Well, here's my second story to the Death Note fandom. I've had the idea for this one for some time now but only just recently decided to pen it down. Many thanks to SunMoonAndSpoon for beta-ing it for me. If not for her, the story would read much more confusingly (check out her story "Kids", it's good!).

Disclaimer: I don't own it. So F U Copyrights Infringement Man!

Prophet of Justice

January 26 2010

I know there is a chance that I will die on this day. But I'm fine with that. That is, until I came face to face with death himself at the end of my mission. Mello can go to hell for all I care. But he isn't here, he's escaped with his prize and the key to Near's victory.

I knew it had come, my death. Time seemed to dilate just to grant me all the more precious moments of life that I had left. The lights of those black cars blinded me from all angles, but I could still see those dark suits with their Glocks aimed at me.

There is no escape from this circle of shooters.

Opening the car door feels like a long and laborious task, though none of the suits said anything about it; must be just in my head.

The moment I feel my boot hit that hard asphalt I start to say something. What I am saying, I have no idea. Maybe something witty, maybe I am just begging for my life. Knowing myself, I am doing both.

But it doesn't matter. What seems like hours after I got out of my car, those weekend-feds begin shooting me. I can feel each and every bullet as it hits me with bone-crushing force. The first one strikes me in the shoulder and knocks me off balance right into my Pontiac GTO. The second pounds right into the middle of my chest. The third one hits above and to the left of the previous one. At this point, I don't give a damn where the other bullets are hitting. I'm gonna be dead once they stop shooting.

I hit the ground like a damn corpse. The glow of streetlights had been reduced to darkness, sounds reduced to nothing but a high pitch ringing. I feel my hot blood pouring forth from my wounds onto the road; the copper smell of the blood fills my nostrils. But I can still hear them talking, though they sound like they are miles away. Before I let the darkness finally claim me, I can make out one last thing from those wannabe-warriors:

"…death will atone for the crime of going against Kira…."

Fucking hell.

January 28 2011

It's been one year since Light died. Near did his job well, and cornered him. And so Light's shinigami used the death note on Light. I heard he begged for his life like a dog. As far as I'm concerned, good riddance.

How did I survive you ask? You think I'm too stupid to not wear a ballistics vest when I'm kidnapping Takada, the voice of Kira? Amateur guards like the ones Takada had didn't think to finish their job. I survived long enough for some of Near's contacts to pick me up and patch me up. I spent 6 months in rehabilitation, recovering the use of my arms and legs. But I was alive when I should have died. And L had died when he should have lived. I should've been talking with him. I would have had good news. Mello's probably told him already. Can't say I envy him though.

Either way, now I'm kneeling on a cliff edge, overlooking a narrow mountain pass. My surveillance indicated a mass gathering here of Kira supporters. My job, as assigned to me by Near, is to monitor them, watch for any indication of a possible threat to the state. So far I've not seen anything.

It's 2 minutes to midnight now; I've been waiting for nearly 3 hours. I'm beginning to think it's not happening when something in the distance catches my eye. A small bit of light is coming over the horizon in the distance. With binoculars in hand, I look over the vast distance and zoom in on it. It's a hooded figure holding a candle.

This is … odd. Perhaps it is just one individual on a spiritual adventure?

I immediately see a second figure appear behind the first and then a third and a fourth. They're moving now, coming through the pass. And they are certainly not alone. It appears as though an endless tide of people is coming through the passage.

What the hell is going on? These look like simple citizens making a spiritual trek to a temple. Where is the showmanship of loud and boisterous preaching? Why is this so organized and solemn looking?

I continue to monitor them as they come through the mountain pass holding their candles, their faces and features hidden by their cloaks. There are so many of them. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of people marching slowly to an unknown destination. Scratch that. It appears that the top of that pass is their destination. They are gathering there and forming a wall with one individual in the center walking amongst them. Perhaps their leader?

I put down my binoculars and grab for my next tool, a parabolic microphone. With this I'll be able to hear of any plans to commit terrorist acts in the name of Kira.

Batteries… check.

Power on … check.

Test … check.

Systems are go.

I point my ultra powerful microphone toward the center of this procession… and hear nothing. What is going on here? The individual continues marching on, in between the two walls of cloaked figures; one candle creeping through two walls of soft light.

I hear the steps as the person walks on. They are soft and almost sad. This can't be a leader of the Kira movement, could it?

The cloaked being reaches the top of the pass and stands on the edge of the mountain pass. I hear a soft clack, the sound of the candle base touching rock, and finally I hear a voice.

"Kira…"

The soft voice of the woman echoes through my headset and into the canyon below.

I stand up in absolute shock. This is no Kira rally! This is a funeral service! This is the mourning of a serial killer! Led by a young woman and supported by hundreds of average citizens, no less!

What was the point of my having risked my life so that these people didn't have to live in fear of an unaccountable killing machine!?

What was the point of Mello unintentionally sacrificing himself to give Near the edge to capture Light?!

What was the point of L dying to preserve justice…?

In a rage I throw my microphone down that cliff face, hear it shatter against the rocky wall, and hike my way back down to my car.

All throughout my trek back, I think of what I heard. The whisper of the young lady saying "Kira…" continued to resonate in my mind.

I can only think, how did this happen? How did the world's greatest mass murderer become such an icon? I don't have an answer when I reach my GTO. I slam the door as I enter the car, turn on the ignition, shift gears, and smash my boot into the accelerator.

I'm still angry. No, I'm bat-shit insane-o pissed off. I need to calm down before I either knock some hapless old lady off the road or I get hit while running through a street light.

I know the place to go; the regional hospital cemetery. I drive like a madman to get there and when I reach the gate I stop abruptly and put the car in park. With the sound of the muscle car's engine gone, the cemetery turns deathly quiet. What a cheap pun. There's no lock on the gate, so I push my way through and walk.

I weave my way through the myriad of headstones, the soft crunch of the grass under my boots filling the cold midnight air.

I stop suddenly and stand for just a moment. I raise my hand to my goggles and pull them down my face. The soft moisture of a tear rolls down my cheek as I look at this particular headstone.

Ryuuzaki

1979 – 2004

Along side the headstone was a small dish with a cup and a small spoon. Near must have come some time earlier.

Earlier questions come back to me. What was the point of L dying to preserve justice?

And suddenly, I realized why. No one knew him. Kira was ever present in the media, but L made just one appearance on TV and that was it. I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner. But now, I know what I must do to destroy the Kira movement. The real hero must be given his funeral service. His story must be told and must be heard by the world. Will they believe it? I don't care. L has been in the dark long enough. It's time for him to come out into the public light.

But how did L die? Kira was obviously the one responsible, but how did Kira find out who L was?

I'll find out soon enough. But for now, I'll be a messenger of L. I'll be a Prophet of Justice to the world.

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There it is. Hope you enjoyed it. I can't promise speedy updates but they'll come eventually. Leave a review please. And 500 points to whoever picked up the hidden song reference!