Chapter 20: Safe

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As soon as Giovanni had cleared the chaos surrounding the previous SPK headquarters, his speed slowed and his driving became less erratic, blending right in with the other cars on the highway. I allowed myself time to catch my breath and calm my racing heartbeat, but the adrenaline of running through the crowd of hundreds of angry people still beat heavily in my blood. I hadn't felt that fully aware since the explosion. Thinking of that incident, my shoulder surged with pain as a small reminder that the injury was still healing.

I looked back to the others in the car and their expressions were neutral, the police uniforms had been discarded and everyone was left in their civilian clothes, looking relatively normal, except for Near. He could never quite blend in with the crowd combining his white hair and clothing of the same color scheme. I inhaled deeply and focused on calming by still buzzing nerves. The deep breaths eventually allowed my body to come down from the adrenaline high and I was left in the car feeling calm, if slightly tired. I turned to Near and found him sitting in the middle seat with his eyelids calmly shut. But I could see his pupils darting around underneath, he was thinking.

"Near," I spoke his voice softly. He opened his steely grey eyes and glanced at me, "where are we going?"

He sighed, almost reluctantly, "We can no longer stay in America, we're moving headquarters to Japan. That way we'll be closer to Kira." It takes me a moment to realize that he's speaking Mandarin, which no one else in the car aside from Near and I speak. He wants to keep what we're saying a secret between us, but why?

"We're running out of options aren't we?"

Near kept his gaze forward, I could tell he didn't want to look at me, "Yes, but I will defeat Kira, no matter what he tries to do. Kira will fall, everything must fall eventually." I can see the emotion beginning to build up in his eyes. It's not something he's used to, being in such a vulnerable place like the one we're in now. On the run, trying to fight for what's right when it seems like the whole world is against you. He didn't know that feeling, but for several years after I left Wammy's that was all I ever felt.

Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand. His eyes flared up to meet mine and they were wide with shock, for a moment I thought he would pull away, but he averted his gaze back through the front windshield and after a beat of silence, interlaced our fingers. I felt the heat creeping up in my cheeks but I did my best to ignore it. I suspected that now was not the best time to go over the feelings I held for Near.

I knew what he meant when he said that everything had to fall. Everything in this world eventually dies; the concept of immortality is void when presented with the idea that everything can and will happen eventually if time continues on. Kira would be gone one day, but whether Near or I would be around to see it was still a mystery to both of us. I'm sure when L left he was sure he would be around for that day. He would stand in victory over Kira, boasting this as the most infamous case he'd ever solved. I liked to think that at some point before he died that he knew. He knew that his time working towards this goal was coming to a close, and it was all he could do to pave the way for the next people in line, waiting to uncover the identity of Kira. Whether Near and I would be the people to solve it, or just another step in the long line of those who attempted was unclear. And I knew that it scared him, not knowing always did.

I gave Near's hand a gentle squeeze and his own pale fingers tightened around my own.

"It'll be alright," I whispered, I knew no one would hear me through the noise of the car but him, "we can beat him."

Near said nothing but tilted his head in the tiniest of nods. It would have to be enough for now

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Fear the name Alice Hyde (Near x OC) A Death Note FanFictionWhere stories live. Discover now