'Holy shit...'

Ashley's eyes widen as she scans the list of "Kira's" most recent victims, coming across the very name she wrote down yesterday.

"Hmm? Is everything alright?" Ryuzaki questions, sitting besides her on the couch.

"Y-yeah." She nods hesitantly before internally panicking. 'I don't even know why I doubted the damn thing in the first place! I was talking to a shinigami! Oh god now I'm– You know what? At least I know my plan will work.'

Matsuda enters the hotel room with a smile. "Hey Ash! Feeling better?"

"Yep. I'm up and at it again."

"That's good." He nods, setting his stuff down. "You really shouldn't overwork yourself. You're only human."

"Yeah yeah..." She waves his concern off with a chuckle. Ryuzaki remains staring at her with a hint of doubt on his eyes but Ashley just scoffs.

"Stay tuned for a special message."

"Huh?" Chief questions as everyone turns their attention to the television. "What is this?"

"C-could it be Kira?" Matsuda asks Ryuzaki.

"It's highly possible but I doubt it." He replies. "I believe that, though we have not heard this 'message' yet, sending something so easily traceable is below Kira."

'Well that's what you think.' Ashley scoffs in her mind.

Once the lengthy commercials end, the message begins broadcasting with the letter 'A' on the screen.

"Hello. My name is... Well of course I would not give that out so easily. I'm here today with a message to Kira– my own personal message. Kira: We are practically two sides of the same coin. I am aware of the power you behold and possess it myself, potentially even stronger. Now I know someone's anonymous claim is iffy, so here's my proof: The heart attack that Sota Itsuki suffered was the work of me. He was no innocent man; in fact, he was charged with three counts of sexual assault two years ago. If that is not enough, news channel twenty-one will go into a panic as one of the producers, who was acquitted for assault even with hard evidence against him, dies of a heart attack.

"Aizawa! Channel twenty-one!" Ryuzaki orders in a panic. Aizawa complies fast enough to catch a moment of peace before the chaos begins.

"–And as for tomorrow, the weather permits a partially cloudy afternoon, but in–"

"Oh god! Mr. Han!"

"W-What's happening?!"

"I think he's having a heart attack!"

"Cut the cameras! Cut the cam-"

A 'technical difficulties' screen replaces the weather forecast before Aizawa changes the channel to Sakura TV, the station broadcasting Ashley's message.

"I rest my case. Now... to Kira: Who are you? I presume you have refused the deal due to the qualities of your murders, but I accepted the offer. Soon enough, I'll learn your true identity and then I will know for sure. I look forward to meeting you."

Ashley represses a cocky smile as the message ends, leaving worry and confusion on the team's faces.

"Another Kira with alleged stronger abilities? A deal? What kind of twisted person is this?!" Chief Yagami exclaims.

"What if it's Kira just trying to confuse us?" Ashely falsely suggests. "Whoever this 'A' is was talking about it as if it were a game."

"That would be the lost likely situation..." Ryuzaki mutters, pressing his thumb to his bottom lip.

"B-but what if it isn't?" Matsuda remarks. "We could have a higher chance of being killed!"

"Matsuda." Ashley scolds him with a stern voice.

"There is a small chance that another Kira could be present." Ryuzaki states. "Although, I fail to conclude so. As we've observed, Light has not made anything similar to tapes nor has he taken anything anywhere to do so. He's been living a 'normal' student life. There is truly no way for us to monitor him 24/7. Wiretaps on anything, clothing or around the house, could be easily seen and destroyed so that's out the question." He inspects a gummy bear between his thumb and index finger for a moment before eating it. "I would like Light to assist us in this case. He is an exceptionally bright student who has helped solve minor cases before, correct?"

"Yes." Chief confirms. "Does this mean my son is clear of suspicion?"

"No. Although, I'd say the probability is lowered to about three percent now. Before we remove the cameras in the Yagami household, just to be safe, I'd like Miss Ashley to go to the Yagami household and pose as a college student while conversing with Light."

"H-hey..." She stutters. "I'm a bit worried about this plan."

"Due to circumstances, we need to pick up the pace before more lives are at sale. If Light is Kira and decides to go through with the bold move of killing you, we'd have our Kira then and there."

Fear creeps into Ashley's mind hearing Ryuzaki talk so nonchalantly about her dying.

"We will go through with this plan tomorrow afternoon. Everyone is dismissed for tonight."

Everyone files out slowly after lingering to make sure Ryuzaki was speaking truthfully when he said that everyone one can leave. Ashley and Ryuzaki sit in silence at opposite ends of the room.

"Not going home tonight?" Ryuzaki finally breaks the silence when he quits typing at his computers.

Ashley hesitates. "No..."

"Why's that?"

"If I'm going to be honest... It's awfully lonely..."

Ryuzaki turns around in his chair and gives Ashley his full attention. "Lonely you say?"

"Yeah." She laughs lightly with a hint of bitterness. "Why are you so eager to get rid of me? You are sending me on a life-or-death mission and practically insisting that I go home this instant."

"That..." He pauses for a moment. Much to his own surprise, he struggles with finding right words to use. "That was not my intent. All I've done up to this point was done in care."

"Care?" She ridicules him. "Care?! So leaving me alone for years without a single word was done in care? I don't think that's the case. I believe it was done in selfishness. All you ever wanted to do was become a detective with a mask, concealing the real you from the world. Well too bad I'm here because now you can't run away from the real you. Unless, of course, that's why you're so eager to get rid of me."

"Ashley..."

She huffs in response and gathers her bags. Ryuzaki leaves his chair and gently grabs her wrist.

"Please let go of me."

"No." He refuses, taking the bags out of her hands and replaces them with his hand. "Listen to me. You are the only one who has ever seen the real me and I can't let the go so easily because-"

"Because you can't risk your façade being destroyed?"

"Because I love you."

edited 9-15-17