Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 16

"Good evening, Aikurushii."

"Nnn." I groan weakly. "Ev'nn..."

Watari gives a soft laugh as I try to sit up. He helps me sit back against the pillows in the bed.

"How'd'd go?" I mumble.

"Rather splendidly, I would say." Watari tells me. "Ryuzaki, Masahiko and Norio were very convincing."

"Good." I murmur. "The're safe?"

"Of course. Light didn't suspect a thing."

"Wat'ri... What was Ryuu's m'ther like?"

"I didn't know here for very long, but she was married to my godson." Watari murmurs. "She was unusual - not to the same extent as Ryuzaki, but she had her quirks. She was also an extremely protective woman. I knew her while she was pregnant, and as much as possible she would refuse the cravings that could harm Ryuzaki."

"Good woman." I murmur.

"And she very much loved her husband and child." Watari continues. "In that way, you remind me of her. However, her time here was limited. She vanished, as if nothing more than a dream, right before myself and Ryuzaki's father. Right after she was killed, in fact."

"Will that happen to me?" I ask softly.

"It stands to reason that, at some point, you may visit a different era. However, Ryuzaki's mother existed alongside us for two years. You most likely have time."

"How old was Ryuzaki at that time?"

"Only two weeks."

"He never really got to meet her, then..."

Was L's mother only here long enough to give birth to L? That leaves room to wonder... if I need to do something? Or is it that she was murdered...

I raise my hand, playing with my fingers until the feeling begins to return.

"Ne, Watari, I was never told why Misa is part of the case." I murmur. "I know I explained everything to you, but wouldn't Ryuu need more evidence to bring her in?"

"Because she has a good public image." Watari states. "We can use her to divide media attention. Perhaps, by removing attention from both Kira and the investigation, we can have a bit more room to maneuver. She agreed to that proposal, as long as she could spend time with and help Light."

"Doesn't hurt that it helps us keep an eye on her."

"No, it doesn't."

Watari holds out a spoon in front of me. Soup. I scrunch up my nose and turn away.

"I'm sorry. I cannot eat it."

"I had wondered why you didn't attempt to correct Ryuzaki and Masahiko's eating habits." Watari murmurs. "Why can you not eat soup?"

"The texture... Watari, I became a very fussy eater when I was small. My life was difficult, and as such, I became fascinated by anything I could control. So, things I could organize or the food I ate were among the things I became most picky about. I cannot control other people, or the circumstances of everything around me. But I can control things that become disarrayed and the things that enter my body. Maybe that's why I had such a bad reaction to..."

I don't need to say it. Watari nods, clearly understanding where I'm going. He rests the bowl on a bedside table.

"We became aware of a very serious turn of events while you were unconscious, the past twenty-four hours." Watari tells me. "Kira's support is continuing to grow, lead by a man named Mikami Teru."