Disclaimer: The Maiden of Autumn owns nothing.

Holy Kira, Batman… didn't really expect people to respond to the fact that this was going on a short hiatus the way they did. I felt kinda pleased in a sadistic way, though, because the fact that people were upset about it being put on hold let me know that people actually do care about and like this story. Tickled me straight to the depths of my twisted, shriveled little heart.

But nevertheless, I keep my promises, and here it is, March 30th, and I'm back with the update. Now, let's forget that little lapse in my writing concentration and continue with the story, yeah?

"B. What are you planning?"

Beyond ignored Watari, his eyes flicking over the papers scattered all over the table. He didn't want his concentration ruined, his train of thought derailed, because God knew in the sorry state he was in now, with his failure to free L, it was so hard to stay on focus.

KillKirayes Kill him Becauseheneeds to diefor Taking L and Goddamnit, Beyond focus L needs you focusfocusfocus!

His thoughts struggled to stay ordered, often drifting off to fantasies of killing Kira before he could jerk them back to line. Even more often than not, he imagined-no, it wasn't imagining because L was really here, everything had went perfectly- NO IT HADN'T GODDAMNIT BEYOND BIRTHDAY GET YOUR FUCKING MIND BACK ON TRACK AND KEEP IT FUCKING THERE!- L was beside him, working with him. Though in the small bit of Beyond's mind that was still rational, he knew L wasn't there, was still in Kira's clutches with God know what being done to him.

"Yes, B," Mello said mockingly from the other side of the table, interrupting Beyond's thoughts and shooting a hate-filled glare at Beyond through tear-reddened eyes. "Do share your plan."

"You will shut your mouth, Mihael Keehl," Beyond said coldly, never looking up once from his papers -because I don't know what I'd do to the blonde fucker if I let myself go over there maybe carve his blue eyes out-no, no, no, L wouldn't like that, would he?- "or I shall do it for you-permanently, this time. I've no time for your remarks, and I'm not in the mood for them, either."

Wisely, hearing the barely-restrained anger in Beyond's baritone voice and the tension that threatened to make L's twin snap, Mello fell silent. However, refusing to simply take it lying down, he settled for keeping his glare upon Beyond.

Beyond ignored it, though, and silence pervaded the room as he looked through file over file, his emotionless eyes flitting over paper after paper, muttering to himself as he sorted through them, tossing some off to the side while laying others in neat piles.

He had a plan-at least I think I've got a plan will it work maybe not it should it had better because I know I'm going fucking nuts, bonkers, psycho and everyone can see it but I'm holding myself together for L always for L and you should be proud of me Lawli for holding myself together for so long- and he just hoped that he could pull it off.

L had been their mastermind, their plan-maker. He was the one who crafted such beautifully intricate plans, pulling the strings like a puppetmaster to make Kira and everyone else dance to their tune. Beyond was simply the one who carried out L's orders, because he had neither the patience nor inclination to make these plans, but God, did he love to see them coming together when all went well.

But watching them crash and burn wasn't so fun- no, it was painful, because L had crashed and burned, his flaming body skidding right into Kira's hands and instead of dousing L in water like he needed, Kira was only throwing gasoline on L and God how he HATED THAT BASTARD KIRA!

Finally, he tossed the last file off to the side carelessly. Watari discreetly picked them all up and disappeared to sort them- not that Beyond cared, because he had more important things to do- and picked up the neat stack. He shuffled them into a neater pile, then dropped them on the table, the loud thump gaining the attention of all those whose minds had wandered.

"…We failed to free L." Beyond hated the way the words fell from his mouth. They tasted bitter and acidic, leaving a sour taste in his mouth long after they had been said, hovering in the silence of the room.

"No shit, Sherlock," Matt muttered, a weary look on his haggard face. He had put away his Gameboy, though, giving Beyond his undivided attention and indicating that he was intent on getting serious as well.

L's absence had revealed how truly divided and scattered they were without his guidance, and it was glaringly obvious they needed him back before something happened. Like Mello and Beyond stabbing or otherwise murdering each other.

No, that wouldn't be good. L would be sad, and I can't have him sad when he comes home, can I?

"But it was through no one's fault," Beyond continued, staring down each member, trying to reassure them even as he dared them to refute his words, lie the blame on someone-him.

"Kira used a digital lock and was using his own private security cameras. There was no way that Matt could have cut the power to them, because the power box for them is located in his personal room. There was no way to free L without compromising the location of the base or the lives of everyone here."

There was a bit of shifting as Beyond's words were taken in, digested, and then acknowledged.

"Alright," Mello said, leaning back. "So you sacrificed L to save all of us. Very fucking noble," he said sarcastically, clapping his hands a few times. "But that doesn't change the fact that this whole fucking thing failed and we still don't have L. We don't have a plan, because he didn't leave another one in case the one he came up with failed. So what now?"

Beyond stared hard at Mello for a moment, before dropping his eyes down to the table, resting on the files. "You're partly right," he said quietly. "L didn't leave us another plan. But that doesn't mean that we can't come up with one on our own," he finished, looking up, his tone fervent and intense.

"Us?" Mello snorted disbelievingly. "Yeah, we could, but L was the one in charge of all the plannings. He was the only one who knew all of the contacts that we needed to get ahold of stuff, and the only one who could come up with a plan that would actually work."

"I have his contacts," Beyond said quietly. "And I have a plan. L's not the only one who can make them up here."

"You?" Mello scoffed, folding his arms. "I doubt anything your fucked-up, crazy mind could come up with would actually work."

"Do you have anything else?" Beyond challenged, slamming his hands down flat on the table. "I have an idea to get L back, and it's a damn sight better than what you have-which is nothing," Beyond snarled.

"So enlighten us," Mello shot back, standing up and spreading his arms wide. "Tell us this marvelous plan that will get us L."

Beyond's eyes narrowed in loathing, before he barked out, "Near."

At his words, the white- haired youth stood up and grabbed a bag that had been lying at his feet, handing it off to Beyond.

"What are you doing?" Matsuda suddenly asked as they watched Beyond tip the bag over, wooden blocks spilling onto the table. Beyond said nothing, but silently and intently began to build a pyramid out of the blocks, lining each one up perfectly as Near went and sat back down, pulling up his leg and hugging his knee to his chest.

"Be patient," Near murmured, shooting a glance over to Mello, who looked utterly irritated at the proceedings. "He does have a plan."

"What, playing with blocks like a child?" Mello sneered contemptuously.

Near snapped his head around, narrowing his dark eyes at Mello in annoyance. "I play with those blocks as well, Mello. Are you calling me a child?"

Mello blinked and then quailed slightly under Near's withering look, falling silent.

A few seconds later, Beyond dropped the black bag to the ground, the thump that sounded as it landed drawing everyone's attention back to him. "This," Beyond said without preamble, gesturing to the pyramid, "is Kira's world."

There was silence for a moment, everyone looking at the pyramid as if it held some sort of great scheme or the answer to their problems, before Matt spoke up. "Okay…" Matt said, leaning forwards, tired eyes gazing at the pyramid speculatively. "I feel like you're going somewhere with this shit, like using it as a model or something, but I'm not seeing it."

Beyond ignored Matt and rested a hand gently upon the top of the pyramid, tapping a pale, spindly finger upon the very top block. "And this… this is Kira himself," Beyond said, his red eyes wide and slightly unseeing as he gazed at the pyramid.

Those in the room had a sense, a feeling that Beyond was not fully seeing them, but was instead seeing his own plan in his mind. It was the same look that L got sometimes when he had an idea and was running over it in his mind. "Kira rules at the top of his world. He is at the very top- the finishing touch to his world. He is the centerpiece of the pyramid- the pyramid is incomplete without him. But…" Beyond continued, a dark smirk twisting his red lips into an unpleasant sneer, "he is nothing without his support."

Beyond's hand trailed gently down to the very base of the pyramid, poking at one of the blocks. His action made one of the bottom blocks slide the smallest bit out of place, making the whole construction wobble before steadying itself once more.

Beyond's eyes came up to sweep across the room, and the smallest dawning of understanding went through the room.

"Damn," Mello breathed, blue eyes wide. "I think… I might be getting it. Take away the support for Kira…"

"Shh," Beyond grinned, a dark, coy smile flitting across his lips, raising his free hand to press a pale finger over red lips. "Be quiet, and listen." Mello fell silent, obeying for once, transfixed at the new revelation of what Beyond was planning.

He returned to his pyramid construction and tapped the top once more, making the Kira-block tremble. "We make the support for Kira waver, and Kira himself will tremble, for Kira's world is built upon a pyramid, and Kira is nothing without his backers." With a short bark of a laugh, Beyond yanked away a few of the very bottom blocks, and with a rattle and crash, the whole pyramid came tumbling down, collapsing into a mess of scattered wooden blocks.

"We take away Kira's support entirely," Beyond whispered, red eyes glinting, "and Kira will fall. I have a plan," Beyond continued, reaching down and picking through the blocks almost delicately, setting aside one after another in his quest to find the one he was looking for, "to make Kira's world crumble around him, until he has no other choice but to release L upon our demand."

Finally finding the bock he wanted-the pristine, Kira-block, Beyond held it up, examining it with an unhealthy thoroughness. "We make this work," Beyond whispered, so quietly that the others in the room had to strain to hear him, "and Kira will crumble."

"And how are we going to do that?" Wedy asked, suddenly speaking up. "There's only so much influence we hold. Not everyone's going to dance to your whims, no matter how much we wish they would. People are too scared to openly speak against Kira, because even though Kira won't kill them, his mass of supporters will"

"That," Beyond breathed, still looking over the block, "is what those are for," he pointed behind him, at the stack of files arranged into an orderly pile. "In those files are the names and reports of each person who is a staunch Kira supporter and supplies him with resources or criminals- the heads of police, FBI, government positions, companies, everyone who Kira is subconsciously reliant upon." A small grin grew upon Beyond's face as he tossed the block over his shoulder, a small crack appearing in the wood as it hit the hard floor, marring the pristine surface.

"Unfortunately for Kira, they are also secret L-supporters, with enough money and resources to protect themselves from any Kira-supporters wanting to harm them," Beyond chuckled darkly.

"I get what you're saying, B, and fuck me, but it's brilliant and could actually work- however I much I hate admitting it," Mello said, "but why don't you make it clear and tell us what's going through your twisted, muddled little mind?"

"I'm going to pull Kira's world out from under his feet and make sure he has no chance of getting back up," Beyond hissed, his eyes open wide, as wide as they could get, his voice sharp and intense. "As L, I'll convince our secret supporters to withdraw support for Kira publicly. At the same time, I'll air a message worldwide, telling those who still support L and long for the old world to stand up and take action." He slammed a fist upon the table, leaning over it, panting from an onslaught of emotion that was overtaking him.

"It's time to come out of the shadows- we need to take action, or L is going to be locked up and out of our reach forever," Beyond continued, an angered tremble making his voice waver. "I hold faith that L can hold out against Kira, but there's always the slightest possibility that something will happen that will force him to give up information that will put us at risk. We can't hide anymore, because the shadows are no longer safe."

Beyond closed his eyes, shoulders shaking as he hissed, "Kira has chased and hounded us for years; I say it's time for us to return the favor. We will take a much more open stand against Kira now- we will deface his property, denounce his name, and rebel against him in any way possible. An open war, if you will."

And then, Beyond paused, before slowly opening his eyes, a deep rage burning in the bloodied depths, and a feral smile twisting his lips and raising them to expose gleaming teeth. "It will be Kira vs. L, and it will be a battle that the world will remember forever."

Everything was ruined. Fucking ruined, all because of L.

Clenching his fists, Light tried to get a handle on his temper before he did something he sincerely regretted- like choking the life out of L or wringing his pale neck and twisting it around so that it snapped off.

So very tempting. Because the little shit had just ruined every single one of the plans he had so very carefully laid.

Whirling away from the hole that Crimson had disappeared to, Kira was faced with a smirking L. The pleased, triumphant smile upon L's face only served to infuriate him more, and he clenched his fists as he approached the chained man, his face darkening.

"You," Light spat, unable to say anything more, having to pause to collect his voice and turn it calmer. He knew that his carefully crafted ideas of trying to win L over were going downhill, but at this point, so angry and enraged, he couldn't care less.

There were other ways of getting information out of L, after all.

"Yes," L agreed, chuckling with dark mirth. "Me."

"Why…?!" Light whispered maliciously. "Why would you do something like that?! You idiot!" Light voice rose steadily until he was almost shrieking the last word, hands shaking in rage as he held himself back, forced himself not to punch the smirking face in front of him.

"Is it not obvious, Kira? I did it to protect my brother. Love forces us to do crazy things; and my brother is the most precious thing to me," L said calmly, as it were the most simple thing in the world. And it was, really. By helping Crimson to escape, with that one simple action, he had practically doomed all of his plans to quell L's rebellion and obtain the Eyes.

"And the world I've so carefully crafted is the most precious thing to me!" Light yelled, his voice reverberating throughout the small cell. He had sacrificed so much for it, gone through so much… and with L allowing Crimson to escape, to continue the rebellion, he had threatened its very foundations. Luckily, it would not crumble because of this, but still…

L simply continued to stare at him, eyes calm and a small smirk flirting at the edges of his lips- he looked so smug, as if with the small action of allowing Crimson to escape, he had thwarted Light for good.

Stupid little criminal. Light was not so idiotic as to hinge everything on one plan. He had backup plans ready to be set into motion in case something happened, something like this. He had wanted to capture Crimson peacefully and control both L and the man with the Eyes without resorting to other means, but L had forced his hand.

Torture was not something he wanted to resort to, but if he had to, he would. He needed to bring these rebels under control before they sent his perfectly crafted world crumbling, and to do that, he needed their leader. He needed Crimson, and in order to get him, he needed leverage to force him to give up now that any chances of a capture had been eliminated.

He would be twice as wary now, fearful of any trap Light thought to set, and so this forced him to go to his backup plan. He needed Crimson's name to threaten him into compliance- blackmail was distasteful, but killing was much worse, and he had already done so for the sake of his world. If it was for his crime-free world, a small thing like blackmail could be excused.

Yes; he would blackmail Crimson into giving himself up, and then everything could proceed smoothly as he had wanted it to from there. There had been a small hitch in his plans for a moment, but Light was nothing if not clever and adaptable.

The only problem that was still remaining was getting L's name, and knowing how stubborn the criminal was, that would prove to be somewhat challenging.

If he had to resort to it… he would tear the name from L's throat, force him to tell. But he'd give L a chance, first. He did not relish the thought of having to stoop to bodily harming L if he could simply persuade him to give up his brother's name in order to save him.

Forcing himself to calm down now that his thoughts had been reordered and course of action decided upon, Light raised his eyes to meet L's calm, if not wary, ones. "L," Light said, quieter this time, though he couldn't fully dismiss all of the anger that bubbled within him upon staring at L, replaying what he had done in his mind. "I need his name. I don't like to resort to petty threats, but I will be forced to take alternative measures if you don't tell me your brother's name."

"Are you threating to harm me if I do not?" L asked softly, eyes narrowing a fraction, a flicker of uncertainty flashing momentarily through them.

He detested having to resort to this, hated seeing the way L's face went just a tad whiter upon hearing his threat, but he had told himself that he would do this if need be. And it was needed. There was no room for regrets, not when it came to helping keep the world he had so carefully crafted upright and out of L's grasping hands. And he needed to bring Crimson- the new L- down if he wanted to remain in control. "If you want to put it that way, yes," Light said, locking eyes with L and allowing him to see that he was deadly serious about this. "I won't allow your stubbornness to get in the way of something that will be beneficial to the world I've so carefully built up. I've been lenient with you thus far, L. But your persistent bull-headedness has caused me nothing but problems, and that needs to come to an end."

"You call this lenient?" L scoffed, no doubt trying to distract him.

"I could have done worse, L," Light said. "I could have simply let Mikami kill you or otherwise do you harm. I could have resorted to physical harm right away to get what I needed, instead of trying more peaceful ways to get it. I should like to think that I've been somewhat kind to you, when with all the trouble you've caused me, I had any and all rights to do so much worse."

"You have no rights to do anything whatsoever to me, Kira," L hissed, face tightening in anger. "You had no right to interfere with the world as you have, either. You had and still have no right to kill those that you've perceived as having done wrong."

"And...I cannot tell you his name, Kira," L continued, bowing his head and looking at the ground.

"Damn it, L! Tell me his name!" Light yelled, losing his composure entirely. Everything was going downhill, his perfect plans slipping and sliding through his fingers like grains of sand, with L's denial to tell him Crimson's real name, and there was nothing he could do but desperately clutch at them, trying to frantically repair what had been done by L's simple act.

Couldn't L tell that he was desperate not to have to resort to pain to obtain Crimson's true name?! He didn't want to have to harm L, damnit!

"I. Cannot." L spat, glaring up venomously through his long, inky bangs, black eyes snapping with anger. "Doing so would betray his trust. Tell me Kira, have you ever had someone you loved with all of your heart? Have you ever felt the pain, have you ever felt how goddamn much it hurts to hurt those you love? I highly doubt it, Kira," L hissed. "Or should I say, Killer? For that is what your name is in my language- not God, nor any sort of deity. Just. Killer."

"You go too far, L" Kira warned darkly, stepping closer to L, towering over him menacingly. "Tell me his name, and I will spare him. This is me offering mercy, L- would a killer do that?"

"You would not spare him," L argued defiantly- he knew Kira, and he would not spare Beyond if he knew his brother's bloody history. If not for Beyond's connection to him, in fact, L would no doubt have pursued and prosecuted Beyond himself. "Your high-standing morals would not allow you to let him live once you learned who he really was. And mercy? Hah," L scoffed scornfully. "Chaining me up like a common beast inside a cell is not what I'd call mercy, Killer."

"You are a criminal, L. I let you live," Light said quietly. Though there was a hardened, steel-like tone to his voice, making it threatening and deadly. "I can kill you, though, if that's what you prefer. I could write your name down right now, and you'd be dead in forty seconds."

"Then why not do it?!" L cried, raising his head and glaring at Kira, anger sparking in his obsidian eyes. He was tired of straddling the line, wondering if Kira would kill him or not- the information he possessed was valuable, yes, but Kira seemed to be subject to dark fits of rage that sometimes controlled him and led him to make rash, hasty decisions. "Stop threatening, goddamn it, and just fucking do it! Either let me go or kill me, for I'm tired of being chained up and imprisoned!"

"No, L," Light said, shaking his head, regarding L coldly. "You will not be freed, not after what you've done, and because of the information you hold. But I promise not to kill that man if you give me his name," Light promised, though it made him grit his teeth to do so. "And you… you will not be killed, either. Give me his name, and you will live-"

"For now," L countered. "But how long am I going to live? Until you get tired of me, or until you've pumped me for all the information I'm good for? Besides, if you knew all that he'd done, you would kill him without a second thought, even if it meant breaking your promise. You would not spare him!" L yelled, a slight flush spreading over pale cheekbones as he got worked up, obsidian eyes blazing with anger.

"I told you I would spare him- I'm not one to go back on my promises so easily," Light said and their positions were reversed, now. L was the one angry, while Light stood back and watched calmly.

"You lie," L hissed bluntly. "You say that you only judge those who are criminals, yet you've killed those who are not."

"That was in the beginning, while I was trying to get where I am today. Yes, I killed a few innocent people, but sacrifices sometimes have to be made for the greater good."

"No. I'm not talking about when you first came into the persona of Kira. I'm talking about recently. You do kill innocents even today, Kira."

"Now who's lying?" Light sneered. "I don't-"

"Kokori Otouhara."

The single name that fell from L's lips stopped him short, cutting him off. Taken aback, he simply stared at L, confusion momentarily passing through him. "What?"

"Male, aged 35," L stated quietly. "Killed by Kira for robbing a convenience store."

This new change of events set Light's mind to racing, trying to figure what L was about. He didn't remember a man by that name; but then again, he had judged so many with the Death Note that it would be impossible to remember every single one. "What are you-"

"You probably don't remember him very well, if at all," L continued, as if Light had not spoken. "He had 5 children and a wife. His wife was unemployed, as was he, and his children were starving. The only reason he robbed the store was to gain money so he could buy food so his children would not starve to death."

"I don't know where you're going with this, but-"

L continued speaking, his eyes rising to meet Light's in a hard glare. "Jacqueline Romero. Female, aged 17. Killed the father that was raping her every night, and in turn, was killed by Kira."

"That was-"

"Nathaniel Jacobson. Male, aged 39. Big-time gang member. Killed and tortured 13 people before he was apprehended, but the only reason he did it was so that the people he got mixed up with didn't do the same to him and his family. He protected them, before the guilt got too great and he allowed the police to catch him and put him away."

"You need to-"

"These were all people that Kira killed. These were all people who had to commit crimes to save themselves or their families. Would you say that they were evil? Would you stand idly by if your father raped you every night? Would you simply leave your children or starve, or take a chance to feed them, even if it meant committing a robbery?" L asked, his eyes hard and voice insistent.

"Your opinions are biased," Light said evasively, refusing to answer that, because truthfully, he didn't know. And he refused to let L have the satisfaction of knowing that.

"And then…Rue Ryuuzaki." L's voice softened the slightest upon saying this man's name, strangely. "Male. Aged 25. Killed 27 people who had been killers, rapists, and thieves themselves. Vigilantism. He was exactly the same as you, Kira. And yet, you killed him," L whispered, though his voice proceeded to grow as he continued to speak. "You killed a less-famous version of yourself. Now tell me, Kira, does that mean that you think, subconsciously, that you should die as well? Because at the end of the day, when there are not more criminals to kill, when there are finally no more criminals to judge, the only killer left will be yourself, Kira. Will you turn the Death Note upon yourself then, and truly rid the world of all evil?" L sneered, eyes snapping in anger and in satisfaction.

The words disturbed Light more than he'd care to admit- because he'd pondered the results of creating a crime-free world with such methods as the Death Note more than once, and Ryuk had posed the same question that L was now attacking him with. It was a disturbing question, one that Light didn't want to face.

This revelation upset him greatly, and he let out an angry growl as he snapped. He slashed a hand down and grabbed ahold of the front of L's shirt, pulling him up and then threw him against the wall. A dark satisfaction spread through him as he heard the sharp gasp L let out as his back hit the hard stone, chains rattling at the movement.

He allowed L no time to recover as he pressed a forearm against L's chest to keep him there and prevent him from sliding down the wall. At eye level now, and so close, Light was clearly able to meet L's eyes, staring deep into the obsidian depths as he hissed, rage burning through him, "You push me too far, L!"

L only let out a feral smile, pleased at being able to nettle his adversary so thoroughly and push him over the edge. It gave him a sort of sick satisfaction to see Kira lose control like this, to poke and prod and push at the man who had forced him and his brother into hiding and threatened their very existence. It pleased him to cause annoyance to the man who had taken his whole world from him. "How far is too far, Kira?" he whispered, feeling a strange thrill run down his spine at seeing the way Kira's amber eyes narrowed into vicious slits.

It was almost like playing with fire, what he was doing, or provoking a lion, and it was utterly exciting.

And then… there was the odd feeling that spread throughout him at being this close to Kira, feeling the man's warm breath wash over his lips in angry pants, and see the way his amber eyes turned to a fiery golden brown in his anger.

Kira was quite the lovely man, L realized with a start. He had never noticed it before, simply seeing Kira as Kira, the killer, but now, this close and being able to thoroughly examine his features… Light Yagami, Kira, was exceedingly handsome.

How strange, to suddenly realize this now. And even odder, to find this thought… attracting. The thought greatly disturbed him, and he shook his head slightly, trying to get his mind back on track and away from the confusing thoughts plaguing him. "What will happen if I do?" L forced out, forcing his mind away from the way Kira's body felt quite thrilling, pressed so firmly against his. He desperately tried to convince himself that it was just the adrenalin that came from verbally sparring with a man that could kill him if he spoke one wrong word, and not something else that had a darker interpretation. "Will you kill me, then, if I push too hard? Kira does seem to have such a black temperament…" he said mockingly.

Light stopped, taking a moment to calm down. L… the little bastard was trying to provoke him. Did he want to die?!

"…No. I see what you are attempting to do, L," Light said, releasing his grip slightly, though he still kept L restrained. How tantalizing, to be so close to L like this, see the pale lips set in a firm, angry line and see the way his obsidian eyes seemed to glitter in dark satisfaction both at thwarting his attempts and in his ability to push Light so far. "You won't force me to kill you. I won't do that. Neither will you distract me from the matter of your brother's name."

"…I've told you already, Kira. Do what you will; I will not give it to you," L said with firm finality.

There was a pause as Light searched L's eyes, looking for any sign that he was not sound in his decision. "Is that your final stance on the matter?"

"Yes."

"Then so be it," Light nodded, withdrawing and stepping away. L stumbled forwards for just a moment before he righted himself, gazing back up at Light, who in return was staring at him with a mixture of anger and regret in his amber eyes.

He met L's eyes for just a moment before he turned away, shaking his head. "Damn it, L... I didn't want to have to do this," he said quietly.

L paused, assessing the tense lines of the man's back before saying tentatively, "Then don't. Let me go, let things go back to the way they were, and you will not have to."

"No," Light said firmly, as L knew he would. "I've come too far; I've gained too much to simply let it go. You've made your decision, L, just as I have made mine."

L's eyes hardened upon hearing his refusal. It would seem that they had reached an impasse; Kira would do anything to get Beyond's name, and he would not give up the name no matter what the man threatened. Beyond was far too precious and important to both him and the world to simply offer him up on a platter to Kira; he'd go through anything to keep Beyond safe. "…This will do nothing but hinder you, Kira. By doing this, any chance of getting me to give you his name peacefully is gone."

"…That may be so," Light acknowledged. This was something he had thought of, that by doing this, he would eradicate any chance of persuading L to foster any positive feelings for him. But the discovery that Crimson was L's brother- and a twin at that-had thrown a kink into his plannings. He highly doubted L would be willing to give up the name through persuasion. L and his brother's bond seemed very strong, and as such, strong methods would need to be used to gain his name L.

"But I've no other choice; I just hope that you know it was you who led me to do this," Light said, resting a hand on the concrete frame of the cell door, hating himself for having to resort to such methods, yet knowing that he needed that name, and as such, there was no other choice.

And then, though he hadn't intended to say it, to show any sign of doubt, his next words slipped out of his mouth unintentionally. "I don't want to, but I… will. I can't… Mikami will be coming for you first thing tomorrow morning. I…" Light cut off the flow of words before he could say any other damning things. He couldn't allow L to see him waver; he needed to show that he was serious, and didn't lack conviction. L needed to be convinced that he didn't harbor any reservations; it would make his job easier if L was sure that he wouldn't quail or back away from doing this.

His own, personal feelings about the matter were not to be considered. He couldn't acknowledge them; the safety and prosperity of the world he had worked so hard to create were more important than the fact that he wished for L to work alongside him.

Any thoughts, any chance of L working with him peacefully, converted to his side, vanished the moment he had witnessed L kissing his twin. L might work with him if coerced and blackmailed into it, but there would always be resentment and loathing towards Light for doing so. L would never work with him willingly, because if he had analyzed L's words correctly, his brother had been a criminal, and that was part of the reason he was so desperate to keep Crimson's true name out of his hands.

As such, there was no more need for gentle persuasions; things had taken an unplanned turn, and this was the end it had led him to. But just because this was the outcome, it didn't mean that he liked where it had led to. This was not a road chosen of his own decision.

"What, Kira?" L asked, seeing the way Light had trailed off, wondering what he was thinking that made his eyes turn so regretful. Kira couldn't possibly be regretting this decision, could he?

Preposterous. Kira cared for nothing but his world. Regrets at using force to get information out of him was not something that Kira would be feeling; he'd probably be jumping at the chance to return the favor for the years L had tormented him in his rebellion.

But then… why did he sound so hesitant..?

"I…" Kira said, before he paused once more, seeming as if he were struggling to find words. He collected himself after a moment, though, and continued. "…However, I will give you one last chance. Think over what has transpired today. I'll ask you one more time tomorrow, before it's too late."

Second chances? L was somewhat taken aback at this. Kira didn't seem like one to offer such things; much less to a common criminal who had caused him so much trouble.

Perhaps… maybe L's evaluation of Kira's personality needed going over again. Eyeing the man, L took in the slump of the shoulders and subtle downturn of Kira's full lips. He didn't seem to be exceptionally anticipatory of the new turn events had taken, as L would have thought. And offering him a second chance, another chance to avoid tomorrow's events- that definitely bespoke the fact that Kira was having qualms about his decision.

However, Kira was wasting his words. Nothing, nothing would make him change his mind. He would not, and would never betray Beyond. And there was no doubt that Beyond was working to free him; his twin was not one to give up, especially with the amount of hatred he held towards Kira. He would do everything in his power to get L back and kill the man in front of him, L knew. If he could hold out, there was no doubt that Beyond would come for him. He just had to stay strong. "My answer will be the same then as it is now," L said without hesitation on the matter.

A flicker passed through Kira's lovely eyes before he nodded slightly. "I know. But I had hoped…" Kira whispered, before he let go of the doorframe, opened the cell door and exited silently without another word, leaving L in confusion at the implications held within his last few words.

What else could have Kira wanted?