SAFE AND SOUND

Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic so hope you like it!
WARNING: Blood, death and fire so if you are scared/dislike any of them, please be warned and think twice about reading this!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Detective Conan and all rights belong to Aoyama Gosho.

Ais gasped in pain as she felt the impact of her falling onto the hard, stone floor overcome her little body. Conan who had tackled her from the side, dropped right on top of her, making her feel a brief shock of pain again. She half-glared at him for stopping her from her running away but he just met her furious stare with his own and shouted, "Are you crazy? You are running towards them! Are you trying to face your death so soon?"

He pushed himself of the floor and grabbed her cold hand, hoisting her back up. Her eyes shot daggers at him but he didn't notice nor did he care. He just grabbed her hand and pulled her in the opposite direction that she was running in, half-dragging and half-leading her away from the dangers that she would have faced if he had not stopped her and she just continued to run blindly towards. He was no fool and he knew that she was in a slightly delirious state apart from being panicky. But he had to keep his head cool. He was the only one who might be able to bring them out of the battle alive.

Shouts and gunfire could be heard all around them making him wish that he had not been so impulsive and follow the FBI to these abandoned warehouses. He did not spare a thought for the possibility that she might track him down like the way she did back in Japan three years ago. The moment she knew that he was in trouble, she would hurry and find him despite the dangers she might have faced. He knew yet it did not stop him from running with the FBI and entering the place where the Organization's members were already waiting for them. They knew that the feds were coming and since he was with them, they knew he was one of them. And to make it worst, Ai burst out into the scene, calling his real name when he was confronting Gin and Vodka. Seen and known, they both fled but Gin had ensured that they would not find their way out of the battlefield. No matter how much Conan tried, he was always turned into a group of members who were hunting them down despite the feds being around. There was just too many of the Organization's members and too little federal agents. Conan knew from the very beginning of the gunfight that the FBI would lose. There was no stopping it. He saw them being cut down, left and right as they were overwhelmed by the massive storm of black-clad members armed with guns. Forced to take matters on his own hands, he had stolen two guns from the dead bodies that lay around to protect himself.

Conan bit his bottom lip; chest heaving as he took in the precious air that he might not be able to breathe in again if he stopped running. Behind him, Ai was panting hard as well but neither once slowed down. This was a matter of their survival. They were not going to let their aching legs and lungs stop them.

They ran out of the warehouse they were in and jumped in fright when they heard a pitched whistling sound above them. Looking up, they saw a federal helicopter spinning uncontrollably above their heads. Fire was spouting from the side of the copter and black smoke was released into the pitch-black night that no stars wanted to shine their light on them. There was no moon, hidden behind some clouds. With the lack of moonlight and starlight, their morale and spirit sunk even further. There was no hope and they felt it in their bones. The copter above them spun around and around before finally crashing into a roof of a warehouse far away from them. It exploded and metal shards as well as flames erupted into the sky, lighting it up with its dangerous light. Pulling her back into the warehouse, he felt another pang of hopelessness inside of him as he witnessed the destruction all around him. He held her close to him, shielding her eyes from the falling charred metal and flames, not wanting her to see what she could not bear. He closed his eyes, hoping that the screams would stop and that everything would be over.

But of course it didn't. Another explosion shook the ground and the flimsy walls of the warehouses. Conan steadied himself and opened his eyes to see that the other warehouses were ablaze, probably from double explosions that had spread oil and fire everywhere. More agonized screams were heard and it stabbed him hard, scarring him forever as he heard people inside those warehouses being burned alive, unable to escape their fate of a fiery death. He tightened his hold around her waist, pulling her closer and feeling her cry into his torn and bloody shirt. She was shaking all over and he could not offer her the words that she wanted to hear. It was because he was not going to give her false hope. Nothing was right. He could not bring himself to tell her that everything would be when it would not. So many were dead and so many would die from all these mindless gunfire and battles around them. They were now just shooting to survive. The agents were not doing it to capture the members anymore. The members were not killing to protect their organization anymore. They were now just armed animals who had only the survival instinct and no more of their human sympathy to another human. Conan closed his eyes, feeling heat pooling behind them as he thought about how much he wished that the gunfight did not start and how much he wanted to get out of here alive with her.

But he knew he would never be able to step out of this blood filled factory alive.

Conan recovered from his self-pity first and he hurriedly tugged Ai's slightly bruised hand and whispered to her, "We must not stop. We must get out of here."

She looked up at him with tear-filled turquoise eyes. "Stop kidding yourself Kudou," she said shakily, her voice no more than a moan and a plea, "Why do you keep on running?"

He stared into her eyes and felt a lump in his throat. What could he say? That he just needed to run so that even if he died, he would have died knowing that he had tried? Or was it because he still hoped that they would survive this ordeal? He did not know what to say because he had no idea what was the answer to it himself. She had begun to weep again, knowing that he had no suitable answer.

He held her at an arm's length and shook her gently. Holding her gaze, he promised, "I will never let you go. I won't let anything hurt you. Believe me."

She stared into his blue depths and nodded, trusting him as she did. Stepping out from his hold, she took his hand again and whispered, "Let's go."

Looking at her to find any sign of restriction and found none so he turned and pulled her out of the warehouse that had shielded them from the falling fire.

There were still gunshots and there were still death all around them. He tried not to look at any of the numerous bodies that littered the courtyard that they were running across to get nearer to the only entry and exit of this hell zone. They slipped and skidded on the crimson blood that had painted the stone floor red but surprisingly, neither fell. They just kept running as they tried not to think about the ones they were leaving behind. They were gone and there was nothing they could do. For those who were still alive… they were already on their way to death since they were all consumed by the need to avenge the other's death. Rage had blinded them and Conan knew that they could not return. Until they were satiated by the sight and taste of blood on their lips, they would not stop. That was why he had no choice but to leave them behind. He needed to survive this with her as they both did not want to die. Not when they could have a life together.

"BANG!"

A bullet struck the stone right in front of Conan and he jumped a feet into the air in his shock. Turning around, he saw a tall man with long silver hair striding towards him. His black overcoat was stained with blood as well as his grinning face. Conan's eyes widened when he realised it was Gin who had not died in the crossfire. His heart speeding up even more, he turned and fled, pulling her behind him. They dashed across the courtyard and back into another warehouse nearby that had not been destroyed by the fire.

They burst into the dusty warehouse and to their horror found out that that they had entered a dead end. Running into the middle of the room, they spun around and around, looking for some way out but found none. It was all walls and no openings. The only way out was the way in and they could not go out into the open yard again unless they wish to be shot by the coming killer. Conan stared with his mouth open, unable to believe that he had done such a stupid mistake. Because of that stupid mistake, he would die and so would she. Ai had already collapsed to the floor beside him, shaking in her terror.

Looking down on her, he felt a heart-wrenching pain within him as he felt what she felt- the hopelessness and resignation to their brutal end. How he wished he could pull her to him and whisper to her that it was all a dream and then wake up from this terrible nightmare. His ears were ringing from all the human sounds of suffering and explosions all around him but all he saw was her. He could not believe that he was going to fail in his promise to her. He had sworn that he would protect her but he now, he could not fulfil it any longer. His heart shattered like a piece of glass that was thrown to a stone, breaking into a million pieces, never able to be pieced back together again. But that was nothing, he felt, compared to her.

She was shaking in terror and her face was covered by her now-bleeding hands. Blood dripped from the spaces in between her fingers and onto the floor which was then followed by shiny tears that looked like dew in the orange light pouring in from the transparent roof. She was not making any sounds yet she looked so pained, so tortured beyond comprehension. She just sat there, quaking and not looking up at him who stared at the top of her head. She was in no condition to stand up again and that was certain.

If that was certain, so was their end.

Conan gritted his teeth and a new resolve jumped into his chest, igniting a fire within him that he held onto as his final hope. Running back to the open doors of the warehouse, he jumped behind a wall as a bullet cracked the wooden floors beneath him. Taking a peek outside, he noticed that Gin was strolling towards them, enjoying every single second of fear that he was giving them. He grinned at the boy, obviously enjoying the scared look within those blue eyes as he searched his pockets for a new cartridge for his gun.

Taking this chance, Conan jumped out into view and hurriedly slammed the metal doors shut, blocking himself from Gin's view. The slam brought Ai out of her break down. She looked up at him in wonder as he rushed back to her and falling into a kneel before her.

He grabbed her hands and took them to his mouth, kissing them tenderly which shocked her greatly. She whispered, not pulling them away from him, "What are you doing?"

He met her terrified gaze with his own, surprisingly calm one and said in a steady voice, "I made a promise Ai… I intend to keep it."

"What are you doing to do?"she cried, jerking her hands out of his grasp to grab his shoulders, shaking him slightly.

He did not break his eye contact with her. Upon his scarred and bloodied face was a tiny smile, both heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time. It was a sign of peace but a saddened resolve to do what was right and protect her, the one he loved. He was not going to regret what he was about to do. Even more terrified, she shook him harder and shouted the same question again, hoping to stop him smiling, anything to show that he was not going to do what she felt he wanted to.

All he did was smile even wider, a broken and cheerless smile and answered softly, "Everything I need to."

Saying that, he jumped to his feet and hauled her up as well. Ignoring her cries of protest, he dragged her to the darkest corner of the warehouse. Once they reached it, he pushed her into the corner and she fell with a startled gasp. He crouched in front of her and held her face within his hands, forcing her to lock gazes with her. "Everything," he whispered meaningfully, "will turn out in the end. I promise."

"Close your eyes and believe me…"

"We will be safe. I promise."

She whimpered and he released her from his hold. He stood up and began to push some boxes around her to barricade her from coming out. She just stared at him, shocked beyond words and speechless. Don't do it… she thought desperately, hoping it would reach him, please don't.

He turned around and looked at her for one final time. He smiled again and after what seemed like an eternity between them, turned on his heel and strode back to the metal doors that he had closed in order to hide whatever activities he was doing inside. As he was nearing the doors, he pulled out the two guns that he had hidden under his shirt, slid in between his skin and waistband of his jeans at the back. He clicked off the safety and held them expertly in his hands, looking at them, knowing that what he would soon do would end his life as well as ensured hers will continue. That was the only way.

He stood in front of the doors and looked over his shoulders to take a final look at her face that shone even in that dark corner. Despite the grime on her face, she was beautiful to him.

I am so sorry Ai… I am going to leave you for now. But I'll watch over you forever.

Have a good life… Shiho.

Taking a deep breath, the final breath he would take, he pulled open the doors and stepped out into the orange light that poured into the dark warehouse.

Ai, in her corner, clamped her hands over her ears and fell to the floor, shivering and hoping. She shut her eyes, not wanting to look at the cruel reality bestowed in front of her. She prayed and that was all she could do. She pleaded in her mind over and over again. Please… she screamed in her mind repeatedly, don't! Don't!

And that was all she thought about before darkness took her into its cold and welcoming embrace, clearing all thoughts from her mind.

"Sir! I found a child here!"

A policeman shone his torchlight on a curled up child on the grimy floor of the warehouse. She had fainted by the looks of it. The 'sir' strode over and ordered them to hurry up and move the boxes out of the way in order to help the child. A man picked her up and she woke up however was still in a daze. All she saw was the orange sky above her that indicated dawn and felt that she was moving.

The man who carried her out then carefully brought her out of the building and that was when she saw him.

Her first love. Dead and motionless in a pool of dried black blood a few feet away from the body of the man who had killed her sister and now, her hero.

His dead blue eyes locked on hers and she uttered a silent whisper that went unheard by everyone before blacking out again.

There! How was it? A little too much gore and death? I know and sorry about that but I am a lover of death-fics and gore.

So do tell me your thoughts and review!

Song: Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. Don't sound much like it right?