I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Ended up visiting my great-grandma yesterday and got back late. This chapter probably runs waaaaay too fast, but try to enjoy anyway...*hides in corner*


Chapter Seven: Kidnapped

Shouhei took a deep breath and sighed in relief. 'Tantei-kun will probably cool off in an hour,' he thought, starting for the convenience store, the money given to him jingling in his pocket. It didn't take long to get there; within ten minutes he had paid and left. 'It's still too early to go back.' He decided as his feet turned to take the long route home.

"Edogawa-kun?"

He looked up to see Ai's pale face. "Oh, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. I was going to get some fruit. Hakase's not taking care of himself, so I have to do it."

"Ran-neesan needed cheese for dinner."

"That doesn't explain why you went and not her."

"Tantei-kun's mad at me. I wanted to have some time for him to cool off."

"Now that is an answer," she said before freezing and looking around.

"What is it?"

"We're being watched."

He stiffened and looked behind him just in time for both of them to be grabbed by the back of their shirts and pulled out of sight.

(=^_^=)

"It's been a while. Where did Shouhei-kun go?"

"Maybe he got lost on the way home."

"I'll go look for him."

"I'll go with you!" Conan cheered, before he was stopped by Ran's hand.

"No, you stay here. It's a short walk; there's not much point in both of us going," she ordered him, walking out.

'This feeling…could it be Them?' He asked himself, starting for the door. He was barely out when Shinichi's phone buzzed in his pocket. 'Ran?' He wondered, taking out his bowtie and setting it to his real voice. "Moshi-moshi?"

"We have your girlfriend, Kudou."

"Gin," he hissed into the speaker.

"If you want to see her alive again, come to 400 Karasu Block in Beika."

"Fine."

"You better hurry, or she's dead." The phone clicked, and Conan ran inside for his skateboard. 'Karasu. That's only a couple kilometers from here,' he thought, jumping on and pressing the switch to turn it on. His mind raced as he balanced and steered the board toward his destination.

After a trip through town and some odd looks, the old long-abandoned warehouse loomed before Shinichi. He propped the skateboard against the wall and shouted, "Ran!"

A gaze around the inside revealed several figures kneeling on the ground, some back-to-back, others placed in a semicircle. Conan could recognize almost all of them: Hattori, Kazuha, Hakuba Saguru, Nakamori Ginzo, and a girl that looked strangely like Ran. All were able to see the entrance and the boy standing there. A few black-clad men and women skulked around the room. He caught a glimpse of platinum-blonde hair, and closer inspection revealed Vermouth, bound and bleeding. "You've got me," he called, "Now let them go."

Strong hands curled under his arms and lifted him into the air. Conan made no effort to resist, allowing his body to be carried in and dropped in the circle. His shoes and socks were slipped off as well as his green hoodie. His watch was removed, replaced by a rough rope. His hands and feet were securely tied, and one more line connected them, placed in such a way that he could only kneel. Ran was on one side of him, while Ai claimed the other, Kobayashi behind her. Next to his childhood friend was Shouhei.

"You weren't supposed to come here. This wasn't supposed to happen." Vermouth whispered.

"Why are you like this? Why aren't you watching with the rest of them?"

"I failed to tell them about you in an effort to keep you alive."

"I thought you wanted to kill me?"

"I wanted to kill Sherry—" She glanced at Ai—"not you. You and Kid were two halves of a Silver Bullet, of my freedom."

"You say that as if you want to leave."

"I did. I was told that by killing Sherry, I would be allowed to leave this place. Once I was free I had intended to seek you two out and help you end the Organization."

Their conversation was cut off as the air cracked and Shouhei hissed. Turning his head to look at his doppelganger, Conan saw that his arm was bleeding and the fabric around it was torn. "Damn you," he growled to the man in black holding the smoking gun. In response, two more shots were fired, slicing through Ran's leg and Ai's shoulder. "Shut up, all of you." He warned.


Horrible place to end...I swear, I WILL get the last chapter posted on time...Probably early, even; I've got a tournament on Saturday and midyears on top of that...But the next chapter is the last one.