CHAPTER 25

BREAK

V'S POV

When I was out of the shower, dry and had a tow wrapped around my body, I left the bathroom, only to find two very guilty men sitting beside the door.

"V!" Light gasped the moment he realised I was standing there. "Look, I'm really sor—" I cut him off, pointing to the couch. "Umm—"

"Both of you. Couch. Now." They gulped nervously and obeyed. They looked scared, as though I were going to kill them for this little incident, and that was exactly how I wanted they to feel. In all honesty I did not care whether they saw me clothe less or not, the human body is only a natural part of life after all, and I doubt they saw anything they had never seen before, but regardless, I wanted to test them, to see how much power I had over them, not as a criminal, but as a woman. I wanted to see if they respected me the same way, as I am sure, they do Misa. Though I am also sure that the situation would have been far different if they had fallen into her shower, she would have been delighted to have Light in there with her, but she would certainly freak out when she were to see L.

When I was seated on the couch in front of them I examined both of their body and facial expressions. L seamed rather calm, acting as he usually would, not including the face that he was not looking me in the eye.

Light on the other hand was, as always, doing the exact opposite as L. Light was, surprisingly, shaking. Though it was not completely visible in the eyes of an average person, it was still there, and if I was serious about anything I was about to say, then he would have a damn good reason to be frightened. "Well?"

Both wasted no time to bellow out their excuses at the same time, giving me little chance to understand what they were saying. But who says a little is not enough? I concentrated on both their voices carefully, and re-wrote them separately in my mind.

Light said something along the lines of, "I'm so sorry! It wasn't my intention to see you that way, not that I really saw anything anyway, from the steam and all, but there was L being L, then there was a push and a pull, so in the end it was his fault!"

And L said something like, "Please forgive me, V. Though I have in fact seen you clothe less before, it was out of line for this to happen. But regardless, the entire blame should be directly pointed at Light."

Though L's sentence was slightly shorter then Light's, he had been talking calmer and slower than Light, so the moment L had said 'the entire blame should be directly pointed at Light' was equally simultaneous with Light's last words, 'but there was L being L, then there was a push and a pull, so in the end it was his fault!', and they both heard it as clearly as I had, so they glared at each other, as though to say, 'oh no you didn't'. That is how Matt or Mello would phrase it anyway.

Before they could start an argument I would surely have to finish (one way or another), I cut in.

"Please just skip the excuses and tell me exactly what happened."

"Well," they both began, but immediately stopped at the realisation that the other had spoken, and glared at each other again.

"L, will you please tell the story." He nodded, and was about to continue, but Light interrupted.

"Hang on a sec, why does he get to start?" he complained.

"Light, though you are a very intelligent young man with a very promising future, I do not feel it is your place to describe the story. L is after all, the world's leading detective." Light frowned, but did not interrupt as L began again.

"I was asking Light a few questions about being Kira, and he got a bit mad, so he pushed me into the shower, and then came in himself."

"Hey, that's not true!" Light argued. "You pulled me in, I didn't come in willingly!"

"Perhaps I phrased that wrong, what I meant was that the chain pulled you in, but if you had not have acted so violently against my harmless questions then none of this would have happened, and we could be down stairs by now." This was getting ridiculous. They both made a mistake, and that word implied the fact that it was neither of their faults, there for there was absolutely no reason to be here. It is as L had said, we could be downstairs by now, and I was determined to make that a reality.

"It matters not who is at fault here," I told them sternly, standing up. "All that really matters is that we should go and continue looking for Kira." They wordlessly agreed and followed me down the stairs.

When we made it down there and were seated in our usual spots, Misa finally came in, looking a little more excited and proud then always. She did something, whether it was bad or good was not something I could determine just yet, but regardless, it was sure to be eventful.

She then held up her phone and played a recording off of it. It had been . . . a convocation she had with one of the Yotsuba members on their date. It was a recording of his confection on being Kira! He said that he would stop killing for three days, and if the killings really did stop then he and Misa would get married.

I almost considered it a shame that we would have him arrested before that could happen, because, frankly, he would make a better husband then Light. If Misa were to be with this violent, dangerous man, at least she would not have her life at risk at the hand of love, unlike with Light.

As Misa continued babbling on at Light, L and I sat thinking the whole situation through.

"This was quite unexpected," L murmured to me. "I knew Amane would do almost anything for Light, but to think she would go this far . . ."

"She is stupid," I reminded him. "Her delusional affections for Light have blinded her sanity."

"Hmm," L hummed in agreement. "But don't you think it's a bit ironic?"

"Ironic?" I questioned.

"Yes. Here we are, discussing insanity, when clearly you are the only true insane one in this room." We both knew he was right.

"Insane . . . or evil?" He did not respond. At least, not until he had another sip of his coffee Watari brought out.

"I do not think you are evil, V." I did not look back at him as he spoke; I only stared at the desk as I listened. "You would not be here if that were the case." I was almost completely sure I would have responded in some way, perhaps I would have argued, or perhaps I would have agreed, but it did not matter, because I was cut off by Light yelling at Misa.

"Misa, you idiot! Didn't I tell you to deny all that?"

"But-but now we know Higuchi's Kira, right? So what's the problem? Can't we just catch him?" Watari's appearance came from the corner of my eye as he wheeled the large trace of sweets next to L.

"I suppose this is what you would call a victory, right, Matsuda?" L and I chuckled lamely at his joke.

"But right now we still don't know exactly how he kills his victims, do we?" Light asked.

"Yes, that's what I was thinking," L agreed. "Before we move to arrest Higuchi, I want to find out how he kills people." L flicked his finger, causing the biscuits he had lined up in a triangle to bounce off each other, the collision echoing throughout the whole room.

"If the criminals are no longer being killed we will be unable to see exactly how he kills. But even if we were to arrest Higuchi we would be unable to do so until we are curtain criminals have stopped dying," I finished for them.

"Yes, that's right. Hmm, let me think about this for a moment." A second later L called Wedy, obviously telling her to install cameras and other devises inside of Higuchi's car, but I was too busy studying Misa to pay any attention.

She did not seem right. Though it was obvious she was tremendously proud of herself, she still had something bothering her in the back of her mind, something that was not there before.

She could not have remembered being the other Kira, for if she had she would have subconsciously given it away by now. Perhaps, she knew that she was Kira before? Yes, that is a possibility.

My theory was almost confirmed when her expression changed from curious to worried and almost regretful. Sick perhaps. And I immediately recognised it change as L told Wedy to bug Higuchi's cars. This got me thinking, what could she be thinking to have her look so worried? What had happened in that car to make her glad it was not bugged earlier? "Misa?"

"Yeah?" she asked, hiding her worried face with a mask of curiosity.

"Do you think to could answer something for me?" I could now feel the eyes of everyone in the taskforce on me and Misa.

"What is it?" I pushed my foot off the mettle desk, causing the chair I sat on to roll its way to Misa. When I was right in front of her, I stared deep into her eyes, my own wide and searching.

"Pease tell me . . . how did you manage to convince Higuchi that you are the other Kira?" She gasped, and swallowed loudly, stepping away.

"I just told him I was."

"No you did not," I argued. "He may have a strange infatuation with you, but it would take more than a few words to have him believe you. So, tell me, Misa." I stood up and slowly stalked over to her, and (being almost half a head taller than her) looked down at her frightened face. "Did you kill someone?" I whispered.

"N-no," she stuttered, but there was a hint of honesty in her word. She did not kill anyone. I said nothing as I sat back in my seat and turned back to the desk.

"I believe you," I finally announced. "But know that I will be watching more closely for now on, Misa, and in that time I expect you to explain exactly how you convinced him you are the other Kira." There was a long silence filling the room until L finally broke it.

"Light, I'm, sorry to keep coming back to this topic. I'll just get right to the point."

"What is it?" I took out a handheld videogame as they spoke, always listening.

"Do you remember . . ." He turned his head to Light. "Killing anyone I mean?" I clocked the on button and began my game.

"Are you still going on about that?! Look, I told you, I'm not Kira! How many times do I—"

"Please just answer the question, Light," I cut in as I continued pressing at the jump button at the right times. "Let this not be like the little mistake that accrued in the bathroom." I almost expected Misa to say something about that last comment, but she was a little too shaken up to speak anything intelligent.

Light sighed and answered. "No, I don't."

"Misa, what about you?" L continued. She said nothing in return, but I could imagine that she would have at least shaken her head, because L went on. "Look, Light, please listen to what I'm about to say. I'd like you to thornily analyse my current theory. This could determine the way in which we catch Kira."

Light's lack of words was not received as a demand for L to stop, but more of an invitation to continue, and L took full advantage of it.

"Light Yagami used to be Kira, Kira's power has somehow been passed onto another person, Light Yagami now has no memory of ever being Kira. I need your analysis biased on these assumptions; do you think you can do that for me?" Beep, bop, boom, were the noises the game made as I pressed the buttons.

"Yeah," Light sighed in a growl-like form. "I'll give it a try." Beep, beep, bop.

"Light Yagami used to be Kira; Kira's power has somehow passed onto another person. Was that because Light Yagami wanted it to happen? Or was there someone else in control of Light, lurking in the background, who gave him the power? Was it that person that passed Light's powers to someone else?" In my opinion, the answer was obvious. Of course Light would have been the one to pass on the power. Or at the very least had the creature pass it on for him. Why would a Shinigami wait so long to transfer Kira's power in the first place?

"Given you premise, it would be my will."

After L agreed with Light he said, "Thank you, Light, I can how say I feel 99% better." At that moment Watari can in with more sweets, which L eyed hungrily. Make that 100%, I wanted to say.

I reached out and plopped a sweet into my mouth as I went on thinking while playing the game. What should we do about Higuchi? We need to find some way to have him show us how he kills. Is it a physical power? A weapon perhaps? Or is it mental, so there would be no way for us to contain it?

I cast that thought aside as L explained his plan to have Higuchi reveal his power. We are going to trick him by using a hidden camera show in the same television station we got the tapes from. The plan was simple. We would have a certain someone say they know who Kira is, so Higuchi would feel cornered and try to kill him, and the only one who could do it is Matsuda. The only real downfall to this plan was that if he could kill with only a face Matsuda would die, but it seemed rather unlikely with the fact that Matsuda is still alive after the last time he saw Higuchi, and that Higuchi was pursuing Misa, who he thought had the same eyes as Beyond Birthday had.

"At any rate we are only going to do this once criminals stop dyeing. We'll have to wait two or three days to see if that happens, in the mean time Matsuda will have to decide if he wants to go through with plan." I did not have to look up to know he was scared so the point of going into shock, but knowing Matsuda, he would do this, not only for the team, but also for himself. He would risk his life, because not only would he die catching Kira, but he would die with dignity, so he could be gone from this world and still leave us to rightfully say he was a good man that did not die in vain.

"I don't need two or three days to decide," he announced, a serious tone in his voice. "I want to do this." I froze my fingers, allowing my game character to lose the game, and turned to Matsuda. He looked very scared, but he refused to let that stop him, masking it with nothing but the kind of determination he was feeling. How had I mistaken him for a cowardly fool the first time I saw him? Maybe it was because at the time he had been, but now when I look at him I see the man he is. Brave, loyal and trustworthy. A true man fully worthy of my respect.

When he caught my eye he looks a little sheepish, as though I were going to damage his ego with a hurtful comment. I would not do that, so I let the corner of my lip rise lightly, reassuringly.

Anyway, I need to get back onto my plan to have Light and Misa split up. I needed something to convince Light farther that it was the right thing to do. The quickest way to do that is by talking Reiji Namikawa. If I meet up with him and let his down and tell the taskforce this when I get back Light should be almost completely convinced, provided with the fact that he did not suspect anything.

I sunk onto the floor and pulled out a packet of cards from my breast pocket and began playing with them. When I was sure everyone in the room was no longer paying any attention to me in the slightest I carefully stuck my hand into my mouth and pulled out the untouched bit of mettle from between my back teeth, ready to detach the chain from my wrist and call Reiji Namikawa.

"Hello, Vichi," Reiji greeted me with a polite smile. After sneaking out of the building I had called Reiji, requesting his company in the park closest to his company building. He gladly accepted.

"Hello, Namikawa."

"Please," Reiji protested, taking my hand and giving it a light kiss, then looked back up at me. "Call me Reiji."

"I had already been referring to you as Reiji in my mind, I was only being polite." He nodded in understanding.

"Well, would you like us to go to a restaurant? I know of a very nice place, they serve delicious dishes of food, I have a feeling you would like it."

"No thank you," I said bluntly. He looked like he was about to say something else, but I continued on with my plan of rejecting him. "Look, I am sorry to have to do this, but I did not bring you here to date you, I brought you here to tell you that I have very little interest in dating you right now." I gave him a sympathetic look as I swirled the tinny microphone between my fingers.

I had taken it with me before I left so I could listen in on Reiji's convocations, just to see if he tries anything sneaky for the next few days we plan on catching Higuchi.

Now to find a way to stick it on him, in a place he will be unable to get out when unaware it is there. It cannot be on his clothes because he can just removed them later.

"Yes, I understand," he said, hiding the disappointment from his voice by holding his head up higher, making his long, black hair fall over his shoulder slightly.

His hair, I decided. It was the perfect place. "It is not that I do not like you like that," I lied. "I am just a little more focussed on my job right now, and so should you be."

"Yes. In a way I'm glad you told me this. You are right about that, I do need to be more focussed on my work then dating," he agreed. "Well, farewell." He bowled and was about to walk away, but I still had yet to put the microphone in his hair, so I stopped him.

"Wait." Just as he turned back I did the one thing I could think of at the time. I kissed him. My second kiss. He was surprised but welcomed the kiss anyway, not that I payed any attention to his reaction, I was too busy tangling my hands through his hair.

When I was sure the microphone was firmly stuck in his hair and would not come out unless was done so on purpose, I let him go and stepped back.

"Have a good day." Then I walked off.

The kiss was nice. Though it was not my first kiss, it was the first one I have had were the one I was kissing was kissing me back. It was an alright feeling; though I am sure it would have been better if I had been doing it with someone I have feelings for and not for alternative reasons. I guess that day will never come.

No matter, I have no intentions in changing my own fate. Live, kill, die on the inside whilst walking the earth and then eventually truly dead. Helping catch Kira is the only truly good thing I have ever gone throughout my life, even before the most tragic night of my childhood, the night I died on the inside. Even before the moment I witnessed my only form of family unwillingly leave me in the arms of the world's cruelty, I was a law breaker. I stole, lied and took advantage of other people's kindness. I have never been truly incessant.

But it is as I thought; I have no intentions in changing my fate.

I snickered at my own humourless joke and walked back into the building, after removing anything that could be disapproved by security. I really could not be bothered to disable all cameras and break my way in.

"Hello," I greeted the sleeping forms of the task force as I sat in my chair and grabbed the chain I was supposed to be cuffed to. "I am sorry I had to run out like that."

"Where were you, V?" Light asked, but not with an accusing or disapproving tone, but more one of curiosity. I did not look at him as I continued on with my plan.

"I was with Reiji Namikawa," I stated bluntly.

"What? Why would you be with him? I thought you didn't like him."

"I do not, that is why I was there." I lifted the chain higher, ready to clip it back onto my wrist. "I do not like him, Light, and it is just cruel to have to sit around waiting for a phone call that would never come. It has been on my mind since Misa told me he wanted me to date him, so I left to enlighten both him and myself." I looked up at Light's surprised face and smiled. "I will not burden him or myself with hope of a nonexistent future . . ." I clicked to cuff on, causing it to echo. "I refuse to stoop that low." I turned away to meat L's blank face, staring at me intently, observing me, studying me.

"I could not agree more," L murmured.

"Umm, w-would you guys come with me for a minute?" Light asked, tugging on the chain connecting him and L. "There's something I need to do." Without another word L took out the key to the chain and unlocked it.

"Go, Light, it's best to get it done now than never." Light was confused for a minute, but then smiled and walked up the stairs.

Why would L do that? There is no way he would willing let Light go unsupervised. Especially if it was to break up with Misa, in fact he should be trying to stop him if he wanted him to use Misa's love for the case.

. . . Unless he already knows my plan to turn her against Light and approves of it.

I turned my head over to L, waiting expectedly.

"Yes, I already know your plan," he admitted, nibbling on his thumb nail. "And it is a good one."

"Hmm, well I am glad that you approve." He nodded once and watched the monitors in Misa's room.

IN MISA'S ROOM

When Light Yagami walked into Misa Amane's room, the fact that she would be asleep did not came to him on time, so it came as a surprise to him when he saw her sleeping form on the couch, magazine in hand.

Maybe this could wait 'till morning, he thought. He sighed and was about to exit the room again, but was stopped when he heard Misa stir then awaken. "Light," she mumbled with a tiered smile. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I'll go."

"No! Don't go," she argued as she stood up. "Just let me go brush my hair." She rubbed her eyes and hugged him, then went off you to fix her hair.

Light thought for a moment that it would be the perfect opportunity to leave, but he was raised to do better than to leave a girl by herself without a goodbye. Besides he came up here to do more than just wake her up, he had to do what V advised and leave Misa, it was what was best. After what she did for him when going on a date with Higuchi he had no doubt that she would do anything for him, so he had to end it for her safety.

When she was out, hair lovely and soft, she clung to him, grinning happily.

"Umm, Misa we need to talk."

BACK WITH L AND V

"It was wise of you to bug him, V," L approved, but then frowned. "Though I wish you had not kissed him while doing so."

"Why is that?" I questioned. He just shook his head and ate a cherry.

"YOU BITCH!" suddenly came a scream. When I looked up to the person responsible for the sound I was tackled! I could have easily pushed the tinny attacker off at anytime, but I already knew who it was and knew exactly what to expect of it.

"M-Misa! Get off of her!" Light yelled, but she did not listen, but instead did the exact opposite. She began punching and scratching me. Again, nothing I had not already expected.

"YOU BITCH! YOU BITCH!" she sobbed over and over, and I just stayed there, letting her take out all of her anger. When she stopped it was only temporary to look me in the eye and yell, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FOLT! YOU'R THE RESON HE DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!" I chucked at her last words, which only made her even angrier, so she threw herself onto me, straddling my waist so she could hit me better.

When Light and L finally managed to pull her off of me the taskforce was already awaken and was questioning the situation. "That bitch is the reason Light don't love me anymore!" she sobbed and I chuckled again. "SHUT UP!" I chucked again.

So, I guess this all worked out. I made Light break Misa's heart and in return she breaks my face. Yes, my plan was working out perfectly, and the first piece of evidence to that was the fact that she refused to listen to light when he demanded her to get off of me.

This plan would be successful as all have been so fare. I would win this time.

Hello!

I am so sorry this took a while! I have no real excuse. It's just lately I've been trying to write at least 4,500 words a chapter, and that takes a while.

But on a lighter note I just thought you should all know that it will turn out to be an LXOC fanfiction, so no one (including me) will be disappointed. If anyone has any ideas for the next chapter I would be happy to hear it. And just so you know, reviews make me type faster, because they let me know how many people would like another chapter. Thanks!