A/N: So the prompt I received from Poirot Cafe's exchange was "One MK character and one DC character by the river. One of them is holding something" Immediately, I thought of Kaito and Shinichi/Conan when I first got this prompt, but I ultimately decided to go for a less common approach. I don't think this is what the prompter had in mind, but I hope they enjoy reading this regardless. Thank you, and please read and review (^_^)

Word Count: 547

Haibara closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to let go of the frustration that clung to her like a parasitic vine.

It was just a science thing. Stuff happened and most of the time, she didn't even know why, regardless of whether it worked or not. It happened with cell culture, with the APTX antidote prototypes… and that darned PCR analysis that always seemed to mess up whenever it involved Kudo.

But she wasn't going to think about it. She was by the river in Ekoda to relax, to get away. She needed time to think. She was not going to direct death glares at innocent people, or chuck her phone in the river if Kudo called, asking for a progress update on the antidote.

No, she was just going to enjoy the sound of rushing water, and the breeze that gently tugged at her hair. She was going to enjoy the silence, the medical journal in her hands, the lack of human interaction…

"Oh? What is one of the Kid Killer's friends doing over here?"

Haibara rolled her eyes, and barely restrained a sigh.

Great. More people.

She turned around to face dark, silky hair, and a visage of carefully applied makeup. A navy sailor uniform was the only indication that she was facing a high school student.

The scientist schooled her exasperation into a look of indifference.

"I'm just enjoying the view."

It may not have been the most honest response she could have given, but at least it was technically true.

Crimson painted lips turned downward.

"This river isn't any different from the one in Beika."

Haibara narrowed her eyes slightly, making sure to sound polite, but still leaving some ice in her tone.

"Perhaps I needed time alone."

"Perhaps."

The high schooler replied casually enough, but made no move to leave.

Just as Haibara was about to make a snarky reply, however, the high schooler spoke once more.

"Or perhaps you needed a break away from your other life, little scientist."

She froze.

The high schooler reached into one of the pockets in her skirt and pulled out a pack of what looked like of tarot cards, not seeming to notice the effect of her off-handed comment.

"I don't know if you put much stock in tarot cards, but when I tried a reading earlier today, the message I received didn't make much sense. It claimed that I needed time to reflect, that things would turn for the better, and that success would be inevitable… but perhaps the reading was for you."

Haibara scoffed.

"I prefer to believe in science."

The high schooler took a hand to flip back her hair, still holding onto the tarot deck.

"I figured that would be your response. Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you."

She turned to leave, her steps silent despite the fact that the heels of her shoes should have made some sort of noise on the asphalt.

Haibara merely shook her head, turning back toward the river before briefly closing her eyes and taking another deep breath.

She was a woman of science. She didn't believe in tarot readings, or any sort of fortune-telling… but hearing that she would succeed was encouraging to hear regardless.