Chapter Text
9:02 pm - Dec 31, 2008
L crouched in his armchair, surrounded by the darkness of the surveillance room. The only source of light came from the multiple stacked monitors, revealing his tense and agitated state of mind. Trembling, with half-lidded eyes fixed on the images displayed, he never looked away.
He felt lightheaded, his face warm, and pressure building in his chest with a fluttering sensation in his stomach. Fidgeting awkwardly in his armchair, he noted the tension in his taut body.
Fluctuating between intense feelings of torture and longing, he felt himself slowly reaching a crescendo of emotion —a sensation he likened to teetering on the brink of madness.
He felt his erection starting to painfully strain against his pants. A sense of anger and helplessness settled in his mind as he gritted his teeth, his hair hiding the shame reflected in his eyes.
He couldn't take it anymore.
He put his feet down on the floor, opening his legs wide. He opened the fly of his jeans and pulled down his boxers slightly, enough to release his very erect and leaking dick.
He grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and brought it to his mouth, biting the material. His abdomen and part of his chest were now bare. The soft light from the monitors illuminated L in a blue-gray sheen, becoming the sole witness to his mortification. Panting hard, he momentarily looked downwards and wrapped a shaking hand around his member. Bringing his dark eyes back to the monitors, he bit the hem of his shirt harder as he began to masturbate vigorously.
He could feel his body getting more rigid and hotter by the second; his eyes turned hazy and his breathing became more labored.
Suddenly, L closed his eyes and arched his back slightly, groans muffled against the now damp shirt’s hem in his mouth.
He had been holding off for so long that his orgasm was instant and earth-shattering, his hot cum hitting the naked areas of his torso.
His hand gradually stopped moving and he focused on steadying his breath. He dropped his shirt's hem from his mouth with a heavy, shaky sigh, not really caring anymore that his long-sleeved shirt would get soiled with his seed. With glassy eyes, he slowly looked back to the monitors.
The monitors displayed images of a gorgeous young woman from multiple different angles, wearing little clothing –a white and flimsy short crop top with an equally flimsy pair of white panties. The lightness of the material was more evident by the fact both pieces had become see-through on her hot wet skin. The woman was wet from water, her hair damp.
She was being held captive in a wide white cell that was well-illuminated; she was suspended horizontally in the air by numerous black straps in a deviant parody of aerial dancing.
Her current position was nothing short of lewd —arms stretched upwards, chest pushing up, and beautifully shaped supple legs wide open for the cameras. The surveillance cameras provided generous vantage views of her vulnerable position, showing it all in glorious detail.
L groaned deeply, biting his lower lip until he almost drew blood. His fingers were digging into the arms of his chair.
(Y/N) fiercely struggled against her restraints, her eyes half-lidded with bright fury and her cheeks completely flushed.
"L, you son of a bitch!!! I know you're there, I know you’re fucking watching!!!" Her efforts intensified, her body movements causing for her breasts to bounce and her very exposed and wet-clothed womanhood to grind more in the air. "These blasted harnesses have been moving on their own for the last 10 minutes. I know it's you!!!" With fiery eyes, she locked her gaze directly onto one of the surveillance cameras. "Talk to me you coward, you damn bastard!!!"
He clenched his teeth tightly as his hair obscured his eyes. L fell to the floor on his knees, feeling defeated and mortified. His manhood was still exposed, already starting to harden again.
Panting heavily, he wondered how things had become so utterly complicated, so fucked up.
He had reached the point of no return.
Just two months ago, everything in his life had been normal until he took on this latest case.
But when he met (Y/N), his life completely crumbled.
L was no stranger to life-altering events. His life had crumbled before, though in a different manner, at the tender age of 6.
L had been recognized as a promising child prodigy early on, but it was also clear that he was a strange and particular child —a unique creature in his own right.
The few things he remembered from those early years were that his parents had loved him immensely and had always supported him in his interests, thoughts, quirks, and even compulsions —for instance, L remembered them buying little items that he could stack as he pleased.
He also remembered loving his parents very much.
However, it was mostly a distant memory. L was the sole survivor of his family’s massacre. On the night it happened, his desperate and frightened mother’s quick thinking had managed to hide him inside a closet, instructing him to be absolutely quiet.
Peeking through a narrow slit in the closet’s door, positioned near the corner of the closet itself, L had a central and clear view of the room.
In fact, L had witnessed the entire event. Not only was he the only survivor, but also the sole witness to his parents’ murder.
He recalled flashes of screaming and crying people —perhaps the neighbors— finding him on what seemed to be the day after the tragedy, as he noticed bright daylight pouring in through the windows. His memories were foggy, as he had been in a catatonic state when found.
After that, he felt an immense emptiness settling within him. He knew he had always harbored a curious darkness; however, that darkness took root deep within him when he became an orphan.
His heart had closed off.
The only other person he had truly come to appreciate was Quillsh Wammy, aka Watari. Watari entered his life a month after his parents’ death.
Through high-level connections, Watari had learned about the strange black-haired prodigy orphan. The boy had no other living family.
Watari personally fetched a 6-year-old L and brought him to Wammy’s House, the place that would become his new home.
When Watari asked for his name, the child gazed back at him with a downcast look and simply said, "L."
Watari nodded and called him that from then on.
Their relationship wasn't one of father and son; but unlike the other orphans in Wammy’s House, Watari had decided to become L’s personal handler and caretaker. Besides being a brilliant inventor, Watari had served in the military as a high-accuracy sniper.
Like most elite snipers, Watari had the ability to control his heartbeats, lower his heart rate below 60 beats per minute —a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute—, and shoot between heartbeats to avoid the slightest body movement. These skills helped him achieve a highly accurate bullet trajectory.
Additionally, Watari had learned how to fly military helicopters and airplanes and became proficient in interrogating prisoners of war —POWs.
Having quite a dark past himself and sensing L to be a kindred spirit, Watari taught him several skills at an early age, which L picked up exceptionally quickly.
Neither L nor Watari were keen on physical affection, like hugs —it was evident both were stoic in nature. However, Watari would give him a proud, warm-hearted pat on the back from time to time when L achieved something amazing —such as when he learned how to fly a helicopter with Watari at age 13.
L was grateful for Watari's kind presence, supportive nature, and sincere allegiance. He was also grateful to have someone on his side who understood him so well.
Nevertheless, ever since his parents had been taken away, love and warmth had become distant memories. They felt like an old sepia burnt-texture film of a life past; a life he didn't recognize.
...Those feelings were absolutely unnecessary anyway
As time progressed and L grew up, he immersed himself in his interests to the point of obsession. The more challenging the task, the more obsessed and dedicated he became in order to conquer it.
And one of his obsessions eventually became finding and bringing criminals to justice. After successfully apprehending his first criminal, he meticulously tracked down and facilitated the prosecution of every individual involved in his parents' murder —he never forgot a face.
Through careful interrogation, he uncovered the names of those who had ordered the assassinations, adding another layer of complexity to the case. All of these individuals were culpable for numerous crimes and multiple murders, which made building a compelling case against them straightforward.
He ensured all of them faced the ultimate punishment. Securing the electric chair for each, he orchestrated their executions to be as agonizing and painful as possible —an eye for an eye.
L was just 17 years old when they were finally all dead. It was then that he finally saw justice served...
As time went on, umbra settled in his mind, heart, and soul, softly enveloping him like a familiar blanket that grew more comforting with each passing year.
That particular nature became beneficial for his distinguished career as an international crime detective —a man of shadows who operated from within them.
However, he eventually had to step out of those shadows for the Kira case.
In January 2008, L solved what may have been his most challenging case yet —the mass murders executed by Light Yagami, known worldwide by his moniker 'Kira.'
Light had become increasingly diabolical in the final stages of the case. L faced numerous close calls throughout the investigation and narrowly escaped death in their final confrontation. L’s strategic gambit paid off, ultimately defeating Light by the narrowest margin. He knew he was truly fortunate to have survived the ordeal.
Light had two gods of death facilitating his plans and a menacing accomplice in Misa. However, toward the end, L sensed a powerful, luminous presence guiding him, aiding in his campaign against Light’s corrupt and unnatural power.
L couldn't quite grasp it, but he mused that if unearthly shinigamis were real, perhaps heavenly angels were too...
Speaking of shinigamis, L deduced a connection between Rem and Misa after observing Rem’s face, which displayed intense concern and fear during a discussion with the Task Force about the killings that had restarted, leading L to suspect Misa's continued involvement in them.
L caught sight of the shinigami’s expression by chance as he turned around in his armchair to address Light, who stood farther back in the room but closer to L than where Rem was positioned. L maintained his poker face, careful not to reveal that he had noticed Rem’s clear expression of desperation.
He wasted no time in testing his hypothesis, undertaking this risky endeavor without anyone's knowledge except for Watari's assistance. He placed Misa's well-being in grave danger mere hours after making this discovery. L knew the days Misa visited Light, as she was permitted access to the lobby on those occasions at Light's request.
That evening, Misa was scheduled to meet Light at L’s facility's lobby, but she failed to appear. This unusual absence, without notifying her beloved Light, alerted the shinigami that something was seriously amiss.
The hypothesis linking Misa to Rem was confirmed when the Task Force discovered a pile of ash along with Rem’s notebook at the site where Misa had been held hostage. Nearby, a trembling, crying, and bound Misa lay on the floor just meters away from the lifeless bodies of several men.
The men’s names were the last entries in Rem’s Death Note. Having reviewed the bodycam footage from the Task Force, L concluded that the pile of ash likely represented Rem's remains, especially since Misa remained inconsolable, fixated on that pile of ash with the notebook sunk in it.
Two months later, Light met his defeat. L finally encountered Ryuk after touching the primary Death Note. Ryuk detailed his pact with Light: he would be the one to end Light's life when he saw fit. Through persistence, L persuaded Ryuk to delay Light’s demise. While Ryuk had the power to kill Light, L argued that allowing Light to die immediately would be too lenient. Light had to face justice for his crimes first.
Ryuk had been a front-row spectator to their intricate cat-and-mouse game, giving him a profound understanding of L's request as the victor of such a perilous contest. Expressing admiration for L's ability to outmaneuver Light and his devious stratagems, Ryuk agreed to honor L's plea.
It was then that Ryuk revealed a crucial condition he had knowingly kept hidden from Light: to sever his tethering to Light, the Death Note had to be incinerated by someone other than Ryuk or Light themselves. Fire would serve as a purifying medium in this crucial ritual of release.
After meticulously documenting every detail and taking thorough photos, L burned the Death Note with Ryuk standing next to him, observing its complete consumption by the flames. Once reduced to ashes, Ryuk's hidden, massive black wings unfurled as he prepared to return to the shinigami world.
Witnessing Ryuk in his full sinister, ominous power, L had a revelation. As Ryuk started fluttering his terrifying wings, L shouted at him, condemning the monstrous damage caused by Light and Ryuk. He demanded that Ryuk pledge never to return to the human world with the goal of dropping another Death Note, and to ensure no other shinigami did so either.
He received no response; instead, Ryuk's grin widened as his eyes flashed completely red. With a chilling cackle echoing through the night, Ryuk flew away into the darkness.
...L felt his blood run cold at Ryuk's unsettling reaction to his demand.
Since Light had never relinquished ownership of the Death Note, and its destruction wasn't by a god of death, his memories as Kira remained intact.
When Light was brought to justice, the ICPO was shocked to discover that the most prolific serial killer in history had been an 18-year-old all along. Thus, the world came to know that L had successfully brought Kira to justice, evidenced by the complete cessation of the killings.
Kira's identity remained a secret to the world, ensuring the safety of Light’s family as vigorously insisted by L to authorities. Upon learning the news, Light's family severed all ties, utterly devastated by the revelation of his heinous, evil crimes. Light, indifferent to their fate, desired no further association with his family.
All information regarding the Death Notes was strictly classified, known only to a select few. Light underwent an expedited, harsh, covert trial and was sentenced not to death but to life in a maximum-security prison —a fate the brunet considered far more agonizing than execution. The specifics of his trial, sentence, and location were kept confidential.
Unbeknownst to the public, Light was discreetly placed in a high-security facility in London at L's request, ensuring close monitoring if necessary.
Soon after learning of Light's arrest, a devastated Misa attempted suicide. Overwhelmed by the thought of never seeing Light again and facing her own potential imprisonment, she combined alcohol with sleeping pills, resulting in a dangerous overdose.
Unfortunately for Misa, hospital staff intervened just in time to save her life by pumping her stomach and administering necessary treatments. Once she had sufficiently recovered, she faced trial for her crimes, standing alongside Light in court. Ultimately, Misa was sentenced to serve time in a maximum-security women's prison overseas. Like Light, the specifics of her fate were kept confidential from the public.
Months later, in early spring of 2008, L learned that Misa had been killed in prison by a few Anti-Kira female inmates. Her identity as the Second Kira had to be revealed for everyone's safety in the prison she was in.
L suspected that top international authorities had anticipated this outcome when they placed Misa there, allowing her to freely interact with other inmates. Truth be told, it wasn't particularly surprising, given that the majority of the Kiras' victims had been criminals themselves.
Misa never stood a chance in prison.
Light had been more...'fortunate'...to say the least. His identity as Kira had also needed to be disclosed within the prison, but he remained isolated from other inmates, confined permanently to solitary with only books for company. Even his guards were instructed to minimize interactions due to Light's sharp intellect and manipulative skills.
As one of the most fascinating serial killers in recent history, Light was also being cautiously studied by the top psychiatric community.
Throughout his imprisonment, psychiatrists confirmed Light's diagnosis as a narcissistic psychopath with a superiority complex. However, L had discerned this early on, so their initial findings offered no new revelations. L knew Light was far more intricate than their assessments suggested.
Interestingly, Light had often told L that they were equals, that they were the same. While it was true that Light might have been his intellectual equal, their darknesses were starkly different.
It was truly ironic that Light bore that name. He had lived his life under the sun's glow, yet he harbored a darkness that was sinister, diabolical, and megalomaniacal —in truth, he was a demon dressed in the skin of a young man.
In contrast, L dwelled within shadows and operated from them. Despite his own inner darkness and moral ambiguities, L sought a world that could continue to shine. He recognized its flaws and the presence of terrible people, yet deep in his soul, he held onto hope for a better world. His pursuit was justice and order, and he used his unique talents to contribute, even though he remained apart from the world of light. This distance suited him, content to watch the world from afar as long as it carried on shining.
L had actually seen Light once since he was sent to a maximum-security prison. When he visited, L took precautions, wearing a specific outfit of his own design to fully conceal his identity from the prison staff and other inmates who might see him. Upon arrival, L was received and escorted by the prison guards to the interview room where Light was waiting.
L's visit was at the request of the ICPO, who needed his assistance in dealing with Light. They had found that when the psychiatrists asked too many intrusive questions, Light insisted on speaking directly with L, stating he would only provide further information and cooperation if he could speak with L personally. After that, Light refused to answer questions and instead engaged the psychiatrists in intense mind games, making it too daunting for them to handle him.
Deeply fascinated by Light, the doctors hoped that occasional personal meetings with L would ensure Light's continued cooperation, as he had stipulated.
Deep down, L knew it was only a matter of time —another reason why he had secretly ensured Light's imprisonment in London. L understood that as long as Light was alive, he would always be a part of his life one way or another.
L agreed to visit Light very occasionally, but not out of the kindness of his heart or merely to assist the doctors. No. L had his own agenda and personal reasons for maintaining contact with Light.
The fact was that Ryuk's ominous non-response as he departed to the shinigami world had deeply unsettled L. He recognized the high likelihood that another Death Note may be dropped into the world —either by Ryuk again or another shinigami trying to emulate Ryuk’s actions— and if this happened, everything would start all over again. L hoped that if a new Kira ever emerged, they wouldn't be as intelligent and cautious as Light.
However, this was hard to tell, because Ryuk had never answered any of L’s questions besides the deal he had with Light over his life and how to break his tethering to each other. So, had Ryuk handpicked Light as the custodian of the Death Note? Or had it been pure chance that Light had picked it up? There were 6.635 billion people in the world in the year 2006. If it had been by chance that a genius teenager with an evil nature and a superiority complex picked up the note, then it wasn't far-fetched to think that at least one other highly intelligent person with a penchant for evil might pick up the notebook again.
All in all, whoever decided to keep and weaponize the note would, without a doubt, be an evil person who needed to be stopped.
So it pained L to admit it, but one day he might need Light's assistance, the original Kira, to catch a new Kira. This was the key reason why L felt compelled to ensure Light remained alive with a life-in-prison sentence. Having requested this punishment from the authorities, L knew Ryuk would honor it and not touch Light until his old age —the shinigami had promised to respect whatever penalty L wanted over Light as the winner of their game.
It was true that L didn't know if a new Kira would emerge in his lifetime. In case it didn't and he was no longer around, he wanted to keep thorough records regarding the Death Note so that a future detective taking on the case would have a head start and could avoid hundreds of deaths. The complete Kira case files and Death Note information would be kept secret, with specific instructions that, if L was dead, these files should only be released to the detective officially in charge of the new Kira case investigation.
Light hadn’t divulged much about the Death Note and the shinigamis during his trial. So during his visit to Light, besides addressing the questions the psychiatrists needed answers to, L decided to take the opportunity to ask his own questions to complete the Kira case file. He hoped that now that Light had nothing left to lose, he might be willing to disclose more data.
Surprisingly, he did. It was curious; despite Light's evident disdain for L for sending him to prison and besting him, Light also acknowledged that L had won their high-stakes cat-and-mouse game despite all the magical disadvantages against him. Therefore, L had earned his prize: Light's life and freedom. Because it had been such a complex game, in which L emerged victorious through fair means, L noticed during that prison meeting that Light now held a much deeper respect and profound fascination for him.
L didn’t mind. Light’s more cooperative and conversational demeanor would give him a chance to gather more information regarding the Death Note, its powers, the shinigamis, how Light had found the note, his interactions with Ryuk and Rem, etc. —all of which would neatly and gradually contribute to completing the Kira case file.
However, even if both the psychiatrists and L obtained all the information they needed from Light at some point, L knew it was in his best interest to maintain a small connection with Light. For one, he doubted Light would cease demanding in-person conversations with him —these talks were deeply stimulating to Light, as he himself indicated.
On the other hand, if a new Kira were to arise, it would be advantageous to have Light on 'friendly terms' in case he was needed, rather than suddenly appearing one day to demand his assistance on the case, which might lead Light to simply tell him to go fuck himself.
Interestingly enough, Light knew exactly why L had agreed to see him so readily. He understood L very well, so L’s motivations hadn’t been hard for him to guess. In fact, Light mentioned to L that he admired his strategic preparation and forethought, so he decided to play along. Knowing L was an extremely busy man, Light gave him his word that if L maintained intermittent contact with him, he would assist in any way L needed if a new Kira ever arose.
L agreed to this arrangement. It seemed fair to both parties: Light gained a long-term pseudo 'friendship' with L, while L secured Light’s current cooperation for completing the Kira case file and potential future collaboration if a new Kira appeared.
L and Light’s prison meeting had taken place around early spring, a couple of weeks after Misa's death. As L changed back into the outfit he wore to the prison, preparing to leave, he informed Light about Misa’s death.
Upon hearing the news, Light merely scoffed.
All in all, the Kira case seared L’s psyche like a blistering brand, leaving behind memories that would linger with him for years —a prominent scar etched into his consciousness.
Interacting daily with people like Light and Misa, who were approximately around his age and sought his demise under the guise of friendship and collaboration, was profoundly unsettling for L, given his already antisocial nature. Yet, fully aware of the risks from the outset, he pressed on.
However, he would be lying if he said it was all negative. Apart from halting the menace posed by Light and Misa, L genuinely felt he had...grown from the experience.
One unexpected benefit of the Kira investigation was that, through his constant physical exposure and daily interactions with the main suspects and other people over the course of a year, L had acquired a few soft skills. This newfound ability made face-to-face interactions considerably less discomforting for him.
...But not by a lot, since he was still a forthright misanthropic asshole with an abrasive personality.
However, it was enough that if he needed to physically expose himself again —while, of course, hiding his true identity— such as for a critical case that could greatly benefit from his direct involvement, then L wouldn't hesitate to go out again.
It would, however, have to be a very justified case.
Such a circumstance had presented itself during his latest investigation.
In late July 2008, L embarked on a prominent case aimed at bringing down an intricate and expansive network of dangerous, sophisticated criminals. The network was suspected to be led by the Wingate family, a highly influential family of tycoons with deep roots in old money.
The heads of this family were two brothers, simply referred to in the investigation as 'the Wingates.' The criminal network ran deep and engaged in a wide array of illegal activities, including money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, firearms trafficking, high-value robbery, and murder.
L discovered that the Wingates lived and operated from Cambridge, just a couple of hours from his London home base.
Although the Wingates had been exceptionally good at covering their traces and evading any type of arrest —all while maintaining a flawless public image— L confirmed within the first week of his investigation that they were indeed the ringleaders of the criminal syndicate. He had also unearthed the names of other primary bosses who operated very closely with them.
As he continued investigating, L realized that the criminal network was bigger and much more complex than initially anticipated. Their presence in public affairs was extensive and deeply worrisome. The evidence that L held so far was only sufficient to bring down some individuals, but not the whole network.
L wanted to collapse it all like a house of cards and see it burn to ashes.
At some point, he instructed Aiber to infiltrate the medium-to-high-level staff circle of criminals within the syndicate to gather more information from that angle and gradually work his way up to a higher level. It hadn't been easy, but so far, Aiber had done an excellent job as always by earning their trust and obtaining valuable details about the syndicate's operation.
But the case was still ongoing and far from being resolved. L was exploring other avenues to gather the additional proof he needed.
Sometimes it just took one piece of invaluable evidence, one critical clue that would lead to everything caving in.
It was a week before L’s birthday when Aiber gave him that fateful call.
"...So during one of our drinks outings, I heard from one of the chief assistants that a heist has just been completed for the Wingates. A hard drive and physical documents were stolen from one of their key rivals. The Wingates are going to use it all to blackmail them into something quite atrocious." Aiber’s usual suave voice came through the laptop’s speakers.
"Rivals, huh? Keep a close watch on that. It might prove to be quite interesting." L replied.
L was sitting on the floor in front of his open laptop, in the middle of his dark, spartan office.
"Will do. By the way, this might be of high interest to you, L. As you know, none of their closest personnel or contractors have interacted with the Wingates and top bosses simultaneously or met them all. Everyone has only dealt with one or two of the bosses at most, keeping the high-level collaboration among the head honchos very secret. Even their regular hitmen have communicated with only a few of them, either via email, phone calls, or through a middleman. Each high boss has their own specific hitmen and contractors, never really using the same people."
"Yes, they've been exceptionally adept at covering those specific tracks, effectively concealing the collaboration links among them." Said L, his eyes scanning through the files of the Wingates' personnel he had uncovered so far.
L could hear Aiber pouring himself a drink on the other line, "Well, that is, with the exception of one contractor: the cat burglar who just executed this recent heist for the Wingates is the only independent contractor I've been told all of the big bosses have used."
L paused in his browsing, "The cat burglar? Why this person specifically?"
Aiber took a sip from his drink —L imagined it was most likely bourbon, knowing Aiber's tastes. "She's just that good. Apparently, anyone can be a decent hitman, but not everyone can be a proficient cat burglar who operates with stealth and finesse. Those are very hard to find, and I don't think she's ever been caught." L heard Aiber settle into his leather armchair, the crackling of leather audible. "Since the items or data she steals are so sensitive, the bosses usually meet her in person to retrieve it —a practice they continue to this day. She's been working independently for them for close to a decade, or so I've been told."
"Ten years ago, the network wasn't as powerful as it is today, so it's likely that the organization's leaders were less hesitant to meet independent personnel in person."
"Precisely. She has never failed a job and has proven to be loyal to them. They seem to fully trust this thief."
'This is it —the missing piece I needed.' Thought L.
"I see." L mused, his fingers pressed to his chin in thought, "And you mentioned the cat burglar is a 'she.' Did any of the employees you spoke with provide details about her identity or appearance? Anything I can use to identify her?"
"No one besides the bosses has seen her. However, I do have her criminal moniker. A long time ago, the media dubbed her Neon Shadow."
He was certain he had come across that name several times in the news over the past few years. L began typing the name into his laptop. Numerous news articles appeared detailing the thief's heists. Yet, nothing that would reveal her identity.
At least, not upon first glance.
"The moniker should suffice. I'll research her further." He smiled softly, "I'm confident I'll uncover something. Thank you, Aiber. That was valuable information."
L could sense Aiber smiling through the other line. The con man added, "Oh, one more thing. I hear that this cat burglar is very beautiful. As I mentioned, none of the staff has seen her, so I don't have a physical description. However, they have heard the Wingates mention several times over the past years that she is truly attractive. I presume that's another reason why they and the other bosses have no qualms about meeting her in person to retrieve the items she steals for them." Aiber’s chuckle sounded smooth, just audible enough through the laptop’s speakers.
"Hm, well, plenty of criminals out there are attractive, so she wouldn't be the first or the last." L lightly touched his forefinger to his lower lip, amused. "But I take your point. That tip will also come in handy if I come across any pictures of her, to confirm I'm on the right track."
"Sounds good. Have a good night, L."
And with that, they ended the call.
L dedicated a good chunk of time over the next few days to gathering information on the cat burglar. He scoured news articles, reviewed police records detailing her thefts, and delved into underworld sources.
His investigation uncovered a wealth of details. It became clear that she operated internationally and had been active professionally for approximately nine years —he pinpointed her first robbery based on her modus operandi. Interestingly, his deductions suggested that her initial professional heist was likely carried out for the Wingates themselves.
So they were indeed long-term clients of hers, essentially giving her her start as a professional thief.
Regarded as one of the top cat burglars in the international criminal world, L's findings indicated she was selective, taking on only challenging and compelling jobs, occasionally accepting slightly smaller ones as long as they were from her top-tier clientele.
The media dubbed her Neon Shadow due to her method of disabling surveillance cameras during her heists. The cameras would abruptly shake for a moment, as if struck by something, before displaying a brief burst of multiple neon colors as they short-circuited and went dark, completely offline.
L watched one of the police videos demonstrating this phenomenon. It was evident that she fired at the cameras from a distance to avoid detection, using a device that emitted a sudden, powerful surge of electricity, which overloaded the CCTV systems. This device was always destroyed upon use, making it impossible for police to examine. Once the cameras were disabled, she would focus on evading any physical security measures and traps in place.
No wonder there was absolutely no footage or photos of her during the thefts. All photos captured only the pristine aftermath of the premises, save for the absence of the stolen item. In cases where she stole data, there was almost no trace of her presence except for the disabled cameras.
L contemplated that both Wedy and Neon Shadow were elite cat burglars, but they operated very differently.
While Wedy specialized in fully cracking high-end security systems using top-of-the-line tech, dedicating days and even weeks to execute the breach to perfection, Neon Shadow completed her jobs swiftly within a day, skillfully avoiding certain security measures altogether rather than breaching them.
Neon Shadow focused on bypassing or deactivating essential security protocols to navigate a path that allowed her to evade detection. According to the information L had obtained from the underworld, her theft methods relied on outstanding athletic prowess, acrobatic abilities, agility, speed, stealth, and resourcefulness.
Back when Wedy was active in the criminal world, if someone needed an in-depth security breach, Wedy would be the choice. For a swift strike requiring entry into a location known for complex and sophisticated booby traps demanding physical expertise, Neon Shadow was the preferred choice.
This was an intriguing piece of information that L definitely needed to keep in mind.
No one knew Neon Shadow's real name or anything about her identity. However, it seemed she had embraced the moniker given to her by the media, as criminals and others referred to her by that name, and no one had attempted to correct or dispute it.
Upon reviewing police records, L discovered that a notable detective had been assigned the task of identifying Neon Shadow and bringing her to justice about 2.5 months ago. This assignment followed an incident approximately three months prior where she had stolen highly sensitive files from a prominent political figure, who was adamantly pressing for her apprehension. The files were never recovered, and their whereabouts remained unknown.
From the detective's updates in the police records, L observed that despite ongoing efforts, the detective had not yet uncovered who Neon Shadow really was or gathered substantial information about her.
It was rather amusing, because by day 4 of his research, L had pieced together the multiple puzzle pieces and deduced Neon Shadow’s identity. He also managed to find a way to contact her.
Yet, there was no physical description to guide him. There was no online presence, no public photos of her —it appeared all photos had been erased. However, he did obtain access to her medical file, records from her time in youth detention centers, her current residence, and other pertinent details.
L didn’t bother to inform the other detective. After all, the cat burglar was a crucial element in his own investigation, and L would be damned if he let someone else jeopardize that. Given the other detective's limited progress in 2.5 months, it would take a miracle for him to uncover even a quarter of what L had unearthed before L made his move against the cat burglar.
The stakes were too high for L’s case; he could afford to be selfish.
Neon Shadow’s name was (Y/N) (Y/L). According to the youth detention center files, she had ended up there twice for theft —at age 12 and 13. She was released early on the last sentence due to exemplary behavior. The files indicated she was an orphan, with both parents having died in a car accident when she was 8 years old. She had never been in an orphanage, having instead grown up surviving on the streets as a petty criminal.
She had moved to London a couple of years ago and now lived in a very upscale area of downtown. L learned that (Y/N) and he were similar in age. He was just three days away from turning 26 years old, and she was only a year younger than him, which put her at 25.
Considering she had been professionally active for roughly nine years, she would have done her first big job at the age of 16. That heist had been very well executed. Clearly, she had spent her childhood and teenage years honing her skills and practicing her craft. The fact that she never returned to a youth detention center after the age of 13 spoke volumes.
L supposed they had those things in common: becoming orphans when they were children, their age, the city they lived in, the fact that they started their current career paths in their mid-teens, and that they were both considered elite individuals in their own professions.
As for how to contact her, the criminal networks he looked into revealed that Neon Shadow had two different middlemen who facilitated contact with her. One handled jobs originating from the Western Hemisphere, and the other managed those from the Eastern Hemisphere. They would first assess on their own whether the job would be of interest to her. If they thought so, they would obtain the initial particulars about it. They would contact her and pass along the information using encrypted, untraceable phones that couldn’t be tapped.
If she was interested, she would reply and request them to obtain all the specifics to conduct the heist. She would only meet in person with more prominent clients who had assignments that were particularly complex in nature. In those cases, she would ask the questions herself and obtain all the information she needed to be properly prepared to conduct the task.
And that’s how L would get her: bait. He would design a fake job that she wouldn’t be able to resist taking. The job would be intricate enough that she would come out into the open to meet in person.
He would get her to execute the heist in one of the most high-security buildings he owned in London. Upon stealing the target, she would be captured.
Unbeknownst to her, the same building she would break into would serve as the place to hold her captive.
According to Aiber’s report, the Wingates and their partners described her as dependable. Hence, L expected they would need to use any means necessary to get her to talk.
He needed her to disclose all the information she had learned over the years about the Wingates’ criminal organization, provide all the names she knew —especially of the other big bosses he hadn't unearthed yet— and describe in detail all the heists she had done for them: what articles and data she had stolen for them, and in what other crimes or in what capacity these had been used.
Since all the top bosses within that network used her services quite often, L would offer her a deal. If she acted as a double agent and gathered further evidence on his behalf, he could help her get a very reduced sentence with special treatment and benefits.
To be fair, despite the other detective’s ongoing investigation and the political figure that Neon Shadow had pissed off, L was more than positive he could get her full immunity without any issues, avoiding prison altogether. But he wouldn’t offer that unless the evidence she provided and collected for him proved to be absolutely instrumental for his case's resolution.
Now, the next thing to consider is who he would recruit to meet with Neon Shadow in person and provide the details about the fake assignment. It couldn't be Aiber since he was already deeply embedded within the Wingates’ staff circuit, and there was a risk that the cat burglar may have already seen Aiber, given her regular independent contractor status within the organization.
Based on his research, she had also directly and indirectly dealt with several top criminals and wealthy individuals around the world. Therefore, it would be best to connect the job request to an individual she knew existed, but the person providing the assignment details should be a new face she couldn’t verify with anyone else.
This person would also need to be quick on their feet to answer all her questions, have a deep knowledge of the job site building, communicate the complexity of the heist in detail, and keep her interested in the job.
All in all, he realized the best choice for this was himself. If he was the one to meet Neon Shadow in person, he would have full control over the plan’s development and ensure everything ran smoothly up to the point where she was captured.
It was decided: he would be the physical point of contact. Now, who would be the client? Well, Lady Luck had smiled upon L. He had recently solved a case in which a notorious crime lord and his core personnel had been arrested in secret. As far as everyone was concerned, this crime lord was still out there walking free.
After reviewing that file once more and making proper inquiries with the police force that had them imprisoned, L confirmed that neither this man nor his crew had ever hired Neon Shadow’s services in the past or come into contact with her. Thus, this clean slate was a perfect opportunity to approach her without her suspecting a thing.
As per his request, his law enforcement associates for that case granted L full control over the crime lord and his staff’s sources of communication and correspondence. L would initiate contact with Neon Shadow’s middlemen using those sources and continue to utilize them throughout all their communications.
In case she happened to know anyone within the crime lord’s operation, L would be able to intercept emails, calls, or messages and confirm to her that the syndicate was aware their boss had hired her services.
To arrange a meeting with Neon Shadow in person, L decided he would pretend to be the right-hand man of this crime lord. The arrested crime lord had aimed to disrupt the economic order in Europe —and had come close to succeeding, in fact. This was the reason L had been hired to capture him. Therefore, it made sense to maintain the crime lord's original motivation to lend credibility to the fake assignment.
As for the victim and target, the victim would be a fabricated European billionaire working in the banking industry. The narrative would be that a close collaborator of this billionaire had betrayed him, revealing to the crime lord that the billionaire possessed crucial information about several banks in Europe. This information could potentially destabilize, or even completely collapse, a significant portion of the continent's economic network.
Therefore, the target would be this data, stored on a specifically encrypted laptop inside a high-security building —which would be owned by L and would contain one of his laptops.
L would ask the cat burglar to break into that building and download all the folders from the laptop onto a thumb drive. He would provide her with the password key to decrypt the data, enabling her to access and download it. L would indicate that the password key had been verified and provided by the collaborator who betrayed the billionaire.
Fabricating the data to make it look authentic at a quick glance had been simple enough. In truth, the cat burglar wouldn't have time to read it in detail due to the limited window she would have to get in and out.
After fabricating the data, it didn’t take long for L to plan the fake heist in perfect detail, ensuring it was elaborate and challenging in a manner that would definitely capture Neon Shadow's attention. The building chosen for the heist would be modified according to L’s plan.
He communicated all necessary instructions to Watari for modifying the security system of the selected building and preparing the cell room where she would be held captive. Additionally, L and Watari would need to temporarily relocate to the building a couple of days prior to the heist and stay there to conduct proper surveillance and interrogation of the cat burglar during her confinement.
Watari and L had also discussed the methods they could use to capture Neon Shadow, and they agreed it would be best to carry out such a capture when she would be most off guard —immediately after she successfully secured the target. After reviewing L’s research and the full heist plan, Watari offered to design something quick enough to trap her and render her unconscious.
Watari also proceeded to change the ownership documentation of the building where the heist would take place to the name of the fictitious European billionaire who would serve as the victim. Additionally, he created sufficient fake public records of this billionaire's existence and backdated them, in case the cat burglar decided to verify L's story by looking him up.
Once those arrangements had been made, L proceeded to make contact with one of Neon Shadow's middlemen. Interestingly enough, the UK is situated in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres —the Prime Meridian crosses Greenwich, London, England. So L decided to contact the Western Hemisphere middleman.
L provided him with his fake identity and the core details of the assignment. That step went smoothly since the middleman promptly confirmed that Neon Shadow had accepted the job and requested that the two of them meet in person. Rendezvous details to follow.
The next day, L received a brief email from Neon Shadow herself. She informed him that she had made a reservation at an exclusive upscale restaurant, where they would have a private table area to talk freely.
She provided the reservation name —an alias, as L noted— and scheduled their meeting for November 8 at 5:00 pm, which was three days away. Neon Shadow also described the outfit she would be wearing and requested that he provide similar details. L had anticipated this and had already ordered several sophisticated tailor-made suits to play his part.
Additionally, he had obtained some fitted high-end casual clothing, taking inspiration from male fashion magazines —elite criminals often preferred dressing sharply, reflecting their wealth and affluence. All the clothes he ordered were made from materials he favored and were comfortable against his skin.
L immediately responded, indicating that he would wear a full black suit with a white shirt, silver cufflinks, a white pocket square, and an emerald-colored necktie. He confirmed his punctuality for the meeting.
Email sent. Now, all that remained was to wait.
L bit his thumb thoughtfully, realizing this would mark his first public appearance since the Kira case.
He also realized he was hungry. Were there any blueberry scones left from this morning? He decided to take a short break and go to the kitchen to check. If there weren't any scones left, perhaps there were some Halloween candies and cookies left over? Wammy’s House usually stocked extra sweets and bags of candies for the occasion, knowing it was L’s birthday.
He found it fitting that his birthday fell on Halloween. To him, it spoke volumes about his love for sweets and his overall somber, dark nature. As someone who dealt with monsters in his professional career, every day was essentially Halloween for him.
Whenever he was home at Wammy’s House and not abroad on his birthday, Watari, the orphanage staff, and the children would always throw him a Halloween-themed birthday party. Without fail, the kids would carve a sinister yet very cute jack-o'-lantern for him. Even though he always worked on his birthday, he appreciated their thoughtful gestures.
On such occasions, he would join the children downstairs and spend an hour or two with them. That felt like a reasonable amount of time for an introvert like him before feeling overloaded with too much social energy...
Not surprisingly, the one thing he always looked forward to was his birthday cake. Watari was a master baker and would often bake for him on his special day either a strawberry shortcake, a tuxedo cake, or a red velvet cake. This year, for his 26th birthday, Watari had baked him the most spectacular and largest tuxedo cake he had ever had the pleasure of enjoying.
Feeling even hungrier now, L set his laptop to sleep mode and walked towards the door. When he opened it, the light from the hallway flooded into his dim office. He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Two days went by. Tomorrow would be the day L would meet the cat burglar and set his plan in motion. Her knowledge about the Wingates’ criminal organization would be vital to solving the case.
Oddly enough, as night fell, he began to feel on edge. Memories of his verbal arguments with Misa kept popping into his mind. Shoot. What if he blew it tomorrow? What if, just like Misa, this woman couldn’t stand him? Found him unnerving?
Although she had been initially friendly towards him, Misa primarily hated him not because he had imprisoned her and ordered for her to be tortured. No. She hated him because L was always in the way of her 'quality time' with Light.
Well, the girl had priorities, he supposed.
It didn’t make him feel any less uneasy, to be honest. He just hoped he had it in him to be able to maintain a civil conversation with a woman. Enough so that every time they met to discuss this sham of a heist, things were copacetic, at least until he captured her. After that, he couldn’t care less.
L sighed, feeling concerned. He grabbed his cell phone, speed-dialed Aiber’s number, and dangled the phone beside his ear as it rang.
Aiber picked up on the second ring, his voice pleasant as always, "Hello, hello. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
L said in his monotonous voice, “Aiber, do you have some time to talk? I need your advice on a matter I'm sure you can assist with. I’ll compensate you for your time, of course.”
“For sure, you have good timing actually. I just put my kid to bed so I’m all yours.”
"Great. As you know, I'm meeting Neon Shadow tomorrow evening. It's crucial that I come across as a trustworthy and respectable client —or as respectable as the right-hand man of a crime lord can be— to ensure the success of my plan to capture her. I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy because my experience talking to females face to face is...exceptionally limited."
"So I presume you're calling me to get some general tips about talking to women, and maybe some common etiquette rules for interacting with them, right?" Aiber sounded pleased that L was seeking his advice.
"Yes, you presume correctly."
“I would like nothing more than to share some of my social wisdom with you. It’s completely understandable that you’re feeling flustered about this prospect, especially now that we know Neon Shadow is a pretty girl who is your age.” L could just picture Aiber's smile widening. “This should be an interesting rendezvous.”
“I’m not feeling flustered, just a bit uneasy. The reason being, memories of my frequent arguments with Misa keep surfacing. While I've never been concerned about Misa's opinion of me, I want to approach Neon Shadow differently and ensure we establish a positive business relationship. It’s imperative to avoid any discord this time around.”
"Got it. Well, Misa and you clashed because you'd often insult her to her face, openly calling her a nuisance in front of everyone. You even threatened to kick her several times —that’s the type of threat that kid siblings give to one another. So, as my initial advice for tomorrow and beyond, as long as you avoid any of that with this girl, you should be fine. Trust me."
The fuck? Despite being his boss, L sometimes felt that Aiber saw him as a little brother figure. Mind you, based on his deductions, a socially inept little brother figure at that. Only Aiber would have the balls and utter audacity to speak to him like that while sounding so caring.
L clenched his teeth and replied in a low, measured tone, "Alright, I understand your point. But my comments to Misa were provoked because she was indeed a nuisance and deeply irritating. Her incessant screeching and childish behavior made it difficult to focus, like having a banshee enamored with Light constantly in the background. So, it was not solely my fault for the animosity between us."
He paused, a slight frown creasing his brow. "And before you interject, yes, I acknowledge I'm childish too, though in a distinctly different manner."
Aiber let out a hearty chortle, "Yes, you're condescending and rude towards people who aren't very bright, and you always need to win."
"That's an accurate assessment."
Aiber said in his usual charming tone, "Well, as my second piece of advice then, when you meet this girl, you'll need to show more tact and be more casual. You see, women like to feel appreciated for their company and what they have to say..."
L listened attentively, mentally taking note of everything he heard. Aiber shared a plethora of useful information, such as standard social interactions, tips for conversing with women, common social mannerisms, social etiquette in various situations, how to conduct oneself with a lady, and so on.
...It was a lot to absorb, but L felt confident he could do this.
On the day in question, Watari dropped L off a few blocks away from the restaurant just to be on the safe side from any prying eyes. L walked the rest of the way and upon entering the establishment, provided the cat burglar’s fake alias to the hostess.
He was then escorted to a secluded table at the far end, a perfect spot where their business transaction would remain private. The restaurant featured sumptuous décor with dark oak, black, and golden accents.
L discreetly checked the table area, ensuring no cameras or microphones were present —this is why he had arrived ten minutes early. Finding none, he sat down in one of the two opulent armchairs, sitting 'normally' with his feet down as Aiber had recommended.
Having an unobstructed view of his body while seated for once, L ran his gaze down to the suit he was wearing. The suit and accessories had turned out really well. When he had looked at himself in the mirror back at home, L was pleasantly surprised that he looked good in it, the suit complementing his slim frame.
He also wore black leather shoes, which Watari had suggested instead of sneakers. Since L never wore socks, the shoes had been modified with a soft, custom-made inner lining to protect his feet from the leather.
...God, how he detested socks.
His hair was the same though —disheveled, as usual. The thing had a mind of its own, so no point in trying to make it look any different.
When L sat down at the table, a male server appeared promptly, greeted him with a friendly smile, and set down a glass of water. He placed menus for food and drinks on the table, offering to come back shortly if L wanted to order a drink while waiting. L declined, stating he would order when his guest arrived.
After the server left, L couldn't resist glancing at the dessert menu. Everything on the list seemed truly appetizing, especially the creme brulee.
Would eating dessert during a first business meeting be considered odd? He hadn't seen a problem with it, but Aiber had suggested he order a drink instead, especially now that he had 'learned how to drink,' as Aiber had so graciously put it.
L knew he had made that quip because after the Kira case wrapped up, Aiber and Wedy introduced him to the world of alcohol. They insisted that after a case like that, L would definitely need a drink.
He had never consumed alcohol before and had no real interest in it, since anything that could impair his deductive abilities was a big no-no. But their suggestion resonated with him; it felt like he indeed needed a drink after going through hell and back with Light, so he agreed to give it a try.
They had made him sample several things like whiskey, bourbon, and wine.
And L promptly spit them all back into his glass.
At that point, Wedy made him a sweet and fruity cocktail called Piña Colada, which L really enjoyed. It shouldn't have been a surprise that he would favor sweet alcohol as well, but there it was. Even though L hadn't liked the liquor recommendations Aiber had provided, Aiber was just happy to see that L did find something he liked.
They were so good that he ended up having five of those Piña Coladas.
And got smashed.
Since he had already developed a taste for the beverage, he suspected Wedy had made the last three drinks a double each.
Anyhow, that's how L found out that yes, he could drink, and that his alcoholic drink of choice was sweet, fruity cocktails —the sweeter, the better.
At the moment, he wasn't particularly keen on drinking since he was working; however, he knew the details of the fake heist perfectly, so it didn't require much of his brainpower.
Hence, he decided to make an exception and order a drink as Aiber had recommended.
Well then, the Strawberry Daiquiri from the menu sounded like a good choice. He would order that, and just one —he had learned his lesson.
With that decision made, he leaned all the way back against the armchair's backrest. It felt strange to have his back flush against it, as he wasn't accustomed to sitting this way.
He noticed his leg fidgeting a bit. L fought the strong urge to remove his shoes and bring his legs up on the chair. He could already sense his deductive abilities dropping by 40%. Still, he was positive he could manage this job with the remaining 60%, since technically speaking, there wasn't much deduction required for this meeting. He simply had to play his role and explain the target and heist plan in more detail.
Trying to distract himself, L glanced sideways at the painting hanging on the wall next to his table and began examining it.
The artwork portrayed two young lovers seated on the steps of a grand Gothic castle, poised as if about to share a passionate kiss. Their eyes locked with intensity, conveying a depth of emotion that intrigued him.
Absently tracing his fingertips along the cold glass of water, L contemplated the painting. As someone who appreciated art, he couldn't help but admire this lovely piece. Its style was compelling, vividly capturing the fervor between the two lovers.
"Lucian?" Came a feminine voice from just a meter and a half away.
That was the fake name he had given to Neon Shadow. L turned his head towards the spot where he heard the voice coming from.
And his eyes widened when he saw her.
There stood the most magnificent and captivating woman he had ever laid eyes upon.
She was absolutely gorgeous. Without a doubt, 1,000 Greek Homeric ships would have been launched for her alone.
L's mind went blank —a rare occurrence for his perpetually active brain. Moreover, warmth spread through his chest and his stomach fluttered.
His hand was frozen around his glass of water. He was aware that if he had drunk from it while turning towards her, he would have choked —he would have choked. Thank goodness he hadn't.
He suddenly felt very nervous. His tongue felt tied and his throat went utterly dry.
...He must look like a fool, just staring at her like a deer caught in headlights.
He cleared his throat, "Y-yes, that's correct…Sorry, I was deep in thought. Miss (Y/A), I presume?"
She gave him a lovely smile. "Yes. Oh, I should be the one apologizing. Did I keep you waiting long?" She took a couple of steps towards him.
His gaze followed her, feeling his body grow warmer at her close proximity, "No —I arrived a bit early, that's all."
“I see. Would you mind standing up for a moment? I need to make sure you’re not carrying any wiretaps, cameras, or similar devices.” Her smile turned coy. “Can’t be too careful, you know?”
He was mildly surprised. 'Never too careful, indeed' He thought. He had done the same upon arriving.
L stood up and stepped out of his armchair, standing in front of her at his full height.
“Thank you. I may pat you down to make sure you’re not carrying anything unexpected —hope that’s alright.” Her smile didn’t waver.
Oh god, she said she may touch him.
Despite his dry throat, he managed to utter, "...Go ahead."
She scrutinized him carefully, assessing him from top to bottom. (Y/N) softly grabbed the edge of his open blazer jacket and moved it aside to inspect his shirt buttons. She then took hold of his wrists one by one to examine his cufflinks.
L's heart thundered in his chest. He hoped she couldn't hear it —no girl had ever touched him like this before.
She glanced down at his long legs before looking back at him, "Could you please turn around?"
He blinked, taken aback, "Yes." As he turned, he stole a glance over his shoulder at her before fixing his gaze on the wall.
He could feel her eyes on his back.
After what felt like an eternity, (Y/N) finally nodded, satisfied, “Alright, you’re all clear. Thanks —you can take your seat again.” She said, stepping towards the other available armchair.
L swallowed, her close inspection of his body had made him nervous. He took a deep breath and returned to his seat.
‘Be casual, be casual.’ Echoed in his mind like a mantra.
Sitting in front of her and looking straight at her did not help one bit; his nervousness only increased.
Aiber's statement that he heard from the Wingates' staff that (Y/N) was a beautiful woman was a vast understatement.
Why hadn't they said she resembled a goddess? That would have been far more accurate.
But of course, they hadn’t seen her —only passed along what little they knew.
It didn’t help one bit that she was exactly his type. She had sun-kissed skin and a very pretty hourglass figure —from what he could see at first glance.
The fact that he had actively searched and blatantly masturbated to girls that looked like her in porn videos wasn't lost to him. But those girls didn't even compare to (Y/N).
He felt waves of heat coursing through his body.
Fuck.
'No! Why does this have to happen to me!?' He thought, groaning inwardly. This must have been a cruel cosmic joke. The last thing he needed was to be distracted —this was important.
If Aiber saw him right now, he would be rolling on the floor with laughter. Like a seer, he had practically foreseen it.
'I need to get a hold of myself, or I’ll blow this before it’s even started.' He mused.
As he thought this, he noticed (Y/N) moving her lips. It dawned on him that she was speaking to him.
"Sorry, may you repeat that?"
She reiterated calmly, "I said, I believe you have a job for me?"
Oh, thank goodness she started the conversation.
He internally shook himself, determined to pull himself together once and for all. He found his voice, "I do. Thank you so much for meeting me in person, Miss (Y/A)." He gave her a small, bashful smile, "I'm not the most talkative person, so you will have to forgive me if I have come across as rude at any point in the past few minutes."
That was technically a lie; he had no issues talking, but he needed to save face from his obvious and awkward moments of silence.
"Oh, that's alright." She said with a small, friendly smile. “I thought you might just be a bit shy. Well, the assignment you mentioned sounded really interesting, so I’d love to hear more about it. I do have several questions, and for something like this, I’d much rather discuss it in person than go back and forth over emails or calls.”
"It absolutely makes sense, and I don't mind being here to answer all of your questions, Miss (Y/A). I appreciate your thoroughness from the get-go. It speaks volumes about you as a professional." He took a sip of his water —God knew he needed it.
She clearly appreciated the compliment, "That's kind of you. And please, just call me (Y/A). I have to say, I was a bit surprised to hear that Albrecht is requesting my services. I had thought he relied on a small squad of thieves for anything he needed.”
Albrecht was the crime lord L was pretending to be working for.
"He does, but I must admit that the team can only handle small and medium-sized jobs —nothing on this scale, I assure you. That’s precisely why Albrecht was thrilled when you agreed to take on this assignment. Your reputation as one of the very best in the field precedes you."
"Why, thank you. To be frank with you, Lucian, I don’t think I would have taken this job if I had to deal with Albrecht directly. He has a bit of a…reputation himself, so to speak."
"I'm aware. He is a madman." L crossed his arms casually and reclined into the armchair, deliberately borrowing a touch of Aiber’s smooth, confident style. "That’s why I’m here as the primary point of contact for this heist. Fortunately, he’s occupied with other matters. So, please rest assured, you won’t need to interact with him at all."
She chuckled, "Sounds good. And you’re the one who said he’s mad, not me." She smiled cheekily. “You must know him better than anyone else, being his second-in-command. I’m actually impressed. Despite your youth, the fact that you’re here to discuss something so sensitive and complex with me means Albrecht must fully trust you…” She softly bit her lower lip.
L glanced at her mouth until he heard her speak again.
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude by pointing out your youth —quite the opposite, actually. It’s just that most of the underworld’s right-hand men I’ve met are in their 40s or 50s…women in similar roles are far less common.”
L sat up straight in his seat again, lightly tracing the cold glass with his fingertips, "No, that’s perfectly alright. I understand that is usually the case. You see, my parents passed away when I was very young. Albrecht, a close friend of theirs, took me in after they were gone…I owe him everything. He introduced me to this world at an early age and shared all the knowledge I possess. Now, I assist and support him in all his endeavors.”
She had been watching, slightly entranced by the gentle, inadvertently captivating movement of his fingertips against the glass.
When he finished speaking, she looked up at him and said, "...I guess we have that in common. I'm an orphan myself —it's a cruel world out there." She spoke softly, but then her outgoing demeanor returned. “I’d always heard that Albrecht had a soft spot for kids, given all the donations he’s made to children’s hospitals. Hearing your story, he really does seem like an alright guy after all.”
Perfect, she bought that. He had successfully established a believable connection to the crime lord that she wouldn’t question further. Plus, he had created a sense of kinship with her by revealing that he, too, was an orphan from a young age, just like her.
The male server from earlier approached their table, bringing a glass of water for (Y/N).
"Good evening, my name is Daniel, and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" He asked with a friendly smile.
"Not really, but we’ll only be having drinks tonight." She replied with an amiable tone.
"Not a problem. I’ll remove these dinner menus then." The server took the menus away. "Would you and your date be interested in a bottle of wine? We have an extensive selection of some of the best international wines available."
L's cheeks turned a bit pink. The server had assumed that he and (Y/N) were on a date.
...Was that how it looked? As if they were on a first date, perhaps?
He was surprised that (Y/N) didn’t correct the server’s assumption.
She looked at L and asked, "That depends. Do you like wine, Lucian?"
"Oh, I was actually going to order the Strawberry Daiquiri if that's alright. That looked compelling to me."
"That's fine. In that case, I'll have a 5-ounce glass of your best Gewürztraminer, please."
"One Strawberry Daiquiri and one 5-ounce glass of Gewürztraminer, got it. I’ll leave one of the drink menus and return in a few minutes with your orders." He gave one last friendly smile and left them.
"I enjoy cocktails as well. Do you have a favorite?" She asked, initiating a light conversation.
"Well, I haven’t had much alcohol in my life, but I do appreciate cocktails. I have a particular fondness for Piña Coladas and am definitely looking forward to sampling this restaurant’s Strawberry Daiquiri." He said candidly.
She offered him a bright smile, her eyes quickly scanning his face, neck, and chest. "I'm noticing a pattern here. It sounds like you might have a sweet tooth, Lucian."
L laughed softly, "You're absolutely right. I have a weakness for sweets, and that extends to sweet cocktails as well."
"And perhaps it's not just that —sweet, fruity cocktails sound like they might be your jam. Have you tried a Peach Bellini before?"
"No, I haven't."
"Well, maybe after your daiquiri, you can give it a try. This place serves one of the best Peach Bellinis in London, and I think you'll like it."
The heist's explanation would definitely take some time to go over, so having a second drink —and ending his drinking tonight at drink number two— didn't sound unrealistic.
"I'd like that. If you're recommending it, then I'd love to try it."
(Y/N) flashed him a beautiful smile of pearly white teeth. Resting her elbows on the table, she delicately placed her chin on her interlocked fingers. "If you end up liking that, I'd be happy to offer more recommendations."
Maybe he shouldn't, but L was starting to feel much more comfortable around her. Their conversation had been light so far, but (Y/N) was genuinely easy to talk to. Despite needing to keep his true identity hidden, he felt like he could be more himself with her while still playing the part of the crime lord's right-hand man.
...However, he would keep sitting with his feet down when he was with her, just to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, as Aiber had recommended.
The server approached their table, placed their drinks down, and then took his leave.
L took a sip through the straw of his Strawberry Daiquiri while (Y/N) swirled her wine in her glass, watching him with a thoughtful gaze.
The flavor hit his taste buds instantly. Goodness, it was incredibly refreshing and delicious.
"So, how is it?" She sipped her wine with grace, her gaze still fixed intently on L.
L smiled and met her eyes, "It's delicious; I really enjoy it." He paused for a moment, letting the taste linger, then subtly flicked his tongue to his upper lip.
She watched his mouth as he did that, then caught herself staring and quickly shifted her gaze back to his eyes. "I haven’t had one of those in a while. I think I’ll follow your lead and order one next."
"Would you like to take a sip now and see if you like it? Here." L said with a cute smile as he gently pushed his glass toward her.
(Y/N) blinked in surprise at the offered glass but then giggled. "No, that’s alright. I’ll order my own later." She met his gaze and added, "I’m sure I’ll like it —very much so."
L nodded, returning his glass to its place and taking another sip.
“Well, now that the server has brought our orders and won’t be interrupting us for a while, please tell me more about the assignment Albrecht wants me to handle. I’d appreciate a more detailed overview than what you gave my middleman. I’ll ask my questions afterward.” She took another sip of wine, her expression thoughtful.
"Yes, let’s delve into that. I’ve made some notes on the significant findings from the preliminary assessment of the building’s security." He glanced at his pants pocket, retrieved a folded piece of paper, and placed it on the table. "I believe you’ll find these details quite useful, (Y/A). I’ve also included photos of the building and some of the security systems surrounding the outer perimeter." He unfolded the paper, displaying well-structured notes and carefully arranged photographs.
(Y/N) took the photos into her hands and examined them attentively as L began his overview.
L walked out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair. He had just taken a shower and was wearing only a pair of blue boxers.
He tossed the towel onto an armchair and flopped onto his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. He still needed to work, typing up his notes about tonight and the information he had gathered about (Y/N) to add to the criminal profile he was preparing.
But that was the issue. She hadn’t left his mind since they parted ways earlier tonight, and L felt he needed some time to sort out his thoughts.
It was peculiar. Despite discussing a fabricated heist that would ultimately lead to her capture, L had genuinely enjoyed his time with (Y/N). She was smart, confident, charming, and feminine —witty, kind, and perceptive.…
…And undeniably sexy. She was stunning, with a shapely figure that caught your eye.
(Y/N) was the kind of woman who could have any man she desired. L mused that she undoubtedly had several suitors and admirers alike.
He cast a sideways glance, his eyes half-lidded. The thought of other men flirting with her, and her flashing that captivating smile at them...
…He didn’t want to dwell on it.
He turned on his side, his elegant fingers idly tracing patterns on the duvet cover.
Nevertheless, the plan had been set in motion. By the end of the night, they had agreed to meet again as soon as L gathered more information about the security on the top floors. He had told her that he had personnel infiltrated within the building's staff, who were gradually providing him with more details. He was also going to obtain the building’s blueprints and several other key documents.
She offered to search for information on her own as well, but L insisted there wasn’t much additional data available about the building —which was true. As the client, he would handle gathering all the particulars and provide them to her, so she could focus solely on preparing based on the information collected.
He also mentioned that they would be meeting again soon. His team had informed him shortly before their current meeting that they would be sending additional findings soon after, which would be ready for their next discussion.
He remembered it so clearly: (Y/N) had smiled at him charmingly and said she looked forward to meeting him again.
L clenched the duvet, gripping it tightly as a pleasant, warm sensation spread through his chest and stomach.
He eagerly anticipated seeing her again as well...
The interesting thing was that L could easily cover the rest of the heist's details in two long meetings.
However, he was planning to spread the information out over several meetings. From the beginning, he had intended for her to carry out the heist on the night of December 25, as that date realistically offered lighter security for both commercial and private properties due to the Christmas holidays, thus giving it the facade of being the perfect day for a robbery.
Given that tonight was November 8, they had 1 month and 17 days before then —plenty of time. L thought it would be beneficial to gather more information about (Y/N) in the meantime.
L closed his eyes slowly, allowing a stream of thoughts and sensations to envelop him.
They had been at the restaurant for four hours, but it hadn't felt that long at all. Most of their time had been spent discussing the heist, with (Y/N) attentively focusing on everything he said and asking excellent questions —he was genuinely impressed by her thoroughness and ability to think ahead.
However, they also had more regular and casual conversations interspersed throughout the evening, which allowed him to learn more about her fascinating personality.
And she had been right about the Peach Bellini. He had ordered it as his second and final drink of the night, and it had been absolutely amazing. Within the first few minutes of their rendezvous, (Y/N) had managed to suggest something that turned out to be spot-on, simply by talking to him and getting to know him better.
He opened his eyes and smiled, a glimmer of enchantment in his gaze. It was clear he had never encountered anyone quite like her before.
He stood up and grabbed his laptop, bringing it to bed with him. He opened the file he was looking for and enthusiastically began typing his findings about (Y/N) into her criminal profile. He stopped himself from including more personal reflections, focusing instead on the objective details he had gathered.
When he finished typing, he glanced at the section of the file where her photo would have been.
With a thoughtful sigh, L leaned back.
...He longed for a photograph of (Y/N).
For now, he was left with nothing but his vivid memories of her.