Chapter 42

The lights flashed directly in front of me as I awoke, squeaking out a small 'eep' before trying to wiggle myself to feel more comfortable in the darkroom. I closed my eyes after feeling the burn of the glare directly in front of me. I was tied to a big board that L used on Misa in the anime.

Black straps bounded my body and left it vulnerable for anyone to observe my disordered and pathetic state I was in. The marks of my drool turned fishy and white on my cheeks as I raised my head up to see no one but the light. My breath was heavily odored, smelling like yellow piss with the stench that radiated from dehydration.

It was not pretty at all.

If I knew how to torture people by inflicting pain and emotional damage, L knew how to claw out the deepest emotions from human beings. Shame and need.

He was starving me as a way to place me on the brink of death.

He was giving me only small amounts of water, just enough to keep my throat working but not enough to stabilize the fluids in my body.

His method of interrogation was brutal and it reminded me of my parents.

Just enough to scrape by and live, but always craving for more.

I wanted water.

I have never wanted water so badly in my life.

I breathed out two chuckles before coughing into a fit, feeling none of my saliva even existing in my lungs. This was a very bad situation.

Not to mention the heat from the light was also seeping out all the liquids from my body, forcing me to submit weakly.

And it had only been 2 days.

I couldn't take it anymore.

How the hell did Misa pull through?

Well, to be honest, Misa probably was given more bare essentials than I had, since at that time L was being supervised by the police and had all the time in the world.

He didn't have that luxury with me.

I knew that he was rushing, but the rushing made him more brutal than ever.

Well, at least if I actually make it out alive I could brag to my friends that I survived L's most brutal torture methods.

"Do you feel like speaking, Sayu?"

I heard L's cold voice broadcast out across the whole room as I winced from the piercing loudness of his tone. I opened my mouth to answer, knowing that my own voice did not sound like my own voice.

"I've already..." I croaked out before being shocked by my own squawk. I cleared my throat and clamped my mouth shut to taste the iron flavour drawing out the bitterness.

"I've already told you," I gasped before coughing again, this time jerking my head from the pain that threw up from my lungs. "-Everything."

I heard the door slide open as the footsteps of someone echoed the room.

A blonde female yanked my chin towards her and held up a glass of water in which I desperately ingested with my cracked lips that had broken splits and stung like hell when the water touched. Before I could even finish the full glass, the woman wretched it away from my lips, showing me the other undrunken half.

I lurched at the glass, cranking my neck like some kind of homeless hobo who had nothing but that glass of water in their eyes. It disgusted me.

"Speak and you will get the other half."

"Please," I heaved heavily, launching my body at the water right before my eyes. "Please, just one sip!"

"Speak."

"I've already told you everything that I could!" My discordant violin voice screeched out as my soot hair tangled across my face, the moistness on my lips disappeared.

"Light was acting suspicious," I blurted. "But I didn't see any signs of the Death Note at home!"

My whole body coiled at the sight of the water creeping closer to my mouth as I drank it greedily, not even letting a single drop spill. Once the glass was empty, my body struggled in more desperation, wanting more. My tongue lapped the empty cup before the blonde pulled it away with disgust.

"Did he tell you anything about the heart attacks or Death Gods?"

I gulped down my saliva before panting from the heat.

"He-" I twisted my eyes upwards as if trying to remember something.

"Will-will I get another glass of water if I tell you?"

This time, I heard L chuckle at his end. It was infuriating how he was laughing at my suffering, but at the same time, he knew I was being cheeky. And honestly, that had lightened up the mood drastically.

"You will. I'll have my assistance pour you another glass."

"Half the cup first," I squinted at the black screen that I knew L was sitting behind. The blonde followed L's instructions and fed me half a glass. Smacking my lips, my eyes stayed focused on the cup before echoing out.

"He did suddenly have an increase of apple preferences after Kira appeared."

The room grew silent at my words before L commanded the blonde to pour me the other half glass. I disliked the way that L was training me like a dog. When you didn't obey, he would punish you. When I finally caved in, he would reward me.

He was training me like his dog.

The humiliation I felt was nothing like this.

The pride I had thrown away ages ago came hurling back at me with L's simple actions, forcing me to loathe him for treating me like this.

It was painful. Frustrating.

Resentment gripped my state and pulsed with hatred. I was breathless with red.

L, you will die.

You will die so badly knowing that your deduction was correct but was unable to prove it.

I choked from the trembling ball of fire within me.

My state was so vulgar that it agonized me in the most senseless and broken way. I gritted my teeth in fury before forcing it back down with a hollowed facade.

This was what L wanted.

Do not give in.

I wasn't the type to sacrifice my wellbeing just for the sake of pride or Light Yagami.

"You know something."

That was all he said before the blonde was ordered to leave the room.

I gaped at his conclusion.

"Just because of apples-"

"I had thought apples were just to lead me off-trail, but it seems like the message from Kira might be telling me how he bribed the Death God to remain so vague with his answers."

I stared bug-eyed at the wall, not believing how he came to that conclusion.

"Tell me, Sayu, the 13-day rule, is that true?"

I fell silent before shaking my head slowly.

"I never even touched the Death Note, how am I supposed to know that?"

"Then is it possible that Light Yagami wrote the rule by himself and purposefully turned himself in, not to clear his innocence...but to forcefully stop my investigation?"

My mouth instantly clamped shut dryly at his words.

L was a genius.

Everything he said was so on point that it was scary.

"Answer me, Sayu. Is it possible?"

My jaw went slack as I hesitantly opened my mouth to answer his question. What could I say? It was a rhetorical question.

"Yes," I breathed with my face turning white. "Yes, it's possible."

What have I done to change the plot so drastically? Every time he asked me a question, it was like he was getting closer to the answer and evidence that Light was Kira. Light was much closer to losing than actually winning. My eyes widened at the fact.

No-

I couldn't allow that to happen. I couldn't.

"Watari-is Watari beside you?" I blurted out in a shrill. Everything was starting to swirl in the moment and I knew I was getting close to passing out.

"Miss Sayu, how can I help you?"

This time, it was Watari's gentle voice who answered my pleas.

I needed Light. I needed him right now.

"Send Light Yagami my location right now!" I screamed at the voice. The microphone roared with outrage, voices and panic echoed in the room. L's voice was extremely stressed as I heard the voices of other people resonate through the microphone.

No, I couldn't wait for Light to come.

My heart leaped, causing a dizzying effect.

He would be too late.

I couldn't risk it.

Watari was in the room right in front of me-He could hear my voice.

"Watari," I coughed from the dryness scratching my lungs.

"Kill him," I heaved in pain before shrieking. "Kill L!"

"Kill L!"

Gunshots rang out through the microphone along with the screams of men that pierced my ears.

"Watari!" I heard L's shaken voice fade into the background as my consciousness slipped away.

Splash!

My body jerked awake at the ice-cold water that was dripping down my face. L was standing in front of me, both of his hands were shoved in his pockets as he stared at me without an ounce of emotion.

I heard clicks near my ear before my vision sharpened, noticing two people left from the chaos I caused than what L had brought to this base in the first place. All of them had their guns pointed at me, and instead of the darkroom that I was in, the room was now fully opened with their lights.

It was clear now, that Watari had completely destroyed the room he was in from the cracks on the screen and the broken pieces of glass shattered all over the floor. He probably died trying to kill L, firing multiple shots, then trying to battle with the people that were restraining him before he could get a proper shot at the target.

L twisted his face into complete abhorrence at the sight of my conscious, grimacing and grinding his teeth together before seething out with a piercing tone.

"What did you do to Watari?"

I laughed, cackling at his face before taking a breath to look at him dead in the eye.

"I didn't do anything to him, he must have thought that you were hurting his favourite child," I said melodiously as L only stared at me. Hard.

Slap!

My face flew right as pain shot through both my cheek and tongue, spilling out blood from the corner of my lips. I blinked blankly at the floor as the sensation stun hard on my face, ringing inside my ears.

"Did you just-" I flung my head back to stare at L in disbelief before giggling. "I never would have imagined that the world's greatest detective would lose composure over a girl!"

"Hehehe..." My shoulders trembled with glee. "Hahaha-"

"HahAHaHaAhHaAhHaHaAhAhHaAhHAAhHA-"

My laughter echoed throughout the room as the grin on my face became unnervingly big to the point where the people who held guns around me tightened their grips on their weapons.

L looked at me without flinching, only remaining in calculating silence as his red fingers twitched beside him.

"How does it feel, L?" My vision flared red as the grin widened even more maliciously. "How does it feel when your most trusted one points a gun at you?!"

Pleasure seeped into my veins as I screeched with amusement at his face of dark pain.

"He was like your father, wasn't he?" I whispered darkly enough for him to hear. "How did it feel? Was it thrilling enough for you?"

I saw his fingers clench and unclench as if trying to decide on what he was supposed to do in this situation.

"You would have never thought-" my voice stung as tears of laughter started to seep out of the corner of my eyes. "-That I would be the threat to you, did you?"

My laughter died out instantly as I waited for L to speak. He pondered over my words before nodding a bit.

"I have heard that there is only a line between geniuses and mentally ill patients," he spoke briskly before glancing at me with calm anger. His eyes flashed with screeching venom before curling his mouth coldly at me.

"You seem to be right in the middle."

"Oh, then I thank you for your diagnosis," I bowed my head in his direction with a smirk. If my hands were uncuffed, I would be doing a full-on magician's bow.

"How did you do it?" He asked stiffly.

"You mean telling Watari to kill you?" I eyed him before chuckling. "I see that failed marvelously, hopefully that killed most of your people?"

L didn't take my jeering and nodded thickly.

"Quite the number in fact. I knew Watari was a good shooter from the day I met him." His frown deepened before turning towards me with bitter remembrance.

"You seem to have a very successful way with words," L paused before walking closer to me like a hunter looking at his prey. Ah, he found out that I did that deliberately?

"Are you Kira?"

"Hah," I scoffed before glaring at him. "My power is a bit different from that guy. While he controls his victims with heart attacks, I can control mine with orders."

L's eyes glistened as his lips curled up wider.

"Then Light is Kira from your outburst," he said. "You were trying to protect your brother by sacrificing yourself."

"Maybe, maybe not." I grinned sarcastically at the guy, knowing that he did not hear the latter part of my sentence. He seemed too calm for a person who received the information that I could control people with words. Well, to be honest he probably knew I wasn't able to control him, because if I could, I would have directly ordered him to kill himself.

"You are a dangerous existence, Sayu." L's eyes gleamed over without fully explaining himself. I ignored it, not knowing what the hell he was trying to say and instead, focused on my own task.

"Aren't you curious about my power, though?" I batted my eyelashes as he chuckled at my obvious change of topic.

"Indeed, I am curious. How many people have fallen under your power?" He asked and took the bait, trying to humour me.

"Ah, not much, 4 to test my power on, 3 to actually use it for my own purposes." I shrugged nonchalantly as L's eyes flashed over my words.

"Sachiko Yagami's actions were ordered by you," he concluded before staring at me with wide eyes. "You used her to get into my task force."

"And why would I do that?" I giggled and tilted my head innocently.

"To support Light Yagami and his recovery of his memories," L breathed out in realization. "Light Yagami has recovered his memories of Kira."

I paused at his words before listening to the faint sound of ringing in the distance. The sound was so faint that you could barely hear it with your ears unless everything was pin-drop silent.

Something told me that my goal was fulfilled.

I paused an extra 20 seconds before turning my eyes back to his face.

"Well, yes," I said as L's eyes widened instantly, almost popping out of his eyes as his hand flew towards his chest.

Thud!

His body fell over and the two people beside me flinched, staring in horror before lunging themselves to the detective, screaming out his name.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"So close yet so far, L." I smirked as the front door started to pound before the two people glanced at each other with panic. Tilting my head, the detective who was twitching on the ground opened his mouth and tried to point accusingly at me. I giggled at his state.

"How does it feel when you know who Kira is but you'll never live to say the name again?"

"Open up! It's the police!" I heard a familiar voice shout out as I watched L's eyes slowly close, but his consciousness had not dissipated just yet.

"How does it feel to let the one who killed your father live?"

I could see his eyes trying to fight for his life, trying to live and persecute me in the most painful way possible...

But he failed.

Slowly, his eyes began to close, giving up on his revenge and justice before seeping down into the eternal slumber of dread and darkness.

I smirked at the sight, feeling the rush of adrenaline in my bones as L's body seeped his life out right on the dirty ground. He was not going to be hailed as a hero anymore.

"Sayu! Are you in there?!" I heard Dad's shriek before turning maliciously to the remaining two.

"Hey, unless you want to die and get shot by my dad, you might as well use me as your hostage to get out of here." I barked before the other two exchanged wary glances. But they did not have time to think before Light and Soichiro Yagami both bolted into the room, followed by Matsuda, Mogi, and a couple of others.

L's coworkers panicked and grabbed my body that was still tied up on the board, both of them raising their guns towards my head as they screamed their trade of my life for theirs.

"Dad!" I instantly began sobbing, hysterically whipping my head around to try and seem like a crazy woman. The remaining tears poured out of my eyes from the last glasses of water that I had traded L to give me, knowing that it had not evaporated by the heat since they had turned the blinding lights off after the death of Watari.

"Light," I screamed mercy to the two people that were holding me in utter alarm from my screams. "Light, I'm scared!"

"Shut up!" The one on the right thwacked the nose of the gun onto my temple as I instantly started to bawl harder, this time, biting my lip as hard as blood started to pour out of my already split lips.

Ooh, the right guy is a bit rash and hot-tempered, isn't he?

"Sayu!" Light's voice rasped out with a bit of restlessness before turning to Dad who actually had a weapon in his hand. I couldn't exactly see clearly since my hair was all up in my face with snot, but I could see the distinct figures that outlined who they were.

"Sayu, don't worry," I heard his voice shake warily. "Please, let go of my sister, we will make way for you."

The good thing with my hair covering my face was that they couldn't see my mouth movement clearly.

"And there you know it, he's Kira," I murmured beneath my breath and when the other two flinched, I knew I had succeeded.

"As if we would trust a criminal like you!" The one on the right shouted out with disdain.

I could literally feel Light's glare penetrate them as the air stiffened before Matsuda bellowed out, "we all know Light Yagami is innocent! L was the one who was wrong!"

Nicely played, Matsuda.

I whistled.

"You are all blind! Kira is Light Yagami with foolproof evidence!" The right guy snarled before pointing his gun at the black-haired man. Matsuda's face paled yet his hands were still firm on his gun.

"No one will believe L," I chuckled darkly as the left guy flinched. "No one will ever believe you."

"Fuck you all! I'll live to avenge L and prove that Light Yagami is Kira!" The right guy finally snapped from my words with animosity before shooting his gun at the group. And those were his last words.

Everything was silent as the two men coughed, falling forwards onto a pool of blood before I saw Light pace towards me and cut the binds off of my body, slipping me off the board and brushing my hair out of my face with an anxious expression of concern. His hands were shaking with dark desperation.

Weird. Why does he seem so fragile?

"Sayu," he whispered like a feral. I felt the energy sap out of my body just like that from his voice. "You are not allowed to leave me."

Even now, he's talking about me leaving him...?

"I will never allow you-"

"Congratulations, brother," I cut him before giving him a wobbly smile. The fierce desperation slipped off his face before getting replaced with a tingle of concern.

"You are now king."

And that fellas, is how you stop your secrets from spilling out.

You kill all those who know.

Author's note:

King = chess reference [hahaha]

Although Light prefers to call himself a God, at the end of the day we are all only players of our own game.

I just realized how Light's situation is so similar to chess. Like, each side tries to kill the king (AKA: Light & L). At the end, you can say Light exhausted all his pawns to defeat L and Near was the surprise bishop that assassinated him.

Comments are desperately needed!