Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 9

"So, what's it like?"

"What's what like?" I ask Mello.

"Having a normal childhood." Mello shrugs. "Parents. Siblings. The whole shebang."

"Are you jealous, Mells-kun?" I probe.

"Don't call me that." Mello grumbles.

"Well... It's a lot more tight-knit than you would've had it, but other than that, it's pretty much the same." I murmur. "You fight with them, you learn with them, you have to look out for them even when you don't wanna. There's just less people involved, and that means that you learn more about each person. You'll fight them more, but you'll also trust them more."

"Is that really all that's different?" Mello asks.

"I guess that, physically, that's the only difference." I murmur, lacing my fingers together as we walk. "Other than that... You see them differently in a psychological way, too. You're more attached to them, but also, you're very attached to the idea of them."

"What does that mean?"

"Well... it's to do with how you want to see them. If you want to, you can see your blood siblings as your enemy, or as someone especially important to you. That idea of your siblings or your parents is something you can never forget. Even if their faces, voices, mannerisms slip from your mind, that idea can't be erased. Tragic, but kinda beautiful."

"You're so weird." Mello snickers.

"I take that as a compliment." I grin, nudging his shoulder as we turn into the new base building. "So, the task force is supposed to be here."

"Great. Near's gonna be making himself into a freaking teddy bear already." Mello grumbles. "Stupid damn sheep."

"Hey, don't worry." I smile. "After all, you're the one who puts the effort in for getting this case solved. The boys are gonna love you."

Mello and I are separated for the security checks. I'm just glad that it's a female who's doing my strip search - then again, that's a legal requirement. After a good fifteen minutes of beepers, scanners, passcodes and other such nonsense, I'm allowed in.

"He's got a gun!"

"Of course I have a gun!" Mello groans as he hands the firearm to the man at the end of the security route. "Just like I told the last six people; I'm part of the operation. Here on the request of the people you're protecting!"

"It's not like he could smuggle it past that kind of security." I say. "Cut the kid some slack. It's only got blanks in it."

The officer checks the magazine (rather carelessly, might I add), then hands the weapon back to Mello.

"Jeez. Giving kids guns. What's this world coming to?"

"If you don't like it, I'll tell the big bosses you wanna leave at our next pow-wow, Nagachi-san."

I take Mello by the shoulder as the guard tries to protest. He grins up at me.

"Weird, but still kinda cool."

"See? Weird can be good." I say as I head up to the room specified by L. What I see causes me to do a double-take.

Well, since we didn't have Misa captured, I guess jumping to this part is to be expected.

"Honey, allow me to introduce you to the bad side of 'weird'." I say, staring at the silver chain that connects L and Light.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Misa exclaims. "Please, tell your boyfriend to take the cuffs off of my Light!"