In which there is an issue with Light. L is still stuck with no answers and the researchers aren't exactly helpful in that area.
"I want to know who was the last person with you on the day of the blackout."
As soon as L finished that sentence, the look on Light's face suddenly changed. The werewolf's eyes turned cold and before L realized it, he had charged the cage with a force so strong that he could hear the bars rattle. Shocked, L tried to back up into the chair, causing it to tip over and throw him onto the floor, sprawled out in the most undignified fashion.
A series of violent snarls and growls came from the cage, as Light attacked the bars with renewed aggression, as if he wasn't lying half-dead from the lack of food and strength from the last three days.
L climbed back to his feet and cast a glance over at Light and found that he could no longer see the intelligence that was just reflected on his face.
Only anger and mindless violence.
"Light?"
The werewolf only responded with an aggressive roar.
It gave up on the metal bars and began to prowl in the cage, its hungry yellow eyes fixed on the detective outside.
L stared at him warily. He picked the chair back up but did not sit in it, too unnerved by the sudden change in the beast's demeanor as it stares at him as if he's its greatest enemy.
"Are you alright?" Watari asked as soon as L returned to the workroom.
"There's something wrong with him," L said furiously as he walked past.
"It's a monster," Aizawa said, "What do you expect?"
The detective turned his glare at him, "Did you not see that? Before he became aggressive, he'd showed that he clearly understood human speech."
"That's just a coincidence."
"No it isn't," L snarled, "I do not believe it is normal that he showed that he was intelligent enough to understand human speech to the extent that there was a semblance of communication just to turn into a mindless, angry beast in the next. It is disconcerting when I see nothing in his eyes when I can see him in it just a moment ago!"
L took a breath and said in a lower, determined voice, "There is something amiss here."
Aizawa eyed him skeptically, and crossed his arms, "If that is really the case, what do you think is the problem?"
"The problem is that I don't know what it is!" L said, visibly angry now.
"Perhaps the researchers would know," Matsuda offered timidly, "You did say you planned to let them look at him."
L turned to him and the other man was slightly intimidated by the look in his eyes and took a tiny step back.
The detective tore his eyes away from him and admitted, "I would like to but if you recall, one or more of them were the reason why he became like this."
Watari cleared his throat.
L rolled his eyes at the elderly man, who looked back at him with an expression that bordered on disapproval.
The detective was about to speak when Mogi raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"Do you think it's possible that it's something that affected him physically rather than mentally as Mikhailov said?" Mogi suggested, looking uncomfortable at the stares directed at him. "If he is the one who is untrustworthy?"
"Yeah…" Matsuda added, "Nina did say that it wasn't his emotional health that deteriorated."
L narrowed his eyes at him, "And how might you know this?"
Now it is Matsuda's turn to look uncomfortable, "I was kinda… peeking?"
"Ryuuzaki." Watari said, before L could begin to say anything else.
"And how do you propose we look for what is affecting him?" Aizawa questioned, pointing at the screen, "It's impossible to do that when he's surely going to kill somebody who tries to approach him!"
L ignored the fact that no one seems to be concerned about the Kira Case anymore and said in a tone that implied the thought was distasteful, "We can always sedate him and do a health checkup that way."
"And what on earth do we look for?"
"I'm afraid we might have to employ the help of the researchers for this," Watari said.
"I do not like it," L declared, "Not when every one of them is a suspect."
"We have no choice," Watari said firmly, "If you really want to help Light you will have to rely on at least one of them."
L was silent for a beat as he thought about it.
"Fine," he decided, "I will bring in Kaufer to take a look at him first. Mogi, you shall come and help me keep an eye on him."
"What? Me?" Mogi blurted, a slight undertone of excitement in his voice.
"Watari, continue to watch the other two and report to me if you see anything suspicious."
The older man nodded, as L gestured Mogi to hurry up and follow him.
"This is very strange," Kaufer said, appearing to be genuinely confused as he stared at the angry werewolf in the cage. Right now, the empty bowls had been scattered and overturned across the floor of the cage. "You said he understood human speech?"
L showed him the footage on his laptop without a word.
Kaufer nodded, an expression of awe on his face, "Yes, that seems like it. This is amazing, I've never seen anything like this before."
"Do the werewolves in your lab not display such a behavior?"
"No," the German man said, "Not that I've seen any. This might be because he's considered to be an alpha, though I can't be sure."
"Is it possible for their human traits to be reflected in this form?"
Kaufer nodded, "That is highly likely."
"Then could you explain the sudden shift in his behavior?"
The researcher frowned, "I can't."
"Why is that?" L demanded, staring intently at him.
"The werewolves back at the lab usually display aggression only," Kaufer said, "None of them would attempt any form of communication with us other than to threaten us when we get too close."
L was ready to send him out of the room and bring someone else in when Kaufer added, "However, if that can be taken as his usual behavior, perhaps something else is affecting him such that he reacts in such a way?"
"What could affect him?"
"Perhaps a stimuli of some kind?" Kaufer suggested, "Since there was nothing happening to him externally, at least I don't think your mentioning of the blackout was the case, then it could be something that had changed internally, such as a change his hormonal balance which can happen through the sudden change in the amount of food he is getting, or his stress levels or his energy level or other chemical changes in his blood."
"Okay."
"It's really strange," he started muttering to himself, "How is his usual state so different from the other werewolves? Is it his human qualities? His pack ranking? Wolves are social animals by default, or is it-"
"Perhaps you can tell me when you've thought of something concrete," L interrupted.
"Are you bringing Nina in next?" Kaufer said hopefully.
L began to eye him suspiciously, "I'll accompany you to your room."
He looked disappointed, "Am I allowed to go out to the balcony at least?"
"Why?"
Kaufer looked nervous, "I would like to smoke?"
"You're allowed to smoke in the room," L said.
"But there're smoke detectors…" he protested weakly.
"Do it in the bathroom then."
"He was able to communicate with you?" Nina questioned when L was just getting to the part of the abrupt change in behavior, "I would like to see that."
L resisted the urge to sigh as he once again explained everything that happened and showed her the footage of the 'amazing discovery'.
"Wow."
"Yes," he tried not to sound impatient, "Kaufer had seen him and suggested some hormonal imbalance, something within your expertise."
"Ah yes," Nina said, concentrating on the footage, "That could be an explanation, however, it seems a little farfetched."
L stared at her, a little puzzled, "You'd mentioned that werewolves are aggressive precisely of hormonal imbalances."
"Yes, but that was before this happened," she gestured to the laptop where the video had already ended, "There is something strange going on here and I don't think it is only the chemical make up in his blood that causes this."
L was more perplexed by the second, "You'd taken a look at his blood and didn't mention anything strange about it, so wasn't it the same with the other werewolves?"
"No, it wasn't the same," she said, "The chemical make up of their blood varies, depending on the state of their werewolves and their human counterparts, they're rarely the same."
"Okay," L studied her and tried to decide whether he could trust what she's saying.
"I would like to look at his blood again," Nina said, "Something might have changed after that blackout and I would like to compare his blood constitution."
"You think something has changed?"
"You suspected that someone had done something to him," Nina said, "It wasn't me, of course, or else I won't be asking you for this. I need his blood sample and access to my equipment please."
L watched her and finally said, "I will arrange for that and I need the results of both his blood tests afterwards."
"Are you sure you can tell what is going on by just looking at the results?" Nina questioned, "It's not like reading a book, you know."
"I work for L, you know," L said, "I'm sure I can figure it out."
"Fascinating," Mikhailov said, staring at the screen incredulously, "He understood you?"
"It would appear so."
"That is strange," he mused, "None of the werewolves in the lab have shown such an advanced ability."
"I've heard."
"Do you mind if I look at him up close?"
"I would not recommend that," L warned as he glanced at the werewolf who's now staring fixatedly at the head researcher.
"I'll just look at him," Mikhailov said in a placating manner.
L reluctantly let him approach, only because he might be able to provide something constructive in this issue.
Upon seeing the researcher walking towards him, Light curled his lips back and bared his teeth, snarling at him, dark fury blazing in his eyes.
Mikhailov stared at him as Light charged the cage once again. He was unfazed as he studied the werewolf however he could.
Nodding, he stepped back from the cage where Light was still growling at him angrily.
"Is there anything you can tell me?"
"I will have to think of this further as I am unable to provide an answer right away," Mikhailov informed, "But I have a theory."
"Let's hear it."
"I'm afraid it isn't much, Mr. Rue," he said apologetically.
"I insist."
"Perhaps his human intelligence was able to override the feral nature of the werewolf," Mikhailov said, "It was that that allowed him to able to communicate with you and understand what you have spoken. However, it isn't permanent as his other side was still in control of this form. It could fade with time as he passes the initial stages of his transformation."
L glanced at the werewolf, where he is still staring at Mikhailov with an unsettling glow in his eyes.
"That is a rather vague assumption."
"It may seem vague but we cannot forget that a werewolf is essentially the fusion of their human form and their wilder side. I have observed many werewolves and while they mainly display their animalistic sides, some of their human qualities do come through."
"If you hope to recover his human side, Mr. Rue," Mikhailov smiled, "I believe there is hope yet, seeing that he was capable of such actions as shown here."
L faked a smile, "That is reassuring to hear."
"I'll have to think on it a bit more, if you'll give me some time."
"That's quite alright," the detective said, "Thank you for your time."
Once he returned to the room, L sighed as he plopped into the chair.
"Ryuuzaki?" Mogi looked over at him in concern.
"I do not like how I was unable to tell who could be the culprit," L admitted, "It could be one of them or it could be all of them. I do not have a definite answer."
"Well," Mogi said hesitantly, "We're working with something alien after all, who'd thought that werewolves are real. And, uh, they are seem like they have something to hide too."
"I suppose," L said, turning to the werewolf in the cage, "Let's prepare to take a blood sample from him and provide him with his next meal in the meantime."