She was singing. The tune had been in her head for days, and as the notes poured out from her lips, she ran a brush through the icy locks of her wig. She didn't even seem to notice that the music had ever left her head. Honestly, she hated useless things like that taking up her attention. There were more important things to worry about, tasks that mattered far more than a silly Welsh lullaby.

"You sound like a ghost," Wedy commented from the doorway, leaning against the frame, and it was true. Ever's airy voice sounded more specter than human, and the woman smiled secretively at the comparison but didn't say anything to acknowledge the unforeseen guest. Undeterred, the blonde strolled into E's room carelessly and pursed her lips as she regarded the wig set in front of E. "I've never liked you blonde."

Ever's smile turned smug, and she stood to move the wig and mannequin back where it belonged saying, "I don't blame you. It doesn't suit me."

"Want a smoke?" Wedy asked her casually with the little white box extended to the detective.

"Not interested," E responded.

Wedy lifted her other arm and held up a tinted wine bottle, red lips curling into a devious smile, "Option two?"

Amused, Ever turned to her personal bar and retrieved two wine glasses, "I suppose a break wouldn't kill me. What's the occasion?" E eyed Wedy curiously. It wasn't every day that the thief dropped by, after all. In all honesty, the only people who had come to her room were L, Light, and Watari.

E caught Wedy's jaw clench despite the smile on her face, and the detective poured a little extra into her companion's glass. "I can't stand that little Misa Amane," Wedy complained. "She's so damn perky all the time, and I can't tell if she's really that empty-headed or if it's an act. Either way, it's nauseating. Hey, if you're pouring, stand where I can see your hands."

"You've survived worse," E pointed out with a shrug as she handed Wedy's glass to her. "Think I'm going to poison you?"

The former heiress scoffed and swirled the contents of her glass, "Aiber's more likely to poison me than you are. If you wanted me dead, someone would have to clean me off the walls." Her eyes slid to E, whose smile didn't reveal a single reaction to the truth behind Wedy's words. "Anyway," she continued, "it's not just that brat. Light gives me a weird vibe. I hate being around them."

"L didn't exactly spare any expenses when he built this place," E pointed out. "You could just go somewhere else."

"I did. Everyone in this task force is like an ant. No matter where I go, one of them is there. So, I went to the only place where anyone can find peace. Your room," Wedy raised her glass in appreciation. "Besides, L isn't too happy with me and Aiber for helping you carry out your plan to infiltrate the Yotsuba group."

Ever felt the twinge of remorse at Wedy's information. She had always appreciated Wedy and Aiber's talents, and she knew that they were walking a very fine line by agreeing to work with L on this investigation. "I'm sorry for getting you in trouble with him, but, Wedy, be honest with me, why are you sticking around? I'm back now, and you aren't one to put your neck on the line." E wouldn't say that she was suspicious of her old acquaintance. Certainly, there wasn't much of anything for anyone to gain out of this investigation. What was justice really worth, after all?

Wedy hummed thoughtfully at E's apology and question, "Well, it's more of a self-serving arrangement, to be honest. We've been promised a clean slate once this is all over. No pursuit of previous charges against us." Of course it had been something like that. E couldn't help the amusement that she felt in response to L's methods. He wouldn't apprehend them for their past crimes, but they all knew that there would be plenty of deeds in the future. "L brought me and Aiber to Japan for you." Wedy's last comment brought Ever's focus back to her drinking companion.

"I know," E assured her lightly, an appropriately measured amount of dismissal and interest. How could she forget? Was it really not that long ago that she had left Japan for Wales? It felt like a lifetime. E twisted a rubber band around her wrist, and it pinched the soft skin at the junction. The discomfort registered for only a second.

Wedy chuckled, and Ever couldn't help but notice how different it was from her own laugh. Despite her penchant for dusty pinks and powdered blues, Ever wasn't one to be described as girly. She never doubted her worth as a woman, nor did she care much for the assignment of personal value based on subscription to gender norms. However, even the monster knew that there was something about human women that she would never be able to achieve. Taking a sip of her wine, Wedy spoke with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "You two are as blind as you are brilliant."

"I'm anything but blind," Ever defended, eyeing the floating letters above Wedy's head that revealed her true name.

"L would move mountains for you," she continued, ignoring E's comment, a wistful and playfully jealous tone painting her voice. "I wish I had a man like that."

Ever scoffed disdainfully at the sentiment. A man like L? Who would wish for such a thing? Her electrified eyes narrowed at the drink in her hand, "Neither of us has ever needed a man nor wanted one."

Behind her sunglasses, Wedy rolled her eyes. Nonetheless, she agreed. "You're right, but that doesn't change the fact that you have two."

{E.B.}

Ever rubbed the bridge of her nose with irritation. She shouldn't have had so many glasses of wine with Wedy the night before. Honestly, she had known better. Even someone like her could get sloppy with enough drinks in her. Popping a couple of pain relievers into her mouth, she downed as much water as she could before her stomach churned unhappily.

I wonder if shinigami get hangovers, she wondered as she tucked the water bottle under her arm and picked up her morning coffee with the other hand. She had started to create a list of questions for that damned devil Ryuk if she ever saw him again. Simple things, did he know her sire? Do shinigami get pleasure from killing the way humans do from eating? If Beyond were there with her, he'd probably be itching to cut open the death god's skull just to compare brain anatomy.

"What?" a painfully exaggerated caricature of surprise, outrage, and disbelief rattled Ever's own brain. Annoyed, she stopped at the open door and caught L playing director for Misa and Aiber.

"Misa, please stop overacting," L instructed. "It looks too cheesy, not to mention fake."

The model pouted up at the detective from the couch, "Huh? But I thought that was a realistic performance."

"If that was realistic," Ever grit out from the door, "then I'm a goddamned rooster." All eyes turned to her. She looked more disheveled than usual, and the others with the exception of L seemed either concerned or amused.

"Endo," Light greeted with a warm smile that told her he was just happy to see her, "good morning."

"Late night?" Aiber teased playfully. "Wedy was completely trashed last night, too. Gotta say, I'm a little upset you guys didn't invite me."

"You shouldn't drink too much, Endo," Misa criticised. "It'll make you fat."

"That," Ever drawled, running a hand through the tangled hair at the back of her head, "is the least of my concerns right now. Is this really your plan?" E turned her attention to L, whose eternally blank gaze seemed particularly pointed that morning. "If she keeps this up she'll ruin the whole operation."

"Hey!" Misa protested indignantly. "I'd like to see you do it better." She hmphed and fell back down on the cushions.

"I wouldn't have to resort to this if you worked with me and not against me for once," L answered, as childishly petulant as Misa without the outward demonstration.

E scoffed, "Don't come crying to me when she blows it."

"Hey!" Misa's protest resounded, louder and more annoying than the last time. Ever grit her teeth at the pounding headache.

Sloppy, Essie, a cackle seemed to sound through the pain. E clenched her teeth more forcefully to block out the laugh in her head that only seemed to worsen her hangover induced discomfort. Cursing in French, she hissed, "Would you shut up? If you're going to do this, at least do it right. If you want a convincing lie, you have to give them as much truth as you can." Misa crossed her arms and pouted, but she didn't turn away the uninvited advice.

"That's uncharacteristically generous of you to help," L commented.

"I just want to get on with the rest of my day in peace," E scowled before turning to leave.

"Reika," Light called out suddenly. The woman paused and glanced back at him over her shoulder. Her messy, short hair framed her face and accentuated the curve of her cheek, somehow giving her a more innocent and child-like look than usual. Pink dusted Light's face and tinged his ears, "What are you doing today?"

"Working," she stated simply, still in a sour mood because of her headache. Without another word, she turned down the hall.

"Don't take it personally," Aiber said to Light at the younger man's crestfallen expression. "She's got a short fuse when she's hungover."

"I think she's just a real b—" Misa's comment was cut off by L tapping her on the head again. "Hey!"

"Just do it again," L instructed, his gaze still trained on the spot where his colleague had just been standing.

Ever didn't have much time to waste during the day. Despite the receding pain at her forehead, she couldn't afford to slack off any more than she already had. After returning to her room, E turned on the water in her shower and stepped under the spray. She indulged herself for a few minutes longer, enjoying the heavy spray of the water and the steam that curled around her. Stepping out, she dried herself before pulling on a fluffy robe. Ever wandered back into her bedroom and patted her hair dry as she took in her reflection in one of the mirrors. Her the skin under her eyes were puffier than usual, and her face felt dry. That wouldn't do. The persona she wanted to present was the type of woman who went out of her way to prevent blemishes like that.

E moved to her vanity and patted a moisturizer on her face. Carefully, she carried out a full makeup routine. It was the kind that appeared professional with high quality products and had been applied with an experienced hand. Moving to her wardrobe, she picked out the clothes that best suited her task for the day. Ever stepped into a charcoal gray skirt that clung to her hips and tapered a little bit towards her knees. She put her arms through the sleeves of a crisp white shirt and buttoned it just enough to show off some cleavage. Finishing the attire, she put a string of pearls around her neck and checked her reflection again.

It was almost perfect. Critically, she regarded the brown hair framing her face. There were always seconds where she seemed to exist during the transition from one identity to the other, and in the mirror, she saw another person's face with her own hair hanging around it. She looked away quickly, not wanting to scrutinise the image any longer. E pulled a cap over her hair and placed the platinum wig on top, fixing it and making the adjustments that she needed to in order for it to look natural. Again, she looked at herself in the mirror, and this time, she smiled with satisfaction. Emily Nakamura smiled back at her with red lipstick.

Watari drove her to the Yotsuba Group's office building. He regarded her with a small smile, not unlike one a driver would offer a passenger, as he held the door open for her and helped her out of the vehicle. She had planned around Misa's schedule for the day and left their headquarters half an hour before the other car was meant to leave. As she strode into the building, she knew that there were people watching her hips sway with every click of her heels on the tile.

"Emily Nakamura. I have an appointment with Mr. Namikawa," she told the receptionist promptly. She tapped her nails on the marble impatiently as the receptionist called her superior's office.

"Mr. Namikawa's assistant will be down to greet you momentarily," the receptionist informed her. The blonde just regarded her with an unimpressed glare and moved to sit down at a table in the lobby. Within minutes, an apologetic assistant greeted her and guided her to the elevators. With the guise of a foreign investor expressing interest in the Yotsuba Group, E had secured her meeting. However, she had little interest in the niceties that the young man was feeding her. She was there for one purpose.

Namikawa's office was exactly what she imagined it would be. Masculine, modern, and luxurious. The man sat at his desk and stood up to greet her, dismissing his assistant and thanking him for completing the task. "You shouldn't have to thank him for doing his job," Emily's words fell from E's lips as she approached Namikawa.

"I wouldn't have pegged you as being so cold towards employees," he responded with some amusement.

She embraced him cordially, saying in a whisper against his ear, "Introduce me to the men you trust most on the board. The ones who don't trust Kira." As they parted, she placed a coy smile on her face and moved to sit across from him, "Are you very busy today?"

"No, actually. I've cleared my schedule once our meeting was set in stone," he replied with ease, acting very convincingly as if she hadn't spoken her intentions just a moment before. "Now, you mentioned earlier that you'd like a tour of our offices. I'm sure you'd like to meet some of my other colleagues, but there's an interview today. I'm afraid that today may not be the best opportunity, but I can get you in touch with Suguru Shimura and Shingo Mido later on."

"Oh? Suguru Shimura?" she repeated with interest, "I believe he's the one who reached out to me before, wasn't he?"

Namikawa nodded, "You collaborated with myself and Mr. Shimura the last time you were involved with the Yotsuba group." She remembered that assignment. It had been Shimura who brought up suspicions of a corporate spy, but, as she recalled, he had been rather distrustful of her as well. He hadn't liked the idea of someone outside of their company gaining so many insights to their inner workings.

"I'd love to get in touch with them, thank you," she said lightly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get started on this tour."

"As you wish," Namikawa rose gracefully and began to lead her out of his office. The tour he gave her was one that had been given to distinguished guests before in the past, and she could tell from his practiced ease that this was a task he was familiar with. They walked past large panels of floor to ceiling windows, gray cubicles and kitchenettes, and she met with some managers and employees.

"You mentioned that your colleagues were interviewing today," she remarked as he continued their tour. "It must be an important hire for so many of them to be involved."

"Yes, the interview is for a potential spokesperson for the Yotsuba Group. As you can imagine, it's rather important for this person to fit the company's image."

"Intriguing. Can you tell me who it is or will I have to wait with the rest of Japan?"

"I'm afraid I can't say anything until everything's set in stone."

"That's too bad. Is it against the rules for us to walk by the interview room? Maybe I can catch a glimpse." She laughed playfully, and the executive beside her matched her tone. She had been right to take that call from the boys. Namikawa wasn't the target she needed, but he was the step that she needed to get all the pieces in place.

"With all due respect, Miss Nakamura, I'm surprised you're so impatient," he commented, walking them back to his office.

"Well, what can I say? I'm the type of person who doesn't like to waste time. You're someone who can appreciate that, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked, slightly more guarded now that her gaze had settled on him again.

"You wouldn't have agreed to meet with me today if you were content with the way your colleagues are handling things," she stated, and suddenly, they weren't just talking about business anymore. "You aren't the type to take the lead, on something like this, though, and I don't blame you. It's the kind of deal that can really make or break you. You're a patient man, but your patience has limits. I guess you could say that I'm someone whose fuse has gotten much shorter lately."

"I suppose that means I've made the right choice to work with you, Miss Nakamura," Namikawa said with a plastic smile. "I'll have my assistant send you the contact information for my colleagues. I look forward to our collaboration."

The woman extended her hand to thank him in the western fashion. She seemed comfortable in his office, and for a moment he was under the impression that he was the guest and she was the one who controlled the room. He shook her hand, and she smiled at him again, looking like a cat who had just caught the mouse. "The feeling is mutual," she assured him. "I'll see myself out, Mr. Namikawa. Thank you for your time." The woman whose platinum hair gleamed under the lights checked her nails in the elevator on her way back to the lobby. As she strolled through the main level, she passed a girl in a trendy skirt with golden colored hair. Smirking, she ignored the enthusiastic bellowing of the man who was waiting for the other girl and stepped out into the streets of the city, where she disappeared into the bustling crowd.

{E.B.}

"Where were you all day?" L asked her as she joined the other members of the task force in their primary operating room. She had wiped the makeup from her face and taken off the wig and clothes. The woman who was gliding down the stairs with her laptop computer under her arm had her short brown hair clipped out of her face and heavy purplish bags under her eyes.

"You have your puppets and I have mine," she replied vaguely, taking the seat between the detective and Matsuda. She tucked one leg under her and swiveled in the chair.

"Are you feeling better, Endo?" Light asked from across L.

"I am," she assured him, "sorry if I was rude earlier today."

"You're always rude," L quipped beside her.

"I felt much better after some water and lunch," she continued, trying to mask the obvious irritation she felt towards her colleague. "How has it been going here? Anything new?"

"Oh, nothing that stands out," L drawled before Light could answer her. "We're waiting for Misa to return from her interview, and Yotsuba's stocks have increased in the past twenty-four hours." He glanced at her without moving the rest of his body, "Of course, you already knew that."

She scowled and began to type on her computer, pulling up windows and transferring them to the flat screen in the row before her. "The things I know about Yotsuba could fill an Olympic sized swimming pool, but none of it helps with the current situation." Her attention left their conversation as soon as her work was in front of her, and L recognized her preoccupation, turning back to his own screen.

She had sources and sources of information. She could track the stock market, interact with Yotsuba's competitors, pull up college records for each of the board members, but her favorite was always the chat rooms. She could stir up hundreds of people in a group forum without them ever knowing who or where she was, but she always knew their identities behind the sense of anonymity that falsely protected them. The Kira fan chats had become more and more interesting over time. They had developed their own encryptions to keep themselves under the radar, and she had even run into a few who attempted to track her back after some particularly divisive posts on the forums. Unsurprisingly, there were some theories flying around that Kira was linked to the Yotsuba Group, and there were, of course, efforts made to squash the noisy flies who were catching on.

She smirked at the screen.

"Misa-Misa sure is late," Matsuda remarked, breaking the silence that she had been enjoying while immersed in work.

"No wonder I'm having such a good time," Ever commented under her breath as L sipped his coffee absently.

The door sounded, and Matsuda declared, "They're back!"

Ever sighed and logged out of her chat room, "He jinxed it."

"Hey!" Misa greeted cheerfully before sighing heavily, "I'm exhausted." Ever watched with mild surprise and amusement as the model fell onto Light's lap and the boy blanched and sat further back in his seat. She didn't miss the fleeting disdain in Misa's azure eyes as she caught Ever's own electrifying gaze. Bold of her, the female detective thought with interest.

"Hey," Light greeted shakily.

"How did it go?" L questioned without hesitation.

"Yotsuba agreed to hire Misa on as their spokesperson for their new ad campaign," Mogi reported.

"I see," L responded. "That's good to hear."

"And I made sure to give them my cell phone number," Misa continued. Meanwhile, Light stole glances at E over the blonde's shoulder, wondering how he could dig himself out of this one. Not that Endo looked worried by the other woman perched on his lap, if anything she seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. He felt his face flush with embarrassment as Misa shifted, and Endo laughed lightly into her sleeve. "Would you believe three out of seven guys already messaged me asking for a private date?" She flashed her screen to Light.

"What?" Matsuda voiced in surprise.

"So now I accept their invitations and investigate them, right? Oh, it's going exactly as I planned!" Misa reveled in her success.

"No," Light interjected sternly, "the plan's getting canceled right now."

"Huh? But why Everything's been going so smoothly up until now."

"If we go any further, you'll be in danger," Light explained, easing her to her feet. "You can still appear in their commercials but from now on, you should deny that you were suspected of being the second Kira and were detained by L. Mogi will continue being your bodyguard but you'll be working solely as a celebrity."

"If that's what you want, Light, then that's what I'll do," Misa accepted his restrictions immediately and without objection. E glanced up at the girl and heard L hum with his own unspoken surprise. "Oh well, I'm feeling pretty tired. Tomorrow's shoot is bright and early, so I better get some sleep."

"That seems counterproductive," Everest protested without much fire behind her words, laying her face on the desk with her arm outstretched. "She's already done all this work. What's the point of planting of spy if you're not going to take advantage of her being there?" She watched with equal parts curiosity and enjoyment as Light looked up with her with a surprisingly serious expression.

"You met with Namikawa today, didn't you?" he asked her with a hard edge to his voice.

"Does it matter if I did?" she countered, her tone not changing. She watched as Light's stony expression melted into one of tired resignation. In his too honest gaze, she could see his desire to protect Misa from harm's way and his frustration at Ever's own insistance to work independently. Before he could say anything, Misa called out from the elevator.

"Hey, Light, you want to come sleep with me tonight?"

"What are you talking about?" Light stood straight and asked.

Her playfully seductive voice soon changed into a trilling laugh, "Just kidding. You're saving it for after we catch Kira, right? You don't have to be shy about it." E couldn't be bothered to comment on the strange new line of conversation that Misa had opened. She was far too interested in this new development in Misa that was so unlike the way she had been recently. She was too bold and too obvious. Obvious with her affection for Light in a way that hadn't been so painfully pitiful.

"Yes, Light, there's no need to be shy," L mocked in a flat voice.

"I'm not being shy," Light protested fervently.

"No need to be so serious either." L took a sip of his coffee, "After all, I've slept with E."

Everest spit her mouthful of tea onto the compuer screen and whipped her head around to glare at the detective. "You… what?" Light gaped in horror at the infamous detective who was now fighting off E's efforts to apparently carve a teaspoon into the man's face.

"You can't say things like that, you idiot!" the woman roared, pushing her weight against L's strength has he held her wrists to avoid the teaspoon that had become a weapon against him.

"Hey, guys! Cut it out!" Matsuda scrambled to remove the surprisingly light woman from the detective. Ever threw the spoon at L, and it bounced off the mass of his hair unsatisfyingly.

She shook Matsuda off and slammed her palm on the desk, "You're such a pain in the ass, Ryuzaki." Sighing heavily she crossed her arms and glared at the man who hadn't reacted at her outburst other than to prevent her attempt to mutilate him. "Nothing happened. We just happened to share a bed."

"It sounds so impersonal when you say it like that," L said with an exaggerated pout.

She groaned in frustration and stormed away, "You're acting like a child!" Ever marched up the stairs. It was one time. They had been children, and it was the first week of B's disappearance. It was the first time he had ever left without telling her where he was, and nobody had any idea where he had gone. She didn't sleep. L had come back not long after he found out. It was the most he had been back to Wammy's in such a short period of time. He had told her that she was exhausted and refused to leave her alone until she got some rest. In the end, they had both fallen asleep, getting a few precious hours of rest that were far and few between.

Everest bounced a rubber ball against the floor as she walked towards her room. That man was so dramatic. She wondered what had gotten into him lately. Sure, he had always been childish, but this was absolutely immature. Giving the others the impression that their relationship was something of that nature? Honestly. Who the hell did he think he was?

She whipped the ball against the floor and it bounced up to hit the ceiling before bouncing back against the tile. Degrading. She had accomplished everything as E on her own. She hadn't been born with the same gifts as L or BB. She had cultivated her abilities from average. The last thing she needed was for anyone to think that she had that sort of relationship with someone like L. She bounced the ball more regularly, breathing deeply and calming her heart rate. How did she let him get her worked up like that again?

Down the hall, she noticed Misa loitering by the door to her was left of her irritation morphed into curiosity and suspicion as she approached. "Waiting for me?" Everest called out to the other woman.

"Ah, yeah!" Misa's chipper smile didn't deter E's suspicion. "We never really get to talk by ourselves, Endo."

"There's a good reason for that," Ever supplied dully. Admittedly, this was an unexpected development. She was under the impression that Misa had been avoiding her since the interrogation incident. She was itching to hear what Misa had to say to her, especially after what had just happened when the model came back to base from the interview.

"Anyway, Endo, since it's just us girls right now, I'm warning you," Misa pointed a finger at Everest's face, "Light Yagami is mine, and I'm not going to go easy on you anymore."

"Is that so?" E drawled.

Misa puffed up her cheeks and waved off E's careless attitude, "You can act like you're not interested, but I know you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't keep teasing him the way you do."

"I don't tease."

"You can deny it all you want," Misa shrugged. "I know exactly what Light's looking for in a woman, and when it comes down to it you can't give him what he needs."

Misa's expression was full of determination and arrogance. Her brow was set with a confidence that she didn't often show in Ever's presence. It certainly was different, being pulled into this kind of confrontation, and obviously something had changed in Misa's demeanor. L had noticed it, too, hadn't he? That was all Ever needed. "Disappointing," E voiced her conclusion, the carelessness melting away and the lazy façade transforming into something more languid, something much deadlier than a second place detective who was playing at romance.

"Excuse me?" Misa's own voice hardened, colder and spiteful.

"I admit this new confidence of yours is fun, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a child," E opened her mouth and the observations flowed out without restraint. "You've come to challenge me as competition for a place beside Light Yagami? Yet, you must know how ridiculous that sounds, like your mediocre attempts at playing monster." Her vibrant turquoise eyes seemed electrified by her disdain for her self-proclaimed rival, and Misa knew that E wasn't talking about Light anymore. "I was hoping for a worthy adversary in you, Misa, equal in the challenge that L had been presented with, and I must say that I'm disappointed by the impossibility."

That, Everest knew, would be enough to scare her off. It would be a reenactment of their time when Misa was their prisoner, with tears in her eyes as she recognized that Light Yagami wouldn't be hers.

"You can think whatever you want about me," Misa voiced clearly to Everest. "I know you underestimate me, and that's why I'll be victorious where it counts." With that said, Misa walked past E and towards the elevators as the short haired woman processed her surprise.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and a laugh bubbled up in her throat.

I'm slipping, E thought to herself as she realized her error in judgment. She hadn't considered the possibility seriously when she saw Misa come home not long ago. She had let that ridiculous complacency settle over her as Light and Misa had committed to their insistence that they weren't Kira. Looking at the elevator that Misa had stepped into, she watched the floor numbers change.

Everything is about to get so much more fun, she thought excitedly.