Ugh, this chapter was so hard to get through. I even took out the previous version of this one and had to re-post! It's done now, so there! Massive plot-twist in the beginning, plus Near shows up. Enjoy!
"Linda?" Matt walked into her room. He'd just woken up not too long ago - at almost noon, thanks to jetlag - and he wondered why he hadn't seen her. Maybe she was even more exhausted than he was.
Matt tried to recall what had happened the previous night. Then it hit him - Linda never unpacked her things. 'I'll do it tomorrow,' she told him - it wasn't like her. Matt was usually the slacker out of the two.
"Lin. Come on, you up yet?" he found her room to be surprisingly empty. Not even her luggage was anywhere to be seen. This wasn't good.
The bed was made, nothing was under it, and he even checked the closet. No Linda.
"Lin. That's enough now. Quit messing with me," he said, but it wasn't like her to do that either.
Finally, he noticed a note laying on the night stand.
Meanwhile, L was sitting at his computer when his cell phone started ringing.
"Hello?"
It was Matt.
"So you're saying she's left? For Wammy's House?"
He bit his thumbnail, listening intently to what Matt had seen. Linda never told him she'd leave, and he'd just now found out about this.
"Alright then. You'll be working this investigation alone then, provided she isn't going to tell anyone,"
"It says in the note that she swore not to. We're even free to kill her if she does tell,"
"Alright," L nodded. "We'll handle this without her,"
L had somewhat anticipated that his successors would end up not working together. Hope for the best, plan for the worst - could that statement ever have been more true! He hoped they'd come to some agreement, what with him not choosing an heir and all. He'd expected Mello to basically walk out on Near and take matters into his own hands.
"So you want me to work as a go-between for the two of them?" Matt asked him.
"Exactly," L replied. "You're the only one who can talk to Mello -"
"Ryuzaki, convincing Mello to work with Near is...is like, trying to put out a bonfire by blowing on it," he smirked - yeah, pretty much. "I'm his friend, yeah. But that guy's hard to sway. He hates that kid,"
"I know," L sighed.
"But you said you wanted me specifically. Because I'm Mello's friend,"
"Yes," L nodded. "and Near, you said he'd be willing to work with you too. I chose you for that reason, along with the fact that you're third in line -"
" to succeed you," Matt finished. To him though, it barely mattered - unless of course Mello and Near both died somehow, along with L, he really never thought about his being the next L.
The fact that Matt hadn't taken his eyes off his Gameboy since they'd started the conversation was really getting on L's nerves. He'd pretty soon be taking the damn thing out of the boy's hands and tossing it out the window, if Matt didn't at least show that he remotely cared. L probably wouldn't have minded so much if it weren't for the noise coming from it...
"But I wasn't thinking you'd be bringing along Linda,"
Finally, Matt looked up. "Oh, her?" he shrugged. "She wanted to come along, so I let her. I didn't see what was wrong with it, she's a top student at Wammy's..."
"She's also currently back there, and with information that I'm still alive,"
Matt turned his Gameboy off - unknowingly saving its life - and sighed. "Well...if it's any help, Linda's really good at keeping secrets," Yeah, I'm pretty sure you knew that was bull, L.
L pondered on this for a moment before saying "Fine then. She's still in this case, whether she likes it or not. At the very least, she can go over some of the information on the case from the sidelines...no, I'll think of something,"
Matt raised an eyebrow. 'Still in this case, whether she likes it or not'...knowing this guy, there's way more to it than 'I'll think of something'. Who am I kidding, he's more than thought of everything!
L broke his train of thought finally. "Well, I suppose it's fine for now, if what you say about her keeping secrets is true," And, unwrapping a candy cane he'd been holding and putting it in his mouth, L ended the discussion.
So now, Matt was going to play a kind of double-agent. He'd work for Near, and Mello, at the same time. Technically, the thought that doing this may result in his best friend hating him forever (or worse) should have had him on edge, worried about what might happen.
But he wasn't. He was just going to play it cool, see how things worked out...
...and try not to think about Mello.
Near was working out his plans to catch Kira, demonstrating his tactics with Optimus Prime and Godzilla to the members of the SPK, when suddenly, he got a visitor. In stepped the all-too-familiar Matt, who'd been calling him up days before. Near looked unconcerned, but somewhat puzzled, at him.
"Hello Matt,"
"Hello Near,"
Matt reached into his pocket for a cigarette, and was just about to light it when Halle Ridner tersely ordered him not to. He pouted, tossed the unlit cancer stick on the floor, and smooshed it in with his boot.
"So, you wanted to ask me something?" Near spoke up, not taking his eyes off his toys.
"Yes, actually," Matt nodded. "I would like to...well, I'd like to team up with you to solve the Kira case,"
Near's head shot up, quizzical expression on his face.
"What? We're allies, aren't we? At least, since Mello isn't willing to..."
'Allies'. Near pondered the word. He knew Matt, and he knew he was friends with Mello. Did he intend to use Near to gain some kind of edge over him? It didn't seem like Mello's style...right? No, not this early on. But 'allies'...Matt hardly spoke five words to Near in his life! 'Allies'...
"I...guess so," Near said slowly. What is he getting at here?
"Look, sorry it didn't work out with Mello...you know, that he didn't join you in catching Kira..."
"That's not your fault. And for that matter, it isn't even of concern,"
"Please," Matt walked up to him and crouched down in front of his toys. "I really want to catch Kira. I didn't drag my ass across the friggin' Atlantic Ocean for nothing," he chuckled. "Whaddaya say?"
Near looked up at Matt, thought about this, and twirled his hair around his finger. "Well...I don't see why not,"
Matt smirked. "Alright then. Let's catch Kira together,"
The SPK members stared at the two boys from Wammy's House, as they discussed their plans on how they'd catch Kira while playing an insanely complicated game of chess, Monopoly, poker, checkers, and Connect Four...apparently all at once.
"So if I go to the Task Force directly and offer to help Light Yagami, I'd gain direct info on his next move," Matt suggested, one hand laying down five cards while the other moved a pawn.
"Right, but keep in mind that's the same thing that got L killed," Near pointed out, rapidly shifting the yacht piece five squares forward before moving it directly onto the chess board.
"I know," Matt sighed, looking at the yacht. "Okay, what the hell is that thing doing there?"
"I lost it in jail. Now it's a pawn," Near answered.
"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "Well, I know, but we'll come up with something...he can't just kill me off without facing a ton of suspicion. And besides, how's he supposed to even know my name?" He already knew the answer, but let Near say it for him.
"The shinigami eyes," he replied. "If they can see your face, they already know your real name,"
"Right," Matt nodded. He laid down a hand of cards, took three of them, dropped a chip into the yellow slot, and took out several of Nears checkers in one turn. Gevanni tilted his head sideways. "Okay then. Think if say, I use my goggles to conceal my eyes, it'll help?"
Near looked hard at the five games, then glanced up at him. "I dunno, it could. It's risky, I'm not sure it's a good idea to be that reckless,"
"I still say it's worth a shot. So long as they don't see my whole face...and again, how are they gonna explain my death not having anything to do with Kira?"
"And perhaps, he could figure some way around that," Near slid three chips in the Connect Four at once, passed go and collected five hundred dollars before taking out Matt's knight with his bishop. "You have to be three steps ahead of the enemy,"
Matt stared at the chess board, then glanced over at the cards in his left hand. Smacking them down, he said "Okay okay, true. You got me there, Near. But seriously, you got any better ideas? I mean, no one at the NPA is working..."
"How do you know Kira's working with the NPA?"
Matt just smiled. "You told me, didn't you?"
"I did?"
"Yeah, remember that e-mail you sent me?"
Near looked at him sideways. "I...never sent you an e-mail. You call on occasion,"
"Oh right. Okay so, you must've told me about that part over the phone,"
Near shrugged. "Alright,"
They continued on in their game, and about $600 of fake money (part of it used in the side-poker game) later, they'd already worked out several steps in how they'd get close to Kira. Now, the subject that was bugging at both of them...
"Um, Matt?" Near glanced up from the chessboard. "I uh...I've been thinking that since you've come here, you intend to do something besides just help me out, correct?"
Matt knew where he was going. "Yeah, and?"
"Well, I know you're good friends with Mello. So I've already guessed that you intend to get the two of us to work together,"
"I figured you would,"
"That, or you're acting as a mole for him to gain an edge over me. If you're attempting the latter, I can tell you that it isn't going to work, and it's stupid to even try it anyway," Near laid down a royal flush.
"Of course," Matt rolled his eyes. "Come on Near, I would never be so stupid to think that I could pull one over on you!"
Not quite seeing the sarcasm, Near replied "Well...it's somewhat unlikely, but that idea would be counterproductive to solving the investigation is what I meant,"
"Oh,"
"Still...having Mello working with us on this case would be ideal. We may even be able to surpass L,"
Matt flinched at that comment. "Right...but the thing is, he just doesn't like you," he captured Near's queen with the yacht piece.
Near stared at the piece for a moment, before saying, "Well...obviously, it's not like you can tell him right away that you're helping me. But if he found out that you joined the Task Force, he might at least wonder,"
"I'm just hung up telling him I'm with his arch enemy," Matt sighed. Near now had his king in check.
"But we're not enemies," Near said, somewhat depressed.
"Yeah, well if he's still caught up in trying to be better than you..."
"I wish he decided to help me on this case," Near admitted.
Matt looked at him sideways. Sure, everyone agreed that it was better if Mello helped but - he wanted Mello's help. Now he kind of felt bad for Near. "Yeah...I know. Uh..." Wait, was Near about to win the game?
"Checkmate," Near smiled, looking up from the chessboard.
Matt stared at it, slightly stunned at the fact that he'd just been pwned by a Monopoly piece. "Um...okay. How about this then; we basically put him in a position where he's got no choice but to work with you. Essentially, I'll have to be a total asshole and ruin his plans somehow without him realizing it, in a way that has him help you. Of course, I'll probably end up killed for this,"
"Think we can do that?"
"Maybe," Matt shrugged. "Let's hope it doesn't come with the whole 'I'll probably get killed' thing,"
"I thought you weren't worried about Kira,"
"I'm not. Near, when your best friend just took over the mafia, nothing scares you,"
This was so funny! Were you surprised that Linda up and left?
Well, now you know why L needs Matt. And I threw in the chess/poker/Monopoly/checkers/ConnectFour game in to add some crazy; plus, I wanted to have Near playing a game, and get his genius but also his childish side too.
Hopefully, I can manage a better next chapter. I cringed after I looked over the last update...it happens sometimes. Great story, but then a sucky chapter. Oh well...
Please review!