Inquisition: The Birth

Like any criminal organization or any sort of government, the Black Organization was also structured in a hierarchical order. Meaning that, to attain a higher rank, you could either be selected in recognition of your skills; or play a dirty game, prove the hypocrisy of your intended target, trap them in an elaborate scheme and finish them off before they could retaliate. A third way also existed, the coup d'état way, but in this you ought to make sure that your target is the highest of the order, and that no one comes to know about it before it successfully happened.

It was common knowledge that Vermouth was close to Anokata and that Rum is the second authority after Anokata. What was not known, were the identities of Anokata and Rum. And this was extremely important, to run a shady organization, you ought to play dirty politics; the king always moves last, not until checkmated.

.0.

Mouri Ran had known Kudo Shinichi ever since they were toddlers, which at-least meant one thing, and that is, that she knew him well.

She could feel him, she could smell him, she could always sense his presence. He was always present in her mind, guiding in a quiet whisper and providing unseen support and strength. He had always been, and was still the pillar of her foundation, the first brick that formed the core of Mouri Ran. She was never attached to anyone as she was to Shinichi. And the same went for him. She now had abundant evidence.

It was such a pity that he would go to such long lengths to hide his situation, especially from her. He knew that she was never wrong about him, still...he lied and lied and lied.

Lies upon lies upon lies. Millions now. She had lost count.

If she hated someone from the depth of her heart, it would be liars. No, not the regular liars, but those that claim to be truthful seekers of the 'one truth', but stab you in the back like worst traitors. Those that use you for their elaborate schemes, spinning a labyrinth that gets you entangled in an endless spider`s web, whose threads cut through flesh and blood and heart and trust, and leave you in chaos, turmoil and confusion.

Liars who worst of all keep you stuck, waiting and not knowing what to do. Liars who make you doubt your own self, making you question your own sanity. Liars who don't let you leave, nor let you stay.

Liars who play with your feelings. Play with your smiles and tears, happiness and grief. Liars who control your connection to life and manipulate that one drop of water, that single breath of oxygen that holds your life on a suspended string.

Liars like Kudo Shinichi.

She had confronted him, he denied, then provided evidence. She found something suspicious and fishy, he denied again and proved by hook or crook. This cycle had gone for a long time. She would not repeat the same mistakes again. She would watch from the sidelines, would not let him know that she knew, lest he put all his energy and soul into proving her wrong. She would be there to hold him when he fell. She would be there to watch over him as an angel.

She would fulfill all the left voids in his life, as a sister, a friend and hopefully one day, a lover.

For she hated liars, but she loved Kudo Shinichi, she loved Edogawa Conan also, him in whatever form. And she was willing to go to hell and back, to get her Shinichi back.

Because she was Ran, and he was Shinichi, and the red thread did connect them. Because she was Ran with endless unconditional love, she would make sure that their story would not end like this.

.0.

He wished for this agony to end. Oh God, at least everyone was safe where they were... hopefully. He had tried his best to not involve anyone, not Ran, never her, nor Haibara, nor professor, nor Heiji nor Kaito KID. This was his battle. He was going to pay the price and he would make sure that this fire would not reach them, even if it meant being tortured endlessly. He could die this death a thousand times over, if it guaranteed their safety. For now, he just wished for death to claim him. Funny, how people dropped dead like rain around him. And here he was, partly wishing to die but alive and beating and suffering.

If only the winds had not faltered again.

-To be continued-


A/N: This story is written in the format of two, the italic paragraphs (individual parts) indicate the present while the normal parts are the background to how all this came about. And before I forget to mention I don`t own DCMK, though I pledge to borrow the characters, blend them and produce different flavored smoothies ;P.

Hope you liked it!