Mmm… I really shouldn't be taking on a big project while I still have Beyond the Murder Cases going on, but meh, I was never one to be restricted by reason or logic. Probably a bad thing…

Anyway, a new story, woot and all that jazz. Sorry the prologue is ungodly short, but since the prologue occurs way after the first chapter I couldn't write too much.

As usual, thanks to mangaluver34 for editing my stories ^.^ I certainly need it. Go check her out (she's in the Favorite Authors section of me profile), she write exceptionally well.

Enough of my yammering… glad you read, hope you enjoy, pray that you review : P

Death's Sting

Prologue

While L's shoes made soft sounds against the tile, they made echoes nonetheless. He was tired. Cold. Lonely. Most of all, nervous. Nervous because he knew he would not survive the next confrontation. Nervous because he wasn't sure he was completely confident in his successor's skills. Nervous because he had no true idea of what lay after life.

His hand closed over the cold metal handle of the imposing door. The door itself was heavy, colored dirty white. It was the rarely used door to the roof of the facility. Used only once before, from what he could tell; the time he and Light had had to scramble to get into a helicopter to capture Higuchi. Now as he stepped out of the door into the pouring rain, his purpose was much less straightforward and much more arbitrary. Arbitrary being a word rarely associated with L, but suitable in this case. He wanted to be alone.

His wish was not to be.

He stepped out into the rain, relishing the feeling of the coldness that swept over him. The rain soaked his clothes and caused them to adhere to his thin frame. Ever muscle on his abdomen was visible, and the act of breathing almost too apparent. He looked down at his feet, which soaked, old tennis shoes that he had had since the beginning of his career as L had started, covered. The sound of the rain, the feeling of it pounding his back… all if it made him feel alive. As if the weather was trying to make up for an eternity dead… that he would soon start. When he looked up he scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"Might ask the same of you," the figure said easily, casually leaning against the low wall that separated him from oblivion. The wall was barely to his mid-back, but he seemed comfortable lounging there. His demeanor reminded L of a cat, and his words reminded L of a snake.

"You might. But you didn't. What are you doing here?"

The cat known as B smiled and winked lazily. "Enjoying the rain, of course." B's countenance fell when he saw L's mournful expression. "What's the matter?"

With that, L sighed uncharacteristically and started biting his thumb. "Life is the matter."

At that B let out a short, staccato laugh. "Nothing new there. Come now, what is the real matter? You're rarely so down-trodden. If anything, you're complete neutral in everything. Or most everything." B's words slid easily off his tongue.

L glared bitterly at Beyond. "You don't know? Surely your eyes can tell you."

At that, B grew very serious. He got off the wall and walked over to L, staring him hard in his onyx eyes. "You think you're going to die soon?"

"Why yes, I believe so. Aren't I?"

"L, I can't see when you'll die if you die by a Death Note. The point of the Death Note is to cheat lifespans… all lifespans are see are those that would occur if there was no Death Note involved. So if this is Kira related, I can't help you, because from where I'm standing you have a long, healthy life ahead of you."

"That's encouraging to some degree, I suppose. My death will be a peaceful heart attack, and Kira won't murder me with his own hands. Never thought he would though…"

"You mean Light?"

"Why, yes."

B nodded and procured a jam jar from seemingly nowhere. He opened the jar and began eating, seeming to not care about the minimal water that fell into the open container. "Well, exactly why are you so sure of your own inevitable demise?"

At that L explained his thoughts on the case. Light's being of Kira relied on him being in contact with the Death Note. When he somehow relinquished it during his captivity, he lost all memories and became Light. When he came in contact with it again, however, Light had acted strangely, releasing a blood-curdling cry and seizing up. After that rather disturbing episode, and apparent change came over him. An evil light stole back into his brown eyes and a slight, malevolent smirk seemed to permanently grace his young face. He was Kira again.

However, the task force, blind as bats, didn't seem to notice the change. L was obligated to release Light, else he look like an extremely arrogant fool and risk being turned against by everyone on the Task Force and ultimately be his downfall, and he couldn't keep Light in custody, having no evidence. He was in a bind where it would be a long, tedious stalemate if he didn't do something radical.

So, he contacted Roger and explained his idea. He would back Kira into a corner where he would be forced to kill L. If L died, Light was Kira and he would alert his successors immediately; however, don't tell them Light is probably Kira. If they are truly deserving of their name they'll realize that the second L is Kira, and if they don't figure that out on their own they'd never figure out how to apprehend Kira.

In the case of L's demise, L knew that Light would slack off immensely, and drop huge hints that his successors would most certainly catch on to. In short, L was gambling his life in hopes that his successors would be intelligent enough. He had the utmost confidence in Mello and Near, and, admittedly B, if he ever decided to take up the case. However, he had made it abundantly clear that he wanted nothing to do with the Kira case.

After telling B that, B nodded and smirked. "Always so theatrical… couldn't you just draw the stalemate out and eventually find a way to win it instead of throwing your life away?"

"I could… but even in that scenario I'd probably end up dying. No, B, this is the best way I can think of…"

B snorted and shook his head like a brother annoyed at his younger sibling for some theatric or another. "L, isn't there any way you don't have to kill yourself?"

"No. B, you know what it feels like when you are so dedicated to a cause you're willing to give your life in hopes that your plan will succeed."

At this B smiled. "However, my goal was assured if I died. Yours is not."

With that, L shoved his hands deep into his pockets and turned his face upward toward the overcast sky, watching the clouds dance happily above them. "B… I've finally found it. The meaning of life. For me, anyway."

"Hm?"

"The meaning of life is to die facing a challenge that kills you."