CHAPTER 38:
"Exposed & Troubled"

Demetre burst through the doors of Light's office, but what he saw made him gasp in astonishment and fright. He had been too late to stop Sayu. And now she knew her brother was truly alive, hugging him, with Takada at his side. He had retrieved a spare key card to the upper floor from a secure location, but his efforts were all for naught.

Light looked at him with resounding shock, as if to say: How the hell did this happen? And he'd say: I screwed up!

He never thought Sayu would be so bold as to steal his keycard to access the penthouse floor. He knew when he escorted her and her mother around that he made sure he took them to places neither would meet, even accidentally. But now, an accident happened, and was a major one.

And the only way to fix it would be to use the Death Ring on Sayu, and even on Sachiko Yagami, to forget they even met L, and saw Light's picture. They would go back to their lives before all this happened.

But he would never use it on them without Light's permission.

"Oh, Light! Oh, Light!" Sayu said, continuing to hug him, even crying. "You're alive, you're alive!" She turned her head. "And Kiyomi, you're alive, too! You had to fake your death to protect us, Light. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would find you here of all places." Then she looked around at Demetre. "You knew they were alive, and you never told us, Demmy? That's horrible! Why? Why didn't you tell us?"

Light put a comforting hand on Sayu's head, she looked back at him with a smile and tears in her eyes. "Oh, Sayu…"

"Because, Sayu, you and your Mom…had to be protected," Demetre lied, repeating the lie L told them. Light looked at him, this was obviously news to him. "The Yukaza was after Light for his role in the death of the Dragon Sect's leader Terrance Claw. Isn't that right, Light?" Demetre saw Light's reaction and Light quickly caught on, he nodded. The lie was presented and now it needed to be reinforced.

"Yes," Light said. "Sayu, I need to explain a things to you, and Mom. And it's crucial that everything be kept secret." Light gave Demetre an admonishing stare, forced to play to the lie. He knew Light hated surprises. "But how did you find me?"

"We knew Demmy worked here, so we came to talk to him, and to tell him we were in contact with some people who gave us a picture of you, saying you were alive, and they wanted us to help to find you. They said you were in hiding, and had some valuable information the police needed to help some other people out. Mom has the picture."

Demetre nodded, when Light looked at him. "Yes, it's true." Then mouthed L. Light stood shocked, then angry. Sayu didn't want to let go of him, but he asked for her to. She stepped back.

She wiped tears from her eyes. "I still can't believe it, Light. And you're the infamous Shinto Izanagi? The Man in the Red Mask? How? How did you manage to amass such a large fortune and business in such a short time? The story about acid being thrown in your face was a lie, too… so you wouldn't have to reveal your identity, right?"

Sayu was assuming all the correction details of his hiding, per se, so he went with them. "Yes," he confirmed.

"Can I go get Mom? She'll want to see you right away. And want to know everything."

Despite being Kira, and now Shinto Izanagi, Light Yagami was always a pushover for his little sister. He nodded, reluctantly, and she ran out of the office to the elevator to go get her mother.

When she was out of earshot, Light went to say something, but Demetre stopped. "No, Light! This isn't my fault! And it was no mere coincidence they came here either. This was L's doing! He played on their emotions to get to you. We have to be very cautious now. How the hell did they get that picture of you I saw? That should be the main question here. Just play along, then maybe something can be done along the lines of Matsuda and Aizawa."

Light's eyes bulged. "I give the orders here, Demmy!"

"Protecting you is my job!" And he squeezed his left hand with the ring on it. "This issue can be easily dealt with, but I will not act without your consent on this. It will be your decision to do what may need to be done!"

Light nodded. "Yes, it will be my decision," he said. "But for now, we'll go with it. I've missed my family, and a little reunion will be nice. I only wish Dad was here, when I tell them the wonderful news…"

He looked to Takada, and they kissed.

x x x

When Sachiko Yagami was brought up, she acted much like Sayu had. She ran to Light and hugged him, and cried.

Light explained to her why he had to disappear using the story Demetre had told him as cover, and how he built his fortune and status. And when he told her that Takada was pregnant with his child, his mother was beyond ecstatic.

Demetre couldn't believe L would use Light's family against him in such a dastardly way, but there was no way L could know they were meeting here. Even if he had them followed, as soon as they entered the building, they were masked from any observation. He was happy for the Yagami's and their reunion.

They even showed him the picture that was taken of him that had L had showed them that indicated he was alive.

The white hair was part of his disguise to hide from the Yukaza, Light lied.

He looked out one of the large window panes that gave Light a wide view of the city and smiled to himself, as the Yagami's engaged in their togetherness, and spoke of the future.

Each window was tinted. He could see out, but no one could see in. Kanto was beautiful city, the landscape was an urban delight and a stunning portrait to behold, especially in the late evening when the sun was setting. He couldn't wait to go home and start enjoying his days and nights with Asumi. But for a moment, he was reminded of Dana Chika, who, in high school, and later at the Savant Society, he had a relationship with.

Dana died in his arms, but she professed her love of Light on her deathbed. That was a bittersweet pill to swallow at the end, despite everything that they had gone through. But he had to accept it. That didn't mean he still didn't love her. Even now, he thought of her fondly.

He had left home almost as soon as he entered university and his parents had sold their home and moved away. He kept in touch with them. But he was pretty much on his own.

But right now, he was side-by-side with Light in his endeavours, and it made him happy to work with his best friend.

x x x

After a lengthy visit, Light's mother and sister swore themselves to secrecy about him being alive, and Ritchie, Light's/Izanagi's personal driver drove them home from the underground garage. Light opted not to erase their memories. Although, he could do so at any time. Demetre knew he was taking an awful risk, but it was his to take.

It was just the three of them now in his office. Geist had gone somewhere else for the time being. He had come up with Light's family, but then quietly slipped away. It had not gone unnoticed by Demetre, and when Sayu asked where Honda had gone, mysteriously disappearing, Demetre explained he had some important errands to do.

Light sat down at his desk and leaned back in his chair, he stared up at the ceiling, then shut his eyes. Something was wrong, Demetre could tell. Light was much too calm. There was an eerie silence that followed. Demetre looked at Takada, and she at him, and each wondered, almost mentally, if someone should say something. But neither did.

Instead, Takada went over to Light. She put a hand on his shoulder. Light blushed it off, unwanted. She took a step back, and said, "Talk to me, Light. Tell me what's wrong?"

His eyes still closed, his chair slightly turned to the left, Light said, "I'm not angry at you, Kiyomi. I'm a little miffed at Demmy for bringing my family into the building, but how could he know this would happen?" He continued before Demetre could respond. "L, that arrogant bastard is alive. Those Quindecim fools resurrected him to combat my efforts, the insolence of it all. But that isn't what irks me the most. To use my own family in an attempt to undermine and thwart my plans…" He slammed a fist on his desk in a fit of rage. "That is unforgivable!"

Light startled Takada and she jumped. The slam even jolted Demetre.

Demetre involuntarily produced a nervous gulp. "Chill, Light. It isn't as bad as it seems," he said calmly.

Light turned to stare hard at him. "Chill? Chill? How can I chill, Demmy? I will not let something I have spent the last six years be dismantled by a dead man. I killed L, I used Misa and Rem, her Shinigami, to do it, so I wasn't exposed as Kira. Misa told Rem to kill for me, and Rem died for it. I managed to kill a god of death. Has anyone every done that? This is far beyond chilling about, Demmy. Far, far greater—and I feel violated. L perverted the sanctity of my innocence of my family for his own ends. I now I have a duty to protect them from him. That is why I refuse to erase their memories of me. Once everything is finished between L and I, I'll return to my family in triumphant."

Demetre saw a madness in Light's eyes at that moment, a fiery glow.

But it was Takada that said: "So, then, what do we do about L?"

Light leaned back in his chair, it seemed Takada's words forced him to take a step back. "Yes, what should we do?" he said, talking to himself. "Where's Morph? And for that matter, where's Ryuk?"

These questions were addressed rhetorically, but Demetre said, "Hiding? After his offer to Clavis, Morph no doubt knows by now that Menace, his brother, told me everything, showing me of Morph's past. As for Ryuk, you have the ability to summon him anytime you wish with the Probable Orb. Both Ryuk and Geist have one, they can use them like personal cell phones. The one you have in your desk drawer was taken from that boy at Wammy House."

Light took out the Portable Orb from his top desk drawer, and held it in his left hand, his fingers slightly clawed around it. He gazed into its black, shiny abyss. Demetre could see his friend staring into it longingly, as if looking for an answer to his future unsaid. And for a moment, it looked like Light was holding the world in his hands.

Light suddenly smiled with a sinister grin. "I have a plan. One that will not only destroy L, but similarly discredit him. Menace told you that he handed Matt back over to L, did he not?" It was directed at Demetre.

Demetre nodded. "We had planned to release him, or dump him somewhere, so he would scurry back to whatever hole he crawled out from, even make contact with Near. That was before I learned about L. I used the Death Ring on Matt, so I can control him to do anything I wish. However, I must be in close proximity, like you and your mouthguard."

"You told me about these special mouthguard's weaponized with the Death Note's power, Light," Takada voiced. "Can anyone use the Alpha Guard and control others who have the other mouthguard's inserted?"

"Yes, and that is the beauty of it. Just like the Death Note, but the original owner is still its master." He took out a black case from the same drawer with the Portable Orb, for which he put back, and showed the Alpha Guard to her. "The Alpha Guard is the quintessential arbiter. Without it, or if this is destroyed, then the others will cease to function."

He handed it to her and she held the Alpha Guard gently in her hands, as if it were a fragile piece of crystal. She awed, looking at it. "Something so simple can have so much power just like a Death Note," she said, grinning. "You have to show me how to use it, in case you are unable, or incapacitated, or imprisoned." She laughed at the last one.

"Indeed," he said, taking it back. "An instruction manual comes with it, you can read it at your leisure." Light put it back in its case, in his desk, shutting it, and locking the drawer with a fingerprint reader lock.

Demetre remembered, Light once mentioned that he tried to hide the Death Note in his room with a miniature explosive device attached to his desk drawer just in case anyone tried to snoop around. The device would trigger when the circuit was cut. It was crude, but effective—for its time. But with better technology, he went more high-tech.

Just then, Ryuk appeared, landing from winged flight, manifesting through one of the windows. No one could see him unless than touched his Death Note. Light had allowed Takada to touch his Death Note, so she could see him.

"Hey Light, we got trouble," the Shinigami suddenly said. "I did that special thing for you, but then I ran into Morph."

"What is it?" Light replied. "…well?"

"I think Morph is about to do something stupid. He's pissed off that his brother—that he told me about—told Demetre everything he was planning, he found out about it, and that he wanted your soul, or something like that. I tried to stop him, I even called in Geist. But he threatened to turn us both to dust if we interfered. So, I came straight here."

Geist suddenly appeared in a similar winged fashion through a glass panel. He landed, and said, "Demmy, Morph's gone rogue. But I know where's he's going, some warehouse near the docks…"

To be continued...