[Mello's expression sours slightly, hearing a familiar note of criticism that may be imagined in what Chris says. They've argued about this before, on more than one occasion.]

It may shock to you hear this, Chris, but I'm not a fan of murder, either. Just because I've done it doesn't mean I enjoyed it. Everything I've done since I was fifteen years old was because I wanted to fight Kira, and sometimes, that meant taking extreme measures.

[He hasn't really spoken about his past in more than vague terms with anyone except Sharon. But Misa's arrival drastically changed the landscape of things here in Hadriel. Mello taps a finger along his arm for a moment, then decides to continue with his story.]

Everything Amane said about me is true. I am a criminal. I've kidnapped people, I've extorted them - I joined up with what was left of the American Mafia when I was seventeen, and in order to prove myself worthy, I brought them the head of a rival gang boss, someone even Kira hadn't been able to execute. I acted as their adviser for almost two years, so I'm sure you can tie me to drug trafficking, sales of illegal weapons, arson - the works.

[There's no real pride in how Mello lists off these accomplishments, no sense of boasting about it. They are facts, nothing more.]

I didn't enjoy any of it, Chris. But I did what I had to, because Kira is a global menace, and Kira murdered someone important - not just to me but also to the world. I had to stop Kira, no matter the cost.