Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Boredom was a terrible thing. 

Boredom was an uncontained feeling of complete emptiness, void of anything besides a cruel monotony marching forward without end. Time passed on as an eternity yet in the blink of an eye. 

Everyone had experienced the agony of boredom once in their lives, but it was just that... a fleeting moment. A class period that drudged on too long while the teacher explained the subject material in the most uninteresting way imaginable. Anyone who had experienced true boredom wished something could be done to lift away that pain with the chime of a bell, but they were never that fortunate. Time would drag forward, sucking away any emotion besides the growing frustration of that apathy, maybe anger for those who cared enough to distinguish. 

Frustration never lasted long because it would dissipate into resignation as quickly as it came, knowing there was nothing to be done. Nothing, at least that would keep its victims alive to feel the rush. Anyone who maintained a desire to stay alive out of fear of death never dared to reach that point, and they resigned themselves to a life of listlessness that made it exhausting to do the simplest tasks in favor of laying in bed, staring at a wall, and imagining a world without that boredom. 

Lethargy could last for months, if not years, but would in time welcome the insanity of wanting—needing to do something, anything, to get the boredom off the mind that dragged its victim further and further down into the depths where they would never return to the world above.

Many believed that if they were just bored in their classes or during their daytime job, this would happen, but it would not happen if they were just a  little  bored. This happened when they were trapped in the endless waves of boredom with no hope of ever escaping its iron hold. 

A boy by the name of Light Yagami had been bored for as long as he could remember. He didn't know precisely when that feeling had slipped from temporary and morphed into a permanent aspect of his life, but he had been able to put a name to the feeling around the age of six, coincidentally around this time he realized just how much better than others he was. He had tried explaining his troubles to his parents, but they didn't understand. They never understood their gifted son, no matter how hard they tried. The way Light saw things, all they wanted to hear was how his grades exceeded well beyond his peers and how he was continuously awarded trophy after trophy and awards after awards. Some logical part of his mind understood that was far from the truth, but he couldn't shake past the apathy enough to investigate. 

So Light kept his struggles to himself, hoping that maybe someday he would find another as bored as him. Someone else who plastered on a fake smile when asked how he was feeling, and hated the bitter taste in his mouth when he said "fine," knowing nobody would understand the truth. They would think he had gone mad. For all he knew, maybe he had...

This boredom was what led him to pick up the strange notebook which had fallen out of the sky within eyeshot of his classroom window. He made sure he was the first to find the notebook to satisfy his dim curiosity, reading the silver letters etched into the black leather cover. The letters formed two words that for the first time had Light genuinely confused.

Fauna Note.

The instructions were in English, too. "The human whose name is written in this notebook will become an animal, with the default being doves."

Surely this is a joke. Light had instantly thought, about to put the notebook back, but then he remembered how bored he was and decided to keep it and test it. If it was a joke, then nothing would change, and if it was real, there was no doubt this would be entertaining.

So he tested it. And tested it again. He found that this notebook was legit. Forty seconds, a bright flash, and suddenly there was an animal of his choosing in place of that person. When the book had said doves, Light had instantly thought of the brown turtle doves he saw from time to time, but these were the pure white ones from storybooks. The other animals were a different story, and came in different shapes and sizes, at least that was what he noted from when he turned that entire gang into dogs.

When he met Ryuk, a Kami, he had realized this was finally the friend he had desired, someone as bored as he. All he had to do was satisfy the diety's apple craving. Perhaps it wasn't the most healthy of relationships if Ryuk was only here for amusement and food, but at least Ryuk enjoyed Light's company for who he actually was and not what the world wanted him to be.

While Light wrote in Lind L. Tailor's name and watched him turn into a dove on public television, he laughed at the idea of how people would react. They would see him as a Kami if they didn't already. People had taken to referring to him as the Kami known as Hachiman, the God of war, and the divine protector of Japan and its people, whose symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. Even if there was nothing about Hachiman turning people into doves, that was the general consensus of "close enough" by the world.

So now Japan was lowkey going online to rub it in the faces of other cultures that their God existed. And now, on live television, this would be the icing on the cake. Light hadn't known for sure what he was going to do with this power, but becoming a God overnight was going to certainly be interesting.

Even if the police wanted to get involved, what could they do against someone, who many thought was a God, and technically turning people into doves wasn't a crime, but it still bettered the world. Light made a mental note to start subtly turning other people into endangered species to begin bringing those back. He wondered if he could resurrect extinct species this way, but decided he would test it with something small first to avoid detection.

When the real L tried to challenge him, Light laughed,

"You can try, L. I am a God now—you will bend to my will!" He continued to laugh, the pure insanity of the fact his superpower, of all the weird superpowers, had managed to make him achieve godhood within a week. As obscure as the power to turn people into doves was, he couldn't help but be thankful to the universe for giving him this. It didn't go against his morals and was just so hilarious he was pretty sure he would never be bored again.

Suddenly, this crushing weight was off his chest, and he realized. He was a God to these people with L as his only rival. What the hell was he going to do now?

He decided to reread the rules of this notebook and debate what animal this real L would become because he almost wanted to give his new nemesis something special.

...

Of all the weird cases L had taken in his detective years, a person who had the power to turn people into doves and was mistaken for a Kami took the cake by a considerable margin. And because cake theft was the worst crime, L had instantly jumped on this case. 

But having watched with his own eyes as his stand-in was turned into a white dove, his eyes and brain disconnected a bit. If this had been killing someone without being there, it would be strange, but something about the fact it was doves of all things made this just too bizarre for him to instantly wrap his head around.

He also realized another issue. What would happen even if he did catch this Hachiman person? Not only would the Japanese population go into outrage if they actually believed this was a Kami, but turning people into doves wasn't a crime. It couldn't be counted as anything L could think of. It was so unusual and out of the ordinary that nobody had ever thought, "Hey, let's make a law against turning people into birds."

There was a chance, he supposed, that this actually was a Kami. But that was in no way going to dissuade L from taking this case. On the contrary, that idea made him even more excited even if he knew that was probably not the case. Even if this wasn't a crime, they lived in a day and age where the world would want to see how this happened, and confirm or deny the existence of Gods. So L was still given free rein to do what he wanted to find Hachiman.

As he scanned reports and videos from prison security of people turning to doves—he pitied anyone in charge of keeping those prisons clean—L grew so excited he was almost shaking. Boredom was a wretched thing, and this was, without a doubt, whether Hachiman was a real Kami or not, going to be incredibly interesting.

Chapter Text

L relaxed in his room on his side of the camera, only half-listening to the victim reports as this was all information he already knew. He focused more on reading through countless books and articles about Japanese Kamis to learn about the culture. He would need to be careful if he would be working with the Japanese police to catch Hachiman, so he needed to grasp their beliefs. If this was a new Kami created, this wouldn't be as big of a problem for saying it was a false god, but not if this person had been given an established Kami alias. 

Kami were spirits, phenomena, or "holy powers" venerated in the religion of Shinto. They could be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, and beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of the revered deceased.

The ancestors of a particular family could also be worshipped as Kami. In this sense, these Kami were honored not because of godly powers, but because of distinctive quality or virtue. These Kami were celebrated regionally, and several miniature shrines have been built in their honor. In many cases, people who once lived are thus revered.

The Kami are both worshipped and respected within Shinto. The text said that many Shinto believers' goal of life was to obtain magokoro, a pure, sincere heart that can only be granted by the Kami. As a result, Shinto followers were taught that humankind should venerate both the living and the nonliving because both possess a divine superior spirit within the Kami.

This was interesting to note, and L turned to another article regarding Hachiman specifically. 

Since ancient times Hachiman was worshiped by peasants as a god of agriculture and fishermen who hoped he would fill their nets with much fish. In Shinto, he became identified by legend as the Emperor Ōjin, son of Empress Jingū. Both were thought to have been avatars of Hachiman such were their great feats in warfare and culture in general—Jingu for invading Korea, and Ojin for inviting Chinese and Korean scholars to Japan.

All of this lined up with what L could piece together about the Hachiman he was dealing with, and he looked up, hearing about the times of these animal changes. Some scientists had managed to capture a couple doves and were trying to test on them to see if they retained a human mind, and for the sake of the people, L hoped they lost that humanity so they wouldn't need to recall being human and losing it all. He pressed a button, deciding to speak upon it,

"That information is extremely relevant for us. It suggests that, given the times, our suspect could very well be a student. Based on the fact that Hachiman is only doing this to criminals, I think it's safe to assume that he is driven by a very idealistic notion of justice. We're dealing with the individual who has a very childish concept of right and wrong. Of course, this is mere speculation at this point, but I still recommend you re-examine any assumptions you've made as to whether or not our suspect could be a student. We must consider every possibility. I believe that's the shortest route to finding Hachiman and discovering how this is done. Please, continue with your report."

L doubted this was the actual Kami. However, knowing about the tales made it easier to identify what kind of moves Hachiman might make. Agriculture... war... these doves, which also meant peace in some cultures...

He listened to the report and cut in again, "Thank you, everyone. I feel we're one step closer to finding Hachiman. Before I go, I'm afraid I have one additional request to make. This is directed to the teams investigating the victims, TV news, and the internet: I would like you to go back and take a closer look at the exact way in which the victims' identities were made public. Be as thorough as possible. In particular, I want to know if photos of the victims were made available to the public in Japan. I'll leave it to you."

He hung up, and L looked again at the data, his eyes widening slightly as he came to a conclusion. 

Was this Hachiman trying to create a completely new world?

OoOoO

After dinner, Light finished up his hacking on the home network to get his hands on the case information, and he frowned a bit as he took a sip from his coffee. 

The first thing he found was the police contemplating if they could even accuse him of any crimes due to the fact turning people into doves wasn't a crime and anyone who tried to make it so would be put in the nuthouse. So far, all the police had as ideas were unethical nonconsensual human experimentation, assault, and grievous bodily harm. Light supposed the first one was technically correct for the first couple, but he wasn't exactly experimenting anymore. The other two maybe, but seeing as he never got near his victim's, a judge would take such accusations with a grain of salt.

The second thing he noticed was much more interesting, "Well, isn't that interesting? Looks like the police are already beginning to suspect a student."

Ryuk laughed, lounging on Light's bed with his kimono splayed out in some areas, revealing the dark teal baggy pants underneath black robes, "I guess that means you are in trouble."

Light bit his lip as he thought for a moment, then he turned to Ryuk with a small smile, "If the specific animal is written within forty seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen. If the animal is not specified, the person will simply become a dove. After writing the animal, details of what happens beforehand should be written in the next six minutes and forty seconds. That sounds right to you, Ryuk?"

"So, what's your point?"

"In other words, if I write doves, then I should be able to write down all the details, including the time it happens, shouldn't I?" He noticed the moment Ryuk caught on, "Looks like I will be able to provide you with more entertainment now."

OoOoO

L assessed the new data. For the last two days, Hachiman had been changing the pattern of these transformations, one person every hour on the hour.

It did appear less likely now that Hachiman was a student, but turn that on its head, and something else made itself clear. Hachiman was directly challenging L at the moment, which was proven by only doing this to criminals in prisons to be discovered immediately.

Hachiman was telling him that not only can he use his power from a distance, but he can also determine the time. But something still wasn't right. 

As soon as he began to suspect that Hachiman might be a student, the pacing changed as if to contradict that theory. Coincidence? No. It was just too convenient. Hachiman could just be experimenting since he hadn't been doing this for long, but it still didn't sit right.

This could mean one thing. Hachiman had access to police information, and he was probably a student. 

It's obvious now. This is a direct challenge to me.

L chuckled a bit as he turned to the monitors, where everything was going according to plan as he watched a few officers resign from this case. After all, that was to be expected, and soon he would have his small team ready to fight for the right thing...

Or a bunch of officers who really hated their lives and were okay with spending the rest of it as a dove.

God, L hoped it wasn't the latter.

OoOoO

After cram school, Light walked home with Ryuk flying behind him, and he felt the Kami's hand on his shoulder,

"Light, you got a second?"

"I've already told you, Ryuk," he muttered, "You can't talk to me in public. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"In that case, I'll talk, you just listen. If you don't want to hear me, you can plug your ears or something. First of all, I don't have anything against you. I actually think the notebook couldn't have been picked up by a better person. I'm here 'cause I have to stick around until you're finished, be it with the notebook, or life, whichever comes first. But make no mistake, Light, I'm not on your side or L's side.

"Yeah. Well, I knew that much already."

"You'll never hear me say anything about whether what you're doing is right or wrong. I'm not here to support you or give you my opinion. I'm just a spectator... but as your roommate, I might have a few things to say now and then."

"What's this about, Ryuk? Why are you telling me all this stuff now, anyway? It's really not like you."

"It's just that I'm no ally of yours, or Hachiman's if you prefer. The only reason I'm going to tell you this is because, personally, it is starting to creep me out."

"Get to the point already." 

Ryuk lowered himself down to the ground, his lips so close to Light's ear that he could almost feel it, and that sent shivers up his spine. Whether it was in spite of or because of how human Ryuk looked most of the time when not shapeshifting for fun, Light didn't know.

"You are being followed by another human. He's watching you right now. It's really starting to get on my nerves." Ryuk backed up slightly and moved to stand in front of a now-frozen Light, pointing behind him, "I realize there's no way he can see me, but because I'm always following you wherever you go, I feel like I'm constantly being watched."

Light turned a bit, seeing for a second, someone in a black trench coat following and then slipping behind a building. He could go over there and ask what the hell the guy was doing in hopes of making him go away. He could also call his father. But any action taken before he had enough info could get him seriously hurt or even killed. "That's a problem," he whispered, "I'll have to get rid of him as soon as possible."

As he hurried home a little faster despite himself, suddenly aware of every shadow as he walked, he found himself thinking and trying to distract him from the primal desire to run as fast as he could and get as far away from this stalker as possible. 

Who would be following me? Does this mean L is already starting to suspect the police? If he's gonna investigate the police, he'll need a lot of resources and manpower. Even if he has as many as fifty people on the case, I don't see how they could ever figure out that I'm Hachiman. I shouldn't look like anything other than your average high school senior. But the longer I let this person keep following me, the greater the chance is they'll figure out who I really am. Above all, I need my stalker's name. Once I figure that out, I can get rid of him for good.

Ryuk munched on an apple, leaning against the wall, "Light, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. What makes a Kami and a human who has the notebook different? Well, there are multiple things, even if I can look as human as you. And why do Kami write the names of humans in their Fauna Notes? You got any ideas?"

"Of course not. Why would I know that?" Light snapped, "You know, you sure are talkative today."

"We do it to maintain the natural order, the balance between overpopulation and extinction. As long as manmade inventions do not destroy the world and leave humans as the only species, a Kami can live forever. But there are different ways to go about this, as Kami are of two minds. They can nurture and love when respected, or they can cause destruction and disharmony when disregarded. Kami must be appeased to gain their favor and avoid their wrath. Traditionally, Kami possesses two souls, one gentle and the other assertive. Some Kami even have two additional hidden souls: one happy and one mysterious. You can guess what kind of Kami I am."

Light stared at Ryuk long and hard, trying to figure out if he was serious or not, and he eventually pointed to Ryuk's forehead, "What about that crown on your head?"

"Oh? This?" he gently put his fingers to the almost tiara sitting in his dark hair, with the rest residing a little higher on his forehead. The material was mostly what seemed to be silver wiring, but in the center was a blue topaz in the shape of a water droplet held in place by the wires. The gem had many times now glowed slightly, and Light had wanted to ask about it for a while,

"Yeah, what would happen if a human had that?"

"I don't know." Ryuk shrugged, "For a Kami, it protects from others' magic, but I have no idea what it would do for a human. There is only one way for a human to get it, and I have never seen nor heard of it actually happening."

Light smirked, leaning forward a bit, "How would a human get it?" Ryuk turned with a look of amusement instead of irritation or anger,

"Don't get any ideas, Light." He laughed, "From what I know, the damn tiara wouldn't help you anyway. To get this, a human would need to be the victim of an already dying Kami."

"The victim of a dying Kami...? "

"I have no idea how that would be possible since I have no idea how to even kill a Kami." Ryuk elaborated, "I know it happens, but I don't know specifically how."

Light grinned, "That's something about Kami that I haven't heard before. Pretty interesting stuff."

Ryuk smirked, "The other differences between us will probably be of even greater interest to you. Such as the ability to grant magokoro, which could get you a lot of followers, but if they were to learn you're only human and cannot grant it, they could turn on you."

"Well, hopefully, I won't need to worry about that," Light replied, "Anything else?"

"One more thing," Ryuk answered, "Well, besides the obvious." He leaned forward in Light's face, suddenly taking the physical form of Light, only with his normal Kami clothes, and the eyes were white and reflecting, like pearls, "Kami can tell what a person's name is by just looking at their face. We know instantly. And do you have any idea why? Because through a Kami's eyes, a human's name can be seen above their head. Not only that, we see their lifespan as well."

"Their name and lifespan?" Light backed up slightly, seeing his own face with those eyes which were both beautiful and haunting. Then Ryuk turned back to his regular human form, hair and eyes darkening right before Light's eyes, and he nodded,

"That's right. I'm able to see your name and lifespan right now. If I converted that to human time, I could tell you how many years you got left. But there's no way I'd ever tell you that. I may have a big mouth, but even I wouldn't go that far." He laughed, "Our eyes just aren't the same, and that is the difference between you and me. However, if a Kami drops his notebook and a human picks it up, he can grant that human the eyes of a Kami, but only if a deal is made, one that has been with us since ancient times."

Light's interest was far beyond piqued by what he was learning, "And, what's the deal?"

"The price for having a Kami's eyes…is the price of equal exchange." He proceeded to clarify, "To gain the eyes, someone else may lose anything from their vision to their life, depending on the value those eyes have. For you, Light, someone dear to you would be sacrificed for that power."

Light tried not to think about that for a moment and asked, "Why does it vary?"

"Let's put it this way. Why do you want the eyes?" Ryuk opened the curtain and balcony door, and Light walked out to avoid suspicion, looking out as Ryuk flew down towards where the man following him was badly hidden. He laughed, "To find your stalker's name," he came back up, flying circles around Light, "And all of it boils down to at this moment wanting to save your own life. This could change later, but I don't see it doing so as long as L's in the picture. To protect your life, which is important to you, you will have to sacrifice the life of someone else you hold dear."

Light went back inside, closing the door and curtain, "And if there is nobody of equal value?"

"Then, the price will take any means necessary to become equal. If you're asking if the price could kill your entire family, then yes, I suppose it could if you're that self-centered, and the cost is that extreme."

"I see." Light looked back to the window behind the curtains, "And since you've made it clear you're not on anyone's side, you won't help me out. You wouldn't just give me the names of people I want rid of. Basically, you're saying that I can't simply borrow your powers. I'd have to pay for them."

"That's right. It's a key part of the code that all Kami are bound by. I'll say this once more. Sacrifice someone you hold dear, and I'll give you the eyes."

Light scoffed, "Here I would have thought you would just exchange for my soul," to which Ryuk shrugged in response,

"That would actually be the deal for most people, but you value your soul so little that you were ready to give it to me the second I appeared before you. Such a price wouldn't be satisfactory at all."

For a moment, Light thought about it, "If I agree, I'll know everyone's name just by looking at them. If I had that power, the notebook would only be easier to use." It was incredible power, but would he sacrifice someone he cared about... who was he kidding? He knew exactly who the sacrifice would be. This wasn't like the notebook and just doves and other animal transformations. This would be him actually condemning the one he cared about more than anything to death for his own gain. 

Could he sacrifice his father for this power?

"So, what'll it be, Light? Is it a deal?"

Chapter Text

While Light was silent for a few moments, it was more to mess with Ryuk than any actual moral debate. He narrowed his eyes a bit, "This deal is out of the question."

Ryuk seemed genuinely taken aback, "Huh?"

He crossed his arms and gave the Kami a condescending expression, "Let's get this straight. My plan is to create an ideal new world free from evil and all criminals, and part of the reason I'm doing this is because I want to have a relationship with my father for longer than a few minutes between sleep and work. Killing him defeats the purpose."

"I thought you were doing this because you're bored."

Light scoffed, "That too, but still, killing my father seems a little extreme when dealing with a minor annoyance." He got up and looked out the window, "Man, my stalker is bad at hiding. I have half a mind to go up to him and let him know he's doing a terrible job."

Ryuk laughed, coming over, "You didn't notice him before."

"I didn't think I'd be tailed so early on. I can deal with him easily in ways that don't involve sacrifices and doves."

Ryuk shrugged, "That's fair, but I've done my part. I don't need you complaining I didn't tell you early on."

"This is what you call telling me early on?! Don't you think you're a little late?" He put his hands on his hips, "I don't see why you couldn't have told me this when we met. Or better yet, you could've simply included it in the instructions for the notebook."

"Uh, good point." He grinned a bit, seeming almost impressed, "Of course, you're quite the peculiar human, so if I put in the default price, you'd give me crap about lying when I pointed out the price changes for you."

Light rolled his eyes, grabbing the notebook and heading over to his bed, "Well, you sure there's nothing  else  you want to tell me 'ahead of time?'" He laid down, staring at the ceiling, and Ryuk sat in a crisscross position while floating a few feet off the ground,

"No, nothing else..." in a quiet voice, he added, "Eh, probably."

Deciding to test what that 'probably' meant, Light sighed, "Really? That's too bad."

"Whaddya mean?"

He opened his eyes, turning lazily to Ryuk, "Changing the price around a bit would make things interesting for both of us, like wings for my firstborn. Just the idea of flying 'round freely in the sky sounds very god-like. After all, it's been mankind's dream since antiquity to be able to fly."

"You really think I would pull that Rumpelstiltskin crap? Besides, you'd stand out if you sprouted wings and flew around. Not to mention, the police would have no trouble finding you."

Light rolled his eyes, "I was only joking. Besides, I'm just a human using this notebook to make the world a better place for humans and a more interesting place overall." He flipped through the rules absently, seeing if there was anything he had missed. Even if his stalker could be disposed of easily, he was still a nuisance. His eyes settled on one and grinned, 

"That's it. I got it."

"Got what? What's this about?"

"An alibi," Light replied and perked up when he heard the door downstairs open, and he left his lamp on, checking to make sure his stalker was still there and just as badly hidden. He was. 

He hid the notebook and headed downstairs and sighed with relief when he noticed his father home and smiled shakily, "I'm surprised you're still up, Light."

"Yeah..." Light rubbed the back of his neck, making a show of acting timid, "Dad, I know I shouldn't be bothering you... but something's been going on, and I think I need your help. Do you mind?"

"Light, I'll always help you if you need it. What is it?" Light gestured upstairs and into his room, showing his father his stalker from the window, 

"This guy's been following me for the last few days and staying until I turn off my lamp. I think he tried to get to my balcony last night." He looked down, feigning shame, "I know I should probably handle it myself if I'm going to be an officer—"

"No," his father put his hands on Light's shoulders, "Listen to me, Light. You did the right thing in telling me. If it was a classmate, I trust you to take care of it, but this isn't a teenager. I'll deal with it." He left with clear anger in his eyes. 

Light watched with sadistic glee as he watched his father storm outside and begin shouting at this person, and he was surprised to see a fight almost break out before his father won and shoved the man into his car, and then drove away.

That probably wasn't police protocol, but Light did know that his father didn't always act rationally when his family's safety was on the line. He giggled a bit, waiting at the computer and waiting for the report of this person's name to come up.

Ryuk was cackling, "Now I see why you wouldn't kill your father. That was amazing."

Light continued to wait, and after an hour and quickly becoming tired, he was surprised to discover that not only did the name come up, it was under the Hachiman case. Raye Penber, FBI agent.

So I was right.

Well, there were easy ways to handle this now that he knew what he was dealing with, and his little experiments would prove to make this even easier.

He yawned and realized he had already stayed up later than he usually would, meaning he would probably need some coffee in the morning. The FBI was something to worry about later. It wasn't any concern to him. Besides, he would have to wait to act on this information, until the entire task force knew about the FBI, to keep as much suspicion off him as possible. He knew his father would never specify how exactly he found out about Raye, but there was no doubt L would know it was the Yagami family. 

It had been a risky move, but he could decrease the damage done if he was patient.

As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but imagine what kind of hell his father was going to put L through.

OoOoO

L groaned, hearing the outrage of the task force, and people quitting already. And if this crap week couldn't get any worse, Hachiman had started a new pattern over the last few days. Then a few hours ago, he heard the FBI was quitting altogether because they had gotten news that Hachiman had the information to turn the entire team into doves.

As infuriating as it was to hear that, the head of the FBI saying with a straight face and dead-serious tone that he didn't want his men turned into doves almost sent him into peels of laughter. He knew it was serious, but it was extremely hard to take seriously.

He laid on the floor in his hotel room, contemplating what had recently happened. Obviously, someone in the Yagami family tipped off Soichiro to the situation. From what he knew about them from superficial research, it was most likely either the wife or the daughter said something since the son just... there was something about that young man that made him want to look further into him.

So it was likely either Sachiko or Sayu Yagami pointed it out. From the very specific note in the file about Raye Penber being terrible at tailing people, he couldn't help but wonder what Naomi saw in the man since he had done a little digging into Raye Penber because what idiot gets himself caught while on a stealth mission.

Yet his gut feeling told him there was a chance the son had done it to subvert expectations. From the files he had gotten from Raye, Light Yagami was a normal high schooler, if not more focused on his studies than most kids his age, but that made sense given all the rewards the kid had. He was supposedly clear.

He shook that feeling off. When had his gut feeling failed him before? He would look into the idea Light was the one who tipped off his father. But what did that mean for the investigation? If someone was being followed for days by someone clearly older than them, anyone would be creeped out. It was perfectly reasonable in that situation for Light to ask his police officer father for help. If anything, it may have actually been more suspicious if Light proved to have known about being followed and  hadn't  asked for help.

He hadn't realized he tuned out the complaining task force until he turned and noticed there were only six people left. Damn, that was fast. He had expected that to happen, but not so soon.

Well, this did mean he would have to show his face to them to capture Hachiman. He groaned a bit at the idea but typed out the instructions and the address, waiting to see how many more people would leave before arriving at the hotel.

Instructions given, L got up and looked out the window at the city below, absently popping his knuckles as he looked up at the stars and noticed a few birds fly across the moon. How many of them had once been human? Were these people who had been turned aware of what happened? He didn't want to find out firsthand.

Hachiman, it seems we're getting closer to each other in equal steps. It's only a matter of time before we collide. So be it. I'm ready to show my face. I'll make my first public appearance as L. If you ever manage to find out about these secret meetings, I'm sure you'd feel compelled to move in. That's what I'm counting on.

After a while, he heard the knock on the door, signaling the arrival of the task force, "It's open!" he called, taking a deep breath and ready to begin the real battle.

Chapter Text

"I want to tell you I am L."

Light's mind completely froze hearing that, and he was glad to have not been looking at L with how rattled the whole thing made him.

I-It couldn't be! What is he talking about?! There's no way that L would say that he's L. I thought he was weird, but is he actually insane?

No, seriously, was this man insane? It was a question he had been wondering for quite a while with the cameras monitoring his family he had gotten around a few months ago. The fact he took this case at all involving people turning into doves in the first place—it also made him question the mental health of the task force that they had nothing to lose to the point that potentially becoming a dove was fine—was concerning too.

But  this?!  What kind of masochistic bastard would come up to a likely suspect of turning people into doves and just admit it?

He felt mild relief that his sheer confusion at the whole thing overpowered any horror or shock he felt, but he decided to admit his concern, whisper-shouting, "Are you insane?!"

Ryuga, L, whoever he was, blinked, "Hm?"

"Don't get me wrong," Light said with complete exasperation that was more genuine than even he had expected, "If you truly are who you say you are, I respect and admire you, don't get me wrong. However, was it really wise to say that in a crowded room?" He gestured around them at the students who were honestly not paying attention, but could be, "Hachiman could be here, you know."

Well, this guy may not be the real L and just a body double. But something told Light in his gut that this crazy man was the real L. Not that it mattered because Light realized suddenly, like a slap in the face, why L had appeared here and admitted who he was.

I can't do anything to him! If what he's saying is true, he's probably already shown his face to my father. If he mysteriously disappears as soon as he reveals himself to me, it would immediately cast suspicion.

And he's using an obvious alias like "Hideki Ryuga." Suppose his name really isn't Hideki Ryuga, and I try to make him disappear by writing his name in the notebook. Even if I get lucky and it somehow is his name, I'm likely going to think about the pop star. Assuming Sayu doesn't kill me first for accidentally turning one of her idols into a dove, L will be able to infer I'm Hachiman as well.

He paused for a moment after thinking that and had to suppress a giggle. If someone had told him a few months ago that he would unironically imagine being murdered by his sister for turning a man into a dove, he would have told that person to sober up.

He glanced at the supposed detective again...he was kinda cute. When he wasn't clouded by the initial alarm or confusion, he could appreciate there was something about this guy he liked. Then he wondered what the hell was wrong with him for looking at a man who didn't seem to know the definition of self-care and think, "hm, I would date that." 

Regardless, something about his appearance screamed that he was the real L and served to do the exact opposite. He didn't know what he had imagined L to be, but it certainly wasn't an unkempt young man probably not much older than him. But when he thought about that, it also made sense to subvert expectation.

But that wasn't the big issue here. Light couldn't trust his gut on this one.  Is he really L? And, more importantly, does he suspect that I'm Hachiman? I don't know how much he knows, but I'm sure he suspects me. There's no other reason for him to tell Soichiro Yagami's son that he's L. Does this mean that he's still focusing on the people that Raye Penber was investigating after I busted his ass? But why would L approach me directly, especially since it was already stated it was pretty obvious why anyone would think Raye was a creepy stalker and not an FBI agent?

Whether he was L or not, he was definitely watching to see Light's reactions, so he did his best to keep his mind relatively blank, and he looked over to probably-L, "So why did you tell me this, of all people?"

"I revealed myself because I think that you can be of help in solving the Hachiman case," L explained, "I noticed you've assisted in solving cases for the NPA in the past. Besides," he giggled, "This one's fun, and I suspected you would be bored from regular life."

Light's interested piqued, "I won't deny chasing after a mythical God with doves does sound fun, but I personally prefer being a human being, thanks."

"So is that a no?"

"I didn't say that. I'll think about it."

...

L blinked a few times, processing how nonchalant Light Yagami was after the initial shock. Of course, this meant absolutely nothing because if he was Hachiman, he likely knew full well L couldn't exactly do anything to him—he had known them for months and  still  wondered why the task force agreed to help him—so he didn't need to be concerned.

Light Yagami... The probability that you are Hachiman was just under five percent moments ago and moved down to three. But out of everyone we were watching, I sensed something from you. You were too perfect. The only thing I could pinpoint about you is that you're probably gay in denial from the way you were looking at that porn magazine.

It had rattled him more than he had let on for Light to call him out for the risky move. The Hachiman percentage had lowered slightly from that, so why couldn't he shake the gut feeling there was more to Light Yagami than met the eye? One fraction of a conversation revealed more about the young man than the cameras had, so what else could he uncover if he stayed close to Light?

OoOoO

The entrance ceremony went on for a while, so Light passed the time making small talk with L. After all, most people deep down hated small talk, but Light had mastered the skill, so perhaps he had just done it to be petty.

Nevertheless, probably-L didn't seem to mind it and left with him while they laughed together. Pettiness and potential nemesis aside, he was actually good company, especially if he was the real L and was actually mentally stimulating.

L relaxed a bit, noticing an expensive car waiting for him that had other kids around them gawking, "It was nice to meet you."

Light grinned, "No, the pleasure was all mine. I'll see you around campus?" L nodded and got in the car, so Light walked home, thinking about his next course of action while Ryuk floating behind him and stole an apple, careful to make sure nobody was watching as he did so.

When he got home, Sayu watched television on the couch, and her face lit up to see him, "Welcome home! How was the ceremony?"

"It was much more interesting than expected. I think I may have made a friend." Sayu looked as though someone told her something earth-shattering.

"You? Going out of your way to make a friend? This quickly?" She pressed a hand to his forehead, "Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?!"

"I wouldn't say I went out of my way," Light replied with a smirk, and Sayu relaxed, "He approached me first."

"Ah, so business as usual."

"Yeah," he went to go upstairs, "I'm probably going to read for a bit. Social interaction is draining."

Sayu rolled her eyes, "You and your precious alone time. I'll never understand it. So I should just tell Mom not to bother you until dinner?"

"Please." He headed upstairs and sat down at his desk chair, taking a deep breath before his self-control took the next bus out, and he started laughing hysterically.

Ryuk looked at him in concern, thinking about other times Light had cracked like this. "Uh...Light-o, you weren't around people for  that  long. Are you okay?" 

After a few moments, Light managed to force himself to relax because it felt like something in his stomach would rupture if he continued. "Don't you understand what just happened, Ryuk? L approached me."

"Is this about the alias?" Ryuk asked, "You can always take the eye deal with me and just make him disappear." Light rolled his eyes,

"And what good will that do? If Dad dies and L or his body double disappears right after L met with me, I might as well have a neon sign on my forehead saying I'm Hachiman." He pursed his lips, "Kami messing with nature is different from humans doing it. But here's the thing: do I really have to be rid of him in such a hurry?"

"Huh?"

"What can L do to me?" He asked, "Perhaps illegal human experimentation or body modification is a charge he could use. However, he also has a large portion of Japan to contend with. The only reason his investigation is being tolerated is that people in this day and age want to know. But once L does that, the people will still worship me as their God, and any harm to come to me is too great of a risk for L. Besides, it will benefit me if my goal is in no way to be rid of him."

Ryuk sat down on the bed, leaning forward with interest, "Oh?"

"L expects me to be plotting to get rid of him," Light explained, "But he's of no true threat to me, so why would I bother? And if he sees I truly mean him no harm, he'll drop suspicion eventually. It will be less stressful as well, as even if I do know it's him and take the eyes, it's too late. No matter what, if L disappears, I'll cast suspicion on myself, and that's inevitable stress." He put a finger under his chin as he thought to himself.  I underestimated him... I never thought that I would come up to me and say, "I'm L!" It was a good move.

"So you're not going to get rid of him?" Ryuk asked, "Then what's all the planning been for?"

"Oh, no," Light corrected, "I merely meant I'm in no rush to be rid of him. I can take my time and wait for the prime opportunity to strike. For now, there's nothing to worry about. This proves that they don't have anything on me... It's a contest between L and me. It's a game of wits!" He leaned back in his chair, imagining in perhaps too much detail how everything would work out. "On the surface, we'll be friendly classmates on campus. In reality, we'll be investigating each other, determining the other's identity."

This will be fun, Ryuga. If it's a friendship you want from me, I'll gladly accept. I'll make you trust me... And once I've pulled everything out of you, I don't think letting you become a dove is good enough. I have something special planned for you.

Chapter Text

L watched the caged bird Watari had brought into headquarters. It wasn't incredibly relevant, but the task force had collectively decided they wanted to know what exactly they were getting themselves into and determining whether the birds and any sign of having been human at some point.

"Do I want to know how you managed to capture a dove?" Aizawa asked, and L shrugged,

"I asked Watari to collect one of the doves instead of releasing it into the wild as per the new protocol for doves." He crossed his arms, "So our goal today is to determine what Hachiman's limits, be it in power or ethics, are and what would happen if one of us were to be unlucky." He walked over to the whiteboard he had set up in the room, "So what do we know about Hachiman besides the obvious doves? More specifically," he divided the board in half, labeling each side for their intended purpose, "What  can't  he do?"

Watari took the bird, "I will run some tests to determine if this bird has any traces of a human mind."

"Remember to be nice to it!" Matsuda called. L turned to Soichiro,

"Yagami-San, I was planning to invite your son onto the task force. We may be able to multitask in finding a lead to Hachiman and determining his limits this way. Light-Kun is concerned about maintaining his humanity, so I would not be putting him at risk as anything more than meeting with us."

Soichiro seemed conflicted for a few moments before finally replying, "If Light wants to join the task force, I won't stop him from doing so."

"Alright," he decided to ask, "On an unrelated note, have you noticed any changes in behavior from Light?" He had done a bit of research on Light with his hunch that the young man was somehow Hachiman. One thing he noticed quickly was in every photo he could find, even of him winning awards, he never seemed happy. He would smile, but it was always practiced. If anything, L would have assumed that Light was suffering from depression.

That wasn't the Light Yagami he had met for the last two weeks. He seemed overall pretty content with his life, which was a little strange given the kind of case his father was on.

Soichiro's brow furrowed at the question, "I haven't seen much of him lately. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No," he assured the chief, "I simply noticed he's a lot more relaxed than I had expected."

"Well, college isn't overly difficult and he's able to choose his own classes," Soichiro pointed out, "I do know he's always had problems with boredom."

Boredom? L thought about it. A sudden alleviation of boredom would explain why he seemed to be much happier now, but for someone as brilliant as Light, what had caused this? He highly doubted choosing classes caused that, since in the handful he had gone to with Light, he still seemed bored during them.

He would have to keep an eye on Light to determine what had been the case of less boredom. He checked the time, realizing he had agreed to meet Light for lunch.

"I shall return shortly. While I am gone, research into instances with the doves to determine what Hachman's limits are."

He found Light at the cafe waiting for him and reading a book. L had to admit, Light Yagami was pretty attractive, and he was fun to be around. It wasn't like L could arrest Hachiman anyway, so if it turned out to be Light, maybe he could just inform him of L's tendency to keep criminals around to work with when he needed it.

Aiber had already said "Ha! No," in the most polite way possible when asked if he was interested in joining this investigation, and L supposed that made sense. If this was simply putting their lives on the line, he'd force the issue, but something about the sheer ridiculousness of being a dove and that this wasn't a crime, made him feel it was understandable to think anyone who took this case was insane.

"What are you reading, Light-Kun?" L asked, and Light looked up,

"Furies of Calderon.  It's one of Mom's favorite books, and she said I'd like it." He gestured to it, "So I decided to read it today." He bookmarked his page and put it in his bag, "So what have you been doing?"

"Before I answer, do you mind if I perform a quick evaluation on you?" He sighed, "After being around the task force for a few months, I am genuinely concerned the people on my team are seeking death or close enough."

Light pursed his lips, "I wish I could argue with that assessment, but from the handful of times I've met everyone on the task force, and with what I know about my father, that tracks."

"Alright, so first off, do you have a history with depression or suicidal thinking?"

Light fell quiet for a moment as though considering how he was going to answer. "I wouldn't say suicidal thoughts and more indifference for a while. I guess I matched the symptoms of depression." He shrugged, "It was mostly being extremely bored with the world."

L cocked his head. He hadn't expected Light to specify that much, and his body language said he was completely honest as well.

"Would you say that's changed?"

"Well, yeah," Light replied, "I read some self-help books and tried to look on the bright side of things, and now Hachiman is handling criminals in the most ridiculous way possible, so Dad might be home more and I can always have a good laugh."

"So you support Hachiman?" L asked, and Light hesitated,

"Don't go assuming I  support  turning people into doves. But if I had to choose between my father working himself to death on something that would never change or him being home more due to a humorous solution to the crime rate...I have to choose to have Dad home more. Does that make more sense?"

L didn't want to admit he didn't understand nearly as much as he probably should. He tried to think of it from the perspective of if Watari was overworked, but L had already gamed the stock market to ensure Watari didn't have to work a day in his life if he didn't want to. As much as he wanted to understand Light's approach that was far more sensical than L would have expected, he just didn't.

Did Soichiro know how much his son loved him? To prefer having Hachiman around if it meant life would be easier for him. But he also realized this may make recruiting Light harder if being rid of Hachiman meant his father would have to work more.

...

The best way to deceive someone was to tell them the truth.

Light already saw the gears working in L's head as he tried to determine what Light's confession meant for the percentage he was Hachiman. Perhaps he would be more careful if there were actual stakes if he were caught, but he was considered a God and what he was doing wasn't technically illegal. 

He already knew his father was in this because human experimentation was unethical. The others were borderline suicidal and would do just about anything to escape the torments of their lives. All he really had to do was pinpoint if he could fix those problems, and that would just leave Dad and L. Perhaps then he could talk Dad into backing down.

What would even happen if L caught him? He was only here because he was curious, and that much was obvious. He may say he was here for justice or investigation for the good of humanity, but he was just as bored as Light had been. In the long run, he was by no means a true threat.

Deep down, Light was fully aware that what he was doing was messed up to some degree. But if he had to calm Dad through another panic attack in the early hours of the morning when work became too much to handle, he may lose it. Ridding the world of criminal scum was worth it and provided him great amusement.

Ryuk sat between them on the other side of the table, grumbling about how he couldn't eat any of the treats with L here. "Can you two just go do whatever it is you do?" He complained, "Movies say something about going behind the bleachers, and I have no idea what that means, but do that if it leaves me alone with this apple pie."

He knew the Kami had no idea what he was saying, but Light had to cough into a napkin to hide the furious shade of red he was positive his face turned.

L frowned, "Light-Kun, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just choked on my water a bit," he replied, "So, do you want to get out of here for a bit? We could always play tennis if you had fun the other day."

L brightened considerably. "I'd love that, Light-Kun."

OoOoO

L managed to talk Light into coming to headquarters with him that night to discuss possibilities of Hachiman's limitations. Today had been a long and tiring day of human interaction, but it was nice to know he spent that time with an intellectual equal who gave him another perspective on the Hachiman situation.

But when they got back to headquarters, instead of getting to work on determining what they were up against, Ukita pulled them over to where everyone else was crowded around the television as though something important was happening that impacted the case. But why would that be? "Ryuzaki, thank god you got here."

"Why?" L asked, "What's going on?" His eyes widened in shock as he saw what was playing on the broadcast, and when he turned to Light to see his thoughts, he seemed completely horrified as well.

"In other words," the news broadcaster said, "We are being held hostage by a new goddess to reveal herself, Benzaiten. Please understand this is not a hoax and that we are not broadcasting these tapes purely for sensationalism."

"A new goddess?!" Light asked in genuine shock, and Aizawa ran a hand through his hair,

"First Hachiman and now this?!" They all continued to listen in concern at what was being reported. 

"Four days ago, our program director was sent these four tapes. Without a doubt, they were sent by Benzaiten. As predicted, every person listed became a white snake at the set time. The fourth tape foretells another instance such as this to prove her power and also contains a message to people all over the world. Please watch."

The video changed to a fancy font with the word "Benzaiten" on it in fancy gold font with a white background, and a female voice through a voice scrambler came on.

"I am Benzaiten. If this video was aired on April 18th, at exactly 5:59 PM, the time now is 5:59:47... 48... 49... Please change the channel to Taiyo TV. The anchor, Mr. Kazuhiko Hibima, will become a white snake at exactly six o'clock."

"Change it!" L ordered, and Mogi obeyed. What they saw horrified everyone as, just as Benzaiten said, there was a white snake in place of the news anchor.

...

Someone else had the notebook and had done her homework to maintain the ruse of being a Kami. That meant this person was by no means stupid, but it also threw a wrench into his plans as he had no idea if Benzaiten was working with him or against him.

His eyes widened as he saw the white snake, and Ryuk laughed beside him, destroying any semblance of denial that Light had about the situation at hand, trying to keep the reason for his concern from being too apparent to anyone else. 

It can't be!

Chapter Text

Light and L looked at each other, completely stunned at what was happening. Who was this Benzaiten? Light decided to count his blessings that she was going in a completely different direction than him, using snakes instead of doves. That way, if she did something to anger people or turned out to be downright evil and just copying his methods, Hachiman would have deniability.

L snapped out of his shock after a few moments as he suddenly processed what Benzaiten was saying. "Stop this broadcast! Get Sakura TV on the line!" The task force scrambled to the phones.

"It's no good." Aizawa said, "No one I know at the station has their cell phones on."

Matsuda turned away from his phone. "The lines at the station are all busy—!"

"Damn!" Ukita ran toward the door.

"Ukita!" Aizawa hurried to the door to try and stop him, but Ukita was faster and was already heading out the door.

"I'll go to the station and stop this at the source!"

"Wait!" Dad grabbed Aizawa's shoulder firmly enough to keep him from trying to go after Ukita.

"Aizawa, I'll go after him." He spun Aizawa to look into his eyes. "I need you to stay here, and stay safe. Maybe call Ide to make sure he's safe as well." Light's eyes widened.

"Wait, Dad, you're going after him?! You could be—"

"I know." Dad gave him a surprisingly smarmy smile. "But if there's one thing I learned as a child, it's getting into places without being seen." He took off after Ukita, and Light bit his lip. He really didn't want to make that phone call to Mom if Dad... 

"Everyone, please listen to me," Benzaiten said, "I don't want to kill the innocent. I hate evil and love justice. I consider the police as allies and not my enemy."

L gritted his teeth, and Light looked down at him. "L?"

"I really don't like how Benzaiten operates," L said simply. "It's not like Hachiman."

Light paused. "And...And you like how Hachiman operates?"

"In a sense," L replied. "He has standards and lets us guess what his goal is, none of this preaching nonsense. Not to mention Hachiman only goes after criminals, not just those who go against him." He gestured to the broadcast as Watari brought in another TV so they could see what was going on at Sakura TV.

"I intend to create a world without evil." Benzaiten said. "If everyone cooperates, this will be simple. If no one tries to catch me, the innocent will not suffer. Even if you don't agree with me, keep your sentiments to yourself. Do not broadcast it, and I won't kill you. Please be patient. I will create a better world for everyone. I will change this tainted world into a new one where only kind people live. Imagine it."

"See," L glanced up at Light. "Benzaiten contradicted herself. A better world should include the right to free speech, but at the same time attacks those who question her." He poured himself some tea. "I can't tell quite yet if this is an act of stupidity or intentional malice."

Light nodded, but then he noticed on one of the televisions, Ukita was standing in front of the door. "Huh?! Where's Dad?!"

Aizawa was on the phone with probably Ide when he turned and watched like everyone else as Ukita became a white snake. Light threw a hand over his mouth as Aizawa processed what he had just seen.

"U-Ukita! Damn it!" He went running out the door, but L called out to him.

"Aizawa-San. Where are you going?"

"Where Ukita is, of course!" 

But Light wasn't hearing any of the conversations as he glanced towards Ryuk, who seemed just as concerned as he was. If Benzaiten had been able to take out Ukita, and as Light watched, more officers appeared and met the same fate, she must have taken the eyes. But it was the price of equal exchange...

What had Benzaiten sacrificed in the process of getting the eyes? Given the events in front of him, Light wasn't sure he wanted to know. He had considered working with her for the new world, but she was clearly taking this far more seriously than he was, and that wasn't a good thing.

He turned back to where Aizawa and L were arguing, and he noticed Matsuda was panicking.

"Our aliases and fake police ID are pointless! What are we going to do, L? You don't think Benzaiten knows our names already, right?" 

"That may be so." L said. "If that is the case, it would be a lot easier to take out all those who are investigating him before making a move. I deduced that she needed a face and a name, but from what we just saw, she may only need a face. All I can say is that Benzaiten is within that television station or is in a place where she can watch who enters the building."

"If Benzaiten is in that area, isn't that more of a reason to go?!" Aizawa asked, and Light decided to chime in.

"Maybe they have a different powerset?" He offered. "Hachiman might have to doves and need a name and a face, while Benzaiten only needs a face and has snakes? Small variations in that would make sense, even if they somehow get their power from the same place."

L smiled. "Exactly my thinking, Light-Kun. We don't know for sure Hachiman's limits, and therefore it stands to reason there could be small but crucial differences in their powers." He turned to Aizawa. "That is another reason we must be incredibly careful. "Benzaiten may have only placed surveillance cameras in the area. If we go there unprepared, we'll just..." he gestured to the snakes that were slithering around and heading into bushes.

"You said that you were risking everything to catch Hachiman, didn't you?!" Aizawa grabbed him, and L's whole body froze. Light noticed Aizawa's microexpressions that made it clear this was simply lashing out from grief. He tried the trick Dad had done in exactly where he grabbed Aizawa's shoulder, which caused his entire body to freeze.

What would Dad do? Dad wasn't here right now, and Light could only hope he was alright, but it did mean he had to take charge. Dad would know how to calm down someone like this.

Comforting words weren't something he was best at, and he knew if he tried, he would sound like a bad imitation. So he just pulled Aizawa into a hug in hopes that would work decently enough for talking.

"Please control yourself." L said after a few moments, his bangs curtaining off his eyes. "We lost Ukita, and if something were to happen to you as well..." He turned back to the Benzaiten announcement, and Light cringed at the words said.

"I want the police to tell me whether or not they will help me create a new world. Please make an announcement on the six o'clock news in four days. I have prepared a video for whichever answer you choose."

L was right. This one was  much  dumber and didn't seem to understand how harming innocents and tearing apart free speech directly contradicted the peaceful world that Hachiman sought to make. She may also be downright evil, but stupidity may be easier to deal with if Light could take advantage of the situation.

He snapped up when he saw a police van crash directly into the building. "This just in! A vehicle has just crashed into the Sakura TV studios!" It had to be Dad! Still, Light blinked as everyone else watched with varying bemused expressions. 

"That's one way to get into the building without being seen."

L looked to Aizawa. "Aizawa-San. You know Deputy Director Kitamura's cell phone number, don't you?" Aizawa pulled away from Light and reluctantly handed him the phone once the number had been dialed, and L took the phone.

"This is L. I want you to do something for me. Watch the news. You will see the police officers who are fighting hard to bring Benzaiten to justice. If you don't take control of them as their superior, we'll have a tragedy on our hands."

Light didn't know what was being said on the other end, but L narrowed his eyes in the direction of the television as more officers met the same fate as Ukita and reporters announced.

"Oh no! Two of the police officers who rushed forward have collapsed! We're going to move away from here!"

Watari walked over from where he was standing at the far wall, handing the phone to Light, as L was busy. "It's from your father."

Light snatched the phone. "Dad! I'm glad you're alright."

"I tried to catch up to Ukita, but he was already when I got there..."  he heard a choked sound from Dad,  "So I used the police van to barge in to get this mission done. I've confiscated the tapes and will bring them to you and Ryuzaki—oh, hi, Ukita."

"Wait, hold on, Ukita's—?!"

"Well, a white snake followed me inside and climbed up my leg when I said Ukita, so I've decided to assume."

Light pursed his lips, unsure of how to take that information. He had tried really hard to not think about implications such as that, so he pushed that into the back of his mind and prayed it would never resurface.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright, Dad."

"So what should I do?"  Dad asked.  "I think going out from the front would be dangerous. But maybe I'll be all right in that van." 

"Just a second, Dad," Light said. "L's getting that handled right now." He looked to L. "It was Dad who crashed into the building. Do you have a plan?"

"Indeed. Tell your father to come out of the front entrance in five minutes."

Light frowned but relayed this information to Dad, who was just as concerned as he was.  "Come out of the front entrance?!" 

"Maybe find something to cover your face with just in case." Dad hung up, and Light slumped in a chair as his mind raced, trying to figure out what they would do about this.

Another Kami had come to the human world and passed a notebook to someone who, to some degree, endorsed Hachiman. But what Benzaiten's goals truly were was yet to be determined. Thankfully, his own reputation wasn't in danger, but Benzaiten was taking this situation far too seriously, and it was going to lead to unnecessary situations.

He had to learn who this was and what the price had been for the eyes. Light remembered Ryuk mentioning it varied depending on what was considered an equal price for the person wanting the eyes. So that was the best way to find out what kind of person this was. No matter what, Benzaiten was far more powerful than him, and he needed to be careful regarding that.

If Benzaiten slipped up and was caught, the notebook would be discovered...that could be bad. It would be a too common point and destroy the idea they got their powers from different places. He would need to ask Ryuk about any information he didn't know yet.

The door opened, and Dad came in with Officer Ide and a bag and a white snake wrapped around his arm.

"Ide!" Aizawa hurried over to him, and they held each other in an embrace for a few long moments. "I thought you didn't trust L."

"I don't." Ide replied. "I mostly came to ensure the Chief came back safely since he was on the brink of passing out, and to check on you." He gestured to where Soichiro was sitting on the couch, resting. "I'll be leaving shortly."

Light noticed L had his back to Ide and was sitting in front of Dad, who was offered a glass of water. He was shaking slightly.

"Ryuzaki... I'm sorry for acting on my own. It seems I got too emotional..."

"Not at all," L assured him, and he noticed the snake attached to his arm. "Hm. Perhaps they do maintain their human minds... The current theory is they maintain their human minds for a short period before losing it."

"I don't..." Dad held his water glass in a death grip. "I don't need to hear about this right now." He passed the bag to Light and L. The tapes and envelopes that were sent are all in here. Please allow me to rest for a moment."

L got up and brought Light to the far window. "We will ensure your father's efforts are not in vain." He glanced at it, and Light noticed the Osaka postmark, filing that information away to use later to find Benzaiten.

L noticed the postmark and passed the bag to Aizawa once Ide had left upon being satisfied that everyone was okay.

"Could you take this to the crime lab?" He asked, and Aizawa nodded, eyeing the snake but deciding to say nothing.

"I have a lot of contacts in the lab. I'll be sure to check this out thoroughly." L nodded.

"Please do. I shall check the contents of the duplicate tapes," he glanced at Light. "Would you like to join me, Light-Kun? Or would you prefer to take your father home?"

Light tensed. He didn't want to admit to L that he couldn't drive. There were too many idiots in the world for him to be comfortable on the road. Thankfully, Matsuda chimed in.

"I'll take the Chief home, Light! You can stay here with L." Dad nodded.

"I'll be fine, Light. You can stay here, but only if you want to." Light took a deep breath. He did want to spend time with L, and this would help him get a feel for what he would expect from Benzaiten.

"Well, L, let's go!"

OoOoO

Rem looked down at the pajamas she had been given. She was a Kami, supposed to be one of the most powerful beings in existence, and this girl just... gave her pajamas and said it would be a sleepover?

"Your hair is so tangled, Rem," Misa said, brushing it and putting it in a fancy braid. Rem glanced up at the young human.

"I gave you a notebook, so why don't you use it more for yourself?" 

Misa paused, silver eyes from the deal she made twinking in the lights around her room. "I am using it for myself because I believe in what Hachiman is doing. I want to know what kind of person he is. I want to meet and talk to him." She slumped a bit. "Sara did always say she wanted me to be happy, so if I give up now, then my sacrifice would be for nothing!"

"Right..." Rem nodded, noticing the television and people still talking about tonight's events. "So all of this was to get Hachiman's attention, correct?"

"That's right! I bet that got Hachiman's attention. I'm sure of it."

"This is a dangerous game." Rem warned her. "Humans always retaliate against what they don't understand. You may be killed or suffer a fate far worse. Do you understand?" Misa only gave a nonchalant gesture as she got up to turn up the television.

"It's all right." Misa assured her. "I'm sure that Hachiman is kind to those with pure hearts. And if it comes down to it, I'm stronger because I have the eyes. Now," she giggled. "Let's see how the police react to my ultimatum."

Chapter Text

Nobody except Soichiro had gone home the night prior, collectively deciding that sleep was pointless once they had watched the tapes. Soichiro probably would have stayed regardless of the stress and exhaustion he was dealing with, his health be damned, if he had known about the ultimatum they had found.

The Director-General or L was required to be sacrificed. Light grimaced as he glanced at L to see how he was processing this. Benzaiten was taking this whole situation far too seriously. Light found himself surprised that anybody  could  take turning people into doves seriously.

Ukita had a tank of his own now in the corner of the hotel, but nobody bothered to keep him in there, as he was currently wrapped around Aizawa's arm. Aizawa's expression had been pained, and he hadn't done anything to remove the snake.

"The situation is less than ideal," L mused. "I must say, it's somewhat troubling to see Benzaiten as an actual threat. This situation was ridiculous before, especially since Hachiman doesn't appear dangerous to those trying to catch him, but now wth Benzaiten taking it seriously..."

"Couldn't this prove that both of them are actually human?" Matsuda asked, but Light thought back to what Ryuk had told him those months ago.

"Kami are of two minds," Light mused aloud as he tried to recall exactly what Ryuk had said. "They can nurture and love when respected, or they can cause destruction and disharmony when disregarded. Kami must be appeased to gain their favor and avoid their wrath. They also possess two souls, one gentle and the other assertive. Some Kami even have two additional hidden souls: one happy and one mysterious."

Ryuk laughed, "That's right. You're getting the hang of this, Light-o."

L hummed a bit as he took in that information. "I'm confident that Hachiman and Benzaiten are indeed human, but that information Light-Kun provides means that the populous will assume Benzaiten is simply far more assertive and feels disregarded."

"Right," Mogi muttered. "I can't help but wonder..."

"Hm?" L blinked. "Mogi-San, do tell what you're wondering."

"Benzaiten introduced herself, and Hachiman didn't," Mogi replied. "At first I thought it was just in relation to what God lines up with the animal they use, but maybe we could find some hint to Benzaiten's identity in the name?"

"I doubt we would find anything too revealing," L said, "But that's actually a good place to start in terms of determining possible suspects. Light-Kun," Light glanced over at the detective. "While the others do research, our goal is first to stop Benzaiten and this ultimatum. She obviously sympathizes with Hachiman but seemingly lacks the sophistication. Seeing as this is likely not the real Goddess, I believe she will obey Hachiman. So if we make a fake message from Hachiman, there is a good chance that we can stop her."

Light nodded, "I agree that's a good idea. If we show that this situation is not nearly as serious, maybe that will make it less dangerous to go after her."

L smiled. "Light… I would like you to play the part of Hachiman."

Light blinked, finding himself not surprised in the slightest with how it seemed L suspected him that he would test Light like this. But instead of being mad, he laughed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. I might have to do a bit of refreshing on myths, but I think I'll have fun with this."

"At any rate, we don't have any time to waste." L said as he stood up. "I'll help with your research, but could you script a message from Hachiman to air on tonight's news?"

He had to fight the blossoming grin on his face at the idea of doing this with L. It wouldn't do if he seemed too eager to do this, after all. "Let's do it."

OoOoO

Misa beamed as she turned on the television, seeing Hachiman had responded. "I did it! He responded."

She didn't even pay attention to what he was saying as she dug into her nightstand to find another tape to send to him, glancing at the caged dove she had on her nightstand. It had taken some paperwork, but she managed to keep that bastard who murdered her parents as a pet, so he now sat on her dresser or wherever she decided to keep him. A constant reminder of what Hachiman had done for her.

"What are you planning to do?" Rem asked, looking in the mirror at her braids as she glanced back at Misa. Misa turned back to her Kami companion.

"I'm going to reply to him, of course!" She paused as she thought about all the things she wanted to tell him, and she glanced at the azurite gem on Rem's head, woven into a tiara that couldn't be removed. "Hey, Rem. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Where did my notebook come from?" She asked. "You mentioned that Kami always has to have a notebook. So to give one to a human to play with, the Kami needs to have two notebooks… That means that Ryuk, who gave the extra notebook to Hachiman, could trick the King and get two, right?"

"That's right," Rem said. "But it is not a common occurance, as the King is hard to fool."

"Then how?" Misa asked.

Rem paused as she tried to think of how to answer the question. "I'll just say... I'm one of the few who know how to kill a Kami." She sighed. "I just happened to be around when a Kami died, and decided it would be best to give the notebook left behind to you."

Misa leaned forward, eyes twinkling with curiosity. "So, tell me how to kill a Kami."

Rem considered it for a few moments before smiling. "Don't tell anyone, okay?" Misa nodded, so Rem explained. "The way to kill a Kami… is to make them fall in love with a human."

"What a beautiful way to kill..." Misa breathed, becoming enraptured in Rem's tale, seeing Rem's eyes become distant as though she recalled a fond memory.

"There once was a Kami named Gelus who used to watch a girl from our realm. Gelus was always looking at that girl, and when the day came that she would die, I wanted to know and decided to watch with him. The girl was walking alone at night on the street. And then… from an alley, a man appeared and confessed his love for the girl. It was a man she didn't know. The girl turned him down, of course."

Misa's eyes widened as she realized she was the girl in the story. She remembered that night as though it were yesterday. And she noticed Rem's soft smile turn to a grimace.

"Gelus did something that Kami should never do, in using the notebook to save the girl. See, we are meant to accept the balance of life and death, and saving the life of one human alters the natural order in ways it should never have been altered; it ripples and changes the lives of other humans from how it is meant to be. As punishment, Gelus became something that was neither sand nor rust and died, with only his notebook left."

Misa gasped softly, but then she smirked teasingly. "It kinda sounds like you're saying him saving me was nothing good."

"I can't say," Rem replied, "Personally, I do not mind the sacrifice Gelus made, but that does not mean I would die to save your life."

"Well then," she slipped some gloves on to handle her tapes. "Looks like that means my fate is in my hands now. And now I have something I can tell Hachiman. I wonder if he knows?" She considered what to say. "Well, I'll save that for when we meet each other. I'll ask him to think of a way on this next message."

OoOoO

He couldn't get any help from Benzaiten.

As Light sat down for breakfast before school started, he rubbed his temples as he tried to process the tape that had come in last night. Not only had she mentioned the eyes of a Kami, but the existence of Kami altogether and made it pretty clear that Benzaiten herself was not a Kami. While the investigative team already knew that, Light knew the implication that this provided was dangerous.

He had never actually panicked during his time as Hachiman before now. Benzaiten said she would follow orders and wouldn't hurt him, but she wanted to meet up. He didn't want to think about what other information she would reveal if it meant getting close to him. He had already been concerned when he realized she had the eyes, especially given what that price could have been, but now with the willingness to reveal secret information...

L was going to let Hachiman and Benzaiten sort it out themselves, but Light knew well enough that it was a trap to obtain physical evidence. Not to mention, if Benzaiten made a fatal slip-up and was caught by the police, there was a chance that the police would find out about the notebook.

So what should I do? How can I contact Benzaiten without L noticing? But at any rate… What kind of a person are you, Benzaiten?

As he picked at his food, Light noticed Ryuk suddenly look behind him with wide eyes before trying to suppress a laugh. "What is it?" Light looked behind him and just noticed a girl had sat in the booth. He glanced back at Ryuk, who now had a poker face. Had he imagined Ryuk's shocked expression?

He needed to know who that girl was, just in case his gut feeling that she was important turned out to be true. So he got up as though headed to the restroom and subtly tripped himself, so he fell close to her table, but not too close as to make her realize he was intentionally getting her attention.

Sure enough, she got up quickly and hurried over to help him up. "Are you alright?" Their eyes met, and they both gasped at the sight of the other. Light because he saw the silver of this girl's eyes—the sign of the eye deal—and Misa because she couldn't see his lifespan.

Light gulped as he stood up. "Yeah, I'm alright, Miss...?"

"Misa Amane," she said cheerfully, grabbing her sundae and gesturing to his booth where he was sitting alone. "Do you mind if I join you? I think you and I have some things to talk about."

Light nodded as she sat down, and he glanced at Ryuk, who waved at someone Light couldn't see, and he assumed it was Misa's Kami. "Yeah...I guess we do."

Chapter Text

Light and Misa sat in silence for only a few moments before Misa perked up, resting her chin against her hand as she smiled sweetly at him. "I'm glad I decided to come here today. What luck!" She examined him for a few moments, and her smile turned into a slight smirk. "I knew it! You didn't take the eye deal."

"I haven't needed to," Light replied. "I am glad I was able to find you here. I've been trying to think of a way to get in contact without the police finding out."

Misa scoffed. "I still can't believe the police would try to go against 'Gods' like us."

"They know we're not," Light said simply. "My father is on the task force, so I've been able to get information. L already knows we aren't Kami, and your video only made it more obvious."

"I only did that to get your attention," Misa said cheerfully, "And clearly, it worked!"

Light pursed his lips as he tried to think about a response to this. But before that, he needed to know what kind of person he was dealing with. "What was the price of your eyes?"

"My older sister."

"What?!" He backed up, looking over her body language and seeing she felt no remorse. "How could you do something like that so easily?!"

"To find someone I love, I must first lose someone I love," Misa said softly, almost as though she was quoting someone. "That is the price of equal exchange." She looked up from her sundae and noticed his unease. "Sometimes you have to do what's necessary for the sake of a better world."

"I've been managing just fine without killing anyone," Light forced out, but it came out as more of a squeak. He was in way over his head. This was supposed to be just a hilarious way to fix the world and ease his boredom. Now he was dealing with a murderer!

Logically, he had to be rid of her. But as he glanced at Ryuk, who was in conversation with Misa's Kami that he couldn't see, he could already tell that would end in disaster.

He tried to calm himself down and fight off the urge to call someone for help. There was no escaping the situation he was in, so...he had to make the best of it. What best of it was there? He supposed that she had the eyes, and that might make things slightly easier.

"But you need someone to see L's name for you, right? If you want, I could be your eyes. I already said I would follow orders and do exactly as you said."

Light pressed his hands together, and he noticed that Misa seemed genuinely nervous, as though she had put the ball in his court and was waiting to see what he did with it. For the time being, it appeared that she was loyal to him, but he knew just as well that if she was willing to sacrifice her older sister, and for it to be an equal trade, that loyalty she had to him now could disappear at any time.

She sucked in a breath. "So... Would you please make me your girlfriend?"

That threw Light for a loop. But as he thought about what Misa had said about love, he wondered how he hadn't seen this coming. What could he do?! If he said no, she would probably use her notebook against him. 

He decided to avoid the question altogether. "The tapes you sent to the television station all have the same fingerprints," he pointed out simply. Misa grinned, straightening.

"Those aren't my fingerprints. A little while back, I lived in the Kansai region. I had a friend who was into the occult. When I told her we should make fake ghost videos and send them to several TV shows, she agreed to help me. I had her dub ten tapes, and I made sure not to leave any fingerprints. I took those videotapes, added a graphic, and added sound."

"And what is that friend doing now?" Light asked nervously, hoping she wasn't going to say the girl would never be found.

"If you want me to get rid of her," Misa snapped. "I'll do it right now!" But upon realizing she was only making Light inch closer to the edge of his seat to make a break for it, she sighed. "If you really don't believe me..." she dug into her bag and pulled out her notebook. "You can hold onto this." 

Light snatched the notebook faster than even he had processed and put it in his own bag, noticing Misa's Kami was watching him pensively as though just as curious about what he would do.

"You're just holding on to it," Misa continued. "So I'll still have ownership, and I'll still have my eyes. Isn't that right, Rem?"

Rem nodded. "Indeed."

Misa brightened. "Now, there's no way I can hurt you. If I'm of no use, you can get rid of me."

Why would she go this far?  He pursed his lips because as much as he wanted to know the answer to his question, he also didn't feel inclined to ask that in public. He thought back to the notebook and narrowed his eyes.

"But you might have removed several pages. You could be hiding them somewhere."

"Why are you so suspicious of me?!" Misa asked, her voice raising slightly. Light threw his hand out in exasperation.

"It really sounds like you murdered your sister to get in my pants, forgive me for being incredibly suspicious of that, and feeling like I have no say in the matter here because you'll kill me if I refuse."

Misa froze. Her eyes went wide as she processed what the person she had admired for so long was saying. "I....I see." She sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I won't hurt you, I promise. I just wanted to thank you for everything and do what I can to help you."

"What?" Light asked hesitantly. She had killed someone, but seeing her coming undone, he almost felt bad for her. If she seemed to be unaware about how her request had come off as a blatant threat, that meant he might be able to get out of this.

Misa sighed. "Last year, my parents were killed by a burglar right before my eyes. I couldn't forgive him... the trial was drawn out, and some people started saying he was falsely accused... That's when you punished him. You mean everything to me, and I just wanted to meet you so badly! I wanted to thank you for everything," she looked up and met his eyes. "Sara had known about the price. I didn't just kill her in cold blood. Neither of us..." she covered her hand with her mouth, "Neither of us had thought the price would be that severe. I thought she'd just be missing, but we could still find her."

So it hadn't been murder; it had been underestimating the price with consent? He glanced at Rem to see her thoughts on the matter, but the Kami's face didn't let anything on. So he had no way of knowing if Misa was lying about this reason to make him trust her.

All these irrational methods just to meet me... But at least she can keep her fingerprints off the evidence. She's not as stupid as I thought... She even says that she'll obey me...

"I understand..." he said softly as he decided what he was going to do. He couldn't trust her with the knowledge she had, and he needed to know if the story she was telling him was genuine. Given her reason for wanting to meet him, he acknowledged that story made some sense. Still, he found himself incredibly wary.

He couldn't get rid of her, so he had to keep her close. It would serve to keep her sedated, and he could determine whether she was lying about this story or not. However, he wouldn't protest if L caught her. So he had to find a way to keep her close without being too close that L would be suspicious of  him.

He perked up as he got an idea. He was already going to be doing background checks, and he needed to see if his gut feeling that Rem wouldn't let him do anything to Misa was correct.

He stood up, having paid as soon as he had gotten his coffee. "Alright." He started walking away, and Misa hurriedly followed him down the street as he glanced around to avoid any cameras. "This is a bit of a change of plans, but we can make this work."

"Really?!" Misa asked excitedly, and Light shrugged.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you proved you do want to help me. However, I'll still be holding onto your notebook until I can be sure the police won't catch you, and I'll add the white snake to my own MO and push to match yours as much as I am comfortable with."

She followed a few steps behind him dutifully. "So what do you want me to do, Light?"

He turned to her with a smirk. Maybe he could have fun with this after all. "Two things. The most important thing is I need you to enroll in To-oh with me; that way, we have a reason to be close to each other. We can't date, that will cause too much attention, but this will allow us to spend time together without anyone being suspicious, as long as you don't mention me  at all  in your reasoning for joining."

Even as he said that he tried to suppress a grimace. But he could already tell if he told Misa to back off, she would still be an active part of his life. Might as well be able to keep an eye on her at all times. Besides, how likely was it that she would even manage that? Especially if she didn't have her notebook.

"I can do that." She said, and he couldn't help but wonder how she was so confident in that. "And what's the other thing?"

"You're going to use the tapes to spill false information to the police, and we will pretend like the two of us haven't met." Light said, "The goal is to have fun with this, and what is more fun than running the investigative team in circles? I don't want to hurt them; they are all good people. I'm actually not sure I even want to be rid of L. The ideal is to piss them off enough that they give up." He stopped. "Oh, one more thing. We can't be seen together until there is a reason."

Misa pouted. "Fine."

"Good." He hurried a little more. "Alright. Bye!" He took off towards his home and stopped in an alleyway to calm his racing heart. "That could have gone so badly."

Ryuk laughed. "I was wondering how you were going to get out of that. Think she was lying about what happened with her sister? Rem's not gonna tell me anything one way or another."

"I don't know if she's lying," Light said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and he let himself relax now that he was alone with Ryuk. "Now I know who she is, and I have her notebook. I need to know everything I can about if Rem would do something to me if I harmed Misa."

"Since the girl seemed fine with you doing something, she might leave you alone." Ryuk flew around Light as he spoke. "I'm not gonna ask her or anything, but if it comes down to it, you might be able to be safe if you have a reason to do it."

"A reason?" Light considered it. "I'll see if I can come up with one. But," he smiled as he remembered how Dad reacted to Raye Penber, "Dad won't hesitate to help me, and L could be considered a friend." He started heading home again with a bit more of a bounce in his step. "Alright, this is actually good. I can handle her if there's a problem, and I can carry this notebook with me since even if someone touches it, they won't see you, just Rem, and that doesn't implicate me. It means I can use that to create even more alibis for myself. If Misa manages to get into university with me, it will let me know just how many connections she has."

"Oh, you're totally using that as a backup plan trap."

Light turned to Ryuk with a cheerful grin. "You know me so well."

Chapter Text

Light looked over both notebooks he now owned, flipping through them side by side to see any noticeable differences in the rules and anything Ryuk may not have mentioned. But he quickly noticed that there wasn't a list of rules in Misa's notebook, and the writing on the front didn't have the notebook's name. It had the word Dōbutsu on it and nothing more.

Ryuk floated over his shoulder. "So, it's been a few days, what are you still analyzing the notebook for?"

"I'm trying to figure out if there are any differences in the notebooks depending on the Kami, and it seems like this one was less accessible for humans to understand it." Light looked over the lack of listed rules and then glanced up at Ryuk.

Ryuk chuckled as he took a bite of his apple. "Yeah, you're looking at the default. The writing on the front's always something we can mess with however we want, and it starts as blank, but I added the rules in that one specifically, so I could let humans use it without me needing to explain all sorts of things to you. Rem probably just explained stuff to Misa and that was it."

"I see..." Light flipped through the pages and took note of Misa's handwriting and the names she had written. He needed to fully understand her MO if he wanted to not make it obvious that she was no longer active, and he had both notebooks. As he read through it and discovered far more names than he had initially known about, he quickly found Ukita's name, as well as at least twenty other officers, just going by the names he knew; he knew there were more. "Is there any way to reverse these names? I really don't want this on my conscience." He turned and noticed Ryuk was busy with a round of Mario Golf again. "Ryuk, are you listening?"

Ryuk snapped up. "Damnit, Light-o. You made me lose my round." He put his hands on his hips, "What's so important you had to interrupt me?"

"Nothing," Light grumbled, and his phone rang. He checked and noticed it was from Dad. "Oh, hey, Dad. What is it?"

"Light, another message from Benzaiten was sent to Sakura TV, and we intercepted it. This time it's a video and a journal. Anyway, I thought I should tell you."

"A journal?" Light asked. He had asked Misa to start giving the police false leads to run them around in circles, but how could he be sure she wouldn't make more mistakes?

When he made it to the hotel, he noticed L was somewhat tense, as though he was trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle. Light frowned, and he glanced at Dad. "Did Benzaiten want the diary to be shown on TV?"

Dad nodded. "Yeah. This is it." He handed Light a piece of paper, and Light looked it over. Last year's diary?

"Please take a look at the thirtieth," L said, and Light obeyed, gasping softly as he noticed what was written.

"We met up at my shrine..." what was her thought process here? While he hoped it was just a wild goose chase, that didn't ease his suspicions that she was trying to talk to him about meeting up again. He looked over the paper again and quickly noticed another message that probably was meant just for him.

"22nd, my friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama."

That had to be referring to the notebooks. Did Misa want to see him? He didn't know what to think because what if she really had been able to get into his university? Even if it was part of his plan, that could be worrisome. Regardless, the police were going to be distracted by the shrine. That was good, but what was the purpose of it? It was fake information like he asked, but was it random? Light knew he had her notebook, but what if he was right in his fears that she had kept extra pages and wanted to lure everyone into a trap?

"Light, what do you think? Is it real?" L asked as he stood next to Light, and Light glanced over at him. He had to treat this like it was real information. He had to remind himself that this whole situation was just for fun. There were no real stakes. Now that he had the other notebook, he could easily find a replacement for himself to act as Hachiman if he needed alibis.

"Right now... I can only say that she's an idiot," Light said. "We don't know for sure if it's real or fake, so I guess assume it's real for now?" He pointed to the 30th, "Looking at this, there are two options. Either Benzaiten is stupid and honestly thought this being released wouldn't lead to the entire city looking around for their Gods, or this is a trap for the police. Either way, it's dangerous to go..."

"Yeah, I agree," Matsuda said. "I mean after what happened with Ukita..." he gestured to the snake container on the dresser at the corner of the room. "Benzaiten wants to take us out, while it seems Hachiman doesn't care about us at all."

"I agree, it is strange," Aizawa replied, grimacing at the memory of what happened to Ukita. "I suppose Benzaiten's plan could be for everyone to go to the shrine, and meet Hachiman somewhere in the crowd."

"However, is Hachiman that stupid?" Light asked. "As Matsuda said, Hachiman doesn't seem to care about the police at all."

L sat down, grabbing one of his chocolates from its container. "To be honest, it's so stupid that I'm not sure how to deal with it. Closing down the shrine isn't exactly an option since, inevitably, that will anger the gullible masses. Quite frankly, I'm more worried about these two weaponizing religion than anything else. After all, why go through the trouble to kill me when their followers could do it of their own volition?"

"That's a good point," Matsuda said, "So what do we do? Benzaiten wants to take us out, and Hachiman doesn't care, so it's not like he's going to  stop  Benzaiten from going after us."

"Well, Benzaiten promised the Hachiman we created that she'd refrain from doing this excessively," L pointed out. "That doesn't mean much, but it does mean this might not necessarily be a trap and just fake. Which means..." he held up the paper, "Assuming that she isn't as stupid as we think she is... I'll try to see if there might be another message within this diary. If there is a code that only people who have the so-called Kami power can understand, I can't decode it. But we should thoroughly check out the places listed in the diary. On the 22nd, she's meeting a friend in Aoyama. On the 24th, she's meeting a friend in Shibuya." He looked up to the task force. "We have to prepare for the possibility that our efforts will be fruitless. We also have to be wary of people waiting around with notebooks in Aoyama, and people lurking in clothing stores in Shibuya."

"Do you have the slightest idea how little that's going to narrow down our suspects in Shibuya?" Light asked, "Our best bet would be to place more surveillance cameras in Aoyama and Shibuya and undercover station officers on the stated dates. While neither of these two things alone could get a suspect, what about someone who does both?"

"Exactly my thinking, Light-Kun," L said.

Matsuda stood up. "Then I'll go to Aoyama and Shibuya since I'd fit right in." Light nodded.

"I'll go too."

"Light..." Dad was about to protest, but Light stopped him.

"It's all right, Dad. I go to Aoyama and Shibuya occasionally. And I'd be the one who'd look most natural hanging out with Matsuda. And the only person that Benzaiten is interested in is Hachiman, and Hachiman doesn't care. It's not like I'll be in any danger." He checked his watch, "So, we'll talk about our trips tomorrow?"

Matsuda nodded. "Sure, Light."

Light turned to Dad expectantly. "Dad, you're coming home with me. Remember the rule? No more than two all-nighters in a week."

"Light," Dad protested, "You know it's not that simple."

"I'm just saying," Light stuck his hands in his pockets. "Of all the cases you have worked on, this one should be over pretty soon. Benzaiten's clearly stupid, and even though she's caused some damage, we're probably gonna catch her soon." He chuckled. "Come on, it's only a matter of time before we get a full-on DNA sample."

"About that," Light spun around and saw L was smiling. "Found with the diary was a strand of hair. We're testing it now, but you're right that we may have found DNA."

...seriously?! How had this idiot left DNA samples already?!  He had Misa's phone number in his phone since she gave it to him, but he had to get in contact with her hand deal with this before it became a serious problem. Wait! He couldn't call her because that would show up on phone records. Maybe he could send a message through Ryuk?

"Huh." Light blinked. "I didn't think it would happen that quickly. But see what I mean, Dad." 

Dad sighed. "Alright, I see what you mean. But even if we get the DNA from the hair, we need to find someone who it matches."

"At this rate, that shouldn't be a problem," Light pointed out. "It's only a matter of time, and it's not like we can do anything in one night that would change the whole case." He helped Dad up. "Well, good night, everybody."

As he and Dad walked out, Dad turned to him. "Light, what's wrong? You seem tense."

He couldn't tell the truth, so he sighed, coming up with a convincing lie. "I've just been thinking. This whole time everyone's been telling themselves that capturing Hachiman or Benzaiten means that we can reverse what's been done. But what if there isn't a way? It's...unsettling, that even if we capture them, nothing can be done to save those lost."

Dad hesitated before wrapping an arm around Light. "Hey, don't worry so much about it. There's still a chance something can be done."

"So, do you really wanna know?" Ryuk asked, laughing. "Well, we'll have to wait and see if there is one." 

Light did what he could not to comment on what Ryuk was saying, waiting until he got home, not paying attention to what Dad said as their excuse for being together. Nobody was supposed to know Light was on the task force, but Dad would probably think of something. Besides, he had bigger things to worry about.

He quickly locked his door. "All right, Ryuk... I have something to ask you."

"Oh, I thought so." Ryuk grinned, floating over to Light's desk, which he sat on. Light huffed, needing to nudge Ryuk's flowing robes away slightly to let him have a place to write. "Is it about saving those who are lost, or is it about Misa getting herself caught soon?"

"The latter's more important right now. Can Kami who come to the human world talk to each other?"

"It's hard to say..." Ryuk mused, "If I'm attached to a human, I think that's against the rules unless I have the permission of the person I'm attached to." He put his finger under his chin, pondering it. "But we don't exactly have a code against that, so I guess...another Kami might start talking to me."

"Well, can you pass letters to Rem?" 

Ryuk's eyes sparkled with delight as he caught onto what Light was saying. "You don't want to call Misa since she's inevitably going to be caught, but you don't want to assume there's a real message for you in the diary, right?"

"Yeah," he quickly wrote down what he already knew, trying to remain as polite as possible while still trying to get his point across. Misa's capture was going to be inevitable, but he had to make sure she stopped any attempts to get close to him. They needed to be as distanced as possible. But would she listen? He could only hope so until he knew how far Rem would go to assist Misa.

Ryuk glanced down at Light's paper. "Hm. What's in it for me to deliver that?"

"I'll pay you in apples," Light offered. Ryuk didn't seem convinced, and Light looked up at him in exasperation. "I would have thought this whole thing would be interesting for you."

"Obviously," Ryuk replied, before draping himself dramatically over Light's desk, "But you've been so tense lately, Light-o." He winked. "Is a girl being involved making you stressed?"

"It doesn't matter that she's a girl," Light crossed his arms. "It matters that she's involved, and she's got connections to me. Actually...she's around my age, so getting into university isn't that suspicious, and..." he quickly searched his name up online. "Yeah, my information as the freshman representative is there too. I could easily say she just thought I'd be the best person to talk to because of that, and...yeah, my number's there too." He shrugged. "It's not the most elegant lie, but it will work. Still... I don't want to risk Rem doing something to me."

"Meh, I wouldn't worry about it," Ryuk replied. "If it comes to that, I'll just threaten Misa, and that'll make Rem back down. If she really does care, she knows I'm not giving up my entertainment without a fight."

Light rolled his eyes. "I take it that is just from other Kami, and not humans."

"You know it!" Ryuk picked up the paper. "I expect a basket of apples." With that, he took off before Light could disagree.

Light could only laugh.

Chapter Text

A few days had passed with nothing overly eventful happening. L was continuing the investigation, but thankfully they had yet to find a match to the DNA samples they had found with the tapes. So Light didn't let himself worry about any of that. He just needed to get a response from his letter to Misa. Why hadn't she responded back yet?

Ryuk walked next to Light towards Light's next class instead of his usual floating. If it weren't for his robes and the circlet atop his head, he could probably be mistaken for a regular college student. Hmm...that might actually be something fun. "Say, Ryuk, do you just wear the same outfit all the time, or are you able to change your clothes if you want to?" 

Ryuk cocked his head. "Change my clothes." He looked down at himself. "I mean, I suppose I could, though I've never thought much of it." He shrugged and placed his fingers to the circlet. "Besides, even if I did want to wear your clothes, this wouldn't match at all." At Light's quizzical expression, Ryuk explained. "Your sister leaves her fashion magazines around, and I've taken to reading them." He looked Light up and down. "You sure you don't want to try wearing jeans instead of khakis sometime?"

Light just about choked on the water he had been drinking. "I was asking you because you don't like being bored, so maybe try something new. I didn't ask you to judge my clothing choices."

"Yeah, but as your roommate, I have things to say from time to time," Ryuk pointed out before turning around and perking up. "Light-o, you might want to duck into the alcove."

"Why?" He yelped as he was pulled into the girl's bathroom. It was on the third floor, so hopefully, nobody would come in here. "Misa?!"

Misa nodded, and she gestured to her brunette wig. "Like it? I got your note that we're at risk, so I knew I had to see you."

"Couldn't you just reply to my letter?" Light asked, and Misa shook her head.

"I had to see you in person. And I had a photoshoot in the area, so I figured this would be the best time." She placed her hand on his chest, prompting Light to back up slightly. "So, what's going on? Do I need to put my college application on hold?"

"For the time being, that's probably a good idea," Light said. "And you should probably renounce your memories of the notebook so we can ensure the investigative team doesn't find out anything."

"Absolutely not!"

"Huh?"

"I lost my sister to get these eyes," Misa said, gritting her teeth. "And you think I'm just going to renounce my memories and my eyes and make her sacrifice be in vain? I'd never do that!" 

Light's eyes widened as he noticed the tears falling down her face. She was genuine about this. Maybe she hadn't intentionally killed her sister... 

Misa wiped away her tears, and she looked up at Light with more resolve. "I'm still useful to you after all. I can lead the investigative team on a wild goose chase even before I am captured. And Light, darling, do you know how to kill a Kami?"

"Did you just call me darling?" Light asked, and Misa giggled.

"Fine. Then do you mind if I call you 'knight' instead? 'Cause, you are like my knight in shining armor, you know."

"Let's just stick with Light," Light said, straightening. "So how exactly do you kill a Kami?"

"And here I was thinking we were friends," Ryuk said tauntingly from where he was leaning against the wall. "Is it because I insulted your pants?"

"Of course not, Ryuk, but didn't you say you had no idea how to kill a Kami either?" 

Ryuk shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose I did say that." He gestured for Misa to continue. "So go ahead. How is it done?"

"Well, a Kami needs to defy the natural order," Misa explained. "While that's normal for Kami so they can fulfill their jobs, doing so with the explicit purpose of saving the life of a human whose time is up will kill them."

"I suppose something similar would happen if I were to take a knife and stab a human," Ryuk mused. "Since we can't defy the natural order in that way."

"I would assume that to be the case," Rem said before stepping forward towards Misa. Light noticed Rem refusing to let her kimono touch the bathroom floor, floating a few centimeters off the ground. "Misa, I thought I told you not to tell anyone about this."

"Well yeah," Misa said, "But it's Light. Shouldn't he get to find out?"

"I don't see any problem with him knowing," Ryuk said. "Good luck trying to find a Kami who'd volunteer to do that. Not to mention it would be one hell of a process for someone to end up with the tiara. As long as humans don't get their hands on that, I don't see a problem."

Light considered asking Rem, who was clearly more knowledgeable, about what would happen if a human got their hands on the diadem, but he decided against it for the time being. "Misa, where did you send all those tapes from, the ones that went to the TV stations?"

"Let's see." Misa pondered it for a few moments. "Osaka the first time, then Tokyo, this other one from Nagano. I took the bullet train every time so that way the police couldn't pinpoint my location."

"All right. One more thing. Do you still have the videotapes and envelopes with your friend's fingerprints on them?" Misa nodded. "You'll have to dispose of everything used to create those videotapes, understand? Other than that, you'll have to lay low for a while. But before you do, I need you to send one last video and make sure it's from a place you haven't used yet."

He was about to explain what he had been imagining, but he stopped himself. He didn't want Misa to continue with this, and having her out of the way would be an idea, but he also needed more time for a failsafe.

"Say that you are no longer going to search for Hachiman, and focus on your own goals. The police don't know that we've made contact, so we should be fine as long as you lay low, and I can control both of our MOs."

"But what happens if the police focus on you?" Misa asked worriedly, and Light chuckled.

"I've already got that covered. And in your tape, add on that you'll share your power with those you believe are worthy and will encourage them to do the same. Together we'll make this world a better place and undo the destruction caused by mankind." 

"I take it we're going to be throwing off the investigation," Misa said. "I can do that. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

"Good," Light placed his hand on her shoulder, noticing she was tense. "Try to relax. We're going to have fun with this."

"Fun? How could we possibly have fun with this?" Misa demanded, and Light's fears about her taking this whole thing way too seriously came back. "You need to get me close to the task force to use my eyes to eliminate L."

"We can't eliminate the task force yet." Light reminded her, making sure she didn't forget this any time soon. "My father is on the team, and if anything happens to him, I won't hesitate to kill you." He leaned closer, pressing her against the wall. As much fun as this game with L was, he wasn't going to let a stranger harm his father. "To put this into perspective for you, my father is the price I would pay for the eyes. He means to me what your sister means to you."

Rem stepped forward towards Light. "I would never allow that, Light Yagami." He turned to face her, realizing that she was serious, and despite her human appearance, she really was something to be feared. "If you do anything that results in this girl's disappearance or death, the first thing I'll do is write your name, if not kill you myself. I'm sure you realize that I can see her lifespan. If she happens to die before that time, I'll know it was you who killed her."

"But if you were to use your notebook to save her, wouldn't that mean you'd die, too?" Light inquired, and Rem nodded.

"Yes, you are correct. But I'm quite willing to accept that outcome."

And Rem had played right into Light's hands.  Perfect! So I was right about how far Rem would go.  While he had no intention of getting rid of L now, having a backup plan was always a good idea.

He shrugged nonchalantly. Misa hopefully understood the importance of leaving Dad unharmed. "Good thing I'll only resort to killing Misa if anything happens to my father. I don't see why that should be an issue, so let's start with our new plan." He pointed to Rem. "Rem, come to my home at midnight. I have a task for you."

OoOoO

Light was waiting in his room for Rem to arrive, grateful she could phase through his balcony door, so he didn't have to open it. He didn't put it past L to have him followed again, so he did not want to run the risk. Ryuk had assured him that no humans had seen him being pulled into the bathroom, but he still didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. 

"What do you want, Light Yagami?" Rem asked, looking around and seeing Ryuk lounging on Light's bed as he finished a round of video games.

Light brightened and pulled Misa's notebook out of his desk. "Misa's capture is inevitable if L has reason to check her home, so I'm planning ahead to at least make it easier to get her out and to get myself an alibi too." He handed the notebook to Rem. "I want you to give the notebook to someone with status who lusts for power and money. They'll end up using the notebook to satisfy that urge. They are not allowed to establish a separate name for themselves."

Rem looked down at the notebook. "Light Yagami, just what are you thinking? Misa will still have her memories, so this person can't have ownership."

"That's right," Light said casually, resting his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "We have over a year before Misa not writing names becomes a problem, and I'm sure this won't need to last nearly that long."

"Wait," Ryuk asked. "So does that mean you're going to be renouncing your memories?"

"Of course not," Light assured him. "However, this is only a backup plan, but in the event that I believe I am the prime suspect, I'll go in and ask to be confined and have them put me under 24-hour surveillance. While I'm locked up, everything will continue as normal, and L would be put in a position where he has to release us." He spun around in his chair to face Ryuk. "But I'm not too worried about that. There's no known connection between Misa and me, and she hasn't even been pinpointed yet as an actual suspect. They just have her hair."

"Light-o," Ryuk laughed. "Last time you said something like this, L instantly revealed that it had happened. You might want to stop talking like that." Light grimaced as he realized his companion was right. 

"Look, this is all to save Misa." He made sure Rem was listening to him. "You're gonna have to trust me on this. And you need to understand she may be captured, this plan is just to ensure it doesn't stay that way."

Rem sighed. "All right. If it means that Misa will be saved, I'll do as you ask." She flew off into the night, and once she was gone, Ryuk stood up, watching her go.

"So you'll be able to genuinely try and catch the guy Rem gives the notebook to and steal it before L gets to him."

"Exactly," Light put his hands in his pockets as he stood next to Ryuk in front of the window. "I started all of this to have fun, and I'm going to. And if I can make some positive changes to the world in the process, even better. Besides, it's not like L can actually convict me of anything, so what's there to worry about?"

Chapter Text

Apparently, there was a considerable amount to worry about.

Light shouldn't be surprised. He expected this to happen on some level, given L's intellect and Light's doubts about Misa's abilities. But all things considered, Misa's video had been fine, and only L's astute observation skills allowed him to quickly deduce the truth of the matter.

However, he found that he couldn't help but feel relieved despite this being a problem. This proved L was as incredible a detective as Light could have hoped. He was constantly keeping Light on his toes.

He knew better than to even try denying L's conclusion. "Yeah, it seems that way." He crossed his arms and began to think. How would he have thought about this if he wasn't Hachiman? "If this was Benzaiten acting on her own, why didn't she do this to begin with? What I found really strange is that, unlike Hachiman, this message seems careless. We know Hachiman has never cared about the opinion of the police, so trying to hide that connection isn't something I can see him doing, at least not with much effort." 

And that was the argument he was going to stick to. In hindsight, such a message did give exactly the impression L had noticed, but the police involvement didn't matter much anyway, so Light had no reason to worry. There would be a problem if Misa talked if she was captured, but she didn't have the notebook, and someone else of Rem's choosing did. That was sure to throw off the investigation, and then Light wouldn't have to keep pretending. 

L nodded as he considered what Light was saying. While this message made it clear that Hachiman and Benzaiten made contact, why would someone who didn't care try to hide it? "That's true," he took a sip of his coffee. "My initial theory was that Hachiman made a mistake, but given what we know about him, perhaps this is his way of letting us know they made contact, or..." a thought occurred to him, and he looked up at Light, who had cocked his head curiously. 

"Or what?" Light asked, leaning forward hopefully. What was L thinking had happened here? He tried to suppress his excitement to hear the detective's thoughts so he didn't appear weird. Even if he let it on, that would be no different from Matsuda's adoration and curiosity about the detective. But... the idea of being compared to Matsuda was a blow to his pride Light would prefer to avoid if possible.  

"There are two theories that come to mind while thinking about this," L explained. "One of which is that Benzaiten hasn't contacted Hachiman but is letting him come find her outside of the public eye. While this is a possibility, I don't think that is what we are dealing with." He offered Light some of his chocolates as Light moved closer to him. "What's more likely is Benzaiten is much more aware of police involvement than Hachiman and did succeed in finding him, so Hachiman is playing along."

...

L kept careful note of everything Light was doing as he explained his thought process. There was no indication of anything suspicious. He seemed genuinely eager to hear what L was thinking.

What am I going to do with this?  He was sure Light was Hachiman, and therefore, getting closer to Light meant confirming Benzaiten's identity. If he played his cards right, he might be able to capture both false gods by the end of the week. But...

Light was Hachiman, but he wasn't dangerous. He didn't care about having the police out of the way because of his father's involvement in the task force. In that regard, Light may prove to be the best ally they could have if he could prevent Benzaiten from attacking. Besides, L didn't care about defeating Hachiman for some sense of justice—there wasn't much that could be done. No, the thing he cared about was knowing how Hachiman could use his powers. 

Hachiman wasn't the threat. Benzaiten was. Therefore, it stood to reason his best course of action would be to leave Light alone unless he actively incriminated himself. 

Still, he couldn't just ignore his suspicions of Light without some explanation. "Light-Kun, if you were in Hachiman's place, how would you handle this situation. You have someone who wishes to be an ally but is handling things in a way you dislike, but you have someone on your tail that could prove to be a problem. You know, in the event the government caught you and began experiments to determine the source of your power, or tried to brainwash you into being a weapon."

Light visibly tensed as L went into details that weren't technically true. The government would try to take measures like that, but it wouldn't take much for L to stop him. With this new information, Light's not going to respond the same way he would have moments ago. He didn't care before, and he's not going to change anything in his MO, but it will change enough in his answer that I can observe him naturally without any questions...

Soichiro stepped forward. "Ryuzaki, there's no need for this line of questioning."

"Maybe not, but I would like to know how Light-Kun would respond to that." L leaned forward, grinning. "Well, Light-Kun, what would you do?"

Light was quiet for about thirty seconds as he contemplated his answer, and L could see a sense of reality in his situation was beginning to sink in. That would be less fun if Hachiman suddenly became concerned, so L made a note to clarify this later.

Eventually, Light revealed his answer: "I would do nothing. At least not at first." 

L's interest piqued. So even if he didn't clarify the truth to Light, there wouldn't be much change. "And what reason would you have for that?"

"Well, even if we ignore the fact my father is on the task force, and I would never let anyone harm him," Light explained, looking up at his father with admiration. "Benzaiten's appearance means Hachiman is the least of the task force's problems. I would try to avoid Benzaiten as much as possible, so there is no connection between us. Not to mention, if you are L and I'm Hachiman, I'd already know your personality pretty well, and the L I know would never put himself in too dangerous of a position. As long as nobody pulls anything stupid, things will remain at a stalemate, and I can mind my own business."

It was a message. Light was looking directly into L's eyes, and L knew better than to think Light wasn't aware of what he was doing. With one look, Light was able to confirm everything L already knew. He was Hachiman, but he wasn't a real threat.

Matsuda's brows pressed together as he hesitantly looked up at the nerve-wracked Chief. "If Light's right, does that mean we can't catch Hachiman at all?"

"No, it doesn't mean that at all," Soichiro insisted. "Light, you've got to stop that. I don't like hearing you say, 'If I were Hachiman,' even hypothetically."

Light sighed, looking up at his father, but he didn't regret what he said. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dad. I just wanted to let Ryuzaki know exactly what I thought of his plan." He shrugged mostly to himself. "I posed that scenario because I wanna help solve this case. It's the only chance I have to clear my name. Besides, I feel comfortable saying things like that because I'm not really Hachiman." He leaned back in his seat, glancing off towards the far wall where Ukita remained in his snake home. Something flickered in Light's eyes, but it was gone before L could pinpoint it. 

"That's a good point." L decided, putting his plan into motion. "You are not Hachiman. That is, it would be a problem if you were Hachiman. Because…. I feel you are the first real friend that I've ever had."

...

The first friend L ever had? Light sat in complete silence as he wrapped his head around what L was saying. L turned back to look at him, and he offered a small smile. Was it possible that he was being honest? He might have been lying to gain Light's trust, but while maybe he was getting his hopes up, he couldn't help but suddenly become more aware of the beating of his heart as his eyes met L's.

Ryuk looked down and noticed the shade of red that Light was starting to turn and shook him so he would snap out of it. "That's a good thing, isn't it, Light?"

Yes! L being his friend was a good thing, and it meant that all those possible threats L mentioned should he be captured may not be so much of a problem. He had to be careful, but if L didn't see him as a threat, only Misa and whoever Rem picked to be Misa's stand-in, he might be able to have a successful partnership with L. Traveling the world with the world's greatest detective sounded like a dream come true! 

He rubbed the back of his neck. What the hell was wrong with him? He had joked to Ryuk that L was his type, but was his body seriously betraying him like this?! It was meant to be a joke about his rival, not reality! 

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said, refusing to meet L's eyes in hopes of that solving the problem of how flustered he suddenly felt. "The two of us have a lot in common. And I've missed having you around at school. We should play tennis again, soon." He shrugged and hopefully glanced at L. "Maybe once Benzaiten is gone, you can come on more?"

L nodded. "Yes, we should," he turned back to Dad, who suddenly straightened. Light's brows furrowed, only his stomach plummeted when he heard what L said. "Yagami-San, please send your forces to apprehend Misa Amane. They listen to you and may be more inclined to help than if I asked."

"What?" Light asked in genuine confusion.  Again?! Every time I mention something about Benzaiten, there's an update! It's like he's doing it on purpose!  He sent a shocked look at L, and from the amused smirk on his face, it seemed that he was, in fact, doing this on purpose.

"I wanted to see what your response would be." L said innocently, but they both knew there was nothing innocent behind those eyes, hiding his smirk behind his coffee so nobody else would notice it. "While my suspicions about you have significantly lessened, your ability to step into Hachiman's shoes makes me confident that he would follow a similar train of thought." His gaze suddenly locked on Light completely, staring deep into Light's soul to the point even Ryuk flinched. "Nothing will be achieved from waiting if Hachiman is just going to avoid Benzaiten."

L knew. And he knew Light knew. But Light knew immediately L was lying. He knew just as well as Light did that Benzaiten wasn't going to leave him alone. It would only be a matter of time before she got close to him if left to her own devices, so why was he taking such fast action now?

"I must say, it's not like you," Light said once they were alone, as Dad and Matsuda left to complete their job while Aizawa and Ide were off at the library looking into books on mythology. There was nobody around, and if he wanted to take the risk, he easily could. But what fun would it be if he just gave L all the answers? "If Benzaiten is acting independently and Hachiman dislikes it, you may be able to catch both of them at once."

"Yes, that may be the case," L said, his voice monotone as he stared down into his drink. "But, in all honesty, that's not my real goal. No, my real goal is to determine how Hachiman is able to enact what he sees as divine retribution. Amane harmed my men, and would be far less likely to comply with my desire for knowledge, and for that, I have plans to have her out of the way." He suddenly held up his coffee cup as though making a toast. "I believe being one step closer to achieving greater knowledge is cause for celebration, wouldn't you think?"

Light nodded curtly. Questions flew through his mind like a whirlwind. If he told L the truth, what would come from that? "And what would you do with Hachiman once you learn how he performs these acts?"

L stopped from where he had been cutting himself another slice of cake. "I suppose I don't know the answer to that. I have no reason to harm Hachiman, even if I am sure many people may. So I guess it depends on how well I get along with him. If he is to my liking, perhaps I may request some kind of partnership with him?"

A partnership?! Who is this person?  If possible, Light's interest had increased even more, and Ryuk was floating around L and examining his every movement. A partnership with L was ideal! But...why would he be offering that?

"Is there by any chance a personal reason for you asking that?" Light inquired, standing up and sticking his hands in his pockets. L nodded, suddenly becoming somber,

"Someone I knew was gifted or cursed with eyes that allowed him to see what others couldn't, and he had this unusual diadem that he couldn't remove no matter how hard anyone tried." He hurried into the other room and pulled something out of his nightstand. "I'm only showing you this, Light-Kun, because I believe you may be the key to me solving this mystery alongside many others." 

He held out the piece of paper to Light, and Light eagerly took it, flipping it over only to find it was a photo. The photo was of a young man who looked remarkably similar to L, but this man was...different. His eyes were a striking silver. Not even someone without knowledge of Kami and the notebook would mistake those eyes for normal. And on his head...

Was a Kami's diadem. 

Chapter Text

Light couldn't take his eyes away from the man in this photo L had given him, of something he hadn't believed could be possible in any realistic situation.  Who... How...? This can't have been fabricated. It's a polaroid, so it couldn't have been edited. And even if it was edited, that would mean L or someone L knows has information about the exact color of the eye trade and the Kami's Diadem. 

He didn't even have time to think about how this ruined any and all chance of saving Misa unless she were to renounce her eyes. Her eyes would betray her, and she wouldn't be able to wear contacts to hide it if she was confined. But Light couldn't even bring himself to think about any of that, just on the information in front of him.

L smiled knowingly, "You seem surprised, Light-Kun. Did it not occur to you at all that I had a personal investment in this investigation?"

"Of course it didn't!" Light said in genuine exasperation. "You were on the case from the moment it happened, and the statistical chances of you being close to a victim was extremely unlikely, even if you use criminals as resources. This is easily the most insane case in existence, so you being personally invested wasn't something that came to mind at all beyond a quest for knowledge."

L nodded, tracing his lips with his thumb, "Yes, I suppose that is a good point... but thank you, Hachiman-Kun, for confirming these two things are related."

Light froze. "What?"

L's soft smile turned to a smirk, his bangs curtaining off his eyes until he slowly looked up at Light. "I told you I wanted knowledge and my reasons, and it seems you connected these two things immediately. Anyone else who hasn't seen this photo assumes it would be unrelated because how is a Diadem related to a false god turning people into doves?" He shrugged, "Though I will admit that's flimsy reasoning at best, it could easily have been an assumption given the sheer amount of unknown information in this case. That said... your behavior when I offered a partnership with Hachiman was very interesting." He looked back to Light from where his gaze had wandered to the far wall. "I know you are Hachiman, and you know that I know. I do not believe I was imagining that silent confirmation earlier when discussing what to do with Amane."

Light only stared, his eyes wide. "You're really profiling me based on a weird photo?"

L frowned as he looked around. "Ah, I see. There are no cameras in here, Light-Kun. You have my word, there are no cameras, and no harm would come to you if you confessed." He placed his hand on Light's shoulder, "As questionable as this may sound, you're more useful to me without the government trying to get their hands on this power of yours."

"And what would you do to me after I'm no longer useful?" Light snapped. L only chuckled.

"I meant what I said. I may be a liar, but not in matters of mutual benefit," he traced his fingers along the table, taking the photo back from Light and holding it up to analyze again. "So, what do you know about this?"

What could he say? Even if it was safe to confess to being Hachiman, there was no answer he could provide that could satisfy L in this regard. He subtly glanced over at Ryuk for any help, but Ryuk only laughed.

"I never thought I'd see one of those," Ryuk flew around L's head, examining the photo, "A human with the diadem, or wait... is he a human? He might have taken the eyes, or..." he couldn't even finish his sentence before he continued laughing, leaving Light to wonder what he meant by that.

"I've already confirmed you're Hachiman, Light-Kun," L said, though he sounded more amused than impatient. "However long it takes for you to admit that I'll wait. But it feels rather boring to wait when we both know the truth, don't you think?"

The new world... would L let him continue his mission if he admitted it? He opened his eyes again, staring long and hard at L, and he was taken aback by the pain in L's eyes. Who was this person to L, and why did that question bring forth a pang of jealousy in Light's chest?

But now that he thought about it, this was perfect insurance. L had no solid proof as long as Light didn't confess, and even if he were to confess, Misa would never reveal anything about the notebook. If L wanted any hope of having his questions answered, he would have to help Light at least stay out of the eyes of the government. There was no need to rush.

He relaxed. "L, I'm happy to help you, but I'm not Hachiman. It was an error on my part to assume the two things were connected immediately, but my biggest factor in that logic was that Misa Amane's eye color in many of her magazines is the same as your friend's eyes. How statistically likely are two unrelated happenings to have the same eye color involved?"

L's grin turned into a pout. "So you're really going to deny it for as long as possible, aren't you?" He rolled his eyes. "No matter. I suppose you have the right to deny it as long as I have no concrete evidence. I'll get back to you on that once I have the proof. Your status as Hachiman is of little concern to me, as I believe you also want Amane gone."

He did... but he couldn't afford to have her gone. But what could he do about this? He had his backup plan, but L knew about the eyes. He couldn't rely on Misa renouncing ownership to save herself, especially when she knew he had a plan. If worst came to worst, he would have to explain the situation to L or...

A Kami was killed if they defied the natural order...

That was the easiest way to solve his problem and preserve his identity, wasn't it? To let Rem have her way with L. But... even as he looked at the detective, he couldn't bring himself to actually want to do that to L, be it because it would be a shame to dispose of someone as brilliant as L, or because he was fond of him. Whatever the reason, the only way Light could save himself was to dispose of Rem.

Misa was a hindrance. Rem was a threat. L wanted information.

It would be so easy to take L's offer. But he couldn't do that. Not yet, at least. A life with L as his partner like he was offering was more than anything he could have asked for, but he couldn't sacrifice the new world.

Before anything, he had to see how much his information was worth. If even one word would satisfy him, he could have fun with this. "Who is this person to you?" He asked, examining the picture again. "He looks a lot like you. A relative?"

"No," L replied, "He was... I'm not sure  friend  is the right term, but... I knew him. I won't answer your questions until you answer mine, so all you need to know is something happened to him related to his eyes, and I want to know why."

Something happened to him? "Like he went missing? Please, L, if I'm going to help you, I need to know what happened."

L frowned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to reveal everything, but it seemed he realized Light had to have some context if he wanted to provide any answers. "He went mad. Screaming about the 'natural order' and the names of people he shouldn't know. He insisted he had to find a way to defy the natural order and even tried to kill numerous people in town as a self-proclaimed experiment. Every time it failed, he spiraled further into madness until he didn't recognize people anymore." 

His voice was impassive, as though he was telling a story about a stranger and not someone he knew personally, and just as easily, he shook those thoughts away, circling Light as he spoke. 

"I came into this case not expecting any connection at all. It is true I came here purely to enjoy myself and learn more about these unexplained happenings. I was even content in believing B had simply gone mad, and there was nothing more to it. But when Amane got to Ukita," he gestured to the snake in the tank, watching them. Could he understand the conversation they were having? "I realized the only way that was possible would be to be able to see the names of those she shouldn't have knowledge of. And that's where I became sure I would find answers in this investigation."

"You want to help this person, and you think Hachiman has the answer," Light said, ensuring he understood what he was hearing. But there was one thing L wasn't mentioning that told him more than this tale L was revealing: where was this B person now? And what was with the alias so similar to L's own? Who was L, and how did he come in contact with this person he said wasn't a friend but cared enough about to seek answers in the name of?

L didn't bother pretending he wasn't acutely aware of each of Light's questions, giving a hollow smile, only confirming those were the answers that would only come with a trade. "I don't believe he can be helped," he said. "I simply want to understand why it happened. That's all." He suddenly held up his finger and looked to the door. "It seems Aizawa-San and Ide-San have returned."

The door opened, and just as L predicted, Aizawa walked in with Ide. "We're back!" Aizawa was guiding Ide through the door, as Ide was already distracted with one of the books he was reading. "Ide will be done with the book he's currently reading by this evening," he looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Out apprehending Benzaiten," Light said casually. He had nothing to worry about. He just needed to devise a way to get rid of Rem as a backup plan, but in the worst case, he could stage something later. "We'll have to see if Benzaiten's retribution stops once Misa Amane is in captivity."

"About that," L said, stepping next to Light. His smarmy smile told Light that whatever his plan was, it was going to put a dent in any of Light's plans. "It's nothing personal, Light-Kun, but I still suspect you. While Amane is in confinement, I would like you to stay with me at headquarters. I have no solid proof, so you will not be confined, simply under surveillance for a few days until we can determine a few things."

"Seriously, Ryuzaki?!" Aizawa snapped, but Light was quick to assure him.

"It's fine, Aizawa. I have no problem staying with L," he put on his best charming smile, though Aizawa still didn't seem completely convinced. "If anything, that will help prove my innocence even further, and a few days wouldn't hurt anyone."

Aizawa faltered, looking to Ide in hopes of getting his opinion. Ide looked up from his book for only a moment to assess the situation, only managing to roll his eyes in L's direction before returning to his reading, which was enough to make Aizawa reluctantly relent. "I suppose you're right. But if he tries anything—"

"You think remarkably little of me, Aizawa-San," L mused. "I won't do anything to Light-Kun. Call it an invitation between friends to stay for a few days, if that makes you feel better about my request."

But Light knew better than to think of it as such.  Call it whatever you want, L, but we both know this is a test to ensure I can't cover for Misa even if I wanted to. It doesn't matter what your intentions are. The notebook isn't in my house, you will never find it, and I already have someone taking care of both mine and Misa's divine retribution. This'll be fun, L. I can see what it's like working alongside you, and I don't have to reveal myself to test that.

OoOoO

"Why can't I make my own name for myself," Higuchi moaned, writing down the names Rem requested but refusing to be quiet despite Rem's desperate wishes. "You won't even let me use this god thing to promote Yotsuba."

"As I said," Rem said tensely, gritting her teeth. Was it worth it to dispose of this guy and move on to find someone else? No... this was, unfortunately, the only sleazy businessman she could find desperate enough for whatever he wanted—she had tuned out his rant about his desires. By the gods, this human was obnoxious—that he would abide by her demands if it meant having power. "You must work indirectly unless you want to be caught. You may use it on whoever you wish, but you must abide by Hachiman's rules."

"Who is this Hachiman guy anyway?" Higuchi muttered, "Throwing his workload on everyone else while he takes a break or whatever. I should be able to do what I want with it."

"If you don't follow the rules, I'll make you wish you were dead." Rem snarled, though if she was honest, she planned to be rid of him when he outlived Light Yagami's purposes. Perhaps it would be easier to let him do what he wanted with few rules, but with the distinct methods Light Yagami and Misa used, she had to be sure he followed through, or else the plan would fall apart.

Higuchi laughed nervously. "Come on, you're joking, Rem." He pulled at the collar of his shirt before turning back to his writing, suddenly more serious. "So all I have to do is follow those rules, and you'll let me do whatever I want otherwise?"

"That is correct."

Higuchi nodded to himself as though it had been his idea all along. "Fine. I can work with that," he scribbled down a few more names. "This is good business, Rem, for both you and me."

But Rem couldn't care less about that. All she could think about, besides contemplating the most pathetic and therefore perfect creature she could turn this disgusting man into, was Misa, who must have been locked up by L at this time.  I just have to follow Light Yagami's plan. This should save Misa.

Chapter Text

It was crucial Light dispose of Rem in a timely manner if he wanted any hope of succeeding in building his new world now that his boredom had been, for the most part, resolved. However, within only a few minutes of reflection since his conversation with L, Light came to a fruitful realization he couldn't help but exploit.

"Hey, L," he said. How many ways could he tell L information indirectly without it being a real confession? It seemed that catching whoever Rem picked alongside getting under L's skin would be his new form of entertainment. "If you need to know about the eyes, why not release Misa from confinement? She clearly has them, so if you were willing to work with Hachiman, why not strike a deal with Benzaiten?"

Suggesting such a thing is pointless as a real suggestion. L already established he believes Hachiman is the one who poses no threat to him. He dislikes Benzaiten for harming the task force, not to mention Misa would never give him information. Still, I need to confirm Misa's identity to L to be rid of her while also establishing that even if I want her gone, something is stopping me from doing it on my own.

L looked up from his computer, somehow balancing the device on his knees while in his usual squat.  He has to be pretty strong to be able to maintain that position...  L pressed his thumb to his lips, pondering the suggestion and the true implication behind Light's words.

He didn't comment on the obvious answer to the question, looking deep into Light's eyes as he searched for that secret meaning. "Benzaiten is significantly more dangerous than Hachiman," L decided. There were no cameras while they stayed in the hotel, but as there would be once the new headquarters finished by the end of the week, it was best to get in the habit of speaking in code. 

"If I am honest, I believe that there is something Benzaiten has over Hachiman. Perhaps his identity, or maybe..." L noticed the change in Light's eyes on that notion, which Light allowed. He couldn't confess, but he could let L know the truth. Besides, it was more fun that way. "Benzaiten likely has an ally. Is that what you are trying to tell me?"

"It's just a theory," Light mused, "I'm not sure if it's an ally or blackmail, but something is preventing Hachiman from acting against her. After all, Hachiman doesn't care about police involvement, and I'd go as far as to say he is friendly with the police. If Benzaiten was so distasteful, why wouldn't Hachiman do whatever he could to help capture her?"

L set his computer down, replacing it with a plate of cake, taking a bite as he thought about the answer. "If I had to guess, Hachiman hoped at first he could get Benzaiten on his side, even if she was distasteful. But after that, Hachiman got in over his head. There was something about Benzaiten that even now, with her in captivity, puts both Hachiman-Kun and myself in grave danger. On that train of thought..." he took another bite of his cake, "It would be in both mine and Hachiman's best interest for Benzaiten to be released. But we can't have that without knowing how she commits these acts and what leverage she has over Hachiman."

Ryuk lounged in one of the chairs closest to L, inhaling a piece of apple pie when he believed L wasn't looking. "Can you stop beating around the bush, Light-o? Just tell him about the situation so we can get to the good part!" He groaned as something dawned on him. "Is this what humans call 'foreplay'? Because if it is, it's getting hard to watch."

Light's cheeks heated up to the point he had to look away, so L didn't notice. What the hell was Ryuk on about?! Was this how it was going to be during this whole arrangement? He knew Ryuk wouldn't expose anything himself, but he would certainly be annoying about all of this. 

"We-Well, Benzaiten mentioned the existence of Kami," Light pointed out, cursing himself for the stammer that caught L's attention. Damn you, Ryuk. "She likely has one on her side."

"But wouldn't that imply Hachiman has one as well," L asked. "And if that is the case, why wouldn't Hachiman's Kami do something about Benzaiten? Are there perhaps... rules?"

Ryuk chuckled. "This guy's pretty good. No wonder you like him."

Once L was on this train of thought, it seemed he knew what he would do with the ball Light willingly put in his court, standing up to a whiteboard to take notes. "We already established there were rules to how Hachiman commits these perceived diving retributions, but what if there's something as well relating to this... partner, they each seem to be paired with. Is the Kami controlling them, or does it act as a partner in which there would be varying personalities and means of doing things?" The sketches in whiteboard marker were haphazard, but they served to visualize L's thought process. "But there is one absolutely certain rule... and that is the importance of the natural order."

Light's interest was piqued upon hearing L bring that up again. He needed to ask Ryuk about this as soon as possible. Only Kami valued the natural order to that extent, and it seemed that B hated it more than anything. What reason would there be for that? Was it the eyes and the knowledge of when everyone would die?

He shuddered at the idea. The eyes would be an invaluable asset if he pursued a new world with complete seriousness instead of reveling in the absurdity of Hachiman becoming a necessity by turning people into doves. However, the eye deal came with a price that made it more than apparent what the true nature of this deal was. If Light was honest with himself, as fascinating as the concept sounded, he wasn't sure he could imagine a world of knowing when all of his loved ones would die.

No wonder B had gone mad if it seemed he didn't have a choice in the matter. But who was B, and why did he have a Kami's Diadem? Wasn't the method of getting one so rare that even Ryuk had never seen it before? Even with basic math, that shouldn't be possible for Ryuk to have never seen such a thing before if that was how B got the diadem. Ryuk had no reason to lie about his age, which he claimed was close to a thousand, though approximated to how humans age, he would likely be comparable to his twenties.

Was it worth the risk of L expecting more answers to ask about that? "About your friend B. Where did he get that diadem from?"

L looked over from his whiteboard, eyes lighting up as he realized that if the diadem was something Light chose to inquire about, it meant it was something Light may be more inclined to reveal. "He had it ever since I met him. He claimed to have had it since he was a baby."

Who the hell would try to turn a baby into a dove?! Hold on, is that even possible? No, it's not... The rule can only apply once a child is 780 days old, which would count as a toddler, not a baby. What could even leave a Kami willing to try killing a baby?! But he has the eyes as well...

His question was aimed towards Ryuk, but L may as well know as Light chuckled, laying back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. "I don't know. Something about magic eyes and a diadem he can't remove since infancy sounds like he'd be a Kami's kid or something."

Ryuk understood the question was aimed at him, floating around as he pondered a possible answer. "Yeah, that's what I think happened. Old Man only made no sleeping with humans a rule a couple decades ago, so I guess that lines up."

L also seemed to understand that the question was not intended for him. "You seem very knowledgable about Kami, Light-Kun."

"Well, yeah," Light said casually. There was nothing to worry about in that. "It's part of my culture. I would read books in the library about it when I was bored. But I never thought any of it would be real."

Ryuk let out a cackling laugh. "You thought I was going to take your soul," he reminded Light. "How accurate could those books be?"

"Nevertheless," L moved away from his whiteboard and back to his previously abandoned computer. "I believe all the answers I seek will come in learning how Hachiman-Kun commits these acts. And for that... we'll have to eliminate the stand-in that Hachiman-Kun has implemented."

"Stand-in?" He guessed that quickly. What gave it away?

L sent him a teasing look. "Isn't it obvious? Hachiman-Kun would know Benzaiten would be easily captured and naturally plan for a situation where he could not act as an alibi for either himself or her and leave this 'divine retribution' in the hands of someone else."

He was right. It was rather obvious. Light smiled, sitting down next to him. "Alright then. Where should we start?"

OoOoO

Light wasn't sure what he was supposed to think at this moment, looking at the charts for Yotsuba. This was exactly what he asked Rem to do, so why was it so boring that it had been detected so easily?

Nevertheless, this would be more interesting than how things had been running lately. In the last month, Light had chosen to stay with L in headquarters outside of college but made sure Dad knew that this was his choice voluntarily. Interestingly, L went so far as to clear Light as a suspect for his ability to come in. But even doing that put them no further in solving the case, with Misa refusing to speak.

That was until Light decided to look at Yotsuba specifically. He decided to investigate the matter for a few days before revealing it to L, but when he saw a long string of disappearances in other companies, he knew what this meant.

"Ryuzaki, come take a look at this," he heard the sound of L wheeling his chair over to be next to him. "Look at this list of disappearances and this sudden growth for Yotsuba."

L's eyes were alight with joy as he leaned closer to the computer screen. "If this is connected to those with Hachiman's power, then punishing criminals may not be this one's goal."

Light nodded, but he couldn't help but be disappointed. This was exactly what he asked Rem to do, so the issue wasn't with her, but come on! Couldn't this new guy try to stick to his MO instead of being a selfish prick? "Yeah, it's possible that punishing criminals is camouflage while he kills for monetary purposes. The criminals who have turned into doves don't match Hachiman's MO or even Benzaiten's. It honestly feels more like an afterthought."

L looked through the file Light handed him so he could understand the context of Light's claim before realizing that it was perfectly sound. It was so unlike Hachiman that Light could see the exact moment L realized that even if he was Hachiman and this person was meant to act as a stand-in, Light had no idea who this was either.

"You once said that if an adult had this power, he would use it for his own benefit or to make money," L mused, thinking of every possible scenario in the face of this new data. "This would fit that. Though since Hachiman and Benzaiten existed at the same time, this only serves to confirm this is an entirely new person. Though why would he bother to hide...?" He shook his head on that, as Matsuda had just entered the room, patting Light's shoulder. "Very impressive research, Light-Kun."

Light grinned. Now it was time to have fun again! "Thanks. So, are you ready to get those answers?"

Chapter Text

L stared in amazement at all the research Light collected for the investigation. "How did you find all of this?"

Light brightened. "It's all thanks to this new system that allows us to access police, public, and media data from all over the world," he had been using this for a while, but now was the first time he could actually talk to others about how fascinating it was. It was fun! "At first, I didn't know what to look for, but I started with the idea that Hachiman was in Japan and searched based on that. It's a fact that most of those who disappeared are in Japan. When you compare the disappearances with media coverage, it's clear that Hachiman gets his information from local Japanese sources." He scrolled through the data to show L what he meant. "Since Hachiman causes the disappearances by turning people into doves, I thought there may be some victims we haven't been able to pin on him yet. So I searched for all the people who have disappeared up to now, including non-criminals. That would usually be an incredible amount of work, but this system made it relatively fast."

Matsuda was standing next to them, smiling hopefully toward L. "I helped a lot on this, Ryuzaki." It was true that Matsuda did help with making this faster, but Light couldn't help but smile. As true as it was, that wasn't why Matsuda mentioned it.  So you want to impress L. Interesting...

But he didn't let any of that into his body language, only grateful he told Ryuk about an apple orchard he could hang out at when he got bored, so Ryuk wouldn't latch onto Matsuda's admiration. "I planned to carefully examine every disappearance over the last few months, but I quickly noticed three suspicious cases. Two could be a coincidence, but not three." He changed the tab to show L what he was referring to, grateful he had bookmarked it for the occasion. "Sekimaru Corp's VP of development, Roppei Tamiya. Aoi Industries Director of Integrated Systems, Kouji Aoi. Former Yotsuba Vice-President Takeyoshi Moriya. All three were in important positions in the Japanese business world, and all disappeared. So then, I researched Sekimaru, Aoi, and Yotsuba. Yotsuba's stock has been rising steadily while Sekimaru and Aoi's have plummeted."

The charts alone were painfully obvious that something unusual was happening with Yotsuba. Whoever Rem picked was disappointingly stupid. It would be harder to pinpoint if he gave them options between companies rising and falling, but this was just stupid!

L's expression made it more than clear he agreed with Light's disappointment. "So you did further research into other disappearances involving people in the business world?"

Light nodded. "Yeah, and look." He changed his tab again, "Thirteen disappearances that were beneficial to Yotsuba in only a month." Seriously?! Sure, doves were such a stupid way of making people disappear that he probably thought it was untraceable, but this was so stupid! "From the other companies' point of view, only two or three were beneficial. But one thing I think is interesting is that they all disappeared. There is no mention of doves or anything bird or even snake-like. The only exception is two were punished by Hachiman this week after being indicted for corruption."

"These were all after you were put under surveillance and Amane was put in confinement..." L mused, looking over at Light with an impish smile. Light did nothing to deny L's observation. "That intrigues me."

Matsuda's brow furrowed, not understanding Light and L's game with one another. "I thought Light wasn't a suspect anymore."

"He's not," L lied. Or was it a lie? Light wasn't a suspect, he was undeniably Hachiman, and they both knew it. "But it is noteworthy nonetheless."

"It's fine, Matsuda," Light assured him nonetheless. "He's right." He looked at L, "So, Ryuzaki, what do you think? I have to conclude that the one doing this is supporting Yotsuba."

L scrolled through the data Light collected, coming to a conclusion. "But if that's the case..."

Light nodded. If this guy was going to be so stupid, there was no point in denying part of the truth of the notebook. "Yeah. It means Hachiman's power is not as specific as he led us to believe. He can probably use more animals than just what he shows us."

He could feel L staring at him with a look of delight, which he had to quickly conceal at the sound of Aizawa and Ide coming in. Matsuda beamed to see them. "Aizawa! Ide! Come take a look at what Light and I found!"

The two of them came over, and Light had to fight his discomfort with this many people looking over his shoulder to examine his data. He had nothing to hide, but it was still uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Aizawa and Ide were fast readers. Aizawa nodded as he finished flipping through the data. "You're right. This is suspicious. For this many people who are against Yotsuba to disappear..."

"I've heard of big businesses sabotaging each other and stuff," Matsuda said. "Anything to get ahead."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "What era are you talking about?" He asked. His tone was somewhere between genuinely asking and incredulous about Matsuda's assumption. "Nobody would do that these days."

"But Yotsuba is doing it," L reminded him, gesturing to the blatant conclusion in the data. "The question is whether Hachiman's power is behind this or not."

"You think this is Hachiman's work?" Ide asked.

L shook his head. "Not Hachiman's work. Someone with Hachiman's power pretending to be him." He clarified before looking over at Light. "But Light-Kun is more knowledgeable on the topic than me." Light rolled his eyes at L's tone. He knew exactly what he was saying. 

Ide picked up on it as well, but like Aizawa had decided weeks ago, he decided it was above his pay grade to comment on... whatever was going on with Light and L's dynamic. "So Yotsuba has hired someone with Hachiman's  power  to help them?"

"Hachiman being hired is unthinkable." L said.

Aizawa frowned. "Why?"

"Because that would mean that a company was able to find someone with Hachiman's power before I could," L said simply, as though the answer was obvious. "That's not possible. Even if it's a big business, I can't imagine the real Hachiman helping them after being found out. And if this were Benzaiten, it would fall under the same logic as the person here, who would immediately eliminate the person who discovered them. A better theory would be that someone in Yotsuba got their hands on Hachiman's power."

"But what if Hachiman or Benzaiten or whoever went to them?" Aizawa asked, crossing his arms as he examined the data. "Maybe they figured they'd need money for something in the future."

"I think it's just greed," Light said, spinning around in his chair to face everyone. "The MO is different, so this isn't Hachiman or Benzaiten. We'll probably have to think of a different name for this imposter, but given this person is hiding behind the powers of Hachiman, he clearly doesn't want to be detected." He waved his hand around in vague annoyance. "Probably your classic story of a businessman prick trying to gain more power and money."

Aizawa shrugged, gesturing for Light to print out the data. "Well, either way, we better look into this. But infiltrating a big business like Yotsuba could be tough..."

"I could do it." Ide offered, but Aizawa shot it down immediately.

"No. No, you're not."

Ide rolled his eyes, placing his hand on his hip. "Aizawa, this is what I did before becoming a serial murder investigator."

"Yes, but if anything goes wrong in capturing the imposter, you're gonna become a dove." Aizawa retorted, placing his hand against the desk, his voice firm. It seemed the idea of his partner being in danger was not something he planned to tolerate. "This isn't just avoiding getting a hit on you."

Ide knew it was pointless to try convincing Aizawa otherwise, so he simply shrugged. "My offer still stands."

"Aizawa-San has a point," L said, and Aizawa took a step back as he tried to figure out how he felt about L agreeing with him on something. "I considered sending Watari, as he is well respected in the business world. But if someone with Hachiman's power is involved, it would be too dangerous to send Watari alone." He stood up from his chair, moving over to his own setup and data. "Yagami-San should be back from the National Police Agency soon. We can decide how to attack then, but for now, let's see what else we can do."

"I'll look into how Yotsuba is organized," Aizawa said, moving over to his desk.

Light opened another tab on his computer. "I'll see if I can hack into Yotsuba's main computer."

Matsuda raised his hand before deflating as he realized there wasn't much else he could do. "Uh... I will..."

Ide softened as he noticed Matsuda's desperation. "Can you make sure Ukita was fed? You're better at taking care of him than we are. I know it's not much, but that gives me time to print out an employee list for Yotsuba, and I'll need help organizing that."

Matsuda brightened immediately upon Ide giving him those tasks, proving he did have worth on the investigative team. "You've got it!"

He ran off, leaving everyone staring at Ide in disbelief. He made it seem so easy to simultaneously give Matsuda the menial task while still managing to make him feel helpful. 

Ide shrugged at everyone's amazement. "Someone needs to do it. Now," he sat down next to Aizawa, preparing himself for the true test of human strength: dealing with the printer for a prolonged period. "We should get to work."

...

"What are you saying, Director?!" Soichiro shouted. He had been called to meet with Kitamura for this?! "Stop investigating the Hachiman case?!"

"It's not me," Kitamura insisted, but they both knew he was more pleading to avoid Soichiro's wrath. "That's the order from above. I'm against it, of course."

This didn't make any sense. Soichiro shook his head in disbelief. "Why would they... They don't seriously think the world is a better place, thanks to Hachiman."

Kitamura pursed his lips as he tried to figure out how to best answer. "There is a matter of religion involved, but it's not primarily that... the police don't believe that..."

"Police? Then when you say above..." Soichiro stiffened as he saw Kitamura's silence, making the truth of the matter plain as day. "The government? Does this have anything to do with the politicians who disappeared last week for accepting bribes?" Once again, Kitamura's silence was his only answer. Soichiro narrowed his eyes. There was no way this was serious. "The government is pressuring the police?"

"Yagami... We have no country without the government," Kitamura said, as though that would ease Soichiro's frustration. "If the government is destroyed, so is our country."

"Director! We can't give up now!" He shouted but stopped as he allowed himself to think more about the situation.  Something's strange here...  "Even if many in the government have done things that would cause Hachiman to punish them, those are the types of people who would want Hachiman caught as soon as possible to save their own hides." If that wasn't the case, was this seriously about to be... 

He didn't need to speak to ask if this was what he feared it was. Kitamura could only offer a resigned nod in return. "Yes, Hachiman has said he will leave the politicians alone if the police stay off him."

This wasn't Hachiman. Soichiro already suspected as much from the change in the MO during the month of Amane's confinement, but now it was confirmed. Hachiman never cared about police involvement. Why would that change now? "Hachiman said that to who?!"

"I don't know that either," Kitamura said. "Hachiman did punish a politician indicted for corruption, but that's not the only thing that makes Hachiman so powerful. Hachiman is helping the politicians."

You have got to be kidding me.  "Helping?"

"Hachiman's a terrifying guy."

"What do you mean, Director?"  This better not be what I think it is.

"Hachiman can get to anyone," Kitamura explained. "It shouldn't be difficult for him to amass a fortune... and he's forwarded a large sum to the government."

Soichiro blinked. Then he blinked again as he tried to figure out how to make sense of the bullshit he was hearing. "You're saying there are those who are receiving bribes from Hachiman? Are you serious?" He leaned his hand against the table. "Surely, I'm not the only one seeing the contradiction. Hachiman condemns those who accept bribes but then offer bribes himself?"

If Kitamura understood just how little sense the situation made, he didn't say anything on the matter. But he refused to look at Soichiro. "It's over now. There are some who even say that Hachiman is Japan's ultimate weapon."

Soichiro narrowed his eyes. What was this fake Hachiman asking, exactly? "But we're going to keep up a front that we're going after Hachiman with everything we have?"

"Yeah... that's right..."

"So we'll be lying to everyone in the world." He snapped, crossing his arms. Surely, Kitamura could not be considering this. Even if it was out of his hands, this was not something the police could just turn away from, as ridiculous as it was. "Not a single Japanese police officer will actually be working the case. What will happen if we continue investigating the case?"

Kitamura faltered, which in itself said all Soichiro needed to know. "I'm not personally telling you to quit the case in which you've risked your lives for up until now..."

There was no point in continuing with the train of thought this conversation would go down if he were to humor this notion. He chuckled to himself. This fake Hachiman had to be a fool. "If politicians are playing this game, I will too. I'm not working on the Hachiman case. I'm working on an abundance of missing-person cases."

Kitamura straightened. "What?"

"Politicians twist their words for their benefit all the time," Soichiro explained, though he shouldn't have to. The loophole was so easily exploitable that he couldn't help but wonder how nobody thought of it before it reached him. "They will win no matter what. I am simply changing the wording of the investigation based on a technicality. All you need to do is change the labeling of the investigation, and the matter is a nonissue." He leaned forward just a bit, taking back the power in the room with ease. "So, are you going to do it? Don't tell me  this  is going to be the case that has the NPA running away with their tails between their legs."

Kitamura was stunned into silence for only a moment before he smiled fondly. "I've seen you rise in the NPA since you were a cadet, but you never cease to amaze me, Yagami. I'll do it, but I hope you know what happens if you get caught."

Soichiro smiled in return, bowing. "Don't worry, Director. We know the risks. And I thank you for this chance. Now, if you excuse me," he stepped towards the door. He had been gone for far too long, as it was. "I have a missing-person investigation to continue working on."

Chapter Text

Everything was running smoothly in the investigation, with the team's combined efforts making the process move significantly faster than Light or L on their own. However, Light couldn't help but hope matters could be sped along to catch this imposter before Hachiman's reputation was dragged through the mud. 

But this was fine, he supposed. He still needed to determine a way to explain that he needed Misa out of confinement without directly confessing his identity as Hachiman to L. If he failed in his mission, he was relatively confident Rem would sooner eliminate L than follow through on her threat to do something to Light, but Light found he wanted to avoid any harm coming to L as well. So what was he supposed to do... he needed Misa to renounce her memories, which she would never do. If he could achieve that and Misa's freedom, there would be nothing to worry about.

There wasn't anything he could do from that standpoint, and he doubted there would be anything he could do in any regard until the actual investigation into Yotsuba began outside of gaining evidence. Thankfully for him, that was by no means something hard to obtain. 

"I found another one, Ryuzaki," he turned his computer so it would be easier for L to see the contents of his research. "On July 13th, Junichi Yaibe, Iidabashi division manager for Otomo bank, disappeared. He was scheduled to take over as president in November. He was widely known as the best man in the Otomo Organization," he changed the tab to a news article. "And three days ago, the Otomo bank company director was caught embezzling. He hasn't been arrested yet, but if the recent pattern holds, he'll either disappear or commit suicide soon... Otomo Bank is in crisis. At this rate, Yotsuba Bank will surpass them as the country's largest."

"July 13th was a Friday, correct?" Light turned around, mildly surprised as Dad stepped over, holding some documents in his hands that Light couldn't see. "We've overlooked simple things. I reexamined our data and noticed that the deaths convenient to Yotsuba are concentrated on the weekends."

Matsuda looked over Dad's shoulder in fascination. "Huh? Really?"

Dad nodded, placing the documents down so Light could see for himself what this lead was, and Light's eyes lit up as he saw the remarkable observation of his father.

"Among the disappearances lately, they were scattered at first," Dad explained, "But now more and more have been between Friday night and Saturday. This includes the three disappearances Light first noticed."

"Wow, great work, Chief!" Matsuda cheered. "Light and Ryuzaki hadn't even noticed that."

This was an incredible deduction, but... "The disappearances are being concentrated on the weekends? Why?"

L nodded his agreement to the unusual manner this was all happening. "That's odd... if these disappearances are connected to this imposter Hachiman, then that would mean Hachiman's powers are not as limited as he has led us to believe. If that were the case, he could spread them out randomly to make them harder to detect..." he took a bite of his cake as he tried to put any sense of logic to what may very well be a simple case of stupidity. "Is there a meaning behind this? Is this not an imposter Hachiman's work?"

"Let's not discount the possibility just yet," Light said. "It is just as likely this imposter was hiding behind Hachiman to make up for their own stupidity," he turned back around to Dad with a bright smile. "I totally missed this. It could be valuable info, Dad!"

"I'm not going to take a backseat to you and Ryuzaki just yet," Dad said. "I need to pull my weight."

Though the mood was cheerful, Light noticed in the corner of his eye that Matsuda was visibly saddened by the notion.  Oh no... It looks like Ide's tactic of making busywork seem helpful isn't working as well as before.  But that was by no means surprising. Matsuda wasn't stupid, so he was going to catch on eventually.

"We don't know if this imposter is in Yotsuba, if he is using Yotsuba, or whether Hachiman or any imposter is even involved," L mused, obvious to Matsuda's turmoil. "However, we will operate under the assumption that this is a fake Hachiman's work. We will investigate Yotsuba thoroughly."

It was with those words that Mogi came in with a large stack of paper, with Aizawa and Ide helping him carry some of it downstairs from a printer they should have moved upstairs by now. "We've completed the Yotsuba employee list, home and abroad," Mogi said softly, turning around to get back to his desk as quickly as possible.

Light couldn't help but marvel at the stack in front of him. "Over 300,000... Amazing that Mogi could complete the task so quickly. Great work."

"Mogi-San has always been surprisingly efficient," L replied. "Aizawa-San, Ide-San, has anything new happened with the NPA?" That was Aizawa and Ide's role, to maintain connections with the NPA to ensure they remained under the radar with the true nature of their investigation.

"Nothing new," Aizawa said, sounding honestly rather bored by the whole thing. "Though people are starting to notice Amane's disappearance and there are rumors everywhere about it. Somehow she managed to get even more popular from it."

"That's not surprising," Matsuda said, brightening as he understood the world of media in a way nobody else on the task force did. "For a rising star like Misa-Misa to disappear, even with the supposed explanation the NPA provided of witnessing drug use, it is bound to cause a lot of questions and commotion." He shrugged. "What can I say? People love a good scandal." He jumped a bit before anyone could get frustrated with his statement. "That's not to say what Amane did is just a scandal, but the people don't know that!"

That was as good a segway as any... "Should we bring Amane in on this investigation?" Light asked. "She has connections, and a fake Hachiman is slightly less likely to go after her. We can't say the same about the original, but..."

Dad shook his head. "That's a good suggestion, but I don't think that would be necessary if we are smart with our resources." 

Light had to hide his frustration. Dad, I love you, but please, I'm trying to save mine and L's skin right now! He looked towards L, making sure L noticed the concern in his eyes, getting his message across. Even if not for this, he needed Amane freed eventually. He felt a weight off his shoulders as L sent him a reassuring nod in response, so subtle that nobody else would see it. 

"But Light," Dad continued, "You have a point that things are difficult with so few members. And it would be difficult to increase our members now, since we barely managed to be under the radar when labeled as a missing person case. Even if we could, I can't imagine many would assist us."

"We can't use the police." L insisted firmly. "If an officer came saying he wished to join us now, I'd assume he was a spy." He eyed his computer before pressing a button on it. "Watari?"

"Yes?" 

"Can you call Aiber and Wedy?"

Watari sounded confused by the request, as was everyone else. There were people who could help them? Why were they not called before?  "Huh? I know their current locations, but do you plan to show your face to them?"

"We already have a level of trust between us," L replied. "And with a big case like Yotsuba, it would be complicated to have to contact them through you. I wouldn't be able to explain my thoughts as well."

Watari was silent for a moment before he gave his answer.  "I understand. I'll get right on it."  The call ended, and Light was the first to ask what everyone was thinking,

"Aiber and Wedy?"

L looked over at Light as though part of him had been hoping that Light wouldn't ask that. He knew he was in for a headache when he gave his answer. "A con man and a thief."

Matsuda was the first to react. "What?!"

Aizawa groaned in response, leaning against the desk and carding his fingers through his hair. "Why am I not surprised? Of course, Ryuzaki has a con man and a thief he can call whenever he wants."

Ide nodded, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, with a look of disapproval in L's direction. "Making it even clearer why I don't trust L."

L didn't pay the snide comment much mind. "No matter what you think of me, we are on the same side, and Aiber and Wedy will be able to help us." He stood up from his seat, thinking to himself how he would explain this. "Aiber is an expert when it comes to languages, psychology, and personality transformation. He possesses the skills to blend into all levels of society and can always force a strong bond with his target. We'll use him to get close. Wedy is a thief who can get past any lock, security system, and vault. They're both seasoned..." he hesitated momentarily, "Criminals."

Dad shook his head in sheer disbelief at the whole notion. "We'll be working with criminals!?"

"They're slightly different from the criminals Hachiman punishes, though," L was quick to explain, and it didn't escape Light's notice that he sounded almost protective of Aiber and Wedy. He did say there was trust between them... "These two are pros, only known in the underworld. I also know of other criminals who could help us if needed. Of course, none of them want to show their faces, and I will only show mine to those I trust. And some of them would have to live here with us. This is a tactic I couldn't really use while we were connected to the police, but with the way that things are now..." he shrugged. "This is the best way to do things if we need to stay under the radar."

Aizawa raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You do realize we are still police officers, right?"

"The alternative is utilizing Ide-San's history of undercover work," L said simply. "We may still need to use it, but the chances will decrease if we can use Aiber instead."

L knew that bringing up Ide potentially needing to endanger himself would shut down any argument from Aizawa. He was proven correct as Aizawa grumbled to himself before eventually saying, "Fine." It didn't escape Light's notice the way Ide visibly softened seeing his partner so worried for him. 

Dad was still reluctant about the whole thing. "But..."

Light stood up quickly. If L was setting the groundwork for them to work with criminals, it had to be at least partially building up to get Misa out of confinement. He had to take advantage of this! "I see. These kinds of people will be helpful in investigating Yotsuba." He offered a sunny smile. "Let's all work together to solve this case!"

But as he looked to the side, he couldn't help but notice Matsuda hurrying out of the main room.  Matsuda, what are you up to?

...

Was he really that useless? Was Matsuda really of so little help to the task force that L would rather turn to the help of criminals before tasking him with anything actually important?

Had he done something wrong? No matter how hard he tried to prove himself, it seemed all he would be stuck with was busy work. Did they think he didn't notice that Ide had gentle phrasing in giving him the most basic tasks? Maybe he was optimistic at first, but now...

He had to do something. He had to somehow prove to them that he could be useful! He might not have the iron will or the skills, but he could do something!

This led him to the line of thought he was on now. Though Light and Ryuzaki didn't say much on the matter, Misa's eyes had to be part of this case! Benzaiten had a power that Hachiman didn't seem to, and around that time, all photoshoots with Misa-Misa featured silver eyes she never had before, and her confinement proved that was her eye color.

That was something he could use. If that could get a reaction out of the Imposter Hachiman, then surely they could use that!

Watari turned in surprise when he realized it was Matsuda who had come into his office. "Matsuda, what is it?"

Matsuda took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this. "I need your help, so I can prove I am helpful to L."

Chapter Text

Knowledge of the media proved far more useful than anyone on the task force would likely give it credit. Matsuda knew that and that was why he knew where to find details the others would not think to search for, and the thing that got his attention the most was the change in Misa's eyes.

Misa Amane was known for wearing colored contacts, so it was no question why the change was not noted by many people. However, Matsuda knew the details of her confinement, and something he had noticed was that her eyes were silver, not by contacts, but because that was her true eye color. And Matsuda still wouldn't have thought much of it if not for a few factors.

The first was that Light and Ryuzaki seemed to think there was something off about her eyes, though they didn't say much directly about the matter. But it was the second thing that caught Matsuda's attention far more, Benzaiten mentioned "the eyes" in one of her messages, and Misa only showed silver eyes not long after the disappearance of her sister, Sara Amane, and not long before Benzaiten's first appearance.

Could it all be a coincidence, and he was overthinking this, so he was an idiot to ask Watari to give him a secret iris surgery to change his own eyes to silver for the sake of doing something even more stupid? Yes. But if he was honest, he realized it was unbelievably stupid from the moment he decided to do that, which left him mildly concerned about why Watari was so willing to do it even without Ryuzaki knowing.

But whatever the reason was, it was easy to justify needing to wear sunglasses for a few days by saying he had a lingering migraine, which anyone who would inquire about the sunglasses could sympathize with. It only took a few days before he had recovered enough to do what he had to do.

The eyes were a backup plan if he got caught because while he had no desire to be caught, he wasn't going to fool himself into thinking it wasn't a legitimate possibility. Be that because of security guards or his clumsiness, he couldn't help but feel that cosmetic eye surgery was a better alternative than turning into a dove, even if it could only save his hide on a gamble. A gamble that the odds were in his favor, but a gamble nonetheless. 

But he was confident that these eyes were significant to the Hachiman case. And if they were, he knew he needed to understand how they worked. Based on his deduction, given the disappearance of Sara Amane, they must have some kind of price, right? And they granted the power for Hachiman's abilities to not need a name, only a face. If Ryuzaki's theory was correct that Benzaiten managed to locate Hachiman, did that mean the eyes played a factor? Either way, they should catch Imposter Hachiman's attention. 

He couldn't help but feel it was alarmingly easy to sneak into the Yotsuba building, only needing to duck under a security guard. The front of the building had plenty of security measures, but companies like this always had back entrances, and through there, it wasn't hard to slip inside.

The plan was to stay after hours and search for evidence when the building was empty, making sure to hide his face from the cameras. But as it was a Friday night, Matsuda hoped to find something better, which was exactly what he found, hiding just out of sight as he heard two people talking.

"Well, at least it's Friday," one said. "If we had those secret meetings late into the night on Mondays, I wouldn't even want to come to work after the weekend."

"You could say that again," the other grumbled. 

Matsuda gasped softly as he heard that.  Secret meeting... Friday night? It sounds like they have them every week. Jackpot!  He waited for the sound of the elevator closing, rushing over to see what floor they were going on, which proved to be the nineteenth floor. He was about to press the elevator button but stopped himself.  No, wait... 

He whipped around towards the nearby staircase, for the first time in his life grateful for the stair-climbing exercise in the academy he always thought previously was just some sick form of torture. But he still found himself, not for the first time in the last few days, questioning every single one of his life choices.

"You can't ever win if you're always on the defensive. To win, you have to attack."

Light said that once, and he was right. Matsuda knew there was no way to do this besides making a big move, or he would be forced to perform the menial tasks forever. If there was a chance... if there was even a chance... he had to take it.

He made it to the nineteenth floor and looked around to find himself greeted with a red door so ominous that it would be a shame if it wasn't used for Imposter Hachiman-related matters. Sucking in a breath, Matsuda pressed his ear to the door.  Damnit. I can tell they're talking, but it's hard to hear what they're saying. But Friday night? A secret meeting of a few people? This could be... This really could be...!

He didn't know how long he was left waiting for the door, as time distorted itself both in stressful situations and in believably boring ones. Would those two things cancel each other out? Well, however long it was, it was long enough for Matsuda to become unpleasantly aware of the fact he only ate a sandwich today. 

"We'll have Hachiman get rid of him."

Matsuda's eyes widened, a wide grin blossoming on his face.  I heard it! They are connected to Hachiman! This is huge!

But that victory was immediately replaced by horror when he heard the sound of footsteps. There was no time for him to get away from the door!

Relax. You prepared for something like this to happen. Just be confident, and you might be able to pull off a lie.  Matsuda straightened, making a move to make it seem as though he was about to open the door first, just in time for the door to open in his face.

He could already hear Ide lecturing him as he offered a charming smile, subtly batting his eyelashes and drawing attention to the eyes.  Please, god, let me be right about this.  "Good evening, gentlemen. I believe one of you was expecting me."

He took a quick glance at everyone in the room. Eight men, all looking at him in a mix of panic and... That one guy in the corner's reaction was interesting... Just as a test, he maintained eye contact with that man for a long moment, just enough to make him uncomfortable. 

"Who the hell are you?!" One man asked. Matsuda's brows pressed together in mock confusion.

"Who I am doesn't matter," Matsuda said, praying to god that would work. It probably wouldn't. I'm fucked. Well, go big or go home? Oh, who am I kidding? What was I thinking!? 

Okay... focus... that guy with the horrible hair had an interesting reaction. The others are panicked or confused. But this guy... 

Should he press his emergency belt? No... Not yet, at least... He stepped over to the massive table, leaning against it and ensuring he seemed as relaxed as possible. If he was meant to convince the Imposter of something with his eyes, he had to act like it was the truth. "Before you ask, I did hear your meeting. And I can tell you  believe  you are working with Hachiman." 

He eyed the guy with the interesting reaction again but made sure to examine the horrified others to ensure there was no chance he was making the wrong call with his gut feeling. It was possible Imposter Hachiman wasn't even among these men but was that likely? Probably not. Why bring together a team unless Imposter Hachiman was an employee of Yotsuba and wanted to disguise his actions by having more opinions to blur the MO?

He could see the men looking at one another, asking one another what they should do about him. "You're trying to determine what you should do with me. I wouldn't have come here if there was something you could do to me." This was so stupid, but did he have any other choice? "You all can call me Hachiman." He sat on the table, crossing his legs. "The police may have stopped investigating, but I'm not going to ignore an Imposter using our power and hiding behind my name. It's an insult to what I stand for."

He heard the man with the strange reaction laugh. "You're claiming to be Hachiman?" He asked. "How can we be sure you're not bluffing?"

"What reason would I have to bluff?" He asked simply. "It's stupid to lie about something I would have no way of having knowledge of." It was stupid... but could he make that work as evidence of him not lying?

"He has a point," one of the other men said, and by far the most attractive of the bunch. "I noticed the behavior of this supposed Hachiman was different than the Hachiman the public has seen up until now, and the change only came when it seemed the police had handled Benzaiten..."

Matsuda shook his head. "No. I was the one to handle Benzaiten, to make sure L didn't learn our secrets. But I don't know what L is doing currently. His independent investigation is impossible to get into, especially since the Hachiman case was shut down."

"So L is still a threat," the bald man mused.

Matsuda nodded. "Look, all I can say is that you are being too obvious about this. Every weekend after your Friday meetings? Really?"  I'm fucked. I'm fucked. I'm fucked.  

"Wait, hold on," another guy said, and Matsuda had to stop his heart from racing. "If you are the real Hachiman, and the one you believe us to be working with is a fake, why have you not been active?"

And why was the real Hachiman not active anymore? What could he... "An unplanned cost came up," he said. "And I've needed some time to heal from that." He kept close tabs on everyone's reactions as he stood up off the desk, holding up a piece of paper. "This is the number to a burner phone I have," he placed the piece of paper on the table. "If the one I planned to meet tonight could please call me, I would greatly appreciate it." He began to head towards the door when he felt a hand grab onto his arm. Matsuda tensed but steeled himself quickly as he made sure to look more annoyed than terrified. "You don't need to worry about me revealing anything. It's in my best interest if the Imposter remains uncaught, and our secrets away from those who may wish to use them for additonal evil. However, I would appreciate the help since Benzaiten proved to be crazy, so I can't use her. Which is why I'm offering my assistance and silence in exchange for toning down these disappearances."

"Let him go," the attractive man ordered the one grabbing Matsuda's arm. "Whether he is honest about his identity or not, there is likely someone else who knows he came here tonight. We will remain silent, and you will as well?"

This guy seemed the most influential of the group... Nobody else was protesting his words. But Matsuda also noticed he sounded somewhat relieved, as though he benefitted whether Matsuda was being honest or lying. Did he know...? "It's a truce!" He offered, hurrying out in a confident stride before anyone could stop him.

Only once he was out of the building did he need to lean on a lamppost for support, heaving for breath as his lungs tightened painfully.  They could still get rid of me! They did confirm they're working with Imposter Hachiman, so I don't think they'll get rid of me yet, but... Okay. Okay. I have to hurry. If I'm right that Misa-Misa's eyes have something to do with only needing a face, then they shouldn't know my name. That will give me time... I have to get back to Ryuzaki!

OoOoO

Was this part of Light Yagami's plan!? What was he thinking using the eyes as a means of luring out the fake Hachiman!?

No, this couldn't be Light Yagami's plan. Rem realized, but she couldn't decide if that was better or worse. Unless Light Yagami planned to use this to bargain for Misa's freedom to keep Touta Matsuda's cover, he already seemed to know a lot about the eyes. Was it that easy? If it was... what did that mean for Matsuda?!

It was times like this that Rem couldn't help but deeply envy the Shinigami. Dreadful creatures, who only cared for taking human lives, but their infamy led to centuries worth of adapting to conceal when they were involved in ending human lives. But other Kami were celebrated, and their gifts were meant to be displayed as a blessing. It was never a matter Rem had considered until now, as the notebook had never been used in this way before. But if a human unrelated to Light Yagami's plan figured it out and was using it... What could she do?

No. She had to assume this was part of Light Yagami's plan, or Light Yagami would soon discover it and incorporate it into his plan. And if it meant being rid of the vile human, Higuchi, it was more than worth it.

The most amusing thing to Rem was the moment the vast majority of men in the room noticed Higuchi's reaction to Touta Matsuda's eyes and claims. They put the pieces together within less than a minute. It showed in the following conversation about what they should do with Touta Matsuda that each member was already planning how to betray him and escape with their humanity intact. It seemed not even other vile humans could bear to be around Higuchi.

But the real show came when Higuchi arrived at his mansion and immediately rounded on Rem. "Was he telling the truth!? Is he really Hachiman?! Are those really Kami's Eyes, or is he a cop who somehow figured it out?"

Rem didn't even need to think about it. Light Yagami must know about this, or he would be made aware shortly. Perhaps Rem could manipulate the situation to press Higuchi to contact Touta Matsuda and, therefore, L and Light Yagami?

"His eyes are real," she said. "And he is the real Hachiman."

"But I thought Hachiman didn't have the eyes!" Higuchi paced nervously around the secret room he had installed. "That means he knows who I am, and he can get rid of me, but I don't know his name! And the others don't plan to investigate him!"

Because they hate you and want to see you fail.  "Many things could have changed in the time since I spoke to Hachiman or his Kami." She said. "But if he is offering you assistance, it is best you take it. He has owned the notebook for far longer than you have, and he knows how to avoid capture."

Higuchi visibly relaxed, slowly shaking his head. "Right. Right. Besides, having the eyes would be great! I just need to make sure he's okay with my way of doing things." He grinned a sleazy grin that made Rem shudder. "I'm sure I can give him what he wants to be satisfied." He pulled out his phone, where he had already subtly typed in the phone number. "I'll give him a call."

OoOoO

Matsuda hurried into headquarters as fast as he could, and though he had been gone for hours, he was surprised by how fast everyone turned around with relief that turned into confusion.

"Where have you been?" Soichiro asked worriedly.

Aizawa was the first to notice the change, as Light and Ryuzaki hadn't turned around yet. "And what happened to your eyes?"

"I just got back from overhearing a secret meeting from Yotsuba," Matsuda said, still gasping for breath. That was enough to have everyone spinning around to face him with eyes as wide as saucers. "Eight men were having a meeting to determine Imposter Hachiman's next victim! I heard it with my own ears. It's definitely them!"

"Are you sure?" L asked, a mix of stunned and amazed. "That would be amazing if true... but if you overheard that, then they'll surely try to eliminate you. And that doesn't explain your eyes..."

"That would be amazing," those words were all Matsuda needed to not regret anything he did, even if his lie was exposed and something happened to him. He amazed L! He hurried to Light's computer to flip through Yotsuba employee files to find the men he saw.

"But that's where this came in," he said, pointing to his eyes. "I got Watari's help with them. I spent some time investigating Misa-Misa, and it seems these eyes are a big deal to those with Hachiman's power. I planted a seed of doubt in the group, maybe claimed that I was Hachiman, and they let me go with no problem! There is a chance I'll end up as a dove if they don't believe me and they learn my name, but given how they were reacting, I don't think so."

"You  what?!"  Light shouted. He sounded completely horrified, far more so than Matsuda expected.

Soichiro was as well. "You said you were Hachiman!?"

"Matsuda, you can't just go making claims like that!" Ide insisted, hurrying over to him. "If you said anything that the real Hachiman could easily disprove—"

"Don't worry. I didn't say anything," he assured Ide. "However, I did give them a number to a burner phone. I wonder if anyone will..." he was cut off by his burner phone ringing. Yes! He grinned, making it obvious in his tone that this was what he was hoping for. "Oh, let's see who that is," he answered the phone, keeping it away from his ear so everyone else could hear it. "Hello?"

Matsuda had never been happier in his life when the voice on the other end was who he now knew was Higuchi, exactly who his gut told him would be the Imposter if anyone in the room was. 

"It's me. Let's talk."

Chapter Text

"It's me. Let's talk."

Light's eyes widened as he heard the voice on the other end of Matsuda's phone. Did Matsuda seriously manage to get the fake Hachiman to call him just by walking in and saying he was Hachiman just because he had silver eyes? It took all of Light's willpower to stop himself from laughing. This was way more entertaining than doing things the normal way! And he could manipulate this easily.

Matsuda made sure to keep his voice even, sitting down on the couch. "I was wondering if you would be the first to call me." He looked over to Ide to see if he was doing this right. Ide sat on the coffee table, leaning forward as he tried to determine how to help Matsuda through this conversation should he need assistance.

"You said you would appreciate the help,"  Higuchi said from the other side of the phone.  "I think you and I can help each other. With your eyes, it should be no trouble for you to know I'm the real deal."

Matsuda couldn't stop himself from smiling, looking at Ide, who was writing something down on a piece of paper just out of Light's line of sight. But the sudden confidence in his tone indicated this was a behavioral guide, not influencing what Matsuda was saying. 

"Are you sure we should talk about this over the phone?" He asked. "You never know who could tap into the conversation." 

"Yes, of course,"  Higuchi replied.  "I want to meet with you to discuss this further. How about tomorrow evening? I can show you why working with Yotsuba would be worth your while."

"Tomorrow night?" Matsuda asked, leaning to the side to see what L thought about this. L considered it for a moment before looking towards Light. An idea came into his mind, giving Matsuda a hesitant nod, and Matsuda gave him a thumbs-up in return. "Sounds good. Say... 6 o'clock?"

"Alright. Message me tomorrow where to meet you. I'll see you then."

The line went dead, and Matsuda heaved a sigh of relief as he leaned back against the couch. "I was worried he wouldn't believe me, but it looks like he's even ready to confess to it." He looked back over at L. "So, should I meet up with him and get him to show me how his power works?"

"Yes, that would be ideal," L mused, picking up a cupcake before taking a bite. "However, before we even consider that, there is a problem we must address. That being that while you may have succeeded in catching the man who is potentially the Imposter's attention, we cannot say for certain that is the case until we get proof from the Imposter himself."

"Not to mention," Light added. "If this really is the fake Hachiman, will Matsuda be able to keep up the facade once specifics begin getting involved?" He looked over to the side to gauge how L reacted to Light's statement, noticing L was thinking the exact same thing Light was. He gave Light a reassuring nod before he turned back to Matsuda and the rest of the worried task force. 

"It's as Light-Kun says," L said. "If you slip in your facade, it could blow your cover, and you will be eliminated." Matsuda's eyes widened at the idea. "However... we do have a way to handle such a risk, and ensure you are in no danger," using his nails, he removed the remnants of the cupcake from the wrapper. "We need to use Misa Amane."

"What?!" Aizawa visibly protested, standing up in disbelief. Light had to hide his grimace, knowing what they needed to do would no doubt meet resistance after what happened to Ukita. "You can't be serious, Ryuzaki. Even if we did do that, there's no way she would help us."

"We might be able to," Light mused. He knew this would be a stretch, but he had to try if he wanted to fulfill his end of his agreement with Rem. Rem should be no danger to him, as Ryuk had exclusive rights to his name according to the rules, but that didn't mean he wanted to run the risk. "If we have her give us information and renounce her power in exchange for a pardon, even if it's a limited one, that could work."

"Again," Ide stared incredulously at Light. "You can't be serious."

L shrugged in response, "It's either that or Matsuda turns into a dove. We could let him turn into a dove if he is caught."

Matsuda visibly tensed at the idea, and Light surveyed how he was taking this. It was clear he had some idea of how the eyes worked but knew just as well as everyone else did that this was not bound to go well if he worked only with that and not concrete facts. "Can we please try to avoid that?"

Dad crossed his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't say I agree with the idea of letting Amane go either. However... if it means we can ensure Matsuda's safety, we may have to take that risk."

Light nodded his approval. Good. Dad's on board with the plan. This is perfect! Because of Matsuda's stunt, we'll have to move up our plans to capture this guy! With Misa safe, I can go back to...  he paused as he realized he wasn't entirely sure what to do after this. His only concern with this aspect of the plan was whether Misa would ever renounce her power, given the price of her eyes, but surely Rem could help him in that regard.

But there was no way Misa would tell Matsuda about the notebook. They would need to be careful with how they went about that, given Matsuda did not know that part. On that topic... what caused Higuchi to believe this in the first place? Did Rem say something, assuming this had been part of Light's plan?

Aizawa hesitantly looked to Matsuda as well, understanding what Dad was saying. If it was for Matsuda's safety, to make sure he didn't meet the same fate as Ukita... "Fine. But if Amane tries anything—"

"You do not have to worry about that, Aizawa-San," L assured him. "So we are all in agreement, albeit reluctantly, to have Amane's help for this?" He waited until everyone gave him the nod. "Alright. Once we have the necessary information, I trust Ide-San and Aizawa-San to assist in any way they can with preparing Matsuda-San for this role. Aiber?" Aiber looked up from where he had been leaning against the desk, silently observing the conversation. "Would you please help Matsuda-San as well? It seems we may not need your services as Coil after all. In fact..." he looked back to Matsuda. "Even with all the necessary preparations, if Matsuda-San can prove Higuchi is the fake Hachiman, we may be able to capture him tomorrow night. All Matsuda-San would need to do was get Higuchi back to his home, and showing him how he uses his powers. And then..." he smiled, "We can get those answers we need."

"Capturing Higuchi tomorrow?" Matsuda's eyes lit up, knowing that the risk he had taken may be the thing to get this case completed far faster than they had expected. "I'll do it! I don't care how dangerous it is."

Capturing Higuchi tomorrow? Light looked over at L, who was communicating something important with his eyes, asking:  "Will this work for your need of freeing Amane?"

Light nodded, making sure to convey his message back:  "Thank you."

OoOoO

Matsuda had to fight the urge to rub his eyes from exhaustion, taking another drink of coffee after a few hours. If it weren't for Ide's insistence that too much coffee could give him brain fog, which would impair his undercover work, he would have been drinking it nonstop for hours, but he supposed it couldn't be helped.

I can do this... I can do this... he looked down at his burner phone, where he had told Higuchi to meet him by the coffee shop, running through everything Ide and Aiber instructed him to do and Misa's instructions for how the eyes worked.

He still couldn't believe Light's plan to convince her to help them had worked. Though it seemed less to do with her own sake and more Light explaining someone was abusing her powers for their own selfish gain. And that was one of the mysteries Matsuda was never sure he would see answered: how did Light manage to convince her to talk with how against it she was before. What kind of insane charisma did he have!?

But even then, all she did was confirm what Matsuda already suspected about the eyes. No matter how much she was questioned, she never explained exactly what Hachiman's power manifested. Was it a physical thing? A psychic thing? He had no idea, but he knew the price of the eyes, thanks to Misa's advice.

"The price is equal exchange," Misa said reluctantly, crossing her arms as she was finally let out of her full restraints, even if she could not remove the blindfold. "To gain something of value, you must lose something of value."

"Is that why your sister disappeared?" Soichiro asked. Misa nodded somberly,

"Yes..." she whispered. "To find someone I love, I must sacrifice someone I love." She looked back up at Matsuda. "In your case and the story you're using, you would be doing it to save your life, so the price would probably take a life in return."

Matsuda tensed. Was the price that high?! Despite himself, he found his eyes wandering over to Soichiro. If Misa was right... 

Soichiro was surprised as he noticed the implication of Matsuda looking at him. "Are you implying my life would be the cost if you truly had the eyes?" Upon realizing that was exactly what Matsuda was wordlessly saying, he softened, pulling Matsuda into an embrace. "You mean a lot to me as well, Touta. That's why I don't want to see you hurt."

Obviously, he would never even consider the idea of Soichiro being his price, even if it was in the name of a lie. He had to follow the next best option, which he kept in his mind when he heard the sound of a loud car engine and Higuchi pulling up in front of him, rolling down the window in a show of seemingly trying to impress Matsuda.  

Matsuda's eyes widened. Though it was part of his role to be impressed by Higuchi's wealth, to make him think he had any sway, he couldn't help but find he wasn't completely acting. "Woah, what a car!" How much was this thing worth!?

Higuchi chuckled, and it seemed Matsuda's reaction was exactly what he was hoping for. "You like it? You can ride in it anytime. Hell, I'll buy you one!" Matsuda opened the door to sit in the passenger seat, adjusting his jacket and reminding himself of the wiretap sewn inside. Everyone was listening in, waiting for Matsuda's signal to arrest Higuchi. But Higuchi had no idea about that, looking smug as he had who he believed to be Hachiman in his car. "Where shall we go?"

He had to go to Higuchi's house to learn how his power worked. But he couldn't say that just yet. He had to lead up to it. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe just get on the freeway."

"Sure," Higuchi stepped on the gas, and Matsuda had to do what he could to calm his racing heart. He was doing this. He was really about to do this! "How about some dinner?" Higuchi asked. "I can take you anywhere you would like." 

So he's starting with the bribery already? Wow, that was fast. So I should be able to start with my own plans now.  "Dinner?" He asked, narrowing his eyes and leaning back in his seat. "I would have thought you would want to talk about more important things with me, Imposter."

He immediately picked up on Higuchi's shock, and though he tried to hide it, he was clearly offended. "Imposter? I have the power just as you do."

Damn. So Higuchi won't be direct about it just yet. Oh well.  He crossed his arms. "But you're hiding behind my name like a coward who can't do anything on his own." He hummed to himself. "So, do those other men know who you are? Or are you keeping them under threat."

"If they leave, I'll eliminate them," Higuchi said firmly. "So don't worry about that. Our secret will be safe."

Matsuda smirked to himself. Perfect! He got that confirmation out of the way, and even if L wasn't convinced just yet, he would be able to get his hands on Higuchi's power soon enough. "But you still don't trust them. That's why you want my help, isn't it? You want my eyes and my experience?"

Higuchi nodded. "I'd make it worth your while," he said. "If you help me take over Yotsuba, I can give you everything you've ever wanted." He suddenly stopped, a thought occurring to him. "Say... what was the price of your eyes? You said you needed time to heal from it."

Here we go.  "The price of my eyes was my soul." He watched Higuchi's eyes widen in horror at the idea and how Matsuda said it impassively. "So I'm afraid what you have to offer me for using them with never be worth it."

"Your soul?!" Higuchi shook his head in disbelief. "What could have led you to take the eyes if the price was your soul?!"

"I had to because of Benzaiten," Matsuda explained. He had rehearsed this with Aiber. He had to be confident in his lie. "I had to find her before the police, so I needed the eyes." He glanced over at Higuchi to gauge his reaction. "I came looking for you because her Kami got away when I got my hands on her. But needing the eyes for that increased the price to something I can never recover from." That was what Misa said, right? Yeah, it was. The price changed depending on the value. 

But it seemed Higuchi didn't know that. "I didn't know the eyes varied in their price."

"What someone considers equal exchange will change with time, I guess," he shrugged before crossing his arms. Could he run the risk of making his move now? "Though given your wealth would be your price, I can't help but wonder what you would offer me..."

He could tell Higuchi was visibly relieved to have something he could work with. "Well, how about I show you? I told you I could make it worth your while, and you don't need your soul to enjoy it."

Okay, time for a risk...  "I'm also curious how you hide going about divine retribution," he said. "Do you do it in front of a television, or do you wait a few hours for criminals' names to be broadcast and then do it?"  That should be vague enough, right?

Higuchi chuckled. "I'll show you all about that. I installed a room in my house to make sure nobody could get in."

A secret room! I did it!  He chuckled as well. "A secret room honestly sounds reassuring for doing that. I always worry someone will sneak up behind me when I do it."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me," Higuchi assured him. "I'll even buy you a house where you can use the notebook as much as you need."

Notebook!?  He smiled pleasantly. "Honestly, that doesn't sound like a bad deal." He noticed they arrived at a large house that he remembered L showed him last night to confirm it was Higuchi's home. "How about this? You show me around your house and give me your pitch about why I should work with you, then I'll decide." His smile turned teasing as he forced himself to lean closer to Higuchi. "You're a businessman, aren't you? I'm sure you can convince me."

He had to make sure Higuchi felt confident, to make sure he was too cocky to suspect anything. And that seemed to work remarkably well. "I'm sure I can," he helped Matsuda out of the car, guiding him into the luxury home. "By the end of the tour, you may as well live here with me."

If he was honest, Matsuda barely paid attention to what Higuchi was saying as it was more flaunting his wealth and barely anything to do with the Hachiman case. He didn't need to because all he was doing now was stalling for time. Higuchi said that Hachiman's power was in a notebook? If that was the case, then L didn't have to worry about passing power or Matsuda being in danger for the time being. But just in case, he had to be sure they could find the secret room.

"Could you show me your secret room?" He asked, making sure to sound as eager as possible. "Is it something cool like being behind a bookshelf or a wall that flips around?" 

Higuchi shook his head. "No, it's just another button on the elevator, but now that you mention it, I should have done it that way." He stepped into the elevator, showing Matsuda the extra button hidden behind some secret paneling. "But I suppose a secret button can be just as cool."

Thank you, Higuchi, for verbally telling me how to get into your secret room.  L had mentioned they would be on their way the moment the GPS on Matsuda's belt indicated he was in the home, which meant they were likely outside by now, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

The elevator opened with a pleasant chime similar to a chime for the headquarters elevator, and Higuchi helped Matsuda inside, allowing him to look around in amazement at everything inside. This room was incredible! And Matsuda made sure Higuchi knew how he felt about that.

"And here," Higuchi stepped over to his desk in the center of the room, opening the drawer to reveal a notebook... Fauna Note? "Is where I keep my notebook. Nobody will be able to access it here. If you want, you can even keep your own notebook with me." He offered out his hand for Matsuda to take. "So, how about it? Have I convinced you to work with me? Together, you and I would be unstoppable."

A subtle vibration from just behind his watch. Matsuda brightened as he felt that. That was the signal they were ready for the arrest! He grinned at Higuchi. "My answer is... nope!"

The elevator door was forced open, and Matsuda grinned at the sight of the rest of the task force, wearing tinted helmets for good measure, pointing guns directly at Higuchi.

"Drop the notebook, Higuchi!" Soichiro shouted. Higuchi's eyes widened as he looked toward Matsuda and then at something Matsuda couldn't see that was standing next to him.

"You were working for the police?!" Higuchi shouted at Matsuda, looking back in a panic toward the police. "You—You've got it all wrong," but then it occurred to him that there was no getting out of this. He had as good as confessed to someone working with the police!

And that was when Matsuda realized his mistake. He had been standing too close to Higuchi, feeling Higuchi firmly grab his wrist and grab onto him forcefully, and just as quickly, he pulled a gun out of his drawer, pointing it at Matsuda's head.

"Stay back! Everyone stay back!" Higuchi screamed, pressing the gun harder against Matsuda's skull. "If any of you make a single move, he's dead!" 

Chapter Text

"Stay back! Everyone stay back! If any of you make a single move, he's dead!" 

Light heard a gun ready to fire through Matsuda's wiretap. What the hell happened!? Why did Higuchi have a gun?! Nevermind that. If this kept going, Matsuda was going to be killed! But if this didn't keep going, was Higuchi just going to keep Matsuda as a hostage? Rem must have done something to "confirm" Matsuda's eyes if he hadn't seen through it immediately, so would Higuchi still think Matsuda was Hachiman? Or was Higuchi that stupid to have not asked Rem at all?

"This isn't good," Misa said worriedly. Though she was blindfolded to avoid seeing L, that was her only restraint. She could hear what was happening just fine. "He's going to be killed for sure."

"Not necessarily," L said, leaning forward in his chair and tapping the button to communicate with Dad. "Yagami-San, please remain calm. If this is a hostage situation, we will be able to communicate with him." Even as he said that, L looked directly into Light's eyes before giving a subtle nod.

Light caught what L was saying: "Do what you have to do. There's no point risking Matsuda's life to keep Higuchi around."

Light nodded, turning his back to L to obscure exactly what he was doing, looking down at his watch. Click, click, click, click. The watch opened easily, revealing the piece of the notebook he had hidden inside.

He grinned devilishly as he picked up a pen from the desk.  Hm, what should I turn you into, Higuchi?

...

"Stay back!" Higuchi shrieked, trying to walk towards the door, his gun pressed directly against Matsuda's temple. He was holding that gun horribly if he wanted a hostage! One jerky movement, and he would pull the trigger on that thing if the way he was moving now was any indication. What do I do? What do I do?

But that proved to not be a problem because suddenly Higuchi dropped the gun, and Matsuda no longer felt hands grabbing him.

"Matsuda?!" Soichiro was already running over to him while Mogi dealt with the gun. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm... fine?" Matsuda looked around, "Where did Higuchi go?"

His answer came from Aizawa trying to catch something on the floor. "He's—stay still, you little fucker!" He snapped his hands shut, holding up his enclosed hands, "—right here!" He opened his hands just a crack for Matsuda to get a look at....something.

Even looking at the little thing that had once been Higuchi, Matsuda had to stop himself from laughing. Did Hachiman get involved?! How would Hachiman even know about this situation? And what... "What is it?" He looked at the little rat with ostrich legs. "Is it real?"

Aizawa lifted his helmet to get a better look at the creature. "Oh, it's a jerboa. Looks like you were right, Ryuzaki, about Hachiman's powers being more varied."

Matsuda held out his hands in a grabby motion. That little thing was so weird looking! "Can I hold him?"

Aizawa hesitated but then softened, passing the jerboa to Matsuda to hold onto. "Sure. Chief," Soichiro looked over at him, "We should take that notebook to be examined."

Soichiro nodded, "Yes, of course," he bent down to pick up the notebook from the ground but jumped back upon touching it. "What?!" 

Matsuda whipped around. "Chief, what is it?"

Soichiro's eyes were wide, looking at something standing just behind Matsuda before it dawned on him what this was. He picked the notebook up off the ground. "I think you can only see her if you touch the notebook."

"Her?" Matsuda asked but then brightened. "You must mean Rem!" Misa mentioned Rem! He had to figure out how to touch it while still holding the jerboa, so he elected to boop the notebook with his nose, brightening when a beautiful woman appeared.

Rem waited until everyone had touched the notebook before she spoke. "I hope you do not mind I disposed of Higuchi so soon," she said, her voice soft, with a hint of relief and borderline amusement. "I could not stand him, so once the notebook would have left his possession, I saw no need to tolerate his miserable existence any longer."

Matsuda blinked. Had Rem spent over a month with Higuchi? "Honestly, that is really understandable. I could barely stand to be in the car with him for twenty minutes." 

Rem nodded her agreement. "I am glad you understand." She looked resentfully down at the jerboa in Matsuda's hands, which led to Ide deciding to voice his own questions.

"Is there a way to change humans back who have been changed by this notebook?" Matsuda brightened at the question. Ukita! Could they save Ukita!

But Rem shook her head. "I do not know the answer to that question. Kami have never required such a thing." Well... it wasn't a no?

Soichiro was only half-listening, listening to Ryuzaki on the other end of his headset. "Right. I understand, Ryuzaki. We will see you and Light in headquarters." He hung up and looked up at the others. "We should go back to headquarters. We can ask all of our questions there, but I don't think it would be best to be here when there is no Higuchi to speak of or arrest."

Mogi nodded. "Right. I will make sure to secure the gun."

Matsuda let Soichiro guide him outside to the police van. He could barely wrap his head around what had just happened. Sure, he almost died, but that was all part of being a police officer! He just helped catch Higuchi!  I did it! I did it! 

OoOoO

"A jerboa? Really, Light?" 

Light couldn't resist chuckling at Ryuk's comment as he walked down the halls of headquarters. "What about it?" He asked. "I wanted to see one in person, and I read they can be rather pathetic. Satisfying my own curiosity and rendering Higuchi even more pathetic? It sounds like a win in both ways."

It was the middle of the night, and this floor didn't have working cameras yet, so he could speak freely. But even if he was heard, did it really matter? L had watched him save Matsuda, and though Light had already swallowed the piece of paper, he could have mentioned it. 

But just as Light suspected, L made no move. Light wouldn't have dared reveal he could still use the notebook unless he was absolutely sure he was safe. Dad could have saved Matsuda on his own. It was simply faster this way.

Misa's contribution to the investigation had earned her freedom... in theory. Light knew this was going to be a problem from the moment he managed to propose such a thing. If Misa had not given up her eyes, no matter her confinement, she would not have been inclined to give up her power for any reason after the loss of her sister. But that was the only way to get her and Rem out of his life and ensure her own freedom! 

"Are you serious, Light?!" Misa screamed. "What are you doing siding with the police anyway? I'm not giving up my eyes, so you better find a better term. I thought just helping your friend Matsu would be enough."

Just thinking about that conversation made his blood boil.

Rem would never target him after all of this. He did what he could to ensure her freedom, so he knew he would not be punished by that ever-irksome Kami, even if Ryuk wasn't protecting the rights to his name. However, L was another matter entirely... he couldn't let L be harmed because Misa refused to cooperate even when he bent over backward to save her. That meant he had to rely on Rem. He shuddered at the very idea. The only benefit to sacrificing L would be to get Rem out of the picture.

As expected, Rem phased through the wall into their meeting spot, just as Light planned. "Light Yagami, what are you planning?" She asked. "The task force knows of Misa's identity, and they do not seem inclined to let her go like we agreed. Not only that, but you exposed the Kami's Eyes to them, so a human could feign them?"

"I  didn't do anything about those eyes," Light snapped. "Matsuda figured out how they worked all on his own, and I had to improvise. If you didn't offer her those eyes in the first place, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't be so damn obvious, and she would be more inclined to do the one thing that would get her spared. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get the task force to let her go on any terms with her confirmed guilty? But when I told her what that term was, to give up her power, she won't even do it."

"You struck a deal with L without giving up your powers," Rem pointed out, but he could hear the rising worry in her tone.

"I also haven't targeted his men," Light retorted. He could feel his fists shaking from sheer rage. All of this was so fun until Rem got involved, and now he was playing with fire to protect himself, his loved ones, and... whatever L was to him. Intellectual equal? Protector? Partner? "So, here is how it is going to go. I have done  everything  I can to save Misa, but there is nothing I can do if she doesn't agree to L's terms."

Rem narrowed her eyes at him. "We had a deal, Light Yagami. You said you were going to protect Misa."

Ryuk took a bite of his apple, flipping himself upside down. "Rem, give it up and admit you picked a human whose price was too high for her own good. Either you gotta convince her to give up the eyes or just accept Light-o did what he could. I'm not gonna lie to save his ass, and I can tell you he didn't slack off."

Thanks for the help, Ryuk.  Ryuk's assistance allowed Light to take a deep breath to keep himself from screaming. "I did everything I could. If you want her saved so bad, it's up to you now. Take her and run for all I care. But I cannot save her from the police if she actively works against my efforts. Do you understand?" He had never hated someone as much as he hated Rem in his entire life. Even Misa could understand her thought process to some extent. If he sacrificed his sister for power, he wouldn't want to give it up, either. But what the hell was Rem's deal?! If only he could turn her into a dove. Oh, that would be so satisfying.

...

For a terrible moment, Rem wondered if she had done something wrong. She could admit Light Yagami had a point about Kami's Eyes, even if Misa often wore contacts to hide the eyes, but now the way he was looking at her... it looked like Light Yagami detested her, and by extent, it had festered into a hatred of Misa.

She threatened Light to make him help, but now it seemed there truly was nothing he could do if Misa was unwilling to help in her own rescue. Added to Rem's own threat, which had turned Light Yagami's frustration into hatred, which meant that even if Rem took the chance to eliminate Watari and L Lawliet, Light Yagami would make sure something terrible happened to Misa.

She could certainly try to take Misa, but if that failed... she may have no choice but to take the risk and pray Light Yagami did not let Misa pay the price for Rem's actions. She could not do anything to Light Yagami anyway. Not only did Ryuk have the right to his name, but Misa would only be convicted faster if she did that. She could not eradicate the whole task force, only half at most, and enrage the other half. What could she do?

She had to think of something, or Misa would be imprisoned or worse. There had to be something she could do, and she had to think of it fast. 

But if all else failed, she would have no choice but to eliminate L Lawliet.

Chapter Text

After so long waiting, L finally had the notebook in his grasp. Even when holding it, it looked so deceptively innocent, just like any other college notebook, but within its pages was the key to everything he had wondered about for so many years. Could Rem tell him what happened to B?

But that was not the first thing he could prioritize. Now that he had the notebook in his hands, he could learn how it worked! How did Light get to Higuchi without the notebook? Or even a page?

He frowned as he examined the notebook. He could feel Rem watching him, waiting for the barrage of questions she already knew were coming. Immediately, L found what he was looking for, a hint Light must have left for him! He wouldn't be so foolish to leave something like this if not intentional. "This page of the notebook has a piece ripped out," he said, looking up at Rem. Even if Light was on his side now, did Rem know that? Or would it even matter? She was Misa's Kami. "If you write someone's name on a piece that's been removed, will it impact the person?"

Rem seemed only annoyed by the inquiry. "Who knows? I've never used it that way, so I wouldn't know."

Was that a legitimate answer, or was she hiding things from him? "Then do Kami only eat apples, or was Hachiman messing with me?"

"I would assume some mix of both," Rem replied, and L noticed her body language relax ever so slightly.  So she is lying to me about the notebook. Her baseline is different with questions she is comfortable with.  "Our realm is so barren that there's almost no food, so I suppose if given a chance, a Kami could choose to eat."

Could that mean Light's Kami had a preference? He would need to ask, but for that, he would need Light to be directly open about this.

Speaking of Light, he heard the sound of the elevator Light had returned from another attempt to talk to Amane. But he only left five minutes ago... "That was fast, Light-Kun. How did talking to Amane go? Have you convinced her yet?"

Light shook his head. "No. It looks like the price was too high for her to forfeit." It didn't escape L's notice that Light was eyeing Rem as he said this. "I suppose we could burn the book to force the issue, but who knows what that would do."

Something was off about this. The way Light was talking and how he had been acting since Rem arrived...  Does Light not want Rem and me alone together? But for what reason? We've both agreed that I am no danger to him, and he is not to me. Is he worried I will use the notebook or ask Rem something too incriminating? It's true that I'd like answers to all my questions, but Light knows that and is helping me. If he's watching me for another reason...

Light's odd behavior wouldn't be noticed by anyone else, but to L, he could practically hear the animosity in Light's voice. "Ryuzaki... about this notebook. I believe it's real, but even if we catch the person writing names into it, will we be able to punish them?"

Why was Light asking this? They already had this conversation. Or... was he saying it for Rem? But why? "Not unless the notebook's effectiveness is proven," he said, deducing from Light's animosity that he and Rem were not allies. Rem was Amane's Kami, and that was where her loyalties lay.

Oh.  That was why Light was so insistent about Amane being freed. L had suspected Amane's Kami was forcing Light to do so, but it seemed that theory was more than confirmed. L cautiously looked up to Rem, and it dawned on him the true gravity of every word. If he didn't release Amane... But if he did...

But the task force could not read the minds of either Light or L. Soichiro's comment only proved this. "Any government would be willing to test such a thing," he said bitterly. "It is any world leader's dream to have that kind of power, which is all the more reason we must keep that notebook away from the government at all costs."

"So what would we even do about Amane?" Matsuda asked, looking around to the others for any hope of them having an answer. "Just keep her locked up here forever? If she doesn't forfeit ownership and her memories, she's way too dangerous!"

"I do not believe she would be any danger to you without the notebook itself," Rem said, and though she sounded impassive, L could see something different in her eyes. "Even if she had ownership."

Aizawa only scoffed at even the notion of letting Misa go. "She's the kind of sick individual who would do that to someone for even speaking against her. Personally, I still think we should lock her up and throw away the key." Though the timing was terrible, L couldn't help but admit Aizawa's feelings about the matter were more than reasonable. And he had no reason to believe expressing as much would be a problem. From his perspective, Rem had abandoned Misa when she was caught by the police. He didn't know it had been part of some kind of plan by Light. 

"That's true." Matsuda nodded, sitting down next to him and Ide. "Besides, there isn't much we can do legally about this, but if this got out... it could be bad. Some people could even go as far as to kill her. Honestly, she would probably be safer in prison if she didn't renounce her powers." He brightened as an idea came to him. "Maybe she can just keep helping us, and we can kinda half-pardon her?"

That could work. L looked to Light to see what he thought of that compromise. Would it help whatever threat he was under? But he was taken aback by how Light's eyes had widened, though he was trying to hide it. 

L looked around, and he stiffened as he realized Rem was gone. "Rem has left." He pressed a button on his computer to call Watari. "Watari, can you locate Rem for me?"

"Of course,"  he heard the sound of buttons before Watari gasped.  "Ryuzaki, there seems to be a problem. She is undoing Amane's restraints." 

Everyone turned pale at that announcement. L leaned forward. What could he do about this? If Amane escaped, she could do anything! But if he didn't let her go, what would happen? "Prepare all emergency protocols," Light shouldn't be in danger from this. It was known Light didn't have control, and neither did anyone else on the task force. "Don't let Amane escape."

The sound of a loud crash on the other end made L realize with sinking dread the situation at hand. He knew Rem could go after L himself, but... "Watari...?"

The cooing of a dove was the only thing on the other end, followed shortly afterward by a shrill beeping as the data deletion notification covered every screen in headquarters. L could only stare in horror and disbelief as reality struck him hard.  If she went after Watari... I'm next. There is no way I'm not next. But she won't go after Light, right?

Light was completely frozen, trying to process what was happening. "Data deletion...? What's going on?"

L grimaced, speaking quickly. If this was about to happen, he had to be fast. "I told Watari that if something ever happened to him, he should erase all the data he could and set his system up to erase automatically after a certain amount of time."

Aizawa's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "If something happened to him?"

L straightened as he felt something in his head. "Everyone! The Ka—"

...

Light couldn't believe it. Rem seriously went and did it?! No! This was the thing he never wanted to have happen!

But a bright flash shocked Light out of his horror. What the hell? That wasn't like any transformation before? "L?!"

What he saw... he didn't know how to process it. 

For the briefest moment, there was a frog in place of where L had been. But before anyone had time to process that, L was back to being human as though what they just saw hadn't happened, and on his head.... was Rem's diadem. How—

"For a Kami, it protects from others' magic, but I have no idea what it would do for a human. There is only one way for a human to get it, and I have never seen nor heard of it actually happening. To get this, a human would need to be the victim of an already dying Kami."

This was what Ryuk meant... L was the second victim, so Rem was already dying when he... Did the diadem protect L from Rem's attempt?

But that question was forced into the back of Light's mind, seeing that whatever happened had been a shock to L's system. L remained as still as a statue for a few moments before Light saw his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Everything went in slow motion as Light watched L falling to the side, Light's body moving to catch him before his mind caught up with him. Even if he could think, all he would be thinking was, "I have to protect him!"

He cradled L gently in his arms, supporting his head with his hand. Light moved to see if he could remove the diadem. Didn't L mention this B person was unable to? Would L be able to? He checked and found that though the diadem remained largely hidden in L's hair, it made no move from where it had glued itself to his head. But the amethyst gem glowed ever so slightly.

He didn't notice Ryuk had been staring through the wall at the outside world until Ryuk was next to him. "Well, would you look at that!" Light silently goaded him to explain, drowning out the rest of the world and his shocked and horrified companions, so Ryuk continued. "So Rem got him, but it looks like the diadem's protecting him too. I've got a hunch that dawn will reveal something to us, but we can be sure he's safe at night."

Night? Why is Ryuk specifying just at night? ...what is he implying?  Light gritted his teeth as he replayed everything that just happened in his mind. He knew exactly what Rem wanted out of this. She had it in her head that they could still use Misa's help and a ticket to her freedom if L was out of the way! That bitch!

He carefully scooped L into his arms before resting his unconscious body on the couch. "Watch him." He ordered the task force before storming out of the room.

"Where are you going, Light?!" Dad asked, clearly panicked as he grabbed onto Light's wrist frantically, but Light pulled away and moved even faster to the stairs, shouting his point even if he knew it was pointless. 

"WHERE ARE YOU, REM?! GET OUT HERE! You know something about this, don't you?!"

But he knew where Rem was, breaking into a sprint once he was out of eyeshot back into the room Misa was being kept in. He breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed Rem only got two restraints undone before resorting to attacking. 

"Light?" Misa asked worriedly. Even she knew something was seriously wrong. "Light, what's going on?"

"I have never hated anything more than I hate Rem. That's what is going on." Light looked down at Rem's remains and kicked them before picking up the notebook, dusting it off before shoving it in his pants while standing in the room's blind spot. There was only one camera, and it was directly facing Misa. "She also destroyed any and all chances of your freedom for the task force. I suggest renouncing your memories now, or someone will turn you into a dove if something happens to Ryuzaki."

Misa went completely limp at those words, her restraints the only thing keeping her up. "Rem... She said everything would be okay if she did that."

"She was wrong." Light said, electing to turn off the camera so he could speak freely with her. As much of an annoyance as she had been... he couldn't bring himself to hate her as a person. Rem was the one to ruin everything, not Misa. Misa would have never been involved in this if not for Rem, so Light decided to take the route of compassion with her. "I'm going to burn your notebook," he said softly. "But even if I do that, I cannot guarantee your freedom. But I can get you out of here if you do it of your own will."

"Light... I can't do that," Misa insisted, but it seemed Rem's death made her reality sink in, and it was much weaker than before. "You know I can't do that. If I do..."

Light sighed. "I know... And I know that even saying the notebook will rewrite your memories, so you will not know the context won't make it any easier." He leaned against the wall, and though she couldn't see him, he made sure his sympathies were evident in his voice. "I won't pretend I know what you're going through... but I don't hold anything against you for all of this. Rem should never have given you that notebook. She ruined your life." He offered the smallest smile. "But I give you my word. I will do everything I can for the world. I just need you to renounce your ownership."

Misa's bottom lip quivered before her whimpering turned to full-blown sobs through her blindfold. "Sara... Sara, I'm so sorry..."

"Sara would want you to live, wouldn't she?" Slowly, Misa managed to make herself nod, but it did nothing to ease her sobbing. Light stepped closer, brushing away her tears and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Once she had her breathing under control, Misa relaxed, her voice resigned as she finally uttered the words, "I... I... I forfeit ownership..."

Light watched in amazement as, with those words, her entire demeanor changed, the guilt weighing her down fading instantly. No doubt her memories simply added her sister to the tragedy of the rest of her family, not a sacrifice she made without understanding the weight of what she would be doing.  Good... she can live a good life this way.

Misa straightened, looking around in a panic and struggling against her restraints. "What? What am I doing here?!"

Light softened, moving to undo her blindfold to see her silver eyes replaced with a gentle brown, but they still kept that fire. "You're okay, Misa."

He jumped a bit as Dad burst into the room. "Light! Thank goodness you're alright." He ran over to Light, checking him for any sign of harm. "We couldn't find you, and I feared the worst." He stopped as he realized Misa was free, her eyes returned to normal, and she squeaked in fear at the sight of him.

Light relaxed, smiling warmly as he gestured to Dad to introduce him. "Misa, this is my father. We're all officers of the NPA, and we're here to help you."

Misa was keeping herself as close to Light as possible. "Then...Then why..."

"You were under suspicion of being Benzaiten," Light explained. Now it was time to start bending the truth. "But you were proven innocent. L would like to offer you his deepest apologies, but he cannot reveal his face."

Misa took a moment to wrap her head around what she was hearing before nodding as it seemed what she did remember of all of this lined up with Light's story. "I see... Thank you, Light."

Dad relaxed, seeing she had returned to a normal girl. He turned to Matsuda. "Matsuda, do you mind taking her?"

Matsuda was about to help, but Mogi stepped in front of him. "I'll do it," he said. "How about you help the Chief investigate." Matsuda visibly brightened at Mogi's words, and it seemed that was exactly what Mogi was hoping for, smiling as well as he offered a hand to Misa once Light undid enough of the straitjacket that she could move on her own. "Come on, Misa. Let's get you home."

Aizawa waited until the two left before he bent down to examine Rem's remains, running it through his fingers. "What is this?"

Matsuda held some of it in his palm, examining the strange substance. "Is it sand?"

There was no point in lying about this. Not completely, at least. "It's Rem. Misa told me." He put his hands in his pockets. "A Kami can't defy the natural order, or they will be sentenced to death. Misa being captured meant she was doomed, so Rem's intervention was fatal. I managed to use Rem's sacrifice to convince Misa to renounce her eyes and memories."

He noticed the relief in everyone's body language upon hearing Rem was gone. It meant they would not need to worry about her attacking them the same way he attacked L. Who was watching him right now? Light looked around, noticing Ide was the one missing.

Dad sighed, pushing his glasses up. "I guess there is nothing to worry about in that regard." He looked to the others worriedly. "But what about Ryuzaki? We all saw that, right? He changed but then went back to normal with that diadem on his head?"

Light grimaced at the reminder. He knew he should be grateful L seemed okay, if not stunned by what happened. But he couldn't stop thinking about what Ryuk said. He said L was fine, but something might happen at dawn? Was L actually not okay?

Aizawa nodded. "Yeah, we all saw it. But what does it mean?" He stood up from the sand. "Is he just off the hook? Why did that diadem end up on him anyway and not, say, Watari?"

Light shrugged. He couldn't reveal that much. Even if he could, it wouldn't be particularly helpful because he didn't have all the answers. "Who knows? If I'm honest... I don't even know what to do now." He looked away from them. "Hachiman hasn't done much, and even if he did, he never leaves any leads toward him. He just doesn't care about the police. We should wait until Ryuzaki wakes up to start thinking of a game plan."

Dad noticed the shift in Light's demeanor. "Light, are you sure you're alright?"

Light straightened, nodding quickly to assure him. "Yeah. I'm just worried about Ryuzaki, that's all."

He couldn't describe it, let alone understand it, but even the idea of something happening to L... Light could feel his heart ache, imagining a world where something happened to L. If a problem did arise, would Light be able to undo it?

Ryuzaki... what happened to you?

OoOoO

In the orphanage known as Wammy's House, Matt straightened from his video games as he heard the shrill beeping from his computer. He had only a moment to be annoyed before remembering what that sound was associated with. As soon as he remembered that, he scrambled to the computer he had used to hack into L's investigation. It had seemed so ridiculous when L told them that he just had to follow this case every step to see if it was legit. But if the data was being deleted...

Mello was by his side in an instant; the book he had been studying lay forgotten on the floor. "Matt, what's happening?! Why is the data deleted?!"

"The protocol..." Matt tried to put in a new program to override the data deletion. What was going on? "L said the protocol was if something happened to Watari, delete everything... the only reason I can see something happening to Watari and him being able to do this..."

Mello recoiled as he realized the implication of Matt's words. "Hachiman?" His fist curled. "Damnit! Does that mean L..."

"I think so." Matt turned around to see how Mello would take this, only to grimace as Mello was already beginning to pack his bag.

"We have to do something then!" Mello insisted, pulling on his jacket.

Matt could only shake his head. "Like what?" Because what could they do? If Hachiman got L... no one was safe. 

Mello knew that as well as Matt did, but it did nothing to stop him. "I don't know! Find him? Bring Hachiman down!?" But he stopped his tirade when he noticed Matt visibly tense. "Matt? What is it?"

"There... might be something we can do," Matt said reluctantly, despising this idea the moment it came to mind. "But it involves Near."

"Near?" Mello was taken aback by the very notion. "What could Near possibly have to do with this?!"

"Don't worry, Mello, you don't have to work with me directly."

Both boys turned to see Near standing in the doorway, and the first thing Mello noticed was that Near was wearing a dark green jacket that, judging by the size, belonged to L. His shoes were on as well... was he ready to leave?

Matt looked away as he realized Near was a step ahead of them, as always. But to let Near take this risk... "Near, you don't have to do this. We can figure out another way."

"No need," Near said simply, playing with a strand of his hair as he avoided making eye contact with either of them, though whether that was his typical aloofness or shame of what he was about to confess was anyone's guess. "I was about to leave anyway before I got the notification. Thank you for connecting me to it."

Mello looked at Matt in disbelief. "You told him?!"

He knew Mello wasn't going to be happy about that. But what choice did he have?  Not  connect Near to something that could give them answers to questions they had for years? And it seemed that was more relevant than ever now. "Yeah... we kind of have a secret weapon," Matt admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But he only listens to Near."

Upon hearing that, Mello's eyes widened as it dawned on him why Matt would go behind his back to tell Near about this. Though Mello had not been in the house when it happened, he knew there was only one person who could have both Near and Matt acting this strangely. "You don't mean..."

Near just nodded. "He won't hurt me," he said passively. "Besides, if you want any chance to find L, he is our only option." He pulled his hood up to conceal his hair. "I'm not sure if I will be back by breakfast, so please do what you can to cover for me. If I'm not back by tonight, you can inform Roger what I've done."

Mello had to fight the urge to stop Near from doing this. If they wanted to do anything for L, be it find him or take out Hachiman, this was most likely their best option, but why was Near the only one  he  would listen to? "Near!"

Near turned, blinking. "Yes, Mello?"

Mello didn't know what he was supposed to say. As much as he despised admitting it, there was nothing he could do about this. He wouldn't be able to take Near's place no matter how much he wanted to. "Don't die," he decided to say. "I need to beat you, so I can't have you dying."

A shadow of a smirk formed on Near's face. "There is nothing to worry about. I will be back soon."

And with that, Mello could only watch from the window as Near snuck out of the orphanage while the sky was still dark, taking off into the forest.

Chapter Text

Just as Ryuk had predicted and Light feared, dawn had proved something nobody wanted to even consider. As the sun broke over the horizon, the task force was left to helplessly watch as L's body shifted back to that of a frog. Even seeing it... it had Light's heart in his throat throughout the remainder of the day, searching restlessly for any sign of a cure. Surely if he shifted back once, he could do so again, right?!

As the sun set began to set once again, Light couldn't take it anymore as he stared at the frog that had been content to sleep on the coffee table. The idea that L may never change back weighed heavy on his mind, to the point that he was on the brink of confessing to the task force when in his peripheral vision, he saw something that made his heart leap for joy. "L!" 

Sure enough, a distinctly human L was sitting on the coffee table now. However, he was thankfully conscious this time, rubbing his head as consciousness returned to him, his eyes half-lidded as though he was hungover and, because of that, rather disoriented. "What happened...?"

The sound of his voice had the task force on the other side of the room whipping around with enough force that Matsuda winced as he almost gave himself whiplash. "Ryuzaki!?"

Aizawa was the first to reply with what even Light could admit was honestly the most reasonable reaction. "What kind of  Swan Lake  bullshit is this?!"

Ide tilted to the side to look past Aizawa, examining the disoriented L. "This seems like a strange combination of  Swan Lake  and  The Frog Prince."

L looked at all of them as though they had all grown a second head before glancing at Light as he felt Light holding onto him to steady him, moving him from the coffee table onto the couch. Seeing the relief and fear in Light's eyes was the thing to make the fog clear from his mind, his hand moving to where he became acutely aware of the diadem on his head. 

He traced the silver wiring with his fingertips, his hand tensing as he recognized via touch what his eyes had seen on Rem and on B before her. "What happened?"

L's question was met with uncomfortable silence until Soichiro stepped forward. "I will tell him," he cleared his throat, indicating he did not know exactly how to go about what he was about to say. "Ryuzaki, I regret to inform you that you have been a frog all day." Alright then, he had decided to be blunt about it. "Rem turned on us and attacked you, but through some miracle, which we theorize is you somehow acquiring her diadem, you were somewhat spared."

"You passed out last night," Matsuda clarified, "Then you turned into a frog at dawn. You really gave us a scare."

L could only manage to stare wide-eyed at the confirmation of what happened to him, and slowly it all began to come back to him. That night felt so far away yet recent all the same. The notion of Rem attacking him was far less of a surprise than the diadem, which he made an effort to remove, simply to see if it could be done. 

But, just as B said, it did not seem the diadem was inclined to budge. "That is incredibly frustrating," he mused partially to himself, "It doesn't seem I can remove this."

"Are you sure you would want to?" Mogi asked. "We're not completely sure, but that diadem seems to be the only thing that saved you from meeting the same fate as Watari."

Watari? L straightened as that memory came back to him with a force. What happened to Watari!? "Watari? What about Watari?"

Everyone grimaced, which told L all he needed to know even before Soichiro sat down next to him, rubbing his back in an attempt to be comforting. "Watari... wasn't as lucky as you were."

So he hadn't heard the other end of their call wrong. "Which means he..."

Whether Light was making his upset obvious or L was looking for anything to distract him from him and Watari having fallen victim to their most ridiculous case, he wasn't entirely sure. Nevertheless, he became more than aware of the way that Light refused to meet his eyes, with regret laced into his body language that was more than genuine. "I'm so sorry, L."

But of course Light was sorry. L did not for a second believe this strange situation was in any way what Light had planned when he was forced by Rem to rescue Amane from her confinement. If he wanted to be rid of the task force, he could have easily wiped them out and blamed Higuchi, then used Rem to eliminate L. 

However, whether Light planned this or not was relevant only in whether or not he was to blame. He was not to blame, but he was by far the most knowledgeable in this area, which meant he was long overdue with an explanation.

L's bangs curtained off his eyes as he remembered why they were in this situation in the first place. "What of Amane?"

"Oh, Light used the situation to convince her to renounce her memories," Matsuda explained. "Mogi got her back home, and she really seems like a normal girl." He looked to the others nervously, hoping one of them could give him answers. "So... what do we do now? Hachiman doesn't have any leads, and Benzaiten was dealt with."

Well, there was only one thing L could do if his situation appeared to be indefinite. "If you wish to continue focusing on Hachiman, feel free to do so. As for me," he stood up from the couch and began walking towards the stairs. "I suppose I should focus my attention on finding a cure. I planned to do so after the case was completed, but as it pertains to me now, that should be where my priorities lie."

Matsuda nodded his understanding. "Well, I don't know about everyone else, but if Aizawa's right that this is kinda a  Swan Lake  thing, wouldn't that mean the curse can only be broken by a man who pledges his heart solely to Ryuzaki?"

Aizawa scoffed. "Come on, do you really think that would work?"

Matsuda just shrugged in response. "We're working on a case where people turn into doves. I don't think the concept of too ridiculous even exists anymore."

"You have a point." Mogi agreed. 

L found himself chuckling despite himself, taking the opportunity with the slightly less confused or afraid mood to look over his shoulder towards Light. Light was who he needed to speak to immediately. "Light-Kun, would you mind helping me?"

Light practically sprung out of his seat, understanding what L was asking and eager to help. "Of course."

He followed L upstairs into their bedroom, where L made sure the cameras were deactivated before he turned to face Light, his expression hiding nothing. They both knew what this conversation was going to be.

"Light-Kun, I believe you have a lot of explaining to do," L said, placing his hands in his pockets as he looked at himself in the mirror. The diadem was, for the most part, hidden in his hair, but L could feel it. "I was content to play our game of you making it obvious without being direct, but seeing as my humanity was spared for reasons unknown to me while my guardian has met the fate of becoming a dove, I believe I am owed an explanation."

Light grimaced at the reminder, and L couldn't help but notice how tired he suddenly became. "I knew you were going to say that." He glanced behind him and double-checked that the door was locked. Once he was satisfied, he heaved a sigh. "Look, I have to start by saying even my own Kami didn't know what would happen to you. It was all his guessing."

So Light's Kami was here? That would be an invaluable source of information, and his lack of known presence did enough to tell L that this Kami would not be nearly as much of a nuisance as Rem. "And do you know a cure?"

Light shook his head regretfully. "I don't know anything. Ryuk doesn't know either. I've asked no less than eight times today." He paused as though he was hearing someone correct him, sending a dirty look toward someone L couldn't see. "Thirteen, apparently."

Thirteen times? That did more than enough to inform L that this was not part of Light's plan. Even the fact that Light had no more ideas than L did managed to be amusing in its own way. "I would have thought someone as intelligent as Light-Kun would have investigated such a thing before beginning the quest to turn criminals into doves."

"You underestimate how bored I was," Light replied. "I could have been given a notebook that gave people heart attacks, and I would use it."

"Do I need to schedule a psychiatric evaluation for Light-Kun?"

"Probably."

At least Light was self-aware about it. "I will make a note of that." L said. "But am I correct in my assumption this was in no way your plan?"

Light nodded fervently. "This was never my plan! I've been doing everything I can to get Rem off my back without her targetting you, but she got it in her head we'd let Misa go even with her memories if we still needed her help."

L couldn't decide what was worse: the stupidity of the plan that cost him his humanity during daylight hours or the fact that, to some extent, it worked. "And it seems we let Amane go for what Rem did."

"Believe me, I humored turning her into a maggot or something equally terrible," Light grumbled, crossing his arms. "But I decided that stubborn as she may be, she wasn't to blame for having the worst Kami in existence." He held out his hands to show he meant no harm. "I promise you, L, I will find a way to fix this."

L managed to smile, and he couldn't help but feel like he was taking this situation rather well, all things considered. "Thank you, Light-Kun." He picked up his laptop, which had been forgotten on the bed. "We will begin investigating immediately, and I believe we should start with you telling me everything you do know."

OoOoO

Near looked around the forest to double-check he was not being followed, pulling L's jacket tighter around him, the green color letting him blend in with the bushes and trees in the early morning hours.

But among the trees lay something nobody would think to look for. Though identical to all the rest, one of the trees was a fake, and Near knew where it was only due to how many times he had come here. He looked around again before knocking on the false tree five times in quick succession. Five times, one for each long-lasting member of the successor program. A, B, Mello, Matt, Near.

The wood pulled to the side as it had so many times before, revealing the elevator within, and just off to the side was the number pad necessary to enter the facility. 

Near dug into his pocket for Linda's blush he borrowed for the occasion, bending down to blow it onto the pad. Just as he suspected, Roger had changed the code again to stop him from coming down. He should have learned by now that his attempts were pointless.

Five numbers... For most, that could take a while, but Near analyzed how Roger's fingers were angled with each number. He used one finger for each number, and though subtle, there were ways to tell.

Once he was sure he had the combination right, he punched it in, muttering it to himself to ensure he remembered, should he get lucky and Roger not change it next time. "75463."

As he expected, the elevator gave a pleasant chime and opened as he was proven correct. Near pulled out a cleaning cloth to wipe off the pad before he stepped inside, and already the elevator was moving downward, as there was only one floor to reach, deep below the ground... because the prisoner inside had proven to have extraordinary capabilities.

He looked around the prison as the elevator opened, revealing the nearly-empty room he had been into many times over the years. Near lowered his hood as his eyes adjusted quickly to the pitch-blackness.

Pitch-blackness, besides a pair of glowing silver eyes from the other side of the room, watching him. Near smiled as he laid eyes on who he had come to see. "B? It's me."

Those silver eyes blinked twice before Near could practically hear the Cheshire grin spreading on B's face. "Nate! Long time no see!" chains rattled as B stood from his bed, walking across the prison to get a better look at him. "Has Roger been a pain?" But his playful demeanor stopped in an instant as he stepped partially out of the shadows, bending down to Near's level to cup his cheek. "Something's upsetting you."

Near looked away. He couldn't meet B's eyes, but B knew eye contact was difficult for him, so he didn't take it personally. "Do you remember what I told you last time I was here?" Near asked. "About how L has been investigating Hachiman? The one who managed to defy the natural order with doves?"

B's brow furrowed. "Did something happen to L?"

Near nodded. "Watari deleted all of L's data. We haven't gotten an announcement of L being missing, but... you know as well as I do that it's coming." He managed to look up at B anywhere except his eyes, and he could see B's amusement at the concept of Hachiman had turned to shock and horror. "And your eyes were confirmed to be tied to Hachiman's powers. That means you might be able to help him... Can you please help him?"

He was met with silence for a long moment that Near feared meant B would laugh and condemn L, who allowed Watari and Roger to lock him away, even if B himself admitted to understanding the reason during limited moments of complete lucidity, which his calmness at the moment indicated were becoming more frequent. It was a twist of fate that Near could hardly understand, that complete isolation did more for B's sanity than anything else. Because of that, Near was almost anxious about what he was asking, playing with his hair as he waited for the answer.

But it seemed that current lucidity was the same thing that led to B ruffling Near's hair with a bright smile. "How could I say no when you asked so nicely?" He looked around the dark prison he called home. "I assume that means you will get me out of here. I don't exactly have the means of getting that passcode to the elevator."

Near brightened. "I can help with that." But his momentary excitement dampened as he eyed the chains around B's wrists and ankles, made of the strongest materials Watari could find. "What about..."

B looked down at the chains nonchalantly. He had never cared much about them. "Oh, this? This is nothing. Check this out." 

It was hard to see in the dark, but Near almost recoiled as B's form shifted, slipping out of the chains easily as his human body turned to that of a black housecat before his eyes. The only signs the feline in front of him had once been B were the silver eyes and the diadem that never left his head. 

To Near's even greater shock, the housecat spoke in B's voice. "I figured out how to do that months ago. It gets boring down here! Now," he jumped onto Near's shoulders, making sure Near could maintain his balance before he adjusted himself to be more comfortable. "Off into society we go! We have a detective to save!"

Chapter Text

"Ryuzaki, can you come over to me," Matsuda beckoned with his hands for L to come over to him, but it seemed the frog was less than interested in doing so. 

With the limited amount of time the Hachiman task force would be able to interact with L without either becoming nocturnal or killing themselves from the exhaustion of not sleeping, the first order of business once L was confidently conscious and not inclined to sleep through an entire day was to determine how much human-like awareness he still had as a frog. Though Light had to admit being beckoned over like a pet was never going to get L's attention whether he was human or not.  

Light had elected for the nocturnal route as there wasn't much reason for him not to. He did not need to attend university, just complete the semester assignments, and the same applied to L, so he could go once a week to ensure he had not missed anything, or he could probably skip for a whole year if he so desired without any negative repercussions. Because of that, he would need to get some sleep within the next couple of hours, but for the time being, he did want to know what the results would be.

Matsuda groaned as L seemed to decide to jump onto Aizawa, and sitting in his hair was a far better use of his time. Aizawa groaned as he picked up the frog and held him in the palm of his gloved hand, which he was small enough to fit into.

"Even as a frog, you're insufferable," L bounced up and down in Aizawa's hand, making him roll his eyes, "Oh, now you can understand me. It's a good thing you're not poisonous." He examined the gloves he wore, as the oils on human skin could irritate L's skin as a frog. "Good thing these are working too."

Mogi straightened. "Have you figured out what exactly he is so we can take care of him like this?"

"He's a hylidae," Aizawa said casually. At the incredulous looks from Mogi and Matsuda, he explained, "A tree frog?"

Light blinked. Now that he thought about it, Aizawa seemed to constantly have a lot of knowledge about animals, given he could identify Higuchi in seconds. "Aizawa, why do you know that?"

Aizawa shrugged. "You read textbooks to pass the time, I've seen your room. I did the same at your age." He gestured to Ide. "Ide reads literature."

Matsuda sighed in relief, placing a hand on his chest. "For a moment there, I was worried you could be Hachiman."

"And why would I choose doves?" Aizawa asked incredulously. "I get the purpose to make a point, but come on." As he said that, Light couldn't resist rolling his eyes. He did have a point about that, but doves were his brand whether he liked it or not, so it wasn't like he could make any changes.

But the debate of what would be the most practical animal transformation was brought to a screeching halt as L's computer turned on without warning, bringing up an R emblem. Dad's brow furrowed as he saw the ringing. "R?" He looked down at L. "Do you know who that is?"

L didn't speak, nor was he expected to, but his jumping up and down seemed to be as much of an indication as any that he both had his mind and knew who this was. Light moved his chair over to the answer button, letting L sit on his gloved hand while he answered, and he couldn't help but be grateful for the voice modifier that would make him impossible to differentiate from the real L in that regard. 

"Hello."

"L?"  Came a worried voice from the other side of the line.  "Oh, thank god, you're alright."

Well... more or less? Light knew better than to lie or take over L's position. "I'm sorry, this isn't L. I am a friend of L's from the Hachiman investigation. He is asleep right now, but he will be up this evening."

But his words did not dispel the relief from the other side, though it was quickly replaced with concern.  "Please pass him a message. It is urgent. You may not know what this means, but his three successors are under the impression Hachiman got L, and they have run away. Near went as far as to release B from his confinement."

L  screamed,  making Light jump a bit in his seat. He was so loud! How was something that small able to make that high-pitched shriek!?

But there was no wonder he was screaming if he could understand them. B was released by the successors apparently had?! Wasn't B an attempted murderer with the powers of a Kami?!

Ryuk only confirmed what Light remembered, spinning around in the air excitedly. "Hey! It's the possible hybrid! Oh boy, this is gonna be interesting!" He floated down next to L, whispering in his ear to be annoying. "How're you gonna explain that, Light-o?"

How was he going to explain this? Light barely understood what was going on himself!

"I understand, sir," Light said. "L has mentioned this B character, but do you mind giving me some information on him to look out for?"

"Of course."  He heard the chime from L's computer, indicating he was given an email.  "That will be all of his medical records. His mental state has improved lately, but if he has been released back into the world, that boy is a loose cannon. If he is exposed to more of what he calls 'lifespans,' he could easily snap again."

This was bad. This was really bad. Why would L's successors, who were probably intelligent, be willing to release him?! If he had escaped, that would be one thing, but it seemed like the successors released him. What was Light supposed to do with this? What if B wanted revenge for being locked away and took advantage of L's vulnerability?

L was hopping up and down frantically to get everyone's attention, sitting on his computer as the call ended as though trying to type but failing. Light softened, picking L up gently to put him back in the terrarium that he kept trying to escape. He only did that for L's health, "L, can you stop trying to escape the terrarium? We're just going to talk with you in there, so you don't irritate your skin.

L stopped his process of climbing back out of the terrarium, sitting on the rock, and waiting for Light to talk.

"I'm going to ask you some yes and no questions," Light said, sitting in front of the terrarium, "Jump up and down for yes, do nothing for no. Got that?"

L jumped up and down.

"Good. Is B escaping a bad thing?"

More jumping.

Light grimaced. "Thought so. Do you believe your successors are in danger?"

L hesitated on that, though he wasn't entirely sure of the answer himself. Though he was jumping, it wasn't as insistent as before. Light decided to interpret that as B was dangerous, but he may not endanger the ones who released him.

Now came the final question Light suspected was the case. "Do you want us to pause our search for a cure to find you successors?"

L's jumping came back with an intensity Light didn't expect. Light couldn't help but feel reluctant about the whole thing when they could find a cure for L, but...

Actually, this could be good! B was the person L was searching for answers on. Was it possible that B could provide some answers of his own? If Ryuk was right in any of his theories about why B was this way, he had to know something, right?

"Alright, L," Light smiled warmly. "We'll find them. Don't worry."

OoOoO

Traveling to Japan was no trouble when L's successors had access to a shapeshifter, who, with no effort, could sprout wings from his back and fly through the skies far faster than the process of finding a plane. However, as incredible as B's abilities were, Mello couldn't help but become acutely aware he was the only one who was actually excited about it. 

On some level, he supposed that made sense. He had arrived at the orphanage after B was imprisoned, but Near and Matt knew him on a personal level before and after the death of A drove him mad. But looking at him now, he didn't seem to be the picture of madness Roger used to scare the children into behaving, saying that if they didn't behave, he would feed them to B.

B put the kids down once they landed in a relatively empty park, looking around to ensure nobody was around, as he suspected. "Looks like he coast is clear," his wings retracted into his back, and he put his hands in his pockets. "The cameras in my prison broke a while ago, so Roro doesn't know about our little secret. Everyone will still be thinking we're in England, giving us a head start."

"Cool," Matt muttered, already lighting a cigarette and holding it between his fingers, notably avoiding eye contact with B or even having his face within eyeshot. Mello sighed, seeing his best friend so uneasy, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering in his ear.

"It's okay, Matt, I'll take care of you." He knew he wouldn't be able to do much when the reason for Matt's distress was because of a walking reminder of a difficult time in his life, but he had to at least try, right? If Mello was going to put aside his differences with Near because they needed B's help, they would all have to make some sacrifices.

Matt relaxed at Mello's assurance, but Mello noticed that Near's apathy was working to their advantage for once, playing with a strand of hair with no regard for who he was speaking to. "We will need to handle a base of operations. Matt's hacking into L's bank account to get an unlimited supply of cigarettes will be useful for that purpose."

B offered a cheerful thumbs up. "Alright then, let's go! Oh, Nate, it's sunny out, so remember to keep your hood up because you burn easily." He eyed Matt with the cigarette, and though he hesitated as he realized why Matt was so on edge, he did urge Matt to follow them. "Mail, don't smoke too many of those. It impacts your lifespan for worse."

Mello's eyes widened. "Wait, hold on!" He stood in front of B, looking up at him in amazement. "That's real?! You really do know everyone's names by looking at them?"

B cocked his head to the side. "Have I become the Wammy's House cryptid already? I suppose I should introduce myself then," he bent down to Mello's level, offering his hand to shake, with a bright smile that seemed... off somehow. Almost inhuman in an indescribable way. "Nice to meet you, Miheal. You can call me B."

"B?" Mello asked curiously. "No real name to use?"

B shrugged, "I am a man of many names and none, you can call me whatever you want." He raised his finger in the air and waved it side to side. "But with that settled, we should get to work. We're all more than just backups, and it's about time we prove that."

Mello beamed. This guy was awesome! But he quickly hid his delight for Matt's sake, holding onto his hand to guide him along until they found a relatively cheap hotel to bunk in while B charmed the receptionist, saying he was taking his brothers with him on a business trip. 

But even as he did that, Mello could see the chatter of people in the background was making B's muscles stiffen. He was holding a pen in a death grip with almost enough intensity to snap it. Still, he managed to keep such a thing out of view, making eye contact that those who didn't know about his abilities would find confident. But Mello knew the truth, and for him, it hid something dark as B tried to avoid looking at the receptionist's lifespan. 

He eventually came over triumphantly with a key to their room. "We have a victory, boys! Come on," he urged them more forcefully than he had in the empty park, "Let's get inside. Gotta rest off that jetlag, right?"

Mello nodded nervously. Maybe this was why Matt was so unsettled. He couldn't help but feel knots in his stomach as B shut and locked the door of their hotel room, taking a breath and closing his eyes to collect himself before smiling again.

"Well, I'm starved!" He said cheerfully. "Who wants to order room service while I start making a game plan?"

Mello looked to Matt, hoping for some kind of explanation. Was he always like this? However, Near didn't pay the behavior any mind. Why should he, when it seemed he visited B regularly and would know about his moods. 

"Alright," Near said, gesturing to Matt. "How about you go in the other room to make the call?" But his expression told a different story, giving Matt an excuse to slip away to process everything before coming out. Matt nodded eagerly and hurried into one of the bedrooms.

B noticed Matt's unease, and because of that, he didn't go after him, already beginning to form his plans. "The first thing we need to do is figure out who is actually working the Hachiman case," B said. "Remind me, L was working with a small task force, right?"

Mello nodded. "Yeah, the files say the names were Touta Matsuda, Hideki Ide, Shuichi Aizawa, Kanzo Mogi, and then the father-son duo of Soichiro and Light Yagami."

"Hm, that's smaller than I thought," B shrugged nonchalantly, "No problem. That just makes things easier for me. Near, you play the role of a scorned successor because hell hath no fury, with the usual avenging L shtick. That way, we can get close to them the more traditional way."

Near chuckled fondly. "Since when have you played things traditionally?"

B grinned, but this time it was noticeably softer, more human than it had been with Mello. "Oh, Nate, never change," he made finger guns at Near before spinning over to Mello. "Would you be cool with me using my cat form to break into their homes and installing spyware so we can listen in that way and act accordingly?"

Suddenly Mello could understand why Near liked B so much. He understood getting things done! Even working with Near didn't seem so bad anymore. "You bet!"

There was no doubt in his mind anymore. B truly was their best chance to find L. If L had been lost to Hachiman, B would find him, or he would bring back Hachiman's head.

Chapter Text

Gritting his teeth as he stared down at the notebook, Light tore out the page and held it up for L to see with his left hand while continuing to write down names with his right. "I wrote your name and put human next to it. Do you feel any different?"

L came over from the stacks of books surrounding him on the bed they shared, examining the page to make sure Light spelled the name correctly. There were no mistakes on the matter, they had Rem's page with his name and its spelling, but the last thing they needed was a test to fail because Light subconsciously wrote it by its pronunciation. 

Lawliet... Lawliet... Light couldn't get the name out of his head. Something about it was just so perfect. He had tried to place names to L's face, what would make sense for him, but nothing ever felt  right  until now. Now, knowing that name that matched him like no other name could, he was left repeating it in his mind, amazed he knew someone with such a name.

L nodded his approval with the spelling. "Yes, you have written it correctly. But I don't feel any different. I suppose we will have to wait until morning to know for sure."

Ryuk shrugged from where he lounged weightlessly on the top of a bookshelf. "I think if something were going to happen, it would have by now."

"Ryuk, let us have some hope," Light snapped.

Ryuk raised a quizzical eyebrow. "But why? Wouldn't you want me to just rip the metaphorical bandaid off?"

Light was about to debate with Ryuk on the matter, but L stopped them both. "Whether or not it worked is irrelevant for the time being. There is not much we can do about it besides waiting," he looked over Light's shoulder to where he was rapidly writing the names of members of organized crime. "You are continuing your work as Hachiman."

Light nodded, finishing off another name. "I don't exactly have a choice. If I were to stop immediately after you got impacted by it, that would only cause more problems for the both of us. Either the task force or your successors will make that connection, which is a headache I would much rather avoid."

"Yes, I suppose that is a practical reason," L mused, nodding his agreement as he put his hands in his pockets. "Is there any particular reason for your targets?"

"I've heard rumors that organized crime groups want to take out Hachiman to get to his power," Light said. "Most people hail me as a Kami, but that is largely something that only happens in Japan. If I'm going to help you, I will need to make sure there is nothing seriously dangerous to stop me from doing so." He looked up towards L, taking a brief break from writing names. "I wonder why writing your name again to fix this wouldn't work. It could be any number of things. Would it be because your name was already written? Because you're in some in-between? Or even because Ryuk mentioned that diadem protects Kami from the powers of others."

L blinked, doing what he could to look at the diadem on his own head, but to no avail, only managing to trace the gem with his fingers. Light couldn't stop himself from softening ever so slightly.  Rem's amethyst complements his eyes very well... wait, what am I thinking?!  He looked away from L, so he didn't see any redness on his face.

Thankfully, it did not seem L noticed anything. If he did, he didn't care. He was far too entranced with the headpiece that he couldn't remove. "I did not know it had a protection ability. Could that be why I was spared in any capacity?"

"No idea," Ryuk said casually. "I'll say it again, I've got no idea what that thing does to humans. We Kami already got that whole godlike power thing going on, even if most of us don't do much with it. If it does something else, the Old Man didn't brief us on it."

L's brow furrowed. "Has something happened to your realm for even its own citizens to know so little?"

"Hey, we're sacred spirits," Ryuk grumbled, laying on his back to stare at the ceiling and his apple from another angle. "Most of us come from things like plants or wind. The more important ones might know more, but I'm not one of them."

Actually, now that Light thought about it... "What are you exactly? What concept or creature brought you into existence?"

Ryuk smiled mischievously. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Light-o."

"And why not?"

"Because I don't see a reason."

Light groaned, carding his fingers through his hair. "How about you go eat your apple somewhere else. I have work to do." Ryuk shrugged and took off, leaving Light alone with L. Light heard the sound of something moving as L brought over his desk chair, sitting in his usual crouch and cocking his head to the side.

"Hachiman-Kun seems stressed. I thought this whole experiment was supposed to alleviate your boredom."

"It does," Light muttered, but he massaged his temples even as he said it. But it was the truth. Even now, he certainly wasn't bored. "But that doesn't mean I ever wanted you to get hurt."

L thought about that answer before pausing as something occurred to him. "You're not being entirely truthful, Light-Kun. There was a change in your demeanor around the time Amane came into the picture."

Had it really been that long? Well, actually... it hadn't been long at all. It had only been about four months since then. He still had fun as Hachiman longer than the whole situation had become stressful. "Well, she's gone now." 

But even then... he looked over at L again. This was a way to build a new world, so whether it was fun or not, wasn't it his duty to keep going? But every time he thought about it, he thought about L and how he was trapped during the day. Even the idea of it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"I don't know," Light muttered. "I don't know if I can keep doing this, but I don't really have a choice... not until I can find a cure for you."

That answer caught L off guard, almost as though it hadn't occurred to him he could be the reason for Light's doubts. "If I were not in this situation, would you have ever considered no longer playing the role of Hachiman?"

"Sometimes," Light muttered. "Mostly because of Misa. I know I've done good for the world, and in a way, I'm almost afraid of what would happen if I quit. People see me as a God, so if I leave after proving that existence, people could try to put me in a situation where I have to return."

L grimaced. "You did not think that far ahead."

Light rolled his eyes. "I had gotten my hands on a notebook that turned people into doves. Would you have gone there immediately?" But he knew from L's playful smile that the answer was an undeniable yes. "Well, you're different. You have personal reasons for looking for answers."

And it seemed those personal reasons were about to come crashing through the door, as the sound of the door opening unexpectedly had Light jumping in panic, tipping out of his chair and onto the floor to hide his notebook from whoever came inside.

"Light, are you alright?" Dad asked worriedly, hurrying over to Light's side, giving Light barely enough time to slide the notebook under his desk while Dad checked him over for injuries. Once he was satisfied, he sighed in relief. 

L was clenching his fists to hide his worry, but that desperation for his successors' safety seeped into his tone. "Yagami-San, have you found anything that could lead us to the children?"

Dad chuckled in a mix of amusement and disbelief regarding whatever had happened. "I wouldn't so much say we found them as he found us. A boy calling himself Near is on the phone, saying he heard you had been attacked. We assured him you are fine, but he wishes to speak to you."

Chapter Text

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Light and L both sprinted down the stairs as fast as their legs could carry them to make it to the computer in time to speak to Near. The task force arrived at headquarters, besides Matsuda, who lived there, an hour before estimated sunrise, meaning now they had half an hour at most before L would lose his humanity until sunset, which would do them no good if they wanted any chance at talking to L's lost successor for longer than a few minutes.

L resorted to sliding down the railing to maintain speed, causing Light to need to spin on his heel to catch him before he collided with the wall. L looked up at Light gratefully but said nothing as he ran past him and to the computer to answer the call.

"Oh, there you are, Ryuzaki!" Matsuda sighed with relief, checking his watch to see how much time they had left until sunrise. "You had me worried there for a second." He showed L the clock, revealing they had somewhere between twenty and thirty minutes until sunrise, depending on their luck.

L nodded, knowing just as well as everyone else that he did not have time to waste. He ushered everyone to be quiet, seemingly to not overwhelm the young boy on the other end. "Near, this is L. Where are you?"

Near did not answer immediately, almost as though he did not expect nor believe this was actually L. This was only confirmed by his bitterness, even through the voice modifier he was clever enough to have installed on his device. "If this is truly L, it is a relief to hear from you. However, given recent events, I have reason to be skeptical that this is L at all. So tell me something only L and nobody else on that task force would know. What are you afraid of?"

Light blinked, looking over to L in surprise. What was L afraid of, and why would such a thing be so distinct that Near would be able to identify his identity from that alone? Weren't fears one of those things a lucky guess based on previous knowledge could

But when L answered with a voice mixed with sorrow and almost a fondness of better times, Light understood perfectly why his answer was so distinct. “I suppose I would have to say monsters. There are many types of monsters that scare me: Monsters who cause trouble without showing themselves, monsters who abduct children, monsters who devour dreams, monsters who suck blood... and then, monsters who tell nothing but lies." He paused as he thought about the final answer, and it didn't escape Light's notice that L's gaze flickered to him ever so slightly. "Lying monsters are a real nuisance. They are much more cunning than others. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart; they eat even though they've never experienced hunger; they study even though they have no interest in academics; they seek friendship even though they do not know how to love. If I were to encounter such monsters, I would likely be eaten by them... because, in truth, I am that monster.”

Monster... L thought of himself as a monster? Light didn't know what to think of that, recalling everything L had said and done up until now and his motivations for being here that were not for justice but for answers and to satisfy his own curiosity. Light did suppose that was no more ethical than Light's choice of turning people into doves to satiate his own boredom, but did that warrant being considered a monster? 

But whether L's fear and feelings about himself were warranted or not proved irrelevant at the moment, as it did more than enough to satisfy Near. It seemed L had quoted himself in a previous conversation with the child word-for-word to prove there was no trickery at hand.  "Well, I guess that proves it. L, what happened? Matt hacked into your files for the investigation for reasons I am sure you can figure out, but Watari activated data deletion. We feared something happened to you and to Watari. Were we mistaken?"

"Not exactly," L explained. "I trust you have heard about Benzaiten. She had a partner, who attacked myself and Watari, which somehow left me in possession of a similar diadem to B, and in, as Aizawa-San put it, some  'Swan Lake  bullshit'." Light couldn't help but chuckle, hearing L say that in such a deadpan manner, in stark contrast to the tone such words would typically warrant. "Watari, however, was not so lucky. That was the reason for the data deletion. I apologize for frightening you. It should have occurred to me that Matt would keep close tabs on the investigation."

"So the kids know about everything regarding your friend, B?" Dad asked worriedly. L nodded, though Light supposed that made sense. It did seem L was relatively close with his successors.

Near paused for a long moment.  "When you say Swan Lake..."

"I meant I have only a short period before spending the day as a frog. Don't worry about me; it is only a mild inconvenience. I am far more concerned about your well-being. I heard you released B from his confinement, is that true?"

"Yes. I believed B would be able to help us locate you in the event you disappeared, and he could help us find a cure to whatever condition you were in."

Light whipped around to the computer. This B person could know a cure?! He supposed that it made some kind of sense if Ryuk was right that this guy was a Kami hybrid or had some knowledge of it, but this also meant that if he knew a cure or at least had the means to access one, they would have to work with him... and that meant B's eyes may be able to reveal who Light actually was... 

Though if Light was honest with himself, the moment the word "cure" came into the conversation, he knew what decision he would make. He bent down next to L, whispering into his ear. "They're probably not going to give up easily. We can easily bring them here."

L didn't respond with his words, but his expression got the point across more than well, essentially saying,  "We got into this situation because someone with Kami's Eyes saw you. Is it the best idea to replicate that scenario?"  And Light supposed that even if he didn't care as long as they got L a cure, there was a point to be made that this could easily cause more problems than solutions.

Once he saw Light understood why that was a bad idea, L turned back to the computer. "I am grateful for your willingness to help me, Near. However, I do not want you or the other boys in danger. I know you and B are close, but surely you understand that even  he  has agreed he cannot be outside for his own sake."

"The problem is being handled,"  Near assured him, as though that was going to do anything to assure him.  "I can see the beginnings of sunrise, so I suppose this is goodbye until evening?"

L nodded, his movements more frantic. "Yes. Report back here as soon as the sun sets." The call ended, and Light found that only moments later, L was gone and replaced with a frog sitting on the desk.

Matsuda looked down at L, putting on the mandatory glove and letting him hop into his hand. "At least we know the kids are alright. That probably makes you feel a lot better."

Light nodded, taking L and the glove from Matsuda. "I'll bring him up to the terrarium so he and I can get some sleep." He waved goodbye to everyone else, and though it had only been a couple days, he was already excited to return to a normal sleep schedule once the cure was in their hands. "Good morning!" That alone was something he had to get used to.

Dad smiled, though he didn't like the arrangement either. "Sleep well, Light."

Light headed back up the stairs as quickly as he could while keeping L stable in his hand, making sure once they got back into their shared room to place L into the terrarium with the utmost care to sit on his special rock.

L seemed about as content as he could be given the situation, allowing Light to change into his pajamas and close the curtains that revealed the rising morning sun. Light knew he had always been fonder of the night than the day, wishing for the world to work in that way, but never before did he think he would actually grow to resent the morning sun.

He turned away from the window and lay down in bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I hope we can find a cure soon."

...

Near sighed, closing his computer and taking off the headset that was a bit too big for him, feeling Mello's eyes already boring into him. "L is still human," he said to soothe Mello's worries, "At least he is at night. But he is still concerned about our releasing B."

Mello took a second to process how casually Near said those words, but once he understood, he was slack-jawed. "So you're saying L's some kind of animal at night, but his biggest priority is the B thing!?"

"Yes, I am glad you are following along." He played with a strand of his hair, looking to the open window where B had left hours ago. He hadn't come back yet... "It seems we need to focus our attention to a lesser degree on finding him, and more on finding a cure to prove to him there is nothing to worry about."

Matt nodded from where he had been leaning against that same open window with a cigarette. "Alright, that shouldn't be too hard. I'll head to the library and begin searching."

Mello's brow furrowed. "You want to actually go outside? Okay, that's how I know this situation between you and B is bad."

"It's hard to repair a relationship when you were the one who watched him sneak out of the house with a butcher knife and the intent to kill," Matt said simply, shrugging to himself as he put the cigarette out. "I'll get over it, just give me a bit."

Near grimaced at the memories best left forgotten. Those were years in the past, and now they were in the way of a common goal. But he couldn't blame Matt for his hesitance on the matter, especially given the tension of the situation at hand. Near knew B would never hurt him, but Matt arrived at the orphanage later. He didn't have that same bond that Near did.

"Mello, can you go with Matt?" Near asked, opening his computer again to send a message to B. "I'm afraid going outdoors is something I cannot do."

Mello rolled his eyes, though it didn't escape Near's notice that, just as he planned, Mello was taking some pleasure in there being something he could do, and Near couldn't. However, a physical capability was nowhere close to as satisfying as a mental capability able to surpass Near would be. "Yeah, sure," he took Matt's hand, noticeably softening in an attempt to soothe Matt's nerves. "Come on, we can stop for breakfast on the way out."

The sound of the door shutting indicated that Near was completely alone, and he allowed himself to sigh, pulling up a photo on his computer that he never wanted anyone else to see. The only picture of A, B, L, and Near as a young child. Near smiled softly before he placed the photo back in his hidden documents where it belonged.

All we need to do is find a cure. L and B's curses are different, but they're related enough we should be able to cure them both, right? Logically, Near knew that, at least in B's case, this was something he was born with and would, therefore, not be something that could be legitimately cured or gotten rid of, but they could at least make it more bearable, right?

Near had never hoped for something as much as he hoped for that. 

Chapter Text

B discovered something was going in with the Hachiman Task Force when he could analyze their sleeping habits, unexpected for anyone with the work shift an NPA officer would typically have. But it was subtle the way it was so unexpected, the waking up two or even three hours before sunrise and being at work until an hour after sunset. That was... an unusually long work day.

Initially, he assumed it had something to do with the nature of the case itself, as proven by the books scattered about Hideki Ide's apartment of various mythologies and animal transformations, which on its own made perfect sense whether something had happened to L or not. 

However, that theory was quickly dismissed when he overheard a frighteningly aggressive argument between Shuichi Aizawa and his wife, though that aggression was one-sided. B didn't linger long outside their window, but from what he heard between screaming and Shuichi trying to nurse a new cut on his forehead, was that his work hours had  changed  recently.

What other reason would his hours have changed if not for something to do with L? Could Nate have figured something out while contacting the task force? B wouldn't know as he had not had contact with Nate in days, but the potential for information was overwhelming.

But B found that for a moment, he couldn't bring himself to think about that, watching the bleeding man who refused to fight back in his kitchen, keeping as quiet as possible for a reason that B didn't understand until he noticed the children's toys scattered around the main room.

Children... He had... children?

He couldn't stop himself from looking at the lifespan of this man now. He couldn't hear what he was saying anymore, nor did he care. All he could do was fixate on those numbers forced on him by some twisted god that doomed him to die. At least he would be able to see his children grow up... Or would he? What if the kids died young? What if—

I can't look.  B had to remind himself, forcing himself to look away from the window.  I can't look. I can't look. I can't look. Human lives are predetermined. I know that. I know that. I know that. I have to change it somehow.

He didn't know how he managed it, but he forced himself to run from the Aizawa household to a nearby river, shifting back into his human body and looking at himself in the water, splashing it aggressively in his face to clear his mind. 

"Goddamnit," he cursed under his breath, trying to get his breathing under control. "Why did I leave? I should have just stayed back in my room..."

He wasn't a nice room by any means, and the chains got irritating from time to time, leaving cuts on his wrists that healed before they could scar. But it was better than living like this, seeing names and lifespans, and the only thing he could think about was wondering how they were going to die once he knew the when. He should have been used to it by now, but he never was. He couldn't drown it out. He couldn't ignore it. 

The only person he could stand to be around anymore was Nate, the one person who didn't look at him like he was insane or a monster... who he knew had a long time left to live. He was so young, but if something were to happen to him...

And what about Mail? Mail feared him now, and that was understandable. If he wanted to avoid B, that was more than fine because he wasn't sure he could look at that lifespan condemning him to die so young even one more time before he couldn't take it anymore. Unless he managed to change something, Mail would die before he was thirty.

He just had to find L, make sure L was alright and could be saved from whatever curse he was under, and then B could go back. Back to the quiet, away from the constant reminders. Just make sure his former friend was okay, then he could go home.

So for now, he took a long moment to collect himself by the river, to hide that anything was wrong. He had to hide how quickly being back in the world impacted him, or Nate would worry. Nate probably hoped they had a few days of being careful and working only at night before this terror began to set in, and the last thing he wanted was to make the young boy feel guilty for needing help.

I just have to keep it together a little longer. I'll find L, get him back to normal, then everything will be fine. Just a little longer. 

L, where are you?

OoOoO

It seemed Light needed time to adjust to the newfound sleep schedule he had adapted for himself. L could barely remember the time he spent during the day as an amphibian after another attempt to bypass his curse ended in failure. Still, even in that state, he had enough awareness to know he had to be out of his terrarium before sunset, lest he break it. Escaping the terrarium was something L figured out how to do quickly, so by the time he had returned to himself, he was sitting on his desk in a daze before noticing Light was still fast asleep.

L couldn't help but smile to himself, sitting down close to Light, so their hips were touching, brushing a strand of hair out of Light's face. He was so peaceful when he was asleep... they needed to get to work investigating, but L couldn't bring himself to wake Light from his slumber. They had all night. 

Ryuk sat perched on the large bookshelf he had taken as his new bed. "You seem unusually calm about this," he took a bite of his apple, lounging against a pillow he brought up there. "But I just don't get it. Don't tell me you've got the hots for Light-o like he does for you."

"What?" L's brow furrowed, reminding him again of the diadem on his head. He placed his fingers onto the gem again to feel it humming with something. It was a beautiful jewelry piece, but not one L appreciated having stuck to his head every hour of the day, human or otherwise. But he knew to think about that again was to distract himself from Ryuk's question. "What would give you that impression?"

"I don't know," Ryuk mused casually, "But Light likes you a lot. Why else would he bend over backward to save you? He never questioned any of what he was doing until you were in danger."

L's jaw fell slack at Ryuk's words, turning back to look at the sleeping Light. He had suspected that Light must have some form of care for him or, at the very least, a strict moral code about who would be given this supposedly divine retribution and who did not. But pondering the matter was entirely different from having it confirmed by a Kami who spent all hours of the day with Light for months on end. Ryuk was there for everything in Light's life and would know what made him tick.

Though Ryuk was a trickster, that much was apparent and had helped L in his deductions about what type of Kami Ryuk could be, even if his lack of familiarity with the more spiritual aspects of Japanese culture made knowing relatively difficult. But no matter what type of Kami he was, his trait of being a trickster was more than apparent, meaning L had no intention of taking that information at face value, even if he could find a basis behind it. 

Instead, L sat back down at his desk to absently look through the information Matsuda gathered on every hotel in the area to search for his lost successors. Light's feelings for him and whatever L's own feelings were for Light could wait until after he was human and the young boys were safe and sound.

Near had yet to call him this evening like he agreed. Perhaps the sun hadn't so clearly set in his area, or he was eating? Or he could have found a new toy he was interested in and lost track of time?

All of those explanations were reasonable, but L knew that his fears left him unable to believe any of them in contrast to the thing that remained on his mind: is B still himself? Is he taking care of the children, or has his sanity taken a turn for the worst? What if something happened and B snapped, and one of the children got hurt or worse... And L wouldn't be able to help because he couldn't leave headquarters due to spending the day as a frog.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when a chime from his computer indicated he was getting a call. He stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway to answer, finding this time the call was not Near's emblem, but Near himself on a video call.

"Oh, I think I did that wrong," Near muttered, but he made no move to change his screen back to his graphic, so L returned the favor by showing his face, though while Near was revealing plenty of information about his surroundings, L couldn't let on much from where he sat against the wall. "I apologize if I kept you waiting. I had to be sure sunset had come before I attempted to make contact."

"It's alright," L assured him before noticing the silence around him. "Is B with you?"

"No, he's been out since last night," L's stomach dropped, hearing that worry in Near's voice. "I've tried calling him, but I don't think he has his phone on him given what he is doing right now." He played with a strand of his hair, picking up on L's concerns. "Mello and Matt are out getting dinner for us right now from some fast food place. I've been alone in here for most of the day."

B was out for a full day... It was a relief to hear the boys were alright, but if B was still in public, how many lifespans had he seen? "Once B returns, please advise him not to leave his bedroom for a while. I need to be sure he is in a proper headspace if we make contact. If you can tell me where you are, I can have someone bring you boys to safety."

Near considered the deal for a few moments before coming to a conclusion. "I will discuss the matter with the others once they arrive. But L? B is content in his bunker. It does not seem to need to be as much of a prison as it is. Perhaps it would be beneficial to make the place more of a home?"

L nodded. He never approved of Roger and Watari's handling of the situation, even if he didn't have much power to refuse, given what B had done. "I believe that can be arranged. But I am hoping if we can find a cure for me, we could find something to help him with his eyes so that would not be necessary."

Near's eyes lit up at the idea, just as L expected. Even as a toddler, he had understood B's suffering and never liked it. "He would surely like that."

L straightened when he heard another sound from Near's end of the call. "We're back!" Mello called, putting down whatever bags he had been holding as he ran over to sit next to L. "L! You're alright!"

"For the next eleven hours, I would say," L said, knowing there was no point in lying to them. "I'm glad to see you all are doing well."

He never did get a chance to get them to talk about telling him their location, as the children were eager to tell him all about their adventures and plans that did more than enough to give L an estimate of where they would be, added onto their surroundings allowing him to pinpoint what hotel they were in. But now that he had that information, he was more than happy to wait and see the kids so happy.

So once they all grew tired and needed some sleep, L felt safe letting them rest. B had done nothing to hurt them, and even if he lost himself, he doubtfully ever would. That fear was still present in the back of L's mind, but it wasn't all-consuming as it had been before. They seemed... happy. Happier than they ever had been at Wammy's House. 

Light stepped out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "L, I'm sorry I overslept." He noticed the computer L was closing. "Did you manage to get through to your successors?"

L smiled warmly, standing up back to the man who stayed with him through all of this. "I did," he said, "And I am confident we can have the matter resolved."

Chapter Text

Taking in a breath of crisp seasonal air, B managed to collect himself enough to return to the hotel for the night, jumping in through the open window of the suite's main room where he could see the first bedroom door remained open with Miheal and Mail peacefully sleeping on the bed. B's brow furrowed as he didn't see Nate immediately, but he relaxed upon stepping into the doorway, where he found Nate curled up on the couch. Even as a preteen, Nate was small enough to have the couch more than count as a bed, with an extra blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon.

B smiled as he could be sure the boys were safe and sound, seeing them all in his peripheral vision without looking directly at them. Had the boys eaten? He looked behind him to see a take-out bag in the garbage. Good. It seemed they had eaten.

With his concerns put to rest, B quickly wrote a note to leave on the table that he had come back to the hotel tonight, just in case he was gone before they woke up. He didn't want them to worry. Once he was done, he stepped into his own bedroom he so rarely came into but was where he would sleep alone without any lifespans to haunt him. He put on the television for some background noise, one of the few things he missed in his cell back home. However, he quickly remembered why that had never been an option, as it did become bothersome to change the channel to something animated but not insufferable to ensure he would not need to see the lifespans of the actors.

He wasn't sure what he put on, though the art style indicated Studio Ghibli. Whatever it was, it served its purpose more than well enough for white noise as he shrugged off his dirty clothes and folded them neatly in the laundry basket to have washed in the morning. Thankfully, he already had a clean pair of clothes ready courtesy of Nate knowing his size and Miheal being willing to go to a store. 

B couldn't help but groan as he looked down at the bath. That primal cat part of him already dreading the idea of going in, while his human side was looking forward to it. Just for the hell of it, he decided to shift into his cat form and jump in, scrambling around with about as much finesse as falling on one's face. 

He shifted back and slipped over, pulling some of his dark hair out of his face with a pout, laughing to himself. "So much for cats being graceful," he brightened as he got an idea, looking down at his bare legs. "Can I turn you into a fish tail?" He tapped the gem atop his head that never moved. He could only be grateful it was essentially fused to his head because water couldn't get under it. Though it did make any attempt at hair care next to impossible. He tapped the gem again upon getting no response. "Come on. You let me become a cat and get wings. Would it kill you to let me live out mermaid fantasies?"

Maybe he could be a cat with wings. That'd be cool, and anyone who saw him would probably think he was the devil incarnate. 

"What are you doing?"

B jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice from the bathroom door he forgot to lock. He looked up and saw Miheal standing in the doorway, trying not to laugh. B grinned lazily, looking just past Miheal to avoid looking at his lifespan. It was about time he got to know the new kid who thought he was a cryptid. 

"Trying to live every twelve-year-old's fantasy," he held up his leg in disappointment. "Alas, it was not to be."

Miheal chuckled, looking B over as he cocked his head before kneeling on the bath mat and closing the door behind him. "You're not what I thought you would be."

"Did you imagine me with glowing red eyes?" B asked. "Because personally, I think I would match the stories about me if I had glowing red eyes."

"I didn't expect you to be so... casual," Miheal said, though he didn't deny the red eyes statement. "Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. Near thinks fondly of you, and Matt gets nervous every time someone even mentions your letter."

"Yeah, Mail probably hates my guts by now," B said, doing what he could to keep the hurt out of his voice. It was a fact of life, no need to get emotional over what he couldn't change. He already had lifespans to take up all of that worrying. "As for Nate... what has he told you about what happened?"

"Nothing, really," Miheal admitted quietly. "We... don't talk that much. Why would we? He's my rival."

That got a genuine laugh out of B. So what Nate told him was right, after all. He leaned against the tub, resting his arms behind his head. "Kid, I hate to break this to you if you're on some grand quest for a rival, but Nate's not it. He has no interest in being your rival, and he's legitimately confused by how you even got that idea." B raised an eyebrow. "Was it the academics? I think it was the academics."

Miheal crossed his arms, looking away from B while grumbling to himself, "He's always number one," which made B soften, placing his wet hand on Miheal's shoulder.

"Kid, trust me, the whole successor gig isn't worth it. We'd all be better off without it." He sighed, "That's certainly a perk of if Watari got doved, then we don't have to deal with that program since Roger's not keeping it around long."

Miheal sucked in a breath, daring to ask the question he was desperate to know but at the same time nervous to ask. "Was the successor program what caused you to..."

"Go on an attempted killing spree?" No point in beating around the bush about it, was there? "Nah, but it certainly didn't help matters." He pointed a finger at Miheal, twirling it around in circles. "I don't mind the bunker, but I'm just saying it speaks volumes if that's how my situation got handled." He gave a half-hearted shrug as he picked up the soap to begin actually cleaning himself instead of being pointlessly wet. 

"How did you learn to shapeshift?" Miheal asked curiously. "I don't remember hearing any stories you could do that, but aren't there cameras in the bunker?"

B nodded while scrubbing his messy hair. "Yeah, there are. But they broke within a month, and nobody bothered to replace them. I wasn't going anywhere, and Nate would have told them if I did since keeping him out proved pointless." He dunked his head under the water, drowning out any sound, but he continued talking. "Honestly, I don't even know how I did it. I was bored. Next thing I knew, I was a cat." He sat up again, deciding he was clean enough and reaching for a towel to dry himself off as he stepped out. "But anyway, I'm probably gonna get some shut-eye until 5am. You should sleep too. It's late."

Miheal reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Well, uh, goodnight. I'll let you know when Matt's ready to talk." He stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him, leaving B alone with his thoughts and the movie playing as he got dressed and flopped onto the bed, a towel still covering his wet hair. Wet sheets were the worst. 

He didn't know at what point he managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep, or if he did dream, he didn't remember it by the time he woke up. But he supposed that was for the best as he awoke to the irritating screeching of the hotel alarm clock. He smacked the thing until it shut up. Was it broken, or did it intentionally make that sound? If it was intentional, the jury was still out on if that was brilliant or stupid because while it woke him up without fail, he had more than once considered throwing it out the window.  Oh, alarm clocks, how I did not miss you.

B sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking out at the dark sky from the window. One bonus to spending his days as a cat was that he didn't need to get ready for the day. He could spend a few minutes staring at the wall until his tired brain was awake enough to will himself to roll out of bed. 

He stretched as he got up, hearing popping in at least three places as he made his way to the window, grabbing a jar of jam from the fridge and eating it with his hand before washing it off and deciding he should probably get going if he wanted to follow Touta Matsuda, who he had discovered did not live in an apartment, he was actually quite difficult to find when not at a coffee shop not far from Kanzo Mogi's apartment.

Touta Matsuda was absolutely fascinating the more B watched him, even if only for a couple days by this point. He was completely normal, but his eyes looked the same as B's. No doubt he had done it with cosmetic surgery, but why? And if he had done that, surely that meant he knew what those eyes had the power to do? It seemed unprofessional to have done such a thing without reason, but if he did have a reason, what could it be?

He was content to sit on a dumpster next to the coffee shop to wait until it opened. Matsuda, the last couple of days, had showed up a few minutes before it opened with a list, which made sense given it seemed he was bringing coffee for all of his coworkers, of which there were at least five, not including himself. Was this going to be a consistent pattern? B couldn't help but wish there was another means of tracking this man, but he had no listed address at the moment, so this was the only way. And why did he not have an address? Was he bunking with L long-term? Did he live under a bridge?

Exactly five minutes before the shop opened, B perked up to see Matsuda had arrived and was quick to make cheerful conversation with the barista when the shop opened. He seemed like a nice guy, which could be the only reason that barista wasn't about to lose her mind that a guy was waiting with multiple orders from the moment she started her shift. B knew that him working customer service would be a nightmare for everyone involved, but if he had been the one taking that order, he probably would have lost his mind a whole lot faster. 

He watched Matsuda wave goodbye once he had his order, masterfully balancing the coffee in one hand as though he had done this countless times before. But what B did not expect was for Matsuda to stop walking and turn around within only a few steps of leaving the shop. B froze as he realized he had given up on subtly, and Matsuda was staring directly at him. Silver met silver as Matsuda slowly took a step towards him.

"Hey, kitty," Matsuda bent down and offered his hand for B to sniff before gently placing a gentle finger on the diadem. "Oh, you poor thing, are you like Ryuzaki?"

Ryuzaki? Wait... L had a diadem now?! How did he get that?! Did that mean he knew what this thing did? This did mean that he could allow himself to show an understanding of Matsuda's words, pawing at his hand to mimic a handshake.

Matsuda beamed. "Okay then! I'm going to take you back to headquarters, okay? Can you follow me?" B nodded, dutifully trotting after Matsuda. "Even if you're B and you're somehow a cat now, that works just fine! That just means I found you and then we can go pick up the kids."

Well then,  B mused.  That went better than I expected.

Chapter Text

Matsuda made sure to walk slowly on his way back to headquarters, looking behind him from time to time to make sure the only one following him as he walked was the cat with the diadem. The cat watched him with a piercing stare, and the first indicator Matsuda had that this cat likely had about as much of a human mind as L did during the day was that the cat had not gotten under his feet to trip him.

It was not a far walk to task force headquarters, but far enough that it took him close to half an hour to arrive with his pace, opening the door to allow the cat to follow him into the main room for the elevator. "Alright, kitty... or wait, do you have a name?" He cocked his head to the side, which the cat mimicked. "You probably have a name. Is there something I can call you until tonight when you can tell me your name?"

Matsuda wasn't sure what he expected, be it for the cat to stare at him or to somehow end up talking to give him an answer. But he somehow found himself disappointed that the only answer he got was for the cat to blink at him a few times as though saying, "do you seriously expect an answer?"

"You're right," Matsuda muttered, "That's a stupid question. I'm not even entirely sure you're B. I mean yeah you've got the diadem and those eyes, but why would B turn into a cat?" He pressed the button for the elevator, spinning around to make sure the scanner worked to let him in and wasn't glitched like it had been so many times for Aizawa. The last thing he wanted was for the security system to break when Watari and L couldn't fix it!

Thankfully, the elevator let him and the cat in with no problem, and Matsuda let out a breath of relief he didn't realize he was holding. He was here, and he had this cat with him. If they had two frames of reference for how this curse worked, didn't that mean they had a higher chance of finding a cure?

He waved cheerfully to everyone else in headquarters who had come in while he was away. "I got coffee!" He chirped, hurrying over to the desk to bring everyone their coffee.

Aizawa smiled fondly, "Thank you, Matsuda." However, it was so quiet that Matsuda almost missed it when his attention was focused on bandaging on Aizawa's head that he wasn't acknowledging, but Ide and Soichiro very much were. One glance at the tension of that situation made Matsuda realize he needed to change the subject.

"I found something while I was out," now that his hands were free, he was able to bend down and pick up the cat, though picking him up proved difficult as the cat did as cats do of turning into liquid in his arms, almost slipping out before he scrambled to catch him, so he didn't hit the floor. "I found someone else like Ryuzaki! Or I found B, but either way, it's a win for us!"

Soichiro spun around in his seat in fascination, standing up to examine the cat to make sure he didn't have rabies. "Where did you find him?"

"He was just by the coffee shop," Matsuda said. "He was watching me, which is why I think this might be B, so I let him follow me."

"And what if it is B?" Aizawa asked, crossing his arms as he eyed the cat that had been placed down on the floor. "What are we supposed to do with that?"

Matsuda shrugged. "Maybe use him to help us find a cure for Ryuzaki?" He looked around the room more out of habit than anything else. "Ryuzaki and Light are upstairs already?"

Soichiro nodded, pushing up his glasses. "Yes. Light apparently overslept yesterday, so he is trying to change his sleep schedule to further benefit a nocturnal lifestyle until the case is resolved." He heaved a sigh as he thought about what his son was doing to himself for L's sake. "I just hope we can bring the children here so Ryuzaki will continue focusing on a cure to save himself."

Mogi looked around the room. "Where did the cat go?"

Matsuda turned pale as he noticed the cat was gone. Where did he go?! What if he went to go find Ryuzaki and ended up eating him!? Did cats eat frogs?! "Shit!" He ran upstairs immediately, and from behind him, it seemed like everyone else had elected to split up. The last thing they needed was this cat running around in their headquarters. They had no idea what kind of person this was!

Countless possibilities raced through Matsuda's head as the first place he searched was Light and L's room, where he found the cat bouncing up and down by the door, trying to open it but lacking the opposable thumbs to successfully do so. Matsuda took a breath of relief, bending down to pick up the cat. "Oh, there you are!" He gestured towards the door, "You can't go in there. Light is sleeping."

The cat looked him dead in the eye, swatting at the door with enough force to sound like a legitimate knock. Well... he certainly seemed to have a human enough mind, so he must have a reason to go in there that wasn't eating poor L, right? 

"Fine," Matsuda relented, "You can go and take a look as long as you are quiet and don't eat Ryuzaki." He opened the door to let the cat in but ran over and locked the terrarium shut. L shook awake from where he had been sleeping on his rock, looking up at Matsuda sleepily, wordlessly asking why he had been woken up before jumping back at the sight of a cat watching him.

Matsuda held his breath nervously as he watched what the cat was doing. What did the cat want to do to L?

But the cat did nothing harmful at all. The cat held up his paw to tap on the glass, almost... like he was waving? Whatever he was doing, L seemed to understand and communicate in his own way by jumping up and down.

Matsuda raised an eyebrow, looking between the two and whatever song and dance of communication they were doing. Could the animals that were influenced by the notebook talk to one another? Or was this B, and they just had a history? "Uh... what are you doing?"

The cat snapped back up to look at him before turning his head around to eye Light, who, through some miracle, managed to sleep through all of this. But it seemed the cat found that as a personal attack as he ran at Light and leaped directly onto his head.

"GAH!" Light shot awake at the feeling of a cat landing on his face and grabbed the animal to pull him off, holding him at arm's length as he took a moment to get the sleep out of his eyes to process what just landed on him. "Who are you!? Matsuda, what is going—huh?" his words died in his throat, eyes widening as he got a better look at what adorned the cat's head. "This is..."

"Yep," Matsuda sat down on the bed to take the cat from him, who decided to climb onto his shoulder. "I found him this morning."

The sound of the door opening made everyone turn, and everyone else came in. Soichiro sighed. "Matsuda, did you have to wake up Light for this?"

"It's okay, Dad," Light assured him hurriedly, rubbing his eyes before leaning back against the pillows. "But I will probably go back to sleep after we discuss this. So you just happened to find this cat with the same diadem Ryuzaki has? It feels like a trap."

"It probably is," Ide agreed, crossing his arms as he considered what they should do in this situation. "However, there is a high likelihood this cat will provide us with some kind of answers about the diadem and Ryuzaki's curse."

"Yeah!" Matsuda added. "You should have seen them!" He gestured to the terrarium, "He was totally communicating with L!"

Light's eyes widened as he looked over to the tank. "Oh, in that case..." he got out of bed, putting on the glove to pick up L before opening the terrarium to let L hop into his hand. "Do you want to help us make choices?" He craned his neck to look back at the cat, narrowing his eyes in a death stare, "If you do anything to him, I will  bury you.  And I know you can understand me."

Matsuda almost recoiled at the intensity in Light's voice and tone, a fire in his eyes that made it more than clear this was not an empty threat.  Light really cares about Ryuzaki, doesn't he?

It had crossed Matsuda's mind multiple times just how much Light's affection for Ryuzaki had grown since he was cursed. It was always there and something Matsuda couldn't help but envy seeing Light's feelings reciprocated in some capacity, but it was just so intense, almost like... Light was trying to make up for something. 

Matsuda shook himself. What could Light possibly have to make up for? None of this was his fault; it was Rem's. So why would Light feel bad? Maybe some kind of weird survivor's guilt that he was fine, but L got cursed?

Whatever it was, hopefully they could resolve it soon if they found a cure. L seemed content bouncing in Light's hand, where Light was carefully shielding him from the cat. 

"So what are we going to do?" Aizawa asked. "There's a solid chance that's B."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Matsuda mused. "He has the diadem, and he is a cat, so either way, that means we'll know by tonight, right?" he beamed as an idea suddenly came to mind. "We should keep him! I have an idea!"

Soichiro turned towards him, intrigued by whatever Matsuda was thinking. "What do you have in mind?"

Matsuda picked the cat up again, "If this is B, that means the kids are alone!"

Ide frowned, "You shouldn't say that so excitedly."

"Yeah, you're right," Matsuda said, chuckling nervously before he put on a bright smile again. "But it does mean we can use what Ryuzaki collected last night to go pick up the kids and bring them here safely!"

That caught everyone's attention far more optimistically. Mogi already had his phone out to call the hotel. "I'll get the kids," he said, "The rest of you take care of the cat."

"How about it, L?" Light asked, a radiant smile forming on his face as he watched L hopping in a circle excitedly. "I'm glad to see you're excited..." Matsuda noticed the happiness leaving Light's voice as his expression turned somber, placing L back in his terrarium. "I will fix this. I promise..."

Soichiro softened, stepping over to pull his son into his arms, "Oh, Light... It's going to be alright, son. We'll find a cure for him. I know he means a lot to you."

Matsuda nodded. "Yeah, come on, Light," he placed his hand on Light's shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. "You and Ryuzaki are some of the smartest people in the world. If anyone can find a cure for him, it's going to be me." Even if whoever the true identity of the cat was couldn't help them, Light would be able to figure it out! He always did! 

"It's going to be me..." Light echoed, thinking on that for a long moment before heaving a sigh. "Yeah. It's got to be me. I just hope I am enough."

Chapter Text

A video call and a couple searches online were all it took to locate L's successors once they were confident B was handled and it was safe to do so. The whole matter took no more than ten minutes, and after that, it took an additional half an hour for Mogi to drive to the hotel, pick up the boys, and drive back.

It was so quick, in fact, that Light wasn't even through his first cup of coffee yet by the time Mogi returned with the boys, though having only consumed a single cup of coffee had more to do with the cat having dumped coffee in his lap no less than twice by this point. 

"Oh, thank god," Light turned back around in his chair, brows furrowing when he was met with the bizarre sight of a disheveled Mogi carrying one teenager under each arm while a small white-haired child stood just behind him as he examined everyone else in the room. "Mogi, are you okay?"

"He's fine," the blonde child said, attempting to force himself down from Mogi's grip to no avail. "Damnit, can you let us down? We're here now, right?"

Mogi let out a long-suffering sigh, a sound that described what he experienced in a way words never could, and Light couldn't help but feel like his envy of Mogi's task instead of dealing with the damn cat was unfounded. Mogi debated for a couple moments whether to let the teenagers down but eventually decided to.

As the other two boys started looking around and asking questions about what was going on, Light's attention was significantly more focused on the white-haired child who had come over to the cat. "There you are."

Matsuda whipped around, "So that is B?!"

"Well, I guess I've been found out." Light's eyes widened to the size of saucers as words came out of the cat's mouth, annoyed as he shook his head. "No point in staying like this anymore, is there?" Next thing Light knew, a young man was sitting on the desk where the cat had been moments ago. The man smiled before ruffling Near's hair. "Good to see you, Nate. I was going to come back tonight, but this works out just as well. You kids are in better hands with people who can look at you."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aizawa demanded, noticeably taking a step to place himself between B and the teenagers Light assumed were Mello and Matt. "Are you looking for L?"

B looked Aizawa up and down but very obviously not looking at his face. "I'll answer all your questions if you let me borrow your tie."

Aizawa looked at him as though he was insane, which was not an unfair assessment given his history. "Let you borrow my tie?"

B nodded, "Yes. I would like to blindfold myself, so I can actually talk to all of you without wanting to scream," he said with a charming smile, making almost everyone need to do a double-take to process what he was saying.

Dad cleared his throat, reluctantly offering out his own tie for B to take. "You can use this. Am I correct in assuming you have the same eyes Amane had?"

"Amane?" B asked, using the tie to create a makeshift blindfold for himself. "Oh, yes, this will do nicely. Thank you, Yagami-San." He leaned back against the desk, pulling Near up to sit in his lap and gesturing for Mello and Matt to stop pestering the task force. "Anyway, I've got no idea who Amane is. I've been living in a hole the last few years, see?" He glanced to the side, where Ide and Aizawa were looking at one another, debating wordlessly if they should try locking B up for everyone's safety. "I know you all are planning to lock me up again," he said casually. "There's no need to put me in a hole. I'd very much like to get back to  my  hole. L's the only reason I came out in the first place," he smiled warmly as he ruffled Near's hair again, making the young boy look away in embarrassment, "And because you asked me so nicely."

Near huffed. "As much as I am relieved to see you're alright, we should discuss the matter of why we came out here in the first place." He turned towards Dad, who he decided was in charge after looking between him and Light. Though Light couldn't help but be slightly insulted, he also understood why Near came to that conclusion, but he couldn't help but feel like there was some intentional disrespect lingering there. "Mr. Yagami? Would you mind showing us where L is?" He played with a strand of his hair as he spoke, "I was made aware of his curse, but I would like to see it for myself, so we can determine a decisive course of action."

Matt raised a hand. "I've done research on every source I can get my hands on with this kind of this, I want to see which of my theories are right."

That caught Ide's attention, and he decided to sit next to Matt and examine the computer he had already hacked into. "It has roots in countless different tales, but never accurate enough to pinpoint as any specific thing," he mused. "But the diadem B and now L possesses isn't found anywhere. It's fascinating how much is unknown."

"And what about the Kami?" Mello asked, "Is it true Kami exist?" His eyes lit up with excitement as Ide nodded. "What are they like!?"

"I should have made Ide get them," Mogi grumbled, deciding to just focus on his papers. Light couldn't help but chuckle silently to himself before straightening as Dad came back downstairs with L in the palm of his gloved hand.

"Here he is. Be very careful," he took off the glove and handed it to Near, so he could hold L. L spun in a circle upon seeing Near, hopping up and down to get his attention.

A smile flickered onto Near's face for a moment, but it fell quickly. "He is unusually hyper. It's strange."

"Yeah," Light agreed, shrugging as he crossed his arms. "But I'm not surprised he will resort to those methods, given that's his only form of communication besides screaming. And we've heard him scream. This is a much better means of talking to him." He smiled at the memory of discussing the situation with L. L had mentioned while his memories were fuzzy during the day, and he had thoughts about that means of communication...

"I understand I must take additional measures if I wish to be heard,"  L said, licking a donut as he took in the daily sugar he had been deprived of all day.  "But it is incredibly annoying."

You won't have to do this much longer. We're getting close to a cure, and now we have extra hands on deck. But that is going to make talking about Hachiman-related things difficult...

Light glanced to the side, seeing Ryuk sitting on a ledge and examining B, but not getting too close to him or making a sound. Did he think B could see him?

Matsuda raised his hand. "About those eyes, B," B looked up to hear his question. "When we asked about Amane's eyes, I should have specified Kami's Eyes. L told us you had them, allowing you to see names and lifespans above people's heads."

B grimaced. "So that's what those are called." Everyone deflated, having hoped he would have more information. But if he didn't even know what his eyes were, would he even be able to help? "Yeah, I've had those eyes since I was born. And they are why I swore revenge against any God there is."

"What do you mean?" Light asked.

"I was cursed with these eyes and then forced to sit back as everything falls apart around me?" B asked, gritting his teeth as his casual demeanor faded into bitter resentment. "No. I will  never  accept that. No matter what I have to do, I am going to defy the natural order or the will of whatever God out there left me like this." He lifted his blindfold to let one silver eye peek out as he looked down at L. "L was cursed by those same Gods, meaning that in helping my friend, I get to do what I sought to do for so many years," he allowed himself to relax back into a more joking demeanor.  "And  I can really show Roger, Watari, and even L that I'm not just a backup if I've got skills they can only dream of. I call that killing three doves with one stone."

Near looked back up to the members of the task force. "If he starts talking of killing people or becoming particularly violent, we have found spraying him with a mix of water and vinegar works rather well."

Light almost burst out laughing at Near's comment. What?! Was that a cat thing?!

"It smells," B said, almost as though he was reading Light's mind before stretching. "I've got some ideas of what we can do, but what do you all have in mind?"

"So... we're doing this?" Aizawa asked everyone. He understood that was the consensus, so his question was phrased more as though he were asking if they were serious. He was met with resigned nods that they might as well since it was smarter to keep the kids close anyway. He groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. "Fine. Our most recent endeavor was finding all of you, but before that, we were looking into the real-life masters in Japan who exist to fight curses."

"That's right," Ide said. "There are temples that offer services of a priest cleansing a person or even their home of evil spirits," he crossed his arms as he thought more on that. "I am not entirely sure that would work with a frog, but the alternative would be Ryuzaki being sold a charm, talisman, or amulet to ward off the curse. I can't see that being much help unless Ryuzaki wants to wear permanent jewelry to avoid becoming a frog during the day."

L didn't even bother responding in any form, the diadem on his head getting the message across that he was already annoyed by one form of jewelry. More was to be avoided unless there was no other option. L closed his eyes and began to fall asleep in Near's hand.

Light softened, seeing L so sleepy. They were awake longer into the day than he was used to, "Come on, Ryuzaki," he took the glove from a reluctant Near, "We should go head back to bed." He looked to everyone else. "We'll see you tonight!"

He hurried upstairs, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as Ryuk flew next to him. "That guy's certainly interesting," Ryuk said. "Looks like some of my theories got confirmed about what his deal is."

"Huh?" Light raised an eyebrow. "You were able to tell just from being around him?"

Ryuk nodded. "Yeah, but I can't help but be a little freaked out by how much he hates Kami. That's not something you normally see," he shrugged as Light opened the door to his bedroom. "But I guess that's why the Old Man made rules against this kind of thing."

"Rules?" Light asked, opening the terrarium to place L inside, safe and sound. But Ryuk didn't answer, making Light's brow furrow. It wasn't like Ryuk to suddenly get so quiet. "Ryuk—" 

B was standing behind him, his blindfold gripped in his hand and an eerie smile on his face.

"Hello, Hachiman," he said. Something about his voice being perfectly even sent more chills up Light's spine than shouting ever could. "We should talk."

Light opened his mouth to deny it, but B's intense gaze made it more than clear that it was a lost cause. He had been so spiteful today because he could tell Light's identity from a glance. "Yeah..." he said eventually, "I guess we should."

Chapter Text

B cocked his head to the side as he observed Light's demeanor, and Light couldn't help but mirror the motion in an attempt to understand what was going on in B's head. Was he about to become aggressive? He seemed more curious than anything, but Light couldn't help but be wary, given his reputation.

Within a few seconds of awkwardly staring at each other, they seemed to come to the same conclusion about how this conversation would go: this could go well, or someone could end up in the hospital, and that would probably be Light. 

For Light, he noticed B's demeanor was far more relaxed than it had been even when discussing things with the task force, most likely because B could not see Light's lifespan while he could see the lifespans of everyone else. He had no reason to be tense now, as he had all the power in this dynamic and no lifespans to get in his head. 

After a full minute of silence as they tried to figure each other out, Light realized B was waiting for him to make the first move. "So... how did you figure it out?"

B raised an eyebrow as he pointed his thumb at Ryuk. "It doesn't take much sleuthing to see you don't have a lifespan, and you have a guy watching you that nobody else even acknowledges. It's not rocket science." He crossed his arms impatiently. "So, care to explain what happened with L?"

Light sighed, bowing his head in shame. "I did everything I could to avoid it happening, but there was an... unexpected complication."

"From what I gather, a girl who I presume is that model I'm seeing around, Misa Amane, got her hands on that same power you got and it caused some problems?"

"That's... one way to put it," more like the understatement of the millennium. "As you can see with Ryuk," he gestured back at Ryuk, "People with that power are followed by a Kami, and Misa's Kami, Rem, was particularly attached to her, to the point of threatening  me  if something happened to her."

Though that answer did make the last of B's hostility fade, he didn't seem entirely satisfied as he glanced behind Light to see L, who must have been confirming all of this while Light wasn't facing him. "Then how the hell did L end up the one as a frog?"

"L proved to be the biggest threat to Misa," Light grumbled. "Even though he understood my problem and was willing to help, Misa was doing us no favors. I made sure Misa's not a problem, and she's doing a lot better now without her memories... but that didn't stop Rem from giving her life to take out L in some desperate attempt to save Misa."

"I see, I see..." B mused. "Sounds like someone I'm happy to defy." He frowned. "But I'm gonna need to know what the hell this power is if you want my help."

"You don't know?" Light asked, hurrying to his desk to pull out the notebook once he made sure the door was locked. He handed the notebook to B, who examined it in fascination and a sense of distant familiarity. "How do you not know any of this?"

"I spent most of my life in England," B muttered, flipping through the pages absently. "I don't think I need to elaborate beyond that..." he stopped as he got to the back of the book, "Wow, you wrote a lot of names the other day."

"Wiped out the criminal underworld," Light muttered. "I couldn't risk them trying to come after the notebook and putting everyone in danger."

"Do you have a spare of these by any chance?"

Light looked up. "Uh... yeah, I actually do. Why?"

"No reason," B mused. "It just feels familiar, and I want one for myself. Maybe it can give me some answers."

"You mean about why you're like this?" Ryuk asked, making both Light and B turn. "You're not cursed if that's what you're thinking."

B straightened. "You're talking like you know what's going on."

Ryuk flipped upright from where he had been floating upside down. "That's because I do. Remind me, you've got the eyes, the diadem, you've got an animal form... do you got wings?"

B slowly nodded. "Yeah... what of it?"

Light whipped around to face him in exasperation. "Wings are humanity's dream! How can you say that so casually?!" B just shrugged in response.

"Well, curses don't come with wings," Ryuk replied casually, as though he wasn't dropping a bombshell that would change B's life forever. "That's something that only comes with spirits, Kami, Shinigami, the whole lot." He held up his finger before touching B's forehead. "And in your case, if you can become a cat at will and are unusually fixated on lifespans, I'd say some cat spirit decided to get frisky with a human."

B's eyes widened. Even Light was rendered speechless. But B was quick to recover, shaking his head in disbelief as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?! And even if you're right, what do cat spirits have to do with me being fixated on lifespans, or what about this diadem!?"

Ryuk nodded in an understanding that was more mocking than anything else. "I'll put it this way. Kami and Shinigami have the same eyes for knowing lifespans, but we have them for different reasons. Kami see it for life, and Shinigami see it for death. I know a lot of cat spirits who are kinda in-between on that, but that's mostly irrelevant since we long outlast humans anyway. Anyway, a human hybrid with Kami's eyes will have the knowledge of death without a Shinigami-born apathy. And nothing good ever comes of letting humans know when they or others are going to die. The Old Man made a rule about it for a reason. Even humans who take the Kami Eyes will only see random numbers and have to figure it out manually themselves, meaning they'd have to  really  want it."

"And the diadem?" B asked.

"If I had to guess, it belonged to your parent before the Old Man killed 'em as punishment for rule-breaking," Ryuk said, "And for one reason or another, the diadem went to you, probably since you've got some Kami in you and have to be protected.

Light's jaw was slack as he marveled at how casually Ryuk said all of this. How long had he known about this?! He looked over at B, whose head was bowed. "B?"

"So I guess that means I'm stuck like this," B muttered before putting on a grin. "Oh well, I was planning to go back to the bunker anyway."

He kept mentioning the bunker... L had told him about that cell he had inexplicably begun to call home. Light looked past B and to L, and though it was hard to tell what a frog was thinking, he could tell through his intuition that the idea of B wanting to go back there was not something L liked.

"That may be true," Light said. "But is living underground for the rest of your life really a life worth living? Is that really the future you want for yourself?"

B faltered, looking Light dead in the eye, but even that seemed to make him stiffen, realizing that with someone he couldn't see the lifespan of, he could do that with no problem. It had probably been years since he could safely do that... And slowly, B's mask cracked before he sighed. "Not really. But it's not like I have much other choice, do I?"

Ryuk opened his mouth to say something, but Light was already talking by the time he noticed that. "I don't know the answer to that, and I don't know what I'm going to do either. I can't keep doing this," he gestured to the notebook still in B's hands, "In good conscience. Honestly, I'm thinking of quitting altogether after L's recovered, and I've cemented an alibi. You can have both notebooks for all I care."

B chuckled. "And what does that have to do with my situation?"

"I'm saying that you're not the only one that's unsure," Light insisted. "But for one reason or another, be it frisky cat spirits or mind-numbing boredom, we're in this together, aren't we? Maybe if we work together, we can figure out what to do."

B looked at him as though he was insane for a couple seconds before realizing Light was serious. Once he realized that, he laughed to himself, though it held little mirth. "You know, it's nice to talk to someone without worrying about their lifespan." He grinned. "Alright, Yagami. We'll work together to get a cure for L and start trying to figure out what we're gonna do with our lives." He cocked his head. "What's the first thing you want to do with that new life?"

"Join the police academy," Light said. "Or maybe work with L as a detective if he'll let me. I need to fix the world the right way this time. As amusing as doves are, it's ruined now. What about you?"

"Me?" B shrugged. "I don't know yet. I should probably make things right with Matt, assuming he'll let me." He offered out his hand for Light to shake. "So, teamwork?"

Light grasped onto B's hand. "Teamwork."

"Great!" B's wings emerged from his back, leaving Light to marvel at their beauty before having to suppress a yelp as B scooped him up. "I'll get you a Mountain Dew or something, because there will be no rest for the wicked."

"So you haven't slept in a while either?"

B rolled his eyes. "Very funny," he glanced over to L's terrarium. "We'll be back soon, Lawlipop. We've got some temples to look at if we want this curse broken by next sunrise."

Light couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Lawlipop?"

"Oh, I've got so many nicknames for him," B cackled, and with that laugh alone, so much like Ryuk's but simultaneously different, he suddenly had a newfound understanding of Ryuk's claim the two were kin. "I'll share some with you. It drives him crazy. Now then," he took off into the sky, and Light screamed as they went faster than any human should be able to go, gripping onto B's neck like his life depended on it. "We're off on an adventure!"

Ryuk cackled as he watched the two leave, leaning his elbows on the windowsill before he realized he should probably follow them. 

"I'll wait to tell him." He decided, shrugging as he let out his own wings to cover more ground faster than floating would have allowed. "This is much more interesting."

Chapter Text

Once again, Light found himself cursing Rem to hell, though it was for a far different reason than usual. Because of her nonsense, he forgot how absolutely insane all of this dove nonsense even was! And it was because of forgetting that detail that it didn't occur to him until his fifth temple with B that maybe temple priests and masters of breaking curses had no helpful information because of all the curses and spiritual mayhem that could happen, why was it doves?! Frogs weren't any better!

B groaned as he decided to clean the walkway to the last temple they found no success in, seemingly cleaning to distract himself from his frustration. "Pissing off dead Kamis is so much harder than I thought!" He complained, nudging Light off the bench he had been sitting on to clean it with a magic eraser before allowing Light to sit back down.

Light nodded with an annoyed grimace as he crossed out yet another location on his notepad. He was not ready to give up, and he never would be until L was back to normal, but it was incredibly irritating to have such little luck in matters like this. Though in a way, Light couldn't help but roll his eyes at how little he knew. The world believed he was a Kami, yet not only did Light have no idea how to undo the mistakes of true Kami, but his greatest ally was a half-Kami who didn't want to be one. 

The Light from a year ago would be thrilled to hear about all of this, that all those fantasies of an adventure, even if it was a silly shōnen one, would become true in ways he never could have imagined. Truly, what genre would this insanity even be? A bored teenager accidentally becomes perceived as a God and becomes close to his rival, only to need to save that very same rival who is under a curse?

...it sounded a bit more like a romance than Light would have hoped, but he supposed beggars couldn't be choosers. As long as Matsuda didn't tell him to kiss the frog again. That was a disease waiting to happen.

"Ryuk, do you have any ideas?" Light asked, looking up at his longtime companion sitting in a tree. "You're a Kami. Surely you know some shrine we can go to for praying, and you're just choosing to be a vague bastard."

Ryuk placed a hand on his chest. "I am insulted, Light-o! You're right, but you don't have to say it like that." He then shrugged, proving that he didn't actually care as he bit down on an apple, jumping down from the tree to land next to Light on the bench. "I actually didn't tell you because you two left halfway through me explaining all of this stuff to you. Just go to the Old Man's temple. If he punished Rem for cursing L, he's probably cool with undoing it as long as L's polite about asking at the shrine."

B's brow furrowed. "Okay, what defines polite for you? Do we need to bring anything?"

"The King likes apples," Ryuk said casually. "I bought another notebook from him for thirteen of them, and he guards those things very carefully. Breaking L's curse is probably worth five, but the more, the merrier. But if apples are off the table, all your friend has to do is explain that if the curse is lifted, he'll strive to improve the world and reduce crime rates. That shouldn't be too hard."

"Wait," Light straightened. "Why would the King care about crime rates being reduced? Is that why he doesn't even care the public started calling me Hachiman?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Ryuk said. "Old Man's frustrated by how bloodthirsty humans are, destroying the world and each other for material wealth that means nothing at all. I haven't spoken to the Old Man in a while, but him not doing anything about the whole Hachiman situation is as good as approving it."

"It's that easy?!" B asked, already letting his wings back out once he made sure there was nobody else around. "Well then, come on! We can get plenty of apples with L's credit card, and go to the shrine right now!" But he stopped in his tracks as he realized another problem he hadn't considered until that moment. "Where exactly is the King's shrine?"

"Somewhere in the Three Holy Mountains," Ryuk said. "I don't remember which one, but as a Kami kid, you should be able to tell where it is once you're in the area."

Light beamed, all of his frustration from minutes ago vanishing in an instant. It didn't even matter that Ryuk could have mentioned this before. Him not saying anything until it was considered relevant in his eyes was nothing new. He decided to just be grateful they had a possible way of breaking the curse. If everything went according to plan, L would be fine by morning!

But one thing worried Light about all of this. If Ryuk was right and the King approved of his actions under the name of Hachiman, how would he feel if Light was on the brink of quitting? Would he punish him for that? Would he deny L's freedom from the curse if he believed L was to blame for Light no longer finding this as fun as he used to?

Before they broke the curse, he had to ask Ryuk about this. So while B gathered the necessary supplies outside of headquarters, namely a large basket's worth of apples, Light packed up the supplies inside as he waited for the sun to set and L to become human. Just in case the curse wasn't broken by dawn, they would need supplies to take care of L outside of headquarters in his animal state. He needed to be kept warm, as the weather was already becoming cold. 

Ryuk cocked his head to the side as he noticed Light's nervousness in the form of his tense shoulders. "Light-o? Something bothering you?"

"Would the King punish L because I am considering quitting this whole Hachiman thing?"

"Nah," Ryuk assured him casually. "No human who ever uses this notebook is able to do it for very long without questioning the moral side of things. You're just the first to become more widely known by the world due to scale. Either way, you're planning to become a cop," he tapped Light's head with one of his long nails that seemed more like animal claws than Light had noticed before, "You're a smart kid. I think you can do it."

"And L will be safe?"

Ryuk paused, looking Light up and down as he realized what Light was saying. He wasn't asking about his own safety. He was asking about L's and only L's. Ryuk softened a warm smile on his face that may have been welcoming to some but caught Light off guard. There was true affection in that smile, not the mischievous cheer as before. 

His tone was unusually serious as well, as though he was judging something. "Light, I'm going to ask you a question, and you have to be sincere. Strip away pretense and agenda. You have to be honest and vulnerable here." It was a very simple request, but Light found himself anxious about how much Ryuk insisted on this. He nodded, and Ryuk asked his question. "Are you implying you would risk your own life for L's?"

What? Why was Ryuk asking this? But he could tell to inquire about the question was pointless. Ryuk just wanted an answer, and he wanted an honest one, not the answer that could benefit him for his goals. And what answer even would that be?

But Ryuk wanted him to speak the truth, so Light supposed that was what he should do. "I hadn't really thought about it like that, but I suppose I am."

"Why?"

"Why?" Didn't this count as two questions now? Whatever. "Because... I can't see him suffer like this. He has a life ahead of him, and he means a lot to me," his eyes flickered over to the slowly setting sun, but they wandered towards L, who was sitting on the glove, and watched him with that same intense stare as always. He smiled to himself. "He's a weird bastard, but I care about him, and it's hard to take pleasure in anything when you know your actions led to someone you care about being hurt. So... yeah, if the King wants to punish me for being unable to continue this, I will accept that, as long as L doesn't pay any price."

He looked up nervously at Ryuk. Did that count? Did that count as good enough to satisfy him? It seemed honest and vulnerable enough. He wasn't sure how he could be more so. It was rather embarrassing to say all of that stuff aloud. 

And from the way Ryuk smiled, he had done exactly what Ryuk was asking. "I'm proud of you, Light-o. Looks like you did earn this," he placed his hand against Light's heart, and Light's eyes widened as his heart took on a pale glow, and though it faded away, Light couldn't help but feel like the world around him had shifted somehow. He felt... different. He still felt like himself, but different in a good way. 

It took him a moment to realize what Ryuk had just done. "Did you just...?"

"Gave you the magokoro?" Ryuk asked, resting his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I did. I've never done it before, and I wanted to see what would happen, but you had to earn it by being sincere first, and this felt as good a time as any to put that to the test." he waved his hand casually, "Don't worry. As long as you have that, the Old Man won't do anything to you. He wouldn't have anyway, but I suppose you'd feel better if I did that."

"So you meant everything you just said?"

Light paled, whipping around to see L had just shifted back, sitting silently on the table and watching him with unblinking eyes, waiting for Light's answer. Light looked over everything about L as he could feel his face heating up. L heard all of that?! That was so embarrassing! He couldn't stop himself from burying his face in his hands. He couldn't even deny it because Ryuk had just gifted him one of the highest honors a human could get for being honest about that.  Damnit! 

He sent Ryuk a dirty look. "You knew he was going to overhear that!"

Ryuk cackled. "I did! Oh, I did!" he clapped his hands in delight. "I was tired of this whole no talking back and forth thing," he pointed at L. "He likes you," he pointed at Light, "You like him. There. Problem solved."

If possible, Light's face turned even redder, looking up to see L's face was a similar shade as he was not prepared for this to be what he was met with when he returned to his human form. He opened his mouth slowly, "I... I admit that does explain why you would go that far for me."

Light nodded. "And I guess that explains why you kept my secret even after," he gestured at the terrarium. "That situation." He cleared his throat, helping L from the table and becoming acutely aware of L's eyes. "So... what do we do now? We found a way to break your curse, and B's out getting some supplies. Do you maybe... want to get a coffee after that? Talk this out? We haven't exactly slept in a while."

L relaxed visibly as some normalcy returned to their conversation, taking the request to go out as the gateway into this not being awkward. "I would enjoy that very much, Light-Kun."

"Uhhhh, Moonie?" B's voice rang out from the window. "You're glowing."

Light frowned, looking back to the stunned B and then over to a mirror, seeing that his skin actually did have a warm glow to it. "Ryuk? Nobody without the eyes can see that, right?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Ryuk said.

"He's correct," L assured him. "Though I have touched your notebook, I don't see anything in regards to glowing."

Light sighed in relief. That was a relief. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to his parents that he was glowing and, "don't worry, I did not drink anything I shouldn't have, and I wasn't cursed at all." 

"Oh, one more thing," Ryuk said, digging into Light's drawer to pull out both notebooks. "If you're gonna retire, Old Man would appreciate you hand this back to him. As for the second one..." he smirked mischievously, "I have an idea for this one."

"An idea?" B asked, and Ryuk nodded, ruffling his hair as though he was a child, which he probably was by Ryuk's standards.

"An amazing idea! Now," he picked up Light while B picked up L and the basket of apples. "I'll help with this whole carrying thing because I want to see this in action too. But I am owed so many apples for this."

"Wait," Light asked. "If we're giving back my notebook, doesn't that mean you go back to your realm?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Ryuk mused. "It all depends on if my plan works out. If my plan works, I never  have  to go back."

"Well," L piped up, adjusting how he was being carried in B's arms. "I presume we are on our way to the Three Holy Mountains? I must admit, I am rather curious what we are going to see."

"I am too," Light said. "But whatever we find, we'll do it together?"

L nodded. "Yes. We'll do it together."

Chapter Text

In normal circumstances, a journey to the Three Holy Mountains could have taken hours or even days if they could only travel during the night. Given the nature of L's curse and his delicate condition during the day, such an expedition could have been impossible or risked L's life too much to be worth it.

But with the assistance of B and Ryuk, the adventure took ten minutes soaring through the skies faster than the human eye could see. It had been terrifying the first time, but as Light looked out at the world around him this time, breezing past almost before he could process what he was looking at, he could only marvel at the beauty of the world he had taken for granted even in his quest to improve it.

"There," B said eventually, getting a firmer grip on L as he dove downwards suddenly into the mountains below. 

Ryuk laughed as he watched B's slight clumsiness with his wings. "He really is basically a baby," he mused, bouncing Light before getting a firmer grip on him. "Hold on tight, Light-o!" He dove downward after B before Light had a firm grip, and he could hear his jacket and Ryuk's robes billowing in the wind as Ryuk's dive turned into a gentle glide as they got closer to the ground into a cave protected from the weather.

The caves were dark at night, but Light found the glow coming from him was enough to illuminate the path ahead. He released his hold on Ryuk slightly as he looked down at his hand in amazement. "Woah..."

"Pretty cool, eh?" Ryuk said. "You really are a nightlight now."

Light glowered at his companion. "Did you seriously give me this so you could make a pun out of my name?!"

Ryuk winked, a shit-eating grin spreading on his face. "Maybe a little." Light opened his mouth to start yelling as Ryuk rolled his eyes. "I kid, I kid. Geez, have a little fun, why don't you?" He looked up ahead, "Oh, we're almost there."

Light looked up to see what Ryuk was staring at, his eyes widening as he laid eyes on a magnificent shrine that had no reason to be as hidden as it was. Something within him hummed pleasantly, and he couldn't help but feel greatly honored to even behold something as splendid as this. Words could not even begin to do it justice as Ryuk set Light next to B and L. 

"Are you seeing this?" Light asked, hoping L could see even the smallest amount of what Light was, even if part of him suspected that if L could not see the glowing brought on by the magokoro, he may not be able to behold this shrine to the best of his abilities either.

However, L surprised him by nodding. "What I do not understand is why something like this would be hidden so deep in the mountains."

"King's not as involved with humans as he used to be," Ryuk explained, and Light noticed the more formal address. It made sense and helped set the tone of what they should expect here. "The shrine is intentionally hidden these days." He placed his hand on L's shoulder. "Remember. Sincerity will get you far with our kind. No matter what you do, don't lie."

"I would assume lying to the one with the power to break my curse would be unwise," L mused, "But thank you for the advice." He looked back towards the shrine with trepidation. "Do you perhaps have any suggestions for what I am supposed to say?"

"Nah, not really," Ryuk said. "Just that there was a mistake, maybe explain some context of the situation, and whatever other truth would be relevant."

L nodded. "I see. Well, wish me luck."

Light's breath was caught in his throat as he was left, only able to watch as L walked up the stairs to the shrine before he knelt before it. Would L have a better chance if Light went up there as well to defend him? He looked to Ryuk hopefully, and Ryuk just shrugged as his way of saying it wouldn't hurt.

B was busy staring down at the notebook in his hands, but Light paid that no mind as he stepped up the stairs, seeing L on his knees at the top before the shrine with the basket of apples placed just in front of him. He kept his voice low, so it was difficult to hear unless Light strained his ears.

However, he managed to pick up on something that caught his attention.

"I started investigating the ways of Kami in a quest for knowledge and to satisfy my own amusement, never to offend. If it had been me alone, I would have been wise enough to leave the matter alone, but I must admit I fell in love with the one the world called Hachiman. He was in danger because of a Kami willing to defy the natural order, so I could not leave, even if it meant offending that Kami. In that, I regret nothing."

Light stopped, his mouth falling open as he heard L's confession, not for forgiveness or for the curse to be lifted because it was a mistake, but simply saying how he ended up in this situation and that he didn't regret it, even with the struggles it brought him. And L couldn't be lying about this either...

"I believe Light could improve this world with the proper resources," L continued, "Which I could provide to him if given a chance to do so. As I am under the impression you approve of his actions under the mask of Hachiman, I believe this would be mutually beneficial for both of us."

"Not to mention," Light decided to jump in, making L turn around in surprise to see Light standing there. Light bowed respectfully to the shrine. "Your highness, if you were willing to sentence Rem to death for her selfish actions that led to L being wrongfully punished, I believe it would be reasonable to undo the curse to right the wrongs of a wayward Kami." He joined L on his knees, keeping his head respectfully low. "If you would be gracious enough to do so."

The basket of apples before them disappeared, and the diadem fell off of L's head.

Light gasped as he watched the diadem fall into L's lap as any attachment it had to him disappeared. He and L looked at each other with wide eyes and back to the shrine, waiting for some kind of verbal confirmation of what just happened.

But that confirmation didn't come from the King. It came from Ryuk, who cheered with a shout of, "Thanks, Dad!" as he floated up, urging B to come with him, and B was looking at the shrine anxiously. Light noticed L's brows furrow at B's demeanor. But this wasn't unexpected, given the nature of his creation going against all Kami rules. "One more thing before you enjoy those apples? I discovered I've got a nephew. Little half-human thing, but he's got all the powers. I'm planning to train him so he can control all of this, but since cat spirits usually stay in the human world, that means I'm staying here as long as the kid does. Cool?"

Once again, they were met with only silence, but Ryuk seemed happy enough as he spun around in a circle in delight. "Whoo! Victory is mine!" he pointed at B triumphantly. "That notebook's yours now, little apprentice."

B blinked, looking over at the shrine, indicating he heard whatever interaction Light and L couldn't hear. "So... I can control my eyes?"

Ryuk nodded. "Yeah. You can't exactly turn them off, but it's easy to ignore with practice to the point you basically turn them off." He wrapped his arm around B before ruffling his hair as the brightest grin imaginable spread on B's face. "I've got so much to teach you."

Light was still completely dumbfounded as he looked between Ryuk and the shrine, where he could almost sense the King was no longer paying any kind of attention to them. "What did you mean by Dad?! I thought you said you were just a random spirit!"

"I more meant I'm not a name you'd find in the books," a fluffy tail that Light had never seen before twitched under Ryuk's robes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "But I'm not exactly a nobody." He gestured out towards the edges of the cave. "Are we ready?"

L stood up, but he was still looking down at the diadem with trepidation. Light moved his hand closer to L to place it on his shoulder and get his attention. "L? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," L assured him, but Light could tell that was a lie. "I simply worry this is my last few moments as a human being. It may be an irrational concern, but I cannot help but fear the moment the sun rises, I will transform and never turn back."

Light could have sworn his heart stopped beating. That hadn't even crossed his mind as something that could happen! He looked to Ryuk worriedly, and Ryuk thankfully shook his head.

"Old Man wouldn't do you dirty like that. He's more about efficiency and doing things as fast as possible. If you were gonna spend the rest of your days as a frog, you would be one already."

"I see," L looked out to the far end of the cave, where the sun was beginning to rise. "How is it almost daylight already?"

"Time is different in this area," B mused. "I can tell that much, but I didn't know what that feeling was until now." Ryuk nodded.

"See? You're already getting the hang of it." He gestured for Light and L to follow him. "Come on, see for yourself that he's fine."

Ryuk had no reason to lie about this. He was a trickster, but he valued sincerity from humans, so in a moment like this, Light could not see a reason for him to be lying. This matter was helped by B seemed to have that same confidence Ryuk did that L would be alright. Nevertheless, Light's heart pounded against his ribs as he walked towards the edge of the cave, carrying L on his back in a piggyback ride after they realized he was barefoot in a mountain where he could easily hurt himself.

He could feel L clinging onto his back, and without thinking, Light let go of his ownership of the notebook. He couldn't continue using that thing. Not when this fear took over the one he loved.

It was a good sign that dawn had already come, and L was still himself, but he supposed there was only one way to know that this was not something brought on by how sacred the cave was. He let L down so he could stand just in front of where the sun was poking in. L hesitated as he looked at it. He hadn't seen the sun since his curse was put into place. 

"Go ahead," B urged him, shifting into a cat with more eagerness than before, doing figure-eights between L's legs. "Why not have Light pull you into the sun with a kiss?"

Light flushed, and something about B's jokes made L relax. He sucked in a breath before taking a step into the sunlight in a manner that was not unlike a vampire expecting to burst into flames.

As Ryuk promised, nothing terrible happened when L took that cautious step into the sunlight. He didn't spontaneously combust or turn into a puff of smoke, and there were no frogs to be found. Just L, brilliant L, and he began laughing with nothing but pure delight.

It was the most beautiful sound Light had ever heard.

Without thinking, Light pulled L into his arms and held him close, taking a moment to run his fingers through L's hair without the diadem in the way. "Oh thank the gods..."

L rolled his eyes. "You thought I was done for too, didn't you, Light-Kun?"

"I wasn't thinking it until you started thinking it."

"And neither of you would have been thinking it if you just listened to your divine elders," Ryuk retorted, but if anything, he was amused by the whole thing. Light released his hold on L and placed his hand on his lip while narrowing his eyes at Ryuk.

"In my defense, you make it very hard to remember you are divine or an elder."

Ryuk shrugged. "Yeah, true, by Kami standards I'm about your age," he took a bite of his apple, chewing loudly as he did so. "I could probably sing songs about being part of the human world, and nobody would think anything of it."

B smacked his hand against his forehead. "I should have gotten some kind of contract before getting my soul placed in your care."

"Yeah, well, you didn't ask for one."

B pouted, earning a chuckle from L, who offered a warm smile to his former successor. "If Ryuk can help you get your eyes under control, I take it that means you won't need the bunker anymore."

"I know," B breathed, and he actually managed to look L in the eyes, though doing what he could to not look above his eyes. "It's weird to think about."

L nodded, placing his thumb to his lips as his mind went to work on possible options. "I am in need of some assistance with the boys while I figure out what I am going to do with my share of Wammy's House now that Watari is... out of the picture."

"L, hey," Light grimaced at the reminder, "I'm sorry about that."

"That was Rem," L reminded him before checking what time it was by looking up at the sky. "We should probably return to headquarters, should we not?"

Oh! Light had almost forgotten where they were. They were in the mountains and  very  ill-dressed for it. "We should go." 

And in the blink of an eye, they were home, carried by spirits back to the roof where it was thankfully much warmer. But the novelty of the sun had already worn off, as L grimaced while looking at it. "They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I never realized just how accurate that statement was until now."

Light couldn't help but laugh. "Come to think about it, the curse really didn't change anything about you going outside at all, did it?"

"Before I met you? Not even remotely," L said before sighing fondly. "But I must admit, college is fun if you can avoid getting cursed. As long as you have someone to spend time with." Taking Light's hand, they began to walk inside. "I do hope you know my search for knowledge has by no means stopped. I will be doing a thorough investigation into Ryuk's present for you, especially if you can glow as B has led me to believe."

"He definitely glows," Ryuk confirmed, watching B run ahead to see the boys and let them know he kept his promise to bring L back safe. 

Light just rolled his eyes. "I would expect nothing less from you, L. I'm curious about it too. Which reminds me..." he looked back around towards Ryuk, "I believe I renounced the notebook. My theory was that the magokoro would allow me to keep my memories, but I figured I should ask about that."

Ryuk nodded. "Yeah, your memories are stuck with you now. No getting rid of them. And anyone with the eyes will either see you glowing or not see your lifespan, whichever is more noticeable at the time."

"L!" 

L brightened as he looked down the stairs, hearing the delighted shouts of the kids running up the stairs to see him. Mello was the first to get to L, practically shoving Light out of the way as he threw himself at L. "B broke the curse!"

B helped Light gather himself after he was shoved. "Sorry about that." He looked back to Mello, "Miheal, I may have done the transport, but Light actually helped a lot too." B's eyes widened when he looked down and saw Near holding onto his hand while his other arm was holding onto L. 

Light grinned, nudging B closer. "He's trying to pull you into a group hug."

"I spent two years in a bunker, I didn't grow up on a desert island," B returned, "I know what a group hug is." He looked towards Matt, and it dawned on Light why he was hesitating.

Matt also hesitated, looking between L and Mello for a couple seconds before he put on a bright smile and pulled B in. "Come on, B. Get in here!" 

B yelped as he was aggressively pulled into the group hug by all three boys, while L was crushed between them while sending Light a look of "please help me." Light just offered him an awkward thumbs-up.

Ryuk leaned against the wall, craning his neck to look downstairs and see nobody had arrived at headquarters quite yet. It was still early enough that they were probably getting coffee. "So, before everyone else arrives. What do you plan to do with the diadem? You've still got it?"

He had almost forgotten about the diadem. Light took it out of his messenger bag to examine it. "It's a beautiful piece, but I hope it's not an insult that I don't want to ever see this thing again." What should he do with it? Should he give it to someone?

Light straightened as an idea popped into his head. He knew exactly what to do.

OoOoO

"Misa?" Light knocked on the door with the box in his hands, and L waited patiently behind him as he tried again to get an answer from Misa's apartment. L had wanted to come as soon as the idea came into being, and they decided this was a good idea, but Light had to remind him that their sleep schedules were broken, so they had to be courteous of the internal clocks of others. So it was about 11am by the time they were knocking on Misa's door after taking a power nap to recharge from the insanity of the last two days.

Thankfully, Misa opened the door rather quickly, and Light sighed in relief to see she had recovered from her time in confinement rather nicely. Her radiant smile was genuine as losing her memories of her time as Benzaiten allowed her time to properly grieve. "Oh, hey, Light!" She chirped, leaning forward as she noticed the box. "What's that?"

"Oh," Light offered out the box for her to take. "It's for you. We found it in headquarters. Turns out we missed something when we had been picking up your mail for you." Maybe it wasn't the best excuse, but it was true that Matsuda had been picking up her packages for her to make sure they didn't get stolen. Benzaiten or not, package theft was extremely annoying.

Ryuk had confirmed the diadem would not bring Misa's memories back, so there were no concerns as she opened the box and her eyes widened to see the diadem carefully packaged. "Oh, wow! It's beautiful!" She examined the diadem, holding it carefully in her hands. "I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen this before."

"It is a remarkable piece," L mused. "I believe you are the right person to have it."

Misa beamed, putting on the amethyst diadem that certainly suited her far more than it did L. She pulled both of them into an embrace, "Thank you, guys," she took a step back and gestured for them to come inside. "Do you want to come in?"

"Oh, no thank you, Misa-San," L said. "Thank you for the offer, but I have somewhere I need to be."

"Okay then," Misa said, waving goodbye as the two of them walked away. "Have fun!"

Light waved back, waiting until they were out of her earshot before looking over to L. "Where do you need to be?"

"A coffee shop down the way," L explained. "I believe I was promised we would go out for coffee once this was all over, and given our lack of sufficient sleep in recent memory, now feels like the appropriate time." He offered out his hand for Light to take. "Shall we?"

Light looked down at L's extended hand, then back up at the man himself. Who knew picking up a weird notebook could have led to meeting someone like L... there was mystery, magic, passion, more excitement than he thought possible... it was more than he could have ever hoped for.

He took L's hand. "Lead the way."