Chapter Three: New Beginning
Everything had worked exactly like they planned. Higuchi had fallen right into their trap, leaving capturing him the only thing left to do. Light had been initially startled that L, who never seemed to leave the building, could fly a helicopter, but L assured him that it was something he had learned out of necessity. Light wondered what on earth might have provoked that necessity, but refrained from asking. It had no bearing to their current situation. Either way, L was an excellent pilot, and they were soon landed on the highway, blocking Higuchi's last escape route.
He resisted at first, but broke down into a gibbering wreck after barely being threatened. He was rambling nonsense about a notebook that killed people, and Light seemed rather skeptical of the whole thing. But when his father retrieved the notebook in question, and both he and Mogi began to stammer incoherently about monsters, something clicked into place. The feeling that he had known something like this would happen. Light watched L delicately take the notebook from Mogi, and stare into the empty air beside Higuchi's car, his face paling even more than usual.
"Shinigami…" he whispered in horrified shock. "They… actually exist…"
"Ryuzaki, let me see!" Light cried, reaching out. L had fallen into a trancelike state of epiphany, and the notebook came out of his loosened grasp easily. As Light's fingers made contact with the crisp paper, he let out a startled scream, as everything came rushing back at once.
Kira.
Second Kira.
Ryuk.
Rem.
Ryuzaki… L…
Light gasped, turning to look at L, who was watching him with concern.
"Light-kun, are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. Light looked away.
"We need to check if the names here match the victims." He began to type as L quietly agreed, unable to see the smirk spreading across Light's face.
It's over, L. I've won…
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The investigation headquarters was quiet for days. L had been forced to admit that Light and Misa were innocent, and thus the handcuffs were no more. Light had taken to watching L, watching his expression shift and change. He had seen something fall away in that helicopter, some tiny part of who L was… or pretended to be. Maybe it was Ryuzaki. Light was almost certain of it. Ryuzaki was gone altogether. All that was left was the lingering remnants of L, and whoever the real him was who had been hiding underneath. His real self was showing now, through the cracks caused by desperation. Desperate to find something to delay the inevitable.
There was the lingering question of what he would do now. Of course, now he held a weapon over L that he did not have before. Watari's name. Of course, Light could not kill him directly, because it would place suspicion back on himself. But blackmail, manipulation… L might be willing to risk himself, but Light would bet his utopia that L wouldn't risk someone he cared about. And if that didn't work, an even more precious secret stood as backup.
L doesn't have to die at all. Light thought. He simply has to surrender. Yield to my will, and he will be spared. But that would never happen. L had to die, because he would never surrender. Light glanced at the detective, who was silently eating chocolates and staring at the computer screen. Anyone else would think he was diligently reading, but Light could see that his eyes weren't moving. L was staring into space. The fake rules had blocked his only way out. He was trapped. Pinned down like the delicate, annoying little insect you are. Don't you see, L? The gods of the world make the rules. You will be defeated by my fake rules, and die for the sin of defying me.
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Late that night, L had gone to the kitchen to fetch cake, leaving Light alone with Rem. He stared at the Shinigami coolly.
"What will you do, Rem?" he asked. "Misa is already on her way to retrieve the other note. What happens now?"
"I will not kill L for you." Rem said coldly. "If the worst happens, I will kill you and tell him the truth. He has honor. He will not harm Misa if I explain that you manipulated her."
Light shot her a look filled with venom before feigning sleepiness as L returned.
"Ryuzaki, I'm going to bed. Okay?"
L didn't look at him. "Yes, Light-kun. I will see you tomorrow." He watched the computer blankly until he heard Light walk away.
L was not an idiot. He had seen at least a few things over the past few days. The end was coming, and he knew it. That was why he had asked Mogi to follow Misa when she left the building. Something strange was going on, and L would not rest until he knew what. Danger waited ahead, and he was hemmed in on all sides. Any way he turned, it would not end well, but he had expected that from the beginning. All that remained was to try, and hope that he survived.
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Light lay on his bed, his own bed, and his own room. After months of being chained to Ryuzaki, he relished his moments of being alone to think. A plan was coming together for him, using that most precious piece of information that he clung to like a security blanket. Childish rhymes, indeed. I know something you don't know I know, and I'm not telling… He needed to speak to Misa. Unfortunately, it would require taking her on a date. But going on a date, in turn, should lessen L's suspicions. Normal people went on dates, not serial killers. But for this plan, several steps would be required. He would either need to steal the Death Note that Ryuzaki had locked up here, or he needed to get rid of Rem and get hers.
Light wanted to laugh. It was a beautiful plan. It would prove just how many followers Kira truly had, while at the same time dealing a huge blow to his enemies. He smiled to himself, pleased.
Just wait, Ryuzaki… L… Your biggest mistake was trusting me. I could have killed you that night, if I had been aware and had the means, but instead I gained a much more powerful weapon. Your king is in check, Ryuzaki. How many pieces are you willing to lose before you surrender?
DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN
Think about it. If he had been Kira when he spiked L's smoothie, he could have put poison in it just as easily.
I'm so happy people reviewed! Thank you to azaneti, Shotgun Lovers, Feline Jaye, NaroRau, and odette.303. Seriously, I was thrilled to find that many for having not really started.
Odette, I'm jealous of your subtitled trailer. I can't get to Youtube, thanks to my damned blocked school laptop and blocked library computers. I'm translating those wordbits that pop up via Wikipedia and the Altavista Babelfish. (frowns) Bleh. It's harder than I thought.
For Naro and Jaye: Yes, Naro, Light is a person, despite me and a whole mob of L-fans hating him. And Jaye, hope this answers your Kira question!
Yay! The plot is moving! And don't worry, L-fans. Although this chapter takes place during Episode 24/chapter number-still-to-lazy-to-look-up, I will NOT be following canon for this part. I'm an L fangirl too, and if I can save him, I sure as hell will!
Li