Disclaimer: Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. All other copyrights mentioned belong to their respective owners.
Notes: Written in time for Halloween. If you haven't been updating with the manga and the animé, particularly the Mystery Train case, be warned that this story is spoiler-laden, even from the title and label. Tried my best to make everyone's dialogue as faithful as I could, but I really lack experience in handling the livelier bunch.
Put under Friendship since Ai is portrayed as the child here. However, this still has a subtle romantic overtone, so might as well consider it a SuxShi fic. Don't like the pairing? Don't read.
Enjoy your Halloween and thank you for reading!
For one Ai Haibara, Subaru Okiya's face is like a jack-o'-lantern. No, not because his face is ruddy and rounded, nor are his features crooked like they were carved by amateurish hands, nor is his skin craggy and hollow. Quite the contrary, if she would disregard her chary impressions of him, she'd say Subaru is quite handsome, on top of always being groomed neatly and maintaining a fit physique - for someone who claims to love staying at home all day to read and further expand his already-vast knowledge while being cradled by a glass of fine wine. Qualities that have easily won over most of the people surrounding her.
But, like a jack-o'-lantern's wide, toothless grin, she has this unshakable feeling that underneath his good-humored expressions lie something so ominous, it intimidates her to the bone just looking straight at it, like it would eat her soul for breakfast within two seconds.
From the moment she first laid eyes on him during that "Kuroshiro" arson case that bereaved Subaru of his quarters, Ai sensed in him the foreboding air that only a puppet strung by the Black Organization's tethers could exude. Yet, in spite of her protests, that stupendously arrogant, self-proclaimed detective who goes by the name Conan Edogawa insisted that Subaru stayed next door anyway, in the abandoned mansion that was once the young detective's home, back when he was older. It was still his home, technically, and she was in no position of dictating him who stays there and who's not allowed a knock. But if there was any good that came out of that argument at all, and by good, meaning favorable for Ai, it was that if they died sometime soon, it's not going to be her fault.
Since then, Subaru has proven his earnest intentions towards her and her friends time and time again, from when Professor Agasa was kidnapped, to his astute observations that led to the discovery of the corpse of a female diver at the Ikkaku Rock as well as his calm and swift arbitration of an unprecedented hostage crisis that aided to its culprit's fast capture, to the integral role he played in her guardian's sneaky plot of trying to smuggle blueberry jam and peanut-butter, among other food items banned within the threshold of their oval-shaped home, while she was away; and most especially the recent incident aboard the Bell Tree Express, when two of the deadliest members of the Organization tried to assassinate her during a commotion they staged themselves, which should have cleared Subaru of any suspicion she may have left.
No matter how trivial or grandiose, this man has done it all in record time, as if striving to finally win her favor. And while he has yet to succeed at that, he has managed to earn at least part of Haibara's faith. She no longer frets whenever he comes over to help the professor with his inventions or make meals for them. She no longer minds being left alone with him either. She still finds his carefree smirk, his suspiciously mild manner and refined way with words so irritating though, so much that she'd rather listen to that annoyingly cheeky Kudou-kun's haughty conjectures than his equally-erudite renditions.
October 30th, 8:08 AM:
Halloween's just around the corner, and a lot of people are busy preparing their costumes, their decors and their treats for tomorrow's celebration. As expected, the Professor is among those swept by the hysteria, currently absorbed in putting together his best version of the mechanical skeleton yet, promising Ai that this year, its gonna be able to do more than just rattle its jaw and fall apart in a desperate attempt to put a hand up to wave. "I doubt you'd be able to deliver on that promise," Ai thought the moment he told her of it. A tradition said to have been established by the Celtics in ancient Ireland, Halloween used to be celebrated chiefly in the west, but over the years it has gained a lot of popularity all across Asia. It isn't a formal holiday though, so everyone still has to follow their regular schedules before indulging on the festivities.
Ai always had erratic sleeping habits, long before she started living with the professor. Often times, she finds herself too absorbed in her activity, be it mixing chemicals and conducting experiments, reading an interesting book or even surfing the web - last night's activity to be precise, that she would go way past midnight before her eyes start to feel draggy. Whenever that happens and she has an appointment the following morning, she relies on her physical memory, her alarm and the professor, as a last resort, to wake her up it time. All three of them failed her today. Almost twenty minutes behind her usual school day routine, she barely had enough time to get a decent bath and pick out her clothes, and nothing more to spare for breakfast and the morning news.
Just as she was stepping out of their gate, Ai chances upon Subaru Okiya, dressed in an ashen blue turtleneck, pale chinos and brown leatherette shoes. While this is a common look for him, his top caught her ire as the sun was high up, and the wind, rather balmy that she felt too uncomfortable to add another layer over the indigo button-down sleeveless she had on; a pair of gray knee-length pants and strap-on sandals completed her look for the day. She always wondered if he has any T-shirts or tanktops stocked in his wardrobe, but before she could actually ask him that, he gets ahead of her in initiating the conversation. Again.
"Good morning, cold yet lovely little princess," Subaru greets, his tone complimenting and his smile, pursed, wide and shifty as usual.
Haibara grunts, squinting up at her neighbor with her arms crossed. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? It would be bad if the neighbors overhear you, you know..."
"Oh... Forgive me for my... Inappropriate choice of words. I just couldn't help myself sometimes," he apologized, his face remaining amiable. "You're on your way to school?"
"Its shows, hmm... But since you already dragged me into a game of stating the obvious, I might as well play along. You're here to see the professor again?" she asked back, rhetorically.
"Yes. He said he needed a hand for this intricate contraption he seems to be developing for tomorrow's occasion."
"I noticed you've been coming over so early, and then staying up late with the professor these past few days. I bet his invention's not coming along well..."
"Sadly, you're right." Subaru cups his chin. "Hmm... I think there may be some problems with the wiring..."
"Well, whatever it is, I don't have the time to listen and I'm not really interested." Haibara pushes away, but the bespectacled bachelor stops him.
"Might I suggest that you bring an umbrella for when the weather sours? I reckon it will pour later in the afternoon, around the time of your dismissal," he suggests out of the blue. "If you could wait for a minute, I'll go get one for you."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Haibara vehemently refuses. "Putting aside the fact that I'm going to be late for school if I stay a minute longer, can't you feel just how hot it is today? You may be used to the heat, but I'm not..." And with that, she storms away from Subaru, annoyed over his concern for her and that suspicious smile of his. "Someday, I'll tear that Noh mask off you and reveal who you really are...," she thought to herself as she made her way for school.
October 30th, 2:27 PM:
Ai bursts into the front door of her home, heavily drenched in murky water, holding sheets of newspaper over her head that hardly served the purpose forced upon them. As luck would have it, Subaru was right. Sometime after her dismissal, as she was on her way home from a detour at the strip mall, rain fell from the sky like a bad joke coming into fruition. She was walking along an apartment block when it began strafing the asphalt and the iron roofs, away from any store where she could purchase a disposable umbrella or at least take refuge in, and was barely able to manage with the newspaper given to her by a concerned housewife, who was in the middle of taking out a stack of old issues for collection that time.
By the time she finally reached home after a laborious run under the foul weather, both Subaru and the professor were deeply immersed on the robot, both equipped with electrical gloves as the former supports some delicate wires with his able fingertips while the latter solders them into the circuit, but as soon as she emerges to the main room, all doused and cold and out of breath, they turn their attention to her in a heartbeat.
"Ai-kun!" worriedly exclaims Professor Agasa. "You'll catch a cold if you don't hurry to the showers!"
"Where are your towels, Professor?" Subaru asks, politely yet with resolve.
"There should be some stored in the cupboards beside the bookshelf over there."
Soon after acknowledging the towel's whereabouts, the bespectacled man takes off his gloves and urgently rushes to fetch it. He returns seconds later, a baby blue towel in hand, and walks over to the soaked spot where Ai stood to dry her up. "I should have told you I learned of the coming rain from the morning forecast. In any case, you should take a bath right away," he tells the little girl, apologetically like it was his fault Ai didn't bring an umbrella. And quite frankly, it is.
"I know already," she defiantly responds, forcibly stealing the towel from his hand. "I don't need your help. I can take care of myself..." As if her biting words weren't enough, she added, "I'm not a kid anymore," her eyes simmering in contrast with the rest of her body.
Recognizing this, Subaru immediately stops, letting Ai take the towel away with no resistance at all. All of a sudden, he fell awfully silent, crouched before his little princess like a humbled knight, his smile waxed off his lips as though the girl hit a nerve she wasn't supposed to with what she just said. Realizing this, Ai follows up with a more favorable response. "I'll be fine... But unlike me, the professor seems to really need your help..." She diverts his attention to Professor Agasa, who kept watch from afar all the while, seemingly observing if they've become friendlier with each other already. Very nosy, she noted.
"I understand," replies Subaru, at last. "Just be more prepared next time..." He gives Ai's shoulder a tender tap before returning to the chubby inventor's aid. He didn't say anything else after that, neither to her nor to the professor aside from asking the latter what to do with the machine next. He didn't even gloat about being correct with his earlier warning, as Ai initially expected. Just a simple, yet straightforward reminder, and a subsequent cold shoulder.
For a while longer, while slowly wiping the dreary rainwater off her permed locks, Ai looks at her neighbor, who busied himself with the skeleton, acting as if the tension they had just now never happened. This display bothered the little chemist, leaving her wondering if she really offended him. He was only being considerate of her after all, and surely, his patience over her stubbornness must have its limits. But is it really like that? Or is this all part of his devious mind game to keep her on her toes? She didn't know what to make of his sudden indifference. Rather, she did not know what to make of him at all... Whatever runs through that exquisite brain of his; behind those slitted eyes that cover his soul as if nobody's permitted to peek into it; behind those lenses that complete his harmless yet enigmatic mask.
As if to intimidate her off to the bath, Subaru returns her gaze, well aware that she's been staring at him for some time. "Don't worry about the newspapers. I'll take care of them in a bit," he said, bidding her a smile much more frugal than usual. Rather, to Ai, it looked like he was only trying to be polite. She could clearly see the emotion bleeding from it. A somber feeling he refuses to admit even as it rears itself out of his aura. Somehow, it reminded her of a raven-haired man she used to know...
"Fine, fine," she responds with as much sarcasm as ever, but complies anyway, absconding with the towel draped over her still-dripping hair.
Stepping down the basement, she bids the room she had just vacated a parting glance. "You really are a big mystery..." She lets the thought subside before moving along.
October 31st, sunset:
In spite of the hot bath and the early rest she took the previous day, Ai was still thwarted by cold when she woke up, not too severe but just enough to keep her from attending school, and possibly stuck in bed and in her pajamas for the rest of the day. The professor, even though he was still working on his machine throughout the day, tended to her in between his breaks, having learned his lesson not to call other doctors in. On her part, she did will herself to the main room, as running back and forth through the basement stairs would more than likely give the professor a heart attack. There was no sign of Subaru all morning, which Ai found rather peculiar.
"Say, Professor..." the ill chemist weakly starts, just as the inventor brings her some soup for supper. "He didn't come over today, did he... That strange neighbor of ours..."
Professor Agasa was somewhat surprised by his ward's sudden interest of the man whom she had always been so leery about. "Subaru-kun said he had to look for a good costume to wear for his friend's Halloween party tonight, but he already helped me a great deal in completing the skeleton last night, so I only needed to make final adjustments to the program and conduct some tests this morning. But why look for him all of a sudden? Do you need something from him?" he asked out of sheer curiosity and nothing more.
Haibara looks away, coldly. "No particular reason..."
"Ah, that reminds me, everyone should be arriving about now to dress up. It's really a shame that you won't be able to come with us to the party. To think that the costumes looked very well-made," the professor regretfully stated, talking about the set of costumes that arrived earlier, ordered online from a cosplay shop for himself, his ward and her friends, and for the skeleton.
"Well, I'm not too keen on wearing something embarrassing and on hearing our generous host's commentary about it all night," she replied sarcastically, alluding to Sonoko Suzuki, the corporate princess who invited everyone to a Halloween party that, as boldly boasted in the invitation the professor received, she organized herself. "But I must remind you to lay off on meat and desserts. Even if I'm not there, I'll know about it when I weigh you in tomorrow."
"Okay, I understand," Professor Agasa bashfully answered.
Minutes later, Agasa residence was once again a mirthful abode with the arrival of their expected guests, namely Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Conan, and Ran, who all thought they'd only be dropping by to get their costumes and pick Haibara and the professor up but were surprised and saddened to hear that she won't join them for the night's festivities. Everyone gathered around Ai's bedside to impart a plethora of grievances and wishes for a speedy recovery, directly and otherwise.
"Poor Ai-chan. Ayumi was really looking forward to trick-or-treating with you," says Ayumi with deep remorse while taking hold of her friend's spiritless hand.
"Can't we just make her wear a facemask, then a Kamen Yaiba mask so she could come with us?" Genta suggests to the professor.
Mitsuhiko refutes him before the professor could react. "Are you serious?! That would totally ruin Haibara-san's cute 'Little Red Riding Hood' get-up!"
His overly-fanboyish tone offended the plump boy. "Hey, I'm only suggesting! Don't be such a windbag!"
Worrying for her closest female friend, Ayumi tries to get in between the two. "Please don't fight in front of Ai-chan." But like always, the boys ignored her and began to point fingers at each other with gritty teeth.
Ai wanted to say something to back Ayumi up, but the twitching urge to sneeze forced her to cover both her nose and mouth with a tissue. Somehow, that knocked Genta and Mitsuhiko back to their senses.
Leave it to Ran to completely defuse the situation. "Now, now... Don't get Ai-chan too excited or else she'll get stressed and might not feel better quickly," she kindly told the three Tantei-dan members. "Say, we should probably start getting dressed now. Some of the costumes might take a while to put on." Teeming with sisterly charm, she easily persuaded the three to go check out the garments and give their ill comrade some separation. The professor guided them to where the package is, but Conan stayed behind to chat for a bit.
"You sure you're gonna be okay here? Wouldn't it be better if you rested in your room instead?" the young detective asked.
"I'll go down when you guys leave," she answered restlessly, watching the kids revel at their outfits like they've just found gold and jewelry inside the box, feeling a bit disappointed that she couldn't see those innocent, giddy faces during the party.
But the ever-dense Conan just had to ruin her melancholy by asking a question she didn't want to hear. "I'm just curious... Why didn't you bring an umbrella in the first place? Didn't you watch the forecast before you went to school? I bet the rain got you on your way from that store you often visit after school."
"...That's none of your business." She looks away, reminded of the answer. Conan was then called over by Ayumi and Ran to show him his attire for the night, thus leaving the chemist to her lonesome.
Some thirty minutes later and everyone was finished dolling up for tonight's celebration, flocking around Ai once more before leaving.
"Don't worry, Ai-chan! Ayumi will bring you lots of candy and chocolate when we get back," Ayumi guarantees her, looking quite adorable in her olive-colored pixie dress, complete with a fancy headband that helps secure the pixie-styled hairdo, pointy ears and glittery wings. If Ran helped Ayumi put the look together, it was a brilliant touch not to put too much make-up on the little girl – just a stroke of child-friendly glittered mascara across her eyelids and a little face powder to give her cheeks some shine.
"I'll make sure to eat lots and lots of eel and pumpkin pie for you!" proclaims Genta, now clad in what is supposed to be a dark-furred werewolf costume, but makes him look like a cuddly cub of a Japanese black bear instead.
"You seriously expect they'd serve eel at a Halloween party?" Another one of Conan's snide comments. He obviously didn't put much thought on what he's going to wear, donning a very unimaginative deerstalker and frock coat that screams of his idol.
"And you can count on me to cover everything with my video camera so you wouldn't miss a single thing," Mitsuhiko assures. After puzzling over it for a few seconds, Ai guessed that he's dressed as Frankenstein - the scientist and not the creation, from his partially slicked hair and the bit of eyeliner he had on. He resembled Burton's animated version more than the classic one though.
"Ahh-" Conan interjects, rather apprehensive of the freckled boy taking any more videos after everything that happened at the Bell Tree Express. "I think Sonoko-neechan's already in charge of that... Right, Ran-neechan?" he looks at the older girl for confirmation.
"Mmhmm." Ran nods. She looks natural in the police uniform she's wearing, reminiscent of the traffic enforcer Miyamoto-san's. "She said she's going to record the party for Kyogokou-san in case he couldn't make it in time. I'll just ask her for a copy to show to Ai-chan." She then turns to the frail girl. "I wish I could stay and cook something special for you, but Sonoko needs me at her party. Ah! I'll try to duck out early so I can whip up an energizing porridge. How does that sound?"
Haibara shakes her head once toward the high-schooler. "...Y-you don't have to do that," she declines meekly, looking away.
Passing a glance at her worried guests, Ai felt the urgency to put up a healthier facade. She hated looking feeble in front of people, unable to stand their agonized faces not only because they mar her pride, but because up to now, she still feels too overwhelmed, too guilty upon receiving their kindness when she could only give them the dangers brought about by her estranged past in return. More importantly, she didn't want to be the reason everyone couldn't enjoy the celebration to their hearts' content. "Please don't worry too much about me and just enjoy the party. I'll be okay," she assured everyone, even with such an effete voice.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Haibara," teases Conan, somehow saving the mood from turning grim yet again.
"I didn't say you're included." Ai casts her lids halfway as she looked back at Conan from the corner of her eye. "I actually wish for the Hound of Baskervilles to chase you away so that your bad luck wouldn't ruin everyone's night."
"Geez... Why would I be scared of a make-believe monster?"
"Because you can't think of any other character to portray than Sherlock Holmes?"
The bespectacled boy looks away and snorts. "What's wrong with wanting to dress up like him?"
Soon, everyone was either in a fit of laughter or smiling, forgetting the fact one of them ails and is unable to participate with them in tonight's festivities. A sparse moment that deserved perpetuation, but was interrupted when Ran's phone wriggled and cried from her pocket. A moment spoiled by a mere text message. "Its from Sonoko. She said she wants us to be there soon before the non-VIP guests arrive," Ran paraphrases the actual message upon reading it, letting everyone know that they have to start for the venue her extravagant friend reserved at Haido now.
"I'll never understand why rich people call their closer friends VIPs," Conan ribs to himself on the side.
"You heard her..." Haibara said, followed by a violent sneeze and a quick pardon for doing so. "Now go... Before I start spreading this around..."
"You guys go on ahead. Conan-kun and I will take Ai-kun to her room," the professor said, signaling Ran to usher the kids to the Beetle while they assisted Ai to her room. Like earlier, the trio followed without protest, but all of them, including Ran, bade one more get-well-soon along with their respective goodbyes before heading off.
In spite of the permed girl's refusal, the professor carried Ai back to her underground quarters before she could wobble down the stairs while Conan got the doors for them. Along the way and upon getting to her room, she expelled violent sneezes that alarmed her companions.
"Your condition looks really bad. I should probably just stay," the inventor suggests after putting the blanket over his ward, reluctance written and underlined all over his face.
"This won't kill me. If it does, then half your problems are solved," Ai glumly replies as she buries herself under the sheets.
"But still, I'm really worried. If only Subaru-kun didn't have to go to Kawasaki for his Halloween party... Maybe I should give him a cal-"
"Don't be such a taskmaster," Haibara harshly cuts him before he could think of making the summons. "For the umpteenth time, I can take care of myself. More importantly, you should hurry up and get dressed," she criticized, having noticed that the professor's still wearing his usual lab clothes.
"Ah, actually this is already my costume. I only need to put the Igor mask on later when we get to the party," the inventor coyly informs while scratching his bald spot.
Totally unamused, Haibara turns the subject over to Conan. "You should thank the professor, Kudou-kun. He's going to beat you for the night's laziest costume award."
"Would you stop that now?" the bespectacled boy reacted defensively. "Anyway, we'll make sure to lock all the exits before we leave. Don't stress yourself out too much and remember to take your medicine, okay? And I'm not talking about 'that' medicine," he warns, referring to the APTX-4869 antidote she developed that's only potent when the body's immune system is down.
"Don't liken me to you, who's so eager to grow up and get married," she quips.
"Hmph... Still difficult even when sick," Conan mutters to himself.
"If Ai-kun insists, then we should just hope for the best. We should get going now, Shinichi-kun. We still need to load the skeleton," chimes in the professor, putting his remonstrance about leaving Ai to rest. On the way out, Professor Agasa offered to close the lights, but Ai said she'd prefer it open without even looking back. Some five minutes later and the house was deprived of its main resident and five guests.
And thus, the household had become quiet again. Ai always loved such serenity, but not when she's bed-ridden, and the only thing she could really do is reminisce. Bummed out, she whiled herself away by trying to imagine how everyone's night will be, starting with the children. She could imagine their greatly astounded faces when they see the amount of candies available for their taking, as well as the cool costumes of the other guests. "If someone attended the party wearing a Kamen Yaiba suit, they'd surely flock him, or her for that matter," she thought pleasantly. Professor Agasa, meanwhile, will give them another one of those stupid quizzes of his based on Halloween trivia or Japanese ghost myths, which would eventually be answered proudly by Kudou-kun if and when they get stuck. As a prize he might give them a first look at what his robot could do, but the fair-haired girl could already imagine her guardian's abashed grin as soon as it falls apart again. He'd be considered lucky if that happens there instead of at the party itself.
Once they've seen the best of it, the kids would start to get a little bored of the party, and would end up sniffing some weird case out instead. Ran won't be able to keep an eye on them since she's going to get dragged around all night by her friend, much to Kudou-kun's dismay. But looking after the kids and making sure they don't stumble upon something hairy like they usually do alone should keep him amply distracted from the frustration.
When she was finally content with her conjecture, Ai thought about Subaru's uncharacteristic behavior yesterday that could have led to his absence. She tried not to think too much about what happened, but she couldn't train her mind to any other matter but that. It's impossible for him not to know of her condition, and knowing him, at least the side he shows to everyone, he'd at least drop by to wish her well or maybe even come up with some healthy soup, but according to the professor he's out having fun at Kawasaki or wherever he's supposed to be now. That didn't sound too credible for her. She never really sees him being cordial with anyone outside their circle, and on top of that, she rarely sees him go outside of his temporary home other than to buy goods. It was just that hard to believe. Just as hard to believe as her hurting his feelings yesterday. But the air between them after she turned him away harshly was just too weird, too serious. It reminded her of the time he subdued the culprit at Ikkaku Rock, and when they were alone in his car, when she tried to inspect his person. Two separate instances that gave her a glimpse of Subaru's side that felt more... Genuine and dangerous than what he presents to other people. And if that means the way he acted then was genuine, then did she really push his patience to the brink? Did she really offend him?
"...Why am I even caring?" she cursed herself aloud. And yet, it was the only question she could ask herself until she drifted to sleep.
October 31st, 9:17 PM:
Ai slowly pried her eyes awake, adjusting to the darkness that now befalls her room. Assuming that it was merely the effects of her still feeling too dozy, she took a couple more minutes to shake it off before pulling herself up. The cold is still there, but the feverish feeling not so much now, perspiring most of it in her sleep.
When her eyes finally adjusted completely as with the rest of her body, she realized the lights were really out. "I thought I left it on...," she wondered. Deeming the reason trivial in the meantime, she fumbled over her nightstand for her smartphone to check the time. To her amusement, Ayumi sent her a picture message. A group picture of the gang, now with Sonoko the wicked witch and her boyfriend who's dressed like a Sengoku era samurai, in their fancy outfits, smiling merrily at the camera, tucked with a note at the bottom saying "get well soon" and a smiley that's a staple in Ayumi's pleasant messages. Ai permits a sheepish smirk, touched by the thoughtfulness her friends are showing to her, and at the same time feeling bad that she had to come down with a cold and be a burden. After confirming that she received the image at 8:20 PM, she locked her phone and extended it back to where it previously rested, but stopped midway upon finding a strange glint on her nightstand. Curious, she puts her phone beside her pillow instead and felt up the source of that glint. It was a coupon bond; a note to be precise. She pulled it to her possession to read.
"DON'T ASK. JUST COME UPSTAIRS," it commanded, all in bold English characters and in a slimy font commonly used at this time of the year, written on the coupon bond with luminous paint.
A very dubious message, she initially thought like any recipient would. From what she could tell, the note was written using a standard-size calligraphy brush judging from the strokes and the tips of the letters. As for the handwriting, it was hard to decipher with the intentional font and her still-blurry vision. "Are they home by now?" she asked herself. Somehow, a plain "yes" didn't satisfy her. Figuring that sitting around and getting all worked up wouldn't do her any better, she got off the bed and complied with that simple yet questionable order, leaving the message on her nightstand and at the same time, drinking some cold medicine, which she already segregated last night to deplete the odds of drinking the antidote by mistake to zero; she knew where it was on . On the way out, she tried the lights, but it didn't work. She didn't bother checking the other appliances for a bigger mystery distracted her.
Ai gauges her every step carefully as she ascended. She was never trained for stealth and espionage, but her feet stepped heel-first and toes-last anyway, like a natural instinct that triggers voluntarily; a physical reflex she inherited from her mother. The darkness alone should suffice to explain her caution, and yet it didn't. Not entirely. There's this other unknown force that activated it. A more arduous reason that wrapped itself around her ankles like inversed spurs, goading her to slow down than to hasten. Is it her defensive instinct conditioning the rest of her body for that surprise in the offing? Could be. Its been over three hours since she fell asleep, barely over an hour since Ayumi sent the picture. Enough time for the professor to attend the party, eat a little, teach someone how to operate his machine and have the picture taken before driving back home to take care of her. He did look so anxious about leaving her earlier, it didn't seem all that improbable for him to set this stupid game up if he hurried. Encouraging herself with that, Ai called out her guardian.
"Professor?"
But there was no response.
She takes a step. "Professor...?"
Only her own voice answered, repeating her cry until the darkness sucks the sound in.
She takes another step, taking half a second longer than the one that preceded it. "Professor, are you home already...?"
That was when silence finally scorned at her to face logic in its torpid eyes.
Regardless of tonight's traffic and his Beetle's condition, would the professor really come back? On a regular day, maybe... But today's not a regular day. Its Halloween, and he's off to a party that, considering Suzuki-san's over-the-top tastes, will surely have an eat-all-you-can buffet served by one of the countries finest caterers. In all likelihood, he's already added at least three pounds to his already-hefty weight, plowing through a mountain of chicken drumsticks, slabs of steak and sweets superfluously served for the trick-or-treaters. Moreover, he never struck her as a scientist who'd just leave his own invention to someone else's inept hands.
Her optimism refusing to relent just yet, Ai thought about the other suspects as she traversed cautiously. How about Ran-san? She did say something about escaping the festivities to make dinner. Knowing how foolishly caring and resilient Ran is, she'd most certainly try to keep that promise, no matter how daunting it may be for her. Not to mention the fact that she's not short on odd humor either when she's trying to cheer someone up. How about Kudou-kun and the kids? They could've felt bored after a while and instead conspired to come back and pull this prank on her to uplift her spirits, assuming that she'd be wallowing in sickness and depression at home right about now. Considering such possibilities, Ai worked up the oxygen and the will to call them one by one.
"Edogawa-kun? Ayumi-chan? Tsuburaya-kun? Kojima-kun? Ran-san?"
Not one of them answered.
The silence began to make her ears bleed, figuratively, forcing themselves to hear even the softest friction; the vaguest sign of life that isn't her own congested breathing. The darkness turned her path into an underground tunnel that stretched on for miles, but her legs, now shaking in its foundation, told her that she had just passed the halfway mark - she knows how many steps the stairs to the basement has like an atomic number indicated in a periodic table, and on instinct she recalled how many steps she had taken since coming out of her room. The grueling tension now lays its filthy hands on her, gripping her gut tightly, and then her heart, making breathing even more laborious than it already is no thanks to her condition. Unable to take the inner strain, she grasped for the walls with her right hand, and upon sensing the concrete's lifeless chill, flattened half her body against it to support herself as she forged on.
The permed girl's tension rose a notch higher as the flight diminishes a step at a time. She tried to take it slower and slower, but it only rattled her nerves even more. If none of them came back, who turned off the lights? More importantly, who left that note under the phone? She finally obliged those questions. The lights would have been easier to explain, if only the note didn't disprove all hypotheses that didn't include the possibility of an intruder sneaking in.
An intruder. It was the only thing that sat well with Haibara's logical mind, but at the same time, it put her frantic heart in inexorable unrest, beating at an accelerated pace her body couldn't keep up with. She puts her free hand up to her chest to try to compose it, but to no avail. Now more than ever, she wanted to convince herself that they're just hiding somewhere around the house, refusing to answer to purposely rile up her nerves, waiting for her to emerge to the surface so they could finally startle her, simultaneously yelling "surprise" or anything to that effect. But she couldn't fool herself with that anymore. Neither one of them could easily return from the party, even if they hurried.
"Professor? Edogawa-kun? Ran-san? Ayumi-chan? Kojima-kun? Tsuburaya-kun? Look, if you guys can hear me, this is no longer funny, so cut this chase down now," she said aloud. It was a risk, but what the heck? If there is indeed an intruder, he would have already pinpointed her whereabouts when he put the note underneath her phone. There are no trap doors anywhere in the basement that lead outside, so there's practically only one exit for her - the flight of stairs to the main room. And now she's at it's summit.
It couldn't have been two-bit crooks looking to rob the place. If it were, they would have subdued her from the get-go, when she was sleeping and completely prone. A deranged serial killer sounded much likelier, but there haven't been reports of one being on the loose in Tokyo as of late. As always, it led her to one potential suspect, or rather, an organization full of potential suspects in black. But is this really their doing? Gin would never resort to this type of mind game, not when he already has his prey backed into a corner. Vermouth seemed more plausible, having the flair for the dramatic. But her hands are tied snug at the moment according to Kudou-kun, and she wanted to believe that. What about a member she hardly knows about, like Bourbon? He's as big a variable as Vermouth, save the probability that if he found out that she's still alive, he definitely wouldn't pass up the chance to get her, if it would draw his old nemesis out. But what good will investigating about her apparent death bring to his personal vendetta? Ai doesn't even know if Dai Moroboshi's still alive, and she already told Bourbon that. All she knows is that both Gin and Bourbon despised that man; and that the organization would definitely love to be rid of traitors like him and herself; and that he abandoned her and more importantly her sister; and that right now, he's probably...
"Why am I even worrying about you...? You never showed up then. You'll never show up now...," Ai thought bitterly, dispelling all those baseless gut-feels. She didn't need them muddling her up more. Besides, she doesn't feel "their" pressure, and she knows this isn't the way they operate. It's only paranoia that's pulling her thoughts towards that like a magnet in the abyss. And the only way she could keep herself from it is by ending the mystery now. No more trying to read through the questions and just look at the answer provided behind the door. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Ai sought for the knob and carefully turned it, peering behind the door's edge while she gently pushes it open, creaking as loud as a big mouse's squeak.
Sensing no imminent danger, she tiptoed into the main room, leaving the door to the basement open to serve as an alternative for the front door. It was still dark, but at least the moon was generous enough to at least reveal silhouettes to guide her around. Recognizing the kitchen counter, she headed right for it. That's when she saw the professor's silhouette on the floor near their living room, sprawled over to his side, with a knife stuck on his torso.
"Professor!" Ai cried, rushing to her guardian's figure. Midway she stepped on a cable with her sole, almost causing her to lose bearing. It wasn't out of the ordinary to step on a cable when at an inventor's house, but when she was here earlier, the professor had cleaned it all up, begging the questions: Did a struggle happen and threw it here? Did the professor catch the culprit on the act and...
She refused to think of the worst. She refused to think of anything else other than applying the first aid that may already be too late.
She couldn't see much even when she crouched closer. Only the side of the professor's head tilted abnormally and faced the opposite direction, and the area surrounding the spot where the knife was impaled. "Professor! Hang in there, please!" The doctor within her trying, and failing to suppress the convulsed ward who found her guardian collapsed and apparently stabbed, Ai braced herself and pulled the knife off in one fluid motion. Sure enough, it was stuck on a patch of something soft and bumpy, like fatty flesh. The area where she pulled it from was somewhat sticky, but not too damp; its been dry for roughly thirty minutes or so, she estimated. On instinct she examined the knife, holding it up so the moon could shine on it. It was definitely one of their butcher knives, thick-bladed but often used for when they're cutting fish. Runny red substance flowed from its tip, down to the edge and handle and eventually on her thumb and index finger. It wasn't very thick, which often gives away fake blood, and it was quite clammy, oozing across her finger until it dripped noiselessly on the floor. She wanted to examine further if the blood was real, but horror has now clouded all of her, devouring all thought and emotion. Nothing else mattered to her other than the life of the person who took her in unconditionally despite her shady past. Not the blood. Not even the person, nor the group responsible for this.
Carefully putting the blade down the floor, Ai shook the body nervously in a last, desperate attempt to draw some reaction from it. "Professor! Please! Wake u-" Her succeeding words were deprived from her when the most bizarre thing occurred. The back dislodged from head, the stomach and the rest of the body and rolled down towards her legs, revealing itself to be a foam pillow. Ai took hold of the pillow, and from the familiar tatters on the sides she recognized it as the foam pillow Professor Agasa discarded to their storage a long time ago. "So this was all a set-up, eh..." She breathes a heavy sigh, relieving herself of the tension and the fear that rocked it, stabilizing her breathing at last. She couldn't express how thankful she was that Halloween joke she had wished for was granted. That for once, her optimism turned out to be right all along.
Setting the pillow aside, her attention was instantly drawn towards the belly it left behind. Now that its true mould is unveiled unceremoniously, Ai found it strange. It was shaped like a pumpkin with its top already chopped off. She reached for the object but before her fingertips could touch it, it lit up, captivating yellow light blazing from the inside and through the darkness from the top and its three cavities. "A mechanical jack-o'-lantern?" she thought audibly. Just as she was about to conclude it was about all it could do, it suddenly spoke, saying the same line over and over...
"Trick or treat!" it cried in a robotic, overjoyed tone. The first time she heard it, she felt pacified, like it promised that "everything is okay". The second time fortified it, allowing her to finally piece the puzzle together undistributed. The third time, it became clear to her who exactly was responsible for it. The fourth time it repeated the phrase, she was completely back to her normal self - the shrewd chemist hiding under the guise of a child who just loves the eeriest of jokes. She didn't bother listening to the rest, excited to finally unmask the perpetrator.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up... And with a surprise under your sleeve, no less," she began with amusement, but continued cynically like her norm. "I must say though, this is far more convincing than that lame excuse of yours of going to some party... Subaru Okiya-san."
"...I'm relieved to know that your colds did not dull your intuition," the culprit's soft-spoken voice confesses from behind the counter, where he had concealed himself all along. Subsequently, the jack-o'-lantern ceases to talk.
"To be honest, it did... But only for a couple of minutes... Just enough time for you to goad me. Was this all your idea?" Ai asks, facing the counter.
"It was the professor who thought it up, originally," Subaru starts, pacing across the room to turn the lights on. "It was a scene intended for the children when they arrived earlier, and you would've been made an accomplice had you found out of our plan beforehand. But due to unforeseen circumstances, particularly you falling ill, we had to set it aside." The compact fluorescent fixtures dispel the darkness at last, elucidating most of the props used in this swerve just as he divulged the plot behind it. He then turns the pumpkin's light off with the remote, connected directly to the device inside via the cable that nearly made Ai slip. "However, I thought it would be such a waste, considering all the time and effort we put in organizing it and the extra money he spent in having the bloodied lab coat and the dummy head made along with the other costumes, so I suggested pushing through with it on you. Conan-kun said it was a good idea, enthralling me of the time you panicked instantly after seeing Agasa-san's tomato juice spilling on the floor while he was sleeping, and the rest, as they love to say, is history." Subaru rests his back on a nearby wall, his arms folded and his expression, a perfect poker face. "Now, if you have questions, I'd be glad to answer them now."
"For starters, how did you get in here? Ai looks shiftily at Subaru, the same kind of look she gives the culprits the Tantei-dan manages to corner. "Did they lend you a spare key?"
"Well, you're half correct. They did prepare the spare key, but I didn't need it."
"Hmph... So much for locking the place up," she muttered, mentally cussing the puny detective.
"Oh, but Conan-kun did lock all the exits. Only that he let me in first before bolting the last one."
"then how did yo-" She stops, recalling that she didn't lock her own door.
"Are you about to ask how I managed to get into your room? The spare key was provided for that, but your door was open anyway so I only had to wait until you were sound asleep before I went in to leave the note and tweak the lighting."
Refusing to admit her folly, Ai examined the clutter that was supposed to be the professor's body. "This sure looked like the professor's overweight physique from a distance and under little light," she said, looking at a pile of books, boxes, trinkets, rumpled cloth, the faceless head adorned with what looks like a feather duster, and the jack-o'-lantern.
"I put the combination together using the professor's body as a model. It took two days for us to perfect it."
"...It might not be so perfect anymore by tomorrow." She then took interest in the knife. "The blood looks very authentic. What did you use?"
"Fish blood from the big tuna I was preparing a while ago. I was supposed to dip the knife in a fake blood mixture, but when I realized how filthy my fingertips have become when I made my first cut, I resorted to it instead, figuring wouldn't be able to distinguish the smell in your condition."
"That makes sense." Finally, she focuses her curiosity towards the most peculiar item in the lot. "Did the professor make this jack-o'-lantern?"
"No. I made that myself. While we were trying to find materials for the corpse last week, I stumbled on some of his old, unused schematics. I asked if I could borrow it from him and he consented, even lending me some supplies. The initial design didn't seem functional though, so I thought I'd make some modifications."
Ai was undoubtedly surprised to hear that it was Subaru's creation all along. She wasn't expecting much of his engineering skills either. "I have to hand it to you... This looks a whole lot better than most of his toys," she praised with much amusement.
"Why thank you," he humbly said back. Realizing that there was no point in leaving them as is, Subaru hustles to clean up all the props, leaving the jack-o'-lantern for last so Ai could analyze its inner workings more.
"I just have one last question," she asked while he patched up.
"What is it?"
"You said it was your idea to surprise me, right? But why go through all the trouble after... After what happened yesterday?"
"Well, it wouldn't have been fair for you to not be able to enjoy Halloween because of our little altercation yesterday. Consider it a reconciliation gift from me, albeit a very odd one."
Ai grunts. Deep inside she couldn't help but feel flattered and slightly overjoyed at his gesture, but she wasn't about to show it to him. "...This is so sweet, in a very diabolical way. Don't expect me to stage something as elaborate as this for Christmas though..." She looks straight up to him, flashing him the faint smile that he earned.
"That's fine. Just remember what I always tell you."
"I know. Be an obedient little girl and everything will be fine."
"Precisely." And then, that air of familiarity surrounds them yet again. The same vibe she felt yesterday, and those two other occasions. For half a second, Ai could've sworn that their eyes met, but he suddenly cuts it short by returning her smile, like he sensed the connection too and went for the defensive. He deflects it further away by changing topics. "That reminds me. I've received word that everyone's going to leave the party early to continue the celebration here with you and turn it into a horror movie marathon and slumber party. They'll probably be back in about," he glances over the digital clock on the living, "twenty-five minutes. I'll keep you company until then."
After a moment's silence, Ai utters softly, "...You can join us. I don't care... Its not like they wouldn't invite you either way..."
"Oh? I guess I have no choice but to accept your kind invitation. But before that..." He walks over to where the box of costumes were, putting away the bloodied lab coat and the fake head first and, in exchange, takes the red cloak out, the principal item she was supposed to wear for the party. He returns to Ai and carefully drapes it over her shoulders. "It would be bad if you didn't wear this at least. To think they were all looking forward to seeing the Little Red Riding Hood. It should also keep you comfortable through the night."
This time, she allows him to tie the cloak's knot around her neck, trusting that he wouldn't choke her all of a sudden. Not a fit of resistance other than her typical remarks. "Says a man who doesn't have a costume on," she countered mockingly, much to Subaru's amusement. Once his masterful hands have secured the cloak, she took a moment to check herself out from side to side. If the professor's right about one thing, it's that the costumes were crafted to perfection. The cloak felt warm, but not irritatingly hot on the skin even if she let it hang across her body. Not to mention that it extended just along her calves, eliminating the fear of accidentally stepping on the hem.
"You make an adorable Little Red Riding Hood," Subaru compliments, tousling Ai's hair gently.
"If that's the case, then you're probably a wolf hiding underneath that human skin," she replied as if saying "thank you". Subaru simply chuckled in response. "But perhaps it really is the case... That all this time you've been wearing a costume," she thought. Refusing to let him savor her display of gentleness any further than he already had, Ai coldly walks away from him.
"Hmm? Where are you going?" he asked.
"The sink, where else? Thanks to you my hand reeks of fish fluid."
"Oh... Pardon me for that."
"For this, and for tricking me earlier, you better start making it up to me. You said you were preparing tuna... Care to oblige me with it? I haven't had anything solid since yesterday noon."
"As you wish, sire." As Ai turns away to wash her hands, Subaru aligns his lenses with his fingertips, shedding his mask away for a second but puts it back on just as quickly when he continued cleaning up.
The End.
written by akaisherry47