Near sat after Matt had talked with Rodger, wondering if this was real? Had both Mello and Matt just thrown away there easy chance at all the things they had ever dreamed of?
He stood up and felt as though he had some kind of power in his limbs. ‘So this is why Mello turned it down.’ He wondered ‘If we had worked together I would have been just as passive as L feared!’ He put his fisted hands over his wide eyes. ‘He knew this and gave Mello a challenge! Even in death L knew how to handle his successors.’ He turned to the stairs and walked up them. ‘With out the help of all the people I’ve depended on so closely…..Even Matt saw it sooner than I did.’ He smirked ‘I would have been a burden to them and any people who are involved in this case.’
He stopped at the familiar sound of chocolate being snapped. He looked up to see Mello standing at the top watching him with eyes of ice. “So are you going or not!?” He said in a tone that would kill. “As my rival, I can’t let you stay here and play around.” He walked toward Near his face filling with anger at every step. But, Near didn't move an inch. “Don’t just stand there, idiot! Get the hell out of my damn house!!”
Near felt Mello’s fist slam into his left cheek. Sending him flying into the wall. He got up and charged Mello his arms hanging at his sides. Mello didn’t have time as Near’s socked foot crashed his side. Near fought with his legs as much as possible. He had learned this from L when he was very small. His hands weren’t meant for combat but hidden beneath those baggy pants were the sturdiest pair of legs in the whole orphanage.
Mello was on his feet again and he immediately reached for his gun. He pulled it out to find that Near had one pointed at him as well. They stood waiting for each other to move. Mello felt the pain and the feeling of betrayal reflect from Near’s black pools. They both lowered their weapons and Mello just had time to mutter “Get out.” before he vanished into one of the many hidden places through out the house.
Matt had watch it all and had been waiting for one of the two to come find him. As he now bandaged Mello’s side he felt it o.k. to talk to the unruly blond. “You were pretty harsh with him.” He muttered around a cigarette.
“I had to.” Mello said looking down at the gamer. “It was the best way I could think of to get him moving. He can’t stay here if he wants to be L. Justice doesn’t blend with the Underline. They are two separate worlds.”
Near, who had been standing with his own recovery, clutched his chest as he listened to this. He knew that as long as he lived he would never forget those words. They meant too much to him. He foght the deep sad inside himself and wished them a silent farewell before he left to gather his things.
He meet Outa at the top. “I’ve a request for you.”
“Sure! What do you need?” Outa picked up one of the many boxes labeled ‘toys’ and began moving it down. He stopped and turned blinking at the white boy. “What?”
“I need an assistant for my work in the Kira case.” Near said sheepishly, twirling his hair.
Outa raised an eyebrow. “And I guess that you want me to get you one?”
“No.” Near replied “I want you to be my assistant. I need someone who knows what there doing in the underground and in the court rooms. You being a lawyer and a killer of sorts.” He finished and picked up another box moving down with Outa.
“Are you sure you would want me? Living a double life is dangerous enough without getting in the whole L thing.” Outa was thinking very hard about all this. “What about Mikami, anyway?”
“Mikami has gone ahead to join Kira.” Near sated with the utmost disgust. “He seems to think that killing criminals and being a murderer is only way to exist.”
Outa snickered at the ironic statement. “It’s funny to hear that from you of all people.”
“I am justice now. I can not afford to think of the past any. People need me I can not be selfish. As the L before me I must be able to give up things that I love very much before I engage in battle. That means my past lives and everyone in them.”
“How did you know that Mikami left? He didn’t even tell me except by cutting all our connections. It’s sad really….” They had reached the car by now and he leaned on the back while he asked Near about the topic.
“Sad as it is.” Near said “I don’t think Mikami felt the need to put any faith in L. Especially after they talked at the hospital. I could tell from then on that they wanted nothing more than to be away and opposite each other.”
There was a small silence that was followed by a heavy sigh. “How could L have died? He always took the utmost caution. I even heard that he built his own building to work inside of so he wouldn’t have to into hiding.” The older man sat hard on the ground. He rested his head in his head and made circular motions with his fingers over his temples.
“True. But, Kira was and still is some were in the small group of people that he let see his face.” Near sat next to Outa. “I’ve read everything that L chronicled about this case. And it seemed that of everyone he suspected a man named Light most.” Nears face sat frozen with his mask, but the rage burned his gut. For it was Light that had contacted Outa in the first place! That fool. He would pay for playing with them this way.
“Well…” Outa moved and stood a few steps from the undersized teen. “Were are we off to, N?” He said
“Our journey starts in Japan and goes were ever the case does.” He smiled at the sudden change in the man’s mind. Maybe this could become something interesting after all.
