Chapter 2

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Second to None

Murder Was Easier

Beyond Birthday POV

When I went back to my regular cell –no cellmate they were afraid I'd hurt them like the last 3- I sat on my bed and pondered how to escape. I wondered if simple was best despite my flair for the dramatic. Simply fake a heart attack then when they go to collect my body I knock out the guard take his uniform and escape… too many flaws in that plan to count though. Or I could start a riot… that actually might work. I could test it tomorrow first.

When breakfast time came the next day I debated how to start the riot when –to my surprise- a riot broke out from the opposite side of the courtyard. As I debated what to do next I felt a heavy blow to my temple then darkness.

"-ne just has a concussion so he isn't top priority" I heard someone say as if I was underwater and they were above.

I barely peeled open my eyes and saw through my eyelashes I was in the infirmary.

The infirmary was near the entrance! So was the morgue. The doctors and nurses were still scrambling so I grabbed my chart at the end of the bed and wrote "HEART ATTACK" then glanced at my neighbor's chart and copied the signature. I then proceeded to act dead while trying not to fall asleep.

"Damn Kira" I heard a woman mutter then say "Sal we've got a stiff!"

I heard grumbling then I was lifted and placed on cold metal –a gurney- and stripped. When I heard the footsteps fade I got up and quickly looked for clothes. These were scrubs in a nearby closet. Quickly putting them on I ran to the exit and –staying to the shadows and avoiding cameras- walked out. After 3 years of prison I was finally free. Why the Hell didn't I do that earlier if it was that easy?

Now the really hard part came. I picked pockets and returned the wallets minus cash. Credit cards could be traced. When I had sufficient enough funds I went to Walmart and bought a black long-sleeved shirt, normal dark jeans, navy cotton boxers, and a plain brown belt. I also got a dark gray almost black beanie to cover my foofy hair. At the checkout a girl asked what profession I was and I told her I was a Medical Examiner enjoying the irony.

Going to a nearby Starbucks I bought a Double Chocolate Chip Frappacino and changed in the bathroom. I threw the scrubs out a few blocks away.

I now had to find Mello. Going to a public library I hacked into Wammy's database for the information. I have never hacked harder in my life and that is saying something. Finally I got the hint that he was supposedly in Los Angeles.

Shit.

I knew an airplane ride would be too risky so long-ass bus ride it was.

The walk to the Greyhound Bus station was surprisingly long but I made it well before closing. I approached a woman at the counter who had only 3 years left and looked it. "Can I help you?" she asked in an East Asian accent. If I had to place it I would say South Korean.

"I'd like a one-way ticket to Los Angeles please."

"You know that will take several hours right?" she asked like I was crazy.

"Yes ma'am but I'm meeting my family there since they can't drive all the way here."

"OK" she said hesitantly then asked for the money. I handed it to her in cash with the excuse I don't do well when I have to budget myself with credit cards which she bought.

3 hours later the bus came and I took a seat in the back. My head was pounding from the recent blow but I felt it was safe to sleep. When I woke up I discovered I had quite some time still left on the bus. Not only that but there were the recent additions of a mother and baby in front of me. Said baby was screaming at the top of his lungs with no sign of stopping. Michael Dawson 62 years. Interesting, that isn't exactly old age nowadays. Unfortunately I can't see the cause of death so it would remain a mystery unless I lived another 62 years to track him down. I looked at his red scrunched face covered in snot and decided for what was left of my sanity's sake I would pass. I mentally chucked at how I would try to explain how I knew him.

"Excuse me Sir?" the woman asked turning around to face me. Melissa Roberts 34. She didn't have a wedding band so I assumed the child was born out of wedlock like I was. I hoped he fared better.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Could you reach into that bag" she nodded to a black diaper bag beside her "and hand me a blue pacifier? My hands are a bit full."

I nodded then retrieved the item and gave it to her. Mercifully the child shut up. I never wanted kids and this was just one of many examples why. Imagine my growing horror as more and more kids joined Wammy's every month or so.

"I'm Melissa and this is Michael."

"I'm Jack" I said randomly taking the name from a humorous bumper sticker a few cars ago reading "JACK BLACK FOR PRESIDENT". Using Rue Ryuzaki would be risky since it was unique thus memorable.

"Nice to meet you Jack. So what are you going to L.A. for?"

"A reunion with my brothers" I hope. We are legally related anyway. "You?"

"I'm meeting with my parents for the Fourth of July."

"That's coming up soon isn't it? How many days again?" I honestly had no idea what today's date was.

"3 days. Today's the first." She paused then asked "how do you usually celebrate?"

"My family is from England so I usually don't because they hassle me about it. Fortunately they are in my country now so I can force them to."

She giggled "I can so picture you forcing them to hold sparklers and eat hot dogs."

"Hot dogs yes but I wouldn't trust them with sparklers. They are the little brothers from Hell." The funny thing was that I could practically hear Mello egging me on to further toughen his reputation.

"Oh I know how that is. I have three younger brothers who would do anything within their power to make me suffer." She said it jokingly but I saw sadness in her eyes.

I cleared my throat and gestured to Michael "how old is he?"

"6 months." She sighed and looked both sad and nervous. "I actually have mixed feelings about going to LA. My childhood friend was murdered there by a psychopath serial murderer."

Ohh snap. This could be trouble. "What was their name?" I made sure not to say 'her' since I had a feeling I knew who she was talking about. Call it a hunch. A very unwelcome and unwanted hunch.

"Her name was Quarter Queen." She wiped a stray tear away at this. "I just want to take the monster who did it an return the favor."

"The world is full of sick people. Did they get caught?" I made sure to once again use a non-genderspecific term and not to overact.

"Yeah but they never mentioned their name or anything. I hear there was an FBI member helping on the case."

FBI! SHIT MISORA WILL BE THERE! I MUST FIND MELLO FIRST! "Well let's pray they were brought to justice" I responded being sure not to miss a beat.

"Amen" she agreed emphatically. She yawned and said "wake me if we stop OK?"

"Sure" I agreed but she was already out.

I decided to play a game by mentally cursing in a foreign language for each car we passed seeing how many I could go through before I ran out. I was running low when we reached a stop for 15 minutes. I woke her up then and, having only had a Frappicino in me, I went to a vending machine and ate some strawberry flavored Poptarts then went to the restroom the re-boarded the bus. We took off and a half hour later I ran out of insults. Fortunately there was only an hour to go.

Finally FINALLY we made it. Stepping off the bus at the station I turned and said goodbye to the pair. Now all I had to do was find a way to Mello. I purposefully went in back alleys until I was cornered by a man with a gun too professional to be a simple mugger. "Before you beat the shit out of me," I drawled "I want to see Mello." He looked at me for a while then hit me on the head. I didn't fight knowing that I would see Mello soon enough.

Medical Examiner = someone who performs autopsies in case anyone was wondering.

Ah B has such morbid humor does he not? I actually liked the idea of this fic when I had it because of the dark elements which I normally don't do so it would help me develop that area. However, all of my stories tend to contain some form of humor because that's just me so I am having a fun time with B's twisted humor.