Author's Note: Hello everybody! First I'm so sorry for the delay! It's because of school work so sorry. I am really grateful for people who support my fanfiction. This fanfiction helped me get into the exclusive writer's guild here as a progressive apprentice! It made me so happy! For the first time I never felt so proud of something I wrote about. So please leave reviews about my work! I present to you the eighteenth chapter of my debut fanfic.
Disclaimer: I don't' freaking own Detective Conan!
The Moment Where Everything Was Lost
Part I: The Eclipse
"I reach out to the truth of my life."
-Persona 4
Chapter XVIII: Conditions
Author's Note: The story arc is nearing its end but the story is far from ending so stay tuned.
Shinichi's point of view
What's happening? Why everything does seem so confusing at the moment? We accomplished or mission but to get out of here we need to work with the enemy. Are they worth helping and cooperating with? I was speechless and don't know what to answer. "So do I have your word?" Vermouth said sitting up right.
"What do you benefit from it? What's the catch?" I asked. "Let's just say I had a change of heart," Vermouth calmly said. "What do you think we are? Stupid?" I shot at her face. "I'm not asking you to keep me. I just want to escape with you and take our separate ways." Vermouth said in a sad tone. "Why do you even want to leave? Isn't this your home?" I asked.
"This isn't home. It's an instant and personal hell. I've already seen too much hell." Vermouth said trembling. "If you betray them you'll be good as dead. They'll surely track you for becoming an executive member that became soft." Haibara said. "That's why I didn't escape in the first place because I was afraid but all of that fear vanished when I saw how hard all of you tried to fight and save Ran. It encouraged me not to live in fear anymore." Vermouth sincerely said.
"Then what just happened earlier?!" I shouted. "I was never going to kill you and Ran. I only tested how much her life means to you. I knew that you were awake when she kissed you so I tested you." Vermouth explained. "How can we be sure you won't betray us?" I asked. "It's your decision." Vermouth said. For the first time I felt Vermouth's true self.
The confusion grew as I don't know whether Vermouth's lying or telling the truth. "Believe her she's telling the truth. Just by looking in her eyes you can see that the words coming out of her mouth come from her heart." Ran said. "Okay lead us to get out of here but we'll keep a close eye on you." I said.
"The other way to get out of here is through the power cord." Vermouth said. "Power cord?" Agasa said. "It's a hidden elevator beside the stronghold. Only executives like me know about and are allowed to use it. It's our only ticket out of here." Vermouth said. "Then let's go there immediately." I said.
"There's one problem. To go inside you must have a proof of identification." Vermouth said. "Then let's force ourselves in. It won't make a difference because of the chaos we already made." Ryujin said. "Then follow me." Vermouth said standing up. "Before we go there, tell us how many more executives are here right now?" I asked.
"No one is here from the headquarters except the Advanced Guards." Vermouth said. "Okay, lead us now." I ordered. Vermouth leads us outside the giant room and into a hallway. The hallway was so classy. Red carpet covered the floor and beautiful chandeliers hung across the ceiling. "What's with this hallway? This wasn't the hallway I saw earlier." Ran said.
"That's because the part of the level you were in earlier was only for prisoners. This side of level one is for executive meetings. In the part also lies the elevator." Vermouth explained. "Okay, where do we go now?" I asked. 'Just follow me." Vermouth instructed. Our journey inside the hallway wasn't too long because after running for a few minutes we encountered a big and elegant door.
Vermouth opened the door and realized it was an arsenal. "An arsenal?" Hattori said. "Don't worry, the arsenal is just a disguise." Vermouth said entering the arsenal. All of us followed her once she entered. The room was filled with selves full of different kinds of weapon.
There were just too many columns of them that I lost count. "Here it is." Vermouth said facing a wall full of shelves with different kinds of bomb. "How do you open it?" Shuuichi asked. "Hide first." Vermouth ordered. All of us hid behind the shelves. Behind the shelf I watched between the gaps.
Vermouth held out and pushed it against the wall. I was surprised when the wall suddenly spoke. "Executive member Vermouth access granted." The wall said. The wall opened up and two guards came to approach Vermouth. "Ma'am can we assist you? You're injured." The guard offered. "Yes Ma'am, you look like a bomb exploded in front of you." The other guard said.
"Could you at my foot? It looks sprained." Vermouth said. Wow! She can really act. If I was that guard I'll fall for it. "Okay, Ma'am." The guard said. The guard bowed down and examined her feet. Before he could touch her feet Vermouth life her knew and jabbed the guard's jaw.
The guard screamed in pain while the second guard immediately tried to punch her but failed. Vermouth was too quick and strong. Without me realizing the two guards were now unconscious on the floor. "Come on! Let's go before they wake up." Vermouth said. All of us rushed inside the open room. The room was empty but as beautiful as the hallways. Vermouth closed the walls and pushed buttons in the panel of buttons beside the entrance.
"We'll be transported to the entrance room in Level Five." Vermouth said. "Wait isn't that the room where the untouchables are?" Hattori asked. "Yes, but they're not there anymore because the news got to them that you already passed them making them look somewhere else." Vermouth explained.
"Kudo! I just remembered Inspector Megure!" Kaito shouted. "Your right!" I said taking out the headset and microphone. I put it on my head and contacted Inspector Megure. "Hello? Inspector?" I said through the microphone. "Kudo-kun! Thank God you called. We thought we lost you. What happened?" Megure asked.
"Well we got caught but we escaped and rescued Ran." I said. "That's great! So are you exiting now?" Megure asked. "Yes, but what's going out there?" I asked. "Well we retreated because nothing was happening. They made their troops fall back and let us do what we want. Instead of wasting our efforts we did nothing and also fall back." Megure said.
"Okay just wait for outside. We're almost there." I said. The transmission ended and we were almost there. "Vermouth, what level are we?" I asked. "Level Three." She replied. "Wait! We're not escaping yet!" Jodie shouted. "Why?" Vermouth said. "We need to retrieve James-san's body!" Jodie shouted.
"Body?!" Ran gasped in horror. "So you lost one of your comrade." Vermouth said. "No! It's all my fault." Ran repeating to herself. "It's not your fault. You didn't ask to be kidnapped!" I said trying to cheer her up. "He's right Ran-chan. All of us came here knowing full well that we might die." Jodie said. Ran started shedding tears again. I grabbed her and lad her head on my chest.
"Don't worry, it's all going to be over." I said. The doors slowly opened and happiness filled my heart. Finally we're together. Just when I thought we're finally free, I was mistaken. Two silhouettes were standing at the entrance. "Finally I have some dirt on you bitch." The woman said.
"What are you doing here Chianti and Korn?" Vermouth asked. "Well we were told to exterminate some bugs that infiltrated the stronghold. Who would have thought you're one of those bugs?" Chianti said smirking at us. "Watch your mouth, Chianti!" Vermouth spat. "You dare speak to me like that! You should be begging your life!" Chianti shouted.
"Why would I beg with someone weaker than me?" Vermouth said. "I'm not afraid of you anymore Vermouth especially that I know you've gone soft." Chianti said. "I don't need to be bad to kill you Chianti." Vermouth said.
"You can't kill me." Chianti said. "Don't give me that crap1 you're outnumbered!" Vermouth said. "Oh we being outnumbered will be in fact an advantage to us." Chianti said with a smirk growing within her smile. "What do you mean?" Vermouth asked. "I'm just saying that if there are more of you it can spread faster." Chianti said emphasizing what see last said.
"Impossible! You don't dare!" Vermouth shouted. "What does she mean?" I asked. Vermouth started shaking and clutching her fists. "You're right Vermouth. We have the drug that started the Yoritomo Epidemic Massacre Mercury 6X52." Chianti said. "You're lying, it's impossible for you to get one. All the research and the drug itself have been destroyed itself. You can't have one!" Vermouth shouted.
"I agree that's true and that it was hard to get one." Chianti said. "How did you get one?!" Vermouth shouted. "There was no drug left but one curious scientist tried to recreate it three years ago. She thought she failed and she's standing here right in front of me." Chianti said pointing at Haibara. Everyone stared at her.
She shook vigorously clutching her shoulders. Vermouth grabbed her and looked at her directly in the eye. "Tell me this isn't true!?" Vermouth shouted. Tears fell from Haibara's eyes. "I'm sorry," Haibara replied. "You fool! Do you know what you did?" Vermouth said slapping her face. "Don't hurt her!" I shouted. "Kudo-kun I deserved every bit of it. I made that drug knowing what it can do." Haibara said.
"But why?" Vermouth asked. "Because you killed my sister, I hated all of you to the point I want to kill." Haibara explained. "But how did you create it?" Vermouth asked. "I hacked into the South Intelligence Headquarters and stole it." Haibara said.
"Shut the hell up!" Chianti shouted. "Chianti you must be reasonable! This isn't something you can control." Vermouth said. "You're only saying that because you're afraid I'll kill you!" Chianti said. "There are more things important right in front of you, Chianti! Korn reason with her!" I said.
"You've made too much of a fool of us. Whatever you get, you deserve it!" Korn replied. "Not you too." Vermouth said. "Why don't we use force." Ryujin suggested. "How about I make all of you a deal?" In exchange for the drug kill Vermouth." Chianti said laughing. "You're crazy!" I shouted. "Yeah you're nuts!" Kaito said.
"Just think about it. You save Japan in exchange for one worthless life." Chianti explained. "You're the fool! You don't know how to value life itself. Life isn't something you can just play with! No matter how worthless it may be it has its own reason it's here." I said. "May be she's right. My whole life has been worthless. There's nothing but misery and despair. I'd gladly give my life for the greater good." Vermouth sincerely said.
"Idiot! Don't say stuff like that! You're living right now because there is still a reason for you to keep moving!" I shouted. Vermouth looked at me with her eyes full of tears. "Then all of you die!" Chianti furiously said. Chianti got a sealed test tube from her pocket and pointed a gun towards us.
"Move and I'll break this! Once this breaks the drug will spread and kill all of you." Chianti said. "Then you'll be killed too!" Kaito said. "That's where you're wrong." Chianti said with a smirk in her face. Chianti and Korn were pulled above from the balcony in a snap. "Goodbye" Chianti said throwing the test tube towards us. "Run towards the exit!" I shouted. This is bad, we might really get killed. When the test tube broke a cloud of smoke went towards us.
"Open the door I'll stall the smoke!" Kaito said. I didn't know how he will do it but I trusted him. Kaito faced the smoke and threw a tiny ball. The tiny ball emitted a blue smoke that halted the white smoke's movement. "Try to open the gates. I don't know how long this will last!" Kaito shouted.
"Okay!" I replied. All of us ran towards the gate. "There's the button pad to open the gate." Vermouth pointed to the keypad beside the gate. I looked at it but it was offline. "How are we going to get out?" Hattori asked. "I know how but all of you must be in front the gate." Vermouth said. All of us followed her and went in front of the gate. "Kaito!" I shouted. Kaito quickly joined us and waited for what will Vermouth do.
Something suddenly explodes and I saw it was the keypad. "Trust me." Vermouth said. Despite everything we've been through I trust everyone's lives with her. I saw her pushing in the keypad and the gate started making strange noises and eventually opened.
"Everybody get out!" I shouted. Everyone escaped immediately but Jodie stood still. "James' body! I can't leave his body!" Jodie shouted at me. "We can't get it! If you die everything he sacrificed will be in vain!" I shouted. After I spoke, the both of us were suddenly pushed out of the gate. The gates were now starting to close.
"I'm going to end all of this." Vermouth said looking down on us. "Don't do it!" I shouted. "I'm really glad I met all of you. I'm already contented with just the fact I gained friends before I die. Continue your journey and permanently destroy this organization. The FBI agent's body is already with the police. I personally gave it to them." Vermouth said with a smile in her face.
"No! I don't want any sacrifices anymore!" I shouted. "Goodbye." Vermouth finally said and the gates closed. Tears fell from my eyes and I slammed my fists hard on the gate. The others were all lying on the ground far behind us not knowing what happened. Jodie and I went to them and explained what happened.
All of them gasped in shock. The ground shook and a bomb-like sound exploded. Everyone turned around and saw the stronghold in flames. Evrybody gave a moment of silence for Vermouht's sacrifice. "Kudo-kun! The boats are ready." Megure said. Silently we went to the boat except for Ran and me. "Don't worry Shinichi it wasn't a waste." Ran cheered me up holding my hands.
"I know but at least I already have you." I said caressing her cheeks. "Never leave me again, Shinichi." Ran said laying her head on my chest. I raised her chin and slowly made my face closer to hers. Her eyes were sparkling and shining like crazy. I closed my eyes and finally felt Ran's lips on top of mine.
Author's Note: Finally the rescue for Ran is over but the story is yet to be finished so stay tuned! Find out what will happen next.
Coming Soon: Chapter 19: First Couples' Date
Sneak Peek:
Everybody returns home after Ran's rescue and finally the team feels relief. They take time to relax and rest. Ran and Shinichi (still in grown up) take this time to go on a date and find deeper feelings inside them.