Return of Kira

Chapter 1
Replacement


It was a dark and cloudy day in mid June. Unusual weather for the summer. But, of course, it was ungodly humid where practically every living thing outside was weezing or having trouble breathing. Except for Ruby. It was sprinking rain.
Ruby was out of school. She was out riding her bike around and around and around her block, as she always did. She decided that since she had more freetime, it was "time to shape up."
She was cycling along as normal, when something fell out of the sky right in her path. She slammed the brakes and closed her eyes as the tires squealed beneath her.
Finally, she stopped just in front of the small black object. Her eyes flew open, looked around, then down.
It was a small notebook. On the cover, it said, DEATH NOTE.
She reached down to pick it up. When her hand touched it, she felt a vibration, radiation of sorts. She gasped. Looking around, she saw no one. She wouldn't look crazy, thank goodness. Thank you weather!
She flipped to the inside to find the following to greet her:
How to use it
-The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
-You must have a face in mind when writing a name. Therefore, people with the same name are not affected.
-If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person’s name, it will happen. If the cause is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack.
-This note shall become property of the human world, once it touches the ground of the human world.
-The human who uses this note can neither go to Heaven or Hell.
-The person in possession of the DEATH NOTE is possessed by a god of death, its original owner until they die.
-If a human uses the note, a death god usually appers in front of him/her within 39 days after he/she uses the note.
-A god of death has no obligation to completely explain how to use then note or rules which will apply to the human who owns it.
-The human who becomes the owner of the DEATH NOTE can in exchange of half of his/her remaining life. get the eyeballs of the god of death which will enable him/her to see a human’s name and remaining lifetime when looking through them.


I can't believe it! she thought. This is what I've been waiting for! Ever since Kira died... She shivered at how she had first learned the sad news. How he had brutally been shot...then ran off to just die...
She looked around to check for strangers. Still no one. She tucked it into the crook of her arm and rode on home silently.
Upon entering through the garage, her mom greeted her. "How are you, honey? Did you have a good ride?"
"Yeah. Mom, I'm going up into my room, alright?"
"Ok. I'll call you when dinner is ready."
Lucky for Ruby, her mom wasn't the type who thoroughly examined a person before letting them out of her sight. She hurried upstairs and coming into her bedroom, stopped to close and lock the door.
She sighed. Her legs hurt. She plopped down on her bed and opened the Death Note. Ruby flipped through the pages. There didn't seem to be too many, but she had heard that when Kira was alive, he killed thousands. Even with small handwriting, he couldn't fit more than a few hundred in this, so she assumed the pages never ran out. All of the pages here were blank.
"I better test it out...just to make sure it's not some kind of stupid prank..."
Ruby switched her TV on and flipped to the 6 o'clock news. "Good, they're giving a live report."
The reporter at the scene was saying, "We are told that earlier prison fugitive, Thomas Osbourne, is said to be in this bank right now and is holding hostages."
Pulling out a pen in dramatic fashion, Ruby wrote down the name in the Death Note: Thomas Osbourne. Better not make it too obvious that I'm here like the last Kira did with his test... she double-checked. Then wrote down underneath his name: "One of the hostages takes a gun and shoots Thomas Osbourne in self-defense. Dies at 6:17 pm."
Ruby set the pen down and watched her watch. 20 seconds until 6:17....15 seconds...10...5...0!
The reporter put his finger in his ear to press his earpiece in closer. A panicked look came on his face. "This just in!" He half-shouted into his mic. "The hostages are all coming out safely! The police are entering now...and we are being told that one of the hostages turned on the suspect and has shot him! Paramedics are coming in...he has just been pronounced dead!"
So...it's real.... Ruby stood up and smiled darkly to herself. Look out, Near. You have a new Kira, and she won't be fooled as easily as the first Kira! I will be the new Kira...I will be righteous to some and evil to others...for the sake of a new world!


~End of Chapter~

Chapter 2
Shinigami


A few weeks later, after all the killing had begun, Ruby was sitting, writing in the Death Note late at night. She thought that she heard someone at her window. There was a slight tapping. She stood up and walked on over to it.
It was raining heavily. She stood there and watched the rain for a few minutes.
I don't know how many people I've killed so far...but I'm sure that someone out there right now is dead...because of me.
It was then that some large creature flew down and landed on her porch railing. She jumped and struggled to keep from screaming. This is...this is it! "You're the shinigami who owns this Death Note, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am. My name is Ryuk."
"Did you mean for it to go to me, or for someone else?"
"Oh, no one in particular."
"Well, I want to tell you something."
"Go ahead."
She paused, looked around, then spoke again. "I'm gonna be a new Kira."
The news seemed to shock Buwan. He perched there in silence for a few seconds, then said, "Then I have something to tell you back."
"Yes?"
"I knew the old Kira."
Ruby's eyes narrowed. "You were the one who finally killed him, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was. Hyuk hyuk hyuk!" He laughed, almost in my face.
"You aren't...going to kill me, are you?" He stopped laughing and looked me dead straight in the eyes.
"No...not unless I have to."
Frightened a little, she sat back down and began to write names again. But she always made it an accident; that way the police couldn't tell that it was another Kira. It took more time, yes; but it was safer.
After little talking, Ruby turned off her lights and said goodnight to Ryuk.

In the morning, Ruby bounded on downstairs. She had told Ryuk the night before, "I have to keep looking normal, that way no one suspects me. I have to keep going out to ride my bike, eating with the family, and acting the same, bouncy self that is me."
He had just replied, "Hyuk, whatever. As long as you keep writing names and I get apples every so often, fine with me."
"Morning, mom!" Ruby picked up her car keys and jingled them in the air.
Her mother, who was getting ready for work, asked her, "Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna go and meet Emily."
"Without breakfast?"
"We're going to eat out."
Her mother sighed. "Alright, but be back by dinner, alright?"
"Yeah, sure mom." She bounded outside to be meeted by her bright blue car. She kept it in tip-top condition; she liked it alot.
After climbing into the driver's seat and starting the engine, she smiled devilishly to herself. "That was easier than I thought."
"What was easier?" Ryuk questioned. When had he gotten in the back seat?
"Fooling my mom like that. She never really questions people thoroughly."
"Oh. So...we aren't going out to meet Emily and grab breakfast?"
"Nope, we sure aren't. We're going to apply for a job."
"A job?"
"Yes, a job. No one will be suspiscious of me if I get a job. I'm about that age, you know? I think 18 is old enough, right?"
"Umm...yeah, sure. So, where are you going to apply at?"
"Well...you see, my Dad works at the FBI, and they've been begging me to join. So, I might as well."
"The old Kira's father worked at Interpol."
Ruby cringed. Why did he keep comparing her to the old Kira, Light Yagami?


~Eng of Chapter~

Chapter 3
Decievement


Ruby and Ryuk rode along in silence a little while longer. When they finally reached Mr. Altum's workplace, Ruby parked in the back.
When she entered the main lobby, the receptionist greeted her. "Hello, Ruby! Have you finally decided to join us?" she asked pleasantly.
"Yes, I have. Look, is my Dad free at the moment?"
Caught off gaurd, the receptionist gaped, then clicked a few things on her computer. "Yes, go on in."
"Thanks." Ruby lightly knocked on her father's door, and when she heard the stereotypical deep voice that was her father's say, "Come in." she quickly and gently opened the door, shutting it behind her as she made her way in.
"Hey, Dad."
"Honey, I remembered my lunch this time."
"No, Dad, it's not that..."
There was dramatic silence for a second, then her realization hit her father: "Are you pregnant!?"
"No!" Mr. Altum blushed a deep shade of scarlet. "I'm here to join the FBI."
Mr Altum smiled. "Oh, sweetie, that's great! But, why would you want to join now?"
"Oh, no reason. I just want to get closer to you, I guess."


Part 2 coming soon!

Part 2 of Decievement

"Ok. Well, I'll have the papers filed here in a few minutes. Do you care what you get paid?"
"Not really."
"Ok, then this is easier. Come back in a few. N wants three of my smartest people, plus me to be at a meeting this evening. I've only picked two, and I believe you are the smartest of all of us, here."
Ruby blushed. "Dad..."
"It's ok, I really do mean it! Honestly!"
"So, who are the other two people?"
Mr. Altum swiveled in his chair to reach behind him and pull out two stacks of papers. "One's name is William Amane, and the other is Zatsubou. You can go and talk to them if you like." He handed the two files to Ruby.
"William Amane? You mean, son of Misa Amane?"
"Yes."
"She was a model, and believed to be the second Kira...until she killed herself."
"It is true. He is the son of the first Kira, Light Yagami. N says that that is what the meeting is about; all the criminals dying lately. He's not only smart, but I believe he'll have something to say about it, considering he has something connected with it."
"Oh...wow." Ruby put up a good facade, managing to keep the color in her face. But this was why she joined, to keep them off of her! Good thing the Death Note was hidden safely at home underneath a false bottom of a drawer. She had done it exactly like the old Kira. "I'll go and meet these two."
"You can't meet Zatsuba, he works at home. For his own security reasons."
"Ah...I see. Then I'll go and meet William. I'm glad you picked me to do this."
She closed the door lightly then looked through William's file. Yes, he was good. He was very good. And seeing as his father was Kira, then it was all the better.
She walked past the receptionist to the level that his profile said his current office was: 4A, number 017.
Oh, yes, this was going to be very good for her indeed.


~End of Chapter~

Chapter 4
William

William's office was very neat and well kept. He liked it that way.
William, of course, was not Misa's son, and she was not there to tell him. He was, in fact, her brother. He was quite young, a boy genius. Thirteen years old. Ruby wondered how he got to work every day with the FBI.
Ruby knocked gently on his office door. "Come in!" William called from the inside.
William was quite outstanding for a 13-year-old. He had dirty-blonde hair and big, blue eyes. He was sitting at his desk, shifting through some papers. He was kinda cute. An old man stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.
William just then seemed to notice Ruby. He looked up and asked, "And who are you?"
"Me? Well, I'm Ruby and--"
"No, I mean, who are you?"
Ruby was quite confused. The old man seemed to notice this and said, "I apologize. He means, what's your status here?"
"Oh!" Ruby looked back at the little boy at the desk that seemed too large for him. "I'm Mr. Altum's daughter."
"And you said your name was Ruby?" William looked back down and started shifting through the papers again.
"Yes."
"Hmmm...and what did you want to talk about?"
"If it's a little personal, I understand, but...your mother and your father." Supposedly.Ruby added in her mind.
He didn't even seem to be affected. "Yes, what do you want to know about Misa Amane and Light Yagami?"
"Well, what did you think of Kira?"
He stopped looking at the papers and looked into Ruby's eyes for a moment. Then he looked back at the man. The man returned a knowing look and exited swiftly and quietly.
"I thought he was a great person. But, of course, with him, he would put countless out of jobs, so..." He toyed with a piece of his hair and looked off into the distance.
"Do you believe what he did was a good thing?"
"What he attempted? Yes, of course. But, now that he's gone, people have started to stink again."
"Have you seen the news lately?"
"Yeah." He pushed his chair over to a shelf to his left. Apparently, he had been sitting cross-legged. He opened it and pulled out a box of Pop-tarts. "Do you want any? I can tell you haven't had any breakfast."
The words weren't sympathetic. They were all completely emotionless. Just as Ruby had heard Near talked.
"Um, yes, thank you." She opened one of the packages that she pulled out and absentmindedly munched on one of the treats.
"I eat sweets when Iyashi isn't looking." He smiled. It was so cute! "Iyashi is the man that exited a few moments ago.
"Anyway, the news has been saying that Kira has come back because many criminals have been dying of accidents lately. And they're right."
"What would you do if you met this new Kira?" Ruby was wandering far too close to the edge. But she had to know if she could trust this kid!
"I'd help keep him safe. That's why I agreed to go to that meeting your father is arranging. To see if I can direct them away from the real Kira, if I ever find him."
"Well...do you want to know a secret?"
William smiled again. "Yes."
Ruby's eyes wandered up to the video cameras in the corner of the cieling.
"Don't worry, they're just for in case something were to ever happen to me. They connect to my house, and only my house. Iyashi is a Kira fan as well."
"So, you've already guessed it, huh?"
"Yes, but I want to hear you say it."
Ruby looked at him suspicously. "You do know that I can kill you any time I need to, right?"
"Oh, yes, but I want to see and hear the way you say it. Helps me get to know what kind of Kira you are."
"Ooookay...I'm Kira."
"Good. You're a good Kira. The kind Light Yagami was."
"Ok...well, can we meet some time?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Right. I'll give you my number, that way you can call me when you want to meet."
"Alright."
Ruby quickly scratched down her number on a spare piece of paper and handed it to William. It's only been a few weeks, and already she has a partner!
Behind her, Ryuk chuckled. "Well, I'll be darned. You did what took Light months to do! Finally, find someone who you can trust. Amazing!"
Ruby ignored him. She wasn't going to tell William about Ryuk just yet.
"I'll be going now. Talk to you later, right?"
"Right."
Ruby exited and nodded to Iyashi. This was a piece of cake!


~End of Chapter~

Chapter 5
Research


Once she was home, Ruby headed upstairs without even talking to her mother. Her mother gave her a confused look when she just grunted at her.
Ruby locked the door behind her. Then she turned to Ryuk. "I want you to go and breathe down William's neck for a while...report to me every day at midnight."
"Is this an order?"
"Yes, it is. Go, now. If he tries to report me, you know what to do."
"Kill him?"
"Hell yeah."
Ryuk chuckled and flew out of the window.
Ruby sighed. "Finally...alone." She plopped down on her bed, resting for a few moments. Then, remembering that she had to keep looking normal, she got up and changed into biking clothes.
* * *
That night, instead of doing Kira duties, she decided to get on the internet to do some research. She googled "Kira" and came up with a Wikipedia page. She pulled out a pad and wrote down some notes.
Then, she searched "L" and also came up with a Wikipedia page. It gave all sorts of things about L.
"L, his real name being Lawliet, was an orphan. Born in 1982, he died at the age of 25 in the line of duty. He was working on the Kira case at that time; no one truly knows if Light Yagami was the one to kill him, as he was present when L was killed, but was not seen writing in the Death Note.
His parents died when L was at the age of 6 in a house fire. He wandered away from home, then was found by Watari. He was put in Wammy's House, an orphanage, to live until he turned 14, then decided to leave with Watari to Japan. In Japan, L joined Interpol. He quickly was assigned his first case: a man who had been killing numerous people at random intervals. In the end, L was the only survivor of his group. The rest had been killed when the murderer killed them all, then himself. It is believed that because of this event, L decided to 'shut off all emotions' and 'never make another friend.'"
"Hah! L, that fool! He had no friends, no true friends, not even on his death bed! He was a moron, and Kira got the best of him!" Ruby cackled in delight. L was always in pain, always!
Next, she decided on Near. His Wikipedia page read:
"Near, who grew up in Wammy's House, was trained to be L's successor when he died. Unfortunately, when L was killed by Kira, it was not decided who would be L's successor. His other competitor, Mihael Keehl, let him go on. Keehl was later killed by Kira. Near was only 15 when he took on the Kira case. He ended up succeeding when it was proven that Light Yagami was in fact, Kira. Near was just 3 when his parents were shot and killed in front of him. After that, he never used his emotions. He lives on to this very day."
"Not that much about Near...and it didn't give a last name, so I'm assuming it's an alias...heh. Fine. Works for me. But who's that Mihael Keehl person?" She wondered for a second, then just gave it up. "Ah, who cares? He's dead."
She shut down the window and put the pad filled with notes into the same drawer with the Death Note. If people saw her notes, they'd get suspiscious.



~End of Chapter~

Chapter 6
Near


The next day was the meeting. Ruby and William arrived early. Zetsubou was already there. He just leaned against a wall in the back.
Ruby was shocked when she saw Near. He was...tiny. Tiny for 16. Or had he turned 16 yet?
In a calm, level-headed voice, Near told them, "Hello. I am Near. If you don't mind, I'd like you to empty your bags on that table over there." He gestured to a table from his seat on the floor. There was a large dice structure in front of him. He put another dice on top. He was wearing white pajamas. His hair was snow-white, whiter than Ruby's hair. Ruby's hair was just silverish. His was WHITE.
She was glad. Shecould get at least a little suspiscion off of her chest right here. The Death Note was at home, as usual. She gave William a reassuring look. He dumped his bag, then she dumped hers.
Near stood up and lightly moved around some of the stuff, checking for things. The Death Note, possibly. But, no, it wasn't there.
But then he turned to William and Ruby. "I'm going to have to frisk you. Is that acceptable?"
They both nodded. He frisked William first. William looked a bit uncomfortable with this, but he didn't complain. He was just a child, and without Iyashi there, he seemed a bit exposed.
Then, Near frisked Ruby. It was a little awkward, considering she had on a skirt. But, it was in the name of Justice, she didn't mind.
Once done, Near sat back down, content. "You're both clean. Too clean, in fact. You don't even have guns. You're the FBI, for Pete's sake. Carry some kind of protection around."
Ruby started to explain. "Well, sir, I just joined, and William here is only a child. He shouldn't have to have the burden of a gun."
"It doesn't matter; you're to carry guns from now on. Do you hear me?"
"Fine..."
Ruby looked up at Zetsubou. He hadn't even moved. Maybe he was asleep?
Ruby looked down at Near. The question of how old he was was still on her mind. "Near, if you don't mind me asking, exactly how old are you?"
Near, not even looking up, not even pausing, replied, "I'm 15. Why do you ask?"
Ruby stammered, "Oh, I was just...wondering...heheh..."
"More like you were asking if the dice were appropriate." Zetsubou said from in the back.
"Zetsubou, this isn't your place." Near scolded. Zetsubou remained quiet.
After that, they just waited for G and Mr. Altum. Mr. Altum came soon, but G was quite a while.
When he finally arrived, G was scribbling in some notebook. It was quite obscene. When he was asked to dump his bags, Ruby noticed Ryuk enter the room. Ryuk said, "William reported you, but Near didn't believe him. Near said that he wanted to meet you first and investigate you. There are some people putting wiretaps and video cameras in your house now."
Ruby's face paled a little. She looked worried for only a half a second, but only long enough for G to notice it. She quickly put up her nuetral face again. She wouldn't let this happen!
Later on, G approached her. He said "Hello, I'm G. Who are you?"
"I'm Ruby, and I know that you want to ask me questions, so just ask them."
He was taken aback for a second, then said, "Oooh, smart one. Do you know what Kira kills with?"
She had to be the smarty-pants and pretend she doesn't know anything. "I have no clue."
"Have you ever thought of becoming Kira?"
"Of course. But that was last year. I support Kira, but he or she is a killer and has to be punished."
Oh, yes, Ruby was a smarty-pants. Ruby could see in G's eyes that he despised her for "not knowing anything." But, of course, innocent until proven guilty, right?
Now, Ruby had two enemies. Near and G. This was going to be harder than she thought.


~End Of Chapter~

Chapter 7
Crossover

That night, since there were cameras and wiretaps in the house, I decided to just go along as a normal 18-year-old should. I ate supper, then came upstairs to my room. It was neat, just as I liked it.
I got on my computer. This was sure to make Near's head spin when he finds that I'm not doing anything!
I got on a few sites and went to bed at midnight. I realized that I had to do something about William...but what?
Ahah! I knew it!
I shut off the light and went on to sleep.
* * *
The next day, outside, in a dark ally, I spoke to Ryuk. I told him, "First off, Ryuk, I need you to check my car and see if there are wiretaps and cameras in there as well."
We continued talking until about 7:30 am. We had our plan made out. It was going to be a snap! Lately, Ryuk had been complaining that he wanted apples. Of course. So, I used that to my advantage. A...reward, some might say.
When I arrived to the meeting room, I saw that everyone else was there. I checked my watch. It was 8:10. "Crap..." I muttered to myself. I was late! What kind of a reputation would this get me?
I opened the door to the main room. Everyone was there. I heard Near, G, and Zetsubou talking about shinigami and Death Notes. They knew about it all. Of course, Near, being a show-off, telling them what they didn't know and he DID.
I looked shocked. "Seriously? That's how they kill people? And...shinigami are real?" I shook my head. "Unbelievable."
I saw G out of the corner of my eye. He looked at me suspisciously. I almost smiled out of spite, but, no. I didn't want to blow my cover. I heard Ryuk chuckling.
I sat down. "Sorry I'm late." I apologized, making up a quick lie. "My alarm clock went off a few minutes late this morning." I opened my bag and pulled out notes on Light Yagami. "Now, on to business." I saw how William looked at me with those cold, blue eyes that were once charming. They seemed to soften a bit.
We continued with our meeting. Everything went as normal. And, of course, they had no evidence of me being Kira. I had Ryuk wipe out the tape of me saying it.
In the car, since they wouldn't hear Ryuk, he was able to talk. He could talk freely anywhere. Of course. Ryuk said, "There are wiretaps and cameras in the car. I also found some on your bike. They've got them everywhere."
I switched on my GPS. It said that there was a wreck on one of the streets near my house. Answering Ryuk more than what appeared to be talking to myself about the accident, I said, "Hmm...very interesting."
That night, I did as I did last night. I went to bed earlier, though. The next morning was going to be so, so interesting. These cameras worked out in my advantage!
* * *
I knew that Ryuk wouldn't die, because if something were to happen to William, it wouldn't affect my lifespan.
In the meeting room, when I entered, I said bright and cheerfully, "Good morning everyone!" Near was, of course, sitting on the floor playing with his dice. Nevermind him. He was just plain annoying. Social skills: 1 out of 10. This kid would never get real friends.
I felt the difference in me and William. We were far away, yet close. It was obvious that he was frightened. He had a right to be. A child mind like that that knew he would die soon...oh, yes, it was so deliscious! I ate it all up in glee.
"Near, why do you stack dice?" That was the cue. I heard Ryuk scribbling. It was so...great! William stood up.
"I can't take it anymore!" Even though he was a child, since Near required us all to carry guns, he pulled his out and shot himself in the head. I ran over to him.
"William!" I screamed. I picked him up. "William!" I gave him a look. The last look he ever saw. He had been triumphed! And, it would only prove that I wasn't Kira! He tried to say something, but it just came out a garbled mess. His eyes slowly closed, and he died.
"William!"
Near, emotionless as ever, said, "He's dead; don't bother."
Zetsobou, poor Zetsubou. He fell to his knees. He was speechless. He knew it was me. He knew it. He pointed his finger at me and shouted, "It was her! She did it!"
"I did nothing!" I screamed.

Chapter 8
Evidence


"Stop it, you two." I heard G say. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed in what was an attempted valiant pose. It didn't click for me. "We should check the tapes and see what we get."
"What tapes?" It was oh, so innocent! I couldn't believe it! It was working!
"Oh, like you don't know already!" Zetsubou cried. "This was all planned out! Even from the beginning!"
"What do you mean, Zetsubou?" I was trying hard to be confused; and it was actually fooling all those morons. "What did I plan? From what beginnning?"
"It's no use." Near said calmly. "We should go ahead and start planning a proper funeral for William. Then we can check the tapes and be sure of who or what killed him."
Or what? Did he know? Did he know my plan? No way!
* * *
It was after William's funeral. His parents hadn't shown up, and apparently they couldn't contact his grandparents. I saw him in the casket...so innocent. So young. It was...heartbreaking. I hated having to kill someone so young. But, he asked for it. The tears I cried were sincere. We could've been friends.
Near had gathered all of us into a room. We all looked at the monitor screens, and I saw what I did last night and the night before. Nothing suspicious, right? Nope. I did a good job.
Near sat and thought for a second.
He turned his head to me. "Would you mind leaving the room for a moment?"
"Nope." I calmly walked out and closed the door.
It was lonely in the hallway. Nothing much out there. I looked down at my glass of water. I poured it out in a potted plant and stuck it to the door., listening in. I heard Near say, "I'm just concerned that she knows about the cameras."
Then, Zetsubou almost screamed, "That's what I'm saying! I said that all along, why didn't you believe me?"
"Because you had no proof, and I have no proof. But, for now, we'll just assume it."
Realizing that they were going to come and get me. I stepped back and looked at the floor. Near himself opened the door, but instead of gesturing me inside, he stepped out. His barefeet were heard on the floor.
"Ruby, tell me." He sat in one of the beige chairs. He absentmindedly piddled with his glass of water. "Did you kill William?"
"No, I didn't." I sat down.
Ryuk, in the background, said, "Yup, that was me." even though Near couldn't hear him.
"Ok." I nearly had a heart attack. What was this kid up to? He added, "But, for now, we're going to assume that you knew about the cameras and wiretaps."
My mouth gaped. "But...but I didn't!"
"You can say it all you want, but we are going to think differently."
I sighed. "Alright...but how are we going to work on the Kira case?"
"With William gone, there is an empty space here. We need another genius in here to fill in his place."
I couldn't believe it. Near was...he was an obscene brat! Just another space to fill? What was wrong with William? He didn't even seem sad that he was dead!
"Near, you've asked your questions and given your opinion. Now, it's my turn." He looked up from his glass. "Are you sad that William is dead? Do you wish you could've saved him?"
Near, for the first time in my prescence, smiled. It was a sad smile, but still a smile. He reached over and squeezed my hand. "I do. I just don't want to show my emotions; I hid them away a long, long time ago." A small tear slipped down his face and landed in his glass with a PLINK!
We sat there in silence for a moment, just taking in the moment. I'd actually unleashed Near's emotions! I couldn't believe it...this was the greatest day of my life...so far. The greatest day of my life would be the day I saw Near in a casket. But, if it stayed like this one moment in time...for forever...then I would be sad to see him go as well.
His smile faded away. His eyes became cold again. He wiped his face on his sleeve and stood up. "There was no evidence working for you or against you. So, you're just under suspiscion now."
"I can live with that." I stood up. "Should we go back in?"
"Yes, we should." He opened the door and held it open for me.
He was eating right out of my hand, this was almost too easy!
Evidence that you need isn't here, Near. So, what will you do?
What will you do now?



~End of Chapter~

Chapter 9
Suspect

As Near held the door open, we heard a bang. Near turned his head. G shouted for him.
Near, calm as he was, just said, "Zetsubou's dead...either he shot himself or Kira made him."
When I looked inside, I saw Zetsubou...he was lying on the floor in an awkward position. It was disturbing how much chaos I'd caused...but I warned William. I told him that I knew his name and would kill him if he turned me in. He let it happen.
The blood...the brain matter there...on the floor. I nearly vomited. I remember I felt some kind of pain in my head. I started crying. "Oh, god...oh, god!" I didn't hear anything else other than my hearbeat, my silence, and my thoughts.
What...have I done? I covered my mouth. I felt the thudding deep in my ears. It seemed to echo. I broke into a cold sweat. This was worse than William's death...this was uneeded. But, nobody would freak out that I was acting like this. It was much more...messy...then William's death.
I fell to the floor. My face went pale. I managed to stammer out, "I'm going to the restroom." I picked myself up quickly and ran down the hall into the bathroom. When inside, I vomited.
Being Kira was hard.
* * *
The funeral was hard, but I managed to pull myself together. I acted like everyone else. It was still an odd sight for me to see Near in a suit. My father seemed sad, probably because he picked his two smartest people to be picked off first. He probably blamed himself. I wanted to tell him, "It't not your fault dad, it's mine." but, I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It was for the better, he'd understand soon enough.
At the task force building, everything was quiet. There wasn't hardly any noise at all. Just Near, sitting on the floor, playing with his dice, tipping over the buildings he'd make, then rebuilding them. I had to admit, it was nice to see that at least one of us around here looked cute and innocent.
Tao Matsuda joined us. Apparently, he was on the original task force, and had asked to be on here. Near had only used him to call ambulances so far, but now he was going to step back from the shadows.
I asked him, "Matsuda, what did you do on the old task force?"
"Oh, well, I didn't do much...but I helped around, you know, did whatever I could."
"What was it like to finally catch Kira?"
"Catch him?" Matsuda scowled. "We didn't catch him; I shot him. Out of anger. He let his own father die just to help him along. He even called him a fool!" He shook his head. "I'll never forgive that bastard."
"So you really looked up to Mr. Yagami, huh?"
"Yeah." He looked away. "You're the only suspect right now of being Kira, huh?"
"Yeah...." I looked down. "But it's not true." I looked up to see Matsuda staring me in the face. I gave him a confident look. A determined one. "I swear to you, I'm not Kira, I never was Kira, I never knew Kira...I have nothing to do with Kira but this task force. Whoever killed William and Zetsubou...they'll pay. I swear, they'll pay."
Matsuda's face softened. "I'm glad you think so." He turned away and sipped his coffee.
I looked back at Near. "Near, what're we doing next in the Kira case?"
"Well, we're looking at the criminals. So far, the only ones that have died are ones that are already in jail. None of them have come out of jail yet, so I'm assuming that the current Kira punishes current criminals."
"And how do we use that to our advantage?" Matsuda asked.
"Oh, don't worry, you all will see."


~End of Chapter~

Chapter 10 (OMG!!!)
Duplicate


Before I knew it, my father, Matsuda, and I were being loaded into a van. We had on our head sets. We could all hear Near addressing us all.
"Your mission today is to spy on Andrew Mason. You will report back to me every few minutes. Sooner if there is unusual behavior."
"Why are we spying on Mr. Mason?" Matsuda asked. Heh, Matsuda.
"Because he's a criminal, Matsuda." I heard Near shaking his head and a muffled, "Idiot..." I supressed a giggle.
"So it's confirmed that he's out of jail?" I asked Near.
"Yes, officially. But, he was let out on good behavior. His crime wasn't that bad, but I still believe that he may be a target of Kira's. Report back and tell me all that you find from him. Ruby, you and Matsuda will pretend to be a new couple that have just moved in."
Matsuda gave me a naughty look. I glared at him. The look my Dad gave him was worse. Near continued, "I want Matsuda to go in first and talk to him. He just moved in this week, you moved in last month. Remember that."
"Ok, got it."
"If he starts acting suspiscious, you tell me. I don't care if it's that he starts crying over his dead puppy, or threatens to choke the living crap out of you. You. Tell. Me. The van is rigged with cameras and microphones from both of your clothes. They're high frequency, so we'll know everything you say. Remember, this guy is a criminal, so be tender, but pressing."
"Got it."
"Alright."
"Now, Mr. Altum, your job is to watch the footage that we recover. If anything happens, you'll be the first to know. You react on the spot. Life threatening means that you jump in as soon as you tell me."
"And...if he's just doing somthing different, but not really important?"
"Then, you touch base with me. If it escalates, we'll bring him in."
"Ok. Works for me. Matsuda, go on ahead. But, please remember to take off your headset and replace it with an earpiece.."
Matsuda grumbled as he took it off, put in an earbud, then left the van. We were several blocks away from this guy's address. I did a check. "Matsuda, can you hear me?"
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Don't call me that."
"But we're supposed to be a couple!" I could hear the obvious distress in his voice.
My father growled, "Matsuda, is it really worth it?"
"Sorry, sir..."
I could see the screen labeled "Matsuda" turn onto the guy's street. I couldn't lure Ryuk into any more deals, so I hadn't used the Death Note in a while. This guy was clean, and Near still wouldn't have anything on me.
Matsuda knocked on the door. It creaked open. Was this normal? I was getting kinda scared.
"Hello-oo-o?" Matsuda called out. All the lights were out, the blinds shut. It was fairly dark in there, and Matsuda entered.
I yelled, "Matsuda, get out your gun!"
"Oh, right..." Matsuda fumbled to get his gun, then continued on.
It was in the kitchen that we could see again. It was all, very apparent.
On the wall, in what appeared to be blood, was written:
Mysteries deepen
Answers given
Questions asked
But the one truth never found
At least until death creeps at your doorstep
It is then that all truth be revealed.
Matsuda's main camera went black as he leaned over the countertop to look at the other side.
"Ahhh!" He screamed. The view of the wall returned, but only to be replaced by a dead body. A bloody body.
One that had a note stuck in the shirt.
"Matsuda, what does it say?" My dad asked. He managed to be keeping his head.
Matsuda's hand reached out and plucked the note. "It says...'Kira is coming for you next.' Oh, god...why did it have to be me first?"
"You wouldn't want me to have to endure that first-hand, would you?"
"No....yes."
"Oh, you're a wimp." I teased. "Get back in here, we'll contact Near."
"No, wait for me to get in the van. I want to talk to him myself."
"Alright..." I sighed. So much for he was clean. Who did this?"
* * *
"So...why did you have to wait to report to me?"
"Because Matsuda--" Dad glared at Matsuda. "--tripped and unplugged a whole slew of plugs in the van when he was getting back in. He insisted us wait to contact you, that he wanted to talk to you himself."
"And so now Mr. Mason is just sitting down in his home and enjoying the view from his kitchen floor?" Near asked with dark humor.
"Umm...you could say so, yes." Matsuda replied. I had said nothing. The two men explained it all. I guess I was the delicate flower and wouldn't be able to explain without exagerrating. Sheesh. Guys.
"Well, I would suggest you go and contact an ambulance...again. And tell them to bring a body bag."
"Sir, who do you think killed him?" I asked. "It wasn't me, you can check the tapes for that. It wasn't anyone else here."
"It's possible that this could clear you." Near said emotionlessly. He just sat and played with his dice. "But, I think not. I believe that this is a second Kira, just like the first time. There are two Death Notes in play, now. So, you're not cleared completely. We're just certain that there are two Death Notes now."
"But...sir, why do you think that?" Matsuda asked.
"Because, Matsuda, it's unlike the original Kira. The original Kira wouldn't kill someone outside of jail unless they got in their way, and to our knowledge, Mr. Mason had no knowledge originating from this Kira business. This is the first time someone out of jail has been killed by Kira, therefore, this is a second Kira, acting on their own in a way that they believe the original Kira would act."
Who was this Second Kira? They should try and contact me soon, because if they don't, they're going to get in some real trouble. If they think they can pass as me, then they're wrong. They're likely not all that smart, considering that they'd do something out of the ordinary.
But how do I find them?


~End of Chapter~

Chapter 11
Connection


After another investigation ending up with Angel Kruz dead...of the second Kira...whom I despised for making it blatantly obvious, Near decided he would use a decoy to lure out the second Kira. Like Lind L. Taylor.
He told me, "Ruby, go online and look through criminal records of those nearby. Look for mass murderers...someone we can be sure will be executed."
"Yes, sir. I'll start immediately."
* * *
After several hours of searching, I'd compiled a list of believable people to be Near.
We had Nathan Miller, Nero Young, and other masses of names...
From them, Near picked one randomly. He had said, "It's only fair." I thought it was just a bit childish.
His finger, when it landed, landed on Neo McFarland. He looked up at Matsuda and smiled. "Well." He looked at all of us. My father was a bit worried. "I guess it's decided. Matsuda, please get the New York State Penitentiary's manager on the phone. We have to arrange this soon, before anyone else is killed."
When Matsuda left the room, I could've sworn I heard him mutter, "It's like I'm his servant..." I giggled a little.
* * *
I was up in my room, arranging some stuff around. I'd bought a new poster of a boy band, and I decided to put it up next to their other posters. Since I couldn't write in the Death Note or talk to Ryuk--who just talked to me instead--I was feeling pretty normal. But my plan wasn't going away, not one bit. I was still Kira, and I was still in control of the situation.
I stepped away from the poster and looked at my entire wall. No, it didn't go there, I should move it--
The phone rang. I picked it up. "Hello?"
"Ruby. Turn on your news channel...what do you all call it? CBS." It was Matsuda. Figures. He wasn't used to the American channels yet.
"What is it, Matsuda?"
"--the one with the little peacock in the corner. Just turn it on!"
I sighed. Yup, CBS. I grabbed my remote and clicked the power button. It should already be on. Was Near carrying out the plan earlier then expected?
No...it was...
"Ruby, you watching?"
The phone slipped out of my hand. I heard Matsuda's voice squeaking in the other end none stop.
The TV screen was all black except for a white calligraphied "K" right in the center. Through a voice filter, the second Kira was talking to the public.
"I know what the task force sent to get me is going to do next. They'll try and decoy me with a criminal, just like Lind L. Taylor. You should have figured I would be too smart for this. It won't work, no matter what you say."
I sat on my bed and slowly picked up the phone, Matsuda still babbling on:
"--put your head between your knees and get a cold wash cloth to put on your neck! Stay there until you can see again, then--"
"Matsuda, I'm not about to pass out. I'm just watching this. Whoever this is, they won't fall for the decoy."
"Wait, they're saying something important!"
"Now, if you are willing, you may send one of your people to see me. I know that you know I'm not the original Kira. I laid that out in front of you as obviously as I could. I am a Second Kira."
"So it was--"
"Shhh, Matsuda!"
"You may send one, and only one, of your people to me in the Mall of America. We'll meet in the food court. I'll get up, take my drink and one item of food off, then put the tray away. I'll then go back and sit down. If it's agreed, we'll meet this Saturday at 3 pm."
Saturday...today's Wednesday...so 3 days. Hmm.
"That is all. Meet me there if you have the guts."
A news caster came on and said, "And now back to your regular show: Deal or No Deal."
I clicked the power button. It was over.
"Matsuda, call Near."
"Actually, he called me."
"Well, recall him. We need to get to the Mall of America. Soon."


~End of Chapter~