DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE CONAN
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PREVIOUSLY:
"We will."
The call ended. He puts the phone down and stares at the ceiling for a minute, before sitting up and looking at a self-portrait that leads to the secret room. He sighed. "This'll be a problem. She probably already knows that I'm Kid. I need to stop first," he seriously noted.
And scream in frustration. Good thing is, his room's sound proofed.
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Chapter 18: Thoughts
"You cheated," said Marc, putting the controller down while glaring at me. I won, again.
I chuckled. "I'm just good and you're not," I answered, matter-of-factly. "Another round?" I asked. I looked at him waiting for an answer but his eyes are locked on his phone, tapping with his hands. "Who's that?"
He didn't look at me but continued tapping. "The boss," he answered.
I was half-amazed and half-confused on what he just said, raising an eyebrow. "The boss?" I repeated.
"Yup, the boss," he confirmed. I nodded and put the controller down as well. Marc sighed and put his phone down. He looks tired.
"The boss wants you to do an assignment?" I asked, getting a chocolate bar on the nearby table.
"Ah-ha," he hummed. Assignment? I wonder what is it. "He wants me to kill." I stopped ripping off the wrapper and looked at him.
"Who?"
"Hattori Heiji," he said, now, looking at me. I blinked twice.
"Tell me if I can kill him as well," I added. He laughed hysterically. "What?"
Coming out of a room, Rum went down the stairs. "Nothing," replied Marc. Marc looked at the person coming down and said his greetings, "Good morning, Rum. I believe you're too early for lunch."
Rum went to the kitchen and got himself a bottle of cold water and walked towards us. He sat on a couch with the messy hair, evident for people who just woke up. "Shut up. I just came back from Amsterdam last night," said he with bloodshot eyes. "So? Why're you both here?'
"Killing time," I answered, eating the chocolate.
"Why?"
I shrugged and said, "The judgment is still at 9 pm about a traitor, whom I can't remember the name." Rum and Marc laughed. I looked at them, glancing at Marc, then Rum.
"You don't even remember their name now. Amazing," joked Rum sarcastically.
I stood up and went to the kitchen. "Why would I remember, anyway? I mean, it is a waste of energy to remember," I explained, getting the meat out of the chiller.
"What are you doing?" asked Marc. I can feel both of them looking at me as I get ingredients inside the refrigerator, tools and equipment in the cupboard, and some other things.
"Lunch. I am hungry. Wanna eat?" I asked, and looked back at them while holding a wooden spatula. "Or starve," I suggested. I turned back and started doing my work.
Marc 'ooh-ed' in amazement (after nearly a minute) and ran towards me with the Slurpee in his hands. "It depends on what you're cooking," he said.
Rum lazily went up on his feet and towards his room, saying, "Gotta take a bath, first. After which, prepare me a 5-star meal, Rye."
"Die, bastard," I said while Marc takes his walk to the nearest chair and takes a seat, sipping in his Slurpee. Rum hasn't reached the top of the stairs yet and hear me so he laughed.
I answered sarcastically at his laugh, "Did you know that bastard is equivalent to bitch?" Both the idiots laughed.
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"Where are they?" asked Gin, checking some documents on his table.
"The mansion." Suddenly, Gin stopped and looked at Vodka. Before Gin could ask why and how, the big man narrated. "Rye doesn't feel great about practicing so they had this swift conversation about what should they do to kill time before 9 pm. Then, suddenly, Matt mentioned about video games and Rye agreed. The conversation shifted to Matt's girlfriend-"
"Girlfriend?" asked the father, who's starting to fume in anger. "He has a girlfriend?!"
"It was just a joke created by Rye. Don't worry, aniki," muttered Vodka quickly. Gin suddenly brought out his pistol and focused it on Vodka's head. The big man swallowed and slowly surrendered the name, "She was Mint."
"THAT BITCH?!" exclaimed Gin, standing up. His hands and the pistol slammed on the table and some documents flew.
Vodka thought of ways to calm down his partner. Well, he tried but failed. "Where is she?!" a dominating voice yet a question.
"You are too overprotective about your son," said Vermouth, who just came in the room without knocking. he put his gun away into his coat.
"What are you doing here?" asked Gin.
"I was told that Heiji Hattori's going to die soon in the hands of your son," stated Vermouth, walking towards Gin. Only being stopped by Vodka. He pointed his gun at Vermouth, making the girl smirk.
"I know. And?" said Gin.
"You're killing a promise," reminded Vermouth.
Gin moved towards the door, signaling Vodka to follow him. "I know. But, he's already not Shinichi Kudo anymore. He pledged to kill Hattori Heiji, Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo, Sherry, Ran Mouri, and the like. It is his words. Be happy that he saved your life, traitor," replied Gin, stopping before the door. Vermouth's smirk faded.
"What do you mean he'll kill all that-"
"You know nothing, Vermouth." Gin exited, followed by Vodka.
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"Akai Shuichi of the FBI," said a man coming inside of the Cafe Poirot. Akai's eyes shifted from his coffee to the man. He's a bit taller than him and he has a blonde hair with calm green eyes. The man continued his way to the seat of the FBI agent. "May I seat?"
Subaru nodded and the man sat parallel to him.
"It's kind to call me by my name. Subaru Okiya, actually," said Okiya, sipping some coffee. The man laughed. "What is it CIA Agent, Michael Newman? The news said you died? And now, you look Canadian. What a change."
"Actually, my name is Blake Nixon. Also, I thought you died, as well. Nice make-up," said the CIA agent.
"Good. We've got our names clear," commented Okiya. He looked at the counter and then to the man, who just entered. Rei Furuya or Bourbon. "Hey," called Okiya.
Bourbon, in his Cafe Poirot's attire, looked at him. He walked near them and his eyes nearly widened when he saw Blake. "Y-yes?" he stuttered.
"I believe, Mr. Nixon, here, wants to order," offered Subaru.
"Coffee is fine," said Blake, meeting Bourbon's eyes. Bourbon went away to make the coffee. His eyes nearly don't leave Blake and Subaru.
"So? Why are you here?" asked Okiya in a low voice.
Blake smirked. "To remind you about the CIA's offer," answered the blonde in a low voice, as well. He leaned, getting nearer. "Be one of us," he whispered.
Okiya smirked and shoved his hot coffee in front of Blake. Blake flinched away and Okiya gave a resounding 'no'. "If I were to choose between the bad and CIA, I'll choose the bad one." With that, Okiya stood up and went out.
Okiya has his coffee done and the woman he had waited for two hours did not show up. It's time for him to leave.
"She didn't show up," said Subaru, putting his hands inside his pocket. "What're you doing, Sera? Did she messed up something?" he mumbled and started walking, going back to the Kudo's Manor.
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Once the coffee was being served, Bourbon greeted, "You're not dead, I see." He put the coffee down.
"I must say the red bastard changed a lot," commented Blake out of the blue. (Red bastard = Akai)
"Huh?"
"Nothing, Zero. Thanks for the coffee," said Blake, smiling, as he puts the money down for Bourbon to get it. Bourbon was taken aback on what the CIA said.
"My name is Amuro Tooru," he pinned, slamming his hand on the table, catching everyone's attentions. He harshly gets the money and goes back to the counter. Blake laughed hysterically, minding no one.
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Walking with papers in her hand, she clearly can't help but notice Heiji. "Your mind is clearly flying away. Something's up?" asked Ran. She just remembered that Kazuha Toyama went to Hokkaido to get something. Then, her mind shifted to their accent.
It has changed a lot.
"Friendship-over problems," joked Heiji, looking at Ran.
She played with his joke and looked at him. "Who?" asked Ran, now, walking upstairs.
"I might be dead if I tell you the name," answered the man. She frowned. He looked back at the road and continued, "If I will tell you that Kudo's on his death bed, what would you do?"
The papers Ran once held went flying down, making Heiji quickly stop and look back. Ran's jaw literally dropped with widened eyes.
Heiji sighed. "I'm speaking hypothetically as a detective, Ran-san. So? What would you do?"
"You should've said that before starting the sentence. Besides, why are you speaking that someone would die? You shouldn't speak in that voice!" scolded Ran, getting the papers back in her hands. Heiji helps her.
"Sorry," apologized Heiji, guilt evident on his face.
But, in Heiji's thoughts, he is sure that he might be the next one to be killed by the black organization. After weeks of contacting with the spy, he felt someone staring at him but didn't mind it, that is until he saw the same people in suits following him. His hypothesis was strengthened when a baker asked him if Heiji was a big shot since he always has 2 men following him, sometimes more than 4.
Of course, it might be one of Momiji Ooka's men, but she won't move like that. Heck, he knows that Muga Iori's the only one doing the stalking thing, not Momi. And he knows how Momi wants to kill Kazuha for being his girlfriend, but she wouldn't go that far for that.
He shook his head.
Going back, when he met with Kudo in the convenient store, he thought that Shinichi's going to give him answers about everything. And anything. But, he was utterly shocked.
Especially that time when he's still in his kid's body when he was Conan Edogawa and he's sitting at a table with Gin, Vodka, and an unknown man. His eyes are surely covered with contact lenses, he has no eyeglass, his hair's mixed with silver, and instead of celebrating what he was there for, he's fuming in anger because he was afraid that a great detective like him will turn into a monster.
Ran waved his hands at him as the lady runs to another set of stairs to her assigned room.
Yes, Gin and Vodka... he knows their names since he clearly remembers what Kudo told him about them, especially the detailed physical characteristics.
For a moment, when Kudo strangled Heiji, Heiji saw a demon. He remembered the faint conversations Kudo made with the professor, Yusaku-san, and Haibara. He touched his neck, reminding himself of the past happening. His back, until now, is still hurting him.
Has he become one of them? Was this all an act? What happened in those three years? What happened to you, Shinichi Kudo? Even the way he talks, his eyes, and manners were all changed.
'Shinichi Kudo', eh? His name...
The spy said he hated his name, that man named Marc said about Kudo not wanting to be called like that, and according to Kir, he hated his family, Heiji, Ran, and the lot. Hated? What in the name of heck is he talking about?!
Seriously, these thoughts came running in a loop in his mind. He wants to get rid of it and he wants the answers already.
Later, they'll have the last meeting with Kir, before she goes back to the US with Eisuke. CIA leader orders. And he wishes to have the answers in his hand when he confronts Kudo again.
He, then, remembered that time when they had the weekly meeting. They have two choices if Shinichi has this weird change because of the antidote's side effect or if Shinichi's just faking it. It's hard to say what from the two since it really felt real, and that's evident when they were talking to him in the fake house.
He looked at his schedule, given to him earlier by a professor. "History?" he asked himself. "Dead flat boring," he mumbled.
He thought again about his hypothesis-no-it's already legit gonna happen.
He sighed, thinking about death.
"Sorry," he just mumbled sadly, taking a sit at the back. A sorry for Kazuha and for everyone.
Well, it was a hypothesis at first, strengthening because of the men-in-black following him, and when he was already out of that fake house, he met Gin's glance from a good helluva distance. Gin smirked. There, he knows that he'll be the next one.
He is sure.
He sighed again, not paying any attention to what the professor's saying.
One thing that's bothering him as well is when Haibara and himself walked pass Gin and Shinichi once. And Shinichi called Gin as 'brother'. It freaked him out.
He looks out of the window, which is two seats away from him. His eyes narrowed when paper planes fly in the air and heck, this isn't a school near elementary or secondary schools... why and how-
His thoughts were cut when he saw a familiar face that the planes are forming. His jaws dropped and it took him a second to get the message. He smirked, raised his hand, and asked to excuse himself.
"This is an unexpected twist," said Heiji, running through the hallways, while grinning in nowhere.
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Walking on the road, the four are silent with their own thoughts, not until Ayumi broke the ice.
"Hey, wanna bet?" asked Ayumi, turning around with her sailor uniform. The kids, now, are junior high schoolers haven't forgotten one bit about their friend Conan. Their mysterious and smart friend, whom they haven't seen in a long time. The adults said that he went back to America with his parents already without saying goodbye to them. They even asked Ran and her father, but they said that all of Conan's things are gone so probably, it is true.
"About what?" asked Genta, still the healthy one.
"About Conan again?" asked Mitsuhiko, sounding half-jealous, half-worried as he is. Haibara caught Mitsuhiko's sighing eyes, and she smiled in return, making the boy blush a little.
Little do they know who really got his things, and erased any other information of the kid named 'Conan Edogawa', and of that man named 'Shinichi Kudo'. And heck, yes, it was the organization.
This is what's going on in Haibara's head. She knew right there and then when they asked the adults that this is the organization's doings. Her mind, Heiji's, Sera's, Yusaku, and some other people thought like this as well.
"Well," started Ayumi, playing with her bag. "I was just curious. Why did he leave without saying goodbye? I mean we literally spent time with him for two whole years, and-" She was cut off.
"He definitely doesn't want us to cry. I mean c'mon we're kids back then," commented Mitsuhiko. Genta hummed, agreeing.
The conversation continued, shifting topics. From Conan to detective to Heiji to Kazuha to Kazuma to Shinichi's parents, but never did they pronounce Shinichi's name. They had forgotten about him since the once best detective in the world has hidden for 5 years.
If you searched the internet, theories about Shinichi's absence, once, is sailing, but in just a night, all of it were gone. Before, they had thought Shinichi died, some say he retired, and some didn't agree on anything.
Haibara spoke up, "Hey, guys, gotta go somewhere first. K?"
The three in sync said 'yes', and she started walking to other roads, no destination at all. She was devoured in her own thoughts.
It started with the day when she thought it was Kudo's last case, the baseball one. Kudo said something in random while reflecting. He is weird. She knows that.
But, then, her thoughts changed to that time when she and Heiji explained to the Kudo parents, who just went back from somewhere, and professor what they saw, that their son is with criminals.
Of course, the three won't accept it as it is. But, one day, they saw Shinichi in the grocery with three men-in-black on his back. Then again, they saw him walking outside with Bourbon and an unknown man. Then, just the other day, they saw him walking with Gin. And what she couldn't believe is him calling the man 'brother'.
She sighed. "These thoughts are breaking my head," she mumbled.
Why is Kudo with them in the first place? How did he contact them? What happened in those three years? Was it just side effects of the drug? Or was Kudo just playing with them? What was that feeling when Kudo talked to them? That feeling where she's so scared, making her frozen in just one talk.
She's getting annoyed of these thoughts. And she demands answers.
Why is Kudo always the one in so much trouble? Who gave him the right to be so mysterious, making everyone worry about him, not themselves?!
She shouted, "ARGH! Damn you!"
It started raining, all of a sudden, and still, she's walking down the road without any umbrella.
"The hell's wrong with you," said Haibara out loud.
"Actually, the hell's wrong with you," a kid in her age said. Haibara looked behind her and saw a product of a mess. The junior high school boy gave Haibara an umbrella while holding another one himself, protecting himself from the rain.
"Get the heck out of my sight," hissed Haibara, turning harshly. And she hated him, but he doesn't. She didn't accept the umbrella and the rain fell harder.
"C'mon, Ai," pleaded the boy.
Haiabra sighed annoyingly and turned to the boy with messy brown hair and calm blue eyes. "Please, Mr. Watson," she started slowly, sarcastically sounding. "Get the hell out of my face!" she exploded while pointing her index finger in a nearby alley.
Ace laughed. "You seriously didn't change," he commented. "Still the harsh girl I love."
"ARGH! ACE PLEASE! GET OUT!" She can't stand him. She met him in 6th grade and suddenly, this Ace-freaking-Watson started confessing to her every SINGLE day.
"I am outside, actually, under the rain with my love," he stated, technically and literally. Haiabra once again sighed in annoyance.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
"See you happy?" he answered a question, still handing her the umbrella.
"Then, get away from my face! THAT would make me happy!" stated Haibara. She turned away and started walking again, not accepting the umbrella.
Ace smirked and hid his umbrella, he bought for Haibara, back in his bag. He was about to laugh in happiness when he saw a truck, coming in Haibara's way.
He dropped both his bag and umbrella and quickly ran to her, praying. "AI!" he shouted, pulling the girl's arm to his.
It happened so fast.
He was already hugging Haibara tightly. Ace is shaking in fear as his clothes started to get wet. The truck stopped and the driver went out, pleading and screaming and praying that no one got hurt.
Haibara felt the sudden pull and in a flash, she's lying in Ace's chest. She can hear his heartbeat. It's so calm.
She couldn't help but wonder why is Ace's chest so toned-up and-Haibara blushed and quickly pushed Ace away, but she couldn't win. Ace is hugging her tightly.
"Please, Ai. Don't do that again," cried Ace. Haibara asked herself what happened and saw a truck, parking in front of them. She got what he meant and smiled because, for the first time, Ace Watson isn't annoying.
"I was out swimming in my thoughts. Sorry," she said honestly. And for the first time, she isn't shouting at him nor speaking at him sarcastically.
They stayed in that position for a long time until Ace calmed down. Well, that's what Haibara thought, but she doesn't know that Ace is literally crying for her. He just pulled away when his eyes have returned to his normal, calm ones.
He smiled. "I never thought you're suicidal," he commented and chuckled. "Look at me now! We're both soaked wet. What are umbrellas for, then?"
Haibara rolled her eyes and looked away. "The professor's house is near. Guests, like you, are welcome." She said, continuing her walk.
When the truck driver saw no one got hurt, he went back and drove away. Ace processed what she just said and he laughed. "See? You can talk normally!" he shouted since Haibara's far away already.
"I still hate you!" shouted the girl.
Ace quickly went back for his things and ran towards the girl, keeping his distance. "And I still love you."
"ARGH! I wanna kill you!" she shouted.
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