Chapter four: Searching for alternate solutions.
"No." I snap before another word can come out of his mouth. "Out of the question."
He looks at me with a little sorrow, enough to almost break my heart. "Mello if it means that Brend will no longer be able to hurt anyone then I am willing to pay the price of dying."
I shake my head and grab his shoulders looking him right in the eye with full on seriousness. "No Near. You can't. Are you willing to live in the afterlife with knowing that you have left people hurt when you kill yourself?" I feel tears start to prickle at my eyes from just the thought of Near killing himself. "Can you live in the afterlife with that?" I try to keep my voice from cracking.
He stares into my eyes shocked and blinks pausing as he seems to be trying to come up with an answer before he replies a little softly. "It wouldn't be my intention to do so but other than annoying Linda there really isn't anyone that it would really hurt other than the fact that Rodger will be upset that the one he sees as the next L is gone. I would have been fine with it without a second thought. But there is also something else or well someone else. You. You have made me think twice about your question. I knew you cared but I didn't know you cared so much to cry at the thought of the only solution I found I have been left with."
I don't care right now if I really am crying or not, but I feel a tear slide down my cheek, right now my entire mind is thinking about Near. I pull him into a hug. "Please. We will find a way and everything will be alright. Just please in the meantime don't do anything drastic like killing yourself. I can't live without you." I don't care if my voice cracks slightly.
He hugs me back after a second of letting my words sink in. "Ok." He says almost in a whisper but I heard him. "I'm sorry." He adds in the same hushed tone.
I feel a small wetness on my shirt and I look down to see he is crying. I bring one hand to his chin getting him to look up at me. I gently wipe some of his tears falling from one of his eyes. "We can do it." I say in a slight hushed tone finding it keeps my voice from cracking.
He nods and sniffles as he wipes his opposite eye of the one I wiped some of his tears from, also still being where my hand rests which is on his cheek, to try to get rid of the tears.
I lean down and find my lips touching his for a second before I pull away. "Don't forget that. I will take this and look into it trying to find a way to possible make a potion or mixture that'll get him gone for good." I tell him.
He nods.
I smile and not long after we separate for now.
Near's P.O.V.
'I wonder how Mello plans to get rid of Brend.' I think to myself as I walk down the hall. I mostly watch my feet in thought but when I hear a voice I look up.
A group of boys round the corner chatting annoyingly loud.
I don't get why you have to pretty much shout when talking to your friends that are standing right beside you. I continue waling hoping to slip past them and I almost make it before one spots me.
"Hey Near heading to hang out with your friends? OH YEAH! You don't have any!" One tries to bug me as he laughs.
I want to ignore him but suddenly an idea, most likely from Brend, so I glance to the group letting my eyes go red with a murderous look.
Only the one that tried to bug me is looking and he almost screams jumping slightly only to fall onto his butt closing his eyes a moment.
When he's not looking I make my eyes go back to normal.
I look at him in a slightly confused way as if his sudden outburst had made me turn around. I look around slightly as he is looking at me terrified then I spare a final glance to him before turning to leave. I can't help but smirk and his friends are teasing him about being scared of me when he tries to explain what happened.
I am known around the orphanage for my great fighting skills as I on my own took down six guys with guns while I held a knife. I was trained by the worlds greatest criminals before Whammy's but even with my amazing fighting skills I cannot win every battle.
'Well done.' Brend's voice echoes in my head with a chuckle.
Though it was fun to do that I still know that Brend needs to go.
I keep walking away. I turn towards the common room but I hear Linda, who even I find annoying, in there so I turn around and go to the library. I like that not many are here right now letting it be peaceful. I walk around not really having a specific destination but more of just time to myself in the peacefulness.
No one to bug me and Brend not trying to kill anyone; truly peaceful.
I take a slightly happy breath. 'It's really nice.' I think to myself.
Meanwhile…
No one's P.O.V.
"The killer is someone who enjoys the kill and most likely the fear he creates into his victims before stabbing them." L says bringing his thumb to rest on his bottom lip. "However he is smart and does not leave enough clues behind to lead us to him. He also makes sure that no one sees him kill. We are dealing with either a possible genius or someone cunning but he is nowhere close to being an idiot." He observes. "He has little to no fear mostly when he kills which could mean he is like that when not killing."
"It is quite an interesting killer." Watari agrees.
"That is true but this case almost feels like something that we are unaware of is going on and that we are a lot closer to the killer than we think." L says looking thoughtful. "I do believe it is time we visit Whammy's house."
"We can go pretty soon." Watari says. "I'll get everything ready to go." He walks away to do just that.
"Thank you Watari." L says to the older man then continues his work.
In no time L and Watari are flying to go visit Whammy's house then they drive to the orphanage after getting off of the plane.
As they get closer L feels that something is different so when they arrive L make sure to check the kids by walking around in which most of the kids stay with him excited that he is there.
L spots Near and the feeling hits him like a wave. He feels that something is different about the boy but he can't quite put his finger on it. He decides to secretly keep an eye on the boy until he can put his finger on what is different. He heads to Watari to let him know of the secret surveillance on Near.
Though since they are in the orphanage they won't be able to set up cameras without at least one person seeing so they'll have to do it without the cameras or bugs.
"Are you saying Near might be the killer?" Watari says when L tells him of the surveillance in private.
"I can sense something different with Near and though I can't put my finger on it there is the possibility. A ten percent possibility that may seem low but it's high enough for us to be on alert. He prefers to be by himself, shows pretty much no emotion, he's cunning when he wants to be, he has events that could be seen as triggers and he is a genius. He holds the factors to be able to kill without bringing suspicion to himself. However we cannot say he is the killer based off of that until we actually have something to say for sure. I want to try to prove myself wrong on this as Mello and Near should succeed me together. Separating them is a crime." L explains to Watari.
"Ah yes I understand." Watari nods.
"Bring Near and Mello into Rodger's office. I'd like to speak to them alone." L tells the older male.
"Of course." Watari nods and leaves.
L goes to Rodgers office and explains that he wants to talk to Mello and Near privately in which Rodger leaves the room to allow this. L sits in Rodger's chair at his desk and waits for the two to come.
A knock on the door signals their arrival.
"Come in." He tells them and they do just that.
"L. It's been awhile since you last visited." Mello is the first to speak while Near silently closes the door behind themselves.
"Yes. Have you been keeping on top of your studies?" L starts trying to be a little casual.
"Of course!" Mello puffs out his chest proud.
Near silently nods and starts twirling a strand of hair.
"That's good." L nods and closely watches every bit of their movements, expressions, actions and the like. "I want to discuss a case I thought you might find interesting." He continues and the two so far don't show signs of being nervous. "It's the case about the killer who goes around stabbing at least one person almost every day yet leaves no witnesses and no clues to help show who he is. I'm sure you've heard about it." He observes that Mello seems to suddenly become a little defensive in his posture as well as a little in his expression. He also notices Near twirling his hair a fraction faster and shifts making it look like contemplating to sit but he actually shifts a little closer to Mello. 'Interesting. Both of them reacted when I brought up the case.' He observes. 'Let's see if I can get more reactions that will tell me more.' He thinks and so he starts to speak again. "The first victim was a lady killed in a deserted at the time area with two buildings." He decides to describe the place knowing it'll bring out more likely reactions. "Stabbed then left there. The killer did not attempt sexual assault but the knife she carried around in her purse for self defense was missing so the killer probably took it either killing her with it or took it aa better than the one he used. I am certain it was the murder weapon used. No sign of remorse in the killing and he left the body right where he killed her as if to say 'I'm here, try to stop me!' It shows he has little to no fear most likely. You can especially tell in the way he kills." He says still watching the two. "He shows no mercy in his kills."
Mello shifts this time closer to Near while the younger tensed and his twirling of his hair stopped for a second before rubbing the strand wrapped his finger between two of his fingers that has it curled around is and his thumb.
'Quite interesting indeed. I can now say for sure they are hiding something. I'm a little surprised that both of them seem to know something that is obviously only between them. Considering their rivalry and that Mello usually doesn't want anything to do with Near, it is quite unexpected. But now he shifts closer to Near when the other is tense as if to slightly comfort the other. Prying this information from them will be harder since they seem bent on doing their best to keep it hidden. I won't be able to get them to spill easily but by triggering emotions I may be able to get one of them to slip up.' He puts his thumb against his lips. "What are your thoughts so far?" He asks as he keeps alert for anytime to slip in something to hopefully help one slip up on.
Mello speaks first after a moment of silence between them. "The killer has no good in him and he doesn't seem like the person to leave puzzles for the police so he must not like them. He's like a fox smart and cunning. He may have some help as the bloody clothes probably will be hard to hide as some of the killings for sure would have left him bloody at least a little. So he probably doesn't like to be alone." He says.
L nods. 'He could be right with these observations however it is wrong to assume he doesn't like puzzles since the killer seems bent on keeping police trying to piece together the puzzle of this case. It almost seems like he's trying to keep suspicion from being placed on Near.'
"I agree with Mello." Near finally speaks up. "The killer would need help to hide his bloody appearance. So this is probably a team effort or a group."
'Near is also going along with Mello's plan.' L silently observes. "It is possible but we must also think that perhaps he keeps to himself as knowing working in a group could leave him where if we capture his partner then his partner could rat the killer out to save his own skin." He points out.
Near's eyes flicker to Mello with the other doing the same so their eyes lock for a few seconds before looking away.
"True but you asked us for our thoughts." Mello says politely.
"Yes and it was very good observations. However we cannot assume he is working with others and that he hates puzzles. He is making the police try to piece together a puzzle that he's made out of his murder. A puzzle that is one of those that has pieces that look all the same making it much more difficult for them to solve so the police have a tougher time to catch him while he continues to kill to say that he is there." L points out.
Mello nods and Near lowers his hand from his hair.
"Shall I continue with talking of the case?" L asks. "It is an interesting case that I would really like to solve as soon as possible to catch the killer."
Near looks to Mello for a second then he looks to the wall right behind me to look like he's looking at me.
L finds Near's reactions something of nervousness. "Is everything alright?" He asks the two. "You seem a little tense. Do you have more thoughts you wish to share? Please do by all means. It is good to speak of them so that you can get views on said thoughts that you can learn from."
The two are silent for a few moments.
Near speaks up before Mello can. "It's not really that we aren't sharing thoughts it's just I wasn't able to sleep as just a day I couldn't get to sleep and I am sure Mello was up studying till he passed out. We are a little tired and going over everything here so we can squeeze every drop of possible lessons we could find." He glances to Mello. "I am curious of what Mello's thought about it all."
Mello looks to Near. "Whatever. Like I would share that with you. I'm not giving you a chance to learn more than me." He shrugs turning away but he also sounds like he is not as he used to be in his stubbornness and hatred against Near.
It sounds and looks like an act to L.