A/N: Look, another one.
Disclaimer: Look, another-oh. Um…not mine. There. I confessed.
BTW, if I miss something someone says, I will actually say 'begging your pardon?' Why? Because I'm a freak, but I doubt that bothers any of you people. I love Break Me Shake Me by Savage Garden. I remember first loving it when I heard it on a DracoxHarry vid…I want my internet:Sob:: Anyway, not mine.
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Selling Your Soul
I never thought I'd change my opinion again
But you move me in a way that I've never known
You move me in a way that I've never known
Strait away you just moved into position again
You confuse me in a way that I've never known
So you're the kind who deals with the games of the mind
You confuse me in a way that I've never known
You confuse me in a way that I've never known
But then I accused you in a way that I've never known
But you hurt me in a way that I've never known
Light was staring at the back of his hands as he typed, not four feet away from the greatest mind in the world, excluding his own.
A human who uses the Death Note can go to neither Heaven nor Hell.
Where did they go then? Reincarnation? Purgatory? Were they just gone? Light thought it might not be pleasant, but if it wasn't Hell…
"Never make a deal with the devil. He'll always trick you."
Light blinked, glancing up. "Begging your pardon?" He replied blankly.
L swiveled in his chair to get a clear sight of Light. "Never make a deal with the devil. He'll always trick you."
How was he supposed to answer to that? "Of course he will. He's the devil. You can't count on him to be honest with you."
L was staring up, expression mildly curious. "Would you say there's a price to pay for everything?"
"…yes…"
"What do you think Kira had to pay to gain this power of killing people without coming in any contact with them?"
Light kept his gaze firmly on the space just over L's shoulder. "His soul, perhaps?"
L smiled that quirky, annoyingly innocent smile of his. "Up two percent."
Light jumped a foot in the chair, startled. "What?!" His voice cracked.
"You just confirmed that Kira had to buy this power and not that he had been born with it. How would you know?" If Light wasn't shocked beyond belief at L's audacity, he might have noticed the mischievous gleam in the detective's black eyes.
As it was, he didn't notice it. "You were the one who spoke as if he had to buy the power; I was only answering within the limits of the question-what?"
"I was only kidding, Light-kun." There was laughter behind the words. "Relax."
Light scowled. "Relax? Relax? That's rich, coming from you." he snapped, feeling like an idiot for not realizing it was a joke. And damn him for bringing up what Light had been thinking of. "Besides, if Kira was born with it, then why would he only start killing now?"
"Maybe he only just got a handling on it?" L replied thoughtfully. "Or maybe he just got enough courage to try it out?"
"Or," Light added, caught up in thought, "something could have happened to him, and that incident urged him to start killing criminals."
"Like what?" L asked, resting his hands on his knees in an eager fashion.
"A criminal killed or injured his family? Or he could have been attacked."
"True, but would it be enough to drive someone to start recklessly killing off others? Would they feel justified?"
"Yes," Light replied immediately, then back peddled. "If someone you loved was hurt because of a convict, wouldn't you feel justified? An eye for an eye and all that?"
L opened his mouth, probably on reflex, then stopped. "…I don't know. I don't think I have anyone I really care for, other than you."
Light blinked again, taken aback. "Oh, um." was all he managed. "I mean…well, would you?" the last bit came out rather quiet.
L was silent for a long, long, long time. So long, in fact, that Light suspected he had fallen asleep with his eyes open (which he probably did a lot). "Don't strain your brilliant brain trying to figure it out." Light remarked in a rare show of sarcasm, causing L to smile.
"I was thinking…but about the eye for an eye thing…" he continued, apparently dropping the other question. "Let's say, hypothetically, that Kira's family is killed by a convict. Now, let's say he kills this convict in revenge. I might understand that, but what about the other criminals? They didn't hurt that man's family; why should he kill them?"
Light was off, setting up a debate before he even thought it through. "Even if they didn't hurt his family, they all hurt someone else. It's not that I agree with him on his methods, but people get tired of hearing rapists and serial killers getting minimal sentences as often as they do. That's why many think of Kira as a hero rather than a problem."
"But what about the innocent people he killed? What about criminals who were wrongly accused or framed?" L countered.
"They were going to be punished anyway. And once I heard it was better to let an innocent man die than let a guilty one go."
Although L's expression didn't change, his eyes suddenly seemed accusing. "Is that what you think?" and before he could add that Light's percentage had gone up, Light responded.
"I said 'I heard' not 'I think'. How many criminals and what types has he killed so far? Do you know?" Curiosity emerged.
L whirled to the computer, and Light stood up and crossed to stare over L's shoulder.
"He has killed one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one people (that we know of)," L said. "Twenty-two were innocent people. Five hundred and nineteen of those were people who stole money in some way. Six hundred and twenty-eight were people that were car jackers, gang members, kidnappers, a few kingpins, big time burglars who stole objects of value, and people involved in the black market. Two hundred and two were convicted of manslaughter, two hundred and nine were murderers or serial killers, and two hundred and fifty-five were rapists, and one hundred and sixty-five were pedophiles."
I did all that? "And," Light said, masking his pride, "wouldn't you say the world is a better place without those people? Except for the innocent twenty-two?" Small price to pay.
"You sound like Kira."
"According to you, I always sound like Kira." Light replied, inwardly cringing. Shit shit shit! "It's not that I agree, but it's rather difficult to miss the most severs cases, such as the serial killers, murderers, and pedophiles, isn't it?"
"True, but they would have been punished eventually-"
"Unless they were bailed out of it by lawyers." Light pulled on a pained expression, hiding his foolishly obvious ideals. "Or they were in hiding, and the police hadn't found them yet."
"True," L nodded slowly. "I seem to recall a representative saying that it wasn't a problem if people were dropping dead as long as they were criminals."
"And I'm sure someone argued with him?" Light asked.
"They said it was an 'irresponsible' opinion." L muttered absently, thinking on Light's words. They did have a point, but still… "it's not right…"
"No, it isn't, but not everyone will think that." Light sighed. But most will.
"We completely strayed from the original topic." L pointed out.
"You're right, we did." Light said easily. "Assuming he acquired the power through some sacrifice, what do you think it would be?"
"Perhaps he would be destined to go to Hell?" L stood, pulling Light along with him to the kitchen.
"Or maybe," Light continued casually, "he couldn't go to Hell or Heaven."
L glanced over his shoulder. "But then what would happen? Would he be stuck in Limbo forever? Or would Kira just be gone?"
Of course L would reach the same conclusion as he had.
Light shrugged. "If that's the case, we'll have to ask Kira when we catch him."
L was silent, rummaging around for candy (at least, that's what Light guessed) when he spoke, voice almost in a wondering tone. "You know, I prayed for Kira."
Light was so surprised, he merely stared at the back of L's head. "W-why?" Brilliant. "I mean, I thought you were an atheist."
"I am. It was just that once."
"What for?"
L turned, straitening, and Light found himself gently crushed in the other's arms, smothered in the white material at L's neck. He was shocked, so much so that it didn't even register that he should pull away.
"Because if Light-kun is Kira, I didn't want him to go to be punished. You are my only friend."
Light felt an unusual sting of regret. "I see," he muttered, and for the first time in a long time, he realized exactly what he'd done. "Well," he continued after a moment, locking arms around L's waist a little nervously. "It's a good think I'm not Kira, isn't it?"
"Yes," L agreed. "A good thing."
And as L turned back to the sweet finding mission, Light found his thoughts drifting traitorously to things like forgiveness and confession and repenting.
This led to him subsequently glaring at L for ever bringing the thoughts to his mind.
Because he was not giving up.
He was not.
He wasn't…
His steadfast conviction wavered when L offered him a strawberry from his cake.
Goddammit.
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A/N: This was supposedto be a dark oneshot. DARK! What the hell happened?!?! Am I incapable of writing any angst whatsoever?!…well, obviously yes. And the ending was bordering on crackyness. Oh well. Review or die trying!