A/N: I don't own Death Note. Thanks everyone for the reviews, they always make me happy. There's just one thing that I want to clear up because the hilarious SasuneUchiha seems to be confused. As if right now in the story, Arik does NOT know L's name. Arik has not met L, nor has he seen L's face yet. That's why Arik was asking for a picture of L. Also all that Arik has is a vague description of what L looks like. Anyway, sorry the delay. But really thanks for the reviews, you too, SasuneUchiha! XD
Chapter 18: Threat
L's alive. Light never imagined that he'd ever be so happy from hearing that. The great news rang throughout Light's mind as New Kira furiously plotted a strategy.
It's over Arik, Light smirked. When L comes, I'll give descriptions of you to police sketchers, I'll tell L everything I know about you, I'll find your full name and I WILL KILL YOU. I will make you regret the day you EVER laid a hand on me for your own sick pleasure and opened my eyes to the stupidity of the 'Perfect world.'
Arik told the female New Kira follower, "We're leaving as soon as possible. Also we're torching the base before we leave."
"Yes sir," she hurried out of the workroom.
There's no way in hell I'm leaving. Light resentfully watched Arik.
Arik turned to face Light, "Light, you will stay outside of the base while it's burning down. When L comes or when you get back to him, I want you to bring L to St. James Park on the day after tomorrow at noon. I'll be there to see his face and I will finally kill him."
"If you don't bring L," Arik continued with an intimidating tone, "I will write your name in my Death Note and I'll write that you'll walk to certain area where I'll find you."
Fuck you, Arik. Light angrily glared at New Kira. Light's refusal to answer infuriated Arik.
Suddenly, Arik slammed Light against the wall and threatened him, "If you don't bring L to me, I WILL torture you, I WILL rape you, I WILL KILL YOU! Do you understand me?!"
Making me choose between my own life and L's… "Yeah, I get it…" Unexpectedly, Light kneed Arik in the stomach and shoved him away, "Now, get the fuck off of me!"
Arik stepped back, looking surprised.
The Death God, Reficul laughed obnoxiously as he levitated, "The First Kira is getting feisty, isn't he?"
Arik snatched Light's arms and pinned him to the wall, "Also when L comes to find you, you need to look as if I tortured you. Since I haven't killed you, L may use that as evidence to say you're Kira and lock you away. But if it appears that I've been abusing you, it'll be easier for people to believe that you aren't Kira."
Arik leaned forward near Light's face, "Now the only question is…How should I abuse you?" Arik ran one of his hands down toward Light's pants.
Suddenly, Light banged his head into Arik's forehead. Then while Arik was stunned Light kicked him away.
Light hatefully declared, "You know what, Arik?! You can punch me, you can strangle me, you can kick me. But you will NEVER do THAT to me, I rather die!!!"
The Death God, Reficul tauntingly snickered, "You're losing your control over him, Arik."
Without warning, Arik rushed toward Light and punched him in the face. Light crashed into the wall then Arik immediately started strangling him, "If you insist, Light!"
I can't breathe. Light desperately tried to yank off Arik's hands that were tightly gripping his throat. Then Arik finally released Light's neck.
Before Light could take in one breath, Arik hit him again even harder.
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In the early evening, L and the investigation team sped down the street in the black van with tinted windows. On the designated street, there was a fairly tall building that was up in flames with swarm of police cars and emergency vehicles surrounding it.
Damn, were we too late? L anxiously watched as firefighters tried to extinguish the flames that consumed the building.
Mr. Yagami parked the van next to a police car. Then L stepped out and headed to toward a policeman.
L showed his fake I.D. to the policeman then asked in English, "Did New Kira escape?"
"It looks that way. When we got here, the building was already on fire. But we did find a Japanese boy-"
Light-kun! L quickly dashed through the crowd of policemen to the burning building.
Once L reached the front of the building, he spotted Light on the ground next an ambulance worker.
L hurried toward him, "Light-kun!" Then he stood still in front of Light in shock. Light was injured, badly injured…
Light was struggling to sit up as the ambulance worker checked his wounds. Light had bruises around his neck, bleeding cuts on his arms and legs, and blood on his face where someone had obviously hit him. L kneeled beside him, "Light-kun…"
"Hey, Ryuzaki," Light smiled even though it looked like it caused him physical pain. "I must look pretty pathetic right now, huh?" Light appeared to be so genuinely happy to see him.
"Did Arik do this to you?" L demanded out of concern.
"Yeah," Light swayed as he forced himself to stay sitting up.
L placed a hand on Light's shoulder to steady him then asked the ambulance worker, "How bad is his condition? Can I take him home?"
"He got beaten up pretty badly. But it's not severe enough for him to need to go to a hospital," the female ambulance worker explained in English, "He just needs lots of rest. Take care good care of him, okay?"
"I will," L pulled Light's arm over his shoulder and lifted him up. "Come on, Light-kun."
"Uh-huh," Light leaned on L for support.
Then Mr. Yagami rushed toward them, "Light! You're alive!" Mr. Yagami beamed with tears in his eyes.
"Dad?" Light looked confused.
Next Matsuda and the others cheerfully gathered around him. Matsuda had tears streaming down his face, "I'm SO HAPPY."
"Thanks guys," Light swayed until he completely lost balance and fell forward.
Luckily, L caught him and held him up, "Light-kun." But Light's eyes were already closed and his whole body had become limp. He passed out.
Mr. Yagami reached out a hand to help carry Light. But L stubbornly stepped to the side while still holding Light, "I'll carry him."
"Alright, Ryuzaki," Mr. Yagami sympathetically nodded. He could probably see the desperation in L's eyes.
Light only weighed slightly less than L, but L persistently carried him back to the van. L laid Light down on the back seat and sat beside him. The investigation team also entered the van then Mr. Yagami began to drive away.
L gazed down at Light's bruised, beaten body that laid sprawled out beside him. Even Light's clothes were torn and ripped. Seeing Light like this, it hurt.
L reached out his hand and placed it on Light's head. The response shook L to the core. Being touched caused Light to grimace as if it was hurting him. Before Light used to associate touch with affection, but now it brings him pain? L withdrew his hand in worry. What the hell has Arik done to you?
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When Light opened his eyes, he immediately recognized the interior of the room. He was in the office building, where L worked. Before any sense of relief could set in, Light remembered last night. If I don't bring L to St. James Park tomorrow, I'll die…
Light sat up in bed. Arik will write my name his Death Note and also have me walk to certain place so he can find me. He'll torture me until the time he writes in the Death Note comes and I die…
The only way to save my own life is to sacrifice L… "Damn it!" Light suddenly hurled a pillow at the wall.
I care about L. Yes, I admit I care about the detective but… Would I actually DIE for him? To actually die to save L, I would have to…love him in order to do that. Light shook his head as if that thought contaminated his mind. No, I don't love L. I do care about him but I don't love him. I can't love him. That's just ridiculous. We're enemies. If it comes down to it…I have to be willing to sacrifice L to save myself. But is a life as Arik's pawn even worth living?
Then the door to the bedroom opened and L entered, "Good morning, Light-kun. How are you doing?"
Would L sacrifice his life for me? "I'm okay," Light faked a smile.
"It worries me when you can't lie well, Light-kun," L sat in a chair by Light, in his weird way with only his feet touching the base of the chair.
"I'm not lying, I'm fine now."
L looked unconvinced, "Light-kun, I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on. Why did Arik let go of you? What has he done to you?"
"It's pretty obvious what he's done to me. He kicked my ass, end of story," Light insisted.
Now L seemed annoyed, "I know that he took you because you're Kira. What has he threatened you into doing?"
"I'm not Kira and I don't know what you talking about." Only L could figure all of this out so quickly. But in the end, I'm still Kira and I still have to lie to him. Even if I don't want the Perfect World anymore, I still killed millions of people and I won't be simply forgiven for that.
L unexpectedly announced, "Light-kun, I'm really worried about you. I know that Arik is threatening you into following his orders."
The way L worded that stung at Light's pride. "Why would you say that, Ryuzaki?"
"The second Kira began to kill wildly in Japan after a message was sent to her in Japanese. Arik has all of his messages written in English. I know that only you could have done that and Arik forced you." L explained.
"That would make a lot of sense if I was Kira," Light replied as he leaned back against the wall.
"Just let me help you," L suddenly demanded.
"You would help someone who confessed to killing millions of people? Who are you trying to fool, Ryuzaki, really?" Light declared, "I'm not Kira and I will continue to tell you that until the day I die."
L sighed out of frustration. Light knew that he had disappointed him.
Light struggled to stand up, "I want to give a detailed description of Arik to police sketcher."
"Of course," L also stood up and grabbed Light's arm to steady him.
Light walked out of the room with L. Before tomorrow, I have to do everything I can to capture Arik. Then maybe I can avoid the decision altogether.
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After giving a valid description of Arik, Light stumbled into the workroom. Light headed passed the welcoming investigation team and sat down at a computer to begin working. L glanced over at Light but continued working on his computer.
Matsuda wandered toward Light, "Hey Light-kun! Aren't you happy to be back?"
Light just nodded as he searched through countless files and records of Russian names.
The clueless Matsuda continued, "We missed you. I know that Ryuzaki missed you. He went all super, mega detective. Ryuzaki even shot a New Kira follower in the head."
"Good, it's always nice to know that New Kira followers are dying." Light replied coldly.
"Uh," Matsuda added, "Also here's something else that should make you happy. Personally, I don't think that you're Kira because Arik attacked you. I think Mr. Yagami feels the same way."
Ryuzaki announced, "The only reason Arik physically beat Light-kun was to make you think exactly that. If Light-kun really wasn't Kira then he would be dead by now."
Figures that L would see right through Arik's idea. Light skimmed through the lists of Russian birth certificates.
"Oh," Matsuda stated anyway, "Well, I still don't think that you're Kira, Light-kun. Since you're back and safe with us maybe we should celebrate or-"
"I don't have time to waste," Light fervently read through the names with pictures attached to them.
Matsuda tilted his head down, "Ah, well. Okay…"
Unexpectedly, L spun toward Light in his office chair, "Light-kun, I think you should take a break."
Just leave me alone. I have to find Arik's whole name! "I don't need a break," Light insisted.
"Yes, you do. You may not notice it but you're swaying from fatigue. Go back to bed, you can work tomorrow."
There won't be a tomorrow! "I want to work, Ryuzaki. We have to find Arik as soon as possible, remember."
"Light-kun, you've already been a tremendous help. The sketch of Arik is going to be on all of the News Channels around the world. In at least a couple of days, someone should show up with information on him."
In a couple of days, one of us will already be dead… Light's hand trembled over the mouse from a mixture of weariness and anxiety. Damn you, Arik.
Then Light felt a hand clasp around his arm. By instinct, Light jerked away, "Don't touch me!"
L withdrew his hand with a concerned look on his face, "What has Arik done to you?"
Shit, I just thoughtlessly blurted that out. "You already know, he beat me up." Light covered for his mistake.
"No, he's done something worse to you." L's eyes seemed so sad.
"I don't know what you're referring to, Ryuzaki. And I don't think that you should make any wild accusations," Light nervously tried to ignore all of the stares from the investigation team.
"If you thought that I was going to hit you, you would have said, 'Don't hit me.' But instead you said 'Don't touch me'." L pressed for the truth. "You're afraid of being touched. Light-kun, why-?"
"Just leave it be! Nothing happened," Light claimed.
Matsuda gasped, "Oh, my God. Light-kun, were you molest-"
"NO!" Light defensively shouted.
Now, the whole investigation team looked shocked and disgusted. Light's defensive response had made them all think the opposite. Mr. Yagami walked toward his son, "Light-?"
Light glared at Ryuzaki, "I hate you. You just get off on humiliating me, don't you?"
"So Arik really did touch you inappropriately," L gave Light an empathetic look as if he pitied him.
"Just shut up, Ryuzaki!" Light quickly stood up and saw lots of dots before his eyes. Even though Light felt faint, he rushed toward the exit.
L hurried behind him, "Wait, Light-kun."
Light opened the door and staggered out into the hallway. Before Light could fall over, L grabbed onto him, "You need to rest."
"I hate you. Why did you have to ask me that?" Light cynically ranted, "Are you jealous of Arik or something? Did he take something that you wanted?!"
L pulled Light's arm over his shoulder and silently led him down the hall.
"Why are you doing this?!" Light raved, "Do you pity me?! Do you think I'm pathetic because I couldn't stop him?!"
L practically carried him into a bedroom and set him down on the mattress. Light refused to lay down, he stubbornly sat up.
L leaned forward in front of Light to stare directly into his eyes, "I'm sad because you got hurt. And now, I understand why you're being so distant toward me. It's because of what Arik did to you. But please don't cower away from me; I would never harm you like that. All I want to do is help you. Even though you won't tell me what's going on, I'll still do everything in my power to protect you."
Light broke eye contact from the sincere detective. L headed out the door, "Please rest, Light-kun."
Once L left, Light's mind began to wage war on itself. I don't want L to die. I really don't want him to die. Can I really sacrifice him to save myself? Or should I die and keep L safe? If L was in my position, I know that he'd die for me…
End of Chapter 18