Chapter 18

I fired wildly at the person, while guarding L's head and chest with my own body. This time I didn't miss, but they wouldn't go down without a fight. Before the person crumpled over, they shot at me one time. They didn't miss either...

The person had aimed for my head, but the bullet grazed my eye. My left eye, oh how it hurt so badly. Blood ran down my face, mixing with the tears that flowed from my injured eye. I didn't want to cry, but whenever I get hurt badly, tears just seem to flow out and I cannot stop them.

I rolled off of L and laid on the cold sidewalk. My hands were clutching the left side of my head. I bit my bottom lip to try to draw my mind away from the overwhelming pain in my left eye, but it didn't work.

Luckily, we were in the backstreets so there wasn't anyone around. My right eye glanced over at L as he stood and kneeled next to me.

"Next time, listen to me. Stupid bastard." I hissed in pain and squeezed my only working eye shut, then reopened it after the wave of pain slowly left.

"I..." L trailed off. Black dots danced around the corners of my right eye. I'm about to faint...

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. Please, just get yourself to safety." I told him, managing one of the barest of smiles. There comes a time in everyone's life where they must swallow their pride and give up; accepting others help. In my case, that time is probably now.

L very carefully picked me up, managing to place me on his back without much effort. He stood, hooking his arms under my knees to hold me up. My arms dangled limply over his chest, and I tightened my hold on him. I felt safe. Like whenever I was with Beyond. I just happen to keep getting into trouble, Beyond. I promise that I'll see you soon...

"She's awake, Ryuzaki." I heard Watari's voice say near me. There was the sound of footsteps exiting the room, and a new person entered the room, shutting the door behind them.

I opened my eyes to see where I was, but I bit my tongue to hold in the gasp of pain. That's right, my left eye is useless now. It'll take a while to get used to just using my right eye.

"How are you feeling?" I heard L ask me. My right eye squinted open to be met by the dim light of the hotel.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no noise came out. I cleared my throat. "Normal, I guess; other than the fact my left eye is useless now." I ran a hand through my hair and noticed a weight that was usually on my arm was missing.

"You took the handcuff off! Thank you." I said and smiled at him. I sat up on the bed I was in and looked around the room. We were in my room, but L was handcuffed to me so we had to share it, but I guess it's all mine now since I'm not cuffed to him anymore.

"I sent the letter you wrote to the prison earlier. Oh, and your weapons are right there." L pointed to the nightstand next to the bed. I nodded and tapped a finger on my chin as I thought of what to say.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days. You fainted whenever I was bringing you back here. Watari tended to your wounded eye, but there's nothing anyone can do about it. You've completely lost sight in your left eye." L replied.

"I think I figured that out by now." I grumbled. My stomach growled loudly, and my pale cheeks tinted with the faintest shade of pink in embarrassment.

L cocked his head, slightly to the side, and his eyes were half-lidded as he looked at me. That stare of his made me feel even more uncomfortable, and I mentally debated wether to hide under the sheets of the bed, or kick him in the face.

"Do you want some cake?" L finally asked me. I nodded slightly, and he left the room for a moment.

Damn that boy. He's wasting his precious work time on me. I thought sarcastically. L came back into the room, carrying a plate with a slice if chocolate cake on it. In the other hand he held a glass filled with red liquid. Blood. I smiled whenever I smelt it's sweet scent.

He handed the cake and blood to me and I ate it quickly. When I was done, I sat the plate aside and stood up. I grabbed ahold of L's shoulder for support as blood rushed to my head; causing my vision to blur and make me feel dizzy.

"Be careful." He warned and took my dishes to go place them in the kitchen.

The first thing I did was take a shower and do the rest of my routine. I was careful not to get shampoo in my left eye. When I was finished, I went to find L. He was sitting on his chair, working away on his computers.

His owlish gaze watched me like I was his prey while I walked past him and plopped down on the floor next to his chair. "You know you don't have to sit in the floor."

"I'm used to it." I told him. After a few moments of silence, L patted my head gently like Beyond always did. They seem to get more and more alike each day...or is that just what I think?

"Thank you for saving my life, Lamia-chan. I don't know how I could ever repay you..." L said softly.

"Don't worry about it. You've cheated death once with me around, and I'll make sure you do it again, even if I'm only one-eyed." I told him. "Oh, what did you tell Watari whenever we came back here and I was knocked out?"

"I told him the truth. I honestly think that he has changed his opinion about you because you risked your life to save me."

"And why did you help me back? You could have saved yourself the trouble of carrying me and left me there..."

"Friends help each other, right?" L asked me, but it sounded more like a statement.

I nodded my head and smiled. "So what are you working on?" I asked, standing up and peering over his shoulder at the laptop screen. To my surprise, he let me see what it was.

"Many deaths are caused by heart-attacks lately, and I have a feeling this isn't just a coincidence."

"So you're saying that you think a person is behind these deaths?"

"Exactly. These deaths have just now started, and they have all been minor criminals that have been announced on the news or the Internet."

I stared out if the window while I thought. It was possible that the killer had the eyes of the shinigami, but I needed proof. If L will let me work on this case with him, I could keep a lookout for people without a lifespan if he can narrow down the location of where the killer may be.

L and I sat in a small restaurant eating cake. I looked over at L whenever I was finished with my food.

"Ryuzaki-kun?"

"Yes?" He asked.

"I'm getting weaker. I mean, I can't even fight off three people now without getting injured in the process." He tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Can you expand a little more on what you want?" He asked me and I nodded.

"What I'm saying is that I need to train," L's eyes narrowed at me. "Well, if it's okay with you..." I trailed off.

L sat staring at me as he thought about something. "I don't see a problem with you going to a shooting range for practice. But, please stay out of trouble because I can't go with you places anymore." He finally told me.

"So you can trust me now?" I questioned him.

"Obviously." He told me and took a sip of tea.

"Do you have any idea why Misa's bodyguards are attacking you?" L asked me as he looked back up.

"I've though about this for a while; but I cannot be sure until I get the proof," I said, and his large black eyes narrowed at my green ones. "Misa must have found out that I was the one that killed her father." I told him in a whisper so the others around us couldn't hear.

L didn't seem surprised. "You already knew, didn't you Ryuzaki?"

"Yes. I knew that the man that broke into your home was the one that killed Misa's mother, but the wounds on her father's body was caused by a different weapon."

"Oh, you are a sharp one." I grinned sadistically at him. "That's when the beginning of my career started."

"..." L's onyx eyes bore into mine. "In my spare time, I promise you that I will try to find out why you are being targeted. Did you ever tell Misa what your job is?"

"Not directly, but I think she understood what I meant whenever I told her that I am helping rid this world of disgusting people."

"That could be another reason. But, we still need more proof that it is actually her that is ordering the people to come after you."

"I know, that's why we'll work on this case together." I reached across the table and placed my hand on top of his.

L nodded, then stood up, ready to leave. He looked back at me. "You coming?" He asked.

I nodded my head and followed him. All of my hatred towards L had seemed to disappear after I met him, and I actually consider him as a friend now...

I exited the shooting range after I was done with my training. It had been a couple of weeks since I had started going there, but now I quit. My level of fighting has risen higher than how it was in the past, and now I was confident that I could easily beat a small group of people once more.

I wonder what made me lose focus on my job? Was it being separated from B, or was it meeting L and not being able to kill someone for such a long time? There are several possibilities, and I'm sure as hell not letting myself get weak again.