Soji looked sharply at Isica. Her eyes were filled with anger and hate. It could only be her. The shinigami that had started this entire mess was now doing something to keep her show going. She killed Ryuza, and Soji couldn’t do a thing about it.
“Soji I believe that another Death Note….” Near could not finish.
Soji slammed the phone down leaving Near to believe she was crying and didn’t want him to hear. He waited patiently for her to call again.
“What did you do?” Soji asked her voice so filled with rage.
“Hm nothing really,” Isica said calmly, “I was wondering when it was going to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Soji yelled grabbing at her Isica. The shinigami sighed and phased through Soji’s fingers. Isica sighed once again and pulled out a Death Note.
“Remember this?” Isica asked, “It’s the one that I gave to Xero. I kept it after that incident was over. You never got to look at it did you? Of course you didn’t. Well look what is on the last page. I watched Xaver put it in himself. He was really intelligent after all. Too bad I couldn’t watch him more, but that is how the coin flips.”
Isica opened to book, and Soji’s eyes caught what was meant to be caught. There on the last page written in black ink was the name Ray Harper. Before Soji could read the cause of death, Isica closed the book.
“Pretty much it says ‘When Xavier Heartwrite dies, Ray Harper will die so many days later,” Isica said. “I have never heard of a human that was able to break the trick of the twenty-three days max until death trick, but hey he made it to where if he died then Ryuza would too,” Isica explained.
“And you never felt like telling me this?” Soji asked feeling anger rise inside her. Ryuza had died! “You never felt like telling me that he would die!”
“I told you about the lifespan he had left,” Isica smiled.
“But you kept this from me! Did you ever plan to tell me before?”
“Nope, it made more dramatic irony. Plus I didn’t know the exact date either because Xavier put it into hours and I am still rusty on human calculations. I just kept counting down the hours. I even saved you from the helicopter fall to make sure that you were alive to see it,” Isica laughed, “I want to know what you are going to do now!”
“Isica!” Soji yelled anger and tears running together. She aimed and fired her gun, but it went through the shinigami and hit the wall. Isica laughed and sat down. She handed the Note to Soji who snached it immediately.
“Hey I didn’t do a thing but watch,” Isica laughed as Soji read the words for herself.
Soji couldn’t move. It was as if all the shock had paralyzed her. She dropped the Death Note and fell to her knees. Her two guns retired to their holsters without Soji even remember putting them there. Isica finished her laugh, went to the desk, and began to rummage through it.
“Humans are always doing this sort of thing. I want to find what the joy in it is,” She reasoned to Soji who barely heard her.
The weasel on the floor moaned and tried to move. The others that had been shot were now coming to the sense that they were not dead. The moaned and cried for such and such person so they could see them.
“I’ll never be able to see the one person I want to see,” Soji whispered.
Time passed slowly as Soji began to be able to move again. The process hurt and each muscle felt as though it carried two tons. All the rage and sadness had made a weight on her shoulders that Soji was fighting to get off. Finally her hand moved to the wooden desk, and she picked herself up. The phone was waiting for her. Soji picked up the phone and called Near. He didn’t seem irritated at all.
“Soji….” He started.
“Send your men to come and take care of this Near,” Soji said trying to hold the tears inside, “I have an explanation to give you….”
“I have already sent them and will be there myself in a matter of a few minutes,” Near said.
In several minutes, Near’s people were there to take care of everything. Medics bandaged up people, but Soji refused them until she talked to Near. They all ran around in the chaos of everything like chickens. Soji grabbed the Death Note off the floor and walked to the window away from all the people and started out to the city. The sun was high and shadows were tiny. Near himself came in a few minutes later.
“Soji,” Near said calmly.
Soji instinctively showed him the Note. Near touched it and looked around for Isica. She was sitting at the chair behind the desk laughing at how humans could be so serious but still have so much fun in swivel chairs.
“That is?” Near asked.
“My shinigami Isica,” Soji answered.
“You have been through a lot,” Near said.
“I have a lot to tell you,” Soji said calmly.
“Yes, but first you need to let the medics look at you,” Near replied.
Soji could no longer refuse the services of the medics, and they laid her down and began to work the bullet out of her shoulder. After what seemed like hours, the medics left saying that Soji could talk to Near for a few minutes before they took her to the hospital.
Soji explained everything very rapidly not losing the deadness in her voice, but Near seemed to take it all in.
“So it was doomed from the beginning. I am sorry Soji. If I had not asked you to work this case, you would not have to suffer this,” Near said calmly.
“You wouldn’t have been able to finish it without me,” Soji laughed coldly.
“True enough. Are you going to be ok?” Near asked.
“I lost someone special, but if I hadn’t taken this case, I would have lost him without even knowing what he meant to me,” Soji replied feeling the deadness in her own voice, “and now that I know that what he meant he was taken from me.”
“There is nothing we can do,” Near said, “Ryuza worked to spare others and in the process lost his life. He fought for justice, Soji be proud.”
“Just like L, Mello, and Matt,” Soji sighed.
“We all have to deal with death Soji,” Near replied.
“And yet, It hurts to breathe after,” Soji said.
“You are a strong woman Soji. You will stand one day and realize what Ryuza has done to spare everyone,” Near said, “After this, are you going to return to the C.I.A.?”
“Yep,” Soji said calmly, “but you know….I am going to keep the Death Note.”’
Near’s hand twitched as he reached for his hair.
“Sorry Near, but I have lost trust in everyone, and until I get it back, I’m going to keep it. You can have this one since it does involve your case,” Soji said handing the book with Ryuza’s name in it.
“Fine, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Near said languidly, “I know that you are not Kira. Just make sure that no one else gets it. Oh and please take that cat already. It tore up my train set.”
Soji laughed. It was a painful and heart ached laugh, but it was still a laugh.
