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The children, serious as adults, examined his car and, judging by their expressions, the options for escaping from it. Two pairs of large eyes, with a childlike sparkle, looked anything but childish. Perhaps it was due to the situation they found themselves in, but Akai suspected it was something else.
"Don't," he said, as one of the children reached for the door handle, while the other covered his back.
They glanced fearfully into the mirror and moved away from the door. Ugh, how did he even end up in this situation?...
"In short, things are bad."
Large folders were slammed onto the common table with a bang.
"Two children saw members of the organization and witnessed them committing a murder."
Yeah, not a good situation. Especially for children. Witnessing a murder is traumatic at any age, but in childhood...
"They were discovered, and their families were killed. Now the children themselves are being pursued."
An unenviable situation. The organization eliminates all witnesses. Regardless of who they are.
"Through our agent, they've made it to headquarters. We need to find them a home and a temporary guardian among our agents."
Oh, unlucky is whoever gets this assignment. Two traumatized children, being pursued by an organization. Good thing he's on va—
"Akai-kun. You're on vacation right now, you have time."
Damn it.
***
He twisted the keys in the rusty lock and opened the door. Akai released one of the children's hands, letting him into the apartment first. The same one then waved his hand at the other child, making the latter stop. He entered the apartment, looked left and right from behind the corner, peeked out the window, and after his gaze swept over the kitchen, he beckoned the other. The second one cautiously entered the house, taking off his shoes and placing them with his friend's or brother's. He couldn't figure out who they were to each other. But clearly more than just children in the same predicament.
Akai himself entered last. He took off his shoes, dropped his jacket, and went into the kitchen. Where the children were already sitting, on edge. They sat right by the window. Which they had opened. For an escape? He hoped they wouldn't jump from the fifth floor.
"Would you like some tea?"
It came out rather awkwardly in the silence. The children shook their heads, as if to say "no, thank you," and he shrugged. He himself wanted a drink. Preferably something stronger, but the only strong thing at home was tea.
"Tell me your names."
They exchanged glances, but then replied:
"Edogawa Conan."
"Haibara Ai."
In turn, he introduced himself:
"Akai Shuichi."
***
The first oddity Akai noticed was that the children always slept together. There were two beds for them, but they always slept together. Back to back. They never touched each other in their sleep or when lying down, they just covered each other's backs. Or rather, Edogawa covered Haibara's back.
The second was that the children were always watching him. The moment he entered the house, the children's gazes would immediately fix on him. They were serious and wary, as if they saw him as an enemy.
Third, the children never ate his food. They always prepared everything themselves. They checked the ingredients, washed the dishes, and looked up recipes, all on their own. They stubbornly refused to eat his cooking. No, Jodie had indeed said that not all of his cooking was edible, but to this extent...
Fourth, they took all the weapons from his house. No matter how much he tried to find them after they disappeared, he never did. This wasn't his own confusion or forgetfulness. It was clearly and obviously the children. He hadn't let them out of the house alone, and he had searched the entire house. His weapons were nowhere to be found. Pistols, knives, and a rifle. He didn't even dare to guess where they had hidden the latter.
And finally, the fifth. Their intelligence clearly did not match their age. Both Conan's and Ai's. Conan, from who knows where, knew a great deal about investigations and other aspects of forensics. And Haibara knew too much about the creation of all... various dangerous substances. How did he find out? Easily! The moment he went out with Conan, they immediately got into trouble! A murder, then a theft! And he helped in all the cases! Unnoticeably to others, but he helped!
And he learned about Haibara's abilities when he found a notebook she was trying to hide. It contained chemical formulas, possible blood analyses, and calculations unknown to him. He didn't know what the calculations were for or why. But it was clearly either an antidote or a poison. He didn't dare to speculate which one it was.
Most likely, they had already noticed that he had found the notebook and read it. What to do with these children? Akai became increasingly bewildered. These were not ordinary children, they were not traumatized by the murder of their family. At least Conan wasn't. As for Haibara... The feeling that Haibara was familiar to him, even before he took her in as his "daughter." Something familiar was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite grasp it.
Something about Mi...
***
The gun clicked.
It was bad. Fucking bad. Sorry for Shuichi's French, but he was clearly not prepared for children to point a gun at him. Conan held it firmly, as if he had shot before. Shuichi was already sure he had. However, it was clear from Haibara that she had never held a gun in her hands for a year. At least, not for self-defense.
"Put the gun down."
His voice was steady. He didn't care about the gun. Conan wouldn't shoot, just as Ai wouldn't stab him.
There wasn't a drop of fear in Edogawa's eyes. He looked confident, not at all like a child. Ready to pull the trigger, he nodded at Ai. She, clutching the knife convulsively, began to back away towards the apartment exit.
"Rai."
His eyes widened, and Conan smirked mockingly. How did he know his name in the organization? How did he recognize him? Did the organization send these children to kill him?
"How did you know that?"
Conan's glasses glinted, clearly not intending to reveal his source of information.
"Why did you infiltrate the FBI? What information did you manage to gather?"
Wait. Conan thinks he's a member of the organization?
"Answer!"
The gun was pointed directly at his head. What could he say, Conan was aiming really well.
"I didn't infiltrate the FBI."
Conan frowned. Akai raised his hands, showing he was not a threat. Ai had already run out the door; he'd have to catch up with her.
"You misunderstood everything, Edogawa-kun..."
An alarm blared.
Fire.
Conan sharply turned his head towards the sound and winced slightly. Shuichi took advantage of this, ran up, and snatched the weapon from the child's hands. Immediately pulling him close, he ran out of the apartment. He needed to find Ai.
***
Akai ran out of the burning building with the girl in his arms. She had been in the epicenter of the fire and miraculously hadn't received burns. A weight lifted from his shoulders when he pulled the girl out of the fire. Alive, having inhaled smoke, she was barely conscious, but even that was a relief.
He grabbed the kid by the scruff of his neck and got into the ambulance. They were speeding, hitting every bump, but Akai was ready to drive himself if it meant she'd get there on time. Conan, on the other hand, was in a state of confusion and fear. He constantly looked at Ai, held her hand, and glanced at the monitors.
They arrived. Akai again grabbed Edogawa tightly and rushed with the doctors to the hospital. The warmth of the boy's hand was imperceptible, as if he had inhaled smoke along with his friend. He was pale and cold, like a corpse.
They sat together on a bench in the corridor.
"It seems we have something to talk about."
***
– Dad.
The word still embarrassed him when addressed to him, but there was nothing he could do. He had to see "his" children off to first grade somehow. Although for them, he was far from the first.
– Yes, Conan?
Shuichi turned his head to the boy. Conan, standing in his school uniform and looking at his future classmates, asked:
– Will you pick us up today?
The question wasn't exactly strange, more like unsettling.
– If you need me to, I'll pick you up.
Conan's eyes sparkled.
– Thank you, Dad.
Shuichi flinched again at the word. Conan smiled mockingly. Although he only called Shuichi that in public, it still caused Akai considerable embarrassment. What kind of father was he?
– Dad, will you buy me that doll?
Haibara smiled, mirroring Conan.
– Dad, and me that toy car?
Pour Akai something stronger.
***
Sigh. Who knew Conan had asked them to pick them up so they could go to the cemetery?
– Mom, Dad...
Conan placed flowers on the graves and knelt. Akai stepped away from him, giving him time to be alone.
Kudo Yusaku, Kudo Yukiko.
Great people who died in a car accident while protecting their 10-year-old son. A sad fate, but not only for the parents. It was hard for the child. According to Conan, he had been traveling through orphanages until he met Haibara. She took him in, being only a year older. They lived together for 4 years. During that time, they bonded. He worked as a detective, and she worked for the organization.
The first child was him. The police and a familiar girl who took him in prevented him from immediately running to Ai. And then, Ai found him herself. They united in this matter, saving each other once again. Then they witnessed a murder committed by the organization. That's when their agent saved the children. He brought them and handed them over to Akai.
They mistook him for a member of the organization. Haibara had seen his photo in reports. That's why they pointed a gun at him. That's why they prepared their own food. That's why they only started to trust him.
He returned for Conan and heard his words:
– Akai-san is a good person. He takes care of us. Just like a father. I think he'll replace you soon, Dad, haha. I don't want him to leave us. I hope he won't.
Oh, yes. Now he definitely wouldn't leave them.
***
He hadn't intended to stumble into the apartment covered in blood. But that's how it happened. He wasn't badly injured. Just deep scratches and a broken nose.
"Akai-san?"
Haibara's sleepy voice came from the darkness. He hastily covered his nose and tried to hide his other battle wounds. But it didn't help.
"Sigh."
She turned on the light, took his hand, and sat him down on the sofa. She put the kettle on, then went to get the first-aid kit. Conan came in at the sound of the kettle.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Conan ignored the question. He simply walked over, took the band-aid offered by Haibara, who had returned, and with a typical grumble, stuck it on his cheek.
"You can't come home looking so torn up, Dad."
Dad? Did he just call him Dad?
An unknown joy spread through Akai's body.
"Exactly, Dad."
Haibara chimed in and pressed harder on a deep scratch. The children seemed oblivious to calling him father.
They didn't notice, but he did. An unfamiliar joy overflowed him.
These were his children.
***
"Why did you teach them to shoot a sniper rifle?"
The first thing Akai decided to teach his children was his own skill. For which he immediately got a reprimand from his superiors.
"I'm their father, I have the right to teach my children whatever I deem necessary."
"And why did you teach them to fight with knives?"
"For self-defense."
"And to track an opponent?"
"It's useful."
"Why the hell did you take them with you on a mission?!"
"It was necessary."
A solid and stubborn argument, just like Akai himself. The superiors found nothing to object to.
After all, they were his children.
Already officially.