Disclaimer: I do not own or make money from the anime Death Note
Suggested Listening: Howl by Florence + The Machine
Part 24
~Stranger~
All outside the apartment there was commotion; loading of trucks, people lending supplies and even volunteering to go on the patrols for community seven. But inside with Matt and Mello it was quiet.
They had settled down at the small two person table in the corner of the kitchen and taken a deck of cards in which they played War, which Matt found was oddly suiting to the situation. Both avoided talking about that morning and Matt was fine with that. He was certain it would come up in conversation again later on, or maybe even the next day, but they didn't need to talk to play games.
It had been a general consensus to stay at least until they could find out more about community seven. Matt's games were currently charging so he had no reason to complain.
It had been said that within a half hour the patrol would be able to radio back the condition of the community. Well, a half an hour once they actually left.
It would have been stupid to expect anything good to come of going to the community, but Matt supposed everyone wanted to believe in something.
That was why he and Mello were doing something as mundane as playing cards, not that Matt minded. He could usually never get Mello to play anything with him, cards included, and Matt had never asked why, just assuming that gaming wasn't Mello's thing. Matt could accept some people just were not meant to enjoy games.
But as they grew tired of War and the games shifted into Michigan Rummy, Matt had to wonder if there was another reason Mello never played games, a more personal one. Mello was good at cards. Too good for a first timer, or even occasional player.
Matt kept his thoughts to himself and instead concentrated on passing the time in relative silence as they snacked on a package of nuts, found in the little care package given to them the night before.
"Rummy!" Mello said, slapping a hand on the card Matt had just discarded.
"On what?"
"My six's. You're going to lose if you keep this up Matt. I'm used to having a harder time when playing.." Mello trailed off and hesitantly grabbed the card. Matt was definitely curious, his previous pondering apparently having some truth, but it wouldn't be fair to Mello for him to ask.
They may have been friends but Matt was hardly about to use that against him.
The awkwardness shifted after a few minutes and Matt was relieved that Mello's little slip hadn't ruined their game. It wasn't really the game Matt liked, but it was the fact that Mello was even playing that Matt wanted to prolong.
He hated seeing Mello uncomfortable so he carried on as though nothing had transpired. Matt could have almost pretended that the slip up had been imagined expect for the odd look Mello got a few minutes later.
"You know Matt, I used to go over to my sisters place and have a sort of game night with her and our parents when they were still alive. It always kept my mind off the undercover work." Mello said lightly, conversationally.
Mello may have tried to make light of it but Matt understood it was anything other. Matt wondered the reason for Mello's sudden admission. Anything was possible with Mello so it was pointless to speculate.
Matt had no idea what to say to something like that so he didn't say anything at all, instead making brief eye contact with Mello to let him know he had been listening before taking another card for his hand.
.
Matt caught Mello glancing at the time again and rolled his eyes. It was a half hour over the time the 'formal' announcement was supposed to have been made. So far all they had gotten was that the patrols were back and that there were no other survivors.
"Dammit, Matt. I can't just sit here and play cards with you the entire day. This is driving me up the wall!" Mello growled, tossing his cards across the table and sending the chair skidding backwards as he stood.
"What the hell happened over there? Do they even know? What exactly is the state of the place? We need to know these things, and I know you aren't stupid so you understand why." Mello said, viciously biting into a piece of chocolate.
Matt sighed. He did understand why, but what exactly could they do? Certainly not just stomp down to the communications office and demand the information. That would probably just get them kicked out of the community, wouldn't it?
"Let's just go. I'll get the information one way or another." Mello left no room for negotiating in the matter so all Matt could do was grab his jacket and follow, hoping they didn't have to sleep in the car that night.
.
Ten minutes and one wrong turn later they stood outside the communications center. Matt itched for a smoke but knew better than to light one inside. Results would be quick so he figured it would not be long until he could have another one.
Mello would either get them what they wanted or get them kicked out.
Stepping inside after Mello, Matt took in the solemn atmosphere and the people franticly speaking into about six different radios at once. Matt guessed the other end were communities wanting to know if the rumors were true; news traveled fast, all things considered.
"Who is in charge here?" Mello asked. He did not even have to raise his voice to get the attention he wanted; the room almost freezing, possibly at seeing 'civilians' in there. The only time they had been in one of the communication centers was back in the other community and accompanied by the community head.
"I am Marcus Cain, second in command here. What can I do for you?" A short, stocky man in faded camouflage gear asked, all the while ushering them away from the foray of radio workers and to a more silent place.
"We want to know exactly what was found at the community, any information that you have."
"Look, I know that everyone here is concerned and just want to understand what's happened but I don't think it's a good idea-"
"We are not members of this community! We have to go back out there in a few days and if there is something going on with the infected I'd like to know!" Mello snapped and stood straight up, seeming taller and more imposing than he actually was with his lithe almost feminine frame.
Marcus was silent for a while, seemingly conflicted, before he sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose like he had an itch. Matt knew they had gotten their way. He was unsure if anyone else would have given them the information, even the community head, but Matt figured it had to do with Marcus knowing how important information was in this age.
"I went with one of the patrols..it was... it was a massacre." Marcus told them gravely. "It was probably up to par with things one would see in horror movies. The bodies lying in heaps and blood everywhere. The gates were caved in, like there had been so many infected pushing against it that the combined weight of them all had wrecked them." Marcus told them. His eyes were haunted.
"The gates were caved in?" Matt asked.
"Let me explain something first, the gates over there might have been reinforced but they were still just fencing; heavy duty fencing but nothing like the gates we've got here. But those gates shouldn't have folded regardless,
We have no idea how many infected were there originally or how many were made when things got out of control in the community, but there were a bunch still milling around and just retching and eating and retching and eating." Marcus shook his head, as though trying to clear the images from his head.
"Is there any way to tell if the infected had been acting odd?" Mello pressed. If the information was being freely given, he was going to get it.
"How do you mean?"
"As in if the infected were more aggressive, starved even. If that might be the reason the community fell so easily." Mello muttered quietly, glancing around to see if anyone was listening.
"So you've heard the rumors too? It's possible I'd say but without video its impossible to tell. We've been trying to get cameras installed at all the communities but so far they have been vetoed at every turn. Maybe this will change that." Marcus leaned back against the table and surveyed them, as though trying to understand them. Probably trying to figure out why they would rather travel than stay in one place.
"That it? It really was simply a graveyard?" Matt asked. They really had no more information than they started with other than the gory little tidbits Marcus had told them.
"There's nothing more. I have no idea what you are looking to get out of this but that is the entire story. If you'll excuse me I have other duties to be attending to, I assume that you can show yourselves out?" Marcus asked with a raised eyebrow as though he almost expected them to go and pester the staff there.
"Yeah, thanks for telling us." Mello grumbled, clearly not happy in the least. Matt tugged the blond away and Mello sighed long and suffering once they were back outside.
"That told us nothing more than everyone there is dead. What if those rumors are not rumors Matt? Is there any safe place when the infected are hell bent on devouring everyone until there is nothing left?"
Mello sounded tired, more tired than Matt had ever heard him. Almost defeated in a way. It was a crappy situation. If a community could fall that quick than being on the roads were suicide. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Matt wrapped an arm around Mello's shoulder without thinking and pulled him close until their sides touched.
"Yeah the world sucks. But we've made it this far, a few more pissed off infected shouldn't matter."
Mello gave him a weak grin and as they walked around the community to see if they could get something to eat for later on Mello made no move to disentangle himself from Matt's hold.
-End Part 24-
AN: see? I updated... as for the fic I mentioned, it is not the bingo one, sorry :)
Special thanks to reviewers: Amour en Rayures, Aoayame, mxmsupporter, Keono, S'moresForMooses, Deadly Nightshade1395, CatatonicVanity, IssaHORROR,
Preview of next chapter:
"Oh my god!"
Matt looked over at Mello at the shout. It had not come from the movie but practically right outside their window. Their apartment was the last one on a bottom floor and faced the street across from it where people milled about all day.
Matt paused the movie as Mello got to his knees and yanked the blinds open, making late afternoon light spill into the room.
Matt had to squint to focus his eyes but he could just make out the prone figure on the ground and people that backed away from them. "What the...?"
Why was no one helping them? It was then that Mello muttered 'its that survivor...' and Matt understood all too well why no one rushed to the pregnant woman's aid.
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