Expanded version of L's life 'flashing before his eyes' :;(

L stood in A's room, looking down at the dead girl. Her eyes were still half-open, glazed over and milky. The knife she had used to cut her wrists open was still clenched in her fist.

He knelt and gently tugged at the handle of the blade. When it didn't give, he yanked harder, and it slipped out of her hand, cutting a slit in the dead skin as it went.

He held it up, gazing at a scratched message on the handle:

Happy Birthday, A! To thank you for that time you snuck that switchblade to me from America J -BB

He dropped the blade, and it splashed in the puddle of blood, red droplets spraying into the air.

xxx

L pulled himself over the fence, panting quietly. He pressed the button on his transceiver. "Maureen? Where are you?"

The signal crackled. "I'm over the ridge."

L groaned. "Another one?"

Maureen giggled from the other end. "Sorry. But this is a lead that you'll love. I think it'll work great!"

L sighed. "Be there in three. L out." he clicked the button and headed for the ridge. He took a running start and leapt, grabbing onto a tree root sticking out of the dry, crumbling earth. His feet scrambled for a hold. When he finally got over the ridge, he was sweaty and his arms were shaking.

He stood up, legs shaking, and brushed his dirty hands on his pants. "Maureen?" he looked up and was met with a gun pointed in his face.

She laughed coldly. "So, even the famous L can make a mistake."

Maureen," L backed away slowly, and he felt dirt crumble beneath his heel. He turned his head and saw that Maureen had backed him to the edge of the cliff.

Maureen," he repeated. "What do you think you're doing?"

Maureen nudged the gun between his eyes. "L, I'll admit you're smart. Smarter than the mass majority of the world. But you're too naïve." she nudged him again, and his foot began to slip.

Maureen, there is a 30.9 percent chance that – "

Yada, yada, yada, I don't care, L." she moved the gun from between his eyes to his temple. "You shouldn't be so quick to trust people, L. Especially people you haven't done background checks on."

She grinned at him again before pushing him in the chest, sending him stumbling off the side of the cliff.

The earth fell apart beneath his feet, and he fell, hitting, scraping and bouncing against the side of the mountain face. He managed to snag a hanging root, and he stayed there, holding onto the feeble root for dear life. As he hung there, he felt tears began to prick at his eyes. What did I do to deserve this? he thought. Why do I have to do this? Why do I have to risk my life for people who I don't even know? Why won't anybody help me? Somebody, just tell me, please.

What did I do wrong?

xxx

L squatted, hunched behind a stack of crates, peering out through a gap between two boards. The two burly men sat across the table from the smaller, ferrety-looking one. L observed that he looked a lot like a character in a cartoon that he had seen recently.

The ferrety man placed a sheaf of papers on the table between them, leaning forwards and conversing quietly with the two men. L narrowed his eyes, and managed to lip-read what he was saying.

The papers for the nuclear launch, signed by the president himself."

One of the two men took the papers, flipping through them. "And the old geezer really doesn't know they're for a nuke?"

I just had to scan the signature and copy it onto this." the ferrety man boasted quietly. "There are lots of things we can do with modern technology that people couldn't even dream of a decade ago.

L clenched his fists. He may have only been eight years old, but he had had the notions of justice pounded into his brain by his year and a half of training, and he knew that these three men were as far from justice as you could get.

L lifted his finger and pressed a button attached to the strap on his wrist. There was a quiet beep, and the warehouse exploded in commotion.

Armed men rushed out from all the nooks and crannies, safely covered in the S.W.A.T. uniforms that the American strike teams used. They surrounded the three men, aiming their rifles directly at them. The ferrety man squeaked in terror, and scrambled to hide behind the bigger men.

L slipped out from his hiding spot and walked towards the three perpetrators. The strike team parted respectfully before him, and he stood in front of the three criminals, back hunched slightly, hands in his pockets, gazing up at them with his wide black eyes.

The three men looked rather disgruntled at having a child scrutinizing them like cuts of meat. "What the hell is a kid doing here?" one of the bigger men asked the other.

I am L," L's voice was smooth and, though significantly higher than any of the other detectives that the three men had ever met, carried an air of authority that made them shiver.

L?" the ferrety man gasped. "I've heard of him! Are you telling me that this. . . kid is L?"

We stand witness to the three of you trading papers authorizing a nuclear launch." L continued as if there had been no interruption. "You are found guilty on multiple charges, including forgery, fraud, and treason."

Treason?" the other big man snorted. "This is America, kid. Go back to your Queen."

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in court." L raised his voice slightly to mask the blabbering of the men. "Gentlemen, if you will."

Three strike members walked forwards, holding handcuffs. The ferrety man offered his hands, trembling from head to toe, and one of the big men reluctantly held out his wrists. The third big man stood stock-still, glowering at L.

Sir, this will be a lot easier if you would cooperate." L said.

The man glared at him and, suddenly, he whipped out a gun from a back pocket and aimed it at him. L barely had time to react before there was a loud bang. He stiffened, expecting death to grab him in its jowls, but he felt nothing. The man, however, had a red stain spreading on his shirt. He had been shot by a S.W.A.T. officer.

The man fell forwards, landing on his face. L leaned forwards, ears ringing, trembling slightly, though he did not show it. The man was still, and there was a puddle of red beginning to spread beneath him.

He was dead.

xxx

L screamed, loud and drawn-out, jolting from the force of the shock. The man released the button on the Taser, laughing as he watched L trembling, occasionally jerking from the electric shock.

Stupid kid." he pressed the button again, and the shock spread through L's body, causing him to convulse and screech. "Think you can just waltz in here and tell us what to do?"

L raised himself shakily by his arms. "Justice," he coughed, still jerking from the shock. "Will prevail."

The man kicked him in the side, and L fell to the ground again.

Justice?" the man laughed. "You don't even look thirteen yet. Who are you to talk about justice?"

I.. ." L raised his head shakily. "I'm L."

L?" the man's face was covered in fear for a moment, before reverting back to a mask of confidence. "As if. You're telling me that L's a kid who can't even take a shock from a Taser?" he doubled over, laughing. "I don't know what I was so scared of!"

L's vision faded, and he closed his eyes. I failed. A tear trickled out from beneath his closed eyelid.

What am I worth if I fail

xxx

The blood was beginning to slide off the wall, but there were still stains. How hard did she cut herself? L wondered. Why did she cause so much pain to herself, and use so much force as to leave stains such as those

He stood up, and realize that A's blood had gotten onto the knees of his jeans. "Watari," he called behind him.

Yes, L?"

Keep all the children away from this room – no, keep them away from this hallway, this floor if possible. Bring them to the living room, show them a true crime film or something."

Yes, sir." Watari bowed and walked out.

What's going on, Mr. Watari?" L heard the curious boy, Mello, ask. "Why is L visiting A? And why does her room smell so bad?"

Is she sick?" another child asked.

Watari closed the door, and, through the wood, L could hear Watari reassuring them, telling them that there was something that L needed to take care of. L waited until he was 100 percent certain that all the children had left the vicinity before letting the gagging, retching sound he had been holding back leave his throat.

Oh, god." he fell to his knees in front of A's body. "Oh, god, A."

He covered his face with his hands, only to find that they were unnaturally warm, and somewhat sticky. He removed them, and saw that they were covered in A's blood.

He groaned. "Teresa. . . why did you do this to yourself?"

It's all your fault."

L whirled around. Standing in the doorway was a perfect replica of himself, identical in every way except one. His eyes, red instead of black, were full of a fierce, primitive fury.

B," L stood up hastily. "You should be in the living room."

B stepped forwards, glaring at L. "It's all your fault." he repeated. "You were pressuring her, stressing her out!"

Part of my job is being able to handle stress." L tried to keep his voice still and emotionless. "If she couldn't handle it, then that's her own fault – "

It's your fault!" B yelled. "You made her do this! You made her kill herself!"

B – "

I'll avenge her." B stepped forwards, eyes practically glowing. No, not practically. They were glowing. "I can see your death." B hissed. "It's faint, but I can see it."

Beyond – "

You'll pay for her life, and for every life that's been taken for your sake!" Beyond was practically shouting. "I'll kill you, L.

And I swear, by Heaven and Earth, that I'll make you feel the pain that everybody has had to endure.

Because of you.

Oh. So that's what he promised :