You couldn't shake the feeling something was off about this entire thing. And yet, you couldn't figure out exactly why. At first you just assumed it was because of the unsettling cult presence, but even after divulging into that, you were still left with an odd feeling.

So while Mello was out tailing the suspect, and the successors were hard at work keeping an eye on all the wiretaps and trackers attached to him, you decided to take a quick trip to visit the death alliance down in the underworld. Perhaps they'd have some answers or theories. They often could be found either in their own sections of the underworld or one of the meeting rooms where all the areas of the pantheons connected. That's where to found them, some of them at least. Death doesn't wait for anyone so some were off doing their jobs as death gods, those what were around though were discussing the imbalance between the realms and the overflowing work in the underworld and MU, just like what had happened last time.

And apparently it was babysitting time because sleepy little Morpheus was curled up in a sling across Thanatos' chest. Than may be cold and broody on the surface, but he loved his brother and was very exited to be an uncle. Although it did look kind of funny, gothic and serious Thanatos with a starry sling and sleeping cloud baby.

"I understand your unease over the situation, but I'm afraid I don't have much I can offer you. We've grilled the shinigami for answers but it's 100% certain this death note was dropped several years before the ban, and it's just been sitting and waiting for someone to pick it up. No conspiracy or anything of the sort" Thanatos sighed, rather fed up with the situation as well.

"I'm afraid he's right young (y/n), we've got no other information we can offer. We're drowning in new souls it's practically impossible to keep up..." Anubis added.

The two sat around the big table in the centre of the room, the surface scattered with papers that needed to be filed on new arrivals and notes from their meetings. Clearly Anubis was getting frustrated with because the paper before him was covered in angry scrawls of hieroglyphs.

"Damnit- this stupid nagging feeling just won't go away though. At first it thought it was just unease about the cult situation, maybe nerves about the boys- and Near, being in danger... but it just won't go away even after addressing those" you scoffed, getting frustrated yourself.

"I understand the frustration, we're practically dying ourselves here... I've got whole boat fulls of hearts to weigh..." Anubis sighed.

"I can assure you we'll send a psychopomp the moment we get new information, I'm afraid right now there is none" Thanatos assured.

You tapped your prosthetic foot against the ground, tense in the shoulders and mind still blank for solutions.

"I heard Zagreus granted your children with death defiance?" Thanatos added.

"Oh, yeah. L had him grant it, he's so scared something will happen to them. He's gonna go grey with stress at this point" you replied.

"Usually I'd be against death defiance, Zagreus is enough to deal with dying every other day and coming back to life. But in this case... I'll allow it"

"The hades kid does manage to get himself killed in unique ways I'll give him that..." Anubis chuckled.

That was true, Zagreus had a habit for running head first into danger and getting slaughtered in the weirdest ways. Once he died to a tiny rodent, how? No one knows. Even he didn't know apparently it 'came up behind him'.

"It's a one use only thing, so they'll be using it wisely. If at all, hopefully it doesn't come to that" you said.

"How's L coping with his dad by the way?" Anubis asked.

"He's... alright. It definitely had him depressed for a while but the reality that he can come to asphodel when he wants to see him is set in now. Watching someone you love wither away hurts even if you can still see them"

"That's to be expected, at least he's coping"

You often wondered what Anubis looked like behind his jackal mask. He never took it off... every time you saw him and had conversations with him, that thought would enter your mind. All you could see behind it was the ever so slight skin around his eyes covered in makeup and his mouth. That was it, apparently taking the mask off and showing his true form was dangerous to gaze upon, but you couldn't help but be curious. Each of the death gods had their distinct looks, Thanatos with his more classic grim reaper look, Anubis with his Jackals, the morrigan took on a raven like aesthetic with feathered features and sharp talon nails. And one of the most spooky looking was Hel, who's true form was like a vaguely person shaped cloud of dark shadows.

All looks the goths would aspire to have overall.

"I know what you're thinking (l/n), the answer is no" Anubis spoke up, notching the look you gave him.

"I know, I know. The mask stays on. Just curious as usual" you replied.

"I'm yet to see your truest form"

"I'm yet to figure it out. L and I still have no idea how to take them on, you wouldn't happen to know how to shift into it would you?"

You looked to the death gods for answers, but they just shrugged and gave you a blank look.

"It's individual to each person, I'm afraid I don't know your method" Thanatos said.

"I doubt you'd have the same Jackal features as I do, so I'm not sure sorry" Anubis replied.

"Damn, worth a shot..."

The attention was turned to the now restless godling strapped to Thanatos' chest who had begun to stir and whine in his sleep. The usual stone faced death god immediately softened, gently waking his nephew.

"Hey, you alright kid?" He asked.

Morpheus yawned, rubbing his eyes and reaching up to hug his uncle around the neck.

"I had a weird dream again uncle Than..." he muttered.

"You do seem to be having them a lot, although I shouldn't be surprised given your developing powers. Your father was just like you at your age" Thanatos replied, gently cradling the child in his arms.

You and Anubis exchanged glances and a slight grin, it wasn't often anyone got to see Thanatos go all soft. But his family really did bring that out of him.

"Dada said to tell him all my dreams. But I don't always remember them" Morpheus said.

"Tell me now so you don't forget, and I'll pass it onto him ok?" Thanatos replied.

"There was a tall thing, with long sticks for hands. It kind of looked like a scary Teru Teru Bozu doll"

Immediately you perked up. The mention of the Japanese ghost doll made you think shinigami. Even though the dolls were a cute little thing used to ward off rain, they did resemble classic ghosts a little. But notably they were modelled after Japanese spirits... ones like shinigami.

"A scary Teru Teru Bozu? Hmm... did I have legs or did it float?" Thanatos asked.

"Both. It could float and stand. And it had sharp teeth and yellow eyes... it wasn't doing much, it was kinda just standing there wand watching people..." Morpheus said.

Thanatos looked up at you, the two of you thinking the exact same thing. Shinigami. And if Morpheus could pick Mikami out of the line up from his dreams, there was every chance this was another prophetic dream about the shinigami attached to the book.

"Ok I'm definitely passing that onto L..." you said.

"I'll definitely be telling Hypnos to, that sounds rather prophetic" Thanatos replied.

Morpheus yawned, still sleepy as ever and shifted in his uncles arms to be more comfortable.

"You n dada will protect me from scary monsters right? I'm still too small to fight" Morpheus asked.

"Of course we will, your father would bend the universe for you. And I have my big, sharp scythe that can kill any scary things that try and hurt you and your father" Thanatos assured.

"Aww look at you, all soft" Anubis spoke up.

Immediately Thanatos shot a glare at him, not wanting to admit it.

"How dare you, I am death itself. I'm anything but soft" he said.

"I'm death too you know? And that whole protective uncle display? That's soft"

"Shut up, you're protective of your family too"

"Maybe I am, but I'm not as soft at you" Anubis joked.

Thanatos sighed angrily and hoisted Morpheus up into his arms some more, instinctively holding him tight so no harm could come to him. Hypnos would literally kill him, and that's saying a lot because he IS death.

"No one is softer than (y/n) toward L though" Thanatos teased.

You playfully rolled your eyes, there was no denying that. L was your whole damn world, even if you had absolutely nothing to your name as long as you had L, you were happy.

"Yep, and I'm proud of it. I got that love deity swag as Matt would say"