Chapter 11

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Second to None

Criminals of Course

Naomi Misora POV

Beyond lifted his fist to the door and pounded… the Mario Brothers Theme Song? "Mario Brothers?" I asked incredulously.

"What you were expecting Match and a Haircut?" he asked mockingly then added "you'll see why soon anyway."

A panel slid open and two orange-covered eyes appeared. "PW please." Did he seriously just ask for a password as 'PW'? Ahh now I get it. The guard must be a gamer.

"Second to None" Beyond responded pulling me out of my thoughts. Odd password.

The door opened to reveal a green-haired boy in orange goggles, a weird tan vest with fur and a red and black striped shirt. That confirmed it: Beyond was still crazy. "Dude you brought a girl! Niiice." Beyond smacked the back of his head as he stepped in.

Beyond and I passed some suspicious-looking burly men with guns until he got to a back room and opened the door to reveal a blonde in shiny black leather pants, a brown vest that didn't fully cover their midriff, a white and red rosary, biker boots and black leather gloves. Goggle-Boy followed us into the room and shut the door then locked it. Beyond turned to them and said "guys, this is Naomi Misora. She's here with info on Kira. She is also trustworthy."

"Wait" the blonde of previously unknown gender spoke up in a masculine and voice said as he snapped off a piece of a chocolate bar "are you saying you trust the lady who got you arrested?! Isn't she with the Feds?"

"Ex-Fed" was Beyond's simple reply. How did he know that? "And yes I do."

There was a pause and then "you are fucked-up. But if you say we can trust her then we can." The blonde got up and held out a leather-gloved hand "The name's Mello. I'm the leader of this gang and Matt" he pointed to Goggle-Boy "is my partner and partner. Beyond is co-partner but not partner." Mello turned to Beyond. "Anyway what is this info you speak of Beyond? Did she tell you?"

"No but she owes me for saving her from Light today; literally."

Mello whistled low. "Damn that sounds like a close save." He turned to me "Spill."

"Um… what type of group are you guys exactly? I'd rather help L."

"Too late now spill." Apparently Mello was uncompromising. I sighed and told them my theory. There was a silence then Mello burst out "FUCK YEAH TAKE THAT NEAR! We're ahead in the game!" He went up to Beyond and tackled him into a one-armed man-hug pounding him on the back. To my surprise Beyond tentatively recuperated. "Once again my mentor has proven his worth. I award you with this shard of chocolate." Apparently that was a big thing.

Beyond took it and snapped in half offering half to me. I shrugged and took it and ate it quickly. Damn this stuff is good! It must be expensive. Then his words hit me: "MENTOR?! HE is your mentor?! What the Hell?! Oh my God 'gang' is literal isn't it?!" I went up to Beyond and grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "You escape jail just to get deeper into crime?!"

"Calm down. Like I said these are L's successors. I'm here for the connection to them not their resources… mostly anyway. I knew them before I left the orphanage like they did. Besides Mello was my first true friend."

I sighed "you realize how bad an example you set right?"

"Hey hold up. It wasn't him it was the system of competing to be the next L that made us this way. The first successor committed suicide from the pressure with no influence on B's part. If he's taught us anything it's that we don't have to die to get out of the orphanage" Mello defended and Matt nodded in agreement. "Hell what made him snap and finally leave was when L contacted him via computer and referred to him as 'Backup' like he was a file or something inanimate without feelings. Yeah that's right L did that."

I paused as that sank in. I knew Beyond was messed up but I had never really thought of why. For an orphaned child to have gone through all that then be expected to respond to being called 'Backup'? I understood why he snapped. With all that how could you not snap? Is L really so bad a role model to these kids that they don't mind being criminals because the one who was there for them became one? Suddenly I felt sickened I agreed to work with L who was never even in person in the investigations until what I assumed was him afterward. Then he had taken "Ryuzaki" as a trophy!

Was L really the saint he was painted to be? Three people in this room made me think not. I actually felt a little guilty for the prison visits where I usually always ended up insulting Beyond saying he would never be as great as L. He told me he wanted to defeat L not kill him because that would hurt L more. I thought he was crazy at the time… but if L's system fell due to his defeat… maybe he actually was on to something. Murder wasn't the answer but the fact that these teenage kids were in a GANG told me L's system wasn't a good thing. Not only that, but Beyond saved me who put him in jail. He risked Light seeing his face to do it too! Could Beyond not be as evil as I thought? Maybe (as always) there was a method to his madness.

He was far from perfect but he seemed to be an older brother to the two and looked at them lovingly. Monsters can't love… so he can't be a monster. He wasn't a saint either but once he was exposed for who he was he didn't pretend to be one anymore. For the first time ever I felt he was genuine. He even joked about his past mistakes!

Could choosing to work for a seemingly reformed criminal who is there to talk to in person and shows care for the outcast orphans be better than working for L who let me believe Beyond was him the whole time and wasn't actively involved? He chose me because I was convenient… but he is still the great L… the choice was harder then I expected but out of the corner of my eye I saw Mello munching on a chocolate bar looking sad and Matt playing a handheld video game shut off from the rest of the world… and Beyond watching them like a mother hen seemingly unaware he was doing it. I made my choice.

"So you're saying they're trying to force you to be a carbon copy of L… and no longer you." I needed to hear it again to reaffirm my decision. The three nodded. "And you're trying to defeat Kira first to show L the runners-up are perfectly capable of doing his job while being themselves?" Again they nodded. The underdogs needed all the help they could get. If anyone could get them back on the right path (or at least as much as possible) it was me. Beyond himself said I was trustworthy despite the past wrongs I'd done to him. He basically gave me a clean slate in his book plus the bonus of saving my life. It would be VERY hard but I could try to do the same if he really has changed… within reason. I paused for a long time letting that process in my head then sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this; but I agree to help you."