notes/warnings
+ swearing.
+ taking some liberties with the death note universe canon. again.
Good
The safe is tiny, metallic-looking, and bolted to the wall and floor. Naomi has to admire Takada's discretion. A safe is hardly an original stashing-place, but this one is designed to blend in with the background, so that it would not be obvious to anyone searching the place.
Not that searching will be necessary, now.
Takada stands up, flexes her shoulders just once, and hands Naomi the notebook without any hesitation at all.
The cover is worn black leather, adorned with tiny silver studs. The notebook is light in Naomi's hands, the texture forgettable. Nothing about its innocuous appearance belies the power within.
Naomi flips through the pages briefly, and is sickened by how many are completely filled with names. Takada's writing is neat and tidy – a mix of cursive English and kanji - and there are several rows of names in every ruled line. Thousands of names. Thousands.
Too much. Too much.
So many lives.
Naomi wants to drop the thing, fling it away, have nothing to do with it, but she can't.
Not yet.
She has to take it safely back to the only man who can be trusted with it.
"Thank you," she tells Takada, a little shakily. "Is there any more?"
If Takada says no, then Naomi won't believe her. Takada is the type to have little insurance policies hidden all over the place.
"There are eight pieces more," Takada says politely, already heading back towards her bed. "I'll show you where they are."
Naomi grins, hard.
"I'm…I'm glad you're doing this," she says, after a moment.
Takada pauses, mid-rummage, and meets Naomi's eyes.
"So am I," she says, agreeably.
She looks different, now. Her movements are fluid and confident, her expression calm, her voice steady. She no longer reminds Naomi of a child.
You must have agonized over this decision, Naomi thinks.
"Eight, huh?" Rae asks, thoughtfully. "I know where five of them are, and I'm guessing there's a sixth in that watch she's wearing. There's a distinct probability that she's telling the truth."
Takada tugs a sheaf of paper from under her pillow, and passes it to Naomi.
"One," she says, simply, and then heads towards the wardrobe, opening a wooden panel that fits almost seamlessly into the inner wall.
"Didn't know about that one," Rae admits. "The problem is that there are too many cameras here. I couldn't move anything around."
You're so vain, Naomi thinks. Can't you see that doesn't matter, now?
"Two," Takada announces, and she's smiling.
It's a good day.
Grianna Jones abandons all pretence of business as soon as the door is closed. She hovers just outside, listening intently.
"There's a camera right there, you know," Ryuk points out. "The other humans in the observation room will see you. Why are you doing this? You're going to get into trouble."
Not that he cares, but he always likes to be helpful towards humans who can't see or hear him.
He's pretty sure Grianna was one of the people to own Rem's notebook. Before Rem met L and fell in like or love or whatever. And Rem had a nasty habit of giving away too much information to the people she cared for. And she, in turn, never got into trouble, because the Queen was excessively fond of her.
Which isn't fair. Ryuk gets yelled at for everything. All the time.
But the point is; Jones might know something about hell. Or about the Queen. She might even be able to recognise that Takada is in hell.
Ryuk frowns at the ceiling. Rem might have mentioned this woman, now that he thinks about it. Wasn't she out for…revenge, or something? Or…no, wasn't she trying to save someone from hell? A son? A daughter?
"No point pleading with Jas," he tells Grianna, sagely. "She won't listen, no matter how much she likes you."
She's got too many rules, does the Queen.
Takada extracts notebook pages from the mattress under the bed, a loose floorboard, a panel in the ceiling, and a tiny gap between the wall and an ornate bookcase. Quite frankly, Naomi is impressed by her forethought and imagination. Lastly, Takada produces a rolled-up sheaf of note paper from inside one of the logs in the abandoned fireplace, and returns to Naomi's side without ceremony.
Naomi counts the pages silently. Seven. There ought to be eight.
Takada is fiddling with her watch.
"Here," she says, perhaps a tad breathlessly. "The eighth piece."
The final page is barely the size of a coin. Naomi wonders idly how many names it could possibly hold.
"Where is the rest of this?" she asks carefully.
"Final page of the notebook itself," Takada replies dutifully.
Naomi opens up the death note, flips to the back cover, and sure enough, there is a tiny, circular piece missing from the facing page.
She has the notebook, and all of the pieces.
Then…there is no reason to suspect that Takada is lying. They've covered everything.
Naomi exhales slowly.
"You need to phone L," Rae tells her. "We don't have time for me to go and speak with him. I'm going to search this room, one more time."
Yes. That makes sense.
It will be safe to call L, now. After all, Takada is on their side.
"I must contact my boss," Naomi tells Takada. "Please don't leave this room. It will only take a moment."
"Ah, of course," Takada says quietly. "May I send one email, while we are waiting? I want to let Big Jason know that his arrangement has been terminated. I want…I want him to find out from me."
Naomi hesitates. It's still a risk. Takada might call for backup. But then, she could call for backup anyway. It's not that Naomi is in a safe situation. It's that Naomi trusts Takada. She believes in this woman she's saved.
And Takada would not have handed over the death note, if she intended to fight Naomi. Takada needs L, now.
Naomi can understand that sentiment.
"You have two minutes," Naomi says firmly, gesturing to the ancient old computer that is squished between a shiny printer and a coffee machine in the corner of the room. "You may only use that computer, please."
"I understand," Takada says demurely.
When the phone rings, L knows they have won. One corner of his mouth lifts unbidden in a lopsided smile.
Yes.
"Hello?" he says politely.
"Oh god, it's good to hear your voice," Naomi whispers. "Geeze."
L checks the visual feed. Takada is using a computer. She's still in the same room as Naomi, so Naomi can't risk showing any weakness.
"Raye is fine," he says pre-emptively. "Everyone is fine. We still need to keep M from finding out the truth."
There is no simple way to explain to Naomi that Takada might just vanish, once she reaches some arbitrary point in the confession process. Rae will have to handle that if it happens before they reach L.
"You've heard everything so far?" Naomi asks.
"Yes."
"So, what do you want me to do now?"
"Make your excuses to the disciples, take a relatively generic vehicle, and leave from the westernmost exit," L instructs. "We have a temporary base set up in Mashobra Avenue. That is your destination, but I'll intercept you at the end of Clam Road so you can be rid of the notebook."
"Clam Road is barely a block away," Naomi hisses. "It's too close. It's under surveillance."
"I will not be recognisable, I will not leave the car, and I daresay the disciples will be preoccupied with the onslaught of police officers," L counters, neatly.
"Still," Naomi grits. "Can't someone else do this?"
"Raye needs to get Mail back to headquarters, and Watari is too far away," L says calmly. "I want both of you out of that building in seven minutes. Tell Takada these are my orders."
Takada wants him to save her, now. More pressure. One more person in the world, hoping that somehow, he'll be able to defeat Light.
L doesn't want to think about how disappointed they'll all be.
When the time comes.
Now is not that time, though. Not today. Today, they have succeeded.
Over sixty police officers are on standby, vehicles pulling into the streets around Takada's base right at this very second. Naomi has the notebook. Everything is going to be fine.
L stuffs his mask into his pocket. Then he presses his foot to the accelerator, and steers the vehicle back onto the road. As an afterthought, he moves the laptop to the middle of the dashboard, so that he can monitor the visual feed while driving.
Just…just in case.
"We ought to go to Leah's office before we leave," Takada says thoughtfully. "It will seem more casual if we just…drop by. Rather than formally announcing our departure. After all, we are simply running an errand, right?"
Naomi beams at her. .
"That is fine. However, you must also order the guards to switch off the camera to the westernmost garage."
Takada's cameras aren't sophisticated enough to pick up conversation-level noises, but they are definitely capable of showing Naomi handcuffing and blindfolding Takada. And the pursuit of an angry mob might make things difficult.
"Is that where you will restrain me?" Takada asks. "I see. I understand."
Actually, it's sort of weird, when Naomi thinks about it. Takada didn't have enough money for even the most basic of visual taps, at the beginning. That was why she had to hire thugs to carry L back to her hideout. But then she had a super-expensive humanoid robot as part of her induction process. And yet she still doesn't have the money for superior surveillance equipment.
Takada must be really bad at managing her finances. There's no other explanation.
"I do what I have to do," Naomi tells her, sympathetically.
"The room is clear," Rae reports. "I can't see any other pages hidden anywhere. Of course, that doesn't rule out the fact that she's given pieces to other people."
Takada would never trust anyone else with her notebook, Naomi thinks.
She knows Takada. She's confident of that, now.
"Try to get her to confess right now," Rae continues. "That would be ideal."
That would be useful, Naomi concedes. But…
But if Takada admits to using the notebook, then L might not give her a chance. He might just hand her straight over to the police.
No. L saves people. He thinks Takada is in hell. He wouldn't do that.
Probably.
"Time's up," Naomi says out loud. "Come on, let's get out of here."
"Yes," Takada murmurs. "Let's."
Naomi checks her watch. Six minutes to go. She can't be late for L.
When she opens the door, the hallway is completely empty. No Grianna. No disciples. Presumably everyone is gathered in Leah's room, chasing down a false lead. Naomi almost feels bad for them.
Almost.
"I shall miss Bronson," Takada says thoughtfully. "I think, deep down, he might still be a good person."
"That is up to the law to decide, now," Naomi tells her, conversationally. "People won't be charged without evidence."
"People are not charged often enough, if you ask me," Takada says, with distaste.
"And that's how everything started," Naomi surmises. "That's why you wound up following Kira, huh? Tell me, did you write all those names in the death note yourself, or did other disciples help you?"
Takada hesitates.
"I would rather not discuss that here," she whispers. "Can it wait until we are safely in the car? People may still be listening."
Damn, Naomi thinks, looking around for Rae. It hasn't caught up yet. She wonders if it's talking to the other Shinigami.
She'd like it with her, right now. This is still dangerous. This is still delicate.
"It is important that everyone is safe," Naomi agrees, grudgingly.
Ryuk tackles Rae in the doorframe, grinning hysterically.
"Get off me," Rae demands. "I need to stay with Naomi."
"But this is exciting," Ryuk says, gleefully. "Isn't it exciting? Our two girls going off together? Tell me, did Kiyomi make the right choice?"
Rae cocks its head.
Sometimes Ryuk gives away more information than he means to. Therefore, it might be worthwhile to pay him attention for a moment.
"What choice?"
"The choice between 'goddess' and 'ordinary', of course," Ryuk explains, gesticulating uselessly.
The choice between Light and L, Rae interprets.
And what? That's not even…that's not even a fucking choice. It's not like either of those options are…
The universe shifts, ever so slightly.
In the room, something starts to whirr.
L is…
L is…
It doesn't matter. It's a false choice. It's a false situation.
L is.
Sometimes, maybe.
Here, today. Only today. Only right now, in this instant.
Against some version of Kira that existed only in Takada's mind, surely.
L is…
Justice?
The whirring intensifies to a hum, rhythmic and mechanical.
No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
It's just the exhaustion talking. It's been such a long case. L is nothing. L is without consequence. It's okay, it's okay.
"Tell me," Rae says, shakily. "Is this her test, Ryuk?"
"Redemption or eternity," Ryuk confirms brightly. "She's going to see L, right?"
"Yes," Rae replies, testily.
"Then she made the right choice," Ryuk says. "That's a relief. I was worried this would never be over."
"Why are you telling me this, now? You never even mentioned redemption to me before. I had to find out about it from Rem."
"Eh, it's a human thing," Ryuk says with a shrug. "It doesn't much concern us, right?"
"Whatever," Rae replies.
Takada is still a mass-murderer. She deserves to rot in hell, even if she did choose L.
The hum hasn't stopped. Rae looks around.
"What's making that noise?"
Ryuk shrugs.
The room is empty, save the two of them. There is no one here to be using machinery. It isn't the sound of a fridge, or air conditioner. It's different.
Rae's eyes land on the computer. A sheet of paper tumbles to the ground, followed by another, and another.
What the hell?
"Why is the printer running?" Rae asks, confused.
"I dunno," Ryuk replies.
Naomi is walking more quickly than usual. She wants this to be over. The strain on her must have been immense, acting as a double agent for so very long.
It will take them just under a minute to reach Leah's office. Takada knows this building well, the dimensions, the distances, the scope of the cameras.
There is good, and there is evil. Her decision doesn't only affect her, it affects the world. And Light wants to save the world.
But that no longer matters. She's not making her decision to be a good person. She's making her decision for her.
For the first time ever, for her.
Takada feels peaceful, her earlier inner turmoil completely evaporated.
Naomi checks her watch, again. She's beautiful. She's gained weight since Takada first met her, but she's still beautiful.
She has can communicate with L. L is watching. L is listening. And that means something.
L has extended his hand, like Light did, so many years ago. He opened up the world to her, he gave her options. She's not Jason's slave, and she's not Light's slave.
And it's not that she doesn't love Light. It's just that saving him was going to be so hard.
Grianna Jones has appeared again, tottering along some distance behind them. She's too nosey for her own good, but that isn't important right now.
L trusts Naomi, and that's important.
Let it never be said that Kiyomi Takada does not know how to use the resources given to her.
Naomi can communicate with L.
Takada has a fast printer. It ought to be done by now.
Takada checks her watch.
In forty seconds, they should be just outside Leah's office.
Ryuk doesn't try to stop Rae from getting to the computer, because hey, it's not his business to interfere. Everything is part of the queen's plan.
He can't wait 'til he can get out of this place. Back to the third world. Back to his friend.
"This isn't an email," Rae says, and it sounds confused. It sounds almost scared. Geeze. This is going to be bad, then. "This is…this is a document."
It's not really a document. It's more like a sentence.
'Naomi Penber does everything in her power to cause L to come - unarmed and alone - to her exact location at 17 Baker Street, then commits suicide after he has arrived.'
"What the hell?" Rae demands. "This is…this is what she'd write in the notebook. Why is it on her compu…"
The other Shinigami trails off, its attention clearly drawn to the pile of paper on the ground. Every page bearing the same, damning sentence. And Rae's clever eyes pick out the sheet of death note almost immediately, thicker and darker than the other papers, and faintly lined.
Oh, that's right.
Takada hid part of her note in the printer paper. And Ryuk had never been able to understand why.
Humans are awesome.
"No," Rae says, in horror and disbelief. "No. She can't have. She fucking…L! L!"
And without wasting another second, Rae turns and bolts from the room.
L? Ryuk wonders. What about Naomi?
It was going to be so hard to save Light. Except now she has a notebook that can control people, and someone who can and will contact L.
It's easy to be lead astray. It's easy to make the wrong turn, on the path of good and evil. It's easy to be taken in by emotions, by love, by pretty words.
Takada smiles, serenely, because there was never any doubt. She is Kira, after all. People never stopped believing in her. She'll be rid of Jason, she'll get Light back, and she'll win. And it's a pity about Naomi, but it's not Takada's fault she can't prioritise. It's not Takada's fault she's a lying, cheating scumbag, either.
It couldn't have gone better if Takada had planned it from the very beginning. She's handed over all the pieces of death note. She's seemingly chosen L. There's no reason that he shouldn't come. Naomi will stay alive until he's here, so he'll think that everything is fine.
Takada is beautiful, and she's smart, and she's absolutely sure that she's right.
Goddess. She chooses goddess.
She deserves nothing less.
It's a good day.
This isn't happening.
This isn't fucking…
This…Jesus fuck L fucking Takada stupid stupid no, no, no, NO, NO, NO! Takada cannot have L. She cannot take L. Naomi's fucking expendable, not L.
He is mine!
Mine fucking mine I can have everything I want oh fuck why is this happening?
Takada is evil. Takada is going to destroy everything.
No you can't you can't you CAN'T no no no no!
No. Because Naomi loves L, so if Naomi kills herself before the death note takes effect, L will be safe.
And she will. She loves L.
People are so easy to manipulate, when they're in love.
"Naomi," Rae snarls, before it's even fully through the wall. "You need to gnfgh."
Ryuk fucking fucking FUCKING Ryuk drags Rae away from Naomi, back into the other room, out of sight.
No dear god fuck no no no!
There are no resources.
I HAVE NO RESOURCES!
Rae's mind courses into screaming, psychotic panic.
"You can't do that, sunshine," Ryuk says cheerfully. "You gotta let these things run their course."
Rae comes bursting into the hall, right before Naomi puts her hand on Leah's door. It shouts something incoherent, and then disappears again.
Naomi hesitates, and frowns.
Something has gone wrong?
"What is it?" Takada asks, her voice low and concerned. "Naomi? Is everything okay?"
"I think so," Naomi replies, because she can't tell Takada about Rae, of course. "I was just-"
It happens in a rush, in a second, without warning or aura. Naomi's previously-benign illness transforms into something absolute, and manifest, and all-too-familiar.
Kira.
No, she thinks, because her tongue sits useless in her mouth. The wiring between her mind and her body has been severed.
No! I'm not ready!
She has to save Takada.
She has to see Raye again. And L. There are too many things to do.
She cannot move her hands or her feet. She cannot turn around. She cannot even move her own eyes.
She cannot warn Takada.
Naomi feels absolutely sick. Violently, horrendously ill.
It's all in her mind. That's all she has left.
She knows. She's done this before.
Light.
You fucking-
The voice comes. The warning. The instructions. The final toll of the bell. It's not Light's voice. It wasn't Light's voice last time, either. It's just a voice. The voice.
The voice of the death note.
Say 'I don't understand'. Say it three times.
And finally, Naomi understands. L. They want L.
Dear god, her body will call for L, and he'll come, and he'll be killed.
She has no options. She is only a witness. Takada steps into her line of vision, and she's smiling. And Naomi realises, for the second time, that she is a fool and that everything she's worked for amounts to exactly nothing.
Was it you?
She won't know. She may not ever know for sure. It doesn't matter. She's going to die. And she's going to take L with her.
If she could have one thing, just one thing, she'd ask for the power to end this now. To defy the death note. To die immediately, and silently.
But she cannot ask. No one can hear her.
Say it three times, the voice repeats. Say it…now.
And somewhere, from the very far reaches of Naomi's mind, a tiny, unfamiliar voice replies.
No.
Naomi feels her heart stop, and then there is nothing.
Naomi has fallen down. She faints, sometimes, L knows. But he still worries.
And then he hears something strange.
It is three twenty-three in the afternoon. There shouldn't be church bells ringing at this time.
tbc
a/n:
+ a week late, and a thousand words short. hooray for me!
+ thank you, thank you.