Realization (L Lawliet)

Twelve

     L woke up the next morning to the news that four more people had died in the classic mercury-and-face-burn method. This time, instead of whiskers or fangs, there was one paper claw on each victim's finger. 

      L still had a big list of possible animals the killer was trying to represent. 

     His first move would be to grab his laptop and immediately start to contact the police and solve the case with them, but he reached over the side of his bed where he kept his laptop...and it was gone. 

     Only Watari was to blame. Apparently he didn't want L to get even more sick because of even more stress. 

     L wondered why Watari was worrying so much. He had done harder and more stressful cases. Probably the most stressful case was the Los Angles BB Murder Cases, which ended in finding out his lifelong best friend was a serial killer...because of L. 

      That case was devastating. BB had been saying that he wouldn't answer any of the police's questions if he didn't see L. L had refused. He wouldn't be able to look at BB's face without practically dying on the inside. 

      BB eventually was forced to answer those questions. According to Watari, he killed himself the next day.   

      It was enough to make L go on break for about a year. 

      L sighed, lying on his back, absently staring at the ceiling. Where was Watari? 

     L slammed a pillow over his face, trying to calm his mind down when he heard Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites suddenly start to play. My ringtone...

     L rolled over, reaching for his phone. He barely grabbed it by his fingertips. He rolled back over and accepted the call, which was from an untraceable number. Probably the killer. 

     "Hello?" 

    "Hi, L. I know you currently are not in a fit state to investigate the crime. So I'll give you a break. I'll be taking a vacation," the familiar filtered voice of the killer answered. 

     L rubbed his eyes, sitting up. "Where to?" 

     "England. Sounds quite fun there, doesn't it? You tell me, you've lived there for quite a long time." 

    With that, the line went dead. 

    L frowned, putting his phone back. So the killer was now in England? What for? 

    He was missing something here. A killer just told L he was in England. He could be lying. He could be trying to lure L into a trap. 

     L sighed, pressing his cold fingers to his face. His feverish mind worked hard to find this connection...and then it hit him. 

     The only way to find out L's real name was to go to the Wammy's House and steal his files. Obviously the killer didn't know L's first name, or the names of anyone L was working with. 

    So that was exactly what he was doing, he was visiting the Wammy's House. 

    L was unsure about what to do. He couldn't just call Rodger and ask to barricade the building. And there were other places that had L's files. It was just too hard. If this guy knew exactly what he was looking for, there was no stopping him. 

     And if L's real first and last name were revealed, he would have a line of people associated with the criminals he had ratted out outside his door, each wanting to beat the shit out of him. 

     And once L was gone, the killer could freely commit more murders, since no one else wanted to pick up the case. 

     L was screwed. 

    

     "Come on, L, don't you think this is a little bit unrealistic?" BB asked, staining the sheets with his bloody hands. 

     "At this point in my life, I could believe anything." L answered, actually looking at BB's face. 

     "That's not good, L. There has to be a limit to what you'll take in." 

     "I was exaggerating." 

     "Oh." 

    "BB, I'm still thinking about why the hell you told me you loved me. The last time I saw you, you gave me that hateful look..." 

     "You finally understand the true meaning of hate. Well, L, I want to explain, but explaining my feeling has always been impossible." 

      "It doesn't seem real. Also, Matt and Mello were always denying that they liked each other, Mello even got himself a girlfriend to prove it, and now they're...together? What's going on here?" 

      "You shipped it, L. Celebrate." 

      "Again, it doesn't seem real." 

     BB sighed, hugging L from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. "I remember what my mom had told me. She said the most important lesson to life was to know the difference between dreaming and living. I'm sorry, L, but you're not even close to learning that lesson."