Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note nor any of the characters contained therein.
Summary: L knew there was a 2nd Death Note. Higuchi died & L set a plan in motion, watching Misa, finding a way to meet Ryuk, trying to defeat Kira. Slight AU/AR; rated T for language and nudity; peripheral pairings; spoilers through end of series.
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Turn of the 8th Day
Chapter 25: There Knits a Bolder One
Lockstitch
The yelling had stopped several minutes ago, but it still seemed to thicken the air. Mogi felt more reluctant to speak than usual and wondered if he'd made the wrong choice in trusting L. The flashdrive they'd taken from Light had contained a copy of Mogi's database of death and a folder full of files on Yotsuba, but no images of L. Combined with the fact that all other data on the case had been lost (at least as far as the rest of the Task Force knew), including the audio of Light's damning conversation with Misa, it had been quite a letdown. Soichiro had been furious.
L's demeanor following the revelation and subsequent outburst had been his usual calm, but Mogi could almost feel the frustration radiating from his hunched form as they watched Soichiro unbind his son. Matsuda had willingly run off to get a change of clothing for Light, which was now in a stack on the floor of the interrogation room, as L's conditions for Light's release had included not being allowed to wear or have access to anything he'd been wearing during his attempt to escape, as well as not leaving the main HQ level. Mogi wondered if there really was another flashdrive somewhere, or if L was getting desperate, throwing new theories into the mix just for distraction's sake. He hoped L knew what he was doing.
"Ryuzaki . . ." Mogi spoke reluctantly, watching Soichiro steady his son onscreen as Light pulled the hospital gown over his head, skin gleaming under harsh lights.
"Yes, Mogi?" L did not turn around, intent on the screen.
"Should I . . . check the elevator?"
"Yes, and quickly."
"Got it." Mogi took a deep breath and walked to the elevator. He pressed the down arrow and stood facing the doors, waiting. Matsuda rounded the corner, returning from the interrogation room at the far end of the hall.
"Sorry that took awhile. I wasn't really sure what – whoa, what is it, Mogi?"
"I . . . need to do something." Mogi didn't want to say that he needed to check the elevator shaft for a second flashdrive hidden by Light – he wanted to trust Matsuda, but wasn't sure the other man would be able to keep the information a secret, and there wasn't much time to explain. The elevator chimed its arrival.
"Can I help?"
"Maybe you should stay with Ryuzaki, in case –"
"That's alright. Help Mogi if you can, Matsuda. And Mogi," L looked over his shoulder in a smooth swift motion, "thank you."
Mogi nodded and turned back to the elevator and Matsuda, considering how best to proceed.
"What do we need to do?" Matsuda said as Mogi pressed the button to open the elevator doors again.
Rubbing his chin with a knuckle, Mogi decided that the approach that made the most sense was to stop the elevator two floors below HQ level, where it had been when Light had fallen in. "OK, I need you to get in and take the elevator two floors down and stop it. Lock it in place with the emergency button. Keep it there until I call you."
"And then what?"
"Just stay there until I call you."
"Wait – that's it?" Matsuda seemed crestfallen.
"Yeah. I need to climb into the shaft and search it quickly, make sure that . . . nothing fell down there. It'll take too long if we both take the elevator down and then walk back up."
"Well, OK . . ." Matsuda entered the elevator, watching his feet.
"Thanks, Matsuda." Mogi gave him a sad smile as the doors came between them. After a few seconds of mechanical humming, the elevator stopped. A plaintive alarm began to sound, much quieter than the ones that had been ringing during the lockdown hours earlier. I guess it's showtime, Mogi thought, propping open the doors and climbing into the opening.
If they heard the elevator's alarm in the interrogation room, they did not react to it. Soichiro was admonishing his son for "needlessly" drawing suspicion to himself and possibly contributing to a felony. As he slipped on new clothing, the unforgiving glare of lights hemming him in, Light was uttering platitudes and excuses to his father, who seemed to believe him. It was completely disgusting to L, who was starting to share Rem's dim view of the human race.
The likelihood of another flashdrive being in the elevator shaft was approximately 23% by L's estimation, possibly lower, but ruling it out as a hiding place would help narrow down the list of potential hiding places. More valuable was the knowledge that Mogi still trusted him enough to help. I will not forget his loyalty, L thought, scribbling on a slip of paper as he kept an eye on the screens.
When they'd searched Light's clothing and the items in his possession, neither he nor Mogi had found anything suspicious beyond the single flashdrive, but L couldn't rule out the possibility that something, some clue, might still remain among them. The box containing these items was waiting for him to go through again, just to be sure, in his room now. I cannot let Light have access to these items, even if the likelihood of there being any pertinent evidence within them is only 3%, L thought; there's certainly no second flashdrive there, unless he dismantled it . . . which is unlikely. L hoped he'd have the time to examine them later.
Though other hiding places were possible, the two other most likely places where Light might have hidden another flashdrive were back in the server room (53%) and on his person somehow (5%). It would be just like Light to be so bold as to leave the real flashdrive hidden in the server room, L thought, or somewhere in plain sight, and then pretend to escape, knowing he'd be cleared later and could go back for it. Good thing the surveillance files are too large to be sent by phone, or he wouldn't have had to escape to send one. L was itching to go to the server room immediately, but he stuck to his resolution to wait until Light went there so he could catch him in the act.
L felt that it was far less likely that Light had secreted the flashdrive on himself. There were few places he could have put it for it to have escaped notice when L and Mogi had undressed his unconscious form, and given the potential health risks of either swallowing or inserting a rectangular metal object, as well as Light's apparent squeamishness regarding bodily functions, L considered the scenario unlikely. He wished that there was a metal detector on the same floor as HQ – bringing Light downstairs to the garage entrance just to run him through one could be too risky. Perhaps Watari has a metal detector wand stored in the building, L thought; I will have to ask him when he returns. L knew he'd need to watch Light closely. The likelihood of there not being a second flashdrive with surveillance footage of L on it was less than one percent.
Soichiro's hand was on Light's shoulder as he spoke earnestly to his son in the other room. L listened carefully to make sure that Soichiro kept his word not to tell Light of Misa's presence in the building. Light nodded and managed to look contrite, though his responses seemed as hollow as ever to L. If I lose this battle, he thought, can they win the war? L exhaled, pinching his lip, thinking of two orphaned boys on the other side of the world. They should not have to finish this for me – they will have their own burdens to bear. If they must . . .
Ringing. L blinked at the phone, then reached for it, expecting Watari. "Yes?"
In the other room, Light and Soichiro made soft promises in weary voices, nodding at each other as if in understanding. They moved to embrace, locking together, a circuit completing.
As he listened, L's eyes widened slightly. "I see . . ." A metallic scraping noise behind him told him that Mogi was emerging from the elevator shaft and removing the metal bar he'd used to prop the doors. "That is excellent news. Yes . . . I realize that. Where will they be processing it?" L was dimly aware of some murmuring in the background and noticed when the elevator alarm ceased. "Understood. No, actually, I think you should return here, if they will allow it. If – ah. Good. Yes, of course. Actually, there is a car at St. Luke's, if you can get to it. Hm, perhaps, but you could – hm. If that's the case, then by all means. Well . . . I'm not prepared for that, but it could be advantageous for him to remain nearby, assuming that –"
Footsteps indicated that Mogi had moved to L's side, and he looked up at the burly man, who gave a firm side-to-side shake of his head, expression grim. Unsurprised, L nodded once. "Yes, that should be fine. It's been a long day for all of us, so I won't keep you long. See you soon." L hung up.
There was a soft ding behind them. "Who was that?"
"That was Aizawa." L said, glancing at Mogi. "He and Ide are on their way here now. Apparently they and their former kidnappers parted on good terms and were able to obtain some pertinent evidence."
"What? Aizawa and Ide are coming back?" Matsuda bounded across the room. "That's terrific!"
"I quite agree." L steepled his fingers in front of his face, watching the screen as Soichiro and Light nodded at each other before turning toward the door of the interrogation room.
"What evidence did they find?" Mogi asked, seeming more wary than hopeful.
"Well, they are having an independent lab process the results, but . . . it might be better if Aizawa explains when he gets here." L finished changing which surveillance feeds were shown on the monitors, making sure that Misa's room would now only be viewable from Watari's station and his own secret one in his room, just as her empty apartment still was.
"Aw – do we really have to wait?" Matsuda seemed about to pout.
"If Aizawa explains their findings in his own words, it is less likely that such findings will be dismissed as biased." L allowed the slightest tinge of bitterness into his voice and saw by the other two men's expressions that they seemed to understand his predicament. Soichiro would be in no mood to hear L speak of new evidence against Kira, particularly if that evidence implicated Light. Coming from Aizawa, however, the evidence at least had the chance of being considered.
The soft patter of two sets of footsteps approaching from the hallway sounded deceptively soothing, their arrival at HQ a calm finality. L did not turn around.
"Um, hey Chief, hey Light . . ." Matsuda awkwardly greeted father and son as they entered the room. "Are you feeling OK?"
"I'm fine now, Matsuda, but thanks for asking." Light's dulcet tones permeated the air, no pain to be heard in it despite his slight limp. L remained still, watching reflections.
"Did we miss anything?" Weariness suffused Soichiro's voice, temporarily blotting out the anger.
"Oh yeah, we just heard from –"
"Watari is still on his way back." L interrupted Matsuda. "And I just received a call from Aizawa." L spun slowly in his chair to face them, his expression stony. "He and Ide have been released by their kidnappers, and Aizawa will be here within the hour."
"Finally. Good news." Some of the tension seemed to leave Soichiro as he sighed. "What did he say?" Soichiro looked in L's direction, but not quite into his eyes.
"He said that he had information to share with us when he arrives." L's tone was clipped, and as he could not catch Soichiro's gaze, he caught his son's. Light's eyes seemed to smolder with rage, their amber hue almost red across the span of the room as he stared through his lashes at L, not even bothering to hide his smirk. L maintained his slack and somewhat sullen expression. He knew that he could mess with Light's mind now, make him think he knew something that Light did not, but L needed Light to feel overconfident. There were only so many cards left to play – unless he could get Light to give him one more. Even one could turn the game.
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Countercurrent Exchange
Floating out of a stable of seahorses, she looked up and saw a gimlet moon wink and waver through the sapphire sea. She swam toward it, intrigued but unhurried. A muffled splash drew her eye – a radio drifted toward her, cord trailing behind it like a tail, somehow broadcasting under water. She moved to meet it, straining to hear.
". . . happens sometimes. Luckily, the swelling seems to have abated and possibly even receded somewhat."
"How long before she wakes up?"
"Hard to say. Could be in a few minutes, or a few hours, or a few days. Even if she wakes sooner rather than later, she's in no condition to leave anytime soon. We'll need to monitor her for any additional trauma, keep her vitals steady."
"Uh, 'additional trauma'?"
"Yes. Sometimes with injuries like these, the patient will suffer a stroke later, for example. The chance of that is relatively low, but if she's here, we'd be able to mitigate the effects quickly. Response time is critical if something like that happens. Just try and be patient, Agent Amberson."
"Just . . . call me Tom. And thanks, Doc."
"Sure thing, Tom. Is she . . . more than just a co-worker, by the way?"
"I'm afraid that's confidential information."
Men laughing, the sound breaking in waves above her. The radio kept sinking, drifting too far below her to hear anymore, and she swam, fingers combing through water. She knew she'd reach air soon, but she did not hurry. The moon winked at her once more before sliding behind a cloud and cloaking her in darkness.
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Stitching Clay
"Are you sure?" The darkened livingroom was quiet around him, and it felt wrong to speak, as though sound was a violation of a pact he'd made with it. The room seemed to sigh, and he looked up to see the shadow of a branch gesture, waving him away. He wanted to sit, but couldn't stand the thought of comfort.
"How long before we'll know?" He continued to pace, bare feet on cool wood. "Yes, I understand. No, no – I was up anyway," he lied.
Moonlight glanced off the glass of the coffee table, and for a moment, he thought he saw her face. He felt the familiar clench in his heart, the one that seemed to thread through his whole body, cinching him up, making him fear the next breath he took – not because it might be his last, but because it would be another in a sequence that had gone on for too long already.
"It's fine. I . . . appreciate everything you've done for us. I will. Goodnight." He pressed the button to end the call and set his phone in the charger, marveling that his hands could still shake after all this time. Circling the room, he touched the curtains, pulling them to close any gaps. He stopped where he usually did, by the framed photo he found himself lifting. Staring into her eyes, he thought We do not need ghosts when we haunt ourselves. He was tempted to light the candle and fill the room with the scent of sweet orange, her favorite, but he knew now was not the time. Walking softly, he returned to the bedroom, hand out to feel his way there.
Rustling greeted him as he closed the door. "Was that Jack?"
"No. I wouldn't call Penber at this hour." He sat on the bed, rubbing one foot against the other, wondering if they would ever meet the father of their daughter's fiancé, or if they ever should.
"I know someone texted you, dear. I heard the chime."
He turned toward her voice, swinging his legs up and under the covers. "I thought you were sleeping better now."
"I am, but you know I've always been a light sleeper. Are you going to tell me what it was about?" His wife's voice was gentle.
What should I tell her? he wondered. The things they found could all point down another wrong path – she shouldn't have to lose more sleep over mere theories. He decided it would be better to wait until they had some results, even if it took a few weeks. "Carter said they had a new lead they're working on. There are some things they need to confirm before they can tell us any more than that."
"I see." Her voice sounded sad, but held no accusation. "They keep telling us that."
"Hopefully this will be the last time." He moved close to her and felt her turn. Encircling her with an arm, he felt her press against him, warmth blossoming along his ribcage.
Their heartbeats making a harmony of rhythm, he tried to reach a state of greater calm. Whether I can rest or not, she needs her sleep, he thought. I can at least give her that. His breathing gradually slowed as he stared at a ceiling he could not see, images of fire and ash raging in his head. Kanichi Misora kept his thoughts to himself, sheltering the woman he loved from the horror that might have consumed their daughter.
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Counter Encounter
No one seemed to have anything to say. The hour alone could not account for their reticence, and the tension was palpable. There were things to be done, however, and new possibilities to look forward to now. Perhaps the push and pull of the case was finally taking its toll, stealing their energy even as triumph felt closer than ever. I guess they just don't know it yet, he thought. Light suppressed a smile and stood.
"Everything alright, son?" Soichiro looked up from where he sat slumped on a couch.
"Yeah, Dad. I just need to use the restroom." Light moved as smoothly as he could manage, favoring his twisted ankle.
"Do you need any help?"
"Dad." Light grimaced. "I'm fine, I was just . . . in there for awhile, so I need to go." Light glared at the back of L's head, daring him to speak.
"Of course, son." Soichiro looked away, swinging his gaze to where Mogi stood next to L.
Light exited HQ, glancing behind him once as he entered the hallway. Mogi had started walking in his direction. Pretending not to notice, Light continued, but slowed his walk.
"What is it, Mogi?" Soichiro's voice carried from HQ down the hall.
"Uh, nothing, Chief. I need to use the restroom as well." Mogi sounded somewhat embarrassed.
"Mogi . . . we've worked together too long for you to lie to me." Soichiro sounded tired. "You've been watching my son for hours now – let the boy have 5 minutes of peace. He isn't going anywhere."
"Alright, Chief," came Mogi's disheartened reply.
Light listened a moment longer, his hand hovering near the doorknob of the bathroom's entrance. Sounds like no one's following – good, he thought. At least Dad's still on my side. Keeping an ear cocked just in case, he moved over the threshold.
Both hands now on the vanity, framing the center sink, Light looked into his own eyes. All I have to do is find a new place to hide the other flashdrive until I can use it, he thought. I don't believe for a second that Misa would turn against me, no matter what L might say, so I just need to stick to the plan and find a way for Misa to see the surveillance video of L I copied. I can do this. A flash of white caught his eye in the reflection, and he spun around.
The shinigami passed the rest of the way through the wall of urinals to stare glumly at Light. Taking an involuntary step back, Light winced, lifting his left foot as his head swam with pain. "Rem, it's not –"
"There are no cameras or listening devices in here, Light Yagami. I have checked."
Light smiled. Not the question I was going to ask you, shinigami, he thought, but that's good to know. "You're still mad, aren't you, Rem." Light met her eye as she narrowed it. "He'll do it too, you know."
"What do you mean?" Rem loomed over Light as he rested against the vanity, his back to the mirror, hands on either side along the edge.
"Ryuzaki. If you've made any kind of deal with him, he'll double-cross you, just like I did." Light's smile widened as Rem reared back in shock. "The difference is, he has no use for Misa. He only cares about solving the case. Once that's done, there'll be no more reason for him to keep her alive."
"He knows I would kill him if he did that. And I have already learned not to make deals with humans."
Light laughed softly. L knows you'd kill him? Light thought; thanks for confirming my suspicions, stupid shinigami. "Is that so? Then why are you talking to me?" After a moment of silence under Rem's glacial glare, Light tossed his hair out of his eyes. "Whatever he's said to you means nothing. He lies."
"So do you."
"Sometimes. But I had every intention of keeping my word to protect Misa, Rem. I would have saved Misa. It might have cost you your life, but I never promised it wouldn't. You said you cared enough about Misa to die for her. Guess I shouldn't have taken you at your word." Light took some satisfaction in the stunned look on Rem's face.
"You forget that I can see Misa's lifeline. Though it is shorter now, because of you."
"Misa made that decision entirely on her own, Rem. Also . . . since the whole point of seeing a human's lifespan is for a shinigami to know how much they can collect, someone's lifespan doesn't show when they might be killed using a Death Note – which means that someone could be writing Misa's name down right now, and you wouldn't know it until she died." Light waited for Rem to catch up to his logic.
"You're . . . you're saying that Ryuzaki would use the Death Note to kill Misa?" Rem seemed unconvinced.
"I notice the Death Note isn't on the table anymore, Rem. Did you move it somewhere? Or did he?"
Rem stared at Light, fear seeming to dawn in her eye.
Paydirt, Light thought. "My plan is still the best one for Misa. She'll always love me, and I'll always be there for her. If you want her to be safe and happy, you'll kill him."
Moments ticked by as Rem stood there, an indecorous statue in the middle of the men's room. Eventually, her mouth closed and she slipped wordlessly back through the wall. Light chuckled. Guess I won't have to use Misa after all, he thought; I can just wait until after L's dead and get rid of the flashdrive then, when it's safe – it shouldn't be long now. Light's smile spread to split his face. Victory is within my grasp.
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Author's Note: Ah, Light. So very, very sure of himself. He doesn't even suspect that Misa hasn't gotten his message with their little code word, let alone that she's in the building and no longer has her memories. Even geniuses have flaws, particularly when they allow pride or overconfidence to blind them. L's not perfect either, and so much is still up in the air. At least Wedy seems to be improving, as she drifts closer to regaining consciousness.
It was interesting to write Naomi's parents. Families who lose a loved one but have no idea what happened seem to suffer more – the wound can't close. The father's thoughts were sort of an echoing sentiment to Rester's that that death is easiest for the dead. Though I don't point it out in the text (and it probably doesn't need pointing out), Naomi's father is the "friend of a friend" Rester mentioned to Aizawa and Ide early on, and the "friend" in that equation is Jack Penber, Raye's father. There's no reason to shoehorn all this explanation into the story itself, but in my scattered notes (I am surely keeping the Post-It company in business), Rester, aka Carter, has worked with and is friends with Jack Penber, and Raye's parents would have been in contact with Naomi's parents once Raye and Naomi got engaged, and Jack had Rester/Carter contact the Misoras after Naomi went missing. I figure Jack would have wanted to help find Naomi for Raye's sake, and would have empathized with her parents as well.
Some of my chapter and section titles (though not all) are quotes from things – bonus points to anyone who can place them.
UPDATED! As I was re-reading the "Lockstitch" section, I decided that it would make more sense for Light to be restrained by L and Mogi on the same floor as the main HQ room since the building was still in lockdown. I suppose I could have left it as it was, but it made me feel like I had to explain how they could have gotten to another floor and why, and I didn't want to overcomplicate things. (She says, overcomplicating things.)