* * * April 19 * * *

It was mid-afternoon in Tokyo, and everyone was going about their day. The Wammy Teams were moving into what would be their home for the remainder of the Kira case. The house was a quaint, one-story building on the outskirts of the city. There was a small yard surrounding the premises filled with lush blades of grass and outlined by a short fence. With no garage and a small driveway, Bambi had parked her moped on the street near the mailbox. Everyone was going back and forth between Matt's car and the house taking boxes of their belongings and new beddings inside. Bambi braced herself as she lifted a particularly heavy box, what is most likely to be her desktop that Watari finally had sent out to Japan. Her steps were slow as she carefully made her way inside, peering around the side of the large package as she walked.

As she walked past Mello in the living room, he back up and put his hands around the box. "Here, I've got it."

The brunette snorted as her eyebrow twitched. "I'm fine. Let go."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Look, it's heavy. Just let me take it."

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped with a glare. "Stop treating me like a child. I can handle myself."

The blond narrowed his eyes. "I'm not treating you like a child."

The two shared a mutual glare, barely noticing Matt as he walked by until he commented, "You kinda are."

Mello shifted his glare to his best friend for a brief moment before huffing, "Fine. Whatever."

He released the package and walked outside as he grumbled something about checking the security. Bambi rolled her eyes before continuing toward the back of the house. A voice from the couch halted her in her tracks.

"He's just trying to be nice to you," Near told her as he twirled a hair around his fingers.

She frowned. "Yeah, but he's overdoing it. He's not letting me do anything on my own, but I'm just as much a part of the team as any of you guys."

The hacker continued on her way and entered the room that she would be sharing with Near. It was spacious enough - bigger than Bambi's room back at the orphanage, but smaller than the room she had gotten used to at her headquarters with Near. Then again, she was used to having a room to herself. Watari was able to get a house with two bedrooms, as was the original plan, but he was unable to find a bigger rental house within reasonable commuting distance to To-Oh.

Bambi placed the box on her bed and opened it before taking out the pieces to her desktop and beginning to set it up on the desk at her side of the room. As she hooked up her multiple monitors, her mind began to drift to the events of the previous night. So much had happened that it all felt like a long nightmare. She sighed as the images of the second Kira's victims flashed across her mind's eye, the last of which was Ukita. Her lips tightened into a thin line as she thought of the effects his death would have on his loved ones.

And that rage that compelled her to challenge Kira so openly... it reminded her of how she became the Robin Hood Hacker - of why she became the Robin Hood Hacker. Her goal was to right the wrongs done by those people who made their workers cower in fear, to fix what all others were too afraid to fix. To protect people against those who abuse their power. Would she be able to resist returning to action after her contract with L expired?

A knock on the opened door drew Bambi out of her thoughts. She turned to see Matt standing there with a slight frown on his face.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The redhead stuffed his hands into his pockets as he looked over to her computer. "It's crazy that you're back on the scene again. I wonder how everyone's going to take it."

She shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

There was a lull in the conversation as he sat down next to. "How are you taking it?"

"I'm fine, I guess," she mumbled.

He nudged her lightly. "Hey, you can tell me - just between us computer geeks."

She sighed. "I don't know. It's just... it's been so long since I did anything as Robin Hood. I thought that everything would be fine, but it's kinda bothering me. Not what I did, but... I don't know." She paused to think for a moment. "I want to do it again - I want to feel the thrill again - but I know I shouldn't. It's like..."

"An addiction?"

Bambi tightened her lips into a thin line as she nodded.

Matt smiled bitterly. "Believe me, Amy, I know a thing or two about addiction."

The brunette frowned as she looked up at him.

"No matter how many times I try to quit, I just keep coming back," he admitted. "The cravings drive me crazy and every time I smell someone else smoking, it makes them so much worse. The longest I've ever made it was two weeks."

"Yours sounds worse than mine," she told him.

"It doesn't make yours any less bad. Addictions are distracting."

There was a short silence between the pair of addicts before Bambi smiled and spoke up. "Hey, why don't we work on trying to quit together? You'll keep me in check, and I'll keep you in check."

He laughed. "I guess it'll be more bearable being miserable together. Alright." He grabbed her hand and shook it. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Good, now hand 'em over."

"What?! Right now?" He whined as he stood and backed away. "Can't we start next week?"

"No way, you shook on it." She rose and stalked after him. "Besides, I'm going to ween you off one cigarette at a time."

Matt pouted at her for a few moments before groaning, "Fine."

He grabbed the packs in his pockets and handed them over.

She put them on the bed before adding, "The ones in your room too."

"Alright..."

The pair walked to the next room where Matt handed over the remainder of his cigarettes.

"Okay, so how many do you usually smoke in a day?"

The redhead winced as he mumbled, "Two packs..."

"And how many have you had today?"

"One pack..."

Bambi nodded as she opened a pack and removed a single cigarette. "Okay." She closed the box and handed it to him. "Here. This is how many you can have the rest of the day. We'll have to come up with a replacement too for when you run out and get cravings. I think we'll turn to the internet for help on that one."

Matt nodded before following Bambi back to her room in search of alternatives.

* * * April 22 * * *

It was a warm Saturday afternoon, but the Japanese members of the task force were working the day away inside their newest hotel headquarters. It was Light's first day on the team and he had been assigned to write a fake Kira response to the second Kira. L wanted the script completed as soon as possible so that they could air the message on the evening news. The brunet had to be careful to keep the right information hidden while still remaining in-character as far as L was concerned. Light spent a few minutes to go over his draft before handing his work to the head detective.

"How does this look?" He asked as L read through his draft. "I think I wrote it just as Kira would."

A few moments passed before he finished reading. "It's written amazingly well, but I will be making a few edits before sending it out to the recording team."

Light laughed and put his arms behind his head. "I wasn't serious about the part that offers you to the second Kira. Feel free to edit that out."

L nodded. "I planned on it. Though, I have one question, Light."

He raised an eyebrow and returned his arms to his lap. "What is it?"

"How do you know so much about the Robin Hood Hacker?" he asked the teen with a curious smile.

"That's it?" Light laughed. "I followed the story when I was in high school."

"Why were you interested in the case?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the brunet retaliated. "He dealt a major blow to one of Japan's most corrupt companies. I'm pretty sure that anyone who paid even the slightest bit of attention to the news knows about him."

L put his thumb to his lip as he mused, "I suppose you're right."

With that, he walked away with the script before handing it to Aizawa to deliver it to the special recording team.

Later that night, the task force gathered around the televisions to watch Light's fake Kira message play out. Light and L sat closest to the screens while the other detectives surrounded them. They waited a few moments as the news anchor explained that there was a new message - approved for airing by the police - from someone who claims to be the real Kira. Light watched carefully as the image switched to the video that was prepared by a special team outside the task force.

Black calligraphy letters spelling out 'Kira' were centered on an off-white background that was covered in sparkles. Light noted that the calligraphy 'R' looked to be almost the same font as the one used by the Robin Hood Hacker. He must be working for L, he realized. A mechanical voice different from those he has heard thus far played out from the audio.

"I am Kira."

It doesn't seem to be made by the same voice recorder, Light thought. Ryuzaki said that the messages were being recorded by a team. Maybe he has other hackers at his disposal.

"I am the true Kira, and the person who created the video which aired on Sakura TV four days ago was not Kira," the digital voice claimed. "I currently believe that the individual who claimed to be me is my supporter and is speaking on my behalf. I am appreciative. However, the taking of innocent lives is against my will. If the person who claimed to be me agrees with me and wishes to be supportive, he or she should refrain from taking any foolish actions and should first work to understand my purpose. If he or she does not heed my warning and continues to act in this manner, then I will be forced to pass judgement on him or her."

On the other side of the city, the Wammy Teams were gathered around the television, watching their video unfold.

"And to the Robin Hood Hacker, I trust that you now understand that my intentions are still as pure as when I first started."

Mello scoffed and grumbled, "Yeah, about as pure as dirt."

"I plan to cleanse the world of evil, leaving only good people behind. As good as the justice system is, it does not catch all the evil people - something you surely understand. I urge you to reconsider your stance and align yourself with me."

The message ended, returning to the news anchors, who began to discuss what had just been broadcast. On both ends of the city, the task force investigators began to move from their televisions. While Light smiled and was congratulated on his convincing script, Bambi frowned at the internal debate that she had pushed away for so long.

* * * April 25 * * *

It was mid-morning the week after the second Kira's message was broadcast to all of Japan. Bambi was sitting in class next to Light as she took notes on profiling criminals, though the young woman was watching the Kira suspect out of the corner of her eye. He passed L's test to join the task force, but the great detective shared with her that he was still suspicious of the teen.

Light held himself high throughout the class, showing an even higher air of confidence than usual. That could either be from having the upper hand against L or just from being accepted into the task force in the first place, the young woman silently mused.

Ten minutes before the class was officially over, the professor stopped his lecture and walked over to his briefcase. He took out a large stack of papers and divided it into smaller piles before handing them down the rows of students.

"Today, you'll be starting the criminology project," he told the class. "Just as a reminder, this assignment will replace the midterm exam."

The hushed roar of chatter filled the classroom as students tried to find a friend to work with. Bambi leaned back in her seat and smiled at Light. This is what she had been waiting for all semester. It would be the perfect opportunity to delve into his psyche and see exactly how similar he is to Kira.

The professor cleared his throat and announced, "I have already chosen your partners, so there is no need to discuss it."

Bambi frowned at the news. A collective groan rang out from the class before they quieted down, allowing him to continue.

"I will reveal the groups and your subjects after going over what I expect," he told the class. "I have been watching you carefully since day one to decide who to pair together. If anyone can explain my reasons for each pair, I'll give you extra credit."

The professor surveyed the room, making sure that everyone had an information sheet before beginning again.

"You will have just over two weeks to complete and hand in the project. Every student needs to hand in a paper they write individually along with the presentation you will be doing together," the professor explained. "Your paper should focus on profiling your criminal, but you need to include the details that you put in the presentation. I'll be looking for the following main points in your presentation."

He held up the assignment sheet and adjusted his reading glasses. "You need to explain the crimes in enough detail that the class can get a rough idea of them. If there are any unusual characteristics about the crimes - and there will be for a majority of you - point them out. Include any known background on your criminal and a picture of him or her. Make sure to tell us what happened to your criminal. Were they caught? What sentence were they given? Et cetera."

He paused for a moment before adding, "If you can't find anything on your criminal's background - and some of you won't - then you are to give the suspected background of your criminal. Now for the harder part." He looked back up to the class. "You are to use what you have learned in this class to profile the criminal. Tell us why you think he or she committed the crimes they did, and what led to the unusual aspects of his or her case."

"Finally, you will connect the criminal to a modern topic. Tell us why I included him or her in the assignment." The professor put the sheet down. "Everything is due on May 11th. Presentations will begin that day and the order will be chosen at random."

The professor reached into his folder and pulled out another sheet of paper. "Takada and Miyano, your assignment is Kira."

Bambi looked to her left as the professor rattled off names and saw Kiyomi tense for a moment. Behind her, the brunette could see a small pout on Kai's face.

"Nakamura and Uchida, the Robin Hood Hacker."

She couldn't help the corner of her lips from twitching upward for a moment at the sound of her old hacker alias. This smirk was quickly replaced by a frown as she realized that it would make it impossible to keep the information from Light as she had planned.

Kai's attention was drawn to the professor as he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who's that?"

The professor halted for a moment to tell him, "That's the point of research, Nakamura."

The pout returned to the teen's lips as he folded his arms and looked down at his desk, leaving the professor to continue. A few more minutes passed before Bambi heard her current alias.

"Stone and Yagami, Beyond Birthday."

Bambi did her best to keep her expression neutral in front of Light, despite her shock. Unfortunately, she was unable to quell her shaking hands. It may not have been something that the young woman wanted to admit, but she still hadn't made a full mental recovery from being tortured by the man.

Light's eyes widened momentarily before he returned to a neutral expression. Bambi took note of this in addition to her knowledge that the criminal was not very well-known in Japan, unless news got out about his appearance and death in the small nation. A few moments passed as the professor finished handing out the pairs and assignments.

After he dismissed class, Light turned to the brunette beside him and asked, "Do you want to start researching before class later?"

"I would rather do some research on my own first," she told him.

Much to her surprise, he was compliant. "I understand."

Bambi nodded silently and became lost in her thoughts again as she put her notebook in her bag. Before doing anything with Light, she would have to determine what information was public knowledge and what was still classified. The hacker decided that she would have to get some help tonight. She silently rose from her seat after packing up her things.

"Emily?"

Bambi directed her attention to Light and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled and laughed lightly, though it felt almost forced. "Looks like I lost you for a bit, there. As I was saying, would you like to go to lunch before class?"

She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Thanks, but I would really rather some time to myself today."

A sad smile rose to Light's lips. "That's okay. I'll just see you later."

As she watched him walk away, she frowned. It was unusual for him to submit to her refusals so easily. As soon as he was out of sight, Bambi headed to where she parked her moped. Along the way, she took out her helmet and put it on, followed by her goggles and scarf. She mounted her moped and adjusted her goggles before pulling out and making the trek back to the house. Half an hour passed before she finally made it to the outskirts where they were they were living. She parked in front of the house out of habit, though she noticed that only Matt's car was parked in the driveway. Mello must have started working on the Misora case again.

Bambi shut the door to the rental house behind her and locked it before surveying the room for occupants. Near was sitting on the couch to her right, lost in thought, and Matt was at the table. After a moment the white-haired teen was drawn out of his thoughts and looked over to his partner.

Upon seeing the haggard look on her face, he commented, "You don't look well. What's wrong?"

"I was paired with Light and assigned Beyond Birthday for the criminology project," she told him with a frown.

Matt turned around to face her. "Can you change it?"

"We're not allowed to," she explained. "I wouldn't want to anyway. Light's making me suspicious. He never gives up so easily as he did when we spoke, and he seemed to recognize Beyond's name."

Near twirled his hair around his finger for a few moments as he stared across the room. "There are a few possible explanations for that. First, and least suspicious, he could have read about Beyond Birthday after his death in Japan. We know that Kira killed him, so recognizing the name could also indicate that Light is Kira." He paused for a moment before looking to Bambi and adding, "What would be most problematic is if he read about Beyond at some point and suspects you of being his kidnapping victim."

"That's what I was thinking too," she admitted. "I need to make sure that I won't say anything that could make him suspicious of me."

Matt chimed in. "I can help if you want. I worked on the case for a lot longer than you did, after all."

Bambi smiled and thanked him before taking a seat next to the redhead at the table.

"Everything about his first case is known to the public," he told her.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Even the stuff about Misora and L?"

"Well, they know that Misora caught him and was working for L," Matt explained before moving on. "They know that he escaped from prison last summer and the identities of all his suspected victims." Upon seeing her cringe, he added, "The only thing that was publicized about you was your sex and rough age."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

The redhead thought for a moment before continuing. "They know that he disappeared for a month before showing up in Japan. The statement said that he was shot after attacking an officer, and that he died in the hospital from heart failure."

"Do they know that he's from Wammy's?"

"No, thankfully." He then chuckled and added, "Some people online seem to think that he's the incarnation of the devil."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "He might as well have been."