Suspension of disbelief, please! This story explains certain parts of the plots with little to no hesitation. :3

No long annoying note here. Enjoy!

Chapter Four - Courage

"Three."

Mello pressed his finger into the center of the eye, and suddenly, he was on the ground. He clutched his shoulder, expression contorted with pain. He felt liquid seeping down his arm, but he bit back the hideous pain that now sparked through him. He was down on his knees, and gasping for air, as the last of the shockwaves left.

Near's eyes widened; with a swiftness he wasn't aware he was capable of, he dropped to Mello's side, a gentle hand on Mello's uninjured arm, the other supporting him. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and Near could barely whimper, let alone speak, for fear of gagging.

And then there was another click, as the wall with the ominous symbols swung back, Revealing what appeared to be a bed...and in the background, shelves of books...

"Ne...Near. Agh...it reacted. Fuck...it hurts..."

"M-Mello! What reacted? What's going on?"

Mello withdrew the hand from his shoulder, feeling sickened as vermillion strings of blood danced upon his fingers. It hurt. Terribly.

The blonde grimaced as a stream of blood dripped down his arm, splashing onto the floor. Mello gripped his shirt and pulled it over his head, falling back against the wall a moment as the sleeve was peeled off. His entire arm was stained in crimson, and upon his shoulder, the symbol. The Eye...black as pitch, and carved around the edges.

Mello pressed the ruined shirt upon the bleeding mark, hissing softly at the sting.

Near watched him, and recalled the way Mello had grabbed his wrist at the computer desk, the way he had made Near turn away, the sound of bandages, the way he had flinched when Near grabbed his shirt to stay steady...

His barriers shattered.

Near's hand traveled lower, and he gripped Mello's hand tightly, squeezing harder than he had before. He disregarded his previous questions; they didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except...

"Mello...are you okay?"

"It'll stop. God...I haven't been Shocked like that in years. It's embedded...into my skin. Down to the bone. The Eye...the Eye...ngh. Near...someone knew..."

Mello winced, gripping Near's hand as the climax of pain hit him, signaling the end of the Shock and sending his body into painful spasms. He clung to the frail hand, gritting his teeth and shuddering off the last of the searing agony. Mello's chest was coated in a film of quickly drying blood, his left arm completely red. Mello's heart felt like it was attempting to explode from his ribs, lungs capturing breath at an unhealthily fast rate.

"It's over. I'm fine now." The pain was absolutely gone, replaced with the ever-familiar numbness. "From an exam...to a Shocking. Bad day." He locked eyes with Near, regret laced in with a muddled mess. "Sorry, didn't tell you earlier. Important, wasn't it?"

"...i-idiot..." Near whispered weakly. He hurt LOOKING at Mello; he could barely imagine the pain Mello must have felt...no, he couldn't imagine it. At all. His hand felt crushed by Mello's previous clenching...so he squeezed Mello's hand again, in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. His eyes freely showed his sympathy. Not pity, but sympathy.

"Yeah," he said finally. "Important. Before we continue, please...explain...and if it's going to happen again, tell me what I can do to help...because I didn't like seeing you like that." He didn't know why he did it, but he put a gentle hand against Mello's bare chest, over his heart. "Your heartbeat is accelerated. As is your breathing pattern, now." He wiped some of the blood from Mello's shoulder, tentatively, with the cuff on his sleeve, still holding Mello's trembling hand...or maybe it was his own that was trembling...Mello regarded him cautiously and squeezed back, internally grateful for the comfort from this unlikely source.

Near knew a lot already...he might as well know the rest. Mello leaned his head back against the wall.

"Rituals. They used seven. For rituals...but we were only children. One for each virtue...mine was Courage. Seven of us, though there were eight total...they never retrieved the eighth. It wasn't necessary. Each of us were embedded with the Eye. Sacrifices. They controlled us like animals. Shocking us. Slaves...slaves to the people of "The Eye." A cult. We were to be sacrificed to a demon, who would in turn grant the followers with immortality. The virtues...but...something went wrong. Hope. She died. They Shocked her so badly, she died, and with that...the hopes for immortality were vanquished. They killed everyone. And I ran...I fled. The seven lost virtues have become one..."

Mello closed his eyes a moment, slowing his breathing down to a somewhat normal rate. The entire dictation made sense, but it was almost unbelievable. And so rushed...no details, no elaboration. He remembered Hope...Hope had the Eye upon her forehead. God...the Shocks killed her...and Mello turned a little to look at Near. His pale eyes were cloudy in his contemplation.

Supernatural. Yes, the word could actually pass through Near's mind unstopped now. He didn't cut himself off...no...it was supernatural, and Mello was part of it. Too many questions unanswered, too many questions he didn't WANT answered.

Near continued to wipe the blood from Mello's arm. He was confused, and the lack of knowledge crippled him, but that was okay. Mello appeared to be in less pain, and Near's thumb was stroking the back of his hand, though the small albino didn't realize it until the movement caught his eye. He didn't stop.

"You were the only one to escape...are...are they still looking for you Me...ro?"

His voice cracked, and his body jolted at it; he bowed his head, staring down at the pool of blood surrounding Mello's left arm. His own body was humiliating him. He was concerned. He was lost. He was terrified.

And above all, it was his uncertainty that made his thumb rub just a little bit harder against the back of Mello's hand.

"They are dead. Near...you're hurt? Near..."

Mello's eyes seemed to be glazed slightly, as if the very action of Shocking had left him utterly out of his mind. The blonde pulled his hand away from Near's and pressed it against the albino's cheek, pausing a second, as if rethinking the action. The emotion in his eyes was now a complete mess, unintelligible garble that not a soul could decipher. He seemed...lost...they both did.

Lost in a haze of emotion...

"You're hurt...Nia...the Shock..."

"I don't understand the Shock you're talking about, Mello," Near said uneasily, his eyes wide. "I'm not hurt. You are. Your arm...aren't...you in pain?"

Mello moved his bloodied arm, having slight difficulty with it. No blood poured from the wound any longer.

"Nia, you are hurt!"

He sounded choked, eyes widening in realization. Near was terrified for him. Near was hurting for HIM.

Near raised a hand to the one on his cheek, gathering Mello's fingers in his hand and bringing it from his face gently. His eyes were sad and confused, and clearly reflected the terror and insanity in Mello's...Near brought the hand to his lips briefly, kissing the palm and then lowering it.

"It's going to be okay, Mello," Near said, though it probably wouldn't, and he knew it. His voice was strong, but his heart ached, and his eyes were burning because the fire was flickering so brightly from the torches. He brushed hair from Mello's face. "Be brave, okay?"

"Numb. Drains. Energy. Eyes..."

Mello stared into Near's iridescent eyes. Despite his absolutely disoriented state, he could feel his companion's pain. He could sense it in the very air he breathed. The Shocking was mild, compared to the others, but still, the sight of one occurring was truly brutal...

"Hurt by...the light? Hide them in sha-dow..."

The sentence was slurred and Mello's eyelids were drooping. In a sudden movement, the blonde pulled Near with his arm, yanking him by the collar gently, forcing his eyes into the non-crimson side of his neck, where the light would not reach them. Near struggled at first, attempting to push away, but then relaxed; his eyelashes tickled Mello's neck.

"Eyes...yours...far less painful. Don't worry...recover...hours..."

And with that final string of garbled dialect, Mello descended into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Near pulled away briefly, and he stared down at his tormented riv...no...his tormented ally...with something close to regret in his eyes. He was grateful Mello's breathing had evened out, grateful that the poor soul had lapsed into some form of rest, but he refused to sleep, despite how late it must have been.

He refused to let Mello sleep unguarded.

If his pain hurt Mello, his comfort didn't matter. Near took the cartridge from his pocket and put his lenses in, sighing in relief as the light seemed to weaken around him...no. He wouldn't sleep...not yet. He raised a finger to his hair for a moment, then stopped and moved it to Mello's instead, and for the time Mello slept, darkened and weak eyes gazed down at him, and a small, pale hand stroked golden locks away from his tortured face.

(NS)

One eye cracked open after two hours of forced sleep, one blue eye frantically looked around, in the dim light picking up the vision of his counterpart.

"Ngh...Near? Where...oh, the tower. Have you...been there the whole time?"

"I have."

He definitely knew some explanation was due, and he knew he was going to give it one way or another. Mello brought his clean arm to the wall, bracing himself to stand up shakily, and, exhausted, Near rose to stand beside him.

The black shirt Mello had come in was ruined, plastered over his mark in a sticky mess of fibers and blood. Mello ripped it off, noting how purely black the mark was, as if the blood had never touched it. His gaze dropped to the floor, where a lovely pool of browning red coagulated merrily under his bare feet. He looked down at Near, dropping the shirt in the pool and sighing.

"I'm sorry for not revealing this load of shit. It wasn't something I'd like to share..."

And his reasons were simple. The mark was a symbol of shame, something that could bring Mello down to his knees and make him cry in pain.

"The...music stopped when we pressed the buttons, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did. The music...does that play into any part of this?"

His eyes ached, and not from the light. His hand seemed to raise itself, and he gripped Mello's fingers, this time more as if he was afraid to let go...terrified of letting go. What was going on, anyway? He wasn't sure, but he didn't care. Near, Number One Near, honestly couldn't have cared less about his intelligence...his mind was focused on Mello's security, his exhausted body focused on Mello's touch, his tired, weak eyes focused on Mello's face. Near tightened his grip on Mello's fingers.

"Why are we here?"

Near was tired. No, he seemed utterly trashed, and he had watched over Mello despite all things, all hatred and rivalries. Wait, rivals? In this secluded place, they couldn't be rivals, for...not one ounce of hatred did Mello feel for this boy at the moment. In fact, he felt absolutely...confused.

"No, it doesn't...I think it was just to lure us here. I have the feeling that the puppet master knew exactly who they were dealing with. A giant puzzle, the Shock..."

Mello did not pull his fingers away from Near, focused on his question instead, and the contact was not unwelcome...

"We are here because of my damned curiosity... And the next room..."

Melo glanced into the doorway and back at Near.

"Are you still with me?"

"Your inferiority complex should not render you idiotic," Near said tiredly, shaking his head in slight disbelief at the question. "Of course I'm with you. I'm not abandoning you here."

It was decided. Near smiled then, a true smile, and even though he was exhausted, confused, and downright terrified, for once, he was grateful, and almost happy, to be by Mello's side...for once, maybe he could help him, and maybe, just maybe, Mello wouldn't hate him so much anymore. The thought wiped the exhaustion from Near's body, and he felt refreshed. He met Mello's eyes and his smile grew.

"Come on."

Mello gazed upon the smile, the honest smile, and something crossed his expression. The boy nodded in agreement, walking carefully into the next room. What he came across astonished him; a huge bed, surrounded by mounds of books and shelves, and a desk at the corner. Again, torchlight sufficed to illuminate the room, though, and there is was, plain as day, a note upon the bed. Mello approached the mattress with caution, plucking the folded piece of paper off the cream-colored sheets.

"To the finders of The Loft..."

Mello glanced around, gazing at the purely overwhelming amount of books, noting how there was wallpaper here, and another doorway seeming to lead into a bathroom. The blonde shook his head in utter surprise, almost not believing it, it was a bedroom, complete with a bathroom adjacent to it and more books it seemed than a library could stock.

The bed was the only piece of furniture in the room besides the desk, but Mello refused to sit upon it, choosing the red-carpeted floor instead.

Near glanced around at the books in awe, his eyes wide at the vast selection. His gaze traveled back down to Mello after a few moments of hungrily drinking in the sight, and he sat beside him, staring.

"Finders?"

"Near, I think I know who did this..."

This was the last room. There were no more tricks...hopefully.

But Hope seemed dead...In more ways than one.

"I don't understand...is this for us? Or does someone live here, Mello? The Loft..." He shook his head. "And the finders...? It's...I can't even..."

He growled lowly and averted his gaze, glaring toward the bathroom. He was unnerved, though he didn't know why, and he edged closer to Mello. He was thinking hard. Way too hard. Mello sighed.

"One hint, one letter. L."

He growled to himself, fully understanding why his mentor did such a thing but not in approval of it at all. L was the only one familiar with his problem and go figure, he exploited it. Mello opened the note and begun to read the cleanly typed text aloud.

"To the both of you who have come to this small corner, I congratulate you. This place is my inheritance to you both, the place I created and stowed away for your benefit. I know that pain was inflicted upon you and for that I am truly sorry. If it had not been for the pain, you would not have opened the last door. In this room you will find volumes I have collected, knowledge not held by the library below you, some of it forbidden. I must warn you no volumes may leave this room.

You most likely are in a state of angry confusion and for that I also apologize to you both. By coming this far, you have done what I hoped and worked together. Remember, however painful it may be, this pain can bring out the most intense qualities of a person."

Mello sighed in annoyance. The note was not signed, and it didn't need to be.

"What the hell does he need us for? The guy is psychic. I think he meant for us to find this place when we did. Look at all this. And the desk..."

Mello stood up, setting the note back on to the bed and walking over. To his utter amusement, as he pulled the top drawer open, there was a map of Wammy's house, and at least five secret entrances to the Loft. The same drawer also held two golden keys, identical in shape and size...

"He expects us to come here. Obviously a LOT. And honestly, this is tempting. Look at all these books..."

"Mello," Near said quietly, his gaze downcast. He examined the minor scratches on the back of his hands. "Both of us. He said both of us. Your dealings with...all of those things you told me...obviously, L knew you would come. But between the letter, and the eyes...the puzzle..."

He glanced up then, and his grey eyes were so tired.

"How...did he know you'd bring me? Or no...how did he know I'd come?"

"I have no idea. Rightly, I'm not even sure what the hell he wants us to do. We can't live here or anything."

Mello placed the map down and went to examine the bathroom. Unlike the other places, it had a light switch. Wow.

"Near, I'm going to turn on the light."

He paused a few seconds and pressed the switch, and scanned what seemed to be an ordinary gray bathroom, with a dresser. A dresser? Mello opened the dresser drawer and closed it.

"Near, to be honest, I swear our mentor is a stalker. Come in here and grab a shower, your clothes are in here. Mine too. The fuck does he think we are going to do? I say we take advantage of this. No matter how creepy it seems."

Mello walked out, noting the fact that the dimness and brightness of the light could be adjusted with a dial as he pressed the knob that controlled it.

Near winced sharply as he entered the room and raised a hand to his temple; he gripped the doorframe for support, eyes clamped shut.

"Just...give me a second, Mello," he gasped softly, pressing his forehead into the frame. His arms trembled with the effort of keeping himself up. His eyes burned...he wasn't supposed to wear his lenses when exhausted, but it was so bright...he was tired, but he didn't want to sleep...

Mello watched Near's struggle, sighing softly at the display. He knew Near's eyes must have been hurting like hell, and the poor creature looked as if we was going to pass out. He walked over and turned the brightness down to the dimmest setting, sparing the poor boy the feel of burning eyes.

"Be careful, and don't sleep-drown, alright?"

His tone was sarcastic, but there was concern mixed in with it. He would be lying to himself to say he wasn't concerned. Who wouldn't be? Near looked like he could barely stand. It felt like he was letting a blind man walk into rush hour traffic.

"...do you need help?"

"N-no, I'm...fine. I...have to take these out though."

Near opened his eyes reluctantly, and sighed softly in relief at Mello's thoughtfulness. He opened his eyes fully, unafraid of the dimmed lights.

"Thank you." He took his contacts out carefully, thinking. "I'm amused right now, actually...everything adds up. L expected this. All of it. The exams being posted today, the heightened security back at the House, the puzzle...our clothes."

Mello had to admit, he was impressed, and slightly disturbed, by the fact that L had planned for him to get Shocked, as well as he had planned for him to notice the star and everything.

"He even got the fucking weather perfect, and stocked the bathroom."

This much preparation. Especially the sliding puzzle. THAT was elaborate.

Crystal-blue eyes blinked to readjust, and Near snapped the lense case shut. "Even the dimmer switch. Everything was planned out. Well. Almost everything."

"Almost? What wasn't planned out do you think?"

Near stared at Mello as though mildly disappointed.

"One bed. One shower. Two of us. And I am not sleeping in the bathtub."

He wouldn't have minded, really, but he was actually rather amused by all that was going on. L was his idol for a reason; the man drove him insane and at the same time, Near respected him greatly. Only L could have brought them into such tight quarters without anyone getting killed.

Mello blinked at him and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning against the doorframe.

"Near, I don't have AIDs, despite what Linda believes and spreads through the orphanage. But I see your point and I am not sure if I want to share. In that case, I am sure L stocked something in this place. If not, I'll sleep on the floor."

He sighed and eyed Near. They couldn't exactly turn back easily and go to their own rooms, and it was Sunday tomorrow anyway. No one looked for anyone on a Sunday unless they fucked up big time. They could spend the night here without much of a fuss at all, and L had definitely rigged and soundproofed the whole tower.

"So this is our inheritance. A secret room full of passageways and books. Geez. I'd laugh if my arm weren't giving me a lovely reminder of L's generosity..."

He snorted and massaged the sore mark, annoyed and amused at the same time.

Though he snickered softly at the mention of Mello's AIDs, once the older boy's arm was brought to his attention again, Near's smile vanished, and he very gently touched his companion's arm, about an inch from the massaging fingers.

"It wasn't that, I just can't believe he put only one bed here. Even at Wammy's, roommates are provided extra beds...unless he planned this, too, to see if we could cooperate."

His gaze remained locked onto Mello's shoulder. Somehow, Mello's pain made him ache inside...and in an instant, for the first time, Near felt a flash of anger and hatred for L.

Mello didn't pull away at the gentle touch, knowing all too well that the urge to feel the mark was overwhelming. Mello grabbed Near's hand, moving it to the freezing-cold portion of his skin. Despite being Shocked, the skin was like ice, the black mark a vast temperature drop beside his warm skin.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Mello allowed him a few more moments of contemplation and pulled away.

"I'll sleep on the floor. No offense, but you look like shit, and I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I do not feel comfortable sharing a bed. Now shower off and go to bed. I'll get in after you, understand?"

Mello nodded to Near, who bowed his head in return, and closed the door behind him as he left. He took a seat at the desk and opened the top drawer again, withdrawing the two keys and examining them.

He found that the bedroom also, was equipped with a light switch, and carefully adjusted the light to the dimmest setting yet again. He walking around and glancing over the titles of the books. There were easily hundreds of books, some enormous and some tiny. There were instruction manuals, fantasy tales, histories of things, none of which he knew by title. He felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of books already...what was L planning?

In all honestly, he was starting to feel sick. The aftereffects of Shocking were not new to him, but he hadn't felt them in so long. Mello bit back his mild stomachache and without much hesitation, pulled open the left drawer, finding what appeared to be more office and art supplies in one space than he had ever seen in his lifetime. Not even Linda could compare with this. Mello closed the drawer and leaned back in the desk chair, staring at the ceiling. He allowed his eyelids to flutter shut for a moment. There was just too much that had happened. Near was one of those things. The albino had, in one day, turned an angry Mello from rival to ally...

What were they to each other, anyway?

Too many answers to too many questions. x3