"You still haven't explained why we're here," L said the next morning as he, Abho, and Light ate breakfast.

"Ah, yes. I knew I was forgetting something. You see, ever since Kira's downfall twenty years ago, crime has gone back up. And for some reason the crime rate is higher than it was before Kira came along. A group of citizens of Japan decided after much discussion that we need Kira back. Of course, we couldn't do that. The current L won't give anyone the Death Note. So we went for the next best thing: the former L."

"Who is the current L?" L asked.

"An albino going by the name of Near."

"How do you know that? And what about Mello? And Matt?"

"I know this from the Task Force you founded. Mello and Matt are dead."

"And why isn't Near enough?"

"Like you, he only takes the most violent, difficult, or large cases. We need more than that."

"And what makes you think I won't just go back to doing what I used to do?"

"I'll give you more sweets than you can eat."

"Deal."

Light decided now would be a good time to ask his question. "So why did you want me?"

Abho quickly looked over Light's shoulder at the wall behind Light, not meeting Light's eyes. "Well, L never actually caught criminals. He just found out who the criminals were. So I made you so there would be someone to arrest the wrongdoers."

"Isn't that what cops are for?"

"Yes, but you two could make an unstoppable team! You've worked together in the past, and you almost caught Kira!"

This all seems like an excuse he's making up as he goes along, L thought.

"Well, I have work to do," Abho said. He took a large sip of his coffee to help his dry throat after all that talking. Then he stood up and left the kitchen, leaving L and Light to discuss everything that had been said.

...

"Any new leads?" The man speaking was Stephen Loud, better known in the SPK as Gevanni. The man he was speaking to was Nate River, better known in the SPK as Near. There were two others in the room, a man and a woman known here as Rester and Lidner. Kira had died twenty years ago, but they were used to calling each other by their code names despite not seeing each other during those twenty years. They didn't even call Near by the alias he'd earned when the Kira case ended.

Near, who was known to the world as L even though he never showed his face in public, shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Let's go ever what we have so far," Lidner suggested.

"I agree," Near said. He was much older than he had been last time the remaining three SPK members had seen him and his voice was a little deeper, but here he was, still sitting on the floor playing with toys.

At least he doesn't look small for his age...more than usual, Lidner thought. Indeed, Near still looked younger than he really was.

Rester picked up some papers that were on a nearby desk. "The bodies of L and Kira were kept and preserved for reasons still unknown. Three days ago, the group of Kira worshippers we've been hunting down became less active, as if they'd achieved whatever goal they were reaching for. And just yesterday one Ihsekat Atabo came to guiltily admit to a crime." Rester paused to catch his breath. Then he continued. "He helped an unauthorized person that he still hasn't identified get into a room that was kept under heavy security at a laboratory he works at. There, the anonymous party took samples of L and Kira's blood before leaving." Rester finished reading and set the files down.

Near smiled - something he only did when he knew he was going to or had already won - and said "This is going to be fun."

Lupus: I just finished this fanfic on paper, so updates will come quickly... for anyone who may be reading this... in a galaxy far, far away...