Well, folks... I proudly present Chapter 7! *cheer* I give almost all of the credit of this chapter to my AWESOME Beta TWILIGHTreader1, who was the one that actually knocked this loose in my mind! We both puzzled over it for some days, but her checking it took a bit longer than we had expected. But before you dare going for her throat, I have to say it is not her fault! She had finals coming up and was pretty busy at school... Yesterday she was done checking and correcting and I took this day to type up the final version of the chappie for your enjoyment^^ I hope you like it...But I'm sure you do^^
And for all of you who think that I might not finish this, don't fret my friends! Since my beta will be on winter vacation soon, we should be able to update more often^^ And I will finish it, come hell or high water...
There is actually one thing I need to make clear here, especially since the latest reviews... I KNOW that Conan/Shinichi knows the FBI, but I saw no reason to add them in and as my beta so eloquently put it, he doesn't need to go to them for every little thing^^ Also, they've got their hands already filled with the Black Org. so bringing them into this case would be too complicated, not to mention that the FBI has no jurisdiction in Japan^^
Also, time table wise, I fitted this in somewhere before that guy moved into Conan/Shinichi's house, simply because I need that house to be empty later on. So I omitted him. Also because of the fact that there are only so many people I can fit into my brain, and I have enough to do with three detectives (not counting the resident one up there) and one psychopath^^
Well, since I've been able to explain these matters that apparently needed clearing up, all that remains to say is: Enjoy! And leave a review while you're at it! *muahaha*
One more thing: We now officially open the 'send-the-chibi-to-therapy' Fund! If you want to send Conan to therapy after the conclusion of this fiction, leave a cyber-cookie with your review and we'll be giving them to everyone's favourite chibi-tantei! Because, you know, cookies make everything better! Now, be kind and donate today!
Chapter 7
"Another long, mind-numbing day at school..." Conan sighed, resting his head against the shoe lockers for a moment. His last class of the day had just ended, finally allowing him to go home. Granted though, given how often he had actually dozed off during class today, it had almost been bearable. Sighing, the little detective walked through the school's gate onto the sidewalk. It was rather windy, leading Conan to clutch his jacket closer to himself. After a while of fighting with Mother Nature, Conan just zipped up his red hoodie and gave up on struggling.
The faux child sighed again, wearily raking a hand through his dark hair, unable to stop yawning.
"I'm so damn tired," his statement was soon followed by another yawn. He really needed some sleep, but as soon as he closed his eyes, images of terrified and injured children would swarm his mind; the faces of all those children he could not save haunted him constantly. They were no longer bound by the confinements of his sleeping mind and the nightmares he suffered from. Now, they plagued his waking thoughts as well.
While walking past the school's building, Conan was drawn out of his gloomy thoughts by someone calling his name.
"Conan-kun! Hey, Conan-kun!"
"Conaaan!"
The mini-tantei instantly stopped dead in his tracks and turned around only to see his three little friends run towards him. For a moment, everything seemed almost perfect. The way they cheerfully ran to him seemed almost like a long forgotten dream. For a second, everything seemed just as it always was. He stood still, not daring to move, out of fear that one wrong step would allow reality to disrupt the moment. Therefore, Conan simply stood there, waiting for them to reach him.
"What is it?" Conan finally asked as they got close enough. The little tantei had a smile plastered on his face, mirroring the ones the children had. He was almost amused watching them catch their breath. This was so like them to simply run as fast they could to tell him something.
They're much too energetic for their own good... he privately thought.
Ayumi was the first to calm down enough to formulate words. Mitsuhiko and Genta on the other hand were still wheezing. Well, Genta was wheezing; Mitsuhiko was much further along in the process of getting his breathing under control than his bulky friend.
"Well, you see, since school ended earlier than usual today, we thought of going to the park and playing a little bit. Why don't you come along, too?" Ayumi asked, her face still slightly red from the marathon sprint a few seconds ago. She was also still breathing a bit heavily as Conan noticed her chest rise and fall rapidly. But what caught his attention even more was the smile she had on her face. It was so innocent and free of any concern. It brought Conan an odd sense of peace to see her so carefree. He couldn't help but smile at her in return. The expression on his face was similar to that of an older brother. As young as he might look physically, inside he was still a mature 17 year old.
"Yeah, Conan. You've been grumpy all week. Let's go do something fun!" Genta added, never one for subtlety.
"And don't worry about this killer. We all have our badges with us, see?" Mitsuhiko threw in. As if on cue, all three of them brought out their badges, waving them right in front of Conan's face. For a moment, Conan couldn't process more than the fact that Mitsuhiko seemed to have perfected the art of reading his mind, since he constantly deduced correctly what Conan was worrying about.
The shrunken sleuth took a look at his three friends, just standing in front of him, calmly waiting for him to make a decision, or in their case, jumping up and down like monkeys on meth, anticipating the 'yes' that was bound to leave Conan's lips. After all, no other word existed as a response in the little bubble that was their world.
They all look so happy and light-hearted...the way they used to be before this killer showed up...
Conan was flooded with anger as he thought about it. As the emotion consumed his being, the sky darkened, as if a storm was approaching. Suddenly, he felt so damn tired again.
I have to find a way to get some sleep...
It had been weeks since he had felt fully rested. Conan cast a quick look to the swirling dark clouds over his head before facing his friends again. He didn't really feel up for a round of 'kick the can' at the park. There were more urgent things on his mind. Children were dying and he had to put a stop to it, before this escalated any further.
"Thanks for the offer, but maybe nex-"
"It's okay. You'll play with us tomorrow, right?" Ayumi interrupted, her face creasing in sadness, even though she forced a smile. It was almost pleading.
Seeing such an expression, Conan felt his smile vanishing. Yet another one of his friends was able to surprise him. They became so perceptive, or maybe he became unable to pretend with them. But this time, Conan wondered if somehow, she had anticipated his answer.
"Sure... Tomorrow." he answered sadly, knowing that he would decline every day until the matter of the killer was dealt with.
Their desire to keep his mind off things was understandable though. They saw him every day, and Conan was aware that with each day he passed, he looked more and more worn. With their apparently new-found ability to guess what he was thinking, it was unlikely they had missed his tiredness. Sure, he'd try to keep up the pretence for their benefit, but he could only pretend for so long. Probably, Ayumi had known that he wouldn't agree to an afternoon of games, but wanted confirmation that he would join them at a later date. That he would be back to his normal self. Apparently, it wasn't just Conan who wanted things to be as they used to.
Ayumi cast him a last look, a pleading, almost desperate look. It seemed so out of place on the normally cheerful girl, so much in fact that Conan was tempted to ask what was wrong. The change had come so suddenly that he couldn't understand what could have caused her mood to deteriorate this fast. Her heartbreaking expression yearned to convey hidden words that did not dare leave her lips.
Conan simply stood there for what felt like a good minute or so, just scrutinizing her face. He desperately wanted to ask what was worrying her, but his throat seemed to close up. Just as the words were about to form, it went dry, not permitting sound to come out. He could only watch as Ayumi turned around facing the two boys behind her and enthusiastically encouraged them about having a fun time at the park. They were all cheering, the way they usually did before setting off for a fun-filled afternoon, including Ayumi. It was as if she'd already forgotten the sadness that plagued her, or maybe...Conan wasn't the only one that had a talent to lock away his true feelings at a moment's notice.
The shrunken sleuth simply stood there, watching his friends run off. He desperately wanted to follow for some reason, but his legs suddenly felt like lead, not allowing him to move. His predicament left him with no choice but to watch his friends leave with the hope that they would be okay.
Time seemed to slow down while the clouds overhead twisted into grotesque shapes in a darkened sky. His friends' retreating figures were no longer visible, but Conan remained for a few moments longer.
Consumed by the urge to do something, yet unable to figure out what exactly, Conan finally turned and continued on his way. He still had some ground to cover to reach the Agency, and he wanted to arrive there before it started to rain. Out of habit, he looked at his watch, but was taken aback by what he saw.
"How odd, it's barely 2..." Conan mumbled to himself as he absently rounded the corner of his school grounds. But instead of another street to walk down, he found himself at the corner of the Agency. For a moment, it confused him. Normally, the walk from school took him a solid 30 minutes. Conan somehow ended up at his destination without any memory of how he got there, but he paid no real mind to it. He made his way up the stairs, letting himself believe to have simply blacked out during the walk due to his sleep deprivation. It also happened many times when Conan was deep in thought; he simply failed to pay attention to his surroundings. After all, it was a much better assumption than losing one's grasp on reality or something equally disturbing.
The little tantei opened the door to the flat above the Agency and called out a greeting, which went, however, unanswered. Abandoning his school-bag, Conan walked into the living room, only to find it empty. The only sound in the room was coming from the TV that was for some reason still on, quietly broadcasting some soap opera. The scent of Ran's cooking engulfed the small apartment, but a quick glance into the kitchen proved useless also. There was no one home.
Perhaps Ran went to the store to buy something she forgot for dinner...
That seemed like a plausible enough solution, and of course, Kogoro surely went to some bar to drink himself silly again. As much as Conan appreciated the time he had to himself for a change, suddenly being home alone didn't seem that appealing. Unfortunately, all he could do was wait until his surrogate family came back.
His mind was too shot at the moment to attempt looking through case files. Therefore, he decided to head for the couch and at least try to relax. Even though Conan felt the lingering effects of sleep-loss creeping up on him, his brain refused to be silenced. It was like having a mini-radio inside one's head running at full blast; it just wouldn't stop talking. To make matters worse, he was still anxious because of everything that had happened, making the little tantei very restless. Not able to sit still any longer, Conan decided that it would be a good idea to walk around the block; maybe that would clear his head a little. Physical exercise usually helped, and a walk around the block seemed safe enough. He could even stop by the bookstore and get himself some new reading material or something, anything to stop his mind from going in circles. On his way out, Conan stopped by the TV, seeing the signal apparently lost. All the screen now showed was static, and for some unfathomable reason, it creeped him out. He wasn't sure why; he just knew that it did. Quickly, he grabbed the remote and shut the television off. As the screen turned black, thunder rumbled in the distance, strangely causing the ground to vibrate ever so slightly.
Choosing not to think about it for the moment, Conan shrugged it off as he stepped outside. Noticing the almost black sky, he took another glance at his watch.
8pm... can't be...
And yet he was staring at the proof. When he looked up again, Conan found himself in a place he didn't recognize. Tall trees obscured his vision, even the light that had seemed to be around him a moment ago faded, casting the boy in darkness. Puzzled, he searched around but was unable to recognize a single thing as the trees overwhelmed his vision.
Conan's heart skipped a beat. He had no memory of how he came to be in this place.
How strange... he thought while looking around, quietly sighing. He was extremely overdue on some sleep.
Suddenly, his senses seemed to go from 'normal' to 'hyper-aware' and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He knew that feeling; someone was watching him. To make the situation worse, Conan was alone in a sea of trees with no idea how to get back to civilization. A shudder travelled down his rigid spine before he could stop it.
This is bad...
Whoever was watching him, it was definitely not a passer-by. Conan could feel the hunger in that gaze. Caught by such a stare, the small detective couldn't help but feel like the mouse in front of the snake.
Determined to keep at least the pretence of confidence despite his racing heart, he turned and started walking in any direction. Sooner or later, he would have to come across a street. After all, Tokyo was not exactly renowned for its copious plant life. At some point, he'd reach some sort of civilization.
Covertly casting a nervous glance around him, Conan hoped to catch a glimpse of his stalker, but no one was there even though he still felt that stare. At this point, Conan had turned around, feeling reason rapidly leaving him. Suddenly, he heard branches break. The noise seemed to be coming from all around him and yet nowhere at all: both things at the same time. The shrunken tantei kept turning to face the direction of the sound, but found himself to be unable to locate where exactly it originated. His heart seemed almost ready to jump from his chest and his breathing hitched, as he completely realized how much danger he was in. Immediately, his mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion, allowing only one thought to rule his mind: He was in deep shit, indeed.
Another branch snapped, louder and nearer, followed by another rumble of thunder and that strange vibration underneath his feet. Logic departed completely, making way to absolute panic, causing Conan to dart forward like an arrow released from a string. Closely behind, the snapping followed, ever nearer to him. Despite how fast he ran, it seemed to be right on his heels which only served to drive the spike of panic deeper into his core.
He heard rapid breathing, while the branches creaked and shuddered and the leaves scattered in sudden gusts of wind. The breathing grew louder, as if he was running towards it instead of away from it. Realizing this, Conan stopped suddenly. Willing his frantic lungs to calm and his frantic heart to quiet down, he couldn't help but act like a paranoid child.
The wind caused the trees to sway and groan, while thunder rumbled through the sky. The shrunken detective's small form stood in shadows and shot panicked glances at his surroundings. Conan flinched violently as a flock of birds suddenly disturbed in their rest, scattered into the sky. At this point, his entire body was shaking. Usually logic overruled fear in his mind, but not this time. Panic gnawed at him as his instincts screamed at him to keep running, but his muscles were unable to move.
No longer knowing what to do, Conan shut his eyes and covered his ears with his hands, like a five-year old kid terrified of a storm. At that moment, he truly was nothing more than the child he appeared to be to the world, and for that moment, he felt exactly as he looked.
Finally admitting his fear, the shrunken tantei was ready to break into another run, anything to get away from that dreadful feeling of panic and all those surrounding sounds. Conan ran and ran until he thought he would pass out on the spot, but he felt like he was going in circles. He hadn't even reached a clearing of any kind. His little body was way past its limit, but the chibi refused to stop. As he passed a few oversized and gnarled trees, his foot got caught on one of the roots, causing him to crash to the ground. His body slid through mud and roots, skinning most of his exposed flesh. Not even paying attention to his wounds, Conan shot a glance over his left shoulder to see if his follower was still in pursuit, but couldn't see anyone. Just as he was about to get to his feet again, everything suddenly fell quiet. It was as if someone pressed the mute button on a remote. Yet again, a noise that sounded much like thunder roared overhead as a shaking sensation consumed the earth.
Confused, Conan looked around. The only things visible were the leaves that still scattered over the ground and the trees, still in motion. It was just silent. Soundless wind still howled through the night, but the monster chasing him was nowhere to be found. The feeling of being watched and followed had also disappeared. For the span of a few frantic heartbeats, he felt utterly alone in the world. And that feeling of loneliness was almost worse than the panic that had ruled him but a few moments ago.
Then his ears picked up a sound, somewhere to the left of him. Automatically, he turned, only to find himself at the corner of a deserted street, leading to a dark alley. Left with little other choices, Conan walked down the empty road towards the noise. As he got closer, he was able to identify the sound as sobbing. Realizing that it sounded very similar to a child's voice, he moved quickly towards it, making his way into the alley. Not knowing what he would find there and no longer caring, Conan moved his tired, aching legs, hoping to find whoever it was that needed help.
The closer he got, the clearer he could hear it. There was a sobbing child somewhere in this grimy alley. A sound that made his skin crawl. Finally reaching the entrance of the alley, Conan surveyed the area. Huddled against a wall some distance away from him, a small girl was sitting in an upright foetal position with her head tucked and arms slung around her knees, trembling in the cold. The small child wore a ragged and ripped dress, something that surely could not protect her from the biting wind. The clothes were dusty and rumpled, even torn in several places and covered in dark stains. The same stains seemed to be in her brunette hair, dishevelled as it was.
Conan slowly approached the huddled, crying figure. A bad feeling began to spread through him, he wanted nothing more than to grab the little girl and start running. With every sob and gasp he heard, every time her shoulders shook and her body trembled, Conan felt himself become fearful for the girl. Crouching down directly in front of her, the scent of blood invaded his senses. The girl was covered in it.
If only to make her stop crying, Conan reached out to touch her, but his arm only made it half the way, before the girl raised her bloodied head and locked gazes with him. His hand fell limply to his side as he beheld the girl in front of him. Sorrow spread in his chest as he looked and saw, in all its agonizing clarity, all there was to see. Words failed him as a single tear slid down his cheek, and he realized exactly who he was looking at.
Her hair was dirty and covered in dried blood, clinging to her forehead like a dark mat. Her left eye was swollen shut and trickled a small amount of blood, mixing with her tears as it ran down to reach a bleeding, split lower lip. A deep gash on the left side of her temple slowly oozed blood, which was already coagulating.
The small girl just continued to cry, sniffling quietly and occasionally reaching a bruised hand to brush tears off her cheek. And as she did so, Conan became aware of dark purple marks on her throat: marks of strangulation. Somehow, Conan was able to see every wound as clearly in the dark as if the sun was shining on them.
Unable to hold himself up any longer, the shrunken sleuth sunk to the ground. Shaking, he buried his head in his hands, failure creeping up his spine, while he could no longer hold the tears at bay.
"Co-Conan-kun..." she croaked out. At the sound of her faint, broken voice, he lifted his gaze again. She sounded throaty, as if she'd been screaming for a long time.
"He...he f-found m-me..."
Oh please, no... Conan just stared at her, unable to say a word.
She kept sniffling and the sound nearly broke him to pieces. He couldn't answer her; all he could do was sit there and listen to her croaking, brittle voice, broken by sobs and tears.
"H-..hhe...pl-lease..." she continued, "I'-m ... sc-car-ed... Hel-p m-me..." She couldn't hold back her tears any more and began to cry anew. Her tears were spilling over bruised and bloodied cheeks, leaving faintly pink trails on the pallor of her skin. The little girl buried her head into her knees again, while her arms hugged her legs to her chest tightly, as if she was falling apart.
Conan's blood ran cold as he saw her doing so. Somehow that image burned itself inside his mind, and he was aware that he'd never forget it.
"A-...Ayumi..." he choked out, once more trying to reach for her, but found his arm would no longer obey his command. He had spoken so softly that he was surprised she had even heard him, but her movements stilled and her shaking stopped utterly, while she lifted her head once more to look at him. Conan stared back, noticing with dread that the life had left her eyes, leaving behind only a blank stare. The same dead stare he had seen on all those crime scene photos. He couldn't move; Conan was paralysed by his friend's lifeless eyes.
And then, so very suddenly, her head tipped backwards, revealing the terrible strangulation marks and her lungs heaved a gigantic breath. Her mouth opened and she screamed, as he'd never heard anyone scream before. It was a dreadful howl of pain and betrayal, causing Conan to cover his ears. He couldn't handle hearing her scream like that; the mere sound shattered him into pieces and crumbled his world into a jumbled mess around him. He had failed her.
Conan crouched there, his hands covering his ears with his eyes shut tightly, trying desperately to drown out her screams. Those terrible howls broke him completely. He failed to protect her, failed to protect a friend from this monster, and he had no one to blame but himself. Her screams got louder and louder and then simply stopped. It was so abrupt that it took a moment for him to realize it. Silence descended as Conan sat there, his small lungs heaving in a despairing attempt to calm himself down, but it was a useless effort, and he knew it.
Opening his eyes and uncovering his ears, Conan looked up, only to find the spot where Ayumi had been, to be empty. Looking around, he tried to spot the girl, but she was gone. It was impossible for her to have gotten up and walked away, logic told him so, and yet she was gone.
Why did I take my eyes off her... the boy scolded himself, becoming ever more frantic as he looked around. He had been right in front of her; there was no way she could have gotten past him without him noticing. Still, he was alone in the alley. The feeling of loneliness washed over him for a brief moment, but was soon drowned out by utter despair.
How was he ever going to look Mitsuhiko and Genta in the eyes again? For that matter, how was he ever supposed to face the world again, knowing that he had failed to protect one of his friends?
Then, just as he was crouching there, silently debating whether to lie down and be done with everything, a different feeling invaded his senses once more. The feeling of being watched returned and with it, a dark, heartless chuckle.
On reflex, Conan spun around, jumping to his feet as he did so. His eyes automatically flew to the entrance of the alley. Soundless wind still blew around him, ruffling his clothes and hair, as the shrunken tantei stared at the person just a few feet away from him, blocking the only exit. It was a tall, dark mass, vaguely human-shaped: being nothing more than a black shadow in a dark night. Thunder sounded again, causing the ground to vibrate once more, as it had happened before.
Another chuckle wafted through the air, causing Conan's heartbeat to race away again, while all other reason rapidly fled the boy's thoughts. For a terrifyingly long moment, he truly was no more than a scared child.
In a clear voice, laced with evil and sadistic pleasure at seeing a child quake in fear, the man spoke, a quiet hiss that echoed all around the boy.
"Your turn."
The ground shuddered again as a hand stretched towards Conan and cold fingers clamped around his throat. Slowly, everything was drowned in an eclipse of darkness, as the entire world around him started to vibrate intensely.
At that very moment, Conan surged upright in his bed, sweating profusely, while the scream he wanted to voice died in his throat. As his body shook violently almost to the point of hysterics, his gaze roamed his surroundings, for a moment unsure of where he was. Then, realization hit as he heard the soft sound of snoring coming from Kogoro, and Conan felt the sheets tangled around his legs. He was in his bed, in the room he shared with Kogoro above the Agency.
It was only a dream... just a dream... Conan closed his eyes, as he tried to calm his breathing. He desperately tried to convince himself that what he'd just seen was not reality. After all, he had been sleeping, but his mind protested such logic. It was just too vivid, too terrible...too close to home. Conan took a deep breath and sighed.
"God-dammit..." he whispered, numbly noting how shaken his voice was, "A dream... just a dream..." He kept repeating this quietly to himself, as if saying it would make the terror go away.
His eyes roamed his surroundings again, frantically trying to calm down. A part of him believed that he was stuck in that terrible, god-forsaken alley. He half expected the nightmare image of Ayumi to be crouched in a corner of the room. Slowly but surely though, the snoring and the sheets around him, combined with the familiar sights and smells, reinforced the message that it indeed had only been a dream.
"Shit...Ayumi again..." at this point the mini-tantei was rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "Yesterday, it was Mitsuhiko. Who's next, Genta?!" he mumbled to himself, passing a shaking hand over the rest of his face. He tried to banish the images of his friends being hurt from his mind, but it was a useless struggle. At this rate, he might forgo sleeping all together.
Every night, it was a new nightmare, a new person to get harmed in gruesome and terrifying ways. He needed to get his roaring emotions back under control or risk that dreadful nightmare becoming a reality. It almost felt as if he was a child, feeling scared and helpless. Conan never was able to help any of them. He was always too late, too slow...too small to make a difference. It also didn't help that, most of the times, it was his friends who were being hunted, tortured, and murdered. He'd even had one of Haibara. That had been the worst so far; he still shuddered to recall it. She had seemed too broken in that dream; Conan couldn't imagine even Gin going so far to break her.
A slight vibration startled him out of his grim thoughts and caused him to jump what felt like 5 feet into the air. His eyes flew towards the cause of the noise only to realize belatedly that it had been his cell phone vibrating. That also most likely explained that odd shaking sensation he'd experienced several times during the dream. It had been next to his pillow, vibrating, several times during the night, apparently. Drawing a shaking breath, Conan grabbed his phone, only to see that he had 4 missed calls in the last half-hour. The last call must have been what had caused him to wake up.
"At least, the phone woke me up before that dream progressed any further... I'd hate to see what happened next," he sighed and shakily stood up. He needed to be out of the room. All urge to go back to sleep had evacuated his mind. He didn't feel like risking another nightmare.
Softly closing the door, he made his way to the table in the living room, before checking his phone to see who called him so late, even though he already had a fairly good idea. Looking at the caller ID, Conan found his suspicions confirmed. After all, there was really only one person who would call him in the middle of the night. Instinctively pressing redial, the call was answered before the second ring could sound.
Conan didn't even have the time to say a greeting, before his Osakan friend started talking, "Jeez, Kudo! How many times do I 'ave ta call?!" Hattori all but yelled into his phone. It was obvious that he had been constantly trying to reach him.
Breathing deeply to cover his somewhat shaking voice, Conan tried to reason with his friend, "It's the middle of the night, Hattori!"
"Yeah, so?" his tanned friend replied nonchalantly, causing the shrunken sleuth to pass a hand over his eyes wearily.
"Some people actually sleep at night..." Conan sighed, feeling oddly calmed by the utter cluelessness of his friend.
A small laugh erupted from the other end of the line. "I guess yer right," Hattori responded, still chuckling quietly.
Conan stayed quiet for a moment, simply rolling his eyes at his friend's antics. "Why are you calling anyway? Can't this wait until morning?" the shrunken detective asked, forcing his mind to concentrate on the current conversation rather than the dream he just had.
"Sorry, Kudo... I jus' couldn' sleep, is all..."
"So you decided to call and wake me up." That wasn't a question. Even though his comment relayed his supposed annoyance, Conan was grateful to his friend for waking him up. As he heard Hattori's chuckle from the other end of the line from his sarcastic jibe, a small smile wound its way upon Conan's features.
"Sorta," was Hattori's short reply, followed by another round of laughter. Something told Conan that the guy had known all along that his short friend was sleeping. Granted, Conan WAS glad for the rude awakening, so he decided to let it slide... for now. On any other day, that would have been a different story.
For a few moments, the line stayed silent. Then, an almost imperceptible sigh could be heard from the Osakan, leading Conan to believe there was more to this call than just a bored detective unable to fall asleep. Most likely, it had to do with the series of child killings in Tokyo. After all, Hattori had called before, but that had been almost two weeks ago.
A moment later, Conan's suspicions were confirmed when Hattori began to speak in a quiet, serious voice. "It's all over da news, ya know?" the Osakan said quietly. His voice was so solemn and serious that Conan stayed quiet and listened as his friend continued, "Even though, he's only goin' after Tokyo kids, people 'ere are in a frenzy."
Conan sighed heavily, absently pinching the bridge of his nose. Panic among the citizenry of Tokyo, he had expected, but Osaka seemed a bit too far away for that. Still, the shrunken tantei wasn't that surprised by the news. It was to be expected after all.
"I know Hattori," he said. Conan's voice came out so tired that he reminded himself to make more of an effort to sound something akin to his normal self. He had to stay focused and concentrated, if he ever wanted to make any sort of headway in this case.
"Ya got anythin' on 'im?" Hattori's voice brought Conan out of his thoughts. The boy was inwardly grateful that the teen detective had not called to attention the weariness that was so evidently present in his voice.
"Not really," the mini tantei rested his head in his hand for a moment, absently staring into space, "We've got some fibers, probably from the culprit's car, but without anything to compare them to, they're practically useless for now. And according to the old man, a small amount of black sand was left behind at almost every crime scene..."
"Wait!... He told ya all dat?!" Hattori interrupted him, suitably surprised. After all, the tanned teen was aware of how many brick walls Kogoro had erected just to keep Conan from the case.
A small chuckle escaped Conan before he answered, "After about half an hour of me annoying the man, I wheedled my way in. I got my fair share of noogies for it, but yeah, in the end he told me. Well, more like, he yelled it at me." Conan let out another sigh, this one caused by frustration rather than weariness, "I didn't find out as much as I'd hoped, to be honest. Though, the old man did confirm that the black spots in the crime scene photos were not a glitch in the technology. That's how we found it, by the way: a dark smudge on several crime scene photos. Those supposed smudges were a small amount of black sand left behind, in the vicinity of the body. Still..."
"'S not dat much ta go on, ne?" Hattori finished Conan's sentence.
"My thoughts exactly," the small detective agreed gravely.
"...But leavin' black sand behind is a bit weird... even fer dat creep's standards." the Osakan said, sounding quite puzzled.
In fact, Conan had thought about just that before he'd fallen asleep. Unfortunately though, the shrunken teen had been unable to find a suitable reason as to why such a thing would be left behind.
"There's nothing normal about this case," Conan sighed, raking a weary hand through his hair. He felt so damn exhausted. For a moment, Conan allowed himself to think back over the last couple of nights. His tendency to sleep a full night, undisturbed, was steadily decreasing, and with it, his ability to focus on the problem at hand. If this continued for much longer, he'd be the equivalent of a modern day zombie. He was already almost unable to form coherent thoughts as it was.
Note to self: Need. To. Sleep...
"Kudo..." Hattori interrupted his thoughts, and once more, Conan had to force himself to pay attention, "Wha' 'bout you?" For some reason, his friend had sounded oddly hesitant.
"What do you mean?" Conan asked, unable to understand what his friend was trying to say.
"I mean, are ya a'right?" Hattori sounded a bit angry when that question came out, much more forceful than his usual tone of voice.
Conan frowned, confused, "Why wouldn't I be? Despite the fact that you called me in the middle of the night, I'm doing just peachy." There was the slightest hint of sarcasm towards the end of his sentence, but Hattori did not pick up on that. Either that, or he chose to purposely ignore it.
There was a slight pause before the tanned teen spoke again, and just as he did before, Hattori sounded strangely hesitant, "Dunno... Ya jus' sound off, is all." There was obviously more implied in that statement than Hattori was willing to let on.
Conan, of course, picked up on it right away. He could even feel a muscle in his jaw twitch as a result.
"Maybe that's because it's 2:35 in the morning." He said rather hastily, shooting a quick glance to the clock. It really was late. Or early, depending on how one looked at it.
For a few more heartbeats, the line stayed silent. Conan feared that Hattori had figured out that this case was starting to be more than he could handle. He tried to hide it, but this was hitting much too close to home. Admitting to nightmares seemed so childish. Not to mention, it could be seen as a weakness, one he was not willing to share with his friendly rival. It was too personal, and Conan never had been the type to get emotional in front of others.
A small laugh coming from the other end of the phone shook the mini-tantei out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout dat. It's just 'cause dat case has been on my mind." Hattori got really quiet again, before he continued in a more serious tone, "It's ALL over da news, ya know? Damn press even nicknamed da guy..."
"They what?!" Conan had to restrain himself from shouting, considering he was the only one awake for the moment.
"Nicknamed him," Hattori repeated slowly, probably just to get a reaction out of the smaller detective. "They're callin' 'im da Bogeyman of Tokyo. Ya know, 'cause of da kids? He's da monster dat none of da parents can see, but he's there and jus' takes da kids. Then, no one hears from 'em again... Well, until da police find 'em," the Osakan explained.
Tiredly, Conan passed a hand over his eyes. He'd suspected this day to come eventually. After all, it had only been a matter of time until some reporter cooked something up.
"Figures they'd do something like this sooner or later. Damn reporters," Conan all but spat into the phone. "What good would naming him be to the public? It'll only inflate the killer's ego! Most likely, this guy is desperate for attention as it is. They're giving him exactly what he wants!" the not-child growled in righteous anger. His frequent sleep disturbances caused his temper to flare much quicker than normal. It took a great deal of energy to keep his frustration from breaking out onto unsuspecting targets. To calm himself, the chibi tantei took several deep breaths, before directing his attention to his friend's own little verbal explosion.
"Whatta sick bastard! Can't wait ta see his sorry ass behind some heavy bars!"
"I know," Conan said after a few moments of reining his temper back in. Once again, he felt exhaustion creeping up his spine. He felt like being caught between two emotions: anger and exhaustion. And at the moment, exhaustion seemed to be winning. Wearily, he let his head drop back into his palm, leaning heavily on the table, before he continued to speak, "Me too. We need to stop him before he hurts any more kids..."
Like Ayumi or any of the others...
A cold shudder travelled through the small detective as his brain unwillingly recalled the image of his female friend. Even in the throes of that nightmare, his deductive mind had been working, if only on instinct alone. He'd seen the choking marks on her throat, and in that one moment, there had been only one conclusion. In that one, petrifying long moment, he'd honestly believed Ayumi to be dead. Those marks had just seemed too god-damn real. He'd just seen and instinctively known it. He suspected the sight to haunt him for weeks to come.
Determined, Conan shook his head, willing the images to retreat back into whatever hole they had escaped out of. It had only been a dream, after all. There was no need to worry about it any more, as it had already passed. Ayumi was safely at home, and the killer only took children off the streets; he never broke into someone's house. Conan was desperately trying to rationalize some sort of explanation to simply calm his brain and avoid full-on paranoia.
"Uh, Kudo..." Hattori's voice filtered through the hazy jumble of Conan's thoughts. Strangely enough, the Osakan sounded almost nervous. Almost as if Hattori was internally debating whether or not to say something.
"What is it?" Conan asked tiredly, repressing a yawn.
"Ya... err... need ta take care o' yerself too, a'right?" Hattori said in a rush, as if he was having second thoughts after the first word left his mouth.
Conan, meanwhile, was stunned. Of all the people who regularly said that to him or some variation of it, he hadn't expected it from his friend. Of all people, Hattori knew just how capable Conan could be.
"I always d-" Conan started, a wry grin on his face.
"No! I'm serious, Kudo! Ya could be one o' dat creep's targets too. Ya might be smarter than 'is average prey, but dat doesn't mean he won't come after ya!" Hattori interrupted him adamantly, which caused the shrunken detective to fall silent. It was rare that Hattori talked in such a dead-serious voice, no pun intended. Usually, the guy would just waffle on about food, leaving him to read between the lines to understand what the Osakan really meant, but for him to fully express his feelings meant that he was truly worried. Now the true reason for this nocturnal call came into view. Whether he completely admitted it or not, Hattori was concerned.
Meh...he's not the only one... not that I'm the one they should be worrying about...
"I'll be fine-" he tried again, only to be interrupted once more.
"This ain't a joke, Kudo! I know ya like ta think dat yer invincible, but yer not. And ta dis maniac, yer jus' another kid!" the Osakan spoke gravely. Such a tone was used so rarely and exclusively on matters which really warranted such a level of seriousness.
Something about the true level of worry in his friend's voice caused the shrunken teen to smile a bit.
"All right, I get it, Hattori. I promise I'll watch my back," Conan said seriously and meant it. "But that doesn't mean, I'll leave this case alone," he added after a moment.
Conan grinned when he heard his counterpart laugh at the other end of the line. "Wouldn't 'ave expected anythin' less of ya," his friend said, still chuckling.
Their call ended shortly after. Closing the phone, Conan took another look at the clock above the door. It was almost three in the morning.
Sighing for the umpteenth time today, he stood up and returned to the shared room with Kogoro. The great Sleeping Sleuth had apparently changed positions several times while Conan had been out of the the room. Kogoro now lay in a limp, grotesque form sprawled on his bed, tangled in his own sheets, still snoring loud enough to wake the dead. How the man could sleep like that was beyond Conan's understanding, but it served to cause another smile to surface.
Well, I might as well try and sleep again... Maybe I'll get lucky, and tonight's quota for terror is filled... Maybe...
*muahahahaha* Scared ya, didn't we?! *giggle* Well, we just thought a bit of terror might be nice for a change^^ We cooked this idea up about one week after Halloween, so we both were still in the appropriate frame of mind *giggle* Hope you don't murder us for it... Always remember, if you kill us, you'll never know how it will end up *laugh*
Like I said, credit goes to TWILIGHTreader1, whom I blame entirely for this little foray into terror and fear^^ Just kidding, sweetie, the idea was brilliant *hugs*
And for anyone finding spelling errors... That's impossible, my and my beta checked the chapter several times before I put it up... But I write things in British English, so if you're American, stuff is bound to look wrong *gg*