Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or any elements or characters within that are recognizable. I just mess with them.

Prologue: Charade of Shadows

The night was as invasive to the mind as the fear and adrenaline that sped through the veins of the two figures standing at the edge of the empty highway. It was late, and unlikely that there would be any passers-by. A favor, perhaps, to the actors on this unlikely stage, as a witness would only detract from the spectacle being performed for their shadowed audience. The full moon provided the perfect atmosphere and cast dark contrast onto the faces of the reluctant actors. Not that they would ever show such an emotion.

Sharp dark eyes stared into harsh brown as the two hardened agents watched each other carefully. The man, brilliant and devious, was resigned to the task in front of him. Anything for the good of the people, no? The woman was afraid. Granted, it was buried deep under her masks of hatred and loyalty, but it was still a slight sliver of fear that could ruin the entire charade. She couldn't risk anything of the sort. The mission must not be compromised. It was the only reason the Company would ever work with the Bureau. Their competition was legendary, and their skills even more so. The agents looked at each other in minute, silent agreement of their task before bursting into action. A shot rang through the cold night air.

The woman, Hondou Hidemi, stared from under her baseball cap at the blood-like substance that oozed down the side of Akai Shuichi's pain-twisted mouth. He truly was a good actor. She could hear Gin's excited breathing through the microphone that was tucked behind her ear.

"Just finish it already Kir. He means nothing to you, right? He'd better not."

Her brow furrowed as she protested at the implication of betrayal. Shit, he's not buying it! "Of course not! I could never fall so far." She spat, a disgusted scowl crossing her face. She could almost hear the maniacal grin that stretched across the twisted man's face.

"Drive a bullet into his head. It'll make sure his life will come to an end."

"Roger," she replied firmly.

"Goodbye koibito-san…" His wheezing, ragged laughter close to her ear made her give a small flinch. As she stared into the eyes of her victim, she watched his mouth form his last words.

"To think you'd go this far."

Her mouth twisted into a wry parody of a smile. "I'm surprised at myself." She let her finger pull the trigger.

A/N: This is a story that I'm working on right now, based on the life of Akai Shuichi while he is involved with the nasty business in Japan. I'm pretty excited about this, but I really can't guarantee any regular updates because of how hectic working and college-ing is full time as a freshman. I love the idea of this though, especially because there are barely any stories with Akai in this fandom. It's a shame, because he's such an interesting character. I suppose I should warn about all kinds of spoilers and speculation, as well as language and violence. It shouldn't get any worse than that. Tell me what you think!

~Kai