L had obviously been prepared for their abrupt departure - for once his intent was fully-revealed, things happened very quickly.
The handle of the suitcase was pressed into Light's free hand and L had started walking for the door, confident that the chain would force Light to follow and his own sense of propriety would ensure he did not abandon the luggage. The detective completely ignored him as he spluttered angrily down the hall after him; a silent tug on the chain was his only reply when Light did not move fast enough. The rapidity of it all was part of the plan as well, because it gave Light no time to think or argue, did not allow him to gain his bearings enough to back-pedal and latch onto a doorway and hold on until the others arrived.
He could only trail behind L and demand explanations that were met with silence; being ignored lit a fire in his gut that sent up heated signals of rage, but he continued to move forward nonetheless. And, after a few password locked doors, just like that, they were gone; whisked out into the night by Watari, who had already been waiting for them in the idling car.
But once the darkness veiling their escape was lifted and the rest of the task force began to filter in, their absence was noticed almost immediately. Removing L from his headquarters had the same effect as removing the center of gravity from a solar system, with all the planets and smaller players immediately veering off course into a widening gyre of panic that was completely beyond their control.
"They're gone, aren't they?" Aizawa sighed it as he flopped tiredly into a chair. "Completely, utterly gone..."
"I don't get it," Matsuda said, shaking his head as he continued to pace grooves into the floor. "Why would they just... vanish like that?"
Aizawa shrugged, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"No idea. But they're gone. We've checked every room, every closet, every camera... Light and L aren't here anymore."
They both looked up as the doors slid back and Mogi entered the room.
"Anything?" Aizawa muttered gloomily, already expecting the answer.
Mogi shook his head.
"No. Watari seemed as surprised as us. We checked all the security footage, but after they went into the bedroom late last night, there was nothing. It's as though... they just completely disappeared into thin air."
"Without even a ransom note to say goodbye..." Aizawa added bitterly as he massaged his temples.
Matsuda exhaled tiredly, finally giving up and wilting down into a chair next to Aizawa.
"Wow, Misa-Misa is not going to be pleased," he murmured, clasping and unclasping his hands, not knowing what to do with them.
Aizawa snorted.
"Never mind Amane," he said in a low voice, glancing again at Mogi. "How's the chief?"
Mogi arched an eyebrow.
"Not good."
Aizawa sighed again, sadly shaking his head.
"That's what I thought... It's to be expected. After all, his son did just completely vanish with the world's greatest detective - who, by the by, still suspects him of being Kira. Now whether L actually had anything to do with it or not..." He gave a little shiver. "It doesn't matter. But I know if it was my daughter..."
He trailed off, but Mogi gave a nod of understanding. Matsuda, on the other hand, was studying his shoe laces.
"I think we're all thinking the same thing, regardless," he said, not raising his head.
