| Fan Fiction |
by haru saihara
Cenielle looked at Lawliet puzzled. “I have a what?”
“Never mind that, thank you Cenielle,” he said and went inside the vault taking the ‘tear of Diana’ slowly and inserted it in his front pocket.
Cenielle followed inside. She circled around the vault, mouth open as she was staring at the gold bars on top of one another. And then, just as she was about to touch one of the gold bars, Lawliet took hold of her hands and pulled her out of the vault.
“Why? Can’t we take even one gold bar?” Cenielle asked in protest.
“You’re too young to be greedy,” and he headed to the small hole where they entered earlier.
Cenielle poked Lawliet, “Aren’t you going to close the vault?”
Lawliet just kept on crawling, “No, an alarm would be activated if it was closed. You’ll have to enter the keys again to stop it and before you can finish entering the numbers, the alarm was already heard by the entire place, understood?”
The two tiptoed their way out of the kitchen.
“Boss, the vault on the “fourth floor” is already set…we are now to carry the vault on the third floor,” one of the tattooed men called Billy, reported to the Boss. The Boss lazily hung his head towards Billy.
“Do you have any idea what’s inside of the vault in the ‘fourth floor’?” the Boss asked coldly.
“No sir,” Billy answered as if afraid saying the wrong answer.
The Boss looked around at the place where he was sitting. It was fully furnished Spanish-style look with many paintings, created by him, then he snorted, “You’ll die if you knew.”
It was already 6 pm and the troop would be living as soon as the vault on the third floor is was set, but they will be living no sooner.
5 men were hooting, each carrying a gallon containing gasoline.
“I feel like a criminal to be doing this man,” the thinnest called Jack, the one who gave Lawliet and Cenielle the savory breakfast before, said gloomily. And it triggered a good laugh from the other men.
“Why, you Are a criminal, idiot!” the other one chimed in and the whole bunch roared with laughter.
Jack’s face turned serious, “Why do we have to burn those kids? You said you placed strong sleeping pills on their food this morning. Surely, the minute they wake up, we’re already gone.”
Bacon, who was really standing up to his name due to his fatness shrugged, “It’s what the Boss wants. Boss wants a show and unless we burn those rats, we will be the ones being roasted here later. Sure you don’t want that to happen to yourself, do you?”
On the other hand, Monrow instructed the other men to haul the cabinets that serve to hide the vault in the third floor, kitchen. But the minute the cabinets were moved out and saw the vault was open, and the ‘tear’ gone, he swore under his breath and he immediately went to the place where the Boss was.
Jack’s group at last reached the cell of the kids, smelling awful. “How many kids are there? 53? This will surely smell as if we have barbeque party going on!” Bacon said as he was spilling out the gasoline on the sleeping kids.
Jack turned his head as if he lost something important and then gasped. “Oh no.”
The other men looked at him curious but didn’t ask him what it was about. And as he was searching and seeing nothing, trickle of sweat appeared on Jack’s forehead, “Those two kids are missing!”
Bacon suddenly turned his head towards Jack, “What missing? That’s impossible.”
Jack inhaled deeply, “I am sure of it. The rich kid is not here and so is Lacord’s daughter.”
“Now that, is a huge problem,” Bacon said and the other men exchanged worried looks.
Three masculine guys, with one obese man and a tooth-pick man ran in search of two kids. Lawliet and Cenielle.
Meanwhile, the Boss was suddenly feeling something. Something that he felt before. The feeling that tells him that something was going to be wrong. But he shrugged. He was already very rich. The narcotics operation was going on smoothly, plus the value of the ‘tear of Diana made him even richer. And his ace was safely kept in the “TOP” vault, the one in the “fourth floor” that made him the strongest man in the planet.
But he knew better. His instincts told him to go get the combinations for the two vaults for they will be leaving soon. He slowly went outside of his suite and went to his study. He didn’t really like the idea of printing the keys but he has a poor memory. He placed it in his favorite, old leather jacket just before lunch that day. He felt secure leaving the keys tucked inside his jacket’s pocket because no one dared to touch anything of his possessions. And as he was stepping inside towards the cabinet where he hung his jacket, he noticed that it was slightly open. And that his jacket was at the bottom. He didn’t have to look at it to confirm that the paper containing the keys for the vaults was missing.
On the stairs, Monrow and Jack’s group met unintentionally. Monrow was already filled with his own worries about the vault and didn’t bother to ask. It was Jack who started to talk.
“Monrow, Sochiro and Larco is missing,” Jack said barely audible.
Monrow suddenly stopped moving and stared at Jack as if he was glued there already. He swore under his breath and though of how can anything be worse that it already was.
The Boss was standing in the middle of the hallway, face as grim as the upcoming night and his aura was like an incoming typhoon on its way.
“WHO HAD THE GUTS TO ENTER ON MY STUDY?!” he asked over
to the surprised men not knowing what to say.
Monrow walked slowly towards the Boss, nervous that the Boss would take his anger on him. He slowly spilled out the not-so-good news to the Boss. The Boss’ eyes bulged with anger. Missing blue diamond. Missing kids. And his missing vault keys.
For a moment, Jack’s group and Monrow though that the Boss already went ballistic. The Boss laughed loudly that sent shivers down their spines. His usual clam expression was gone and was replaced by a devious look.
“Take the brats to me!” The Boss yelled at Jack’s group and they disappeared immediately. On the other hand, Monrow and the Boss went back to the Boss’ study and opened his laptop.
Monrow wasn’t really sure about what the Boss was doing. The Boss opened it and clicked some commands and the next thing he knew he was looking at Lawliet and Cenielle standing beside the vault, not moving.
“I never though I would be using these installed cameras on the vaults. I thought I wouldn’t need them,” the Boss said sadly anyone would give sympathy. Then he suddenly hammered his hands on the table and clicked “play”.
Monrow gulped as he was staring into the laptop. But he can’t help thinking why of all the ways to hide the keys, why in the Boss’ jacket.
“I…swallowed the paper…” but before the playback was over, the Boss stood up and kicked all the things in front of him and faced Monrow dead in the eyes.
“What kind of job are you doing for me?!” The Boss yelled authoritatively. Monrow just stood there motionless afraid to make the Boss angrier than he already was.
The Boss whose sweat was trickling down his face and breathing deeply massaged his forehead while leaning on the wall. “One silly little girl swallowed the keys for my planned future?! He said and deafening silence came across between them.
“You have a photographic memory!” and as the Boss heard it, he scurried back to his computer and literally move his face in front of the screen. He giggled, and the giggles became laughter and he turned to Monrow eyes reddening.
“BRING ME THE GIRL! NOW!” with a voice so strong it sent Monrow darting out the room.
“What do we do now?” Cenielle asked as she and Lawliet were crawling on the roof top.
“All I know is we have to get out of here,” Lawliet said as he was observing how high they were from the ground.
Cenielle stopped from moving, “But how? I don’t want to die in here! I’m just six years old! I haven’t even got a boyfriend…” she hugged herself, “haven’t eaten many sweets in my life…I…I am so scared,” she whispered.
“You sure are very talkative, aren’t you? Listen…” Lawliet also stopped from moving and inhaled deeply, “we will get out of here,” with determination in his eyes.
They sat on the roof top thinking of unthinkable ways to get out of there. “Will we get out of here, dead or alive?” Cenielle inquired.
Lawliet looked at Cenielle searching her face for a hint of joking but there was none. “How are we to get out if we’re dead? Get some sense now into your head.”
Monrow went to the kitchen and ordered the men to look for two nasty little kids immediately and the others to carry the money and gold bars out of the vault and into the truck.
Except the Boss, he was the only one in their hide-out consisting of fifty-eight men who new how important was the vault in the “fourth floor”. In fact, they could already get away with just the “TOP” vault. But how are they to move out when the keys to open the vault was already being digested in the stomach of a girl? And Monrow positively knew that the girl caught a glimpse of the “TOP” keys, given Lawliet, the rich kid exclaimed that she has a photographic memory. She was their only hope, their hope for their plan to succeed.
Monrow would do anything to please the Boss. It was what mattered for him. How to please the Boss. His father.
Men were scattered on the entire condemned building feeling like fools for searching for two kids that was supposed to be already sleeping and be burned that night.
Jack and his men searched the entire 2nd and 3rd floors while Monrow’s men searched the
1st and the “fourth floor”. And they were all getting impatient from all the hide-and-seek game they were playing with the kids.
“It’s already getting darker L,” Cenielle said so suddenly.
Lawliet looked at the sky as if awoken suddenly because he was absorbed into thinking about something. “What did you call me? L?” he asked quietly amused.
Cenielle sighed, “Your name is so unusual and takes a lot of effort to utter. At least L is simple and easy to say,” she explained.
Lawliet wasn’t really leased with the idea but didn’t bother to complain. He glanced down at the river flowing fast and freely just beside the building. And the cold air brushing to his face made him realize that their only option was to jump to that river.
He faced Cenielle abruptly, “I was just thinking, this building is only a three-storey building, what are they saying “fourth-floor”? He asked Cenielle not expecting an answer.
Cenielle moved a little closer to Lawliet, “Maybe they have an underground floor! And the other vault, the TOP is there.”
“If that’s true, then “fourth floor” means “ground floor” and the Boss said that it’s more important than the vault in the kitchen. What could that be?” he said biting his thumb.
Cenielle poked Lawliet’s head with her index finger. “I know you’re smart! But shouldn’t we thinking how to get out of here instead of the vaults?! Talk about being greedy!”
Lawliet smiled. “I’ve already thought about it, although you might not like the idea,” he answered.
Monrow was getting nervous so suddenly. Not because of the missing kids but because of something else. When he became aware that his phone was ringing, he answered it angrily.
“WHAT?!” he hollered not even stopping from running. Then when a hoarse voice answered, his eyes grew big and directly went back to the Boss’ room.
He didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t part of their plan but they’ve got to get out of the building fast.
He opened the Boss’s door without knocking and the Boss stared at him questioningly.
“Boss, the police are coming now!” he said breathlessly.
“What ‘now’? You said tomorrow night! What’s this crap?! And where is the girl?!”
Monrow took a deep breath and wiped his sweat on his palms using the back of his hands. “The raid tomorrow was just a trap. They’re already coming Boss!”
The Boss closed his eyes as color drain away from his face.
“I need to get the girl! She knows the keys to the TOP vault but with this situation, it’s useless…”his voice trailed away. He took his phone and dialed a number and turned to Monrow.
“After we move out of the vaults, burn this thing down! Together with those rats! That girl better die than to be used by others!”
And Monrow came rushing to the men and gave them directions.
The Boss clenched his fists and pounded on the table in frustration. The TOP vault needed the 24, 3 digit set keys. Without it, there’s no possible way to open it without activating bombs inside it. Correct. Opening the vault forcefully or with any other way will trigger the built in bombs to protect what’s inside. The keys were the only way.
“I’ll be able to find other ways. I’m sure of it!” the Boss told himself through gritted teeth.
It was as if Cenielle felt that she has already counted the stars in the sky and she was already growing tired of staring down at the river like what Lawliet was doing. In addition to her impatience, looking at the vast, dark, deserted forest was no thrill for her. And on top of all that, she was so hungry; her stomach could be heard grumbling. She didn’t want to complain so to take her thoughts off her stomach, she started stating numbers, “768, 876,498,435…”
“What is that?” Lawliet asked her.
“That? Those are numbers for TOP I saw at the back of the paper,” she replied and long silence fell between them.
“What are we waiting for?” Cenielle asked out of the blue.
“Shush…I hear something,” Lawliet murmured.
Cenielle hearing nothing crossed her arms and stared back to the very flowing river. She looked at Lawliet who was still sitting motionless. “What could that be? I smell barbeque,” she asked herself.
Lawliet suddenly stood up alarmed. Lawliet was seeing three huge trucks leaving the building heading west and at the same time, police trucks were coming to the building from eats!
“Cenielle! We might be able to get out of here! The police are coming!” Lawliet exclaimed.
Cenielle stood up and happiness radiated on her face. The two of them walked slowly to the small window they came from. They went inside it and when Lawliet touched the door knob to open it, he immediately removed his hand on it for it was hot
“Ouch!”
“That smell. Something is burning!” Cenielle said in horror.
They quickly went back to the rooftop. They have no other choice. The whole building was already on fire. Black smoke was already everywhere when they went back to the rooftop and could see nothing. Their eyes were already watery and the heat was already hurting their feet.
“The barbeque thing I smelled before was the other kids down there!” Cenielle cried hysterically.
Lawliet was coughing really hard and he can barely open his eyes. “Grab my hand!”
She grabbed Lawliet’s left hand tightly. “What for?!”
“We’re jumping to the river below!”
Cenielle frantically moved backwards, “No, I can’t!”
Lawliet was already getting impatient, he moved towards Cenielle and looked her straight in the eyes.
“Either we stay or jump has no difference. We’re both headed to death. But at least we tried to escape,” Lawliet said soothingly.
Then out of the blue, he took Cenielle
S hand and pulled her with him as he jumped off of the roof towards the churning river below. Cenielle didn’t even had the chance to scream. It was so fast like they’re being pulled to the river. Lawliet was holding Cenielle’s hand tightly but he lost his grip when they both hit the river. The impact was so strong it was as if they landed on a concrete floor.
Cenielle was gasping for air. It was dark and she could not see anything. She was grasping for something to hold on to but all that was left was the air above her head. Lawliet tried to swim towards her but the flow was so fast he couldn’t swim back towards Cenielle.
“E-E-L!” Cenielle grasped as she was struggling to sink into the dark, mad river that was carrying her towards death. She did not know how to swim. Haven’t even set foot on a children’s pool.
Lawliet could not think of anything at that time. He was no great swimmer either and he was already tires. And at the last effort of him to move towards Cenielle, he swam to her and successfully caught her hand.
She was not already in herself, she was soon to drown, but Lawliet, with all his effort, hugged Cenielle and tried to keep them both afloat, letting the flow carry them to wherever place it will end.
“Cenielle! Don’t sleep!” Lawliet hissed on her.
“I wish we could go to the park, study and eat lots of food,” Cenielle whispered.
A lump was forming in Lawliet’s throat as he was fighting back his tears. “Idiot! Somebody will rescue us!” He said pleadingly to her although he knew that Cenielle was already giving up.
Then suddenly, the river turned right sharply, causing Lawliet to lose his grip on Cenielle due to the impact of the water.
“CENIELLE!” Lawliet screamed, swallowing water.
He tried to swim again towards Cenielle but she was already far from him and to his horror…Cenielle was suddenly out of his sight. He tried to rescue her and swam vigorously. He didn’t want to lose a new friend.
At last, the river ended and led him to a lake. The lake was so calm, it was impossible to think that the river that led him there was deadly. Lawliet was already sleepy, tired, but he kept himself afloat hoping to see Cenielle somewhere…but it was all calm and clear. There was no girl floating or any sign of a human on the lake. And then he closed his eyes, letting tears flow from them, as he sinks into the unknown.
It was a hot morning outside a private hospital. Other patients, considerably young were playing and running around the vast garden in front of it. A young girl accidentally sent the ball flying to Lawliet's window which caused it to crack. upon hearing the cracking sound, Lawliet suddenly sat-up, eyes hurting from the sun, searching for something, for someone...deep inside him he knew that there is something important missing in the picture.
"What's this place? he asked himself. He stood up and looked outside the window. He couldn't help but to appreciate the classy garden. It was as if it was from the Roman Gardens he only saw from his History Books.
As he was about to touch the broken window, a girl waved at him, taking the ball to her chest, "Sorry for your window!" She said and ran back to her playmates.
Then suddenly, it hit Lawliet like a thunder to where he was standing. He felt giddy as memories as him and Cenielle in the river came flashing back to him. He then ran swiftly out of the room, opened every room he passed by yelling Cenielle's name.
"Cenielle!" he screamed when he got tires of circling the garden where some children got curious and stopped playing to watch him go mad.
Lawliet didn't bother to look at the person who pulled him up and led him to an all-white room with only a narra table and two chairs were present. Lawliet's head was just bowed, but his breathing indicates the forced effort from crying out loud.
"Lawliet, I'm sorry," a thoughtful voice told him.
Lawliet feeling alarmed that somebody knew him by his name looked at the man. He was surprised to see an old man smiling reassuringly at him.
"You've been asleep for two days Lawliet, are you feeling well?"
Lawliet suddenly stood up shaking and stepped backwards feeling cheated. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and clenched his fists beside him.
Lawliet looked at the floor, "No, that's not possible...how can I fall asleep for 2 days? I need to find Cenielle! She's calling me!" He said shaking. He slowly looked back at the old, kind man, in the name of Watari,who slowly walked up to him and placed his hands on Lawliet's shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Watari again said sincerely, glitters of tears can also be seen from the corners of his eyes. Lawliet knowing what would come next stepped away from Watari with questioning eyes. Watari stood up and turned his back at Lawliet and sighed a heavy sigh as if not wanting to say anything.
"Some of my workers saw the two of you being carried by that deadly river. We only managed to rescue you. Your friend, I'm afraid..."
But before Watari can even finish what he was saying, Lawliet opened the door forcefully, ran outside looking for Cenielle.
He searched every place, every corner, every bush he can find in that garden that seemed endless. He ran, walked, ran and walked the whole day looking for Cenielle he knew was not there. He knew that the old man will get nothing from lying to him but he kept on looking, searching...because he felt that it was all his fault.
The sun was already setting, and his side was aching from all the running and walking he did the whole day. and only after he sat helplessly on the second step of the fire exit facing the back garden, was the moment he felt thirsty and hungry. He closed his eyes, remembering his new friend in the middle of death, who proved to be faithful, not leaving him and even joined him in taking the 'tear' back. And where was the diamond already? He shrugged. He couldn't help himself but to smile when he remembered about the "tooth-pick man". He was smiling yet crying< he felt guilty, mad, sad all at the same time he didn't already know what he was feeling.
Little did he know that Watari was already standing behind him. "I know your friend would be very sad to see you crying like that."
Lawliet turned his head at Watari and again looked in front of him looking at the dimming sky without saying anything
After a long silence, Watari decided to sit beside Lawliet and handed the "tear of Diana" to him. Lawliet was surprised to see the tear but he didn't felt any happiness. "I believe this is yours," Watari said calmly.
Lawliet took it slowly from Watari's hand and cupped it with his hands. "Why do i have to live?" Lawliet asked blankly, "MY father is dead, my stepfather is also dead together with my mother and...my friend is also dead. all of them in front of me. I...I don't see the logic." He said while clenching the 'tear' hard.
A lump was forming again in Lawliet's throat and his vision became blurred again. and as Lawliet hugged his knees like Cenielle did before, Wtari placed his hand on Lawliet's back and rubbed it soothingly. "Hush now Lawliet, this is not like you at all."
Lawliet swallowed hard and face Watari confused. Watari returned his look with a warm smile.
Watari looked at the sky, reminiscing something. "I've been watching you for a couple of years now Lawliet. YOur father, "he smile at lawliet, "Of course the real one, was a member of Whammy's House. He asked me to look after you if something happed to him. And what happened to your step dad and your mother was unexpected."
Lawliet just kept silent.
"I know you're intelligent Lawliet, and if you will permit, I want to be your guardian."
Lawliet opened his hand holding the 'tear' and looked at it as if in a daze.
"Why are you doing this?" Lawliet asked.
Watari laughed a little, "Do we need a reason for helping others?"
"Helping..." Lawliet said absently and remembered his parents helplessly die, remembered how Cenielle rocked herself while crying calling for her Mama, remembered the truck going away, the building burning down, and him and Cenielle helplessly on that river and couldn't help but to feel mad. As if all the things that happened was planned.
Watari sighed as he was looking at Lawliet. "What do you want to do Lawliet?"
Lawliet sat pulling his knees up to his face and his hands on his knees. The sitting position Cenielle taught him..."this way, you will have super thinking abilities! I add 40 percent to your thinking!"
Lawliet looked at Watari seriously and handed the 'tear' to back to him, "I want to find Justice."