Vol.3

Ch. 2

Scared to be Lonely

"Uh, no, I'm not." A familiar bratty voice retorted, having entered the room, with president Fukuzawa in tow.

"What do you mean, he's the one who is responsible for my capture!?" Alu said, frowning, getting up from the bed now. She hobbled to quickly pull on her shoes and socks while Ranpo, the president, and Miss Yosano gazed at her. Alu didn't like having all the staring but she wanted answers more so she'd deal with sounding like a brat herself.

"I deduced that for a while now, Ryou's role didn't add up," Ranpo said, putting his hands on his hips. He was wearing another hat—the same one Alu had on the bed— so she concluded he must have bought another one or maybe he was just one of those weirdos who have a closet full of the same exact outfit multiple times. "As it stands, he allowed himself to integrate with those other orphans no doubt to throw the police off his scent and he could use those orphans as an alibi if he was accused of working with that woman. Additionally, he is the only one who disappeared from the group when I was captured on the ship earlier with the other children. I noted that he was absent for practically the entire rest of the night. Why would just that one boy be absent for so long? Well, it's obvious that he was in cahoots all along with Ms. Austen and those other ability users at her beck and call."

Alu made a face. "Okay, let's just say you're right," Ranpo twitched at Alu's word choice, looking pouty, but Fukuzawa placed a hand on his shoulder as though to calm him down. Ranpo bristled but allowed Fukuzawa's touch to stop him from getting worked up too quickly but he was going to still pout heavily at her lack of believing in his deduction ability. Alu continued, "even if he does work for that woman, how do we know she's not using him? He is a child!"

"She's not using him, it's entirely the other way around," Ranpo said bluntly. "The evidence is all there if you're willing to look for it. Of course, I did deduce there was another player that came in after my negotiation stage with the woman and that's why I got stabbed later on. That player is now pulling all their strings…that's the truth."

Alu frowned. "You got all that…from Ryou's absence?"

Ranpo puffed out his chest, putting a hand over his heart like he was pledging allegiance to something—in this case— himself. "Of course! After all, my skill allows me to ultra deduce anything! I had everything figured out the moment I managed to actually meet that woman in person!"

Alu sighed deeply. Oh boy, things were really complicated then. That boy Ryou… wanted to kidnap her? He seemed like a good kid. She couldn't believe that he would just want to cause her or those other children actual harm. No, the boy she had met on that ship, wasn't all bad. She wanted to hear from his own lips what was actually going on. "Alright," she said finally, straightening up, boots laced, and tie loosely around her neck. "Since that's the case, there's nothing else for it…"

"….?" The others looked at her with confusion.

Ranpo however realized immediately what she was implying. "You're not seriously going to—?"

"I'll have to find that boy and hear his side of the story!" Alu said, putting her hands on her hips, determined and upbeat.

Ranpo facepalmed. "Why would you do that?" He scoffed, exasperated. "President, can you please explain to her why that is a pointless endeavor? I get the feeling she would just take my opinion and find some way to say it's wrong…again…" he was so grumpy about it.

Fukuzawa smiled a little. No one really challenged Ranpo's opinion. Everyone, himself included, always just sort of realized it was honestly the best answer but here was this girl, challenging it regardless of whether it was actually right or not. Fukuzawa really wondered if having this girl around would help Ranpo grow a bit more as a person. Sometimes, it's good to get opinions that aren't your own, after all to expand your worldview a little. Still, he did agree with Ranpo in this case. He looked at Alu, concerned. "I understand your concern for that boy, however we don't even know where they are right now. The Division of Unusual Powers is handling this matter," he said, trying to soothe Alu who looked ready to bristle herself.

Alu growled. "I'm not going to sit around while some government hounds go sniffing," she frowned. "Besides, I don't want to attack the kid or arrest him! I just want to know…his side of the story."

"His side of the story, huh?" Ranpo said, squinting at Alu, with exasperation, hands behind his head. "What's that even matter? I already deduced everything. He wants you for your power, and he's gonna take advantage of your naive nice nature in order to trick you."

Fukuzawa grimaced. While he actually did not entirely disagree with Ranpo's deduction, he did feel there was a possibly better way to deliver it. Clearly that sentiment was shared by both Yosano and Alu. Alu bristled again. "I believe in understanding a person's side of the story," she retorted. "We can't always know why they do what they do."

Ranpo scoffed, crossing his arms now, feeling a bit irritated with Alu's stubborn refusal to just acknowledge he was right already. "It doesn't matter what they tell you their side of the story is. That's the definition of a story—a series of sentences strung along to make up a sometimes fictitious summary that suits the point of view of the individual telling it in the first place! Those aren't facts. Most of the time that's what makes real detective work actually difficult —unless you're me of course. My skill let's me see the truth of any situation I come across!" He pointed to himself, grinning, his green eyes glinting as they opened to glare at Alu.

Yosano and Fukuzawa wondered if Ranpo was up to something again. Honestly, it just looked like he was having another fight with Alu like they were a couple kids arguing… Fukuzawa was about to speak but Alu spoke before he could try to diffuse the tension. "I'm sorry you feel that way," her voice shook slightly, grave. She took Ranpo's hat from the hospital bed and she stomped over to Ranpo. Ranpo blinked as she shoved the hat at his face. "If that's the kind of detective you need to be in order to get any case solved—then you're a pretty crappy one, after all!" She retorted, irritated.

Ranpo's jaw dropped. He was absolutely flabbergasted. What she said didn't make any sense. The term 'crappy' detective and Ranpo Edogawa legally didn't belong in the same sentence.

It was both grammatically and universally incorrect.

Yosano pursed her lips. This was a serious situation but she couldn't help but find it a little amusing that this girl was standing up to the Edogawa Ranpo, challenging him. She wasn't quite sure what else to say in this situation. It was clearly a battle of wills at this point between those two.

Fukuzawa was worried that Alu would be fueled to act rashly. He spoke up quickly. "Please, let's just calm down," he said, stepping between Ranpo and Alu, holding out his arms to keep them apart. "Alu, Ranpo is just trying to say that while your heart is in the right place, it doesn't change the fact that you are currently being targeted by dangerous people from Britain. As that case stands, it has been handed over already to the Division of Unusual Powers. We don't have jurisdiction at this time."

"I don't give a damn about jurisdiction!" Alu said, making a fist at her side, glaring at Fukuzawa with a hurt frown. "Are you telling me that this agency just bows its head when it's told? I thought this agency would be different from the ones I've seen before….but…I guess I was wrong," she said bitterly, and she began to move past Ranpo and Fukuzawa, headed for the door.

"You won't find the answer you're hoping to find if you walk out that door," Ranpo said, his tone actually cold, solemn, and serious. Alu paused, her hand on the knob.

Her grip tightened on it.

Yosano and Fukuzawa looked at each other worried. Yosano tried to speak up. "Hey, let's just… all take a deep breath. We'll respect your decision, Alu. It's not a bad thing to get other perspectives though—and in the end— you should consider the reality here of what you can even do in this situation for that boy."

Alu opened the door. "…Yeah, I'm not disagreeing entirely with Ranpo," she said finally, tone serious. But she looked over her shoulder at the three agency members. "But…even if it's pointless, I still believe everyone deserves a chance to share their side of a story."

"What will knowing their side even change? The evidence has already been deduced and the case is closed as soon as I get onto it," Ranpo scoffed, looking bewildered. "I mean, you're kinda making drama where there doesn't need to be any…"

"Hey, Ranpo. Forget the question I had from the other day. Honestly, at this point , I think I already have that answer…" Alu was referring to when she asked Ranpo why he was even on the case involving saving her. But, it became apparent that he really only did things that piqued his own interest. Maybe not all the time, but in her case? It really felt like he had just been out to prove some point about being right. "I do have just one more question for you, but I need to know your answer, to determine whether or not I walk through this door," Alu said, stiffly. Ranpo stared back at her, and she knew, in this rare moment, she did in fact have his serious attention. For that, she was at least appreciative.

"…Why did you want to become a detective?" She asked, point blank.

That question hung in the air for a second.

Fukuzawa and Yosano looked to Ranpo, wondering if he wanted to talk alone with Alu. He didn't make any indication though that he cared who heard his answer. However, Ranpo seemed a bit unusually tense, being asked that.

Fukuzawa wondered if he really should just try to steer this conversation in a better direction. To be honest, he couldn't remember anyone actually ever asking Ranpo why he wanted to be a detective. Fukuzawa knew that Ranpo's father had been a famous detective, with amazing skills in deductions as well, though his wife had just been a normal housewife. According to Ranpo though, his mom used to run circles around Mr. Super Smart Detective. Fukuzawa low key wondered if Alu was a bit similar in regards to that mother of Ranpo's. She seemed to have this uncanny knack of throwing him off his game. Still, that was actually a question that Fukuzawa felt needed to be asked to Ranpo. He looked to Ranpo, waiting for his answer.

"Because this city needs me, duh," Ranpo replied, shrugging.

"That's not your reason," Alu replied, annoyed. "You think being a detective is a game? Is that it? You think it's just about solving cases and getting praised for putting together facts? You're taking the people out of it and just leaving the evidence! Yeah, I get it, evidence is important…but sometimes, you can't forget that there are real people involved too and that the evidence doesn't always tell the whole truth! That's what deduction is about, Ranpo! Finding the whole truth for oneself…and for the closure of the case at hand for all those involved!"

"Hey," Ranpo's eyes glinted, his own tone irritated, "I'd appreciate it if you would stop talking down to me," he huffed, looking at Fukuzawa and Yosano. "I think someone is sipping the 'hero' juice a little too much. I knew she was young, but she really needs to learn to respect the process, right president?" He grinned at Fukuzawa, completely ignoring Alu's entire point.

Alu felt her anger boil to tipping point. Like a kettle letting off steam, she found herself blurting what was on her mind before she could even stop herself. "And what kind of person, do you think your parents were trying to raise you to be?" Alu shot back at him, glaring. She knew Ranpo's parents were dead—she'd done some research on this guy a while ago. But she wanted to really make him actually think for a second about what it meant —for him— to be a detective.

Also, what it meant to be a person who was capable of seeing more to a case than just the cold hard evidence.

Yosano as well, hung back, just looking at Ranpo. She was honestly worried about him. Ranpo was used to pushing back and often got ridiculed for his age and deduction ability, but this was different. She saw his hands clench. He was upset. His body language seemed like that of a statue. Yosano was on some level, protective of Ranpo—after all— he was like a big brother to her given he was a year older than her. "Alu, stop!" She said, finding herself unable to hold back any more. Ranpo's expression looked like he'd been slapped with a hot iron, like he himself actually didn't have an immediate response to that.

Fukuzawa pursed his lips. His eyes widened though. Ranpo had tears blossoming, and they rolled down his tight lipped face, but he didn't speak. He just began to quiver, uncontrollably. Fukuzawa felt his heart clench. He didn't know what Alu's aim was—but she went too far involving Ranpo's parents. "Alu, that's enough! You shouldn't talk to Ranpo like that," he said, sharply.

Alu felt verbally slapped. Of course they would side with Ranpo. That's how choosing a side worked. She didn't exactly expect them to be on her side, but this was just a reminder, why being a part of anything—never worked out for her in the end—

—Because it was never tangible to begin with.

Alu's own eyes teared up. She grit her teeth, voice trembling with her own stabbing pain in her chest. "I just want him to know…that there's more to being a detective… than simply already having all the answers…" she yanked open the door, and ran out of it.

"Ranpo…" Yosano worriedly gripped Ranpo by the shoulders, but Ranpo just stared out at nothing. His eyes were glassy, like he was remembering something, something unpleasant from a long time ago. Yosano looked to the president, worried. "President? Should someone go after her?"

"I'll have Kunikida…" the president huffed. "Damn, hold on, no, he's in school today…"

"I…Should I go or stay then?" Yosano flustered. She didn't want to leave Ranpo. Alu had been incredibly insensitive but on some level, Yosano kinda understood what Alu was trying to drive into Ranpo's brain. Ranpo could tend to be cut and dry when it came to solving cases. However, using his parents like that? That did make her upset with that girl.

"I'll take care of Ranpo," Fukuzawa said curtly. "Please, just keep an eye on her in case she's contacted again by those people from Britain."

Yosano nodded, lips pursed. "Understood," she took off after Alu.

Fukuzawa meanwhile, just gazed at Ranpo, who stood, pale and shaking, still uncomposed. After Yosano left, Ranpo let go of the remaining composure he had mustered in her presence. He looked to the president, upset. "I don't have an answer…" his voice shook.

Fukuzawa's arms wrapped around him. "You don't need an answer that's perfect," he said softly. "I…" he hesitated. "I'm not…your father…" he said, feeling awkward. Did he have a right? To even try to console Ranpo on this topic?

"Yes you are!" Ranpo's voice shook as he clung to Fukuzawa's arms. "You're my dad…too…" he broke down like a little kid, trembling into Fukuzawa's arms. "But I don't know…I don't know…what kind of person… my parents…think I should be…I don't know…what they'd say of the me I am now…"

Fukuzawa hugged him tightly. "Your parents…would be proud." He said, his voice soothing, and firm. "Because… I'm proud…of you."

Ranpo trembled like a little kid, clinging to Fukuzawa.

Fukuzawa's heart ached. This kid, even though eight years had passed, hadn't changed one bit. Following for praise because it was the only way he knew he could get acknowledgement…. So that he wouldn't be left behind again. Fukuzawa pet Ranpo's head, his eyes falling to the hat Alu had dropped by Ranpo's feet.

"Am I doing…something wrong?" Ranpo's voice wavered, insecure. "I know how to solve …the case…any case…why is she saying…I'm doing it wrong?"

Fukuzawa didn't have an answer there. It was easy to tell that girl was volatile. There were clearly times that she showed an almost ageless maturity, and then it felt like there were times like this where she really was just a normal kid with her own volatile opinions that could set others off. Fukuzawa sighed, inwardly. Teenagers were a battlefield full of landmines…. In some ways, she and Ranpo were similar. But, Fukuzawa pulled away from Ranpo, offering him his sleeve. "I don't think you're doing it wrong. Sometimes it's difficult when you face an opinion that isn't your own though….that's….just life sometimes."

Ranpo took it graciously, and blew his nose into it. Fukuzawa tried not to think about the snot on his robes…it's fine, just fine. He let Ranpo calm down. Ranpo took a few shaky breaths, and finally pulled back, eyes red from crying but otherwise, calmed down. "I…I didn't see that coming…that's for sure," he said, voice shaking. "Must be because I'm not wearing my glasses, right president? If I was wearing my glasses, then I'd be prepared."

"Yes," Fukuzawa said, patting Ranpo's head, awkwardly, having taken off the hat he had been wearing for the moment. "Although, it's okay to sometimes be unprepared… Ranpo… I'm going to just ask, for your sake…do you think we should let the girl stay here or perhaps be taken in by Odasaku after all?"

"No," Ranpo said, wiping his eyes, frowning at Fukuzawa, —seemingly bouncing back—which was a relief for Fukuzawa. "I still know…despite all this, that she yearns for a place to call her own. I told you before, she is someone who doesn't think she has a right to exist… and it'd be a waste to see all that spirit she exudes fade away to nothing…which is why…. I… I still want…her to work with us…"

Fukuzawa was honestly really so proud of Ranpo. Despite being upset, and being slugged with something impossible like the parent comeback, he was still thinking in the end, about the girl's best interests. He smiled smally. "I agree," he said softly. "Ranpo…" he hesitated before he put the hat back on Ranpo's head.

"….Yeah?" Ranpo looked at him, with his big green eyes.

"I'm sorry that she brought up something painful," Fukuzawa said, still in pain, on behalf of Ranpo.

Ranpo was quiet but he bent down, picking up the hat from the ground that Alu had dropped, and patted it off. "…. I knew she was the type…to really make her points hit you right where it smarts," he said finally. "It was just a matter of when…"

"You knew she was going to ask that question?" Fukuzawa asked, surprised. He really shouldn't be surprised by now, but Ranpo really was a deduction god.

"Of course," Ranpo said, pointing to his face. "I see all. I know all." It didn't have the usual gusto though and Fukuzawa was worried about pressing for any more details. However, Ranpo continued, leaving the infirmary. Fukuzawa quickly followed as Ranpo made his way back towards the office. "I already knew her feelings about detectives in general," he said, chipper.

"Huh?" Fukuzawa blinked. This was news to him. Wait, detectives? He had been referring to the parent remark.

"The reason I gave her my hat," Ranpo continued, going into the office now. " is because, like me, she has the detective drive…to see a case through till the end. The only reason she even got heated with me is because unlike me, she is the kind of person to try to solve a case based on a story being unraveled, not necessarily the evidence that is pre-existing."

"Makes sense, based on the argument you two were having," Fukuzawa sighed, watching Ranpo walk over to his desk and sit down where his junk food was. Although Fukuzawa had threatened to take away Ranpo's junk food for a month, he didn't have the heart to actually do it so he hadn't. And Fukuzawa worried if maybe he should treat Ranpo to his favorite food today to make up for what happened. Yes, maybe he should spoil Ranpo to help take his mind off of that conversation. As Fukuzawa was having fretting dad thoughts, Ranpo continued to talk.

"I expected the detective question—not the one about my parents," he clarified to Fukuzawa. It was just them in this office as Kunikida was at school and Odasaku had yet to have a desk placement. Ranpo quieted again.

Fukuzawa wanted to make him feel better. He just didn't know how. He never really knew the right thing to say when it came to comforting another person. He was glad that Ranpo had bounced back, but he worried about Ranpo. "Do you want to take the day off," he found himself asking.

Ranpo blinked. "Eh? And do what? Be bored? No thanks," he grinned, popping open a bag of chips with a hum. "I live at the office practically, remember?"

Fukuzawa remained silent. He didn't know what to do. Ranpo was hurting still. He could tell. Fukuzawa wasn't someone who had ever seen himself as a parental figure in the past, but after raising Ranpo and Yosano, he'd sort of come to realize that they were like his adoptive children. "If you worry too much, you'll get wrinkles," Ranpo stated, munching on some chips. "It's okay, old man Fukuku~"

"Don't call me that," Fukuzawa found himself scolding, exasperated. Ever since Alu had mispronounced his name, Ranpo had been so amused that he'd adopted it as a way to tease Fukuzawa. Still, Fukuzawa wasn't blind to details. He could tell that Ranpo's hands were still shaking. "What should we do now?" He asked dumbly.

"Mmm, wait," Ranpo said, with a lazy shrug.

Fukuzawa figured that was most likely the most practical response. With a sigh he just nodded and he turned away from Ranpo's desk. "I'll be in my office if you need anything," he said, concerned.

"Got it," Ranpo said, already clicking on something on his computer.

Fukuzawa knew that this was Ranpo's way of saying he wanted to be alone. Respectfully, Fukuzawa withdrew from the room. He could kinda tell that Alu wasn't great with adult authority figures and based on what Ranpo had deduced for him before, a lot of her rebellion came from unresolved issues that Ranpo didn't actually have all the details of. He had said that fox ability of hers was actually the one blocking him on some level. While he had sensed a history of abuse at the hands of other adults in her life previously, that was all he could deduce from her instinctive need to butt heads with anyone older than her. He had described it as muddy water blocking his view from all the facts. Still, he hoped having another lady to talk to, would help Alu open up a bit more. He wanted to have his agents get along…all of them.

That included, young miss Alu.