Author's note: All the other things are at the first chapter. I really did
not want to do too much pairings, but they were essential to the storyline.
Also, when I refer to a person with different names, eg: Conan, Shinichi,
there is a reason. Difficult to explain, but read on and you'll see. And by
the way, Mr. Black-and-Dangerous stands for a GUN. That's probably the only
black-colored thing that Gin would hold, and at the same time, scare
Vermouth. A knife or something is not his style, and they're not black. I
think I've got that covered.
A/N: By the day, _TEXT_ stands for words in italics.
Chapter summary: And it is only the beginning...of the end.
"Welcome back, Sherry."
The cold, threat-promising voice sliced through the air, like a menacing blade, ready to strike, ready to kill. And opposite Gin, Vermouth found a shiver run through her spine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She already knew death was inevitable. Akemi nee-chan once asked her, "Why must God take back the lives he gave us?" she didn't answer at that time, but she already knew the answer. Because our existence, nee-chan, will only bring an end to others'. Because we don't deserve to stay here after what we've done. Because, nee-chan, we're not worthy to live.
But even as the inevitable draws closer, it was not death that she feared. At least, not her death, that was. Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Hagase and even the Mouris were in danger of getting killed, slaughtered, _murdered_. Not to mention that detective and his girlfriend from Osaka. She was very clear with the ways of the organization. Too clear, perhaps.
_Whoever linked, however little, to the Organization will die. _
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beads of sweat clung on to Conan's face as he ran and thought at the same time, trying his best to decipher the numbers. Behind him, Heiji was doing likewise. And there were only two more games left...
Make that one...
And two strikes left.
The player raised his arm, and the ball flew from the now outstretched hand. Another strike.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Saintmillion's words rang in his head. _Didn't want to run._ Perhaps, he mused; he should do the same too. There was no way of running from the truth. It would only find you again in the end, and you will only find yourself facing it.
Like now.
Abandoning the last of his doubts at the back of his mind (where they continued nagging and arguing), he stepped up to that so-called-scientist's house and rang the doorbell. Even as his uncertainties resurfaced, the door opened, and Hagase's round face peered out. "May I help you?"
Akai raised his hand to his face and took off his dark glasses, watching Hagase's eyes widen in recognition (no doubt thanks to that Kudo guy here). "Yes, you may." And before the shell-shocked Hagase could respond, he let himself in. Scanning the room, his eyes narrowed at the thought that this was a wasted trip, seeing to sign of a young boy. "Where's that boy?" the sentence came out more of a frustrated growl than a question due to the realization that this was a wasted trip, while green eyes continued searching the place for any sign of a strawberry-blonde head.
"Conan-kun? He is out...playing with his friends." Hagase answered, deciding to play on the safe side. After all, Shinichi had warned him against trusting this guy, and it was almost never wrong to trust Shinichi.
Situations these two days were being too hard on him, Akai decided, realizing that it was harder to keep the new growl from clawing at his throat. "If I were an agent from the organization, you would be dead right now. However, it's not going to be any different if you don't tell me the right answer, this instant." Than after a pause, he added, "And if I were from the organization, I would still track him down, even with you dead." Hagase swallowed visibly, before finally giving in. After getting the latest whereabouts of the kid cum detective, Akai, deciding that it wasn't going to do his temper any good standing around here _and STILL not seeing any strawberry-blonde head_, turned on his heels and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Who was it?" Ai asked, seeing Professor Agasa walking into the kitchen, moments after the doorbell rang.
"That FBI agent asking for Shinichi-kun. For a case, I suppose." Agasa answered, slight discomfort showing on his face.
"He threatened you?" Ai asked knowingly. _Idiot. Didn't he have better things to do, like killing criminals on accident and almost getting suspended by the FBI office? _ "I'll take that as a yes, then," she added, seeing Agasa nod.
"Ha! Shinichi-kun would laugh at me if he found out." Agasa answered, scratching his head sheepishly. There was a slight smile from Ai, albeit a little forced. _Get a hold of yourself, Shiho. It's over. You made it that way. _ She shook her head, trying to clear it. But for a moment back there, she thought...that he was looking for her.
_Dream on, girl, dream on. _
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Think, Hattori, think! What could the code be?" Conan shouted over the din, keeping at eye on the players at the same time.
"How do I know? I'm..."
"And player three is getting ready to throw the ball, we can see player one..." The commentator announced.
"...not a..." Heiji yelled back, helplessness and frustration piling on top of each other to form anger.
"...reversing..."
"...psychologist..." The commentator's words of 'his steps' were drowned out as something struck the two detectives at the same time.
"Reverse psychology! What if...what if.the answer to the code was the same?" As one, the two of them ran towards the place that suddenly seemed so far away. 47 metres, player number 3, row 4.
_Ring, ring. _ Heiji snatched the phone from the hands of a pudgy boy, leaving him crying and his mother glaring. "Good try, detective. You'll need to be always lucky, however, to win." The line was dead before anyone could say a word, and the next few numbers appeared on the screen. 8 [13] 7
Heiji's angry cursing only worsened after five minutes, when the duo had gone to all places they had thought of, to no avail. But in the meantime, however, Conan managed to spot...in the crowd...the face of Shuuichi Akai, making his way to them. "Edogawa-san," Akai's voice was the clipped one of a professional, cold, emotionless. "The FBI would appreciate if you help with an investigation." And, seeing Conan's not very well hidden suspicion, he added in an undertone, "Of course, it will only hinder you if you don't cooperate, _Kudo-san_."
Heiji didn't manage to hear the last sentence, but the mere expression change on Kudo's face was enough. It went from suspicion to shock in the matter of a second. Horror seized him as the probabilities of what caused this change went through his mind. What if... "Don't worry, Hattori. He's from the FBI," Kudo had the _grace_ to assure him after a whole minute of leaving him worrying. Catching that certain something in Kudo's voice, Heiji made a mental note to be aware of this strange man. "Later, Akai," he heard Kudo speak to the man, probably called Akai. (Wow, what a clever inference.) "This is more important."
Akai frowned. This was definitely what he had sped all the way here for. But staring (glaring) into Kudo's eyes, he knew that that boy would never leave until he finished what he was doing. "What is it?" he struggled to keep his tone cool, professional. There was silence (well, from Conan and Akai anyway) as Conan snatched the phone from Heiji to show Akai.
This was definitely not good, Heiji thought as he glowered at the younger (looking) boy beside him. The FBI guy was now staring at the numbers on the screen, rather obviously not interested. _What does the FBI want with Kudo, anyway? Its not as if they knew...is it? _ "Oi, Kudo," his tone was low. "Does he _know_?"
Silence. The chillness of the moment contrasted sharply with the cheering of the background. It held for a few minutes, before Conan turned towards Akai. "Thought of anything yet?" Heiji saw the unwillingness to answer in Conan's face. After all, wasn't that boy the one who had told him that the more the people who knew his secret, the more danger they were in? Of course, Kudo would never have told anyone, but it was clear that he felt guilty for Akai's knowledge of the event. He had said it before, and her would say it again: that guy's an idiot. What's he feeling guilty for? Not inheriting his mother's acting abilities wholesale? If so, then about him, Heiji Hattori? How many times had he almost revealed Kudo's real identity? Did Kudo even blame him for it? No. Then what was that baka's problem with himself?
The sharp whistle of the referee announced the end of yet another game. "Oi...Edogawa, we can talk about this later. Right now, we have a case to solve, and a stadium to save." Akai let out a snort at this case of big headedness, which went unnoticed by the duo. The two detectives managed to squeeze into a corner of the stadium, which, miraculously, was empty, save a few dust bunnies. Meanwhile, Conan had left it to (a very disgruntled) Akai to listen to the radio. ("Either that or I, who hold Very Vital Information, will die.")
An extra loud burst of cheering caused Akai to hold the earplugs away from his ear. "One more game left." He informed them. "I suggest you get out of the building now, in case you cannot solve the puzzle." Conan turned to face Akai so fast that Heiji didn't notice it until a moment later. His face was contorted by anger, his dislike for the FBI agent only too clear. All right, maybe _dislike_ was an understatement.
"Don't you understand? The lives of all the people here depend on us! If we leave right now, there will be no one to stop that psycho lunatic! The people will DIE, damnit, don't you care?" For a moment, there was no longer any resemblance between the small figure trying to fly at Akai (Heiji managed to hold him in) and a kid. Conan's eyes burned with a fiery intensity, and at the same time, his determination to break the code and save the stadium. And for a moment, Akai truly understood what made this boy stand up against the Black Organization for so long.
_His sense of righteousness. His determination. His respect for others' life. _
"Show me the numbers again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was still high in the sky, but a series of tall plants blocking the window cast the classroom in shadows. Sensei Lin sat by her desk, marking the work that the group of seven year-olds had handed in to her. The above- mentioned children were rushing out of the school, footsteps pattering against the stone floor of the corridor. Sensei Lin looked up and smiled as Genta bade goodbye to her. Every since that time, when he and the self- proclaimed 'Detective Boys' discovered her true side, she no longer bothered to hide it from them. Now, she faced her class every morning with a smile on her face, loving the sound of the children's laughter.
The sound of music.
There was the final thud of a footstep, before they disappeared completely. The school sank into a veil of silence once more. Might as well, she thought, rubbing her temples. Lovable as the children may be, there were times when they just got a little _too_ noisy. The silence of an empty school was just as welcoming.
Footsteps thudded in the background. Sensei Lin frowned. She was the only one who stayed back at school to mark the children's work. Other sensei often had families waiting for them at home. The security guard was another matter. Normally, one would find him asleep an hour before the children were dismissed. Even if there were the rare chance he was awake, she would have to wait until night fell. No names of suitable candidates popped into her mind. The Mouris? Edogawa-chan had missed school that day, out with some friends, Koguro Mouri had said. It was only sensible that they collected his schoolwork. Wait, they were out too.
Sensei Lin's head turned as the footsteps stopped outside the classroom she was in, turned to her fate...
Gin waked away from the dead corpse, shadows dancing across that taunt face, his lips spilt into a thin, dangerous smile. Behind him, blood flowed from that teacher's wound. A shot aimed at the heart. He didn't miss. He never misses.
The games have begun.
Finis.
*Stretches.* Finally, the chapter is finished. Sorry for taking so long, but the next few updates may take even longer. But rest assured, I will not abandon this fic. There, you have my word for it, so anytime I ever go back on my word, you may track me down and call me a liar. Also, my DC fic beta reader (thought it was unfair to get someone who didn't know DC to beta read for me) told me that my points of view on friendship and love (I gave her the lay out of my script) were too mushy. Sorry, from where I came from, the rule 'you are but a prawn to those who call themselves friends' stand. *Bitter laugh.* Thus, my opinion on true friendship may to a bit soft, but I'm working on it. After all, isn't the trust between the DC characters the thing that allowed them to precede to far?
I'll stop ranting. I hope I've kept to Akai's character. I admire Gosho Aoyama's works too much to even try to disrespect her characters. Reckon Shinichi and Heiji's characters were fine. And for the other people, they will show up in the next chapter, just as a character, no major point. Sorry for cutting them out.
A/N: By the day, _TEXT_ stands for words in italics.
Chapter summary: And it is only the beginning...of the end.
"Welcome back, Sherry."
The cold, threat-promising voice sliced through the air, like a menacing blade, ready to strike, ready to kill. And opposite Gin, Vermouth found a shiver run through her spine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She already knew death was inevitable. Akemi nee-chan once asked her, "Why must God take back the lives he gave us?" she didn't answer at that time, but she already knew the answer. Because our existence, nee-chan, will only bring an end to others'. Because we don't deserve to stay here after what we've done. Because, nee-chan, we're not worthy to live.
But even as the inevitable draws closer, it was not death that she feared. At least, not her death, that was. Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Hagase and even the Mouris were in danger of getting killed, slaughtered, _murdered_. Not to mention that detective and his girlfriend from Osaka. She was very clear with the ways of the organization. Too clear, perhaps.
_Whoever linked, however little, to the Organization will die. _
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beads of sweat clung on to Conan's face as he ran and thought at the same time, trying his best to decipher the numbers. Behind him, Heiji was doing likewise. And there were only two more games left...
Make that one...
And two strikes left.
The player raised his arm, and the ball flew from the now outstretched hand. Another strike.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Saintmillion's words rang in his head. _Didn't want to run._ Perhaps, he mused; he should do the same too. There was no way of running from the truth. It would only find you again in the end, and you will only find yourself facing it.
Like now.
Abandoning the last of his doubts at the back of his mind (where they continued nagging and arguing), he stepped up to that so-called-scientist's house and rang the doorbell. Even as his uncertainties resurfaced, the door opened, and Hagase's round face peered out. "May I help you?"
Akai raised his hand to his face and took off his dark glasses, watching Hagase's eyes widen in recognition (no doubt thanks to that Kudo guy here). "Yes, you may." And before the shell-shocked Hagase could respond, he let himself in. Scanning the room, his eyes narrowed at the thought that this was a wasted trip, seeing to sign of a young boy. "Where's that boy?" the sentence came out more of a frustrated growl than a question due to the realization that this was a wasted trip, while green eyes continued searching the place for any sign of a strawberry-blonde head.
"Conan-kun? He is out...playing with his friends." Hagase answered, deciding to play on the safe side. After all, Shinichi had warned him against trusting this guy, and it was almost never wrong to trust Shinichi.
Situations these two days were being too hard on him, Akai decided, realizing that it was harder to keep the new growl from clawing at his throat. "If I were an agent from the organization, you would be dead right now. However, it's not going to be any different if you don't tell me the right answer, this instant." Than after a pause, he added, "And if I were from the organization, I would still track him down, even with you dead." Hagase swallowed visibly, before finally giving in. After getting the latest whereabouts of the kid cum detective, Akai, deciding that it wasn't going to do his temper any good standing around here _and STILL not seeing any strawberry-blonde head_, turned on his heels and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Who was it?" Ai asked, seeing Professor Agasa walking into the kitchen, moments after the doorbell rang.
"That FBI agent asking for Shinichi-kun. For a case, I suppose." Agasa answered, slight discomfort showing on his face.
"He threatened you?" Ai asked knowingly. _Idiot. Didn't he have better things to do, like killing criminals on accident and almost getting suspended by the FBI office? _ "I'll take that as a yes, then," she added, seeing Agasa nod.
"Ha! Shinichi-kun would laugh at me if he found out." Agasa answered, scratching his head sheepishly. There was a slight smile from Ai, albeit a little forced. _Get a hold of yourself, Shiho. It's over. You made it that way. _ She shook her head, trying to clear it. But for a moment back there, she thought...that he was looking for her.
_Dream on, girl, dream on. _
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Think, Hattori, think! What could the code be?" Conan shouted over the din, keeping at eye on the players at the same time.
"How do I know? I'm..."
"And player three is getting ready to throw the ball, we can see player one..." The commentator announced.
"...not a..." Heiji yelled back, helplessness and frustration piling on top of each other to form anger.
"...reversing..."
"...psychologist..." The commentator's words of 'his steps' were drowned out as something struck the two detectives at the same time.
"Reverse psychology! What if...what if.the answer to the code was the same?" As one, the two of them ran towards the place that suddenly seemed so far away. 47 metres, player number 3, row 4.
_Ring, ring. _ Heiji snatched the phone from the hands of a pudgy boy, leaving him crying and his mother glaring. "Good try, detective. You'll need to be always lucky, however, to win." The line was dead before anyone could say a word, and the next few numbers appeared on the screen. 8 [13] 7
Heiji's angry cursing only worsened after five minutes, when the duo had gone to all places they had thought of, to no avail. But in the meantime, however, Conan managed to spot...in the crowd...the face of Shuuichi Akai, making his way to them. "Edogawa-san," Akai's voice was the clipped one of a professional, cold, emotionless. "The FBI would appreciate if you help with an investigation." And, seeing Conan's not very well hidden suspicion, he added in an undertone, "Of course, it will only hinder you if you don't cooperate, _Kudo-san_."
Heiji didn't manage to hear the last sentence, but the mere expression change on Kudo's face was enough. It went from suspicion to shock in the matter of a second. Horror seized him as the probabilities of what caused this change went through his mind. What if... "Don't worry, Hattori. He's from the FBI," Kudo had the _grace_ to assure him after a whole minute of leaving him worrying. Catching that certain something in Kudo's voice, Heiji made a mental note to be aware of this strange man. "Later, Akai," he heard Kudo speak to the man, probably called Akai. (Wow, what a clever inference.) "This is more important."
Akai frowned. This was definitely what he had sped all the way here for. But staring (glaring) into Kudo's eyes, he knew that that boy would never leave until he finished what he was doing. "What is it?" he struggled to keep his tone cool, professional. There was silence (well, from Conan and Akai anyway) as Conan snatched the phone from Heiji to show Akai.
This was definitely not good, Heiji thought as he glowered at the younger (looking) boy beside him. The FBI guy was now staring at the numbers on the screen, rather obviously not interested. _What does the FBI want with Kudo, anyway? Its not as if they knew...is it? _ "Oi, Kudo," his tone was low. "Does he _know_?"
Silence. The chillness of the moment contrasted sharply with the cheering of the background. It held for a few minutes, before Conan turned towards Akai. "Thought of anything yet?" Heiji saw the unwillingness to answer in Conan's face. After all, wasn't that boy the one who had told him that the more the people who knew his secret, the more danger they were in? Of course, Kudo would never have told anyone, but it was clear that he felt guilty for Akai's knowledge of the event. He had said it before, and her would say it again: that guy's an idiot. What's he feeling guilty for? Not inheriting his mother's acting abilities wholesale? If so, then about him, Heiji Hattori? How many times had he almost revealed Kudo's real identity? Did Kudo even blame him for it? No. Then what was that baka's problem with himself?
The sharp whistle of the referee announced the end of yet another game. "Oi...Edogawa, we can talk about this later. Right now, we have a case to solve, and a stadium to save." Akai let out a snort at this case of big headedness, which went unnoticed by the duo. The two detectives managed to squeeze into a corner of the stadium, which, miraculously, was empty, save a few dust bunnies. Meanwhile, Conan had left it to (a very disgruntled) Akai to listen to the radio. ("Either that or I, who hold Very Vital Information, will die.")
An extra loud burst of cheering caused Akai to hold the earplugs away from his ear. "One more game left." He informed them. "I suggest you get out of the building now, in case you cannot solve the puzzle." Conan turned to face Akai so fast that Heiji didn't notice it until a moment later. His face was contorted by anger, his dislike for the FBI agent only too clear. All right, maybe _dislike_ was an understatement.
"Don't you understand? The lives of all the people here depend on us! If we leave right now, there will be no one to stop that psycho lunatic! The people will DIE, damnit, don't you care?" For a moment, there was no longer any resemblance between the small figure trying to fly at Akai (Heiji managed to hold him in) and a kid. Conan's eyes burned with a fiery intensity, and at the same time, his determination to break the code and save the stadium. And for a moment, Akai truly understood what made this boy stand up against the Black Organization for so long.
_His sense of righteousness. His determination. His respect for others' life. _
"Show me the numbers again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was still high in the sky, but a series of tall plants blocking the window cast the classroom in shadows. Sensei Lin sat by her desk, marking the work that the group of seven year-olds had handed in to her. The above- mentioned children were rushing out of the school, footsteps pattering against the stone floor of the corridor. Sensei Lin looked up and smiled as Genta bade goodbye to her. Every since that time, when he and the self- proclaimed 'Detective Boys' discovered her true side, she no longer bothered to hide it from them. Now, she faced her class every morning with a smile on her face, loving the sound of the children's laughter.
The sound of music.
There was the final thud of a footstep, before they disappeared completely. The school sank into a veil of silence once more. Might as well, she thought, rubbing her temples. Lovable as the children may be, there were times when they just got a little _too_ noisy. The silence of an empty school was just as welcoming.
Footsteps thudded in the background. Sensei Lin frowned. She was the only one who stayed back at school to mark the children's work. Other sensei often had families waiting for them at home. The security guard was another matter. Normally, one would find him asleep an hour before the children were dismissed. Even if there were the rare chance he was awake, she would have to wait until night fell. No names of suitable candidates popped into her mind. The Mouris? Edogawa-chan had missed school that day, out with some friends, Koguro Mouri had said. It was only sensible that they collected his schoolwork. Wait, they were out too.
Sensei Lin's head turned as the footsteps stopped outside the classroom she was in, turned to her fate...
Gin waked away from the dead corpse, shadows dancing across that taunt face, his lips spilt into a thin, dangerous smile. Behind him, blood flowed from that teacher's wound. A shot aimed at the heart. He didn't miss. He never misses.
The games have begun.
Finis.
*Stretches.* Finally, the chapter is finished. Sorry for taking so long, but the next few updates may take even longer. But rest assured, I will not abandon this fic. There, you have my word for it, so anytime I ever go back on my word, you may track me down and call me a liar. Also, my DC fic beta reader (thought it was unfair to get someone who didn't know DC to beta read for me) told me that my points of view on friendship and love (I gave her the lay out of my script) were too mushy. Sorry, from where I came from, the rule 'you are but a prawn to those who call themselves friends' stand. *Bitter laugh.* Thus, my opinion on true friendship may to a bit soft, but I'm working on it. After all, isn't the trust between the DC characters the thing that allowed them to precede to far?
I'll stop ranting. I hope I've kept to Akai's character. I admire Gosho Aoyama's works too much to even try to disrespect her characters. Reckon Shinichi and Heiji's characters were fine. And for the other people, they will show up in the next chapter, just as a character, no major point. Sorry for cutting them out.