FIC: One Truth, Countless Lies (Chapter 2)
Title: One Truth, Countless Lies
Rating: Teen+
Chapter: Chapter 2 -- Last Doubts
Pairings: None as of now
Story Summary: The BO has been destroyed, but any data that might lead to a cure, as well as Haibara Ai, have perished as well. With this setback, Kudo Shinichi plans to make a move that could be more painful to Ran than telling her the truth.
One Truth, Countless Lies
Chapter 2: Last Doubts - After the BO has been destroyed, Kudo Shinichi is still in his “Conan body”. Not seeing a way to turn to normal, he has decided to fake his own death... Everything has been set into motion.
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After weeks of planning and going over the details with Heiji, Dr. Agasa and his parents, the plan had been argued against, revamped, scrapped, re-revamped and finalized. It was finally the day that news of his “death” was supposed to reach Ran.
On the outside, Kudo Shinichi appeared as Edogawa Conan, an innocent (and highly astute) little kid with no worries in the world. However, on the inside, he was filled with turmoil. On one hand, he didn't want to be there when Ran received the phone call -- but on the other, he wanted to be there for her because he knew she would be in pain.
He looked over to her. Mouri Ran was lounging on the opposite couch, gazing out of the window, lost in her own world. She had a slight frown on her face.
“I wonder if she's thinking about me,” he thought. He pretended to be doing his homework, all the while glancing often at her.
He checked his watch.“It's two minutes past five... Mom should be calling at any minute now to tell her that I'm dead,” he thought to himself. “There's still time to cancel all of this! Call it off!” a small part of him seemed to be crying. Ran's phone rang.
Shinichi looked up and watched as Ran fumbled with her phone. “She might think that's me calling; she looks so hopeful,” he theorized. He held his breath, inched to the edge of his seat, and gripped his knees tightly in anticipation of the upcoming scene.
“Hello?” she spoke into the phone. “Hey, Sonoko!”
Shinichi exhaled in a shaky breath. “It's only Sonoko,” he thought. “I thought that was going to be Mom.”
He half-listened as Ran rattled off to Sonoko about various things like school, an upcoming Karate tournament, and Sonoko's (lacking) love life. That little voice inside of him spoke up again. “Call your mother! Tell her that you've scrapped your plan! There's still time, do it while she's on the phone with Sonoko!” He wanted so badly to follow that voice that he stood up suddenly, but sat back down when he saw Ran glance at him oddly. He grinned at her, and she smiled back and continued with her phone conversation.
He looked at Ran chatting happily over the phone with Sonoko. “I'm so very sorry for what I'm about to do to you, Ran. I know I'm going to hurt you, but I truly think this is the only way.” His shrunken body felt heavier than normal, as if he had been drained of the strength to carry on.
“Sonoko, someone is beeping in. I'll call you back later, okay?” Ran said. Shinichi slid to the edge of the couch again. This time, it had to be his mother. He held his breath for a second time.
“Hello?” Ran said. “Oh, hi Mom!”
Shinichi about fell off the couch. He was so sure it was his mother that time. “It's thirty-five minutes past five, she was supposed to call at five o'clock! Don't tell me she's forgotten or has decided to back out now.” As if on cue, his own phone rang. He removed it from his pocket, flipped it open, and looked on the screen. It was his mother. He left Ran in the living room talking to her mother and went into the bathroom to answer his phone. “Hello?”
“Shin-chan, there's still time to cancel all this,” his mother said, echoing the voice that objected inside of his mind since he came up with the plan. “Say the word, and I won't call her.”
“No Mom, please, do it,” he said. He heard his mother sigh over the phone.
“Your father is pressuring me not to go through with this, and he still refuses to play any part in this. He says that you just need to tell her the truth, and I agree with him... somewhat.”
“I wish it were as simple as telling her the truth,” he replied, “but you know it isn't. I know it isn't. He knows it isn't, even if he doesn't agree with my plans.” Shinichi rubbed his left temple. He thought about the countless arguments over the phone and through e-mail with his father, who was vehemently against the idea from the start and had argued with him about it since he first told him of his plan. His father's last words to him before slamming down the phone the last time they spoke came back to haunt him.
“You are always blabbing about there being one truth, yet you continue to tell anything but! Do you even know what the truth is anymore? Have you lied so much that you have convinced yourself that it is superior to the telling the truth?” his father had shouted into the phone before hanging up on him.
Shinichi had never been yelled at by his father like that. He had been shocked when it happened, and it had almost been enough for him to call it off and cancel. Almost. But, he was not swayed in the end.
“Shinichi? Hello? Are you still there?” his mother asked. His mind snapped back to the present.
“Yes Mom, I'm still here. And I still want you to call. Please do it, now.”
His mother sighed loudly again. She spoke to him in a weary voice. “Okay, Shin-chan. I got it. I'll call her.”
“Goodbye mother... and thanks.” He hung up the phone. He went back into the living room with Ran, who was tidying up where her father had left a mess earlier.
“Ooh, Dad! How many times must I tell him to clean up after himself!” she exclaimed in an annoyed voice.
“I'll help you, Ran-neechan!” he said in his uber-cute-and-innocent Conan voice. He picked up the closest ashtray that was overflowing with cigarette ashes and lotto stubs, and emptied it into the trash can that Ran held out.
“Thanks, Conan-kun! I appreciate it.” She smiled at him.
He looked at her profile as she turned away and busied herself with cleaning up. He studied her from head to toe, her shiny not-quite-black hair, her beautiful skin, her delicate, yet fit, frame. Had she turned around at that moment, she would have seen a little boy with a look of sheer love and admiration on his face. He snapped out of it as her phone rang.
She answered. “Hello?”
He looked at her intently. This was the moment, this was the beginning of the end. This was the part where he broke her heart so that she could heal and move on. At least, by his reasoning.
“Oh! Shinichi's mother! How have you been?” She sounded excited to hear from his mother. He turned his back on her for a moment to regain his composure.
“You have something to tell me? Is there something wrong? You don't sound like yourself.” She sounded concerned. He turned back towards her, and saw that she looked concerned as well.
He watched her. He watched as she listened to his mother's words. He watched as her look of concerned changed to a look of confusion. He watched as her look of confusion morphed into a look of shock. He watched as her look of shock turned into a look of horror.
He watched as her legs failed her and she fell to her knees to the ground.
“Shinichi's... dead?” she asked in a small voice. “No... he can't be. He CAN'T be!” she screamed as the tears that had welled in her eyes fell. Her phone fell from her hand to the floor.
He knew how she was going to react, but knowing something and seeing something were two different things. He watched her weep with abandon for a few moments. He walked over to her and placed his small hands on her shaking shoulders. She looked up from the floor and into his eyes.
“Conan-kun. Shinichi's dead. He's gone,” she choked out. She grabbed him and held him close to her. He wrapped his arms around her the best he could and held her. “He's gone and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to tell him...” she trailed off.
He felt her go limp in his arms. He quickly pulled away to check on her. She hadn't passed out, but she wasn't responding either. He laid her out all the way on the floor, put her head on his lap, and stroked her hair. He stayed that way with her until nightfall; it wasn't until later he realized that the entire time he watched over her crying, silent form, he had been crying as well.
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Poor Ran... I hated doing this to her, but the plot bunnies made me do it. Hope you all liked this chapter and the overall story so far. Not much new information to give other than there's no end in sight yet, and there's also no pairings in sight. After all, this isn't a romantic story.
Notes: I know I used “He watched” a lot in that particular paragraph, I was being redundant on purpose (for effect). Hopefully, that transfers to you the way I saw it
Italic in quotation marks are thoughts.
I don't have a beta yet; hopefully I'll have one by next chapter. The prologue, first and second chapter (this one) haven't been beta read, so apologies for errors.
One more thing: I have trouble with keeping the right tense, so if anyone knows a good resource that helps with that, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Next Chapter: A small memorial services is held for Kudo Shinichi with just a handful of people invited. Also, Hattori Heiji attempts to deliver an eulogy for his not-so-dead friend. Attempts is the key word here...
Rating: Teen+
Chapter: Chapter 2 -- Last Doubts
Pairings: None as of now
Story Summary: The BO has been destroyed, but any data that might lead to a cure, as well as Haibara Ai, have perished as well. With this setback, Kudo Shinichi plans to make a move that could be more painful to Ran than telling her the truth.
One Truth, Countless Lies
Chapter 2: Last Doubts - After the BO has been destroyed, Kudo Shinichi is still in his “Conan body”. Not seeing a way to turn to normal, he has decided to fake his own death... Everything has been set into motion.
--------------------------------
After weeks of planning and going over the details with Heiji, Dr. Agasa and his parents, the plan had been argued against, revamped, scrapped, re-revamped and finalized. It was finally the day that news of his “death” was supposed to reach Ran.
On the outside, Kudo Shinichi appeared as Edogawa Conan, an innocent (and highly astute) little kid with no worries in the world. However, on the inside, he was filled with turmoil. On one hand, he didn't want to be there when Ran received the phone call -- but on the other, he wanted to be there for her because he knew she would be in pain.
He looked over to her. Mouri Ran was lounging on the opposite couch, gazing out of the window, lost in her own world. She had a slight frown on her face.
“I wonder if she's thinking about me,” he thought. He pretended to be doing his homework, all the while glancing often at her.
He checked his watch.“It's two minutes past five... Mom should be calling at any minute now to tell her that I'm dead,” he thought to himself. “There's still time to cancel all of this! Call it off!” a small part of him seemed to be crying. Ran's phone rang.
Shinichi looked up and watched as Ran fumbled with her phone. “She might think that's me calling; she looks so hopeful,” he theorized. He held his breath, inched to the edge of his seat, and gripped his knees tightly in anticipation of the upcoming scene.
“Hello?” she spoke into the phone. “Hey, Sonoko!”
Shinichi exhaled in a shaky breath. “It's only Sonoko,” he thought. “I thought that was going to be Mom.”
He half-listened as Ran rattled off to Sonoko about various things like school, an upcoming Karate tournament, and Sonoko's (lacking) love life. That little voice inside of him spoke up again. “Call your mother! Tell her that you've scrapped your plan! There's still time, do it while she's on the phone with Sonoko!” He wanted so badly to follow that voice that he stood up suddenly, but sat back down when he saw Ran glance at him oddly. He grinned at her, and she smiled back and continued with her phone conversation.
He looked at Ran chatting happily over the phone with Sonoko. “I'm so very sorry for what I'm about to do to you, Ran. I know I'm going to hurt you, but I truly think this is the only way.” His shrunken body felt heavier than normal, as if he had been drained of the strength to carry on.
“Sonoko, someone is beeping in. I'll call you back later, okay?” Ran said. Shinichi slid to the edge of the couch again. This time, it had to be his mother. He held his breath for a second time.
“Hello?” Ran said. “Oh, hi Mom!”
Shinichi about fell off the couch. He was so sure it was his mother that time. “It's thirty-five minutes past five, she was supposed to call at five o'clock! Don't tell me she's forgotten or has decided to back out now.” As if on cue, his own phone rang. He removed it from his pocket, flipped it open, and looked on the screen. It was his mother. He left Ran in the living room talking to her mother and went into the bathroom to answer his phone. “Hello?”
“Shin-chan, there's still time to cancel all this,” his mother said, echoing the voice that objected inside of his mind since he came up with the plan. “Say the word, and I won't call her.”
“No Mom, please, do it,” he said. He heard his mother sigh over the phone.
“Your father is pressuring me not to go through with this, and he still refuses to play any part in this. He says that you just need to tell her the truth, and I agree with him... somewhat.”
“I wish it were as simple as telling her the truth,” he replied, “but you know it isn't. I know it isn't. He knows it isn't, even if he doesn't agree with my plans.” Shinichi rubbed his left temple. He thought about the countless arguments over the phone and through e-mail with his father, who was vehemently against the idea from the start and had argued with him about it since he first told him of his plan. His father's last words to him before slamming down the phone the last time they spoke came back to haunt him.
“You are always blabbing about there being one truth, yet you continue to tell anything but! Do you even know what the truth is anymore? Have you lied so much that you have convinced yourself that it is superior to the telling the truth?” his father had shouted into the phone before hanging up on him.
Shinichi had never been yelled at by his father like that. He had been shocked when it happened, and it had almost been enough for him to call it off and cancel. Almost. But, he was not swayed in the end.
“Shinichi? Hello? Are you still there?” his mother asked. His mind snapped back to the present.
“Yes Mom, I'm still here. And I still want you to call. Please do it, now.”
His mother sighed loudly again. She spoke to him in a weary voice. “Okay, Shin-chan. I got it. I'll call her.”
“Goodbye mother... and thanks.” He hung up the phone. He went back into the living room with Ran, who was tidying up where her father had left a mess earlier.
“Ooh, Dad! How many times must I tell him to clean up after himself!” she exclaimed in an annoyed voice.
“I'll help you, Ran-neechan!” he said in his uber-cute-and-innocent Conan voice. He picked up the closest ashtray that was overflowing with cigarette ashes and lotto stubs, and emptied it into the trash can that Ran held out.
“Thanks, Conan-kun! I appreciate it.” She smiled at him.
He looked at her profile as she turned away and busied herself with cleaning up. He studied her from head to toe, her shiny not-quite-black hair, her beautiful skin, her delicate, yet fit, frame. Had she turned around at that moment, she would have seen a little boy with a look of sheer love and admiration on his face. He snapped out of it as her phone rang.
She answered. “Hello?”
He looked at her intently. This was the moment, this was the beginning of the end. This was the part where he broke her heart so that she could heal and move on. At least, by his reasoning.
“Oh! Shinichi's mother! How have you been?” She sounded excited to hear from his mother. He turned his back on her for a moment to regain his composure.
“You have something to tell me? Is there something wrong? You don't sound like yourself.” She sounded concerned. He turned back towards her, and saw that she looked concerned as well.
He watched her. He watched as she listened to his mother's words. He watched as her look of concerned changed to a look of confusion. He watched as her look of confusion morphed into a look of shock. He watched as her look of shock turned into a look of horror.
He watched as her legs failed her and she fell to her knees to the ground.
“Shinichi's... dead?” she asked in a small voice. “No... he can't be. He CAN'T be!” she screamed as the tears that had welled in her eyes fell. Her phone fell from her hand to the floor.
He knew how she was going to react, but knowing something and seeing something were two different things. He watched her weep with abandon for a few moments. He walked over to her and placed his small hands on her shaking shoulders. She looked up from the floor and into his eyes.
“Conan-kun. Shinichi's dead. He's gone,” she choked out. She grabbed him and held him close to her. He wrapped his arms around her the best he could and held her. “He's gone and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to tell him...” she trailed off.
He felt her go limp in his arms. He quickly pulled away to check on her. She hadn't passed out, but she wasn't responding either. He laid her out all the way on the floor, put her head on his lap, and stroked her hair. He stayed that way with her until nightfall; it wasn't until later he realized that the entire time he watched over her crying, silent form, he had been crying as well.
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Poor Ran... I hated doing this to her, but the plot bunnies made me do it. Hope you all liked this chapter and the overall story so far. Not much new information to give other than there's no end in sight yet, and there's also no pairings in sight. After all, this isn't a romantic story.
Notes: I know I used “He watched” a lot in that particular paragraph, I was being redundant on purpose (for effect). Hopefully, that transfers to you the way I saw it
Italic in quotation marks are thoughts.
I don't have a beta yet; hopefully I'll have one by next chapter. The prologue, first and second chapter (this one) haven't been beta read, so apologies for errors.
One more thing: I have trouble with keeping the right tense, so if anyone knows a good resource that helps with that, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Next Chapter: A small memorial services is held for Kudo Shinichi with just a handful of people invited. Also, Hattori Heiji attempts to deliver an eulogy for his not-so-dead friend. Attempts is the key word here...