Mrs. Lawliet: Because...of cruelty in humanity? I'm glad the tissue helped.

random: She does kinda need a hug, huh?... Ah, but of course I must warn my readers of such things...
Forgot your password, huh? I hope you remember it, then; goodness.

Kawaiimint: I've gotta say Mello's past was fin to write, really. I find pasts in general interesting. Ahhh...so much of this story is bittersweet... Blah...

Ahh, I'm back to school today. Yay?

Well...here is where you learn B's pattern. Prepare for its actual simplicity.

Anyhoo, it's Anna's turn to have a nice piece of this story.

Enjoy~

He got it. B's pattern. It was so glaringly obvious now that L found it that he felt so stupid for not thinking of it earlier. He put his hand to his forehead. It was so simple. The bad pieces the people were tied to: that was the key. Sickness, Obsession, Pandora's Box, Hatred, Ignorance…. Look at the first letters. 'SOPHI.' He was spelling out 'Sophia.' B had even told him the answer in the very first case with Sayuri Sakamoto. He'd written in that note about someone close, with a bond. Who else would it be but Sophia? Damn it, how had he missed that?

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was where the next murder would take place. The only clue he got was the fact that Saki Ijiri was cut into six pieces and each piece was put in a respective tree. He connected the trees on a map, looked at the species of tree, thought of the significance of the number six…. Nothing.

Figures that the moment he discovered the pattern of people, he'd be caught by the pattern of place. Was that what B had planned?

L bit his thumbnail, glaring at the screen before him. Damn you, B…. Oh well; he supposed he'd have to work on that. The next victim would be killed tonight. A. Amorality? Anger? Aggression? Alienation? Animosity? I'll say amorality or animosity…. He sighed lightly. It seemed he'd have to figure this out by tonight.

It was a normal Monday in SPK headquarters. Anna was bored, Near was patient, Rester was quiet, Halle was… Halle, and Gevanni was lighthearted and even joking without much work to focus on. "Why aren't we getting anywhere, Near?" Anna asked him.

"Because we are waiting," he responded.

"Why are we waiting?"

"The last time I decided to stop waiting, my plan nearly got all of us killed. Mello, fortunately, stopped that from happening."

"So? You learned your lesson, and you won't do it again. Right?"

He glanced at her. "It's not quite like that, Anna."

"Well, you're a genius, you're amazing, and you're smarter than Mello. I know you can do it."

Near paused in building his dice tower. Then continued. "It is true that I surpass Mello, but it is also true that L surpasses both of us, and only together can we surpass him."

"So you're telling me we're waiting for Mello to make a move?" Anna asked him.

"Not necessarily," was his response. "If he doesn't do something soon, then I can assure you we will make a move."

Anna sighed, then moved on to talk to Gevanni for awhile. They spoke idly of L and Sam and Light and me. Gevanni always seemed kinda nervous when she talked about me or Light with him, though, because he knew that in theory we were Kira, and it didn't seem right for Anna to talk about us so fondly. Anna eventually circled back to Near, though. Near, can I build too?

I don't see why not…, he responded. There was some sort of irritation. Hesitation? Anna didn't know, but she knew he didn't like exercising their thought abilities. It meant making the Bond progress faster, and he didn't like the idea of reaching the final stage. Near had decided that the reason it took years for Light and I to reach the final stage was because for much of that time we tried to keep our own thoughts from the other. You know, back when I wasn't on Kira's side, and we weren't exactly 'close.' (Yet, wonder of wonders, look where we were now.) Therefore, Near tried not to use the thought-reading thing so often.

Nonetheless, Anna frowned slightly at that irritation/hesitation/whatever it was. She began building her own little structure of dice. Near, why don't you want to reach the final stage?

I've always kept to myself, he answered.

So? It's not that you don't trust me, is it?

Not necessarily….

She sighed. Hey, I have a question.

Yes?

Why did you get me to give jam to Sophia?

Do you wish me to be completely honest?

Yes! She huffed. What kind of question was that? No, I want you to lie to me. Nooo.

You must be sure not to give anyone this information, he told her.

Yeah, sure. She actually hasn't expected some sort of secret. She just wanted conversation. Huh.

Sophia is Bonded to a man named Beyond Birthday, Near informed her. He is the one who killed Misa Amane.

She processed this for a second. So you gave him jam? What the heck?!

It was poisoned. It has likely killed Beyond, but allowed Sophia to live.

So… you sent me… to kill BB?

Indirectly.

She was quiet for awhile, not quite sure what to think about that. There was a stretch of quiet, where only the clicking of the dice and the chatting of Halle and Gevanni in the background. ("I think it's raining again." "Well, Halle, I told you it would rain today. It's been raining a lot lately…. But I can tell you now that it'll clear up and then pour even worse tonight." "Oh, that's nice….")

Hey Near? Anna thought eventually. Later. It was later in the day by this time, too; the sun was likely beginning to set by now.

Yes, Anna? His tower was taller than his sitting form now.

What do you see me as? I'm… curious.

A loyal member of the SPK…. Why?

She stifled her disappointment. Well, I don't know, I thought that maybe we could be friends or something….

Friends? Near repeated as if the word was unfamiliar to him. And it almost was. I mean, he knew what a 'friend' was: A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. But he'd never had one, you see, so….

Yes, friends! Anna replied. Don't you think of me as a friend, at least?

I'm not sure, Anna.

What do you mean you're not sure? It's easy! Am I a friend? Less than that? More than that? I just wanna know that much!

I'm sorry, Anna. I don't know. Don't get angry, either.

Why not?!

I can feel it, Anna.

So? Does that annoy you? Do I annoy you?

He grew slightly irritated. You have a temper, I'll grant you that, Anna.

Her cheeks flushed out of more anger. Near, why don't you like being mind synced with me?

Anna, please…. I'm trying to concentrate….

"What do you mean you're trying to concentrate?!" she snapped aloud.

Gevanni and Halle looked at her, their conversation ending abruptly.

"Despite what you may think, Anna," Near replied, "I am still trying to put together some sort of plan…."

"We've done nothing but give jam to BB for a long time, Near!" Anna shot back.

"I know that, Anna, and I repeatedly tell you why…. Please stop yelling."

"No! I'll yell at you if I want to!"

"You're very loud, and I'd like to be able to concentrate…. Please, calm down."

"Then can I think to you now?" she asked, frowning.

"I'd prefer you not…. You know I don't like using the Bond."

"That's just it!" she cried. "Why not?!"

"And I supposed you hate me now, too?" he asked in a quieter voice.

"Oh my god, Near, are you an idiot?! You really don't get it, do you?!"

Near looked at her.

"Do you know why I was so enthusiastic to join? Why you're my favorite character? Why I interrupt your thoughts just to talk?! Why I was sobbing when I thought you'd died?! Why I saved you?!"

Halle and Gevanni glanced at one another. Near gazed blankly at Anna, unable to conjecture what she was getting at.

Her face was growing redder from yelling so much. "You really don't get it! Near, I do all that, did that, because I love you!" And she stopped there, panting from her rant. The room was silent. A pause. Near was dumbfounded. "I'm going home," she muttered, and turned to walk out the door. There was another pause after the door closed.

Gevanni let out a low whistle. "Well, I didn't see that coming."

Halle frowned at him. "I did."

"You did?"

"Yeah; of course I did. It was kinda obvious."

"Oh…."

Rester only gazed at the door for awhile before looking to Near. See how he was handling that. He would eventually turn back to his work.

Near, of course, wasn't so sure how to respond, so he only uttered a soft, "Thank you," with his bangs seeming to shroud his eyes.

Beyond wandered the streets under a dark, unwelcoming sky. It had rained earlier, but it was beginning to sprinkle again. Not many people were walking on the sidewalk for this reason. He just made his way forward, not quite sure where he wanted to go, only knowing that it was somewhere. Step, step, step. He'd have to find a marker for Sophia's grave…. Step, step, step. Was a storm coming in? Step, step, step. He was running low on jam… he'd have to get some. Step, step…. He came across a lighter lying there on the sidewalk. He paused just to look at it. It was a deep blue, and he vaguely wondered if there was even any lighter fluid left in it. He picked it up. Shook it. It was still full. Someone must have dropped it. He continued walking.

He lit the lighter with a click. Gazed at the flame. Turned it off. Did it again. Click. On. Off. It didn't make a noise when he let go of the button…. Click. On. Off. He'd have to kill again tonight, wouldn't he? Click. On. Off. He didn't have a victim planned, did he? Click. On. Off. No, he didn't…. Click. On. Off. He'd have to figure something out…. Click. On. Off. Click. On. Off. He found himself wandering into an abandoned parking lot, and it was then it began to rain. No… it began to pour. Click. Click, click. He saw a spark, but no flame. The rain soaked through his clothes. Click. Another spark. Click. Click. Click. He was soaked to the bone. He didn't mind. Click. Only a spark. Like an unborn child being snuffed out before it could be really called human. Haha.

A figure walked by on the sidewalk, her arms pulled around her. She was soaked too. Out of habit, he looked up to her name and lifespan. "Annalisa Page…," he murmured. His voice didn't sound right to him. Maybe because he hadn't used it in a few days. His words were lost in the rain anyway. "Anna…," he repeated, knowing it sounded familiar, and as her lifespan shifted and changed he knew that she was most definitely one of the real-world girls. "Anna."

She turned. Looked at him for a second. Squinted in the rain. "L?" she asked confusedly. "What are you doing out here in the rain? You're not thinking of the bells again, are you?"

"…No…," B replied. He thought he should probably flip his acting switch on, but he'd forgotten where it was, let alone how to activate it.

"Well then come on with me; we're both soaked. We can go to mine and Aunt Natalie's house. I guess you'd call it Sam's, but whatever."

He blinked slowly, then began to follow her.

"So why are you wearing black?" Anna asked him, and he looked down at his non-L-like clothes. "Oh, whatever, maybe it's something in your past that you don't want to share." She sighed. "You know, I just had a fight with Near…."

He didn't answer. What was he supposed to say, anyhow?

"I guess that doesn't matter, though."

Right. Did he have his sedatives with him? He patted his pockets. Surely he had what he needed…. The rain continued coming down in sheets.

"Hey, did you know that Near tried to kill BB?"

B stopped trying to find his sedatives.

"He gave me a jar of jam and told me to give it to Sophia, but apparently it was poisoned. I mean, jeez, he could have told me. But now BB's dead, so I guess that's okay."

Beyond froze. Stopped walking. The hiss of the rain faded and he heard nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing. Then ringing.

Anna looked back at him. "L, what's wrong?"

B didn't hear her. Near was the one who'd killed Sophia. Near. Wasn't this girl Bonded to him? Near, damn it; Near.

"You didn't want him doing something like that, did you?" Anna sighed. "Figures."

Beyond found himself shaking. He killed… Sophia…. He killed… half of him…. Near… killed….

"Well, I'm sorry about that, I guess," Anna said, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably. "I hope he didn't make you mad…. I mean, at least he did something. He says he's concentrating on making a plan, but we haven't done much. But then, I guess I can't tell, since I try not to invade his thoughts too often…. He doesn't like it when I do that."

His eyes flicked to her. Near's Bond. He took a step forward. He was still shaking.

Anna turned around, assuming he was ready to get walking again. "But I guess I get it… He just wants his privacy…."

His hand, shaking violently, made its way into his pocket. He pulled out the syringe. The corners of his moth twitched, and were still. Suddenly he stopped shaking and all was calm again. Dead. He lifted it smoothly. Steadily. And, with the precision of an experienced killer, he thrust the needle into Anna's neck and injected the sedative, cutting her off mid-sentence.

She would be his next kill.

In this calm sort of clarity that also felt so much like Nothing, he lifted her and was able to actually think for the first time since Sophia's death. He supposed this was a glimpse of what he'd be like once he got over being so abruptly cut in half. He felt cold, so cold, both inside and out, and it wasn't just because of the rain. It was the coldness of Nothing, but he almost felt like he was Nothing. Yet in existence. Sharp. Precise. But empty. So empty. A deadly puppet, in which he was his own puppeteer.

Now, on Annalisa…. His next kill would be based upon animosity. She had said she had just had a fight with Near…. (Beyond was beginning to not like the name, and he rarely not-liked things….) It was perfect. She would work. He knew exactly where he would bring her and how she would die.

As he continued on his way, the cold Nothing began to fade and the odd lonely fog began to descend upon him again, enveloping his senses.

BB, you're terrible.

Though I've gotta say I really liked writing that first part of the scene. This new BB I have to say I find fun to work with.

Fun Fact: I'm pretty sure I used Google to define the word 'friend' up there. Gotta love Near and his logic-ness. *sigh*

Review? For...um...lighters?