Lawli: Just a note to people who don't know, Light's name in Japanese can be read as 'tsuki' (moon/moonlight). It the scene where Misa first lays eyes on Light she calls him this in mistake, and only when she looks him up on the internet she realizes he pronounces his name Light. Beyond Birthday doesn't have the internet at his disposal, however, so he only sees Light's name as Tsuki and so that's why he refers to him as such.

I know B and Light never met, but you never know.. they could have! What if B went to Japan before going to LA? He needed to get his plan to beat L from somewhere, after all!

This one's longer than the others. Yay

Please R&R!

76 - Who?

"Who's that?"

Beyond glanced up from the photograph in his hands, focusing instead to the left where a young boy stared up at him inquisitively. He looked no older than nine, with light brown hair that almost shone blonde in the bright sun and amber eyes that sparkled with curiosity and a strange intelligence that appeared out of place in someone so young, though Beyond did not think anything of it; he was used to seeing that glimmer in the eyes of almost every child at Wammy's, in his own eyes, so it was nothing special or unique to him – though it did remind him of L (which was also nothing new; practically everything he saw or heard reminded him of his genius detective and idol).

"Hell-ooo," the boy said, waving a hand in front of Beyond's face. "I'm talking to you."

Beyond curled a lip in irritation, easily able to tell now that this boy – Yagami Tsuki, the characters over his head spelled – was one of those children who was quite used to being the center of attention. He was probably a little prodigy, held on a pedestal by his family members and teachers, always talked about and complimented and fawned over as if he was something worth praising just because he could solve an equation more quickly than others – like L, like Beyond's replacements, Mello and Near.

"It's nothing," he said finally, running his index fingers across the wrinkled edges of the photograph, folding them almost nervously.

"He looks like you," the boy Tsuki observed, taking in the dark black hair and wide-set grey eyes of the child in the picture. "Is it your brother?"

Curling his toes over the edge of the park bench, Beyond scowled. "No," he answered quickly. "We're not related."

"Then why do you keep his picture?"

Beyond's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, wishing that Tsuki would just shut up and go away. "Your parents are probably looking for you..." his voice trailed off as he glanced pointedly at the boy, hoping that the intelligent sparkle in his brown eyes meant he was smart enough to take a hint as simple as that.

Tsuki frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, sticking his nose up arrogantly. "I'm twelve years old, I'm not a baby," he informed Beyond, sounding every bit as offended as his steely expression suggested.

Beyond rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me. It's not my fault you look like you're seven."

Tsuki's cheeks turned a humiliating shade of red. "I-I do not," he said indignantly. "And you're avoiding the subject." He pointed at the photograph insistently. "Who is that?"

"It's none of your business." Beyond's voice had taken on a sharp edge to it, a clear indicator that he did not want to continue this discussion any longer. Carefully he folded up the picture and slid it into the back pocket of his oversized jeans.

"You're avoiding the subject. I want to know."

"I don't care what you want. You're just an annoying little kid, I don't have to tell you anything."

"Still avoiding the subject," Tsuki said, the fingers of his right hand tapping impatiently at his left upper arm.

Beyond sighed in exasperation. "What do you care?"

"I'm curious," Tsuki answered easily. "About you, more than the picture. You looked sad... but angry, and also something else at the same time; since you were looking at the picture I could only deduce that the person in the picture was the reason you felt that way."

Beyond almost snorted at the boy's prim way of speaking. "Deduce?" he quoted, "What are you, a little detective?" he asked.

Tsuki nodded his head. "I hope to be one day," he said, placing a hand against his chest proudly. "I'll be the greatest detective in the world. My dad's a detective – but I'll be even better than he is. I'll be the best in the world."

Beyond wanted to inform the poor boy that there was no chance in Hell of that ever happening, because poor Tsuki was in no way affiliated with Wammy's House and so had no way of ever becoming connected to L or Quillsh Wammy, andeither Near or Mello would most likely succeed L anyways, and if Beyond wasn't good enough to be L then no way was this little brat. Yagami Tsuki was nothing – a little twerp who thought he was special, who would accomplish nothing in his miserably short existence (Beyond took a sick amount of pleasure in reading Tsuki's relatively short life span).

"Sure you will," Beyond humored the boy.

"So what did he do to you?" Tsuki asked again.

Beyond glared at him harshly for a full minute, and Tsuki stared back coolly, undaunted. Finally Beyond gave in. "He didn't do anything," he admitted.

"So why do you hate him?"

"I don't hate him."

"Well you don't like him."

Beyond couldn't argue with that. Having never met the man in his life, he couldn't legitimately say that he hated L. But he didn't like L, he knew that without even having to lay eyes on him in person. Just having to live up to his reputation was more than enough to make Beyond dislike him. "No… I don't." Tsuki continued to stare at him expectantly, as if waiting for Beyond to elaborate. Beyond scratched the back of his neck. "He didn't do anything to me," he said, reverting to Tsuki's earlier question. "It's just... I wasn't good enough for him." Silently, to himself, he added, "I was only Backup," though he doubted the boy heard him.

Tsuki blinked slowly. "Why don't you make yourself?"

Beyond raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Make yourself good enough," Tsuki explained as if it was obvious. "Show him that you're good enough for him – no, that you're better than him."

Both of Beyond's eyebrow now reached his hairline. He stared at Yagami Tsuki in wide-eyed amazement, suddenly seeing him as much more than just an annoying little brat. He could kiss the boy, he could. But he didn't want to go getting himself arrested – not when he had a new mission.

Beat L... I could do that.