Breaking Point Chapter 4

I AM SO SORRY! It took me so long to finish this, but here it is! To be honest, I'm not sure I like it, but it seems to fit. I promise to try and update faster.

For the record, I'm almost done with the next chapter. Originally, it was part of this one, but it was looking as if it would better as a chapter on its own. Thus, onward!

Disclaimer: Oh I wish to own Death Note, but alas, it will never be.

Warnings: A little OCC?

Spoilers: None this chapter.

B R E A K I N G P O I N T

Chapter Four: Futile

Stares. They were staring at him, he was sure of it. At least three pairs of eyes were fixing themselves on his or L's back every few moments, and to be quite honest, it was grating on his last nerve.

Ever since Light's last confrontation with L, tensions between the two geniuses had risen to a new level. Thanks to the interventions of Soichiro and Watari, their last dispute ended without injury to their side, but in turn, neither side had a chance to release their frustrations. On the outside, it seemed the two had developed a simple indifference to one another. However, this facade was far from the truth. Underneath the uncaring attitudes, it took everything the two geniuses had to contain their confrontational sides, both craving for dominance over the other.

Rather than lash out at one another, how ever subtly, both took a different route. Being as intelligent as they were, it was not necessarily difficult for the two to engage in a form of psychological warfare. Any words exchanged between them now held an underlying meaning, a hidden threat of sorts. Thus while the rest of the investigation team--excluding Watari, who knew of L's vindictive tendencies--looked on with mild confusion, L and Light continued on with their battle.

The comments exchanged mostly contained light undertones of insults or threats, but in other cases, the implications were heavy and straightforward.

At first, the other members of the investigation did everything they could think of to lighten the mood between the two geniuses.

Matsuda offered what he hoped to be helpful suggestions and words of encouragement.

"Come on you guys! We're a team, especially you two! I mean, you guys are like twins or something, always on the same mindset and theories and stuff, so how about letting bygones be bygones, huh?"

Light and L merely glowered at the mention of them being "twins," Light in obvious displeasure and L in silent disagreement; his attitude toward Matsuda, however, blatantly revealed his annoyance at the comment.

Aizawa took to interrupting their silent battles and demanded that they try to get along for the sake of the investigation.

"We need to work together on this and you two are NOT helping! We're only at the halfway mark of the investigation! What happened to bring this on anyway? You too are acting like children!"

However, Aizawa tended to overact (in L's opinion anyway) when frustrated and the reference to them as "children" had both L and Light brimming with anger; Light displayed a glare that would make a child cry in terror, while L, as per usual, glowered in his own fashion, which only succeeded in infuriating Aizawa even further.

Mogi, being the silent type, tried more subtle methods of encouraging Light and L to make amends. Without saying a word, he attempted to put the two in situations where they were forced to speak to one another: handing Light's tea to L, handing Light paperwork to give to L, and various other methods.

Mogi's was one of the few attempts that did result in someone feeling either genius's anger, but it was unsuccessful, however, in fixing the problem. The two would do whatever Mogi had them do, then resume to pretend the other did not exist unless they were discussing the case.

Soichiro tried the route of sympathy and logic, claiming that the two simply needed to put the past behind them and let go of their anger.

"Listen, I understand things are tense right now. We proved Higuchi was Kira, but his sudden death and the appearance of Rem and the Death Note further added more questions. However, now is not the time to get frustrated, so please..."

Though Light had shown a smidgen of understanding to his father's words, L's next remark flattened those feelings instantly.

"Yagami-san, Higuchi was only the third Kira, I still believe the original Kira remains alive and waiting. We still have yet to know who he is..." The whole time, L's eyes had been shifted in Light's direction.

"I know because you're Kira," they said. Light had responded by decking the detective in the face, leading to yet another fight.

The worst of the bunch, however, was Misa. Rather than try to convince the two to make up, she tried to comfort Light by smothering him with attention and sympathy when he finally got away from the detective.

"Ryuzaki is being so mean! He should be nicer to Raito for putting up with him."

And while Light was alone with her outside the investigation headquarters, she was annoyingly persistent.

"He should be taught a lesson! When is Raito going to kill him?"

The attempts were, in reality, anything but helpful and only made Light's bad mood increase tenfold. Honestly, sometimes the girl was even worse than L!

Eventually, everyone simply stopped trying and allowed the mini-war to proceed. As long as the two got along long enough to seriously discuss the case, then they were permitted to hate one another.

In truth, the recent events severely puzzled the case members, excluding Misa, for it had seemed that the two prodigies had gotten along so well in past times, almost like two halves of the same coin. No one could seem to overlook that it was only after discovering the existence of the Death Note did tensions rise between them.

The Death Note.

It was the answer and the problem to so many things, both solution and problem causer. The question was what role did it play in the recent contempt between the brilliant student Light and the famous detective L?

X + X + X + X + X

With the silence and stealth of a cat, he crept through the dark alleyway. His dirty fingernails, caked with his own blood, dragged across the black wall of some unknown building as he continued onward.

It was there, vivid and crystal clear in his mind, the place he would need to find in order to complete the next step in his most brilliant plot. The images were so detailed and colorful in his head and every so often a rush of excitement would spiral through his veins as he thought of what was to come, what torture was to befall his adversary.

However, his twisted mind discovered a small flaw in his tight-knit plans. Los Angles had morphed and transfigured itself during his long stay in that filthy prison, unworthy of his brilliance. The city was mocking him, attempting to fool him, as if saying, "What are you to do now, little lost child?" Just as he used to do. Just as the detective he so loathed used to do.

I am superior.

You are inferior.

I am the original.

You are but a worthless copy.

I am justice.

A growl sounded deep in his throat and jagged fingernails dug deep into the decaying cement walls, summoning forth yet more blood.

He wouldn't be justice for long, oh no. Beyond would make sure of that. Beyond would make him tremble, make him shatter, would conquer him and the city's futile attempts to cage him. (1)

Beyond would never be caged.

Whew, so...is it bad? I kinda think so... However, I promise things will get better next chapter! Absolutely promise!

Footnotes:

1-Okay, so the guy's been locked in a prison cell for God knows how long and he was already a little crazy. In short, I'm trying to show how his mind works; in this fiction anyway.

Promise to update soon! Bye for now.