A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 49

Jubilee continued to gawk at the large M on the screen.

"Good of you to join us, Mello," greeted L dryly. "Though, before we go any further—you seem to have cut Near out of the conversation."

"Yeah, yeah," said the boy, his voice flippant. "I was making an entrance, and the little twerp could use being knocked down a peg or two." His tone became slightly more respectful as he added, "But I'll fix it, sir. One moment."

The screen fizzled again for a second and the headsets crackled. Jubilee glanced over at L and whispered, "So...that's your other successor?"

"Yes."

"And...is this your first time speaking directly with him, too?"

"Yes."

She shook her head in bewilderment. "The three of you sure know how to get right down to it."

"Time is of the essence, J. Speaking of which, we haven't even begun discussing the case yet."

The monitor on the wall brightened and two separate windows popped up, one displaying the M and the other the N.

"Near," L spoke into his headset again. "You're back on the line."

Near's metallic voice answered flatly and without any preamble. "Mello's here now, isn't he."

"Greetings to you too, twerp," said Mello in answer. "Still using a voice synthesizer to mask the fact that you're barely four feet tall?"

"It's just a precautionary measure," answered the other boy tersely. "Which you could use more of. Where have you gone off to, anyway?"

"Like you care."

"Clearly you are wherever you are because you are trying to get ahead of me on solving this case, and seeing as how I am a part of this case now and we should be working together, yes, I care."

"I'm talking with your stupid face right now, aren't I? So technically we are working together."

"You aren't talking to my face at all, because you've outright left the premises."

"What, did you want me to stay around and hold your hand?" Mello sneered. "Working together doesn't mean I have to be hip to hip with you."

"Nobody would want to be hip to hip with you, Mello."

L cleared his throat. The air around him throbbed tangibly, like there was a headache forming in his skull. "Mello, meet J," he interjected smoothly before the older boy could respond with a retort, and gestured at Jubilee with a meaningful look.

"Hi Mello," she said hastily. "Um—you can call me Julie if you like."

Mello paused before whatever snappy remark he was about to make. "Hey, J," he greeted. "You're the one who sees stuff, huh."

Jubilee sighed. "That would be me." She turned to L. "So, is this the whole gang? J, L, M and N?" Pausing to glance at the screen, she lifted a brow and added wryly, "We've skipped K."

"There is no K," said L tiredly.

"Sure there is, it comes right after the letter J."

He gave her a look.

"You know, like JK," she said innocently. "Just kidding."

Don't think he gets that one either, Jubilee, piped up Hellenos again from his corner.

She sighed at the blank—and somewhat irritated—look on L's face. "Never mind," she said. "So, is that all of them? Or do you have any more surprises up your sleeve?"