31_days | [March 19, 2008] [Detective Conan/Case Closed] Monologue in the midst of Controlled Chaos

Title: Monologue in the midst of Controlled Chaos

Day/Theme: March 19: Crossing swords

Series: Detective Conan/Case Closed

Character/Pairing: Shinichi/Ran

Rating: PG-13/T

Heiji grinned. It was strange that his mouth reacted in such a way to the stress he was feeling. Beside him, Shinichi had a look of determination on his young face. Upon reaching the hideout, they had thought they’d been keeping a low profile. They’d been careful to try and cover their tracks; they had kept a fairly constant path, and had dealt with the trouble as it found them.

But this was beyond their imaginings. It seemed that all of their caution had been for nothing. Because they’d had a welcoming party when they reached the end of the hallway they’d been walking through. And Heiji had never been more scared in his life. Though he’d never admit to it. And his mouth had started to smile of its own accord, so no one would ever suspect it.

Heiji couldn’t put even a code name to half of the Order members in the room; This is where that brat Haibara would have come in handy. But no. She was off doing something else that he didn’t fully comprehend. Had she said something about computers? He wasn’t sure.

The notorious ‘Boss’ was monologuing about something or other, and Heiji had taken the opportunity to tune him out and weigh the situation. If they somehow managed to take the upper hand in this…they were still dead. With Shinichi in his small state, and Heiji with no weapons to speak of…their chances against this many armed enemies were very slim.

And then Shinichi smiled. He walked, cool as a cucumber, twenty paces toward the ‘Boss,’ who was really just another shadowed face with more presence. He brought his little leg back, and just kicked. Heiji was unsure what exactly it was that Shinichi had kicked. But it had sailed. And it had been the signal that the surrounding goons were waiting for.

And Heiji had lost sight of Shinichi as he ran, ducking the spray of bullets that were suddenly being aimed at him. Somewhere along the way, he’d found himself ‘crossing swords’ as it were with one of the guys; and miraculously coming out victorious quite easily.

“Quite a pity,” came a voice behind him. Heiji whirled about, only to see Vermouth, wearing a smirk.

Heiji wielded the stick he’d appropriated like a crude sword. Vermouth just smirked at him.

“You really have no idea, do you?”

There was a sudden burst of smoke in the door. Heiji immediately held his breath, uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to breath it in, but it had served its purpose. He’d lost sight of Vermouth in his distraction.

He couldn’t dwell on it though, as he glimpsed the figure of Gin through the quickly thickening smoke. He hurried over, just in time to engage Gin in battle, and just in time to see Shinichi collapse to the ground.

As they had been doing, Heiji managed to knock Gin unconscious. Why was everything going so smoothly anyway? Heiji blamed the smoke. He glanced down at Shinichi, small and unmoving on the ground.

“Kudo, why do I put up with you?” he asked aloud, squatting, better to see the shrunken detective.

“Heiji?”

“Who else would it be?”

Heiji saw Shinichi sit up. He looked disoriented. “Wasn’t…wasn’t Gin here?”

Heiji smirked. “Yeah. You’re welcome.”

Heiji’s eyes narrowed. Shinichi was panting, but his breathing came in rasps.

“And…wasn’t Ran here?”

And then Heiji saw it. The bullet wound on Shinichi’s shoulder. Shit.

He remembered Vermouth then, and her taunting remark.

You really have no idea, do you?

Had it all been a set up? Did they know all along of the information Haibara obtained to lead them here in the first place? Did they leak the information themselves?

“Kudo…Neechan’s at home. Remember?”

Shinichi babbled on in delirium. Something about Columbine flowers. Heiji hoisted him up onto his back, glancing around for an exit. He saw a flash of movement, and instinctively shrank away from it. When it took form in the smoke, he lashed out, only to stop short when he realized it was Haibara.

“There you are! Come this way!”

Heiji followed her, though he was uncertain about her enthusiasm.

“Haibara?”

And then he was outside. The smoke had cleared. And Haibara had a veritable horde of…well…people.

“That computer was a gold mine. I found all the secret entrances and exits, and I blocked them off.”

Heiji blinked.

“So they all had to come through this door.”

Heiji blinked.

“You really are an idiot, aren’t you?”

“Where…where’s Vermouth?”

Haibara pointed carelessly into the pile of what appeared to be random Black Organization members. “In there.”

Heiji grinned. “That’s all I care about. Fight the good fight.”

Haibara scowled at him, and Heiji ran away from the chaotic scene that he’d had a part in creating. Who’d have thought that it would be that easy?

Little did he know…

-O-

A U T H O R S N O T E

(laughs maniacally)

Cliffie! Ha!!

~Ayaia