Disclaimer: I do not own Death note…

Timeline: When Mello and Near receive news of L's death.

Author's Note: I have not read the manga. Forgive me for any inaccuracies.

It was autumn when Roger called him and Near in his office. Outside the window, the leaves were falling, changing color. It was a beautiful season, autumn.

Near had arrived first, he saw. He was solving some kind of jigsaw puzzle on the floor- pure white, with an L in a corner. It was familiar with Mello. He'd seen the same puzzle before. The sound of the puzzle pieces falling into place was familiar to him, too. Already Near had accomplished more than half of the puzzle.

Roger hadn't spoken a word. He seemed to be gathering his strength for something, looking at a picture on his desk. His hands, old and somewhat gnarled, ware entwined with each other in a sorrowful posture.

But still, it annoyed Mello that Near had gotten there first. Even in a simple matter as an appointment with Roger, he had gotten there first. Why, why, why? Even at this, Near had beaten him? At this rate L will never-

"I called you here, only to say one thing."

Mello's attention was instantly caught. Roger's voice was shaky, serious. Was it even possible? Had L caught Kira? Who was it, then? The fascinating criminal who took up so much space in L's mind? The criminal who killed off criminals? How did he kill? Was L in fact about to go home? No, that might not be. Surely something would be heard in the news first. Unless Watari-

"L is dead."

Mello's mind went blank. He took an involuntary step forward, his voice rising. He did not believe. Perhaps he had misheard, yes, he must have, so he said, "What was that Roger? Say it again."

But there was a despairing note in his voice that he didn't want to acknowledge.

"L is dead." Roger repeated.

The sound of puzzle pieces falling into place stopped, but he barely noticed.

He stepped closer to Roger's desk slamming a hand on the table. "Dead? How? You're saying Kira killed him? Is that it?" He fired questions at Roger like gunnery practice. Mello was trying desperately to get his mind to work again. He was a genius, for God's sake. He was a potential successor to L. He shouldn't become this…

Emotional.

"Most Likely." Roger replied quietly.

Mello snapped. He grabbed the helpless Roger by the scruff of his neck. How dare he! How dare he put it so simply, this piece of shattering news! It wasn't so long ago that L said his farewells at the Wammy house…Mello remembered L's words.

L's promise…

"He was going to sentence Kira to Death and he was killed in the process? Is that what you're saying?!" Mello yelled, his voice unnaturally loud now. Roger let out a labored gasp.

"Mello…"

It was impossible, impossible! L could not be dead…dead by a murderer who outwitted him! L would not be that foolish. How did this happen? Did L let his real name be known? His face? How did Kira kill, that L was also claimed as his victim?

His chest felt hot, constricted. He yelled because it was the only way he could talk.

A sound behind him made him stop trying to strangle Roger. It was the sound of puzzle pieces falling onto the floor. He turned around, and even Roger stared. Near had raised his jigsaw board over his head, making the pieces clatter to the ground.

Mello looked at Near, confused. Wasn't he the least bit upset? As always, there was no emotion in Near's passive face.

Mello hated him.

"If you can't win the game…" Near set down the board and began again.

"If you can't solve the puzzle…" he started the first row of stark-white jigsaw puzzle pieces.

"…you're just another loser."

Mello wanted to strangle Near next. So was Near calling him a loser now? Would reacting to his thinly veiled taunt only show that he was indeed a loser?

But he forced himself to calm down. Near had a point.

He could NOT afford to be a loser.

Not this time.

He faced Roger again. "So, between Near and I, who did L pick?" he said, his voice impatient, pretending that he wasn't shattered by L's death.

"Since he was killed By Kira, he couldn't choose…Mello, Near, how about it? Working together?"

"Yes. That sounds agreeable." Near said dispassionately.

Mello could feel himself boiling. Now that one was definitely a foul. That was simply too much to take on top of everything. It seemed to him as if Near considered their rivalry not worth mentioning. As if Mello was not even a true rival. A scowl plastered itself firmly on his face. He didn't want to look at Near. He might JUST strangle him.

He struggled to get hold of his emotions. Nothing would be solved if he punched Near. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then began talking in a low voice. "That's impossible, Roger. You know I don't get along with Near. You're always singling me out. "

A lone leaf fluttered lazily down the ground. Mello dimly watched it fall.

"Always…" he repeated, sadly.

Yes. He was always being compared to Near, to L. And he always, always came out second.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had held on only because there was a chance that L would choose him. But now, with L dead…

"It's alright, Roger. The one who will succeed L is Near."

Surprise made its way to Roger's face. Mello sensed that even Near was surprised, to hear Mello give up the thing he most wanted so easily. And to his archrival no less.

It wasn't as if he was doing it because he liked to! This deserved a good explanation. "He's different than I am, he can think logically, like he's solving a puzzle."

That would show Near that he wasn't a childish brat playing at a geniuses' game.. That would show Roger that he could be mature.

With his withdrawal, he made a decision. "I'm leaving. From this institution as well."

"Mello!" Roger shot to his feet. As if that could stop Mello. As if his decision was a total shock.

He must have known that it would come to this.

"I'm almost fifteen years old. I'm going to live my life the way I want to." He turned his back to Roger and went out the door, remembering not to slam it. Thoughts plagued him like tiresome flies.

And Kira was still out there, somewhere. How did he kill? Why did he need a name and a face? Was Kira's power supernatural? Who was he? Was Kira even human? How did L know him? Did L know him personally? Who worked with L? Was one of them Kira, secretly observing L? If he would encounter a Kira suspect, what would L do? Was it precisely because of those measures that L was killed? L would not draw away from a potential Kira, a Kira suspect. L would try to probe deeper.

Mello would have to do the same. But in a different way. He already knew some facts. Kira was Japanese, with police contacts. So it would make sense to stir up the Japanese Police first, to alert Kira of Mello's manhunt.

Mello…

Mello had sworn himself to vengeance. To avenge L. And…

To defeat Near, in his own way.

Thanks for reading! I hope Mello wasn't OOC, I tried very hard not to make him so…it's hard to capture Death Note characters' emotions, although I think Mello was easiest because I sympathize with him a lot…see that little button over there? Yeah, the review button. I'll be so grateful if you guys review. I want to know how I'm doing.

Thanks again for reading! Love and Peace, all the time!