Patience

"L, flight SE333 here," we heard a voice on the other end say. "We've just arrived safely in the Los Angeles airport, but... the man who had gotten on the plane with the deputy director went into cardiac arrest and died around eight minutes ago. That was the diagnosis given by a physician on the plane. It seems the pilot lost consciousness, and the plane had come to a halt. He's probably dead, too."

"Is Deputy Director Yagami alright?" L asked after a moment.

"Yagami here," the same voice we had heard talking to McEnroe earlier said in Japanese. "I'm alive at the moment, but even if I weren't to die soon, I fully intend to leave the NPA."

"What's that about, Yagami-jichō?" L asked, the conversation shifting languages.

"In exchange for my daughter's life, I," Yagami began, "the notebook. I... I'm no longer fit to be a law enforcement official."

"It's really not like you to say such a thing, Yagami-jichō," L noted. "What you're suggesting is no different from a detective whose gun is stolen and tries to close the book on the incident by handing over his resignation."

"L," Yagami said, "I understand your feelings on this, but in this case, I knew my 'gun' would be stolen, and I let it happen. What's more, I handed over a weapon far deadlier than your average gun. As a concerned citizen, I'll continue to make every effort to cooperate with the police, but I just can't remain with the NPA anymore."

"L, we'll be borrowing him for a bit, if you don't mind," Near said.

"What do you need him for exactly, N?" L asked.

"Oh, just a question or two," Near replied. "In consideration to you, we'll make it so you can hear the conversation as well. It might just give us enough to narrow down the list of potential suspects."

It was agreed upon. Near would question Deputy Director Yagami about the incident that he and his daughter had only narrowly escaped.

"Yagami-san, it appears your daughter neither saw the kidnappers' faces nor spoke to them much," Near said, now speaking in Japanese to adjust to the situation. "On the other hand, you were given a wireless earphone and received instructions from a man claiming to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping. Anything you remember about it will do. Please recall as much as you can."

"Even if I recall anything, it won't do much good," Yagami confessed. "His voice was hidden, I couldn't even give you an estimate of his age."

"Finally! We got the missile!" Gevanni announced, gaining our full attention.

"Yagami-san, please give us a moment," Near said.

"Pieces of it are scattered about twelve miles off the New York coastline," Gevanni informed us. "I'm pretty sure it's our missile. I'm sending a team over to retrieve it."

"If we take into account the time of launch, we can estimate it landed around two hours ago," Rester said.

"If the notebook were placed in a floating device that wouldn't break even as the missile crashed," Near noted, "there would be countless ways to retrieve it, you know: a boat, hovercraft, a helicopter equipped to land on water. Did you get all that, L?"

"Yes," L replied.

"There's little doubt that the notebook's in the criminals' hands now," Near said, his maniacal grin returning. "You let them take it from right from under your nose."

At this point, Birdie had a death grip on my hand, trying to calm herself. Apparently, Near smiling really unnerved her. Had Near known this, he might have smiled more often.

"N," L began, "would you have been able to keep them from the notebook if you'd been in command of the operation?"

"Oh, no," Near said, "up against those preparations, no one would have been able to keep it from being stolen. Perhaps the only alternative would have been to sacrifice two innocent lives.
"However... as for me, I'm not at a complete loss as to the identity of the perpetrators," he glanced at me when he said that, "and I've devised a plan to get the notebook back."

"A plan to get it back?" L echoed.

"If we can get the identity of the criminals down, L," Near began. "As someone whose name alone is enough to mobilize police all over the world, it would suffice for you to give out the names and pictures of the criminals to coerce them into returning it.
"All that's needed is for a criminal's name and picture to be known for them to be killed by Kira. If they don't want that to happen, they'll hand over the notebook, and that'll be that.
"I'm loath to resort to such unsavory means, but... And after they've turned it over, they'll be apprehended, of course."

"I see," L replied.

"We'll count on you for that," Near said.

"But for that to work, we'd have to learn the names and photos of everyone in the organization," L said. "Whoever they are, they're no small operation.
"If we only have the name and picture of some of them, the others will just kill them and get it over with. So it's critical we know them all. Does that seem feasible?"

"It's not whether it's feasible or not-it's what I'm doing," Near said. "Well then, I've kept you waiting a while, Yagami-san. Has anything come to mind to you in the meantime?"

"I remember all I was told perfectly," Yagami said, "but as to anything that would serve as a lead... It's obvious the person was careful not to let anything slip."

"I don't mean anything like that," Near said. "Did his mood or surroundings give off anything? A sound, anything? Let's say, for example, did it sound as if he was eating something as he spoke?"

"Eating something," Yagami echoed. "He was eating something. I can't say it with absolute certainty, though."

"Like a candy bar or something?" Near suggested. "Would that fit the impression you received?"

"I... I can't be sure of anything so specific," Yagami admitted, "but well, it was something like a crackling sound, perhaps."

"So he just might have been eating a candy bar as he spoke, right?" Near asked.

"Yeah," Yagami confirmed, prompting Near to glance at me once again.

"Yep, it's him," Birdie declared, not quite loud enough for the others to hear. "Chocolate-eating twit."

"N," L said, "if you have an idea of who the kidnapper is, tell us, and we'll cooperate in the investigation."

"I don't really feel like doing that, L," Near said. "We'll pursue the suspect by ourselves."

"Weren't we to cooperate on this investigation?" L countered.

"'Cooperation' went as far as the kidnapping incident," Near explained. "I believe I'd mentioned Kira and the notebook are another matter altogether. They took it from right under your nose.
"What I meant a little while ago is that we'd like for you to present the criminals' names and photos to the police as L, but nothing more. Otherwise, your assistance is in no way required.
"The first L, he gave his life... and brought to light that the dreaded Kira operates from Japan and the nature of the tool he uses to carry out the murder. While you, who've taken on his name, have managed, well, nothing.
"No, actually, now that I think about it, what you have managed is to increase the number of Kira out there. I can't really expect anything of you as far as dealing with the kidnappers is concerned, now can I? I believe I'm being as clear as possible here. The same goes for the Japanese police. The one who should now be in charge of it, Yagami-jichō, has declared that he's quitting and has gone back to Japan with his daughter. Honestly, most unreliable, the Japanese police. We'll be taking care of both Kira and the kidnappers by ourselves."

Suddenly, there was a loud grunt, followed by a thump, and the sound of many dice hitting the ground.

"Mr. Director!" Rester cried.

"Yes!" Birdie shouted, looking at Near's fallen stack of dice. "You finally dropped some! All it took to distract you was..." Birdie then turned her head to see Mason lying face down on the cold floor, and she blanched. "A heart attack..."

Almost immediately after Birdie said this, another member dropped dead.

"Gardner!" Rester shouted.

"Stop dying!" Birdie yelled as if it would help. This wasn't just typical, obnoxious Birdie behavior, though. I could tell that she was frantic, terrified. Her comment wasn't a useless order; it was a desperate plea.

"Ratt!" Lidner screamed as he put his gun to his head.

Things seemed to move in slow motion as he pulled the trigger, and in the time it took, I grabbed Birdie and buried her face in my shoulder just as the crack of gunfire sounded. I'll never be able to get that image out of my head, never forget all the death I witnessed that day. Not even the smell of his blood flowing onto the tiled floor.

My heart was beating rapidly. The only reason I knew that I wasn't having a heart attack was because no one knew my real name except for (possibly) Jessica. How could they, if I didn't even know it?

Then, the room was silent.

"N, what's wrong?" L asked. "What was that gunshot now?"

"We're beaten," Near replied.

Never before had I heard Near admit defeat. I felt goosebumps on my arms, and Birdie tightened her grip on me as she digested Near's words. She knew that he wouldn't say such a thing unless all was lost.

"Beaten?" L echoed.

"It's seems most people here, or rather, most of the members of the SPK, have been killed," Near admitted. "I'd had a feeling there was a spy among us, but I'd say any chance of following their source back to them is gone, now."

"N, are you the only one left?" L asked.

"No, actually," Near said. "Most aspects of the operation are confidential, so there are a few people the criminals don't know of. I won't say how many are left here, but there aren't many. The first thing I was going to do was have them discover the spy and go on from that, but they got to us before we started."

"N," L said, "you may have been full of confidence a little while ago, but as far as Kira and the notebook are concerned... as to investigate the matter and apprehend the criminals. I'd say your own efforts have managed little more than getting innocent people killed while you're at it. And now, you've been left without much in the way of resources."

"Indeed," Near agreed. "L, from the moment the notebook was taken from you, I'd been preparing for it to some extent, but it's nonetheless, regrettable, really."

"There's little point to continue bickering now," L said. "I'm not suggesting you work under 'L' or that we have our investigative teams work together. I'm just saying we should tell each other what we know. The point is to get the notebook back and bring Kira to justice as soon as possible."

"What each of us knows?" Near echoed.

"You tell us about the criminals and the people you're keeping an eye on," L suggested. "We'll tell you what we know relating to the notebook. There are a good deal of rules and guidelines to follow when using the book. Upon learning them, your investigation will surely advance in the right direction."

"Near," Rester said, recognizing the opportunity.

"L the Second," said Near. "Understood, we'll share the information." Birdie, who had been clinging onto my shirt in terror, pulled away at that statement, looking at me in shock, but I wasn't too surprised. "The person I believe is responsible goes by the alias 'Mello.'
"I have no pictures, nor do I know his real name. All I know is that up until four years ago, he was at an orphanage, Wammy's House, in Winchester, England."

L went over the rules of the notebook of death. Gevanni typed it all up as L spoke, getting every single word down; then L and Near disconnected.

"Why did you do that?" Birdie said angrily, trembling either in her anger or because of how shaken she was. "Now he's going to find out about us!"

"They are only likely to find out information on Mello, myself, and possibly some other particularly notable children at Wammy's at that time," Near assured her. "You don't have to worry about whether or not they will find anything out about you. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to find out anything that would threaten your safety."

"Well, they're going to find out about you," Birdie said. "Isn't that a problem?"

"He knew they would find out about him," I explained to Birdie in a whisper, "but he figured the exchange would be worth it."

Birdie didn't bother arguing further. She hid it well, but I knew that behind her mask of confidence was a terrified little kid.

That's when it really hit me: three people had just died. No... they'd been killed.

Mello wouldn't do this.

I kept thinking those words to myself over and over, but deep down, I knew it was him.

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All of the SPK members, or rather, what was left of them, were looking over the rules of the Death Note which L had given to Near.

"Commander Rester, get me L," Near ordered.

"Right away," Rester replied.

"Are you there, L?" Near asked. "This is N speaking."

"Yes, this is L. What can I do for you, N?"

"Is this all you know about the notebook?" N questioned.

"Of course," L assured him.

"Well, this much won't tell me how you'd be able to write in people's names simply by looking at their picture," Near pointed out.

"We haven't quite figured that part out yet," L explained. "I might be going out on a limb here, but maybe the notebook Kira has and the one the kidnappers took are different. Maybe Kira has a notebook that lets you kill just by looking at a person's face, or maybe he's not using a notebook at all."

"Is that so?" Near said. "It's true the kidnappers can't kill people with their face alone... among our survivors are people who surely had their picture taken by the spy."

I froze when I heard Near say that. I hadn't thought about that. Did this mean Mello knew I was working with Near? Then again, I kept my distance, even from the other SPK members. My head was always down, and I didn't look most people in the eyes. I couldn't even look Near in the eyes, so if a picture of me had been taken, Mello wouldn't necessarily recognize me.

"N, there's something I've been wondering on my part as well," L said.

"And what might that be?" Near asked, already well aware of what L was going to ask.

"We've looked into Mello's background," he admitted, "and found that he was your rival, N, for the position of L's successor. N, there's no doubt about it... You're 'Near,' aren't you?"

Birdie's eyes widened when she heard Near's answer. "Yup! I'm Near!" he replied extremely casually, a grin on his face. I could tell Birdie wanted to strangle him. Though of course Birdie wouldn't have known how he would answer; she hardly knew Near. The only thing she was sure of was that she hated him.

"So I can assume Mello's fighting you over L's legacy," L guessed, "and so he's taking any means necessary to catch Kira."

I felt a shiver run down my spine when I heard L say this. Mello would do anything to catch Kira; I now knew this for sure.

"However, no matter how much he's disregarding the means to his end, there's one thing I don't understand: why kill the members of the SPK? Wouldn't that make him no different than the killer he's after? Just what is his reasoning?"

I winced as Near answered, knowing that everything he said was true. "He became a murderer the moment he killed the pilot, the man who got on the plane with Yagami-san and the man who picked up the notebook. That being the case, I'd have to get to Mello to capture the notebook myself, but to Mello, that would mean 'defeat.'"

"So why would he kill members of the SPK and not Yagami-jichō and his daughter, who've had actual contact with him?" L asked.

"Well, for one thing," Near explained, "he's under the impression, as I am, that your investigative team in Japan is not even competent. So he's left them alive so he can keep coercing info from Yagami-san by threatening his daughter's life.
"Unlike the spy, Yagami-san's a one-way source of information for him; he doesn't need to worry about him leaking anything to anyone. And he also wanted him alive to let us all know a thing or two."

"Such as?" L inquired.

"For instance, he let Yagami-san hear him speak while eating a chocolate bar. This was done for me to know that it was he who was taking the notebook."

"On purpose?" L questioned.

"He was taunting me, so to speak; he's boasting about having gotten to the notebook first. To Mello, it's like playing a video game against me, I think. 'See who gets to Kira, the last boss, first.'" It was these words that stung the most to hear.

"But all I've been going on about is—how should I put it—the best case scenario. It's quite possible Mello wants to change the world to his liking, just like Kira. He was always obsessed with being number one, Mello." His words made my blood boil.

"So what you're saying," L observed, "is that to him, Kira, you and 'L' all stand in his way."

"As far as Mello's reasoning goes, that's about as much as I'm able to speculate. Now that he's committed murder, I can't really expect him to use the notebook to help me find Kira, now can I?
"Nonetheless, the string of murders attributed to Mello's group makes it easier for us to narrow down their whereabouts."

"And your take on Mello's next move?" L asked.

"Reckoning that, too, is difficult, but Mello is not likely to stop at anything to get what he wants. Though I do have an idea as to where he and his men might be hiding. You can leave that to me, L."

"Very well," L said, disconnecting.

Each SPK member went back to their work. Except for me, that is.

"Near," I said.

"What is it?" he asked.

For the first time, I looked him straight in the eyes. Full of confidence, I said, "You're wrong." Near's eyes widened somewhat, as did Birdie's and the other SPK members'. "Mello won't use the notebook to change the world to his liking. I know that much for sure."

Near was silent for a moment, and then, going back to his toys, replied, "Very well."

A/N: I originally had Patience bury Birdie's head in her chest but then I remembered that Birdie is 13. The only concept art I have of her is pre-timeskip, so sometimes I forget how old she actually is/looks lol.