Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill nor Death Note.

"So this is the oil merchant's mansion... Could you please explain why we're here again?" Nyau asked as they were hiding behind bushes.

The mansion and garden connected with a forest, they could easily sneak in because of that. It was a little late. Fortunately, around this time, there usually would be less security. How lucky Near actually was for these circumstances. Otherwise, it would've been way harder to pull something like this off.

"The wooden building is Gamal's office. We should be able to find evidence there. Like a journal or some documents."

"Seriously, which idiot has their office be a separate building? Don't you think that's strange. How can you even trust this suspect guy?"

The younger boy looked down, "I don't have evidence to back that up. But I could tell he was genuinely sad."

"How could you tell? I don't think you even have emotio-"

Near put his hand to Nyau's mouth in order to silence him. "Ssst, I heard a door."

Across from them a door opened. A man similar to a toad walked out. An awfully pleased look on his face.

Gamal the oil merchant.

When Near saw his face, memories of his conversation with the man/suspect resurfaced.

"My sister and I work for him. Well, worked. Our jobs didn't really pay well. So in order to get some extra money, my sister had to go to his office every night. And...and..." tears stung in his eyes. "He did horrible things to her. She always said it was fine, but it wasn't. She smelled like that man every time she got home. And yet, I couldn't do anything!" At this point, tears started streaming down his face.

Somehow, Gamal never got blamed for it. When he was at the station, the victim's brother wasn't the only person he asked questions to. He asked numerous officers.

He eventually found out Ogre brought her body here. There must be some connection between him and the oil merchant.

And this was worth noting, too. The bullet from the wound was from an Imperial Guard's gun. The white-haired boy asked Seryu to look at it. He didn't want to do it himself because he was afraid he would lose his cool. The girl had undoubtedly confirmed it.

Though, he found it strange that Seryu got the bullet out without problems. She seemed like an innocent girl. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

He couldn't confirm the culprit with all the evidence he collected up to this point. That's why they were here. Gamal must have something in his office that will prove their connection.

When he looked through the recent cases that involved rape, one thing became clear. All the other ones didn't have a suspect.

But maybe Ogre gave one with a suspect to make it easier for the white-haired boy? Well, that will NEVER be the case for somebody like Ogre. He already made Near suspicious, even before he met him. And with his ego, he probably saw Near like trash that needs to be thrown away from his life.

Something sticky on his hand interruped him from his thoughts. Just great...Nyau seriously licked at his hand. Hesitantly, he removed his hand.

"No way, Is that Gamal? He looks even uglier than Daidara." Nyau replied like he never licked his companion's hand a second ago.

"Well, you're really nice on this wonderful day, aren't you?" Near sarcastically remarked.

As Nyau was about to make his 'amazing' comeback, Near held up a hand to stop him.

"When he leaves we're going to enter where he came from. There are no guards walking here at the moment. Let's be fast, just in case. When he turns the corner we will make a run for it, understand?"

"I guess, but you can't tell me what to do." He muttered the last part. His companion heard it, but decided not to test Nyau's temper, ignoring it would be the best option.

When the time was right, both of them bolted towards the building. The white-haired boy was panting even though it was a short run. The blonde one, however, didn't look tired in the slightest.

Regaining his breath a bit, Near quietly opened the door and entered.

Strangely, there were only numerous bookcases and a desk. Nothing else filled the room. Gamal probably uses this place occasionally. Howerver there was a window close to the desk. They had to look out for that.

"We have to hurry," Near began as he was looking though the desk, ducking a little to make sure nobody would see him through the window. "The door wasn't locked, so he might be coming back soon." The fact that there were no guards also unnerved him. Gamal was wandering around here. Why wouldn't there be guards on duty, then?

This being a separate building gave Near the impression that they never knew of his scheme. Heck, since there were no guards, maybe he's doing something similar as we speak? In that case, the girl will be an exception. She was just an unfortunate soul who needed money. Gamal's actions gave her the biggest price to pay, her life. If he got away with that, then the white-haired boy didn't want to know what else was happening in the shadows.

Near quickly began searching through the desk's content while Nyau just looked around the room, not helping him in the slightest. Well, he wasn't going to ask the guy for a hand, anyway. For some reason, every little thing sets the guy off.

After a bit of searching he desk something...unnerving. A small box was in the desk. Curious, he opened it.

Nyau was just minding his own business, doing nothing productive, despite the situation they were in. He was too stubborn to help his companion.

After a bit, he heard Near gasp and a small "thud!" was heard throughout the silent building.

Annoyed at the sound he turned around. "Hey? What are you doing? You said..." he trailed off. Seeing his shocked and slightly freaked out expression.

He looked at the white-haired boy and the box. "Wonder what could get you so freaked out," the blonde spoke out loud while walking to the box.

He opened it to discover a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. Correction, a pair of blue eyeballs. Still though, he couldn't help but notice their beautiful colour.

A grin appeared over his face, an opportunity to mock Near just arrived. "Pfff, only because of this? Is the great genius finally scared?"

Near put a hand over his heart and tried to inhale calmly. The sudden shock of seeing something like that really caught him off guard. He just hoped he wouldn't think back to all the things he had seen today. He got off easily, since he had more important matters to concentrate on.

However, he could always dream about these things. And he wouldn't admit it, but it scared him to some extent. Hopefully, it wouldn't come back to haunt him.

Seeing what Gamal actually had done disgusted him to no end. He may not have the evidence to convince someone like Ogre of his cruel deed, but his gut told him that Gamal had done it.

The guy looked old, and he wasn't exactly the best looker. Near had a hunch he needed to fulfill his carnal desires and that lead to the woman's horrible death.

However, some books had stories with people beautiful on the inside. They were not the best lookers, but their lovers still liked them for who they were.

If you look at it in that way, it actually made Gamal look worse. It only suggested that he wasn't really a kind man on the inside. Not that Near expected him to. I mean the eyeballs were a dead giveaway.

But something was still at the back at his mind. Could this be his first time? He is old and the messy way of handling the hickeys, it all lead to him being inexperienced and not having a lover. Thus, finding ways of satisfying his sexual needs.

Not only that, but this was the only rape case with an actual suspect. Ogre, who had the authority to do it, had to put the blame on someone for Gamal to safely walk out of this mess.

If he was right, it brought some concern to the young boy. I mean, things like these had to be looked through properly. The report didn't even say why the victim's brother was held accountable for doing it.

What more could those with power get away with? It was outrageous and stupid that even the Emperor is a child. It just asked for him getting corrupted.

Hold on, that statement actually backfires to himself. The man's life was in his hands, the hands of a young boy. Up to this point, the guy's life was pretty much ruined. However, execution after this was likely. But let Near be, alright! He isn't ruling an entire country full of people and actually has some brain cells!

After drowing a bit in this thoughts, and surprisingly no comment from Nyau, he finally calmed down. "I've seen those eyes before. They're the same as the suspect."

"Huh? You mean that victim's brother?"

Near nodded, "yes. And I'm afraid Gamal may be behind this."

"Oh, so he has something for eyes?" Nyau's hand moved under his chin, "it's kinda similar to me skinning faces."

Near looked confused, "skinning faces?"

"Heh heh, you don't know?" A creepy smile appeared on the blonde's face, attempting to scare the younger male. "I like to skin the faces of my victims and collect them. You could be one, tooq."

Near just blankly stared back. It really was messed up what he apparently did. But he would've taken it more seriously if he didn't try to scare him like he was some child. Oh wait...

"I didn't have to know that. And you don't scare me. But you know, your hobby explains your attitude. If I had weird fetishes like that, I would be ashamed too and lash out on everybody else." Near boldly told him.

A vein suddenly appeared on his forehead, "now I remember why I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep that thing with you. It's evidence against Gamal. I'll still look for other clues."

"Carry it yourself. I'm not your donkey."

Near sighed out of annoyance. "Look, we're basically on private grounds and could be charged for it. And the General would probably get most of the blame. What would happen think of her then? You can say whatever you want when we get back. Please, for once, don't act so stubborn. We don't even know when Gamal could come back."

Nyau wanted to say something, but then closed his mouth. He actually had a point, he didn't want to damage Esdeath's image (and end up in her torture chambers.) Still though, he wasn't the only one to blame, right? Near was insulting him, too. But much more politely.

Nevermind that, his words held some truth. He didn't want to become a Thorn on Esdeath's side and face her wrath. And like he said, this could always continue in the palace.

Fine then, he would stop fighting. But that didn't mean he couldn't start a conversation to cure his boredom. He will stop arguing, but he wasn't going to go as far as helping him. That is some next level stuff.

"Even if he comes, I could still sense him."

Near was taken back. Finally, Nyau said something useful! But telling him would start another argument, so he kept silent about it. Instead, he decided to talk normally with him. Hopefully that's actually possible.

"You can sense people?" Near asked while resuming his research.

The blonde put his hands behing his head and started pacing around the room. "Not at a large distance. But I guess that's better than nothing. Now, I sense there are no guards around here. I don't even sense Gamal. But maybe he's out of my reach."

Seriously? That information is essential, and now he's telling about it? He could point it out, but that'll probably start another fight. And for now, he had to be on Nyau's good side. Atleast he knew about it now.

"That could come in handy. I don't think somebody like Gamal could do that, could he?"

"Well," a small grin became apparent on his face. "All of my hard battles and training have brought me up to this point. The guy didn't look like he has ever battled before. Hell, he looks even fatter than Daidara."

He insulted Daidara for the second time. Near couldn't help but be annoyed. Daidara was much kinder than Nyau, in his own weird way.

"He is just well-built," Near defended.

'Unlike you,' he mentally added. True, his remarks about Daidara were getting to him. But he wasn't really in the mood to blow their cover. He didn't want to throw this whole plan out the window.

Nyau didn't lash out on him. The white-haired boy's response wasn't insulting. It did earn Near a sigh of annoyance, though. But finally, a time where he was reasonable.

"Whatever, I guess so. But is this everything? I hoped to kill some bitches with my Teigu," Nyau stated. Somehow, Near knew he wasn't joking. But they weren't here to cause a ruckuss. The only important thing was evidence.

"By the way, I've heard about Teigu before. Do you have one?" Near asked, curious about his weapon and ignoring his last statement.

A cocky smile came to Nyau's face. "Hehehe, I do. I guess you'd want to know it some day. I can't show you now. But it's super amazing, just like me!"

'Well, I guess my hope aren't too high then,' Near wanted to say that so badly because of his arrogant attitude. But remembered his words, he didn't want to look like a total hypocrite in front of Nyau nor ruin this plan. He left it as it
is, a thought. No need to say it to him directly.

"It probably is," he answered, a bit too relucant. For some reason, there was no boasting from Nyau, only silence. He looked over to see him just staring at the wall.

"Hey Nyau? What's wrong?" He couldn't help but be slightly concerned. This was not normal for the blonde. And if somebody came, or even some guards, he was the only one with fighting experience. No way Near could take on some trained guards with his build. Maybe with a weapon, but unfortunately, he only had a small hunting knife on him. A Teigu would be way more handy.

"Nyau?" He shook the blonde's shoulder in an attempt to get some type of reaction. This attitude wasn't normal. If this was a joke, then Nyau literally had the worst timing ever.

"Someone's coming," he whispered, quietly enough for Near not to hear.

"Someone's coming and stop shaking me, damn it!" Alright, he was at fault for continuing. But this wasn't the time for apologies, they had to hide!

"It took you so long to realize that?" He asked with geniune curiosity.

"I wasn't sure where they were headed, okay?!"

Getting his answer, Near grabbed the blonde's arm and ran. He almost fell which made Near receive quite some colorful words. He hid under the desk while pulling Nyau with him to said place.

"What are you doing?!" A scowl was present on his face, Near guessed he lost any form of reasoning.

"Hiding, of course. Don't you see that?" He calmly replied back. Even though Nyau was probably pissed, provoking him further would have dire consequences.

"We had time to escape! But if we do now, they'll see us! Seriously, couldn't you sense them!?"

Is he being stupid, right now? Of course he couldn't sense them! Maybe it just slipped out, but that isn't the main issue here. There were things more important. But he still got a blank look from the white-haired boy.

"Nyau, who are they?" If it were just some guards they could wait them out or continue where they left off. No need to get so worked up. Unless...

"Its aura is the same as Gamal's and another unknown one! They're almost here, too! Near, be silent! Or they'll hear us!"

Really now? He was the one who is loud the whole time. He would probably be afraid if Nyau's stupidity didn't occupy his mind.
This idiot earned yet another blank look.

But disregarding those thoughts, he reminded himself of the true weight of this situation. The white-haired boy was certain Gamal would be returning to this place. And now that they were both (surprisingly) silent, he finally felt all of the panic building up inside of him.

They were on someone else's property without permission. Even worse, they were both at least acquainted with Esdeath. If this ever got out to the public, it could damage her reputation.

But who knows, they could even be killed. If there were actually guards around here, they would normally remove any possible threats without mercy. Both the blonde and the white-haired boy looked like kids, or atleast teens. If their appearance didn't even look like dangerous in the slightest, death was still possible. I mean, two supposed boys looking around in the middle of the night, might be a warning to some people.

But there was still a possibility they recognize Nyau. By his looks or his uniform, maybe. But still, Near came up with 2 conclusions that could make things worse.

Either, they kill him because they hold a grudge against the General and her army. Or they simply use Nyau as an hostage to get money from Esdeath.

Now, of course with Esdeath's popularity, there were bound to be people who hate you, even in the Empire's own territory.

The second one would be stupid to use against someone with Esdeath's reputation. However, there are still people who are so desperate to get that money. That could lead to some nasty injuries and possible torture. Of course that could happen with the first scenario, too.

Now, Near wasn't completely in the clear. Of course he would be dragged in thanks to Nyau's appearance. Still though, if he wasn't here, then Nyau wouldn't be either.

Hopefully, those things wouldn't happen. Nyau is a member from the Three Beasts, he is bound to have some fighting skills. Things could still end up badly for them. Surprise attacks, maybe? That could even get Esdeath off guard for even a second. And seconde are crucial in a fight. The white-haired boy actually hoped that it did not go down to that, at all. Keeping everything a secret would be for the best.

As the door openend, they both went completely silent. Near was afraid that his rapidly beating heart would give away their position. Adrenaline rushed through him, which, didn't really help calming down. He had the feeling he could dash out of here any minute.

"Well, it was nice doing business with you," an unfamiliar voice said. He had never heard it before, but it kind of suited Gamal's appearance.

However, the guy spoke to somebody else. That meant he wasn't alone. This situation was not reassuring in the slightest for Near.

"Yes, yes, what else-" this voice... Near remembered it all too clearly, it was Ogre! He was right after all! They were working together! But why sid he suddenly stop speaking.

"Something wrong?" Gamal asked.

"This smell...I recognize it too clearly." Ogre muttered as Near shifted uncomfortably from his statement.

Was he getting paranoid? Every move or comment from those two became unnerving.

"And this aura..."

Could he sense people, too? Is he going to find them? What would happen then?

"Damn it! This guy can feel precenses, too! And you can't concert your aura!" The blond beside him whispered/yelled. Now their cover was surely blown.

Heavy footsteps were heard walking towards them.

At this point it felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest.

But is this seriously the end? And everything was all once again...his fault.

Them being found out, his fault.

"Pfff, come on."

Even being here, his fault.

"You're supposed to be the one who uses his head here."

Now, he had ruined the one chance for a better life.

"Look, I don't know what's going through your head."

And possibly even cause her trouble.

"But you do realize I can't let you die right now."

He was completely useless...

"Hell, I'm not going through Lady Esdeath's torture alone."

'Why were you even born?!' A long, distant voice rang through his head, causing his fists to tightly clench together.

"So, snap out of it. And..."

"SMACK!"

"Be like the smartass I want to kill!"

"Eh?"

His hand moved to his red cheek. He hadn't been slapped in a long time. But it still brought things back he wanted to forget. All the pain,
not having a place to call home and not having someone to support him. A person who actually wanted the best for him. He never had that, did he? Day in, day out he would be reminded how pointless his existence was.

But, was it still the same?

The footsteps stopped just before the desk. Near could finally see the heavy-clad armor on the person' large legs. There was no doubt, the voice, the uniform, this was Ogre.

"It just reminded me," the large man started. "Of the biggest nuisance I have ever encountered!" His large hand went to grab the white-haired boy incredibly fast.

Before the hand reached Near, the blonde moved before him. His hand wrapped around his throat and pulled him out, causing him to drop his Teigu. Ogre's other hand pushed him onto the ground. His first action caused the air to knock out of him. But now, Nyau gasped for air as he was basically getting choked.

He really just moved to protect the weak boy. Why didn't he just use his Teigu? It takes time for Scream's power to have full effect. Nyau was afraid too he'll get blamed for not protecting him. Let's be honest, Esdeath would not be happy if something she had taken an interest in, was gone quickly. Besides, Near had to come up with something for this situation. I mean, he always comes up with something to embarrass him! Now he just had to, right now. Otherwise, he'll make sure to haunt his ass off if he actually died.

However, there was something strange with Near. The sad look on his face was probably not for the tricky situation they were just in. Guess it's time to clear some things up if he wanted him to do something.

"H-hey N-Near," Ogre's grip became weaker when he saw who he was choking. His gaze turned to look at the white-haired boy, whose face was a mix of fear and shock. But the fear wasn't directed at him. No, the little runt didn't even bother to look at him. It was time to get some revenge.

"Ah, I knew it was you!" Ogre started, "and I guess this is your little friend. One more of Esdeath's dogs. I'll have to be careful around you. I don't want to piss off that lady! That said, I'm sure she won't find out if her little servant is missing. The Revolutionary army would pay a huge bounty to see his head on a stick!"

"I-I need to s-say something!" Nyau blurted out.

"First, I'll kill this bitch."

"Who the fuck you calling bitch, a-assh-" Nyau couldn't finish as Ogre put more strength into his grip.

"First, this bitch dies. Then, I'll go kill everybody you care about. Or don't you have any parents? I wouldn't be surprised. Who wants a freaky kid like you, anyway?"

His words hit him like a truck. His mind told him not to listen to him, that Ogre was just using this opportunity to get back at him. But his words held some truth. He knew that by experiencing it himself.

"H-hey! S-snap o-out of i-it! D-d-don't listen to h-his w-words!" Nyau managed to say.

Ogre looked at him, "and why are you still talking? Do you want your neck to be broken or something?"

Surprisingly, Nyau was almost shitting himself.

'Why the hell is this happening to me!' Nyau cried out in his mind. 'What did I do to deserve this?! Oh wait...FUCK!'

"C-come on, do y-you w-want t-the b-both of u-us t-to d-d... Agh!" Ogre finally had enough. He was going to finish this little bitch.

"D-DO S-SOMETHING!" He managed to choke out before Ogre was dead-set on killing him.

Nyau's screaming finally snapped him out if his trance.

Peeking from under the desk he noted that the only way to escape was the window. It would be hard to out-run Ogre, even if he made
it through the window. Escape was high unlikely at this point.

Gamal was standing at the door, looking a bit confused and blocking their best exit.

And the fact that Ogre was grinning at him when he looked, really, really, made him feel afraid. He already knew they were screwed if they were caught. But know he knew he was dead. That was the final outcome, though. First, Ogre will have his sweet time with him.

As he realized his fate, Near couldn't stand the giant feeling of guilt swelling inside his chest. Even though he only knew Nyau for a day, even though they only fought, even though he didn't have faith in him at first, he would most likely never admit it, but Near knew he now did.

He knew the stakes before they came here. He could have forced him to turn back and told Esdeath about it, but he didn't. The fact that he let someone down who believed in him, kills him.

He's waiting for Near to help him. He had hope in him, even though their escape seemed impossible. And know, he had to get them out of here, no matter what. But how was the problem.

"Please..." Nyau's voice was horse. It seemed like his life was choked out of him.

His finally cry for help woke something in him. An emotion he had never felt so strong before: determination.

Suddenly he felt something call out to him. As he looked in the direction of what he felt, his eyes immediately landed on the flute Nyau dropped.

Not even being aware of what he was doing, his hands reached to grap the instrument. And somehow, for some unknown reason, he was playing it.

The sound that came out from it was bad, terrible or horrible. It was beautiful. When the instrument reached his lips, he started playing like a professional, despite having zero experience of playing a flute.

It was a beautiful and elegant instrument. But he never had actual any interest in playing it. And here he was, playing it like he practised it his entire life.

"What is this sound?" Ogre asked, standing up and releasing Nyau from his grip. He was now towering over the desk, but wobbling a bit in his steps.

The moment Nyau was released, he was violently coughing. He realized Near was playing Scream. Somehow he started playing a freaking Teigu. And somehow, he started playing a freaking Teigu that had already bonded with him. Somebody else. And he was using it, right at this moment.

Did that even happen?! Was this even possible?!

Well, it apparently is since he's literally witnessing it. But leave him be. It's already hard to believe Near is using a Teigu, let alone his Teigu. According to Nyau, this shit isnt't supposed to happen.

He began to feel drowsy like Ogre. Mustering all of his strength he called out to Near.

"R-run u-until it h-has taken f-full e-effect!" He managed to squeak out.

Near acted immediately when he heard Nyau's order. Using his legs to climb out of the window because Gamal was still blocking the actual exit. And he wasn't going to risk getting caught.

His landing wasn't really smooth. For some reason, his hands wouldn't let go of the flute to support himself, either. The landing would have been a bit painful. However, he felt something stab through his leg and a warm and sticky liquid stain his pants.

He didn't have to look to even know what it was. He didn't want to move so he wouldn't feel the painful sting.

He just laid there, the only things moving were his hands and lips. Which were still playing the flute.

But, Nyau's words rang through his mind. He mustered up all of the strength inside of him and tried to stand. He used one hand to support himself and the other still played the flute. Once standing he slowly moved forward, not even attempting to pull out the knife embedded into his leg. He had a chance to bleed out and that was the least he wanted in this place.

Near could almost jump when he heard something connect with a hard surface. As he relucantly looked back, he saw Ogre's head facing down on the windowsill.

He was most likely asleep. Scream had taken its effect pretty quickly. How did he know this about the Teigu? No idea! But that wasn't the biggest issue at the moment. Luckily, there were no guards in sight. Scream's tune probably reached them, too. This was it, they had a chance to escape!

Securing the Teigu inside his pocket, Near made his way inside as quickly as his wounded leg would let him. Once inside he noticed Nyau's arms around Ogre's foot, while the giant's head was still resting on the windowsill.

Near couldn't help but smile. Nyau still tried to help him until the end. Maybe Ogre would've gotten to Near if the blonde didn't try to pull him back. So now, he was even more determinded to get them both out of this hellhole.

He lifted the unconscious Nyau's arm onto his neck and started dragging him along. Near wasn't the strongest, so the knife stuck in his leg didn't make this easier.

Every time he took a step with his injured leg, he felt the knife's presence in his leg, which made him cringe.

After a long while, the castle was finally in sight. At this point the tiredness was taking over Near. His muscles were sore and he needed sleep. He felt his consciousness slowly slipping away. However, he wasn't going to give up this easily.

He had to succeed! He had to make it back! He owed that much to Nyau. If he wasn't there, Near wasn't sure if he would've made it out of that place.

Black spots appeared in his vision. But Near gritted his teeth and continued forward, determined to bring them both back to safety.

When the the cold, night air suddenly started becoming colder, Near couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the first time he encountered the sudden drop of the temperature, so he immediately knew the person responsible for it.

He finally gave in to the sweet feeling of sleep, his head was now swaying from one side to the other. Near wasn't really aware of his surroundings now. But when two arms wrapped around him to stop him from collapsing, Near knew, he was finally safe.

The cold never felt so welcoming.

A/N: It's been a FREAKING long time since I last updated. This was due to me losing motivation and procrascinating my ass off. And since I already uploaded it, I thought it might be a waste if I didn't finish it. I mean I've already uploaded it and people have read it. I know it's not really fun when a story you like doesn't get finished. I can't promise the quickest updates because I have exams this year, so my studies should be my top priority (even more than anime *cries*). And I'd probably get murdered if I don't graduate. However, I'll do my damnest to finish the story. I actually had more AGK crossovers (including some more DN ones) but I think it should wait until I finish this story (or when I have more time). I don't want to keep more people waiting because I have more fics to update.

And feel free to point out any mistake I made.

Anyway, feedback is always appreciated (gives me more motivaion). And trust me, you won't have to wait another year (or it was like 9 months or something) for an update (btw sorry fot that!)

Bye, guys and gals!