This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, Amber. Happy birthday Amber, and thanks for putting up with all my Marysueness.
I do not own Death Note
Chapter 40 Preemptive Strike
Misa was surprisingly quiet on the way back to headquarters. Mogi and I didn't confront her on it; Mogi out of appreciation for the uncharacteristic silence from the verbose blonde and me in an attempt to be discreet about what I overheard.
But could I really even say I'd overheard anything? Muffled whispers from a room where she was alone. A room I had gone in to see she had been alone. But that hadn't stopped the nagging suspicion that Misa was up to something. Or at least she knew something, I had justified to my more rational self. It was an instinctual feeling and I held firmly to that justification.
"Hey!" Misa greeted as we all stepped into the lobby. "I'm exhausted," she continued crossing the distance between she and Light before sitting in his lap.
"Hey," Light said weakly, though Misa ignored the protest.
"How did it go?" L asked, his swivel chair turning towards Mogi and I.
"Yotsuba agreed to hire Misa as their spokesperson for the new ad campaign," Mogi answered tiredly.
"I see. That's good to hear. Anything else?" L questioned, this time at me.
"Namikawa suspects me of knowing more than I should," I added, moving to sit next to L. "He offered me a job in exchange for information. I turned him down, but if we need an insider for whatever reason, I can accept and explain the initial decline with the excuse I was bugged at the time." L nodded in agreement, though Light stiffened at the prospect.
"And I made sure to give them all my cell phone number!" Misa crowed. "Would you believe that three of the seven guys already messaged me asking for a date?"
"What?" Matsuda asked, horrified.
"So now I accept their invitations and investigate them right? Oh this is going exactly as I planned!" she squeaked excitedly from Light's lap.
"No," Light said firmly. "The plan is getting canceled right now."
"Huh? But why? Everything's been going so smoothly until now!"
"If we go any further you'll be in danger."
"You can still appear in their commercials," L allowed, "but from now on you should deny you were accused of being the second Kira and detained by L. Mogi will continue to be your bodyguard, but you'll be working solely as a celebrity." Misa sighed and sent Light an imploring look, but he shook his head.
"If that's what you want Light, that's what I'll do," Misa said meekly. I snorted. Misa stood, leaving Light who looked relieved to be free of her, walking towards the elevator with the intent of going to her room. "Anyway I'm feeling pretty tired. Tomorrow's shoot is bright and early, so I better get some sleep." Misa paused in the doorway turning so only half of her body was shown due to the doorframe. "Hey Light…" Misa began in a coy voice. "Wanna come sleep with me tonight?"
Dad began choking violently on a cup of coffee. Mogi thumped on his back, trying to clear his airway.
"What are you talking about?" Light asked with wide eyes. I snickered behind my hand.
"Just kidding! You're saving until after we catch Kira right? You don't have to be shy about it!" Misa called, finally leaving.
"Yes, Light," L said monotonously. "There's no need to be shy."
"I'm not being shy!" Light defended, his face flushing red.
"No need to be so serious either," L countered.
"Just shut up, Ryuzaki."
"I don't understand why you're uncomfortable about this topic."
"I'm not uncomfortable! I just don't think we should be discussing this when we have the case to work on!"
I grinned at the two of them, their harmless bickering removing all the traces of tension left from the mirror scare earlier that day. It was nice to have people you cared about around.
"All right break it up you guys!" I said still smiling stepping in.
"Rei!"
"Ryuzaki, stop it!
"Light, don't provoke Ryuzaki like that!"
"HE STARTED IT!"
"I'm Kira. So to make you trust me, and prove that I'm him, I'll stop killing criminals for the time being. Then once you're fully convinced I'm the real thing, you and I can get married."
Misa, dressed in a nurse's outfit for some reason I had trouble fathoming, proudly held out her cell phone, Higuchi's voice issuing from it. A confession of the most unlikely kind. We all couldn't help but gape at her as she flashed us a peace sign of triumph.
"And so…based on what he said…Higuchi is Kira!" Misa announced proudly.
"Now we not only know Kira's identity, but all those deaths that were worrying the Chief are gonna stop! That's amazing Misa Misa!" Matsuda praised, covering the identical thought flashing through everyone else's mind, 'HOW THE HELL HAD MISA BEEN THE ONE TO DISCOVER KIRA?' Misa flashed a peace sign at all our dumbfounded faces.
"Misa," Light said gently, "how did you get Higuchi to confess?"
Was there a flash of panic in Misa's eyes before she answered?
"Easy, that guy's totally in love with me. All I had to do was tell him I would marry him if he was really Kira." Misa wilted slightly. "Plus, I managed to convince him I was the second Kira," she admitted.
"Misa!" Misa winced at Light's raised voice. "You idiot! Didn't I tell you to deny all that?"
"Don't yell at her," I said sharply. "Look, Misa," I said softly. "You need realize you're in a precarious position right now. If Higuchi suspects you're lying at all, he'll kill you."
"But now we know Higuchi is Kira, right? So what's the problem? Can't we just catch him?" Misa asked.
"It's more complicated than that. And the 'problem' is that you could die if Higuchi is given any reason to doubt your story," I said in frustration.
Why couldn't she grasp this concept? We had moved so carefully in the past to prevent deaths. When Matsuda had charged in carelessly, yes we had gotten information, but we had to fake his death with a risky operation that had extremely low success rate. I doubted we'd be able to get away with the same trick again with Misa. Even if we did manage to save Misa without arousing suspicion, she wouldn't stand for being locked up and even with a disguise, a true fan would recognize her out in a heartbeat if she went outside.
"I suppose this is what you would call a victory, right Matsuda?" L asked darkly. Matsuda flinched, but said nothing in response. Watari chose to roll in a sweet cart at that moment, laden with pasties that made me sick just looking at them.
Light ignored L's biting comment. "But right now, we still don't know exactly how he kills his victims, do we?" I nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that's what I was thinking," L answered. "Before we move to arrest Higuchi, I want to find out how he kills." L grabbed an éclair, almost absentmindedly, automatically reaching for sugar to power his thinking process.
"But we can't do that if criminals stop dying," I added.
"Unless we come up with another idea…" Light finished for me. "Isn't that right?"
L raised a slice of cake with various fruit decorating the top to eye level, examining it. "Yes. At any rate, even if we do arrest Higuchi, we're not going to do it until we're certain criminals will stop dying. Allow me to think about this for a moment." He paused for hitting a button near his computer. "Wedy?"
"Yeah?"
"An update on the current situation please," L requested to the microphone, looking at the lowercase "w" on the screen as if it were the thief's face rather than an identification.
"Everything's going smoothly. We should be able to track seventy percent of their movements with our cameras inside the office building."
"What about outside the office?"
"That's not going to be possible with just Watari and I."
"What if you focus solely on Higuchi?" L pressed.
"Higuchi? I've only been able to enter the houses of six of the men so far,"
Only six out of seven. Yes. How shameful.
"but Mido, Namikawa, and Higuchi all have super high tech security systems. Especially Higuchi. He recently constructed a dampening room that shuts out any electronic waves. It took me three days just to break into the place."
"This guy guys sure does sound suspicious…" Matsuda added, stating the obvious.
"Alright, then began placing microphones, trackers, and cameras. But not in the house. Just in the cars," L ordered eating another éclair.
"What? After getting this far? Do you know how difficult it is to break into someone's house? Besides, do you have any idea how many cars this guy has?"
"Six," L said thickly around the éclair.
"Just think of it as a challenge," I suggested. "Only something the best of the worst can accomplish."
"Fine. I just have to install them in all the cars right?"
"Yes, thank you," L said.
"You're lucky the kid is there…"
I smiled at the nickname. Light and I were both "the kid" to her. It was interchangeable between the two of us. L disconnected the call.
"I'm sorry to keep coming back to this topic," L apologized in advance, "but I'll get right to the point."
"What is it?" Light asked cautiously. L rolled his head at an awkward angle so he could make eye contact with Light.
"Do you remember? Killing anyone that is," L clarified, enduring Light's glare. I winced.
"Are you still going on about that? Look, I'm NOT Kira! How many times do I have to-"
"I just want you to answer the question." L said smoothly, cutting off another rant. "Well? Do you?"
Light's fists balled up, and his arm twitched. I furiously shook my head at him from behind L, knowing Light would start another fight in a few moments. The arm stopped, though the fists didn't relax.
"No. I don't," he said through gritted teeth.
"Misa, what about you?" L moved on.
"I don't remember!" the blonde said throwing her hands up. "How could I? Cause I'm not Kira!"
L seemed to get very tired at the moment. He sagged in his chair, closing his eyes as if to steady himself. When he spoke again, he was almost pleading.
"Light, please don't overreact to what I'm about to say. I'd like you to thoroughly analyze my theory. You as well, Rei. This could determine the way in which we catch Kira." L paused for a moment. "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Kira's power somehow passed from him to another person. Light Yagami now has no memory of ever being Kira. I need your analyses based on these assumptions. Do you think you could both do that for me?"
"Yeah, I'll give it a try."
"Yes, I can."
Any sign of fatigue disappeared from L at this point, and words began to pour at a feverish pace from his mouth, desperation radiating from him. "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Kira's power has passed onto another person. Was that because Light Yagami wanted it to happen? Or was there someone else who took control of Light, working in the background who gave him the power? Has this person passed Light's powers onto someone else?"
Each statement hit as an accusation, with the feel of physical blows. I could actually feel L's words rocketing around inside my head like a swarm of angry bees. Likewise, my brain was in a fog. Though to be more specific, a fog that repressed my own feelings towards Light. Only allowing cold logic to decide what was the truth. There was a silence.
"Given your premise…it would be my will," Light said quietly.
"…Light wouldn't allow himself to be controlled by anything," I added. "It's not in his nature." The bees buzzed victoriously.
"Of course," L muttered. "If there is a third party with the ability to bestow or transfer Kira's power, and they don't want their method to be discovered, it makes no sense they would wait so long to transfer it from Light to the next Kira. If we believe this is the work of something watching over us from above, then we have to accept that they're impossible to catch, not to mention I'd already be dead," L concluded, unconcerned with his possible demise. "Or at least I'm being made to be a fool; eternally dancing in the palm of someone's hand." This seemed to bother L more than the thought of death. "It's highly unlikely that such a being exists. Even if Light Yagami was Kira, Kira's power can only be transferred by the will of the person who possesses it. Thank you, Light. Rei. I can now say that I feel ninety-nine percent better."
No third party? After the sudden emergence of a power never seemed before? After Misa's whisperings to herself? After that feeling in the bathroom? That someone was watching me in the mirror?
"I can't believe that Ryuzaki. That no third party is involved. Who's to say there isn't something interfering with this? Aren't gods known for playing games with mortals? Just because we don't understand the motivation, doesn't mean that some puppeteer isn't orchestrating the whole event. And maybe there isn't, but at the very least, the first Kira somehow acquired this power, and I don't believe he just stumbled across it without some sort of trigger. Maybe accidental or on purpose, but something," I said.
"Perhaps," L conceded. "There could be a being, but the decision making no longer rests with them." L thought for a moment. "We'll create a situation where Higuchi cannot pass his power onto anyone else. We'll have him show us how he kills."
"So what are you going to do?" Light asked.
"I'm going to trick Higuchi with Sakura TV."
"Like a hidden camera show!" Matsuda said excitedly.
"How fitting," I said dryly. "Using filth to catch filth."
"What?" Misa asked in confusion.
"We'll use the Kira special that Demegawa airs every week. We'll book a three hour time slot and announce that Kira's identity will be revealed at the end of the broadcast," L went on, ignoring our comments.
"Would anyone actually buy that though? It is Sakura TV after all. For all we know, Higuchi may not even watch the program."
"We'll get Namikawa to call in and say, 'This is bad. Turn on your TV.' That should be enough to get him watching," Light jumped in. "Higuchi will buy it once he realizes the special guest on TV is someone who knows his secret."
"Oh I get it! So we'll be using Aiber then! He'll reveal that he was a spy all along!" Matsuda said.
A name and a face. Kira need s a name and a face. It couldn't be Aiber. How would he get his name? Unless we weren't using Aiber… I froze. Oh God. Not Matsuda again.
"No I'm afraid you're incorrect. We will not be using Aiber. When Higuchi sees this person appear on the show, it has to be someone who Higuchi believes he can kill. In other words, it has to be someone he can kill easily," L explained. It was Matsuda.
"But we're never going to find a person like that, are we?" Matsuda lamented, while everyone simply stared at him, waiting for him to realize the obvious. His eyes widened, finally understanding.
"You're the only one who can do it," Light encouraged.
"Matsu!" Misa yelled cheerily.
"Matsuda," Dad agreed.
Mogi nodded rather than speaking.
"They're right," I said hoarsely. "And I wasn't noticeable enough to trigger a reaction from Higuchi if he saw me on TV. But your face…" I trailed off weakly.
"He'll probably think you were listening in at their meeting and overheard their plans to kill people," Light concluded. "It would make sense that Misa's manager, who he thought was dead, would reveal his secret."
"Yeah, in a soap opera sort of way," I muttered.
"That's right," L said in response to Light. "We'll have Sakura TV use a voice filter and frosted glass to protect your identity. Higuchi will probably realize from the announcement that it is the manger, Taro Matsui, and just to make sure, we'll have the studio 'mess up' and reveal your ace from behind the glass."
"WOW! Sounds exciting!" Misa interjected.
"More like nerve-wracking," I contradicted.
"Until the show ends, the announcer will keep saying they'll reveal Kira at the end," L said.
"Higuchi will have no chance. He'll feel cornered and want to find out the manager's name as soon as possible. We can anticipate what action he'll take," Light continued, a small thrill in his voice at the thought.
"We'll witness his killing method. After that, we arrest him." L picked up a marshmallow rabbit with a cream filling. "There is one potential problem with this plan," L mused. If Higuchi can kill simply by looking at a face, just like the second Kira…" L viciously squished the rabbit, cream oozing from the sweet, "Matsuda will die."
Matsuda looked horrified, while L indifferently ate the rabbit, unaware that Matsuda saw it as an effigy of himself.
"But considering the fact you're still alive and how he's pursuing Misa, I doubt that's the case," Light hastily reassured Matsuda.
"Exactly Matsuda," I jumped in. "He would have attempted to kill you afterwards just to be sure, so it's safe to say he doesn't have that ability."
"At any rate, we're only going to do this once criminals stop dying. We'll have to wait for two or three days to see whether or not that happens. In the meantime, Matsuda will have to decide if he wants to go through with this plan," L said.
"I don't need two or three days," Matsuda said firmly. "I want to do this."
"Then in a few days, we make our move."
~Author's Note~
And we're almost at the thrilling conclusion of the Yotsuba arc! And by thrilling conclusion, I mean horrible twist we all hate with a passion. Damn Yotsuba. Why couldn't have Rem given the book to someone in Canada? Nobody in Canada would use it!
I got a ton of comments last chapter about how the mirrors freaked them out because of a movie called Mirrors. Total coincidence. Never seen or heard of it. Glad it managed to freak you out though! It was supposed too!
Easter was spectacular. My candy is already gone, but I really didn't get that much. Instead I got Pokémon Soul Silver. I have a Cyndaquil named Beyond. I am a cruel person to name a fire Pokémon Beyond. I also have a Pidgey named Light, my rival is Kira, and I'm attempting to catch a Bellsprout to name Mello. I'm gonna have a whole Wammy team. My name is Always, as a tribute to A.
Wow…chapter 40… Damn. I seriously expected to be drawing to a close by now, yet I'm still going strong. This is gonna go all the way to the finish of the case…so probably around 60 chapters. Maybe a little less. I wanna try to wrap this up before the middle of summer, so I can get to some other projects. I have quite a few if you can't tell from my profile, and a few aren't even on there for fear of plagiarization issues.
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! And everyone who favorite, author alerted and story alerted. Far too many to count or respond too. Jealous? Just kidding. I'm not that much of a bitch.
Signora Ted: Fluff after the Yotsuba capture. I promise! Angst, but then fluff!
AlbinoButterfly: HAHA. No. Namikawa wasn't hitting on Rei. He was bribing her with an easy job that pays a lot because he suspects she knows more then she letting on about the whole L situation. Ah yes. That becomes very important. Nice catch.
Jayne Foyer: Thanks so much! If you felt it, I know it was legit. And I intend to be exploring the darker parts of Rei's mind much more in a few chapters. Expect full on screaming fits and breaking of things. It sounds like you're wishing me happy birthday…
itsmenotyou: Rei probably would have screamed out of shock. Then Misa would come in and be like, "Keep your mouth shut, or I'm gonna cut you." Haha the first part yes, second no. And I'm not saying nothing about that to nobody!
World without L is just a world: No actually. Haven't seen that movie. Is it any good? You got my point exactly. L is adorable. And Namikawa is cool. He's like a Pokémon. The cool type. And he would kick butt in all the cool contests. You're actually right. Without Misa's character, L and Light would have been at an almost permanent stalemate. And I'm sure Light would be forced into a position to give up the Death Note but never get it back. Haha college…that is gonna be interesting for me.
Grrr…: No. Correct wording is, "You're a dork." Haha a ton of girls actually did go out to pick up boys when I went to New York. Awww. Yes. They are in love.