Disclaimer: I do NOT own DC. Gosho Aoyama is the real owner, I'm just an amateur.

PARTNERS IN THIS

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Chapter 10

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Last Attack

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I entered our supposed room prudently. Haibara was behind me, getting inside after me. It was nothing more different than downstairs; the same rusty walls, yellowish stained wall papers. Once we got inside, I closed the door behind us.

Haibara sat herself at the end of the bed which was settled exactly in the middle of the room.

"So," I started.

"You weren't telling the truth, were you?" I asked her. She looked up at me, and smirked, "Of course not,"

"But I hope I had, actually." She wandered with her eyes around the room. I walked toward her. She was right in front of me. For the first time, I noticed her enigmatic dark turquoise eyes; her hair was tousled across her face, the wound on her head was still obvious, which made something inside my chest churn. However, she still had that ambiguous aura surrounding her with that look on her face.

Unknowingly, I reached through her hair pulling away some strands which covered her wound. I examined it with my fingers careful enough not to hurt her. It was, kind of, serious.

"Ow," she blurted, her eyes closed unconsciously with the contact.

"I'm sorry.. I'm really sorry, Haibara."

She opened her eyes, and our eyes locked for some time which seemed like the eternity. And for the first time, I noticed how close we were just there. I could see her cheeks grow a faint reddish hue which made her appear as adorable as a little child.

"It's okay,"

"Just get us out of here soon." She said, moving her gaze away from mine.

I withdrew back quite a few steps, strolling around in the room.

"You figured it out, didn't you?" she looked back at me as she asked.

"Almost,"

"I just can't wait here any longer." She shrugged off, ruffling her hair.

"Let me get off my thoughts first,"

"There are four people; Daisuke, Aya, Taichi and another woman we don't know her name —but, it does not matter anyway—,"

"They came here for a gathering for the sake of old times. And somehow, Taichi, the woman, and Aya had gone missing and Daisuke came out of house to look for them,"

"There are two missing friends, but in fact we found three corpses out there.."

"The woman was found dead by you, and then Taichi.." I stopped, collecting back my thoughts.

"And only Aya and Daisuke are remaining.." I mumbled to myself, almost balancing the words as they came out of my mouth.

"As of the personalities, Daisuke seems to me as a disturbed personality, the fact about his brother gone missing lingers in my mind every now and then—though I don't know if it is even related—"

"But it has something to do with him till now judging from the bewildered look on his eyes when he was telling the story," Haibara added, helping me out.

"Like there's something he doesn't even understand.."

"But what caught me there, is the interruption of it that the girl made. It was like she was annoyed by the story to be told again." I wondered.

"As if she knew something he doesn't know… Or,"

"Or she's hiding something.. a little secret." Haibara finished for me.

"She's also very good at turning her emotions to the ultimate opposite. Meaning, she's a very good actor."

I suddenly remembered the piece of paper in my pocket. Getting it out and straightening it, I stared at it for a minute. Haibara was looking behind my shoulder as well.

"So, the corpse we'd found in that cave is his brother's, isn't it?" Haibara turned to me.

"That's the most appropriate solution for that part."

We remained silent for some time. Each lost in our own thoughts.

"I'm going to the restroom." She informed me as she got out of the room toward the other room in theend of the corridor. They had shown us a while later before showing us our room. I nodded spontaneously, getting back my attention to the paper and my puzzled thoughts.

I remember something that caught my attention about that Aya-san, the look on her face when talking to Daisuke; there was something about it that made me suspicious; pity, sympathy?

"He was my boyfriend."

"It's going to be okay."

"Can we just stop the talk now?"

"I didn't want this to happen.. Not in our holiday."

"Very few of us are what we seem."

"When did you call the police?"

"RUN AWAY!"

"Very few of us are what we seem."

"Very few of us are what we seem..."

"I think I figured it out." I blurted, and then I stopped looking around. Haibara wasn't there. She said she'd be in the restroom. How did I forget?

"But that means—"

My eyes widened realizing the stupid mistake I've done by letting her go out, especially after realizing what I know right now.

Without second thoughts, I switched the door open, and headed toward the place where the restroom was, as I remembered. I heard a loud thud coming from the end of the corridor. A cold sweat ran down my neck without noticing. I hope she's alright now. Running my legs out as hard as I could, I reached for the door and pulled it open instantly. Haibara stared at me, cocking her brows. She was surprised, of course. It was not something ordinary for someone to slam the door open in the restroom. Fortunately, she was washing her face; nothing embarrassing. The words were lost in my mouth. But I managed to speak, nonetheless.

"I heard a sound, and I thought—"

Before continuing on my talk, I heard another bump. I turned my face behind. There must be something. Thankfully, Haibara did understand the reason for my little unnerving act, and she proceeded with me toward the other rooms; the rooms of Daisuke, and Aya. I found a room just next to us. Switching the door open directly, we found the room was empty. I assumed it was the man's judging by his black jacket laying on the bed.

I turned as fast as I could to the other room. It meant only one thing. I decided to save the last one I could do. Opening the door soundly, I was actually expecting something like that. However, I was still shocked. The man was trying to kill her. Daisuke was trying to kill his friend Aya with that knife in his hand. She was hiding behind the table. It seemed like he was chasing her for some minutes, judging by the scattered mess on the ground, the broken chair, and the tears on her face.

What was absolutely unexpected the change in the man's face. He turned his face toward us; it seemed like he was an absolute other person away from that baffled, confused man I'd seen. His eyes hid extreme anger, and killing was clearly read in those eyes. I went to the pitiful woman to help her. Haibara stared, obviously taken aback from the apparent attack. She awoke from her daze quickly, nonetheless. She was looking around for something to be used with my enhancing kick shoes. The man was turning to Haibara now. Suddenly, I remembered the change gleam in his eyes when Haibara mentioned the police earlier downstairs.

"Haibara!" I called her unconsciously to get her attention toward him. She turned around. I could see the sheen of the blaze of the knife in his hands while he was proceeding forward. Damn, I won't let her be harmed. Not now. Not ever. I don't remember how I ran out to him, or how I got there on his back from behind holding his neck.

All I remember was when I fell to the ground as the man lost consciousness after I hit him on the back of his neck with my elbow, and when Haibara knelt beside me, "So, I didn't know you changed interest from Sherlock Holmes to Jackie Chan."

Beneath my gritted teeth, I chuckled, "This woman..."

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TO BE CONTINUED...