Death Note 1. Chapter 1: Return from the Brink

Death Note: Return from Purgatory

**_Part 1: Revival of the Savior_**

_Page 1: Return from the Brink_

"It';s just as I thought... Humans are so... Interesting!" -Ryuk

Light Yagami awoke with a startled gasp; his body swinging up from his bed with his face caked in sweat. He could hardly breath, his chest falling in and out quickly while a hand covered most of his face, his pupils shrunk down to the size of pricks.

He wasn't sure where he was at first, looking around to see himself back in his room, safe and sound on his bed. Finally, he felt his body relax, and fell back on his bed, a hand on his forehead while he tried to collect his thoughts. 'Dear God, what in the Hell was that?'

Light wasn't sure if it was a nightmare or reality, but whatever it was, it scared him shitless. A book that allows you to kill anyone as long as you know their name and face, the existence of angels of death, a detective who was practically the same age as him, his father dying, being shot by his father's colleague, and then finding himself in a place that was neither Heaven nor Hell... If this was how famous author's came up with their books, he didn't even want to think what sort of dreams they had.

Still...

"Was that really just a dream?"

Light decided to ignore his latest dilemma and continued on with his life as if nothing had happened, going to school and ignoring most of the teacher's lectures, staring idly out the window in wonder, his reflecting staring right back at him. 'A book that kills...' he thought, a wry smile smeared across his face. 'As if such a thing would exist, especially since it was only thought of in fairy tales and idiotic myths. Still, I can't say it wouldn't be useful. With something like that, you could shape the world however you pleased, killing whoever you wanted, and no one could trace it back to you. Makes me wish it was real, that way this world wouldn't be so... diseased.'

However, upon remembering that book, that Death Note, he remembered the faces of the people who's lives he ruined... his father's included. His face contorted with regret and pain, and the grip on his pencil tightened. 'It was just a dream... There's no way any of that would actually happen. The Shinigami Ryuk, and the Death Note, they're not real, and they never will be. It's better off staying in the realm of fantasy...' he thought with a tone of contempt. 'Savior of the world, right... Kira made people's lives a living hell, and even worse, ruined them, his own life included... I refuse to be someone like that.'

As soon as he realized what he was thinking, he couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly, earning a few strange looks from his classmates. 'What am I thinking? God, that dream must have messed me up more than I thought it would. Oh well, better actually start paying attention, as much as I hate it.'

Just as Light was about to, for once, listen to the lecture, a strange familiar black blur fall outside the window and down to the grass. Blinking in confusion, he looked down at the ground, seeing a small shape on the grass. 'What could that be?'

Light almost didn't want to believe it. This was insane, it just had to be. He must still be dreaming: yeah, that had to be it. There was no other explanation; he had to be dreaming this up. He just had to open his eyes, and he'd be back in bed.

And yet, there was a part of him that wanted to accept what was happening right now. He was quickly making his way back home, his bag slung over his shoulder, and a black book titled "Death Note" sticking out. 'This is insane, and completely illogical...' he tried to reason with himself. 'This isn't some kind of elaborate prank, and the way it showed up was just like how it did in my dream...'

He quickened his pace back home, carefully avoiding passerbyers as he clutched his bag tightly, not even thinking about the events that transpired in his dream. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he made his way up to his room, ignoring the greetings his sister and mother, locking his room and tossing his bag to the bed, taking a seat on the chair placed at his study desk, and covered his face with his hands.

If this was a dream, he was hoping to whatever God was in this world would wake him up, and soon. He refused to turn into Kira, not after all the sins he committed. This was a dream, and he wanted to wake up any time now.

"If I write even a single name down... No, come on, Light, listen to yourself!"

He shook his head.

"There's no such thing as a book with the power to kill... It's completely impossible!"

However, the more he tried to reason with himself, the more the pit in his stomach grew. What if it wasn't a dream, but a warning? What if what happened in the dream would happen in the future? Him taking the life of a criminal and rapist before declaring that he would be a God that watched over a new world full of honest and hard-working people? That was sheer arrogance, as what sort of being would allow an average human being the right to play judge, jury, and executioner before thinking himself a God?

Seeking a distraction from his thoughts, Light stood up and turned on the small TV in his room, the news splashing on the black image as it revealed what Light confirmed to be his worst nightmares.

It showed a building that had been taken over, the people taken hostage, and the man who held them there... the first victim of Kira.

"Dammit..."

Light gritted his teeth harshly, staring back at the screen with conflicted emotions. This was just how it played out last time. 'I could save those people, all I have to do is grab a pen or pencil, right down the bastard's name, and presto... But, once I do that...'

The words of the inhuman being who wrote his name down in the black book, the Death Note, came back to haunt him. The moment he would write down the name of the man he wanted to kill, he would forfeit his soul to the Shinigami, and upon the moment of his death, he would be sent to neither heaven nor hell.

Light turned away from the screen, standing up and beginning to pace back and forth and biting down on his thumb. 'I kill a man, save innocent lives in the process... I could stop there. But, then...'

That was when a face flashed by in his head, and felt something wet stream down his cheeks. 'I killed the man who murdered her parents... and as a result, she clinged to Kira like a lifeline, like he was her savior...'

The room was nothing but silence while the TV continued to blare.

"It appears that the culprit has begun to take the hostages up to the roof."

Light whirled around, wondering what was going on before his heart sank, and the color drained from his face.

"Oh no..."

The man was holding a shotgun, and the hostages, most of which women and children with a few elderly folks lined up with their hands behind their heads, sitting on their knees.

"Don't do it... God, please..."

His words were fruitless, he knew that, but he still continued to chant it like a mantra. The man pushed them up the ledge, and walked over to one end of the line. Light already knew what he was going to do.

Without even thinking about the consequences that would come of it, he took the Death Note from his bag, slammed it open, grabbed a pen, and quickly wrote down the man's name and fate.

The man stopped right behind the old man that was about to be thrown off, as evident by the kidnapper's grip on his arm. However, just as he was about to throw him off, he suddenly tossed him aside and placed the barrel against his jugular.

The pull of the trigger sentenced both his fate, and Light's. He felt his body shaking, looking down at his hand, which had begun to tremble. The fingers allowed the pen to fall to the floor as he stepped back, and his body fell to his bed.

What the hell had he just...

"Most impressive, Light Yagami."

Light looked over to the side, seeing an imposing figure standing at the corner of his dimly lit room. It was not Ryuk, but rather a new being entirely. Its body was cloaked in a tattered cape that hugged most of his body, his clothes torn and stained, and a hood hiding a large majority of his face, though the featureless white mask already hid it with bandages covering the skin. Underneath the hood, Light spotted a couple rotten strands of black hair.

"Are you... a Shinigami?"

The Shinigami stepped out of the corner, walking over to Light with shuffled footsteps. The room was filled with silence, the TV placed on mute, and the only sound he heard was the rattling of chains.

"Oh, I'm a bit more than that, Light Yagami. To you humans, I would be called the Lord of the Underworld, and the humans in the days of Greece saw me as a dreary person, and those of Rome saw me as a cruel and heartless beast. However, I am neither of those."

Light frowned, having heard those descriptions before.

"So... You're Hades, or Pluto?"

"Either which shall suffice. Tell me, do you enjoy your new life?"

Instantly, quicker than he thought possible, Light grabbed the King of the Dead by the coat, though the man was easily a full head and a half taller than Light. All Light could feel was anger, nothing but white-hot rage that burned in his breast.

"You son of a bitch! Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

Hades gave a old, yet muffled chuckle.

"I did. I brought the savior of this world back from Mu, and raised him from perdition."

"I didn't ask for this! Why the hell did you let Ryuk drop that damned book here?!"

Light already knew what Hades was, and if the laugh the being gave him was any indication, he had hit the nail on the head.

"So, you figured that out, did you? Yes, I am indeed the King of the Shinigami. The Land of the Dead is my domain, and that also goes for the souls that were forfeited the moment they put pen to paper on the parchment of the Death Note."

Light wanted to kill him. He wanted to bash his brains in. He wanted to shoot him dead. He wanted to strangle him. He wanted to write his fucking name down in the Death Note.

"Why?!"

"Answer me this, Light Yagami... With the knowledge you have now, what do you think you could do?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Hades gently removed himself from Light's grasp, and took a step back, allowing the young man some breathing room. Even from this close, Light could smell decay from his robes.

"I'm asking that, if you were to resume your role as Kira, the savior of this world, what would you do? Would you repeat history, and strike down those that would oppose you and kill sinners? Or would you strive for a better path?"

Light stopped. What was this guy going on about?

"You could spare those that would repent their sins, those that committed sins to save the lives of their family or loved ones... And you could even spare those that you had killed the last time you chose the path of Vigilant."

He didn't even need to ask who Hades was referring to. When he heard the news, he felt like punching himself, wondering what in the Hell he had been thinking back then. Ray Penber was going to be a father, and he had a loving wife waiting for him... and he killed them both.

"Would you choose to become a God once again? Or rather one who would take the law into his own hands?"

Light said nothing, his bangs obscured his eyes. He thought back to the names he wrote down, all the lives he had ruined up to that point where Matsumada had shot him dead, and then thought back to his father.

Finally, he looked at Hades straight in the eye (if the being had any at all).

"What's the catch for bringing me back?"

Hades chuckled.

"You're more intelligent than I gave you credit for. The only catch is that, if you die once again, then you're soul is not bound for Heaven, Hell, nor Mu."

Light raised an eyebrow.

"Simply put... you're soul is mine to eat."

'Okay, too much information.' Light grimaced before sighing, running a hand through his hair.

"So then, if I manage to stay alive and succeed in my role as Kira, what happens then? I get to keep my soul?"

"That would all depend on you and L."

'L?' Light thought with a frown. 'What does he have to do with this deal?'

Before he could ask Hades any more questions, the Shinigami King disappeared into the darkness, leaving Kira alone in his room. He looked back at the Death Note, the book still open as if waiting for him.

"Well, better get started..."

He took hold of the pen he dropped and sat back down, writing down every name of every scumbag he heard or seen on the news. 'This time... I'm not going to be a God.' Light thought, his eyes blazing. 'From here on... I'll be the one who delivers judgment.'

"I will be the God of the New World." –Light Yagami

_**Well, that's the first chapter, although in my opinion, it felt rushed and crappy. Then again, I'm running on two hours of sleep here. Another reason being that I haven't watched Death Note in such a long time. In other words, I'm rusty as hell on that anime. Updates will be slow, you have been warned. Like, Follow, Review, and tell me what you think, and I'll see what I can improve or focus. Thank you, that is all.**_


	2. Chapter ReLight: Return from the Brink

Death Note: Return from Purgatory

**Part 1: Revival of the Savior**

_Page 1: Return from the Brink_

"Just as I thought... Humans are so... Interesting!" -Ryuk

Kira.

It was name of both reverence, fear, respect, awe, disgust, and scorn. Some thought him or her to be a killer, a monster that murdered under the pretext of justice. Others believed him to be a messiah, a god that watched over them and delivered righteous judgment to the world. This was how the world saw him, and this was how Kira saw the world: nothing but black and gray.

Little did people know that Kira was originally a high school student, and recently the most brilliant detective in the world... Light Yagami. He was a genius in his school days, athletic and smart in a single package, being among one of Japan's brightest. However, he was disgusted with the world's justice, seeing social indifference, crimes, and acts of savagery being committed almost every day.

And then came that fateful day where he found that incredible book, the one that turned him into a god of a new world order filled with honest, kind, and hard-working people while sinners were expelled via death.

The Death Note, the ultimate tool of the Shinigami, the gods of death.

_"The moment you write a name in the Death Note, you're soul will be denied entry to Heaven and Hell... all that will await you is nothingness."_

This was the unwritten term given to those that touch the Death Note, thus forfeiting their souls to the Shinigami that owns the book. Light knew the risks, and yet he continued this path. He became Kira, he became a God of a new world order...

And yet, here he was, lying in his own pool of blood. His back was slumped against the wall, his eyes growing heavier by the second. He saw a familiar black figure in front of him, but he couldn't see them clearly. His vision was blurry, as if it was murky water. He heard them say something, but their voice was lost in a filter of noise.

So this was how it was going to end... the almighty Kira, shot to death by a clumsy detective! How ironic could you be?!

And yet... Light felt pleased. _'It's funny, now that I think about it...'_ he thought wryly._ 'Up until now, I was so scared of dying... I wanted to believe that this world needed a God... but the sad part is, it never needed one... All those lives I ruined... Was it all worth it?'_

His memories went back to the day when he was bored out of his mind, having no power to change society until that fateful day came, and he saw a black book fall from the sky. _'I wonder... what sort of life would I have led if I never picked up that book? Would I have become a detective? Would dad still be alive? Would L still be alive? Hell, would I even be alive right about now?'_

The more he thought about it, the more the thought that came from the back of his mind echoed out from the darkness. "How different would things have gone if I never became Kira?" Unfortunately, that was a path he had sentenced himself to. By killing that man, the one who took innocent people hostage, he became a man of reverence, people know of his existence, they knew that someone was exiling sinners from this world. Misa was living proof: she worshipped his very existence; she was his savior, the one who pulled her from the depths of despair when her parents were killed. He never returned her affections; he used her as a tool...

Again, another thought crossed his mind. If he had never become Kira, would she still be wallowing away in despair?

Light coughed, pain erupting in his chest as blood spluttered into his hand. The red liquid flowed past his fingers and splattered against the floor while his body remained slack. Slowly, Light's head turned to the door of the rooftop in the warehouse he took refuge in. There were harsh bangs against it, along with shouts. "So, they're here already..." Light muttered before seeing a familiar face standing not far away from him. A wistful smile appeared on his pale mug, closing his eyes. "So... even you're here to see me off, L..."

The door finally came unhinged, and a few people rushed in. Matsuda looked around before seeing Light's limp form against the wall, and slowly reached for his gun. "Light." Said youth slowly looked up through hazy eyes at Matsuda, probably one of the few people who was in denial. It seemed as if he still couldn't believe that Light was Kira, the original Kira, the "L-Kira".

"Matsuda..." Light greeted before coughing up again. "Please... don't tell... my mom... or my sister..." he requested. Matsuda was about to open his mouth, but one of the others gently grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head. Light was already a dead man, thus they had every right to grant his last request. "The last thing... they need... is to know that... I turned into... a..."

Light coughed again, only this time, he no longer felt pain. In fact, his whole body felt numb at this point. Matsuda holstered his gun and kneeled in front of Light, a hand on his shoulder. Once he gave a solemn nod, Light gave one last smile before his eyes closed for the final time.

Ryuk gave a sad sigh and snapped his Death Note shut, shaking his head. "What a way to go..." he muttered under his breath, spreading his night-black wings from his eyes before he looked at Light's corpse. It was strange, despite how he acted and became from the day he used the Death Note he looked... serene, at peace with himself, as if content with the state of the world. "Still, you made things pretty damn interesting, Light." However, his sadness vanished as a toothy grin reappeared on his face, slipping his book of murder back into the leather strap. "I can't even begin to think what sort of life you'll lead now... Hehehehehehehe!"

The group could have sworn they heard the sound of wings flapping as the clouds parted, revealing the long forgotten sunlight of old.

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

When Light awoke, he wasn't expecting some paradise or scene straight from a horror movie such as Hellraiser or the likes. Rather, he expected some kind of bleak, dreary scene, and indeed, it was that sort of place in which he stood in. It was nothing but a desert with large bones sticking out from the ground, collapsed buildings all around him with the stench of decay lingering in the air. All he could hear was the sound of the wind blowing against him, kicking up sand as it did so, and the rattling of chains. "So, this is the realm of nothingness..." Light observed, smiling thinly as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "It's actually... a bit more than I thought it would be."

**"More like rotting if you ask Ryuk, or any of the Shinigami here."**

Light turned to see a cloaked figure standing not far from him. They were tall, easily a head and a half than his own stature, dressed in tattered black robes stinking of decay, and rotting bandages wrapped around his hands. His face was obscured by a cracked white mask with no holes for eyes to peer out, and strands of black hair fell around it.

Light already had a pretty good idea who was standing in front of him. He didn't feel the least bit phased by this being's appearance, rather he was a bit curious. "Are you the Lord of the Shinigami?" he asked, desiring the answer to his thoughts. The figure nodded, causing Light to chuckle. "So, the king of death himself has come to greet a man who tried to become a God. I feel honored."

The death king gave a horse chuckle as he took a seat on a pile of rubble.** "Ryuk told me that you were by far the most interesting human he had ever met."** the being said amused. **"And I can see that he was right. You aren't the least bit frightened, nor are you crying in despair. Most souls tainted by the Death Note suffer, but it seems to me like you've expected this."**

Light gave a wry laugh at the Shinigami King's words, having found his words ironic. "He told me I have something to look forward to when I die, so I held him to his word." Light stated, remember Ryuk's warning when he saw how many names Light wrote in the book. "So, what happens now? I wander here for eternity?"

The Shinigami King gave a strange 'hum' as he folded his arms over his chest, even tilting his head as if in thought. **"Well, that is normally what most are sentenced, but..."** the Shinigami King looked up at Light. **"Every now and then, I make exceptions... And you, Light Yagami... You are by far the most intriguing human I have ever seen. You wouldn't believe what I felt when I heard what Ryuk told me! A human playing God! I couldn't tell if you were born full of sheer arrogance, or perhaps delusional!"**

_'You're actually close, old man...'_ Light thought, but didn't voice out his opinion. Last thing he needed was to piss off the king of the gods of death.

**"However, considering you're achievements, as well as your actions in the Human World..."** the Shinigami King said as he stood up. Light could have sworn he heard the rattling of chains underneath the cloak.** "I will give you an offer... One of which that could prove beneficial to you."**

Light raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Go on..." he urged him.

**"According to Rem and Ryuk, you've written down thousands of names in the Death Note, which is quite something. Personally, I've never heard of a human, much less any Shinigami here, that has written down so many names. To me, it would seem a waste for you to trudge around here aimlessly, looking for your father, who has been sentenced here as well."** At the mention of his late father, Light's hands balled into fists. Even as Kira, the god of a new world, he couldn't do anything to save his father.

Perhaps it was proof that he was powerless, that his power came from the Death Note.

**"That is why..."** the Shinigami King stated, bringing Light back to reality. **"I shall give you an offer. Considering your achievements, you shall have three paths open to you. The first,"** he lifted up one bandaged finger from his cloak. The finger was slim and long, almost bony and spider-like. **"is the obvious. You wander Mu for eternity, as per the agreement of the contract between the human and the Shinigami."** The Shinigami King lifted up a second finger. **"The second is that you become a Shinigami yourself. Should you choose to accept, all memories of your past life will vanish, thus Light Yagami that human will cease to exist, and all that remains is your new self: a God of Death."**

Light had to admit, that one sounded tempting. By becoming a Shinigami, he could resume his work, except he would no longer be human, and he wouldn't be Kira any longer... He would simply be a nameless being that thrived in a realm of decay._ 'At least now I know what Ryuk meant by I'll have something to look forward to when I die_.' he thought with a wry smile before gesturing the Shinigami King to continue.

However, he never expected the offer.

**"The final offer... is that I return you back to the Human World."**

Needless to say, Light was floored. Had he just heard that correctly? "Come again?" he asked in disbelief, staring at the old being as if he were insane. "Did you just say you'd send me back? How is that possible? I'm dead!"

**"And I am the King of the Shinigami."** the Shinigami King reminded him, and Light could have sworn he saw the mask curl into a toothy grin. **"I am Hades, the Lord of Mu, and the King of Death. I am death itself. There is nothing beyond my reach."**

Light just stared at the being._ 'H-he's serious?'_ he thought in shock, trying to determine of this was just some elaborate prank or a complex lie, but soon realized that the being, Hades, was telling the truth. _'If I return to the Human World... I can return to being Kira. I can resume my quest to create a new world...'_

_'But...'_

Several images flashed by in his head. They were the faces of the people who died because of him, the people that stood against him, or paid the price because of his foolishness. They were dead because of him, whether directly or indirectly. He even remembered all of their names, down to the very letter. _'Penber... Naomi... L... Dad...'_ Light felt his hands clenched tightly. _'What would be the point in coming back? Kira isn't needed... Near can create a perfect world by himself. Without Dad or anyone I care about there... what's the point?'_

"Lord Hades..."

**"Ah, perhaps I should mention this, but... when I say I will return you to the Human World, I meant that I would send you back to the beginning."**

Light frowned, ceasing his thoughts altogether. "What do you mean by 'back to the beginning'?" he asked curiously.

Hades chuckled like a madman before he explain. **"If you accept, you shall return back to the world of the living... back to the very day when you received the Death Note."**

Light's eyes widened, and his body became stiff. Back to the beginning... If that were to happen...

_'I could make things right...'_ Light thought, recalling every last name he had written down in the Death Note, as well as the lives that Kira had ruined._ 'If I do this right...'_

"Hades, answer me this!" Light demanded, his voice rising. "If I accept this offer, will I be able to change the world for the better? Better than what the god of that world had done?"

Hades gave a laugh, clapping his hands as he did so. **"Hahah, you're quite amusing!"** he said light-heartedly before the cloth around the mask came undone, revealing black holes. It was nothing but darkness within them, not a trace of light to be seen.** "By accepting this offer, you will enter into a new contract, one that does not come often, Light Yagami."** the Shinigami King warned.** "Are you prepared to accept those terms?"**

"I do indeed!" Light replied fiercely.

**"Very well then..."** Hades' cloak fell, and the mask shattered. Light could only stare slack-jawed as he saw a virtual double of himself, except with blood red hair and empty gray eyes. Bandages, thin black chains hung loosely from the ankles and wrists, some even protruding from the gaps of the cloth, covered most of his body. **"The contract is thus: perish within the new world, and you're soul is mine."**

Before Light had a chance to register what was going on, the bandages wrapped around the Shinigami King's body became unhinged, and shot around him before they tightened, encasing him. He smelled not the fragrance of death or decay, but rather, the new beginnings of life.

As he watched the darkness born from the bandages overtake him, he heard Hades give out this one declaration, his voice booming and echoing across the world of the Shinigami.

**_"Create a New World once more, Kira!"_**

Even when he was drowning in the abyss, Light did not feel despair. All he could feel was the flames of determination. One face came into mind, and the flames only grew brighter.

_"This time... I'll make things right.'_ Light, or rather, Kira thought, eyes blazing. _'I shall deliver judgment to this world... not as a God... but as one who weighs humanity's sins!'_

"I will become a god of this new world!" –Light Yagami

Here it is, a revision to my original opening. I will keep the original one up in case people like that better, but the next chapter will be included.


	3. Chapter 2: Justice Reincarnated

Death Note: Return from Purgatory

**Part 1: Revival of the Savior**

_Page 2: Justice Reincarnated_

"I will hunt your down from wherever your hiding, and I will eliminate you! I am... Justice!" L & Light Yagami

Light opened his eyes to see the ceiling of his bedroom, the light from the morning already seeping in through the cracks in the curtain. At first, he didn't know where he was until he took the time to look around, and sighed. "Man, what a crazy dream..." he muttered, lifting himself up from his bed. "I wonder if this is how famous writer's get their inspiration."

And yet, for some reason, there was this nagging feeling in the back of his head. It was painfully obvious that something was wrong, like there was something missing... but what was it?

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

Light went to school as usual, and like last time, he found it to be dull and boring as hell. No matter where he looked, he saw students slacking off, talking to each other, muttering things and whispering to their friends, though that was only the surface. Past that, he saw bullies antagonizing other kids, stealing money, and shooting themselves up. 'Disgusting vermin...' he thought darkly as he took a seat at his desk, waiting for the lecture to begin.

Still, the feeling that he had since this morning had not faded, and if at all anything, it was only growing stronger._ 'A book that can kill people by writing their name in it...'_ Light thought, both impressed and fearful of such a prospect._ 'I have to say, it does sound useful, but, when you look at the world, why would you need it?'_ Though Light thought nothing of it, the dream had left him both mortified and shocked. It was like an out of body experience, watching himself commit horrible acts, thinking that simply because he had a book that could kill someone just by writing their name down in it, he thought he was a god. Sure, what he was doing was right, but the methods he took, along with his actions, were not. _'Kira, a messiah...'_ Light scoffed._ 'Yeah, right. How could anyone see a madman like that a savior? If he just targeted criminals, then I would support him, but killing people who did nothing wrong while chasing him? That's more like hypocrisy to me.'_ Once Light realized what he was thinking, he smiled wryly and shook his head. _'Listen to myself, I'm actually starting to think that any of it was real...'_

Once class started, Light pushed the events of the dream out of his mind, and listened to the lecture. Of course, he performed with finesse, showing promise like he always did. Of course, like the teacher expected, he was performing at his best, though it was natural considering that he was the top student in the entire school. Light looked outside the window of his class, seeing gray skies rolling in from the horizon. _'Looks like it's gonna be a wet one...'_ he thought, wondering if he should bring the laundry inside when he saw something descending._ 'Huh? What's that?'_

Though he couldn't quite see it clearly, it was small, and judging from how it moved, he was guessing it was a book. 'Did someone drop it? ...Wait, why does this feel so familiar?'

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

Once class was over, Light went down to the schoolyard to investigate. Sure enough, he found what he saw earlier. However, when he found it, he was unable to hide his surprise. "What the..." On the ground was a thin black book, and written at the top in white ink was "Death Note". "But, this looks like..." Light mumbled, gingerly taking the book into his hands and opening it up, looking at the white writing located on the very back of the cover. "The same as the dream... What in the hell is going on?"

Light would have written this off as nothing more than a prank, but he took it home with him. There was that feeling in the back of his mind, that unexplainable feeling that had been nagging at him since when he woke up._ 'Death Note... If you were to write the name of any person on this book, they would die...'_ Light went over the rules, a sense of nostalgia overwhelming him. _'This seems familiar, but... why the hell can't I remember?'_

He sighed in frustration, placing the black book in his bag and continued walking until he reached his house. Per usual, his sister and mother greeted him, and his father was nowhere to be seen. "Dad's still at work?" Light asked, to which his family nodded. "I'll be studying up in my room." After saying that, Light took his bag and headed to his room upstairs. Once he closed the door behind him, he tossed the bag to the floor and flopped on his bed, staring idly up at the ceiling.

_'There's no way it was real...'_ Light thought. However, to him, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. _'There's no such thing as a book that can kill, and there's no such thing as Kira, or Shinigami... It was all just one big dream.'_ Light's eyes turned to the Death Note, sticking its head out from the bag, almost as if tempting him. _'But... what if it is real?'_

Light sighed, shaking his head. "I swear, I'm probably going to regret this..." he muttered, getting up and taking the book from his bag. He opened it up to the first page and took a pen from the cup on his desk. His eyes flicked over to the TV set, which showed the face of a man with his name down at the bottom. According to the news, he had just taken control of a daycare center, thus taking children and teachers hostage. "This feels familiar for some reason..." Light thought aloud before he wrote down the man's name. "Forty seconds until his death..."

A mental countdown began in Light's head as he leaned back in his chair, waiting for the news to return. The longer he waited, the more anxious he felt. _'It won't happen, he won't die...'_ Light tried to reason with himself. _'It's just some stupid prank someone thought of... But... What if it does happen? Would that make me a murderer?'_

Would that make me Kira?

The moment that thought entered his mind, Light felt his stomach twist, and his heart sank. _'W-what the...?'_ he thought, wondering what the hell it was before the news switched back on. As soon as it was broadcasted, he saw that the reporter was in a state of shock.

"The suspect has been confirmed dead! I repeat, the suspect has been confirmed dead!"

Light shot out of his chair, his eyes wide, and his body shaking. "N-no way..." It couldn't have happened, there was no way it could have happened. Light tried every possible way to reassure himself that there was no way it happened. "It-it was just a coincidence... But, if it wasn't..."

There it was again, another contradiction. If the Death Note was real... if it did actually kill someone... then, what happened in the dream... was real. "N-no, it's... it's still too early to tell..." Light stuttered, looking at the book that lay open on his desk, as if begging him to write down another name. "I need to make sure... I have to use it again."

And use it again he did. It was just after cram school while he was on his way home that he saw a bunch of men on motorcycles trying to sexually assault a woman. He went into the store and took a magazine from the rack, using it as cover for what he was writing down. In truth, he couldn't help but anticipate his end, considering what he was trying to do. As soon as the woman got free, she tried to run away, and the biker followed...

...only to be ran into by a truck, killing him instantly in one shot.

Light's hand shook, and the Death Note fell from his hand. _'It's... it's real...'_ he thought, his eyes threatening to blow from his skull. _'The Death Note... it can really kill people... Then, that means...'_

Kira was real.

The dream was real.

He murdered FBI agents to cover his tracks.

He murdered someone's fiancé.

He murdered his friend, and enemy.

And it was because of him that his father was sentenced to Mu.

Light jammed the notebook into his bag and ran out of the store at top speed, wanting to get away from the scene as quickly as possible. _'Oh god... oh god... I think I'm gonna be sick...!'_

Once Light ducked into an alleyway, he tripped and fell to the ground, his bag sliding away from him. He couldn't hold it back any longer; it was all too much for him. He ran over to a knocked over trash can, and allowed his stomach's contents to rush out from his mouth, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste. "I killed them..." Light muttered, his body shaking in the rain. "Jesus Christ, what the hell did I do?"

He now knew what that nagging feeling was... It was the feeling that, deep down, he already knew that the dream was real, and that what happened was real. He had just killed two men, and both of them were on a long list of names, all of it written in the Death Note before. "If I use that book... I'll..."

Light, from the moment he woke up from that nightmare, couldn't understand Kira. He refused to become like him. To him, Kira was just another criminal that needed to be executed. It was because of Kira that his father was dread. If he used that Death Note, he would become Kira... just as he did in the dream.

"I can't... I can't let dad..."

He couldn't even begin to comprehend what would happen if he used the Death Note, and if he killed innocent people again. There was no way. He wasn't going to do it!

However...

"...Wait."

That was when Light remembered a specific part about the dream, his meeting with a robed figure who wore the same face as he did underneath that mask._ 'I remember now... I met with the Shinigami King, Hades... I was given a second chance...'_

Light discarded his stiff posture and picked up his bag, which had been soaking wet in the rain, much like himself. "I can prevent all of it from happening..." he muttered, losing his moments of despair and self-loathing. "I can make things right... only this time..."

And that was when Kira was reborn anew. The world would know of his return, for the bell tolls for the end of the sinners, as it tolls for thee.

"It won't be the God of a new world delivering judgment."

~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~

Light couldn't help but smile in victory, having forgotten the thrill of striking down sinners. He rather missed the feeling, and noticed that he had written down more names than he had last time. He made sure to exclude Lind L. Tailor from the list, wanting to kill him when he made his public appearance. Once he put his pen down, he yawned and stretched his arms out, leaning back in his chair. "God I am tired..."

Once he closed up the Death Note and slipped it into his drawer, he fell on his bed and placed his hands behind his head, allowing himself to relax. "It's been three days since I got the book back, which means L should be making an appearance three days from now. In addition to that, Ryuk should be here sometime soon." As much as Light hated to admit it, he rather missed the annoying Shinigami's presence.

"Hey, Light, you in there?" Sayu asked through the door, knocking first. "Yeah, the door's open." Light replied, lifting himself up from the bed and walking over to the door. Once his sister entered the room, she held up a notebook. "Homework I take it?" the oldest of the Yagami siblings asked with a wry smile. "Okay, what don't you understand?"

Sayu beamed as she ran over to his desk. Light missed this feeling, being able to spend time with his family than being away from them. 'No matter what happens, I can't let them die... Especially not Dad.' Light swore to himself, a serious glint shining in his irises. _'When the time comes, I'll write down that bastard's name down, assuming that is his real name. For now, I just need to do what I did last time: kill major criminals and get rid of small-time vermin. Although, with my current pace, I'm likely to call L here much earlier.'_

Light wanted to stick to the original script as much as he possibly could before he could begin his battle against L and finally kick off his conquest for a world of peace and justice. However, there was one deciding difference, one that Light was very much aware of. _'Some of my actions previously called down a lot of heat, which was after the death of Ray Penber and the other FBI agents. However, this time, I have no intention of doing that. It's obvious that L learned that I could kill people with more than just heart attacks, regardless of whether or not Naomi told him. Now, the real question is... how long will it be before I change plans?'_

Either way, he was looking forward to the battle of wits between Kira and L. Near was nowhere near as capable and powerful as L was, despite the fact that he was named his successor. In fact, Light was a bit disappointed with Near, as he expected him to learn about his identity much sooner, like L had done before. Realizing what he was thinking, he chuckled, causing Sayu to look up from her work. "Something funny?" she asked.

Light shook his head. "No, just remembered an old joke a friend at school told me. Okay, from here you..."

**_~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~_**

**"It's been five days now..."**

In the realm where Light Yagami made his pact with the Shinigami King Hades, a pale figure stood up suddenly. It was very tall with pale skin and a mouth forever placed into a toothy grin, and eyes wide with crimson orbs, wearing a skin-tight black suit with rings keeping the suit attached to his skin.

**"Well then, I better get going."** Ryuk said as he began walking. Two Shinigami behind him, one with a skull for a head and another with some kind of mask hiding his upper half completely wielding a scythe, looked up curiously. **"Hate to tell you this, Ryuk, but our whole world looks like this!"** the bone-headed Shinigami said with a cackle.

**"It ain't that."** Ryuk shook his head. **"I dropped my Death Note."**

At this, the two Shinigami bursted out laughing, the one with the scythe holding his stomach. **"You really screwed this one up!"** he said between laughs while the bone-headed Shinigami tilted his head. **"Hold up, didn't you convince the old man to give you a second one? Don't tell me you dropped both of them."**

**"No, just the one."** Ryuk said, though one could see his grin was wider than usual. The scythe wielding Shinigami looked up at him curiously as he spoke. **"Well, you must have some idea where you dropped the thing."**

That was when Ryuk looked over his shoulder and left them with a toothy grin, one that spelled out mischief all around.** "Yeah... in the Human World."**

**_~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~_**

After Light locked the door to his room, he took the Death Note from his desk and opened it up, flipping through the pages. It was a habit to see if he had missed any criminals or misspelled any of their names, as the notebook required the precise name. While it was irritating, Light understood the rules better than anyone, and couldn't help but grin as he flipped to the very last page. Every page so far was filled with names, along with the cause of death written right next to it. _'It's almost scary when you think about it...'_ Light thought, laughing. _'How easy it is to kill someone with this.'_

Just then, his nostrils picked up a rather familiar scent, one of which he had smelled before. Closing the book, he calmly turned to face a tall, black figure, greeting him with a smile. "Hello, Shinigami."

Ryuk tilted his head, leaning forward a bit so that he and Light were on equal eye level. **"Strange... you're not the least bit afraid of me?"** he asked curiously. **"Most humans would be scared and start screaming their heads off."**

"You might be right, but..." Light said with a confident smile. "I'm not most humans."

**"Heh gotta give you that."** Ryuk gave one of his usual creepy chuckles before he looked at the Death Note lying on his desk. **"Seems like you've taken quite a liking to this book... and look how many names you've written down! If not for the fact that anything written within the Death Note vanishe**s within 30 hours, you would have practically filled the whole damn thing up!"

"Really?" the one bearing the name of Kira asked sarcastically. "And here I thought I erased everything without even knowing it. Although... I have no intention on stopping here. After all, where's the fun in that?" Light gave Ryuk a knowing stare. "The more trouble I cause, the more fun it is for you, right Ryuk?"

The black-clad Shinigami gave out a laugh. **"So, you even know my name as well... I'm curious, how much do you know about that book?"**

"I know it's for real, and that the moment you write down the name of the person you want to kill, you're soul will be denied from Heaven and Hell, thus the only remaining place is nothingness, or Mu as you call it." Light explained, earning a surprised look from Ryuk. "Believe it or not, you're not the first Shinigami I met. I met another named Rem, and about a few days ago, the king of death Hades."

**"You met with the King of the Shinigami?!"** Ryuk all but shouted. **"Just what the hell kind of human are you anyway?!"**

And so Light gave him his answer, standing up from his chair and walking over to the window. "A human that was bored, and discontent with the world... I saw how diseased, how cold, how disgusting it became. Criminals could do whatever they wanted without having the police to catch them, because there were some criminals they couldn't execute or imprison. I wanted to change that, and even tried to become a god of a new world where only the honest, kind, and hard-working could exist."

Light turned to face Ryuk, the cloudy skies dispersing and revealing the sun light that lay beneath the blanket of darkness. "I'm not as arrogant as I was before... I realize now that someone who believes that they are to be a God is nothing but a child throwing a tantrum... No, what I need to become... What I must be... is a Judge." At this point, Light's eyes burned crimson, and for a moment, Ryuk could have sworn he saw something standing in Light's place. "A judge of Humanity's Sins!"

Ryuk's grin grew wider, his teeth sharper, and his body trembling. It was just like he had thought, humans were so interesting... but this human... Light Yagami... he was something else entirely. A judge that would weigh humanity was probably the same as the Shinigami, and from the way Light spoke, Ryuk was sure that he knew much more than he was letting on.

Either way, he finally had something worth his time. **_'Light Yagami... what an extraordinary human you are!'_**

"The human who's name is written within this note shall die." –Rules of the Death Note

Here we are, Chapter 2! As you can see, Light doesn't want to become a God this time around, now let's just hope he doesn't screw up!


	4. Chapter 3: The return of L

Death Note: Return from Purgatory

**Part 1: Revival of the Savior**

_Page 3: The return of L_

"Kira hates to lose. I also hate to lose." –L

Ryuk groaned as he stretched out one of his arms and cracking his neck. **"I'd thought it never end... How do you humans do this every day?"** he complained to Light, who was already packing up his stuff. Once the bag was zipped up, he tossed the strap over on his shoulder and began walking away, Ryuk quickly following behind him. **"Hey, I know you can hear me."**

Light slipped out a cell phone and began punching in letters, which formed into a message. _'And people can hear me, but not you.'_ he typed out. Ryuk chuckled. **"Guess you've got a point."**

By chance, Light slipped past another student. "Hey, Light, you wanna head to the arcade?" he offered. Light shook his head, offering a sad smile. "No thanks, I've got work to do today. Maybe sometime later."

"**Well, that has to be the biggest lie I've ever heard."** Ryuk cackled. **"You don't have anything to do today."**

'_Wrong,'_ Light text back. _'I do have something to do. Between when I get home and before I go to cram school and when I got to bed, I have a small window of opportunity to write down the names of criminals. Of course, with the pace I've been going at, I'm pretty sure the police will likely be to send someone to figure out who is responsible for the murders. I'm willing to bet they'll call in L.'_

"**L?"** Ryuk tilted his head. **"Who would name their kid a letter?"**

'_Strange ones, I'd wager.'_ Light smiled, recalling his time both as L's partner and against him in their game of wits, one trying to outsmart the other. _'L is the world's greatest detective, he's solved every case he's ever come across. Even though he only takes on cases he's personally interested in, he's by far the most dangerous of all the world's greatest minds. If they do bring him in, I'll be looking forward to it.'_

Ryuk raised an eyebrow, wondering why would Light look forward to going up against a detective, but chose to stay quiet. Knowing Light, he'd probably introduce him to some more entertainment.

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

As soon as Light returned home, he locked the door to his room and turned on the TV, writing down the names of criminals that appeared, watching every one of them carefully and writing down their names on the Death Note. **"Hey, Light."** Said teen stopped writing for a moment turned to see Ryuk on his bed, eating an apple as usual. **"Why are you working so hard for?"**

"If I'm going to be the judge of humanity, I have to make the most of what little time I have. As I said before, between from now before going to cram school, and before I go to bed, I have little time to write down names in the Death Note. Now, how about I ask a question myself: why are you so hooked on apples?"

Ryuk gobbled down the last remnants of the apple, and gave a loud gulp. **"Apples are like what alcohol and smokes are to human."** Light shook his head, but continued to write until he heard the sound of his doorknob turning.

"Huh? It's locked..." Light smiled softly, opening his drawer and removing the thick book in the desk. "Light, are you in there?"

"Yeah, just one sec." Light replied, undoing the casing around the pen and placing it in the small hole of the drawer. Ryuk's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the bottom being lifted up. **"A fake bottom, eh?"** he chuckled. **"Very clever. The diary will distract most people. Seems like you've taken precautions."**

Once Light slipped the Death Note inside, he placed the fake bottom back, and placed the diary back in place, closing the drawer and leaving the key in the lock. With that done, he stood up and undid the lock on his door, allowing his sister in. "So, what do you need?"

"We're doing quadratic equations, and well..." Sayu scratched the back of her head sheepishly, holding up her notebook. Light shook his head, but smiled nonetheless and allowed his sister in, closing the door behind him. "So, what don't you understand?"

"I think... all of it?"

"Okay, then, let's start from here..."

'_**Hm, he seems to know that if another human touches the Death Note, they'll be able to see me.'**_ Ryuk thought, laughing while watching Light help his sister. _**'He's certainly piqued my interest... He mentioned that he met the old man and another Shinigami before this. Does this mean he already had a Death Note? If so, that would explain how he knows so much.'**_

And yet, Ryuk had the feeling it went deeper than that.

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory**_

At the ICPO, several members of various nations and countries were all holding a meeting in response to the heart attacks that have already taken the lives of several prison inmates and criminals. Soichiro Yagami, a well-groomed man with slicked black hair and square glasses dressed in a maroon suit and black tie, placed the earpiece and microphone into his ear as he took his seat besides his subordinate, Matsuda. "Oh, Chief!" Matsuda greeted, nodding his head. "They started the meeting without you."

Soichiro nodded in response. He could understand it, actually. Considering what had been occurring these past few weeks, they would start the meeting regardless of who was there or who was not there. "As we are all aware, several major criminals have been dying within these few weeks. All of which have died of heart attacks." one of the men at the very front, right behind the monitor, stated with a grim expression. "Do we have any idea how high the death toll is?"

One man, a middle-aged officer from Brazil, stood from his desk. "Currently, we have discovered over a hundred bodies, but even now, we're still trying to determine the exact number."

Another man, tall and brisk with narrowed eyes and a age-worn face, threw in his own two cents. "We are going under the assumption that these murders were carried about by a large organization!"

At this point, all it took was a single comment, and the entire meeting was thrown into chaos. "If that's the case, then I'm not the only one who suspects the FBI or the CIA!"

The entire room was nothing but disarray.

"Say that again, I dare you!"

"Gentlemen, please! We need to learn who or what was responsible for this!"

"How can we even be sure that these are murders?!"

"Then how do you explain their times of death?! Every single one of them died at the exact same time!"

"It's pointless to try and even investigate! If it was a gunshot or a stabbing, then we'd have something to go on!"

"IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BRING IN L!"

As soon as the first man said that, what chaos reigned was quelled, leaving nothing behind but a cold and chilling silence. Everyone was whispering to each other, but Matsuda looked confused. "What's this L that they're talking about?" he asked his boss.

"Right, I forgot that this is your first time at these meetings." Soichiro remembered, as Matsuda had been working for only a few months now. "L is the most formidable detective on the face of this planet, however no one has ever seen his face, in fact we don't even know his real name. He's solved some of the most difficult cases this world has ever seen. He's our last resort, our trump card."

However, not everyone shared Soichiro's views on the matter. Many of the detectives were against the decision, and some had even voiced their doubts.

"I heard that this L is extremely arrogant! He only takes on cases that he is interested in!"

"That's right! Besides, we don't even know how to contact him!"

Just then, the silent room reverberated with a stern stride, each unhesitating and heavy. "L is already on the move," the voice of the owner of these footsteps said with a tone that was both heavy and strict, yet at the same time, strong and gentle. A tall man wearing a heavy trench coat and hat walked into the room and straight up to the front, holding a briefcase in his hands. Once he stood before everyone, the unknown man spoke up once again. "Please, be silent. L would now like to address the delegates."

As he requested, the room was full of dead silence, though Matsuda looked more confused than ever as he looked to Soichiro for answers. "Uh, chief? Who is that?"

"That is Watari, the only person with the means to contact L. However, we also have no clues about who Watari is, either."

Watari opened the briefcase and placed it on the table in front of him. Once he turned it around, it was revealed to actually be a computer, a stylized L appearing on the screen of the computer and on the screen behind him.

And then came the distorted voice of the world's greatest mind.

"**Greetings, members of the ICPO... I am L."**

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

"So, they've gone with the name Kira, huh?" Light mused, having expected that the masses would refer to him by such a name. Ryuk flew next to him, looking over his shoulder with his glued grin growing.

"**The legend of Kira the Savior... Sounds interesting. Is it about you?"** the Shinigami asked curiously, receiving a nod from Light.

"It's taken from the English word 'Killer'. It's ironic, actually. I deliver judgment to criminals, and yet I'm just as bad as the rest of them. Hell, I'd say I'm worse than what they could ever hope to be."

"**Really? What makes you say that?"**

Light just gave him a mysterious smile before he twirled the pencil in his hand around his fingers, waiting for the special broadcast from the ICPO to appear. "Like I told you before when I made my declaration to become the judge of humanity's crimes, I was young, naive, and stupid by trying to become the god of a new world. I ended up killing innocent people who were only going through with their jobs, and they all had families. They never did anything wrong..."

The faces of Raye Penber and Naomi Masura entered his mind, and his fists clenched.

"And I killed them all, including their loved ones. I'm a monster, Ryuk, something worse than even a murderer. I tried to become a god, but in the end, all I really became was a demon."

Ryuk couldn't help but laugh at Light's choice of words. There were several things that were bugging him about this kid, but what he had accomplished and the number of names he wrote on a daily basis had astounded him. Though he lacked the wings of the shinigami, as well as their eyes that reveal the human's name and remaining life, Light Yagami was practically a Shinigami already.

However, the image he saw when Light stated that he would be the judge of humanity's sins bothered him. Rather than Light, he saw a Shinigami wearing a ragged and torn coat with pale skin, his face nothing but a skull with sharp teeth and glowing red orbs burning through the darkness of the sockets, a tie wrapped around his head, a pair of goggles where the forehead would be, and wild brown hair. Ryuk had seen several Shinigami, in fact he was sure that he met almost all of them.

But the Shinigami he saw in Light's place was unfamiliar, and at the same time, extremely intimidating. _**'Hm, I wonder of that's how Light will turn out once he reaches the end of his life?'**_ Ryuk thought, amused. _**'Depending on who the user of the Death Note was and how they used it, Old Man Hades gives them the offer to become a Shinigami. I can't even begin to think of how many people Light's gonna kill off by the time he's at his end!'**_

Light, on the other hand, was oblivious to those thoughts, placing the pencil down and looking at the TV. As he expected, the news broadcast changed to a different channel, revealing a man sitting at a desk with a plaque reading "LIND L. TAILOR" in front of him. The man wore a professional suit and had long black hair reaching down to his shoulders. "I am the head of the special investigations unit, in response to the serial murders of criminals." Lind L. Tailor stated, reciting the script Light knew that had been planned out for him. "I am Lind L. Tailor, also known as L."

Light sighed, shaking his head. "So, he's using this strategy?" Ryuk looked at him in confusion. "He's a stand-in. Just watch."

"As I am sure you all know this, a spree of murders is being committed, and all of the victims are criminals who have committed the worst crimes imaginable, though we simply told the public that it was nothing but a string of unexplained heart attacks. The one responsible for these crimes has been named by the public as Kira."

Ryuk couldn't help but chuckle, looking at Light. **"You sure this guy is a stand-in?"** he asked for confirmation, receiving a nod. He continued to watch the speech, though Light was quickly growing bored.

"I consider these acts to be the most serious, most vile acts imaginable. Kira, I will find you, wherever you are." Lind L. Tailor stated, his face still straight. Light shook his head, wondering who in the world came up with such a cheesy speech in the first place.

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

"Achoo!"

"You okay, Matsuda?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Aizawa... I think someone's talking about me."

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

"Kira... I have a pretty good idea what your planning, and what you plan to achieve... However, what you are doing right now is _evil_."

Light scoffed. "Tell me something I don't already know." Shaking his head, Light grabbed a pen from the cup on his desk and opened the Death Note, writing down the man's name. "Okay, L... You want to see my work? You have a front row seat, so go ahead. Watch as your convict gets his execution early."

Ryuk wondered what Light was talking about, but when looked at the Death Note, he saw that Light had written the man's name in a paragraph with detailed instructions. It caused his eyes to widen and began to laugh madly. _**'Oh man, Light, you are RICH!'**_

After forty seconds had passed, Lind L. Tailor gripped his chest, his face contorted in pain before he fell forward. Light tapped his finger against the table, however once the screen cut off to a white screen with a stylized "L", he smiled. "About damn time." he remarked with nostalgia.

L let out a startled gasp before he began. _"I-I had anticipated this, but, to see it first hand... Kira, it seems you really can kill without having to be there personally."_ Ryuk chuckled, seeing that Light had hit the nail on the head. It was almost like the kid could predict the future. _"Listen to me, Kira... that man that you killed, Lind L. Tailor? He was a Death Row inmate who was facing execution, which was scheduled for today. You wouldn't have known about his arrest, as it had been made in total secret, so you wouldn't find him on the net or in the newspapers. That was not me."_

"No shit it wasn't." Light retorted.

"_But I assure that L does exist. I am real."_ L stated. Light looked at the clock, and counted down the remaining time left. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... _"Now, try to kill-"_

Light grinned as he watched the screen suddenly turn into static, becoming horribly obscured before it showed a "K" of the same style. Ryuk began to laugh while Light simply sat back and watched the show.

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

"W-what the?" Matsuda stuttered, staring at the screen in confusion. "Was this supposed to happen?" Everyone else was in confusion as well, but the one most confused was L. _'What is this...?'_

_**~~~Death Note: Return from Purgatory~~~**_

"_You know, L..."_ the new speaker stated, his voice warped and twisted, yet one could easily tell it was the same voice as L had used. _"If you wanted to meet me, you should have just asked. Allow me to introduce myself properly... I am the Judge of Man's Sins, Kira. It's a pleasure to meet the world's most formidable detective."_

The world was left in a state of shock. The Metro Japanese Police Department were shocked that Kira would make a public appearance while L was beyond shocked. He stared at the screen, wondering just what Kira had in mind, but caught the part when he said that he was the "judge of man's sins". _'Originally, I thought that Kira aspired to be some sort of God-like figure. Is it possible that isn't his goal?'_

He listened to Kira's message intently, placing himself in his usual seating arrangement.

"_Lind L. Tailor... out of all the stand-ins you chose, L, it was a convicted murderer of the first-degree, arrested for the murders of twenty people, all of which members of the mafia. To the public, he was someone willing to sweep away the filth and grime, but to the police, he was just another murderer. Of course, the men he killed were all innocent, despite being with the mafia. Thus, he was a valid target for judgement. Just as you exist, L, I am real. Those who are wicked and have committed crimes beyond forgiveness, regardless of reason, have been punished accordingly. Already, nearly two-hundred criminals have been sentenced to death at my hands."_

The police's eyes widened in sheer horror. L's face paled. _'Dear lord... he's already killed that many people?'_

"_The police see me as a mass-murderer, despite the fact that I am also an ally of the law. The people see me as their savior, the one that will free them from a rotting and dying world, thinking of me as their messiah. However, I am none of these things. I am a murderer that I am willing to admit. However, if you wish to eliminate evil from this world, then you yourself must become evil. Those that side with justice can never truly eradicate evil. They are two sides of the same coin."_

"_My goal is to create a new world order... a world filled with honest, kind, and hard-working people. Those that cause trouble for others, and those that have committed heinous crimes have no place in such a world. If you think I intend to become the god of such a world, you are wrong. I have no such intentions. I shall simply judge people for who they are, and find them innocent... or guilty. Society today is nothing but corrupted and manipulated by corrupt politicians and dirty judges. There are even criminals that not even the police could prosecute, thus allowing them to walk away scotch free without even so much as paying for their crimes. Take a look at Oda Yoshimuta! He murdered a man and a woman, a married family with a teenage daughter, and what happened after he was arrested?! He was arrested for manslaughter of the first degree, and yet he was not punished! The police, and the court allowed a man who took the life of a teenage girl's parents, and he only given a few years!"_

"_I will not stand for this! If society and the police will not punish those that have sinned, then that responsibility falls to me!"_

Ryuk laughed even harder, unable to keep himself afloat and found himself rolling around on the floor, holding his stomach. **"L-Light, this is AHAHAHAHAH! H-holy crap, this is absolutely hillarious!"**

Light smiled a bit, rather impressed by his own work and looked down at the Death Note. On a blank page with a paragraph, it read: _'After Lind L. Tailor dies of a heart attack at 9:45 PM, hackers Mushita and Kobayashi will broadcast a recording given to them by a high school student, and will later turn themselves in, only to commit suicide after two hours of confinement have passed.'_ The hackers were convicted of murder, so there was no problem. The victim was a thirty-year-old woman, divorced from her husband, and was simply a robbery crime, though all they got was a measly two hundred.

"_L. I know you also desire such a world, a world where evil does not exist. However, there is a defining difference between the two of us: you side with justice, and I do not. In which case, let us play a little game. Whoever wins shall be able to create that new world by whatever means they desire. I have no intention of killing you, after all, what would be the point in killing someone who is obviously worthy of my time?"_

"_The goal of the game is simple: catch me. You can imprison me, you can execute me, you may do whatever you wish. There are no rules to follow, other than rules for me: no killing innocent people, nor the people trying to seek me out. This applies to those of the Konto Region, seeing as how this is where we are broadcasting, after all."_

L's eyes widened in surprise, and bit the nail of his thumb. _'He knew that the purpose of this broadcast was to search him out, and yet, here he is, issuing me a direct challenge. Just what are you planning, Kira? ...And why did you mention Oda Yoshimuta and the victims' daughter? Is it possible that you and her are acquainted? Or perhaps you share her pain? Or... are you that girl?'_ L felt a smile appear on his face, staring at the screen with blazing dark eyes.

"Very well, Kira... consider your challenge accepted."

"_Let us see who can create a new world order first! You, who side with the police, justice, and the law! Or me, who has taken the law into his own hands, and has become a criminal worse than those he has killed!"_

With that, the broadcast came to an end, and Light couldn't have been happier. He started to chuckle, but then it became laughter, throwing his head back. It was a pretty startling sight, but he couldn't help himself. This was where things would be different. This was the turning point of his life. This was where he and L would face off against each other once more. This was where two of the world's greatest minds battled it out in a game of wits.

Only this time... it was Light's life that was on the line this time.

"I want the world to know of my existence." –Light Yagami

_**And there we have it, at last this chapter is complete. God, it feels like my fingers are about to fall off... You people better be happy! I stayed up until four in the morning to finish this up! Now, if you excuse me, I am heading off to... bed...**_

_**...zzzzzzz...**_


	5. Chapter 4: Cogs of Destiny

Death Note: Return from Purgatory

**Part 2: A Game Of Puzzles**

* * *

><p><em>Previously, on Death Note: Return from Purgatory...<em>

"_**You know, L..." the new speaker stated, his voice warped and twisted, yet one could easily tell it was the same voice as L had used. "If you wanted to meet me, you should have just asked. Allow me to introduce myself properly... I am the Judge of Man's Sins, Kira. It's a pleasure to meet the world's most formidable detective."**_

_**The world was left in a state of shock. The Metro Japanese Police Department were shocked that Kira would make a public appearance while L was beyond shocked. He stared at the screen, wondering just what Kira had in mind, but caught the part when he said that he was the "judge of man's sins". **_**'Originally, I thought that Kira aspired to be some sort of God-like figure. Is it possible that isn't his goal?'**

_**He listened to Kira's message intently, placing himself in his usual seating arrangement.**_

"_**Lind L. Tailor... out of all the stand-ins you chose, L, it was a convicted murderer of the first-degree, arrested for the murders of twenty people, all of which members of the mafia. To the public, he was someone willing to sweep away the filth and grime, but to the police, he was just another murderer. Of course, the men he killed were all innocent, despite being with the mafia. Thus, he was a valid target for judgement. Just as you exist, L, I am real. Those who are wicked and have committed crimes beyond forgiveness, regardless of reason, have been punished accordingly. Already, nearly two-hundred criminals have been sentenced to death at my hands."**_

_**The police's eyes widened in sheer horror. L's face paled. **_**'Dear lord... he's already killed that many people?'**

"_**The police see me as a mass-murderer, despite the fact that I am also an ally of the law. The people see me as their savior, the one that will free them from a rotting and dying world, thinking of me as their messiah. However, I am none of these things. I am a murderer that I am willing to admit. However, if you wish to eliminate evil from this world, then you yourself must become evil. Those that side with justice can never truly eradicate evil. They are two sides of the same coin."**_

"_**My goal is to create a new world order... a world filled with honest, kind, and hard-working people. Those that cause trouble for others, and those that have committed heinous crimes have no place in such a world. If you think I intend to become the god of such a world, you are wrong. I have no such intentions. I shall simply judge people for who they are, and find them innocent... or guilty. Society today is nothing but corrupted and manipulated by corrupt politicians and dirty judges. There are even criminals that not even the police could prosecute, thus allowing them to walk away scotch free without even so much as paying for their crimes. Take a look at Oda Yoshimuta! He murdered a man and a woman, a married family with a teenage daughter, and what happened after he was arrested?! He was arrested for manslaughter of the first degree, and yet he was not punished! The police, and the court allowed a man who took the life of a teenage girl's parents, and he only given a few years!"**_

"_**I will not stand for this! If society and the police will not punish those that have sinned, then that responsibility falls to me!"**_

_**Ryuk laughed even harder, unable to keep himself afloat and found himself rolling around on the floor, holding his stomach. "L-Light, this is AHAHAHAHAH! H-holy crap, this is absolutely hilarious!"**_

_**Light smiled a bit, rather impressed by his own work and looked down at the Death Note. On a blank page with a paragraph, it read: 'After Lind L. Tailor dies of a heart attack at 9:45 PM, hackers Mushita and Kobayashi will broadcast a recording given to them by a high school student, and will later turn themselves in, only to commit suicide after two hours of confinement have passed.' The hackers were convicted of murder, so there was no problem. The victim was a thirty-year-old woman, divorced from her husband, and was simply a robbery crime, though all they got was a measly two hundred.**_

"_**L. I know you also desire such a world, a world where evil does not exist. However, there is a defining difference between the two of us: you side with justice, and I do not. In which case, let us play a little game. Whoever wins shall be able to create that new world by whatever means they desire. I have no intention of killing you, after all, what would be the point in killing someone who is obviously worthy of my time?"**_

"_**The goal of the game is simple: catch me. You can imprison me, you can execute me, you may do whatever you wish. There are no rules to follow, other than rules for me: no killing innocent people, nor the people trying to seek me out. This applies to those of the Konto Region, seeing as how this is where we are broadcasting, after all."**_

_**L's eyes widened in surprise, and bit the nail of his thumb. **_**'He knew that the purpose of this broadcast was to search him out, and yet, here he is, issuing me a direct challenge. Just what are you planning, Kira? ...And why did you mention Oda Yoshimuta and the victims' daughter? Is it possible that you and her are acquainted? Or perhaps you share her pain? Or... are you that girl?'**_** L felt a smile appear on his face, staring at the screen with blazing dark eyes.**_

"_**Very well, Kira... consider your challenge accepted."**_

"_**Let us see who can create a new world order first! You, who side with the police, justice, and the law! Or me, who has taken the law into his own hands, and has become a criminal worse than those he has killed!"**_

_**This was where things would be different. This was the turning point of his life. This was where he and L would face off against each other once more. This was where two of the world's greatest minds battled it out in a game of wits.**_

_**Only this time... it was Light's life that was on the line this time.**_

* * *

><p><em>Page 4: Cogs of Destiny (Part 1)<em>

* * *

><p>"If we catch Kira, he is evil. If he succeeds, Kira is justice." –Light Yagami<p>

At the Japanese Metropolitan Police Department, the Kira Investigation had already begun, several officers seated in a large box room. Soichiro sat at the head, his hands folded neatly into a ball while Watari sat at the very back, the computer directly in front of him. As proof that L was listening to this conversation, the same stylized letter was shown on the screen. The old man took a quick glance around the room, and saw that everyone held looks of the utmost seriousness. With that, he nodded, and officially began the meeting.

"Alright, let's start with the tip line reports." Soichiro stated aloud, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. One young man stood up, holding several sheets of paper in his hand. "Yes, sir. Up to this point, we've received 3,029 responses about the murders via telephone or on e-mail. Most of these have been curious citizens and prank calls, but there are 14 people who have claimed to know Kira, or have seen him. All accounts were followed up on and carefully documented. Although, no one could provide any information that wasn't already publicly available. In addition..." the man groaned. "There were an additional 21 people who claimed to be Kira."

Everyone in the room groaned as well, all save for Watari and L. _'I highly doubt that any of these accounts are true,'_ the detective thought, pressing his thumb against his mouth. _'though everyone in the room is already aware. Kira's announcement is clear proof that he won't be giving himself up so early in the game. Still, I wonder...'_

"We didn't want to rule anything out," the man continued. "So we followed standard procedures and created profiles for all twenty-one of them."

"Alright," Soichiro nodded, pleased with the careful documenting. "onto the victim reports."

Once the man sat down, another stood up, slightly younger than the first. "Yes, sir." he bowed respectfully to them, and began listing off the information he received. "Upon further investigation, we have confirmed that the information of the heart-attack victims was, indeed, publicly available in Japan prior to their deaths. Also..." the man's eyes turned to the corner of the retina, glancing back at the laptop. "Concerning L's request that we investigate the time of death for each victim, we found that all of them occurred on the hour, twenty four victims per day. In the beginning, however, they were spaced apart between the hours of 4 P.M. and 2 A.M. on week days, local time with sixty-eight percent of them occurring between 8 P.M. and 12 A.M., weekends and holidays appear to be the exception to this rule, as the times of death vary much more widely than in during the week. After the ICPO, meeting, however, times of death were directly at the hour, on the hour."

L was pleased with the results of the investigation. _**"That information is extremely relevant for us. It would suggest that, given the times of death prior to the investigation being officially started, our suspect could very well be a student."**_ This surprised many of those in the room, Soichiro being no exception. The very thought of a teenager committing such crimes on such a grand scale terrified him. He was just hoping to whatever god existed in this world that it was not Light. He had seen how the boy had been acting these past few days, much more social than he had been, focusing on his exams with great vigor, and also protective of Sayu. It was almost as if he had matured greatly, acting not as an honor student, but more a refined adult. However, the detective could also see traces of guilt, sorrow, and anguish in the boy's eyes, as if he had done something that he regretted immensely. "Based on the fact that Kira is killing criminals, I believe it is safe to assume that he is driven by some form of justice, a notion of right and wrong. Initially, I believed he had aspired to be some sort of God-like figure, however, that was incorrect, as he stated that he had no intention of becoming such in his speech."

"I sense of a 'but' coming here..." Aizawa muttered to Matsuda, who simply chuckled, but the two listened intently.

_"**Given his speech pattern and mannerisms, it is likely that Kira, in the past, had tried to become a God, but failed. It was perhaps this defeat that made Kira realize something, something that drives him to being, as he kindly puts it, a judge of humanity's sins. All in all, we are dealing with a meticulous, and dangerous, individual, one who knows the dark truth about the justice system today."**_ L saw the looks on the officers' faces, and realized that he had just left them in a rather dark mood. _**"Of course, this is all but mere speculation. However, I would like to ask that you all re-examine your assumptions regarding our suspect. If the changes of ToD mean anything, it is quite likely that Kira can control when a person will die. If this is the case, then we must tread carefully, and examine all heart-attack victims carefully. We must considering EVERY possibility. I believe that is shortest, and fastest way to capturing Kira."**_

L sighed at the other end, feeling slightly exhausted from his long explanation. **_"Please, continue." _**he urged Soichiro. Within his mind, however, he was actually looking forward to his duel of wits with Kira. It had been a long time since he had a challenge, and Kira was indeed providing it. To be able to kill without being present, and to even set a time for when a killer shall die... it was all so fascinating, so unique to the detective. It was beginning to remind him of the BB murder case he worked back a long time ago.

Back to the investigation, Soichiro cleared his throat, and nodded to L's request. "Does anyone else have something they would like to add?" he asked. Matsuda stood up, though he looked rather nervous once everyone's eyes were trained on him.

"W-well, um..." he spoke nervously. He really didn't want to see this, especially around all of his colleagues, but he felt that he should speak out his mind. "Sir, ever since Kira appeared... T-the crime rate has been dropping significantly."

The room was deathly silent. Everyone grimaced, some even shaking their heads. Soichiro sighed, palming his face while the anxiety on Matsuda's face increased. Should he have... kept this info to himself?

"...Well, I guess this meeting is over." the man said as he stood up. "All of you are dismissed."

In little time, everyone soon left the room. Soichiro was at the entrance to the room, fiddling around with his cell phone as he went through various reports that had been forwarded to him. Ever since the Kira Investigation had begun, he had been running himself ragged. His wife and son often told him to take it easy, but given the dire circumstances, he couldn't allow himself to stumble for even a moment. Now, don't get him wrong, he perfectly understood the severity of the situation. After all, there was a killer on the loose, and with a dangerous ability to leave behind no evidence of his crimes. Even if he killed criminals, some of which he was glad were finally gone... but the fact remained that this killer, Kira, was still a killer.

Still... he had to wonder what sort of person this Kira was, if he had completely lost all faith in the justice system, and had even resorted to become what he was now. It still disturbed him that L suggested Kira could be a teenager, like his own son.

"Chief!"

Soichiro removed himself from his thoughts, looking off to the side to see Matsuda running up to him. "Here you go." he said, holding a steaming hot cup of coffee. "You look like you're gonna need it."

The old man smiled in gratitude, taking the coffee into his hand. "Thanks, Matsuda." he said gratefully. "Boy, this case is making me feel older than I already am."

Matsuda could only look sheepish, looking down at his cup. "U-um, Chief...?" he spluttered over his words. "About... in that meeting..." Soichiro looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. "I-I'm sure everyone probably knew about that. It was stupid of me to actually-"

"What are you talking about?" he cut him off sternly. "Nobody said speaking the truth was easy, but it has to be done." The rookie detective looked up, eyes blinking rapidly before Soichiro smiled back at him. "That being said, if you suggested that we congratulate Kira for doing a good job of lowering crime rates, _then_ we'd have a problem."

"O-oh... right!"

"Anyway..." Soichiro rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This case is definitely going to be a long one... Kinda makes me want to ask myself why the hell I even signed up for this job."

"Family business?"

"Hey, just because my old man was in law enforcement didn't mean I had to..."

* * *

><p><strong>"Looks like your pretty busy, Light."<strong> Ryuk said as he floated beside him, leaving the school grounds. **"Look, I know I may sound like a broken record, but if you know the guy's real name, why not just off him right now? It's pretty damn easy, if you ask me. Besides, it's what most people with the Death Note would have done already, if they got someone like him running after their heads."**

_'If I did that, Ryuk'_ Light texted on his cell for the Shinigami to see. _'Then the game wouldn't be fun. Besides, I already made it clear that I won't kill L, or anyone that tries to investigate me. I'm confident that they won't find any evidence whatsoever in what I have in mind.'_

**"How do you figure that?"**

_'The way it works, the Death Note is practically the ultimate method of murder. Heart attacks leave behind no traces, other than the book itself, and, like you said when we first met, anything written in the notebook will be erased after 48 hours. Which means, so long as I haven't killed anyone within this time period, or rather, so long as I set up their deaths before hand, they won't know the significance of the Death Note. And besides, superstition in this world is quite weak, depending on where you look. The Death Note wouldn't count as 'significant evidence,' not unless you were to prove it works in the court room by killing either the judge, or anyone in the stands.'_

**_"_And how do you intend to kill if you don't have it on you?" **Ryuk asked. The human merely gave a simple lop-sided grin as he pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. It was half a sheet long, folded neatly... and on it were several names. _**"**_**Ah, I get it. Keep a piece of the Death Note on you at all times... Nice move."**

_'And it'll only get better. By now, L's already suspecting a student, seeing as how I wrote names down between the hours I have when I get home to when I start cram school, along with the varied times at weekends. The real trick here, however, is to make L believe that Kira has access to police records, and that in turn will make him wna to investigate the Japanese Police Force.'_

**"And how the hell are you gonna do that?"** the Shinigami asked... though he had a feeling he already knew the answer to the question.

And Light answered it with his own grin. _'With a few more additional deaths. right inside a prison cell.'_

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, Light was back home, his Death Note safely hidden away in the false bottom of his drawer. He was in his room, helping Sayu with her homework. He could honestly say that he genuinely missed this, the feeling of being with his family. With the death of both his father, and his sister left in a catatonic state, he was left bitter and angry. When he wanted to become a god, he was willing to risk everything, even his own family... but then he realized just how precious everything was for him.<p>

At any rate, he smiled as he helped her work through her equations. "Okay, from here, you..." he started, but stopped when the doorbell rung. "Oh, dad must be home."

"Awesome!" Sayu cheered as she bolted out of the chair. Light sighed in exasperation. The least the girl could do before going to greet their dad was finish this last problem by herself! _'Oh well...'_ he thought as he left his room, slipping down the stairs and into the living room. His mother was already getting the dinner table ready, plates and forks and knives set out. He greeted her as he went past her, and found his dad slipping off his jacket and shoes at the main entrance.

"Hey dad," Light greeted him. "Rough day at work?"

Soichiro nodded. "Yeah... a long one."

**"Well, well,"** Ryuk cackled. **"Daddy is a police officer. No wonder your so confident."**

Light gave him a sideways glance, showing off a smirk. After Soichiro placed his clothes off to the side, dinner finally began as planned.

* * *

><p>L was looking over the Kira case in it's entirety for the umpteenth time today. He was sitting in front of the computer monitor, completely in the dark, his legs brought up to his chest while his thumb pressed up against his lips. Despite many a warning not to stare too long at a computer screen in the dark, L didn't listen to them at all, instead focusing on more important things. He had to admit, this had been the most fun he's had in a while. Now, don't get him wrong, he took his job very seriously. Whenever a case came his way, he investigated it thoroughly, taking apart alibis and testimonies and observing the evidence with the utmost scrutiny, seeking the truth wherever it hid. He had solved a great deal of cases since he took on this position from his predecessor, but really, the last case he had bored him to no end. Here, however... he finally found a case worth investigating.<p>

Kira was not your run of the mill criminal, and for various reasons. The first of which was his uncanny ability to kill. Everyone had the ability to murder, the quality and quantity solely dependent on the human brain's creativity. Even a child, if with enough creativity, could plan out a complex crime. The source and power behind the crime was also dependent on another factor: the motive. Everyone always had a motive. Those who killed for revenge were sloppy, so easily found out. Those who killed for pleasure, those were the ones who were truly dangerous.

Kira, however, was a whole other level. His murders came from devotion, rather than pleasure. All of the victims' deaths were complex, the truth so easily hidden in their bodies and backgrounds. It was obvious that Kira held no love for any who had committed an injustice in any sort. He did appear to have some form of mercy, choosing heart attacks, however it was possible to induce them, as his primary weapon for murder. Had he wanted them to suffer, he would have let them succumb to poison or brutality... that is, if Kira was capable of anything more. Something about this elusive killer told L that there was so much more to him than heart-attacks.

There were several steps to analyzing the criminal mind.

1) Examine the murders carefully for anything. Even the slightest detail could tell you something about the killer's mentality.

2) Take a look at the victims, search them carefully from their origins of birth to how they lived. Something about them could very well-likely might have induced the murder itself.

3) The most important rule: learn the motive. Examine it, take it apart piece by piece to understand what drove them to commit murder.

Out of all these rules, L followed the last the most. He would agonize for hours to discover the truth behind these murders, of why the killer had committed such a vile act. Kira had openly stated his reasons for this atrocious acts: to create a world void of corruption of any sort. The vermin would be left as corpses, and the honest, kind, and hard-working would be left. With that, it wasn't hard to establish a possible profile.

Kira had to be a high school student. Before the investigation began, Kira killed in a schedule that heavily implied it. That provided a good idea of what drived him, a childish notion of right and wrong. However, afterwards, he showcased a dangerous new talent in his murders: the power to control the time of death. That alone was terrifying, therefore making it all the more harder to pinpoint how the act was done in the first place. L had the idea to use a stand-in, a death row inmate who's execution was not far off, to flush him out. Given that the first recorded heart-attack victim was a simple kidnapper, it was clear that Kira had only just recently discovered his killer abilities. After that, he reveled in them, and began killing at a terrifying pace. In no time at all, all the hardened criminals were dead.

L, as suspicious as this might seem to others, could actually respect what Kira was doing. He was getting rid of the scum... but he was going at it the wrong way. Death was the coward's way out of escaping their crimes. He believed that they should have to pay for it through the legal system, despite the fact that it was so heavily abused now because of the criminal's connections. Kira understood this well, hence probably the reason why he chose to kill them, rather than expose them. It was clear as day that he must have thought himself a god.

And yet, when Lind L. Tailor was killed, L had been proven wrong.

Kira was aware of his own actions, how corrupted and tainted they were, yet he felt that he could not stop. He must continue, even if it meant becoming a worse monster than the men who's bloods stained his hands. He showed his willingness not to involve innocent people, proving that, while possessing the most terrifying weapon human beings ever had, he dared not to truly abuse it to the extent where he could kill them without remorse. His actions, and his words, painted anew picture.

He once tried to become a god, but he had failed. This failure must have somehow made him realize something, something vitaly important... but what? How had he tried to become a god-like being? And where had he acquired this unfathomable murder weapon known as the heart attack? The more he pondered, the more excited he became. Truly, this was a challenge, one worthy of his station as a detective. And it was clear that Kira was acknowledging him in various regards... one of which L found to be odd, but didn't let it bother him. After all, this would be the best case he's had the pleasure of working.

"I've investigated every possible angle..." he mumbled to himself, shifting his position to where one leg rested on the cold wooden floor, and the other remained to his chest. "The chances of Kira being a high school student are 2.0001 percent... and yet, I have no doubt it's his occupation. All other possibilities are invalid, or impossible."

_"...L,"_ Watari's voice came on the monitor as his closely shrouded visage appeared on the screen. _"Twenty new victims were discovered... and one of them even wrote a suicide message."_

L was now intrigued. Soon enough, the details appeared on the screen. He leaned forward, his thumb pressing harder. _'...very curious, Kira.'_ he thought. _'All of them were criminals who's arrests were never made public, and were in no way mentioned in the media. Not even in public forums... This leaves several new theories.'_ He leaned back a bit, moving his hand down to his chin. _'This information paints new paths for us... Is it possible that Kira has access to police records?' _He looked at the note left behind by the victim. If the erratic writing as any clear indication, it was clear that they were terrified of whatever it was that was coming for him... even more so when he read the contents. _'It's clearly a suicide note... but if you look at the very top, and translate them into English...'_

**"L**

**Do**

**You**

**Know?"**

He pondered this for only a moment before he clicked the mouse. "Watari, I need you to patch me to the Federal Bureau Investigation Director." he asked of his assistant. "I need to ask a favor."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, atop a large tower that overlooked the entire Kanto region of Japan, a mysterious figure looked down at the city, a large smile plastered across his face. He appeared to be a young male in his late twenties, his hair an odd color: snow white, and widely unkempt as the fringe hung over his forehead, and barely covered his brilliant, golden eyes with the most curious and amused glint behind the thin veil reflected from within. His attire was overall modest, a simple white dress shirt and black slacks. In his hand, however, was a simple black notebook. It was closed, and held firmly in his grasp.<p>

"So, it's finally begun..." the figure muttered, a euphoria of joy erupting in his heart. "At long last, we can finally finish what he started."

A chuckle emerged from the shadows. Their form was heavily disguised by the shadows, only revealing a slouched form with their arms folded over their chest, dressed in leather: red pants and a silver-lined blue jacket. "You look pretty excited." the figure commented, a man judging by his tone. "So, I take it that it's just about time we get this party started?"

"Almost," the young man replied, turning back to his ally. "It's quite a shame, however... I wanted to meet him when he was still at his height, ruling over this world with an iron-clad grip, a righteous sword in hand. Sadly, it appears that even a god is capable of falling from grace."

"Well, death can change a man, for better or worse." the man grinned in the shadows. "So, what will you do...?"

The youth could only offer a serene smile as he turned back to the city, lifting his head to the darkened sky. "His work was left unfinished..." he said, closing his eyes. "It's only fair that I complete God's work."

The man cackled with laughter. "You never cease to amaze me..."

His gaze fell on the notebook, which read "Death Note."

"...Mr. Makashima."

"This world... is rotting." -Light Yagami & Ryuk

_**MWUAHAHAHAHAH! Bet you didn't expect this to be updated, did ya?! Then again... neither did I. I had all but lost hope in regaining my muse... and then I found out Death Note is on Netflix.**_

_**Anyway, the new character you met is not an OC. He is the primary antagonist for the majority of the first season from the anime, Psycho-Pass. I recommend giving it a watch... it's sure to make you realize just how terrifying the government can be at times in a society like that. Anyway, Shogo Makashima has made his debut in the Death Note world at long last, and Light's about to begin the mindgames with L once more.**_

_**Like, Follow, Favorite, Review, please tell me your thoughts! Did you like this chapter? Did you hate it? You all have a wonderful morning, day, or night, wherever you live.**_

_**Demons Anarchy or Pride, out!**_


End file.

Death Note, Angst, Suspense