Playing the Game

Puzzles

"Shinigami, I've come to make a deal with you."

L kneels before the Shinigami, bowing his head as a sign of respect. He clasps his hands as if he were in prayer, though L believes in no god. He doesn't believe in god or Kira or the devil. When he dies, he'll be placed in the ground, where the worms will eventually slip into the coffin and his body will slowly decay. There will be nothing waiting for him, for better or worse. Sure, Shinigamis and powerful notebooks exist, but there is no definite proof of a power higher than Shinigamis. To L, it makes perfect sense that someone would be needed to send souls into nothingness; midwives are still needed to deliver babies into the world. Someone needs to be present to welcome life onto Earth and someone needs to be present to end life on Earth. Life and death has a delicate balance; they have more in common than not.

"What sort of deal?" Her surprisingly soft voice is full of malice. She plans on trying to screw him into taking a bad deal, one that benefits the precious human she loves so dearly.

L wonders if it's wrong to bring a supernatural entity into the complicated game Light and him are playing. Technically speaking, there are no official rules to the game. Their game is lawless and brutal, each miscalculated move resulting in death or pain. L enjoys their little game, although he must admit that he just wants to win. At first, L thought he would never tire of their little game. But then, innocent people started dying and more killers were introduced. L hates having people question his reputation, which has occurred more frequently which each death. Besides, L came to win the game, not play it for the rest of his life. There won't ever be another Light Yagami, another person who challenges L as effectively as Light does, but every game must end eventually. Light already has at least one Shinigami by his side, so L figures he should even out his odds so he can win.

"One I'm sure you'll like." L looks up, giving her an amused grin. "I understand why you love Misa. She's beautiful and friendly. I'd go as far as to say she is your opposite. They've always said opposites attract."

"Get to your point," hisses the Shinigami.

"You know Light doesn't love or care about Misa. He'll discard her the second he can," replies L with a dismissive hand gesture. "You don't like Light. You don't really like me either, simply because I pose a threat to Misa. I could expose her for being the Second Kira."

"You pathetic-"

"Shh. I don't want to. I'll make you a deal." L pulls out a small recording device. "You tell me the truth about the Death Note and Light's possession of one. Throw Light under the bus like you want. Implicate Light, and I'll make sure Misa walks away free."

"Light is the only thing that makes Misa happy." The Shinigami gives him a cold stare.

"Would she be happy if she found out he is an Omega?" L cocks his head at the Shinigami.

"I doubt she'd care." The Shinigami sneers. "All she thinks about is that pathetic, sniffling coward."

"Would she care if I had evidence that Light plans of framing her for all of the Kira murders?" L whispers. "What if I had proof Light plans on marrying anyone but Misa?"

"WHAT?" The Shinigami's eyes glow. "AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR HIM!"

"Indeed." L hums faintly. "I'll show you. I'll let you consider the deal."

L pulls out the tan journal Light always writes in. Light hides it away after he finishes writing in it, but L knew where Light would hide— changing the hiding location daily wouldn't stop L from finding it. Even the unique codes Light spoke in could be deciphered fairly quick; it took L a few hours to decode the entire journal. Light writes about a lot of things— his hatred for Misa, the price of the suppressants he buys, the unexplainable rage he feels at time, the unnamed person who regularly stars in his wet dreams, and his plans for the future. Before reading it, L wouldn't have deduced that Light wanted a family and hoped to have a daughter over a son. L always thought Light was a misogynist— well, Light is a misogynist, to an extent. Light only tolerates women who obey his every order and never question or bother him. He sets the journal on the table.