Authoress Note: Okay. So I bet you guys are a little curious about that trial that Light is supposed to undergo in this story from last chapter. So I think I'll give the fans what they want and I'll indulge you.
Haha. So hopefully you will enjoy this.
--
Thanks for the new reviewers for your continued support of the story. Thanks also to those of you who go back and re-read it too. That really gives me a sense of pride and joy that the story still has the same effect and gives viewers a different take on how the story could have had an alternate ending. Finally thanks to those who favored the story recently. Your loyalty to the tale is appreciated.
--
Let's break down another Chapter Extra and surprise the hell out of you viewers out there!
--
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takashi Obata. Any and all Death Note associated characters created by the two mentioned above clearly are the rights of their acclaimed creators.
Disclaimer 2: The idea of the Life Script belongs to me. Please do not steal. Thank you. Any Original characters, Keegan Phelps (no relation to Michael Phelps), belong to me. Thanks.
--
The Ipod radio was playing music like it usually did when Keegan cleaned the house. She put on a pair of old pajamas, pulled her hair up so it was out of her face, and put on a pair of sneakers so that she had the appropriate means to set to work with.
First Keegan would start with the hallway bathroom, take some Lysol wipes to the sink, and then put a bowl freshener within the toilet.
After she had made it neat and tidy for usage in case guests came over, Keegan next set to work on the kitchen. She vacuumed, swiffered the fan off, wiped the kitchen table, made sure to put all the dishes in the dishwasher, and then finally wiped the countertops and microwave.
As she came into the living room to see if Ryuk was anywhere to be found, she nearly had the living hell scared out of her when she felt the dust buster sucking on the back of her shirt. "JESUS CHRIST!" She exclaimed and spun to find the shinigami hanging upside down from the ceiling cackling wildly at her. "RYUK!"
"Oh! Oh jeez! You should have seen the look on your face! It was priceless!" He whooped and dropped the dust buster on the floor. "Revenge is so sweet!"
Her hands immediately went to her hips and Keegan stood there looking quite displeased with his behavior. "You know what? Just for that, no apples for the rest of the week."
His jaw dropped and Ryuk spun around in the air twice whining and wailing about 'it wasn't fair', 'you're so evil', and 'you won't torture me for that long'. Keegan had heard it all before and she tossed the swiffer at him as she had done the first time she had scared him with the dust buster.
"Then stop making that racket and help me clean. You know the house rules Ryuk. If you don't want to be boring and unproductive you have to at least do something." She turned her back to him to pick up the dust buster and stared at it in silence for a moment. "If you ever broke this…I'd be so pissed with you. You'd wish you were in hell." She chuckled morbidly.
As Ryuk crawled along the ceiling with the swiffer he looked down at her. "Why would I be sorry?" He asked her.
"It was my mom's." Keegan answered him. "It's got some sentimental value."
"I thought the picture had sentimental value." Ryuk said, confused. "You humans use more than one sentimental object to remember each other by? Boooooooring." He drawled out.
"You're not so exciting yourself from time to time Ryuk. I mean, I have a crucifix necklace my dad always wore and it's in my jewelry box upstairs in my room." She placed the dust buster in the closet where it belonged but took it to some of the furniture for a bit to clear up any apple crumbs Ryuk had left behind from his previous eating endeavors before doing so.
"I was gonna ask about that, but figured it wasn't something you might not have wanted to talk about." He said, dropping down from the ceiling.
Of course, as his shinigami self, Ryuk literally towered over Keegan and he couldn't help but find it funny at how small she looked when he wasn't in human form. "Wow you're tiny."
She smacked his hands with the rag she was holding and began ranting. "WILL YOU KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE SHORT JOKES?! I KNOW I'M PUNY!"
He grinned that wicked smile and patted her on the head. "Aww….it looks cute when it's mad."
"I will END you." She hissed.
"Yeah, yeah. When the shinigami king is breathing down both of our necks, we'll see then."
As Keegan went to the kitchen to get the wood polish from underneath the sink she heard her cell phone ringing and went over to grab it up. "Hello?"
"Miss Phelps?" It was Halle Lidner. Keegan hadn't heard from Near for a while now and she had only seen Gevanni for coffee a month ago…and how Ryuk acted in jealousy. Fond, fond, memory of that picture. Were her sarcastic thoughts.
"Oh hey Miss Lidner. What's up? Let me guess. Stephen told you about our coffee 'date' huh?" She chuckled.
"Yes, we heard about that. The boyfriend gets jealous does he?" She chuckled.
Keegan shrugged and laughed. "He has his moments. It's nothing too serious."
Ryuk poked his head around the corner inside the kitchen with a frown. "Is it them again?"
"Describe, THEM, Ryuk." Keegan said rolling her eyes.
"Near has something to speak to you about." Miss Lidner said to her. He said it was most urgent."
Keegan's brow rose. "Oh. Yeah sure."
She could hear shuffling in the background on the phone and Near's usually unfazed tone sounded in her ears exactly as it had from the day the SPK entered her home. "Miss Phelps."
"Agent Near." Keegan said, making herself sound humorously dramatic.
"Very funny…" He said, all thought Near sounded like he wasn't in the mood for games. "Something's come up."
By his tone, this sounded serious and Keegan drew more into the conversation. "Yeah?"
"Light Yagami, his trial starts in a few weeks."
"Gevanni told me about that when we met for coffee last month. I was afraid about that after the conversation." She said.
Ryuk looked unconcerned with the issue but when he heard Light's name mentioned he was more interested in the conversation now. "What about the great 'Kira'?" He asked.
"The trial. You were informed by Gevanni that there could be a possibility for you as a witness in a testimony. It would be a private trial, no media, and no knowledge of it. As far as those supporters of Kira know…Kira is dead as part of a suicide. "
"So in all, Kira never existed and was a part of everyone's imagination?" Keegan asked.
"Something like that, but Kira's trial is nonexistent. Understood?" Near asked her.
"Yes."
"So, what do you say to the trial, Miss Phelps? Are you in or are you out?"
Keegan pulled the phone away from her ear to look at Ryuk. "What do you think?" She asked him.
Ryuk was quiet at first. "Honestly? I don't care what happens to Light at this point. As far as my Death Note knows, he died once and I completed the contract I had with him for my notebook. It's your decision Keegan, and that is what I'm concerned with."
Keegan put the phone back up to her ear. "I'm in. I wanna see the coward's face one last time before they put him away to rot."
"Excellent. Anything else we can do to assure that you will be there?" Near asked.
"Provide me travel, an excuse, and a front row seat to be the one to put him away." She said.
"It will be done." Near said, his tone now amused. "You haven't changed much, Miss Kuro."
Keegan glanced at Ryuk. "I think it'd take a lot to change someone like me. Just name the date and time that my flight will be and we'll be there."
"No shinigami travel fee?" Near chuckled.
"Watch it Kid…" Ryuk hissed. "I'm the one with the notebook of death now."
"Shut up Ryuk…" Keegan said, chiding his behavior.
"Just send me the travel information as soon as you can. I've got to be off now."
"Until then Miss Phelps."
"Yeah. Oh tell Gevanni, sorry about the coffee threat before." Keegan mentioned.
"Will do."
As Keegan hung up the phone she looked back up at Ryuk. "Do you really want me to go through with this?" She asked him.
"Like I said Keegan. It's your choice." He shrugged with his back to her.
"Ryuk, is something wrong?"
"It's gonna be a little hard for me is all." He said. "Seeing Light again is gonna bring back unpleasant memories of just being a tool in his plan."
"You didn't see yourself as a tool with me." Keegan approached him.
"That's because Light didn't treat me like a person. Not like you at least."
"Well you said it yourself. I wasn't Light." She gave him a pat on the back. "Come on. We gotta finish these chores. Don't think I still won't enforce that apple thing."
"BAWWWW!"
--
As Near hung up the phone, Halle placed it back in the charger.
"She'll come then?"
"She's in it. There's just something…that's been on my mind." Near, usually not perplexed by something and glanced at Rester at the computer screens and went back to playing with some of his toy action figures.
"Rester. You have those pictures I asked you, yes?"
"All right here." Rester said, bringing them up on the monitor.
"Pictures?" Halle said in interest.
"Yes. Near looked up from his action figures and lifted his hand up to curl through that familiar lock of hair by his ear. "Look."
As Rester had the images zoomed in, Halle Lidner could clearly make out the images of Matt walking around in broad daylight with his game system. In different parts of the city but it was indeed…Matt.
"Do you think that…Miss Phelps-" She looked surprised. "He's alive…"
"No. Not for this case. Miss Phelps had no knowledge of Matt or Mello. Matt was the only one that has been seen so far in these images. It is him because I would recognize him anywhere." Near turned back to his action figures.
"It was a surprise to me too."
"But…how?"
"He was in the newspapers I know." Rester said, holding up several newspapers and Halle took one to look at. "Miracle Matt Survives Kira Supporter Rally Gunshot Wounds." She read on the article title.
"What?" As she skimmed along the article she read about how the paramedics were playing some practical jokes and had apparently brought Matt's pulse back unintentionally until it was discovered by another EMT."
"That's…cheating death."
"Exactly." Near said.
"Do you think that Matt will-"
"Come here? It's unlikely but-"
Gevanni looked at the cameras showing the world outside and stopped when he caught sight of the same lad in the pictures Rester had up. Matt was staring up at one of the cameras with his signature goggles on.
"He's here."
"He's probably here to question about Mello." Near said. Of course he seemed unfazed, but still it was a surprise that Matt would actually show up here.
"Should we let him in?" Halle asked. A small glimmer of hope inside of her wished that he would say that Mello was maybe alive but she knew better.
"Let him in." Near said.
As the door was unlocked, there was a silence until Gevanni heard footsteps coming towards the door. He of course armed himself and opened the door to Matt standing there playing his game system.
"Near. He's here, right?" He asked, paying more attention to his game.
"Yes. I'll have to search you to see if you're armed you know. Can't risk anything." Gevanni said.
"I was in the hospital for almost a year, living on the streets for a bit, stealing batteries for my game, I don't think I'd have time or patience to get a job and get a new gun…" Matt said, unimpressed with the understood hostility.
"No. It's all right." Near said, staring at Matt from across the room. "I know why he's here. Don't I?" Near said as Matt paused his game and in silence looked up at Near.
There was a pause before he lifted up his goggles and his eyes narrowed. "Mello."
"I'm sorry…he's not here."Near said. There seemed to be some sympathy to his tone, but at the same time…Mello had never liked Near much to begin with. "Truly."
Matt placed his goggles back over his face. "Yeah. I figured." He went back to his game and wandered into the room and plopped down where Gevanni had been sitting.
So it was true. Matt had hoped Mello was alive, the same as Halle had. She felt very sorry for Matt more than Near's supposed sympathy showed. She was most familiar with Mello and how erratic he could be. Matt was the closest to him and the shock probably numbed him from any emotional response.
As Matt sat playing his game system in silence from the world around himself, Halle walked over to him. "Matt. Would you like something to drink?"
"He can't stay here, Halle." Rester said, shutting off the screen with Matt's pictures on it. "I don't think-"
"Where do you expect Matt to go?" Halle asked him with a scowl. "I know this isn't the time to discuss something like this-"
The game paused and Matt, with his usually silent and reserved nature, gritted his teeth. "I don't need…sympathy because Mello is dead."
Halle grew silent and Near stopped playing with his figurines. "Matt."
"…."
"I don't think…Mello would have wanted to see you this way, especially if he was gone." He resumed play with his figurines. "So, in the recent events of the Kira saga against the Kuro campaign…" He paused. "The one called Kuro would want you to live life to its fullest in Mello's memory. Do you understand?"
Matt resumed playing his game. "Whatever."
"Justice will be served for Mello, Matt." Halle assured him. "We know who Kuro is…and Kuro is going to make sure that Kira pays for his crimes. Mello will have justice."
"Kuro gave L justice after all." A light smile came to Near's face as he looked down at his figurines.
Again the game paused and Matt frowned. "I'm getting sick of having to stop this level because I get interested in some stupid shit." He grumbled.
"Kuro wanted to visit L's grave…so they went and gave L some closure for the case." Halle informed.
"And who exactly is Kuro?" Matt muttered, playing his game and lighting a cigarette.
"There's no smoking in here…" Gevanni said in distaste.
"Let him have one for god's sake…" Halle said in defense as Matt puffed away.
"Kuro? Kuro is…a woman." Near answered.
As both former Wammy House boys resumed their playtime.
"Mello still would hate you now Near."
"I know."
"Good to see you, I guess."
--
"You sure you're gonna be able to handle this flight Ryuk?" Keegan asked him as they sat together in their seats on the plane.
"Yeah. I mean, I've gained some patience since being with you." In his 'Roy' persona, Ryuk glanced at Keegan and she shook her head.
"I know how fidgety you get and they don't serve apples on the flight. They serve like wheat thins and stuff like in 100 Calorie Snack Packs." She explained.
"Yeah? I can deal."
"On a…16 hour flight?" Keegan asked him.
Ryuk's eyes widened and he gulped. "Uh…yeah. I'll survive. I can do that. Heh."
"Righhhhht."
At least an hour into the flight, Ryuk and Keegan were bored with playing the challenge mode on Gardening Mama when the flight attendant walked by and asked them if they needed anything.
"Some apples would be nice…" Ryuk muttered.
"Hm?"
"Got any apple juice? He's got low blood sugar." Keegan said, hoping they did.
"Of course. And for you?"
"Just a coke would be lovely." She said as Ryuk fidgeted in his seat.
"This place is torture. I can't even get up and float around…" He whispered.
"Will you shut up? This is how people get marked as terrorists. Now sit up and stop looking like you're gonna ignite a bomb in your shoe!" She hissed in his ear. "You've been looking down at your feet forty times in the past hour."
"I'm ansty…"
"Ryuk…"
--
He drove her crazy on the flight for a while. They made several layovers in which Keegan took him to get some kind of apple related food product to shut him up as they boarded the flight again.
"The flight attendant keeps looking at you…" Keegan frowned.
"Jealous?"
"No. She's looking at you in that 'he's a weird lookin' kinda guy' way." She corrected him.
"You're not any fun…are ya Keegan?" He asked her.
--
When they touched down in Japan, Keegan was having a hard time trying not to punch Ryuk after all of the trouble on the flight. "I hate to fly Ryuk, it sucks much harder when you're sitting next to me making the two of us look REALLY suspicious, you know?" she asked him.
Keegan was tired and agitated and Ryuk was agitated and craving apples. "Well, what kind of place in the world doesn't serve apples?!"
"Planes aren't supposed to give food like that anymore because of budgets and because terrorists became part of U.S life after 9/11…I hope your shinigami pals didn't cause that by the way."
"We're not that smart enough to plan something stupid like that! You humans kind of ruin big plots like that for us when we kill people." He snarled.
They bickered back and forth until Rester came across them and cleared his throat. "Excuse me…Miss Phelps."
They both stopped and Keegan turned to face the SPK members. She wasn't too entirely familiar with Rester but he was one of the more reserved members of the group and he was a rather big fellow to hold back Mikami the last time she saw him.
"Oh…hey. Sorry."
"I wasn't aware shinigamis could get jet lag." Came Near's voice from behind him.
Ryuk scowled. "I'm in a shitty mood, kid. Don't push my buttons anymore than they're already pushed." He warned.
"Don't make threats like that Ryuk…it's wrong and you're just mad about the apple thing." Keegan corrected him.
As Miss Lidner came around the corner with Gevanni she immediately rushed over. "My god. You two look horrible."
Ryuk and Keegan looked at each other with some form of loathing at the moment.
"It's his fault."
"It's her fault."
"He fidgeted through the entire flight and it was SO hard for him to not look like he was playing with a bomb in his 'shoes'." Keegan scowled.
"They don't have apples on PLANES! It was a nightmare! The juice held me off only for a while but COME ON!" Ryuk exclaimed. "APPLES! I can't LIVE without them!"
"He's like a crack addict…" Keegan said in disgust.
"You two should get some time away from each other then." Gevanni suggested.
"Pfft. I'd love to…" Keegan said.
"We can't…I'm too overprotective…" Ryuk said, cursing himself. "The Life Script warrants it."
"Sucks on your part." Keegan chuckled.
"You're real close…" Ryuk warned.
"For what?" Keegan asked.
"Do you think this is normal behavior between two abnormal lovers?" Rester asked Near, somewhat confused.
"This is a guy that came racing down to a coffee shop on his bike on a whim of jealousy. I think 'normal' doesn't begin to define these two." Gevanni answered for him.
"Miss Phelps…, Ryuk." Near interrupted. "As…entertaining as this scene you're making is, we should probably get the two of you a hotel room."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Keegan's brow twitched in annoyance and Ryuk immediately turned it into a kissing joke.
"It's like that time at the movies Keegan."
"A room with TWO separate beds would be nice." Keegan smirked.
"You're in a good mood today…" Ryuk snickered as they walked along with the SPK members.
"The ride back should be interesting…" Near said, curling his lock of hair around his finger.
"You're humored by this aren't you?" Halle asked him.
"Well…someone has to be."
"I would laugh but the shinigami is staring fire into the back of my neck." Gevanni said flatly.
"If I had heat ray vision I'd burn it off…" Ryuk grumbled.
"Stop it…" Keegan elbowed him.
--
The room was at the same hotel that Keegan had booked once before when she had come to Japan to stop Light. They bade the SPK members farewell and that they would be in touch. Keegan flopped on her bed immediately. "UGH!" she groaned obnoxiously.
Ryuk resumed his shinigami form. "Well, that was the worst experience of my existence." He said, sitting on the other bed across from her. "That sucked!"
"I'd rather go through the shinigami realm to get back…than experience THAT with you again." She said with her voice muffled into the covers of the bed.
"What?" Ryuk said. "I don't speak mumble." He informed.
Keegan lifted her head up. "I said, I'd rather go back home through the shinigami realm than do that again…on a flight…with you."
"You'd take puking your guts out over flying again eh?" Ryuk asked.
"Uh, hell yes!" Keegan said, her tone pointing out the obvious. She stood up and walked over to the window to look out at the city below and she heard Ryuk rumpling up the covers on the other bed to alleviate his boredom from earlier.
"Hey…" Keegan began. "I'm sorry…about how I got on your nerves on the plane." She said.
"Yeah? Well, I was being kind of stupid about my behavior." Ryuk said, tossing the pillows at the wall to see if they'd bounce off it. "Hmm…"
"So, are you gonna be a witness in the trial too do you think?" Keegan asked him.
"Well…I could be charged as an 'accomplice' to the criminal." He grinned. "Of course the human law system works differently than the shinigami system does." He said with a laugh. "It's weird. They got rid of the interesting ways to kill each other. Now it's just like poisoning them with a needle."
"They banned those execution methods after so long because of how inhumane it was to kill people like that. " Keegan informed, closing the curtains and flopping on the bed again. "I'm tired." She said.
"I hear ya."
Keegan felt pressure on the other side of her and Ryuk was lying opposite of her. "So, what is the purpose of sleep for you humans? Regaining energy right?"
"Yeah…and for you guys to sleep it's considered lazy. I know." Keegan said.
"Well, I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually tired from all of this plane nonsense." He said, raising his head up to look over his shoulder at her.
As she lay with her back to him, Keegan was quiet. "You know, you can hold me if you want." She sighed.
"Nah. I got on your nerves enough today. I figure you could use the space."
"…Hold me Ryuk. Or I'll die right now." She said, as a warning.
"Don't ever use that one on me. It's unbecoming of you Keegan." He rolled over on his side and his gangly arms pulled her close to him as they lay on the bed. "Besides, you die when I die remember? And that'll be a loooooooong time. Who knows when you'd die?"
"I'm looking forward to a long fulfilling life." She chuckled.
--
The next day was different in the hotel room. She talked to the SPK members on the phone for a bit and then mentioned something about meeting Halle for coffee somewhere.
Ryuk was snooping through everything in the room as his human persona before there came a knock on the door.
"Must be room service. I got you something." Keegan said as she turned to open the door and was met with a shocking sight.
"Hey wait…" she said. Standing in the doorway was that vaguely looking guy she recalled the last time Ryuk brought her to Japan on a 'field day'.
As Keegan and Ryuk were arguing that day, this was that random eavesdropper she had told off on paying attention to them. "Haven't I seen you before?"
"Yeah." Matt said with his game system paused in his hand. "Your boyfriend. He stole my batteries." The young man grimaced in annoyance at the memory.
"Or should I say shinigami."
"Who the hell are you anyways? Don't make me call my boyfriend; he won't have a problem getting rid of you." Keegan warned.
"Easy." Matt said, calmly holding up his hands. "Near. He sent me."
"You know Near?"
As Ryuk came from the bathroom he could hear Keegan and Matt talking before he got that eerie feeling and appeared behind Keegan at the doorway of the room. "You. You're the kid that cheated death…"
"I thought you looked familiar…" Matt said as he looked Keegan over. "Yeah. I remember."
"What do you want?" Keegan asked, her tone serious and apprehensive.
"Just to ask some questions." Matt said.
"If Near really sent you I guess you wouldn't have a problem with me calling him then, right?" Keegan asked.
"Call away. He knows I came here." Matt unpaused his game and began playing with it. "Can I come in?" He asked.
"I'll keep an eye on him…" Ryuk assured as he gave Matt another quick once over before he let him inside as Keegan pulled out her cell phone.
When Ryuk closed the door, Matt sat down in one of the chairs playing his game patiently. "Crap." Matt grumbled when he lost a life. He paused the game. "I can't smoke in here can I?"
Keegan hung up her phone after brief conversation and walked back over to him. "Sorry. No. I think it's a gross habit anyways."
Matt shrugged and went back to playing his game. "Oh."
"So, what did you want?" Keegan asked him.
"Don't make me steal the batteries again…" Ryuk warned.
Matt paused the game and scowled at him before he looked at Keegan. "Yeah. Um. What was it?" He paused. "Oh. Yeah. Kuro. Near told me you're someone called Kuro. You beat Kira." He said.
"Yes. So?" Keegan asked, her brow rose in suspicion. "What about it?"
"Hm…" Matt said, pondering on it. "You bring people back to life. Mello had a Death Note." He said. "Something about a shinigami." Matt explained. He spoke in brief sentences and fidgeted with his game system as it was paused.
"I'm that shinigami." Ryuk said.
"No. Another one." Matt said. "Look. I'm really craving a smoke…"
"Ugh…" Keegan sighed. "Fine, but do it on the balcony."
Matt stood up from the chair and went to open the balcony door to light up a cigarette.
"I don't like where this kid is going…" Ryuk muttered to her.
"I know, but he's got something important to say. Might as well listen."
"Kira. There's a trial. I want in." Matt said, turning to stare at them from outside on the balcony.
"Is that all?" Keegan asked, trying to wave off the scent of cigarette smoke. "Because I apologize if I'm on edge but Kira nearly kicked my ass." Keegan explained.
"You mean, Light Yagami. Yeah. Near told me." Matt said. "There's another reason why I'm here." He said, snuffing out his cigarette and coming back into the room with his game.
"Oh boy, here we go." Ryuk said as Matt approached again.
"Stop it…" She glared at him from the corner of her eye. "Yeah? What?" She said to Matt.
"You're gonna need a survival witness…" He said with a smirk.
"Is this supposed to cost me anything?" Keegan asked.
"Are you flirting with my girlfriend?" Ryuk asked, his teeth gnashing in annoyance.
"Ryuk…"
Matt refocused on his game. "Nope. More interested in my game actually." He said and then paused the game again before looking back up at the shinigami.
"You stole my batteries."
"Yeah. What are you gonna do about it?" Ryuk grinned.
"Uncool." Matt said simply before heading for the door.
"So…trial? You'll be there I assume?" Keegan asked.
"Yeah. Trial. Sure. Whatever." Matt said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Who are you again?" She said.
"Just Matt."
--
Authoress Note: This shall actually be a continued chapter. I figured that since everyone was curious about Light having a trial I figured 'Hey! Why not?'. So…I decided to make the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this and I tried to keep Matt and Near in character as much as possible when interacting with each other.
Now. I figured that Matt, obviously homeless without Mello, will probably have to rely on Near for some form of benefits so that is part of the reason why I decided to have him go visit the SPK. Since Near is and Mello isn't I figured the least they could do is be somewhat civil to each other.
I felt that when I wrote this chapter that Ryuk was a little more out of character than usual but hey, if you were on a plane for 16 hours without apples, as a shinigami, I bet you would be a little crazy too.
For the record, no. I decided that since Matt came back to life, I wouldn't bring Mello back because Mello's body burned with Takada.
So hopefully you guys liked the chapter. So read and review.