Inquisition: The Birth of Beginning

The gradually growing volcano, the howling flames had reached their threshold, and the spillover of this burning lava was eminent.

She could feel it, even Nature was blaring, warning her to move, to play her trump card: Cool guy, the silver bullet. No matter how long she had been a part of the Black organization, Vermouth had never been a part of it with choice, rather was with compulsion. Once upon a time, she was also a small little girl, with a loving family, beautiful friendships and peaceful life in countryside. She also had a past, a name that was neither Chris nor Sharon nor Vermouth. A family that she did die for; forgotten promises and faded love.

All that was buried for years had come back out when two innocent teenagers had saved her life, without any reason, without any selfish ulterior motive. And her past had suddenly become alive again; flashing memories, faces that she had dumped in some dark corner and never dared to disclose again. That one act of kindness had created such a ripple of endless emotions, that from then she had been waiting for a perfect time, to end this thrice cursed blood-sucking organization once for all. She had been waiting and building up slowly, gaining higher position so that she could become a better catalyst to speed up their downfall. Perhaps fate was with her that Sherry's drug would do what it wasn't intended to, that Cool guy would be at that place at that time. For Gin to slip up, for Sherry to escape, for Cool guy to be able to single handedly manipulate Them; she hoped that, that time was coming near.

She had seen Kudo Shinichi fight, had seen the brilliant workings of his brain that had even thrown her off-guard, so many times. She had witnessed him fight back, with what? Bare extensible straps and a helmet that had spooked out the helicopter... high projectile footballs that seemed to outweigh sniper bullets! On the spot improvisation that could put professionals to shame! The perfect silver bullet was here, and she hoped that all the odds would be in favor of her team. She was at his side, she would be an ally that he never expected. After all, people like her should also get a chance to revenge and repent. And she would do anything for him; for him and Angel, a thousand times over.

She had tried many times to save him, to subtly change Gin's attention away, to misdirect him from suspecting Edogawa Conan and the Mouris. She had tried her best to not let the wrath of the organization descend upon them, even going as far as slipping up, leaving clues behind, showing of herself to him, all the time warning him without letting both sides know her intentions.

The bottom line was, the inevitable would surely happen. The organization was already investigating the root cause, and she knew that warding off Gin and his trigger-happy hand would be impossibly difficult.

This was the time. She just hoped that the winds were with them, her side, his side, the good side.

.0.

APTX4869 was a drug that affected every cell of the body. It was a toxin that killed the body by apoptosis; by directing the cells to suicide. It was a pure miracle that their bodies were able to direct this self-killing in a systematic way, to the extent of stopping the process at a certain point where the amount of blood, neurotransmitters and chemical messengers were perfectly sufficient for a child's body. She was the most surprised by the fact that they had retained their intelligence. It was impossible to lose a mass of your brain but still retain complete brain functioning associated to those parts. The whole thing was so crazy that it felt something straight out of a manga, it had defied all laws of science, of comprehensible understanding and yet there she was, a living proof of its existence.

Sometimes, she herself was confused by this genetic madness. Of all the seven billion people in the world, why were there only two survivors?! It was so conspicuous that the first survivor was dubbed as the 'Heisi Holmes', the modern Sherlock Holmes; and the name 'Sherlock' was in the toxin's name- 4869. Perhaps it was karma, some strange twisted plan of some deity to finish off the organization by something that they themselves had sponsored and created. It was safe to think like this, at least, than blanketing guilt upon herself that she had countless blood on her hands, the mere thought of which left her gasping for life.

But one thing was sure, how much ever she claimed to know about this drug, it was all the more enigmatic. She knew without doubt that she and Kudo would never get back to what they were, even if she somehow would possibly procure a permanent antidote, the inherent change was impossible now, in all ways: physically, emotionally, intellectually and psychologically. They would never be the true Kudo Shinichi or Miyano Shiho.

The bottom line was, that she would always be at his side, who knows how this toxin would react to whatever shit always happened with him. And if Kudo Shinichi's mission was to bring down the Black organization, then hers, Miyano Shiho's was to give him his life back. She owed at least this much, and she was going to fulfill her oath sincerely.

.0.

Pounding footsteps reverberated on the dusty floor echoing the thumping of his heart. He wondered when he would get a chance to escape from this hell. Someone ought to have figured out his absence, someone ought to have gotten a lead to where he was. Or if Gin had covered all tracks and just sent a bullet through everyone's head who tried to come near… For now, he could faintly make out footsteps of two people, one light and airy and soothing, and the other evil and pounding.

The sight that met him was the one that he feared most. Out of the mist and smog, came out the image that he had frequently seen in his nightmares. All the willpower and hope and whatever was left inside him shattered all over again. God, he had tried so hard, had fought, had told lies, had gone against his own principles, against the one truth, just so that he would not see this day.

A lone tear glided across his cheeks as a whisper escaped from his lips, "Ran." If only time could go back again.

If only he did not go behind Gin and Vodka at Tropical Land. If only he wasn't so curious. No...perhaps it was more of arrogance than curiosity. Perhaps he had become too arrogant and proud of himself. Perhaps the praise had gotten into his head and made a permanent abode. Perhaps he was too confident in his skills that he thought that nothing, no one could escape him, could outsmart him.

What was the saying...yeah, that pride goes before the fall. So true, his overconfidence had led to this mistake.

If only!

Then he wouldn't have to see a gagged and ragged Ran, a fallen angel at mercy of a monster. Ran, who looked disheveled and tired but still held her head high, face betraying no emotion eventhough a gun dug circles into her forehead.

Ran, whose eyes accused him, questioned him, talked to him. Asked him how he was. Asked him why?... Told him that everything would be fine. Told him that she still loved him. Told him that they would get out of this together.

He didn't know this language. He had never learned talking through eyes. Yet here he was, a split second of eternity had taught him this too.

Why were the winds so against him?!

Why?

-To be continued-


A/N: It feels like this story is catching my little finger and showing me the way. Not the other way round, that I am the creator, author of it. Let`s see where it leads me!