Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, L, Light, or any other characters.
Warnings: Language, violence, L's real name, and yaoi (Light x L, and Mello x ?).
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
KIRA TALKING TO LIGHT.
L stared hard at Light. The teen's breathing was hard, but L couldn't figure out why. Surely that monster hadn't surprised him that much? Well, if this was the case, there was only one way to find out…
"Uh, are you okay, Light?" No reaction from the teen, and L's eyes stayed riveted on his friend. "I suppose seeing that monster would surprise anyone." Another moment of silence, and then…
"Ryuzaki…" His voice was quiet and raspy, but Light had finally spoken.
L's eyes were still locked on Light. "What is it?"
"I want to check this out." Light flipped open the notebook and held it in one hand, while his other hand began to furiously type on his laptop. "I'm going to try comparing the names written in this notebook with the names of the victims." To the rest of the world, Light Yagami appeared to be doing just that. But to L, however, Light simply appeared to be trying to distract the detective from something.
"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." L sounded distant, but he was sure his mind had never been sharper. His eyes had never left Light for a moment.
'I've won. He's distracted. Now to just….' Light fiddled inconspicuously with a button on his watch.
'I just have to pull this four times in less than a second.' He pulled the button four times. A compartment on the watch slid open, revealing its contents of a tiny needle and a torn piece of the Death Note. 'Got it. Just as I expected, I'm wearing this watch. Old habits die hard.'
Grasping the needle in his left hand, Light pricked his left middle finger, drawing blood. Using the needle and his own blood as a writing tool, the teen began to write.
L…
Writing was a painstakingly slow process, but he couldn't alert L, for the detective would surely try to stop him.
…i…
And Light couldn't let that happen.
…g…
This had to be done.
…h…
He had to die.
…t…
"Mr. Yagami, please take Higuchi to the car." L appeared to be gazing out through the windshield at the assorted people, but in reality, he was watching Light out of the corner of his eye.
"Uh, right. Of course." Chief Yagami's response distracted L momentarily, and the Task Force arrested Higuchi as the detective had ordered. It wasn't until a moment later, his full attention back on Light, that L noticed it.
Light was doing something strange. His eyes were on the notebook, yes, but they weren't moving. There were staring at one spot, not seeming to see anything at all. And his wrist… his left wrist was moving… it was so slight that L almost didn't catch it, but Light's wrist was definitely moving… rhythmically… almost like he was… writing.
And writing he was. Light had gotten almost all the way through his name by now. The scrap of paper now read L-i-g-h-t Y-a-g-a-m in bloody letters. He allowed himself to smile sadly at his victory. Just one more letter, and he would die. Light Yagami… Kira… would be no more.
Light watched the next few moments happen in slow motion. He brought the needle ever so slowly to the paper. The tip had briefly touched the paper for the dot of the 'i,' and when that was safely engraved in blood, he then lifted the needle away and moved his wrist slightly downward. Light had just pressed the needle back to the paper to begin the final stroke that would end his life, when a searing pain enveloped his head.
NO!
Needle and watch forgotten, Light let out a piercing scream and clutched his head. The pain was overwhelming; an intense throbbing that seemed to beat in time with his own heartbeat.
I HAVEN'T COME THIS FAR, JUST TO LET YOU THROW IT ALL AWAY, BOY!
Light was blinded by the pain, and deafened by the voice. He didn't even realize that he was still screaming, much to the confusion of L and the Task Force.
And confused L most certainly was. 'What is going on?'
Unfortunately, L didn't have time to properly contemplate the question, because Light chose that moment to abruptly start thrashing violently. His screaming rose in volume, and he began clawing at his head, almost as though he were trying to dig something out.
L took immediate action, seizing Light's flailing left arm, dislodging the laptop in the process and sending it crashing to the floor.
"Watari!" The elderly man was instantly at Light's right side, forcefully holding his unrestrained right arm in a solid grip.
"What do you suppose is wrong with him, Ryuzaki?" The older man appeared calm, but he was actually struggling to maintain his grip on Light's arm.
"That remains to be determined, Watari." L himself was having difficulty restraining Light, and the teen was not making it easy for him. His thrashing wouldn't diminish, and his screaming was near deafening.
The noise was going to drive him insane! There was absolutely nothing in this world that was horrible enough to justify the headache that Light's screaming was giving him. Patience wearing thin, L pulled back his free arm in preparation to slap some sense into the teen.
Abruptly, the screaming stopped. Light's struggling lessened, and he gasped for breath. The pain was still there, but the voice had blessedly ceased its deafening roar. Light could hear now; L was asking him questions, but Light only ignored the detective. The teen was intent on watching the darkness, as it crept into his field of vision. Everything was growing dim, and Light looked down. The Death Note was in his lap. The Death Note…
"Ryuzaki." Light's voice was hoarse, and it hurt to speak.
"…What is it, Light?" Light did not answer, and the detective leaned forward to see the teen's face. Light's lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Thanking every God he knew, L proceeded to read Light's lips.
"Don't… don't move the… notebook. I… I must… maintain… contact… with it. Otherwise… he… he will win." And with those words, Light slumped forward in a dead faint. L and Watari braced themselves, supporting the dead weight of the unconscious Light.
The two men heaved the teen backwards, propping him up against the backrest of the chair. L quickly buckled Light in, and began to speak to the confused Task Force.
"Ryuzaki! What's going on! What's wrong with Light!" Soichiro, understandably, was in a state of utmost panic.
"Relax, Mr. Yagami. Light is fine. He had a slight panic attack, probably due to seeing the shinigami." While he spoke, L was making sure the teen was strapped in tight. He wanted no surprises while he was piloting the helicopter.
"O-Okay. I trust your judgment, Ryuzaki." Chief Yagami paused. "What would you like me- us to do?"
"I will pilot this helicopter back to headquarters, followed by the rest of you. Upon our arrival, I will have Light safely transported to a hospital." L waited, thumb against his lip, for a response.
"…We understand. And thank you, Ryuzaki." The Task Force disconnected the transmission and went about their business, ensuring that Higuchi was taken care of before they departed.
"…You're welcome." L turned to his protégé. "Watari, I trust you understand everything that's happening; thus, you know what you need to do. Begin immediate preparations the minute we return to headquarters."
Watari's response was drowned out be the sound of the helicopter's blades, whirring to life.
A/N: Thanks for reading! If anyone knows of any ways that I can improve this, feel free to let me know!