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Warning: This story contains gore.
– A Mind Blowing Vacation –
"Stop hitting Conan-kun, dad! It's a wonder he hasn't got any brain damage by now, from you hitting him all the time!" the brunette yelled at her father.
"I wouldn't have to hit him if he wasn't such an annoying brat Ran!" the 'Sleeping Kogoro' retorted.
"But he was just complaining about you listening to Okino Yoko songs over and over again. It's getting old and I agree with him."
"Kids like him shouldn't interfere into an adult's business!"
"Jeez dad, you're so stubborn."
"You should be thanking me, Ran, since I'm the one who won that prize and allows us all to go to the hot springs in Aomori."
Conan, who sat next to Ran, sweat-dropped. Actually I was the one who solved that quiz.
"You know exactly it was Conan-kun who solved that riddle! You thought the answer was 'bikini model'. Conan-kun is the one we should thank."
"Hmpf, he's just a brat and probably called that other detective brat to help him."
Ran, unwilling to continue the pointless argument with her father, crossed her arms over her chest and averted her gaze out of the window.
They already had a three hour long drive on their back and were nearing their destination with the time.
At their destination, a ward of Kyōto called Fushimi, a group of police officers and inspectors had gathered in a hotel.
"We don't know when he will strike next," one of the police officers uttered.
"We don't even know why he's killing people, what his objections are," another replied.
Then a chubby inspector spoke up. "I know this is an unusual situation, but since that criminal doesn't stay in one place for long, our forces have to work together to catch him."
"But Inspector Megure," A nervous looking, young police sergeant stepped up, "how are we supposed to find him?"
"We already found his new target, Takagi-kun. He will most likely appear in this hotel during the next days," Megure answered.
"How did you find that out?" Tagaki wanted to know.
"It wasn't us who found that out. It was the son of the head police chief of Osaka."
"You mean Hattori Heiji, right? He's a high-school detective like Kudo-kun."
"Yes, though I don't know how he found out about the killer's pattern. It's likely that he got information due to his father's connections and his own of course. But to find out so much with what little information we have…" The inspector trailed of. "It reminds me so much of Kudo-kun." A sad look appeared on the man's face.
One of the countless policeman then appeared next to them. "Speaking of which: Hattori-kun has arrived several minutes ago. Should I send him away?"
"No, bring him here," Megure responded.
"But Sir, he's only a high-school student."
"I know, but he is capable of helping us," the chubby Inspector retorted.
The other man just grunted and turned to leave. He obviously wasn't that appealed to the idea of accepting the aid of a seven-teen year old boy.
Out of nowhere Inspector Shiratori suddenly appeared, startling Takagi slightly. "You believe in Hattori-kun because he resembles Kudo-kun so much, aren't you?" he asked the chubby man.
"We'll need someone like him against a killer like Yano Shoji," Megure answered determined.
Yano Shoji had been terrorizing Japan for months already. He was a serial killer traveling from town to town killing at least two people randomly there. Never being caught, but always leaving evidence behind that proved that he was definitely the culprit. It couldn't have been a copy-cat since none of his killings had been made public, but it was difficult to copy something like Yano anyway. Whenever one of his victims was found it had no face. The victims all had been killed by a shotgun and ended as faceless corpses, due to their heads being almost blown away completely. The police had been clueless about his next moves until Heiji had looked into the case.
Not knowing of mind-blowing serial killers, the Mouris and Conan finally arrived at their destination: a four star hotel in the capital of Fushimi. After entering through the large doors, Kogoro marched over to the desk. But because he was exhausted and urgently needed a bed, he skipped his usual antics and simply checked in. He came back to both, Conan and his daughter, who were waiting for him by the elevator, holding their luggage and with a grunt he entered the small metal cabin. Their room was in the fourth floor of the hotel and as Kogoro was about to push the button of the elevator, leading them to their floor, he spotted Megure, Takagi and Shiratori walking by, just as the elevator door closed.
Ran as well noticed them. "Weren't that Inspector Megure and the others? Maybe something's going on."
Her father nodded. "I'm going to check what's going on after we brought our stuff in our room." His exhaustion had mysteriously disappeared by seeing his former co-officer. And as soon as the metal door opened again, he rushed directly to their room, opened it roughly and shoved their luggage into the room. Telling his daughter and Conan to stay in the room until he would come back, he ran off to where he had seen Inspector Megure. When he arrived on the first floor again, he noticed the many familiar inspectors lurking around. This must be something big when they're gathering inspectors from different prefectures. He soon spotted the chubby inspector and ran over to him. "What's going on here?" he asked positioning himself next to the other man.
"Mouri-kun! What are you doing here?"
"Vacation. I won this trip by solving a newspaper's riddle."
"But that doesn't explain why you're always there whenever criminals and murders show up."
"So, what's so big that so many inspectors from different prefectures are gathering in a hotel?"
"I know you won't leave me be until I tell you." Megure heaved a deep sigh, before continuing. "To make it short: A serial killer, supposed to have killed about forty-eight people all around Japan, is going to come to this hotel."
"H-He's coming here?" the private detective asked incredulously.
"Don't worry, Mouri-kun. We have enough police force here to–"
"Can't that bastard stay away until I at least have one day of vacation?"
Megure just sweat-dropped at that interruption. "Anyway, he's coming here and we're planning to capture him."
"Is he coming by car?" Kogoro asked.
"Eh? Why do you think that?"
"While driving here I noticed a black car following us. It always kept its distance, but was obviously tailing us."
"Are you sure, Mouri-kun?"
"I am."
"Hm…" The chubby man placed one hand under his chin in thought. "But I don't think it's the serial killer Yano were looking for. He usually picks his victims randomly, killing them when he gets his chance. It would be unusual for him to pick his victim so soon and to even follow it."
Kogoro released a relieved sigh. "Then he's not after any of us." A voice, suddenly chiming right behind him, let a surprised yelp escape the famous detective.
"Oi, Oji-san! (A/N: =Uncle) You're here too, what a surprise. Then Ku-K-Co-Conan-kun's with you?"
Ignoring the teens weird stuttering Kogoro snorted. "He's in our room with–"
He was cut off by a childish voice. "Heiji-nii-chan, what are you doing here?" the boy exclaimed overly cheerful.
"Solvin' a case, Ku-Conan-kun." After crouching down to Conan, he received a little scowl at his almost slip from the spectacled boy. "How 'bout you join me?"
"I think that's not possible Hattori-kun," Megure interrupted him. "Conan-kun is a child and shouldn't be involved in this."
"Come on, he's somethin' like my assistant an' I can work better with his help. An' besides: He's always helpin' you solve your cases, why wouldn't you let him help me?"
"Hattori-kun, I understand your feelings, but this is a serial killer we're talking here about. I can't let a child be involved in this," Megure insisted.
"You do know that K-Conan-kun's no ordinary child. He already dealt with serial killers and is capable of protectin' himself."
"Hattori-kun! You have to understand that I can't let a child be involved in this! You being here is going to make me trouble already and it's an exception, because you already helped us in the past. But I can't allow Conan-kun to be with you, that's just inacceptable." Megure's voice and expression obviously didn't allow any opposition.
Heiji just kept shooting the older man a grin. "Don't worry, I'll watch over him."
The other man's face still didn't change.
Kogoro chose that moment to talk again. "Why do you want the brat to come with you so badly anyway? He's just some curious and annoying kid."
The dark-skinned teen was still grinning. "I don't think so. He's pretty–" He was cut off by feeling Conan's glare on him. After turning his head to look at the shrunken detective, he indeed found a scowl plastered on the boy's face. "I-I think I'll take him away then." Laughing nervously and without waiting for a response, he grabbed the shrunken detective and carried him away. He could hear both Megure and Kogoro shouting after him, but he didn't bother.
Conan played along to not seem suspicious, but only until they were out of the many inspector's reach. "Hattori! Why are you taking me into an empty hallway?"
"No need to be angry at me Kudo. There's just this case an' I thought you would like to join me."
"Who said that?" Conan asked, while being put down on his own legs again.
"Well, you're aways into it when there's a case. Besides, can't I just hang around with you a bit?"
The other 'teen' eyed him with a considering and curious look for a few seconds. Then his features gained an accusing look. "You looked into the case, found something out and helped the police. Now you're here 'cause you want to catch the criminal, but you're stuck on something and now need my help so you won't disappoint the police."
Heiji had listened to the other boy with a blank look and as soon as he had finished he shoved one hand in his pocket and with the other started to rub the back of his neck. "It's kinda creepy to have someone else analyze me like that. Normally it's me doin' that with the criminals."
Conan's still shot him an accusing glare. "And?"
"Awright, you caught me. My dad had been workin' on this case for two weeks now an' I looked into it a couple days ago. I've done a bit of research an' found out Yano's pattern of choosin' places where he kills. So I helped the police out a little. But somehow I'm stuck now, since I still can't find out why Yano's killin' people. An' so randomly."
"Fine I'll help you, but I'll go get myself some canned coffee first. We've been driving for hours and I need coffee, now."
"Don't you hate that canned stuff?"
"Well, I have no other choice. Since it's to late to get fresh coffee I have to go with the canned stuff."
"Then I'll go check on the inspectors." With a smirk Heiji watched his friend walk away.
After Conan had disappeared around a corner, Heiji went back to where the inspectors were. All of them had assembled in a room where normally partys and such were held. It seemed as though inspectors from many different prefectures were there. Of course Ayanokoji Fumimaro was present with his chipmunk, since he was one of Kyōto's inspectors and detectives. Also the Yokomizo twins and one of Gunma's police man, the 'idiot inspector' Yamamura, were there. In a corner stood also both the scarred Yamato Kansuke and his subordinate Uehara Yui from Nagano.
Heiji received a scowl from Megure as soon as the chubby inspector had noticed him, but approached the man, and Kogoro standing next to him, nonetheless.
"Where's Conan-kun?" Megure demanded to know.
Casually Heiji had both his hands shoved in his pockets. "He's gone off somewhere to buy canned coff– I mean juice." Laughing nervously, he hoped no one wondered about his slip in words. A seven-year-old child drinking coffee just isn't normal.
Megure still eyed the teen suspiciously. But suddenly his face paled. "You left Conan-kun alone?"
The smile plastering Heiji's face started to falter. "Yeah. What 'bout it?"
"Hattori-kun!" The anger was practically flowing from the chubby man. "There's a serial killer somewhere in this area and he might even be in this hotel already! Mouri-kun, Ran-kun and Conan-kun have been tailed on their way here!"
"They were?" the tanned teen asked, still unaffected.
"What if something happens?" Megure was obviously being made even angrier by Heiji's casual attitude. "Conan-kun might be in danger!"
After pulling his hands out of his pockets, Heiji crossed his arms behind his head, still showing no sign of concern. "But it can't be Yano who tailed 'em. You know that he kills his victims randomly."
"Hattori-kun! This is no normal murderer we're talking about! Yano is a psychotic killer, he's unpredictable!"
"Awright, then let's look for the kid." Ignoring the fuming inspector Heiji turned away and walked into the direction where he assumed Conan to be.
Megure, his subordinates and Kogoro followed the kansai detective, wanting to be sure about what exactly Heiji was doing. They passed several rooms and hallways until they heard noise. Someone was shouting, but they couldn't determine what was said. They assumed it to be someone arguing with another person, until they heard Conan's voice as well. After rounding a corner, running into the direction the noise was coming from, they could hear the words more clearly.
"I don't care about that! All that matters is that you're a murderer, Edogawa Conan!" There was obviously a man shouting.
"I'm not!" That was Conan's voice. He seemed to be angry.
"It's your fault. You might be only seven years old, but that doesn't mean you're not capable of killing someone!"
"I'm a detective and I don't kill anybody!"
They could hear Conan's voice clearly now and were about to round the last corner, about to reach Conan. But after they had rounded said corner, a loud bang was heard and the sight they caught was gruesome: Conan was backed against a wall next to a vending machine.
A man was kneeling in front of him.
Blood was splattering from the place where once the man's head had been.
Then a headless corpse fell forward into the small boy's arms.
Ten minutes earlier, after Conan had left Heiji, the small boy was headed to the next vending machine. After walking around a little he soon found one of the machines and attempted to buy himself some canned coffee, though he hated that stuff. But he just needed coffee to at least be able to join Heiji in the case for a while. Normally at such an hour – eleven o'clock in the night to be precise – he would have been in bed already. But because of a serial killer running around, he wouldn't have been able to sleep without doing anything. Especially while leaving all the fun to Heiji.
He was about to drop his coins in the machine, but was interrupted by a voice behind him.
"So here you are. I almost thought I lost track of you."
Curiously Conan turned around and was faced with a middle-aged man, wearing a simple brown jacket, a pair of black jeans and sneakers. Despite him being alarmed Conan gave the man his most childish smile and voice. "Can I help you Oji-san?" (A/N: =Mister)
"You don't have to put on an act around me Conan-kun. I know your true colors."
Trying to hide his shock, Conan continued his usual childish act. "I don't know what you mean Oji-san."
A knowing look appeared on the grey-haired stranger's face.
That face reminded Conan of some of the mad killer's faces he already encountered in the past. It appeared to be a normal man, no one who seemed criminal. But beyond those eyes Conan could see the madness longing. Wether it was longing for killing, or longing for other people's suffering. A sadistic madness.
"You can't fool me, Conan-kun. I know about you."
After hearing those words Conan couldn't hide a flinch. Is he one of the man in black? Did he find out I'm Kudo Shinichi?
The stranger didn't wait for any response. "You're killing people, Conan-kun."
"Eh?" Now that's a weird thing to say for one of the man in black.
"Don't act stupid. You know exactly what I mean." He received a puzzled look from the spectacled boy. "Whenever you're around someone gets killed!"
"And?" Conan asked calmly. He doesn't seem to be one of them.
"Haven't you ever noticed? People die around you! There are constantly murders happening around you! You're involved in at least three homicide cases a week!"
"And?" Conan asked again.
The sadistic look behind the stranger's eyes started to falter. "You're the cause of that! You're bringing death to people!" The stranger knelt down onto eyes level with the boy.
"Eh? But I'm only an elementary student!" the small boy exclaimed. So he's definitely not one of them. Probably just some mad guy believing in all kinds of conspiracy theories.
"I have proof! Even if you go on a vacation at least one homicide occurs around you. Since you're on a vacation right now I assume that someone will die in the next thirty minutes."
"That's ridiculous, Oji-san. It's impossible to predict when a murder will occur."
"You're the cause of the deaths, I just know it!"
"Wait. You know that I'm on a vacation with someone." Conan's childish act still didn't disappear. "Then you're the one who was following us, weren't you?"
"How did you…"
"Occ-chan noticed and told the police." Actually it was pretty easy to notice his black car, obviously tailing us for hours. He's probably one of those idiot-criminals.
"I don't care about that. All that matters is that you're a murderer, Edogawa Conan!"
"I'm not!" The childish act was being pushed away by Conan's upcoming frustration with the stranger. Of course the shrunken detective had thought about all the murders occurring around him in many different ways, but never ever believed it being in any way his fault.
"It's your fault! You might be only seven years old, but that doesn't mean you're not capable of killing someone!"
"I'm a detective and I don't kill anybody!"
Then the bang was heard.
Something ripped the stranger's head away, leaving only rags of his neck. The blood was flowing, the heart still pumping for a few seconds, despite the head being gone. It caused the blood to shoot out of the former neck in splashes.
Then the headless corpse fell forward into Conan's arms.
"Conan-kun!" Megure and everyone else immediately ran to where the shocked boy stood. A headless corpse covering most of his small body.
Them being inspectors and detectives, caused them to halt at the crime scene, in order not to disturb it in any way. But somehow they had to get Conan away from the corpse.
"Conan-kun! Conan-kun! Answer me!" Megure tried to catch the boy's attention.
Conan seemed to not hear him. Utter shock being the only thing reflected in his expressions. His eyes wide in dread, he started to tremble under the corpse.
Heiji ignored everyone's shouting after him and stormed to his friend. After carefully pulling away the dead man's body, he laid it beside himself. Conan was now free to move, but didn't react at all. The kansai detective grabbed the small shoulders and started to shake him a little.
"Oi, Ku-Conan. Conan-kun! Say somethin' dammit!"
The other boy kept staring ahead at nothing in particular, his features still pulled into a dreadful expression.
Under his hands Heiji could feel the small shoulders shaking.
Finally the spectacled boy broke out of his daze and looked at his friend's face. "Ha-Hattori." His voice was shaking and barely audible. "He was right. He was right all along." He looked at the wall where the remains of the dead man's head were tracing lines of blood down to the floor and where brain mass was splattered. "H-He predicted it."
"Kudo," the tanned teen whispered so no one would hear them, "what exactly happened?"
"Th-That guy. He talked about me being the cause of all those deaths around me. He predicted that someone would die around me in the next thirty minutes. He predicted his own death in my presence."
"O-Oi, you don't believe that do you? It's just… bad luck, is all." His shrunken friend was obviously effected by someone dying in front of him. It always effected Conan when someone died behind his back, without him being able to do anything. But someone dying right before his eyes so brutally…
Blood was dripping from everywhere.
From his cloth, his face, his hair.
Conan was covered in blood.
The color of his clothes was unidentifiable under the wet crimson red.
"Hattori," The poor boy looked miserable, "what if it's true?"
By seeing the both dead serious and dreadful expression on his rival's face, Heiji's eyes went wide as well, but in disbelief.
The seconds passed. None of them saying anything, the inspector, his subordinates and Kogoro watching them, though they couldn't hear the conversation.
The kansai detective raised his left hand… and gave Conan a smack on the head. "Idiot! You're just unlucky, that's all there is to it. You're not the cause of some strangers killin' others. That's impossible an' you know that," he said with a grin.
Conan looked at his friend as if he were insane. "You're the idiot!" he suddenly shouted. "I'm traumatized and you just whack me!" He rubbed his now hurting head.
An even wider grin was shot at Conan. "As if you would be that traumatized by someone gettin' his head blown away an' afterwards havin' a headless corpse fall on you." Though he wasn't showing it Heiji was glad to have his friend back to normal again. "Now let's go catch that mad killer. He must be somewhere around here, since he just killed his last victim."
"Right, let's go!" The enthusiasm had returned to Conan and together with Heiji he started to look for clues that showed where the killer had run off to.
"Hattori-kun, Conan-kun!" Again Megure was shouting after them. "Get back here and leave everything to the police!" His voice fell on deaf ears. "At least get yourself clean, Conan-kun!" He turned to his subordinates and Kogoro again. "Jeez, I guess they can't be helped." Inwardly he was smiling though.
They both resemble Kudo-kun. Maybe they don't even need us to catch Yano.
On the next day three men were discussing the homicide from the day before.
"The victim was Kuroki Hideyoshi. Fourty-six years old. He was unemployed and didn't live in a relationship. He was killed by a shot to his head with a shotgun, mostly likely by the serial killer Yano Shoji." After revealing the information Takagi closed his notebook.
Kogoro sat in front of Megure, who seemed to be thinking hard. "So that's the guy who was killed in front of Conan, Inspector Megure?"
The other man nodded. "We found him in our files, registered as a pedophile, who had been released three years ago, after being imprisoned for raping a nine-year-old girl from Gunma. We also examined his house and found out that he had… an obsession with Conan-kun. There is a whole room full of photos, newspaper articles and police files involving Conan-kun. How he got his hands on those police files we still don't know, but it seems as though he's been researching everything about Conan-kun for weeks. Yesterday he seemed to have attempted something, since he was the one tailing you on your way to Kyōto."
The disgust was clearly visible on Kogoro's face. "So by 'attempting to do something' you mean he wanted to… do something… to Conan?"
"Exactly."
"Well, now he's not able to do anything to any child ever again."
"I guess so."