Only Human [Death Note]

Chapter 7: NZT

A dark figure contorted into a hideous creature stood tall. It watched her with large yellow eyes and bright red irises. Grey skin covered its body. Its limbs were abnormally long, and large feathered wings protruded from its back. A mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth grinned at her.

L, Do You Know Gods of Death Loves Apples?

It made sense now. How Kira is able to kill without being present: He draws his power from the underworld.

Instead of seeing fear, Ryuk saw curiosity growing in her wide eyes.

"Beautiful." Reina murmured in awe at the monster in front of her. Although the shinigami had an aura of malice, she found allure in the realm of the unknown. She reached out, lightly touching the black feathers. Soft.

Light approached them, eyes narrowed into a dark glare. He watched the scene unfold in front of him. He decided then to dispose of her, not willing to risk his secret being revealed to anyone. He cursed at himself for letting her get too close. Out of all the people he decided to choose, why did he have to choose her ?

Grabbing her by the wrist, Light pulled her roughly towards a secluded area. The alleyway was far from any sound of life.

He could not think rationally, distracted by the sound of his own erratic heartbeat. Apprehension overwhelmed him, and, closing his eyes briefly, he drew a deep breath to calm himself down. The logical side of him knew what to do. Interrogate her.

"Who are you?"

Her expression remained calm. That pushed him further over the edge, the paranoia eating away and his confidence. She spoke with a sincere demeanor. "An ally of Kira."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I plan to help him."

Her vague answers were pissing him off. He slammed his hand against the brick wall, inches away from her head. She didn't even flinch.

"Why?"

"Because I need his help in return." Her voice went cold, hatred burning in her fierce, dark eyes. "The justice system is flawed and cannot punish the people-- no, the monsters who stole everything from me."

He frowned. "What did they do?"

The memories burned in her mind. "I was sold into human trafficking at a young age. They made me do horrible things and turned me into the monster I am today."

His anger diminished, now seeing the purpose behind her determination. He had caught a glimpse of the vulnerable side of her, the side that was scarred by the traffickers and broken beyond repair, the side that Kira could exploit and use. She needed his powers and that gave him the means to control her. He weighed in the benefits and damages to having her as an ally. He questioned himself if she was more useful to him dead or alive.

"How can you help Kira?"

"You've read my profile in the police database. Other than being The Seductress, I am a close friend of the very detective that stands in your way."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "L?"

She nodded. He automatically demanded, "Do you know his real name?"

Another nod. He opened his mouth to respond only to have lips silence him. Momentarily distracted by the tongue massaging his own, his arm went limp at his side.

In one swift movement, Reina took a firm grip of his other arm, twisting it behind his back then kneeing the pressure point behind his leg, sending him falling to the ground. He grunted upon impact, the harsh concrete pressing against his chest.

Her voice was a menacing sneer. "You can use me. Break me. Control me. I don't care. As long as no harm comes to him. That is my one and only condition. If he ever were to die, I will blame and expose you to the world. Then I will fuck you to death. You've already had a taste of that hell. That was me being gentle." A moan left her lips, the sexual sound making him shudder at the memory. "I'm a complete monster in bed. A monster who likes it rough. Play by the rules and you'll never get punished."

Reina tugged his hair back sharply, her eyes meeting his. Light stiffened, seeing the wicked lust clouding her deep, dark eyes. She asked in a sweet, sugary voice: "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." He spoke through clenched teeth.

She smiled, easing her grip. The man stood up quickly, brows narrowed into a glare as he dusted the asphalt off his body.

"I was sent to investigate Kira suspects. You are the only one left unconfirmed, and L can already tell something is off about you. Think of me as your third eye. I will warn you of his movements. I can also obtain any information you wish. Whether if it's from L's database or if I have to seduce someone to receive the intel, I will do it. I may not be as smart and strategic as you, but I make up for it in interpreting body language and combat skills."

The warnings were evident. He knew she was dangerous. His hand itched to write her name in the Death Note, but he could not fight off the nagging feeling that she would be very useful in the future.

"I am at your disposal. To control and use. And if anything," Her gaze softened, catching him off guard. "I am a friend. You may not believe me but I understand why you are doing this. You are a perfect student who can have anything you want, yet you risk your life in hopes of creating a better world. It's tragically heroic."

For a split second, Light dared to wonder if there was finally someone that could share his burden. Someone skilled enough to help him in his quest to change the world. He felt reluctant to accept her help, since she was a wild card that could either destroy everything or be the very piece that would bring victory.

"You may aspire to become a God, but as of right now, you are only a man." Her hand reached for his cheek but stopped, settling for her chest. He did not know why but he felt disappointed, remembering her addictive touch during the passionate night they shared. "A man with emotions. You feel you must protect the world because you were chosen, but who will protect you? As of right now, I will."

He grabbed her hand, gripping her wrist. He was in clear confusion, surprised by her sudden act of kindness.

"Why are you doing this?" Light's voice broke. 

"I think we share the same beliefs. The justice system is flawed, believe me. My job is proof that the government has to break its own rules to protect its people. I kill criminals, just like you do, in hopes of a better tomorrow."

He let go, taking a step back. This woman.. She's different from everyone else.

Light breathed deeply, calculations crossing his mind before he finally reached a bold decision.

"Fine. I accept your terms. You will help in the creation of the new world."

A sinister smile danced across her features. "Nice to finally meet you, Kira."

His lips curled into a smirk. "The pleasure is all mine."

~ * ~

Reina recalled a certain topic she had studied when she was obtaining her psychology degree.

A genius's psych is different than most. Many times, it comes with a certain madness. They tend to be extremely independent and void of certain emotions. Their brain is chemically imbalanced, with the left / logical side significantly more active than the other. However, once they have found dependency to something, whether that be drugs, alcohol, food, sex, certain people, objects, etc., a near-obsession begins. They begin to become unable to live without it. If the thing that they have attached to and depend on were to be taken away, the genius would fall apart or go insane. Either violence or death may occur.

With Lawliet and Light, two geniuses, now dependent on her, she knew that this game could only end badly for her.

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NZT
/ n · z · t /
noun
Nitrogen-based psychotropic that impacts specific brain activity in several ways but most significantly by elevating receptivity and synaptic sharing between the hippocampus, the amygdala and the striatum.
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