Chapter 11: Death Note's Cross to Bare

"Do you think I am solely good and have no flaws? If I said yes that... it would be a lie. No one in this world is perfect it's a part of being human. It's just some people are good at faking it and know how to hide their imperfections with a simple smile. Such people should be the ones you're afraid of."

-Akane Yagami-

Akane sat in her room alone with Donovan it had been two week since she had seen L. She had been working on a separate cases and going through the files through her computer, but that didn't mean they had not way to talk to one another if she wised it. She even looked over all the files with the pictures of the families of everyone on the task force and all of them we're clean... except one, but she wasn't sure if it was anything. Yuka Satobayashi... detective Iwoa's only child. According to her time of death it was just a couple of weeks away, but if she remembered right Yuka was always a sickly girl going to one hospital to another because of some rare incurable disease she had. Though is was worth looking into she guessed, but she didn't have the time right now. Planning things out, school, and work was taking away her time.

She pinched her nose things were so difficult. Akane quickly picked up the cell phone L gave her and called him, "Hello Tenshi," he said.

He's not alone, Akane thought to herself as her chin dropped slightly, a bit disappointed. Otherwise he'd use my real name. "Ryuzaki, I've looked through everyone on the police task force. They're all clean, but I did manage to find something off on Iwoa's daughter Yuka Satobayashi. I can't say what yet, but she might have a connection with Kira. However, she's dying in a week or two if this information I have is correct. I find it very strange that the daughter of Iwoa is going to die herself in just several weeks after her father. I'd look into myself, but I'm stretched thin on my end at the moment."

"Hmm... yes that is strange and I had some suspensions myself. You think Kira had something to do with it?" L asked.

"My gut says as much and I'm not often wrong if at all. Yuka was always a sickly girl since she was young. A rare incurable disease I believe, but yes I do think this has something to do with Kira. Though the percentage is low on that being the case, but sometimes you just have to go with you're gut feeling." Akane confessed. It's just something about the whole situation that just screamed Kira to her and it was a bit to close to home for her as well. Akane use to play with Yuka when she was a toddler before she became sick. Did she know Kira...? In the past perhaps, but if so it must have been so long ago. She just couldn't put her finger on it or who, but she was sure of it... somehow she met him or her. There had to be some connection. Whoever this Kira was, she knew they had met. Just who was Kira and where had she met him or her before?

"I'll look into it. How's the rib?" he asked.

"It was crack not broken. It bit sore when I breath still even with the pain meds, but I'll be completely healed in a few weeks. The bruising has eased up though." Akane told him kind of surprised he'd even ask, but being the leader of the task force, she suppose, he would have to be concerned with his groups health. "We need to discuss what we're doing next. What every we need to do we need to strike hard and fast."

"I see, when will you be coming in?" L asked curiously.

"Tomorrow, after school if Naomi is available. I've been swamped with this murder case, but I'm nearly done. It may not look like it, but I have bills to pay on my end." Akane told him. "Oh and is Naomi there?"

"She's here everyday," he told her after a long pause. Bills to pay? Is it for that Toshi boy? Satoru's brother? As I thought she has taken responsibility for the young boy in the place of the older brother. L thought to himself.

"Good anything I should know before I come in?" She asked.

"No as of yet we're still going over the information given to us by the FBI." L informed her. "It's a lot of information as you well imagine."

"Alright I'll be there to help out tomorrow. Maybe there is something you'll find that I missed. I'll talk to you later." She said before hanging up the phone and leaned back on her bed. Things are calm for now. I think Kira is waiting for our next move. I don't know what he's planning, but I do not believe he will be able to stop us from finding him. Unless he does something I'm not expecting. Which is a possibility, but it'll have to be very drastic.

….

School took forever to end the next day. Maybe because she wanted it to end quickly as possible, but that didn't happen. Perhaps it was mostly due to the fact she wanted to see L again. Something about him ensnared her like a fish on a hook or maybe it was just the case they were on together that made her so impatient to see him again. She was unsure and bit confused.

A part of her was nervous about seeing L again. Most couldn't even look that brainiac, hunchback, insomniac man in those large all seeing eyes with his lack of any proper edicate and social abilities. Also there was his complete lack of the personal space most understood, unless you were that guy. He could be inches away from your own face and he wouldn't seem bothered at all, in fact he'd look rather bored. Then there was his consumption of all things sugar. He was proof if you used your brain power as much as he did, you wouldn't get fat. L was such an odd ball and on Akane's mind most of time if she was perfectly honest with herself. At least with him around things wouldn't get so annoyingly tedious and for once someone kept her on her toes. Which she actually enjoyed to some extent.

Not that any of that was important... the case was. She needed to focus on it and not that enigma of a man, that made her so curious. He was someone, who's mysteries she wanted to unravel and she couldn't figure out why she wanted to. Which was a mystery onto itself and she found it... well she wasn't sure, but maybe that was the best part of all, even if it unnerved her.

She didn't heard it as Naomi's car slowed to a stop, while Akane walked down the street, "Hey Akane over here!" Naomi called out to her.

Akane nearly jumped out of her own shin as her name was called out. Damn... I need to stop thinking about that guy like this. I'll start driving myself crazy, She thought then mentally sighed, or I'll scare myself to dead first. She hesitantly turned to Naomi, "Hi, girl. Do you have what I asked for?" Akane asked as she walked toward the car.

"Yeah, it's on the back seat. Get in," Naomi said using her thumb to point toward Akane's suit case.

"Good," she said as she entered the the car. "Drive around for a bit so we'll know no one is following us. Then I'll get dressed in the back seat."

"You got it," Naomi replied.

"I don't see anyone following us, my lady." Donovan said as he went through the car to speak to them much like a ghost. "I'll be on the roof if either of you need me."

Akane nodded as she crawled into the back seat of the car and let Naomi drove around for a bit longer to make double sure that they weren't followed before she allowed herself to change out of her school uniform and opened a black brief case. She put on a man's black suit that was tailored to her more slender size with no tie around her neck. After putting it on followed by her trench coat, hat, sunglasses, and mask. Then she crawled up to the front seat. "There I'm done." Akane said as she buckled her seat belt.

"You know I'll never get use to that voice and that guy look of yours." Naomi told her.

"I've been doing this for four years and I'm still not use to it either, but it's the only time I can actually be myself even with my voice changer on. You know you and Raye where the only ones I could really be myself around. Now I guess it's you and Ryuzaki I can be the real me around." Akane said.

"What do you mean by that?" Naomi asked. "Can't you be yourself around your family at least?"

"No, I can't," Akane replied. "I'm an older respectable sister to my those I see as my siblings and I'm the prized show horse for my parents. You may be surprised, but I don't have many friends either. Also there is a lot of pressure in that. Being like this is actually relaxing sometimes."

"But aren't you popular in school?" Naomi asked.

"Sure top of my class even and surround by adoring fan boys and girls, but that doesn't mean any of those people are my friends. They want to be around me so they could feel the shining light off my popularity and know what it's like to be near the number one. If I didn't have that popularity or my looks not one of them would stick around me. That is not friendship. That is being alone in crowd of strangers and being used for others benefit." Akane said a note of sadness and bitterness in her voice. "I don't even know if I ever really shared my true self with Satoru. I always try to be so damn perfect for him. I swear sometimes all I do is lie. I've done it so much that it's like second nature to me now... and how I hate what they have forced me to become. Sometimes I wonder if I even know who I am when I look in the mirror. Could my own reflection be a lie too?"

Naomi was silent for moment taking in what Akane had said. "No, I don't think it can be a lie as long as you know in your heart who you really are. That must of been pretty lonely and I can scarcely imagine that. Being the smartest and most popular person in a room isn't all it is crack up to be. Has it?"

She looked out the window and sighed, "Yes... I suppose that is true. It is still lonely at times even now, I guess."

….

Akane, Naomi, Watari, and L all entered a room together. Akane took off her disguise and set it aside. "Before we began I'd like you to take these," L said as he took a bit of cake. His sitting position the same as before. "Watari?"

He is so odd. Does he ever eat normal food? Akane thought to herself.

Watari nodded and opened up a brief case and inside was two belts and what looked like wallets. "I've already handed this to out to the other detectives. Please do not loss these items. I had them specially made for the two of you."

They took the items from the case and Akane flipped it open, "This is my picture, but not my name. I see... an alias for both of use just in case we run into Kira or someone he's using. What are the belts for?"

Why would they give me one? I'm not putting my face out there for people to see. I'm not that crazy when I know what we're actually facing. She thought to herself as Donovan looked over it with her. Well it'll be for the worse case scenario then. It's a good back up plan if I can't go out as Tenshi. Wish I didn't have to show my face at all though.

"Yes as the two of you are well aware Kira requires a face and a name to kill." L said. "We will confront him with that premise in mind. I think it should be obvious why."

"That is a good plan for now. If we give one single slip up of our names to Kira we would die. Our deaths would be swift or painful if he so chose." Akane said as Naomi and herself showed the other their IDs Naomi had the name on hers as the name she had told L the day they met in person. As for Akane her ID said her name was Mitsuki Hikaru (Beautiful Moon Light). "Now what of the belts. Their something different about them I take it."

"Yes, I request you wear these at all times." Watari answered. "Each one has a tracking device hidden in the buckle. This will allow Ryuzaki to monitor your whereabouts. Anyway when you press the buckle twice. My cellphone will ring displaying your name and I'll call you back immediately, but you won't see my number displayed. Later on we will use this method to confirm the name of Ryuzaki's hotel and his room number. It can also be used for emergencies as well. Miss Akane unlike everyone else you have Ryuzaki's number and are able to call him when ever you wish. We are keeping it this way for he believes you are the most valued piece of the puzzle of solving the Kira case."

"He would be correct to think that, "Akane agreed," but I'm also more dangerous than Kira if I ever chose to be. Which I refuse to fall to Kira's level with his childish sense of justice, but this is also an extra way to keep an eye on me as well."

"Yes it is," L said placing down his empty plate.

"Good and if I do fall the Kira's level you have my permission to have me executed." Akane said.

"Akane how could you say something like that?!" Naomi demanded.

"What choice do I have?" Akane said steadily to make her understand. "To fall to that level is to spit on the memory of Satoru, Raye, and ever innocent person Kira has killed. It also will damn my soul to neither enter heaven or hell for an eternity, for that is the price of taking life. I won't deserve to see Satoru again if I do that. Only gods should have such power not us humans. So I protect it's power from even myself this way."

Naomi looked away. She understood, but that didn't mean she liked it. Naomi sighed in defeat and she didn't want to loose Akane too. So to ease her heart she promised herself that she'd keep a close eye on her and give her whatever support she could.

"I won't let you do that, my lady. I will help you make sure you never fall to that level," Donovan said know it was an ever present battle of the heart and soul.

Akane simply nodded in response as she picked up her disguise from a chair and began to put it on. "Let's get to work now. We'll work on clearing my name later so it won't look suspicious to Kira or the other detectives. I'm sure our comrades are waiting for us and we'll find something we can use to clear my name."

….

It was nearing 3 AM at night and everyone was working rather late. Akane had called her mother and told her she was staying the night at a friends and would be back Monday after school. A part of her was thankful it was the weekend. Seems she'll need every minuted she could spare. They were going through the FBI victims this time. Everyone was yawning from lack of sleep except for L. He seemed so use to situations like this and in the zone. Lucky bastard... Akane thought tiredly as she watched the surveillance video of when Raye had died.

"That was footage from surveillance cameras at the station. The death of one of the FBI agents was captured on here." Aizawa said before he released a yawn.

"Wait," Akane spoke quietly to L. "Doesn't it seem odd that Agent Penber would turn around and try to go back to look inside of the train? What or rather who was he trying to get a look at?"

"A good question," L said while Watari began handing out green tea ice cream to everyone even Akane.

"Thank you," she told the old man. She pulled up her mask making sure her face was covered as much a possible, but was still able to eat the ice cream. Maybe the sugar rush will wake me up a bit more.

"Let's see the following scenes again," L said and Akane knew he saw something she missed to request something like that. "Raye Penber passing through the ticket gate on his way in, him boarding the train, and finally the part dies on the platform."

"Okay," Aizawa said as he played them again. "Let's see..."

"I think it's next to that," Matsuda said as the other looked throw the tapes.

"Oh here it is..."

"Okay based on the records I have here. Raye Penber comes through the west entrance Shinjuku Station at 3:11 PM and at 3:13 he boards a train on the Yamanote Line, but even if he was following someone at that time I think it's going to be very difficult to draw any real conclusions for this blurry video. Then exactly at 4:42 PM," he paused as he was handed the ice cream. "Oh thank you very much, Watari." he told him as Aizawa put in the the tapes then he continued, "At 4:42 PM he exits the train at Tokyo Station and dies on the platform."

Akane straightened as she focused on the scenes and her eyes widen. "Did you see it?" L inquired of her.

She pulled down her mask and put it back in place so she could speak, "Yes I did. There is something not right about those times either."

"It's quite strange. Don't you think?" L agreed.

"I'm sorry, but what do you two find strange?" Souichiro asked them.

"Yeah what is it? Did you guys notice something?" Matsuda asked not getting it.

L took the time for a another bit of of his ice cream before talking, "Hmm... we know that Raye Penber got on the train then a hour and half later he got off on the platform, but the Yamanote Line only takes an hour to complete it's circuit."

"It does." Akane agreed. I take that some train all the time when I'm working.

"More importantly there's the envelope." L continued.

"What do you mean?" Aizawa asked.

L lifted the remote and rewind the tape to show them what he mean then paused it. "He's holding what looks like an envelope when he passes through the ticket gate."

Aizawa gasped as he spotted it. "You're right. It's there under his arm, but in the footage right before his death it's gone. I can't belief you actually caught that."

"Well I don't see an envelope on this list of his personal effects." Akane's father said.

Akane's heart dropped suddenly as a realization kicked her in the teeth. She stared at that envelope while her hands shook slightly and tears appeared in her eyes, which she refused to let fall, No Kira didn't... oh no no no no no! He didn't! God please tell me he didn't make Raye do that!

"Which means it was left on the train," L said as he leaned forward, "and if you watch closely at the very end... it seems like he's straining to look inside the train before the doors close. You can see right here..." he paused the video to show them what he spoke of.

"If that's the case mean something?" Souichiro asked.

"Kira was on that train," Akane said a bit of anger in her voice, but the only one that caught that was L himself.

"Yes that was my thoughts as well. Wouldn't it be interesting if Kira was on that train as we suspect?" L asked. What is she angry about? Does she see something we don't? What could it be and do her hands suddenly shake?

"That's impossible," he father said.

"I admit I find it hard to believe as well. There's not reason for Kira to come to the scene of his own crime. He can kill from a distance. Well... maybe he was counting on us to make that assumption and figured he could get away with such a bold move." He said taking another bit of his ice cream.

Akane turned away deep in thought, Yes Kira would think that, but it's worse than he thinks. I'll have to clarify that later when it's just him and myself or not at all. Naomi... doesn't need to know Raye was the one who killed all those FBI agents and he didn't even know it. She's suffered enough as it is.

Then a thought came to her. She took the phone L had given her and quickly typed away on it saying. 'I don't want Naomi or anyone else to know this, but what happened is worse than you think.' she hit send and heard his phone ring.

"Excuse me," he said and flipped open his phone and read what she had sent him before replying, 'What do you mean? Why do you not want Ms. Misora to know about this?'

Her phone vibrated in her hand as she check it and replied, 'She shouldn't know that Raye was the one who killed the FBI Agents without even knowing he did it. How do you think she would react if she knew that? Remember the piece of paper you touched to see Donovan?'

L's eyes widen as he stood, "Tenshi let's talk alone in the room a moment. I have an assignment I wish to discuss with you alone before we make our next move."

"Of course," Akane voiced and followed him into the room they had been in earlier. There she shut the door and took off her mask and sighed before turning to L who was only inches from her as he towered over her as she found herself against a wall.

"Explain," he told her.

Akane looked him dead in the eye rather uncomfortable with how close he was. She wonder for a moment if he knew how his closeness effected her as she took a breath that sound like a surprised gasp more than anything else. Akane turned her eyes away for a moment not sure what to say as her heart did this pitta-patter inside her chest, but after a moment she met his deadpanned gaze again. "Theirs more than one reason I burned that paper. Even the smallest piece is more than capably of killing someone. If my suspensions are correct then inside that envelope was slips of paper from that item and you know it's from an item that Kira has is something similar to what I have. Remember the FBI said there was a file sent to ever agent in Japan and that it was unusual. I believe... Kira had Raye use that list to kill all the agents. With the names and the faces in that file. In fact I'm sure that is exactly what he did. Naomi can never learn about that. It would crush her." That was when a tear fell and it was the only one she allowed to fall. "I can't let her go through something like that."

L stared at her not really sure what to do for this was so awkward and foreign to him, but then he place his hand on her shoulder. He touched her as if she was a fragile flower made of glass that could break with any other touch than the gentleness, that seem only his hands possessed. Akane's head dropped and her head rested against his lean chest. A part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him an cry her heart out like some child, but this was enough she decided as she grabbed onto his shirt. Why do I trust him more than anyone else? She asked herself. I can't understand why. I don't understand how, but I do... trust this strange man even with my life.

EDITED!