Okay, I have some bad news for you. I'm going on vacation, so I worked hard to write two chapters this week cause I won't be able to post next week. I am bringing my laptop though, and I have a six hour car drive, so I'll make sure to write plenty. You can expect a chapter July 31, maybe. In the meantime, enjoy this chap!
Disclaimer: nwo t'nod I.
Conan seethed when he saw the dark spots make themselves known on Takagi's side. Their poor excuse of a bandage had done little to stop the blood, and it had soaked through to the officer's shirt. They didn't risk replacing them either, they had little cloth to use and neither had any clue what the sadistic men had in mind for them. Takagi noticed the boy's look and glanced down to see the spots as well. Trying, though not particularly succeeding, to hide a wince the man attempted to settle down more comfortably on the bed. However, the movement only made the wound bleed more. Conan bared his teeth in anger when he saw the dark spots enlarge.
"Conan-kun, I'm fine." Takagi said, attempting to ease the child's mind. "It would've quit bleeding long ago if I would just sit still. It's not like he was trying to kill me." Because if he was, then I'd be dead. The man's final words went unspoken, yet the sentiment resounded the room as though he had shouted the phrase. They both knew that until they could find a way to escape, they were only alive so long as the men, no Lion, wanted it that way. Conan's only reply was a gruff nod and growl so low that it was almost unheard.
Takagi sighed to himself. Conan was brilliant, fearless, and level headed even when his life was at stake. Yet he was also extremely protective and loyal to a fault. Takagi had no doubt that if Conan had been stabbed instead of him, the boy would have barely cared about it. He certainly wouldn't have gotten upset or let it hamper his thinking like this. Takagi wondered whether or not the men knew this aspect of Conan, this fierce protectiveness. He wondered how the child would treat them differently after he was gone. No! He couldn't think like that. They would get out, he had CONAN with him for crying out loud. They would get out... right?
Takagi drew in breath for a sigh, only to scrunch up his nose as a putrid smell rose to his nostrils. Conan looked interested at the strange expression before sniffing as well. The child's face morphed into an expression of distaste as the scent reached him as well. It wasn't hard to figure out where it was coming from though; after all, both of them were familiar with the scent of old blood. For that was what it was. The small puddles starting at the door and leading to the bed were nearly dry and in the cramped, stale room the smell of the drying blood was much worse than it should have been after the scant hours it had been sitting.
With a slight sigh Conan hopped to his feet and ran one of the used strips of cloth under the faucet, washing out the blood enough to make it a suitable cleaning rag. Takagi began to rise to help the child, but Conan insisted that he not move until the would scabbed over better at least. As he cleaned the child's grip tightened on the cloth, his knuckles eventually turning white with the intensity of the hold. His eyes transferred constantly from a death glare directed to the stains, then the door, then the floor again. Every once in a while he would send a concerned glance toward his fellow prisoner, but the officer never moved. He simply did what he always did and watched as the boy's glares and anger intensified.
Takagi could see an inner battle as the boy's passionate and protective instincts fought with his reasoning and logic. One side was telling him to get angry, very angry while the other was arguing that anger was useless, clouded the mind, and made you do things you would later regret. This inner battle was not uncommon with the boy, though logic won more often than not. There were, however, times where the boy's careful control would slip and he'd do something brash or shout something odd unexpectedly. That was when Takagi got many of his clues. It was when Conan would slipped the most. However, as much as he wanted to solve the mystery, the child's protective instincts running over could bring nothing good at the moment.
That is not to say that was always the case. He had seen and heard of miraculous things happening because of the brash and dangerous action the boy's instincts inspired. For example he once heard of the child running onto a bus with a bomb on it, but in doing so he saved the life of his friend. Also, who knew what may have happened had he not chosen to drive the car off of that hotel a while ago. Conan's instincts could save lives in some instances, but they could also endanger them in others. In fact, in the situation they were in now they were almost guaranteed to make things worse.
And it seemed that that side was winning. Conan turned to the camera with a snarl on his face, obviously ready to shout at the offending device, or more accurately the man whom he knew was using it.
"Conan-kun!" Takagi said in his most commanding, "police officer" tone. Still, he was immensely surprised that it made Conan stop and look at him. When Conan turned to the officer, he was surprised slightly that the child transferred the angry glare to him as well. The glare only lasted a second before melting to a more neutral look. "Conan-kun, you can't let him get into your mind. At all. That's what he wants more than anything, you. You can't give it to him. Besides..." the officer continued with a nervous chuckle, "I'm pretty sure that video camera doesn't pick up sound."
Conan sat in silence for a moment before speaking, his head only rising enough that the light reflected off of the thick glass of his glasses, hiding whatever expression he had in the glare. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "You're right. I just wasn't thinking. I'm just angry... and tired... and hungry... I didn't mean to lose it. It won't happen again. I won't let it happen again."
Takagi said nothing, feeling as if the child was no longer talking to him but to himself. After a moment of silence the child began scrubbing again, this time not looking up from the red stains littering the floor.
Finally finished the boy stood with the bloodstained rag in his hands and his knees, elbows, and hands stained with the liquid he was trying to clean. Takagi heard himself gasp as the child rose to full height, his eyes caught by the scarlet staining the child. For a moment he saw Conan, no longer a child but an adult, bathed in this scarlet blood as he stood over a mangled form. Half of his eyes were covered by the small frames of modern lenses, while the other half showed an angry glare much like he turned to the officer only moments before. His lips were curled up in Lions sardonic smirk. Blood curled off his half-clenched fingers, but he paid it no mind. There was much more blood on his hands than that which would show from a single kill. He was no longer Conan; he was Kitten.
Lion had done it, he had manipulated the boy's mind until it was his. Despite Conan's best efforts, he was unable to win the battle for his mind. And now he was as much a monster as those he was fighting against.
"Takagi-keiji, are you okay? Does your side hurt?" The sound of the child's young and concerned voice broke the vision, and dissipated some of the horror it brought.
"Ah, no Conan-kun. It's fine. I just- uh, was surprised how much blood there was. Hehe." he scratched the back of his head nervously. Conan watched him dubiously for a while, knowing that the man was lying, but didn't press the issue. Instead he simply walked to the sink to wash himself off. Takagi was left alone to his terrified and guilty thoughts. He knew that Conan would never "turn to the darkside". That the child's mental will was strong enough to battle these men in the long run. He KNEW it. He could feel it in his police gut and in his heart. Truly he knew it in his mind as well, but there was a small part of him that feared. He knew more than anyone the disastrous results that would come should the small sleuth use his mind for crime. During his countless hours of observing the child, he had thought to himself millions of times, jokingly almost, that he was glad that the child was on their side. At the time it had seemed like an innocent thought, for there was no way he would be on any side but there's. Now however, the slight fear of possibility added to the knowledge of the horrors such a brilliant mind could conceive.
It wouldn't happen though. It couldn't, he knew that. It was hunger, tiredness, and fear that was amplifying his worry. It had to be.
Takagi jumped slightly when Conan hopped onto the bed. The boy warily eyed the bloodstains, seeming relieved when they were no larger than they had been before. Takagi smiled at the boy's concern.
"See, I told you I was fine." The two sat in silence for a while, Takagi trying desperately not to bring back the vision. Finally, in attempt to think of something else, the officer spoke. "Do you think he'll be in for dinner soon?" The officer asked, not really caring about the idea of the man coming with food because they probably wouldn't get any anyways.
The child looked up at him questioningly before answering. "I don't know. Its practically impossible to tell time in here. It could be four A.M for all we know."
The officer nodded, disappointed that his attempt at conversation seemed to be ending so quickly. That thought was banished quickly however when Conan spoke once again, his voice coming out whispered and strained. "Are you hungry?"
It was then that Takagi realized that he had probably chosen the wrong conversation starter. Of course Conan would see it as him anticipating food, maybe even begrudging him for keeping them from getting any. Stupid! Conan probably felt bad enough about the officer not getting food, and now he just made it worse. Great.
"Ah! No no no no no! I'm fine! It was just... making conversation..." Conan looked at him dubiously before speaking again.
"Are you sure? Its been a long time since we've gotten enough food." It was true. The last thing they ate was that porridge over a day ago, and there really hadn't been much of that. Before that had been the small boxed lunches for dinner the other day which also hadn't been enough to totally satisfy their hunger. The only thing he had before that was a piece of toast he ate on his way to work that morning. All in all, that wasn't much for a span of two days, especially not when the first day they had spent so much time running around, and after that had spent their time in this cell where fear burned off his remaining energy. Still, it wasn't like they were in any danger of being starved. They had days before they had to worry about that. In fact, Takagi would probably be killed before they had to worry about it. Sure he was hungry, they both were, but they would survive.
A vision of the blood soiled Kitten flashed before his eyes as he answered. "Yeah, but I would rather go hungry then let them have what they want."
Conan looked at the man curiously as he spoke the grim words, but before he could respond the door burst open and he heard the slow, familiar gait of Lion. The man walked towards them slowly as always, in each of his hands a platter with a healthy amount of steaming hot food. Though neither captive could see what the man held, a delectable scent filled the air.
At the scent Takagi felt his empty stomach lurch, though he was too hungry for it to any longer make a sound. From the corner of his eye the officer saw Conan's face fall as his hunger was probably doubled. He thought he heard the child mumble something about 'stupid little kid stamina', and realized that with such a young growing body Conan was probably even hungrier than him. The officer felt a desire to try to boost the child's resolve to aid him in the mental battle Lion's presence ensued. However, before he could say anything to the child a twinge in his side reminded him that he was not welcome to talk in Lion's presence.
With both foes attention undivided, the two spent a longer time than ever attempting to stare the other down, neither conceding under the other's eyes, refusing to back down. The officer simply sat in silent amazement as the tension continued to build. Unfortunately, as the tension built so did a slight tickle in the officers nose. Trying hard to create as little a distraction as possible, Takagi scrunched and unscrunched his nose, even plugging it with his hand when the sensation got worse. However, nothing seemed to work, the sneeze was inevitable. Just as he was drawing in the deep breaths necessary to sneeze, the feeling dissipated and he relaxed without having made a sound... only for Conan's body to jerk with a sneeze less than a second later.
"Ahchoo!" Takagi had to wince, what a time for someone to be talking about them. Meanwhile, it seemed that Conan was attempting to glare at his nose for interrupting the staredown and making him lose. "That didn't count." He mumbled, though it was quiet enough that Lion may not of heard it. Whether he did or not, the man's only reaction was to smirk. Sighing irritably Conan looked back up to the man.
"Can we just get this over with?"
"My, aren't we getting irritable."
The child only mumbled unintelligibly for a moment.
"What's that? I'm afraid I didn't catch what you were saying."
Conan glared before responding. "I'm not going to beg for the food. You already know that."
"Oh? But child, you're so hungry. I can tell. You are so young, still growing. You burn through calories so quickly. You must be starving."
"I'll live."
"Perhaps, but you won't be very comfortable."
"I wouldn't be comfortable if I begged either."
"Maybe not, but you would be full."
The child simply glared at him and offered no comment. His arms folded over his chest, making him appear as a grumpy child not getting his way.
"So, changed your mind?" Lion asked, but he didn't miss the child's small smirk as he did so.
Conan smirked at the man's question. He'd made him ask, just as the man had done when he first tried to brainwash him. Without saying anything, he made the man address him, just as the man had done. Lion, seeing the smirk, realized what the child had done, and for the first time in a long while he felt genuinely thrown. However he hid it as best he could, and swiftly left the room, not even waiting to hear the child's reply.
For a moment the child simply stood, reveling in his small victory. Then he turned to his fellow captive, a small smile on the man's face showing that he caught the trick as well.
"I don't think he was very fond of your attitude, Conan-kun."
"Nope, but he should be glad his little Kitten has claws."
Takagi, though slightly unnerved that the boy had referred to himself as kitten, even jokingly, smiled slightly. "He should have no doubts about that. Or about your reaction to him wanting you to join him. He does know that we are aware of his scheme, doesn't he?"
"I should hope so. It's not like he's really been hiding it at all. A normal, real seven-year old would've figured it out."
Takagi nodded silently, though his mind was busy. He checked up another tally for the times Conan had slipped since they were taken, his mind relaying one simple phrase that stayed with him even when the lights went out and they were told to go to bed. A normal, real seven-year old... a normal, real seven-year old... a normal, real seven-year old
P.S. I am worried that in this chapter they may be a little OOC, and I am sorry if they are and I'll work on fixing it next chapter. I would like to point out though that they haven't eaten in a day, and really haven't had a proper meal in two. Plus they are low on sleep, worried, and both of their brains have been working overdrive because they've been trying to escape and Takagi has been trying to figure out Conan. Therefore, I'm pretty sure they would be pretty irritable. I think its mostly okay though. There is one part that I think is pretty OOC, but I liked the thought of it and kept it. If anyone has advice, I am open eared.