The Good Guys Always Win., if I don't believe that... I'm doomed...

[L Lawliet]

L sat in his chair, the usual position, his feet pulled completely into the seat and his toes just barely dangling over the edge of the cushion. One hand extended lazily to grab the end of the silver fork laying discared on the table. He lifted it delicately and stabbed the strawberry buried in remains of cake and whipped cream. Just a snack. He had more for later. The steaming cup of coffee next to the empty plate would sit there for an hour or so still; he hated drinking it hot. When it was cold, a tower of sugar cubes was waiting to be demolished in its depths.

His messy black hair lay swept across his pale forehead, and his dark eyes surveyed the rather empty room, the shadowed bags under them making him look exhausted, as usual, though the sugar was keeping him going. Watari lurked in the corner of the room, ready and waiting.

L had called a meeting, and the Japanese Task Force should be arriving shortly, or so he hoped. The one he really needed to see was Light Yagami. Kira suspect numero uno. That fact was unescapable, no matter where he turned. All evidence pointed to Yagami-kun. But could it really be him? The son of Chief Yagami, head of the task force? Such a wonderful man could give birth to someone who dedicated his life to ridding the world of crime in such a barbaric manner... but no, the suspicions were only at about 5%. He had to keep investigating all possible subjects. Even if they were under 1%. Out of the millions of people in Japan, even .00009% was a lot.

Who he wanted to see though, that was a different matter. A heavy sigh escaped him as he stuffed the strawberry in his mouth and chewed noisily. When would they get here? Swallow. He had a lot to discuss with them, and even more to think about. This case was truly intriguing... did it have no end?

[Ruby]

Ruby looked at the building ahead of her. Why the Hell did he need to live in a place like this? How the Hell did he get to live in a place like this? She scowled. Why was she even bothering to come see him. She had never been close to him anyways. But she knew he had the lead on the Kira case. Why was a girl like Ruby interested in the Kira case? Well cause she would sure as anything be one of his targets eventually. The only reason she hadn’t been yet was most likely the fact that no one knew her name. Ruby. That was all she was ever called. She didn’t have a last name, well she did but she refused to hear it, and if anyone knew it and tried to say it they’d be dead before they finished.

She looked at the security system. It wouldn’t be too hard to disarm. Then again she was a professional at stuff like this. It was how she had raised herself. It was the only way she had been able to raise herself, she wasn’t going to be able to make money, even with her incredible brains. She was smarter then the average person, even though she didn’t really have a full education. She could still figure things out in a snap. And she had resources pouring out of her boots. Everyone knew who she was. And criminals were eager to help her, or have her help them. But she worked alone. The cops knew her well too, so Kira would know her soon enough. If he didn’t already. That was why she was here.

She started to disarm the system. Would he even want to see her? This was probably the stupidest thing she had done in her entire life. He’d probably have her arrested and executed. That was like him. And what if she was seen before she got to him? Then she’d be executed before she even had a chance to state her case. Either way she probably wasn’t going to make it out with her freedom. She was going to be pulled out in cuffs. But she had to go through with this now. She couldn’t stop now damn it. She was bringing herself to death, to try and keep herself alive.

She was finally inside the building. She instinctively started to look for him. Would he even look the same? Considering it had been…well it had been quite a few years. She hadn’t been particularly kind to him in the orphanage either. But he was the only person she could think of to turn to. The only person that might be able to help her. And yet the chances were still so low she could already feel the bullet going through her head. Her boots clicked against the floor quietly. She held a high posture. And her eyes were emotionless. No matter how scared she was. She didn’t show it for a second.

Finally she caught sight of him. She stood behind his chair. Confidence radiated, but then again, she was good at lying. Too good. Her blue green eyes where emotionless only slightly glinted with mischief. And her face was almost twisted in a smirk. “So…we meet again…L.” She said in a rather uppity voice. She knew very well what his real name was, but he was the world’s greatest detective now, and so she would call him whatever he wanted to be called. All she wanted…was a chance to be saved. Saved from Kira.

[L Lawliet]

"L." The sound of Watari's slightly worried baritone caught his ears as strongly as the shrill call of a siren in the dead silence. The old man's eyes were fixed on the television screen that monitored the entrance to the building's one entrance. Watari quickly pulled his hat on, tilting it so it cast a shadow over his face, and no one would be able to recognize what he looked like.

At the entrance was a girl he just barely recognized. He hadn't seen her in so long- at least ten years. Yet it was definitely Ruby. He was surprised he had remembered her name. Actually, she had never been very nice to him at all. A bit of a bully, though he hadn't really made much of a fuss. Everyone bullied him. He was the odd one out. And now look where he was?

That aside, Ruby seemed very determined to see him. "Unlock the door, let her in. Don't bar her way, Watari, she's no threat. At any rate, the chance that she is Kira is well under 1%."

"Understood." Watari moved to the door and unlocked it quickly, then slipped back into his corner, almost invisible at the side of the room.

Ruby was quick to enter. She stood firmly right behind him. He didn't bother to look around, even as she spoke to him. One idle hand moved to grab the end of a silver teaspoon lying by the coffee cup. He stirred the drink a few times silently, dropping two or three sugar cubes in before dropping the spoon in the cold, sugary depths of the cup and falling silent once more. "I must ask that you call me Ryuuzaki here, Ruby. For security purposes. And might I ask why and how you've managed to find your way here, especially at such an inconvenient time?"

[Ruby]

Ruby looked uninterested at the whole place. Not much to care about really, except the fact that he seemed not to care about her presence. Then again why should he, she had been one of the worst bullies, but who hadn’t bullied him? Besides if she hadn’t bullied him she would’ve been bullied just as much. And she considered taking care of herself was far more important then looking out for others. She was number one in her books. Always would be. It wasn’t like other people were going to bounce out of the goddamn walls to defend her. So the only other option was to defend herself, even if it meant hurting people who had done nothing to deserve it.

Ryuuzaki? Hmm, so many names so little time. At least he remembered her. She hadn’t expected him to remember her name. “Tsk, tsk Ryuuzaki. Don’t you know lying is bad?” She jeered at him. Knowing full well that she had lied many more a time then he ever had. To think that L, once a poor teased orphan kid was now the greatest detective in the world. Perhaps if she had been friends with him she would’ve turned out different, but there was no time to wonder about changing the past and such right now. She had come here for a reason.

She leaned against the wall casually looking at L through blue-green eyes. He hadn’t changed much. Still wasn’t normal. Still really freaking weird to tell the truth. Ruby wouldn’t be here if she didn’t absolutely have to be. Unfortunately, she sort of had no choice. L was the only one who might be able to save her now. Well he could protect her if he wanted to. Really all that needed to be done was kill Kira. Once that was done she could go back to her free life. She ran her fingers through her hair once.

Finally she decided she had better state her place in this whole meeting. “A little birdie told me where to find you. I can’t tell you who, Anyways Ryuuzaki, you probably know that since I left the orphanage, I haven’t exactly been a model citizen. And well my ‘friends’ are all dropping dead, and I’m getting kind of worried that it might be me next. I know you’re working on the Kira case, so maybe you know how to keep me from getting killed?” She said her voice emotionless. She wasn’t expecting a good response to this. But she had some knowledge L wouldn’t want getting out. She had his real name.

[L Lawliet]

Ruby... what was wrong with her? Obviously she knew he was fighting Kira, because here she was, asking for protection from him. So obviously, she had to have been watching the television broadcasts. Hadn't she heard him say to Kira, "I am Justice?" And yet here she was, standing surely before a man who called himself justice, as a criminal, and asking for protection from a force that would surely rid the world of her forever.

He shook his head to clear it of the annoying buzz her presence was creating. "To speak of lies, Ruby, is an act of folly, when you are one lie standing by yourself," he was almost teasing, though L was an awkward one not used to using a teasing tone. Though he managed it, somehow.

Another sigh, and he dropped a few more sugar cubes into his coffee, eyes moving idly to the stack of television screens and security cameras lined across the wall. So far, no one else was at the entrance. He had a while to reason with her yet. "Not exactly a model citizen, hmm? I would have guessed as much of someone like you. And yet the question comes to mind, why on earth should I protect you? You waltz in here like you own the place, when technically, my alliance lies with the police. I could turn you in to the prison immediately. Your name wouldn't be administered to the public, so Kira wouldn't be able to kill you, but that would be all I could promise..."

He sighed heavily, only half concentrating on her as he eyed his coffee cup. Ten, eleven, twelve... already the sugar was refusing to dissolve. He stirred with the spoon lazily again, before setting it aside and lifting the cup with two fingers of his right hand to his mouth and sipping it before setting it down again. "However, I can't ignore the fact that I know you, and that you also know my real name. Therefore, if you will agree to a few terms, I'll be able to protect you from Kira. First and most importantly, you have to be willing to do exactly what I say. If I'm to help you, you're going to help me by keeping my name a secret and helping in the investigation. If all goes well, Kira should be caught. Before I go on with the rest, can you agree to this?"