A world without Light (would be quite dark)
[22 May, 2004]
L wasn't sure how Light had faked his death so well. All DNA tests said the corpse was Light's. All examiners agreed that Light had died of the car accident and had nothing to do with any heart related illnesses whatsoever. Traffic cameras and bystanders witnessed Light get hit by the car.
Each and every piece of evidence pointed to the fact that Light Yagami had died. L knew the truth.
Light was alive.
Somehow, somehow, Light had managed to execute a fake death so well, BB would have been jealous. The only way to know for sure, L thought, was to find the second Kira. Figure out Kira's killing weapon. It must have been how Light executed his death. Especially, if L's hunch was correct and Kira could kill by something other than a heart attack.
Find the murder weapon and solve the mystery. L had to focus on the Kira case here, not Light.
Matsuda had not found anything during his time at Aoyama. L had not expected him to. If Light was here, he could have found something. He would have found the second Kira because Light was the first. Then L would only had to have Light followed to find the second and he would have had both in his hands.
Unfortunately, Light 'died' and now, L was left with no new leads. He could only hope the second Kira slipped up at either Shibuya or Tokyo Dome.
*****
[26 May, 2004]
"Take Sayu-chan with you," L had told Matsuda that morning. Soichiro had refused adamantly. L had managed to convince him.
Sayu was Light's dear sister. Near the time of his 'death', Light had appeared to be closer to Sayu than he was during the period of video surveillance. He had told her something, L was sure of it. Sayu was not nearly grieving enough. If Watari had died, L would have been broken. BB's death was four months ago now and L was still not over it.
If anyone other than Light could find second Kira, it would be Sayu.
Unfortunately, they still didn't find anything.
To L's amusement, Sayu was the only one who had come out the winner from their little outing. She had conned Matsuda into buying her the type of clothes neither Light nor her parents would ever have. Matsuda was, to put it politely, broke. Soichiro promised he would reimburse him but Matsuda sheepishly refused. Ah, Sayu must have somehow played on his pride as a man.
As expected of Light's sister.
*****
[30 May, 2004]
L had honestly not expected the second Kira to be stupid enough to show up at one of the Tokyo Dome checkpoints. He had hoped, sure. But that chance was less than 10%.
There was a lot of public outrage over the game being cancelled. And quite a few people had shown up at the checkpoints as well. That list of people, including journalists, reporters and a few celebrities, were now L's new suspect list.
The Kira task force as well as NPA Director were all pushing back against investigating all these people. They were all people who had a hand in forming public opinion, high profile and popular.
L wished Light was here. He had a charisma that could convince everyone of anything. For years, he had convinced people from all walks of life of his perfection. He played Soichiro Yagami, a man with respectable instincts and decades of criminal experience into thinking he was nothing more than the perfect son with a high sense of justice.
Then he had managed to convince L to see him as more than Kira.
Light could have cut down on all this resistance with a smile and a quip and have them following his every whim with a curl of his fingers. He had manipulated the whole Task Force onto his side during two measly weeks with having spent not more than 10 hours in their presence and exchanged more than a few dozen sentences. He had them all convinced he was innocent and 'dead', in that order.
Light would have been a perfect partner for L, who didn't do well in social situations. He had Watari for that. But Watari was getting old and L had to face the music sooner or later.
L stayed awake at night, trying to get NPA to cooperate with backup from ICPO. He pulled up the list of Kira death statistics to convince them and oh-
The number of deaths were decreasing.
It was not obvious, no. The Kira deaths had increased at a steady rate over months and now, were decreasing at a steady rate. Had started decreasing, in fact, sometime at the start of the month. Thirty days prior. Just after Light started changing. Something must have happened. April 29 was the key.
What are you planning, Light?
*****
[15 June, 2004]
Whatever else the second Kira was, one thing was for certain: they were a supporter of the first Kira. So, L had decided to go through his new suspect list by separating the most vocal Kira supporters, then narrowing it down by people who were in Tokyo on the 22nd and 26th of May. L was certain Light had volunteered to go to these places because second Kira had indicated they would be there in a message understood only by the first.
Or maybe Light had decided to go there just to mess with the investigation. No, Light was more professional than that. His pride would refuse to allow him to sabotage his own work. If Light had pinpointed these two places, then second Kira would have been at one of them.
That left him with twenty people.
A bit too many, but L had called on the Task Force and called in a few favors to get more NPA members to follow these suspects. Unlike the first time around, the suspects in question weren't family members of NPA officers and so they were willing to help.
L had not expected to hit gold so soon. He did. Amane Misa was seen talking to someone called 'Rem' about 'Shinigami Eyes' and how she couldn't 'see Kira'. Rem, who was either a hallucination of Amane's mind or an actual, honest to god, Death God.
A search of her house brought up solid evidence- stamps like the ones used to mail the Kira tapes to Sakura TV, a pen with the same ink, and a notebook with paper like the paper sent with the tapes. They also found receipts for train tickets from Nagano and Tokyo (the places the tapes were sent from), as well as flower pollen from flowers that grew in the area Misa previously lived in (the flowers happen to be a type that is not found in Kantou). L knew he has the second Kira. A few more hours got everything in place, and L had Amane Misa arrested and put into solitary to get a confession.
L was disappointed. The greatest case of his career, the most brilliant mind he had played against for months, and this was how it ended? With the arrest of a blonde model? Where was the game that Light had promised him? Where was Light?
*****
[16 June, 2004]
Amane Misa still doesn't speak. That does not matter. L had found something important in Amane's belongings in her apartment. He had found Kira's murder weapon, complete with a list of names.
L had found the Death Note. With the established pattern of needing a name and a face to kill, L could imagine how killing via murder notebook worked. The perfect murder weapon. Write a name, picture a face and kill a human from the comfort of your room.
The notebook was brought to him in an evidence bag, the only person to have touched it being Mogi. L examined it, opened it's pages with white gloves on hand and tracked a finger down the list of names. There were some pages that had names alone, some had a specified cause of death and some had a date and time. L needed to find the rules of this weapon. Amane Misa was the only one who knew them. Light knew, but Light was gone and L was only left with Amane.
Hirokazu Ukita
Stark, in black on white, that name stood out. L also found the names of most of the recent Kira victims. Or what he thought were Kira victims. Two things were clear now: The first Kira, Light Yagami, only went after convicted criminals on death row or criminals who were released on a technicality, and didn't discriminate against the type of crime they committed. The second Kira, Amane Misa, went after stalkers and rapists.
When L cross-checked it with criminals killed since April 29, he found a sharp uptick in the number of criminals killed by Amane and a steady decrease in the number of criminals killed by Kira. The overall numbers remained steady, with negligible decrease, because they both nearly balanced each other out. That was why the pattern had gone unnoticed. Light was, at present, barely killing five people per day and that count was going down day by day.
L also noted, with staggering relief, that Light's name was not in the notebook. Light was not the victim of the second Kira. This was now a proven fact.
Unfortunately, this piece of information was not enough to convince the Task Force of Light being alive nor of the fact that Light is- no, was the first Kira. Light had nearly stopped his murder spree. Soon, L knew, he would stop completely. And his case would go cold without any new deaths and the first Kira never being caught. L scowled because leave it to Light to 'die' and still mar L's perfect record with an incomplete case. A cold case.
"Light-kun is too cruel," L mumbled to himself and decided to comfort himself with three pieces of strawberry cheesecake.
"It's nice to see you have your appetite back, Ryuuzaki," Wammy told him as he dug into the delicious treat. L leveled a confused look at him.
"I never lost it," L pointed out. Wammy shook his head.
"No, but you had never expressed such a fondness for Tiramisu before. For two weeks straight." L paused because Wammy had a point. L did not like coffee. He liked tea. With lots and lots of sugar.
Light liked coffee. Was a fan to the point they still had a can of the premium coffee beans he preferred. Black, bitter, no sugar and a dash of cream when he wanted to indulge himself. Just like Tiramisu.
"On second thought," L blinked up at Wammy, "I would like two slices of Tiramisu as well." Wammy sighed and uncovered the plate of Tiramisu from under the trolley. L scowled.
Wammy knew him too well.
*****
[17 June, 2004]
"Kill me," Amane Misa whimpered. "Kill me please." She begged. L wondered if she had broken after just two days. Light would have lasted longer. Days, weeks, months. In handcuffs, on the floor of his cell, hands pulled behind, shoulders taught, spine straight, hair falling in his determined eyes, a challenging smirk on his lips. Then, he would pull a turn of events so coincidental that he couldn't have had a hand in it and fooled everyone. And no one would have caught him, suspected him, except L.
Next, L would, with sufficient reason, tie Light to his side with handcuffs. Light would even agree to it and convince the Task Force to go along with a fake smile and even more fake reasoning.
L had never before realized he preferred bondage. Then again, Light in handcuffs would change anyone's tastes.
"I won't say anything. I don't want to betray Kira's secret. Please Rem, kill me." Amane cried. Tears ran down her blindfold and disappeared under her neckline. L peered at Amane from the screen. She was pretty, yes. L was a fan of her March issue of Eighteen, yes. A kiss from her would make him blush, yes. But Amane Misa was no Light Yagami. She was a candle being compared to a volcano.
L was broken out of his reverie when something soft touched his fingers. He looked down and found a piece of paper. He looked up and found a monster.
L screamed.
"Shi-Shinigami!"
"L Lawliet," the Shinigami said. It was a tall creature, white and bony, with yellow slitted eyes and purple, dreadlocked hair. "You will release Misa and you will do it now. Or I will kill you and everyone in this building."
That was very motivating. L got to it right away.
"Watari," he called his guardian. "New evidence has come to light." Gods, Light. Did he also have a Shinigami with him? "Please release Miss Amane, provide her refreshments and bring her to the meeting room."
'We will show our Shinigami to each other', the journal entry from Amane's post, implied that was the case. That both Kiras had a Shinigami.
Amane's Shinigami acted protective but Shinigami, by definition, did not sound like protective creatures. They were creatures of Death, not Life. What if Light's Shinigami was malicious? Was L really in denial and Light's Shinigami had killed him? Was Light really dead?
"Also bring in the Task Force," L said. He did not want to be in the same room as a God of Death alone. Light had been, if L put two and two together. Light really had nerves of steel and L had newfound respect for his friend. "I want a second opinion. And company. Will you be there too, Watari?"
*****
[18 June, 2004]
The talk with the Shinigami had not been enlightening. Amane Misa was not cooperative, the Shinigami followed her wishes and was doubly stubborn. That the mythical creature could kill them all with a turn of it's fingers just made things worse.
They had the murder weapon. They had a suspect proven to be the second Kira. They did not have anything else. They were being threatened by the Shinigami of the second Kira. The first Kira was still out there (it was Light and no one believed him. Well played, Light-kun), the rules of the Death Note were still a mystery, Amane remained their guest but was no longer harmed or confined in any manner and L's rooms were haunted by a God of Death.
"Ryuuzaki?" Soichiro Yagami called out. L turned his head to look at him. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yes?" L asked, curious. Soichiro looked as if whatever it was, he didn't want to ask. L waited patiently.
Finally, the older man spoke. "Sayu wants to invite Hideki Ryuga to her birthday party. Not the movie star. Your alias."
"And?" L asked again when he refused to speak any further. Soichiro coughed once to clear his throat and continued,
"What do you want me to tell her? Will you be going?" Soichiro looked like if L spoke one wrong word and broke Sayu-chan's heart, he would do something drastic. Light's 'death' had turned the man into an extremely over-protective father towards his only daughter. L knew if he made Sayu-chan sad, then it would not be only Soichiro that he would be dealing with. Light would get there much faster than the old Chief of Police.
L was tempted to say 'No' just because of that. Making Sayu sad was sure to bring Light out of the woodworks. But that would be an angry Light who would face him and L didn't want their reunion to be that way. So, L bit back his words and made the irrational decision to go to a fourteen year old's birthday.
"Yes," L said. Wammy raised one curious eye brow. L ignored him and pressed on. "Sayu-chan is Light-kun's beloved sister. I will make sure to keep her happy." Soichiro nodded grudgingly and gave the details of the party. On the other side of the room, Wammy stifled a laugh under the guise of a cough. L glared at him.
*****
[20 June, 2004]
Unlike what he had thought, Sayu Yagami's birthday party was a small, private event. The only people invited were the Yagami family, a dark haired boy named 'Kagami Taro' and L.
"Light's bastard!" Sayu yelled happily when she saw him. L stared. Soichiro and Sachiko stared. Taro stared. "Nice of you to come. And oooh, you've brought me a gift. No wonder you're Onii-san's friend."
"Sayu-chan," L asked, utterly enthralled. "Did Light-kun really call me a bastard?" Sayu nodded, making grabby hands. L handed over his gift into her hands. Then and only then did she step aside and let L further into the room. As expected of Light's sister. She needed to be appeased before allowing L inside the threshold.
"It was a compliment," Sayu explained as she unwrapped her gift. L looked over at the table, and yes, the cake was still uncut. Yagami siblings, so impatient. "He said you were a sensitive bastard and very mature. Also that you were his bastard. Or well, that was me. But only because he called Taro-kun my bastard." Sayu held up the book and grinned over at Taro. "I said it was the truth. You are my bastard, aren't you, Taro-kun?"
"Please stop saying the b-word, Yagami-chan," Taro said, voice weak. However, his eyes remained on the book Sayu was holding up. "That looks very fancy."
"B-word? I'm not saying it. I wouldn't call Hideki Ryuga a bitch. He's a bastard. There's a lot of difference," Sayu said as a matter-of-fact. L looked at her face carefully as she ran her fingers through the golden lettered 'Death Note' inscribed on the black leather cover. She looked carefree and not at all worried about the supernatural weapon she might be holding. Perhaps Light had not shared his knowledge of the Death Note with her. Nor did she react like she had seen it in Light's hands before. Then what exactly was the information Sayu was in possession of? "Very macabre. Are you a goth? You have the look."
"I am an orphan, Sayu-chan. I cannot confirm nor deny your bastard comment." L replied. In his focus over Sayu, he did not notice Kagami Taro's reaction to the book. Neither did Soichiro and Sachiko Yagami, who were trying to keep themselves contained over Sayu's cursing and insults. "Neither am I a goth. I do have a fondness for murder cases that I share with Light-kun. That's why I gave you that book. I believe Light-kun once kept a similar diary for his case notes."
"Oooh," Sayu exclaimed and opened it to breathe in the scent of fresh pages. "This is nice."
"I had not expected it of Yagami-senpai. To keep a journal. But if anyone could and would do it, it would be Yagami Light," Taro said softly and held out a hand to examine the book. He was tense. Sayu handed it over. Taro took it over and L observed that as soon as he held the notebook, the tension in his frame eased. "This is high quality."
"You seem relieved," L spoke, in his usual way that was both a comment and a question. Taro smiled wryly, a hand going into his front pocket to appear relaxed. L followed the movement to find Taro thumbing something in his pocket. A nervous tick?
"I am. Anything less than the best for Sayu-chan and Yagami-senpai will rise from the grave to kill us off," Taro commented, amused. "This is real leather. You're safe." L felt as if there was some kind of private joke the boy was making. Did he know Light was alive? Him, out of everyone? Or was it just something said in the spur of the moment?
"Yeah, Onii-san was like that. Nothing and no one could stop him once he's decided on something." Sayu laughed. "'Sayu,' he would say to me, 'humans can do whatever they put their mind to. Nothing is impossible.' And then I would tell him to talk about real humans and not aliens." Sayu shook her head and took back the diary from Taro's hands.
"That was something I told him," Sachiko Yagami said, eyes wet. She had that far away nostalgic look on her face. "When he was seven and had trouble making friends."
So, L concluded in dark amusement, it was her fault. Light took her advice to heart. That was how it started. Light started putting his all behind whatever he did. He made 'friends' and never stopped till he had everyone charmed. He killed one person and never stopped till it was in the thousands. Sachiko Yagami was the reason Light-kun was such an overachiever. He took a comment made for reassurance and turned into his creed.
"Yagami-senpai had trouble making friends." Taro had an odd look on his face. "I can't ever imagine it. Did you know, Yagami-chan?"
"Duh." Sayu shook her head. "Who do you think taught me to make friends?" Taro looked delighted and the teenage duo continued making snipes at each other. L focused on the cake.
There was something about this Kagami Taro. Something that reminded him of Light. Taro was not a criminal, not a killer and certainly not Kira. He didn't have the intensity that Light did in committing to his mask. But there was something dark lurking behind his eyes and a secret that shaped him. It was in the way he held himself, carefully controlling every spoken word, and every voiced opinion.
Kagami Taro, L concluded, would make a very good politician. Then again, so would Light.
*****
[10 July, 2004]
It didn't take much to arrange a meeting between the second Kira, Amane Misa and the first's sister, Sayu Yagami. A group discount coupon for a special dress-up event at Note Blue in Aoyama. L thought it ironic. From what he had deciphered of the Death Note and the journal sent by Amane on May 12, this place was supposed to be the meeting point of the first and second Kiras. Now, it would be that of Amane Misa and Sayu. L was sure Light would think so as well. And if not, well, he wasn't here to say otherwise and that was his fault.
Misa- "Call me Misa Misa!" for her part, was convinced to go along with the script and meet up with "someone who had known ties to the first Kira" in secret from the Task Force. All it took was dangling the prize of the first Kira's possible identity, and allowing her to go back to her job under supervision until they could find the first.
It started off well. Since the event itself was arranged by L to be 'invitation only', no one had mobbed the model when she entered the cafe. Instead, Sayu's group had taken one look at famous model 'Misa Misa' and welcomed her into their midst with open arms. After that, came the boring, inane chatter of teenage girls.
L would have to listen to it himself, all alone and only Watari for company. The Task Force wasn't brought into it. He was investigating Sayu and through her, Light's possible location. No one believed him when he said Light was alive, nor that he was Kira. No matter. L knew and he would prove it before the case went cold.
Now that he thought about it, there was no further need for the Task Force. Light had almost stopped the Kira murders and if all went according to his plans, then they would stop completely in a few days after Sayu contacted Light. Light would figure out L had caught the second Kira, Amane Misa due to the location of their meetup and that he was onto him. Light would still stop killing because at this point, there was no 'legal entity' left to convict as Kira, let alone the evidence needed to convict him, L's thoughts on the matter be damned. Then his case would go cold and be closed as unresolved.
What L needed, was to catch Sayu in her attempt to talk to Light. To find out how she does it, Light's current alias, address and contact details. Then make a plan to catch Light. As things stood, the case was at a standstill.
Because there was no first Kira to catch, no way they can punish Amane Misa without the Shinigami Rem killing them all, and no possible reason why they should expose the existence of the Death Note to the world governments, Interpol, FBI and NPA. Those people would just threaten Shinigami Rem into giving them unlimited Death Notes with Amane Misa's life on the line. A bad idea, all in all.
Light really was a man of L's firsts. His first friend, his first crush (or maybe more?), his first fake-dead friend, the first criminal to have slipped from his hands and now, the center of the first case L would have to close as cold.
If it were happening to anyone else, L would have laughed at them. As the person in question was himself, L could only console himself with the fact that if he ever caught Light after this, he would have no legalities barring him from capturing a 'dead' entity. Light had better be ready with a good explanation because otherwise he has a pair of handcuffs and tracking anklets with Light's name written on them.
Maybe a collar too, for Light and with L's name on it. If Light kept getting lost, then he certainly needed to be kept leashed.
"-Onii-san gave it to me for my birthday!" Sayu's voice said and L focused on it. "It was a bit of an early gift so I'm lucky my weight hasn't increased since then." Misa's delighted laugh came immediately after.
"The material is excellent. Is it silk? Or a silk-polyester hybrid? And oh, how is your hat so pointy? It usually takes a wholeeeee lotttt to get it that way and then it becomes a bit too stiff to be comfortable and keeps falling off. Oh, this is amazing. It's not falling off! How many pins have you used?" Misa's questions shot one after another. Sayu just grinned.
"Onii-san said it had excellent fitting. That's the secret! And yes, it's silk! Since it was a gift, it has to be good, you know. I was pissed at him and he was alllll for bankruptcy those days-" Yes, L remembered those bankruptcy-heart attack murders that happened last month. He had thought those fortune's had gone to charities with a few personal bequeathals. But knowing Light, he would have taken a part as a 'service fee' for his efforts. Light was petty like that. Soichiro had said Light did their tax returns and budgeting since he was fourteen. Had fought for it. And the family as a whole had never regretted that decision since.
L should really have paid Light for his efforts on the Task Force. Maybe he wouldn't have been so salty back then and they could have gotten closer sooner.
"Do you think I can know the address?" Misa asked, eyes shining even through the monitor screens. "I can wear one for my next cover! Oh, it would be so cool-"
"Onii-san never told me the address," Sayu grumbled. "I can look for it if he has mentioned anything in his diary. But don't get your hopes up."
"Ah!" Misa hugged the brunette. "Thanks so much, Sayu-chan. Let's exchange phone number and email so we can stay in contact." And so, a point of contact was established.
*****
[12 July, 2004]
"Hey, Ryuga," Misa Amane said, jumping on the couch next to his chair. L looked up at her blankly. He had been reading the surveillance reports on Sayu-chan and trying to figure out how she was contacting Light. Nothing had been found yet, except Sayu-chan's fondness for birds. "I've been thinking and- Sayu-chan's brother. You think he's the first Kira, right?"
"Yes," L said without bothering to conceal it. He did not mention that Light was 'dead' or that no one believed him to be Kira except L. Misa's eyes brightened and she leaned forward. "Can I see him?"
"In person?" L smirked. That was one thing he himself wanted to do but was unable to. L doubted Amane would be able to do so as well.
"Even a picture will do," Misa pressed on. "Sayu-chan is so cute. Almost as cute as Rem. And just as stylish! No, well, Rem still has more style. But still! I wonder what her brother looks like. Is he as cute as Sayu-chan?"
L brought a thumb to his lips as he thought over her words. He had never thought of Light as cute. There was a certain maturity about the younger man that made him think of 'handsome' more than cute. But if he thought of Light's facial features themselves, then objectively speaking, he would qualify as cute. Light's bearing was handsome though. Confident. And with that occasional smirk shot his way mid-way through a tennis match, Light was downright hot and deviously sexy. The kind that made L want to push him down and make that smirk go away. Or be pushed down, and have that smirk broaden into a genuine grin. Either would do. L wasn't particularly choosy.
For that, Light needed to be here. And he wasn't.
Annoyed at Light's absence once more, L opened the folder with Light's file and clicked a picture. Turning the screen, he gestured at Misa. "Here." Misa's eyes widened as she took in Light's profile.
"Oh," she breathed. She scrolled through the profile information, gaze never leaving the display. "Top student in Japan, top at To-Oh, middle school tennis champion twice and hot as hell. Tsuki-kun is perfect."
"Light," L corrected her. "His name is written as 'Tsuki' but spoken as 'Light'. Or 'Raito', if you find the 'Ls' difficult." Misa just grinned even more.
"It suits him. Misa needs to message Sayu-chan. Her brother is going to be Misa's new boyfriend, you know," the model said as she took out her phone. L looked up at her and spoke each and every word clearly.
"Get in line, Misa-san."
Misa tore her eyes away Light's profile slowly and turned her stare at L. Then, a wide teasing grin spread across her face. "I see," she sung her words. "And the line starts behind you, right? Ryuuuu-ga! San! Has a crush! On-" Misa brought up one of Light's recent images and pointed at it. "On Light!"
"Perhaps a bit more," L agreed. "I never hid it." Misa pouted.
"You're no fun, Ryuga. If you don't move soon, then someone like me will snatch up this hot piece of-" she trailed off in her words as her eyes focused on the picture on the screen. "What is up with his lifespan? Is he sick? Dead?"
L's heart skipped a beat. And then stopped. "Lifespan?" Thoughts whirled in his mind, BB's words at A's funeral. Pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "Misa-san, we never discussed. The reason you can kill with only a face is because you can see people's name and lifespan above their face?"
"Yeah," Misa said, distracted by the odd way Light's name and numbers flickered. "You can get the Shinigami Eyes by exchanging half your lifespan. Gelus, another Shinigami, died and gave me his so I had a bit too much. I didn't want to live till 300, all old and saggy. Kill me young and beautiful, I say. So, gave half my lifespan, got the eyes, job well done. One or two exchanges and I would have the perfect life I want. Hey, Rem!"
Had BB come across a Death Note and got the eyes? No, he had said he was born with it. Then, what-?
"Misa?" The Shinigami came from where she was following Watari. Watari had taken to carrying the Death Note around for safe keeping since Misa had just carried it with her everywhere. That was just asking for it to be lost or stolen. "You called?"
"Yeah," Misa nodded and pointed at Light's picture again. "His name and lifespan are weird. Is he sick or dead or something?" Rem loomed over Misa's shoulder to look at the image. L waited for her words with baited breath.
"It happens sometimes," Rem said. "Pictures can glitch if the self image of the person keeps changing. Either that, or they were killed by another supernatural existence that impacted their existence. Or maybe he is simply living under powerful wards and that is stopping even Shinigami Eyes from scrying on them." Rem shrugged, as only Shinigami can. "One or all of them works."
"If a person is dead," L pointed out, "then how could the rest of the reasons be true." Shinigami Rem turned her yellow eyes on L.
"Because L Lawliet, dead people don't have to stay dead."
*****
[19 July, 2004]
It took him five days to put the Kira case on halt, convince Misa to accompany him, take his private jet to California and schedule an appointment at the prison. Misa stayed at the hotel while L stalked through the halls of the penitentiary. He had a hunch and he didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed at the implications. The prison's warden didn't deny his request to schedule an appointment and that, L thought, was as much of a positive indicator as any.
L stopped in front of the door at the end of the hallway. The guard nodded and opened the door for him. L entered, slowly and closed the door behind him.
"Hello, Lawli," BB drawled from from the chair he was sprawled on. L walked forward silently and seated himself on the chair on the other side of BB. He toed off his shoes, pulled his legs up to his chest and leveled a blank stare at dark haired man whose burns seemed to have healed almost flawlessly. He was still half bald, the scar tissue there seeming to have prevented the growth. But his eyes were clear and red, sanity and insanity lurking in their depths almost equally.
"BB," L said. And then they stared at each other in silence. BB tilted his head, taking in the sight of L and L took a measure of his once past successor.
"You look swell," BB finally broke the silence. L nodded. "How's the Kira case going?"
"Cold," L replied shortly. There was so much more he wanted to say, so much more he wanted to know. But time was short and Misa was alone with Watari and the Shinigami at the hotel. L needed to be done here. And fast. "How are you alive?" BB laughed, a harsh low pitched sound.
"Inmates were dropping dead around me for ages," BB drew the vowels in the last word out. "Heart attack. Kira darling's doing, I suppose. I just did it to myself first before he could get there. Lo and behold, news of my death spread and I'm still alive." BB sounded proud of his actions. L hoped Light wouldn't be when he finally caught upto him.
L could feel a headache building behind his eyes at the very thought.
"What," he gritted out, "is up with all you murderers faking your deaths these days? Is this a new trend? If you don't fake your death and convince everyone you're dead, then you're not a World Class Criminal? Some sort of sick competition?" L did not even know who did it first. If Beyond failed the first time around and succeeded the next, while Light succeeded from the get go, then who was better at it? Who won and who lost? L lost, most certainly. And why is he even thinking about it?
"I just wanted to survive Kira and get out of the system," BB defended myself. He sounded utterly unrepentant of the emotional turmoil he had put L through for months. "A new, clean slate and all. Though I'm still inside. Nowadays, it's safer that way. But I'm curious. Who else faked their deaths and got onto your nerves? The unflappable, emotionless L?"
"Kira," L hissed out. He was angry at both Light and BB for their thoughtless actions. If Rem hadn't told him 'dead people don't have to stay dead' and got him to reconsider his world view, then he would have never figured out his past successor and almost friend was alive. BB blinked once. Twice. And then laughed uproariously.
"Hence your case going cold," BB managed to speak out between bouts. "I'm both pissed and impressed. This guy managed to do something even I failed at. He deserves the title of the World's Greatest Criminal. That was supposed to be my spot." BB tilted his head and looked at L with insanity in his eyes. "Tell me you know who he is. Tell me you got his name. Or as they say in the States, tell me his name, address and social security number."
"BB," L said calmly. "I know you're not as insane as you pretend to be. I have information about your eyes. In exchange, I want information from you." BB sat back in his chair calmly. The insanity there was gone, replaced by determination.
"Well then," BB drawled. "Let's talk terms. I'm done here. I. Want. Out." L was surprised because six months ago, BB was perfectly happy to stay where he was. What had changed since then? Why do his suspects keep changing? First Light and now BB. Was some new age of enlightenment for criminals wave going around?
"I already proposed terms," L countered. He had to fight back at this time or BB would take control of this negotiation and take him for all he's worth. "Information about your eyes in exchange for information from you on how your eyes work. That was the deal." BB shook his head.
"Now see here," BB raised his hands. "I do want to know more about these fantastic eyes of mine. But I couldn't care less about the hows and whys. I have lived with them till now and while it has been painful and traumatizing, it's nothing I can't handle. Which means, you want something from me more than I do from you. And I. Want. Out."
"Where would you even go?" L pointed out. "On the run?" He shook his head and asked sarcastically. "Back to Wammy's?" BB looked at him in silence for a while before answering.
"Yes."
Hope unfurled in L's chest unlike ever before.
"Tomorrow." L said eventually, overcoming the shock. "Don't run off before then."