A/N: I still don't own anything.
Chapter 11 Hallmark Moments
Light touched down at one of their old safe houses, another "abandoned" rooftop loft. Ryuk retracted the wings and armor as Light broke in and laid Beyond on the moldy sofa, the room's only furnishing. Light looked over Beyond's injuries, he could see that Beyond was struggling to stay conscious, he had obviously been injected with some kind of paralyzing agent, and that nasty bullet hole in his shoulder was looking pretty bad. Worse still with the less than sterile conditions here it could very well become septic. The hospital was out of the question. There was only…
"Ryuk… please. Help him!"
"Alright… but you owe me apples for this… Hyuk hyuk hyuk."
And so Ryuk left him to heal Beyond…
And it felt so wrong.
For five years Ryuk had been his constant companion and now that he was gone…
For once his thoughts were not answered by any snarky commentary... He had thought that that would be a relief to have his head to himself again… but instead, it was like he was missing a vital part of himself. He felt so weak...
He was naked, abandoned…
Alone.
Light drew his knees to his chest and shivered and not just from the cold.
This is ridiculous! Ryuk is like a foot away and he's coming back… he IS coming back. He HAS to come back…
It was Ryuk that protected him, Ryuk that was the powerful one.
Light was pretty sure that it was Ryuk that helped keep him (relatively) sane. He was always there in his head as a kind of anti-conscience (whenever Light had a moral quandary he could count on Ryuk for advice… and then he knew what NOT to do...)
It was Ryuk that gave him other options. Without Ryuk all he could do was kill. Without Ryuk… he was nothing.
Nothing but a murderer.
Light was afraid.
Fear wasn't something he had felt in a long time because with Ryuk… (Together we are unstoppable, together there's nothing we can't accomplish! Together…) Fear was not something he missed… unlike a certain alien who was taking his sweet time to…
"You missed me."
Light felt a surge of relief and endorphins at the return of a certain alien organism. Sensing his host's physical discomfort in the drafty room Ryuk instantly took the form of a warm black sweater and khaki slacks.
"Shut up." Light said, utterly mortified as Ryuk read his thoughts. That was the biggest downside to their unique relationship—his insecurities (which totally didn't exist in any way, shape, or form) were always laid bare before Ryuk.
"I missed you too… I'm not going to leave you."
"Please… and what if I start to bore you, hmm?"
"You won't ever get boring."
"What if I broke in a way you can't fix me… you'd abandon me in a heart-beat."
"You can't fault me for that, now can you?"
"No, I suppose not."
Ryuk hugged him with his tendrils. "I'm NOT going to leave you. I'll always be with you. You know, 'til death do us part."
"Ryuk… "
Ryuk laughed as Light excused himself to remove the "dust" from his eyes.
"But, if you really want to show me your appreciation you'll go get me more apples. "
"Opportunist."
"Hyuk. Look who's talking."
Beyond cleared his throat and sat up on the moldy sofa. "Sorry if I'm interrupting a Hallmark moment here. I'm fine by the way, though I see now the error of my ways… after all. What chance do I have? I'll always come in second to your parasite."
"Would it kill you to show a little respect to the one who saved your life?"
Beyond only huffed in response.
"On his behalf, thank you Ryuk, for helping him…"
"I just hope it's really what you wanted…" Ryuk grumbled.
"Beyond…" Light began cautiously, seeing that his ex was still throwing a hissy fit. He walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder (just to get his attention of course). "Why was my dad trying to kill you?"
"Your dad, huh?" Beyond turned and faced him; his red eyes alight with mischief. "Maybe he found out I was fucking you?"
Light crossed his arms in annoyance. "Cut the crap, Beyond. You knew! You know my name, you know his name…"
Beyond held out a hand and silenced his young apprentice. He pulled back the collar of his sweater and revealed the mark on his neck. "That's why."
"Your tattoo?"
"It's a brand, dear. It's because your daddy hunts people like us for a living."
Light felt stupid. "He's a police detective… Of course he would be hunting murderers…"
"I meant Freaks. Specials. Mutants. The super-enabled. Whatever they're calling us these days. Because your daddy is an agent in the employ of a Global Organization simply as Wammy's House.
"But… he's a police detective…"
"I didn't say those jobs were mutually exclusive, now did I?"
"An agent… "
"Yes." Beyond began snidely, "Dealing with the "Mutant Problem," so the rest of the world doesn't have to... oh and just in case Kira is interested, it's not strictly speaking legal... Theft, kidnapping, espionage, assassination… whatever the mission requires... all for the greater good of course."
"You're lying! My dad doesn't…"
"Are you blind?" Beyond exploded out of seat and was gripping him by the shoulders, shouting in his face… "Did you NOT see what he just did?" Ryuk's hackles rose (in the form of wriggling shoulder pseudopodia as well as spikes that just missed taking off Beyond's fingers) in response to this treatment and a low warning growl issued from their throat.
Light stepped back to avoid this deteriorating into yet another fight and tried to calm both his symbiote and his ex-boyfriend. "Fine… assuming for a moment" that you're not lying to me AGAIN "that you're telling the truth, then how do you know of all this?"
"'One of us, one of them.' I was there, I was his partner. I know exactly what went on there…"
"…because you were part of it."
Beyond crouched on the moldy sofa, his hand covering his eyes…
Light looked on with some concern. He had never seen his stoical mentor like this… and sat down next to him.
"Not by choice. You asked me why your dad was trying to kill me? It's because at Wammy's House I'm afraid they take the term "severance package" rather literally…."
"Then why ever join…"
"When they brought me on board I was a bit too young to understand… I was two, I had just lost my parents...They brainwash people like us to hunt others like us… It couldn't be helped...I drank the kool-aide just like the rest of them… I tried so hard to be the BEST. To be the Ideal Agent…" Beyond began laughing manically. Light attempted to soothe him by running his hand up and down his back. When he calmed he continued. "It took the death of my best friend to snap me out of my programming… I escaped, for a while… They'd catch me… they'd…" Beyond stopped for a moment to just focus on his breathing, "And I'd escape again… and… It took them thinking I was dead to finally..."
Light held Beyond as he broke down.
"I don't want to believe my dad is involved in all this," Light whispered "but I want to believe you… in any case I will get to the bottom of this. This I can promise you… there will be Justice."
Beyond looked incredulous. "You're planning on fighting them… for me?"
"Well priorities-I have to save the world first…"
"It was not my intention to give you yet another fool's errand. Wammy's House has agents everywhere, in every agency; in every government around the world….and even if you don't plan on fighting them … it's likely they have you in their sights now. They'll never stop hunting you."
"Well then that just means it's in my best interest to get them first, now isn't it?"
"Really, even your father?"
I have yet to substantiate everything… and even so…
Light squeezed Beyond's hand before getting up off the sofa.
"In any case, unless you've changed your mind and are planning on telling me…"
"No."
"Then I have to find that painting first..." Light got up and headed for the door, Ryuk forming into armor and wings… "Mello and Near are counting on me."
"Light…"
"Yes Ryuuzaki?"
"Remember...Things aren't always what they seem."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that by now."
"Just… be careful… And as for your father? He's going to be prepared for you next time."