A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed :)
Well, this was a bit troublesome to write. I had to play-pause my DVD just to get everything the way I wanted it -sweat drops- And I had to go through all the rules of the Death Note. Hard, hard work.
Oh, and sorry for the late update, my mom took my flash drive. I just got it back :(
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.
.:: Strategy ::.
"Hikari," L said, beckoning his sister back.
The girl turned around in one smooth movement and rejoined the others. "Ne, nii-chan, is it alright with you if I talk with him privately? Later?"
L studied Hikari's expression for a minute. "Later."
"Arigatou," she said. "Now, if you excuse me, I think I have a call to make."
Hikari walked off to a corner of the room and took out her phone. She dialed a number and hit the "call" button. "Akane-san! Listen, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Can you do me a favor?" she whispered into the phone.
"Eh? Hikari? Sure. But where are you?" was the response of her manager from the other end of the line.
"I'm with some friends." Hikari glanced back at the task force. "Listen, I need you to cover up for me the moment the media notices that I'm missing."
"Missing? Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah — it's not like I haven't gone missing before."
"Mm, but what do I tell them if ever?"
"Tell them that I'm on vacation. If they keep on pestering you, tell them that they're close to violating my right to privacy," Hikari added.
"Something big is up," Akane didn't ask; she had meant it as a statement.
"Yeah," Hikari sighed.
"How long will you be gone for this time?"
"Quite a while, I suppose."
There was a long pause on the other end, interrupted by Akane's sigh. "Well, take care, Hikari. Don't get into too much trouble."
Click.
A shaky laugh escaped Hikari's lips at Akane's parting words.
- - -
"Well, Light-kun?" L asked, his finger on his lip. "Were you able to figure anything out?"
Light's eyes narrowed and then relaxed again as he stood up. "There may be more than one person who possesses Kira's power," he answered.
"K-Kira's power?" Chief Yagami gasped. "What do you mean, Light?"
Light looked at his father and pointed at the TV screen. "At the least, there's a good chance that this isn't the Kira that we've been dealing with up to now."
This would have seemed impressive to me if I hadn't known about Light having a note, Hikari thought.
"The Kira we've seen so far," Light continued. "wouldn't use people like those in predicted murders. Plus, if we were to assume that Kira needs a face and a name to kill someone, it doesn't make sense that he was able to kill the police officers who rushed to the TV station including the detective."
Aizawa stammered in shock. "I-it's the same!"
"L — I mean, Ryuuzaki and Hikari came to exactly the same conclusion." Matsuda's mouth hung open in amazement.
L still looked at Light. "Just as you said, Light-kun, we also suspect a second Kira."
"So you knew, Ryuuga — no, Ryuuzaki?" Light crossed his arms across his chest. "You knew, and you were just testing me?"
"I wasn't testing you. It's not as convincing if only my sister and I came up with the second Kira theory."
"And now that you've deduced the same thing, it's much more convincing," Hikari added.
"You truly are a great help, Light-kun," L continued. "Truly."
"Then it's decided?" Hikari tilted her head questioningly at her brother.
"Yes," L answered. "First, we must stop the second Kira. He clearly admires the real Kira, and isn't that smart. He might be subservient to Kira. . .So, chances are good that we can stop him if we fabricate a message from the real Kira."
"Just as I'd expect from you, Ryuuzaki," Light said. "I, myself, was thinking that that would be the best move."
"So, Light-kun, I'd like for you to play the role of the real Kira." L concluded.
Light gasped. "M-me?"
"Hai," L answered. "Someone as talented as you should be able to pull it off. Either way, we don't have much time. Can you script a message from Kira so we can air it on the evening news?"
The shinigami behind Light — unseen by everyone except for Hikari and Light, himself — snickered.
That bastard, Light thought. He brought me in to make me do this?
- - -
"Hey, Light-kun."
Light looked up from the script he was working on. "Oh, right. You wanted to talk to me, Hikari?"
Hikari sat on the armrest of the couch. "Yeah, I did." She was playing with an apple, rolling it in her hands and tossing it in the air. "Are you aware of the circumstances you've placed yourself in?"
Light smiled darkly. "Are you trying to imply that this will end badly for me?"
"I said no such thing," said Hikari, amused. "I just asked if you were aware of your situation."
"Yes, I'm fully aware of the situation I'm in."
Hikari frowned, collecting her thoughts. She threw the apple in the air, towards the other end of the room. "Ryuk," she said, acknowledging the presence of the shinigami.
"Yo." Ryuk bared his teeth in a grin, catching the apple.
Light's sharp intake of breathe didn't escape Hikari's attention. "Yes, I can see him. You might've figured that out earlier. . ." she whispered, answering the boy's unspoken question.
Light scowled. "How do you know about Ryuk?" he asked hesitantly.
"I've known him for a long, long time." Hikari unconsciously fiddled with a ring on her finger, staring at Light with her big, dark eyes.
He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Would it be rude to ask you about it?"
"Not at all," Hikari answered indifferently. "Ask away — there's nothing in my past that would be of much use to you."
Light thought for a moment. She might be useful, he told himself. No matter what she might say.
Being careful not to say anything he might regret, Light asked, "You know about the Death Note?"
Hikari nodded.
"But how can you see Ryuk?" Light wondered aloud.
The girl smiled. "It's kind of a long story. But. . ." Hikari bit her lip, trying to summarize her long history into a few, short sentences in her head. "Well, let's just say that Ryuk dropped more than one Death Note on human land, and that I found one of them."
Light crossed his legs. "That explains very little, Hikari." He continued writing the script that L had tasked him to make.
"I know," she said in response. "It was a very. . .bleak moment in my life, the Death Note and all it brought. But you might say otherwise about your own experience, am I correct, Kira?" She whispered the last part.
Light tensed in his seat. He chuckled. "Are you going to tell your brother about the Death Note now?"
Hikari smiled. "No, I don't think so," she said. "At least not yet. I've proposed other theories, but not the one about the notebook that can kill. I don't intend to force that 'theory' on him without proof, though I've hinted on it quite a bit."
"I should feel so lucky." Light rolled his eyes.
"You have an interesting name, Light-kun," Hikari whispered unexpectedly. " 'Yagami' uses the kanji for 'night' and 'god', while 'Light' uses the kanji for 'moon.' Very interesting."
Ryuk, ignored the whole time, laughed. "I forgot that you still had them," he told Hikari.
A pang of understanding hit Light. "You have the eyes?"
"Yes, and so does the second Kira." Hikari frowned. "Oh, you're finished with the script," she said, leaning over to read it.
Light waited in silence for her to finish.
"Hey, Light-kun, if you keep that line there, nii-chan's going to die," she commented.
He laughed. "It's much more convincing that way."
Hikari stood up. "I'd better call nii-chan," she said, turning to leave. But only after a few steps, she turned back. "Light-kun, I don't agree with what you — as Kira — are doing, though I do understand why you're doing it. But it still doesn't justify your actions. Be prepared, Yagami Light. You will be caught in the end."
Light smirked. This girl really is L's sister, he thought. She's given me a very interesting challenge — though she'll only lose in the end.
"Ah, Ryuuzaki," Light greeted a few minutes later, as L entered the room. "How does this look?" He gave L the finished script. "I think I wrote it just as Kira would."
L examined the content of the paper. "It's written amazingly well," he commented. "But if you don't take out the part that says, 'I don't care if you kill L,' I'll die."
Light laughed at the same remark Hikari had made. "Well, when I put myself in Kira's shoes, I figured that he would want L to be killed, no matter what," he explained. Leaning back on the couch, he added, "I wasn't serious, of course. Go ahead and edit that part as you see fit."
"Hai," L said, turning to leave. "Aihara-san," he called. "The script is ready. Please go ahead with it."
Aizawa replied from the other room. "Alright."
- - -
"Well, I think I should go home now. It's getting late," Light said, waving goodbye to the rest of the group and heading for the door.
Chief Yagami nodded. "Okay. Be careful, Light."
"See you, Light-kun!" Matsuda waved energetically.
"Bye, Light-kun," Hikari said monotonously. She sat cross-legged on the floor, leafing through documents placed on the coffee table. Her lips pressed together into a thin line as she scrutinized his expression.
Light left the room, bidding them goodnight one last time. He waited until he was outside — out of sight of the surveillance cameras — of the hotel to speak softly to the huge figure beside him. "Ryuk, that girl, she's interesting, isn't she?"
The shinigami smiled. "Yup. She's very smart for a girl her age, I can tell you that."
"Isn't it perfect though?" Light smirked.
"You lost me," Ryuk said confusedly.
Light chuckled darkly. "I mean, I could use her. I could let L find out about the existence of the Death Note, find a way to make Hikari look like she's been the one writing down the names of the criminals, and make myself look innocent all in one move." His eyes widened at the possibilities of his slowly growing plan.
"Sounds like a good plan, but I don't think it'll work," Ryuk commented.
Light frowned. "Hmm, I'll work on that strategy a bit, but I'll keep it as a backup in any case."
"So what are you going to do?"
"She's a girl, Ryuk. It'll be easy for someone like me to manipulate Hikari's emotions." Light looked smug. "Then I could use her to find out L's real name and kill the both of them afterwards."
Ryuk stared at the boy. "You humans really are interesting," he whispered.
"Ryuk." Light stopped walking. "I'm going to win this game. Neither Hikari nor L shall live — I will become the god of the new world."
A/N: Blech. That was rushed X( I really don't like the part when Light says, "She's a girl. . ." I mean, if I had heard him say that, I would be all: "And so what if I'm a girl?" XD
Anyway, I'm planning to put some details of Hikari's past in the next chapter. Or do you have the patience to find out about that later on, instead? Oh, and have you noticed the thing about Hikari's name yet? :D
I want the Death Note: Another Note manga novel thing :(
Review, okay?
Adieu for now,
Yuuki :3
