Chapter eleven:
Mello turns as Near enters the room. He looks to a sleeping Matt as Near comes to stand next to the bed. "How'd everything go?" He inquires not yet wanting to say that they for sure got Rogers help.
"He doesn't want to listen to us. Just because of what we are. Even when we pointed out humans would die."
"That's racist." Mello snorts and smiles softly as he gets Near to chuckle a little.
"Yeah." Near clearly knows that they both know why Roger doesn't want to listen, but at least they can both take the small joke in good stride. "I was hoping you could try."
"Me?" Mello blinks at Near as the two of them let their eyes meet. "What makes you think I'd be able to convince him?"
"You're a human. Maybe he'll be more willing to listen to you. Plus Mello I do believe in you. I know that you would be the one to pull it off. So. What do you say?"
Mello thinks it over for a moment before he nods. "Okay. I'll do it."
"Great. Meet A and BB in the secret hiding place BB went to. You know the one. I can give you a lift if you want."
"I'll get there just fine." Mello isn't sure he wants the super speed ride right now. He gets up. "Just stay here. So if Matt wakes up then he won't be alone."
"Okay." Near agrees and Mello leaves with that.
Mello lightly jogs to the place and arrives heading inside to which A and BB come over. "Stay out of sight. And I mean out of sight. He can't know you're there." He tells the two with a serious look. "Let me do all the talking."
A shushes BB who is about to protest the orders. "We need this deal. And besides Near trust him to do this."
BB gives in though not without a growl.
Mello heads to look for Roger and he finds him. He heads closer as the other raises his head to glare only to pause seeing Mello.
"Mello. You need to be honest with me. Do they have you under some mind control? Or are you one of them?" Roger questions and Mello blinks in confusion.
"Mind control? They can't even do that." Mello tells Roger who still seems worried. "And I'm not one of them. I'm human. I swear." He lets out a sigh. "Look. I understand your whole hesitance to help them. When I started I did plan on making a whole report. Using them to learn about real monsters and submitting my findings." He moves closer. "However. As I got to learn more and connect with them I decided I'd learn more but keep my word. Keep quiet about everything they tell me. This time truly meaning it when I said it."
"But why? You could save many people if you're getting the information straight from them." Roger points out and Mello shakes his head.
"Because I figured out that they're not the monsters that media likes to portray them as." Mello looks into Rogers eyes. "They are still the orphans that I knew before this. Just with a few new details. They even have ways to not just hunt and kill humans. Sure there can be some bad apples, and some circumstances that make them dangerous. However humans are the same way. Take a regular human and a crazy drugged out person. They're still human but one is dangerous while the other isn't. That line of thinking also applies to vampires and werewolves. What you encountered was a starving vampire who tried to commit suicide, and a drugged vampire. Those were just like meeting a drugged out human. Not actually representative of all humans."
Roger slightly glances down as Mello talks. He looks a little thoughtful.
"You didn't mind Near until you learned what he is. And what about Matt? He was an alright orphan to you. They still are them just not human. The group is good apples out of the bunch they come from. They truly want to help humans." Mello decides to reveal something that might help Roger lean in his favour. "Near saved me from a very hungry vampire." His words get a surprised look from Roger. "He really did. Then he didn't bother me about knowing vampires were real. It wasn't until I insisted on learning more that they allowed me to learn."
"But why? If you were able to see the bad of them why learn more?"
"Curiosity and fascination at first." Mello hums softly. "The desire to learn more about something that I never knew about. It's human nature to want to know more." He points out and sees that Roger can't argue. "You don't have to like them. We just are hoping you'll help us save human lives."
"And how can I be sure that it is what they want? Not to save their own skin? Keep themselves a secret?" Roger presses and Mello snorts at the very idea.
"Dude. Humans individually can be smart. But a group is dumb panicky animals. Imagine it. Vampires and werewolves become known as real to everyone. How do you think the response would be? I see it as terror, people killing each other in fear that the other is a vampire or werewolf. Do you really think that humans could honestly handle the truth? They killed so many people in the witch hunts and don't get me started on the slaughter of Jews. If we humans turn on each other already then adding the new fear of real monsters. We as humans would spiral down."
Roger lets out a breath. "I suppose that is true." He admits not looking at Mello. "Us hunters handle things a lot better than other humans would. Humans would be killed just for suspicions of being not human. Instead of actually investigating if they truly are human or not."
"So? What do you say? Join us for this one mission then never have to do so again if you so desire?"
Rogers eyes flicker back and forth in thought.
Mello thinks he has him.
Roger closes his eyes finally letting out a sigh. "I'll work with you." He agrees and Mello smiles glad to hear it. "But only this once. Never again and no one knows I'm helping. I'm only doing this to save human lives. I still will hunt down vampires and werewolves. If another drugged one appears I'm going for the kill."
"That's fine. We're not asking you to stop your hunting career. We are asking you to help save human lives from an even greater danger." Mello confirms. He turns as Roger looks to something behind him.
A and BB enter the room.
"How's it going?" A asks and though Mello knows that they were listening, they are pretending to not have heard anything. "Near sent us here from staying with Matt to see if you got his help."
"I can't believe we had to leave it up to a human to be able to do this." BB grumbles more for show for Roger than anything else.
Mello can notice that BB in his eyes does want to help humans... Even if I means working with a hunter. "Yeah. He said he would help find the culprit. He'll still be a hunter but he will help stop more humans from dying."
"I don't trust you blood suckers." Roger adds causing the three to turn to him. "However I understand that circumstances have made this needed. Even if undesired from both sides."
"Whatever. Hunter or not there's a big threat and your help could make this be solved faster." A shrugs to Roger. "We plan on leaving after we get this sorted." He glances to Mello. "Don't know about blonde human here."
Mello tries to punch As shoulder in protest though A quickly darts away.
BB heads over to Roger untying him.
"Where should we start?" Mello inquires once Roger is free.
"If one of you has a dart or anything that shows the vampire was drugged, then we could try looking for fingerprints. It could be a long shot as whoever it is might have gotten rid of any fingerprints. But it is worth a try."
"I believe we still do have the dart." A confirms and heads away to probably try to see if they do have it.
Mello is glad to have this started. He really doesn't want to encounter anymore drugged out vampires if it can be avoided.
...
Near turns as Matt groans starting to wake up.
"Mells?" Matt groans though he continues before Near can respond. "I had a dream about confessing my feelings for Near." His head shifts slightly and he blinks as he continues to wake up. "Dang I want to date him so badly."
Near is at first in shock and unsure what to say. He blinks at Matt opening and closing his mouth a few times to try to find any words.
"Mello?" Matt is starting to really wake up and Near is sure that he can see his eyes start to focus.
"Mello stepped out to talk to Roger." Near tells Matt who's eyes widen and suddenly looks fully awake. He lets a light blush rise to his cheeks as he remembers what Matt had said.
"Oh God Near! I'm so sorry! You weren't meant to hear that! I thought you were Mello and-" He gets cut off as Near leans in placing a kiss on the red heads lips.
Near pulls away after that small kiss to smile, still blushing, to the werewolf. "It is quite alright Matt. I know we would be very out of place but I would like to be with you as well. I just didn't want to say anything thinking you would hate the idea. That thought alone hurt."
Matt manages to reach out and places a hand on Near's upper arm on his left. "I don't care what others will think. As long as we're happy that's what should matter." He tells Near as the two share a smile then share another kiss.