End Games

Chapter 24: ICPO I

Without Misa, L felt a strange empty sensation as though a part of him had been taken away. He stood quiet, gazing out the window of his hotel room in Lyon as Watari came into the room. The old man began to report on the status of the other KIT members while L let his eyes travel over the world outside their window. The detective wallowed in his melancholy state, only half listening to Watari speak. The view from their room was an impressive panorama of the city's stores, parks, monuments, and restaurants. However, none of them, not even the world-famous pastry stores, peeked L's interest. His mind was somewhere else, with someone else.
'Misa would love France' He thought, wishing she were there with him.
He realized then that it had been more than a year since the day he met the beautiful blonde at To-Oh university. To be exact, it had been a year and five months since the fated meeting, and in all the time since, there hadn't been a day without her in his life. L's eyes stared blankly outside as he remembered their rocky beginnings. He'd played the part of the heartless interrogator for 50 days, doing little more than look at her cry and squirm in her restraints from a small screen. He sighed. At the time, she had been nothing more than a criminal to him, albeit a beautiful one. As a man he could not ignore that. Even so, he never would have guessed that she would become so much more than a criminal with a pretty face to him. One way or another, Misa was always somewhere within his reach- at headquarters, in his interrogation room, in her apartment, in his arms. Now it felt odd not having her around. As the seconds passed, Watari continued to talk, and L continued to think about Misa.
"...Mr. Matsuda, Mr. Ide, and Mr. Aizawa are in the adjacent room..."
'If Misa is exonerated under special conditions, I will make it a point to bring her to France again, for leisure.'
"...Mr. Mogi and Mr. Ukita are staying in the room across from us, and as you know, Mr. Yagami is in the ICPO facilities..."
'Yes, she would like that. And then maybe she will forgive me for not showing up to that doctor's appointment...'
"As per your instructions, I told Chief Yagami to not contradict anything said by us. I have told the ICPO members to leave all communication devices at the entrance..." Just then Watari paused. He looked to see if L noticed that he'd stopped talking. The detective was still as a rock, staring out the window, unusually oblivious to what was being said. The old man cleared his throat loudly to grab his attention.
"L, are you listening?"
"Yes, of course." He lied. "Is Yagami-san planning to testify?"
"He already gave his testimony, though it was limited due to the fact that he wasn't present at Light's capture. He won't speak at the trial and will not be part of the judgment process."
"I expected as much. Light is his son after all." Said L.
Everything was going as expected, though it did not make things any easier for him. There was a knock at the door and when Watari opened it, a hotel staff member walked in, wheeling a cart full of sweets. Watari greeted the staff member and thanked him for the service. The raven-haired man turned to see the cart loaded with treats. He perked up a little and tore himself from the window to sit by the cart. He settled himself down on a chair next to the cart and admired the multicolored assortment of treats, poking a few. When he finally settled on one, he took it delicately in between his forefinger and thumb and devoured the treat. He repeated the process several times, welcoming the small amount of comfort the sweets offered.
-In the ICPO headquarters-
Misa was trying hard to sleep but it was nearly impossible. She was still blindfolded and handcuffed and she had not been given anything to eat since she'd been taken prisoner hours ago. L had been right to worry about the ICPO. Her jailers were nowhere near kind and they made it clear that she was not someone they felt sympathy for. In fact, the guards seemed to be especially harsh on her, knowing that she was a criminal. Or maybe it just seemed that way to her since she'd gotten used to L treating her so well.
Her latest imprisonment under the detective was definitely a big improvement over how he'd treated her the first time around. She still winced whenever she recalled the 50 days of brutal interrogation. L had her in a straight-jacket, blinded, and strapped to an uncomfortable metal contraption that made her completely immobile, stuck in a vertical position most of the day. Her limbs were often numb and in pain from not being able to move for so long. It hurt a lot and she was almost sick from being in that standing position that would not allow her to sleep properly. Then there was his relentless questioning at all hours of the day or night, and his uncaring manner. He tormented her to the point that she had asked Rem to kill her. Yes, in those days, she would have preferred the ICPO to being L's prisoner. The man she loved could be cruel when he wanted to be. Even so, she had to admit that they had come a long way, him especially. She smiled sadly.
'Stupid panda...'
At least Rem was with her. Misa could not speak to her out loud of course, but Rem did try to comfort her. Unfortunately most of the time Rem said things that worried her more than put her at ease.
"Misa if any of these people tries to hurt you, I will kill them instantly." Said the Shinigami.
Misa sighed and sat up on the cot. If Rem killed anyone, it would make her look much worse than she already did.
'That would suck' She thought with a shudder.
Even though the Shinigami posed a threat to the guards around her, Misa found her presence reassuring, like an old friend. Also, the fact that Rem was there let her know that L was nearby. As much as she hated it, the thought of him being close made her feel protected. Misa quickly rebelled against the comforting feeling that L brought her and instead focused on all the lies he told her and the things he did...
'All I want is an apology. That's the absolute minimum he can give me and our baby for all he's put us through! If he can do that, I can find it in my heart to forgive him. But if he doesn't, then...I can't be with him. I can't be with a man that lies and cheats and doesn't show concern for his child and doesn't even apologize for his errors! If I wanted something like that, I would have stayed with Light!'
She disliked the thought of leaving L, but the more she considered the alternative, the more she realized that things could not go on the way they had been. She sat cross-legged on her bed. She would have brought her knees up to her chest to curl up comfortably against the wall but her 7-plus month-old child would not allow that. She silently lamented her situation with L.
'I can't do it anymore...what kind of woman would I be if I stayed with him like this, and what kind of example would he set for our son?'
Misa imagined what it would be like once the baby arrived. Her son would grow up watching his father break her heart time and again without even breaking a sweat. That was unacceptable. Not only that but while L didn't actively rebel against the idea of being a father, he'd proven that he was completely indifferent toward it. He didn't talk about it and he didn't want to be there for his son. To Misa, neglect was just as bad as rejection, because in a way, they were both the same thing. She learned that the hard way through dating Light. This time Misa would not stand for it. If she survived this trial, she would ensure that her son had a good father, or none at all. She seemed resolute as she laid back down on her cot with Rem looking over her as she tried her best to sleep.
...the following day...
The air was thick with anxiety and anticipation as a large group of men and women filed solemnly into the ICPO headquarters. As per L's terms, the representatives all abandoned their cell phones and communication devices at the entrance of the ICPO building. They were not told explicitly why, only that it was crucial to the trial. There was also a prior agreement to not record or document any of the proceedings. L found it particularly difficulty to convince the president of the ICPO of agreeing to that. They fought him on it with every protocol and rule they could muster but he'd stuck to his argument and offered them a choice. He told them that, if after seeing the first two witnesses, they still wished to record or document the trial, they would be free to do so. All he asked was that they hold off on doing so until after the first two witnesses testified. In truth, the first two witnesses would be the Shinigami. Once the ICPO saw them and learned about the death note, L was certain that they would share his interest in keeping the trial secret.
The many men and women slowly entered the main conference auditorium, where the trial would take place. They spoke in hushed tones spiced with excitement. Dozens of languages could be picked out from the crowd, all wondering the same thing: Why did L hide the fact that he captured Kira for so long? How were all the Kiras captured? And most importantly, how was Kira able to commit all those murders? The representatives poured into the large room, and descended the levels of the auditorium until they reached their respective seats. Everything was ready.
The KIT members, with the exception of L were all present in an adjoining room, unable to hear the ICPO members' discussion. They were to remain there until each was called to testify. Matsuda, Ide, Ukita, Mogi, and Aizawa sat around in silence. A clicking noise drew everyone's attention to Aizawa who had just ignited a lighter and was lighting himself a cigarette.
"Hmph. I thought you quit" Said Mogi. Aizawa took the cigarette into his mouth and grinned.
"I did. I just feel like I need one right now. I've earned it and frankly, I don't know how I lasted this long."
Aizawa took a drag from his cigarette and immediately one of the ICPO guards marched over to him with a disapproving look.
"That's not allowed here. Put it out." Said the guard. Aizawa held his hands up defensively.
"Alright, alright! Sheesh. I'm just trying to relax..."
Meanwhile, in the ICPO auditorium, the president of the organization, Mikel Ferraro, sat at his post. The auditorium was silent as the representatives eagerly awaited for the interrogators to arrive. Someone coughed, the sound resonating through the auditorium. Papers were shuffled, and chairs swiveled, the insignificant sounds amplified by the eerie stillness of the room. At last, a side door opened and a guard stepped through. The president stood and all eyes fell on him.
"The interrogators are here. We will commence the trial." He stated. With those words, the guard exited the auditorium, closing the door behind him. He sat down and seconds later, the room erupted into hushed whispers as a mysterious man in a trench coat made his way to the front of the auditorium.
"Good day to you all!" Boomed Watari's voice. The room fell silent at once. "L would now like to address you."
The main screen blipped and a large "L" appeared on it. L's voice, modified by the voice scrambler was heard throughout the room.
"Greetings, members of the ICPO. As most of you know, I am L. Prior to this meeting I asked that you do not take notes or record any of what you hear or see in this room today." He paused. "Thank you in advanced for agreeing to comply, you will soon understand the reason for this. Before we begin, Watari will pass around a box to you all. Please place your hand inside the hole in the box. You should feel something akin to a piece of paper. Once you have done this, please wait until the others have done the same. Further explanation will be provided thereafter."
One of the representatives erupted into protest.
"What is this?! Some kind of joke?" Said the man, refusing to place his hand in the box. The rest of the room followed suit in discussion, some in favor of going along, others refusing to do it without further explanation. L was annoyed. 'Just do it' He wanted to say. The president took the words right out of his head as he stood to his feet, holding his hands up.
"Just do as L says" He commanded and the room fell quiet once more. He looked to Watari. "Continue, please."
Once the box with the death note pieces had been passed around, the representatives looked up expectantly at the large "L" on the screen.
"Thank you for your cooperation. What you are about to see may come as a shock but I ask that you remain calm and objective. The difficulty in solving this case lied not only its unprecedented scope but also in the supernatural events associated therewith. I am sure most of you are familiar with the term 'Shinigami'..." As L spoke those words, Rem appeared at the front of the auditorium, followed by Ryuk. People screamed, some jumped, chairs were overturned, and arguments broke out as an uproar ensued...the trial had officially begun.
...Two hours later...
The president of the ICPO sat pensively at his post, overlooking the rest of the assembly. They had just finished interviewing those two creatures, the Shinigamis called Rem and Ryuk. Everyone was shaken up from seeing them, still in shock over the fact that Kira's power came from gods of death and killer notebooks. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would not have believed it. Now he understood why L wanted to keep the trial a complete secret. He had to agree that was the best course of action. He massaged his temple, feeling a headache coming on.
"Bring the first prisoner" He said, determined to push through his discomfort. A group of guards entered the room escorting Takada to a single chair in a spotlight in front of the interrogators.
Takada confessed to everything, just as she had agreed to do. Because of the lesser nature of her crimes, she was not sentenced to death. She was merely condemned to house arrest under strict supervision by ICPO guards for a period of five years. It was more time than she had hoped, but at least she was not going to prison. As far as that was concerned, L had kept his word. Takada was escorted out and President Ferraro called everyone's attention.
"I understand you are all alarmed. This trial is unlike anything we ever expected. However, having said this, it is important that we all stay true to our purpose here in sentencing these criminals to their due punishment. Thousands of people, both innocent and guilty, lay dead today because of Kira. And let's not forget the precious lives of those twelve FBI agents, and many other law enforcement personnel, that were killed by Kira. We are here today to do them all justice." Everyone listened intently. "It is my understanding that there are three people who shared Kira's power: Kira himself, a second Kira, and a third Kira. We will break for an hour now and when we return, we will judge the three with the correct weight of the law. We will show Kira what true justice is! Assembly adjourned for now."
On that note, the members of the ICPO stood and shuffled out of the room. L exhaled heavily, his fear returning. 'I will have to make a case for Misa soon. Judging from the tone of that speech, the ICPO is looking for maximum penalty, and rightfully so. Kira took the world hostage, and that will not be taken lightly...'
...Later...
"Bring in the next prisoner" Declared President Ferraro as he called the assembly to order. L bit his nail as he looked on from his computer screen. The guards came in half-dragging someone slumped, with their head covered. It wasn't Misa, L knew that much, and it probably wasn't Light since his interrogation would most likely be the last. That only left Mikami.
The guards sat the slumped figure down in the seat in front of everyone. They removed the head covering, revealing Mikami. L noticed that he looked terrible, even worse than when he'd been captured. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair was disheveled, and he clearly looked like he hadn't practiced proper hygiene in a few weeks.
"Teru Mikami. Do you plead guilty to your crimes and of being the third Kira?" Asked one of the interrogators, a man. L could not make out the interrogator's face which was obscured by the darkness of the auditorium. Mikami seemed disoriented and confused.
"I...I haven't committed any crimes! I have carried out justice...for god!" He spat out. He looked frazzled, bewildered. "Those people deserved to die. If you call executing rapists, murderers, and thieves a crime then I guess I am! I am guilty of believing in Kira, the savior of the innocent, and god of the new world!"
The representatives were taken aback by his brazen outburst. Mikami clearly had a death wish, which the representatives would gladly grant. The rest of Mikami's interrogation went the same way, with Mikami making grand statements about Kira's judgment, while occasionally insulting everyone in the room by calling them sinners and evildoers. Other than that, everything went smoothly. The third Kira was owning up to everything he did, and proudly. After only 30 minutes of interrogation, the representatives decided that they had enough of Mikami.
They took very little time deliberating. After a unanimous decision, Teru Mikami was going to be put to death, by lethal injection.
L knew he had to do it now. He could tell that Ferraro was about to call in the guards again, and he had no doubt that this time it would be Misa in the hot seat. Ferraro rose to speak and L interjected.
"President Ferraro and members of the ICPO. Before we continue, I have a petition to make regarding Misa Amane, the second Kira." He said. Everyone looked from the screen to the president.
"Yes?..." Responded the president.
...elsewhere...
Misa heard a commotion coming from somewhere unspecified, followed by footsteps fast approaching her cell.
"Rem what's going on?" She asked out loud without thinking. She was still blindfolded, but Misa knew that Rem was with her. The cell opened and hands grabbed her. She already had a blindfold on but they covered her head with something for some reason.
"L has shown himself for you Misa. He is here." Rem responded.
"What?!" Exclaimed Misa. The guards snapped their heads toward her.
"What did you say?" Asked one of the guards. Luckily this one spoke English, a language she knew.
"No-nothing! I sneezed!"
The guard inspected her closely and for a second she feared that he might not have believed her. He tugged her in his stride without saying another word. Misa released her breath and tried to keep up the pace to avoid being dragged around. She didn't know how many guards were with her, she only felt two grabbing her by the arms on either side. There must have been at least 3 or 4 though, since she could hear whispering behind her.
"I never expected him to be so young..."
"Yeah, he's freaking weird too. He looks like a mad genius, but of course that's not too surprising since it's L..."
Misa wanted to look back and listen in on the conversation so badly but she knew she would only be dragged away from it if she did.
"Quiet you two! We are about to enter" Said the guard tugging her arm on the right.
Just like that, the whispering behind her stopped. She heard two sets of creaky, heavy double doors open as she was led into a room. The guards pulled her forward and she went. Wherever they were, the floor was carpeted and it was on an incline, with steps. It reminded her of a theater auditorium. Even though she was blinded, she couldn't help but feel that there were a lot of eyes on her. It was a thick, eerie, forced silence, too quiet for it to have been natural. She heard chairs creaking and muffled whispers surging all around her so she knew they were definitely not alone. The guards continued to drag her by the arms and Misa could not help but feel like an animal being led to slaughter before hundreds of unknown spectators.
Finally they plopped her down on what felt like a heavy mahogany chair and pulled the cover off her head as well as the blindfold. Seeing lights for the first time in 24 hours was almost overwhelming. The bright lights cast on her gave her a spotlight while obscuring everyone else. She squinted trying to make out the sea of people sitting in the audience, looking at her. She looked to her side and saw a stand with an authoritative looking man sitting upon it. Whomever he was, must have been important. However, what caught her attention most was the presence of L. He stood there looking casual as ever, with his hands in his pockets.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'How can he be so calm?!'
She turned back to face her audience. 'Well, this is it. Showtime.' She thought, taking a deep breath. Misa was ready.