Chapter 2: Rebirth
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I do not own Meitantei Conan. I do, however, own Vincentio.
"How long are you planning on stalking me?"
"It isn't stalking, Shin-chan. I'm just escorting you until I see you safely to Ran-chan's abode!"
Rolling his eyes, the shrunken detective said, deadpanning, "Oi, you do realize I'm not actually 9 years old..."
"But Shin-chan, you know you attract dangerous people, and walking alone at night is..." The worry in his insistent voice suddenly became serious. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about tonight...just let me see you in, please?"
At the pleading look in his eyes, Conan sighed but gave in. "Barou...you worry too much." In all honesty, however, he somewhat agreed with Kaito-he'd had the vague sense that someone had been watching him all evening.
"How about you? You're so damn easily distracted…give me a reason why I shouldn't be the one escorting you home. " He smirked at him, but Kaito quickly dropped down, moving close, the sudden heat of his breath making Conan's heart pound in his ears. "Pan...dor...a" he answered softly, a kind of ironic smile playing in his eyes.
Conan narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kaito. They hadn't brought up that fateful night's occurrences once since then... but the thought did comfort him. After all, if the gem could heal a bullet wound like that, it would be quite unlikely that some common criminal could cause him any lasting damage.
When they had arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency, Kaito turned to him and said "Well, Shin-chan, unfortunately I must take my leave...unless we want to answer some awkward questions about why there's a Shin-chan look-alike walking you home!"
Chuckling, Conan just walked ahead, waving back at Kaito with one hand.
"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
Smiling slightly while rolling his eyes, Conan turned around and said: "Yeah, yeah, I know. There's nothing to be done about you, huh?"
Laughing at the pout forming on the magician's face, Conan walked the rest of the way up the stairs to the agency before remembering... Oh shit. I left my glasses and bow-tie at home...How could I be that stupid?
Hesitating a minute, hand poised over the door-knob, he slipped back down the stairs to see if Kaito was still there. He wasn't.
Then suddenly, that feeling he'd had all day...that someone was watching him...hit him with full force. He took a step backwards toward the safety of the Mouri flat, but then froze. In the darkness, two shining hazel eyes caught his. He tried to say something, to move, but it was as if his body had been rendered senseless. His own control of it wrenched away, he couldn't turn his face from those eyes which seemed to pull at him, enticing him.
Slowly, he began to move forward away from the Mouris' and towards the little blinding beacons of light. The closer he got, the stronger the pull until he was practically running to reach his goal.
When he regained his senses, he was walking along through dark, unfamiliar woods, his hand held tightly in the iron grip of a tall, dark, imposing figure to his right. Eyes widening, he mustered all of his strength to try to wrench his hand from the death-grip.
The man turned to look down at him, vague surprise flashing through those unreal golden-hazel eyes before indifference washed over them. "You broke the spell? I suppose I chose well, then."
"Chose well? What is that supposed to mean, niisan?" Conan said in a sarcasm-coated quasi-child voice.
The man laughed lightly before stopping, turning and crouching down so quickly that Conan could only blink at him in surprise. "You intrigue me. Your appearance says one thing, but your eyes...and your smell...say something entirely different."
Conan wrinkled his nose. Smell? What the hell is this freak getting on about?
"Shall we see if your taste can clear things up for me?"
Before Conan could say anything, he was pulled forward in a vice-like grip. He could tell as the man touched him that his strength was unimaginable, that he was using only the very tip of it to hold him as a helpless prisoner. His eyes widened as he felt the man's breath on his neck. Then cold lips made contact, followed by the feeling of a tongue running up and down his jugular.
Conan thrashed, trying to rid himself of the dirty feeling coursing through him at this contact. He growled when he heard the man's laughter. "You're an amusing one, you are..." His voice was low...suddenly, a sharp pain plunged into him and a lightheaded, lethargic feeling overwhelmed him. He lost all power to fight the man, and worse...
He actually began to enjoy it. He was utterly at his mercy, connected to him by the spot on his neck...images began to flash through his head...first, of his own face, seen from above, blue eyes showing a superficial confidence trying to cover up his fear... a sense of fierce desire shot through him at the image...then the sensation of moving at breakneck speeds, of running across countries, swimming across oceans, this incredible power...ecstasy at freedom, fulfilled lust and also...loneliness, guilt, regret... Conan snapped back to himself at the familiar feelings. Were those...this man's memories? His feelings?
He felt entirely drained, but managed to look the man in the eyes, questioningly. Surprise and curiosity were obvious in the dark stranger's expression this time. Pulling out, he licked over the puncture wounds and smiled oddly down at Conan. "You broke through again. You broke the spell twice...and this time, during my feeding? You're special, all right, and I'm not talking about how you're actually an adult."
Conan's eyes widened in surprise and fear but then...of course. If I saw his memories then he must have seen mine... Vaguely, Conan became aware of the sharp pain on the side of his neck, and a deeper dull pain, increasing in severity and spreading... and the warm, sinister sensation of blood running freely down from the puncture wounds. His vision began to cloud as his consciousness began to waver.
"It's a waste..." The voice said quietly, and then said softly. "If I leave you, you'll die. But if you so choose, I guarantee that what I can give will override the effect of that drug."
At these words, Conan's consciousness jolted awake once again, and he struggled to meet the man's eyes.
"That's right. I'm saying you will regain your body. So what is it? Except my gift? Or die here in this form?"
The intimations of this 'gift' swirling in Conan's quickly weakening mind, he began to lose focus, but then soft laughter and violet eyes took over his thoughts. If he were to die, Kaito would never know...he would have to deal, once again, with the death of someone in his life to some unknown, sinister force... Suddenly, the desire to see Kaito again, to watch over him, overwhelmed him...he slowly nodded.
His vision was slipping away, but suddenly, wet skin was pressed up against his mouth, and soft words in his ears commanded him to drink. Confused, he parted his lips and sucked slightly.
With the first taste of the coppery substance, he felt his heart seize up. He tried to pull away, but the vampire pressed his wrist more forcefully to Conan's mouth, making the blood flow into him, until finally...
The weakness which had overwhelmed him, and that dull pain in his heart, began to register in his mind...as thirst... And suddenly all he knew was that this substance was taking away the pain, was giving him energy. He began to suck more forcefully, and it was as if the warm liquid flowed directly from the man's wrist into his veins. He continued to drink the life-sustaining, life-bestowing liquid, and he felt his body strengthening, filling up with a kind of insane ecstasy. Finally, the wrist was wrenched from him, but he reached out, willing it to return.
Amused, the man clicked his tongue. "Be patient, now. First things first. Your transformation."
His thought process, beginning to clear enough to wonder just what exactly was going on, was stopped suddenly as red-hot pain shot through him. He felt as if his heart might burst, but its speed was actually slowing...and how did he know that so clearly? His senses were going haywire. Everywhere his skin touched, he felt textures as if they were the most obvious things in the world. Blades of grass felt like knife-blades, and sounds...sounds were overwhelming him...an argument from god-knows how far away, car horns bleeping, night creatures cooing and whining...he pressed his hands against his ears to shut out the chaos…
Then a second shock-wave came, and a burning pain not so unfamiliar to him…as if his bones were melting…but this time, the pain was much more severe than any time he'd taken one of Haibara's temporary antidotes. His attempts to hold it in were useless, and he let out an anguished scream as his bones stretched, heart threatening to collapse on him…and he passed out.
The next thing he knew, the pain was gone.
Where before, his muscles and bones had ached in weakness and exhaustion, they felt…incredible wasn't strong enough. He felt this pulsating, limitless well of energy, of strength within him. He felt as if he could crush a rock face with ease…
He noticed he wasn't breathing. Panicking slightly, he willed himself, and his body obeyed, sliding back into its habitual functions…functions he no longer needed it to perform.
The next, truly overwhelming sensation…and once he attended to it, he was shocked he hadn't noticed before…was his sense of smell. Eyes still closed, he felt he could see, already, as well as if he were looking at a schematic of his surroundings. And he could hear…and feel…feel the rhythmic breathing of living beings all around him. They smelled so sweet. He couldn't help but smile as he finally opened his eyes.
He gasped. Slowly sitting up, he took in more and more of his surroundings. It was pitch-dark out here…he was aware of that, but to him… he had never seen so clearly. Every subtle, slight difference in texture, shade, form…he could pick them out and picture them perfectly. And his vision extended to what had to be over a hundred yards away. The world had a beautiful, sparkly look about it. Particularly, the living… a little opossum raced along, perhaps 200 feet in front of him, scurrying behind a tree. The instant he'd glimpsed it, his senses heightened even further, or rather they focused. His hands began to shake as every sound was blocked save for the quick little heartbeat of the animal.
"Go on," a voice to his right said. Momentarily knocking him out of his trance, he looked right to see the vampire, looking at him in what appeared to be satisfaction. Shinichi was vaguely aware that the beautiful, entrancing glow of the man's skin and eyes no longer appeared as such…he looked completely normal to him. He motioned toward the escaping animal, and Shinichi's instincts took over, the lovely rhythmic heartbeat, and the smell…that sweet, flowery smell enticing him… in an instant, he had it in his hands, and just as it had occurred to him he didn't know how to access the sweet life-drink, he felt sharp pains in his mouth.
Running his tongue over the newly sprouted fangs, he felt somewhat panicky, but then the smell of the little animal's blood brought him back…or rather, stole him away again…and he plunged into its neck, sucking in, tasting the delicious, pulsating drink which flowed through and empowered him… He stopped, and his eyes widened in horror. The little animal was silent and unmoving in his hands. His little bug-eyes glassy and dull.
A sudden, horrible awareness hit him. He had done this. He had just killed…had just murdered an innocent little being and he was…
Beginning to shake, Shinichi looked at his hands…lean, adult hands, though in his current state, that was hardly what occupied his mind…he brought his hands up and touched the fangs in his mouth. He felt momentary pain as his finger was pricked. He stared in fascination and horror as the wound instantly closed up on itself, the little droplet of blood threatening to fall. Before he could stop himself, he brought his finger to his mouth and sucked on it, savoring the taste.
Furiously yanking his hands down, he made fists and his eyes fell again on the innocent creature he'd just killed. Gently, he picked it up, cradling it in his arms, holding it to his chest as if it were a protective charm that could stop this from happening again…
Cold laughter from behind. "Hope you're not really this upset about that little rodent."
Spinning on the spot, still cradling the little creature protectively, Shinichi hissed, instinctually baring his fangs.
The vampire laughed. "Now, now. Don't be too hasty to make enemies among your own kind, Shinichi-kun. After all, I'm the only person you have to learn from…and here's your first lesson. Don't get attached. When the thirst strikes, there's nothing you can do about it, and you will do something about it. Start collecting all the little corpses you produce and you'll have a mountain of decaying flesh in no time."
Shinichi said nothing, but simply glared, letting his nails sink further and further into his arms, breaking the flesh which instantly re-grew.
With great effort, he willed himself not to bend down and lick up the enticing trails of blood now running down his arms…to do so seemed like giving into the smirking man before him.
"What have you done to me?" Shinichi asked hoarsely.
"You made the decision. Surely you were aware of it…you're a detective, after all," he sneered. "So do you want information, or don't you? You're stuck this way, either way. Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't kill you anymore…and unfortunately, neither can you kill me."
Shinichi's glare increased but he willed himself to calm down. Even if he hated it, unless this were a dream, he was undeniably…different now. And this man did have information he desperately needed if that were truly the case. Gritting his teeth, he slumped down against a tree, gently setting the dead animal behind him.
"Good boy," the vampire smirked. He crouched down before Shinichi and placed his hands together as if considering how to begin. "First things first, I suppose. My name is Vincentio De Luca."
"You're Italian?" He asked, slightly bemused that such an obvious human identifier could be telling of a vampire as well.
"I was Italian when I was born as a human," he corrected. "That was over 300 years ago."
Shinichi silently let this fact wash over him. Three hundred years…just how long do vampires live? And what does that mean for...?
"We don't die, child," he said softly.
Shinichi's eyes shot up in shock, teeming with questions.
Vincentio answered the simplest first. "I can read your mind because I am, in a sense, your father, your creator. Vampires, while not normally social creatures, do have the occasional need for companionship. The natural bond between fledglings such as yourself and the one to bring them over is strong, and telepathy is among the traits which emerge between them."
Again, he let this new burst of information settle as he plunged at something which piqued his curiosity. "Why did you call me that? A fledgling... Vampires, as you say we are, don't have wings…"
"Oh, but there you are wrong, little detective," A hint of humor ringing Vincentio's voice as he said it. "However, we are not born with fully grown wings. It takes many years for them to take shape enough to reveal themselves. Usually around 100 years, but…who knows? It may take less, in your case. You seem to be adjusting quite quickly, afterall."
Vincentio smirked at the doubtful and challenging expression on Shinichi's face. Standing up, his face stiffened in concentration, and suddenly, a vast expanse of black feathers, veritable black angel wings, sprouted from his back.
Shinichi stared in awe, forgetting momentarily that he wanted to rip this vampire's head from his torso.
"Want me to show you what it's like?"
Before Shinichi could say anything else, he was grabbed around the waist and was shooting up into the night sky. The speed was incredible, and in mere seconds, they were passing through a nest of clouds. The exhilaration of flying this way was so freeing and shocking that as he looked down from this amazing height, he let a smile creep onto his face.
"Nice, isn't it? This is an example of the strength we get from human blood."
The grin on Shinichi's face dropped instantly and he spun around so quickly to face the man holding him that he almost dropped him.
"I will NEVER touch a human," he growled in a low, threatening voice he had never realized he had before.
Vincentio eyed him with a mixture of exasperation and pity. "You will, Shinichi-kun. There is nothing you can do about it."
"That animal back there was enough for me," he shot back hotly. "I will not hurt a human."
The vampire gripped him, still hovering high above the Tokyo lights, and looked him in the eyes searchingly. "Were you really satisfied? Can you honestly tell me you don't desire anything more? You remember the feeling-the draw of the bloodlust." He continued when Shinichi didn't deny it.
"When a human comes before you, the desire will be heightened a hundred-no, a thousand-fold…after all, humans are our natural prey…when that happens, I'm afraid the last vestiges of your human will will be of no help to you. Particularly if you haven't fed recently...and I'm not talking about rats."
Shinichi searched the man's face for a hint of an exaggeration, of a lie, but found none...As the full impact of the words hit him, Shinichi began to frantically shake his head. No, no, no, no, no… He chanted it over and over again in his head as if it would protect him from himself…protect everyone else from him…
Vincentio sighed, looking at him with an old, dulled sadness in his eyes. "I am afraid I can't understand… at one point I would have but it's been too long. All I can say is that for your own good, you better get used to the idea…and as quickly as possible. Putting it off will only lead to an outright massacre. Any control you might have had to stop at family members, at friends, will be ripped from you. So listen to me before you make a mistake you can't correct."
For a long while, Shinichi just stared into space, but he couldn't. Stopping murderers was what he lived for, dammit! He...he couldn't turn into one... but you are one. It's what you are now, a sinister voice in his head sneered. He shook his head to clear it of these thoughts.
As they lowered, approaching the ground, the stimuli of the city began to overwhelm his senses. Glancing across town at a clock tower he could see with his heightened vision, he saw that it was 3:30am. This was perhaps the hour he'd expect the least activity in this city where he lived, and yet...already, he was beginning to see what Vincentio meant. The city felt like a giant heartbeat. And all around him, unsuspecting humans with delicious, fresh, sweet blood. They would barely feel a thing, and of course could do nothing to stop him...
Shinichi made a slight roar of frustration, crouching and punching a hole in the sidewalk to vent, to try to reclaim his mind as his own, to steal it back from the fucking bloodlust...
He stood there, breathing slowly to relax, but quickly realized that made it worse. Even not breathing, however, the pressure of this foreign desire continued to build up until it seemed about to suffocate him.
Feeling broken, he reluctantly looked up at his teacher, for lack of a better word. "What can I do?" He croaked out, waiting for a snide response.
None came, however. Rather, the touch on his back was surprisingly gentle, supportive. Vincentio picked him up and took off into the sky again, peering around for a good target. Smiling slightly, he stroked Shinichi's hair, noticing the look in his eyes which screamed of incredible thirst, of excrutiating bloodlust. Honestly, it was shocking the new vampire had gone as long as he had without human blood. The first night was always difficult, and fledglings were notorious for having a great deal of trouble restraining themselves. Most took off in a manic trance within the first 20 minutes, but this one... he had some kind of self-control, alright.
In his time ever since his second birth, as he liked to think of it, he had made only one child before this one, and that was a disaster. It was almost immediately after he turned, and he'd held onto his human life, clutching to his memories, the people...
He found the woman he'd once been engaged to with someone else...and he drained him in front of her. She was terrified, and began to claw at him, scream, and in the process, scratched herself. With her fresh blood pouring out like that, he couldn't help himself. He'd taken her, but he couldn't stand to have her disappear like that...and so he'd made the choice to bring her over.
She lasted five years before she killed herself the only way vampires can-by standing in the middle of the hottest dessert, naked, until the sun finally burned her body apart.
Ever since that first tragic episode, he had been extremely hesitant to form close bonds with anyone, and had never considered making another.
But this boy. Something about him struck him as different. Vincentio truly believed that vampires were not an irredeemible species. With their near-immortality, and the knowledge of the ages, fine vision, sensitivity and talent, they should have potential for great things...if only one were to come along who could tame that spirit, make it work for him rather than he himself working for the vampiric instincts.
Whether this odd little brilliant mortal could become the kind of vampire he'd secretly dreamed of, he wasn't sure. But somehow, something about this child softened him when he'd never before given a second glance to his victimes...
Something in him understood what he needed, and wanted to help him, but he could only help him so far. It was with this in mind that he picked his pupil's first victim. Slowly lowering, he took the now glassy-eyed and practically lost-to-bloodlust young vampire and, directing his head with his hands, pointed at a burly 30-something-year-old. "Look at him, and look into him. Look into his heart. What do you see?"
As if in a trance, Shinichi responded "He smells like sweat-not his own...younger...and blood, again, not his own...of several children... yet there is no hint of remorse, no guilt...only sexual desire as he searches for his next victims." Suddenly, Shinichi's eyes widened, and he looked back at Vincentio in realization, his human detective reasoning bringing a smile to his face. "You found me a serial rapist?"
Vincentio smiled at the obvious appreciation. It was kind of sad, actually, but he just responded, "I figured it would be easier for you this way. That man would get the death penalty, anyway, and you'll just be saving the lives of countless children with your act. Remember, this is something we do out of necessity."
His human side being convinced just enough to let the new, stronger instincts take control, Shinichi flew from Vincentio's strong grip, landing noiselessly behind the rapist. A grin spreading on his face, he began to stalk him. The man whirled around, but saw nothing. "What's wrong?" Shinichi smirked from the opposite side. "Too bad you didn't see me earlier today. I would have been much more your type."
The man just gawked at him in confusion before pulling out a gun. Slowly, just savoring the smell of the man's fear, Shinichi took even steps closer to the man. The gun rang out, and Shinichi grimaced slightly before the hole closed up. Pain now gone, he grinned at the man. The high-pitch scream the large man let out tugging on Shinichi's lips, he decided it was time to shut him up, that he'd satisfy his bloodlust at last. One hand pressed over the man's lips, he listened to the rhythm of his arteries, revelling in the music before plunging his fangs into the large neck.
The burst of sweetness that hit him was unlike anything he'd tasted before. The sensation unlike anything he'd felt. Ecstasy spread through him as he sucked, the taste so different, so perfectly right. His body was tingling with energy, satisfaction. As he tasted him, even this man who had seemed so evil before seemed like nothing more than a lost child to Shinichi. Gently, he stroked him, calming him as he continued to drink from him, doing his best to keep the man from any undo suffering. He could see into him as he drank...past the recent murders into his past, a past the man himself had denied and repressed to the point where he could no longer remember that his tendencies were due to his own rape as a seven-year old. Drained completely, Shinichi let the man down slowly, gently, stroking his face as he turned to walk back to the other vampire, the blood still pumping through him like a drug, a source of endless optimism.
"How was that?"
"You did well," Vincentio replied, aware that this mood was not to be taken seriously. The boy was totally drunk on blood, having fulfilled his bloodlust after such deprivation. "Now come on, Shinichi-kun, let's get you come."
Shinichi's smile lasted throughout most of the flight, during which he found it in his blood-drunk heart to forgive the vampire who had cursed him, pressing himself into him, yawning...
By the time they landed in front of the Kudou mansion, this had worn off, and Shinichi was horrified, reliving both the act he'd committed and the obsequious behavior he'd been showing towards the vampire. Glancing around nervously, he quickly unlocked the door and led the other in.
Vincentio toured the house, making approving little noises every so often before settling with Shinichi in the library. "Honestly, you can't do much better than a place like this for beings like us."
At Shinichi's raised eyebrow, Vincentio continued. "You'll find that a comfortable place to reside is something dearly desired by our kind. As too many dead people in a certain area leads to suspicion, we rarely settle in one place for long..."
At these words, the reality of the situation flew back to hit him, and he flinched.
Not noticing, or more likely, choosing not to acknowledge Shinichi's slight spasm, Vicentio continued. "It is luxurious, not too bright...though I suggest you switch the curtains. They will make it too miserable come daytime."
"Wait...I thought we couldn't be awake in the daytime," Shinichi broke in, curiosity overtaking him once again.
"You'll realize quickly how much of the popular folklore is questionable at best. We can be awake at any time, but we do better at night. Direct sunlight, however, can hurt us, so if you must go out in the daylight, make sure you have yourself properly covered. Otherwise..." his expression darkened, but Shinichi just nodded, deciding not to pry.
Despite the hatred part of him felt for Vicentio for landing him in this situation in the first place, he had to admit that the older vampire seemed to be more than just a cold-hearted killer. Little as he wanted to admit it, he had needed someone to instruct him, and he grudgingly appreciated some of what the man had shown him. It seemed as if he had done more than was necessary, or at least, more than one could expect every vampire to do for his new fledgling.
Shinichi blushed as he noticed the surprised and soft look on the man's face as he looked at him. Oh shit! He can read my mind!
Laughing softly, Vincentio said "Why don't I show you how to block your thoughts from intruders?"
His surprised look turning to a scowl, Shinichi said "Oi, is that what you've been doing and why I haven't heard your thoughts? You could have mentioned that earlier," he grumbled at the satisfied smirk on the other vampire's face.
Taking Shinichi up on his offer to stay in the mansion that night, he took off the next evening, giving Shinichi information about a few prime locations where there were vampire-friendly spots...He himself lived in a particular one in Venice.
"I hope you can manage without this information until your fledgling stage is half-over," he cautioned.
"Which means...?"
"Normally you are considered a fledgling for the first century after your tranformation. Any fledgling turning up at a gathering place or seeking out the one who turned them within the first fifty years is...not looked on kindly by others of our kind, I'll just say."
"Why the hell would I care about that?"
"Because they're brutal, Shinichi," he said seriously, pleading with him with his eyes. "Odd though it may seem to you, there is a strict status quo when it comes to certain aspects of our way of living...to be perfectly honest, I took a risk when I made you. It is one of the greatest offenses to make one so young as you appeared when I took you. If you hadn't transformed, they would have come after me."
"Why did you take that risk, then?"
He didn't respond right away. "Several reasons, though some I'm not sure of. I suppose I felt drawn to you. You interested me, but also..." He trailed off. "Anyway, Shinichi-kun. I need to leave now, but remember...don't deprive yourself. Avoid much contact with humans until you're sure of your self-control."
"You have to leave already? What if I..."
"Although part of me wants to say fuck them and stay here in your comfotable house, I believe you'll be fine. Your...self-control... is something I've almost never seen before. I'm certain you'll get through this trial."
And with that, he was gone, the end of his black shawl whipping around the door as he left.
There's chapter 2~! SORRY FOR THE LACK OF KAI-chan in this chapter... I know...*tear* but he'll be back! I promise! I couldn't forget about Shinichi's perspective though, could I? Anyway, thanks for reading! I really hope you liked it! :D
Again, thank you so much for your reviews, and please review here, as well! :D
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