Alright, so here we are again. I know that it's been a long time and I can already predict that Al-

Finally, a new chapter. When was Chapter 23 published? Like, the Neolithic era?

-Yup, exactly. But hey, if you want to start pointing fingers I have a whole list of other people that should be blamed for these delays. So since Alexis is still apparently my only fan who comments on this stuff, let's see what he said this time.

"And I'm not going to lie, the time between updates will probably be consistently less than during the holidays,"

You mean MORE.

Did I say less? I meant more.

Now, I only have a problem with that one word I put between the asterisks. You're using the wrong word. We actually have a word for this: F***ing.

The story is f***ing with reality. Now, you may really think "This guy needs to calm down and grab a Snickers"-

No, I actually like this attitude of yours. It's a lot more readable than being all formal and polite.

-but this is essentially plot armor. And I'll tell you, I think the story will be spoilt if you insert plot armor in the appropriate places instead of getting actual solutions for the problem.

A friendly reminder that before I even published the first chapter of this I was trained by Mizuki fucking Kurozuki, aka MizuLawliet. And if you're worried about this being "plot armor", then you have no idea what kind of plot anti-armor artillery shells I'm warming up for the coming chapters and beyond.

"…Upstairs, in a secret compartment on the underside of my desk.'"

That's vaguely the same method Light Yagami used in Death Note. Since you set your story in an alternate universe where Death Note is an anime/manga series, the first thing any iDiot would do when suspecting a person of being Kira is check every desk in their home for the Death Note.

It should be noted that this position is very temporary, and right now she doesn't need to give it an elaborate hiding place since nobody has any idea that she has a Death Note.

You mentioned earlier that Chris put a mini nuke under the house which can be detonated remotely.

Oh, yeah, before you ask, the concept of mini-nukes is going to pop up later, and don't worry, this is one of the few things that's 100% scientifically and engineering-ly plausible.

That is honestly not a very good idea. Why would you blow up the entire house if you suspect the book has been caught?

Chris' thinking is that the detonation would kill whoever was suspecting him, which logically makes no sense since the rest of the Task Force would survive, and know which household was Kira's. Yeah, Chris was pretty dumb with this idea.

I REALLY hope this Lauren of yours doesn't turn out to be a bootleg Misa Amane, like Okada (a blatant ripoff of Matsuda) and Pearl (a slight ripoff of Naomi Misora).

Worry not, for Lauren's Misaness that was one of the things Mizu-sensei and I worked on, and something I have been continuing on ever since. To summarise, the more Lauren learns about Chris, the less excited she is about him and the less superior she thinks of him, to the point where she considers the two of them to be more or less equal. But yeah, I probably should have made her thoughts clearer in that chapter.

"I'm actually quite impressed at my explanation."

Wait, what? Being impressed by oneself is a real thing?

Apparently yes, especially when you aren't even consciously thinking about what you're saying.

Okay, I did sound rude, I'm sorry. But the thing is, this is such a great story, and I don't want to see it spoiled. You tend to think ahead on almost everything, but it's the small stuff that matters sometimes.

See you next chapter.

If a sufficient response requires you to "sound rude" there's nothing to apologize for. And now, without further ado…

(Dimina's POV)

It's been easy for this girl to get used to my presence, which isn't too surprising. But what is surprising is how long she's taking with all this. Granted, the fact she's spacing the first two steps of her plan a while apart makes sense since she wouldn't want her brother to get suspicious if she were to give him three specific demands at once, but I think she's overthinking it. But hey, at least the wait is finally over, and in a few minutes the real action can begin. Hopefully.

'What a day! Nothing happened and I was tired', I overdramatically comment to get her attention. 'Before you go in there, I should mention something regarding the Shinigami eyes.'

'Dammit, what now?'

'I probably should've told you this earlier, but right now Kira's lifespan is far less than yours.'

'Hmm… If I get the eyes, will my lifespan be less or more than his?'

'Not sayin'.'

'…You're not very helpful, Dimina.'

'I never intended to be.'

'Well, here goes nothing…'

*knock knock*

…

*KNOCK KNOCK*

…

[KNOCKING INTENSIFIES]

'Dammit who is it?!'

'Tom, we're literally the only two people in this house right now.' For a moment I'm almost offended by this, but then I remember she can't let anyone I know exist.

'Wow, sis, you're up early… you never went to sleep, did you? Alright, come in.'

Lauren opens the door as I just phase through the wall next to her, and we enter Tom's room he spins his chair around to face her.

'So Tom, you remember two weeks ago when you did that thing to my computer for me?'

'Yes. I actually did the exact same modifications to the computer of one of my other customers back in October last year and I haven't been getting any complaints from him since, so it should all work for you as well.'

'Oh, don't worry, it is. But there's something else I want you to do for me.'

'Sure, what is it?'

'Do you think you can… hack into the Task Force for me? And forward to me all the information that's been gathered on the Kira case. Please?'

Well at least she's getting straight to the point, although her lack of subtlety is borderline moronic.

'What's the occasion?'

'No occasion, I just really hate not knowing what's going on.'

'That can't be the full story. Sure, I know you support Kira, but it isn't like you to come out of the blue and actually want to do something. Let me guess, you've chosen Kira as the topic for your cultural studies assignment?'

'Um, yeah.'

'In that case, if I give you Task Force information that hasn't been made public and you use it in you assignment before anyone else knows it, that could put you in a dangerous situation.'

'I don't care.'

'Alright, don't say I didn't warn you, but here's my answer. It's easy for me to get into ANPA's systems, in fact I've been regularly doing it since before Kira even showed up, but they haven't added any new data relating to the Kira Case since the fourth of December last year. And I'm unable to hack into the systems of any other organization or faction who I think might know what's going on, so I'm basically stuck. Even if I could magically get into any computer in the world, if the case's information is being held privately by an individual, it would still be hopeless. The best I can do is give you all the data I've kept prior to the fourth of December.'

I must say, if there's one human I've met here who I genuinely admire, it's this boy, Thomas Blackheart. I don't know exactly what it is about him that resonates with me, but between his computer game obsessions, his extreme capabilities with almost any form of computer technology and his compatible opinion regarding the Kiran ideology I almost feel attracted to him. But I already have Rugo, and even if I didn't, Tom's a human and I'm a Shinigami. So I'll just get that thought out of my head.

'…Are you sure? Have you tried everything?' His sister stubbornly questions.

'Yes, Lauren. I can't just grant any wish you desire. I'm a hacker, not a Genie.'

'Fine, so can I at least have the data you do have access to?'

'It's all since been deleted from ANPA's databases, but I downloaded everything beforehand. But for it to be decipherable on your computer I'll need to de-encrypt it, which might take a while.'

'Well, how long is "a while"?'

'With my current workload, a two-digit number of days. Is that soon enough?'

'Yes, it'll do... Oh, also I need a voice scrambler.'

'Okay, not sure why you'll need it but I'll put it on the to-do list, is that all?'

'Yes, that's all, bye.'

'See ya!'

Without another word we return to our room, and I jump back onto the top level of Lauren's bunkbed as she flops onto the bottom one and start to open the packet of sushi rolls I'd kept on the top of the bookshelf, before continuing our conversation.

'I doubt you'll just idly wait for the next few weeks or months, so I assume this means we'll go ahead with your broadcast plan before uncovering Kira's identity?'

'Yup. It's a shame, really, if we went with my original plan we could join up with Kira without L even knowing we exist. But hey, at least this plan is a bit more fun. By the way, Dimina, after re-reading and re-watching Death Note with you, I think I've made my decision. Those Shinigami eyes you're offering…'

…

…

Wait, is she actually going to-

'-can go fuck themselves.'

'Eh?!'

'I'm sorry, but unlike Misa I value my own life. Besides, why would I need the eyes when I have you?'

'Again, Eh?!'

'You seem pretty interested in reuniting with this "Rugo", right? And Rugo's stuck with Kira just as you're stuck with me, so helping me find Kira is in your best interest, too.'

'Alright, you got me there. But I won't help you unless I feel it's absolutely necessary in order for me to reach Rugo. So don't think you can just use me like a Pokémon, got it?'

'Got it. But for now let's just focus on my debut. Now, as you know, when I reveal myself to the world I want three things to become crystal clear. First, that I'm a new player in the game. Second, that I'm just as powerful as Kira. Third, that I am neither afraid of nor intend to bow down to anyone, not Kira, not L and not anyone else.'

'I still think there's no need to act so serious this early on in the game.'

'That's easy for you to say. Not only am I going in without Shinigami eyes, but unlike you lucky bastard I'm not virtually immortal.' I pop my head over the side of the bed and stare down at her before angrily correcting her.

'…Lucky? LUCKY?! Do you have any idea how many downsides Immortality has? Once, I teared my favorite dress, only to find out that it's irreplaceable since the technique for its manufacture has been lost. Another time, I woke up with the perfect comeback to an insult I heard from someone who died centuries ago. And then there's the fact I can't even eat my favorite food anymore because the main ingredient is fucking extinct! And on top of that there's all the sports, political systems and so on that I can't stop developing my opinions about despite the fact no-one even remembers them anymore. Then there's all the songs I've had stuck in my head because I can't remember how they end and I'm the only one on earth who knows them. And worse of all, there's all the excellent puns and jokes I'd been waiting forever to use which no longer work because of linguistic drift!'

'But you'd still prefer having your life over having a human one, right?'

'Oh, of course. I'm just saying that it's not all sunshine and pizza.'

'"Sunshine and pizza?"'

'Or whatever phrase you people use these days. By the Lauren, there's something that's been on my mind for a few days now. Now the whole Kira case at this point strongly resembles that of Death Note, which would make you the closest thing there is to Misa. But even after we read and watched it together, I still can't tell what your opinion of Misa was. So tell me, what do you think about her?'

'I guess… I kinda feel sorry for her.' I throw a sushi roll in my mouth as she explains. 'I mean, she tracked down Kira before anyone else, she used her Shinigami eyes to help Light, she deceived people with cuteness and playing dumb, she refused to confess anything about Kira even under torture, and she even tricked Higuchi into admitting he's the third Kira! And after all that, how does the fandom treat her? That being said, I found her unquestioned loyalty to Light and the fact she accepted the eyes so quickly to be a bit too… I'm not sure how to describe it. Look, Dimina, I ain't such a saint that I can promise to risk my life, or even half of it, for someone I don't even know. That being said, neither am I scum enough to sit quietly by while people are risking death before my eyes.'

'I guess another big difference is that Misa had friends.'

'HEY, I DO HAVE FRIENDS! …EVERY SINGLE SEASON, IN FACT!'

'Heh, well I never managed to get the real Misa upset so easily.'

'I'M NOT BEING UP- wait, what do you mean "the real Misa"?!'

(Chris' POV)

You know, it's almost funny how Connor, Kallet and I are setting up our secret "L case" meetings in the abandoned warehouse that's just on the other side of the road from the spot on the sidewalk where the Death Note first fell. In any case it's a good choice for a location, and selecting this time of night was a rather wise choice too. Hearing a faint noise I clutch the small black folder closer to my chest, the folder that should bring the other two up-to-date on my findings in the L case. Rugo taps on my shoulder and as always I get my phone ringing and hold it to my ear.

'So Chris, what's your plan for North Korea now?'

'What plan? The loyalists' statement made it very clear that if even one of their high-ranking members dies of a heart attack or under any other suspicious circumstances, they'll launch all of their nuclear weapons. I must admit it's a good move, holding millions of lives hostage so I won't lay a finger on them.'

'But could they even pull that off?'

'Unfortunately yes. It's estimated that the nation had over sixty nukes when it disintegrated two months ago, and the loyalists coincidentally ended up with nearly all of them. Well, I shouldn't say "coincidentally" since the now-dead regime had probably planned for their possible downfall since I started wiping out dictatorships in Africa and the Middle East last year.'

'But surely the missiles have limitations?'

'Indeed. Not only do North Korea have just one side of a nuclear triad and not only is their missile technology decades behind that of their enemies, but it's estimated that only about a third have a range extending beyond Eastern Asia. And most of the countries I can imagine them firing nukes at already have strong anti-missile defenses. Still, I doubt said defenses could knock down so many incoming warheads at once, and even a small number of successful hits would have devastating consequences reaching far beyond the initial loss of life and damage to infrastructure. But don't worry, I'll think of a solution. I always do.'

'And I'm guessing the mainstream media will be silent about this?'

'Probably. After all, you know what's more powerful than a nuclear bomb? Information. Besides, people say evil is dark but in reality it is bright, so bright that people want to look away from it.'

'…Kid, you have no idea how true that is.'

I'm not sure what exactly what he means by that, but I'll have to ask later because we're here now, and the other two have already arrived and are sitting on two of three wooden boxes in the middle of the warehouse. I hang up and slide the phone back into my pocket, and out of curiosity I slide up against the wall on the outside next to the doorway to hear what Kallet and Connor are talking about.

'…Why is it that villains always find poison to inject their victims with? I mean, you could literally just fill the syringe with air and stick the needle somewhere they won't look. It'll look like a heart attack and the victim will die pretty quick-'

'Oh, look, Chris is here. Hey, Chris! Come in, you're late again!' Ah fuck, how the hell did he see me?

'Well you know what they say. The hero always arrives last.' I hastily respond as I step though the doorway, unsure if either of them can even see the folder I'm carrying in the cloud-obscured moonlight.

'That rule doesn't really apply here. So, can we begin?'

'I believe so.'

I sit down on the vacant crate as Connor begins, 'So do any of us have any new information regarding L?'

'Nope.'

'Yup.'

'Oh, Chris, you got something? What is it?'

'I've met two members of the Task Force who confirmed Lawliet's true identity as L.'

'YOU WHAT?!'

'Heh, looks like I've got some splainin' to do, how about I just start from the beginning. A bit over two weeks ago I invited Lawliet to that coffee shop down the road so we could talk and I could get more information out of him. Later that day I wrote down everything that happened, from the moment we sat down at the shop to the moment we exited the hospital.'

'Hospital?! Did something happen?! If he did something to you I SWEAR I'LL-'

'Calm the fuck down, Kallet. It wasn't me who was hospitalized, it was one of the Task Force members. Anyway, I think these transcripts I wrote of the day will speak for themselves.' I then pull several sheets out of the folder, together recounting the events of my encounter with the Task Force (excluding anything that would reveal my identity as Kira to these two), and sit back as they slowly read it over.

As the clouds separate and the full brightness of the half-moon illuminates the warehouse I can more clearly see the reactions on their faces as they look through the pages, which seem to be telling me one thing: Maybe I should let them know I'm Kira.

Suddenly grabbing my arm Kallet points out the window. 'Hey Chris, look. A half-moon. A bright half and a dark half… Just like me.'

Alright, scrap that idea I just had, there's no way I'm going to risk her becoming even more of a problem.

(Lauren's POV)

Moving my laptop out of the way and rolling a map of the local area onto my desk, I begin to explain the plan to my Shinigami.

'So, here's the situation. There's conveniently one TTT station less than a kilometer from here,' I circle it with a black marker pen before continuing, 'but since it's the same one Kira's been using, it's become almost impenetrable. First, they have a small number of snipers stationed throughout the outside of the building, with orders to shoot anyone wearing the costume or even just the helmet of Kira without a second thought. Then there's the miniature radar and camera unit which has been set up on the roof, which should be able to detect anything larger than a small child coming within 100 meters,' At this point I draw a circle with a blue marker showing said radius around the building, 'which will alert a second group of snipers with heavier weaponry. And the front of the building is protected by several armed guards. Finally, to top it all off you have the fact that the snipers, radar and so on are very well-hidden and unless you know exactly where they are you wouldn't be able to find them before your blood content becomes 20% bullet metal.'

'Okay, I have three questions. First, why are they arming the place so heavily in the first place?'

'It's the one place Kira is known to have been, and on three separate occasions at that. So the ICUP has more or less treated the area as a gigantic death trap.'

'Second, does it have any weaknesses?'

'The radar has a 180 degree field of vision, but it's completely blind to anything and everything located closer to the ground than it is, so everything at an altitude of less than about forty meters should stay undetected, but at that point visual detection from the ground is almost a certainty. Additionally, there's only one sniper on lookout at any one time, and they don't have night vision supplied to them yet.'

'Okay, now finally… HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?!'

'I tricked my dad into accidentally telling me a few weeks back. And what little the public's gotten from various attempts to hack into the ICUP seem to support what he's said.'

'So, putting all this together, what we need is either someone really small to deliver the envelope, or someone who can fly, ideally we'd want someone who can do both… Look, I'll do it, but I'll be expecting a big plate of something when we come back!'

'Deal. Wait, can I just ask you one more thing?'

'Go ahead.'

'About everything you told me earlier… do you think Kira knows about all of that?'

'Unlikely. When Light handed me the extra Death Note for me to drop into this world, he gave me specific instructions not to tell you or anyone else about the reality of Death Note.'

'So then why did you…?'

'Well, why not? I mean, on page XXXIV of the complimentary rulebook, it specifically states "The owner of the Death Note cannot be killed by a god of death who is living in the world of the gods of death", so you're perfectly safe. But I don't think Rugo's realized that yet. So there's another thing you can talk to Kira about when you meet him.'

'…Wow, what is wrong with me? I'm starting to act like a strong independent woman and shit!'

'Just remember, if you get yourself in a fight during this operation, you have to shoot first and ask questions later.'

'You know, for something that looks so small and cute you really-'

'Lauren Blackheart, if you call me "cute" again I'll remove all your organs in alphabetical order.'

'Well you could at least be a bit less bitter about it.'

'I'm not bitter!' She bitterly snaps back, with a bitter expression on her face.