Chapter 9: Why we are who we are today
I find it funny that 10 more people have read chapter 8 than have read chapter 7. Hmm? Maybe KID stole those 10 views?
"Kufufufu, and then there is me. But I don't need to introduce myself, do I Shinichi." He returns his stare back to the detective, smiling slyly.
"No, Mukuro, you don't. Still have the same laugh I see. I'm surprised to find you back in the mafia though, after what you lot have been through. I'm assuming that Ken and Chikusa are still with you." Replies Shinichi,
The following day found Shinichi, for once minus Kaito, walking through a forest with Mukuro.
Kaito had vehemently exclaimed that he wanted to come too, explaining that he didn't want Shinichi to be alone with Mukuro. Shinichi merely brushed him off, telling Kaito that it was 'personal business', and he wanted to do this alone. After a long argument, including threats of being tied up(by Kaito), knocked out (by Shinichi), or being sat on by Uri again (by Kaito running out of ideas), Kaito finally gave up, and went to sulk in his room. Shinichi just shook his head at Kaito's childish behaviour before going to find Hibari and offer him an interesting proposition.
Threaten me with Uri why don't you. Well I'll one up that. Enjoy your day tomorrow Kaito, it's sure to be… interesting. With that thought laughing at Kaito in his head, Shinichi went to sleep.
They come out of the forest and into a rundown complex. There are dead leaves and litter all over the place. Broken glass fills nearly all of the windows, and the wind howls lonely through the paths. Mukuro leads him safely through the traps and into the main building.
"Welcome to Kokuyo Land Amusement Park, our home and base of operations." Mukuro states as he walks into the main building.
Ken perks his head up, sniffing the air. "Oy, Kakipi, wake up, Mukuro's back." Sniffing the air again, he smells something extra. Wondering what it is, he places in the Wolf Channel. "Oh! Kakipi it's him, byon!" Howling like a wolf he runs through the corridors until he finds his target. "Shini-chan!" he shouts as he leaps into the air. He forcefully lands on Shinichi, forcing them onto the floor. Ken shows his joy at seeing his playmate again by licking his face.
"Oy,oy, Ken, calm down. It's nice to see you too. Now take the claws out of my jacket and let me stand up." Shinichi laughs, being more than used to Ken's enthusiastic greetings from their time together long ago.
"Oh, it's Shinichi. I didn't think that we would ever see him again." Says Chikusa coming around the corner at a more sedate pace. He walks over to Shinichi, drags Ken off of him and helps him to stand. The two bump fists before walking down the corridor and into the main theatre.
Once there, a girl in the corner stands and says "Mukuro-sama, welcome back home"
"Kufufu, it's nice to be back. There is only so long I can spend in that mansion, with those people. I'm assuming that your mission went okay, since you are all back here in one piece." Mukuro answers looking the girl up and down. She nods, and looks away as he walks up to her. He ruffles her hair before sitting down on his couch.
"My dearest Chrome, I have someone to introduce to you here." He explains, waving his arm in Shinichi's direction. "This man here is Kudo Shinichi. He is known as a famous detective" hearing this Chrome tenses and grips her trident tighter. "Kufufu, My cute Chrome, there is no need for that. He is an acquaintance of ours, and the newest member of the Vongola- recruited by My Tsunayoshi-kun himself."
"Yeah, Stupid girl, you should show him some more respect." Shouts Ken, bounding over and bonking her on the head. "You could call him Shini-sempai!"
"Shini-sempai?" whispers Chrome.
Shinichi walks over "Now, Ken, you should treat a lady better than that" he mockingly scolds. "It's very nice to meet you. My name is Kudo Shinichi, feel free to call me what you want, I really don't mind." He offers his hand to Chrome, keeping his distance. She looks over to Mukuro, who nods his encouragement, and shakes his hand in return.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Dokuro Chrome." Chrome looks up at Shinichi, and seeing his smile, smiles back.
"Now, now, my precious Chrome, there is no need to be scared of him. In fact he was part of the Gang at one point."
"Really?" asks Chrome, not believing a man like this would have been associated with them.
"Yeah, we used to play with him loads when we were younger, byon." Shouts Ken, opening a bag of sweets and offering Shinichi some.
"I think that I had better explain this to you Chrome….
Screams. Day in day out, all I hear are screams. High pitched screams and crying. The number of us in this room drops dramatically each day. Very few people ever return to this room. So far it's only those two.
Mukuro looks over into a different corner of the room. There sit two boys, dressed in ripped clothing like himself. Both are malnourished, and sporting scars and bandages. One boy is blond, with a scar from one cheek to the other, crossing his nose. The other, hides behind the first boy, having black hair and recently a barcode branded into his cheek.
Fully awake now, he sits up and absently rubs his eyes. A sharp pain in his right eye,and the feeling of a bandage, remind him of the ordeal he just went through. He remembers everything, the scientists not even bothering to neither give him pain killers nor knock him out.
Mukuro grabs his head as the memories flash infront of his eyes. But there are more memories than there should be. He has memories of hell, demons, fire and nightmares so scary you wish they would end, but they don't, they keep on going. He remembers fighting to keep his sanity, to keep from losing his mind completely. He remembers a time being a poisonous snake, creaping through a village at night, killing innocent victims. And finally there was a time in a white place, where he was nothing but a spirit. He learnt so much in these new places. His head is filled with so much new information, and he now knows how to use it all.
"Kufufu" he laughs, loud and long, frightening the other children in the room. The black haired boy quivers behind his growling companion. Mukuro shifts his mind set, thinking of that snake. Out of a cloud of purple mist a couple of these snakes fall.
"Cheetah Channel" comes a voice from the other side of the room. Mukuro looks over to see the blond boy look different from earlier. His skin got yellower, and black spots appeared. On his fingers were long sharp claws, just like a cat. He had a cat's eyes too, burning like a fire in the darkness. The boy crouches on all fours, wriggles his rear end a bit, before pouncing on the snake, killing it with one swift bite.
He uses his claws to cut the skin off, as well as any internal organs and unappetising bits, leaving him with two long slices of raw meat.
"Oy, come on, eat some of this" he hands the boy one slice. They haven't received food for nearly a week, making the meat look that much more acceptable. The boy takes it and stares at it. "Oy, just close your eyes and pretend it's something else byon." He scolds. The other boy follows his lead.
None of the other children even make an effort, not having the strength to even move away from the snakes. For them, getting bitten by the snake is a more preferable death than what the Family plans to do to them.
Mukuro is intrigued by this. Maybe there is someone worth saving after all.
He looks around the room, searching for one face in particular. However she is nowhere to be found.
He gets his answer, by way of her scream, echoing down the hallway. Mukuro runs over to the pair.
"Who did they just take? Was it a girl? She would have been about this tall, green eyes and black hair, about the same age as me?" he asks them hands in fists shaking
"Oh you mean Esmeralda right? She was taken about half an hour ago. You were still unconscious." Answers the black haired boy from behind the other's shoulder.
Mukuro runs to the door, pounding on it. "Esmeralda! Esmeralda. I'm coming to save you, just hold on."
Red fills his vision, and Mukuro snaps completely. Using the powers this damned family gave him, he destroys every member he comes across. Eventually he gets to the operating room, only to find the girl dead, blood seeping out of the incisions. Mukuro doesn't really remember what happens next. The next thing he does remember, is standing, smirking, in a room filled with dead bodies, standing protectively infront of the two boys from earlier.
"I hate this world. I hate this world that took her from me. This world needs to be taught a lesson. I'm going to destroy the current world and create it anew." He whispers, words getting firmer as the idea forms in his head.
"I hate them too" says the blond "We were supposed to be part of the Estrano Family, soon to be the mafia's strongest. We were supposed to have a bright future ahead of us. What a load of bullshit. Where's the path to a bright future now?" he shouts at the ceiling.
"Kufufu, well come with me and I'll give you that bright future. You two must be strong, being the only survivors from their experiments. I believe that you two are worthy enough to help me. I'm Mukuro, Rokudo Mukruo. "
"I'm Joshima Ken, and this is Kakimoto Chikusa. We've got nowhere else to go, so why not follow you?" Ken stands up, dragging Chikusa up with him. "We promise to help you achieve your goal of changing the world. We can't let a world that allowed this to happen to us exists. Something needs to change, and I'm sure that you can do that, Mukuro-sama." Together the three of them leave the Estrano Family Base and enter the forest.
A few hours later they are sat around a fire, eating whatever berries and fruit they have managed to find.
"So just how are we going to change the world?" mumbles Chikusa. "Surely we are too weak as we are now to do so. It takes more than physical power to take over the world."
"Kufufu, you are right Chikusa. There is money and political power and other factors to consider first. So how about we get some practice?"
"Practice byon? What can we practice on?" asks Ken, tilting his head
"Kufufufu, why the mafia of course. We need to punish them for allowing this to happen first don't we. Without the mafia, the Family would have no reason to do this to us. It's worldwide, but still small enough to practice on. And we will gain a lot of power, money and supplies by taking over the mafia. It's the perfect starting point."
A week later, Mukuro starts his plan. After wondering around for a week, they have finally found the base of another Mafia Family. He hides Ken and Chikusa in the woods, before looking as pitiful and wounded as possible and stumbling into their courtyard. He is taken in by this family, and given into the charge of a man called Lancia. Testing out his new powers, he creates a physical outlet for them: his trident. Using this trident he cuts Lancia, and using one of his paths, possess the body.
A mysterious fog rolls in, giving the area a chill and low visibility. The men generally stay indoors, in the warm. But every now and again, one comes out, hearing a noise at their window, or wanting a midnight snack. The easiest targets are those on night patrol, begrudging their luck to be out on a night like this. A mixture of the cold and the mist makes them tired, and being at their home base makes them feel safe. But when the first murder happens, no one can believe it.
"Boss we aren't fighting with anyone are we?" asks one subordinate. The Boss shakes his head.
"No, most of the mafia are in an uproar over what happened to the Estrano family and are on a state of alert. No one is fighting with each other at the moment." He replies looking over the latest news files
"The Estrano Family, Sir? You haven't told us about them" says another
"Well, the news only got to me this morning I'm afraid. Someone has killed the entire Family. All of them dead, brutally too, from the information I have. Lancia, as one of our bodyguards, I need you to keep an eye out, for us"
Night after night, Lancia secretly kills family members, keeping his work a secret. In addition, supplies of clothes, food and drink are left outside, collected by the pair in hiding. Nearly all of the family are killed, and the rest are becoming frantic, calling in allies to deal with the threat. Accidentally, Lancia is noticed: some stupid subordinate coming down in the night to go to the bathroom. The warning call is shouted, and Mukuro and Lancia retreat. Along with Ken and Chikusa, they run, dealing with assassination attempts along the way.
"What are we going to do Mukuro-sama?" asks Ken, during a moment of peace. "Our bodies haven't recovered from our time in captivity, byon. We are physically too weak to keep this up much longer."
"Nor have we all figured out what these new powers do either. We can use them, but without consistent results. We need to find somewhere to recuperate and train up, otherwise we are dead meat." Says Chikusa, panting.
"Oya, oya. Giving up already are we? All we have to do is go somewhere where they won't find us. Like out of the country for example."
"But how are we going to do that byon?" replies Ken
"It's simple, we fly" states Mukuro as if Ken is stupid
"But we don't have passports, nor tickets. And they are sure to find us as we pass through the check in." explains Chikusa
"Yare, Yare. You are forgetting my new powers." Mukuro laughs, finally enjoying the curse he's been given.
They make their way to the closest airport, and wait in hiding for a suitable target. A family of four walk past, looking as if they are about to go on holiday.
"Um excuse me, but there is a problem with the floor in the foyer. I'm afraid that you'll have to go in through the side door. If you would follow me" Advises a security guard. Not the type to doubt an official looking man like him, they follow the security guard around to the side of the building, away from the crowd outside. As soon as they are far enough away, Mukuro strikes. Entering their perception, he causes the members to fall asleep, and tells the brain not to wake up for a very long time.
Ken rummages through the bags and finds both the tickets and the passports.
A happy family walks into the airport, finally getting a long deserved holiday. One of the kids runs off to the snack counter, whilst their sibling tells them off. When their flight is called, they calmly walk to the checking in desk and pass through without any problems. A little while later, they are sitting on the plane, on their way to their destination.
"By the way, Dad where are we going?" one of the sons whispers.
Looking at the tickets Dad replies "we are going to a place called Beika in a country called Japan" also in a whisper.
"I've heard of Japan. A lot of technology is created there. The Family was planning to open a base there in the near future. That's why, before we were imprisoned, we were taught Japanese." Replies the other son, playing with his Yoyo.
"Oh so that's why, byon. I thought out of all the languages out there Japanese was a little bit strange. I would have thought something like English, or some other European language would have been better. I can imagine them sending us off to Japan though, if it's technology they were concerned with, byon" replies the other son.
The flight eventually lands, and the family departs. Looking around, they find themselves in quite a prosperous city, with skyscrapers in the back ground. They walk away from the business district, and towards the housing district instead.
They eventually come across a park, and since night has fallen, they decide to take refuge there.
They don't wake up until late the next day, recovering from not only their flight, but also from the battles they had to fight to get this far.
"I'm so hungry byon." Complains Ken
"well complaining about it isn't going to get you any." Retorts Chikusa.
"So what are we going to do today then?" asks Ken, ignoring Chikusa.
There is a rustle of leave from behind them, and the noise continues, slowly getting louder. A rubber thump can also be heard. Finally there is a large thwak before a football launches into the clearing, soon followed by a small crying child.
"Kong Channel" Ken places the teeth cartridge in his mouth. His muscles grow and expand, hair grows on his arms and legs, and small claws grow on his hands. His face becomes broader and more fierce.
The small child jumps, and kicks the football at Ken. Being so weak from hunger and his previous treatment, Ken gets hit with the ball in the stomach, totally winding him. Mukuro stands forward, the number in his eye changing, and a fire tornado appears in the clearing.
At first the child looks scared, but after a moment, he looks more confused than scared. He starts looking around him. The tornado gets closer and closer, nearly engulfing the child. The boy squints at the bright light, and raises his hand to his face, brushing his forehead and cheek. The look of confusion increases. He puts his hand into the fire, and quickly pulls it out due to the pain, but looking at his hand, he becomes confused again.
Wanting to stop the threat coming at him, the boy kicks the football again. Zipping straight through the tornado, it bangs against the trident before returning back to the boy. His concentration lost, Mukuro is forced to let go of the illusion, and the tornado disappears.
"Wow, that was amazing! What new gadget did you use to create that? I've never seen something like that before. It must be a prototype though, since it wasn't too accurate." Exclaims the boy, before going into a thinking pose "I wonder if the Hakase can make something like this?"
"Oh?" asks Mukuro wondering why the illusion didn't work on this small child. It's worked on everyone else so far (with a few bumps along the way). "What do you mean it wasn't accurate?"
"well the visual effects of the tornado it's self was fine such as the range of colour and the way in which it flickered, as was the pain from the heat. But it missed everything else out." Explains the boy
"What do you mean everything else byon? What else is there to include?" inquires Ken, standing up for Mukuro's illusion
"Well, first of all, if that really was fire, then why did none of the leaves and the grass it stood on burn up? Secondly, if it was a real tornado then grass, fallen leaves and small twigs would have been drawn in too. In addition, no one but me felt the wind. None of you reacted nor did your hair or clothes move. Additionally, there was the sound of the wind howling correctly, but the sound of the fire was too dull and quiet. Next, when you get close to a fire, the heat dries the skin out, however, when I brushed my forehead and cheeks, they were like normal, no sweat either. Finally, when I put my hand in, whilst I felt the pain that should be there, when I took my hand out, it wasn't burnt, it just kept on hurting. Oh and when I kicked my football straight through the tornado, it didn't explode. Footballs are filled with compressed air, so it should have exploded when it was heated up to that level."
"Oya, oya. What a smart boy you are." Compliments Mukuro. "I'll be sure to think of those things next time. So thank you…" he pauses
"Shinichi, Kudo Shinichi" Shinichi replies.
"Nice to meet you Shinichi. I'm Mukuro, this is Ken, Chikusa and Lancia." Replies Mukuro pointing to them in turn.
"Why were you crying, byon?" asks Ken, walking over and sitting next to Shinichi.
"Oh, that." Shinichi wipes his cheeks, in case any tears are left over. He sighs and sits down on the grass. "It's weird but for as long as I can remember, I've always found dead things. Now I know things dying is a common occurrence, but I swear that I find them more than normal. At first, it was just a lot of dead animals on the road or in the garden. But recently, it's been people. Like I turn the corner towards the shops, and I can't go any further because of an investigation. Or I want to go in my favourite shop, but it's closed since someone just died in there. But today was the worst one yet. Someone was actually killed infront of me. It was some 'jealous love affair' or so the police said. I'm not quite sure what the problem was, but this man stabbed this woman and then ran off. I've just got out of the police station from questioning…. It just suddenly caught up to with me. So I came out here to think things through. "
"That's cool, Byon!" shouts Ken. Shinichi looks up, not believing what he's just heard.
"Indeed, that's quite an ability you have there. It's not something that everyone has. So that makes you special." Smirks Mukuro, smiling wirily.
"Shin-chan. Shin-chan. It's time to go home Hunnie-bun." Comes a shout from far away
Shinichi grabs his ball and stands up. "That's my mum, I've got to go. Will you be here again tomorrow? I want to play with you some more." He asks, bouncing the ball on his knee
"Kufufufu, we shall be here." Answers Mukuro, laying back on the grass. Shinichi nods eagerly before running back through the trees and going home with his mum.
"What an interesting little boy. He'll be such fun to play with. Kufufufu" My newest toy and with information like that, maybe my newest tool too.
There is another rustle, and a familiar looking football enters the clearing followed by the boy from yesterday.
"Shini-chan!" shouts Ken, jumping on Shinichi as soon as he enters the clearing.
"Whoa, whoa, Ken, what's with the greeting. And Shini-chan?"
"Well, you are the first friend from the outside I've made!" exclaims the bouncing boy. "And since death follows you, I've called you Death-chan. Believe me it's a compliment."
From the outside? What does he mean by that? And since when is being followed by death a good thing? Where on earth have these guys come from?
"Alright then. I've just finished school. It's now the summer holidays!" Shinichi jumps and claps, celebrating the holiday, or more importantly, free time and no school. It's not that he doesn't like school, it's that school always seems easy and boring. After reading the books around the house, he's learnt a lot more than what they teach at school. His dad is big on education and teaches him in his spare time.
"summer holidays? Do you only have holidays in the summer?" asks Chikusa.
"Hm? You don't know what summer holidays are? Didn't you guys go to school?" asks Shinichi sceptically
"Kufufu, we were taught at home, by the people around us. We never went to a school with normal children." The Estrano Family were going to be the strongest Family, their children didn't associate with normal children. They needed to know all the skills to survive in the mafia, not about Shakespeare or poetry. The only Literature they needed to know was how to right formal letters to other bosses or reports on your mission. Math consisted of supplies, bullets and the math needed to shoot a sniper rifle. Science wasn't about plants, unless they were poisonous. Science was all about bombs, poisons, and blood removal, along with how to attack a human body to harm, maim or kill.
Normal school was for weaklings.
A loud grumble fills the air, accompanied by two smaller ones. All three children look away and blush slightly.
"Are you guys hungry?" asks Shinichi innocently "Here you can have my lunch, Mummy made it for me." He rummages around in his bag, and brings out his lunch box. "Hm, that's not enough for all of you. I should go get some more." He looks at his new friends and sees the state they are in. "Did you guys sleep out here? Your clothes are all ripped and dirty."
"We were camping byon!" shouts Ken, pumping a fist in the air.
"Oh, that's cool. I'll see if I can find any spare clothes at home. I'm not sure about your big friend over there though. I don't think that Daddy's clothes will fit him."
"Just a blanket for him will be fine" inputs Chikusa. "Thank you for doing this for us."
"That's alright. We are friends aren't we?" chirps Shinichi, before running off again.
Half an hour later, he comes back, a picnic basket and rucksack on his back. Luckily enough his parents weren't at home, they were both working.
"I didn't know what you guys liked, so I just grabbed a load of stuff. And these are some spare clothes I had, they should fit you guys. I'm not too sure on you though Mukuro, you're a bit taller than me.
"That's fine. Anything will be better than these rags we are in now." Replies Mukuro, fingering the white clothes he had on. They had changed clothes when they first met Lancia, but because of the fights since then, and the treck through the woods, they were battered and had loads of holes in them. The boys take off their old clothes and put on the new ones, not minding about the fit.
"Aha! I thought so." Remarks Shinichi, digging around in his bag again. He brings out a first aid box. "I thought that you guys looked beaten up. You have scratches all over. What on earth happened to you?" Shinichi looks seriously concerned.
Maybe they were bullied? Ken said they were camping, but they don't have anything with them- not like when we went camping last year. Maybe they've run away from home?
Ken and Chikusa look at Mukuro, blindly trusting his judgement. It has kept them alive so far.
"There's something about you that I find … interesting. You aren't normal either. So I shall give you the truth." Explains Mukuro graciously
"The truth is the best thing. Facts are the one truth! And I love finding facts out. It's like a game." Sings Shinichi, smiling brightly.
"Oya, oya, such a happy face. Well you won't be so happy after this." Warns Mukuro before telling Shinichi their story so far.
Shinichi sits on the grass, hands on his lap, maintaining eye contact with Mukuro. There is a serious expression on during the whole time, and it looks as if he seriously is taking the story as the truth. For Mukuro it is easy to see the gears turning in his head, lining up the facts, and making his own judgements and analyses of the story. There is no cheering, exclaiming nor crying, just a simple look of concentration and trusting on his face.
"You guys… have been through a lot in the past couple of weeks." Shinichi states after a period of thinking. "So that tornado I saw earlier, it wasn't electronically made using modern technology, but an experience that you forced me to see and feel, using the power that the Family gave you. Ken has the power to use different animal characteristics depending on what set of teeth he uses, and Ken's reflexes and arm and finger muscle have been improved to make him able to wield the poisoned yoyo, as well as not being affected by the poison." He looks at each person at a time, studying them in a new light.
"That's sooooo cool!" he screams "I wish that I could do something like that. It makes you special, unique and individual." He crawls over to Ken. "Can I try on some of the teeth?" he asks eagerly.
Ken laughs loudly before handing him the Monkey Channel "Knock yourself out"
Shinichi stands up, and holds the teeth out infront of him "Hm, these are real monkey teeth aren't they. My dad took me to a museum and I saw a load of animal skeletons there. This looks just like it." Ken gives him an 'of course, I am the best' look and sits up straighter. A huge smile lights Shinichi's face. He raises the teeth in the air, before shouting "Monkey Channel!" and attempting to put them in his mouth.
There is a moment of silence, before everyone bursts out laughing. "Ahh, Shinichi you look so funny." Laughs Chikusa, trying to laugh behind his hand.
Taking the teeth out, Shinichi looks crest fallen "Ahh, they don't work."
"Well I didn't go through those experiments for nothing you know." Ken informs whilst taking back the teeth. "Why not try the yoyo. "
Chikusa hands him the yoyo, before positioning Shinichi so he's not facing any of the others. However, in Shinichi's hands it's merely a normal yoyo, riding up and down the string. Shinichi hands back the yoyo before sitting in a huff on the floor again. The others can't help but laugh at his reaction.
"Now come on Shinichi cheer up. You are smarter than us. Why don't we play something else. Like football for instance."
Over the next few weeks, Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa reclaim some of their lost childhood, as well as some weight and muscle mass. They get fitter and are almost back to normal. They spend the days with Shinichi, learning about this country called Japan, as well as things that any normal child should know. As children of the Estrano Family, they were kept inside the main base, and had never been outside. Everything they knew they knew from books, watching the TV, reading newspapers, or from hearing the adults talk. Shinichi taught them how to live in normal society, and how the world outside the wall worked. It was quite different. The three children took it all in eagerly, surprised about how different the world outside was. It wasn't all war and death, and scandals, and natural disasters. People had birthdays, festivals. Children could run as they pleased, and act silly and do what they wanted more freely than they ever could have done in the house. Shinichi brought over some of his favourite books to help explain some things.
Finally they encountered the famous Sherlock Homes.
"He's my inspiration. I want to be just like him when I'm older. I think that I have a similar mind to him, since it works best with facts. I want to go around catching bad guys and bringing justice! I'll be a super hero! Or like those people off of the TV. I'm going to be famous, and everybody will come to me to catch the killer. I'll hit him with my football, and arrest him, and then give him a good telling off. Oh, and then I'll get his mum to give him a good telling off too." Conan shivers at the thought of a telling off.
"Why bring his mum in?" asks Chikusa
"Were your mum's not with you in the house?" the three shake their heads. They don't even know who their mothers are. "Well, being told off by a mum is the scariest thing that can happen. You really don't want to get told off by her. She suddenly gets really tall, and all red, and her voice gets loud and deep. Even Daddy runs from Mummy when she's giving a telling off." All three of the boys look really scared.
"I think that you'll be a great detective Shinichi" says Mukuro. "You can think about all of the details logically. Like you did with my illusions, no one else has ever done that before."
"Well, it wasn't that hard, you just have to look at everything around you. I know! I'll help you improve them. I'll tell you what's missing, until they seem life like. Oh~ this is going to be such a fun game."
For nearly the next week, Shinichi and Mukuro spent their time in a battle of the minds. Ken and Chikusa gradually got more and more scared, until they had to leave, and play with Shinichi's football.
"I'm surprised how gentle Mukuro-sama is being" remarks Chikusa during one such football game.
"Huh? Gentle. He's scaring us out of our wits, byon" gasps Ken.
"You saw what he did back at the lab. If he really wanted to, he could use his first path and break the poor kid. But instead, he's keeping to illusions and building them up slowly." Explains Chikusa
"Ohh, I see. Well maybe he really is trying to get better, byon. He won't be able to take over the world with bad illusions will he?" responds Ken, kicking the ball back to Chikusa.
"At first I thought that Mukuro-sama was only keeping him around since he was interesting. But now? I think that Mukuro-sama has gotten attached to Shinichi." Mumbles Chikusa, kicking the ball back
"Well, haven't you? I want him to come with us. He'd be really great. He's so smart. Him and Mukuro could do it you know." Smiles Ken wistfully.
Shinichi and Mukuro come out of the clearing and walk towards the others, both panting slightly; Mukuro from the exertion the illusions take, and Shinichi from how real the last illusion was.
This child is so interesting. Even at this young age, he bases the world around him on facts, rather than what he sees. That's a skill that takes years for any adult to create and hone. He says it's because he wants to be like this Homes character. But I have this…feeling… that it's something more than that. It's something that he was born with, but it's something more than that too. I just don't know how to explain it.
"Mukuro, did you know, that because of all of these illusions you've shown me, I've become a lot less scared of the death that follows me around. At first I used to get really scared about it. But now, I'm not scared any longer. You've helped me to become one step closer to being a detective. With all of the deaths occurring around me I've had a lot of chances to guess how they died, now that I have the courage to look at the dead bodies. For example, looking at the bite marks on a rabbit you can tell whether it was a dog, a fox or a weasel that killed it. How flattened it was, can give you some idea of what type of car it was run over by. By listening to the police around the crime scenes I've encountered I've learnt about this thing called rigo-riger- Rigor Mortis, that's it. As far as I can tell, the longer someone is dead for, the stiffer the body gets, and you can tell the time of death from it. I find things like that really cool."
"Kufufufu, that's nice to know Shinichi. Thanks to you, I've learnt a lot of things that can help me in the future. My illusions will be the best in the world. You've taught me so much about how humans react and see things, and I'll be able to use them all to my advantage."
"Hahah, you'll be able to keep Ken and Chikusa safe now!" beams Shinichi.
The next day, they are playing hide- and-seek in the park. The rule to this game is that no powers can be used- mainly Mukuro's illusions- since that's not fair. Chikusa is the finder. Knowing the two best, he has already found Ken and Mukuro. All that is left is Shinichi- who is hiding in a tree above them, hidden from view by the cover of the leaves. The three are having a discussion about possible places Shinichi could be hiding.
Ken silences the others, hearing something in the woods infront of them. The others ready their weapons- they don't get visitors very often. In fact Shinichi has been the only person to walk this way. Ken looks behind him hearing a louder rustle. Out of the bushes materialise men in black suits and sunglasses.
"Lancia, Rokudo Mukuro, Kakimoto Chikusa and Joshima Ken, you are all under arrest for the killing of Mafia families in Northern Italy." States one man, pointing his gun at Mukuro. For a moment, no one moves, but then Ken inserts a pair of teeth and starts attacking those closest to him. Shinichi goes to move, but finds he can't.
I need to help them. Come on, stupid body. Move! Move. MOVE!
There is the sound of men screaming, a sign of Mukuro's illusions. Chikusa attacks with his yoyo, poisoning a few of the men. With claws and fangs, Ken tears through some of the attackers. One man shouts, and all of the men in black move away. Ken is about to chase after them when something is thrown into the clearing with them. As soon as it lands, gas leaks out of the can, and within a moment it has covered the clearing.
Shinichi tries to see through the mist, but finds that he still can't move. Quickly, a gap appears in the mist and he makes eye contact with Mukuro. Mukuro smiles sadly, pain in his eyes, before collapsing unconscious. The gas clears and men come in with handcuffs and ropes, along with a blindfold for Mukuro. All four are tied, bound and gagged, before being taken out of the clearing.
Shinichi's body eventually moves and he rushes out and towards the road, to see three black cars round the corner.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you that day. If I was stronger, or had more courage, then my body would have moved and I could have helped save you." Whispers Shinichi, fist punching the floor
"Kufufu, my silly Shinichi. I froze your body with illusions. You had nothing to do with what transpired in Italy, so I didn't want you to get caught and taken with us. I froze your body and made sure that anyone who looked up there couldn't see you. It wasn't your fault."
Shinichi looks up, eyes sparling with unshed tears. "You did that for me? I've been worrying about you for years. I was so surprised to see you in that meeting. I can't believe that you three are alright, it's such a relief."
"It's because I met you that I have managed to survive this long. Did you know that it's because of your influence that I became one of only 3 people in the world to be able to use illusions on the Vindiche? Every time I think of a new illusion, my mind automatically goes through a checklist, following your advice to make it as near reality as I can. It's because of your influence that I defeated an Arcobaleno during the ring battles." Chrome looks shocked at the words of compliment coming out of Mukuro's mouth.
"Ahahaha, because of your illusions, nothing surrounding death and violence ever affected me. Add in my crazy parents and I was ready for anything that came up. I am the modern day Sherlock Homes, just like I said I would be"
"So stupid girl, there is no reason to be scared of Shini-chan" barks Ken, slapping Shinichi on the back.
"My precious Chrome," says Mukuro, Chrome turns to look him in the eye, giving him her full attention as usual "If I am ever not available, nor are these two, then my Shinichi here should be the one you turn to. He'll be sure to protect you, or help you in any way he can." He smiles at her, and she nods back
Turning to Shinichi, she says "Please look after me." And bows
Shinichi laughs "It would be my pleasure Chrome, as long as you look after me too, alright. And you had better look after my idiotic shadow in the corner too"
Kaito comes out dramatically sniffing, wiping fake tears off with a vibrant coloured handkerchief "That was such a beautiful story, full of action and suspense and tearful moments. I give it a 10/10, 5 gold stars."
"Kaito, I thought I told you this was a private affair. And where is your babysitter anyway?" Shinichi turns and gives a disapproving look at Kaito.
"That's right. You thought it would be funny to promise Hibari a fight with me, to get even for what I did to him at the heist. Well, thanks to you, Mr. Detective, I have been chased the whole day, dodging tonfas, chains and handcuffs, along with physical blows, and demonic hedgehogs from hell. Where is he? Well, you'll find out in three…" Smirks Kaito, looking at a wall opposite him.
"You idiot" shouts Ken and Chikusa.
Chrome backs into a corner, edging towards the door.
"Two…"
Mukuro grabs his trident, and smiles widely
"One…"
Chrome, Ken and Chikusa make a mad dash for the door, and find their way to safety. Shinichi, seeing this, scrambles up off the floor where he had been sitting, and stands next to Mukuro.
"Two steps to the left Shinichi" advises Mukuro. Shinichi complies.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Disciplinary Committee's Leader, Hibari Kyoya."
A wall crashes in and Hibari takes a swing at Kaito.
"Come back here Herbivore. I'm not done with you yet." Hibari growls
"Kufufu. Having trouble with an Unflamed magician Hibari?" asks Mukuro in a sweet as sugar voice.
Hibari sees Mukuro standing there, a broad smirk on his face. Hibari changes targets, jumps and launches himself at Mukuro. If Shinichi hadn't taken those two steps left, he would now be one with the wall.
Kaito prances over and drops a smoke bomb. During the blast, he picks the detective up and whisks him off to safety.
"That's what he gets for calling you 'My Shinichi'. Who does he think he is? You are my Shin-chan, and KID's Tantei-kun, no one else's." Kaito pouts and keeps on walking despite the crashes and bangs from behind them.
"You weren't standing there all that long, so how much of the story did you really hear?" asks Shinichi sceptically.
"All of it, starting with "Mr Kudo Sir, it's time to wake up" from that lovely maid this morning, right up until "you weren't standing there all that long" from you just now." Informs Kaito, voices matching the maid and Shinichi's own perfectly.
"From that early, how did you manage that? I know that you didn't follow me here. I always know when you are nearby." Asks Shinichi, slightly shocked.
"Ah, isn't that sweet, you always know when I'm near. I didn't know you felt that way Shin-chan." Kaito receives a hit on the head from the blushing detective. "Anyway, I placed a microphone on you last night. It's attached to a plaster, so you most likely didn't notice it. It's on your back, so you wouldn't see it and take it off when you got changed this morning. Heehee."
Shinichi scrambles furiously to try and feel the plaster, but finds he can't bend his arm enough to reach it.
"But seriously though, I never knew what he had been through. That's some harsh childhood. And I also kind of understand why death never fazed you. The others told me that he can use some very gruesome, scary and gory illusions if he's really mad. If he was using them on you when you were younger, well, between him and your parents, it's a surprise that anything shocks you anymore, haha. But I wonder what that 'something more' he thought you had was? " Kaito looks at the sky pondering the question
"Hm, I never figured that out. Now, Kaito, dearest, LET ME DOWN!"
So what did you think? This chapter is a mixture of their history from the KHR manga, hence why Lancia is there, but never says anything, but is mostly born from a conversation between me and RedHerring 1412. I'll let you all decide how old they are here, but I'd imagine somewhere around 10 or so, maybe a little older. This allows them the childish moments, but also viably the knowledge that Shinichi comes up with.
Shinichi never seems affected by the deaths around him. The example RedHerring 141 gave was during the roller-coaster episode (aka the start), he tells Ran that he sees bodies in pieces all the time, so not to worry… yeah, smooth Shinichi. So in this story, a mixture of his eccentric parents, and one Mukuro free from the Estrano Family, causes his early desensitisation from Death and 'horror movie' scenes. In return Shinichi improved Mukuro's illusions so much, that he is now the best in the world, more or less, which he passes on to Fran.
I rather enjoyed writing Ken and Chikusa, they never get a lot of air time, (accept in this current manga arc, but now their watches have been shot, so most likely we won't see them again :{ ) and you very rarely see them in stories. I might try to write them in more.
Talking of Fran (or Flan, whichever you prefer), where do you guys want him- if at all. In the future arc aka 10 years in the future, he's with the varia as a replacement for Viper, however before that he was training under Mukuro. Since this story is approximately 5 years in the future, I'll leave it up to you where you want him. I quite like the relationship he has with Bel, but then where do you put Viper? Do we have them both there, or has Viper gotten a new job that pays better? I didn't put him in because I didn't think of it until now, but his absence can be easily explained away. Any way, ideas welcome.
Hope you all liked the blast from the past.
Phantom Hitman 1412
First published 06 Jan 2012