December 9th, 2003

10:14 pm

Yagami household

Light Yagami sighed, rubbed his tired eyes, and tried to focus on the computer screen. Spread before him were piles of notes on stalking cases and convicted culprits. The research was disheartening, to say the least.

Light's case was rather unusual in that his stalker was anonymous. As far as he knew, he had never met the man before. In most stalking cases, the stalker and victim—Light thought this word with a wince, as he couldn't stand referring to himself as a victim—had some sort of prior relationship. They had met, worked together, or had a relationship together before. The stalker would often show up at the victim's home or place of work, and harass them verbally. Most treated their victims like possessions in an attempt to rationalize their psychotic possessiveness.

This was another variation from the norm. Light's stalker didn't seem to think that Light belonged to him, but rather that he belonged to Light. He felt that he existed to serve him, to serve his 'God'.

Light yawned. It was only a little past ten... his father wouldn't be home for another few hours, if he even came home at all tonight. Light had some time, then. He closed the case files he had open and fished through the database for the notes on the Kira case. He was sure that his father wouldn't approve of his checking up on him, but Light would rather his father be alive and unhappy with him than dead.

There wasn't much that hadn't been broadcast already in the news. The tip lines appeared to be utterly useless—mostly curious people, prank calls, and false leads. There was only one significant piece of new information. The times of the killings suggested that the culprit might be a student.

Now that was interesting. To think that one person could be capable of this, let alone a student, was terrifying. The very thought of that much power in one person's hands... Light shivered a little as he felt his eyes droop. He would rest for a little while, he decided. Just a light doze, he promised himself with false hope. Just until his father came home.

His face came to rest on his arms, and he fell into a deep slumber.

Outside the house, across the street, stood a dark shadow. Behind the shadow, invisible to normal humans, hovered a god of death.

"What are we doing here?" Ryuk asked, peering at the face of the young man on the street. The man sneered and pushed up his glasses.

"I am presenting a gift to my God," he said, reverently withdrawing a stack of paper and a rotten apple from his bag. Ryuk made a noise of disgust.

"What did you do?" He moaned, looking at the spoiled flesh of the fruit in despair. "You let a perfectly good apple go to waste! You should have let me eat it before it went bad."

"No!" Mikami snapped, glaring at the impudent shinigami. "It is a symbol for this rotten world." He caressed the slimy apple lovingly. "Only when this world is pure may I offer a healthy apple to my God."

"...Right." Ryuk grumbled, frowning. I can put up with the crazy, but this treatment of apples is just sick.

Mikami ignored the death god. He looked right and left briefly, then, sure that the street was deserted, crossed the street to the Yagami home. He gently set the papers and apple on the ground as he withdrew a few pins from him pocket. Looking around every few seconds, he shoved the pins into the lock and started fiddling around. Ryuk peered around, bored, until the lock opened several minutes later with a soft 'click'. Mikami held his breath, listening for any unusual noises. Somewhere down the block, a cat meowed softly.

Mikami quickly gathered up the papers and apple and crept into the house. He went immediately up the stairs, stopping outside a bedroom door.

"God..." He breathed, then quietly opened the door. The room was dark except for the light of a computer screen, and Mikami's breath caught in his throat. There, sleeping hunched on the desk, was his God. He was so beautiful, his pale skin softly illuminated by the artificial light, his honey colored hair caressing his cheek...

Mikami crept closer reverently, contemplating whether or not to move his God to the bed. Was he worthy enough to touch him?

In the police headquarters across town, Officer Suzuki looked up, bored, as the phone rang. "National poli-"

"This is an automated call." A mechanical female voice said, and the officer sighed impatiently. "There is a potential burglary in progress at..."

Suzuki scribbled down the name and address unenthusiastically and hung up as the recording ended. He got up to deliver the address to the dispatch crew. Maybe he would get a doughnut on the way...

Mikami decided against moving him. He was not yet worthy to hear his God's voice—touching him would cross a line. He made to leave the papers and apple on the edge of the desk, so that when his God woke, he would be pleasantly surprised to see all of his servant's work for him. He would be so pleased that he would let Mikami hear his beautiful voice again.

Then Mikami caught sight of the computer screen. He froze.

"Suzuki? What have you got for us?"

Suzuki swallowed a mouthful of pastry as he handed over the small slip of paper. "Routine break-in, it looks like. Maybe even a false alarm—it was an automated call from one of those security systems. Probably just needs one car."

Miyagi took the paper, looking just as disinterested as Suzuki sounded, and contemplating getting more coffee. Reading the name and address, his eyes widened. "Yagami? The family name is Yagami?"

"What about it?" Suzuki asked, disinterested. "You know them?"

Miyagi ignored the question, entering the address into the computer to confirm his suspicion, all thoughts of coffee driven from his mind. After a moment, the computer spat out the results he had expected, and he picked up the phone to bark orders to the officers in the area.

Suzuki whistled lowly as Miyagi dropped to phone. "What was that all about?"

Miyagi looked tiredly at Suzuki. "Go tell Chief Soichiro Yagami that his house has been broken into."

Mikami stared in disbelief. His God had accessed the database of the NPA—he was following his progress, his good work! Mikami felt proud, he felt accomplished, he felt-

Horrified. The police already suspected a student based on the times at which the murders occurred? How could he have overlooked such a major detail? His God must be so disappointed in him, so ashamed... he probably knew that Mikami would visit tonight, and arranged this to show him just how unworthy Mikami was! Mikami would have to throw them off, somehow, somehow...

"You're in trouble now, Teru Mikami," Ryuk chuckled darkly.

There was a soft crumpling noise as Mikami crushed the papers in his hands. Light Yagami shifted lightly on his desk, and Mikami backed up, eyes wide. He fled the house quickly, papers clutched in his hand, rotten apple lying on the floor of Light's bedroom.

A few minutes later, Light woke to the sounds of loud shouts and footsteps in his home. Startled, he punched the power button on his computer—no need to be caught breaking into the NPA's database. But what was all the shouting about?...

"If there's anyone in there, come out now!"

The police. Why would the police be-

Fuck.

Light jumped to his feet, looking around the room, startled. His door was open, pencil lead just visible on the floor, and in the middle of the room there was a rotten apple.

He had been here. He had been here, in his room, and Light had slept through it. He might have...

Light could restrain it no longer. He screamed.

Soichiro Yagami arrived at his home minutes after the other officers. His family was already outside, and he rushed over to them. His wife was holding Sayu, but they were both watching Light, who looked nearly catatonic. Soichiro's stomach sank. He had been hoping, when he received the call, that someone had merely forgotten to punch in the code. He now knew that his hopes had been in vain. He should have been here for this!... If only he had gone home, like Matsuda had suggested...

"Light," Soichiro said experimentally. His son's amber eyes slid over to him slowly, but blankly. "Are you all right?"

"The officers said that we might want to bring him to a counselor," Sayu said quietly, watching her brother's vacant expression. "He hasn't said anything since he screamed. They..." Sayu hesitated, glancing at her father. "...they found another apple. In his room."

Soichiro frowned deeply, clenching his hands to stop the shaking. Whether the tremors came from anger or fear, he was unable to tell. He couldn't stop the chorus in his head of I should have been there, I should have been there. "Have they found anything else?"

Sayu shook her head. "They're looking now, but they figure he went straight to Light's room. He can't have been here for long, because it had only been about fifteen minutes from the time the alarm went off, they said."

"Chief?" An officer Soichiro should have known the name of called as he exited the house. "I hate to do this to you, but we have to make a report..."

Soichiro sighed. "Does it have to be now?" He knew it had to be now. "My family is..."

"It's best to do it now, sir," the officer said. He hesitated, glancing at Light, then back at the Chief, and continued more quietly, "There might be someone at the station who can help your son, sir, and he might know more about what happened."

"Yes, you're right," Soichiro murmured, turning back to his son. He couldn't decide what would be worse—his son not knowing what had happened, or his son knowing exactly what had happened. He moved slowly, in full view of his son, and squeezed his shoulders firmly. "Come with me, Light."

Light hesitated a moment, then let his head fall forward onto Soichiro's shoulder. He shuddered lightly, and spoke into his father's shoulder. "What if he touched me?" His voice was hoarse.

Soichiro wrapped his arms around his son firmly. "I'll never let him touch you," he vowed.

He prayed that he would be able to keep that promise.