"What!?" Mello breathed- his anger being replaced with utter shock.

"Near disappeared, I appeared here," Nate sighed, giving Matt a somewhat apologetic look. "Chances are he's where I was."

"But how does a time traveler like you get back?" Matt asked.

"Time...what?" Mello frowned and looked between them. "Who the HELL are you!?"

"I told you!" Nate groaned. "I'm Nathaniel River! I'm from the year 2011, which is why Matt keeps saying I'm a time traveler, and I'm an actor who plays Near in a TV show about L and his successors!"

Mello stood where he was- staring blankly and blinking.

"...You're completely bat shit insane." He murmured.

Matt sighed and held his forehead.

"Oh yeah?" Nate snapped, glaring at him. "Then how do I know that you love chocolate? Or that you wear a rosary around your neck? Or that you're thinking about leaving Wammy's because Near keeps besting you? Or that Near keeps besting you at all? OR that he keeps a photograph of you that you gave to him!?"

Mello's eyes shot wide at the mention of the photo. How could this guy possibly know about the photo?

"Yeah. That's in the script," Nate scoffed. "He gives it back to you."

Well... Mello demands for it back with a gun to Near's head, but Nate didn't want to say that part.

"I didn't ask to get sucked here," He snapped. "Just like I'm sure Near didn't ask to get dragged to my place." If he's there, he mentally noted. "But if he's there then he's screwed because those idiots aren't going to realize that this kids probably got aspies."

"Aspies?" Matt blinked.

Mello was only half-hearing what was being said. His mind had wandered a bit on the photo and then the mention of Near just giving it back made him feel...heavy?

"Aspergers?" Nate asked, rolling his eyes. "Its a form of autism? Anyway... we need to figure out how to get me back there and him back here, so I suggest you lot put your big ol' brains to work. Hey!"

Reaching out, Nate snapped his fingers in front of Mello's face.

"Pay attention!" He snapped. "Or your ass is stuck with me!"

Mello blinked at Nate- seeming to wake up.

"Where did you come from?" He asked.

"You mean when." Matt corrected.

"No, dip-ass, you mean where." Mello rolled his eyes- making Matt blink in confusion. "Did you just frickin' appear in the orphanage or what?"

"I was in the closet of this idiot's apartment, freaking out and looking for my inhaler," Nate explained. "I tripped and fell out and suddenly I was in your gosh darn hallway and that old guy was like, 'who is out of bed'? I think I hit my head, too... it hurts pretty bad."

Matt frowned and looked at Nate concernedly.

"...You do have a bad bump there, I think." Matt reached up and touched Nate's forehead.

"The closet?" Mello blinked. "...Near was in..."

"No, I said that I was," Nate corrected. "I have no idea where Near was."

He didn't fight Matt's touch... in fact, he leaned in to it a little.

Matt blinked and rubbed Nate's forehead gently.

"This feel better." Matt asked.

"Near was in the closet too." Mello crossed his arms over his chest- cocking his hips. "You two literally switched right out."

The albino stared at him for a moment, before he frowned. "What the hell did you lock him in the closet for, you creep?"

Mello rolled his eyes again.

"I didn't lock in him there...asshole." Mello replied sharply.

"Well excuse me," Nate scoffed. "You're the one going around pointing a gun at p-"

He cut himself off, throwing a hand over his mouth.

Mello blinked.

"...What?" He frowned.

"Pulling a what?" Matt pressed.

"What was Near doing in the closet?" Nate blurted, trying to change the subject.

"You tell first, I want you to finish that sentence!" Mello replied sharply.

"Just forget I said anything!" Nate snapped, glaring at the blonde. "What were you and Near up to, hmmm?"

"What did I pull!?" Mello growled back.

Matt was looking between the two. It was odd that these two fought like Mello and Near did, but the style was completely different now.

"You obviously knew he was in that closet," Nate sneered. "So what was he doing there? Were you gonna beat him up?"

"Why won't you answer me!?" Mello shouted. "ANSWER ME!"

"STOP!" Matt cried out suddenly- throwing his hands up.

Jumping in surprise, Nate turned to look at Matt with wide eyes.

"You two have been on like this from second one!" Matt shouted loudly at them. "Going back and forth in this unending PISS contest while we're not getting anywhere! I know we're all worried, I know we're all confused but this SHIT!"

Mello retreated back a few steps when Matt directed some of it his way.

"None of it's helping!" Matt burst. "GOD! My fuckin' head hurts!"

The redhead got up and moved over to his bed- flopping on it.

After a few moments there was a small, defeated sigh from the white-haired teenager. "Sorry. I know you're worried about Near, Matt... I didn't mean to make this any worse..."

"I know." Matt's voice was muffled in his mattress and sheets. "S'okay."

"...No it's not." Mello frowned and shook his head- his tone much softer now. "This whole thing isn't."

"Dwelling on it isn't going to make it any better," Nate groaned. "We need to go back to that closet and look closer at it... find out what the heck happened in there."

"Well, why don't we go have a look?" Mello asked.

"Well, worth a shot." Matt mumbled. "But maybe only Near and Nate have the batteries...and if someone else needs to be in there to switch with, then we have to hope someone else is in there too...and maybe it's not a matter of it just being anyone either..."

"...Say that in English?" Nate asked, frowning in confusion.

"Well...think about it...all the times that closet's been open...and even little kids hiding in it and stuff..." Matt sat up- looking really serious all of the sudden. "Maybe some really particular conditions had to be met. Maybe you're only here because you and Near were in the closet at the same time."

"The same time... years apart," Nate sighed. "Look... I get where you're going, but it is just a hunch and we won't really know unless we try, hm?"

He stood up and headed for the door once more.

Mello moved out right behind Nate and with Matt trailing right behind him.

They came up to the closet and Nate held his breath, half way hoping he'd open it up to find Chester's house waiting for him on the other side.

He didn't really have a home to go back to... so why did he want to, anyways?

But it wasn't like Wammy's would keep him... from what he knew of the plot, you had to be really smart to be there. They'd kick him out once they found out he was just an average teenage brat...

Slowly, Nate turned the handle and pulled the door open, peering into the darkness. He slipped inside and pressed his fingers up against the back wall, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"...Well?" Mello asked impatiently. "Anything happening?"

"Nothing..." Sighing slowly, the white-haired boy slipped out, shaking his head. "Its completely normal in there... I don't know what to do now. Y'all are the smart ones."

"Ya'll?" Mello repeated. "Do you have to constantly be on with that American droll?"

"Enough." Matt sighed before stepping in and feeling the back of the closet. "...Near smart."

"So?" Mello asked hotly.

"Then maybe he'll reason something out like we have too." Matt offered.

"If he doesn't get kidnapped and molested by Chester," Nate scoffed, before he fell silent.

He really should learn how to keep his mouth shut.