Hi !
Aaaand here is the last chapter ! Just on time for Shin's birthday ^^ Epilogue is included, else it would have been a too short chapter :3
Well, that went quite fast, I'm not used to these not-28-chapters-long fics xD But I must admit it has been satisfying to be able to rewrite that movie as I wanted, using that damn lying trailer as a basis : )
As always, if you liked that fic, don't forget to leave a comment !
And thanks to the ones who have been following, favouriting and above all reviewing this story ! Special thanks to this time serial-reviewers : Boogum, emmahoshi, violet-snowflake and TheDarkKunoichi : D And to all the others who reviewed (see ? nothing to worry about, I always finish what I start ; ) )
And thanks to Opal, as always the first victim of my crazy fics xD
o.O.o
Boogum : My fav' also : ) With perhaps angst-humour but that style is a bit more... special xD
emmahoshi : Haha, sorry, I didn't want that (though, I must admit I'll be missing too my plot each time I'll look at this movie now *sighs*). Yea, "detective" is back ! xD While Conan is a bit more 'tsundere' than Heiji, I think the dynamic between those two would be indeed similar to the one Kaito and Heiji could have if they met one day ... : ) Maa, there has been some nice scenes of action also in DC, it's just that they are rare, while I only write that kind of story ; ) And don't worry, your review is already great and I wouldn't want you to be late because of me xD And OF COURSE next story is about Hattori ! :p It was strange enough for me to write a story without him so two in a row ? Never ! So expect to see our hot-blooded detective in one week or two in one of my fics ;)
violet-snowflake : Haha, don't worry, not being a native, I know I'm also making a lot of mistakes so I'm not the kind to be picky about them ; ) And yea, I need to prove in almost each of my fics ran is useful. That lacks in the manga :p Hey, who do you think I am, I can't be that cruel with our favourite pint-sized detective xD
Chapter 12 : End of the tunnel
Conan was quite annoyed.
He had tried, not even minding his wounded hand, but nothing worked. That damn case was too big to be taken through the opening they made into the gate. And while the canvas itself would probably be small enough to go through, removing the case wasn't a possibility.
The bespectacled boy had given up and decided to go back, hoping the fall of the water tank didn't block the entrance to the cave.
Out of breath, using the case as a buoy, he had been able to surface, happy to see nothing had been stopping him from getting to the other side.
But the detective's joy had been short.
He was exactly in the same situation than ten minutes ago and that was pretty much getting on his nerves.
"Come on, there's probably another exit we didn't think about..." He ranted, trying to focus to find another way out.
Some long minutes passed, and the noises coming from the walls were more and more menacing, the azure-eyed child knew he had to decide and fast. His eyes fell once again on the artwork he was using to float. If he accepted the fact to let it behind him, he'd have his chance to escape through the metallic gate but it was taking the risk that this international treasure could be buried under thousands of tons of rocks, preventing forever for anyone to admire it, a thought that was quite nasty to him since it'd mean all his and the Kid's efforts would have been wasted.
If he could just take that damn case and throw it on its rails once again, so it would be taken to a safe place !
Conan's face lightened with that last thought. He had his solution !
Pushing on his improvised float, he kicked the water towards what was remaining of the museum.
o.O.o
Ran had been swimming, trying not to look behind her, trying to stop to think that each of these rocks she could hear falling into the lake could be the one ending Conan's life, before finally being able to reach on the bank of the lake.
She helped the Kid who was struggling with his prisoner before getting on her feet to lay worried eyes at the museum.
In a last quake, the top of the museum fell into the lake, too heavy for what was remaining of the cliff to support it anymore.
"- Conan-kun... !" The girl whispered as her eyes reddened, unable to keep the hope for anyone to be able to live to such a collapse.
"- I'm going to fetch him." Kaito declared as he put his hand on her good shoulder. "You, keep an eye on that man for me.
- But I...
- I'll be using my glider to go there faster and I don't think I can use it for the two of us. Leave it to me. Please."
Ran looked at him and saw, for the first time, how serious and worried he seemed, when the Kaitou Kid she had always seen was smiling and joyful.
At her nod, the Thief left, walking toward the mountain to be high enough to take off with his white wing.
"You'd better be alive, Tantei-kun..." The indigo-eyed teen pledged with a grave face.
o.O.o
With a smile, Conan noticed that, at last, his efforts were going to be useful. He had been able to go back into the tube of the museum, now that a part of it was almost touching the lake. Still with the painting, he had climbed up a bit to go to the first "Sunflowers" 's room and to sneak into the hole that was remaining where the painting had been.
The small detective had slid a few meters before ending once again in the water, but this time in a huge shaft that was supposed to lead to Jirokichi's vault.
Some debris here and there reminded the fact that the fake Kid had blown up a part of that shaft to get the second "Sunflowers" but the bottom part was there, still usable.
Though the boy knew there was a problem as soon as he felt he landed into the water. Part of the system was using water to send the paintings as soon as possible to the vault but the flow should have been strong, strong enough to carry along the canvas and their cases. Yet Conan was barely moving. And with such a feeble stream, even if he swam as fast as he could, he probably wouldn't have enough oxygen to reach the other side.
"So close..." He swore as he ruffled his hair.
The solution was simple : he needed to find a way to accelerate this stream. But, as simple as it was in words, there was nothing easy in implementing this idea...
The detective looked around him, trying to think about what he could use when...
"- The belt !" He yelled with a loud voice, too happy to finally have some hope.
If he used it to block the underwater tunnel for a little while with one of his inflatable soccer balls, he'd have the strong stream he was looking for as soon as he'd release it from the belt !
Taking a deep breath, the bespectacled kid dove into the water, dragging the "Sunflowers" along him before putting it a bit in front of him in the tunnel. He grabbed his belt and pushed the switch, allowing the ball to spread into the metallic shaft he was in and, as soon as it touched the sides of the tunnel, the level of the water lowered, finally allowing the boy to breathe.
Closing his eyes, Conan tried to calm his heart and to slow his breathing, time for the water to barely reach his ankles.
"Let's do this !" was the last thing he thought before being tackled by a strong wall of water that swept him away.
o.O.o
"Where are you... ?" Kaito asked with impatience as his look was focused on the water, doing his best to try to spot his little critic in the mess that used to be the Lake Rock Observatory but was just now a bunch of debris half recovered by the lake's water.
A smile appeared on his face when something yellow and shiny emerged from the water and caught his attention : the second "Sunflowers" 's case was just under him, its sunflowers facing the sun.
If the painting was here, Tantei-kun should also be around, the artwork clearly didn't found a way out on its own.
Without a second thought, Kaito dove in that direction and closed his gilder a few meters before hitting the water to have enough speed to look for the boy.
The choc brought back a throb in his head but the Thief didn't mind, he just wanted to find the boy and turned around, trying to spot his blue vest. He was starting to lack of air when he finally saw him, the bottom of his trousers caught into a broken metallic pole.
The Kid rushed to free him when he saw he was unconscious and he finally dragged him with him on a block from the cliff bigger than the others, its upper half above the water.
"- Oi, Tantei-kun, time to wake up..." Kaito called him, trying to friction him as he could to warm his cold body, the lake being quite cold. "Open your eyes, damn it..." He swore.
The indigo-eyed teen had been trained for first-aid interventions at school but between a dummy and a little boy, this wasn't the same thing at all and he wasn't sure he'd be able to help.
He nevertheless came closer to put his head against the boy's chest and to try to listen to his heart and lungs.
In a clumsiness that had everything to do with stress, his head hit harder that he expected the child's torso but that was for the best since he started to cough.
"- Oi, you ok ?" The Thief asked when he saw his eyes were opening and that he now seemed, after a short unsure moment, pretty much awake. "When will you understand that you're no gold fish ?" Kaito mocked, though he was unable to hide the relief in his voice.
"- I had to prove it... Proof through experimentation is important to us, detectives..." Conan joked with a smirk when he caught his breath and sat with the help of the other.
"- Well, next time, please experiment near of your girlfriend, I don't want my first kiss to turn into CPR to a guy...
- Your first ?" The boy noted with a raised brow. "You're quite the cherry boy in fact, for a Casanova...
- I don't want to hear that from you, Mr seven-year-old-body. Come, let's go back to comfort your Neechan." The Thief retorted with a smirk as he took the azure-eyed child to put him on the case and swim towards the bank.
o.O.o
Ran was looking in front of her, her arms crossed against her chest, ignoring the shivers which were going through her body due to her drenched clothes. She had seen the white glider from afar but that was already too long ago to her taste and she hadn't been able to see anything else since.
So when her eyes fell on the third inhabitant of the Agency as he waved at her, she immediately stepped back into the water to welcome them.
"- Conan-kun !"
The next thing the boy knew was that he was being hugged by the person the dearest to him.
"- I'm alright, Ran-neechan..." He finally said when he felt he turned as red as a tomato.
"- Nah, I'm sure you need to be hugged a bit longer, Tantei-kun..." Kaito mocked him, having noticed his embarrass.
At the Thief's comment, the girl's attention got caught by him and she finally let go of the azure-eyed child to come closer to the other.
"- I told you I'll bring him back !" He cheerfully pointed out, though he tensed a bit from having the girl so close to him, remembering her attack back into the cave.
"- I see that, thank you." Ran answered before grabbing him in a quick hug. "You deserved that one, for once, Kid."
Kaito smiled back at her, still surprised not to have any broken bone, before bowing in front of her. "It is an honour, My Lady."
"- I told you I saw her, she's here ! RAAAAN !" Sonoko yelled from where she was, a bit above them, on the mountain.
Seeing she wasn't alone at all, the Kid knew it was time for him to take his leave.
"- Promise me you'll tell me if you have any intel about the imposter's contractor, Tantei-kun !" He asked the small detective with precipitation. "Hey, I think I did quite my part today, so have a little recognisance !" He added when he saw the child was reluctant to answer him.
"- Ok, ok, promise..." Conan finally gave up at his puppy eyes.
The second after he left, Sonoko was throwing herself at her best friend's neck with tears in the eyes, totally ignoring the fact she was still half in the lake.
"- Hey, Sonoko." Ran softly said as she rubbed her back, trying to ignore the fact that enthusiastic tackle reminded her of her hurt shoulder.
"- I really thought for a while you were still in the museum, I was so afraid !" The girl admitted as she stepped away and rubbed her face. "But... you're hurt ?!
- It's nothing...
- Nothing ?! Look at you ! Someone call a medic !" She yelled at the group who was coming near of her.
"- I'm on it." Charlie volunteered.
"- Is it serious ?" Jirokichi asked as he came closer to his niece and her friend.
"- Nah, it's ok...
- Good news. Oh, is that... the "Sunflowers" ?!" Jirokichi asked with hope when, after starting examining Conan, he noticed he was sitting on quite a familiar case.
"- Yes !" The child proudly answered, amused by the joy of the old man.
"- Well done ! You're living to your reputation of Kid-killer !
- I had help...
- That's still quite the achievement ! Come, let me help you !" The old Suzuki proposed as he grabbed the small detective and took the painting with the other hand.
Kogoro was now with Ran and Sonoko, a bit worried to see his daughter had been wounded.
"- You're ok, kid ?" The moustached man asked when he saw Jirokichi was holding him in his arms.
"- Yes ! Could you put me down now ?" He asked, starting to be embarrassed to be carried as a little child.
"- If you promise me you'll stay with your Neechan until your wounds are checked, ok ?
- Haaaaai."
o.O.o
A little while later, the medics had tended the both of them and, as soon as he could escape from Ran's watch, Conan took his voice-changer bowtie and his phone out. It was time to use the intel he got from the Kid and his own deductions to explain the case to the police.
"- Megure-keibu ?
- Ah, Kudô-kun ! It's been a long time !" The old officer pointed out, though his voice was warm. "How are you ? Nakamori told me you were helping on a case ?
- Yes. Well, you've probably heard of that one, it's about the "Sunflowers"... "
o.O.o
"- Could you keep me informed if you get any information from our imposter ? I must admit I'm quite frustrated not to have the identity of our contractor..." The child concluded after he explained the case to the officer.
"- Of course, Kudô-kun. And once again thanks for your help ! There were indeed some things missing on our side... But to think that Kouji was the one who bombed the plane... Watch the quiet ones, they say...
- Clearly. And anytime, Megure-keibu !" Conan concluded with a smile.
o.O.o A week later o.O.o
"- ... How's your head ?
- Great. Your hand ?
- Won't stop me from kicking bad guys' asses so I'm good."
A short silent felt between the two boys before Kaito finally interrupted it.
"- So, now that we are both sure the other is well, will you give me the information you promised me ?
- Maa, to be honest, I don't think it'll be of any help to you...
- Try me...
- Ok, ok..." The small detective sighed, knowing he didn't want to reconsider his promise. "The contractor was a French collector living in Arles, Paul Géo. He was an admirer of this "Sunflowers" and wanted it to stay in France. That's how he met Kouji, they were both sharing the same kind of idealism... He was planning to buy it at the auction and your role would have been to steal it in the meanwhile, so he could get his money back. But Jirokichi bid for 300 millions before he could even get started so he had to rely on Kouji and hire someone else to do your job. You were there, right ? He was that middle aged blond-haired, with his hands full of rings, who bid for 50 millions.
- Oh yea, I remember... So, what's the matter ? Since I guess at your tone there's a catch...
- He's in France and we just have our imposter's testimony to extradite him, that clearly won't be enough. I don't think he'll pay one day for what he tried to do... It kills me to have to admit we can only give up. " The azure-eyed child declared with frustration.
"- You may give up but I won't.
- Come on, Kid, the guy is in France...
- Oh, that's not a problem for such an international thief as me, Tantei-kun...
- Kid, just don't ...! The hell ?!" Conan swore when he heard the Thief had hung up.
The bespectacled boy face-palmed with a sigh. "That idiot..."
o.O.o
After a calm while, the small detective had thought the thief finally had noticed there was nothing he could do against that French criminal so it was with the biggest surprise he found a letter at his attention one day when he came back from school, a letter with some French stamps.
Conan got from the envelope a piece of a newspaper that he tried to decipher with the few French he knew with a frown.
"Un homme d'affaire suspecté de trafic d'art" was the title, "A businessman suspected of illicit art traffic"
The picture was showing a man whose head was half hidden with a cloth but this blond hair and the bunch of rings on the handcuffed hands of the man were enough to tell the boy he was looking at a picture of Paul Géo.
According to the article, the police had been called early a morning by his butler who asked for help as he heard a burglar breaking in. But when they arrived, there were no traces of any unwelcomed guest, though something else appeared.
Three something else in fact.
Three priceless artworks, stolen during the last ten years, and the owner of the house had been unable to explain why those paintings flew from his ultra secured vault to his garden, where they were disposed with quite a good taste.
No need to say the presence of these canvas and the absence of justification sounded quite suspect to the police and they had been quick to bring him back with them to the police station where he was still being interrogated. The paintings had been seized and sent to the Arles's Museum of Art, to the curator's greatest pleasure.
Conan was smiling when he finished his reading, recognizing the inimitable touch of the Kaitou Kid and his 'miracles'. And indeed, when he wanted to put the piece of newspaper back into the envelope, another paper fell, a card.
"I never give up. KK."
And that's it ! And see you all soon ! I'll be back in a short time (and of course with my fav' character ; ), phew, it was so long without you, Heijiii ! :x)
As always for last chapter, I'll answer by PM to registered reviewers and just here for the guests.
Laters ! ; )
o.O.o
emmahoshi : Haha, yea, you said that, so I'm glad you managed to reach the end of this fic : ) Hmm, the plot was... distracting, we've seen pretty worse to be honest. But prefer mine ; ) Ah, since I also appreciate to picture that I think the fic after the next may be picturing that kind of bonding (heiji included of course ; ) ) because yea, it was indeed very fun to do : ) Nah, unfortunatly, he went straight to the south when I'm living near of Paris *sighs* maybe next time ? ; ) Yea, while Shin limits himself within the law, Kaito doesn't so he could have a solution when shin couldn't :) See you next story ! ^^
Lucade : Thanks ! Ah, well, I didn't feel the need to describe every little detail and something could just be told instead of 'shown' so yea, this story has a more straightforward side (well, this is closer to my style). Hmm I reduced Charlie's role in that story so I didn't feel the need to put that scene. That's my point of view : ) But that's a moment I liked in the movie so if it's not here, it's more because it didn't fit what I wanted to show than I didn't like it : ) And thank you for your reviews ! ^_^ As to your PS : yea, would be a shame ! And since the anime movies' teams tend to be international, that would be a mess if they didn't speak a word of english xD