First, a quick follow-up message from me: Massive shoutout to my first reviewer! Alice Yagami commented:

Interesting

i love it

Well, that's about as vague as a positive review can possibly get, but nonetheless I really appreciate this, and I hope I'll be getting more positive feedback in the future! In fact, it doesn't even have to be positive, I listen to criticism too. Well, without further ado…

(Rugo's POV)

It's been five days since the busjacking, and Chris hasn't done anything with the FBI agent's name. What could he be planning? After taking another gummy worm out of the bag, I ask.

'So Chris, what's your plan for your former stalker?' The teenager turns around in his chair to face me and responds.

'Well, here's what I was thinking. In Death Note, there were two factors that led to Light being a prime suspect so fast. The first was that, in his move to kill every FBI agent in Japan, his stalker agent was seen suspiciously in SSTV cameras, so it was known that Kira made contact with him specifically. The second is that the agent's fiancée mysteriously disappeared because Light had to kill her because she knew that A: The agent that was following Light gave his ID to someone on a train carrying only 6 other people, and B: That Kira can kill in ways other than a heart attack.

Now the reason Light had to kill all the FBI agents was to dodecuple the number of potential suspects, but the only way for him to do that involved a plan which ended up revealing his stalker as the one who was following Kira, completely backfiring that plan. So Ideally I'd want to get rid of all the agents in a way that makes it impossible to determine which one Kira contacted, but not even Light could do that. I suppose I could get Tom to hack into the FBI's database and use the name of my agent to see who else is on the same mission in Australia. Then I could kill them all simultaneously without leaving a trace-'

'NEIN! ICH WERDE ES NICHT ZULASSEN!'

For a moment Chris looks startled, almost jumpscared.

'… Say what?'

'You have no reason to kill the FBI agents! They're innocent, they've done nothing wrong other than follow orders! If you're going to kill people for doing their jobs then that-'

Before I can finish, Chris grabs the notebook, flips back a few pages and holds it out open for me to see.

Ryan Parson – Heart Attack

Does not inform any of his co-workers or superiors about the bus jacking incident, and at the end of his investigating concludes that he has no suspicions of any of the people he was following. Over the next 22 days he convinces himself never to get involved with the Kira case again, and this Death Note's control over him then dissipates within 23 days of the time at which this is being written, and he dies in his sleep the night before the end of his pre-determined lifespan.

Huh? But then why did he say…

'Chris, you… you were just testing to see what my reaction would be to you saying you were going to kill them?'

'Yup. I was curious to see how much, if at all, you Shinigami value human life. I mean, from the conversation we've been having I couldn't quite tell what your stance was, let alone how much of what you said about your opinions was true. And I must say I'm quite pleased with your reaction. I suppose even Shinigami have their soft spots.'

'Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a normal Shinigami…'

'Let me tell you something, Rugo. In Death Note, Light Yagami had three main flaws that led to his downfall. The first, and probably the reason so many people hate him, is that he didn't care enough about the lives of innocents who got in his way, or who he considered a threat. He could have made his moves in a way which would keep Raye Penber, Naomi Misora, Watari and several others alive, but instead he chose the safer and easier route.

The second, and my biggest personal problem with him, is that he never put enough trust in his own squad, and was overly confident he could do everything on his own. With the exception of Misa, the only times he ever got someone else involved on his side, he merely used them as a puppet to do his bidding.

The third, and the reason the world bounced back so quickly, was that he was far too quiet. He never made any public statements or speeches or anything. With the exception of Misa's tapes in the first arc and Takada's involvement in the second, his Kira was completely silent to the world, leaving everyone with countless unanswered questions.'

'… Wow, you're actually trying to surpass Light, and you sound like you're somewhat succeeding! But seriously, what's your plan for the FBI agents?'

'Well, it's probably not just the FBI that has sent agents into Australia under L's orders. It'll be hard, but within a few days I should have a relatively complete list of all of them, a list which I can then show the world and then make an empty threat to kill everyone on it. But first, I'm going to play with L.'

'… Pardon?'

'Me. Playing. With L.'

'So… you're going to be playing with L?'

'Problem?'

'No I just didn't think you were into those kind of things.'

'Oh dear god Rugo! Why would you even think about that?'

'I'm sorry it's just the way you said it!'

'You sick bastard!'

(L's POV)

"L, do you know"… how is Kira going to end his message? Surely it would be a waste of time for him to just finish it as the exact same message Light made in Death Note, since he probably knows I know-

*beep**beep**beep*

'Yo L, never fear, raise your head, Q is here!'

'Q, stop trying to connect to young people. It doesn't work.'

'I just want to feel young again.'

'Well you're not. You're like one hundred years old or something. Now what did you want?'

'L, we have a new suicide note, similar to the previous one.'

'Great. Scan it and send it to me.'

This is awfully convenient, considering I was just having an internal monologue on this exact thing. Now, Kira, what do you say this time…

My last inmate is dead.

God, could I be next?

Of course I try to stay hopeful, but

Death seems so close, so real.

So that means his message so far is "L, do you know…"

My

God

Of

Death

"L, do you know my god of death…" Kira, are you trying to suggest that Shinigami exist? And that you have one, like, as a pet? Then again, at this point I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility, what with Kira having his superpower and all.

'Q, there might be more victims leaving notes like this. Tell the police to keep a close watch on all prisons.'

'Will do.'

Is Kira trying to give me some kind of clue? He is clearly a worthy opponent. I must put every ounce of effort I have into this. Now to stare at my screen blankly.

(Nigel's POV)

I look up at the three low-ranking officers in front of me, ready to hear their rephrasing of the exact same sentence.

'Sir, we just, uhh, we request a transfer. We just don't feel safe putting our lives in L's hands.'

'Dammit, this is the fifth transfer request this week alone! At this rate we'll soon have less task force members than voice actors for them all! So what the hell is your excuse?!'

'Well, chief…'

(Twelve minutes earlier)

'Now L, we're relying on you here. Do you have any new leads?'

'…What if I'm Kira?'

'Wait, what?'

'NOOO! WHY WOULD I DO THIS?! I'M A MONSTER!'

(Back to the present)

'You gotta admit, it would've been the perfect crime!'

'Listen, chief, if you want to stay and die working with L, go ahead. But we're out of here. Anyone else who wants to live should follow us.'

'… On Twitter?'

'What? No.'

At that moment Moorga bursts through the door, with panic written all over his face.

'Chief! You have to see this! Kira's making his second TV appearance! He's already started talking! AND HE'S NOT HAPPY!'

We all quickly scramble over to the nearest TV to see Kira, again in his expensive-looking costume and again in front of his black "K" flag. Suddenly the whole room goes quiet, and if it weren't for Kira's voice one could hear a pin drop.

'In total there are 124 of these agents deployed into Australia, having been sent by agencies in Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The United Kingdom and The United States. So here's the deal, L. Either you pull all of these spies out of my country, or I will face no choice other than to use the full force of my power against them! You have three days to get them out of here, or else.'

The screen suddenly goes black, and after a few seconds switches to the frightened hosts of TTT, and we all turn around to face the laptop with L's symbol shining out of it.

'So, despite my best efforts it appears Kira has identified everyone that I've sent in to spy on potential suspects. If I may say so, this entire situation has been majorly fucked up!'

One of the younger officers is the first to respond, shortly followed by several others.

'L… I knew we couldn't trust him…'

'But if Kira won't hesitate to murder the foreign agents… that means he doesn't just kill criminals. He'll eliminate anyone who's trying to catch him…'

'So he'll murder anyone going after him… Kira's a real dick.'

'That's right, and we're sitting ducks here!'

'This is exactly what those guys who quit said would happen! Well, I value my life too!'

(L's POV)

Maybe I should've been following the agents more closely, instead of focusing on imprisoned criminals…

'L. Another victim has left a note, I'll scan it for you.'

After a few seconds I can see the note, and it reads:

Speaks, does he? This strange figure, is he even really Australian, or could he be... American? Russian?

German? British? Who knows, really? All I can hope for is that I'll be spared, but I doubt that I even deserve it.

"L, do you know, my god of death…"

Speaks

German?

Damn you, Kira. Still, by threatening to kill the agents, you've made a bold move. I'm almost positive you were in contact with one of them. And I just know by doing that, you've left me a bigger clue than these notes!

'Also, L, you've got a call from the director of the FBI. I'll link you through to him now.'

*beep**beep**beep*

'… Can I help you, Director?'

'We're no longer helping you with the case.'

'… What?'

'L, I'm sorry, but the FBI and CIA are terminating their investigation in Australia. Despite our precautions, Kira has still uncovered the identities of all our agents. These are men and women who he could kill at what is probably the mere push of a button, something he will do unless we recall them. And the decision to send them over was made by me alone. I'm going to be questioned by congress over this. And I'm a well-known man, my face is public property. I don't want to be killed. The FBI and CIA are pulling out of Australia, and that's final.'

I suppose this is how I'd expect him to react. After all, I have met him before and I do know the way he thinks. It was actually one of the first times I'd met a high-ranking FBI agent, back when I was a kid, and his appearance back then was almost intimidating. Large, bald, tiny grey eyes and a grey beard, typical black suit and tie… of course, that was years ago, and now both of us have moved several levels up the ranks. But I'm surprised my father didn't keep the FBI and CIA in here, like he said he would. Then again, I suppose this isn't exactly his field. Still, I'm disappointed in him. Seriously, how can a man with such a successful track record of pulling the strings of the foreign policy of the most powerful empire on Earth fail to pull off such a simple task?

Suddenly I faintly hear another voice coming from the FBI director's end of the call.

'Sir, you have a call from detective superintendent Blackheart of ANPA on line two.'

'Hmph. Here's a phone call from the Australian task force already…'

And with that he cuts the call. So now it seems my coalition's pissed off. Even if they were planning to send more agents to Australia, that's going to be a long way off, after they've given it some hard thought. I don't have a lot of pieces left to play, so I'm going to have to move into action myself pretty soon.

(Lauren's POV)

It's getting very rare for me to see dad during daytime hours, and based on the look on his face right now I think there's a good reason why. I decide to speak up first.

'So… Why the family meeting, dad? We're not going anywhere for Christmas, are we?

'Be quiet, sis.' I hear from Tom to my left.

'Listen, kids, there's no point in hiding it, as you'll find out eventually anyway. So I'm telling you this now. I'm in charge of the special task force that's investigating the Kira case.'

'Wow! I guess I kind of knew, but still… you're amazing, dad!' I'm not even faking my reaction, I am genuinely impressed… even if I am on Kira's side in all this.

'But that isn't what I wanted to tell you. I assume you've all heard Kira's latest broadcast? Well, faced with no other options, all the foreign investigators we've deployed to follow potential suspects have been recalled. Kira's driven us into a corner by essentially holding all these agents at gunpoint. In other words, anyone who tries to apprehend Kira may be killed. Morale is low. A lot of my detectives are quitting the case. And who can blame them? They fear for their lives. I can't force them to stay on when we're dealing with such a powerful and dangerous figure.'

For a moment Tom and I just sit there, unsure of how to respond. I mean, I do dream of becoming Kira's ally, but I'd never give up my father's life for that. But I obviously can't say all of that, so I simply reply:

'Then you quit too, dad! What if he tries to kill you? Your life is more important than your career. All you have to do is resign.'

'No. I'm seeing this case through to the end. I will not succumb to evil.'

Shit. Am I soon going to have to choose between my father and Kira? Wait, who am I kidding?! Unhealthily underweight, massive boobs, inhuman intelligence… I have none of those things. So out of all his millions of fangirls, why would Kira ever chose me?

'Dad…' But before I can continue my brother confidently stands up and states,

'I'm proud of you, dad. You're absolutely right. And if anything happens to you, I'll see that Kira gets the death penalty. I swear it.' Immediately after finishing his sentence, Tom jumps back upstairs into his room, as if he somehow thinks everything's okay.

'Gee, Tom…'

'You know, you could learn a thing or two off him, Lauren. You should have more confidence in me. And in yourself, for that matter.'

(Pearl's POV)

I hold out the photograph to the bus driver for him to see.

'Yes, yes that's him. I remember him because he was alone, plus he shouted for everyone to get down. I couldn't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure this is him. But as to all the other passengers…'

'I see. If I come again with other photographs, do you think you might remember?' I ask.

'Hmmm… can't say until I see them, but to tell you the truth, I was too scared to notice much. One thing's for sure, though, there were at least thirty other passengers. That's all I can tell you… sorry.'

'Oh, no, you've been a great help. Thank you. I may come again if I have more questions.'

If my hunch is right, one of those other passengers could have been Kira, in which case, he may live somewhere near this bus route…

(Chris's POV)

'Chris, Indy! How about helping out with the year-end cleaning?'

'Why are you starting already? It isn't even the holidays yet! Besides, the house is always spotless, mum.'

'He's right, it is.' Indy agrees.

'Is… is it?'

I turn back to the newspaper I was reading, and decide to comment on what I'm seeing.

'Geez, what are these TV stations thinking? All the holiday specials are about Kira. Look at this. "Emergency news report: Closing the truth on the Kira case!", "Analysis: All-night special on L and Kira"… whatever…'

'Says the one who's going to watch them, right? Well, it's my turn on the TV today, so watch that stuff up in your room, okay bro?'

'Yeah, sure... although this is the 154th day in a row that it's been your turn on the TV, but I won't judge. Just illegally download the "emergency news report" and USB it to me, okay?'

'I knew it! You are going to watch it!'

'And now, the dutiful high schooler will study until dinner…'

'If you're gonna do that, Chris, here's a helpful studying tip: Always laminate your study notes. That way your tears won't dampen them.'

'I'll keep that in mind, although I probably won't be studying that much.'

'I feel like I'm watching a sitcom' States Rugo. I almost agree.

(Nigel's POV)

'All of us could be murdered by Kira. The threatened deaths of the foreign agents tell us that Kira's targets are not restricted to criminals. He will consider killing anybody who tries to apprehend him. Think about you own lives, and about your families and your friends. If you want out of this investigation, you're free to leave. Quitting the task force will not lead to demotion. I've already spoken to the deputy director-general about this. Only those who are ready and willing to sacrifice everything and fight, who are truly committed to stopping Kira are asked to remain. To continue on, we need people who are tough. We need people who can laugh in the face of danger! We need people who will not screw everything up at a crucial moment! Any volunteers?'

…

…

*Cricket noises*

…

…

Alright, if no-one's going to be the first to commit to staying here, I'll have to pick one myself.

'Okada! I saw your hand just go up!'

'Wait, no I didn't-'

'We have our first volunteer, everyone!'

'But-'

'Okada! Yay, Okada! So I'll find out who else remains when I return tomorrow morning.'