A/N: Here it is, the long awaited rewrite of Hollows With Apples, complete with a new prologue and small plot changes, enjoy.


-Start Prologue-

Near was dead. Mello was dead. L was dead. Kira had won. These were the cold hard facts.

Raito Yagami stood before the rest of the Japanese task force, visibly shaken. His face was pale with fear and defeat which only served to emphasize the dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes. His voice and whole body shook as he made his announcement

"I'm resigning as L," he stated in a low cracking voice. It was evident to all members of the task force that the young detective hadn't slept for days and probably hadn't eaten or bathed either based on the state he was in.

"What?!" Matsuda was the first to respond. "But Yagami-kun, you can't quit now, we need you!" Raito only shook his head, letting his greasy unkempt hair fall into his eyes.

"I-I can't do this anymore, just let me go, one of you can be L."

All other eyes in the room looked on in shock at the young man. This was so unlike him, it wasn't like him to let himself go like this and it definitely wasn't like him to give up or admit defeat. Aizawa was the next to speak up.

" As much as I hate to say it, Matsuda's right." Matsuda shot Aizawa a dirty look as he continued to speak gravely. " As the chief of police, I think it's in all of our best interests for you to stay on the investigation as L. You're the only one who can do it." Raito didn't say a word, he continued to stand dejectedly in front the three other men. Aizawa let out a sigh, it was impossible to reason with someone as stubborn as Raito. " You have to do this Yagami-kun, your father would have wanted this. Do you want his death to be in vain? Stay on with us as L, for your father's sake."

Aizawa's words seemed to trigger something in Raito who suddenly looked up with a look of fury and despair on his gaunt face.

"Stop fucking with me! What the hell do you know about my father? You think he would have wanted this? For all of us to get killed?"

"Y-Yagami, please calm down, I'm not trying to disrespect your father's memory. I'm just saying that after all the work he's put in the Kira case-"

"What fucking Kira case? There's no case" the brown-haired man raged on with his fists clenched so tight you could see his knuckles turning white. "Don't you get it? He's won! Kira's won, it's his fucking world now and we can't do a thing about it. He got Near and the SPK, for god's sake he got L, the greatest detective in the world. You don't think he could kill us too, we're sitting ducks," Raito spat with disgust.

" Please, Yagami-kun-" Mogi began.

"Save it," Raito hissed, "I'm out of here, it's over. Don't bother coming to find me either, I'm moving away from Tokyo tomorrow" The Japanese task force could only watch as he stormed out of the room and the building and onto the busy street below. The three looked up at each other, all thinking the same thing:

'What now?'

Below on the bustling Tokyo street, Raito pulled his jacket up so his collar covered the lower half of his face. No one could see the smirk on his face and have guessed what he was thinking.

'Checkmate'

-End Prologue-


A/N: There it is, the new prologue, remember to review, they my stories alive.