I can upload again.
Prompt: LABB case. B suddenly becomes this babbling mess, begging for L to forgive him and to put out the fire.
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.
Blazing Flames
The flames were ablaze; rising, rising, rising.
It was so hot. He could barely breathe. He felt the oxygen diminish within the circle of where he stood, determined to die, determined to win. But…
It was too soon. He didn't want this. He hadn't thought it through. No. Not yet…please.
There was a shadow in the corner. He found it strange at first, because surely, that hadn't been there before. This was pretty much an open space, was it not? He squinted his eyes, hoping to get a better look at the figure. Perhaps it was a statue of some sort, like the one at Wammy's. The one of Athene. He had always hated that statue.
No, it was just a mirror. Haha! He was seeing himself! In the throes of death, his last image would be of himself, the image of the one he was trying to best, the image of the one he had spent so much of his life imitating. Heh. The irony.
The figure stepped forward. Huh?
B thought it strange how the image had absolutely no flames surrounding it, and for a moment he thought it was an angel. Shape-shifting and all that…but….
"L?"
Yes. The lifespan and name was unmistakable. If it had been himself or an angel, that would not have been its name. Sigh.
He blinked a few times to make sure he was really seeing what he THOUGHT he was seeing. L Lawliet, master detective, enemy number one.
"Hello, B." he greeted in that infuriating monotone, and just as B had suspected, it was not a figment of his imagination, neither was it an angel.
"How did you…?" he started, confused and a bit scared by the expression on L's face. It was neither expressionless, nor was it indifferent, it was…cruel almost.
L shrugged, he didn't care to explain as far as B was concerned, and that was fine. But…
"L! What are you doing?" B yelled over the flames. They were crunching so loudly, crunching everything in sight; papers, chairs, wallpaper, and curtains, and…he was scared. He could barely hear himself think and the heat was getting to him. He could feel L's eyes on him and it only increased the feeling. What was L doing? And why was he staring like that? Observing….as if B was a lab rat. A tiny, meaningless, pathetic lab rat. Brainless. Foolish. Insignificant.
"L!" he yelled more assertively.
"Yes, B?" he asked in mock innocence. He didn't seem to be trying to fake his way through this, B thought. Usually the detective played the fool, naïve, innocent man with slightly quirky habits, which proved oddly effective in gathering intelligence and gaining trust. B had even found it useful himself in gaining Naomi Misora's trust. Such a foolish girl. Now L did no such thing and B was feeling increasingly uneasy about it. Not to mention the fire, but the flames were nothing compared to…to…this.
"Help me!" B shrieked in desperation, "Please, L!"
L did no such thing. He continued to observe the goings-on and didn't even move to scratch his foot, or touch his hair, or bite his thumb, or even blink. He just stood there, perhaps a little bit straighter than usual, no longer hunched over like that one guy from Notre dame, and it was scary. Wasn't L in danger too? This room would collapse at any minute, wouldn't it? No, he supposed not. That only worked in the movies. In real life, one room just didn't collapse on itself. Things functioned like a unit, and like a unit they would fall, and B knew that L knew this. Oh, how he knew it. Was that why he was here? To watch B die? To watch him succumb to his fate like L had always known he would? B froze as the thought occurred to him. Was L only here to watch him DIE? Surely he couldn't be THAT cruel, could he?
"Please, you've got to help me! Please, please, please!" he pleaded, but yet again, he got no answer. He wondered momentarily if he'd even asked at all. L was so unresponsive that it seemed highly likely that he hadn't even uttered a sound. Was he already dead?
"L! L! L! L!" he sputtered like a mantra, but again, nothing.
Then L smiled. L smiled and B knew, he knew that L had heard him. L had heard him and ignored him, just like he had the others. The others at Wammy's. A. He thought of A, who had killed himself. Just like B was doing right now, and just because of L. He would die because of L if he didn't do something, anything, oh please, dear GOD, something!
"L!" he began, "I know you can hear me! Please, get me out of here! I really, really, really need to get out of here! Please!" he yelled, but L just continued to smile.
What was he going to do? He had to say something!
"I'm sorry, you've won." He conceded, "You're the best and you've always been, but please…I don't deserve this…" B was close to tears. Why was L just standing there? Sure, if it was B who stood where L was, and it sure as hell could've been they looked so much alike, then B would've…
"L!" he yelled in triumph, sure that his next bait would work, "I'll suck your fucking cock if you help me out of here! Just, please!" he yelled.
This was his last change. If that didn't work…God, would he have to offer his ass for this emotionless, sadistic man?...for surely, L was sadistic if he could watch B burn like this. The flames were getting closer…
L's smile widened into the most ominous grin B had ever seen. Perhaps this was what he looked like when sliced all those victims. Victims whose time had run out regardless of B's doing, but nonetheless…
B shuddered. He wasn't going to accept that.
"L!" he cried out, tears flooding freely down his face now, "Please, L! I know, I was wrong; I'm so, so sorry!" he paused, sobs wracking his body, and oh, how wrong it felt to be in this position in front of his most hated rival, but, "L! Please get me out of here! Don't you want to arrest me?"
No reply.
"God damn it, L! What would Wammy say if he saw you now?" he tried; a cheap shot, but he was desperate.
L's smile instantly fell, and if B had been any further away he wouldn't have noticed the frown that now lined L's features.
"Watari will never know." He concluded, "No one will ever know I was here. It was just miserable Beyond Birthday; the failed back up."
B stared, and then he seethed, but he couldn't do anything to stop the tears. Drop after drop of salty substance fell from his eyes, trailing down his pale cheeks, as he clenched his fists at his sides, the nails digging into the flesh of the palms, digging deep enough to draw blood. But B was oblivious to the pain. There was only L and the flames. And his own failure. L was here to gloat, had been all along. The bastard.
"Please, L! I'll do anything you want! Anything, I swear! You can even kill me yourself, but please, please, I can't die like this, L!" he shrieked. It was beyond embarrassing, but what did it matter now. It was between life and death. He could see that L wouldn't die now, today, with HIM. It would be another few years, perhaps, maybe even later as the life spans were due to change depending on various events occurring and not occurring, but for B….well, if L didn't do anything, this would it be it for B.
No more strawberry jam. Ever.
How very, very sad.
Tears were now soaking his flushed cheeks, flushed from the sadness, the despair, or just the sheer heat of the position he was in, it didn't matter. He was beyond caring for such futile things. All that mattered was that he was going to die and his last few moments would be with L. His last words would be to L and it made him cry out with rage.
He sank to his knees as the flames finally caught up with his body, the roar of the heat in his ears, on the carpet, on everything, and L's sadistic face beyond the red waves and orange waves of death. A single plea, a single tear, a single gasp was all that was heard before the flames were upon him, consuming him, forever charring him, making him one with the deserted room…
"L…you've won." He whispered, and then he was no more.
L closed the door behind him and trod down the steps leading out to the fresh air. Air Beyond would never again inhale. He smiled serenely to himself as he watched the vehicle pull up, and an anxious Naomi Misora rushing out and up to the building.
"Yes, B, I've won." He sighed to himself and then walked over to the car, an ever accommodating Watari waiting for him and opening the door.
"How was it, Ryuuzaki?" he made pleasant conversation before sliding into the driver's seat.
"It's over." He concluded, and indeed it was.
At least for Beyond Birthday.