"I have to go see Penber and Misora," Mello murmured to Near as they sat in their usual corner. Near's back was firmly against Mello's chest, Mello's free arm resting behind the younger boy as his other hand held out yet another report they were supposed to be studying. It was just like the others, giving them absolutely no new information. The only thing it was managing to do was convince Mello that he was correct that they were looking in the wrong direction. He didn't want to keep wasting his time trying to find peculiarities in their victims behavior.

Especially since those victims were Takada and Mikami.

They were both as guilty as Yagami.

Mello was finding it difficult to form any type of sympathy.

"Mello can wait one more day," Near mumbled back, pressing himself more firmly into Mello's side. "L will be concerned if Mello leaves now."

"I said I was going to meet them today, Near," Mello snapped, though he was careful to keep his voice low. "If I don't show up, they're going to think something is wrong."

Mello could feel the younger boy sighing but he didn't say anything to dispute Mello's claim. Mello couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction at that. Just because the two had been getting along remarkably well didn't mean Mello couldn't have at least a little bit of enjoyment at winning against the other boy. Mello stared at the document in front of him but he didn't take in any of the information.

"Mello!" Near snapped suddenly, his voice loud in the quiet room. Mello's arm jerked and his eyes swung toward the younger boy. Near was scowling, twirling his hair frantically. Mello blinked, mind whirling as he tried to figure out what he had done to make the other boy so upset. He couldn't think of anything. Maybe he had been moving the page or something…

"Mello needs to take a break," Near said firmly, pulling away from the older boy and pulling his knees up against his chest.

L's head tilted as he looked at the youngest successor. "There is much that-"

"Mello needs a break," Near said firmly, once again surprising Mello as he cut their mentor off. "Mello is distracted. Mello is distracted and it is distracting me. I dislike it."

Matt let out a huff of laughter and stood from his desk chair. He stretched his arms up over his head and Mello winced at the loud pop that echoed throughout the room. "I could do with some fresh air. Come on, Mells. Let's take a walk and let these two concentrate."

L frowned. "I was not having trouble concentrating. I do not think this is a good time for Mello and Matt to-"

"Come on, Mells," Matt said quickly, reaching down to grab Mello's arm and pull him into a standing position. L was still protesting as the two teenagers jogged from the room and out into the hall. Mello felt himself grinning broadly as he and Matt exchanged a quick glance and ran toward the elevator. There was a change L would come after them or Wammy would stop them before they were able to leave the hotel. They had to be fast.

"I suppose we're going to see Penber?" Matt said lowly as the two stood in the elevator.

"Yep," Mello grinned.

"And Near made up that little drama to get us out of the room?"

"Suppose so."

"I'm a little impressed."

"…me too," Mello admitted, scrunching his nose up as he did so. Matt laughed loudly at Mello's apparent distaste but both of the boys knew that Mello wasn't nearly as upset about the situation as he was pretending to be. Honestly, Mello was a little…proud that Near had come up with such a solution and had actually been able to outmaneuver L. At least for the moment.

The elevator came to a stop and both boys pulled their hoods up as they quickly made their way out of the lobby and onto the busy street. Mello was quick to take the lead, striding down the sidewalks and dodging the crowds as he made his way toward Penber and Misora's hotel. Unlike the hotel they were currently staying in, the one the two were in was rundown and a bit mangy. Mello sneered at the stain on the carpet and Matt muttered his disgust as Mello finally came to a stop in front of the couple's door. He knocked.

And waited.

With a frown, Mello knocked again, louder than he had previously.

But there wasn't an answer.

"Mells…"

"No," Mello snapped, shaking his head as he once again began to pound on the door. "NO. They were right here! We said we were going to meet today…"

"Maybe they're just out," Matt tried to reassure him but Mello could see that his best friend didn't even believe his own words. "We'll just wait around a bit."

Mello scowled furiously. It didn't make any sense! The couple had flown to Japan from America after Penber obtained his memories. And Misora had begun to dream shortly after they arrived. Both of them were adamant about catching Kira and about helping Mello with Yagami. Neither of them believed that the older teenager was to be trusted. So why would they just leave without saying anything?

He needed to get in that room.

"Matt? Still know how to pick a lock?" Mello questioned as he glanced down at the old lock on the door. How lucky for him that this hotel would be one that hadn't bothered to update their security.

Matt grimaced. "I need something to pick it with." At Mello's look, Matt threw his hands up in the air. "So sorry, Mells! From now on I'll be sure to carry my lockpicks around with me!"

"That's what I'm saying!"

Thirty minutes later found Mello standing in a clean, empty room.

Penber and Misora were gone. And, clearly, they had been for at least a day. Long enough for whatever cleaning service this place had to have already completed their job.

"Come on, Mells," Matt sighed, leaning against the closed door as Mello searched the room for some sign of the couple. He had a sort of twisted hope that they had left something behind to tell him where they went. Even if the cleaning people had already come into their room, it was clear that they weren't the best at their job based on the state of the hotel.

But there was nothing there.

There was nothing there!

Anger surged throughout Mello's body and he turned on his heel, slamming his fist into the wall. Matt yelped as plaster broke and Mello felt a shock of pain travel throughout his arm. He ignored it and pulled his hand from the wall, barely glancing down at the blood as he stomped past Matt and pulled open the door. "Mells-"

"Shut up!" Mello growled, his fists still clenched as he stomped out of the hotel. Matt ran after him, reaching toward Mello's arm on a regular basis. Mello just pulled out of his grip and continued down the street, ignoring the way people stared at him in a mixture of horror and concern.

It had to be Yagami. Mello didn't know how the older boy had found out that Penber and Misora were here but he was absolutely sure that Yagami was the reason they were gone now. He was going to destroy him.

"Mells, let me look at your hand-"

"Shut up, Matt!"

"Mells-" Matt cut himself off as his phone began to ring. The boy fumbled to get the phone out of his pocket and pressed it against his ear. "What?"

Mello scowled at the redhead. Why was he even bothering? They had to get back to the hotel and confront Yagami. Mello was done trying to get answers. He was done waiting. Yagami had a lot of things to explain and, even if he was Kira at the moment (even if he still had doubts about that), Mello knew that he was involved in some way. He was done pandering to L. Mello had come to terms years ago that he would never be L's successor. That position was Nears. Mello wasn't sure what he was going to do with this life but holding himself back because of his respect for the man was going to stop from this point on.

"Mells! Mello!"

Mello snapped out of his thoughts and glared at his best friend. "What?!" He was going to say more but the look of pure horror on the redhead's face made him falter. "Matt?"

Matt's mouth opened but no sound came out. Mello's brows furrowed and he took a step forward, his mind working frantically as to why Matt was staring at him like that. Like something horrible had happened…

…no.

"Near?" Mello asked, the words barely escaping his throat. As his entire body seemed to burn and a pit opened in his stomach.

Matt's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. "No! No, Mells, it's not Near."

Overwhelming relief flooded through him but despite the feeling, Mello continued to look at his best friend anxiously. "Then who?"

Matt took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. He seemed to take a moment before his eyes snapped open and he met Mello's gaze. "Our list? The one that lists everyone that you all remember to have touched the Death Note? I guess it… they're all dead, Mello. Every last one of them. They all died of heart attacks."

Mello could only stand there, standing on the sidewalk of Tokyo with blood dripping down his hand, as the words reverberated throughout his head.

"They're all dead, Mello. Every last one of them."

Mello screamed.