UPDATE: I have no idea why it decided to not have paragraphs for half the chapter. I manually went back and fixed it but as I did it took all my italics away. I put some back but if some are missing... that's why
I opened my laptop to write something else... Then I opened this story for no reason and couldn't stop typing. This one isn't nearly as graphic as teh other chapters for reasons that the character are wising up to what they look at.
So yeah... update for this story, though it hadn't been the one I'd been trying to update. Also, still no spell checker and it's kind of hard to reread this stuff, so there might be more than a few errors.
Chapter 3: Who Your Family Is
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"Don't look." Shinichi had no idea what the explosion had resulted in though he covered Ran's eyes. There was enough horror as it was and he wasn't going to look either. Maybe. He had to deal with Ran first. The acid had burned through a large part of her cheek and already his shirt was stained through between her teeth. She was crying hysterically.
It was painful and horrifying. There was no way she wouldn't be crying.
He had to get her out of the room first. He looked over at the open door, seeing droplets of blood on the floor. With his hand hiding her view as much as he could before she turned, he tried to help her to the door. "Come on. We'll get you help." Somehow.
Shinichi couldn't really move her out of the room. He didn't have the strength as a child and, even if he did, wounded and crying, Ran wouldn't have gotten far. He couldn't do much explaining to her either, considering he was just as confused as she was. One good thing, he had her. She was bleeding and hurt and crying – but he had her. She was here and alive.
For now.
She was still bleeding and he had to find a way to stop that. It was pretty bad though he was somewhat certain she'd be fine for a few hours. It took him a while to notice that Hakuba-kun wasn't near him anymore. He'd helped, somewhat. Since he couldn't see him the only other place he could be was behind him and Shinichi didn't know if he wanted to turn around.
"We have to get out of here," he spoke. He wasn't about to leave him behind. He might not have explained anything more than the other teen had to him, but he was here and he was in danger as well and if Shinichi could get him out too, he would.
"Give me a minute." The words came back to him, quiet and the speaker obviously very disturbed. They were also somewhere near where the other two teens had been before Shinichi had turned away and he had no plans on looking back.
Curiosity was a damn thing. He couldn't help it. After hearing this or that shift and no noise following what was likely material, he had to see what had happened.
The girl hadn't had a chance. She was very much dead, though Shinichi could only really tell that because of the blood. Any wounds that had resulted were hiding behind the other teen who was still handcuffed to nothing, holding her and too much gore to do more than tell that there likely hadn't been much pain before she died. That had to be something. The fact that the first teen was still alive was something else. He'd been holding her.
Hakuba-kun had taken what must have been the coat he had been wearing when he was kidnapped off and was pressing it towards the dark haired teen, though Shinichi wasn't wholly sure why. They were all just sitting there, comforting, trying to be comforted, or in shock.
Shinichi was the one who got it together first. He nudged Ran, trying to have her keep some of her shirt sleeve in her mouth and keep pressure on it. The bleeding should stop, or at least slow. It had to be painful but he had nothing for her. "We have to get going. We don't know what else he's planning and if he has others in conditions like this, we have to get them out."
Neither of the other teens said a thing but Hakuba-kun did look up at him. He looked back at the other teen before settling, seeming to want to go where the other went. That didn't help him. Ran wouldn't be able to do much and it was clear there were likely going to be at least two people, one for each of them, in whatever the next room was. He couldn't go with just her alone.
"Snap him out of it. We have to go." He had to have known what was going to happen. He hadn't chose to help, or couldn't. That wasn't Shinichi's fault and he wasn't going to let others die because of it.
"I- I'm not sure how far he can. Kuroba-kun," Hakuba said as he shook him a bit. "He is right. We have to go. You know that. I- I just want to get out of here."
Shinichi watched as Kuroba let go of the girl, moving his hand, covered in blood and who knew what else, to his shoulder to hold the coat where it was. "Let's go then." His words sounded terrible, like he'd been smoking for years and had only just been hit with the effects of it.
He was able to see why when the teen turned. Not all of the blood was from the girl. Hers had dried on him a bit, dark and obvious across near all of his shirt. Fresh, bright red blood was falling down from his throat and re-staining the collar of his shirt. Half of the teens face was also covered with red, angry marks, some skin missing where it was simply torn away, his left eye closed and blood falling out of it.
Hakuba was right, the teen likely wouldn't make it far if they didn't find help. It was not only the physical. In the one blue eye that was open, there was noting - just a dull expression of someone who had lost everything.
Shinichi hadn't, not yet, and he wasn't giving up. Both the other two were standing and he was ready to go now. He helped Ran, though the sight must have gotten to her to. She had tears falling down her eyes though her mouth was closed and blocked off most of the stifled cries. She was at long last able to stand though, and Shinichi didn't let go of her hand as he walked out of the room, the other two kind of behind him.
He didn't know how much more of this he could take either. He was growing angry though, disgusted far worse than he'd ever been before. This man was going to pay if it was the last thing he did.
Learn to believe yourself
Shinichi wasn't too happy to see the words again. He looked at the door, wondering if he should leave Ran behind. The more people in there, the more that everyone would have to see, be exposed to whatever sick game this was.
If he left her out here though and ended up needing her help, as Hakuba didn't seem to be very reliable, he might end up regretting it.
In the end, Kuroba just grabbed the door with very little hesitation this time and opened it.
There was a metal floor that clanked beneath the teen's feet as he stepped out onto it. The wood from the structure of the building they were in left with the hall, the walls around them equally as cold and stark as the floor. Half of the floor. The other half was water and, in the distance, Shinichi found it hard to tell what the black things swimming around in the depths of it were, though it was easy enough to guess since their tormentor had been hind enough to put some lighting in the water and very little above.
Above the room were two cages hung high enough that he couldn't see who was in them. There were large metal bars that maybe he himself would be able to fit through, but no one else. With the angle so off though, he knew that judgment could be incorrect.
They clanged and lowered a few feet but that didn't help the view much.
It seems we're falling short on our number of players. Better stay with the game. Once you lose there's no going back. Life isn't so easy. You're faced with a new issue. Father figures come and go but how easy it is to lie to those closest to you. How much they have helped and in return they get deceit. It is such a decrepit trait. Now to see where those lies got you. Question and answer shouldn't be so hard. Three for three. You answer one right, and then in turn. Get four out of the six and they go free. Fail, and it's game over.
The cages clanked once more, drawing them down slightly and closer to the opposite wall where they hit into, jarring both occupants. Shinichi didn't need Ran's mumbled words to see Mouri as he rubbed his head, swearing as he woke from what was, for the first time, not a hangover.
"Don't move." Shinichi didn't know what would happen if they tried to break out. It would, in essence, be breaking the rules of this game even if none had been stated. He was a little surprised to see Nakamori-keibu grow still and follow his instructions before occhan. Then the pieces fell together and it didn't take anymore for him to guess who he was playing this game with. There really couldn't be any other. And that made this all the worse. He would never be able to rely on him for this. A pacifist here was the worst he could have hoped for, and yet it was what he was stuck with.
Question one goes to the players. All I ask is for a birthday.
Shinichi had that easy. Ran always went out of her way to celebrate her dad's birthday. Kuroba answered before him and the cage stayed in placed. Shinichi held his breath, wondering if, answering second, there'd be some type of penalty. There wasn't and he let it out, his heart rate slowing. "February twenty-first."
"Very good. The next goes to the other team. For your player, give their birthday."
Nakamori-keibu answered first, as Kuroba had and Shinichi had to swallow. He didn't even have a fake birthday for 'Conan', not that occhan had ever asked. Now that he thought about it, Ran never had either.
"How the hell should I know when the brat's birthday is? Who are you?"
"Mouri-san," Nakamori spoke calmly and raised a hand to his lips. "Try and answer. A guess is better than none and it's still a chance. Unfortunately," Shinichi watched as his eyes traveled to them, and to Kuroba in particular who stared back with the same blank expression, as if watching someone fall to their death was an everyday occurrence. "Something very wrong is going on. It seems important that we answer."
"As if I know though." Mouri looked at him and Shinichi had to hope that, at the very least, he would guess his own birthday. He didn't think the man knew that either though, even if he'd come as Kudo Shinichi.
"As if this is fair. He wouldn't know my birthday anyway." Shinichi spoke to the room, wondering how the man was watching since he still didn't see any cameras.
Five minutes per question now.
Shinichi bared his teeth, seeing Ran fall to her knees beside him, crying and trying to stifle it, even with the cloth. It was enough to get Mouri's attention, since he must not have noticed the condition she was in.
"What the hell did you do to my daughter?!"
"Shut up!"
All eyes turned to Kuroba when he shouted, the word costing him as he pushed the jacket more towards his throat, swallowing hard and having to breath just as difficulty after. "Just shut up and answer. I can't take this. If you know you know, if you don't, a few minutes more of life won't help any of us."
That let the gravity sink in to those it hadn't already and Mouri leaned back in the cage he was in. Cages seemed to be the theme of the day, though he had to suppose even if they weren't in them the swim was impossible to make.
"Damn it, kid. When the hell is your birthday." Mouri ran a hand through his hair and Shinichi could only watch. He didn't want to know what would happen if he gave the answer away.
"You and that detective geek. You said something, at some point, to Ran. That would be my guess but I can't remember what you said." Mouri let out a breath and relaxed. "Damn it, I have no idea. March eleventh."
The cage clanked and fell five feet and Shinichi had to wince at the sound. He was sure he could get the next two of his, but he wasn't sure if Mouri could get his two. One more wrong answer was all they could afford. Ran grabbed his arm from next to him and it easily made him tense up again.
Second question. Players first. Their main job or pastime that they consider similar to one.
"These questions are clearly aimed at them and not us," Shinichi heard Kuroba speak, knowing why he chose now to, considering the question. "Police Inspector."
"Private detective," Shinichi answered right back, not caring that he answered second again. He wasn't in the mood for beating the other and right now they each had five minutes to answer.
"The little brat thinks he's a detective. So I guess detective." The cage didn't move and Shinichi let in another held in breath, half afraid Mouri would try to be funny and say something else.
"I'd say high-schooler but I'm not sure if that counts as a 'job' and you're hinting at something else so the best I can go with is magician."
The other cage fell besides Mouri's and he watched Nakamori-keibu swear inside and rub the back of his head. Because he'd been watching him, Shinichi noticed Kuroba wince, the first expression from him in a while.
"That answer wasn't necessarily wrong but I'm sure arguing with you won't do any good."
There was silence. Unless they both got this next one wrong the people inside would be free to go and Shinichi was confident enough that he wouldn't miss it. There wasn't much he didn't know about Mouri at this point.
Last question. Who is the person they look up to the most?
His confidence faltered a little. Mouri didn't seem to have anyone he admired in a job sense. And even then the choices he had to work with were kind of dicey. Kuroba didn't speak up right away either so it was clear they were both thinking.
"I'm sorry occhan, I have no idea. Okino Youko?"
The cage fell and Shinichi winced as well. Damn it, that was way too close. It was just hovering over the water now and he watched the small, dark fish trying to jump up at him. He stood instead of sitting, both of them seeing that that was a bad idea.
Mouri's turn would come after. First Kuroba had to guess and all eyes were on the other teen as he thought, every not and then and expression of complete weariness coming over him that Shinichi thought he might just fall over instead of answering.
"Ojisan, you never really told me anything like that. If I had to guess though, I would say you don't have one. You just try to be the person you want to be."
Nakamori-keibu held on tight as his cage fell the feet toward the water as well. Inside it though, the inspector was smiling. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to get that. Kuroba Toichi."
The cage stayed where it was a few seconds before moving, the bar keeping to closed releasing as it drew close enough to the edge to make it a pathway from the cage to the metal floor. The inspector stepped out and went over to Kuroba, holding him and being careful of his terrible injuries. "Kami, what happened to you? You look like hell."
Whatever was holding the other teen together fell at that point and Shinichi could hear him crying as he collapsed, all the strength in him gone.
Shinichi looked over at Mouri where he still seemed to be deciding. There was no way he didn't know this. There couldn't be. He wasn't that dense.
"Damn it, you little brat. I have two answers for that and they're pretty much the same answers but different." Mouri paced around, eyeing the fish. Shinichi realized at that point what the problem was.
All those times of saying 'Shinichi-niichan' told me came back to him and he had to let out a breath, a pleading look on his face. Ran couldn't lose her dad, not because of him. He had to guess right. Please.
Mouri nearly used of his five minutes thinking before he stopped. "I guess this is a fifty-fifty chance, which is better than guessing your damn birthday. But if something happens and I'm wrong, whatever's going on, look out for Ran."
Shinichi nodded. It was all he could do to help.
"Damn, I wish I at least had a cigarette for this." It was obvious he was stalling, still not sure on his answer.
Then Shinichi heard his name and, since he knew the answer was wrong, he turned Ran to the side, holding her down as best he could while the chain rattled and fell. He closed his eyes too and turned away, feeling hurt and more than a little like he'd lead Mouri to his death, even if it hadn't been in the way he thought he would. He didn't look back as he heard the water that was trapped under the lid escape the cage as it sank. No more. He knew he had no hope of moving Ran as she sobbed even more uncontrollably than before, clinging to him and trying to look, making him fight her all the way.
It felt like forever before there was a hand on her shoulder, Shinichi feeling it because it forced him to move as well. Nakamori-keibu had blood on him but his eyes were strong and determined. "Come on, both of you. Let's get out of this room. I want you to tell me what's going on after."
Shinichi frowned a moment, assuming the others would have. When he turned to look though, Kuroba seemed to be passed out, his skin very white against the deep red blood that still fell from his open wounds. They were dressed better, the jacket having been cut up and put in place where it wouldn't need to be held.
Hakuba-kun. Shinichi didn't know what was wrong with him. He was against the wall, sitting there with his hands pressed into his eyes and looking like he was talking to himself.
Shinichi nodded, letting go of Ran to him. "Please get her out first."
Nakamori-keibu looked like he thought about it, seeing him as a child and debating to himself. It didn't take him long though as he put his arms around her and carried Ran out instead of trying to get her to walk. Shinichi waited where his eyes, eyes on the door as he left with her. He looked briefly back at the other two before deciding to go over to Kuroba.
It didn't take much prodding to know that the reason he hadn't opened his eyes was to stop the blood flow. It was severely damaged and would likely keep bleeding, even if there was something there to stop it. The fact that he still had his eyelid meant that something had likely flown into it and down the damage, only marring the lower one slightly.
The neck wound was serious. He couldn't have hit any major blood vassals or he'd already be dead, but that didn't mean it wouldn't kill him soon enough, long before they got out of here if this took too long. Ran wasn't much different, though it was very obvious which was in worse shape. If Nakamori-keibu or Hakuba-kun couldn't play some sort of tag-in game on their side, odds were that a few more people would die, and not because they didn't try.
Nakamori-keibu came back and carried Kuroba as Shinichi followed him out, looking back at Hakuba-kun. He wasn't hurt very badly but his shoulder still looked ugly. It likely had been hurting him but he hadn't said anything. Considering the wounds all around, it was no wonder. That didn't mean he could just sit there and act like some sort of child when others were in danger.
Shinichi's fist clenched at his side. It bothered him, a lot. Mouri didn't die for nothing, and like hell if he was going to let the others that were here, or could be here, die like that. He stopped before he reached the door and went over to him, punching Hakuba-kun in the face.
"Get it together or get the hell out of here. If you're going to follow us, help us. If you're going to burden us, go wait somewhere else and we'll get you if we get out of this alive. Right now your moping isn't doing any of us any good and you have a friend right there, near dead as it is, trying harder than you are."
Hakuba-kun stared up at him in shock but there was no light of recognition. All he did was nod and stand, very slowly as if he were forcing himself to. "Right, we need to go. I'm- I'm not going to be alone. Not here."
"Then help."
"I can't." Hakuba looked down at him. "I just- I can't. I can't do the things that he can, I never could. I'm not that kind of person. I can't handle this. This- this isn't my fault. It's his, right? We're here because we know him. He saved me, and I'm grateful, but there's nothing I can do."
Shinichi let out a sigh and walked out. As long as he was following and not getting in the way, there was no harm in taking him. That didn't mean he was happy about it. Hakuba had to get himself together. Right now, he was worried even the inspector wouldn't be enough to keep this group sane.
At points, Shinichi wasn't even sure if he was still in that category himself.