Chapter Text
Rem was staring at the humans in front of her. They were all upset because the murders had started again. The only ones that remained calm were L and Light who pretented to be on his side. As for Carlisle and Watari, they were nowhere to be seen.
It had been a few days since Higuchi had been killed and that the task force had touched his notebook, allowing them to see her. Now, she could see L's name. Of course, he had asked her questions about the death note but she had only given him vague answers.
The detective hadn't been the only one questionning her. Doctor Carlisle Newton had been interested in the shinigamis and he wanted to discuss the subject with her but Rem had never really answered his questions either. He was clearly a vampire, which of course meant she couldn't see his name or lifespan. At first, Rem had been worried about him, fearing he might hurt Light or Misa without her being able to protect them. The problem was that she couldn't tell them about him because she never had the opportunity to see them alone. Misa wasn't allowed in the building and Light was always with L. As for her, she never wanted to leave the task force without any supervision.
However, Carlisle was not like any vampires. To Rem's surprise, he had golden eyes instead of the traditional red ones his species had. This reminded her something that Jeras had told her one day, something about vampires drinking only animal blood. If this was true, then she didn't need to worry because it meant he wouldn't do anything to Light and Misa if he, like the rest of the task force, thought they were innocent. Moreover, the doctor didn't seem to know anything about shinigamis. To her, he seemed to have been hired for one purpose: to take care of people injured during the case. Besides, it wasn't like he could do anything against her.
No, the doctor wasn't a problem. Her biggest worry lied elsewhere. Misa had regained her memories and was killing again. As proof of that, Rem had seen Misa through the screens the day before. She had lost half of her remaining life span as a result of receiving shinigami eyes through Ryuk. The shinigami knew that L suspected Misa. She would die if she didn't kill him. This was all Light's fault. He had planned to get rid of her by putting Misa in danger.
Rem didn't have a choice. She would do what she had to do even if it cost her life.
XxXxXxX
Outside the building, it was pouring.
Carlisle could hear the hard pounding on the outer walls. However, this wasn't enough to distract him from his thoughts. He was sitting in his office thinking about his long lost friend.
What had striked him the most was how Quillish Wammy had changed over the course of the years, physically and mentally. Back then, when they met each other, his friend was already behaving like a gentleman but now, he was calmer and he had learned to control his emotions. He had also mastered new skills such as using a sniper which had allowed the police forces to catch Higuchi.
More importantly, Quillish Wammy reminded Carlisle of Elizabeth Masen, Edward's mother. She had probably guessed that he wasn't human and that he could save her son. It was the same for his old friend. He knew Carlisle wasn't ordinary and that he had the means to protect L if Kira attempted to harm him.
Carlisle's thoughts drifted from Wammy to the events that had taken place in the last few months. He had been able to make himself useful. When the task force had investigated on a third Kira, Matsuda had wanted to search evidence on Yotsuba by himself but he had put himself in danger. L had to make a plan to save him and Carlisle had taken part in it by driving the ambulance that had taken Aiber away. Then, a few days later, the task force had ambushed Higuchi. Carlisle had gone with Wedy and Soichiro to Sakura TV in case someone got hurt. It had proven to be a good decision when Higuchi shot the Chief.
At last, they had caught him. Everyone thought the case was over until Higuchi died in front of them. It was also this night that they had discovered the death note and had the confirmation of the shinigamis' existence by Rem. The doctor thought these creatures were interesting but also dangerous. When he had touched the death note, he had realized Rem had a strange and faint scent, something he couldn't describe. Carlisle wondered if the shinigami knew he was a vampire. If that was the case, she didn't show it.
Sometimes, he went back to his family to tell them how the investigation went. They had been amazed when he told them about Rem and Alice had finally known why her visions were clouded.
Then, there was the rules of the death note. One of them prevented anybody from destroying it unless they wanted to die while the other one proved Light and Misa innocent. Indeed, if someone used the notebook, they'd have to write another name under thirteen days or face death. If it wasn't for Wammy's story and L's intelligence, Carlisle would have belived these two weren't guilty. Light seemed to have the same morals than his father and he was dead set on catching Kira. As for Misa, even if she had been one of his supporters, she loved Light beyond anything and wanted to help him however she could. Yet, he had seen some strange things about them. For example, Carlisle had surprised Misa fidgeting nervously when they had watched Higuchi supposedly talking to himself through Wedy's cameras. As for Light, he had sometimes caught him sending odd unfriendly looks at Rem or L.
Actually, the detective was even more peculiar with his appearance and mannerisms. Even in his long life, the doctor never met someone like him. This man had solved multiple cases and was talented in more things than any human. However, L also had flaws. He was socially inapt and immature. The detective also seemed ready to do anything to stop criminals even if it meant to take unethical actions. After all, Wammy had told him he hadn't hesitated to ask him to torture Misa. Carlisle had disapproved both of them but he still wanted the two humans to be safe.
At this thought, Carlisle's hand went automatically in his pocket where a needle full of his venom laid. He wondered if turning a victim of the death note before he or she died would work. He knew how Edward had managed to save Bella when her heart had stopped beating. Furthermore, the death note stated that “The human whose name is written in this note shall die”. If this sentence was to be taken litterally, it meant that vampires were safe from the notebook's power and that could apply to humans who were being turned since when the venom acted, they were already part vampire.
Carlisle wasn't sure about his theory but he had promised Wammy he would protect L. He had to try.
A call from his office's interphone interrupted his thoughts.
“Doctor Newton?”, Watari called.
“Yes?”, Carlisle replied.
“Ryuzaki has something important to tell everyone. May you please go to the main room?”
“Of course. I'll be there in a minute”.
The doctor stood up and exited his office.
XxXxXxX
Carlisle entered the main room but Light and Ryuzaki were not here yet. However, there was a lot of commotion between the task force members. Wondering what was happening, he walked to the big screens at the back of the room.
“What is going on?”, the doctor asked Soichiro.
“Watari said that L wanted to test the thirteen days rule. He offered a poor country million of dollars in exchange for testing the death note on a prisoner who is about to be executed”, the Chief Officer answered scandalized.
“That's awful!”, Carlisle said shocked.
The doctor didn't have time to say anything else as the room's doors opened. L came in with Light behind him.
“Ryuzaki, what's the meaning of this?!”, Matsuda exclaimed. “You've got the permission from a ruined country to use the notebook in an execution?!”
The detective ignored him and sat down. He took the microphone. “Watari, good job”.
“No problem”, the old man replied.
“Please begin the arrangements to transport the notebook at once”, L ordered.
“Yes”.
“Ryuzaki! What's going on?”, Light asked worried.
“We're going to test the notebook for real”, L answered.
Carlisle, Light and the rest of the investigation team looked at him in shock.
“This is absurd! There's need to do this now”, Aizawa argued. “We already know the power of the notebook is real”.
“Besides, who's going to write the name?”, Matsuda asked. “Once you do, you have to write in it every thirteen days for the rest of your life!”
“The person who will write in the notebook will be somebone who's already been sentenced to die within thirteen days”, assured the detective. “We'll do a probationary deal, saying that if they're alive after thirteen days, they'll be removed from death row”.
“But people's lives...”, Soichiro objected.
“It's just a little further”, interrupted L. “If we manage to clarify this, it'll take us straight to the solution”.
As the detective said this, a lightning bolt suddenly stroke the building. Two red eyes were piercing L's back. Rem had no choice. She had to do it. Slowly, she went to Watari's computer room.
All at once, the screens turned red and the alarms went off.
“Huh?! W-what's happening?! A power cut?!”, Matsuda said in panick.
“Watari?”, L asked worried.
Rem watched the old man in front of her collapse. She did it. She wrote one name down. Only one more to go.
Watari was having a heart attack. He knew he only had seconds left. As life was escaping from him, he managed to push a red button. The words “All data deletion” appeared on the main room's screens.
“Watari!”, the detective screamed.
Someone said: “All data deletion? What's happening?!”
“I instructed Watari to delete all the data if something were to happen to him”, L answered.
“If something were to happen to him?”, questionned Aizawa.
“That means...”, Carlisle said.
“Don't tell me...”, Matsuda worried.
“Where is the shinigami?”, L demanded.
“Now that you mention it, I can't see her”, the Chief Inspector answered as the rest of the task force wondered the same thing.
Still in Watari's computer room, Rem wrote her last name down.
“She's not here”, Mogi yelled.
“What does this mean?”, Soichiro snapped.
“Everyone, the shinigami...”, L stopped mid sentence. His heart had just stopped. He dropped the spoon he was holding and fell off his chair. Light leaned towards L by reflex but Carlisle was faster. He caught the detective before he hit the floor. L looked at the man holding him. He seemed worried.
Carlisle understood at once what was happening. The detective had only minutes before he died. He had to act fast.
He turned to the other men in the room and yelled. “It's the shinigami! Go find her!”
“The shinigami?!”, Matsuda yelled in panick. “But-but...”.
Soichiro interrupted him. “Doctor Newton is right. We have to find her before it's too late. Come!”
At once, everybody scattered to look for Rem. Only Light was left in the room. He seemed scared.
He made a move towards L. “Ryuzaki! No!”
“Go!”, the doctor ordered. “Leave him to me! You have to find the shinigami before she decides to kill you too!”
Light nodded and ran to help the others. On his way out, a wide grin spread on his face.
Now that everybody was gone, Carlisle could take action. Without hesitation, he got the needle full of venom from his pocket and thrust it through L's heart. He then positionned himself so he could perform cardiac massages on the detective. He pressed his rib cage several times and counted in his head.
“1, 2, 3...”.
After a few seconds, the doctor stopped and quickly went to bite L's limbs so the venom could spread better. At each bite, he licked the wounds so they could heal themselves. Then, he repeated the whole process, alternating between cardiac massages and biting.
Carlisle was feeling more desperate as time passed when he heard a faint heart beat coming from the detective. He listened. The heart beat became faster and stronger. The doctor couldn't believe it. He succeeded. He lost no time and left the building at vampire speed with L.
XxXxXxX
Everyone on the task force was looking for Rem. Taking advantage of the commotion, Light went straight to Watari's computer room. He saw a pile of sand with a notebook sticking out of it. Light took it and hid it in his clothes. Then, he quickly got out of the room.
“Everyone! Get over here!”, he called to the other task force members.
The three men ran to where Light had called.
“What did you find?”, Soichiro asked his son.
“This”, the teenager said pointing to the pile of sand.
Curious, the task member gathered around it.
“W-What the hell is this?”, Soichiro asked puzzled.
“Sand?”, Matsuda replied perplexed.
“What's going on?”, the Chief said ignoring him.
“Whatever it is, whatever is going on here... I will advenge Ryuzaki's death”, Light murmured. “Solving this case is the only way to bid him farewell. For Watari, and the other victims too... For everyone”.
“Light”, Soichiro said touched.
“That's right, Light-kun”, Aizawa agreed.
“B-But we'll be killed! Isn't that what this has been about?”, Matsuda said nervously.
“Matsuda-san, if you're scared of being killed, then I suggest you leave”, Light replied bitterly. “This team is composed of men willing to give their lives”.
“Erm, well, I guess you're right...”, Matsuda said embarrased. “But don't say it like Ryuzaki would, Light-kun”.
The teenager turned his back on them and walked away without saying a word.