What a boring chapter. The only good thing in this chapter must be Beyond Birthday 's introduction. The next chapter contains more action. I still hope you guys enjoy this.
Not a native English speaker, so feel free to point out any mistakes.
"DAD!" exclaimed Sayu throwing herself in the arms of her father. They were in Haneda Airport waiting for the last hour or so for Soichiro to come back from his travel to France.
The less expressive Light just came to her father with a fond smile on her lips. "Hi father" while Sayu untangled herself from her father's embrace and Sachiko placed a chaste kiss on her husband. Her father reciprocated with a smile of his own.
"How was your flight, dear?"
"Tired"and his raspy voice let know that he was telling the true.
"France wasn't lovely as people say?"
"Maybe,I didn't really had time to explore so. Most of the time was spent cooped between conferences,reunions and my hotel" he said.
Light was absolutely sure that his father's travel had something to do with Kira. After all, he went just two weeks after she started her debut as Kira. It had been three days after the whole Lind L Taylor thing. No more announcements had been made. In fact, the reason why her father had gone was because Kitamura-san was recovering from a surgery and couldn't go himself. Meaning they just send the most important members of the Japanese Police to Lyon.
Her father,mother and Sayu spend the next hour or so speaking about meaningless things. Light was a reserved person by nature, so nobody questioned her for being quiet. She was thinking how approached her father for information. She had helped solve a few cases for the Police since she was ten, and when she was 14 she had solved the Takayuki Ohigashi* case by herself. So it wouldn't be inusual for her to take an interest in the Kira case.
But it was tricky business. Kira was unlike any...phenomenon that had ever existed (she refused to use the term criminal or mass murderer for herself, she wasn't going to.) and her father may get overprotective on her. Most of the cases he had let her help him solved were of white collared nature or petty ones. She had solved important one but let her finding for herself in order to not worry him. The only reason the Takayuki Ohigashi was because she already has solved on her own, and due to how important and wealthy Ohigashi was, the Police was under pressure by the Media.
She decided to just test the waters. After all, Kira and L was all people had been talking, and Kira was already public knowledge, so it like she knew something she shouldn't.
"So Dad, what was the conference about?" she said widening her eyes in order to appear innocent.
Her father turned to look at her with a strange expression on his face, like he didn't know if he should tell her or not. Her father knew she wasn't a big mouth, and he had let her on some on his work.
" Just some boring conference" A lie good enough for anyone except Light. She could see his eyes shifting. He wasn't used to lie to her.
That was even more interesting. Her father rarely let her help him, but even then, he usually told her the basic details of the case. If he was relunctant to even told her, was becuase the case was very secretive. Definitely the Kira case.
So she just pushed further. She waited until they were in the house to look at her cellphone, let a dramatic sigh and put it back in her purse. Her mother turned to look at her.
"Light was wrong?"
"Nothing mom. It was Eichii* bothering me" her mother chuckled. She was fond of him.
"What he was saying?" " Texting me about his dumb, nutjob thories about Kira. It's all he talks these days"
Now her father looked very interested in their conversation.
" That's what everyone talks these days! I thought you would be more interested on that Light! I mean, the whole message was broadcasted around the whole world! That shit scared me!"
"Sayu, language!" her mother scolded. Sayu promptly apologized.
"Of course I'm pretty interested in the Kira case! Just not on Eiichi's dumb theories" Light stated with a calculated roll of her eyes.
"Some people say that Kira is a god, of course I..." Sayu was interrupted by her father.
"Kira is not God. He is just a murderer" his father said with a ir of finality. Sayu looked sad and he picked that up. "Let's not talk about murders here. Enough of that. Let go to Shiba Tofuya."
Well, she wasn't going to get information from her father. But she was sure that he was involved in the Kira case. She could wait.
The chair was comfy. The chains on his wrist tying him to the chair, not so much. The face wasn't not longer disfigured, thanks to the best surgery the money could buy, but some scars still were present on his face, shoulder and arms. A small table with a laptop with a gothic L and a shadow behind it were the only things besides him in the room.
"Hello Beyond. I see your face has healed favorably"
"Hello Lawliet. May I ask what you are doing sitting in the shadows with your computer here on the table? I have already see your face. Or are you taking your cosplaying and Batman's complex to the max?"
L's jaw tightened slighty at both the use on his name and his jive, but he didn't let it show. If he was being honest (and he usually never was), years of paranoia had made him do that. But Beyond had a point. He already knew his name and face, so what was the point of hiding?
"You should know one or two things about Cosplaying, don't you?" He said stepping onto the light and Beyond grinned " And you have a thing for dramatic entrances, or what?"
"As much as I would love to exchange jives, I had something much more important to discuss with you"
"It's that so?"
"You know about Kira?"
"Are you aware that people here limit my access to TV? Most of the time I spend watching Akazukin Chacha's reruns."
"On TV Tokyo?"
"Yes?"
"It's strange then how you haven't heard about Kira. Kira is a criminal that kills people with heart attacks."
"My, I'm so flattered. Finally asking your Backup for help?"
L smiled humorlessly "Don't flatter yourself Beyond. I can solve this on my own, I just want a second opinion. This case is dangerous, so I wouldn't want to put my successors at risk unless is absolutely necessary" "You aren't worth enough to worry" were the unspoken words.
Beyond seemed taken aback by L's reply but he quickly recovered. Before he could speak again, L beat it to the punch.
"You should be thankful that you are on this prison specifically made by you"
"Really? So I should be thankful that I'm being your personal prisoner on a illegal prison? L felt satisfation at the fury in Beyond's words hidden under the flippant tones.
"I'm L. The world illegal does apply to everyone except me" Well, nobody ever said that L wasn't prone to arrogance. "Your crimes were enough to put in the electric hair. But I was talking about Kira, since he targets criminals such as yourself."
"So a vigilante?"
"You can call him that way, yes."
"Okay, thank you L, for saving me from big, bad Kira" Beyond in a sugarish tone that was anything but sincere. "And despite you saying that you don't need my help for this case. I'm gonna put my two cents anyways and say that Kira probably kills his victims with belladona*"
"No he doesn't"
"How do you know?"
"Because the murders occur in different locations, at different parts in the world around the same time. Beyond whistled at that " Sounds rough. Are you even sure that he is just a single person and not an organization?" "If he wasn't a single person but an organization, they could already made some kind of annoucement. Large organizations such as Al-Quaeda, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or FARC usually made some kind of statement about his intentions. Take for example ISIS. They already published his intention about making a worldwide caliphate goverment*. But Kira hasn't said a thing. The murders is all we have."
"Many people would assume that it's a vengeful God giving punishment to the evildoers"
"Don't be absurd"
"You don't believe in God? L didn't answer the question.
"It's Kira was God giving rightful judgement to the criminals, then you should have been the first one to drop dead"
"My, someone is cranky and I am the one behind bars. Getting lonely in the nights? It's only so much what your right hand can do for you" Beyond leered.
L ignored his leering and continued "Since Kira hasn't killed you or any criminals that happen to be free, its obvious that Kira has limitations."
"This all very interesting and all that jazz, but we are you here?
L stopped his pacing across the room and thumb-chewing to look at him with a questioning look.
Beyond shrugged. "I mean, I haven't told anything you haven't already deduced. So what's the deal?"
L sat in his trademark postion on the chair opposite to him, with a fareway look on his smoky eyes. "Kira is in Japan"
"Yeah?"
"You used to live there right?"
"Yes, and I believe you' a quarter Japanese or something. So?"
"Before the Kira case, your eyes are the biggest mysteries I have ever encountered"
Beyond's eyes widened in a mocking way. He had dark brown eyes with the smallest tint of red in them "Practicing your pick up lines on me Lawliet? Look at me. I'm swooning"he jeered making bouncing motions while still being seated on his chair.
"Letting behind the jocking aside, I have always wondered how you can see people's names with just looking at their faces? "
I believe that you always thought of that as me being crazy"
"You are crazy, and yes, I always thought that you were pulling my leg with that, but I'm willing to entertain a supernatural force for this case"
"Supernatural force? Are you Mr "Logic"
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth* At the beginning I thought Kira used some kind of biological weapon to commit these murders. But the autopsies didn't revel a single thing outside the norm. Watari send blood samples of every prisoner killed by Kira to a colleague, and again the results didn't revel anything. I already made exams in the prison guards. They didn't showed any shymptoms of having a contagious illness either. L said in a single breath, surprising his companion.
"Kira must be having your panties in a bunch" But he decided to have some "pity" on the insomniatic detective "Look, I don't know why I have these eyes or how Kira kills. I used to live in Japan, but I can't tell you anything else"
Beyond wasn't a sentimental person at the slightest, but even he could help feeling a pang of longingness remembering his life in Japan...
"I should have known that you couldn't help me..."
"Not reason to be so rude L Lawliet"
" Good night, Beyond Birthday"
Before L could step out the cell, Beyond stopped him "Lawliet, wait a sec"
To his surprise, L obeyed him " Why are so interested in the Kira case"
L turned to look at him like he was stupid. "You already know the answer to that question"
"Oh yes. You are justice, bla bla bla. Spare me of that crap. Let the bullshit for Interpol okay-ish?
Reclining on his chair, the serial killer continued " You never get involved in a case unless there were more than ten victims or a million dollars at stake. Not only Interpol must be paying the amount of money that could feed a small nation for a year in order to solve this case, but thousands of lives are at stake, even if those lives are criminals. Besides this a big mystery and you adore mysteries.
"You just answered you own question"
"Oh no, let me finish. What are you gonna do when you find Kira? L noticed Beyond using when and not if.
"Sentence him to death"
"But why? Because he is sentencing hundreds of criminals to death? You have done the same thing. You probably have a bigger body count that Kira does now."
"It's not the same thing. I only solve the cases after a meticulous investigation and the sentence of the convict is dictated accordingly to the laws of the country of said crime. I'm not playing judge, jury and executioner."
"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that Kira is just doing a bloodier version of what you do."
"I think you are afraid of Kira" Beyond declared with a smile of triumph on his slighty charred lips.
L didn't gave him the satisfaction to react "I'm only being cautious of a criminal that kill people without being in contact with them, that's all"
" Humans are inherently more difficult than numbers. I think Einstein had a quote about that. That's why you are a detective and not a scientist right? Because you like the unpredictable nature of criminals. This is why you are afraid of Kira. Not just because he can kill you, or because you are left with no job, you have more money than most people could dream anyways. But you're afraid than Kira could win and you are going to be left without a way to calm your ever present boredom, with no criminal element to satisfy your morbid fascination."
L stayed quiet and didn't change his expression at all. The only thing that betrayed his perfect fachade were the scratching of his feet, that were also the only sound in the suddendly still room.
"Are you done?" replied in a bored tone.
"For now"
"So you are done. I wasn't thinking on made visits to you a habit. Goodbye"
L left the room feeling more irritable than usual. Talking to Beyond always had that effect on him. L was invisible, a force to be reckoned and someone with a near perfect control of his emotions. But unfortunately for him, that meant little for Beyond, since they had know each other since childhood, who knew his real name and part of his real history. It was easy to be impenetrable when no one knew anything about you, so they couldn't hurt you or blackmail you. It was that way that L could be sure that the monsters could never reach him.
He dialled Watari's number.
"L?"
"Watari, Call Interpol and let them know that I need Lind L. Taylor. We're going to made an announcement tomorrow"
"It's done. Anything else?"
"Yes, I need you to call the FBI to send at least a dozen of agents to Japan."
"I'm going to move the pawns first"
Covering herself in a pale pink bathrobe, Light quietly step down the stairs to the kitchen, where her father was sitting in the small round breakfats table with a cup of tea on his hand.
"It's almost midnight dad. Why are you still up?"
"Why are you still up?"
"I was watching a movie and I need to get a glass on water" Not exactly a lie, if you replace "Watching a movie" with "writing in the death Note" and "get a glass of water" for "get an apple for the Shinigami chanting about apples on my back"
"Dad, you look tired, Go to sleep." Her father chuckled "Well not all of us have the fortune to being 16 and having all the energies of the world."
She smiled and took the seat to his right "Dad, I believe that..."
"No."
"What?" her father usually wasn't so blunt with her.
"You are a smart girl Light. I know that you know that I'm working in a top- secret investigation. But It's too dangerous for you."
"But dad..."
"No, let me finish. Light I know you want to be a detective but you're so bright, you could do anything else. I know that once you reach the age I'm not going to have any say in you decisions, but for now, I want you to stay out of trouble OK?
Things didn't came her way.
"I understand dad. My bad. You know I'm a sucker for those cases." she amended with a apologetic smile that hid the fury she felt. She inmediately leave the room to think.
Soichiro watched her leave and regretted being so blunt with her with her but he didn't want her to be a cop. Soichiro wasn't sexist, but he knew how hard it was for women to work in the NPA, specially with Japan being such a patriarcal society. She could a scientist or a researcher, far less dangerous professions where she could get the recognition she deserved.
"What are you gonna do Light-o?" said Ryuk munching his apple. The shinigami had the nerve to look amused. Light sensed that he liked seeing thing not coming the way she wanted.
" I hate to admit but I can do anything but wait. L, whatever he or she is, needs to made a move first"
"He or she?" Ryuk questioned.
"Yes. How I can I be sure that L is a male? L can be female as far as I know. I assumed he was male with him using a male decoy, but that doesn't mean a thing. I'm sure the Police assumes Kira is male. Most of the pro Kira sites assumes me to be a male. I'm not gonna do the same mistake."
Light slipped between the covers of her bed to sleep, under her Shinigami's unblinking stare.
Miles away, a detective was eating jelly bears and staring at his computer, preparing for tomorrow.
Beyond Birthday was drinking a jar of strawberry jam, of the ones that Lawliet had left earlier that day. He was thinking about Kira
"Someone who can kill with just a name and a face "
"Has L's panties on a bunch"
"Kira is also in Japan"
"I wonder what Light thinks about Kira?"
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I think I'm better writing Beyond than writing L.
*Takayuki Ohigashi was the president of the Osho Food Service, His murder has never been solved. More information can be found here: /2015/06/16/10-unsettling-japanese-murders-that-have-never-been-solved/
*Belladonna is a plant used in medicine. but it can also cause Congestive heart failure (CHF)
* No one in the DN universe has the name Eichii. In the manga Light is show talking to a school friend called Yamamoto and another unnamed friend. Eichii is the name I decided to put on said unnamed character.
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth* is a famous quote from Sherlock Holmes.
In this fic Beyond Birthday is in a "private" prison (details are going to be shared in later chapters) Never made much sense to me that L would just leave him in a regular prison with Beyond having so much information about him and Wammy House.
