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CHAPTER TWO: TENDER BLUE
Takagi Wataru draws in a stiff breath before answering his cell phone.
"Takagi-keiji, please tell me you've found Conan-kun!" Mouri Ran's worried voice immediately rushes over the tiny speaker and cracks with exhaustion. She obviously hasn't slept in a while. Wataru's heart aches for the Mouris, and their missing ward. Working to stay professional, he keeps his voice calm as he chooses his words carefully.
"We haven't found him yet, Ran-san, but I'm sure we will soon. Conan-kun is smart. Wherever he is, he's okay. We'll find him, and I'll call you as soon as we do."
"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have bothered you, but. . .this isn't like him, and I've searched every place I can think of! He's always finding trouble, and I'm so afraid that this time. . . !" her voice catches at the end, and it's obvious she's trying not to breakdown into tears.
One of the toughest duties an officer undertakes is speaking with distressed family members; especially ones they are well-acquainted with. Aware of Conan's penchant for danger, Megure Juzo—along with the support of the entire station—pulled out all the stops to find the kid. Wataru wants to remind Ran of this, and perhaps alleviate some of her frantic worry. He takes another stiff breath.
"We'll find him, Ran-san. Between all of Tokyo's Police Department, and your father the Sleeping Kogoro, Conan-kun will be home soon. A city-wide alert has been issued. The hospitals have been informed just in case a child matching his description is brought in. Sato-keiji and Miyamoto-keiji made sure that by yesterday evening all major businesses in Beika were displaying Conan-kun's missing persons fliers. For precautionary measures the airports have been notified, and so have the ports. It won't be long now." Legitimately, he knows he shouldn't assure her of Conan's safety when the worst case scenario is possible, but he can't stand how lost the normally vibrant young woman sounds. Besides, he can't believe that Conan-kun would get himself into a mess he couldn't get out of. The boy is eerily self-reliant and resourceful. Cunning, even.
What has led to this mysterious disappearance? According to both Kogoro and Ran, Conan's attitude has not changed recently, so it is highly unlikely he ran off without telling anyone. His friends adamantly stated when questioned that he never mentioned wanting to run away. Conan had even walked one of the girls home before heading in the direction of the detective agency, which is not far from her residence. She testified that Conan intended to go straight home. Additionally, Conan isn't the type to wander off without reason, and it is completely out-of-character for him not to discuss any plans with Ran.
Either Conan got hurt somewhere along the way and is unable to call for help (a dead battery would explain why his cell phone couldn't be tracked), or. . .he has been kidnapped. If by chance Conan is stuck injured somewhere, he needs to be found by tomorrow night at the latest. Otherwise, unless Conan happens to have access to water. . .
If this is a kidnapping case, why hasn't Kogoro received a ransom notice yet? Usually, kidnappers contact the family within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of the abduction. They are still (barely) within the four-eight hour period, so it's possible Kogoro will be contacted; if Conan really has been taken.
The likelihood of a kidnapping becomes more plausible with each passing hour. Someone should have found Conan if he'd gotten himself hurt along the short distance to the detective agency. Between him, Chiba, Kogoro, and Ran they covered a near two kilometer radius centered where Conan was last seen—no corner left unexplored, and no person left unquestioned. That is a lot of ground.
"I'm going to check the library and park one more time, and then I'll walk around again and ask if anyone has seen him," Ran says, sounding a mite steadier.
Wataru shakes his head to dispel morbid thoughts. "Don't overdo yourself. We've got a number of people searching already. I'm currently on 4-chōme Avenue heading toward the Post Office. Chiba-keiji is searching Haido, Sato-keiji has made it all the way to Nakano, and Shiratori-keibu is covering Teito just in case. Get some rest, Ran-san." Because she needs it, and needs to know she can rely on the police. Even if Division One generally deals with murder cases, with no major on-going cases Megure-keibu wasted no time in ordering the extra manpower be put to use.
"I have to do something. Thank you, Takagi-keiji. I'm not sure where we would be without you, or the rest of the police force."
"Take care, then. I'll be in touch," he says, ending the call. No doubt Miwako has burnt rubber through most of Nakano by now. By the time they find Conan (because they will find him) she'll probably need new tires for her Mazda. Any moment now one of the officers will find a lead and report in, or someone will have seen Conan and alert the station, or Conan will find a way to call home.
Please, Conan-kun, if you really have been kidnapped you must have found a way to leave us a sign. Where is it? Where are you?
Six months ago he might have thought it strange to hold so much faith in a young boy, but Conan is no ordinary child. That much Wataru is certain of. He can still hear the words spoken when they were about to die trapped together with that sensitive bomb in the Tokyo Tower elevator.
"Oh. Well, if you really want to know. . . Then I'll tell you. In the next world."
"It's too soon for you to be in the next world," he says out loud, increasing his pace to that of a jog. Surely someone has the information they're looking for.
)*(
The only thing keeping Haibara Ai functioning is the fact her and the professor have yet to meet with an unfortunate accident. If They were behind Conan's disappearance then she would have been killed before becoming aware of the situation yesterday. Why, then? Why hasn't Conan contacted them via his detective badge? Why can't she track him using the spare set of tracking glasses?
He's vanished without a trace. It's just like whenever They are involved.
She doesn't miss the worried side-glance the professor gives her as he sets down a cup of green tea on the coffee table in front of her. This morning she had made the professor call the elementary school and say she was sick. She didn't eat dinner last night, and she hasn't eaten anything today though it is passed noon. Ai takes the offered cup and gives a sardonic smile.
"He must have stumbled onto some great and terrible case. I just hope that death magnet hasn't become a corpse himself."
Hakase Agasa Hiroshi, having just taken a sip of his own tea, chokes after hearing Ai's words.
"Really now," he says from the kitchen, where he's had to fetch a dish towel to dab his mouth and tea-stained shirt front, "you know Shinichi can handle himself." An undertone of concern belies his words. Ai turns her head to stare out the living room window, ending the conversation before it can begin. The professor stares into his cup of tea.
Not even upgrading the spare glasses with a more powerful tracking system had revealed any clues to the shrunken detective's whereabouts. Could both Shinichi's glasses and badge have been damaged in whatever happened? Surely he is still in the country. Most kidnappers wouldn't risk traveling through areas of high security, preferring instead to stay fairly close to decrease the chances of being caught in transit. Hakase Agasa takes his tea into his makeshift office.
Shinichi no longer has a satellite communication device installed in his wristwatch since using it when aboard the Aegis proved its riskiness. It's too easy for outsiders to pick up the signal, hence the continued reliance on burst communication technology in the detective badges. The range is limited, but it is much more difficult to track, and the frequency is nearly impossible to hack. However, maybe he can use that walkie-talkie he's been tinkering with and create a booster that can communicate with the detective badges at a much further range.
It won't do any good if Shinichi's badge has suffered extensive damage, but it is better than sitting around doing nothing.
)*(
Kaito never thought he'd want to hear Saguru's annoying voice for any reason, but there is one way he likes hearing those smug tones. The blond detective's pompous and airy manner of speaking took on a rather high and delightful warble after suffering one of Kaito's pranks earlier. It marks the first time he has managed to fluster the emotionally contained bastard. All because of a sticker.
Sure that heirloom pocket watch is snazzy and only loses 0.001 seconds per year (how many times has he heard that?), but stealing the object didn't garner much of a reaction. Once discovered missing, Saguru had simply approached Kaito between classes and asked for his beloved watch back. Of course, Kaito feigned innocence, and a short while later Saguru found his watch back in its appropriate pocket. Because of that, later on Kaito thought nothing of using a sticker to make the face appear cracked. If the glass were actually damaged it would only be an inconvenience, but no! Upon discovering the sticker near lunch time, Saguru gave a strangled yelp, and ended up swearing a litany in British English. Even more surprising was the backlash after Saguru discovered the cracks were fake, and his beloved pocket watch was perfectly unharmed.
Needless to say class was disrupted. By mister formal arrogance himself! Score a huge win for Kaito. Poor Konno-sensei is used to having two rambunctious students run around during class, but today she had three. Kaito is proud. Now he is not only hiding from Aoko, whom is still upset about finding stickers on her rump (he used his special sticky goo to glue those smiley faces on the back of her skirt), but from Saguru as well.
With two people casing the building for him—one being meticulous about it and showing the other how to coordinate efforts—he's already had to ditch the janitor's closet and weasel to the neglected classroom on the first floor. Honestly, sneaking back and forth passed two people is a cakewalk, but right now he wants to be left alone. The roof tile in the north-west corner is loose and a perfect place to stash goods of just about any caliber.
The goods he's currently stashing is himself. So long as one doesn't mind sharing space with dust bunnies, then the area isn't so bad. With his electronic tablet, a candy bar, and a juice box he can easily stay stretched out on the nearest support beam for the rest of the school day. Easy peasy.
DOON!
"KYYYAAHHHH!" comes the distant scream of Aoko. They must have finally finished checking the upper floors and made it to the bottom floor, and Aoko must have been the unlucky one to open the 1-D classroom door and trip the glitter bomb. It'll take weeks to get out of her hair. Even without his special formula mixed in, that stuff is obnoxious. Kaito has to clamp both hands over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Sounds carry within a roof space because everything is connected and there are no walls to act as a buffer, though plenty of air conditioned vents are running; Kaito would rather err on the side of caution.
Nothing happens for a while after that, leaving Kaito plenty of time to himself. The biochemistry article he's looked up does little to hold his attention, and he sighs. Is he restless because of the nightmare this morning? Though rare, nightmares are nothing new. It has to be Akako's fault. She shared her juju.
Caster meets his immortal half when the night is forced into its darkest point. After morning comes, the relief of noon will be nigh impossible. The twins will force night to come again, spiraling into a new dawn with Thanatos near. Armageddon waits eagerly behind one of two horizons.
Nothing about the riddle is concrete; it's just a nice serving of paranoia on a platter. The operative words night, morning, noon, and dawn all speak of the passage of time, but that's all that can be taken from them. It's more or less telling the sequence of actions meant to take place—which is darkest point and then a relief that is almost impossible to obtain. Darkest point can be taken as lowest point. Something terrible is about to happen to him? Then there is force, which is used twice. Undoubtedly, it is a keyword, and probably the only bit that could be taken literally. Someone will force a terrible event, and then he and 'Pollux' will have to force the nearly impossible to get themselves out of it. . .a new dawn. . .forever changed?
Caster and his immortal half together are Gemini. Gemini, Thanatos, and Armageddon share Greek origin and translation.
He and another person represent Gemini; Thanatos represents death, and Armageddon is an end. Absolutely fantastic! All that can be gleaned is something will happen to bring him and another person together, and they will have the barest chance of getting out of the frying pan alive. It's even worse if he plugs the truncated critic into the mess—which, sadly, makes perfect sense not only because of their similar appearance, but because turning back into a child could be taken as a form of immortality. Hello, Pollux!
Then Gemini becomes Kid and the Kid Killer. The first night translates to a heist. Forced translates to. . .captured—which would be his lowest point. Morning translates as the passing of an unknown amount of time (no clocks wherever they end up?—maybe he should have kept Saguru's pocket watch). Relief translates to improbable escape (during which he has to use force?).
Basically, during a heist, Kaitou Kid will be abducted (how is that possible?) and so will the tiny Kudou Shinichi, but together they will narrowly escape. Eh. . . He'd rather not get abducted; especially since it would compromise his civilian persona. However, that's not even the worst part of the premonition.
The twins will force night to come again, spiraling into a new dawn with Thanatos near. After escaping there is a change that happens beyond their control. . .and it involves death. Truthfully, that's nothing new as far as the runt is concerned. Still. . .death and Kid don't mix well. He'd rather not be the cause of anyone dying.
Armageddon waits eagerly behind one of two horizons. A choice will come that can bring an end. Question is, whose ending? Staying in line with the theme of the premonition, 'ending' probably means death, so regardless of whose ending, Kaito would rather take option number two and give the route to Armageddon a wide berth.
Great. Now he's twitchy. Curse bad juju! Why does Akako feel the need to warn him when just knowing something is going to happen won't do any good? It's like a sixth sense that's screwed up. Why couldn't she tell him how to avoid it? Pfft. Whatever. If someone (the not-so-discreet group he's seen at heists lately?) wants to abduct the great Kaitou Kid they better be ready to work for it!
The thought of abduction and death is too frazzling. Still feeling twitchy, and getting annoyed by it, Kaito reaches for the juice box under the beam he's laying atop of, and misjudges. It tips over with a small thunk against the ceiling tile. Crap. Hopefully no one heard that. Staying absolutely still and holding his breath, Kaito cranes an ear and listens.
A whisper? Saguru? No way. They couldn't have been patiently waiting for him to make a noise. For one thing, he almost never makes noise unless it's on purpose. Wait. . .it's Saguru. . .he often stands in one place for a while to observe and think.
Curse Akako's bad juju! This is her fault!
A herd of foot stomps (Aoko's) precede the loose tile exploding upward along with the juice box as a mop swings in blindly with the force of a hurricane.
"IIIYYAAAAAAA!" Kaito screams in a overly girly manner, mostly for the fun of it, partially because he's trapped. He could maneuver through all the beams, ducts, and wires to go loosen another tile elsewhere, but Saguru is likely listening for him. Without any equipment on-hand he can't loosen roof tile quietly.
Finally, after the tip of the mop's threads have whisked his hair and stung his arms a number of times, Aoko loses steam and the mop is yanked out of sight. It so happens to have snagged his juice box.
"BAKAITO! COME DOWN HERE AND TAKE WHAT YOU DESER—ow. . ."
At least the traitorous juice box got what it deserved. It fell on Aoko's hard head.
"No way, you armed she-man!" Kaito yells.
"YOU HAVE PESTERED HAKUBA-KUN AND AOKO TOO MUCH FOR ONE DAY! TIME FOR THE CONSEQUENCES!"
"Nope!" he disagrees.
The mop comes up a second time, and Kaito's ready. When the mop head swings close he swiftly buries a color-patterned smoke bomb within its threads. A bit of his special sticky goo has it secured. It starts smoking gray almost immediately, and Aoko notices. Fearing she's somehow managed to start a fire (maybe she hit some electrical wiring?) she yanks the mop back down.
"What did Aoko do?" She examines the smoking threads. Kaito leans over to look down and see, and nearly bursts out laughing. With all the glitter bits and glitter letters, Aoko looks like a kindergarten art project came to life and threw up on her.
"THROW IT!" Saguru shouts from the direction of the classroom entrance.
Too late. The bomb explodes in a multicolored plume of smoke that instantly fills the room. An overpowering scent of raspberries hits a second later. The bomb was too much for the size of a classroom. Keeping his eyes closed, and covering his nose with a sleeve to protect against the cloying smoke, he uses his other hand to dig for the lametta in his pocket. Aoko's coughing. She hasn't moved from directly below his only way of exiting, meaning he has to improvise. He was going to use the lametta to make an artsy mustache for Aoko, but that will have to wait for another day. He lets a few long pieces float down. She screeches a moment later.
"SPIDERWEB! GET IT OFF!" With that, she steps blindly out of the way, allowing Kaito to slip down to the floor with barely a sound. Thanks to Saguru's earlier shout, Kaito knows his position. It's safest to head for a window. He skirts the few old student desks by memory, and within seconds has a window open and is jumping out. The colorful smoke flows with him.
Kaito looks in once it's clear enough to see.
"Fuuu-fwahahaha!" This time he doesn't bother holding in his laughter. The whole interior is dust-coated with with bright colors, including Aoko and Saguru, but especially a still-glittering Aoko. Saguru probably exited the room to avoid most of it. Kaito is most definitely a rainbow of colors since he was directly in it. "Achee!" Colorful dust lifts from his body and rains on the grass by his feet. Everything is going to smell like raspberries for a while.
"EEEIIIIIII!" Aoko shrieks, before coughing again. "KAITO, AOKO'S PATIENCE IS GONE!"
"You never had any," he jeers, dodging as a mop comes flying at him like some rainbow-spewing lance. He dashes away when Saguru starts running for the window.
Rainbow dust trails are perfect for laying down false leads. Five minutes later, a few reverses and some backtracking has Aoko confused and all over the place. Saguru isn't as easy to fool, but Aoko's zeal to catch Kaito as quickly as possible is slowing the detective down. He's spending too much time trying to teach her the fine art of tracking.
Good luck, Kaito thinks, nestled high within the green cover of a sturdy pagoda's branches. When Aoko is riled nothing gets through that thick head of hers.
Vrrnnn. . .Vrrnnn. . .Vrrnnn. . .
Kaito leans back and reaches into his gakuran pants pocket for his cell phone.
"Botchama," Konosuke Jii's voice greets.
"Jii-chan, what's up~?" Kaito sing-songs.
"I need to speak to you. May I come over when you get home from school?"
The old-timer must have found something interesting. Excitement begins to bubble in his veins. It's time to plan another heist. Something cold knocks against his heart, and he knows what it is, but he ignores it.
"You know you're always welcome."
"Yes, but I don't want to intrude with business if you're planning to have company over."
"That won't be a problem." Kaito will have his bookbag today, and Aoko will be so busy trying to get rid of a pound of glitter and dust she won't bother coming over. "In fact, I'm heading home now. Go ahead and let yourself in."
"Botchama, you shouldn't skip school! What will Okusama say?"
"Trust me, Jii-chan. I wouldn't be allowed back in the classroom right now, anyway." Not without a shower and clean uniform.
A disapproving hum comes over the phone.
"My sensei and I have an understanding! I get full marks on all quizzes, tests, and exams. Statistically, the school loves me, but personally they appreciate when I'm absent."
". . . I will see you in an hour."
"Righty-o," Kaito says, before ending the call and putting his now color-splotched phone back in his pocket. He looks the distance over to see Aoko and Saguru have barely moved five meters, and chuckles. "Ja-ne." He gives a small wave that goes unnoticed, and then he's sliding down the opposite side of the tree and jogging away.
One way or another, he talks Konno-sensei into letting him get his bookbag (no one dares touch his stuff after one unfortunate soul thought to plunder inside, and something within had burped ink bubbles and snapped). While there he slips a little gift into Saguru's black school satchel. August 29th had been a special day for the blond bastard, after all. It's just too bad he didn't have it ready in time—his dove spies didn't pick up on the important news until less than twenty-four hours in advance.
)*(
Ran's phone chimes and she scrambles to answer it without bothering to glance at the caller ID.
"Ran-chan, we'r at the agency. Where ar' ya?" Toyama Kazuha's Kansai-ben lifts from the speaker.
"Kazuha-chan, I'm so glad to hear you! I'm sorry I'm not there; I wanted to recheck a few streets, but I'm nearby. I'll be there in five minutes."
Ran makes it back in three-and-a-half.
"Ran-chan!" Kazuha is flying down the entryway stairs just as Ran comes into sight. The girls collide in a fierce hug.
"Kazuha-chan," Ran's voice is barely audible against the other girl's shoulder as she holds on tight. Her blue-lilac eyes glance up the entryway to see Hattori Heiji coming down to join them at a much safer pace. "I'm so glad you two are here." The dam cracks, and silent tears pour. She is too mentally and physically drained to properly cry after having searched Beika repeatedly and essentially nonstop for the last two days.
Kazuha notices how much Ran is leaning in their embrace. The Karate champion wouldn't allow herself to slouch. Kazuha pushes Ran back up, and holds her where she can study her. Her friend's skin is pale, and dry where it isn't streaked by tears. Dark circles have dug trenches under her bloodshot and red-rimmed eyes. Her lips are dry, and so is her hair as wisps of it have lifted away from the rest. Kazuha immediately tears up at the sight.
"Ran-chan. . . !" The whisper is somehow a mixture of admonishment and concern. Ran gives one audible sob.
"Nee-chan, we'v got ya." Heiji comes to their side and wraps a bracing arm around Ran's shoulders. His expression is intense, and drawn slightly inward as if a million thoughts are racing just behind his vivid green eyes. "Let's get ya inside wit' a bite ta eat, an' you can giv' us the details 'afore gettin' some rest." His arm starts to gently steer her forward toward the stairs. Kazuha steps out of the way and to her other side, her hold changing to wrap one arm around her back. Ran lets herself be guided, but shakes her head.
"I won't stop looking. I'm going with you," she says, looking above her right shoulder at Heiji.
"No!" he says so sternly that she stops in her tracks; whether in shock or to lash out at him she isn't sure, but his intense expression softens a fraction. "Sorry, Nee-chan, but ya need ta recharge if yer wantin' ta continue helpin'. Besides, Ku-Kunan-kun would be upset ta see ya now." His words hit like a punch, and she finds it hard to breathe. Emotions flood her. She wants to explode—to just let everything out, and Heiji with his Kendo training could take a hit.
The thought is immediately appalling, and she has to fight not to burst into uncontrollable sobs. Her mood is incredibly unstable from stress and lack of sleep. There is no time to waste thinking or acting like this. She wants to be calm—she needs to be calm so she can help. She needs to help! She's tough and doesn't buckle under pressure, so why is she wasting so much energy with these churning emotions? All the worry, fear, confusion, anger. . .they are keeping her off-center.
"Heiji! Don't say it like that!" Kazuha hisses, using the arm behind Ran to smack his shoulder. The hit is light so as not to jar Ran between them. At some point they've begun to shuffle awkwardly up the stairs. Heiji turns mostly sideways to lead them up. Kazuha moves more-or-less behind Ran, keeping a comforting hand against her back.
"What? K-conan-kun would hate ta see his nee-chan lookin' so worried an' worn down." Heiji knows and understands. Whatever the circumstance, he'd rather have a fiery poker stuck against his chest than see Kazuha in such a state. Witnessing Ran's distress strikes hard him hard enough. No doubt Shinichi would become a raging bull if he could see her now, and that would be scary because all that rage would be delivered with razor-sharp precision and single-minded intent toward the culprit; made creepy by the fact that he can pull it off with a small body and childlike innocence.
Ran's vision dims, and bright spots rise until shapes don't make sense anymore. She suddenly falters going up the steps.
"Ran-chan!"
"Oi!"
Sounds are muffled and it's as if the garble is stuck on repeat in her head. Nothing's making sense. An iron grip latches onto her arm, and something wraps around her torso. She jerks her head and blinks, trying to pull everything back into focus. The bright spots are gone, but now her sight is dim and blurry. However, she can make out Heiji using both hands to secure her by the arm. Did she lean back? A set of arms are wrapped around her from behind, and she can feel Kazuha pressed against her. Between the two of them, they managed to keep her from falling.
"S-sorry," she slurs, feeling mortified and so very, very tired. "I think. . .I almost. . .fainted. . ."
"No almost ta it," Heiji says, as Ran's eyes roll back and her knees give out. Thankfully, he's prepared and hoists her up against him, keeping Kazuha from overbalancing. Somehow they've kept from getting banged up along the concrete steps.
"Uh. . ." Heiji pauses awkwardly, looking passed the brown hair so close to his nose and down at Kazuha, "I'm gonna face her toward ya, and ya grab her ankles." They'll cart her the rest of the way up.
"Poor Ran-chan," Kazuha mutters, looking sadly at Ran. She then directs a firm gaze up at Heiji. "How ar' we goin' ta get in? Kogoro-ojisan is out, an' the door is locked." They'd already found that out when Ran wasn't here to greet them.
"She has ta hav' the key. Ya could get it, ahou," Heiji says, as they work together to carefully turn Ran and rotate her between them. Kazuha moves down to take Ran by the ankles, and Heiji supports her under her armpits.
"Ahou! Tha' would be rude!"
"Wha's wors' is her recoverin' on these stairs!" He has a point, so Kazuha reluctantly agrees. Ran is all lean muscle, so her frame is heavy for her size. Fortunately, both Heiji and Kazuha are built the same way thanks to his training in Kendo, and her training in Aikido. They trek up the stairs and stop on the deck in front of the agency's door. Actually, in order to set Ran down so Kazuha can go through her pockets, Heiji has to continue partway up the second set of stairs that lead to the Mouri's living quarters.
Kazuha finds the small set of keys quickly, and after a bit of experimenting, finds the correct key to the door. They shuffle inside and lay Ran on the couch.
"I'm gettin' a washcloth. Mak' some tea an' somethin' ta eat. She doesn' look ta hav' eatin' in a while," Heiji says. Kazuha nods and hurries back out of the agency, heading up the second flight of stairs. Heiji busies himself by finding a washcloth and wetting it. As he sets it on Ran's forehead, he notices she has a low-grade fever. Probably worried herself sick. At least she's resting for now. Although, Heiji can't stay put and wait for her to wake up. He was hoping Ran could give him the details of what's happened the last two days, but now he'll have to speak with Kogoro.
Joy.
If only Ran had called Kazuha and him sooner. She'd been hoping Shinichi would come through for Conan's sake; he usually responds back at most a few hours later. Little does she know that's currently impossible.
Regardless, the situation is what it is, and it's time to solve this mystery. As Heiji walks to inspect Kogoro's littered desk, he turns the bill of his SAX cap forward. Scraps of paper and a wrinkled map show places that have been searched. Green eyes widen a fraction. Kogoro has detailed the search, stating the times and names of who has taken what action. With how lousy a detective he makes, it's hard to remember he used to be a good officer. He'll give the man a quick call while heading to the professor's for a visit. Little nee-chan was the last to see Shinichi, so he needs to question her personally. Besides that, why can't the professor contact Shinichi? Isn't he the creator of all those nifty gadgets? Heiji will check in on that as well. Afterward, he'll head to the police station to find out what's happening on that front.
Heiji dashes out the agency while grabbing for his phone. He thumbs a quick text to Kazuha letting her know he's leaving so Ran won't be unattended for long before calling Kogoro.
"Otchan, where ar' ya?"
)*(
Conan isn't sure if he groaned, or dreamed he did. It's difficult to tell when he's asleep or when he's awake because of the consuming darkness, and his desire to stay still; even on the rigid concrete. A small eternity has passed without the first sign from his captors, meaning he's been left without basic necessities for a considerable amount of time.
Food he could honestly do without for a while longer; he wants water. He had been looking forward to a glass of the chrysanthemum and honey tea Ran made before the invasion of all this perpetual darkness. Now he is either borderline severely dehydrated, or already declined passed that point. The headache has long since morphed into a migraine that's eating away at his brain; his tongue is swollen, and his chest is jerking with every beat of his heart. What's more, he's starting to develop chills though the storage room is temperate.
At least he hasn't had to use the drain to do his business often.
This is confusing. Why has he been left alone for so long? Why spend the effort to abduct him, and then leave him to wither away? Do they need him, or is the objective simply for him to die? If killing him is their goal, they could have been nicer about it, or at least quicker. What a terrible and anticlimactic way to go considering all the harrowing events he's been through during his shrunken escapade. Luck may not be real, but maybe all those O-mikuji fortunes were right. Being stuck here with death closing in slowly; it certainly feels as if he has terrible luck. Why? Who did he piss off?
Seriously. The Black Organization wouldn't waste time like this. This isn't their style at all.
"Why?" he croaks, startling himself. He hadn't meant to speak. Was he dreaming again? Sometimes flashes of images nearly blind him before the black reclaims his vision, but he didn't see anything this time. "WHY?!" he shouts, suddenly furious. The many echoes of his reverberating voice breaks the cushion of silence, grating on his ears. Why is this being done to him? Who the hell is behind it? . . . He shouldn't have shouted; now his head is hurting to the point it's making him nauseous. This time he knows he groans out loud.
This can't be how it's going to end.
Ran. What is she doing now? He doesn't want to disappear and leave her to wonder about Conan and Shinichi forever. What he wouldn't give to hug her. He's almost forgotten what it feels like to wrap his arms around her—his older self never really had a reason to, and as Conan he can barely reach around her sides.
What is his mom and dad going to think? Yukiko will be a wailing banshee out for blood, and Yusaku will stop at nothing to solve the case. That's. . .a really depressing thought. What about the Shōnen Tantei-dan? They'll miss him, but they'll grow and learn to deal with it. Hopefully they will become great detectives. Oh, but Ai would have something sarcastic to say about that.
The professor? He's undoubtedly busy with something electronic. Maybe he has a new invention ready. What kind of neat, new gadgets will the kids get when they're old enough to handle them? Which one of the children will rival Heiji when they're all adults? It'd be great to see. . . Ran and Kazuha would laugh at the competitive antics bound to result. Kogoro would be forced to retire, but that would be okay since he'd rather have fun betting at the horse races and drink beer. For his sake, Conan hopes he wins big.
At some point Conan has started to dream. He knows he's dreaming because he can see everyone smiling and happy. Suddenly, he's right there with them, as Shinichi, smiling as they decide to celebrate their gathering by barbecuing on one of the professor's grills. Unfortunately, the grill malfunctions because the professor had tried to give it some crazy feature. But they can all head to Café Poirot for dinner. Amuro Tooru and Enomoto Azusa will be surprised to have so many people show up at once.
A touch of coldness at his neck rips the dream from in front of his eyes and replaces it with the too-familiar black. The coldness is quickly spreading and seeping underneath him. Something begins to gush from the direction of the hole in the wall. Conan sits up and shuffles out of the liquid's growing path before touching it and bringing some to his nose. It has a slight smell of chlorine—city water! He hustles as fast as he can to the source, catching the water in both hands to gulp down. The relief is immediate. In his haste he ends up choking a little, but that hardly slows him down. While he has the chance he needs to drink as much as he can. He can almost feel as his thirsty cells absorb the water. The migraine should ease soon.
After downing what must be a couple of pints, Conan leans back against the wall; the water still gushing noisily to his left. Water trickles between his fingers as he tries to hold onto a little for later, unable to drink anymore. No doubt he'll lose most of it, but if he can have enough to wet his lips and tongue, then it'll be worth it. If he were a little warmer he'd be willing to use his shirt as a sponge, but it's best to keep dry what protective covering he has.
The water pressure soon dies down to a trickle, and then everything goes quiet again. That was good timing. Coincidence, or is he being monitored within this dark void? One thing is certain; they don't want him to die. What is their aim, then? What purpose does it serve to keep him locked away like this? Are they trying to break him down? To them he's just a kid. Wouldn't it make more sense to use a direct approach—one that's less time consuming?
What are they waiting for? Why do they need him?
)*(
"Botchama. . .what possible use could you have for those multicolored smoke bombs? I can clearly see everywhere you've been in the house," Jii remarks to a still-damp Kaito as his bespectacled eyes gloss over the living area and further on passed the jutting walls that separate the rest of the house.
Fresh from the shower and dressed in a pair of well-worn jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt, Kaito hooks a leg under a cushion of the tan couch before sitting back and using the towel around his shoulders to attack his hair.
"The possibilities are endless, Jii-chan."
The older man again looks at the colorful tracks on the wooden floor, the swipes from where clothing brushed walls, the partial handprints scattered about, and takes a deep breath. No thief in their right mind would want to carry an item that could easily turn their best sneaking efforts against them, but this is Kaito. The young phantom thief spins logic on its head.
"You haven't had enough fun with colors, I see," Jii says, his gaze coming to rest on Kaito's shirt. Kaito looks at him from underneath the towel and grins. "It may look like an artist had a tantrum in here, but it smells nice. Are you using a new air freshener?" At this, Kaito chuckles.
"No, you're smelling the smoothie I made. It erupted all over the kitchen, so you may want to steer clear of the area."
At Jii's horrified expression, Kaito laughs. "Kidding!" he says, lowering the towel back around his shoulders. "It's from the smoke bomb. I was a bit heavy-handed with the scent factor, and ended up creating a fruity aroma that plasters with the resilience of a skunk—I can't neutralize it. But, there really is some raspberry smoothie in the fridge if you want it."
It is Jii's turn to chuckle. "Ah. That explains the colorful mess leading to the kitchen. You couldn't resist after smelling the fruit so much."
"Pin-pon!" Kaito remarks playfully. The light of his eyes brightens with excitement. "What caught your attention out there, Jii-chan?"
It's time for business. Jii moves to the free side of the couch and sits down, placing his electronic notebook on his lap. As soon as it opens the screen lights up to reveal the image of a diamond. Kaito whistles once the screen is turn toward him, instantly noticing the gem's large size, dark Cognac color, and excellent marquise cut. Even if Cognac diamonds are generally the least expensive of their brethren, this one is more than fancy.
"That would break a few banks." Kaito leans closer to better study it.
"What's more exceptional is this diamond's rich history. It was discovered long ago within view of the pyramids of Giza, the theory being that it was meant for one of the great structures, but was either lost or stolen. Many times it changed hands; its owners claiming the diamond brought them one misfortune after another—so much so that it has become known as Mes-in Shenew."
Kaito's brows furrow. "Eehh? Egyptian juju? Why should I be interested in something dubbed Born in Illness?" He's had enough of curses thanks to sharing a classroom with a certain redheaded witch. Besides, misfortune and eternal life do not seem congruent to each other.
"Let me finish. The diamond disappeared from public eye for decades after being purchased by the LaMont family. It is rumored to have been sealed away underground in an attempt to stem its negative influence. Just a couple days ago it was rediscovered by a LaMont relative, and immediately sold—may as well say given—to Sasaki Yuudai here in Tokyo; whom is currently on his way to Yushima Tenjin Shrine in hopes that Nadeushi will cure the stone's ill tendencies."
"Uh. . ." Kaito sinks back into the cushions with an eyebrow raised.
"My thoughts exactly," Jii says, closing the electronic notebook. "Nadeushi is thought to cure normal illnesses, not remove a curse from an artifact—if such a thing is actually true."
"No offense to Tenjin's servant, but if that diamond really is cursed, stroking the bronze cow probably won't help much."
"You believe in such things as curses?" Jii asks, curious as to what could turn a skeptic into a believer. Kaito purses his lips and tries not to break out in goosebumps. Ever since Koizumi Akako decided to pursue him he's believed in real magic. Then. . .every time she warns him something is going to happen—NOPE! NOT THINKING OF THAT!
"I'd be an idiot to disregard the possibility after so many people have had trouble, but I have the best luck, so an unlucky curse wouldn't affect me," Kaito boosts, pointing a thumb to his chest. He suddenly jerks with a small noise, appearing stunned. Hiku. . ! . . . Hiku! Kaito covers his mouth, trying to stifle the sounds.
"Hiccups, Botchama? I hope this isn't a bad omen. . ."
"Don't sa-hiku! that!" Kaito rockets off the couch and disappears into the kitchen.
"Superstition has it that hiccups can be a sign one has bad luck. Considering what we were discussing. . ." Jii speaks loud enough to be heard. "What are you doing in there?"
"Getting sug-hiku! Sugar!" Kaito returns a moment later with a spoon in his mouth, looking disgruntled.
"What good will sugar do?" Jii is perplexed as he watches the approaching teenager.
"Don'cha know sugar stops hiccups?" he articulates perfectly around the spoon in his mouth, hands on his hips.
"That can't be true." Jii shakes his head.
"I don't need an excuse to eat sugar. See? They're gone." Kaito grins, pulling the spoon out of his mouth, twirling the utensil between his fingers. "Nine times out of ten it works."
Jii sighs. Only Kaito would find a use for an unhealthy addiction. "Getting back on topic of the diamond, Suzuki Jurokichi-san has made a substantial offer to Sasaki Yuudai-san for the gem. No doubt he wants it to lure Kaitou Kid into another battle of wits and traps."
"Hurrr. . ." Kaito's shoulders slump, but the spoon is kept twirling. "Sizable gem or not, I don't think the Mes-in Shenew is what I'm looking for, but if Suzuki-no-jiisan challenges Kid then I've got no choice," he says disheartenedly.
"I think it would be worth checking, regardless." Jii says.
"Is there something you haven't told me?"
"Yes, and it is what compelled me to bring this diamond to your attention. A couple of past owners of the Mes-in Shenew stated whenever they touched the gem the center seemed to glow."
Kaito's gaze locks on to Jii's with renewed excitement, and the spoon comes to a sudden stop. "How often did they touch it? What color did they see?"
"I'm sorry, but that I don't know."
Kaito pulls on his lower lip with his teeth. One slow blink, looking toward the floor, and then his gaze returns to Jii. The blue-violet is piercing. "You said Suzuki-no-jiisan is after the diamond. Has he and this Sasaki person met yet?"
"No, but Suzuki Jurokichi-san has given Sasaki Yuudai-san a formal invite to his private estate."
A grin slashes across Kaito's face. "Sasaki-san is in the middle of traveling. Do you know where he will be spending the night?"
"Of course, Botchama. While Sasaki Yuudai-san has been trying to keep those aware of his and the gem's location to a minimum, as of this moment he has room 107 of the Haido City Hotel booked. However, it is unlikely that he will carry the gem there."
"That's fine. I just want to drop off a little advance notice." With only about a week left until the full moon, Kaito will need to act fast, and spur Sasaki Yuudai into making a quick decision. There won't be as much time as usual to prepare for this heist, but he already has a few ideas. The cogs of his mind are turning at high speed, and are considering the best courses of action to get the desired outcome.
The show is about to begin.