Bang! "Huh?" Matt wondered. "What was that?" He cautiously crept to the front of the building. Then, Matt saw on one of the security cameras what could only be one person... the mass murderer. Too bad he covered himself in clothing so Matt couldn't see his appearance. He was overriding all of the systems, hacking into the high security building, and coming to give a blow to L. With Matt's software.
"Shit!" Matt cursed under his breath. "No, damn, shit, shit, shit! Damn you! Damn myself while I'm at it! It's my fault he has that software, after all… Arg!"
Matt exhaled quickly, ran over to the computers, and tried to make a counter-attack. It was hard, though. His software, the software that he agonized over for so long, the software that he spent hours reading the codes to over and over again, thinking up every possibility that he might encounter, something that would beat everyone else no matter what, was too strong for his quick, thought-of-on-the-spot codes. The viruses were even protected with firewalls themselves so that when they were in use, it was virtually impossible to stop them. If Matt hadn't created the software himself, he would've been done for.
As it was, he was struggling to try and reboot the security system. If that mass-murderer got into the central part of the building… Anything could happen.
Matt glanced over at the computer screen and cursed. The murderer was in the next room. He quickly picked up his laptop, leaving the other computers, and ran towards the living space. He barred the door as best he could while sitting down in the hallway.
Matt started, remembering that Iris was still in her room. She had no idea this was happening. He ran over to her door, knocking heavily on it. "Iris! Stay in there! The murderer is in the building! Keep your door locked, ok?"
Without waiting for a response, Matt sat down opposite her door and started typing, trying, failing, to put the security system into action, or at least disable his viruses. He heard the murderer walking around in the next room, examining the computers, gaining a map to the building, walking towards the living space.
The murderer tried to open the door, but failed. "Damn! I'll have to use it…"
Matt heard the sound of wood singeing, of metal melting in an instant. Matt gasped as a red laser burned through the door, going through to the wall on the other side, which charred where the laser ran over it. A second later, the lock was broken, and the chairs that Matt had put against the door collapsed. The murderer threw open the door and walked in, scowling at Matt. "Why hello, there. You must be the hacker who kindly donated these viruses to me. I must thank you for that." He smirked, and pointed the laser at Matt's head. He turned on the little aiming light, which showed you where your laser would end up when you turned it on. It was on Matt's forehead.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't kill you. After all I need someone to carry a message to Mr. L, don't I? And I'll also need a hostage. However, you don't hold quite enough sentimental value to L. I'll need to take his dear sister instead." The murderer's voice was teasing, like he was talking to a five-year-old. He had a slight smile on his lips.
He pushed a button on his laser, and a blue light flashed to Matt. Matt slumped to the floor. "Did that hurt, Mr. Matt? You're only stunned, though, so you'll remain conscious to receive my message. Now, which door is Iris's? I'll start with the one you're sitting across from. It seems to me that you would protect your pitiful friend to the end."
No. Matt thought, protesting, trying to move, trying to overcome the stupid paralyzer. No! Iris needs me! I. Have. To. Move! He flicked his eyes over to the lock that was being melted. NO! Move stupid arms! Strangle that man! Iris needs me! Iris… Iris needs me… and I can't help… He was overcome by a wave of despair. I'm… useless…
The door opened, revealing Iris hanging from her ceiling fan. "Oh?" The murderer chuckled. "Looks like you weren't nice enough to her, little hacker. She tried to kill herself."
Tears jumped to Matt's eyes. Iris… was dead? No! That can't be! Iris… killed herself? WHY? What did I do wrong? What did we say? What did we do? Why is she so depressed she can't understand that we need her in this world? Why is she… dead? Matt's entire body protested the thought. Wait… stop, think. How long has she been in there? Not long enough to die, even if she hanged herself right away. She's still alive… I think...
The murderer walked over to Iris, checking her pulse. "Ooooh! She's still alive! Just unconscious. This makes it so much easier to take her, then. Much better. Much less pain. I'll be taking her now." He unhooked Iris from the scarf and put her under her arm, carrying her like a rag doll.
"Now, little hacker. Watch as I carry the girl out, and give L this message when he returns from his foolish quest. Tell him that if he starts to hunt me, she dies. If he solves this case, she dies. If he does anything to come after me, or her, she dies. If L so much as slides a toe into my comfort zone, she dies. He will close this case. He will never start it again. If he doesn't, you know what'll happen." The murderer smiled cruelly. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about others coming after me. I just have this one last person to kill, and then I'm done. I'll quit murdering people. Unless, of course, L comes after me. Then, I'll murder her. So, both of you… behave." The last word was uttered with such malice, Matt shivered.
"Bye, now, little hacker! If I find someone really good hacking into the firewalls that I stole from you, she'll die!" He promised, walking out the door, waving his hand in farewell. Huh. Ironic.
Matt stopped trying to resist the paralysis and sat there, slumped for hours. There was nothing that he could do. He literally couldn't move. Plus, even if he could move, he doubted he would. He felt totally defeated. He didn't do anything to help. L was right. He was just a nuisance, making everyone worry all the time. He was the one who lost those viruses. They were his and he let their archenemy get them. Great. It's his fault that Iris was in this predicament.
Matt mentally shook his head. Stop thinking like that! It's not my fault… it's the murderer's fault. I can't get depressed. I've felt what it was like to see my friend hanging around a noose… just now! It's horrible! I can't kill myself, for Mello's sake… because… because, even if he hates gays… he's still my best friend!
It was getting rather uncomfortable to be in one position on the floor, so Matt sat up. Huh? Since when could he do that…? He must've gotten over the paralysis and not realized it.
Matt stood up, stretching. It was still a little difficult to move his fingers as freely as he normally did- it would probably take him about half an hour before he could clean the system of the viruses the murderer undoubtedly put on there.
Until then, he occupied himself with surveying the damage and trying to fix it. Great. The murderer destroyed L's American base. America was where L had the most cases. That's why L had a base here.
By the time he fixed everything up as best he could, his fingers were back to normal, so he got on the computers and swept them for viruses. There were several, and all of them were Matt's. Sighing, Matt quickly got rid of all of the viruses, making sure the computer was clean. He then looked a little more thoroughly- some of his spyware were very good at hiding. After about an hour, he decided that there wasn't anything else on it, and proceeded to turn the security system back on.
When Matt rebooted it, it started to go out of control, since it had been fending off a cyber attack right before it shut down. The hallway filled with lasers, the doors snapped shut and locked themselves (except for the ones that the murderer burned through), and the entire building went into lockdown. Matt sighed under the flashing red light above him. "You're a little late, you know that?" He typed in some more codes, calming the system down.
Finally, when he completely reorganized the security system, rechecked the computers for viruses/spyware (twice), and even rearranged the pillows on the couches that had been knocked off, Matt looked at the phone, resigned for the worst.
Buzz… Buzz… "Hello?" Watari's voice floated through.
Matt sighed. "Both of you get back here right now. There's absolutely nothing you can or should do until I give you information that I'm only comfortable giving you face to face. Forget about the case for the moment."
Watari sounded a bit confused. "O-Ok. We're on our way."
Beep. Matt sighed again, hanging up. It was going to be hard to tell L something that he knew he'd hate to hear. If he were in L's position… well… he'd loathe being in L's position.
About thirty minutes later, he heard L and Watari come inside. He hadn't even played videogames while he was waiting; he was too busy trying to think of a way for him to phrase this. In one of them he just let L figure it out based on his intellect. But, of course, L would think Iris died, so he couldn't do that.
"Hey, Matt. What's up? Why are some of the doors burned through?"
"L, I'm going to say this once. You are very smart. Use your head. I just want to say one thing: Iris isn't dead."
L blinked. His eyes glazed over for a minute as his mind whirled, trying to figure out what happened. When L came back to the present (about 10 seconds later), his eyes were filled with panic. "Where is she?"
"She's with the person you were hunting."
L grasped the back of the couch, leaning on it heavily. "She's… what?" he choked.
"She's a hostage. The murderer told me to tell you that if you make any sort of move against him, she'll die. I'm only alive to tell you that message."
L put a hand to his mouth, and slumped down, sitting heavily on the ground, not supported by his legs for once. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were filled with pain.
"Oh, and L? I really don't want to tell you, but I think you have a right to know… Iris tried to commit suicide before the murderer came. He actually, in a way, saved her from dying." Matt's voice shook as he said this. "The scarf is still tied to the fan. I couldn't bear to touch it."
L shed one tear, a single tear, for Iris. "Why… why was she depressed?" he asked, fearing the worst answer- that it was his fault.
"I don't know. The murderer captured her unconscious. I was stunned during this. He used his laser to burn through the locks. Apparently it also had a built in tazer. But, I assure you, it's not your fault. If anything, it's because of me… I was there, and yet I had no idea how upset she was…" She's helped me so much, too. And the one time she broke, I didn't even know she was really upset… I'm an awful friend.
Watari, who had been anxiously watching L, pain showing through his eyes as well, spoke up. "It wasn't either of your faults. She didn't tell us she was depressed. We just thought she was upset. Don't blame yourselves. Instead, focus on finding her."
"The murderer will kill her if we go after her!" Matt cried.
"We'll do it carefully, quietly, discreetly, then." L stood up shakily. He took a deep, shuddering breath. Watari put his hand on L's shoulder. "I'm ok." L mumbled. Then he stood up. "It might take a week, it might take a year. I might never achieve it and you'll have to continue without me, Matt. But I swear- we will get Iris back alive, no matter what!"
Matt smirked. "Sure, crazy man. Lead on!"
A/N: I never actually said Iris died, did I? She just gets captured by a mass murderer. It's a big difference. :P