Rules are rules, but . . .

by SoulsFire (PulsingSoul)

Part 7

Rule Nr. 7

The only goal of your life is to achieve the mission entrusted to you .

She ran, ran through those dark wooded halls, trail after trail opening up in front of her, trail after trail, telling her to stop. But she could n´t. It had been an order, and orders were not meant to be taken lightheartedly. Tears were streaming down her face, and yet, she knew nothing of them.

She ran, ran and ran, until she became numb, until she could no longer feel the terror which took over her being, until she could comfortably ignore the pain in her chest, which told her, just how wrong it was to leave her only love alone, until ... she realized that this was not her running, no . . .

Shiho Myano ... she would not run. She would stay for those she cared about.

Sherry ... the one who had been tortured, who had seen the blood, yes, she would run ...

Ai, why would Ai run? She had Conan after all, at least to protect her...

Stricken by lightning she stopped. Who was she? What kind of person was she?

Memories from the Organization flooded her mind immediately, telling her she was a person whose only goal was to achieve a mission, but to what cost?

She was supposed to leave, supposed to leave him there, to not care about anything else but her mission, but that was not her.

Never would it be her, never again.

She turned around, her heart filled with fear and panic, and yet, she would n´t step back. She would look her fear in the eye, and she would not tremble, for she had something that no one else had ... she had the purity of selfless love in her heart, a love, which would probably be her demise, and yet a love, which would save her from the common destinies of this planet.

A mission ... the ultimate mission was to be herself. To know who she was, not what, not a killer, not a saint, not a cold hearted bitch, and maybe not the kindest person, but herself.

And ,herself´ demanded she go back.

´AHH! ´ he screamed, cursing himself, and his inability to think of the gun Gin obviously held in his hands.

Truly, it had been a good plan, but the plan went only to the point of getting her out of here, and the rest had been kind of fogged, even for him.

Instinct. It had been instinct, and usually he would spend at least 3 second to reevaluate that instinct, but this time, there had been nothing of that, why would there have been, he had only cared about one thing ... her ... Strange, how it had taken blood, for him to realize that she was actually the one he cared for.

He turned around, plan after plan already forming in his mind, truly he had no desire to die at the hand of him ... He would never stoop so low, hell, he would even prefer Kaito Kid killing him, but not the likes of Gin ... never.

´Who are you? ´ Gin´s voice, he realized smugly, betrayed some of the discomfort he must feel at having half of his body paralyzed, and it made him smile.

´That is for me to know and for you to find out. ´ He answered arrogantly, instantly regretting it, really the wound at his side, was not helping with the matters at hand. Gin´s eyes were locked onto that wound, and as he saw the smile on that creeps face, he

could n´ t help but look down as well.

Blood ... a pool of blood.

´Arrogant tones for someone who has about an hour to live.´ Gin told him smiling, his smile soon turning into a frown. ´But still, who the hell, do you think you are, interfering with my little Sherry?´

´She´s not yours. ´ He croaked out, the loss of blood, finally making him weary. Not so weary though, as to not notice Gin´s boiling anger at his statement, ha, he thought to himself, serves him right.

´Neither is she yours, dead man. ´ He was pointing at him, and Conan knew this was far from a joke. He would die ... for the first time, he realized, he actually did not mind dying, the terror he had seen on her face ... he would do anything to erase that, even letting himself get killed.

´Why should n´t I be, Gin?´

The voice, it startled them both, making Conan look behind Gin, his eyes growing wide ... he had told her to run. Gin on the other hand smirked, seeing the way she pointed that gun at him ... who would have thought that the body of an eight year old could hold the gun, he had priorly hidden here.

´He´s going to die Sherry.´

´I´m not Sherry. And what makes you so sure, you are not going to die first?´

Conan looked at her, listened, and for the first time, that was not the voice of a cold blooded murderer, it was not the voice of a tortured soul, it was the voice of a calm caring woman. And still, she was pointing that gun at Gin, yet he never suspected her to actually shoot that slime ball, not once.

She smiled at him, sensing his thoughts, and the next minute she shot into the cave walls, stone after stone knocking Gin to the ground.

She ran to him, her eyes locked onto his, and he could n´t help but smile.

She fell down beside him, her eyes instantly roaming his body, and upon seeing the wound ... how the hell was he still conscious?

´I told you to leave ... ´ he whispered to her, the fatigue finally getting to him.

She looked at him, searched his eyes, saw his small smile, and she smiled back, he was only taunting her, trying to belie his condition, what was she to do ...

She took his face between her hands, felt the chilly warmth of it, and still looking into his blue eyes, pressed her lips lightly to his.

The contact was electrifying, making both of them sigh with pleasure, and with the knowledge that they were n´t so unimportant to the other after all.

She broke apart from him, pressing her forehead against his, her smile shining even throughout the tears.

´Stay alive ... and I mean it, it´s a mission.´ She whispered gently.

´For you ... always ... ´

And with that he fainted, his soft reply being her only hope ...