A/N: I was unsure if I should post this seeing as I am not too happy with it. Sorry if it's a bit boring, hopefully when L and Light meet the story will get more interesting.

Chapter Warnings: Torture (Very little), and language.

Disclaimer: I still do not own Death Note or it's characters. I only own this plot (as it is very AU) and any OC (All of which play no major roles).

Pages: 9

Chapter Length: 4,030

Chapter 2

"Misa is so very glad you decided to join her!" Misa's cheerful voice broke the silence that Light had built up. He glanced at her from across the booth, forcing a smile.

"I felt that you deserved this. We have a plan to discuss and I feel this is the best course of action to take to discuss it."

"Light-kun, you always think of Misa! You are the best boyfriend!" Light refrained from arguing with her as their waitress was approaching them.

"Welcome to the Blue Note. I am Tunaka; I will be your server for your visit. Have you decided on drinks yet?" A less then excited waitress asked, barely looking at either of them.

"Misa would like a glass of water!" Light sighed inwardly. Misa was probably on one of her diets again.

"I'll have a Pepsi, please." Light smiled at the young woman. She stared at him for a few seconds longer then necessary before scampering off.

"So Light, what have you got planned?"

"The chances of Kiro having the client's daughter are quite high. I can expect that we will get conformation of it from Inoue sometime in the next few hours." Light paused as the waitress arrived with their drinks.

"Thank you," The waitress winked at him. He suppressed rolling his eyes.

"We are ready to order." Misa butted in before the woman could say anything. She was jealous already.

"I'll have a salad, no dressing. Light-kun, you want anything?" Light shook his head, waiting for the waitress to leave them alone.

"As I was saying, I expect a response soon. If he does indeed confirm my thoughts I already have the whole thing planned out. It's quite simple. The Yakuza will want to kill him, but to insure that the client's daughter is unharmed we'll request her removal first. We'll draw Kiro out of his apartment and the girl will be left alone. While he's gone we'll send a group to find her and bring her out. We'll get the client to be a part of that group. We discussed the payment plan already, and have everything set up. All you need to do is meet him at the complex at collect the money; easy enough?" Misa nodded, munching on the salad she had just received. Light took a sip of his drink.

"Do you have a day yet? Misa wants to know so she can clear her schedule. She doesn't want to have to model when Light-kun needs her most!" Misa proclaimed to herself, a look of pure determination set on her face.

"Not yet. If everything goes according to plan I'll take you out for dinner, no business talk at all."

"A date? Light-kun is the best!" Misa barely contained a squeal that was pushing to escape. For that Light was grateful. They didn't need a repeat of last time.

Secluded away in his room, Light took the liberty to write. He enjoyed writing and he had no mind to accept another job so far into the current one. Glancing away from his work he spared the outside world a glance. A woman walking her canine companion was sitting on the curb smoking a cigarette. He watched as she inhaled and exhaled; he found the steady rhythm of her breaths almost methodical. Shaking out of his trance, he went back to writing.

It is easy to draw out a suspect when you know who or what they cherish. It is a programmed part of the human mind to feel such things, though not all humans connect with that part of themselves. While others take to calling them monsters I feel they are the truly lucky people of this world. They are assumed to have no attachments to anyone, human or not. A small portion of these people are masters at hiding their true selves. They are not monsters, just humans adapted to being alone. I can only hope to meet one of these people in my lifetime, and I think I know exactly who to try to meet.

His name is L; or rather that is his alias. Or is it? I have spent hours searching for more information on the man. Most of the information I have found has been false or entirely fictional. Surprising-or not, the people that are aware of his existence view him as a hero. That is quite a few people.

L is not what people think. He is one of those monsters that lack emotional attachments. I have found that he really only cares for one person. His name is Watari but I am almost certain that is an alias as well. He is as elusive as L himself, rarely appearing before anyone not involved in law enforcement.

L. I have asked many officers, under the guise of Kira, who he was. They knew nothing. The reason: no one has actually met him. They have only talked to his letter or Watari. It's quite concerning how little is actually known about him. I'm hoping to grab his attention one of these days, but my work seems fruitless. I was hoping for much better results.

Light was interrupted in his writing by his cell phone. It was a text from Misa, again.

Light r u ok? Cause u never txted me bac. Ignoring the girl's use of text language, he quickly sent a reply hoping it would shut her up, even if for a little.

I am fine Misa, thank you for your concern. I am just tired. I'm about to call Hei.

Light was not an idiot. If anyone with half a brain took the Kira case-his case, he knew they would eventually suspect someone from the police force. Eventually when they all would pass the interrogations the suspicion would be focused on members of their households. He kept his texts short and to the point, not saying anything that could ever be accounted for as suspicious. After all, it was normal for teens to call their friends. If he used that as a disguise to talk about business plans no one would look into it.

Ok ttyl 3

Light deleted the text with a sigh. He figured she was talking how most teens did when speaking to their boyfriend. It would have been a good cover if not for the fact Misa thought it to be real.

True to his word Light really did contact Hei. He sent him a quick message asking about his job and was surprised to find how fast he responded.

We found a girl. Not sure if she's the one you're looking for though. There are a lot of… pictures of different girls. Some of them are just head shots. I mean that literally too. They are just heads; the bodies seem to be missing.

So when do you want to send the 'recon' team in? He denies being involved in any of their deaths. I bet if you dug up his back yard you'd find all the bodies and maybe even their heads. It would be a great game of connect the dots, just with the bodies, don't you think?

That was a little graphic wasn't it? Well, you know me. I can't help but feel that… loose appendages would be fun to play with. Especially after I lost my finger, ne? Ha, as if! I still have all eight finger thank-you-very-much. I didn't appreciate your joke the other day. One of these days I'll get back at you Kira!

-Inoue

Light was silent for a few moments. He couldn't believe it, the man helping the police was a murder? Even he hadn't seen that coming, though he suspected he should have. Never underestimate the enemy, no matter how small and insignificant they appear on the outside. He himself was living proof to that theory.

Inoue, I can't say I saw this one coming! It's marvelous how the human mind works, isn't it? Kiro has a strong feeling against prostitution and all its forms yet tolerates murder, and even commits the act himself! A very intriguing case this is turning into. It's almost a pity you have to kill him before anyone had the opportunity to question him on his actions. Though never mind that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to change my plans. I can't take the risk that the clients daughter is still alive just to be slaughtered before we can recover her. That would be an unfortunate loss in funds for me. We must act tomorrow. If you are willing to employ help, reply to this immediately. That means now, Inoue.

-Kira

Light didn't have to wait long for a response. He could tell Inoue had rushed to get the message to him, probably calling his head immediately.

Alright Kira, boss says he'll give any man power necessary. He wants to know the plan first.

He figured now was the best time to call Misa. On the rare occasion she actually helped him out with clients he liked her to hear everything he was planning.

"Misa-Misa's manager speaking," Light almost hung up when he heard the voice on the other side of the phone wasn't Misa. Refraining from doing so he quickly muttered a reply.

"This is Misa's boyfriend; I was wondering when she would be available to talk to?"

"Oh of course, Misa has your name programmed in differently today Light-san," Light held in a scoff, waiting for the man to continue talking. "She is currently speaking to a potential client; she'll be done very soon. Would you like me to tell her to call you back?"

"Just tell her to come over to my place when she's done." Light requested, hanging up before he got a response.

I've been thinking the best way to go into this where everyone comes out happy, or at least with the requested items. You need to lure Kiro away immediately. He's in the Yakuza, call a fake meeting. Send people in to collect the girl. I'll contact my client to see that he is there for her extraction. This must be done correctly so false ideals are not formulated. You must wear gloves; anyone that will be in the vicinity needs to be wearing a pair. Tell them to comb through their hair before reaching the scene. We don't want to leave any unnecessary DNA samples behind. If they are not careful enough it may look that they killed Kiro and the girls. That shouldn't be on my priority list normally, but the police will be prejudice when it comes to this. They think Kiro is a trusted informant working for them so they will assume he is being framed for the murders. If you are there Inoue, be careful. Don't be seen, the police are already suspicious of you. Oh look, free information. Be grateful I decided to let you know.

Anyway, if all goes well and the girl is the one we want, you can dispose of Kiro however you please. If it is not, I ask you interrogate him for the information. Don't put too much energy into it. If I must I will rely on the police to give me my desired answer. Oh, and I am calling the police after the whole things is followed through. You shouldn't be in any trouble if you follow my requests.

-Kira

After pressing send, Light decided to wait for Misa. Glancing outside he noticed the woman from earlier was still there smoking away. He wondered how many of those she had smoked in the past hour.

Misa arrived minutes later, out of breath from rushing over to his house. He gave her a small smile, and motioned for her to take a seat.

"Plans have changed, I'm afraid. It appears Kiro is actually a serial killer, or something along the lines of insane." Light continued filling her in hushed voices lest his parents or sister happened to wander by.

"What?" Misa's shrill voice was cut off when Light covered it with his hand. He fixated her with a small warning glare. She was effectively silenced though she was slightly hurt that Light had pointed his anger at her.

"You have to be quiet. This is the single biggest case I've had since Penber! I can't let my parents hear, okay?" She nodded shakily behind his hand. He removed it quickly, giving her a fake apologetic look. "I apologize, I didn't know how else to get you to talk softer," He explained, allowing an ounce of guilt creep in his eyes. It was purely for show. Without Misa he would have to find another girl that would be completely loyal to him, and only him. He was far too familiar with clients who had been betrayed by friends and relatives, even their own parents. He had only invested in such a risk to even get an assistant when he started getting more difficult requests from clients. He knew then that his identity as Kira had to remain a secret. He was beginning to piss a lot of people off. After all, he was playing his own team. In doing so he was angering both sides of the 'war'.

"It's okay Light; I know how important this is to you!" Misa proclaimed it to him softly, giving him a bright smile. He hid his irritation, granting her the satisfaction of knowing she had pleased him. He kissed her cheek softly, feeling disgusted with himself as he pulled away. Misa's eyes brightened even more and Light knew he would have his assistant around for a while. He wondered what she would do if he gave her a kiss on the lips.

"As I was saying, the plans had to be changed. There is a chance that he hasn't killed the client's daughter yet, and we can't risk the chances of him killing her too. As soon as Inoue gets the team together the plan will be put in place today. I myself will be going with you, although I will be keeping a distance. Inoue and I will communicate through your phone, please wear a different disguise today? We don't need him getting too used to you. I need to email the client, please relax Misa."

Light turned his attention away from Misa. Logging into his email, he began writing his message to Toga.

Kiro has been found. Bring the 40,000 yen. I am hopeful that your daughter is the girl we know he has in his apartment. Leave for it right now, the address is AP 21 on Mori Road. My assistant will tell you everything when you get there.

-Kira

Light quickly logged out, closing his laptop.

"Alright, let's go Misa."

"Misora-san I assume?" Light's voice was transmitted through Misa's phone, greeting the man.

"You assume correctly." Toga Misora was a gruff man with a deep voice. Light hadn't got that impression from the emails. He seemed like the type of man to take things into his own hands instead of requesting help.

"The team should be here in a matter of minutes, I believe you should not be in that group." If Toga was surprised by the statement he didn't show it, indifferently nodding his head with Light's words. Light was beginning to become amused by the man's moods. Via email he had portrayed the frantic type, not calm and collected.

Light was right, ten minutes later the small group Inoue had rounded up arrived. Donning the requested gloves, they appeared out of place. Dressed up nicely, Light almost rolled his eyes. The suits and slicked back hair were useless for their current mission.

"Inoue, did you explain the plan?" Inoue jumped at the clearly male voice come out of nowhere but he recovered quickly.

"Yeah, yeah; I'm not about to send my men in clueless. Kiro is currently at the 'meeting' with the head and a few others. He probably thinks they're going on a last minute job." Light made a sound of agreement, watching intently from a bench a few hundred feet away.

"Get in there, get the girl, and leave. Do not stay to glimpse around the apartment, okay?"

The men in the group all grumbled a yes sir before heading to the desired destination. Inoue took the phone from Misa when she moved to follow them.

"I'll get it back to you in one piece, Missy." She said nothing, only nodded. She knew better then to speak. Light himself was using a voice masker through his own phone.

"I want you to tell me everything you see while the men go get the girl. Document the entire house; I want details on normal household items as well." Inoue, used to such attitudes from the boy said nothing against it.

"Alright, when you enter the home there is a small shelf with some food and kitchen utensils. The kitchen is to the right; that's the end of the house on the right side it appears." As Inoue continued his description of the house, Light listened intently. Kiro seemed to have the correct things for a normal citizen, nothing that would make you believe he was a serial killer. He did not have an extensive amount of knives and owned no swords. In fact, Kiro was mister normal.

He came to the conclusion that either Kiro was innocent of the killing and Inoue was just pulling his leg, or he was a master at hiding his obsession.

"They found the girl! She's alive and appears to be in good shape." The voice of one of the men brought Inoue's and Light's attention to the girl.

"Bring her out immediately," Light demanded. He heard the faint rustling from the other end of the call and watched as the girl made an appearance. He was fairly surprised to find she appeared unharmed as she ran to meet her father. With the job done, Light hung up. Misa knew what to do. She took the envelope offered to her, walking away in the opposite direction of Light's location. After all, he had trained her well.

Light lazily counted through the money, bored as to what to do now that the job was done. Interrogating Kiro Momota proved to be useless, even torture gained little results. He had remembered the whole thing; it was fresh in his mind. He could not be present for the whole thing, but he could hear the man's screams through Misa's phone. She would get a new number tomorrow as it would be no longer useful.

"I never suspected you would be the one to betray us, Kiro. If anything I thought you would be too… afraid to even think of doing a thing, what changed? You don't appear to be as spineless as before." Light could not distinguish the voice; he assumed it was one of the higher up. He rarely had the opportunity to work with one of them. He was only slightly surprised when Kiro let out a cackle. He had been deemed insane by Light the minute he learned the man was into decapitation. And not only that, he seemed to get away with it, right under the police's noses! If not for the fact Light detested killers he would have been impressed.

"Why thank you! I must tell you that you should give up, interrogating me that it. I won't say one fucking thing and there is nothing you can do to me that will make me talk."

Light heard a loud yell from Kiro and heavy panting followed.

"You are going to say something. Every time you don't answer a question you will lose another finger. Do you understand?" Light felt a jolt of excitement; the interrogator knew what he was doing.

"Ha, like that will get me to talk. I know you will kill me, why should I help you?"

"The pain will end. It will be quick, and style of death you wish even. After all, you seem so… interested in decapitation, are you not?" The interrogator was playing with Kiro's mind, making him think of things he liked in hopes he would talk. Light doubted that would work.

"How right you are! Did you know it's pretty hard to get a clean cut! I don't think decapitation would be a nice way to die, especially if someone messes it up! I, however, have had multiple chances to try! Have you ever practiced before?"

"This isn't a friendly discussion. You answer our questions and you die quick. If we run out of finger… well there are other parts that can be severed afterwards." The threat wasn't empty by any means but it didn't intimidate Kiro in the least. In fact, he seemed to perk up at the thought.

"Oh really; I wonder what else you have planned for me!"It was clear that interrogation would be useless. He could hear the man's screams, he wondered what the cut off this time.

"Inoue, that is all. Proceed to do what you like; he won't speak no matter the bait. Goodbye, I hope to do business with you again!"

Light relaxed in his bed, his notebook in his hands. In it was all that he had recorded of the man named L; the famous detective the earned the respect of millions. Scoffing, Light tucked the book in his hidden spot, out of view of prying eyes. Resting his head on his pillow, he forced his body to relax. He could feel the voice in him mind, wanting to say something spiteful to the teen. When the voice remained silent, Light drifted off into sleep. He could only hope the police call would go well tomorrow.

L surveyed his laptop screen, typing away furiously. The Neweve case was solving itself. There were only two suspects left in the case; Jerome had a 57.45 percent chance of being his suspect, Viviane the leftover 42.55. Both had feasible alibis but either of them could be easily dissolved.

"L, your cake." Watari had knocked on the door, letting himself in. L fixed his gaze on the aging man, his black eyes emotionless. The cake was vanilla with a strawberry, delicious. Watari handed the cake to the detective, and L nodded his thanks.

"How is the case?"

"Oh, quite well; I should have it solved in a matter of hours." L said with a mouthful of desert. He offered no other description and Watari didn't ask for one. L was used to working alone and he wasn't about to divulge the whole thing to his caretaker.

"That's wonderful. Are you ready to start searching for another case then?" L knew he should have said yes when asked. But something held him back. Despite his yearning to serve justice to those who deserved it, something was in the fore front of his mind. Or rather someone and that someone was Kira. Kira was the mystery informant that was known to get his job done fast and quickly. He wasn't sure if Kira was more than an informant, it was quite possible he was also an assassin. The Naomi Misora case was still a mystery, one that would never be solved unless Kira was brought in and told them exactly what he did.

L finished his cake with a sigh, handing his plate to the ever patient Watari.

"No, keep me open for awhile. I will be doing more extensive research on Kira." L didn't need to be good at socialization to see Watari's doubt hidden beneath his kind gaze. L chose to ignore it, taking the time to lick off each finger with a 'plop' before continuing work.

"Alright L, if you are sure." Watari left the room. L pushed any thoughts of Kira out of his mind, once again refocusing on the case at hand. There would be plenty of time for him later, for now he had to appease Watari's wishes and finish the case.

Three hours later L would find himself searching for Kira anywhere he had access to and was not surprise one bit with how many hits he got. 267.

A/N: As always, if you have any questions do not refrain from asking. I hope you enjoyed! Any spelling mistakes? Feel free to point them out.

-Crown The Empire