End Games

Chapter 37:Catharsis

Helicopters flew over London that morning. Panicked onlookers crowded the perimeter of the scene as countless armed law enforcers surrounded the main entrance to London Bank. Police officers herded civilians off the street with clubs in hand, yelling for them to get back. Suddenly, the bank doors swung open and a mob of people wearing masks and costumes ran out of the place, followed by a smoke bomb. People screamed and dropped to the ground.
"All captive civilians please remain calm and stay where you are! We're moving into the bank to arrest the perpetrators!" Bellowed an officer over a megaphone. The hostages did as they were told, afraid for their lives.
"Please! Help us!" Yelled one of the hostages as the police officers ran into the bank.
There was more screaming and confusion as a second mob of people emerged from the bank all wearing masks and costumes, just like the first wave of hostages. The shouting and mayhem continued.
Meanwhile, L was tranquil as a meadow inside his makeshift stakeout, overseeing the entire operation. He sat back in his chair with his feet propped against the table, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Glancing at the cameras, he reached for some sugar cubes.
Outside, sirens went off as police officers yelled and ransacked the bank, looking for the terrorist group that perpetrated the bank robbery.
The detective searched the sugar container, only to find it empty. L's eyes widened. He frowned and balled his fists on his knees.
"... this is not good," he said, displeased.
"Is something the matter Ryuzaki?" Asked Watari, looking up from a set of monitors.
"Yes, we're out of sugar," replied L, regarding his coffee with a mournful expression.
Watari looked at his adoptive son with concern and then inspected the sugar container, verifying that they were, in fact, out of sugar cubes.
"I'll do something about this at once."
"Please do," said the detective.
The door to the trailer opened and an officer wearing a bullet-proof vest walked inside.
"Ryuzaki, your guys searched all over the bank but they didn't find any of the terrorists," reported the commanding officer gravely. "They escaped somehow!"
"No they didn't," replied L calmly. "The terrorists, commander Ferguson, are all right there," he said, pointing to the hostages on camera.
"What do you mean? Those are the hostages," said Ferguson.
"Not all of them. Why do you think they're all wearing identical masks and costumes? It's to make it impossible for anyone to tell the difference between the terrorists and the hostages. It's a ruse meant to fool us into thinking that they're all hostages when in fact the terrorists are mixed in with the hostages," explained L.
"Those bastards..." voiced the commanding officer through gritted teeth. "So what should we do?"
"Isn't it obvious?" asked L. "We arrest and question everyone."
"What?! But...what about the innocent civilians?! They've been captive for days, you can't do that to them!"
"I can and I will. That's the only way to ensure that we convict the right people, now go out there and arrest all the hostages immediately. The sooner we begin interrogating them, the better," said L without a trace of remorse.
"There must be some other way..." stated the officer. L looked at him with deflated eyes, not in the mood to argue with him.
"If you have a better plan then by all means, share it, I'm curious," responded L expectantly. Some of the other agents in the trailer turned to look at the commander, eager to listen to his alternative.
"Um...uh..." he stuttered nervously, uncomfortable with being put on the spot.
Finally he cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm going to call Ferraro to see what he thinks of this," he announced, stepping aside to make the phone call. Within seconds, Ferraro answered. Ferguson quickly informed him of the situation and of L's plan to capture the civilians along with the terrorists.
"Commander Ferguson, you called me for this?" Asked Ferraro, sounding irritated.
"Eh, yes, sir. Don't you think it's wrong to-"
"Commander, we're talking about an international terrorist group that's robbed a fortune out 4 countries. This is the closest we've ever come to apprehending them, so do as detective L says. He is in charge of this operation for a reason, now good day to you commander, and don't bother me again," said Ferraro, hanging up.
Embarrassed, the commanding officer turned back to see that L was still scrutinizing him, waiting for him to divulge some brilliant plan. The disgruntled commander shook his head and put the phone down with a sigh.
"Whatever you say Ryuzaki..." he mumbled, opening the door.
Satisfied, L turned back to the cameras. The commander stepped out of the trailer and gave a few orders to his subordinates. He then picked up the megaphone and faced the crowd of frightened hostages.
"Everyone on the ground with your hands where we can see them! Now! You are all under arrest!" Announced the officer. Pandemonium erupted, the hostages cried out in protest as the police swarmed them, handling them briskly and loading them into cop cars. Some even fought the officers, causing several fights to break out.
"What is this?! We're not criminals! We're innocent employees!" Cried some of the hostages.
"You're supposed to be helping us, not turning against us!" Cried others as they resisted arrest.
In the end, the law enforcers managed to subdue everyone. In a large procession of helicopters, cop cars, and S.W.A.T. vans, the civilians and terrorists were all taken to the police station for questioning.
...
The sound of police sirens became a distant wail. Inside the surveillance trailer, L slumped in his chair, his stomach grumbling for something sugary. Watari was taking too long to get that sugar. Unwilling to wait any longer, L decided to take matters into his own hands. He removed his headphones and left the safety of the stakeout in order to wander the blocks of London in search of something to satiate his craving. Along the way he passed several establishments but none seemed to have anything appetizing. In the end, he reluctantly settled on a small bar called Midnight Blu.
It was still early afternoon and the Midnight Blu was nearly deserted. The entrance was a set of worn-out double doors that swiveled in both directions, and the rest of the place had an air of abandonment about it as well with its old wood floors, simple black decor, long plain bar and cheap light fixtures. He had half a mind to go somewhere else but he rather liked the solitude of the place and besides, it had extra large windows for people-watching.
L walked over to the end of the bar and settled himself on a bar stool. He looked at the menu and encountered yet another problem: he had very little knowledge of alcoholic beverages and hadn't even touched one since that day three years ago. The one bartender, a young-looking man with a dark blue faux hawk came up to him, and L, unsure of what to get, simply asked for "something sweet."
"Ok" Said the bartender with a smile.
...
An hour passed and L watched the world go by the bar. In that hour he'd sampled a fusion liqueur, a sweet wine, and an ice cream drink which was his favorite so far. He was pacing himself but his tolerance was low, and he could feel his head buzzing already.
"Yo, Sea Bass!"
L felt a presence next to him, yelling for someone, or something. 'Sea bass?...'
"Sea Bass!"
He looked to his side and saw that a pale woman with a nose ring and dark makeup was sitting next to him. She leaned over the bar, causing her messy red and black hair to fall over her shoulders as she tapped the surface of the bar with long, black fingernails. Her tight black leather shorts stretched with the movements of her long legs as she bent over further, trying to get the bartender's attention.
"Sea Bass, come here you bitch," she called, smiling coyly.
The bar tender came over and hugged the woman over the bar.
"Roxy, you're early, I'm shocked," said the bartender.
"Fuck, I've been calling you all day! Guess what? I dumped him!" Announced the woman named Roxy. "I finally did it! I moved all my shit out and everything!"
"Go you!" He congratulated, pouring the woman a drink, which she gulped down in one go.
"Woo! I needed that. So yeah, I told that cheating son-of-a-bitch-bastard to go fuck himself and his bitch whore," she said.
It was then that the woman seemed to notice L for the first time. She turned to him and eyed him with interest.
"Hi there, what's up?" She said. L barely acknowledged her.
"Wanna share a drink with me? I just broke up with my jerk of an ex!"
"No, thank you. I'm fine," Said L dismissively, looking out the window at the people passing by. The bartender gave Roxy a look and shook his head slightly. Roxy waved him off and smirked mischeviously. L remained oblivious to this silent exchange.
"You're not from around here right? I can tell cause you don't have an accent and I've never seen you here before."
"Mhm," affirmed L with disinterest.
"So where ya from?"
L took his sugary drink and finished it, not saying anything. Roxy put her hands on her hips with feigned outrage and pouted, though her eyes betrayed her amusement.
"Cat got your tongue, huh? That's fine. Hey, you wanna see my piercings?" She said suggestively running her tongue over her red lips, flashing her tongue piercing. "I have a lot...mostly in places that have never seen the light of day," she purred with a devilish smile and a wink.
L cocked his head, getting the feeling that she was being what some might call 'inappropriate' with him. She wiggled her eyebrows at him and laughed.
"Look at you! I knew that would get your attention," she declared triumphantly.
L was confused now. It was as if she were playing some sort of game that he wasn't following. 'What a strange woman.' He thought, nibbling on his thumb.
Roxy came closer and put her face close to his drink, inspecting it.
"I can make you more of that if you want. I can make it better too," she claimed.
Without another word, the woman threw her long legs over the bar and slid over the top to the other side. With practiced movements she began to mix liquids into a cup as L regarded her curiously.
"Yeah you're definitely a newbie, just look at you, ha! I'm a bartender here." she told him.
"Oh. That makes sense."
"Yup. So what's your name newbie?" She asked, sliding him the drink. L recognized it as the same ice cream drink he had before, only noticeably sweeter and creamier, which he liked.
"Ryuzaki."
"Ryuzaki? Well it's awesome meeting you! I'm Roxy and I'm the best fucking thing that's ever come out of this bar! Also, I think you're really cute!"
'Sea Bass' snorted and rolled his eyes at her declaration.
'What a strange woman indeed...' Thought L.
"You remind me of a lost puppy, kinda. You have that look...that wandering, please-take-me-home-with-you look. And I want to."
He stared at her blankly. He had what look?
"Haha! Just kidding. I'm not some slut!" Said the woman.
L set his drink down and nibbled on his thumb, just watching her make delicious sweet drinks for him, one after another. He didn't drink them all right away but he had a queue and by the looks of it, he was going to take a while to finish them all, which was fine because it seemed like Roxy wanted to talk to him. She went about her business at the bar, but talked nonstop the entire time, just telling him things that one probably wouldn't tell a stranger. He sat there, sipping drinks, listening to her life story from her traumatizing childhood, to her abusive relationships with men, to her latest heartbreak plus some. He didn't know why she was telling him all those things, or why he was sticking around listening to them. Perhaps it was her zest and cheerfulness that kept him engaged, because it reminded him of a certain blonde girl he knew and how she was always upbeat despite her troubles. Something about Roxy felt familiar and warm and...
'Misa-like' He concluded, finally realizing what it was.
...
Watari furrowed his brow as he called L's cell phone for the fourth time with no answer.
'Where could he be and why isn't he answering?' The old man wondered. With pursed lips, he looked at L's empty workstation which now had a container brimming with shiny new sugar cubes.
...
Hours passed and the Midnight Blu began to get crowded and noisy. The detective sat in the same spot, finishing up the last of his sugary drinks and watching Roxy serve drinks to everyone else. He watched as she joined in the merriment with concoctions of her own, occassionally stepping out from the back of the bar to dance with a patron or do shots. She really was the life of the party. He, on the other hand wasn't particularly fond of the crowded bar scene, especially after the incident at Kuroi Uma bar three years back.
L took out his cell phone and saw that he had five missed phone calls from Watari. He noted the time and frowned when he saw that it was almost ten; he'd been out for nearly eight hours. Immediately he began dialing Watari's number, screwing up some of the keystrokes. He marveled a little at his impaired motor skills and stopped trying.
'I should go..." He mumbled to no one in particular. He left money on the counter, probably much more than he owed, and stood to his feet, feeling wobbly at once. With considerable effort, he steadied himself and went through the swiveling doors to the outside.
"Ryuzaki! You're leaving already?" Asked Roxy, catching up to him and taking him by the arm. "How convenient because I just got off my shift and I could use someone to walk me home."
"I don't think that would be wise. There are certain things that I should avoid doing in my current state. I should not operate heavy machinery, I should not make any extreme, life-changing decisions and I should not go anywhere with you. Goodbye."
He started to walk away, overlooking the fact that she was still attached to his arm and thus walking with him. She stayed that way for some time, waiting to see if he would notice. They walked an entire block side by side, not saying anything, until she saw her apartment building.
"My house is just up ahead...wanna come upstairs to check it out?" She said. "Pleeease!"
He turned to her, surprised. "You're still here?"
"Haha, I never left! You're drunk."
"I'm not as drunk as you think, and the answer is still no. Besides, why should I visit your residence? What's there to see in your home?"
"Uh..." Said Roxy, stomped on what to say next. 'Is this guy dense or what?'
"Okay...you got me. I like you, if that answers your question," she admitted.
"No, that doesn't make any sense, you barely know me. Actually I retract that statement, you don't know me at all, not even my nam-" He stopped himself.
"Fuck, I don't know...maybe I'm weird and lonely and you seem to be a trustworthy person. I confessed to you my whole life story and you listened and you didn't fucking crucify me or anything like some other people I know. It was nice and I thought maybe that we could be friends."
"I'm not trustworthy. You shouldn't trust me, ever."
"...that's the most honest thing a guy has ever said to me. Thank you," she said, mesmerized.
"That's the first time someone's ever called me honest. I'm a liar."
"You're so weird."
"That, I've heard before." He said, walking away in that languid way of his.
"Please don't go yet. I had a horrible day and I feel good with you. I know we only just met like, ten hours ago or whatever-"
"Eight. Eight hours ago."
She rolled her eyes at him and took his cold fingers into her hand, causing him to sigh with mild irritation.
"Please..."
Reluctantly, L slowed to a halt and let her pull him by the hand into the dingy apartment building.
...
As he'd expected, there wasn't much to see in Roxy's apartment. She didn't own much, not even a real bed. She had a small couch and a mattress on the floor, her stuff was scattered around, still in boxes and suitcases from when she'd moved in earlier that day.
"Here you go!" She said pulling a box of fresh glazed doughnuts out of her suitcase and tossing it to him.
'Maybe it was good to come here' He thought, prying the box open. "Thank you" he said from the couch.
"Don't even worry about it" She said, laughing. "I have two more boxes and some cookies if you want."
L began to sample the pastries, poking each one with his long fingers, trying to pick the best one. Meanwhile, Roxy rummaged through her things, unpacking some clothes and chatting away about more stuff. L only half-listened as he tended to the doughnuts.
"...so you never answered my question at the bar," she continued, without looking at him."...you know, the one about seeing my piercings and stuff, I was kind of joking but kind of serious at the same time...fuck, it's hot as balls in here!..." She exclaimed, throwing off her top and revealing small, bouncy breasts. She tossed the material across the room.
L looked up with his mouth full of doughnuts to see a topless Roxy removing her skimpy shorts, leaving her in nothing but a black thong. He stopped chewing and quickly swallowed the mouthful of doughnut.
"Wha-what are you doing?" He stammered, gaping at her naked body. She really did have a lot of piercings, more than he could count on both hands. She had quite a few tattoos as well.
"What?" She asked laughing. "Don't tell me you're some kind of prude! This is is a one room apartment, so you're literally sitting in my bedroom where it's perfectly OK for me to change!" She said, placing her hands on her hips, not the least bit embarrassed.
L looked at his knees which were drawn up to his chest as usual. She made her way toward him and he shifted on the small couch, refusing to look at her.
"What's the matter? Don't you want to be close to me?" She asked, climbing onto his lap, forcing him to sit normally.
Ignoring her boobs in front of his face, L lifted his eyes to look at her directly.
"What do you want from me?" He asked her very seriously.
"Huh? I...I want to be with you," she said, surprised. "Are you angry that I'm like this?" She asked, covering her chest with her hands.
"No, you can be any way you want for all I care. However, you've had an ulterior agenda ever since we met, which makes me think that you're toying with me and I don't like it. Why are you doing this? You being so adamant about seducing a complete stranger doesn't make any sens-"
He was interrupted by Roxy's lips on his as she kissed him firmly. L was shocked at first. He hadn't kissed anyone since Misa, or even done anything remotely sexual with anyone else in those three years, so having Roxy wriggling on his lap and kissing him was overwhelming. She broke the kiss for an instant, but only so she could lick a trail from the base of his neck up to his ear. L shuddered a little but he allowed it.
She kissed his parted lips again and grabbed his hands, bringing them up to her exposed breasts. She smiled triumphantly as she felt Ryuzaki rub his fingers repeatedly over her pierced nipples. Slowly, his hands began to roam the rest of her body, passing over her most intimate areas. Roxy looked into his lust-filled eyes and rocked her hips slightly, tempting him more with the seductive movement. She didn't know why Ryuzaki was resisting, but she knew for sure that she was winning.
Determined, she went in for the kill with another kiss and this time, Ryuzaki responded. He kissed her back hesitantly and she straddled him while grinding her hips against his, causing him to return the favor with small, shy thrusts of his own. She moaned loudly as he took one of her breasts into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it. Roxy grabbed him by the hair roughly and tugged at his white shirt, which he quickly discarded.
Before long they both tumbled down onto the mattress with Roxy on top, riding him vigorously. She was loud during sex, almost to the point where it was distracting, and she was rough too, biting and digging her long nails into his biceps as he thrust hard into her. Truthfully, L wasn't even sure if he liked this woman. Yes, his body wanted it badly, like an itch that it had been craving to relieve, but inside, his mind was a war zone of conflicting emotions. Even worse, every time he closed his eyes, Roxy's red and black hair got painted yellow, her eyes turned warm like honey, her tattoos and piercings disappeared, leaving behind unmarred, creamy skin, and the rest of her features followed suit until he was picturing Misa on top of him instead of Roxy.
Was it wrong to do that? Perhaps, but he couldn't get himself to care at that point as it drove him closer to the release he'd been secretly yearning for. He kept his eyes closed and his pleasure intensified. The image of Misa was so vivid in his mind, he almost filled with joy, thinking he was with her. She always looked like a goddess whenever she rode him, feminine and feral, and...perfect. He moaned and went faster, harder, and with the wrong name on his lips, he let himself go.
...
L woke up face-down on Roxy's mattress, naked and with a headache. He looked around, temporarily disoriented, noticing that the small, dingy apartment looked even worse during the day than it did at night, when darkness hid some of its decrepitude. He located his boxers and pants and put them on while still searching for his signature white long-sleeved shirt. However, it might as well have sprouted legs and run away because as much as he looked, he could not find it. He crouched on the mattress and frowned.
The bathroom door suddenly swung open and there stood Roxy wearing his shirt.
"Good morning." She greeted, leaning on the door frame. "Looking for something?" She asked, giggling.
"Yes, you're wearing it. I'll be taking that back now." He said, standing up.
"Sure. But only if you tell me who's Misa."
L's head lifted slightly upon hearing her name. "Misa? Why do you ask about her?"
"Really now, Ryuzaki, I wasn't born yesterday, obviously. I'm experienced enough to know when someone is fucking me and thinking about somebody else, and you had your eyes closed the entire time, not to mention that you called her name. You were practically going buck wild for her last night."
'Well that's unfortunate' He thought, looking at his feet.
Roxy started laughing. "You're so funny. Don't look so down darling, you can call me whatever you like, I really don't mind." She said. "If you want to call me Misa, go ahead. I'm always down for a little role-playing."
L scratched his head absently and stood up to retrieve his shirt.
"Ah-ah!" She teased crossing her arms protectively over the shirt. "You didn't answer the question so you can't get this. Who's Misa?"
"She's a woman."
"No shit, I could've guessed that one!"
"She was my girlfriend."
"Mmkay, where is she now?"
"I don't know."
"Do you love her?"
"Yes, I think so. It's been a long time since I last saw her and I'd have to see her again to be sure but...regardless, she's important to me."
"Alright, I buy it." Said Roxy. She raised her arms up and allowed L to slip the shirt over her head, his fingers accidentally brushing her skin as he did so. He was not surprised to see that Roxy was naked underneath. 'Of course...'
She stood there, smiling coyly at him. L tried not to look at her but something on her waist caught his attention; there were small dark circles imprinted on her skin, which in his drunken stupor he mistook for one of her tattoos when in fact, they looked very much like cigarette burns. She noticed him looking at the burn marks. Her smile faltered and she shrunk slightly, looking ashamed for the first time.
"They're burn marks. My bastard ex-boyfriend's doing, but don't get sad or anything, you should see what I did to him. Now that deserves pity." She said. Roxy felt tension as L silently examined the area. "...you don't like them do you..." She murmured, covering her side.
"It's not that," said L, pushing her hands away.
She gave him a small smile and kissed him softly on the lips. L barely made a move and she looked at him with longing.
"Listen, I know you're probably gonna leave and not come back, but for what it's worth, I had a lot of fun last night and I'd love to see you again," she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. L gave no answer but held her loosely by the hips and returned her embrace, letting himself enjoy the closeness a little longer.
...
Watari sat in his and L's hotel room in London, drinking tea and waiting for his adoptive son to return. He was about to call him again when the door opened and L walked inside, looking the same way he did when Watari last saw him the day before.
"You didn't come home last night." Commented Watari. "Where were you?"
"I was at a bar and then I went to an apartment nearby for the night."
"Hm? By yourself?"
"I went to the bar by myself but I went to the apartment with someone." Said L casually, sifting through the linen closet. Watari frowned.
"And, you're not going to tell me who you were with?"
"I don't understand Wammy, you asked me where I was, not who I was with. I already answered your question." Said L taking out a towel. "I'm going to bathe now, I will see you shortly."
"Alright." Said the old man. He didn't normally question him like this, but the last time L disappeared on him, he'd gone AWOL to kidnap Misa and the baby, and Watari remembered all too well how badly that ended.
Some time later, L emerged from the bathroom with his hair still damp. Watari had set out more tea and a sugar container for L, but the raven-haired man barely touched any of it and instead opened the door, ready to leave.
"Going out again?"
"Yes, oh, and Wammy, please extend the hotel reservation. I'd like for us to remain in London a little longer."
...
He wasn't sure what he was doing there again. L opened the swiveling double doors to the Midnight Blu and walked in to find it looking the same way it did the day before, deserted and tasteless.
'She mentioned last night that she'd be here...' Thought L, scanning the deserted place. He heard bottles clanking and followed the sound until he caught a glimpse of red and black hair under the bar. Roxy looked up and gasped, nearly dropping the wine bottles she'd been holding.
"Ryuzaki!"
"Uh, hi," He said sheepishly, scratching his head. What was he supposed to say now? He'd never really approached a woman this way.
"Hi!"
"So um, are you free later today?" He asked.
Roxy placed her hands on her hips with a big grin on her face. "Why do you ask, huh?"
He gave her a blank stare, wondering if she'd asked him a trick question. He opened his mouth to speak when Roxy came around and kissed him.
"You don't have to answer that, I think I already know." She said with a smile.
"Sea Bass!" She called behind the bar. "Sea Bass!"
L heard the male bartender's muffled response from the back room. A moment later, 'Sea Bass' poked his head in, asking what she wanted.
"I'm going out," Informed Roxy.
"What? You're leaving me by myself?!"
"Oh my god, there's like no one here Sea Bass, calm the fuck down. I'll be back later...maybe" She said, winking at L.
'Sea Bass' simply rolled his eyes at her and went back to whatever he was doing, mumbling in protest.
"Let's go!" She said taking L by the arm and running out of the bar.
...
Not even 30 minutes had passed before the two ended up in Roxy's disheveled apartment once again. They burst through the lobby doors, making out furiously, touching each other and practically dry humping. They ran up the stairs, Roxy was laughing and teasing him the entire way up. L could barely contain his desire. It was as though Roxy had opened his Pandora's Box of pent-up sexual energy and now there was nothing else for him to do but have his fill, especially when Roxy offered herself so freely.
Roxy fumbled with her keys as she tried to open her door. Impatient, L grabbed her from behind and pressed her into him, massaging her breasts and kissing the side of her neck.
"Ryuzaki...you had me fooled."
"Mm?" He moaned against her neck, running his hands down between her legs.
"I thought you were shy, but...clearly I was wrong..." She moaned, breathy as L slipped his fingers into her panties.
Suddenly, he turned her around and looked her in the eyes. "Roxy...depending on what you want from me, this may or may not be what you want to hear at this particular moment-" He sighed "-Never mind, I'll just get to the point. I can't love you. There is a 95% chance that this relationship between us will be purely physical and short-lived. Now, keeping those premises in mind, it's your choice if you want to continue with this arrangement."
"I get it...you mean you're just using me for sex, right?..." She questioned, frowning.
L nodded.
"Cool. I'm in." She said, grabbing him and kissing him. "I'm all for fucking with no strings attached..."
"Are you sure?" Asked L, caressing her back.
Roxy nodded. "Fuck yes. I also think I can help you...you know, with forgetting about Misa. It'll be fun."
L tensed slightly. Roxy sensed his unease and began stroking him over his jeans, causing him to close his eyes and suckle on her neck.
"Ah-ah...you're going to keep your eyes open this time" She scolded him. L nodded and focused on her.
Pleased, Roxy kissed him and slowly unzipped his pants smirking against L's lips. She slid her hand inside and L's breathing quickened as she took hold of him. "Look at me, Ryuzaki. Roxy..." She whispered into his ear. "If you let me, I swear, I will rip her name from your lips and her touch from your skin, and you'll be all mine." She said, licking his ear. Finally, she managed to pop the door open with one hand. Without a moment's hesitation, L lifted her up and around his slender hips as he rushed into the apartment, throwing the door closed behind them.
...-elsewhere-...
"Ring!"
"Ring!"
"Ri-"
Misa hung up the desk phone without answering it. Her entire investigation squad looked up at her curiously. She sighed and reached for her cup of coffee, her only source of energy at that point. Gradually, she felt a pounding sensation inside her head, a side-effect of fatigue surely, and stress, so much stress, she could almost pass out from it. It'd been a long time coming but at last, at that moment she snapped and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"I'M DONE! I can't do it anymore, I'm through, finished!" Yelled Misa, throwing a pile of official documents over her head like confetti. The model kicked off her chair as hundreds of papers flew everywhere.
"Uh, are you OK?" Asked Halle, looking up from her computer, alarmed.
The phone rang again. One of the new assistants picked it up.
"No! I'm not OK!" Yelled Misa, pacing back and forth. "I haven't had a break in 46 days. 46 DAYS! Day in and day out, work, work, work, I can't solve this case, these blasted DAs keep jumping down my throat, and my son hates me...I can't take it anymore!" She said flinging her hands up.
"Misa, um...it's the district attorney again. He wants the list of suspects for the Henkel serial murder case." Said the nervous assistant.
Misa stopped mid-tantrum to look at the phone with pure loathing. "I HATE that man." She hissed through gritted teeth.
"O-Okay, but what should I tell him?"
"I don't know! I don't frickin' know who the suspects are because, newsflash, I SUCK AS A DETECTIVE!" She shouted.
"He wants to know when he can have the list though."
"NEVER!" She shrieked. "Never, because I QUIT!"
Her desk phone rang.
"It's the DA from the Sergei case again Misa-Misa!" Announced a girl sitting at a desk next to Halle.
"DAMMIT!" Screamed Misa, marching up to the phone and slamming it closed several times. "STOP. CALLING! I don't want to talk to you stupid DAs!" She yelled at the phone. All she wanted to do now was run, run away as fast and as far as she could until she no longer knew where she was.
"Misa, calm down!" Said Halle, getting up from her desk. "We can figure this out together just like we did with all the previous cases."
"No! We CAN'T! I'm wrong and everything I do is wrong forever!" Wailed Misa throwing herself on the couch dramatically. Her posse of assistant girls followed her, concerned.
"No Misa-Misa! Don't say that, please!" Said a young woman with blonde pigtails, dressed identical to how Misa used to dress. "You're amazing!"
"Yeah! You're the best!" Proclaimed another Misa look-a-like.
They were her doppelgangers, Clover and Marcia, twin sisters and possibly Misa's greatest fans. They came to know their idol after a mercenary tried to track down the the model one year ago. In an effort to throw off her stalker, Misa and Halle came up with the idea to employ decoy Misa look-alikes throughout the world, creating false Misa sightings, which worked beautifully. As for the girls, they were thrilled to be helping their favorite model.
Misa teared up and knocked her head on the couch. "Who wants to go swimming?!" She asked, all-of-a-sudden.
Her little posse gathered around her, raising their hands.
"I want to go! I love swimming!"
"Me too! I just got a really cute bathing suit!"
Misa sniffled and looked at her doubles. "Good! Because I'm going to cry a river right here!"' Said the starlet, breaking down into a hot, teary-eyed mess.
"Nooo, Misa-Misa! We'll cry too!" Yelled Marcia and Clover in unison.
While this was happening, Halle looked on helplessly. She'd seen the model blow up plenty of times before, but today was particularly bad.
'She's taking on too much...she can't handle more of this...' She thought. With a determined look, Halle marched over to Misa and picked her up off the couch.
"What are you doing, Halle? Just let me fall! I've failed, I've failed as a woman, I've failed as a mother, I've failed as a detective! All I'm good at is looking pretty!" She cried as Halle dragged her off to the side. Once they had some privacy, the older blonde hugged her, letting her cry into her shoulder for some time.
"Misa, I hate seeing you like this. You can't keep fighting this any longer" said Halle. Misa gave her a look and Halle continued. "You know what I'm talking about... You need him and Mello needs him. It's time to find L."
Misa's crying gradually died down to soft whimpers. She was quiet for some time until finally, she nodded her head.
"OK..." She whispered weakly. "But where should I start? I don't know where he is."
"Hmm, how did you find him before?" Asked Halle.
"I didn't, he found me because I committed a mass murder," replied Misa, half-laughing, half-crying. "Wait-"
"What?" Asked Halle.
"I...I just thought of something," said the younger woman, wiping away her tears. "I'm an idiot!"
Halle rolled her eyes. "Misa, stop beating yourself up already, it's not healthy."
"No, it's not that...I think I know how to find L now," She said. "I've always known, actually, I just...was too stupid to notice..."
"Great, how?"
"Through Watari! He told me his real name, it's Wammy. Quillish Wammy. He's a famous inventor or something like that, his name must be somewhere...if we find him, we find L."
"Perfect!" Said Halle going back to the others, leaving Misa to get herself together.
'We're really going to find L? I'm going to see him again?' She thought, in wonderment. Surprisingly, after three years, the idea of him coming back into her life thrilled her. Misa dried her eyes, feeling hopeful for the first time in months.
"Alright everyone, pay attention! We are going to help Misa find detective L! Right now this takes priority over the Henkel and Sergei murder cases, so unplug those phone lines and let those DAs do some work on their own for a change!" Ordered Halle. The investigation team did as Halle commanded. Marcia and Clover cheered.
"Yeah, let's help Misa-Misa, we'll bring this detective L out from wherever he's hiding!" Said one of the twins.
"Yup! Count on us!" Cheered the other twin.
Halle looked at them and smiled. "Good, we're going to need both of you. Now, first things first, we find the inventor Quillish Wammy!"