A/N: I don't own Death note. Thanks for the reviews, guys. SasuneUchiha, you can stop crying now. Hehe. Sorry for the wait. Hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter 10: Prison Massacres
L had ventured off to his beloved vending machine of poison, leaving Light in the hotel room with the door locked. Ryuzaki's strange protective behavior had begun to show up in various ways. From constantly asking Light about the wound on his head and fetching Light anything he needed to adding seven more locks on the door and placing a tracking device on Light's clothes.
What bothered Light even more, was the fact he himself kind of enjoyed the detective's doting attention.
Light shook that thought from his mind and paced across the room. Then he headed toward L's laptop on the desk. Light sat at the desk and spotted a minimized email.
Out of curiosity, Light clicked on the email and realized it was from Watari. That's right; Watari didn't travel with us to the United States. What has he been up to all this time?
Light inquisitively scrolled down to read the email that was intended for L alone.
"What are you doing?" L's voice asked from behind him.
Light flinched. Shit! I didn't even hear him come in! Light turned to face him with a nervous smile.
L reached over him and turned off the laptop, "That's private, Light-kun."
"I know, sorry-"
L cut him off, "How much did you read?"
"Nothing," Light answered honestly for once, "I just know that Watari sent it."
"And do you know who Watari sent it to?" There was hint of frustration in L's voice.
"You." Light broke eye contact.
"Then why were you reading it?"
Is L actually angry over this? What the hell is in that email? "I don't know. I was just wondering where Watari had been."
"Watari is on important business," L replied vaguely, which only peeked Light's interest.
Light pried, "More important than helping us catch the New Kira?"
"Not quite, but it's something only Watari can do," Ryuzaki sat on his bed and opened up a bag of candy.
What? Something only Watari can do? Watari has known L for a long time, maybe it's personal business. Like family or something- No, for some reason L doesn't come across as a person with a family… Light watched as Ryuzaki happily ate his brightly-colored, sugary candy.
Then the door to their hotel room swung open and Matsuda rushed in, "You guys, turn on a television! It's New Kira!"
Ryuzaki immediately snatched a remote and pushed the power button.
On CNN, a female reporter announced in English, "New Kira has struck again. This time his target was seven different prisons, all around the same area in northeastern America."
The television showed images of thousands of dead inmates as the reporter continued, "Every single inmate in these prisons died of a heart attack within the same hour. Some of the staff at the prisons have died as well. All of the security cameras and computer data had also been completely destroyed. The public raves that this could only have been the work of the vicious New Kira."
L stood up and grabbed his laptop off the desk, "We must go to these prisons. Come on, Light-kun."
Light quickly followed Ryuzaki and a frantic Matsuda out of the room. New Kira has attacked again already? And at seven different prisons, he couldn't have been at them all at the same time. This slaughter must have been planned!
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After an hour long ride, Light and Ryuzaki had finally reached their destination; the closest attacked prison out of the seven. The huge American prison had hundreds of police cars parked all along the perimeter.
L, Light, and the investigation team exited the black van with tinted windows. Light watched as Ryuzaki had to continuously show his fake I.D. to gain the American police's approval.
One policeman pointed at Light and asked in English, "What about this boy's I.D.?"
Boy? I guess I do look too young to be a policeman. Light was about lie but L intervened.
Ryuzaki placed a hand on Light's shoulder, "He's my assistant and a personal friend of L's."
Was the second part really necessary? Light just nodded and walked with L to the prison's entrance. The rest of the investigation team waited outside.
As soon as Light entered the building, he noticed piles of dead bodies with white sheets covering them. I have to admit that this slaughter was a bit more commendable. All the New Kira killed was just criminals. They're scum of the earth anyway.
Down the main hallway, a red-haired American woman in business outfit called out in English, "Hey, are you the ones sent by L?"
L waved in his happy yet odd way, "We sure are. I am Ryuzaki and this is Light."
She unexpectedly took Ryuzaki's hand, "I'm Ms. Parks. I am so glad that you are here!"
Ryuzaki blinked a couple times, "Well, that's nice."
Ms. Parks looked as if she was on the verge of tears, "You have to capture this murdering bastard!"
All the New Kira did was murder some murderers. Why is she so upset? Light couldn't comprehend this strange woman.
Suddenly, Ms. Parks started to drag L away, "Please, come into my office! I will give you anything you want!"
While L was being forcefully dragged off by the crazed woman, he called out in Japanese, "Light-kun, Help me!"
Is L afraid of her or something? Light smirked and followed them into the office.
Everything in the office was intact except for the smashed in computer. L and Light sat on a couch while Ms. Parks frantically paced back and forth.
Ryuzaki began to interview her, "So Ms. Parks, can you tell us your job here at the prison?"
"I was a psychologist. I gave the inmates therapy so they could function in society," Ms. Parks's voice turned shaky, "when it was their time to go free…"
Ryuzaki nodded, "I see. Did you work at all of the prisons that were attacked?"
"No, only this one."
"This is important," L insisted, "Do you know anyone who did work at all seven of the attacked prisons?"
Ms. Parks folded her arms, "Hmm. There was…this one man who did. But he quit before the attacks."
"Did he quit before Russia was nuked?"
"Well," she paused for awhile, "Yeah. Yeah, he did."
Light straightforwardly asked, "What is the man's name?"
"Oh. I don't really know his whole name," she replied, "He went by Dr. Konstantinov."
L's pitch black eyes shot wide open, "A Russian last name?"
"Yes, actually I think Dr. Konstantinov was born in Russia. But he never really seemed to like the place," the clueless lady added, "Which is good because it would have been horrible if he'd been killed while visiting there."
Light pried, "Did he see all of the criminals at the seven prisons?"
Ms. Parks looked worried, "Is Dr. Kon a suspect?"
L shook his head, "Not yet. Please answer all of our questions."
She sighed, "Now that you mention it, Dr. Kon did insist on meeting with every single inmate at least once. I just thought he was a dedicated psychologist like myself. He was very private too and always writing away in some notebook."
"Notebook?" Light and Ryuzaki both leaned forward at the same time.
"Yeah, you know, some psychologists like to take notes during therapy. It's not at all that uncommon," Ms. Parks sat down at her desk.
Light continued to question her, "What about his personality? What did he think about the death penalty?"
"Death penalty? I believe that he supported it. Personally, I don't blame him. Dr. Kon would talk to serial killers and pedophiles on regular basis. That's enough to make anyone's view jaded, I think."
So this Konstantinov may very well be the New Kira. Light glanced over at L who obviously thought the same thing.
L asked, "Ms. Parks, is there any information on Dr. Konstantinov that hasn't been destroyed? Or can you at least direct us to someone who knows his first name?"
Ms. Parks shifted nervously in her chair, "All the computers are destroyed and all of the staff who knew Dr. Kon pretty well are dead too. I'm sorry; he never told anyone his first name. He insisted that we call him Dr. Kon or Arik."
"Arik?" L tilted his head the side, "How would Dr. Konstantinov spell that?"
Ms. Parks spelt it out, "A-R-I-K."
L nodded, "Just as I thought. He's either cocky or incredibly stupid."
Light quickly realized, "If you spell it backwards, it's Kira."
Ms. Parks gasped, "Oh, my God! You think Dr. Kon is Kira?!"
"New Kira," Light hastily corrected her.
"Oh, my God," Ms. Parks leaned back in her chair.
L stood up, "Ms. Park, do you have any pictures or videos of Dr. Konstantinov?"
"No, he always said he hated taking pictures. And all the security cameras and all its footage is destroyed," she held her head in her hands.
"That's okay. Can you give a description of him to a police sketching artist?"
"Yes, of course," Ms. Parks stood up, "I'll do anything I can to-"She gasped.
Suddenly she placed a hand over her heart as she fell to her knees.
"Ms. Parks!" L immediately kneeled beside her.
New Kira's giving her a heart attack! Light hurried over to the dying woman.
Even though Ms. Parks was obviously in pain, she muttered, "Twenty-eight. Tall. White," She gritted her teeth and forced herself to continue. "Blonde. Brown…"
She collapsed head first toward the floor but L caught her. L had her propped up yet her neck hung limp to the side.
Light stood in front of them in shock.
Ryuzaki pointlessly checked her pulse then solemnly concluded, "Dead."
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Light had given thousands of people heart attacks but at the same time, he never had to witness one so close up before. It didn't seem anywhere near as idealistic as his original thought of passing judgment on the sinful ones. Of course it didn't, Ms. Parks wasn't a criminal. New Kira killed her so she couldn't help authorities catch him. But hadn't Light done the same thing in other cases…
Light sat next to L in the black van as it took off, away from the prison filled with corpses. L was on the laptop and the investigation team was conversing about something but Light wasn't even paying attention.
L had compared me to the New Kira before… But I still have to have more morals than that bastard, right? Light gazed out the window. Too much has happened lately. When the hell have I, Kira, EVER doubted myself before?
"Light-kun," L tapped his shoulder.
"What?"
"I think you may find this interesting," L showed Light the laptop screen, which showed a lot of old records.
L explained, "I believe that the New Kira has personal reasons for despising Russia. So I searched the last name Konstantinov and look at what I managed to find."
Light took the laptop and spotted the records on a Konstantinov family's deaths.
Ryuzaki continued, "Russia became a democracy in the early 1990's. According to Ms. Parks, our suspect is twenty-eight. So when he was younger, Russia was still Communist. These records show that a Konstantinov family had secretly made plans to help a rebellion against the Communist government at that time. The Communist government had the whole family killed except for the youngest son."
Light scrolled down, looking at the records then spotted a picture of family before they were massacred. In the picture, there was a little boy with blonde hair and dark eyes. Light recalled Ms. Parks's last words which were 'blonde' and 'brown'. She was obviously describing New Kira's hair and eye color.
"Does it say the first name of the boy?" Light asked.
"No," L shook his head, "All of the main records were destroyed when Russia was nuked."
That Bastard! Light glared at the picture on the screen. He killed millions of Russians because of what happened to ONE family! He also probably nuked Russia because most of his records were there! This New Kira is one selfish son of bitch. Unworthy of Kira's name. Once I get the chance, I write his name on Death note paper myself. Light eyed his watch, where he kept his secret shard of Death note paper.
"Light-kun, I know seeing a madman disgrace Kira's name must be hard for you," Ryuzaki unexpectedly announced.
Light snapped at him, "I'm not Kira!"
L sighed, "I don't really think that the First Kira is as bad as this New Kira."
Damn right, I'm not! Light had to force himself not to smile over L's compliment.
L continued, "But I do believe that power has obviously gone to the New Kira's head and I know that the same thing will happen to the original Kira as well."
No, it won't, rang out Light's strong-willed denial. I have a purpose, a higher calling. This wretched world will soon turn into a paradise thanks to me.
"The power of the Death note is not something that a human can handle without losing himself," L declared, "It is a power that can and will continue to corrupt you as long as you possess it. In time you'll become just as bad as or worse than the New Kira. I see…an overwhelming change in you when you discard the Death note, it's like you automatically regain your innocence… Personally, I respect that Light more than the power-hungry Light with a Death note."
L… Light forced an uncaring response, "That would have been a great speech if I was Kira, Ryuzaki."
Ryuzaki just shook his head, probably out of frustration. The investigation stayed quiet, not sure what do in this awkward situation.
L still gazed at Light then said in English so the others wouldn't understand, "How do you think Kira would feel about my speech, Light?"
That surprised Light, especially since L switched to English just so the others couldn't eavesdrop.
Light looked back out the window and replied in English, "I think…he would be grateful, Ryuzaki."
End of Chapter 10
Oh Yeah!