July 23, 2007

Light sank down in the office chair and took in his surroundings. Much like he expected, it was an impersonal space. Screens took over one wall, while the others were completely bare. There was the main desk at the screens and a work island closer to the stair. A sitting corner with admittedly comfortable-looking couches was supposed to spruce the place up a bit, but the overall impression was that the office matched the enigmatic detective's stand-offish personality to a T.

The chain that tied Light's left wrist to L's right rattled as the raven-haired young man also sat in his chair. Though Light wasn't fully on board with this crazy plan of binding them together 24/7, he understood L wanted security for himself and the others in the Task Force. If he was manipulated by Kira, or God forbid, if he was Kira, he was a menace. And if he had to choose the lesser of two evils, being chained to L was significantly better than having to put up with little Miss Misa Amane.
Light glanced over at her. She appeared to be having an animated conversation with inspectors Matsuda and Mogi, his father and Aizawa standing near. As long as he didn't have to listen to her ramblings, he didn't mind what she did. Not that she was a bad person, or that she wasn't cute, but he wasn't interested in having a relationship right now. And even if he was, he couldn't imagine himself with someone like Misa. The model/actress was so bubbly... and saucy. Like she escaped from a children's cartoon and then became Rated R.

"Thank you for not making a fuss over this arrangement."

L's monotone voice made Light return his attention to the person sitting next to him. It never failed to amaze him that this guy was the world's greatest detective. Looking at him, no one would ever guess, but maybe that was the whole point. Misdirection and all that.
Nevertheless, Light believed he would make a far better representative in the fight for justice. He had an impeccable presence, which certainly couldn't be said of L, with his baggy jeans and white long-sleeved shirt, refusal to wear shoes and socks, pale complexion and dark circles under his eyes, and those weird sitting positions. His grades at school were the very best in Japan, and his peers respected him. And how often had he helped his father solve some of the NPA's cases when the lead detectives were hopelessly stuck on it? Perhaps, considering all those factors, L believed that Light somehow made up for his own shortcomings and completed him. It would certainly explain why a suspect in a case would be invited to help solve it. Then again... there was that whole thing about misdirection again.

"No problem," said Light. "I get why you wanted to do this, Ryuzaki, and I will do my very best to help you solve this case and prove I am not Kira."

L glimpsed at him from the corner of his eye as Light addressed him with his alias. Light wasn't entirely sure if his eyes were blue or gray since his pupils were so dilated from lack of sleep and looking at a computer screen all day long, but there was something intriguing about them. When L looked at a person, it was as if he delved into the very depth of their soul. He would never admit it out loud, but that penetrating gaze unnerved Light. Especially when it was on him.
The sudden ring from a cell phone thankfully tore L away. He answered his phone, holding it up between his thumb and index finger — another of his peculiar quirks.

"Yes? Thank you, Watari. You know where to take the bags." L then raised his voice so the others could hear him, "Everyone, I am pleased to announce that the last member of our team has arrived."

The chatter in the background stopped. The policemen and Misa all looked at L with the same confusion and curiosity as Light. Another detective was joining the Kira Task Force? Someone outside of the NPA?

"Who is he, Ryuzaki?" questioned Matsuda. "Is he a detective like you?"

"She is not," replied L. "Not officially, anyway. But she's helped me with several cases in the past, and her assistance now will prove most invaluable."

"Why is that?" asked Soichiro.

"Because sometimes you need a killer to catch a killer."

Light's head jerked toward the sound of a clear female voice. His breath hitched, and he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat for a split second. The girl stepping out of the elevator was one of the most beautiful young women he had ever seen. The confidence and strength she radiated in her walk were similar to how he tried to carry himself. She was dressed in a white long-sleeved blouse, buttoned to just above her bosom, a gray tailored vest, black tailored trousers, and pumps. Her blood-red hair was pinned up neatly, only two tresses loose and framing her heart-shaped face. Lips colored in a shade of carmine, and a fine black line accentuated her smokey eyelids, bringing out her blue... wait...

One eye is blue, the other hazel... Heterochromia. Interesting.

The young woman walked past the others without sparing them a single glance. She jumped up to sit on the desk between L and Light and crossed her legs. It didn't happen often that Light was intrigued by someone upon first meeting them, especially not someone from the opposite sex, but he was by this stranger.

"Hello, Ryuzaki," she greeted L with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Miss me?"

"C," he replied shortly, not taking his eyes off the computer in front of him for even a second.

Light peered at L. Nothing in his expression or posture betrayed he knew this woman in anything but a professional manner, but it wouldn't be the first time he deceived someone. 
Suddenly, the young woman L addressed as C turned her attention to LIght. Uneasiness fell over him as she seized him up. He got goosebumps as those carmine lips curled up into a smile. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Light Yagami," she said. 

"H-How do you... know me?" Light couldn't help but stammer. 

"I've read the records of everyone in the Kira Task Force. Congratulations on getting into To-oh University, by the way. That's one of the best in Japan. You must be very proud of your son, Mr. Yagami."

Her eyes darted to his father. He seemed even more flabbergasted than Light was, but still replied, "Y-Yes, I am. Forgive me, but may I ask who you are, Miss?"

She gasped indignantly and smacked L's arm. He grunted and stroked where she hit him. 

"There's no need for violence," he complained.

"Clearly, there is. Shame on you. And stop slouching!"

Light suppressed a snort at seeing the detective pout like a little child and sitting just a tad straighter than before. He was impressed someone dared to speak to L like that and getting more curious as to who the woman was. 

"All right, seeing how someone neglected to inform you all about me, I'll just introduce myself. I'm known as C. Whenever Ryuzaki gets lost in a case, he calls me in."

"I'm not lost," muttered L. 

"Fine, you explain why you brought me in, then. Go on."

L sighed and turned in his seat. The chain tugged a little on Light's wrist as he did so, but there was still more than enough leeway between them.

"As I said before, C is not a detective, officially, but she has impressive deductive skills, much like my own, and yours too, Light. She differs from us, though, in the sense that she thinks like a killer and not an investigator. By putting herself in the murderer's mindset, she often pursues leads most detectives will not even consider. That, combined with being an expert researcher in victimology, has led to the closure of several cold cases and the immediate apprehension of active killers." 

Well, that explains her earlier statement about needing a killer to catch a killer, I suppose, mused Light. I'm a little concerned about someone thinking like that, but I suppose if it helps to catch a criminal and bring a family closure... 

"Oh, and she can see the dead."

That, Light did not expect. He stared at L, lost for words. And he wasn't the only one. Five other pairs of wide eyes fixed on C. She tsk-ed at L.

"Lord, could you be any blunter, Ryuzaki? Seriously..."

"You wanted me to tell them," he said in his defense. 

"Remind me to work on your people skills again when we have some spare time."

"Um, excuse me!" yelled Aizawa, clearly pissed off at how the two were just casually conversing like they hadn't just dropped a huge bombshell on them. "She can see the dead? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah." Matsuda chuckled anxiously. "Seeing dead people, that's... not possible. Is it?"

He exchanged a nervous glance with detective Mogi, who just shrugged. Light looked at his father; he seemed to hold off on giving his opinion until he knew more. It was a typical Yagami family trait to not rush into anything and consider things carefully. The one reaction that differed from everyone else's, though, was Misa's. She drew closer to stand behind Light, one hand on the back of his chair, staring at C in fascination and awe. 

"Can you really see them?" she asked quietly. 

"Yes, I can." The red-haired woman smiled back at her. "I see and communicate with people who died suddenly and have unfinished business, like a murder victim, for example. They become earthbound spirits who either haven't been drawn to the light yet or who turned away from it by their own free will."

"Th-There's actually... a light?" Matsuda was growing paler and more distressed with every word C spoke. 

"Well, that's what they tell me they see when they're ready. I haven't seen it myself, but then again, I'm not dead."

"I'm sorry, but do you really expect us to believe all of this?" Aizawa sneered at L and C.

Though Light's initial instinct was to dismiss the claim as well, he didn't. L was a man of logical reasoning. If anyone should be skeptical about something as bogus as spirit mediums, it had to be him. Yet, there he was, calm as ever, introducing them to this young woman who claimed to be just that.

"Can you prove it?" asked Light. "Can you prove that what you say is true? Are there any ghosts present with us now?"

"There is one, yes," answered C. "A female spirit is standing near her son."

Misa's grip tightened on the chair. Light glanced back to see tears brimming in her eyes. She bit her lip so they wouldn't fall. He had never seen her like this. Not when L held her in confinement for fifty long days, bound and blindfolded, nor when his father tricked them by acting as if he was going to kill Light and himself. She'd been frightened and distraught, yes, but now she looked as if the last bit of hope and sanity left within her was ripped out.
Then he remembered Misa's parents were killed during a home invasion. With C's explanation on earthbound spirits, she must've believed her parents would still be around. But C hadn't meant about her mother when she mentioned the female spirit. Light reached for her hand, hoping she would draw a little comfort from a kind gesture. Misa gasped at his touch, and their eyes met. No, he would never fall for her. But he could still be a friend and comfort her.

"Touta Matsuda."

They both turned when C said the newbie detective's name.

"M-Me?" exclaimed Matsuda.

"Your mother is standing right next to you."

Mogi jumped away, looking everywhere around him as if to make sure he wasn't standing on — in? — Matsuda's mother.

"Her name is Satsu," continued C. "She died suddenly when you were 10 years old. The autopsy revealed she had an undiagnosed brain tumor."

"That proves nothing," said Aizawa, gripping Matsuda's shoulder as if to pull him away from the crazy lady. "This is general background info that can be found in an officer's record, which you admitted to reading earlier."

C's eyes narrowed. Light wondered if perhaps Aizawa had called her bluff. She wouldn't be the first to claim to be the real thing when being a total fake. But surely the world's greatest detective wouldn't fall for such a ruse?

"You make a valid point, Mr. Aizawa," said C. "So, if you'll permit me to continue? Matsuda, your mother says she knows about her aunt's figurine."

Matsuda's eyes widened. "Wh-Wha —?"

"You did your best to glue it back together after dropping it, but you switched a few body parts around between the couple, and instead of them dancing the waltz, it looked more like a funny jig. She said nothing about it because she liked how it turned out like a miniature Picasso."

Aizawa and Mogi hurried to support Matsuda when his knees buckled. He was sickly pale and looked like he was about to faint at any moment.

"Mom... I-I don't understand. Why is she still here? My father died two years ago. Why isn't she with him?"

C waited for a few seconds before speaking. "Are you sure you want me to say that here? He's a young man. He'll probably get embarrassed."

"Huh, embarrassed? Why? What is she saying? Mom?"

"Very well." C nodded and looked at him. "Your mother saw your father before he crossed over, but she's staying until you find a good spouse. A nice wife or husband, she can't really tell what you fancy, but she doesn't judge. Just as long as they can take care of you, 'cause you can be a hopeless klutz sometimes."

Matsuda blinked twice and then turned all shades of pink. Mogi, Light's father, and even Aizawa did their best not to laugh, but Misa showed absolutely no restraint and giggled to her heart's content, all previous sadness forgotten.
The only ones who didn't share in the merriment around Matsuda's awkwardness were L and Light. The raven-haired detective had followed the scene at first, but eventually turned back to his computer, seemingly uninterested. Light, on the other hand, was reeling.

This is incredible. By Matsuda's reactions, C can really talk to the dead. L must want her to search for any of Kira's victims who may have stayed behind, hoping they can shed new light on the investigation. But how is he planning to pull this off? He can never introduce any info they obtained from the ghosts as evidence. No one will believe it. And I very much doubt C would share her gift with the world.

Light looked inconspicuous from L to C.

He said they solved cases together before. If I find those, I can learn how they work around C's gift and how they plan to implement that here. In the meantime, I'd better keep an eye out. I don't know why, but there's something off about her. Like she's only revealing part of who she really is.

Suddenly, C turned her head. Light froze as her gaze settled on him. There was a coldness in her eyes, one that hadn't been there before. It shook him. He averted, overcome with the quaint, sinister feeling he'd been marked by Death.

📓💀📓

After securing Light to his father, L accompanied C upstairs, claiming he was just going to make sure she settled in all right. None of the inspectors reacted to it, but L noticed both Light's and Misa's expressions. The son of Chief Yagami was no doubt analyzing everything about his connection to C, but why would Misa be interested in them? Unless, of course... his suspicions about both of them were right.

"Well, that went swimmingly," remarked C as they exited the elevator and walked into the suite. "How could you not tell them about me?"

"I didn't know when you were arriving," said L. "I called you in three months ago and you mentioned nothing in your last e-mail."

"That's Cassandra's fault, not mine." C put one of her bags on the double bed. "Near had mononucleosis. A toddler probably got their hands on one of his toys. Cassandra wanted to make sure he was all better before leaving. I took charge because it was taking too damn long. She's not gonna be happy when she realizes where she is."

L put his thumb against his lips. Would she dare...? No, Cassandra was strong enough not to let anything happen to Near. She doted on him, and he practically considered her his mother by now. If she passed all the tests Watari and Roger had insisted upon, she would be, legally, in a few months. He still didn't know how to feel about that.

"Near's fine. Stop worrying." C waved away L's concern. "I didn't see a white aura on him once. He was never in any danger of dying, nor was he in much pain. Besides, if one of your successors were dead, Roger would have contacted you immediately."

He couldn't argue with her about that. But he would still check for his own peace of mind. And Cassandra would probably want to know as well the minute she woke up.

"So, are you just gonna stand there like a mime, or are we going to discuss the case now that we're alone?" asked C as she undressed. "Did you go over the notes I sent you two weeks ago?"

"Yes." L slouched over to the couch and sat with his back to C to give her privacy. "I was not surprised to see you reached the same conclusions I have."

"We still need to prove our theories, though. The casualties that fell while Light and Misa were detained aren't helping us. I assume you want me to search for Raye Penber?"

"Correct. His actions before his death puzzle me. Then there is the question of the missing envelope he carried and left on the train. I am certain Kira was there with him. Raye Penber is our missing link."

"Did Light mention him since that time at the hospital after Chief Yagami had his heart attack?"

"No. But that one time was enough to deepen my suspicion of him. Neither his father nor I ever told Light Penber was the agent assigned to him. He had no clues to come to that deduction as I specifically mentioned there were several agents. Light is the one who called Penber by name."

"I'll see what I can do." C came round to sit on the couch opposite him, dressed in an oversized sweater and no pants. "While we're on the topic, is there any news on Naomi Misora? And for God's sake, sit up straight."

"The investigation into her disappearance is yet ongoing, but I fear the worst has already happened to her," replied L, ignoring her remark about his posture.

"Not just to her. Did you hear about this?"

C handed him a medical report. L narrowed his eyes when he read a familiar name at the top.

"Rue Ryuzaki. Hm, date of death, January 21, 2007. Cause of death —"

"Heart attack," finished C. "Looks like Kira discovered Beyond Birthday's true identity. From who, I wonder?"

L looked up at her intense gaze. It seemed she was thinking what he'd already suspected from the very first moment he set foot in Japan — Kira had access to classified and sealed police records from around the globe. The LA BB case had been wrapped up under the express order that Beyond's true identity remained undisclosed in the official admin. Only those with the highest authority could've retrieved it. The chances of Kira working together with a Shinigami just got even more probable.

The pair swapped some more theories and tactics, but after about fifteen minutes, L decided it was time to leave. The others were probably wondering where he was. If he stayed any longer, they might get ideas into their heads.

"I'll leave you to rest from your travel," he said, getting up from the couch. "Call Watari if you need anything."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." C walked him to the door. "L... Sorry, but I have to ask; why did you put us in your room?"

"I'm hardly ever here. And all the other rooms have cameras installed in them."

"Exactly my point. Don't you want to monitor us?"

"Watari and I aren't the only ones watching the security footage. If anyone discovers what else is going on with you..."

"Wow, back up, you don't plan on telling them? L, they need to know!"

He halted and turned to meet C's insistent gaze. She could be so bothersome sometimes. And bossy.

"I'll tell them about Cassandra when she wakes up, and I can introduce her," he said, "but the Task Force doesn't need to know about anything or anyone else. Not until it's absolutely necessary."

For a second, it looked like she was about to object, but instead, she said, "Fine, but then you have to stay here at night."

"I can't. I need to guard Light Yagami. Just take the same precautions as you do at home."

C pinched her lips. She then huffed and rolled up her sleeves. L gasped at seeing the raw skin on her wrists. A recent cut on the inside had been treated, but still looked awful. He carefully took hold of her with both hands and stroked his thumb over the wound.

"The cuffs hurt her," she said. "Waking up with them on, not immediately realizing why... I won't allow it anymore. We agreed they could be left off when you were with us, so I don't see any reason why you have to back out of that agreement. Someone else can watch Light at night, just like his father is doing right now. And you can work from here on your laptop."

"C —"

"L... Please?"

She looked at him with pleading eyes. And C never pleaded. For anything.

"Yes, all right," L finally agreed. "I'll take the necessary measures for Light so I can keep an eye out while you sleep. And I'll have Watari take another look at your wrist."

"That's not —"

But before she could protest, L let go of her wrist and left. As he descended to the office, he pondered for about the tenth time since C's arrival if he made a mistake calling her in.

No, I need her. And Cassandra needs me. We just have to ensure no one learns the truth. No one must know about Mercy. Not the inspector... and not Light Yagami. Kira will not claim her. I'll make sure of that.