Wordcount: 5.3K

Published: 28.09.19

A/N: no author notes about this chapter, although I remember having a lot of fun writing Haibara for the first time (and only time I've ever actually added her into any of my stories before or after). This is unfortunately the last chapter of the ones I previously wrote 2-3 years ago. It is unlikely I will continue this story. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and do let me know if anyone is interested in me continuing this, or would rather I focus on any of my other stories (or on new ones if I ever find the time).

A/N 2: Sorry it took me over half a year to get this posted. But I didn't use my laptop for a long and had completely forgotten about the story.

Chapter 10 – Rain

The rain pitter-pattered as it trickled off his umbrella. The lights seemed to dim in the thick rain. Professor Agasa huddled under his umbrella – a shoulder and leg sticking out, already soaked to the bone – as he hurried down the street. Today had definitely not been the best day to try out his sun-powered car batteries. Though the rain had only been forecast for the evening – his errands had gone longer than expected. Before he had realized, it had already gotten late. He was only half way home by the time the rain started – leaving him to abandon his poor Beetle somewhere on the road.

He would pick it up first thing in the morning.

Agasa's breath came out in quick puffs. He was tired, the walk had been longer then he had expected. His stomach churned as it protested – not approving of the exercise so soon after the large meal he had consumed for dinner with his friend. He hurried down the abandoned street. It was completely empty as everyone had already fled it for the sake of the warm promise of their homes.

Coldness bit into his nose, mixing with the flush from the quick pace. Cold sweat slithered down between his eyebrows. He definitely needed to exercise more. Maybe he could finish that self-workout machine? The only problem was the metallic tentacle arms kept malfunctioning. Thankfully no one had been hurt so far – except for some minor, harmless groping.

Turning another corner, Agasa's mind was once more on the comfort of his home. He needed to change out of his wet and dank clothing. Maybe make some of that imported English tea? With those strawberry-jam biscuits he had purchased a week prior? He twitched his moustache marginally. Or had he already eaten those?

The professor shook his head. He would have to check once he got back home. Back to that lonely, dark house. He blinked. Where had that thought come from? He was not lonely per say. He had his experiments and his colleagues. But a wriggle of missing something niggled on his mind every now and again – on a cold rainy day. Maybe if he had not been so obsessed with his experiments in his younger years he could have gotten married – maybe even to Fusae Campbell – and had kids on his own. He adored children.

He rounded another corner. There, just a few houses away his modern glass-house peaked up. Next to him was a large mansion-looking house that had been deserted for as long as he had lived there to his disappointment. A house like that deserved to have kids growing up within their walls.

His eyes wandered to the gate, something white caught his eyes. A white jacket lay in a bundle in front of the gate. The professor blinked in surprise and stopped in his track. A bundle? Had someone moved in while he had been distracted with his work? No, he was certain he would have noticed something like that – or more accurately gotten complains from his new neighbour from all his failed experiments' explosions. Someone dropped a jacket then?

With a curious churn in his chest he started in the direction of the bundle. He crouched over to pick it up. It was a white lab coat. His fingers gripped the fabric and he moved to pick it up. He froze in surprise – the jacket fluttered to the side to unveil a small head with auburn hair.

Agasa inhaled sharply. It was a child. He glanced around frantically. However, there were no one around. What was a little girl doing collapsed in the middle of the street alone? He bit his lip, mind churning in uncertainty. Were her parents out looking for her? Or had she – god forbid – run away from home?

Whichever option was true, he knew one thing for certain. He had to get the child inside soon or she would get sick. That decided, the large man picked the girl up gently into his arms. He moved the too-large coat to cover her from the rain. The umbrella lay forgotten behind him as he hurried home.

Entering his home, Agasa removed the wet lab coat and draped two blankets around her before laying her down on the couch. The girl let out a wet cough before burrowing herself unconsciously into the cover.

The professor's stomach dropped in unease. What was a child doing outside alone in this weather? It was dangerous. Why had her parents allowed her to leave? He glanced towards the phone. Should he call the police? The hospital? He turned around and started towards the kitchen to boil some water. The child needed to get the warmth back into her body lest she got sick.

Staring down into the boiling water he made up his mind. Calling the police would be best. Her parents might be looking after her. And even if they were not, he could not not report this in. He reached for the phone.

"Please don't."

The professor jumped. The grip on the phone lessened and it slipped out between his fingers. It hit the ground with a soft 'thud' a moment later. Grasping his throbbing chest he spun around to face the direction the voice originated from.

It was the girl. She stirred from the sofa to regard him with an apathetic gaze, however there were fear, anguish and pain visible in the tight creases around her grey eyes. Her hand twitched marginally as it clutched the fabric of the beige blanket covering her.

Agasa blinked fractionally in surprise. He could have sworn the voice emanated from an adult. He cleared his throat to supress the sudden unease. "Excuse me?" he crouched over to pick up the phone.

"Please don't call the police. Or the hospital. In fact, don't call anyone."

He frowned. Finally managing to grasp the phone he stood slowly. The girl sounded frighten under the monotonous tone of her voice. What had scared the girl so? Was she running away from an abusive home? The thought churned bitter in his stomach. How could anyone hurt a child? He glanced towards the phone grasped in his hand with uncertainty. He should call this in. Maybe they could catch her parents and get her into foster care?

His musing was cut short as the girl threw the covers off her and stood. Her feet trembled marginally but they kept her weight up. Without a second glance she started towards the front door.

The professor blinked in surprise. Where was she going? Realization flooded through him a moment later. "Hey, wait. Hang on! You can't go back out there. There's a storm, you'll get sick." He followed after her, his long feet quickly intersecting her.

The auburn haired girl tensed as he stepped in front of her. Her eyes darted back and forward like a frighten animal. She looked like a pitiful creature. Her auburn hair was plastered to her face from the rain. The clothes she was wearing was a couple of sizes too large, almost falling off her shoulders. She resembled a caged animal the way her eyes widened in fear.

"You don't understand. I have to go. They'll find me and kill anyone I get in contact with."

The professor opened his mouth to respond but froze. She looked serious – scared and worried. Worried for his sake. She clearly believed someone dangerous was after her. He licked his lips slowly. "Maybe we should call the police –"

She shook her head violently. "They have infiltrated the police force. If you call in about me they will kill you." Her voice grew sharper as her eyes narrowed from his disbelieving expression. "I'm not making this up. I'm not an inane child. Now stand aside."

Agasa did not budge. His expression turned into that of concern. She must be having a very elaborate fever dream. "Alright. I won't call anyone. Why don't you go back to huddle into the covers while I go make some tea and find something for your fever," he suggested kindly.

The girl did a full body twitch, several expressions flickered over her features. A mix of irritation, anger, worry and fear. The professor's heart throbbed in his chest. What could possibly bring fourth such strong emotions in a small child? She could not be older than six or seven. Her expression seemed more fitting in someone at least ten years older.

"I told you," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm not a pitiful child. Your kindness is misplaced. Thank you for your benevolence, but I must take my leave. You'll forget you ever saw me if you cherish your life." With that, she moved to pass around him.

The professor's frowned deepened. Not willing to let her go he followed her motion and picked her up carefully. The girl started to squirm in protest immediately.

"I'm sorry young lady," he groused as she bit into his arm. He did not drop her. "But I'm not letting you out of my sight anytime soon. If you don't want to call your parents, that's fine. But I'm not going to just let you wander around alone in the cold."

Her struggling intensified as he carried her back to the sofa. Pressing her against his chest with one arm, he picked up the blankets with the other and started to bundle it around her. Happy with the result, he carefully sat her down on the couch.

The girl scowled at him from within the blankets. "Your death will not be on my head."

Instead of taking her bait, his expression softened. "Don't worry, no one will die today. I promise."

This did not placate her at all. "Hundred and fifty thousand people die every day. That statement is making you a liar."

He blinked owlishly down at her. Uncertain whether to be amused or concerned about the small girl's morbidity. "Neither us will die," he stuttered in uncertainty. His eyes darted towards the kitchen as a familiar 'tut' escaped from the boiler.

"Stay here," he pointed at her warningly. "I will chase you if you leave." Waiting a full minute for her to agree with a small nod he went into the kitchen, all the while keeping an ear out for the sound of moving. He really hoped she would heed his warning and stay. The state of the little girl was worrying. What had she gone through to look so frightened? He could tell she was beneath the tough exterior.

He put two cups on a tray. They had a flowery décor – a present from a colleague. One with white lilies, the other with yellow daffodils. The latter being quite an unusual adornment. After pouring water into the cups, he placed a bowl of sugar, biscuits – he thankfully had not eaten all of the strawberry jam ones – and a mixture of different teabags. He returned to the Livingroom.

Relief flooded through him as the girl still sat on the sofa. Her arms were crossed as she followed his movement with sharp, intelligent eyes.

He gave her a soft smile as he placed the tray on the table. "Thank you," he smiled earnestly.

She looked away, jaw clenching marginally. "I didn't do it for you. I simply don't want to award your kindness with your death. The moment you fall asleep I'll be out of here."

Agasa gave a soft hum in response. He did not doubt her resolve. "Then I'll stay up all night."

Her eyes flickered in his direction with surprise before the expression smoothed over to an unreadable one. She grunted and leaned forward to sort through the teabags. Finding one that satisfied her, she dropped it in the warm cup.

A pregnant silence fell between them. Only the chiming of a silver spoon occasionally breached the quietness.

The professor took the chance to observe her closer. She looked tired and haggard. Dark rings circled her eyes. There was something sad and desolate about her – the air of someone who had given up all hope of survival. His chest clenched in worry. This poor girl. What was she running from? She seemed like an intelligent – though imaginative – little girl. How could someone have frightened her to this extent? His heart went out to her. He wished there were something he could do to help.

Her body was tensed, as though she would run from the smallest threatening movement. Her eyes darted across the room, absorbing and memorising every detail.

Agasa coughed, the silence making him uncomfortable. "I'm Agasa Hiroshi. I'm an inventor," he smiled kindly at her.

The brown haired girl turned towards him. Something flickered behind her eyes. "I see," she took a sip of her tea. "That explains the books."

The professor frowned marginally. "Books?" He glanced towards his bookshelves. Rows of physics books, engineering documents and such filled the space. He blinked in surprise and turned to her with wonder. She had noticed that?

She regarded him with a smug expression. Her lips twitched upwards. Placing the cup back on the hard surface of the table she stood slowly. She moved around it to stroll over to the shelves. She picked up a seemingly random book and turned in his direction. He barely read Stephen Hawking: a brief history of time: from big bang to black holes before she opened it.

She turned the book in his direction as she flipped the pages to the first chapter. She then held it up in front of her face – the pages showing in his direction, the cover to her so she could not read the script. She cleared her throat.

"A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the centre of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're a very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!""

She dropped the book and picked up a new one. Once again she held it up in front of her face as she flipped to the first chapter.

"Chapter 1, elementary vector calculus; the vector field. Here we present a brief but essentially complete presentation of those elements of vector calculus essential for the physicist or engineer. A knowledge of the elementary algebra of vectors is assumed.

The position of vector and the line element; coordinate transformations. We consider a point in space is defined with reference to a set of rectangular Cartesian coordinates by the three numbers x1, x2, x3, which are the coordinates of the point, or the orthogonal projections of the point, on the three axes. The directed line from the origin to the point is the position vector of the point."

Agasa had frozen in his seat. Eyes wide as he viewed the girl reciting the books from her memory. He gaped. Mouth moving up and down like a cod fish. Surprise and shock spun around in his head. Questions of how is this possible? and who is she? Filled his head. How could a six or seven year old girl read physics books from memory?

His eyes flickered to the title. Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers: Second Corrected Edition. By Royal Eugene Collins. And that was not even easy reading stuff. His heart palpitated painfully in his chest.

"How?"

The girl dropped the book. Her face looked guarded. "I told you. I'm not a child."

The professor searched her face, looking for any trace of deceit. There were none. His mouth felt dry and he swallowed thickly. "But how is that possible –"

She shook her head sharply. "It doesn't matter. Some very dangerous men are looking for me. For the sake of your safety, you will let me leave and forget everything about this evening," her voice lowered as desperation crept in. "Please."

He stood abruptly and grasped her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she peered up at him. She looked like a caught animal, panic shining in her eyes.

Agasa's heart dropped. He let her go quickly and held a hand up to reassure her he was not going to harm her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." His lips twitched downward in sadness. How much had this poor young lady gone through? "I understand the risk. But I can't just leave you like this. I doubt anyone will come looking for you here. Why don't you just stay one night and get your bearings back?"

The girl looked away, her small fists clenching in nervousness. Indecision flickered across her face. She looked ready to flee.

He didn't dare move a muscle. Instead he observed as strong emotions shifted in the youthful face. It felt wrong to be seeing such expression on the face of an elementary schooler. Slowly, the tension drained out of her face. She lowered her head and gave a short nod.

"One night," she agreed.

Agasa smiled in response. "Let's find you some dry clothes shall we."

…

Miyano Shiho peered out the window. Splashes of colours flickered across her vision every now and again as cars drove by. She leaned her head against the palm of her hand and yawned. The professor should be back soon with the groceries so she could start making dinner. For an adult in his early fifties he was remarkable horrid at supplying healthy meals.

It had been just a little over a week since she shrank and escaped from the B.O. A week spent in looking behind her shoulder and cowering in cold sweat under the duvet in the bed, hoping desperately that Gin would not find her.

She did not want to die, neither did she have any reason to continue living. She would have to run for the rest of her life – hiding from the B.O. Her family was dead. Her researched gone up in flames. All her life she had been groomed into being a scientist for the organization. And now? She was searching for a grasp of purpose. She had been ready to die when she swallowed the APTX 4869.

Shiho had been fortunate that Agasa had picked her up. He was a kind old, marginally humorous man. Slightly eccentric when it came to his inventions. She felt bad for getting him into danger, however he had insisted she stayed for a couple of more days until she knew what her next step would be.

Which she did not.

She had no clue.

Groaning, she pressed the palm of her hand into her eye socket. Maybe it would have been far easier if she had just died in that warehouse. At least then she would not put the professor into any danger.

The phone started to ring, startling her out of her dark thoughts. She turned swiftly, her heart throbbing in her throat as she kept down the panic bubbling in her throat. It's just a phone, calm down Shiho.

The phone stopped after three rings. Exactly thirty seconds passed before it started to ring once again. She let out a relieved breath. It was just the professor – they had made the code so she knew it was safe to pick up. The old man had not questioned her paranoid demand for caution.

Straightening up from her position by the window, she went swiftly to the cabinet to pick up the phone.

"Ai-kun?"

Blinking, it took her a few seconds to recognize the name. She had not been willing to tell him anything about herself. Not her name, not about who was after her and certainly not about the drug. The less he knew the better. The eccentric man had named her Haibara Ai after some famous female detectives.

"Yes professor? You are late." She groused.

An audible swallow came from the phone. "I'm sorry Ai-kun. But I'm going to be late. I know I promised to buy groceries. But if you're hungry, why don't you just order pizza or takeout?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "So you can eat the rest when you get home? Not going to happen. You have to watch your cholesterol."

A beat of silence, then – "But Ai-kun –"

"No buts. If you are not going to go to the supermarked then I will. And I'll cook you a proper meal with vegetables." She ended the call. Only after did her words register. Inhaling sharply, she pushed down the panic threatening to overwhelm her – could not swallow her pride. Some days she felt as though she was babysitting him. She had not let left the house for over a week. It was time. She could not spend the rest of her life hiding inside.

Even if they do find me, they won't be able to link my connection to the professor if I'm alone, she told herself reassuringly. She did not relish the thought of dying, but at least she could keep Agasa safe. With that in mind, she grabbed the jacket he had bought her a few days prior, some change he had left her in case of an emergency and exited the house.

She froze. Her eyes darted around frantically looking for sights of any suspicious strangers. When no one jumped immediately, she forced herself to relax. Just a trip to the grocery. You are just a normal seven year old child. She clenched her fists and forced herself to leave the street.

The sun shone down at her as she walked. The fresh air blew through her hair and she took a deep breath. She was not entirely sure where the shops were. However, that did not seem to worry her at this current moment. As long as she memorised her path she would be able to get back home. She passed by several cars, people and houses. Every now and again she would freeze up to look around carefully. But so far no one had rung any warning bells.

Shiho walked passed a playground. The sounds of children playing echoed from the park, stomping and running and laughing. None of the worries of adults crossed their minds, only how to elude capture by their friends. The rhythmic creaking of swings went back and forth, and some kids tried to time their jumps from the swings to the rhythm. The colours of the playground equipment were still fresh and bright, despite the years of wear and the endless use.

She stopped and stared at the spectacle with sad, wistful eyes. Growing up as part of the organization had never let her experience a proper childhood. Not like her sister, Akemi, had done. Her chest tightened at the memory of her sister. She missed her dearly. Why did you have to leave me Akemi? She turned away from the sight of the laughing children and continued her walk.

As she passed the immediate area, her eyes were drawn to a group of four children playing on the small football field adjacent to the playground. A girl, maybe around Shiho's current physical age, stood behind a larger child wearing a green jacket. He held his arms out as though to either shield her or keep her away from the ball. Another boy stood still with a football firmly seated under his right foot. He eyed the boy standing between him and the others.

The third boy was the smaller of them. He wore glasses too large for his face, dark brown hair and a cowlick. She could not see him well from her position, but his body language expressed idleness.

Shiho stopped in puzzlement. She tilted her head fractionally as she regarded the scene. The little girl peaked around the body of the larger boy. She held up a thumb and beamed brightly. The boy glanced down at her before scowling at the smaller boy.

The bespectacled boy stood ignoring them. Hands in his pocket and looking up at the sky. The child with the football twitched nervously.

The shrunken-scientist frowned in confusion. There was something wrong with this picture. Were they bullying the child?

The boy with the ball suddenly lurched forward, his foot swinging to kick the ball. The ball shot up in the direction of the bespectacled child – who was looking in the wrong direction.

Shiho's breath hitched in her throat. If he did not move soon, he would be hit. She took a step forward, arm shooting up as she called out in warning. "Look out!"

Just as the words slipped passed her lips, the bespectacled boy started to move. He spun around to face the oncoming ball. Jumping up on one foot, he bent his knee. The ball hit him square on the knee, the momentum absorbing the speed, sending it horizontal far above their head. Gravity finally taking its toll on the boy, he hit the ground square on his feet without trembling. Keeping his eye on the ball as gravity took hold and fell straight downward. This time he only bent his knee, catching it and continued to bounce it up and down.

Shiho blinked in surprise. Her hand fell down to lay slack next to her. For a six or seven year old he had surprising – no uncanny – control over the football and understanding of gravitational pull. To be able to calculate in split of a second where to move and how much force to use was astonishing. Even if it was only by pure instinct. He would definitely be a marvellous football player one day.

Just as the thought finished, she noticed she had attracted the attention of the three other children. A rose-pink colour tinted her cheeks as she remembered her – unnecessary – shout of warning. The little girl peered at her with curiosity. Eyes shining with such innocence Shiho could never possibly hope to replicate.

She turned away and picked up the hood of her jacket to cover her face. It would not do to be seen by children. She was out on a mission. Just as she was to start to briskly walk away, something in the air shifted. She froze, her breath hitching in her throat. Someone was looking at her. Not with mild curiosity or absent minded, but with clear intent. The hair in her neck prickled uncomfortably as fear shivered down her spine.

Have they finally found me? Have he come to kill me? The panicked questions spun in her head. She had to get away, get somewhere lonesome and private where no one would get in the way. As far as she could get from Professor Agasa's house and the playground. She would not let anyone else die because of her.

Even if the voices in her head urged her to move, her feet would not listen. She was plastered to the sidewalk, unable to move as though someone was stopping her. Her head felt hazy from the share panic of flightflightflight. Slowly she turned in the direction the glare was emanating from, fully expected to see Gin's manic grin. Only to fall short when she stood alone on the sideway.

Blinking she searched her environment. There were no one behind her or in the adjacent street. Only the laughter from the playground echoed towards her. If there were no one there, then who was staring at her? She could feel it burning into her with a fervent hunger she only associated with the members of the Organization. They could be anyone, an adult sitting in the playground?

She watched each figure carefully. She would not put it passed them to hide in there. However, once again no one sprang up immediately across her mind. Not a single one was turned in her direction. She felt unease travel down her spine. Slowly she turned towards the small football field, the only placed she had not examined.

Her throat constricted automatically. The bespectacled boy had stopped playing with the ball and stood rooted to the spot, cerulean eyes burrowing into her. His eyes were sharp, analytical and shone with far more intelligent than any child should possess. There was something dark and hungry with the expression. As though she was staring at a ravenous shark who had just picked up the scent of blood.

Shiho took a hurried step back. Why was she having such severe reactions towards a mere child? He felt to her just like any member of the Organisation did. Were there any connections between them? No, she shook her head mentally. That was not possible. Couldn't be possible. Everyone who had been fed the poison had been accounted for. Besides, why would anyone degrade themselves to playing with mere children?

There was a short tug on her sleeve.

Gasping – her heart jumping to her throat, Shiho stumbled backwards. The heel of her foot hit the sidewalk and she went down flailing. Pain laced through her knees and bottom as she hit the concreted road. Automatic tears accumulated in her eyes, however she swallowed them down before they could erupt. She would not die begging.

Curling her hands she glared up at her attacker, fully preparing to see the smirking face of Gin as he casually said 'I found you'. Instead, she was met with the sight of the little, brown-haired girl looking horrified.

"I'm is sorry," she stuttered, eyes wide and distressed. She jolted forwards to grab Shiho's arm to try pull her up and out of the gutter. "Wasn't my intention of starling you. I'm is so so very sorry."

Shiho had frozen at the surprised sight. She had not anticipated being approached by the children. She did not resist as she was pulled to her feet. "Don't worry about it. I didn't see you." She lifted a hand to brush off dust on her pants.

The girl looked uncertain, before a genuine smile blossomed on her lips. "I'm Ayumi, do you want to come play with us?" She waved a hand in the direction of her companions.

Shiho followed the movement automatically. The freckled boy shifted in unease, looking ready to come for Ayumi's help if needed. The largest boy who had shielded the girl earlier, scratched on the bald-spot on his head. His eyes flickered between the girls and something on the road behind them.

The last child, the boy with the glasses, had not stirred. Cerulean eyes smouldered as they gazed at her.

Another shiver raked down her spine. She could not look away from the hypnotic eyes. They scorched through her like fire. I see you, she imagined they whispered in her mind. I know what you did. Her throat suddenly burned, and she swallowed thickly to get the taste away. She swore she heard the sound of a single violin in the distance.

"Guys! That's the icecream truck!" A voice cut in abruptly. A second later a familiar melody started playing in the distance, effectively drowning out the imaginary music chiming in her ears.

The green-jacket boy stepped in front of the bespectacled boy, cutting the unnerving gaze off. Shiho took a step back, drawing in ragged breath as the air suddenly felt lighter. Next to her, Ayumi beamed brightly. She turned to sprint back towards her friends.

"Do you think they have that new garlic ice cream? Let's go Conan-kun!" She grabbed the bespectacled boy's arm and started to herd him in the direction of the sound. The two other boys glared at the couple, innocent jealousy burning in their gaze.

By the time Ayumi remembered their fifth companion and turned to ask if she wanted to join them, Shiho was long gone – taken advantage of the distraction to flee.