Chapter Nine - …And Justice For All
Mello returned to the apartment to be greeted by Matt, who was very happy for some reason. Mello decided to go sit back down and look at the paper he had taken from Light and Misa. Matt knew it was Death Note paper when he saw it, but he asked anyway.
"So", Matt asked, "what is so special about that piece of paper you brought in?"
"It is Death Note paper" Mello said. "I took it from Light and Misa."
"Well I would believe it is Death Note paper if it had any criminal names on it" Matt answered. "So why didn't you get a page with names on it?"
"Matt", Mello answered, "Near wanted me to get a blank sheet of paper for him to write names on and besides if I got a paper with names on them, Light and Misa would have taken notice."
"Yeah… Yeah" Matt said. "I get it… but Death Note paper looks so much like normal everyday paper."
"Well the book had rules relating to how it works and how to kill people" Mello answered. "So it may as well be Death Note paper."
"So why is Near going to write names instead of you?" Matt asked.
"Near wants to see if the 13 day rule is real or not" Mello answered. "He is also the one with the power to scapegoat these kills on Kira so he is safe."
"That makes sense as long as he doesn't go insane doing it. Than he is fine" Matt answered.
"It won't" Mello said. "If that thing corrupts its user than it corrupts people with weak wills. Near and I, we have strong wills, so I don't think anything will happen to us."
"Well if it goes the other way", Matt answered, "I can say that I am happy that I am not involved in this case."
"Yeah" Mello replied. "Hey Matt, why were you so excited when I came back?"
"Well" Matt answered "I just completed the hardest level in this shoot em up. I died like a thousand times before I was able to complete it. It was a lot of fun."
"Oh", Mello answered, "The usual."
"Live Die Repeat, Live Die Repeat" Matt chanted. "I wish life was more like video games. There we have extra lives."
"Matt", Mello said, "that is just a hopeless dream"
"Well" Matt said. "It is my dream."
Near had scheduled with Mello to meet him at the NPA headquarters tonight to discuss what the future plans would be. Near also wanted Mello to bring him the piece of Death Note paper he requested. But for Mello, it would be quite a while before he could go there. So he simply decided to relax in his apartment.
That night at about 9:00 PM, Mello arrived at the NPA headquarters Near was in charge of. He took the elevator to the top floor. He was greeted by Halle and Giovanni.
"So", Halle asked, "did you bring the paper?"
"Yes" Mello answered. "I did." He showed them the piece of Death Note paper.
"Well then you are free to go except for one thing" Halle said.
"What is it?" Mello asked.
"We have to check if you brought any weapons like you did last time you met Near here" Giovanni said. "Don't worry, it is a quick check."
"Huh, Okay" Mello answered.
The weapons check took about a minute and then Mello was free to go.
"Okay" Giovanni said. "You can go in."
"Why did you do this?" Mello asked.
"To make sure you didn't scare people like the last time you were here" Halle answered. "Now go in. Near wants to see you."
It was then that Mello entered the room Near was working in. At the same time Giovanni commented on the occasion.
"Mello made pretty good time" Giovanni said "Had he come earlier, Near would still be in the middle of his seafood dinner."
"Yeah" Halle said "He eats very little other than seafood. Well at least he doesn't eat his toys, that would be disgusting."
Back in the room Near was working in,Mello started the conversation.
"So I came here to discuss what the plan is" Mello said.
"Yeah" Near replied. "But first can you give me the piece of Death Note paper you brought in?"
"Yeah… Okay" Mello replied and then the paper was taken by Near.
"So what is the plan?" Mello said.
"Operation Oxymandias" Near replied "There are many steps to this plan. I thought is up as early as the time Sayu died but it didn't come to me until Light and Misa left the Task Force"
"So what is it" Mello responded
"The plan is to distract Kira enough with purging Kira supporters that Kira would fall into our trap when he finally goes back to the Task Force" Near said.
"So you are going to whack anybody who supports Kira" Mello answered.
"Not whack, purging is a bit different" Near said. "If they are a casual Kira supporter, a short time in prison will do. If they work for Kira, they will be given a life sentence. It will all be based on how much of a threat they are."
"And you want me to continue investigating Yagami?" Mello asked.
"You got the keep checking up on the Death Note until I am ready to pull the rug under Kira" Near said. "When it is time, I will tell you what to do."
"So you are basically going to write the names of criminals I guess" Mello said. "To see if the 13 day rule is real or not."
"Yes" Near said "The security cameras should be up and working by tomorrow. By then I will write those names and scapegoat them on Kira. If I die in the next 13 days, then the investigation changes. If I don't, then Light is officially Kira in my eyes. Speaking of which, did you see any names in the notebook you looked at?"
"No" Mello answered "I turned to the back of the book to get the piece of paper, I didn't see any names."
"Well" Near answered. "That means we have to rely on this risk for evidence. I think we are done for the day. You got me the phone numbers for the Task Force's cell phones?"
"Yeah" Mello said. "You need them to arrange your meeting. So what is the meeting going to be about?"
"The possibility of Light being Kira" Near answered, "And Mello, you are not invited."
Back at the suite, Light was writing down criminal names for Misa while Misa was hanging out. It was a truly happy time for Misa, especially the fact that Light had turned around from how he usually had been to her. He really felt like her boyfriend now and not just pretending to be.
Even though Light was writing criminal names, he didn't look at the names at all when he was writing them and completely forgot about the criminal after he was done. For him, it felt a little bit better doing this, as he had a lot of pain writing people's name when he saw the name of the person he killed. Misa was eating pizza at the time and Light was sharing it with her.
It was at that time that Misa's cell phone rang and Nightmare's Alumina was heard from it.
"Hello Misa" called Matsuda in a worried tone. "Are you enjoying your time with Light?"
"Oh, hello Matsui" Misa responded. "Yeah I am having a great time, Light let me go shopping yesterday."
"That is great" Matsuda responded. "Hey Miss Amane, could you check up on Light for me, I am a bit worried about him."
"Yeah" Misa responded. "I will."
"Okay" Matsuda said. "I will see you later."
After the phone call was done Misa ate more pizza and then she decided to offer Ryuk a piece.
"Hey Ryuk" Misa said. "You want a piece?"
"Nah" Ryuk responded. "Unless it has apples on it, I would, but any other way, no thank you. What do you think I am a green haired lady?"
"No" Misa responded. "I haven't seen any green haired women."
"I have" Light said in a more cheerful manner. "I saw one on TV."
It was then that Misa laughed "Oh Light, you are the greatest"
It was then that the news turned to a recent story about the murder of 12 criminals.
"It has been reported that 12 murderers suddenly died of heart attacks at 12 AM" The reporter said. "It has also been reported that Kira is to blame for this"
"No" Light yelled "No, No No, I didn't kill any of the 12 of them. Those names aren't even in mine or Misa's notebooks. Whoever killed them must have been that person who touched the notebook yesterday. I mean I was minding my own business, sleeping then. I mean, they are murderers. I would kill them when I could but their names are not in mine or Misa's notebooks."
"Light are you okay?" Misa asked.
"Yeah" Light said calming down. "I just hate that lie that was told on TV."
That afternoon Light decided to go shopping for more food for the hamster. It was when he returned that he took notice of the differences. It was then that Light changed direction to the train station to think about how he would deal with it.
"Why did you stop?" Ryuk said. "You were almost back home."
"The place has never been so empty before. I was like the only one there" Light said. "I feel that that area was cleaned up so somebody could be spying. I feel I am being observed with security cameras again and I was taking the Death Note just in case but I didn't really have someplace to put it."
"Well how were you holding it?" Ryuk replied.
"The front was very close to my chest, so I think they could have mistaken it for something else, but from now on I will not be bringing the notebook outside again" Light said "I only did it so I could find names elsewhere. I never did that before and it looks like I will never be doing it again"
"So what is your plan?" Ryuk said
"I need someone who has a backpack for me to borrow to take it into the room I am staying at" Light said "The hotel has security cameras but me and Misa have always been able to avoid them when we can. Plus the rooms lack security cameras because it is a very safe hotel"
"I just need someone" Light said. It was then that he saw a figure with a business suit and glasses listening to a Sony Walkman. Light recognized him. He was Teru Mikami, an avid Kira supporter on television. Light decided he would get Mikami to deliver the Death Note for him.
Light decided to corner Mikami and get him to talk in the least populated place in the subway.
"Hey who are you?" Mikami asked.
"First… can you turn off the device" Light said "So we can talk and who are you listening to anyway?"
Light saw the description of the band and the song on the device.
マキシマムザホルモン - ルイジアナボブ
Maximum the Hormone – Louisiana Bob
Mikami turned off the music and put the Sony Walkman away.
"Okay" Light said. "Now I get it. You are a huge fan of that band but I need you to do me a favor"
"What is it?" Mikami said.
"I need you to take this notebook and put it in your backpack and go to the fifth floor of the hotel where I am staying" Light said as he gave Mikami the location. "I am in room 546. If you can meet me at that room and give me my notebook back, than your duty is done"
"And why?" Mikami questioned "It is just a notebook."
Light decided to get the notebook out anyway to get it through Mikami's thick skull.
"Mikami I am Kira" Light said as he gave Mikami the Death Note. "This is my Death Note. This is how I kill people. Here are several names of criminals that I killed with this Death Note."
"Oh god" Mikami said. "I will do anything for you. You are like a god to me."
"Okay Mikami" Light said. "First don't call me god under any circumstances at anytime. Your gullibility could get me killed. Second, don't try to do anything with the notebook. Don't try to write anybody's name at all. Don't even open it. I am worried for your well being."
"Okay" Mikami said. "I will do it, for you."
"Understood" Light said. "I will meet you back at the suite, and Mikami don't do anything suspicious."
It was at that time that Light thought about Mikami "If he uses the Death Note even once, he could end up worse than how I was beforehand."
Teru Mikami and Light Yagami took different paths so nobody would know they were on the same side. Mikami acted like the well mannered attorney he was. His reason for being in the train station was different than Light's, but he knew he would have to lie about why he was late to his meeting anyway. He didn't listen to Maximum the Hormone at this time as it could be a distraction. The only thing he did was follow Light's orders. As far as he was concerned, he was doing god's bidding which made him very happy.
Light took the elevator to the fifth floor and Mikami took another elevator. At the door, they were able to make a deal.
"Light" Mikami said. "Take this, you need it. It's yours. I never thought that a random person could be so special to me, but now that I hear that you are Kira", Mikami bowed, "I am willing to do your bidding."
"Okay" Light said. "First you can give me that Death Note. You didn't write any names in it did you?"
"No I didn't" Mikami responded.
"Okay" Light said. "Here are the cellphone numbers for me and Misa just in case you need anything." Light gave Mikami the numbers. "Sorry Mikami but you can't work for me. You are too much of a danger to work for Kira. I will still be an ally for you, just in case. Take care. I will see you if I can."
"Goodbye Light" Mikami said and then he left.
Light then thought at the moment. "I probably don't need to use Mikami again. He was only needed for this and now I'll never bring my Death Note without a big backpack. I am fine."
That night at the hotel, someone checked in. He was around the same age as Light and had just gotten a room at the same floor as Light and Misa. His room was in fact close to Light and Misa's. He didn't see either of the two when he arrived though.
The follow morning, Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi and Ide got a phone call.
Hello Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi and Ide, this is N. I am calling you guys to say that I have arranged for you four to meet me at the Yellow Box Warehouse tomorrow at 12:00 PM. Light and Soichiro are not invited. Light because this information isn't important to him and Soichiro because he is still trying to comfort his wife after the death of their daughter. This meeting will be about Kira and Kira alone and I don't want any of you four to miss it. I will give you guys the location of the Yellow Box Warehouse tomorrow. Don't miss this meeting no matter what. You got that.