"So, the killings have stopped. It looks like Light really is Kira." Matsuda said sadly.
Sybil and L looked towards each other briefly before she sighed and stood up to go comfort the obviously disappointed rookie officer.
"Being miserable about it won't change anything, Matsuda. Kira is a someone and if he isn't Light, he's someone else's son or brother. People are still bound to be hurt emotionally if it just so happens that Kira is framing the boy." Her hand was planted firmly on his shoulder and Matsuda glanced towards her, smile slightly.
"Thanks, Sybil. Funny how you and Ryuuzaki are so different, but so smart." Sybil raised a brow and then walked pass the young man and other officers in the room.
"People are people. I've learned that over the years I've been on the job. I've had to constantly getting into the heads of criminals. I've got a knack for it. I'm just telling you what you want to hear. In that sense, Ryuu and I are very much alike in more ways than one." Matsuda slumped and Sybil smiled weakly.
"But, just because I said you wanted to hear it, doesn't mean I didn't mean what I said. I'm not one to lie. I don't think I've told a lie since I was just a kid." Aizawa then stepped up.
"How's that possible? Everyone lies."
"A classic truth. I have much trouble believing that you haven't lied since then, Sybil." L added.
The young woman's hat covered her eyes partially before she thumbed it up and spun it around so that the brim was on the back of her head.
"You wouldn't understand and you won't believe me despite whatever I might say to try and convince you that I speak the truth. People are like that and you won't be any different." She turned around and grinned at her companions.
"People are wary. Have been since the beginning of time, but think. What if people didn't worry so much and used that energy to care about others? I know that no one is perfect, look at me for example. I'm twenty three, considered a genius in what I think is all of the world, and I can't tie a knot to save my life." Sybil looked down to her shoelaces, narrowing her eyes at how dirty and frayed they were.
"I'm not perfect. No one is perfect. However, Kira is trying to impose perfectionism unto all of us deviants. If everyone cared a little bit more about others, this whole mess with Kira wouldn't have started because criminals wouldn't exist. Lying is just a way to prove how imperfect we humans are. We lie to try and make ourselves seem better than we actually are. Seem more grown up, more brilliant, more physically apt. I for one have decided not to lie in an attempt to better myself. All I've said from the beginning of this investigation, everything I've told you is the truth." She placed her hands on her hips and looked back over her shoulder at her companions.
"I can go on and on. Stop me if you like." L then smirked.
"How can you prove what you've said is the truth?" Sybil snorted and everyone else looked at both detectives.
Her green eyes flashed in amusement as she saw what he was trying to do.
He was challenging her beliefs to see what she would do to back them up. L wanted to get her riled up. He wanted to see her blood boil and her true conniving detective side come out.
"I can't. But, that doesn't mean I was lying. Seeing isn't believing, Ryuuzaki. Believing is believing."
"I, for one, prefer seeing the truth right before my eyes before I can believe in it."
"Do you believe in anything other than facts? Religion, perhaps?" She asked.
"There is no proof."
"And therefore, according to you, there is no God. Believing is what hope is. Truth doesn't have to be seen to be believed. After all, nowadays it's getting more and more difficult to discover who's telling the truth and who's lying. Which is why there's such things as lie detectors, which aren't even one hundred percent reliable. There's innocent people residing in prison right now because of rigged machines and because they were convicted, Kira is killing them. Innocent people are dying because of liars. Because of the human race being so deceiving to those they apparently care about." L chewed on his thumb.
"That is a valid point. However, if we are not to rely on machines, what are we to rely on?" Sybil stopped, closed her eyes, and thought long and hard.
L was expecting her to come back with something snappy. Reliable. Believable. Everyone in the room was. They all stared at her as she opened her eyes, let out a heavy sigh, and balled her hands into fists.
"I- I don't know. But, the first step to finding out the answer is always not knowing." Sybil finally whispered.
Matsuda blinked.
"You- you don't know? How can you not know?! You're a genius, right?!" Sybil shot him a glare.
"My IQ doesn't grant me the ability to magically gain knowledge no one has, Matsuda. Ask Ryuuzaki. He doesn't know either. He only walked into this to see how long I'd last before giving up. Well, I'm giving up now. This was a debate and a battle I had no chance at winning." Then, she left the room.
Of course, L immediately knew where she was going and it wasn't back to the crowd of people back in her apartment. No, Sybil was going back to the roof. Obviously, he had pushed her to her limit and had severed several of her nerves indicating recent pleasure earlier that morning, but he hoped that she wasn't terribly upset at him.
L glanced to Aizawa.
"Is it raining outside?" Aizawa blinked, at first, not understanding why L would ask such a question.
But, he soon realized why the dark haired detective was asking and nodded numbly.
"Yeah. It's been raining a lot lately." Matsuda sat down on the couch next to a silent Mogi, not that Mogi ever said much.
He didn't understand why they were talking about the weather when Sybil had just left the building. It didn't make any sense. Well, maybe that was because he was actually worried about her. Not saying that no one else was, but maybe he worried a little bit more than the others.
He glanced towards L, who had then contacted Watari.
Although, L did seem to have a strong connection with her. Maybe that was just because L needed Sybil's help for the investigation. Matsuda couldn't really tell, although he wished that he could. He wished he was as smart as everyone else. He wished people could see the benefit of having him there. Sure, he might not have been a genius, but at least he was trying his hardest to be of some help.
L let out a quiet sigh, that wasn't audible to anyone, but himself as he ended his quick conversation with Watari.
L would deal with Sybil and whenever he had time, he would go himself to speak with her. But, at the moment, Watari would have to do. Even if he would much rather speak with her himself. Soothe her himself. Discover what exactly he had done wrong, even if he already suspected what it was.
***
The shinigami hovered by Sybil's side as she stood atop the ledge of the roof, staring up at the sky. Rain poured down upon them both and it grumbled in annoyance under its breath as it continued to clutch the notebook in its hands.
"Stupid human. Why now?" Sybil then sighed and sat down so that her feet hung over the edge of the building instead.
"Why are you following me?" The shinigami blinked, looked around, before smirking.
"So, you can see me, eh?"
"I'm not sure. You could just be a figment of my imagination, but with all that's going on, Kira and such, I doubt it." She smiled softly at her new companion as she took in its exterior.
It had pale, grayish skin and two eyes, each with deep purple irises that seemed to penetrate her body and soul. It had white hair that shagged partially into its eyes and a rather normal looking nose. It fluttered in front of her with its two wings, black and leathery and its limbs, which were pretty normal considering that the creature wasn't exactly human, hung limply.
It wore a pair of black goggles on its head and a chain belt, which kept up a pair of tattered looking leather pants. It also wore a leather jacket, absent the sleeves which looked like they had been ripped off. On its hip, attached to the chain belt, there was a black studded pouch large enough to hold the notebook which it held in its hands.
It stared back at her as it continued to smirk, showing its bone white vampire-type fangs.
"I'm surprised. Humans aren't supposed to see me until they touch my notebook. There's something different about you."
"There's something different about everyone. What are you anyway? Wait, let me think." Sybil closed her eyes and the shinigami chuckled.
"L, do you know that Gods of Death eat apples? Well, that message makes sense now. You're a shinigami." It chuckled even more loudly than before.
"Interesting. You figured it out that easy, huh?"
"Apparently. Anyway, what do you mean about touching your notebook?" It stared at her with its purple irises.
"Humans aren't supposed to see us shinigami unless they touch our notebooks. You haven't touched my notebook, but you can see me. You possess something that normal humans don't have." Its eyes flickered to the space above her head, which showed her lifespan.
There was an explanation for this. There just had to be. Well, there'd be time to think of that later. Right now, there were other things to do.
"Interesting. Very interesting. Looks like I've made the right choice then. Here." It pressed the book to Sybil's chest and she clasped it tightly in her fingers, but not before giving the thing in front of her a confused look.
"Eh, what's this?" It rolled its eyes before showing its two fangs once again.
"A Death Note. Can't you read? It's even in a nice bright red for you." Sybil swallowed and looked down at the notebook in her hands, staring at the blood red ink
Death Note.
"Oh. Oh shit. You have got to be kidding me. You did not just place a supernatural weapon in my hands."
"Hey, King's orders. That little book is the key to this whole mess and if you don't use it right, the whole human race is coming to an end. Although, judging by that clock of yours, you probably won't live to see that happen. Your detective boyfriend, however, is another story." Sybil quickly looked up and stared at the shinigami.
"What do you mean?"
"About what?"
"You put a murder weapon in my hands! What do you think?!" It sighed.
"Well, with this whole Kira situation is throwing off the balance of life and death. Seems another shinigami, not mentioning any names, got bored and started meddling. With the balance thrown off, both worlds are sort of at risk. The humans because they're being killed before their time and us shinigami because there's less humans for us to thrive off of. So, if you humans kill each other, more than usual, we suffer." The young woman closed her eyes tightly and held the notebook up to her face with just her index and her thumb before reopening them, copying the way L held objects.
"There's a murder weapon in my hands which I need in order to save two worlds? The pressure's on it seems. Now, what did you mean about my clock?" The shinigami sighed again.
"You humans are set with a specific lifespan. It varies from human to human. Your life is coming to an end. Unfortunately, rules state that I'm not allowed to tell you anymore than that." Sybil closed her eyes and then held the notebook to her chest with both arms.
Her life was ending? Great. Just when she was putting all the pieces back, she finds out that she's got only a short time left.
"Don't tell me anymore about my lifespan. It's probably best if I don't know. It'll only bring me back down from my mountain of happiness when I was halfway to the top. Then, Ryuu would get suspicious and figure out that I've got a murder weapon with me." Sybil opened her eyes and stared down at the notebook.
"Just one day. Just one day of finally being happy and it's been taken away so fast. I'm going to have to make the rest of my life count." The shinigami crossed its arms before narrowing its eyes.
"So, it's all about you, huh? You haven't even asked my name after all the information I just gave you."
"Oh. I'm sorry. It's been a lot of information to take in. Thank you, eh-?"
"Fang. Don't shoot me because its not Japanese. I chose it myself." Sybil smiled weakly.
"Fang? Your name suits you." Fang frowned at her lack of enthusiasm, but soon remembered exactly why she was so depressed.
"Great. Should've just kept my mouth shut about that whole clock thing. Or, even better! I should've left all my emotions back home."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, I'll take a look at this later. Right now, we've got company." Fang looked over and saw that Sybil was completely right.
That old man was coming towards them with an umbrella.
"Right then. I'll keep my mouth shut until you're alone. Just observing." Fang then pretended to zip his mouth and throw away the key, gaining a brief questioning glance from the young woman, who then looked to Watari.
Of course, by this time, he was already hovering nearby with the umbrella over her head.
"Are you alright?"
"I've been better. I'm not mad, if that's why Ryuu sent you. I'm not mad, just a little out of it. That debate reminded me exactly how horrible people can be. How short life is, even." Watari gave her a small smile.
"That's understandable. There isn't much to look forward to nowadays, but you must in order to keep living." Sybil blinked and then lowered her gaze to the notebook in her arms, which was clutched so that her new companion couldn't see what it said.
"Yeah. Keep living." Watari continued to smile in an attempt to lift the detective's spirits.
"Ryuuzaki is worried that he did something wrong to upset you, Sybil. He might not admit it, but he has been trying his hardest for you since the beginning." She looked up.
L thought he'd done something wrong? Why would he think that?
"Poor Ryuu. I didn't mean to make him worry or think he did something to hurt me. I'm just a little stressed right now."
"Yes, quite understandable. But, maybe you should tell him that. Ryuuzaki seems to be quite uninterested in his surroundings when you happen to not be in the room." Sybil smiled softly.
"I probably should go back inside to rejoin the others, but it's going to be awkward and I'm all wet-" Watari chuckled lightly.
"Ah, yes. There's no need to worry about your clothes, Sybil. Ryuuzaki has already dealt with it."
"Of course he has. Ryuuzaki thinks of everything when I can't." Sybil stood herself up, still clutching the notebook to her chest as she smiled at Watari again.
"Thank you for coming to get me. Who knows how long I would've stayed out here. I'm just lucky I don't get sick."
"It was not a problem, My Dear." The two then began to walk back to into the building, with Sybil drifting back slightly so that Watari didn't see her hand the notebook off to Fang, who took it, smirking.
"I definitely made the right choice."