I tried to make this story more organized and better written than the first chapter.
I hope it reads better and, being as it's horror and action and I'm still iffy on how to write this, these chapters will be shorter than most my other stories.
Chapter 2: Who Your Loved Ones Are
...
...
One thing leads to another as friendship leads to love. Your second trial deals with matters of the heart. How far are you willing to go for what you love and how far are you willing to fall for one you do not?
Shinichi heard as the voice came out of nowhere. It was definitely electronic and, as he looked, he knew it had to me somewhere nearby. The voice seemed to ignore Hakuba's words and he heard the teen shout a second time.
"I can stay here, right?!"
Shinichi watched Hakuba yell out into the seemingly empty space the voice had come from, the guy clearly scared out of his mind and now Shinichi knew why.
"Oh Kami." His screaming had stopped but he knew he'd never be able to get that image out of his head. He should have listened. He shouldn't have looked. Why had he looked? He was gasping, close to being sick himself. He'd never seen anything like that. He'd faced death, dozens of times and through dozens of means. This wasn't death- this was painful and cruel and so undeniably wrong that part of his mind didn't believe that had actually happened.
We do not pick our blood but our friends are of our choosing. You're choices lead you here. You must deal with it.
The voice, put through one of the worse quality voice changers he'd ever heard, echoed from further down the stretch of hallway they were in.
I didn't say how many locks the code would release. Another is already underway and you waste your precious time and something far more precious by standing still.
Hakuba tried to get some of his composure back and Shinichi laughed aloud at that. What a pointless attempt.
"I got to-" Kuroba beside him got up, the link between them around a foot in a half long and tugging his arm up as well from where he was kneeling on the ground.
"No. We're not going anywhere," Shinichi said quietly, attempting to form some type of logical explanation for all of this. "What's going on? Who is this? Why did that happen? Why can't we just leave? I don't see anyone. It's not like they can stop us."
"Can't leave," the teen next to him said quietly. "The doors and windows are blocked, and even if they weren't, if we tried... I doubt we'd make it far. I don't-" the guy trailed off, thinking on something dark enough that he stopped expressing what was on his mind.
"Kuroba-kun... the lock. You should..."
"I know." The other two older-looking teens stared at one another, both knowing what was going on far better than he did by the looks of things.
This was stupid. They should just come out and tell him. Whatever warning they'd been given though, Shinichi wasn't going to just sit around while this mad man did who knows what. He couldn't. He didn't want to think on Hattori. Even the name made him cringe. He swallowed back the bile, walking off and, a few times, having to pull the other teen along with him.
If they weren't going to tell him, fine. He'd find out for himself.
The house they were in looked like whoever it was that was messing with them had built it himself. Shinichi couldn't understand half of how the structure was logical and even less of how all this wood was trapping them. The metal bars were one thing, but wood, if given the right tools, would give.
Then there was another door, much like the first one, red paint across it like blood. The English words were becoming something of a nightmare in and of themselves.
Learn to trust yourself.
Shinichi reached up but the door was very hard to open at his height and it seemed that there was more than a little rust that made it not want to give. He had to hope it wasn't really locked because, with him tied to the other teen there wasn't much hope of either of them being able to break it down and Hakuba-kun didn't look like he was built for such things.
Kuroba finally reached up and opened it for him, though he didn't push the door open, just turned the knob.
"Wait."
Shinichi waited, looking up at him but all the other teen seemed to be doing was breathing. Something was scaring them both bad and he had a sneaking suspicion on what it was and he really didn't want his thoughts to become truth. After only a few seconds he pushed the door opened anyways and stopped dead in his tracks, the other teen having only taken a step with him, because of the cuffs, before he followed suit.
"Aoko!"
And then Shinichi was dragged inside, the other teen not seeming to care that they were still handcuffed together and there was no way his feet could keep up with Kuroba's longer legs.
The two iron wrought cages in the room were what had first caught Shinichi's attention to begin with. The second had been Ran inside of the one on the left. While Kuroba was frantically reaching in the right one, another girl getting off the ground and more or less trying to touch him through the bars, all Shinichi could do was stare at Ran.
No.
Ran was sitting with her hands folded across her legs and looking back at him, clearly scared and clearly confused. Her mouth was slightly open while she looked at him and he looked back, not having any words to speak to her with. Just no. No. No. No. No. NO! Not Ran. Then again, not Hattori. Not anyone damn it! Shinichi's fist clenched at his side at that thought. Why is all of this happening? Why us and why them? Who is this and what do they want?
'You had fifteen minutes since the switch was triggered. Now you have a little less then ten. What do hearts really do for us when we don't listen to them, and if we don't listen, why have them to begin with? You'll find what I have provided you with on top of each of the enclosures. A minute before, the bars will open with the key. Do not try and open them any sooner.'
And then the voice was gone again and Shinichi looked up. There was no way he could reach the top with the other teen cuffed to him and still bending over, speaking and trying to console the other girl inside while she was crying hysterically. Not only that, but her crying was all broken up and sounded funny. Shinichi looked over with narrowed eyes, seeing something in her mouth that was the cause. He'd figured that out in a second once he got whatever it was he needed.
Holding onto the bars he tried to climb up but the other teen made it impossible. This wasn't fair. He wasn't his normal size and, if anything, the cuffs were only handicapping him.
"Hakuba-kun." Shinichi turned to the other teen, indicating upward before he saw the blond take a step back, shaking his head and waving his arms once in front of himself.
"I- I don't want any part of this."
Great. Just great. Shinichi grabbed on the cuff and yanked hard, seeing Kuroba wince and look over at him.
"We can't just sit here. What's up there that we need?" Shinichi looked him in the eye. Kuroba was the only one that could reach it or, at the very least, move his arm so he could get up there himself.
"Aoko. Shh. I'm not going anywhere." Kuroba slowly let go of the girl but Shinichi could see how deep her fingers were going into his arms while he did it. It had to be painful shoving her off like that, but it needed to be done. Though Shinichi didn't think she'd intended it, he looked at the scratch marks she'd left behind while the other teen reached up, putting a key and something that looked a lot like an ink bottle on the floor, going up and grabbing another that he handed over to Shinichi.
The other teen took one looked at it, then at him, then went back to the girl who quickly reaffirmed her hold on him.
Shinichi figured this was something he was supposed to figure out, but why should he help the other teen at all when all he had done was keep information from him and the reason that Hattori wasn't-
Shinichi shook his head. He opened the bottle, sniffing it before shoving it away, using his other hand to rub his nose. "It's acid."
That got Kuroba's attention and the teen looked back at him but Shinichi already had an idea. He just had to be careful. Taking a little bit of it, he poured at little as he could on the hinge where the cuff was, taking in a hissed breath and moving his hand sideways when it touched his skin. He kept his teeth clenched, moving the metal around a little before reapplying it.
Nine minutes was going through his head. He didn't know what it was for but he couldn't do anything handcuffed to this guy. After the forth application he finally got it through to the pivot and took the handcuff apart, freeing himself. There.
Pushing his hand to his pants where it was bleeding, he looked over at Ran. There wasn't much purpose in being anything less than direct.
"What's wrong? What did he-" It didn't have to be a he. "Are you hurt? Is there anything-? What's in your mouth?"
If one girl had it, Ran might have it too. It could be why her mouth was still opened.
Ran shook her head, looking at him and specifically the blood that was there now. She tired to speak but it was hard to hear her, whatever there clearly obscuring her words.
"Lay down and let me see it." Shinichi went on his knees, waiting for Ran. He had a few guesses again and his mind cleared itself of everything except somehow getting her out of there and figuring this out.
Ran listened to him. With all that was going on she actually listened to him as if he actually knew what was going on. She opened her mouth and Shinichi had to get his hands inside the bars to move her lips to get a better look at it.
Kami, what was- It was insane. He backed off, falling on his butt and looking at the acid that was on the floor. No way. He couldn't. But…
He wasn't going to worry the other girl. As completely unfair as the other teen was being, he wasn't going to scare her and have Kuroba get his eyes clawed out.
He leaned close to the bars, Ran sense that he wanted to talk to him. Before he could say a word there was a loud clang and Shinichi looked up, the startling noise coming from somewhere above him.
The cages. There was some large metal platform. It had to have been attached to the top. He hadn't seen it at all. It was moving down now though. Kisama. The time limit was already… why do both?
Then the reason hit him, his eyes wide. Oh no. He looked at the other teen that noticed what was going on too. He was dangerous. Kuroba was now very dangerous. Shinichi had to worry about Ran first though.
"Lay back down. Hurry."
Ran had sat up but she listened to him the instant he had spoken. Shinichi took the jar, trying to stop his hand from shaking. He closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to steady himself as he spoke.
"Ran, don't get excited. There's something very deadly in your mouth. It's wired to your teeth. I need to find some way to get it off." And he right then and there thought about trying to pull her teeth out. She'd live and, as painful as it might be, to had to be better than death. The acid was still in his hand and he moved his free one forward, latching onto whatever bomb hidden under the plastic.
"It's going to hurt." Shinichi closed his eyes. He could only promise that. He couldn't even promise her life. What kind of- what kind of promise was that? He wasn't physically strong enough to pull it out and, even if he was, the teeth were in there by the roots and it would take a tremendous amount of- He tried not to shake, bringing the bottle of acid forward. If he couldn't get it to eat through the plastic… maybe it could eat through her skin enough that this would be possible.
Shinichi put the acid along the layer of her teeth. With the saliva it was going to spread but there was nothing he could do for her. He winced before it came in contact, trying to be quick as she pulled away on instinct, screaming- or trying to, as he tried to hold on, pulled hard against the bars. She was on her back though and couldn't get far and he didn't lose his grip.
"Ran, please. Don't move and don't let it get in the back of your throat. Come here." He tried not to have his words shake but it was hard to keep calm when her blood was already running between his fingertips and she was crying.
He'd have to remove literally with her teeth. Whatever was used to weld it on there, the acid would burn through her skin a lot faster than the metal and plastic. Hitting the plastic in the wrong spot could set off the explosion too, and he didn't know what the makeup of it was, only sure that it was an explosive.
He held his other hand up, far too small for his liking, the bottle shaking slightly in his grasp before he told himself he'd rather have her hurt and bleeding than dead. It was almost enough to detach himself from the situation.
Almost.
Ran screamed and cried some more and he saw her cheek bleed. He had no way of redirection the corrosive acid though
Her pain was his and he knew he couldn't even imagine it. His world was nothing but crying and screaming and tears and red. There was a lot of red.
Blood had never bothered him as much as it did at that moment and this would haunt him long after his days on this earth were over- as short as that future was looking at the moment.
He yanked on the brace, trying to pull it out, watching her jerk slightly and another cry escape.
Even if she'd burned off most of her skin…. He wasn't strong enough to get the thing out. The roots of her teeth were too deep and he just didn't have the strength.
"Hakuba-kun." Shinichi didn't even care that the teenager could only see a child before him, he didn't care how he address him, he didn't care about his lies or anything right now besides Ran. "Come here. I'm can't pull it out."
Hakuba turned his head towards Conan-kun, having been watching Kuroba and Aoko almost numbly instead. He had an idea of what was going on but didn't want to approach and get involved in it. It would only hurt him and he knew mentally he wasn't prepared for this- none of them were. He wasn't the one being ordered around though so it shouldn't be any of his concern… right? If one of them died it was because of their own faults, not his.
The boy's words, and yes, he did know it was a child before him, didn't faze him anymore than Kuroba-kun's would have. He simply shook his head, not ready to fail. Everyone failed. He'd heard of this man and his sick games. There were never any winners. If he was going to die anyway, he wasn't going to have one of their deaths on his conscious.
"Hakuba! I need you right now!" Shinichi wasn't going to be dealing with this. "Just pull this out. I'm not physically strong enough. You don't have to do anything else."
Hakuba looked at the child. He really really didn't want to make this man mad. The more of them there were later too, the worse it would be. It was such an easy request though. He didn't see why he couldn't. It wasn't as if he was asking for the impossible.
Hakuba took a few hesitant steps over before he saw what Conan-kun was doing and what he wanted him to do.
It was as bad as 'pulling teeth' had never been on of his favorite expressions and it wouldn't be any time in the future.
Hakuba held up a hand and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't."
"Get over here and do it!" The seconds were ticking away and Shinichi didn't have enough of his mental facilities to waste on trying to count them.
Hakuba swallowed, taking a step closer that he had retreated. He looked in at Ran-san, seeing all the blood from their struggles before he shook his head again, tears in his eyes and unable to look away. "I just can't do it."
Fine then. Shinichi put his other hand in through the bars, his foot as well. He put it lightly against her forehead. "Ran, I know this hurts but once it's done, that's it. It's all over, okay? So hang in there." He took a better grasp, his hands slick on the blood, moving them around until he got a grip, and pulled again, several times, jerking her head back his harsh, vicious movements, trying to do this is what he counted as one go still.
He just wasn't strong enough through. One of her back teeth he was able to get out but that had been all he'd gotten for his efforts. His hands were shaking bad as he reaffirmed his grip. "I have to do it one at a time. Don't move. Once its out you'll need to bit down on… on my shirt or something." She'd bleed to death otherwise.
Shinichi didn't wait for a nod or any acknowledgment, straining his muscles to their fullest again, , this time focused on one tooth at a time.
Ran screamed, choking on sobs, and writhed under his fingertips. He didn't let up, going so far as to ignore her cries of anguish and get done what needed to be done. He heard a click not long after, when he was nearly halfway through, and looked up to see the large iron top was nearly halfway close to crushing her. The door itself would be blocked in a matter of minutes.
That must mean we have that minute left until it goes off.
Shinichi let go of her, his fingers far too slick for him to pick up the key so he wipped them on his pants without a care, grabbing it and getting the door open. "Ran, out! Now! Hurry and lay back down after!"
Bleeding and physically tormented, he watched Ran turn over, spitting out blood as she crawled through the part of the door that was still open. Off to his side he noticed that Kuroba-kun and the other girl were in each other's arms now, now bars separating them. He didn't know whether the other teen had, or had even tired, freeing the girl of the thing that was going to kill her but he didn't have the time to waste worrying about it.
Ran was on the ground, trying to stifle cries for him. She presented herself readily. Shinichi decided then and there that some part of her either wants to be saved and knows what the situation really was or knew, on some level, who he was and had trust in him.
"Hakuba-kun." Shinichi turned furious eyes on him. "Help me now! We only have a minute!"
Hakuba knew, had been keeping time, but only seeing the child do it first, the time constrains, and the progress he'd already made had the blond teen down on his knees, soaking them with the girls blood as he moved and cradled her had between them.
"I am so very sorry for this." Hakuba took over where the boy had left off, pulling and yanking hard, not worrying about what teeth broke off and which just came free of their metal prison. He had the leverage as well as the strength, fueled by fear, to have the thing off and tossed back in the enclosure after only a few solid tugs. He cradled his bloody hand after, not his own blood, and back away from her.
Shinichi took off his coat and then his shirt, taking the latter in his hand and putting it in her mouth. "Bit down on this and hurry, we have to get away." Shinichi waited until Ran's crying had stopped enough and she was able to breath around his shirt before more or less turning and crawling instead of standing.
That was good enough for him.
Shinichi got her as far away from the cage as possible, the seconds in his head counting down. Only a few left.
He turned to Kuroba… and the teen was still holding the other girl who had been imprisoned. There was no blood, the acid from his share had not been touched, and neither seemed to be seeing anything other than the other in the room.
The other teen looked so dispassionate. He was staring back at the bars, his eyes half closed, and just holding the girl.
"You idiot, get away from her!" He hadn't gotten rid of the explosive. If it was still in her mouth there was a good chance he'd be killed. Shinichi, going against all logic, got up and pulled on the other teen's half of the cuff that was still around his wrist. "You have to move!"
Kuroba turned his eyes for a moment to him and did what Shinichi though that even he wouldn't be able to do for a while, maybe even years after this.
He smiled.
It was a gentle kind of smile that told the young detective that the other teen knew exactly what he was doing and nothing was going to sway him from his path. Anything- Shinichi would have given anything to be his own age again. He could have pulled him away then, talked some sense into and backed him down from these suicidal actions.
But there just wasn't time and Ran was too out of it. He was barely able to take a step back before his eyes closed against the noise of both blast- one in front of him and the other off to his side where Ran had been not minutes before.
