A/N; Here is the twelfth chapter of what was meant to be a story I was only going to work on but rarely. It has now become as important to me as my other long story Death Note Alphabet; something for which my reviewers are the cause of, your support and kind words have kept this story alive and made me focus all my attention on it. Thank you! There is no way I am putting this story down now!
Not beta'd by VirtualDraconium, I don't think the examiners would have liked me walking into the exam hall to give it to her…. I apologise wholeheartedly for any mistakes you find VirtualDraconium as I know you cannot put your red pen to work.
Please read and review; they make me happy and make me write!
Predictions and Punishments
Near shifted slightly, he hated chairs; in frustration and despondency he picked at the hem of his sleeve. Unfortunately he had to sit in the seat because they were in a car and he was not about to trade his life, potentially, for his own temporary comfort. The SPK were moving buildings, he had put plans into motions for precisely this action soon after Kira had sent his message. He was not about to increase the risk for himself or the team serving around him. He was quite grateful for the continued support, not one had been angry at him for withholding who he truly was, they were logical and intelligent people; he wouldn't have picked them unless they thought like him.
"Near," Gevanni said suddenly from the driver's seat, "we have arrived."
Near glanced up from his sleeve and stared out the window at the building. It looked like a run down tenement block from the outside, boarded up windows and graffiti adorned the structure; no-one would ever think to look for the cleanliness obsessed Near here. Of course inside was a masterpiece of modern construction; all polished steel and tiled floors. Rooms had been provided for each member of the SPK… They had to be; from today not a single trace of their existence would remain, not a photo, not a certificate, not a newspaper. It wasn't airtight, but even if some trace of their existence remained it would be so miniscule and out of the usual public arena it should pose no threat.
Wordlessly he followed Gevanni and Mr Scott into the building, automatically passing through all the security procedures; they were his own, he had no need to concentrate on them.
When dealing with Kira nothing could be considered safe. Now that the world was falling at his feet Kira held all the cards, had all the power and all the people at his disposal to track them down. This worried Near so much that he had finally transferred his savings account money across the world, through thousands of accounts in almost all bank companies to finally arrive back together in an innocuous account buried under fake charity details.
Only one thing truly bothered Near now; What had happened to Matt and Mello? They had seemingly vanished off the face of the planet. Near had been able to track them across Europe and then Asia, but then they stepped on a flight to China and off the face of the Earth as far as Near was concerned. It was worrying Matt only utilised his abilities so adeptly if Mello had planned something really important.
He thought back over the information he had managed to glean about the sudden takeover in Japan. The scale of the attack and the sheer brazen confidence it would have taken to coordinate that many people, not many people would have the audacity to do it, let alone with such quiet precision.
Near stopped dead in his tracks, his heart plummeting. Mello had sided with Kira? Near rose his hand to his mouth to strangle the gasp of surprise; he had thought Mello a stalwart supporter of justice.
"Mello No," Near whispered quietly, he felt his world break apart that little bit more. He now had to fight against someone he considered a friend; despite that friends attitude towards him.
…
L sat once more watching Light in action. The speed of Light's actions was surely impressive. In the space of two days Light had a fully functioning government, and with the aid of Matt's vigorous system of background checks and psyche analysis each was considered trustworthy. All chosen were fiercely loyal to Kira, either from the original government of picked from the ranks of Mello's 'free-lance' group.
Neither Mello nor Matt would explain just how they had managed to gain control of all the fractured groups of Kira supporters in such a small space of time. Considering Mello's past L decided this was one of those few things that he didn't want to know. It was probably something to do with the two arms shipments that went missing recently; with contents remarkably similar to the weapons all the men in black were sporting, and the sudden disappearance of the Mafia and Yakuza. L groaned, he was too used to putting the pieces together to have stopped simply because of his own simple wish.
L decided it was because he was bored, after the first incident when Light first stepped out no-one had challenged Light aka Kira in any way. There was only so long he could cope with listening to Light talk on and on. L seemed to be the only one who was immune to Light's charisma; frankly it was depressing, and he had to admit irritating, to see everyone fawn over Light. He was only feeling slightly appeased by the note Light had held up to a camera when he had managed to break away from everyone for a few minutes.
Please forgive them L, they see me as Kira, someone who doesn't exist. Not as they see Kira anyway. That means that I am still safely yours, I am not about to see anything interesting in a bunch of sycophants. Please stop being so angry.
L really was in awe over Light's ability to know which camera he was being observed from and now it seemed he knew what L was feeling too. Had he really been that angry?
In consternation L reached for some cake, if he was going to be bored he might as well be somewhat happy. He nearly dropped the plate in shock though as two Shinigami heads emerged through the wall opposite. He blinked once and quickly recovered his composure.
"Hello Ryuk, Hello Rem," L said quietly, nodding at the shinigami. His eyes quickly took in their appearance, both appeared quite despondent. Neither acknowledged his greeting. L sighed and opened a desk drawer, he pulled out the red apple from within it's depths. He reached out towards Ryuk, perhaps this would make the Shinigami talk to him, he was not about to have this chance at activity slip him by.
To L's surprise Ryuk moved swiftly closer his hand coming out to take it, but an inch from the rosy red treat his hand stopped. The shinigami looked in pain.
"I have it under good authority that you like apples Ryuk," L murmured.
"I do, but the Shinigami-king gave me an allergy to 'em," Ryuk wailed.
"Shinigami-king?... whatever for?" L asked.
"For staying too long with Rem, I missed the deadline for coming to meet ya," Ryuk sighed, his eyes still fixed on the apple, his mood making him talkative.
"What did he do to you Rem?" L asked, finally taking pity on the nearly crying Death God and placing the apple back in the drawer. Then he reached for his cake once more.
"What?" Rem said looking over from where she crouched, "he forced me to live. Any names written in the Death Note I threw at Light add to my life, and even if I write a humans name in a Death Note to aid them, I can not die. He has forced me to live, when I wish not."
L actually felt sorry for the female shinigami as he heard this. As punishments went perhaps being alive could be considered the worst of all… His gaze flitted back to Ryuk, his punishment seemed too forgiving in comparison.
"What else did he do to you Ryuk?"
Ryuk looked up at L in consternation, his mouth agape.
"I ain't gonna tell ya," Ryuk growled.
"Ah," L said happily, pointing his fork at Ryuk, "there is something else."
Ryuk looked at L stunned, finally understanding just how good L probably was.
"I'll tell you," Rem said quietly, "The Shinigami-king has made two humans immune to the Death Note."
"Will you care to tell me their names?" L said, refusing to let his voice shake.
"I have no reason to hide that information."
So Rem told him.
…
Light was in is element. This was far better than he could ever have imagined. So far Japan had been quite agreeable to his sudden seizure of power, but then they had been the country he had had the most involvement in; it was his own after all. His only problem had been with the severe anger he had felt from L through the cameras, his note; that embarrassing note, had seemed to cool him down.
Honestly having Matsuda walk in on him while the note burned in a waste bin was frankly awkward. Next time he would leave L to stew in his anger; particularly as L was now watching him with some amusement. Surely L wasn't laughing at him because of that note?
Light turned his attention back to the task in hand, moving the government offices to the Investigation Headquarters. It would be much easier for L to watch over Light and offer advice, something Light was sure he would be needing, plus everyone could be watched very closely. Plus it would be easier to get Mello and Matt into the building to see L. His only problem was this; currently Matsuda and himself were squatters, their clearout had to be convincing.
It was only a matter of time of course before this had happened anyway, they had only been allowed to stay to review L's data, because they said it was encrypted and because it wouldn't be viewed as a threat to Kira. A washed out cop and a university student? Hardly a thereat. Of course now Kira was in power the police would obviously try to remove them from the building.
Perhaps the answer to this was fairly simple; allow the police to clear them out. Surely no-one would relate the two they found to the two who now controlled the government. L would be easily able to stay hidden inside his own building.
"Fumiko-san," Light said suddenly, startling the women who stood behind him, "Please get the police on the phone I have a task for them."
…
Light sighed as he rode the elevator, he could finally feel the tension leaving him as he neared L. He hadn't realised just how tense being around all those people was, even with the mask he felt edgy; he had lost some of his razor edge when he had been chained to L, he had had very few people to practice his people skills on. L had never been an option for practice, any technique Light had tried had been picked up on by L who had not seemed affected at all; merely blinked his large black eyes at Light in consternation.
He nearly forgot to step out of the lift at the sight that greeted him, he barely made it in time. Ryuk was bobbing along the ceiling in a mix of depression and anger; while Rem gazed on her face expressionless.
"Ryuk?" he said, "where have you been, and what on Earth is wrong with you? "
Ryuk merely saw Light, scoffed and turned away.
"Rem," Light said then, acknowledging the other shinigami, "I thought you were not going to come back?"
"Neither did I Light Yagami," Rem said before sighing deeply.
Light's gazed flicked to L, who beamed back at him, his grin seeming almost smirk like.
"Light is not asking the right questions," L laughed.
"Well L, what would be the right questions?" Light asked, collapsing into a chair, he really didn't want to deal with this. He had been too busy today, all he wanted was a little peace. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.
"Hmm," L said, his voice much closer than before. Light opened his eyes to see L's face not three inches from his own, "I think I shall just tell you as you seem rather fatigued and therefore will not be able to think of questions effectively."
Light looked at L expectantly.
"They have been punished by the Shinigami-king. In relation to Rem, well whenever you write a name in her old Death Note she gains life, and no matter what the reason she uses a notebook for, should she regain one, she can not die from writing a name," L said smiling, "Ryuk has been made allergic to apples and… His right to your name has been removed, as has every other Shinigami's right. You are immune to the Death Note Light-kun. Also for some reason I can not fathom so am I."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"What?"