This was half of chapter 2. I never managed to finish it and I wasn't happy with it, but its been over a year since the last chapter, so I thought "half a chapter is better then no chapter". I did finish the last scene today, forcing myself to just finish the scene. Still not happy with it, but I hope you all like it regardless. Apologies for my tardiness.

Warning: some swearing

Published: 08.10.2019

Wordcount: 6.1K

Chapter 2

"What is she like?"

Edogawa Conan – or Kudou Shinichi – blinked a few times, wondering about the sudden change in conversation. He had just opened his mouth to stutter out a baffled 'who?' when Ran continued. Her voice was lit and excited – for his sake.

"Your TiMER ran out a few days ago, right? I couldn't get in contact with you, but I suppose your disappearance happened for a reason. So – how is she? Is she great?"

His pulse suddenly skyrocketed in surprise – he had completely forgotten about the countdown. His eyes slid shut and his mouth turned dry. He had not had the time to worry about the whole soulmate thing the last few weeks. He had been entirely too busy keeping his head down and not attract any unwanted attention. Perhaps he had already passed the person on the street that day – or perhaps their destiny had diverted and a new countdown had appeared in its place. He was not entirely sure how it all worked truth be told.

Shinichi did not have time to worry about the lost opportunity – it was something he would have to fix once he managed to regain his body. Perhaps it was better if they had not met yet, he did not want to put anyone else in danger just by approximation. However, what should he tell Ran? Swallowing down, he felt a tingly of guilt churn in his chest at having to tell another lie to Ran.

"She – ehm, she's great," he cleared his throat, "just – just fine and dandy."

He could tell he had not remotely convinced her, as she let out a suffering breath into the cell-phone. It created a static that made the detective cringe.

"You better be a gentleman here, Shinichi. I don't care if she's destined to love you, quirks and all. Be nice."

"Oy," he mumbled in protest. "I'm always chivalrous, I'll have you know." He pressed his fingers into the soft fabric of his bowtie-turned-voice-modulator.

Ran snorted to convey her disagreement. "When will you come home and introduce her to me?"

This time, he ducked his head. He was building a pillar of lies everywhere he turned. One day, he was sure he would spin one so devastating he could not retract, nor return to his old life upon voicing. Shinichi was tired of hiding as Edogawa Conan.

"Not anytime soon, I'm afraid," he spoke softly, trying to not to let his bitterness seep into his tone of voice. "I have to go, bye Ran."

Before she could object, he ended the call and dropped against the nearest wall. When would all these lies end? In a few moments, he would have to go back into the Mouri residence, put on a smile and pretend as though nothing was amiss. The very thought felt exhausting – he was so tired from masquerading around. The only times he could truly be Kudou Shinichi he felt, was whenever he chased the infamous international phantom thief, Kaitou KID. He could not hide behind Mouri Kogorou or any of his other 'puppets' at the heist.

The few stolen moments of his old life were refreshing, and something he sorely needed.

…

The third time Kuroba Kaito as Kaitou KID, stumbled over Edogawa Conan, was during his own investigations over the death of a famous magician in the disguise of the 21 year old medical student, Doito Katsuki. He realized the irony of stepping into the shoes of a detective for the case – but sometimes critics could be useful.

He had tried to keep down the terrified beating of his heart as they found the boy collapsed in the snow. Conan's care had been given to Doito – and Kaito suddenly felt very guilty for impersonating a medical student. If the detective was truly sick – or god forbid – dying of fever. He would not have been able to tell for sure. Kaito did as much as he could do with the little knowledge of medical knowledge he possessed – which was more than any normal civilian knew at least.

Keeping Conan warm and changed into dry-clothing and a pill or two was the most he dared trying. His eyes had wandered to the detective's wrist. Discoloured skin peaked out from underneath his large wristwatch. With an unbeknownst worried feeling, he careful pushed the device up so he could gleam at its secret. Only to lose his breath in dread. The discoloured skin was an ugly scar stretching almost all around it. It was red and spiky – whatever instrument had been used to create such a wound, it had definitely been dulled and painful.

Kaito swallowed down a spike of anger at the sight. It was an entirely too neat and surgical to have been thorn so ghastly by accident. Someone had deliberately cut over the vein, and he could not tell how deep the wound had gone, or if was just superficial. Whichever the case, someone had intentionally harmed the little, brilliant detective – possibly tried to kill him. They must have been acquainted to get close enough to inflict such damage, or perhaps this was the reason for Conan being so much more mature then most kids his age?

The magician's mind churned with so many possibilities, and a coldness spread across his insides. Without noticing it, he had started to trail the wound with his fingertips, and he barely registered the fluttering of the detective's eyelids as he returned to consciousness.

Conan froze, and a noise escaped his throat as he scooted away, bringing his wrist to his chest. His eyes reflected only the whiteness of slight terror, and his lips narrowed in order to take stock over the situation.

Kaito as Doito Katsuki lifted his palm to show he meant no harm, and he saw the detective visible relax a moment later as he recognized the placating motion. The magician let a comforting smile stretch across his lips, it was a stark contrast to the tremulous of worry churning in his stomach. Exactly how much did he know about Edogawa Conan?

"You collapsed, maybe you should try to get some more rest?"

Conan's eyes did not leave his features, however Kaito could tell his attention had shifted to take stock over the little bedroom they were currently occupying. A frown started to form between his brows. "No – I can't. Ran's in – dangerous," as he spoke, his eyelids started to quiver and slid down.

Kaito's heart suddenly fluttered in his chest at the clear worry in the boy's voice. Even at his tender age, he was fiercely protective over the woman – had the Mouri saved his life by taking him in as a charge? Where exactly was his parents?

"I'll take care of it," he found himself mumbling in a soothing voice, "I'll make sure nothing happens." He reached out for the detective, and even as Conan's eyes glazed over, he saw the miniscule inclination of his head that told Kaito the girl's safety had been intrusted to him. He felt oddly comforted and a little giddy at the leap of trust – even if it was towards Doito and not KID.

He grabbed Conan as he fell back into unconsciousness, and he carefully laid the small body back into the bed and tucked him in.

…

It took him a couple of seconds too late to realize it was a trap. By then, Aoko had already captured his arm and was dragging him towards the chairs in the middle of the floor. In hindsight, Kaito should have realized it was a deception when Aoko had offered to pay for their movie-tickets.

It was a large room, the kind that indicating it was used either as a theatre for amateur plays, or some sort of gymnasium. Or both. The walls were covered with white paint which was flaking off in certain areas. A table by one of the walls were filled with coffee and biscuits. Two dozen people milled about, either already seated on the chairs or crowding the free coffee.

"This is an AA meeting, isn't it?" Kaito tried half-heartedly, trying not to sound hopeful.

Aoko glanced at him with a frown on her lips. "You are not an alcoholic."

He deflated with a soured expression. "I'm allowed to hope, aren't I?" His eyes scanned the room, and he put the heels of his feet to the floor, adamantly refusing to budge no matter how much Aoko yanked on his arm.

"Stop being such a baby," she groused with a heated tone. "Just one meeting, please? If you don't like it, you don't have to come back ever again. I promise."

Kaito's eyes were unyielding as he glared at her. He was not an emotionally damaged individual. It was true he had been acting self-destructive the last few weeks of the countdown of his TiMER – but that did not warrant going to a TiMER support meeting. It was a ridiculous notion.

Aoko looked displeased at his unwillingness to cooperate. "Please? I have something important I want to tell you," she tried with a light tone of voice. "A secret."

Kaito frowned at her, trying not to take the bait. He opened his mouth to say how he knew everything that went on in her life. But the words froze on his lips. There was a certain openness and giddiness in her face that told him that she was telling the truth. Aoko had a secret she had not divulged to him, and suddenly his heart fluttered in his chest anew in anticipation.

A smirk stretched across her lips as she realized she had managed to convince him.

"You are minx," was his only response, but he followed her willingly this time as she yanked his arm.

"Oh, hello again."

Aoko and Kaito spun on their heels almost simultaneously as they jumped in surprise. The owner of the voice looked familiar – pink hair and wore a flashy outfit – and it took him only a second to realize it was Bubble-gum from the TiMER center. His mouth popped open in surprise.

Aoko eyed her for a second, before smiling at the newcomer. "I'm Nakamori Aoko, this is Kuroba Kaito."

Bubble-gum returned the smile, although her eyes did not leave the magician's form as she stared at him with a sympathetic expression. "I'm Miyara Yoriko. I'm glad to see you here, Kuroba-kun," her smile softened marginally, and Kaito barely managed to suppress his urge to lower his gaze.

"Yeah, well. Not like I had a choice in the matter."

Aoko glared at him, and he grinned at her with affection shimmering in his eyes.

Miyara glanced between them, before humming in approval. "You did a service to our country, Nakamori-san. You deserve a medal for your actions."

He did not try to suppress his aggravated groan. "Two minxes? Did I step into a portal to hell somewhere?" He did not get any further before Aoko elbowed him in the ribs, and he deflated like a balloon.

"These meetings aren't that bad, you know," Miyara chortled with a grin. "We are helping those who feel abandonment and lost after their TiMER goes offline. We are giving hope to those who feel lost after the loss of their pseudo-scientifically picked out Soulmates. Some turn depressed and even suicidal after such an occurrence. The news don't tend to mention this problem in our society."

Kaito avoided the girls eyes this time, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He suddenly regretted letting himself be manipulated by Aoko's insistence he stayed.

"Kuroba-kun," a warm hand touched his arm, however he still did not meet the pink-haired woman's gaze. "Have you looked at our brochures at all? What the TiMER enterprise does is to give their uses a guarantee that their algorithm picks out a partner that has the highest percent chances of becoming a successful relationship. But that does not mean you cannot love anyone else just the same. Love comes in many shapes and forms after all. There are over seven billion people alive right now –"

Kaito let her words wash over him with prickling eyes. She had a good point – of course she did. However his loss was still raw, somewhere out there, an amazing individual had died before they could utter a single word to each other. He was mourning the loss of a friend, not a soulmate in this case. He listened to her words all the same, and by the time they exited the meeting, his heart felt a little lighter.

"So, what is this secret you promised to tell me?"

Aoko glanced in his direction as they walked towards the train station. Her lips thinned slightly, but her cheeks flushed. "I was hoping you forgot about that."

He lifted an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, point taken." She then lowered her eyes, but a grin was twitching in the corners of her lips. "I'm dating Hakuba."

Kaito choked in disbelief, and spent the next few seconds coughing as Aoko patted his back unsympathetically.

…

Edogawa Conan spotted it only by accident, and at the time he was entirely too busy trying to stay alive to take any stock of it. There was an explosion to his right, followed by the sound of pattering of bullets across the rooftop.

Kaitou KID was crouching above him, a finger to his lips as he peered around the corner. It did not seem like the assassins had spotted them yet. KID had lost his hat a few minutes previously, and his hair was a mess of tangles from the harsh wind. A few strands of hair were glued to his forehead from where a trickle of blood seeped through. It had only been by pure luck Conan had noticed the sniper in time, or KID wouldn't have been able to dodge.

KID's face was carefully neutral; however the detective could tell the thief was worried from the tension in his shoulders and the miniscule clenching of his jaw. Conan was too exhausted to roll his eyes from the display – it was clear KID was trying to stay calm in order to not worry the detective. Sometimes he hated being in the body of a child.

He decided to not comment on it.

"You should make a break for it," the phantom thief spoke softly – the voice barely audible above the gunfire. "I'll draw their attention."

The heist had gone disastrously bad within minutes of entering the rooftop. The theft of the jewel had gone without a hitch, and in their usually matter, Conan had found himself on the rooftop looking down at the museum. As expected, Kaitou KID had appeared within seconds, looking pleased with himself. However, despite the ease in movements, there was a tension of anticipation in his shoulders as he peered around looking for the detective.

They had not even voiced a greeting, before Conan noticed the sniper aiming at KID's head. His heart had leapt as adrenaline soared through him in shock. He had barely managed to yell a warning before the top-hat had been shot clean off the thief's head.

"Not happening," Conan replied without a second pause. He was not leaving anyone if death was a high probability if he could help it. He was not losing anyone else.

KID gritted his teeth as a flicker of aggravation flashed across his face this time – no longer able to keep his stoic poker face with the risk of imminent death just around the corner. "Do you ever listen to what your seniors say, detective-kun?"

"Not if their suggestions are foolish," Conan replied flippantly and scooted away from the thief so he could peer out of their hiding spot to take stock over their enemy. "How many hostiles?"

KID sounded miserable as he let out a puff of air. "Five I believe. Two in the opposite building, one guarding the entrance and two moving around."

Conan thinned his lips with a thoughtful expression. They were in a pinch. The exit faced the adjacent building, and he would bet one of the sniper's kept a lookout at the guard in case they managed to slip passed the crooks stalking the rooftop. If they moved, the other sniper would shoot them, and if they did not do anything, their hiding spot would be discovered sooner or later.

They were in a pinch, but neither the detective nor the thief was defenceless. If they worked together, they could get out without causalities. "How many cans of sleeping gas do you have left?"

"Enough," KID replied immediately, inching his head to regard the detective. The lights in the distance flashed off the monocle. Conan wondered for a moment if the face was the moonlight magician's real one. He was a master of disguise, there was a high possibility that it wasn't – on the other hand, if it was the real one, no one would believe it.

Whichever the case, it was an aesthetically pleasing one – and Conan could see why so many fans praised his appearance. Choosing a handsome and young face did have its advantages for the crowd. The detective's eyes trailed from the thief's features to regard the lean body, trying to gouge how many tricks he had hidden underneath the attire. It would be to their advantage if KID would reveal all of his accessible gadget – but he doubted he would get the whole truth if he asked.

As Conan's eyes flickered to the moonlight magician's sleeves, he spotted the hint of a small, rectangular device on the wrist. Conan's sped up for a moment at the reveal that KID had a TiMER – the brief glance he got suggested it had not started its countdown yet, before the thief moved his arm to yank the sleeve down.

For a moment, Conan was sure he had seen a flicker of sadness through the poker face. However, it disappeared as fast as it appeared, and the detective questioned whether or not he had seen it.

"What's your plan, detective-kun?"

Conan lowered his eyes, feeling suddenly embarrassed and guilty for prying into an intimate subject he had no reason knowing, and even though KID's voice was low and soothing, there was an undercurrent of edginess in the tone of voice.

The detective pushed the issue from his thoughts, and leaned in to convey the strategy he had come up with it. It was simple and inelegant, but it would get them to safety. The plan was executed flawlessly – lure the wandering guards to the sniper's blinds spot simultaneously – KID refused to let Conan play the bait, something that slightly aggravated the detective, however they'd had no time for any argument. In the meantime, Conan took out the assassin guarding the exit with his needle. Add a few cans of smoke and a few decoys had the snipers shooting wildly, not caring if they hit their comrades, and the detective and the thief managed to get back into the building.

They did not spare a second glance to see if anyone pursued them – there had always been a possibility that someone had been guarding the corridor with the order to shoot to kill anyone who entered from the roof. Thankfully, it did not seem to have been the case.

They finally came to a stop a few floors down by one of the many balconies. Conan's lungs heaved for air – lacking the stamina of a grown-up person. Being a child was a hinder sometimes. He grabbed his chest and leaned his back against the nearest wall in order to regain the lost oxygen. He let his eyes slid close, waiting for KID to escape while he was distracted – he might have exaggerated just a little to pretend he had not already decided to let the thief leave unhindered. KID had saved his life on the rooftop. If he hadn't reacted so quickly and swept Conan into his arms and hid, he would surely been shot.

Conan froze in surprise, when he felt the air shifting before a hand grasped his shoulders. His eyes slid open to stare at the regale image of Kaitou KID kneeling in front of him. There was a worried quirk of his lips as he regarded the detective.

"You alright? You weren't – hurt?"

Conan swallowed slightly at the concern: they were supposed to be adversaries. Who knew how many small injuries they had inflicted on each other already? His job was to catch the thief – not play the concerned babysitter so to speak. He felt unsettled at the sudden shift. "Only my pride," he responded after a moment thought, doing a mental check of his body just in case he had missed something while adrenaline had been pumping through his veins.

KID's lips quirked upwards. "Glad to hear it," a hand went into his jacket, and for a moment Conan's body tensed. He shouldn't have worried, as the thief withdrew a brooch with the targeted gem for the night. He took one of Conan's hands and curled his fingers around the jewel. "Not the one I'm looking for."

Before Conan could say anything – he burned with the curiosity to know what exactly that meant – KID was already climbing off the balcony and disappeared into the night on his glider. He shook his head, Kaitou KID was an enigma – one that did not treat Shinichi like a mere child, rather as a worthy opponent.

The fact he had listen to the detective's plan without a second pause was evidence enough. His heart fluttered on its own accord in gratitude.

…

The only evidence of a crime was a splatter of blood on the mahogany floors. The rest of the apartment looked pristine with its white curtains fluttering in the soft spring breeze filtering in from the open window. A bouquet of fresh flowers sat in a vase on top of a commode on the left. The police spoke with soft voices as they moved around the crime scene – not much could be done without a body.

The husband of the deceased sat on one of the couches, strategically placed so he wouldn't' be staring directly at the pool of blood. He had blond-dyed hair, and a strong masculine jawline. He was in his mid-twenties and had only recently gotten married. From the evidence of how he kept clutching his wrist, the marriage must have happened through a TiMER coupling.

"When did you realize something was wrong, Nakada-san?" Takagi's voice drifted to the locale Conan stood by the door next to Ran. Kogoro was discussing something further into the room with Megure.

The husband glanced up at the junior inspector with hollow eyes for a moment. There was a visible swallow as his Adam-apple jumped above the expensive white shirt he was wearing. "My – eh," he switched his balance on the seat, before he unclasped his hold on his wrist as he turned it around for Takagi to see. From the tension of the man's shoulder, the view must have meant bad news for the inspector. "I called the police immediately. Hoping –" his voice cracked and he spent a silent moment recovering as he finished the story with a quick mumble. "I was at work."

Conan did not understand the context of his words, and the confusion churned in his stomach. Very few times in his life had something happened which he could not comprehend – and he disliked not knowing. He turned to face Ran and reached out to grab her hand in order to get her attention. "Ran-neechan," he started with the most childish expression he could muster. "What are they looking at? I can't see."

Ran blinked down at him for a moment, before a soft yet sad expression spread across her features and made his heart palpitate in bewilderment. Exactly what was going on? She crouched down to come to his level – something he appreciated immensely that she was always so considerate.

"You know what a TiMER is, right Conan-kun?"

He nodded in response, his eyes immediately darting to her wrist, although he could not see it as it was hidden underneath her sweater. "It's an alarm-clock that counts down the days till you meet your soulmate," he replied, hoping to produce a smile on his childhood friend's lips. He had heard the detective boys use the exact same description in the past.

A smile did curl on Ran's lips, and the flash of humour chased away the sadness that had mirrored in her face. "That's right. But its more than that. The device is powered by body heat. As long as your pulse beat, it will always stay online – even before it starts the countdown or after it has zeroed out. If –" she hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering to the floor as she seemed to struggle with the decision of telling him the truth. "if it ever turns dark, it means that the device belonging to your soulmate has disconnected."

She did not need to continue as Conan's stomach dropped at the realization. So that's how Nakada Eisen knew something happened to his wife and called the police. For a moment, he considered the fascinating aspect of the device – it would definitely be an advantage for police investigations knowing when someone died or if a kidnapped victim was still alive.

A chill suddenly raked down his spine, and his throat tighten on its own accord before he could place where the dread accumulated from. It was not before a moment later as his fingers curled around his tiny wrist that he realized.

Somewhere out there, a person walked around with an offline TiMER because of him. Someone who had thought he was dead for months – and he had callously not given them a second thought. He did not know them, but his body was suddenly flooded with feeling of utter guilt. How selfish had he been for scarring someone for life. Perhaps they had decided to keep wearing the device as a reminder of a lost love – or had it surgically removed immediately as the pain must have been unbearable.

Conan's leg started to shake underneath him, and he only managed to stand upright through sheer willpower. For some childish reason he had thought the only person he had hurt following after Vodka and Gin had been Ran – and the realization that he had cause more anguish threatened to overwhelm him.

Taking a deep but quivering breath settled his thoughts for a moment – he would have to ask, no, beg Haibara to take a look at his device. He had hidden it away in the Kudou manor in case he would need it again. Hopefully she could figure something out – maybe turn it back on just to give someone hope.

He bit his lip. Don't be a fool Shinichi. Maybe they are better off never knowing you after all I've done. Shit. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to get the damn thing.

He felt bitter for the first time in months – angry at his situation. He had been lulled into believing everything would be alright, but now, with this realization? He had forever lost something that could not be retracted. He might get his body back and restore his friendship with Ran. But without that device, how would he ever find his soulmate again?

…

Nakada Eisen's expression was twisted into an ugly grimace where he stood in the middle of a warehouse with a wrench clutched in his hand. His eyes, once a placating but sad brown orbs, were now wild with fury.

Conan might be backed into a corner, but he was far from defenceless as he clutched at his watch. He would already have used it at it not been for the woman towering behind Nakada's shoulder. She had light brown hair that reached to her shoulder blades. A small purse dangled against her side from where she had carelessly dropped it as she reached a gun.

"You are sticking your nose into things you shouldn't have," the woman said with a soothing voice that did not match the strained cruelness curling in the corner of her lips.

Conan balled his fist together as bubbling anger chased away the miniscule fear he had felt. "You are both despicable," he hissed through clenched teeth, and the couple shared a simple look before bursting out in laugher.

"You are too young to understand the concept of soulmates," Nakada rolled his shoulder before humming almost thoughtfully, "I suppose you will never understand at this rate."

The detective only shook his head in disbelief at their actions. From the very start of the investigation he had sensed something was off. Nakada Eisen had put a large inheritance on his wife before she had mysteriously disappeared and presumed dead due to the TiMER linking them together. The police had not questioned the coincidence as much as they should have.

Digging into their lives, Conan realized they were both con-artists – and they had used the society's presumption to swindle money by purposely removing Nakada's wife's TiMER. It was a troubling thought: no one had considered the repercussions of criminals being matched up with their true soulmate.

And this in a world where the industry wasn't legally allowed to store or divulge information about individuals – and it was not like they could refuse to match up criminals either. The TiMERs purposes were no longer simply to find your soulmate, but also to find perfect crime buddies. In its pure values the idea was good – in practice not so much.

He wondered if anyone had even for a moment considered how the whole industry could be used for nefarious reasons. It was a frightening thought.

"You wont get away with this," Conan told them – he had no intention of letting them, not with them taking advantages of a system created for love. He let the sleeping dart in his watch fly and as it hit Nakada, he ducked to roll away. The only sound that reached his ears as he hid behind a cannister was a body fall to the floor and a woman's voice call out in panic.

His hand fell down to his belt as he inhaled deeply in concentration.

"Come back here, you little rat," she hissed threateningly, "a simple child is not ruining our operation. Easiest money we've ever made. These devices are absolute brilliant: I don't see why everyone else isn't doing the same."

Conan clenched his teeth, but did not take the bait to reply verbally as he practically crawled against the shelf he was hiding behind. Most people have moral values, he wanted to say. Most people wouldn't find every single opportunity to take advantage of every kindness for their own nefarious schemes.

The wife – Nakada Marise – ignored her fallen husband as she stalked towards the cannister – he could see her legs moving between the holes in the shelf. As she neared his location, he pushed a box straight into her feet, and she fell on the floor with a clutter of curses. Even before the fall, Conan had already darted around the shelf and snatched up the gun.

Without hesitating he turned it towards the woman. She was in the middle of a hissing rant when she noticed the metal pointed at her, and she froze for a second as her brain muddled over the problem. A moment later a lax smile crossed her lips as her tone turned sugary sweet.

"Now, bouya, you might want to give that to me. That's not a children's toy," she slowly sat up on her knees as her eyes darted in the direction of her still sleeping husband. Her lips twitched downward in anger for a fraction of a second before turning sweet again as she focused once more on the child.

Conan ignored her immediately as he muddled over his options. He only had one sleep dart in the watch – which he had already used. He scanned the room for a piece of rope, however uncertainty niggled in his mind if he could get close enough to even tie her up without her struggling. She could easily overpower him.

The second problem was, he did not have a cellphone on him. He had the situation in hand for now, but if the husband woke up he would be in trouble.

Marise started to stand, and the waving of the gun in her direction with a warning did not deter her. Instead, she laughed. "You are not going to shoot me. The trigger is still on."

The detective's eyes flashed to the gun for a second to make sure – and she took advantage of the second of distraction. Before he had time to react, Marise threw the cannister at him. The metal hit him hard – being about the same size as him – and he stumbled to the ground. The woman was on him immediately, trying to grabble the gun from him.

"Let go you little brat," she hissed with enough venom to kill a rat as she scratched him in the face.

Being dizzy and disorientated, Conan hung to the gun with all the strength he could muster. A groan was forced out of him when she slapped him with more hands that should be physically possible. The struggle only lasted for a few seconds before she overpowered him and forced the gun from his grip. She pushed him down on the floor with her boot in his chest.

She stared down with a manic expression on her face. Her hair stood in every direction and her eyes almost glowed with glee. "That's enough from you, you brat. You should never have pursued us, if you had just let it go then you would one day get to meet your own soulmate. This was supposed to be the easiest and cleanest heist of my life. But fuck it, if I need to get my hands dirty again, I don't mind one bit."

Conan had frozen underneath her, his heart hammering too fast in his chest. His thoughts racing trying to figure a way out of this predicament. The world was almost in slow motion as he saw her trigger finger quiver. This was it, this was how he was going to die – in an abandoned warehouse with no one knowing.

He squeezed his eyes closed as a bang echoed across the warehouse. He could not breathe as his hearing dulled the world, he was waiting for the pain, for the dark nothingness of the afterlife. When nothing happened for several seconds, and his hearing restored as the sound came crashing back. He could hear the sound of soft swearing and harsh breathing. He dared to open his eyes a fraction, and his heart leapt in relief as he spotted the familiar figure of Ran holding Marise's arm behind her back as she pushed her front to the ground.

The girl's expression was tight with fury, but once she saw Conan staring at her, her face softened. "Are you alright Conan-kun?"

He sat up, his pulse still soaring with adrenaline. He had never been so happy to see Ran in his entire life. "I – I'm alright."

"Oh my god, are you kidding me? More brats? Fuck you guys, seriously. Just fuck off," the criminal growled as she tried to struggle, but she barely managed a twitch before she groaned in pain. "I can't believe this is happening. This is all your fault," she tried to kick the sleeping man, however she could not reach him.

"Easiest heist my arse, I should never had trusted you –" her babbling tirade was cut short as Ran put some more pressure on her arm to silence her.

The girl turned back to Conan once more. "Can you grab my phone and call the police?"

Conan nodded and got up from his position. His whole body ached as he did, but he walked off the pain as he reached Ran. Without hesitating he fished up the phone from her front-pocket. As he called the police he wondered how many times people had used TiMERs for crimes and gotten away with it.

The idea had his stomach feeling cold and heavy. Some people were utterly despicable using the system for their own good. Some people would never be paired up with a soulmate, some would lose them before they ever meet, and some apparently used it for crimes. He briefly wondered what good the system was when all he had experienced was the negative parts of it as his eyes darted towards Ran with a heavy heart.

…