Light awoke, noticing that Teru wasn't there. This was odd considering that the room was locked, logic dictated that he had gone to the bathroom or had been taken out of the room and so Light accepted that explanation. He rubbed his eyes to clear any remaining sleep from them, before glancing out the window. They were still in the air, he didn't know for how long exactly as he had been sleeping. The plane, however, had left when it was day in Tokyo, and it was still day. That combined with his internal clock telling him he had slept for a long period of time led him to believe that they had left Asia far behind. They were approaching England, so Greenwich Mean Time would be in effect there, thus explaining why it was still day. Hopefully they were close, Light was bored and he had been awake for barely thirty seconds.

He missed L.

Light would admit it; he missed L for selfish reasons. It wasn't out of friendship or regret for killing an innocent man; it was because now he had no one who matched his intellect. Near was smart, very smart, but he was still only a child and his deductive skills were not on the same levels that Ryuzaki had been. Teru was smart, and he similarly lacked social skills like L, however despite his somewhat strange and awkward behaviour L had a charm to himself. Teru lacked that charm, Teru lacked a lot of things. That was why he would have to be replaced.

L in his opinion was his only worthy adversary, Mello and Near required each other to defeat him. L had come close on his own, but in a stroke of genius Light had defeated him. Arguably it was something L couldn't have prepared for, so he hadn't really outsmarted the detective, but it didn't make victory any less sweet.

The problem was that Light had come down from the high that the victory had gave him, and his battle with Near and Mello hadn't nearly been as entertaining. It was certainly a harder battle, and he lost the battle, but for some reason the battle of wits between two men was so much more fun than the battle of wits between one man and two others. Not only that, his victory over L had made him arrogant, which led to his current predicatment. So in a way L had won as well.

Light would be lying if he said that he wasn't interested in Wammy's house. The orphanage that raised child prodigies would certainly be an intriguing place. From what little he could discern, there was an entire alphabet of potential L successors. That was impressive and it was also a serious threat, if he was allowed free reign with the Death Note the game would change. He would no longer have to worry about being arrested and thus another L or some other super detective would not be as big a threat. But if he wasn't... the battle would get harder.

The trial might not go his way, but if it didn't there was still a chance of him escaping prison. The only problem would be securing a Death Note. Gelus' Death Note was in Near's hands as was Rem's. He could only hope that Ryuk would be willing to lend him his Death Note or steal Sidoh's Death Note again. But that was a consideration that he would have to address at a later point. Some form of bribery or promises of entertainment would be needed.

Light looked around the room and noticed a small mirror; he checked the symbols of the aeroplane making sure that it was safe for him to get up. After checking he made his way to the small mirror, and began staring at himself in the mirror. He was a mess, the suit and tie couldn't hide that. His hair needed cut and groomed, and he needed a small shave as well. He hoped once he got to England he would be allowed these things. Light prided himself in his appearance; he knew that he was attractive. Misa fawned over him and constantly complimented him, and Takada had also found him quite handsome as well. Half of this was caused by his genetics, he naturally was quite fetching but the other half was caused by how he kept himself.

He combed his hair and made sure it was acceptable, kept his face presentable and also kept his clothes in good condition. His appearance was one of his main weapons. This, combined with his excellent acting, outstanding intelligence and social skills, made sure that Light was easily able to further his own agenda. Many people didn't realise or couldn't accept that such a well-kept young man was also one of the most deceptive people on the Earth. Above all else Light was good at lying.

Light placed the mirror down carefully, making sure not to damage it before returning to his seat. Light was a patient man, he would wait until they landed because he knew he could. There was no point in rushing the trial, nor was there any point in delaying it. Light knew that everything would happen in due course. One could not rush justice. Besides it gave him more time to think of a plan.

As Light began to relax back into his seat he felt a bout of nausea and a falling sensation, he sat himself up again and smoothed the creases out of his jacket. He had never really gone on planes often, as his father was far too busy to take holidays longer than a week off work, but he knew the feeling. The plane was descending; he looked to see the plane was slightly tilted at an angle. It was probably turning to land on the runway or perhaps turning to go towards somewhere. He fastened his seat belt and smirked, justice was working fast today.


Teru Mikami was having a bad time, as Light was asleep and Near was bored he had been "asked" to play chess with Near. In reality the agents had forced him, none of them wanted to have their pride crushed by Near in a game of chess. So he was forced to take the brunt of the genius' skill in chess, it seemed that all brilliances were skilled in chess. Teru wasn't that brilliant, and he was rusty at chess. He had played it a few times in high school, but apart from that he was effectively a novice to chess. And Near. He was a master.

Teru had been called to play four hours ago and had been beaten sixteen times in that space of time, each chess game had lasted around fifteen minutes. The skill at which the Third L moved his pieces across the board was truly something spectacular, Mikami hadn't made a single move that Near hadn't anticipated. Each move Teru made was countered, and each move Near made claimed important pieces. Near made excellent use of his knights and rooks, and completely dominated the board with them. Mikami had never once gotten close to Near's queen, never mind his king. It was quite demoralising.

"Checkmate." said Near, having secured yet another victory.

Mikami stared at the board blinking in shock at yet another defeat before speaking "Yes it seems that way."

The agents had been watching in interest and Lidner spoke up "Maybe you should give up, being beaten sixteen times isn't enough for you to realise Near is very good at chess?"

Teru looked up at her and spoke "I am aware of my inferiority in this regard, however it is the only available pastime."

Near nodded before getting up, he looked at Gevanni "Could you go and get Light? I am sure he noticed our plane descending. It will still be another hour until we land on the airfield, which would be sufficient time to play a game of chess."

Gevanni nodded but spoke "What makes you sure he will accept?"

Near began curling his hair "Light is a competitive and intelligent individual, he will without a doubt jump at a chance to prove his superiority. What better way to do so than by beating me in a game of chess?"

Gevanni nodded and proceeded to leave the section of the aeroplane, walking his way to the section were Light was held. There were two guards outside were talking to each other, neither one seemed too lax however. They knew that the man behind the door they guarded was the largest serial killer in history or the greatest man to ever live, depending on who you ask.

Near patiently waited for Light's arrival, beating Mikami had been child's play. He hoped that Light would be a far tougher and more interesting opponent. Teru's style of play was overly mechanical; he relied on a set strategy of how to act. If someone acted in a way different to that strategy, in a way that the strategy didn't prepare for, he crumpled immediately. Light was good at improvising as well as laying complex plans however, Near was counting on that skill transferring to chess.

At that moment the aforementioned genius entered the room, he was escorted by Gevanni and seemed to be trying to converse with him. Either Gevanni wasn't in the mood for conversation, or he didn't like Light. Either way Light got no response from the agent. After realising that him trying to converse with the agent was fruitless, Light diverted his attention to the child prodigy and the chess board before him.

Light smiled "I suppose video games or puzzles couldn't keep you busy Near?"

Near shook his head "My puzzles are currently unavailable and I don't have a video game console of any description. Thus, it seems the only way to pass the time is to play a game."

Light chuckled, noticing Teru sitting on another seat "I suppose you forced Mikami to play against you. You know you could have just awoken me?"

Near shook his head "It would be rude to do so, besides judging by how you looked before you got on the plane, you needed to rest."

Light shook his head with mirth "Well I am awake now, so shall we play? I warn you, I was the best student at chess in my year at school."

Near nodded "I was considered the best successor to L, and therefore was considered the smartest child in an orphanage full of prodigies. I am sure I can compete with you sufficiently."

Light smiled before taking a seat "We're about to find out aren't we?"

Teru's eyes immediately fixated on the game about to take place, he made no moves to show he was watching with anything less than a bored disinterest, but in reality he was going to intently analyse the moves of the First Kira and the Second L.

The game was tense, tense being a massive understatement, as the abilities of Kira and L clashed again and again. Neither gave much way, despite Near's fluid use of bishops and knights to claim pieces, he was constantly countered by Light's pawns. Near was causing damage to Light, but he was suffering and had little to show for it. Light wasn't faultless either, he made a foolish blunder in moving a pawn; this left his queen which he had been using to great effect exposed. Near immediately capitalised taking the piece, but Light was still able to keep the child at bay barely.

While Near was constantly trying to counter Light's strategies and plans, Light was already improving upon it or even devising a new plan on the spot. Everyone present in the section of the aircraft stared in interest at the battle of giants currently taking place, none more so than Teru Mikami.

Chess could be used to analyse a person's way of acting in real life. Teru Mikami earnestly believed that, it could even be seen in the game currently taking place. While Light relied on strategies and plans, just as he had during his time with the Death Note, Near relied on understanding and combating Light's plans as well as intelligent guesses as to what move Light would make next. Neither seemed able to overcome the other, half an hour had passed and while pieces had been taken and lost by both side, neither seemed able to finish the other. This confirmed one thing for Mikami, the two geniuses were powerful in their own right but against each other they were incapable of vanquishing their rival. They were made infinitely more potent by some form of partner or accomplice.

As odd as it sounded, it was evidenced by the chessboard. Neither could trump the other, they were equals. It made perfect sense; Light had succeeded early on in his battle against L's successors because he had his many accomplices. And Near had prevailed because of Mello and the work of his SPK agents. Thus it became clear to Mikami that if he were to defeat either of them he would require an accomplice, as they would undoubtedly acquire new allies of their own.

He couldn't just kill Light, for he had no idea if Misa still remembered anything about the Death Note. If she linked it to Teru, it would result in death for him. He couldn't kill Near, as that would result in the SPK bringing down a metaphorical sledgehammer of investigators to root out who killed him. He needed them to both die, simultaneously but not independently. If he killed them via the Death Note suspicion would be rife, and he couldn't just shoot them. But how would he do it?

Regardless of the thoughts and other processes occurring in Mikami's head the prosecutor still kept a watchful eye of the developments on the chessboard. Neither of the two titans wanted to accept it, but a stalemate was becoming almost a certainty. They were running out of pieces to use in an effective manner, and while each had made gains, so had the other.

But suddenly Near began to make massive gains in regards to the influence he had on the chessboard. He had taken all of Light's pieces, save the king, but only had two pieces left. Those two pieces were his king and his queen; he had backed Light into the corner of H8. But Light's positioning was intentional, as a result of his blunder, Light would have lost the game. But he had fooled Near into thinking that he was still confident that he could win, and he had baited Near into a stalemate. Neither had won, the match was a draw.

Light looked disappointed in the draw but still smiled "I suppose we're evenly matched in chess Near, honestly you should work on your impulsive decisions. You had done great at analysing and countering my plans up until now, it is a shame you just were not able to even see the last one."

Near too seemed disappointed "I should have foreseen your strategy, I believed that you were unaware of the effect of your blunder. My overconfidence was my downfall in this situation. As there was no winner, we still seem to be equals."

Light glanced at the twenty-four hour clock showcasing the Greenwich Mean Time "Thirty minutes Near, how long do we have until we land?"

Near answered "Thirty minutes approximately, with a variation of five minutes either way."

Light smiled "That is more than enough to play another game don't you think?"

Near nodded in interest "Yes, a rematch would be enjoyable. I am confident this time I will win."

Light shook his head "Near, you have already lost you just don't know it, so shall we play?"

"No."

Both the genius and the SPK agents whipped their heads around to look at Teru.

"I would play again, I am confident this time I can present a challenge." said Mikami softly.

Light looked to Mikami and then to Near before smiling "Would you mind playing another game against him Near? I haven't seen him play yet, besides if you are as good at chess as you are supposed to be I am sure you could beat Teru easily."

Near looked at Mikami with curiosity, the prosecutor obviously had some form of gambit or ruse that he was going to play in this game. If Teru was watching his game and analysing how he played, then there was a significant chance that he would better understand what moves Near would make. His curiosity begged him to play again against Teru, and so he agreed.

"Very well, I will play against you again. If it stretches to the point we can't play our game Light, I am sure we can play again once we get to Wammy's House." said Near, already preparing to play against X-Kira. He was certain that the prosecutor had some form of plan or stratagem to defeat him, and he had to be ready for a complex strategy.

Once the chessboard was again set up, Mikami played as white instead of black as he had the previous few times. And as such he was to make the first move. He knew that Near was expecting a master strategy or some intelligent plan as he had analysed the game that Near had been playing with Light. But Mikami was depending on this overestimation, he was going to fool Near. There was no denying that the boy was a master at chess, but his common sense would betray him.

Mikami moved his pawn to E4 immediately, before waiting for Near's turn. The boy moved his pawn E5 to counter the pawn that Mikami had used. Teru then moved his queen to H5, it was a massive gambit. This would guarantee his defeat if Near stopped overestimating him, but if the boy still thought that this was all part of some master plan then Teru's victory was guaranteed.

Near moved his Knight to C6, this was a response to with Teru moving his Bishop to C4. After a moment of thinking, Near sprung the trap that Mikami had laid. He moved his knight to F6. Mikami immediately moved his queen to F7 the square he had been posturing for the entire game. His ploy had worked, the boy was so sure that Mikami was going to do something brilliant and complicated he failed to see a simple and easy to counter trick.

"Checkmate." declared Mikami calmly, neither showing any triumphalism or shame in his "cheap" tactic.

Near blinked several times at the board before looking up with shock on his face "A Scholar's Mate? You beat me with a Scholar's Mate?"

"I did, but it was only part of the plan. You overestimated me; you thought that I was going to do something that you would have to counter. In truth, I played on your anxiety and predictions, these aided my victory." answered Teru.

Suddenly clapping could be heard, the majority of the agents present turned to look a Light who was clapping slowly at Mikami's ploy. He was quite impressed by the simplicity of Mikami's trick, as well as the fact that he had beaten Near so quickly.

"Seems like he caught you out Near, in your defence I didn't see it coming either. I suppose it is like they say, intelligent people fail at doing simple things." said Light, with a smirk on his face.

Mikami straightened his tie before standing up and returning to the seat he had taken to observe the game Light and Near had played. Near had by this point overcame his shock before nodding at Teru's checkmate, he then beckoned for Light to play again.

Once again a colossal battle of giants was to take place, but Teru knew now how it would end. They would draw, neither would win. One might overcome the other, in one game at least, but the very next game they would lose. They were stuck in constant battle against each other and were evenly matched, but neither was capable of beating the other without a true advantage. They were, in a way, destined to do this forever.

Mikami knew that God had tasked him to stop this foolishness; he was on a divine mission. This game was his responsibility to end. Perhaps Light Yagami hadn't been God, but Teru Mikami was certain that a divine being was on his side. As long as this contest continued, justice was stilted, halted even. And so he would break down the metaphorical Walls of Jericho, these two titans stood in the ways of God's judgement and will, and as a loyal follower it was his duty to overcome this evil.

Teru straightened up and began observing the game again; looking at the clock it would seem that they would land in around twenty-five to twenty minutes. So the prosecutor smoothed out the creases in his apparel and fixed his tie so that it was straight; before calmly observing the game's proceedings with thorough scrutiny. Once again he probed for weaknesses in each of their moves, as he knew his observation was key to his success.

And his success must be guaranteed.


A medium sized teenager sat patiently in the reception area of Wammy's House; he had a small nose, and short combed brown hair. He had blue and green eyes as he had complete heterochromia. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt, as well as a small beret on his head. He was pale white, a side effect of remaining indoors for long periods of time. His nails were far too long, having not been cut for what seemed like months, and the only way that he kept them short was by biting them. As this was a nervous habit of his, he constantly bit his nails. This was C.

C's real name was Claude Delacroix. He was natively French, which was why he wore the beret to remind himself, but when brought to England for holiday his parents were killed in a car accident. While in regular circumstances he would be returned to the French fostering system, Quillsh Wammy had pulled a few strings, instead having him stay at Wammy's House. That was twelve years ago, and Claude hadn't once been outside Wammy's House's grounds since then. He was a social introvert and failed to connect with even his fellow orphan prodigies at Wammy's House, over the years this had led to his current state.

After the Beyond Birthday incident the two successors for L were gone. C was at one point the first in line to succeed L; however he was eventually surpassed by Near. Afterwards Mello took the second place and Matt the third, for this he was nicknamed Close. It was a pun on the letter of which he was identified by, and the fact he used to be close to succeeding L. Not that it mattered to C, he accepted that he wasn't better than Matt, Near or Mello, so he merely maintained his position as fourth in line. However the consequences of this change of ranking were far reaching.

Once a child reaches the age of eighteen in Wammy's House, having been recognised as an adult by the government of the United Kingdom, they are forced to leave. Most go on to have highly productive lives, using the excellent education they were given to great effect. Others don't react well to the outside world and disappear, never to be heard from again. Their fates were unknown to those inside the orphanage.

C was sixteen, he had turned sixteen yesterday on the 9th of February, but he was already worrying about the prospect of leaving Wammy's House. He was no longer eligible to succeed L, even with Mello and Matt dead, as Near had become the Second L. But his nervous habits, lack of social etiquette and fear of the outside world prevented him from leaving Wammy's House and going on to live a productive life. This prospect of a failed existence worried him immensely, which was why he was waiting in the reception now.

C wanted to talk with Roger, as Quillsh was dead; he was now in charge of Wammy's House. C wanted advice or help, his intelligence had always been something that he could prop himself up against. However he had been isolated from the outside world for too long and he was certain that no matter his intelligence, he would be consumed by it. The prospect of Roger suggesting something or someway he could get through this upcoming change was all he had to cling to. It was a long shot, but to be honest it seemed to be the only option.

C's head propped up noticing the door to the office opening. He met the eyes of a concerned Roger Ruvie, who was looking quite stressed. It was no surprise, the man was about to deal with two of the largest killers in history. Even with the support of Near and the SPK it would be hard. However Roger had a kind heart, and was more concerned by C wanting to see him than he was about the Kiras being housed in his orphanage.

"What is it Claude?" asked Roger, he was the only person not to call him C or Close.

"Can I speak to you in private?" asked C, already getting nervous.

"Of course my boy, come in." said Roger ushering the teenager into his office and onto a seat.

Once the teen had been seated and Roger had seated himself the elder man spoke "You seem sad, is something wrong Claude? And don't lie to me, I know you far too well."

C nodded miserably "Roger, I am not prepared for the outside world. The people, the cars, the noise, the smells, the tastes and the buildings scare me. I don't want to go out there; I'll die in a week lying in some gutter."

Roger tried to assuage the boy's fears "Don't worry; it is nearly as bad as you make it out to be. And you won't be alone; you know you can talk to me anytime."

"But I can't Roger!" said C who was getting very upset at this point "You have to many responsibilities, no matter what we promise each other, we won't be able to speak anymore. I don't want to leave here, please is there anything you can do, I would rather spend the rest of my life as the caretaker of the building than I would out there!"

Roger leaned back in his chair frowning "You know I can't do that Claude, besides I also can't let such potential go to waste. You could be a professor or scientist, how could I let you clean a building for the rest of your days?"

"Roger, I won't survive out there; I know this for a fact. Half the kids that leave this place don't last out there; most of them end of drug addicts or criminals themselves. If I go out there I will kill myself, and that isn't a bluff." said C forcefully, but with a hint of desperation.

Roger spoke with a tinge of sadness "Claude, I am sorry, but my hands are tied. Wammy's House has never allowed any past pupil to stay, and I can't make an exception, even for you."

Claude nodded despondently before standing up "I suppose it was a long shot, I may as well enjoy the two years I have left. Thank you for your time Roger, I will show myself out."

Roger raised his hand to stop the boy leaving, before deciding against that and lowering it. There was nothing he could do, and the boy needed to be alone. He watched the retreating lad slowly trudge his way back to the dormitories. Roger sighed, before sifting through the bundles of paperwork currently on his desk. He could only hope Near would take Claude into his investigation team, at this point it seemed the only option for the troubled boy.

C walked his way to the dormitories before collapsing onto his bed once he reached his room. The world seemed to be conspiring against him; he didn't know what to do now other than accept the inevitable. Life was not getting any easier for him so maybe he should stop trying.

C reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a small crucifix, it was his mother's. It was all he had to remember his parents by. He had never been particularly religious, as most of the children in Wammy's House became atheists at a young age and there was no form of holy gatherings, but C did the only thing he could think of. He prayed. He prayed long and hard that something would save him, he beseeched God for mercy until he felt exhausted. He then fell to his bed and slept.


Light was sitting patiently in the newest mode of transportation he had found himself in. The constant movement was boring and tiring, but it did give him time to think. And these days Light Yagami did little else, numerous plans and schemes were being devised and rejected in his head. He didn't relax at all, but he still kept an air of nonchalance about the current proceedings. Light knew that it wouldn't do to show weakness in front of anyone, and so his relaxed personality was a kind of defence measure.

He and Near had drawn again, but at this point it really didn't matter. A game of chess wasn't going to decide who won the trial. That would rely on charisma and a solid defence. Light wasn't sure about the defence but he knew without a doubt that he possessed the charisma. His impeccable English would only help him.

He was mulling over what possible challenges he could face in the trial, he didn't know if it would be a single session or a string of proceedings. He knew there would be an initial hearing and a small bail would be on offer. Would it be a trial or tribunal? Was he entitled to a defence lawyer, or did he have to defend himself? Who was the judge? Would there be a jury? Would it be public, or had Near somehow kept it quiet? All these questions flooded his head, and Light Yagami had no answers. This left him aggravated, as it was a problem not even his intelligence could solve.

As he was not in a talkative mood he didn't speak to Teru or the agents in the vehicle with them. He was above idle conversations with fools; if they had even a shred of intelligence they would be helping him. When he got the Death Note, they would regret crossing him. Especially Matsuda, that idiot had betrayed him completely and utterly. He would be dealt with, he should have known better than to even consider shooting a God. The fact he hadn't done it didn't make things better for him. He was going to let Matsuda live originally, but he had doomed himself. For some reason his betrayal stung the most.

Light thought his current situation was actually quite pathetic, he was being carted around like some form of trophy with no say in the matter. They treated him like he was some common criminal; there was nothing more demeaning for him. His pride didn't deal well with the constant insults and stares.

Light's thoughts were cut short by the van coming to a stop, judging by the agents getting up, Light had reached his destination. It was a long drive; he hoped that the wait was worth it. The prospect of meeting a school full of geniuses was the only thing saving him from boredom.

Light stood up, he noticed the agent's uneasiness, but took no notice of it. Once the door had been opened he calmly stepped out of the vehicle. The first thing that struck him about England was that it was cold, well cold compared to his native Japan. It also seemed to be raining. Light immediately began walking towards some form of cover; he didn't care if the agents didn't want him wandering off. He ran to the large building in front of him.

After struggling to open the doors for a moment, Light finally made his way into the building that awaited him. A large hall greeted him, with Near talking to an old gentleman in some form of suit.

Near turned around to Light "Welcome to Wammy's House Light, the place that raised L."

Light smirked, finally he made it. Today was going to be a good day.