A/N: So here's where Wammy's actually comes into the story. As I said in the last chapter this time in Mello's life is going to be difficult… but it think I'll enjoy doing it the most just because I get to put all three of the successors in the one place and really show Mello's hatred towards Near. Should be fun!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of the characters in it. .Sigh. Why must the world be so cruel?

Chapter 7: God… If You Can Somehow Hear Me…

Wammy's wasn't an orphanage to me; it never was. It was an institution that produced products for the world to use someday.

Somehow I was always fine with that fact.

Either way, the events that happened at Wammy's was what really shaped me into the person that I became years later. It was in the building that I developed such a strong hatred for Near. It was there that I became smarter than I ever thought possible.

I was both built up into an astounding being, and destroyed into nothing within my stay there.

From the moment Watari's car pulled up to the front of Wammy's all I could do was stare in amazement at the large building that loomed behind a pair of wrought iron gates that separated it from the rest of the world.

When we got past the gates and stopped in front of the main entrance doors, there was no group of kids there to greet the new kid there. From the outside the silence and stillness of the building gave off the impression that no one lived here.

"Come on Mello." Watari said gently to me, holding open the car door for me. I hadn't even heard him stop the car, let alone get out. It was odd… the more I heard this new name being said to me, the more I began to feel as though it really was my name.

I didn't know what the actual word 'mellow' meant at that time and once I did finally did look it up, I thought it was some sick joke to call me something so opposite of how I saw myself.

I slipped out of the car with my blue eyes still watching every part of the building for any sign of life and my fingers once again touching the cold silver of the cross on my rosary.

Watari led me up to the front door; I brought my attention down to the door as my heart sped up from nervousness and waited to see what would greet me on the other side.

Watari was the first to go in so he could better lead me to where I needed to go first.

The entrance room was quiet, but from the way everything was set up I could just tell there were other children that lived here. But if that was so then why was it so quiet.

"Didn't you say this was an orphanage?" I asked, looking up at the older man.

He smiled, "the others should be in class right now. You'll see them later. For the moment, let us go to Roger's office; there we'll be able to further explain to you about this place." I tore my eyes away from my surroundings in order to follow him.

Heh, Roger's office… little did I know at the time of my arrival how much time I would be spending in there. When you get a reputation like I did, the troublemaker, not many people cover for you. So needless to say over the years I was there a lot.

"Roger?" I asked as we proceeded down one of the long hallways on the first floor.

"He runs Wammy's in my absence."

I held back my questions, getting a feeling that all would be explained in due time. I had patience back then. But then again that might have been because I wasn't always trying to beat someone and thus didn't have any reason to be so impulsive.

Watari led me through a door at the end of the hall that entered into Roger's office.

Roger, who was still the same looking even back at this time, looked up from some papers he was writing on. His eyes lit up at the sight of me behind the clear lens of his glasses.

"Ah, so this is the new child you told me about, Watari." He said.

"Yes." Watari looked down at me for a long moment and all was silent.

I looked between them, confused at their awaiting stares. I never bent under pressure and this situation was no different; I simply waited for someone to speak up and tell me what it was they were waiting for.

"Why don't you introduce yourself." Watari suggested.

'Oh,' I thought, 'that makes sense.' "My name is Mi-Mello." I said; trying to correct the mistake I had almost made as though it had never happened.

Roger just smiled at me, "I guess you already gave him an alias then?" His eyes moved up to Watari as he spoke; who nodded in response.

"What else have you told him?"

"Not much else."

Roger nodded.

"Well then, Mello, why don't I help clear up some of the confusion that I'm sure you're feeling?" He said.

I was silent as I waited for him to begin.

"Well, a number of years ago Watari took in an orphan who now goes by the name of L. After years of studying, and practice, L became one of the greatest detectives that this century has ever seen. He now solves all of the cases that are too difficult for others." He explained to me in such a simple explanation.

"So what does that have to do with me?" I asked, giving Roger a wary look.

"Well Wammy's now functions as an orphanage for children who are very smart, such as yourself. The hope is that through the academics that we provide here should anything happen to L he will have a number of successors."

His words played a different way in my mind. At the time I didn't think of it as being copies of L, I saw it as an open opportunity. By being found, and brought into this place meant that I obviously had potential. This was an opportunity for me to someday become the best!

"And whoever takes over for him will gain the same title?" I asked, hopeful.

Roger nodded, "That's right."

I starred at Roger for a long minute, this all seemed too much to me, and way too easy. But at the time I was too excited to even be given this opportunity to think of asking into it. My main focus now was to do whatever I had to do in order to become the best so I could succeed this L person.

"So when do I get to meet this L guy?" I asked.

"For the safety of the orphans here, L doesn't come here very often." Watari answered.

"And… this whole thing is a competition then…" I said, talking more to myself than to them.

"If you want to think of it that way, then yes." Roger stated.

A deviant grin spread across my features, "and by just being here puts me within this competition?"

By the questioning look that formed on Roger's face I could tell he could see that nothing good would probably come from this; but he nodded none-the-less. "Just study hard and all will fall into place." He told me with an ounce of hesitance lingering in his voice.

I nodded, though not really comprehending what he had said. I was too busy within my mind, trying to devise a sure victory.

"Alright," Watari said, braking my train of thought. "Is that all the questions you have?"

I nodded again.

"Then I'll show you to your new room." He led me out of the office and once again down the long, empty hallway.

"Normally we would have your new roommate show you to where you're staying, but since he's in class you'll have to meet him later." He explained to me. Roommates was not a new concept to me, I'd had many before. My whole thing was that so long as they stayed on their side of the room, we wouldn't have a problem.

I was led up the stairs to where the building diverged off two ways and many doors lined these halls.

I stayed in the same room I was brought to that day throughout my entire stay at Wammy's just as I had the same roommate the entire time. So many different things happened within that room over the years.

Punishments were served there, connections were made, schemes were formed. It was endless and I would have it no other way.

But at that time, when Watari opened the door into the almost completely bare room, I couldn't help the first thought that popped into my mind. 'Whoever lives in here obviously doesn't have much of a personality.'

I stepped in, my worn down and dirty shoes barely making a sound on the light carpet flooring. I looked around, observing the furnishings. Two beds, of which it was obvious to tell that someone else slept in here by the un-made one closest to the door; a desk with numerous papers and books crammed onto its surface in a disorganized fashion, a single dresser and a single mirror.

I wasn't complaining; it was certainly better than I had had it at some other places.

My observations of the room were suddenly disturbed by the older man's voice, "well then, if you don't mind I have something I need to attend to." With that he left the room; carefully clicking the door closed.

I starred at the door for a long time after that, though unsure of what exactly I was really waiting for. The silence in here was deafening, but even though I wanted to go out and explore this new place… there was something else I wanted to do more first.

I went over to the small table that sat next to the made bed (which sat against the wall next to the window) and began rummaging through the drawers. Unfortunately they all came up empty.

I looked around the room when I was positive that this was completely empty.

The desk!

I moved over to the cluttered desk, wondering to myself how it was anyone could get anything done in such a mess!

Again I began rummaging through the drawers, not caring in the slightest what I touched or what I looked in. I didn't care about anyone else's space since it was my room too now.

But finally, in the very bottom drawer I found something I could use: an empty box.

Moving without a sound I went back over to the made bed and sat down on the floor. I looked at the small brown box for a long minute; then with a heavy exhale of breath I slipped the rosary that was still comfortably resting around my neck off and held it gently, like the finest and most brittle material, in my hands.

'God… if you can somehow hear me right now,' I thought to myself as I traced each of the black beads, 'I know this is supposed to keep me safe… but I also feel safe here now. Like this is where I am supposed to be. If I need your safety or your forgiveness I'll come and get this, but right now I want to do this by myself without you having to watch over me.'

Looking back on that little one-sided conversation I had with God, it really was childish. But at the time I had it set firmly in my mind that I didn't want anyone's help in becoming the best of everybody. I wanted to be able to say I did it on my own.

So with that thought resting on my mind I carefully placed the beaded chain inside the box and closed it up. Then, before I could somehow persuade myself out of it, I slipped the box under my bed.

Where it would remain untouched for years to come.

But as I pulled myself back and sat on the floor, thinking over what I had just done, the sound of the door opening caught my ears.

"So, you're my new roommate?"

A/N: Ha! What a terrible place to end it, right? I mean, it's not so much a cliffhanger seeing as all the things I said during the chapter. I had originally planned on stopping this chapter at 'where it would remain' but then after I thought about it I figured it'd be harder to transition over. Plus, it was just too much fun to add that!

So, tell me your comments!

Please review

-Forbiddensoul562