Part Five

As the ATV raced through the forest, Chastity kicked it into high gear over the dirt road. They only had seconds to get away from the blast zone.

Matt grabbed Chastity around the wrist. It wasn't his favourite place to touch her—he could think of other more sensual places he'd rather be touching—but it would do to hang on as the ATV hit a few bumps, his hands slipping to her breasts, quite accidentally, of course.

Matt heard an explosion in the background and he beamed a smile.

"C'est la vie, Hand of Kira," he said, but for some inexplicable reason he doubt it will be the last time he would get involved in the intricate business that was Kira. He hoped he was wrong and this would be a valuable lesson to Kira, as his Hand died in a fiery explosion. "And eye for an eye, Kira—your Hand in revenge for Mello."

"I certainly hope you grabbed our return flights tickets back to California, Chastity?" he asked, as they took a bump.

"I'm not stupid. They're in the compartment storage beneath your butt." Just then there was a sudden ringing. It was Matt's phone. She stopped the ATV, switched it off so the engine wouldn't drown out the call.

Matt answered. "Hey, buddy…" he said with a smile, the caller ID read "Mello", "how's it hangin'?" Chastity smiled when she heard the name.

"Where are you?" Mello asked weakly.

Matt put Mello on speakerphone and then told him everything that had happened and about the encounter they had with some joker calling himself 'The Hand of Kira'. However, they failed to grab their targets. "We're heading home," he told. "But at least Kira's soldier of fortune bit it, that's some satisfaction at least."

"Hi, Mihael," Chastity said. "You doing all right?"

"Nothing a little healing won't solve," Mello said, a little more strong. "Let me ask you—this Hand of Kira character—did you see a Shinigami with him?"

Matt and Chastity looked at each other. "Ah, negative," Matt said. "The guy seemed to be alone, but with that weird transport gateway he used, no doubt the Shinigami was with him."

Mello produced a thoughtful noise. "Yeah, figured. You need to touch his Death Note to see the Shinigami."

"Oh, I wanna see one of these things!" Matt said excitedly. "The one you described to me, I pictured it as a walking corpse like Edward Scissorhands."

"Kira has to have one," Mello said. "And, come to think of it—did you see the face of this 'Hand of Kira's?"

"Nope, didn't have time."

"You know what I think? I think you were facing Kira himself. I have a clue to his identity now, since he tried to defend the Yagami cabin."

"Good to know, you can tell us all about it when we get back there," Matt said. "Kira needs to be put down!"

"I agree, and I'll do it before Near does!"

"Oh, c'mon, Mihael," Matt said with a sigh, "you need to stop this rivalry with Nate. He's nothing, you know this! You're way smarter than he is. Nate's a robot, you can actually think on your feet. You took out that gang leader to become its boss. Nate couldn't do that. He has to surround himself with others, the cowardly lion he is."

Mello seemed to chuckle. "Nevertheless, Near has to know he's only second best. We'll take down Kira first! With you two with me, we'll catch Kira!"

Matt smiled. Chastity followed. "Sure, buddy. I'm with you. Okay, see you soon." He ended the call. "Man, he can be a real narcissist sometimes."

"But he's always been this way, even in Wammy House," Chastity rebuked.

"Yeah, he has. C'mon, let's go!"

Chastity started the ATV again and they sped off.

Seconds before the explosion, Light clutched out towards empty air as if an invincible superpower could prevent the enviable. He lay on the ground, his leg throbbing with the bullet. But there was no way he could escape the blast zone, the explosives would ignite the gas tank of the Land Rover and set everything ablaze, and he would be killed.

Was this where it was going to end? Kira would die here. The world would wonder where Kira had gone. Would Misa continue his dream?

Theologians often wondered if God was a woman. After he died, their theories would be correct. Misa would be in charge of the Death Note. Oh God, I weep for humanity under Misa's rule!

"Ryuk! I promise to buy you baskets of apples if you do something! Send that Land Rover away, or hinder the explosion—do something!"

Ryuk chuckled. "Remember, you promised," the god of death said. Ryuk flew over, his batty wings ejecting from his back, giving the Shinigami a demon quality.

The Land Rover exploded, but not with the massive intensity as it would have if Ryuk had not intervened. His godly power, something Light had never seen—or ever implored to believe—Ryuk invoke.

The Shinigami flew to the Land Rover, opened his lanky arms, and recited some sort of enchantment in his native language. The result caused an implosion of the vehicle, but with the sound of an explosion—as the kinetic energy was encapsulated within an invisible bubble of Ryuk's making, fading into a micro-dot of insignificance. Nothing was damaged, there wasn't even a charred mark on the ground.

Once it was all over, Light breathed out a heavy sigh. He tore off his mask. His hair was saturated against his head with sweat, it was warm with all the tactical gear.

Ryuk turned and dusted off his hands as if the deed was nothing. He came back, stood over Light, but then reached down and picked Light up off the ground, his hands under Light's armpits, his legs dangling off the ground. It reminded Light of a time his father had picked up from the sandbox.

Light not amused by the child-like way he was being held. And yet, with his leg the way it was, he wouldn't be able to put any pressure on it to walk.

Ryuk looked at him with his red glowing eyes. "You know, it would be easier if you just did the Shinigami Eye Deal with me. You brought a page of the Death Note with you. All we had to do was emerge in a secure location, sneak up on the pair of Matt and Chastity, and then you could've written their real names down."

"Put me down, Ryuk," Light demanded. "And I told you why I declined the Eyes. I plan on ruling for a long time as Kira. Besides, Misa has them."

Ryuk snorted with Light's last remark. "True, and you could've brought her with you. Oh well…" Ryuk smiled. "You can't walk on that leg and you're going to need medical attention," he then said. "You beat Matt and Chastity and saved your family's cabin and all without using the Death Note, that's remarkable. So exciting!"

Light was gently lowered down. He hobbled on one leg, and then found a near-by stump to sit down to take the pressure off. The bullet had only penetrated the outer-most part of his left thigh muscle. He'd take care of it secretly.

"I want their real names, Ryuk!" he ordered. "Give then to me!"

"Sorry, you're going to have to find them out on your own. It's more fun that way."

"Damn it, Ryuk! That pair nearly blew up my family's cabin, and if Sayu or Mom were here, they would've been taken hostage! Mello murdered my father, for Christ's sake! They're friends of his! I want their names now! They need to pay for this!"

"You're better than this, Light. Matt and Chastity are friends and allies of Mello and that means they know Near. Think of a way to get back at them. Make it interesting for me to keep me entertained. Oh, and, I want lots of apples for helping you here."

Light swore, his voice echoing through the forest. And he vowed revenge!

Light got to his feet as Ryuk called the gateway. They entered together, Light hobbled, wanting no help from Ryuk. And just like walking through a doorway, they instantly came out of it and were back inside Light's apartment. They were alone.

Light stripped and took care of his wound. And as he wrapped it with a bandage after disinfecting it, sitting on the edge of his bed in the Master bedroom, he said, "I want those two, Ryuk," he demanded. "Matt and Chastity will pay. Once I find out their real names, I'll send them to—"

"MU?" Ryuk said.

Light smirked. "Exactly! No one challenges Kira!"

"I'm not going to give you their names," the god of death said again, standing over Light. "Why would I ruin my fun?"

Light sneered, then mentally cursed at the Shinigami for its obstinance.

END