Chakra Wizard
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Yeah, I know. This one took forever, but I knew before I started this FF that the original-material half of this story would be much harder to writeU_U And what point is there in stopping now, right?xd Anyways, this one basically introduces all the new characters to the plot, however briefly for some. And the way I set it up, the next chapter should be rather short and quick to release
Hope you enjoy it
What remained of the flight passed by smoothly, as did the night, all of which I spent awake, …something Hiroto questioned me on as we passed through the terminal and made our way to the baggage claim.
"You seriously sat there with your eyes wide open all night?"
"…Yeah, why?"
He could only shake his head in response to my casual reply.
"You know, Uric, …there are things about you I’ll probably never understand."
"Hmhm, well, maybe that’s a good thing."
"And why’s that?"
"…There are things about myself that even I don’t like, Hiroto. …Anyhow, let’s just grab our luggage and head out. From what I’ve heard about this city, it’ll make rush hour in Kanto look like-"
My attempt at a joke was interrupted by a ringing sound that emerged from Hiroto’s pocket. While he pulled it out to answer it, I kept an eye out for our bags as they began loading all of the luggage which was on the plane into the terminal.
"Kobayashi speaking. …Hm? …Alright, good work. Now then, continue with our plan. …As soon as possible. We need to hurry up and get his name out there. …Alright."
"They’ve already gone through with our request?"
"Seems so."
Placing the phone back in his pocket as I grabbed the last of our bags, the two of us made our way outside, where a police escort was awaiting our arrival. We presented our badges to confirm our identities.
"Oh, there you are. I’ve been waiting out here a good few hours now. Nathan Delmar, NYPD."
"It’s a pleasure. Hiroto Kobayashi, NPA."
"Uric Atari, NPA. I hope the wait wasn’t too…excruciating for you to bear with."
"Hehe, don’t give it a second thought. Now, how about we cram these bags in the trunk and head back to headquarters?"
Unfortunately, only two of the four bags which we each brought with us were able to fit inside the trunk of the car, so the other two were set in the backseat with me. I remained silent for most of the ride, undergoing the same routine that I did on the plane. …I heard the officer question this at one point.
"Hey, buddy. …Is he always like that?"
"Hm?"
Hiroto looked in the backseat to see what he was asking about, smirking a little when he did, ...as did I.
"Inside a vehicle, …yeah, that’s pretty much him all around. …Why not ask him yourself?"
"Eh, he looks like he’s lost in thought. …Wouldn’t want to distract him."
Hiroto simply burst into laughter in response to this remark. …I didn’t blame him.
"Don’t worry about it. That’s a common misperception for those who don’t know him very well. …In all honesty, he’s probably more focused on the current situation than you and I are."
Still somewhat skeptical, he took a quick glance at his rear-view mirror, smirking when he noticed that I was chuckling softly to myself.
"I’m not quite as absent-minded as I appear, officer. …So, how long have you been upholding the law?"
"Hm? …Going on eleven years, I believe."
"…I see. I’ve almost reached my first-year mark myself, Hiroto his third. …I suppose, though, what I’m really interested in…are your thoughts on Kira."
He didn’t respond immediately, though I had a good idea of what his answer would be. Hiroto adopted a rather stern expression of his own while awaiting Nathan’s answer.
"…Well, …what else is there to say, really? Absolutely despicable, if you ask me. He claims to only kill criminals, yet the number of deaths among us in law enforcement sure as hell prove otherwise. …God knows what he’ll start doing when he finally does get rid of all those criminals. …I’m not…ranting, am I?"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, not at all. …A good, strong answer. That’s what any honest police officer should be thinking at times like this. …Is this our destination?"
"Yes sir, that would be correct. Just give me a second to pull in and we’ll head inside."
The interior of the building was quite small in comparison to the NPA headquarters, …though it was undoubtedly more lively. The air was filled with the sounds of ringing phones and yelling from obnoxious complainants, all of them ranting about their own innocence or someone else’s negligence or stupidity. …It reminded me why Light wanted to change the world in the first place. The size of the workforce was also significantly smaller, the number of law enforcers matching no more than half of those working for the NPA. …In total, I had counted only forty-eight of them by the time the office of the city’s police chief was in our sight. We entered promptly as the aforementioned official stood up from her desk to greet us.
"Ah, Delmar. Welcome back to base."
"Thank you, ma’am."
"And you must be our two guests from overseas. I’m Michelle Kaufman of the NYPD. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, gentlemen."
"Same to you, ma’am. Hiroto Kobayashi of the NPA."
"…Uric Atari, NPA."
She took a moment to examine my appearance as she shook my hand. …It wasn’t difficult to guess what was going through her mind as she did.
"A little out of touch, wouldn’t you say, detective?"
"Hmhmhmhm, well, it beats a uniform any day of the year, so far as I’m concerned."
She turned her attention over to Hiroto, as if looking for a way to relieve her of her doubts. I almost burst out laughing, …as did he.
"I assure you, ma’am, it’s quite alright. …He doesn’t have the most presentable of appearances, but he’s better at what he does than anyone else in the agency. …Our secret weapon, if you will."
"…I see. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. Hopefully, our time working together doesn’t last too long."
"…Hmhm, we know what you mean."
"Now then, why don’t we get down to business? Delmar, if you’ll excuse us, please."
"Yes, ma’am."
"Actually, …if you could, Michelle, we’d like for him to stay."
Hiroto and I exchanged reassuring looks before I explained my request.
"After speaking with him on our way here, …I think both of us would enjoy having Officer Delmar take part in our investigation. We’ve yet to see his talents firsthand, but…he does have a strong sense of justice…and that’s all that truly matters to me."
She paused a moment to consider this rather early resolve, …though it didn’t take long for her to give in.
"I’ll allow that. Delmar, are you willing to cooperate with them in their investigation?"
Nathan himself had a rather surprised expression on his face, …but at the same time, I could tell that he wasn’t about to turn down this generous offer of ours.
"…Yes ma’am, I am."
"Well then, he’s all yours, detective. …Now, how about that? You’ve been in the country for little more than an hour and you’re already putting your team together."
"Hmhmhm, it’s as you said before, officer. …The sooner this case is finally closed, the better it is for everyone involved…and everyone who isn’t."
"…Amen."
This small affair having been dealt with, we took our seats in front of the desk, as Kaufman stepped behind it and took her own.
"Well, with that now settled, …I assume you two are aware of the request we made of both you and the media two days ago?"
In truth, this was directed primarily at Nathan, …but I suppose my wording wasn’t an important issue. …Michelle apparently caught on, though, as only he answered my question.
"Yes, sir. Everyone on the force was made aware of this."
I rested my head against my hand and closed my eyes, taking a deep sigh as I shook my head in disappointment, …though not in complete disbelief.
"That’s no good. Nobody other than your chief officials should’ve been given that information, Kaufman. …Now, I’m not implying that Kira is among your officers, let alone that he’s even in this city, …but I am letting you know now that the possibility of information getting leaked is a risk that I do not wish to take. …Let’s just try to be more discreet from this moment on, …is that fine with you, Chief?"
I already knew her answer. …I was just hoping that she didn’t take my words too harshly.
"Understood. …We’ll be sure to do that. Now, in regards to your plans, what was the next step intended to be?"
"…We’ve already had a copy of the tape we made sent to every network broadcasting in New York City. …If he falls for this, he’ll know it right away."
"So, …we wait until then?"
"Precisely."
The look on her face almost mirrored the one I had just been wearing on my own. …I suppose she was expecting…more from us.
"You don’t wish to begin tallying up suspects ahead of time…or something else that might accelerate our progress?"
"…Why start digging through records in a city that we’re not entirely sure that he’s located in? ...Personally, I would rather waste time of my own accord than do so unintentionally. …Besides, …why don’t we organize our team before we start investigating?"
"…Good point. So, how shall we do this, then?"
Hiroto and I stood up from our seats as he picked up where I left off.
"Based on our reports, the original Japanese Task Force that L set up had about six members, including the detective himself. We’d like our team to be of the same size, in order to maximize both our progress and discretion. …If we could, we’d like to interview each of your officers individually to ensure that none of them are Kira, are affiliated with Kira, and that they don’t support his actions. …The reason behind these interviews will not be made known to them, nor will the two individuals we choose in the end."
He stopped at this point. He must’ve seen the look on her face and realized that she was about to question his choice of wording. …It seems I was starting to rub off on him.
"Only two, detective?"
"Yes, ma’am. Coupled with us and Officer Delmar, that makes for five team members…and, of course, …there’s you, Kaufman."
"Hm? …And why me?"
"Hmhmhm, …why not? …Strong, capable, hardworking, obviously experienced to have obtained your current rank, …and you do despise Kira, correct?"
Her face slightly reddened as compliment after compliment was thrown her way, though I couldn’t indicate for myself which one, in particular, had caused this. …As I looked at her, …I realized that she was actually rather…beautiful. Average height of about five and a half feet, long, brown hair, and eyes of a slightly lighter color, …I doubt she had been a chief for very long, since she looked to be only four or five years older than I was, which only hinted at the magnitude of her accomplishments during that time frame. In all honestly, I was now rather eager to begin working alongside her, …but such thoughts quickly left my mind, …as I didn’t allow myself to have them anymore.
"…Yes…Yes, detective, I do completely. And I’ll gladly accept your invitation to join the case."
"Perfect. …Any problems on your end, Atari?"
"Hm? …None whatsoever."
"Great, then. …So, do you have a vacant office we can use to conduct our interviews?"
"That we do. Delmar, would you please escort them to your own office, …that is, if you’re alright with these conditions?"
"…Uh…no, not at all, ma’am. Uh, if you two would please follow me down the hallway."
Approximately five hours later, …and much to both of our relief, we managed to locate two other officers among the group available to us that matched our expectations, …as best we could find, at least.
"Officers Chris Beasley and Lucius Grant, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"That is correct, sir."
"…Good. The information you’re about to receive is confidential and is to be kept between the people inside this room, as is any information you are given from this moment on, until the case you are now undertaking is brought to a definite close. …Tell me now if there are any disagreements between us before my partner continues to speak for me."
"…No, sir."
"None at all, sir."
"Perfect. Now then, …Hiroto, let them know what we’re all about."
"Got it."
Standing up from his seat as I took my own, he spent a moment eyeing our two new teammates before looking back at me. We exchanged stern expressions before he began speaking.
"We’ve just finished interviewing every officer working in this precinct, yet based on the answers given to our questions, we distinguished the two of you from among the entire group. …Now, before going on, I’d like you two to tell me exactly why that is."
As the two of us had expected, they merely looked at each other with confused expressions. …But, nonetheless, we had chosen them for a reason, …as they promptly showed us only seconds after this exchange.
"It’s, uh, …because we think Kira is a threat to society, sir."
"And you’re requesting our assistance in tracking him down, …sir."
"Hmhmhmhm, …well, that is our MAIN reason. But, coupled with your rather exceptional résumés, I’d say that the two of you are more than capable of taking on this case with us. …Are you willing to accept this task we now give to you, regardless of the dangers or the overall outcome?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Completely, sir!"
"Then welcome to the Kira Task Force, gentlemen."
The moment our team was officially assembled, the phone sitting on Kaufman’s desk began to ring loudly, quickly being answered by the aforementioned officer.
"Kaufman speaking. …What!? Already? …I see. Well, that works out better for all of us, now doesn’t it? …Thank you for the news. I’ll pass it on immediately."
The information that was exchanged in this conversation wasn’t difficult to decipher. …This plan of mine was proceeding far quicker than I had originally anticipated.
"So, I take it he took the bait?"
"Hook, line, and sinker."
"And only six hours after the original broadcast. …How stupid is this guy?"
"Okay, then. We’ll give him another hour. After that, …we play the tape. And alert all other network stations of this, as well. …When the hour passes, I want everyone in New York City to be aware that Kira is among them."
The new team assembled and my plan now in progress, I stood up from my chair and headed for the door, much to Hiroto’s curiosity.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"…Just out into town. …I’d like a front-row seat to watch my greatest performance yet."
Thankfully, this wasn’t exactly out of character for me, Hiroto merely shaking his head before turning to the other onlooking members of our team.
"Alright, then. …Come on, everyone, let’s go! We’ve got work to do! Uric, you be sure to return within ten minutes of that broadcast ending!"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …yeah. Sure thing, Mom."
I closed the door behind me just as he began to laugh. …I must have been walking through the streets of Manhattan for nearly fifty minutes before Shahim finally began speaking again.
"Hey, Uric. You’ve been walking around this little square for almost an hour doing nothing. …What exactly did you want to head out here for?"
"Hm? …What, do you not share my delight in our one-on-one time, Shahim? …I’m a little insulted."
"Hehehehe, sure. …So, you have your team now…and your first proxy’s location. Things seem to be working in your favor, ...as per usual."
"…Well, that’s only because the game has just started, Shahim."
"Huh?"
"I told you once before that no one will ever be able to surpass Light’s prowess as Kira, so the use of multiple surrogates is inevitable. …Engaging in a search for one suspect is simple. Light had no problem posing for that little charade, albeit with his memory erased. …However, as this number starts to grow, so will the danger involved in continuing this investigation, …as well as the suspicions my new colleagues will begin having that someone else is pulling the strings in this case. …And the longer this goes on, the closer they get to suspecting that that someone…is me."
"Hmmm, …rather confident in your friend, aren’t you?"
"For good reason. Hiroto's intelligence poses a legitimate challenge for my own and the fact that he knows my methods means that the slightest hint of suspicion from him would force me to take drastic action. ...I’d like nothing more than to be found out and given the punishment I deserve, Shahim, …but I will still fight to protect my existence, ...no matter who my opponent is."
As this conversation came to a close, I walked past Time Square one last time before the giant screen sitting at its heart came to life, …revealing to the masses standing before it a long-forgotten insignia. …An all-too familiar letter, …projected in Old English MT font. …I turned back to Shahim with a smile on my face.
"In the meantime, though, why don’t you just sit back and watch the show?"
Hope you enjoy itThe New Team
What remained of the flight passed by smoothly, as did the night, all of which I spent awake, …something Hiroto questioned me on as we passed through the terminal and made our way to the baggage claim.
"You seriously sat there with your eyes wide open all night?"
"…Yeah, why?"
He could only shake his head in response to my casual reply.
"You know, Uric, …there are things about you I’ll probably never understand."
"Hmhm, well, maybe that’s a good thing."
"And why’s that?"
"…There are things about myself that even I don’t like, Hiroto. …Anyhow, let’s just grab our luggage and head out. From what I’ve heard about this city, it’ll make rush hour in Kanto look like-"
My attempt at a joke was interrupted by a ringing sound that emerged from Hiroto’s pocket. While he pulled it out to answer it, I kept an eye out for our bags as they began loading all of the luggage which was on the plane into the terminal.
"Kobayashi speaking. …Hm? …Alright, good work. Now then, continue with our plan. …As soon as possible. We need to hurry up and get his name out there. …Alright."
"They’ve already gone through with our request?"
"Seems so."
Placing the phone back in his pocket as I grabbed the last of our bags, the two of us made our way outside, where a police escort was awaiting our arrival. We presented our badges to confirm our identities.
"Oh, there you are. I’ve been waiting out here a good few hours now. Nathan Delmar, NYPD."
"It’s a pleasure. Hiroto Kobayashi, NPA."
"Uric Atari, NPA. I hope the wait wasn’t too…excruciating for you to bear with."
"Hehe, don’t give it a second thought. Now, how about we cram these bags in the trunk and head back to headquarters?"
Unfortunately, only two of the four bags which we each brought with us were able to fit inside the trunk of the car, so the other two were set in the backseat with me. I remained silent for most of the ride, undergoing the same routine that I did on the plane. …I heard the officer question this at one point.
"Hey, buddy. …Is he always like that?"
"Hm?"
Hiroto looked in the backseat to see what he was asking about, smirking a little when he did, ...as did I.
"Inside a vehicle, …yeah, that’s pretty much him all around. …Why not ask him yourself?"
"Eh, he looks like he’s lost in thought. …Wouldn’t want to distract him."
Hiroto simply burst into laughter in response to this remark. …I didn’t blame him.
"Don’t worry about it. That’s a common misperception for those who don’t know him very well. …In all honesty, he’s probably more focused on the current situation than you and I are."
Still somewhat skeptical, he took a quick glance at his rear-view mirror, smirking when he noticed that I was chuckling softly to myself.
"I’m not quite as absent-minded as I appear, officer. …So, how long have you been upholding the law?"
"Hm? …Going on eleven years, I believe."
"…I see. I’ve almost reached my first-year mark myself, Hiroto his third. …I suppose, though, what I’m really interested in…are your thoughts on Kira."
He didn’t respond immediately, though I had a good idea of what his answer would be. Hiroto adopted a rather stern expression of his own while awaiting Nathan’s answer.
"…Well, …what else is there to say, really? Absolutely despicable, if you ask me. He claims to only kill criminals, yet the number of deaths among us in law enforcement sure as hell prove otherwise. …God knows what he’ll start doing when he finally does get rid of all those criminals. …I’m not…ranting, am I?"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, not at all. …A good, strong answer. That’s what any honest police officer should be thinking at times like this. …Is this our destination?"
"Yes sir, that would be correct. Just give me a second to pull in and we’ll head inside."
The interior of the building was quite small in comparison to the NPA headquarters, …though it was undoubtedly more lively. The air was filled with the sounds of ringing phones and yelling from obnoxious complainants, all of them ranting about their own innocence or someone else’s negligence or stupidity. …It reminded me why Light wanted to change the world in the first place. The size of the workforce was also significantly smaller, the number of law enforcers matching no more than half of those working for the NPA. …In total, I had counted only forty-eight of them by the time the office of the city’s police chief was in our sight. We entered promptly as the aforementioned official stood up from her desk to greet us.
"Ah, Delmar. Welcome back to base."
"Thank you, ma’am."
"And you must be our two guests from overseas. I’m Michelle Kaufman of the NYPD. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, gentlemen."
"Same to you, ma’am. Hiroto Kobayashi of the NPA."
"…Uric Atari, NPA."
She took a moment to examine my appearance as she shook my hand. …It wasn’t difficult to guess what was going through her mind as she did.
"A little out of touch, wouldn’t you say, detective?"
"Hmhmhmhm, well, it beats a uniform any day of the year, so far as I’m concerned."
She turned her attention over to Hiroto, as if looking for a way to relieve her of her doubts. I almost burst out laughing, …as did he.
"I assure you, ma’am, it’s quite alright. …He doesn’t have the most presentable of appearances, but he’s better at what he does than anyone else in the agency. …Our secret weapon, if you will."
"…I see. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. Hopefully, our time working together doesn’t last too long."
"…Hmhm, we know what you mean."
"Now then, why don’t we get down to business? Delmar, if you’ll excuse us, please."
"Yes, ma’am."
"Actually, …if you could, Michelle, we’d like for him to stay."
Hiroto and I exchanged reassuring looks before I explained my request.
"After speaking with him on our way here, …I think both of us would enjoy having Officer Delmar take part in our investigation. We’ve yet to see his talents firsthand, but…he does have a strong sense of justice…and that’s all that truly matters to me."
She paused a moment to consider this rather early resolve, …though it didn’t take long for her to give in.
"I’ll allow that. Delmar, are you willing to cooperate with them in their investigation?"
Nathan himself had a rather surprised expression on his face, …but at the same time, I could tell that he wasn’t about to turn down this generous offer of ours.
"…Yes ma’am, I am."
"Well then, he’s all yours, detective. …Now, how about that? You’ve been in the country for little more than an hour and you’re already putting your team together."
"Hmhmhm, it’s as you said before, officer. …The sooner this case is finally closed, the better it is for everyone involved…and everyone who isn’t."
"…Amen."
This small affair having been dealt with, we took our seats in front of the desk, as Kaufman stepped behind it and took her own.
"Well, with that now settled, …I assume you two are aware of the request we made of both you and the media two days ago?"
In truth, this was directed primarily at Nathan, …but I suppose my wording wasn’t an important issue. …Michelle apparently caught on, though, as only he answered my question.
"Yes, sir. Everyone on the force was made aware of this."
I rested my head against my hand and closed my eyes, taking a deep sigh as I shook my head in disappointment, …though not in complete disbelief.
"That’s no good. Nobody other than your chief officials should’ve been given that information, Kaufman. …Now, I’m not implying that Kira is among your officers, let alone that he’s even in this city, …but I am letting you know now that the possibility of information getting leaked is a risk that I do not wish to take. …Let’s just try to be more discreet from this moment on, …is that fine with you, Chief?"
I already knew her answer. …I was just hoping that she didn’t take my words too harshly.
"Understood. …We’ll be sure to do that. Now, in regards to your plans, what was the next step intended to be?"
"…We’ve already had a copy of the tape we made sent to every network broadcasting in New York City. …If he falls for this, he’ll know it right away."
"So, …we wait until then?"
"Precisely."
The look on her face almost mirrored the one I had just been wearing on my own. …I suppose she was expecting…more from us.
"You don’t wish to begin tallying up suspects ahead of time…or something else that might accelerate our progress?"
"…Why start digging through records in a city that we’re not entirely sure that he’s located in? ...Personally, I would rather waste time of my own accord than do so unintentionally. …Besides, …why don’t we organize our team before we start investigating?"
"…Good point. So, how shall we do this, then?"
Hiroto and I stood up from our seats as he picked up where I left off.
"Based on our reports, the original Japanese Task Force that L set up had about six members, including the detective himself. We’d like our team to be of the same size, in order to maximize both our progress and discretion. …If we could, we’d like to interview each of your officers individually to ensure that none of them are Kira, are affiliated with Kira, and that they don’t support his actions. …The reason behind these interviews will not be made known to them, nor will the two individuals we choose in the end."
He stopped at this point. He must’ve seen the look on her face and realized that she was about to question his choice of wording. …It seems I was starting to rub off on him.
"Only two, detective?"
"Yes, ma’am. Coupled with us and Officer Delmar, that makes for five team members…and, of course, …there’s you, Kaufman."
"Hm? …And why me?"
"Hmhmhm, …why not? …Strong, capable, hardworking, obviously experienced to have obtained your current rank, …and you do despise Kira, correct?"
Her face slightly reddened as compliment after compliment was thrown her way, though I couldn’t indicate for myself which one, in particular, had caused this. …As I looked at her, …I realized that she was actually rather…beautiful. Average height of about five and a half feet, long, brown hair, and eyes of a slightly lighter color, …I doubt she had been a chief for very long, since she looked to be only four or five years older than I was, which only hinted at the magnitude of her accomplishments during that time frame. In all honestly, I was now rather eager to begin working alongside her, …but such thoughts quickly left my mind, …as I didn’t allow myself to have them anymore.
"…Yes…Yes, detective, I do completely. And I’ll gladly accept your invitation to join the case."
"Perfect. …Any problems on your end, Atari?"
"Hm? …None whatsoever."
"Great, then. …So, do you have a vacant office we can use to conduct our interviews?"
"That we do. Delmar, would you please escort them to your own office, …that is, if you’re alright with these conditions?"
"…Uh…no, not at all, ma’am. Uh, if you two would please follow me down the hallway."
Approximately five hours later, …and much to both of our relief, we managed to locate two other officers among the group available to us that matched our expectations, …as best we could find, at least.
"Officers Chris Beasley and Lucius Grant, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"That is correct, sir."
"…Good. The information you’re about to receive is confidential and is to be kept between the people inside this room, as is any information you are given from this moment on, until the case you are now undertaking is brought to a definite close. …Tell me now if there are any disagreements between us before my partner continues to speak for me."
"…No, sir."
"None at all, sir."
"Perfect. Now then, …Hiroto, let them know what we’re all about."
"Got it."
Standing up from his seat as I took my own, he spent a moment eyeing our two new teammates before looking back at me. We exchanged stern expressions before he began speaking.
"We’ve just finished interviewing every officer working in this precinct, yet based on the answers given to our questions, we distinguished the two of you from among the entire group. …Now, before going on, I’d like you two to tell me exactly why that is."
As the two of us had expected, they merely looked at each other with confused expressions. …But, nonetheless, we had chosen them for a reason, …as they promptly showed us only seconds after this exchange.
"It’s, uh, …because we think Kira is a threat to society, sir."
"And you’re requesting our assistance in tracking him down, …sir."
"Hmhmhmhm, …well, that is our MAIN reason. But, coupled with your rather exceptional résumés, I’d say that the two of you are more than capable of taking on this case with us. …Are you willing to accept this task we now give to you, regardless of the dangers or the overall outcome?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Completely, sir!"
"Then welcome to the Kira Task Force, gentlemen."
The moment our team was officially assembled, the phone sitting on Kaufman’s desk began to ring loudly, quickly being answered by the aforementioned officer.
"Kaufman speaking. …What!? Already? …I see. Well, that works out better for all of us, now doesn’t it? …Thank you for the news. I’ll pass it on immediately."
The information that was exchanged in this conversation wasn’t difficult to decipher. …This plan of mine was proceeding far quicker than I had originally anticipated.
"So, I take it he took the bait?"
"Hook, line, and sinker."
"And only six hours after the original broadcast. …How stupid is this guy?"
"Okay, then. We’ll give him another hour. After that, …we play the tape. And alert all other network stations of this, as well. …When the hour passes, I want everyone in New York City to be aware that Kira is among them."
The new team assembled and my plan now in progress, I stood up from my chair and headed for the door, much to Hiroto’s curiosity.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"…Just out into town. …I’d like a front-row seat to watch my greatest performance yet."
Thankfully, this wasn’t exactly out of character for me, Hiroto merely shaking his head before turning to the other onlooking members of our team.
"Alright, then. …Come on, everyone, let’s go! We’ve got work to do! Uric, you be sure to return within ten minutes of that broadcast ending!"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …yeah. Sure thing, Mom."
I closed the door behind me just as he began to laugh. …I must have been walking through the streets of Manhattan for nearly fifty minutes before Shahim finally began speaking again.
"Hey, Uric. You’ve been walking around this little square for almost an hour doing nothing. …What exactly did you want to head out here for?"
"Hm? …What, do you not share my delight in our one-on-one time, Shahim? …I’m a little insulted."
"Hehehehe, sure. …So, you have your team now…and your first proxy’s location. Things seem to be working in your favor, ...as per usual."
"…Well, that’s only because the game has just started, Shahim."
"Huh?"
"I told you once before that no one will ever be able to surpass Light’s prowess as Kira, so the use of multiple surrogates is inevitable. …Engaging in a search for one suspect is simple. Light had no problem posing for that little charade, albeit with his memory erased. …However, as this number starts to grow, so will the danger involved in continuing this investigation, …as well as the suspicions my new colleagues will begin having that someone else is pulling the strings in this case. …And the longer this goes on, the closer they get to suspecting that that someone…is me."
"Hmmm, …rather confident in your friend, aren’t you?"
"For good reason. Hiroto's intelligence poses a legitimate challenge for my own and the fact that he knows my methods means that the slightest hint of suspicion from him would force me to take drastic action. ...I’d like nothing more than to be found out and given the punishment I deserve, Shahim, …but I will still fight to protect my existence, ...no matter who my opponent is."
As this conversation came to a close, I walked past Time Square one last time before the giant screen sitting at its heart came to life, …revealing to the masses standing before it a long-forgotten insignia. …An all-too familiar letter, …projected in Old English MT font. …I turned back to Shahim with a smile on my face.
"In the meantime, though, why don’t you just sit back and watch the show?"
- The End -
