TCLA: So, because I'm a horrible person with horrible cliff hangers, I'm gonna let Mello handle this.

Mello: …that should probably insult me,

TCLA: It should.

Mello: But because you picked me before Near, I'll ignore that. TCLA owns NONE, I repeat NONE, of the DN cast. She only owns her own OCs and a few original scenes.

TCLA: My friend wants you to be her lover.

Mello: I'm also going to ignore that.

Chapter 29 Conspirator

"Ah…no. I'm sorry. That's not me," a small voice corrected.

My eyes focused on the speaker, an action that was much more difficult due to the poor lighting and multiple blows to my head. I blinked furiously, willing the figure to become clear. Slowly a face began to take shape.

"Kinoshita?"

A small smile tugged on the man's face. Immediately I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me. My disoriented mind had associated the relief of pain and the show of kindness with Tai. In my emotionally wrecked state I felt the strange urge to cry for my friend.

"I know I'm a bit of a disappointment…" he said incorrectly interpreting my facial expressions.

"No. I'm glad you're here, it's just…" I hung my head not wanting to meet his eyes, "I thought you were someone else." He waited for clarification. "Someone who's dead." He nodded, and I looked up. He was averting my gaze now; I was sure because he knew I wouldn't want to see the pity in his eyes.

"I see." He lifted the damp cloth, carefully rubbing away the blood off my face. I held still as best as I could, aware that movement would only irritate the already damaged flesh during the cleaning.

"Your nose isn't broken," he muttered, "but it should definitely be left alone for a while. Your lip is bleeding heavily, but it hasn't split and doesn't need stitches. In fact," he turned my head trying to get better light on the various bruises and cuts, "you won't need any stitches."

"What about my arm?"

He lightly ran his fingers over the arm that had been pinned beneath me. I kept my mouth shut despite the flare of pain it had triggered.

"It's heavily bruised, but I'm not sure if there's any muscle or tissue damage. I should probably brace it or something to prevent any further damage." He got on his knees, unlocking the cuffs around my wrists and ankles. He started fumbling with the ropes.

"Why are you here?" The question escaped me before I even recognized it as a thought. His fingers faltered momentarily on the ropes. He bowed his head.

"Minagawa-sama wants you recognizable on camera. And he knows he won't be able to give you medical attention without…w-without finishing the job." I nodded. This should have bothered me, but I only felt a dull acceptance. I sensed there was more to the answer, but I didn't pressure him for it.

The ropes fell from around my waist and automatically I started rubbing my wrists. I examined my arm. Purple bruises were blossoming across it; the weight of the chair combined with mine had done some damage. Hesitantly I moved it. A sigh of relief escaped me.

"It's fine," I said letting it drop down to my side again.

"Can you stand?"

Carefully, I tested my weight out on my legs. They appeared steady enough to stand, but I wasn't sure about walking. I got to my feet leaning heavily on the chair; I had experienced first-hand the wrath of the concrete floor and had no desire have my head become reacquainted with it. I was pleased to see I could manage standing.

"Can you walk?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted.

He offered me a hand. I paused for a moment before taking it. I wobbled a bit, but this way someone would catch me before I hit the ground. Hopefully. Slowly he led me down a hall, stopping outside of a door. He pushed it open revealing cracked white tile.

A bathroom. I stepped inside. Mold was more rampant in here, most likely from the leaky pipes. Roach poison was lined up along the walls.

"I-I'll just leave you to it," he muttered, shutting the door behind him. The door knob didn't have a lock on it, but I heard his weight lean heavily against the door, offering me as little privacy as he could while preventing Minagawa from coming in.

I felt a wave of nausea overcome me and I hurriedly flipped open the lid of the toilet. I fell on my knees, hearing the distant sound of retching as my stomach twisted unpleasantly. I gagged, my chest heaving, though I didn't vomit.

I sat on the dirty tile, bringing my knees up to my chest as I tried not to hyperventilate. I shuddered, a feeling of grime covering me. It was all consuming; the feeling of self disgust. It was irrational, I knew, to blame myself for what had happened. For the pain I was sure to face and the blows I had already felt.

It was a left over reaction from when I was a child. It felt like I was being punished. And it felt like I deserved it. The feeling was unjustified and out of place here in the lair of a madman, but my knowledge of this didn't eradicate the residual feel of shame and guilt.

I tucked my knees in closer and a twisted smile appeared on my previously blood colored lips. It was funny how I had picked up his habits. L's. The desire for comfort in an unfamiliar situation and my body responded like this. He would have smiled, pleased he was influential enough to cause this sort of reaction. Light would have smiled too. Amused that I was mimicking the dark-eyed detective though he would have tried for stern.

I hauled myself to the feet, the thought of L and Light motivating me to take advantage of the privacy. I peered into the filthy mirror, disfigured by cracks and what looked like some form of tarnish.

The girl staring back at me was hardly recognizable. Her hair was matted with drying blood and she regarded me warily as if afraid I would lash out shattering the fragile surface she was dependent on. Brown eyes were distant, already recoiling from pain that hadn't occurred. Her face was swelling, covered in cuts and bruises that had yet to fully form.

I grinned at her, trying to reassure her. She grimaced back her teeth red and brown. I blanched hastily spitting into the sink. Red seeped across the porcelain down the drain. I cupped water in my hands, hastily trying to erase the copper metallic taste that now dominated my mouth. The water eventually ran clear, and I splashed some on my face, the stinging feeling gratifying.

I did my best to wash the feeling of filth off me with only the water from the sink. I doubted I would have this opportunity again. My eyes flickered to the door, curious how much time I had left alone and if an examination of the cabinet below the sink was reasonable.

I decided to chance it, knowing Kinoshita wouldn't do anything in retaliation. I knelt down, praying the hinges wouldn't squeak and was relieved that the door swung open silently. I sifted through the contents, a wave of disappointment washing over me.

There was nothing that even the most talented officer could use to assist in escape. But perhaps it was foolish of me to hope. Insane did not mean stupid. And Minagawa and Kinoshita would remember their training.

And what would I have done if I had found some sort of weapon? Render Kinoshita unconscious? And then done what? Assuming Minagawa didn't hear me or notice my elimination of Kinoshita's interference, find the exit? I had no idea where I was. Or whether or not escape was a good idea in my present condition. And even if I did make it back to headquarters relatively intact, I wouldn't put it past Minagawa to kill or maim Kinoshita out of spite.

So I would stay, in hopes L would find me before too much damage had been done.

Upon reaching this decision, I felt a sense of calm return. The fact that I had made a choice, was comforting. It made me feel as if I had some control despite the fact I was backed into a corner. It would make this horrible episode easier to endure. Because I intended to endure.

I carefully pushed open the door, not wanting to send Kinoshita sprawling to the floor. I felt his weight relent and he offered me his arm once more, leading me back to what I supposed could be called my room.

He sat me down in the chair, treating me much like a wild animal that would either bolt or bite back in fear.

"I-I'm going to get you food," he informed me. I nodded dully, not feeling any sort of appetite but knowing food was crucial. There was no telling if it would be withheld at some point in the future. "If I leave you untied, will you stay?" There was a soft pleading tone to his voice. I nodded again. Running was no longer an option.

A relieved smile broke out on his face, which I returned weakly. The absence of blood must have made a difference, because he did look reassured despite my mirror-self's reaction. He left and came back shortly, a tray in hand.

Another weak smile broke out on my face at the sight of ramen. How stereotypical. But I couldn't find any complaint. I doubted my stomach would have held onto anything else. I noticed the absence of chopsticks, but didn't comment. Minagawa's orders I supposed. Not only to degrade me but prevent some sort of potential weapon.

I ate quietly, and Kinoshita watched just as silently. He was unobtrusive though. He displayed an air of one making sure a child didn't choke, rather than monitoring a prisoner. When I finished the ramen he offered me a bottle of water which I drank just as quickly, though I doubted I would have to worrying about the bathroom. I was most likely nearing dehydration both from unconsciousness and then the blood loss. My body would hold onto any moisture it could find.

"I have to tie you up again," he said gently.

"Alright," I answered my voice cracking slightly. I put my hands behind my back again, wincing at the metallic clicking at both my wrists and ankles. And then came the rope. He tied me much more loosely, I noticed. I could shift a little, nothing obvious to Minagawa, but it was comforting that I could move at all.

"You should try to sleep. It's going to start over again tomorrow." I didn't say anything, but I didn't need to. How could I respond? "Goodnight." He left, the light's flickering off behind him followed by the sound of a door closing and the lock of a dead bolt.

I waited until I was sure he couldn't hear.

"…good night."

~L's POV~

"Watari, explain the situation," I ordered dully, watching as all the monitors being to display a loading icon. Light and his father stared in shock, wrenched away from their frantic research.

"The main frame is having foreign content streamed straight into it. It hasn't damaged any of our existing files, nor is it duplicating or deleting data."

I tilted my head, my thumb in my mouth. This was far too coincidental. Rei is taken and then somehow someone hacks into an immensely complex system I had Matt create over the course of years. I knew firsthand of Matt's abilities; no one would deliberately choose to hack into such a complicated system without a valid reason.

"Should I attempt to eliminate the intrusion?" Watari asked from the speaker.

"No. I'm curious about the files being streamed in. For the time being, do nothing. I don't want to disrupt the process." Light sent me a knowing look.

"You think this has something to do with Rei," he said slowly. I gave a short nod.

"Or the Kira investigation. Still I find it highly suspicious the system would be hacked on the same day of Rei's disappearance." Light nodded back, unable to completely repress the feeling of excitement he felt at the possibility of news of his sister.

"Hello, L. I believe I've got something you want. Say hello, Kira."

"What?" Light asked getting to his feet. "This…maniac, thinks Rei is Kira?" He turned to me. "Ryuzaki?"

"Light I suggest you stay quiet, lest we miss crucial information," I said lowly, focusing on Rei. For the moment, she looked relatively well. There was strength in her eyes as she stared back at the camera. She knew we were watching.

Almost like she had somehow known I had reached this conclusion, she sat up, her shoulders thrown back, her chin tilted defiantly upwards. Her lips pressed firmly together. She would not obey this madman. I felt a surge of pride.

"So disobedient. But don't worry L. I intend on breaking her of that before I return her to your custody. Shall we begin then Kira?"

The chain went taut between Light and I. Our eyes flickered towards each other, before moving back to the screen.

"I'm not Kira."

"Wrong answer."

I bit my thumb, watching helpless as Rei was slapped. I had viewed enough interrogations to know the nature of the blow. It hadn't meant to do damage, merely to irritate and humiliate. Rei's mouth formed a small "o" of surprise. She didn't even grace her captor with a response, instead lifting her gaze back to the camera.

He questioned her again. She responded. He slapped her.

It continued in this way, until Rei couldn't even raise her head. His roughly tugged on her hair forcing her head up, asking one more time. She answered, spitting blood on his face. I felt satisfaction at this display of retaliation. He threw her to the ground, and the video ended there.

"Minagawa." The whisper came from behind me. I sent Soichiro a sharp look.

"You know this man," I said flatly.

The man ran his hand through his hair, distress evident on his face.

"He worked underneath me…but he was let go. There was an incident, with…Rei. I felt it would be best not to inform her of his departure."

"This incident," I probed, "it had to do with the Kira case, I assume."

"Yes," Soichiro agreed miserably.

"That would explain his belief that Rei is Kira…" I mused to myself. There was a tugging on the chain. I frowned. "What are you doing Light?" I turned to the auburn haired boy.

"I'm searching for buildings in the area that could possibly be Rei's location," Light answered, his voice surprisingly patient despite the situation. Light let out a sigh, finally facing me. "We're on the same side Ryuzaki, I just find it hard to be as passive as you."

I mulled this over. The fact that Light had reached the same conclusion as I had about being on the same side only served to further illuminate our similarities.

"You believe Rei is still somewhere in the area?" I asked, knowing this would suffice to show Light I understood and agreed with him. A small smile broke out on his face, glad I was cooperating.

"Yes," Light launched into his explanation. "Rei can't have been moved too far. The fact we already had contact from Minagawa is proof of this. Minagawa will have chosen to remain close by in order to return Rei once she's…confessed. Then there's the computers themselves that sent the signal-"

"Computers?" I interrupted stressing the plural.

Light nodded, his fingers moving across the keyboard bringing up a file. Light gestured towards various data on screen.

"Here we see that the signal originated from a single computer and divided up the file, sending it to several different networks. Separately, they would just be useless data, unable to trace back to the source without the user's consent. Then the separate files would be streamed to us, coming together as a single file, while the sender erased all traces of the files from the go-between machines," Light explained.

"I'm impressed, Light." He smiled modestly at the praise. Though I had no patience for the golden boy act, I chose not to reveal that to his father. "But I don't believe that it can't be traced."

Light's smile fell from his face. He disliked being told he was wrong; another similar quality.

"Ryuzaki, there's too many variable involved, by the time you can identify even one of the networks involved all trace of the original signal is erased," Light argued.

"I believe Light, the phrase is, 'I know a guy,'" I countered, shutting down the argument.

~Rei's POV~

"Wakey wakey Kira," a voice simpered in my ear.

The effect was immediate. I sat up, alarm clear on my face. Minagawa laughed at the fear I had shown, and I erased the emotion off my face. Something was different.

My hands were in front of me now, secured to a table that hadn't been there before. My palms pressed flat against the metal surface and I was found I was unable to retract my fingers. I felt vulnerable, weak. And I knew that was his intent. My stomach started to twist.

My mind started creating scenarios. Torture that would relate to this form of restraint. Images of blood and severed fingers came to mind.

No. That wasn't going to happen. Minagawa wanted me alive and relatively healthy. In this environment, infection in the event of losing a finger or two…or three…was almost unavoidable. Kinoshita wouldn't be able to treat something on that scale. No. It was more likely he'd be breaking something. The image of a sledgehammer coming down on my hands filled my mind.

Minagawa grinned, knowing the feeling of unknown was killing me.

"Let's begin shall we?" He purred gesturing once more to the camera behind him. A sense of calm came over me again, just like yesterday. Was it yesterday? Or today? There was no way of knowing what time it was and whether or not my food had been drugged prolonging my unconscious moments.

"Are you Kira?"

"No."

A step closer.

"Are you Kira?"

"No."

Closer.

"Are you Kira?"

I swallowed.

"No."

I saw a glint of metal.

He was following the rule of three. Of fairytales. Three wishes. Three tasks. Three bears. And now three questions. Three chances to get it right.

"Wrong answer Kira."

I stared in horror at the pliers he pulled out. I had seconds to prepare myself before he yanked.

A choked sob was caught in my throat, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I exhaled heavily, my mouth parted in horror as I stared at what was dangling from the pliers.

My thumb nail.

"Are you Kira?"

"No."

The words had a strangled quality to them. Blood welled from where my nail used to be. It stung, worse than the biting slaps.

"Are you Kira?"

"No."

There would be no variation we both knew.

"Are you Kira?"

I looked at the camera, my eyes glazed over with tears.

"No."

He yanked.

I couldn't stop the scream that escaped from my throat.

~Author's Note~

Hmmm, my B-ness is showing. Blood probably shouldn't appeal to me so much… More fun Rei torture time! YAY!

FIREMAGE GUESSED RIGHT!

Thanks for the reviews!

Gwen: I'm blushing from all the compliments. You seriously just managed to address every single one of my concerns in one review and assured me it was good. I love you. So much. If I could, I would pat your head :)

Anna Marie: I made you cry? SUCCESS! No, not really. But I'm glad the story got such an emotional reaction.

L is alsomer than you: EdXAl? As in the Elric brothers O.O Wow…glad you've got the guts to support that pairing. I'm a EdWin fan, but to each her own right ^_^ And I HEAVILY support RoyRiza. Thanks for the review!

K: Thank you my sharp lettered friend! Doesn't K seem like a pointy letter?

AlbinoButterfly: YES SURPRISE! And I forgive you, but the letters seriously made me double take. I thought I suddenly developed intense dyslexia for a second. Thanks for reviewing!

Jayne Foyer: LUCILLE! ONI-CHAN! Hi. I love you. So much. Despite your tallness. YES! YOU TOO FELL PREY TO THE CLIFFHANGER! Your reviews are always so enthusiastic. I love it. I knew you would like the bits with Light and L. And I adore you. Stop writing so many wonderful oneshots. It makes me jealous. LOVE YOU!

Clarice: HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY ^_^ Hope it's a good one! Eat lots'o cake for me. Typos FTW! Love you :)