AN: Once more, this fic just wrote itself down. It had always meant to be a one-shot. But really, all three chapters can be stand-alones and not necessarily in perfect order. In fact, this one should technically come before the previous ones, but as it is a one-shot, just enjoy it as it is, yeah?

This chapter is mostly taken from Special Episode 1 - The Great Detective Who Shrunk (Chiisaku Natta Meitantei). Lots of original scenes, too.

For those who've not yet watched it, go give it a try! You can use this link if you've not found it anywhere else: kissanime . ru/Anime/Detective-Conan-Episode-One/Special?id=133129

This episode fleshes out the anime and manga beginning with much more detail and shows the Black Organisation's side of things as they investigate Kudo Shinichi's death!

Enjoy~

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"Dialogues"

'Thoughts'

Fear

Sharon had forgotten how it felt to fear.

The drowning, crushing hopelessness of the feeling, a gripping sensation that refused to let go as it dragged you to the depths of an unending abyss. The futility of your tries as it all ended in vain.

Fear had always equalled failure and for a member of the organisation, failure meant death.

Perhaps, a long time ago, when her life had not been built on lies and shrouded in dark shadows, Sharon might have known fear. The feeble fear that all individuals felt; the fear of darkness, the fear of solitude, the fear of physical injury, the fear of tiny harmless insects, the fear of loss, the fear of death. Growing out of those childish fears, she'd embraced adulthood and accepted a whole new set of fears then. But even those had become redundant after joining Them.

Within the syndicate, if Sharon – now Vermouth – wanted to survive, she would have to give up her anxieties. If she wanted to be more than a new recruit, more than a random member for small jobs, if she wanted to be respected, she'd have to portray herself accordingly. She had begun it with an act, a perfect mask that allowed no cracks to show, but as the years went by it became a reality.

Truly, Vermouth was a fearless woman.

New York had changed that, and changed that irrevocably.

...

While Sharon had certainly cared for quite a few individuals – Yukiko had been a wonderful friend in the true sense of the word and Toichi-sensei would never be forgotten – had she have gotten an order to kill them, she would have done it with little to no hesitation. They were friends, yes, but certainly not worth losing her position in the organisation. Not worth putting her own life in danger to keep them safe.

Vermouth never cared either way – in this world where everything was true for a fleeting moment of reality, her un-aging presence overshadowed their ephemeral lives. Where with each passing day, everyone's bodies were slowly killing themselves, moving towards inevitable death, hers only thrummed with life, cells multiplying at an unpredictable speed and precision that kept her mortal shell alive and appearing ageless. Why prolong lives that were bound to end one day, either way? Hers was more important, always.

That was what she'd thought.

Meeting Kudo Shinichi had changed everything – forever.

...

"Yeah, I'm on my way now," Sharon (though now she went by Chris) Vineyard said into her earphone, "to the location scene of the drama. After I finish shooting this, it should be done, and I'll be able to go there to make sure Pisco doesn't mess up."

"Good," Gin replied, "Remember to be on time."

"Of course," Vermouth grinned, swerving the steering wheel to take a right, edging out of another car's way as it honked. She gave a glance at her phone, which was opened to an online web page showing a section of a Japanese newspaper, "I might as well stay there for a while too; I have something to do at that place."

"Whatever," Gin dismissed, "As long as it does not interfere with our plans, I don't care."

Vermouth let out a small laugh as Gin scoffed, her gaze focusing on the picture of a young teen as it flashed in the light of the phone screen, 'I want to meet him too…it has been long, Shinichi. Nearly three years, I wonder…how has life as a famous detective been suiting you?'

Talking to him face to face would be impossible, not if she wanted to keep their attention away from him. The news of Vermouth meeting up with a young and obviously genius detective might make their way to them and put him in danger, and that she wanted to avoid at all costs. And while meeting him in a disguise would be possible, she did not wish to do so. It would be too fake…Perhaps, she could take a glance from afar? Just to see how he was doing, of course…Him and Angel, the two most precious treasures of her life.

"Well, Japan," she murmured, a small smile curling up her lips, "Here I come."

Then, all traces of mirth disappeared. From the reflective side view mirror, a blond haired, bespectacled face swam into view.

"Ara, I'm going to hang up now," Vermouth said, smirking in anticipation as she sensed a car chase coming her way, "An FBI kitten is on my tail. Let's meet there…Gin."

Clicking a button, she pulled off her earphone, depositing it in a hold near the gear handle. She'd need all her concentration to out-pace that FBI woman, they were both evenly matched when it came to driving skills, but she did have experience on her. Besides, riding and racing with Yukiko meant practically nothing could surprise her any longer.

Cutting lanes, overtaking cars, Sharon manoeuvred her car with expertise. Switching between lanes, light turns of the steering wheel, slowly but gradually accelerating, she pulled ahead of Jodie Starling. A few cars, apprehensive of her reckless driving, edged away in fear – she nearly laughed, this was exhilarating! Through it all, Jodie kept her pursuit, following with her own daring swerves and changing speeds.

Vermouth grinned sharply as she took a sharp right turn, briefly leaving Jodie's sight, she entered another busy road. Jodie was not far behind her and Vermouth briefly entertained the idea of going for a long drive; this was a sports car she was driving after all, she should take advantage of the opportunity; when she remembered she had to make her way to the set. And the earlier she finished her work, the faster she could leave.

'Well, sorry, my dear kitten,' Vermouth smirked, 'but I have other priorities. Let's play another time.'

A crossroad approached them, the signal wavered, blinking between orange and red, and Vermouth put on a last burst of speed as she cut into another car's way. The signal turned red, but she was gone, leaving Jodie behind, constrained by traffic rules.

...

Unfortunately, work proved troublesome. The director was unsatisfied with a few scenes and demanded a retake. Her co-actors were amateurs and had fumbled up quite a few scenes, leaving the veteran quite dissatisfied. Sharon had to regretfully stay back for more than two whole months before she was able to arrive in Japan.

"You're late," Gin said as she entered their one of their temporary bases, "Pisco has already planned most of the assassination and the wake is scheduled for next week."

"Ara," Vermouth huffed in amusement, "Are you not happy with his arrangements? Worry not, I shall go over the plan with him soon enough. Besides, what is this I hear through the grape-wine? Sherry escaped?"

Gin scowled at that, "That insufferable woman! She's managed to hide for now, but I'll dig her out anyway, whether she's underground or above!"

Vermouth chortled; Sherry was one of the very few members that could leave Gin in such a tiff. She was someone who couldn't be controlled by him, caring for nothing but her work and her sister.

"The Boss wants me to take a look into it if you fail," Vermouth disclosed, "and if that happens," she smirked at Gin's glower at the insinuation of his failure, "do not get in my way of doing things, yes?"

Gin narrowed his eyes but gave his assent; Vermouth was the Boss's favoured for a reason and her plans might be long winded that came to fruition only after a lot of waiting, but no one could deny that she did succeed. Vermouth tossed her hair back in satisfaction and made her leave.

"I'm off," she called behind her back, "It's been a while since I've stepped foot in Japan, I think I'll go sight-seeing."

At Gin's answering scoff, Vermouth supressed her laughter. No, she wasn't going sight-seeing, even if Gin did believe that. He seemed to believe it all to be part of her cover as Chris Vineyard's Japan tour, but that was only partially true. If there was something, someone, she wanted to see…it was him. Kudo Shinichi.

...

Curtained covered glass panes. Dusty iron gates. Leaf strewn front yard. Overgrown lawn grass. An oddly foreboding feeling emanated from the Kudo house.

Vermouth swallowed in apprehension. But loitering in front of the place was foolish and so she retreated.

Simply disguised as a morning jogger, she'd come to see the house Shinichi lived in, wondering if she might run into him somewhere on the way. However, it seemed that he hadn't even been in his house since weeks! Something was off.

'I haven't checked the Japanese news in a while,' Sharon thought as she made her way to a news stand. Thankfully, the shops here opened almost immediately after daybreak, 'Perhaps there's some notice there…has he left Japan? But school is still in session, that's absurd…'

The newspaper yielded nothing and Sharon decided this was foolish. Pulling out her phone, she ran a search for Kudo Shinichi. All articles were months old. Months. Nothing recent.

Sharon's lips curled up in a snarl, "Dammit! What's with his sudden disappearance?"

But as much as she wanted to check this out, she couldn't do so openly. She began small. Angel was her first priority; however there wasn't much she could glean from her. She seemed low in spirits, forlorn, as if desperately waiting for some – one. Waiting for someone?

She picked up snippets from different sources; his schoolmates, the gossiping police officers, random fans… Floating rumors gave the fact solidity – Kudo Shinichi had suddenly disappeared. Without a trace.

And if there was one thing Vermouth was sure of, it was this – Unexplained, sudden, or mysterious disappearances were a speciality of the organisation. And no matter what excuses Vermouth would like to give, she knew that Shinichi's brilliant mind would have caught their attention soon enough. All it would take was one excuse, one inadvertent peek into their business on Shinichi's part and they'd eliminate him; no hesitation. He would be considered a threat and threats needed to be taken out.

For the first time in so long, Vermouth could feel fear creep up on her. And even more surprisingly, it was fear for another's life, not her own. Because if the organisation had been on Shinichi's tail…

She was sure that was what had happened. Nearly sure…but, it wouldn't harm to check, would it?

...

Enter Password: _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vermouth paused, taking a furtive look around her work station. She was currently in one of the labs of the organisation – not the one that had been blown up after Sherry escaped, the one she used to work in – but it still held all the data needed.

Assured that she truly was alone, she typed in the password to access the file, the APTX death record file. Her search for Shinichi's name in the other files had yielded no results and Vermouth had a flicker of hope. This was the last file she had to check. Though, if Shinichi's name wasn't found here, she didn't know where he could be…

Such a conundrum; to hope to find his name, so that she could be certain of his death, and at the same to wish it wasn't there but be unsure of the cause of his disappearance.

Typing decisively on the keyboard, she ran a check for his name. One second, then two, then three…the pages scrolled down, names highlighting for a brief moment when they came across familiar kanji, but none held the unique combination that made up Shinichi's name. Just when Sharon had thought that Shinichi might still be alive, somewhere, somehow – the blinking cursor settled. The name stood out, highlighted in a blue background…

Name: Kudo Shinichi – – – Status: Dead

"No!" Vermouth uttered in shock, "No, no, no! How? How could this be…?"

Composing herself hurriedly, she exited the file and turned off the desktop. She needed to get out of here, out of this place. She could feel it, behind her perfectly calm façade; she could feel her grief, her sorrow build up and threaten to break her down. But she wouldn't, not here.

Sharon Vineyard was a strong woman; the death of one measly detective shouldn't affect her so. But it did.

She'd hoped Shinichi would live a long a happy life, interspersed with danger as it would be, being a detective; but no matter what kind of life he led, she did not want it to be entangled with the organisation. Her hopes had been in vain though, it seemed, for he'd died opposing them – opposing crime. It was also Shinichi's preferred way of leaving the world; for justice and while seeking the truth.

How could she ever berate him for that?

How utterly foolish of him though, to not take the organisation seriously! If he'd wanted to expose their crimes, he should have been more careful, more cautious. Taken heed not to have been found out...and…killed…

Her heart thumped painfully within her chest and she wished it would stop. She wished it wouldn't hurt. She was supposed to be untouchable, invincible, fearless…for one death to affect her so…

"Vermouth."

"What?" she breathed out harshly, turning to look at the one who'd addressed her, "Oh, Pisco. Yes, what is it?"

Pisco raised a brow in confusion at the anger in her tone, "The wake's tomorrow. Shall we be arriving together? Or would you prefer we meet up at the venue to confirm the plan?"

"The latter," Vermouth ordered, "Best not to seem acquainted. If that is all, I shall be leaving."

Not waiting for an answer, Vermouth stormed off. She drove carefully, even though her thoughts were tumultuous.

'Death…how final it is,' Vermouth sighed, 'I cannot find it in myself to mourn for his death. He is now undoubtedly in a better place, but I mourn for the life he could have lived…and I mourn for Angel who waits patiently for him to return…Or does she? Does she know that he is dead? Or is she truly waiting a pointless wait?' Sharon closed her eyes momentarily and leaned against her headrest as the signal turned red, 'Perhaps it is fitting, indeed, that tomorrow is the wake. My act of grief shall be more than just an act now…'

...

"Of course," Sharon nodded, "it would have been better to meet under different circumstances, but…"

"I agree. But it is good to see you again, nevertheless, Chris. Tell me…"

Random, meaningless, small talk. Sharon hated small talk, but unfortunately, it was necessary. She smoothed out her black dress as she excused herself, needing to go away for some fresh air before the assassination took place.

She previously had plans in Japan, most of which involved meeting Shinichi once again, but now that it was not to be, it would be best to leave the country immediately. If Gin failed to find and kill Sherry, she might have to stick around, but she hoped that would not be the case. She no longer wished to stay in this country more than necessary –

"Let's go, Hana-chan!"

'What?' Sharon whipped her head around in surprise, 'That's a kid's voice! What's a child doing here?'

Truly, that was not something to be alarmed about. The child may belong to one of the guests, but something made her look for the source of that voice. Perhaps it was because bringing a young child to a wake was surprising, or perhaps something in those words struck her as odd, or perhaps it was simply the voice that called out to her…

A young boy of about six or seven years, black hair and huge glasses perched upon his nose was leading a girl of similar age by her hand behind him. The girl had reddish brown hair but not much could be seen of her, hidden as she was behind the boy.

Sharon's breath stopped for one significant second.

'My, my, Shinichi,' Sharon smirked, 'you always manage to surprise me, don't you? Looks like even the untraceable poison failed to kill you. I should have known…so stubborn; only you would find a way to pursue us even after getting poisoned.'

Her realisation wouldn't have been so swift had she not had an idea about the APTX's side-effect, acquainted as she had been with the Miyano couple. And having seen countless photos of Shinichi from his childhood days, courtesy of Yukiko, putting the pieces together was easy.

'At least, Angel has a reason to hold on to hope now –' Vermouth's eyes widened, 'Wait! Is that…? Sherry! What in the world? She took the poison too? I seem to be missing certain pieces here…'

Sharon turned away then, her relief at finding Shinichi safe (relatively safe, investigating the syndicate was not really safe in any manner) overshadowed her surprise at finding Sherry with Shinichi. Did he know…what was she thinking? Of course he knew who Sherry was! Yet, to take in a former criminal…

"Ha," Sharon scoffed, "I'm afraid your protection won't stop us from ending her life, Shinichi. Gin may not find her, but I already know who she is now, where she will be too. And not even you will be able to stop me from taking out the traitor."

...

"Gin," Vermouth's eyes narrowed at the wound on his arm, "Why is your arm injured?"

"Sherry." Gin grunted out.

'What?' Vermouth blinked, 'That's impossible! Sherry is currently shrunken!'

"She's not working alone, apparently," Gin continued, "she's got someone on her side. A man, in fact," Gin narrowed his eyes at the thought, Sherry accepting anyone's help sounded ridiculous to him, "But tonight's encounter should scare her off. She'll be making to leave the country soon; we should keep an eye out on –"

"No," Vermouth interrupted, even as she inwardly wondered how Sherry could have returned to her grown form temporarily. And the man in question was definitely Shinichi; though he did manage to give off an impression that he was older than his true age, keeping both his and Sherry's cover safe for now. "Sherry might want to leave the country, but do remember, she's not alone." Shinichi would forbid that, not when the best cover they had was to simply stay in place and act out their lives as grade school students.

Gin let out an impatient noise, "What are you saying –? Oh, I see," he muttered in realisation, "I shall –"

"Oh no, Gin," Vermouth sneered, "You shan't do anything. You've had your chance and you failed. I'll be the one to bring Sherry in now."

Sharon couldn't afford Gin to find out, find out the secret behind the APTX. Keeping him as far away from the case would ensure his ignorance; plus, she did not want him anywhere near Shinichi.

"Vermouth –!"

"Er…Aniki," Vodka spoke up then, trying to diffuse the tension, "we should get that arm bandaged."

"Ara, I forgot nearly," Vermouth grinned, "do tell me, how did you get injured?"

Gin kept his silence, but Vodka answered readily enough, much to the ire of his partner, "That man who was helping Sherry, he tried to tranquilize Aniki."

"So you shot yourself to keep awake?" Vermouth guessed, "Impressive." She got into her vehicle, ready to drive off now that her job was done, "Where's Pisco, by the way? The police released all of us already,"

"Dead." Gin replied curtly.

Vermouth tipped her head in acknowledgment. There was nothing more to say after that; if Gin had killed Pisco, he had a reason. Vermouth did not care to find out more than that anyway.

...

"Aha," Sharon smiled satisfactorily, "I have you now, Sherry. Haibara Ai, is it? Hmm, you'll need further monitoring. Plus, I need to give off an impression to Gin and those snooping FBI agents that I'm doing some work to find you, don't I? Can't have them knowing that all it took was leafing through the files of the student register of Teitan Primary School, can I?"

That would require a disguise though. Chris Vineyard couldn't go about investigating a case, so, who should she play as? She idly turned another page before stopping.

"Ha!" Sharon shook her head in amusement, "Edogawa Conan? What a name! But, it fits you perfectly, ne, Cool Guy?"

Well then, it was decided. Her disguise would have to be someone important, someone with enough respect in society and most importantly, someone whom Conan had interacted with before. She had come to Japan to meet Shinichi, after all.

"You need someone to keep an eye on you, Cool Guy," Sharon muttered as she stealthily left the school grounds, none the wiser of her break in, "With all the trouble you get into; now, especially in that tiny body of yours, the danger level of this game has upped."

She ignited her motorcycle, adjusting helmet before speeding down the road, "Keep yourself safe, stay alive; I don't like fearing your death. Fear is weakness, Shinichi. And I dislike feeling weak. So…make sure you do not scare me again."

AN: So? How was it? Hope Vermouth stayed in character...Fear was difficult to write, but I found myself wanting to do so, and this is the result :)

Hopefully, it came out well. Any criticisms appreciated. Do give me your opinion, they matter!

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To winx club - Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you love my stories :) It just makes the whole deal more sweeter, knowing that your reader enjoys what you write!

To Rockster - Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Vermouth's character is really complex and her role is seriously difficult to understand! And your review just gave me an idea! For The Kir arc, I could actually show Lady Luck helping out Conan there :D Boubon's episodes will take a while before coming out, though I'm still not sure if I want to make this a multi-chapter fic. I'm pretty comfortable with writing these short one-shots for now, so probably I won't have a new chapter, or probably I will...difficult to say. I can't usually write Vermouth without going off character unless inspiration strikes me( for which I think I still do go off character a bit :P), so continuing this fic a big "maybe". But, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And that you keep reading my stories :)

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All of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let me know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages me to write faster! But, thank you all the same :)

So...

REVIEW!