"No."

Beyond was quite a few feet in front of Taylor now and there wasn't any sign that he'd be slowing down any time soon.

"Yes."

"This isn't open for discussion, T."

"You're right, it's not. You're taking me."

"No."

Beyond picked up his pace when she attempted to match his stride, refusing to even look at her. She was nothing but an annoyance to him now, not that she had been anything other than that before.

He heard a sigh come from behind and then nothing but silence followed. The footsteps stopped. Her breathing stopped. She stopped. Beyond turned his head to make sure, never once slowing down until he was sure she was gone. Where had she gone? He didn't know, but he was sure as hell glad she'd gone there.

"Good. Maybe now I can have some peace."

It stayed that way until he rounded the final corner and found her leaning on his door with a smug look on her face. He didn't like that look. That look suggested she was about to do something she would later regret.

"Move." Beyond snapped, standing in front of her and his door.

"Not until you agree to take me outside."

"Look, if you really believe that this silly little game you are attempting to play is going to stop me from getting into my room and doing what I like then you should just pack up and go home now because you truly aren't smart enough to succeed L. Now, I won't ask again. Move."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Make me."

Beyond's small hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist before he pulled her towards him. Clearly taken aback by the sudden movement, Taylor stumbled forward, unable to recover from the shock of him actually doing something to move her before she collided with him. The murderer looked down at her with disdain and opened his mouth to issue his next threat-

- And then stopped.

His head fell to the side as he listened, a look of concentration forming on his face as the seconds passed by.

"What a-"

Beyond's other hand moved up to cover her mouth, halting her mid-sentence so the silence could continue.

Footsteps - no... shuffling.

"L."

T's eyes widened at the utterance of his name but Beyond couldn't tell if that was from excitement or panic. All he did know was that he really did not want to see L at this moment... especially not with the girl here too.

Moving his hand from her mouth, Beyond hurried to get his keys from his pocket as Taylor stood there, her wrist still grasped within Beyond's hand, while her confusion simply grew.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up."

He pulled her to the side to unlock his door as the shuffling grew closer, his desperate need to get inside his room growing by the second. But that wasn't helped by Taylor's constant need to move and struggle against him. He couldn't let her go though - L might say something Beyond didn't want her to hear. L might say something that might cause questions.

"Let go of me."

"No."

His bedroom door swung open and Taylor was thrown inside, shortly followed by Beyond who softly shut the door behind them. As she opened her mouth to protest, he lifted a finger to his lips and signaled for her to be quiet, desperately hoping she listened for just once in her life.

But not as much as he hoped that shuffling would continue straight past his door.

It didn't.

The knock that followed was a lot louder than he had expected, although Beyond didn't believe L had put that much force into it. Taylor practically skipped forward, her face filled with more excitement than Beyond had hoped to see.

Why is she so excited? It's just L.

"Open it."

At least she has the sense to whisper.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't particularly feel like being spoken down to again today."

She rolled her eyes and took another step forward.

"Open it, or I will."

Beyond stared at her for a brief second, contemplating just what was wrong with the girl in front of him. Was she not scared of him? Did she not know who he was? Could she not sense what he was capable of?

The second knock broke his train of thought and the quiet but bored "Beyond?" which followed simply annoyed him even more.

"Open it!" she whined, drawing closer.

Beyond sighed and pulled her to the side of the door where she wouldn't be seen, motioning for her to stay where she was.

"If you move or speak, I'm going to hurt you. Understand?"

She nodded, promptly miming zipping her lips.

Stupid girl.

"What do you want, L?" Beyond called from the other side of the closed door, truly hoping L would just leave without too much hassle.

"To discuss something with you in regards to your learning."

"I can assure you I don't want to know. You're going to be wasting your time."

"That may be, but I have already spoken to A so I must speak with you also."

"Are you going to leave if I don't open the door?"

"No. I can have Watari bring me a chair, some books and various snacks if need be. You will have to leave your room eventually, BB."

Beyond prickled at that name, his hatred for the boy on the other side of the door simply growing more and more. But he wasn't stupid and knew the only way he would get him to leave any time soon would be to get this over and done with.

He pulled the door open and raised an eyebrow, truly unimpressed by what stood in front of him.

"You know, L, you're a real pain in the arse."

"That may be, but I am still your predecessor."

You're also a dick.

"What do you want, L?"

"Right, yes, tomorrow you will have a visitor taking your classes. A weapons specialist I am quite well acquainted with. She intends to teach you how to use every weapon available to you and help you in finding your strongest choice."

Beyond frowned marginally, finding himself more confused than he had expected.

"A weapons specialist? Are you saying that you intend for us to learn to fight? To kill?"

"To defend yourself. Nothing more."

"I see."

Does this mean we have to pretend we do not already know a lot of it?

"Everyone needs to learn how to defend themselves, BB. Even us."

"Especially you."

"Yes. My position does place me in the line of fire. However, we have methods in place to ensure I am not revealed to the public unless entirely necessary. You do not need to worry, I am safe."

He truly is an idiot.

"I wasn't worried, L."

Beyond saw Taylor frown out of the corner of his eye and sighed, checking a watch which wasn't there.

"Well, as wonderful as it has been talking with you, L, I have a lot better things to do with my time."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like nothing. Literally. Nothing. I would rather be doing absolutely nothing than stand here and talk with you."

L's expression changed for a brief second (maybe even just a millisecond) into a very faint frown - Beyond began to wonder if this was the most emotion he had ever seen the detective display.

"Your hostility towards me truly is unnecessary, BB. I have done nothing to warrant such attitude."

"If you say so."

There's no need for you to tell him any different, now is there? Let him believe what he wants.

"I do."

There was a silence which stretched between them for a while before L appeared to give up. It didn't take a genius to realise he was getting nowhere, after all.

"Well, I will take my leave then." he muttered, turning to shuffle his way down the corridor. "Please relay the message to T, Beyond."

"What?"

But Beyond didn't get a reply from the detective, instead finding himself left wondering if L had been aware of her presence the entire time or if he were simply saying it in case Beyond saw her before he did.

I'm not convinced he knows the answer even now.

Beyond slumped against the door once it was shut, taking a moment to recompose himself before he turned his attention onto the girl in front of him.

"You need to leave."

"So that was L?!"

The young murderer pushed himself from the door and went to sit on his bed, dropping his head into his hands.

You're starting to develop a headache.

"Yes. Now leave."

"You were very mean to him. Have you two had an argument?"

"Why are you so interested?"

Beyond pressed the power button on the remote, turning the TV on from his bed.

"I've never met L before. Does he always talk like that? Or was that just today? Maybe he's tired..."

"How would I know? I don't spend all day with him."

"Did he look tired?"

"He always does."

"I wonder how much sleep he gets. He must be busy all the time. I mean, he is a detective after all. In fact, he's a great detective. Isn't he, Beyond? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone better than him. Don't y-"

"Enough!"

Beyond snapped and stood up, fixing a glare onto the finally silent girl.

"Why are you so interested in him? I don't know the answers! I don't care about him. I don't want to know about him. Hell, I don't even like him! So stop asking me all these ridiculous questions and just shut up! If you want to know the answers you can go to bloody class like the rest of us or go and ask him yourself. Jesus christ. Just stop already!"

Silence.

He was breathing heavily now, his outburst taking the last morsel of energy he had left, but he wasn't going to give up and sit down again - not until she left anyway.

"And today's headline: A body of a woman and a young girl, suspected to be her daughter, have been found in an alley in the city. The suspects appear to have been murdered in a brutal attack. The whereabouts of the attacker are still unknown as Police search the area for any evidence. The head of this mission had this to say:"

"No evidence has been found as to the identity of the murderer yet but my team is working their hardest to find whoever did this. The criminal appears to have left a message saying "Are you proud now, L" although our experts are still trying to work out it's meaning. We believe the message may be a direct attack towards the detective known as L although we are still unsure as to why and we severely hope that L accepts our offer for him to take this case up himself. Our deepest sympathies go to the family who have been informed."

"More from that later - stay tuned to hear more. We're back in half an hour. I've been Jessica Francis, good night."

The silence continued long after the reporter had stopped talking and Beyond began to wonder if she had forgotten just how to speak. But she hadn't and it wasn't long before she had opened her mouth to talk.

"Where did you go today?"

Beyond stared straight at her, his expression as blank as L's voice.

"You don't need to know that."

"Did you do that to that woman and child?"

"Would you believe me either way?"

Her head shook but only slightly - a clear indication of the conflict that was going on inside her brain.

"Why L?"

"There are many people out there who would want to contend L for a multitude of reasons. This was bound to happen some day."

"Why?"

Beyond sighed and moved to stand in front of her. She didn't look at him, she didn't even move. She just remained exactly how she had been before he'd moved.

"You need to leave."

"I need to leave..."

"Yes."

He placed a hand on her arm, going to turn her to face the door, but she had started walking before he could apply any force. However, just when he began to think he was free, she stopped; her hand on his door handle.

"If you take me outside, I'll come to classes."

Beyond stopped and blinked, not truly sure of what was happening here.

"Why would I care if you came to class?"

Taylor lifted her head to look at him.

"I know you don't like that you have to go to classes when I don't - that you have to suffer while I get away without any punishment. If you promise to take me outside, I'll go to classes."

The silence filled the room again as Beyond thought this proposition over, not really sure how he was meant to respond to this. It was a lose-lose situation for him either way. If he agreed, he had to take her outside and admit that it bothered him she didn't go to class. If he refused he had to put up with the annoyance of her not going to class.

But which was the least painful to say?

"Fine. You come to class tomorrow and I'll think about taking you."

She smiled and held out her hand towards him.

"Promise?"

He stared down at the hand, trying not to think about the multitude of bacteria which was probably festering on there, before taking it.

"Promise."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then, bright and early. I already know exactly where I want to go."

Oh god. What have you done?

But it was too late to back out now and, once again, Beyond found himself at a loss for words as someone walked away from him - leaving him staring at his now closed door.

But what had he done? What had he just agreed to? Did he really want to have to put up with the hassle of taking her out of Wammy's just so that she would go to class? And why exactly did it matter to him if she went to class or not?

Because she was right. She has a freedom that you do not. She is doing exactly what you wish you could do and you can't stand that, can you?

"No."

So what other option do you have? She'll come to class, and you'll get her out of here for a few hours. You can survive that, right?

"Yes...?"

Good. Now what we really need to be thinking about is our next move against L. The game has started now. The challenge has been issued.

Now we just need to see if he accepts.

*Author's Note* Hi, hi! Here's the latest chapter (as you can see). This perhaps didn't quite form into words how I wanted it to, but I'm relatively happy with it and so I hope you are too! Thank you to those who have recently viewed and reviewed this! It's nice to see that my story has gained a few more followers and have reached the 'favourites' part of a few more people's pages. Really is reassuring to know that people like your work.

Thanks again to all of you who have stood by this story and are still keeping up with it even now. I'll try to get the next chapter out to you as soon as I am able. Thanks again. I'll see you next time!