A/N: Long chapter, but I liked writing this ALOT!

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Chapter Thirteen: Awaken

"This is Hell." Mello whispered to himself. Where the hell was he? Why could he open his eyes? He lifted a frail bandaged hand to his face, fingers tracing across layers of bandages. He inhaled the sickeningly strong smell of medicines and anti-bacterial ointments. He knew he was in a hospital, that was a given, but he didn't know exactly where. He sat up slowly, the pain coursing through his body. He tried to slide out of the bed, only to be stopped by a pair of small hands forcing him back on the bed. Mello winced as his body flopped on the bed.

"Mello you know you can't get out of bed. You'll only hurt yourself more." A cold and emotionless voice murmured through the thick bandages. Mello cursed under his breath and faced the figure, his icy eyes unable to glare at him.

"Damn bandages…" he hissed as the figure began to unfold the medicine covered bandages, his sensitive skin being pulled uncomfortably. Layer by layer the bandages were completely gone and he was able to slowly open his eyes.

"Hmm…. The scars have been healing well." The voice murmured quietly. A pale hand reached under Mello's chin and pulled up his face to inspect the scars. Mello's gaze filtered up to see a very beat up Near, his usually pale and flawless face covered in bruised and cuts. A thick bandage was wrapped around his forehead, the white material mixed with his white strands of hair. His white pajama shirt was opened in the front, revealing another thick bandage wrapped tightly against his small torso.

"How's Matt?" Mello muttered quietly. Near removed his hands away from Mello's face and grabbed a bottle of ointment from the nightstand.

"He's still unconscious, but his physical injuries are healing rapidly. I think they will be completely gone in approximately five days." His voice was monotone as his thin ointment covered fingers lightly tapped against Mello's face. Mello's nose scrunched as the smell hit him. The strong medical smell of the ointment mixed with his burnt, dead, and raw flesh caused his stomach to turn uncomfortably.

Near laid down the ointment on the table and pulled out a new roll of bandages from the drawer. He began to stretch out the bandages on Mello's face before a bandaged hand stopped him. Mello looked up emotionlessly at Near, his blue eyes cold and hard.

"Can I see?" his voice was a quiet murmur. Near dropped the bandages on the bed and rummaged through the drawer again. He pulled out a small metallic mirror and handed it to the scarred man. Mello held the handle firmly and gazed upon his reflection. The whole right side of his face was…perfect. Not a single scratch or mark covered it. He traced a finger down his cheek, feeling the perfect smooth skin. His eyes glared at his reflection. The whole entire left side of his face was burned, raw, and horrid looking. The same finger lightly tapped against the skin, only to feel rough raw skin covered in the sticky ointment. He tilted his head so he could see all of it. The scar ran from the top of his forehead all the way down to his mid-backside which was covered in old sticky bandages. He glared at the reflection for the last time and thrust the mirror into Near's arms. Mello closed his eyes slowly and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay. I'm done. Go ahead." Mello said plainly. Near picked up the bandage and started to wrap it around Mello's face. soon the white light of the room was shrouded by the bandage. After the seventh layer was placed, Near cut the bandage and clipped it in place with a small metal brace.

"Please remove your shirt." Near said calmly. Mello nodded and slipped off his white hospital shirt and flung it across the bed. He flinched slightly as Near's skeletal hands traced above the bandage. As the bandages were being removed Mello stretched out his back like a cat, his joins clicking and cracking. Near rubbed his hands together with more of the ointment and began to softly knead the raw flesh. Mello hissed at the pain and his breath became ragged.

"Please relax Mello. I need to properly work in the ointment." Near said emotionlessly, his hands now gently massaging the flesh. Mello slowly relaxed and let his eyes flutter open. The tension in his shoulders slowly disappeared and was replaced with a warm feeling of relaxation. He began to flex his shoulders when he realized he could no longer feel Near's hands moving against his bare skin. Mello sharpened his hearing to hear Near's voice whimper and his breath skip over... It took Mello a mere five seconds to realize Near was quietly crying, his tears trickling down his face and landing on his lap.

"N-Near…What's wrong?" Mello asked his voice demanding and strong. It freaked him out whenever the kid who pretty much repelled emotions actually showed one.

"It's just…I'm worried." Near said softly, his body shaking slightly.

"Why? What's wrong" Mello stared straight ahead, the bandages shielding his eyesight.

"I mean…I'm worried because of L and Sora…" Near managed to speak up louder. Mello's eyes flashed open behind the bandages. He had forgotten all about L and Sora. He didn't even know what happened after the explosion.

Fire, blood, darkness, L, Sora, Beyond Birthday…

Images of the horrible scene flooded his memory as his whole body stiffened again. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tightly. He felt Near stiffen, but he heard his quiet sobs disappear.

"No matter. Your wounds need to be treated. Forgive my actions." Near said, his voice turning back into his cold emotionless tone. He rubbed the last amount of ointment into Mello's skin and began to wrap Mello's toned torso with new bandages. When he was done, Near wiped his hands and helped Mello step out of the bed.

Near helped Mello walk out of the hospital room and into the empty hallway. Mello sniffed the air around him and sensed that it was different than before.

"Near," he said calmly. "We're back at headquarters right?"

"Yes we are." Near said, his eyes eyeing the blonde man.

"Liar. Where the hell are we?" Mello hissed angrily, his bandaged fists clenching.

"We are at headquarters, just a different one. Watari told me that when we returned from the warehouse the whole entire headquarters was completely burned and covered in water. Apparently, Beyond hacked into the computer's mainframe and caused the computers and security systems to go haywire. Eventually the computers overheated and caught on fire. The smoke triggered the sprinklers and drowned everything in water."

Mello growled angrily. "That stupid f**ker Beyond. I'm gonna kill him." he thought to himself. "So where are we now?"

"We are no longer in Japan. We are now relocated in Los Angeles, California." Near said calmly, leading the blonde down into the kitchen. When they went into the kitchen, they saw Matsuda sitting at the table, eating his breakfast listlessly. Watari was making breakfast over the stove. Matsuda tuned around to face Near and Mello. His arm was lifted in a cast.

"Oh…Hey Near. How are you and Mello recovering?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with concern.

"We are both feeling better thank you." He led Mello to the table and signaled Watari for some food. He gave Near a bowl filled with plain looking cereal and gave Mello a rather large stack of chocolate chip pancakes, their daily breakfasts.

"Near you should get some rest after breakfast. You've been working all day and tending to both Matt and Mello. You need to tend to your own wounds as well." Watari said, his voice strict and worried.

"I advise you that I am fine. If my body asks for rest I will make sure to oblige it." Near said, his hand moving the spoon in his cereal slowly. Mello tried to eat his pancakes, but groaned angrily with his lack of vision. Near quickly cut up the pancakes and fed the angry Mello. Matsuda stared at Mello quickly, distracted by the blindfold.

"Mello. How bad is it?" He asked shyly.

"Meh…Pretty bad, but its okay. I don't mind as long as I actually have a face." Mello spoke lively, his voice laced with boredom. It had been about two weeks since they had failed to save Sora and capture Beyond. Both Near and Mello were itching to go save Sora and L this time. "Have there been any leads to where BB might be holding L and Sora?"

Watari gave Mello another pancake. "Not yet. The one who knew all of his possible whereabouts is Matt, and we know he is in no condition to do work. Yes he did regain consciousness shortly after Near left him, but I think it is best we let him rest, you know…in his current state." Mello simply sighed and toyed with the bandages on his hands. He hadn't seen Matt since they were in the warehouse. Last time he saw him he was pinned under a freaking ceiling.

"What exactly is wrong with Matt?" Mello asked Near with a worried tone.

"Well as you are aware Matt and I were in quite a similar situation back at the warehouse. I was able to escape alive only because of Matt's actions. From what I heard, Matt's body was the one thing protecting my head from being smashed under that ceiling. Thankfully, Matt was still alive when Aizawa and Mogi released his body from the ruins, but after close examination we found that he had suffered multiple head wounds and a severe concussion. We are still unaware of the trauma his mind has been able to take, but we are still closely monitoring him for any signs of amnesia, hallucinations, or any other mental injuries." Near said, his eyes never once leaving Mello's bandaged face.

Mello shoved the last couple pieces of pancake in his mouth and stood up sharply. He stumbled out of his chair but began to walk quickly towards the door.

"Mello where do you think you are going?' Near asked loudly and sharply. Mello stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm gonna go see Matt and if you have a problem with that then go screw yourself." He shouted angrily at what he thought was Near's direction. To Matsuda's amusement, he was shouting at a wall.

"I have no wish to prevent you from seeing Matt, but I will say that you are heading in the wrong direction." Near stated, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. Mello growled angrily and waited for Near to escort him to Matt, a red flush of embarrassment coursed through him.

When they reached Matt's room, Mello could already hear the loud obnoxious electronic beeps coming from multiple game systems. Near stood by the door for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat, catching Matt's attention.

"Oh hey Near! What's up? I finally woke up! I was kind of bored pretending to be unconscious all the time." Matt said simply.

"Why would you pretend to be unconscious for such a long time? You had all of us thinking you we weren't going to be able to rececitate you." Near said angrily, his cold glare fixed on the gamer.

"Well if I was conscious I would have to get my own food, get my own clothes, and make my own bed. Who the hell wants to do that?" he fixed his gaze back to his DS.

Near let out a silent grumble. "Well I brought Mello to see you." He pulled the blinded blonde into the room.

Matt gazed up at Mello and let out a sharp gasp. His eyes started watering at the sight of his best friend, his face completely covered in bandages from the nose up and going down the left side of his face down his exposed torso.

Mello felt the tension and sadness that radiated off of Matt. He cringed as he stood and muttered awkwardly. "Uh…Hey Matt. How are you?"

Matt simply sat in his bed and stared. "Mells… I'm so sorry." His voice was now quiet and mournful.

Mello's face displayed a mocking smirk as he smiled widely. "Geez Jeevas! You talk as if I died or something. I just got a couple of burns. That's all." Mello scoffed mockingly at his worried friend. He let out a light hearted laugh to relax his best friend. Matt's face relaxed and his body loosened up. His face was taken over by a warm smile as he slowly slid out of his bed and went by Mello's side. He led his friend down to sit on his bed and adjusted the pillows to prop him up.

"So what happened to you?" Matt asked casually, his fingers fiddling with his handheld electronic device.

"Oh it's just a couple burns. That usually happens when an explosive detonates right above you face." Mello smirked teasingly at Matt.

"Ah…well I wouldn't know." Matt mumbled quietly. "Can I see it?"

Mello tensed up at the request, but he let out a small sigh and signaled Near to remove the bandages. Near simply stayed in his chair and glared at Mello.

"I advise Mello that if he wished for his wounds to heal to their best ability that he leave them on." He huffed angrily, annoyed that Mello thought he was his personal servant. Which in a remote way, he was.

"Well I'm saying that I want them off for a while. It would be pretty cool if I can see who I'm talking to for once!" He yelled at what he thought was Near. Sadly, he was yelling at a table lamp. Matt exploded in laughter as Near let out a small chuckle.

"Fine then. Please sit up." Near walked over to Mello and took his face in his hands. Matt watched anxiously as Near slowly removed the bandages. Layer by layer the sensitive skin was revealed. Mello winced uncomfortably as the bandages pinched his skin. He looked at Matt whose emerald eyes were staring in fear. Every time Mello would twitch with the slight pain Matt would match his startled movements.

Near stepped back, a pile of dirty bandages in his possession. He tossed the bandages in the trashcan and rinsed his hands in the small sink opposite the bed. Mello stretched his joints slowly, popping and cracking his now released body. Matt stared at Mello intently, his eyes filled with worry and sorrow. Mello noticed his uneasy emotion and lightly placed his burn free hand on Matt's shoulder.

"It's okay. It really isn't that bad. At least I'm not dead right?" he joked playfully. Matt let out a sigh and smiled at his best friend.

"How badly does it hurt?" Matt questioned silently. He traced a finger on Mello's blistered shoulder.

"Eh…not that bad. It just bugs me, you know the smell and all." He glanced at Near who was settled comfortably in a chair. "So what happened to you?"

Matt gasped and tensed up immediately, his eyes going off into a blank stare. Mello stared at his friend intently and Near focused sharply on Matt. After a few seconds, Matt's eyes started to blink. In a plain voice, Matt whispered "I'm not really sure."

Mello simply sighed and looked at Near, a worried look plastered his face. Near simply nodded and curled a lock of his snow white hair between his childlike fingers.

"You know…You kinda look like Two Face from Batman." Matt chuckled as his eyes took in the sight of Mello's charred torso.

"Really? Does that mean you get to be Batman?" Mello laughed loudly as he playfully punched Matt's arm.

"Hell yeah! I'll kick your ass and save Gotham any day!" Matt laughed happily and returned the punch. In a matter of seconds, the two "injured" teenagers were sprawled on the hospital bed kicking and punching each other. Near glared at the violent boys, a bored and irritated expression consuming his face.

"If you guys would not mind, I think it is best you settle down. Mello is clearly injured and Matt is in no condition to be roughhousing." He stood above the teenagers wildly thrown on the bed. Mello and Matt exchanged a quick glance and smiled innocently at Near.

"Aww Near! Are you mad that you don't get to be in this awesome battle of epicness?" Mello glanced mockingly at the albino. He exploded in cheerful laughter.

"I think you should be the Riddler! You pretty much spend your day solving those stupid puzzles!" Mello laughed loudly, completely oblivious to the pain he was experiencing.

"I have a hard time believing you two were my competition back at Whammy's." He sighed tiredly and toyed with a lock of his snow white hair between his fingers. He stared at the best friends intently, studying how they seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking and was about to say. A single look could give away so much between them. It was almost as if they were tied by a brotherly bond. Near shook his head, disposing of the theory. He knew that their bond was stronger, but he couldn't place it.

Near was suddenly pulled out of his thoughtful state when he heard Mello shout sharply. Near looked over to see a terrified Mello jump off the bed. Near shifted his gaze towards Matt only to be completely horrified. Matt's emerald green eyes that were always full of life were now glossed over with a dark haze, the spark of life almost completely gone. Matt clenched his fists in the sheets and he started to convulse uncontrollably in his bed, his eyes wide and infested with fear. His whole entire body shook violently. Near ran towards him and tried to grab his hand. Matt's terrorized eyes snapped down at Near's hands and he viciously snarled at Near.

"Leave me alone! Don't touch me! Go away!" Matt's shrieks of pain filled the room as he clawed at the bed like a rabid animal, his mind filled with images of evil spirits and horrible monstrous creatures. Seconds later, Aizawa and Mogi came running into the room, panic covering their faces.

"Restrain him!" Near shouted sharply, running over to the medicine cabinet and pulling out a large syringe. Mogi and Aizawa nodded and held Matt's writhing wrists down. Matt strained violently against their hold, snapping his eyes shut as tears flooded down his face.

"Stop it! Let me go! I don't want die! Stop it!" Matt snapped his neck down and sank his teeth into Aizawa's hand, his teeth grinding the flesh. Aizawa shouted painfully and he snatched his hand away, blood running from his wound and dripping on the floor. Matt spat the chunk of Aizawa's flesh onto the floor as he screamed and shouted in his bed. Suddenly, Near quickly jabbed the syringe into Matt's arm and released the medication. Almost instantly, Matt stopped screaming and he lay still on the bed. His eyes looked over at Mello who was frozen in place in the corner of the room. Matt blinked slowly and his eyes finally closed.

Aizawa slouched back in the chair holding his hand to his chest, his eyes wide and frightened. "What the hell just happened?" Mogi quickly opened the tableside drawer and pulled out a first aid kit. Near quickly cleaned up Matt and then walked over to Mello who was still frozen in place.

"Mello please relax. It is over for now." He said his voice almost unnaturally flat.

Mello didn't move. Hell, he didn't breathe. He was too afraid to do anything but stand there, paralyzed in fear. He was afraid of Matt. He was afraid of what happened. He was afraid of what could have happened.

He was afraid.

His ice eyes were fixated upon Matt's unconscious face, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Matt was gone. The person who had snapped and lost control wasn't Matt. It was as if something had possessed his body and mind. Mello remembered staring into the dead hazy eyes, a glimmer of red residing within them. He remembered seeing his eyes flutter open, a small almost unrecognizable smirk ruined with blood stained lips. This wasn't Matt. Matt was gone. He wasn't coming back.

Mello's legs gave out under him and he collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming from his eyes and splashing on the ceramic floor. His hands clenched around the floor below him and he crouched down, his blonde hair hanging down as he cried. His teeth were gritted and his breath hitched. The sobs tore through him as images of the old Matt flooded his mind.

"Mihael Keehl huh?" The old man looked down at the child from his desk, eyeing him oddly as if he were a dirty old piece of trash.

"Yes Roger. Mihael Keehl. He is seven years old and is quite the little genius." Watari looked firmly at Roger, a frightened Mihael clinging to his coat, his eyes red from crying and exhaustion.

"Well what happened to his family?" Roger said, his hands searching through several documents.

"His father was the head of the Mafia and his mother was a homemaker. They died three days ago because of an explosive planted in their home. Mihael has been in my care for this duration." Watari said bluntly. "I have to leave in a few minutes, would you mind setting things up for him?"

Roger sighed and pulled himself out of his chair. He handed Watari a few papers and Mihael watched as he scribbled multiple things on them. Watari looked down at Mihael, his big blue eyes frightened and moist.

"Mister? Where's mommy? Where's daddy? I wanna go home..." Little Mihael's lips started to quiver, his breath hitched and shaky. His eyes wandered around the room, taking in the sight of old bookshelves filled with dusty books. It reminded him of when his mommy would read him books as he lay in bed. Where was mommy? Why isn't he with her? He didn't care much for daddy, but he loved his mommy.

"This is your new home now Mihael. And a new home requires a new name. your name is now Mello. Do not use your old name at all." Watari kneeled down and looked at the crying child.

"But mommy gave me that name. Where is she?" Mello asked, his voice quivering.

"Mommy and daddy are gone Mello. This is your new home now." Watari pulled out a small chocolate bar from out of his coat pocket and placed it in Mello's tiny hands. "Will Mello promise to be a good boy?"

Mello simply looked up at Watari and nodded slightly. Watari gave him a small hug and he nodded at Rodger who then took Mello's hand. Mello walked down the large hallway of this strange building, his small eyes scanning every detail that passed him.

"Now Mello this is Whammy's House. Here is where we take care of many kids who are in your similar situation. If you need anything, feel free to ask any of the teachers, counselors, your roommate, or myself." Rodger continued to walk down a hallway with multiple doors all labeled with a different number. Mello didn't like this place. It was too scary. The hard wooden floor creaked under his tiny feet and the walls were decorated with multiple candles and a few bells. It reminded Mello of one of the castles that mommy had read to him about, except he was sure no beautiful princess or brave knight would be in here.

Rodger stopped in front of a small wooden door and opened it slowly. Mello peeked anxiously inside to see a dim small room with a rather large window showing the cold gloomy room. There were two twin beds separated by a small nightstand with a dark wooden finish. The walls had an eerie dark russet color to them and the room had a faint smell of the rain that drizzled outside.

"Matt. Wake up." Roger shouted towards the bed on the left. Mello watched cautiously as a small lump began to quietly rise up from the bed. A small hand stretched out from under the covers to pull them down. Mello's eyes watched carefully as a small messy head of red hair was exposed.

"Nya…Yeah? What's up Roger?" The redhead slurred his words lazily, his petite hands rubbing his sleepy green eyes as he yawned. He glanced over at Mello and stared at him intently. Mello's eyes widened and he cowered behind Roger.

Roger strongly grabbed a hold of Mello's sleeve and pulled him forward, the small child whipped in front of Roger. "Matt. This is Mello. He will be your new roommate from now on. I expect you to be kind to him and to show him around this establishment. I will leave him to you know. If you have any questions, you know where to find me." He roughly flung Mello to the ground and quickly stomped out of the room. Mello hit the cold hard floor with a loud thud. He whimpered in pain as tears streamed down his face. Matt hopped out of his bed and stepped towards the blonde, making sure not too scare him. He kneeled down so he could see the boy eye to eye.

"Ah…You'll get used to him. He usually never bugs anyone unless it's to yell at you for something. It's easy to ignore him." Matt smiled warmly as he looked into Mello's icy blue eyes. Mello's face flushed and he quickly turned his face down. Matt giggled and pulled Mello's face up, his small thumbs rubbing away the tears.

"Don't cry. This place isn't that bad." Matt said quietly. Mello simply stared up at him, his eyes continuing to overflow with tears. How could he not cry? His entire family had just died. The family that raised him up on love and affection was snatched away from him, leaving him alone and frightened. Mello began to cry harder and he threw his gaze down, his tears spilling onto the floor. Matt stared at the boy for a second and suddenly wrapped his arms around Mello. Mello gasped with shock as Matt began to pat his back warmly.

"It's okay. I know how you feel. This must be pretty scary huh?" Matt whispered into the boy's ear, his hands rubbing Mello's back comfortingly. "I'm here for you okay? If you want I can be your best friend and we can cry together. Does that sound good?" Matt loosened his hold on Mello so he could look at his face.

Mello simply stared, his face free of any emotion. He figured he had no other choice than to listen to his new roommate. He nodded his head shyly. Matt instantly let out a radiant smile.

"Okay then. It's settled. You're gonna be my best friend okay?" Matt stood up sharply, pulling Mello up with him. Mello's eyes were transfixed on the bright shining smile before him. Surprisingly, this kid made him feel a little better.

"I'm Matt by the way. What's your name? Oh wait…Roger told me already. Man! I wish I listened!" Matt scrunched his hair as he stared apologetically at Mello.

Mello simply stared at his hands and quietly whispered. "M-Mello. It's M-Mello."

"Ah Mello! That's a cool name!" Matt smiled brightly as his soft laughter filled the room.

Mello gripped the floor tightly under his fingers. His whole body shook as tears continued to fall down his face, his tears mixing with the ointment on his face. He let out a choked cry as realization hit him.

Matt was gone. His best friend would never be the same. No amount of rest or medicine would ever calm the inner monster that resided in him.