18th April 2007:
It had been almost two weeks since.. whatever had happened in the previous two chapters.
Your author is lazy guys, forgive her.
...It's always 'her', isn't it? I haven't come across one male fanfic writer. If any of you know of a male writer, please support him and lemme know so that I can support him too. We need male writers in this bland world.
Anyway -
Things had somehow gone back to how they had been before the whole To-Oh Entrance ceremony situation.
Matsuda and Kiyo would literally spend all their time together, joined at the hip throughout their hours at HQ as L, unfortunately alone, continued to supervise all the work the task force did, especially paying attention to certain pair that seemed to be more interested in each other than in solving the case that was wracking up the world.
If he didn't know better, L would have thought that Kiyo and Matsuda were romantically involved.
However, he didn't let that disturbing thought cross his mind either way.
The days were going smoothly but slowly. They had a reassurance in them, a stability that helped the task force to regain their composure and focus on the case better, however, something told them that it was just the calm before a storm.
That something was the anxiousness which seemed to be visibly growing in the pit of the stomach of the only female member of the task force.
As the days went by, all the other investigators started noticing the doubt that clouded Kiyo's mind. When they would ask her what happened, the only answer she would give is 'Call me paranoid, but I feel something wrong is going to happen. It's like my spidey-sense, but without the spider part.'
Her answer always made for a good laugh, but none of the men could shake off the feeling that she might just turn out to be correct, women are known for their sixth sense, after all.
Today was no different.
Kiyo was acting normally, as she usually did, but she was also, as usual, showing clear signs of agitation.
It almost made L feel like she knew something was going to happen.
He, however, decided to push all those thoughts to a corner of his mind, choosing to deal with them later instead of during work hours.
Everyone was silently continuing with their work when suddenly Ukita had spoken up, gaining everyone's attention.
"Regarding Naomi Misora's disappearance, shouldn't we open an investigation into this matter?"
L's eyes snapped to look at Kiyo and Matsuda, who he found were already looking at him with absolutely smug expressions. However, L, being in no mood to boost their egos, just kind of dismissed their involvement in it, and Kiyo being Kiyo understood that.
"An investigation had already been opened on the 25th of February, albeit informal, which has now been closed. You had your duty at the NPA Headquarters that day which is why you must not have known the exact details of it," L quietly said to Ukita, slightly lost in thought. They had never really revealed what they had found to the rest of the task force, had they?
Kiyo had stepped forward at that point, and L couldn't help but pout at the spotlight that had once again been taken from him. He wasn't mad about it.. just a little.. pouty. She and Matsuda went on to tell everyone in detail exactly what they had found from which leads, what they had deduced, and what they had confirmed, every single little piece of information that they had gained over the past few months.
"...Hence we suspect Naomi's body to be in Aokigahara."
There was a stunned silence in the room that lasted quite a while, and it would have lasted longer if it weren't for Watari that had come running in.
"Ryuzaki, something seems to be happening, on Sakura T.V."
All eyes were suddenly on Kiyo as she stared at L, the same shocked expressions on both their faces. Was this it? Was this what was causing her such agitation?
The T.V was turned on and the channel was changed to Sakura T.V., a loud and weird..suspense music..? blared in the background as the host spoke about a tape that Kira had sent, asking to be aired at exactly 5:59 p.m.
"..and now, the video"
The screen displayed the word 'Kira' written in black against a white background, the font a poor attempt at drawing the letters in Old English MT. The sounds of papers being flipped around were heard before Kira cleared their throat as they began speaking.
"I am Kira. If this video is being aired on April 18th at exactly 5:59 p.m. as I requested, then the time now is 5:59 - 47..48..49.. Please change the channel to Taiyo T.V. The news anchor, Mr. Kazuhiko Hibima will die of a heart attack at exactly 6 o'clock."
"Change it!"
And sure enough, the news anchor sat dead on his seat, his head lolled to the back as his crew ran to him in distress, asking the cameraman to stop the recording.
"How could he?!"
"Change the channel back, and I need you to bring us another T.V., Watari.. no, make it two."
"Yes."
"...this is punishment. I will present you with another victim. My next target is NHN T.V. commentator, Mr. Seiji Kumaizumi, who is scheduled to appear in a live broadcast. He too has dared to defy Kira."
"R-Ryuzaki?"
"Change it to channel 24," L commanded, sighing in frustration when they saw that the man was indeed dead, "Please change it back."
"Now that you have seen proof of my powers, you should have no trouble believing that I am Kira."
Suddenly, L jolted in his seat, "Stop this broadcast! We can't let him finish!" He exclaimed, the clear urgency in his voice sending everyone else in the room into a panicked frenzy.
"Get Sakura T.V. on the line!"
"It's no good. I'm trying but none of my contacts at the station have their phone on."
"And nobody is picking up at the reception either!"
"Damn it!" Ukita suddenly shouted, "I'll stop this broadcast myself if that's what it takes!" He exclaimed before running out of the hotel room.
Meanwhile, Kira's voice was once again heard on the television.
"People of the world please listen to me. The last thing I want to do is kill the innocent. I hate evil and love justice. I've always thought of the police as allies and not enemies. I intend to create a new world, a perfect world that is free from evil. If you agree to join me in my mission, I know we can make it happen, and as long as no one tries to catch me I promise that the innocent will not die.
Even if you don't agree with me, all I ask is that you do not publicize your views in the media. If you can do that, you will be spared. All you have to do now, is be patient. I will create a better world that we can all enjoy. Say goodbye to the world as you know it. Soon, we'll have a new world ruled by benevolence and habituated with kind-hearted honest people."
As Kira continued to speak of their plans, a sudden news flash interrupted the broadcast going on in another T.V. set Watari had arranged for an emergency.
On T.V. was shown a man collapsed in front of the Sakura T.V. station. The way he lay showed just how much the man had struggled to pull open the doors of the station but had obviously not succeeded. Gasps and shouts were heard through the hotel room as everyone started realizing the man was none other than their dear friend Ukita.
Aizawa, in a fit of rage and absolute impatience, began walking out to go to his deceased friend but was immediately stopped and calmed by L.
Aizawa didn't know if L cared. It never seemed like he did from all his cold and disconnected behavior. Even now, as L explained to him how he could also have met the same fate as Ukita if he left, his voice was as still and confident as ever. It was only when he saw how hard L was gripping his legs to his chest as tremors ran through his body, did Aizawa realize that L needed to be the strongest of them all.
It wasn't that L didn't care.. no, not at all, it was that he needed to be and act that way to make sure his head remains clear and he doesn't allow anyone to do stupid things in the heat of the moment like Aizawa was going to do.
Matsuda and Aizawa had turned away, going back to calling someone, anyone that could get the broadcast to stop, leaving L all alone out of anyone's sight, trembling as he fought the tempestuous emotions whirling within him to regain focus and control over his body.
Kiyo couldn't bring herself to watch him suffer like that. Whoever she was, whatever she was, she wasn't a cold-hearted sadist who enjoyed this torture L was putting himself through.
This wasn't about the game anymore, the game could go on just as planned.
This was about L.
Kiyo slowly and steadily edged closer to the shaking figure that glared at the T.V. as though he was going to shatter it with his anger alone.
Walking around the couch, she sat herself right next to L, close enough for him to feel the heat radiating off her body. His slouch had worsened and his hair covered his eyes, yet the movement on his face told her how desperately he was blinking.
L had felt her eyes filled with worry lingering on him ever since Watari turned on the television, he had felt her concern as she stood right behind him, he had felt her walk around the couch, he had felt her body's heat envelop his side as she sat close to him, but he chose to ignore it all. He chose to ignore the voice on his mind that asked him to shift closer to the girl next to him.
His shaking hadn't stopped, if anything it had worsened the more he realized that a trusted colleague of his was truly gone.
It was his fault, all his fault.
It was L who predicted that Kira would need a name and a face to kill. It was he who allowed Ukita to leave the safety of the HQ. It was he who sat there watching while a member of the task force died. He couldn't do anything. He was weak. It was his fault.
That was when he felt it, the delicately soft fingers brushing across his forehead, the hair covering his eyes being pushed away to one side, the same fingers gently caressing the bags under his eyes, wiping off the wetness that had trailed down from there a few moments ago.
He felt a tender and almost affectionate hand cup the side of his face with such care, as though the owner of the hand feared that a grip any more firm would cause him to fragment in her palm. She guided his face, turning it to make him look at her, and when he did she looked deep into his eyes, conveying words more meaningful than what could ever be said verbally.
'I'm here for you'
L could practically hear her eyes pleading, asking him to stop being so hard on himself, telling him it wasn't his fault. The tears beginning to pool at the corner of her eyes assuring him that they were in this together, that they could cry together, if L needed to be sad they could be sad together, assuring him that she understood, how - he didn't know, but she did.
He could speak his mind and let out his emotions or sit in isolation shutting himself up for the world, and she would understand, she would be there to sob with him, she would be there to brood with him, she would be there to make sure he didn't blame himself again, she would be there to make sure he smiled again.
"I now await a response from the police," The tape continued on Sakura T.V., causing Kiyo and L to separate and turn to look at the broadcast, "They must decide whether or not they'll help me create a better world for all of us. Please announce your decision on the 6 o'clock news in four days. I've prepared two videos, one to be aired if the answer is yes and another if the answer is no"
A disheartened and disappointed sigh escaped L's lips. He needed to stop this broadcast, but how? How was he even going to get in?!
Just then, from the second T.V. set, a surprised screech was heard from the lady news reporter giving the live feed of the scene right outside the Sakura T.V. building.
And almost as though some superior power of nature had heard and answered L's prayers, a police van was seen in the feed driving through the automatic doors of the T.V. station, shattering it into millions and millions of tiny glimmering pieces of glass and sending them flying across the sky.