11BB: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the LONGEST chapter of B's Revenge EVER! This baby is over NINE THOUSAND WORDS. NINE THOUSAND WORDS. In total, we have 9583 words, excluding the authors notes. THAT is an accomplishment. I'm so proud of Hoshiko13 (Shiko) and myself (yes, I know that pride is a seven sin and stuff, but still, wouldn't YOU be proud?). Anyway, that's about it for this...ah, that's what I'm forgetting!
Disclaimer: Hoshiko13 and BeyondBirthday93 do not own Death Note, Death Note: Another Note, Nickleback, t.A.t.U., Skillet, LAX airport, the Royal Crowne Hotel, or anything else you'll see in this, besides their names of BB and Shiko.
On with the story...
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"I shivered as we walked off the plane, the hair on t he back of my neck raising up. Looking around, however, there was nothing note worthy. Glancing at the notice board, however, something caught my eye. 'BB,' I whispered to my partner. 'Is that written in red ink, or is it just me?"
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BB blinked and looked over at the board Shiko had pointed out, seeing a note posted on there. It wasn't anything too out of the ordinary: a note on a board that was used to inform passengers of when/if their family members would be at the airport. However, the note Shiko was talking about was different than the others in two very important ways. One, it was written in red ink, and two, it had a splatter of strawberry jam near one corner. "...Yeah, it is." he said, reaching out to pull the push pin out of the cork of the board, which would let the note fall free. "...get ready to catch it." he ordered before pulling the pin away, watching the paper flutter in the air, spiraling downwards.
Shiko's hand darted out, grabbing the paper swiftly. Then she lifted her hand, carefully unfolding the slight creases. "If you can guess who this is from, you get a cookie." The girl mumbled, studying the note. "Oh, a blunt note." She said, then began to read. "'Welcome to the final step of your game. The last challenge you must face is a small test, a chance to see if you can find me. Think of it like 'Hide-and-Go-Seek,' with a twist: if you cannot find me within the next forty-eight hours, you will leave here, no story, nothing at all. If you find me...you already know what you will receive. We start at 4:13. The chase is on. ~B'" she put the note down, peering at her friend. "I know where to look first."
BB nodded, his mind already following Shiko's train of thought.
"The car should be in the front...the luggage carousel should be up there as well, so we won't have to walk very far. I'll grab the keys from whoever's at the desk..." he trailed off, remembering the last time he'd talked to someone behind a desk. "On second thought, maybe you should talk to them and get the keys...I don't have a good history with people behind counters. Anyway, after we get the bags and the car, we'll go straight to the house address in the first note. Do you still have it with you?"
The girl nodded and pulled the note out, showing it to her friend. The words had re-appeared, considering she put it in the freezer, but the disappearing words were just a bit fainter then the once that had remained.
"Here you go. Don't kill anyone while I'm gone." she said, turning around and walking to the counter. BB and people behind counters did not mix. At all. Shiko, however, had a way of dealing with them. Pouting and looking cute was a very very good method.
BB refolded the note and placed it in the left pocket of his jeans, heading toward the luggage carousel. He waited until Shiko's bags came out, as well as his own. With a precision that no one else around him seemed to possess, he grabbed both of the bags, stumbling for a second before managing to pull them back up. He placed them on the luggage trolley beside him, then started to make his way over to where Shiko was talking to the person behind the counter. 'Ugh,' he thought to himself. 'Why are there so many people behind counters nowadays? In fact, why are there people behind counters at all?'
He flashed his memory back to all the encounters he'd had with people who were behind counters: ticket takers at movies, cashiers at restaurants, even the receptionist at work. All of their talks had ended up with someone cowering in fear of BB, and BB being confused as to what happened. 'Man, I hate people behind counters...' he thought, sighing quietly. Hopefully Shiko would have gotten rid of him before he got up there. Hopefully.
Shiko smiled as she was handed the keys. It had taken a little convincing, something about not being the one who rented the car, along with looking like a twelve year old girl, but the person had been quick enough to hand them over when BB started walking over. Funny how people always did that. The girl walked back to her partner, grinning. "So, you actually going to let me drive this time? Or are you going to drive again?"
"I'll drive. No offense is meant to you, Shiko, but...well, you remember what happened the last time you drove." BB recalled the incident fondly: a policeman had stopped the two of them and asked why a child was driving the car. It had been rather embarrassing for the police officer when he'd learned exactly how old Shiko was, and had turned terrifying when the policeman saw BB. For some reason, whenever someone saw him, they got very terrified.
"You know I don't have anything against your size, but you know what the law would think. Besides, we've only got forty eight hours...but I'll make you a deal; I'll drive today, you drive tomorrow. This way, we'll have equal turns. And, if we don't find B, I'll let you drive when we get back home. Sound like a deal?" BB stuck his hand out, keeping one of them on the luggage trolley. He didn't need it rolling off, what with everything it had on it. He awaited Shiko's reply, already knowing what part of it would be, at least. That was the good thing about them having been friends for so many years: even though Shiko still couldn't always decipher him, BB could read her like a book. It made for some interesting arguments sometimes.
The girl huffed. "Stupid police officers not knowing I'm a freaking twenty five year old woman." She muttered. "Oh well. That does work out occasionally. Fine." the girl muttered, shaking her partners hand. "Meh. At least we can get out of any speeding tickets. You'd terrorize the officer to much, and I look to sweet and innocent." The girl said, grinning. "Come on, let's go. I'm almost as impatient as you in a traffic jam."
BB blinked, tilting his head to the side.
"I terrorize people?" he said with a grin, knowing this to be the truth. For some reason, people had always been scared of him. He could never really explain it, only know that it was something odd that always occurred. He started to push the luggage cart outside, taking it over to a black Aston Martin DBS. He stopped the cart at the trunk of the car and with a small switch of his finger on the button on the automatic lock pad connected to the keys, the trunk popped open. He placed all of their equipment and clothing inside, barring the jam, which would ride in the cooler in the backseat of the car. "Go ahead and get in, Shiko. I'll get this stuff, okay? Find a good radio station, if you can...none of that Hollywood crap."
The girl nodded, running up to the front seat and crawling in, shutting the door behind her and flicking the key in, bringing the car to life with a deft twist. Then she went through the stations. "No no no no no." She muttered as she flipped through them, finally stopping at one station, letting the beginning music of 'Savin me' by Nickleback play. "Here we go." She said as she leaned against the seat buckling herself in. The girl was a big fan of a lot of the Nickleback songs, especially this one. Why, she couldn't place.
BB finally got all of the luggage inside the trunk, except for the cooler with the jam in it. He held that in one hand, carrying it around to the front of the car and opening the driver's side door. He smiled when he heard the sounds of Nickleback's song Savin' Me, a personal favorite of his for reasons he had never explained.
"Shiko, I'm going to go and put the trolley over in it's place, okay? Put the jam in the back seat, and keep the keys on you. Lock the doors, and don't unlock them until I get back, just in case someone's watching us." He didn't need to add who might be watching them, seeing as there could only be one person.
"Yes sir!" The girl grinned with a salute. The girl quickly shoved the cooler in the back seat, then hit the lock button, immediately locking every door there was. Finished, she smiled as she hummed the tune to the song, trying to keep from singing it. She was a known mass murder when it came to songs. Even if she could nail the lyrics, she could never get the tune right.
BB walked off with the trolley, rolling it to its proper place. He sighed as he looked around the LA airport, his own paranoia settling in. BB had never been good around crowds, and he didn't think he ever would be. For some reason, the thought of being surrounded by so many people, or anything, really, made him tense up. He didn't really understand it. He sighed, then ran a hand through his messy hair, messing it up even more. He turned to walk from the trolley rack when he bumped into someone. It was a blonde male, pale, with blue eyes. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of beaten up sneakers, and he had his own empty trolley by his side.
"Sorry about that," BB said with a small apologetic smile. The man didn't even acknowledge that he'd said anything, just put his trolley up and started off towards the parking lot. BB frowned at that; it was well known that he hated people who were rude, but he figured things must work differently here. 'I've got to remember, we're not in Columbus anymore.' he thought, fixing the line from 'Wizard of Oz' to meet his needs. With that final thought, he stuffed his hands deep inside his pockets and made his own way to the parking lot, trying to tell himself that the person he'd bumped into was no big deal.
Shiko blinked as the song switched to another from Nickleback. What was it, Nickleback day? Ah well, she wasn't complaining.
"Look at this photograph. Every time I do it makes me laugh." She sang softly, then blinked as she watched a blond guy pass by the window, pausing to glance at her. It was strange. He didn't look at her at first, but over her head. Then his eyes flickered down to her face. They were red she noted. Then the man turned and left walking away swiftly, with a strange slouch.
BB walked out of the airport to the parking lot, his shoulders hunched over in an effort to shield his face from the sun. 'Damn, why does it have to be so bright in LA?' he thought, shuffling over to the car. He knocked three times on the window in a way to let Shiko know who was outside, seeing as she knew he would always knock three times on anything, door or otherwise. "Shiko."
The girl waved and unlocked the car. "BB!" She exclaimed as her friend got in the car. "I think there's a Nickleback marathon! This is the second song." She said grinning. "By the way, do you want to get some sunglasses? You're squinting." She muttered. "Oh, by the way, a strange dude walked by the car."
BB blinked, getting into the car and closing the door. The moment the darkness of the tinted windows blocked out the sun, he relaxed, allowing his eyes to open fully.
"Ugh...I hate brightness...and a marathon, you say? That's great!" he kept his face blank as he said this, but his voice held the smallest tinge of excitement. BB had always been emotionally blank, acting as though nothing could get to him. It had something to do with his past, before he met Shiko, but he'd never told her.
"Look at this photograph, every time I do it makes me laugh, every time I do it makes me..." BB sang along with the ending of the song, just for fun before addressing Shiko's question about sunglasses. "No, I'm fine. I might need them when we get out of the car again, though. You know I'm not too used to bright lights. And a strange person? ...did he have blonde hair?"
The girl nodded. "Uh-huh. He had red eyes to. He was looking. . .above. . . My head" Suddenly the girl paled. "Y-you don't think that was B do you?" The girl muttered, gulping. "I-I mean, he can't know who we are, right? Right?" The girl muttered frantically as the third song in the marathon, If Today Was Your Last Day played.
BB held up his hands, trying to calm his friend down. "Shiko! Calm down, girl. It couldn't have been B, remember? Why would he be right out in the open, right in front of us? And why would he even try to pass by us? It was probably just some random guy who had red contact lenses in, and he must've been looking at the roof of the car. Remember, this is a really good one, one of the top. He might have just been looking at it. Don't worry, I doubt it would be B."
BB blinked when the newest song started to play, a chill settling itself on his heart. However, he didn't let it show, keeping his face expressionless. "Now, we just have to get going to the address..." he pulled out the note from his pocket and handed it to the girl. "Read off the directions for me...I'll drive us there. Hopefully traffic will be light."
The girl blinked and took a few deep breaths, calming herself. Her friend was right, that couldn't have been B. Could it? 'No! Bad mind! Shut up!' The girl thought to herself, blinking to rid herself of any thoughts other then the ones she wanted. "Okay. The house number is 4913." She quoted, from the note. "I-I think if there are any streets that have a 'B' or two in them, we should check there. The girl glared at the radio as the song played. "Grr. . . I think radio stations stalk people just to play these songs."
BB nodded, igniting the engine and backing out of the parking space. He drove them out of the parking lot and into the relatively light traffic, something that made his mind relax slightly. "Shiko, there should be a map inside the dashboard." BB said absently as he adjusted the rear-view mirror, keeping one hand on the wheel. "Check and see if you can find any streets with Bs in them, this way we don't have to wander around and possibly lose a whole day." BB kept his thoughts clear and ice cold, making sure that he was focusing clearly. He didn't notice that some of his coldness had sunk into his voice, making it even more menacing than normal. "I'll drive where you tell me to go."
Shiko nodded once, digging around. When her partner got like this, it was best to do as told. He didn't get that way often, but it did happen on occasion, such as now. She studied the streets, looking over each one. "Branch Boulevard." She said suddenly. "Take the next left. Then a right, go straight for a mile, then take two more lefts and we should see it." The girl said, prattling off the directions.
BB followed the directions Shiko told him, keeping his ice cold eyes trained on the road. They were going down Branch Boulevard now and he let his eyes trail to the corners, looking at house numbers for just a few seconds on his side before turning back to the main road. The numbers on his side were even, meaning, if the house was here, it would be on Shiko's side. "Shiko, you've got to look out your side...you have the odds, I got evens. Just check for the house number, if we don't pass over four thousand nine hundred on your side, we know it's not here. And if we do, then the house will be on your side."
She nodded, examine the numbers. After a few minutes of silence she mutter. "Past it. We should be getting close." The girl shivered. The house on the street were all old and worn down. They looked haunted, to be honest. Finally she pointed to one. "There's the house." It was a bit more tattered then the others. A window was broken, and the three had come loose, falling below it. "Well, looks like we're here."
BB turned into the drive of the house, looking up at it with his cold eyes. It was a dark house that hadn't been painted in a long while (or ever, if he was being honest), with the shingles of the roof falling off. The roof itself seemed to have sagged in, and a few of the windows were broken, not just one. All it took was a little more examination to see it. BB stopped the car and cut the ignition, plunging the two of them into sudden silence. "...we came here. Now we need our story." BB unbuckled his seatbelt, sliding the car door open at the exact same time. "...grab the cooler...just in case he's here."
Shiko nodded. "BB, relax. You're an ice cube. Probably not a good first impression, ne?" The girl said softly. She opened the back door and grabbed the cooler, dragging it out and carrying it carefully to the door. The house was rundown, no doubt about it. She had to admit, it was a bit cliché. She would, however, be keeping that thought to herself. After all, she didn't want to offend a serial killer, did she?
BB slid out of the car, closing the door the moment he was able. He hadn't even noticed his cold exterior, too focused on what was about to happen. Now that Shiko had mentioned it, he forced himself to relax and calm himself, making himself warmer.
"Sorry, Shiko." he murmured. He knew that his friend didn't like it when he was like that, it made him seem like a stranger to her more than likely. He turned his thoughts away from that, focusing them once again on the house. It seemed like the typical horror movie house, but this time, the horror was real. BB started up towards the front door, turning back when he was halfway there to look at Shiko. "...you coming?"
"Yes. Give me a minute." The girl mumbled as she carried the cooler. It was heavy, but she wasn't about to let her friend carry it. She caught up quickly, falling into step next to the other as they walked to the front house. "So, do you think he's really here?" The girl mumbled as the approached they door, smiling softly now that her friend was trying to relax. She really didn't like it, mainly because of the fact that she didn't like coldness. Which was why if he didn't melt after a bit she told him he was an ice cube, and it usually worked.
BB shook his head.
"No...not right now, I don't. This seems like the too-obvious place, you know? Like...like where's the best place to hide? In plain sight is the natural answer, but this is Beyond Birthday we're talking about...so he won't just be in plain sight...he'll be somewhere we least expect. So, no, I don't think he's here right now, but I think he WILL be here when we start our interviews." BB shuffled up to the door and gently spun the knob. It was locked, as though the house was awaiting someone's return with the proper key. "The door's even locked...he must be out. Maybe we should check around the outside...he might have left us another clue. After all, this is his 'game,' and a game's not fair if the players don't know all the rules."
Shiko blinked. "I'm leaving the cooler here." She said, setting it down. Then she looked around. "We could always climb in a window." She suggested. Then she tilted her head at her friend. "How bout we each check one side, then meet around back?" She said. It seemed like a good idea. They could both look for a clue, and it would be done quicker.
BB nodded, already heading for the left side of the house. "Alright. I'll take the left...you take the right." The reason BB had decided to do it this way was because the left side of the house faced another house, while the right side faced the street. That way, if B did show up, Shiko would have a chance to get away while BB distracted him. With BB being boxed in as he was, it'd make him the better target. "We'll meet at the back...I don't think we should go inside, though, so don't attempt it. Not unless we absolutely need to." With that, BB vanished around the corner of the house, his eyes doing an automatic sweep for anything out of the ordinary.
The girl nodded, then turned and started walking around the house, looking around. Where would one least expect to find Beyond Birthday. Well, one would expect him to be in a place like this, of course. He liked jam, and other sweet stuff, so you could think to find him somewhere around there. But where would anyone not expect him to be? What did B hate? Thinking the girl could name a few things. It appeared the B wasn't to fond of L. Or Naomi. Defiantly not fire. But, wait. Would it be obvious either way? Wouldn't the best choice to be to wait somewhere completely neutral to him? Shiko, who wasn't paying attention because she was lost in her thoughts, tripped over a rock just as she was rounding the corner.
BB kept his eyes sharp as he searched the area around the left side of the house, looking for anything out of the ordinary. BB had spent all night reading through the LABB murder case book, memorizing every single aspect he knew of it. He knew some of how B thought, not all of it, but he knew enough to know that the man was a player. A gamer. Someone who wouldn't leave his prey without some form of clue. Now the two of them just had to find it.
"But where is it?" BB murmured aloud. "Where..."
"Oww." The girl moaned as she stood up, brushing herself off and looking at a skinned knee. "Damn. I was hoping to steer clear of injuries." The girl twisted to see the rock she had tripped on. It, however, had turned over when she fell, to show a bit of white with a splotch of red. The girl blinked, before grinning. "Hey! BB" She called, loud enough to be able to get her friend over there quickly.
BB blinked when he heard the sound of Shiko's voice. 'Sounds like she's found something.' he thought, grinning brightly. He raced over as fast as he could, being careful not to trip over anything, and finally made his way back to the front of the house. He swirled around the right hand corner and looked around for Shiko. "Shiko?" he called softly, walking forward just a few steps. "What did you find?"
"A note smudged with jam under a rock." The girl muttered, pointing excitedly to her find and forgetting the stinging in her leg. "I think it's a note. Read it! Hurry!" She said, smiling as she examined the skinned knee, and wincing as she carefully wiped it off with her shirt.
BB looked from the note to Shiko's knee. "Let's take care of that first," he answered, reaching into his pocket. He always kept a small first-aid kit on him, just in case something happened (and, with Shiko being sort of accident-prone, it was bound to). He pulled out a tube of Neosporin, as well as a big square bandage, then set to work.
"Bend your knee," he ordered as he kneeled down, unscrewing the cap from the Neosporin. He quickly applied some to the freshly skinned knee, rubbing it around. "Sorry if this hurts, Shiko." he apologized before putting the bandage on the knee, hiding any evidence that she'd been hurt. He stood up then, quickly taking the note from his partner. "Okay...let's see what he has to say for us this time." With that, BB unfolded the note, reading the words written upon it aloud: "The two of you found the obvious place, but not my base. Try again. ~B."
Shiko blinked, wincing at the cold neosporin but keeping still and letting her knee be bandanged. After the note was read, she huffed. "What? So, where do you think he is?" She said, waiting to see if her partner had shared any of her musings. Musing that had made her trip over a rock. Wait, if she had been paying attention, the note might not have been found. Being a klutz was useful at times.
BB frowned and bit his lip, staring at the note. "...do you think that he could have used that ink from before, to hide another clue? If he did, and he put it on this note-you see, there's enough room for more writing here at the bottom-then we could just use heat to get the note back to normal. Do you think that's a possibility?" He tilted his head and looked up at his friend questioningly, waiting for her opinion. BB actually had a couple of thoughts as to where B could be, but he didn't want to share them just yet. They were only theories for now...he didn't have any solid facts. Another clue would be a big help.
The girl blinked, then nodded. "You think he wrote on it, then heat it up to hide it? Okay! I'll go get a jar from the cooler!" The girl said happily, running back to the front of the house. This time passed with out incident, and soon she was back with a very cold jar of jam. "Let's see." She said simply, holding the jar out to her partner.
BB took the jar from Shiko, making sure not to drop it. He pressed the cold jar of jam to the top of the note, then the back, letting the cold seep inside it. He watched quietly as words appeared, faint words, but still words. He studied them silently, letting his eyes trace over the words written there, widening them with every sentence he read. 'Hello, BB and Shiko. Welcome to Los Angeles...I hope you will enjoy your stay. As you already know, I am not at the house address I originally told you, but you will find me. Do not worry about that. I will not tell you exactly where you will find me, but I shall give you three clues as you go along, this is the first: I am somewhere you know, somewhere you will go whether it is hot or cold. Ta ta. ~B'
B held the note out to Shiko, his face blank. His mind was already trying to unravel the riddle around B's words, working forward. 'What could he mean?'
The girl took the note and read it, thinking to herself. "Weather it's hot or cold. BB, Do you think he means the actual temperature? Or the location?" She asked, blinking.
BB looked up at Shiko, his face as expressionless as before. "I don't know, Shiko. I'm still trying to work my way around it. But I think he might mean temperature. You know, like how temprature works on the notes and ink he has? Maybe he's using it as a kind of metaphor, a way to get us to where he wants us to be. That's my guess, at least...
The girl nodded. "Hmm. . . So, we'd go to the place weather it's hot or cold." The girl mumbled, then sighed. "You know, now I can only think of places to go if it was either one."
BB looked up at Shiko, his eyes turning bright with the knowledge of his thoughts. "You think he might be at the hotel, don't you? Since it's a place we'd go whether we're hot or cold, and it's a place he could easily get into, seeing as he has his disguise, and there are lots of people there for him to blend in with..." BB almost shuddered at the thought of so many people, his history with crowds coming back to him all at once. "...he may be there, he may not...but it's as good a guess as any."
The girl blinked. "You're right! Gahh. I feel like I'm being stalked right now." The girl said with a shudder. "Where did he figure all this out anyway? Neh. Don't worry BB, I'll protect you from the crowds." The girl said with a smirk. It was partly true in a way. BB might scare people with the way he acted, but Shiko could act so insane they wouldn't get close.
BB looked at Shiko, smiling only with his eyes. "Thank you, Shiko. I'm glad you'll be there to get rid of the crowds." He let his eyes shine brightly, almost happily, before turning them blank again, like a light switch being turned off. "We'll have to get to the hotel then..." BB reached into his pocket, pulling out the car keys. He contemplated for a moment before holding them out to Shiko. "Here. You drive this time."
"Yay!" The girl clapped for a moment, before stopping. "Where's the hotel?" She asked. They hadn't stoped there, but had went straight to the house the were currently to the side of.
BB looked at Shiko, then pulled out a piece of paper from his other pocket. "I printed out the directions here. We're staying at the Crowne Plaza, one of those swanky places. And, before you say it, I've got the cost taken care of and all. So we just have to follow the directions, and then we'll be there. I'll tell them to you as we go along."
The girl nodded happily, before racing to the car and climbing in the drivers seat, smiling to herself. She started the car swiftly, listening. "Hey, they changed it!" She said as a song from a different band came on the radio.
BB shuffled slowly to the passenger side of the car, getting inside easily. The moment the tinted windows blacked out the bright light of the sunshine again, he felt his body relax, allowing his eyes to become unsquinted. As he adjusted to the lighting in the car, he let his ears listen to the band on the radio. They seemed to have changed it from Nickleback songs to Skillet songs. Luckily for BB, he was a fan of both bands, so it didn't make too much of a difference for him. "You're right, Shiko. They changed it to Skillet...I think this song's 'My Obsession.' I wonder what they'll put on next..." BB buckled up his seat belt, leaning back in the seat. "Okay, Shik-Oh, I almost forgot!" BB quickly undid his belt and got out of the car, returning to the front of the house. He picked up the cooler that had almost been forgotten and carried it back, swiftly putting it in the back seat before returning himself to his previous position. "Can't believe we almost forgot about that..."
Shiko blinked. "Sorry BB. I wasn't really thinking. Won't happen again." She promised. The thing about Shiko was, most people thought she was a child because she acted like one. She was hyper most of the time, and something about her just gave youthful aura. She, however, did not like being mistaken for a child. There had even been one time she had had to show someone her birth certificate to get them to believe she wasn't a kid. "Okay, which way?" She asked as she pulled expertly out of the drive way.
"We're going to turn onto Vicksburg Avenue, then go straight for four miles. Afterwards, we turn onto West Century Boulevard, go straight for about for about seven miles, and we should see the hotel on your side." BB looked right out the windsheild, frowning a bit at the traffic he saw. "Dammit, looks like we've got a traffic jam to go through...this might take a little longer than originally planned..."
Shiko blinked. "Let me see the map and address please." She said, turning the car around and pulling into a gas station." The girl quickly traced a different, albeit longer route, and started driving, humming happily.
BB leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes halfway. Since he had insomnia, BB didn't really sleep very often, but there were times when he would daydream, sleep without actually sleeping. He hoped now would be one of those times, because he was sincerely missing the aspect of sleep. Going over nine days (and, yes, it had been over nine days now) without sleep made BB irritable, though he kept it hidden very well. He was good at that, at hiding things. "Song change," he murmured, listening intently as 'My Obsession' segued into 'Open Wounds,' another Skillet song. "I think they're trying to run a marathon of our favorite bands, Shiko," BB said jokingly.
The girl nodded. "Maybe next will be Rascal Flatts." The girl said with a small laugh, naming one of her other favorite bands. Looking at her friend out of the corner of her eyes, she gave a worried sigh. "BB, try and sleep. It'll take a while to get there thanks to the detour" She said. The girl worried about her friend sometimes, and even felt a bit guilty. She got normal sleep, but her friend didn't. She had once even put sleeping pills in his drink. That had been a bad idea, and was never to be repeated. Less a frying pan be involved. Going around a corner swiftly, the girl sighed. The traffic was a lot better here.
BB shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "No thanks, Shiko. I don't need any sleep, not right now. Besides, I can always get a couple of hours when we get to the hotel. Don't worry about me so much, okay? I promise, I'll be just fine." BB shot his friend a reassuring look, or as reassuring as an almost completely blank face could be. BB's gaze went back to the main road again, his mind wandering back on the first time Shiko had started to worry about his sleep. She'd put sleeping pills in his glass of hot cocoa, which had been a very big mistake. The pills had made him super hyper instead of sleepy (or maybe it was just the sugar in the cocoa?). Either way, BB had grabbed a frying pan and swung it at Shiko's head, laughing manically all the while. When he snapped back to his senses and realized what he had done, he'd apologized profusely to his friend. He hadn't meant to do it, he really hadn't, and he couldn't even remember much of the incident itself. It was hazy... "And maybe you're right; maybe the next song will be a Rascal Flatts song. You never know, do you?"
Shiko nodded, shuddering at the memory. She hadn't actually been hit, she ducked and then hid in a closest. But that wasn't the point. Suddenly, the song came to an end and the notes began anew. "Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time" floated out of the speakers. Shiko blinked, staring at the radio, before snapping her attnetion back to the road. "Dude, that was freaky. Really really freaky." The girl said, pulling onto the next road.
BB nodded, frowning a bit. "I wonder...what do you think the next song will be?" Secretly, BB had a theory on why the songs were only their favorite bands, but it was ludacris to think of such a thing. It just couldn't be possible...B couldn't have managed something like this. He would have to know more about them than he let on... "Hmm...I'm going to look into the future." BB said in his best 'psychic' voice. "I see...I see...that the next song on the stereo will be SR-71's song 'Tomorrow!'" He said, letting his voice go back to normal. "Not that it'll happen." He added softly, almost in after thought. 'At least, I hope not.'
The girl stared at the radio. A few minutes later, the song ended, and new notes began blaring out. "It is a wonder why I'm scared" drifted out of the radio. Shiko felt her mouth drop open. "Okay. Now I'm freaked. I'm more freaked then I've ever been freaked before. How the hell did that just happen?" The normally language mindful girl said.
BB looked up at Shiko, his eyes dark. He knew it could have just been coincidence, maybe someone had called in a request, maybe the DJ just liked the band. However, BB didn't think that was the real reason. "...I think," he said, putting a lot of stress on the word think, "that the two of us are getting our favorite songs, courtesy of one Beyond Birthday."
The girl blinked. "I think you may be right. Shh, listen!" She said as the DJ came on. "Well, wasn't that quiet a marathon of songs. Brought to us by an anonymous caller, who say's he's welcoming two new reporters to the scene of L.A, baby! We even have a message!" Shiko looked to her friend. "Switch the think to know." She mumbled softly.
BB nodded, listening intently to the DJ's voice as it came from the speakers: "'Welcome to Los Angeles, my dear players. We are sure to have the best time, do you not agree? I hope you enjoy my little gift for you, a good way to keep yourself busy on the roads and in traffic jams. I know one of you finds them quite irritable. In that trait, we are alike. I will meet the two of you very soon. Ta ta.' Weird message, right folks? Well, this IS LA, and weird is our middle name! The next song up comes from the same caller! Everyone, make some noise when it comes to these girls! I bring you 'Gomenasai,' by t.A.t.U!" With that, the newest song started to play, a sad pop melody. BB looked up at Shiko, his eyes as blank as an empty canvas. "...Shiko..."
Shiko blinked, eyes wide as she stared at the road, making a wide turn. "How much does he know about us?" She said after while. The girl turned into the parking lot, parking the car and just leaning against the seat. She left it on, though, listening to the song. "What should we do?"
"...We do nothing. He knows more about us than we originally thought, and that puts us at a disadvantage. We have to keep playing this game and we have to get through it. This is scary, yes, but we cannot forget that the person we are dealing with is a genius. A mad genius, yes, but a genius. No matter what, we cannot afford to forget that." BB's voice was cold once more, his mind going through the automatic response it went through when something unexpected happened. He forced himself to think as the next song, Monster, by Skillet, popped up, blaring through the speakers: "The secret side of me, I never let you see, I keep it caged but I can't control it, So stay away from me, the beast is ugly, I feel the rage and I just can't hold it..."
BB tried not to think about the way the lyrics seemed to mirror him right now, forcing away thoughts of how their own monster was chasing the two of them. "He's probably been planning this since the LABB murders ended...to reveal his story to the world. He might have started looking for up-and-coming interviewers, like the two of us...and, if that's the case, he's been watching us for a long time, Shiko. A long time."
Shiko sighed as she rubbed her head. "BB, do you really think he's here? Or do you think he just left another message here, waiting for us to find?" The girl muttered, taking deep breaths. Her friend hid all of his emotions, but she only blocked the bad ones.
"Why us?" She asked simply. Shiko sighed, staring out the window of the car. "I mean, seriously. We aren't that popular. Heck, our bosses don't trust us with a fricken story. So why us?" The girl ranted.
BB shrugged. "I don't know, Shiko. Maybe he didn't want it to be someone who's popular. Maybe he wanted what we are: human beings. People who make mistakes, who get hurt and everything. Maybe, he chose us. Question is...when were we chosen...that's what I want to know."
The girl nodded. "I get it. You think he picked us because we aren't in it for the money, we just do what we want?" She asked, sounding like a cliché line from a drama movie.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, I think so. B doesn't seem like the type to go after people who're all after the glitz and glamour; he wants people who are actually people, not fake Hollywood-esque reporters." BB unbuckled his seat belt slowly, looking at Shiko. "We won't know until we get out of the car. So let's go."
Shiko sighed and turned the car off, climbing out. She tossed the keys over to her friend, then looked at the hotel. "Do we need to bring our stuff in yet?" She asked softly.
BB caught the keys easily in his right hand, starting toward the trunk of the car. "Better take them in...you never know what kind of people might be lurking around the parking lots." BB tried hard not to think of exactly who might be hanging around the parking lots, instead he focused on gathering the luggage the two of them had brought. "At least we don't have to worry about taking these bags too far in...the bellhop can do it for us, when we get to the front desk."
"Okay." She said, grabbing her own luggage. As they walked in, she looked around. "Time to use my awesome get rid of crowd maneuver?" She asked, smiling up at her friend. It was a fail safe tactic that always worked, no matter where they were.
BB nodded, tensing his shoulders a bit. He kept his face up, staring people who dared look at him right in the eye, watching them run away from what Shiko had termed his 'doomsday death glare.' BB didn't think it was really much of a glare, instead, he just saw it as the way he looked. "Yeah, Shiko...I think it's time for that tactic..."
Shiko nodded, then started skipping around singing at the top of her voice. "I was once a tree house. I lived in a cake. But I never saw the way, the orange slayed the rake. I was only three years dead but it told a tale, and now listen, little child to the safety rail. Did you ever see a llama, Kiss a llama? On the llama? Llama's llama? Lasts of llama? Llama llama duck?" Almost everyone save the employees cleared out at the strange girl singing the Llama song.
BB almost made a smile when his friend started to sing her odd song. For some reason, it never failed to get rid of a crowd: that time at their first college assembly, with the huge crowd pushing in on all sides; the day they had their first job interview together, new employees just vying for the roles; the first day they met, in the lobby of the high school, both of them the outcasts in the crowd...A fond look crossed through BB's eyes as he looked up and saw, of course, a person behind a counter. Oh, joy.
Shiko smiled at the woman behind the counter. "BB and Shiko, checking in. I'll stop singing if you give me the keys." The woman handed them over quickly and she skipped back to her friend.
"Crowd and counter lady taken care of." The girl said, smiling. Somehow she started thinking of how the song had helped the two, including the day they first met. It was the first day at school and there had been a huge crowd of kids waiting to get their schedules. She, being much smaller then most other students, was being shoved around. So, she started singing that song and pretty soon only two kids were their. Herself, and a boy in a long sleeved black shirt, who had introduced himself as 'BB' They were best friends from that moment on.
BB gave a nod of his head, happy that his friend had managed to get rid of the crowd he hated and deal with the counter manager. This almost made him laugh, and it flashed him back to the first day he'd heard that song. It'd been his first day in high school, freshman year. There were so many people around him, too many. He felt boxed in. And then, suddenly, he'd heard the strangest song he'd ever heard, one that made the crowd disperse faster than anything. He turned to see where it was coming from, and had seen a short girl wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt. She'd stared at him as if he was something completely alien to her, and he'd stared at her blankly. They'd been best friends from that moment on.
"Thanks, Shiko." was all he said before he looked around, motioning to a nearby bellhop. "Can you grab these bags for us, please?" The bellhop, who looked like he'd seen a ghost, went and grabbed a luggage cart, putting every suitcase the two of them had between them onto it. The cooler remained in BB's hand.
"Which floor, sir?" the bellhop asked nervously.
"Floor number thirteen, rooms forty eight and forty nine." He answered back.
The girl jumped up and down, frowning a bit.
"Is this a fast elevator? Or is it one of those slow ones with lame music?" she asked. The bellhop shook his head.
"It's slow, but it plays music straight from the radio." Right as he said that, a song came on, 'Why?' by Rascall Flatts, a song that Shiko loved, even though it occasionally made her cry.
BB blinked as the song came on. 'Another Rascal Flatts? ...has to be a coincidence...can't be what I'm thinking.' BB forced his thoughts away from B, turning them to the rooms. "Shiko, which room do you want?"
Shiko blinked, considering. "You can have the room named for you, I'll take room forty eight." She said, smileding and seriously freaking out the poor bell hop. "Oh look, it's your floor." He said, pulling the luggage rack out and swiftly dragging it down the fall. The girl mealy shrugged and skipped after him.
BB followed Shiko and the poor, hyperconscious bellhop down the hall at his usual slow pace, letting his eyes trail over the numbers on the doorways. Forty four, forty six, forty eight...
"Ah, here we are. Room Forty Eight, and room Forty Nine is right across the hall." The bellhop's voice snapped BB out of his near-daze, and he looked at the man blankly. He was about twenty three, with bad skin problems and long brown hair, as well as bright brown eyes. Right now, those eyes were wide with fear as they connected with BB's own.
"Thank you," BB said softly. "Now leave." The bellhop quickly ran down the hallway, eager to be away from the two strange guests as fast as possible.
BB looked at Shiko. "You going to be okay by yourself?" He grabbed his bags off the cart as he spoke, quickly lifting them up onto his shoulder.
The girl nodded.
"I'm a big girl BB, I can take care of myself. Remember the bank?" She said, referring to a time a bank they were in was robbed. Or, at least, someone attempted to rob it. Shiko had managed to fool the robber in feeling sorry for her, then kicked him, err, where it hurt. She then proceeded to kick the gun out of his hand Needless to say, he hadn't robbed anyone. "Though I doubt the same tactics will work."
BB nodded, then sighed. "You know I can't keep myself from worrying about you. You're like my little sister, Shiko. I can't stop the over-protective 'big brother' bit; it's in my nature. And...with everything we know now...Just...be careful, okay?" BB didn't normally show emotions, and for him to ask Shiko to be careful was a big thing for him. He quickly grabbed up the rest of his bags and turned to his room door, sticking the key inside.
"We'll take a few hours to rest, then we'll go back out and look for him...that is, if he's not already here." With that, BB unlocked the door to room Forty Nine, stepping inside and closing the door most of the way, pausing just to stick his head out once more.
"...keep yourself safe, Shiko," was all he said before he went completely inside the room and shut the door behind him, erecting a barrier between himself and his best friend. He sighed and pressed his forehead to the cool wood, trying to keep his calm. He couldn't lose himself now. Not with how hard he'd worked to build himself up. He closed his eyes for just a moment, trying to regain his sense, the stopped, tensing up. He could have sworn he heard something...something like a person shifting their weight from one foot to the other. His eyes snapped open, gazing at the wooden door. There was only one person who could be in the room with him. One person. BB turned around, and found himself staring into insane red eyes. Eyes that shouldn't exist in a person, but did. Shinigami Eyes.
"Hello, BB." B whispered, his voice sounding even more dead and monotone that BB's ever could. "So nice to finally meet you."
Shiko sighed as her friend left her standing in the hall. For what it was worth, the only reason the two weren't siblings was blood. They had known each other for over nine years, ever since they met in high school and BB had saved her from some people who were teasing her. All he did was look at them, and she never had trouble again. He had always protected her like that, just as she always took care of crowds. They were a good team, even though they were exact opposites. The girl rubbed her head, taking a deep breath as she opened the door to her own room and tossed her bags on the bed. Sighing softly she sat down next to them. After a minute or so she stood and walked across the hall, knocking on her friend's door. She just remembered she left her phone in the car, and figured she better go get it.
BB tensed a bit when he heard knocking on the door, keeping his eyes locked with B's. It could only be Shiko who was outside the door, and BB was nervous to let her in the room with this psychopath. However, B seemed to have other plans.
"I would deduct that is your friend, BB, is it not? Should you not let her inside the room? The two of you were invited here by me, and I do think it polite I meet you both." he whispered, his voice so...lifeless. BB glared at him once.
"Hurt her and you die," he said in a low, harsh voice, so different than his usual monotone. It was low enough that no one, not even if they had their ear pressed up to the door, would be able to hear it. BB half-turned around, just enough so that he could grab the knob of the door but still keep his eyes on B. He opened the door a little way, then, when B continued to stand where he was, BB opened the door all the way, immediately standing in front of it. It wasn't enough to block B completely from sight, but it was enough to block Shiko from B's line of sight.
'That's what matters,' BB thought. 'Keep her safe, no matter what.' He looked at his friend and tilted his head a bit.
"Hello, Shiko." BB's voice returned to it's normal monotone. "Would you like to come inside? We have something to discuss."
The girl blinked and nodded. "Okay. I need the keys, though. I left my phone in the. . ." The girl trailed off, standing on her tiptoes.
"Who's that?" She asked, studying what she could see. As soon as she did, though, she went back down on her feet flat. She shot her friend a 'Is that who I think it is?' look, her eyes wide as she carefully stepped inside the room. She wished she had her backpack, which the two daggers were safely stowed in, but she had left that on her bed in the other room. 'Bad mistake, Shiko.' she mentally scolded herself.
B looked at Shiko from across the room, sticking both his hands in his pockets. "Yes, it is who you think it is. A pleasure to meet you, Shiko. I am Beyond Birthday. I have already had the pleasure of meeting BB."
BB looked at B emotionlessly, forcing himself into an utmost calm. "Alright, Beyond-"
"Ah, call me B, please." B interrupted. "Beyond is much too formal for this. I prefer it as informal as possible."
BB nodded once. "Alright, B, you know who we are, you know why we're here. So let's get down to it."
"Umm. . .Should I go get the tapes?" Shiko asked carefully, trying not to stare at the killer standing in the middle of the room. According to the book, he had lit himself on fire, but there were barely any scars. She shifted awkwardly, not sure how to act. The girl unconsciously tapped her leg, a nervous habit she could have sworn she had gotten rid of. Apperently it was back.
B almost gave a smile, but it did not even make it to his face. "No. We will not be starting the interviews here. I would prefer it if we started tomorrow, at one thirteen in the afternoon, on the dot."
BB narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, a gesture that was an accustomed feature for him whenever he was feeling suspicious. "Then why did you wait for us here, if you didn't want to start the interviews now?" he questioned, his tone demanding. B flicked his gaze over to him, his eyes shining brightly.
"Oh, BB, I just had to make sure the two of you had arrived safely and with little hassel. You did not actually expect me to be a barbarian who would not check on something so important, did you?" B waited for BB to answer, but there was only ringing silence. Of course BB hadn't thought that...neither had Shiko, for that matter. They both had known not to underestimate B, and that to even think about doing so could invite certain death. However, before they'd even known it, they'd done it. And now, here they were, in a hotel room with a murderer. How much stranger could life get, right?
"Good. Now, I hope the both of you will get plenty of rest tonight; you will need it for the next few days or so. And BB, you might need it most of all. Insomnia can be horrifying, especially when you have suffered from it since the age of five. Now, I have another appointment; I wish you both good day." With that, B shuffled forward, passing the two of them so easily. He was down the hall before either one of them could even think, and in the elevator before the two reporters could move. However, before he left, he did something so odd, so strange...he waved to them, twitching his fingers like a child would if they were saying 'bye-bye' to someone. And then he pressed the button, the doors closed, and Beyond Birthday was gone.
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With B:
I smiled as the elevator went down its floors, taking me to the very last one. In the reflective walls of the compartment I was in, I donned my disguise, the same one I had used earlier: white blonde wig, blue contact lenses, and make up to cover the dark circles underneath my eyes. The doors slid open and I stepped out, by-passing the crowds that had begun to reform. I had just met my two main performers, the reporters who would hear my story. I couldn't wait until we actually began...
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BB: Wow. Okay, for anyone who wants to know, that is over NINE THOUSAND FRICKING WORDS. NINE THOUSAND. In only THREE DAYS. This chapter could not have been written without a lot of soda, finger cramps, random conversation, thoughts of how this all began, and a whole lot of other things. The credit goes mainly to Hoshiko13, who found a way for the two of us to write this story so fast, and I suppose I get a little credit, too...Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! We'll have another one out soon! Please give us whatever reviews you will, and if you don't want to leave reviews...then don't. Doesn't bother us.