Don't even say it. I'm working very hard on not indulging in so many ploybunnies...but you see how effective that is. Any way...I'm trying DeathNote now, with some severe crossovers appearing as extras. And yes, I know that my character seems quite MarySue-ish. She's got a bit of MarySue in her. So sue me. I know I have portrayed these added characters in highly OC ways. I know i am totally massacreing DeathNote. I know I should be paying more attention to the others. The trouble is, I'm having a really hard time being good and doing that. I am very sorry.
Also, I am aware that there is no period of time that is capable of containing this plotline. Therefore, I suggest you assume that this story occurs in an alternate timeline. If anything drastic outside the original storyline happens, I will inform you. I thank you for reading this ridiculous note and suggest you get on with the story now.
"This is hopeless!" As usual, it was Matsuda who managed to voice the collective thoughts of the entire task force.
"Not entirely," L mused. He stacked a couple more sugar cubes on the handle of his teacup.
"Not entirely? We've hit a dead-end, Ryuzaki. That makes it hopeless. We also have had no new leads or hints. That doesn't help. We don't have anything to fall back on, and we are stuck. It looks pretty hopeless to me."
"An avenue of escape still exists, but I'd rather not use it."
"If it exists, then I suggest you tell us what it is," Light muttered. "Because I agree with Matsuda."
"I can't tell you," L said, "But I can make use of it." He meandered over to his desk and pulled out a laptop identical to the ones already on the desk. Setting it on his lap (and sitting with his feet firmly on the floor, for a change), he opened a connection to the Internet and logged on to MSN messenger.
LadysShadow says:Is the Lady at home?
LadyWaveRunner says: She is. It's been awhile, Shadow.
"Great," Matsuda muttered. "We're at a dead stand-still and he's chatting with an online girlfriend." L ignored him.
LadysShadow says: I require assistance in a task I have been set.
LadyWaveRunner says: How unlike you, Shadow. I thought you preferred to work alone.
LadysShadow says: Very funny. Are you going to help, or not?
LadyWaveRunner says: How much help?
LadysShadow says: Big help.
LadyWaveRunner says: I'll see what I can muster in such a short time, Shadow. Look for me three hours before the witching hour in two days time.
LadysShadow says: Signing out.
LadyWaveRunner says: As am I. Until next time, my Shadow.
LadyWaveRunner is no longer signed in.
L turned the laptop off and yawned. "That's that."
"What's what?" Matsuda complained.
"Help is on the way."
"That looked like role-playing to me."
"Which it was supposed to. The first arrival will be at roughly 9 o'clock, two days from now. Probably at the airport."
/Elsewhere/
LadyWaveRunner says: How many?
LadysKnight says: Six.
LadyWaveRunner says: Not bad, considering. Who is here?
LadysKnight says: I am.
LadysSpy says: Me.
LadysLord says: The two of us.
LadysHound says: I, as well.
LadysMage says: What are we doing now?
LadysKnight says: That doesn't answer the question.
LadysMage says: Stuff it. I'm here, Lady.
LadysSoldier says: And I am the last.
LadyWaveRunner says: Good. We have business.
LadysKnight says: Where?
LadyWaveRunner says: Quite close. Tokyo, Japan.
LadysHound says: Excellent. It is close for me as well.
LadysSpy says: And me.
LadysLord says: You want all of us?
LadyWaveRunner says: Shadow has asked for help. We owe it, and we cannot deny that.
LadysSoldier says: But…Japan? That's rather unusual.
LadyWaveRunner says: So is the job. Get ready.
/Two days later, Tokyo Narita Airport/ Light was sulking. He didn't want to be here. He would rather be anywhere else, so long as he didn't have to stand here, waiting for some unknown person to arrive.
Flight 375, now arriving at Gate B7"That's us," L said.
"Who or what are we looking for?" Light asked, reluctantly following L to the gate.
"You'll know." Despite the fact that he knew appearances meant nothing, Light found himself searching for someone who looked like detective/spy/police material. One of the last people off the plane caught his eye. Not because he looked like who they were looking for. In fact, she looked quite the opposite.
She had quite a body under the short, pleated denim skirt and white lace-up tank top, and she had the look of a girl who knew how to use what she'd been given. Her step had a bounce in it that drew the eye to her hips and chest, and it made her long ponytails swing. They hung a little past her shoulders, and were red-brown. Light didn't like her on sight. Unfortunately, she was heading right for them.
"Ryuga!" she squealed. She grabbed L in a hug and did a little dance. "It's so great to see you again!"
"It's nice to see you too," L murmured.
"Oooh! You haven't introduced me to your friends! Who's the hottie?" Light braced himself for the inevitable, and it didn't come. L was busy introducing the girl to Matsuda; Light wasn't sure if he should be relived or insulted. Then L was standing in front of him, and the girl was giving him an appraising look.
"And this is Light," L said.
"It's nice to meet you, Light!" Then, much to Light's surprise, she turned to L and spoke in a whisper. "Can we go now? This is getting ridiculous."
They managed to get through security and the baggage claim in record time, and were in the car in a lot less time than Light had expected. The girl, who L had introduced as Jen, was sitting beside Light, because L was riding shotgun and Matsuda was driving. As soon as they were out of airport parking, Jen pulled the ties from her hair and let it fall around her shoulders.
"Thanks for hustling me through customs, sweetie. I don't think I could have put up with this act for much longer." Her voice was different now, not so high and sugary-sweet. It was lower, and had a no-nonsense tone to it.
"That's a new one."
"It was Lord's idea. I hate it. I can't stand being so…artificial."
"That's the general nature of a disguise," L said.
"No, I mean…the whole 'bouncy, cute, way-too-out there, just asking to be kidnapped' stupid cheerleader act."
"It suited you." Was L teasing?
"Did not, you scruffy excuse for a human being," Jen sniffed.
"Er…Ryuzaki, what's going on?" Matsuda asked.
"I dropped the act," Jen said. "I'm not that ditzy by a long shot."
"Most of the time," L added. Jen leaned over Light so she could reach around and swat L.
"I'm Jenna, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you two."
"Likewise," Light muttered.
"And what connection do you have with that LadyWaveRunner Ryuzaki was chatting with the other day?" Matsuda questioned, not expecting an answer.
"I am she, of course. What did you expect?"
"His girlfriend…or someone older."
"Who says I'm not older than you think?"
"I say so," L said. "Don't mess with him, Jenna. He'll believe you."
"I'm older than you," Jenna growled. "And don't you forget it." This made Light wonder what L's age actually was. He knew they were close in age, because they had both been in the freshman class at To-Oh, but whether Light was the older or the younger was a question that remained unanswered. Maybe Jenna could tell him…
"How old is Ryuzaki? Why do you want to know?" Light told her. "Close enough that you shouldn't bother with thinking about it."
"You seem to care that you're older," Light pointed out. Jenna sighed.
"Very true. That is for several reasons: One, I handle older men on a daily basis, and take great pleasure out of the knowledge that there are two who are younger than me. Two, I'm a girl, and you are not. That makes me entitled to information that you are not. Three, I just like to impress my age upon him because I can, while you certainly have other motives. And, finally, he has already requested that I not tell you, for purposes he refused to disclose. As such, I'm not going to tell you."
"Older men?" Light repeated. Jenna gave him a withering look and nodded.
"Most of my associates are older than me by at least a year. L and another are younger than me."
"Associates?"
"My contacts, if you will."
"This has something to do with the whole 'LadyWaveRunner' and 'LadysShadow' thing, doesn't it?"
"And if it does?" Jenna finally put her book down and looked at Light, apparently not bothered by his incessant questioning.
"Then that has got to be the most ridiculous way of communicating with one another that I have ever seen," Light growled. He was getting irritated, a situation made even worse by the fact that Jenna was the cause of his frustration.
"Oh, really?" Jenna questioned, her voice dangerously low.
"Really."
"Then I suppose you knew that he was talking to a fellow colleague. You knew that I wasn't his girlfriend. You knew that he was calling for help and not messing around."
"Yes," Light said firmly, despite knowing that it was a lie.
"Which means you knew that I was a woman."
"Yes."
"Then why did you look so surprised when you saw me?"
"Your outfit and attitude left something to be desired," Light said testily. Jenna gave him a thin, unfriendly smile.
"Well, Light, I have news for you. Not every woman wants a smart-ass, straight-A, egotistical, imbecilic lower life form that thinks he's the greatest thing since higher brain functions. Just because you've got girls falling all over you doesn't mean you're god's gift to women. It doesn't mean that you've got anything the other guys don't; it just means that you show it off and other guys don't. It certainly doesn't mean that you can have whatever you want. In fact, at this point, I'd say quite the opposite. I am not telling you how old Ryuzaki is. I am not here to help you. And I do not want you in my room. Good night." Without further ado, Jenna shoved him out the door with a display of strength that surprised him and slammed the door in his face.
"I'm assuming that wasn't what you were trying to get from her," L murmured. Light glared at him. "Looks like I'm right." Light tried to come up with a snappy comeback, failed, and settled for flipping L off. Then he stomped off down the hall, heading for his room and a safe place to vent.