A/N: Phew…now I'm writing two stories at once. JOY. xD

It's okay, since I enjoy writing both of them. It's just hard work is all. (Actually I should be doing history homework, but I forgot it at school anyway.)

Your guys' support means a lot, but also if there are some polite critiques out there, I could use a bit of tips. A lot of the time I notice that some words have been repeated or some words have been misplaced by another that sounds like it. ('Here' and 'hear' for example) There was also one time where instead of Genta I put George.

…so yeah. If you guys notice those, please tell me.

Marie Ravenclaw – Oh, happy belated birthday! =D I should try to make this longer so you can have some sort of gift from me. xD …that bad fanfic you mentioned was the Pokémon one…right? (OH DEER LORD, POKEMON IS IN SPELL CHECK xD)

StargateNerd – Nice assumption. …but the 'tour guide' wasn't Vermouth. She was just a random member. Like Whiskey! (Except, you know, I bothered to name him)

Mel72000 – Yes, very generous! I hope this chapter is up soon enough for more of your generosity. xD

ObsessedConanFan – It's okay to laugh at predictions, I do it all the time! =D …I mean, you gotta love that feeling of being right!

KSA Keychan – Is the readers being angsty and on edge supposed to be a good thing? XD

Phantom-Akiko – That…is a very good point. Let's say she was holding him by the hand that has his watch on it. …or you know, her hand was covering the watch so he couldn't use it. Sorry I didn't clarify. :'D

AriciaBetelguese – Thanks! I'm honored that you've taken the time to review! Its one thing to read a story and like it, but to read a story and review just means a little something more for us authors. Thank you again. :3

'Shooter'

Slowly the world came into view once more. It wasn't a very scenic world. No, it was just a simple room. There was no furniture, no windows, no wallpaper – nothing. The only thing that stood out on the dull gray walls was a door. Conan put his hand on his head. Where was he?

But then he remembered. Quickly he scanned the empty room once more. Nowhere to go, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Being the lone exit, Conan assumed the door to be locked. Just in case he checked, and to his dismay he found he had been right.

Sitting against the door, he grasped his hair in frustration. 'Damn it…damn it…Damn!' his fist pounded against the floor. It hurt, but he needed it. 'How could I have been so stupid? Haibara had said They were there, but even then I was careless…Damn it!' With another pound to the ground he started to calm down. Thinking more logically, he went over the situation, his options and his gadgets.

Trapped in a locked room with no exit other than the door: that was his situation. Unfortunately, the door seemed quite sturdy. Even if he had something to kick at it, Conan doubted it would budge. He actually doubted it would get even a dent. It would've been bad enough if his kidnappers were just ordinary ones, but it was Them. The room wasn't much, but with the Black Organization he considered it to be almost hell.

With the situation as it stood, he didn't have very many options. There was always the choice to just sit and wait but he didn't like that decision very much. In no way did he imagine it ending with anything other than his death. His other plan would be to attempt to open the door. But that didn't seem all that likely to work. Even if it did open, what would he do once he was out? Ask directions?

None of his gadgets seemed to be of any use either. He was the one that was captured, what could his tracking glasses do? There wasn't anybody that needed to be knocked out so his wristwatch was rendered useless. His belt had already blown out its ball for the day, so he couldn't count on it. A voice changing bowtie wouldn't do much with no one to talk to and his super kick shoes had nothing to kick at. The bungee suspenders might've worked to pull the door of its hinges if Conan had anything to connect them to, but he only turned around to see the floor and the walls.

'Leave it to the Black Organization to render me powerless.'

One question gnawed at his brain and he couldn't ignore it. 'Why are they keeping me alive?' His answer came in a way he hadn't expected.

A slot in the door opened. Through it a modified voice spoke, "Hello, Edogawa Conan."

He was in shock. There hadn't been a single noise in the room and he had been thinking so he hadn't made a noise either. No one had been at the door when he had leaned against it. When had they come, and how did he not hear them coming?

"I can hear you breathing in there. Why don't you speak up, boy?"

With his gut telling him to, he muttered, "W-Who are you…?"

A laugh. In the scrambled voices, it was completely haunting. "That will come in due time. But first…I have a proposition."

The word rung in his ears before Conan responded. He could only manage to repeat the word. "…P-Proposition?"

"Yes." The mysterious person paused. "Along with some other tests that need to be done, I would like you to work…

"…for me."

Everything said before the last words evaporated in Conan's mind. Only one conclusion came from the two syllables. "You…are you…the B-Boss?"

"I had heard you were a smart boy, but I would think that to be obvious." There was silence for a moment before they continued. "From your sudden muteness I think it would be safe to assume you didn't hear my offer?

"…Will you work for me? Simply there are two choices. Say yes, and you will live. Say no…" another pause. "…well, your death will depend on the outcome of those tests I mentioned."

His eyes widened a bit at the last statement. "What…what tests?"

Another laugh sounded behind the metal door. "You'll just have to wait and see. I will give you one hour to consider the deal. Choose wisely, Shooter." More silence. Had they left? Conan couldn't tell. Only when his wits naturally settled was he able to safely assume they were gone.

One hour. That was all he had. Could he manage to escape? The chances were slim, even the Boss knew it. After all, they had already given him his codename: Shooter.

It seemed to echo through the room, even though he hadn't said it. 'Shooter'…it almost felt…fitting. That scared Conan more than being held captive.

Koizumi and the Osakan teenager had run off around a corner. No one else had noticed their sudden absence. No one…but Kaito.

Carefully he followed, making sure they didn't notice him and also making sure no one else noticed him. That was the tricky part. Nothing would be worse than a curious Aoko or even Hakuba showing up behind him. Along with getting caught in the act, he'd also get questioned as to what he was doing, which wouldn't end well, he could feel it.

As the two he was following checked for eavesdroppers like Kaito, he made his own scan. No one had followed him. Luckily for him, his two victims thought the exact same thing.

The male was the first to talk. Kaito was still at a loss as to what his name was. "…Did you try the trackin' spell again?" Talk of magic. So he knew about that too? If he was so freely talking to Koizumi, maybe she already knew Kudo's secret. But Kaito wouldn't act on a guess alone, he had to be sure.

Even from his distance, Kaito saw the young witch shake her head sadly. "I tried it…but he's out of range." Something about the way the guy reacted must've caused her to notice the need for an explanation. "When he was knocked unconscious I'm assuming that Conan-kun was still controlling his own tracking spell. Even while unconscious, the spell will slightly stay in effect…unfortunately for us. Of course, now that he's out of range for me, his own spell will be out of range as well."

"Oi oi, you're soundin' like there's no other hope. Come on, have more faith in him. He's been in bigger messes before." Kaito couldn't hear them to perfection, but even he could feel the doubt behind that last statement.

"You know something." Koizumi was almost too quiet for Kaito to hear. "Something more. …You know who those people are – the kidnappers - …don't you?"

There was a long pause before the reply came. "Not personally. …The kid told me about 'em."

Koizumi looked surprised and Kaito felt the tension increase. He had been right. Kudo did know more about them. With the current information in front of him, his other assumption about Kudo's cause of shrinking could very well be spot on too. That conclusion, however, needed more evidence.

"You remember how I told you about that day at his school, correct? The ones at that time…they were the same people, weren't they?"

Kaito could've answered that question, but the other teen could not. "I wouldn't know. I never got the chance to ask him. But…it'd be a safe guess."

"How long have they been after him?"

More silence. The other shook his head, "…I can't tell you that either. I'm not hidin' anythin', but I just don't know. Even the kid wouldn't be able t' tell ya that. Before he was huntin' them down…" Instantly he went silent. They all knew: he had said too much.

Her own ears had perked, just liked Kaito's. Koizumi asked, "What do you mean? Who are these people?" the one receiving the questions just glared off to nowhere. He was irritated at his mistake, Kaito could tell. But Kaito needed these answers as well. He willed for Koizumi to continue her assault. She did. "Answer me, Hattori Heiji!"

He still didn't answer, but someone else did.

"The Black Organization."

All three were shocked at the sudden newcomer. Travelling around the block they had approached from the other side, luckily for Kaito. The voice, however, came from much lower than they expected. It was feminine, too.

Slowly the girl approached the two. Six eyes were glued on her and her tiny frame. Unlike Hattori, Kaito remembered her name. She had been one of the contestants at the competition.

Haibara Ai stood still, her face completely serious; much too serious for that of an eight year old.

"I can't say much. In fact, everything that you're about to hear you should forget as soon as possible. They lead to nothing but death. …But of course, you know that already, Heiji-niichan." She gave a small taunting smile before continuing. "Edogawa-kun won't be killed, at least not for awhile. If They wanted him dead, he would be already, I assure you."

Only one of the two that didn't understand was able to question Haibara on her serious behavior. Koizumi stuttered as she looked for the words, "Wh-Who are you? H-How do you know so much?"

She paused before saying, "You could say I'm the reason that Edogawa-kun is still alive."

From his side angle, Kaito could see Hattori's eyes widen immensely. "O-Oi…Y-You're not going to tell them-"

"They recruit children such as myself. I was lucky, however, and managed to escape. It's one of the reasons I don't enjoy publicity much."

To Kaito this seemed to be a great secret indeed; one secret very worthy of Hattori's previous words. However, he had sighed – in relief. …Was there something more?

Yet another assumption jumped into Kaito's mind. Staring endlessly at the small girl standing in front of Koizumi, he nearly felt crazy. He couldn't even find a way to explain it to himself. Somehow, a few words managed to form a sentence in his skull, 'One shrunken detective…and another shrunken 'criminal'. What else will the world throw at me?'

Haibara Ai was his evidence: evidence that the organization was indeed behind Kudo's shrinking.

So much had come to light, but still so much was hidden. Kaito wondered how it could be possible. However, he halted his thoughts. He couldn't be distracted. Every word that Haibara said could be a valuable one.

Luck seemed to love Kaito. As he had been making conclusions, no one had said a word. Koizumi was in shock and Hattori didn't have anything to say. Haibara seemed to wait for the information to sink in. She must've had to explain a lot.

Although it was Haibara in the spotlight, Koizumi spoke, "They recruit children…? You…you don't mean…"

Hattori finally made the conclusion himself. "Wait! Y-You're not sayin'-"

"Unfortunately, I am." She closed her eyes in preparation for the words to come. "The only reason They'd keep him alive to this point…is if he was a possible ally to Them."

The thought had been haunting to Kaito, now truly spoken it was much more terrifying. Everyone, even Haibara herself, seemed to feel the horror sink in. Kudo joining willingly would never happen, it wouldn't. …It couldn't.

…but if it did…

Thirty minutes had already ticked by on his watch. Conan sighed. He still didn't have a plan.

He certainly couldn't say yes to the offer. Under no circumstances would they be able to make him say yes either. But if he said no – when he said no – then what? What were the 'tests' the Boss had mentioned? Whatever they were, Conan was sure they weren't good for him. Physically, emotionally…they wouldn't be good at all.

Powerless under the circumstances, Conan only sat. His knees arched, he looked at his hands; his small, weak, fragile hands. A few new scars had formed from the accident. They had already healed, so they didn't hurt. They didn't matter. Back on the floor, the coolness seeped through them.

Cold hadn't quite settled into them when Conan swiftly raised them again. His hands…the scars…

…the accident…

Standing up, a new hope had come to light. Magic - he could use magic to make his way out. He hadn't learned too many spells yet, but luckily he had learned the necessary one only days before.

Teleportation. Using it while practicing had been easy enough, why not now?

Carefully, he went over the procedure Akako had taught him. First, he had to visualize the place he wanted to go. If it was in range the picture would be clear, if not, it would be blurry. Secondly, he either had to say the chant or draw the circle. Unfortunately he had nothing to draw with, so he had to chant. Hopefully no one would hear him. Lastly, he'd have to imagine himself in that same place, his body flowing there slowly, like a river.

He had been able to teleport to a different room in Akako's mansion, but doubt started to form when he thought of trying to move outside a building entirely. The process also tired him out. The area he went to would have to be far enough that he could hide and rest for awhile but not so far as to knock him out. Prayers were sent from his small hands that the base he was in wasn't that large or far away from places he knew. If there was nowhere familiar near him…

The thought was abandoned. He had to try.

Starting with the place he wanted to arrive at most – the detective agency – he shook his head. Trying to see the agency had result in a blob of random colors. If anything it looked more like a bear drinking cola than the agency.

Other places gradually made their way through his mind. The museum, the mall, the park, his school – both of them – but nothing seemed to be within range. They were actually all incredibly blurry, so much so that Conan had the dreaded thought that he wasn't even in Japan anymore. But something reassured him.

That same something also helped him find an area to warp to.

Quite clear, the image of a hospital appeared. It wasn't just any hospital; it was the hospital where a number of events involving Them took place. Finding one of Their hidden members, that same member's suicide, the pursuit of bombs planted by Them and – the most noteworthy topic – it had been the holding grounds for Kir, a CIA ally, for three months.

But with this safe escape point, worry flooded Conan's mind, mostly because of one thought, '…They had a base near that hospital? …Or…is this one recent?' Along with that, there was something else that bothered him.

The clarity of the hospital brought him hope, but it had also brought anxiety. It had been clear, too clear. That meant it was close. Far too close. Thinking back to those days he had worked with the FBI, Conan dug deep for a safe destination near the hospital.

He might've been able to think of one, but his watch said he was out of time. Fifty five minutes. It was close, but he'd have to make due with the hospital. Moving behind some trees nearby, he could hide from them and avoid scaring any bystanders. Being the only option, it had to work.

Picturing the bush near the hospital, he closed his eyes and concentrated. The words from the previous Monday cascaded over his tongue quietly but they were filled with power. Magic flowed, as did his body. He felt it once more: first his feet got lighter then gradually up to the knees and finally a wave to the tip of his head. As before, when he 'arrived' he was slightly above the ground. Feet resting on the grass he dared a peek from his right eye.

Instead of the dull gray, lush green surrounded him. …He was free.

But the green soon started to fade to black. Leaning against a tree for support, Conan began to breathe heavily. He might've been free, but he was also exhausted. All of his remaining power was put into just staying conscious.

Hopefully the five minutes that were left would be enough time for him to collect his bearings. Knowing the organization, the second they knew he was gone they'd come looking. If he was too close when they started searching, he'd be captured again. Akako warned him not to do too many spells in one day, especially powerful ones.

Willing himself to stay conscious, he also attempted to will himself to regain his strength faster. His heavy breathing caused him not to notice, but his heart wasn't the only thing pulsing inside him. Something deeper, something that existed in every inch of his body pulsed. It was that devious something, but at that moment, unbeknownst to Conan, it was granting his wish.

Two minutes was all it took. On his feet once more he ran out from hiding. A few curious glances headed his way, but he had already run by before they could think anything of him.

A cab, a bus – hell, even hitchhiking, Conan just needed transportation.

Indeed, the organization realized his disappearance immediately. But even if Conan was technically a mind reader, he had been wrong. The Boss had approached the door silently as before, beside them stood a lower member, Whiskey. Quickly and suddenly the Boss whisked open the door, only to find an empty room.

Whiskey had been shocked, but the Boss remained silent. Taking out his phone, Whiskey was about to start texting when it was hit out of his hand. The Boss held their palm in midair. Not knowing what to say, Whiskey muttered, "B-Boss?"

"Let the boy be." At the confused stutters, the Boss continued. A smile could be heard. "In short, simple terms one could say…

"…He passed."

"Sh-Should we go catch him again?"

The overpowering figure shook its head. "No. For a while he'll be on alert. We must wait for the right time. Once his guard is down, we'll strike. The reward will be high. Yes, very high.

"We'll have a new, wonderful, skilled little host."

"Th-There are still bombs in the museum?" Inspector Nakamori had voiced everyone's thoughts. Given, he was a little bit loud for their liking. "I-I thought you said you disconnected them Hakuba!"

The detective shrugged. "I did. A few of them, at least. Within the time I was given I thought locating the criminal would be more effective then finding all the bombs."

Inspector Nakamori did not seem pleased, "Are you crazy? What if they blew up the building? Do you realize how many people would've been killed?"

"Yes." Hakuba was unfazed by the yelling. He continued, "That's precisely why I went after the culprit. Contacting the manager I had convinced them to calmly lead everyone outside, stating the lunch was early." A few pairs of eyes blinked, understanding a bit more of the situation. "Defusing all of the bombs would've taken too long. By the time I saw her leaving she was already about to press the switch. If I had taken the bombs as a higher priority…" he paused. "…I almost guarantee I, or any of you, wouldn't be alive right now."

No one said a word. Even the four bodies who had just reappeared were silent. Hakuba had to wonder where they had been, but that's all he could do: wonder. With each of the ones who were missing he was sure they wouldn't answer his questions. Especially Kuroba.

Turning on his radio, Inspector Nakamori gave the instructions for the bomb squad to enter the museum and find the remaining explosives. On Hakuba's advice he also added that they don't enter in their uniforms. If anyone from the same group as the woman saw a bomb squad go in, they'd be able to piece it together. Although the remote was in police custody, no one knew if there was another one. They had to consider the possibility.

It wasn't an important question, but Hakuba felt the need to ask it. "I assume you're going to the museum then, keibu?"

"No." he had calmed down, but now he was serious. "That kid is still out there. As an officer it's my duty to help locate him." Obviously seeing the resemblance to his daughter, he put his hand reassuringly on Ran's shoulder. "We'll find him, I promise you that."

"I'm coming too!" Ran was persistent. Her tone suggested that no wasn't an answer. When Inspector Nakamori attempted to use that answer, her karate then also suggested he not use that answer. With a little fear, he slowly nodded.

Unfortunately, his acceptance to Ran made him vulnerable to everyone else. All of the teens, the four children and even the idiot detective wanted to join the search. He sighed. Also unfortunate, they all lacked their own methods of transportation. Most likely they would be crammed into one or two cars. That…would be lovely.

Just as they were about to squeeze into the cars, Ran stopped. Receiving the questioning glances, she responded with, "I-I have a text."

With everyone continuing on behind her she opened her phone. Instantly the others ceased what they were doing when her loud gasp sounded. Surprised, but also quite happy, she held out her phone for them to see.

"Conan-kun…Conan-kun made it out!"

Gawking at the phone and the message on it, each person shouted, "What?" But contrary to what they believed, it was there in black and white.

'I'm safe! Don't worry, I got away! They might still be following me, so I can't afford to stop and read a reply to this, but please know that I'm heading home. Wait there, I'll call a cab or something!'

The text was good news, but Kogoro groaned. "Geez, he could at least think to tell us where he is! I don't care if he told you not to text him; we need to know where he is right now!"

Koizumi looked up to the sky. There wasn't a single cloud in the dim twilight. With winter fast approaching it was only five, but already starting to get dark. Looking up himself, Hakuba saw something against the dark orange lighting. A figure…on a broom? He couldn't be sure. Most likely it was just a bird; in fact, it was barely more than a speck. Bringing his gaze back to ground level, he tossed the thought out of his mind.

But Koizumi continued to stare. Curiosity caused Hakuba to wonder just what she was looking at. Glancing up once more he noticed the bird was gone. It had barely been a minute since he had last looked, where had it went? Back to earth, he had the same thought about the now missing Koizumi.

His answer came from Nakamori as the girl followed after her. A few seconds in advance a loud crash had sounded from a nearby alley. Some garbage cans had been knocked over by some cats, probably. Nonetheless, everyone followed Koizumi down the thin road. They all stopped behind her in shock at what they saw.

Some garbage cans had indeed been knocked over, but there was no cat; far from it. Instead, Conan lay among the heap unconscious. Most uncanny of all was the broomstick beside him. It looked brand new, not something you would normally throw away.

Akako didn't know how, but she had managed to convince the others to allow Conan to stay at her home for the night. She couldn't remember exactly, but the lie had involved her having many books on states of unconsciousness. Kuroba had also assisted her. He had stated that her house would be best to hide him in due to the seclusion of it. Surprise had formed not only because she hadn't thought of that herself, but also because Kuroba was helping her. She had wondered why when it hit her.

The meeting they had arranged was today.

Saying her good-byes to everyone, Akako slowly shut the door behind them. Her servant offered something to eat but she turned it down. There were more pressing matters than food to be dealt with.

He'd come sooner or later, Akako just had to wait. She had decided to pass the time watching over Conan. He had been a fool. The spells he had used were a mystery to her, but she knew it had been too much. 'You'd think he'd know from experience that magical strain isn't exactly a joy ride, even more so when you have a seal on you.'

About to check up on that same seal, the knock she had expected sounded from the door. Instead of ordering her servant to, she answered it personally.

"Hello, Kuroba-kun." She faintly smirked. "So, what lie did you tell them?"

He seemed disappointed. "For your information, I didn't lie. I told them there was something I needed to talk to you about. That's exactly why I'm here, isn't it?"

"I believe so." She closed the door behind him. "Or maybe you're trying to get rid of your rival while he's weak and powerless?"

Bemused, Kuroba kept walking. "Never hit a man while he's down."

"You mean 'boy.'" There was a silence: an awkward one. Something about it made Akako rethink her words. What she had said…was something wrong with it?

Finding his way to the study, Kuroba opened the doors in front of him. Akako followed, a little taken aback that she was being lead rather than the other way around. Walking to the table, Kuroba put his hand on it and leaned. What he wanted to ask, what he wanted to say – it was coming. Akako prepared herself for the worst.

"Koizum-chan, tell me, do you know anything about the 'Pandora gem'?"

The two words seemed vaguely familiar. She thought about it. "Yes, I think so. …Why?"

Kuroba paused. He changed the subject. …at least, Akako assumed he had. "Did you ever find out what that talisman on the kid's birds meant?"

Resurfacing, she remembered her searching. She also remembered her failure. "No, none of the books I had said anything about it. …Why? What does that have to do with what you said be-"

But then it pieced together.

"This is just a guess, Koizumi-chan. I needed you to help me confirm it." Slowly, he brought up the words. "That talisman…

"I think it represents the Pandora gem."

Well? How was it? =D …geez, they've been on Wednesday for the last three chapters. xD You can see why I skipped that Monday.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm attempting to keep the days in check with the ones we're experiencing. That way, I can do holiday specials and such. (Of course, I don't know how long this'll last. I can only write so many chapters before it's completely repetitive)

Hope you can wait for the next one, and hopefully it isn't too cliffhangery again! (I can't tell. I know what's going to happen!)