Fhira:
This story includes OCs, bordering on self-inclusion. I know that a lot of people hate that, but we're writing this for us, not you, no offense meant but it's true. Also, while I know a second complaint against self-inclusion and OCs is a first person point of view, the story simply doesn't work any other way. There are too many points of view, and first person helps clarify whose perspective it is in each chapter. There are four primary perspectives (each major OC), so the distinction is necessary. Also, our characters are not, as far as any of us can tell, Mary Sues. They have weaknesses, flaws, etc., can't solve every problem, and are not all going to have every other character falling in love with them at first glance. (Shudders) My character, at least, is true to me enough that I'd have to have her punch them if that happened, and will most likely annoy every character she can just because. So our characters are not Mary Sues, and if you think one of them is becoming one, I at least want to know. (I'm writing as Tori/Victory.) However, wait a little before you decide that: most of the characters' flaws are hidden at first and will show up more as the story goes; it's impossible for the characters' personalities to work any other way. And my last point: THESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT COPIES OF US. Similar to us, yes. Someone we'd like to be, probably. Someone we could have been, in theory. But actually us, not remotely, which is why I said it borders on self-insertion, not it is.
So if you feel like reading and being open-minded about this, aka not hating it immediately because it has OCs and is from their perspective, please do and we'd like to hear what you think. If you don't like stories with OCs as major characters, then I can't help but think that there is no point to your reading this, so please go find a story that you will enjoy; I know there are plenty of good ones out there.
We don't own Death Note.
Sayuka: Since Fhira didn't mention this, and we couldn't fit our entire summary out there, I'll put it in here!
Summary: What are the chances that the only two Notes in the world would be in nearly the same place? The story is complex enough without two sides playing - four girls converge on the game of the Note, with their own rules, motives and goals, and history changes. The game becomes more than deadly, more than personal. L gains more support and detectives. Kira gains a potentially more devastating and deadly ally. How will the game end-will it be the humans who win? Or the ones who sold their lives to the Shinigami?
Disclaimer: We don't own Death Note.
"Ami, could you deliver this to your father, please? He forgot his lunch," my mother said.
"Sure, mom," I replied, grabbing a map and my dad's lunch and heading out the door.
My name is Ami Mizume, and I'm seventeen years old. My father was a Japanese ambassador to the United States, where he met my mother. We lived there until about five days ago, when we moved to Japan. I had just finished my high school courses online, and since the calendars were offset, there wasn't much for me to do.
"Let's see..." I muttered to myself. "If I'm going in the right direction, his office should be around...." I stopped and looked up. Before me was one of the largest buildings I had ever seen. Great, I thought, now I'll never find him.... I walked through the sliding doors and went to the front desk. "Excuse me..." I began hesitantly.
"What? And speak up," the receptionist snapped.
"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I didn't know this was a bad time.... I just came to deliver this to Seigi Mizumi." Sighing heavily, the receptionist took the package and shooed me out the door. It must be a stressful day, I thought.
I sighed as I walked home. I felt bad for my father. If even the receptionist was this stressed, I wondered how the rest of the workers were doing.
~~Later that day~~
"Welcome home, dad." I happily greeted my father when he got home.
"Ah, hi, Ami," he replied half-heartedly. "How was your day?"
"Fine," I replied as usual. It was amazing. Father had never seemed so exhausted. Usually he was so energetic, I could hardly keep up with him. But now....
It was quiet as we sat around the dinner table that night. "So, dad," I began, trying to start a conversation. "Why the sudden rush to Japan? What are you working on?" As soon as those words left my mouth my mother gave me The Look. I began to apologize, thinking I had done something wrong, but my dad raised his hand.
"It's okay, dear," he said to my mother, "I trust Ami." Then he looked at me. "Actually," he began, failing to conceal an excited smile, "I am currently assigned to the Criminal Victim Mass Murder Case."
"Which is...?"
"Lately," he began, "there have been criminals dying worldwide, mostly from heart attacks." I listened intently. The case seemed interesting, especially with the main cause of the deaths. "...That's all we know at this point, except that the perpetrator is publicly known as Kira."
For the next eight days or so, I did everything possible to find out more about Kira. Whenever I went out, I listened as closely as I could anytime I heard even the slightest hint about Kira in a conversation. At home, I paid special attention to the news, and did research on the Internet.
I decided that, unlike some others that I had noticed, I did not support Kira's actions. Although I sort of understood his probable reasoning, I still didn't believe that murder would solve the world's problems.
When I wasn't researching, I would work on puzzles, bake, run errands, or spend time with my family.
One night, I decided to go out to eat. My parents were were visiting my uncle overnight (he was sick) and we hadn't gone grocery shopping yet, so my options at home were limited.
On the way home, I noticed someone standing near Tokyo Square. I don't know why I noticed her, especially in that huge crowd, but I did. She just seemed a little out of place, maybe. Before I could move, though, the large television at the station went dark, and when it came back on, the screen showed a man by the name of Lind L. Tailor.
"We are interrupting this program to being you a live, globally televised broadcast from Interpol." The program echoed through the square.
What is this? I wondered. Globally broadcast from Interpol? Why didn't I hear about this from father?
"My name is Lind L. Tailor...."
No duh; it only says it right there in front of you, I thought.
"...More commonly known as L."
What? So... this is L? But why is he just appearing like this? Kira will kill him!
"Criminals have been the victims of a killing spree which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history," L continued. "Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you are doing is evil!"
"Yeah! You tell him, L!" I whispered excitedly. Although I was still worried for his life, and more than a bit disappointed that he was so stupid as to risk his life like that....
And what do you know; about a minute later, a heart attack, and Lind L Tailor's body was hurriedly removed from the screen. Wait. A minute later? Why didn't Kira just have him die immediately? Unless.... That's it! I realized, he can't! However he's doing this, he has a time limit, and has to wait a minute. At least that's what I thought.
"I... I don't believe it..." came a disembodied voice. "This was an experiment to test a hunch I had, but I never thought... Kira... you can kill people without direct contact...."
Whoa, I thought. Just wait a minute. Who is this?
"Listen to me, Kira," it continued. "If you just killed Lind L. Tailor, the man you saw on your TV, he was a condemned criminal scheduled to die today, at this hour. His arrest and conviction were kept secret from the media, and went unreported even on the Internet. Even you had no way of knowing about him, it seems...." Then an old English L appeared on the screen.
"But I, L, do in fact exist. So come on! Kill me if you can!" The crowd buzzed, both intrigued and confused about this whole event.
Three minutes passed, and still L was alive. "Evidently you aren't able to kill me. So there are people you can't kill," L said. "That's a valuable clue. Now I'll give you some information in return. Although it was announced that this was being televised globally, ti was actually broadcast only in the Kanto region around Tokyo. And, although the police have missed this, your first victim was the Shinjuku killer who took eight people hostage in a nursery school. His crime, when compared with those of the notorious murderers who have died of heart attacks, was not very serious."
"Oh my cheese!" I gasped. L was even more amazing than I thought. In just.... I looked at my watch. In just forty-seven minutes, he had already proven that Kira could kill from afar, that he was somewhere in the Kanto region of Japan, and that there were people whom Kira couldn't kill.
"Kira, it would interest me greatly to know how you carry out your murders. But that is something I can find out after I catch you! Kira... I'm going to find and dispose of you, if its the last thing I do! I am Justice!"
And at that, the broadcast ended. Wow, I thought, then added sarcastically, cocky, aren't we?
Looking back to my left, I noticed that the girl from earlier had disappeared. When did she sneak out? I wondered, then decided that she had probably left during all the excitement.
That night after I got home, I reflected on everything that had happened that day. Kira definitely would have had no qualms about killing L, considering what he'd done to Lind L Tailor. That obviously meant L was right--there were people that Kira couldn't kill. But what were the exceptions? Maybe... it was because he didn't know what L looked like? It made sense, in a way, considering that only criminals whose faces had been shown were killed so far.
But then there was the girl... that unknown girl. Trying to shake off the mystery, I told myself that she was probably just a tourist. "One mystery at a time," I told myself.
~~Two days later~~
At the breakfast table, my father popped a surprise on us. "I decided," he began out of nowhere, "to take a five-day trip to England."
"What?" my mother and I asked simultaneously.
"I got a call from my old friend Roger," he explained. "We arranged for me to go and visit him."
"But this is so sudden...!" my mother said.
"Hey dad, can I come too?" I asked. "I've always wanted to visit England, and any friend of yours is bound to be a nice person."
"Ami, I don't think...."
"It would be good education on foreign countries," I said, "and I'd be broadening my horizons." Dad couldn't argue with that.
"Fine," he agreed. "We'll make it a family trip, then," he said excitedly. "You've been talking about needing a vacation anyway, Ellen. Why don't we take this opportunity?"
Finally, it was agreed that we would all go to England. Father got my aunt Miyumi to look after the house while we were gone. We packed out suitcases, and the next day, we were off to the airport.
I had only been on a plane once before, when we first moved to Japan, but I was still excited. Camera at the ready, I grabbed the window seat first, forcing my parents into the middle and aisle seats.
With a roar, the plane took off. I smiled down on the sea and land below us. The birds' eye view was beautiful. Here we were, heading to England....
~~England~~
We arrived at a large building later that day. In front of it was a sign that read 'Wammy's House.' On the plane trip, my father had explained that Roger helped run an orphanage for the gifted. So, this is that orphanage... I thought as we drove into the parking lot.