Villains Ch 14 Seven Minutes To Midnight
A/N: I dont own.
***
At the Karaoke bar Near tried in vain to comfort Mello as the police milled around ineffectually in the background.
"I can go back!" Near declared, "I can fix this!" he said as he let go of Mello's shuddering form.
"Wait, Near! What are you doing?"Mello demanded as Near got out of the booth. He began to squint. "What about the Case? And the supermodel?" Mello pleaded, "Don't I can't-"
Near was already gone.
"I can't lose you too," Mello whispered.
And he was alone.
***
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'I'M GROUNDED!" Misa screeched. "YOU CAN'T GROUND ME, I'M 19! AND IT'S THE POP MUSIC FESTIVAL!"
"Yes you're 19," Kimiko didn't even look up from the paperwork on her desk, unmoved by Misa's theatrics. "That means you should be old enough to realize that actions have consequences... actions such as punching Kiyomi Takada in the face."
"The Bitch totally deserved it!" Takada had said all sorts of nasty things about Rem, "Your boyfriend the girlfriend" Misa had only responded in kind...
"You're still grounded." Misa might have well been arguing with a brick wall. "Go to your room."
It's for your own good, dear, Kimiko thought, If you're not there, you can't be targeted by the head-chopping serial killer.
Things would have been so much simpler if she had just told Misa that...
***
Immediately after Misa stomped off, Kimiko's work phone rang.
"Kira is already involved," said the voice on the other end "We can begin Phase 2."
K nodded. "Very good."
The man sounded annoyed. "Do you have any idea how painful dying is?"
"Come now Matoba, surely you're used to it by now?"
"...And how long it takes to build an empire like that? 90% of my men, wiped out!"
Beautiful, thought K.
"And on top of that my place was robbed. I lost... irreplaceable items of sentimental value!" K rolled her eyes. Who did Matoba think she was-his therapist? "Volunteer someone else next time!"
Fat chance at that-Daisuke Matoba was the "team immortal" which at Wammy's House meant he was the "team meat shield..."
***
Meanwhile, Misa did go to her room... and leapt out the window. As planned, Rem met her on the street below with a change of clothes. After Misa changed out of her bloody clothes and fixed her make-up the girls got into Rem's car and they drove off to the pop music festival.
***
Near... Where are you?
Mello thought as he remained a fixture in the corner of the very same karaoke bar that Matt had died in. It had been three hours. Near still hadn't returned. Mello looked mournfully into his cup of cocoa when his phone rang.
"Hello, Near?"
Mello recognized the voice as... "Hikaru Ryuuzaki?"
"Mello, right?" Light asked on the other end.
"Yeah... Near isn't here right now..."
"Well, when he gets back, can you tell him that I've got the supermodel's location? The attack is going to happen tonight at the East West Pop Music Festival."
"Yeah... I'll tell him..."
"Hey, is there a place I can meet you guys?"
Mello wasn't sure how much trust he wanted to put in this stranger... but then again he wasn't too keen on spending another three hours alone in the place where Matt died waiting for Near to return...
...If he's coming back... What if he was trapped someplace?
That's why Mello appreciated the company of Hikaru Ryuuzaki the pretty boy much more than he normally would. It was odd, putting a face to the voice on the phone. Hikaru was only a couple of years older than him (though his eyes, they looked much older...) He was Japanese but with reddish brown hair-that kind of reminded Mello of Matt (though at the moment EVERYTHING painfully reminded him of Matt...)
Mello found it odd that he didn't bother to remove his white trenchcoat when he slid into the booth across from him.
"Where's Near?" Hikaru asked after they introduced each other and shook hands.
Mello sighed, "I told him a do-over was too risky but he wouldn't listen!" Mello explained where Near was, and why...
"Saiko..." Light growled when Mello told him what happened to Matt. "He's the one behind this... and he's the one who's going to attack the supermodel," Light explained.
"You said the supermodel gets attacked at the Pop Music Festival?"
"Yeah..." Light removed a rolled up piece of paper from inside his coat. Yes, Light had brought the painting with him. To leave it there, decorating the halls of some criminal... it was just obscene. No, Light didn't consider it theft. He considered it his right, all things considered...
I just… I need to show someone...
Mello looked at the painting. Under the banner reading "Welcome to the East-West Pop Music Festival" a young man lay on the ground... He was twisted, upside down, lying in a puddle of his own blood, his face contorted with shock and fear.
Mello gaped "Is that you?"
"Yeah, I think so." Why so shocked? I'm expecting it now... so this painting-it's already inaccurate...
"But... you die..."
Light nodded. "At 11:53 tonight." I've died before. Ryuk was always able to fix me… Maybe this is just Beyond trying to get in my head (and damn if it isn't working…) "Guess I better get going I have a date with destiny or whatever... You coming?"
As much as Mello wanted to avenge Matt there was also the matter of... "I think… I should wait here for Near…" Mello glanced at the painting again. "Maybe you should wait too..."
"I can't. Someone has to do this."
"And I... I can't really do anything." Sure Mello was a supergenius... from a school of supergeniuses. He had no powers. Hell, he was just a kid playing with his father's gun. He couldn't even protect Matt or Near. Matt was dead and now Near was gone, lost God knows where...
"Then consider yourself lucky," Light said with a faraway look in his eyes.
Mello's curiosity got the better of him. "Why... what can you do?"
Light gave a pained smile.
"Fine, don't tell me!" Mello grumbled. "And here I thought us dead men have to stick together..."
"Dead men?" Light looked back at Mello with some concern "You don't look sick... So who's bothering you?"
He's a sharp one... Mello wasn't typically one to spill his guts to a complete stranger but Mello felt comfortable around Hikaru. He was charming, friendly, and everything about him said "you can trust me implicitly" in retrospect that should have set off red flags...
Light listened with concern to Mello's story... Ah, what the hell... Light hadn't really put his trust in another human being since that day... but Mello had trusted him and that went a long way especially with knowing this may very well be the his last day alive...
"If you want I can take care of it..." Light offered.
Mello looked at Light warily. "Are you a hitman?"
"Heh... Something like that."
"Look I don't want trouble..." This was beginning to feel like a mistake...
"It's no trouble. You asked me what I can do? I kill people... just by wishing death upon them."
Mello's eyes bulged when he put two and two together...
Kira.
He was sitting here having lunch with fucking KIRA?
And not only that-he had just told him all about his trials and tribulations... about being the estranged heir to the Russian mob.
Mello tried to steady his hands as he returned his cocoa mug to its saucer. "Are you going to kill me?"
Light looked hurt. "We're friends, aren't we?"
"Uh... sure..."
"Planning on killing anyone who doesn't deserve it?" Mello swore he saw a glint of red in Hikaru's (Kira's) eyes.
"No..." Mello said slowly.
"So see," Kira patted him on the shoulder "we're not about to kill our friend."
Mello didn't find that too reassuring as he wondered just what flavor of crazy-sauce he was dealing with.
"So... I guess what I'm getting at is if someone's bothering you, just say the word..."
Mello considered for a moment. Sure, Rod Ross was an evil scumbag, and now he likely wanted him dead, but to Mello he had always been like the crazy uncle and he couldn't quite bring himself to request his death. Besides if he really wanted to be safe he would have to ask Kira to wipe out all of them his entire... family. And while they were dangerous to him, they were also his only asset...
"No... I... I should deal with this myself..."
"Well alright... you know if I'm still alive after tonight, the offer's still open... If anyone is ever bothering you or Near just give me a call. You've got my number..."
I have Kira on speed-dial... the mind boggled. It was a welcome distraction from grieving for Matt and worrying about Near that lasted all of five seconds before Mello returned to those activities...
Kira smiled softly to himself as he left the Karaoke bar to begin his suicide mission.
We made a friend today.
***
A/N: Uh oh, idea for trope co buddy movie: He's a serial killer. He's a mob boss. They fight crime. (Wait...)
Previous Next