Fragaria
"I don't understand why it's still happening," Robin said blankly into the webcam of her laptop. "I've processed it thoroughly, I understand it's completely irrational to react as if B's somewhere waiting for me... But I can't stop myself."
The man on her screen sighed before fixing her with a sympathetic smile as he put down the pen he was writing with. "This isn't something you can rationalize and push away, Robin. It's trauma. You have to simply work through it," He paused. "How about we try discussing why you feel B is… waiting for you?" Mr. Frederick said.
Robin tiredly ran a hand through her hair before shifting on the small loveseat in her appointed bedroom of the hotel suite. "That's just it, I don't understand. I know he's dead. He burned alive while Misora was saving me" she stated.
Mr. Frederick steeps his hands together, pausing thoughtfully before his answer. "But you didn't actually witness his death?"
"I saw his ashes. I was the one who placed his ashes in his memorial…" Robin trailed off.
"But some part of you isn't sure that the remains are truly B's?"
She can only bring herself to nod, her voice taken over by the paralyzing fear of how real her paranoia sounded aloud.
…
Robin is freshly showered, dressed in a black pantsuit and turquoise silk shirt, when she walks into the living area of the suite. It shocks her to find the men crowded around L, and all conversation halts at her sudden presence. It takes her a minute to remember the proper social procedures for such a situation; say hello, introduce yourself, shake their hands. The voice in her head told her, once again sounding strangely like instructions from her therapist Mr. Frederick.
"Hello" Robin states blankly in Japanese, carefully raising a brow at L as to why the foreign men were in the hotel suite.
"R, this is the last of the task force" L said, in Japanese, before pouring himself some tea.
Robin sighed without inflection, still standing near the room's entrance. I had no idea we'd be meeting them in person, especially with L's paranoia regarding strangers… But still, typical L tactic, She thought. Getting left in the dark is no doubt payback for dragging him on the Ueno outing.
"And when exactly were you going to inform me of their presence?" Robin questioned, in English, staring at each of the men in turn. Now that the typical shock had worn off, their faces mostly portrayed curiosity.
L sipped his tea. "Please sit down" L stated, stubbornly sticking to Japanese. He frowned at his cup and added about a dozen sugar cubes; unconcerned with the frown Robin gave him in lieu of a glare.
She walked to the group and tried not to wobble on her heels. "Ducking my questions as always" Robin directed at L in Japanese before offering a hand to the nearest man in the group. "Robin Steele" She introduced, the older mustachioed man shaking her hand firmly.
"Yagami" he replied, and she repeated the cycle by shaking all the men's hands and receiving their names in return while secretly analyzing them.
Yagami was obviously the father-figured leader, Matsuda was the most eager and friendly of the men, Aizawa the obvious skeptical critic, Mogi reserved but dedicated, Ide guarded and concise, and Ukita emotional but strong.
It certainly seems like quite a rag-tag group, but if they've been led here they must be adept at their jobs. Robin thought, Even so, none of them have proved my trust yet. After she was through with her greeting and appraisal of the policemen, Robin took a seat on the only available piece of furniture; an armchair similar to L's, that sat across from the detective.
There was a silence before Yagami cleared his throat and spoke up, "I hope you don't think this rude of me, Mrs. Steele, but what is it you do that pertains to the case?" the middle-aged man asked, looking back and forth from her to L.
Robin could read his unguarded facial ticks with ease, it was almost like reading his thoughts, and if she were capable of it she might have laughed out loud at what she found. Instead, she expressed a light amused smile. "Please call me Robin. And I can assure you that the extent of L and I's relationship is entirely professional" Robin stated, and the man immediately looked taken aback.
"I-I apologize, I didn't mean…" Yagami said, then paused in confusion. "How did you…?" he trailed of in bewilderment.
"It's quite alright" Robin stated. "Though my years of training, facial ticks have become part of my expertise as well as other psychological and prosodical skills. I can read all of you like books" she explained, amused as many of the men now tried to guard their emotions with what they knew from their typical police training.
L popped a sugar cube in his mouth. "R has many degrees in psychology as well as experience with criminal cases, and is quite the talk of the medical world" L stated, Robin raising her brows in surprise.
Is he… complementing me? Speaking highly of me, at least… how odd… She thought, her eyes still on the detective as he spoke.
"She is here to develop the psychological profile of Kira, so that we know what to look for when we gain suspects" L finished.
The men nodded in understanding, ogling L with inquisitiveness as he poured himself another cup and doused it with sugar. "I… have a, um, question… L" Matsuda spoke up nervously, breaking the silence.
"Please, refer to me as Ryuzaki for the remainder of this case. Just to be safe" L stated.
Robin tried not to show the cold shiver that went through her as the name was spoken aloud.
Matsuda's nervousness increased. "Then, Ryuzaki, If we now know that Kira is killing with a name and a face, couldn't we start censoring the news and decrease the victims?" Matsuda asked.
"No," L simply responded. "I don't want innocent people to die. I hate to loose as well"
"Huh?" Matsuda asked, confused.
"Allow me to explain," Robin cut in, "Kira is childish; he hates defeat. If we disrupt his attacks, he will aim for more meaningful targets" She explained, then sighed upon seeing by their faces. None of them understood how she'd reached her conclusion.
She cleared her throat. "You see, up until the fake L appeared on TV, we simply assumed Kira was after criminals in a botched attempt to purify society. But after that incident, it was obvious that Kira despised anyone bold enough to oppose him. The following attacks have been concentrated in Japan, as if to say 'haha, so what if I am here, you cant touch me'. Logically, if we tried to use the media to stop his availability of victims, Kira would only compensate with lives more dire and try to turn the public against us" Robin finished.
"That is how Kira's mind works" L backed up flatly. "However, speaking of the media, I believe there is a way we can use it to our advantage"
"For example?" Aizawa prompted.
"How about… 'US furious over death of FBI agents, Kira's antics have angered the whole world.'" L paused. "…'1,500 agents to be sent into Kanto'" L finished.
Robin nodded. "I see, Kira would begin to see everyone as a threat… It would be bound to elicit some type of response from him" she stated.
"A-amazing" A few of the men muttered in unison.
"And instead of the seven here now, since the 1,500 would be fictional, they cant be killed…" Ide exclaimed in awe.
"Well then, I believe it is time to tell you my thoughts on the Kira case" L stated, all of the officers leaning in to listen intently. "R knows Kira works alone, however, I have found out he is somehow accessing police information"
Aizawa spoke up suddenly, "how do you know he works alone?"
"I'll explain later" Robin says, motioning for L to continue.
"Kira needs a name and a face to kill. To a certain degree he can control the victims time of death, or the actions the victim commits beforehand. With all of that in mind," L paused as he retrieved a marker from the tea tray.
L began to write dates directly on the tabletop. "Please listen closely. In the five days between the time FBI agents entered Japan and the time Kira started experimenting with his capabilities to manipulate, Kira became aware of the FBI presence. Since Kira didn't know the faces or names of the agents, he experimented in order to determine how far he could control the deaths of his victims. I believe the killing of the FBI agents on December 27th, and the 23 attacks during that time, directly correlate with each other. Kira used one of the 23 people that committed lesser crimes to somehow find out the FBI agent's names" L stated.
"Before the FBI were murdered, Kira went into a slight drop in victims as he concentrated his focus to draw attention away from himself under investigation. I can only conclude that Kira is once of the individuals investigated by agents between the 14th and the 19th" L finished, leaving most of the task force (save for Robin, who already knew L's findings) in awe. He motioned to a stack of papers on the table. "This is all of the important FBI notes and other information that we can use to confirm my theory"
The excited voice of Matsuda rang out in the room. "This is amazing!" he exclaimed, holding up a few of the papers. "With this much information, our little group can get a lot of things done!"
The other officers were just as eager, "Why don't we split up into two groups? One can trace the FBI agents, and the other can research those who had heart attacks" Mogi suggested.
L seemed slightly ruffled at being interrupted, "So, does anyone have any questions then?" L asked, the team looking up from their momentary excitement.
Yagami cleared his throat. "Yes, Ryuzaki, you said earlier that you hate to loose… but you've shown us your face. Doesn't that mean that you've already lost to Kira?"
L hesitated before answering. "That's right. The fact that I've shown my face, and the fact that I've already sacrificed 12 FBI agents are both losses, but I will win in the end" L said confidently. "This is the first time I have ever put my life on the line, so let us show Kira that we are willing to risk our very lives to defeat him." A wide smile suddenly appeared on L's face, shocking some of the men. "Justice definitely will prevail in this case!" L finished determinedly.
The officers began to look more lighthearted. "That's right!" Matsuda spoke up happily. Similar agreements of "Justice will prevail!" and "Let's do our best!" erupted from the group.
"However," Robin spoke up. "We must first made absolutely certain that Kira is not among us. I would like to talk to each of you individually" she stated, shattering the confident mood.
Everyone blanched. "O-of course" the men agreed and Robin selected Matsuda first for interrogation as they went into the closest room with a door, the kitchen.
L casually stood from the armchair and began to walk towards the window. "Ryuzaki?" A voice enquired behind him, and he turned to see Ukita. "Does this mean that Robin doesn't trust us?" Ukita asked cautiously, trying to gauge L's reaction at asking such a question about his companion.
L shook his head. "No, she's right. If Kira has been taking information from the police this entire time, we could all be placed in exponentially greater danger" L stated before resuming his walk to the glass. He stared out the window and observed the bustling crowded city below him, unmoving as each officer cycled in and out of the kitchen in turn.
Once, the institution had gone on an outing. The streets were certainly less busy, and the roads more snowy, but if L squinted hard enough at the Tokyo street outside the window, he could certainly remember.
…
It was only the four of them, the four beginners of Whammy house; Beyond, Adeline, Robin, and of course L. They were going to an art museum, of all things, but Whammy had insisted that well-rounded culture was just as important as well-rounded education. Even if none of them had a particular fondness for art.
"This is stupid," Beyond muttered to Robin and Adeline, staring blankly at a Monet water lily painting.
Adeline gave L a not-so-subtle glance over her shoulder, to make sure L was within earshot. "I agree, I would much rather be studying" Adeline stated proudly, obviously willing for L to speak to her. But, as always, he was staying away from the three both physically and vocally; as if kept there by an invisible force field. They were friends after all, L didn't belong within their circle.
"Don't be so dismissive" Robin spoke up in her dull monotone. "You're missing the point of the entire thing. Whammy wants us to learn. Look at how Monet's brushstrokes are so casual. Up close they are simply blobs, but the further apart you are, the more you can see the whole picture. He must have been a brilliant painter if he knew the effect the strokes would have when he applied them only a foot away from the canvas" she commented.
A short silence overtook the group as all of them stared at the painting.
"An excellent deduction, R. You have such a highlight for detail" L spoke up finally, and all three of them turned to look at him abruptly. Must they always make him feel like such an outsider in his own niche? "The pattern of the paint is parallel to the technique in a criminal's pattern as well. Distance is crucial" L trailed off, wishing for their eyes to be off of him already. Why did he put himself in these situations?
"Doing your work even on vacation, I see" Beyond stated, sneering at L darkly.
Adeline looked close to crying, although it eluded L as to why-It seemed like A was always in some sort of upstart, she was simply an emotional girl-But all it took was Beyond's words holding an unfavorable undertone for L to suddenly feel like he had done something wrong.
Robin tried to put a hand on Adeline's shoulder in comfort, only to have it slapped off as the other girl cried harder. L didn't understand, yet he felt awful for causing A's crying fit. He might have tried to comfort her himself, but… well… At least Robin was trying at all. Beyond was simply standing there with that mocking look on his face.
she turned to him, "For a genius, sometimes you're a right git" Robin muttered to L accusingly. Even though she was unable to display a glare, L was pretty sure that Robin would give him a withering one at the moment if she could.
Beyond lightly pulled Robin's shoulder, turning her away from L. "Don't mind him" he stated, his sneer growing as he looked at L over his shoulder. Effortlessly, Beyond reached down and took Robin's hand in his, giving it a light squeeze as L frowned.
Whammy came back from the ticket desk to find A crying, B and L fighting, and R staring into space. Why did he think this outing would be any different from the house?
…
"Well, I'm satisfied" Robin stated, breaking L out of his reverie as she returned from the kitchen with the last task force member that had been questioned. The interrogations had taken hours, and it was nearly three AM.
L watched in the window as her reflection turned to the men gathered around the coffee table piled with papers. "I'm more excited to begin working with you all now that I know L and I can trust you. You can't take the files with you, but we will look forward to seeing all of you bright and determined in the morning. I think this has been enough for tonight, please arrive by eight AM tomorrow" Robin stated.
The men agreed and gathered their things, giving farewells to both her and L as they left one by one. Robin watched them go before making sure the slide lock was off the door so Whammy could get in… Whenever he returned from wherever he was off running errands.
"Hey, L, do you know where Mr. W is tonight?" Robin questioned curiously as she walked back into the living room, unsurprised to see L pouring over the FBI papers already.
He looked up from a sheet of paper, holding it between his fingers gently. "I was under the impression that he was going to take care of some business concerning the institution. He said to expect him late" L explained before turning his focus back to the paperwork.
Robin walked further into the room, sitting beside L on the couch. "I thought we were starting the review of those tomorrow?" she asked, glancing at the large pile of files with distaste. Her entire two years with the LA police department hadn't involved nearly as much paperwork as the Kira case had within the first month.
"Another batch of videoed information I managed to dig up will be here in the morning. I'm eager to get a head start on this before it arrives" L stated, putting down the sheet and picking up another one delicately.
She simply sighed at the man. "You've been awake since we've arrived here. Aren't you worried that you're going to burn yourself out before the case really starts?" Robin questioned.
L shot her a blank look "I don't 'burn out'" He stated, switching out his rapidly-read file for another.
Robin couldn't help but sigh again. For someone two years her senior, he was still as stubborn as a child sometimes. "Fine. Whatever you say. I, however, am going to bed" she said as she got up and stretched. "Oh, and next time the task force arrives, I would like to be notified" Robin said as she walked to the doorway.
"Goodnight" L stated, although his tone was more disinterested than sincere.
She stole a last glance at the slaving detective before shaking her head, "For a genius, sometimes you're a right git" The woman muttered under her breath as she walked into the hall.
Some things never change.
That memory L recalled probably made no sense unless you've read "The Catalyst", which I encourage you do before you go any further in this story. I've already done as much catching up as I'm going to do; I wont be explaining events and characters that have already been introduced in "The Catalyst". But anyway, I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying it so far! -Luv, Cart