Chapter Two

Mikhail awoke bright and early that morning. While making his breakfast of vegetable soup, he began thinking to himself. "This is going to be great. It'll be hard for it not to make the news if L takes up the Kira case once again. In the event that he does, I'll make sure he's got plenty of clues to send him looking for me…Straight in the wrong direction. I've had years to plan this, all I need to do now is make it happen."

Sitting at the couch with his breakfast, he turned on one morning show on the Television, and began streaming one on his laptop. The headlines were filled with things like "Recent Killings indicate return of Kira", or "Kira Saga Continues With New Round of Killings." The story was dominating the news everywhere. There were commentators on Japanese morning shows jumping to defend Kira, predicting the same drop in crime rates as before. Far outnumbering the Pro-Kira commentators were the critics, however.

Hiroto Kagome was the loudest of the panel of commentators. "Kira is a monster! He killed thousands of people and loomed over the world like a dark shadow, ignoring the various justice systems! We have to find Kira and make sure he can never commit another murder, he must be brought to-"

Mikhail wrote Kagome's name down, and he died of a heart attack mid-sentence. Coolly shifting his gaze to the next Kira critic, Mikhail wrote her name down too. He began to write the names of all of the critics being aired on the show, including the anchors themselves. Changing channels every so often, Mikhail wrote the names of every Japanese media personality that dared to criticize Kira. Soon, the media panic turned to absolute hysteria. Some personalities just sat quietly while the screen displayed information. Others got louder, screaming in frenzied tones, asking for Kira to spare them. They died too. "I've certainly made a mark on Japan. If L takes the case, he'll turn his eye here first. That ought to shake his faith. He'll begin to doubt himself. He'll think that Kira was always operating in Japan, and framed Light Yagami. He'll make a mistake, and he'll reveal his face, and then I'll kill him. I've got it all figured out."

Mikhail turned his attention to criminals for a time, writing name after name in his Death Note. There was no need to prolong their lives, he just let them die instantly. Murderers, rapists, thieves, terrorists, all of them would soon be dead. Minutes turned to hours as he wrote, he forgot all of his surroundings. He heard the scratch of his pen on the paper, the hum of his computer he was using to find names, suddenly, he heard Nise wail plaintively "We're out of chips!" This brought him back to reality, his task finished. All the criminals for today had been judged, most had died, and others were scheduled to die later tonight, so that the killings never really stopped.

Nise approached him from the couch. "You heard me, right? We're out of chips!" Mikhail shook his head and smirked, "I'll get some for you tomorrow, but right now, we've got a very special show to watch." Turning on the Television, Mikhail turned the station to an American news channel. There was a man in a suit giving a speech. This man was George Gonzalez, the Director of the FBI. He seemed to be in the middle of a speech, announcing the re-opening of the Kira case. "Aww, it looks like we're late to the party!" Nise mocked.

Mikhail's smirk didn't fade at all. "Oh no, Nise, we're about a minute too early!" Gonzalez was getting heated. "Kira is a Menace to society who can no longer be tolerated! That is why I am officially re-opening the Kira case. I promise the American public that we will catch this abominable serial kille-" Gonzalez died on the spot. Mikhail looked at Nise. "You see, Nise, I have to draw the attention of the man who brought Kira down: L. Before Gonzalez gave this speech, he should have put in a request to L to investigate the case again, at least, that's what I wrote. The speech was just the icing on the cake, it'll draw more news coverage than any Japanese media personality. If all goes according to plan, L will receive the request and accept it when he sees Gonzalez's death. Two of my special victims' final goodbyes, included in the request, ought to pique his interest." Mikhail settled in with some leftover soup from breakfast, and watched the panic his actions generated.

Near appraised the request Roger had forwarded to him. Supposedly, it came from the late Director of the FBI, George Gonzalez. It was a simple letter, and attached was a small text file. The letter read :

L,
Kira has returned, and we urgently request your help to track him down. We have reason to believe that the Kira you first caught was an imposter, a pawn. Attached to this E-mail is all the newest evidence, frightfully little, regrettably. Please review the evidence and deliver your response quickly. Time is of the essence to prevent more deaths.

Near turned his attention to the text file. Downloading and opening it, it contained only two things. The first was a poem written by a prisoner and completed moments before his death by heart attack. It was a short poem with no title:

We are all puppets, dancing on strings,

Slaves to the fate the True God brings.

Even the Moon-God of the Night was manipulated,

His actions and death all coldly stipulated;

By a Greater god than he.

"Most interesting," Thought Near, "But what about the next item?"

The next thing in the file was a letter written by a man in an institution. He had been found not guilty by reason of insanity, though he was clearly sane at the time he committed his killings. Apparently, he wrote this letter to no one shortly before dying of a heart attack. His body was clutching it after he died. The text of it was:

It turns out there is a god after all, passing judgment on people. He is Kira, or at least controlling him. All those years they thought they got the right one, but they didn't! They don't know who the real Kira is, even if they've got him already locked up! The real Kira is me, I know it! I'm Kira! I was Kira all along! Now I go to serve the True God that is me!

Near turned away from his screen for a moment, thinking."That's odd. This would have been disregarded as the ravings of a crazy man had it not been for that poem. They are too similar to be isolated incidents. Clearly the last part of the letter is a poor attempt to imitate insanity on the part of Kira. If Kira really were one individual this whole time and Light Yagami was just a puppet, why would he announce himself now? That doesn't make sense for the Kira I know. It's gotta be another copycat." Clicking the button to talk to Roger, Near spoke "This doesn't interest me, tell them I-" A flash of insight hit Near in that instant. "Wait. This is too obviously an attempt to look like a copycat. It's almost intentionally careless. Kira wants me not to accept the investigation. I'm the only one that can find him, and he wants me not to be looking for him. Even if it is an imposter, this one suddenly became interesting. Well played, indeed." Without missing a beat, Near continued "Actually, tell them I accept the case."