Whumptober 2024: Prompt #02
amusement park / role reversal / “you got away with the crime while the knife’s in my back” (charlotte sands, “rollercoaster”)
“Oh, you’re finally awake.”
He didn’t register the teen’s voice at first — sight still blurry after regaining consciousness. He was, however, aware of the pain radiating from the back of his head… and of the coagulated blood staining the side of his face.
“W…What?” he stammered mostly to himself. What the hell happened? He was doing their usual transaction just moments ago, and then something blunt hit his head and he fainted. And now, he woke up in a different part of the amusement park — hands tied and head throbbing in pain.
“I take it you have questions,” the youthful voice continued, and Vodka moved his aching head upward to witness what seemed like a high schooler standing a few inches away from him. His face looked strangely familiar… where had he seen him before?
“You didn’t put up as much of a fight as he did,” the boy grinned and gestured at a figure lying motionless on the ground beside him. His heart sank.
The silver-haired senior he looked up to so much looked back at him with dry, unblinking eyes. His mouth was slightly agape, and his complexion had turned paler than usual.
He was dead — had been for a while.
“It’s amazing how much the authorities overlooked your involvement in a murder case if you present yourself as one of the good guys,” the teen started, “I certainly never thought it has served me well for so long… Whoever thought that their high school detective was the culprit all along?”
It finally dawned on Vodka. He had seen the teen’s face plastered all over the newspaper and the Internet — the prodigal high school detective, Kudo Shinichi! His realization must be apparent on his face, for the detective let out an uncharacteristically evil laugh.
“Oh, you should’ve seen your face! That’s exactly how he looked before I finished him off!”
“You… You’re a monster!” Vodka spat out. He could see the same fate waiting for him as the teen walked around and crouched behind him.
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you lot,” Shinichi scoffed into his ear. “I have contacts with the FBI, and they told me everything about you guys and the organization you work for.”
“Now, then…” The high school detective revealed a sharp knife from behind; its lethal blade reflected in his emotionless eyes. Just how many knives did he carry with him? And how many murders were committed while he hid behind his mask?
The teen detective plunged the knife into Vodka’s back without an ounce of hesitation. He didn’t even care to muffle his anguished screams — seemed to even relish in it. Vodka knew he was done for, and a last-moment spur of absurdity made him chuckle at his apparent demise.
“So, you got away with the crime while the knife’s in my back… amazing… you should be one of u—”
He never had the chance to finish his sentence as his soul left his body. After making sure that he was dead, Shinichi erased all traces of his fingerprints from the knife’s handle, stood up, and walked away. A few steps later, he finally remarked.
“Thanks for the invitation, but I only work for myself.”
