The Two Detectives

Prepositions

(Beyond Birthday's POV)

I was studying while I ate jam out of a jar, careful not to get the pages of the book covered in jam.

Now, I know what you're wondering; 'B, why were you studying at the age of 12?' and it's a simple answer:

I was set to succeed the world's first, second, and third best detective, L. Although, you wouldn't know him by that name when trting to find out who the second and third best are.

The second best's name was Eraldo Coil before L defeated him and the third best, Danuve, only a few years after we starrted working together.

Anyway, L was 14 or 15 when he aproached me and my best friend A with the offer to work with him.
***
"Greetings A, B. I am L, and I have a proposition for you. Both of you are brilliant students and clever enough to take over for me upon the circumstance of my untimely death. But, there's a catch. I can only have one successor. Someone who is as smart, if not smarter than, me. Someone who can solve a case like a basic puzzle. Someone who will be the next L. In the case that both of you choose to be my successor, we will arrange a test for both of you to conplete. Due to multiple factors, one of you would win and one would lose. Now, which one of you wishes to be my next successor?" L asked.

A was silent. I knew that he always felt the pressure of the title of L pressing down on him. So, that's why I volunteered.

"I'll do it, L. I'll be the one to inherit your title. I'll be the next L. But, don't confuse me for being a fanboy, because I'm not. I'm your antithesis, your opposite. After all, the has to be something to set us apart, other than my eyes," I said, referring to the fact that me and L look very similar, especially after I became his successor.

"Alright, B. You can be yourself, and you can work as a detective alonside me before you become the new me. Although you'll have to say that you lost contact with your previous alias. Ah, I'm thinking to far into the future. Anyhow, you should start to prepare for your new role as Watari and I shall be announcing it to the others here. Goodbye," L replied and followed Watari out of the door.

"Thanks for that, B. I owe you one," A said as soon as the door closed.

"You really don't. Now, I'm going to get ready for the announcement. Can you put my jam and books away?" I asked A, licking the jam off my fingers and making a mental note of where I was in the book.

"Sure. I'll see you later, B," A said as I walked out.

In the boys bathroom that was close to mine and A's room, I made my hair look like L's and began to act like L as a way to keep the agencies from finding out that I wasn't L. There were, of course, differences between us. I had more saturated skin back then and often wore plain black shirts.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, there was an order from Watari over the loud speaker.

"All personnel must gather in the common room. L is going to make an announcement," Watari said and everyone began rushing to the common room, except me and a light-haired boy in white pajamas.

Weird. Everyone usually gets excited by the idea of hearing L talk. I thought.

"Why are you staring at me? I'm not as strange as you. I mean, it's the middle of summer and you're wearing a black dhirt with long sleeves and jeans. It's not logical to wear clothes like that at this time of year," the boy said.

"If I'm going to study, I'm going to be comfortable while I am. Now, since you've insulted me, tell me your name," I said, already knowing his true name, Nate River, due to my ability to see names and lifespans above people's heads.

"I'm Near. And you are?" Nate asked.

"I'm B. Now that we're introduced, let's go to the common room," I said and started walking again.
***
After L was done rambling about how important we are, he crammed me up to stand next to the computer he was using to talk to us. I did and he started taking again.

"This is my successor, B. From this moment forward, your goal with be to be better than both of us. If you can accomplish that, you will be B's successor. This concludes my anouncment. Goodbye," L said and the computer was shut by Watari and we began to go back to our rooms.

Many years after that, I'd get a real challenge as L's successor. Said real challenge was the Kira Case.