36 Chapter 35: Virtues of a Thief

''We have to move.'' Says Conan to Sato, now is also looking at the file in his hands. Nodding Sato directs him to the I.C.U., which is barely light and consists of four medical units enclosed by armored security glass. Three of these medical units are fully-sealed, upright cylinders which appear capable of being filled with liquid.

Sneaking through the already half opened and stuck doors, Conan can see a man dressed in white stand in front of the fourth enclosure, that is not entirely sealed, and appears to be a surgical suite. -Kaito Kid! But which one? Toichi Kuroba or Kaito Kuroba?-

Thanks to lighting and the man in white, they are unable to see inside. Sneaking closer Conan hides behind the first medical unit to the right, while Sato behind the first to the left.

Now being closer, he makes two discoveries. The first one being weak vibrations on the units security glass, just as if someone inside was hitting it. The second being the conversation between the man in white and someone inside the not entirely sealed surgical suite.

''... Hand her over to me or I blow this whole place to kingdom come!'' Conan hears the man in white say in a horse elderly voice. -Toichi or Kaito with a voice modulator?-

Now being closer Conan can see into the surgical suite. It contains a medical bed with an unconscious Aoko Nakamori on top. It also is larger than the tanks, containing space for attending medical personnel to stand around the patient.

''Death is only the Beginning... She was chosen to Embrace the Evolution!'' Shouts a crazed woman wearing a lab coat, working on Aoko's arm by giving her a transfusion of some kind of liquid. Looking at the plastic bag containing the black but reddish simmering liquid Conan is able to read the label -APTX; 75% Purity-

''Stop it, Mercer!...'' Shouts Kito Kid, showing the woman a detonator. ''... one last warning. Stop it and hand me the girl or this place becomes a grave!''

Ignoring him the woman only says in a childish sing-song voice. ''One Mind, One Soul, One Flesh... One Purpose, One Mind, One Soul... One People, One Purpose, One Mind...''

''Fuck it!'' Conan hears Kito say before an explosion chatters the security glass of the surgical suite.

---Spoiler: From here on the chapter contains splatter, gore, and horror content. Please skip the chapter if you feel uncomfortable with that.----

By the time he gets close to Kaito, one of the four cylindrical enclosures has been violently shattered by Kaitos explosion and now a human infant lays, presumably dead, upon the floor. With one clink the lights turn blindingly bright, showing the cylinder closet to the door, Sato originally hid behind now reveals a pile of flesh and organs laying inside, both on the floor of it and partially splattered on the walls.

Looking at it, Conan hears some muffled puking noises coming from behind him to his left. Looking back, he sees Sato puking her guts out. Suppressing his own revulsion, to the situation, Conan cancels his illusion and sprints over blood and organs to reach the surgical suite.

As he reaches it, he finds a previously hidden by doctor conscious nurse laying next to the now empty bed and the still living doctor laughing uncontrollably as she is sawing up his organs.

-What the hell?!- Conan thinks to see this hellish madness of a nightmare. Looking at the plastic bag the female doctor wanted to inject Aoko with, the finds it ruptured by a glass shard and mostly empty, if not for the reddish blackish smile still lingering on it.

''One Mind, One Soul, One Flesh... One Purpose, One Mind, One Soul... One People, One Purpose, One Mind...'' The doc sings as she stares down at her bloody and gory handy work.

''... To join is to survive...''The madwoman Dr. Mercer states brightly smiling, as she slashes her own throat after having noticed Conan observing her for a few seconds.

Having emptied her stomach from inside out, Sato focuses herself on the task at hand. As the floor vibrates from follow up explosions, she raises her gun and moves forward, only to find a small boy dressed in an elementary school uniform standing in front of the surgical suite.

Sato is instantly shocked, seeing the woman slashing her own throat in one smooth motion while spraying her blood all over the boy.

Having her motherly instinct kick in, she slides over the floor to the boy, ignoring blood and organs littering it, the moment the boy is in reach she presses him in her chest to shield him from this cure reality of death. Feeling the boys initial resistance against her hug lessen, Sato's mind recognizes the absence of Farussi.

''Jacques Farussi! Where are you?...'' She asks into the slaughterhouse that was formally a surgical suite. Knowing that the man should be nearby, she looks around and finds an elevator still moving upwards. Cursing under her breath, once again suppressing her own convulsion, now for the boy's sake ''... Damm Italian!''

Having his face squeezed against a woman's ample breasts normally gets Conan instantly aroused, but the lingering smell of drying blood and rotting organs just kills any thought of sex. Hearing the woman curse him, he struggles free out of the embrace. Only succeeding half by getting his upper half free, he spots a scythe-like an object protruding out of the cylindrical medical unit to the right.

Having once again regained his full hearing range, he hears the security glass slowly breaking.

Before long another blade joins the first and the breaking sounds get louder. While staring at the bone scythes, Conan is picked up by Sato, as she moves in the direction of the elevator.

The moment she calls the elevator down, the security glass shatters into fine dust and something Conan later would call a Slasher jumps out. It is named as such due to the growth of elongated bone blades from its hands. Another much smaller pair of arms can be seen extending from the abdomen that appears vestigial. The bones of the feet are fused and lengthened while the heel bone is extended almost parallel to the angle of the sole, forming a sharp peg that aids in balance. While this modified foot may aid the creature in rapidly crawling through vents and running, it results in an unstable gait while walking, and as such Slashers have difficulty holding their balance without constantly moving their slashing limbs as counter-weights. Looking like a distorted human corpse, nacked, screaming and deadly the Slasher instantly spots Conan and Sato at the elevator.

While Conan and Sato are infiltrating the secret lab and are fighting for there lives, Sonoko sits inside her room, contemplating about taking the APTX 5001. Feeling left all alone, she has her mind racing while unknown dark thoughts cloud her judgment.

Before long she just takes the stolen pill and lays back on her bed. The moment her body hits the mattress, her conscious is hidden by a flood of memories. Instantly all her sealed memories return, tears begin running down her face as she clutches her chest, remembering the sessions a constantly getting raped. Her self-esteem is instantly crushed under the weight of the knowledge.

Getting up from the bed with the intention to just end it all, she is brought to her knees by a sudden pressure on her mind, toppling over her nightstand, its contents litter the floor. One of the things now in front of her is a pendant Conan gave her a couple of weeks before. On a red leather strap dangles a coin with the number four. Looking at it, a door seems to suddenly open in her mind. Instead of feeling shame, depression and the need to hide, another emotion takes over.

A mixture of rage and hatred takes over every fiber of her being, not only pulling her out of her memories but also giving her a purpose to push forward, while the unfinished APTX 5001 runs its course, unlocking her hidden potential by giving her power.

Three hours later one can see a hooded figure with an unquenchable thirst for blood, leave the Kudo Estate.