End Games

Chapter 9: Wayward

...
It was 10 am and a certain raven-haired detective was nowhere to be found. The taskforce members sat wearily around the main investigation room, trying to go about their business. As hard as they tried, their leader's absence could not be ignored, and every few minutes they would stop working to theorize about L's whereabouts.
"Maybe he's finally had enough and burnt out. With the lifestyle he carries I wouldn't be surprised if he's collapsed somewhere. Sometimes I wonder if he's even human." Said Aizawa while organizing papers on his desk.
"We'll be in big trouble without Ryuzaki! Do you guys think that maybe Kira did something to him?" Asked Matsuda, worried.
"Don't even think about it, Matsuda. If L goes down, so will we. Besides, if something were to happen to him, I'm sure Watari would have informed us by now" Said Chief Yagami.
"Yeah, I guess so. I just find it weird that he's not here. What's your theory on this Light?" Asked Matsuda.
"Beats me. I'm just as surprised as you are" answered Light while studying a video on his computer. He was looking through all the surveillance cameras in the building, looking for any signs of the detective. He came upon the camera in Misa's room and saw that she was still asleep. 'Typical Misa, sleeping in on a weekday' He thought, his eyes lingering on the image of her sleeping peacefully a bit longer than normal. After a few seconds, he dismissed the video and moved on to the next one.
Suddenly, the door to the main investigation room opened, and in walked the man of the hour, holding a tub of ice cream.
"Ryuzaki!" Yelled everyone in unison.
"Good morning" Said the detective nonchalantly. He continued to walk towards his desk as though nothing were wrong.
"What a relief! I thought Kira killed you!" Said Matsuda to L as he walked by.
"No, not yet at least. I am very much alive as you can see" He answered, sitting down at his desk in his usual crouch.
"Ryuzaki, where were you? We were all looking for you." Asked Light as L sat in the chair next to him.
"It's nice of you all to worry about my safety" Said L, looking at the taskforce members. He then turned to Light. "And if you must know where I was, I was in my room, sleeping" He finished.
"Well, it's nice of you to finally show up." Said Light, with a hint of sarcasm. He looked as irate as ever.
"Had a bad night, Light? You seem a bit tired" Said L, noticing Light's sour expression.
"Not really. It was a night like any other" He said, lying. Last night he went to see Takada. He had screwed her better than he'd screwed anyone in his life before but in his moment of climax, it was not Takada's name that he had called out. It was Misa's. It had been a stupid, meaningless slip of the tongue but Takada took it rather badly. They fought and then she threw all his clothes out the balcony, forcing him to make an embarrassing phone call to room service to retrieve them. It was a terrible night, and the memory of it alone was enough to give him a headache.
"How about yourself? Did you have a good night? You seem...refreshed" Said Light, noticing that L no longer had dark circles under his eyes.
"I had a very good night" He answered, secretly relishing the fact that he had sex with Misa.
"I thought I noticed something different about you when you walked in! Whatever it is you're doing, you should keep doing it Ryuzaki. You look so much more relaxed than usual" Said Matsuda, giving him a thumbs up.
"Keep doing what I did last night? I most certainly will" said L with a look of amusement on his face.
Light looked away from L and tried to focus on his computer. L's presence was starting to annoy him more and more every day. Criminals needed to be punished and he couldn't do it with L breathing down his neck. Not only that, but Light was not very pleased with Higuchi's executions. He was a mediocre Kira who mostly focused on killing other corporate figureheads for his own personal gains. He was a greedy corporate weasel and in due time, Higuchi would get his. However, for now he was a pawn in Light's plan, which was well under way. Soon, both him and Misa would be completely cleared and he'll be free to do as he pleased. 'L, you wanted Kira, I'll give you Kira...once Higuchi gets caught and he confesses to being the real Kira, I'll be free of reasonable suspicion' He thought, smiling smugly.
Next to Light, L was immersed in his work. At plain sight, the detective appeared to be daydreaming. He was gently biting on his thumb as he sat there, deep in concentration. 'There is something strange about all this. I am almost positive that this is not the real Kira. It can't be. His style doesn't match up...' He thought. He glanced at Light out of the corner of his eye and caught him smirking. 'this is not good' He thought.
-Meanwhile, upstairs-
Misa was just waking up. She was smiling as she stretched her limbs on the bed. There was no denying that she had a great night. L had turned out to be a very capable and suitable lover. 'And to think that I once thought him dead from the waist down. I was so wrong' She thought, chuckling to herself. She fell back on her bed groaning at the lack of his presence next to her. It was scary how much she missed his body already. She finally accepted L's absence from her bed and went to shower.
'Now, the million dollar question...what do I do with Light? How should I break up with him? I don't even know if I'm actually his girlfriend. He's never introduced me as such' She thought, frowning. 'Even so, I hope he takes it well when I tell him...' She thought as she hopped in the shower and let the warm water run over her. She wondered if L would return to see her that night. She felt her body respond with a pleasurable shiver at the prospect of repeating the previous night's activities. She had to turn the water to cold in order to get her mind out of the gutter.
After her shower, Misa had time to kill before her second interview with Yotsuba. She decided to write down the events of the previous night in her journal. However, ,once again, Misa did not find said journal in the spot where she thought she had left it. 'Ok, now I KNOW for a fact I left it by my bedside last time. Ugh what is wrong with me and losing my diary lately?!' She thought furiously as she searched all her usual spots. This time, she found it stashed under some of her magazines. She sighed, relieved, and then sat down to write enthusiastically.
...
Some time later, in the main investigation room, everyone sat around discussing what the next step of the plan against Yotsuba would be.
"...I definitely overheard them talking about Kira and killing someone" Said Matsuda.
"If they're using these meetings to coordinate executions, then we must monitor these meetings, take note of everything they say, what they do, and the people they choose to kill. I will assign Weddy to install cameras in that conference room tonight." Said L.
Everyone was in agreement. The door suddenly opened, and Misa walked in. L looked at her briefly, before turning his chair around and continuing to work. Misa greeted everyone cheerfully and then took her usual seat next to L.
"Hey L-I mean Ryuzaki!" She said, correcting herself. 'oops, I should still call him Ryuzaki in front of everyone' Her slip-up did not go unnoticed by Light, who narrowed his eyes at L.
"Hey" Said L, sounding bored. He would have liked to give her more of his attention but he could already feel Light's suspicious glare on him.
"What are you working on?" She asked.
"The usual."
"Oh Okay..." She replied, noticing that he was being distant. "...So, I'm going back to Yotsuba again today!"
"Yes. You are" He said monotone, not looking at her.
"I'm not as nervous as I was the first time around so I'll be sure to do a good job!" She said, trying really hard to make conversation with him.
"Let's hope so" He said dryly, without taking his eyes off his computer screen. He knew he was being dry with her, but that's the way it had to be for now.
Misa's face fell as she got the message that he did not wish to speak to her. His rejection stung her, and she briskly turned her chair away from L and huffed angrily.
L looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed her crossed arms, pouted lips, and scowling face.
'...and now she's angry. Just wonderful...' He thought sarcastically.
She didn't want to make a scene in front of taskforce, especially Light, but Misa was fuming on the inside.
'Why is he being so...COLD and UNINTERESTED in me?! Is he really THAT upset because I called him L in front of everyone?! It was an ACCIDENT.' She thought, angrily. She was even starting to get red in the face. It was then that she noticed that Light was studying them closely, and decided to leave altogether.
"Whatever, I'm ready to go Matsu!" She said, snapping at Matsuda. He jumped up from his desk nervously and said he was ready.
'Man, Misa sure got into a foul mood all of a sudden. It must be her cycle or something' He thought to himself as Misa marched past him.
"Wait, Misa, don't forget your hidden mic" He told her as he went after her.
"I KNOW Matsu! I was going to put it on in the car!" She said, irritated. A scared Matsuda followed her out the door, waving goodbye to everyone.
As soon as they left, all of the remaining taskforce members sighed with relief.
"What happened to her? She seemed so happy when she came in here!" Said Mogi, confused.
"I don't know, women are like that. She's either mad at a guy, or she's on her cycle, or both..." Said Aizawa wisely, causing the rest of taskforce members to mumble in agreement.
L shrunk in his chair. He didn't want to be part of this conversation anymore.
-Some time later, at Yotsuba-
Misa was sitting in a medium-sized conference room facing all eight members of the Yotsuba Group. Matsuda was thankful that he had been asked to remain outside. He wasn't very good at these things.
"You're doing very well, Misa. On behalf of Yotsuba Group, I would like to compliment you on your...success as an actress and model" Said one of the Yotsuba Group members, leering at her.
'Kyosuke Higuchi is his name, I remember...' She thought. She had noticed the way a few of the Yotsuba members openly eyed her like a piece of meat. However, out of all of those men, Higuchi was the worst. He was also the most disgusting, and the one she liked the least.
"Thank you very much, I appreciate Yotsuba's support" Said Misa, smiling politely.
"But before we can continue with the interview process, there are a few, more personal matters that we need to address first" He continued. Misa was a little worried about what would come next. 'Eh, I don't like the sound of that' She thought nervously.
"We did a background check on you and found that your parents were killed by a burglar, and that burglar was later killed by Kira. Is this correct?" He asked.
"...Yes, that's true" She said hesitantly.
"Well, in an interview for a magazine you mentioned how you thought the burglar got what he deserved. Does this mean that you are a Kira sympathizer? If you are, we need to know because that will reflect on Yotsuba" He said with a tricky smile on his face.
'What is this? If Matsu's right, one of them is definitely Kira so I guess they're Kira sympathizers...but maybe not publicly. Damn, what do I say? Well, maybe if I tell them I like Kira, they'll be more likely to let me into their circle...' She thought.
"It's true, I did say that. I am thankful to Kira for ending that vile man's life not only because it gave me closure for my parents' deaths but because it prevented him from causing any more harm to others in the future. That's how I feel about it, however, publicly I try to maintain a neutral stance. I want to appeal to everyone." She said calmly.
They seemed pleased with her answer and Misa gave a small sigh of relief. After another round of questions, the interview was finally over. All the board members said their goodbyes, except for one. As Misa was about to exit the room and be reunited with Matsuda, she felt a cold, clammy hand grasp her arm firmly. She looked to see who it was. It was Higuchi.
"Misa, that was a very good answer to the Kira question. I find you to be a very strong and intriguing woman." He said, getting uncomfortably close to her.
"Thanks Mr. Higuchi. I only spoke the truth" She said, trying to step away from him.
"What do you say to going on a dinner with me before your final interview at the end of next week? We can discuss your bright future at Yotsuba then" He said bringing his face even closer to hers. Misa could feel his hot breath on her cheek from how close he was. She really wanted to say no and run, but it seemed like her chances of being let into Yotsuba may significantly increase if she went out with Higuchi.
"Thank you for the offer...I'll think about it and give you an answer early next week, alright?" She said, feigning a smile. She gently tugged her arm out of his hand and said that she had another engagement she needed to tend to. He said his goodbyes, and they parted ways.
On the car ride back, Misa received 3 more text messaged from Yotsuba group members asking for dates as well. She was anxious about it, but then she thought of a plan.
"Hey Matsu, can I ask you something?" She said.
"Sure Misa-Misa, what is it?" He responded.
"Hypothetically speaking, what do you think taskforce would say if I were to go out on dates with some of the Yotsuba Group members to try and figure out which one of them was Kira?" She asked carefully.
"No Misa! It's out of the question! Neither Light nor L will ever allow that. It's too risky" He said shaking his head. There was a long pause. "You're doing it anyway aren't you?!" He asked.
"Shut up Matsu! If you say A WORD about this to L or Light, or ANYONE at taskforce, I'll...I'll casually reveal your real name to Yotsuba!" She said.
"You wouldn't!" Said and alarmed Matsuda.
"Oh yeah I would! It's for the betterment of the investigation! I'm doing it and you're going to help me whether you like it or not, ok?" She said, glaring at him.
Matsuda shook his head.
"Matsu! Pleeease! I really really really think this will help us a huge deal!" She said, giving him the puppy eyes.
Matsuda gave a defeated sigh.
"...Alright. I'll keep quiet...but if anything suspicious happens, I'm telling taskforce!" He said, seriously. "AND, I have to go with you as a guard. I won't make it obvious, but I'll be nearby, ok?" he finished saying.
"YAY! MATSU, YOU'RE THE BEST!" She yelled, and gave him a peck on the cheek. Matsuda blushed. "I promise I'll take care of planning everything. They won't know a thing until I have Kira's identity, and then you and I are going to be heroes! Just you wait!" She said cheerfully. Even Matsuda had to admit that finally being important at taskforce would be pretty nice. He smiled at the thought of L, Light, or Chief Yagami praising him for helping to uncover the identity of one of the most elusive mass murderers in history.
The rest of the car ride, Misa discussed the men that had asked her out and what she knew about them. She replied to each one, accepting the dates. The first was for that same night.
"Remember to say that nothing interesting happened and that the interview went just fine, got that? Said Misa, as they walked into HQ.
"Yeah, I know...and you remember that at the first sign of trouble, I'm telling L." He whispered to her. She merely rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll text you the name of the place when he picks me up" She said.
Matsuda entered the main investigation room alone while Misa went straight upstairs to get ready for her date. She didn't feel like seeing L. She was determined to give him the cold shoulder this time. 'We'll see how he likes it when I'm out and he doesn't know where I am. That stupid panda is going to regret ignoring me earlier' She thought mischeviously.
Misa had a date at a bar uptown with the one called Takahashi Eiichi. He was a full-figured man with long-ish blonde hair, who, based on her observations, was the least respected of the group members. She was certain this man could not be Kira, but she still agreed to see him in case he knew who was the real Kira.
She dressed in high heels with knee-high stockings, and a lacy black dress that was fitted at her bust with lacy material. The dress fit perfectly around her mid section and then flared out at the skirt, which hung a couple of inches above the knees. She applied her signature strawberry red lipstick, and black eyeliner to make her honey-colored eyes stand out. Her hair was in its usual style.
'Alright, it's almost 8pm. I told him to pick me up at the park's entrance at 8:30 so I'd best be going' She thought. She went down the elevator shaft and exited the building without checking to see who was in the investigation room. 'To hell with whatever you think, Ryuzaki' She thought smugly as she walked past and exited the building.
"Where is she going?" Said L out loud, looking at Misa leaving the building. Just then, Matsuda choked on his coffee and was making hacking sounds. The remaining taskforce members looked at him with concern.
'Oh man, I have a bad feeling about this already. Something's gonna go wrong and I'm gonna get in trouble...' He thought, groaning inwardly. To make matters worse, a few minutes later, his cell phone vibrated in his pockets with what could only be the text message from Misa saying she was with Takahashi. He confirmed this when he read the text message that said 'We are going to Kuroi Uma Bar. Make sure you blend in.' Matsuda gave a horrified gasp and everyone in the room looked at him.
'Is something wrong Matsuda?" Asked Chief Yagami.
"Um, not at all. Nothing's wrong! I just have to go somewhere...personal...goodbye!" Said Matsuda, tripping over himself on his way out. 'Kuroi Uma Bar?! Is this guy seriously taking her THERE?! That place is notorious for its rowdiness and crowds of thugs and cheap women. I'm gonna have to change out of these work clothes and into something more fitting' Thought Matsuda, regretfully. He stopped at a cheap knock-off clothing store, and a half hour later, Matsuda stepped out with a bag in his hands. 'Lets hope I blend in' He said, putting on some black leather gloves, black shades (at night), a black bandana with skulls on it, and finally, a black leather jacket with chains all over. People that walked by him chuckled at his appearance, much to his dismay.
'I knew it...I look like a clown' He thought, mortified. 'Oh well, it'll have to do'
-At the Kuroi Uma Bar-
This place was bad. Kuroi Uma Bar reeked of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and some other foul odor that she couldn't quite identify. Not only that, but it was barely past 10 pm and the place was already crawling with sweaty drunks and prostitutes. What was Takahashi thinking bringing her to a place like this? Then again, he wasn't very bright. Scratch that, he was a complete idiot, even worse than the famous actor, Hideki Ryuga, whose stupidity alone made her never want to kiss him in movies. Ryuga was the biggest dumbass she'd ever met in her life, or so she thought, until she met this guy.
The first thing Takahashi did when she got into his car was ask her if he could get to second base with her. She had slapped his hands away and told him it wasn't proper to do that on a first date. Then once they got to the bar, he asked her the same question again, as if he'd completely forgotten that she had said no just 15 minutes before! If that weren't enough, the guy was a raging alcoholic. Right from the start, he ordered 5 beers, just for himself. She, on the other hand ordered a virgin drink. She did NOT want to get hammered with this guy around.
"So...would you be down for a three-some? That's not second base" He said chugging his third beer. Misa glared back at him, not bothering to answer that. They had only been in the place for 20 minutes and he was already drunk, and boring her to tears. She tried to talk to him about Kira, but the guy was as dense as a rock. Takahashi suddenly stopped rambling and put his head on the table as if going to sleep.
"Hey...HEY!" Yelled Misa, waking him. "I'll let you get to second base with me by the end of tonight if you tell me about Kira" She said, smiling at him seductively. Takahashi gave her a drunk smile and put his hand on her knee.
"Yeah, baby, that's what I wanted to hear!" He said laughing. "I don't know much about Kira but he's best friends with Yotsuba, you know? Takes care of business" He said laughing and slurring his words.
"Kira is helping Yotsuba? Do you know who he is? I'm a fan of Kira and would LOVE to know who he is!" She said, leaning closer to him.
"Yeah he helps us by killing our competitors...but...but...I haven't a FRIGGIN' clue as to who the guy is!" He said, laughing. "But if you're into that kind of stuff...I can be your Kira tonight if you want" He said giving her a wink that caused her to shiver with disgust. Misa was incredulous. She had endured all of this nonsense with Takahashi for nothing. She was done with this man. She couldn't bare hearing him talk any longer so she got up and went to sit at the bar. There, the bartender passed her a reddish drink that looked like red coca-cola. She looked at him, confused and he gave her a smile.
"This one's on the house. You looked like you weren't having any fun with your date over there." Said the bartender.
"Ugh, you have no idea. Thanks" She said, accepting the drink. It was a sweet drink that Misa recognized as a Cosmopolitan. 'I wonder where Matsu is' She thought while scanning the crowd. 'He must have taken that blending in thing really seriously, I can't pick him out of this crowd. I'll ask him to take me home as soon as I find him'
-Outside Kuroi Uma Bar-
Matsuda had not made it into the club yet. He tried to bypass the long line by sneaking past the bouncer, but the bouncer shoved him to the back of the line. The rowdy crowd on the line cheered and yelled at Matsuda as he passed by them.
"Yeah get to the back, pretty boy!" Said one of the rougher dudes on the line.
"Nice outfit...princess' Said another burly man with a scar across his face, laughing with his friends.
Matsuda was out of his element here. Most of the people on line were rugged, ill-tempered men and women who'd probably served time in jail. If they knew he was a police officer under cover, all hell could break loose.
"Meh, I'm not cut out for this..." Mumbled Matsuda as he walked with his head down to the back of the line. Words could not express how much he regretted this plan, and it was only about to get worse...
...
Meanwhile, inside, Misa was offered yet another drink by the nice bar tender, only this time, it came from a handsome man in a suit who sat across the room. The man looked to be about 40 or so, toned, with pale skin and slightly long pitch black hair. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to L, only much older. He also looked extremely out of place in the Kuroi Uma and Misa wondered why he was there. She decided to accept the drink, thinking that the man looked respectable enough. He raised his glass to her, and she did the same to him, giving him a smile and mouthing "thank you" to him.
She went back to scanning the crowd for Matsuda. It was already past 11 and the crowd inside the bar seemed to have multiplied. The air was getting thick with smoke and it was starting to get very hot. The music was blasting and everywhere Misa could see "couples" grinding and groping each other on the dance floor. She was starting to feel lightheaded and suffocated by the bar's atmosphere. She felt something cold pressed against her arm and saw that the bartender had passed her yet another red drink. It was from the same man in the suit that resembled L.
"Oh, no, I can't accept another one!" She told the bartender. The bartender gave the man a thumbs down, and he got up from his seat and walked over to Misa's side of the bar. When he reached her, he leaned in close to her ear so she could hear him over the blaring music.
"You're Misa Amane, correct? I'm a fan of yours. Please accept my drink" He said.
"Thank you! I really shouldn't though! I didn't eat anything before and I think I'm getting a little drunk!" She said.
"Please, it would make me a very happy man, and fan, if you accepted it" He said. He wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Fine...but only because I hate disappointing my fans, ok? And that's the last one!" She said. She grabbed the drink and chugged it. She nearly choked on it from how strong it was. It must have been at least twice as strong as the previous two she had.
"Oh my gosh...you're trying to kill me!" She said laughing.
"Never. I would never harm a beautiful woman like yourself he said, caressing her arm. Misa felt a shiver up her spine at his touch. It was mostly because he looked like L and because the drinks were starting to hit her. She laughed and waved his hand off.
"Bartender! Another drink for the beautiful lady over here!" Said the man calling the bartender over. Misa waved her hands to indicate that she didn't want any more.
"No, no, no. Really, I shouldn't have any more!" She said looking anxious.
"Please, just drink this one with me and I promise you I'll leave you alone" He said, making her feel a little guilty. Misa threw her arms up in the air and accepted the drink once more. It was another strong one, and by the end she was seeing double. She tried to excuse herself but as she stepped away from the man, she lost her balance and nearly fell flat on her face. Luckily, the mystery man caught her by the waist before she hit the floor.
"Whoops!" She said laughing loudly. "Wait a minute! Is that you, Ryuzaki?" She said, squinting at the man's face.
He laughed and continued to hold her closer to him by the waist.
"My name's Roger. I probably should have introduced myself earlier" He said, lifting her arms over his shoulder and around his neck so that she was hugging him.
"Roger?! Really?! You look a lot like that stupid panda!" She said, her words starting to slur.
"I'm sorry?" He asked innocently, while pressing his forehead to hers as he held her. He started to sway her hips against his to the beat of the music and Misa, not paying attention to anything anymore, followed his movement.
"I SAID YOU LOOK A LOT LIKE MY PANDA, the one that's waiting for me at my home, where I live!" She said louder so he could hear her.
"Do I now?" He said seductively as he started to kiss her neck and running his hands across her back.
"L?" She said longingly. As the impostor continued to kiss her neck and shoulder.
"Yes?" Whispered the man huskily into her ear. He turned her around so that her bottom was pressed against his crotch and Misa grind her hips against him with the music, lost in a drunken haze. The man hissed at the contact her body made with his groin.
"You're a wild one, aren't you?" He said while snaking his hand to grasp her hips.
Misa turned around and said "You've seen nothing yet, love. Watch this" She said, and that's when she climbed onto the bar.
-Outside the Kuroi Uma Bar-
It was finally Matsuda's turn to get into the bar. Just as he was about to be let in, a commotion broke out inside the bar. A woman in a skimpy outfit and hooker heels came running out to tell the bouncer to shut the doors.
"It's mayhem in here! Apparently there's some famous celebrity inside, making a spectacle of herself. The crowd's going wild!" She told the bouncer.
'Oh no, that's Misa!' Thought Matsuda, alarmed. The bouncer announced that no one else could get into the club, causing the people on the line to protest.
"I have to get in there! I'm a police officer! Let me through!" Said Matsuda, trying to sound authoritative.
"Yeah, right. If you're a cop, I'm Miss Daisy. To the back of the line!" He said menacingly to Matsuda. At this, Matsuda tried to push his way through the bouncer, but he ended up being pushed back into the crowd of people behind him. Like a domino effect, the people behind him pushed to get inside the club to see the celebrity. They trampled over each other, and soon the bouncer was throwing punches left and right. The place was a mess. Matsuda ran to the side to avoid being trampled by the crazed mob.
"No no no no no! This can't be happening!" Yelled Matsuda, panicking. He shook his head disbelievingly as he observed the brawl going on at the door of the bar. There were people yelling inside too, which meant that Misa could very well be in trouble. Matsuda paced back and forth desperately, trying to think of something he could do. Finally he stopped as he came to the realization that he would have to do the one thing he didn't want to do.
"I KNEW this plan was a bad idea! Dammit!" Yelled Matsuda as he took out his cell phone and dialed a number. There was no other option, he had to call L.