Final part of the countdown: 1

Masako awoke at dawn looking down at the man sleeping in her arms. She kissed him on the forehead, stroking his messy white hair gently. Gradually disentangling herself from him, she slid out of the bed carefully as not to wake him. They were both still fully dressed. Nothing had occurred between them except for words and a few kisses. They had taken on the serious discussion of redefining their relationship. Deciding it was too late to come to a conclusion on such a crucial matter with no sleep, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms in agreement that it should be deliberated another day.

Once she was back in her room, she dressed in jeans and a sweater. She kissed Hideki on the cheek then grabbed her heavy coat. A walk in the still quietness of dawn and the crisp cold air would help her clear her head. A lone figure in black at the gate caught her eye as soon as she walked out of the door. It was odd that the figure did not move as she approached. Was it a person? A white puff of smoke from the air they exhaled confirmed that the life form was indeed human.

"Can I help you?" she queried with a smile on her face.

She gasped when the person pushed back the hood. Golden blond hair was exposed and sharp blue eyes met hers. Hurrying to open the gate, she ran out to him so she could throw her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're alive," she murmured, leaning back to look at his face. Her fingers trembled as they reached up to touch the dark, disfiguring scar that covered almost the whole left side of his face. She gingerly touched the brownish purple skin that looked like scorched, crumpled paper. It felt dry and rough under her fingertips; that was no ordinary burn scar.

"Oh, Mello," she gasped, pressing her lips to his mutilated cheek.

"Don't," he spoke in a low gentle voice, pushing her away slightly. "You don't have to do that. I know I disgust you more than ever now."

"Come inside," she insisted after feeling the frigid temperature of his skin beneath her lips. He must have been out here for hours, and she would not take no for an answer.

They were sitting in the warm kitchen drinking coffee and talking when Near walked in.

"I was wondering where you went when I woke up alone," Near said, kissing her briefly on the lips.

Masako hid behind her coffee mug to avoid the gaping stare of Mello. There seemed to a lot of people wearing that expression here lately and she was always the cause of it.

"Well, isn't that something," the stunned blonde managed to mutter before going back to his coffee.

She did not bother to tell him it was not the something he was thinking. He was well within his rights to think what he pleased. If it had been that something he was thinking, she and Near were well within their rights to do that as well.

"Did you still want to go through with our plan?" she asked Mello, bumping his foot with hers to bring his full attention to her.

"What plan?" Near asked, sitting down with them. He pulled his foot onto the chair to bring his knee under his chin.

"You didn't tell him?" Mello questioned her.

"Not yet. I wanted you to be here so we could explain it together. I had faith in you that you would keep your promise," she said, meeting his stare of astonishment. "Is it that shocking?"

"No. It means a lot that you believed in me," he told her, returning the smile since the shock wore off.

"What plan?" Near repeated, clutching her hand to get her attention. He did not care much for the unspoken communication between the two of them. His mind still wandered to places it should not when he thought about Mello holding her in captivity for almost a month.

"Tomorrow we will begin. It will start with the Death Note I brought here," she stated matter of factly. "Here is what we will do…"

~\..'../~

Masako chewed on her lip nervously while she waited for Light to answer the phone. After an almost sensual hello, she winced. Hearing his voice had that effect on her. She also wanted to vomit but that would have to wait.

"Light," she said, giving him time to recognize her voice. She shuffled around restlessly during the extensive pause.

"Where are you?" he demanded in a low, ominous voice.

"I'm yours. Come get me," she murmured seductively.

"Where?" There was a distinctive tone of curiosity and excitement in his voice.

"In three days, come to the Royal Winchester Hotel. I will be waiting for you in room 404. Be there at nine PM," she told him, enduring another lengthy silence.

"What do you mean that you will be mine?" Suspicion tainted his otherwise smooth voice.

Masako gulped so she could get out the next words. "I mean just that. I'm yours. I won't run from you any longer because I know how much you want me. You can do anything to me."

"Anything?" he repeated to verify she meant it.

"Anything."

"I'll be there."

~\..'../~

Masako paced the room like a caged animal waiting for the hunter to come retrieve her. She checked her appearance again in the mirror. Her dress was a plain, dark red wrap around dress. What was underneath would be what piqued his interest and held his attention. Her fingers poked at stray curls, attempting to push them back into the loose bun with the others. They refused to cooperate and dropped back down to softly frame her face. A knock sounded on the door and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was nine right on the dot. No surprise there – the epic tight ass was punctual as ever. She purposely waited for the second, more insistent knock before going to open the door.

"Light," she gasped, genuinely breathless from his appearance. He was wearing a dark brown suit with a peach colored shirt underneath and silk tie the same color as his shirt. His lustrous golden brown hair was haloed from the soft amber glow of the lights in the hallway. Pressing her hand to her fluttering belly, she willed herself not the throw up because of the golden god at her door who was the devil in disguise.

"You're beautiful," he complimented, handing her a bouquet of red roses the same color as her dress.

"I was just thinking the same thing about you," she rejoined, moving back so he could walk in. "Have you been doing well?"

"No," he answered curtly, laying the roses on the dresser.

"Why is that?" she inquired helping him slide his immaculately pressed jacket down his arms. She carelessly flung it over the chair in the corner to watch him cringe. A wicked smile tilted her lips when he walked away from her to the chair to straighten out the jacket.

"Misa committed suicide the night you called me. I think she might have overheard our phone call," he explained casually. He might as well be discussing the weather for all the emotion he showed for the death of his longtime girlfriend.

"Aren't you just the slightest bit upset?" This did not surprise her any more than the news of Misa's suicide. She had planned for both.

"I was. But I got over it," he rejoined callously.

Bastard straight from the pits of hell! He would be going home soon.

Masako gasped when she felt his hands on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip when he massaged them with his big strong hands. It felt good. She did not want him to do things to her that felt good.

"You're so tense. Are you afraid of me?" He dug his fingers into the tight muscles to loosen them up.

"A little. I haven't been with a man since L," she told him truthfully.

"Oh, that's a shame. A lovely woman such as yourself who has so much to offer," he said, turning her to face him. "Why are you offering it to me now?"

"You said you would take care of me. I've never been able to find anyone else who could. I regretted running away from you. Then I was afraid that even if I came back to you that you would not accept me so I just stayed away." She lied just like she had been trained, making it sincere enough that he gave the impression he believed her.

"I could kill you. I still have a Death Note in my possession. Although I think I would enjoy it more to kill you with my bare hands," he threatened her, wrapping his long fingers around her throat.

Light was bluffing. He had no clue where the Death Note was because Misa had buried it unbeknownst to him before committing suicide. Everything was going according to plan.

Masako placed her palms flat against his chest feeling the impressive muscles rippling under her touch. Although she would not say so out loud, he had become quite a man. What a sad waste of something so gorgeous. She smiled at him, loosening his tie a bit. "You won't kill me that way. You would make a mess and get your clothes dirty. Besides, you've waited too long for this to kill me already."

Light stared down at her with eyes that glowed as if embers had been placed behind them. A lopsided smirk of victory tilted his lips as his fingers moved down her neck and over her shoulders. His eyes looked into hers as his hands glided over the tops of her breasts peeking out of her low cut dress then moved down her body.

Masako could feel her body trembling under his touch and wanted to run. She wanted to close her eyes to break contact with his but forced herself to hold the ardent gaze. Her heart skipped a few beats when she felt him pull the bow that was responsible for holding her dress together. She was surprised his eyes never wavered from hers as the soft fabric slid back exposing her body to him.

"Oh, my god," he breathed, looking at the skimpy pieces of lace that were supposed to be a bra and panty set.

"Aren't you talking to yourself?" she commented smartly. "You should say, oh, my goddess."

She studied him in silence as he dropped to his knees in front of her. Power surged within her making her feel hot and slightly dizzy. The god was on his knees worshipping her. Goose bumps covered her body as he pulled the dress down her arms to remove it. She gasped when he pressed his lips to her belly beneath her navel. Her fingers twined themselves into his perfect hair as he kissed her body again but lower. On the third kiss, just above the lace of the panties that barely covered her crotch, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled to make him stop.

"Not so fast," she scolded him, urging him to stand up by pulling his hair in an upward direction. "I need to undress you."

This would be so much easier if he was as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside. Masako's shaking fingers loosened and unknotted his tie, pulling it from his shirt. She took her time unbuttoning his shirt. It was impossible to not have a reaction when she pushed open his shirt to reveal his tanned and toned chest. Her hands slid his shirt over his wide shoulders and down his muscular arms. Why couldn't he look like the monster he is? Her eyes glimpsed her watch as she trailed her fingers down his chest. 9:16. Forty-four minutes until show time. That is a long time to distract him.

"Would you like a drink? I have some wine. Let me –" She attempted to move toward it, but he held her firmly, pulling her against him. The skin to skin contact was so enticing and made her feel weak with arousal. Damn her body! That was not supposed to be happening.

"No. I just want you," he murmured, sliding his arms around her.

Masako closed her eyes when he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle and easy at first but rapidly transformed into something forceful and provocative. She moaned when he held her by the hips, pushing against her so she could feel how much he wanted her. Her body responded with a rush of moisture from sexual stimulation that she found highly upsetting. With someone else this would have been a welcome reaction but not him. She ripped her lips from his, pushing him back from her.

"You may not need a drink, but I do," she muttered, grabbing the wine bottle. She twisted off the cap, thankful that even premium winemaker's were foregoing the corks in favor of convenience. Not bothering with a glass she took several large gulps before offering it to him.

"I find your lack of refinement sexy. I always have," he commented, his eyes glittering in a sinister way. He took a few dainty sips from the bottle.

Masako somehow resisted the overpowering desire to laugh at the persistently prissy man. She took the bottle back, turning away from him. This was the wrong thing to do considering she was wearing a thong and he had not seen her back side yet.

"Oh, my goddess!" he exclaimed, placing his hands on her bared butt cheeks. He remembered her admonition from earlier. Slamming her against the dresser, he trapped her body firmly between his and the heavy piece of furniture.

"Light, stop!" she yelled, pushing back against him which she found out quickly was a mistake. A sharp shriek tore from her throat when he held her waist and rubbed his rigid member against her behind.

"I need you," he murmured, unhooking her bra since it was conveniently in front him.

Masako squealed when it dropped to the floor. She made a bizarre squeaking noise when he covered her breasts with his hands, caressing and squeezing them.

"You make some of the cutest noises," he chuckled, kissing her cheek.

She turned despite her breasts being bared now so she could push him back to the bed. She permitted him to kiss her while she held her hand up over his shoulder to see her watch. 9:32. Pushing him down on the bed, she fell on top of him. Before she could roll away from him, his arms moved around her to embrace her tightly. Her body ceased struggling when he emitted an odd choking sound that was almost a sob.

"Light?" Was he crying? She pushed up on his chest, looking down at him. Brushing back his long brown bangs, she could see his brown eyes brimming with tears as he looked at her. Fear crept in like a crafty intruder and took hold of her. Why was he acting this way?

"I never meant to hurt them. Sayu, my father, Misa…not even L. Unfortunately, sacrifices had to be made. They had to die for the sake of creating a perfect world," he said, his voice no longer soft or sad. There was a brittle, sharp edge that cut across her nerves and amplified the terror growing within her. "My perfect world. What are you going to be Masako? A sacrifice? Or a saint?"

"I have something to take the pain away, Light. I can help you," she told him, kissing his lips briefly.

Rolling off of him toward the night table, she opened the drawer and reached in. She pulled out something wrapped in a pristine white handkerchief. Opening the bundle carefully, she revealed the gun inside. She made sure to keep the handkerchief between her fingers and the gun as she held it.

"Here," she stated serenely, laying the gun on his bare belly. She smiled when he flinched and hissed from the touch of the cold metal. "You'll need this."

Light picked up the gun, staring at it in confusion. He aimed the gun at her when she stood up from the bed. His eyes and the gun followed her as she calmly walked around the room gathering her clothes to redress. "Aren't you afraid I'm going to kill you?"

"No," she answered curtly, sliding her dress on. "You're going to kill yourself."

"What?" he snorted disdainfully, standing up.

Masako went to her purse, pulling out an envelope that she laid on the table beside the bed.

"This note is your confession to being Kira. In your obsession to be a god, you caused the deaths of many innocent people including several people you loved. It also lists hundreds of the people you killed. I know it's not all of them but it's enough to make it irrefutable. You came to this hotel room to kill yourself because you could no longer take the guilt," she explained to him in an eerily tranquil voice. She had gone to her not so happy place where emotions were detached and stone cold killers can be made. Thanks to him she had learned how to do that.

"There's no way – " His body moved as if compelled by a higher force. He brought the muzzle of the gun to his temple. "No. NO! This can't be happening!"

"Your time of death will be ten PM on the minute. I know how much you appreciate punctuality. It is now 9:47. Good-bye, Light," she told him with a startling finality.

"No! You can't do this to me! I'm a god you hear me! I will destroy you!" he shouted, pressing the muzzle into his skin. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Yes, you are a god Light. You gave birth to a goddess when you killed L but you did not know it yet. You considered yourself the god of justice therefore I am the goddess of vengeance. It is my duty to avenge those who died from your misguided brand of justice. 9:53, Light. How does it feel?" Masako inquired in that sinister calm voice, callous to the tears streaming down his cheeks. "How does it feel knowing that you are about to die and you're powerless to stop it? What is it like to have no control?"

"You can't do this to me," he growled through clenched teeth, sweat running down his face to mix with the tears. Some of the sweat combined with the blood trickling from the wound he had caused from pressing the gun into his skin so forcefully. The red line crept down his face, his neck, and over his chest marring his absolute beauty.

"I am a saint and you are the sacrifice. Go to hell, Light, where you belong," she snarled with a sneer on her face.

"Masako!" Mello yelled at her coming into the room. "You need to leave. It's 9:57. You shouldn't be here for this!"

"I want to stay. I want to see him die," she stated tonelessly, staring at Light who was sweating and bleeding more profusely.

9:58

"Get out!" Mello insisted, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her. She refused to move and she was frightening him with her morbid insistence on watching the horrific event.

"Good-bye," Light told her, his finger squeezing the trigger.

"NO!" Mello yelled, covering her eyes with his hand and pulling her out of the room with an arm around her waist.

10:00 PM. A sound like a firecracker going off split the air just as Mello hauled her from the room.

"It's over," she declared weakly, leaning against him.

They were both panting from the horror of the situation and the slight struggle that she had given him.

"Let's go home," he suggested. "Near's waiting for you. He will be worried."

~\..'../~

Three days ago…

After hanging up from her call with Light, Masako retrieved the Death Note she had stolen when she ran from him. She went to Roger's office where Near and Mello waited for her. Kissing Near gently on the lips, she offered him a smile to comfort him and assure him that she knew what she was doing. She handed Mello the Death Note.

Mello had volunteered to write the names of Misa Amane and Light Yagami into the notebook for her. He had already used a Death Note once when he had received it for the trade of Sayu Yagami.

The following is the instructions she gave him to write for Misa:
Misa Amane will bury the notebook she has been using in an undisclosed location. She will die by suicide at five thirty four tomorrow evening. She will jump from the window of her thirteenth floor apartment that she shares with Light Yagami. She will land at the feet of her longtime boyfriend who is just arriving home from work.

"Is this necessary?" Mello asked not really wanting to kill Misa.

"Yes. I want to destroy him fully. Misa and that notebook are all he has left since the task force members abandoned him. I will take away the one person he has who believes in him," she said with no emotion.

She had struggled with this decision at first not wanting to hurt Misa. She was able to make peace with her choice because Misa was not an innocent victim in this situation. The woman was not a blameless child tricked into her actions. She was a stupid woman who had willingly and gladly used the notebook to please Light.

Description for Light Yagami's death as requested by Masako Lawliet: Light Yagami will commit suicide by shooting himself in the head at exactly ten PM in room 404 at the Royal Winchester Hotel.

Zero…

"I can't live in a world without Light." ~Misa Amane

"Yes. That would be a dark world." ~ L Lawliet in response to Misa.

This is not the end yet. One more chapter. :D There will be no more teases about the relationship between Masako and Near.