Heya !
So, time to wrap up those cliffs (or almost :p), nah ? Last two are Heiji and Kazuha so this chapter will be a bit centered on those two.
And hope you had a funny halloween ; )
o.O.o
Lady Paper : haha, right, his moustache is funny, so dandy-like xD Hmm, about Kaito, we'll have some news end of this chapter : ) (well, I can understand what you say, so it's good enough : ) Thanks for reviewing despite the fact it may be hard for you ! ^_^)
Anilover : Yup !:D In a few days : ) In chapter 15, it'll be in 2 days. We're pretty near ! It's action, romance and we'll start a calmer part, though it won't last pretty long ^^;
emmahoshi : Haha, yea, Ran is strong, that's not used enough in the manga / anime / some other fics ^^;; Ah, he said he would, after the Volley comet passes : ) Well, at the beginning, I wanted it to be 4-parter too but... I ended with a more than 5000 words chapter so I split it in 2... But yes, it's not that long ^^;; Ah, you'll see in this chapter : )
Hebiaczek : Don't worry, this question will appear in chapter 15 : ) I'll have Touichi and Chikage speak more about this choice later in that fic. Of course ! And I remember how she was saying in the manga he'd be so good since his legs were already so strong thanks to football... : )
PrincessesneedRocketLaunchers : They are girlfriend and boyfriend, thanks for spotting the mistake, I corrected it : )
Laury Rose : Yup, clearly ! : ) And yes, having the former Kaitou Kid in the team should be quite helpful ^^ Ah, well, I wanted to solve the cliffs of everyone but there wasn't enough room in the chapter, it took too much place so answer in this chapter, a good part of it is dedicated to Heiji and Kazuha ; ) Haha, yes, it was useful for once him to drive like a mad xD Girls are always right, aren't they ? Karate over soccer seems more than logical :p
Great : yea, there's a bit of action in this last chapter, right? ; ) Ah, in the manga, he receives a letter from his mother taunting him on details only Corbeau knew so he concludes Corbeau is Chikage. So no, he doesn't know.
crimson sana :*bows* thank you : )
JarayZ : Yes, that's what I think. And Habuka being someone calm he would be able to keep that info for him a few days. Wow, already ? Well, I had to create a few ones, would have been hard to just do with Snake and Spider, right ? ; ) And this story would have been pretty short ^^; I love it also, it's so fun to have Hakuba use it xD Hey, I like that side of your reviews so don't worry about that ; )
Chapter 14 - Link
Kazuha felt Heiji's wide arms circled her to drag them both under the water, just before the bike fell on them, the Osakan wanting to absorb part of the choc thanks to it. But he had been too slow and let go of the girl when he felt something heavy collide with his upper back, knocking his wind out, unable to breathe in as he was surrounded by liquid.
On her side, the green eyed woman managed to get her head out of the river unharmed, but quickly noticed her boyfriend was missing, very probably trapped and dragged to the bottom of the river by his bike. Without thinking twice, she breathed deeply and dived again, trying to open her eyes to see something, anything, but, even with the street lamps, the light was so faint a few meters below...
Noticing a shining reflect, definitively a rear-view mirror of the bike, Kazuha headed there and saw a darker shape below the vehicle : indeed the detective was being taken down by its weight. She quickly grabbed what seemed to be his hand and tugged it, bringing them both to the surface, helped by the fact the water made everything lighter.
"- Miss, over there !" A man from the ship that had been waiting for the bridge to open called, holding his hand to her as he saw she came out of the water.
The Osakan girl swam a little bit to reach the boat, worried not to have a reaction from her lover while she was keeping his chin above the surface.
Three crewmen helped them aboard, and they quickly focused on Heiji when they saw the woman was unharmed. With the assurance of a professional, one of them checked the detective's pulse and breathing before grabbing his shoulder to try to shake him awake as his vitals were encouraging.
That move made the green-eyed jump awake with a cough, sitting with a grimace and looking around him with startled eyes, before remembering what just happened.
"- You ok, Sir ? You'd perhaps better stay lying on the deck, we'll call an ambulance...
- The police even !" Another suggested with a worried look.
The detective looked at them, before raising his look over his head to see the killers were still watching from the bridge, though their weapons were hidden. Nah, he would not have them follow him in a hospital. With huge effort, he composed himself to conceal the pain that was throbbing in his back.
"- Nah, it's ok, I'm good..." Heiji smiled as he could, with a slight move of the hand to stop Kazuha before she could protest. "Was a stupid accident, my tire blew up, couldn' control the bike anymore... No need fer the police or an ambulance! But could ya give us a lift ? With the bike at the bottom o' the river, hard ta go anywhere...
- You sure you're ok ?" The one who was crouching to him wanted to confirm, giving up when the Osakan displayed a wide smile, shaking his head to confirm he was. "Ok... We're heading to the market, got some fish to sale. We can bring you anywhere on the way, would it do ?
- Perfect ! Could we just ride inside ?" Hattori asked, wanting to be hidden from anyone looking from the outside. "It's a bit cold...
- Sure."
The crewman helped Heiji on his feet to lead them in. The detective had one last look to the men on the bridge. Seeing they were leaving with the boat, they also moved, probably to follow them the best they could in their car.
"- Thanks again !" The green-eyed said as they brought them some covers. He then darkened a bit when he looked at the man who invited them in. "Sorry fer the hindrance... Couldn' tell ya as the guy was outside but my girlfriend's ex was after us, that's why I was so fast with the bike an' got that stupid accident...
- After you ?
- Yea, he's kind o' stalkerish... " Heiji confirmed, with a wink at Kazuha so she would play that role with him.
"- He was a former Yakusa... Followed us from Osaka..." She sighed, adding some background to her boyfriend's story, though she didn't know what his purpose was.
"- Couldn't you ask the police for help ?
- Nah, we have no proof, the guy is too cautious... We're headin' ta Hokkaido, he shouldn' come 'til there..." The Osakan explained. "But I bet he's followin' us right now, so could ya just slow down under some bridge, fer us ta hide under it ? Like this he'll follow ya ta the fish market an' we'll be gone fer long...
- You look like you're having it hard, for such a young couple..." The crewman observed with a look of compassion, before looking through the windows. "We'll reach the next bridge in something like 2 minutes, will be good for you ?
- Perfect."
Five minutes later, Kazuha was helping Heiji out of the water. Now that they were alone, the man was at last able to stop to fake feeling good because that wasn't really the case, but he didn't want the crew to call an ambulance. He let himself fall on the floor with a pained grimace, bringing his hand to his shoulder to see it coming back with blood : a plastic part of the bike's seat had scratched him quite deeply, and he was still feeling some kind of heavy weight on his upper body that sent some throbs to his spine any time he moved. He'd been lucky not to break his neck, but he wasn't getting unharmed from his little stunt.
"- Hey, ya ok ?" The girl asked with worry as she saw his face, sitting near him.
"- Will do... " The detective answered, composing himself to show her a reassuring smile. "Thanks fer the help, that could have turned nasty...
- ... Could have ?! If I didn't come ta fetch ya, ya'd still be at the bottom of the river with a bike on yer head, ya Ahou !" The girl yelled as she hit again and again Heiji's chest with her fists. "When - will - ya - stop - putting – yerself - in - such – dangerous - situations ?!
- Ouch ! Boke ! That wasn' my fault, what the heck d'ya think ya doin' ?!" Hattori tried to stop her, catching her wrists.
"- Punishing ya for being so imprudent…
- What ? I told ya not ta worry about me anymore ! Call it karma or what, look at that, I bring ya bad luck ! Ya don' want me in yer life !" The detective pointed out with guilt in his voice, letting her arms go.
"- Ya wish, Hattori Heiji !" The green-eyed girl said, locking his eyes. "But let me say it clearly so it'll go through that thick head of yers : ya will stop making choices for me and decide for myself what's better for me. I know better than ya what I want and what I want is ya. Period.
- But Kazuha…" Heiji started, to be silenced with Kazuha's lips as she kissed him.
"- No buts." She declared, her face reddening a bit with embarrassment. "If ya think I'm stalking ya or something, ask Ran for advice on how ta sue me. Else, I'll stay. And I'll drag ya back home by the ears if I need ta when all this is over! I won't let ya go !
- Crap, Kazuha..." The Osakan laughed at her serious face."It's almost as if ya put again those handcuffs around our wrists.
- I'm indeed thinking of a tiny version of those metal rings.
- Uh… WHAT ?! Tôyama Kazuha, did ya just propose me ?!"
The girl's cheeks took a deep scarlet colour, going up to her ears. "Delicacy isn't yer thing, Heiji… " She stated with a faint voice.
"- I... I know, sorry… " He said, a bit red himself.
"- So ?
- So what ? I have ta answer already ?!
- Oh yea, I won't let ya go, when I see how long it took ya ta answer when I asked ya out." Kazuha reminded him with a glare.
"- Uh, sorry again about that…" The detective apologized with an embarrassed face. "Of course I do, Ahou, though I don' understand why ya're interested in such a dangerous goofy as myself…
- A secret makes woman woman." The girl smiled mysteriously.
"- Uh, Kami, don' use that expression, please..." Heiji asked with a chill, remembering it was Vermouth's catch line.
"-Ah, why ?
- Never mind..." He brushed away, not wanting to speak about that now. "Come here !"
The green-eyed woman did as told and approached him, to stay frozen as he grabbed her sleeve to force her to sit near him and put a gentle kiss on her lips.
Carefully putting her head against his chest, the girl had a satisfied smile when her lover put his arm around her, helping her to feel warmer. Even in summer, hanging around with drenched clothes wasn't agreeable.
"- What now ?" She softly asked.
"- Well, our phones are soaked so if we want ta ask someone ta pick us up, it'll be through a phone booth...
- Do you remember any phone number ?
- Yup, Shinichi's. Let's hope Kaito found him. Think ya could find some phone ? I don' think I'll be able ta move around too much right now, sorry...
- Yea, just tell me the number." Kazuha volunteered as she got up with a determined face.
o.O.o
With one last look at the black shape going back to the skies, Hakuba walked to the house where Chikage and Aoko hid for a while after the girl had been kidnapped, soon joined by Kaito that time Bourbon discovered his identity.
Turning one last time his head around, the blond-haired finally dared to knock on the door, to be welcomed by Chikage.
"- Come in !" She rushed him, worry in her eyes as she looked at the street, before closing the door behind him with precipitation.
The detective blinked as he got in, dazzled by the light after his eyes got used to the darkness of the night, and, before he could even remove his shoes, Aoko grabbed him into a firm hug.
"- I'm so glad you're ok, we didn't have any news from you or Heiji, I was starting to worry..." She stepped away and looked at Hakuba with wide eyes when she saw his wounded forearms. "You've been attacked ? Are you ok ? Obviously not... I'm getting the first aid kit...
- Thank you, it's not that painful but I'd better tend those." He admitted with a bored look at his hands.
The girl nodded and went to fetch some bandage, so he turned to Chikage. "Do you mind if I call Baaya ? I'll ask her to retrieve my medical material at my father's home and to bring it here...
- Sure."
Thirty minutes later, Saguru was waving a last thank you at Baaya, who had been extremely fast to respond to his request, despite the fact she was retired and therefore not living near the Hakuba's household anymore.
The girls had helped the medic to tend his hands, mostly scratches and burns by the hot metal expelled by the bomb, though one wound on his left forearm would have needed stitches but he wasn't have been able to do it himself even with his material. It's just that he wanted to have it in case, hoping nothing serious happened to his friends but knowing that, if the guys didn't hesitate to send a bomb at him, his friends probably had it hard too.
"- Chikage, open the garage, this is Shinich's car !" Aoko stated as she saw his friend's car going into the alley.
The woman did as told and the three of them went straight to the garage to welcome the newcomers.
"- Kaito needs help !" Shinichi said with hurry as he got out of the car to open the passenger's door. "We couldn't take him to the hospital, with those guys after him..."
Hakuba paled and went to the door, to see Ran's hands were red with blood as she had compressed a wound on the Thief's side and it seemed more than serious. "Chikage-san, I need a table long enough to put him on, do you have that ? Put clean sheets on it if you can !
- In the living room. Aoko, help me and fetch the sheets !" The woman ordered, getting the girl out of her stillness as she was struck with horror to see her husband in such a condition. "Quick !"
The two men helped the now unconscious magician out of the car, to lead him cautiously to the living room, both hindered by their wounds but not mentioning it. Kaito was the one who needed attention and now.
After Aoko threw a sheet to offer a clean surface for the Thief, Shinichi stepped back once the Kid was laid on the table with the help of Chikage, feeling his phone was vibrating.
"- Kazuha ?!" He recognized, as the number wasn't giving him any indication of who was calling. "Are you with Heiji ? You're ok ?!"
The Tokyoite paled a bit as she told him about them being attacked and explained that they needed a lift as Heiji wasn't really able to walk around.
"- Ok, give me the address, I'm sending you someone."
After he confirmed he got the meeting place right, he hung up and turned to the others. "Heiji and Kazuha are alive but they'd need a lift, Heiji's been hurt apparently so they can't come here by their own means..."
The others looked at him with a dark face, most cursing Snake for being able to do such damages to them in only one night.
"- I'll fetch them then..." Ran volunteered, feeling she'd be more useful over there : Aoko and Chikage would want to stay by Kaito's side and Shinichi had hurt his elbow, so that driving a car was a bit difficult to him, she saw it when he brought them in.
"- Take my car, the keys are on the little table in the entrance." Chikage proposed, forcing herself to think straight instead of just staring at her wounded son. "It'll be more discreet, yours stands out a bit too much...
- Thanks."
Shinichi told her the address, somewhere near the Sumida River, and she left the room, with one last look at Hakuba putting a pair of gloves, Aoko on his side to help him.
"Hold on, Kaito..." She prayed, closing the front door behind her after she grabbed the keys.