Suzuka had gotten a very simple numerical text on her phone and headed the bookstore. She knew what the text meant, and headed toward the manga section. She pretended to browse, keeping watch out of the corners of her eyes.
Light dressed in civilian clothing too the paper that L had given him, he coughed hard, more blood coming up then before. But he had a job to do. No matter what. He had snuck out carefully without even Matsuda knowing. By the time he got to the book store, he felt awful. But again, he had to get the information to them. He wandered over to the manga section as well, as instructed on the sheet of paper and started browsing.
"Ever read Tokyo Babylon?" Suzuka asked in a casual voice
"No, is it any good?" Light asked, glancing at the girl talking to her. This must be the woman from the resistance.
"It's superb. A tragic story of love, loss, and betrayal."
Light went quiet for a moment, "Sounds good, I'll have to pick it up." he picked up the first volume of it. "Oh, I heard something interesting." He said casually, like he and Suzuka were friends just talking. "I know how you like Mikami." he lied, "I heard he is giving a speech tomorrow." he flipped through the first couple pages of Tokyo Babylon and read a bit about the hapless but powerful hero Subaru, his eccentric twin sister Hokuto, and their 'friend' Seichiro."Really?" She adopted a borderline fangirlish tone. "Oh man, I missed the last one. When and where is this one happening?"
"Town square, tomorrow at noon. I know how upset you were to miss the last one." he closed the manga, he picked up the first four volumes. He'd buy it.
"I'll make sure I'm there early this time." she said, and looked at the books. She gave a small smirk and picked up the last three. "If your going to buy them, buy the whole series. It's only seven volumes."
"Thank you." Light took them from her and nodded, "enjoy the speech." He took the manga's up to the cashier. Knowing he'd probably be bedridden the next day, he needed the reading material.
"Oh I will." She smiled, picking up volume three of 07 Ghost, five and six of Fushigi Yugi, and the first volume of a relatively new one called Hetalia.
Light went over and paid for all of the volumes of Tokyo Babylon. He coughed into his hand as he walked out of the bookstore. He stopped suddenly. His chest hurt. It hurt... He started coughing. Coughing hard. He stumbled into an ally. He knew he had to get back to the castle before anyone knew he was gone.
L nibbled on his thumb, watching Suzuka. "So, your going to shoot Mikami during the speech?" Yes, loosing his chief adviser would be a huge blow to Kira, it would take him a bit to get steady again.
"Ja. That's the plan." She replied as she added some shading to the sketch she was working on, not quite meeting his gaze.
"It sounds like a fine plan, the speech hasn't been announced publicly yet. They always announce them late so we don't have time to plan an attack. Light's help worked out in our favor."
She nodded softly, her face quiet. Focused. But also something else...
"Something wrong?" L picked up on her unease at once.
She shook her head. "No.. Why would anything be wrong?"
No reason, you just seemed to be upset."
"I'll get the job done. No matter what." But even in her voice there was unease
L bit his lower lip softly, looking at the woman in concern. "We could send Matt or Mello. If killing Mikami is a problem for you." He knew their history well. Back during what the resistance affectionally referred to as the 'Real World', Suzuka, under the alias Kumiko Ludwig, had worked as a prosecutor at the same law firm Mikami used to work at before he became Kira's right hand man. They dated off an on, but it had a really ugly breakup which ended with Mikami suing Suzuka for socking him in the jaw.
She shook her head. "No. I want to do it. We have to put this dent in the regime."
"If you are sure." L said.
She nodded. "We have to."
L frowned, he felt worried all the sudden. he bit on his thumb again.
"You don't think I can do it." She looked at him dead in the face
"I think you have the skill to do it." he admitted, there was a hanging feeling of a continuation that never came.
"...but?" she pressed
"But I know your past with Teru, and I am afraid there may still be something there."
She shook her head firmly. "No. There is nothing left between us. It was a fling, L. Nothing more."
"Yes, alright."
"I can do this." she reassured him
L nodded at long last, "Alright then. I'll trust you to get the job done." he stood up and walked out.
Light made it back to his room just in time for his doctors appointment, silently thanking God that he hadn't been late.
Matsuda approached him, looking relieved."There you are, Light. I was looking for you."
"Yeah. Sorry, I had something to do."
The older man looked stunned "Did you leave the castle without me?
"I had to Matsuda. Please don't be mad..." Light coughed hard, changing out of his outside disguise.
"What if you'd had an attack? What if someone less then pro-Kira had seen you and mistaken you for him?"
Light looked down, he had almost had an attack. That's why he'd been so slow coming back. "Nothing happened, so it's fine." He took the books he bought and placed them on his book shelf before sitting down on the bed. He was sickly pale and he rubbed his chest as if it pained him greatly.
Matsuda sat down next to him heavily. "Don't you scare me like that..."
Light looked at him, "Sorry. I had to go deliver a message, and i don't think they would of liked it if I bought one of my guards. Even if it was you Matsuda."
He frowned in realization. "...Especially if it was me."
Light placed a hand on Matsuda's own. "It's fine. Nobody saw me and I didn't have an attack." The prince did, however, fall into a coughing fit a moment after he said that, clutching at his chest.
"Im going to go get the doctor!" Matsuda said in alarm. He got up and rushed out of the room, leaving no opening for argument
Light was trembling, Why? Why was he like this? He hated it. He coughed up blood again, sudden chills setting in. It really felt like he was dying. Kira didn't suffer like this. His brother had never been sick a day in his life. Why did Light have to suffer where Kira did not.
Matsuda returned a moment later, the castle doctor, Kimiko Kujo in tow.
Helping! Please help him doctor!" Matsuda said in a panicked voice
Kujo walked over to Light and began looking him over. Light looked at her. He'd never liked the castle doctor for some reason. Despite all her beauty, charm, and poise, she gave him the creeps, as if something about her was twisted. But right then he was forced to admit that he needed her help.
"Can you sit up prince?" The beautiful young doctor asked
Light nodded and sat up, he looked at Matsuda in an apologetic way. He shouldn't of gone out alone in his condition.
"Hold still. Let me get your vitals."
"Yes." Light held still, watching Kujo. She noted that his breathing was off and his fever was up, not too far out of the normal for him, but still bad for a normal human. She continued to check everything carefully. Blood pressure, temp, pulse oxygen level, heart rate. All were elevated. She sighed and looked at him. "You're very ill my prince. What have you been doing?"
"Nothing. Maybe I've just been pressing my body too hard. It was a little chilly at the party the other night."
"Mr. Matsuda, help me get him into bed." Kujo instructed the bodyguard
Light was coughing, but he shook his head and went to get up. "It's alright. I can get up by myself."
"Are you sure about that? You don't want to fall again."
Light nodded, but he swayed a bit. "Matsuda, a little help." He didn't want the doctor touching him more than was absolutely necessary, though there was little logic behind the creepy feeling she gave him.
The young man helped him carefully. "Here we go... easy does it..."
Light got into his bed and curled up, his eyes closed. He really hated this, but he was just glad he'd managed to get the information to Suzuka before he became bedridden. As he drifted to sleep, he couldn't help the smile of satisfaction that played on his lips.
Suzuka was dressed in her best suit and carrying a brief case. Looking like an ordinary lawyer or Business woman. Everything was in a buzz, and at the head of it all, she could see Teru Mikami preparing for his speech, occasionally barking an order at a sound tech. Her face was set in a grim scowl when she saw him, but was greatful for now that he was too busy to notice her.
She blended in with the crowd as she made her way to a nearby office building. She counted 15 floors. Perfect. She took the elevator to the top floor and took the stairs the rest of the way up. The sky was overcast. Good. There would be no glare from the sun. Suzuka opened the suitcase and smiled with adoration at the sniper rifle, like a mother would her child as she began to assemble. "Alright Gertrude, time to do your stuff."
After what felt like an eternity, noon struck and Mikami stepped up to the podium amidst thunderous applause. "Ladies and gentlemen of this great kingdom, our gracious lord Kira beseeched me give to you this new decree.."
Suzuka took a deep breath and peered through the scope. Her shot was clear and unobscured, despite the many guards around the area. Her finger twitched on the trigger in anticipation. 'Just wait Suzi. Not yet.'
Mikami kept talking, totally oblivious to the prospect of Death looming just above. "The new housing will replace the slums."
"This is it, Teru." she exhaled and squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew straight and true, but at the last possible second, Mikami tilted slightly to the right, the round grazing his shoulder rather than burrowing into his forehead for the kill shot.
For a long, horrible instant, there was silent, and as if somebody hit a switch, everything exploded into chaos. The citizens watching went into a panic, screaming and running, several people falling and being trampled. Most of the guards surrounded Mikami in a protective circle, and the rest rushed toward the building the shot came from.
"Oh no..." Mello's eyes widened, standing of from the sofa and staring at the television. Matt was stepping in from the kitchen when he saw the source of Mello's distress, the hotpocket in his hand falling to the floor as his eyes widened.
"Matt, lets go!" Mello stood and ran for the door, grabbing his magnum, Matt only half a step behind him. Suzuka missed, and now she would be fighting to her life, they had to get there as fast as they could.
L's hands were trembling, his eyes transfixed on the TV. "STOP!" he yelled at the two boys. "Not yet. We can't afford to have you two risking yourselves as well. She's not caught yet."
"She will be if we don't get out there and help her! Or worse! She could be killed! Doesn't that matter to you?" Mello snapped without thinking.
L was shook harder, he knew that, and yet,"be careful." He uttered, he didn't want them being caught as well, but he knew there would be no talking them out of this.
the blonde nodded. "Lets go!"
Matt nodded and began running after him. L hugged his legs. "Please hurry..."
"Dammit!" Suzuka reloaded, cursing herself. She missed! How could she miss? She had a perfect shot! But now he was gone, and she knew she wouldn't have a chance at a second shot. She had to get away, she might have a chance if she could get down to the ground and blend in. She'd have to be quick, the guards already had the building surrounded.
"Shizer! Shizer! Shizer!" she ran toward the fire escape.
"Matsuda!" Light cried, his eyes glued to the scene. The guard rushed in when he heard the panic in the prince's voice. "Light! What's the matter?"
Light looked at Matsuda, his eyes absolutely horror-struck "It's my fault..." He's the one who had told Suzuka about the speech. If he'd just waited a little while longer this wouldn't have happened.
"Light, what are you talking about?" Matsuda asked in concern.
"Look at the TV." Light said, news flying about a sniper trying to assassinate Teru and how guards had spotted the sniper and were going after her as they spoke.
Matsuda looked over, his eyes widening. "That's... Oh God Suzuka..."
Guilt washed over Light in the realization that Matsuda knew this woman.
It was too late. The guards had already swarmed the building and cut off her escape. As they emerged onto the rooftop, Suzuka knew she had no chance of getting out now. She drew her sidearm and began to fire into the group.
She caught one man in the chest, but cursed in fury when she realized the bastard was wearing a bulletproof vest. She continued to fire, taking several of the men down, but she stopped short when she realized they wern't firing back. She knew damn well they would have killed her by now if that was their intention. It would be capture and interrogation in the feared dungeon of the palace. No! She wouldn't be used by them! They wouldn't have what she knew! "Fick dich!" she put her weapon to her temple and pulled the trigger.
'Click' Her eyes widened when the weapon clicked empty. "Nein..." She was grabbed from behind, her weapon wrestled away from her. "Nein!" She cried, trying desperately to get out of their grasp. She swung her elbow back, catching one man in the throat, and kicked out, hitting another in the chin, but more and more men came, grabbing her firmly. "NEIN!" She was forced to the ground and cuffed, a black bag forced over her head. Then they were dragging her down the fire escape to a waiting van.
Light bolted up from bed, "NO!"
"Light.." Matsuda took his arm gently to shush him. But his hands noticeably shaking and there were tears in his eyes.
The prince started coughing, doubling over. "No...no..." His fault...