, Reject Reborn shall be added to the current line up for my position as for L-"
CLATTER!
Near had his puzzle raised above his and the pieces were all falling out on to the floor clattering loudly as they did. Near turned to face L baring deeply disgruntled look and he placed the puzzle board back down on the.
"What are you thinking" Near asked in a firm and cold voice.
"What do you mean Near?"
"Don't you think your being a little hasty with your decision?"
"Not at all, if anything I don't I've been hasty enough, she has been ignored since the very first day she arrived here"
"So you are going to automatically a give spot in line for a position that the rest of us had to work towards"
"Near, there is no need for such hostility, she will be properly tested when the time com-"
"YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME!" Near's outburst was enough cause L to shift back in his chair.
"I, Matt and Mello have rightfully earned our position as protégé, she has not, she has been uneducated since she first came here, there is no need for anymore competition, especially since there will be no challenge with her"
Reject was hurt emotionally and physically, she never even realized that Near hated her this much. She didn't know what to do in this situation, if she did become his heir she would be high expectations that would push her far beyond her limitations but if she failed and didn't become his heir she would be seen as nothing more as a shameful symbol of Wammy's House.
Completely over whelmed by all the information she took in she quickly got up and started running, she didn't care how much noise she was making she needed to get out of there. Get out, get away from L, get out of Wammy's, anywhere but Wammy's, that was the only thing going through her mind as she ran out the door.
By this time the sun had already set and the sky and the area had darkened quite a bit. Reject kept running, and she ran straight into darkened woods, not caring about direction she went she just kept going.
After about a kilometer of running she finally stopped by tripping over an exposed root. Upon landing she heard sickening crack in her left foot, then the pain finally registered and it became so unbearable she couldn't move.
At this point it was completely dark and air itself had become colder as the winds blew. Reject just laid there, too weak to move even when it started raining she didn't move, she was in too much pain to anything.
Rain saturated her clothes, penetrating deep into her skin and chilling her to the bone but still she lay there, unmoving, alone, like she had lost all hope and the will to go on. She was about to pass out from the cold when she voices in the darkness.
"R…ReRe…Reject! Reject where are you?"
Voices calling her name, but she didn't care, it didn't matter anymore. She felt worthless around them. Then sudden she heard a noise around her that sounded like a large animal, and Reject sat perfectly still in the hopes that what ever it was would move on.
As luck would have it, the animal wouldn't leave. Reject was worried because she knew there were wolves in the area but she remained calm even when it came within an inch of her. Then something out of the ordinary happened.
"Hmmmm…This green possum plays dead when no predators are around… interesting…" It spoke in a gravely voice that seemed quiet and shy. Reject opened one eye and was greeted by a pair of yellow eyes.
"…Hmmmm…It could be you think me a predator…or perhaps maybe it's something else…" It spoke again. Then suddenly a rustling came from one of the many bushes and something tall and white stepped out.
"Hmmm...White owl what is it?..."
"Relax Timber Wolf…I'm here to collect the girl…"
"This Green possum is a friend of yours?"
"Yes she is, that's what L and the others were out looking for"
The wild man pondered what the albino said but soon nodded in acceptance when he heard more voices calling out.
"Very well, I shall inform the alpha L that she is found-"
"No!"
"What?"
"No, I will be the one to inform him, thank you Timber" Near walked over to Reject and lifted her off the ground. Reject let out a painful groan when she was picked up, mind was already in a blur and was beginning to pass out pain in her ankle.
"Well if you insist" Timber replied warily before leaping off into the trees. Near carried on through the woods at a slow pace, taking his good sweet time. It's was raining harder now and a low rumble echoed across the sky.
"I know…you may never forgive me…be if anything I should be apologizing…but don't worry…"
"…I'll make sure nothing happens to you"