Lightning Bug
Prompt: "Light in the Darkness"; one-shot
Premise: "...and so, Harry became Kira."
This series of one-shots are UNCONNECTED, but all centered around the idea of Harry and L.
Warning: A bit of an alternate reality schtick here, with a "Harry is [enter character name]" scenario.
.. .. ..
The wail of the sirens rang, long and loud, through the quiet neighborhood, the flashing lights of the police cars and ambulances casting strange, eerie shadows on the otherwise empty streets. One by one, lights flickered to life behind curtained windows.
Fabric rustled as numerous hands pulled the curtains away from their windows to peer outside, to see what was happening, without ever having to leave the safety of their homes. If they just looked, if they didn't go outside, didn't confront it, then the reality of the situation, of something being so very wrong, wasn't real, right?
Inspector Soichirou Yagami sighed, looking aggrieved, as his gaze met those of his victims' neighbors, who all seemed all too happy to pry, but not actually be of any help. That was the sad state of the world, these days, or so it seemed.
A care-worn hand dragged down a haggard face, tugging at dark hair that was already starting to gray. Not even 32, and already he felt like an old man. This job, as much as he loved having a hand in bringing criminals to justice, was not a job for just anyone. Sometimes, it broke his heart.
Like now.
The latest victims in a string of strange, seemingly unsolvable cases: Potter James and Lily, British ex-pats who'd settled down in the neighborhood just after their son, name unlisted, was born. He looked at the dates. Christ, the boy couldn't be more than eighteen months old, and already he'd come to face with monsters, because there was no mistake...whoever had done this, was doing this to others, was a true monster, quite unlike any found in any storybook.
Soichirou watched with solemn eyes as the covered gurneys were rolled out of the quaint, little house...one, by one. Then came the medic, carrying a sniveling bundle of squirming, terrified baby boy. His arms reached out for the baby before he realized he was moving towards the pitiful duo.
"Let me take him."
The medic blinked tiredly, his expression more bored than anything. "You sure, sir?"
Soichirou nodded solemnly, his dark eyes locked on the tiny figure in his arms. A tiny face was scrunched up unhappily, but the baby didn't do more than whimper his distress...and no wonder. Soichirou rubbed a finger gently down the pale forehead, making sure not to run over the livid looking cut on the baby's face. Christ, they'd even cut a damn lightning bolt in a baby's head.
Whoever could do such a thing to a child was monstrous, indeed.
Calloused fingers gently brushed through wispy auburn locks, til little sobs became tiny hiccups, and finally, the child blinked open wide, brown eyes. Such a tiny little thing, he was...and, from what he'd seen of the two victims, the child looked like his mother, but with his father's eyes. Thick, dark lashes blinked, and a fat tear dripped down a flushed, baby-soft cheek.
Soichirou frowned, absently wiping away a tear. "Quiet now, little lightning bug. I have you...you're safe."
The baby hiccuped, blinking bright eyes up at him. It was...well, it was like coming home, looking into that small face. Maybe all those times he'd been called soft was right...maybe he was too kind for the work he did, but...he could easily see himself bending over backwards to make this tiny little creature smile.
Sachiko-chan would probably need a bit of convincing, but Soichirou had every confidence that one look at the child in his arms would convince her. She, after all, always said how much she wanted a child...
Dark eyes peered down into honey-brown, watery from tears.
Poor lightning bug...
Huh...lightning bug...
...light?
He frowned, considering the child in his arms as the baby reached a chubby hand towards his face, little fingers scratching at his chin. "...Raito?"
Yes. That might just suit this little one perfectly.
[end]
Prompts accepted. Please keep it as simplified as possible. I am trying for vignette to short story/one-shot length responses for this collection. Thanks for the Faves/Follows. Right now, I am working from my own prompts. I'm not sure when those will dry up, so if you like what you see here, PLEASE submit prompts.