--Chapter 21: The Night Pursuit--
The sun soon set, and before they knew it they were already at the park. Kazuha sat on the slide, while Ran sat on the swing nearest to her. "Do you hear that?" Ran asked, perking her head up and looking around. Kazuha sat up, hearing footsteps. The street light finally came on, revealing a hooded figure. Kazuha walked over to Ran, who was getting up.
Finally walking over to the two, he greeted them with a smile. "It's been, what. Two days now?" he asked, revealing his face. Ran almost fell back, as well as Kazuha.
"You!" Kazuha almost shouted.
Ran stepped infront of Kazuha. "Nagi.." she stated quietly, but seriously.
Nagi smirked and shrugged. "Took me a while to get out of that house, but I succeeded." He looked up at Ran, "I've come to warn you-"
Kazuha shoved him away, "How the heck should we believe you aren't here to harm us again!?" Nagi cleared his throat, looking at Ran, ignoring Kazuha. "You're targeted to be killed, soon... VERY soon, Mouri-san." Kazuha stopped, widening her eyes as she looked at Ran. Ran froze.
"Heh.." Ran quietly, but nervously, laughed at herself. Her expression showed it all: fear. She stumbled back. Catching her fall was the swing. She lowered her head, shadowing off the upper part of her face.
Kazuha released her grasp off Nagi. Stepping a few steps back, she turned toward Ran. "He could be lying Ran, don't believe it," she said, trying to force out a comforting smile, but failing miserably. She turned back to face Nagi, "He wouldn't be trying to help us. Not when he had attacked us the other night."
Nagi shook his head frantically. "You've got it all wrong, I didn't know what came over me. I just-" He paused, looking at Ran, he slowly walked over to her. Tears began to overflow his eyes. He fell to his knees and knelt over to her, resting his head on her lap. "P-Please believe me! I don't want you to die!" he yelled out, crying.
"Hmm. I hope Kudo-kun gets through it soon enough. Maybe I should have toned down this a little more..." pondered Ai, as she waved a vial in front of her face. She set it down on the desk in front of her and stood up. She walked up the stairs and down the hall. A few feet in front of her, a door was cracked open. Curious, she walked over to it and looked inside. Suddenly her eyes grew wide. "W-WHERE'D HE GO? PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR!!" She ran across the house, looking for him.
The professor and Ai were soon running out the door, tossing their coats on into the cool night. They hopped into his bright yellow beetle. "But where could he have gone?" Agasa asked, looking to Ai in the passenger seat.
"Ugh, I don't know! He was in his room earlier. Then he just.. disappeared!" She took a breath. "Okay well, first let's see if he went by Kudou's house. I'll call him up and see..." She took out a phone and started dialing.
Back at the house, the phone started ringing. Conan hopped down from his seat and hobbled over, the lingering effects of the medicine still on him. "Hello? WHAT?!"
Heiji stopped still, "What's wrong?!"
"Nagi's not at the Professor's anymore!"
"Oh... Crap..."
Ran got up, as Nagi slid down her legs with his hands. The wind began to pick up, leaving the three rather cold. But it wasn't because it was night, nor because it was windy. It was just the feeling. Kazuha waited for Ran to respond. "R-Ran?" she asked, tilting her head.
Ran lifted her head up to the sky, "Nagi." Nagi looked up, his tears soon became dry streaks against his cheeks. "Who is trying to kill me?.." she asked quietly, without expression. Kazuha looked around, hearing a old car noise coming closer, when looking at the car more closely she had noticed it was Agasa's.
She quickly grabbed Ran's and Nagi's hands and hurried beneath the playground, the street light far in the distance from them. "It's Agasa.." she stammered, hitting her head she shot a look at Nagi.
Agasa had stopped by Mouri's house, and now had Heiji and Conan in the backseat. "Any sign of him?" asked Ai, peering out the front window down every alleyway they passed.
"Not yet.." said Conan gently, as he glanced over the park, seeing nothing odd but a single swaying swing. "Wait. Why is only one swing swaying?" He turned to the front seat. "Professor! Stop the car!"
Hearing the car screeeeech to a stop, Kazuha grabbed their hands again and jumped into the bushes on the other side of the park. Ran got up quietly, her hat blew off, revealing her long hair. She looked down at Nagi, "Can you run fast?"
Nagi cleared his throat, "Y-Yeah."
Ran nodded, "Good. Then you can carry Kazuha."
Kazuha nearly jumped up, "WHAT! No way-"
Ran covered her mouth to keep her quiet, "Like I said, Kazuha. You-are-still-injured." Kazuha rolled her eyes. Nagi put her on his back and began to run, soon heading into an alleyway.
Conan jumped out of the car and ran over to the swings, Heiji on his heels. Conan put his hand down on the swing. "They couldn't have gone too far. The seat is still warm."
Heiji nodded down to him and looked around. Agasa stayed in the car while Ai soon arrived behind Heiji. "I think I saw something move over there!" called Ai, pointing over by a fence.
"Okay, let's all split up and search, all right?" said Conan. With that, the three broke up and began looking around in the weak twilight.
They stopped at a nearby alley behind a restraunt. Nagi caught his breath, "W-Why are you doing this?" Ran panted, taking Kazuha's hand to help her off him.
"Because, if they find you...we're in trouble too."
Kazuha straightened out her skirt, "Yeah, but we have to deal with the situation you had just told us about Ran." Ran quietly and slowly looked down the dark streets of Tokyo, revealing only streetlights and a few bats flying over them. Nothing else but silence. "Did you see who was in the car, Kazuha?"
Kazuha shook her head, "I think I might've seen only... two? Two heads." Ran looked back and replied with a nod.
Conan approached the bush that they were previously hiding in, noting the broken branches and shoe prints. He looked up as a breeze blew his hair back. He suddenly realized that he still didn't have his glasses on. "Gah! Hattori you fool, how could you not have told me?!" He turned back to the other two across the playground. "Hey, I think they're down this way!" Heiji and Ai quickly rushed over. As soon as they arrived, Conan gave Heiji a swift smack on the arm.
"Ow! What was THAT for?"
"No time to explain, follow me," Conan then dashed ahead.
Kazuha froze. "Heiji?" She looked at Nagi, then at Ran. "Conan and Heiji?" She was just suprised to hear herself say it.
Ran ran over to the two, "You ready?" Nagi picked Kazuha up his back, then nodded. Ran looked ahead, "Keep going! We need to split up." They then ran off in different directions. Ran forked off and climbed up a ladder to the rooftop of an antique shop. Nagi, Kazuha still on his back, ran in bewteen apartment complexes.
The group turned down an alley then stopped. "Where did they go?!" Conan pondered, looking down the various places that they could have disappeared to. "I'm heading over here!" he called, running along the front of the antique shop.
"I'll go down here," said Heiji, pointing alongside some other stores.
"Then I guess I'll head down here," added Ai, pointing toward the apartments.
As much as it didn't seem like it, Ran was still afraid. Afraid of being killed. Afraid of being murdered. Afraid of dying. She sat down on the roof top, being as quiet as she could. She looked over the railing to see if they were still there. She accidentally slid her foot, causing a glass bottle to roll. She froze up. As much as it felt horrible to her, hiding from the others, she was still willing to go through this trouble to find out more information. To find out what she needs so she could live.
Less than 6 inches away from Conan, a bottle rolled down and crashed, shattering into tiny shards covering the road. He looked up, seeing a shadow move above him. "Nagi!?" he thought, as he hurried over to the emergency ladder and climbed up to the top.
As he reached the top and peered across, an image suddenly flashed through his head. It was Ran, standing on the other rooftop, stabbing herself in the stomach. Conan's eyes widened, as suddenly the thought and a new dizzy spell hit him. He lost his grip on the ladder and started falling backwards...
"Conan?" Ran quickly caught him, "C-Conan!" What a horrible time, a horrible time to pass out. She felt his head- It was burning, which didn't surprise her. She pulled him closer to her, as she sat up against the wall. "Come on Conan, wake up.." she mumbled.
Conan stirred slightly, opening his eyes wearily on the rooftop. "R-Ran?..." He sat up gently, putting his hand down beside him to keep him steady. "What.. What just happened?..." He looked around the gravely roof, a cool wind blowing by. He remembered the bottle falling, but after that wasn't sure if what he saw was a hallucination or for real. He picked up his other hand and reached forward to Ran's abdomen, finding no blood. He quickly pulled his hand away and looked up at her.
Slowly, she put her hand on his cheek. She almost felt like crying. For this was a moment she would treasure if she died. Looking away, she kept the tears locked in. She got up, gently setting him beside a wall, and stood.
Conan watched her. "Ran?..." He tried to get up and follow her, but stumbled yet again.
Ran quickly caught him. She looked down at him and gave him a warm smile. "You're a fool Conan," she said jokingly.
"What?.." Conan blinked, staring at her as the wind blew her hair across her face.
Ran kissed the top of Conan's forehead, "You shouldn't have come out here. You're sick." She grabbed him, hugging him in a warm and tender embrace. She giggled softly into his ear.
Conan didn't know what to say. He relaxed in Ran's arms, letting himself be enveloped in her warmth.
"Do you hear that!?" Nagi whispered loudly, running, carrying Kazuha.
He quickly turned around, suddenly stumbling and falling, causing Kazuha to fall hard on the ground with all his weight on top of her, "Ugh!"
"Found you," Ai remarked, suddenly appearing beside Nagi and Kazuha. "So.." she grabbed him by the collar, "You mind explaining your little evening adventure now? Or would you rather the police.. or the Black Org... take care of you?" Her eyes narrowed menacingly into his.
Nagi shoved her away. "I'm not causing any trouble! I'm simply helping...-" he looked over at Kazuha, who was trying to keep her balance. She fell back down against the wall.
"Are you really, Nagi?" asked Ai, letting go as she was shoved. "I don't see what there is to be so secretive about if you're just helping us... I seem to recall somebody of that name before, too. Let me just say, he would never be so helpful." Her face was poison as she stared into his eyes.
Nagi blinked. "Of course I am, you fool!" he shouted. He was tired of feeling betrayed. He quickly turned to Kazuha, grabbing her by the hand as she was still trying to recuperate from the fall. He threw her over his back.
"W-Wait!" she yelled out, pulling his hair, "You idiot!" She kneed him in the back, and they both fell again. Kazuha landed on her face. "You're only in this situation for telling Ran that someone was out to kill her!" she yelled, shoving him up against the wall. "You listen here, and you listen good, Nagi. I'm tired of this drama. It's depressing me, Ran, and everyone else around us. Either you come clean right now, or I'll make you." Kazuha demanded with an angered expression. Nagi was speechless.
Ai stood with a serious look, peering at Nagi. She took a firm step forward. "Spill it. Now..." Around the corner appeared Heiji, having heard the commotion and found his way there.
Nagi smirked. Looking at Kazuha, he came closer to her, "Too bad. I was having fun, acting out a person who's already dead." He kissed Kazuha hard and long until she shoved him away. She covered her mouth, shocked, until finally she looked up at him from her knees. He grinned, kneeling down to her he ran his fingers through her hair. She was in a trance. He got up, pulling the mask off. "Too bad it had to end so quickly," Vermouth pouted. Taking a step back, she pulled out a small hand gun, pointing at them all. "Now, if you don't mind..." A black Porche pulled up behind them, "I must take my leave." She smirked, running passed Ai and jumping into the car.
Kazuha slowly got up, silent. "S-So wait... That wasn't the real Nagi?..."
"I knew it," quietly commented Ai. "Most likely, Nagi was actually her all along. Nagi would never feel sympathy for another person.. Although he did tend to obsess over particular women at times..."
Kazuha looked over to the girl, "What are you TALKING about?"
Ai blinked, "Oh! Umm. The real Nagi was my... neighbor, once. So I know a lot about him."
"Oh," replied Kazuha.
Ai turned over to Heiji. "It would be odd if Nagi was ordered to be killed. He was one of the best workers the Black Org ever had. But it would be even odder if he let Vermouth act for him for such a long time. There's only one explanation..."
"You mean, the real Nagi's dead, but not by an order?" Heiji's eyes widened. Kazuha overheard him.
"Then.. It all makes sense! Well, maybe the real Nagi was dressed as the blonde guy... You know, the one that ordered the fake Nagi's death. The one in the car there!" She pointed to the Porsche, now driving away, a totally healthy Gin in the driver's seat. He glanced at Ai in the mirror and sent her an evil grin, before disappearing into the night. "He didn't seem to react to our appearance. If he remembered us being around when Ran stabbed him, I expect he would act differently..." She blinked for a moment. "So wait... Nagi's dead... I guess he died shortly after that incident... But that lady... She helped us.." Kazuha didn't know how to react. She fell to her knees, unsure of what she should do next.
"S-So wait. Let me get this straight. Nagi was the one that Ran injured and subsequently killed when she stabbed herself. Meanwhile, the person she saved was actually... HER?!" Heiji stared as the car drove away, in total shock. "S-So.. H-He... No, she was... one of them?..." He blinked as Ai stood frozen, unable to respond. Heiji's eyes slowly drifted over to Kazuha. "KAZUHA!" he screamed, lunging toward her and grabbing her tightly. "They could have got you and killed.. They could have... They... And you might have..." A few silver tears rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto her shoulders.
Kazuha sat there, quiet, not quite understanding the full impact of being around a Black Org member for so long. Feeling the caring embrace of Heiji's hold, she just sat there. After a minute or two, she gently pulled her head out of his chest and looked up at him. Seeing that he had tears, she released a warm, comforting smile. She wiped his tears away and giggled softly. "Heiji crying? I'll keep this moment for later," she thought.
"The only question..." Ai pondered in her mind, "Is why Vermouth went through all this trouble just to warn, and maybe even protect, Ran..." She stared up into the sky, watching a few clouds pass over the stars. "But then again, she's an odd one. Maybe she didn't mean to act when she was originally dressed as Nagi... If I know the true Nagi, it's much more likely that he tricked her into dressing as him in order to deliberately kill her. I guess he didn't plan on Ran's kind heart... Saving that woman... Twice."
--End Chapter 21--