Author's Notes;;
I finally know where I'm going with this! Yes, I admit, aside from the scene where Light takes a bullet for L, I've been making this up as I went along.
But now I have a direction, and I've finally thought up a plot for the sequel. When I started writing this I realized I wanted there to be a sequel. But you'll have to wait and see, because I finally know how the rest of Twisted Midnight will turn out. Personally I felt the last few chapters to be a bit sluggish. But now that I know exactly where it will go, the quality will go up; starting with this chapter.
Ahem:
Tarshil;; Thank you SO MUCH for the review! ^-^ hehe I had decided that if I ever hit a writer's block (or when I finished the fic) I was going to go back and fix all my typos. I do make quite a few, at least in my opinion. I have to admit the whole comparison to life and a box is my thought process, I actually wrote a poem about that once. I have a lot of similarities to L, least of all a lot of the same bad habits and my addiction to sweets (not to mention I really don't ever sleep). I'm extremely flattered that you like my depiction of L.
Ragamuffin;; Your reviews always make me smile because you get so into them. :D I love it! And yes, people are going to be finding out soon. -gasp- But, that's in this chapter.
Some Girl101;; Ah, well, in regard to the tape being shown, L is facing unknown enemies and, while he is a genius, he'd already admitted to not remembering the conversation. These aren't the normal criminals he usually faces; they don't know what he looks like or where he's located. Also, if he suddenly remembered things the others might get suspicious. Well, I think I address this more fully in this chapter.
He's going through a really tough time right now with Light, and then everything that was happening with Watari being held for ransom, and I'm still trying to learn L and at the same time make the character my own. Well, the OOC-ness is something I'm trying to work on and now that I finally know where this story is going I will be more likely to actually fix this.
Chapter Eleven:
When I stepped back out the room fell into a hush. It was the type of rushed silence where I knew, and they knew I knew, that they had been talking about me. Well, about Light or myself, or perhaps both of us. I took a deep breath and braced myself, "Yagami-san." He had no need to look at me at my words, in fact, no one had moved considering all pairs of eyes were on me at that point to begin with. I felt Light's hand on my arm and I pushed it away, annoyed. "Stop!" I whispered, turning to glare at him, snapping despite the fact that I didn't mean to. I felt anger as the realization hit me that Watari wasn't here and someone had actually had the audacity to think they could take him from me. Me, of all people. I was L, and I was not going to let anyone take that from me, not even Light. I couldn't afford to be coddled and nor did I want to be.
"Yagami-san, I don't recall the conversation," I held up a hand and added, "Please don't ask me why. The phone call was recorded, I'm going to go listen to it and therefore be able to tell you what it was that-"
But the Police Officer stood up, his bulky frame seeming larger than I recalled, and he said, "I'll go with you." His face turned grim, "I think I should hear this tape as well. In fact, it might help if everyone-"
"Dad!" Light's voice had been unexpected and he stepped forward. "I mean, well, not everyone has to hear it if…Ryuuzaki-kun doesn't want them to." I ground my teeth against the things I wanted to say, because I wouldn't mean any of them. And, after all, he was just trying to help me. "I suppose…I mean, if he doesn't want-"
"Is there something you're not telling me?" Light's father was sharp, his years on the force obviously honing skills that he'd been born with and Light shrunk back. I gave Light a pained look and realized that, if I just complied with them and showed them a vulnerability, then perhaps they would all trust me more in the long run. I might be L, the world's greatest sleuth, but for the first time since the BB murder case in Los Angeles, I would be going up against someone that already knew who I was and what I looked like. It was a scary thought and I felt driven to take extra precautions. Watari was my main source for almost everything, with him gone having the police working with me to solve this wouldn't be a bad thing. If it meant my pride suffered for it, so be it. I didn't think I could do this by myself, or, if I could, I didn't know if I would survive it. My anonymity provided me with protection. It was a solid defense as well as an offense, but I was stripped of it here in all but name. I couldn't afford to be sloppy; it just might cost me my life. Besides, if Chief Yagami thought I was withholding evidence it could be grounds for an arrest.
"Perhaps," my voice rang into the air as a heavy silence had slipped between the three of us. Tension was in the air like static electricity and they both looked at me as I attempted damage control. "Yagami-san…you could listen to the tape with me and then determine if you…want the others to hear it." I nodded and tilted my head, pulling out a lollipop and sucking on it as the jolly rancher was gone. This was going to suck. But thankfully neither Light nor his father pressed their issues and the three of us headed out of the room and towards control, a place I'd never intended on showing anyone other than Watari or myself. The room was filled with monitors and other various equipment that I mostly ignored as Mr. Yagami stood in the doorway and Light trailed six feet behind me, as always. I pulled out the cassettes and something to play them with, and all three of us left the room that was Watari's domain. I led them down onto an un-used floor and we made our way into one of the lounges. I flipped on the light and set the device and tape side by side on the small, round table all three of us fit around without being too far from each other. It was a table meant for six people, but the three of us were more or less comfortable other than the suspect circumstances and the nerves in the pit of my stomach.
I made no other move, unwilling to be the one to put the tape in the player and took a seat. Eventually, though, I slipped it in and pressed the play button. Static crackled before we heard my own voice. Hello, Watari.
Ryuuzaki, Watari's voice was what broke through the static now and it sounded somewhat tense. Something I hadn't picked up on the night before and I mentally cursed myself for being an idiot. There had been no way of knowing this would happen, but at that moment I wished I had listened to him – at least heard his report. It seems that –
My own voice sounded again as I cut him off, breathy and quite distracted and I winced. Uhh…nnng, W-Watari c-can we talk l-later? My hands balled into fists as I hugged my legs tightly to my body, arms shaking although barely noticeable.
I really must insist it be now, Ryuuzaki. The next words were more hesitant, Are you alright? Is there something wrong? Those I remembered.
My voice sounded heady, husky, and I marveled at the fact that it could and made a note to remember that. Uhhmmm n-no I'm fiiiiiine.
My breathing in the recording was heavy and I chewed on the pad of my thumb as I feared what came next. Very well. Ryuuzaki, it would appear that Tailor was in a group that consisted of several people. All people who had lost loved ones because you had put them in jail, all people who's loved ones had wound up on Death Row.
There was a stifled moan from my end of the conversation and I recalled the things Light had been doing at that time and felt my face flush. Watari I…repeat that, please? He sounded a bit confused and put off but began repeating it, by the time he'd gotten to the phrase 'All people who' my voice cut him off once more. On second thought, but the rest of that sentence never came and I heard, No! I looked over at Light and noticed his left eye had developed a bit of a twitch as his gaze was solely focused on his father's face. I followed it and shrunk away from the intensity of his gaze on the device spilling my and Light's secret.
Ryuuzaki, do you want this report or not? He sounded agitated and I really couldn't blame him and I mentally beat myself up once again.
No…not you, Watari…mmm, I, er…L-Light! My eyes shot up, I didn't recall saying his name. But I must have for here it was clear as, well, light and I noticed his hands with their death-grips on his pants, knuckles stark white in contrast to the fabric, and I looked back at Mr. Yagami. A vein was pulsing on his temple and his hands were splayed on the table-top. I'll call you, nrrrg, later…
There was an audible click and the tape shut off. And then the whole device, tape inside of it, was on the floor as Light's father bodily hurled himself at me, fists flying. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and hauled my face close to his and I flinched. "What the Hell was that?!?" he demanded and I glared, my hands landing flat against the table and I pushed away. At the same time I saw another fist flying, one usually aimed at me, and it hit Mr. Yagami in the jaw and he let me go out of surprise. "You!" he said, turning to face his son who had been the owner of the fist. "Why you little…you're dead! I will not let you make a mockery of me!"
The two looked tense and prepared for a fight and I cleared my throat. When neither of them looked at me I said, "Yagami-san!" I moved closer to them and stepped between them, blocking sight of the other from each of them as I stood to my full height. It seemed I finally had their attention. "I'm fairly certain," I said carefully, "That we were up here trying to find out what happened to Watari. This" I gestured at each of them, "Is unproductive to our cause."
The older man settled in a disgruntled fashion and took a seat once more, then bent to retrieve the fallen tape-player. He looked tired, weary, and I knew he didn't need this kind of stress. I could tell that the thought of Light being gay made him feel ashamed, and why? Because society frowned up on it? That damned box came to mind once more and I pulled my feet onto the seat, my hands coming to rest on my knees. Light finally sat down as well and we all just sat there for a few moments, letting the things that had just happened sink in. "I have to show this to them, the others…if we're all supposed to be working as a team then we all should be on equal ground. We all need to know what each other knows to be effective."
I nodded. Truthfully, I had been expecting an answer like that as my toes curled of their own volition over the edge of the seat and I swiped my thumb over my bottom lip before chewing on the nail thoughtfully. "I see. Very well, please do what you think is necessary, Yagami-san. Watari is very special to me and I need him to survive. I will do my utmost to share any information that may be relevant to finding him," and I silently added, and I will destroy those who dared to take him.
He stood up, the player in his hands still and he said, "I'm going to call the others into a meeting. I don't want either of you in the room, understood?" I nodded and didn't dare risk a glance at Light. He muttered something about understanding and then his dad left the room, presumably to go and find the others. After a few minutes I felt a tug on the chain and noticed Light getting up and I got to my feet as well, feeling disoriented. I turned to him and just slipped a hand in his, vaguely reminded of the first time I had seen Whammy House, hand tucked safely into Watari's. I'd known him a long time, I should have had more respect for him, enough to listen, anyway. But alas, he was taken and all I could do now was get him back. And I would get him back.
He led me towards our room and led me to the bed, laying down in the center atop the blanket and I curled up next to him. I sunk into the fetal position, one leg absent-mindedly curling around one of his as my head rested against his chest. His hands stroked my hair and neither of us said anything for a while. Eventually his cell phone rang and it was his father. He picked it up hesitantly and when he hung up he gave me a meaningful look, "They…they're requesting us go down." I nodded and unfurled myself, feeling no more concrete than a puff of smoke, and our hands parted only when we were directly outside that door again. Taking a shaky breath I pulled on it and it slid open without complaint. As we walked in they were all looking at us oddly, which I couldn't really blame them for, and they sat with their chairs all pulled up together and the tape player resting on the tray that usually held tons of sweets. The tray that had wheels and that Watari used to bring me sweets. I took a deep breath and another step closer, taking a seat and watched as Light remained standing. And it was like that we sat, no one really knowing what to say that could break the ice and not make this any more awkward than it already was. Finally Light broke the thin glass and it spider-webbed before shattering. "Right, so…you called?"
A//N
Alrighty! Wow. I'm all _ because I finally know where this is headed. Again, sorry for the aimlessness lately!
