I hummed as I scrolled through a Kira forum online. There was nothing new to do, Kira-and-L-wise, other than to wait. I didn't have a way to contact Misa yet, and Rem hadn't made any moves to drop by and contact me.

Plus, it was interesting to see how people viewed Kira.

ichi_kai_kyuu_kai [21/04/04 11:04 AM]:

What do you guys think of Kira?

(Showing replies . . .)

mixedemotions [21/04/04 11:25 AM]

kira's a hero, he's getting rid of the bad guys

maryatemycake [21/04/04 11:28 AM]

mixedemotions wtf no. he's a murderer.

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/17 11:30 AM]

maryatemycake mixedemotions Could you elaborate?

mixedemotions [21/04/04 11:30 AM]

icy_sapphire13 kira's saved so many lives by getting red of criminals around the world. he's obviously trying to help us in need.

mixedemotions [21/04/04 11:30 AM]

mixedemotions *rid of

maryatemycake [21/04/04 11:31 AM]

icy_sapphire13 mixedemotions Kira's trying to rule us with fear. that'll nvr work out.

iikochan0810 [21/04/04 6:33 PM]

icy_sapphire13 I think Kira's doing the wrong thing. He's never gonna be able to stop L

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 6:33 PM]

iikochan0810 What makes you so sure?

iiko_chan0810 [21/04/04 6:33 PM]

icy_sapphire13 L is the world's greatest detective. I dont think there's a case he hasn't been able to solve

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 6:34 PM]

iikochan0810 There's a chance now, actually. Kira's stepping up his game. Given L's first actual public appearance was due to this case, it's probably on a whole new scale.

tiramisucheesecake282 [21/04/04 7:01 PM]

icy_sapphire13 Whose side are you on here, Sapphire?

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:02 PM]

tiramisucheesecake282 I'm just debating all aspects of this, Coffee. You can't expect a thorough analysis without a balance.

foghorn2810 [21/04/04 7:21 PM]

icy_sapphire13 tiramisucheesecake282 I agree with iikochan0810. L's a pretty detective, but kira's more powerful. it all depends on who's smarter in the end

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:22 PM]

foghorn2810 "L's a pretty detective"? What?

foghorn2810 [21/04/04 7:22 PM]

icy_sapphire13 NO WAIT I MEANT L'S A PRETTY GOOD DETECTIVE LOL IDK HOW L LOOKS

caillou464 [21/04/04 7:23 PM]

foghorn2810 imagine if L was an ikemen tho lmaoooo

tiramisucheesecake282 [21/04/04 7:49 PM]

foghorn2810 I guess we'll have to wait and see. icy_sapphire13 The Sakura TV videos aren't much of a step forward, though, if Kira's out for justice.

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:49 PM] (edited)

tiramisucheesecake282 That's certainly a point that needs to be looked into. And foghorn2810, it's not just smarts in this battle. There are many more unreliable factors that could completely change the course of things.

seiten_ohayahho [21/04/04 7:51 PM]

Actually, tiramisucheesecake282 seems to be onto something. It's completely unlike Kira to make a move like this. Also, misty_dawn, I think you'll appreciate this thread.

maryatemycake [21/04/04 7:51 PM]

seiten_ohayahho what does tha t mean

misty_dawn [21/04/04 7:52 PM]

maryatemycake it means that she doesn't think this is kira.

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:52 PM]

seiten_ohayahho misty_dawn What are you insinuating?

seiten_ohayahho [21/04/04 7:52 PM]

icy_sapphire13 I'm insinuating that I think it's a copycat killer. A fake; an imposter.

tiramisucheesecake282 [21/04/04 7:53 PM]

seiten_ohayahho That's quite a bold speculation. But why would another person attain Kira's powers?

seiten_ohayahho [21/04/04 7:53 PM] (edited)

tiramisucheesecake282 If Kira was somehow able to attain these powers in the first place, who's to say that someone else hasn't been able to do the same?

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:53 PM]

That's a very good possibility, seiten_ohayahho . . . in fact, it's likely a possibility that hasn't been acted upon by the police yet. By the way, tiramisucheesecake282, get off your computer, your mom's calling me asking where you are.

friendlycheetah13 [21/04/04 7:53 PM]

wait icy_sapphire13 and tiramisucheesecake282 do u two know eachother irl?

icy_sapphire13 [21/04/04 7:53 PM]

friendlycheetah13, yep. He's my best friend. :) Right, Coffee?

tiramisucheesecake282 [21/04/04 7:54 PM]

friendlycheetah13 Yeah. icy_sapphire13 Going now.

friendlycheetah13 [21/04/04 7:54 PM]

those two are completely into the kira debate...they're probably soulmates

seiten_ohayahho [21/04/04 7:55 PM]

friendlycheetah13, you're getting off-topic…

I leaned back in my chair. People are already figuring it out, huh . . . I suppose it isn't too far-fetched, I reasoned, unless . . . they're failed reaps too? Or am I overthinking this? I sighed, reaching for the notebook with the important dates in it.

In three days, L would call everyone over to discuss the Second Kira footage again, and would officially invite Light to the Task Force and would make the fake Kira message to broadcast. Two days after that, Misa would send another video through Sakura TV as a reply, given that it followed canon. Then, nothing until mid-May.

There was nothing to do but wait.

So I waited.

*.*.*

"Ah, you're here," was L's greeting as I entered the new hotel room.

"You did tell me to come immediately," I pointed out. "Also, you can email me next time, I'll still see it. Calling's kind of weird when you keep adding that voice filter in."

A hand dropped onto my shoulder and I stiffened, but then relaxed when I realised it was Uncle Soichiro.

"How did it go, Chief?" Matsuda asked hesitantly. Almost as if he was scared of the answer. It was probably about the response to the Kira videos, I figured.

I was right. "Just as I thought, Ryuzaki . . ." he said as he took a seat in the empty armchair. I still remained standing behind it. Uncle Soichiro sighed heavily. "World leaders have talked it out over themselves, and they're demanding that L . . . not a stand-in, but the real L . . . appear on TV . . ."

"Disappointing. Did they even bother to try and find an alternative?" I asked.

"That's just it. After doing almost nothing to help the investigation, they don't even try to come up with some alternative. Kira says jump, they ask how high . . ."

"Their decision is both right and reasonable." L said firmly. We all looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate as to why he thought his death would be both right and reasonable. "It's simply unacceptable for the police to work with Kira. And if it's between me and the NPA Director-General, of course it should be me; I'm the one who challenged Kira and said I'd capture him. It's the right decision."

There was an awkward lack of objection.

Until, of course, Matsuda intervened. "But . . . but that means you'll be . . ."

No one bothered to fill in the silence.

Instead, L said, "What worries me more is that when I appear on TV―and I intend to―if Kira knows nothing about me, and it's really me out there, how do I get him to believe I'm L?"

The final sentence was left unsaid: If Light was Kira, and was behind this, then L would've been killed without hesitation. But, of course, L didn't know about the Shinigami Eyes, so if Misa were to kill him on the spot, without any information being given to her (she clearly hadn't thought out the consequences of her actions, and beyond that, she was unaware of the situation as a whole), the evidence would immediately point to Light.

Cue the big red flags.

"You've got a point . . ." Matsuda said after a moment.

"Hey . . ." Aizawa interjected, but clearly didn't have a better comeback.

Having had enough wasting time, I leaned forward, elbows resting on the head of Uncle Soichiro's chair (I'd almost forgotten I was still standing up) and steepled my fingers. "You all get what Ryuzaki's implying, right?"

Uncle Soichiro sighed gravely. Aizawa and Matsuda looked at me inquisitively. L sipped whatever he was drinking.

"Ryuzaki is implying that if Light is Kira, then he'd kill him on the spot, without waiting for confirmation, since Light already knows that Ryuzaki is L. Isn't that what you're thinking?"

"It is indeed. You catch on quickly. Well, I'll do what I can to make him believe me, but if I fail . . . police chiefs around the world get killed instead. That's what bothers me." Liar. I could smell that lie coming. "It'll be quite hard, proving I'm L . . . I really don't know how Kira intends to figure it out." L stabbed his cake with his fork.

"Well, we have another three days. I'll try to come up with a way to prevent the whole thing. I don't want to die, either."

He's going to tell them now.

"It would be bad enough to be killed by Kira, but to be killed at the hands of an opportunist pretending to be Kira would really grate."

"What?" echoed around the room. "Wh . . . what do you mean by that, Ryuzaki?" Uncle Soichiro asked, sitting erect.

"While watching the Kira videos, it occurred to me that this Kira is highly likely to be a fake. Or, more precisely, a second Kira." L cast a glance around the room, looking everyone in the eye―except me. So I wasn't to reveal that I had "deduced" the same.

"A second Kira?" all other occupants in the room parroted, their voices still raised. At least give your own thoughts instead of just repeating whatever L says?

"Yes. I considered the possibility of his being an accomplice, but find that to be unlikely. Watching this first video is what made me think of it." L held out the cassette tape with his index finger and thumb. "This video wasn't aired, but was made to convince Sakura TV that the sender was actually Kira. It was made to be viewed by Sakura staff only. The envelope is postmarked 'April 13'. It arrived at Sakura TV the next day, and three days after that, the murders announced in the video took place."

Matsuda let out a quizzical sound. "But if the murders announced three days in advance actually happened, I'd say that's pretty convincing . . ."

"I was not convinced that the sender was Kira." L looked Matsuda directly in the eye. The latter seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"But why not?" Aizawa asked. "I watched this video too, and I never thought . . ."

"Didn't you get the feeling that the victims were completely different from Kira's past victims?" L asked.

"Ryuzaki, now you're putting words in their mouths." I folded my arms.

"'Their' . . .?" Aizawa muttered softly. So he noticed that I'd purposefully excluded myself from the statement. Not bad, Aizawa.

"I am doing no such thing," L objected. "I am simply calling it as I see it. Either way, it's not that their crimes were much too minor. TV celebrities caught with drugs is only something women's magazines make a fuss about. I actually went and checked, and as of April thirteenth, the only coverage it had received was on daytime tabloid shows. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

"Again, Ryuzaki," I said, "that seems like a very leading question, but this means that our suspect could very well be a young woman."

For the first time today, L was in agreement. "That director, Demegawa, and others at Sakura use tabloid show stories as fodder all the time, so it probably didn't seem suspicious to them, but I'd say these victims are clearly unlike the others."

A collective nod.

"The real Kira has no need to prove himself with such small fry, and wouldn't even think of it. It would be much more his style to hold off killing one or two of his usual hardcore"―somehow, hearing L say the word hardcore felt surreal―"victims until the appointed time, and kill them then. That would be convincing."

Matsuda scratched the side of his neck, but nodded again.

"But," L continued, "if a second Kira wanted to make people think he was the real Kira, they couldn't use a criminal that the real Kira might actually eliminate before the Sakura people saw the video. In the case of a more serious criminal, there would be a chance that the real Kira would kill them first. And if the time and date he announced were off, Sakura TV wouldn't believe him."

Matsuda raised his hand to his chin in a very typical thinking pose. "But . . . maybe he deliberately used someone that TV people would know . . . no, I guess that's pushing it . . ."

"Yeah, but I don't think we can definitely say it's a second Kira just from that . . ." Aizawa muttered, still unconvinced.

Uncle Soichiro hummed, thoughtful. "Ryuzaki," he said, "what's the probability that this is a second Kira?"

"This time," L said, "I'd say it's over seventy percent."

Big numbers, from L. In fact, I'd say that he was a lot more sure of it than that.

"Well, ordinarily, it would be over seventy percent," L continued. There it is. "However, since Yamada-san―"

"Kimiko," I corrected automatically.

"―brought up the same possibility without any prompting of my own, I believe it should be at least eighty percent. The both of us have come up with this theory with no input from the other, so I can say it's all the more reliable. Especially since I suspect that if she were in league with Kira, she would try and deny this possibility, if only to see me dead."

Well . . . yeah, that would make sense, actually. Except, I wasn't in league with Kira, I just cared about Light and, well, him not going insane. But that didn't mean I wanted L to die. Especially after last time, when matters got so much more complicated than that.

I needed to know what L knew about me.

"Ryuzaki," I said, my voice sharp, "I don't want to see you―or any of the investigation team, for that matter―dead. I'm against what Kira is doing, and I can well assure you that Light isn't Kira. I want this case solved, and with the loss of minimal lives. The FBI agents, Mister Ukita . . . they all gave their lives for this case, and that's a sacrifice for the world. It would be repugnant to turn my back on all that. So, please, continue with what you were about to say before accusing me." I let a little anger seep into my voice for good measure.

L looked unswayed, but the rest of the investigation team seemed satisfied enough with my response. Uncle Soichiro was beaming with pride.

Guilt coiled up in my stomach.

"Well, I don't like this person's style . . . it's not like Kira at all," L said after everyone's shock had worn off.

"Not like Kira . . . ?" Aizawa echoed.

"The way those videos were made," L clarified. "It's just too sloppy. And I'm not only talking about the bad lettering. It's the sound, too. They're playing back sound recorded on other equipment and taking it in through the video camera's mic. At places I assume outside noise got in, they rewound the tape and did it over. Ordinarily, you would transfer the sound by connecting the tape to the video camera with a cable. This is just so amateurish.

"And then, making a TV network broadcast and using the police as bargaining chips . . . It was obvious that doing things like that would arouse public hostility against him. Plus, those TV announcers who were killed were innocent victims." L set down his cup. "If I were Kira, I'd be pretty furious," he said plainly.

"Makes sense, actually. Kira doesn't seem like the kind who'd make a statement out of the blue like that, especially given how controversial it could be."

"So far, aside from people who were after him, Kira avoided attacking innocent people. His method was to make his views gradually penetrate society. Kira's aim is not a dictatorship based on fear." L's voice―if I was not mistaken―yielded something akin to admiration.

It was so easy to forget that even though L's life was on the line here as well, this was entertainment for him as well. I could feel my fists clench.

"So," Aizawa said slowly, interrupting my thoughts, "maybe these fingerprints are actually . . ." Aizawa trailed off.

Fingerprints?

"Fingerprints?" Uncle Soichiro asked.

"The lab found matching fingerprints on the postage stamps and videos that didn't belong to Sakura staff," Aizawa clarified.

"We thought there was no way Kira left these prints," Matsuda said, shaking his head. "Since Kira would have been too careful for that."

"So we thought he had someone else handle the stuff as a proxy," Aizawa completed. "Maybe, though . . ."

"Hmm," L said.

"Insightful," I retorted before I could stop myself.

"I'd say it's possible that these prints are the Second Kira's." L didn't seem too bothered, at least.

"But we don't exactly know how far this Kira's powers go. They could have controlled someone to do it for him, like the original Kira," I put in, just for the heck of it.

"That is a point worth some merit," L said blandly, "but it's unlikely that the Second Kira even considered that option. And if we're underestimating the ability of this Kira, then I don't think they would trust anyone else to carry out tasks such as this for him."

"That's true," Uncle Soichiro affirmed, and Aizawa and Matsuda nodded in agreement.

"Well, either way, it would be smarter not to leave fingerprints at all, but if there is a Second Kira out there, they're far less intelligent and methodical than the real Kira. It could be that they didn't think about the videos and packaging being seized by the police." L paused to pick up a sample and stare at the fingerprints.

Matsuda leaned forward in his seat, almost on the verge of falling out. "Would this Kira really be that unaware?"

"Well, even if we restricted our search to Japan, it would be impossible to take fingerprints from everyone in the country, so it would be difficult to pinpoint the sender from this. We have to catch him first, and then compare the prints." L paused. "Interesting, though . . . how little these fingerprints are . . ."

"Little?" Aizawa repeated.

"A child's, or a small woman's . . ." L murmured.

Uncle Soichiro shuffled in his seat in front of me. "That tallies with what my son said to you at the hospital, about Kira being an affluent child," he said. "And with what Kimiko just suggested about this Kira being a young woman."

I felt the beginning tingles of pins and needles in my feet, itching to sit down, but I ignored it. It would look awkward, anyway. Instead, I opted to move away from behind the chair I'd been standing behind for the past forty minutes, and walked around to the table. "It fits," I said slowly. "Most people who look through women's tabloids are either old ladies with nothing better to do, or teens and young adults who want to keep up with the latest trends, and their population would be more female than male."

Matsuda already seemed convinced, but I wasn't done.

"But," I continued, "it's unlikely for someone in their young teens to be able to film this and give it to Sakura TV, no matter how much this Kira can control their victims. At the youngest, this person could be fifteen. This Kira would likely be older though, at least enough to live alone. Of course, here it's just guesswork, but it seems strong enough."

"Impressive, Yamada-san. I hadn't thought of that myself." L said, then turned to Uncle Soichiro. "Would it be all right if she were to work on the case? Even though I do suspect her of being an accomplice to Kira if indeed your son is Kira, this situation is still opportune."

Uncle Soichiro looked as if he were about to object, but faced me. "I would, as your guardian, advise you against it, but this is your choice to make, Kimiko. If you want to do it, I won't stop you. Besides," he said with a sideways smile, "you're already enjoying working on a case for real, aren't you?"

I nodded. "It's . . . fun, actually. I see why you were so energised even after that Sakura TV incident. And . . . being able to work on a case with the world's greatest detective isn't a small achievement." I glanced at L. Maybe it wasn't too far from the truth―after all, if this whole Death Note scenario would end the way I hoped I could try make it end, then I wouldn't mind detective-ing for the rest of my life.

That's still a pretty big "if", something in my mind countered. There's still going to be a lot of deaths. Hell, you don't even know where your place is in this story. You didn't even technically save Naomi; that was B.

"Then, it's settled. You'll officially be working on the case from now on."

"Welcome to the Kira Task Force, Kimiko!" Matsuda said, smiling. Then he froze. "Uh, I can call you Kimiko, right?"

"Please do," I said nonchalantly.

"As I was saying earlier," L interrupted, looking directly at Uncle Soichiro, "whether it is Kira or a second Kira, perhaps your son is right. So, anyway, I thought about it further on the assumption that it's a Second Kira, and even if the two Kiras don't kill people in the same way, I believe that if we capture one, we'll gain some clues at least as to how to capture the second one."

He said capture as if they were animals. His lack of sympathy was expected, but still unsettling.

"In my opinion," he continued, either ignoring or not noticing my discomfort, "Kira is the smarter of the two. And, if I were Kira, I would try to find out who the Second Kira is before the police do. I would gauge whether they sympathised with me, and if so, I would make full use of them . . . and ultimately, before the police close in, I'd eliminate him."

Something about that declaration was eerily similar to what I once would have expected Light to say about Misa, were he any less sympathetic.

"That means we're in a race with Kira to track down the Second Kira, which in turn means we have the opportunity to capture the real Kira." L was firm as he stared us down.

Everyone collectively sweatdropped.

"Yagami-san," L said, and Uncle Soichiro straightened. "Would it be all right with you if I asked your son to work with us when he has the time?"

And there it was, the turning point of canon.