Woohoo! Two updates only three days apart! I'm on a roll! XD

*insert cool-sounded sentence here saying something that vaguely relates to me not owning Death Note*

Picking Up the Pace

Shit! Trey, I need to you tap into every security camera in the area! Sweep the place, look everywhere, leave nothing untouched!

A sharp burst of pain drew me out of my frantic thoughts. I looked down in surprise at my thumb, which I'd bitten and was now bleeding. But that was the least of my worries.

"Rue, we need to leave; now," I said, my voice coming out much stronger than I was feeling. "Kira's on his way."

I whirled around, then froze.

Kyona was alone in the hotel, and if Kira knew we were... investigating the FBI agent...

"Kyona..!" I whispered under my breath. "We left her! She won't know..!"

I was ready to tear the door down, but a light touch on my wrist stopped me. I glanced over my shoulder. "What?"

The murderous look had left Rue's eyes, and the red hue was gone. "Kira. Is. Not. Coming," he said slowly, as though I wouldn't be able to understand him.

"Of course he is!" I insisted sharply.

"No, he isn't."

KC...

What?

He's right.

I felt my heart skip a beat before beginning to slow down. He's not coming?

No. I've checked everywhere; here, the hotel, the blocks nearest. He's not coming.

I heaved a sigh. "You're right. Sorry. I overreacted." Usually I'm not prone to spastic tendencies... "But we do need to get back to the hotel."

I shot a glance over at my shoulder, barely managing to refrain from wincing. "We need to do something about..." I motioned towards the body. "It's not like we can leave him here."

Was I imagining it, or was there a softer light in Rue's eyes? "I'll do it. You go ahead, I'll catch up in a few hours."

I nodded and left the building without a single backwards glance.

When I awoke the following morning, the first thing that hit me was the pain. Gritting my teeth, I opened an eye and glanced around at my surroundings. I was laying on my stomach on the couch, head propped up on my left arm whilst my right hung limp off of the side. I could just barely see Kyona over the divider between the "living room" and bedroom. The kid was sound asleep, curled into a little ball amidst a pile of covers. Rue was nowhere in sight, and the bathroom door was open. I sideways peek showed me that he wasn't on the balcony, either.

I heaved a sigh. At least things were somewhat normal.

KC..? You awake? Trey asked, hopping up from the coffee table and scampering over next to my head.

Rhetorical questions much? I sent him a small smile. The loctopus backflipped onto my back, then crawled under my shirt and secured himself at the base of my neck, just like old times.

If only things could be that simple again, when I knew who to kill, who to protect. Back then, traitors weren't much of a threat, and we had an entire army out to kill us. I honestly was beginning to miss knowing who was on my side and who wasn't. Even then, it wouldn't take me long to sort it out. Here, I (we) had a killer following my every move (supposedly). I could almost miss the old days.

As I said before, emotions are overrated. Besides, what's life without challenge?

So, what now? asked Trey.

Hmm... Not sure. At the least, I believe Kira killed Hus. In fact, I'm willing to bet he knew someone, whether it be us or not, who was out interrogating the agents. At most, he knows who we are, but he can't kill us because he doesn't know our name. If that were the case, we should be safe for a while because in this... dimension, let's say, Kyona hasn't been born yet, and I'm only a few months old and living at an orphanage in San Diego, I think. It was San Diego or San Francisco.

San Diego, said Trey.

Okay. It's Rue that I'm worried about. After all, if Kira got a hold of him... he wouldn't have a problem with getting people's names. Worse case scenario aside, Kira might have killed all of the FBI agents to protect himself. If he did, that would put L in a difficult situation. It would mean that one of the Yagamis are Kira, or that he would reach the same conclusion as myself.

What if one of the Yagamis is Kira, and we're falling behind?

My eyes hardened. Then we'll pick up the pace. We can't afford to miss this. Then again, we might not even need to find him after what happened yesterday. He may already have our faces and names, and the only thing keeping us alive are our aliases.

At that moment, the handle to the door to the room rattled. I dove to the floor, wincing as I accidentally put my right arm down to steady myself. I watched as the door creaked open, heart pounding, then relaxed as I recognized the navy blue and black Adidas that skimmed the carpet in silent footfalls.

"Rue." I slowly got to my feet, noting the ever-present throb in my shoulder. This thing was really getting on my nerves.

The killer's eyes flitted to me for a moment as he set the paper bag on the coffee table and pulled out of jar of jam. I peered into the bag hopefully. Inside, were two glorious oversized bags of Pixie sticks and an extra large lollipop. I sent him a grateful smile, dug the bag from the bag and tugged the top off. I downed the first few packets of flavored sugar as Rue ate his jam with the dagger. We ate in silence, until Trey nudged me.

I ran Rue through a shortened version of my thoughts as quietly as I could, so as not to wake Kyona. The schizophrenic sat quietly, listening.

When I was finished, I gobbled down the rest of the bag of sticks and shot him a sideways glance. Then I found myself laughing.

His eyebrows raised questioningly.

"We're a mess, aren't we?" I chuckled softly. "Me, shot and hobbled; you, bruised from numerous kicks; Kyona, mentally."

The ebony-haired man was silent. I sighed. The long silence drew out until a soft murmur from Kyona sent me shooting to my feet.

The six-year-old sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Ishi-chan..?"

"Morning," I smiled softly.

Twin amber orbs stared up at me, alight. "We're getting closer. I can feel it."

I blinked, surprise at the sudden change in her tone. Had she overheard what I'd been telling Rue? But I admired the kid's spirit above all else.

I could feel my spirits lift, just as Trey dropped his own bomb.

KC, look at what I found. Police records suddenly flooded my mind. I used the leftover link from Autumn's hack to access the files from the police station, and look what I found.

"Trey..." I whispered, awed at the numbers and letters that flashed before my eyes. "You're a genius!"

"Huh?" Kyona blinked, puzzled.

I could feel some of my old spunk returning as a grin curled the corners of my mouth. I turned so that I could glance between the two.

"Rue, Kyona, pack your things; we're going for a little sightseeing," I said in a sing-song voice.

The duo exchanged a glance.

"So... what are we doing, exactly?" Kyona murmured as the six-year-old clutched at my hand. The three of us were ambling in the heart of the city, getting closer and closer to the destination I had in mind.

"If Daniel died because of Kira, then he had a good reason. Kira only kills criminals, so he must have been under a lot of pressure to go after an agent," I explained under my breath so that the people around us couldn't hear.

"L was getting close," guessed Kyona.

I nodded. "Too close, so Kira killed the agent. But whether it was us or L that caused it, I'm not sure of yet. The Yagamis must be involved somehow, because I seriously doubt that we terrified Hus to death."

"We're going to break into their house?" Kyona's eyes widened.

"No; in fact, we're not going anywhere near the Yagami household. We're going to pay a visit to the Kitamuras." At Kyona's baffled expression, I continued. "When Trey hacked the police files overnight, he purposely left evidence of hacking on the Kitamura computer."

Her eyes widened. "Kitamura! That was the last name of the Directer who orders the police officers working on the Kira case!"

I nodded. "Kitamura found have the field reports, should there be any, along with plenty more physical evidence, so... I'm going to have a look around his house to see if I can find any palpable evidence from the case. Form there, I-"

"What's 'palpable' mean?"

I sighed. She's a kid, KC. Don't blow a gasket. "Able to be felt; solid; not digital. Basically it's anything that we can carry around with us, and not on a laptop."

"Oh, okay. So we're going to rob him?"

I messaged my forehead. "That's one way of looking at it, but it's going to be more like... a stakeout, if you will. You and Rue need to watch from a distance while I rummage around his house. I'll see what I can dig up and you tell me if anyone's coming."

Her eyes clouded with an emotion I couldn't read, but she nodded all the same.

"I need you to hold out a little longer, kiddo," I smiled down at her, putting on what I hoped was a comforting smile. She returned it without hesitation. My little apprentice was growing up.

During our "heart-to-heart" talk, Rue walked beside us, silently eying the crowd with his peripheral vision. I swear the guy could pass as a real zombie sometimes, as little sounds as he makes when he walks and the haunted look in his eyes, no matter the occasion. At least it was enough to make people keep their distance; there wasn't a chance anyone could hear us, the wide birth that they gave us and our low voices.

Trey shivered at the base of my spine as he monitored the cameras on our current block. The loctopus, though silent, notified me occasionally with side thoughts.

The three of us walked the streets until we reached the right street. Roughly forty-five minutes had passed and a light drizzle was dampening any and all who were outside. The soft patter on my jacket soothed me slightly, as rain normally did. Unlike most covert agents, I found rain an important contributor to cases. To others, rain washed away scent trails and fingerprints, but to me, rain was evidence all on its own. Rain hid tears. Rain left wet footprints on dry floors. Rain left puddles. Rain evaporated. Whilst it sent most inside to avoid getting wet, it sent me outside, looking for those who might take advantage of the precipitation. But if there was one more of precipitation I liked most, it was snow. Snow left behind footprints, and covered them. It was also easier to follow a trail of blood against a white backdrop. But as we walked the streets, I was glad it didn't usually snow in Japan, especially today.

Almost there... Trey murmured.

I squeezed Kyona's hand lightly, signaling for her and Rue to break away. The girl sent me a reassuring smile before slipping her hand from mine. This next part required sole effort on my part.

I listened to their footsteps grow less frequent and softer as they slowed down. When I was nearing the end of the block, I could no longer here them.

Glancing around, I felt the inside of my jacket pocket for the diamond lighter I'd used when I'd broken Rue from the asylum. I wasn't exactly sure why I'd brought it, but hey. Instinct is instinct; it does what it pleases, regardless.

Coast's clear.

I swiftly crossed the street, stopping in front of the Kitamura house. A swift overlook showed me that no one was home.

Perfect.

I ambled up the driveway, as though I were nothing but a guest. When I reached the front porch, I stumbled and fell, as though I'd tripped. Wincing as my shoulder throbbed in protest, I gritted my teeth and slunk into the bushes on all fours. Once hidden, I took off the belt I'd made before we'd left the hotel. I'd made it in roughly half an hour, so I hadn't had the time to test it properly. I could only hoped that it worked.

I peered up at the small house, but all of the windows were shut, and the front door was most likely locked. Time for Plan B, I guess. Good thing I like to plan things out.

Trey, anyone on the streets? I asked as I rolled up the belt, buckle on the inside.

Duo left, and the neighbor's dog is asleep.

Good. Everything was still going according to plan. I maneuvered into a crouch and slipped around the side of the house, then around to the back. Still no luck with the windows, and there wasn't a back door. Shoot. Oh well.

I stood up and glanced around. No one was in their backyards. I slipped the belt into my jacket pocket next to the lighter, withdrawing one of my fake ID cards. This one was my Japanese alias, Amaye Ishi. At least I had an excuse for carrying it around. A single look at the windows told me that it should work.

Placing the card at the bottom of the window, I shoved the ID card under the lip, scratching off a bit of the paint. Teeth gritted, I slid the card back and forth until-

Click.

Now grinning, I yanked the card out and slipped it back into my pocket. I loved the window locks from my childhood days. All you needed to unlock them was to slid a card under the frame and push the bolt out of the way. Unfortunately, when I got older, the locks were updated so that picking them required a flat head screwdriver, a pack of expanding bubble gum (not exploding, as I did on one occasion), wire cutters and a strong magnet.

Grasping the edge of the window with my practically nonexistent fingernails, I managed to shove it open. I hoisted myself into the windowsill and peered around.

The window was in the dining room. The walls were a soft yellow, the tiled floor a matching orange. In the middle of the room was a circular wooden table, six chairs placed around it. Off to one side was a small table with some type of flower in a green glass vase that reminded me of the game Green Glass Door Susan and I played back in the day. The roof could go through, but not the ceiling. The floor could go through, but not the ground. It was one of the few child's games I enjoyed; it increased your ability to twist the English language, and helped foreigners pick up on it faster.

On that amused note, I swung myself inside and dropped silently to the floor. So far, so good.

It took me a while to search the main rooms, but came up empty. Time for the bedroom.

I pushed open the last door in the house, and felt a smile trying to force its way out. Yet another police officer whose bedroom was a mess. It never fails to amuse me.

I pushed all abstract thoughts to the back of my mind and plunged headfirst into the disaster of a bedroom. It took almost thirty seconds to skim the filed paperwork layed out on the desk; Trey recorded it in record speed. Nothing I already didn't know, but a hard copy would be good. For a moment, I wished I hadn't lost my camera-pen in Brazil; it would have made this a lot easier. I swift glance around showed me that there wasn't a copier nor a printer, either. Oh, well. I'd do what I could.

Next came the closet. The top two places people like to hide things are in their mattress or closet. Small, flat objects in the mattress of the bed, large, bulky objects in the closet. There was nothing of particular interest to me in the closet, so I moved on to the bed. Still, I came up blank.

Hmm... This guy was a tough nut to crack, youngest or not.

The only thing left in the room was his laptop. I was heading that way when the loud thud of a door caused me to leap a good two feet straight up.

Trey! You were suppose to tell me if someone was coming! I thought as I wildly dove under the bed, wincing a little. I knew the carpet burn would come back to bite me in the butt later.

For this, the loctopus had no reply other than, Oops.

I listened to the footsteps that echoed throughout the house, heart pounding in my chest. Do you know who it is?

Actually, I didn't see them on any of the tapes. I've been watching from a few blocks over on zoom view.

I hissed under my breath. Fine time to tell me!

A soft, fast-paced humming drew my gaze to the door as a pair of shoes entered the room. I couldn't see the legs- the end of the bed was in my way- but its feet were practically skipping as it made its way over to the desk. There was a soft clatter then a voice.

"Mm..." There was a light tapping that I recognized all too well: the tapping of fingers against a keyboard. A long mechanical series of clanks and whirs came from the desktop, then the sound of rustling paper. "Yagami... what have you gotten yourself into now..?"

I lay on the floor, eyes narrowed. Didn't he know his men were out to catch Kira?

Suddenly, there was a sharp rustling and papers floated down around the pair of feet. The man heaved a deep breath.

"Dammit..." A hand appeared and began to fix the mess. I held my breath, hoping that I had pushed myself far enough under the bed...

"Mm..? What's this? Something about... a belt..? *sigh* Matsuda... your report seems to be the vaguest and most descriptive of them all..."

Then the footsteps retreated, and the man was gone.

Trey! You with me?

Never left.

Hold on tight! I drug myself out from under the bed and scrambled into a hasty crouch. The front door slammed shut. Good. He didn't notice the dining room window.

What are you- oh. Oh. Oh! Why? Trey screamed in my head. What happened to 'not prone to spastic tendencies'?

I mentally shot him an evil grin. I'm just awesome like that.

As I left the room, I snatched up a piece of paper and scribbled down the necessities. Then I folded it as small as I could get it and held it, crumpled, in my hand as I leaped through the back window, closing it firmly behind me.

Trey, where're the others?

End of the block. He's heading straight for them.

Excelent... I purred silently. Taking a small running start, I vaulted the fence and landed smoothly in the neighbor's backyard. Running in a small crouch, I skirted the house, the stood upright and paced myself from the side of the house to the road, as if getting the morning paper. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kitamura turn the corner and disappear onto another street.

Trey, keep track of him.

On it.

A swift glance showed me that Rue and Kyona had crossed the street and were walking straight for me. I picked up the pace and brushed right past them, slipping the paper into Kyona's pocket with a practiced hand. That should answer most of their questions.

I followed the young police officer through the twists and turns of the road, pacing myself so that he was just out of eyesight, but not enough for him to outrun me should it come to such measures. Trey navigated me through the heart of town, right up until we came to an intersection where the cameras were down.

Dammit! Street lights are out, cameras are down, cars are sitting in the middle of the road, people are ambling about, everything's a mess, Trey growled. I can't find him. You'll have to do what you can on your end.

I bit my lower lip. This is why I like to plan out things ahead of time. This was just a spur of the moment sort of thing, and look where it had gotten me. Then again...

Trey, where's the police station?

We passed it a few blocks back. Why?

I allowed a small grin to slip out. He's not working at the station today, yet he mentioned 'others'... Who would he be out meeting around noon? I think our officer got off for lunch and went home to get his... "belt"... before going back to work, but more important work..?

The Kira case, Trey guessed.

If they're working with L, they'll need a secret place to meet up with Watari...

Oh, okay. So we're looking for a man in a trench coat?

Remember the other officers, too: Chief Yagami, Mogi, Aizawa, Ide, Ukita, Matsuda...

We've come a long ways, haven't we?

Uh, sure, Mr. Sentimental. Anything else I should know about?

Nope! he replied cheerfully. Now let's find that officer!

Someone's emotional... I thought with a smirk as I looked around, but Trey's good mood hadn't brushed off on me. As I twisted and turned, my sights didn't land on the man. He had disappeared.

I sighed. So much for my awesome plan... At least we have a lead now. The group catching Kira... something about a "belt"... a code name, or something more..?

So, if anyone is confused about why she went after Kitamura and his family and such a short notice, it's for a few reasons, the primary one being so as to keep my fanfic along the lines of the original plot line. In the manga and anime, it was the Yagami and Kitamura households who were suspected, so I had to fix it so that L would have a reason to send agents after both. In my fanfic, Kyona accidentally left traces of a hack on the chief's computer, but not enough to detect that it was long distance. Trey did the same thing, but to Kitamura's computer, though his was intentional. After that, KC knew that L would send agents to watch the Kitamuras , so she decided to go search his house right away. And if you remember, L gave the Task Force the belts so that they could send out a help signal if needed. We all know Matsuda to be a little immature (not in a bad way), so it's logical for him to forget things, so why not a belt? And as to why they're being so relaxed that Kira may already know of them, Autumn knows that she's safe, seeing as how she isn't born in a few more decades; no one except for L would know Beyond's real name, and KC has nine million aliases, and was only born roughly a month ago. I hope that cleared up any confusion.