"WE'RE GETTING NOWHERE!" Light watched as Ori kicked an empty chair into a nearby wall. The clattering sound of plastic hitting concrete made everyone but him and L jump. Ori was seething, chest puffing with every angry breath she inhaled and exhaled.
"Getting angry isn't going to help us find Kira any faster." L scolded.
"I don't know, L. There was a time where Ori figured out an equation by screaming about how "bullshit and wrong" it was. After she calmed herself out, she was more mentally pliable. Just give her time. She'll eventually just burn herself out." Ori, who was mercilessly kicking the chair, whipped to face Light with a twisted expression.
"That's what you think! I'm an eternal Flame Baby!!" She kicked the chair a few more times, then went back to her own chair and plopped down as if her legs were made of jelly.
"Better?" Light asked with a teasing smile.
"Fuck off." She grumbled irritably. Light let out a chuckle. Ryuk watched everything with his upturned smile.
"If we could get back to finding a serial killer please." L looked at the two of them with an annoyed expression.
"Yeah, if Raito could just get off my back."
"Don't be like that, Ori. We both know I was the only one who would tolerate you at school."
"You're also the one who wouldn't leave me alone. I was perfectly content by myself."
"You also would've failed math."
"Isn't emotional well-being more important that academic?" Light knew that this was a playful argument. It written all over Ori's face that she knew too, but L was gripping his knees tightly and frowning at the screen.
"I know things are a little tense with the arrival of Kira 2, but if we could just focus a little longer, I'm sure we could find something."
Ori righted the chair against the wall before slouching back down again. Under her breath, she muttered a sarcastic, "yeah, Raito." Which Ryuk thought was just hilarious. He cackled loudly in Light's ear.
<> <> <>
"L," Watari's voice came out grainy over a loud speaker. He sounded urgent. "Kira's on TV. Switch now." Before he even finished, Ori was shoving L out of the way and changing the screen to Live TV. He shot her a quick glare that she ignored, then turned to stare at the screen. The familiarly deep and warbled voice came through the speaker, lighting Ori's soul with heated rage. Vivian has been murdered by Kira, and this fake was treating Kira like some sort of idol to be adored. Like a student having a crush on their teacher. It made Ori a level of angry she had never known she was capable off. Far more than when she slugged that bully.
It wasn't until she felt Raito pulling on her shoulder, did she realize how heavily she was breathing. Her heart was pounding in her chest, loud and heavy in her ears. She sucked in a slow breath, and let Raito pull her back into her chair. She collapsed in her seat, realizing that she had almost missed Kira 2'a entire monologue.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ide launch from his seat.
"This is out of control. Someone needs to stop that bastard before he kills someone!!" He sped to the door on the other side of the room.
"Ide! Where are you going!?" Ori found herself out of her chair once again, staring after Ide's retreating figure.
"None of you are doing anything! I'm going to that damn Sakura News station and tell them to turn off the broadcast."
"Think about what you're doing!" Ori cried after him. "We don't know what this new Kira is capable of. We don't know if they won't attack police. Who knows what lengths they'll go to for Kira." Ori saw Raito bite his lip, but he said nothing.
"Mr. Ide, I don't think that's in our best interest at the moment. We should stay here until we've gathered all the information we can. Honey's correct; we don't know what Kira 2 will do." Instantly, Ide stopped and whirled to face L. Fury made his face turn bright red. He stepped a little closer, but then stopped himself.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?! World's Best Detective, and what? You couldn't even find one killer! Now there's another! What are we supposed to do?! I refuse to just sit here and do nothing while more and more people are being slaughtered." His chest was moving erratically, like Ori's had been just moments before. Suddenly, she didn't feel so angry anymore. Instead, she felt sorry for Ide. She felt like she could relate to him, but this wasn't the way to go about it.
"I get that your angry, Ide, but getting yourself killed isn't going to do anything. We can't just storm in an-"
"You all said that Kira couldn't kill us without both a name and a face. I'm not going to die without bringing that asshole down." Ori opened her mouth to speak. To convince Ide that leaving was an awful idea. They didn't know if Kira 2 was possible if something more dangerous.
"Thank you for your service, Ide." L solemnly whispered.
"You can't be serious, Ryuzaki!" Ori turned on him. He couldn't really let Ide just walk away, could he?
"And I hate how you always have to have the last word!" Ide slammed the door behind him as he left the room. Silence echoed against the walls and settled over all of them. Ori's mouth felt dry. She couldn't decide if her mind was racing, or if she was even thinking at all. Everything felt so still and haunted.
"What happens now?" Ori croaked out. She winced like she needed a glass of water.
"Admittedly, I'm not quite sure." L said. He was still staring at the many screens in front of him. His hands were still, curled into his baggy jeans. Ori moved her chair to sit next to him.
"I never asked before, " she started in a quiet voice, "but how did you know Kira 2 was a fake?" L was silent for ten seconds longer, then clicked his eyes over to her.
"Kira wouldn't have told the world of his existence through tapes. He wanted people to learn of him naturally. Also, Kira 2 said he wanted to work with the police, but he 'defend' himself if he felt it was necessary." Ori frowned, she didn't remember Kira 2 saying that.
"Is that what the whole monologue before was about?" At that, he turned to face her fully.
"Yes; it was quite clear. Were you not paying attention?" Ori's face went hot and she turned off to the side. In a low murmur, she said, "I got a little distracted."
"I hope that Kira 2's devotion to Kira won't be a problem for you. Having you off the force for a month was difficult enough. We don't need you going off the rails again."
"I'm not! It won't!" She scrambled frantically, but L just cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm holding you to that." He turned his gaze back to the screen, which was taken away from the Old English script saying 'KIRA'. It was now pointed at the Sakura News station. A man was running towards the doors, and Ori instantly knew it was Ide. Her heart crept into her mouth as she watched him yank on the doors, only to reach for his gun and shoot and shatter the glass doors a few seconds later. Everything was silent. The reporter wasn't speaking, and the Task Force was too stunned to speak. Ide walked over the shattered glass, but then stopped. He put a hand on his chest, just over his heart. He collapsed and Ori sucked in a painful breath. His digits and limbs twitched, but then he stilled.
And didn't move again.
L's already wide eyes were bigger than before, and Raito's mouth was agape. Ori knew, she knew deep in her gut that this would happen-she knew that nothing about this would go well, but seeing Ide collapse on TV, it sent a whole new shiver of fear and rage coursing through her body. Now it was real. The rules were different now. Kira 2 didn't need a name and a face. Just a face. Secret identifies couldn't save them now.
"I didn't want to kill that policeman, but he gave me no choice. Give me L, and no more innocents will die." The warbled voice spoke almost as if nothing had happened.
"Give up L?" Aizawa shouted as if Kira 2 could hear him. "He's got to be out of his goddamn mind!"
"Please, Aizawa, we must remain calm."
"Calm?! That bastard just killed Ide, and you want us to remain calm?!?"
"Believe me, I am just as upset as you, but getting worked up and acting irrationally will do nothing but give us more trouble."
"Umm, guys?" Matsui said timidly. "I don't want to interrupt, but where's the Cheif?"