A/N... I do not own Death Note.
We moved into the new headquarters smoothly. Watari had accepted the responsibility of furnishing our new living space, and as expected, it was perfect. Our security system had been personally designed by L and myself, and Watari manned all security cameras in his own personal viewing room.
L insisted that my room be next to his and Light's due to my nightmares. My room itself was posh and luxurious in everything except for the plethora of toys littered on the floor. L had tailored much of the headquarters to my needs. A full wardrobe for surveillance had been provided along with wigs and colored contact lenses. The shooting range had been installed on an entire floor, and my room had a connecting door to my private computer laboratory. I had been browsing through ten different chat rooms when a knock sounded on the door to my living quarters.
I found L and Light chained together outside, "Yes?"
"We've come to take you on a date," L declared in his usual tone.
Light blushed at L's abrupt claim and hurried to elaborate, "He means Misa wants to go on a date, and since it'd be awkward with just the three of us, we thought it would be better to have the four of us go."
As boring I thought the concept of dating to be, one glance at L's intense and serious gaze convinced me to play along. "Alright. I'll just get my laptop," I turned to retrieve the portable computer when L's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
"No," he protested evenly with a slight pout on his face. "No computers, no balls, no rubberbands." If I have to put up with this, then so do you.
The discomfort was very clear to me, and I would have laughed if not for my own displeasure. L, the great detective, was unnerved by the idea of a date. I supposed it was one of the few walks of life Wammy never prepared us for. After all, our reproduction discussion had consisted of Roger giving an anatomy lesson and declaring that this was a home for gifted children, not a rabbit farm.
"So, where are we going?" I asked, stepping out of my room and closing the door behind me, sealing my fate. The date, as it turned out, was in Misa's room.
When the model opened the door she squealed and leapt into Light's arms before tugging the man into her room like an overeager child. L followed, led by the chain connecting him to Light, and I hesitated before L grabbed me by the hand and yanked me into Misa's room.
Like all rooms, hers was beautifully furnished. Misa dropped onto one love seat and crossed her legs, letting the hem of her skirt ride up ever so slightly. Light took the seat opposite to her, and L perched beside him, immediately familiarizing himself with the china in front of him. Awkwardly, I settled onto the arm of the seat Misa had claimed, putting as much space between myself and the woman at the other end of the chair.
"Oh man," Misa said in disappointment, "this has gotta be the lamest date I've ever been on."
"No, no, no, please," L said around a teaspoon, "just pretend we're not even here, okay? By the way, are you going to eat that piece of cake?"
"Cake makes you fat," Misa said pointedly, "I'm not going to eat any. You should stay away from it too, Endo, if you want to keep your figure."
"Actually, I thought that you don't gain any weight as long as you burn calories by using your brain."
Misa squealed with outrage, "So now you're calling me stupid? Fine, then, I'll give you the piece of cake, as long as you agree to leave Light and me alone."
"Even if I leave you two alone, I'm still going to be watching on surveillance cameras, so it wouldn't make any difference."
"You pervert!" Misa said furiously, "Could you stop it with your creepy hobby?"
L rose from his crouch and placed his foot on the table, saying, "You can call me whatever you like. Last chance for cake."
"Fifteen hundred bacteria," I repeated with disgust at L's foot on the table. I hadn't gotten a piece of cake, probably because Misa hadn't been expecting me. Honestly, the girl hadn't even acknowledged me. The only reason I was even in there was because L wanted someone else in there to suffer with him.
"Fine then," Misa ground out, "I'll just close the curtains and turn off the lights."
"We have infrared cameras in here, you know?" L pointed out.
"And microphones," I added.
"What's wrong with you?" Light asked softly, speaking up for the first time since we had gotten there. "I thought moving here was supposed to help us catch Kira, but since we've been here, you don't seem all that motivated to me."
"Hm. Motivated," L repeated. "You're right. Actually, I'm depressed." I narrowed my eyes and focused my attention on the detective. The truth was that I actually hadn't seen L or Light very much since we had gotten to the new headquarters. It had only been a couple of days, but I spent the time holed up in my room working on minor cases and following chat rooms for signs of this new Kira. Additionally, I had done more digging into my own background. Not that there was very much to find. I had wiped the archives years ago, but some small part of me hoped that in my youth I had been sloppy and left something behind.
Now that I could see him closely, I saw that L was more gaunt than usual and his eyes were more sunken in. "Depressed? What for?" Light questioned.
L took a bite of his cake and kept his eyes forward, "Truthfully, all this time I thought that you were Kira and the entire case hinged on that fact. I guess I just can't get past the fact that my deduction's wrong. Although, having said that, I'm still suspicious of you. That's why we're wearing these."
"There are easier ways," I pointed out.
"But none as effective as this," L reasoned. "And we also know that Kira can control people's actions, which means it's highly likely that Kira was controlling your actions so that I would suspect you. If I assume that both you and Misa were being controlled by him, then everything we observed so far makes a lot more sense to me."
L's new theory made it possible that every confession Light made to me was just the work of Kira, but that wouldn't have explained the shinigami. Unless Ryuk was the true Kira and controlling Light, but somehow, I couldn't see the odd creature orchestrating such an elaborate scheme.
"If that's what you think," Light said, "Misa and I were both Kira during the time we were being controlled, right?"
"Yes," L confirmed, "I don't think I could've been wrong about that. The two of you are Kira." I relaxed when he said that, releasing tension in my shoulders that I hadn't been fully aware of from the moment he claimed to be depressed. L hadn't given up on his original theory. It was very apparent in his voice and the sharp focus in his vacantly dark eyes. "If what I'm thinking is correct, when your confinement began, you were Kira. I don't believe it's coincidence that as soon as you were imprisoned all the killings stopped. Until then, everything pointed to you being Kira, but after two weeks, criminals actually began dying again. Based on that evidence, I can only conclude that Kira's power passes between people."
"That's an interesting idea," Light remarked. "But if it's true, it'll be nearly impossible for us to catch Kira."
"Yes," L developed the word from a somber hum. "That's why I'm overwhelmed. Even if we catch someone under his control, they'll likely lose their powers and any memory of their crimes, so in the end, pursuing them becomes futile."
"But at this point," Light protested, "we have no way of knowing if that's the case. Cheer up, would ya?"
"Cheer up?" L repeated, "No, I'm sorry, I can't. It's probably better if I just stopped trying so hard. By chasing Kira so desperately, we're just putting our lives at risk for nothing. Yes, it's just a waste of time."
"If that's the case, then why bother moving us in here?" I asked with mild annoyance.
"I expected the case to be further along at this point," L answered with a glower. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of comfort. At least, if I'm going to be wasting my time, it might as well be somewhere with a large kitchen and ensured privacy."
Light rose to his feet after L's pitiful talk, "Ryuzaki." L hummed in response. Before anyone could react, Light had punched L in the face, knocking the detective onto the floor. Misa screamed and I drew my feet up onto the couch and rested my elbow on my knees, propping up my chin in my hand. It was like watching dominoes fall.
L went down. Then Light followed him. A plant collapsed. The table flipped onto its side. Glass shattered, and Misa screamed again. It was all very chaotic. L sat back up and stared at Light with a blank expression and wide eyes, "Ya know that really hurt."
"That's enough," Light scolded. "You don't feel like doing anything just because your genius deduction's wrong and I'm not Kira?"
"Fine," L wiped his face on the back of his hand, "Perhaps I phrased it the wrong way. I meant it would be pointless for us to make a move, so we shouldn't even bother."
"If we don't chase Kira, he'll never be caught. Is that what you want? If you were just going to give up, then why did you involve all those innocent people? More importantly, what was the point of putting Misa and me behind bars? And what about E, huh? You dragged her into all this. She wants to find the person who killed someone she cared about. Doesn't that matter to you?"
With every word, the intensity of Light's voice increased. I found myself surprised that he had even mentioned me. Did he forget in this strange amnesia that I was after L, too?
"I understand," L's voice sounded barely above a whisper, "but still, whatever the reason." L suddenly dropped from Light's hold and kicked him in the face with his bare foot. Misa whimpered as Light fell back. "An eye for an eye, my friend." The impact sent Light flying into the couch, and the tension of the chains brought L sailing down with him. Their combined weights sent the couch falling over onto its back. Misa stood, watching in fear and shock at what was going on around her. "It's not my deduction that was wrong. The fact is, I can say that Light Yagami is Kira, and Misa Amane is the second Kira. But it won't be enough to solve the case, and that's why I'm a little depressed. Is that so unreasonable?" Anger dripped from his level tone. Frustration at both Light and himself, and maybe even at the case for being so difficult.
"Yes," Light drew himself back up. "Yes, it is. Besides, you should hear yourself. It's as if you won't be satisfied unless I am Kira."
"I won't be satisfied unless you're Kira," L repeated, but it sounded like a confirmation. "Well, there may be some truth to that. In fact, now that you mention it, you're right. I think I wanted you to be Kira."
That earned him another punch to the face. This time, the detective didn't fly back. Instead, he stood there with Light's fist in his face. "As I said before," L said, "an eye for an eye. I'm a lot stronger than I look, you know." And L spun around and kicked Light in the face in a feat of impressive flexibility. The boys were ready to kill each other, and the only reason they paused was because the room's phone rang.
"I've got it," I stated, rising from my careful seat on the arm of the other chair while the boys held their positions, grabbing the fronts of each others' shirts with their fists raised. "Hello?"
"Endo! I've got good news," Matsuda's excited voice sounded on the other end of the line. "Misa Misa's number one in Eighteen magazine's reader popularity poll."
"How do you even know that?" I asked flatly. The target audience of that magazine was adolescent females, and Matsuda didn't exactly fit the demographic.
"And get this," he continued, "she's going to get a lead role in Nishinaka's next movie!" I hung up the phone after that. Sometimes, I truly wondered what Matsuda's personal life was like.
"What was that?" Light asked, still holding to L's shirt.
"Matsuda's fangirling over Misa," I relayed with a sigh.
"You mean Matsuda's acting stupid again," L corrected, maintaining his drawn fist.
"Well, that is his specialty," Light said.
"Now, where were we?" L mused. Then, they started throwing punches as if the interruption had never happened. Misa continued to take cover behind the overturned table, and I hadn't moved from the phone. It was just getting to be ridiculous.
Bang.
The blast startled the two out of their little skirmish. I lowered the smoking gun, still pointed at the ceiling, and glared at the two of them. I had never been so disappointed and annoyed with a pair of geniuses before in my life. "That's enough, you two. I swear, you're worse than children. Come on." I grabbed the center of the chain holding them together and started towards the door. "Let's handle this like adults. Misa, thank you for having us. Congratulations on your popularity poll. We won't be doing this again."
I kicked the door shut once the boys were in the hallway and continued to drag them to their shared room. "I didn't know you were armed," L commented when we stopped in front of their door.
"I'm always armed," I replied, holding my hand out for the key to the room. I never locked my doors, but L was all about privacy. I knew he'd never leave his room unlocked. L waved me away and moved to open the door himself.
"I thought I told you…" he began.
"No computer. No toys," I reminded him. He never said anything about no guns. Entering the room, I turned on the lights. "Sit," I commanded them, moving into the private bathroom attached to the room.
"Are you mad at us, Reika?" Light asked. "We didn't mean any harm. I'm just sick of L doing nothing, and him holding on to this theory that I'm Kira isn't helping."
"And I simply defended myself," L defended.
"I mean, you've known him the longest," Light continued over the dark haired Englishman. "You have to admit that this isn't normal for him."
"Light, shut up," I snapped, returning to the room with a bottle of anti-inflammatories and cold, damp face towels. "Your faces are swelling up. Here." I handed each of them a towel and a tablet.
"Thanks," L muttered, holding the towel to the bruise forming on his face.
"Don't thank me, L," I snapped. "As much as I hate to say it, Light's right. Pull yourself together. You're the only reason why we're wasting time. Light, leave him alone. How would you feel if you were in his place? Look, I understand why he's so dreary, but at least I'm doing something about it. The chatrooms are booming now that Kira's active again. Now, would you two please just suck it up and get back to work?"
Silently, they nodded, and I deemed that good enough, taking my leave and returning to my room. Removing my gun, I sighed and aimed it at the mirror.
Honestly, I thought, why didn't I just shoot them dead in the first place?
{E.B}
"Did you know about the Yotsuba Group?" L demanded, entering my room unannounced.
"I've had my theories," I replied, typing my response to a comment on the online chat room.
This response didn't satisfy L, and the detective peered over the top of my laptop, "You didn't mention it."
"I've been busy."
"Everest," L shut my laptop while my hands hovered above the keyboard, effectively making himself the sole object of my attention. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I sighed and slid off the side of my bed, motioning for L to follow me, "I've had a lot on my mind lately. You're not the only one who's disturbed about Light's newly proclaimed innocence." I settled into my seat in front of the computers and turned each of them on until the small media room was filled with white light. "As you can see, I'm a bit scatterbrained right now."
I watched L's eyes take in the multiple screens with his thumb at his lips. There were screens split to fit four chatrooms in each panel. Screens dedicated to keeping track of the Kira victims. Screens with stories about a haunted house in Wales.
"That case is closed," L stated, identifying the only reason why such information would be relevant to me.
"It's not for the case," I admitted. "This is a personal matter. I think there's a connection to the Kira case. I just…"
"There is no connection to the Kira case," L objected immediately. "B was killed by Kira. You are investigating Kira. That is all."
"And my parents?" I questioned, silencing him.
"Please, don't start this," L requested. It wasn't that this was a difficult topic for any of us. L saw me following a road that wouldn't lead to any significant answers, and he felt the need to stop me.
"Too late." We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us relenting to the other.
You need to focus.
At least I'm doing something.
This has nothing to do with the investigation.
It has something to do with me.
That's besides the point.
Then make a better one.
I don't trust Light.
You don't trust me.
Of course, not.
"I've made the arrangements," I declared, growing bored of the silent exchange between us.
The slightest indication of a pout relayed the other detective's displeasure. "You spoke to Watari," he stated.
"I did," my confirmation seemed to transform his pout into a scowl. "My plane leaves October fifth. I'll be back on October tenth."
"I see you've worked it all out, then," L remarked, traces of bitterness laced in his tone.
"I'm free to do as I please," I all but hissed at the porcupine of a detective. "Need I remind you that while you might be lead investigator of this case, Watari serves as the primary authority to all Wammy's kids."
While I simmered in my increasing frustration, L's expression smoothed back to that blank mask of his. "Yes," he drawled, the casual manner amplifying my annoyance, "well, you left."
It was my turn to fall silent. My irritation dissipated, replaced with some unusual sense of regret and guilt. After all, L was right. I knew what I was giving up when I decided to leave the House – Mr. Wammy's supervision, the companionship of my fellow wards, and even the access to expanses of opportunity. After Beyond left and was convicted, none of that seemed to be worth the trouble anymore.
"You would have, too. I'd like to get back to my work now, if you don't mind."
{E.B}
L had reverted to his childish practice of giving me the cold shoulder. From the time we had discussed my departure to the current observation of Amane, L had not said anything else to me. So, when Mr. Yagami and Mogi arrived at headquarters, L sat in front of the large screen while I claimed a step on the staircase as my personal workspace.
"I've got some great news," Matsuda was saying. "This is amazing. I'm not even sure how he figured it out, but Light has a theory that Kira is somehow involved with the Yotsuba Group. Can you believe it?"
I will never understand how someone could be as optimistic about identifying a suspect as Touta Matsuda. The young officer's enthusiasm was refreshing in that mundane way that intrigued me. He was a complete contrast to the predictive, blasé characters so commonly found by Mr. Wammy.
"Yotsuba?" Mr. Yagami repeated. I paused over my work. Yagami sounded disgruntled, moreso than usual. Matsuda seemed to pick up on it, too, responding with a hesitant confirmation. Mr. Yagami placed his hand on Matsuda's shoulder, ever the fatherly senior officer, "That's probably it. Good work. We just spoke with the director and it seems Kira has offered bribes to a number of politicians." The chief retold the encounter and concluded, "The police caved into him."
Needless to say, nobody in the immediate area reacted pleasantly. Light shot to his feet. L and I turned our attentions to the officers entirely. "Mogi and I already made up our minds on this. Aizawa, Matsuda, if you wish to continue working this case, you'll have to hand in your letter of resignation to the NPA, just as Mogi and I are going to do. Like it or not, you cannot pursue Kira as a member of the police force anymore."
It had become interesting, to say the least. Four men, dedicated officers and upright citizens had to choose between a singular case in which the very balance of order seemed to rest or the continuation of their very lives. They would be, perhaps, giving up the only constant they've maintained throughout the investigation.
"Wait, hold on a second, chief," Aizawa spoke up.
"They made it quite clear," Mr. Yagami continued, "if you continue to work with L, you'll be fired. That's all there is to it."
"So, then, chief, you're gonna…" Matsuda trailed off.
"In a few hours, I'm no longer going to be your chief," Mr. Yagami completed for the younger man. "However, we all have our own lives, so think it over carefully."
"That's true, chief. Especially if you've got a family to support," Matsuda reflected.
With that already in mind, I took in Aizawa's wide horrified wide eyes and drawn brow. Of all the officers within the task force, Aizawa seemed to have the most riding on his position as a member of the police force. Mr. Yagami already had a family in which all members understood the demands of the patriarch's profession, and Matsuda was still young and able to begin in some other field eventually. Aizawa, on the other hand, had much more to consider. Chances were, he'd put his personal responsibilities before the case.
"If you want my opinion," L chimed in, "you'd be better off as police officers." Hearing the detective, I couldn't help but feel that twinge of annoyance. "I was alone when I started this case, and although I'm grateful to all of you for staying with me as long as you have, I know that I can do this by myself. I'll be sure to visit you at the department and bring you Kira's head as a reward for all that you sacrificed."
On that morbid note, Light quickly stepped in to reassure L. How boring. "Ryuzaki, as long as I'm alive, you won't be working alone. You have my word on that. Reika can say the same, I'm sure," Light turned to address me, expecting a similar statement.
"Don't bother, Light," L quipped, "she's already decided to take time to herself in Europe."
I launched a rubberband at the detective, provoked by his condescending tone and the passive aggressive, lone wolf behavior. "It's only for a week," I pointed out, going ignored by the detective. Consequently, I shot another rubberband at his head.
"Yeah, that's right," he said almost to himself, "I'll have Light with me until I catch Kira, so I won't be alone after all. But, as I said, I think the rest of you should remain as police officers."
"But when you first contacted us," Mr. Yagami spoke up, "you said that you would need the help of the police to solve this case."
"That's because the police, as an organization, was still hoping to arrest Kira, they weren't bowing to him," L picked up two cherry stems between his fingertips. He had gone through half of the cherry jar Watari had provided for me specifically just to spite me. "Besides, with all due respect, there's a big difference between the help of two or three civillians and the police as an organization." Chomping down on the sugared fruit, he continued, "As you said, the police have made their position clear. They don't want to catch Kira, so let's just leave it at that."
Mr. Yagami sighed once L finished his statement, "Well, I suppose what you're saying makes sense. If we're not police officers anymore, we won't be of much use to you. However, we're all personally involved in this. All of us have risked our lives to catch Kira, doesn't that give us the right to decide whether we stay here or return to the police force?"
Almost carelessly, L removed the knotted cherry stems from his mouth and responded, "Good point. Then, by all means, please make your decision."
He was doing it again, I realized, prompting the investigators to act in his favor, testing them. It wasn't at all uncalled for, but I had to admit, it wasn't making anything easier for the officers. In fact, I'd say it was even selfish. To be frank, that might have been one of the downfalls shared by us Wammy kids as a whole. By no fault of Wammy himself, Wammy kids were selfish. Perhaps it was because of our removal from the rest of the world and exposure to intense competition, or maybe it was simply because all we knew was personal gain in one way or another. All-in-all, the feelings of others never seemed to resonate so deeply as to bother any of us for longer than a brief moment.
Now, one might say there's no profession more selfless than risking your life for the sake of justice or dedicating one's very existence to the good of society. At this point, I'd laugh at anyone who knew one of us and believed that. We didn't do what we did for anyone other than ourselves. What else is there when you're two standard deviations from the average? What pleasure is there in the world of the mundane? No, the only way for any of us to experience any sense of enjoyment was this, and, even then, it would grow dull.
Aizawa exhaled heavily and turned to Mr. Yagami, "But, chief, wait. If you quit your job with the police force, you'll be unemployed. Even if we do catch Kira, what are you going to do after that?"
After that? I thought. There's no after that. This is all there was for people like L and I. I tried and failed. Even in leaving Wammy's and creating this new reality where I was Reika Endo and Nanette Durand and Zhen Liu, I couldn't say that I ever felt a sense of commonality in normal society.
"After that?" Mr. Yagami repeated, "I hadn't really thought of it, but I suppose that after we catch Kira, I'll have to dust off my resumé."
Mr. Yagami's grin seemed to be enough to comfort Matsuda. The younger officer replied enthusiastically with a less broad smile of his own, "Count me in! I'm going to quit the police and chase Kira, too, chief, and I still have my job as Misa Misa's manager. Besides, if I stayed on as a police officer, I'd feel like a total loser."
"Think before you open your mouth, Matsuda," the youngest officer was chastised. Apparently, in his excitement, Matsuda had forgotten Aizawa's presence. He stood stiffly, expression downcast as he considered his options.
"Is there any way I could keep my job and help you on my spare time?" Aizawa asked of L.
"There isn't. If you remain a police officer, then please don't come back here."
"But you know I won't leak any information!" Aizawa protested.
"I won't be sharing any more information," L stated promptly before Aizawa could finish his declaration. "You're free to pursue Kira on your own, if you want to. I don't think it's fair to your families to burden them by giving up your livelihood just to continue this. I can't see how that's a good idea."
"It's as Ryuzaki says," Mr. Yagami agreed. "No one here is going to blame you for quitting."
"Yeah, right," Matsuda offered his encouragement. "We all understand why you've gotta do this."
"On the other hand," I spoke up from my place overlooking the scene, "it's understandable why you'd prefer to keep your job. Your daughter's very young, isn't she, Mr. Aizawa? You have priorities outside of this investigation that the rest of us here don't have to consider. Now, I'm sure something can be arranged, but, regardless, you've dedicated enough effort in maintaining some sense of normalcy in your household that losing your job would shake the stability of your personal life. It's just as respectable for a man to put his family first as it is to chase after a phantom murderer."
"But the chief has a family, too," Aizawa pointed out with his eyes shut and voice strained.
"Our situations are completely different," Mr. Yagami said to his junior comrade. I observed from my bird's eye view as the internal battle raged within the man.
"Ah, dammit," he cursed. "Even now, after all we've been through. I said I was prepared to die if that's what it took to catch him, and I meant it. What kind of friend would I be to Ukita if I quit now? I became a detective so I could catch the bad guys, not run away!"
"Ryuzaki," Watari's voice and insignia came through the computers, "early on in the investigation, you specifically told me that if a task force member were to lose their job under any circumstances, I should make preparations to ensure that their family's financial future was secure. If you recall, a trust was set aside for that very purpose. I'm a little bit curious as to why you're withholding this information."
I snickered as our caretaker easily berated L in his own way. Mr. Wammy, after all, didn't have a cruel bone in his body.
"This is not the time or place, Watari," L responded, mildly annoyed at his handler's interference.
"I'm sorry," Watari apologized, understanding L's unspoken reasoning.
"No way!" Matsuda advanced excitedly, "All this time we had nothing to worry about? I can't believe you did that! There you go, Aizawa, isn't that great news?" As usual, the perky investigator's face fell as he turned back to his friend.
Aizawa's demeanor had shifted as angry determination replaced his uncertainty. "Ryuzaki," the tall man growled. "I assume that was some kind of test to determine how committed I was to this task force."
"It's not like that, Aizawa," Mr. Yagami stammered. "Ryuzaki's just not the type to say things directly. You should know that by now."
"Yeah, that's right," Matsuda agreed.
"No," L protested, surprising both officers defending him, "I was testing you. I wanted to see which one you would choose."
"Ryuzaki," Mr. Yagami scolded in a wholly disappointed tone.
"Fine then. If I wasn't sure before, I am now."
"But, Aizawa," Matsuda attempted to sway his companion.
"Let's face it. I wasn't able to decide right away like you guys. I was leaning towards going back to the police."
"Come on, Aizawa, don't be so stubborn."
"No!" he snapped at Matsuda's entreating tone. "I quit! Now I know this for sure. I've always hated Ryuzaki. I hate him and his way of doing things!"
"That's too bad," L's quiet tone sounded without the detective even turning around to face the man he spoke to, "because I like you, Aizawa."
"I also hate the way you always gotta have the last word! You insult me and you say something like that?" the man's voice rose drastically before he restrained himself. "That's it, I'm outta here."
"Thank you for everything," L said, back to retreating back with Aizawa.
"Really," I sighed and shook my head, "just after he said you had to have the last word on everything."
Matsuda stumbled forward to the stairs, "Endo, you've gotta talk to him!"
"What do you mean?" I asked the man, knowing full well what he expected from me. "I already said what I had to say to Aizawa about his position."
"But the trust…" Matsuda started.
"Won't repair any damage done to his relationship with this task force and with his family," I explained without moving from my position leaning on the wall. "You see, Aizawa's a good man, and when it comes down to it, he does have a family to take care of. Now, when you consider the fact that the integrity of the police has been compromised, of course we'll all want Mr. Aizawa to do the righteous thing, but don't the police still have a job to do? There are other criminals out there other than Kira, after all, and while this has become a bit of a personal matter for this task force, there are other facets of our lives more important than this case. Let's be fair, Matsuda, who here can blame a family man for choosing his wife and children over one investigation?"
"I guess," Matsuda mumbled. "Hey, wait! Endo, I just realized, Ryuzaki said you're going somewhere, too!"
"That's right," Light recalled. "What are you going to do in Wales?"
"It's a personal matter," I responded vaguely. "I suppose you can call it an investigation separate from the Kira case."
"An investigation?" Matsuda repeated with the curiosity apparent in his voice. "Oh, is that why you and Ryuzaki have been acting so strangely today?"
Matsuda stiffened under the simultaneous glares sent his way from the porcupine detective and myself. He laughed uncomfortably, "I think I'm gonna check Misa Misa's schedule."
{E.B}
L and Everest faced off in the kitchen much later that night. They regarded each other evenly for a moment before carrying on the tasks each had come to complete.
"I knew you weren't staying chained to Light at all hours," she remarked, scanning the refrigerator for one of Watari's chilled desserts. L couldn't deny that he was childish at times. Not speaking to E, for example, may have saved him the trouble of managing the enigmatic woman, but it cost him the appearance of a mature individual.
"We have to discuss the terms of your absence," L decided, ignoring her commentary. Of course he relieved himself of Light Yagami's presence. How else would he survive? If she was consistently by Amane's side, L was certain she would do the same thing.
"I thought you weren't speaking to me," she said scathingly.
L hummed. She was as childish as he was. "You opened communication," he pointed out. It wasn't his strongest argument, but he had no inclination to present a better one. "Anyway, if you're done being ridiculous, I'd like your input." He waited a moment until he was certain she was really listening to him. Without any indication from her, he continued, "I've decided to expand the task force by inviting two more members in place of you and Aizawa."
"Really?" she expertly navigated the large kitchen, locating the silverware.
No. L knew she knew better, but he wouldn't admit it. Aizawa's loss, unfavorable as it was, didn't warrant substitution. Everest, on the other hand, offered a skillset uncommon in most. He had decided the best candidates to serve as her substitutes, and when he approached Watari, the man advised him to discuss the matter with Everest.
The brown haired woman watched him patiently, awaiting his elaboration.
"With your approval, I'd like to invite Aiber and Wedy to join us." A thief and a conman. Not the most conventional allies, but the best options. He needed faceless colleagues who could perform on par with E and himself. Of course, he preferred E, but with her stubbornness, L had to make do.
"The criminals?" the amusement was plain in her tone. She knew what L saw in the pair, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the corner she was forcing him into. L forced himself to remain impassive despite the urge to grate his teeth together.
"If you disapprove of the options, then perhaps you'd consider staying in Japan."
"It's funny. Not even a year ago you were trying to get me out of Japan. I didn't say there was a problem," she countered smoothly. "Go ahead."
He nodded, satisfied with her compliance. Retrieving a pink frosted cupcake, L made his way to the exit, "Nine months ago, you were practically a civillian. Enjoy your time off, Everest."
{E.B}
L looked in the mirror. Blank eyes, pale complexion, untamed hair, wrinkled white shirt, baggy jeans, and unlaced shoes. The reflection mimicked his appearance.
"Is this how A felt?" the reflection wondered, referring to L's lack of motivation and decreased interest in pursuing the case. It wasn't just that L felt depressed. He wasn't feeling inadequate, either. L was too aware, like a psychic who had seen it all and couldn't enjoy the present anymore. Of course, the Yotsuba Kira was beginning to change that.
"You don't look anything like me," L stated.
Of its own accord, the mouth on his reflection twisted into a wicked grin. "That's just rude of you to say. After all the trouble I go through to put this face on."
"Hello, B," L greeted in a monotone, not certain why the serial killer appeared in this dream. L wouldn't consider himself a lucid dreamer – honestly, he wasn't even quite sure when the last time he dreamt was – but, somehow, he knew he was dreaming.
"L," the criminal returned simply. "So, you're mad at my sister?" he asked in such a conversational manner that L could have easily thought this dream to have been a memory.
"I'm not mad at her. You know how Ever can be." Stubborn. Eccentric. Whatever he would label it, Everest was difficult. She played on his patience and soothed his concerns simultaneously. She benefitted him and cost him greatly. If she was Kira, L firmly believed that he would have dealt with a worse investigation than the one he led into BB.
"She gets that from me, you know," Beyond said almost proudly.
"Of course," L agreed, "she wouldn't have learned such horrible qualities from A or myself."
BB laughed, and L couldn't steel himself against the sound. He had forgotten how much he had hated BB's laugh. He had never understood how E could withstand the sound of it. He sounded like a manic jester. A psychotic joker. An unearthly clown.
"And why, exactly, is that so funny?" L questioned.
"Because you still think I'm the worse of us. That girl's going to be the death of you," BB's laughter echoed. BB faded from L's reflection, leaving the detective staring at himself in a mirror as the background faded into nothingness. Surrounded by nothingness, L was subjected to the memory of Beyond Birthday's laughter. It had to be L's least favorite sound in the world, and he hadn't even thought of it in years.
A/N... Hi everyone! Thank you all for your support! The next chapter is going to focus entirely on the Birthdays, so I'm looking forward to that!
I love reading your reviews, and I realized that I don't interact with everyone enough, so I'm thinking about posting an omake/ au chapter with a section for responses to any questions and comments you guys leave. Let me know what you think about this idea and post questions or anything you want to talk about with me in reviews on this chapter.
Briefly, I want to address two reviews:
Shoutout to the anon guest who commented "Reika Endothermic", I laughed really loudly for a really long time. I'm a science dork, so that tickled my fancy.
To Lavish22: Wow, I'm so honored! As long as your piece maintains originality and you give this story an acknowledgment, I totally support you pursuing your writing! I'll check it out, too, of course!
Until next time, everyone!
