The sterile hum of the newsroom was shattered by the sudden clamor as a nondescript package hit the production desk with a thud. The director, a balding man with weary eyes that told of countless deadlines, sliced the tape with a swift gesture, pulling out a VHS with a stark label: "AIR IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE." His hands trembled slightly as he loaded it into the player.
"Or else what?" murmured an intern, her voice a wisp of sound lost in the brewing storm.
The screen flickered to life, revealing a distorted voice. "If this message does not broadcast, the board of directors will perish—one by one."
The director's eyes met those of his team—a silent consensus. Fear tangled with duty; they aired the tape.
"Go live," the director commanded, his voice barely hiding the tremor of fear. The news anchors, poised before the camera, exchanged uneasy glances but proceeded with their grim duty. As the first tape rolled out across the airwaves, the silence in the studio was suffocating.
"Are we just going to do what Kira says now?" one anchor whispered to the other, her eyes wide with dread.
"Seems like we don't have much of a choice," her co-anchor replied, his Adam's apple bobbing with a hard swallow.
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In the quietude of Light's room, Shinoska sat cross-legged on the floor, her eyes glued to the television screen. Her breath hitched as the news anchors faltered, their faces contorting in agony before they slumped over, lifeless.
"Light, did you see that?" she gasped, her voice breaking the spell that seemed to envelop Light as he watched, his expression unreadable.
"Two anchors... and now the officers," Light murmured, more to himself than to Shinoska.
"Light...what is happening?" she whispered, her voice barely rising above the crescendo of sirens and shouts emanating from the TV.
Light didn't answer immediately, his brow furrowed, mind racing faster than the panicked heartbeats of the officers now rushing the news station entrance. He watched as they collapsed, one after another, clutching at their chests in futile desperation. "A heart attack? No, multiple heart attacks." Light thought, his intellect churning through the possibilities. "This is beyond coincidence."
"A second Kira..." Light muttered under his breath, the words tasting like a bitter revelation.
"A second what?" Shinoska turned towards him, searching his expression for clarity.
"Nothing," Light said quickly, brushing off her concern with a shake of his head. "Just thinking aloud."
"Light, this is... This is terrible! How could someone..." Shinoska's words trailed off into a sob, the horror of the situation crashing over her like a tidal wave.
On the other side of town, L sat surrounded by screens, each one a window into the pandemonium. His thumb pressed against his lip, a telltale sign of his deep concentration. The task force members exchanged uneasy glances as their leader's gaze remained unblinking, staring through the digital chaos as if piecing together an invisible puzzle.
"Multiple heart attacks, all at once? It can't be a coincidence," L muttered, observing the chaos through a bank of monitors, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The task force members around him were a mosaic of tension and disbelief.
""Could it be? Another Kira..." L's voice trailed off, his thoughts already racing ahead.
"Impossible," retorted Matsuda, his fingers drumming anxiously on the tabletop. "How could there be two?"
"Yet the pattern diverges," L continued, the cogs of his mind turning coldly, methodically. "This Kira acts without the same caution. The message, the public display reckless."
"Reckless," echoed Light, half-listening to the commentators on the screen trying to make sense of the deaths. His thoughts were spiraling, weaving through the implications of a second Kira.
"Light, I'm scared," Shinoska confessed, her eyes fixed on the screen where the news anchors had been animated just moments ago. Now they lay motionless, victims of the unseen terror gripping the nation.
"Shinoska," Light said, his tone steady despite the churn of his mind. "You must stay calm. This is...an unfortunate turn of events, but we can't let fear cloud our judgment."
"Judgment..." She repeated the word, her gaze lingering on Light's profile—sharp, composed, and enigmatic. There was something behind those eyes, a depth she couldn't fathom.
"Exactly," Light replied, his attention returning to the TV. "An advantage," he considered silently, the seeds of a plan taking root. 'A second Kira could very well be an advantage.'
•• ━━━━━ ••✾•• ━━━━━ •••• ━━━━━ ••✾••
The hushed glow of the television screen cast a pale light across Light's features as he watched Shinoska's chest rise and fall with the deep, even rhythm of sleep. Her earlier distress had ebbed into the quietude of dreams, leaving Light to ponder the gravity of recent events alone.
Light closing his room door to go to the living room, ensuring his voice wouldn't disturb Shinoska's slumber. The Shinigami's eyes glinted in the semi-darkness, reflecting the dim light like orbs of mischief.
"Ryuk," he began, voice low and controlled, "we have an interesting development."
The Shinigami, perched languorously on top of an old bookshelf, craned his neck, his eyes glinting with morbid curiosity. "A second Kira, you say?"
"Indeed," Light affirmed, pacing before the cold fireplace. "Looks like you've got competition, Light," Ryuk drawled, floating lazily above the couch. "A second Kira... how does that make you feel?"
"Concerned," Light admitted, crossing the room to stand by the window, staring out into the night. "But also intrigued. This new player... they're impulsive, uncalculated."
"Ha! Someone seems to be enjoying the show," Ryuk chuckled, the sound grating against the silence.
"Their alignment with my ideals is clear, but their rashness... It could be exploited."
"Exploited?" Ryuk's interest was piqued, his grotesque smile widening. "Now you're talking my language. What's your move?"
"Ryuk, they have the Shinigami Eyes." Light turned from the window, his gaze piercing the shadowy figure of his otherworldly accomplice. "It's an advantage we can't ignore."
"Indeed," Ryuk cackled, his interest piqued. "They can see a person's name and lifespan just by looking at their face. But remember, it comes at a price."
"Of course," Light said, pacing now, his mind racing with possibilities. "Their life is halved. But that recklessness could be useful to me. If I can control it..."
He paused, considering the implications. His fingertips brushed the edge of the notebook hidden within his pocket – the Death Note, the source of his godlike power.
"Imagine if I could guide their hand," Light mused, more to himself than to Ryuk. "Steer their actions towards our ultimate goal, without drawing attention to myself."
"Sounds risky," Ryuk observed, his voice tinged with delight at the potential chaos.
"Risk is part of the game," Light responded, his reflection staring back at him from the darkened glass – a young man on the cusp of omnipotence. "And I need to stay close to L. Close enough to anticipate his moves."
"Joining the task force, then?" Ryuk inquired, already knowing the answer.
"Exactly." Light's lips twisted into a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll be able to monitor both L and this second Kira. Keep my enemies closer than my friends."
"Friends?" Ryuk snorted. "You mean tools."
"Whatever they are," Light said, turning away from the window to face Ryuk fully. "They're all pieces on the chessboard. And I intend to play a perfect game."
"Oho! Playing with fire, aren't you?" Ryuk floated down, hovering near Light's shoulder, the promise of chaos sweet in the air between them.
"Fire can be controlled," Light countered, eyes narrowing as he envisioned the board of directors, the deceased officers, the fallen news anchors—all pawns in a grander scheme. "It can be used to forge steel or burn away chaff. L is close; this second Kira brings a new element to the equation."
"Very Risky," Ryuk drawled, tilting his head. "But I like it."
"Risks are necessary," Light replied, his internal gears already turning, plotting trajectories of influence and manipulation. "This second Kira, they want to be recognized, to be seen. That need makes them vulnerable."
"Vulnerable to you, you mean," Ryuk pointed out, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"Exactly." Light's silhouette sharpened against the shifting backlight of the muted TV. "By joining the task force, I keep my enemies where I can see them. I'll watch L—and the second Kira."
"Watching everyone watching you, huh?" Ryuk snickered, amused by the irony.
"Watch and be watched," Light confirmed, the strategy unfolding within him with the clarity of a well-played game. "And when the time is right, I'll make my move."
"Can't wait to see it," Ryuk said, munching on an apple with audible crunches.
"Patience, Ryuk," Light uttered, a faint smile playing upon his lips. "The game has only just begun."