"Wait, wait, wait. You think one of the Council broke the mage out?! Where did you come up with that conclusion?!"
"Simple. What the rest of the Council thought the undone worlds had nothing in common. But they only needed one thing in common with each other to weaken us as they did. Yes, undoing a world would weaken us drastically, but not as much as these have. What they all have in common is how much we've played a part in their worlds. Well, their Primes. Two or all of us influenced their Primes when they were being shaped and solidified. By us, I mean Council members as a whole, past and present. But, what also made them targets is the fact that either us, or our predecessors, influenced that particular Variant World. This one included, and especially.
"Because of that, our abilities and forms are especially powered by these worlds and others like them. This world, if it's undone, will essentially be the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back. And because of my suspicions, I couldn't relay this to anyone. I'll admit, I don't like you. I don't like any mortals. But I understood that your involvement was necessary, especially when our other candidates' worlds were undone. They were home to intelligent mortals, more so than average. And each one was undone, it could've been any world but theirs were specifically targeted. Yours was an average Hub World. It wasn't seen as a threat by us to whoever escaped at the time, we just assumed someone from that world, with knowledge of other worlds, would be able to help identify our escapee.
"Then Denise chose you, over a million souls being guided to the Void at once, many with more knowledge of either other worlds or combat experience, and yet she's drawn to you. Despite Morta's claim that you were nothing, despite your idiotic heroics, Denise chose you. And you in turn, chose her. At first, I thought you were incompetent, then your reports came in. Not only did you confront the escapee within days of arriving, you managed to survive. And not only that, you managed to adapt fully to Sarah's experiment. I doubt you noticed how quickly you acclimated to your new abilities. I did."
"What do you mean?"
"The others may not have been watching, but I was. As you were following Raye Penber, you may have thought it was the slowest cab in the Metaverse, but it was driving at a normal speed for the area. You were actually keeping pace, while jumping from rooftop to rooftop and adjusting as you went through turns. I've never seen a mortal adapt as quickly as you have, not even Champion Mortals, the Heroes and Villains who can shape their worlds under our guidance and manipulations. Mortals like Bruce Wayne, Son Goku, and Peter Parker, and all of the foes they've faced are considered Champions. You are a unique soul. And, after what I've seen, you may be our only shot at apprehending the escapees and rooting out the traitor."
"So, your behavior earlier was just an act? To make it seem like you didn't want me around."
"Mostly an act. I don't really want you around, mortals are a nuisance, but necessary. I do not like humans especially, but I understand they play a major part in almost every world of this Metaverse. Whether humans exist in other Metaverses is a mystery to me, but I'm sure, what ever the dominate species of a Metaverse is, they're as much of a nuisance as your species."
"Oh, you're a pleasant guy aren't you?"
"My job doesn't allow pleasantries. It's nothing but misery and pain, not just for the mortals but for me as well." He sat down in a chair nearby and placed his head in his hands. "You mortals, you could have all of the intelligence in the world and yet you're still so dumb, so unwise. You follow the words of one who interprets a vision given to him while he was hallucinating, and even then, you find ways to try and circumvent it. The Crusades in any world like your own are the prime example. Killing in the name of God, even when one of God's words is not to kill.
"I hate you mortals because your hypocritical, hateful, sinful, and downright awful as a whole. But, at the same time, I admire you. You are able to choose what path to take in your short lives. And it leads to very interesting events, as I'm sure you know. I will not let some escaped criminal ruin that." He turned to me, a look of determination in his eyes. "So, I'll do whatever I can, suspect whoever I must, and, if need be, die defending your worlds. I was chosen not just to represent life, but to defend it. Something I'll gladly do personal consequences be damned."
"Good speech."
"Thank you."
"As for you helping, don't." I held up my hand when he was about to speak. "Please understand. Given what you've told me, there's another possibility to consider. You've all mentioned there were others before you. Past Council members who used to hold your positions. What happened to them?"
"They were sent back to their lives from before being on the Council, memories erased, and granted powers removed. Why do you ask?"
"What Sarah told me about Soul Magic. That it can prevent mental manipulation. Is it possible that a Council member in the past was immune to the memory erasure? Despite any attempt made?"
"No," he said instantly with no hesitation.
"That was a quick response. Why are you so sure?"
"Because such an event is impossible."
"Are you sure? We're talking a near infinite number of possibilities. Ask Gallio and he can tell you the possibility of such a thing happening. It would be an extremely minuscule chance of it happening, but it's not impossible. Improbable, yes, but not impossible. There's always a possibility of something happening. It's Multiverse Theory. For every choice made and the outcomes that occur from it, the opposite can cause even more possibilities. There are no impossibilities. If, and it's a very big if, someone chosen to become the Manifestation was immune to memory erasure, wanted that power, grew bitter, and decided to try and get it back. You deal with Multiverses for a living, you and the rest of the Council should be able to assume that nothing is impossible.
"Why I'm declining is simple, even with all of the info you've given me, I can't fully trust you. Understand my reasoning, you could be trying to throw me off your scent. And even if you're reliable, and one of the Council isn't they could easily turn things against us. And if it's an outside influence, like my theory suggests, it's better that all attention is on me alone, so we can catch them and send them to the Shadow Vault as well as our escapee." Gareth seemed to give this some thought. He stayed quiet for a few moments before looking at me.
"A rather paranoid way of thinking."
"But practical, you sent me here to catch a criminal, to a world where a megalomaniacal teenager has the power to kill by writing someone's name down in a notebook, a detective who's after said teenager with a very persistent way of pursuing the criminal, both with extremely high intellects and childish behavior. Not to mention, the person I'm after is most likely after a similar if not more powerful notebook and has magic at his disposal and can kill me and reanimate my corpse to do whatever the hell he pleases. I died not too long ago! I'm not dying again! Not this soon! So, forgive me if I'm being a bit too paranoid for your personal tastes!" Again, Gareth was speechless, not like a moment before, it was more akin to when I told the Council to stop teasing Denise and everyone grew quiet. He said nothing, he merely nodded, stood up, made his way to the door and left.
I sat on my bed and sighed. 'Well, time to get started. It's going to be a long week.' With my knowledge of the Death Notes workings and Raye Penber's identity, Kiichiro Osoreda died a different way than how Light would have done it. I had him get caught by police and die in a firefight with no casualties on the police' side. I keep track of Raye and Tsukiko, using the Hunter armor, to ensure things followed a predictable pace. I began to time the deaths after certain flights around the world with increasing frequency in each country to draw the attention of most investigators besides the most intelligent and stubborn.
On December 27, the day Raye Penber was supposed to die because of Light Yagami, his life was saved. I had kept the deaths mostly focused in the States. While keeping the deaths in other countries at a less but constant state. America and Japan were the only countries with substantial death rates. As I was following Raye, he received a call. I channeled magic to my ears to listen in. I wasn't very adept at it at the time, but I did manage to hear certain things. Raye, and the other agents, had been recalled back to the states to investigate the growing Kira murders in New York. I made it back to the hotel, thankful that Sarah strong-armed me into practicing my soul magic channeling, and the Hunter armors Stealth Field. I made it back to my room, unequipped the armor, and made my way to the bar.
It wasn't long after that Raye turned up and sat besides me at the bar. "Hey, Raye. How's the hunt going?"
"I'm getting called back to the States."
"I thought L believed Kira was here in Japan."
"He still does, but my superiors disagree, said there's reason to believe Kira is in New York. Personally, I agree with L. But orders are orders. I have to keep following orders and trying to catch Kira."
"If only there was a way to keep an investigation going here in Japan."
"Well… not officially. Phoenix, I want you to stay here and find out anything you can about Kira. I'll give you my contact information, so you can keep me updated. I have no doubt L will come here personally. My fiancé has worked with him before and has told me he has a stubborn streak. He most likely will contact her to help him in any capacity she can. When he does, I'll tell her to ask you for help."
"Raye, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not qualified. I'm not an investigator."
"No, but you know how to read people. You're an insightful person and someone L may find invaluable."
"Raye, your asking a lot from me here."
"He can pay you and make it your official job." I paused for a second. 'Never expected him to send me to L. Even though I doubt he'll take me on at all. It gets me close to him, so I can keep tabs on him and ask for his help if things against the mage start getting more pressing with more and more complications.'
"Dammit Penber, we only met a couple weeks ago and somehow you can twist my arms like an old friend. What did you use a similar method to get your fiancé to marry you?" He just laughed as I ordered him a soda rather than a beer.
"Yeah, just don't tell her that if you ever meet. She'll rip me a new one. So, you'll do it?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sign me up. But I can't send info to you. If Kira catches on to either investigation personally, both investigations will be in jeopardy. I'll keep in touch when I can, just invite me to the wedding, and if you have kids, name them after me."
"I can't promise either of those. Well, maybe the first one. But the second, that's gonna be a hard pass."
"Ah, come on! Phoenix or Mason Penber sounds cool!"
"You're biased! Of course, I am! My name sounds cool!"
"We're not naming our kids after you!" We laughed at our faux argument. We had one drink to see him off and I went to my room as he was leaving. I checked the PIP boy and tracked his marker as it made its way to Narita. I then pulled out the sheets from the Death Note and wrote a name down that would catch the attention L and L alone. When I was done writing I put the pages away and changed to the internet connection holo-screen before locating Tsukiko's email address and letting her know her shadow is dealt with and her identity is safe from the FBI but may still be found out by L. I also tell her to meet me at the Hachiko statue the following day. I decided to read the grimoire to pass the time before we needed to meet up.
L's P.O.V.
On December 29th, I was about to make a call to the FBI director about his idiotic decision to recall the agents he sent over to Japan when Watari made his way to me. "Is something wrong Watari?"
"I think so. Rue Ryuzaki has just committed suicide. He left behind a peculiar note, one I believe you must read."
"It can wait Watari. I need to try and convince the FBI to send back their agents as soon as possible. Kira is here in Japan, not in the States."
"I believe the note is related to Kira." I turned to my oldest companion, curious and held out my hand for the copy of the note he made. What I read had me worried and determined all at once.
Hello, L. I hope this message gets to you, as the next thing I have to say is important to you, and you alone. Kira will win. The God of Death has greeted me. Given me clarity. I misused the Eyes of Death and my sins have marked me. If you go after Kira alone, you will fail. I don't want you to die, not yet. You will need help. Might I suggest young Nate River, Mihael Keehl, and the bitch who caught me, Naomi Misora. It won't be much, but it may make you last a bit longer. Kira knows us all. He knows our sins! His will is absolute! Try and stop him, and you will die! I will laugh in hell when you do, Lawliet!
When I finished reading the note I turned to Watari. "This doesn't seem like Rue Ryuzaki at all. It isn't something he'd normally say or do. He claims Kira is the reason he is dead. If that's true, then Kira somehow knew who he was and what his real name is. This could also mean that Kira can control the actions of those who he kills."
"Do you think he is a member of Wammy's House?"
"No, if he was we'd have a suspect. So far none of Kira's behavior matches the psych profile of anyone in or from Wammy's House. And their aliases weren't used. Ryuzaki used their real names. Something not even people familiar with Wammy's House are normally aware of. And unless you've been somehow moonlighting as a serial killer, or my lack of sleep has led to me developing a separate personality, we have no suspects related to Wammy's House. No, this is something else."
"Should we contact Wammy's House and recruit Near and Mello for this?"
"No. We have to suspect Kira only knows their names, and not their faces. Naomi Misora on the other hand… she helped capture Ryuzaki in the first place. She is exceptionally smart and intuitive, if it weren't for her, Ryuzaki may have gotten away or managed to kill himself in his attempt to trick me into thinking Beyond Birthday had successfully killed a fourth victim. She may be able to help us catch Kira. Watari, do we still have Naomi Misora's contact information?"
"Of course. Shall we contact her the usual way?"
"No, I don't think so. A simple phone call should suffice." Once Watari handed me the phone I called Naomi Misora. After a few seconds there was a response.
"Hello?"
"Naomi Misora? It's L."
"Oh. Hello L. Why are you calling?"
"I'm calling to request your help. I'm trying to apprehend Kira and would like your assistance."
"I'm sorry L, but I can't. I'm no longer FBI. On top of that, I'm planning a wedding. As much as I want to help you stop Kira, I can't put my life on hold and potentially put in danger by helping you, especially not now. I just got some exciting news. Oh, hold on." Distantly I could hear her talking with someone, my initial guess was her fiancé. I could barely make out the conversation, but I briefly heard mention of my name. A second later she turned her attention back to the phone. "Uh… L? My fiancé would like to speak with you."
"I'm not one for social calls Ms. Misora."
"He says it's about the Kira investigation." I paused briefly as I considered her words. While Naomi wouldn't be able to help for her own personal reasons, I needed as much assistance as I could get. If he was as intelligent as she herself was, perhaps he could help me.
"Very well, put him on." I waited a few seconds before he answered the phone.
"L? My name is Raye Penber. I was one of the agents sent to Japan." 'One of the twelve agents? Did he find out anything from the people he was shadowing?' "My own part in the investigation didn't turn up anything substantial, but I'll admit I'm nowhere near as good an investigator as Naomi. But I think I know someone who can help you in some way. His name is Phoenix Mason. He's a former security guard from a Vegas casino. His boss was a former police officer who drilled into his head how to read people. He managed to spot that I was in some form of law enforcement from just having a small conversation with me. He's highly intelligent and is looking for work in Tokyo. I know he's not exactly what you may be working for in help, but he's the best I can offer."
"You said his name is Phoenix Mason?"
"That's right."
"Did you do a background check on him? See if what he was telling you is true?"
"I did. Even spoke with his former boss as soon as I got to the States using the number Phoenix gave me. You can check yourself if my word isn't enough to convince you."
"How sure are you that he'd be able to help in the investigation?"
"I'd stake my reputation on it. Hell, I'd stake my life on it. You can trust him."
"Mr. Penber, please put Ms. Misora back on the line." I waited as the phone was handed back to her. "Ms. Misora, how well can you vouch for Mr. Penber's judge in character?"
"Well, he chose to marry me." After laughing at her joke, she turned serious. "Raye's always been a good judge of character. It's why I fell in love with him. If he says you can trust this Phoenix person, then you can trust him. Though I know you will do a background check just to be safe, am I wrong?"
"No, you're absolutely right. I can't go by someone's word alone. Can Mr. Penber tell me where I can find this Phoenix Mason?" After writing down the address of the hotel where Mr. Penber told me I could find Phoenix Mason, I addressed Naomi Misora. "I'm sad you cannot help me this time. With your help, we could catch Kira exceptionally fast. I wish you well. Oh, and Ms. Misora."
"Yes?"
"Congratulation. I'm sure you'll be an excellent wife and mother."
"Thank you, L. Oh, before I forget, did you take my advice?"
"I did. Being able to properly defend myself against an assailant in this line of work is essential, after thinking over your suggestion, I started learning capoeira. It's beneficial given my normal posture."
"Good. Why is your posture like that anyways?"
"It helps me concentrate."
"That can't be good for your body."
"No, but it's good for my mind."
"Take care, L. And be careful. You're the only one who could potentially catch Kira."
"Thank you, Naomi Misora. Goodbye." I hung up and turned to Watari. "Do a background check and find all you can on a Phoenix Mason, Watari. I want to find out all I can. Once we do, I'd like to see what this Phoenix Mason can do."
Phoenix's P.O.V.:
I met with Tsukiko a day after Raye left. As she was coming towards me, I placed an apple out of sight of the public for Ryuk to eat. She sat beside me on a bench behind the statue as I was reading a book I had purchased.
"Hello, Miss Moon." I smirked as she quirked an eyebrow at my nickname. "Found it fitting as your name uses the kanji for 'moon'."
"So, you like to think you're clever. I can already tell you will be infuriating to work with."
"You would be right. And if you ever meet one of my bosses, he'd agree with you."
"You work for someone?"
"Yep, though I'll hold off on telling you more until we're in a more private setting. For now, all you need to know is the attention of your shadow is now focused on an investigation in the United States. Took almost all of the pages you gave me to get what I wanted done."
"It would've been easier if you had just let me do it my way."
"And instead of just the twelve investigators winding up dead for going against Kira, L would be another step closer to figuring out who you were and stopping you. Consider the method you were going to use. Tricking your shadow into exposing who he was using a criminal and the controlling power of the Death Note. You'd then trick him into writing down the names of his fellow agents here in Japan. This would lead L to believe that the initial hunch that Kira is here in Japan is confirmed, not only that, but now he has suspects. The people being followed, particularly the young woman who would've been the most likely candidate to be Kira given her intellect and closeness to the police. What would follow is a game of cat and mouse as L would reveal himself to you and trap you into not being able to kill him giving an alias and not his real name.
"You may be able to beat him, given the right circumstances, but after that major victory would come your downfall. With no opposition you would get arrogant, and cocky. When someone steps up to replace L at the head of the investigation, you will lose. This would be due to your own arrogance, unpredictable situations, and the persistence of your investigators. Along the way, you'd get sloppy. This is based on your overall personality."
"You seem to have a very low opinion of me."
"Just stating facts." I stood up and started walking away. "Follow me. We have much to discuss. A discussion we cannot have out in the open." I said nothing as she asked me what we needed to talk about and kept walking. I heard her grunt in frustration and felt her start following me, Ryuk close behind finishing off the apple. I tilted a hat I bought the other day to block the field of view of all of the nearby cameras I scoped out several times since I arrived and led her to a different hotel than where I was staying. I sensed her reluctance and smirked. "Relax. I simply need a place that we can talk in private. A hotel room is as private as anything. Besides, this discussion needs to include Ryuk as well."
I purchased a room and the three of us went inside. I sat in a chair, she sat on the bed away from me and Ryuk hovered nearby. Then she noticed my eyes and stared. "Please stop. It's very uncomfortable being stared at like that."
"Sorry. I've never seen eyes like yours before."
"They're two of a kind. Now! On to business!" I stood up and smiled. "Tsukiko Yagami, I need your help. I've been tasked with tracking down and recapturing an escaped criminal. I cannot do this alone. My bosses sent me with no plan. And it is crucial that I get as much help as I can."
"If you're just catching a criminal, why do you need my help?"
"Because this criminal isn't just any criminal. He's from another world." Ryuk, who had been eating an apple, started choking after hearing that."
"Another world?! Wait does that mean your bosses are…" in response I pressed a button on the PIP boy and activated the holo-screen on the communicator. On the holo-screen was the Deific Council, with Denise leaning in closer to the console they were in front of. I had to hide a blush as I noticed Denise was showing some cleavage without noticing. If Tsukiko noticed anything about me, she didn't show. She was intently focused on the holo-technology. I saw Denise's face darken, her eyes turn red, and her teeth sharpen when she chose to address Ryuk.
"Hello, Ryuk." I noticed her voice was slightly deeper, and more seductive. Everything about her screamed danger and I found myself blushing harder at this. "Have you been up to trouble recently?"
"L-L-L-Lady Denise!" He bowed low to the ground. "O-of course not! W-why would you ask such a thing?!"
"Ryuk?" asked Tsukiko, obviously confused and slightly afraid. "Why are you acting this way?"
"T-this is Lady Denise Revenant. She is the only being in existence with higher authority than the Shinigami King. She is more powerful than any god. She is not just a deity. She is…"
"The closest thing you can equate each of them to is the Gods of Gods," I interrupted the cowering Shinigami with a smile. "The beings on the screen in front of you are the Deific Council. They all are manifestations of core concepts of all of existence. Life, Death, Luck, Fate, Magic, Progress, Time, and Space. They are to gods what gods are to us, if Ryuk's reaction was anything to go by." Tsukiko must've shut down from that, as she just stared at the screen.
"Wait," she said after a few seconds. "You said this person your after is from another world. What did you mean?"
"Multiverse Theory. I'll leave it at that."
"So, there's multiple timelines."
"And multiple worlds. And their job is to govern all of them. If you have the feeling to bow like Ryuk, go ahead. The only person who lets it go to their head is Gareth anyways." I smirked as a vein popped in his head.
"I will smite you, peon!"
"Go ahead and try it you self-serving bastard! We both know your interactions with Variant Worlds is limited!"
"This is going to go on for ever if they go at it. Denise, can you slap both of them out of their damn argument, so we can get down to business?" Denise sighed, rolled her eyes, and waved her hand. A shadow slapped Gareth hard enough to leave an imprint while another just gently caressed my cheek before receding back through the screen. Denise merely winked at me as I blushed. 'Wow.' I thought. 'She has more confidence like this. What happened?' "Not exactly what I asked but fine."
"Down to business then." I turned to Ryuk. "Do you know what the Shadow Vault is Ryuk?"
"The Shadow Vault? I know of it. It's a prison, right?"
"Yeah. To bring Tsukiko up to speed, it's an inter-dimensional prison housing threats to the Metaverse, which is, in layman's terms, is basically a collection of Multiverses. It was supposed to be inescapable. Until a few days ago. Someone broke out of it after somehow destroying one of it's walls. They are currently here in your world. I have confronted them already but was…"
"He was thrown around like a rag-doll and left for dead by the man. I took his memories of the moment. It was hilarious," said Sarah.
"I WAS NOT THROWN AROUND LIKE A RAG-DOLL!"
"Whatever you say…" she smirked, looking very smug.
"The Gareth-damned mage just… Did I just say Gareth-damned?" Now Gareth looked smug and I groaned, feeling a migraine coming on. I pulled out the Pacification Field and turned it on. "The 'god damned' mage used a telekinesis spell and threw me into a group of trash cans."
"After he threw you into a wall," said Tyra. "Twice. I have to agree with Sarah, it was funny."
"It was only once! Shut up!"
"Phoenix," said Gallio. "How often have you used the Pacification Field?"
"Not often, I've only used it maybe… 4 times? And they were spaced out over days. Why?"
"You were shouting just now. You seemed very agitated just now." He turned to Tsukiko and did a double take. "Phoenix, is the Pacification Field even on?" I looked at the device in my hand, the indicator that the Field was active was glowing green.
"Yeah, it's on. Why?"
"What's the distance on it set to?" I looked at the device again.
"Radius of 10 feet. Why?"
"So then, why aren't either of you being affected by it?" I turned to Tsukiko and noticed she was trembling as her mind started processing everything that was being thrown at her at once. She was pale, and her nose started bleeding.
"Shit!" exclaimed Tyra. "Phoenix! Knock her out! Do it quickly!"
"How?! I don't…"
"The Pacification Field," said Gallio. "Set it to personal and up the power to 10 then place it on her chest." I did as I was told, and she fell asleep. I caught her as her body collapsed and placed her on the bed.
"Tyra, what happened?"
"Alternate Awareness. It happens to those who become aware of other worlds without proper preparation. Normally it doesn't affect someone as severely as this. I don't have an explanation as to what…" as she trailed off I spoke up.
"Does remembering dying do this?"
"Not this severely. It would take something extremely traumatizing to do this."
"Like being erased from existence?"
"Are you suggesting one of the undone worlds was a Death Note Variant, one very similar to her own?"
"It would make sense. The memories could leak in. All that fear, all that anger at the situation. It would be very traumatizing. It could have echoes that could affect her like this." I watched as her body started flickering. "Is there anyway we can stop this?"
"I'll whip something up. But you two will need to come to the lab so I can temporarily stabilize her."
"I can't go. I have to stay here. I have to track down the mage. With Tsukiko out of commission I need to keep up the Kira killings. I also need to contact L. Since Tsukiko can't help me until she's better, L is my only avenue towards catching the mage."
"As much as I hate to say it," said Gareth. "The boy's right. We cannot diverge from the mission otherwise Ms. Yagami might not have any home to return to. Phoenix, I suggest you contact her parents and come up with a reason why she won't be home for a few days. Meet up with L, and carefully let him know of the situation regarding the mage. Though given Ms. Yagami's reaction, limit the true extent of the situation as much as you can. Mr. Lawliet is our last shot at catching the mage."
"I know. I just wish we knew how he was going to go about completing his objective."
"W-what about Misa Amane?" suggested Kira. "He went after a woman earlier right? It seemed like he wanted something from her. Do you think it was a Death Note, and he believed she was Misa Amane?"
"If that's the case, we need to find that woman again, fast. Gallio, I'm gonna need a new holo-device. A detachable projector, one I can use to trick people while I'm out in public. I have a plan that may get the mage out into the open. But it requires me to be in two places at once. If I start working with L, I'm gonna need it. I have to make sure everything goes our way. I'll carry Tsukiko into the lab. Tyra, please open a portal. Ryuk, can you please get the Death Note from the false bottom in Tsukiko's desk?"
"I'll get it. I'm assuming catching the mage is about saving this world?"
"Yep. We don't stop him, we risk this world becoming undone. Exciting isn't it?"
"Heheheheheh. Very exciting. Why couldn't you have been the one to be born here and find my Death Note?"
"Unh, unh, uh, Ryuk," said Denise, back to her sweet persona, but still maintaining a dark aura. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling sweetly towards Ryuk. "He's not yours."
"Y-yes ma'am." I could see a sweat drop form on his head before he left.
"Damn, Denise." She simply giggled. As Tyra opened a portal I picked up Tsukiko and carried her through. "Where do I put her Gallio?"
"There's a stasis pod in front of the console. Put her there." He pressed a button and the pod rose from the ground. I placed her inside and watched as it closed around her. "There. She's stable for now. I'll work on getting her fully fixed. For now, she needs to stay here and rest. Also, I already have a holo-projector on hand. I programmed them into your new drones. I managed to make some a few days ago. They are compatible with your Hunter armor and have a built in Stealth Field as well. That way your holograms aren't stationary and liable to get you caught. They even have a solid projection like the holo-screen for the PIP boy. One thing I couldn't program into them was compatible weaponry. Nonlethal or otherwise. You'll have to make do with what you have for now."
"Have you been studying the grimoire." Asked Sarah.
"Already finished it. I pulled it from my inventory and handed it to her.
"WHAT?! HOW?! That shouldn't be possible. That book had to be at least a thousand pages!"
"More like 3,022. The first third talked about focusing the magic throughout my body, this would act to better my control and also serves as a means to strengthen my own body and mind as well. I sent magic into my mind to strengthen my already heightened memory, thanks for that Gallio, by the way, to further my memory and understanding of what I was reading. This I did in one day. I finished off the grimoire last night and read the last two thirds, which consist of first drawing out my magic into magical constructs, starting with a basic bolt." I fired a bolt of magic into the hall. We could hear it ricochet until something glass shattered. "Hope that wasn't important. Next it focuses on more advanced constructs, the elements." I held out my hand and a sphere of black flames rose from it. Sarah watched the sphere with equal amounts of fascination, joy, and envy.
"Black flames… how…?"
"That's not all." I raised the sphere above my head and spheres of the other basic elements joined it. "I also figured out the more advanced constructs as well." I didn't notice it, but my eyes started glowing as I furthered my magical manipulations. I made an orb of light appear, it was nearly blinding. I moved it to the side and conjured a sphere of silver lightning. Denise's shriek of surprise drew the attention of the rest of the council. Her look of embarrassment drew the curiosity of Lucy and Sarah as they drew closer to her. That's when they noticed a second shadow fly from next to her own shadow. Denise placed a hand to her lips as she blushed darkly.
"I learned that one this morning. Had a mind of its own at first. Then I sent a surge of magic through it and it's less mischievous now."
"What did you have it do?" asked Lucy.
"I told it to kiss Denise's shadow. Wanted to see what would happen." I smiled as Denise covered her face.
"This should not be possible," said Denise. "It took me months before I could conjure even a basic bolt."
"Well there's a difference between my training and your own. You were learning when you were younger and a mortal, when your connection with magic was still growing, still strengthening. As for myself, you gave me soul magic. Using my soul to power magic. I found a better way. Instead of merely using my soul as a power source, I tried using the techniques from the first third of the book, only instead of sending the power of my soul inward, using whatever magic I can connect to, I sent it outward, finding a strong connection in nature."
"You're drawing power from natural magic?"
"From the soul of the Earth itself. It strengthens me."
"You're not supposed to be able to do that."
"Soul magic shouldn't be able to connect my soul to other things?"
"No. I can't even begin to understand how you're doing this. No one, even using magical enhancements, should be advancing this fast."
"That being said," interrupted Gallio. "Phoenix isn't like anyone else. He was a soul who was freed from his original body upon its death and placed in a body of my own design. One with increased abilities. One of which allows him to adapt quickly. When you activated his magic using soul magic and that wand of yours, his soul immediately bonded with the body. More than likely, his soul adopted the adaptation enhancement of the body."
"Huh. An adaptive soul. Well, it would make sense. There's never been a case like me. A soul chosen out of necessity and granted abilities it shouldn't have. Using untested methods and against an enemy of unknown strength."
"It also helps that your soul was already powerful," said Denise. "That's part of why I chose you."
"And the other part?"
"Well…"
"Hold on," said Sarah. "That still doesn't explain it. You're still a novice. You should be feeling drained! Why isn't that happening?!"
"I don't know. You're the expert here. You all should know more than I do."
"This is unexplored territory," said Gallio. "We've never seen anything like this happen before. We need to take things with a grain of salt. We have no idea what the drawbacks of this are yet. Phoenix, I suggest you go slow. I know we need to get the escapee, but if you put yourself in a situation where your abilities become too taxing, and we have no idea how to fix it, then we're all S.O.L." I sighed and scratched the back of my head.
"I hear ya. I'll take it slow. Oh, I need a mask."
"A mask?"
"Yeah, one with a H.U.D. that can sync with the PIP boy and Hunter armor and hides my face completely."
"Hm… I think I have something. Hold on." He went over to a cabinet and opened it. A bunch of objects fell to the ground around his feet and he reached in, trying to find something. I ducked as he threw several things behind him. I reached up and caught something that he threw behind him as it flew above my head. I examined it and saw it was a metal cylinder colored silver and black. Sarah saw it in my hand and glared at Gallio before smiling smugly. She reached for the PIP boy, hit a button, and sent it into my inventory. She held a finger to her lips, winking and smiling before Gallio turned back. "Found one. Catch!" I held my hand out to my right and caught it.
"You need to work on your aim."
"Shut up and put it on, smart-ass." I looked at the mask and saw it was similar to the mask worn by Sub-Zero. "Just put it on, a visor shoots up around your eyes and is capable of blocking people from seeing your eyes. Though the shine might go through. You'll just need a hood."
"How do I sync it to the other gear?"
"Just use the same method as the armor. The Power Modulator in the PIP boy shouldn't be too overtaxed."
"I need an A.I. to make sure everything works well."
"You're not getting one. I don't have anyone to base it off of."
"What about Ms. Yagami?" asked Gareth.
"Out of the question," said both of us.
"Her mind may be intelligent, but she's too murderous to work the equipment."
"Plus," I continued for him. "She can't be trusted. As an actual person or as an A.I."
"Especially as an A.I."
"Too unpredictable. Capable of coming unhinged. And extremely intelligent."
"Not to mention her childish behavior."
"All in all,…"
"Bad idea." We both said.
"Alright, I get it."
"Phoenix," said Tyra. "How do you know so much about A.I.?"
"It's more common sense than anything. I don't know how to program one, just how to pick someone to model it after."
"If you find a perfect model, bring them to me."
"Yeah, yeah." I look at the mask. "Gonna need to work on the paint job on this thing."
"Do whatever you want. Just don't break it. It's still my equipment after all."
"Oh, like you can't make another one."
"That's not the point. It's the principal of the thing." I put the mask in my inventory and notice what the cylinder was that Sarah put into the PIP boy. I keep my features calm as I close the inventory screen. When Gallio turns away, I look at Sarah, grinning like crazy. She puts a finger to her lips again, grinning just as much.
I mouth 'thank you' to her in appreciation. She merely curtsies and nods. Lucy walks up to me. "What is it Lucy?"
"Hold still."
"Ok. Why do I need to..?"
"Just do as I say."
"Alright, alright." I watched as she leaned in close. "Personal space please."
"Shut up. Close your eyes."
"Why do I need to..?"
"Phoenix," she said in a tone that meant 'do as your told'.
"Fine." I closed my eyes and waited. I soon felt a warm sensation on my forehead. I resisted the urge to open my eyes.
"Ok. Now open them." I did and saw her smiling. "There. Now you have my blessing. Things will go in your favor for as long as the blessing exists."
"And how long does it last?"
"As long as I want. So, for now, indefinitely."
"Thanks Lucy. You know, for a second there, I thought you were gonna…" and she proceeded to kiss me as I spoke. I vaguely remember Denise screaming in protest and the click of a camera. She pulled away and I was left dumbstruck. "…kiss me…" I couldn't think from that my mind had shut down.
"Bye, Phoenix. We'll take care of Tsukiko while she's resting" She then pushed me through the portal, making me stumble onto my bed as Ryuk came back into the room.
"Here's the Death Note," he said. "What did I miss?" I shook my head to clear my thoughts and sort my memories.
"Nothing." I grab the Death Note and look at him. "First order of business. Eyes. Give them. Now. No halving my lifeline."
"I can't do that. It's a violation of the r-"
"I guess I'll just call up Denise then."
"Shinigami eyes, no halved life. On it" I smiled as I felt it activate.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun."
"I'm going to hate you aren't I?"
"That remains to be seen. Though, if we're going off of initial meetings, then yes you are."
"I wanted more excitement in my life. Not something like this."
"The start of an amazing friendship?"
"More like forced servitude. You're lording Lady Denise over my head as a threat."
"Not as a threat, more like a warning of things to come if you try to kill or betray me."
"That's a threat!"
"Eh, semantics." I opened the Death Note and remembered something not many people realize. I held out my hand to him.
"What?"
"Eraser."
"What?"
"Death Eraser. Now."
"How do you even… Fine." He reached into his, (Robes? Body?) and pulled out a small block of white rubber. I grab it and toss a bunch of apples I kept in the PIP boy. "How do you even do that?"
"The PIP boy digitizes anything I need to store within it. It's limited only by how big something is, and inorganic objects. Anything alive, or used to be alive, I can store it. Can't store anything bigger than myself. Other than that, no limits." I pull out the mask and turn it over in my hands.
"A mask?"
"Yeah. Hides my identity. Necessary for my plans. It'll also help me keep track of people within my line of sight and within my immediate area."
"Are you planning on going out as Kira?"
"Only when deemed necessary. This is to draw out the mage. If he sees that 'Kira' can be immediately found, he'll go after 'him'. Better me, then Tsukiko. In order for me to find the mage, I need to think of ways to coax, and trick him out. Whoops, tautology."
"Say what now?"
"Saying the same thing twice just using different words. Like calling someone a Catholic sociopath."
"You think you're funny don't you."
"I think Team Four Star is funny. Me, not so much. I just have a knack for pissing people off. Some people may find it funny, but it's just me acting normally." I pulled out Tsukiko's cell phone and messaged her parents about her staying at a friend's.
"Team what?"
"It's not important right now. What is, is finding the mage. If I had only seen his face. Then I'd only need a name to kill him."
"I don't think that would work."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because if he's from another world, like you, Then I can't see his name. Which means, he's not bound to the rules set out by the Shinigami King in this universe regarding how a Death Note can kill."
"Wait, you can't see me name?"
"Not so much can't see it as I can't register it even exists. I can see the name, I know the letters are there, but when I try to think of the letters put together, it's like my memory of the name vanishes as soon as I see it, I can see it, but I can't place it as your name."
"Would the mage's name be the same way?"
"I would assume so."
"Then I can identify him as well. That's good. The Shinigami eye thing would be pointless otherwise."
"Nice to see the thing I was created with is seen as useless."
"Correction, it's useless to me. You need it to kill mortals in order to add their years to your own in order to survive. I don't benefit from that. The best I could hope for is if a Shinigami used the Death Note to save my life." I speed write names in the Death Note that My PIP boy picked up from criminal databases since I arrived here. "So, you know about Denise and the Council, what else do you know, Ryuk?"
"Nothing. I only heard about the Council one day while trying to find something to do. That's when I met Lady Denise and learned never to mess with her."
"What did she do?"
"She didn't like being spied on, her behavior turned to what you saw earlier, and she chopped me to bits! I didn't turn to dust or disappear, she wouldn't let me. I was stuck as a disembodied head and shoved in her closet for a millennium! During which she tortured me in ways no one should ever experience!"
"I think you might be exaggerating just a bit."
"If only I was…" I shrugged and went back to work as he started muttering something to himself. I left him like that for a few minutes as I wrote and thought out my next plan. Then I remembered something about the man I had killed earlier to attract L's attention.
"Hey, Ryuk."
"What is it?" he asked, his voice just slightly quivering as he remembered his torture under Denise.
"Have you ever heard of a human being born with Shinigami Eyes?"
"That's interesting. No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
"A man I killed earlier, Rue Ryuzaki, was born with them. Became obsessed with the days one would die and turned to killing people as their time was up. He started calling himself, Beyond Birthday." I turned to the apple-crazed Shinigami. "I wanted to know, how."
"I honestly don't know. I've never seen or heard of such a thing happening while in the Shinigami realm."
"Hmm. A mystery for another day then." I swiped one of Ryuk's uneaten apples and sat on my bed. "Ryuk, can you do me a favor? Can you fly around the city and search for someone whose name shows up like my own?"
"Ah. Using my ability to fly to cut the time relatively in half."
"That's the idea, yes."
"You realize that this mage is most likely smart enough to not be in plain sight."
"Can't you phase through stuff?"
"That's not the point. It would take too long, I'd have to look building by building, street by street, room by room. One city block alone would take a few hours." I sighed and bit into my apple.
"It's better than nothing. I wish we had more Shinigami to help but considering what the mage can do… it may end up hurting us rather than help us."
"What do you mean? The mage has a staff that was made for Necromancy. We can only assume they are a Necromancer as well."
"How would that hurt us?"
"Necromancy isn't just about communicating and raising the dead. They can be controlled as well. I know you are gods, but you're gods of Death. I don't know the full extant of their power. I don't know if they're powerful enough to enthrall any of you."
"So, we're playing this cautiously then."
"Of course. We need to assume that the reason this person was locked in the Shadow Vault is because they were powerful enough to be a major threat to the Metaverse. There's no telling what they could do. 'Caution is preferable to rash bravery,' after all."
"Who said that?"
"Falstaff in King Henry the Fourth. A Shakespeare play."
"Never was one for Shakespeare. Too dramatic."
"Some people find drama fun."
"I'm some people."
"Duly noted."
We spent the next two weeks preparing for L's inevitable appearance. I'd managed to cover most bases regarding where to look for the mage while simultaneously killing criminals at a steady pace all around the world. Ryuk had made no headway finding the mage as I had asked him to. Five days in, I told him to stop. Mindlessly searching was going nowhere. I check Tsukiko's phone as she got a message from her parents, clearly worried. She hadn't been seen in a week and had not personally answered her phone, they had every right to be. I periodically kept the phone in the PIP boy, so it couldn't be tracked. I decided it was a good time to contact Gallio when there was a knock at the door. 'That must be L. Dammit. Wonder if he showed in person, or if he sent Watari.' I answered the door and was met by an old man. 'Watari it is then.' "Yes sir? Can I help you?" I asked. Watari merely looked me up and down as if judging me. I grew irritated when his eyes lingered on my eyes but kept a calm demeanor.
"Are you Phoenix Mason?"
"Yes, I am, who's asking?"
"Forgive the intrusion. I am L." 'So, that's the game we're playing, and I'm called immature?' I shake his extended hand.
"Well then, it's nice to meet you, L. Please come in, won't you?" As he walks past me, I catch a glimpse of a mirror across the hall as a guest leaves the room. Through the mirror, I spot the real L waiting around a corner. 'Well, Lucy's blessing is working. Let's put it to the test, shall we?' I pull a paperclip out of my pocket that I picked up earlier and flick it into the hall when Watari isn't looking. It ricochets off a wall and around the corner. I hear a soft grunt as I close the door and inwardly smirk. "So, L. I take it Raye Penber contacted you?"
"Indeed, he did. Both he, and your boss, had nothing but resounding things to say about you."
"Such as?"
"Your knack for observation, persistence, and general reliance in hostile situations. I believe your boss also mentioned you were able to adapt quickly when needed and you have a rather keen intellect and inventive mind." 'Gallio just had to sneak in his adaptation accomplishment, didn't he?' "According to Raye, you were able to pick him out immediately as you met him. This tells me you're perceptive. This is a good quality for working with me. Can you give me an example of how perceptive you are? Give an observation about me."
"Well for one, you're not L." He started, and I looked at him sternly. "I was in Shibuya when the broadcast was played. I remember how L speaks. You're trying to copy his vocal pattern, but it's off. Not quite the same. The real L is out in the hall, I'm assuming?" When he stayed quiet I stood up and walked over to the door. I opened it and saw L standing on the other side, rubbing his eye and looking at me expectantly.
"So, how did you know?" I responded by pointing to the door I saw through.
"Door opened as your friend stepped through my doorway, spotted you in the mirror. I put 2 and 2 together. Now, I believe I extended my invitation to enter towards 'L'. Won't you come inside?"
If L was annoyed by me, he didn't show it. He stepped in and sat next to Watari. I stood by the door and leaned against the wall. "So, is that proof of my observational skill?"
"How did you guess I was the real L?"
"Me and Raye had a couple of drinks. He let slip how his fiancé mentioned you were rather unusual. Bad posture, shadows under the eyes, spiky black hair and dark brown eyes. Saw you and decided to play your game. A bit childish isn't it?"
"Childish, yes, but necessary. Most tend to disregard the most obvious answers. It's one of humanity's greatest flaws."
"I agree with you. But, what can you do? Most people don't want to bother with details that don't matter to them. If it doesn't immediately affect them, it's not worth dealing with. Ignorance is bliss. Worst motto in the world if you ask me." Before we could get back on track, L's phone rang.
"Yes?" Using my increased hearing I could hear someone telling him to turn a tv to a news channel. 'Right on time. Thank you hypnosis spell.' He grabbed the remote and turned on a tv flipping to a certain channel.
"Here it is again for those who missed it the first time. Kira has addressed the public and his statement is clear, he seeks to bring criminals and the guilty to Justice." The screen turns from the news caster to the figure of a man with a black and silver mask covering his face from the nose to the chin and a black visor covering his eyes, a light grey hood over his head and a black armor with silver lines around the edges of the plates.
"Hello," said the figure, his voice clearly modified. "By now, you should know who I am. If you don't, then listen closely. I am Kira. I am your new god. A just god. A dutiful god. My work is slow, but it will be effective. You have turned away from a just life, a good life. The truly guilty will be punished. For those who doubt my power, I believe a demonstration is in order." He snapped and behind him three lights came on, each showed a man on his knees, hooked up to an EKG. They were all clearly afraid and seemed to be unable to move. "These three men are all guilty of atrocious acts. The first man is a serial killer. He has killed a total of 13 people in the United States and 4 in Japan. The man next to him is a member of the Yakuza. Guilty of murder, arson, thievery, and human trafficking. The last man is a serial rapist. He has never been convicted. Recently he has abducted a young woman by the name of Tsukiko Yagami."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw L tense at the mention of that name. 'Might not completely turn him away from his suspicions, but it will do for now.' I watched as the figure gestured towards the camera.
"To the parents of Ms. Yagami, rest assured, I am searching for her. She is an innocent after all." He gestured to the men. "Their confessions have been sent to law enforcement agencies regarding their crimes. The truly guilty will be punished. This is my power." He snapped, and the three men convulsed. The EKG showed the men's hearts were failing. Soon all three slumped forward suffering from heart attacks at the same time. "If you still doubt my power…" he waved his hand over the Yakuza, and the man instantly returned to life, the EKG showing his heart beating again, rapidly in fear. "I control life and death. Only the truly guilty shall fall to my power. Those who wish to stop me, I know you see me as only a serial killer but see things from the eyes of the people. These men are nothing short of monsters. You can argue mental instability, illness, or uncontrollable circumstances. I will only agree if things were truly different. By their own admission, these men have enjoyed what they do. They hold no remorse for their actions." He snapped again, and the Yakuza died once more, the rapist being resurrected this time. "I'm not done with you. You will tell me what I want to know." The rapist merely spat at Kira's feet. "Defiance will result in only more painful deaths." With a snap from the other hand the lights turn off and Kira addresses the camera. "Try your best to stop me. You are merely acting in your own form of justice. If you do manage to stop me, then the Fates favor you. If you cannot, then I have been acknowledged as the god of a new world, a just world. A world without sin. And L…"
We watched as Kira turned to where L was sitting in the room. Me and Watari turned to see a wide-eyed L staring back at the screen.
"I wish you luck. May the smartest man be victorious. And when we meet face to face, bring apples." His mask flashed silver slightly where his eyes would be, and he waved his hand in front of the screen and the image cut out.
I turned to L. "What the hell was that?"
"That, I believe was Kira. As for how he kills… I don't have an explanation." He turned to me and finally seemed to notice my eyes.
"What's up? What's with the look?"
"Your eyes. Their silver. Yeah, why?"
"The picture I saw on the resume your boss sent me showed brown eyes."
"Oh, that." I went into the hotel bathroom and came back out with a pair of colored contacts. "Most of the time I either go out wearing these, or sunglasses. The photo I took for my ID at work shows me wearing them."
"I put one in to show them."
"Hmm." He watched me for some time, and I could already see what was going through his head. 'And now, all suspicion is on me. Good. With L focused mostly on me and not Tsukiko, I can get her help fully. I can manage dealing with L and can keep looking for the mage with access to L's network.' "Mr. Mason, I want you to report to our headquarters. With your help and the help of investigators from the Kira task force, I have no doubt we'll be able to capture Kira."
"I'm in?"
"Yes, Mr. Mason, your in."
"Alright, how much am I gonna be paid?"
"We'll discuss that once we meet. Show up in two days." He gave me a slip with an address on it and he and Watari left the room. I turned to Ryuk as he flew into the room.
"So, how was America?"
"Boring. Honestly, and it pains me to admit it, it's more interesting around you, despite how aggravating you are."
"Good knowing you too, Ryuk. Come on. It's time to check up on Tsukiko." I pressed a button calling the lab and a portal opened in front of us. Tsukiko had woken up two days after the revelation. I'd been spending time with her trying to keep her calm as Gallio worked on a way to stabilize her. I saw her smile slightly when she saw me before schooling her features. "Hello there, Miss Moon. How are we feeling today?"
"You know I hate that nick name, Bird Brain." I smile and hand her, her phone. "Thanks. How are my parents?"
"Worried sick. Your plan to say you've been abducted is working so far. Got someone to act as the fall guy. A serial rapist."
"Was that really your best idea?"
"Only thing I could think of. It was either that or a Yakuza, and considering there was no ransom, there was only one option. Worst comes to worst I'll just hypnotize any psychologist you get sent to. You've already proven you can act in these situations." We stayed silent for a few moments before I spoke up. "I'm sorry to put you in this situation. I really am. You know what's at stake, we all do. And me having to keep up the Kira killings, it's getting to me. I don't care if they're all criminals, somehow this feels like I'm betraying Denise's trust by doing this."
"I already told you," said Denise as she walked in. "I know you'd never betray my trust." She placed her hand on my cheek smiling sweetly. I could feel my heart skip a beat when she did that.
"Th-thank you for trusting me, Denise." Try as I might, I couldn't keep a blush from creeping up my face.
"If you two are done flirting," said Gallio as he walked in, carrying a small box in his hand. "I've completed it. I had a bit of help from the twins to get the energy output correct. Phoenix, I need you to try and keep her calm. I need to implant this into her neural network, problem is she needs to be awake during the surgery."
"Wouldn't that cause complications?"
"Normally yes, but we have magic at our disposal. Sarah will help me with the surgery, using healing and blood replenishing spells in case things go wrong. We will be separated by a soundproof screen. You will be taught a numbing spell and keep hold of Tsukiko's hand and channel magic into a numbing spell to her spine."
"OK, got it."
"I still can't believe magic actually exists. Why can't all worlds have access to it?" Asked Tsukiko.
"Because, there needed to be a balance between science and magic. Otherwise, there would be no other original worlds to spawn afterwards," said Sarah as she walked into the room. "Some worlds needed very little magic, others very little science. We've been trying to find out if a world has properly incorporated both equally without ignoring either."
"So far, we haven't found a single world to do so," said Gallio. He turned to Tsukiko as a platform rose next to him. "Ok, Tsukiko, just lie down and we'll get started immediately."
"Ok." I opened the pod for her and watched as her body flickered. I caught her as she stumbled out of the pod. "Thanks. I thought I'd be strong enough on my own. Guess I was wrong." I helped her to the surgery table as it was surrounded by a plastic barrier large enough to encompass all three of us around the table comfortably. A dark screen then started forming and warping around Tsukiko, bisecting her from just below her chest, down. Sarah then made a mental image appear next to me and Tsukiko. Tsukiko jumped as I turned to the loli.
"Could've given her a bit of a warning. I think the last thing she needs right now is to be jumpy."
"Point. Sorry, Tsukiko."
"It's fine," she said after calming down from her sudden fright. "Just give us some sort of warning next time. A tap on the screen, a chime, something. I'm still adjusting to all of this."
"Right. Sorry." She turned to me. "Ok, Phoenix. Ready to learn a new spell?"
"Please don't phrase it as a question. We all know I don't have a choice. Either way you'd train me this eventually."
"True, but still. No more wasting time, now follow my instructions." I nodded and grabbed hold of Tsukiko's hand lightly, slightly noticing her blushing lightly. "Ok, just remember a time when you lost all feeling in a single part of your body. Focus on it and project it using your magic. Now, channel it into Tsukiko and focus it on her spine, from where you can no longer see her body down to just above her legs. Ok, Tsukiko? Can you feel anything?"
"Not on my back, but everywhere else. That's good right?"
"Yes. Phoenix, remind me to have a serious discussion about your magical progress when we're done."
"Roger dodger." She ended the thought projection to focus on helping Gallio and I looked at Tsukiko. "Yeah, I'm not gonna humor her on that."
"Why not, wouldn't it be beneficial to speak with her on that front? You are new to this after all."
"I'm not about to sit still while she wallows in her jealousy. I don't like being lectured and interrogated at the same time. That's what it's going to amount to." I sigh as I absentmindedly trace her fingers with my thumb.
"You should talk with her. If she's truly concerned about the rate at which you're learning magic, and not just jealous, it would be in your best interest to talk with her."
"Logic tells me it's the best thing to do. I just don't want to listen."
"Why?"
"Too lazy. I'd rather be exploring, traveling from world to world, seeing things I only ever saw in shows, and movies, or read about in books. When I'm not hunting down inter-dimensional criminals or saving entire worlds from non-existence."
"That sounds like fun."
"Oh, I have no doubt it will be fun."
"And a bit lonely."
"Yeah, it might be. But what can you do? There aren't that many options for travel companions, now are there."
"What about Denise? I'm sure she'd love to go with you."
"I considered that. But, I don't know if she can leave her duties as a council member to go traveling. Or if she'd actually want to go with me."
"You're kidding right? I've seen how you two act. You're deluding yourself if you think she'd never consider spending time with you." I looked to where I felt Denise was standing and increased my hearing. I could hear her humming a melody to herself and what sounded like footsteps a moment later. 'Is she dancing?' I was broken from my thoughts when Tsukiko spoke up. "Phoenix?"
"Yeah? What's up?"
"If you don't mind, maybe I could…" before she could finish speaking, a note sounded from my PIP boy signaling a message. I looked at it and saw it was Gallio letting us know they were done.
"Wow, that was fast. I didn't think they'd be done this quick." I looked at her. "The operation is done. I'm gonna stop the spell now, ok?"
"Oh. Yeah." I stop channeling my magic to her and saw as she grimaced slightly in discomfort. "That was unpleasant."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. The surgery area just stings and itches. It's nothing."
"If you're sure." The room started lowering back into the floor along with the screen as it warped around Tsukiko as it lowered into the floor. I helped Tsukiko to the floor. "How are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm not flickering. So that's a good sign."
"Yeah," said Gallio. "A very good sign. Surgery went well. You're now stabilized. Now we just need to get you home. Though, we should wait for a day. Let you get your strength back up before you end up going through a portal, or any travel to another world without a vehicle."
"There's also one other thing we need to figure out…" said Tsukiko.
"And what's that?"
"Phoenix, as the god of death and justice, Kira, told the public I had been abducted by a serial rapist, and was his captive for a week before Kira caught him. The authorities, my parents, and doctors are going to check…" I blanched as realization dawned on me at her words.
"Crap," I said as I facepalmed. "I knew there was something I overlooked when I put that plan together." I groaned as Sarah spoke up.
"Easy fix, just hypnotize them so they think the checkup went well."
"Normally I would. But my hypnotism is limited right now. I have to lay my hands on the person in order to hypnotize them. For me to hypnotize the doctor that examines her. In order for me to get close and ensure it's the right doctor…" I cleared my suddenly dry throat. "I'd have to be in and stay in the same room as Tsukiko while she waits for the doctor."
"You could just wait outside the door while she changes. And go back in when she's done."
"I doubt even with my increased luck that I'd be able to time it so that no one notices a door opening and close it by itself. Not to mention any cameras in vicinity."
"Besides," said Tsukiko, her face was a bright crimson. "It's better to be safe than sorry. And, while I don't like the idea of Phoenix potentially getting a free show, there are too many variables in place to ensure that he can get close enough."
"I have an idea," said Gallio. "One that ensures that Phoenix gets to stay close and can leave the room for you to change. The only drawback is you may have to seem more affected by the 'rape' then you may have originally planned."