It has been a challenging time for Light Yagami, but after surviving fifty days of confinement, followed by his father's sworn oath to kill them both by his own hand, he believes the worst is behind him. For now, at least. Living with an obsessive girlfriend and handcuffed to a disgruntled detective, Light must contend with even worse horrors as the Yotsuba Kira Case opens…

This story takes place as the Kira Task Force arrives at their brand new headquarters in downtown Tokyo. Light and Misa have no memories of the Death Note and most of the detectives are content to consider them largely free from suspicion. L is not one of those detectives.

Rules

MATSUDA SLAPPED HIS palm against his steering wheel in frustration. The detective's other hand was clenched against his chin as he frowned into his smeared, rear view mirror. Behind, two cars waited in procession to follow him down into the tower block's darkened, underground car park. Over the rumble of his own car exhaust came the sound of an angry horn.

"Sorry, sorry!" Matsuda apologised to the interior of his car. "What was it again…? Tree frogs eat… hrrrm…" He reached a tentative hand out of his window to type in the first three digits of the compound's security code - 348 - before wiggling his fingers impatiently over the metal keypad. Again, in the distance, a car horn blared.

"Tree frogs eat… snails?" He added a 7, to which the system beeped back at him in disappointment.

"What's the problem, Matsuda?!" boomed Chief Soichiro Yagami's voice, at least a car length away from him but no less loud than as if he had been in the adjacent passenger seat.

"Sorry Chief!" Matsuda cried, his hand jumping to the back of his dark hair. "I… ah… I'm having trouble remembering…" It was then that his eye fell on the keypad's black intercom button. Matsuda jammed it with his thumb.

"Hey, Watari?"

There came a crackling of static over the intercom, then silence.

"Oh man…"

"Matsuda!"

"Wait! Tree frogs eat flies! 3485!" the young detective cried. "I've got it!" He leaned out of his car window and pressed in the number combination. There was silence again, then a feeble bleep of contempt.

"Matsuda!"

The static crackled into life once more, this time accompanied by breathy laughter.

x-x-x

Eventually, more out of pity than for any other reason, Watari had overridden the system and granted permission for the line of cars to drive through. Once the three vehicles were parked, the mismatched group of professional, amateur and talentless detectives made their ways through the lobby doors and into the building that they would, for the foreseeable future, be calling home: the Kira Task Force Headquarters.

Light Yagami stood amazed, his eyes adjusting from the gloom outside to the bright, artificial lighting which buzzed all around. He pushed a handful of his ruddy, overgrown fringe from his eyes as he passed through; his unbound hand wheeling his luggage behind him. The walls themselves were plain, whilst the floor consisted of large, polished tiles which threw even more brightness into the space around them. Ahead of where he stood there was a row of two metal detectors, each bearing a conveyor belt and plastic tray for valuables. It was just as impressive as a security check-in at a small airport. He was about to make this very comment to L, who had stopped several paces in front, but was taken aback by the detective's sudden, harsh tone.

"Yes, this building is perfect. I didn't spend 2 billion yen for any less than perfect so please don't waste time in stating the obvious."

Light suffered a sting of shame at the notion that his thoughts could be read as casually as a cheap flyer and deposited as quickly. Such a comment had only been meant as a compliment and, even then, far exceeded the bitter silence which L had been treating him to since their departure from the hotel. It all seemed hardly fair given that, only hours earlier, Light had been the one to have a loaded gun pressed so deeply into his forehead that it had embossed a red circle on his skin. A plan that was, no less, of L's creation.

"Fine. I won't," Light muttered, rubbing at his indented forehead ruefully. Matsuda emerged at his elbow, still scratching nervously at the back of his head.

"S-sorry for what happened at the carpark before, Ryuzaki! You see, I created a mnemonic to help me remember the code." L turned to survey the police detective through cold, grey eyes.

"Good job there."

Light hesitated, one hand still grasping the handle of his suitcase, and was about to reassure Matsuda when he was unceremoniously yanked forward by the handcuffs which bound him to his captor. Slightly hunched and with hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans, L was striding purposefully up ahead to the metal detectors. As he made to pass through, there came a noise like a claxon and a giant red cross flashed up on the mounted screen. Light cringed, the wheels of his case creaking in protest.

"I won't be removing anything," L announced boldly. Whether or not this was a challenge to Watari or the machine itself, Light was mystified. He was forced to follow the detective through to the room beyond, only having a brief chance to look back at the startled faces of the policemen as the door closed upon them.

"Ryuzaki, that was kind of rude…"

"Was it?" came L's assertive tone again. He stood for a moment, hands still in his pockets, glaring resolutely ahead to where a long row of desks and computer monitors lined the back wall of the room. The space was otherwise empty, apart from a pair of green couches to the left, separated by a glass coffee table. The air around them was filled with a faint, static humming, as with computers left on standby. Eventually, L's shoulders relaxed by a fraction.

"I suppose you'll want a tour of the building, Light? At least then we can go over some ground rules."

"Fine by me," Light replied shortly. Then, much like a merchant leading his ass to market, L tugged at the chain for Light to fall in step behind him. The latter had to stoop quickly and pick his case up from its side handle. The pair took the left of the two staircases which stood on opposite sides of the room. As they climbed in strained silence, Light eyed the swaying chain reproachfully.

"First floor of apartments, including those of Matsuda and Mogi. Our living quarters are just at the end here." L withdrew a card from the pocket of his jeans and swiped at a sensor on the wall. Pushing the door open, he glanced back at Light before throwing his arm out into the space beyond.

"I thought you might like to see the setup here. I assume that you have questions about how this is going to work with us handcuffed together." Light walked into the space behind him, still rubbing his aching head tiredly.

"I don't know. I guess I hadn't thought about it."

"You hadn't? Mmmmmm." L pressed his thumb into his lower lip. "Come to think of it, you did agree to all of this rather quickly. And now, given that you have little to no reservations about these conditions..." He chewed absently at his nail, then gave a small, decisive nod.

"I'd say five percent."

"How does any of that make it seem like I'm Kira?" Light snapped irritably.

"I wasn't referring to you being… Kira." L glanced away. "Look, let's continue..."

Ignoring him, Light crossed the floor and, for the first time, took in the features of the room they had walked into. There were large, square, tinted windows which gave the skyline of Tokyo a morbid, grey sheen. The vertical blinds had been pushed down to one end, allowing a slither of sickly daylight into the space. Against the opposite wall stood twin beds made up in plain sheets, and a red, pinstriped armchair. A large, oaken clothes bureau and wall-mounted shoe rack were positioned against the adjoining wall. Opposite this was a desk; empty save for L's Apple mac computer. Next to the window, a door to the bathroom stood ajar. The place, much like a new office, smelled of recently-laid carpet and fresh paint. In a half-hearted attempt to create a more homely ambience, an unlit candle had been left on top of the bureau.

"It's fine," Light assessed the room dully. "Does it matter which one is mine?" And before L could answer, he had hurled his case at the bed closest to the door.

"Yes-" L grimaced, "-it matters. Yours is the one in the middle. The chair and both beds are equal distances apart to allow enough slack for the handcuffs. I need to be able to sit or sleep, depending on how the case is progressing."

"I guess it shouldn't matter," Light groaned, retrieving the case and heaving it onto the middle bed. "I'm never going to be able to sleep in here anyway. Okay - what else?"

"The bureau has already been stocked with customised clothing," L continued dryly, "you have all the khaki pants and butterfly belts that you could ever want. Of course, changing pants poses no problems. As for tops and sweaters, Watari has devised tearaway clothing for us, so that the handcuffs can remain on us at all times." Light stared in mild horror as L tore his right sleeve off and flung it to the ground. "You see? Rips right down the seam and can be resealed with the velcro fastening here. Then if I wanted-" He lifted the rest of his white top up and over his head.

"Okay, okay!" Light cried, throwing a panicked look towards the hallway. "I get it. Stop undressing!" L pulled his sweater down, his expression most serious.

"There are a range of tops for you in the drawers on the left, all with removable left sleeves."

Light moved closer to browse through the collection, skimming through white shirts, grey sweaters and black turtlenecks.

"But… these are exactly like the ones I brought from home. How…?"

"Next, the bathroom." L turned abruptly and walked away in his disconcerting habit, forcing Light to drop the shirt he was holding and follow him.

"There is a double shower," L waved a disinterested hand towards two shower cubicles separated by a dark-tinted modesty screen. Light, for the first time, sighed in relief.

"Finally, a little privacy!" He frowned towards the far end of the bathroom, where there stood a solitary toilet and sink without any such provision.

"We will take turns," L explained, once again anticipating Light's thoughts. The detective turned to him, a rather odd smile suddenly creeping across his face. "By the end of this, there will be no secrets between us."

"And here was me, prepared to keep some of the mystery alive!" Light replied, his tone casual but, internally, he wished that L would stop leering at him. "Then again, I guess you really were serious about these never coming off."

L lifted his arm, allowing the metal chain to swing ominously back and forth before his pale face.

"Rule One: the handcuffs do not come off."

"But what if-"

"Rule Two," L turned to pace out of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "...I am never wrong."

"That wasn't-"

"And Rule Three," L had disappeared around the corner now, forcing Light to follow him into the darkened corridor. "On the rare occasion that I might be wrong, please refer back to Rule Two."

They continued down towards the stairs, where L once again stopped abruptly, nearly causing Light to crash into him. Apparently unaware of his hazardous movements, the detective leaned against the polished steel banister nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets once more.

"Misa's apartment is upstairs…" L slouched towards Light meaningfully, dropping his voice with a conspiratorial air. "Just so you know, she's agreed to your offer of one date per week." The polite, tight-lipped expression of interest that Light had been feigning ever since his arrival, was strained to breaking point.

"Ryuzaki, I never actually agreed to that..."

"Well, it's either this arrangement or two dates a week. Misa and I would have preferred the latter, but knowing your-"

"How about no dates a week?" Light interrupted, all earlier pretences of politeness flung aside altogether. "And why do you even get a say in this? This is nothing to do with you and she's not my girlfriend!" L shifted so that he stood a little more upright, regarding his suspect soberly.

"As I told you back at the hotel, it would really help the investigation if the two of you became close. The more frequently you see her, the more quickly things can be taken to the next level…"

"And I said, it goes against my nature to do that!" Light rounded on the detective fiercely. A flicker of disappointment registered on L's features.

"That's a shame. And as for my earlier suspicions, they're at ten percent now."

"Can you please stop making comments about me being Kira?" Light dragged himself miserably behind L as the pair turned to head downstairs.

"Again, I wasn't referring to-"

"Ryuzaki! What was the meaning of that?" came the resounding echo of Soichiro's voice in the lobby below. Pausing in mid-stride, both Light and L peered over the handrail. Chief Yagami was accompanied by Aizawa, Mogi and, still in the midst of fastening the belt on his trousers, Matsuda. The police detectives stood glancing around nervously at the unfamiliar equipment, and taking their discarded valuables in and out of their suit jackets. Matsuda, apparently immune to the palpable tension, caught himself between a half-bow and a wave at the two young men upon the stairs. His left hand slackened on his loose trousers. L sighed wearily.

"I apologise for all the haste earlier but I had to speak with Light in private!" he called down to the men as they descended the steps into the central room. "But now that's all settled, I will have you shown to your rooms. Please allow Watari to help with your bags..."

The old gentleman had emerged from a door behind the left staircase. In his hand he held a cup of tea aloft, clearly nullifying any expectations of actually lifting luggage. As Matsuda and Mogi dragged their cases in Watari's wake, L approached Soichiro.

"I trust your family were satisfied with your explanation for Light's absence?"

"Yes… they still believe that I am working normal hours at the bureau, while Light has taken some time off to travel and 'find himself,'" the Chief Detective replied gravely. Light uttered a groan of mingled exasperation and surprise.

"But, dad, we already came up with the perfect cover story! We were gonna say that I was studying abroad for a semester." Soichiro turned to his son, his expression one of pity.

"Son, this has all been too much on you. I just didn't know if you could cope with working on a case like this, tolerating twenty four hours with Ryuzaki every day, all while maintaining perfect grades on your course." He dropped his head, ashamedly. "Forgive me, but I just couldn't bear the thought of you under all that strain." Glancing between father and son, L slyly touched his thumb to his mouth again.

"He's right, Light. Not everyone can juggle all of that." He smiled down at his bare feet and wiggled his toes in earnest. "I mean, I can."

Light looked away furiously. Fortunately, the other detectives had started to emerge at the top of the stairs, providing a welcome justification for his distraction.

"The rooms in this place are amazing!" Matsuda called down, "man, I am so glad that I'm not married or anything. Now I've got this brand new pad to myself! Think of all the parties! ...and all the chicas!" On the floor below, Soichiro and Aizawa scowled visibly.

"Maybe we should get started…" Mogi spoke for the first time, clapping his large hands together. "I know it's a little late in the day but, is there anything we could be making a start on?" L's pensive gaze travelled from the detective's face, over to where Watari was sedately sipping at the dregs of his tea, as he grasped at the vague outlines of a plan.

"Yes… now I suppose the real work begins," the detective spoke softly. "Our first priorities are data… and cake."

Soichiro nodded. "I'll put in a request for recent coroner's reports and check them with Aizawa as they come in."

"I'll take news reports so we can cross reference them!" Mogi added, waving a decisive finger.

"I'll… get the cake?" Matsuda asked, "I mean, is any kind okay, or do you like…"

The men marched on in united determination, steering Matsuda away with them as they passed. Light followed L towards the back wall of desks and stood awkwardly as the detective hopped upon the nearest office chair.

"Hey, what do you want me to do?"

Much like an overgrown house cat, L took a moment to settle into a crouch, his pale hands perched upon his knees. He stared up at Light with eyes like dark, bottomless caverns, causing the latter to shiver. Then, after several unnecessarily long seconds, he spoke at last.

"I want you to test a hypothesis for me. Are you happy to try?" Light shifted uncomfortably under the detective's unyielding gaze.

"Okay…"

"Let's say that you are, in fact, Kira." L leaned forward, a small smile playing about his mouth. "You have lost all memories of your killing ability and now someone else out there has gained them. What would your next move be?"

Light hesitated; his very skin prickled with nervous heat. The artificial brightness around him seemed to burn brighter, bringing out the flecks of red in his auburn hair. In the recesses of his mind, a smaller version of himself was lifting choice words up and scrutinising each specimen with extreme care. For each decision he could make, a thousand counter moves seemed to spiral off into his subconscious. Lapsed into a universe of his own thoughts, Light's interior monologue began to run away from him at speed.

I can do this. No one said this situation was going to be easy, but I just have to remember that I can handle it. I can cope with L's annoying questions, and Misa and her stupid dates, and whatever nightmares await in this shared bathroom hell. It's all going to be alright, because enduring all of that is still better than being accused of being a monster like Kira.

His resolve strengthened, Light opened his mouth to reply, just as L raised an obnoxious finger.

"Light, as a general rule, if you really want to avoid suspicion, I would try to answer within forty seconds of being asked a question next time."

Light clenched his jaw in silent irritation. On second thought, monster or not, I can name at least one reason why being Kira wouldn't be so terrible...