Here's a new update for you guys! It's a bit longer than the last so I hope it is satisfactory.

X^3

~Luv, Fairylust~

Mello walked into the room to check in on Near and found that he was gone. The handcuffs lay discarded on the bed. "Matt!" He shouted running from the room. "Matt the little psycho is loose!"

"Oh, dammit! How-"

"I don't know!" he exclaimed. He tried to clam down as they headed for the living room where they separated. Matt went to the bedroom to search for evidence or clues that would suggest where he would go and Mello headed out to look for him. We've gotta start looking around for him, before somebody gets killed. He thought darkly, blue eyes narrowed.

(A/N: Just a side note, okay, try reading some of this listening to the song Impossible by Manafest. I think it's pretty awesome. Than again, to each his own opinion)

Walking down the street hugging himself Near stared at the ground. He hurt. His eyes were still aching a bit, not yet adjusted to. The pinkie finger he had used to pick the lock of his handcuffs hurt too, actually, it was broken and bleeding. His body ached and his legs had pens and needles from staying still so long. He had to rest in the alley after escaping through the air ducts. Near hadn't moved for a full two hours, then decided he better get going while the getting was good. He already knew where he was going.

He was going to get Beyond out of the asylum.

He just couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't resist L, Mello, or even Matt's attempts at rehabilitating him. They were making him feel strange and different than he had felt before. They were treating him so different than he was used to and it puzzled him as to why they would do that. He was confused, tired, in a delicate state of mind, and he was slipping. He knew all of this very well as he walked down the street feeling sick and chilled by fright. He had never slipped before to his knowledge. Sure he had his moments of insanity but that was normal. This was…different.

That was why he needed Beyond. He was the one who gave him purpose, who loved him, let him live, and taught him everything he knew. Of course, even he knew that some of what he as told were lies, but as long as it had meaning to what he had been put through he didn't care. Feeling sick he suddenly collapsed to his knees on the hard, yet fairly warm pavement of the sidewalk.

Holding his stomach and trembling all over he started to vomit. Tears cascaded down his face, and then a firm hand on his shoulder caused him to squeal and jump away. It felt like his body was moving faster than his mind. He could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears and he was scared. Near attacked swiftly, grabbing hold of the penknife he'd grabbed before leaving. He slashed at the unknown person with it. A spray of crimson sprayed him staining his white appearance.

After that he bolted.

Meanwhile, Mello drove down the road looking out for trouble. It came to him that he was on the right trail when he saw police and an ambulance on the side of a curb tending to a wounded man. He stopped and flashed a fake badge and they told him everything. Apparently, the young man had stopped to check on some kid that was throwing up, looking sick and the next thing he knew the kid had slashed a deep gash in the side of the man's face, starting from where his ear was and ending in a curve-like shape snaking up the man's cheekbone, ending below his eye. He'd lost a lot of blood but he was going to be okay.

Mello wondered where Near was heading. He really wished he had some clue as to where the boy was heading. Because from what Matt had found he'd hurt himself to get out of the handcuffs, plus a penknife was missing, meaning that Near was armed and ready for a fight. It was clear to the blonde that the gun he had in the passenger seat might be needed. It was a thought he didn't want to carry out, but he knew….

He knew Near was a mad, wounded dog and to end his pain would be to put him out of his misery. It was a nauseating, yet strangely promising idea to the blonde. That wasn't something he wanted to do, though. He cared about Near more than he let on. The boy needed help. He knew that Near wasn't the way he was just because he chose to be that way. Sure, he had a choice in the matter but fear of abuse probably kept him in line.

And now that he was away from that very same abuse and neglect he probably felt a little recovery working its magic across his damaged body, mind, and emotions. Maybe he was feeling shame for his past actions or having second thoughts about being the way he was. Mello was willing to give him as much help as he could, but seeing as Near was purposely making things difficult it looked like he was running out of options.

Near stood holding a bloodied knife just outside the white brick building with the high chain-linked fence that had another, taller barbed wire fence within it. He read the sign, which read 'Bigg's Asylum for The Criminally Insane' in bold red letters. Exhaling he snuck past the guards and fences with relative ease. Using the air ducts once more he quickly found himself in the middle of a pure white hallway. The air smelled of cleaning chemicals. It was also cold and crisp, but he decided it was breathable.

He found his way to where the seriously disturbed, homicidal psychos were kept, from there it was just a matter of finding the right cell that wasn't currently guarded. Unfortunately, apparently the asylum had two things that Near hadn't noticed before, despite he had been so careful. They apparently had hidden cameras and no shortage of guards. He found that out soon enough.

The cell rang loudly. It was a random suspenseful music theme Matt had uploaded fort him, since he really didn't care if the phone's ring were like any other phone's or not. He answered it quickly, still keeping his eyes on the road. "Yeah?" he said, finding L was on the other end instead of Matt. He did not sound happy, but then again he never really did sound very 'jovial'. "I've been told that Near has escaped." He said and Mello could practically hear the scowl of annoyance he must have been wearing.

"Yeah, sorry." Mello sighed pushing his foot on the accelerator a bit in frustration, and then easing up on it. "He must've gotten a bit stir crazy or something. He was obviously desperate to get away from the bit of blood found. I think he might be on edge because he attacked someone."

"Were they dead?"

"No. It was just some random attack. Out of panic, I think. The guy said he had sneaked up on him and the way he looked…wasn't too good. The blood trail he left started one way then headed another and just stopped immediately in one other direction. I don't know where to look. It's like he's purposely trying to throw us off."

"Yes…it would, wouldn't it?" he said quietly, like thinking deeply about this, and then he added in an eloquent tone, "You better find him before he hurts someone else. The last thing we need is someone to start an investigation into all this."

"What? You think I don't know that?"

There was a long telling pause. It made Mello feel unnerved, as he stopped at a red light, glad he had time to just sit and think, instead of having to concentrate on two things at once. Exhaling slowly he sat and waited for L to speak and the light to change. It seemed like ages before one of the two happened. And that one thing wasn't the light shifting its colors to yellow, then green.

"From what I understand," L said slowly as though coming out of deep thought, "Near is desperate, frightened, and uncertain. Your attempts to change him must have been working to some extent. He's weak in all states of being, therefore feels panicked."

"Wow, so then that's good, right?"

"No, Mello, that's emotional thinking on your half. I need you to think about this realistically for a long moment. Who do you think he's become used to running to in times like this? Who do you think he trusts to set him straight when he questions himself or what he has been taught? He has a father-figure in his mind, Mello, don't you think he'll be angry when they finally meet?"

"Oh, damn…he's going after BB?"

L's silence was enough to tell him his answer was correct.

"I'm heading there, L. I just hope I'm not too late."

Staring in at the mature red-eyed man Near felt a little shaky and nervous. "Are you here to help me get out or to just stand there?" he asked in annoyance as the small boy stared in at him. Swallowing he nodded a bit, realizing he was holding a silver key in a blood drenched hand.

How did that happen? He wondered curiously. Did I really cut my hand open in the air vents escaping the apartment? I thought it was just my imagination….

Mechanically his arm moved upward and slid the key into the lock, turning it, so that the iron padlocks all made a clicking noise before opening and hitting the ground. The last one was there, waiting to be unlocked and Near took a few steps back suddenly feeling timid. B tried to open the door but that one padlock kept it from coming all the way open and it only opened a very small fraction of the way. He slammed his body against it a few good times, before realizing it wasn't gonna budge without that last lock coming off.

"What the hell are you doing?" he growled glaring at Near. "Get rid of that last damn lock. Now!"

Suddenly it felt like he couldn't breath. Shaking he felt frozen where he stood as though someone was holding him in place. His eyes were wide in fear. What was happening? He had to undo that last lock! His body, unfortunately, disagreed with him staying still while B shouted for him to hurry up before more guards came. "I-I can't." he whispered shaking all over and feeling tears flood his vision getting ready to leak free.

"Yes. You. Can."

"N-no, I can't."

"I swear if you don't, Nate, I'll tear you to pieces as soon as I get out of here myself!"

"N-no…p-please…."

"Then hurry the hell up and unlock this damn door!"

Whimpering the small boy took a few stiff, timid steps forward. He slid the key into the last lock. It was like slow motion. The iron lock came undone and slowly fell hitting the ground soundlessly. All this while he hadn't been able to breath. It was like his mind was on a blinding fast-forward, but his body was stuck in an eternal pause unable to move or correctly process what was happening accurately. It felt like his mind was blanking out, but his consciousness wasn't letting that happen and so he stood there feeling utter nothingness until what felt like one or two eternities later.

The next thing that happened didn't really happen. Near didn't feel it nor did he hear it. He didn't really just stand there as Beyond jumped from the cell after shoving the door open and rushed him, shoving him to the ground and falling on top of him, clearly angry that he had hesitated.

It must have been all in his head.

Beyond wasn't really on top of him pinning him down so he was unable to struggle or break free from his rough grasp. His hands wrapped tightly around his throat. No, the oxygen wasn't really cut off from his lungs. He wasn't really starting to see darkness around the corners of his vision. It was all a dream. It must have been a sick dream he was having back at the apartment. Soon, Mello or Matt would shake him awake, and then question him about his nightmares asking how they applied to reality. He wouldn't say anything. They wouldn't really care, but they would continue to prod him for answers in a caring or annoyed fashion.

Things would be okay, though, because none of this was really happening.

Wowz...just...wowz...

I'm cruel aren't I? *Evil smirk* Will Near die? Or shall he survive? Let's face facts in all honesty I could kill him off and end the story or-

I said 'OR'

Or he could survive and we can continue with the story. What shall it be? I'll let YOU, the reader, decide, kay?

Please PM me or Review to let me know what YOU think.

;^P

Aren't I just so deliciously cruel today? Mwahaha!

P.S. I shall not update until enough votes are in and until then I'll work on the story some more so I'll have future chappies already done, kay? So don't freak out. Lol.

X^3

Anywayz, I truly hope you enjoyed this chappie.

~With Luv, Fairylust~