Chapter seven:

"I wish things could have been different you know." Matt says. "But I will get what I need. One way or another. I will always find him."

"Things could have been different." Mello says coming up with a plan knowing what might happen if he bides enough time.

Matt pauses with a blink. "What do you mean?"

"The change could have happened with you." Mello points out.

Matt's eyes narrow. "I only exist for one purpose only!" He snaps.

"But do you?" Mello questions. "Do you really only have one reason to exist?"

"Of course I do!" Matt counters.

"Then what happens when you complete your mission? Will you get destroyed like was planned for me?" Mello points out making Matt pause again. "What will happen to you?"

Matt is silent for a few moments contemplating his answer before finally speaking. "It shouldn't matter. I got what I wanted. Which is Near being dead. My future will change anyways. I am not the Matt from this time."

Mello smiles. "I believe that your fate could change but not in the way that you think."

"What!?" Matt questions in surprise then suddenly a knife slams into his shoulder. "AH!" He jumps back loosing all of his charge with his gun.

Mello turns and sees BB.

BB shrugs. "Near can get convincing when he needs to be." He admits.

"You." Matt growls then aims his gun at BB.

Mello makes his move first and shoots at Matt knocking him back before he can harm BB. He gets to his feet and glances to BB only to see Near and A run up. He moves to block Near from Matt's view before he is spotted. "It's not safe for you here." He hisses at Near. "Get away from here."

"I'm not going anywhere." Near tells him. "You were in trouble. We can help."

Mello pauses a moment then smiles softly. "You're as headstrong as you are when I know you." He says then turns to Matt who is getting up. "We will need to destroy Matt." He continues to use a quiet tone. "I might be able to get him with all of your help." He explains and takes aim at Matt only to shoot knocking him into a building before the other can fully get up. "Here's the plan. A and BB."

The two glance to him as he glances to them as best as he can.

"Use your knives. You'll be helping me do damage. Try to aim for the center of the chest or the head if you throw it. There should be some important electrical things there. It'll help to take him down as it'll help make him malfunction. I encourage you do so as it could give me a chance to shoot them and take him down. As those areas are protected mostly from blasts like mine. No one uses actually bullets or olden day knives or well not as many anymore. We use new special kind of bullets and specially newly made knives. It luckily is only protected from that. Though as those two older objects are lost to the new stuff to shoot we mostly just get deactivated or get injected with a special liquid in the future that kills us. But we don't have that so we'll make do. Do you understand?" Mello gets nods then he turns to Near. "Near. You will need to distract Matt. Are you as fast as I remember?"

"I am fast." Near confirms.

"Good." Mello nods. "I need you to keep Matt off of us. Dart around and take breaks by darting into hiding spots. Don't let him get you. He'll be more focused on you that it'll give us a chance to hit him in the right spots since it's our best bet."

"Got it." Near agrees.

"If we do it right we can win this." Mello says then notices that Matt has gotten to his feet. "Let's go!"

A and BB quickly move around going to either side of Matt readying their knives glad that they brought three with them just in case.

Near stays behind Mello waiting for a good opening.

Matt moves closer then stops when in the middle of the three that he can see. "Ha! You cannot defeat me! I will destroy you and find Near!" He is about to aim his weapon at BB.

Near darts out of hiding and makes sure Matt catches a glimpse of him.

Matt turns then smirks widely. "There you are!" He aims and shoots but Near darts away making it miss. "Hold still! It'll be over soon!" He keeps shouting but Near keeps managing to dodge.

A dashes forward slashing Matt's shoulder before jumping away as Matt spins to him to try to knock him away.

"Damn you!" Matt hisses shooting at A but A manages to dodge. He turns only he can't see Near who darted into hiding trying to plan well. "Where are you!?" He demands loudly. "Just give yourself up and no one else gets hurt!"

Mello shoots at Matt's shoulder and the blast of his shot manages to hit some of Matt's insides.

Now Matt's arm sometimes works and sometimes doesn't but it's not the one with the gun. He turns and fires at Mello who shoots at the blast heading for him causing the two to explode in midair as they collide.

Near gets an idea and darts back out into view heading around towards A darting around him from behind.

"Aha!" Matt tries to shoot at Near but Near is moving too fast that his shots miss.

In that moment of an opening A throws one knife aiming for the center of the chest but as Matt turns it hits the side of his chest. He grabs another knife that he brought knowing that they'll need to try again.

Near moves around Mello the same way he did with A and Mello shoots at the knife in Matt's chest.

The knife goes deeper into Matt making a bad wound but the red head is still able to keep going.

Matt turns as his anger rises as he tries harder to hit Near with his blasts becoming more powerful.

"What's going on?" BB questions.

"He's getting angry and is losing control of how powerful the blasts are." Mello says. "Just keep going! If we remain smart we'll be okay!"

Near darts around behind BB who throws his knife at Matt as fast as he can.

BB almost hits the center of Matt's chest with that throw but Mello can't shoot as Matt turns away trying to follow Near.

A throws another knife at the back of Matt's head hitting it.

Mello quickly shoots causing the knife to dig into Matt's skull.

Matt spins around letting Near dart into hiding to take a break before Matt learned how he was moving. He shoots at Mello as he himself twitches like he's starting to glitch out.

Mello is about to get out of the way but this blast is faster than he's ever seen it. He's hit and knocked back making Matt laugh. He gets up to his feet or tries to but the other who still seems to be glitching out a little shoots him down again.

BB thinks fast and darts around towards Mello only to quickly throw the knife that lands right by the center of Matt's chest.

Matt stumbles back then shoots at BB knocking him back further than Mello.

"BEYOND!" A screams making Near peer out from his hiding spot in fear and worry for those he cares for. He blinks and his eyes narrow in pure rage. He turns to Matt then charges no longer seeming to even be thinking anymore.