Feline Faults

ChipsAhoyPup

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Never have, never will. (This doesn't stop me from wishing I did, though.)

L paused briefly to unroll the map. He pinned it down against the sidewalk, inspecting it. Once he was sure he had memorized every nook and cranny of the neighborhood, he nudged the map into a roll again with his nose.

Before it had a chance to blow away, the cat quickly picked it up and stuffed it into the plastic bag. The sun was out today, bright and shining. Most of the puddles had dried out. Not a cloud was in sight. It was truly going to be a nice day.

Too bad L had to spend this nice day tearing a child's face apart. Or, to be more accurate, a man who resembled a child. Oh well. If tomorrow was a nice day, then maybe he and his new master—

L shook his head furiously. Not the time to be thinking about what might happen. He had to accomplish this mission first. If he couldn't, then he would have to face the consequences. And the consequence happened to be not getting a master for another day. So, it would be easier to put his best paw forward and think only about this mission. Otherwise, he'd get his hopes up, expect too much, and be far more depressed if it didn't happen the way he wished it would.

L quickly pushed all thoughts away and began to trot down the sidewalk. He knew exactly where he was going. The map was burned into his memory. He was like a walking GPS.

He made it to the so-called "headquarters" in a matter of minutes. It actually wasn't that far from Mello's house. L was surprised at how tall it was. The chocolate addict wasn't lying when he had said it was a headquarters.

There weren't any security guards in sight. It was doubtful that they were hidden somewhere. Confidence welled up in L's chest, and he padded quickly towards the entrance. This was it. All he had to do was find Near in this building, claw his face off, take a picture, and then—

BEEEEP! L jumped about two feet in the air, fur spiking along his spine. Instinct sent him racing away from the door. He scampered a few feet away from the headquarters. When he finally regained all common sense, he stopped running. Panting, heart racing, he turned so that he was facing the headquarters again.

What was that beeping sound? L wondered, pricking his ears intently. He couldn't hear it anymore. He cautiously slunk back towards the building.

Nothing.

Curious, he padded forward a little more. Then some more. Then some more. He continued padding a couple of steps at a time until he reached the entrance again. His ears flattened anxiously as he slowly reached a paw towards the door.

BEEEEP! L didn't run this time. But he couldn't stop his fur from bristling. He backed away a bit, the sound still ringing in his ears even though it had stopped.

Footsteps echoed through the building. L's eyes widened. He noticed a small set of stairs that led all the way up the building. It was on the exterior of the building, which dumb-founded the cat. But he didn't have time to admire it. He shot up the stairs as fast as possible, his claws lightly tapping against the metal as he did so. It didn't take long before he arrived at the top of the metal staircase.

L poked his head through the railing, staring down at the door. A man stood in front of the door, surveying the area. The cat backed away, turning towards where the staircase had led him to. A window. It was cracked open only the slightest bit.

Luckily, L was abnormally skinny. So much so that his ribs were poking out, stabbing against his flesh. The cat pushed his nose through the crack in the window, peering inside. Nobody was in sight. Tail twitching in relief, he squeezed through, landing gingerly on his paws.

I wonder where that kid is, L thought, crouching as he stalked forward. He was attempting to stay silent, but the plastic bag rustled obnoxiously every time he moved a muscle. Ears folded back, he met the end of the hall. Curious, he snuck a glance around the corner.

Sure enough, there sat the exact boy from the picture. One of his hands were positioned near his head, twirling a piece of white hair delicately, while the other hand was placing dominos in a complex design that encircled him.

I doubt I'd be able to sneak up on him with this bag. What do I do? L wondered, his confidence lacking as he shifted in place. The bag whispered against his furry chest. I can't leave the bag behind, or he'll have evidence. He could use fingerprints, and it would definitely lead to Mello. Why hadn't he given me something smaller and quieter? I can't do this, it's too noisy, the boy'll know, his guards will tackle me, he'll—

No. I can do this. L poised a determined glare towards the unsuspecting boy. No use sneaking up though. I should probably just sprint straight at him. I doubt he'd have enough time to react.

The plan seemed logical enough. The cat bundled all his muscles together, making sure that his aim would be spot-on. Then, he sprang forward, a burst of black lightning. He felt the wind forcing his ears and whiskers backwards. His tail was tucked underneath his stomach, making him more agile and swift.

Just as he was about to reach Near, just as he was about to leap, just as he was about to sink his claws into the flesh of the albino, something hit him with the force of ten dogs combined. At the same time, a loud bang! rang through the room. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and L tumbled backwards. His claws hit the linoleum floor, and he skidded backwards, trying to catch his balance and breath at the same time. His abdomen ached in agony, and he let out a small cry as he collapsed onto his spine.

"Nice save, Gevanni," A raspy, childish voice said. L could tell it was Near without even having to look up. The cat panted heavily, the pain pulsing throughout his veins, unlike any pain he had ever felt before. It was a wonder he was still alive.

"I… I didn't mean to shoot it… I-it's just a c-cat," A young man stammered.

"Cat or not, it threatened my life. You were trained to hurt anything that threatened me, correct?" Near asked, with such coldness that it made L flinch.

"Y-yes, but—"

"So you did your job perfectly. You should be proud, not upset."

"It… it's critically wounded… If we don't get it to a vet, it might—"

"Die? Yes, that is certainly a possibility. Serves it right for attacking people without reason," Near growled. "But, now that I think about it, it might belong to somebody. And we don't need a lawsuit on our hands."

"I see a collar around it's neck… it looks like it's buried deep in," Gevanni said quietly a moment later. From the source of his voice, he was kneeling next to L's wounded body.

Why am I still alive? Can't… can't someone… just kill me? Get it over with? L whined inwardly as he stirred.

"How deep did the bullet impale it?"

"Not too deep. It's still alive."

"Then take it to the vet before it dies."

"But, I thought you said—"

"That I don't want to get a lawsuit from its owner. Now go."

Next thing L knew, he was being carried. He whimpered, trying to force himself into slumber, to numb the pain. But the unconsciousness wasn't coming willingly. "I'm sorry, little kitty. I didn't mean to hurt you," L heard the man who was carrying him whisper into his ear. The cat flicked said ear to let the man know the apology had been acknowledged.