Disclaimer - I own no characters.
Wherever You Will Go
PyroKid
20.07.04 (initiated)
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Stuff in italics = flashback
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"Brilliant!" Conan Edogawa cried excitedly. "Now all we have to do is download the data, get you out, and we're all set!"

"Yeah..." the voice on the other end trailed off. "Shinichi... there's one more thing. I... I didn't tell you that-that once this information leaves the Organization's network, they'll be alerted immediately. They'll be able to track us within seconds. I can make it difficult for them to locate the output source, buying you ample time to successfully receive the data, but it will make it impossible for me to leave," the voice finished calmly.

"What?!" Conan's initial exuberance faded into shock and disbelief, as well as an inexplicable sense of fear and dread. "Ai, get out of there! Get out now!"

"Why? This is the only way for you to access the data. You'll have a permanent counter-agent, you'll have your life back, your fame, your glory, your freedom, you'll..." Ai Haibara swallowed painfully. "You'll have her back."

"I don't care. I don't care!" Conan screamed. "That can all rot, rot in Hell! How could I live knowing that you sacrificed your life so that I could live a life of comfort and safety? It's not worth it, Ai. Don't do it," he pleaded frantically.

"Your happiness... it's worth it," Haibara replied softly, switching off her badge.

"No!" Conan heard the click, followed by silence, and knew that she had cut the connection. He immediately switched on the transmitter locating function of his glasses and raced towards the blinking red dot. He ran through corridor after corridor of dark, barely lit halls, the little light present casting shadows that seemed alive to Conan, lurking in the darkness and shifting ceaselessly. Fear gripped his heart in its icy clutch when he looked ahead and saw two men dressed in black heading into the room he sought. Jerking at his watch, he flipped the cover and aimed the crosshair carefully, shooting the needle and adjusting the settings for a soccer ball simultaneously. With surprising strength, he kicked it as hard as he could towards the other man, letting the vicious sense of satisfaction pass through him as his unconscious target fell to the floor. Pausing only to disarm the two, Conan sprinted forward as quickly as he could, jumping over a desk and dodging a chair as he entered the room. Ahead, he could see the strawberry blonde typing calmly at a computer.

"Ai!" he yelled. The girl spun around, a mixture of shock and gratitude on her face. "Catch!" he continued, tossing two of the guns to her.

He remembered how he had been sitting in the darkness of the lab, staring at the girl beside him. The soft glow of the computer monitor illuminated her face, glancing off her hair and giving it a sparking quality. He could sense the concentration and effort she gave forth despite her calm appearance. Night and day they had stated in the lab, she browsing the data, occasionally pausing to take notes and he observing her, content with her presence and companionship.

"Here..." she had offered him a small capsule a few days ago. Although she had been working for weeks, her face remained cool and impassive. Even so, Conan could feel a sense of sadness when he looked into her eyes, as if it rained... in her head.

Now he lay on his bed, staring upward into the darkness as if mesmerized by the rotations of the ceiling fan. Why? Why do I feel like this? I don't... I'm not... I'm not happy with this. I'm... I couldn't care less about this stupid capsule. He tightened his fist around the capsule he held in his hand. Why? What do I want, then?

A muffled thump sounded from the room next door.

Ai... He jumped off the bed, racing for the door. When he reached her room, he pushed the door open, speeded in without another thought, and collided with something hurtling towards the door, and crashed to the floor. Groaning, he opened his eyes and saw Ai's face hovering inches above his. He blinked.

"Uh... I..." he began uncertainly, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry? I heard noises from next door, so..." he trailed off. "Uh, anyway I... I wanted to speak with you about the capsule. How many have you made?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained intently on her face as she stood.

"One..." Haibara answered slowly, unsure where the conversation was heading. Did he want another one?

"Then... I'm not taking it." Conan replied.

"Why?" she asked, surprised.

"I mean, I really don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but I really can't take this, either. Not when you'll still be stuck in a child's body. You're the one who slaved over it, risked your life for it, and I... I haven't done anything for it. And... if there's only one, and I take it, you... I... we..." he trailed off, rising and stepping closer. "Anyway, I'll do whatever you do," he smiled down at Ai. "I'll go wherever you go," he whispered.