~Lyric 05~

You can turn the city upside-down if you want to

But it won't keep you dry

You can turn the city upside-down, like an umbrella

But it won't keep you dry

When you wrap yourself in a highway strip

Don't expect any warmth from it

All it is, is cold cement

You can turn the city upside-down, like an umbrella

But who knows what you'll find

Be careful if you try

You can turn the city upside-down if you want to

But it won't keep you dry

—DNTEL, "Umbrella"

"I'm going out," Mello said. Matt's eyes jerked from the computer as his concentration was damaged. He put his cigarette down on the ashtray and squinted, combing the blond's image for a detail that would provide an explanation beyond going out. Mello was wrapped in the jacket with the feather collar, and—

"Are you wearing eyeliner?"

Dressed to kill. Matt gaped at the spectacle.

"I said I'm going out," Mello repeated. He stared at Matt, and Matt decided it was the only explanation he'd get. He turned back to his laptop and began typing codes, but not before yanking at his goggle strap and releasing a snort of disapproval.

Mello's footfalls moved toward the hall. "I won't be back," he announced, and Matt didn't glance up.

But he did whack the spacebar harder than he meant to. "What exactly do you hope to accomplish out there?" he asked.

The shrug was audible in Mello's voice. "I'm taking a drive so I can think." A pause. "And I'll probably hit the clubs."

"Besides that, I mean," Matt dismissed with an impatient wave. When Mello's silence refused to give way to an answer, he turned around again and clarified. "We're up to our necks almost drowning in this. Do you honestly think a night prowl will help?" He pulled his goggles down off his face. "Going out like that is in no way to conducive to problem solving." He rubbed his eyes and applied pressure until he saw colors, and then opened them to look at Mello.

"What fantastic advice." Mello's voice was deadly calm. His lips compressed into a fine line; his eyes popped even more beneath his dark make-up. The calm broke and erupted in a brutal snarl. "You sound just like Near."

The door banged hard enough to make Matt wince, and his computer screen flickered.

A/N: Let's just say that I'm not happy with the way this one came out, but I posted it so I wouldn't get hung up on it. (Can't put my finger on what went wrong.)