Your eyes are not deceiving you, this really is Chapter 27! May be short compared to the others, but hey, I ACTUALLY WROTE A CHAPTER! WOO!!
So I haven't written in a long time. Unless I go back to edit it - the way others are adressed will change.
I'll go back to the beginning and edit them later!
Unedited chapter, so please excuse the mistakes you may find :)
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https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ilive4games
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Did I really have a different life back at the House then I thought it has been this whole time? Have my memories been confused this whole time and decided to start returning during the worst time possible? And to top it all off, Ryuuzaki knows about it. He seems to know about it more than I do at this point. But what exactly happened? Why did I want to think that life back there was different? I was too attached to people I never even knew, and thought that dorgettinf about it would solve my problems - funny that doing that did everything to make it worse. I want to know again... It's all in the journal I brought home... But now isn't the time. I need to focus on the case; with the peace of mind that I have the answers within my reach, I can focus on my work for now. One things can settle down, I'll talk to Ryuuzaki about it. I hope he doesn't drag me into another lie...
"Ada-san."
My eyes open to see most of the surface of the desk, tilted sideways, a few papers in the distance. I lift myself up while rubbing my eyes. I wasn't trying to sleep but lied my head down to think for a while. "Hm?"
"It's time." Light tells me.
"To call Namikawa?" I ask while staring up to the giant screen.
"Yeah." he picks up the phone.
"Wait, why is Light calling him?" Misa asks as he dials in the number. No one answers her.
"Hey," Ryuuzaki softly whispers next to me. I turn to him. "What did you dream about?"
I don't want to play your little game right now. "I wasn't sleeping." I answer, sounding a little more cold than I had intented.
"Don't bother her, Ryuu-"
Misa is cut off by a voice coming from the speaker. "Hello? This is Namikawa."
"It's L." Light says into the phone; the room is so silent for a second that you could hear a pin drop. "Namikawa-san, are you alone right now?"
"No." he answers cooly.
"Then please respond like last time."
What he says next really catches my attention. "That won't be necessary." I sit up straighter as my mind truly begins to focus more. "Someone noticed that our last call seemed a bit strange."
Does this person know anything else?
"L. Right now Midou and Shimura are with me, and I can assure you that none of them are Kira nor do they side with him."
"Oh..." I whisper. I find that interesting, of course - Light looks completely lost and probably wants to look at us for help.
"They're willing to play along in this battle between L and Kira, just like me."
Light puts down the phone and glances at us; Ryuuzaki gives him a nod and Light immediately brings the phone back to his ear. "We're going to catch Kira tonight, and we would like your support."
"Hm... so this is the end of Higuchi?"
My eyes half widen and my jaw almost drops, but I also want to smile. Either they're really good or Higuchi acts in a way that makes the fact completely obvious.
Ryuuzaki doesn't show any reaction in his face, Light on the other hand is completely surprised. "You knew?" I shut my eyes and exhale in disappointment.
Be shocked, but don't show it to them by your words!
"Haha, seems like L really isn't perfect." Higuchi snickers. "Now I'm 100% convinced that Higuchi is Kira."
"Namikawa is pretty good~!" Misa sings. "You can just tell by his face."
"No, it's just that Yagami-kun made a mistake." Ryuuzaki tells her.
"H-Huh? When?"
"Light-kun," I mutter quickly "no more mistakes like that." he nods.
"Anyways," Light continues into the phone. "SakuraTV will be airing a special on Kira that will force Higuchi to make a move. After the special starts, contact Higuchi and tell him to watch it. Don't let the other 6 members interfere with this. If they do, then please stop them."
"Alright, I understand." And with that, Namikawa hangs up the phone.
"Ooh, this is really happening!" Misa squeaks excitedly. "Where is Matsuda?"
"By now, most likely hair and makeup." I say. "Yagami-san is with him too, right?"
"Yeah." Light answers.
"Ah, this is so nerve-racking!"
"Just wait 'till the chase begins." he jokes.
"Chase?"
"Hugichi's gonna do anything to make sure that he isn't found out."
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A ringtone plays in the backround and our heads turn to the couches. "It's him!" Misa exclaims and immediately hangs up.
"Higuchi." I say. Kira's pet. Possibly Light-kun's pet.
"Yup!"
"So it begins." Matsuda's face was already shown with the stage accident only minutes ago, and as planned he'll continue to do the interview until the end of the show when he'll reveal that Higuchi is Kira.
"Any second now..." Light says as we stare at the computer screen set up in front of us in anticipation.
First to Misa... now...
"Ryuuzaki, Higuchi is making a call to Mogi now." Watari's voice says through the speakers.
"Perfect." he says. The screen shows how a call is in progress between the two contacts and the voices play out.
"Mochi, where is Misa right now? She didn't answer her phone."
"Ah, Higuchi-san! Sorry, but Misa is out since today is her day off."
"Is she coming back anytime soon?"
"Not until tomorrow..."
"Then where did she go?!"
Desperate. Exactly what we wanted.
"Well, she said it was private so no one really knows... I am very sorry. I'll be sure to remind her to call you back tommorow."
"This is the exact scene I've been playing out in my head." I comment.
"This is so perfect that it's a little scary." Light adds.
"Yeah, I'm scared too!" Misa loudly states.
"We shouldn't be afraid, now. If anything we should be rejoicing." Ryuuzaki says.
Higuchi then calls Yoshida's production chief. "This is Higuchi from Yotsuba. That guy who worked for you, Matsui Taro, is that really his name?"
"Well, that's the name we were given."
"Ha! Higuchi is so freaked out that it's hilarious!" Misa says. "Think he's pretty desperate?"
"Then, is that his whole name?!"
"I think it was Yamada... no, wait, Yamashita... Yamamoto... no, no - it's Yamashita. And...his family name... I'm sorry. I don't remember."
"What do you mean you don't remember!?"
"Hard to tell." I answer Misa with a hint of amusement.
"Honestly... did you guys pay that guy to give Higuchi the file number and everything?" she asks after the chief tells Higuchi where to find Matsuda's 'real' name in their building.
"This is all to get him moving." I say as we see his car appear on the map - the car that Weddy, who follows right after, had bugged. "Best thing is, we now have cameras in his car." I continue just as Ryuuzaki pulls up the image.
It's perfect. Higuchi looks exactly like 'There's no way in hell I'm not killing this guy!'. His eyes are roughly furrowed in distress, his teeth grit, hands gripping the wheel so tightly his fingers glow white, and occasionally he grinds his teeth roughly.
"Ada." Ryuuzaki softly calls with his usual monotone. I don't look over to him, I pretend I never heard him. All I do is continue to stare at the screen showing Higuchi driving in the car. The audio switches to the SakuraTV television cast with Matsuda in it. "Ada," he tries again; I blink and ignore him once more. But he already knows that I'm listening anyways and carries on. "After we capture Higuchi, we need to talk."
I fight with myself whether to answer him or not. In the end, I say "About what?"
"You'll find that out when we get to it." This time, I do end up shooting him a look, and he does the exact same thing to me what I did to him only moments before. Instead of pushing it, I immediately give up and return to the screen.
"...And I ended up drinking with eight of them in the room. One of them was Kira."
"Oh, how interesting."
"I don't want to give too much away though, because then the others that were there will know who Kira is."
"Of course. Let's save that for the end."
"Change the audio to play both the broadcast and in Higuchi's car." Ryuuzaki orders.
"On it." Light answers, typing away. "Looks like Higuchi is watching TV in his car."
The broadcast continues as planned, Matsuda tells them about why he is confident he won't be killed because Kira doesn't have both of the two things required to kill him. At some point, the words "There's only an hour left until the announcement, so stay tuned!" come up... and that's when Higuchi starts talking.
"Hey, Rem. What happens if I get to Yoshida Productions and even they don't have a record of his name?"
And just like that, we all have the same question on our minds. Light is the one who verbally asks it. "Is he talking to himself?"
There's a pause... Higuchi speaks again. Alone in his car. "If he's smart, then he would have erased all records connecting to his name before appearing on TV. Also, wouldn't it be suspicious if Yoshida Productions just let me in to their offices?!" He speaks in a low, venomous whisper, eyes becoming darker by the second. "No, in this case, if there was a robbery, the culprit would be me..."
"Someone else is there." I automatically say.
"There isn't." Ryuuzaki counters.
"He is definitely not talking to himself!" Light speaks up, rising from his chair.
"...Yes," Higuchi continues after that longer pause"but what if even his records at Yoshida Productions are filed under an alias? Is there really no way for me to get his name?"
I bite my lower lip; he seems to be second-thoughting this right now...
"Oh no..." Misa worries.
"It's fine, he'll still go." Ryuuzaki assures us.
Another pause. "Yeah... you're right. Just in case, I'll kill the people I called at Yoshida Productions. Misa and her manager."
"Wah-!? He's gonna kill me!?" Misa freaks out.
"Relax," Ryuuzaki pushes. I know he was going to add on, but for some reason he doesn't. When my eyes go off to my right side and meet his figure, he's looking right at me. So I've been too quiet for you?
"He'd only try to kill you after he kills Matsuda-san." I explain. "But he can't do that right now, can he?"
The waiting is even longer this time, and just before he talks again, there's a clear look of realization on his face. "Right! Right... Rem, you're smart. I'll kill them after I erase my call history."
If no one was confident that he wasn't talking to himself, they better be now. "There's no way someone else is in there..." I say.
"He's not using his phone either!" Misa comments.
"No, he's talking to someone!" Light shoots up from his seat again, loud enough to make me glance over to him. Anger contorts his face. "Who's 'Rem'!? Who is he talking to!?"
He speaks like anyone driving would talk to someone maybe in the backseats, except he won't occasionally look at that person in the rear-view mirror. He's been asking questions and pointing out certain 'responses' from this "Rem". And... it seems like he was about to give up until "Rem" said something to him... now it looks like he's going there no matter what, even with all that doubt in his mind.
"Perhaps," Ryuuzaki starts, the only splash of emotion within his monotone that can be heard is eerines. "if he really is talking to someone, then it would have to be with a Shinigami..." chills run down my spine "don't you think?"
Shinigami...? Next thing I see is that one day we had a bit of a breakthrough in the investigation, long ago. When we had gotten tapes sent in by the second Kira... when Misa was probably the second Kira. In that tape, there was a word in there that did nothing but discombobulate everyone in the room: 'Shinigami'. "Then maybe we can show our Shinigami to eachother!"
I gasp and try to stop myself mid-way but Light notices. "What is it?"
"Nothing... I just think I noticed... something." I mutter the last few words so silently they were mostly for myself, and Light doesn't question me after because Higuchi starts speaking again. Of course... how could I not take something as big as that into consideration until now!? It was such a big factor! A Shinigami... the second Kira said that these were something they can 'show to eachother'. Show to eachother... as if they were like... ...pets. But why and how does a God of Death become your pet? Or does a Shinigami lead up into how they kill people?
During the thought process, I was biting my nails on my left hand while tapping the table with my fingers on the other, staring at an empty spot in front of me and blind to the world around for a while. Ryuuzaki brings me back. "I was wondering the same thing."
"Huh?" I look over to him.
"Are Shinigami a big part of how Kira is able to kill people? If so... it may have been right below our noses the whole time."
"Higuchi just arrived at Yoshida Productions!" Light announces.
"Switch to the security cameras." Ryuuzaki tells him.
During his earlier words, I had a strange yet familiar feeling. It's probably the same one I had as I was heading back here from visiting my...
Like someone was watching me. No, not just watching, but their eyes were absolutely glued onto me and they wouldn't go away, with an emotion added on that reached me as well. I never plan to do this, but I end up glancing over behind me. Was it a simple look over the shoulder? Whatever it was supposed to be, I find myself looking at Misa for just a second. Before it seems like for too long, I turn right back around and made it seem like I was only checking on her. But now I have an image of her face in my mind: she gave me the slightest look of fear. Absolute fear was this close to dominating her current focused look... it had just crept past her eyes. And it wasn't there before I turned, it got there the instant she realized I was checking her.
Then again, it wasn't that long of a glance. I had time to half turn around, check, then go right back. Was I just that focused on her facial expression? I guess I was... but why? Because I felt like someone else was watching me? Maybe I'm just kidding myself... yes, that's it. How can I determine someone like that from not even two clear seconds of memory? Maybe not fear... but anticipation? After all... Higuchi is in the building and entering the code for the filing room.
I haven't tested my suspects in a while; I hope they haven't wised up too much since then; same thing goes for my skills on this.
"Shinigami or not," I drag on "We're about to find out anyways." I try to give the slightest difference in my voice, something that, if Misa really is doing something similar to what Light is doing (playing innocent) for whatever reason right now, she'll notice it. And then I wait, I wait for it to happen while staring straight ahead, eyes completely shadowed from any light. I focus on trying to sense for that same feeling again. And there it is, the feeling of a stare burning right through your skull
Good job on re-minding me to never lose suspicion of you; I've been too soft lately. Such a shame, Misa. To think that I was beginning to wonder if you were so bad after all... I slide over to Ryuuzaki and make it seem like I just had a little comment about Higuchi to give him, but it's something completely different. In the softest voice I can make, I say "Before we leave this place, tie her up." nearby his ear.
"Who?" he mouths back, still watching the cameras and being smart to not make any movements.
I casually tuck my hair behind my right ear; that side is facing Misa. He understands what I mean right away and puts up an act. "Don't worry, I've made sure that the police don't get involved with this."
And cue the-- "Hm?" Misa wonders from behind us.
"So they don't catch him while we're watching him kill." I explain, turning my chair back to normal.
Hey, to that little voice in my dream earlier: Was that impressive enough for you?
Mogi is ready to restrain Higuchi, who us searching through the files. Once he finds it, he pulls out a notebook from his brief case and copies something down onto it. After that, he puts it back in and simply puts the file back where it belongs and walks out, all noticeable stress gone from his soul. We walks out calmly and collectively.
"Ryuuzaki, do I get him now!?"
"No, not yet. I still don't know how he kills people." Ryuuzaki tells Mogi through the radio. "He might have something else to do in his car."
Yet when he does get in his car, he sits back and sighs in relief. "He's really calm for wanting to kill Matsuda-san so desperately..."
"His watch...!" I point out; he's checking it and looking back and forth at the screen in his car. "Is he... waiting?"
"Waiting for what?" Light asks.
...Waiting... waiting...
Higuchi shrieks his lungs out in rage and slams his hands onto the dashboard of his car. "Dammit!! He didn't fucking die!!"
"Wha-?" Light begins. "Did he already try to kill him?"
"What did he even do?" I say. "He only took a note of his name!"
"Is that all it takes?" Ryuuzaki asks.
"We can't just continue to watch him now!" Light says. "It seems like he can just will the person to die with their name..."
"Then what was the point of the notebook?" I question. "Why not just take the file with him?"
"How would any of that add up?"
"Dammit! I don't have any time!" Higuchi pulls out his phone and roughly dials a number.
"He's making a call...!"
"Misa-!" I turn to her just as her phone starts ringing.
"Ah!" She pulls it up. "He is! Hmph!" She instantly hangs up on him, earning another roar of anger from Higuchi.
"Rem. Let's make the deal."
"Deal?" Light repeats. "Who is this 'Rem' he's been talking to? Could... Kira's power be from heaven?"
Power from heaven...
Shinigami...
"I don't want to think of it as something like that." Ryuuzaki answers.
"And what if it is?" I continue.
"Maybe Rem really is a Shinigami...?" Light starts, the statement ending as a question.
"Let's keep watching. We may find out more that way." Ryuuzaki suggests.
"No!" I protest. "What if this 'deal' from Rem is dangerous!?"
"As far as we know, Higuchi doesn't have any way to get Matsuda-san's name."
"But--!" Higuchi speeds off, zooming past all the cars around him in the streets. "What's he-!?"
"Why is he grinning like that!?" Misa points out. "It's creepy!"
"Higuchi just got pulled over by a motorcycle cop." Weddy informs us as the flashing lights make it on our screens. "I have to pass them by. I'll leave this to Mogi and the others."
"Perfect timing..." I mumble as the cop approaches his car.
'You were speeding! Liscense and registration please.'
'Oh, of course! Where did I put those...' Higuchi reaches over for... for...
"I can't see--"
"--Switch to camera 1 in his car."
His... briefcase? "What?" I whisper. He only lifts it up slightly then puts his hand in it, up to his wrist, and keeps it there. Is he... looking for something? Why is he just-? He shoots off again, leaving the cop behind. "Ah!"
"He just ditched the cop!?" Light shouts in disbelief. Mogi gives us a visual.
"Higuchi just left the cop behind and is now in pursuit!" I watch the camera closely - Higuchi glances down to his wrist and smirks before Mogi continues. "Wah-!? ...The...The motorcycle cop just died!" I shoot right up from my seat. "A head on-collision with a truck!!"
"An accidental death!?" Light shouts.
"He killed him?" I mutter. "How...?" Was there any way he got that guy's name-- at this second, I notice something that has been happening a few times during this case: when both Ryuuzaki and I think, close conclusions are drawn twice as fast if we only think by ourselves. "Ryuuzaki!"
"He had his hand in his bag." He starts. "Did he do something then?"
"That was... the same bag he took into the office, wasn't it?" I ask. He nods, eyes narrowing while continuing to think. The bag with the notebook. "How did he get the officer's name though!?"
"Did he kill him just by his face like the second Kira?" Ryuuzaki points out.
"Then why didn't he kill Matsuda-san earlier!?"
"Deal..." I hear a voice on my left side.
"What?" I ask Light.
"He said something about a deal!" My anxiety erupts upon knowing what he's about to say next. "He was going insane right before he made that deal! Then he smiled all happily like Misa said, and he was able to kill that cop..."
"But, he already has Matsuda-san's face, doesn't he?" I ask. "Why isn't he killing him now?"
"Maybe..." he looks back at the screen. "He forgot it?"
"Not possible; we just revealed his face not too long ago." Ryuuzaki reminds us. Ugh! Every little thing gets in the way of us figuring this out!! "But I do know what you guys are getting at." He quickly grabs his microphone and hits the broadcast button. He checked his watch just before he expected someone to die... "Everyone! It's too dangerous to let Higuchi alone! We will proceed to capture him. He has gained the power of killing someone only by seeing their faces, please proceed with this caution in mind!"
A briefcase... he has something in there...
"Watari," Ryuuzaki continues. "Get me the police station."
I'd like to see Higuchi try and get out of this now. My eyes find the brunette standing next to me. And to know what you'll do after we capture him...
~"Anyone who touches that notebook will be able to see me, just a heads-up."~
--Ryuk to Light.
"Why are we going to the roof?" Light asks just as the elevator door closes, eyeing the lit-up top floor button.
"Transportation means." Ryuuzaki answers while staring at the chrome-colored door that gives off a distorted reflection of all of us.
"You don't mean-?" I begin.
"What?" Light hasn't gotten it yet.
"We're getting there by helicopter." Ryuuzaki finishes.
I take a small step back and lean against the wall, hearing a small clank sound down by my feet. When I glance down, I see that it's most of the small chain that now rests on the floor since they're standing in a small area. I finally take notice that my cuffs were removed from around the middle, two of them for me, enough of a length apart where I was able to use my arms normally with the only disconvenience being a chain dangling under my wrists the whole time.
Without even thinking, I feel over one of my wrists as if checking that I still had them on. I catch myself quickly and stop. I glance over to Ryuuzaki's cuffed wrist. How long until you get to take those off, again? I think and then check Light's wrist. Oh yeah, until we're absolutely sure... The ding of the elevator brings me back to present day. And surly enough, complete with and landing pad and Watari awaiting us is a helicopter. "Ryuuzaki, do we even know a pilot?" I question, raising an eyebrow upon noticing that Watari was sitting in the back of the helicopter.
"Of course we do." he says, walking out. Light is awe-struck at the fact that we had one of these up here the whole time and never knew that he forgets to follow, earning a yank by the chain and nearly tripping. My mind still lost in thinking back to when the handcuffs were on me, I half-brace myself to be pulled along as well until I remind myself for a second time this night that I no longer had them on.
"And," Light shakily begins as he balances himself. "Just who is the pilot?"
"Ada, sit in the back with Watari." It surprises me yet doesn't surprise me at the same time.
"What else would it be?" I climb up onto it and sit myself down, clicking on and tightening the seatbelt. I then watch as Ryuuzaki climbs onto the pilot's seat and Light onto the passenger's. I look out to the tall city buildings surrounding this one as the helicopter propellers start spinning. From the corner of my eye I notice that Ryuuzaki is handing me something, and when I turn my head I find a handgun lying flat on his palm in front of me.
"This is Kira that we're pursuing, after all."
I cautiously reach out to it. "Are we allowed?" I ask loudly over the noise once I take hold of it.
"Ryuuzaki, those are illegal in Japan." Light shakes his head in disapproval upon Ryuuzaki offering him a gun aswell.
"Your father would say something like that, wouldn't he?" he comments, starting the helicopter and it lifts from the ground.
Watari begins to casually load a sniper rifle like it's an everyday routine.