Author's Note: The children's book is indeed coming along! I have already submitted it to the publisher and they're reviewing all of my illustrations now to see if it's ready for printing. It might be a few more weeks still until it's up and able to be purchased on Amazon. But it will indeed be up soon. I have an ISBN number and everything, which means it's officially published. All we need to do now is wait. I'm trying my very very best to get it up before Christmas so that those of you with little siblings, or cousins can get it to them for gifts. But then again, you have to wait for shipping too. So…if worst comes to worst, you can always give it to them as a new years present.
Anyway, for those of you who've been wondering, yes, this is the climax of the story. That means it's almost over. There are only a few chapters left. And for those who have been worrying a great deal, don't. Most of my writing focuses on the wonders of hope and faith.
P.S.- This is a long one. Be prepared.
Spotofpaint
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Light stepped out of the abandoned house and immediately found himself directionless. His pounding heart pumped a vicious amount of blood through his temples, causing an agonizing headache to surface. The air was hot. It was wet and sticky. The Georgia humidity made it nearly impossible to think. It was heavy and had a good way of clouding the mind. It stuffed itself inside of his ears and into his skull as if it were cotton. Hearing his thoughts was nearly unachievable.
Of course, Light's panic wasn't helping either. He looked all around himself fitfully. To the left was a wooden fence, separating his abandoned house from another. It rose above him like a wall. In front of him was a second abandoned house. It promised nothing more than the fence. To his right was the street. It glowed an eerie orange, as if it were lit by the fires of hell instead of a weathered electrical pulse.
Which way? Light stepped off of the front stairs and jogged hurriedly over to the street. If L had run out in fear, as Light was sure he had, he would have headed instinctively for the street since it was an open place to run. He wouldn't have gone for an obstacle like a fence. And so Light positioned himself underneath the first streetlight.
It bathed him in its hellish glow. Light tried to pay it no mind, but it's light was skewing everything. It seemed to tilt the entire world so that the street no longer faded off toward a vanishing point in the distance, but instead seemed to zigzag in and out of reality. Light let out a gruff rush of frustration. There were only two directions to choose…but he could not know which way the two had headed.
Light quickly started inspecting the pavement as if he would find a footprint, or some other damning evidence always found in Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes novels. But real life simply wasn't that easy. It hadn't rained in days. The ground was bone dry.
It was then that something exploded in the distance, snapping Light's head up and to attention. He immediately recognized the sound as a gunshot. And immediately after that, he heard the scream. It rose on the windless night, powerful enough to overcome the weight of the humidity. That terrible scream cracked with the pressure of the agony it was under. It pierced the surrounding houses and buildings only briefly, then faded like so many of the shadowy ghosts around him. Light felt his heart freeze. That had been Lawliet's voice. He just knew it in his heart. His blood ran cold as it carried the ice away from his heart and into the rest of his body. Lawliet had been shot.
Oh God! Oh God no! No!
His feet were moving before he was even aware of it. And a second later, he was running, racing toward the place he thought he'd heard the scream come from. There was no doubt now in which direction he would head. He headed toward his new goal with frantic terror. His shoes pounded the pavement, but not nearly as viciously as his heart suddenly pounded his ribs. Light had never known such terror.
Lawli! Lawliet could be hurt! He…he could be bleeding to death! His almond eyes were as large as L's once were. They stared down the street straight ahead, searching wildly for the one he dared to admit to loving. He needed to find him, and he needed to find him fast.
But the streets were dark and it made things difficult to see. And within only a few seconds, a second street popped up to his right. Light wasn't sure if the scream had come down from this direction, or the one he was already heading down. Unable to stop his feet from running, unable to keep still, he headed straight. But then there was another street to his left, then another to his right. There were many of them. And there was no way to tell which streets L and Webber had run down. It was a city. And it was very easy to get lost.
Still Light ran. He ran as fast as humanly possible. His polished shoes clip-clopped down the Atlanta streets. But he didn't know which way to turn. He randomly chose right because that was where he thought he'd heard the scream. Then he chose a left. But his heart was pounding. And as in-shape as he was, his breathing began to grow heavy. His well-built chest heaved in and out as his caramel eyes searched every shadow, every silhouette he saw.
"LAWLIET!" His voice had burst out of him almost unwillingly. Almost as if someone else had screamed L's name for him. Certainly that panicked, terrified cry had not been his own. Still, if L heard him, he could call back to let him know where he was. Or if not, he would at least know that Light was coming.
Light had only been running a short time when he suddenly heard more screams. This time, they did not stop. There was one right after the other. A lower scream, and then a higher one. Light immediately assessed that L and Webber were fighting. And it must have been damned ruthless.
As much as this terrified him, it gave him a more solid direction. He headed toward the voices, his heart pounding. The cries lasted for several minutes. It was a blessing in disguise. Light knew he'd never find his way otherwise. He kept moving, pumping his legs hard. He had to make it in time. He had to!
But then, to Light's utter dismay, the cries stopped. The night fell silent. That was the most terrifying thing of all. There was nothing. No screams, no cries of pain. Not even a car horn in the distance. The only sounds that greeted Light were that of his pounding feet and racing heart.
He gasped for air. Where were they? He guessed and took another turn to the right. I have to find him. Time's running out! Someone's already lost the fight! And Light knew perfectly well who that was. L had lost. The chances of him winning were slim to none. And since he had heard no gunshot, it meant they were both still alive. He's still alive! He thought desperately. He's still alive!
Light turned another corner, and it was then that he thought he heard something. Not another scream…someone talking…no, yelling! It was Webber, but he still sounded far off. Still, Light knew he was getting closer. He pushed himself harder. He had to keep up his speed! He didn't turn at the next intersection. He kept going straight.
I'm coming Lawliet! I'm coming!
The shouting had quieted, but now Light could hear other things, soft muttering, or murmuring. There was a sudden jagged laugh. It made Light's skin crawl as it echoed through the buildings, distorting its source. It was like steel. It surrounded him, harassing him as he ran. But he clung to hope. He was close. Very close.
He'd been running past one of the many dark alleyways he'd already passed when he heard it, a soft, gentle and quiet sob. Light froze mid-step. He recognized that sound very, very well. His brown eyes widened suddenly.
There it was again. That soft sobbing. That heartbreaking sound. The one that wrenched Light's heart right out of his chest. The one that made him want to kill whoever caused that sound to surface. The one that made his insides tighten with the pain of simply listening to it.
The shock of hearing that sound here, in the dead of night on the streets of Atlanta had frozen him in place. Therefore, Light also witnessed the sounds that came next. It was Webber's voice…low, rumbling and sickeningly pleased.
"Oh come now cupcake…I haven't even really started yet…" Light's entire body turned to ice. His stomach turned. It wretched. He reflexively hunched over, ready to gag from the sudden lunge of his insides. But he somehow, through sheer force of will, suppressed the urge to throw up. If he did that now, his position would be given away. He had to think…
But it was then that the one thing in the entire universe that could have happened, to stop him from thinking, happened:
"…Raito…" The voice had been broken. It had been sad, devastatingly quiet. It had shaken as it uttered this one desperate name. It had been brimming with fear and agony. It was a voice that only shadowed the former strength it should have contained. And then following it…was more sobs. Those quiet, terrible sobs that Light hated so much.
It tore through Light so completely, so thoroughly that there was no possible way in heaven hell or on earth that he could think. There was no way to activate any sort of thought process after hearing such a horrible cry from the one person he had ever dared to love. No. There was no more time for a plan. No more time for thought.
"…Raito…" The sob came again. That begging, pleading voice. It tore at him. It ravaged his insides like a storm. Light immediately realized that L was desperately trying to call for help, but for whatever reason, he was unable to summon the strength necessary to make his voice carry. And so, it only came out in these quiet, forlorn whispers.
"Come on cupcake, forget about him. Why don't you start saying my name instead? Or…if you want…you can pretend I'm your Raito-kun…" Webber's voice was sickening. The joy in its lower tones putrid. He spoke to L softly, as if to a cherished lover. It made Light's insides burn.
Light's ice melted within a heartbeat of feeling that heat. And the very next heartbeat sent a wave of deadly fire through him. It washed over his body, ripping through any kind of restraint he may have contained. It burned and ate at every muscle, every pore. It consumed him. His sudden and terrifyingly powerful rage boiled inside of him. Webber would die. He would die for forcing Light to listen to L's broken cries. He would die for making L utter his name under such horrible pretext. Webber would die for causing L pain, for taking the smile Light had worked so hard to place on his face away. Webber would suffer.
Without even a second thought, Light stepped off of the street and into the alleyway. But even fueled by such unstoppable rage, he had not been prepared for the sight that met him.
In the darkness of the alleyway, it was at first difficult to see. All he made out was a massive shape. But within only seconds of allowing his eyes to adjust, he realized the massive shape was Webber. His form was hunched over, his muscled back arched in the air. On his hands and knees, he held a much smaller person beneath him, pinned on his back.
And that was where Light found Lawliet. Even in the poor lighting Light could easily see the large dark welts on his pale skin. Even in the dark he could see the blood that was seeping out onto the ground. He could see the beaten marks on his bare chest, the knuckles that bruised his face and marked his body. His shirt had been torn practically to shreds, revealing almost every rib as L's chest rose and fell in desperation for air. He gasped wildly in his panicked state, his small form shuddering from the sobs that wracked him.
But of course, the thing that hurt the most, was his expression. He had his head turned away from Webber, his eyes squeezed tight. His face was warped into a terrible, wretched, grimace of agony. Tears glimmered in the faint light from the streetlamp at Light's back. They streamed out onto the concrete almost as quickly as L's blood. And as they did, his entire diminutive body trembled. He shook horribly, violently in Webber's grasp. He shuddered as if he were encased in ice. He let out another heartbreaking sob.
"…Raito…" he called desperately, his weakened voice growing ever more feeble with each cry. His eyes were closed. He didn't even realize that Light was standing right there. It made it all so much more horrible.
Webber, clearly had not noticed Light yet either. He was far too busy pulling off L's jeans. He yanked on them ruthlessly, tearing them off in a very violent manner. The only thing left in his way was a pair of blue boxers.
Well, Light had enough. Quite enough. Enough to make him wish he'd had the Death Note with him so that he could torture Webber. So he could make him suffer and squirm and writhe in agony before he finally died. Light would have tortured him for as long as possible before either his body gave in and let him die, or the rules of the Death Note would force him to kill him before the numbered days were up. Either way, it would have been more satisfactory.
But as it was, he had no Death Note. He had no weapon at his disposal. And because of his insane and complete madness, he did not see the gun in the darkness. He did not see that Webber had put it down and to the side. All he saw was Webber's thick fingers rising to L's trembling face. All he saw was the way he ran those fingers down his bruised jaw line and to his shuddering lips. Webber eyed L in the most sordid of ways, and then he started to lean in, determined to stain L with a touch of his vile mouth and tongue.
Light screamed.
All of the shock, horror and rage that had been swirling inside of him from the very moment he froze at the end of the alleyway exploded. And it ripped out of him in a cry so loud that it echoed off of the brick walls around them.
Webber jerked from the shock, pulling back up and away from L's face.
"What the hell!" But by the time Webber realized that Light had escaped and was the source of the agonized cry, it was too late. Light had already rushed in. Webber gaped, seeing little more than a black form rushing toward him. There was a CRACK and pain exploded in the side of his face.
Already weakened, and beaten pretty badly from his fight with L, Webber fell to the concrete with ease. He let out an "oof" as his large body hit the ground. He went to scramble to get up, but Light was fresh whereas Webber's strength was already exerted. He may have had the energy to hold down and torture a much smaller, weaker, beaten man who was bleeding to death, but he certainly was not prepared for someone who had no injury and had a fresh load of energy.
"You fucking bastard!" Light screamed. He came down on Webber, hard. The man still being on the ground, it was quite easy to jump and land directly on top of him. Light's shoes dug in to the man's soft midsection with viciousness. Webber let out a scream of pain. But there was no way in hell Light was done.
"You pig! You swine! You filthy rag of shit!" Light began kicking him while he was down. He did not let up. He dug his heel into the man's abdomen, his side, his ribs his face. But Light was not satisfied. He was not satisfied with Webber's cries. He was not satisfied with the quality of his screaming.
So he got down on top of the rapist, sitting on his chest. Light reached out, grabbing the front of his shirt. He hoisted his head up so he could get a better shot, and then curled up his other fist into a rock. CRACK! He nailed Webber in the face. Light brought back his fist a second time. CRACK! He struck him again. The third time, Light released Webber's shirt so that when he hit him again, his head was forced back onto the cement with another sickening CRACK!
With both fists free, Light went to town. His eyes were completely deranged. He knew somewhere in his clouded raging mind that he had lost it. He didn't care. Webber would pay. So he raised his fists and let them rain down. One right after the other. He struck him as cruelly as he could, longing for blood, driving for crushed bone.
"Die! DIE!" Light hardly even recognized his own voice. Sure, he had said similar things when he was Kira. But he was not acting as Kira now. This was Light Yagami. This was all his own doing. Kira would have been content to stand at the entrance to the alleyway and watch as Webber did as he wanted to L. He would have been more than happy to be a witness to such an atrocious end to the once great detective. But not Light. Light would make Webber pay.
So entranced with his own fury, so enraptured with the violence he was involved in, Light did not hear L's weakened cries of warning. He did not hear as L tried to shout to him. All he saw was red. And he would make more red. Webber's face was already slick with blood. But he did not care. He would crush it so that no one could ever tell that there was once a man named Webber.
"Raito you idiot! Listen!" L cried again. But Light had gone deaf. He would not listen. L struggled to move. He had to find the strength. His body failed him. He had nothing left. He could scarcely move a finger. But…he knew he had to. Webber's hand was feeling along the ground, frantically searching for the gun. It was close by and in his reach. Webber was already blind from the abuse, so he could not see it, but L could. If Webber managed to get a hold of that gun, Light was dead.
"Raito!" L cried again. But even his voice had no power. The pain was great. His entire body throbbed and burned. It hurt to even be awake. It hurt to breathe. His lungs were on fire.
Still Light did not hear him. Tears continued down L's cheeks. He seemed unable to stop them. His body trembled. He struggled a second time to move. Pain flared. L let out an agonized cry. His head swam and his vision spun. The very world became a sickening swirl of color and the next thing he knew, he was lax on the cement ground once more.
Slowly his vision started to clear. He looked up in horror. Light was still beating Webber, Webber's hand was still groping for the gun. L grimaced, his face twisting horribly.
Please! He cried in his mind. Please give me the strength! L called up on the powers within himself. He did not know where it came from. But the next time he struggled to move, he managed to do so. He crawled across the ground, his vision threatening to spin him into the concrete. He did not care. He forced his way forward, inch, by agonizing inch, until finally, he reached his destination. He reached out, grabbing the gun at the same exact moment Webber did.
Both were weak. Both were fighting for their lives. L grabbed it with all he had left, but the gun was slippery in his bloody hands. Webber yanked it free.
"Raito!" L screamed the warning again, desperate to be heard. And this time, finally, Light seemed to realize something was going on. Webber lifted the gun, aiming it blindly at the general area Light sat in. Light's almond eyes widened as he found himself face to face with the barrel of a gun. Light scrambled off of the man, ducking at the very last second before the gun was fired. There was a huge BOOM at it went off, it's bullet missing Light and colliding with the walls around them. It bounced several times around the alleyway like a ping-pong ball, and then headed out into the night.
"Shit!" Webber aimed blindly from his place on the ground once again, searching for the source of the vulgarity. He fired a second time. Light dodged, the bullet having barely missed him. The brick behind his head exploded in an array of red dust.
Knowing quite well that he had little chance of hitting Light while blind, Webber took the next best step. He lashed out, knowing exactly where L was from their struggle with the gun. He grabbed him, brought him in close, and then jammed the barrel of the gun up against his head.
"Freeze you little faggot!" Light did so immediately, his eyes widening at the sight of L with a gun against his skin. "Here's the fucking deal! Since you can't seem to follow directions! I get to kill you now! You're going to stand perfectly still and let me shoot you! I'm bumping you out of the picture since you seem to be such a fucking pest! I don't want any more interruptions! So you die!"
"What the hell makes you think I'm gunna-!"
"Let me finish hot shot! You die right now, or I kill L. If I can't have him, no one will. He'll die as the virgin he is. A nice, untouched, twenty-five year old virgin!" L's face grew hot, which was an amazing feat in itself; since he was sure his body didn't have the blood left to supply a blush. But there it was. He glanced embarrassingly to the ground. Light glared.
"You wouldn't kill him!"
"In this situation I would! I seem to be beat! But not when I have the gun! Someone's got to die. If you sacrifice yourself, I'll spare little L. How's that sound? After I kill you, after I have my little party with L, I'll let him live. I can do that because he's technically dead! He can't go to the police and tell them what I did. They'd find out who he was and arrest him. They'd kill him. So I can afford to let him survive." Light's face tightened. This was not good. Not good at all.
Think Light, think! Don't panic! Stay calm. You can outwit Webber! You can save Lawliet!
"If I'm dead, how the hell would I know if you spared L or not! You could do whatever you wanted!"
"Yeah. But at this point, you're out of options. You have to take my word! If you don't, you can watch L's pretty head of black hair explode. Which sounds better to you?" Light glared. It wasn't looking good.
"Raito, distract Webber. He's blind. I can remove the last three bullets in his gun even while he still holds it. And if not, than I can-!" SMACK! L was struck suddenly and harshly with the very gun Webber held. The metal collided with L's head and it hurt like hell. He let out a weakened cry. Light noted with growing anxiety that L was fading in his strength and color. His normally pale skin was almost white now. He needed a hospital…and he needed a blood transfusion. If they didn't wrap things up shortly…well...Light didn't want to think about it.
Distract Webber… But of course, he had to distract Webber without moving, or risking making him angry enough to shoot L. That meant he needed a topic of conversation. One that was interesting enough and captivating enough to hold Webber's undivided attention while L worked on the revolver.
Light needed to think about this only once. He knew exactly what topic would be most fascinating. He knew just what to say.
"You have no idea who you're messing with Webber. I'm Kira." Webber froze. His bloodied face moved slightly into what Light would have assumed would have once been an expression of surprise. But at this point, Webber was too messed up to be able to tell.
"Kira?" He questioned. At first he was silent, but then a low chuckle was born in the back of his throat. It jarred his body, shaking his shoulders. Then it came with much more force, roaring out of him with sudden and complete violence.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Kira? The Kira? I thought it was some chick in Japan? Didn't they already fry her?" It was working. The distraction was a charm. Light watched as L slowly lifted his hands up to the metal weapon aimed at his head. He moved very slowly, very carefully. He could not allow Webber to feel any sort of jostle or movement on the weapon, or he would know what L was doing.
"Yeah, that Kira. Only the one they arrested was an escape goat. I was the real Kira. L and I framed Misa so that we could escape our lives in Japan. Didn't you ever wonder why L was suddenly living in America with some kid from Japan?" Webber's smile remained on his face.
"Yeah. After I met you, I knew it was because he was a fag. I assumed he fell for some twerp. But Kira? That's too outrageous to be true. If you're Kira, why didn't you just kill me back in the basement? Why don't you just kill me now before I force you're little lollipop to eat a bullet?"
"I said I was Kira, idiot! I gave up my power for L. Because he asked me to." This evoked an entirely new round of laughter. Webber's loud and violent type of laugh seemed to be making it hard for L. The gun was moving all about and it was difficult to get his hands onto the barrel while it was moving without Webber noticing.
"Oh, if this is true, then it's too fucking hilarious! L, you have to confirm this for me! Is this for real?" L was silent at first. His hands froze, his fingers just having touched the metal of the barrel. He dared not move.
"…yes…" he whispered. Light frowned. His voice was fading much more rapidly than he was trying to show. "…Light was once Kira…" Webber exploded into another fit of laughter. It was clear he took great joy in this new development.
"Oh this is too good! It's too good! The great Kira is a fag! Ha ha hahaha! And not only that! But he's powerless to save his boyfriend! He's utterly useless!" Webber's body jostled back and fourth. L tried to remain still until he settled, but he wouldn't seem to stop laughing.
"And more than that is you L! What a piece of work you are! You're sent to Japan to capture and arrest the most violent murderer on the face of this planet and then what do you do? You go and fall in love with him? HA! This is better than any soap opera! The great L, the greatest traitor of mankind! The biggest fag on the earth! The great L in love with the greatest criminal of all time! L in love with Kira!"
L could not help himself. Humiliation filled him. It had not been something he had been proud of doing. He had indeed failed at the detective he was assigned to be. He had indeed become the worst traitor of human kind, even if most people didn't realize it. He refused his orders. He freed Kira. He allowed Kira to live. And worst of all…he'd framed someone else. All because Light had touched his heart. L's face burned. It burned from the laughter that poured like fire from Webber's mouth.
Light trembled with rage at the mockery. He could take being mocked. He could do it if it gave L more time with the gun. But he hated to see L so shamed. He hated to see his pale face sink under the ridicule.
"Don't you dare listen to him Lawliet! You didn't fall in love with Kira! You fell in love with me! Light Yagami! Don't you dare forget that!" L blinked, his large black eyes shifting slowly and weakly to Light's enraged face. He was hard to make out in the lighting. Especially since the only light source came from behind him. All L could see was his silhouette. And making it more difficult was his swimming vision. He was too dizzy to focus much any longer. Still…L heard his tones. Light was true and sincere. Through the pain and the fear, a slow, soft smile grew on his split and bleeding lips. That was right. He loved Light Yagami. It was Light he loved. Not Kira. He was sure it was just the blood loss mixing up his brain.
"Don't make me puke!" Webber cried. And finally, finally, he stopped laughing. His body settled. With no more jostling, L immediately got to work. As silently as he could, without moving the gun from his head in anyway, he started to open the barrel. Light knew he had to keep talking to cover any sound that L was making.
"Well whether you believe it or not, it's true. And even if I did give up my powers, I'm a lot more dangerous than you think!" Webber's grin remained. He was clearly not convinced, but Light wasn't trying to convince him of anything. He just needed to keep him interested and talking. And as L had said…Webber liked to talk. And as Light watched, L had smoothly and soundlessly removed one of the bullets. He kept it in his hand, not daring to drop it and make a clatter. Only two bullets left.
Light broke out into a sweat. If anything should go wrong…well…the barrel of that gun was being held firmly to L's skull. Even with the barrel of the gun open, it was a risk. If Webber discovered what they were doing, he could just snap it shut and pull the trigger.
"Dangerous? You?" Webber chuckled. "I doubt it."
"Really? You doubt your bloodied face? You're broken nose? How about your useless eyes."
"Shut the fuck up! L was the one who blinded me! You just helped the process along! Give our skinny little cupcake his credit where it's due!" L's nimble fingers worked on the second bullet. He struggled to pull it out without the use of gravity or tilting the gun. It was difficult.
"Enough chit-chat pretty boy! You die now, or L does. I'll have my fun, one way or the other." And then Webber moved his second hand. It had originally been holding L in place, but now he wrapped it around L's skinny form. Keeping the pale, exposed ex-detective in the crook of his elbow, he still had plenty of room for movement. Webber's thick, sausage-like fingers touched L's white skin, and slowly slid down the front of his bare body.
Light's anger flared, but he dared not move. Not when a gun was pressed to his head. L's eyes squeezed shut, but he couldn't move either. His hands were still positioned on the gun. But Webber's hand was sliding seductively and purposefully downward. It reached the elastic of his boxers and despite L's superb discipline; it was a lot to bear. He trembled once. Webber gently slid his fingers down beneath the cloth and despite L's willpower to be quiet, he was unable to stay still. Quite unwillingly, L flinched. The gun jostled. Webber froze. Light's eyes widened.
"…what the fuck was that?" Webber lifted his free hand, pulling it away from its forbidden areas. He lifted it to the barrel only to find it open. He let out a brief gasp of shock and surprise but almost as quickly as his shock arrived, it vanished into rage. "You little bitch!"
Light charged. He knew that this was it. He had to reach Webber now, before he snapped the barrel back into place, before he had a chance to kill his Lawliet. SNAP! Heavy hands rolled the barrel instantly back to where it belonged. Metal met metal. Webber grabbed L by the back of his hair and brought him in close. L let out a weak and barely audible cry as Webber's rotten breath washed over him. Webber snarled like a rabid beast. "Maybe you just want to die!" He lifted the gun, pressing the cold metal into L's cheek. "I'll just fuck your lifeless corpse! You're not worth this much trouble!"
THWACK! Light tackled Webber. He slammed the side of his body deeply into Webber's bloodied form. The gun exploded. Its shots resounded off of the walls and deafened the three duelers. L screamed. Webber fell to the ground, Light on top of him. Light grabbed Webber's hand, clawing it viciously. Webber yelped. Light snagged the gun. He grabbed it, spun it around, and then pointed it at Webber's face. It had all happened insanely fast.
"You fucking son of a bitch!" Light didn't even hesitate. He pulled the trigger.
Click.
Both Webber and Light froze in shock. Nothing had happened. Light pulled the trigger again. Click. Nothing. Light let out a small gasp of shock. He understood then. When the barrel was snapped back into place, it had rotated. The last bullet was now in a different place. There were five other chambers it could be in now that Light had found two blanks and the third had been fired.
Webber let out a furious growl, and then lunged. He grabbed onto the gun. Light let out a cry, but refused to let the weapon go. Whoever won, would live. Whoever lost, would die. The two began to wrestle. Both hands occupied, Webber threw his weight forward. He collided into Light, shoving him backward with his sheer size and muscle. Light fell back onto the concrete. Webber's weight crushed into him, but he did not care. He was here to save Lawliet, and that was just what he would do. He lifted his knee, cracking it into Webber's middle. Webber let out a cry and his grip weakened. He had little hope. He was already far too weak to fight Light after the previous two beatings he took. Blinded, he had no chance.
Light wrenched the gun out of his hands. The gun was free. Light immediately jumped to his feet. He hurried out and away from Webber so that Webber could not come after him again. Blind, he wouldn't know which way to turn.
Webber got to his hands and knees. He sat there for a few stunned seconds. His entire demeanor, his entire personality seemed to change right before Light's eyes. His angry, sinister face slackened. His wicked grin vanished. Even his snarl disappeared. Underneath the mutilation of his skin, his face became something close to fear. His blind eyes widened as he realized he'd been defeated. He hadn't the strength to tackle Light again. With the gun gone, with his strength gone and with his plans gone, he was left with nothing. Light had the strength, he had the gun. Light was now in charge. And Webber couldn't take that control away from him. He couldn't take back his power.
His large body began to tremble as the shock of being beaten hit him. He knew as well as Light did that he had no hope of surviving this encounter. He would die. Light would kill him. All Light had to do was pull the trigger perhaps five times. It wouldn't take much more time than pulling it once. It was all over. Webber had failed to complete his plans yet again. His prey would escape. He would not get to have L. He would not get to touch him, hurt him, take him for his own. It was a broken dream.
"No! No!" Webber suddenly screamed with desperation. His cocky attitude and confidence melted as if it were sugar in the rain. He scrambled away from Light and backward to where L lay on the ground. He remembered where L lay. He knew where he was, even in his blinded state. He swore that if he could see nothing else, he could at least see L. Webber clawed his way desperately toward him.
"He's mine! Mine!" Light's eyes narrowed. Even in his defeat, Webber was as disgusting and as putrid as ever. Eager to keep Webber away from L, Light aimed at the worming form on the ground and pulled the trigger. Click. Click. Blanks. Light let out a frustrated snarl.
Webber reached L's fallen figure and stretched out his hands. He grabbed L, pulling him into his grasp. Webber hoisted L's form up and into his arms. And there he sat with him. But something was terribly wrong. L let out a weak hardly audible groan of misery as he was lifted. And his body gave no resistance, as he was touched. His arms fell limp to his sides as he was lifted. His head lolled back, his mop of black hair throwing itself backward and down L's neck. He looked like a life-sized rag doll.
And there, staining his perfectly white body, was even more blood than before. It oozed from his shoulder, dripping down his slack arm. It carved trails across skin that had become paler than snow. It dripped to the concrete with a 'plink' 'plink'. And even over Webber's labored and erratic breathing, Light could hear it. L had been shot a second time. The stray bullet from Light and Webber's struggle must have hit him.
For just a moment, Light allowed the shock to take him. L was not moving. Even as Webber grabbed his small form he did not move. He was completely slack in his attackers arms. His hands and fingers like string at his side. The only indication at all that he was even conscious was his half-open eyes. They stared out almost blankly through their exhaustion.
Webber didn't seem to care. He didn't care for L's condition. He didn't care that his prized quarry was not even able to be a satisfactory victim anymore. Webber's eyes were wild, desperate. He seethed through his injuries as he clutched L's limp and nearly naked body. He stared out at the place he thought Light stood in a deranged way.
"He's mine! I earned him! L Lawliet! The greatest detective! He's mine! I worked hard! I know just how to do it! Fifteen boys before him! But they were just practice! L is the prize! My prize! I want him! Twelve years old! So smug in his chair! So much better than everyone else! Smarter than anyone, even the most experienced police investigators! And he was only twelve! You should have seen him! Sitting there like a fetus, all curled up! Munching away on a bowl of chocolate ice-cream! Softly speaking orders that everyone would follow! I want him!" Webber screamed. Light took a few steps forward; just to make sure he wouldn't miss. Just to make sure he wouldn't hit L. It was a clear shot. Webber's head only a few feet away.
"He was pale! Skinny! Weak! He acted like an adult, but I saw the truth! I saw him suffering! Each and everyday I saw him suffer! I watched them abuse him! I watched them treat him like a machine! Like he could do everything all by himself! But he was really just a kid! I knew he put on a tough front in order to survive! But inside he bled! He was bleeding! I saw it! He was small and fragile and tender! But he had that tough attitude. I knew that wasn't the real him! I had to see the real him! The child inside! I had to see! Can't you even understand? I want to touch him more than anything! I want to see L the way he was supposed to be! I want the child inside! I need to go inside! I know that child is still inside of L, even now, suffering! I need to touch it! I need to go inside! I want him! I want him!"
"I won't let you touch him," Light said. His tones were cool, cold. Unlike his rage from before, Light now knew exactly what he was doing. Even as disgust and revulsion rose inside of him, he kept his cool gaze. Even as his insides squirmed at Webber's words, he kept himself steady. Webber was sick. And Light knew he needed to end him. He needed to shoot him and kill him. He needed to get his filthy hands off of his Lawliet. Webber stared blindly forward at the place he thought Light stood. His eyes bled as he started to suddenly cry. He was hopeless.
"I want him!" He screamed it desperately as he clutched L's limp form. His thick hands squeezed L's thin arms. Webber clutched L to his chest, almost like a child holding a teddy bear in fear after waking from a nightmare. Light's unfeeling face did not move.
"Yeah well, someone else wants him now." Light raised the gun. He pointed the slick black object at Webber's head in a dooming manner as if it were an accusing finger. Then, he pulled the trigger. And this time, the gun went off. Webber's face exploded in an array of splatter and blood. With only one small, strangled gurgle, he fell backward and to the ground, his body collapsing. It landed with an echoing thud among the silence of the night. And as L collapsed beside him a smaller, lighter thud resonated the first.
For a second, Light simply stood there, the revolver smoking lightly in his hands. It rose slowly up and down, in tune to the rhythm of his breathing. He held that position, gun held out straight before him in a stiff arm. He stared at the body on the ground before him. He had never killed like this before. He had never witnessed the instantaneous consequences of death. He had never been privileged to the blood, the mass of bone and flesh that once had been a person. Even to him, a man who had killed thousands…this was a shock. Writing a name on a piece of paper was much different. It was drastically different from this.
Even if the man he had killed was Webber. Even if Webber deserved it, no, deserved much worse than a bullet to the face, it was difficult. Light felt numb. It was similar to the first time he had written a name in the Death Note. Only this time…there was no thrill. There was no voice telling him that this was good, that he should do it again, that all criminals should die in this manner. No. Perhaps…it was such a shock, because this was indeed Light's first killing. All the others he had written in the Death Note…those were Kira's victims. That had been Kira. But this man, this death, was all Light Yagami's.
His hand started to tremble, at first lightly, but then it became much more severe. But still he did not move. Light could have stood there in that position forever. He could have stood there, staring at the lump that was once Webber, that was once a man who could have, would have raped his Lawliet. Light could have stood wide-eyed and in shock if it hadn't been for a sudden and weak groan coming from the ground and to his right.
L let out a diminutive, frail and pitiful sound from his place on the alleyway floor. The small sound grabbed Light's attention and he suddenly dropped the gun as if startled out of his daze. It clattered loudly, almost deafeningly like deadweight. It was as if the gun had once been alive, but now that it was empty and had fulfilled its purpose of killing…it was now as dead as the victim it had created. Light's horrified gaze shifted from Webber to L. His terrified eyes grew even wider still.
"Lawliet!" He raced to L's side, his heart still racing from all that he had witnessed and been through. Light stopped as he stood over him. L looked bad. Very bad.
His once smooth, pale skin was now covered in dark welts. Bruises decorated him as if he were a Dalmatian. Small cuts and vicious lacerations bled from several places scattered about his body. His knees, elbows and hands were skinned from his struggles on the concrete. His lips were split open and bleeding, one of his eyes was swollen. His nails were broken and bleeding along with the rest of his broken and bleeding body. The gunshot wound in his thigh continued to bleed…and it's newest partner…the gunshot wound in L's shoulder, bled even faster. L was more red than white. A small pool of blood started to grow underneath his body. Light's heart twisted painfully in his chest.
"Oh God! Oh God Lawli!" Light immediately fell to his knees. He reached out, gently touching the bloody wound on L's shoulder. L was too weak to even hiss out in pain. The best he could do was furrow his black eyebrows together and let out a feeble whimper. Light's eyes filled with tears. He knew then, that L was dying, and unless he got to a hospital immediately…he would never make it.
"H…hold on Lawliet! I…I'm going to get you some help! I'll get you to a hospital ok! Please! Ju…just hold on!" L's tired eyes shifted their unfocused gaze to Light's worried face. As always, his eyes were a deep abyss of shimmering black.
"…R…Raito…I…I knew…knew you'd…come…" The pain was too much. Light's insides writhed in agony. He could not stand to see L this way. He could not stand to hear him speak so softly, so faintly. Light let out a soft sob. L should never have been in a position where he was made to be so weak, so frail.
"Of course I'd come! I could have never let Webber hurt you!" Light's almond brown eyes softened with his pain and they quickly began to glimmer. "Don't try to talk!" It was an order, but L had always been stubborn. Perhaps even more so than Light. As such, he continued his struggles with speech.
"Ra…Raito…" he mumbled. "I'm…cold…" Light's tears fell. They dropped from his grieving eyes like rain. They fell to the concrete, just beside L's blood. He immediately grabbed his light yellow button-up shirt and ripped it open, never caring for the buttons that had been popped or torn loose. He shrugged it off of his shoulders revealing only the white undershirt beneath it.
He gently reached out, taking L in his tender hands. Light very gently lifted L's upper body just enough so he could slide his shirt around L's shoulders. He compassionately lay L back down, and then folded the front of the fabric shut over L's small, bony form. The cloth was immediately stained, large red welts growing by the second. L continued to hold Light's gaze. And as the shirt was put around him, he slowly smiled through his pain.
"Y…you've always been…v…v…very handsome…R…Raito…" A stab of agony struck through Light so fast, that he hardly could have prepared for it. It sounded like L was saying goodbye. And Light did not want the sweet words he offered. Not now, in a place like this. Not in an alleyway with a dead corpse beside him. Not with the stench of the dumpsters wafting through the air along with the gunpowder and blood. He wanted them later on, when they were happy, in their apartment, or out on the day, on the beach or in a park where there was sunlight…and most importantly…a smile on L's lips. He did not want to hear these sweet words here. He did not want to hear any goodbyes.
"Shut up! Shut up Lawliet! You're wasting your energy!" Light had screamed it, his chocolate eyes squeezing shut. But L's smile did not falter or fade, even though the sharpness in his eyes did.
"You…s…saved…"
"Yes! I saved you! I know that! Shut your mouth! I need to think! I need to figure out how to get you to a hospital!" L tried to laugh. But instead, pain flared through the numbness and the steadily settling cold. He coughed weakly instead, his small body jerking under the pressure.
"Always…thinking…" Light's tears fell. L wished he had the strength to reach up and brush them away. He didn't want to see Light cry. "Raito…I've been trying to te…tell you…" The last of his strength was leaving him. He could feel it. He was numb now. There was almost nothing left. He knew he had to hurry, or the message would never be said. He struggled to remain alert, to remain awake. He had to tell Light how much he loved him. He had to. But his eyelids were heavy. It was hard to fight. They kept closing against his will as if they were made of lead.
"Raito…I…I…" He could not get the breath. He could not find the air. His eyes were closing on him. His lungs felt full. Oxygen would not enter them. He barely had the air he needed to speak. "…I…lo…love…" But it was no use. His voice choked itself off. His weariness seized him. His body shut down.
Light waited for the rest. Waited for the last word that he knew L was trying desperately to say. But it did not come. L's eyes closed, and his body suddenly fell still. Silence settled in the darkened alleyway. Even the wind that had howled just a few hours before had fallen still. The silence was like a muffling cloud. Nothing could escape it.
"La…Lawli?" Light murmured L's new pet name softly, tenderly, trying to evoke some sort of response. But nothing came. Not even a crow cried. "Lawli?" He tried it again, as if it were some magical key that could bring his potential partner back into consciousness. But L did not stir. His wide black eyes were shut.
"Lawliet!" This time it was a demand. A demand to hear the rest of the message. But a demand worked about just as well as a soft request. L did not move. Terror pierced Light's body as if he were made of butter. For a moment he almost panicked. His thoughts almost spun wildly out of control. His heart screamed in terror that L was dead.
No! No! Stop! Think! You know what to do, check him! Make sure! Light lassoed his mind, yanking it violently back into place. It was up to his brain to keep his heart from careening out of control. It was up to his brain to keep him together and in one piece. There was no way of knowing if L was really dead unless he checked. And if he was still alive…then Light could save him.
Light forced his unsteady gaze to L's bloodied face. He sure as hell looked dead. Light shook his head back and fourth wildly, his caramel hair waving in all sorts of directions as he did so.
Stay focused! Stick out your hand, feel for his heart. Light obeyed himself and carefully held out one hand. He immediately noticed that it trembled. And the moment he noticed that, it began to shake even more wildly.
Stop it! Be a man! It's up to you to save Lawliet! He's fine! You'll see. Trusting himself yet again, Light reached out his trembling fingers. He quickly, pressed two of them against L's soft and slender white neck. He was warm…
Light felt heat coming to his cheeks. He blatantly ignored it. He instead focused on the feeling in his fingers. He waited for a pulse.
There! He felt it! There was indeed a pulse. It was weak, and quiet as it stayed hidden beneath Lawliet's skin, but it was there, and it was steady. He was alive. Light let out a strained and broken laugh of relief. Of course Lawliet's alive! He wouldn't give up that easily! Light rejoiced silently. Now all that left was to…
"FREEZE!" Light jumped nearly out of his pants as terror pierced his body. He spun around to see three silhouettes against the orange glow at the front of the alleyway. He also saw guns. His caramel eyes widened. Who were these people? Why did they want to kill him? Were they with Webber? No. Or…if they were…they were after Lawliet, not Light Yagami.
Light's eyes narrowed suddenly and dangerously. L wasn't dead yet. And there was no way in hell he was going to let him die. Not after he'd finally saved him. Not after there was a chance at getting him to a hospital. Light stood up immediately, steel in his weary eyes. He didn't know how much more he could take without cracking. This night just would not end. It continued to torture the misfit couple.
"I won't let you near him!" He stated it boldly, almost stupidly to the three, armed people at the entrance to the alleyway. Light spread his arms protectively, blocking the way to L's fallen form. The three black shadows seemed suddenly confused and hesitant. They kept their guns trained on Light, but they didn't make a move.
Then suddenly, the smallest shadow in the center lowered its weapon.
"Light Yagami?" Light blinked, realizing then that the voice belonged to a woman. He hesitated. Were they looking for him? Did they figure out he was Kira? Had they come for his head to arrest him? What about L? Should I lie? His brain had just started picking apart the answer and trying to determine who these people were when the woman spoke again.
"It's ok. We're the good guys! Watari sent us." Light blinked into the orange glow.
"Wh…what?" Watari? Light recalled having told L to call Watari for help back during the ransom call. Were these people really with L and Watari? Light's eyes narrowed; there was really no way to know for certain. What if they were with Webber? Light was far too frantic; he'd been through too much to think clearly.
The other two people put their guns down as well. The lead woman glanced around the alleyway.
"I see you brought down Webber already. Is he dead?" Light was feeling rather numb. He nodded in a daze. The woman sighed, and then stepped further into the alleyway. Her two consorts followed her. Once they stepped into the same patch of darkness that L and Light were trapped in, Light's eyes were able to adjust. He immediately saw that there were two men and one woman. They wore swat team uniforms complete with bulletproof vests. But all three were unmarked and had no badges. They could have been terrorists for all Light knew. They started to walk over and Light immediately stiffened and reaffirmed his position. He spread his arms even wider.
"Stop right there! I won't let you closer! Prove you are who you say you are!" The woman at first looked annoyed, but then her face suddenly slackened and a small, kind smile formed on her face.
"…I didn't believe Watari at first…but I guess it's true. You sure are acting like you're L's lover." Light's face fell to shock and heat immediately overtook him. Lover? He gaped at the squad. His heart let off a jolt at the shocking statement.
"Watari relayed the conversation he had with L over to us. He informed us of everything that was going on and sent us to assist L in his rescue mission. He told us that L wouldn't stay put as told and would probably go after Webber himself after the hour was up. He told us he would do this because…L had fallen in love with someone. Watari said…L had fallen in love with the victim, Light Yagami. I assume that's you?"
Light was completely speechless. L had said that? L had said he loved Light? He admitted all of this to Watari? Over the phone? When they hadn't seen or spoken to each other in months? L just went and broke the news to his guardian cold turkey?
Light couldn't ever imagine telling his father that he was gay. But L had done it as if it were an everyday matter, like talking about the weather. Was he that brash? Or was it that he didn't care what anyone else thought? But that didn't make sense. If L cared about one person's opinion in the entire world, it would have been Watari's. But then again…perhaps at the time, L hadn't cared how Watari would have reacted. L had been desperate for help. He needed Watari's assistance in order to rescue Light and then escape alive himself. He would not have allowed Watari to say no, or act in a way that may have wasted time. And in order to explain to Watari why he would not follow procedure or the logical rout of action…he would have had to have told his old guardian his true feelings.
Light's face burned. It was flattering and stunning all at once. And now, not only did Watari know their little secret, but the three strangers before him with guns knew as well.
So what? He told himself firmly. So what if they know? It's true isn't it? And there's no need to be embarrassed. No! I'm proud! I'm proud to be honored with the responsibility of being worthy of L's love! And nothing else in all of the world has felt this right to me! I love him and no one can change that.
"Watari was quite shocked from what I heard," the swat team agent said. "But L was in trouble. He never would have let L suffer, no matter how shocking the news. So he sent us here immediately, but no one was at the address we were given. We heard the screams and followed them here." Light still said nothing and he was too stunned to stand down. Still feeling uneasy, Light kept his stance before his fallen partner. The woman swat team member smirked.
"You can put your arms down. We're not going to hurt L." Light slowly and hesitantly lowered his arms from his defensive position. But he still did not leave L's side. Their story made sense. And they wouldn't have been carrying IDs if they were a special team sent by Watari. Light decided…he would have to trust them. He had no choice. They had to help L as fast as possible and Light had no car and no phone. He had no way of getting him the help he needed.
The woman gave a curt nod toward Light out of respect as he stood down, then gestured her two teammates to Webber.
"Take out the trash. I'll see how L's doing." Her team nodded and then hurried to Webber's body. The woman walked toward Light. Light quickly stood aside to let her through.
"He's hurt, very badly. He…he's been shot. He's bleeding to death! We…we need a hospital! But…his name…we can't…"
"I understand. It's too dangerous to admit him to a public hospital. If you and L are discovered you'll both be killed. Don't worry, Watari set everything up. L has friends here, even if he didn't believe he did. Some of us don't care what he's done. We're still loyal." She knelt down by L's side and looked him over very quickly. Her smile vanished as a look of worry overtook her. "He's in bad shape…"
"Yeah! That's what I just said! Come on! We have to hurry!"
"Keep your pants on sparky. We have it under control." She grabbed a walky-talky out of her belt and quickly pressed the connection. "We need an ambulance at current location ASAP! We were too late! I repeat! We need an ambulance ASAP! We didn't make it in time!" She released the button, and then turned to look up at Light. She noted his completely terrified face.
"It's ok Light. You did good. In fact, you did excellent. You saved him. If it wasn't for you, I'm sure L'd be dead. He'll be ok now. He's not a quitter. He'll be ok." The tension in Light's body started to fade just a bit. Tears re-entered his eyes. That was all he wanted to hear. Lawliet will be ok. His chest tightened as his eyes burned. They brimmed and a fresh batch of pearls rolled their way down his cheeks.
"Thank God."