An SPK Christmas. Chapter Four

Oh, the torture. I hadn't been up an hour by the time I hopped on a computer and started writing this.

My morning thanks go to Shin-Ora, and of course I'll update soon! See?! By Christmas!!!!

Yes, I'm crazy.

That Wonderful Time of Year Again

by Darkness Princess

:x:x:

The Weirdest People On Christmas Eve...

Mello didn't understand why he had to do this. The wind brushing past his face as he sped down the streets irritated him, yet he knew he couldn't slow down. At this time of night, the only people on the streets were shopaholics looking for midnight bargains and teenage street racers. He definitely wasn't going shopping - by now, he was set on not meeting with Near, and definitely not buying him a present - so that just left him the other category. Being nineteen and a badass, it all worked out for him.

He came to a halt outside a toy store. It was open for the next full twenty-four hours, for parents needing to buy last-minute gifts for their children while the kiddies slept inside. They had a few stores do this, and Mello could remember sending Roger to one of those when he realized that Santa wasn't real and wrote a new presents draft a day before Christmas. He could always remember what Near wrote: "Santa, I don't need anything. Please make sure everyone is happy. Near" Even at the ripe age of ten, Mello would call him a dumbass for that letter.

Was he actually considering it?!

Mello scowled. No, he definitely wasn't! He just needed to find Matt and get him out of there. Matt was with Near, and Near wanted Mello, which said that this entire thing was a trap. But Mello already knew that; Near was cunning, but then again, so was he...

He parked the bike and walked into the toy store.

:x:x:

Near fixed a dark look onto the transformer he held. Matt was standing by an open window, smoking quietly, as he reasoned. Near had kidnapped Mello's good friend and needed partner, and he hadn't even come to get him. Of course, Near knew Mello couldn't be heartless, for the blonde did have compassion, and he did want to hang out with his friend, but why was he making him wait so long?

Though he was patient, the white-platinum-haired boy could only wait so long before he did something.

He turned to Rester, who sat at one of the screens, listening to Gevani, and it gave Near an idea.

"Matt, what apartment are you staying in currently?" he asked.

Matt turned from the window. "Am I supposed to tell you that so you can unwillingly drag Mello over here?"

"Yes. Now, I don't want violence--"

"But you'll use it anyway. Near, you're sadistic."

"I don't mean to be. Please, tell me your apartment."

Matt just leaned over and placed the cigarette in his mouth again, before blowing out a ring. He didn't even seem to care anymore. Currently, his eyes were focused on the streets, squinting through the darkness and the orange tint of his goggles, and Near could only question why he was smoking so intently out the window.

Look-out, maybe?

A few motorcycles hummed, and Near switched view on a monitor to the outside camera. Street racers, five of them... could Mello possibly be in the group? Perhaps the one in the short leather jacket? With a helmet, it would be hard to tell.

Near braved the smoke and the cold and made his way to the window, placing a hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Is he out there?" Near asked. "Do you see him?"

Matt found himself grinning slightly. "Maybe." Definitely, Mello wasn't in that group, and definitely, he wasn't sure where this place was. If Near was going through such lengths as to kidnap him, Matt wasn't going to help him.

Right now, Matt would've been eating chocolate-sprinkled ramen cups in front of an entertaining late-night Japanese game show, Mello curled up next to him devouring his candy bars as always. He didn't feel like smoking alone at a cold window when he could just smoke inside at his apartment and eat ramen, and his irritation was going to come out in a reluctance to give in to his kidnapper's demands.

Near watched them go, then sighed, moving to sit down on the floor again. He picked up a toy, which Matt recognized as 'T-Bot' from their days at Wammy's House. As Near made it move around on the ground with one hand, his other hand pointed to a drawer on the side. "Matt, you have two gifts under the tree. Feel free to open one."

"Presents?"

Matt couldn't help but put out the cigarette and scramble over to the tree.

As he ripped apart the wrapping paper, Near asked him a question.

"Was he over there?"

"Dude! It's a PSP-Xbrand!" he said happily, tugging at the box. "No, he wasn't... anyone got a knife?"

:x:x:

Hal was at her new hotel room, a few minutes away by car to the SPK headquarters. She was taking a nice shower, the hot water running across her body so delicately. It felt great not having to worry on Christmas Eve, and to just take a nice midnight shower. She had to return to headquarters in around an hour, but she planned on enjoying her shower first. The gifts for her friends at the workplace, plus, oddly, one for Mello.

Mello knew where her apartment was. He knew her last apartment, and strangely, she felt an odd attraction to the young blonde. It could've been his scars, or his take-charge attitude. Near had his power through wisdom and plans; Mello demanded it. And if Near were forcing Mello over, he would be able to receive his present.

She finally turned off the water and reached for her towel. Wrapping it around her naked form, she smiled and soon stepped out. That was a very nice -

"Oh my God!" she screamed.

A tall blonde stood in her bathroom, gun in hand, leaning against the door. This was eerily familar - actually, it was exactly like the last time, only she had heard him coming. She didn't think anyone would've come to kidnap her, especially on Christmas Eve.

But what better of a day.

"Hello, Hal," he greeted with a smirk.

"H-hi, Mello..."

She found herself subconsciously tugging the towel around herself more. He smirked, then threw her a robe, before shaking his head slightly.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not going to kill you. You've done this once before, you know how. I'm going to wait right outside this door, and you're going to get dressed. Then you're going to take me to the headquarters. Got it?"

Hal nodded, smiling slightly. "Off to business already, Mello?"

He placed on his face a look of mild sadness. "Unfortunately, yes. When people are kidnapped, it's odd that you have to find them before they begin causing trouble. You know?"

"Possibly. So you know Near has Matt?"

Mello nodded. "Near told me himself. Now... Hal... you're going to cooperate with me, right?"

"I guess I have no other choice..." She sighed and began to dry her hair.

Mello stepped out of the room. Hal was attractive, too damn hot at times, but Mello didn't like women who went along with this. He liked his people forced into submission.

She came out ten minutes later, wearing a red shirt with her black suit. He handed her a Santa hat, and she smiled. "Thank you, Mello."

"Whatever. Ready?"

"I bought you a present."

Mello cocked an eyebrow. This woman was weird.

:x:x:

Matt was occupied, like the happy game-obsessed child he was, his fingers moving rapidly to his new video game. He had been given a pair of headphones so he could hear all the screams of his massacred game victims, already overjoyed by the pleasure of slaughtering programmed people.

And he called Near sadistic?

Near couldn't help but shake his head as he fiddled with T-Bot and his transformer, his eyes now and then turning to the door. Hal should return soon, and Mello should be coming...

A car pulled to stop out front, and Hal looked around, a cell phone at her ear. She soon hung up and walked inside the building, pushing the door open as she appeared in the main room. Near looked at her oddly.

"Hal...?" he asked. "You're late."

"Sorry. I was held up in traffic. And I had a little visitor..."

Near nodded. "So he knows."

"Yes."

:x:x:

Mello stood outside another all-night toy store. After Hal drove down to the SPK location, he made a U-turn, knowing that he couldn't bust in and save his friend without bringing something. Hal told him that Near wasn't going to let him go with Matt just because he walked in with a gun. Last time, two more guns were pointed at him, and none of them were afraid to die.

This just sucked, again. Mello sighed and walked into the store. He turned to the first person he saw at the counter and leaned on the counter, tilting his head so that hair fell into his face, over his scar.

"Where are the puzzles?" he asked.

.fourEND.

Yeah, not my best work, but I have to help mom set up a bed before I finish. It took longer... but hopefully, just a few more chapters and I'll be done!

:Darkness Princess. is sneezy.