Death Note Fan Fiction / Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Another Note: Kira's Ghost ❯ Crime and Punishment ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"You fucking monster!"

"Abomination!" Called another faceless, even genderless voice.

The swell of hot black circled the room like a tornado, twisting and twirling, drawing in all and any breathable air. Blocking out all view from within and without the home.

"What have you done?! Kiraaa? Kiiiirraaaa?!" A woman called, her hands raised up in the air. "Fly our saviour! Swoop down your wrath upon these non-believers!"

A man standing beside the woman grimaced. Even as a supporter of Kira the world was divided. The supporters and the nutbar worshippers. Exhibit the woman trying to summon Kira to punish the fire starters. "Let's get the hose from the side of the house." He rushed towards the burning home in search of the garden hose. "Ahh!" He staggered backwards when the downstairs window busted open from the sweltering rumbling inside the hot box. The glass caught him in the face, blood dribbled down his face, getting in his eyes, blinding him with pain.

"I hope you rot in Hell!" The woman literally spit in his direction. Well, general direction. There would have to be some serious wizardry going on for that spit to get anywhere near the god who is a decider of deaths.

"What the hell is this?!" A tone of authority bellowed. "That's the Yagami home. Ms. Yagami lives there with her daughter."

"That's right," agreed another neighbor, who just showed up to the random mob scene in the once peaceful neighborhood. Guy goes for a jog, grabs a muffin and a hot chocolate, just to come home to this anarchy.

"Burn!" Began a chant. "Burn! Burn!"

"Yeah! Burn!"

"Burn the beast!"

"You'll be sorry for having done this; you can't kill our savior,"

"Yeah, what have you got against peace, you murderous asshole?"

"Who are you calling murderous?" The man shoved the woman who'd spoken out into the brick wall that surrounds the house. "Think of how many lives your precious God has taken."

"All bad people, murderers… He's saved more lives than were taken."

"That's bull!" spat the fired up man who'd shoved, and looked prepared to do it again should the woman stand. "Some of those people deserved a second chance?"

Hand on her bruised cheek, the shoved woman slowly got to her feet. "Like who? The rapists? The child molesters? …They've never killed anyone, maybe they could change!" Her sarcasm was both cheered and equally scoffed at.

"And what do you think the R.C. is for?"

"Those places are a load of crap!"

"That's right," a woman agreed. "My uncle was shoved into one for stealing batteries."

"First batteries, then lives!"

"Shut up!"

A fire truck eased to a stop a car down from the home. Men and women workers file out of the large flashing vehicle dragging hoses, and searching for a hydrant. A tow truck came through behind them and the driver worked quickly to move the vehicles blocking the burning area. Another truck arrived sliding in where one of the neighborhood cars was removed. A few other residents were instructed to move their cars breaking up the crowd only a little. The mob scene became worse when the media arrived.

"Cameras rolling in five... four... three.. two.." The camera points at the field reporter.

"Good afternoon, I'm Abe Ken, live on the scene of a mob." He's momentarily off screen while the mob is being shown. "It's been going around that this is the home where Kira lives, a man not of myth or monstrous power, but a simple man; one needing home and shelter as the rest of us."

"He's no man!" A bystander protests, having somehow overheard over the noise.

"Can we get in closer?" He walks over to the pissed pedestrian. "What makes you say that? What brought you here?"

Grinning, and brushing his hand across his chin as he looks into the camera, the agitator states. "I heard about this guy, Yagami Li, something or other, thought I'd check it out. Then I see the place going up, and thought it was a pretty sweet way to spend the afternoon, watching a murderer get what's coming to him."

Those who agreed cheered.

"Isn't that just what Kira is doing for us?!" Preached another man, who also received cheers.

"Oh be quiet," snarls a near elderly woman. "It's completely different. He's not just getting rid of the killers and crooks, he's telling us how to exist- or else."

"Yeah!" The anti-Kira fans cheered, some patting the old woman on the back for speaking out.

They watched as the firemen begin their job of extinguishing the flames. Good thing no one is inside the home.

...

"Mmm.." He greedily cheered the nourishment.

It was a real hassle finding a store with American items so he could pick up real jam, and not that compressed red bean or some type of nut or other fruit that the Japanese consider jelly. They don't really care for the stuff, it's not their fault. But that helps his craving none. But, he remembers the location and store name, so satisfying his fix is not a problem anymore. He'd once spared a man his death, his timer had gone back up, because upon waiting for him to come home from work he found an exquisite jar of All Fruit in his fridge. He walked out of the man's home, patting him on the back and thanking him for being considerate. His own Axman's Jazz scenario, the fiendish killer agreed not to kill anyone whose home was playing jazz upon his stroll through the neighborhood. If more victims produce good strawberry jam for him, he images he'd have to retire.

Beyond stuffed his hand into the jar of thick strawberry jam, the clumps of berries made him smile as they felt like a plump eyeball. Cannibals, bleh! Now there's a killer he just cannot understand. He once took an eyeball and bit into it. He was spitting and rinsing for an hour, even after down two jars of jam he could still taste the taint and feel the resistance it held between his teeth.

He once heard a rumor about himself being presumed a cannibal, in a conversation with one of Wammy's many alphabet children; the girl didn't know it was him because at the time he was posing as a dental nurse. A young boy went under and never came out of the gas. The firm was sued. Totally not his fault! He'd heard the boy was allergic to latex, and he just happened to forget to wash his hands after slipping on a pair from the last patient. Oops. He died of asphyxiation ten minutes into the root canal. He wasn't cut out to be a dental assistant anyway.

And they were all so boring, either talking about the patient or each other, someone in their neighborhood as if they all live on the same section of row houses. Boooriiing! He wasn't long for many jobs after Wammys which is why he became a private detective. Much more lucrative and entertaining. Something entertaining is on the news now.

B cocked his head to the side taking in the images on the screen. 'That looks like the Yagami home…' Listening to the reporter, he learns that it in fact is the Yagami home. 'Why would the burn Light's house?'

The fire teams have ushered the townspeople away from the building to spectate across the street.

"Kira, I'm sorry! It's not me!" A woman babbled.

'Kira? Oh don't tell me that word's gotten out?' He snorts. 'Pretty crafty; most likely the work of the Ms.' He clapped sticky, bright violet stained hands together for their show of initiative to put Light's face around and have the people shoo him out of hiding. 'That place is really going up. Good thing he's not at home..'

"I see someone through the window!" A man shouted, the camera just caught a glimpse of the guy before sweeping to where his finger is pointing.

Beyond deadpanned as he spotted Light through the window just before he disappeared. "...You've got to be kidding me.." Oh well. He was almost enjoying his day. Trouble free. Carefree and behaving as his usual self. Not a lackey of the soon-to-be deceased in real-time Kira.

The jar of jam is dropped into the nearest recycling bin, and in a quick act of vanishing that spooked a mother and child he sprouted wings and hurried to the inferno.

0 0 0

Matt got a signal off of L's cellphone. It was casting from a singular location. Never mind the hospital, never mind Near. Mello could be contacted once he's gone and checked things out. This is L, he has to go to him. He could be in danger if B has found him.

The slender car arrived at a gothic manor with a screech that would turn heads thinking they were about to witness a car crash; the driver leaped from the vehicle, the door was left ajar as he bolted for the home. Drawing his pistol, he held it ready to fire as he crept in through the opened door. The place stank of death and rot, and strangely there was a pleasant linger of something sweet tea for certain, living in England the smell is engraved as a sensory detect, but there was another with it.

'What in holy Hell?' His gaze darted everywhere, taking in all he could of the entryway.

Limbs hung as macabre art from the walls, all fake because human flesh doesn't look polished even with oil based lotions. They're marionette pieces, glued into huge picture frames, or constructed to be some deformed statue in a corner. Matt cringed inside seeing the small door knobs that are baby heads dipped in copper. Lucky he's wearing gloves. B wouldn't be that sick? Rumors miss the mark nearly every time due to exaggeration. But he felt wrong about that theory when he'd opened up the door to a library, where a table was overturned a platter of cookies and tea a mess, books were everywhere, along with blood. Spatters and splatters of blood. So much deep, dark, dead red.

"L!" The only sound in the completely dead home. Not even the flies hung around to create a buzz of commentary as they feasted on what remains they liked.

Looking around in the darkness he then saw him. Sprawled out in a weird twist, eyes closed, body immobile.

"No. No." He hurried over to him. "No, L!" Smacking his cheeks through little pats, he tried to revive him. But it did not work. He held him in his arms, tenderly, lovingly. He rocked his mentor to comfort not just himself, but the lifeless body that went alone from this world. An ambulance was called. No rush. And then his mentor. His wanted friend.. was gone... It wasn't even that long ago, but his heart feels like it's been there for forever.

Matt in the present blinked away the too present past event, then turned his gaze towards Mello.

"Can you fathom the level of sick you'd have to be to actually want Kira in this world, doing what he's doing?" Mello wondered out loud, unintentionally to himself; he was talking to Matt, but his partner in more than life is a million miles away right now, although he's looking at him.

The blond M is watching the multitude of televisions for anything involving Kira that isn't fan gushing through weird commercial ads depicting Kira as some sort of true deity or others showing the disgust towards the murderer, asking the people to cease their allowance of a tyrant to tell them how to live. Those he does not mind, however, they come off a bit whiney in their approach. Not to mention, they didn't fully think it through when adding: is this how we want our children to grow up?

People being able to trust that their kid can walk to and from school unharmed is exactly the kind of world you want. But to be forced into boot camps just because you happen to raise your voice at some idiot, is inhuman. A forced peace is a false peace, even if it's strictly internal.

Since giving away Kira's alleged identity, there hasn't been much to report insofar as finding out his location. But that was an hour ago, and word spreads quickly over the internet and soon there wasn't one station of channel or radio not flashing Light Yagami's picture. Reporters, old friends, old girlfriends, even a former neighbor from an area Light's family moved away from before the world's most notorious killer could even read his own name.

"He was always so polite, never cried that much as a baby or infant." The elderly neighbor was practically bragging.

He supposed if he were a commoner, and crazy enough to believe the lunacy of Kira's ideals, he'd be preening that he knew Light, even if it were only briefly. He could gag when channel 6 went over Yagami's achievements in academics, physical education, and citizenship. Hn. Take a look at him now, policing behavior instead of getting along with it.

"Fucking child." He muttered.

A suck-shit part of the job is that he can't turn off the tv or change channels due to an unsavoury which he doesn't care to hear about. He has to learn about the freak in order to stay one step ahead of him. At this point he'll take 15 feet behind him, because all this nothing is really getting old.

Mello sat upright from the relaxed lean back he has in the posh buruque chair. It would seem they've snagged a fish in their net. The media in Japan is in a frenzy over something. Oh. A house fire. He slumped back into a bored posture; however, his attention went back to the television when the word Kira flashed across the stream of words in the closed captions.

Turning up the volume on that monitor, he listened carefully. It could be a false alarm, and the field anchor is merely saying the house fire is the work of Kira continuing his work. It happened in Germany when a plane was reported to have crashed. Hn. A plane crash being Kira's doing would certainly tarnish the reputation of a "do-gooder", as there was no way an entire plane could be filled with criminals to be punished. More than some innocent people would lose their life.

"He's in there!" A man pointed. "Look, in the window!"

"Stay back!" One of the firemen shouted.

Mello doesn't have to wonder if Near is seeing this. They're all watching the news channels, always. He'd hate to think he was someone genuinely into television. He'd never really get to watch anything for enjoyment. It'd be a pastime wasted.

"Very clever walling Kira in to force him out Mello," came the aforementioned detective's smooth voice. He walked into the office space and stood behind his self-appointed, though not by himself, rival.

"I thought so. He's been using the cover of no one knowing about him long enough. Let's see how the world takes it when they find out he's no real god."

"And when they learn about the death note?"

Mello shrugged his shoulder although it looked more like a tension rolling of the blade. "It's unlikely anyone will get their hands on one; chances of another Shinigami dropping one out of the sky because someone asks for it is slim."

That's true. Since Kira's original reign and defeat, there haven't been any outburst of death note usage. And if anyone has found one, it was used privately as a one or two times deal then never again. Any sensible person would test it out, then dispose of it upon finding out what it is.

"Do you think Light really is in there?" he watched the captions go across the bottom of the screen.

It's the Yagami home alright. That's insanity! How can they do that? Doesn't Ms. Yagami still reside there? And Sayu Yagami? Who would light the home on fire so carelessly?

"The 50 are responsible for the fire." Near proclaims.

"Why?"

"Why not? They're anti-Kira, setting his house on fire wouldn't be too far from their convictions. What would you do if finding out about your worst enemy's resting place?"

Mello knew the answer to that, but he remained silent. No need to depict the landscape of a nuke zone.

Near looked over at Matt, who is still sitting in a daze. Walking over, he took a seat across from him in one of the arm chairs. "Are you alright?"

"What?"

"Or would a better question be, what's gotten into you?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just spacing out."

Near found that to be a bold-faced lie. He's no expert on what Matt does when truly spacing out, but he's certain one aspect involves a handheld game console of some model. Leaned back in his chair, the wooden legs in front catching some air in the process, while the redhead watches smoke drift to the ceiling from his second cigarette. Matt doesn't just.. turn into a paste eater.

Standing, he attempts to look into the gamer's eyes, but Matt refused to meet them, and shoved the albino haired detective away from him. "Solve some other mystery, like where Kira is."

The clencher. Something was up. "He's been found." He looked over his shoulder at the monitor.

Matt got up from the couch and crossed to where Mello is seated. A riot. A fire. A guy checks out for an hour and this is what he wakes to... Anarchy.

"Looks like it's back to Japan." Mello looked over his shoulder, spotting his partner before getting up. "Come on. Fuck packing."

"Okay."

"Matt?"

"What?" He paused his retreat.

"If anything is wrong, something you can't tell Mello.. you can talk to me."

Matt scoffed, then gave a nod, but mumbled "Right" as he departed through the door.

0 0 0

There is just no way it can be true? Is what police chief Aizawa thought when he heard on the news and over the radio, that Kira's identity was outed. But that was a victory, he was ready to arrest whatever imitation of the true murderer was out there, to make him or her pay for what they'd done to Matsuda, but all over speculating and accusing name was only one. Light Yagami. But, there was just no way. He was killed. Shot dead. His body lay stone stiff in an abandoned warehouse, plastered to the metal steps. Not even half the way up; his stairway to Heaven lay cold and impassable to him. So what happened? What went wrong? Damn it all! There was just NO WAY. But one thing is for sure, he was going to bring in quite a few guilty people, because someone set the Yagami home on fire. Regardless of how he feels about the lying murderer, that is the family home of his former chief Soichiro Yagami. And he cannot let that go unpunished.

The patrol car flashes its lights, there was no need for the siren; the flare of red and blue flickered and bounced off the walled in area.

"Break this up, now!" his voice hollered over the commotion of the onlookers.

Mogi was shocked by the horror of a fire. He'd never get used to such a grisly thing as a burning building.

"You're holding us back," one man shouted as the police set up wooden barriers before the crowd. "But that guy is nice and close."

There was a collective inner "Huh?!" amongst the rioters as they watched a tall, but hunched over young man or possibly he's older? It's hard to tell at the distance, stroll casually into the burning building.

Aizawa was seeing ghost, truly. That lawbreaker looked like L. He recalled some computer graphed nonsense going on air not long ago, someone posed as L saying he supports Kira, right before giving his life to him. L died. Only the police knew that back then, which is how the poser was able to get away with. Discrediting the video was impossible, because they would have to disclose information that the world's greatest detective has already lost his life to the sadistic serial killer. So who is that?

"Sir, you can't go in their! It's dangerous!" A fireman warned deaf ears.

Beyond, hands in his pocket, and in no real rush, walked steadily into the burning building, and up to Light's burning bedroom. He's likely already exited the home and the footage is a repeat from a little earlier.

A nameless bystander, a Kira worshipper, fidgeted amongst the gathering. He's had enough. "I'm with that guy! Kira! Kira, I'm coming!"

"And don't forget me!"

"Me too! I wanna die with Kira!" Called out a man, who'd completely missed the point as to why the others were heading into the sweltering heat.

The air inside would suffocate and kill most, if lucky give them complications for a hospital to sort out; however, B doesn't have to worry about such things as oxygen because he's already deceased- give or take the Resting In Peace part. Whistling, he looked left then right. Which room was Light's? He's about to head to the master bedroom when a banging sound caught his attention. Wandering over he placed his ear to the wall then backed up when hearing a loud bang. Licking the pad of his thumb, he brushed an X onto the wall, then after rolling up the sleeves of his deep-brown knitted shirt he punched a hole into the wall. He repeatedly beat into the drywalling. He caught Light Yagami's panicked gaze for a second before the black fumes shoved his visual out of the way in order to escape first. Never mind women and children, smoke claimed right of way always.

Luckily Light's hand shot through the opening reaching for help, that was thankfully swiftly offered.

Once he was out of his closet and in the moderately breathable hallway, Light fell at B's feet coughing and trying to catch his breath. He was then hoisted up and laid to rest over Beyond's broad shoulder. The Semi-gami carried his partner down the stairs of the lit-up home. He was headed for the back exit. Wings expanded he used them to create a burst of wind to send the smoke and flames from their path.

"Is this enough for you my king?" A woman called to the dark ceiling as the flames began to eat up her legs.

Her screams were just awful, and so were the others. Loud and strangled then low and gone. What were they all doing? Wondered the private detective in B. Are they really so into Kira's plans that they'd sacrifice their self in belief that their lost life will save Kira's, which to them would surely be taken by the fire? Or perhaps, too late, did they think to run inside and save him before the fire got so out of control that the rescue workers are now cutting away the front of the building, and trying desperately to mainly save the neighborhood rather than the burning building that is beyond hope. The fire can only be contained until the house is fully gone. Whatever the cause, B wished that eyes could have built-in cameras. The art of these burning, screaming people is too beautiful just to commit to memory.

A disoriented groan from Light brought his rescuer back to his senses and he continued out of the building through the cleared path, which collapsed soon after their departure.

Light coughed and gasped, and spat the burnt taste of ash from his dry mouth. He looked beat. B watched with interest as the coming God fought through respiratory failure.

"Where were yo.." His raspy words caught in his throat, a cough doesn't allow him to finish the sentence.

"Assuming that you were fine. Where else?" Stooping down; he reached out and rubbed Light's back. "Can I get you to a hospital?"

"What hospital could I possibly go to?! My face will be recognized!" He smacked away the unneeded coddling.

"Did you not see the blind love that you received back there? Those people threw themselves into flames for you. I'm sure you'll have supporters at the hospital who will keep your being their nice and discreet."

"For everyone that cares about Kira, there's an equal or greater amount who don't." Having finally caught his breath, he snapped. "Who do you think started the fire? It only took flashing my photo and an assumption." He leaned over and vomited.

That seemed to be the cure; he doesn't feel any better, but he's not as dizzy. However, he knows he's in no shape to move.

Slipping his arm around the fallen God's torso, he draped Light's arm around his shoulders and in one good leap he took to the sky to fly him to a safe location to heal.

"He's flying!" Shouted someone from the crowd.

"Look at that! Get a shot of it!" The field reporter pointed; his voice was bordering on excitement and pure terror. There's just no way he's seeing what he's seeing. Well, actually it was a moment that happened too quickly, but he's sure he just saw the alleged Kira's unconscious body flying through the sky.

….

"I'd like to know what you thought you were doing going into the closet like you had." B set Light's limp, but very much still filled with life, body down onto a gurney.

He brought them into a warehouse downtown from the suburban area. An abandoned building away from the mafia district, so he's nowhere near the docks. That's the last thing he needs is to be busting heads of mafioso who realize Kira's squatting in their midst while recovering from a house fire. He wasn't worried about himself getting hurt. Ha! There was a laugh riot. No. His concern was for Light; he might get carried away fending off the unwell-wishers and a few could slip by a do away with his project.

"A simple call. Can you hang on for a moment?" Asked the Semi-gami.

Light gagged when feeling a tube going down his throat.

"Think of it as an endoscopy, sorry. But, we have to get the carbon monoxide out of you before you asphyxiate." Looking at the patient, he asks. "Can you hear me?"

He would call Light Yagami on being overly dramatic, but as someone who had people fighting for his life after a fire, which he'd set upon himself, he knows it's ferociously painful and dangerous just from breathing it in. Nose hairs are singed, so you're still breathing in harmful fumes from smoke having clung to the hairs in your nostrils. Any bit of smoke left in your lungs could spell trouble if not the sweet release of death.

"Aww." He used the end of his shirt to wipe the damp corners of Light's eyes. "Are you crying, or is that tear duct leakage from the fire?"

Light remained unresponsive. He imagined what he would be saying, if he was able. Imitating Light's voice he says. "What were you doing? You abandoned me, and for what? More murders! I could have died! Do you even care? Maybe we should go our separate ways!" He hummed in thought. Walking over to a payphone he removed the receiver and dialed a number. In his own voice he says. "Believe it or not, Yagami, I do care. And you'd be making a grave mistake wanting away from me."

The line picked up.

"Not many people use this number."

"I don't want to now, but I need you."

"For?" asked a lazy drawl.

"A friend."

After filling his contact in with the information he needs to bring the items necessary to help Light, he watched over the patient until someone better suited arrived to take over.

It was him! It was really and truly Light Yagami! Aizawa and Mogi are at a pause just staring each other in the eye. Having rounded up the remaining living rioters they returned to the station to question them to see who had burned down the Yagami home, and nearly the entire neighborhood! The hoodlums. But, so far no one is talking. And so, now they stand, staring in the brief standstill of trying to find some footing on the shaking ground.

He's angry. Extremely angry. So he can understand that level of rage of wanting to end a life; after what had happened to Matsuda, he knows now is by the original Kira's hands, he would like to release a rounds off into the guy himself. But there was no sense in burning the home where his family lives.

With any luck, he'll be able to pull it off and kill him. This can't go on for as long as it had previously. Kira went years killing people, scaring the common man with his otherworldly mystic. The idea of Light coming back from the dead as a death God was too sickening.. too frightening to fathom. And who was that guy back there going into the house? Why did he walk into that building?

They'll have the answers soon enough once the autopsy reports come back from the burn victims. He can't believe this is starting all over again.

Going to Japan. It was as if this whole Kira saga was starting all over again!

Unlike the Ms, Near's team packed a light back and boarded a plane for Japan. They're currently watching for them to come around on the luggage claim. Near, sitting on a rather comfortable leather chair awaiting Gevanni or Rester to bringing his luggage along, listened to a few whispers from the people around him. Some of them spoke about Light. It was all some government gimmick to put a face to the name so people would relax. Others mumbled about how devilish the man really looked. Wasn't Lucifer said to be handsome?

Some were talking about him; they wondered if he was sick, most likely because of the anti-bacterial mask he's wearing and his white hair, and slow pace. Some people thought he might be a celebrity, the dyed hair, the covered up face, the team of men and women that look like security and managerial detail.

His dark gaze slid to the red head beside him. He supposed Misa Amane would be seen as his older girlfriend.

"We've got the bags. A van is on its way." Gevanni states as he took a seat beside his boss. His gaze brushed over then past Near to their unwanted guest. "Are you sure it was a good idea, bringing her?"

"She shouldn't stayed behind in Guildford." Near whispered. "She's too crafty. We don't know if her lost memories are real or a ruse. Now that she knows Light Yagami is alive, she'll most likely do anything to contact him. We need to keep our enemies manageable."

It wasn't only Light Yagami that could be played upon, but B as well. He had Misa for a reason, they eventually will gain the answer to the mystery either from Amane or Beyond when he figures it out that they have her. She truly could be the key to killing the demi-god. Especially if her words are truth, that B had killed her, not just once but over and over again. An ability like his own.

"At least she's behaving." Mumbled the agent in a dour tone.

Misa Amane, for all the flaws she has, has been surprisingly good after they've finished interrogating her. Treating her like a normal, though captive, woman has paid off in the good fortune. She didn't even protest to having her hair dyed any color other than blonde. That and the sunglasses, surely no one will recognize her. Either she's got a scheme waiting in the wings or she's lost her will to fight anymore of anything.

"The van has arrived," Rester grabbed a suit case, and Near's stuffed pig.

The group migrated through the building to the exit, after piling away their belongings they climb into the vehicle and head into the city.

"Are you going to kill him?" Misa asked this to anyone listening. "I.. need to know."

"Yes." His bland expression held no sympathy for the Devil's bride.

"...You shouldn't."

"We have little reason not to."

"I remember something that that monster man had said, he was talking to himself after having beaten me... He must have thought I was dead at the time or unconscious.."

He said nothing to encourage her to continue speaking, but he showed that she held his attention by keeping his eyes on her.

"He said now that he knows the truth, he's going to leave me alone. He won't kill me, not unless he has to. For now, he'll dangle a carrot in front of Kira. ...You said that Light is Kira.. What do you think he meant By dangling a carrot? Am I the carrot? Was he going to use me tohurt Light?" She dramatically slappedher hands to her cheeks in exclamationed wonder.

Near has no way of knowing something like that. Unless...

'Could he mean that whatever has turned him into a demi-god, he's done to Misa because he's planning to do it to Light? To make Kira an immortal? A true god? Has he killed Misa to test out if it will work no matter the circumstances of death?" He momentarily paused in thought. Is B done with Misa, and left her behind because she's no longer useful? He's ready now to immortalize Light Yagami. They need to find them. Now should have been days ago.

0 0 0

"Haven't you ever gone to a theme park, or even to the movies just for fun?" Light asked L one muggy afternoon.

"I have no interest in those things. Why? Do you like that sort of thing, Light?" His show of interest always seemed to place a fingertip to his lips, as if he's holding in childlike laughter at something he finds to be ridiculously funny.

"Don't most teenagers and guys my age?" His gaze went up to the unforgiving sky that held not a cloud in it's ice blue glow.

"It would seem that Light studies people as much as I do," L mumbled to himself. "He rarely answers for himself, just a disassociated declaration about the general public." He smiled sweetly. "You'd make a great world leader with that sort of mentality."

"What? Like a man of the people? A Kira?" His gaze now falls upon a different glare; one sometimes far too bright to look at. And it's always, as since their meeting each other, glaring down on him. "Try all you want Ryuzaki, but you're not going to get me to confess to being someone that I'm not. I wouldn't murder anyone."

"Not even if it were for someone? To protect them."

"Accidental manslaughter, perhaps. But I wouldn't consciously seek to kill someone, not even if it were to protect someone, myself included."

"I would kill, if it meant for my own safety… I would never lose my life for someone else trying to keep theirs'."

"And how many times have you had to take a life to keep your own?"

L rocked his head left to right in thought, then resting his posture with his head tilted back he confessed. "Outward? None. Inside… dozens."

Light locked eyes with L, when the detective straightened his seated posture so that he could gauge his reaction. He was met with the briefest glare before Light's gaze softened, and he asked in all seriousness.

"Have you ever killed me?"

"Yes." L popped his neck as if he were gearing up mentally for the pitfall of the confession. "Once, when your father landed in the hospital from stress, the second when you brought Amane into the picture… And just now."

"What are you talking about, I haven't done anything?"

"You lied to me, when answering my question." His black eyes pierced deeply into Light's mirrored color. "You kill yourself every single day with a lie."

Light's hand clenched into a fist. However, he remained silent.

"You won't stop your suicide until you've hurt, just as deeply, whomever or what has hurt you."

Biting his tongue, Light stood from the patio chair. "I'm going inside, I'll roast to death out here."

"I'll come with you; I'll be wherever you are." He held up his arm to expose the length of chain between them. "Even when you roast to death."

Light walked through the spacious room to the bathroom. Inside, he turned on the water then washed the sweat from his face and neck.

Watching him, from behind not in the mirror, L comments. "You're upset?"

"Of course I'm upset. This is beginning to be everyday with you." Light, calmed and returned to his sangfroid when dealing with a serial accuser, looked at the detective through the mirror. "Killing people is wrong, especially if it's just because you can." Turning, he sighed. "It's why I'm so adamant about catching Kira. He needs to be made accountable for his ongoing crime. And I can be acquitted of never having committed them." Moving away from the sink and out of the bathroom. "We need to get back to work."

Raising his fist in the air, he cheered with a monotone of enthusiastic. "Good. I'm happy to see your determination to catch a killer."

Smiling, he mocked in a chide. "I'm surprised you don't tell me just to walk back into my cell."

"Not at all. I want to catch this Kira as well." He climbed into the seat before his laptop.

"This Kira." He scoffed. "I'll prove you're wrong,"

L, hiding his smile, replied. "Please do."

And he meant that. He doesn't want to be right. At least this one time.

Light, present, inhaled noisily.

"You're up." It was a voiced observation, not a question.

"That explains the nightmares." Responded Light, removing the breathing mask from his face. "Why are you dressed like that?" By that he means L. The murderer had also spoken in L's voice.

"I thought you might like it, to be nursed back to health by a loved one."

"I didn't love him."

B shrugged his hand. Getting up from the stool, he goes about examining the patient.

"I'd heard another voice while I was out. Who was here?" Never mind where here is, it's safe. Safe is always good.

"Someone who owes me many favors."

Sitting up; glad he can breathe as per usual, he asked. "You trust him not to rat on me?"

"The only thing he has against Kira, is that he couldn't kill his abusive mother himself."

Light blinked away the phantom of his own voice saying that killing is wrong. "How long was I out for?"

"Say "aaa" and lift your tongue." He shoved a thermometer under Light's tongue. "A week. Long enough to heal, long enough for the rat-pack to arrive, and long enough to create a buzz that you've been scared off."

Light shoved away the doctoring. Sliding from the bed, he was happy and annoyed to find himself in a hospital gown. He does not like the idea of being dressed by anyone but himself. However, it wouldn't do to still be in the clothes he wore in the fire. He can still feel the heat, he can still see the flames dancing in his bedroom and through the opened door. He had nowhere to go but into his closet. The plan was to go through the wall, he didn't count on lacking anything to create a hole, so he'd gone back into his bedroom and yanked free a curtain rod to use, alerting the crowd who cheered for his death. And they wonder why Kira is vengeful. What they did was deplorable! His home... gone.. What about his mother and Sayu?

"I wanna talk to them.. the people.. I think it's a good thing that they know my face and name. I shouldn't have hid from them. I should talk to them, make them see that I'm not Lording it over them."

"And if that doesn't work?"

If that doesn't work, then maybe it's time Light, or rather Kira, sees things through a different set of eyes...

Noticing Kira's gazing into his Shinigami eyes, B couldn't help but grin.

X x X

Commentary: Thank you for reading, it's late but still allowed since it's January, and early for the readers in China but Happy New Year. Have a really good one. Safe and healthy. You deserve it.

This story is coming to a close, not too soon but not too far either. So really, you're all the best.