Hello everyone,
This one is a little weird, but I did it on a whim. I didn't think too much about it, but I wanted to write this story.
This is a one-shot.
Happy reading to all of you! Take care of yourselves!
All the rights of the characters and the story of Detective Conan are, and will remain, the work of Gosho Aoyama.
The murder of too much...
I remember the day when everything changed.
We had finally found their mark. After many, many times of hard work, hiding behind this tiny, frail body that I was, from Tropical Land to this day, it all paid off.
When the FBI contacted me, I was overjoyed. Finally, we were going to put this horrible organization, that kills just for the sake of it, in the ground. Finally, I was going to leave my life as a little boy and return to my life as a high school student, and most importantly, to Ran...
Ran...
I'm sorry for what happened. I should have been more careful...
1 year earlier...
The most horrible night ever. It's cold, it's winter, it's snowing. Great! Why today, and not another day. Why now, and not in spring? Anyway.
When James Black warned me about what was going to happen last week, it made my head spin and my heart race.
I tell myself that it's going to end soon, I'm finally going to be able to destroy this damn organization that has ruined the lives of so many innocent people, and finally put all the criminals in the organization in jail, and that the truth will come out for good.
Then, I think back to all the troubles I have lived through. Having to serve Ran's father in order to be able to go on my quest, all the injuries I suffered, lying to Ran and the others so as not to endanger them. Protecting Ran was the main thing I had to do. Even though I know she can handle herself, I've seen some of the blows given to her opponents, and frankly, it hurt, really hurt, to be them at one point. Getting kicked in the butt like that. Ouch!
And after all that, I figure it's almost over. I'm going to find all the computer equipment and a lab so Haibara can finally make what I've been waiting for all this time.
An antidote to APTX 4869. And finally get my life back to normal...
I ask the bartender to pour me a glass of rum, what a coincidence...
"You shouldn't drink too much, young man. It's not good for your health. And you are too young to drink that kind of alcohol." Said the old man to me, or young, I don't know, it's too blurry for me.
"That's okay! It's my first drink, and I'm of age, I can do what I want! And wham, I'll knock your socks off!" I say in a loud voice. Damn! That's not what I wanted to say...
"Oh no, it's not the first one, I'll have you know.
- Yes, well, maybe. He is more intelligent than I thought...
- Be careful! I don't want to be responsible for your case!"
Then he walks away from me to other customers at the bar. Why do I end up here, by the way. Oh yes! My life is miserable, that's all! If only Ran were here, she would have told me to stop this right away...
It was more difficult than expected. The organization had planned for our arrival. We had prepared everything meticulously, from the way it was going to happen, the number of people in the group with the FBI and the Japanese intelligence agency, the way the attack was going to be carried out inside, to make sure that Kir and Bourbon were prepared for the battle, to make sure that nobody knew about this attack from Ran, Agasa, Haibara or the junior detectives...
Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. Basically, we missed everything.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by an effusion of bullets and explosives. Super, that is going to warm us in this gloomy and freezing weather.
Too bad for the plan, we had to reach our goal, but a big problem takes us in the hands. No more news from Kir and Bourbon. We will have to advance blindly...
The time passes, and I don't even know what time it is. It was already dark when all started, and the more we advance, the more I have the impression that it is dark. A lot of screams invade the place, it shoots and explodes everywhere, we attend a war scene, not at all what we thought this morning.
Many of our team were killed. But many of theirs also. The team split in two to cover more ground and we found Kir. But no news from Bourbon. So Kir left with Jodie and Camel, among others, to go find the big leader of the organization, and me and Akai went to the lab to find the necessary equipment.
When we arrived in the laboratory, Akai and I were surprised by one thing. Not a sound. No scientist. Nothing.
"Be careful, Kudo. It's not good news that nothing is happening here.
- I know Akai. It's like everything was set up for the two of us to be here. Just the two of us."
Then footsteps. Only one person.
It's getting closer. The noises become more insistent.
Then a smell. A peculiar smell that you can smell from far away and shivers, fear and a gloomy glow takes over the place.
Cigarette...
"You were the only one left to participate in this great party, weren't you?"
Gin...
"Hey! Barkeep! A glass of gin, please!
- Young man! Please lower your voice! No need to shout at me. And after the rum, some gin! Oh, come on! This time my answer is no! You drank too much tonight, you'll have to go home.
- I DON'T HAVE A HOME ANYMORE! All right! I don't deserve to go home anymore. My life is really...
- Come on, don't say that! You're young, you've got your whole future ahead of you.
- NO!"
I take my glass and throw it in the glass in front of me, which obviously shatters on the violence of the shock.
"You don't know who I am! You don't know anything about my life and I forbid you to tell me anything! You don't know everything I've been through in the last two years, so shut up and serve me! Do your job instead of making me feel better!"
But just as the bartender was about to, well, I think, pour me a glass of Gin, it was that my first drink, I swear, two people I know walked through the front door, under the bemused gaze of the bartender and the people inside.
Of course, a man with a big bone structure, round glasses and a moustache, comes in, that's not a problem, but a child the size of a dog, with strawberry blond fur as hair, comes in, it's obvious that it doesn't pass.
And what is a child doing here? Besides, why is she looking at me with a nasty look, that one! What nerve!
Thus, the old person, with a blouse, approaches me.
"Finally, we find you Shinichi! Come on, you have to go home. Do you know what time it is?
- What is it? And who are you, Professor?
- Stop acting and go home! You've had too much to drink again today!
- NEVER PROFESSOR! Here, at least, none of the people I know will be..."
Then all of a sudden I feel my body go limp, and I take a quick look around. My neck! There's something on my neck!
I see, in the distance, the auburn-haired girl with a watch in her hand, staring at me, and holding the watch with her left hand. I know what just happened. To be put to sleep by my own watch, what a feat!
As my eyesight fades, I can still hear his voice, before falling into darkness...
"I'm sorry, Kudo-kun, but you leave me no choice..."
"Gin!
- So what was said here was true? Shinichi Kudo is alive! I knew it. I should have killed Kir, Bourbon and Vermouth! And the bastard who is your ally! I should have shot him with my own hands instead of letting Kir do it!"
Gin gives one of the coldest looks I've ever seen coming from him, when he aims at Akai. But it's Akai who speaks first.
"The game is over, Gin, surrender!
- Moroboshi Dai, or Shuichi Akai, whatever your name is, I knew you were not to be trusted. From the beginning, when I heard about it, I knew you were shady. But that crazy Vermouth told me to let it go. She was the one who told me, "The boss wanted you personally". I can see now that he was right... But in any case, I was right to shoot your girlfriend...
- You piece of shit!
- And I think she had a little sister, right?"
He looks at me. If death can be done in one look, I think I would have been six feet under since I first met him. And even here, I would have died more than once...
"Sherry. She sold us out too, didn't she? She's not dead like you'd think and I know you're behind it, kid! And it was Vermouth again who wanted to do it. I told him that it was me, personally, who was going to kill her. But you know what happened, I suppose?"
Just as I want to retort, a violent explosion, surprises all three of us. Gin loses his balance, so I take the opportunity to take the first object that comes to me, a brick coming from the explosion, I light my shoes, and I put a violent kick of right foot in the object, which is going to be lodged in the skull of Gin.
That was the goal. But at the last moment, an unidentified object drifts the trajectory of the brick. Damn! But what was it!
I look, at least what I can see, at the big mass of Gin's teammate.
Vodka!
I don't remember what happened next, for a short time. Bullets, screams, explosion...
It was hell in the middle of winter.
One week later
Another murder. I'm sick of it. And another man who killed his wife for revenge. At least he has a wife. Well, he had one.
On the counter near the bar, I see punch. I am thirsty, I need to drink.
I grab a glass, but before I can pour myself a drink, I hear a throat-scraping sound. Typical voice.
"What do you want Haibara? I need a drink, I'm thirsty. And what is a child doing at a crime scene?
- You know very well why we're here, Kudo-kun.
- I don't need to be watched 24/7. I'm doing just fine. Except for that time you put me to sleep. With my watch too.
- Do you remember what state you were in?
- Yes."
She waits for a more honest answer with her killer look. But I can't remember to be honest. Might as well lie!
"I'm sure I was feeling fine that night.
- No, you were drunk, just like the last few times we picked you up from the same bar.
- Let it go okay. Besides, I'm not going to do what I did last time. I want to relax after a tough day and this case to solve. Okay?
- No."
How she can get on my nerves sometimes. Too bad, I'm going to please her by dropping my glass and heading back out.
But she stays around. I need to be really alone. As I head for the elevator, I feint and take the stairs at full speed. I turn around and look like I've caught her off guard. I run towards the basement of the building and with my big athletic legs, thanks to soccer, I manage to lose her.
When I finally arrive safely in the basement, I double-lock the door to be safe. Just two minutes. I have to get some air.
The basement? Why I chose the basement...
After all this chaos, Akai and I were able to flee to the safest place right now. The basement. It's true that it wasn't the best solution, but the only solution. During the explosion, a very thick smoke, prevented us from seeing more. So for safety, and not to rush in and risk getting hurt, we turned back and landed here.
"That was close! But Gin had to be there, damn it! I almost had him, but his shitty companion was around!
- Calm down, Kudo! The main thing is that we got out of that mess.
- But they destroyed the lab! And the possible creation of the antidote! He's always getting in the way, I swear when we get him, he won't see the light of day!
- Kudo ? Do you really think that in order to create a reliable medicine, they will leave everything to the lab? I know you're upset, but you mustn't lose your temper or it will go wrong!"
I know all this, but it bugs me to see that when you almost get there, something always has to happen.
But now that I think about it, I feel like I hear a noise here. A muffled noise.
"Listen. Can't you hear a sound?" We go silent to hear an unfamiliar sound in this hubbub, which sounds like nothing from perhaps the battle we were in.
"You are right, it sounds like a person...
- Here we are all together now..."
Once again, Gin is present. He must have seen us leave here, but this time he's holding someone with him... No, it can't be, but what the hell is she doing here?
My heart is racing. It hurts as much as when I was about to shrink into my child form. But this pain is sadness. My breathing gets worse, I think I'm going to faint.
"Kudo-kun! Open that door or I'll kill you!"
Without realizing it, I quietly comply and open the door again.
"The next time you try to run away, I promise I'll... Kudo-kun? What's wrong?"
Looking at me with devilish eyes, but seeing me all amorphous, her eyes become softer and I see that she is looking behind me. Suddenly, noticing where we are, I notice her demeanor change. She is softer and holds my hand.
"I'm sorry. Come on, we have to get out of here" I follow her, without even batting an eyelid, to get away from this horrible place.
One month later
The summer breeze is finally very refreshing around here. The sun is starting to set and a new day is about to end. This is probably the last thing that makes me happy. For a long, long time, I haven't been looking for anything to do.
Detective? No more. Have a job? Not anymore. Have company? Not anymore.
It wasn't easy to find myself on top of that cliff, all alone. The Professor and Haibara have been watching me for far too long and I was fed up. As long as I've been trying, I've never managed to get to the top. Just like my life. Even the promise I made back then about never letting the criminals have the last word. Which was to get out of life for a crime they regret or a life they regret. That's saying something.
So to be safe, one morning I took Hakase's car and left. Away from everything. I didn't take my phone so as not to be watched, nor to be disturbed. I had been driving for two days and the gas was running low. I didn't have any money, so I kept going until I got here. It was as if the place had called me. I know I don't believe in fate, or in all those things that tell you that this place can be a haven. But today, I think it was obvious that it was here.
Finally! It's all over. Like...
"Ran!
- I couldn't finish with you without your precious Ran, Kudo."
How come she's with him?
"To answer the question you might be asking yourself, "What the hell is that girl doing here?" In the organization, we were hearing here and there that the agents of the country were going to do us in. And since we didn't want to get caught the easy way, we figured we'd bug everyone who got in the way of us doing what we wanted. From the police, to the FBI, to the detectives. Especially, the so-called, but known "Sleeping Kogoro". But to hear him talk, I thought it was useless. Until a small voice was heard.
- Impossible...
- Oh yes, I did! With Detective Mouri away on a bogus case, I thought it would be a good way to check my sources, if they were accurate. But when I saw you leaving in a hurry, I understood right away. But there was something missing, to add some spice to this case. And who was on the way back?
- No!
- Hey yes! That innocent and beautiful girl, who we had seen on our way to Tropical Land. Do you remember that day? And she does karate? Pfff, pathetic.
- Shut up and let her go! She didn't do anything to you!
- If I had any compassion for her, I would have followed what you're telling me. But I'll teach you one thing, kid! NEVER. HAVE. COMPASSION!
- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Silence. Then bullets. Shots. And blood. Then Gin collapses with a bullet lodged in his right side, shot by Akai. But two bullets were fired. I run to Ran as fast as I can.
"RAN! RAN!
- Shi-ni-chi!?"
I look down, and now my blood runs cold! A horror.
"Ran! Hold on, I'm here! Please don't go! I should have paid more attention to you, I should have waited for you to come back before I left for this case!
- So... you were... Conan... all this time... Shinichi?
- I'm sorry, Ran, I wanted to protect you! I was afraid you'd get hurt. And look what's happened now.
- We could have... helped you... Shinichi. I could've...
- Save yourself, Ran. Help is on the way. Don't let go!
- Shinichi...
- I'll tell you everything! I'll heal you, I'll do whatever you want to make up for it...
- Shinichi...
- I'll take you anywhere you want and make up for lost time. Live as a couple. To be together at last...
- Kudo...
- WHAT AKAI!
- Let's face it...
- SHE'LL SURVIVE! DO YOU HEAR AKAI? SHE'S NOT GOING TO DIE!
- Shi-ni-chi...
- Yes, Ran. I'm home!
- I'm glad... to see you... one last time...
- No, Ran! You're going to live! You've got your whole life ahead of you! Please stay with me! I BEG YOU!
- Take care... Of Otosan... For me...
- STOP RAN!
- And you... Live your life... Don't waste it... My love...
- RAN! DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, I BEG YOU! RAN!"
Her eyes close. Her breath disappears. The breath of life is extinguished in her. I take the gun from Gin and bring my anger down on him. Seven bullets that remain in the caliber.
"KUDO NO!"
But no more sound comes towards me. Akai can tell me to stop, I don't. I can let Gin say one last word to me, or smile coldly, but I don't let him have that pleasure. He deserves only one sentence. Death.
PAW! PAW! PAW! PAW! PAW! PAW! PAW!
"Go to hell, asshole!"
I look away from Ran's inert body. I approach his body, crouch down, and what happens next is tragic. I feel a tear running down my face, then a second, then another. I, who have never cried, don't know how long it lasts, but my despair fills the room. Only one thing can be heard in the dark building. A voice. My cry of despair.
I'm sorry, Ran. So sorry...
The day sets and the night rises. I tried to live my life. But without you, I can't. Even here I have failed. When I think of what your father said to me I get so upset and I could never forget the last words he said to me, the last time we saw each other. At your funeral.
"The first thing she said to me about you, kid, when your time as a Conan had begun with us, was 'Protect Shinichi while you can, because he'll never tell me what happened to him'. She knew who you were from the beginning. And she trusted you. She loved you. I hope you're happy with yourself."
Telling me that you knew who I was all along destroyed me. I did all this to protect you. And I couldn't protect you. I couldn't save you. I failed you in every way.
I'm sorry.
I approach the edge of the cliff. The sun is now below the sea, and the sky is getting dark. A last breeze touches my cheek. I perceive sounds in the distance. Certainly vehicles looking for me, but this time, I won.
The last sound I hear is from a young girl, "Don't do it. STOP!"
"I'll see you again Ran, I'm coming" Then I drop down, waiting for my journey to end.
Then, black is the last thing he saw. What a coincidence! The black pursued him all his life, and the black triumphed. Even in death.