Chapter 20: New Headquarters

"Justice will prevail."

-L-

Naomi drove down the street towards a new headquarters with Akane riding shotgun. Apparently L had made a few calls the last few days and now a week later and a rain check on that date they where headed to a building Akane had never been even near because it was new and was under constuction until very recently. She didn't know who it was meant for or how he gotten them an entire building. Was L really that powerful or was it the old man who called himself Watari? It made her curious that much was true, but that didn't stop a nagging feeling of worry in the pit of her stomach.

It was just going to be L, Naomi, Watari, and herself. So she wasn't dressed fully as Tenshi for once, but that didn't stop her form pack Tenshi in a suit case to bring along. Well except for the suit and coat that concealed her gun that she was wearing. "Akane I'm worried." Naomi voiced.

"I am too." Akane told her in a soft voice as she spoke honestly. "I would be lying if I said wasn't. In fact I'd be crazy if I wasn't worried. The government has abandoned us. Dad and his men have are and will loose their jobs if they continue to work this case."

"I know," Naomi replied to that. "Are you sure that was what he was after?"

"You mean to isolating us?" Akane asked.

"Yeah, what do you think he is planing? That was a huge play after all." She said looking at Akane's troubled face. She seemed more vexed than she usually was as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and pointer finger.

"It was a rather large play... no it was colosus play. Very dangerous, even for Kira to expose himself like that. The team is looking through all the evidence Kira's messengers left behind. There are were all criminals who basically said the same thing. Also they were all Japanese numbering exactly one hundred ninety-six people who all over the globe have died and that is exactly the same number of countries there are in this world. He made sure everyone knew who he is and that he has all the control. He's nothing if not ruthless. I think that was the point to... show off his power like a full tailed diva forcing the world's governments to submit for the sake of the safety of their countries. It was also to make us afraid of his abilities and now he can surround us putting a rope around our neck. Then if we make one wrong move we would hang ourselves. That is his plan, Naomi. It is also the reason we still haven't reveal who we actually are to the rest of the task force. It will minimize our risk of Kira killing us in his more normal fashion." Akane said.

"But the others... they are hiding their names too... aren't they?" Naomi asked.

"Yes, but like my real self. I am too well known. One image or name and access to the internet or police network... Kira could find out all about the task force members. Like my father for instance. It would be only to easy to pluck him out as a task force member or any others then he take control of them and force them to kill the rest of us if he wished." Akane told her. "No our names and identities must remain completely hidden from the others. We can't make any exceptions to that rule. For all of our sakes."

"Are you worried about your father, Akane? He might be the easiest to find out about being a formal police chief." Naomi said.

"Yes, more than even I can say. He's my dad after all. I really don't want to loose anyone else I care about because of Kira." Akane told her a sad look on her face.

"We'll catch him and we'll all make it through this mess. I don't have any doubts on that." Naomi said trying to ease her troubled mind.

Akane gave her a soft smile as she lied, "Nor do I," though a part of her did doubt that, but she just didn't want Naomi to worry so much. What she doubted most was that she wasn't going to make it out of this alive. Kira would be brought down, but what would be the cost to do that?

….

"Ah, miss Akane, miss Naomi, hello," Watari greeted them through a camera as the car slowed to a stop.

"Hello, Mr. Watari, what's with all this tech?" Naomi asked.

"Precautions L made sure where present. Since this is your first time here we are going to adding you into the system. Ms. Naomi you first please place your hand on the screen." Watari replied.

"Alright," she said placing her hand on the screen of a high tech touch screen. It scanned her hand and then her picture popped up on screen along with her fake name.

"Good, I now have your hand in the data base and now a retinal scan. Please look into the scope with your right eye and please do not blink." Watari told her.

When she did what he asked she could see scan of her eye on screen and heard a clicking noise. "Anything else?" Naomi asked a bit of awe in her voice as she looked at the high tech that she had never seen before.

"No that will be all, it's Ms. Akane's turn."

Akane simply nodded as she quick opened the door and stepped out to go to Naomi's side of the car. She placed her hand over the screen and watched it scan her hand. An image of Tenshi in full gear appeared along with the name. Then she quickly did the retinal scan wanting to get it over with. "Alright, thank you both. You may proceed. Please leave any weapons you have in the car before entering the building, if you would be so kind as to do so."

Quickly Akane stepped back into the car and as she did the door opened letting them in so they could park the car. "Crazy amount of security huh?" Naomi asked.

"L isn't taking any chances smart, but I do hope they have an armory inside. We might need one by the end of all this." Akane comment.

"Why are you being so grim today Akane?" Naomi asked as she parked the care.

"I don't know, I just got a feeling about something and everything that's going on has put me in a grim mood, I guess." Akane told her as they placed their guns into Naomi's dash board for safe keeping before getting out of the car. "Maybe I'm depressed. I didn't see Kira making such a huge move like that. Still no matter what he does. I'm still going to win."

"Right, after all the good guys always win right?" Naomi said.

"Yeah, they do in the end. One way or another," Akane said before they both went in and through a metal detector.

"Ryuzaki? Are you here?" Naomi asked.

"Over here," L replied waving them over to a work station with many TVs and camera feeds of what Akane guessed was in and around the building.

"Welcome, to our new head quarters," Watari greeted them. "Would you ladies like a tour?"

"I would this place looks amazing," Naomi said.

"No thanks," Akane said, "but you two could go ahead I want to talk to L for a bit anyway."

"Alright," Naomi nodded.

"I'd like to look around as well," Donovan said as he closed his book and following after them as they left.

"What is will all this? The security, I mean." Akane asked as she leaned against the work station looking down at L in an office chair in his usual weird way with an ice cream cone in his hand. It was strawberry and that was no surprise. She noticed a while ago that his favorite foods were anything with strawberries in them.

"The government might do more that just abandon us as they have." L said. "I will not endanger any of our lives more than necessary. If the worse should happen we would need some place that is secure."

"I see and her I thought I was the paranoid one," Akane said lightly as she gave a curt chuckle. "Though caution is always the wiser why to go."

"True, but we must find a way off this defensive course we are currently treading." L said while licking his ice cream in the cutest manner possible.

"Agreed, but who ever said we are on the defensive? Sounds more like Kira is luring himself into a trap to me." Akane told him.

"Yes, he is getting a bit to... assertive," he replied. "The likeliness of him being a male has gone up by fifteen percent with this latest move of his. His fascination or obsession with you makes it even more likely he is a male. In fact I have no doubts about that."

"You mean by his need to dominate so... aggressively right? Men do tend to be more dominating that females. It's natural for some anyway." Akane said thoughtfully.

"Yes, my exact thoughts, but who could it be. Kira has taken my latest suspect with that public execution. You didn't have any other boyfriend besides Satoru, did you?"

"No, I haven't if you don't count yourself." Akane told him.

"True, yet there has yet to be an attempt on my life and Hideki Ryuga has yet to be killed either. Perhaps he is not convinced we are truly dating."

"Or just biding his time. After all he's been very busy killing one hundred and ninety-six people in one day. I bet that planning something as big as that took up a lot of his time. So he couldn't look into your involvement with me as much as he would of liked." Akane wagered.

"That does make sense, though I would have to think something like this over," L replied before getting lost in his own thoughts on the case and absentmindedly licking at his ice cream cone again.

Does he purposely eat like an adorable child? He's got ice cream on his nose even, Akane thought to herself as she leaned toward him.

He looked up at her his eyes widen at her sudden closeness that knocked him out of his thoughts. She was smiling as she reached for him and he found her gentle whipping the ice cream off the tip of his nose with the knuckle of her pointer finger. His eyes widen further as she bought the same knuckle to her lips and licked it clean, "Mm... strawberry. How am I not surprised?" she asked a sly and amused smile taking hold of those lips of hers lips he couldn't stop staring at.

She had never seen L's face turn so red and Akane licked her lips observing him closely. "If you keep looking at me like that I just might get the wrong idea, Ryuzaki." She told him smirking.

He turned his eyes away, but not his head like a child in trouble would do and doing so amused her even more. How could someone she barely knew warm her heart so? He couldn't realize what the moments she spent with him brought out of her. Her eyes and heart softened near him. She wasn't the daughter of Chief Yagami or was she Tenshi. She was just Akane, a woman not imprisoned by high standers that was expected out of her. No, with only the two of them around she was the real her. Maybe for the first time in the longest while she was herself. Akane didn't, couldn't, or perhaps denied it even to herself that L had somehow weaseled himself past her defenses with his presence, with who he was, with his childlike behavior, and with the way they where so much alike. She had come to care for him though not in the same way as she cared for Naomi or even Donovan. No this was a different sort of carrying. Like for the fact she wanted to kiss him just now for being so cute. She couldn't understand the feeling or maybe she didn't want to understand it because it frightened her.

I wonder if I'll every get him to actually smile, Akane thought unable to stop it from crossing her mind.

….

Akane closed her eyes tightly as a heavy sigh passed her lips. She had never been this tired. Work, school, and Kira hunting or you could call it revenge planning... after a while even she needed a break, but she didn't have that luxury. The team where doing work the way they usually did even without the government's approval or support. The detectives were forced quit their jobs to stay on the task force and with L's assistance their families would be taken care of.

Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi, Ukita, and Souichiro worked on finding something that was similar with all the one hundred ninety-six victims other than the fact that they where all Japanese and criminals, but so far there was no luck at all to all of their disappointment. Kira had executed and planned this all to well. "We've ran every algorithm there is against all the victim. None of them have anything else in common other than being Japanese and criminals. They didn't even get on one plain together. They all left the county is a span of four months or where already gone." Mogi said.

"So your saying he's been planing this since he learned L was investigating him?" Akane asked in her disguised voice.

"Seems most likely," Aizawa replied.

"Damn that wretched bastard," Miguel said annoyed as he rubbed her tired face.

"Hn, yes I think we can all agree on that," L said looking up from his coffee that was white from far to many creamers. It was likely that the others thought their was none to barely any coffee in that cup of his.

"Do I hear sarcasm in your voice?" Miguel asked.

"Perhaps," L replied letting his dislike of him be known as he gave him a glare.

"Why?"

L's eyes where on him as he simply shrugged. He really didn't care what Miguel thought of him. There where many reasons not to like Miguel. He was arrogant, selfish, and he kept putting his hands all over Akane. He couldn't describe the feeling he felt when he touch her, but the need to be protective of her was there and something else. A feeling he had never known before.

Miguel quickly stood and suddenly Tenshi was in his way, "Don't. No here or ever. Ryuzaki, Shoko and you are coming with me... right now. The rest of you keep working or take five. You all been working yourselves to hard and need a break anyway. Now, come we have things to discuss."

EDITED!