Hi peoples! Third chapter is here! And yes, I shall torture Hajime-chan this time!
Kindaichi…You'd better be here at least!
Conan dashed down the corridors, sliding around a corner and flinging a door wide open. The door crashed into the wall, shaking up clouds of dust that made his throat run dry. He coughed some, then shone his torchlight in.
Oh no… I'm probably too late!
Kindaichi was sprawled face down in a twisted manner on the dust-caked floor, the black case flipped open on the table near him.
Crap…Kindaichi!
Conan hurriedly shifted his body, letting his head face the ceiling. He pressed a soft hand to his friend's chest, praying for a miracle.
His friend was not breathing, and there was no heartbeat.
Conan stood up, and gazed at the body in worry.
What will Miyuki-neechan say? That her friend is dead? He'd probably struggled too much.
"Ah, it seems as if the Fate's Marionette has got its servant."
That voice! I haven't heard it in a while.
"Of course! I haven't talked to you in a while either. Now how about we take case of this poor fellow here?"
"Destiny, do you know anything about the Fate's Marionette?" That voice was so familiar. Not having it talk in his head was a little drab after a few months, but here it was, back to irritate him again. Or was it?
"F-Fate's Marionette?"
"Yes. Tell me everything, because you sound like you know it. Quite well, in fact." Was Destiny hiding something?
"Er…Erm…I only know that it can't swim."
If heaven permitted, Conan would have wrenched the doll out of his chest and slammed it repeatedly against the nearest wall. "I'm serious, Destiny! A life is at stake here!"
"Fine, fine! Your friend is not dead, by the way," Destiny sulked.
Conan blinked disbelievingly at the body. Once again, he laid his hand on it, and was shocked out of his socks when he realized that Kindaichi's heart was not beating, but he was somehow breathing. In, out, in and out, rhythmically as if he had just fallen asleep.
"Kindaichi-niichan?"
"Mmm…Go away, ma, just a few more minutes…" mumbled the teenager, and rolled himself over. His head, unluckily, banged against the table leg.
"Ow!" Kindaichi cried, a hand shooting up to sooth the ache. The heavy black box on the table shook and tumbled onto the unsuspecting boy.
Conan cringed as the box struck Kindaichi's head with a loud crack. He slumped down, and was still.
"Oh dear. But don't go taking him to the hospital now! We don't want him to get found out and arrested, now do we?"
Conan would have wished to chuck Captain Obvious through the bars of a cell.
He heaved the unconscious teenager onto his back, plodding out gently and slowly so he would not drop it. With his free hand he took out his phone and sent a quick message to Ran.
He sighed as the phone went beep, placed it back into his pocket and trudging off.
You had better tell me everything you know on the way home, Destiny.
…
"Beeeeep!"
Ran's phone jiggled excitedly against her skirt. She broke away from her conversation with Sonoko and Miyuki to whip out her phone. A single-line message flashed across her screen.
"Felt tired and went to Professor's house for the night. Sorry we couldn't catch Kid this time – Conan"
Ran turned to Miyuki and showed her the message, and they both sighed in relief.
…
"Professor!"
Professor Agasa looked up from his book and adjusted his thick glasses to see who had addressed him.
"Oh, Shinichi! But who's that on your back?" He got up to relieve his past neighbor from his heavy load, and watched the child topple onto the sofa. He placed the teenager Conan was carrying onto a nearby chair.
"P-Professor…I-We've found it…the second doll…"
"Second doll? You don't mean to say the Fate's Marionette is the second one?"
Conan flopped onto his side, nodding slowly.
"Oh god. And I don't suppose it got into this young man here?" The professor glanced nervously at the person in the armchair behind him.
Conan opened his eyes a little, and he could see a spark of amusement lighting them up dimly. "Well, professor, you'd do well as a detective, if it weren't for you chasing inventing."
"So…What does it do?"
"Destiny told me that it is about the same as himself, except…"
"Except what?"
Conan sat up and shot his a slightly disturbed stare. "She's the exact opposite of the Destiny."
Professor Agasa blinked and stared at Kindaichi. "And that would mean that this chap here would go on a super-powered rampage when he wakes up, and that when midnight comes he turns into a younger version of himself?"
"Not so much like us, Professor." Conan smiled a little now, but he still looked horribly drained. "If he isn't down with the ailment that both Haibara and I have, then he is safe. As to rampages and wings, we would have to wait till he shows it."
Professor Agasa calmed down a little, then placed his hand on his kid friend's shoulder.
"You look tired, Shinichi. You should get some rest."
"I guess you're right, but what about later?"
"Later would be later, or you could skip tonight's period."
"I'd better. Mind if I leave Kindaichi-san here for the night?" Conan got up and started towards the door, then turned to worry about the teenager.
"Fine. Now go get some sleep."
Conan opened the door, stepped outside and left.
…
Kindaichi! Kindaichi, wake up!
Mmm? What happened? Kindaichi felt as if his brain had liquefied and was sloshing around in his head. Wha—Where am I? And who the hell are you?
You're in Conan-kun's neighbor's house. And you can call me Fate-chan, said the strangely cute voice.
Fate-chan…? Are you the—
Yes, yes I am, said Fate, and it is twelve midnight. Shall we go outside to find flying angels?
Flying angels? Was he hallucinating or was it real?
Yes, flying angels. The voice sounded a mite irritated at his slowness. Do you want to catch one?
Ermmm….How should I answer this question? How do you find flying angels in the first place?
You fly with them in the sky, then you catch them, explained Fate.
How the heck am I supposed to fly anyway? I'm only human! Kindaichi screamed in his head, at the same time trying to convince himself that he was dreaming.
I'll give you a pair of wings. Then you fly up and catch that pretty angel up there. Fate directed his attention to the window, where a flying bird was swooping in loops in front of the off-white moon.
And what? They're supposed to magically appear on my back?
Nope. But it'll convince you the next morning that you're not dreaming.
That's great, thought Kindaichi, I'll be reminded of this happy experience when I wake up tomorrow morning and find it all a lie.
On the contrary, my friend. On the contrary.
She did not say any more, just in time for two searing slashes of intense pain to strike his back. Blood welled up and poured out of the two long and deep gashes, followed by a pair of simultaneous loud cracks. Kindaichi felt the loose rib bones under his hands that huddled his body to himself, and did his best not to scream in agony.
I'm dying, he thought, I'm dying a slow and painful death!
Just as he thought it would never end, the pain stopped just as suddenly as it came. A cool, soft feeling washed over his senses, and for a while Kindaichi thought he had gone peacefully to heaven.
Oh hey! That was rather successful, said Fate.
Successful? Kindaichi turned around to find a pair of dark black wings sprouting from behind him. Their feathers were soft and glossy, not showing any traces of the torture he had just gone through.
What the hell just happened….?
Don't worry, Kindaichi-kun. You can think of me as a Red Bull drink now. Fate chuckled, and Kindaichi heard something else in his chest crack as well. Another prick of pain pierced his heart.
Oopsie, said Fate, quickly replacing the cracked rib.
Wait…Let me get this straight! What. Exactly. Are. You. Doing to me? He cried, slapping his hand to where another throb pulsed through.
I'm healing you. Duh.
Riiiight. And now I'm part fairy. Kindaichi rolled his eyes, then realized he was partially right.
Good. Now you cooperate. Okay, now you're equipped with your own set of nice stuffs, so go out there and get that flying angel! cried Fate. Oh, and I'll give you another present when you bring it down here alive too.
Will you go find another keeper? thought Kindaichi,
If you can bring it down, maybe, mused Fate.
Alright, I'll see what I can do. Kindaichi spread his wings wide and took a bounding leap out the window.