Death Note Fan Fiction / Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Bohemian Rhapsody ❯ Part II: Ballad ( Chapter 2 )

 

Task headquarters felt almost unbearably empty without the rest of the Kira investigators present. With the Kira case solved, however, the police officers were all able to go back to their regular jobs. It was strange—not seeing Soichiro work at a computer, or seeing Raito mirror his father's diligence, or seeing Matsuda bother Mogi when he wanted a break.

 

Soichiro had requested to see Raito while he was in confinement, but L had adamantly refused—he had a feeling allowing that would be quite disastrous. He did, however, give Soichiro permission to visit headquarters today and inquire about Raito's sentence. L imagined Soichiro hoped to see his son one last time before his death sentence.

 

L had no intention of allowing that to happen.

 

But in any case, L needed to read Raito's statement soon. He could keep Soichiro—or Raito—waiting forever.

 

He ingested a morsel of the strawberry cheesecake, savoring the sugary taste in his mouth.

 

To tell the truth, L was procrastinating. He never procrastinated. He was a hard worker who, when on a mission, would utilize his full capabilities and resources until the task was finished.

 

He didn't want to read Raito's statement. He was afraid he wouldn't like what he read.

 

L seldom personally knew the criminals he apprehended. Besides Raito, B was the only other. Of course, this difference added a new dimension to both of those cases. It simultaneously made things easier and harder—easier because he knew and understood the suspects more intimately, and harder because they too knew L—much more than L was comfortable with.

 

Raito and B were no ordinary criminals. Even at risk of his own death, L would do whatever it took to capture criminals and ensure Justice was served.

 

It was interesting how many parallels L could draw between the Los Angeles BB Murder cases and the Kira case—the way the perpetrators taunted L, the mind games, the manipulation. And, of course—Naomi Misora. Naomi had been an asset to the BB case; she had even realized B's plan to commit suicide in order to make it seem like he had been a victim, therefore making the case impossible for L to solve. During the Kira case, it seemed that she had uncovered incriminating information about Raito, and unfortunately, Raito had killed her before she had made it to the police.

 

There was one major difference between Raito and B, however—their motive.

 

B had only been interested in proving that he was superior to L—and thereby proving that he was the greatest criminal in the world. Raito, on the other hand, had a genuine interest in making the world a better and safer place. His intentions—though misguided—were not selfish like B's. Arrogant, yes, but never selfish.

 

This disparity in motive posed a problem for L.

 

He couldn't deal with Raito the same way he dealt with B. Justice had to be brought to Raito, to Kira—but throwing Raito into prison like he threw B into prison would not be serving Justice.

 

That was why Raito's statement was so important. Raito's perspective of his part in the Kira case would determine his fate.

 

If there really was no hope for him, L would be able to discern that from the teenager's writing. But that was the worst case scenario. If that happened, what would L do with Raito?

 

L stood, leaving his strawberry cheesecake unfinished. He needed to read Raito's statement right now.

 

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tbc

 

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