The Day

I knew this day would arrive. The day my allegiance would be tested. The day I would have to make a decision. The day I'd shy away from his commands, his orders. Boss was wrong all those years ago. Akai Shuichi was not the man to fear. Gin was wrong all those months ago. There is a shot that could destroy our entire organization in one hit. Our Silver Bullet truly does exist. But who would have thought it would come in the form of a teenager? Or should I say 7 year-old child.

Despite the years worth of science experiments I have seen come out of our laboratories, it never seizes to amaze me that Sherry invented the Fountain of Youth in a pill. Or that it worked. I often laugh, thinking about how simple my life on the run would have been if I could control my age at will. Of course, Sherry ran away and had a death threat put on her head before she could ever create the antidote. Then again, thinking it was a poison, she probably never planned for one. I guess the joke's on her now as she leads a harmless life as an elementary school student. It kills me to see my victim alive in front of my eyes. I don't fail—one of the reasons they call me Boss's favorite. But I could never forget that night.

Right before my eyes, I missed my target. Of course, it wasn't my fault. It was hers. I don't even think the young detective could have planned for that twist. When Angel came barreling out of the car's trunk, right into my line of fire, I knew I had lost. Normally. It wouldn't deter me. Normally, I would just gather myself and come back another day and take her out, but I had made a promise that day. A promise I damn well am sure to keep. I slipped up, not anticipating the kid to have a final trick up his sleeve. A trick that left me shot and groggy, bleeding and pleading alone in a telephone booth. But no matter. That was months ago, and the pain of my errors are no longer fresh. Unfortunately, the memories from that fateful night in America could never be erased. That night, the gears in my icy heart began to turn in a manner I was almost frightened of. In an instant, everything I knew about the world was upside down and tossed out the window like a poorly disposed of murder weapon. And it was them to blame.

Years later, here I stand, ready to act on the results of that New York night. Cool Guy once told me what Irish had said to him one time. Some nonsense about 'keep coming after us.' In attempt to savor some dignity as he laid there dying on the roof, he motivated the young detective to keep fighting, as if he needed the encouragement. It would be something if the boy simply sought the antidote to his problem. From the information I have gathered, all he truly needs is a sample of the poison. If it were me, I'd locate the test product, force Sherry to concoct the antidote, and leave the country in the dead of night, changing my name and identity—living on in secret. But he wants so much more. He wants to destroy our crime organization for nothing but the sake of justice. "How blind," I would think on some nights reminiscing on our brief encounters. Risking your life for something you're unsure of. But there is no question in my mind that he will succeed. And I would do anything to keep him alive long enough to do it.

That of course brings me back to today. I lost track of his movements days ago. I have no clue what his plans are. All I know is that he has infiltrated the organization. He's in and in trouble. The explosion was unexpected, yet necessary. The organization members know the rules and would sooner take their own lives than be caught. I, of course, would never take my own life which is why I made sure to never be caught. Until today.

He has sought after this day for so long. The day he had worked for. The day I was waiting for. The day I cry out in anguish, feeling desperate for the first time in a long time. I stand on the corner, listening in for the signs of any members that remained unexposed. Peering out of the 4th story window, I could see they had managed to capture Gin. Flaring red lights succumb the bottom floor of our building as a sea of policemen come bursting through the once carefully guarded doors. There it was, in front of my eyes, my headquarters being ravaged and no one expecting it. I almost feel bad as I see Gin being forced into one of the vehicles. He would likely crash it and escape leaving potentially dead police officers in his wake. A smirk finds its way to my lips at the thought. Good old Gin.

In all the commotion, the one face I couldn't locate was that of the local hero. I had sensed he was in danger yet he was nowhere to be found. His infiltration technique was spot on, even I didn't see it coming, but where was he now? What was he so busy with that he couldn't see all the fruits of his labor? As I watch and wait, the cycle is broken by a slight vibration in my left pocket. Flipping it open, I see a set of all too familiar digits flashing across the screen. "Hello, Boss."

"Get your ass down here, now! There's some shit going on outside, and you're the only one I trust to protect me. I've lost contact with the other guards. What the hell is happening over at headquarters?"

"An attack, Boss. The police, Boss. It's over, Sir. Yes, Boss. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I hang up and return to my previous position in one swift motion. Deducing an exit from the raided building, I slip out the door to the room I was in, knock out a lone cop, and complete my quick disguise. Blending in with the rest of the search and seize, I creep out the back and over a couple alleyways where my motorcycle was hidden from traffic. Good thing I never parked close to home. I strip my disguise, leaving the uniform in the alleyway, free of anything that could trace it back to me. Not that it really mattered at the moment. Boss was calling, and I would be damned if I didn't respond. As I rev the engine, I can still hear the sirens two blocks away.

The police cars continue arriving as a barricade begins to form. I pull out of the tight space quickly, avoiding getting caught in such a simple manner. Flowing the opposite way of the cop vehicles , I race down the streets now full of innocent bystanders straining their necks for a better look at the action a few hundred feet away. Moments later I stop my journey at a high-rise. The condo is seated right in the middle of the city. Right under anyone's nose – if they knew where to look. He had successfully stayed off the grid, hidden in the crowd, that is, until today. Unfortunately for Boss, I have a feeling Cool Guy knows exactly where to look.

I had hoped I would never see this day. The day I would have to make my stand. The day I would be forced to act. The day I'd try to protect it, the last of what I had in this world. I lean the bike up against the side of the building, not bothering with the keys or safety. There was no time. I stroll casually through the automatic sliding glass, greeting the doorman at the front. While hell was breaking loose outside, the building was as quiet as it ever was. I board the elevator and watch calmly as the metal doors close in front of me, sealing me in – one route to my destination. A cream light lights up each small white button as I travel higher, closer to Boss's suite. The elevator dings again, signaling the end of my journey, and I dart out from within the metal box, poised and ready to fight. In times like these, Boss only trusted one person. As the favorite, I assumed that responsibility as well.

As I round the corner of the short hall that led to his front door, I have to weave around a group of bodies strewn against each other, sprawled out of the lush floor below. A glance to their faces revealed their identities; the guards that usually stood watch. I don't have to check their pulses to figure out what had happened. Each victim had a large, red imprint visible somewhere on the face as they laid there unconscious. Cool Guy would never kill anyone, after all. I slide down the hall stealthily, and to my surprise, arrive at a closed door. Wondering if the boy had or hadn't successfully infiltrated the residence, I put my gun away, and knock urgently.

"Come in." The grunt from the other side of the door definitely belonged to Boss, but that meant nothing. If he really feared for his life, he would send someone to open it for him, to check the identity of the visitor.

"I don't have all day, Vermouth." That's it. Boss doesn't call me by code-name; I was the favorite. But I couldn't fault the kid— he did his research on everything else— the slip up could be forgiven. I pull my weapon back out of its hiding place and knock in the door with a powerful kick. The wood splinters slightly, but I roll past it, pointing my gun at the pair inside of the room. There he is. With his typical red bow-tie in one had and his tranquilizer in the other, Boss had been cornered. Simple enough of a situation.

"Boss, follow level three codes."

"He can't help you, Vermouth." He speaks again, this time in his own voice. A kid, no a man. "It's all over." I click my gun and reposition it, back at the boy with a glare.

"Do you really think you are in charge of this situation?" I stand up out of the crouched position I had landed in and walk a few paces closer to the two. "Tell me then, Cool Guy, how did you plan on finishing us both off?"

He smirks and I feel my eyebrows raise. A plan? I guess it wouldn't be him if he didn't have some trick up his sleeve.

"Of course. You didn't think I would come unprepared, did you Vermouth?" I laugh. No matter the level of danger, he still remained calm. Such a cheeky brat. I suppose the silver bullet couldn't go down that easily, now could it.

"So what is your next move? What do you think you're doing? You're trapped in this room with top members of the largest crime syndicate in the world, and you still think it's possible to have the upper hand?" The boy smirks again as I fight back the urge to laugh. What would he do, really? He's lucky I have no intention of killing him. But maybe he had counted on that, as well.

"A crime organization that doesn't exist. One buried so far under the realm of society it could only be denoted by the black of its members' souls. The very one that I've spent months digging for – the one I've finally unearthed." Boss's eyes grow wider. I have never seen him so dumbfounded. If I hadn't witnessed the takeover of the headquarters myself, I wouldn't have believed it either. My eyes lock on to Boss's, and I give him a reassuring nod before returning my attention to the boy.

"Who would of thought," he continues, "that the ruler of the very syndicate was living write under our noses. A man I have even met on occasion. But as all criminals do, you slipped up. You slipped up, and the one watching you most closely managed to wedge themselves into the fabric of your organization's foundation. Who would have thought?"

"Who would have thought that it wasn't the famous Mouri Kogoro that what after us, but the kid! The kid! How the hell did you figure out all of this? There's no police in the world that can even prove we exist, and you, you, an elementary boy can unravel my generations of work!" His voice stays steady, though his anger and uncertainty is obvious in his tone. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Cool Guy gives his full attention to the man and smirks once more.

"Edogawa Conan, no, Kudo Shinichi: Tantei-san."

Boss's eyes widen again, and I find myself smiling despite what I told myself. His little signature phrase. If he was lucky, he'd be able to say it without an alias soon. Suddenly, my face falls completely. I am always on top, in control, but this was unanticipated—the one thing that I didn't predict: he would make a mistake.

"The police will be here shortly as well, so don't bother trying to – ugh!" The wristwatch and bow-tie toppled to the ground as the boy cries out in pain and surprise. Boss's chuckle reverberates through the room as he readjusts himself in his arm chair. My eyes widen in fear as I watch the little detective being choked by the guard I had previously thought to be unconscious. Simultaneously, one final guard enters the room. He looks exhausted. He must have been the only one left, a miscalculation on both of our parts.

"Well don't just stand there, end this." My mouth immediately runs dry. I can't think straight for the first time. I glance back and forth between the grunt with the boy's neck in his hands and The Boss before closing my eyes for a brief moment. My mind drifts to the fateful night in New York that shaped my life by the aversion of death.

"Why people kill – I'll never understand. But why save a person? Do you even need a reason? Angel and Cool Guy, a pair wise beyond their ages. They had saved my life, and I would never forget it.

"Vermouth!" My eyes snap open and I move like clock work.

This is the day.

My guns turns to the man holding the kid. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, landing the man square in the head. I ignore the cries from Boss as I charge forward to catch the falling child. The other guard falters with his gun, shocked by the sight he had seen. He gets one shot off and I feel a sting at my abdomen. I ignore it too, and with Cool Guy in one hand, I manage to take down the stumbling man as well. As he hit the ground, I turn my attention back to Boss. Immediately, I panic. The man is not where I left him.

The day I knew was coming.

"How dare you." He is on the floor nearby, a gun secured in his controlling hands – pointed at me. I lay the unconscious boy down and stand tall. I blink as I hear the sirens whir in the background. Game over. I step forward and take aim. Three shots. Once in each leg, one in the shooting arm – but not before he unloads. It's not another sting, but numbness that overcomes me as my hand finds its way to my abdomen. The sticky residue coated the fabric, gluing it to my skin, and I fall to my knees as my final memory from that night echoes in my head again. "But why save a person? Do you even need a reason?"

"You did it, Tantei-san," I whisper to him before my throat fills with the warm liquid from my gut.

The day I never wanted to come.

I can't tell if my eyes are closing or my vision is fading, but all of a sudden, the room's features become blurry. A loud crash from the floor below vibrates the ground as I lay against it. Then I see it. A slight motion, desperate footsteps: Cool Guy.

"Vermouth! Vermouth! Just hold on we—" He's saying something, but I barely see the image of his mouth moving, sound incomprehensible.

But he is safe. They're safe. And somehow, as my eyes finally shut, knowing such a thing gives me an unnerving sense of peace.

This is the day I die.

So this was a oneshot I wrote for Vermouth a couple of years ago. I absolutely love her character, and I feel like she's probably going to die at the end of this so here's one take on her thoughts for when she confronts her Boss. I'm sure the reveal will be much more interesting canon, but I'm not a mystery writer, so I spared you any details of how Conan figured it out. Thanks for reading. Until next time!