*Chapter 1 is here, as promised, before the week is out! *cheers* I feel so accomplished. (like, seriously) I'm happy about all the enthusiasm for the story, and I hope I can fulfill expectations. ^^*

Review Replies:

Chelseaj500: I know, of course I would write this cuz I 3 Heiji to death! Conan should be fine. XD

Sera-kun the mystery detective: Thanks! Continued as soon as possible. ;D

Cammy3131: I see... Thanks! I have updated soon.

Sealunis: I overlooked that fact.. ... .. But thanks to your review, I tried to figure out a way to explain it. :D Thanks very much!

Graywolf22: I'm flattered.. Don't worry, the plot bunny is too big for me to discontinue!

Chapter 1

"Hattori, you really shouldn't leave without me you know," said Conan with an air of annoyance, entering the room he and Heiji were sharing in the professor's house eyes searching for Heiji's shape. When there was no response, he strained his ears in an attempt to hear snoring, but the room was silence. In a sudden moment of terror, he flicked the lights on- slamming the switch as a warm white glow illuminated the room, revealing the bed, the futon, Heiji's bag, Conan's 'sleepover supplies', and- and- no Heiji.

Conan shook his head, knowing that the only reasons his best friend wouldn't be here were either a.) he was playing a prank on him and hiding somewhere in the house or b.) he was still at the warehouse, maybe searching for Conan and c.), he wasn't even going to think about that option. "Hattori, it's seriously not funny," he admonished into the silent air, trying the best he could to keep his voice from shaking. The silence quickly snapped something inside him, his calm instantly breaking. "Cut it out, cut it out now!" he yelled angrily, the sound echoing throughout the house.

He heard a squeak, and swiveled his head around, expecting to see the tall, caramel-skinned teenager in the hallway behind him snorting and holding his side in laughter for successfully tricking him. There was a figure walking towards him, and for a moment, Conan breathed a sigh of relief. Then he realized it was much too small to be Heiji.

"Edogawa-kun, I assume you have a very good reason for screaming so loudly at two o'clock in the morning," she said placidly, staring at the boy with icy eyes, yawning tiredly. Stretching a bit, she asked, "So tell me, what's your reason?" In the language of 'Haibara Ai', this basically meant, "Tell me why the hell you woke me up or I'll kill you." However, Conan was much too concerned about his Osakan friend to be worried about this now.

"Haibara, Hattori's not here," he whispered, fast and steadily, knowing that if he freaked out, Haibara would be even more scared than him. "I thought he came back early, but he's not here. You didn't happen to- you didn't happen to see him, did you?" His voice sounded like a whimpering puppy, begging to be let inside after spending a night outside.

"No, you're the only one that came home. Kudo-kun, I thought you said this was safe!" she exclaimed, clutching his shoulders tightly, shaking. "If they find out Hattori-kun was there, they'll end up targeting his friends, and eventually they'll find you! I should've stopped you from going! I should have!"

"I-I'm going to try and call him," comforted Conan, knowing he shouldn't have shared his panic with her. Perhaps- perhaps Heiji had just gotten lost in the unfamiliar streets of Tokyo. That was a reasonably likely answer. But Hattori's smart enough to find his way… thought Conan, doubt eating him from the inside out. If he doesn't answer, it's because of you.

He held the cell phone close to his ear, hoping to hear Heiji's rough, accented voice emanate from the other end, asking him why he had left him there. For a second he worried about the consequences if Heiji had been captured and that Conan's name- his number- would be on the screen, and that the end would fall even sooner. He had the urge to end the call right there, but knew that this might be the only chance to communicate with Heiji. Come on, Hattori, pick up, pick up please!

"You have reached my voice mail, if you have anything you really want to tell me, leave a message, if not, well, then don't I guess. I'll try and get back to you soon!" Conan numbly held the phone out in front of him, as if staring real hard at the screen would somehow get the real Heiji to answer.

"I think he turned his phone off because he didn't want it to ring," he mumbled Conan, unwilling to believe the worst. "I'm going to go back and get him- that hot-headed bastard probably thought I got hurt or something and tried to search for me."

"Wait, Kudo-kun, did you find any evidence that the Organization was there?" asked Ai, trying to stay calm. "If they are, then going is suicide! He wouldn't be able to be saved!"

"There was- there was enough evidence. I went back outside to tell him we should leave, but he wasn't there. I thought since I didn't hear him inside, it was too dark to see, I thought he left without me. I didn't use the flashlights except for seconds at a time to see if there were any strange markings on the ground or where the exit was. I took his flashlight because I thought if I didn't, he'd follow me if I didn't come back soon enough- I thought he was smart enough to know he shouldn't enter a place like that without light- and now- and now- DAMMIT!" he cursed, banging his fist against the wall, and then holding back a hiss of pain. "I want to go back and check, but if the Organization really is there, going back is much too risky. Dammit, why did I have to invite Hattori over? Why?"

"Kudo-kun," whispered Ai, trying to find words that could comfort him, instead coming up with words that would sound fake, unconvincing, and she knew that he needed the truth. But silence could also be a remedy.

"Haibara, I don't mean this rudely or anything, but could you please leave?" His voice was almost inaudible, and it was obvious that he was choking back tears. His hair and the glare of his glasses shielded his eyes, so the only emotion Ai could see was his twitching mouth, and she backed away, closing the door behind her quietly.

Now that Ai was gone, he could finally just curl up and cry. He collapsed onto the futon, Heiji's futon, and yanked his glasses off of his face, throwing them across the room, wishing that they weren't bulletproof so they would crack like any other regular object. Why did he have to be so stupid? He could have easily scouted the place himself, but no, somehow, he felt it would be better if he took his best friend with him. And now his best friend was probably dead because of him.

"Shit, why does this kind of stuff always happen to me?" he groaned, murmuring to himself, taking a pillow off the ground and pressing his face into it. "I go to an amusement park with Ran just to have my life stolen, I have to live each and every day wondering if I'll get killed, and now Hattori's most likely somewhere with a bullet in his head. Haven't I lost enough?"

Ai stood outside of the door, ear pressed to the wood as she listened to his whimpers, wishing that he would let her so she could try and comfort him. Even Conan needed help sometimes. But she knew his pride was much too high for that, so all she could do was listen, just listen to his private grieving. She wondered if she should be the one to break the news, or if they should let Heiji's disappearance air first. They hadn't told anybody Heiji was in Tokyo.

I guess I'll leave it to you, Kudo-kun, she decided, walking away from the door where she started to hear hints of sobbing, fighting the temptation to go back. It's your decision either way. I warned you that the Organization was this powerful- all you needed to do was listen.

Hattori… thought Conan, clinging onto his cool by the edges, trying his best to hold onto hope, and yet at the same time he was trying to convince himself that the impossible had happened. You can't be dead yet! You promised me- you promised me we'd take them down together! We were partners in this! A cry escaped him and he choked down the crushing feeling in his throat, swallowing it as the weight landed in the pit of his stomach, feeling like butterflies. His eyes closed, warm tears spilling out as the boy gave in to despair, burying his face in Heiji's pillow, which still kind of smelled like the Osakan teenager. Hattori…

"Hmm…" muttered Vermouth, scouting the surrounding woods. "If I'm correct, Bourbon said he killed the boy around here. Who does he think he is, telling me to come out here and check if the kid's dead or not. Of course the boss just has to like him; I hate that cold, lying bastard. And now, here I am, searching through forest and garbage to find a corpse. Peachy." She usually wasn't one to speak to herself, but she was getting more than a bit irritated about Bourbon. It had been barely six months since had joined the Organization- six months and he was already the boss's new favorite. That was Vermouth's position. And she'd had it stolen from right under her nose.

There was a bundle of green cloth lying in a patch of grass, the morning sun piercing through the trees to dapple the figure with both light and shadow. Blood stained what seemed to be the arm of a hoodie, and a pale yellow cap lay strewn on the ground a foot away, and Vermouth knew she found what she was looking for.

She walked forwards a little bit, noticing that the clothing was- flat was the best way to describe it- as if somebody had stepped out of them and left the shirt lying on the ground. However, there was a lump in the middle of the pile, and that had to be the body. Vermouth gave a snicker- Bourbon had said he used poison. It was quite a funny coincidence that she- the only one who knew of the potential side effects of the APTX-4869- would be asked to scrounge around for its latest victim.

"Well isn't this dandy for the silver bullet?" she murmured, eyes never leaving the bundle on the ground, watching the cloth rise by less than a quarter of an inch, than falling in sync with the boy's breathing. "Perhaps Hattori-kun can even give him information on Bourbon. Even if he can't, with both working together, they'll form an even stronger bullet. Especially since Hattori-kun will finally have met the syndicate and our evils himself."

She bent down, pulling the hood down to reveal the pale, unconscious face of an elementary Hattori Heiji, confirming her assumptions. I'm lucky I decided to bring my Porsche today instead of motorcycle as usual, she thought, picking him up, thankful that he couldn't weigh more than 50 pounds. I can just bring him to my private apartment without any difficulties. Good thing I don't have an assignment right now.

Knowing that it would be like giving herself a death sentence to walk through the warehouse with the boy in her arms, she weaved her way through the surrounding trees, making sure that it would be nearly impossible to see her through the foliage. She tread lightly, carefully avoiding the fallen leaves to make sure the occasional crunches of the ground could be a small animal's doing instead of the uniform steps of a human.

When she finally made her way to the abandoned lot where she'd parked her Porsche (it was sheltered by a low overhang so it wouldn't be obvious at first glance) she quickly scanned her surroundings before stepping out with her shrunken burden.

After settling the child in the back seat, taking her time to carefully conceal his face, she quickly dialed the boss's number, the melody of 'Seven Children' quickly playing in little pings, she only waited seconds before somebody picked up. She leaned back in her seat, placing the cap she had picked up into the shotgun seat.

"Vermouth, did you find the body?" asked a voice on the other end, a voice Vermouth recognized very well. She could tell if it was lying, if it was trying to trick or deceive her. She could also trick it.

"I found it exactly where Bourbon said it'd be. I took the liberty of placing it even farther into the woods, so there's close to no possibility that it will be discovered. However, we have to consider the possibility that he had a partner. Therefore, we should destroy this base." She could only trick it if she lied convincingly however. She had a feeling that it suspected she was not completely for the Organization. "If we don't, we risk discovery of the body and maybe even a police investigation that could lead to our end. It would be safest to carry out what I said as soon as possible." Sometimes I wonder who really calls all the shots... thought Vermouth, feeling the urge to slam her foot on the gas so she could continue with her plan.

"I was thinking the very same thing myself. I didn't expect anything less from you- you'll be my successor if I happen to die anyways." And when that time comes... I will kill this Organization myself.

"If that's all, may I spend the rest of the day at home? It's been a while since my last break," she said, carefully tuning her voice between wistful and eagerness.

"Feel free. However, I have a new assignment for you tomorrow." And just like that, a click signaled the end of the conversation.

Vermouth made sure to choose the closest spot to the elevator as possible, no need to take unnecessary risks. Not like there was many people up at six in the morning anyways.

She made it up to her room without a hassle, and with the door locked, she could finally explain her plan to Heiji without interruptions. Grabbing bandages and some rubbing alcohol for his gun wound along with a couple other useful things, she strolled back to the couch where she had placed the shrunken teen. Taking an ammonia-soaked cloth, she placed it in front of his mouth and nose to wake him. He jolted up with a gasp, though it sounded merely surprised, not scared as she would have expected.

"W-who are you?" Heiji stared with big, round green eyes at Vermouth, confusedly wondering what was going on, where he was, and so forth.

"I'm Vermouth. I'm sure my dear Silver Bullet-kun has at least mentioned my name to you, ne?" she questioned, waiting for realization to hit his much too calm expression, turn it into fear or at least surprise. Nothing.

"Silver Bullet?" he repeated sounding thoroughly puzzled and not the least bit afraid. "Vermouth? Those are pretty funny names! I've never heard 'em before though!" He gave a small, friendly smile, causing Vermouth to wonder if the boy was still half asleep. The Great Detective of the West couldn't be this clueless, could he? "Is Silver Bullet an English word?"

"I mean Edogawa-kun. And you can't tell me you don't recognize that name either." Hattori-kun, what the hell is wrong...?

"Umm... I know that's a name, but I don't think I've met anyone named that before. Oh, there's a mystery writer called Edogawa Rampo! Is that who you're talking about?"he asked eagerly, quite willing to share his thoughts, which for some strange reason, weren't working the way they should have. "By the way, what's going on, Vermouth-neesan?" The way he said the words, so innocently and childishly, had Vermouth frozen in shock.

It can't be! Could he have lost his- no- he has to remember something!"Do you know someone named Hattori Heiji-kun?" she tested warily, steeling herself for the answer. "He's a famous detective from Osaka, a high school one of that. Have you heard of him before?"

The boy thought for a moment, a serious expression on his face before he shook his head sadly, replying, "I don't know anyone you're talking about. It's really confusing, Vermouth-neesan," he whined, blinking his emerald eyes in an almost puppy-like manner.

Wait, he's talking like a kid too... noticed Vermouth, and she looked behind her to see a Japanese novel lying on her coffee table. This would be a good way to prove her theory correct or incorrect."Can you read the title for me? I want to see if you can."

Heiji squinted, giving a long hmmm as he considered what the kanji could be in his head, trying to figure out what word the strokes and lines formed. He gave up with a big sigh, crossing his arms and saying,"I don't know what it says. Is that a bad thing?"

Biting her lip, holding back disappointment, she replied, "No, it's perfectly fine." She had to keep herself from banging her head against a wall; this unexpected turn in events completely threw her off guard. How could this have happened? Conan had at least retained his intelligence- Heiji was nothing more than an elementary school kid in that regard.

Vermouth shut her eyes, quickly formulating a plan that would take Heiji off of her hands. There was no way she could take care of a child even if she wanted to- she hardly even used this apartment. There was only one person who could she could trust, and there was only one way to get to him. With a smile, started preparing, first putting bandages on Heiji's arm and telling him to stay put while she bought some new clothes for him.

She walked out of the building, clutching her jacket to while she zippered it to keep out the autumn chill, running towards the nearest shopping center. It was easier to think out here, and she finalized her plans, thinking, So Hattori-kun doesn't even remember anything he learned past first grade... Silver Bullet, I'll entrust him to you.

*By the way... If you'd like to see my drawing of the shrunken Heiji, check out my DA gallery! iluvshadowclaw. deviantart. com! I'd appreciate comments on just about all of the drawings! (even the Death Note ones.) XD Please review! I'll try to update ASAP!*