Disclaimer: The manga/anime Death Note and it's characters do not belong to me; they belong to their rightful creators writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. However; the OC in this FanFiction belongs to my cousin.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Loyalty


Poor Mion was feeling kind of light-headed, that she collapsed on her knees in that next instant; anxiety-risen welt in her throat made the gasping all the more painful. She was parched, and the dry sobs that went into the receiver wasn't helping anybody.

L must've been very confused, but at the same time, he must've picked up that this wasn't the same wail of a child who's lost their mother in a mall. But merely, the cry of relief. The weight of the world, lifted off her chest, and Mion finally found her purpose in this world.

She hated herself because it was so obvious, but the fact that she made it here regardless, should still be celebrated. It was a miracle.

" Z... What's wrong? " His voice rang low in her ear, as if he were truly concerned. Mion almost wanted to laugh, imagining a silhouetted L, holding an old, untraceable phone with both hands. Maybe they didn't fit in his palms - she didn't know. " Did something happen? "

Mion nodded, forgetting that L couldn't actually see her.

" Tell me everything. " It was a simple statement - a demand, actually - but there was some sort of edge to it.

Emotions...?

" I... I don't have any kind of lead just yet, " she defeatedly confessed. Her heart rate, ringing in her ears like loud rhythmic drums, was finally dying down, and her thoughts were coming together. She could hear herself think, and she could see where she was, and all the responsibilities that was coming with these next choice of words. Though frightening, Mion felt confident, and she was willing to take on the world. " But what I do know is that I can't stay at Wammy's anymore. What I have to do now is go out to America, and find B myself. "

" Why did you come to that conclusion? " He sounded almost doubtful. He sounded almost disappointed. Mion's jaw clenched, as she could slowly feel herself slowly sink back into the floor.

Like that one nightmare that never stopped ringing in her head.

But he wasn't getting the picture... !

And to be completely honest, neither did Mion. Her words were all out of impulse, an unconscious decision that she didn't dare to regret now.

" You could get yourself killed jumping in on foreign land. You don't have a plan or even the slightest clue of what you'll do when you see him! "

" But you don't jump anywhere! " She spat. " Oh, it must be nice... To hide your face from us - even your voice isn't real. "

What was she saying?

" These kids have their whole lives laid out for them! We're all here, striving to become you, and you don't even have the decency to meet us?! "

" Z... "

" No! Look, L, I may not be the brightest of the group, but I'm literally B's only friend. Whether this idea kills me or not, I have to go. " She sniffled into the receiver, but still attempted to hide her shame from Roger, who long ago stopped watching her. " It's all-around cheesy as fuck, but I need to help him... The fact that he let me go means something, L... "

But L never replied. It was a bitter silence, and the static-filled drone filled Mion's ears. Her fingers were loosening their grip on the phone, and she wasn't fighting back this conclusion.

L wasn't going to help her.

She lost all her faith in L.

Flipping through her fallen notebook, she began to think for herself once more. Though she still held the detective on the other end, and refused to be the first to hang up, she ignored everyone else, and just read through her notes. Mai had written something after all, so it must be worth checking out.

Mion thought that if she had to carry this plan on her own, then she would do what B did - and steal from the orphanage's fundings. The idea sounded horrible: To steal from orphans, but she had no other choice.

She glared at the old bookcase to her left. It was oddly highlighted - almost too obvious - like a cartoon prop you're expecting to move.

Roger had taken note of the glint in Mion's determined eyes, melting away the ice, and shuddered. Beads of sweat beginning to form on his balding head, as he must've been picking up on her devious thoughts.

The question is... If he'd allow such things to happen twice.

" You passed, " L finally spoke, and startled Mion. " I was hoping that you would come to this deduction. "

" E-excuse me? "

" I just had Watari send a few news-clippings to Roger's laptop of what's going on in Los Angeles. Though I can't be for certain, the timing and style are on par. I believe I have pin-pointed B's exact location - in fact, I have known this since he departed to America. " L sounded amused, almost smug about his works and findings.

Mion approached Roger's laptop as he also seemed a little anxious, rearranging so everything was legible.

A murder in Los Angeles. The newspaper, and online articles have it so that this sort of murder was no ordinary thing, and deem it as rather "unusual" for a killer to be as meticulous as this one. To go as far as even wipe down the light bulbs.

That wasn't even the highlight, but the fact that a crossword had been sent to the police station before the actual crime was committed. It was a random crossword that made no sense at all, and was disregarded.

" I can't let you go on your own, however; no fingers pointed at me or anything, but I'm going to send you an FBI agent to accompany you. She is very skilled in what she does, and will be of great help. That is my only exception: You cannot leave without her. "

" But why? "

" Because it's dangerous out there... I don't want to lose another person... " He sounded so human.

" ... Fine. Deal. "

" B is lucky to have such a loyal friend like you, isn't it? "

" Yeah, well I hope he's fucking grateful. I'm literally all he's got right now. "

" I want you to start packing today, because I've already set up the flight for you, tomorrow morning. "

" Yeah, I'll get to it! "

" And Mion... ? "

Her heart thumped even louder and harder than it ever has. Her eyes widened, and with tears, still streaming down her cheeks, she smiled very faintly.

" Be careful. " Various hues of pink, dusted her cheeks, and spread all the way up to her ears. There was this tenderness she couldn't have detected before today. Before finding this purpose she could finally call her own - L would still be a robot.

This would be the first time they were actually talking to each other.

Mion had been talking to the world's greatest detective all this time, that she forgot that he was still human. She had forgotten that L must've been waiting for her to reach this point, like a proud father, he praised her.

" Oh, well, but of course, " she replied with a smug tone of her own, and laughed, for once, in what felt like years.

And as she laughed, she took the quickest glance at the notebook still positioned on the floor, revealing the messy scribbles of her printing. She flipped to Mai's page, specifically, and then went cold.

" L... ? "

" What is it? "

" Do... Death Gods exist? "

" No. Are you religious, Mion? "

" Not really, but... " She closed the notebook, " I was just wondering. "

" I'll keep in contact with you while you're in Los Angeles, so if you still feel alone; I'm only a phone call away. "

" Thanks. I'm going to go on ahead now. Thank you. Thank you so much, L. I promise to bring B back in one piece... Just... Go easy on him... ? "

" I'm sorry, Mion, but I have no control over matters like that. "

" O-okay, I'll talk to you later then. "

" Good luck. Oh, and... Pass the phone to Roger, I'd like to say a few things to him before you hang up. "

" Sure, " she shrugged, still smiling very softly, and handed the phone back to Roger. L is still there, she mouthed, and Roger quickly took the phone from her fingers.

Mion picked up her notebook, and took quick strides to the door.

" Isn't this newspaper article your printing, L? " Was the last thing Mion heard before leaving that office, once and for all.

She didn't pay any heed to what Roger and L were exchanging behind that door now. It was none of her business anymore. She had one goal in mind, and it had nothing to do with those two anymore.

She shrugged her shoulders, and set her sights to her room to pack the little that she had still left.

However; just as she was about to make her way through the hallway, the very sight of innocent child's play between Mello and Mai played before her. They were chasing each other like children, though their minds were far from it. It was the fact that they were acting this way that would've brought tears to Mion's eyes, if she still didn't have some dignity left in her. She was happy to see these kids, act like kids.

Mello was about to run into Mion, when she grabbed his shoulder and startled him. He jolted in place, and whipped his head over his shoulder, in fear of it being that awfully nasty caretaker who nags way too much.

But when it was just Mion, he relaxed tenfold under her palm, and she looked at him, sympathetically. Other than B or A, Mello and even Matt were the only other orphans she ever "bonded" with.

She wanted to engrave this image in her head because the way Mai was looking at her, she had this horrible gut feeling that, she wasn't coming back home. She wasn't coming back to see this face anymore. Not his, not Matt's - not even Mai's.

" Here, " she handed Mello her notebook. " Do whatever you want with it. " Though she was implying that with her tone of voice and body language, what she really wanted was for Mello to keep it as a keepsake. A reminder, an imprint on the world that she existed. As a Wammy's Orphan and as simply Mion.

" Uh... Sure? " Mello took the little book, almost reluctantly, and glanced over at Mai for a second.

Mai's eyes had not once diverted themselves from Mion's face.

Mai smiled sadly in Mion's direction, and waved; " bye Mion. "

" I'll see you around! " She tried to laugh, but there was this ache in her chest that she couldn't exactly explain.


" The blood... ! It... It...! It isn't washing off! " Cried B in a desperate panic.

The sound of rushing water filled the little suite he occupied, and if one were to examine closely; it was scalding hot water. The steam, barely emitting from the metallic sink, clouded his eyes.

" It's still here... Oh fuck it's still HERE! "

The boy, washing harder and harder, until his pale skin, turned a fleshy red. But even so, he kept at it. He kept washing, even under his fingernails, but the image of oozing blood just kept seeping through his pores - as though he were simply sweating it.

" Stop it, stop it... " B eyes watered, and Beyond looked over in amusement.

' There'll be more where that came from... So get used to it, ' he sneered.


A/N's: Wow! I didn't take so long to update this time!

This must be a new personal record!

Hope you guys enjoyed all the build-up, because look who just came back! The action now begins here!


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