Favored by the Master of Death Chapter 10
Light watched Harry from his spot across the table, his eyes sharp and piercing, taking in the rise and fall of Harry's chest as he sat motionless in his seat. Breath filled the man's lungs, only to rush out with ease as blood left his body through a small needle and tube that fed to a blood bag. The man shouldn't be alive, not after having his name written in the Death Note.
After that day in the café, and the letter he had received after L's short lived death, Light had poured himself into research on anything even remotely related to the entity Death and the gods that presided over it. In every culture, every religion, there was a deity or spirit that resided in Death's domain, taking charge of those who have moved on from this plane of existence. Naturally, he found nothing on a so-called 'Master of Death' and nothing on a creature that could escape from death forever. Even gods could die in the mythology. So, who was Harry to escape the clutches of the Death Note when his true name had been written in it?
It wasn't until Ryukk floated into his view that Light's impressive deductive powers finally kicked into high gear.
The Shinigami had been off, actively avoiding humanity as much as possible since his master had punished him in the café some time ago. Now, Ryukk floated into the sitting room that was occupied by Light, L, and Harry, the mortal realm having no real effect on him unless he wanted it to, muttering about apples, making Light believe that the creature was headed to the kitchen. That in itself was not an odd occurrence. What was odd however was the fact that the Shinigami made a point to skirt Harry's person instead of floating right through him, as he would usually do to the people on the task force. After that it was a matter of seconds.
Harry's code name is master, he seems to hold a distinct dislike for Light, he always seems to have more knowledge that everyone else (Light included) about the situation, he was completely comfortable with the idea of death gods being real, his unending devotion – read obsession – with L, the fact the Fred and George are so obviously twins – despite the fact that one of them looks dead, and lastly the fact that Harry didn't die after his name was written in the Death Note.
Harry is the Master of Death.
No sooner than the thought crossed Light's mind, Harry's eyes snapped open, causing the two men to make eye contact. Light's eyes widened as a maniacal grin slowly grew on Harry's face. Harry knows that Light knows. Light stood abruptly, knocking his chair backwards. As it clattered to the ground, Light heard his father's voice.
"Son?" the man questioned, his voice yanking Light's attention to the door, "Are you alight?" Light's eyes shot back to Harry's face, only to find that the man also looked concerned from across the table where L was checking the blood bag attached to Harry's arm. Tension filled Light's form, even as Harry remained relaxed.
"Yes, I'm fine; I just realized that I was supposed to meet Misa for lunch soon. I should go," Light excused himself, sparing a moment to pick up his fallen chair and gather his scrambled thoughts. With haste he left the room, ignoring the eyes that followed his every move.
"What an odd young man," Light heard L's hushed voice as he retreated into the hallway, putting as much space between himself and the Master of Death as possible.
"An odd young man indeed," Harry's voice mocked as it nipped at Light's heels.
(Line Break)
Harry tracked Light's retreat from the room, making sure to mask his entertainment with concern. It had taken the boy long enough to figure out who he was, and even then, he had needed the help of Ryukk's idiocy. Obviously Light wasn't as intuitive as L gave the man credit for.
"How is everything coming along in here?" Mr. Yagami questioned, dismissing his son's strange behavior as he moved closer to Harry and L.
"We are progressing as expected. Did you get the paint brushes that we had planned on?" L responded, shifting his gaze from the nearly full blood bag so that he could take in Mr. Yagami's appearance.
"Yes. Everyone is gathered and waiting on you two, though I don't know if Light's absence will change our plans at all," the older man replied, his head turning in the direction his son had just left in.
"I don't think it is essential that he be here for this. We can record everything so that he can review it later if that will make you feel better?" L offered. Mr. Yagami only grunted in reply, paying rapt attention to the small needle sliding from Harry's arm. The room remained quiet as L and Harry swiftly cleaned up their makeshift nurse's station. It was only when the bagged blood was in a small cooler and Harry was on his feet – juice box and cookies in hand – that they spoke again.
"I for one don't care either way," Harry grumbled, "let's just get this over with."
"Yes, lets. I'm ready for this nightmare to be done," Mr. Yagami sighed deeply. The man had aged during the investigation. Wrinkles were weighing down his brow and his hair, which was once jet-black, was now sprinkled with silver. He felt the aches in his bones and the tightness in his chest as their small group made their way to the analysis room. The room that contained all of their data. The room where this chapter in Japanese history would soon end.
"Mr. Yagami," the man's name jerked his attention from his thoughts, "would you like to do the honors?" It was Harry, offering Mr. Yagami a paintbrush and a bowl filled with bright red liquid. He simply nodded and took both objects, placing them on the table with the open Death Note.
He flipped to the back cover, doing the agreed upon test of brushing the back cover with Harry's volunteered blood. They had, of course, taken pictures of every page of the book and stored multiple copies in multiple formats for their records. Just in case this didn't work.
His hand shook, his stomach turned, his arms felt heavy. The brush touched the paper, leaving several strokes behind, covering the whole page. For a moment, just a moment, nothing happened.
Then the blood began to gather itself up, wiping away at the ink that lay on the back cover like a strong wind sweeping sand from a walkway. No trace was left behind as the blood gathered on the center of the page. Everyone looked on in amazement as the blood finally moved as a unit to the bottom of the page so that it could slip off the page. It moved like a snake, swirling together and dropping completely out of the book. The sight was horrific and mesmerizing.
"The words are gone!" Matsuda exclaimed, causing nearly everyone to jump.
"I have had a theory about the rules of this book, but I believe that we should test the front set before I go into any detail," N piped up, his voice soft and analytical, matching the tone typically used by L.
"I agree that we should proceed," Harry intoned. He was the only person in the room who was seated, having taken up a chair pushed next to the door. Everyone else, L included, had gathered around the rather small lab table that was being used to run this experiment.
"Do we have any objections?" Mr. Yagami inquired, his hand becoming more steady after the display of magic. No one spoke.
Mr. Yagami flipped to the rules written on the inside cover of the front of the sinister notebook. With shallow breaths and a pounding heart Mr. Yagami dips the brush into Harry Potter's slowly darkening blood. A breath in, the brush meets the page. A breath out, long sweeping strokes force the once clear words to become obscured, white text peeking out in small groups. Everyone waits.
There is a hush, everyone but Harry completely engrossed by the Death Note.
Different from the last time, the crimson coating the page does not move about and collect in a small pool. This time it merely fades away, seemingly absorbed by the book. All of the words printed remain.
"So these rules are real," Mr. Yagami states.
"Yes, they are real. This also means that any people who were removed from suspicion solely due to the rules written on the back are not only no longer cleared, but they are most likely the killer, or at least affiliated with the killer," L observes aloud.
"What? Why?" Mogi stood straighter, his eyes finally ripping off the book before him.
"Obviously those rules were put there in order to fool you. Kira knew you were closing in on him, or her, and added these rules in to use in case they should ever be incarcerated. That way there would be no doubt in our minds that they were innocent because if they weren't then they would be dead. As I had suspected," N explained. Harry stirred from his position near the door.
"Was anyone acquitted because of those two rules?" Harry looked pointedly at Mr. Yagami.
"Yes," Mr. Yagami took a shuddering breath as his chest tightened, "Misa Amane and Light Yagami."
Before anyone could say anything else Harry had a phone out and dialing.
"Fred, bring me Light Yagami and Misa Amane," he ordered over the phone then hanging up without waiting for a reply.
"N, what made you think those rules are fake?" Matsuda interrogated as his brows knit together.
"All of the other evidence we have gathered thus far are bits and pieces of a larger picture. Those rules - their location and what they dictate - were like a piece that we were trying to fit in, but just couldn't. It was from a different puzzle," N explained, trying his best to put his thoughts into words that these people would understand.
"While amazing, that is not what is important at the current moment," Harry stood and began to bark out orders, "We need two rooms set aside - one for Light and the other for Misa. They need to be rigged with cameras and audio already. When they arrive they are to be stripped of all of their belongings and confined to those rooms. M and Aizawa will work as a pair to evaluate Light's belongings. N and Mogi will work together on Misa Amane's belongings. Those investigations will take place in this room to ensure that everything is recorded - just as this current conversation is being recorded."
"Matsuda and I will work to gather all of the evidence that we currently have. Mr. Yagami, unfortunately you must be removed from the investigation as it has become a conflict of interest. L, I'm concerned about how invested you are in everything. You will be permitted to observe and make note of things we may miss, but I want you accompanied by Fred at all times."
For a moment no one moved. The silence in the room grew as everyone processed what they had just been told to do. Then all at once they sprang into action. The four people who were assigned to looking into the belongings of their friends rushed to prepare the rooms that they would be staying in. Matsuda scrambled to find all the files that everyone had submitted regarding their findings on their assigned tasks from yesterday. L, a bit grouchy but understanding, made his way to the huge wall of monitors in the main room. Mr. Yagami quietly made his way from the room, stopping only to give Harry's shoulder a soft squeeze. The two men nodded at one another.
Once everyone has dispersed to fulfil their tasks Harry retook his seat. He kept his back straight, placed his hands over his knees, evened his breathing, and closed his eyes. He sat there for some time - collecting his thoughts.
"It is time."
A smile crossed Harry's face. "Have you come to watch the finale with your own two eyes old friend?" Harry opened his eyes, gazing up at the primordial being that stood before him.
"Of course master, I would not miss it for the world."
Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me. I still have no beta so if anyone wants to look over the final chapter as i finish it up please let me know.
-The Band of Thieves