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The Other Plan	By : sashocirrione Category: Death Note > Yaoi-Male/Male Views: 2817 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 1-The Other Plan
- 2-Elevator
- 3-Script
- 4-Kitty
- 5-Video
- 6-Misa
- 7-Twist
- 8-Bride
- 9-Near
- 10-Exchange
- 11-SPK
- 12-Lies
- 13-Sacrifice
- 14-Names
- 15-Epilogue
- 13
- 14
- 15
CHAPTER 14: Names

Extracting Misa's "confession" was an ordeal. Her tears and emotional displays were tiring, grating on Light's nerves. They tested his patience and felt like a burden on his very soul. He had to push himself to play his role, to display what the task force needed to see and to school his features to not reveal what he was really feeling.

He wanted so badly to slap her when she messed up a few of the details of what she was supposed to claim. Her performance was entirely believable, and was flawless other than those few details. They were things that shouldn't matter, but still, it was awful to see anything that might become an issue later, if things went down certain paths. Misa was an unreliable failure and she needed to be disposed of as soon as possible.

Ryuk wandered in halfway through Misa's tirade, as soon as Misa was dressed decently, and spent most of it either laughing uproariously or gamboling about like a delighted small child.

Light displayed love on his face at the right times, anguish on his face at the right times, and let Misa cling crab-like to his arm and soak him with tears for a full 18 minutes, far longer than he had ever endured an arm-cling before, let alone a tearful arm-cling. Misa was a truly disgusting creature.

He was so elated when it was over and the task force rushed in that it was difficult to keep the worried anguish of a betrayed boyfriend on his face.

Light gave everyone a serious glance and then gave Misa's shoulders a shake and said, "Do you see how it is Misa? I'm very ashamed of you. I'm sure we could have caught Kira years ago if you'd only confided in me."

Misa produced a few more tears and said, "But my parents! You have to believe Kira was righteous then, don't you?"

Matsuda said, "Misa!" and tried to move forward, but Aizawa shouldered him backwards.

Soichiro cleared his throat and said, "Misa, it isn't ever justified to commit more crimes because of previous crimes. We will have you put on trial-"

"No, Dad," Light said, "we can't do anything like that until we've completed a full investigation. We don't yet know if the second Kira is in contact with the real Kira, but in any case, if the second Kira thinks Misa has defected to our side, it is likely Misa will die and us as well, since our names and faces have been leaked. The second Kira didn't kill us earlier because we were more valuable alive. If we had died before, we would have been replaced with a new team without a leak in it."

Aizawa said, "So what you're saying is that Misa is keeping us alive? If the leak stops leaking, everyone dies?"

"Yes!" Misa shouted, "I've saved every last one of you. Can't you be kind?"

Mogi said, "Why didn't we die when we locked Misa up?"

Light answered, "Because Misa wasn't publicly charged with anything, that's why. If you charge her publicly or if she disappears for too long or if things otherwise become suspicious, I am sure the second Kira will strike, unless the second Kira is caught first. In fact, to lower suspicion, we have to quickly put Misa on something like her old schedule, with her seemingly coming and going freely."

This will give Misa plenty of chances to run off and get notebook paper from one of the stashes.

Light turned to Misa and pulled her tear-streaked face up and away from his arm, looking into it sternly.

He said, "Misa, I will personally see that you are put on trial and executed as an accessory to mass murder unless you cooperate with us in every way. You will do nothing on your own. Do you understand? If all of us die, Near's team will arrest you."

Misa gasped out, "Misa understands. I love you Light, and I would never hurt you."

Light wanted to throw up at the sugary-sweet tone in her voice.

Instead, he continued with, "Tell us exactly how you leak information to the second Kira. Leave nothing out."

Just as they'd rehearsed with the traced kanji, Misa said, "At the first of every month, I'm supposed to go to a certain street corner where there are no public cameras, and when nobody is looking I turn over a trash can there and check the bottom to see if anything is taped to it. If there are instructions, I follow them. The second Kira already has all your names and faces. Usually it is requests for summaries of what you've been doing lately with the investigation."

Matsuda said, "Oh, that's simple! We'll just set up cameras and catch the second Kira leaving Misa some instructions, right?"

Light said, "What's the address, Misa?"

Just as she'd been instructed, Misa hesitated and glanced around the room as if reluctant, and then gave the names of the two streets.

Light said, "What happens if you don't go?"

"Sometimes I'm a few days late getting the instructions, but I've never been scolded so I think the second Kira doesn't watch that place."

Soichiro said, "It's nearing the end of the month. We might catch this guy soon. He's either going there in the next few days or if we've already missed him, we'll catch him next month."

"Yeah," Aizawa said and snapped his fingers.

Everywhere around the room, even on Mogi, there were excited smiles.

Their attention is already shifting away from me and I've also secured a great deal of freedom for Misa's movements. I've given myself plenty of leeway in case I can't write down Mikami's name right away. This will make things much easier. It's so simple to fool them. L would have never fallen for something like this.

Matsuda said, "Since we're not pretending Ide is the leak any more, can he come back here and help us?"

Soichiro said, "That is his choice. What we need to do now is to contact the SPK."

Matsuda said, "Light, we have to check in daily with Near, or otherwise he might kill you from a distance or storm this place to take you prisoner. I'm sorry, but it has to be done."

Misa shrieked, "Wait, so you're going to have more pervy pervs watch Misa have sex? That isn't good!"

Light pressed on Misa's shoulders to make her sit down on the bed and then said, "Stay here, Misa. We're going to go to the investigation room and have a meeting there without you."

He left the bedroom, noting that all the men fell in behind him as he led the way.

They're already thinking of me as their leader again, and not as a suspect. Just as planned.

Light took his place in a chair before the bank of multiple monitors and turned on the computer system. He said, "I assume that the SPK has already loaded spying software onto our computers, that they have disabled all wireless modems, and that they are monitoring all outgoing lines?"

There was a brief, strained silence, and then Soichiro said, "Yes. They were here for quite some time and made a number of modifications. We've been told all our cellphones are tapped as well, along with all the phones of our friends and relatives."

"And they already have the video of what has just occurred?"

"We think so. They are probably watching us now. If not, it is being recorded somewhere and they will watch it later."

If I need to do anything too suspicious, I will take out the cameras with my secret weapon, but that can only be used once.

"I don't like him!" Matsuda said, his voice straining with emotion.

Soichiro sighed and said, "Considering the threats Near has Light under, we don't have much choice but to cooperate."

Matsuda let out a short, bitter laugh and said, "I think we need to figure out a way to cooperate less, if we can. Near is... he's... I keep thinking about this. He reminds me of Ryuzaki."

Heads around the room snapped upwards. The original L wasn't a normal topic. When the task force talked about the early part of the investigation, often it was as if the original L had never existed.

Matsuda said, "Not in a good way, either. Near is like Ryuzaki, but worse. When Ryuzaki was alive, he often tried to go too far, but if we yelled at him he'd try something different instead. It was never this bad. I keep remembering how Ryuzaki saved my life, when he could have left me there with the Yotsuba guys to die, and he probably could have gotten all the proof he needed that night. Maybe he wouldn't have died later, either. Maybe something happened with the car chase that killed him."

There was a tense silence that stretched out, and then Aizawa said, "Yeah, I get what you mean. I have that feeling too. When we talk to Near it feels like Ryuzaki is back from the dead, but he came back as more of a bastard than ever before."

"I don't mind," Light said, "I'll stay here and be watched at all times to prove my innocence, for as long as it takes for everyone to be satisfied. Don't be shy if you have doubts. I am sick of Kira for targeting me; I'm not angry at any of you."

If anyone gets caught, it will be Misa. I'm almost completely safe at this point.

Aizawa clenched his fists and said, "We shouldn't have to ask permission from Near to conduct our own investigation. We're this close to catching Kira. We're the ones who've spent years chasing him, and we've got more data than any other ten groups combined!"

Light found what he thought were the proper files and, before opening them, said, "Are these just the faces of the kidnappers?"

Soichiro said, "Yes... we... uh... we cut out the rest of the two videos and locked those recordings in the evidence locker."

Good. We don't need Misa freaking out too badly.

Light brought up all the faces on the screens.

Now Misa. You know which one is Mello from my description.

Light said, "So Near has indeed captured all these men? Not one has escaped?"

Matsuda said, "Yeah, Light. Except a few who died. I know you're mad after... after it all... but they're not important any more. They'll probably get executed by Kira as soon as Near finishes questioning them and lets them go to trial."

"They are important," Light said, letting the anger seep into his voice, "because at least one was Near's man. This game is more complicated than we know. Near has the notebook now, so what does he want? The other notebook? Whoever had both could rule the world."

Aizawa said, "Shouldn't we speculate about these things away from the cameras?"

Light said, "It doesn't matter. Near already knows we suspect him. Speculating in the open doesn't hurt us, but it does show Near's underlings that if they are nervous about his intentions, they should think about telling us what is really going on. We're the professionals in investigating Kira, after all."

It probably won't work, but it never hurts to leave some bait out for the rats.

An "N" logo appeared on all the screens and a scrambled voice said, "It's pleasant to hear I'm a subject of conversation, Light Yagami. I thought I might mention that Misa Amane is peeping around the corner."

Everyone turned to look at the back of the room. Misa wasn't visible, but then she said, "Misa has a right to know if loads of stinky old perverts are going to watch her sex tape!"

She knows Mello's name! I'll write his name at the same time as all the others, but I'll leave him alive longer. Mello! I'll rape you to a bloody pulp, until you're nothing more than a smear on the ground, a puddle of flesh. Before it ends you'll cry like a baby, beg for mercy, and come at my command over and over again.

Light said, "Mogi, please escort her back to the bedroom and lock her in."

As Mogi moved to obey, Near's scrambled voice said, "Light Yagami, I believe you are intelligent enough to have thought of that in the first place."

Light snapped, "I was distracted because the love of my life had just confessed to being a leak to Kira, that's why!"

Near thinks he's setting a trap, but he's already failed to completely prove that I purposely showed these faces to Misa. If any of these men die, Misa is doomed and I'll be in trouble, but I might still be able to squeeze through this loophole.

It won't matter, though, because the SPK and the task force will both be dead before that time. I just need one member of the SPK and then I can get the names of the entire group. Get ready to die, Near!

Light added, "More importantly, the lives of everyone here will be at risk until we set Misa free. We're going to disobey your orders and send her out as soon as we finish talking. If your agents interfere we will have them arrested. Time is of the essence."

Matsuda said, "Yeah, you can't threaten us into keeping Misa prisoner, because our lives are on the line!"

Near replied, "Very well. As long as Mr. Mogi watches her at all times, I do not have a problem with this. Do you have any other demands?"

He's baiting me, to see if I will ask for less surveillance or anything else that would benefit Kira. You'll see, Near. I can kill you with the cameras running or without, it doesn't matter. I have all the tools I need within my grasp.

Light replied, "You've already heard that we have reasons to not trust the purity of your intentions. Why don't you prove yourself to us and to your own agents by allowing our team to investigate your team?"

"What would your suggestions be?"

"First," Light said, "I would like to conduct interviews with all your prisoners. If you've lied about what actually happened when you snatched the notebook from them, it is our right to know. We are also suspicious about your claim to have an agent embedded within the mafia group, and we'd like to confirm or deny that directly."

The electronic voice said, "That is not possible at this time. I will think about it. Perhaps tomorrow."

Aizawa shouted, "Is that to give you time to prep the prisoners into giving the responses you approve of? Put at least one on the phone right now!"

"Mr. Aizawa, you perhaps forget that I am the one who could end all your lives with a few strokes of a pen. I am the one who will be giving orders. Goodbye for today."

The "N" logo disappeared.

There was a chilled silence, and then Mogi said, "I suppose it's best to get Misa out right now? I'll call the studio and arrange a photo shoot."

Light said, "Yes."

Aizawa slammed his fists down on a table beside him and said, "I hate Near! I hate that little shit!"

The sentiments were echoed all around the room, with voices, clenched fists or strained facial expressions.

Good. They already think of Near as the criminal, and myself as the heroic leader. Things will only get better from now on. Perhaps, if their loyalty is strong enough, I might even let them live at the end.

Minutes later, Misa was on her way, ready to launch the next stage of the plan.

While out, she would access one of the paper scrap stashes Light had pre-positioned for emergencies. The best stash was in a bottle of headache pills that had been "lost" in the dressing room of a model acquaintance of hers.

All the pills except two were normal. Those two were fakes, sealed waterproof capsules that would not dissolve in the stomach and contained pieces of death note paper folded over many times.

Misa was to "take" the two pills and conceal them in her mouth all the way home, transferring them with a kiss. It would completely thwart the cameras. If she were searched too thoroughly before being allowed back inside, she would swallow the pills and then vomit them back up under the covers in bed so that the pills could be plucked out unseen.

If she were prevented from vomiting for long enough for the pills to enter her intestines, then there would be a wait until they could be extracted from the other end, and perhaps a different stash would be accessed in the meantime if there wasn't enough time for waiting.

It worked exactly as planned. Misa was back a mere three hours later, transferring both "pills" with a kiss. Light had to wait until that night, when he was able to spit both out under the covers. He stashed one in a tear in the mattress for later use. The other he broke open immediately and carefully unfolded the paper.

He wrote down a death for Teru Mikami using a pen he had earlier slipped into his sleeve from the depths of a drawer filled with odds and ends, where the cameras also couldn't see.

Teru Mikami would bury his real notebook exactly where Light specified, destroy any scraps removed from the real notebook, create a fake notebook, and then with this fake notebook on his person would go to the supposed drop-off place and flip over the correct trashcan. He would not talk about notebooks, supernatural things, killings or anything that was secret for the rest of his life.

Mikami would have a severe nervous breakdown and kill himself before the 23 days were up.

For the time Mikami would go to that street-corner, Light specified within the next few days. The next month was outside the 23-day limit, and too far in the future was out of the question anyway, because it was important to end everything before the 13-day rule could be conclusively tested.

Light ate both the paper and the plastic scraps of the broken capsule. The pen he pushed into the same tear in the mattress as the whole capsule, for later writing sessions.

During the night, Misa traced a complete report of her activities onto Light's skin, including nothing of importance except Mello's real name.

Early the next morning, Light was dragged out of bed by the entire task force appearing in his room and shaking him awake. Matsuda led away a sleepy Misa, saying, "I'm sorry, but Near's agent has to question you. The van is just outside."

Light glanced at the clock and said, "What's this about? It's not even five yet."

Did Mikami move this soon? Have they grabbed him, like idiots, or will they follow him for a few weeks in hopes of learning about the "real" Kira?

Soichiro said, "Near contacted us. Mello has escaped with the notebook. His plans are unknown. It happened minutes ago."

Mello could write down my name. He believes I may have one more notebook, and he'll want to force me to hand it over. I have to act fast and kill him first.

Even if this is a trap meant to test if I'll kill Mello, it doesn't matter.

Once Mikami is dead with no leads on the real Kira, I'll be in extreme danger again. Near could easily lose patience and simply kill me outright. I need to end it all within 23 days anyway, so killing Mello is not going to have any effect on me, no matter what. It won't prove a thing because everyone will already be dead.

Light's hands itched to access his capsule. It was so close, but there were cameras and everyone was trying to rush him out of the bedroom.

Light said, "Just... let me get dressed first. I can't think when I'm in my pajamas."

Soichiro grabbed Light's arm hard, pulling him along, and said, "Mello could kill all of us. He has our names; he knows we're out to get him. If Near's agents don't catch him immediately..."

I need to create an emergency and destroy these cameras. I may have only moments to live if I don't. Where is Ryuk?

Just as they entered the investigation room, Light saw Ryuk, in the process of sliding away through a wall.

Light screamed, "We're all going to die!"

It was the signal phrase he'd told Ryuk years ago, and he'd reminded Ryuk of it at periodic intervals.

Everyone crouched down and looked around nervously, as if a shooter might appear.

Ryuk continued sliding through the wall.

Did he hear? Are they taking Misa far enough that Ryuk will be out of range for the trigger?

Soichiro said, "What is it, Light? What happened?"

"Mello is going to kill us! Don't you see? He has the notebook, and motives to attack, and-"

The lights went out.

Good work, Ryuk!

Aizawa said, "Why aren't the back-up generators kicking in?"

Light ran for his bedroom, barely able to see his way. It was dark except for a bit of light from outside streetlights, filtering in through the window shades.

Everything electronic in the entire building was fried, permanently. Ryuk's action had set off an electromagnetic pulse generator in the basement. There were no longer working cameras to record anything.

Near, I'm sure you didn't think to protect any of your cameras in Faraday cages! That's the only way you could see me now. That or peeping though a hole in the wall.

It took a bit of scrambling to find the capsule and the pen. Light had closed and locked the door behind him, but the others had the key, and he could hear them milling about and shouting in fear and confusion. It might be only moments until they became suspicious.

He whipped out the paper, wrote "Mihael Keehl" and followed the name with a very painful cause of death, and within the first sentence stated that "Mihael Keehl" would be unable to write anything for the rest of his 23-day life. Once that was finished, Light breathed a little easier. His mind worked fast as he continued to write down details. An interruption could come at any moment.

After securing the notebook in a place of Light's choosing, Mello would go to a place Light had had in mind for a while.

Light sometimes felt the urge to admit his identity to certain dying criminals and gloat over them as they died, so he already had filed away in his mind a number of potential places where such acts could occur. Abandoned warehouses, forested trails, and other out-of-the-way locations. It wasn't something Light did often, and he was always very, very discreet, careful not to leave any physical evidence on the scene. Usually he would control a different criminal to later visit the area and dispose of the body.

Light remembered one place that had caught his eye before the kidnapping incident ever happened. A very special place with unique characteristics.

It was a small hotel that had been closed down for renovations for a few months, but it had never received them because it had become involved in a property dispute that was still going through the courts.

It was a bit out of the way, empty, probably easy to break into, and best of all, because it was in an un-owned legal limbo, there wasn't even a caretaker in charge of it. They were relying on the low-crime area it was located in to keep out squatters and vandals.

The hotel was a perfect place to store a criminal for possible long-term play. Light had already mentioned it to Misa as part of a contingency plan for if she had ended up needing to write Mello's name instead.

According to what Light wrote, Mello would be controlled to go there in a few days and to bring enough food and water to keep himself alive. Once Mello arrived, he would be extremely obedient to whatever he was told. It wasn't possible to make him obedient to "Light Yagami" in particular, but since he'd be isolated and unable to leave it was a very good gamble that he wouldn't be receiving orders from anyone else.

Light tried to think of anything else to add but he could hear the key in the door and so he quickly stuffed the paper into his mouth, flung away the pen, and crawled into bed.

His father came into the room.

Light hid his smiling face under the covers and said, "I'm sorry father, I've been a coward-"

He made his voice break and used the pause to chew on the paper some. It was quite a bit of work.

A weight settled down onto the bed, and then Light felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Son..."

Light chewed more. It really was difficult with trying to dispose of this much paper fast, while also trying not to make chewing noises. He forced a shiver through his body and the hand tightened on his shoulder.

Suddenly he was suspicious that Near had written down Misa's name, that Near's agents were even now getting her controlled confession. Near may have kept a scrap, and he only needed to write down that she'd be completely honest at certain times and acted normally the rest of the time.

Light cursed himself for not killing Misa sooner. He wondered if the wet pulp in his mouth were still usable.

No, I can't think that way. If Near had thought of this, he would have written Misa's name down before I ever arrived home and Misa would have confessed everything openly. Because he didn't think of it then, he hasn't thought of it now. I'll kill Misa the next time she brings more paper, and then I'll know she can't confess.

Light said, "Dad, ever since Mello did... that... to me, I can't think straight. I hurt inside as if I'll never be okay again. And now, and now, we could die at any time and maybe we'll even be controlled before our deaths. Mello could... again. I know he wants to, Dad, I know he does!"

Soichiro's hand shivered. In anger, Light thought.

"Light, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so weak, to think that nobody knew about the notebook and we would never be targeted. I should have protected everyone better."

"It's okay, Dad."

Light snuggled into his father's thigh and used sobbing sounds to further cover up the chewing. They said little, but his father patted his head from time to time and said things like, "I believe in you, Light" or "I'm sure we'll catch Kira soon" while various task force members wandered in and out in a grim panic.

At a certain point the door was locked again and Light heard indistinct, strange voices on the opposite side.

They left him alone for most of the day, letting him stay in bed and pretend to have his little mental breakdown so that it wouldn't seem strange that he had run to his bedroom and locked himself in as soon as the cameras fried. Most of them were not in much better shape. Everyone expected to die soon.

There were a few updates throughout the day. The SPK had found the burned-out remains of the crude, short-range EMP device and were trying to determine who had placed it there and when. The task force was being very belligerent and refused the placement of new cameras. They were newly brave at the knowledge they might die anyway.

Some cooperation was going on between both groups, in order to watch the street corner Misa had specified. Mikami had not yet appeared.

Over the next few days, things became almost like they used to be, save for the electricians re-wiring everything and the new computers being brought in and loaded up with the off-site back-ups. Misa came and went easily. Light obtained more paper and secured her mouth against confessing anything that she didn't freely wish to confess, so that their bedtime updates wouldn't end.

Mikami did finally appear but was not arrested, both sides instead trailing him and competing to see who would search his home, his desk at work, and his gym locker.

If a fake notebook had been found, neither side spoke of it.

The judgments had already stopped, of course. Things were tight enough already, without trying to set up a Mikami replacement. Light put his full concentration into trying to create a situation to access the SPK in just the right way. Some elements were already moving into place. It would not be long, Light knew, until everything was ready and all of them were dead.

There was one thing through it all that nagged at Light's thoughts. Light knew exactly the hour when Mello would arrive at the abandoned hotel, to set himself up and obediently wait to be raped. Light anticipated it as it approached, keyed-up with excitement, barely able to hide his condition from the task force.

Mello would keep; yes he would, for all of his remaining lifespan.

But Light wanted to go. Things had changed. There wasn't as much surveillance and there was a great deal more trust. There was no more talk of forcing Light to stay in the apartment at all times.

Light tested his freedom with an unchallenged visit to a nearby convenience store. It was easy. There was a tail, some guy Light didn't recognize, but one tail could always be gotten rid of with enough effort.

The empty hotel was central in Light's thoughts. Mello would be there, wonderfully obedient, and he'd answer every question honestly, just as Light would demand. Mello might have clues that would help in killing the SPK. It would be a waste to let him sit too long.

As Light thought of it more, he really saw it was the best idea. Just a little visit, and a little rape to top it off after the questioning was done.

It took an hour and a few complicated zig-zags, but Light lost his tail at last and headed for the hotel. He found easily enough the place where a lock had been cut through, and opened the door to go in.

Mello was already there, in the hallway just inside the door, wearing nearly head-to-toe shiny black leather with his bare, lightly-muscled arms providing a nice contrast.

Something immediately felt wrong in Light's gut.

On instinct, in that split second that Light had a choice, he knew what he needed to do and opened his mouth, panicking.

He was too late. Before he could speak, Mello's order closed Light's mouth.

"Shut up and let me think."

Light waited, letting Mello think, all the while hating Mello and hating his own betraying body, his voice that would stop talking just because of some words written on paper.

Mello laughed, a bitter, slightly crazed laugh that nevertheless held a tone of admiration. He said, "Crap. We did exactly the same thing."

After a pause, Mello added, "You're not going to ask for anything whatsoever, you will not try to give me orders, and you're not going to take orders from anyone other than me. Got it? Tell me the truth."

Light replied, "I will do all of that."

Light could feel his face twisting in a snarl. It was so very wrong that Mello could gain the upper hand, again.

Mello said, "You'll obey me and respond to me, regardless of what happens from now on."

Light's mouth twisted, but he said, "Yes."

Mello said, "Well, you're an obedient little fuck now and last time was quite a bit of fun. I think we should replay those experiences with a few variations, over and over, until we run out of time."

Mello sighed, and then continued, "Since I've already rubbed that creep Near's face in his failure, there isn't anything better to do."

Light had the feeling that what Mello had just said was an awfully good idea, so he got down on all fours and started letting out soft, kittenish meows and then seductively licked at Mello's boots.

A/N (Author's Note):

This is not quite the end, there is still an epilogue left, with a very tiny plot twist left.

Sorry I took so long. I accidentally overwrote a bunch of work I'd done on this chapter and then needed to create it again from an earlier draft.

I kind of expect, if Mello and Light were actually capable of having a relationship, that it would go something like this. It would likely be sick, violent, short, and have a strong chance of leading to at least one of them dying.

The only way I can imagine something much different happening is if it gets more of an AU treatment than it has in this fic, for example if Light never became Kira or if the two of them never realized who the other was or something like that.

Having said that, I can see the appeal of the relationship and I'm a bit confused about why it is a rare pairing. MelloxLight has a lot of difficulties that get in the way of it working, yes, but so does LxLight and that's incredibly popular.

Mello and Light are both very good-looking, the age gap is similar to the age gap between L and Light, Mello is no longer jailbait by the point in the story when Light would be most likely to encounter him, and there is a lot of potential for angst, hate sex, manipulation, mind games, plot twists, and all the crazy stuff that makes LxLight so crazy, plus more, because Mello is a pretty severe criminal himself as well as quite possibly being insane.

Also, Mello and Light have some of that equals-but-opposites dynamic that gives them things in common as well as things to cause conflict. For example, they're both well-intentioned extremists who are murderers.

Well, in this chapter you found out why I was doing such contortions in previous chapters to try to whittle down the SPK to just four members. It was because I wanted to keep readers in suspense as to whether Mello had actually stolen the notebook and ran off with it or whether Near had conspired to make it look that way.

The two situations can make a big difference from a reader's viewpoint, and I wanted to keep it unknown to increase the suspense. However, if the SPK had still possessed numerous members and resources, then I imagine it wouldn't be believable to readers that Mello had escaped on his own with the notebook, and that would destroy the suspense.

As to which way it actually happened, there are some hints in the epilogue but I'm leaving it unresolved, up to readers to decide.
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The Other Plan