Failure (A Death Note/L Love Story)

Chapter 22

It had been a long night, but it wasn't over just yet.

The door to the room opened and Aizawa, Matsuda, and I turned to see how it was. Watari was helping Yagami walk. I felt a little bad seeing how weak he still was. Maybe he really wasn't fine....

"Chief Yagami!" Matsuda gasped.

"Welcome back, Chief," Aizawa greeted.

I smiled, "Nice to see you." L and I walked over to him so he wouldn't have to move more than he had to.

He nodded to us in greeting and said, "Ryuzaki, I apologize for taking matters into my own hands. I have to admit, I got a little bit carried away." He held out a paper bag to him. "Here. These are all of the tapes and an envelope. Everything Kira sent to the station is in here."

"I can't thank you enough," L took the bag and was sincere in his thanks.

"I think I better rest for a minute," Yagami said as Watari helped him to the couch. L and I remained there as he went through the bag.

"Hold these tapes," L demanded, not giving me time to answer. He put the four tapes in my hands.

"Sure," I mumbled sarcastically under my breath. He removed the envelope from the bag. My eyes moved to the stamp placed on it. Osaka? I guess that didn't mean much. Kira could control the actions of his victims leading up to their deaths. He could have very easily had one of them mail it before their passing. He wouldn't have even been on the security tapes.

L placed it back in the bag and handed it to Aizawa, "Mr. Aizawa, can you please take this to the crime lab right away?"

"I still have a couple of friends down there. I'll make sure they go over every inch of this."

"That's good. Please do so. While you're doing that, Hikari and I are going to watch these tapes to see if they can tell us anything," he responded, glancing at me. I nodded in approval and moved to set the tapes down near the TV. "The rest of you may sleep or go home for the night. I suspect this will take all night. Please return in the morning at regular time."

The rest of the force said their goodnights before taking leave. It was only L, Watari, and I left. We watched the two unseen tapes a few times before L spoke, "Hikari, what do you make of these?"

The third tape was to be aired if the answer was yes. The fourth if it wasn't. The third tape stated terms of our cooperation. We would broadcast more criminals, though he specified those who had hurt or taken advantage of others. He also wanted the police and L to make an appearance on TV so their lives would act as insurance. The fourth tape stated that we had four days after it was aired to decide if L or the NPA Director General would die as punishment.

"There's something very wrong about this. Not just the tapes, but the whole broadcast. Kira wasn't acting right. He has never killed innocents unless they were trying to stop him. He has made a point of that several times in our investigation. If he killed every person who didn't agree with him, a lot of the world would be dead. He doesn't break a pattern like this.

"Also, I don't like the way he was acting about it. The broadcast sounded like an enthusiastic follower talking about his or her hero. That might be a matter of opinion and not a valid reason, but he also seems to be targeting criminals who have hurt people. Kira has never had a particular category of kill. There is now a motive of sorts.

"I think it'd be safe to say that there is a great possibility of a second Kira," I stated, well aware he was testing me on this by the way he was studying me. My stomach twisted a bit. I knew my theory was a bit out there even with my reasoning.

"Yes, I agree. I believe there is a seventy-percent chance we are dealing with a second Kira," he nodded in approval. I let out a sigh of relief.

"So, now we know more people can do this. If it's a skill or object being used, another person can learn or get it. It still has to be pretty hard considering no one has ever tried something like this before. The power would have gone to their heads and started something like this before now otherwise," I guessed.

"But how long before more people decide Kira is right and try it?" he muttered to himself, though it reached my ears anyway. Louder, he said, "Our answer will still be no."

I wondered, "How will we prevent the death of Kitamura or you?"

He assured me, "We'll think of a countermeasure. One person dying is much better than millions like if we were to say yes. I don't intend to die in four days by a knockoff." There was a moment of silence between us. Something bad was about to happen. It was never good when he was quiet while talking about a case. "I think it would be a good idea to invite Light Yagami to work with us on the case. We cannot ignore his deducting abilities."

"I still believe he's Kira," I argued.

"So do I, but if he is, then the real Kira must not be happy with the image this second Kira is trying to give him. He does not want to kill innocents, but the second one is making everyone think he will in a blink of an eye," he reasoned.

"Or he will use us to meet the second Kira. If they were to meet, all he would have to do is give the second Kira instructions on what to do, and they would never have another problem. I don't trust Light enough to have him on this investigation," I told him. This is futile. I can feel it. He isn't giving me a chance to make him see through my eyes. He's already decided, hasn't he? I asked myself while my teeth clenched.

L nodded, "I never said I trusted him, which is why I think-"

"I'm not leaving. You've tried this on me before. It won't work, Ryuzaki."

He said, annoyed that I had interrupted, "You didn't let me finish. I only think you should leave for a few days until I can see if Light is to be trusted. I just don't want anything to happen to you. Also, I don't think it would be bad for you to have time off for yourself. A lot has happened in the past few months. I can see it's taken its toll."

I frowned, "My friend was murdered by Kira. I think I deserve to be a little angry. We both do."

He said, "Kira unsettles me in general. All I'm saying is that you should take the time to think some things over."

I narrowed my eyes, "Do you think I can't see right through you? You're worried about what the other countries will say after the fourth tape airs. If they force you to appear on TV, you don't want me there with you." I would never say L is easy to figure out. He's pretty much a walking mystery, but there are some things that I just know about him. If anything were to put me in harm's way, he'd try to push me off that path with everything he had. Of course, I usually pushed back, like I was then, because we were in it together. He wasn't going to pull one over on me so easily.

"That was another part of my plan. If I am to appear on television as L without you, then when I die, you will become the next L and remain anonymous to the world once more," L admitted.

"If you go down, then so will I. The world without L is just a word, and I don't want to be around to see that. No one deserves to see that happen. That is exactly why I'm going to stay here and help you out of this whether Light is working with us or not," I declared, crossing my arms.

He sighed, "Hikari-"

I stated firmly, "And I'm not talking about it anymore." I gave him a look that dared him to keep fighting me about the subject.

L gave me a dirty look, "You are really stubborn."

I smirked, "I know. That's how I keep you in check. And alive."