A/N: So after forever and a day I decided to get off my lazy ass (or… actually get on it, as I am sitting as I type this…) and work on this. Because really I love the idea and it is fun to write… I'm just lazy. As stated above. But uh… FurikoMaru, I'm going to have to ask you not to give me any cookies… I don't like sweets… I know I don't deserve to call myself an L-fan! –Sobs- I can't help it! I just don't like them!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: How to Catch Up to Kira in Three Days
First things being first, Wednesday needed to gather more information. This proved more difficult than she had at first anticipated. Obviously, the rest of the family was oblivious, so they would be no help at all. What's more, when she accessed Uncle Wammy's computer system, she found that all the data had been deleted, all except for one file. An email file that appeared to arrived one day after her uncle's death.
The missing data alone was highly suspicious, and only strengthened her reasoning of Wammy's secret identity. The email was far more interesting. It seemed to have been sent a day or two before the fact, and the wacky worldwide web had simply misplaced it for that time period. The contents of the email were thus:
W-
Contact the orphanage. I have a feeling their services may be needed soon. My suspicions against YL have increased, and I am certain that the capturing of Yotsuba is the prelude to the final movement should I be correct.
I want to make sure all the information I have is available to M and N in case the worst should occur.
-
It was unsigned, and no names were mentioned. The return-address was routed through several other countries and completely untraceable. In fact the computer crashed, apparently due to some sort of virus, as soon as Wednesday thought she was getting close. Of course, she had enough foresight to have printed out the letter first.
Anyone else would have seen it as useless. Suspicious, but useless. To Wednesday Addams, the letter was all that was needed to develop a scheme.
Before anything else, Wednesday left her Uncle's computer to sizzle and went to her own. It was easy enough to do a search on Yotsuba, which revealed that it was a Japanese multi-purpose company that had recently gained a startling profit at an incredible pace, and then suddenly bombed.
Next she typed in 'Yotsuba. Company. Capture.'
What popped up were several police reports one of which let slip the final words of one Kyosuke Higuchi. "There's a notebook that kills the person whose name you write in it if you know what they look like!"
"Interesting." Wednesday smiled. Obviously, she was going to have to go to Japan… but that was a problem to be dealt with later. For now, there was one last thing she needed, one final piece of the puzzle.
…
Near slid the final piece into place, gazing at the puzzle that had been his favorite ever since he'd received it. L was dead. Mello had left. And now all he had to work with was some garbled data that Roger had managed to rescue from the already closing lines of L's computer system.
The phone in the hallway rang. Near ignored it, like he always did. One of the nurses, called Shelly, answered the phone good-naturedly. It was always the nurses who answered.
"Hello! Wammy's House Orphanage, Nurse Shelly speaking how may I help-" Her bright greeting was cut off, presumably by the person on the other end of the line. Near's curiosity was piqued to just the slightest degree. "W-what do you…? No I'm sorry, I don't think… But… I don't know any 'M'… One of the children here? 'N'? I'm sorry I'm going to need more than a letter, Miss…" Near's eyes widened, his mind calculating fiercely. He sprang to his feet and walked to the phone.
"Give it to me." Near's voice barred any argument, and Shelly handed the phone over looking fearful. "Go find Roger." She nodded and hurried off. "This is N. Who am I speaking to?"
"Good. That worked better than I thought it would." An apathetic female voice answered. "You can call me… Hmm, well I suppose 'W' would be open now, wouldn't it?" Near blinked. This person couldn't possibly be insinuating that, could they? Only one way to find out.
"Obviously neither of us is going to get anywhere fast asking questions we refuse to answer directly." Near said, "So why don't you get to the point?"
"I know L is dead. I know Watari is dead. I know this orphanage, and you in particular, have something to do with L and the Kira Investigation. I want Kira, I want him dead to be specific. Meaning of course that any information you can give me is the reason I have called." The girl stated matter-of-factly.
"You certainly know how to get to the point." Near smiled. "I'm afraid, however, that I cannot divulge any of that information."
"So I was right." The voice replied, and Near was momentarily thrown. "Thank you, while not quite as helpful, verification is appreciated all the same."
"Oh, you're good." The pale boy laughed.
"Naturally." The 'W' girl's voice carried a smiling tone now.
"Why are you after Kira?" Near asked.
"Why are you?" Came the retort. But Near knew better this time.
"Who says I am?"
"Oh, learning, are we?" The voice sounded intrigued, and a bit annoyed.
"Perhaps." Near smirked.
"Should I need a reason other than that he is a mass-murderer?" W seemed to be more defensive now. Near put a hand to his head and twirled a lock of his hair.
"That seems like a question only you can answer…" Near paused, considering. Suddenly, Roger appeared being led by an anxious Nurse Shelly. "I believe this conversation is over. Call here again and they'll be able to put you through to me. Ask for N as you did this time. In the meantime I will decide what I might tell you." Near hung up the phone sharply and turned to talk to the caretaker.
"Near! What was that about? Shelly said there was some suspicious phone call from someone who said that Quillsh Wammy was Watari!" Roger exclaimed.
"There appears to be a new player…" Near responded simply. "I wouldn't worry… yet." And with that, the pale boy returned to his puzzle.
…
Wednesday hung up the phone with a small, satisfied smile. Of course, she hadn't expected anyone succeeding L to be stupid enough to give information to a stranger. Nonetheless it was… disappointing. She hated it when she had to alter her plans.
The final piece appeared to be something she'd have to find in Japan. Japan… where Kira was. If you want to find a person, it only makes sense to look where they are, really.
There were two reasonable options for getting to Japan; Wednesday chose the less time-consuming path.
The book of Greed took her to the treasury. There she gathered what was definitely an excess of gold but… in for a penny, in for a pound, after all. Besides it was always best to allow for unforeseen circumstances. Murphy's Law and whatnot. Packing her suitcase was hardly a problem. There, preparations finished, Wednesday had but two problems left.
Wednesday Addams was a naturally introverted girl, withdrawn and constantly seeming to appear and disappear when you least expected it. This was, of course, enthusiastically encouraged by her parents. Meaning that when she had some sort of project and wanted to be alone, she was left alone.
Except for Thing. Despite being only a hand, he had a nose for trouble that often led the appendage straight to the perpetrator. Now was no different, and the mute creature was bouncing up and down on the dark girl's bed, gesticulating wildly with obvious disapproval.
"Don't be foolish, Thing." Wednesday ordered calmly. "They wouldn't understand." More flailing. Only Addams family members were ever capable of making sense of Thing's particular brand of sign language. Then again, only an Addams would take an animated hand in stride.
"Simple." She answered. "It won't be dangerous at all. For me." Thing made a skeptical movement. "I know what I'm doing. Besides, if I'm going to rule the world, then I can't let an amateur like Kira gain such power." Thing jerked back and forth frantically.
"I refuse to dignify that with an answer." Wednesday replied simply. "I'm going. You can either come, or I'm going to lock you in that trunk so that you cannot inform anyone else of my plans until it is too late." Thing sprang up immediately, leaping from the bed and racing across the floor on his fingers like a macabre spider. Wednesday didn't even bat an eyelash. The old plastic aquarium she'd rigged by the doorframe toppled over as Thing unwittingly tripped the dust-covered wire, successfully trapping him.
"I did warn you." She informed him blithely, walking over and sliding the makeshift prison over to the trunk, flipping the load and its unhappy victim in with a quick maneuver. Wednesday slammed the lid home, and calmly went to retrieve her suitcase, and the black handbag full of money. With a sardonic wave at the thumping trunk, the girl slipped out the window, skillfully sliding down the vines on the outside wall, and landing gracefully on the damp grass.
"Looks like I'll have to book a special flight." She sighed, hitching the shoulder strap on her handbag higher and setting off at an even pace for the street leading into the city.
Tbc…
A/N: I am sorry it took so long to get it finished and posted... Do please forgive me. And review! Review alot! Or I'll take even longer with the third chapter. -dramatic lightning clash of doom-