Hi lovelies! It's the lucky (for me, at least, lol) number eleven!
Thanks so much for the follows, favorites, guys! You don't know how much I love seeing these emails showing that people like my work. Thanks especially for the reviews: Aeva - Athena - Mardsen (twice in a row! You rock!), VampireSiren and xxyangxx2006. Lots of love to you guys!
Just so you guys know, everyone that reviews and comments on or asks about something that happened, or a character, gets a pretty in-depth explanation to help them understand why someone acts a certain way. Especially since this story has a short following, it's easy for me to take time out of my day to write to every reviewer.
For example, xxyangxx2006 commented on Mai and her siblings, and why she was keeping the fact that she was trying to work with "L" away from them. What I said was: Mai's family, or more specifically, Mai and Ryuunosuke have a lot of secrets that the rest of the family members don't know, and eventually that's all going to come to light. For them, it's more than their mother getting murdered, although that's the main reason they want to catch Kira. They have ulterior motives since they know a Death Note is involved. About L, Mai is just worried that if she tells her family, they'll protest and she just doesn't want to deal with it. It's the same with how she never told her mother that she switched majors; she just doesn't want to deal with the consequences, so she lies. It's one of her bad habits.
So if you have certain questions, please don't hesitate to review and ask! I'm always willing to shed some light on my characters, even if it takes away some of their mystery ;P
Wednesday, December 12th 2012
The members of SPK gathered together for a brief meeting to discuss everything that had happened over the past few days. After landing in Japan just the day before, Mello had made his way over to the Taskforce Headquarters and immediately contacted his rival when he saw the bloodshed.
The pictures that had been sent were horrifying. The video was much worse.
"It fucking stinks in here," Mello's voice crackled through the speakers. "No one has been here since they've been killed – they must have orders to not disturb, no matter what. Probably a rule L implemented when he was alive."
"How many days have they been dead?" Near asked, staring intently at Aizawa's frozen face. It spoke of realization.
He had known the truth.
"They only got back six days ago, but it wasn't yesterday or the day before that. All the blood is dried up, and they're only just beginning to stink up the place. A few more days and someone would have been bound to notice," he answered factually.
"December 6th to December 10th," Near noted down. "Murder weapon?"
Mellow grunted. "A small knife is lying beside Matsuda's head. Everyone else was shot, but so far, there's been no sign of a gun anywhere."
The young genius clicked his tongue in irritation. "We can't remove it, not when the police realize that Matsuda wasn't shot down like the others. Leave it Mello, and leave as soon as possible. Make sure no one can point you out from the scene."
"You're not the boss of me," he grumbled and ended the Skype call promptly.
Silence reigned in the room after the screen went blank. "Any luck finding or contacting Yagami?" Near asked no one in particular.
Gevanni responded, "I haven't found anything that could lead us to where he is right now in Japan, much less where his current hideout is. The cellphone we had been using to contact him has been disconnected, so we have no way of tracking him through GPS."
"Keep trying. We'll find him somewhere."
"Hai!"
Today, Near found himself sitting calmly, focused on his house of cards as Anthony spoke.
"He never went back to Japan. Sending Mello and his thugs there was a moot point," the blond stated, throwing down an approved application into the FBI. Light Yagami's face stared up at them, a hint of a smile playing on his lips/
"Something must have happened to keep him here…he has absolutely no reason to not return to Japan and continue as he had been…" the silvernet mused, staring intently at the picture.
"Rester," he said suddenly, "how did he get the position? Doesn't every application go through you, as the director?"
Anthony frowned. "Yes, that's usually how it works," he replied. "Depending on the importance of the position, I do a background check on them and eventually interview them. But this application bypassed me and was approved by Sairas."
Near's arm faltered as he reached out to place another card, and he sent his house of cards crashing down to the floor. The other members of SPK looked on, shocked, but Near paid no mind to the destroyed puzzle.
If Kira had somehow gotten the President to get him a job within the FBI, that meant that the President was truly Kira's puppet now, and the US government was at his beck and call. Even more impactful, Kira needed to give Sairas a name and a photograph to complete the application. With these two items, Sairas could have every police force throughout the world looking for the criminal – but with a flurry of his hand, he gave him a job in the most influential government agency instead. The most powerful man on the west coast was powerless against this maniac.
"He is too close," he whispered to himself, although all the members could hear him. "He is too close to winning."
Slamming his eyes shut, he pressed his hands to ears, like he was trying to block out every sight and sound around him.
"What would you have done, L?"
Thursday, December 13th 2012
Since the Taskforce left, Light's life had been so much more exciting and eventful. Several loose ends had been tied up without interruptions. Misa and the Taskforce had been eliminated successfully, according to the newspaper clippings Mikami had emailed him, as per his instructions. A quick call to his mother and sister assured them both that he was safe and well in the United States and hadn't died in the massacre with the rest of the Force. His mother hadn't been happy at the thought that her only son was oceans away from her, but reluctantly gave him her blessings and well-wishes. Sayu was still slightly scarred by her kidnapping, but she had been getting much better, and she asked her brother to find a normal, non-psycho-celebrity girl to settle down with while he was in the US, much to the ire of their mother.
Knowing that he had taken care of everything in Japan, he could finally turn his eyes fully to the west, and he could find a way to get rid of the SPK. Currently, they had no way of contacting or tracking him down, but he was in the same boat when it came to knowing what they were up to. They would be searching for him, certainly, and they most likely already knew he was going to be working for the FBI, but what did they have on him now? A dead man's word counted for nothing, and even if they had anything tangible, he was untouchable.
That wasn't the point though. He didn't just want to not get caught, Light wanted to win. He wanted to write down N's name, he wanted to picture Mihael Keehl in his mind as he wrote his name down. He wanted to obliterate everyone that was a part of the SPK. He needed to be victorious.
None of that would ever matter, however, if he didn't find a way to completely and utterly destroy Yamada Mai. Her face was plastered everywhere – every magazine, television show, news article mentioned the "brave and fearless" journalist – and for someone who was supposed to bring news to people, she seemed to enjoy being the main news. With every mention of her in the media, Light felt himself stir with something he couldn't truly describe…it went deeper than irritation or frustration at her mere existence…he just couldn't put a finger on what made it so easy for her to get under his skin.
In the end, it didn't matter what it was. The one truth he could believe was that she was his last obstacle, and with her death would come Godhood.
Working for the FBI was much different than he had expected. In Japan, the police had been strict, with a no-nonsense attitude enveloping the entire building. Although people like Matsuda, who were naturally cheerful and friendly worked there, they were required to tone it down severely to blend in with the stoic atmosphere.
It was much different here in the US. As he stepped into the doors of the tall building, he immediately saw two tall, well-muscled men having a gun fight with water pistols, surrounded by a crowd of well-dressed officials that cheered them on.
Light gave them an odd glance before entering the elevators, on his way up to meet his new boss, Anthony Carter. He knew that this was a man that was part of the SPK, and most certainly knew where their hideout was and how he could find it. He only had to give Mikami a name and a picture, and one of the bothersome flies would be out of his way. For now though, he would wait and show his power to Carter and his friends. After all, how frustrating would it be if you knew you had a criminal right under your nose, working directly for you, yet you couldn't do anything about it? He was looking forward to seeing how Carter would play this.
The hostility was clear to read on the blond director's face. He spoke to curtly, sharply, while other colleagues surrounded them and didn't speak at all when they were alone. Light could see his jaw clench and his fingers twitch each time their eyes locked, and he smirked wickedly at the blond director when no one else was watching. The snarl he received in return just made him feel all the more victorious.
"Wow, Director really doesn't like you, does he?"
Startled, Light spun around, and found himself facing a young girl with dyed bleach blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Hiding his surprising, he gave her a polite smile, "Sorry?"
She jerked her head to the door that had just been slammed closed by Carter. "I've never seen him react so adversely to someone he just met a couple of hours ago. Usually he's all charming smiles and adorable speeches of honor and justice," she turned to look at him, appraising him from top to bottom. "So what did you do to get him to react like that to you? No offense, but you don't look like the type to harm a fly."
If only you knew…Light shrugged slightly, putting a concerned frown in his visage. "We must have gotten off on the wrong foot…I can't really recall doing something specific to incur his wrath."
The girl snorted, and held out a hand for him to take. "Unlike most people here, you actually seem to care what the higher-ups think of you. And you speak like you're from an opera. I like you already. My name's Toni Martel, I work in IT."
Seemingly gratefully, he grasped her hand and gave it a firm handshake. "I'm Light Yagami, I just transferred from Japan. I'll be working directly under Mr. Carter."
Toni whistled appreciatively. "Handsome, foreign and powerful? You seem too good to be true! How did you manage to land a position like that?"
Light laughed bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck in response to Toni's flirtatious remarks. "I worked for it," he answered honestly. He wasn't really used to women coming on so strongly to him, even if they were so attracted. Most women thought of him completely out of their league (read: which he was), and they were timid and shy. Misa had been the only girl to shower (read: attack) him with aggressive affection (read: obsession), and well…look where she ended up.
"I worked for the Taskforce searching for Kira for some time, and before they disbanded, I had the opportunity to transfer to the United States. So I did," he finished with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That's impressive," the young adult said, "you must be some kind of genius or something; you don't look that old at all."
Light smiled down at her, "I suppose you could say so."
The brunette turned blonde hummed thoughtfully, then gave him another flirtatious smile and waggled her fingers at him. "My break is almost over, but I will be seeing you later, Light!" The genius nodded his assent, and gave her a small smile as she turned around to walk away.
The smile slid from his face as soon as she disappeared into the elevator. Great, he had just begun his life here, and he already had a fan girl to deal with. She could be useful though, he mused. Having someone on your side that was more technologically savvy than the average person was always a good thing. With her, he would always be one step ahead of the FBI's plans against him…
Light sat back into his couch, feeling drained from the work day. The pretense he had to put up for other people was exhausting, and he was grateful for these quiet moments that had been far and few between with his every move being scrutinized for the past few years. Without his father, L, the Taskforce, Misa, and even Ryuk suffocating him, he finally had time to breathe and simply be alone with his thoughts.
The silence was broken by the ringing of his doorbell. Light sighed desolately, wondering if they would leave if he just pretended to be out. It didn't work, and whoever was at the door began to knock loudly.
"I'm coming," he uttered, loosening his tie as he walked towards the door. "Whatever it is that you want, it better be very important –"
"I'd say so," Mai replied from the other side of the door, her tone humorous.
Light froze, then hastily began to unlock his door. What was Mai doing here? More importantly, how had she known where he was? He had been very specific with Sairas – Yagami Light would have no paper-trail to speak of. So the fact that she knew…someone was going to pay dearly.
"Yamada-san!" he said in surprise, yet cheerfully. "How did you know where I lived?"
A small smirk danced across her features. "That's for me to know, Yagami-kun. Aren't you going to let me in?"
The genius stared down, stunned by her sheer audacity. She came to his house with no explanation of how she was able to find the damn place, then just expects him to be alright with her waltzing in without an invitation?
Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, he gave her a small smile and ushered her in with a small wave of his hand. "What brings you here, Yamada-san?"
"Call me Mai," she quickly responded, taking in the small yet comfortable-looking apartment. Turning to face him, she sent him a wide smile and exclaimed, "I brought you a house-warming gift!"
Light had been so startled (read: distracted) by her appearance, he hadn't noticed the box she cradled in her arms. Raising an auburn eyebrow at the journalist, he said to her. "How kind of you. You really shouldn't have."
Mai was quick to pick up the sarcasm in his tone, and her smile turned wicked. "Now, don't be a sour-puss, Yagami-kun. This is something I'm sure you'll grow to be dependent on, just like over half of this country's population is."
She set the box on his dining table, and after a quick inspection, Light identified it as a coffee maker. "For those long nights that we're working on the case, you know," she explained behind him as she made herself at home on his sofa. "I know we're both going to need the caffeine, and tea just isn't going to cut it for us."
"So it's more of a necessity for you, rather than thoughtful gesture for me," his voice was light and teasing as he opened up the brewer.
"I'm wounded that you'd think so lowly of me, Yagami-kun!" her giggles ruined the scandalous tone her voice had taken up.
Without realizing that he was, the genius began smiling as he tossed out the empty box. Returning to the still giggling journalist, he sat himself next to her, no thoughts of world domination filling his mind.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Mai-san," he said. "I truly do appreciate it."
Waving away his thanks, she shrugged and said, "It's no big deal. After all, you're in a new city – hell, a completely different country; the least I can do for you is make you feel comfortable and show you around, right? And drop the honorific, seriously. Mai is fine."
"Call me Light then, alright?" he replied, locking eyes with her. "So that was my first lesson? Americans are dependent on caffeine?"
She looked a bit dazed as she stared at him. "Yeah…" she breathed, seemingly lost in his gaze. Inwardly, Light smirked. This would be too easy. Coughing and blushing slightly, she broke eye contact and continued, looking away from Light.
"Yeah, it is!" she continued, her previous slip-up seemingly forgotten. "Almost everyone has to have coffee before they can fully function, so you've got to understand why some people seem crabby early in the morning."
"Hm," he said, playing the part of a dutiful listener wonderfully, "And what about you, Mai? Are you one of those caffeine dependent people?"
She laughed slightly and started to play with the curled ends of her ponytail. "Just a little bit," she admitted. "Sayuri has told me that I can be a bit of a prick before I have coffee in the morning. It's sort of embarrassing."
Ah, there it was. The mention of her girlfriend. The journalist seemed to use her as some sort of shield – to remind her that she was taken, and that looking at Light so intensely wouldn't work out for anyone involved. Especially Sayuri.
He couldn't wait to break her inhibitions. She would be putty in his hands without a thought of Sayuri soon enough.
He had to be honest with himself, however. Sitting here, and laughing with the journalist, she was like a completely different person he had met in the mall. There, she had been nosy and semi-professional, coming off just as he had expected: a gossipy loudmouth. Here, she was laid-back and funny, not asking a single question that made him want to rip off her head. He was losing himself in their conversation, and eventually, the Death Note and concerning matters slipped his mind completely.
All there was was her. Her giggles, her scent, her long, wayward hair that always seemed like it was being blown away in a rough breeze.
He didn't know what this feeling was.
D'awww! Light's in loooovvveee! Haha, no, not yet, not even close. Isn't it adorable though? I feel like I'm going to have a lot of fun, putting Light through some awkward situations with Mai! *cackles evilly* *chokes*
Anyway...please be sure to follow, or favorite, or maybe even leave a review, if you're feeling up to it! It's always greatly appreciated, and I will always respond back! xoxo