Disclaimer: I definitely DO NOT own this awesome anime!
Sorry for the long update! The stupid telephone of doom (damaged) affected the internet connection! It was terrible! I couldn't contact my friends via phone… I couldn't even mail them or go online because both our family phone and our internet got busted for more than three days! Okay, now that I'm back… let's all enjoy and read on!
Theme 1: Sacrifice
Chapter 7: Shiho's Ally
Shinichi and Shiho were running in full speed together, side by side, sweat glistening down their necks as they ran towards hakase's house, struggling to still have their hope within them; they were also gasping for air every second their footsteps took a leap on the pavement of the street, wind gushing through them as they scurried down the road. The street lights were slowly flickering, opening one by one as the sky darkened.
Rina was running behind them as well, shrugging the tears in her eyes, she hoped that her elder sister will still accept her after what she'd done. The slap Shiho made on her cheek still hurt but the pain that she felt when Shiho said the words were even more painful, incomparable throbbing.
"You liar! I don't have any other sister but Akemi-neechan!"
Rina tried to force a smile on her lips and thought positively.
As Shinichi and Shiho dashed together, nearing the house, their hearts were beating with forlorn hope that they would still see hakase sitting down in front of his computer, surfing the net. Shiho's face was distorted, physically and mentally, physically-- her once beautiful and calm face now had traces of dirt, sweat, agony, worry, and tried tears on the side of her eyes. She turned her head towards Shinichi's as she ran, gasping and speaking softly; she talked to Shinichi, ignoring the wheezing of her lungs.
They were almost there.
"Shin…ichi-ku…un…huhuhuhhh… (breathing)…"
"Yes, Shiho?" Shinichi asked, just as breathless.
"Do you think…huhuh… if Rina…Fortune…gasp…huhuhuhh… was…wass…tellinthe…… t…truth… then, that mm…means… that I…ha…have a sister…who…huhuhuh…ah… is a murderer…?"
Shinichi gave a painful look, shaking his head, he replied. "I don't know, Shiho-chan…"
Shiho frowned and nodded, her legs failing as she ran full speed ahead.
Shinichi, wanting to cheer her up, said to her with a smile.
"Shiho…huhuh…gasp…pant… hahauhuhuh… (breathing sounds) even…if, huhuh…she is…is…it doesn't…m…m…mean that…huhuhhh… you're like that… She may be a murderer…gasp… but, huhuhuhhh… you aren't… you…still have northing to do…gasp…gasp… with…huhuhh…her…even if she is your little…pant (cough)…sister…"
Shiho smiled slightly. "Thanks…Shinichi-ku…un…"
Shinichi's face suddenly lightened up.
Pointing his index finger towards the horizon, Shinichi alerted Shiho at once.
"We're here! Hakase's house!"
Shiho and Shinichi ran towards the house together, deep inside praying that he survived.
Rina ran from behind, smirking oddly.
The three, accompanied with sweat and aching legs, hurriedly entered the house of hakase.
Shinichi and Shiho halted, noticing something odd as their eyes scanned the inner house. No blood, neither its smell. No sign of a struggle. Nothing broken anywhere… There was no sign of other organization members; even Shiho didn't feel any bad aura which she used to get from the close proximity of the syndicate's members that was always eating her guts.
Nothing at all.
The place seemed fairly peaceful. However, there was no sign of hakase…
The two blinked, Rina grinning from behind.
There was just a sweet smell of cappuccino filling the air.
What was going on? --- The two thought in unison.
Suddenly, a familiar shadow slowly emerged from the kitchen, along with the scent of the sweet warm cappuccino. They could tell that the cappuccino was warm since they could see wisps of smoke along with the shadow.
"Who are you…?" Shinichi asked with suppressed fear in his shaking voice, trying to defend Shiho with his left arm as he shielded her with it.
The shadow grew larger. The dark shadow was nearing them.
"Is this your accomplice…?" Shiho asked Fortune angrily.
Fortune shook her head and simply laughed.
"What have you done to……" Even before Shinichi and Shiho could finish their query, the person behind the shadow finally came out, along with that familiar chuckle.
Two pairs of eyes widened elatedly.
"HAKASE!" Shinichi and Shiho shouted in unison.
"You're alive!" Shiho screamed with relief, running towards her surrogate father for a hug.
"Hakase, you're okay!" Shinichi stated gladly, all the worries in his face now replaced with calm and happy emotions.
Hakase laughed again as he put down the cappuccino down the table and gave the two teens a tight embrace.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Hakase laughed again.
"Because… we didn't see you… no one was here…" Shiho was explaining, tears of joy lingering in her eyes.
Hakase giggled slightly. "I was just making coffee." He explained while hugging Shiho tenderly just like how a father would.
"But… that girl…" Shinichi said angrily, pointing at Fortune.
Hakase and Fortune smiled at each other.
"What's going on…?" The two teens asked with confusion.
Shinichi and Shiho both were sure that he is the real Agasa hakase because if it was an organization member hiding under a smart disguise, they'd know it for sure, and they'd sense bad aura. But, now, they were sure that the old fat mat in front of them is the hakase that has been with them for years, as for Shinichi, since childhood, literally. They don't know how they would recognize, however, deep down in their hearts, they knew this was hakase.
But, right now, they didn't understand the situation. So many questions filled their minds, and so much of them unanswered.
"You know her?!" Shinichi screeched in disbelief, reality dawning upon him.
"She's going to kill you, hakase!" Shiho shouted worriedly, shielding hakase from the close proximity of Fortune.
"But you see…" Hakse tried to explain to them calmly while Fortune just stood there.
"NO BUTS!" Shinichi shouted. "Don't you know that you have a criminal here in your house!?"
"She's a member of the black organization!!!" Shiho yelled angrily. "She's after all of us!"
Shinichi was aggressive; he went nearer and nearer to Fortune and said.
"We should pin her down and not let her escape! She might have implanted a transmitter here… or… or a hearing device!!! Hakase! She's a CRIMINAL! She's a heartless murderer! She is no different from THEM! I hate her! She's a CRIMINAL and she should rot in jail!"
There was a long pause after that.
Shiho knew his words were all too familiar, her memories of the past was still fresh, and now, for the reason she wasn't sure of, her heart ached.
Shinichi, too, realized what he had said. Looking at Shiho, he darted an apologetic look.
Those words hurt Fortune equally as how it did to her sister 2 years back.
Hakase gave a sad smile and reminded him. "Shinichi-kun, those were the exact words you said to Ai-kun years ago when you first met her."
Flashback
"Welcome home, Ai-kun. How was school?" Professor Agasa hakase asked Haibara as she entered his house with the angry Conan following her behind.
Haibara gave a aywn as she slumped down a nearby couch and said.
"School's fine. Had an interesting day…"
Conan yelled with fiery eyes, his temper rising.
"What's the meaning of this, hakase?! You've got a CRIMINAL in this house! Don't you know that she's one of them! She's a member of the organization and I hate her! She's EVIL and she's a heartless murderer!"
Those words tore the little Shiho's façade as sadness flickered in her blue eyes, but, after a second, it was gone.
But the pain, the pain she felt inside her heart after the accusation without even hearing her side of the story… hurt her deeply.
Kudo-kun didn't know, but, she was the victim, she was the one to be pitied…
She knew she could suppress it well, but, if she was alone, she could just break down and pour her tears down her cheeks.
The guilt… the anxiety, it was too much for her to take. Her heart ached at that moment.
End of Flashback
"This girl came to the house and explained that she was a member of the organization and she escaped roughly…uh…chotto…eto ne…2 years ago…?" Hakase said, unsure of the accuracy of his words.
Fortune gave a small nod and that made him continue as Shinichi and Shiho listened in awe.
"She just escaped right after Ai-kun…ah…er…Shiho-chan, left the syndicate."
Fortune nodded once more then elaborated. "I had to escape… after I found out that neechan…uh…" Fortune stammered, her eyes avoiding Shiho's. "Gomenasai…I meant…uh… that Miyano-san went missing… I mean…Sherry…" Her eyes were downcast, still feeling the stinging pain of her cheek on which Shiho slapped her. "I had to find you…" Fortune looked up and faced Shiho again. Shiho just nodded, still trying to absorb all this new information. The happenings in her life simply ran too fast for her to handle. "I had to prove to…otousan… to okaasan… that I could find you… and I was successful after all…" She finished her sentence with a soft sigh, and then, everything went silent.
No one spoke.
They were surprised of what they had just heard.
Did they hear right? Shiho's parents were alive?!
Then, with courage, Shiho spoke up.
"Are… are you saying that… both our parents are…are alive…?" She asked with trembling lips.
With a genuine smile, Fortune replied. "Yes, Miyano-san…yes, tousan, kaasan… they're alive…"
Shiho's eyes widened as she collapsed down the floor with shaking lips. Her eyes began to water. Her hands clasped together to cover her mouth. "Oh my God…" Her tears fell faster and faster as she whimpered in soft cries, her mouth forming a small smile.
My parents are alive! Shiho thought with gladness, then, hatred suddenly got into her.
That means that all these years…I've thought I didn't have a family…but I did… the organization LIED to me…
Tears fell down fast that night for the scientist with auburn hair.
"Ex…explain to me…explain to all of us…everything…tell me…tell me all I have to know…"
Shiho mumbled, her body immobile on the floor while tears streaming fast down her cheeks, mixed emotions pinning her down the floor. She no longer was the girl with a cool and calm façade. Something like this was too much for her mask to cover, and therefore she let the tears flow and her body crash down the hard cold ground and let Agasa, Shinichi and Fortune, her new found sister, embrace her altogether as they all hushed her to silent cries.
Shinichi was "hushing" her while tapping her shoulder, Agasa, patting her back while Fortune was rubbing her back, trying to stop her from this crying breakdown.
"Yes…yes, neechan…" Fortune nodded obediently to the sister who she loves ever so dearly while rubbing her back, consoling her. "…I…I will tell you all everything." She looked at Shinichi and Agasa and smiled. "…everything you have to know… even your father, he's involved…" Fortune said to Shinichi, and with that, Shinichi flinched.
"My otousan? You mean Kudo Yuusaku? What does he have to do with this…?" Shinichi asked worriedly. Agasa was just as surprised.
Fortune gave a sad smile. "It seems that you have a lot of things that you don't know yet… about me, about neechan's past…everything… let's all sit down and talk things through… I'll explain everything…" She turned to Shiho. "First o all, my name...uh… my real name… I'm…I'm… Miyano Haruka…"
Shiho's eyes widened.
"I've heard of you before!" Shiho screeched upon remembering the familiar name.
"You…you have…?" Haruka asked with disbelief. "Muri…muri desu…(that's impossible) demo…(but) doshite…(why)?"
Seeing the situation, Shinichi grinned. "Well, looks like we've got a lot to talk about."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
The moon was shining brightly now, and now, she will know a past, a huge past about her family that she never knew, but now…she was about to hear it all. She was going to hear this all from her new friend, her imouto (young sis), who stands as her ally.
Miyano Haruka was Shiho's ally.
And together, they can destroy the syndicate.
___________________________________________________________________________
After karate training was over…
"Iko (come)… let's go home now, Kodachi-san!" Ran called to her friend while fixing her karate bag as well as getting her sling bag from the locker room.
"Haii!" Kodachi-san responded cheerfully as could be.
"You ready to go home? It's almost 8pm…" Ran looked at her watch while stating. "It's dark, let's go."
Kodachi frowned. "Yeah, you're right, it's getting dark out there… let's go."
Ran closed the lights of the karate training hall and she and Kodachi walked out together headed for home.
"You got a good ten minutes scolding from sensei…" Kodachi laughed slightly while swaying her bag left to right.
Ran frowned. "Mou taku (uuhhh…geez), Kodachi-san… why on earth did you have to remind me of that?! Huh…" Ran sighed while walking.
Kodachi controlled another laugh. "That's okay; sensei was okay with it in the end anyway."
"Yeah, he laughed and forgave me for being late in the end…" Ran smiled while giggling.
It was dark, only the street lights and the shops at view lighted their way. They both usually got home much earlier than this and had the companion of Shinichi so they were safe, but now, because of Rina, Shinichi wasn't walking home with them and they even had to clean up the karate hall since Ran was late for practice and Kodachi wanted to help her.
The truth is, sensei wanted to stay with them to see if they will be alright, since he is such a kind and considerate teacher, however, he had a wedding to attend to, so he had no choice but to leave the two girls.
While the two girls were chatting while walking near their respective homes, suddenly, two hands with a towel sprayed with sleeping gas from behind clamped their mouth shut without warning. Then, before they knew it, they collapsed and fell into deep slumber.
The figure grinned very wickedly and kidnapped the two girls heartlessly.
The figure… it had a shape…of a woman…
To be more precise… a teenage girl…
Yes, a teenage girl did this awful thing, wearing the same Teitan High uniform…
"Moshi moshi…" The girl spoke through her phone while driving a black car with Ran and Kodachi all tied up and unconscious inside the trunk of the car.
"So… how was it, Brandy?" The man from the other line asked with a raspy voice.
"Perfect…" The girl said while smiling maliciously. "…grandfather…"
"Well done…" The man from the other line congratulated. "…bring them here to headquarters."
"Yes, as you wish, granddad." The girl said obediently then she shut off the phone.
While keeping the stirring wheel moving with her right and keeping her cell phone with her left, she smirked in satisfaction and said.
"Now, let's just see if you wouldn't come and rescue your friends…I'll finally be able to take revenge on you… Fortune…but, I mean no harm to Sherry anyways…but, she's still your neechan…"
She said with much loathing while trying to feel and caress her left eye which lost its shimmer and glow with her hand because of a certain young girl who she used to love; then her car disappeared in the dark.
_________________________________________________________________________
"Hai…Hai…NANI (what)??????!!!!!!! HAAAA??????!!!!!! WHATTTTT???????!!!!!!!!!!!"
Officer Takagi was calm at first but then screeched loudly while talking on the phone with Inspector Nakamori. He was currently inside the head office of the police station and Officer Sato Miwako, Inspector Shihatori and Inspector Megure were all there working with their paper works.
"Don't be so loud, Takagi-kun!" Inspector Megure ordered angrily.
"We ARE working, you know… You're so noisy!" Shihatori-kun exclaimed.
"What made you so upset, Takagi-kun? But you do know that you should keep it down."
Officer Sato, his girl friend, warned him although with gentleness in her voice.
A/N: YES! OH YES! Sato and Takagi are finally dating!!! I think it's for real, too! HopeGrace said that they kissed already! YEHEY! HAHA
All the other officers were irritated with his actions as well since other were had their own important work-related phone calls and manual work to do in their laptops. They were all pissed since he distracted everyone by making that loud of a shout during a phone conversation.
Takagi slammed the phone and turned to his co-police officers.
"Minna-san… (everyone)… something terrible has happened…"
And, at that, as if by cue, all the people and I mean ALL, turned to face him and stared at him worriedly. Takagi-kun is, and will be, one of the clumsiest and most childish police officer there could ever be. However, the seriousness in his voice was what scared them all. Takagi-kun has NEVER and I mean EVER been serious in his life as a police officer and has always been the happy-go-lucky type with a poker face. But, now… his face was filled with worry… and much sadness. Even a murder case couldn't make him THIS upset.
All his work-mates stared at him, then, scanning his eyes for answers.
The first one who spoke up was Megure-keibu.
"What's wrong, Takagi-kun? A case?" He asked anxiously.
Takagi just swallowed hard, very hard that it was an audible 'gulp'.
His eyes were trembling, as if he's seen a ghost.
Sato, his girl friend, walked towards him and patted his shoulder.
A/N: Sato used his first name in addressing him and not the surname since they are lovers.
"What happened, Wataru?" Sato asked him just as worriedly with her hands on his shoulder.
Everyone, the male police, used to have a crush on Sato since she was the prettiest female officer there was, and everyone used to hate Takagi for stealing her… for making her committed and not single and available anymore. They used to threaten Takagi into breaking up with her so that they can all have a chance to be her boy friend.
But, almost a year have passed since their childish times of rivalry in fighting for Sato's heart, but now, they have all finally accepted and put and end to childish jealousy, even Shihatori, who was once so head-over-heels with Sato, now, has finally moved on with Officer Yumi instead.
So, they didn't mind, or at least, tried to not mind, Sato holding Takagi's shoulder. Some would still give poor Takagi-kun death glares out of jealousy that he got the prettiest woman alive--Sato, but now, those glares didn't matter anymore because Takagi knew that Officer Sato Miwako, the girl of his dreams, loves him passionately, more than any girl could.
Takagi Wataru's lips trembled as he whispered something to Sato Miwako's ear.
"Miwako-chan…"
After hearing what he had just whispered, Officer Sato's eyes grew as wide as could be and worry gushed in her. But the most important thing that everyone saw was the familiar glint in her eyes--- that detective look. Yes, Officer Sato had those determined eyes! She got the detective look again. She had those eyes yearning for justice. Yes, now, her frown turned into a grim smile and said to everyone.
"We've got a case from Inspector Nakamori." She said with serious eyes.
"Inspector Nakamori?! NANI?? (what)"
Inspector Megure hollered in disbelief, hearing his rival in his line of work call his department.
"He's not in our jurisdiction! Why is he telling us this?! Doesn't he have better men to do his cases? Why is he sinking down to his pride and asking for our help? Wakaranai…(I don't understand)… He's in the Kyoto prefecture… like he is the one after Kaito Kid, and we don't mind his business… demo…(but) doshite (why)… Officer Hattori Heizo is in the Osaka prefecture while we are in the Tokyo. Why should we meddle with their cases?"
Sato gave him a look.
"We, with all the prefectures in Japan once worked together, remember keibu?"
"Yes, Sato-san… demo…(but)…" Inspector Megure protested.
"About a year ago, we joined forces with ALL the prefectures in Japan, the Osaka department, Kyoto, Hiroshima, even the Okinawa prefecture… we once worked hand in hand… why is it so different now? We needed more help before, so, in order to solve the case, we needed to join hands, for the very first time… Why is it so hard now? Dakara…(and so) what now?"
Sato told Megure with burning eyes with determination and the voice of persuasion.
There was silence in the police office now, everyone absorbed with Sato's words.
"But, the only reason why we had to join forces is because the Kuro no Soshiki (Black Syndicate) that we were after is a very underground and powerful organization that has been under the dark for more than 20 years! They did everything, drug dealing, kidnapping, blackmail, death threats, murder and that was the hardest case to solve…even Kudo-kun couldn't defeat them himself. They were hard to put down. So naturally, we NEEDED to join forces, we had no choice, and the organization shrunk Kudo-kun to Conan-kun and has harmed lots of lives… They organization was unstoppable and they were very hard to defeat, and so, naturally, we had to work together… But now… since it's just an ordinary case… why do we need to unite?"
Inspector Megure reasoned.
"Yeah, Sato-san…" A male officer voiced out. "If it's just an ordinary murder or burglary, why do we have to help?"
"It's not like its something big, right?" Shihatori inserted.
"Why are you two so upset?" Officer Chiba asked while chewing his last bite of burger.
Takagi gulped again and Sato's eyes burned with those detective eyes again.
They had NO idea.
"The Kyoto prefecture can handle whatever that case is themselves…" Someone dragged on.
"It's not only the Kyoto prefecture…" Takagi inserted while shaking. "The Osaka department called up and asked help from us, too. It looks like we were the last ones to hear this news."
Sato nodded, since she knew the situation.
"What do you mean by that?" The other female officer asked worriedly now.
"This happened about a week and a half ago." Sato said to them.
"WHAT transpired a week and a half ago?" The others asked exasperatedly.
"What the heck is the case about anyway?" The other male officer, Officer Doraku inserted irritated, since the two lovers were prolonging the suspense---well, actually they couldn't bare tell their colleagues the actual problem, but they knew that they had to, yes, they were down right annoyed.
Everyone nodded and agreed with his question.
Sato sighed and gave them a sad look. Her eyes slid to take a glimpse of Takagi's anxious look and she squeezed Takagi's hand and told him.
"Wataru… it's time to tell them all…"
Takagi just nodded, still nervous.
"Minna (everyone)…" Sato started while fixing her collar nervously.
Everyone with expectant eyes listened carefully, worried on how big this case was.
"This is the biggest case we'll ever have…" Sato continued with a cough, clearing her throat.
Everyone held their breath, Chiba, on the other hand, stopped eating his burger.
Sato closed her eyes and clenched her fists, revealing the words in her mind.
Takagi just stood beside her.
"The Black Organization has escaped Kyoto city jail…"
Everyone in the room nearly either fainted or got a major heart attack.
This was INDEED the biggest case yet-- capturing the devious syndicate.
The battle was about to begin.
And all the police departments will unite once again, just like a year ago…
_ _ _ _ _ _
END OF CHAPTER 7
To be continued… :)
Warning: long IMPORTANT A/N concerning the story flow.
Miyano Ran: So…how'd you guys like that? Oh, and thank to all those who reviewed especially JogokuAi, HopeGrace1920, alexzhou04, International also known as Unknown 2008, Luckystar4869 and many others! I appreciate your support in my story! It motivates me to continue writing! I love love love you readers!!!!! You guys have NO IDEA how hard it is to continue this thing… there are so much loopholes and untied strings in the details of this story---now becoming novel because of its length…!
This is the LONGEST story I've ever written! And my love for writing has gone to a whole new level! If you paid attention to every minute detail of this fic, you'll see that there are a LOT of untied strings that I HAVE to solve in the end, example… like, haven't you all noticed but I still have to write about Izumi's murder case…that will take long!
And I have to expose some new characters… like, how was the girl who kidnapped Ran and Kodachi, and her real identity? And…just WHY did she call the one on the phone "grandfather" and what is her relationship with Fortune and what did Fortune to her, Brandy? Plus, if you were observant enough, I still have to mention A LOT in regards to Elena and Atsushi's past, and who was the male who Elena was SUPPOSED to marry?
And…just why is Shinichi's dad related with the BO? And what was that gift that Shinichi gave to Ran on her b-day… in case you all have forgotten… and, how did Vermouth find Haruka? And…how did the BO escape…? And I have to fix the story timeline as well, it's getting confusing.
And, where did Gin get the IV that he injected on Shiho in the previous chapter?! Well, all of those questions will be answered in the following chapters to come…PLUS, more mystery headed your way! So…please PLEASE keep reading! And don't forget to leave a comment. Thank you all. Bye!
Get ready for Chapter 8 in progress: Evergreen
I LOVE YOU ALL! -Miyano Ran-chan XD
Started: December 3, 2008 Wednesday 11:30pm
Ended: December 20, 2008 Saturday 2:00pm