I always think I am addicted to the internet until I suddenly have no WiFi for a good three weeks and I actually realise I am moderately okay with it.

So, the end is near, I am scared. And this is I think the toughest chapter of this story to write, since I kind of always had the movie (and the anime and the manga) to hold my hand throughout, but around the end it's always a point where the chances you make catch up to you. And I am now at that point and absolutely terrified that I will create five million plot holes because of it. May that be the case, then I apologize in advance. Let's roll!

*I don't own Death Note or anything relating to its characters and/or storylines. I only own my original characters.

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15. Nakagami

I think everyone was surprised. I was not. He had told me his theory before. And I understood perfectly. I did, but still…

'You think Mishima is Neo Kira?'

'Well, I think he is a very likely suspect,' Ryuzaki clarified, his hand near his chin. 'If the Shinigami truly wanted a game, a new Kira, they would certainly look for someone who is ambitious, perhaps even obsessed with Kira. I read his application for the Task Force. It's easy to see how he made it. Even without all the classified information, he knew so much that it was almost scary. And after that, he seemed to have memorized every single bit of the classified information he could access. Too much, so detailed, that it would almost be easy to copy Light's methods.'

Only then did he look at me, his eyes a different question than his mouth: 'Don't you agree?'

'Hold on!' Kuromoto shouted in the forest, my eyes glued on Ryuzaki, 'Mishima can't be Neo Kira! He was at our side the whole time!'

'Well, then perhaps he has forgotten,' Ryuzaki stated. The man just watched this play out, his left hand on his right wrist. 'Maybe he gave up ownership of the Death Note.'

Mishima looked like someone hit him with a baseball bat. 'Eh?' The small sound was so full of confusion and denial that I felt for him. Even if he turned out to be Neo Kira.

'Well, wouldn't we all do the same, if an alley of L suddenly came over to your house?' L stated. 'From the day Olivia stayed over at your house, I have seen a small shift in personality. Rather than keeping clear of Olivia, you started pursuing her, almost as if the reason to keep her at a distance that vanished.'

That little bit of information, he hadn't told me. But it made sense. Before, Mishima was unkind to be, rude even and I responded accordingly. When I suddenly noticed that he was hardworking and kind of sweet, I thought I had just misunderstood him. But what if that wasn't it? What if it wasn't me who changed, but Mishima?

'How ridiculous!' Mishima managed to get out of his mouth, the words jangled and breathless.

'So you're Neo Kira?' the boy muttered.

It was only then that I saw it. The watch. Him fiddling with it. That was not something that should be trusted.

Without even thinking, I raised my gun and shot his wrist.

Whining, he dropped to the ground, grabbing his arm as if I had just amputated it. I looked away quickly, to Ryuzaki, who nodded, showing me I'd done the right thing, that he had noticed it, too.

It only took a moment for Ryuzaki to give a next command. 'Restrain him and bring me the briefcase.'

No one felt inclined to disagree. Kuromoto and Uragami left Nanase on the ground and even Watari stepped in to help. It seemed strange, how easy this seemed to be over, with so little sacrifice made. If he had given up ownership of the Death Notes in the suitcase, would that mean Arma could reclaim it? Or did the owner have to die? It still belonged to the human realm, after all.

When Ryuzaki had the briefcase, he tossed it over to Mishima, of all people, eyeing him closely. Mishima caught the briefcase with stiff motions, like a robot and he still looked more like a statue than a human being. 'Touch it,' Ryuzaki said, almost playfully, as if we were on the tennis field again, playing a game of wits with a familiar face and a familiar name.

Since when did blood and death become a familiar thing? Since when was the world so deadly?

Mishima dropped the briefcase like he'd burned himself. 'What?'

I shook my head, and pulled a glove out of the pocket of my jeans, the one Ryuzaki had given me in the car. I opened the case and saw more Death Notes than I'd ever thought I'd see together. All slightly different, all slightly the same. I tried to calm myself down, though I wasn't sure why I wasn't calm, my I couldn't seem to grasp my calm, and I took one of the Notes in my hand.

I hated the fact that this seemed familiar to me, too.

I stood, Mishima eyeing me with big, terrified eyes, and I raised my hand with the note. And I raised it some more, dangled it in front of his face. He didn't look like Neo Kira right now, but all that could change in an instant. I had seen such a thing happen before. Even that was a familiar sight to me.

I raised my arm a little bit more before dropping the note, it landing in Mishima's hand when he caught it automatically.

The entirely of the world suddenly seemed still.

XxX

Mishima held the note before he even realised what he was holding. Then he frowned and looked up. Olivia was staring back at him, her face a cold mask, her eyes cautious.

He was still there. Nothing had happened. Of course he wasn't Kira, how could he even doubt himself! This was just L, making a mistake. Even that happened. L couldn't always be right. 'Nothing happened!' he said, so breathless because he wanted to laugh.

But there was no one to reply.

Suddenly, there seemed to be no one at all.

The entire woods was empty. And then the trees, too, were gone. A small space built around him, a familiar space. Cracked white walls with a small window, a small desk and a bookcase full of Kira research. His computer was opened on a Kira page and his whiteboard was full of information.

A Kira fanboy. A Kira fanboy who happened to be part of the Police Force. Nothing more, nothing less.

A dark brown note with jagged letters across the front. He had never seen it before, but he grabbed it. Touched it. Stared at it. And then a Shinigami stared back. And the Shinigami whispered all the secrets in his ear.

Light Yagami. He knew the name, it was in one of his many folders, folded in between the others, as if he meant nothing. He should mean everything. Light Yagami killed felons and reduced crime, didn't he? Why should he be among the common folk? Wasn't he justice?

Wasn't he God?

'Will you live as Light?' the Shinigami asked him. it seemed a foolish question. For how could he ever life as the God that came before him?

He would surpass him. One day, he could surpass him. He was older, smarter, knew so much more. And he was already in the police force. He had everything. He had every single chess piece in the right place to win the game. He could stop wars, not just crimes.

'No,' he countered. 'I shall live as Kira. I only need… a cyberterrorist. Zellogi,' he said, addressing the Shinigami. 'Could you get your hands on another Death Note?'

The Shinigami grinned. 'What would you do with it?'

'A cyberterrorist. Find one, make a pact. Have him work for me, as a pawn with arms and feet. I need a pawn that can move without being caught.'

Zellogi disappeared. And went back to his realm for just a bit, just so he could find what he needed. Steal what he needed. From an innocent Shinigami that looked like a bird. And to brag to his friends, who then decided to go to the human realm to start games of their own.

Nakagami wrote names. Kira made the news. A new Task Force was installed. Nakagami was hired. And Ryo Nakagami became Tsukuru Mishima. A fake name for a real god. The world was becoming peaceful. L was joining the investigation. He met his ally. He stayed clear of the alley. Zellogi had found his pawn, his knight and nothing would go wrong. He could get to L through his alley. But to do that, Kira had to become Mishima. To do that, Mishima had to become Nakagami once more. A Death Note fanboy, nothing else. For he knew, even without memories, he could get close. And once he was close, his pawn would kill L. And Mishima would take L his place. In her heart, in the Task Force. In the world.

And then Kira and L would become one. One God to rule over all.

She called him first. Crying, in the rain. No one to turn to. Wasn't this the moment? Wasn't this the time to strike? 'Zellogi,' he said as he headed to his car. 'I think it's time to forfeit my ownership of the Death Note.'

XxX

At first, nothing seemed to change. I saw it, relief in his eyes, for a split second. But then he opened his mouth and… nothing came out.

His eyes shifted wildly while he began to tremble, slowly sinking to the ground, like all his strength was leaving him. And then, out of nowhere. He was screaming. Screaming for his life, for his past. For what he was seeing. The answer he was getting. Answer we might never even know.

His hands were in his hair, the Death Note in his lap. And behind him a saw a tall, grinning Shinigami with feathers in its hair. 'Nakagami,' it said, its teeth crackling as it spoke.

The only ones who could see Zellogi were me, Mishima and the boy. Mishima turned around ever so slowly. 'Zellogi,' he said, his voice a whisper.

'Long time no see,' Zellogi said, still grinning, but clearly not very amused. He must've wanted a more exciting game. Maybe he was regretting his choice of Kira. Or maybe he was just bored, which made me angry. How dare he make us suffer and then not even enjoy it? How could he be bored after the deaths he had caused?

With a numb feeling in my stomach, I raised my gun again, pointing it at Mishima's head, still on the floor. 'So you are Neo Kira,' I said, the gun shaking in my hand.

I could do it. Kill him. I wasn't sure it would solve anyone's problem, and Arma and Ico both had been alarmingly quiet this entire time. What was this like for them? Even if it meant Arma's life, was this also just a game? Was that just Shinigami's nature?

'It is you!' the boy scoffed. 'You are no God of mine!' he spat, angrily trying to free himself, but not having enough strength to pull free from the three people trying to keep him down. It almost looks like a wild dog trying to escape and once again I feel this soft feeling in my chest. Pity. Why was I always pitying people at a time like this?

Ryuzaki took a few steps toward me and I wasn't even sure what he was planning on doing, but halfway through, he suddenly stopped and frowned. 'Do you hear that?' he asked and then I did. The sound was so far away at first that I could place it, but then. Then it came close enough.

And I could hear it.

'Helicopters,' I said and then cursed under my breath. 'Is it the Chief?' I then asked, as if anyone could answer me.

Ryuzaki did feel inclined to give some sort of answer. 'I'd assume so, yes. Since we are technically illegally researching the Kira case.' He spoke calmly, but I saw the change of emotion behind his eyes, the slight panic hiding in the tips of his fingers.

Because he was L. Anonymity kept him alive.

He should not be caught by the police. If the government knew his identity…

I let my gun drop to the floor without even thinking, running and grabbing Ryuzaki as if my life depended on it. 'Screw this investigation! We need to get you out of here ASAP!'

I saw his eyes widen and then soften. 'Olivi—'

'Don't talk, come with me—'

I stopped when I heard more sounds. Agents running through the woods, the sounds of cars. They seemed to be everywhere, as if we were surrounded. As if this was the moment we would die. And then a voice spoke. Different from before. More different than I'd ever heard him: 'Well, I never expected my bad habits would come in handy today.'

Mishima stood, my gun in his hands, and he was folding his sleeves up like he had work to do. 'Who knew that reporting that the Task Force was secretly continuing would work to my advantage in the end?'

And only then I got what he was saying. Even before he touched the note, even when he wasn't Neo Kira, he had still betrayed all of us. 'You bastard!' I spat immaturely, after which I looked up at Arma and Ico. 'Get us out of here!'

Arma did not look convinced. 'But my note—'

'Please, Arma! I beg of you!' I looked at her with desperation, one I had not shown her before. Because how could I let Ryuzaki be caught? How could I lose him like this? Even if he wouldn't be killed, it would put L and everything he was in danger. How could I? I had to protect him.

To my surprise, conflict flickered in Arma her eyes as she was trying to think of something, something, anything. And I saw she didn't find it. Her shoulder sagged and she glanced at Mishima, at the boy, and then said: 'Ico, find a way out.'

'But Arma—'

'After Allison hands me the remaining Death Notes,' Arma continued, as if that was the way it was.

Ico still seemed confused. 'But they belong to the human realm still. You would have to—'

'I am aware I cannot claim ownership, nor lengthen my lifespan, but I can still write in it,' Arma said as I hastily tried to close the suitcase as Mishima and the other were watching me, scared and confused. I couldn't protect everyone. But maybe their sentence wouldn't be bad. If Ryuzaki, Watari and I managed to escape, they could put all the blame on us.

I threw the suitcase in the air and everyone saw how it was caught. 'Watari!' I said, my voice loud and commanding. He came immediately and Ico started to point to a the left of the building, leading the way.

As I started pulling Ryuzaki, I saw him looking at me with slightly surprised eyes, and clearly a little bit impressed.

'Olivia!' shouted Kuromoto, a clear shout through the noise.

'Don't follow!' I shouted back. 'The police won't hurt you! Tell them all you know! Blame me!'

That was all I managed to get out. And I knew even then that it was a mistake. A sea full of police officers, but only two Task Force members, and two Kira's. Even if most of the Death Notes were in Arma's hands now, that seemed like a dangerous gamble.

Ico could get them to safety, I told myself. You could go back. You don't have more to lose than the others.

I halted in my tracks. 'Ico,' I ordered and she turned around, clearly very confused by everything. 'Let Ryuzaki touch your Death Note.'

Of course Ryuzaki already figured it out. 'Don't, Allison, please—'

'I wish I could've married you,' I said, no tears, no sadness. Only determination. 'I wish I could've and if we ever meet again, I still want to. But for now, you need to go. Hide. Live. I will come to find you.'

I kissed him once, quick, and darted back, his shouts already silenced and his tears already dried. I knew Ico would do what I asked her, I trusted her that much. She could lead them out of there. And even if I ended up in prison, I would find him. I would find him and love him and keep him by my side. I would make sure this never happens again.

Even if I had to die for it.

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I know it's not realistic to have everyone be so quiet during the last part, but I didn't want to make the situation any more confusing than it already was, so that's way I let Uragami and Kuromoto shut up for most of this chapter. More like they were watching it happen instead of engaging in the situation.

School starts again next week, so I don't know when I'll be updating again, it really depends on something which is kind of hard to explain, but here's the thing: there's a 50% chance I will be very busy, but also a 50% chance I will not have anything to do. Also, I am sorry this chapter was short and if it was a bit loopy I am currently a bit sick and I wrote it with long pauses in between, so I felt like this chapter especially is not that strong. Sorry you had to wait so long for a mediocre chapter, but I hope to make it up to you guys soon. Bye-bye!

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JustaTurtleDuck: Thank you very much!

lunamoon531: What's with history teachers being either really great or just a mess? Thank you again for reading and have a great week/month/ whenever I update!

sibunasiren10: About Mishima being obvious… yeah, he really is. The only reason I let it slide was because it was really freaking obvious in the movie, too. L: Change the World is actually a different movie (a better one, actually…) and I never used it because things changed so drastically because of Olivia that it was almost impossible? So you can totally watch L:Change the World, it's adorable and kind of strange but also great in a strange sort of way. The movie this is based on is Death Note: Light up the New World. And boy, let me tell ya. There's some strange decisions that were made. Anyway, sorry for the insanely long reply, have a great day and thank you so much for reading!

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