(Note to reader: as Detective Conan was written by a Japanese person and takes place in Japan, it is assumed that all text within the story is Japanese translated to English for the reader's convenience except for italicized text, which whenever used indicates that what's written is the original, exact, untranslated version. Or, italicized text may be used to indicate a flashback sequence. This choice of italics usage can be useful whenever characters within this fanfic use English words or phrases or whenever the author wishes to use Japanese words in the Latin script, as in the Ending. Underlined text may indicate the title of a book, poem, etcetera but it is also used to indicate that certain text is part of the lyrics of the Opening and Ending songs that are generally associated with Detective Conan and anime in general. Boldened text may be used to indicate the episode's title, what day it is, what time of day it is, location, etc. All content may not be suitable for children; reader discretion advised. I obviously do not own the rights to the Detective Conan franchise; this work is called a "fanfic" for a reason. I plan on making this a four-parter series; this is the fourth and final part. I did my best to write it as though it were a novelized version of a canon four-part episode arc from the anime series. In this case, the Birthday Surprise arc is meant to comprise episodes 883-886 of the anime series; at the time of writing there have been less than 810 episodes of the anime series made, not counting OVAs, movies, and other stuff like that. Enjoy!)
THE EIGHTH
Shinichi began to walk from Dr. Agasa's house to Ran's house. He had done this dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the course of the past year. This time, however, he'd be doing it as Shinichi instead of as Conan. The dread and fear of death from earlier had been removed and all that remained was lightheartedness and euphoria. It was moments like this when Shinichi felt happy to be alive.
He could see the Mouri Residence up ahead when…
His cell phone began to vibrate. Was this a call from Ran? He wondered. Or had Mitsuhiko perhaps decided to take advantage of having my phone number?
When he read the number, however, his heart nearly stopped.
0858-969-6261
This is…he thought. This is…
This phone number was the number of the Boss of the Black Organization.
OPENING:
Truth is the convergence of many facts into a beam of light that pierces the shadows!
In today's case the men in black finally show themselves! This presents both a great opportunity and a great danger!
With the body of a child but the brain of an adult, his name is DETECTIVE CONAN!
[SILVER BULLET by Egoist]
You wipe the blood off your hands, leave the body to the crows
Then you re-enter the crowd, having become a wolf among the lambs
You have made the devil's bargain, yet still you walk among the saints
You let out a sigh and you dare to believe that "nobody will ever know"
A child's cry, a sobbing promise to a dying loved one, words never forgotten
Years pass, his passion undiminished by time wasted and empty leads
He at last finds the golden key that opens the door to the closed case
In the middle of a night like any other, a thousand lights shine upon you!
As long as people continue to devise ways to hurt each other
We will remain faithful and vigilant soldiers in the war on crime
Remembering that oath I swore to protect and serve I draw my gun
In a moment of clarity and brilliance the SILVER BULLET is fired!
A Birthday Surprise from the Black Organization: Part Four!
Shinichi looked at the number being displayed on his phone. He looked at it twice. He looked at it thrice. There was no mistake; this was the number of That Person.
Then…Gin had told the Boss after all? Shinichi thought. Was all that I went through to capture Gin for nothing then?
He knew that nothing would be accomplished by not answering; that the Boss hadn't had him killed yet and was instead calling him indicated the Boss had some reason for keeping Shinichi alive so far; this reason for not killing him might be negated if he didn't answer.
So, Shinichi clicked "Answer". He put the phone to his ear, his hand shaking.
"Hello, Shinichi Kudo. I would introduce myself, but I think you already know what people call me."
"The Boss of the Black Organization," Shinichi answered.
"Yes," the Boss of the Black Organization confirmed, his/her voice distorted by some electronic device but still easy to understand. "You know, I was quite shocked whenever Gin talked to me on the phone and informed me that you not only were still alive but had become an eight year old boy. That drug's secondary effect was not something that we had anticipated. I wanted to call you then but I also wanted to see your attempt to capture Gin proceed as normal. I told Gin that I wanted to see Conan Edogawa with my own two eyes, so I had him attach several hidden cameras to his body, as your friends down at the FBI are doubtlessly discovering right now. The cameras confirmed my suspicions: Shuichi Akai is still alive."
Shinichi's heartrate spiked, him suddenly realizing what the Boss was about to say.
"As such I've come to the conclusion that Kir can no longer be trusted," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "Five minutes ago I ordered Chianti and Korn to finish her off. She should be dead within 10 or 15 minutes. Now, at this point you're probably anxious to tell the FBI that she has been compromised in an attempt to have her rescued before my agents can fire the fatal shot. I am so confident that you cannot save her that I'll hang up now and call back in 40 seconds. Go give your allies a call."
The Boss hung up. Shinichi immediately dialed James Black's number.
"Yes, Kudo-kun?" the elderly gentleman with a glorious mustache answered.
"You have to get Hidemi Hondou out right now!" Shinichi ordered. "The Organization knows she's a spy and they're about to kill her!"
"What?" James Black said. "How did you come across the information?"
"That's not important!" Shinichi said. "You have to rescue her! Her life depends on it!"
Then he hung up. The Boss of the Black Organization then called again, with Shinichi once again clicking "Answer."
"Why did you tell me this before you succeeded in killing her?" Shinichi asked. "Surely you wouldn't take a risk like that just to show off."
"Actually, she's going to be dead in about 30 seconds," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "Confirmation of Akai's continued existence made me suspicious of Kir but I felt that alone wasn't enough to warrant the death of such a valuable agent. I needed you to confirm that she's a spy, and thanks to the fact that I've wiretapped James Black's phone this has been accomplished. Chianti and Korn are actually several hundred yards away from Kir now and they're ready to fire; seconds ago I gave the order to finish her off."
Scene Transition
Hidemi was talking a stroll through the park; she had the day off from reporting. It was times like this whenever she would visit the park to surround herself with nature's beauty. Her mind dwelled upon her brother Eisuke; why did she get this nagging feeling that she was never going to be able to see him again?
She had no way of noticing the red laser light shining on the back of her head…
Scene Transition
Shinichi heard a gunshot.
"The sound you just heard was me holding my phone up to Chianti's and her having pulled the trigger," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "Oh and it was a headshot too. Thank you for telling me that she was a mole."
Did I…did I just condemn Kir to die?! Shinichi thought. "Was that the only reason why you haven't killed me yet?"
"No," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "There is another reason. We'll talk later."
"Later?" Shinichi asked, confused.
"I'll let you enjoy Ran Mouri's 18th birthday party in peace before I present my offer to you," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "Consider the offer my own birthday present. Since it's not your birthday, consider this offer a present for Ran then."
"An offer?" Shinichi asked. What could this be? He had a feeling that the next one minute could determine the course of the rest of his life. "Tell me now!"
The Boss sighed. "Very well then. I will give you a chance to not only be free to live your life without having to hide from us but also to return permanently to your 18 year old body."
Shinichi's breathing become irregular. His legs were shaking violently. "Wh-wha-tt…?"
"I have consulted some of the organization's remaining chief scientists," the Boss said. "If you were shrunk due to the activation of your cells' Apoptosis function then the process can be permanently undone. My scientists are working on such a drug and they tell me that they can have it completed in as little as 3 months provided I allocate the proper resources to such a project. Also, I will permanently call off all efforts by the Organization to have you killed. What I'm saying, Shinichi Kudo, is that I can enable you go back to the life that you once enjoyed. You can be reunited with Ran as your normal self. The two of you can eventually get married, have kids, and grow old together. This is something that you want, is it not?"
"…And in return?" Shinichi asked.
"There are two things that I want in return," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "First, I want you to agree to never oppose our Organization again. It will not, of course, suffice for you to simply give us your word. You will submit to the Organization monitoring your every action for the rest of your life and we will tell you what cases you may or may not investigate. Normally I would just kill you instead of offering you this deal. However, there is a certain figure within the Organization who favors you and wanted me to give you this chance. Your guardian angel, in a sense."
"Vermouth?" Shinichi guessed.
"Bingo," the Boss of the Black Organization answered. "I do not understand why that woman wants me to give you a chance to live but it is not my desire to cross her whenever it is not necessary to do so, even though I am her superior. Also, I need you alive so that you can fulfill the second term of the deal, which is…"
"Let me guess: you want me to hand over Sherry?" Shinichi asked.
"Yes," the Boss of the Black Organization confirmed. "That is the second condition. Our reasons for this condition are twofold: first, Shiho Miyano's continued existence presents a clear and present danger to our Organization. Second, she is a traitor and as such we desire to make an example out of her so as to deter any other members of our Organization who are considering defecting."
"I imagine you don't plan on granting her a quick and painless death," Shinichi said.
"We both know that she will die a slow and excruciating death at our hands," the Boss answered. "Now, you are speaking to me with an adult voice right now. I would otherwise assume that this was due to some form of voice manipulation but due to the footage from the hidden cameras on Gin I've come to the conclusion that you have taken a temporary antidote for the drug. A temporary 24-hour antidote developed by Sherry, I'm guessing. You have probably taken steps to keep her alive up until now because you are dependent on her to eventually cure you of the Incomplete Detective."
This guy is spot-on, Shinichi thought. Then again, he probably wouldn't be the Boss of the Black Organization if he were an idiot.
"You're wrong about one thing though," Shinichi said. "The reason that I've been protecting Sherry is not just because I need her to develop a permanent antidote. That was the reason at first and I still certainly hope that she'll one day be able to do this for me but as I came to know her she became more than just an ally or business associate to me. I would protect her even if I had nothing to gain from doing so."
He then heard a strange sound coming from the other end of the phone call.
Is that…laughter? Shinichi thought.
"Oh, that is rich," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "You care about Sherry's wellbeing now, do you? Gin told me otherwise. He told me how you were just about to tell him Sherry's whereabouts. After he threatened Ran Mouri, that is. Therefore it's clear that however much you profess to care about Sherry you would give her over to us in a heartbeat in order to save Ran. So, if you refuse my exceedingly generous offer then I will kill both you and Ran. How does that sound?"
Shinichi didn't know how to respond.
"I do, of course, understand that you'll be needing some time to think about it," the Boss of the Black Organization said. "Therefore I will grant you until tonight at eight to come to a decision. Then I'll call you back and you'd better have an answer for me then. If you have not yet decided by this time or if you refuse to pick up the phone then I'll just assume that you've rejected my offer, in which case I'll have both you and Ran killed just as I said I would. Until eight tonight, farewell." Then the Boss hung up.
Scene Transition
Shinichi stood in front of the door at the entrance of the Mouri residence. He knocked three times. He looked at his watch; the time was 3:09 PM. Ran's birthday party would start in 30 minutes.
He heard the sound of footsteps; somebody was walking up to the door to open it.
Shiho/Conan opened the door, holding his/her crutches. "How did it go?"
"Gin, Ale, and Vodka were captured," Shinichi said.
Shiho/Conan sighed in relief. "Come on in then. She's waiting for you."
"What, you told her?!"
"No," Shiho/Conan said. "She already knew. Somehow she knew that you were coming."
Shinichi stepped inside; Shiho/Conan closed the door behind him.
"Yo Ran!" Shinichi called out.
Ran suddenly rushed out of her room and charged towards Shinichi.
Oh crap, he thought. I'm totally gonna get kicked in the stomach or face now.
Instead, however, she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. "I knew you'd be here today. I didn't doubt for a second."
"Of course," Shinichi said. "How could I not show up for your 18th birthday?"
Ran let go of him.
"So where's uncle?" Shinichi asked.
She looked at him funny.
"Uh, I mean your father!" Shinichi corrected hastily, remembering that at this moment he was not Conan.
"He's gone to get some last second supplies," Ran said.
"None of these 'supplies' would happen to be alcohol, would it?" Shinichi asked anxiously.
"No," Ran answered. "But you know, it's funny. During supper yesterday and the day before yesterday Conan-kun and Ai-chan seemed to be trying to dissuade father from drinking. In fact, Conan-kun seemed to get upset during breakfast two days ago when father brought up letting me try beer for my birthday."
"Ran…do you really want to try alcohol?" Shinichi asked suddenly, afraid that she'd answer yes.
"No," Ran answered.
"Wait…you don't?!" Shinichi repeated, genuinely surprised.
"I mean, it sounds like drinking would be an interesting experience and I can't say that I'm not a tiny bit curious about it and why so many people like it so much," Ran explained. "But we've both seen what my father has become like ever since he started drinking long ago. I don't want to be like that; I don't even want to take the chance that I'll become hooked on my first drink. That's the kind of person who my father is, but I can choose to be different from him, can I not? Anyhow, Sonoko said alcohol is gross."
"Yeah, I've heard some people telling me the same thing," Shinichi said, relieved to hear Ran's answer. "Ran, thank you. Hearing that makes me happier than you know."
At that moment Sonoko opened the door and stepped inside. She looked at Shinichi with a suspicious look. "So, you decided to take a break from your deductions to visit your wife on her birthday, huh?"
"Something like that, yeah," Shinichi said.
"Oh, your present should be coming up shortly," Sonoko said.
A husky man in a suit came up the stairs carrying a very large present, panting and sweating profusely. Sonoko opened the door for him and he walked inside, putting the present down on the floor.
"Sonoko!" Ran protested, blushing.
"Thanks," Sonoko said to the man, who then left. Sonoko closed the door behind him.
"I really didn't need a present that big," Ran said.
Before Sonoko could respond there was another knock on the door. Sonoko answered it and Masumi Sera stepped inside, carrying a medium-sized present. Alongside her was…
That unknown child, Shinichi and Shiho/Conan both thought simultaneously. That girl whose name may or may not be Mary. And why did Masumi seem so surprised to see Shinichi standing there?
"Oh, Masumi-chan!" Ran said. "And you brought…that girl with you. Uh, hi there."
"Hello," 'Mary' said casually.
Is that child…glaring at me? Shinichi thought.
"Uh, Shinichi, this person is Masumi Sera," Ran said.
"Yeah," Shinichi said, extending his hand for Masumi to shake it. "I've heard a lot about you from Conan-kun. You're also a High School Detective, right?"
Masumi shook his hand. "Yeah. Ran, uh, has told me a lot about you too."
Sonoko once again looked at Shinichi suspiciously. "So what did you get Ran?"
Shinichi winced. Oh crap! He thought. I totally forgot to get her anything!
"Uh, I need to go back to my house to go get my present for Ran," Shinichi lied. "Ran, you wouldn't mind if I take Haib…er, Conan with me, right?"
"Uh, sure," Ran said. "Don't take too long."
Scene Transition
Shinichi and Shiho/Conan stepped outside. They knew that now they could talk as they walked to a nearby store.
"The music store is past the professor's house," Shinichi said. "We'll excuse how long it took us to walk there and back on your supposed broken leg. Speaking of which you should discard the crutches and your brace once we're out of sight of the Mouri Residence and come put them back on when we come back."
You're the one with the broken leg, Shiho/Conan thought with amusement. "Something's bothering you."
Shinichi sighed. "Yeah."
"Hey, what you said about having captured Gin…" Shiho/Conan implied hastily.
"That wasn't a lie," Shinichi reassured. "But…Gin's the least of our problems now. It's That Person."
"Wait," Shiho/Conan said, worried. "You don't mean that the Boss of the…"
"Yeah, he knows," Shinichi confirmed. He gave me a call several minutes ago. He made me an offer."
"Hand me in to the Organization and he'll let you live?" Shiho/Conan guessed.
"Yeah," Shinichi confirmed. "Not only that but he even promised me a permanent antidote. Conan, for the first time I'm being given a real chance to return to this body permanently, to never have to wear those glasses which are on your face right now ever again."
"…are you going to do it then?" Shiho/Conan asked, his/her head lowered. "Do you plan on handing me in?"
"Of course not!" Shinichi protested. "That's not even an option! Don't talk like that!"
"But what will you do then?" Shiho/Conan asked. "Are the two of you going to make a run for it?"
"I can't ask that of her," Shinichi said. "I can't ask her to give up everything and go into hiding, never being able to see or contact her father or mother again. Not because of me. Besides, she doesn't know that I'm Conan. I'd have to tell her everything and I don't know how she'd react."
"The way I see it you have three options," Shiho/Conan said. "First, you can try to capture or kill the Boss of the Black Organization and hope that he hasn't told anyone else about what he knows. Second, you can accept his offer and turn me over to him. Third, you and Ran can go into hiding."
Shinichi sighed. "Yeah, that sums it up. I wouldn't know how to even begin if I tried to pursue option one. And even if Ran were to run away with me, there's nothing to say that the Boss wouldn't retaliate by killing mine and Ran's friends and family. Kogoro, Eri, and my mom and dad could all be killed. Not to mention Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi. The deadline is 8 o'clock, so whatever option I pursue I must decide by then."
They entered the store. It was a store which had some new music albums up for sale.
"I hear that band Dorcus released a new album," Shinichi said. "I guess Ran will just have to find out whether or not their new songwriter is any good."
He purchased the album and the two of them walked out of the store. They were passing by the Professor's house when…
"Wait, what's she doing here?" Shiho/Conan asked.
"Mary" walked past them, having come from the Professor's house.
Could she be…? Shinichi thought. He hurriedly called the professor with his smartphone.
"Hey, Shinichi," Dr. Agasa answered. "What is it?"
"Hakase, what did that girl want?" Shinichi snapped.
"She was asking about Ai-kun," Dr. Agasa answered.
"What did you tell her?!"
"The same thing that I told Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun, and Ayumi-kun," Dr. Agasa asked, confused as to why Shinichi was so aggressive all of the sudden. "I told her that Ai-kun was at a friend's house. Why do you ask? Wait…you don't think that she's…?"
"I don't know what to think yet," Shinichi answered. "But there's something off about that girl, professor. We need to keep an eye on her."
Scene Transition
"Mary" stepped foot inside the phone booth and closed the door behind her. She looked at the time; it was 3:28 PM. Right on schedule. She inserted several quarters into the payphone and dialed that certain number. She put the payphone to her ear.
The phone began to ring. Then the person on the other side picked up.
"This is Pizza Hut," the person on the other side said. "Would you like to order a pizza to go?"
"I'd like for Line Zero to be opened," she requested.
There was a pause. "What's the password?"
"Reichenbach Falls," she answered.
There was another pause. "Password confirmed," the pizza guy said. "The line will be open for ten minutes."
The pizza guy then hung up. Mary waited one minute, looked around to confirm nobody was watching, and then dialed the other number. It took about 10 seconds to receive a response; she turned the concealed voice changing device off.
"It's been a while."
"Hi, mother," 'Mary' said using her real voice, that of a teenage boy. "Your memo yesterday; why did you request contact two weeks early?"
"First things first," Mary's mother said. "How is she? How's your sister?"
"She's alive and well," Mary said. "I strongly suspect that at this moment she's attending Ran Mouri's birthday party as Conan."
"So it's confirmed that the two of them have made contact with full knowledge of the other's true identity?"
"Yes," Mary said. "I believe this to be the case. And no, she still doesn't know who I am."
"Keep close to her," Mary's mother said. "The probability that within the next 24 hours she'll be captured by the Black Organization is much, much higher than normal."
"Is that why you arranged for early contact?" Mary asked.
"That was only part of the reason," Mary's mother said. "There's something else and I don't really know how to put this."
"Just tell me."
"Gin's been captured," Mary's mother said, dropping a metaphorical bombshell. "I received word just 15 minutes ago and he's being held at a local police station. Do you need directions to the station?"
Mary felt an old anger resurging in her chest. "No, I know where it is you're talking about."
"The choice is yours, Satoshi," the woman on the other side said. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
"Yes," Satoshi/Mary said. "He must pay the ultimate price for what he did to her."
He/she hung up the phone and walked out of the phone booth.
I'm going to do it, he/she thought, heading for the police station. I'm going to kill Gin.
Scene Transition
Unknown Location, Tokyo
She turned the nozzle; the water stopped flowing. She put on her change of clothes. She opened the door and walked out into the hallways. She looked at her watch; 2 hours and 12 minutes before she had to board her flight back to the United States. What a chore, she thought.
She had two interviews today, one as Chris Vineyard and the other as her real self. Both were in New York City; to live those two lives simultaneously she found it necessary to have both personas live in the same city.
My real self, she mused bitterly. No, I can't say that she is the real me. Not anymore. I was born that person but over time I became someone entirely different. Now…I am Vermouth.
She walked down the stairs and sat down on the couch in front of the TV. But she didn't feel like watching TV; not today. Instead she waited for That Man to emerge from his office. The man who she called father.
Around thirty seconds later he opened the door and walked into the living room.
"Well, did you make that deal with him?" she asked.
"I made the offer," he answered, "but I'm giving him until 8 to make a final decision."
"Do you intend on keeping your word if he complies?"
"Of course," that man said. "I know how much you want me to spare his life, for whatever silly reason. Also, it's been confirmed that Kir was a mole."
"Was?"
"I had her killed several minutes ago."
"I see," Vermouth said. "Well, I'm going to go out and get something to eat."
"Be sure to wear a disguise," he said casually.
Scene Transition
After applying a quick, simple disguise she hopped onto her motorbike and took off. While she wasn't generally a distracted driver Vermouth couldn't help but think back.
The person now known as "Vermouth" was born in Japan to a Japanese father and an American mother, both parents being very prominent and possibly founding members of the Black Organization. She had blonde hair, which set her apart immediately from the other students in her school and caused her to be something of a social outcast, having been subjected to much teasing from the other kids. She recalled having to wear a hat over her head to conceal her golden hair. One day by chance she happened to meet a boy who was about her age, a boy who didn't look down on her golden hair, a boy who taught her not to be afraid of animals. The two of them were good friends for a few months and she fell in love with him despite both of them being merely children. That all ended, however, whenever, whenever her father decided that she was old enough to begin her training with the Organization and decided that the family would move to America where she would begin her training. She gave that boy she loved a letter telling him where to meet her again every ten years, but it wasn't until very recently, 40 years later, whenever that reunion actually became a reality. Her birth name was Fusae Masuyama, but in the later years of her life she had switched her last name to that of her mother: Campbell. The name of that boy who she had befriended was Hiroshi Agasa.
In America she remembered her father pushing her very hard to learn the arts of disguise, hand-to-hand combat, stealth, marksmanship, and lying. Especially lying. She also recalled him hitting her whenever she failed in her training exercises; her mother often tried to step in on behalf of her daughter but this was usually to no avail. Whenever she was 15 years old her mother got into a horrific accident and she suspected strongly that her father was behind it, though he denied it vehemently. One day when Fusae was 16 years old her father gave her a mission for the first time. A 32 year old plumber named Wyatt Holmes had stumbled upon evidence of the Black Organization's existence and activities; she entered his home that night and shot him along with his pregnant wife. As a reward for "a job well done" her father gave her the codename "Vermouth". It was a name that she would carry for over 30 years as the Black Organization's most prolific assassin and one of the Organization's most valuable members.
She did manage to gain one concession from her father, however. Whenever she was 18 she told him that she would continue to serve the Black Organization faithfully, that she would continue even to kill for them, on the condition that she was allowed to live her own life on the side. Surprisingly, her father agreed to this condition and Vermouth worked hard for many years until she became a world-famous actress known as Sharon Vineyard (the skills her father taught her proved quite handy in the world of acting). As years passed she realized that she was no longer such a young woman and this showed on her face. About 3 years ago, when she had ultimately decided on doing away with her Sharon Vineyard persona once and for all in favor of the younger Chris Vineyard persona, she underwent the most extreme form of facial reconstruction surgery possible to make herself look decades younger than she was. It worked all too well.
Vermouth had forgotten to return to Japan for the planned meeting with Hiroshi the first ten years after she moved away, but she didn't forget on year 20, and as the meeting on year 20 approached she realized that she wanted to keep something of her actual identity alive. So, she decided to take on another "persona" and she entered the field of fashion designer brands as Fusae Campbell. It was only within recent years that her Gingko Brand took off in popularity, but money was never a problem for her due to the millions of US Dollars that she had accumulated through her acting career.
Her millions of adoring fans did not realize that despite the glamor of her life on the outside she was miserable. She had always felt that despite all that she had accomplished as an actress and a fashion designer she had no worth except as a useful tool of the Black Organization and her father. She had fans and on rare occasions her father would give her a metaphorical pat on the back for the things that she accomplished for the Organization but no one in her life truly cared about her. Not until she re-met Hiroshi Agasa recently, and he didn't even know who she really was!
I am a 50 year old woman and I am still killing for my father, she realized. I still do whatever he tells me to do like a good little girl. I've never had any control over my own destiny and I never will.
That wasn't entirely true, of course. There was that one thing. That one service which she performed for a scientist couple many years ago. Atsushi and Elena Miyano had asked her to fake their deaths and that of their youngest child Satoshi and Vermouth complied; it was the one time in her life when her ability to masterfully manipulate a crime scene was used for good instead of evil. Less than a year ago she had received a call from Atsushi for the first time in a long while; he told her that a young boy named Conan Edogawa was probably the "Silver Bullet", the person who would bring down the Black Organization. At this time Conan was actually asleep in the car seat next to her and she had the opportunity to kill him, but Atsushi's timely call convinced her otherwise. The Silver Bullet was nothing for her to fear, she had realized.
No, she thought. The Silver Bullet is my salvation.
Her motorcycle arrived at the restaurant's parking lot. It was a fancy European restaurant. Wanting to take her mind off unpleasant things, she wondered what kind of wine she was going to order with her meal. She actually hated the way that the drink "Vermouth" tasted, so…
Suddenly her phone began to ring. She looked at the number; it said "Unknown Caller".
Line Zero, she thought. Atsushi.
She clicked "Answer" and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello, Fusae," Atsushi said. "Listen carefully because what I'm about to tell you is very important. Also, I apologize in advance for what I'm about to ask of you…"
Scene Transition
3:35 PM
Shinichi and Shiho/Conan made their way back to the Mouri Residence. By this time Sonoko, Masumi, Kazuha, Tomoaki Araide, Kazumi Tsukamoto (former captain of Ran's karate club), Aya Nanakawa (friend of Ran and Sonoko, works at a small food market), Kogoro and Eri were present.
"Happy birthday," Shinichi said sheepishly, handing Ran the Dorcus album.
"Thank you!" Ran said, genuinely appreciative of the gift. "How did you know that I wanted this?"
Shinichi chuckled nervously. It's not like I've heard you talking for months about how you couldn't wait for that album to come out, he thought sarcastically with an outward deadpan look.
"What's with that look?" Sonoko asked.
Shinichi winced. All this time people have actually been able to see the look?! he realized.
"You know, Conan-kun often sports that exact same deadpan look," Ran said. "Isn't that right?"
Shiho/Conan said nothing.
Eri walked up to Shinichi. "So, you're that boy Kudo, right? I think I remember you from when you were little."
"Yes ma'am," Shinichi said, glad to have someone change the subject.
She put her face up to Shinichi's ear. "She likes you," she whispered. "Don't break her heart or else I'll make you wish you were never born."
Shinichi winced again. But then he turned serious. "Excuse me, there's a phone call that I really need to make.
Shinichi stepped outside for a minute. He gave Eisuke a call, informing him that his sister was dead. Then he stepped back inside, a grave look on his face.
"Who was that?" Masumi asked.
"Eisuke Hondou," Shinichi answered.
"What happened?" Ran asked, a concerned look on her face.
"You'll all find out what happened soon enough," Shinichi answered cryptically but seriously. "For now, go back to celebrating Ran's birthday. That's what's important right now."
He sighed. Eisuke had not taken the news well. Not at all. And to think that my gullibility led to her death, he thought painfully.
Scene Transition
Satoshi/Mary stepped inside the police station. Takagi was standing at the entrance calling Sato.
"Yumi-san did what?!" Takagi said to Sato, laughing loudly. Then he saw Satoshi/Mary and turned serious. "Hold on. I'm going to have to call you back. I love you too. Bye."
He hung up and face Satoshi/Mary. "Are you lost, miss? This isn't a place for children."
"I need to see Gin," Satoshi/Mary said. "He's a man with long golden hair and a black suit. I know you're holding him here!"
Takagi winced. "How…how did you know…that?"
"Hurry, officer!" Satoshi/Mary ordered. "It's urgent!"
What does all this seem so familiar? Takagi thought. I've only seen one child act like this, and that's Conan-kun. Well, Ai-kun too on occasion. If she's acting like this she must have a really good reason, so…
"Uh, okay," he said sheepishly, not really knowing why he was taking orders from a teenage girl.
Satoshi/Mary and Takagi entered the room with Gin.
"I need to be alone with him," Satoshi/Mary said, shooting Takagi a fierce look.
Strangely intimidated, Takagi left the room and closed the door behind him.
Gin look a Satoshi/Mary, who in turn looked at Gin. Satoshi/Mary turned the voice changing device off.
"Who the heck are you?" Gin asked.
"My name is Satoshi Miyano, the only son and youngest child of Atsushi and Elena Miyano," he answered. "I am 15 years old. Recently with help from Vermouth's disguise expertise (it also helped that Satoshi had an unusually petit build for a male and that he had a "pretty boy" face) I disguised my self as a girl. My mission is to protect my remaining sister Shiho but when I heard that you were captured I could resist coming here." He put on gloves and then pointed a gun at Gin's face.
Gin's eyes opened wide. The Miyanos…they were still alive?! He thought. And that woman…she had willingly helped them? "What are you doing?!"
Mary climbed onto the table, crouched down, and pointed the gun at the side of Gin's head. "I'm going to shoot you, I'm going to put the gun in your hand, and I'm going to make this look like a suicide. I've practiced for such a scenario and I'm confident that I can swallow the gloves I'm wearing right now and vomit them up later. With no fingerprints on the gun but yours and nothing lying around for me to use to conceal my fingerprints were I the killer, the police would reason that I couldn't have done it. Also, I should go lock the door right now so that I have a few seconds in between when I shoot you and when the police are able to enter; I've already thought up what to say when they get here."
He got off the table, locked the door, and then got back onto the table with his gun pointed at the side of Gin's face.
"Why are you doing this?" Gin asked. Then he remembered. That realization showed in his eyes.
"Yes, Gin," Satoshi said. "I am about to kill you for one simple reason: because you killed Akemi. Justice will be served through your death."
Gin suddenly calmed down. He closed his eyes. "Then do it."
Satoshi didn't expect to hear this. "What?"
"Go on, do it," Gin said. "You said that you plan on killing me, right? Wait are you waiting for? Your method just might work; also, the police would be reluctant to suspect a 15 year old girl, right? Do it."
Don't push me, Satoshi thought angrily. No, I must stay calm. "I just have one last question for you, Gin. Do you remember her?"
Gin grinned. "Akemi Miyano? Your older sister? Oh yeah, I remember her. I enjoyed killing her more than I've ever enjoyed killing anyone else. Do you want to know why? Because when I pulled the trigger that day in that warehouse I killed the person who Dai Moroboshi loved most. That's why I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Satoshi lost it in that moment. "Go to hell Gin!"
He then tried to pull the trigger. But his finger wouldn't do it. He began shaking. After a few seconds of trying in vain to get his body to pull the trigger he got down from the table and put the gun away, a dejected look on his face.
Gin snickered. "It isn't as easy as it looks, right? Taking a human life, that is. For the majority of people such an act would be the greatest possible violation of the moral code instilled in them by society's brainwashing. You're one of those brainwashed fools, it would seem. For a small but superior minority of people, however, for people such as myself, it's not hard to do at all. It's an evolutionary advantage; like a mutation, people like me are those who society failed to properly educate in its dogma, those who society overlooked. And I am all the better for it."
"You are indeed one of those people, Gin," Satoshi said, looking away from Gin, tears beginning to stream down his face and his body trembling with rage. "The police's job is to hunt down the people who make up that minority and lock them away where they can't hurt anyone else. You're a monster, Gin. Nothing more, nothing less."
"What'd you say, punk?" Gin said. "I'm not hearing anything you say."
"If I were to kill you now it'd be too lenient. You should be made to live every day for the rest of your life in a cell; you should think daily about what you've done, the lives that you've taken."
"I won't lose any sleep over it," Gin barked, irritated. "What more, my people will break me out sometime soon."
"You know that's not the way that the Organization operates, Gin," Satoshi said. "They don't grant second chances. Remember Pisco? He was the freaking Boss of the Black Organization!"
Wh…what? Gin thought. Pisco…Pisco was…the…if even the Boss was killed after…"You're a liar!"
"I'm not," Satoshi said. "You must be a special kind of stupid if you believe that they'd grant you something that they didn't grant their own leader. You know what, Gin? For the longest time after hearing that you killed Akemi I was consumed with rage. I was too young to have remembered my sister, but whenever I heard about her death I couldn't think about anything else for months. But now that I've stood face to face with you and couldn't pull the trigger perhaps I can know peace at last. I can at least thank you for being incompetent enough to get yourself captured. Otherwise we might've never got to meet. Goodbye Gin."
Satoshi then began to walk away, a smile on his tearstained face.
"Come BACK here you piece of filth!" Gin roared.
Satoshi stopped in his tracks. He turned around. "One last thing, Gin. I'm not going to kill you, but I'm going to give you a chance to take the easy way out. You'd better hurry before somebody else comes in here and takes it away. It's unlikely that you'll provide the police with any useful information anyway, right? Anyhow, I've got a birthday party to get back to. I've been gone way too long."
He emptied his gun so that it only had one bullet in it. Then he laid the gun down on the table and left the room.
Gin was seething with rage. Who did that little punk think he was?! He slammed his fists into the table. He did so again. He looked at the gun in his hand; should he use it to try to escape?
No, Gin thought. I can't escape from this place with just one bullet in my gun. Even if I do escape they'll be coming after me. Both the police and the Organization.
…He's right, Gin thought, a wave of depression coming over him. The kid's right. In life I've done nothing but inflict untold suffering and death upon others. And for all my alleged superiority I'm about to be locked up for the rest of my life. I have no greater right to continue existing than an earthworm. I am a worthless piece of garbage, a subhuman; why let this life go on further?
So Gin put the barrel of the gun inside of his mouth, put his finger on the trigger, and…
Scene Transition
6:40 PM
Everyone had eaten. The cake had been blown out and eaten. Ran's presents had been opened.
"Hey Ran, let's all get some frozen yogurt!" Sonoko said.
"Uh, in a few minutes," Ran said. She turned to Shinichi. "I'd like to talk to you alone."
The two of them went into Kogoro's/Conan's room. Shinichi closed the door.
"What do you want to talk about?" Shinichi asked.
"I don't know where to begin, to be honest," Ran said. "I have a million questions for you and I don't know which one to ask first. For starters, where have you been for this past year?"
Shinichi sighed. "Ran, I cannot give you the details, but I'm part of a top-secret case; that day at Tropical Land whenever I ran into that alleyway I was meeting with two contacts with Interpol. They had contacted me several days prior and invited me to join this investigation. In that alleyway I told them that I accepted. I had no idea that they expected me to leave immediately though. The best that I was able to do for this past year was call you regularly and come back to visit whenever the course of the investigation took me back to Japan."
"You mean…you've been traveling the world investigating this case?" Ran asked.
"Not so loud," Shinichi said. "But yeah. The case that I'm a part of is huge. It involves a massive criminal syndicate."
Ran laughed softly. "So that's what you tell me, huh Shinichi? Why didn't you just admit…that you ran away from home?"
Huuh? Shinichi thought. "Uh, no, it's nothing like that." Then he coughed.
"That brings me to my second question," Ran said. "Why do you always seem really sick every time you reappeared during this past year? Your leg…I've noticed that today you don't seem to be walking normal. It's like you've got a limp. And you've got a cold. Just like…"
"Conan-kun is in the next room, right?" Shinichi said. "You can't honestly accuse me of being him."
"Yeah, that's what I thought that one time too," Ran said. "When you came back during that play. Conan-kun was in the same room as us, and that seemed to destroy the idea that you're Conan. But I've noticed something. Whenever you come back, Conan-kun seems to act really different during this time. Like he's bored. Lifeless, even."
Shinichi donned the deadpan look again. Shiho's a really bad actor, he thought.
"And he's always sick during this time," Ran said. "You're both sick. But despite the fact that during this time he covers his face with a mask Conan-kun doesn't sneeze once. It's as though he's just pretending to be sick. Like he's…like he's covering for you!"
"What are you implying?!" Shinichi snapped, his body filled with adrenaline.
"On that night at Tropical Land you got into some kind of serious trouble and you had the professor concoct some potion which made you shrink so you could hide," Ran accused. "On occasions you use some other potion to un-shrink and you get either Mitsuhiko-kun, Ayumi-kun, Genta-kun, or Ai-chan to pretend to be you during that time so I think you and Conan are two separate people."
"Th-that's ridiculous!" Shinichi protested. This is really, really, really bad, he thought.
"Where's Ai-chan now then?" Ran asked. "I passed the other three by earlier today while 'Conan' was with me. But I haven't seen her all day, so it must've been her!"
In a desperate move Shinichi raised his stun-gun wristwatch, aimed at Ran's neck, and pushed the button. To his dismay, nothing came out. He then remembered that he hadn't refilled since using his last tranquilizer dart on Gin.
"And what is that?!" Ran demanded, pointing to Shinichi's wristwatch. "I've seen that thing on Conan's wrist! In fact, there've been times when he seemed to be aiming it seconds before father passed out! Does that thing have some kind of sleeping dart in it?!"
Shinichi was so taken back by all that was happening that he fell backwards and slammed into the wall. "I-I can't tell you anything! Please, Ran! I cannot tell you a thing! If I could then I would but I just can't! If you know the truth then your life will be in danger!"
"I don't need protecting!" Ran screamed. "I need the truth!"
Then Ran burst into tears.
Ran, Shinichi thought tenderly, the adrenaline fading. I suppose that your life is already in danger, isn't it?
"Shinichi, I can't take this any longer!" Ran exploded. "Constantly not knowing where on earth you are or if you're even still alive! One can only take it for so long! I need you, Shinichi! I…I…I LOVE YOU!"
Shinichi compulsively put his arms around Ran, not knowing what else to do. He hugged her tight. "Ran, you won't have to wait much longer. Just a little further and I'll be able to come back to you. You will wait for me a little while longer…won't you?"
Ran said nothing. She just continued crying, her head leaning on his shoulder.
Kogoro, always having had a knack for stumbling upon a scene at the worst possible moment, opened the door to see Shinichi and Ran hugging intensely. He got the totally wrong idea.
"What are you two doing?!" Kogoro demanded. "Neither of you are old enough yet for that kind of thing!"
They let go of each other.
"I will wait for you then," Ran said to Shinichi, ignoring her father's presence. "Don't keep me waiting too long."
Ran then left the room, leaving Shinichi with Kogoro.
"What just happened?" Kogoro asked.
"Mouri-san," Shinichi said, "you do understand that you must never offer her beer, right?"
Kogoro sighed. "Yeah, I know. Having thought it over I've decided that it wouldn't be good if she ended up like me."
You're a good man, Kogoro, Shinichi thought. Despite your bumbling and incompetent nature you have a good heart beneath it all.
Shinichi walked out of Kogoro's/Conan's room and faced Shiho/Conan. She looked back at him.
I am truly sorry, he thought, but there is only one way to fulfil my promise to Ran and to keep her safe.
Scene Transition
6:50 PM
That man relaxed on his mansion's balcony, a Cuban Cigar in his mouth and a copy of Hot Babes magazine translated into Japanese in his hand.
I haven't smoked in 2 years, he realized. Oh how I've missed the pleasant sensation it brings me. I should've never listened to that stupid doctor.
He looked at his watch; a little more than an hour remained before he was to call Shinichi Kudo back. And then another threat to the Organization would be neutralized.
As of last December he was the Boss of the Black Organization. His brother Kenzo had led it for decades under the codename Chardonnay, but after Kenzo finally made a fatal mistake he had been able to receive the council's authorization to have his brother killed and assume that position of power which he had coveted for half a century. Not bad for a man who was now 72 years old.
Kenzo had adopted a…unique policy as the Boss. Knowing that one or several of his subordinate operatives would surely at some point or another attempt to kill the Boss if they knew who he was, he had decided to hide among in plain sight among them as an agent of the Organization himself. He adopted the secondary codename "Pisco" and nobody was the wiser that he was anything other than a typical field agent of the Organization. Only the members of the Council as well as his brother, his brother's wife, and his niece knew his identity. Kenzo felt that this policy kept him safe. Plus, he felt it was much more interesting to take part in the dirty work himself instead of just sitting around at some desk issuing orders. Kenzo's orders to other members of the Organization were administered by phone with the help of a voice changing device that would prevent the recipient from recognizing his voice.
This ultimately was used against Kenzo whenever that same phone number with the same voice distortion system was used to order his death during his showdown with Conan and Haibara at the Haido City Hotel. It was then that Kenzo's twin brother, Jiro Masuyama, who had been for a very long time the second most important figure within the Organization, was able to take his place.
Jiro, who had the codename Pinot Noir, continued Kenzo's policy of hiding in plain sight. His other codename was "Korn", and he was known to the other agents as an antisocial sniper who was partnered with Chianti on missions. In fact, other than the members of the Council, Jiro's daughter Vermouth, and more recently Bourbon nobody knew of the transition of power that had taken place; the agents knew their boss simply as "Boss" so they continued to assume after Pisco's/Chardonnay's death that their enigmatic leader was the same person as always. Neither did the agents know that Pisco and Korn were brothers; Korn made sure of this with the help of some plastic surgery, which also helped alleviate suspicions that Vermouth was related to him.
As the new leader of the Black Organization Jiro/Korn/Pinot Noir had to address the threat posed by those individuals known as "Silver Bullets", those individuals who had the potential to bring the Organization down. Shuichi Akai/Rye/Dai Moroboshi was one such individual. But ever since Gin had told him yesterday about Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa he began to suspect that this high school detective was another. To a lesser extent so was Sherry/Shiho Miyano, as the symbolic value of a person who had defected from the Organization posed an inherent threat to the Organization's stability.
I must deal with those threats, he knew. And he was certainly making progress; if Kudo accepted his offer then Sherry would be captured and Shinichi would be manageable. That would only leave Shuichi Akai.
Until his business with Shinichi had concluded he would not tell the Council that he had discovered Shinichi's identity; if nothing went wrong then he would tell them. If something did go wrong, on the other hand, he could bury the incident under the rug and he'd be spared any embarrassment. For the time being only he and Vermouth knew Shinichi's identity.
I should've made him hand over Akai as well, he realized. Then the Organization would be fully secure. Then he could rest easy knowing that the second half of the prophecy could not be fulfilled and that he had no rivals within the Organization. There was still the matter of a successor though. He had told the Council that Vermouth was to succeed him upon his death provided that she was not the one who caused his death, but so that she wouldn't start plotting ways to kill him he hadn't informed her that she was his successor. She'd find out once he died. Now that he thought about it, however, he questioned Vermouth's ability and trustworthiness to properly lead the Organization. He had picked up on signs that his daughter's loyalty to the Organization was not absolute even after all these years. In this past year especially it seemed as though she was becoming more independent, this independence even being at times detrimental of the Organization.
Perhaps I should begin looking for a possible other successor? He considered.
The sliding balcony door opened. He got up and turned around. It was Vermouth.
"I have a question," Vermouth said. "What are you going to do to Sherry?"
"I will have her killed, of course," Pinot Noir answered. "In order to deter all members thinking about defecting."
"I see," Vermouth said.
There's no other way then, she thought. I must do that thing and I must do it now.
And then at that moment Vermouth/Fusae Campbell attacked her father…
Scene Transition
7:05 PM
Ran, her parents, and all her friends drive off to go get some frozen yogurt. Only Shinichi, Shiho/Conan, and "Mary" remained at the Mouri Residence; based on how far away the frozen yogurt place was it'd be about an hour before they got back. Assuming that traffic was fairly light and that they didn't spend a huge amount of time talking after they ate, both of which were wishful thinking.
As soon as Mary stepped inside the bathroom…
"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Shiho/Conan asked. "Have you come to a decision?"
Shinichi nodded. "Yeah, I've chosen. I devised a plan to capture the Boss. Please follow me to the professor's house."
Scene Transition
The two of them stepped inside Dr. Agasa's house.
"Oh, Shinichi!" Dr. Agasa said.
"Professor, I need you to refill my stun-gun wristwatch," Shinichi said.
Dr. Agasa took the wristwatch from Shinichi and went to put another dart in it.
"So what's your plan?" Shiho/Conan asked.
"You'll see," Shinichi said with a grin.
"Can you at least tell me how confident you are in this plan?"
"90 percent," Shinichi said quite confidently.
Dr. Agasa came back. He handed the wristwatch to Shinichi.
"All right, let's go," Shinichi said to Shiho/Conan.
"What about me?" Dr. Agasa asked.
"Your help won't be needed this time, professor," Shinichi said with a smile.
Shiho/Conan was confused. Was he really so confident that he was refusing the professor's help?
They stepped outside and entered the Kudo Residence, which was next door. Knowing Akai Shinichi knew that he wouldn't be home until late at night. So Shinichi and Shiho/Conan were there alone. Shinichi flipped the light switch.
"So why did we come here?" Shiho/Conan asked.
She looked up at Shinichi. Earlier's confident grin was replaced with a very sober look. An unnervingly sober look.
"Kudo-kun?" she asked. "What are you…?"
She then knew. There was no plan. Shinichi had only stopped at the Professor's house so that he'd have the means to…
Shinichi opened his stun-gun wristwatch, aimed it at Shiho/Conan, and fired.
Scene Transition
7:20 PM
She got off her motorcycle, a small trail of blood left on the road behind her.
There's no way that they won't be able to find me, she thought. Even if they don't, I'll probably bleed out before the Organization can get to me.
She had done it; she had killed her father, the Boss of the Black Organization. She managed to push him off the balcony, where he fell headfirst to his death. Knowing that Pinot Noir's vitals were monitored from a distance by the Organization at all times, she knew that they'd learn of his death immediately. She also knew that they'd immediately check the mansion's security cameras and discover that she was the culprit. She would've picked a method which didn't lead back to her but there was no time. She would've used a gun but the mansion was guarded; even the Boss's daughter couldn't have gotten in with a gun. The bullet wound was obtained when she attempted to flee; a guard had shot her. She just barely made it onto her motorcycle and escaped with her life.
She now limped her way into the building, which was an old warehouse. Or, more specifically, it was a safehouse set up by the Miyanos several months ago in the event that that Vermouth or one of the Miyanos' other moles operating inside the Organization had been uncovered. Once inside she lied down, unable to take another step. She leaned her head against the wall.
Not knowing what else to do she gave Atsushi a call. However, Line Zero was closed.
So you've abandoned me in my final hour, she thought bitterly. She then decided to write Hiroshi a final message. However, he was not on her phone's contacts list. Then she remembered that she was using her Chris Vineyard phone.
What the heck, she thought. Why does that matter? I'm dying anyway; might as well say my last goodbyes.
She inserted Hiroshi Agasa's number and clicked "Call".
After one minute Dr. Agasa answered. "Is this a message for Shinichi?" he asked sharply.
"No," Vermouth said. "This is a message for you, Hiroshi."
"F-f-Fusae?!" he exclaimed. "What kind of joke is this? This is Chris Vineyard's number!"
"I'm afraid this is no joke, anata," she said, panting hard. "That monster who you call Vermouth is…who I've become over the course of many years. I have a lot of blood on my hands. As such it is…fitting that I'm bleeding out right now. I'll probably be dead within an hour."
Dr. Agasa was stunned. The love of his life was…Vermouth? And now she was dying?
"I'd understand if you hung up on…me now," Vermouth continued. "I am a murderer and…your innocence must never be tainted. Your love was…the last sweet thing in this very bitter life. I am miserable, Hiroshi. I have…been for decades. A murderer cannot…know peace; a murder cannot know...happiness, no matter how nice her mansion is, no matter what her…net worth is and no matter how many magazines she…gets to pose for the cover of. If I die then at least let me die…knowing that you still love me despite knowing what I am."
"…I can't do that," Dr. Agasa said. "I don't know if you're even the same person as that girl who I knew long ago; you could've been just masquerading as her the whole time. But even if you are her, it's easier for me to believe that she is dead than for me to know that she is Vermouth, that woman who killed both of Jodie-san's parents with a smile on her face and tried to kill Ai-kun. Your heart is as black as tar, Vermouth, and among the ranks of the Black Organization is truly where a monster like you belongs. Fusae Campbell is dead to me…and you can rot in hell."
He hung up abruptly. So that's how it is, Hiroshi, she thought. Even you, after knowing who I truly am, have abandoned me. The one person who I believed wouldn't…
He is right, she thought. After all that I've done, surely Hell will be my only portion in the life to come. I have hated God for all these years because He caused me to be born into this life, one where I never had any choice but to kill. I was condemned to hell from the moment of my birth; how is that fair?! It has always been easier for me to believe that God does not exist rather than to believe that a God who would condemn me to such a cruel fate from the onset of my life created me.
But...is that true? she thought. Did I really never have a choice? I have a choice now, don't I? Minutes ago I chose to sever myself from my father's control entirely, even though I die now as a result. Could I not have chose such a thing at the age of 16? Is my own life so precious that I would kill others to preserve it? What if I had chosen to die then rather than kill innocent people? Better yet, could I not have just fled from the ranks of the Organization? I had the skills, I had the survival instinct...for all these years I have been lying to myself, haven't I? I've always had a choice. I may consider myself more innocent than others who have killed, but even if so all that I have done is indeed my own fault. I...I...what have I done? God...if there is any forgiveness for even the worst of us, then please...let this serial killer know the meaning of happiness, or at least peace. No angel has ever smiled upon me...let one smile upon me now, at long last.
Scene Transition
Bourbon's sickness had reduced his appetite significant; his only incentive to eat supper was that he had ordered takeout from his favorite restaurant. He sat by the window, waiting for it to come.
Suddenly the virtual reality device on his kitchen table started vibrating. Sighing, he got up and walked over to the kitchen table, humming Ode to Joy. He put the device on. He was receiving a call; he answered.
Immediately the background on his device became a lake. He was standing on a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Several small floating black monoliths surrounded him, revolving in a perfect circle. Each monolith had the same words written in red Latin script letters that read SOUND ONLY. It was a group call from the Council, each Council member being represented by a monolith.
"What situation has arisen for you gentlemen to have graced me with your presence?" Bourbon asked.
"Tooru Amuro," Monolith no. 1 said. "As you know your discovery of Pinot Noir's identity caused us to appoint you the Council's special agent, one who would handle internal threats to the Organization quietly."
"Yes, I remember you having said that," Bourbon said. "Please get to the point."
"3 minutes ago the Council received confirmation that Pinot Noir is dead," Monolith no. 6 said.
"His killer was Vermouth," Monolith no. 3 said.
Vermouth? Bourbon thought. Why would she take such a reckless course of action? That was a surefire way to draw attention to the other moles within the Organization.
"His death at her hands is just like the prophecy stated!" Monolith no. 4 exclaimed. "We didn't prevent it after all!"
"Hold your tongue, fool," Monolith no. 2 said. "That tragic accident which killed the Miyanos all those years ago made the second half of the prophecy null and void. All of our searching for that alleged Silver Bullet has been little more than a wild goose chase; the wording of the prophecy has made it clear that without the Miyanos there can be no Silver Bullet."
"I concur," Monolith no. 6 said. "The first half of the prophecy has proceeded as planned whereas the second half logically cannot; our final rise will surely go unchallenged."
Bourbon grinned. Every one of these old men communicating from their hideouts was still clueless that Atsushi and Elena Miyano were still alive and well. "So what is my mission?"
"Kill Vermouth," Monolith no. 1 said.
"All traitors must be punished swiftly," Monolith no. 5 declared.
"You, Bourbon, have spent a good deal of time with Vermouth," Monolith no. 3 said. "Do you know where she may be hiding?"
"I have an idea, yeah," Bourbon answered. "If my hunch is right then I should be able to kill her shortly."
"Very well," Monolith no. 1 said. "One of the compound's guards reported having injured Vermouth with a gunshot. She is critically injured and thus she should be easy to kill."
"We entrust this important task to you," Monolith no. 6 said.
Then the Council ended its call; Bourbon took his VR device off.
This is a truly regretful turn of events, Fusae, Bourbon thought. But I can't afford to blow my cover. Besides, it looks like you're going to die either way. At least this way you'll be put out of your misery…
Scene Transition
She slowly opened her eyes; she was lying on a wooden floor. Why did all this seem familiar...?
Pisco?!
She got up and looked around. She then realized that this room was inside the Kudo residence and that this was the work of Shinichi Kudo, not a member of the Black Organization. There was a clock on the wall; she could see that the present time was 7:51 PM.
She tried the door; it was locked. There was a mirror on the door; using it she could see that the Conan Edogawa disguise had been removed from her head. She now looked like Ai Haibara wearing Conan's clothes.
So he made his choice, she thought. Conan has chosen Ran's life over mine. He plans on sacrificing me to the Organization in order to appease their wrath and allow Ran to live.
What am I to him then…? Haibara wondered. Am I really so little to him that he would just hand me over to save her? Is my life just a commodity to him which he may simply trade away in an emergency?
"10 more minutes. Then That Person will call me back, wanting to know my decision."
Shinichi was sitting down, leaning his head and back against the other side of the door. "Believe me, Haibara. If there was any other way I would've taken it."
"…So that's it?" Haibara asked. "Just like that?"
"Yeah," Shinichi said, his head facing downward as he spoke. "This is…the hardest thing that I've ever had to do. I have to send my friend to her death to save the love of my life. You must understand, Haibara. My options are incredibly limited. I've thought about it...I've thought about it very hard. There simply is no way to capture the boss. He most certainly will not show up in person to see you handed over to them. If I capture whatever agent he sends to make the trade and demand Ran's life in exchange for the agent's release, then he'll either respond by immediately having Ran killed or waiting until after the exchange was made. He probably won't send a particularly high value agent to oversee the trade anyway, and even if I were to go through with that idea capturing this agent could prove quite difficult. If that agent escaped then Ran would be as good as dead. If I demand that The Boss show up in person for the trade, then he'll know what I'm planning. At this point he'd either refuse my demand or downright assume that I was rejecting his offer, in which case he'd have Ran killed. I even considered disguising myself as you and handing myself in, but the ruse would probably be discovered eventually, and then Ran would die. Even if I were to decide to go through with disguising myself, my parents have already boarded their flight back to America and there's no time to apply a disguise now. If I had more time, then maybe I could think of some miraculous way out of this, but I've only got 10 minutes...so I'm handing you over to them. The boss apparently is aware that APTX-4869 can shrink people, so he probably won't doubt that you are Shiho Miyano. Even if he is, a simple DNA test will confirm this. I am so, so sorry; no apology will ever be enough for the gravity of what I'm about to do. If you hate me now, then I fully understand."
"That's the utilitarian thing to do, right?" Haibara said. "When forced to make a choice, you sacrifice the less valuable of the two options. The logical thing to do, right?"
"Haibara…"
Haibara held back tears as she spoke. "You want to know something funny? For the longest time I've had feelings for you."
"…I already knew that."
Haibara was stunned. "Y-you knew? Liar, you couldn't have…"
"My mother raised the possibility to me several months prior," Shinichi said. "I then began observing your behavior more closely and I quickly realized that you are in fact attracted to me. You displayed all the classic textbook signs despite your attempts to hide it. I am a 'deduction maniac' and you are a bad actor, after all. Well, other than your fake crying, that is."
Haibara was silent.
"You do understand why it has to be this way, right?" Shinichi asked. "I can't let her die. And I can't cause her to live her life in hiding. I just want her to be happy; that is, after all, the only way that I am happy. I guess that makes me a horrible person..."
Mary suddenly arrived at the scene. "She" was panting. "I've…finally found you! Shinichi Kudo, why are you holding Haibara in that room?"
Shinichi looked at Mary, surprised. But then he smiled sadly. "I knew that there was something different about you, Mary-kun. Please, tell me who you are."
"I cannot tell you that," Mary said. "All I can say is that I'm an ally to Shiho Miyano. I'll ask you again: why are you holding her in that room?"
"…It's fine, Mary," Haibara said from the other side. "He is just about to hand me over to the Organization to save Ran."
"What?!" Mary exclaimed. She looked fiercely at Shinichi. "Is that true?!"
"Yeah," Shinichi said, his head down in shame.
"Shiho, how can you be okay with this?!" Mary demanded.
"If Kudo-kun would send me to my death for Ran's sake then…I don't see why my life is worth trying to escape for," Haibara said sadly, sniffling. "Why shouldn't I just…disappear? All of my family is dead and the one person I have left has betrayed me. I have nothing, no reason to continue existing."
"T-that's not true!" Mary pleaded. Screw this, he thought. I'm just going to have to tell her now. "Shiho…your mother and father are alive! So is that younger brother of yours who you probably don't remember, the one named Satoshi! I talked with Elena Miyano earlier today!"
W-what?! Haibara thought. She took a step backwards, taken about by this shocking revelation. "Y-you can't be telling the truth!"
Huuh? Shinichi thought. Haibara's parents are…alive?
"I am!" Mary pleaded. "Shiho, I am Satoshi! I am your younger brother! I disguised myself as a girl so that nobody would recognize me!"
"Wait: you're her brother?!" Shinichi exclaimed. "But wait a second, why did Masumi called you 'mama' that time?"
"That?" Satoshi/Mary said. "Ah, well, it's just an nickname she has for me. A play off the first two letters in Mary, and Masumi has told me that when disguised as a girl I bear a resemblance to her mother."
Shinichi stood up and unlocked the door. Haibara immediately opened the door and rushed towards Satoshi/Mary.
"Y-y-you are my…brother?" Shiho/Haibara asked, struggling to contain the impulse to burst out into tears.
"Yes," Satoshi/Mary said. "Your last surviving sibling. My actual age is 15; yours by this point should be 19."
"I turned 19 earlier this year," Shiho/Haibara said. "Can you take me to mom and dad?"
"Not yet," Satoshi/Mary said. "But I can let you talk to them."
"Hold on," Shinichi said. "Haibara, I still have no choice but to…"
He was interrupted by the vibration of his phone. Without looking at the number he answered it.
"My answer is yes!" Shinichi said automatically. "I agree to your offer!"
There was a weak chuckle from the other side. "Kudo-kun, you don't have to hand Sherry over."
"V-Vermouth?" Shinichi asked.
Haibara looked at Shinichi intently upon hearing him mention Vermouth's name.
"Yes," Vermouth confirmed. "I…I am dying. Listen to my last words, Shinichi. The injuries that I'm dying from were sustained when I killed the Boss of the Black Organization."
"The Boss is dead?!" Shinichi repeated.
What? Haibara thought. Does that mean that…Shinichi won't have to hand me over to them?
"Yeah," Vermouth said. "He didn't tell anyone else before he died so yours and Sherry's secret is secret. You can go back to your normal life as Conan and she can go back to being Haibara; the two of you have survived this threat."
"But…why would you do this for me?" Shinichi asked.
"You fool…I didn't do it for you," Vermouth said. "I did it for Sherry. She must keep on living at least until the...time comes for her to fulfill her role."
"Role?" Shinichi repeated.
"It is a role that Haibara won't be able to play," Vermouth continued. "Only Shiho can play that certain role. Or so it is written."
"Role? It is written?" Shinichi repeated. "You're talking as if there's some kind of prophecy!"
"There is a prophecy," Vermouth insisted. "And you are at the center of it. All this time…I have tried to protect you because I realized that you are vital to its fulfilment. If you don't play your role then the Black Organization will...destroy the world."
"Hey, destroy the world?" Shinichi repeated. "What nonsense is this?"
"You will discover the meaning behind these last…words of mine with time," Vermouth continued. "I am not allowed to tell you the prophecy…because neither you nor Sherry are ready to know it yet. When the time is right you will be told…everything."
Vermouth said that she's dying, Shinichi thought. Perhaps she has become delirious in her final moments? This stuff about a prophecy and the end of the world has to be a load of crap.
"Okay, this is it," Vermouth said. "There is a red laser light pointed at my head right now. I'm too weak to try to run; this is the end for me. I've carried out my role; now I'm leaving the rest in your hands. Don't my sacrifice be in vain, Silver Bul…"
Her last words were cut short by the sound of breaking glass and a bullet impacting flesh; Fusae Campbell, better known by the names Sharon Vineyard, Chris Vineyard and Vermouth, died instantly. 400 yards away Bourbon began to walk away, a sniper rifle in hand.
Scene Transition
THE TENTH
"Conan-kun, do you want a quarter so that you can go play a game?"
"Uh, no thanks, I'm good just watching you and Sonoko-neechan," Conan said.
Ran shrugged and she and Sonoko stepped onto the dance pads to begin the game.
Two nights ago at 9:28 PM the transformation back to Conan began; at 9:39 PM that transformation had completed and he headed back to Ran's house after changing clothes and reapplying his cast and crutches (Dr. Agasa didn't have a Power Brace which fit Conan's size, unfortunately). He had told Ran that Shinichi left to continue working on his "international case" and that Shinichi had said he'd be reunited with Ran again one day, that time for good.
Ever since what happened Haibara had been avoiding Conan. Yesterday he had received word from the professor that Satoshi was helping Haibara contact her parents for the first time in many years. Likewise, Dr. Agasa was coming to grips with what he had told Vermouth when she was on the verge of death, especially whenever he realized that she had died protecting Shinichi and Shiho.
Conan had also received a call from Shuichi Akai, who informed him that Gin had committed suicide in the interrogation room; they weren't sure how he managed to hide the gun on his person while being searched by the police.
Satoshi planned on staying where he was under the guise of Mary for the time being because "My mission isn't finished just yet." Also, he obviously wanted to spend time with the sister who he never got to know. Masumi Sera had agreed 5 months ago to take in Satoshi, him having told her who he was. Satoshi was reluctant to reveal any more details; unless he was willing to reveal anything else, which Conan doubted, the trail that led to the Black Organization had gone cold once again. Now all that Conan could do was wait for another lead to appear.
The game started. Ran and Sonoko started pressing their feet against the dance pad in sync with the falling icons displayed on the screen.
I'll just have to accept that I'm going to be in this body for a while longer, Conan thought. How long that'll be I have absolutely no way of knowing.
I can't imagine how Haibara's feeling right now, he thought. If I did turn her in to the Organization, would that have been the right thing to do? Did I ever have a right to play God, to decide who lives and who dies? Could Ran have lived with herself if she knew that the price for her life and her reunification with Shinichi was Haibara's life? Could Shinichi?
Conan looked around; the arcade was quite loud and to the perspective of somebody in an 8 year old body it was quite large. Ran and Sonoko were giggling excitedly as they tried to clear the song and beat their previous high score.
Conan still couldn't wrap his mind around what Vermouth had said; if she had died to protect Haibara because she was an important part of some prophecy then it was clear Vermouth believed in it. After all, she couldn't have become delirious before her fatal injury and she must've tried to kill the Boss for some reason. So Conan felt that he should probably take Vermouth's last words at face value.
If this is the case then I must keep a look out for this prophecy, Conan thought. If this prophecy is true then the fate of the world is at stake, however this may be.
Conan had no way of knowing how this prophecy ended, provided that it was even true. However, he knew in his heart that after he fulfilled his unknown prophesied role then the long road which he had traveled as Conan would finally reach the journey's end and he would be able to become Shinichi Kudo again, casting aside the persona of this child with glasses forever. The prophecy was his greatest challenge but it was also his greatest hope.
"High score!" Ran and Sonoko shouted in unison, having finished the song.
Conan laughed stupidly and clapped in fake childlike wonder. "Good job Ran-neechan and Sonoko-neechan!"
Until then, he thought, I will be at your side. It is the only place where I can be with you right now, even if you don't know who I truly am.
Until I defeat the Black Organization my name is and shall be Conan Edogawa, a detective. Detective Conan.
The End
(Overfly by Luna Haruna; originally the second ending of Sword Art Online)
Takaku takaku kono te wo nobashite
Kitto kitto tte mou ichido negau kara
Tomodonai omoi wa nichijou ni nomare te
Yurameki nagara mata katachi wo kaeta itta
Sore demo kono sekai de ikiru imi sagashite
Mayoi tachidomari kizutsuite wa namida suru
Ima sara mou osoi kana henji no nai jimonjitou
Subete wa sou jibun shidai owari mo najimari mo
Takaku takaku kono te wo nobashite
Yasashii hikan wo mezashite habataku yo
Kokoro ni tomoshita jounetsu wo daite
Kitto kitto tte mou ichido negau kara
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