"How many of you have ever heard of Astérix?" L asked them.
Most of them show vague looks, as the name indeed meant nothing to them. Only Potter seemed to know: "Asterix? Don't you mean Cattafix?"
"First of all, you mean Panoramix. Cattafix is his English name." L corrected Potter, "Second of all, in order to understand what Panoramix is about, one must know the legends of Astérix."
"And who is this Asterix?" Keiko sounded impatient.
L switched off his microphone: "Although I say 'Astérix', they keep pronouncing it as 'Asterix'. And yet Keiko-san is the one losing patience?"
"Not everyone is as patient as you are." Near said.
L switched his microphone back on: "Astérix was a French hero, from around 50 B.C., who was able to take out an entire Roman army single-handedly, thanks to a special potion that was brewn by Panoramix."
"Sounds to me like they even had steroids before Christ." Caine joked.
"As a matter of fact, you're not too far off." L replied, "This potion was so powerful that it would make whoever drinks it invincible."
"But you did just say that it's a legend, right?" Keiko spoke.
"Legends have their way of being true..." Katie hissed.
"Correct." L said, "These past few months we've been tracking a drug syndicate that's been distributing a specific type of drug, of which its effects resemble that of Panoramix's potion."
"I knew it!" Potter exclaimed, "I already thought that those who stole the formula from our minestry must have been muggles."
The word muggle is what had both Keiko and Caine raise their eyebrows. Only Katie appeared to know that word, as she laughed: "Muggle? You magicians still use that word?"
"Wait, I don't understand this." Keiko suddenly realized something else, "Why would a drug dealer make drugs that would make people invincible? I mean, what if these people were to some day use that power against their dealers?"
"They wouldn't do that." L explained, "Way back when, Astérix only used the potion when it was absolutely necessary. But in this world, people hardly ever practice restraints, and would use it whenever they feel like it. Eventually they'd become far too dependable on the potion, need more and more of it each time, and if they were to attack their dealers, they'd pretty much attack the only people who can provide them more."
"I see." Keiko understood.
"Wait a minute!" Caine suddenly realized something else, "Do any of these dealers use some themselves?"
"That is possible." L answered.
"Then why am I still here? There's no way I can face a super-strong rhino." Caine complained.
"You're an invisible man, you technically don't need to face anybody." L assured him, "No matter how strong they may be, they still need to see what they're fighting."
"Excuse me, a rhino?" Potter couldn't understand.
"The last dealer we met was a humanoid rhinoceros." L explained, "Which brings us to the next problem."
Everyone was all ears as L explained: "That rhinoceros, as well as his accompanying warthog, they're known to be very dangerous criminals, who have been associated with the Foot Clan in New York."
"So?" Potter asked.
"The Foot Clan was a dangerous criminal organization." Keiko explained, "They used ninjitsu techniques to commit their crimes."
"Indeed." L continued, "If they had these two criminals on their side, it is possible they have that Clan as well. Or least what's left of them, as their leader died long ago."
"How can you be so sure about that?" Caine questioned, "I'm supposed to be dead myself."
"I'm fairly sure he's dead." was all L said, "But if not the Foot Clan, they may still have other people on their side who are just as dangerous."
"In either case, we could use all the help we can get." Potter deduced.
"So that's why you let me out." Katie hissed, "Just so I'd help you stop people from becoming stronger than you."
"Since you brought it up yourself..." L replied, "... here's what I had in mind. As you're inhabiting another person's body, it must be difficult for you to keep her from forcing you out, shutting out her thoughts, listening to her grieve about her boyfriend whom you murdered,..."
This is where it started to sound interesting for Katie: "What are you saying?"
"If you were to take some of this potion yourself..." L started.
"What?" the other three shouted in unison.
"The effects of the potion are only temporary." L explained, "However, if you were to take it, it may give you enough strength to finally fight whatever's left of Katie out of you."
"Wait a minute!" Potter sounded angry about this, "You're suggesting to let this demon completely take over that woman?"
"I'm only giving her a reason to want to cooperate with us." L explained, "Whether she'll actually take any will have to depend whether or not you stop her, or whether or not she's cunning enough to take some without any of you noticing. So what will it be, Miss Featherston? Are you up for another challenge?"
The demon that possessed Katie's body didn't need to think much about this. It remembered how about five years earlier, it had tried to drive Katie to insanity. In doing so, it weakened her mind, so she'd be less resistant to anything invading her mind. It left a clue, so they would look up what other people did when the same demon tried to invade other minds, so they wouldn't use an exorcist to cast him out. All this so he could have a physical body. And it worked. Unfortunately, the mind it has invaded had been screaming for help ever since. Until the moment it killed her boyfriend. Ever since, she has tried to cast the demon out herself, so she could kill herself, as she can't live without her boyfriend. She may think he's a bit of an asshole, but he was still her soulmate, or something like that. The demon got tired of hearing this, and on top of that if this woman indeed kills herself, the demon would have to find another body to try and invade. So it would be in its best interests if it would accept L's proposal.
Once everything was thought through, Katie nodded: "I accept your proposal."
"Then those tapes aren't necessary anymore." L told them.
"Oh no!" Caine protested, "I'm not gonna let something like that on the loose just yet!"
"No need to worry so much." Potter said.
"Why shouldn't I?" Caine asked him.
With that question, Potter took something out of his pocket. To the casual on-looker, it would look like just a stick, but when Potter waved it in front of the window's curtain, chanted "sectumspectra", it caused a tear to appear in the curtain, along with a huge crack in the window behind it.
Katie wasn't intimdated by that: "You would do that? And risk hurting this woman?"
Keiko seemed to agree: "Not exactly very threatening. Also, what would you do if your wand broke?"
Potter hadn't thought of that. And if this demon is as dangerous as she is made to seem, he needed to take that into account.
"In that case, I'd better get some help." Potter said, after which he made little distance between himself and the other three, "Although I hate doing this, but I'm in a hurry."
He waved his wand again, upon which he vanished into thin air with a loud bang.
Everyone present was surprised to see this, safe for Katie who appeared amused, and L and his companions, who knew he could do this.
"Shall I ask Watari to bring some clean clothes for Featherston to wear?" Near asked.
"You don't even have to ask me that." L answered.