-1Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, I take that back, I own the made-up, and don’t judge her, I promise she won’t stick around too long as a major character!

Note: This fiction goes at a much slower pace than my previous one-- “I won’t Fight Without You” If you’ve read it, but I assure you, there will be plenty of yaoi-ness later, this is pretty much just to introduce Mizuki and so the shock of L’s not dying can die off…. Hahaha…. Yeah. Anyway, here you go!

There lay the super-detective, L Lawliet in his adversary, Kira, Yagami Light’s arms. Light was glaring at him evilly as his eyes slid shut. L was dead. Kira had won. Suddenly, the door at the back of the room slammed against the wall, “RYUZAKI!” A girl, who looked oddly like L, ran forward, something clutched to her chest. “Move it, loser!” She kicked Light out of the way and knelt over the detective. “I swear, if you die on me now, I’ll hack your body to pieces and eat ‘em!” She snarled, tearing his shirt off, “Somebody keep track of his pulse!” She ordered, and Matsuda, always eager to help, jumped forward and held L’s wrist in his hand, “With sugar AND salt!” She tightened her grip on the objects she held and shouted, “Clear!” She thrust her hands down, and it was now clear what she held. The paddles that were so often seen on the big screen. Defibrillators. The body jumped as electricity shot through it, “Clear!” She did it again.

“I think I’ve got something!” Matsuda announced proudly. The girl reached her hand out and touched L’s neck lightly.

“Almost there, buddy. Don’t give up on me yet.” She took in a sharp breath, then shocked him one last time. This time, however, the body didn’t crash back into the ground, but rather, continued upward into her arms. L was now sitting up, coughing into this strange girl’s shoulder.

No, it can’t be… He can’t be alive… The death note…. He should be long gone! Beyond return! Light stared on, taking a few steps back.

“Mizuki….chan?” L looked up into her cold, black eyes, “Thank you,” With this. he fell back down to the ground.

“Ryuzaki!” The chief blinked in horror.

“It’s alright, he’s just asleep.” Mizuki stood up, flipping midnight-black hair out of her eyes, “I’m just glad he’s okay.” She glared over at Light with eyes that clearly said, I know something. She lifted L’s body, not bothering to spare a glance toward the task force, who all stared at her, gaping, as if they’d just seen an alien, or, at the very least, a ghost. “I think it’s best to let him sleep for now. He hasn’t really gotten muych rest since this whole case started, but I think it would be good if you all stayed here.” She said softly, “I’m almost certain Ryuzaki will have a few things to say when he wakes up again.” She carried him over to the couch and set him down so his head rested on the armrest, then climbed up onto it herself and settled in, sitting just as L had, only she wrapped her arms around her knees rather than resting her hands on her kneecaps.

“Um… Mizuki-san.?” Matsuda asked, as they all took seats.

“Yes, Matsuda-san?”

“If you don’t mind my asking… Who ARE you?”

She yawned, and, as though she hadn’t heard the question, picked up a neglected slice of cheesecake and a fork from the table, “Obviously, I’m Mizuki.” She stated, then, taking a bite, she added, “I suppose you could say I’m sort of… L’s back-up. Well, and his chef too.” She swallowed thoughtfully, “I’ve helped him out with several cases, and he trusts me quite a bit. He requested that I come here when he first had the building made, and I’ve since remained hidden in a secret room that leads into the kitchen. From there, I can monitor everything that’s going on at the moment, as well as contact Watari if necessary. Haven’t you ever wondered where he got all those sweets from, and how he knew they were ready?” She pointed to herself proudly, taking another bite, swallowing, and licking the remnants of frosting from her lips, “I, however, was not introduced to you, just in case something like this were to happen. In other words, if L were t suddenly have a heart attack, I would be right here to save him.”

They all watched her in amazement. “Wait, doesn’t he trust us?!” Matsuda argued, “Doesn’t he trust us too?!”

“He trusts the task force, yes, but he does not trust Yagami Light, Amane Misa, or that stupid shinigami.” She replied, seeming rather bored with the whole situation.

“Fifty percent…” Came L’s voice as he sat up slowly.

“What?” Light blinked, watching as the man bent over and dragged something out from underneath the couch, then stood up, in his usual hunched-over form and walked to Light.

“Sorry, Light-kun.” He grabbed Light’s right hand forcefully and clicked a handcuff into place, then put one on his own wrist. Light recognized it immediately. It was the same chain that had bound him to L just a few days ago. “fifty percent is too much of a risk. I’m going to have to watch you constantly again.”

“Ryuzaki, how can you just-” The chief began, but was quickly cut off.

“I have my reasons, Yagami-san.” L replied quietly.

Light glowered at him, “This is ridiculous, Ryuzaki, I’m NOT Kira!”

“Perhaps, Light-kun…” The man sat down beside Mizuki again, and it instantly became a rather comical sight. The two looked like twins, sitting side-by-side like that. “Or perhaps you are Kira. I won’t be taking any more chances.”

Mizuki sighed deeply, Great. Mr. I’m the world’s three top detectives so I can be a total ass all I want has reared it’s head again. He snaps so easily, even though he looks so calm… Oh well. I’m not sticking around to see this end. “Shall I go find the shinigami?”

“No, bring Watari down here first.”

“Of course.” With this, she disappeared up the stairs, and soon all was silent again.

“Ryuzaki, what made you suspect Light again? I thought we had determined-”

“That Kira’s power could be passed from person to person, not that Light-kun wasn’t a suspect.” L finished the chief’s sentence for him and picked up Mizuki’s half-eaten cake and her fork. “He never ceased to be a suspect, the possibility of him being Kira simply decreased greatly, so I thought it was safe. But the way he looked at me…” He took a bite of the cake thoughtfully, then added, “It said, ‘I’ve won, L. Kira has prevailed, as I always knew I would. You lose. Goodbye.’”

Does he have the ability to read minds? That’s almost exactly what I was thinking! Light thought, slightly taken aback, though he didn’t show it.

No further questions were asked about that topic. Nobody wanted to question him when he was in super-detective mode. [A/N: It might seem like I’m anti-L at this point, but I assure you, I ADORE him, everything about him. I’m simply telling it like it is. There were a few minutes of silence, in which the only noises that could be heard were the clanking of the chain as L brought forkfuls of cake from the plate to his mouth, and the scraping of metal on glass. Eventually, there was thudding on the stairs announcing Mizuki’s return, and everyone’s heads turned to see her standing at the bottom of the steps, holding Watari in her arms, wearing a grim expression. “I found the shinigami.”

“Oh? And where was she?” L questioned, licking the remnants of white frosting from the fork.

“Behind Watari. She disintegrated, apparently.” She walked further into the room and set the deceased man down beside L on the couch, then pulled out a black notebook, which everyone in the room instantly recognized as a Death Note. “Your name and Watari’s were written in here. Your actual names. So it must’ve been her that killed you. The handwriting matches the rest of the entries…” She said softly.

“Wait, how do you know Ryuzaki’s name?” Light asked curiously.

She blinked, staring at him as if he were a rainbow unicorn, “I told you before, he trusts me!”

“That’s not entirely true, Mizuki-chan. I never told you my name.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, whatever. I made a game out of guessing at it, and you told me when I was right, same thing, wiseass.”

L, choosing to ignore this comment, added, “We’re the only two currently alive that know the other’s true name.” He paused, then looked up at her, “Can you destroy that page please?”

She grinned, “Of course I can.” She tore the very first page of the death note out and crumpled it up, stuffing it into the pocket of her jeans, then tossed the book to L, and returned to the kitchen, presumably to go burn the page in her room.

L sighed, then turned to the task force, “You may all leave now.” Then, in a mocking tone, he added, “Except of course, Light-kun.” He jiggled the chain, smiling with fake innocence. He was unfazed by the cold glare that Light shot him.

“Ryuzaki, if you don’t mind my asking… What are you going to do with Watari’s body?” Matsuda questioned, nodding to the body that lie beside L.

“I’ll ask Mizuki-chan to bury him.” He replied, sparing a somewhat sad glance toward Watari. With this, the task force filed out of the building, leaving Light and L sitting alone in the room.

“Ryuzaki?”

“Yes, Light-kun?” L reached for a cookie.

“How do you know Mizuki isn’t Kira? Isn’t it possible? If Kira needs a name and a face, and she knows both of those things about you, she could easily-”

“No, Light-kun. Mizuki-chan is definitely not Kira. She would never try to kill me, and even if she did, she could have done it sooner. Why wait until now? Even if that had been her, she’d have no reason to then save my life. He peered at Light through locks of jet-black hair, “And besides which, as she’s told me on several occasions, she owes her life to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been in quite a few… Near-death situations… Suicide attempts,. If you will, granted it’s not that often anymore, but-”

“How can you trust someone like that? Someone so… So…. Unstable?” Light asked, and L detected a small amount of jealousy in his voice.

“She is not unstable, Light-kun, she’s a very level-headed individual. In fact, there have been times when I’ve wondered if she’s smarter than I am, and she thinks very logically, for the most part. She simply has some bad memories that drive her literally insane.” He stated defensively, “Light-kun, if I didn’t know better, I would say you were just framing Mizuki-chan to prove your own innocence.”

“What? No, Ryuzaki, I’m just curious…”

Mizuki stepped back into the room an evil aura radiating from her body as she snarled, “That’s enough, Light-kun.” She glared at L, “And you too, Ryuzaki-kun.” She sighed in an obvious attempt to calm her nerves, “I’ll be upstairs. I guess I’ll take Watari’s position.”

“Alright Mizuki-chan.” L replied quietly, “I’m sorry.”

A smile crept across her face, “Aww, you know I could never stay mad at you. It’s okay. Just don’t tell him anything else or it’ll be YOU hanging from the noose!”

For the first time, Light heard a chuckle coming from… L?! How did that happen? “Ah, Mizuki-chan, I’m so scared!”

“You’re an ass.” She snarled, though a betraying grin made it’s way across her face as she went up the stairs.

Light watched her leave, then asked, “Ryuzaki?”

“Yes, Light-kun?”

“How can I get you to trust me?”

“By not being Kira.” L replied cautiously, glancing over at him, “I thought we discussed this before, Light-kun.”

Light looked at him, his face tinged with false sorrow, “I thought we were friends… Don’t friends trust each other?”

“That may be true with most people, Light-kun, but still can’t trust you just yet. Not many people share my lifestyle.” He said softly, then stood up and began to walk toward the computers. He stopped when the chain’s slack ran out, “Light-kun, I would like to get some work done.” L gave a gentle tug on the chain. When Light didn’t move, he said, “NOW Light-kun.” Light remained in his seat, so L took a different approach, “Light-kun, the sooner we catch the original Kira, the sooner I can trust you.”

Light glared at him, Like I want your trust! He stood nonetheless, “Alright Ryuzaki.” He followed the hunched-over man to the computer desk and the two sat in their usual chairs.

“Light-kun?” L began to stack sugar cubes in a pyramid shape thoughtfully.

“What is it, Ryuzaki?” Light asked, a bit snappishly.

“You seem to be sulking. Are you upset that I’m still alive?” He questioned, looking over at the teen.

“No, that’s not it. I guess I’m a little tired.”

“Would you like to go to bed Light-kun?”

Light blinked and glanced at him, “You’re being generous today, Ryuzaki.”

L plucked the top sugar cube off of the tower and crunched down on it. Light winced, wondering how such a disgusting act could be done with a straight face. “You won’t be able to concentrate if you’re tired… And, I’m a bit fatigued myself.”

Light stared at him in shock, “But you’re never tired! You never sleep for more than five minutes!”

“The day’s events have worn me out, Light-kun.” L stated, standing up, “Now let’s go to bed.”

“Sure…” With this said, they went to their room in silence.