Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its associated characters or fictional locations.

The Death Note is truly the greatest weapon on earth, thought the new Kira as he carefully wrote a name into the book's pages. Each letter a work of art, despite the longer time he spent etching the individual letters onto the 'paper' instead of simply scrawling the names without a care. He glanced at the computer beside him, showing the pages of a newspaper on it's monitor's screen, the soft glow illuminating the dark room.

As Kira quickly, yet silently, wrote the names of hundreds criminals Ryuk stood behind him in boredom, the crunching of the apple in his mouth the only sound besides Kira's light breathing and the sharp sounds of his smooth pen-strokes.

"So... began Ryuk after he swallowed the mouthful. "You have any kind of plans besides writing names all day?"

"I'm buying you some more apples later," replied Kira without turning around. "As for your entertainment there is a TV in the next room that you may use."

Ryuk was silent for moment, maybe I should have helped Light after all. This guy doesn't look like he's going to be much fun..."Hey, what do you plan on doing about L anyway?" Asked the curious Shinigami.

Kira's pen-strokes continued, uninterrupted, "I will deal with him when the time comes. In the meanwhile I shall focus on continuing my work. However... Light Yagami was meant to continue his course at To-Oh university today...". Suddenly Kira's pen stopped and he turned to Ryuk, his face unrecognisable in the dim light. "Tell me, did L ever attempt to contact Mr Yagami?".

*****

L sat in his usual hunched position, the tree above him offering his pale skin some respite from the bright sun. He held a small textbook in front of him to complete the guise of reading it. In reality he watched the path in front of him, waiting for Light to walk by him. In annoyance he realised that it was well over five minutes since Light should have passed him.

A voice suddenly shook him from his musings. "Hello, you're Ruuga Hedieki right?" L looked up to see thin European boy about fifteen years old standing in front of him. The boy's blue eyes matched L gaze without hesitation, his short red hair glinting in a patch of sunlight lancing through a patch in the tree's foliage.

"Yes," replied L in his trademark monotone.

"My name is John Darcy, I'm looking for Light Yagami. I was told that you know him. Could you please tell me where he is? We were supposed to meet yesterday," John looked at L expectantly.

"I'm sorry," replied L, his tone holding no remorse whatsoever. "I haven't seen Light today".

"Oh," said John, frowning. "Well... thanks anyway. See you around?"

"Perhaps." L turned his gaze back to the text book held in his bird-like grasp.

"Um... okay, then. Bye," the boy walked off, putting his hands in his trouser pockets.

Suddenly L's phone went off, he flicked it open and pressed it to his ear. "Ryuzaki speaking".

"Ryuzaki!" Matsuda's nervous voice came from the phone. "I-it's Light!"

"Yes?" Asked L, his fingers clenching in perceptibly.

"They found him an hour ago!" Matsuda's voice became hysterical. L opened his mouth to ask what he mean but Matsuda cut him off, "Ryuzaki Light's DEAD!"

*****

Misa stared at the thin boy in front of her. "So, you're Light's friend from Europe?"

"Yes, I'm surprised he didn't tell you about me," John's voice took on a slightly hurt tone. "But I supposed he knew what he was doing, after all, not too many people can know about.. well people like us." he leaned forward. "The majority of people still aren't ready for us yet."

Misa blinked, confused. This strange boy had met her at the cafe Light had told her to go to in a text earlier that morning. "What do you mean, people like us?"
John looked from side to side, his voice a whisper despite the unlikely hood of other people overhearing them in Light's favourite table. "As in people who aid him in the cause of Justice. As in those who use the Death Notes."

Misa's mouth hang open in shock. "Y-you mean you have one too? Light never told me there were more of us!" she pouted childishly.

"Well there aren't many of us around, only a handful altogether," replied John. "He did tell me about you though. You're apparently his favourite." John tone became of annoyance.

Misa's face brightened. "Am I really? Oh Light is just the perfect boyfriend!" She hugged herself happily.

"Well, he sent me here to tell you about his new plan," said John, his features completely serious. "In a short time one of the Task force members will contact you to tell you that they have just found Light's body."

"Hunh, what do you mean Light's.." Misa eyes widened. "You don't mean that he's-"

"No," said the red-haired boy quickly. "The body is a fake, just another criminal altered through plastic surgery to look like Light. It's all a part of his plan to get L's suspicion off him. He's now in a safe location outside of the city."

Misa sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Light died."

Rem floated in behind to the side of the table, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Misa!"

Misa turned her, "yes, Rem?"

"Ask him if he's Death Note-holder then why can we still see his lifespan and why does no Shinigami haunt him?" Misa turned to ask John the same question but he answered Rem directly.

"The reason you can't see my name and life span is because I couldn't run the risk of L making the Shinigami eye trade and being able to find that I hold a Death Note in case he managed to get one. Our entire plan would hve been blown! Instead I simply mailed it to another person in my town. Then I told my Shingami I gave up the ownership, then a few days later the elderly grandparent of the person who I sent Death Note to mailed it back to me once that person had touched the Death Note before they died." John leaned back in his chair. "The Shinigami agreed not to reveal any details and the grandparent was a mafia boss. I have the Death Note tied to my body at all times, thus keeping my memories. Another perfect plan from Kira's in-genius mind." John noticed Misa's expression was even more confused. He sighed, "Rem, you understand don't you?"

Rem glared at him with her single eye. "Yes, what he says would work for as long as the Shinigami agreed to remain silent. What did you promise the Shinigami in return for it's silence?" Rem asked suddenly, hoping to put John off balance.

John smiled. "Why the human of course, the true owner of my Death Note is currently serving the Shinigami's every whim out of fear of death." He turned to Misa. "Now Misa, Light wanted me to tell you that you can't see him anymore-"

"What!" Misa's face crumpled into despair, "but I-I love him..."

"He knows, " consoled John. "And he wants to see you as well, but if you were to meet him L may track you to his location and all of his hard work would be undone." He patted her hand. "It's alright, you'll be together again as soon as L dies, he promises that."

Misa's expression turned from despair to determination instantly. "Right, even though it hurts to be apart from my beloved Light I will persevere for sake of the new world! And once L is gone we will be able to be together again!" She clenched her raised fists in excitement.

John smiled. "Good, I'll tell that to Light, in the meanwhile he told me to give you these," he handed her more sheets of the Death Note. "He let me touch your Death Note only so that I could see Rem, however it is still too dangerous for you to have it while L still lives." Misa nodded in understanding. John beckoned her forward, then spoke into her ear. "Now, Light has a new plan with which to defeat L, but you have to do everything that I say exactly as I say it..."