XXII – Warning


About thirty years ago, a crime was committed. Diego had always suspected the reason his father had to go, but he never thought it important enough to risk asking the only ones who seemed to know. His young mother had raised him until his fifth birthday. All that she had told him was that his father had been a married man and that he had died shortly after his child was born.

The first time he met the Dragon, he feared him. The little boy had been brought into a dark office, surrounded by armed men. He remembered it clearly because it was something so new, so shocking, his young mind had been impressed for years. Everything smelled of smoke, leather and the perfume the Dragon was using at the time. Diego sat in his seat in the train, trying to anticipate how the man looked now. For some reason, he kept thinking about how he saw him then – a giant in the eyes of a child. A dark, grumpy giant with cold eyes and an apathetic expression.

'What's your name?' were the first words Diego heard from the man. 'From this day on, you will be under my protection. In a year from today, you will go to school and after that, you will be serving me.'

That was the last day the child had seen his mother. Now, on his way to meet a weak, cornered Dragon, he tried to remember how he had been thrown into all this. He tried to remember the face of his mother – a beauty with dark flowing hair. Her image was vague in his mind. He remembered her hair because he loved it and he often played with it. He remembered her hair because it smelled so sweet and felt so soft… Because he had been looking for a woman like her in every single one he met.

In his mind, he was almost scared to imagine the man as he might find him soon… Perhaps his most loyal servant, Diego grew up to see him as the closest thing to family. Sometimes he thought the Dragon treated him like a son, but that thought began to fade when he saw how he had been spoiling his daughter even before she was born. 'She's got his blood, after all…' he thought, 'it shouldn't surprise me.' The Dragon didn't see him as a son, but perhaps as a brother… Yes, that must be it. A younger brother.

Diego looked at his watch. It was almost 1 am and he still had a long way before he would reach the border. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep and ignore everything. His thoughts were unimportant, the conversation all around was too plain, and his memories were already fading. There was no reason to stay awake.

That night, Caterina wanted to cry. For once, she wanted to sob until her head would feel numb and her throat ached, to cry until she passed out. Not so much because of sadness and grief, but rather a cocktail of frustration and anger, of helplessness and self-blame. She ran back towards the burning motel as fast as she could with one shoulder and several ribs burning with pain, praying that her father had somehow found a way out.

When she saw him walking away from the parking lot of the burning building, she thought he was a ghost. She stopped for a second, almost expecting the image of her father to fade like smoke. But it didn't – instead, the man had opened his arms for her and in the girl's eyes, with the flames burning behind him, the Dragon looked like the devil. He looked like she had imagined a fallen, bruised, covered in blood and ash, angel of destruction with broken wings weighting him down, but still glorious in the way he stood straight on his feet. There was glory in being alive and they both knew it, only to Caterina, it was just being revealed. With the desperation of a baby holding onto a finger, she wrapped her arms around her father and hid her face in his back.

It was the strangest feeling in the world. Two weeks ago, he had been on top of the world, watching people from above and giving orders, and now… The Dragon thought he had never been happier in his life. He wasn't truly happy when Anastasia threw herself at his feet, nor when he was first saluted and someone had kissed his hand as a sign of respect. He hadn't been half as happy when he first saw what a stack of banknotes felt like or when he spilled his adoptive father's blood in order to wash clean his mother's honor. The man couldn't remember another time he had came close to that rush of excitement, that wave of gratitude washing over him as he thanked God and the angels for keeping his little girl alive.

Turning towards her, he cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her forehead. The past few days were the best proof Caterina had his blood pulsing through her veins – the blood of a fighter, a survivor. Side by side, they began walking towards their initial destination.

"Diego will be waiting for us tomorrow," was all he said. The rest was self-understood. They were going to be safe – no more risks for now. It was plain to see they both needed a break, a little vacation so they could just breathe. Asia was no longer safe for them. Caterina figured they were most likely on their way home – her father didn't usually call their driver unless they moved for at least a year. The Dragon phoned Diego and gave him the details when they first came across a public phone still functioning.

From that moment on, they bet on the kindness of strangers and the Dragon took care to always have some spare cash on his hands. They found people kind enough to give them a ride for some money. They also found shelter and food when needed. Unofficially, they were a family of three, Diego was Caterina's brother when they needed to go to some random nearby city for medical attention, or to meet with someone. The lies were diverse, flowing so easily from the mouth of the girl, people couldn't help but believe her.

Their servant was surprised by Caterina's ability to make up complex lies on the spot. She even acted them out so well, one could have swore she was some underrated actress trying to get herself noticed. In truth, Diego and Caterina didn't look too different. They could be easily seen as siblings thanks to their delicate skin and harmonious bone structure. But then, it could only be a coincidence – the coincidence of being born in the same country, of having the diluted Roman blood flowing through their veins.

By the end of the month, yet another successful investigation led by a mysterious detective in association with FBI members was announced on the news. The number and identities of the FBI members were not specified in order to protect them. As for the head of the investigation…

'…We can only assume the detective, who is undoubtedly a living legend, is the same genius who caught Bobby Boom last year and brought down the White Rabbit group three years ago. We are here with my guest tonight, who…'

Light sighed. At last, the murderer that had terrorized LA for the past month was caught. He will most likely be given a life sentence in a top security prison. But what about all the others that were murdered every other minute?! Why did nobody talk about them?

It was only seven in the afternoon, but summer was over and the day was growing shorter. The teenager was changing channels, trying to find something on the TV that would distract him from his own thoughts. There was a wedding in their family – the daughter of some… cousin of his father, or something like that. Either way, he excused himself using schoolwork as a pretext. It was a rare occasion to have the house all to himself. Why exactly he needed that, he couldn't understand. Perhaps it was his darker side who enjoyed it just so he could feel in charge and powerful.

His phone lit up on the coffee table and Light heard the all too familiar sound of 'Ding!', but he didn't bother to look at it. Wherever she was, Caterina was probably not going to contact him anymore. It was most likely another message from the phone company, meant to convince him to take the latest offer, change his phone, or buy something.

A few minutes later though, the 'Ding!' could be heard again. This time, he turned to look at the device for a few long seconds. It couldn't be the phone company, because their messages usually had a break of two to three weeks between one and the next. So perhaps… there could be a chance for the girl to contact him.

He picked it up and looked at the messages.

'Turn on your TV,' read the first, while the second was a cat emoticon. Light understood it was a coded signature and erased the messages. His television was already on, and since she had not told him what channel he should watch, the teenager assumed it was going to be something global.

A few minutes later, his screen went completely black. The image of a Chinese dragon appeared a few moments later and the voice of a man began to talk.

'This is a message to the authorities and to the underworld. When this transmission will be over, a warning will be delivered to all who dare threaten the Dragon. It is not an act of terrorism, but one of justice. Addressing all those unrelated to the guilty, do not pity them…'

In every police station, panic was striking those on duty. In every house of the world, fear and interest were taking roots. Suspicion was everywhere in the thick air, as children looked at their parents and partners at each other, wondering who the Dragon was, and more importantly… who was he talking about.

'…All of those who will serve as an example for you are corrupted, greedy, and unworthy of living. The crimes they have committed against the Dragon are as follows…'

Politicians were starting to sweat, watching the transmission breathlessly. Some were calling the secret services asking them to track down the signal, but there was no result to their struggle. The secret services were split - while some were trying to find out who was making the transmission, others were deliberately sabotaging it.

'…betrayal, thievery, murder, blackmail, abuse of power and disrespect. The Dragon would like to remind all in question of your ungratefulness. The rich and the powerful are encouraged to remember their origins and the help required and received from the Dragon…'

The Snake was growling like a caged animal. "That son of a bitch! He's a fucking pest! Can't get rid of him!"

"What do we do now, boss?" one of the bodyguards asked.

"Fucking SHIT! That's what we do! Get my plane ready, you fucking moron! What else do you think?! Ha?!"

But just as the man was running to do as ordered, the Snake yelled after him. "No! Wait! He will expect me to go by plane. Get my car!"

'…This is a message to the relatives and the acquaintances of those in question. Because of the large number of individuals involved, the Dragon had chosen to spare those younger than the age of fifteen and women. The terminally ill and the elders past the age of seventy will also be spared, unless they had been directly accused of any or more of the crimes mentioned before. According to the sources, the number of individuals spared surpasses twenty thousand...'

Ross was watching the transmission intently as well. He had not dealt with the Dragon directly, though he couldn't be certain of how he had been judged. The pitiful action of sparing women and children was laughable in his eyes, but he didn't have the time to mock his rival. He had to come up with a plan to escape, fast.

'…This is the one and only warning the Dragon will be giving before declaring war. Neither the mafia, the police, or the secret services of any country will be able to prevent the inevitable, unless they accept the conditions of the Dragon. These will be communicated in the following days. In the mean time, the equivalent of six hundred million dollars will be received by different organizations and associations of many countries to be used for unmasking the guilty to the public. In an act of kindness, the Dragon will share the fortunes of the guilty to the people of the respective countries.'

The Snake was just getting into the car that was supposed to take him into the center of the city when the transmission ended. In his mind, if he had time to reach a large crowd of innocents, he would be spared.

The corrupted employees of the Dragon were trembling in their homes, watching as the transmission reached its end and expecting the worst. American associates were doing the same thing. Members of the FBI and of the CIA, associates of the famous detective, heads of police departments and the Interpol. Politicians were holding their breath in expectation.

Ross was in the underground of his base, secured in case of explosion. Jack, not allowed to hide there as well, was desperately trying to light up a joint, his hands trembling too much.

On his couch, Light was watching the screen intently. The Voice was more than thrilled to see something like this happening. Of course, the Dragon was not much better than any of these, but he was certainly doing the world a favor. It will be much easier to take down half of the system, once he finds the means.

The picture of a Chinese dragon remained on the screen a few moments more. In the background, there was music playing quietly. It was a chorus of angelic voices and an organ – beautiful, solemn and chilling. Light was able to recognize a few words in Latin.

In squares, people were waiting in tension. Every now and then, someone was losing their heads and screaming they were all going to die, running as fast as possible through the crowd.

Satellite images came on the screens, showing the future victims. Some were seen through the window while in bed, in the bath tub, on the couch, or sitting down for breakfast or dinner. A few were seen sleeping – alone or not – and others were seen driving, flying, or getting on board of private yachts. Some were in helicopters and private planes. Others were in the middle of nowhere, in houses built in the desert or in the mountains.

Those who saw themselves on the screen began to panic, screaming at servants and covering windows. A few fell on their knees, praying each in their own language. Some were trembling in shock, too frightened to do anything else.

Soon, a series of explosions had shaken the Earth. All over the North America, on the coasts of Central and South America, in every country of Europe, all across the west and south of Russia. China's most developed regions were next, along with Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, up to the Arabian and the Muslim states. The north of Africa followed, then the south. Australia wasn't spared either. Planes in international spaces and yachts in the middle of the ocean were catching fire apparently out of nowhere, highways were collapsing and tunnels were turned into gateways to hell.

In the mean time, Light had risked calling Caterina on the number from which she had sent him the message. At first, she didn't pick up. Could it mean somebody else was pretending to be her? Anyone could type a text message, but it would take some effort to replicate her way of talking and her voice. Determined to find out, Light called again.

'Talk,' a male voice ordered Light from the other end of the line.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Light answered. He was aware Caterina was with her father, who was growing paranoid about possible threats, especially after what he had just done. He guessed by replicating something he had previously told Caterina, she would be able to recognize him.

'Is that so…?' Light heard the girl asking back with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"So my guess was right…" the boy chuckled.

'So why did you call?'

Light felt something in the tone of her voice that made him smirk. That girl was as good as his, and so were her daddy's influence and money. "Should I hang up? I was expecting a warmer 'hello' after all this time, maybe even some 'I miss you'…"

'Don't push it, sweetheart,' she purred from the other end of the line. 'Daddy's right beside me, you know? I can't lie in front of him.'

Light chuckled. "So that would have been a lie? Ah… What a pity for the poor student without a car and an Italian villa. I forgot it's the cold you prefer."

At the new base center, in an isolated villa in the south of Italy, Caterina frowned and sighed. How could she forget? Light seemed to enjoy hitting those sensitive cords way more than her.

"…I hate you," she eventually mumbled.

'Do you?' Caterina heard him using that trick again… That almost sincere voice.

"We both know you probably called to check if it was really me sending the texts. And you probably have another question, sounding something alike to 'why'. So…?"

"So…? Why did you want me to witness all this?" Light asked in return, grinning widely. Caterina changing the subject was a clear sign of victory in his eyes.

'It was only an invitation.' It seemed her cold tone was back. 'I thought you wanted to see it.'

"Where are you now? Anywhere near Tokyo?" Light asked.

'No… I can't tell you, and even if I could, you're too much of an ass.'

The boy chuckled. "Right. Then, you're on your own."

'What do you mean?' she asked immediately, falling into Light's trap yet again.

"I could tell you, but I'm an ass, right? And you're such a lady…"

Caterina rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "Do you have anything useful to say or not?"

'I do. But what do I get?'

"First, what's the source?" Caterina asked, earning herself a look of approval from her father.

'I had been on the investigation team in the case of A. I have information on all of those involved. So…? What do I get?'

The girl looked at her father and he picked up the phone. "Name your price."


Author's Notes:

Chapter proofread by the beta Eat4Fun, also the last chapter of the second part. I know it leaves a few loose ends, but I'll tie them up in the beginning of the third part. It also means Light will be finding the notebook during the next chapter. Also, here's a small spoiler - the Voice in Light's head appeared as a response to trauma. It's not canon, but there are no perfect families (in case it wasn't obvious by now), and besides to me, it seems to make sense.

I sure hope you will find this believable! There will also be some new characters - at least one canon and one original, both of which will be influencing the story and giving Light some headaches. And soon enough, in another few chapters, we'll be welcoming one of the most loved characters of this fandom, the one who sweetened this show and made most (if not all) fangirls shed a tear or two when he passed.

Thanks Jupiter's Bull for reviewing. In the beginning, when I first created her character concept, Caterina was a lot more alike to her mother, allowing feelings to influence her more than thought. However, if I wanted to place her between the Dragon and Kira, I needed to make her more alike to her father - she still acts on impulse, not thinking she may break her own bones when she jumps, but she is not overwhelmed by fear and panic.

Also, in case there are any -Man fans here, I'll send you to Blob80's story that I mentioned before, The Embalmer. It now has an epilogue which sweetens the original ending. Very in-character, very heart-breaking and very tragic. The creepy-cute feeling from the beginning grows into a heart-wrenching romance in no time, so subtle you will find yourself caught up in the middle. If you don't know the fandom, it's still worth checking out because you don't need much background to understand it.