Chapter 16 - When the Two Radiant Stars Entered The Land Of The Rising Sun
[ Flashback ]
A few weeks ago, within the confines of a Los Angeles manor, the melodic chime of a ringtone reverberated through a bedroom.
Accompanying it were the sounds of incoherent muttering coming from underneath the bedspread.
Yukiko wasn't too pleased at waking up early on a Saturday morning. Weekends were designated "rest" days, and she cherished the luxury of lingering in bed until the clock neared noon. Her life as the self-proclaimed "world's most beautiful actress" had molded her into an aficionado of lazy mornings, a stark contrast to the tumultuous hours she was used to spending on the film sets.
And there she sat, upright on her bed, contemplating what to do about this situation.
On the one hand, she wanted to toss the intrusive telephone out the window and let Yusaku deal with the aftermath of buying a new one.
On the other, a cursory glance at the caller ID had revealed the perpetrator behind this unforgivable crime.
But it wasn't too often that Shin-chan called out of the blue! Something must have happened for him to reach out like this!
Rubbing her eyes, to rid herself of her drowsiness, she picked up the phone and waited for her son to speak.
"Hello, Kaa-san..." He began sorting through his thoughts to find the right words to explain the situation.
"Hey, Shin-chan, what's the matter? Why are you calling so late at night?" She couldn't help but playfully scold him; after all, it was almost midnight in Japan. Good children should be in their beds resting properly, or so she teased.
"You remember the stranger I mentioned? The one sent by the organization to investigate my disappearance? Well, she's here." Ultimately deciding on just starting from the conclusion.
Any last hint of drowsiness was swept away by his response.
"What do you mean by she's here, Shin-chan?!" She jumped out in surprise, unsure of what's going on, much to the distress of her poor son's ears on the other end of the line.
"Did she come back to re-investigate your disappearance?!" A wave of concern gripped Yukiko as her thoughts raced to the worst-case scenario. He could be in peril!
But if someone had entered the house, the alarms should have sounded, and she and Yusaku would have been alerted. That's what had happened the last time. So what was going on?
"No, no! She came here seeking help," he confessed, recounting the events of the past hour, while massaging his ears.
Really, now! Why did everyone around her have to drop a bomb first before explaining the situation? The last time, she had to hear about her son being poisoned, and today, this.
But soon realizing that her son was the one who had brought the girl inside, she certainly was amused by the turn of events.
Not one to miss a chance to tease her son, she began squealing, "You mean to say the girl you were so mesmerized by, that you ended up abandoning your original plan of covertly placing the tracker on her and decided to have a chat instead, is there with you?!"
"I…I wasn't mesmerized!" Conan almost shouted, catching himself just in time, mindful not to let the girl in question overhear in the midst of her bath.
Thanks to Prof. Agasa's alarms, the Kudo couple had been listening in when the Organization's agents had infiltrated their home. His father shook his head expressing disappointment in their son's deviation from the initial plan.
But his mother, far from reproach, was cheering him on! The look on Shinichi's face back then was exactly like his father's when intrigued by a particularly challenging puzzle. She knew her boys better than they did themselves, after all!
Conan continued.
"I was only perplexed as to why someone from their group looked so shattered investigating my death." He replied while sneaking glances towards his bathroom, just in case she finished sooner.
To him, Shiho didn't really feel like someone who had wanted to be involved with that group. And yet she was following their commands. She even had people working underneath her. Like any good mystery, she intrigued him. That was why he took a gamble back then, wondering if fate would favor him. If she was truly on their side, he'd track them down using her. And if not, he'd find a way to save her.
And now, it seemed like his gamble had paid off.
His biggest threat had turned into his greatest ally!
He had contemplated orchestrating her escape because of Akemi's request a while back. But he had no idea Shiho would show up at his doorstep herself. Though it certainly wasn't the most amicable of visits. It was a start.
…
"Now wipe that smirk off your face! I can practically see it from miles away!"
Yukiko couldn't help but chuckle, "That's what we call being interested in someone, Shin-chan!" ignoring his little comment.
After their little banter, Shinichi told her all he had learnt about the young girl. He got some details from Shiho, though she wasn't as forthcoming with her struggles. The rest of the puzzle pieces were generously provided by Akemi days prior, offering Shinichi a comprehensive understanding of their life in the organization. As a detective, he wasn't really sure how to feel about her afterwards.
Listening to her son explain, Yukiko couldn't help but sympathize with the girl who had faced so many challenges from such a young age.
As the conversation settled, Yukiko's gaze turned thoughtful. She hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully before broaching a sensitive topic.
"Shinichi."
Welp, She'd only call him by his full name when it was something serious.
"When are you going to tell her about Akemi-san still being alive?"
He felt a subtle unease at her inquiry and was slightly taken aback by the question. He wasn't expecting that from his mother. But it made sense, considering her nature.
He confessed he had no plan of revealing the truth to either of the Miyano siblings. Not yet at least.
"No. I can't let them meet as we're now. Revealing the drug's side effects is a risk I won't take."
A subtle tension hung in the air as Yukiko expressed her disappointment.
"I can't say I'm on board with this plan. Keeping them apart, how does that make us any different from those guys?"
Conan jumped out in his defense, "Hey! I'm doing it to ensure everyone's safety! I'll inform her when I think it's the right time!"
Yukiko wanted to caution him. Yet, aware of her son's stubbornness, she held back. Before relenting, she shared something she believed he needed to hear however.
"You know, Shin-chan, when Agasa-san had called to inform us about you being poisoned, my mind was a whirlwind."
A haunted silence settled, only broken by the weight of her next words,
"When I thought I had lost you..."
Yukiko took a deep breath, steadying herself before concluding, "Accepting the loss of someone you love is never easy, even for us adults. And that girl is probably feeling all alone in the world. Make sure she feels comfortable, okay?"
"Yeah, I was planning on doing that anyway." He huffed in response, as if his mother thought he was someone who would treat her poorly. Not that he knew how to treat her, to be honest. She was too much of a mystery!
"…More importantly..."
"Don't worry, I'll come back right away!" Yukiko yelled in delight. Eager to meet the young girl who had entranced her son face-to-face herself!
Hah, he sighed. But it was good that his mother was quick to catch on. A shrunken teen and an old man taking care of an injured girl wasn't exactly a good idea.
Yukiko checked the flight schedule. ~ Good, she had enough time to go buy some clothes for the girl. Shin-chan mentioned she's about his size~
At Gate 115, the hum of the airport echoed through the bustling terminal.
Having finished with her packing, Yukiko found herself at LAX, terminal B, clutching her boarding pass, eagerly awaiting the plane's arrival.
"Yukiko, is that you?" A familiar voice called out to her near the gate.
"I never thought I would run into you here."
"Sharon?" Yukiko questioned, genuine astonishment coloring her voice. This reunion was quite unexpected for both individuals. It had been almost 2 years since they had last met. That was in New York. Along with her son to watch a play she had acted in.
Sharon stepped into the view with a sharp smile. "I can't believe it's you. How have you been?"
Yukiko, still processing the surprise, managed a half-smile. "It's been ages. I'm...still dealing with things." To the world, she was an anxious mother, eagerly awaiting any news of her missing son.
"Oh, I heard about it."
"I can't believe what you must be going through. Has there been no word about your son? It's been, what, 3 months since he disappeared?" Sharon asked her friend about Shinichi. She had met him twice – 2 years ago. Once as herself, and the other time as the serial killer being hunted by the FBI.
"I heard a rumor that someone spotted him in Osaka. I'm not sure if it's truly him, but if there's any chance..."
"I understand. It must feel awful to have no news about your child." That's when Yukiko recalled the fact that the woman in front of her had also gone through something similar.
"Oh, right. When's the last time you spoke to your daughter? I remember you mentioning her getting involved with a bad crowd." Yukiko brought up the topic gently, knowing that the other woman had also not been in contact with her daughter for quite a while.
"We haven't been speaking since she decided to play a prank by dressing up as my deceased husband." Sharon spoke with a firm resolve. At times, it felt strange to keep up the act of playing as both, mother and daughter.
"Life's too short to hold grudges. You never know when you might regret it." Yukiko added as she looked down at her ticket instead of the woman in front.
"Oh, What I'd do to see my son again." Good she could still shed tears just as finely.
It felt weird lying to her friend like this. But she also knew her son was dealing with really dangerous opponents.
"I'll let you know if I hear anything about him."
"Thank you."
"You should really have a heart-to-heart with Chris as well. If she opens her eyes, she may see the light." Yukiko remarked just as the calls for the boarding started. With a tender smile, she bid farewell to her friend and moved toward the gate. The rhythmic hum of passengers preparing to board filled the air as they stood waiting for their turn. While her friend stayed behind watching Yukiko's silhouette disappear among the crowd. With a suitcase that seemed far too big for a week long trip.
…
Perhaps.
But did you know, Yukiko? The light you speak of has never shined on me. Not once.
Not until meeting your own son, that is.
But the Gin I know isn't someone who'd make a mistake of leaving any threats to the organization linger.
So I'm afraid you won't be seeing your son again. No matter who you beg. After all, there aren't any gods watching over us.
Judging us.
...
Just as Conan had found a younger Shiho collapsed at his entrance, the organization had realized she had gone missing in the brief span she had been unconscious.
From a preliminary search, they suspected someone must have helped her. After all, no one could just disappear like that from a locked room.
When it was clear that Gin had been unable to eliminate the girl, that person called back Vermouth to deal with the missing girl. Someone who specialized in tracking and infiltration. But even she couldn't figure out just what had happened to Sherry. The tracks had disappeared thanks to the rain, and the cuffs that held her were still locked on the rails. There was no way out from the room for any adult without outside help.
No way out for any adult, that was.
[End of Flashback]
Since she was to stay in Japan for a while, the boss afforded her some freedom amidst a few scattered missions. With the relative anonymity in the country, she occasionally shed her disguise without much concern. Her so-called friend had left after a week saying it was a case of mistaken identity. Yukiko had spent a week in Osaka tracking down the teen from a photographer, but alas.
So she didn't have any problem living as herself. Whatever her true self was. She had spent far too long in disguises than she had in her own body. It felt refreshing to get rid of all pretenses. That is, if that could even be called her own body.
Her newest mission was to ensure Pisco completed his job in eliminating that lawyer before he leaked any information of their involvement. It was going well, all the way until she found both, her beacon of light and a reason for her darkness inside the funeral hall.
Not just that, to the utter bewilderment of Vermouth, both of them had turned back the clock on their ages. Unlike her, who remained locked in time due to a failed iteration of the Aptx-4869 created by Elena and Atsushi Miyano.
It seemed that Elena's daughter had actually managed to further her parents' research. She was filled with an indescribable emotion. Anger? Resentment? Jealousy? It was hard to tell. But that woman's daughter ever finding peace was inexcusable.
But she couldn't eliminate Sherry here. No, there were far too many witnesses around. Not to mention, she had a translator with her provided by her agency for this event. Chris Vineyard was a famous actress after all, just like her mother.
Pisco would have to deal with her himself. Though she doubted he knew who he was going up against.
And just as she predicted, he had failed in his mission. Gin himself hadn't fared any better. And speaking of the devil, his favorite Porsche rolled up in front of her.
"You certainly took your time, Gin." She remarked to the silver-haired agent.
"Yeah, looks like we were right. Sherry has sought out an ally. But no matter. We know now who's been hiding her. The FBI has been a thorn in our side for a long time. And it seems that bastard Akai hasn't learnt his lesson yet. That FBI's dog is still sniffing around to trace our scent."
Both Rye and Sherry were marked for death, but there's no reason he couldn't plan it out properly. It was a delight in seeing people's hopes wither away.
You have no idea just who's been keeping her safe, do you Gin?
There's now another silver bullet. One who could pierce our organization with a single strike.
…
I wonder what he would feel witnessing that girl's demise?
…
The three agents drove back to their hideout, passing over many suburban houses along the way. That person needed to know they had found the traitor. And though they had failed to eliminate her, this discovery presented an opportunity to resolve both issues simultaneously. Once Akai was eliminated, there would truly be no one on Sherry's side. Well, according to Gin and the rest, at least.
She stirred awake, the hazy memories of being saved by Shinichi still lingering in her mind.
It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in her own familiar bedroom at the professor's. And for a second, she got worried if she had been captured by them after all. But another glance around the room revealed who it really belonged to.
She had been here once, a while ago. And that unmistakable bookshelf with an assortment of mystery books scattered around was a dead giveaway.
So it wasn't a dream. He really did risk everything to come save her. Why…
She really wanted to ask. But their current relationship was one of subtle jabs, not of open honesty. Chalking it up to him not wanting to lose his only way of getting back to his real life, she decided to ignore it. Instead she'd redirect her focus on creating the antidote.
But first things first.
She tried to get up out of the bed, but felt an intense pain in her legs when she tried to reach for the floor.
Right. She had been shot. She spotted a pair of crutches left beside the bed and let out an audible sigh. She hated feeling like a burden. She already owed them a lot.
Gradually adapting to the crutches, she cautiously took a step, feeling the unsteady support beneath her arms. The process wasn't seamless, given her arms' incomplete recovery.
With each subsequent step, she grappled with the pain, the crutches wobbling as they struggled to bear the weight. But perhaps she could make it to the end.
Just before she could get the door open, the illusion shattered as the cumulative weight of her injuries overwhelmed her, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Meanwhile, Conan was sitting in his hallway, absentmindedly flipping through the pages of a book, while the professor paced up and down in worry. Both waiting for a sign of recovery.
"When do you think she'll wake up, Shinichi?" He heard the professor ask. Again.
"I don't know. They said it would take her a few hours. They did manage to remove all the bullets inside of her, so she should be fine." He answered. Again.
He was a detective, not a clairvoyant!
But both him and the professor had been relieved to hear she was no longer in grave danger. There were far too many risks in having a surgery done in a normal room with limited equipment, but she was one tough girl.
Hearing a loud thud from his room, he winced.
Well, looks like she's awake now.
Thinking it would be prudent to lend her a hand, he approached his bedroom.
But as soon as he opened the door, he found her dropping right into his arms, her attempt to use the door as support turning into an unintended embrace.
It felt as if time had frozen them in place. As he saw her look into his eyes, he could feel her staring at him with an unreadable expression. But he was sure she couldn't read through him either. He didn't know what he was feeling himself!
It's not like he hadn't been this close to her in the past! So why was his heart beating so heavily?!
Happy! Yes, he was just happy to see her awake after a dangerous ordeal. That's all. That's all it must be!
All the while, his mother's words echoed in his mind—this was what it meant to be interested in someone, Shin-chan~
So, he was interested in her well-being. There was nothing wrong with that!
Damn it kaa-san! For putting these ideas into my head.
The professor gently cleared his throat breaking the spell for both teens.
"Uh, could you move aside?" She swiftly said as he jumped out of her way, picking up her crutches and handing them to her.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry!"
Seeing her slowly try to move forward, he commented with a wry smile. "Getting the hang of those crutches, huh?"
"Far more preferable than relying on your arms for support, I guess." She retorted, recalling the past.
He was relieved that she still played along with their usual banter, perhaps he needn't worry so much.
"Hey! At least I ensured you never fell!"
Damn it. He had heard the noises, hadn't he?
"But the crutches don't really touch the places they don't need to."
…
This girl. She always had to get the last word in, didn't she?
He wondered as his face turned red from embarrassment.
The professor observed the two teens bantering with a fond smile on his face. The two kids were doing really well. I suppose this was what it meant by having children of his own.
He decided to pick the girl up instead of letting her walk and carried her to the hall. He knew there was a lot they needed to discuss.
Would a detective generally know how to tend bullet wounds? she wondered. He had just told her it was a secret.
He didn't feel comfortable disclosing his connection with the FBI. Partly because he was aware she might get upset at the fact that he was working with the same people who she thought were partially responsible for her sister's death.
But her treatment was only part of her worries. "Now that Gin knows I'm in this city, he'll probably try to find me no matter what."
Neither the professor nor the detective said a word.
"Don't worry, I'll leave tomorrow." She couldn't really place them all in any more danger.
"Now, now, not with your body in that condition." The professor proclaimed, worried about the young girl.
"I see, that's fine." Conan admitted. The choice of words could certainly have been better, but he wasn't really known for his patience.
"Shinichi!" The Professor was shocked. He didn't expect the boy to accept her leaving all by herself, without anyone to help her.
Admittedly, Haibara was also a bit hurt by Conan's words, though she didn't show it. But she was the only one Gin had seen, so it made sense that Kudo Shinichi would want to protect himself and his friends and family first. He had already done far too much for her.
"I will send you the antidote once I'm done." She replied stoically.
"No, I mean it's fine to stay right here." He said with a hopeful smile.
"With how Gin is, he would expect you to run away. He wouldn't waste his time looking for you here—in Beika." He replied, having predicted his opponent's next moves.
"Besides, Pisco wasn't able to escape from the room, so Gin doesn't know that secret of ours either." He reassured her. That they were safe. That she was safe.
For now.
"And we're both alive, that's what matters the most." He said, giving her a somber smile this time.
"Hmm." She didn't want to confess that she felt relieved hearing his answer. He was probably just trying to sound nice. But it did feel nice to be accepted, despite all your past.
"Don't worry, like I said before, I'll think of something if we face them again." He would ensure his future plans were better prepared.
She still didn't believe that he was capable of it, but she did appreciate him coming back for her, even though putting himself in danger like that was reckless.
Once back in her own room, she wondered again just why he would go so far for someone he considered an enemy. He was certainly a careful individual. She had learnt that from observing him a long time ago. It didn't make sense that all he wanted to do was keep a watch on her.
Was it purely because of her potential at coming up with an antidote? It seemed the most plausible explanation. But she wasn't sure if she'd like to hear the truth either. Besides, just how much of her mind did he occupy?
...Wasn't her heart enough?
No! She was still convinced this wasn't love. Just admiration! People could admire others without falling in love with them, couldn't they? Besides, he had just saved her life. Anyone would feel desired after that. He was the type to risk himself for friends, and this newfound closeness was just a result of their growing friendship. Nothing more. And the amount of secrets they kept from each other was mind boggling. They obviously didn't trust each other with the supposed information. So how could either of them fall for each other?
She would blame her delusions on her mind being a mess. It was normal to be feeling delirious after waking up sedated.
Shaking her head to get him out of her thoughts, she looked at the pair of glasses situated beside her bed.
Somehow, they were still fine after all the rampage.
He was well aware that the disc she had meticulously copied the Aptx-4869 data into had succumbed to the flames. Rendering whatever he could salvage from the room, entirely useless. He had certainly sounded upset that their mission was mostly a failure.
Mostly.
Of course, little did he know yet, she was far more astute than he gave her credit for.
She was well aware of the distinct features his glasses contained that he—oh so graciously—had placed on her. As a way to disguise her. While the glasses had failed their primary purpose, the fact that she managed to capture a few pictures of the Aptx data was a detail both he and the professor overlooked.
A scientist was always extra careful.
All you needed to do was press a little button. And it worked as well as any camera. Though it had much more limited capacity.
Besides if he had his secrets, she was entitled to a few of her own, wasn't she?
She transferred all the pictures—except one—to a new folder on the computer she was gifted by the professor. Then, she glanced at the final one. The face of the one and only Kudo Shinichi stared back at her. Featuring his trademark smirk while his back was turned to Pisco. She had already lost consciousness by then. The photo was blurry, and barely visible, probably because the button had been pressed by accident.
Part of her wondered just what was wrong with her.
Perhaps it was just hard getting rid of old habits. The folder containing pictures of her now shrunken favorite detective safely labelled "Introduction to molecular biochemistry" was hidden amidst other folders. He probably had no idea she'd been taking them with her phone. Whenever he wasn't aware.
She would start preparing the antidote, while letting him think the data was lost in the fire. If she managed to prepare one before she died, she would have paid off her debts to him.
Hopefully.
And then she could run away.
Leave everything behind again.
"What's going on, Professor?" Inspector Megure called him the next day.
The murderer's house had burned down. As had the victim's. Their families were unreachable as well. This whole case screamed of suspicion. Conan, in Agasa's voice, told the Inspector he had yet to gather enough evidence so there was nothing more he could say.
Haibara was there, listening beside him, before he abruptly cut the call to not answer any further questions.
"Now do you understand? The people working for the organization are unlike the criminals you encounter daily. People who commit crimes of passion, even premeditated, usually have a single target in mind. But Gin and the others think nothing of getting rid of witnesses. They are cold-blooded killers. Innocent lives are mere collateral damage to them. All links to them are eradicated. That's how they operate." She warned him. The two of them had barely managed to escape alive. And they still needed to live in hiding.
"Yes. I understand it perfectly well…That I have to crush them no matter what." He said, strengthening his resolve.
She just sighed.
He won't ever learn, will he?
…
"Oh, by the way, I'll give you your glasses back." She said, glancing towards the table where she left the pair.
"Not too useful as a disguise, I suppose. I'm surprised you've managed to hide with just them for so long."
"Oi, oi."
A/N:
Damn, I really wanted to write at least one chapter entirely with Vermouth's point of view, but I'll be honest, I don't get her. Like at all. I've tried to analyze the character, but there's just too much missing that I couldn't figure out what to write for her. So will see what to do next.
Anywho, Haibara lost the glasses in the original story, but I wanted some way to get the data without involving the discs. So this made the most sense! It's not like I had intentionally added that feature all the way back then knowing I could use it here, no...I'm not even joking, it took me a while to figure out, oh! Right! How foolish of me forgetting something so obvious! I do want to showcase her being brilliant, since canon doesn't really give too many opportunities! But I'd need to get smarter first, lol
