IV.
Come Again In Glory
From where she was sitting in the center of the studio, watching the flash of lights and her own face on the television screens in banks in front of her, Misa could hear a constant babble of voices; there were operators at every phone, and the lights in the call center were in a constant state of blinking and beeping, almost at overload.
Most of it, she tuned out; earlier she had watched the first rebroadcast of her message to the followers of Kira, and was quite proud of herself. She had no need to watch it again, though; she had only wanted to make sure that the directions to the beach that Kanzuka had added were correct.
Outside the station, people had begun to gather almost immediately, and now, by the noise outside, she could tell there was quite a crowd.
Misa was tempted to get up and look out the window, see what kinds of things people were doing, see what kinds of people were out there, but as she was lifting herself from her seat she heard a deep, belly laugh that was out of place in the bustling, overworked atmosphere of the studio.
She turned to look; Kanzuka was standing over a young intern, who looked both terrified and awed, and he was wiping tears away from his eyes. Trying not to make it obvious, Misa wandered a little closer, and decided on the pretense of getting a cup of tea. She could hear him clearly while she was adding hot water to a styrofoam cup.
"You really expect me to believe that that's Kira on the phone, Minh? Tell me, how many people do you think have called today claiming- "
"None - none, sir! And he - he sounds like Lord Kira; I swear! He knew my name before I said anything - he even..."
Misa saw the girl flush and blink rapidly, falling silent out of fear or embarrassment - but she was still holding up the phone.
Misa froze, her fingers white-knuckled on the hot water heater and the dispensing lever. Water filled up her cup, ran over the rim, and began to spill down onto the floor.
Kira - Kira is on that phone? Oh please let it be true, let it be true -
She stood completely still, listening to Kanzuka mutter under his breath, and then hopped up and down silently when the hot water she had been pouring finally became a large enough pool that her foot encountered it.
Hot! Hot, hot, hot -
"Alright! But listen Minh, if this is a waste of my time, then you - "
Kanzuka gestured threateningly with a finger across his throat.
Misa desperately wished she could hear what Kanzuka was going to say. She wanted to meet Kira badly; she always had, ever since he had first appeared and then given her justice for her family's death. She wanted to hear the voice of this person and see if it was the same voice as her unidentifiable memory, the memory that gave her a headache.
She snuck away, leaving her toppled teacup and the spreading pool of water behind her. The girl that was trying to convince Kanzuka to take the call had been talking on line twelve; if Misa was careful, maybe she could sneak a listen.
The room next door to the production room was unlocked; there were a couple old cameras in it, a broken microphone and some moldy files - but there was also a dusty phone on a dusty desk.
Let's see...line...twelve...
Carefully, with a hand over her mouth to block her breath, Misa lifted the phone and pressed the button to switch the line. She heard the sound of Kanzuka clearing his throat. She paused, but then shook her head and grinned gleefully.
Success!
Then she heard a voice that was impossibly familiar speaking, and almost dropped the phone.
"Hello, Kanzuka-san. This is Kira speaking."
Kanzuka's laughter came clearly through the phone.
"You really expect me to believe that you're Kira, just calling me up plain as day, like a regular guy?"
"I'm not quite sure what you mean, Kanzuka-san. Do you think there are those foolish enough to pretend to be Lord Kira?"
Kanzuka pulled at his collar, a little confused now. It was true that such a thing would be foolish; the evidence spoke for itself. Demegawa, his predecessor, had certainly paid the price for acting in Kira's name, without Kira's consent -
"Look, it's just that I've got Kira's High Priestess sitting in my studio, and she told me that Kira was dead! In the event of Kira's death, she said - "
"How astute of you, Kanzuka-san, but as you can see, I am no longer dead. Please listen carefully. Three days ago, in the course of a secret investigation, a young man named Yagami Light was killed, for being...associated with Kira, and the blame of course was put on Kira. Actually, Yagami Light was Kira; I am Yagami Light."
Kanzuka gaped at the phone, not saying a word.
"I'm sure you wonder why there has been no announcement, but the governments involved obviously though it wiser not to tell the world that the God of the new age of peace had been slain on their orders."
Still, Kanzuka remained silent.
"The important thing, of course, is that now I am alive again, and it is your task to tell the world of my death and my return."
"You want me... to broadcast a statement that you were dead, but now you're resurrected? Are you crazy? No one is going to believe that!"
He heard a low chuckle, and for some reason, Kanzuka suddenly swallowed hard; he could feel the pressure of a terrible will being directed at him.
"Oh, I think they will believe - as long as I have your help, Kanzuka-san. As Japanese citizen and graduate student in good standing, Yagami Light, the records of my death are quite legal, and quite complete...and obviously, I am no longer dead."
Kanzuka let out a dry chuckle.
"Oh...really...."
Who is this guy? He hasn't even really said anything threatening and I'm shaking like a little kid! Is it - is it really Him?
"Yes, Kanzuka-san. Really. I will make the necessary records available to you. One of my loyal followers was there when I Returned, and I will have him provide the necessary documents. I require....two other things from you, however..."
Kanzuka swallowed hard. It was difficult to believe that this relatively normal-sounding guy could be Kira, but then again....if anyone was going to call up like this, pretending, it would probably be a complete crackpot, someone you could tell was a fake from a mile off.
This guy, though - I wonder...I wonder if it's really Kira? Maybe I should be nicer or something-
"Uh...two...two things, Kira-sama?"
The person on the other end of the line - whoever it was - said nothing about Kanzuka's sudden about-face in attitude.
"Yes, two. First, you will broadcast this evening's ceremony to any of those who desire a feed - and I mean, local networks, global television, international news agencies - anyone."
Kanzuka's eyes bulged; his face was shiny with sweat and his shirt was sticking to him. The more he talked to this guy, the more he was beginning to believe. This voice was so...so calm, but somehow just absolutely terrifying. And what he was saying - it really was like a gift from heaven.
"Ahh...Kira-sama, you don't expect us to just give all these video rights away, do you? I mean, uh...it's customary to charge a...uh...fee."
"Hmm? Charge whatever you like, Kanzuka - within reason. But please keep any greedy schemes to yourself."
Kanzuka purpled and took a deep breath, preparing for a rant or a rampage - he hadn't quite decided. Kira-sama continued on, as if he hadn't just insulted Sakura Television's top Production Manager.
"The second thing is that I want you to broadcast the information I just gave you about the unexplained resurrection of Yagami Light; as I said, the death certificate and the doctor for you to interview will arrive shortly. Make no mistake, Kanzuka; this is more important than you can imagine."
Kanzuka held his breath; it was clear to him now, all clear. He would be famous for this broadcast, for being the man to finally reveal Kira's identity to the world - and if he really had been resurrected, the possibilities were endless.
"In order that you understand I am completely serious, the last two serious offenders held in Tokyo prison, both child molesters arrested in the last forty-eight hours, will die. I'm sure that you will be able to confirm this through your own channels; allow five minutes from the time I hang up, and then check. The names of the prisoners in question are Teito and Onizaki."
There was a moment of silence, and then, stuttering, Kanzuka ventured a last question.
"Will I - will I hear from you again?"
"You will hear from me sooner than you think, Kanzuka. Do as I have asked, or you, too, will be punished."
Kanzuka heard a click at the end of the line, and then the hum of the open, empty circuit; slowly, very slowly, he lowered the receiver into the its cradle, and then turned to look at his staff.
They were watching him open mouthed - and then he pumped a victorious fist and let out a shout.
"Yes! We're headed for the big time, kiddos!"
And then he grinned, a chaotic, manic expression that was all mixed up with greed and camera-lust and the glitter of fame, just within reach.
"Kira-sama - no, Kira-dono, has a message for us to send to the world. At last, he is going to reveal himself! Get ready for the most incredible story of your lives, folks!"
In the room next door, Misa had long before fallen to her knees. Her left hand was shaking so hard that the phone was vibrating; her right hand had molded itself to the mouthpiece it had been covering so that when she let go, her fingers hurt as she unclenched them. When she heard the click of Kanzuka hanging up, she stayed completely still, not even brushing away the tears that flowed in streams down her cheeks, trying to breathe, and trying to breathe, and trying to breathe.
Light! He's alive, alive, alive - !
And then:
Light is Kira! Kira is my Light!
She could see now the terrible way that the investigation team had lied to her, twisting the truth so that they did not have to reveal this incredible secret to her. There was a pulse of rage towards them, an inner assault of potential violence that she hid easily behind a cute, attractive face. Only her eyes gave a hint of the vindictive thoughts that suddenly tore through her, and she closed them, pushing herself to inner silence so she could try to focus.
Kira! Light is....Light is Kira!
She knew Light hadn't killed himself, and that meant that the investigation team had done it, of course, and that ridiculous N. But again, she put all those thoughts aside because the impossible thing, the important thing, was that Light was alive, and even better than that, he was Kira.
How was it that she had never guessed? It was, of course, the only thing that explained the way that Kira had been able to stay one step ahead of Light. They were the same!
In the same instant as she fully accepted this, she also realized that everything Light had said to Kanzuka must be true. She had seen Light's dead body with her own eyes, flat and lifeless on a cold table in the hospital morgue. It was the only thing that had been able to convince her that he was actually dead; she had refused to believe the words of the investigators.
How was it possible that Light could come back? How had he returned to her?
I have to go home, he must be there! He must!
The thought of seeing Light again finally stopped the shaking, and Misa stood quickly, rubbing rug-marks out of her white robe. The world came back into her senses with a rush, and she could hear the people laughing and shouting outside, calling for Kira. She finally took the peek out the window she had wanted earlier, and was shocked. There were thousands of people, white-robed and candle-bearing, some in only white T-shirts, or regularly dressed but calling out in loud voices.
The Faithful! Kira's Faithful!
She smiled happily and would have clapped her hands except the thought came to her that she was going to have to sneak out if she wanted to leave - certainly Kanzuka wasn't going to let her go without good reason.
And if I tried to tell him I was going to meet Kira, he would know I eavesdropped, since I already told him Kira was dead....
Carefully, she poked her nose out the door of the room she had closeted herself in, and saw that the station was even busier than before she snuck away. Kanzuka had one ear attached to his cellphone and one eye on a hastily scribbled script; no one had yet bothered to clean up the water that Misa had spilled all over the floor and it was being tracked everywhere by men carrying awkward, heavy equipment. The two men that Kanzuka seemed to have assigned her as caretakers, Ichiro and Tetsu, were nowhere in sight.
One, two, three...
With a lithe movement, Misa slid out of the doorway and darted down the hall past the sound-check station and a short, elderly-looking woman who was fiddling with some lights. Down a few stairs, through a closed off hall with only one lonely light bulb in it, and out the back door -
Ah -
Misa held up a hand in front of her eyes; the low angle of the late afternoon sun was blinding. To her left, there was a gate opening out onto the street towards the growing crowd of white-robed Faithful; to her right, there was a guard, blinking at her in surprise.
"Uh - miss - !"
"Misa has something to do; Misa will be back in time for the vigil, if anyone asks!"
And then she darted away into the crowd, and disappeared.
The guard only sighed, and leaned back against the door. He was old, no way he was going to chase after a girl as speedy as that one!
Anyway, what are they thinking? High Priestess!
Six years, he'd been working for this station, and this was the craziest stunt they'd pulled yet. Probably best if that girl got out of it now; High Priestess of Kira!...she was just a little blond, that's all...barely more than a kid...
A/N: Ah, sorry, that took a long time! I've been reviewing the rules of using Death Notes, and have discovered a surprising number of loopholes that will be fun to play with! This chapter was a little long...so I cut part of it, and now the next chapter is almost done! Nice, right? :D Anyway, much thanks to my reviewers - you are few but greatly appreciated! That means kudos for:
NX-Loveless-XN: He really is! And you know, I wondered about that myself; I know it was only in the Pilot, and not the "actual" series...but it's the most incredible plot device!
xUNGracefulxAssassin: Much thanks! I know it took a while, but - a chapter! And the next one sooner, promise, cause it's already partially done!
meddmaLyd: Much thanks to you as well! Making Light sufficiently evil and calculating is an exercise in controlled madness, let me tell you! Because everytime I go to write him doing something I have to think 'okay, he'll plan this, and then this step comes next...' it's kind of scary, actually!