Death Note: Incognito

123 - Laughter

August 1st, 2016
Near looked at the calendar. It had almost been eight months since the Accuso/Kira investigation had begun. The young detective planned on detaining Noriko Inoue, to get more information out of the woman. Based on how she had reacted with Yamamoto a month ago, she seemed very suspicious on that July night. "Gevanni...when Yamamoto and Noriko are out tonight, bug their residence."
"There's still the possibility of the shinigami." Gevanni scratched his head.
Near twirled his hair. "I am aware of that. Bug the residence."
Nodding in Near's direction, Gevanni devised a team to break into the apartment. The security cameras would be disabled, for there would be a fake fire.
"199, what's your emergency?" A Japanese operator answered.
"There's a fire at the Dokumabe apartment complexes!" Gevanni and his team moved in as firefighters, monitored by Near, of course.
In actuality, there was a fake fire in the boiler room. Half of Gevanni's team would go upstairs to bug the room, while the other half would look for people who hadn't gotten out yet, and distinguish the fire.
Gevanni raced through the apartment complex. We have to be quick. "Men, operate as fast as you can!"
As they entered the apartment, the team began bugging. Placing wiretap after wiretap, camera after camera, the team moved faster than any other bugging team before. Just as they were finishing, Gevanni's radio intercepted a call. "Firefighters, clear out! Fire is extinguished."
All of the firefighters walked out of the apartment, the residents naming them heroes. Gevanni felt like a crook, having done nothing to stabilize the fake fire.
When the couple came home from their dinner, the two were informed of the apartment fire. After receiving the news, the couple decided to go to bed. Noriko got up a few times during the night, going to the bathroom. She would throw up, later being comforted by Yamamoto.
Did Yamamoto and Noriko... Near tried pushing the thought to the back of his head, chuckling at the Kira suspect.
"Noriko, do you think it was the food you ate? The chef did say it was a bad batch..." Yamamoto looked with worry.
"Yeah, it is the food." She threw up some more. "I need to go to the hospital."
Helping Noriko get up, Yamamoto helped the Kira suspect get to his car. Driving as fast as he legally could, Yamamoto soon arrived at the nearest hospital. Noriko continued throwing up, blood appearing in the vomit.
"Name?" The hospital attendee asked.
"Noriko Inoue."
Noriko continued throwing up in the plastic trash can they had brought along. Soon after her latest spill, the young woman passed out.
"N-Noriko!" Yamamoto caught his fiance.
"We need a stretcher!"
Noriko was rushed to the ICU, Yamamoto having to wait in the waiting room. I can't call the whole Task Force...I highly doubt some of them are even awake right now. He twisted his hands. I wonder if Near knows...
A nurse walked up to the young man. "Your fiance, Noriko, has been tested. Please, come with me."
Following the woman, Yamamoto checked his Apple Watch. He sent a message to Matsuda, knowing the man would not get the message anytime soon. "She's asleep. Ms. Inoue may have to stay with us for a small time."
"Are you Mr. Komura?" A tall, lean man asked the young detective.
"Yes, I am."
He walked over. "Let me tell you the news before she wakes up. I don't know how she will take this, nor do I know how you will take it." The doctor put a hand on Yamamoto's shoulder. "Ms. Inoue has a brain tumor."
Everything was silent. As the silence continued, Yamamoto's timeline froze. Tears came to the young man's eyes, showing him that his love was real. "How long does she have?"
"We do not know at the moment. A surgeon will have to operate soon, or she may die before we expect." He patted Yamamoto's shoulder. "Does she have coverage?"
Yamamoto nodded. "We can pay for the surgery. When do we need to have it?"
"Next week."
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August 9th
The day for Noriko's operation had arrived. Kissing his fiance, Yamamoto waited outside. With him sat Matsuda, Sayu, and Ide. Mogi and Aizawa did not come, as they needed to continue looking for Accuso and Kira. Near had contacted the Japanese Task Force, alerting them that he was aware of Noriko's situation.
"Yama-, I mean, Madoka. I never thought that Noriko was Accuso, and I'm sorry if she doesn't make it." Matsuda searched for his eyes.
Yamamoto nodded, all of the worst scenarios playing in his head.
"Light would be here for you, Madoka." Sayu hugged the depressed man.
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"Commander Rester, do not share this information with Gevanni and Lidner until necessary."
Turning his head to Near, Rester awaited his response.
"I suspect that a shinigami is following Yamamoto and Noriko."
"That may be the case."
Near continued moving his train, the tracks were scratched with wear.
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The doctor came out of the room, shaking Yamamoto's hand. "The tumor is gone, but there is always a chance of it coming back."
"Thank you. Thank you very much." Yamamoto breathed a sigh of relief.
"You can see her, if you want."
"Yes, please."
Noriko was asleep in her bed, her head bandaged up. The once long, brown, beautiful hair, had been shaved off. Her hair was kept in a bag; the doctors were unaware whether or not she would want to keep it. Noriko's skin was pale, slightly lifeless. Her eyelids were grey, the eyes sealed. Taking her hand, it was deathly cold. The sudden warmth of another human being woke the patient.
"M...Mado...ka..." Her eyes were light, slightly grey.
"I'm here, Noriko. I'm here." He smiled at his fiance.
"When...do you...want to...get married?" Her smile was weak.
"Any day that you want to get married." Yamamoto gripped her hand tighter.
Unaware to the two in the room, a shinigami laughed.
A knock was heard from the door, Yamamoto answering with a simple, "Come in.". The door creaked open, a slim, tall, red-haired man walked into the room, holding papers.
"Ms. Inoue, I need you to read these documents. They are very important. If you do not review these immediately, we will discharge and fine you." His grey eyes looked directly into her fading brown ones.
Yamamoto stood up. "Are these papers so important, that a woman who just got out of surgery, and is barely awake, needs to sign them now?"
"Hospital policy." The man smiled.
She reached for the papers, her arms weak. Sitting up, the moment she touched the paper, her eyes went blank. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Noriko clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face.
"I'll get a nurse!" The man ran out of the room.
"Call L. Now!" Noriko screamed. Shaking her hands, the paper could not leave them. "He glued the paper on me, that man!"
Trying to think over what had happened, Yamamoto stuttered. "W-What are you talking about?!"
She sneered, blood coming out of her mouth. "I know you work for L, Yamamoto!"
Hearing his name declared from the woman, Yamamoto panicked. "Who is Yamamoto? Where the Hell is that doctor?!"
"I know your real name, Yamamoto. AHAHAH!" The machines she was latched to started beeping rapidly.
Yamamoto's watch turned on, a black cloister "L" was present on the screen. "This is L. I was alerted that you wanted to speak to me, Accuso."
"Ha, you're far from catching me, L! Yamamoto won't let me be captured, will you?" She sneered, Yamamoto tensing up.
He couldn't choose. Justice, love, the right thing. What was the right thing in this situation?! How did he respond, how would he respond..?
"I am Accuso, and I'll kill you all! Yamamoto will help me rule, won't you?!" She laughed, pulling his hand. "I was the one who killed my father. I was the one who operated Blue Money. I hacked into L's servers, I sent the pizza man to retrieve L's face. L will die!" She grabbed Yamamoto's watch. "You hear that, L?! You. Will. DIE!"
Her fiance was limp. All of this had poured out of the woman, Yamamoto had no way to react. He had always hoped that she was not Accuso, that she wasn't a relentless murderer, but he was wrong. He, Yamamoto, had let love cloud his mind. Love was dangerous, and he had fallen into love's unruly, sinister trap.
Shaking, Noriko turned to Yamamoto, tears leaking through her eyes. "Yamamoto, the love I felt for you was never fake. I can give up the Death Note, we can get married, we can have a happy life together..."
Near raised his eyebrow. She's doing a full 180... "Noriko Inoue, you have admitted to being Accuso, because of this, you will be placed under arrest, and the justice system will decide where your fate lies."
"You don't understand, L! I can give up the Death Note! Like Light Yagami, like Misa Amane..." Yamamoto's eyes widened. "Yes, I hacked into the SPK's Kira records! I know how all of this works, I know it!"
"We will operate on the justice system."
Noriko Inoue screamed. "You don't understand! Accuso, Kira, they're true justice! L, the system that you admire gets away with crime everyday."
She ripped the IV out of her arm, trying to run away. Yamamoto lifelessly grabbed her arm, his eyes blank. "Noriko, please..."
"Let me go."
His hand dropped her's, Noriko running out of the room in her hospital gown. The paper, it's still glued to my hand. Running for a counter with pens, grabbing a pen, she ran down the hall.
J...o...n...a...t...h...a...n...B...o...c...h...
A pain seared through Noriko Inoue's chest, realizing what it was, the woman fell to the ground. The pen, a foot away, the paper, still latched to her hand. Looking up, she saw a shinigami. "Y-You're Ryuk!"
"HAHA! And you're Noriko Inoue." Ryuk howled.
Reaching for the pen, Noriko looked to see the man who had delivered the paper to her. He smiled, looking down at the dying woman. No. I will not die without him dying, too!
"Nurse, this woman needs help!" Nurses rushed over, taking to help Noriko. As the nurse count increased, the man turned, walking out the hospital door.
Smiling, the darkness of MU welcomed her. Yamamoto, I love you.
Accuso died, leaving her dead body on the floor.