Truth and Justice

Warnings for this chapter: Angst, reference to N/C, WIP.
SPOILERS: All manga, all anime, L's true name, Another Note, Law and Right.

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Truth and Justice

Chapter 6: Victimized

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The trip from London to Japan had been a long one, and filled mostly with an interrogation session. It was hard to tell the one being interrogated. It often switched between Near, Mello and Light. Mello seemed to be the only one particularly perturbed by it.

Probably because he had never been formally accused of anything, Light supposed. When you got used to the idea of others looking at you like a murderer, you got used to the questions and accusations.

That being the case, Light took Near's questions with calm composure, replying with what L would know was the truth to everyone. Including the part where even he didn't know for sure how many people he had killed.

Mello tended to explode at the logic that was thrown at him, shooting back with angry accusations, only to end up fuming when Near refuted him with a smug little smile, one leg folded up against his chest, a finger curling in his hair, tugging on it.

When they landed in Japan, L pulled Near aside for a moment. "If you wish to join us at the headquarters, your identification has been returned to the system. The Japanese police will be looking for you, it won't be very easy to dodge them."

"I'll be fine on my own," Near replied easily. "I suggest you get in touch with the previous taskforce members, let them know what you've found. I'm sure that by now, whoever the real Kira was has gotten wind of this. It would be best to make sure they are able to protect themselves. I would keep an eye on Yagami-kun's family most closely. All of them."

"I will make contact with them," L assured, slipping his hands into his pockets. "We have no concrete proof of your innocence, so if they find you, you'll have to rely on me to solve the case before you're set free."

"I understand. And if I were you, I'd take a closer look at Mello. He was riled in the plane, more than he normally would be," Near gave a thin smile, turned away. "Matt also refused to admit that he lied about what he saw in the orphanage. I wasn't making a list of names of living criminals. I was taking a hard look at your Kira case, studying it, because Lidner came to me, told me Kira hadn't been properly executed. I believe the real Kira had made contact with her prior to that. I also believe, whoever the second Kira is, they told her to seek me out, and they knew enough about me to know I would choose her. Furthermore, they knew nothing about the Death Note prior to leaving the orphanage, so why would they have assumed a strange notebook meant I was a criminal? Tread carefully, L. Light may not be the only Kira in your home."

L considered the information as he watched Near walk away. When Light came up beside him, he glanced over. "We should look, quietly and carefully, at Mello," he said softly, then turned and returned to where the rest of them were waiting. Another small van took them to the headquarters.

Days passed, and the Kira Algorithm, as L had named it, turned up no statistically improbable results, excluding Lidner. As the algorithm set to work, L and Light had turned their attention to the trial that had put the framed rapist behind bars.

They scanned through every name involved in the proceedings, did thorough look-ups on all of them, searching for something that would connect them back to B, to Mello, or to any other potential suspect.

What they found was a prosecuting attorney, one Mikami Teru, who seemed to be surrounded by death. Light searched through his history as an attorney, found that most of the repeat offenders Mikami had prosecuted wound up dead in unusual ways.

He had also become a prosecutor just days before Light had emerged as the first Kira, and the man had a reputation for supporting Kira, it seemed. This was, Light decided, the most promising of all the players, so he presented the information to L.

"I want to bring him in, question him," Light said as L looked over the gist Light had written.

"It seems like a good place to look," L agreed. "Why don't you speak with Aizawa, ask him if he'd lend his weight to the request. Make the attorney feel powerful."

"I think it would be beneficial if I present myself as Kira when I speak to him. He was a worshiper," Light pointedly ignored Mello's snort of amusement from across the room.

"And how would you prove to him that you were Kira? You are no longer haunted by a shinigami," L pointed out.

"No, but we have the recording of Near's escape from prison, and a piece of that Death Note. We can show him the recording, rewind it, let him touch the paper and watch it again. Just being able to show him a shinigami will be enough to get him to listen to what I have to say," Light slid his hands into his pockets.

"You're going to be feeding your ego," Mello pointed out.

"Which might be a good thing, after the flashbacks," L countered easily. "Go see Aizawa, Light, ask him to help. You may go under the guise of being Watari."

Light winced visibly. "Alone?"

"You will be fine," L replied firmly.

There was a heavy sigh as Light turned to leave the room, changing into black clothing with a heavy, black trench coat, a wide-brimmed hat to hide his face. He picked up one of the security cards Aizawa had gotten for them, ones that would give them clearance to any part of the building he, Matsuda and Mogi worked from.

The trip outside was a difficult one, but by the time Light reached the main police headquarters, he was a bit more relaxed. He slid his card through the door's slot, flashing a simple ID to anyone who tried to stop him. It was easily recognizable as Watari's calling card, a gothic W, printed with an unusual type of ink that changed colors when the light hit it differently. The alternate pattern created by the ink was a gothic L. It was simple, straightforward, and very difficult to forge.

Light took the elevator up to the top floor, flashed the card to Aizawa's secretary and, five minutes later, he was ushered into the office. As soon as the doors had closed behind him, Light pulled off the hat and fanned his face.

"It's awfully warm out for such heavy clothing," Aizawa scolded with a small smile. "I assume you're here about Near's escape."

"No, we've made contact with Near and have found significant evidence that he was not Kira, though he is currently in possession of a Death Note. Ryuk is haunting him and has confirmed that Near was not Kira, even if the evidence wasn't piling up. I'm not going to ask you to call off the search," Light said when Aizawa opened his mouth to complain. "And we're not going to break him out if you catch him. That's his problem. I'm here to ask you a favor."

Aizawa folded his arms over his chest, frowned and raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"The man convicted for raping me was framed. I want to speak with the prosecuting attourning, Mikami Teru. L suggested having you ask that he come to the headquarters for questioning, but I'm pretty sure he was just trying to make me go outside alone. Flashbacks," he explained with a weak smile.

"Did he say you could give me so much information on Near? You've all but confirmed he's in Japan," Aizawa shook his head a little. "I'll give Mikami a call myself and send him to the building, tell him L has asked to see him."

"L trusts you," Light replied without hesitation. "And we appreciate your cooperation."

"You can do me a favor in return. Give me all the data you've got, the second Near's name is completely cleared. He's not the only criminal we need to be tracking down, you know," Aizawa said, glancing at his phone as it rang. "I'll stop by sometime this week, but Near's escape has been a nightmare with the press."

"Of course," Light agreed, putting the hat back on, tightening the trench coat. "I'll see you then. Give Matsuda and Mogi our best," and then he left. Aizawa had always been steady and level-headed. It left Light feeling grounded as he left the office, the building, and made his way back to the headquarters without incident.

The following day, Mikami Teru arrived at the headquarters in his suit and tie, carrying his briefcase and looking, Light thought, very much like a lawyer should. Cold, aloof, professional, and yet, when Light caught a look at those eyes, he could see the passion within them. The desire for justice that had been his own undoing.

Light went down to meet Mikami himself, shaking hands, sending the briefcase through security and putting it into a storage bin, handing Mikami the key and leading him deeper into the building.

They were on one of the lower floors, where the cell that Light, Near, Soichiro and Misa had all once been confined in. He led Mikami past the cells, made sure he had plenty of time to see them before he opened the door to an interrogation room.

Mikami took a seat, put the key to his security box on the table, turned his gaze to Light. "You're attempting to intimidate me."

"I am attempting to ensure you understand that this is not a social call," Light replied easily. "L requires your assistance on a case you prosecuted some years ago. Twelve, if memory serves."

"It would have been one of my first, then," Mikami replied easily. "I didn't bring any files from it. If you had told me I was going to need them, I could have arranged to bring them."

"We have the files," Light replied, leaning down on the table, letting Mikami get a good look at his face. "The accused was charged with two counts of sexual assault, one of rape. He raped a man. Yagami Light."

The silence spread out between them as Mikami got a good look at Light's face before he replied. "You."

"Yes. Me. Don't you think it was a coincidence? Kira was arrested on that very same day," Light tilted his head slightly. "Don't tell me you didn't notice, Teru. Don't tell me you didn't watch Kira's every move, that you didn't cheer him on and pray that he would find those who you saw doing wrong. I know. L knows," Light backed off then, hit a button on the wall. A panel slid back, revealing a TV. "Watch," he ordered, and thirty seconds of Near's escape played across the screen.

Light stopped the footage, rewound, and pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. "Now, touch this, and tell me what you see."

Mikami touched it, and Light was satisfied with the way he went pale, shook a little, looked at his hand.

"What is this?" Mikami whispered.

"This," Light hit the play button again, gestured to Ryuk, "is a Shinigami. His name is Ryuk."

"Who are you?" Mikami's gaze shifted back to Light.

The smile that spread on Light's lips was dark. "Kira."

"God," Mikami whispered, his eyes going wide, a shiver running through him.

"Yes. Once, that was who I was," Light turned off the TV, lowered into a seat across from Mikami. "I was raped the day I was arrested. I turned myself in because I was no longer worthy. I was no longer able to judge effectively. You know what would happen if the victim got to decide the punishment. There would never be a punishment strong enough, the victim would never be satisfied. Do you disagree?"

"N-no, of course not!" Mikami pushed his glasses up nervously, wiped his palms on his thighs, licked his lips nervously.

"I turned myself in. I put my life into L's hands, and I went willingly into the execution chamber in America. I was executed there," Light spoke firmly, presenting everything as fact, leaving no room for questions. "L chose to spare me. He chose to allow me to continue living, to learn the kind of Justice that even a victim can dispense without needing to worry about wanting more. Now, I work for L, I find the evil in this world, and I help him present it to the authorities in the countries where the crimes were done."

"Like this system," Mikami nodded.

"Exactly. Unfortunately, even L is capable of being wrong. Evidence can be forged, faked, and that is the case for the man accused of raping me," Light sat back with a soft sigh. "It seems that the second Kira knew about the case, and his first victim was the man that had raped me."

"No," Mikami replied softly. "No, he died because of me."

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A/N: And another twist! (And we finally get to see one of my favorite characters, Mikami! =3)