6 – Through the roof 'n' underground
The tip of the pencil rested against the fibres of the paper. Time had slowed to a stand still. T-bag was a criminal; a rapist (and obviously quite capable of re-offending on that count) and L would be acting in pure self-defence, but still... He hesitated. It was one thing to bring criminals to justice, even if that justice involved capital punishment. It was entirely another to kill someone. If this piece of paper was what the sender claimed, then L's using it would make him no different than... Of course! He couldn't hold back a bitter little laugh as he realised that the real sender was not Matsuda, or Yagami Sr. at all. It was Light. But not out of any sympathy or concern for L's well being. Light had sent it because he was Kira and he knew L knew that. Towards the end, the case had not been about finding out the identity of Kira any more, but only being able to prove his identity. L knew and Light knew and was laughing at him, all the way across the world. He was challenging L still. If he used the note, he really would lose, because no matter if he ever got out again, he could never catch Kira and call it justice. He would have sentenced himself to staying in prison by his own judgment. He could of course write Light's name in it... but he wouldn't. Light knew he wouldn't.
"Clever bastard," L muttered and folded the paper into a tiny square, which he put in his pocket. He should destroy it. He would destroy it. Just... not right now.
"Come on, chow time." Michael said.
L climbed down from his bed with some difficulty, his body was close to giving up; he had the shakes and a headache was just starting up and promising to be something big. He reeled on his feet as he got down and Michael grabbed his shoulders to steady him. He was still looking worried, but it was probably less out of personal concern than a worry about the plan.
"Will you be good to go tomorrow?" Michael asked.
L nodded.
"You're not well, are you?"
"Low blood sugar. I'll be fine after I eat."
If he could get something to eat.
"Remember," Michael muttered in his ear as they entered the large hall, "no matter what happens, you can't get in trouble now. You have to be ready tomorrow night."
"Yes, I know."
L stood in line with his tray. It didn't matter that the food would taste like heavily salted garbage, he would have to force it down regardless. He was starting to get shakes, he was freezing cold all the time. As he reached the front of the queue, he held out his hand for the paper cup of coffee with not nearly enough sugar, but the fine motor skills were more compromised than he thought. The cup wobbled, tipped, spilling hot coffee over his hand and the counter.
"What the fuck! Look what you did!"
He was shoved back. Angry people were milling around him. He couldn't even fight back and risk getting put in solitary. This was a nightmare. Suddenly, a fist came out of nowhere, connecting with his face. He staggered. Darkness swirled around him. His feet caught on something and he toppled. He kept thinking that he had to stay conscious, or they'd put him in medical and he wouldn't be ready tomorrow, but it was like trying to hold back the night. The dark grew thicker and there was cold stone against his cheek. Then there was nothing.
"Hey, hey wake up!"
L forced his eyes open. He was lying in a bed and it was dark around him. The voice that had dragged him to the surface was hissing into his ear, "Come on! Wake up!"
"Who..?"
A hand clamped over his mouth. "Shhh! It's Lincoln, Michael's brother. He told me to tell you, if you're coming with us, you have to get ready."
The hand was slowly taken away from L's mouth and he struggled to sit up in the bed.
"I thought you were in solitary?" he whispered.
"Michael sorted it. We're in medical. It's happening tonight."
"Tonight?"
His eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness to make out the shape of a quite burly man standing by the bed. There were more beds, filled with sleeping inmates. The door to the office stood slightly ajar.
"Tonight," Lincoln said. "It's been moved up. It's now or never. They'll be here any minute. We have to get back in that office before anyone sees us!"
L tipped his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. His head swam, his legs trembled. He was not going to be able to run, or climb; he could hardly walk.
"Are you sick? I thought you were knocked out?"
"I'm fine."
It was obvious he was lying. He took a few shaky steps, and then Lincoln slung an arm around his back and pushed him along the floor like he was a mop. Scary.
Lincoln locked the door and L sank down on the floor as he was let go. This was intolerable! They were in the middle of a prison break, and he was the one who was going to slow them all down, simply because he couldn't get his hands on some sugar!
"I need to eat something," he said.
"Now? You'll have to wait."
"There must be something in here... check the desk..."
Lincoln frowned at him. Did he think L was just being peckish?
"Listen..."
There was a sound from below that grate in the floor. It was happening. And L couldn't find the strength to even stand.
As from a distance, he heard Lincoln talk to Michael through the floor. He seemed agitated. Then he grabbed the grate and pulled at it. He grunted.
"You, come here, give me a hand."
He really didn't understand. Obviously, Michael was the one with the brains in the family.
There were more clanging and pulling and finally, an arm appeared up through a hole in the floor. L made a last-ditch attempt and managed to get to his feet. Michael climbed up, followed by T-bag and a few others whose names L didn't know.
"L, you alright?" Michael said.
L shook his head. Michael actually smiled, which was odd, since he must have understood how bad L's condition was by now. Michael stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag. Like a drug dealer, he dropped it into L's hand. It was beautifully angular from the sugar cubes inside.
"Thank you."
"Get them into you. We don't have much time."
Michael ran over to the window where that cable ran over the wall, and the others were all in a flurry of activity too, but L didn't care. He ate the sugar like it was water in the desert and felt the strength flowing back into his limbs. The shakes died down. He was himself again.
The rest of the escape seemed to happen on fast forward. Searchlights, climbing, running, hiding. Someone was left behind, but it wasn't him. Someone fell down and was shot, but it wasn't him. Dogs barking in the night and shouting guards. Cold night air. Freedom.
When they finally stopped running, they were in a strange little hut, next to a car. The others were talking about a plane, about Panama or somewhere far away.
"Michael," he said, quietly. Michael kept arguing with the others. He had stuff hidden somewhere, L gathered, fake ID, civilian clothes. So did L, but it would not be the same place. "Michael!"
"What is it?"
"Thank you for getting me out. I will leave now."
The others started making a racket at that. They didn't trust him not to lead the police to them. But he wouldn't.
The 'L' identity was useless now, but there was still Eraldo Coil. Watari had deleted all information from the high quarter's computer, but there was a back-up. In Winchester, England. There was of course no way L could get on a plane, so he would need to arrange for someone else to send or collect his things. And, as it happened, he just might know someone in America, someone who would be ideal for this type of situation.
Roger had kept him up to date on the kids during the trial. He knew that Near had taken over the Kira investigation when L was arrested. And he knew that Mello had left. He no doubt thought that he was free from all ties to Wammy's house, but they had their spies and informants. And the last word from them was that Mello had been spotted in LA. Possibly on the wrong side of the law. The same side—L supposed—that he had just crossed over to. Maybe it was time for a little family reunion.
--
A/N: Wow, it's been quite some time since I did anything with this. I'm actually bored with the prison part already—I think the conspiracy-figure-out part will be more fun. And L on the run from the law for a change!