Silent Dagger: Yes I know it seems incredibly unrealistic that L would accept B's help, but if you think about it, L is not a good person, he would go so far as to use B in order to capture Kira. I'm not setting out to make him look like some beacon of light; none of the characters in this story are good.
Chapter Two: Return
Of course this entire situation was going to cause a lot of problems for L. For one he had to speak with the warden about getting B released, then he had to think of any precautions he could possibly make in order to keep B from murdering him on the way back. He decided that B would be completely compromised and would travel in the coach section of the plane while L and Light remained in first class. These thoughts were whirling through his head as he made his way back to the warden's office. The warden was sitting at his desk while Light and William were standing as far away from each other as the chain would allow. There was imminent relief in William's blue eyes when L returned and he held out his wrist expectantly.
"Just a moment," L told him dryly.
Light looked at him curiously, obviously picking up on his distress though he wisely kept his mouth shut for the time being.
"I have to speak with you…and you all may stay as it affects each of you," L sighed. "I need to take the prisoner with me to Japan to help with the Kira Case."
The warden looked at him as if he was insane and then he shook his head. "You're working with L?" he asked.
"I am L," L replied, having previously decided that he would only get this request if he told the warden that much, besides, Light and William were already aware of the fact and he was sure that telling one more person would not put him in any more danger than he was already in. The warden was still wrapping his mind around the fact that the world's greatest detective was standing in front of him.
"But you're so young," he complained.
L frowned at him and the man shut up his useless babbling and composed himself again, clearly getting back to the matter at hand. "It is impossible to release that man, I was told to never let him go."
"That was on my orders," L pointed out, stumping the older man. "And my orders now are as follows: B will return with me, Eric and William to Japan, afterwards he will be sent to the high security prison outside of Liverpool, England."
The warden struggled to think of an argument, but L was giving him a fierce look and he let the words die before they even came out. He sighed. "How do you want to transport him?" he asked instead.
"He will need to be properly secured, no use of his hands or legs, and it would be best if he were unable to see the faces of my two companions," L explained. He could tell William wanted to ask why he was going to Japan as well and it wasn't really him he was concerned about. He did not want Light exposed to B, not at all, but the ride to the airport was unavoidable.
"Very well, shall we sedate him?" the warden asked.
"If it is necessary," L conceded and the warden left, grabbing a walkie talkie for back up. Once he was gone, the other two rounded on him.
"What is going on, Ryuuzaki?" Light demanded at the same time William complained about having to go in the first place.
"The inmate returning with us should be able to help with the Kira investigation," L explained, deciding to answer Light first. "There is something special about him that he will reveal in time. As for your presence, you are going to be in charge of him, Mr. Dunn, just making sure he doesn't hurt himself while in custody. I am sure you have been informed about him through Roger and I'd rather not lay the duty on Light," he finished, deciding on using Light's real name since William already knew it.
Light glowered at him. "You're bringing a prisoner from here back with us?" he demanded. "And his name is B? Sorry, but that's too close for a coincidence. What does he have to do with you?"
L nibbled at his thumb. "He is a figure from my past, but now is not the place to tell you that story," L replied. "I ask that you try not to talk to him while on the way back to Phoenix, he is highly dangerous and very perceptive, the less he knows about you the better."
He could tell that Light was a bit apprehensive about this. Truth be told, L was too. Even if B was sedated and chained up, he could undoubtedly find a way to make them all uncomfortable.
Fifteen minutes later, B was being led down the hall by six guards while the warden was nursing a broken nose. L just stared at him for a minute and then sighed, turning his gaze to B; he was obviously sedated by the way he was being supported. His arms were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound by a short chain. As per L's request, a thick blindfold covered his disconcerting eyes. L chanced a glance at Light and saw that he was fidgeting again, both curious and repulsed by the man being led closer to them.
"Are you all right?" L asked when the warden stopped before them, the guards leading B outside to the car.
"No, the bastard shattered my nose!" the man complained, reaching over to the phone on his desk to call the ambulance.
L shrugged and turned back to Light and William. He'd already replaced the manacle around his own wrist and he nodded to them both simply to let them know that it was time to head out to the car. Light followed grudgingly, William just looked terrified after witnessing the violence of his charge.
They were using a limo to get back to the airport, not for any show of power, simply because of the space it provided. L sat himself across from B, Light sitting next to him and William sliding in after Light. Two guards were sitting on the seat with B, ready to grab him in case he made any sudden movements. When the car's engine purred into life, B lifted his face and L swore he could feel his gaze through the blindfold.
"L…there's a lot of people in here," he whispered. His voice was slow, slightly slurred from the sedative still coursing through him. L hoped that he did not slip and use his real name, especially in Light's presence.
"Yes," L replied.
"Do you travel with an entourage now?" B sneered.
"That is hardly your business," L replied.
"Everything about you is my business," B pointed out.
"Ryuuzaki--" Light began but L shot him such a furious glare that he silenced himself, B though, was laughing wildly.
"Ryuuzaki?" he repeated. "You stole my name! Who said that anyway? He's fluent in Japanese; I would not mistake that accent…one of your little proxies perhaps? Did he know that it was a stolen name? Did you miss me or something? I'm so touched."
L felt anger running through him now and he glared at Light again, who was staring at B with a slightly disturbed expression on his face. The guards were looking apprehensive, shooting glances at L but he shook his head forcefully.
"Be silent, B, your excessive banter is not welcomed," L sighed.
B's voice drifted off to quiet chuckles as the ride continued. L could feel the questions in Light's mind but he was relieved the teenager decided against asking them right now. The limo slowed as they neared the city and hit the traffic. B was facing the window, unable to see anything.
"L," he whispered. "I want to see it…"
L frowned. All things considered, B had seen nothing but his prison cell for the last three and a half years. Even if they were allowed outside, it was too far outside the city to even see it smudged against the horizon. He sighed; perhaps appeasing the man would make him more cooperative. He leaned forward, ignoring Light's apprehensive hiss and hooked his fingers under the blindfold, lifting it so it rested on B's forehead.
B blinked a few times and L felt Light tense by his side. It must have been B's face, the top had been covered, but now Light could see just how similar it was to the detective's. The scars marring his features were nothing but faint, white lines, only visible when the sun shone on them directly. L saw Light look curiously at B's eyes, as if recognizing something about their color, but this dawning expression lasted but a second and L could not be sure if it had been there at all. Still, it was something interesting, something to ask him later.
"Keep your gaze outside, B," he warned.
B seemed disinterested in the people in the limo; he was looking at the passing city, at the people, the cars, the hustle and bustle that most people were used to. He was craning his neck to see how tall the buildings were, squinting as the sun reflected off their bright surfaces. He was like a child again, curious about the world he'd been shut out from for so long.
L allowed him to watch until they reached the airport and then he nodded to the guard and the guard flipped the blindfold over his haunting red eyes again. B snarled at him for putting his hand near him and the guard quickly retracted it as if afraid B would bite his fingers off, and…remembering the severity of the break in the warden's nose, L would not put it beyond B to do something like that.
The guards were leading him towards the plane now and B was going along smoothly until L got out of the car with Light and the chain between them clinked loudly. He paused and tilted his head as if placing the noise. He then lowered his covered gaze to his own feet, to the similar noise made when his feet moved. He smirked to himself and L frowned, knowing that he had just figured something out, but B did not ask, he simply allowed himself to be led onto the plane.
"Mr. Dunn, the guards will give B another sedative before we head out, however, it is a long flight, he will need another half way through it, it will be your job to give it to him," L explained. "Do not worry, he is completely apprehended, so sitting with him will not be an issue."
William paled slightly and only nodded faintly as the guards left the plane. He gulped and headed up the stairs to make himself comfortable in the coach section with the knowledge that he was sharing it with a deranged killer.
"Shall we?" L asked.
Light frowned darkly at him. "You better hope that you have a good explanation for all of this," he glowered as L led the way onto the plane.
They sat down in the first class section and Light stared at him resolutely. L took his time positioning himself on the plane, too worried about everything else than to think about his discomfort while flying. When it was clear that Light was not going to avert his gaze until L spoke, the detective sighed and allowed his dark eyes to focus on Light's face as the plane began to move.
"Understand that while you are still a suspect, I cannot give you all the details," L began.
"But you could give me something," Light interrupted.
L frowned at him and Light bit back any further retorts. "B was involved in a case two years ago," he said simply. "I was working on the case. Recently, more murders have happened that were related to the crimes B was committing, I came here to see if he was involved and happened to realize that he could be useful for this case."
"I don't believe that that's it for your past experiences with him," Light said accusingly. "Why such a similar alias?"
L sighed. "That I cannot tell you," he replied.
Light cursed under his breath at the detective's evasiveness and stared out the window sullenly for a while. Finally he took a deep breath, now that his emotions were in check, and turned back to L. L frowned inwardly, he'd been hoping that the discussion had been closed for the time being.
"Can you at least tell me why he might be useful to the Kira Case?" he asked.
L considered answering this, but the problem remained that if he was right about Light being Kira, he would be handing him precious knowledge that would work in Light's favor and he really did not wish to hand Kira any weapons. He could not allow the tides to be turned against him so he simply shook his head. Light glowered at him, but L just ignored him and decided to think about how they would do things when they returned to Japan. B would have to be kept locked up and under constant supervision, William would have to be in charge of bringing the man food and drink, but for the most part he would be left alone. If L needed to speak to him, he could do so through the microphone, but he would have to make sure Light was asleep or leave him to the care of the others for a brief moment because he did not want him involved in any way.
All was going well until they were halfway there and William came into first class, looking rather frantic and panicky. L sighed, he had higher hopes for this man, but they were quickly being extinguished.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's the prisoner," William complained. "Every time I try and go near him with the sedative he turns very nasty."
"How so?" L sighed.
"The things he says he going to do to me, they freeze me in my tracks," William admitted apologetically.
L blinked, sudden realization hitting him. "William, did you make sure he was absolutely secured when you left him alone?" he demanded.
He could feel Light's eyes watching them intently, and the youth was tense by his side. William blinked and opened and closed his mouth a few times. It was an obvious answer, no. L felt as if a vice were tightening around his heart and he quickly undid the handcuffs and locked the free cuff around the armrest of his chair.
"Wait; don't just leave me in here alone!" Light complained as the detective stood up. L frowned down at him. "You are safer in here," he pointed out and left without another word, ordering William to come with him.
They reached the entrance to the coach section and paused for a moment. "Since it is your fault, you may go first," L said coldly. "I will follow after you."
William looked like he was about to faint as he opened the door and walked into the other section of the plane. L waited a few moments before following after him. He was nervous that if he went directly after William, B would get behind them and either attack them or go after Light who was helpless in his current state. William was heading down the aisle slowly, hands balled into fists and L noticed that his hands were shaking. So much for his bravery, he had seemed so capable at first too.
The older man suddenly stopped and turned to face L with a terrified look on his face. "H-He's not here," he stammered.
L tensed and looked around him for those burning red eyes, but all the seats surrounding him were empty. He had closed the door behind him, so at least he would hear if B was going through it, though he knew that B could strike as quickly as a snake, they would barely make it back in time to save Light if he chose to go after the teenager.
"Hand me the sedative," L ordered.
William nodded and tossed it to him and that's when B struck. A pale hand suddenly darted through the air and snatched the sedative. B had been crouched down in the seats between L and William, no doubt waiting for an opportunity like this. His wrists were still cuffed together, but in the time William had come to complain to L, he had maneuvered his arms so that his hands were no longer behind his back but in front of them, he was able to use them. He was gazing at them both with a smug expression on his face and L knew right then that he had been underestimating B. The shadow's rather calm exterior in the time he'd seen him had been nothing more than a show, brilliantly performed until this moment. Now he was the killer again and for the first time, L felt a tremor of fear at the sight of his ex-successor.
"Clumsy," B whispered. "Now then, who shall be put to sleep, hmmm?"
Red eyes traveled slowly from L's face to William's. L wanted to snap at William, the man was visibly shaking in fright. B's eyes lingered on the other man for a while and William took a step back, away from him. What good was the man if he did not even have the ability to suppress his emotions? B was more turned towards William now, sick pleasure illuminating his face at the man's obvious fear.
"Well, well, well, I just can't decide," B sighed in mock annoyance.
He took a step towards William and the coward moved away. B was chuckling now, a low sound, deep in his throat, more terrifying than any growl of a large predator. In that laugh was certain death and both L and William knew it. There was a reason L hated planes, this was one of them. He could not really formulate an escape when they were above the ocean.
"I should say," B said haughtily. "Everything is going to plan; I really will have to thank the warden at some point."
L's expression blanked. What? What on earth was B talking about? This couldn't have all been planned? He was almost too shocked to notice that William was slowly relaxing and by the time he realized the tremors had ceased in the other man, B was lunging at him. L grunted as the other body slammed painfully into his and suddenly he was on the ground and B was leering over him, the sedative held aloft, needle pointing at L.
"And I should thank William as well, he's a marvelous actor, wouldn't you agree Lawliet?" B asked with a twisted smirk.
"Sorry, Ryuuzaki," William said, though he did not sound sorry in the least. "But I'm being paid well for this."
L just stared at the face above him, confusion in his dark eyes. B laughed and tauntingly ruffled L's hair with his free hand, straddling L just to keep him in place. "You are quite lovely when you're so confused," B whispered. "Did you honestly think that everything was going to happen like you thought it was? I'm disappointed in you, L, I would have thought you'd be aware that I was taking things so submissively. Me, listen to you? Come now, you should have known that was impossible."
Words were escaping L at the moment, but he had to know. "What…are you planning on doing?" he asked, the words forced from his throat.
B tapped the needled against L's neck but L refused to cringe away from it. "Well, it's no fun ending the game so quickly, though it'd be so easy to kill you right now," he gloated. "However, I want to cause you some panic. We're going to Japan, just as you planned, but when we get there, I'm taking off. You can live with the knowledge that I am out there and that I plan to find Kira, and use him for my wishes."
"Your wishes?" L asked, still confused, more desperate to know B's plans than to escape right now. It was clear that B wasn't going to kill him and he'd rather not give him an excuse to harm him in any way.
"Kira would be so useful to me, in getting to you," B sneered. "I know, I know…I have you right now, I could do whatever I wanted to you if I so chose. But you were right back in Arizona, I hate Kira, I want to twist him around my finger so tightly that he breaks. Maybe I'll even give you little clues as to who he is or what he is doing, but I'll never tell you everything you need. By the time I call on you again, you'll be dying to see me."
"You're going to work with Kira?" L demanded coldly.
"No, no, my dear, Kira is going to work for me," B said.
"You'll accomplish nothing, I will not play your games," L growled.
B chuckled again and shook his head. "Oh really? So you won't care when Kira suddenly starts killing innocent masses? You know me better than anyone L, my mind works like yours does; I have no doubt that I can easily manipulate Kira."
L could picture it, and he wished that he could not. He could envision all those innocent people dying at the hands of their 'savior', Kira suddenly turning on them, revealing his true intentions. L would never, ever support Kira, but as it remained, he was a worthy opponent; he was not like the madman above him. He was following morals, what he believed to be justice; it was just that he was wrong. However, a Kira who killed for the pleasure of killing…that was something he could not bear to witness.
"Are you getting it, L?" B asked bitterly. "Too long your attention has been driven towards capturing Kira. I am going to change that, your true focus will be me, as it always should be."
He smirked and stood, grabbing L by the wrists and pulling him to his feet as well. "One wrong move and I shoot you with this," he warned, holding the sedative up. B suddenly nodded to William and the traitor moved closer with the key to the handcuffs. Working with a diligence that L had not expected, William unlocked the handcuffs and replaced them over L's wrists and ankles.
"Shall we move up to first class?" B grinned. "After all, coach is so dull…"
He smirked cruelly and pushed L ahead of him. When they reached the door, B grabbed the handle but paused, leaving him uncomfortably close to the detective. L suppressed a shudder when he felt his shadow's lips upon his ear. "You've no idea," he whispered. "How hard it is for me to hold back right now…do you know how long I've dreamed of having you in my mercy, L? Consider yourself fortunate that I want to play this game, otherwise you'd be in agony right now…screaming for me."
There was nothing L could reply to that with so he simply remained quiet. B laughed softly and opened the door. Light turned around, mouth open to start complaining to L, but when he saw the condition he was in and B freed behind him, the color drained from his face and his mouth just hung open in shock. B looked at him for a while, from his perfect features to the chain keeping him locked to the seat.
"Pretty boy," he said. "Though since I know you wouldn't keep him around for his looks, I can guess he has something to do with Kira…but it's not him, L…he's not Kira."
This information, coupled with everything that happened, was like a tremendous blow to the stomach. All this time, all the certainty that Light had been the one he'd been after, it had been denied in that one instant. In B's positive voice that Light was not Kira. He couldn't believe that Light was part of B's scheme; after all, he had looked disgusted with B from the start. He could see Light's surprised expression, but was that relief in the younger man's eyes? Had he finally found the one clue that would prove his innocence? Had L really been so horribly wrong? How did B know that he wasn't Kira…it must have been that which he'd spoken of before, his connection, his knowledge that L would never know now.
"Come now, L, you're blocking me," B smirked, nudging the detective along.
L stumbled forward, too overwhelmed to say or do anything. He sat down next to Light again but B grinned and grabbed his upper arm, hoisting him forcefully out of the seat. "Oh no, dear, you're sitting next to me," he grinned. "Will can sit next to your little pet."
William scoffed and sat down next to Light who had a look of dark brooding upon his face. L doubted that the teenager would be able to think of anything to free them of this situation. After all, B still held the sedative and even if Light managed to get past William, he would be no match for B. Neither of them were his equal in physical strength and the ferocity in which B would show to defend himself was enough to keep both of them in their seats.
"How many people were in on this?" L asked quietly, feeling sick.
"The entire prison, you've grown dull, L," B mocked. "Did you not hear that I managed to get the news from them? I would have thought that you would realize that those pitiful fools were completely in my control. I even left you another clue; you think that my actions alone would be able to keep some of the other inmates away from me? Hardly, it was the fact that I owned the warden that kept them at bay."
It was clicking into place, and L was only staggered with the fact that he had missed it. All of it, it had all been constructed, nothing that had happened in that prison had been real, it was all a masquerade to protect B, all of this had been planned out. But did that mean…the murders surrounding the area?
"What about the copycat killer?" L asked, feeling a bit breathless.
"Me," B replied simply.
L canted his head in puzzlement and B chuckled. "They let me out, I told them I was feeling a bit tired of being locked away inside, so I told them to let me out and kill people, not to mention I wanted to get my hands on Kira, which meant I would have to have you…this is why you're still alive now, I need you…until we get to Japan, but as I said, I can't resist playing with you a bit before I decide to end your life."
He smirked and leaned in, face but an inch from L's. "You can't imagine how pleased I was to see how arrogant you still are…I may have to break you before your death. You've never been tortured have you? Well, you can add that to your list of things to look forward to once we arrive."
L frowned darkly and regarded B coolly. "I am not so simple to break, B," he said. "You may think that your plan is flawless, but I will find a way to stop you."
B smiled smugly. "I was hoping you would say that," he replied. "It would be boring otherwise."
They heard a strangled yelp from behind them and both looked around to see William standing and rubbing furiously at his forehead, where an angry red welt was forming. B snickered and nibbled his thumb. "What did you do now, lowlife?" he asked harshly.
"Nothing," William snarled, though it was obvious that he was lying.
B shifted red eyes to Light's flushed face. "What did he do to you, boy?" he asked.
"The pervert attempted to touch me," Light said haughtily. "I taught him to think otherwise."
B was obviously impressed by Light's attitude. He stood up and made his way over to the teenager. Light looked up at him defiantly and B could not suppress a laugh. He reached forward and grabbed Light's throat, tightening his grasp painfully until Light was clenching his teeth, eyes watering slightly.
"While we are on this plane, I own you," B whispered. "And since I own this fool, he owns you too and may do whatever he wishes. Should you react in such a way again, I'll pop your pretty little eyes right out of their sockets."
"Leave him alone!" L snapped.
B blinked and released Light, glancing over his shoulder at the detective. He regarded him for a few moments and then anger flashed in his red eyes and he headed back to him, sitting down next to the detective. William chose to sit in the seat in back of Light instead of directly next to him and there was nothing but silence for the next ten minutes or so.
"You'd never…defend me like that," B suddenly growled.
L looked at him in surprise.
"You never cared about me," B continued, a humorless smile on his face. "You never looked twice at me, despite everything I did to gain your attention. How it hurts me now to see you jump so quickly to save such a worthless soul."
"B…" L began.
"Don't speak to me!" B snarled, rounding on L and clapping a hand over L's mouth to silence him. "Don't you dare try and make up an excuse, and don't you dare agree with me," he growled. "I don't want to hear it, you shall not speak unless spoken to until we land, do you understand?"
L narrowed his eyes and refused to agree to such a demand. B's hand tightened around his face, but he did not care. He could deal with this slight pain; the pain that would be inflicted to his pride if he agreed to such a condition would never heal. He was L, he was the world's greatest detective, and it would take so much more to get him to break, to get him to grovel to another. B had another thing coming if he believed that he would see L submit to him so easily.
He seemed to realize this, for he was smirking and he removed his hand but retrieved the sedative again and began tracing the needle along L's neck. The detective suppressed a shiver, but his eyes widened when the needle suddenly sank into his skin and the sedative was pressed into his veins. Instantly he felt his mind going numb and he could not move his limbs no matter how hard he tried. His eyes closed half way and he sat, feeling limp as a doll in his seat while B tossed the now useless needle aside.
"Much better," B murmured. His hand trailed briefly over the detective's cheek. "Seeing you like this, it's almost…arousing. You're so helpless right now. I could do whatever I wanted and you couldn't even fight back."
L groaned, even formulating sentences was difficult in his hazy state of being. He felt himself slumping on his seat, wishing more than ever that he could just sleep, but he couldn't, not with B right next to him like this and several hours of the flight ahead of him.
"Do you know why I can wait?" B suddenly asked, draping an arm around L's shoulder in an almost amiable sort of way. "Why I don't just use you how I desperately long to right now? It's because we've been apart for so long…but now that I know I have the capabilities to deceive you, I know I will be able to see you again, and trapping you for a second time will make the victory all the more sweeter."
He paused, grinning darkly as long fingers began to caress L's neck. "Even though I desperately want to break you…"
L realized what B was getting at. He had tried to deny it for as long as possible because the thought was enough to make him cringe, but it was obvious by the tone of his voice and the way his fingers were playing about his neck exactly what B wanted to do to him. He was suddenly thankful that B had the patience to wait. At least now that L was sure, he could take counter measures and prevent such a thing from ever happening. He would rather die than go through that humiliation.
Even this light caress was making him feel highly uncomfortable. He would shift away from B, but his body was so heavy, and he knew B's personality. If he showed resistance, it would only goad the other on. This he could deal with, if B persisted in doing anything more, well, than L may have a problem keeping so still and quiet. However, he was annoyed that the other refused to move his arm, instead leaving it around L's thin shoulders.
"You know…I've never been to Japan," B mused about an hour later, when the flight was finally drawing to a close. "I bet I will like it there."
L chose to not even come up with an answer for him. He was still heavily sedated and even thinking was proving troublesome. It was frustrating; he wanted to think of a plan right away to capture B. That was probably why the madman had decided to pump him full of the stuff, so that he literally could not do anything against him until B had already melted into shadows once again. B seemed to sense his inability to even think and he cackled ruthlessly, leaning in again so that his face was close. He took his hand and grabbed L's chin, forcing the detective to look at him.
"Take a close look," B whispered. "A close look at the thing you created. If it hadn't been for you, this would not have happened. If it hadn't been for you there would be no B."
His face twisted in sudden agony and L blinked slowly as B seemed to be wrought with an internal struggle. He released his hold on L and clenched at his hair, pulling it roughly and making it stand on end as he brought his knees to his chest. L could only watch, fascinated, as his captor tried to pull into himself.
"Who am I? What am I?" B was muttering. "If there is no L there is no B, if I stripped this all away, what would remain?"
L had figured that the oppression of being the world's greatest detective would lead to cracks such as these. To an already unbalanced mind, the added pressure of what he was called to do must have splintered even the farthest reaches of his mind, burying into his unconscious, surfacing only in moments of sudden revelation such as this. Seeing L like this, it must have made such thoughts all the more potent, and L could not answer B's questions. The man had spent so much of his time trying to be him that he had lost his own identity a long time ago. If he stripped away the part of him that was L, he would be nothing but a monster, a murderer.
B's eyes were opened wide, unblinking as he covered his ears with his hands, as if hoping to trap the thoughts within his head and keep them from his quivering lips. L would rather the man get a hold of himself. He was not keen of the thought of being helpless next to him if he should snap completely. A few moments passed like this and suddenly B's hand plunged into his pocket and he brought out a small bottle of pills. He looked at it scathingly before opening it and popping two into his mouth. So then, there was a remedy for these moments…but how many of those pills did B have? How many could he get? And what would happen when he ran out for good?
He closed his eyes for a few minutes and when he opened them again, L could see that he had regained all of his composure. He glanced at L and only smirked at him, as if daring him to ask what had happened, clearly hoping to deny answering the question, so L decided not to ask. He did not need to. He was perfectly aware of what had just happened after all, and since it came as no surprise, he would let the matter drop and let B feel disappointment.
The plane was finally starting to descend and L could not be more impatient for it to land. The sedative was wearing off, though he knew it would still be effecting his system when they landed, added with the feeling of jet lag…well, the detective knew that he really had less of a hope of detaining B upon landing than he would have liked. There had been no sounds from the back and when he finally glanced over his shoulder, he saw that William was napping and Light…Light was staring at him intently. He blinked and tilted his head slightly, but Light only shook his, indicating B, who was enjoying a jar a jam, the sticky substance was all over his fingers and staining his shirt and lips. Clearly, Light did not want to discuss anything while in the man's presence.
When they landed, B stretched languidly and walked over to William, smacking him none-too-gently in the back of the head to wake him up. The blonde-haired man frowned and rubbed at the spot but got up without complaint and followed B towards the door. The door opened and the stairway had already been positioned for them all. B grinned at Light and L.
"And now the games begin," he said. "L, I shall see you soon, I can't wait…we'll have so much more…fun next time."
He licked his lips before heading out of the plane with William following him obediently. As soon as they were gone, Light stood, but his hand was still cuffed to the arm rest. "Ryuuzaki, toss me the key," he said. L could tell by his voice that Light was holding back a lot of resentment and anger, though whether it was for the two who had just departed or himself, he could not be sure. He groaned, forcing his lethargic muscles into action and digging in his pocket for the key before tossing it to the teenager. Light unlocked himself and then headed over to L.
"Can you walk?" Light demanded.
"Give me a moment," L replied.
"We don't have a damn moment, we have to act now!" Light shouted. He reached forward and ignoring L's protests, he heaved the detective across his shoulders and bodily carried him out of the plane.
"Light-kun, put me down, I can walk!" L snapped. This was the last thing he needed. After all of this he could not suffer through being carried. But Light was ignoring him. L wished he knew what was going through the youth's mind right now. He must have felt conflicted. On the one hand, he had warned L about how dangerous this was, and now a murderer was on the loose, one that he only knew the slightest potential of. If he was aware of what B was truly capable of, he'd feel worse. On the other hand, it was because of B that Light had been proven innocent, if L was to believe B's words. If L had never gone to Arizona with Light in tow, then they would have never met and Light would still be right where he had been from the beginning, the top suspect.
"You should call Watari," Light said quietly, finally setting the detective down.
L did not want to let Watari know about his mistake. He felt like a complete and utter fool. How could he have taken B so lightly? Now he would have to atone for his mistake and just hope that B never found Kira. The man had been right though, L had to focus on him first and Kira second, once more his plan was working. It made L's blood boil and he punched in the numbers on his phone as best he could, cursing B for not leaving the key to the handcuffs behind in the very least.
"Yes?"
"Watari, we've a serious problem, one I'd rather not discuss on the phone," L replied. "I need you to pick Light-kun and myself up immediately…and bring something to open handcuffs."
Watari complied without question and promised to arrive within ten minutes time. This left L alone with Light, who still had a completely unreadable expression on his face. L watched him expectantly in the most subtle manner he could manage, but Light's continual silence was beginning to irk him greatly.
"Say something," L finally demanded.
"Would you like me to berate you for being an idiot or should that wait?" Light retorted.
L frowned darkly.
"I'll take that as a 'wait'," Light said simply.
"We all make mistakes," L growled.
"Yeah, well most mistakes can go unnoted. When the world's top three detectives make a mistake, one that involves putting thousands of innocent people at risk, it can't really be forgiven as easily," Light snapped.
"What would you have me do?" L demanded.
Light finally looked at him, amber eyes smoldering with suppressed rage. "Well, you'll have to take time out from looking for Kira and find your number one fan. Tell me; is everything about you a lie? How do I know you're not the fake and he's the original?"
"Now you are just being unreasonable," L said coldly.
"You sure? You took the name 'Ryuuzaki' from him, how would I know whether you took his appearance as well?" Light asked.
"Do not be foolish," L said quietly. "L came first, B was supposed to be backup."
"For what?"
"You'll have to figure that out for yourself, I cannot give you that information," L evaded.
Silence and then Light's fist was colliding painfully with his jaw. L staggered and because his ankles were still compromised by the chain, he fell backwards and landed roughly on the ground. He glared up at Light angrily, but the teenager kept his distance, glaring right back.
"Don't fuck with me!" he shouted. "That guy said I wasn't Kira! I don't know how he would know, but how many times are you going to have to hear it before you accept it? You were wrong L! You were wrong about me being Kira, you were wrong about going to Arizona, you were wrong about B helping us! You've been wrong all along! Why don't you do something right for a change and tell me what the hell is going on?"
It took all of L's self control not to start shouting back. He never shouted, had never felt the need to, but Light was doing a marvelous job of testing his limits. He hated being wrong and to hear someone accuse him of being wrong so much, it was infuriating. And the worse part was, his accusations were justified.
But what if his recent theory had been correct and the powers of Kira could be passed from one to the other? What if after he revealed everything, Light went back to being Kira? He would be armed with information that would put L at a huge disadvantage. Even if L was killed, he had his successors, but if Kira knew about them, he would do everything in his power to attack them before they were ready. L was confident that the two, Near and Mello, would be able to handle themselves, but they were still so young, they could not be relied upon yet.
And yet Light was glaring at him with such ferocity that if L denied him, he would probably lose Light forever. The teenager would put such distance between themselves that L would never learn anything from him again and that would be more detrimental than anything. There was still this feeling, in the back of his mind, that Light was Kira, or had been Kira and he was determined to figure out what this connection was because he knew it would lead to Kira.
Fortunately, he'd always been a good liar. "B was brought in when I was still young, too young to handle all the cases being presented to me. Therefore, he was my backup, when I was too exhausted or overwhelmed to handle a case, B would take it for me. But he grew dissatisfied. He wanted to become me, become better, as you no doubt saw from his appearance, he took this desire very seriously. However, he could not defeat me at what I did, so he set out to do the opposite. He became a murderer, a criminal, an anti-L if you will. However, his efforts were thwarted and he's been in prison ever since…until now," L explained. It wasn't completely a lie, though a lot had been left out, but that was information Light did not need to know.
The youth pondered this for a moment and then sighed. "I don't understand how he's connected with Kira," he admitted, putting his anger aside for the moment.
"Truthfully, I am mystified by their connection as well," he replied. "He mentioned something about being more similar to the Second Kira."
"Second Kira…" Light trailed off, there was that dawning look in his eyes, but it seemed as if the thought passed too quickly for Light to notice it himself, leaving L even more curious as to what was really going on.
"We have two options, Light-kun. Either we track down B or we find Kira. Whatever happens, we cannot allow the two of them to meet," L said after a long moment of silence.
"Agreed," Light said.
They heard a car drawing close to them and Watari pulled to a stop. He stepped out of the car and took one look at the pair, to Light standing there with one handcuff clapped firmly about his wrist while the other dangled at his side, to L, sitting on the ground with his wrists and ankles firmly bound. He blinked a few times and hurried over to L with a pair of heavy pliers that looked too big for his wrinkled hands to manage. But he managed to twist the metal apart, releasing L's arms and legs.
"What happened?" Watari asked.
"B," L replied simply.
Watari pursed his lips into a thin line and nodded in understanding. L was relieved that the man could piece things together so easily, he did not think he was capable of revealing the events on the plane, not yet anyway, not when the failure was still so fresh in his mind. He shook himself mentally. A failure for now, but he was confident that he would be the one pulling the strings. He would find B and Kira, maybe one would lead to the other. He could still use this, he would use this because L refused to be made a fool of and any who dared to put him in this situation would find themselves playing to his game before long.
The ride back was painfully quiet. Watari had said nothing while he was driving and Light seemed to be keeping silent because it seemed that if he spoke he would lose control and start shouting at L again. L was grateful for the silence, he was trying to think of his first move. He could either continue following the trail to Kira or he could focus on B. He would probably be able to find B first, only because the ties connecting him to B were more personal and it was likely that he would make a move before Kira. Unless he was going to be cautious and wait until after he had met with Kira…no, L wouldn't allow that to happen. He was sure that Light was still Kira, perhaps B had learned of L's suspicions about Light and had simply told him he wasn't Kira to throw him off. But no, that was impossible.
When they reached the investigative headquarters it was to find it empty. It was far later than they had thought and the others must have returned to their homes by now. L told Watari that he would fill him in shortly, but that he had to speak to Light beforehand. They retired to their private rooms, Light still had said not a word and when the door was closed, he practically dragged L over to the chairs and sat himself down. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes, looking at L, obviously expecting him to start talking, but L just resumed his normal perch and went back to thinking about how he was going to solve this problem.
"Well?" Light demanded.
"Hmm?"
"What do you mean 'hmm'?" Light snarled. "Who is B, really? Why did you go and see him? You could have waited until after you caught Kira but now we have him running around and I can tell by your expression that if he meets up with Kira we're going to see the world thrown into chaos."
"Light-kun…"
"Stop sounding so calm, you created this mess!" Light shouted, as if hearing L lose his composure would justify what had happened.
"I am aware that this was my fault, Light-kun," L replied, remaining stoic as always. "However, panicking is exactly what B would want. We must remain patient and calm and work through this. We will go after B first. He knows about Kira but Kira does not know about B."
"Yet," Light grumbled.
L gave him a flat stare and Light just continued to frown at him. L sighed and looked away from him. "What do you want from me, Light-kun? Would you like for me to wallow in pity, perhaps you would like for me to shout and lose my head, berate myself endlessly for this mistake? Well?"
"It might make me feel better," Light muttered. "But I know not to waste time with such trivial matters. I'm just…angry and confused right now, Ryuuzaki," he paused and frowned. "I don't like calling you that anymore, I just think about him. There was something about that man…something in his eyes. He's completely mad; he's barely holding himself together."
Once again L was struck by the skills Light possessed. He was magnificent at psychological profiling. Then again, taking one look at B would tell anyone that he was unstable, especially seeing the two of them together. It was a pity that such a brilliant mind had been twisted beyond repair. He brought himself back to the present, to where Light was still mumbling to himself.
"…familiar, but I can't remember," he was saying.
"What is familiar?" L asked.
"I just said I can't remember," Light frowned. "It was when I saw him…something about him. His eyes…why were his eyes so familiar, and yet so far from my mind, I cannot picture where I've seen such eyes before. Like a nightmare, a far off dream."
L was just staring at him. The eyes. Light's rambling into his own unreachable memories just raised L's suspicions of him. B had mentioned being like the Second Kira, could it be something to do with Kira's eyes? He had to obtain the secret to Kira's powers, and to find that he would either have to capture Kira or find B and somehow get his doppelganger to tell him.
"Why are you staring at me?"
L blinked. "I apologize; I had not noted that I was."
"You still think I'm Kira," Light's tone was accusatory.
"And what do you think of that?" L asked, not expecting an answer. He was in no mood to get into one of these arguments at the moment.
"I think that you're wrong. I'm not Kira," Light said. He was quiet for a moment and a far off look overcame his expression. "Not now…"
"Not…now?" L asked.
Light shook his head. "I don't want to talk about this right now," he said with a frown.
L sighed, he half expected Light to tell him something of importance. Well, L supposed he would have to get used to disappointments.