Epilogue.
"Oh gross, look," says Mello happily, and points at the window on the fifth floor. "Ew, what are they doing?" Matt looks up, and adjusts his backpack on his shoulders.
"I think it's good," he says, softly, "I mean. L's happy, right? Don't point, Mello, what if he looks down and sees us?"
Near smiles to himself, still standing on the bottom step.
"Your taxi will be here in a moment."
Mello glances away from the window, and over at Near.
"You're sure you won't come with us, huh?"
Near just nods. Matt can't blame him. The way he looked, sitting in the computer chair next to L, the two of them eating sweets together, L's hand in his mouth and Near's hand in his hair... this was the way it was supposed to be.
"You're going to make a good L, Near. When it happens."
Mello nods agreement. He can't be quite as glad for him as Matt is, because he competed for it for so long... but he can't exactly be sorry, either. He can see the taxi coming down the street. It's probably theirs, his and Matt's. It'll take them to the airport. Watari thinks they're going back to Wammy's house.
"Hey Matt," Mello says, "have you ever been to Las Vegas?"
Near bites his lip to hide a smile. Matt glances over at Mello, and gives him a grin. Watari thinks they're going back to Wammy's house, but on the way out, L slipped a credit card into his pocket while they hugged goodbye.
"You're so fucking typical, Mello."
The taxi cab pulls up behind them. Near bites his lip a little harder, and looks at the ground. He's surprised, doesn't see it coming, when Mello pulls him into a fierce hug.
"We'll phone," he says, "and we'll write and if you need any help with anything, I'll light it on fire and Matt will hack into it because Matt is the hacking God,"
"Or if you just need to talk," Matt says, a little more reasonably, "and we'll come visit on your birthday too, and as soon as I figure it out I'll get you a number where you can reach us..."
Mello lets Near go, and Matt grabs him and hugs him too.
"Take care of yourself. And take care of L, too, I don't think he eats anything real or ever sleeps."
The taxi honks, and Near nods, absently.
"Well." Mello grins, and takes a step towards it. "Bye."
Matt, holding back a moment longer, listens to Mello opening the car door and explaining that they're going to the airport and just one more second.
"Bye Near."
Near looks down at Matt's feet, and then up at him. He smiles once, and turns around to walk back inside, because otherwise Matt is never going to move and there's a very good chance they'll miss their flight.
Matt races down the lasts steps, and jumps into the taxi next to Mello. The two of them look at each other, and grin. Like they've grown up, and suddenly opened their eyes to find the entire world at their fingertips. There's a particular shine to knowing that the possibilities of the world are endless.
The taxi cab pulls away from the batcave. Near rides the elevator back up, holding the superman in his pocket, ready to begin what amounts to a new life. Sighurd stands next to him, hand on his shoulder, ready to protect him in Matt's stead. On the fifth floor, L Lawliet tells Yagami Light his real name.
I'd say it was the end, but really, it's pretty much just the beginning.