Note: Due to popular demand, I have decided to continue with this story! Yay! :D I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! Thanks a ton to everyone who reviewed! I promise I'll try my best in completing it to reach exactly what you all want! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan. :(
Chapter 2
So she knew after all, didn't she?
He didn't know why he was rather happy about it, but he couldn't help the smile that was tugging at his lips. A true smile for the first time in a long time. In a long time that felt like forever.
She knew. And she was willing to wait. She was willing to allow him to continue the lie until he was ready to tell her everything. He was grateful for that. Grateful for her supporting words.
"I believe in you, my Holmes-san."
His happy smile turned into a happy grin, revealing his pearly whites.
"Oiy! What's with the grin?"
Shinichi shrugged, looking at the youth of seventeen years old, who he had come to know as being Kaitou Kid and accept as a friend and ally. Everyone has a reason to lie and disguse themselves, Shinichi came to realise. And maybe that why he was so understanding about Kuroba's situation.
After all, he himself had a secret of his own.
"Nothing much."
"I think Ran-san was rather in a good mood for you to grin that way."
"You know it all, don't you?"
"I don't know the future, of course, but I do know that something did happen. Maybe she told you something that allowed your spirits to soar."
Shinichi rolled his eyes as Kuroba's grin broadened.
"Not telling you."
"I'll find out sooner or later, tantei-kun."
"And I'm sure Aoko-san would just love to know something about her childhood friend..." Shinichi trailed suggestively, raising an eyebrow.
Kuroba Kaito's grin vanished. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Now, who said anything about telling her about Kid?"
Kaito blushed and looked away, pouting. "Cheater."
Shinichi laughed.
"Well then, if you're done with your childish banter..." Haibara's cold voice dropped between them, making them both jump.
"H-Haibara." Shinichi stuttered. Geez, can't she just appear like a normal girl or talk like a normal person...?
She raised an eyebrow.
Agasa laughed slightly. "Well, aren't we going to talk about the plan?"
"Right."
Sitting comfortably, Shinichi began. "Well, it has been three months since the FBI allowed Kir to return to the organization. She reported that they had a new member, Bourbon, shortly afterwards. Last week, we had a showdown with Korn, where Kuroba had skilfully succeeded in retrieving a memory card from under Korn's nose."
"It was easy." Kaito bowed mockingly, grinning. "He didn't suspect anything."
Shinichi smiled lightly. "After analyzing the memory card, we came to find that it has some fresh information, concerning a meeting with one of their accomplice in Koyakejima Island a month from now."
"It seems that this accomplice is a foreigner." Kaito added, crossing his arms. "For why would they wait a whole month?"
"I got that impression too." Shinichi admitted.
"So we can't do anything until then, eh?" Haibara shrugged.
"Actually, there's another thing that was on the memory card that we want to check out." Shinichi looked at Kaito.
The latter grinned. "I already checked the place. It's on the outskirts of Tokyo. Tokyo Bay to be exact. District 131. 200 meters away from the abandoned art museum that was closed 11 years ago. There is another abandoned building there, which had a lot of black clad people going in and out of it."
"So it's true. Gun smuggling hideout."
"Yup."
"Impressive." Haibara closed her eyes. "You found out all of this in one go."
"Are you jinxing our luck?" Shinichi asked, irritated.
"Of course not." She replied indifferently.
"At any rate," Kaito began, diverting Shinichi's attention from the girl. "Did you know who this Moonlight person is?"
"Iie." Shinichi answered, sighing. "Do you think it's a codename for a member or a target?"
Kaito's brow furrowed. "I don't know. They seem to meet this guy at that building next week. Maybe he is a member."
"Yeah."
"You're going there next week, ne?" Agasa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." Shinichi nodded. "Kuroba and I."
"Do you want me to come over in or out of white?" Kaito grinned teasingly, eyes sparkling with the mischief that made up most of him.
Shinichi sighed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever makes you happy."
"You're not going to inform Jodie-san?" Haibara asked, looking at the shrunken detective sharply.
"I don't know." Shinichi shrugged. "If it was necessary, I will. If not, then I don't need to let her know everything. Besides, if she did know, she'll just hide things from me. And I don't want that."
"I see." Agasa said. "And did you find out anything about that black wool hat guy?"
"Unfortunately, no," Shinichi sighed, looking at Kuroba.
The latter shrugged. "I have kept tabs on him, as you said. But he didn't do anything suspicious. He comes out of the motel, goes walking around, buys a packet of cigarette from the department store and then goes back to the motel. He's seriously boring, if you want my opinion."
Shinichi smirked. "Or he's deceiving you."
"Maybe." Kaito shrugged again. "Maybe he even knows that I am following him. But who knows?"
"You're right. Who knows?" Shinichi looked up at the clock, seeing that it was already 6:30.
He stood up. "Well then, same time next week."
"Sure." Kaito stood up too, stretching his limps, before bowing to Agasa. "Thank you for having me."
"You're always welcome, my boy." Agasa smiled.
"See you later, hakase. Haibara." Conan said, waving as he and Kaito exited the house together.
They walked down the street in relative silence for a while, each lost in thought before Shinichi looked up at the youth.
"Did you get a new lead?"
"No." Kaito sighed. "I'll be off duty for a while, it seems."
"Hmm. Why do you think they need Pandora anyway?"
"That's what I would like to find out. But I don't know. It might be for their Boss—whomever he is."
"Yeah. He seems like an interesting person."
Kaito smirked, shaking his head before stopping at the subway entrance. "Well, only you would find a mastermind criminal that has committed God only knows how many sins and bad deeds interesting."
Shinichi smirked back. "I find all criminals interesting. It's just a simple study of their psychology."
"Which I wouldn't like to know about," Kaito sighed. "Anyway, this is my stop. I'll see you later, Kudo."
"Ah. Later, Kuroba."
And they parted ways—the magician disappearing into the station and the detective taking the other route, heading home.
When Shinichi reflected at the situation, it really was ironic that the detective and thief would become friends. It has been just two months but already they were good friends, caring about each other and all. It was kind of scary too, he had to admit.
He never thought that he would be friends with Kid of all people!
But really, everyone has his reasons. It's just a simple concept of understanding the others point of view.
Is that why Ran was already forgiving him? Because she understood his point of view?
"Tadaima."
"Okaeri, Conan-kun." Ran smiled at him, peeking at him from the kitchen door. "You're earlier than I expected."
He just laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head before looking around, trying to change the subject since he didn't know what she would say next and what he would answer.
"Um...where's ojisan?"
Well, that was reasonable.
"He went to play mahjong with some friends," she rolled her eyes. "He would probably come back late. And drunk."
She sighed, shaking her head, before glancing at the boy. "Anyway, here's some lemon pie, Conan-kun."
She smiled as she saw his eyes lit up as she placed two pieces on a plate and placed it before him.
"Dinner would be late tonight, you don't mind, right?"
"Its fine, Ran-neechan." He was already digging into favourite dessert. He always loved Ran's lemon pie. Every since they were 14 and she learned how to bake it, it has become his favourite—especially that it was from her.
"Arigatou." He yelled, looking at her with sparkling eyes.
She smiled contently.
Really, Shinichi, you could be such a kid sometimes...
She glanced at him.
But that's why you're special...
-.-
Akai Shuichi tucked his hands into his pockets, feet carrying him up the rocky hill of the cemetery. It was a surprisingly warm late January day, or maybe his simulating nerves have been burnt out.
After all, it has been three days since he had any good night sleep.
Nightmares could really be the human's worst enemy, ne?
He sighed, taking a whiff from the cigarette that was lightened between his lips before stopping in front of a gray, gravestone. He looked down at the name as he bent down on his knees slowly.
"Ohayo, Akemi."
His whispered words were lost to the wind.
"They are on it again, you know. They have been following me since I came back. Do you know how many times have I changed the motel till now?"
He chuckled humourlessly to himself as the wind blew around him, ruffling his black bangs that hung on his forehead.
"I wish I could see you..."
He closed his eyes.
"Even if you are going to yell at me because I'm the reason for everything that happened to you, even if you're going to begin your crying session over me, even if you're just going to tell me that I'm a baka that I came back to the open after working so hard to get away from their radar, I just want to see you..."
He smiled slightly, opening his eyes.
"I love you, Akemi..."
The wind blew around him harder this time, carrying his confession out on the open, knowing that no one could hear it but himself.
"And I am going to get them down for what they did to you," his eyes hardened. "Even if it meant that I am going to die, I will avenge you."
-.-
The sun was sinking slowly beyond the horizon as Edogawa Conan and Kaitou Kid could be seen crouching down on the tall, unkempt grass at the outskirts of Tokyo Bay. The wind blew around them, brushing the grass—tall and slippery with the rain from last night—against their faces.
Kaito sneezed.
"Keep it down will you?" Conan looked over to him.
"Sorry, sorry..." Kaito yawned. "The grass is itchy. Besides, we have been here for the past 3 hours and nothing happened."
"Well, the memory card didn't exactly tell what time where they meeting this Moonlight member. We have to be patient."
Conan glanced back at the abandoned building not too far away from them. It was deadly quiet and not a soul could be seen. Shinichi didn't know if it was good thing or bad thing. Whatever it was, it was totally, absolutely eerie.
It wasn't until the first fading rays of twilight were in sight that both the detective and the magician tensed, seeing the zooming car that was coming from the western side of the deserted road. It was a black Toyota with dark tint shades and sparkling red siren on top of it.
"Police?" Kaito whispered, raising an eyebrow.
"Camouflage." Conan whispered back, shaking his head.
The car parked just in front of the building and the engine died. The driver's door opened and the two guys hid further into the grass, as to not be seen. A tall, muscular built clad in black man stepped out of the car, a scar disfiguring the side of his face as he looked around him with cold, hard dark eyes, his blonde hair dishevelled around his face.
"Spooky." Kaito whispered, grinning. "Think he's the exterminator?"
Shinichi smirked. "No doubt." But then he frowned. "There's no way they would codename him Moonlight, ne?"
"If he was Moonlight, it would be a disgrace for his figure." Kaito chuckled breathily. "And for his dignity, you know, since the name is way too feminine?"
Conan rolled his eyes.
The man slammed the door shut, and as he did, another man rushed forward from inside the building to greet him.
"Bourbon, we have been waiting for you."
The guys tensed at the name.
"Whoa!"
"Masaka...?"
"Is the girl here?" Bourbon's rough voice echoed. "You know I can't work with mistakes, Whiskey."
Whiskey nodded furiously. "She's here. She's here. We have her held down at the basement. She's all yours to interrogate. Though, I thought Gin would send Vermouth?"
"He changed his mind." Bourbon said simply. "Vermouth might...take sympathy on Moonlight on anything. After all, as Gin explained to me, she seems to know the girl personally."
Girl...?
Personally...?
"Nani?" Kaito and Conan whispered at the same time, glancing at each other.
"I see..." Whiskey trailed off. "Would you like to see her now? Jackal is watching over the room, you know."
"Lead the way."
And the two men disappeared into the abandoned house.
It was quiet for a minute, the twilight rays fading and it was relatively dark when the two guys finally decided to move and get closer to the abandoned building after making sure that it was all right.
"So Moonlight is a victim after all, eh?" Kaito whispered as they moved slowly around the building.
"Ah. And she seems to be a girl. She must have done something for them to target her and bring her in."
"Or maybe she knows something...?" Kaito raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"At any rate, let's just see what happens."
Levelled with the green, slovenly grass, the guys found a window leaking light from it. Slowly, crawling on their elbows and knees they approached the window, pecking into the inside.
It was a large, gravel stone walled room which was almost empty. A table could be seen at the other end of the room, where a candle was burning, flames dancing and licking at each other playfully, unaware of the ruthless, dangerous people roaring around the walls of the place.
At the other end of the wall, facing the table, a single, teenage girl could be seen, tied against the wall, bare feet dangling in the air. Her dark, coffee brown hair was dishevelled all around her face; her narrow face was pale, cheeks hollow.
Her slender, slim figure was clad in a dirty white tank top and short shorts, covered with mud and blood. Everything about her would give you the idea of a sick, dying girl but one look at her eyes and you would change the idea completely.
Her sliverish-blue eye danced with amusement and awe as she looked at the flames at the other side of the room, admiring the way it flicked and deflated all the same. It was really a sight to behold. Magnificent in its own way. She wondered, what made the flame flick and deflate and dance on its own?
Shinichi's breathing hitched. "Aya..."
Kaito look at him, sharply. "You know her?"
Before the shrunken detective could reply, the room's door opened wide.
Note: Umm...? Okay, I need to explain a few things! First, I know that Shinichi already knows who Akai is and all, but I am not making them meet eye-to-eye until later! Second, I don't exactly know who Bourbon is since I haven't gone that far in the series yet, but my friend told me about him and I wanted to place him here. I don't know, his personality seems to be...aggressive? (Sigh)
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I plan on giving a happy ending to everyone: especially Shinichi and Ran and Kaito and Aoko! God, I love the latter two just as much as I love the former two! :D They are soooooooooo cute! :)
Thanks again for reading! :)
Take care! 33