Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

“I am Lind L Tailor, more commonly known as “L”, the sole person able to mobilize police in every country worldwide. Criminals have been the target of a killing spree, which have turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. “kira” as the perpetrator is commonly called, will be caught. I guarantee it. Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you’re doing this, but what you are doing is EVIL!”

“I know.”

It was the first thing the teenager had said. He had been sitting in the darkness, just staring at the glowing screen. Raito’s head was always in a chaotic turmoil, analyzing information desperately through the pain. But it was so hard, his brain seemed to be covered with an angry static. He couldn’t think straight, couldn't focus. He had to do it, even if it was hard he had to find and eliminate all possibilities. It was the only way. Raito knew this ‘Lind L. Tailor’ wasn’t the true L, He was a decoy. There was no doubt that this was a way of finding his location. L wouldn’t risk an innocent person's life though, so this had to be a criminal, most likely one on death row. If that was so, then Lind could be him. It was a small chance,  but this was the only opportunity.

Reaching out with his aura, Raito focused it around Lind L tailor. Lind’s breath caught in his throat and clutched his chest in pain. Raito stared intently, silently analyzing as the the life left the criminals eyes. After a brief a brief moment, Lind crumpled over the podium, unmoving.Raito felt the urge to scream in frustration. Dammit. As men dragged the lifeless corpse away, he had foolishly prayed for release. The criminal's death had achieved nothing more than the other hundreds had. There was no freedom, nothing. It was back to square one for them, and another day trapped in this nightmare. It was another crushing failure.

"I'm sorry." Raito's voice cut through the silence. God, how could he, a child prodigy, a genius, be such a failure. His thoughts buzzed around his head like angry wasps. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"You're too hard on yourself, kiddo."

Raito's head snapped up at the voice. There sat Ryuk. The man was sitting on Raito's bed, with one leg dangling off the side, swinging slowly back and forth. Black, spiky hair framed his scorched cheeks, which were spread wide by his grin.

Raito sighed in annoyance. "What do you want Ryuk?"

"What? Two chums can't have a nice conversation?" He pouted mockingly.

"Don't lie, the only reason you're still here is for entertainment."

Ryuk put his hand on his chest. “Ah, you know me so well Raito!”

Raito glanced away from Ryuk, something was distracting him from his conversation. There was an annoying buzzing sound...

Oh.

L was still talking. No matter, he had work to do.

Ryuk’s dry laughter filled the room.“Looks like L’s on your trail kid!”

Raito raised an eyebrow. “And I should care, why? He has nothing to convict me with, they couldn't kill me if they tried. But... If he does get close, and my back is to the wall, I won't hesitate. They come first, always. You should know that by now, Ryuk. Poor L is going to find out soon that this will be a very long wild goose chase. After all, I have nothing but time.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The task at hand.

I was so hungry, it gnawed at my stomach, begging, demanding my attention. My hunger is one of the only things that Earns it. Hunger was, in itself, rather boring. But if you live like me, the adventures to relieve it, are. Because when you are too poor to live in a home or buy food, you steal it. God's be damned if I beg like a waste of air. My clothes were ratty and had tears, but I can't afford to buy new ones. In fact, I prefer stealing to buying, I hate being bored.The danger was exciting, and the risk of being caught, and then reaping my reward.

***

Soichiro was so tired. It was hard to believe it, so many lives gone, in just a month. Even worse, kira lived in the kanto region of japan, their home. The dark figure ‘Watari’, was standing by the table in the back of the room.. His arms were relaxed on it, and in between them,was the same laptop he had used when the met for the first time. The gothic letter L shone brightly on the screen. L had been completely silent, not saying anything so far. Mogi finished with the calls reports, which had provided no additional information. The chief nodded his head towards him.

“Alright, onto the victim reports.” He said

Mogi flipped to the right document, and cleared his throat.

“Upon further investigation, we have confirmed that information on the heart attack victims, was in fact available immediately prior to their deaths. So far, a total of 287 criminals have died from Kira. Something to be noted, is that almost all of these criminals were from a gang, the mafia, or committed murder.  All these deaths have happened at random times throughout the day, but a significant decrease of deaths occurs on weekdays, between the hours eight am and 3 pm. Most victims were in japan, but some were scattered across other countries. Even then, many have been in Japan at least once.  All of these victims were male as well." He reported, before sitting down.

"Hm. so that’s all the reports for today… Next, if you’ve noticed anything, or have a question, go ahead.” the chief said.

Matsuda raised his hand “Here sir.”

“Yes, matsuda?”

"This is in no way meant to give credit to Kira. But, well, in the past few days there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of violent crimes committed worldwide, especially in japan.” Matsuda stammered out nervously.

“Well, I suppose that’s only to be expected, considering... Anyone else?” when he was only met with silence, Soichiro turned towards the laptop.  “So I guess that’s all for today's meeting, L”

Everyone snapped to attention, refusing to look away from the laptop when L spoke for the first time that day. His voice echoed throughout the completely silent room.

“Thank you. I feel like we’re getting a little closer.”

***

All of the stress from earlier faded as his wife's arms enveloped him in a hug. Soichiro could hear the quick thumping of footsteps as sayu ran down the stairs; soon after he felt his daughter's arms wrap around him as well.

“Hi dad!” sayu giggled.

Sachiko and Sayu finally surrendered, and let go. Mother and daughter went into the kitchen, giggling the entire way. Souichiro could hear sayu say something muffled in the other room about being able to “eat the entire kitchen.” With an amused shake of the head, he kneeled down and began to take off his shoes.

Raito's voice cut through the quiet room."Welcome home, dad."

His head snapped towards the door, sure enough there was Raito. He stood in the doorway, with one hand resting on the frame.  In the back of his mind, Soichiro wondered how Raito could sneak up on him, when no one else could. He was a trained detective, he could hear even the smallest noise behind him. Somehow though, his son always managed to surprise him. He dismissed it as his fatigue getting to him; he let out a sigh of exhaustion, before turning back to his shoes.

"Yeah, finally." He said.

The chief never noticed his son's eye's flash. Briefly turning into black pits, showing no life except for two glowing white irises.

Chapter Text

I found it on a hot spring day. It was a decrepit warehouse, that sat alone on a sea of scorching concrete. I had found it by sheer luck, by encountering a truck filled with food. Most importantly, it more than likely had apples. Apples that I would consume with the sweet taste of victory. I'm going to strike tonight.

***

Raito typed furiously, staring at the computer screen unblinking. His father's files were child's play to hack into. He had done so for a very long time now. Analyzing the names of the criminals; the names rushed into his mind. Tsugumi Ohba: arson, not a suspect. His eyes scanned the names, rushing over them before pausing. Murasakiiro Otoko: murder. Raito paused, and clicked on the profile. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw Murasakiiro’s victims, five children, between the age of five and thirteen.

The murderer was sentenced to life in prison, but Raito thought that was too kind. He deserved to drown in fear, while seeing their faces when be took his last breath. Raito scribbled the criminal's name into his notebook, writing 'suspect' next to it. The words were written harshly, and the paper was almost torn. He didn't notice how tightly he was holding the pencil, until it snapped in half. The teen dropped the pieces on his desk with a sigh, and forced himself to calm down. Raito breathed in, and breathed out.

Calm down Raito! He thought. You will take care of him, then he can't hurt anyone ever again.

Yes, Okato wouldn't hurt anyone. Not after Raito was done with him.

He grinned maliciously. I see you, monster.

His aura was gripping Otoko Murasakiiro's heart tightly. He was going to make this painful. Raito slowly began to crush, as pure fury filled his head.

You did this. You did this. You did this.

"Raito."

The familiar voice snapped him out of his intense concentration; his aura let go of Otakos heart. What was supposed to be a slow and painful death, was cut short by a heart attack. He thought Otako deserved so much worse, he was a suspect after all. Raito wasn't too upset though, after all they come first. He turned to look at her.

"Kaida? What's what's the matter?" Raito asked.

The seven year old looked up at him, the only part of her face not hidden was below her nose. She was trapped behind a eyeless porcelain mask, but she emitted a deep, dark sadness. Sadness Raito knew he wouldn't be able to erase, until he found him. Until then, tear tracks that couldn't be wiped away would stain her cheeks.

She said nothing, instead raising her arms as a silent request to be picked up. Raito complied, and scooped the small girl In his arms. He sat on his bed; he earned a small annoyed grunt from kaida, from the landing of the small fall. She settled herself on his lap, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm sad, because Izumi's sad." Kaida said.

What Kaida had said tore at him, because she never admitted she was sad. She always hid it under grumpiness. Never admitting she had a weak spot. But now...

"Why is Izumi sad?" He asked, carefully making sure he didn’t show his own grief.

"Izumi's really scared, he doesn't want the bad man to hurt him again. Don't you dare tell anyone this, but... I'm scared too. He needs Goldy, he always used to snuggle with him when he was sad. I can't go in there again Raito, I can't."

Raito ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't worry kiddo, I'll get him."

With one grateful smile, Kaida was gone.

***

Raito slung his school bag over his shoulder, making sure the key was secure. He made a beeline to the front door. He only paused at the living room dining table. On it sat a flower vase full of daisies; Raito plucked one of the flowers from it. He secured it gently on an open outside pocket of his bag. He didn't bother calling Ryuk, he knew that he would follow him anyway.

Just as he predicted, the minute he stepped onto the pavement the spirit was right next to him. His soot covered worn down shoes stepped on the sidewalk without making a sound.

“Well kid, where are we headed?” He asked.

Raito sighed. Ryuk would throw a fit if he didn’t reply, but there were a few people walking on the sidewalk too. Perhaps the noise would be enough?

He decided to risk it, and whispered. “I’m going to the Sanctuary.”

Ryuk hummed contentedly, but stayed silent. He had learned very quickly that the topic was a sore one for Raito. Although he loved to get a rise out of him, he never did go there, something Raito was eternally grateful for. Just thinking about it formed a ball of frustration in his throat, Primal despair threatened to take over his mind, as he recalled that horrible event.

Stay calm. He thought. Stay calm.

It was so hard to listen to his mind when he saw it. It was hidden behind thick trees in the woods. Raito had stumbled upon it, amazingly enough. He had just wanted a place to hide, then he discovered the shed. It was very worn down and covered with dirt, it was completely forgotten by the world. It had been a fixer upper, of course. It had also been a pleasant challenge; Raito rarely had one, so he jumped at the chance. He had done a good job, He mused to himself.  Now it had broke down a bit from the lack of care for weeks, but all in all, It was livable. It was much better quality than the original had been.

Raito gazed at the sign nailed above the door. Childish Bright and colorful letters of every color decorated the plank of wood. The words Daydream Sanctuary, stood out in an otherwise bland building. A small tired smile grazed Raito’s lips, remembering how much they had fought over the color of the text. He sat them all down, and made them compromise before they destroyed the entire building. So now it was every color of the rainbow.

"So this is home sweet home, eh?" Ryuk commented.

Raito tore his gaze away from the sign. "Not... not anymore."

He stopped in front of the wooden door, and hesitated. Sudden fear swept over him, clouding his mind. What if it happened again? He swallowed down the lump in his throat. He wouldn't come back, he had no reason to. Even if he did, Raito and the children would deliver cold hard justice.

Pushing down his fear, Raito unlocked the door. It opened with a slow creak, and the light partially unveiled the inside of the shed. Dust covered everything as a result of over a month of neglect. A single candle sat on the small table, long since extinguished. Around it sat four small wooden stools, and above was a square window with its curtains drawn. It didn't do the sanctuary justice to be shrouded in shadow like that. So Raito closed the door behind him, and opened the curtains. Now every corner of the tiny home was revealed. An old queen sized mattress was pressed against the side of the shed, taking up most of the space. The table was pressed against the other.

Raito felt sick when he saw the dried blood on the floor.

What sat on the table caught Raito’s eye. The thin book was covered in dust, from so much time without human contact. Guilt clawed at Raitos heart. So many memories from this book, it had been so important to them...yet here it was forsaken.

Time to unveil part of the past. Raito thought.

He gently picked up the thin childrens book, and blew off the dust, revealing the book's title: The velveteen rabbit. The bold curly letters engraved themselves into his mind. This book of goodbyes was light as a feather in his hands, but was a sacred tradition amongst the four of them. Warmth flooded Raito’s chest at the thought, he had read it to them every night. They never asked for anything else. He knew it by heart now. Perhaps he could read it to them, one last time? Raito wiped off the rest of the dust with his sleeve, and put the precious book into his bag.

After all, Raito thought. they could never go to sleep without a bedtime story.

“Hey Raito, you bringing home these mini Picasso's artworks?” Ryuk asked.

His eyes snapped to where Ryuk was admiring like an art enthusiast at a museum. A children's drawing was stuck to the wall with scotch tape. Raito groaned to himself when he saw what the picture was. It was a picture Kaida had drawn, it was of her and Ryuk.

Such narcissism. He thought.

The man did bring up the question though. Yes, Raito would. In fact, he would put them with the velveteen rabbit. He reached out, and gently telepathically retrieved the drawings, securing them in his school binder. Now, it was time for what he came for.  

Raito walked over to the bed. The sheets were messy, rumpled, and uncared for. Raito however, just pulled them back with little regard over something that would infuriate him in the past. He quickly found Goldy, the yellow teddy bear laid limp in the sheets. Raito picked it up, and carefully tugged at parts of the fabric. Good, it was still durable and wouldn't fall apart on him. He looked at the stitch ridden bear fondly, before placing it in his bag as well.

He made the bed one last time, carefully making sure there were no wrinkles. He wanted this to be perfect for them. With a heavy heart, he placed the daisy on the bed. He stared at it, for how long he didn't know. Eventually he tore his eyes away. He fished around his bag, and pulled out the lighter fluid.

"Arson, kid? Really? In front of me?" Ryuk said.

"I'm not forcing you to stay in here, you know." Raito replied.

Ryuk scoffed, but said nothing. He paid no mind to the sulking man next to him; Raito doubted he really cared anyway. He poured the lighter fluid all around the sheds floor. Then he pulled out the matchbox. He walked over to the front door, and opened it. Raito pulled out a match, and looked into the sanctuary one last time. He lit the match, and stared into the flame. He tossed it into the vulnerable abandoned home. He walked away, with the smell of smoke entering his nose. The firemen would be able to take it from here.

***

He opened the door to his room hesitantly. Raito set his bag down on the floor, before grabbing Goldy. He could sense the children in the room, he just hoped Izumi would cheer up a bit after this. No child should want to hide in place like that. Raito opened his closet door, and found himself staring down at Kaida. She was standing guard over the two other inhabitants inside.

Her defensive pose relaxed when she saw Raito. Kaida scurried over to the masked two boys in the corner. Izumi was cowering in the corner, his blond bangs hung over the white porcelain. Akio was sitting with him, with his arm hung over the five year olds shoulder comfortingly. Izumi was completely dwarfed by the older boy. The room was silent apart from his quiet sobbing. Akio turned his head to look at raito. How had such happy kids turned so... hopeless? It broke his heart.

“I’m Glad you’re here Raito.” Akio said. “Izumi got hit by a pretty bad wave today, he’s hurt, and he’s really scared. He won’t respond to any of us."

"I hope this can snap him out of it." Raito replied.

He sat down crossed legged next to Izumi and Akio. He hoped this would work, it all depended on the yellow teddy bear that sat on his lap. He felt the pain constantly, but sometimes if something reminded him of that day, it would become so much worse. The pain wouldn't increase, rather it would be like what caused it was happening that very second. It was like going through it another time; a twisted powerful flashback. It was awful for him, so Raito couldn't imagine what hell the children were going through.The teddy bear would always manage to cheer Izumi up though. He would always hug Goldy close for comfort, when Raito couldn't be there. Hopefully, it would work here too, he would just have to pray.

"Izumi look, it's Goldy." Raito said.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The small child had responded. Izumi looked up just a fraction, looking toward Goldy. It was small, but Raito could work with it. Grabbing the bear's torso, he moved it closer to Izumi.

"He's come to see you." 

His head looked up completely. Izumi gasped in a mixture of shock and joy, and he sat up. Raito didn't need to be a genius to tell what he wanted. He complied, and handed Izumi the teddy bear. The child held his old friend to his chest tightly, afraid Goldy would disappear if he let go. Izumi suddenly bolted toward Raito, burrowing his face in his chest. He let out a muffled "thank you".

All of the anxiety left him as the boy snuggled securely in his lap. The after effects thankfully hadn't been too severe. He ran his fingers through Izumi's blonde locks. He was much stronger than he knew, they all were. It was amazing how well they were doing. It would forever puzzle the genius, that they could still smile while they were like this. It must have been contagious, because they always managed to make him smile too.

"It was very selfless of you two to help Izumi." Raito said.

"Of course we helped, Izumi's our baby bro!" Kaida chirped.

"We're a family, we look out for eachother!" Akio agreed.

Raito smiled."It's all thanks to you Kaida, it was your idea to get Goldy."

"And it didn't just make Izumi happy." She said. "It cheered you up too Raito."

"Who said I was sad?" Raito asked.

Both of them scoffed , Akio decided to be the one to reply. "You can't fool us! You've been down for the past month, we all have. You're strong and really smart, but even heroes have a weak spot!"

Raito should have known better, than to try to keep something from them. They always saw through him, such was the consequence of being close. They knew him better than even Sayu, they understood. They noticed things that his own parents didn't. There was more to it though, something they couldn't fully understand due to their age. It was more than sadness or anger. It was like he was lost alone and blind in a maze, just trying to escape the agony. Every day and night, there was always a part of him that just wanted to scream.

Chapter Text

The warehouse was a factory filled with battered and dirtied workers. Not adults, but children. Their little hands fiddled with wires and metal that damaged their fragile skin. Some of them saw me, staring with wide eyes. "Shinigami" they called me. I asked them why, and they thought I was one of the guards that kept them there! I left with my prize. The next day, I came back. I wasn't about to abandon this gold mine I had found. I realized one of the teenagers were gone. They told me that the shinigami had dragged them away, and they never came back.

***

Aizawa opened the front door of the Yagami's house trepidly. The kids were at school, and Sachiko was at the spa. It had been a "surprise gift" from Soichiro and was conveniently funded by L. He looked around the home. L had sent people in to install wiretaps and cameras, but that was it. It was his job to look around for suspicious items, or evidence. Aizawa was no fool, he knew L only wanted him to investigate Raito's room. For some reason, L suspected him. In fact, Raito was his number one suspect. It boggled the detective's mind, Raito was seventeen; he was still a kid! He was a genius yes, but he hadn't even finished high school yet. He adjusted the glasses that sat on his nose. L saw through his eyes, thanks to the tiny camera hidden in the lens frame. Aizawa looked over every corner of the house. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. The only thing he had found so far was in Sayu’s room. There was a yaoi magazine hidden underneath her mattress, much to his amusement and Sochiro’s dismay. Aizawa shut the teenager’s door behind him, there was only one room left.

“Make sure to look it over very carefully.” L said.

He sighed but began to walked over to Raito’s room. However, as Aizawa got closer, static began to buzz from his Bluetooth. It got louder and louder, nearly smothering L’s voice.

“Your signal is breaking up!” He exclaimed. “I can't see or hear a thing! Something is blocking me-”

The static, as well as L’s voice cut out. It left only a dead silence. Aizawa’s hairs on the back of his neck rose, and a chill went down his spine. How was that possible? Was L hacked, was Aizawa? He didn't know, all he could do was continue. He entered Raito’s room. It was like a sudden cold had covered him, but just as quickly it had come, it was gone. Still, even though it was impossible, Aizawa could have sworn someone was there with him. The detective’s eyes darted around, there was no one there. Letting out a tired sigh, he went to Raito's closet. Aizawa pulled open the door, and was met with school uniforms hanging on their hangers. Nothing abnormal there. His eyes landed on something, and he paused.

What the…?! Aizawa thought.

Sitting in the corner of the closer obscured by shadows, was a teddy bear. Aizawa was very confused. Sayu was fourteen, and had gotten rid of all her toys. So why did Raito have one? It didn't make any sense! Something about the closet made him feel uneasy too, like someone was watching him. Deciding it was best to leave it, he shut the door. The detective was on edge now, something wasn't right. Still, L would be suspicious if he didn't do his job. So, anxiously the detective decided to check Raito's desk next.

Aizawa tried to turn on his computer, but to no avail. Whatever was blocking L was affecting the house as well. With a sigh, he began to search his desk. Aizawa found something strange, on the bottom of the desk was a small hole. Was it a screw? It didn't seem so, it was like a..keyhole? What was raito hiding? He opened the drawer above it, and all that was in there was a journal. Aizawa flipped through it’s pages, it was filled with notes on current investigations.

Truly the chief's son. He thought.

Oddly enough, several pages were ripped out. The paper though was nowhere to be seen. The writing on the pages that remained in the journal was violently sunk into the paper, like Raito had been furious when he wrote in it. What caused him to be so angry? What was this kid doing? He flipped open his notepad, and wrote it down. L would analyze it better than he could.

Aizawa placed it back in the drawer, but paused. There was a small crack in the front. It was a false bottom, much to his very short lived shock. He should have figured, Raito was a genius after all. What would he even be hiding? Aizawa yanked the false bottom up, but winced as a splinter wedged itself in his finger. His hands jumped away by instinct from the pain, however he was unable to focus on the new annoyance. What he saw smothered all attention away from it. Sticking out from the drawer, was something akin to a bear trap. Sharp metal blades were snapped closed, triggered by Aizawa's forced entry. His heart dropped when he realized how close he had been to losing a hand. He forced down his nausea, and peered down. The thing that Raito would chop someone’s hand off for, go to prison for, was mostly obscured by the trap. Aizawa didn't need to see much though, he recognized it. It was the velveteen rabbit.

This is what I would have lost my hand for? Aizawa thought. A children's book?

That wasn't all though. Aizawa could see paper sticking out of the book. He carefully picked it up, still unconsciously wary of the trap that was already set. It was worn from age, Raito must have taken it from the previous owner. Aizawa opened it up, and almost dropped it. Inside wasn't notes on the Kira case, something linking him to kira, or hell, even a list of his crushes. No, It was children's drawings. He flipped through them, and stumbled upon one in the middle. It was a drawing of Raito with three children, posing together. Two boys and a girl. They looked so happy, but Aizawa’s heart ached. It reminded him so much if his own daughter's drawings. Who were these children?

Something about it seemed to put a weight onto him, and a chill went down his spine. Something was wrong. He quickly shoved the papers back into the book, somehow jostling one of them into view. It was a drawing of a little girl, the same one in the group picture. She was holding hands with a dark figure. The only thing not scribbled in black was his eyes, matched with his gleaming smile. It was unsettling, who was she standing with? Aizawa pushed it back in with the rest, and put it back in the compartment. He was in the process of resetting the trap, when he paused.

His hands turned useless from fear. Deep raspy laughter echoed all around him, like the owner was right next to him. Responding to primal instinct, Aizawa did the only thing he could, and ran. He sprinted down the hallway; he didn't didn't want to be anywhere near the house. The detective could swear right before he burst out of the front door, he could hear heavy footsteps chasing him. Aizawa leaned against his car, completely exhausted. He flinched slightly in shock when his Bluetooth suddenly crackled back to life. L’s voice flooded through.

“Aizawa?! What happened back there?” L asked.

He sighed. “I-I have no idea.”

“Are you alright? You sound like you’re exhausted.”

Aizawa glanced around nervously. “It’s probably nothing, but… it feels like i’m being watched.”

“Trust your instincts. Drive to headquarters, we’ll discuss your findings there.”

Aizawa agreed, and got into his car. As he drove, the feeling didn't go away. He knew something was off.

***

When Raito came home, he was surprised to find it empty. It wasn't often that his mother went out. So if she did, she was probably grocery shopping, or out at the spa. As he closed the door, the high school student knew something was off. Something was different about the house. Something big. He just couldn't figure out what. Raito walked up to his room, setting his bag down on his desk’s chair, before walking over to his door. He froze. Someone had been in his room. Someone had been in his room.

The slip of paper he had placed in his door had fallen out when he opened it. The pencil lead was broken and scattered across the floor. His door handle was up all the way though, so someone had to have been in there! It couldn't have been Sayu or his mom, they wouldn't have put the paper back. Then, Raito realized. His father was working with L , so it was only natural they would inspect the detectives families to make sure none of them were Kira. Which was illegal…

He should have figured L would break the law to solve a case. Light couldn't care less if L suspected he was Kira. After all, he could just end the detective's life if he got too close for comfort. But… what if his family found out? What would the public do to them, to Sayu? Shit, what was he going to do? He could act normally like it was child's play, but his aura could interfere with the camera's. It could only be avoided by not searching for him, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Ratio sat on his bed, sighing. He would just have to be careful. There wasn't much he could do to hide that something was off. Maybe he could slightly damage the cameras and bugs so there would be an explanation. But then L would question why the cameras were damaged in the first place, and he would be comprised.

A knock on the front door surprised the teen. He rose from his bed and left his room, closing his door with the handle slightly ajar, as always. Whoever was at the front door knocked again, almost with more urgency. It struck Raito as odd, who would want to see him so badly? He froze when he opened the door, and saw who was standing there.

“Raito yagami?”

Raito stuttered in shock. “M-Misa Amane?!”