Alrightey, big news! Eleventh grade has started IRL now, so what little traces of a schedule I had before are now out the window, and the current release date for all subsequent chapters is "you're guess is as good as mine". The same goes for updating the wikia, so if someone could keep that all up-to-date that'd be nice. The same also goes for updating my I, KiraPinterest page too. Well, maybe it won't be that but, but be prepared. Also, shoutout to TruBlu Ozzie for following 私は、キラ/ I, Kira! I also have another comment from Alexis Vance, who is now the origin for 70% of the comments I've gotten so far:

Great chapter, although the progression of the story in the last few chapters has been kind of fast, I did not expect L entering the school that fast. Interesting concept of L's father.

Well, in the original series L Lawliet joins Light's college when it starts, but since Japan's colleges start later in the year and this is a high school and time goes backwards in Australia etc etc Luci jumps into Chris' life a bit earlier than normal. Now, when I was first designing Luci's backstory I'd played around with him being a Rothschild or Rockefeller, or a relatively normal person like the original L, but in the end I went with him being a Kissinger for various reasons.

(Chris' POV)

'I must say, I really am excited to hear what the annual end-of-year school play is going to be! It's one of my favorite things every year!'

'You sure about that?'

'Of course! Didn't you see my kick-ass performance last year?'

'Chris, you were a tree. You didn't even have any lines.'

'…Shut up, Rugo.'

As I enter the clean, shiny drama building, a blast of cool air hits me from the newly-installed AC, and I see all the drama club's usual members have arrived already… and "L Lawliet". As I take my seat, MR Orok begins the meeting from the front of the stage.

'Okay everyone, I'm sure you're all excited about what our play will be this year, and for that we're trying something different. Now I'm sure you're all aware of recent events that have occurred around the world and in our own country in the last few months, specifically relating to a certain controversial individual known as-'

'FUCK TRUMP!'

'…No, Harrison, what I meant was "Kira".'

The fuck?! There's going to be a play based on something in this century?!

'What we were thinking was to have a new kind of performance this year, one which is considered by many to be the original inspiration for Kira's ongoing killing spree and L's pursuit of him. Introducing our 2017 annual eleventh grade stage play: Death Note, the musical!'

WHAT?! I mean, death and violence have been commonplace in our plays going back to fifth grade, BUT THIS?! Sure, the otaku population of Forbes High School may be as high as over 10 percent of the entire student body, but so far everything we've done… there's something up here. They wouldn't come up with this idea on their own, in fact at the end of last year I remember glimpsing a letter on the Drama teacher's desk mentioning this year's performance as some more Shakespearean crap. No, it's obvious what's going on here. The Kira Task Force already has at least three suspects in this grade (including myself), all of whom actively take part in the annual play every single year. And if anything's going to reveal our true natures, it's this. So as much as I'd love to play the role of Light Yagami, I suppose that's not possible.

Then again, that's probably what Lawliet expects me to think. If I refrain from trying out for the role of Light, it'll just show him that there's a reason I did so, which could only be that I am Kira and don't want to be caught out by accident. So my only option is to try out for the role, and not fuck anything up at all. That way, he'll think that I'm going ahead with my try-out because I have nothing to hide, and hence nothing to worry about. It makes sense, after all if I weren't Kira I'd have no reason to even question my application for the role. Officially my public stance on Kira is neutral due to my fabricated sense of rage following Viper's death, although some of my closest friends see me as leaning slightly toward Team Kira, and my mother and sister know my position perfectly, minus the fact that I actually am Kira.

...Either way, this'll be a fun performance.

(Rugo's POV)

Well, this is a really unusual turn of events. No doubt Luci Kissinger, or "L Lawliet" as everyone else knows him, planned this out. Although I'm actually even more impressed that the whole drama club managed to memorize the entire overall plot of Death Note in a mere two hours! Now the auditions are taking place, and each student is trying out for their most preferred part by singing one of the character's songs. But I must admit, it's almost funny how cheerful and non-serious some of the characters' main songs are. Like, here's one of the kids trying out for the role of the narrator right now:

'Who has a Death Note from a Shinigami?

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

Who kills every criminal that he can see?

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

If creating a new world be something you wish,

Light-Ya-ga-mi!

Kira will do it with his notebook and his bitch!

Light-Ya-ga-mi!...'

See what I mean? These humans are hilariously…

…

…

…what was that?

I shoot up through the building to see what the faint yet recognizable noise was that I'd just heard. It must've been inaudible to everyone else, but it sounded like some loud, distant cracking sound, coming from really high over the school, in the direction of the city I think. It was almost like… a sonic boom? Only quieter, much quieter, as if the object making it was much smaller than an aircraft. Something's clicking at the back of my mind, but I can't clearly tell what it is.

As I descend back through the ceiling I hear a familiar feminine voice finish her song with:

'And I got a blank space baby… and I'll write your name.'

*APPLAUSE*

'That was an excellent performance, Miss Vimerica. You'll certainly make a good Misa Amane. Okay, next up we have Chris Atarashimono, trying out for the part of main character Light Yagami!'

Looks like I've returned just in time to see how he does. I take my seat on the floor in an empty spot between the other students, right in front of Luci, and an altered version of a familiar soundtrack begins, followed a few seconds later by-

'I'll TAKE A PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

HA! HA! HA! HA!

PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

HA! HA! HA! HA!

PO-TA-TO CHIP AND EAT IT!

Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun

As I write in the Death Note…'

So if Chris is trying out for Light, and Luci's probably trying out for L, it'll be interesting to see how that plays out over the course of the year. At the very least it'll-

Wait, I remember now!

The sound, it's just the same as… could it really be her? I jump back up above the school and look around, not seeing anything. But I'm sure, I'm sure that was the same sound I heard back then, right before I first met her, back in that now-Polish forest all those years ago… us Shinigami can make ourselves pass through matter at will, but she deliberately kept herself solid as she plummeted down through the stratosphere, hence the identifying boom. I don't know any other Shinigami that does that. Well, then again, I've never seen any other Shinigami pass through the portal at all, so technically I haven't seen any not do that either. It wouldn't be too big a stretch of the imagination for her to follow me down here, but why?

Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, how are the drama tryouts going? Swooping down again I see Luci on the stage, finishing his own application song.

'While I know not how he kills without a knife or a gun, Mr Yagami, I suspect that Kira is your son.'

*APPLAUSE*

What?! Why's everyone applauding when they finish but not when Chris does? That's not fair!

(Chris' POV)

'So Chris, I assume you're ready for our game?' Lawliet asks as the two of us sit down at opposite ends of the round glass table and finish setting up the board. If there's one thing I have to credit him for, it's his idea that we play here in the drama club room, where the temperature isn't completely unbearable and there aren't any distracting rays of sunlight like in the library.

'Indeed, Lawliet, although I never thought you'd ask us to play chess as a way to play chess. But when you challenged me to this, did you know how good I am?' I give as much of a genuine smile as I can.

'Don't worry, Chris. Back in America I beat nearly every opponent I had.'

Now if I ask him if he's American, will he think I'm probing him as Kira? Who cares, I'll try anyway.

'So you grew up in America?'

'That sounds like something Kira would ask.'

Fuck.

'Yes, I did, although over the last few years I've seen just about every other spot on the map as well. But save your breath. It's absolutely impossible to figure out my identity from that fact.'

Oh really?

'So, just one game, normal rules apply. All right with you?'

'Fine by me.'

He couldn't possibly be planning to do some psychological profile of me as Kira, just from the way I play.

(Luci's POV)

This is just a simple game of chess, nothing more. It's not enough to determine if he might be Kira. But Kira hates losing…

'Lawliet, how about you start.' Chris must be awfully confident to suggest that.

'Okay. Remember, he who strikes first strikes first.'

(Indy's POV)

'And then he was like, "Something that would be really hilarious would be a really good porn video that has a random jumpscare halfway through. A bunch of guys would be ripping their dicks off when it came up which would be goddamn hilarious!"'

'Oh my god, Katashi! What kind of friends do you have?!' I must say, having Katashi here surely does ease the boredom of having to write some shit poem for English at lunchtime the day before it's due. And without him the whole library would be dead-silent, something I really hate to work in.

'Oh, Indy, also I've been thinking, now there's a chance someone might be spying on us so I won't use the exact word, but you know how your brother is… special?'

'Yeah?'

'And I remember you once recalled him talking to his you-know-what about expanding his little… group?'

'Yeah? But remember, the three of us that know about him have agreed to stay neutral for the time being.'

'Oh, sure, sure. But let's say he does expand his little team into some super-squad like the Batman squad or the X-men. Now, every X-men squad needs a Blackbird, right? And every Batman squad needs a Batplane, right?'

'I don't get what you're saying.'

'Well, as you know my father happens to work in the producing-custom-made-private-jets industry, and I'm thinking if I play my cards right I can get us our own supersonic personal transport.'

'Wouldn't that be, like, insanely expensive?'

'If we were starting from scratch, yes. But he happens to own an SR-71 which, despite spending the last few years in a hangar in the middle of nowhere, should still be able to fly with a bit of maintenance and revamping. And depending on how things go it could be improved and upgraded further.'

'Well that all certainly sounds… ambitious, to say the least.'

'But if he's going to play with the geopolitical chessboard, he'll need some way of privately traversing to where he's needed. He'll only be able to go so far if he's stuck here in Australia. Then again, I myself know very little about the aforementioned chessboard, so I could be completely wrong with my assumptions.'

'I guess it's fun to think about, at least.'

For the next few minutes I strugglingly continue to write my poem in silence before I hear a familiar eleventh-grader voice a few tables in front of me.

'Hey, Kallet! Chris and Lawliet are playing chess!'

'Does it look serious?'

'That would be an understatement!'

Connor and Kallet talking to one another? Either of them being concerned about a mere game of chess between Chris and Lawliet? Someone putting up a fight against Chris in chess without losing in a matter of miliseconds? This doesn't sound good.

'Katashi, something's just come up. I'll be back soon-ish.'

'Is it about your brother?'

'Huh? How'd you know?'

'I'm sitting right next to you, you think I didn't hear what those two said? Now what about your English poem? It's due tomorrow!'

'Well, how much do I have left?' Clicking back on the word document, I see what I've written so far.

'I will bitch about heat

I will bitch about cold.

I will bitch about sunshine

And about growing old.

I will bitch about everything

Inside and out.

You will find there is nothing

I can't bitch about.'

'That's good enough, I'll edit it this afternoon!'

'If this chess game is so important, I'll come too.'

'Yeah, sure, whatever.'

(Connor's POV)

'Damn, Connor, look at this crowd.'

'Well almost nobody was watching when I left three minutes ago. But it only makes sense, if Chris is having trouble defeating an opponent, well that hasn't happened in years so a game like this would draw people in.'

After finding herself a gap through which to watch the game, Kallet turns to me with a curious look. 'Has it really been years? Is he that good at chess?'

'Oh, it's not just chess he's known for. A few days ago a giant wasp flew into our classroom and everyone was freaking out, and that kid shouts "I GOT THIS!" and pulls out a fucking rubber band and shoots it down in one try! Everyone just stood there, no-one knew how to react.'

'Why am I only hearing about this now?'

'It was on Monday, I think you were away on that day.'

'Oh, right that was one of the days I was busy building up my web of connections with the- I mean, I was sick! Yeah, that's it, I was just a bit unwell.'

'…seems legit.' Turning back to the game I see that Chris is seriously putting everything into it, and he looks great while doing it. It's going by fast. Literally. Their hands are like fizzy blades of death! Okay maybe not that fast but still! What could the two of them be thinking right now?

(Luci's POV)

Relax, Atarashimono. Kira hates to lose, but you don't have to be Kira to want to win a game of chess.

I slide a pawn forward, taking out one of Chris' with ease.

'Wow, Luci, you sure don't fuck around.' He then proceeds to make a rather unusual move.

'You're moving your king already on your twelfth turn?'

'If the king doesn't move, how can he expect his subordinates to follow? And besides, this is one of the main moves of the chess-winning strategy that has been passed down the Atarashimono family for generations!'

(Chris' POV)

Is he gonna think that I'm Kira if I go for the win? I suppose just lose on purpose, but if I do it could work against me. Since he'd expect Kira to win he might also expect me to forfeit the match in order to avoid suspicion.

(Luci's POV)

But that means that you're Kira regardless of if you win or lose this game! It seems I've found our culprit. At least, I wish it were that simple. But he probably isn't even involved with Kira… no, when first I told Chris I was L, I saw fire in those eyes.

Now, so far neither of us has pursued discussion of the case. It would be weird to talk about it when we don't even know each other.

(Chris' POV)

As if we'd really "get to know each other" by playing chess. This is just a pretext for us to say "now we're friends".

(Luci's POV)

You'll think that, by playing this game, I've laid the groundwork for getting to know you better.

(Chris' POV)

After we finish this game, he'll bring up the Kira case again. He'll try to make me say something only Kira would know.

(Luci's POV)

I told you I was L, saying I thought you might be able to help us solve the case. I'm positive you're going to make use of that.

(Chris' POV)

But if we're going to talk about it, it's obvious that I'd want some proof that you really are L as you say you are. You'll say, "If we're going to talk about the Kira case, you'll first need to hear some details of the investigation so you know you can trust me". If you share details of the investigation with me, that'll give me an advantage. At the same time, gaining such information will reduce my risk of saying something that I should have no knowledge of.

(Luci's POV)

What you're going to ask me to do now is to meet with a reliable third party who can confirm that I'm L. So what you're going to suggest to me is that we should go to the Task Force headquarters together. Whoever makes the first move wins.

(Chris' POV)

You can't ever win if you're always on the defensive. TO WIN, YOU MUST ATTACK!

I confidently advance my remaining pawn onwards, wiping out Luci's last bishop. Now there's no way-

'Heh. Heh, heheheheHAHAHAHA! Sorry, Chris, but you've just lost yourself the game.'

'Huh, what are you talking about? I completely-'

'Checkmate.'

My eyes dart over the board, and within a few seconds I see that he was right. He got me. But how, how didn't I see it coming?

'And the winner is L Lawliet!' I hear from Harry in the crowd, his bright red eyes and black hair quite closely resembling the colors of my emotions right now, or something.

'…You beat me, Lawliet…'

'Yes, but I will admit you put up one hell of a fight. That's the first time I've played for real in ages.' He admits with a slight chuckle.

He beat me. I lost. How… how is that possible?! I haven't lost a game since… fuck.

'From what I saw, here's my thoughts on why you lost, Atarashimono. You used most of your pieces effectively, but you somehow left your queen completely exposed without even knowing it, allowing me to take her early on. And without a queen, the king will inevitably lose.'

'You know, an ancient Japanese legend says that if you shut the fuck up you won't be so annoying.'

'Oh come on, Chris, you don't have to be so full of hate just because I won.'

'Actually, I am not "full of hate" as if I were some passive container. I am a generator of hate, and my rage is a renewable resource, like sunshine. I'm surprised you couldn't figure that much out by now.'

(Indy's POV)

'Okay Tom, what was so important that you had to drag me here in person about it right after school?' I ask as I step into his dimly-lit room filled with computer game merchandise, computer game posters and some presumably recent stuff related to Death Note.

'Indy, I think something big has just happened.'

'As in…?'

'Well, you're familiar with the world of Death Note by now, right? Specifically the fact the Shinigami come from another world through some kind of portal?'

'Well, yeah.'

Spinning around on his swivel chair, he opens up a tab on his computer to show a world map, overlain with a series of blurry multi-colored shapes and patterns.

'This here is a map of the Earth's gravitational field, as it normally is. As you can see, the only major factors affecting it are latitude and terrain, neither of which suddenly change position. So it makes sense that this map shouldn't change much, right? And indeed, it never has since I started keeping track of it… until five hours ago.'

Clicking on a new tab he shows me a second map, similar to the first one but with a big blue spot radiating out from a position on Australia's east coast.

'For less than a minute, something massive popped up out of nowhere 40 kilometers above sea level, more or less directly above where we are now. Indy, I don't know a whole lot about gravity or physics, but if my hunch is right, this is the portal to the Shinigami realm briefly opening up to allow something to pass through.' I quickly recall what happens next in Death Note.

'You think there could be a second Kira?'

'It's a possibility. But to be honest, this is all just a hunch. I don't even know the first thing about how such a portal would actually function, let alone if it would be able to affect gravity.'

'…wormholes.'

'Huh?'

'I remember my brother once mentioned it to me when we were watching one of his nerdy movies together a while ago, how there's a way two points in three-dimensional space can be connected through four-dimensional hyperspace to create a much shorter route, allowing instantaneous transportation between any two points in the universe. And while I don't remember the rest of what he said, I do remember that the wormhole in the movie has clearly visible gravity, despite being only a few dozen times as wide as the spaceship itself. I'll need to update Katashi of this.'

'But didn't he say he doesn't care about anything Kira-related?'

'He did, but I think things have changed. Besides, he should at least know when his girlfriend is alerted of a potentially dangerous situation.'

'I wouldn't call it dangerous. In fact, I think Chris'll know just how to handle such a situation. He is, after all, one of the most intelligent-'

*RING RING*

'You don't have a cool ringtone?'

'Shut up Tom.' -Beep- 'Hello? India Atarashimono speaking.'

'Hey sis, you think it'll be safe if I try to slide down the stairs using mum's ironing board? I need to know before the camera I've set up runs out of battery.'

…Yup, that's humanity's last hope and self-proclaimed guardian. We're fucked.