A/N: I filled in some plot holes here and added more development ... a lot less angsty, again. More explanations.
GUESS WHAT!
So, those of you who've read this before, you know what happens after this? Well fuck that. I rewrote the entire next chapter and scrapped that event entirely. The basic basis (try saying that five times fast) isn't gone, and the premise for a scene was just too good to let go, but other than that it's completely new, and I bet you'll love it!
So I'm going to post it later. LOL.
Eh heh, you already knew that I was a bit of a troll. :/
- DW
Chapter Eleven - Run
Away from
What we fear
Hate
Love.
To what
We need
Hate
Love.
A pause,
Change.
Stopping
Eternally.
Today is the Day, which is very well a relative term, but I chose not to care in this situation. So, to clarify, today is the day of the entrance exams.
I'm not nervous at all.
"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" my Aunt asks me as I prepare to leave the house. I'm bringing a couple of pages of my Death Note with me (just in case), my work phone and my regular phone. I'm going with Makoto and Kakushin to the exam hall to meet Ryuzaki, and then take the blasted test.
Today is going to be interesting in the very least. Oh, this is what I've been waiting for. My blood is boiling. I love it.
Not nervous in the slightest.
"I'm fine," I say to her. She has no idea what I'm really doing. I'm going to go find Kira. In reality, I could be risking my life.
All the better.
"Alright then, good luck!" she finally relents.
"Yeah, thanks," I nod, step outside and close the door behind me. I might as well humor her. There's nothing wrong with that.
It doesn't take me long to meet Makoto and Kakushin by a park a short walk from my house. We decided to use that as a meeting place because it's mutually close to all of our houses. As I walk up, I see that the two of them are already there and waiting. It seems I'm usually late.
"Kurai~!" Kakushin yells and glomps (def.: a flying tackle hug) me. I panic for a few short moments that seemingly last forever as a bundle of blonde energy comes hurtling after me. I step to the side and watch as she tumbles past me before falling face first into the grass. Considering that she's older than twelve, this looks quite strange but at the same time funny as hell. Both Makoto and I burst into laughter.
Kakushin picks herself off the ground, dusting off her sleeves and pouting childishly. "Thanks, Kurai," she half-hisses, half-growls. I can tell that she's amused as well.
"Okay, before you skin me alive for that, I have something to say. Kuru, Vile, I assume that if you see another Shinigami, you won't tell us?"
"Yep," Vile chuckles.
"I will not,"Kuru replies. He's not as menacing as Vile, and if you beg long enough and appear pathetic enough he can do you a favor. He doesn't really like to get involved in our business that much.
"As expected – do you think that the other Shinigami will tell the one they're attached to?"
"Nope," Vile still chuckles, like he knows something that we don't. Quite frankly it's creeping me out. I stare up at him through narrowed eyes for a moment before quickly smiling and glancing away.
"Good," I say while clapping my hands together, "Let's go."
It doesn't take us long to get to To-Oh. Of course, we took a cab, which very well could be cheating, but we were all going to be significantly late otherwise.
Anyway, we arrive there shortly, and find Ryuzaki waiting for us at the gates. I raise my hand in greeting, which is returned. Kakushin, to my dismay, runs up to the detective and hugs him. I deadpan at my friend, wondering for the umpteenth time how she became my friend in the first place.
You can't just run up and hug a world renowned detective, who happens to be a genius, and expect to remain in high regards to him or your friends?
Yes, she expects that, but we love her anyway, despite her eccentric personality.
"Has Light arrived yet?" I ask when Makoto and I get close enough, both of us trying not to laugh much.
"No," L replies, trying to squirm his way out of the hug. The poor guy has learned to fear her bone-crushing hugs. They suffocate you with affection!
"Kakushin let him go," Makoto chuckles, and she does so with a sheepish grin.
"Aw come on! He's so damn huggable! Why do all the best guys have to be so huggable?" Despite ourselves, both Makoto and I laugh, hysterically, while we leave Ryuzaki in a state of utter confusion.
"'Huggable' is not a word …" he mumbles, and we laugh harder, to the verge of tears.
"Hey, you four, exam's starting in ten minutes!" a guy, presumably working for the University, shouts at us. After a quick set of apologies and much tugging in that general direction, we head towards the exam hall.
And of course, at the worst possible moment …
"I'll catch up with you guys. I have to go to the washroom," I say, laughing a little. They look back at me, shrug, and let me go with a few words of 'see you there'.
Of course things never turn out the same in execution as they did in preparation.
I'm lost.
Exasperation at the blatantly obvious irony sets in. This could very well be the most important event in my life, and I am fucking lost, not to mention late. I bring my hands up to massage my temples at the oncoming headache.
"Are you alright?" someone asks me. I look over to see one of the janitors watching me with raised eyebrows.
I nod frantically. "I'm looking for the entrance exams … got lost on my way back from the bathroom."
The janitor gives me a sympathetic yet obviously amused smile before pointing at something on the wall. Lo and behold there are signs pointing to the testing rooms. I deadpan at the sign before sighing and briefly thanking her. My embarrassment is clearly visible. Already I've made an impression.
As soon as I turn the corner I take off in a flat run, keen on making it before they decide to lock me out. After a few dangerous and close turns, a nasty collision with a stairwell rail and nearly running over several people I finally catch sight of the room where I am supposed to be.
"Wait! Hold the door!" I shout, and the door thankfully stops closing. I rush into the room, panting, and pause at the front to catch my breath, "I … here."
A ripple of giggles, eye-rolls and sighs course throughout the room, and I can see from here that Makoto is smirking lightly, Kakushin is giving me a small 'thumbs-up' and L … giving me a death-stare. Thanks for your support guys!
"Please take your seat," the annoyed voice of the supervisor says to me. I look over my shoulder to see his unimpressed face staring at me. I go quietly and meekly to my seat, not meeting any gazes and keeping my head down. I fail spectacularly at not drawing attention to myself.
As I go, I feel a sudden nagging feeling at the back of my head, one that gives me an uncomfortable sensation. I search for the source and lock gazes with the last person I expected to.
Light Yagami.
And I look above his head.
Oh, we are so screwed.
"Ryuk," the husky voice greets with a rotten smugness. A shadow, hidden from the mortal world, emerges from the silent darkness. It's beady, malignant red eyes watch the clown-faced Shinigami as he leaned against the wall, tossing a single red apple up and down. His buggy, yellow eyes were trained on its shiny surface.
"Keh, I didn't expect to see you here," the blue one, Ryuk, chuckled, eyes sliding over to his company. Vile's jaws parted slightly in a mock-grin.
"And yet you followed me here," Vile spoke with much amusement, watching the other closely.
"Maybe I just got bored," the blue Shinigami caught the apple in his hand, clutching it tightly, but not tight enough to break the skin.
"So you came to watch the show, did you?"
"Well at least my human has his sights focused on something bigger than your little pet does," Ryuk hissed, smirking before tossing the apple at his apparent elder.
"That's boring though," Vile laughed heartily, shaking his large head. "Humans like that are so predictable. They're plain, ordinary. It's the ones like mine that you really have to look for that are the most interesting."
"Oh, I don't know about that. Light's pretty interesting: the way that he and that L character fight is pretty entertaining. Of course, the fact that you're here must mean that your human is involved in this too."
"Obviously," Vile sneered dryly.
"I told Light a few of the things that you learned, you know. I hope you don't mind."
"It makes the game all that more interesting, so no, I don't mind. But you don't strike me as the type to meddle."
"I'm only providing the tools," Ryuk retorted. "It's too much work to change anything. I just want to see how this turns out. Humans are quite fascinating."
"Indeed they are Ryuk, indeed they are," Vile laughed before noisily crushing the apple between his teeth.
Okay, now how the hell did this happen?!
I took the damn test, even though I was shaking the whole time and feeling like I was going to throw up. Okay, so L was right! I can't do undercover work! I'm a total wreck!
Right after our freaking exam I left the hall with the speed of a freight train. I didn't meet with Ryuzaki, Makoto and Kakushin because I needed to think in privacy. So I headed off to the bathrooms! And before I got there …
He appeared!
"What's your name?" he asks in an ever so seductive voice that would probably make all the girls in the city melt into little gooey puddles. This son of a bitch! It's not working on me, no; it's making me want to throw up!
"Why do you want to know?" I ask, trying to squirm my way out. I feel like a cornered animal, and all rational thought has long flown out the window. My voice is filled with venom and loathing. Yeah, I definitely cannot do undercover work. Confrontation only works if I'm the one in control, but I've been uprooted when I discovered Light's apparent ownership. I'm scared and angry and this makes for a bad outcome.
You see, this is the situation: he has me pinned to the freaking wall! He has one arm on either side of my head, standing uncomfortably close, to the point that I could probably sue him, in a hallway with nobody around. What the hell am I supposed to do?!
"I saw you at the exams," he says, staring me right in the eye. Oh, that's an obvious trick, stating the obvious. I try to look out of the way, over his shoulder, anywhere but those eyes! There's something about them that's completely despicable and horrifying. The moment I locked eyes with him, I knew. I knew L was right. And when I looked above his head and I saw that there was no lifespan, I nearly cried out.
What I really hate is that I know what he's doing! He's going to pretend that he didn't notice me looking above his head, that there's nothing wrong. He will try to butter me up and wrap me around his finger. In his mind, he thinks that women are lesser than him, that he is a god, and no one can deny him. I know people like this. It isn't uncommon. This is a trick born from habit. He's perfected his technique long ago.
Light Yagami is most definitely a pretty boy that uses his charm to manipulate others. I bet he got all he wanted his entire life. From what Mr. Yagami explained, Light has a very sheltered life, living with constant praise. He probably plays them all for fools.
I hate him.
"Yeah, so, I saw you too," I snap back in reply, no witty remarks springing to mind when I need them. Everything is on shutdown.
"You're very pretty, and your eyes are intelligent."
Oh god, I want to slap him so bad. I am this close to actually doing that. Unfortunately I could be arrested for that, and since we don't have evidence of his identity as Kira, I won't be able to play a 'get out of jail' card.
"Just tell me what the hell you want, or I swear to god that I will kick you in the balls," I hiss, staring him full in the face and giving him a death glare. He just smiles at me (cocky bastard) and leans in so that his lips brush the outer shell of my ear.
He has the eyes of a killer.
"What else can you see with those eyes, hmm?"
My blood runs cold.
"I have no idea what you mean."
"I think you do. I saw you look at my lifespan."
This is definitely Kira.
"You're crazy," I spit.
"Stop denying it," he grins, leaning back to look me full in the face again. His hand comes up and cups my chin.
Why I aught a –
"I'm not denying anything," I growl, and I do something that he doesn't seem to like.
I spit in his face.
He doesn't seem to care, and wipe the spittle away with his sleeve (letting go of me, thank you God!).
"You're not like the other women," he frowns, "Tell me, what do you think of Kira?"
"Kira?"
Get yourself together! You can't mess this up! Not for L! Not for this investigation! I can't let them down! I steel myself, calming down finally, well, sort of.
"Yes. You know-"
"I know who he is!" I growl, "Why would you care what I thought about him?!"
"I care because he is going to lead the world to a new era. One filled with peace and prosperity. No more crime, no more wars."
He's delusional! If I had a voice recorder he'd be in jail faster than you could say 'oh fuck'.
"You could help make that world a possibility, with your eyes …"
Of course he would want to use my Shinigami eyes … its fucking ideal!
Calm down. I need to calm down. Complete panic if a base instinct. Fight or flight. I need to fight, but I need to be calm about this.
"I don't understand what you mean," I say.
"Yes you do. You know exactly what I mean."
"You're delusional," I repeat.
And I am interrupted by his desperate move.
He fucking kisses me!
Okay, there have been a few times in my life where I have totally flipped out and beat the crap out of someone. This usually happens when a person pushes my buttons, I don't like it, and I flip out. I broke this kid's collar bone once when he called me a freak and pushed me off a rock. We were playing 'King of the Hill' and I wanted to be the King. I climbed up, and the kid pushed me off rather forcefully. What really pissed me off was that this kid wasn't even the King! And this was a very high rock!
So I broke his collar bone and was suspended.
When his lips press against mine, all that fills me is a boiling hot rage that slightly obscures my vision and turns it red. I can't think of anything except: Die! Die! Die! You fucking son of a bitch! Die! Die! Die!
I follow through with my threat to kick him in the balls.
He goes down.
Kurai one, Light zero.
I kick him three times after that: once in the head as he falls to his knees, twice in the gut as he falls over and a third time in the chest.
And I run.