Chapter 2: Fire and Ice
Near, come on.
Stifling a yawn, a young man slowly sat up from the chair he had slept in, still in his crouching position. I just woke up, Mello.
We haven't got all day, hurry up.
Be patient. I shall be ready in a moment. You can join me here if you want.
There was a pause. Alright, fine.
Near suddenly felt Mello in his mind, although with a heavier presence – it was if the blond man had slipped right into his body, seeing right through his eyes…It was very unsettling.
Cautiously, Near set up the mental blocks in his mind. Nobody in the right mind would want to allow somebody like Mello to have easy access to all their secrets and emotions…
Where's the old SPK bastards?
Near shrugged. They have their own lives. They come around here once and a while to assist me on some cases. But the cases always turn out simple…I would barely need their help.
No excitement, huh? Of course, Mr. Perfect. All cases need death risks. There was scorn in Mello's voice. He still held a grudge against his rival.
I suppose that mental adrenaline rush has its benefits. Near quietly slipped into a small restroom to wash. Splashing cold water on his tired face, he dried it away with a washcloth carefully. He didn't bother to comb his hair; the curly locks could never straighten no matter how much he tried.
Mello's voice urgently rushed into his mind. Crap, got to go. Over-Seer's making me do daily rounds patrolling for this stupid Spades. I got to concentrate about learning this shit. Immediately, Mello's presence vanished from Near as their communication 'channel' was broken off.
Near shuffled out of the building for fresh air. Being inside for a long time was exhausting, especially with all the excitement going on. Unbarring the metal doors, he started off for a leisurely walk around the street.
It was early in the morning and the streets were empty. Here and there, a stray car would rush by, or a lone passerby would stroll down the roads, but now there was only silence.
Near exhaled slowly, relieved to be outside. Gently blowing, the cool breeze whipped around him. He ambled casually on the roads while watching the quiet world around him. Everything was calm and peaceful, and Near relished the tranquility that the city possessed in the morning. Later in the day, however, the city became unpleasant, filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
As Near passed an alleyway, a drunken man, clothed in ragged clothes, lumbered up to him. He clutched a beer can in one hand while staggering uneasily on the streets.
"Hey, you!" the drunkard croaked, staring bleary eyed at Near.
Seemingly oblivious to the drunkard's cries, Near continued walking. Silently to himself, he felt rather uneasy – he'd never learned how to defend himself physically at all. That was a weakness he horribly regretted. His stomach churned uneasily, but like always, he masked his emotions.
For about two minutes, Near had managed to walk several feet away from the drunkard. Suddenly, the crazed man charged after Near, screaming hoarsely.
There was fear in Near's eyes as the man grabbed onto him and began shouting dementedly. Terror spread through Near as the man dug dirt-encrusted nails into the pale man's arms.
There's…there's something wrong about this man…Panicking, Near struggled to release himself from the drunkard's grip. But he was no match for the madly determined drunkard who firmly grasped Near's arm. The drunkard held Near against the wall and began wildly punching Near, sending blows all over his body.
Yelling wildly, the drunkard's fists impacted hard against Near. Pain shot throughout Near's body as he felt the blows. He screamed in pain as the man smacked and hit him, on his arms, his chest, his legs, his shoulders, his face – everywhere.
The cackling stranger babbled nonsensically.
"Stop…please…" Near weakly cried. Black and blue bruises were already forming on his limbs, sore from the beating. "Help…"
Suddenly, Near felt Mello in his mind. It was a small comfort, but it felt good to have somebody right there…
He could hear Mello cursing loudly. Mello, it hurts for you too… Near wanted to think more, but he it hurt so much, he felt so weak, so useless. Was he going to die?
Stop it, Mello thought hoarsely. Near could sense Mello's anger coursing through his body. Stop it.
Near cringed at the anger Mello was building up inside. Like fire. Like burning, blazing fire…
ST…STOP IT! DON'T HURT NEAR! DON…DON'T HURT HIM!!! HURT ME INS…TEAD!!!
It was then that the Spades started coming, the ones that were nearby. Streaming along from all over, the shimmering mist-like Beings swooped down. Everything was heavy, so heavy, now…the intensity of Mello's anger, the force of the Spades' presence…the drunkard stumbled away, frightened by the weight of everything…
Thank… you… Mello, Near faintly thought. He was alive, still in pain, but alive.
You..you're so useless and helpless, st..stupid, Mello stuttered weakly.
As fast as he could, Near found the strength to drag himself into the SPK building. As soon as he opened the iron doors and barred them he collapsed onto the floor, giving himself to the tender darkness of sleep.
--
Mello didn't know why he snuck into Near's mind. The young man had just been injured, after all. It was rude to intrude into Near's deepest thoughts and emotions and memories - but Mello was never one for etiquette.
The real reason, however, was to check up to see if Near was okay, although Mello would never admit that to himself.
It was just…seeing the pain on Near's face, hearing Near's anguished screams, watching the blows hit over and over and over again… while he would only watch helplessly on the sidelines…He'd felt the pain too…
It hurt. It seemed wrong to see emotionless Near in pain. It wasn't right. It made him feel sick…
So Mello wanted to see how the experience had affected Near, maybe from the inside of Near's mind, calm the young man.
Quietly, Mello slipped into Near's mind. He passed through Near's mental walls, which were easy to bypass because of Near's current state.
As he delved in deeper, something rushed through him. Mello felt emotions Near was feeling right now, while sleeping, while dreaming…
Mello braced himself as the pain and fear of the trauma hit him. But to his confusion, it wasn't there. Well, it was there, but only a little. A small fragment…There was something else, something immense.
A wave of happiness surged through Mello, a calm, blissful feeling. Mello felt relieved – Near wasn't having any nightmares, he was fine. Near was most likely thinking of something else right now, luckily not thinking about getting beat up.
Wait a damn minute – why the hell did he suddenly care about Near? Coming here was the only human thing to do, Mello convinced himself. I can't have Near suicidal if he can't help me come to life. Yep, that's it. Of course. Definitely.
There was another layer immediately buried underneath Near's joy. Out of curiosity, Mello delved in deeper.
An emotion rushed at Mello, it was strong. Mello almost felt like he was getting thrown out of Near's mind. Disjointed words echoed in Mello's mind, Near's words – sorry…protect…mine…die…me…I…you…
A fierce, strength flooded into him, as if somebody had pierced his heart deeply. Indescribable beyond words…like a pounding ocean wave, built up storm clouds… Mello felt the connection staggering as the emotion came in contact with him, its intensity shocking him beyond belief. Like ice. Cold, burning ice…
Mello freed himself from Near's mind, breaking connection immediately. What..the…hell…was th…that?