Chapter Three

"...Ryuzaki..." The name tasted unfamiliar in my mouth.

"Ahh!" Light toppled off his chair and the chain dragged him across the floor as L got up and walked towards me.

"It's been too long." He said. I smiled.

"I agree." I said. Light cleared his throat, and I noticed he had gotten to his feet and staring at me intently with deep brown eyes.

"Oh. Yes. Ayano Tayama, this is Light-kun." L said.

"Pleasure to meet you, Tayama-san." Light said and held out his hand.

"Please, call me Ayano-san." I said, wincing at my fake last name.

"Alright...Ayano-san." Light smiled brightly at me. "It's nice to meet you. Ryuzaki's told me some about you."

"Really?" I asked.

"I've told him about how you've helped me on a couple of cases." L said. "If Light isn't Kira, then I might need more help in finding a new suspect, and that's where you come in."

"Mhmm." I said. "Well, let's get to work." I barely managed to stifle a yawn.

"Ayano-chan, you should get some rest. It seems like it was a long flight." L said.

"Kira isn't resting." I said simply.

"You haven't changed a bit." L smiled again, then turned to walk back towards his computer. Light and I followed him.

"Here's some data I've been looking at for the past couple days. Criminals have been dying at the same usual rate of heart attacks...Ayano-san, what do you make of this?" Light asked.

"Mmm..." I looked at the data table over Light's shoulder. "It's possible it could be the same Kira before you went into confinement...but this data's telling me it's something else. These are much more minor criminals than the one Kira used to kill. Kira's also killing those who haven't been proven guilty yet, or that have no evidence against them. I think we're dealing with another Kira here. It's different from before and I don't like it."

"A different Kira?" L muttered. "...Now that I look at it, you're probably right, Ayano-chan. This isn't the second Kira or the original Kira that we've been pursuing...this is, in fact, a third Kira."

"A third Kira..." Light said. "How many Kiras do you think there are?"

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure that this new Kira is the only one that's in action right now, which means you and Misa could still be the original and second Kiras." L said, taking a cup of tea and putting sugar in it.

"It's possible." I said, casting a glance at Light. He shifted uncomfortably, then sighed.

"I'm going to look for more data." He said.

"I'll help you out." I said, pulling up a chair and sitting next to him. "Let's look on the news a bit more. Who's been Kira's latest victim?" Light pulled up Sakura TV's website and scanned through some of the latest announcements.

"Oh my God, look at this!" I pointed to a video. "Light-san, click it!"

"Three businessmen died last night in a car accident. They were the major CEOs of Suzuki insurance company, and their stock plummeted about 20% because of it." The news reporter said, then pressed an earpiece in here ear. "Wait, what's that...? This just in! Another five important men on the board of directors at Suzuki all just died of heart attacks!"

"Oh. My. Freaking. God." I breathed. "Light-kun, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think so." Light said. "Kira is probably behind these deaths, and..."

"He can kill in other ways than heart attacks!" We both said at the same time.

"Hey, Ryuzaki! Ryuzaki!" Light pulled at the chain that held them chained together. L's panda eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell slowly with each breath he took.

"He's asleep." I sighed. "Come on, let's do some more research, make a data table and show it to him in the morning."

"Okay..." Light said reluctantly.

I couldn't remember exactly how long we'd been working before a voice whispered, "Ayano-san. Ayano-san, wake up," followed by a gentle prodding in my shoulder. I lifted my head up from the desk and looked up into Light's brown eyes.

"Light!...I mean, Light-san..." I said, startled. A light blush of embarrassment crossed my face.

"Sorry I woke you up. It's just you might want to go up to your room now for some rest...I can take it from here, Ayano-san. Thanks for your help." Light said and smiled at me.

"Oh...Yeah, thanks." I said. I looked back at the chair where L -Ryuzaki, dammit, why can't I remember to call him that?- was still sleeping.

"Goodnight, Light-san." I said. And L, I added in my head.

bom bom bom bom. So yeah, there's my third chappie. Not much to say, except THE BIG FIGHT BETWEEN LIGHT AND L IS NEXT! YAY okay now, please REVIEW tell me how I'm doing!