Wow. I actually managed to write another chapter this year. My laziness does indeed have limits! I'm actually very proud of this chapter. It's one of my best yet, in my opinion. It was by far the easiest to write. Every time I thought I was getting closer to the end, a thousand more words popped out and onto the screen.
I hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Light's POV

My brain was only functioning enough to know that it was not functioning correctly. Getting bludgeoned in the back of the head will do that to you though.

Right now, it felt like I was in that place one goes to right before they wake up. Not quite conscious or able to do anything about your surroundings, but still able to register that perhaps you are being dragged across the pavement.

My shoes… They're going to get scuffed.

In that moment, my shoes were more important to me than the muffled grunting noises occurring behind me, but at least it was something for my mind to hold onto. With all of my senses impaired, I just couldn't come up with any original thoughts. It was taking everything I had to concentrate on the scrapping of my heels rather than slipping back into darkness. I had some vague notion that if I stayed awake, everything would be fine.

This was made more difficult by the, albeit dim, lights now shining over head.

I was just becoming aware of the painful throbbing in my head when the noise of my shoes scrapping against the pavement disappeared.

I tried to open my eyes wider and get some semblance as to where I was. With a light directly overhead, all I saw was someone's silhouette. That was all it took for me to realize how bizarre the situation was. Someone had knocked me out and dragged me to god knows where. While I was worrying about my shoes, some psycho was hefting me through the city.

Said psycho now had me in his arms again and was lifting me. I felt cool leather beneath my finger tips and when my head came to a rest on it I was relieved that it was more comfortable than the ground or having it loll back and forth.

My eyes rolled over to meet my assailant, but only saw a door in the midst of closing. I groaned. I'm in a car. He's taking me somewhere. That somewhere is probably worse than here.

Splitting pain enveloped my head as we drove over a bump. It rattled everything in my body and I only had the time to roll onto my side before I vomited all over the back of the car.

"Oh, shit," I heard. My assailant probably hadn't expected me to wake up. He probably watched too many action movies, where the hero was knocked out for hours before waking up and making his escape and or causing a fight. Well, dear psycho, that doesn't happen in real life. Unfortunately, neither does being battle ready after coming to.

Now that my dinner had left my system, I felt even worse. I was becoming more aware of my surroundings and just how much pain I was in. I made, and almost failed, at my attempt to roll onto my back. Moving at all caused a searing pain to the back of my neck. My vision blurred rapidly and I had to swallow back my nausea.

There is, beyond a doubt, something wrong with me. For the first time since waking up, I felt legitimate fear. It was less about being abducted and more to the point that I could be dying.

I scolded myself at first. Of course I would think that I'm dying; I've just been traumatically bashed over the head and now everything hurts. I tried to look at it logically. Yes, there was an undeniably high percentage that the blow was detrimental to my health. In fact, I'd go with my first assumption and say that there was definitely something wrong. The only thing that I took as a good sign was that I had woken up at all. So at least I wasn't dead right now. That still didn't quell the anxiety I felt at possibly having brain hemorrhages.

I was edging on panic at the thought of having brain damage. I didn't know how to deal with permanent damage and the only thing worse than having it was not knowing the extent of the injury to begin with.

This is fucked up. This is so fucked up. I need a hospital. My neck could be broken, my brain could be bleeding, and I might choke on my own vomit before getting out of this car.

I was lying as still as I could, not wanting to cause any more damage. That, however, was proving to be quite difficult as I could feel my brain jostling along with the car.

This is bad and it can only get worse before it gets better- if it gets better! When the car stops I'll be taken out and if my head doesn't fall off, he'll definitely have something more in store for me.

As bad as this car ride was, I knew that being manhandled, pushed, and dragged was going to be a hell of a lot worse. I hoped that by some miracle we could just keep on driving.

No dice.

After an indiscernible amount of time, we came to a stop. I kept my eyes open; there would be no use in playing dead. I also wanted to see the face of my assailant. I wasn't delusional enough to believe that a scrap of Death Note would do me any good now. On the off chance that he somehow confessed his name to me, there was little prospect of me having enough coordination to write down his name.

No, I wanted to look him in the eyes and instill within him the wrath and frustration that is Light Yagami. If I was capable of one more action in life, it would be to make him fear my after-life retaliation. I was smug in thinking that there was no way for him to know that it wasn't an option for me.

After putting me through all this, I was giving him all the fight I had. Even if that amounted to nothing more than nasty looks. I would not let onto my fear. If that was what he was looking for, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

This was the resolution I decided upon as I heard the car door open once more.

I still couldn't see my assailant as he hooked his elbows under my arms and gave me a swift pull. Being unable to support the weight of my head, it immediately dropped limp. The pain shot like lightning though every neuron in my brain. My vision didn't blur, it fizzled out like television static and it was all I could hear as well. I had no feeling in the rest of my body.

When the static in my brain started to clear I was in a new setting. I was in a sitting room, propped up on a chair that was barely tall enough to keep my head from lolling back again. Maybe this asshole was smart enough to know that something was indeed wrong with me.

I tried to get a better look around, maybe find an exit. Not like I could get to one, I reminded myself.

It was an ordinary room, much like the one in my own house. Couches, coffee table, a television set… I know psychopaths look just like everyone else, but I'd at least expected something to be off.

"Your neck hurts doesn't it," I suddenly heard from behind me.

In my surprise, I tried to turn my head toward to noise. Whiplash on top of my current neck injury did nothing for my sanity. The room spun and nausea crept back into my chest. The pain was something I couldn't get used to. When I came to again, my chin was resting against my chest. My buttons were in fact done up incorrectly.

Stupid Ryuzaki…

I instantly began to berate myself. In all the time that this had been happening, I hadn't once thought of L.

Hope surged through me. I didn't know how long I had been gone, but I knew that there was no way L wouldn't have noticed my absence. He would find me. If he hadn't put a tracer on some part of my clothing, he had dozens of cameras to fall back on. L likely, by this time, already had the guy's identity. After all, he was no Kira, no light Yagami. He would be caught.

From behind me, the psycho grabbed my face and slowly brought my head back to rest against the couch. "I hope it hurts," he whispered.

He gently grabbed my hair and rocked my head from side to side. "Maybe you can feel your brain bang against the inside of your skull."

I groaned. He was right or at least it felt like it. I raised my hands to stop him from moving me around and my neck seized up. My arms fell back down as my neck locked into place and it was everything I could do to control my breathing. Hyperventilating would do me no good. I was positive that I was shaking.

What scared me though, was the overwhelming urge to close my eyes and go to sleep. I couldn't do that. I couldn't sleep now without knowing if I would ever wake up.

"Are you scared, Light? Do you think you're dying," he said as if he were taunting me.

I skipped a breath. This guy knew me. This was premeditated and intentional. I tried to come up with a list of people who might want to do this, but my mental capacity was severely lacking.

Maybe he knows about my connection to Kira. If there was a worse situation to be in, that would be it. If he knew, he would have proof. Nothing else would give him the confidence to challenge me. If this is the case, when L comes to get me, it's all over.

"Do you recognize my voice," the psycho asked.

"No," I muttered. It didn't sound familiar at all. Maybe an hour ago it would have, but now all noises sounded off.

He scoffed. "Of course I would go under your radar. You didn't like me very much did you?"

I felt some relief. So this wasn't about Kira then. That, though, meant this was personal.

"Who," I gasped.

He stopped manhandling my head and walked around to face me. Sitting down heavily on the coffee table, he raised his head.

There, still in his formal attire, was Keiton.

It was no wonder I didn't recognize his voice. There was rarely a time when it wasn't filled to the brim with cheer or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, shrill and whiny. Now his voice was cold and spiteful.

"Why," I asked, even though I had a pretty good idea.

"You can't even string two words together can you," he mocked.

It wasn't for my lack of trying, but I could barely think straight let alone rival him with my usual degree of witty banter. As it was the only move in my arsenal, I glared at him.

"You know, you're kinda pathetic. I thought you'd put up much more of a fight." He seemed to consider the situation for a moment. "I did beat you over the skull with a sink pipe though."

I groaned, astounded by his weapon of choice.

"How does it feel to have your most beloved asset taken away from you? You know, this might even be permanent," he mused. "I'm actually surprised you're not blind. Maybe you're as tough as I thought."

Even for all of the shit that could have gone wrong by this point, I couldn't find it in my heart to be grateful that I wasn't blind.

"Why," I groaned a little louder. If this was about something as petty as revenge, I was going to lose it.

"Why? Because it's so obvious that you're not really dating Ryuzaki and that you're up to something else entirely!"

And with that, I was left with more questions than answers. Although it's very possible that he was just delusional.

After noticing my probably dumbstruck expression, he delved into more detail. "Everything from the moment he came to school has been suspicious! Under what circumstance would someone transfer to a new school nearly a month before graduation? It's more of an inconvenience than anything," he explained, pacing the room in front of me. "Despite being a transfer, it was immediately apparent that you two knew each other- and not in a 'holy crap, I haven't seen you in years' kind of way. It's like you know each other intimately. Like you just picked up where you left off the day before. He came in and you immediately steeled yourself to compete with him."

Now that Keiton was bringing it all out at once, it was obvious that we were very familiar with each other. I always knew that it would seem as if we had known each other before that class. It was going to be next to impossible to interact with him, especially with all his staring, without anyone gleaning some level of familiarity between us. There was simply a way we needed to interact with each other.

"All of that could have been ignored though," he continued, "if you didn't retreat to some office building at the end of the day like you lived there. That's what really set off a red flag."

I was taken aback. With my slow to function brain, I had completely overlooked how he had found me and how this whole mess had started.

"It doesn't take a genius to follow someone home," Keiton pointed out.

Was he really so obsessed with Ryuzaki that he would follow him home? Obviously, but come on!

"So when I did, and ended up at some nondescript building, I came to the most logical conclusion- something that explains everything!"

As long as it's not the right conclusion, I couldn't care less about your monologue, I wanted to say.

He sat back down on the table and continued. "You must be involved in some sort of study! It would be just like you to be involved in more activities outside of school," he explained sardonically. "Always the over achiever!"

Yeah, and once L finds me, I'll have a big bright future to look forward to.

"Ryuzaki is likely one of the people over-seeing the study; he looks too old to actually be a high school student. That's where you would come in. By knowing you and pretending to date you, it creates a cover story. There's less suspicion."

Congratulations! You've managed to get it completely wrong. There was no way it was less suspicious. This whole ordeal has been one conspicuous move after another. L is too old and we know each other too much not to elicit suspicion.

"So then why couldn't he date me," Keiton hissed, getting up from the table once more. "In the very least it would have been a better cover to be involved with someone unrelated to the study!"

"Kidnapping me… was the answer," I gasped. Despite not being in a position to ask questions, I couldn't staunch my enquiring nature.

He walked around me again and grabbed my neck from behind, obviously thinking I wasn't in enough pain if I could be questioning him. His grip wasn't particularly harsh, but it didn't have to be. The mere touch of his fingers on my vertebrae brought stars before my eyes.

"I wasn't going to use the pipe on Ryuzaki, you know. I only wanted to talk to him. That was specifically for you." He pushed a finger into the crevasses of my neck until I yelped. "He wasn't so nice the last time we spoke. He said I would never see him again. I need to make him talk to me."

I dry heaved. It felt as though all of the organs in my abdominal cavity were shimmying up my throat. It's a wonder why he doesn't want to talk to you! Even so! Why does that make your beef with me?

"Why," I rasped again. "Why me?"

"Because I'm angry," he stated simply. Then without warning, there was something sharp against my neck. "I've been angry with you for a long time though."

I couldn't see what he had against my neck and straining my eyes to try only left me exhausted and with a bigger headache. I had to fight off the urge to sleep. Where is L?

"You've outshined me from the beginning. Always getting better grades, scoring the goals, flocking people to you like a magnet. You're so advanced and above us all," he hissed. "What makes me angry, though, is the fact that it comes to you effortlessly. If you'd worked for it, actually earned it, then you'd deserve the praise you receive."

Who was he to tell me I didn't deserve all that I had built? I work tirelessly day in and day out. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that all my hours of hard work aren't there. Of course I make it look effortless! The only other option was to wallow in desperation, as you seem to have done!

Keiton would never know the hours that went into perfecting the being known as Light Yagami. He would never know the adoration on his parent's faces when he brought home the impeccable grades of his youth. He would never know the pride of putting those looks there and vowing to never let them fall, to disappoint them. He couldn't possibly know what it was like to be desired by everyone, for one reason or another, and to never know who his real friends were. Keiton would never know what it was like to know that he couldn't trust anyone.

I gave up my innocence and sentiment to build this empire known as Light Yagami. I spent nearly every afternoon and evening of my youth studying to perfect my mind. Every part of my day was mapped out so that I could maximize my gain; furthering my intellect while still keeping my body in pristine condition. Even I had to wonder how I did it sometimes. One thing was certain, however. I worked for, and deserved every little advantage I procured for myself.

"Why are you so hard to ignore," Keiton seethed.

"So… kill me… then," I dared. Was that what he wanted? Yeah, he said he wanted to talk to Ryuzaki, but where do I fall into this?

It was at this inopportune time that footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. How could Keiton have made such a painful oversight? Who wouldn't make sure that they were home alone before cracking someone over the head and keeping them hostage in your own living room?

On the second to last step, Daichi froze. It must have been quite a sight to walk into your own living room to see your brother grabbing some guy by his hair and holding a box cutter to his unfortunate throat.

Finally recovering from shock he said, "What it God's good green Earth are you doing? Mom and dad didn't let you borrow the car tonight so that you could abduct classmates."

He wasn't L, but I would take it. The police weren't L either, but I really wasn't picky at this point. If this kid could call me an ambulance, he would be my hero.

I couldn't see much of him, as he was in my peripheral, but I assumed the slight movements he made exiting out of my line of vision all together was his attempt at edging closer to a door.

The hand gripping my hair pulled tighter. "You said that you'd be out tonight," Keiton murmured.

"Change of plans," he replied quietly.

The knife against my neck went slack. His brother was now the more threatening target.

Despite the situation, a part of me was offended that he would underestimate me by completely shifting his focus. The other, less offended part of my brain, the part that's probably responsible for my desire for survival, said that I could work this to my advantage. I didn't stop to debate whether my body could keep up with my mind; hesitation could be my downfall.

Slowly, making a conscious effort not to budge my shoulder, I moved my right hand and then my left to rest in my lap. When I was confident that he didn't notice, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The next part was going to be painful. As much as I refrained from moving my shoulders, it was unavoidable for this next step. Timing though, was everything. If I messed up, I wasn't like to get another chance. He wouldn't underestimate me again.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. I couldn't depend on Daichi to phone the police. I couldn't wait for L to get here. As always, I was on my own.

"Where do you think you're going, Daichi," Keiton asked calmly.

"I'm not staying around for this," he replied. "You're absolutely nuts."

That's something we can agree on.

Keiton didn't even try to stop his brother from running to the door and throwing it open. Immediately upon doing so, he let out a yelp. "I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but you lot are on your own!"

Then a voice I was most relieved to hear. "That is perfectly understandable. It's best if you wait outside."

The hand restraining my head let go and its owner cried out. "Ryuzaki, what are you doing here?!"

"I have come to retrieve Light-kun," he stated.

About fucking time. There had better be an ambulance with my name on it waiting outside.

However, it didn't seem I was going to be given up without a fight. Obviously enraged by this answer, Keiton grabbed onto my shoulder and squeezed. "We are going to talk first," he demanded.

"I anticipated no less," L deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes. Why couldn't whoever was waiting outside just come in and apprehend him? It's not like Keiton knew that we were connected to the police. This whole ordeal could come to an end in two minutes flat, they could take me to a hospital, and we could all live happily ever after. There was no reason to humor him.

"Would you like to start by telling me why you abducted Light-kun?" At the mention of my name, Keiton held the boxcutter back up to my neck. "You must have known that had you not been followed, you would have had to kill him to get away with this."

Oh, yeah, L! Put the idea of killing me inside his head why don't you! I glared despite the lack of recipient. Your presence has only managed to make the situation worse. If he didn't end this soon, I was going to fake a seizure to give him incentive because it seemed as if he didn't already have enough.

"Maybe, maybe not. I had an alibi. For all anyone could know, his head trauma is enough to leave him confused as to who took him. It's not impossible that he would remember me from the prom." Then he pointed out, "I'm still wearing my suit."

I had to give him some credit. I'd thought that he was still wearing it because he fell under the category of unorganized. I thought he was wearing it because it slipped his mind, because he had more important things to do than to change to kidnapping suitable attire. His alibi may even have worked, had he not sought the attention of the three greatest detectives in the world.

"You are a fool to believe that the police would fall for that. Your fingerprints are all over him."

"I could still do it. I have nothing to lose now." To further his point, he harshly pressed the blade to my neck.

I groaned. This was the first time he drew blood. If he wasn't careful he was going to slice through an artery. My shirt is done though, first dirt and now blood. I'll have to get rid of it. What a waste. I couldn't tell whether it was a testament to my trauma or to my character that it was easier to concentrate on the sullying of my clothes then the destruction to my livelihood itself.

I deserved to be kicked. With L's arrival, I had forgotten my own endeavor to free myself. He was taking his sweet time; probably trying to get to the bottom of this story. Now that he was here though, I felt a sense of panic at the situation being out of my hands. He was here, he was supposed to be helping me, and he was taking his time with things that could wait.

I was breathing harder than I should be. It wouldn't even take hyperventilation to knock me out with these levels of injuries. I had to calm down and I had to get to a hospital.

L must have tried to get closer because Keiton was yelling for him to stay where he was and moving to position himself in front of me.

Great, now I'm a shield. I hoped that Keiton's fear was unwarranted as far as weapons went. I'd never heard of L wielding a gun and I hoped that he wasn't stupid enough to think that he himself would be the only needed line of defense. Hopefully someone was coming in the back way now.

"Why did you reject me," Keiton interjected suddenly.

"It seems as though it takes a certain amount of lunacy to find oneself attracted to me. It should be known that I can only handle the eccentric affections of one individual at a time."

Thanks, L. Though on some level I know he's probably right.

"Why him and not me?! You can barely stand him!"

I looked up at Keiton, searching for some sign that this may be over soon. He was shaking, but at least the unsteady hand holding the knife wasn't anywhere near me for the moment.

"Light-kun and I share history. There is more to our relationship than what you saw," L explained.

That's putting it simply. Though I guess one couldn't say that we were involved in an epic battle of good vs. evil without a little more explanation. I tested my arms by trying to rotate my shoulders slightly. White hot pain shot up the base of my neck. Yep, no improvement there. It was exactly as I had expected, but not as I'd hoped. However, in the end, despite the pain, I would defend myself. That was how the human body worked.

"Why did you tell me that you would never see me again? You completely snubbed me! Did our friendship mean nothing to you?"

His eyes were wild, and I didn't dare tell him that Ryuzaki doesn't do the whole 'friend' thing very well. Sometimes even I was convinced that we weren't really friends.

"I said those things because I meant to never see you again," L explained. "When you saw me as a friend, I considered you nothing more than an acquaintance. I never had any intention of letting you make an impression on me. I didn't care either way if you decided to continue association with me beyond our first encounter. It meant nothing to me either way," he concluded.

"That's so cruel," Keiton muttered. He was breathing heavily now.

Yeah, you're one to talk.

"It's always Light," he hissed. "Well, what makes you so damn special?" His glare fell to bore into my own. "The whole world is yours for the taking; and you take and take until there's nothing left for the rest of us."

"Light-kun has simply made the most of what he was given," L deadpanned.

If I had the energy, I'd tell them both how simple it wasn't. Nor is my life a 'when life gives you lemons' sort of plight.

Keiton's hand was shaking aggressively now and he was continuously repositioning the knife. "I refuse to have you, on top of everyone else, tell me how hard he must have worked! No one shows zero evidence of hard work! Hard work is stressful and it is a strain! He has never been anything less than perfect." His eyes were flickering back and forth between L and I, as if expecting someone to make a move when he finally settled on handling the knife as if to make an upward cut. "I am sick of being second best," he murmured.

"Whose fault… is that," I rasped.

His wild eyes fell to me and it finally clicked that he wasn't anticipating our action, but his own.

"I'm so tired of you," he shrieked, raising the knife and lunging for my throat.

In the span of a single heartbeat a lot of thoughts went through my head. Firstly, that this is what I was trying to prepare for- inevitably having to defend myself. With L across the room, there wasn't much time for him to interfere. Second, I still couldn't believe that I had managed to find myself in this situation. It was ridiculous. How on earth did L manage to find two people to be attracted to him simultaneously? Keiton being crazy could only be foreseeable after obtaining that bit of knowledge. Lastly; this was going to hurt. If I was lucky, it would be quick, I would be alive, and then paramedics could be free to work their magic.

It's a traumatic thought; to be fully aware that despite the pain you're in, it's going to get worse. Knowing you're going to be in pain, preparing for it, and then still carrying it out should be against human nature. It's too self destructive not to be traumatic, especially if you know pain must be endured to survive. The body doesn't want pain, but it doesn't want to die either.

So when Keiton lunged at me with the intention of using the box-cutter to slice from my trachea to the bottom of my jaw, I steeled myself for more pain and lunged back.

Karma must have been on my side for the first time tonight- or at least not on Keiton's, which is completely plausible. He held the knife in such a way that all I needed to do was to push back on the fist holding it. When my hands touched his, time stopped for the briefest of moments. It was in that tenth of a second that I knew I didn't want to kill him. I shouldn't kill him. For an even briefer moment, I didn't know why I was. I also knew that as my hands pushed back on his, it was too late to stop.

Keiton looked really surprised. To be fair, I wasn't in any condition to be fighting back. When the blade tore into his trachea I probably looked just as surprised as him.

He was wide eyed and making gasping noises. His panic was evident and with all the force in his body he planted a foot on my rib cage and sent me tumbling to the ground.

Que the pain, I though with zero humor.

But, it didn't hurt as much as I had anticipated.

With my back to the ground, I could only look up enough to see the box-cutter sticking out of his neck and his hands fidgeting around it, unsure of whether he should take it out.

I might have laughed if it hadn't been for the ever increasing ringing in my ears and the tunneled vignette of my vision. I was becoming less aware of the throbbing in the back of my skull where I may have hit my head again after taking that foot to the chest. I could only hope that I was still breathing.

I was so disconnected now.

Consciousness didn't end when I could no longer see. It didn't end when my tongue felt strangely numb. I wasn't completely gone when a fuzzy mumbling started above me and I still had some modicum of consciousness when that too ceased.

I lost every part of myself before succumbing to the darkness.