Work Text:
L: Change the WorLd
Alternate Ending/Continuation
Celia Launcel
L 00-1
Maki was released from the hospital shortly after she recovered from the virus and all of its associated symptoms had vanished. Professor Takahashi and his wife, Hitomi, had set up a room for her at their home and had begun working on the legalities of adopting her since she first regained consciousness. Everything had gone back to normal and the unrest in the cities died down.
“I still don’t understand why you have to die,” Maki sighed, picking up a plate with a crepe dripping with chocolate sauce from the table in front of her. “You’re a strange man, Ryuzaki,” she said, her mouth full as she ate the crepe and her face bearing a serious expression. As serious as a kid with her mouth splattered in chocolate can appear.
The Kira Investigation headquarters was almost completely empty except for the main research room. In front of L and Maki was an array of pastries, candies, and other such sweets layed on the table beneath the tens of screens that littered the room.
L took a lollipop out of his mouth and bit his thumb in its stead. He rubbed his feet together in deep thought. “The battle is over. I lost. I had just one last job to do and others are ready to take my place. I suppose I wanted a fitting end for myself, even if few people will know of it.”
His black eyes, tired yet unblinking, stared ahead at the blank screens. “How is the crepe?”
“Better than last time. Though you could’ve added more chocolate sauce.”
“Don’t start learning from me, Maki. Professor Takahashi doesn’t appear to be too fond of chocolate.”
“That’s because you put it on fried pork.”
L shrugged. “It’s his loss.”
For about thirty minutes, the two of them indulged themselves in the sweets in front of them. Only the ticking of the clock served as a reminder that time was running short.
There was a computer in front of L. He tapped a key and leaned his slouched figure forward. “Near, didn’t you say you had something to tell Maki? Please do it before she leaves. The girl has a curfew and I’d rather spend my final moments without being scolded by the Professor.”
The little girl looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “Near? You mean that successor kid?”
“The very same.”
A cloister black “N” appeared on the screen and a distorted voice came through. “Right. My apologies, L. Maki Nikaido, you’re listening, correct?”
“Correct,” she nodded.
“Seeing as I’ll be taking over L’s position soon and nearly the entirety of the SPK has been taken out by Kira, and disbanded shortly after his death, I was looking at possible options to rebuild my team. Consider it another task force of sorts. Do you wish to join me?”
Maki stared at the computer screen for a while, and then at L. She took a bite off of a chocolate bar she held in her hand with a snap and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing.
“Ms. Nikaido?” the voice came through the speaker.
L nudged Maki’s shoulder and nodded his head towards the computer.
She appeared to snap back into reality and faced the screen as if she was talking to someone in person. “You want me to work under you?”
“In a certain fashion. I’ll need many connections if I want to match L’s level of proficiency. That includes connections in the medical field. Direct assistance is also an option and preferable, in fact. Your records suggest you also have an interest in pursuing a job like your father’s. Wammy’s house could provide you with the necessary schooling and training to perform outstandingly in a short time. We’d save many lives such as L has done in the past. And…given L’s description of you, you remind me of someone who was of valuable use to me in the past.”
“How does that sound, Maki?” L asked.
“Well, it’s not what I expected. You think I can actually do this?" She pointed at the screen.
“You are done with your education as far as the eighth grade. If Wammy’s house got involved, you’d be a college graduate in a matter of months.”
Maki pondered on the opportunity. Yes, her time with L had been exciting, and helping to solve crimes with the world’s top detective was a tempting offer, but she was just a kid. Orphaned by tragedy, having just barely cheated death, and recently having found a new family; could she risk giving that up? She spoke up after a few seconds. “Could I have some more time to think about it and consult with Professor Takahashi?”
“Certainly. How about a week before I get your answer? Does that seem appropriate?” Near asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
Near gave his goodbyes and the screen flickered off.
“Well, won’t you look at the time?” L plopped a Chupa Chup into his mouth. “Professor Takahashi will get nervous if you aren’t home. And I don’t want you to be here when I leave. Here.” From underneath his desk, L pulled out a small cardboard box with a red bow tied around it. “The bow was Sugita’s idea. Don’t open it until tomorrow, all right?”
Maki took the box in her hands and looked up at him, understanding this gesture to be a parting gift. Though to her it seemed strange that he'd be the one to give her something rather than the other way around.
Then again, he is strange.
“Thank you. For everything, Ryuzaki. You protected me until the end.” She took a few of the candies from the table and stuffed them into her dress’ pockets, taking more chocolate bars than any other kind of candy. She sat up from the chair and hugged L, forcing him to straighten up his posture to hug her back and to avoid toppling himself over in his chair.
She began to exit the room in silence before he spoke to her again.
“L Lawliet,” he stated simply, his figure still in focus on the screens in front of him as Maki turned her head back. “That is my real name. I found that hiding the truth in plain sight was an easy way to avoid having my identity discovered. I was and am L. Please, ensure that secret is kept. And have a good night, Maki. The stars are quite beautiful tonight.”
Maki looked at the man she knew as Ryuzaki. A few short seconds later, she found herself looking at the same person, this time as L. Not only a title, not one in a myriad of aliases that the man who sat with his knees to his chest in front of her used to remain anonymous, but a name given to a lost boy.
“Good night, L,” she said, smiling at him one final time as she left the building.
At 11:00 p. m., Lawliet died of a heart attack.
L 00-2
Near crouched down on the floor to pick up the stacks of dice he had knocked over earlier to reassemble them into a tower, his white hair spiraling onto the ground. It had grown long since he last had contact with L, but he refused to cut it. Around thirty screens attached onto the walls of his office room flickered with grotesque images of dead bodies, their chests violently punctured where the heart would be located.
“Is Kira back? Ah, man I thought we’d be done with that stuff after Light’s death!” Detective Matsuda complained. “And let me guess, given the time of deaths of all the victims he’s also a highschool student… Hey, hey! Are you even listening to me?”
“I am,” Near replied. “And no, Kira hasn’t returned. The culprit seems to be a mere fanatic of his work. Though most times of death do align with Kira’s earliest killings, a significant amount of them take place during the late evening. Thus, indicating a culprit of older age. And the dates of the crimes are staggered as well. If this was another Kira there’d be a lot more deaths more frequently. Heart attacks would be the cause of deaths as well, not stabbing, Mr. Matsuda.”
Matsuda stared blankly at Near. “You haven’t changed one bit since Kira’s defeat.”
“Focus, will you?” Detective Sugita groaned, rubbing the stubble on his chin as he checked over some files. “Hey, Maki, how about we visit Dr. Kujo and let Near take care of this case on his own?”
Maki, who sat beside Sugita at her own desk, rolled her eyes. “What did I say about boundaries? Seriously, I’m surprised she hasn’t broken through the glass panes to kick you at this point. Creep.”
Maki, Sugita, and Matsuda’s phones rang, and they checked them simultaneously.
“It’s another death like the serial killings. Stabbed through the heart. In Osaka,” Maki said, her face suddenly filled with worry. “The killer left a note. Apparently he thought he’d stabbed Misa Amane. He says he's sorry he killed an innocent person.”
“He wanted to kill Misa-Misa?!” Matsuda panicked. “We’re on the case, then! Everyone in my car before the killer can cause any more harm!” He left the room in a hurry.
Sugita crossed his arms and sighed. “Near, any thoughts?”
“Matsuda will need your help if he doesn’t want to die out there. Go ahead and check the crime scene if you so please. Maki, I’ll want an autopsy made specifically by you, if you would be so kind. Determining the time of death and finding other possible injuries is essential to the case.” Near spoke without facing them, almost done building his tower of dice.
“Certainly,” Maki responded.
Matsuda burst back into the room, frowning, and dragged both Maki and Sugita off with him. He knocked several items off their desks on his way out.
“You two take too long! Misa-Misa is in massive danger! Do you not realize how important…”
Near could hear Matsuda’s distant yells towards his colleagues as he placed the final dice atop the tower. In the corner of his eye, he saw a baseball rolling towards him. Before it could reach his tower, he picked it up and looked at its surface.
A small smile came upon his face as he set the ball back in Maki’s desk, reading the message inscribed upon it:
Good morning, Maki. How are you?
I hope your day goes well.
-Ryuzaki