How I Feel

Chapter the fourth: Harder than I Thought

"Conan-kun, stop!" Ran shrieked. But he kept running. He just kept running. He ignored the calls and screams of Ran as she hurried after him. He slipped away into the shadows and made his way to Agasa's house. He climbed up over the stone wall with much difficulty, flipped over the top and let out a startled cry as he went flying over the side and landed hard on the ground.

He got up quickly and sneaked into the house. It was empty, and dark. He tiptoed through the halls until he reached Agasa's lab. He wasn't there.

'Where is he?' Shinichi wondered. Not that it mattered. All he needed was a plan, that's what he came for. He wandered around the lab, looking for anything that would help him against those kidnappers. If they could overpower Heiji, great Detective of the West and Kendo champ, Shinichi as an eight year old didn't stand a chance.

Something strange caught his eye. It was a metal case, small and black. It had a lock on it, keeping its contents away from curious eyes. His curiosity got the better of him and he picked the lock. There was an audible clicking sound and the lock opened and fell to the ground.

He opened the small, black case and peered inside. On top was a piece of paper. He unfolded it and read:

APTX 4869 test / possible cure / not tested

He looked into the case and saw two small pills. He took them in his hands and examined them carefully. He looked around to see if anyone was there, then shoved the two pills in his mouth and swallowed hard. He took a deep breath as his heart missed a beat and his skin began to get hot. He panted hard and fell to his hands and knees. He passed out.

---

When he awoke, he found himself lying naked on the floor of the lab, shreds of Conan's clothes around him. He was back to normal. He sat up quickly and looked around. No one had found him. He found some of his old clothes in Agasa's guest bedroom and got dressed. The jeans were faded, the sweatshirt was baggy, and his shoes were torn, but it would have to do. He zipped up the sweatshirt and took a deep breath. It was almost eleven o'clock. It was now, or it was never.

He snuck back out of the house and made his way down the street as quietly as possible. By the time he made it to the museum, it was half past eleven. He was early. He checked over his shoulders quickly, then crept up the entrance stairs and picked the lock on the door. He opened the door widely, inwardly wincing as it creaked eerily. The sound echoed through the dark lobby of the building. It was too quiet.

Shinichi held the sweatshirt closer to himself as he got chills down his spine. His footsteps echoed loudly through the rooms as he made his way to the fourth floor. When he arrived, he almost cried out in alarm as he came face to face with a gruesome painting. He winced and moved away. There was a sign he could just read poised above the door. It read: The Death Chamber.

'Of course,' he thought, slightly frightened although he'd never admit it. He shivered involuntarily as he saw the bloody and gory paintings and statues surrounding him. He closed his eyes tightly and took a low breath, trying to calm himself.

"Welcome, Shinichi Kudou," a voice echoed through the Death Chamber. He spun around and looked around wildly.

"Who's there?" he asked aloud, thanking himself for not letting his voice waver. The lights clicked on, illuminating the whole room. He gulped.

"Thought you'd never come," the voice said again. He turned. There was a man standing there, face hidden, standing behind a chair. In the chair, Heiji slumped foreword, pale and unconscious.

"What did you do to him?" Shinichi asked.

"Nothing incurable. Now that you're here I'm sure he'll be fine. If you cooperate, that is," the mystery man said.

"What do I have to do? You said you'd let him go if I came, just leave him alone!" Shinichi said desperately.

"Do as we say. Stand right there. Don't move or your friend dies," a woman's voice said from behind him. To prove it, the man grasped Heiji's hair and pulled his head up, so Shinichi could see his face, then brought out a sharp pocketknife and held it to his throat. Shinichi stood perfectly still. The woman stepped in front of him, but a mask hid her face as well. She grabbed his wrists and tied them in front of him.

"Good so far," the man said. "Very obedient."

"It's amazing what people will do after you threaten them a little," the woman said with an evil smile. The man came over and grabbed Shinichi by the shirtfront. He brought him up so their noses were almost touching.

"You've caused us a lot of trouble you little brat," the man hissed. "You were supposed to die. How did you live?"

"I don't – I don't know," he stuttered.

"He doesn't know?" the woman scoffed. "Right. Well I'm going to call the boss. If he wont answer, beat it out of him." She waved her hand carelessly and left the room. Shinichi was thrown roughly to the floor as he was punched in the face. He could feel his lip split and his blood dripped onto the floor in front of him. He got on his hands and knees and tried to push himself up, but was kicked solidly in the stomach, sending him flying.

He received more kicks to the stomach. He curled himself up into a ball, covering his face with his arms, trying in vain to protect himself. The man picked flipped him onto his back and pinned his bound wrists over his head, straddling the terrified boy's waist.

"Do you remember now, kid?" he spat. Shinichi coughed, choking on blood.

"Please," he gasped. "I don't know!"

"You're going to wish you did," the man growled. He continued the brutal beating, pummeling Shinichi's chest, stomach and face with powerful blows. It was more pain than he'd ever felt. The man gripped his waist and yanked him to his unsteady feet, slamming him against the wall.

"Any last words?" he asked evilly.

"Please –," he coughed weakly. "Let He-Heiji leave. Don't kill him."

"Of course," the man said. "You're friend will get away unscathed." He then threw Shinichi across the floor, sending him flying and hitting the chair Heiji was bound to. The chair crashed to the floor next to him and he lay motionless, staring at Heiji's pale face. His friend's eyes fluttered open and their gazes met.

"Run," Heiji whispered almost inaudibly.

"I can't," Shinichi whispered back.

"You have to. Don't worry about me, I'll get out alive," Heiji reasoned quietly. "Go."

Shinichi nodded slowly. He sat up as best he could and started inching away. The man looked at him with an amused smile on his face.

"Where are you going, Kudou?" he asked. Shinichi still inched away. His back hit the wall and he stood up slightly unsteadily. The man picked up the chair and pulled something out of his pocket. The kidnapper held the knife to Heiji's throat.

"Make one move and he dies," he threatened. Shinichi froze at the doorway.

"Go!" Heiji croaked. Shinichi nodded and ran. He tried to ignore the sharp scream of pain come from the Death Chamber as he ran down the stairs. He got a sudden burst of energy rush through his weak, beaten body as he felt the urge to save Heiji's life. He ran as fast as he could, knocking over the woman as he rushed out of the museum. His vision was blurring from blood loss. The woman shrieked in rage and he could hear her angry cries of; "He's escaping! Stop him, he's escaping!" following him out of the open doors.

His rush of adrenalin lasted until he got to the outside of the Mouri apartment building. He stumbled through the door and up the stairs to their front door. He used his bound hands to knock urgently on the front door. His vision blurred in and out as he waited for someone to open the door. The digital clock on the hall outside told him it was two o'clock in the morning. He'd made it out alive. But Heiji was still in there. He swayed dangerously on his feet, his vision fading. He could hear police officers talking from inside. He knocked again. The voices stopped and he heard footsteps coming towards the door. It opened and he saw the faint outline of Ran standing in front of him.

"I couldn't save him," he whispered. "I was – too late..." And with those words, he collapsed into her arms, out cold.

---

Ran gasped as she saw her bloody and beaten friend that had been missing for almost two years standing in her doorway. He was covered in blood. The blood dripped steadily onto the floor in front of their apartment. His wrists were bound together in front of him. All eyes of the policemen were on them, standing just as shocked as she was. Shinichi swayed dangerously, his eyes glazing over. Her own eyes filled with tears.

"I couldn't save him," Shinichi said quietly. Ran stared, horrified. "I was – too late..." he whispered. Then, his knees buckled and he fell foreword. She caught him, staggering backward under his weight. His eyes were closed. Two policemen rushed over and lifted Shinichi up, setting him gently on the couch.

"Call a doctor!" Inspector Megure shouted. Ran knelt down next to the couch and cupped Shinichi's face in her hands.

"Shinichi? Shinichi wake up," she whispered. He moaned quietly and his eye twitched. She rubbed his face, prodding him to wake up. His eyes fluttered open. He gazed at her tiredly.

"I couldn't save him," he whispered.

"What?" Kogoro asked. "What's he saying?" That got Inspector Megure's attention. They crowded around and waited for an explanation.

"What happened Shinichi? Who did this to you?" Ran asked.

"Went to museum," he said. "Chamber of Death..."

"Someone go down there, surround the area, they can't have gone far!" Megure shouted. Ambulance sirens sounded in the distance. Half the policemen ran out of the apartment headed towards the museum.

"I tried – I couldn't –," Shinichi stuttered. "He said – I tried –"

"It's okay, calm down," Ran cooed. "Everything's fine, you're safe now."

"Heiji," Shinichi said. "He was there, and –," Shinichi made a strangled noise from the back of his throat. "They're killing him!"

"He'll be okay. They went to find him; everything will be all right," Ran whispered in his ear.

"He was screaming and – I couldn't stop them –," he cried.

"He's having a breakdown," Megure muttered. Two ambulance workers rushed in and hooked him to a stretcher. Ran followed them.

"Please, let me stay with him!" she begged.

"You'll see him later," the man said.

"Ran!" she heard Shinichi cry out to her. But her father held her back. The ambulance drove away with Shinichi, leaving Ran staring after them.

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Sphinx - awwww ::blush:: thank you!

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Angie Child - I updated!