BETWEEN THE BLACK AND WHITE: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, nor the quotes that I'm using (they are all credited).

The Sky and the Sea

“Justice, voiceless, unseen, seeth thee when thou sleepest and when thou goest forth and when thou liest down. Continually doth she attend thee, now aslant thy course, now at a later time. These lines are from a section of doubtful or spurious fragments.” -Aeschylus

Light was drowning.

All he could see, through eyelids which squinted to banish blinding water drops, was an ocean of midnight water. There was no land in sight. He kicked desperately at his feet to tread through the deadly liquid and stay afloat, but there were chains on his ankles and all that he managed to do was flail violently. The weights battled at his feet and with every second it became harder to resist their temptation to stop struggling and just sink below the surface. He took gasping breaths, trying to latch on to something, anything, but there was nothing to save him.

He couldn't even scream, because that was a waste of precious oxygen. He still resisted with unwavering determination - give me my life! - but a voice in the back of his mind whispered to him that maybe this was pointless. Maybe giving in to the inevitable and relaxing would make the end a little less painless.

When Light woke up, he noticed three things. The first thing he noticed was the heavy rumble of an engine and the vibration of being in some moving vehicle. There was the unmistakable feeling of movement. It was a weightless feeling of being a passenger on a vessel greater than he was, even though he was laying still it was simply perception. The second thing that he noticed was that when he opened his eyes, he only saw nothingness, just an absolute black. This meant that he was blindfolded, he realized groggily, though he couldn't quite remember why. The third thing was that his arms ached. Without much vigor he tried to shift them into a more comfortable position, but they refused the command. Hard metal encircled his wrists behind his back - they were handcuffed there, and tightly. So tight that his shoulder blades protruded out together, sending a wave of wincing protest shivering down his spine.

His head was muddled, and he was floating in a daze. The energy in him had not yet returned, and there was nothing to power his mind or his body. So he lay there, waiting for the memories to mercifully return and offer an explanation.

"No, I'd rather not take on the Hossler case," a voice in the English language stated from not far away. Though its manner of speaking was entirely different than when it was in Japanese, right down to the rhythm and accent, it sounded familiar. After a second of thought, Light was able to deduce that it belonged to none other than L.

"It's beyond me why not," another voice in English stated, an older and more eloquent one. Frowning under the blindfold, Light placed it as Watari. "I was under the impression that you liked serial killers."

"I like interesting cases. That's all. There are no other prerequisites."

"Clearly. But historically these were the ones that you found interesting." Watari chuckled placidly. "But I suppose nothing could compare after the Kira case. I could find you a case of copyright infringement, for a change of pace."

At the words after the Kira case, Light grimaced. That was the thing that his memories had been foggy about. It was surreal, it was hard to believe. His head was aching but he vaguely remembered his conversation with L in that prison cell. L, who had just by chance uncovered the only defense mechanism that he had had left after the Death Note left his hands - a piece of the paper in his watch. Was it really all over? Had he really been captured? He, Light Yagami, who had time and time again evaded defeat through meticulous planning and sheer luck? The steel that claimed his wrists sternly gave all the answer that he needed.

"Copyright infringement, huh?" said L chipperly. "Actually, I've become increasingly interested in the music industry. I thought that I might start cracking down on fiendish teenagers who illegally download. What better way to express my patronage to Justice?"

Watari laughed again, warmly and fondly. And then after a pause, with his voice not warm at all, he said, "I believe that our guest is awake."

"I detected that, too," L responded. His language of choice then switched to Japanese as he called, "Good morning, Light Yagami."

Light grit his teeth and carefully sat up - easier said than done at his low level of energy and with hands bound behind his back. He had been laying on something similar to a couch, he noticed, but everything else was still hazy. He had been captured by his enemy, that he knew. "Is it really morning?"

"That would depend on where we are," L answered. His voice was fairly near by, an estimated seven to twelve feet away. The width of a room. What could that mean? Were they all in some kind of room together, on whatever vehicle this was? It was too large to be a car, so could it be a bus?

"And where are we?" he inquired, paying careful attention to the sounds around him. Inwardly he tried to map the area.

"It's debatable, but I would say that we aren't really anywhere right now."

If there hadn't been an intruding blindfold that would make the efforts useless, he would have glared. As it was, he sighed. "So we're over an ocean, right? In an airplane?"

"Light-kun is smart for coming to such a conclusion, but stupid for thinking that I would confirm it one way or another."

"Why not?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level and calm but worried that it sounded childish. The last thing that he wanted was to sound pathetic, because there was no way that L would ever sympathize with that. This was a man who wouldn't sympathize with anything. Light instead tried to sound reasonable. "Why am I blindfolded? I told you that I'd work with you, and even if I could see I doubt that I could get away."

"The answer for both questions is because you are smart," the detective said simply. "You should feel complimented that I think so highly of you. This is a security measure. I'm not about to take unnecessary risks with a brilliant serial killer like Kira."

Light shifted uncomfortably, his shoulders already aching. It felt as though he had never had relief from the tension that built up when he hands were handcuffed behind his back for fifty days straight, and that was months ago. He supposed that he should be grateful that at least his ankles weren't restrained this time. Slowly, while wondering if L and Watari were watching him (who was he kidding? L was always watching him), he moved his legs off the couch and onto the floor. His bare feet met with thin carpet, the short kind that was easily vacuumed. A truck or a boat would probably not have carpet in the first place, so he concluded that they really were in some sort of aircraft. Small, private jets would be richly furnished, and being as L and Watari were extremely well off financially and lived like it, it only seemed natural that this would be their vehicle of choice.

He wondered what they would do if he stood up and explored his surroundings, as well as he could blindfolded and restrained at least. Any information would help. Though he had to grit his teeth at the thought of stumbling through darkness without even his hands to balance him, all in front of his greatest enemy.

"Why are you acting so suspiciously, Light-kun?"

Light tensed. "Suspicious? What's there left for you to be suspicious of, L?" He called him 'L' instead of the more friendly 'Ryuuzaki' on purpose, though after it came out he bit his tongue for how pointless such a vituperation was. If he acted spitefully, the detective would hardly come to trust him enough to remove the restraints. It would be more beneficial to act civil and defeated, though that was a blow to his pride that he wasn't sure if he could handle right now.

L had clearly noticed the choice in name, because his tone became more detached and more cold. "You're getting defensive. I hope that you aren't rethinking our bargain so soon. I have opted to forget about the Death Notes and their relevancy once, but if I have reason to believe that you're still a threat-"

"You'll torture me again?" Light snapped, interrupting. "Like the CIA or whoever would?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes. I believe that this shouldn't come as any surprise, being as you are essentially a terrorist, you've forfeited your rights in favor of the safety of others. I hope my position is clear to you, Light-kun."

He pulled his legs up and back on the couch, suddenly feeling furious, disgusted, frightened and weary all at the same time. "It's very clear," he said roughly, laying down again. He knew that they were watching him, and he hated that, so he turned his back to the sound of their voices. Light curled his knees in somewhat of a defensive position, trying to rid himself of the horrible speculation that might have been the truth:

Kira, the only one willing to act as true justice on this rotten Earth, was dead for good. He wished that he could fall asleep, and when he woke up all would be right again.

But all he would dream about would be drowning.

“Justice is the firm and continuous desire to render to everyone that which is his due.” -Justinian

The answers to Light's catechizing were as follows: they were in a private jet, a Hermes FA6500, that was owned by L. He had rented the aircraft several times earlier in his career, but when his finances became as enormous as they were after numerous successful cases, he simply purchased it. It was registered under one of his many aliases, and because of the soundproof main area, void of a single video camera, none of the pilots ever asked questions about his work. It suited his purposes - it was spacious enough, with a few couches along walls, a television and a mini-fridge. They had laid the convict down on one of the said couches across the room, and they had done so when he was asleep - they even drugged him during the process to ensure that he wouldn't record details of the journey into his sharp, relentless calculations.

The other answer was that they were above the Pacific ocean currently, and they would continue to be so for some time. When they reached San Francisco, California, they would take a short half-hour intermission to change pilots and restock on American desserts (for L preferred these to the more peculiar Japanese delicacies). After that they would continue to an airport a few miles out of New York City, where they would transfer to L's limousine and drive to one of his penthouses, where he was planning on staying until further notice.

"Ryuuzaki, you could always take on a job from the United States government," Watari offered casually. He was flipping through a newspaper that they had picked up in Tokyo before they left, though truthfully that paper had no news to offer that the pair already wasn't fully aware of. "They have been sending in requests for Erald Coil for months, and in addition to the money they will grant you access to their high-security databases."

"I don't need them to grant me access," L answered a little sourly, his eyes staring blankly ahead. They flickered momentarily toward Light, who was asleep - or more accurately, pretending to be. He looked away again, transferring his attention to the platter of peanut butter cookies on the coffee table. "They've already given 'L' that access, even if I was unable to hack them, which isn't the case. Besides, they only want me to help them out with their crumbling foreign affairs and work in the middle east."

"That's one of the most pressing issues in the world, no matter whose side you take," Watari reminded him. "It's guaranteed to be exciting, anyway. There are entire wars to keep your attention."

He took one of the cookies, biting into it nonchalantly. "Not interested. I want a case where I can fight for justice, not try and untangle a mess of politics."

The slow, steady breathing that Light had been discharging suddenly fumbled, and the detective studied him questioningly. He couldn't see his face, that was still turned away, but there had been a definite shudder of some sort. What was there to make of that? L had dared to utter the word 'justice', and surely Light was still bitter about Kira's demolition. That is, if it had even hit him yet that he definitely lost, and knowing Light Yagami as well as he did, that was unlikely.

Watari had been talking, and L turned his attention back to him: "-though it's up to you, unless you would rather take a vacation from any detective work."

"Why would I do that?"

"You wouldn't. What I am saying is that there are jobs you should consider taking on in the meantime while I find you a more interesting case. I'll get in contact with people when we arrive and see what I can pull up." With that, Watari's attention was back at the newspaper.

Knowing that he had just been cut off due to his stubborn selectiveness, he glowered, hugging his arms around his upright knees and lowering his chin. There was one thing that L really did not like about flying, and that was that there was nothing to do that interested him. He couldn't access the internet because the wireless frequencies would mess up the plane's radios, and he couldn't call anyone on his cell phone for the same reason. Not that he needed to do either, because he didn't have a case. Though his was exceedingly picky on what cases that he chose, he hated even more not having one. For lack of better description, he could only call the feeling boredom.

He glanced again at Light, and a small part of him wished that the Kira in him really had died, so then they wouldn't have to restrain him like that. Or at least that he was truly trying to redeem himself for his sins so that he wouldn't lay there so stubbornly, as though the blindfold was an injustice. If only they weren't playing as completely opposite colors on the same chess board. Because then, L could go over there and sit next to them, and they could have an interesting conversation. Conversations with Light Yagami always promised a level of fascination, a promise that was made good many a time when they had worked together before to capture Higuchi. Even when Light had his memories before, L was pleasantly intellectually stimulated during various discussions.

As it was, the detective in L assured him that attempts at conversation right now would inevitably result in an angry "fuck you" after being denied details as to the situation. The sardonic resentment that he was the one in handcuffs wasn't likely to have healed yet. His warped sense of justice which lead to the foolish act of killing criminals independently was as alive as he was.

But eventually Kira would wither away. In captivity he would diminish, because Light's ambitions would be released in an outlet less flawed and evil. Then there would be only Light Yagami left. His hands would still be blood-stained and he would never be granted freedom, but at least he would finally see the truth.

And then they could work together, side by side. Just like back then, when L thought maybe, though it was entirely irrelevant and possibly detrimental, he might be happy.

“The true idealist pursues what his heart says is right in a way that his head says will work.” - Richard Milhouse Nixon

Light wanted to kill him.

He exhaled heavy breaths as silently as he could, trying not to clench his fists which were behind his back, there for his captors to see. The weariness from before had vanquished, and he fiercely wished that if he pulled hard enough, the handcuffs would snap apart. Then he could pull off the blindfold, stand up and strangle that bastard and the old man, too.

It was disgusting and terrible how carefree both of them were about it all. Rejecting cases because they weren't interesting. Not wanting to work in a war-zone because he didn't want to get mixed up in politics. Light wanted to retch and scream and kill. All of that, every single thing, it was all about innocent people getting screwed over by the evil wretches of the world. Whether it was a serial killer, a rapist, or a war terrorist, it was all the same. How could L be so particular amidst all of this injustice?

When Light had the Death Note, he was not particular. He took on all of the cases and gave them a quick conclusion. He didn't draw it out, he did it and it worked. With Kira incarcerated, where would wars and crime go except up, and up again?

This was not justice. How the hell could L claim to be such a thing? Perhaps his way was the more socially acceptable one, but the public just didn't know. They didn't know about L’s underhanded methods, his hypocrisies. About how he employed criminals, such as Aiber and Wedy and now himself, that he deemed more useful to him out of jail. About how he broke laws, he trampled human rights, he kidnapped and tortured. Light admitted that he too engaged in less honorable methods such as manipulation during his reign, but his ends definitely justified his means. But L on the other hand, all L cared about was picking and choosing justice - only taking on cases that might alleviate his damned boredom.

L didn't want to save the world. He just wanted to punish a few select criminals.

And more importantly than that, even if it was publicly acceptable, solving a few cases a month just didn't change a thing. To stop crime entirely, one just had to work on a more grand scale. Justice had to be a God, not an annoying guard dog that barked occasionally. When punishment is instant and applicable to everyone, completely unbiased, with no money or fame to corrupt, only then will people start to see the truth. What better divine method was there than Kira and the Death Note?

Eventually, he managed to calm down, and the weariness took over again. He pressed his cheek against the couch, holding back a sigh. Getting angry right now wasn't going to do much. Even if he engaged L in a battle of rhetoric, L would never admit that he was the one who was wrong for electing to imprison the only one who could protect humanity. Even more than that, L would never let him go.

No, somehow he had to find a way out of this himself. It seemed like his luck had run out, so he would have to rely on his own intellect. And he didn't lie to himself - he knew to expect that it would take awhile. Patience would be necessary, and he couldn't let his raw emotions get the better of him. Even cuffed and blindfolded and going somewhere completely unknown without a friend or ally, he still had to maintain a level of control.

"Ah.." he exhaled in whispered moan under his breath. His fingers, which had been broken by L however long ago that day had been, were beginning to sting again. At least they had been properly bandaged since he agreed to work with L, so hopefully they would heal properly. Unusually kind of that bastard, he thought with bitter sarcasm. He probably decided to let them recover so that I can use a computer for menial research... or whatever the hell he has planned for me.

Light's thoughts were cut into when voice from above on an intercom said, "Attention, please. We will be landing in about five minutes, so if you could please fasten your seat belts..."

Aha. So it really was a plane.

"Sit up please, Light-kun," L's voice droned. It came from very near him, so the detective must have walked over.

Light tightened his jaw as he obeyed, holding back childish retorts. Why does it matter? It'd be no loss if I died. Who cares if I get tossed around during landing? Why would you care? But that would have accomplished very little aside from give L a certain level of satisfaction in knowing that the situation was affecting him. Once he had sat up, a seatbelt slithered across his lap and buckled with a click in the center of the couch.

He listened very intently for the pilot to say more, in particular, what airport they had arrived at, what their location was. Anything, really, even the local time. However, the damned detective must have instructed him to not reveal this information. Well, how long had they been flying? Mentally, he figured that he must have been laying there for two hours at least, but that was when he had been conscious. During his sleep, any period of time could have passed. He didn't even know what direction they were going. East, west? North, south? What he did know was that the pilot has used English. So were they arriving in an English-speaking country? Or… could it be that it had been unconscious for so long that they were leaving an English-speaking country?

His stomach lurched as the wheels hit the runway. It was crude and bumpy, and he already felt sick enough just due to the situation. When it finally stopped and they had landed, he searched for the voices of L or Watari to give some kind of explanation.

"We'll be back in a few minutes, Light-kun," was all that L said. "But please do not think that you aren't guarded in our absence."

Light provided a contemptuous smirk in response.

When it sounded like they had left, he completely disregarded L's statement. He was reluctant to believe that anyone else was in this room, because how would the detective explain such a thing? If they were at a public airport, questions would be asked concerning a bound eighteen-year-old boy, and Light doubted immensely that L had any aliases that worked for the police to justify that. So he shamelessly twisted his body to the side, awkwardly trying to get his hands on the buckle of the seat belt. His fingertips brushed against the metal from behind him, but he had trouble wrapping them around the device to apply enough pressure to press the button for release.

Not that he really knew what he was going to do, even if he did free himself from the confines of the seatbelt. If he shook his head with enough force against the couch of the floor, perhaps he could slide off the blindfold. And then what? If there was some kind of large coat somewhere nearby, he could slip it over his back so that no one would be able to see the cuffs. And then... run through the airport? Try to contact someone? Who? Misa, and tell her to kill some president or prime minister if L didn't release Light?

No, L wouldn't give up Light even then. And besides, he had mentioned that Misa was also incarcerated. She was undoubtedly being interrogated by Interpol by now. The Death Notes too were probably locked away, or burned to ashes.

Damn it... He really couldn't think of anything to do, even if he got off of the plane. Not with his hands cuffed, and he had no idea how one went about getting them off. Furthermore, if L caught him while he tried to escape - which realistically was the ninety-nine-point-nine percent chance - he might go through with his other threat, to have him locked up somewhere secluded for the rest of his life. If that happened, as opposed to working with him on his detective cases, then opportunity to steal freedom was pretty scarce. The rational thing to do would be to bite his lip and stay put.

"That's the right choice, Light-kun," L said after a door had slid open to signal his return. It was as if he had been reading Light's thoughts, and that made him suppress a growl. Obliviously, the detective continued, "Watari was right outside of this door the whole time, so you wouldn't have gotten very far."

"I told you that I want to work with you to capture criminals," Light retorted with vexation that was masked by his blindfold. "That is important to me. Why would I try to escape?"

He could practically feel L's wide owl-like eyes studying him, and he knew what L was thinking: Because you are childish and hate to lose. It's possible that your immaturity in this matter is heavier than your altruism. It was uncomfortable, because the detective was quiet and he couldn't see what was going on. After a moment he heard footsteps approach him. "You're probably thirsty, so I brought you something to drink."

That was true, irritatingly so. His throat was dry and his lips were cracked. The first few days in that cell he hadn't been given any sort of nourishment, and after his confrontation with L he had only consumed a small amount. But the stubborn, cynical part of him that was all for taking over in this situation said, "You brought me something. Does that also mean that you're going to allow me to drink it?"

"Yes."

"So you'll take off the cuffs?"

"No," came the swift answer. "I'll hold it for you."

Light answered, "I'm disinclined to drink anything that I can't see or touch for myself." He knew it was stupid, and chances were that L would just shrug and leave, but he wanted to clutch his own obstinacy as the only friend he had, the only means of taking a stand against injustice and keeping his dignity.

But L didn't leave quite yet. "Why is that? Is it pride, Light-kun? Considering the circumstances, you are not proving a point, instead you are just spiting yourself."

"No," Light disagreed, even though it had been the truth. "How should I know if the liquid is drugged?"

"You could ask me," came the baritone answer. "There have been things that I've kept from you in these passed few days, however, I've yet to lie. Regardless, you're correct, it is drugged. This water contains five milligrams of Zolpidem, which is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic."

"Heh," the small humorless chuckle left his throat. "That's very considerate of you, L, to help me fall asleep. However, I'm not so sure if I'm thirsty."

"If you don't want to drink, I won't make you," L replied carelessly. "What will happen though is that Watari will give you the same drug through an IV. Since you're likely dehydrated, I thought that I'd offer before you're unconscious again, and save you a needle's pricking."

Light tightened his lips, hating L all over again and regretting with vehemence that Rem hadn't acted according to plan. But because it was better than the alternative, he smiled wryly. "You're persuasive."

"Actually, I'm indifferent." L stepped forward again, and then he sat down next to Light. If 'sitting' is what one called his odd crouching position, anyway. "But there's no reason to keep you thirsty since I don't need you to tell me anything. Are you ready?"

"..Yes."

It was uncomfortable and a little bit humiliating as a cool glass lifted to touch his lips. Cautiously he parted them, and L angled the glass to drain the liquid into his mouth. It was just water, or at least, that's all it tasted like. He swallowed, and his dry mouth relished the moisture. L lowered the glass momentarily to allow Light to take a breath, and then raised it one again.

When it was empty of all contents, the detective asked, "Is that enough?"

Light gave a short nod. "So how long do I have?" There was something ominous about waiting for the drug to kick in. It reminded him of his nightmares sitting in an execution chair and receiving a lethal injection. How long until I'm dead?

"Just a few minutes at that dosage. It doesn't matter, because the result is inevitably the same, but I'd advise you to relax."

The result is the same. Inevitably. Already feeling drowsy, he murmured, "I'm drowning."

"What's that, Yagami-kun?" L asked.

Light could only sit there in silence, as the water surrounded him. It lashed against him in angry waves, it was ferocious and void of any support. There was only him, alone and out at sea. Poseidon the sea-god himself must have wanted to pull him to the bottom of the ocean, if there even was a bottom, and hold him there until his lungs have expelled all of the oxygen that they desperately clung on to.

Giving in was easy enough, giving in and relaxing and letting go. The end would be less painless that way.

But he was Light Yagami, and his last conscious thought was that he wasn't defeated yet. There had to be a way to stay above the crashing waves, and he would find it.

“Justice remains the greatest power on earth. To that tremendous power alone will we submit.” -Harry S. Truman

The policemen who were not dead were confused and anxious as hell about their precious Light's mysterious absence. His mother, Sachiko, and sister Sayu were worried sick. The father Soichiro didn't look as though he had slept in days, but he was ignoring that tiredness in favor of determination as he ordered the police to search all of Tokyo for his beloved son. Yes, they were all impacted by his loss, and very much so.

But Ryuk didn't think that any of those humans were quite as irritated as he was.

It was annoying, it really was. Light was his primary source of entertainment, and the gangly Shinigami was actually enjoying the game. That kid had been the most interesting method of killing some boredom, and even when he dropped his second Death Note in the human world for some fun, he hadn't been expecting this. Though Ryuk didn't take sides (it was even more amusing that way), Light was definitely his favorite human ever. Hanging out with him was like a party, a guessing game that guaranteed excitement.

So who the hell was he to go disappearing all of the sudden?

It was bad enough that Ryuk's second notebook was destroyed. He had been with Misa Amane after she had dug it up from the hole in the park where Light had deposited it months ago. Then, all of the sudden, out the window he saw two cops coming. And then, he saw Rem - another Shinigami a little too glum for his liking - and she wrote their names down in an effort to save the girl. Kind of stupid, really. Not only did Rem disintegrate and transform into lifeless ash, another batch of cops came to arrest Misa. Ryuk wasn't exactly sure if this was Light's plan, because now the police had his second notebook.

And then they burned it.

Now that had just pissed him off. He went through the trouble of tricking the Shinigami king to get his claws on the Death Note that belonged to Shidoh, who was nothing but a lazy oaf. Lazy and rotting like the rest of the Shinigami world, hardly realizing that their life spans were steadily decreasing, not until it was too late. So lazy that it took them a year to even realize that their Death Notes were gone, when they noticed how close they were into becoming dust like Rem. If only Light was a Shinigami, then damn, would his own world be flashy.

Speaking of which... where the fuck?

He was not dead, that much Ryuk knew. Because Light was the first human to receive ownership of a notebook under his own name, they had a connection. Ryuk would just know if he died, just like he would know if his own notebook was destroyed. As it was, though Shidoh's notebook was destroyed, he still had his original one. And on his first meeting with Light Yagami, he had promised him that he would be the one writing his name in the Death Note when his time was up.

But he didn't want to kill the kid unless his time really was up. Had he already been arrested? A shame, if so, but the Japanese police hadn't said anything. They said that Misa was Kira, but no one mentioned anything about Light. So was he out in hiding then? Ryuk was annoyed, and he wanted to know.

Of course, there was definitely one way to find his favorite human: set a trap with an irresistible bait. Sure, Light could shield himself from all sorts of things that other humans seemed to like: money, sex, fame. However, if Ryuk knew Light - and he liked to think that he did - he knew that there was something that he would never be able to keep away from. This was the thing that he would be drawn to like a fly to honey, even though that honey was going to be his downfall.

Ryuk held up his own Death Note, and stared at it under his great, bulging eyes. If anything happened to it, that would be bad... but what else was there to do? Go back to the Shinigami realm and gamble like the others? No, he would rather gamble here.

He spread out his wings and took to the air. Now to find a human with enough guts to use it for awhile. At least, long enough to get Light's attention. And maybe after that, things would be back to normal.

If that's what you'd call it.

“If you are going to do something wrong at least enjoy it.” -Leo Calvin Rosten

-To Be Continued. . .

1. Light's "torture me again": refers to not only going without food or water in the prison cell recently, but also his treatment when he first gave up his memories - being imprisoned and immobilized when he believed himself to be innocent, as well as the mock execution that L set up with his father.

2. Light's original Death Note belonged to Shidoh, and Ryuk stole it from the original Shinigami. Ryuk still has his original notebook, though Rem's, Shidoh's, and Jealous's (Misa's first notebook) have been destroyed.

3. 'Nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic' - basically a sedative, used to make people fall asleep (can be prescribed by doctors to cure insomnia, etc). Used by L for Light so that he won't be able to register where they are going.

4. Rating may be raised up to 'M' in the future.

As always, thanks to everyone who read this, and especially to those who review. -Serria