"Ahiru-chan?" called a voice as you exited the cinemas.
You spun on your heel, startled that your name had been called so familiarly. "Light?" you said, staring at the brown haired genius, "What are you doing in this neighbourhood?"
"I'm heading to Ryuuzaki's. I can ask you the same question," he said, stopping a meter away from you.
"Oh…I just…wanted some fresh air…I'm feeling a little stuffy in that big empty hotel…" you lied, knowing that he was getting more suspicious with each syllable you uttered.
Light nodded, his dangerous eyes betraying his innocent expression. "Would you like me to accompany you back to the hotel?" he asked, holding out his arm for you to take.
"Arigato, Light-kun!" you chirped, taking his offered arm.
Standing close, you walked arm in arm together back to Ryuuzaki's hotel.
"That was a long walk, Ahiru-chan," L commented from his usual chair.
Struggling for a response, you managed, "I lost track of the time…sorry, Ryu-kun…"
Blue eyes looked up in what you classed as surprise, before looking back to a white screen with the words Kira written across it. You moved to a chair and were about to sit down when you froze at the sound of Light's voice, panic coursing through you. "Ryuuzaki, I wish to speak to you in private."
The detective looked up at the odd request and slightly inclined his head towards Light.
"Let us use the soundproof room, Light-kun," L said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room with Light.
"Kuso…he going to tell him that he's suspicious of me…that I'm lying to them and really deceiving them all…"
Attempting to look natural, you pulled your work to you and tried to work, all the while, blood was pumping in your ears and your heart raced. "Oh god…L will find out what I've done…find out my relationship with Korma Corp…he'll expose me to the public…push me out on the streets…I'll lose my reputation…people will die because of this…and…and I'll be all alone again…"
"I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" you screamed, placing your hands over your ears and sprinting from the room.
Startled faces stared at the doorway as you left the room, wondering what had happened.
Running down the corridors, your mind formed its resolve. "I don't care if I have to fund every penny myself. I can't live like this anymore!"
Bursting into your room, you scrambled around to pack everything you needed into a suitcase before leaving the room and taking the elevator down to the lobby. You stood on the opposite side of the street to L's hotel, torn at whether to really leave the man you owed so much to. Your piercing ring tone jumped you out of your thoughts and you looked down to see the caller I.D. Resisting the urge to answer his call, you turned and walked down the street, merging with the crowd. Your discarded phone howled at its abandonment, crying out for you to return and answer the call from the man you'd betrayed.
"For your services, arigato," bowed the black-haired man dressed in a formal brown suit.
You inclined your head, your neck feeling stiff under the high collar of your dark trench coat.
The man quickly turned and exited the café, and you picked up the brown envelope the man had pushed over the table. Inwardly, you sighed. 'It's been over a month since I left… I wonder how the investigation is going…'
As you left the café and strolled down the sidewalk back to your small apartment, you let your thoughts wander. 'I wonder if Matsuda feels cheated 'cause I never had that coffee with him…hahaha, and I bet Light-kun looked worried, with those dangerous eyes of his… Ryu-kun probably just shrugged it off and turned back to his computer…'
As this thought crossed your mind, you sighed heavily and looked up at the clouded sky. 'I guess he didn't care after all.'
"I'm home!" you called as you entered the front door of your apartment.
Silence greeted you as you took your shoes off and put your trench coat on a hook by the door. Underneath you were wearing a skintight leather suit with your trademark pocketed vest. You walked past the kitchen to the living room, before flopping on the couch and flipping on the TV. Blank eyes watched the moving screen before you grew bored and switched it off. In reality you were wasting time until midnight, waiting for the darkness to fully settle on Korma Corp. 'They won't know what hit 'em.'
Grinning to yourself, you walked into the cramped bedroom filled with electronic equipment. Stumbling over a thick wire, you grimaced at the mess as you waded your way over to the central desk. Going down a mental checklist, you placed things in various pockets and looped equipment through your belt. Attaching the last piece of equipment, you smiled to yourself. 'The last day of my imprisonment to Korma…tonight…I'm going to be set free!'
Levering yourself up, you could see over the top of the high concrete fence surrounding Korma Corp. Noting the guards number and position, you quickly pulled yourself over the fence and sunk into the shadows at its base. 'Why are there so many guards protecting this place?' you wondered, as you crawled around the fence to find the side entrance. No one noticed as you made your way to the door, nor the click the decoder made as it attached to the password protected entranceway. The decoder made a small click to signal that it had successfully opened the door, but instead of entering, you pulled out a phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Watanabe?"
"Yes?" came a gruff voice on the line.
"I'm sorry to inform you of this situation, but I'm afraid your mother has been hospitalized in the Tokyo Adventist Hospital after a heart attack. Her condition is critical and we are unsure of whether she will make the night. She is calling for you, can we expect you?"
"Oh my god! Mum! Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can!" the man said, panicking as he tried to put his coat on whilst rushing out of the door to the surveillance room.
You hung up the phone. 'Alright, so good so far.'
No longer holding a fear about the cameras, you strode into the building. A quarter of an hour later, you had located the lift and were standing, patiently waiting for the lift to reach the 32nd floor. "32nd floor. The manager's rooms and central headquarters," said the lift as it opened the thick metal doors.
Taking a swift glance to ensure that no one was present, you made your way past the heavy wooden doors into a large room with an enormous desk in the center. 'That's definitely her desk…' you thought, sweatdropping, 'OK, now I have a file to find and limited time to find it, so focus Ahiru!'
After another quarter hour searching fruitlessly for the file, two sets of footsteps could be heard approaching the door. Looking around in panic, you quickly sprinted across to a side door, praying that it would lead you to a safe room. Wrenching it open, and closing it shut behind you, you leant against it, panting softly. The room you had entered was dark, and you couldn't discern anything in the shadows. "Yes. Thank you for joining me tonight," a female voice drifted under the doorway.
Hearing the familiar voice, a shudder went down your spine. "It was no problem, Lady Megume," said a second voice, one you didn't recognise, "Have you got the file?"
'Megume? Have I heard that before?'
"Of course, it's right here," replied the manager of Korma Corp.
You heard shuffling of papers on the desk, and then, "Here it is. The lovely Ahiru provided me with this information."
Your breath caught in your throat as you realised the seriousness of the situation. After lying dormant for a month, she had finally decided to use the information to destroy L. 'I can't let her have that file!'
"Ahiru? Why did-"
"I told her that if she refused, I would retract Korma's funding of her parent's precious charity which she still carries on," the woman laughed.
The man joined in her laughing, and as the two of them laughed, you gritted your teeth in utter contempt and loathing. 'I will get that file back, and after I've done that, I'll be the one to destroy you!'
"So how soon should I kill the famous L?" the man asked, the laughter still present in his voice.
"Any time is perfect. There's no way anyone can link it back to us. The sooner the better," she replied, "Then we can finally get away with whatever we like, whenever we like. There won't be that pesky detective always standing in our way anymore."
Shock reverberated through you as you ingested their words. 'They're going to murder L? I have to stop them before it's too late!'
You heard footsteps exit the doorway and you jumped into action. Quickly scanning the desk to confirm that she had taken the file, you sprinted after them.
Reaching them, you extended your hand and snatched the file from Megume's grasp. She looked around, ready to discipline the person who had taken it, when she saw the ski mask. Her eyes bored into yours before she threw back her head and laughed. Your entire body felt like it was on fire as you recognised the woman in front of you. "So you finally came, Ren? I must say, I was expecting you earlier," she said, her words scything through you, straight to your heart.
You spoke her name in disbelief, "Obaachan?"