File 3: Tradeoff
Conan stood there motionless. The rain outside, rushing through the opened window, slashing against him, spreading a spice of icy breeze to his veins and up his spine, was starting to bother him. Being caught hopelessly hiding in his own house, Conan felt like as if his mind wasbeing torn to pieces, panicking on his next move. Thump! Thump! Thump! He could hear his heart beating like the last time he found traces of Vodka and Gin. His icy breaths grew louder and heavier as if he was gasping for air. Conan's eyelids began to fall down slowly as the dizziness inside his head was working like a drug, forcing his body to slam to the ground. Conan thought he felt a tinker of obscure warmness in his memory; the images of him sitting next to the raging fireplace in this very house when he was actually six and known as Shinichi Kudo, enjoying the laughter with his parents and the cozy warmness that he was longing for. Before Conan turns to hallucinating mode, he tried cleared his mind and reminded himself to stay focus for his life is on the line!
Conan found it strange to see Kyoko did nothing, but pointing that nasty gun at him, without a sign of movement. He couldn't see the emotion on her face because it was too dark, but Conan thought he has felt a trembling of fears within Kyoko's mind. Maybe he has begun to hallucinate, Conan thought to himself. A few minutes passed by of nothing, but utter silence, then Kyoko broke the tension of the room by her soft, yet stiff, maiden voice.
" I'm glad you came," Kyoko began. " I thought that you'd come this way, so I've been waiting here for awhile now. Shall we have a peaceful talk?"
" Peaceful? You consider pointing a gun at someone and have a peaceful talk?" Conan angrily replied. His voice was rougher and weaker.
" Oh, of course," Kyoko lowered the gun and looked forward another direction, reaching for a chair. Catching Kyoko off-guard, Conan took his chance and leaped in the air; planning to swing toward Kyoko's right hand that has the gun, forces it to fold behind her back, tries to hold her steady on the ground, and snatches the gun out of her hand. However, as Conan lunged for Kyoko's hand that held the gun, Kyoko quickly withdraw her arm backward as if she has foresaw this coming, leaving Conan landing onto the hard floor. She quickly lowers her body to the swatting position and used her left leg to kick Conan's legs, so he would fall and became unbalance. Conan jumped up just in time the kick was in. While Conan was still in the air and figuring out what to do next, Kyoko has managed to use her right leg strike Conan's neck the moment her left foot barely touch the ground.
THUMP!
Conan's face currently lied against the cold wooden floor while Kyoko's right ankle was still forcing his neck downward. Pain rushed from his face to his neck, where the core of the pain began to spread throughout his body. Already suffered from the rain, the wind, and the cold, Conan decided it was best not to move at all. It was not possible anyway, he thought.
" Tsk Tsk Tsk! Bad boy," Kyoko chuckled. " I'm a black-belt, you know. Just like your precious Ran-san."
" Shut up!" growled Conan. "You have no right to speak anything about her!"
" Pft, make me. I'm the one who's in control here. Jeeze, all I want is to have a peaceful talk…"
" I cannot have a peaceful talk with someone who I do not know and someone who was obviously an imposter, not to mention an invader intruding my house, and-"
" Okay! Enough already. Would you rather die?"
Conan fell quiet.
" This conversation was a waste of time. Now shut up, and be a good boy and sit over there. Don't you dare make another move, or else I'll take you down," Kyoko sounded impatience.
Despite of his size, Conan obeyed reluctantly, wishing if he was five feet taller again this second. He tumbled on the chair nearby. It felt cold, but at least not soaking wet like him.
" Wine?" Kyoko place her gun in her pocket and walked sit down across from Conan. " Vodka and Gin mixed together… Quite tasty."
" No thanks," Conan replied coldly even the names rung the alarms in his mind, but he neglected it. " Let's get to the point already. Who the hell are you?"
Kyoko ignored the question for the moment and walked toward the fireplace. Conan decided to remain silence, so at least he could get some warm.
Buzz… Buzz… A sudden vibration was pinching Conan's skin. Conan gingerly clicked a small button smoothly inside his pocket, and then the earphone hid inside his ear that Dr. Asaga invented long ago as a cell phone for Conan, began to speak.
" Get out of there Conan!" He heard Ai panting in a nervous tone. " Conan, do you hear me? Get the hell out of there. Damn it! Conan? I repeat. GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE."
" Too late for that now," Conan murmured while Kyoko turned away to turn on the fire.
" What? I can't hear you Conan. Please speak louder! The most important thing is to GET OUT-" Conan turned off the phone.
" What was that?" Kyoko spoke suddenly.
" What? Nothing," Conan replied coolly.
" I'm Kyoko Amayano, a member of the Black Organization," Kyoko paused and turned to look at Conan's widened eyes directly. She could tell that Conan currently clenched his fists tightly, and boiling bloodwas rushing through every vein of his. " However, my intention of coming here meant you no harm, but only to ask for a favor."
" Favor?" Frustration took over the anger in Conan's mind. The eyes he began to see in Kyoko somehow transformed little by little. " Why should I?"
" Simple. Because you and I both will satisfy with the result of this if we succeed, of course. I cannot do this alone. That is why I ask for your alliance."
" What is this favor you're speaking of that needs my help?"
" Kill Gin," Kyoko primly stood with a spiffy look on her face along with a mixture of sadness. Her eyes started to get pinker like she was holding the wet drops of tears that weretrying to pour down her taut pale cheeks. Conan looked at her, shocked by her words.
" You want me to kill Gin?" Conan felt the words creeping out of his mouth started to tremble and bumpy. " Why?"
" That I shall keep that to myself," Kyoko gained her cool again and straightened her throat. "You have to help me."
" Wait a second, I have to help you? Why is that?"
" Because it's either you help me, or I'll turn on you."
" Like what?"
" Shinichi Kudo, I know you wouldn't be happy to know that your friends and family can be in danger for the information of your identity."
Conan cursed under his breath.
" Not to say, Haibara have a quite interesting past," Kyoko smirked. She knew she caught his black hole.
" Very well," Conan angrily grunted, but he knew he couldn't argue against this. The fact that he chose to come here tonight already decided his fate.
Kyoko walked toward where Conan was sitting, then bend down. Her face was about 6 inches apart of Conan. She smirked and said, " Good decision."
Right then, Conan decided to take another risk. He already carefully moved his hand slowly toward each other, then TICK! The sleeping needle that Conan always used on Ran's father, Mr. Famous-Sleeping-Detective, hit directly on Kyoko's neck unexpectedly. Conan grinned at his success as Kyoko slanted like a drunken woman and fell onto the floor.
Haft an hour later, Kyoko woke up and found herself sitting on the chair, and Conan, who was standing next the opened window while the storm was still raging outside, pointing the gun at her. The weak fire vanished in nanoseconds as the storm sent in a harsh breeze slashing in the room like a wild wave. Kyoko saw her breath and Conan's were pretty obvious visible fogs. She chuckled softly as an image of her memory popped in her mind. When Kyoko opened her eyes again, she cleared her head, tried to forget what she was thinking, and concentrated on rather than dreaming on an obscure image of neverland.
" Well?" Kyoko tried to sound roughen, but it seemed like she caught a cold. " You can stop point that gun at me now."
" Why should I?" Conan replied coldly, but Kyoko could hear a tremble of coldness or fear in his voice. Conan felt an incredible headache roaming in his mind, destroying every one of his brain cells while he tried to figure out what he should do. Bearing the cracking headache, Conan thought of Ran and Ai, of Dr. Asaga, his mom, his dad, and his friends. The radiant memories of the past with them gave him strength, but the thoughts of them in the future made Conan struggle on what to do to not ruin it. He saw Ran's shadow running and saw her crying over him pained him not as much as to imagine her being in danger or involved with the Black Organization. Then he thought of Ai, when she cried and begged Conan to bring justice to her sister's death and reveal the dark crimes of the Black Organization. This was a perfect chance to help Ai revenge for her sister's death and many others, but this could end his life as well. Frustrated and confused in this perplex chaotic situation, Conan shut his mind for a minute and stood primly with his decision.
" For one thing, I've given you enough time to think about the deal. Another thing is that I can see you're freezing cold standing near that open window," Kyoko pretended to beamed a smirk, showing that she's the one in control. " Besides, I don't want anyone to 'tap' our conversation."
Conan panicked inside his mind, but remain his stiff expression. His decision was obvious have to be this since Kyoko seemed to know too much… somehow…
"Fine," Conan said. " On one condition though."
" Oh?"
" You must tell me everything I want to know."
Despite of the obscure sleepiness effect that still remained in her blood, Kyoko managed to stand up and able to walk toward Conan and kissed his cheek. Conan didn't care. He was too cold, dizzy, hungry, and sleepy. Beside, Kyoko couldn't do any harm to him this moment. She needed him.
" I guess I can see why you're on everyone's hot list," she smiled. " Deal."
The last image of Kyoko as Conan departed his house made Conan felt somewhat familiar. He was thinking of the reasons why Kyoko would want to ask him to help her on such thing. Conan couldn't believe that he accepted it, but what options did he have?
At least, everyone is safe for now…
-----
Back at Dr. Asaga's house.
" … How has it became this?" Ai spoke softly to herself as she put down her headphone. For the last hour, after Conan hung up, she has been listening to the conversation between Kyoko and Conan at the window where she could see the perfect view of the Kudos' house. She was relieved to able to listened to the conversation after Dr. Asaga remembered that Conan have a device with him, so he could eavesdrop what other people are saying in a limited distance. Since Dr. Asaga made a backup glasses for Conan incase whatever happen to the other one, he quickly immerge the glasses with a wire into another machine, so that Ai and him, both can listen to the conversation.
" This is bad," Dr. Asaga sighed. He has said this for millions of time tonight. " This is very bad. Should we get Shinichi?"
" No," Ai replied. " He'll come here soon."
Exactly 10 minutes later, Conan trudged in the room, and then fainted on the ground as Dr. Asaga and Ai rushed to him. The last thing he remembered before he closed his eyes was Ai, saying to him.
" Just sleep and don't worry about anything, for now."
-----
At Shinichi's house.
Kyoko let out a deep sigh of relieve as she closed the window and released the exhaustion. She was too tired to change into the withered pajamas that she found in the closet once belonged to Yumiko Kudo. Tonight has been a very tiring that wore out all the energy she has. Kyoko ignored the soreness on her neck and back. She struggled and turned on the fluffy bed. Kyoko opened her eyes and looked straight at the ceiling. Somehow, she couldn't seem to fall asleep. Her mind kept twirling about Gin and the early conversation with Shinichi Kudo. The sound of her own voice, 'Kill Gin', echoed in her mind as his images mysterious appeared and faded in her mind. A small drop of tears fell down and quickly absorbed into the pillow. It was not long ago that she began to determine on the idea of killing Gin. It hurt her to think about it, to plan it, and to do it.
He deserved it! A voice filled with anger and thirsted for revenge yelled within her head. Mama, Papa, and Angie! He killed them all. He betrayed you with your trust! He USED you!
But… another voice protest softly. He was… your-
He IS your enemy now. The angry voice spoke again and cut off the other one.
Still, he's … the soft voice tried to argue, but it was just too weak. Kyoko ignored the two annoying noises in her head, and went to sleep. She began to think of something else. Someone else. She started to think of Ran and Shinichi. She envied them a lot, especially Ran. She would trade anything on the world just to have her place. As Kyoko closed her eyes into wonderland, she thought she has heard a soft melody; someone singing for her to go to sleep…
Oh little angel, oh little angel…
It's time the close your eyes so…
For the sun's asleep, the blue sky falls,
The shimmering night filled us all.
Let the shining stars
Lead you to the wonder dreams afar…
In this world
Worry not
Just close your eyes
And fall asleep
In this world
Worry not
Chaos won't be here
When you're awake
In this world
Worry not
There won't be any
Sadness left for you to cry over
In this world
Worry not
You'll smile
Endlessly for eternity
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Chae.Rim: End File 3. The story will continue on File 4 when the questions of the past will be answer. Thank you very much for those who read it and especially reviewed this.
Disclaimer: Must I say this? Yes I must… Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama.