Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved here.
By the time she removed the blindfold, he was gone. She was surrounded by the ominous trees and the sinister rustling of the leaves. Surrounded by treacherous nature …
That night, she cried herself to sleep.
XXX
The following morning, she went to breakfast with the Professor, who prattled happily about his findings at the lecture while reading the newspaper. He was so thrilled by the idea of particle physics that he would begin experimentation straight after breakfast. She did not hear much of what he said, however. Is a murderer a murderer evermore?
The Professor suddenly excused himself to relieve himself, and placed the newspaper down on the table. She stole a quick glance at the headlines. Suddenly, she felt a blade of ice traversing her innards, and she stood up, eyes wide, heart pumping furiously. Her glass of milk fell, spilling across the front of the newspaper, but she didn't notice.
She ran into her laboratory and seized the mobile phone on the desk. Seconds later, she was outside and running quickly down the street. Back in the house , the newspaper sat in a pool of milk. The words began to distort as the milk soaked doggedly through …
"Teitan Elementary Student Drowned After Fishing Accident"
She never looked back.
XXX
"The bird has prematurely flown from the nest."
"Keep careful surveillance of all her activities."
"Roger. What might happen to the old bachelor?"
A chuckle. "Restrain your thirst for accidents."
"After all, he is an excellent bargaining chip."
"Yes … excellent. This will be most diverting."
"You may give our little mouse her ultimatum."
"We don't want her to fret for too long, do we?"
"No, I suppose not. I will begin pursuit now."
"Good, good. I have big plans for the mouse."
Click. The smiling man chuckled humorlessly.
Fly away, little bird. You can never escape.
XXX
She stood on the roof of the apartment complex and stared out into the tumultuous street. The city was buzzing with life, yet she felt dead. She gazed at the other buildings, scanning for the contact who she knew had been on her tail since she left the residence. She saw nothing – the specialists in the Syndicate were obviously as brilliant as ever.
She would shortly be rejoining the ranks of the Syndicate. She would soon be assimilated back into the ring of efficient specialists that sought to increase its vicious hold. Still, the relative security that a Syndicate occupation would give was far preferable to seeing acquaintances disappearing one by one, until there were none at all … and she could not afford to tell anybody of her circumstances. The Syndicate was constantly on the watch. It would not be difficult for the ruthless group to quickly create some "accidents" …
Already the memory of the world she had found outside of crime was beginning to fade. She would allow it to slowly disappear – she did not belong in such a world anyway. She belonged in a far more hideous place – in the dark warehouses and the dimly illuminated laboratories of the Syndicate. That was her true home and it beckoned – a sinister but seductive voice – despite the silent despair that penetrated her at the thought of returning.
On the rooftop, she waited.
XXX
When the Professor noticed that she was not in the kitchen, he naturally believed her to be in the laboratory. Certainly nothing bothered him about this; he could only be glad that she was working for an antidote. He thus began work on his own project – he had devised a plan to create a hadron collider of his own. As the materials were rather expensive for his modest means, he had decided that perhaps he could make do with cheap alternatives.
When the Professor two hours later completed what he believed to be a hadron collider, or a slightly reduced model of one that would doubtlessly work to perfection despite the use of materials that should probably not be used, he decided that he would test out his new gadget. Never mind the deleterious effect that the machine might have if it actually worked! The Professor wired his particle accelerator into the wall and turned it on.
There were a few sputters and the machine began to smoke sinisterly. He had wired his particle accelerator to his computer, and was currently receiving information about the speed of the particles in the contraption. To his surprise, the speed of the particle decreased and came to a veritable stop. A few lights blinked, and the device fizzled. Suddenly, there was a pop and the machine exploded spectacularly. The computer also began to smoke rather suspiciously. Apparently, something hadn't worked out …
Lesson of the Day: Rome was not built in a day; neither is a hadron collider.
He decided to have lunch and try again after he had dined … he went down to the laboratory to tell Ai that food would soon be served. He thumped ponderously down the stairs into the basement, calling her name. Not getting a response, he walked into the laboratory. Upon the table was a slip: Call this number. Underneath it was a number …
The Professor was certain that he did not recognize the handwriting …
XXX
She impatiently inspected her surroundings, looking for signs of her contact. She knew that the Dark Syndicate especially liked to be atop tall buildings, but she could not see anything other than pigeons on the rooftops surrounding her. She nervously looked at her watch and was about to utilize the mobile phone that she had brought when it rang.
"Moshi moshi."
"How cold. Are you looking for me?"
"No. I am not looking for you."
"Do not lie to me."
"I am not lying."
"Then … what are you doing here?"
Her eyes widened. She turned around.
How did I not notice him? Foolish …
"I see that you have found me."
"These last hours have been most diverting. Watching you scour the rooftops for signs of me. Don't you know … the Syndicate always likes to hunt from the tallest buildings?"
"I have made up my choice. I will reenter the Syndicate, as I now have amnesty."
"A very wise choice … after all, we would like to prevent accidents from happening."
She glared at him, and he chuckled emptily from his forever smiling mouth.
"But … we had better get back to business. I am here to deliver your instructions …"
She glanced at him questioningly. Why do I need instructions here … from him …?
"I see that you are confused. That is understandable, for you never had to be initiated into the Syndicate. You were born into it … However, when we receive new members, there is a special procedure that must be followed. You are not new, but the Syndicate will use very similar methods to readmit you. Let me explain … Listen carefully …"
"When a wayward dog returns to his master, he might present him with a gift. You are a mere dog of the Syndicate – a diseased dog that the Syndicate shall deign to treat. A diseased dog that is crawling back to the Syndicate with its tail between its legs. You may return, but the Syndicate will demand a symbol of your undying subservience."
"The task that you will be given will not be to create a toxin; it is widely known that you are able to do that. The task will be a true test of loyalty. Faith is above all prized in the Syndicate … the feelings of the members must not sway to ensure the safety of all."
"Your fidelity will be tested by a field mission … it is, as usual, an elimination job."
She turned cold at this thought. Elimination … that means killing somebody.
"You will not be using a poison – no, no, that does not test your ability. You will be completing this job with conventional weapons. After all, somebody with chemistry skills does not really cut it. Prove that you have the mettle to kill … and kill without mercy."
"Don't look at me like that. This should not be too bad. You must be reminded that your toxins have killed dozens without mercy. This should be no different …"
She grimaced at him. He smirked back, before starting again in a mocking voice.
"Or is the little mouse too cowardly to do a simple job like this … the victim will be caught unawares. You will not even have to go through any bodyguards …"
"Who is the target?"
"Yes, yes. Straight to the point. That was always the case with the Miyano family. Perhaps that is what resulted in its almost complete erasure …"
She felt impatience surge through her. The man was running circles around her. She had had enough of his empty talk. The reference to her family only added insult to injury.
"Who is the target?" She heard the harsh and cold sound of her voice. What? Is fear causing me to revert back to Shiho?
"Good, good. I can hear the voice of a Syndicate member. I suppose I will tell you now. Your mission deadline is three days. You will receive the antidote now. We will not bother to offer it to you after the mission; we must ensure that the amount you have no obstructive motives other than pure loyalty to complete this mission. You must not yet take the antidote before your mission begins, because of the very nature of the mission. You will need to be in your present form to approach the target …"
She narrowed her eyes and gazed at him, emanating cold hatred.
"Good, good. I sense your anger, your hate. Such emotions are excellent in a Syndicate member … they only serve to motivate. Perfect."
She reared her head in shock at his next words.
"Your mission is … Kill Kudo Shinichi."
XXX
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