Cold Hearts Ch 5 Bound

A/N: I do not own.

***

Chapter 5 Bound

"Ryuuzaki!" Watari began over the intercom.

"I know. I heard," L said tersely. It seemed Kira was beginning to make good on his threat to kill the officers. But he didn't go after the NPA and Mr. Yagami first? That's highly suspicious...

Still even if Light isn't Kira... (No. If I assume that, I'll lose.) He must have some connection to Kira...  

L's much abused thumb returned to its spot between his teeth.

Nothing added up. But he needed answers quickly.

But first... cake.

L padded into the kitchen but when he got there the cake wasn't in the fridge.

"Wha—?"

L pulled up footage of the kitchen to see who dared to steal his cake and was greeted with footage of... flying cake.

And that was only minutes ago...

The other cameras showed how the cake and a glass of milk went floating down the hall.

L gaped as he watched how the cake was just hovering there in the cell.

Light-kun stole my cake? L thought incredulously. Well he wondered why Light wasn't complaining about being hungry by now...

No, there was no way that could have been set up beforehand... There was no way for Light-kun to know about the cake. And if Light was Kira and has some psychic "far-seeing" power I would likely already be dead.

He would have to accept that there really was some other presence there with Light.

Shinigami do exist... L thought, horrified, And its feeding Light my cake.

L stoically returned to the observation room and clicked on the intercom.

"Watari, is any of that paper scrap left over from testing?"

***

L sat in his hotel observation room, a neglected bowl of ice cream melting on the table in front of him, the vial sat in the palm of his hand.

"Touch it to see her!" Light had pleaded.

It could be a trap... it probably is but...

***

Earlier when L was chasing his cake down he had attempted to communicate with the presence.

"Are you Rem?"

"YES" It had answered him by smearing a message on the wall in red cherry frosting. It was there for a scant few seconds before being smeared out again, at an angle that wouldn't be picked up by the cameras. The message was for him alone: "RELEASE HIM, L LAWLIET."

L wasn't sure if he imagined it or not when he felt something brush past him but he had felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

"Ryuuzaki, are you alright?" Watari who as usual was watching on via the surveillance cameras phoned his ward.

L realized to his eternal embarrassment that he had screamed. L glowered at the crimson frosting smear. He did not take well to threats.

***

...about this at least it seems Light is telling the truth... L thought as he crouched in his candy-striped pink and red comfy chair. Unnoticed behind him the others had arrived early today.

"Ryuuzaki..." Aizawa began.

Meanwhile on the monitors that poor kid was still chained up and blindfolded. It had been days. Matsuda clenched his fist and had a resolute look in his eye that as usual went unnoticed by the rest of the team.

"Is that...?" Mr. Yagami dared to hope when he saw the vial L had in hand.

"Yes... I was considering..." L began when Matsuda lunged for it.

"Matsuda!" the others scolded out of obligation but not very hard or with much enthusiasm as the rookie made a mad grab at the vial.

L deftly caught the vial as Matsuda fell on his ass.

"W-whoa!"

But the vial was already opened. In the tussle Matsuda had somehow got the fiber of paper into his hand. Matsuda had gone pale; his jaw was straining open and close trying to string the syllables together... "That's... that's got to be the Shinigami... it's... big."

"There really is something there?" Mr. Yagami gasped. "Is it hurting him?"

"No it's just... standing there."

On the monitors Light sagged against the bonds and continued mouthing his mantra of "just gotta get through this..." Light grimaced. His muscles were constantly screaming at him from the abuse of being stuck in this position for so many days. Still he refused to show just how much this hurt.

Matsuda saw the Shinigami run its hand through his hair before glaring angrily in the direction of the cameras. "It looks... worried."

"No adverse effects Matsuda?" L questioned.

"No..." Matsuda began, and after a moment becoming slightly incensed when he realized the implications that L saw him as a guinea pig.

L sighed. "If anything happens to me after I touch the paper, Light Yagami is Kira."

Matsuda passed him the fiber.

L sat their shell-shocked for a moment. In the meantime Matsuda passed the fiber around to the others.

Meanwhile L clicked the mike on.

"Shinigami… Rem was it? Why are you here?"

Light blinked slowly (though it didn't make much difference as he stared off into the dark of the blindfold) when his sluggish mind realized that L was not addressing him.

They finally did what I suggested days ago...

Light was so exhausted in every way.

Rem glared at the camera. She had half a mind to fly up to L's room and give him a piece of her mind. But she didn't want to leave Light, chained and blindfolded as he was, all alone in the dark.

"You can see me—good. Then you know this boy is telling the truth! Release him!"

"I do not..."

"Ryuuzaki!" shouted the others.

Rem spread wide her white leathery wings and flapped into the air making herself look bigger and more menacing as she growled out "Release Light Yagami or I'll kill you."

"Rem, stop it!" Light shouted and strained against the handcuffs.

"What's happening?" The Chief demanded and then took hold of the paper fiber and saw for himself.

L was about to respond when the Chief gave a startled cry.

"Dad?" Light shouted when the mike picked up his father's screaming.

"It's a monster!"

"Dad, it's alright! I told you! It's just Rem. She won't hurt you!" Light pleaded frantically.

That would make you suffer, wouldn't it? "Of course not."

"GET AWAY FROM MY SON!" the Chief shouted.

"Dad, she doesn't hurt me! Please, stop this! She's my only friend!"

L blinked slowly at that. He had a confession but not the one he was looking for. Light was known to be very popular... he was very outgoing, he had lots of friends, he led a perfect life but now he's saying that he considers the Shinigami to be his only friend?

"You're bluffing," L addressed the Shinigami. " If you could kill me than wouldn't you have done so already?"

The Shinigami glanced at the bound boy. "Light doesn't want me to. But if you continue to make him suffer like this I will." Rem snarled.

"Rem, stop it! We're here because I'm trying to save them! If you kill them, all of this, it would be all for nothing!"

L stared down the Shinigami through the monitors. "Let Light know I do not respond well to threats. If anything happens to me Light will be executed as Kira."

"Light, they're talking about killing you!"

"Just... no. No one will be killing anyone!"

"Light…"

"If they'll just listen… it's worth it."

"Light… Please!"

"Don't worry about it," Light whispered as he drooped against his restraints "I was supposed to die that day anyway."

L bit his thumb. Now he was getting somewhere. Which day? What are you so guilty about? ...And Light has an obvious martyr complex...
L silently raised the Kira percentage.

Subdued, Rem quietly landed and folded her wings, resuming her place at Light's side.

"As you wish."

L blinked owlishly. "Can Light-kun control the Shinigami?"

"No I can't. She's just my friend, that's all."

L seemed very interested in his fudge sundae for a moment before trying again. "You didn't answer my question, Shinigami. Why are you here?"

"To protect Light Yagami," it answered bluntly.

L pondered for a moment. It seemed the Shinigami was far easier to trick than Light.

"Why? What's so special about Light? Is it because he is Kira?"

"No. He is just special to me. He is innocent! So if you keep hurting him..."

"Rem... please... That's not helping."

***

"Ryuuzaki..." The others began again as L spooned his fudge. L sighed. The Shinigami just threatened his life so why were they still taking Light's side?

"You know death threats don't go far to demonstrating Light's innocence. All we've really determined is that the Shinigami is fiercely loyal to Light Yagami."

"Exactly! If Light really was Kira he could have had that Shinigami kill us at any time!" Aizawa pointed out.

"That's right," The Chief finally found his voice, from where he was slumped in his chair. Upon seeing Light's monster pal, Mr. Yagami had spontaneously gained a few white hairs. Matsuda looked concerned as he handed him a glass of ice water. The Chief was still looking rather pale... "At least... this proves he's innocent."

"It's been a week! You have no reason to keep him locked up anymore!"

"He is still a suspect," L said obstinately.

Aizawa stepped in front of L getting pissed. "You just don't want to admit you were wrong about Light!"

"Yes... I figured you'd say that."

"Come on, Ryuuzaki! Do the right thing and let him go!"

The others chimed their agreement.

L ignored them as he considered his options. He stared at the monitors where Light still sagged hopelessly against the restraints, the Shinigami looming behind him was glaring at the camera through narrowed eyes.

Just when we were making progress... But I need answers quickly. Light obviously isn't telling us everything...