Stripes - Chapter 5
Kidnapped
Ice-Puppet
Author Notes/warning: It starts to get weird from here Oo
After insisting they stay for dinner, Nadine sent them on their way with the assurance that they had a place to stay under one of L's alternative names.
"I feel almost like I should be jealous," Mello admitted during the car ride to the hotel. "You and Near are finding your families…"
"Just my brother," Matt responded, throwing an arm around Mello's shoulders and hugging the shorter boy close. "If you want, you can share our families. They don't have to be blood related to care about you."
Snorting, Mello removed Matt's arm and childishly stuck out his tongue. "Sounds like a plan, Gandhi."
"Hey! Gandhi was a good man," Matt retorted.
"Oh, my bad," Mello responded. "I shouldn't desecrate his name by calling you him, then."
"Ha, ha!" Matt laughed sarcastically, before grabbing Mello in a headlock and messing up his hair.
"Hey!" Mello screamed, wiggling in defiance.
Matt laughed openly, releasing Mello only to be tackled again. "How do you like it!?" Mello shouted, messing with Matt's already messy hair.
It was just like old times again.
--
Near sat in the playroom, for once no amount of toys spread out before him. Instead, he held a single item – a phone. He knew Watari's phone number by heart, as did Mello. It was only a matter of pressing the numbers, and letting it ring.
L was his father. L. For some reason, it would not click in his brain. How could it be? It simply wasn't true. But… it was the truth, as hard as it was to believe. Just as the fact that L was dead was hard to believe.
He dialed the number slowly and lifted the ringing phone to his ear.
"Near?" Matt's voice picked up after one ring.
"Matt-" Near began, only to be silenced when a something behind him clicked loudly.
"Hang up the phone," a deep voice breathed. Near turned slowly, his eyes widening at the gun in his face.
"Near?" Matt's voice questioned.
"Hang up the phone," the shadowed man before him said again.
Near complied numbly, placing the phone on the floor beside his feet.
"You and I are going for a little ride," the man informed. "If you scream, I'll kill all the kids outside. Got it?" Near nodded. "Get up." He complied. The man, who he had never seen before, grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him from the playroom.
Near held his tongue, inwardly hoping one of the workers would come and spot them. No such luck, however, as they snuck out the back somehow unseen.
The dark man shoved him into the back of a large, blue car, before climbing in behind the wheel.
"You're going to see Kira," he said, starting the car. Near stared at him, but he said nothing else.
Fighting back tears and keeping a blank face, Near reached into his pocket and grabbed hold of the small goggled lego man, clenching it tightly in his fist. He inwardly hoped the scenario Matt had laid before him all that time ago was right, and that he would save him from the dark lego he had come to know as 'Kira'.
--
Jim Trefford
Heart attack
Approaches Wammy House Orphanage at 12:00 noon. Enters through the back, unspotted. Approaches a boy who is alone, and appears upset. Orders the boy at gunpoint into a car. Tells the boy, "You're going to see Kira." Doesn't say anything else to the boy. Drives to the city airport, and checks him into a plane headed toward the Kanto region of Japan. After the boy is on the plane, goes into the bathroom. Finds a cell phone on the counter, and presses the speed dial 1. Tells the person on the other line the description of the boy he just placed on the plane. Exits the bathroom and dies of a heartattack.
--
Matt picked up the phone on the first ring, his breath caught in his throat. "Near?" He hoped.
"Matt…" Near responded, breath soft. He fell silent after that, and Matt could have sworn he heard someone in the background.
"Near?" He questioned, catching Mello's attention from across the room. When he was met with silence, he called again. "Near?"
With a click, the phone went dead. Matt's eyes widened in surprise as he sat there, hoping he had merely been disconnected.
The phone rang again, but this time the caller ID was not Near. Instead, it was a hotel… Skyline Hotel, to be exact.
Matt answered, placing it on speaker, not saying a word
"Your fist mistake," Raito began, not even asking if they were listening. "Was not killing me. Your second was telling me L had a son. Your third, which goes along with your second, was telling me that his son was an orphan. Because L had taken a call from a young boy recently, and he had mentioned the time difference and he spoke in English, therefore it was not hard to find. There are only so many orphanages, and only one full of genius children. Your last mistake, and your worse mistake, was forgetting about the second Kira, and the second Death Note."
"Shit," Matt breathed.
"The second Kira has specific instructions to kill the boy if something should happen to me," Raito continued. "If you want him to life, return to the hotel, and give me the notebook."
"You can't erase your death," Mello growled.
"On the contrary," Raito corrected. "If you cross out the name twice, and then erase it, you can stop their death, or even bring someone back to life." The two looked at each other. "It has to be the person who wrote it, therefore bringing L back to life is impossible. The shinigami that wrote his name perished."
"You've already killed him," Mello was becoming emotional, but Matt did not have the heart to shut him. "Let his soul rest in peace. His son has nothing to do with this!"
"I know the names of all the pilots on the plane he currently is on," Raito informed coldly. "Unless you agree to my terms, I will bring that plane down."
"You fucking bastard," Matt breathed, holding his head in his hands. He felt tears well in the corner of his eyes, and he didn't bother to fight them. This is what L had been trying to prevent… putting Near in danger because of his name. And now, in his eath, they had managed to do just that.
"Name the terms," Mello whispered.
"You return to the skyline hotel," Raito began. "You will erase my name from the note before my eyes and return it to me. Once this is done, I will return him to you."
Matt and Mello shared a look. They knew the chances that he was lying were at least three to one.
"Well?" Raito prompted.
"Deal," Mello agreed.
"Catch the next possible flight," Raito ordered. "If you aren't here within seven days, he dies." The phone clicked and went dead.
Mello sighed and fell back on his bed. "This is all my fault."
"Don't blame yourself," Matt snapped, frustrated. "You couldn't have known he would find Near so easy."
"Still," Mello retorted. "I'm the one who told him Near was an orphan, not to mention I didn't bother to look through L's notes and find out about the second Kira."
With a sigh, Matt shoved Watari's phone into his pocket. "Let's just… fix this, okay?"
--
Near stepped out of the gate, his heart in his throat. He was going to meet Kira… the man who not only killed L, but also countless others without a care in the world. What would this person be like? And what exactly did he want with Near?
The last thing he expected was to be grabbed and hugged by a blonde haired lolita.
"Oh, you're so cute!" She cooed, smiling widely. "I see L in you."
"Are you…" Near silently cursed himself. The woman had asked the question to make sure he was the right boy, and he had stupidly fallen into the trap.
"My name is Amane Misa," she informed, taking his hand. "I'm going to take you to Raito!"
"Raito?" Was that Kira?
Misa nodded. "But first, let's go out for some ice-cream! What flavor should we get?"
Near stared at her, almost amused by her enthusiasm. "I don't like sweets."
She stared at him, dumbstruck. "Are you sure you're L's son?" Shaking it off, she began to walk, still holding his hand.
When they stepped outside the large airport, she waved over a large bus with her face on the side. A tour bus, it appeared to be. Pulling Near inside she instructed the driver to Skyline Hotel and sat Near down on one of the plush black sofas.
"So, Nate," Misa began, smiling widely. "Is River your mother's last name, or was it L's?" His eyes widened and he stared at the blonde haired girl in awe. How did she know his name? "Nate River… it's a really pretty name." When Near said nothing, she placed her hands on her knees and leaned foreword, smiling widely. "You're just so cute! I hope Raito doesn't have to kill you. It's so sad that he has to threaten children."
"Kill me…?" Near breathed, trying to keep his face blank. It was hard to do… this girl was just so energetic, she nearly gave off waves of enthusiasm.
Misa nodded, smiling. "Raito doesn't want to! He only kills bad people. But the new L has him trapped up in a hotel, and he has to threaten you or else he can never leave! And that's no fun. That means he and I would have to live there, and get married there, and have our honey moon there…!"
Near frowned. Matt and Mello had Kira in a trap, but somehow he had managed to reverse the rolls. Kira had to be smart. Perhaps someone who rivaled L.
"You don't have to be afraid," Misa assured. "We wont hurt you unless the new L doesn't comply. Raito would never hurt children!"
Near almost laughed at the irony of what the girl before him was saying. 'Here you are, about to meet the man who killed your father, but you don't have to fear him.' It made perfect sense, right? Right. And he was the most outgoing boy at the orphanage. Sarcasm score number one.
He sighed, turning to look out the window. He had always wanted to see Japan, but this wasn't what he had in mind.
"Your Japanese is very good," Misa complimented. "Did your father teach it to you?"
Near glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Misa, was it?" She nodded. "Please, don't refer to L as my father."
Her big eyes blinked. "Why not?"
"I only just found out he was my father," Near explained honestly. "Its not really a comfortable subject."
The girl sniffled, her eyes tearing up. "Ohh… I'm so sorry! That's horrible!" She jumped across the space between them and pulled Near into a tight hug.
"Um…" he breathed, tensing up in her touch.
"We're here!" She chirped suddenly, grabbing his arm and heading for the door as it opened.
A few people began chatting happily to each other and approached the bus, throwing around questions and asking for autographs. Misa flirted with the crowd for a few moments before she claimed she had important business to do and dragged Near into the hotel.
As they reached the elevator she asked, "Do you wanna press the button?"
"I'm not six," Near replied.
Misa giggled and pressed the seven.
They reached the floor and walked down the hallway. Producing a card from her purse, Misa slid it through the lock on room 716.
"Raito!" She cheered as she opened it. "I'm here!"
A young man, perhaps 18 or 19, walked out from one of the side rooms. His cold eyes fell on Near and a bit of surprise flashed through them.
"This is L's son?" He questioned.
"Yep!" Misa replied.
Raito, as she had called him, approached slowly. He studied the boy before him for a few moments before he asked, "Albino?"
Near didn't grace him with an answer, feeling the question was a bit to rhetorical.
Raito snorted, motioning for Near to sit on the sofa. He sat across from him, Misa seated on the arm rest of his chair.
"My name is Yamagi Raito," Raito explained. "But you probably know me better as Kira." Near's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Was this young man really Kira? From his cocky demeanor, he had the self-godly attitude it would take. More commonly known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
"You will be staying here for the next few days," Raito continued. "I suggest you do so without issue. Your friends, Mello and Matt, are currently on a plane here from a small city in America. If you put up any kind of fight, I will bring the plane down."
Near glanced at Misa, and at her nod he sighed and gave his own nod of compliance. Misa giggled once more. "Isn't he so cute, Raito? I know he doesn't look like L but- Oh! I'm sorry!" She quickly covered her mouth.
"Sorry?" Raito repeated.
"He only just found out L is his father!" Misa explained. "He asked me not to talk about him."
The young man gave a frustrated sigh, holding a hand to his forehead. It was obvious to Near he couldn't stand the girl before him, but for some reason she either didn't notice or didn't care. "Misa, he's a hostage. We don't bend to the will of hostages."
"But he's a child!" Misa argued, pouting.
"He's still a hostage," Raito responded in a voice that commanded dominance. She complied with a dramatic sigh. Raito then turned to Near, leaning forward, lacing his fingers across his knees. "Answer me truthfully, Nate. I will know instantly if you are lying. Are you truly L's son?"
Near couldn't help but snort in amusement, pulling a knee up to his chest. "You'll know if I lie?" He almost laughed. "Your girlfriend may be able to tell my real name with one look at me, Yamagi-kun, but I have a large amount of doubts that she doubles as a lie-detector."
Raito's eyes narrowed. "100?" He mocked.
"L is my father," Near continued, unfazed. "Or so I am told. Honestly, you could tell me that the boy cast as Harry Potter is my father, and I would have no way to know. Such is the faith of an orphan. But honestly, I don't believe that L would like, knowing such information could possibly lead to a situation such as this one."
Misa whistled as if impressed. "Yep, he's L's son!" She hummed, placing a finger to his lips. "Although its kinda hard to believe. L always seemed a bit… gay."
Near looked away, the two Kira's amusement running low.
Raito stood and left the room, while Misa took the seat be had been in.
"So," she chirped. "What do you like to do?" when he glanced to her she smiled. "Well, if you're going to be stuck here for the next few days, we might as well try to entertain you!"
He read her eyes, finding only honesty in their depths. One had to wonder how a sweet girl like her ended up involved with Kira. With a small, nearly soundless sigh of defeat, Near informed her. "I like puzzles."
Jumping up, Misa called to Raito that she was going out and gave him a wink before she left the hotel room.
The phone rang on a few moments after she had left, Raito picking it up before the first ring could finish. He whispered into the receiver for a few moments before he called Near.
"It's your friend, Matt," he informed, eyes narrowing. "You tell him anything suspicious and I will make sure he suffers."
Near snorted, grabbing the phone. "Matt?" He questioned.
"Near!" Matt responded, his voice filling with relief. "Are you alright? They're not hurting you, are they?"
"If you look up 'alright' in the dictionary, I doubt the definition is 'In the hands of the man who killed your father'," Near responded.
Matt couldn't help but smile slightly at the words. "Mello wont stop apologizing for getting you in this mess."
"Tell him he can apologize after he gets me out of it."
"I tried that. It didn't work."
Near thought for a second. "Smack him." Matt snorted. Near let out a small sigh. "Its good to hear your voice again."
"Agreed," Matt replied. He paused, before adding, "I love you, Near."
Near smiled too. "I love you too."
"Time's up," Raito informed, hitting the call end button on the phone's cradle.
Near sent him a small glare before dropping the phone into his lap. Raito returned the glare and hung it up.
"You're quite arrogant for a hostage," he pointed out.
"Your ego is only as big as those who fear you," Near replied.
"I killed your father," Raito snapped, wearing thin.
"L was a respectable man," Near calmly stated, turning back toward the living room area of the hotel room. "But it was his own fault he lost at this game."
--
Mello looked up the instant Matt returned from his phone call with Near. "How is he?" He questioned, worry obvious in his voice.
"He's cold and sarcastic," Matt replied, ignoring Mello's look of 'what the hell does that mean?' "Meaning he's worried, and possibly a little bit scared."
Mello stared. "You can tell that?"
Matt rolled his eyes. "It doesn't take acing tests in school to understand Near, Mello. He may seem cold and uncaring, but most of his actions are to cover up his inner emotions."
"I still think he's an arrogant bastard," Mello mumbled.
"And that's why I love him," Matt replied.