The Puppeteer

Cuffs Uncuffed

15th October 2007:

Matsuda was dead. 

"It's been about a week since I first snuck into the place. It looks like things have been moving pretty smoothly since then, huh?"

Well.. not dead dead, just dead.

As his words suggest, it had been a week since Matsuda, to prove his own worth and importance in the task force, had decided to stealthily infiltrate the Yotsuba Company building and ended up faking his own death after acting like a drunk. It was quite hilarious actually. Despite the eminent reality that Matsuda's life was in danger, the whole situation was rather funny, even L couldn't deny that.

Though other than the fact that Misa was now perfectly placed in the Yotsuba Company, if her spy services were ever required, hardly any good had come from Matsuda's extremely risky stunt. 

A lot more had also happened in the past two months that your author conveniently left out because there was nothing new to add to it and she hopes you know what had taken place, but just to recap - Misa Amane was now an actress starring in Nishinaka's new movie, the Kira killings were slowly proving to be beneficial for the Yotsuba Company as their stocks raised, Mr. Yagami, Mogi, and Matsuda quit the NPA while Aizawa quit the task force, Aiber and Wedy joined the task force, and Matsuda almost died. 

And now, L and his edited task force were seated in front of a huge screen that live-telecasted the empty conference room of the Yotsuba Group, not watching the screen itself, but rather the growing tension between the two handcuffed members in front of them.

"At this rate, if I end up dying somehow, it's quite possible that you would be capable of succeeding me."

The simple sentence was apparently enough to rile Light up. And why wouldn't it be? L had been acting suspiciously low for the past few days, and that was saying something since he had never really been a ball of energy.

"What?! Why are you being so morbid?" He almost exclaimed with disbelief, "There isn't time for that. We only have a month to figure out Kira's identity and gather evidence against him to prove it. This is only the beginning."

"Yes.." L spoke not reluctantly, but rather carefully, as though he was trying to achieve something or prevent something with the correct use of his words, "But you were the one who first noticed the connection between Yotsuba and Kira. You actually might be more capable that I am. I honestly believe you could take this on," Light could only gasp in not just disbelief but also doubt as L continued, "Tell me, if I should die, would you take over for me as L?"

In a room not very far away, yet invisible to those around her, Kiyo couldn't help but wonder - Why was Ryuzaki like this?

His distrustful and suspicious nature had not very long ago driven away a hardworking member of the already tiny taskforce, Aizawa, and despite that here he was, trying to test the character of yet another colleague of his. 

L couldn't be blamed, of course. It was after all his job to be cynical and cautious of every damn person and situation he faced, and that had now become a part of him. However, every distrustful person had that particular someone they would trust with their eyes closed, and while that confidant had once been Watari, it was now Kiyo.

L had yet to realize that the person he once suspected enough to have her house covered in cameras and wiretaps, now sat in the seat that controlled every bit of information that was handed over to him and every bit of information that was passed on from him. Sitting in Watari's chair was like sitting in the chair of the ruler of the world, like being in control of the world.