(A/N): Sorry that I keep forgetting to upload this story. If you guys want, you can go on my deviantART account where I have up to chapter eleven posted. ;)

Chapter Six: Security Tape

And then Mello said, "I'm breaking into the security."

"Are you out of your mind?!" I snapped at him

"What? Dude, No! You're on probation!" Matt cried at the same time as I did.

"If you get caught by the police, they'll put you in jail!"

"That's right. Yagami-kun should do it."

"Yes, I should--What?!" I turned my head sharply at Matt. How could he say something so absurd? There was no way I would break into security.

Matt shrugged and took another drag off his cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stomping it out with his shoe. "Well, you're the chief's son; if you're caught you can get away with it."

I glared at him angrily. "This is not some kind of childish prank we're talking about here! This is breaking and entering, which is a felon! I'd be a criminal!"

Mello put his hands up to quiet me, and quite frankly it did but I was still angry. "Look, L already said I could do it."

"Do what?!" I snapped again, feeling like a scolding mother, "He gave you permission?! To break into public security just to check and see who stole your car?" I was furious now. How could L even allow something like this to happen, and giving permission nonetheless! He might be a genius, but at times, especially right now, he was so damn childish and immature! "Just do what I said and file a police report."

"I said I would," Mello said, "But I'm not going to just wait around. It can go much faster if we know who did it." He smiled at me, trying to reassure me. "Don't worry. I can be invisible, remember?"

That was right. He could become invisible. It seemed to have slipped my mind, however, that did very little to reassure me. "You guys told me that you don't use your powers for bad. You're supposed to use them for good."

"Now who's sounding like a badly written anime?" Matt joked.

"Look, nobody is getting hurt," Mello said, "All I'm going to do is take the tape. Nobody ever checks the tape except when they need to. I bet that they just record over the same tape each time."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. It seemed that no matter what I did they were going to do what they pleased. There was no chance except for me to accept defeat.

"All right," I said, looking around to make sure that no one was around, "You have twenty minutes. The security office usually found in the basement floor and it will say 'Personnel Only'. Come back if it's locked."

"Don't worry," Mello said, giving me a thumbs-up, "I'm great at pick-locking."

I smacked my forehead with my palm as Mello disappeared literally from sight.

"And I'm telling L you're smoking again, Matt," he said.

"What? Dude, that's low."

The seconds ticked by and we didn't hear from him, telling us he had gone. We saw the elevator doors open and close. I turned to Matt.

"Why was he on probation again?" I asked.

"Breaking and entering," he told me with an innocent smile.

I groaned.


Tonya checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. Her brown hair had turned blonde and her jaw became more square. Her eyes became a darker brown, her chest flat, and her hips square. She looked at the picture of Mello she had taken the day earlier and checked her reflection again. Repositioning a freckle, she took another gander at her naked body.

She looked enough like Mello to go along with the plan.

The hotel door threw itself open and a young man with flashy red hair spiked up with gel.

"Vow, with that body ya look halfvay decent," he said. He spoke English, but his accent was German, yet, wasn't his name Russian; Tonya couldn't remember.

Tonya put her hands on her newly developed waist and sent him a glare. "What the hell are you doing here, Vanya?" She and him never got along. Perhaps it was his golden eyes that gave her the creeps. However, his eyes were nothing compared to her boss'. She felt a chill go up her back at the mere image of him sitting in the dark.

"Don't be so mean, Sveetie," Vanya said as he plopped himself down on the stiff mattress, "I'm just 'ere to check up on ya. See how ya are doing and vhat not."

Tonya crossed her arms, feeling quite awkward without a pair of breast underneath. "So, he sent you there to make sure I didn't get chicken, is that it?"

"Vhy no, Sweetie," Vanya said again, a mischievous grin creating dimples on his cheeks, "I'm here to help ya. You have three days to pull this off. Got that? Three days." He held up three fingers to emphasis the exact amount of time as if she couldn't count without visual reference. "You can't just look like a man. You haff to valk like one, too. You haff to act like one, too, ya? That is vhy I am here."

Tonya didn't want to get near him. She sat on top of the dresser, not getting near the bed. "I know how to act like a man," she said, "I burp, fart, and laugh about it."

Vanya gave a hearty fake laugh. "Now Tonya, Sveetie," he said, reaching over and patting her knee. She wanted to slug him right there. "Boys are not just like that. You haff to act like Mello specifically. Haff you done what you vere asked to do?"

"Yes, I stole his car."

"That's good, that's good." He stood up and stretched. "Vell, I need to be going. I'll be back tomorrow to teach you the proper vay to valk. You look like a transvestite vith a cock shoved up his ass."

He left and shut the door behind him. Tonya grabbed the Holy Bible from the drawer and threw it at his head, but he left before it could hit him. She took in a deep breath and went back to the bathroom. Her loss of concentration had turned her hair brown. She changed it back to blonde, making a note that she needed to work on concentration.

While she was washing her hands, something caught her attention in the window. When she looked up, it scuttled away.

"Fucking Hell Bug," she grumbled, going back washing.

So Vanya had sent bugs to spy on her. This is why she hated Rogues.


Matt and I waited in the parking garage. Boredom overtook us so I looked over his shoulder as he played on his hand-held Nintendo. He had just beaten the third level when I felt something tug on my sleeve.

"It's me," Mello said, still invisible," There's something on this tape that is definitely not right. We're taking it to L."

Matt and I both gave curt nods to each other to signify to Mello that we understood. Matt closed his GameBoy and we made our way out of the garage. When the cameras were out of view, Mello became visible again. I noticed a square shape in the overly large pockets of his where obviously a VHS tape was stored.

As we took the bus downtown--Mello grumbling the whole time about having to take the bus at all--I thought about the tape. Mello didn't outright say what he saw on the tape, but it was enough that it needed L's viewing. Matt got a few irritated glares from people as his Gameboy beeped and played heroic music as he continued on his electronic fantasy adventure.

We got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to Headquarters. A black Jeep took Mello's attention.

"Crap," he murmured as we walked past, "What are they doing here?"

I was going to ask what he meant, but I postponed. It felt like I would find out soon.

And almost immediately, the front entrance opened and out walked a woman in a business suit, followed by a younger child. The woman had bleach blonde hair and pale gray eyes. The little girl had her brown hair in pigtails and she looked up at us with wide brown eyes, and she was holding the woman's hand. Mother and child? They didn't look alike.

"Ah, so there you are Mello," said the woman in a smooth voice, "I was beginning to think I wouldn't run into you."

"Next time I'll take my time getting home," Mello muttered lowly.

"Ah, home is it now?" the woman said, her beautiful painted on lips curving into a smirk, "You've only been here for three months. It would be such a pity if something were to happen and you had to leave."

Mello's face twisted into a snarl as the woman and the child opened the Jeep's doors and climbed inside. We walked inside the building before they drove off. It was very evident that he was upset by his body language and the mumbling he did. Matt and I followed him upstairs to their living quarters.

Near sat on the floor, playing with action figures. He didn't look up when we entered, most likely knowing who we were thanks to his tracking ability. However, one was person was not in the room.

"Where's L?" Matt asked.

"He's in the shower," Near answered. He turned his head to look at us, "Did you see who came to visit us?"

Mello let out an agitated sigh and plopped himself down on the couch. "Yeah, Halle and Linda," he mumbled, "Great."

"Who are Halle and Linda?" I asked, sitting down on the opposite couch.

"Halle is the old one," Mello said, "She's a normal human but she works for the same agency as we do. The kid is Linda, her subordinate."

Now I had more questions. "You mean there are more of you guys? I mean, other departments who go after paranormal things?"

Near shuffled and took a seat next to Mello. "Of course there are more agencies. You don't expect us to take care of everything in the world, do you? We'd be very busy."

Mello made a noise deep in his throat, like a snort. "I don't believe it," he said, staring at Near like he was a trophy, "The boy can make jokes!"

Matt clapped his hands together, "He grows up so fast!"

I saw Near roll his eyes. It amused me to watch these three interact when I had the chance.

"Matt, have you been smoking?" came a voice from behind us. We all craned our necks and saw L standing there in his baggy jeans and oversized shirt. I noticed that his hair was damp and sat flat on his head. He walked over with his shoulders sagging and sat down in his reserve chair in a gargoyle style.

"N-No," Matt lied, shaking his hands, "We had to take the bus and you know how many people smoke there."

"Mmhmm," L sounded, not believing a single word, "Mello, do you have the security tape?"

"Yes." Mello stood up and put the tape inside the VCR and sat back down on the couch.

L opened his laptop. I learned earlier that L's laptop was like the central computer for everything here at the office. It seemed that he could control everything by that computer; I could've sworn I saw him use it to turn on the coffee-maker once.

Skillfully using one hand to type while the other held onto a cookie he was nibbling on. The wide television screen blinked and the parking garage came on. Cars sped by as L fast-forward it. I watched for anything suspicious.

Then L paused it. "Did anybody else catch that?"

None of us said anything. We hadn't even gotten to Mello's car. L rewound the tape and played it again. I watched a blue car go by. Then another green car. Then another blue car twenty minutes later. Then I saw a couple holding hands walking towards the elevator. Then another blue car.

"Wait a minute," I mumbled. L looked over to me. I pointed to the screen, "It's the same blue car that keeps circling. Every fifteen to twenty minutes you see it." And just as I said, the blue car made it's way around again, never parking.

Mello leaned forward. "Hmm."

Then we saw Mello's black car pull up and park in a spot. Mello and Matt stepped out. We saw Matt light up a cigarette; L cast a look in Matt's direction, who was suddenly interested in a loose string on his sleeve. They both walked and talked to the elevator and disappeared.

"What have you learned today, Mello?" L asked, keeping his eyes on the video.

"Take the keys with you," he muttered.

"It's that same car again," I said. We watched as the blue car suddenly came into view again, significantly slowing down when it approached Mello's car.

"It's seeing if it there is someone inside," said Near.

And we all watched and studied as the car drove by, not doing anything to Mello's car. L rewound it so the car was back in view. I heard the pounding of keys and the screen divided and divided until it showed the cars license plate. L's computer skills amazed me; I had only seen stuff like this in television shows. He cleared the blurriness of the frame. We all leaned forward to read it.

"M…D…H…783," Matt read aloud.

"That makes it an American license plate," L mumbled with his thumb in his mouth. "Mello, do a search on that plate and…"

He trailed off and we knew why. We watched as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. He approached the car and opened the door. He drove away with Mello's car.

He was Mello.

I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Mello took his own car? But…how? My eyes cast over to where Mello was seated. His eyes were narrowed and angry.

"Son of a bitch," he grumbled.

"What is it?" I asked, very confused on the issue, "Who is that really?"

"I would say it is either a C-2, or a C-3," L mumbled, "C-2 seems more logical though."

"A what?"

It was Mello that answered me. "The agency gives us ranks as classifications. Normal and average people are called rank A. People that are aware of the paranormal for example having seen them or are aware of them are rank B. Matt here's a rank B." Matt gave a small wave and a smile to me. "Rank Cs are people like us with abnormal abilities of the paranormal. We're classified as C-1s because we're part of a society separated from average humans. C-2s are the same, but their organization is separate from our society, and they are usually part of a crime organization. C-3s are abnormal people with no organization and live on their own turf. Usually they aren't aware of any organization, and they usually end up doing crime."

His attention turned to L then. "But, why do you think it's a C-2 instead of a C-3?"

"I could be wrong," L said, "However, there is only a thirty-four percent chance of that. The reason is because she sought Mello as her target."

"She?" I questioned.

L nodded, picking up another cookie from a tray I was unaware of, "The way she walks gives her gender away. One foot in front of the other. She's also too rigid with her hips, as if she has to force herself to walk more manly."

Matt piped up. "But, how do you know it's not a random crime and that Mello just happened to be who she saw?"

L turned his head to look at me, smirking a small grin. "Can you tell, Raito-kun?"

I was caught off guard by his question. I had already spotted it when I watched the tape. It stood out to me more than anything else.

"Because she was waiting for Mello," I said, "There are hundreds of cars in that garage, yet she kept circling around, waiting for Mello to show up. She never saw his face, yet she looks exactly like him. Which means, she must've been following. She was probably even aware of his habit of keeping his keys in the car. And if she knew who Mello was, she must know about the Paranormal Investigators, and knowing this and still choosing him as her target suggests that a higher up is pulling the strings. She was ordered to do this."

"That is all correct," L said, nodding to me.

I suddenly felt my face heat up for no apparent reason and I ducked my head to avoid eye contact. Why was I getting so shy around L all of the sudden?

"And this person can change shape," Near said, "Which means, we would have no idea we were being followed or not. They can be anyone, and we would be unaware."

"We will have to be on our toes," L said, "This is more than just a grand theft auto. Something big is being plotted and we are their targets."

I looked back to the television where the Mello impersonator was in freeze-frame. I could feel a sense of edginess creep into my spine. We can't trust anyone until we know what's going on. I really understood how frightening people like us could be, and how deadly.

I swallowed.