A/N: Warning, this chapter is a little disturbing... but then again... Beyond is a bit disturbing as well. :/

(Beyond P.O.V)

I had planned it out to the last detail. Everything would be perfect. I would outsmart L, be better in every way, shape, and form. I knew he was looking for me, though I doubt anyone other than him or Watari were notified of my existence. I doubted the detective would want his little kiddies worrying about me being on the loose. But this wouldn't be for long. No, because my plan was perfection.

I already had the list planned out, it took me a month but I managed to find the perfect people for my plan. Not that they knew anything about it.

The first was Believe Bridesmaid. I knew exactly what to do to him, and I knew L would never see it. No, he would be outsmarted. I knew he would. He had to be.

I apologize if I get a bit erratic at some points, but my plan was supposed to be perfection to the very end. I wanted everything to be perfect, for L to be humiliated, defeated, and completely dumbstruck. I wanted him to know what it felt to lose against someone. For his sanity to deplete after finding out he lost!

And it was all perfect. Right down to the very last detail. It was almost beautiful, my excitement about what would all go down. But first, I had to deal with the first person on my list: Believe Bridesmaid.

July thirty first. Evening. I waited silently in the shadows of his home. The Wara Ningyo dolls stuffed in my pockets. I kept quiet, but I couldn't help the small twitch of excitement course through me. This was what I was meant to do. It's been like that since I was small. Since my mother…

"Mommy, I can see your name. It's over your head…"

"Yes darling, I know. But you mustn't tell others. This is a deformity, a curse."

"A curse? What do you mean?"

She paused for a quick second, looking at me with bright eyes. "No… no, it isn't a curse. This is a blessing! You were born with the eyes… his eyes. The eyes of the one!"

"Who, mommy?"

"A shinigami. We summoned him, but he did not stay long. You have his eyes! This must be it! My son! My beautiful son!"

She hugged me close. I didn't know whether to hug back.

"We must use them. Use them against our enemies. We will rise higher than any other with you in our service!"

I felt intrigued. "How? What will I do?"

She looked at me with her dark eyes full of wonder. "You will do what all Shinigami do… you will kill."

She had locked me away after that. In a dark room with nothing but the thoughts only a real shinigami had. To kill, to devour, to become immortalized. She would take me to her cult meetings every time before her discovery. And they had intrigued me.

Death. It was beautiful to me. How within every moment of our lives, we risk a chance at death. And the people I only knew as family, worshipped death. Worshipped the gods of death. And, had it not been for child protective services, would have worshipped me. It would have all been mine. I would have been their god.

But then I met L. And I knew, for just a short time of my life, what love really was. Then A came along. My friend. I had someone to love and care for, and someone who cared for me back. It was something I never received from my mother. It was like a holy grail for me. To feel human. More human than I was when I was part of a cult. No longer did death rule my world.

But all good things come to an end.

L abandoned A. Left him to suffer alone. Left the two of us to suffer. First Mello passes us, then Near! He tried to pass them, A tried with all his might. But it was too much. He died because of L. Because L favoured them over us. And soon, death was a part of my life again. And it was all I could think of.

Like a real Shinigami.

Bridesmaid entered the room and I froze. I was still hidden by shadow, but my thoughts were running wild.

'A will not die in vain. I will make L suffer. Will humiliate him, make him a slave to his own thoughts. And I will be known as the greatest killer to ever live. The one who outsmarted L himself. I am no longer Backup… I am Beyond.' I smiled at the thought. 'Beyond Birthday.'

When his back was turned I jumped Believe Bridesmaid, drugging him with the rag and chloroform. When the struggling stopped, I immediately started to strangle the man. I didn't stop until I was sure there was no more breathing.

When he dropped to the floor, lifeless and cold, I felt my heart go still. Then I giggled… then chuckled… then laughed myself silly. I had done it! I had killed him! But it wasn't over… I still have a few more things to do.

But above all, it had been done. I knew my destiny now. It wasn't to succeed L or even be part of the Wammy house. No… my calling was much greater than that.

(L P.O.V)

I sat in my chair like I always did. Staring at my computer screen. I was reading a report on the murder of a man named Believe Bridesmaid. He had severe lacerations on his chest from a knife, but autopsy showed he had died while being strangled. Along with the murder, four Wara Ningyo dolls were nailed to the victim's wall. It was strange to say the least, but something inside me knew I wasn't wrong to suspect.

Wammy suddenly entered the room with the suitcases. Though typically I referred to him as Watari, he would always be known as Wammy. It was Wammy that found me and took me in when I was alone on the streets. I knew him only as such.

"Ready when you are." He said quietly.

I nodded, then stepped down from my seat. "We will be heading towards Los Angeles then?"

"As you requested. Though we should hurry. We don't want anyone waking up and noticing our departure."

"Quite right."

I quickly made my way through the door of my room to the main hallway. It wasn't long before I had made it to the front doors where outside my ride awaited to take me to the airport.

Wammy had already left the main foyer to pack, but I had gotten distracted when a certain blonde stepped out from his room and was now sleepily walking toward me.

I grinned a bit. Although he was getting more sleep now than before, he still made it a routine to get up at night and grab a bar of chocolate when Roger wasn't around. Although, now was not a good time for him to be awake.

Although tired, he looked me over questioningly. "Wha's goin on? You leaving?"

"For a bit," I said as I kneeled down to his height. "But I'll be back. Like always."

"No, somthin's up. You never leave this late." He stretched a bit. "Promise you'll tell me when you get back?"

I covered my mouth to stop the giggle. Poor Mello was too exhausted to even question me. "I promise."

The blonde nodded. "'Kay." He then made his way toward the kitchen where Roger hid his chocolate.

I felt a bit of a quiver in my heart while watching the ten year old walk away. Him, Near, and Matt had all gotten special treatment from me. There were times I had wished I had been tougher on them. Had been more of a parental figure than a brotherly one. But they had all come from such horrid lives. Matt had more scars than I could count, Near was emotionally abandoned, and Mello… well, just thinking of it made me sick.

I couldn't hurt them. I couldn't allow them to be abandoned. Matt had said we were a family to Mello. I had heard the whole speech. And he was right. Despite our blood, we were a family.

If only I had done the same for A and B.