The Flaw in the Code

Chapter 11: Trade

"At this point, I'm sure that L would've already figured out who you and Mello are. They probably won't worry much about the third and fourth. But you and Mello aren't safe anymore" Flaw told Near a few days later.

Near sighed then nodded. "I've decided that we won't be mentioning you to L at all. 'There are only four members left at the SPK now' that's what we'll tell him. If things go downhill. You can continue the investigation" he decided, making Flaw's eyes widen.

A moment of silence overtook the room as the rest of the SPK listened to the two genii converse, Flaw gritted her teeth. "Near. You can't seriously be thinking that I'm just going to let that happen, can you? If anything you should be the last one standing! You're L's true successor!" She growled in frustration.

"Flaw..." He hesitated, "You're also a successor to L" he decided to say instead. "No I'm not. This is wrong, I'm a mistake. This isn't how we should've done things" she stood suddenly. And started to pace around the room.

"You know what? You should've said you were F! We should've told Roger to fake the rankings and switch us. That way if anything happened. It'll be me who dies and you can continue the investigation!" She realized their mistake. They should've thought of that before.

"Flaw..." Near said, not really sure what to say next. She sighed in defeat. "Never mind. It's too late now anyway, there's no reason to cry over spilt milk" she muttered returning to her seat.

Minutes later of her just staring at the computer screen, her phone rang. "Yes?" She asked Matt on the other side. "I found him, he's not in a very good condition but he'll live. I'll send you the details later. Thanks for the heads up" he explained and she sighed in relief.

"Alright, love you" she muttered. "Bye, I love you too" and they cut the connection. She turned to Near, "He found M. More info later" he nodded in understanding and went back to work.
~
"Near, Flaw. If neither of you mind me asking, what do you make of all this? I'm interested to hear what you're thoughts are on this case" Commander Rester asked them one day.

When Near continued to play with his action figures, Flaw spoke first. "This Kira is foolish and overconfident. And unbelievably cooperative with the Japanese Task Force, far too different from the one that fought against L" she muttered from her spot at the sofa. Laptop on her lap, and lollipop on her left hand.

"Exactly, so much so that I suspect he's working hand-in-hand with them" Near agreed, sharing his deduction. Still focused on his toys. "Though, I believe that the task force is unaware that they're starting to become his puppets" Flaw muttered popping her lollipop back in her mouth.

"You think so?" Commander Rester asked them, eyes switching from him to her multiple times, before staying on Near as he continued. "That would make the second L and Kira, one and the same person" he muttered popping the helmet off one of his toys. Flaw sighed in exasperation but didn't react.

"What?!" Gevanni exclaimed in disbelief. "That can't be. Near, are you serious?" Commander Rester clarified. "Yes, I am. Having said that, I'll admit that I'm only seven percent certain" Near added. "Ten" Flaw muttered from her spot. "Huh?" Commander Rester turned to her, confused, from her comment or the fact that it sounded slightly gibberish due to her lollipop, she wasn't sure.

Near nodded at her. "Ten percent then" he agreed. "Don't worry Commander Rester, making assumptions is part of any investigation" Flaw muttered with a shrug, biting hard on her lollipop to get it off the stick. "If we're wrong all it would cost is an apology" Near added.
~
"Grr... Coward" Flaw muttered underneath her breath as they watched the President of the US succumb to Kira.

"What's going to happen to us now?" Gevanni asked after the Press Con. "It looks like we've been disbanded" Flaw sighed. "Thanks to that chicken of a president. No. He's not even a chicken, he's less than a maggot" Near added, annoyed.
~
A week after that stupid press conference and Mello finally made a move again. "Near!" Commander Rester called and they both turned to face the monitors. Mello held Halle at gunpoint, approaching the building.

"What should we do?" Commander Rester asked him. "Let him in" Near simply told him. "How much you wanna bet he's here with Intel?" Flaw asked him, swiveling her chair to spin on circles. "Did Matt tell him about you being here?" Near asked her. "No" she answered still spinning.

As they heard the lock start to open, she stopped and let her seat face the entrance. Rester and Gevanni raised their gun, ready for a shoot out. "Mello. Welcome" Near greeted him once he stopped walking. "Drop your weapon" Rester called out.

Mello didn't move, "Everyone, please put away your guns. Having a shoot out here would achieve nothing" Near commanded. Flaw did in fact have her gun in hand, but she had it hidden. And besides, Mello hasn't spotted her yet, as she was being covered by Gevanni's frame.

"Sir with all due respect. Mello's the one who killed our partners" Gevanni reminded them, and Flaw raised her eyebrow. "Please don't make me say it again, remember that our primary objective is still to catch Kira. Killing Mello right now will do nothing to benefit our investigation" Near responded.

She saw them hesitate, then finally oblige. Mello, brought his gun down, as well as his hood. "It seems like things have been going just as you planned Near" he muttered, indifferent.

"Yes, I take it you've already heard all about the second L from Lidner by now" Near muttered not bothering to face him, Flaw listened but didn't interfere, she knows that this is between the two successors of L. "We've pretty much figured out who Kira is and it's mostly thanks to everything you've done" Near added. 'Ah fuck, wrong choice of words' she thought.

Mello pointed his gun at Near, Flaw watched the rosary attached to it's handle swish left and right. "Shut up Near!" Rester and Gevanni raised their guns back up, and she clutched hers, ready for when things went downhill. "I'm not just a tool for you to use in order for you to solve your puzzles, you know!" She would've flinched. That probably hurt Near. She felt sad for him, knowing the truth, she almost wanted to tell Mello.

"Mello, if you really want to shoot me, then go ahead and do it" Near muttered. Flaw rolled her eyes. Mello shook, frustrated. Before he could do so, Halle stopped him.

"Stop, if you shoot him then the rest of us would have no choice but to shoot you too. What would it solve if both of you die? That's just what Kira wants" she was very thankful that Halle was good at convincing people. Mello furrowed his eyebrows, then finally brought his gun down.

"Hmph. You have a good point, anyway I'm only here for one thing, I need to take back that photograph you have" Mello said, finally calm. "Of course, I got it from the orphanage, there was only one and no copies have been made. We've already gone ahead and dealt with everyone who knows your face both inside and outside Wammy's House. They'll keep quiet" Near muttered, throwing the photo at Mello.

"I can't say I'm a hundred percent certain, but it shouldn't be possible for you to be killed by the notebook" Near added. Flaw noted the shift of Mello's expression when he caught the photo and turned it around. She never touched the photograph, Near kept it on himself all the time. She actually pitied him, now, he no longer has anything to remember Mello by.
~
Bits of hints here and there... Oh well... I wonder what's up next...

~Archangel~