A/N: Pfft, still more chapter hugging, but I set up some events that come into play, majorly later on. I am fixing the whole 'I forgot about Naomi' thing, because that was NOT cool, and I think that was bullshit, because she's a badass, and she had more of an impact than that (I read both Death Note spin-off novels, thank you very much).
That and some mild situational humour. And coffee abuse.
- DW
Chapter Eight - A Clash
Crimson as a well-aged wine.
Rich and thick.
Too much, and you find yourself,
To incoherent to see.
Bright like the flames,
Of a dancing fire.
Twisting and shifting,
Casting a soft yet fierce glow.
Red like blood,
Flowing from a wound.
Glistening and precious,
Metallic liquid.
Subtle, sly, seductive.
Passionate, energized, bright.
Important, dark, mysterious.
Red.
"Red …"
"Garr, go away," I grumble.
"Red …"
"I said go away."
"RED!" Flicking my eyes awake, I see two black orbs right in my face. With a gasp of shock, I lash out with my legs and manage to kick whatever is in front of me.
"Oooff!" The thing I kicked falls onto the floor, humorously making that sound. As the blurriness of sleep leaves me, I look down at the detective crumpled on the floor.
And guess what I do?
I laugh.
"Oh – hahaha! – my god – hahaha! – I'm so- HAHAHA! – sorry!" I gasp out, clutching my stomach. I must have fallen asleep during the interview. I guess my little cat nap on the couch with Matsuda wasn't enough to tide me over.
"There's no need to apologize, it was my fault," Ryuzaki mumbles as he picks himself up from the floor. I still grin, calming down from my laugh attack. I haven't laughed that much in a long time.
"Well, I'm sorry for falling asleep then. What time is it?"
"10:31 AM." This guy has his priorities straight. Funny thing is, I don't see a clock on the walls, and Ryuzaki doesn't appear to wear a watch. "You know, you have a strong kick," he says, eyeing me warily and massaging his lower stomach. It would have really hurt if it had been just a bit lower …
"Thanks," I say, getting up and stretching. He's still staring at me though. It's kind of creepy. "What?"
"Nothing," he turns his back to me to retrieve his tea cup. Figures. Slinging my jacket over my arm and smiling, I head out into the main room without L's go ahead.
"Good morning!" Well, at least Matsuda isn't giving me icy glares. He greets me warmly with a smile, and I smile back.
"Good morning Matsuda." I address the rest of the task force now, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I fell asleep." Mr. Yagami nods, but the rest of the Task Force seems to shrug off my words and glare quietly to themselves. Brushing this aside, I take a seat and drape my jacket on the arm of the couch. I will bet my Shinigami Eyes that they are unnerved by the fact I am in High School, and that I've practically been keeping up with L.
They are trailing behind him as his worker bees. They don't do any of the deep thinking. No, that's to two young people, one a young adult and the other still in High School. Okay, I guess I can understand why they are upset, and maybe why Matsuda likes me so much.
Pages supplied from the FBI are strewn across the coffee table, and most of the members are still pouring over them. Personally, I don't care what's on them. I just want to see a plausible scenario where Kira could use the Death Note to kill the agents. Then we (or I) can go from there.
Oh, I guess there is a problem with that. When information stops going to D, he is bound to become suspicious. He's a bright guy, so he'll probably figure out what's going on. K might as well. Damn, so much for keeping them out of this.
"What's wrong?" Matsuda asks me. I shake my head.
"Nothing … I'm fine," I say, and give a shaky smile at him. Damn, he reminds me of K! They would be best friends, wouldn't they?
"Would you like to see the data from the FBI?" Ukita asks me, I shake my head.
"You already have that covered. I hardly need to see it. If you find anything suspicious, let me know." He frowns again. "What?"
"Nothing …" Aizawa dismisses the matter, just like I did a few moments ago.
I'm scowling as Ryuzaki re-enters the room with his beloved teapot and cup. He sets it down the table, and resumes his crouch on his chair and fiddling with the Spoons and the Teacup … I hate that noise. Either way, all attention is focused on that goofy looking guy sitting oddly in his chair, the one who will probably have a purple bruise by tomorrow morning.
"I apologize for questioning you all like that. I'm afraid I had no other choice. I've determined that Kira is not among us." Everybody in the room seemed to relax. Ryuzaki puts down the cursed Teacup and rests his chin on his palm while draping his other hand on his knee.
"Ryuzaki, how can you be certain that we're all innocent?" Mr. Yagami asks.
"Well, to be honest, from the beginning I set a number of traps that would reveal if any of you was Kira. After speaking with you one on one, I don't feel the need."
Well that makes sense; points for Mr. Yagami for asking the question though. A small beeping noise fills the room, and we all look over at the source: L.
"Excuse me," the detective says, and pulls out a Cell Phone from his pocket. Irritated glances from the Task Force. "Understood, I'm just about finished here anyway. You got the key so let yourself in." He hung up. "Watari is on his way."
The Task Force blink in unison and confused expressions paint their faces. I remember reading about this person. His identity was also a secret, and he had never shown his face, but he was generally known to be the only one to directly contact L. I guess that it was more literal than they expected.
I stand up, sighing loudly. I am not stopped as I head into the other room to get some coffee. Auh, they are driving me crazy! Do I really have to be the mature one in this? (Me, mature? Nonsense.) I thought adults were supposed to handle their problems better than that. Although, most crime committed indicates otherwise.
Morons.
Hmmm … actually I'm a little guilty myself. Passive aggressive much?
I pour the coffee into a mug, forgoing the sugar and crème, and head back into the other room to reclaim my seat. While taking a sip, I feel L's eyes once again on me. I give him an irritated glance.
"What?" I half growl at him.
"You drink your coffee black?" he asks.
"Yeah, what of it?"
"I just find that sugar helps one think."
I stick my tongue out at him before returning my attention to my cup. That's when I notice the near empty bowl on his tea tray. Wasn't that full of sugar cubes last night? On second thought, I don't want to know.
I hear the turn of a lock, and I look over the edge of the couch at the door. An elderly gentleman in a black suit and a bowler hat comes in, putting two suitcases down, and then comes to stand next to L's chair.
"Gentleman, and Lady, it's an honor to meet all of you," he greets us. I glance over his head and see his name: Quillish Wammy. Where have I heard that name before … Watari takes his hat from his head and holds it in front of him.
"This person is Watari?" Aizawa says quietly.
"Uh, what about your usual outfit?" Matsuda asks. Well, I wonder why.
"If I dressed like that I'd be announcing to the world that I am Watari. That's all it takes to give away the location of our headquarters and Ryuzaki."
"Oh, I see," Matsuda says apologetically.
"Ordinarily I would never show my face to any of you. The fact that I am here proves that you have won Ryuzaki's trust."
"Now that you mention it, I do feel honored," Matsuda says, then laughs nervously. I can see practically everybody in the room sweat drop (which includes me). Watari goes and fetches the smaller metal briefcase, then returns to present it to Ryuzaki.
"Well then, I brought those items you requested. It's all here."
"Could you please pass them out to everyone?"
"Yes." Watari opens up the case, and shows them the five police badges inside. "Gentlemen these are your new police IDs."
"Uh, but what for?" Aizawa's question goes unanswered as Watari passes the badges out to the officers. Mr. Yagami stares at them in curiosity.
"Our names and ranks are false …" he says to no one in particular.
"Why did you give us fake IDs?" Matsuda asks.
"As you know Kira requires a name and a face to kill," L says, taking a sip of his tea. "We will confront him with that premise in mind, and I think that it should be obvious why."
"Yes, but of all people the police shouldn't use fake IDs," Ukita objects.
"Enough. What choice do we really have with the capabilities of our enemy? As long as you are working on this case I think we're going to need all the protection one can get. It would be foolish not to use them." You have no idea how right you are Mr. Yagami.
"Yeah, you got a good point," Matsuda agrees. I stay silent, just watching. Aizawa grunts in agreement.
"Remember, any time you are in a situation where you have to give out your name to a stranger, make sure to use the name from your Fake ID. Understood?" Everybody nods. "You as well Red, come up with another name for yourself."
"Right," I nod in agreement. I already have a few in mind …
"And be careful not to take them out while in the presence of other Police Officers. I'm sure I don't have to tell you … that could cause problems for us."
"I understand," Aizawa nods with the others.
"Very well then," Watari says, grabbing the other briefcase and opening it on a table next to the window. "I'd like to request that you wear these at all times."
"Uh, belts?" Matsuda asks. I lift my head up, and sure enough there are six belts in the box. The Task Force rises to their feet, and not wanting to get left behind, I follow.
"Each one has a transmitter hidden in the buckle. This will allow Ryuzaki to monitor your whereabouts, and when you press the buckle twice like this-" We all gather around and watch as he presses down on the buckle twice. A loud beeping filled the room and the elderly gentleman reached into his pocket to pull out a Cell Phone. "My Cell Phone will ring, displaying your name, and I'll call you back immediately, but you won't see my number displayed. In the morning all of you will carry on as usual, and later on in the day we'll use this method to confirm the name of Ryuzaki's hotel and room number." He passes out the belts. "Please use this for emergencies as well."
I look down at the belt in my hands. It's a thin, black belt. Not bad. It's not the same as the other brown leather belts that the others have. I wonder how he knew I wouldn't like the other ones … Maybe he phoned Watari while I was passed out.
I don't really need a belt. The jeans I wear are tight enough around the waist to go without. But I guess we all need to make sacrifices. I quickly loop the belt through and fasten the buckle.
"No way, this is totally cool! I feel like some kind of secret agent going after Kira!" Matsuda exclaims cheerfully.
"Quiet, Matsuda! This is not the time to be fooling around. Knock it off!" The Chief scolds him. Matsuda has the expression of a kicked puppy.
"Yes Sir …"
"Come on; let the guy have a little fun. It's not as though we need any more morbid thoughts and grim moods," I say to Mr. Yagami.
"That's not really professional. This is a crime investigation, not a social event," Aizawa says to me. I look over at him.
"I am perfectly aware of the situation. However, I find that if I am emotionally content, I can come to conclusions more quickly. I can't think when I'm depressed," I say right back at him. The Police Officer looks flustered, and angry.
"You're just not taking this seriously," he argues.
"If I wasn't being serious, do you really think I would be here?"
"You're just a kid!" he shouts at me, and then quickly quiets down. Everybody is watching our argument, seeing how I will react. I stare at the ground, shadowing my face. I can feel each and every stare burning into my skin.
"If I die, the world will go on. What's happening right now … I won't let it continue, even if I do die."
There is silence, they are mulling over my words. I see Ryuzaki watching me with intent interest out of my peripheral vision. I give a harrumph of annoyance. "Either way, I should be going," and with that, I head to leave.
"Red." That deadpan voice will never cease to freak me out, will it? I pause in the doorframe, not looking over my shoulder.
"I would like to meet your … accomplices," Ryuzaki says seriously, "Tonight at the same time if possible."
"I can't make any promises," I say quietly, then close the door behind me. I lean against the wall, letting go of the breath I didn't know I was holding
This didn't go too well.
No, not at all.
I have failed in protecting K and D. They will get completely involved whether I approve or not.
K is nearly hyperventilating. I can't believe her; she's so embarrassing. D is calmer, but also visibly excited. Why I, of all people, have to get stuck with these two as friends?
We exit the cab and head towards the large, fancy, double doors of the hotel.
"I can't believe this! It's so exciting!" K is nearly bouncing up and down now.
"You guys are more suspicious than a creepy guy in a mask offering little kids candy," I groan, leading the way. Why do I put up with such nonsense? K and D laugh hysterically at me. I was making a comparison, not a joke! At my scowl, D sobers up and smiles at me.
"Relax, Niiro," he says, stressing on my new alias.
"You're the one who has to relax, Donju," I stress his alias as well.
"No fighting, please," K smiles as we enter the elevator.
"So, what's he like?" D finally asks me. After I told them I had met L in person this morning … they had been pretty shocked and excited. When I said L wanted to meet them, they nearly passed out. "Or is it even a he?"
"He is different than what you would imagine. You're just going to have to wait and see."
"Awww," They pout in unison.
The elevator stops, and I waste no time in finding the hotel room. The one I was at just this morning. I knock quickly, not wanting to be rude.
"The door's unlocked," Ryuzaki's voice calls out. I open the door, and find that the room is nearly pitch-black. With a growl, I flick on the lights.
He's standing not five feet away.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," K starts hyperventilating again, getting an eye roll from myself. She puts her hand over her mouth so she will stop making loud noises, or at least until I close the door behind us.
"Is she alright?" L asks, tilting his head slightly and staring at her.
"That's so freaky! Oh my god …" I thump K on the back.
"Breathe," I command. K nods, and takes in some air. Then she surprises L … by tackling him. Neither D nor I are surprised by her actions, but it's still kind of amusing. I can't help myself when I crack a small smile.
"Ah, what in the world-" L gasps out as he is hugged-to-death.
"You have Panda eyes! Just like Red!" K says, releasing him from her grip. They both get to their feet. I actually feel sorry for the scrawny detective, being tackled by a strange girl who you've never met before.
"Panda … eyes?" he says, obviously confused. I'm surprised he hasn't heard the term before … although, I hadn't either.
But still, his reaction is hilarious. I laugh.
"What's so funny?" L asks me.
"Sorry, it's just that's exactly what I said when she pointed out them on me," I say, still giggling.
"Except his are way worse than yours; he looks as though he hasn't slept in years! And yours disappear more or less when you get a good night's rest," K comments as she reaches up and grabs L's chin so she can look at his face more clearly.
"Come on Kaen, give the guy some room," D says.
I can almost see gratitude in his eyes, or is that just my imagination?
The Shinigami are laughing hysterically behind us, but we've long past the point of caring. They are easily ignored as soon as you get used to their presence.
"Now, if you wouldn't mind, we have things to discuss," L says, going into the other room to where his tea tray still sits. We follow, and I sit down on the couch. The others are a little hesitant, but soon enough join me.
"So, you three are Red," L says, eyeing us.
"No, only me," I say, "But we have worked together on this. Donju here is a better hacker than I would have imagined."
"Hey!" he protests, offended in my lack of faith in him.
"Donju … then consider me impressed. To be such an efficient and skilled hacker at your age is quite remarkable. How were you able to reach a professional level?"
"A close family member taught me," D said.
"Well he is clearly confident in his skills," Ryuzaki's mouth forms a thin line, and he stares down at his toes. He rubs them together, as though scratching an invisible itch.
"What is it?" I ask.
"To be honest, I did not really consider the possibility that you all could be so young. It was such a low percentage, after all. Yet here you are."
"And I bet you didn't think that Red was a woman either," K said, giggling slightly.
"That crossed my mind, but it too did not seem likely."
"I have a feeling that that isn't the only reason you wanted to speak with us," I say calmly, changing the subject.
"Correct. I wish to discuss the implications of the possibility that Kira can kill in other ways."
"I see. What about it?"
"Well, if Kira could kill in multiple ways, then we can narrow down the list of suspects considerably. I have looked over the data of all the recent deaths, not just heart attacks. There was a bus jacking during the time one of the FBI agents was trailing a particular policing family. It was very close to where he was at the time. It could even be possible that this agent was on this very bus, and was forced to give out his name."
"I assume that the man who hijacked the bus is dead?"
"Hit by a car when he exited the bus."
This is exactly what I needed.
"What is the name of the FBI agent?" I ask.
"Raye Penbar."
"I see …" I guess I should look over the files after all.
"There's something else. I tried contacting his Fiancé, to see if she suspected something was going on. If something was wrong with him, she would be able to pick it up-"
"It sounds as though you know her pretty well," D interjects.
"Not really, but I worked with her on a small case in LA two years back. I never actually met her in person, but her skills are very impressive. She was an excellent FBI agent until she resigned three months ago."
"So you would be able to trust her judgment?" I ask.
"Yes. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to contact her. It seems she hasn't been seen since the day after her fiancé died. It's a bit too early, but I suspect she may have gone missing."
"Suicide, maybe?" K asks, serious.
"No, she is too strong for that. It's more likely she would start investigating on her own."
The implications hit me head on. "Wait, does that mean Kira's already gotten to her?"
"Possibly."
I frown, "He could have her commit suicide in a secluded place where no one would find her, or arrange an accident somewhere hard to reach … assuming he can kill in other ways." L looks me over, eyes strangely sharp. I stare right back, almost daring him to ask.
"Yes."
"Well, this isn't good," D grumbles, running his hand through his hair.
"Not at all," I say as well. "Well, what are you going to do?"
"I won't make any moves at this moment. I need to go over the video footage of Raye Penbar's death first to see if there is anything suspicious on the tape. If my suspicious become fruitful, I will make my move."
"Sounds good to me," D nods, as do I.
"Yeah, let's catch Kira!" K does a little fist pump.
I can't help but feel a little bit better.