Kudo Edogawa presents...

""The Summer Without You""

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"They took Hakase?!" Conan exclaimed.

"But why?" Heiji interrupted. "They've gotten this far, and if they knew about your identity, why didn't they take you instead? And how did they even find you here?"

"Ms. Jodie..." Ai said slowly.

"Eh?"

"Miss Jodie is Vermouth," Conan explained.

"She must have known who I am..., that's why she volunteered to take me and Hakase back here that day.* They didn't take me because Kudo's dad warned Hakase to hide me. So I hid in the basement." Ai explained.

[[*In volume 41 Ai got a serious fever and needed to leave a crime scene. But because the case wasn't solved yet so no one was allowed to leave. Vermouth parked her car somewhere else and offered to take Hakase and Ai back to Hakase's residence where she confirmed that Ai is Sherry.]]

Heiji's cell phone rang. Conan and Ai fell silent. "Moshi?" Heiji answered the call.

"Change of plans...," it was Vermouth. "Bring them this Sunday."

"Oy, oy!!" Vermouth had hung up.

"Dammit!" Heiji cursed.

"What did she want?" Conan asked.

"Changed the date..., we've got half a week now." Heiji said solemnly.

There was a moment of silence. "What should we do now?"

"What else can you do?" A voice said. The three wheeled around and came face to face with Kid the Phantom Thief, who was standing on the broken windowsill.

"Kid!?" Conan exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

"Why, with my trusty glider of course." Kid said as-matter-of-factly.

"How did you know that we're here?" Heiji questioned.

"It's simple. All of Osaka are now looking for Toyama Kazuha, who apparently had been kidnapped. Her boyfriend, I belief, will not just abandon her and must have went to Tokyo to seek help from Kudo Shinichi. I was gonna go to the agency..., but I passed by Hakase's house and saw the wreck and realized what must have happened."

"You seem to know Hakase pretty well..., how?" Conan questioned.

Kid paused. "Hakase was a friend of my dad." Kid said simply.

There was a second moment of silence. No one seemed to know what to say. The deadline's been shortened..., they now have less time to come up with a plan, plus by dawn someone would have noticed the mess of Hakase's house and will call the police. The situation's complications seemed to have quadrupled in the past hour.

"Oh, by the way," Kid broke the silence. "Your girlfriend Mouri Ran and her dad have learned of the kidnap as well."

"How? And how did you know this?" Conan asked.

"I was intercepting radio transmissions and overheard Hattori Heizo's conversation with Mouri Kogoro."

"Dad?!" Heiji groaned. "Great..., the complication seemed to have quintupled."

"I'll go." Ai said suddenly.

Conan, Heiji, and Kid stared at her.

"I've brought you guys too much trouble already, I have to go with them."

"You'll get killed!" Conan yelled.

"I doubt it," Ai said coolly. "They'll let us live as long as I agree to continue the experiment."

"But you hate that experiment!" Conan shouted again.

"What choice do I have?" Ai shrugged.

"I know a second option," Kid said, "and it's not too complicated."

~*~

"Don't worry, Hattori-kun, we'll all help you get her back." Ran comforted Heiji on Saturday night. Officer Megure was asking Heiji a whole bunch of questions regarding the situations, and Heiji was careful not to say anything about Conan, Ai, or the Organization. On the other hand, Conan and Ai was able to persuade everyone that the current condition of Hakase's house is the work of an experiment gone wrong and Hakase himself had to meet up with Yusaku in L.A. for a new book release.

Sunday morning came and left. By nightfall, Conan, Ai, Heiji, and Kid have met up at Hakase's ruined house once again.

"Did you see him?" Conan asked when they were inside.

"That car tailing you guys when you came in? Yes." Kid replied. "No one was around when I came, so I think my involvement is unknown to them."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Heiji asked. "It's really risky..., and dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Kid scoffed. "Please, Mr. Hattori. I'm a magician...nothing's ever dangerous to me--Kid, the Phantom Thief."

But no matter how strongly the three disagreed with Kid's plan, Kid insisted. In the end, they had to give in and at nine o'clock three people marched out into the cold night air. They arrived at the abandoned factory with a few minutes till midnight. Conan shifted uncomfortably under his costume. Then, at exactly midnight, a black Ferrari drove out of the shadows. The car stopped and Vermouth stepped out, her expression shocked.

"Kudo Shinichi?" Vermouth said, amused. "How did you ever manage to turn back?"

The 'Kudo Shinichi' remained silent.

"I've brought Kudo here..., now give Hakase and Kazuha back!" Heiji shouted at the woman at the far end.

Vermouth snapped her fingers. Two men in black stepped out of the car, one dragging Kazuha, the other dragging Hakase. Kazuha was a mess, her face was bruised and her hair entangled. But Hakase was much worse, Hakase was still unconscious and there were blood on his face.

"Now come." Vermouth commanded.

'Shinichi' and 'Ai' walked slowly towards the woman. Vermouth examined the two and motioned at the men behind her and they pushed their hostages forward. In that precise moment, lights shot at them at all directions, and at least five units of police were there.

"Grr." Vermouth snarled and turned at Shinichi. "You lied, Kudo!"

"I'm sorry," said the man, dropping his costume, "But I'm not Kudo Shinichi."

Kid gave Vermouth a fierce punch and grabbed Hakase to safety. 'Ai' seized the opportunity and tried to untie Kazuha's restrains but the men who had Kazuha grabbed her blonde hair and turned her around...but came face to face with a seven-year old boy. Conan grinned and aimed his tranquilizer watch at the man. Vermouth regained her strength and ran for Kazuha. She kicked Conan out of the way, grabbed Kazuha and pushed her back on to the car. Heiji, who was busy fighting the man who had Hakase, tried to chase after the car but was stopped by the man. Conan leaped into the air, his shoes glowing and he aimed a kick at the man's face.

"Thanks." Heiji said.

"Don't thank me now, thank me when we get Kazuha back." Conan said and began to chase after the speeding car. A voice stopped him.

"Conan! Hattori-kun!" It was Officer Satou calling from her car. "Hop in!"

Conan and Heiji took the offer and Satou chased after the black car. Despite the late start, Satou still caught up to Vermouth's car rather quickly. And for an hour they chased, speeding throughout Tokyo and slowly into the mountains. After what seemed like eternity, Vermouth's car stopped at a cliff next to the sea. Satou stopped her car also and they could see two figures getting out of the car.

"Blame yourself, Hattori Heiji." Said the voice of Vermouth. The silhouette of the first figure gave the second a heavy push and pushed her into the ocean. Vermouth herself then leapt off the cliff, pulled on something on her back and the wings of a glider spread out above her and she flew away.

~*~

Hattori sat in the agency, his expression blank and his mind unfocused.

Ran came out of the kitchen carrying soup. She put the pot down on the table in front of the sofa and kneeled down in front of Heiji. "Eat something, Heiji."

Heiji shook his head lightly.

"But you didn't eat anything for the past three days!!" Ran said angrily. "Your body is not going to be able to maintain itself."

"So what?" Hattori whispered. Those were his first words in three days. "That little pain is nothing compared to what Kazu' had suffered..."

Ran saddened. She filled a bowl with the soup and held it in front of Heiji. "Come on..., eat something."

"I SAID NO!" Heiji yelled and slapped Ran's hand away. The bowl was knocked out of her hand and the soup spilled. "Leave me alone." Heiji said monotonously as a teardrops slid down his dark cheeks.

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Oh well..., we all know it's going to be a happy ending anyway. ^_^

Coming next chapter:: Ran and Makoto joins the battalion.