AN: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I apologize for hoarding this chapter. I added a whole extra section to make it up to you! To settle any worries you might have I want you to know this story will not be a retelling of canon. You'll start seeing the impact of Harry's presence in this chapter.
Chapter 3: Rewrite
Dark eyes read the newest additions to the list.
Ken Akiyama, Katsurou Chiba, Anthony Donati, Takehiko Eguchi, Yuudai Fukushima…
More than a hundred new victims since yesterday. And those were only the ones they knew about. The vast majority of them were Japanese, or criminals who were located in Japan. Kira, it seemed, had taken his message as a challenge. These new, concentrated deaths were Kira's way of sticking his tongue out at L and saying, 'So you know where I am? Fine, just look at how many people I can kill.'
It was all very childish. Kira, for all his posturing, was nothing more than a brat with seemingly supernatural power.
Two columns were displayed on the laptop. One containing all the names of Kira's victims, and the second containing their time of death. Unfortunately, not all had witnesses in the immediate area to record the exact time they had died, but the few that did were more than enough. The times remained consistent with the information L had gathered over the previous weeks.
He smiled around the pad of his thumb. Kira-kun was very childish, indeed.
L vs Kira. The Shadowy Detective vs The Psychic Mass-murder. That's all the anyone was talking about, now.
Potter flipped through the tabloid magazine Light had abandoned.
"They're really loving this," the shinigami remarked as he turned past a rather colorfully worded article. "They've got a whole write-in section devoted to 'The True Identity of Kira'. Half of them think you're some kind of superhuman laboratory experiment that escaped. The other half are convinced you're an avenging angel sent by God." Potter held up the magazine and pointed to the bottom of the page. "And this one–'Neko-chan33', doesn't think Kira or L exist at all. That you two are just a cover for a worldwide 'cleansing' operation started by the United Nations. Lovely."
Light laughed. The shinigami had gotten much more chatty since the whole incident with L.
"I guess I'm good for business," Light quipped, leaning against the balcony door frame. "Humans will say they hate it, but in reality they love the drama. The media thrives on conflict and death. Peace and love doesn't sell."
Potter's expression soured and he tossed the magazine aside. "You haven't written in the Death Note today."
Light hummed in absentminded agreement.
"You've been writing almost nonstop since the broadcast," Potter pushed when he did not elaborate.
Light's lips quirked upward. "You're certainly talkative today, Potter." The shinigami stared at him and Light realized that was the first time he'd spoken his name aloud.
"Just wondering what's changed," Potter clarified. "It's uncharacteristic of you."
"I suppose that makes two of us who are out of character today," Light said, smirking at him.
The death god only blinked in response.
"The truth is," Light relented with a sigh, "I've been working on a plan to beat L."
"You're really going after him?"
"Of course. Kira can't have someone like L spoiling his perfect world," Light said with a smirk. It still amused and amazed him to apply the name to himself.
"I thought it was criminals that were spoiling the world. This 'L'," Potter glanced at the magazine, "he's a detective. He works to lock up criminals, right? Shouldn't you and he be on the same side? Why make L an enemy?"
"The police will be on my side," Light said. "The police are only investigating me because they have to. It's bad for their public image if they don't at least look like they're trying to stop these deaths. But this is only temporary. What I'm doing is right. Once people realize how much better the world is, they will come to accept Kira. Once L is out of the way…"
Potter regarded him carefully. For a long moment there was silence. "Is it because he beat you?" he asked bluntly.
Light stilled.
"He beat you with that broadcast," the shinigami continued, his eyes never straying from Light's face. "L tricked you into giving him what he needed to start looking for you. You're bitter because he outwitted you, and now you're trying to get back at him. This isn't about your perfect world at all, is it?"
"What would you know about it?" Light growled.
The shinigami quirked an eyebrow at him. "I know a god would never be so petty."
Light glared at Potter. "I liked you better when you didn't talk."
The death god actually laughed. "I've heard that before."
Light glanced at the corner of the room. Potter watched them with far more interest than he'd shown before. His green eyes were wide and unblinking. They darted from Light's face to the older man's. The shinigami craned his neck to get a better look at his father.
His father, who had just returned home from the police station. His father, who was heading the hunt for Kira under the command of L.
"L knows you're a student." Potter said, calling back to what little information his father had spilled about the investigation. "He's good, to have figured that out so quickly."
"'Figured it out'?" Light repeated with a chuckle as the lock clicked into place. "I wanted them to reach that conclusion. I've been leading them to it."
"You want them to find you?" he asked. Dark eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"I want L to think he's got the upper hand." Light ran his fingers over the cover of the Death Note. He'd read the rules so many times, he knew them by heart. And he knew exactly what to do for the next stage of his plan.
"This is a nice house."
Light blinked. He turned and stared at Potter. Had he really just said that? "What?"
"This house," Potter said slowly as he reclined on Light's bed. "It's very nice. Homey. Bet it cost a lot. Have you always lived here?"
Potter had never asked about his life before. It was… strange hearing a God of Death asking such a human thing.
"We moved in shortly after Sayu was born," Light told him.
"Ah, so you would have been about three, then?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, still feeling somewhat unsettled by his interest. Since when did Potter care about things like that?
"You have a nice family." The way he said it was not kind or warm. His words were flat, as though he'd said the sky was blue, or the grass was green. Not a compliment, but a basic fact anyone should know.
"…thanks."
Light was about turn back to the Death Note, thankful to let the conversation die, when his breath caught.
Potter stared at him with an intensity that made Light shiver. The shinigami's eyes gazed deep into his. He felt trapped by them. Paralyzed. The world around him seemed to shrink, and colors bled into gray– leaving only green.
The spell was broken with a single sentence.
"You forgot to get me an apple."
Light nearly choked on air.
Sayu groaned in frustration. The fourteen-year old had been stuck on the same problem for nearly twenty minutes. How the heck was someone supposed to square a letter? What did any of this even mean? Quadratic equations would be the death of her, she just knew it.
She wished she possessed even a tenth of Light's brains. He never had a problem with schoolwork. She should have asked Light for help before he'd left for his night class, but he'd been so working so hard. If he wasn't careful he'd get bruises under his eyes! That was one look she didn't think her brother could pull off.
Light was really pushing himself pretty bad lately. She knew getting into a good college was important to him, but lately all he did was study. Sure, Light had always been serious about his grades, but this was pushing it. As soon as he got home, Light would hole himself up in his room. The only time she really saw her brother was during family meals.
Sayu thought he was working way too hard. He was seventeen, for crying out loud! He should be out with his friends, or a girlfriend – it wasn't like he didn't get looks. Sayu's friends constantly badgered about her brother's relationship status.
Or better yet, he should be home, doing his brotherly duty and helping her with these accursed quadratic equations!
Sayu groaned again and let her head fall on her textbook with a thump. There was no way she was going to get this done on her own. Sayu was bemoaning her surely failing grade when an idea sparked in her head. Light might not be home, but maybe he could still help her.
She opened her bedroom door just wide enough to peek out. Her mother was downstairs, doing mom things, probably. Light's room was at the far end of the hall. Sayu was careful not to make a sound as she tiptoed her way to Light's door. Technically, no one was allowed in Light's room when he wasn't home, but he didn't need to know.
Sayu held her breath and turned the handle. She'd never been in here alone. Without her brother this place felt… forbidden. She bit her lip, having second thoughts about this plan. But she had already come this far, and her blank math homework mocking her from her desk spurred her onward. She hurriedly made her way to the shelf. Her eyes gazed over the books and Sayu felt a something heavy settle in her stomach. All of them were thick intimidating texts. Half of them weren't even in Japanese!
Sayu slumped down in the chair. It was hopeless. She couldn't even understand her algebra book; there was no way she'd be able to read a college level calculus book! She rested her head against the hard tabletop when out of the corner of her eye she noticed the top drawer of the desk had a keyhole. She stared at it, wondering what her brother could possibly have wanted out of sight.
'A diary', her mind immediately conjured in answer.
Sayu almost laughed. The idea of her super serious, genius brother keeping a diary was just too weird. It was way too kid-like and normal a thing for Light to do. But then… maybe not. Maybe underneath it all, Light really was the teenage boy he never acted like. Sayu grinned as she imagined pages filled with teen angst and high school crushes just like in the t.v. dramas she loved.
That was all the motivation she needed. She pulled at the drawer, but it didn't budge.
"Locked." She frowned. The key had to be somewhere around here. Unless Light had taken it with him, in which case this would all be for naught. But then, knowing Light, he'd keep a spare just in case.
Sayu checked the other drawers, along the bookshelves, under the desk… nothing. Scowling, she crossed her arms and plopped back down. She closed her eyes, trying to put herself in the mindset of a teenage genius. If she were Light were would she hide a key?
She squeezed her eyes tighter, thinking… thinking… thinking… Oh!
Swiveling in the chair she looked up at the line of heavy books. They were all neatly flush to the edge of the shelf. All but one, that was. A thick text on criminal justice sat just a hair further back on the shelf. Sayu pulled the book off the shelf. Taped to the inside cover was a small key. Sayu smirked; maybe she did have some of that genius in her after all.
The key slid into to the lock perfectly. She turned the key and bit her lip when it clicked. Maybe this was a bad idea. If Light really did have a diary hidden in there, she had no right to read it. Okay, so she wouldn't read it… she'd just see what was inside. No harm in that.
She held her breath. The drawer slid open with ease.
"Huh?"
Inside sat a thin, black notebook. It was certainly not the juicy diary she had hoped for. She lifted the book from the drawer.
"Desu Noto," she read. Weird. Was this like some sort of creepy prank notebook? Why did Light have something like that? She opened to the first black pages. They were written in the same spidery lettering as the cover.
"Aw, this is all English," she complained. She suddenly wished she'd paid better attention in her language class. Sayu squinted her eyes to better focus on the words. When that failed to help her decipher its meaning she huffed and flipped several pages. Light's handwriting was easily recognizable. His neat scroll covered the page from top to bottom. What he had written baffled her.
Names. Just names, covering the entire page. Most were Japanese but quite a few were obviously foreign. Sayu doubted she could pronounce half of them.
"…Weird," she said, dragging out the word.
"Sayu, it's getting late. Have you finished your homework?" her mother's voice called from the bottom of the stairs.
Sayu jumped and hurriedly pushed the notebook back in the drawer. "Uh, yeah, Mom," she yelled back. She struggled to turn the key in the lock. When it finally clicked she returned the key to the book, and the book to the shelf. Sayu rushed out of her brother's room, and pulled the door shut behind her. "I just want Light to check it," she continued. "Make sure I didn't mess anything up. Do you know when he'll be home?"
Her mother appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a basket of laundry in her arms. "His night class doesn't end until 8:00, you know that."
"Oh, right. Guess I forgot."
Her mother gave her a once over before frowning. "Sayu, you know you're not supposed to go in Light's room."
Sayu winced. Of course her mom knew. It was that weird ESP moms had. That, or she just was terrible at keeping the 'guilty' off her face. "I was just looking for a pencil," she lied. "Mine broke."
"Mhmm," her mom hummed, not convinced. "Since you're done with all your homework you can put away your laundry."
Sayu winced again. "Sure thing, Mom."
She was so going to fail.
She'd been dozing in front of the television when she heard the front door open. Sayu rolled off the couch and hurried to entrance.
"Oh, Light you're home!"
"Hey, Sayu," her brother said without looking up as he untied his shoes. He looked tired, but he hid it well. Night school must really be taking it's toll.
"Um, I was thinking, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you could help me with my math homework?" she asked hopefully, pushing her index fingers together.
Light looked up at her, exasperated. "You haven't done it yet?"
Sayu laughed embarrassed. "Well, I did some of it," lie, "but it's really hard. I just don't get it. Can you help me? Pleeeeease?" she begged with her head bowed low.
Light sighed, "Yeah, alright. I'll be up in a minute."
"Yes! Thank you, Light!"
Her brother smiled before making his way to the kitchen. Sayu spun on her heel and rushed up the stairs. She grabbed her math book off her desk and was headed back down the stairs when she froze.
A boy stood in the hallway in front of Light's door. He was older than her, around Light's age probably. And judging from his disheveled uniform, he went to the same school as her brother, too. He was staring at one of their old family portraits – the one from when Sayu was a baby, and Light was just a little, too-smart kid. Mom's hair was longer then, Sayu could see a lot of herself in her mother's face. And her dad's face was clean-shaven.
"Oh, uh, hello," she said in surprise.
The boy turned and looked at her with wide, green eyes. She couldn't help but shiver under their gaze.
"Are- are you a friend of Light's?" she asked, a blush forming on her cheeks.
"You can see me." His words were soft, and to Sayu it sounded more like he was talking to himself than to her. "Really see me. …You touched the Death Note."
"Uhh, the what?" She remembered the black notebook filled with names locked away in Light's desk. What did that have to do with anything?
The boy ignored her. He glanced over his shoulder. Sayu followed his gaze towards the staircase. Light would be coming up any moment. When she looked back to the boy she found he had produced a long, wooden stick from somewhere. She didn't know why, but that stick made her nervous.
"I'm really sorry about this," the boy said, for the first time really addressing Sayu, "but it's for your own safety."
Sayu took a half step back and raised her textbook defensively.
"Obliviate."
"Sayu. Sayu! Hey, do you want help or not?" Light stood before her with his arms crossed.
"Huh? Oh! Yes!" she said, mentally shaking herself. She walked into Light's room and plopped down at his desk. "It's these darn quadratic equations. I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense! …uh, Light?"
Her brother hesitated in the open doorway. His eyes swept across the room, seemingly looking for something and not finding it. A small frown formed on his lips. Then he turned his focus on her.
"Quadratic equations, huh?" he asked as pulled a chair up next to her. "Those aren't very difficult. You just need to know the rules."
"Yeah, well the rules don't make any sense either!" she complained.
Light laughed at her misery. He placed a shiny, red apple down on the desk. It sat there untouched the entire night.
Chapter 3 End.
Here's something you can laugh at me for. For some reason I genuinely thought Sayu's name was Saya. No idea where I got that from. I'm just glad I caught it before I posted this. *headdesk*