Chapter 3

Death

L

Just sitting in class next to Raito was difficult. His idiotic mistake of not observing everything in the world as a precaution was frusterating. He had absolutely no idea Raito was coming to the world after him, he had time to prepare. Why? Why did he not prepare in advance? The intensity growing between the two of them was difficult.

L wasn't dead yet, but it hadn't even been a day, Raito'd have no chance to take out the Death Note and write his name in it. L wasn't even sure he had the Death Note. Was it time to take it to Lord Death? Raito didn't actually know his name did he.

Class was dismissed. Raito smiled at him, as though he knew the pain L was suffering through.

"Would you like to eat together, Ryuuzaki-san? I'm sure we have much to discuss about," Raito said as politely as possible.

He didn't even bother trying to call him Rue. "Anyday, Raito-kun, you are my partner, after all," L emphasized, as much as he could in his naturally monotone voice.

It was practically begging for his own life, using the fact that they were partners. It damaged his pride, the pride he had spent so much time increasing. When he was revealed, he never thought it'd be this difficult, but as he was sure Raito was still Kira, it was very possible he still had the Death Note with him.

Giving up position of the Death Note holder means losing all your memories, L repeated again. Ninety nine percent chance, he'd say, Raito still had the Death Note. And was his name safe? It's probably too late for me, he must have seen it in Rem's notebook.

They headed to lunch together, and sat down at a table, staring at each other.

"You deserve death," L said sullenly.

"I do not deserve anything, I'm only an innocent ten year old," Maka and Soul moved far from the conversation, realizing they had no part in it.

L took a bite of his cake, "So what was it, Rem dying for Misa? I miscalculated the shinigami's love for her,"

"Yes," Raito smiled, "I used Misa."

"You know if I only understood emotion as well as you do, I would not have made that mistake," L confessed.

"You really always have been clueless on emotion and bonds, I used that weakness as my strength," Raito replied, trusting no one else in the entire room knew what was going on.

"You aren't even denying the fact you remember everything, Raito, isn't that a little careless? Or is it because you have the Death Note and you think you've already won?"

"I do think I've already won," Raito replied. He realized what Raito had done. Raito put his hands behind his neck, untying something. He pulled a pouch out from underneath his shirt. L knew exactly what was inside of it.

"So how did you die?" asked L, delaying.

"The child Near, no, Nate River, he out witted me by using Mello. When I had Mikami write the names of everyone in the building but me, because he would be able to tell without my life span on my head, the child Near replaced the page with a regular notebook page while Mikami hid it. And so, all the names of the others were written on it but mine," Raito sighed, "I underestimated him."

"He is now the new L, isn't he," L stated.

"Probably," Raito pulled the notebook from the pouch hidden inside his shirt.

He's going to pull it out in front of me?

It was black, in small white lettering, the words Death Note were at the top. Just as he remembered.

"I hope you wrote something peaceful, the heart attack was painful," L said.

"I didn't, sorry," Raito turned the book around, showing it to him. Written in Raito's neat handwriting, L. Lawliet dies at 11:50 AM of a heart attack on December 12 of 2014.

"I have, what, five minuets?"

"No, you only have three,"

My last chance, L thought. He leapt over the table, suprising Raito immensely. I have three minuets to deliver justice. I feel like a slob doing it, however...

He tackled Raito and was about to deal a fatal blow to the neck, when suddenly, he felt something around his neck.

It was Soul's blade.

"That's uncool to kill the new kid," Soul said, using his new catch phrase again.

Sid came over, "What's all the commotion?" a group was gathering around Raito's fallen body and L sitting on top with a blade to his throat.

He's going to kill me and I can't do a single thing about it.

Raito started to laugh.

"Unacceptable behavior! I'm taking you to see Shinigami-sama right now,"

Raito was laughing, as L stood up, towering over him, the blade in his right hand.

No... The world seemed to freeze around him, as Sid grabbed his and Raito's arm, dragging them both upstairs. Raito still had the Death Note in his other hand. L followed blindly, unable to hear Sid's lectures.

Approximately two minuets thirty five seconds remaining.

They were getting louder again, the bells he heard every day. The voices always laughed. There was no one there to be his friend, not once, not ever. The boy on the other side of Sid was just a fake.

Approximately two minuets and twenty seconds remaining.

The count down just came closer and closer, two minuets that felt like two hours. Each second could be heard, ticking by on Raito's watch. The church bells kept on ringing. The gate with Whammy's name was getting clearer.

Approximately two minuets remaining.

Sid was still yelling at the two of them, when he would stop. L didn't know. But Raito was still laughing, it sounded just like the other childrens' laughter, the ones he used to hear all the time.

Approximately one minuet thirty seconds remaining.

They were at Lord Death's door. It opened, revealing the nice cloudy scene it did before. If this is where I'm going to die, it would be nice. Underneath all the arches, through it they walked.

Raito was still giggling on ecstasy. If he killed Sid right there and then, would he be able to make it to Raito and stab him? What a strange way to reveal himself completely, it was highly illogical for Raito to be laughing that way. But perhaps winning was so great for him, watching as L resorted to such a desperate thing, his day was made.

Approximately one minuet remaining.

"Hello!" Lord Death said cheerily, looking from Raito's grinning face to L's face. Raito still wasn't trying to hide it. L only hoped somehow they'd figure out without him.

Sid began speaking, letting go of their arms.

Now if I rush over, would I be able to make it in time?

Raito started staring at L.

Thirty seconds.

He wiggled his watch, as if to push the victory in place.

No, he was pushnig the victory in place, not the words, 'as if,' he literally was gloating about it.

Lord Death pushed Sid out of the way, unexpectedly, coming towards L. Sid stopped talking, "Shinigami-sama?"

Twenty seconds.

The mask seemed to frown, as he looked down at L. Than he looked at Raito, whose stupid grin was still etched over his face.

"Where did you get that notebook?"

Raito seemed to snap out of it, he looked up at the Shinigami.

Fifteen seconds...

"Oh, this? It was a gift, sir," Raito said.

"No need to use such formal words with me, may I see it?" asked the Shinigami.

Ten seconds.

"I'm sorry sir, this gift is very precious to me," Raito replied.

Seven seconds.

The Shinigami almost seemed to purse his lips, and he leaned down and grabbed the notebook from Raito's hand.

What is he doing?

Five seconds.

The Shinigami opened up the notebook, and there was his name.

Two seconds.

One second.

"Fuck you, Raito," L finally said, leaving the world, swearing. He had been raised properly as a detective, it was rediculous, vulgar, impolite, for him to resort to such things. But after living his entire life in confinement to the rules put up, he simply wanted to break them.

Raito ran over, catching L's falling body, for a second time, the hair falling around his face as he looked down at his body.

"No," Lord Death's voice was heard in the distance.

It felt as though his chest were ripping open, like it did last time. The world was on fire, and he could barely breathe. The sudden dizziness that gripped him caused the world to spin, Raito's face was everywhere.

You know you were my only friend.