Chapter 23:
"Occam's Razor"
Beyond Birthday grit his teeth as he stood at the threshold to the next door to "A"'s Locked Room labyrinth. He couldn't see into it from his vantage point, it was too dark, but he had an unhealthy trepidation about even partaking to continue with the game his predecessor had devised.
The sadistic irony pissed him off. The very notation "A" would use something BB enjoyed against him infuriated him. "A" knew his strengths and weaknesses, so this was a game BB couldn't afford to lose. It was a matter of pride. If he lost to "A", then that meant he was better. "A" was a wannabe, nothing more!
BB slammed a fist into the wall near him. He winced, but that was it and swallowed the pain.
"I hate 'A''s arrogance!" BB said hotly. "He was always so smug at the orphanage. Always thinking he was better than everyone else! Still, no wonder L choose him to be his successor."
Light's brow rose. "Are all you Wammy House children narcissistic?"
"You're one to talk!" BB shot back, then frowned. "But, yes…As you know, intelligence is far more endowing than simply knowing a lot of facts about a great deal of subjects. Even I don't know everything, Yagami. And what I don't know, I research. Once I learn something, it stays with me, then I can retrieve the information whenever I call upon it." He tapped his head. "I have an idyllic memory."
"Geniuses often do," Light said smugly, implying a similar endowment. Then sneezed. Light wrapped his hands around his arms, his clothes were drenched from the inescapable Houdini-like water trap. The wraps had been removed from his hands, he had noticed, but his hands still throbbed. Did "A" do it?
"Now, shall we?" BB gestured to the open chamber door. "Ladies first," he said with a chuckle.
Light eyed him incredulously. "Excuse me?"
"You get professional manicures, don't you?" BB said, indicating Light's hands. "And I notice you have thin, reedy fingers. I bet the ladies enjoy your devilish touch." BB smirked.
Light pointed. "At least I don't bite my nails. I can see the broken follicles," Light replied. "And I don't get complaints." Light smiled pridefully. "Misa enjoys my touch. And more than just my fingers."
BB's eye twitched. He hadn't been popular with women, he had always been abnormal looking and quirky in years past, unlike the present. His plastic surgeon had performed a miracle when the bandages came off, likewise when his skeletal structure was newly forged and adjusted with rods and pins after years of slouching. And his skin was—minus the burns—better. He no longer had bags under his eyes like L always exhibited.
BB unconsciously bit a thumb nail, then stopped, and said, "It's a nervous reaction. I can't control it. You wouldn't understand. Now, go first! The door is only wide enough for one person to fit through at a time. And with these handcuffs we have on, we can only go single file."
"You just want me to go first in case Auric has some devilish device on the other side, like some sort of ghoulish scythe that'll swing from the ceiling and lop off my head. Am I right?"
"The thought had occurred to me, but I doubt 'A' would be so obvious."
Light eyed him, then held up his arm with the handcuffs. He turned to Ryuk. "Ryuk, can you release us?"
"I thought you liked being handcuffed?" Ryuk chuckled. "You spent three months handcuffed to L, 24/7."
"Really?" BB voiced, then laughed. "He suspected you in being Kira, huh? How were the sleeping arrangements handled? Don't tell me L forced you to sleep in the same bed with him? He likes to sleep in the nude, and he has some very weird dreams. Did he ever tell you about Bernard?"**
(** From the story: "That First Night Was a Real Killer")
Light frowned. He had had found both out during their first night handcuffed, sleeping in the same bed. Soon after that, different rooms were arranged. But Light had had to be handcuffed to a ring anchored to the wall with a camera in his new room. L was always watching him, even when had to go to the bathroom. Light quickly told Beyond Birthday all this, and BB had a nice laugh.
"I don't like dogs," Light said, referring to Bernard. "I've always been partial to cats."
"Yeah, but your cat was always hiding from me," Ryuk put in. "I guess he didn't like Shinigami. He was a stray when you found him, you told me once. He resides will your parents."
BB mused philosophically. "An animal lover, I never would've taken you for one, Yagami," he said surprised. "Your profile gave me the impression you're selfish and cruel, as Kira, that is…"
Light frowned. "Then you really don't know anything about me!" he said. "Ryuk! Release us, now!"
BB smirked. Cruel to only some pets, that is…
Ryuk inserted a nail into each of the hand-cuff key holes and released them. Then, for what felt like a long time, Light and BB just stood, and starred the other down. Neither one blinked.
"So, are we going to just gaze into each other's twinkling eyes, or see what 'A' has in store for us on the other side of this door? You do have interesting eyes, Yagami. A combination of hazel and…It's not a colour I can define. It's almost an emotional colour change, darker whenever you get angry."
"Shut up," Light said, then took a breath, and went to enter the next chamber boldly, first.
BB suddenly grabbed him. "Stop!" he said. "I've decided I'll go first instead."
"Why?" Light asked.
"It's obvious, even to an idiot," BB said. "You're nothing but cannon fodder. 'A' will kill you in a second. Whatever traps he has, he'll hesitate to trigger them with me. He wants to teach me a lesson."
"And that is?"
"To see who really has the distinction of being L's heir," BB said. "'A''s gone through a lot of trouble setting things up. Ryuk's said he's seen multiple rooms. I need you right now, Yagami. Ryuk has no obligation to help me, but he's with you for Misa Amane's sake." BB looked at Ryuk. "Am I right, Shinigami?"
"Yup," Ryuk answered. "While Misa is away on her movie shoot overseas, I was asked to look after Light since she's the real owner of the Death Note. She takes orders from Light, but I'm tethered to her."
Light snorted. "I'm Kira! Got that! Misa may have current ownership of the Death Note, but I control who lives and who dies! And if I knew Auric's real name, I'd write his name down on a full page in bright, big, beautiful letters, even if I have to write it in my own blood! By the way, I want my watch back! There's a scrap of the Death Note in my watch. I can use it."
BB gave the watch back, shoving it at Light. "Take it! I don't need it anymore. But I keep the scrap. Also, I found your Death Note in the hidden compartment in the floor in your closest, I have it in a safe location." BB smiled. "And I took your lovely watch collection, too."
"Bloody thief!" Light looked over his watch. "Damn it! You scuffed the side badly when you used it to write on the glass. This was a gift from my father when I graduated high school. I had it modified to hold a Death Note scrap." He slipped it over his left wrist and clasped it on. "You'll pay for the repair."
"Stop whining, Yagami. It was the only thing I had to write with. But those calculations in the end meant spit. Thanks to Ryuk, we managed to escape. The glass box was a death trap. And speaking about escaping, how did you escape Raven and your electrified cage? I must know."
Light smirked. He chuckled under his breath. "Ironically enough, I faked a heart attack when I grabbed the electrified bars. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I took a chance. I thought about how Raven would react, and I knew she would deactivate the cage, and enter. I played on her connection to you, and that you'd be upset if I died—Probability Theory 101. Much like family, emotion—especially love—is a liability. I was unconscious for a few seconds, and she performed CPR on me, but then I quickly gathered my wits, overpowered her by surprise, and fled, locking her inside. The rest, you know."
BB nodded. "You escaped to a Baptist church and the priest that helped you died," he said. "I can see you burnt your hands a little when you touched the bars."
Light looked at his hands, and the redness that covered his palms. "Yes," he said. "They throb a little. A little tender, but they'll heal. I had bandaged on them, but 'A' must've taken them off."
"A weapon of opportunity for you to use against him, would be my theory," BB said.
"I never considered that," Light revealed, "but now that I do think about that, 'A' was smart to take them."
BB mouth pursed. "He gave you half-truths and even more exaggerations, you know," he said. "Don't believe everything 'A' told you. I faked my death and disguised myself as you to draw the Good Doctor out of hiding. He tortured a lot of kids with his experiments, but he also helped them. You were one of those kids, Yagami. Unfortunately, his subjects develop side effects from the medicines he experiments with."
"What sort of side effects?" Light demanded to know.
BB shrugged. "There are many. Some off the top of my head are insanity, delusions of grandeur, and psychopathic tendencies, and they're triggered by random sources. Still, the ability to develop those could only come from an underline and an already established cause such as a childhood trauma or from the genesis of PTSD. I don't know your childhood history, so I won't even hazard a guess."
Ryuk chuckled. "Light thinks the world is rotten and those that make it rotten deserve to die," the god of death put in. "So, maybe…" Ryuk shrugged, "the Death Note may have had a role in him becoming Kira? I'm not responsible for the people Light's killed. I just dropped the Death Note and he picked it up."
"I'm not insane, I have no delusions of grandeur, nor do I possess psychopathic tendencies," Light countered. "And I will not explain my reasons for what I do with the Death Note. I will say one thing, L was a formidable foe, and I was disappointed to see our game end on such a sour note. But it had to be done. L was about to expose me, he had to be eliminated for Kira's world to come to fruition."
"Shut up!" BB said, and pushed Light against the wall. Light cringed, as his back was slammed hard. "For the moment, we have a truce. But after 'A' is dealt with, you and I are going to finish things!" Light was then pushed aside, and BB entered the door to the next chamber.
Ryuk said, "I won't kill him for you, just saying."
"I know, I know," Light said, feeling his shoulders, then followed BB.
Beyond Birthday walked into the new room. It was a perfect circle. He was weary of the symbolism, and how "A" enjoyed using such, especially in his occult studies. In its most simple form, a "perfect circle" was a primal symbol that portrayed the cycle of life that lead to death and then back to life again. A single circle on its own is a strong representation of a cycle. This was such a thing.
The room had completely black patted walls with a strange red light illuminating the interior just underneath the walls themselves, giving off a ghoulish glow. It hurt his eyes at first until they adjusted. At the centre of the room in the ceiling was sizeable vent. Looking around, he figured this may have been once a beer brewer's vat, now converted for some sinister purpose.
Light entered the room. He looked around, and said, "What do you think this place is?"
"Dunno," BB replied. "But it's hot as hell in here." He wiped his forehead. He began to take off his shirt and then dropped it to the floor.
Light looked at BB shirtless in the strange red light. Burn scars ran all the down the right side of BB's body and then some. 60% of his body. The red glow made his waxy skin glisten.
"What are you looking at, Yagami? My scars? Consider them my price in an attempt to rewrite the wrongs of a world gone mad," BB said ambiguously, "and like Icarus who flew too far into the sky with his wax wings, I played with fire and got burned. I tried to take my own life when I found myself cornered, but I guess it wasn't my time to go. L captured me, locked me up, but despite countless attempts to take my own life—I still wouldn't die. California has the death penalty, but L overruled them to use it. I suppose, L wanted me to languish in prison, so I would think about my sins, and repent. L was very religious."
"How did you escape?" Light asked.
BB chuckled. "Ironically, I have you to thank for that," he said. "I faked a heart attack. The physician who declared me dead was an ally of mine from way back, and with his help, weeks in advance, I began planning my escape—thanks to my allies on the outside. Do you know what Tetrodotoxin is?"
Light said, "TTX is a potent neurotoxin. In simple terms: it prevents the nervous system from carrying messages, hence the muscles contract in response to nervous stimulation, including the heart."
"Top marks. Through this method, if another physician chose to examine me it would confirm the diagnoses and it would get back to L that I had died from a cardiac event. Kira would be blamed. And since my real name is only known to a select few, it would prove Kira's omnipotence. I mean, how could I be killed if the great ol' powerful Kira didn't know my real name? And my face? It could be easily obtained from old police files when I was captured, but I'm sure L sealed them away, so Kira didn't kill me like so many of his other victims. Well, look whose alive, and who isn't, now." BB laughed.
"I didn't kill L," Light said. "It was a Shinigami named Rem. Just so you know."
BB looked at Yagami. "This Shinigami was working for you at the time, hence you are the mastermind behind L's death. Regardless of the circumstances, you are responsible, and will pay for it!"
Just then, the door to the room slammed shut. They both looked at the door.
"I don't see a way out," Light remarked. "Ryuk, fly up that vent and see what's up there?"
Ryuk did so, then quickly returned. "It's another room," the god of death said, "but it's only accessible through this ceiling vent."
"Can help us get up there?" BB asked.
"I could, but only one of you at the time," Ryuk said. "It's narrow and just large enough for one. The walls won't bother me, I can transpose through them as I carry each of you through the vent."
"Cheater!" came a voice. Auric's voice echoed. "I knew you'd be a problem, Shinigami! I planned this gauntlet for the others, not for you!" Suddenly, something slammed shut and locked. "I locked the vent's access. It won't open now without the proper authorization, namely solving the next puzzle. You must figure out my next locked room mystery to continue. However, there is a time limit, and if you think it's warm inside now—then it's going to get much, much hotter. Hotter than Hades pyre!"
Suddenly, six gun turrets ejected themselves from the walls, but then by acknowledgment, BB noticed, they were actually flame throwers with the beginnings of flames emerging from each barrel. The room was looking to be more like an incinerator. And certain death seemed their only path.
Suddenly something "A" said registered in BB's mind. In Greek lore, Hades was the god of the underworld. In later religious lore, fire was symbolic with the Devil.
"A" was giving him a clue. But what was it?
BB snapped a look at Light Yagami. Then it occurred to him. With a new enlightenment, came sacrifice. The lost of old, a casting out from an arcane way of thinking. It was simple.
Suddenly, something fell from the same vent, and smacked to the floor. It was a large, black sack, room for one. BB touched it and saw that it was made of a fire retardant material.
Light began to huff and sweat from the heat. He discarded his own shirt, sweating profusely, modesty be damned. "W-what's happening? Why did it suddenly get so hot in here?"
"Our captor has decided he wants BBQ for lunch," BB said, knowing what "A" had in mind. "He's given us, ironically, a 'body bag'. One of us will become a sacrificial lamb, while the other one will be saved. He's forcing me to make a simple choice, my revenge against you, or my rivalry with 'A'. Supposedly, it should be simple. But I won't give 'A' the satisfaction. I won't be bested by 'A'! I will have both!"
"You're challenging Occam's Razor," Light stated.
"Damn right, I am!" Beyond Birthday said. "A simple problem-solving philosophical principle that normal people face every day, but that more than ninety-nine percent choose the easiest path to follow, so they won't have to deal with difficult outcomes. As you know, I'm not like normal people."
Light couldn't dispute that.
"Now, take off the rest of your clothes," BB demanded. "We'll need the space to squeeze into the bag together. And our wet clothes will only help 'A' cook us."
"What?" Light said dumbfounded. "That's crazy!"
BB gave him a serious look, as he began to undress. "Do you want die? Do what I say, Yagami, and maybe we'll survive this! Now, strip!"
To be continued...
