Chapter 24: The Monster Emerges

It had been a little over a week, and L was getting frustrated that he hadn't even obtained one piece of information out of her. He was tired of not knowing, he would have to change his tactic soon –basic confinement wasn't working.

"Anything yet?"

L breathed deeply, "no"

"Hasn't she been through enough Ryuzaki? Why put her through all of this just because she knew B?"

L spun in his chair to face him, eyes wide - "So, she did know him? – What haven't you been telling me Watari?"

"…It is true… that at one point they knew each other."

"Unbelievable" he said, fuming. All's he could think was that this girl had dug her way so deep that she had Watari keeping things from him. How did she manage that? He couldn't help but feel played – he clenched his jaw, enraged. This was just the push he needed to do something he didn't want to.

"Thank you for that Watari – please go remove the morphine drip."

"It's not finished yet"

"I am fully aware of that fact –I'm not asking you to replace it. Remove it, entirely."

"Pardon me?"

"I will get someone else to do it if you will not."

Watari looked at L shocked, "Yes, I understand"

He watched as Watari entered the room and carefully removed the piece from Mishca's arm. He noted that she didn't say anything to him, just gave him a look like she knew it was coming. Watari gave her an apologetic look as he wheeled the morphine drip out of the room.

For the next four days L had a difficult time watching her. The pain medication wore off quickly, within hours, and left her in excruciating pain. He hated to see her like this – but his anger was fighting hard to wash away the feeling of regret he had. He watched as her hands and limbs shook from the pain. She hadn't slept once since she'd been taken off her pain medication, the pain was too much for her to sleep. Her eyes had gone bloodshot and were welled up with tears. As much as he was struggling with what he had to do, he had accomplished something finally.. she was visibly vulnerable now, this was the time to push her.

He leaned forward towards the mic and pressed down on the intercom button, "You knew B. I've found out that much, it's not merely a speculation anymore, but a fact."

He paused to see her reaction, but there wasn't one.

"That would be check – your move, I suggest you start talking."

At this she raised her head towards the camera and smiled, shaking her head. "Have you learned nothing from me?" Her bloodshot eyes stared him down.

He didn't respond – unsure of where she was taking this.

She laughed slightly, "You haven't even seen the cards yet, and you're already bluffing…. You're playing the wrong game, my love."

He was thinking of a comeback before he was thrown off by what she had called him. 'What did she just call me?' His eyes softened and lips parted - his anger was pushed aside for that moment, allowing himself to revel in the sweet words. The joy lasted very briefly, as his mind pushed it aside, classifying the words as trickery.

"It appears… she has changed tactics as well." He said aloud to himself.

He couldn't let her pull at his heart strings, he needed the information she had – he had to be cold and unforgiving to get it. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way – not this time.

"Pretending to care for me won't work Mishca."

She looked hurt, "I do care."

"Then tell me what I need to know."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"For the same reason I push you away"

"And that would be?" He looked into her eyes, his internal struggle grew more difficult to handle at each word she spoke.

"It's too dangerous….You just need to trust me, L. You don't need to know."

Trust her? He thought, he wished he could, but his mind wouldn't let him.

A couple weeks later

She had gotten used to the pain, she was no longer shaking, she even dared to put herself through some leg exercises to pass the time. Watari disapproved of her stubbornness, he'd prefer if she had a physical therapist to assist her. For all he knew, she could be making it worse, but L didn't allow anyone to see her.

For the past week or so, he watched as he refused her meals, he didn't even allow her a drink of water. It didn't seem to faze her, and if it did affect her, she didn't bother to show it. L was beyond frustrated, any relation to BB was enough for him to think the worst, and her not talking only enhanced his suspicion of her being involved in one of BBs games – was she his accomplice? Why was she here? He had to know the history of the two's relations, it was difficult to determine her motive without knowing the past. At this point, he was certain that she had manipulated him and Watari from the beginning, pretending to care about them in order to gain their trust to get close… to do what, he had no idea, but he had had enough. He was irate, the more he watched her the less he viewed her as a love interest and the more he viewed her as a criminal – getting him to fall for her was her plan, wasn't it? To make it easier to strike later when his guard was down? It was a good plan, he thought, and he grew angrier at the fact he fell for it.

This game had to end. He wanted his answers damn it and he didn't care how he got them anymore.

Watari walked over to where L sat when he heard him tapping on a button. "What are you doing?"

"Increasing the heat to 37.7 Celsius"

Watari breathed in sharply, "You can't do that to her"

L spun around to look at him, "It's done. She's been in there for nearly a month and hasn't said a word, I have to push her harder."

"What does it matter if she knew B? There's no reason to put her through this. It doesn't change anything"

"It changes everything, Watari. It's already changed you… why did you not tell me when you found out?"

Watari's gaze went to the floor, and L turned back around when he didn't answer, he pressed the temperature button again and increased it to 40 degrees Celsius.

"I was trying to protect you"

"From what?" L snapped

"Yourself – do you not see what you are doing?"

At that Watari left, not being able to cope with what his eyes were seeing.

A few hours later

Watari re-entered the room to check on L, he was hoping he had put the temperature back down. A human body can only take so much heat.

He was appalled at what he saw, Mishca was wrapped up in a ball in the corner of the interrogation room, sweating and shaking. Her skin had gone pale, he could see a few heat rashes that had emerged on her limbs. She rocked herself back and forth and mumbled to herself, there was no way L would keep it at 40 degrees Celsius this long, Watari thought.

As he got closer to L he heard him tapping on a button, he quickly moved and grabbed him by the wrist to stop him, L glared at him as Watari saw the temperature on the screen, he had just increased it to 41.11 degrees. "What are you doing?" he asked as they watched Mishca run to the toilet and vomit – she had already felt the increase in heat, she looked horrible as she limply tried to make her way back to the corner, but she couldn't make it. She fell in the center of the room and landed on her bad arm, she cried out in pain.

"Are you ready to talk now?" L asked roughly as he tore his wrist away from Watari. He had let his anger replace anything he felt for her, it was what he had to do, he reasoned with himself, he couldn't focus on his feelings, he wouldn't get what he needed that way, he had to treat her like a criminal.

"Stop this Ryuzaki! Can't you see her body is failing to regulate its core temperature?" Watari yelled at him, but was only ignored.

"I told you – you don't need to know.. its…its best.. if you don't know" a faint, shaky voice was heard through the speakers.

L gritted his teeth, he had never seen someone so strong, she should have cracked by now.

Watari pushed L out of the way and pressed the intercom, "Mishca, please say something"

She titled her head, "Watari?" she whispered hoarsely, "Yes.. please say something so we can get you out of there!"

He watched as L hit the button again as she spoke

"I can't .. I won't…" she shook her head, "it will put him in danger..its better.. if I stay in here"

At this L shot his head up, his expression softened a bit. Dangerous for him.. better if she stayed in there? Shouldn't she be begging to get out? He thought back to how she protected him from the men at the club… how she gave him permission to do what he thought he needed to do with her… she had put her life in his hands, completely, without a second thought. He had never been more confused, she still didn't make any sense.

She felt another increase in heat, it was too much, she tried to breathe deeply but it got caught in her throat, she gasped for air. Her body shook violently

"L…" she forced, he sat there watching her struggle, he hoped she'd finally talk, his feelings were starting to force their way back through.

"Yes? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

"Do.. you.. understand.. yet?"

Watari tried to interrupted them "Ryuzaki, stop this! You're going to kill her!"

"Please elaborate." He ordered her as Watari shoved L out of the way and began decreasing the heat. He had shoved him so hard that he landed on the floor with a loud thump.

"you asked me once… what.. was so.. important.." her body continued to convulse as she tried to speak, her eyes fought to stay open "that.. I'd.. give up.. my li –"

The two men stared at her as she passed out, both of their mouths agape. L's eyes widened as the sight of her unmoving body pulled all the anger out of him. "What?" he asked quietly, as he swallowed he felt a lump in his throat, his stomach was in knots.

Watari let a low growl come from his throat as he rushed to the door of the interrogation room "She's only trying to keep you safe Ryuzaki, why can't you see that? You should have noticed that when she didn't give you up at the club"

L's breath quickened, none of this made any sense, his hands shook slightly when he realized the very high probability of her dying from heat stroke – at his hand.