March 11th, 2004. 4:57 pm

Light groaned as he awoke, feeling nauseous. This feeling was not at all abated by the gag in his mouth-

The gag in his mouth?

Light's eyes widened as he took stock of exactly where he was. He was not, as he had first thought, asleep in class, or at his desk at home. The uncomfortable position was not from falling asleep in a chair, but rather because he was now tied to a chair.

"Our God is awake!"

Light shuddered, the nauseous feeling doubling. He recognized that voice. The full implications of this situation hit him all at once- Misa had knocked him out, was working with Mikami and Beyond Birthdya, and that meant-

That meant that Amane Misa was the second Kira.

Light tested the strength of his bonds, fighting panic. No, the ropes tying him to the chair were too tight, but the gag was looser. He should be able to spit it out, if he worked at it for enough time...

"I really am sorry about this, Light," Misa said quietly, kneeling daintily in front of his chair. "But it has to be done, in order to kill L and make this world a better place for you." She made eye contact, and her look was pleading. Light glared. "I know you're being manipulated by L," Misa said, "but I saw the look on your face when you said that your..." She whispered the word, "stalker was in an institution, and I could tell that you wished he was dead. I can help you do that, Light. Kira will do that for you- you just have to let him. Me. Us."

Light tried to tell Misa that she was wrong, that she was working with his stalker and that he should be put to death for mass murder, but first he had to get rid of this damn gag!

5:12 pm

"An abandoned warehouse?" Matsuda asked, surprised. "They actually have those?"

"I imagine B selected it for dramatic effect," L observed, handing pistols to Matsuda and Chief Yagami. "Not to mention that the Death Note will work at any range, while our aim will diminish over distance."

"Did you really bring the Death Note, L?" Soichiro Yagami asked, glancing at the book held loosely in the detective's hand. L shook his head.

"A very good replica. Now, if there are no more questions, we should save your son."

The other two men nodded, and, hats and sunglasses in place, all three of them crept into the open door of the warehouse.

Beyond Birthday smiled as he saw the figures creep in on the other side of the vast space, and drew up next to Light Yagami for the first time. The boy blinked rapidly a few times, then redoubled his efforts in working at the gag. Good boy, Beyond thought, smiling. He forced a dark laugh, but was unsatisfied with the result- the boy simply gave him a disdaining look.

Oh, well. B had known in needed work. "Don't worry, God," he said, reaching forward as if to tuck a strand of hair away from the teenager's face. "It'll all be over quite soon." As he drew his hand back, B made sure to loosen the gag just enough that Light would be able to remove it. Satisfied, he drew forward with Mikami and Misa to confront the three people who had just entered.

Misa cradled the Death Note in her arms, pen poised. "Please put your guns on the floor," Misa said graciously. "And hand over the Death Note, please."

The three reluctantly put their guns on the floor, but L made no move to hand over the notebook. Mikami spoke, in a tone that made him sound like a priest in a confessional, "We already have your names. If you do as we ask, there is no need for the innocent to be punished. You, Soichiro Yagami, and you, Touta Matsuda, were only doing your jobs. Your sins against God may be excused, as long as they are not repeated."

"But not mine," L said calmly. "Of course. I am curious, though, why you decided to abduct your 'God'. If he approved of what you were doing, wouldn't he have come willingly?"

"You're manipulating him," Misa accused, though she did not sound very sure of herself, and glanced back at Light. "You tricked him. I'm avenging him. Light only thinks that he doesn't approve of Kira, but I know he wants bad people to die."

L recalled the conversation when he had informed Light of B's and Mikami's escape, and why Light said he couldn't just stop seeing Misa Amane. "His stalker, I presume?"

Misa looked surprised, then took heart. "Yes! He wants his stalker to die, I can tell!"

Light, with a gagging sputter, finally managed to work the cloth out of his mouth. "Mikami is my stalker, Misa!"

Misa jerked, turning around with wide eyes. "What?"

"Didn't you think to ask how he knew me?" He asked, glancing at Mikami and B. It looked like Misa was the only one who was armed- if he could turn her back to his side... "Mikami followed me, and wrote me letters, and left rotten apples-"

"Those were gifts!" Mikami said, looking shocked and hurt. "Gifts of my devotion! This is L's work!"

"He's not even denying it! Misa, be reasonable! You know this is wrong!"

Misa shifted from foot to foot, looking to each of the faces in the room, grip on the Death Note slack.

"Mikami," Beyond said in a warning tone, and Mikami nodded seriously.

"Yes. Her blasphemy has gone on long enough," he said, businesslike, then launched himself at Misa, his hands going for her throat. Misa dropped the Death Note in surprise, crashing to the ground and flailing wildly in a vain attempt to knock Mikami off of her.

There was a minute of struggle- Misa's flailing became weaker and weaker. Suddenly Mikami tensed, gasping. His hands left Misa's throat to clutch at his chest.

"God," he rasped weakly, then keeled over to the side, still. Misa lay on the floor, bruises forming on her neck, and seemingly unconscious. Next to her head was a pile of ash, and a Death Note.

"Well, now," B said, scooping a Death Note off of the ground. "That mess is taken care of. I don't want to use this, of course," he said, gesturing vaguely with the weapon, "but I will, if you two don't leave. I can't have you interfering, of course."

"Go," L said, before they could protest. "You'll just get in the way. Go."

The other two men hesitated, but left, slowly. They hovered outside the door, unarmed and feeling useless.

"Very good, L. Now if you'll just give up that spare gun you've hidden on your person," B said, moving to stand behind Light, "we'll be able to settle this thing like men."

L did not seem surprised that B knew about the gun. He drew it, but instead of casting it aside, leveled it at B and clicked off the safety.

B clucked and ducked down a little, so that all the vital parts of his body were covered by Light's, using him as a human shield. "Oh no no, I don't think so. You don't want Light to get hurt, do you?"

Light stared at L. The detective's hand began to lower, and Light bared his teeth at him before mouthing, "Do it."

B, who could not see the interaction from behind Light, could still hear, so L simply shook his head.

"Do it," Light mouthed again. L shook his head once more.

"Don't be selfish," Light mouthed fiercely, but carefully, hoping it got across. Apparently it did, because L glared.

"I can't," he mouthed, eyes cautiously on the outline of B's huddled form.

"Do it," Light repeated again.

L did not move for a long moment, then leveled the gun at Light's chest- far enough from his heart to be sure it wouldn't kill him instantly, but unable at this distance to know for sure that he wouldn't graze a lung. He shot Light a pleading look. Light nodded tersely.

L closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger. There was a bang, a thud of someone hitting the floor, a scream...

A snarl?

L's eyes snapped open.

Light was on the floor, still tied to the chair and looking dazed from what was probably a minor blow to the head. The bullet was lodged safely in the wall behind him, and B...

Was being mauled by a dog.