This is rated M for potential future pairing between Light and L. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, or the characters therein.
The investigating team spent the day fruitlessly trying to track down the new Kira. After the room was empty, L confronted Light.
"Light-kun, it is time to work on the confession."
Light turned his chair to face L.
"Into the world of the hypothetical. Why do people confess to crimes?"
"For many reasons, Light-kun. Which reason do you want?"
"Let me rephrase, why do people confess to crimes that carry the death sentence? After all, if they don't confess, they are less likely to receive a death sentence, especially when there is little or no evidence against them. So why confess?"
"Some believe they will receive a different sentence if they confess. Depending on the country, this is frequently the case." L thought this was quite obvious.
"That's one reason. However, Kira isn't the type to confess just to receive a lighter sentence. For someone with the level of egotism he displays, a life sentence is equivalent to a death sentence." L stared at Light.
"You are that egotistical, Light-kun."
Light rolled his eyes. "We are not talking about me and whether or not I'm Kira. Stay on topic, Ryuzaki."
"Light-kun, hypothetically, if you were Kira, why would you confess? What purpose would a confession serve?"
Light smiled at L's over-emphasis on the word hypothetically. "It would depend on the situation surrounding the confession. However, I believe Kira will only confess if the confession serves a purpose for him."
"What sort of purpose could a confession serve other than a lesser sentence, Light-kun?"
Light leaned back in his chair. "Before we go any further in this discussion, I think you need to try to understand why Kira is doing what he is. If you understand him better, I believe you will know the answer to your question."
"I do understand Kira, Light-kun. I understand him better than he understands himself."
The corner of Light's mouth frowned for a second. If L had not been watching for a reaction to his statement, he would have missed it. L continued.
"Kira is young and idealistic with an extremely high IQ. Despite his intelligence, Kira's thinking is simplistic. To him, the world is filled with good people and bad people. If a person isn't good, they must be bad and vice versa. This is a childish concept that he would have grown out of once he grew up, if not for the Death Note. Getting the Death Note stunted his emotional growth and blinded him to the reality that the world is filled with many colors, not just black and white. He falsely believed that his superior intellect gave him the right to sit as judge over people. He probably believed he was chosen to do such, whether or not it is true.
Growing up, Kira's intellect set him apart, preventing him from socializing properly and making him unable to connect to people on an emotional level. However, the people around him are unaware of this, as is usually the case when dealing with exceptionally bright children. Kira is charismatic, able to observe and analyze others, and adapts his reactions based on those observations. He manipulates and uses people without remorse."
