Fun fact: I probably did more research writing this chapter than any other one so far. But first, as always, let's look at what AV had to say.

'It's a different girl! She says she brought over your notebook!'

This would be a dead giveaway if Indy watched DN, which she... wait, did she watch it? Either way, it is dumb of Lauren to say that.

Yes, indeed it is! But remember, Lauren has no idea that Indy knows anything about Chris being Kira, and while she'd certainly find out about Indy while researching Chris on the internet beforehand, all she'd find is the anti-Okatu side of Indy (for safety reasons Indy has kept quiet about her new interest in Death Note, and only Tom and Katashi know about it). So I conclusion, Lauren would be left with a very strong impression that Indy hadn't ever seen Death Noteand has no interest in anything Otaku-related.

And as for Haumea, Lauren probably wouldn't even bother researching her. After all, mothers are just side characters with very little plot potential… at least, that's what everyone assumes.

"...as well as protect your computer from any enemy attempts to hack into or spy on it?"

All possible because I, Kira gets all its logic from Nichijou.

At some point I'll probably have to expand more on what Tom specifically did. Because I have a strong feeling you aren't forgetting about that any time soon.

"...I can't help but feel torn on whether I should let her team up with me. On one hand, she seems highly intelligent and she is pretty hot..."

Back in chapter 20...

"Not that it affects my judgement, which is totally based purely on only strategic reasons alone."

such strategy

much reason

wow

Wow, how are you even making that comparison? These are two VERY different girls who Chris has VERY different opinions and thoughts about, in two VERY different situations that take place in two VERY different parts of Chris' era as Kira.

'Let me put it to you this way. There was a time when most humans thought Africa and Eurasia were the only continents in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought Earth was the only planet in existence, then you were proven wrong. There was a time when you thought your solar system was the only one in existence, and then you were proven wrong, and so on. Yet you always continue to jump back to the conclusion that you've found the top level.'

She could have summed it up in two words: Copernican Principle.

She could've, but that doesn't really sound dramatic enough.

"...let's just say that waterboarding at Guantanamo bay sounds really fun if you don't know what either of those two things are."

I agree.

Of all the things you could've mentioned from that scene, I'm kinda surprised you chose that.

(Chris' POV)

'…One more important thing I should mention. If one of us is ever caught by the police, or anyone else for that matter, as a suspect, we must never speak of the notebooks or anything else related to Kira. There's no evidence for them to use unless they seize the means of death.'

'"Seize the means of death", huh? That sounds like the most Stalinist catch-phrase ever.' Rugo comments, and Dimina nods in agreement.

'It's kind of ironic, you know, how the world's police forces are fighting us despite the fact we're all supposed to have the same basic enemy. In the new world I'm hoping to create, I want the police to work alongside me, not against me. Also, every police officer will be required to wear a go-pro like device that films everything they do on duty and releases all the footage to the public. No exceptions.'

'That's… actually not a bad idea. So, thinking back to our present situation, I assume it goes without saying that we should be in regular contact?' Lauren asks.

'Yes. At least once a week should be enough. It also goes without saying that when our next broadcast as the second Kira lists times and locations, we be sure to stay away from those places. That'll make it even harder for Luci to hold his suspicion against me.'

'Wait, how much "suspicion" does he have against you? How certain is he that you're Kira?'

'Last time I checked, forty percent. But that was back at the start of March, so it's anyone's guess what his thoughts are now. In any case, it's thanks to this small amount of suspicion towards me and some of my friends at school that I've been able to get close to Luci.'

'Like how L got close to Light?'

'Exactly like that. Except he's only ever let me see two members of the Task Force, and that was only once. I don't even know where their headquarters is.'

'But you do regularly meet him, right?'

'Yes, he's enrolled at my high school under the alias of L Lawliet.'

'L Lawliet? Is that seriously all he could come up with? Well, I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference.'

'Wait, Chris, Lauren, let me just ask something. When you agreed to make it seem like the two Kiras are meeting each other in a timeframe incompatible to when you two do, did you mean you're going to make your knowledge of one another known to everyone before or after the Kiras do in the videos?'

'…That's a good question, Rugo. On one hand, if I suddenly have a new acquaintance and there's a change in how the two Kiras are acting, then we could both be suspected. It would be risky to reveal that we've suddenly become close to one another. On the other hand, the longer we keep our connection secret the more likely someone will-'

'Wait, what's this?' Lauren interrupts, reaching under my pillow and pulling out a familiar black object.

'…Wow, you have a gun?'

'Yes, I got it as a gift a while back, and until recently I just kept it hidden in the attic so the Task Force wouldn't find it. After all, you can never be too careful these days. And keeping a weapon close by at all times is a tactic that has been passed down through the Atarashimono family for generations. So, as I was saying, the longer we keep our connection secret, the more likely someone will find out and the whole plan will go down in flames. Either way it's a big risk, but either way we can't reveal anything until I've sorted out some… unfinished business.'

'And what the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'…There's a girl at my school who's kind of trapped me in a relationship with her, and despite my best efforts I haven't managed to break up with her yet. If you suddenly show up and we start spending time together before I do that, not only will it look unnatural from Luci's point of view, but I don't even know how she would react… actually I know exactly how, and it ain't good.'

'Wait a second, you're saying you'll be dating another girl?' She hisses back.

'Temporarily, yeah.'

'NO WAY! I'm sorry, I may not like you or anything, but we are still Kiras, and she's just a… from the sounds of it, she's just a… nothing! There's no way I'll stand for you seeing her.'

'…Look, Lauren, this isn't a game. We're risking our lives to save the world, remember? Don't be a Misa.'

'…Yes, but… but… Dimina, back me up here!'

'Ha! Sorry sweetie, but you're on your own. Why should I have to be on your side?'

'So you're on HIS side?!'

'Oh, fuck no! I'm not on anyone's side! In fact, I couldn't care less who that son-of-a-bitch puts his reproductive organ into!'

'You're not much help.'

'No, I'm not. Although if I absolutely had to pick a side, it'd be yours. Even without taking into account the fact he's talking about his girlfriend like a worthless subhuman subordinate, I still hate him with every inch of my being for the danger he's put Rugo in.'

'That's not a lot of inches.' I quietly-

*PUNCH* *KICK* *MORE PUNCHING*

…That was still worth it.

'Look, Chris, I know I'm not as intelligent as Misa, nor anywhere as beautiful-'

'Whoa, Lauren, stop right there.'

'Huh?'

'This may sound cliché and stereotypical, but I think you're one of the most beautiful women I've met in a really long time. Well, at least the most beautiful one who isn't a Yandere bitch.'

'You really think that?'

'Perhaps it could be a biased view since I'm not really into blondes at all, or any non-Japanese girls, but yeah, that's what I think.'

'...Bullshit. I bet you can't even come up with an original-sounding compliment for me.'

'Umm… err... you have a face.'

'…Close enough. By the way, I'm actually only half Japanese.'

'I'm three quarters. My mother's mother was from Europe. But such little details shouldn't make a difference.'

'…'

'…'

'…You know I'm still really mad at you about this "other girl" thing, right? Oh, and by the way, at some point we need to take you shopping. That shirt makes you look like a gay cowboy.'

*KNOCK KNOCK*

'…Chris, can I come in?'

'Sure, mum, what is it?'

'It's 11:20, so unless Lauren's planning on staying the night…'

'Yeah, we lost track of time.'

'We're sorry, Mrs. Atarshimono.'

'Oh, please, call me Haumea. "Mrs. Atarshimono" makes me sound old.'

I open the door to let Lauren out of the room first. At the doorway, we turn to one another one last time, our eyes shining into one another, before the girl turns to leave.

'Sorry for staying so late. Bye, Chris!'

'Bye, Lauren!'

…

…

'So, she seems nice.'

With that I feel my cheeks start going red again, and I sprint back into my room before mum can ask any questions.

'…Well, Chris, this has been a fun evening, right?'

'I suppose so, Rugo. But nobody should know yet that I saw her tonight. I just need to make sure mum and Indy don't tell anyone… but we've already agreed to meet again sometime really soon. I could try to get out of it, but that would probably only make things worse. I'll just have to hope we can cooperate with her. As for the Shinigami, well, I trust her about as far as I can throw an aircraft carrier.'

'Listen, you may not like having Dimina around, but I do, and as a wise man I once knew said, you'll never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.'

'I'm not sure if that analogy works here. Still, very useful information she gave me about Death Note. Hmmm… and if we keep getting more Kiras I might need a bigger room.'

(Lauren's POV)

As Dimina closes the door behind me and crawls onto the bunkbed, I reach for my pajamas and begin to get changed.

'You were awfully quiet on the way back, Lauren.'

'I was just… thinking about stuff.'

'And by "stuff" you mean Chris, obviously. Look, as much as I hate to say it, Rugo's stuck with him and I'm stuck with you, so it's also best for me for you two Kiras to get along. Leave the hating to me. You see what I'm saying?'

'Yes, and I'm certainly excited to work with him, but I'm a bit worried. How do I know he won't just use me as a pawn and dispose of me when I'm no longer needed? After all, he did say he has a girlfriend, so it isn't too unrealistic to think that all his compliments and kindness were-'

'Okay, you shut up and listen. In case you've forgotten, I'm over half a millennia old, and if you live long enough, you begin to see the same eyes in different people. What I saw back there were nothing more than the eyes of a man in love. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I trust him. If he betrays us I'll put him down without hesitation.'

'…You really think he's falling for me? How should I even… what do I do now?'

'Well, you know what they say. It takes only a second to get a crush on someone, a minute to like someone, and an hour to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.'

'My dad once forgot me in a parking lot. Listen, Dimina, on the way home I realized something.'

'What?'

'...I was dead until the moment I touched that notebook. I was a powerless corpse pretending to be alive. Living without power, without the ability to change my course, was bound to lead me to a slow death.'

…

Tucking myself into bed I finish. 'By giving me the Death Note, you pretty much saved me. So, thank you.'

(Chris' POV)

In an unfortunate development, I am now awake. And it's Monday morning, so… fuck.

Blinking several times, I sit up and proceed to flop out of bed and make my way down to the kitchen, where Indy and mum have already started exterminating the latter's pancakes.

'Mornin' Chris!'

'Good morning, Chris.'

'Hey, mum, Indy, do you think you could keep Lauren a secret for a while?'

'Sure.'

'And I mean with everyone. She's not allowed to visit anyone without her father's permission.'

'Oh, no wonder she was so cute. Good choice for a girlfriend, Chris! Certainly an upgrade from Kallet, at least.'

'Yes, your sister's probably right. I must say, you and Lauren remind me so much of your father and I when we first met.'

'G-Girlfriend? Where'd you get that idea? We… we just know each other, that's all.'

'The embarrassed look on your face says otherwise. Listen, bro, forty dollars and I'll keep my mouth shut.'

'Fine.'

(A few hours later)

'Okay, here's one I came up with: So the UN attempted the largest survey of public opinion in its history. The question was:

"Please say honestly what you think of the shortage of food in the world as a whole."

The results couldn't've been more discouraging. The survey was a complete failure, because:

The Argentinians didn't understand the word "Please"

The Saudis had no idea what was meant by "Say honestly"

The Cubans couldn't interpret the phrase "What you think"

The Europeans were unfamiliar with the term "Shortage"

The Africans didn't know what "Food" was

And in the United States they are still debating what might be meant by "The world as a whole".'

'Heh, hehehehehe, that's a good one, Connor.'

'In other news, I hear Mike Pence wants to meet with video game developers about gun control. Perhaps next he'll consult Hot Wheels about road safety.' I hear from my left.

'…Lawliet, why are you sitting here?'

'Do I need a reason? By the way, does anyone know what's taking Mr Iesnes so long to get here? Granted, I hate math as much as you do, but I hate waiting around even more.'

'If you're going to sit with us, can you at least sit normally?'

'If I sit in any position other than this, my ability to put up with your bullshit goes down by 40 percent.'

I've noticed only ever sits like that around his main suspects. Perhaps he's trying to-

'Guys, you should come and see this!' Harry exclaims, bursting into the room with a noticeable sense of alarm in his voice.

Several students leave their seats and leave the room out of curiosity, including Luci.

'Maybe the Kira worshippers did some kind of mass shooting in the city. That wouldn't surprise me.'

The asshole's probably right. As much as I hate to say it, I may have accidentally invented a religion by becoming Kira, so it wouldn't be hard to imagine something like this happening.

'No, guys, it sounds different!'

'Harry, what do you mean it "sounds different"?'

Connor and I join everyone else heading for the hallway, where at least a dozen people have gathered around a TV watching some kind of news report. As I look for a comfortable spot in the crowd, a familiar feminine hand grabs my arm, and I turn to see that a very cheerful Kallet has shown up too.

'Heeeey, Chris. So, I was thinking, maybe after school we could "hang out" at your place, like we did a few months back? Being a dream girl is exhausting, you know, and it's been so long since…'

Yeah, I really have to do something about her soon. There's no way she'll be able to coexist with Lauren. Focusing my attention back to the news anchorman I'm somewhat startled by the shocked, nervous look on his face.

'Followed by… yes, followed by "flashes", blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions… we're, uh, trying to get confirmation…'

...What?

'We seem to have lost contact with one of our stations in Tokyo… wait, we do have… we do have coming in, that's um, confirmed reports, I repeat, confirmed reports, of nuclear detonations in South Korea and Japan… my god…'

At that moment the screen switches to the "PLEASE STAND BY" thing, and I can sense multiple hearts pounding in shock, including my own.

…Well, to say that I'm fucked would be an understatement.

(Lauren's POV)

So far I've had a pretty good morning. It turns out Tom has been doing some kind of big project with Chris' sister, so the latter has taken half her day off from her school in order to be shown around ours. It was a little awkward at first being introduced a second time, but it's comforting to know that she's fine with Chris and I meeting up whenever we want. And as we walk together on my way to my next class, I'm reminded of just how different it is to have someone to talk to, as opposed to silently going through the motions of school all alone. Of course, it kinda sucks that I can't talk to her about anything that could give away my identity as the second Kira.

'So, I was driving along with my boyfriend Katashi in the passenger seat next to me, when suddenly the car in front skidded and I had to brake. Before I knew it my hand was across him to stop him from flying forwards. He looked at me and told me he couldn't believe that my first thought would be to save him. I didn't have the heart to tell him that, as a former part-time pizza delivery driver, I've developed a reflex action to stop the pizzas flying off the seat whenever I emergency brake.'

'Haha! Well you-'

*ANNOYING REPEATING BUZZING/CRACKLING NOISES*

'That's a weird ringtone.'

'…That's not my ringtone.'

'Then what is-'

'We interrupt your activities. This is a national emergency. Important details will follow.'

Indy's phone is now displaying some capitalized white text on a black background, and it certainly doesn't sound very good.

EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

WE INTERRUPT YOUR ACTIVITIES. THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS WILL FOLLOW.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ISSUED

EMERGENCY WARNING

Grabbing my phone out of my pocket I see it's displaying the same thing.

*REALLY LONG BEEPING*

'This is an emergency action notification. All broadcast and cable systems will transmit this emergency action message. During this emergency most stations will stay on the air providing information to local areas. The following message is transmitted at the request of the Australian Government. A national emergency is in progress. A significant nuclear attack is currently taking place against Australia and several other nations. At 10:48 AM Sydney time, NORAD detected the launch of a large number of intercontinental ballistic missiles from multiple locations in North Korean territory. The missiles are all being tracked and the time of impact is expected in less than ten minutes. Current estimated targets civilian targets include, but may not be limited to…'

No.

No fucking way.

'Lauren, don't panic. The blast radius of North Korea's nuclear weapons is exceptionally small, and the probability of this school being caught in it is rather low. That being said, just in case, we need to get underground. Now!'

'I, I need to find Tom!'

'No, Lauren! …Lauren, get back here!'

As I make my way through the hallways and mentally map out which classroom my brother is in, I see the ominous message simultaneously displayed on nearly every screen I come across. And, as expected, people are starting to react.

This doesn't make any sense. I remember hearing back in March that the loyalists to the former North Korean regime wouldn't launch their nuclear weapons unless another one of their members died under suspicious circumstances, i.e. if Kira killed them. But at no point last night did Chris even bring up the topic, so… is he betraying me? Is this some really complicated assassination attempt of his? No, that wouldn't be possible. And even if it was, the very backbone of the Kiran ideology is saving innocent lives, and as such I highly doubt he'd intentionally do something that would create such vast amounts of collateral damage. Perhaps he didn't know about the loyalists' threat? No, if that were true he'd have tried to wipe them out months ago.

I finally arrive at Tom's computer studies classroom, which appears mostly empty at first until I see that many of the children are hiding under their desks.

'Everybody get under your desks to shield yourselves from debris!' One of the older-looking kids yells.

'No, you need to get on top of the desks so they don't collapse on top of you!' Another one disagrees.

'No, I think we get in the doorways, 'cause that's where the beams are strongest!' A third adds.

'I think that used to be good, but now it's bad!'

'How can something be good one day, then bad the next?!'

'Just… copy… me! Keep… jumping! If… you're… not… touching… the… ground… when… the… blast… hits, it… can't… affect… you!'

Yup, I am surrounded by a bunch of idiots.

'That's stupid, you have to play dead!'

'That's drop bears!'

'No, drop bears you punch in the nose!'

'That's sharks! With drop bears you have to make yourself as wide as possible!'

'No, that's what you do for crocodiles!'

'We need to tape up all the windows so the blast doesn't shatter them all over us!'

'No, that's for cyclones!'

'It's actually a myth about cyclones, you're never supposed to tape up the windows!'

'Well I'm pretty sure the nukes are more afraid of us than we are of them!'

'HAS ANYONE SEEN TOM?!' I finally shout.

'The white-haired kid? Yeah, he ran off looking for someone-'

'Everybody, remain calm, okay?! I know what to do!' A slightly older-looking boy interrupts.

'Well tell us!'

'Everybody put your phones in this bowl of rice!'

'What?! That's for an IPhone after it gets wet!'

As another argument begins to erupt I exit the classroom.

If Chris hasn't done anything, then perhaps someone in the loyalists' upper ranks died under non-Kiran circumstances, and their death was simply misinterpreted? Unlikely, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility. Or perhaps those in command of their nuclear arsenals were being fed false information? If so, by who? Maybe-

'-Ow! Watch where you're going… oh, it's you. Indy and I have been looking for you!'

'I told you, Lauren, you shouldn't have just ran off like that.'

'Well I'm sorry, Indy, but shouldn't I have the right to look for my little brother and make sure he's safe at times like this?!'

'I found him first, so your point is invalid!'

'If you two have time to point fingers, then how 'bout using your heads to figure out what we should do now to avoid dying?' Tom calmly suggests.

'…Does this school have a basement or an underground storage room or something?'

'Yup. I'll lead the way.'

Half a minute later and we've reached at the maintenance stairwell. We-

*CRACK*

For a brief moment the ground violently shakes, and through the reflection on the doorknob I see the hallway windows fill with light.

'Get in! Now!'

The three of us glide down the stairs and arrive at the basement door, and I'm kind of surprised at how quiet-

*BOOM*

Okay, forget I said that. The next thing I know Indy has forcefully shoved Tom and I into the dark room, and is holding a wide manhole cover against the doorway like an oversized shield, holding back a wall of flame.

'STAY LOW, YOU TWO!' She screams, and I begin to hear a loud roaring sound coming through the room's ceiling.

'...Tom, are you allright?'

'Lauren, I… I looked at the explosion.'

'So?'

'Sister… too much light tends to blind people.'

'Wait, are you… can you… how many fingers am I holding up?!'

'…I can tell you're holding up a hand… three, maybe?'

'Oh my god…'

'LAUREN, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT KIND OF FLASH-BLINDNESS IS TEMPORARY, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP, I CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR MUCH LONGER!'

I immediately jump up to help Indy, who by now is using the full force of her weight to keep the cover from flying inwards.

'DO… NOT… DO NOT…'

What's she trying to say?

'DO NOT… GO… GENTLE… INTO… THAT… GOOD… NIGHT… AAARGH!'

(Chris' POV)

Between the various collapsed buildings, Katashi pulls up in front of what was Holt High School, and the two of us jump out of the car.

'I saw the nuke fall about two hours ago, so if they're anywhere, they're still here.'

'I hope you're right… Lauren, please be okay…'

Carefully watching my step as I maneuver around broken glass and the charcoal-like remains of trees, I see him pointing to the two largest masses of debris, both of which have a few walls still standing.

'I'll check this building, you go check that one, we meet back here in fifteen minutes, okay?'

'Okay. Best of luck finding my sister!' I respond, beginning to do as told.

…Why would those psychopaths suicidally launch their nukes now, when I haven't even touched North Korea since January? It wouldn't be in their best interests, considering that the fact they hadn't launched any nukes was the very reason I was keeping them alive. They'd know what the consequences of this would be, and they still went ahead before I even laid a finger on them. So either one of the high-ranking officers in the loyalists was murdered via a heart attack from someone else, or those in charge of the faction's nuclear arsenal were being ordered by someone outside the loyalists. Either way, it was a third party who made them launch the nukes. And that's not all. Is it just a coincidence that they happened to launch the nukes the day after I met Lauren? I mean, it could be, but…

'HEEEEEY! IS SOMEONE THERE!?'

'Indy!?'

Climbing over a large pile of rubble I see her, guarding the bottom of what looks to be a staircase, surrounded by at least twenty other children and teenagers.

'Chris? What are you doing here?'

'Making sure you're okay, that's what! Why wouldn't I be here?'

Behind me I hear, 'Hey Chris, I've found about a dozen survivors just by quickly… INDY!'

'KATASHI!'

'You're alive! You… are you fine?'

'Why would you ask me if I'm fine? Have you seen me? I'm fine as hell. I even managed to round up quite a few other survivors after things calmed down.'

'…Chris!'

'Lauren?'

'Why did… Fuck, it feels as though one of my ribs evaporated…' Looking down I see a large burnt-out hole in her shirt slightly above the waist, and a vast burn mark on the skin underneath.

'Lauren, holy shit. I…' I finish my sentence quiet enough for only her to hear. 'I didn't do anything. It wasn't me.'

'I know. And don't worry, it may look really bad but it doesn't hurt too much. At least I wasn't blinded like Tom.'

'PARTIALLY BLINDED!' The albino boy corrects, and upon seeing me I notice a sudden malicious smile appear and disappear over his face.

Wait, why would he-

'I must say, I really like how you always show up right after these things happen… Onomihsarata.'

WAIT WHAT?! Did he just say that out loud, right next to… Tom, you idiot!

'Hehehehe, well you weren't going to tell her and someone had to say it. You'll thank me later.'

…

…

Tom, the second I get my-

'Atarshimono. Onomihsarata. I… how didn't I see this before? Your voice, your face, the expression you made when I told you about what happened… it was you.'

'Yes, sister, we've been keeping it secret for a while now, but that unnamed child, the one that saved our lives all those years ago, was Chris.'

'And you knew about this?!'

'Yup. Never found a good time to mention it to you. And my vision's still gone to shit, so disappointedly starting at me won't work.'

And just to put the icing on the cake, the female Levi demon has shown up.

'So Lauren, now that you know that the two anonymous individuals you idolize are the same person, what are you gonna do now?'

'…Chris, can I talk to you in private for a second?'

'Uh, sure.'

As the girl leads me away from the group and around to the other side of the collapsed structure, I see Dimina jump up and hug Rugo. It seems all that Shinigami even does is hug things. And beat the shit out of things.

'Okay, we should be far enough now.'

'So, what did you want to talk about?'

'Onomihsarata, Kira, Chris. I apologize in advance.'

'Apologize for wha-'

*SLAP*

'-Ah what the fuck?!'

'YEAH, SENPAI, WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY THE HELL DID YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT WHEN I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TIME YOU SAVED MY LIFE?! WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME IT WAS YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT I HAVE PUT INTO PLANNING TO FIND THAT BOY, OR HOW STRESSFUL IT WAS FOR ME TO TELL YOU A STORY THAT IT TURNS OUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THE ENDING TO ALL ALONG, BECAUSE YOU WERE FUCKING THERE?! AND AFTER WE FIRST MET, I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOU! HOW DO YOU THINK I'D FEEL IF I WENT AHEAD WITH THAT, ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT I FUCKING MURDERED THE GUY WHO KEPT A BULLET OUT OF MY SKULL TWO YEARS AGO!?'

'Lauren, can you throw your tantrum at him a bit quieter? I think someone may have heard you. And, hey, if you think he's made a big mistake, just remember that in 1788 the Austrian army attacked itself and lost 10,000 men.'

'…Wait, seriously?'

'Yeah, in fact I was there. It was pretty hilarious.'

(Luci's POV)

I have no idea what Kira's response video to this is going to be like, no doubt he's as surprised as we are, but I'm certain that there'll be one, and it's far too big a risk to let it broadcast. Our best hope is to prevent it from reaching the studio in the first place.

Through the cameras on all their helmets, Pearl and I watch as Nigel leads a small stealth team consisting of himself, Moorga, Aivenawa, Mungalo and Okada to the now-famous Tomorrow's Today Tonight station. Upon arrival, the chief shows his badge, obviously displaying his fake ID.

'Oh, we were expecting you. Please, take the lift to the seventh floor, it's in studio G-6.' The receptionist kindly says, pointing to the door. Okada and Mungalo stay to guard the ground floor while the others enter the lift. No-one's talking, and even their steps are hushed, as if they're expecting Kira to jump from behind a potted flower or something.

There's one thing I still don't understand about all of this. Information is still pretty shaky, but it appears that all warheads with a currently-known "ground zero" detonated within six kilometers of their probable targets. Yet the one that hit Sydney, well… so far the only publicly available information on Kira's whereabouts is that he was in Sydney at the time of my first confrontation with him last year. By that logic, the location in Sydney that would maximize the chances of killing Kira would be point with the highest population density, however that's over a dozen kilometers from ground zero. If the loyalists had the information we do, they may have targeted Forbes High School, or one of the suspect's homes, but all of those are even further away, with the exception of Alexander Rockley's residence, which was almost directly under the epicenter. So that leaves me with three possibilities. Either Alexander Rockley was Kira (which I highly doubt), the missile aimed at Sydney was the only one out of dozens to have faulty targeting, or someone involved with the loyalists knows something I don't.

Nigel knocks on the studio door, and the director appears.

'Welcome! Can I help you?'

'We've been led to believe that you-'

'-May have received another message sent by Kira, yes we did! And who might you be?'

Shit, we weren't fast enough.

'We're the police. We need to see the message.'

'Of course!' The man joyfully answers, reaching into a drawer and taking out a small USB stick. 'Also, in the envelope Kira mentioned that if the video isn't aired by TTT at the specified time, or edited in any way, well, he's basically giving the same threat as the second Kira did. Also, he suggested that I show it to you first, before broadcasting it later. If you'll allow me…'

He grabs a remote and turns on a large monitor mounted at the back of the room, and back here I lean forward in anticipation.

*BEEP*

'…Hello again. I am Kira. Today, at 11:09AM local time, the Sydney suburb of Killara, like dozens of other locations in multiple countries, was hit with a nuclear warhead launched by the North Korean loyalists, the faction who stayed loyal to the former regime after I had wiped out the Kim family and its line of succession. Yes, the rumors are true, it was I who killed Kim and his high-ranking officers, generals and so on. What I could not have predicted was that the loyalists would hold control over the nation's nuclear arsenal, and that they would suicidally launch everything despite the fact that they knew for certain would invoke an immediate response both from the United States with the launch of multiple SLBM warheads, and from myself with the full force of my power being used against the loyalists' chain of command.'

There's no way this isn't Kira. Technically I'm hearing this filtered through the microphones on the cannon fodder's helmets, but even still, Kira's voice sounds exactly the same, and the individual's height and width don't appear to have visibly changed since last time. So this must mean that either the "Kira" that's been shown on TV up until now was merely a representative or stunt double (which is unlikely), or Kira's alive, and as such my first theory is incorrect.

'Exactly what caused the attack to take place is not known to me at this time, but from information I have collected over the last few hours it appears that across South Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, hundreds of thousands of innocents have lost their lives. The death toll from America's retaliatory strike is currently unknown. As for myself, I am relieved to say that initial reports of my death were greatly exaggerated, however the current state of the second Kira is unknown. In the event that it becomes apparent that he or she was killed, I will continue to do as I have done before they made their appearance, and focus all my time and resources back onto my battle against the one who calls himself L.

Personally, I was doubtful about coexisting with the second Kira from the beginning. Additionally, I found it extremely disrespectful that the new Kira claimed that those who publicly criticize us Kiras in the media would receive some kind of punishment. If he or she is alive and still truly wishes to work together with me, then that statement must be retracted and apologized for at the earliest possible opportunity. Granted, I may not like the constant bombardment of hatred I receive from all sides of the media, however it is a small price to pay for the people of the world to one day have a complete right to free and uncensored speech.

Oh, and one more thing. Today is the third of July, which means that tomorrow, millions of Americans will celebrate earning their independence from an oppressive government. Just a reminder to their current regime who, among other things, allowed this to happen… there's plenty of room on the calendar for another holiday. Remember, people, true patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the head of state, government or any other individual. The world is changing, and soon that fact will become vital knowledge.

And with that, I give my best wishes to all those who have been affected by this tragedy, and hope that we all successfully recover, rebuild and prevent this from ever happening again.'

…I am so fucked.