Chapter Text
The gunshot was from so far away that it sounded like only a pop. L only had time to look up before it hit him. The smirking face of Coil only made it worse, as L noticed Deneuve fall beside him. L barely heard her scream. He stumbled back slightly as the bullet hit him, dropping to the ground like a stone. His entire leg felt like it was on fire, shooting pains radiating from his knee.
His arms behind his back, Coil approached L with a smug smirk. “You played well,” He said, withdrawing a knife from behind his back. L realised Coil’s plan immediately; you’d have to be an idiot not to. He tried to stand but his leg gave out before he could straighten up.
“Doesn’t help in the end, mostly because you were far too stupid to see this coming,” Coil lowered himself to L’s level and raised the knife. L moved his arm quickly, swiping to knock the knife from Coil’s hand. It was, however far too late, as the knife was already plunging straight into L’s ribs. He tried to scream but he couldn’t find the air. Blood choked him, filling his lungs and trickling from mouth as he coughed. As he felt his vision go dark all he heard from Coil was a satisfied “Hm.”
“Matt! Fuck’s sake, stop playing Mario Kart!” Mello said as he clapped Matt around the back of the head. Matt’s hands slipped and his gameboy fell to the ground. Fuck, I’ve been spotted. He turned to glare at Mello. He’d been doing this a lot lately, it was getting rather annoying.
Mello scooped it up off the ground, hiding it under his leg so Matt can’t get to it. “You haven’t even started your part.” He glared back at Matt before starting to root for his pencil. He hadn’t started the part because this chaos theory shit was dull as fuck. Matt had no idea why Mello and Near tried so hard for something that they both knew they would never get.
“Stealing his toy is only going to distract him further,” Near said with an exasperated sigh.
“Exactly,” Matt glanced under the table trying to find his gameboy.
Mello glared at Near and was about to say something in response when Linda grabbed the gameboy back. Linda tossed it back to Matt as Mello shouted indignantly. Being friends with someone who isn’t a lunatic occasionally had benefits.
“Thanks, babe.” Matt caught it gracefully with a cocky grin.
Linda flashed a smile before going back to her note taking.
“Can we please stay on topic?” Near sighed with a twirl of his hair. Yeah, not like you were contributing much .
Mello pulled the textbook that was in front of Near over to his side of the table, blatantly not acknowledging that he had spoken.
“In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.” Matt quoted easily, not looking up from his video game “It’s also completely pointless to study,”
“Good for you and your photographic fucking memory.” Mello was scribbling in his notebook, practically copying down the textbook word for word at a lightning speed. Salt.
Linda threw a pencil at his head. “Don’t swear.”
“Yeah, Mello,” Matt smirked.
“Regardless of what you think, Matt, it doesn’t change the fact that some of us do want to surpass B and A,” Near snatched the textbook from Mello with a glare.
“Hey! I was using that.” Mello pulled the textbook back, resting his elbow on it heavily to stop Near taking it again.
“Get your own,”
“Just did.” Mello tapped the book. “This one.”
Near glared at Mello, then glanced at Linda and visibly decided not to say anything.
“Mello, don’t be a prick,” Matt, however, had less restraint. It also helped that he tended to get away with these sorts of things.
Linda pushed her textbook over to Mello, swapping it with Near’s. “Just use this one, Mell.”
Mello looked about to argue, but then simply huffed and went back to writing.
Matt glanced up from his game as the door slammed shut. The black figure of Backup loomed from the doorway, a confident smirk on his face. After loomed behind him, a relatively small figure in comparison. Not this prick again.
“Oh boy,” Near said with dripping sarcasm.
Linda seemed to shrink slightly in her seat. She crouched over her work in an attempt to not be noticed by Backup. She didn’t like to admit it but everyone knew that she was scared of him. Matt supposes that he can’t exactly blame her.
B cast a glance toward the table, his smile widening. As he approached, Near began to tug at his hair far more tightly. Sometimes Matt wonders if B knows that everyone despises him.
“Hello, friends,” He said, making sure to direct his stare towards Linda.
Linda glanced up slightly but quickly returned to her work when she saw Backup staring at her.
“How’s it going?” He said as he peers over their notes.
“Yeah, how ‘bout you fuck off, B?” Matt blurted out in irritation.
“Sorry?” Backup’s smile widened even further. Matt was filled with the sudden desire to punch him really hard in the face. He has no idea why.
Mello looked up at Backup, tucking his hair behind his ear and spoke loudly. “He said how about you fuck off?”
“Well, gosh darn, fellows. I’m just trying to be friendly,” Backup’s eyes seemed to shine in the light.
“You’re being anything but,” Near glared up at him unflinchingly.
“That is very impolite, Near,” Backup turned his eyes directly to him, his mouth twisting into a scowl “A, can you believe them?”
A looked up from the textbook he was reading over Linda’s shoulder. “You are a bit of a prick.”
Mello sniggered, trying cover it by looking down at his book.
“An understatement,” Near said with a smirk.
“Well, I’ll admit to that,” B shrugged, the smile becoming more genuine “Shall we?” He beckons toward the door. He lets A get away with everything, contradicting him, insulting him. It has some implications in Matt’s mind.
A glanced at B and nodded slightly. He turned back to Linda, tapping the page she was on. “There’s a good book on this. Fiction but it shows it’s effects. The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters. By Andy Andrews. Might help to check it out.”
Linda glanced up with a small smile, “Thanks. I’ll see if the library has a copy.”
“Tsk tsk, A. Now where will we be if we help our competition?” He put his hand on his shoulder and guided A toward the door.
A rolled his eyes. “They’re kids, B. Lay off them a bit.”
“No.” B said with a chuckle and led A away from the table.
“Swear to god, they are fucking,” Matt commented.
Mello glanced up from his textbook, pencil in his mouth. “I called it like a month ago. No one’s that touchy feely without fucking. ‘Specially not B.”
“Language, Mells.”
“I fail to see how it’s relevant,” Near sighed “A better question is why A puts up with that chicken-shit,” Matt gave a chuckle at that. Near’s curses were a rare blessing.
“Because they’re fucking, you twit.” Mello deadpanned.
“I think you’re projecting,” Near smirked.
“What the fuck am I projecting?” Mello snapped defensively.
Linda sighed. “Language.”
“I thought that was obvious,” Near smiled mockingly.
“Well it obviously fucking isn’t.” Mello went back to his work irritably. He really needs to chill the fuck out. Granted, Matt found himself thinking that about nearly every nutcase at Wammy’s House but Mello was a special case. And he was also his friend so that has to count for something.
“It actually is,” Matt sighed, flipping off his Gameboy. In reality he had no fucking clue what Near was on about, but it was fun watching Mello react.
Mello huffed, closing his book angrily.
“I still don’t see why they’re making us do this,” Matt moaned “It’s obviously not going to help us become L in any way. And plus, we already know about the Butterfly Effect and all that shit, right?”
“Matt you haven't done any work on it. If anyone should be complaining it shouldn't be you.” Linda shoved a book over. “If you want to whine, take some notes.”
“Fine, fine. I’m just saying. Plus we need to be discussing it, and shit, don’t we?” Matt began playing on his gameboy with one hand and wrote chicken scratch notes with the other. He’ll probably get an 80% anyway. That’s good enough for him. He knows he’ll never beat A and B and he knows that he won’t be happier in the long run if he does.
“...It’s a ranking system. It’s not training, it’s a test,” Near bit his lip, staring at Matt’s disturbing handwriting “Though, I do somewhat see what you mean,”
Mello put his pen down loudly. “Done.” He had a stack of paper in front of him with nearly the entire chapter on the Butterfly Effect copied out in his scrawl.
“Impressive,” Matt said idly. It wasn’t actually it just reaffirmed the fact that Mello was a lunatic, but he was a dedicated lunatic so that helps.
“Rather over the top, don’t you think?” Near raised an eyebrow and glanced at his shorter, more concise notes. Oh for fucks sake.
Mello glared at Near. “Well at least I have some fucking information down. Unlike you.”
“Jesus, can you two-” Matt was cut off, however by a loud and surprising shout.
“Wammy’s back! Wammy’s back!” This prompted several confused glances. Quillish Wammy, the official owner of the House visits often. The official reason is just that he’d like to see the children or ‘checking out the facilities’. No. In reality, Watari was here to observe the potential successors to L, and to redefine the official ranking.
Linda looked up, rushing to the door where a crowd of small excited children was gathering. She peered over their heads into the corridor.
Mello looked at Matt. “I wonder if L is with him.”
Matt snorted. Like L would take time to introduce himself to anyone other than the top two pricks. No, his time was far too precious for that. Matt had long since given up on seeing L face to face, and he thinks that if he did see him? He’d probably break his jaw. Or try at least. Matt had heard conflicting reports on L’s combat prowess.
“Unlikely.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and follow, an almost bitter frown on his face.
Near glanced at Mello, raising an eyebrow.
Mello glared at Near. “What you making that stupid face for?”
“Was wondering if you knew what he was pissy about,” Near shrugged and began twirling his hair “That’s all,”
Mello frowned and shook his head, looking after Matt. “No idea.”
“Hm,” Near began gradually trailing after the two of them “See you there, I guess?”
Mello nodded, quickly joining the crowd around the door.
B looked back, glancing at the onslaught of children following. Quillsh Wammy stood at the front door, clearly fatigued both physically and emotionally. His usual companion, the one most of the children knew as Ryuzaki, L’s aid to help pick a successor, wasn’t behind him. Ah, it was today, wasn’t it?
A tapped B’s wrist with a finger subtly, murmuring. “He’s alone. Do you think L is on a case?” B glanced down at A, knowing he was probably just working through his thoughts outloud, not actually expecting, or wanting, an answer.
“That’s probably it,” He said with a knowing smirk. There would only be one reason why L wouldn’t join Watari on their rare visits to the orphanage.
A frowned slightly when he saw the smirk. “What are you not saying?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” B’s smile disappeared and he looked at A with a faux confused look. He would find out soon enough.
A rolled his eyes. “Don’t play innocent, everyone knows you’re not.”
Before B could respond, Watari began speaking to Roger and that caught his attention further. Roger’s face lit up with shock. So it appears that I’m right .
“I will say this, A. Something is wrong,” B crossed his arms. Things should go smoothly from here.
A didn’t react to what B was saying, his entire focus trained on reading Roger’s lips.
“You picked it up yet?” B turned his gaze fully toward A.
“It’s hard. Watari isn’t facing me and Roger’s reactions are hard to read.”
“Think about it. Watari shows up out of nowhere, doesn’t speak to the children eagerly begging for his approval, L or ‘Ryuzaki’ is nowhere to be seen,” B frowned “It’s pretty simple,” B knew it wouldn’t take long for A to realise what had happened.
“L’s dead…” A murmured, reading along to what Roger had just said.
B’s smile bared teeth. It hadn’t take A long at all to catch on.
“Yes.”
“After, Backup, please come see me in my office this instant,” Roger said, his voice tired and grim. B turned to A and winked. It was their turn to be the greatest now.
A sat down in the chair in front of Roger’s desk once he was in the cramped office, folding his hands in his lap. “Yes Roger?”
“I’m afraid that…” Roger took a seat at his desk chair and looked uncertainly at Watari “L… is dead,”
A nodded slightly, not trying to feign surprise. He never pretended to not know something he did. “I had thought as much. How?”
Watari spoke from behind Roger. “Stabbed. By Eraldo Coil during the confrontation.”
“That’s awfully cold, A,” B said with a mocking smirk.
“However,” Watari continued, “I am not here to discuss how L died. I am here to collect his successor.”
“And who might that be?” B turned to the old man, his smile dying.
Watari kept his gaze on A. “After. I need you to go pack your belongings so you can come with me and take over L’s place.”
B paused at Watari’s bluntness. It’s what he expected but he made it seem like the choice was so obvious and easy. Nevertheless, he put on his confident smirk again and looked down at A.
“Well, you win, I guess,” B shrugged “No hard feelings. I’ll always await your call,”
A nodded, smiling knowingly. “Won’t be too long before you’ll have to pick up the phone.”
“We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. I suggest you pack your things tonight. Backup can help you.”
“How generous,” B deadpanned. I’m not your dog, Wammy .
A nodded at Watari’s obvious dismissal, standing and turning to leave. This time it was him guiding B to the door.
B let A’s hand push him gently towards the door, staring at Wammy one last time. He narrowed his eyes as he left the office. “I don’t trust that guy.”
“I know you don’t, you’ve told me repeatedly, but L trusted him.” A turned the corner, heading in the direction of their room.
They were, inevitably greeted by the sight of four younger kids, trying desperately to not look like they were attempting to eavesdrop. Mello and Near stared at him defiantly while Matt and Linda averted their eyes, Matt in disinterest and Linda in anxiety. These kids, it always seemed like B was tripping over them. They definitely weren’t something he’d miss.
“Well, well, well,” B called in a smug tone of voice “If i didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to listen in.”
“I can see why you’re L’s successor,” Near replicated the tone with his own level of smugness.
B raised an eyebrow. “Must be hard to see that. Considering I’m not. Are you dumb enough not to be able to even eavesdrop properly?”
A put his hand on B’s arm. “Lay off them B. Let’s just go pack.” Why the hell should they off them? They’re a bunch of nosey, arrogant kids who need to be shaken down to earth. A bunch of know-it-alls. B knew exactly how to put them back in place.
“Though,” B continued, ignoring A “If you really are that stupid, you may not have heard,” His smile turned cruel and he let out a harsh chuckle “Such a shame… he died so young,”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Matt looked up at him with a glare. B smirked. So the kid had been paying attention.
“L is dead.” A said bluntly. Fuckers.