Matsuda, although struggled, he managed to get out into the backyard of the building which was already full of scoundrels. If he could call them that. These people were no longer human, but mutated beings. They had the exact same face as Kira just before his last breath was left. The eyes of hatred... Maybe even fanaticism.
He panted as watched the cars turn the corner of the street and disappear from his view. He tried to put his thoughts in order. Was he... Sad? Was he supposed to feel grief over the loss of Light and Tomoko? It was possibly anger muffling the tears about to debouch.
Light was Kira, and thus his execution was long overdue. Matsuda had that intense mindset, but he still knew it was a severe mistake to feel sorrow for a criminal's fate. Kira was no longer human. His face seemed human, but he wasn't one anymore! Perhaps his colleagues were right when they called him an idiot sometimes. Maybe he should indeed be thinking robotically, but damn not even that couldn't be managed! His flawed traits couldn't be eliminated...
There was a soft crunch in the dirt. Footsteps approaching him. He hesitated to turn around to see who it was. For unknown reasons. But a rather familiar voice was heard: "Mr. Matsuda?"
Tomoko? How could she be talking to him? Was it just a hallucination? He turned and... Her silhouette stood in front of him. Safe and sound! She had taken off the wig and was left with only her goth-like clothes.
He freaked out. "Tomoko?! But, how..."
"I know... It's absurd you see me alive, but surprisingly I made it."
"What do you mean?"
"Once I got on the gallows I made sure to stand in a spot where my carotid artery wouldn't get tied up on the rope. I had to do it in such a way it looked like I was actually dead. Later, as soon as this fuss with Kira's fanatics happened, I took the opportunity to hide inside the crowd, taking off my wig and going straight to the judge's desk. At that time another fanatic had knocked him down, started punching him, and so I managed to get a pen and a post-it note. As soon as this happened, I hid in the prison room, and wrote on the note:
"I took Misa Amane's body and threw it in a dustbin. Take the other Kira wherever you want"~ Uchida. Then I taped it to the wall and ran to find you."
"And you managed to do all this in such a short amount of time?"
"I just waited for the right conditions to be found. For the fake note thing, I owe it to the fanatical crowd!" she giggled.
"Pretty risky of you, but let's be honest. The Kira case is bizarre in itself. If a case is bizarre, the police, or the people who happen to be involved, will start acting strangely too."
"Quit talking, and let's leave before we get caught!"
Indeed, within eight minutes they had found a taxi and thus escaped the possible "accidents" of the trial and the "heretics" of Kira. They tried to discuss whether the judges would finally figure out the trial was just a performance for so long, but none of them didn't have the mental strength to think of another complicated plan for such a case. They only hoped the jurors would dwell on the validity of the note, and not investigate it further. The case now had a fortunate termination, and that mattered more than anything!
The policeman gazed at the Christmas-decorated shops outside the car window, which looked more magical than ever. He couldn't explain it, but somewhere deep inside hid a spark of optimism and peace. Possibly also gratitude to the goddess Nemesis for all she had arranged for! Perhaps it was just him, but the capital of the land of the rising sun seemed now much more peaceful compared to the previous days. Even his heart had quieted down from constantly pounding the last few days. Maybe even weeks. He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, as caught out of the corner of his eyes, a flock of pigeons gathered in a corner and eating seeds from the pavement. Those birds carry the most enviable life, yet they don't even realize it...
Tomoko at one point asked Matsuda if after everything happened, she'd be on the care system. He replied he didn't know the details, but she should be taken to the childcare centre until they see what they can do with her case. And who knows? Perhaps there's a personal Nemesis for everyone at the end of the day. A goddess who takes care of our optimistic ending, but also a prosperous future for our fellow human beings... How he wished life was similar to the movies! The bad guys always lose, shouldn't be the same in real life? The good guys were fed up with being defeated! It was time for them to end the war!
But, for now, let's let Matsuda and Tomoko ponder their worries for as long as they wish, and go back a few days ago. The day most Christian countries celebrate and for Misa the day she was brought into the world. She would turn twenty years old, an important milestone for Japanese people as it marked a teenager's official initiation into the adult world.
L had no particular plans for Christmas, nor did he intend to go out with any friends. There wasn't any interest in such a thing with his current professional situation. He already knew he was born to serve justice, the Nemesis the world is asking for, the redemption from their suffering. He even wondered if he indeed overdid it sometimes, since Watari often worried his son might display signs of a workaholic.
Once he had taken Watari out to a luxurious London restaurant on Christmas Eve, and spent the next day with the children of Wammy's House orphanage. The only place he could call home. The foundation of a man only he could call his parent. Only he had the role of father in his heart. Even if that old man hadn't given birth to him. Even if he had never addressed him as "father" or "dad". It was a standby person to him, and it still would have been if he hadn't gotten involved with the Kira case. L remembered how hard he had tried to convince him not to get involved, even under the protection of an alias, but in the end, fatherly love had given in, ignoring his son's pleas.
He didn't cry for him. He couldn't mourn, there was no knot in his throat, and will never be. He felt sorrow, but no tears came out. It was November 25th, the day the detective himself would be murdered by Kira. As soon as he saw his father's body crumpled on the floor, covered it but there was no emotion, no need for mourning. It was as if he had somehow locked away the emotional part of his mind, leaving the rational part unchecked. As if the ice in his heart couldn't be broken, even at the sight of the death of his dearest person. Was it a reaction to some childhood trauma he couldn't remember? Was this way since birth? He couldn't know for certain. He could blame that gym teacher who taught him tennis in elementary school if possible, but it wasn't much in character of him. L was not a man who cast the blame elsewhere and almost always took the blame on himself for something, even if it wasn't his fault at all. So, he concluded it was no one else's fault he couldn't cry for his father, despite his logic-squared mind. There weren't any signs of mourn, but for some inexplicable reason, a part of him could fall in love, and make a girl the most beautiful he had ever met.
He looked at the golden-coloured ring he bought her the day Matsuda had texted him to inform about her birthday. It obviously wasn't real gold, and if it was, it would seem like he showed off his wealth to Misa. Most of the money in the bank account was Watari's inheritance, but L preferred not to waste it so easily, so preferred to live as cheaply as possible.
But now how could he give it to her? Should he just leave it behind the door? That would be rude to the celebrant. On the other hand, if was given it directly, he risked seeing her reaction, whatever it even meant. Should he stick a post-it note on the package written: "Happy Birthday Misa"? If he was the protagonist of a romantic comedy, he would go under the mistletoe and kiss her lips, according to Christmas customs. But that wasn't the case, and so his acts would be limited by the minimal knowledge he had about the expression of love. He just hoped she wouldn't mistake him for a pervert again, like the other day when he had slept on her accidentally.
Meanwhile, Misa tried to figure out how her life ended up like this. She couldn't even tell if all that experience was downfall or fate. Such abstract concepts weren't in her beliefs at least not until her family was murdered. She used to be more of a practical person, but now...
She remembered quite well everything that began a year ago, and not only related to the Kira case. Everything which happened on this fatal day a year ago. She had just returned from school when walked defenseless into the house, facing the pools of blood bathing the floor. The blood she still couldn't believe belonged to her own family.
For a few minutes, the girl simply stood in front of the heinous crime. She must be dreaming! It's a nightmare and will soon wake up in her safe bed. It had to be a nightmare! She pinched herself several times until it fully captured in her mind... Just before she screamed, she noticed for a few seconds the face of a man, maybe middle-aged. She didn't remember well.
A few days later, the police called her to identify the perpetrator. However, her judgment had been affected by the event, so she often gave vague answers to the detectives' questions. In the end, it turned out that the perpetrator had ways to escape. He had family to testify he was with them that night, money to buy off false witnesses, and a reputation to protect from the public eye. During that time, he smiled while speaking in a sweet voice. You would say there isn't a trace of malice in him. Not a single one.
Consequently, he was released on bail, as there were no other witnesses to corroborate the girl's testimony.
In the meantime, her family's funerals were also organized, but there was no money left over for legal expenses. Misa herself didn't consider her family poor, but it was the necessities for a family of four. There was no property from the grandparents or great-grandparents either. So, unfortunately, the perpetrator won the trial. She could recall in every detail the anger, resentment and injustice that suffocated her.
Reliving all this angst all over again... Her eyelashes got wet with tears while the image of the court was formed. At that time, her grandparents did everything they could to support their granddaughter, but she was understandably inconsolable.
She cried every night. She could hardly fall asleep and had even begun to fall behind in her studies. Her friends were worried, but they knew this behaviour was the result of mourning. She hated the judicial system, that something as seemingly simple as money, could and did become a tyrant who allied itself with the murderer.
Often, insomnia accompanied her in those moments where she felt as if were hanging by a thin thread, ready to fall into the void, along with all her suffering. How she wished she could go back, tell her family how much she loved them, and not be all about studying. She got an eighty-eight, sometimes ninety-five in her subjects. If only she hadn't become obsessed with getting one hundred in all of the subjects... If only she knew what was waiting for her, she would have all the time to spend with her family. She bitterly regretted being a student, even now a year later...
However, the culprit was sent by someone else. That it was a premeditated crime to seemingly look like a simple robbery. Her father owed money to a usurer, and because he couldn't pay him off, the culprit murdered the family to make an example to the other lenders. Something she herself didn't know and never learned about.
Thus, she got a job in a nightclub, and even though her grandparents didn't agree at first, she insisted it was the only way to uncover the criminal herself. Besides, no one was willing to help, not even the corrupted judiciary itself. But being on a night job is not an easy task, especially for a vulnerable person and at such a tender age.
As it is well known, all the rot of society prevails in such places. Misa met many like-minded people with each other. Imposters, mobsters, gamblers and even artists. One night, one of them gave her his card and suggested if she wanted to take up photography professionally. According to his words, the girl was photogenic and would be suitable for a model. However, she wasn't thinking yet about her professional rehabilitation. She had been harrassed, but knew how to keep her distance, to make vulgar men out of fools in such a way they would leave, and that's how she discovered her talent in acting. Secrecy was now everything.
Eventually, she quit working at that bar when enough money was raised to hire a private detective. She had read in a newspaper about solving an arson case in Europe and chose him. Only he could deal with the darkness of the underworld. Only he could deal with the corrupted justicial system, with courage and dignity to bring the murderer to justice, to rescue her from suffering. This man would be her knight with a white horse...
L...
Yes... She could trust L and his abilities! She was enchanted by the mystery which spread around him. No one knew his real name, or origin, not even his face! Well... This man must have been respected and simply didn't choose to be recognizable.
So, when she heard of L's actions and his unique, unrivalled feats, hope began to rekindle within her. L would find the evidence needed to punish the criminal. He was the authority, the true justice! If L couldn't handle it, then no one could!
She knew quite well she couldn't contact him on her own since she was a commoner. As it is known, the police intervene and only takes on cases too difficult for the average person. Nonetheless, she was determined to find a means of communication, one way or another.
She called a distant cousin of hers who worked at the FBI and asked her to mediate her communication with L. The cousin found Watari without mentioning it anywhere, so she booked her a date at a hotel in Shibuya. Misa arrived around dusk full of awe and excitement. What did this famous L look like? She entered one of the rooms, meeting a man dressed in black. For better or for worse, she had also taken with her the stolen gun while working at the bar. You never know... There was no more childlike innocence in her. She should be ready for everything. for anything. So, the girl looked at him in surprise.
"Good Evening. Are you... L?"
"No. I just work for him. You guys will talk to each other over the laptop."
"Couldn't he come so I can see him in person? He's probably too shy around girls!" she giggled and he opened the laptop to reveal the English letter L with an artistic design. The girl approached the microphone attached to the computer.
"Hey! Mr Mystery, can I ask you something? Is L young? Is he handsome? Don't tell me exactly what he looks like. I know I shouldn't talk about it for safety reasons. But I'm curious to learn about his basic features so that I know if I ever meet him on a daily day. Will you tell me? Say it, will you pleaaase? Come on! Who could refuse to do a teeny weenie favour to a cute girl?"
"Did you come here to chit-chat about his appearance?" the man in black asked.
"No! But I need to know if he's my type. Why doesn't he appear in public? Is he ugly and scared of criticism? Or is he so handsome that the girls wouldn't leave him alone? Say please and I'll kiss you on the cheek! If you took that mask off of course! Don't be shy, you can trust Misa Misa. I swear I won't talk about our meeting to anyone!" Then she turned to the laptop again. "If you can hear, tell me you'll help Misa and she'll love you forever!"
"I have been asking for justice for my family for a year and a few months now! I have no one else on my side, and the criminal bought false witnesses so that he would have an alibi. That man couldn't walk free when he ruined my life in just one afternoon! You're my only hope, L! I'll give you any amount of money you ask! I can pay you off, I promise! I don't care about his punishment, as long as he stays out of society! Can you take over my case, please?"
"Thank you..." he sounded rather shy and a soft giggle was heard through the computer.
So, they began to discuss the case of the girl, in every detail, all the struggle she had given to be able to punish the sinner. He seemed interested, humming here and there. But, he was quite busy and mentioned he needed time to think about it, so based on the available evidence, either he would take over the case, or a trusted colleague of his would do it.
The man in black handed her a piece of paper which seemed like an official document and asked her to sign. The young woman was filled with relief she would finally get her revenge! Everything would finally come to an end!
Unfortunately though, as if fate had other plans... She got nothing. Absolutely nothing. Strangely enough, these two men disappeared, as if this meeting had never taken place. She didn't get a single call, even though waited anxiously over the phone to hear the news. All she could conclude now was that L. Just. Didn't. Care... Perhaps her own pain was nothing compared to what he was concerned with, as the Kira case was just starting to come to the fore.
Enough! She no longer had any allies by her side! She didn't know how to call this power. Was it God? Devil? Fate itself? Whatever it was, it seemingly didn't want Misha to win. It was a predetermined force, capable of making the system made only for the rich! If she had enough money to bribe the judges, she wouldn't be working in nightclubs, and she wouldn't have to put herself through this ten-month, almost a year, arduous struggle! Why was she so invisible? Why was no one setting her free from her sorrows?
That night when she returned to her grandparents' house, she cried bitterly in her room more than ever. Now, it wasn't only the loss of her family which was hurtful, but also the loss of Nemesis! Where was the Goddess to save her?! To punish, not only the criminal but also L and the whole corrupted court that acquitted the sinner! She wished that the moment would be found until they experienced her own pain, to get hurt as she did! Oh, if only she had divine powers, she could torture them herself! It would feel rather satisfying! She had now failed miserably... Even if didn't want to admit it. All these nights at the club and crying for nothing! All the staying behind her lessons for nothing!
Days passed, and the perpetrator was finally defeated. Not by L but by Kira. It was then that feelings of liking towards Kira began to develop, but also a desire to meet God himself and thank him deeply. She knew that in order to gain his interest she would have to move in the same boat as him, that is, to kill someone, even an innocent one. Nonetheless, she didn't care now. Kira's murders were not just murders, but salvation for the world! Possibly the theoretically innocents she killed were not so innocent, and neither she nor Kira knew it. Besides, you're not a bad person only when you commit murder. Even when someone is a domestic abuser, deserves to die! That's how she thought those days, making her feel less remorse for her actions.
And when she heard L was after Kira, she naturally started to be against him. Now for Misa, L was the criminal, the scamp! And when she got the divine notebook with the life-saving intervention, she already knew that fate had something much better in store for her than constantly being clingy to people, who are not willing to help the middle class or the poor anyway! It felt like she heard its voice: Stop being a fool, girl! The revenge you asked for it's right here, patiently waiting for you to use it and to offer atonement to yourself! This man named Light Yagami is not only your ally but your life partner! The great feast begins now!
Was... Was all that killing worth it for Kira's eyes? Was all this one-year effort worth it to punish the criminal? Not anymore... In a few days by now, she would meet the Grim Reaper along with Kira. And that's because she ended up being the person she hated most in the world. What is considered good or bad can't be really defined... Is there even a purely good person and a purely bad person? And if so, who among all was like that in this case?
She certainly wasn't that kind of person. In most cases, she was driven by her feelings for her decisions. Both her decision to team up with L and the decision to kill innocents for Kira's sake were purely emotional... All this to avenge the murder of her family, but also the system itself. Nothing was worth it anymore... She was going to die and there was no point in trying to save the world or herself anymore!
Not anymore...
There were two rhythmic knocks on the door, bringing her back to the present. She wiped the few tears she had on cheeks. She hesitated to approach the source of the sound as if something scared her. Faint footsteps were heard outside the door slowly moving away. They almost sounded like a heartbeat. She got up from the armchair, giving in to her curiosity to see what caused the knock.
There was no one outside but a red package on the floor with a ribbon. On the outside was a post-it note which seemed like someone had drawn on its corners with a pen. There were curved lines written inside in pink pen: «Happy birthday, Misa! Merry Christmas! May you be happy with the life you've chosen»
She opened it. A golden ring! But... Who could have given it to her? Were there any police officers in the secret base? Matsuda maybe? But then again the case is relatively closed, so they have no reason to be here. Could it be... L? Did he remember her birthday? How come he thought of giving her a present? He wants her to like him even at the last moment! That bastard who disrespected her is now giving her expensive rings as a gift! What an arrogant! Obviously, this is the kind of woman L thinks about Misa! That she'll forget everything with a simple ring! A golden one even! He definitely expects her to thank him.
She concluded she shouldn't should assume scenarios on her own, and simply ask him for his reasoning. She had seen a lot in the last few months, thus nothing impressed her anymore.
"Ryuzaki! Or should I say... L? Isn't that your real name?"
She found him in the room with the huge screens. He was about to sit on a couch in his usual eccentric posture. The girl walked down the stairs at a slow pace.
"I've been calling you Ryuzaki for so long since Light and the rest of the team used to call you that. But let's not hide the obvious. Your name is L Lawliet. I can see it with my shinigami eyes."
"You talk in riddles, Misa. It would be a favour if you spoke clearly. The case is over, you don't need to hide your words."
"You gave me a ring for my birthday, didn't you?"
"Correct. It wasn't expensive, but the colours pass the illusion it's gold."
"Oh, right? You don't really show off your wealth, right? You could have easily got one million yen piece of jewellery!"
"I'm not related to any prime minister. If I was, I would get as many expensive products as needed, not just jewellery," he replied.
"I didn't come to talk about your financial situation. Though I can see you want to make me like you even at the last moment!"
"Excuse me?"
"Especially after the rejection I got before the Kira case began!"
"I... Don't understand."
"Have you forgotten, or don't you want to remember?"
What's got into her? the man thought to himself, but before he could voice his thoughts out loud, the girl's palm targeted his left cheek creating a sharp pain. He touched it as a response to the strike.
"That's a gift from me to you! I kept it inside for so long, but it's never too late! You're a complete moron, L! All I asked for was for the souls of my family to rest, for their transition to the other world to be smoother, and for me to take revenge and take advantage of the opportunity which was given. You know, I could be the victim and my family would be safe and sound. Better a family with one less member than one orphaned member! Can you understand that!? Can you experience it on your skin?! Probably not. If that was the case, you would have grown up with your biological family, not this old fart! You're a hypocrite, who only cares how he'll benefits himself! Apparently only Light really understood me, even if we broke up later!"
The man still didn't seem to understand enough to connect her words with the facts. She assumed he probably forgot about it, so she refreshed his memory. He recalled the events, but still couldn't understand why Misa would remember something like that all of a sudden. His gaze focused deeply on her pupils as if he knew something more she hadn't yet. Possibly a detail that was forgotten due to the Kira case. He decided the girl should no longer live in the dark. After all, she was the one who asked him to let her out of the prison of ignorance and reveal the truth to her.
"I don't misjudge this behaviour. You aren't aware of the whole story, however. In the meantime, it was forgotten with the case, yet it was always hidden in the back of my mind to reveal it to you someday. I admit I frequently become tiresome to others due to work, but I will never hide the truth from a person, especially if it's strongly about their business. I'm sure it'll be hurtful, but that's the way it is."
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you pretending to be the victim or something? I've caught you lying two or three times, you know! Not to mention—" He cut her sentence short by putting his finger to her lips.
"You told me earlier about your cousin who was also a novice agent. Apparently, she fell for scammers who tricked her and found out shortly after I emailed her asking to be on the lookout, as she would be needed for help. She wanted to find you and tell you didn't meet the real L, but time was not enough to spare it just for you. Shortly before the communication ended, she sent me the case of a girl whose family was lost and who had been fighting for months to be justified at last.
»At first I refused since the case had been in the hands of the police, but the report of the fraud suffered thanks to the misuse of my name piqued my interest, and you certainly wouldn't want to know the fate of the exploiters...
»Eventually, I took a look at your case. It didn't seem interesting at first glance, to be honest. However, when I learned about the suspicious dealings of the perpetrator and the successive postponements, I reasoned there must be more victims, so I followed the events. By an odd coincidence, most of these victims were also Kira's moribunds, but I didn't pay much attention, since the case wasn't at its prime yet.
»I installed trusted people who would achieve the culprit's exoneration so that he could act undisturbed, and in the end, the spiral was revealed, finding the primary culprit behind it. After all... The perpetrator was your father's best friend, whom he had lent to him so that he could continue gambling, in the hope he would be able to pay off his loans. Moreover, this never happened, and when the culprit blackmailed him into revealing his threats to the police, sent a hired assassin to exterminate him and his family to make an example of the rest of the debtors..."
The girl couldn't believe a word of what she was hearing...
Her father, the person she loved the most ended up a gambler in secret? He became responsible for the misery of his family, risking so many innocent souls who knew nothing of his machinations? Illegal loans from his best friend, who turned out to be secretly a mafia loan shark? And even worse a cold-blooded executioner who broke into her home to kill her entire family so ruthlessly? How could he... He was her father!
"The assassin's plan as you understand was flawless, but the timing was wrong." L continued impetuously. "That's because you escaped, and then he couldn't kill you, since that would corroborate your statements. Thus, he moved in such a way his actions would never be revealed, while he also settled other pending matters of that nature.
»He was arrested shortly after his trial, but we kept this event out of the media to see if Kira would strike in the next few days. And so it happened. While transporting the prisoner, it was confirmed once again he had access to police information. In the end, I sent Ray Penbar to investigate the first suspect, Light... And Ray along with the other agents and his fiancee were Kira's first innocent victims.
»I knew you received my help, but you would never know, because that wasn't of my business, and much more not to ruin your memory of your beloved father by revealing the real problems which plagued your family... Even if I wanted to reach out by sending an agent, it was impossible." He paused and walked over to his desk where a picture of her from the commercials hung above a screen.
"Your name is Misa, but your last name, Amane is a pen name used when you first started becoming famous, and at the same time you dyed your hair. You elaborately covered almost everything around you to keep your past from being known, and soon the art you formalized was enough real to hide this unpleasant incident. This explains why I couldn't identify you with the girl I helped when I first saw you in a fashion magazine. Your real last name is Yatsumura.
»You never knew you had been talking to a fake L, while you were lucky enough to hear the real one through your cousin. You began to support Kira and consider him as a saviour, believing he punished the criminal who murdered your family, but in reality, I exposed him, as well as those he worked for. If I didn't expose the perpetrator, then Kira wouldn't lay a hand on someone who had been found innocent and had covered up his crimes so perfectly. Not yet at least, by the standards of then," he paused a little and sighed.
"As for the ring, no I didn't get you a gift to make you "love me" according to your words. Matsuda mentioned your birthday is December 25th, and that you like jewellery. He told me to buy one, as he couldn't afford it. I know nothing about you, except your past."