Chapter 21:

"A Savant Of A Different Breed"

Light's brow furrowed. Something about Auric's story produced a ring of familiarity.

Light had visited a doctor in Winchester, England when he was a kid, to help cure him of his ADHD. And the doctor his father took him to had injected him with something, which, after only a few sessions—they had vacationed in Winchester for a couple of weeks to visit a distant relative, giving him the perfect opportunity to deal with his issue—cured him. Now that he recalled, it had helped him tremendously, even boosting his intelligence to a high, almost genius degree, elevating his thought processes. After that, he was able to focus, multitask, and compartmentalize without fail. He was able to handle any situation collectively.

Light shook his head. "No! You're lying!"

Auric leaned in and grinned. "Oh, believe me, Light Yagami," Auric said, "I've never been more honest in my life! You are one of us, and one of the few survivors of the Good Doctor's experiments. Your treatments eventually gave birth to the psychology of Kira. The Death Note was only a means to an end." Auric leaned back. "Perhaps in some alternative reality, you are the 'god' you are truly meant to be!" And Auric laughed.

But Light still couldn't believe it. It was too fantastic to be real.

Just as Light was beginning to deeply contemplate Auric's words, the garage door to the warehouse began to open without being forced, and on the other side, was a black Corvette. Standing next to it was Beyond Birthday. The door was controlled by remote by someone inside the car. Light couldn't see their faces, but there were two inside, hidden behind tinted windows.

"Ah, right on cue." Auric smiled. "Were you listening to our conversion, and decided to make your appearance at the most auspicious moment, I see? I wouldn't expect anything less than from the world's greatest thespian!" Auric laughed. "Looks like all the actors are here, ready for the final performance on stage. Shall we raise the curtain and end this production?"

"Cut the bullshit, A." BB said. "I want Light Yagami. Give him to me!"

Auric smiled. "Shakespeare once wrote: 'Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them'. You took that greatness away from me, Rue, when you attempted to take my life! Now it's my time. You want to kill Yagami for killing L? I'll have my own revenge upon you first. We all loved L, but I was/am his successor. You took my life away from me. It's time I take what you want most away from you."

Light watched Auric's movements as he reached for a gun. Light, instead, changed the game. He wouldn't die here. And not by some two-bit syncopate.

He grabbed onto the bar that his handcuffs were secured to and kicked out. Auric went flying away from the SUV, unexpectedly, tumbling back. Then BB started shooting at him, as Light got back inside. Auric quickly scampered safely away from harm, running for cover.

Beyond Birthday came to the SUV, gun in hand. "Yagami, your life is mine to take," he said. "However, Auric is a bigger threat than you could ever imagine. I'll spare your life for now if you agree to help me. I'll even give you back your watch that I took to become you, but without the piece of the Death Note. I'll keep it as an insurance policy if you betray me."

Light considered his options. "Agreed, It's not like I know your real name, anyhow. I couldn't use it even if I wanted to. But if you know Auric's real name, why don't you just use it and kill him?"

"Because I…" BB hesitated. "I don't know it. I never knew A's real name. And I can't see it even with the Shinigami Eyes, nor his lifespan. Don't ask me why because even I don't know! He was at Wammy House before I came to the orphanage, and before I started to become groomed by Watari to eventually succeed L after A started to exhibit certain behavioural issues. He told you about the experiments, I heard your entire conversion from a hidden audio receiver in yours pants. He's not the only one who knows how to place a tracer. Unlike A, I'm smarter."

BB lockpicked the handcuffs and released Light.

Light rubbed his wrist. "Did you bring back-up? Whose in the car? Nice ride."

"Thanks, but my associates will be staying out of sight from you for obvious reasons. They know all about you. What they don't know is that you're also the notorious serial killer Kira."

"I'm not a serial killer," Light said firmly. "I'm justice!"

"Whatever," BB said dismissively.

Suddenly, shots rang out from an unknown location, and BB and Light ducked. The black corvette burned rubber and backed out the garage door, whereas it slammed shut. BB and Light clambered into the SUV. It was their only protection as bullets pinged the vehicle. Light got in the back, and BB in front—shutting the doors. The SUV was bullet proof.

Light kept his head down as the bullets continued. Beyond Birthday peaked over the dashboard, gun in hand. "It's either Auric or Hawkes," Light said. "Auric has a female partner that looks like Raven. He told me about the twin experiments."

"Raven and Hawkes are actually twins, A lied to you," BB answered, familiar with the pair. There was obviously a lot more happening than Light knew. "But what Dr. Goodin did to myself and A was an abhorrent act. He also conducted the same blood transfer experiment on other kids at Wammy House, but only we—two—survived the trails. We may share each other's blood, but we're in no way related to one another in any sense of the term. We hate each other and with good reason. And one day, we might even kill each other. Right now, A has something up his sleeve. He drew me here for a reason. This was not by chance. He knew I was listening in."

"I'm not bait for your little game of cat and mouse!" Light said.

"Shut up! And tell Ryuk to scout the area and to give me positions. If we can't pinpoint the shooter's location, we'll never get out of this SUV."

"We're not on the best of terms right now. He betrayed me to your adversary."

"I don't care about your feelings. Betrayal is a fact of life. Get used to it. A Shinigami doesn't care about you, they only care about being entertained. Manipulate them to serve your agenda, instead of them using you."

Just then, Ryuk's head popped through the door nearest Light. Light cried out startled by the sudden appearance of the god of death's disembodiment head. "Boo!" Ryuk chuckled.

"Damn it, Ryuk! Don't ever do that again!" Light said, feeling his chest. The god of death chuckled still. "But never mind that," Light continued. "All is forgiven, I need your help, Ryuk. And you'll be rewarded handsomely with a basket of apples if we're successful."

Ryuk raised a hand with two fingers. "Two baskets of apples, large ones, and things will go back to the way they were. Besides, that Auric guy is a real creep. He kept coming to this place, collecting weird things, and building some sort of structure inside this…whatever building is it. I think it's an old beer brewery. You humans really enjoy your alcohol."

BB said, "What kind of structure?"

Ryuk looked at BB. "Rooms within rooms with crazy things inside," Ryuk said. "I can pass through walls, so I saw a few of the rooms, but even I got lost. It's like some sort of labyrinth."

BB thought for a moment. They were protected inside the SUV, which gave him time to ponder. "A's been preparing for me for a while," BB mused. "And if I know A, he knows me too well, and this labyrinth is specifically designed with me in mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard of the premise of a Locked-Room Mystery?"

"Yes," Light said. "My sister bought me a book of stories about them when I was staying in the hospital. They were mediocre at best, easily solved."

"To you and I, perhaps," BB said, "but not to the average person. And the most difficult locked-room mystery lies therein the human mind. No one know knows what another is thinking, presumingly. However, 'A' has an uncanny ability to overcome this simply by looking at you. He has masterful observation skills which made him the perfect candidate to succeed L."

"Auric, as I call him, told me he suffers from Hyperacusis, hypersensitive hearing. Could this ability help him determine what a person may be thinking simply by listening to a person's breathing? How a person breathes can tell a lot about their present state of mind."

BB's brow rose. "That's an interesting theory, Yagami," he said, and smiled. "But with 'A', it goes a lot further. He has this innate ability to understand complex patterns at a quick glance similar to someone with Savant Syndrome, but with far-reaching prodigious skill. Auric is a savant of a different breed: an astute genius, but cold, cunning, and extremely dangerous!"

Like someone else I know, Light thought, but not unlike himself. "Is that why you tried to kill him? Because you were jealous?"

"You had my respect up until then, Yagami. You just lost it."

Ryuk said, "Um, if I may interpolate here—Oh, that's a nice word from me, you must be rubbing off on me, Light—" He chucked. "There's something you need to know about 'A' or Auric, as you call him. He's not what you think he is. He's not even who you think he is."

Light and BB looked at Ryuk. "Explain, Ryuk," Light demanded.

"Tsk, tsk, Shinigami," came 'A''s voice over the speakers in the SUV. "No spoilers, please!"

Just then, the door locks to the SUV triggered and weapons fire ceased from the outside. Light and BB tried to open the doors, but were unsuccessful.

"They must be remotely locked," BB said. "You're a coward, A!"

"Says the guy who tried to kill me and then claim it was suicide," A said back.

"Ryuk, try and open—" Light started, but then noticed the Shinigami wasn't where he had been. "Ryuk! Answer me! Damn Shinigami!"

"Your calls are futile, Light Yagami," said A, his voice through a near-by speaker. Light looked at it as if seeing 'A'. "He can hear you, but you can no longer see or hear him. The moment I locked the doors to the SUV, I also sent a signal to your hippocampus and erased declarative memory. You'll still remember him, but even if he touches you with his Death Note, you'll never recognize him again! I've effectively banned Shinigami law."

"Son of a bitch!" Light swore. And he kicked at one of the locked doors, repeatedly, to no avail.

Auric chuckled, after Light's temper tantrum. "Unfortunately for Rue, I can't erase his Shinigami Eyes. He can still see Ryuk. Therefore, on the outside of the SUV, I've activated ancient spirit script written in invisible ink all over the vehicle. All otherworldly creatures have their own set of laws and must adhere to them. Spirits, ghouls, and even Shinigami."

"You were always fascinated with the spirit world when we at Wammy House, A," BB said. "Looks like I underestimated how much you dwelled in it."

"You've missed a lot about me, Rue, and I've made sure to hide much of what I am from others, especially from Qullish," A said. "However, my psychosis was obviously not overlooked by the Good Doctor. I suppose that's why he wanted you to kill me. Am I correct?" BB said nothing. BB's eyes narrowed. "Your silent speaks volumes, Rue. Hence, my deep hatred for you!"

Ryuk's words came back to Light. "He's not what you think he is. He's not even who you think he is." What did Ryuk know about Auric? What did he mean? Was Auric not the person Beyond Birthday thought he knew either? The orphan from Wammy House?

"Trapping you inside this vehicle was too easy, but it's not the end by far," Auric said. "You caught up to me a little earlier than I had anticipated, however. Things are not yet ready. In the meantime, as you wait…please enjoy a little music. I know you'll enjoy it." He laughed.

Suddenly, the "Happy Birthday" song began to blare from the SUV sound speakers at such a loud volume that Light and Beyond Birthday had to put their hands over their ears.

Moments later, Light began to feel sleepy, as the vehicle began to fill with an invisible gas, a halothane vapour, and Light quickly fell prey to its Incapacitating effects.

They collapsed in their seats, darkness taking them both.

To be continued...