Cases.
L went through thousands a day.
People always wanted his help.
Usually he would just discard all of them.
If they were lucky, something would catch his eye.
Something would speak out to him but it didn't happen often.
But a name stuck out to him, one he hadn't seen before.
At least not in reality.
"Watari? How accurate are these reports?" He was somehow more alert, when he spoke. More excited. His pitch was elevated, and while one would expect a man of Watari's age not to notice, he heard it perfectly.
"As far as I'm aware, they are completely accurate. Why? What have you found?" Watari tried to keep his own tone the same, unattached and monotone. As if it were all routine. But it was far from that. His interest was peeked and now he needed to know. What had he found?
"Did you not see the name?"
A name? Someone at Wammy's?
"He is seeking out my help. He wants me to help him catch a criminal. Him of all people! Though why is he using his real name?"
Possibly Beyond Birthday?
No.
The inflections don't match his usual style for talking about that boy. Usually there is a mixture of anger and sadness but this is just sheet amazement and wonder.
"It is quite disconcerting. It's too easily identifiable with it. The one that has the records knows the pattern and the address. The fact that it is here means it's possibly falsified. It's actually annoying me to believing it could be false"
L never usually got riled up before over such things.
Watari made a mental note to adjust his medication. This was off, even for him.
"Who is it L?"
"Batman!"
He's lost it.
The boy genius has finally cracked.
The enigma is insane.
"Batman?"
Perhaps it's someone else. Someone related to the character. L did get quite attached to the film recently.
"Michael Keaton is wanting you to catch a robber?"
It even sounded strange to Watari when he was saying it.
But it was the only logical alternative
He knew things like that didn't exist.
"Bruce Wayne, Batman, Watari. The Batman."
Obviously not.
"Oh…L it's probably just a prank that failed to get filt-"
"I wonder if he needs me to capture Joker? That would be interesting. We always used to pretend that X was his child."
Oh dear. I'll have to be honest with him. I'll have to try to appeal to his rational side.
"Lawliet"
"Yes?"
L's face was innocent. His eyes a big back hole into a different world. Watari, at his age, didn't have the heart to do this to a boy. To a child. But he had to.
He had to be blunt.
"Batman isn't real."
The words hit him hard.
L's face painted a picture. His eyebrows furiously moved up and down, his eyes clenching as he began to think. The questions on his mind were ever so readable as his eyes fluttered around the room: How did he know? He'd never met him? Had he?
He hadn't. But L, was still L.
"I believe he is real, Watari"
He was so sure, so confident when he spoke. Almost with a tear in his eye. But Watari still had to maintain his bluntness.
"L, you used to believe Santa Claus was real. I know it's hard to accept but that certain Detective isn't a part of our reality. This may be someone trying to garner your interest for illicit purposes"
"But it still sounds fun. Accepted!" And with that he tapped a key on his computer, indicating his choice to Watari's horror.
It was worse when Watari read the case file while L giggled to himself, talking to a Batman action finger held between his fingers.
It was bad enough that a fourteen year old believed in Batman.
The case was much worse.
It was for a stolen car.
________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
L thought it was Wayne Manor. He flung the car door open and ran up to it with glee.
Watari tutted to himself. He'd forgotten to put on L's trainers.
His eyes scanned the surroundings. He didn't know what L was getting so excited about. He knew it was actually just a house. A large house, almost mansion-like, but a house nonetheless. It also had a big garage which was closed.
Inside was a different story.
Watari found that the door to the house was wide open.
L must have picked the lock in anticipation since no one greeted them both at the door.
With a deep breath to h imself, he entered into the unknown.
It was dark. So dark you couldn't see in front of your eyes.
All of a sudden a light turned on.
"It's the signal!" an excited L whispered to Watari, jumping up and down, thumb slotted in mouth, teeth biting.
One light became two, became three as they focussed on one armchair and the main who sat in it.
As he sat a larger light hit him, shattering his thought process causing him to stand up confidently, looking at the now illuminated duo standing in his living room.
The man, in an instant, crouched down to L's level and immediately brought a smile to the boy's face.
He had uttered three simple words. Hi, I'm Batman.
To Watari it was a different set of words. "I'm Micheal Keaton. I suppose you're L-"
"Ye-"
"Well, I'm not sure why you brought your kid along, I mean, I know why you brought your kid along, to meet Batman isn't that right kiddo" He patted L's head, ruffling the messy hair before turning back to Watari.
"Can we see the note?" Watari asked, finally able to get a word in.
"Oh, the note, sure." Keaton fiddled in his pocket for a minute then revealed the note which Watari gladly accepted and scanned instantly. "At least he doesn't think I'm Beetlejuice, I mean, he's not crazy right?"
"He's very sane, sir," Watari retorted, keeping his eyes off of the man and passing the note to L.
It was strange. It was a receipt for a coat. It has been stamped returned in red. It wasn't exactly suspicious but if L could make more sense of it he would.
"Watari looked at Keaton, who was just standing there, staring into space, not knowing what to do. He was probably a nice man, but he just seemed jittery. Watari liked normality, from a certain point of view.
"Mr Keaton, can you please tell us the series of events of how your car came to be stolen?"
"Oh, um, sure. Of course, I'm sorry, I completely forgot"
However, what he said had two different meanings to the two people who stood in front of him.
Watari heard the story, but L heard it differently in his mind. His fixation on Batman was spreading.
To L it was more simple. It was what the boy wanted to hear.
My car's been stolen. I don't know what happened. I was out, at night, patrolling the streets of Gotham when I fell into a trap. I drove into a giant question mark, but I was able to grapple out. When I looked down, the car was gone, and all that was left was this note. I'm sure it's the Riddler but I can't make sure of the note. Would you mind helping me on this case, detective?
To Watari it was normal. Nothing more. It was routine for someone. It just wasn't routine for one of his and L's cases.
My car's been stolen. I don't know what happened. I was out, at night, partying on the streets, drunk unfortunately, when I fell into a puddle. I was mugged by a man of questionable gender, but I was able to run away. When I looked into the road, my car was gone, and all that was left was this note. Jackass must have took my keys. Would you mind getting my car back? I'll pay a considerable fee.
After a short period of minutes, Keaton wanted to know their thoughts.
"Well, whatdya think?"
"Mr Keaton-"
"Batman!" L interrupted, passing the note back. "Did you recently purchase a coat as your alter ego?"
Keaton smiled a big grin. "I did, yes." He decided to play along with the kid.
"And did you return that coat"
The smile faded slightly. "I did, yes" The kid was taking it a bit too seriously, for his liking.
"Was the coat damaged after you wore it"
Keaton's eyes shifted from side to side. "It was, yes"
"Then your keys are in your coat Batman. Your car is in your garage still. You must have simply forgotten"
"Oh." For once, he was speechless. And still. "I'll, go check, I can't believe I never went to check, I'm nuts, excuse me." And with that, he vanished for a second. L turned to Watari, smiling eerily.
"Too easy."
"Then you understand, son, that he-"
"-needed a break. Even superheroes do need a break you know, Watari-san"
Watari sighed. It was pointless. He couldn't break the fantasy for L, not yet at least. Let him live a little bit longer with child's eyes.
Keaton returned in a panic. He was shocked.
"You were right!" Shocked that it was there. "Thankyou, kid, but uh, there's one thing I don't get. I was sure that I was-"
"All a figment of your imagination. Perhaps next time, you shouldn't mix certain substances, Batman. Or drink a little less."
To Keaton, the kid was increasingly creepy. Watari, grinned, and gave Keaton a card with their account details. "Please deposit the funds here" Keaton just nodded, awkwardly, keeping his eyes on L. He remained a little confused as the duo left. "Goodbye Batman! Let me see the bat cave sometime!"
They walked a short distance to the car. Watari opened the door for L, who looked a little upset. His eyes were watery. He always tended to show emotion in private.
"What's wrong son?" Watari asked, worriedly.
"I'm forty-eight percent sure he's not the real Batman."
Watari said nothing for a while as he closed the door and sat behind the wheel. He smiled, when L couldn't see him. "Perhaps Batman doesn't want to reveal his true identity to you just yet"
L shrugged, still slightly upset, muttering a maybe.
Watari couldn't help but let out a laugh at L's tiny strop.
Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to tell him the truth after all.