Death: *Takes a deep breath* Okay. Okay. Okay. I know, it's been years. A lot of you have been waiting for so long. Forgive me for making you all wait. A lot of shit happened one after another, and I almost gave up on life. But somehow, I have kept going despite everything that has happened. I know some of you noticed I have started other projects, but not this one, which is considered one of my best.
To be honest, I have the plot down. I know exactly what will happen at the end. But to get to that point, I had to start a project that took a really dark turn. Writing dark and twisted stories that made my readers cry, scream and such is something I had to perfect for this story. And thus, Too Little, Too Late was born. Some of you who follow me have read it, that was only a stepping stone for Everything But Mine. If that story tore your hearts, then this will surely break you. This is my warning as I go back to this story, picking back up where I left off.
This story was something where my deepest parts of my depression went into before I experienced things far worse. You will notice I have matured in my writing, and I am glad. For a long time ago, around the time of the previous chapter, I knew where the plot was going but I didn't know how to make it happen or how to make it dark and twisted. Now that I know, I have found the spark once more with a story that's been plagueing me to finish. And I aim to do just that. I will finish this story. And I am deeply sorry for the long wait. Thank you for your patience.
Also, if anyone would kindly help point out spelling or grammar mistakes in previous chapters, please do so. After rereading to get back into this story I spotted some mistakes but forgot which chapters needed a more thorough fix. That would be a great help.
Chapter title is part of the lyrics from Feisty by Jhameel.
Chapter 14 Gentleman
=3=
The day was rather bleak for a spring day. Clouds covered the skies, casting an ill omen after several days of bright sunshine. It was a similar feeling of the calm before the storm. The rubber band stretched as far as it could before snapping. Since all of four months since L openly challenged Kira, things have become nothing short of interesting.
L and his teams were in a constant dance. It was difficult to know who pulled the strings, as control shifted between L, BB, and Kira in a constant struggle like a current. It was a game of cat and mouse. The moment one became the cat, then someone else brought the stakes higher and onto the next level. For the time being it was all fun and games, but eventually someone was going to become bored. And with boredom, it would mean someone would do something so shocking that it would shake everyone to the core.
L was starting to feel it was about to come down to that.
"Who do you believe would be the first to become bored and do something drastic?" Near inquired through the computer. Through the microphone he was carefully stacking small objects, dice, L guessed.
"I can't exactly say for sure. I know BB has more patience, but he always had one opponent. He has probably learned from previously to never underestimate my chosen team. And this time around my team is much bigger, and much more involved. And it's not just us he has to be caereful of." L had taken to stacking sugar cubes to form a tower.
"But Kira is too arrogant. While he can exercise patience, he will eventually tire of the same thing over and over in this three way tug of war." The pale teen countered.
"So how do we go about killing two birds with one stone here?" Mello had been listening in, he had always been nosey by nature. He had opened his channel to report when they were talking.
"That's the clincher. BB and Kira operate on different spectrums. To capture them both would be once in a million. And as long we keep their focus on us then they won't turn on each other. If BB can actually see a person's name just by one look, then he has an advantage over Kira. Kira needs a name and face to kill, but what's confusing is he knows BB's real name." L was stumped about the last part.
"Then the question is what Kira's goals are. So far it seems as if he's playing a game with us while at the same time torturing BB." Near concluded.
"He's not taking us seriously. He knows firsthand our strengths and weaknesses, and he doesn't believe we can work well enough together to take him down." Mello added. He didn't have to state a name, as everyone understood who he meant.
"Unless he plans to set a trap for BB that allows us to take both of them down." L was still holding onto the chance Kira was in some way working with them.
Thus far Kira's tactics have prevented BB from going after Sayu Yagami. She was currently being watched over by the Japanese Task Force, and nothing has happened to her yet. L knew it was foolish of him to believe this was Kira's plan, but looking at it through Light Yagami's standpoint, he would be doing everything possible to protect his little sister.
Beep beep.
"Ryuzaki, Kira made another move. He wrote another message. I'm sending information to all three of you. And don't forget, tonight the Task Force will be meeting with you in person." Watari announced through the computers.
Around Christmas, L had already shown his face to the majority of the Japanese Task Force. He met with the men who were close friends of late Chief Yagami, and got to know them a little more personally. The only members L had yet to meet were Kagami and Miyano. Tonight he was to finally meet them face to face.
"Another love note? Been a while." Mello snickered.
L turned his attention to the screen. He immediately had his attention to the message along the margin rather than what the criminal actually wrote for a suicide note. In his mind he recited what they had so far before reading the new message.
'L do you know Gods of Death love apples...'
He scanned like an owl at the screen, head tilted awkwardly.
'This isn't a contuition of the previous notes?'
"Those who have eyes are never blind..." L scrutinized, feeling irritated. This message was longer, and he wasn't sure if this was meant as a message to L or BB.
'Kira, what are trying to convey here? Is this a metaphor? Is this some form of confession? What is this?'
"What the shit does this mean?" Mello cursed, just as confused as L was.
"It feels like a confession." Near had no doubt with his train of thought.
"What makes you say that?" L inquired, curious as to hear his reasoning.
"He isn't calling anyone out. This message is also clearly not part of the previous three. And for some reason this message is longer, he's trying to tell us something. Like a confession or a hint about BB or himself."
L and Mello sat in silence as they registered the theory. The more they thought about it, the more it started to make sense. But was it a confession or a hint? They eyes could be a reference to anything. And what were they, the L Team, were blind to? It had to be partly a metaphor of something Kira knew but they didn't.
"Watari, let the media reveal this message this time around. If this isn't a direct message at us, then it is apparent it would be for BB." L knew it would mean Kira changed his shift from L to BB. Did this mean Kira had a plan to bring down BB?
If so, L wasn't going to hold it back.
"Are you sure, Ryuzaki?" Watari was hesitant.
"Yes. I am positive." L wasn't going to change his mind.
'Whatever you are planning Kira, I won't stand in your way. This time, anyway.'
=3=
"Ryuzaki, it's been a while. Oh, we brought the new faces as you wanted. Ryuzaki, this is Kagami and Miyano. Guys, this is Ryuzaki. And he is the real deal." Aizawa introduced with a cheerful smile.
L stared at the young men in question. They were both handsome and quite tall. Kagami was taller of the two, his build slim and gangly, similar to his own, but with a little more weight. His dark hair was shoulder length. He carried himself around with confidence, his attire was laid back for a detective rising in the ranks. He would have easily been mistaken as someone in high school.
Miyano was more professional, despite being the younger of the two. He was broad shouldered, but just enough to compliment the suit he wore. His dark auburn brown hair was slicked back, and his thin glasses went well with his youthful face and pale gray eyes. And yet L couldn't help but stare at him. There was something familiar about Miyano, but L had a hard time figuring out what exactly was bothering him.
"Do you plan to stare the whole night, or are we going to work?" Miyano braved a taunting smile. Beside him Kagami nudged him with an elbow.
'The voice is different. But anyone can change their voice.'
"You sure you want to talk smack to him of all people?"
"Oh, it's quite all right. I am used to one of my heirs cussing me at every few seconds. And do please forgive me, for a second I thought I recognized you from somewhere." L faked a smile, eyes still never straying from Miyano.
"Unless you went to Toho University while I was there, I don't believe we met. You do kind of stand out." He responded with a shrug, earning a pout.
"Hmm. Maybe in passing?" L wasn't sure why he was pressing the issue.
"I wouldn't know. I mean, Tokyo is a big city, so maybe. But you would have left a lasting impression, Ryuzaki-san." Miyano didn't show any signs of nervousness, and L was forced to drop the subject when Aizawa stepped in.
"So uh, anything new about the cases at hand?"
"Aside from a recent killing of an inmate, there hasn't been much activity - "
Beep beep.
"Ryuzaki, there's something going on on Sakura TV." Watari informed through the computer.
L quickly turned on the television to the specific channel. The Japanese Task Force crowded around his chair for a better look. They turned to the channel just in time to hear the news anchorman explain they had a message sent in from Kira. The anchorman explained the second tape was for the public and this was the first time the producers heard it, as they had listened to the first one that predicted the death of someone correctly, all the way down to the specific time. The second tape was meant for the public as instructed from the first tape.
"And here we start the tape. Let's see what Kira has to say." The anchorman seemed to be grim at the idea.
The screen changed to white background and the words Kira in the same font as L's when he last went public. A distorted voice emulator spoke in a deep tone, obviously this was a cheaper emulator than the one L used. The detective stared in horror, as suddenly they were puppets in a game they had not expect Kira to set.
One thing led to another, Ukita had left their side and made his way over to Sakura TV Studios. L and his team watched in horror at the sight of police officers who attempted to enter the studio, only to suddenly drop dead on the scene. Minutes later Ukita met the same fate.
"We have to go there now!" Aizawa wanted to leave.
"If you go then you'll die too!" Miyano argued.
"We're officers, our job is to interfere for the safety of the citizens!" The elder detective snarled. "We can't just stand around like cowards!"
"Preserving a life is better than entering a death zone!" Miyano snapped.
"Fuck it I'm going!" Aizawa turned to the door.
"Aizawa! Going would be pointless. I wish to limit the amount of casualties as much as possible. We have lost Ukita. I wish not to lose more of you in the line of duty." L finally had the voice to speak. Aizawa whirled around to see the the man hunched over, his grip on his legs were so tight his hands were turning paler than his skin tone.
"So please. The burden of Ukita and those two officers are a heavy burden. The thought of losing more of you would be devastating not only to myself but for this case."
"What are we supposed to do? Just watch?" Mogi crossed his arms.
"There is not much I can do. Unless someone comes up with a plan to barge in there without getting themselves killed."
At that an idea popped up in Miyano's head.
"I have an idea!" He bolted for the door before explaining anything further.
"Ryuzaki, he doesn't have the belts or fake IDs." Watari warned through the computer.
"Mello, Matt, you two heard everything?"
"Already ahead of you. We'll help him with whatever plan he's got. Tell him we're out front in a van." The blonde answered.
"Someone use this phone to call Miyano then hand it back to me." L held out his personal device.
Kagami took it and quickly punched in the number. As it rang he handed it back to L.
"Hello?" Miyano answered after the second ring.
"Miyano-kun, there's a van waiting out front. Two of my team will be waiting and aid you in this plan of yours." L didn't waste time to explain.
"Great. Do they have masks of some sort?"
"Masks?" L repeated, surprised.
"Ryuzaki, we do have masks. They might not be the greatest but they cover the face." Matt informed through the laptop.
"Yes, as a matter of fact they do." L repeated to the younger detective.
"Then this can work. I'm almost there!"
"Good luck, Miyano-kun." L hung up.
'Why does he need masks? Wait...Kira only needs a face and a name to kill. This is an imposter. This imposter only needs a face. And Miyano-kun figured this out before me?'
"Aizawa, hand me your phone and turn it on." L was somewhat catching on.
Said man fumbled for his phone. After a moment of turning it on, he handed it to L. Without hesitation he dialed in a number. He held it to his ear in his usual fashion despite the stares.
"Director, this is L. I need you to take a stand. Officers are dying left and right. We have to take action and prevent more lives from being lost."
"L. I see you used Aizawa's phone to contact me so I would answer. I really wish I could, but how am I supposed to send men in without dropping like flies?"
"Do you have the television tuned in?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
"In approximately two point three minutes a team of my own will be sent in. They have a plan to enter the facility. What I need from you, director, is to protect them during their exit."
"...Are you sure this plan will succeed?"
"I believe an eighty six, no, eighty eight percent chance that this will succeed. If you don't believe me, then watch the screen just for a few minutes and see for yourself." L rarely gave high percentages, but he had faith in those three.
Less than a minute passed when an unmarked van barged through the glass doors of the studio. The van swung hard to the side before stopping. Sakura TV reverted to inside security cameras to catch two figures running further into the building. One of them wore a police officer face mask meant for mobs, the other wore a plastic toy mask of a tiger. Even the driver wore a plastic mask, his was a dog.
L didn't have to guess Matt was the driver, and Mello had followed behind Miyano. He felt joy at the idea he might have found an extra teammate for the two M's, which might become Team M should things continue going their way.
"Now will you take your stance, director?" L inquired over the phone.
"...Yes. I will send in the SWAT Team."
"Thank you for your contribution to taking a stance against Fake Kira for the sake of justice." L hung up, eyes never straying from the screen as excitement filled him. They had somehow turned everything into their favor.
"Wait, this one is an imposter?" The Task Force exclaimed.
"The first Kira only needs a name and face. This imposter only needs a face." L elaborated in a brief summary.
"But didn't Kira say something along the lines of 'those who have eyes are never blind'?" Mogi recalled the strange file that had been placed into their hands earlier.
"I believe this is a Fake Kira. These killings Kira proved are people who never did a crime. They were simple tools to create panic, and by using an anchorman who openly stated Kira should be caught, he or she didn't interfere with any names of criminals the original Kira might have already lined up." Near theorized over the laptop.
"Plus, this Second Kira is too impulsive. The original Kira plans several steps ahead before making a bold move. And the original made a point not to kill off police officers. His targets thus far are solely criminals." L added, eyes still glued to the screen.
Minutes passed, then the SWAT Team swarmed in front of the building. L used Aizawa's phone again to call Miyano.
"Miyano-kun, do you have the tapes?"
"Yes. But I didn't exactly plan how we were supposed to escape."
"Already ahead of you. Reunite with M2 and walk out the front doors."
"Walk out? Ryuzaki-san, I don't understand."
"Trust me, Miyano-kun." L pressed, his voice softening.
After a hesitation of brief silence the young man sighed.
"All right, Ryuzaki-san. I trust you."
L found himself grinning with joy at hearing those words.
=3=
Mello couldn't help but stare at the young man who effectively put a stop to Fake Kira before L could. There was something familiar about this young man. He scrutinized every part of him, trying to place why Miyano was so damned familiar.
'Why is he so familiar? What about him makes everything so interesting?'
Mello continued to stare as he slowly ate his chocolate. He could see Miyano was uncomfortable about it, but he didn't voice it. And since he didn't voice his concerns Mello was free to continue his staring. The blond even ignored the awkward glances from the rest of the Task Force.
'Those hips, those thighs, those lips. Looking like that would make anyone stare.'
Mello shifted in his seat to better hide a hard on. Being clad in all leather made things difficult in these situations. Beside him Matt glanced up from his laptop, noticing his odd behavior. The redhead followed his gaze to Miyano, and suddenly he too was overcome with a sense of familiarity.
"Miyano-kun, thank you for going through all the trouble of getting a hold of these." L praised, but he noticed the odd behaviors of the two Ms.
"I wasn't expecting it to fully work. I only knew how to get in but not get out without the possibility of being followed." Miyano nervously laughed.
"So, Miyano-kun, how did you come to the conclusion so quickly we weren't dealing with the original Kira?" L had pondered this after everything had calmed down.
"Well, I thought it was odd those officers and Ukita-san were killed within seconds of entering the scene with their faces shown. I wasn't sure if it was an imposter, or the timing of Kira's newest message was foretelling what transpired. But I knew somehow they only needed a face, and I came to a quick plan to get inside." Miyano had the very image of a young man who showed promise, he just needed careful guidence.
'But there is something off about him. But what? He's just a handsome graduate lucky enough to be assigned to help with us as his first set of cases.'
"And I congratulate you for your efforts. And I would also like to thank you for preventing Aizawa from charging in headfirst."
"I didn't want to watch more of my comrades die. Although I do apologize for stepping over the line with my superior." Pale eyes shifted to Aizawa, who was recently named chief.
"It's fine. I may have been too harsh. I wasn't exactly thinking rationally. And I am sorry for inaffectively calling you a coward." The elder man uncrossed his arms as his voice softened.
"I'll take it as the heat of the moment sort of thing."
Wait. Mello narrowed his eyes at Miyano as he focused on this train of thought. Miyano just so happened to be lucky enough to be the most promising graduate, fresh and ready to take on the life of being a detective. The timing was all too perfect. The L Team needed more hands, and looking for fresh eyes in hopes to increase their chances of capturing three murderers.
'BB worked from within the case once. But he should be suffering from burns all over. So this can't be BB. But what if...he's Light? He knew details of the BB Murder Case files, and probably followed a similar path to get close to the investigation against him? For Kira, this would put him at a huge advantage.'
"So then is this a Fake Kira or the orginal? As Miyano stated earlier, there was that message Kira had for us before the whole Sakura TV incident." Aizawa was still confused on the matter.
"After reviewing these tapes, I believe we are dealing with a Second Kira. Nothing of this Kira's behavior matches up with the original, who is meticulous about his plans. This Second Kira acts more of an admirer who somehow came across the same power or method of Kira's ability to kill from afar. But unlike the First Kira, the Second Kira is able to only need a face to kill. This makes the Second Kira more powerful. Whether or not he is as intelligent, that is debatable." L had come to this conclusion hours ago.
Mello studied the young man harder. It had been months since he last saw Light. But there were similarities between the body frame and parts of the face. The eyes and glasses make enough of a change to fool them at first. And to add an extra step darkened his hair and chose a different style they had never seen before on Light, or Kin.
Suddenly he stood up. Eyes turned to focus on him, some in horror, some in surprise. Mello didn't care if his bulge was more obvious to them. In fact it gave him a thrill. But the only two who weren't effected at all were L and Miyano.
"Miyano-chan, I have a theory." Mello stated with hands at his hips.
"About what?" Miyano narrowed his eyes.
'Oh? Suspicious of me already?'
"I am seventy two percent sure you are, in fact, Kira. And about eighty nine percent Tatsuya Miyano isn't your real name, but rather Light Yagami, son of the late Chief Soichiro Yagami, elder brother of Sayu Yagami. And, with that is the title of K."
Mello's confidence dropped when just for a split second pale eyes flashed red. It reminded him of one of the more memorable fights he had with Kin. Whatever doubts he had were erased after that one split second. It was enough for him. But instead of being furious, the young man laughed.
"I am sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
=3=
Death: Yay. I imagine a lot of you will be overjoyed, I'm actually crying. I have been wanting so bad to finish this story. And now I have finally made that big step. Let's hope the chapters come more smoother as I get back into this.
And this will be the last time I write Author's Note at the end. I am only doing it this one time out of habit for this story. And to reveal the significance Tatsuya Miyano. I basically clashed two names of the voice and real actor of Light Yagami in the anime and Japanese adaptation.
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