A/N: I managed to do it! Yesh! \o/ And only in two days really. I hope you like this one. I really do because I enjoyed writing this one.
As you'll notice (and probably already have) Tsukiko addresses people differently depending where she is. With Subaru and Conan she's much less formal but with others she is polite. That's because I used to read manga without the honorifics but I can use them if needed.
Tomorrow begins my work so I'll have less time to write. I won't stop though.
But now I'll let you to the story itself. Enough my babblings!
Chapter 29.
The name is Okiya Tsukiko. Or that's what I tell people. The truth is, that I'm from another world. A world where this world – the world of Detective Conan – is just fictional. I still don't know what happened or how but here I am now.
I got caught up with the events when I landed to Haido Central Hospital due hit and run accident by a member of Black Organization, Chianti. Even though it was an accident I'm sure the woman wants me dead – if she knows I'm alive that is. One thing led to another and after spending five months in coma I woke up just in time to participate in Clash of Red and Black. With my reasonings and gaining and unexpected ally – Akai Shuichi – I managed to avoid the worst of the FBI's suspicions and ended up living with agent Jodie Starling.
Due the name I gave to a nurse when being half-asleep, I decided to stay in touch with Akai Shuichi even after his 'death'. He had become a valuable ally to trust and I knew with his new identity – the looks as well as the name – there would be questions about our connection. So I cooked up a story about Okiya Subaru being my brother. Eventually, when I met him again, I told him the truth about my origin which he thankfully believed and thus agreed for us to pretend to be siblings.
No one else knows about my real past, not even Edogawa Conan to whom I revealed knowing his real identity. He is also an ally of sorts but I'm afraid I can't tell him that I know his future. That knowledge used wrong could cause great disturbance with the Plot that is already fragile and unpredictable as it is.
But I have made friends otherwise too. When enrolling to Teitan High I got acquaintaned with a girl on my class named Miyoshi Mai. She is really smart and managed already find out that my 'brother' and I aren't blood related. Then there is Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko from class above us and the Shonen Tantei who I met with a case that led me to be reunited with my 'brother'. Other person I've met is Kuroba Kaito AKA Kaitou Kid. He is a great person and has taught me the Art of Lock-picking.
Hiding isn't what I do. Lying and predicting others are. And that's what is keeping me safe.
Tsukiko opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. It took her a while to recognize the place she was. The room was completely unfamiliar to her. What's more, her head felt like she had ran into a wall.
Groaning, the blonde girl sat up and took her glasses from the bedside table. She didn't put them on though, since she didn't actually need them. Now she recognized the room. It was the second guest room of Kudou house where she had been staying for a night once again.
"What a weird dream… That I don't remember…" Tsukiko muttered and got up with a wide yawn. She secured the brace around her wrist once again and exited the room then. It had been almost a month from the previous check-up on doctor Araide's clinic and her wrist was almost as good as new once again. Both the doctor and Jodie had chewed her ear off when they had heard that she had worsened her wrist but punching the murderer during Ikkaku Rock case. But now it was much better. Actually in Tsukiko's opinion it had already healed but used the brace anyways. Just in case.
"Hnnnn… I hope Bakai has made something good for breakfast…" She muttered when wandering down the hall. It was completely empty except for the few decorations Kudou Yukiko had chosen there on the year something something…
"Why do I get a déjà vu feeling?" Tsukiko asked aloud, suddenly wide awake. She looked at the hallway around her. It was eerie-looking, just like… "In my dream."
The girl gulped as she recalled the events of the dream – no, a nightmare – she had just had.
The hallway was empty and darkened when the blonde girl walked long it. She turned around the corner and headed to the stairs.
"Subaru-nii? Are you there? I'm going out now." Tsukiko called. "I know it's late but I need some stuff from the convenience store for tomorrow. I'm going to meet up with Mai. I did tell you, didn't I?"
No answer. Tsukiko stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"Subaru-nii? Did you go out too?" She headed towards the Kudou library where the 'siblings' spent the most of their time. It was a nice place after all. A desk, a sofa, a TV, lots of interesting books…
"Suba-…" The blonde opened the door and froze. In the middle of the room was a pool of blood. And that blood was coming from a figure of a woman. At first Tsukiko didn't recognize her but as she threaded closer and got a look on her face…
"Kir…?" The next question in her mind was why. Why was she killed? Why was she here? And who was the killer? Tsukiko kneeled beside the body and felt the woman's neck. Not for pulse but for the body temperature.
"Still warm." Tsukiko looked around to see any signs of struggle and found none. Instead there was a bullet hole in the window.
"Chianti?" Was the thought she got from that and was about to move away from the body when something cold pressed against her neck.
"Don't move." A cold male voice ordered. Tsukiko didn't need to risk a look at the person speaking, she knew who it was. Gin.
"Wh-Where is Subaru-nii? What is this woman doing here?" She stuttered out. "Why does she look like Mizunashi Rena-san?"
"Your brother wasn't at the house when we arrived." Gin answered.
"'We'? So Vodka is possibly here too…" The girl thought.
"B-But why are you here?"
"We merely followed the traitor… and found a shadow." The gun pressed harder against the girl's neck. "Not to mention a dead man alive." The last remark was full of gleeful malice that made Tsukiko shudder.
Click.
A gun clicked but it didn't right behind Tsukiko. It was heard farther away.
"Let her go." Was the order from the door of the library. A familiar voice that even Tsukiko hadn't heard for a while. The gun left her skin but she could bet that it was still aimed at her. But now she risked taking a look behind. Akai was standing there. Not Okiya but Akai.
"I said, let her go." The FBI agent repeated. For a second Tsukiko wondered why the man had shed his disguise just like that but figured then that he had heard the conversation. And since Kir was already dead…
"Why should I? She is just a shadow, with no real place here." Gin replied coldly.
"'A shadow'? And what do you mean with that?" Akai frowned, but not in confusion. He was curious to know what was the story behind this name.
"No record anywhere about Okiya Tsukiko except from Teitan High School and Haido Central Hospital. A witness meant to be dead yet surviving without our knowing. And she knows so, so much it disturbs me."
"Okay, that's out of character…" Tsukiko thought.
"Couldn't that be said also about me then? After all I'm codenamed 'Silver Bullet' by your boss." Akai smirked. No emotions were seen on Gin's face when he glanced behind Akai as if waiting for something or someone.
"Looking for Vodka? I knocked him out back in the hall. He was sneaking around the back door." Came the reply. "Now, let Tsukiko go. You know fully well that she won't speak to anyone about anything. Not even when she would have a chance."
"I don't think so. Chianti has wanted a revenge for a long time." And at that a sniper's bullet ripped through the air, hitting Tsukiko near heart. She had been kept on the line of fire all the time.
Bang!
Another shot was fired but Tsukiko didn't see who shot at whom. She was too busy to bleed to death on the floor, next to the body of the CIA mole. The one who spoke next told her it though.
"You have gotten slow, Akai." And with that a pair of steps left the room.
A hand landed on Tsukiko's shoulder and she jumped, almost shrieking but clamped her hand over her mouth.
"Tsukiko, what is it?" Subaru asked and the girl looked up at the bespectacled face.
"I… I'm fine." She managed to get out.
"No, you're not. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I just… Recalled a dream that I just saw…"
"A dream? What sort of?"
"It was nothing, forget it." The girl was about to walk past the man but the firm grip on her shoulder prevented her from doing that.
"It's not 'nothing' if it frightens you like that."
"Our cover was blown, alright? They killed Kir, you and me. That's it." Tsukiko said angrily and pushed past him when the grip loosened.
"But you know it won't happen. Kir won't screw up, she holds her mission in such a high regard. I have no intention of drawing attention on myself and I'm sure you try your best not to attract any unwanted attention either." Okiya told the girl who stopped in mid-step.
"Yes. I know it. But sometimes I can't help thinking 'what if'…"
"Then you just need to remember the Plot you are so adamant to protect. Nothing like it will happen, right?"
"Yea…"
Conan called Tsukiko on the next day. He was going to the police station with Ran and Kogoro because of a serial killer case and asked if she was interested too. The blonde girl had found it weird but not given it any further thoughts.
"Say… Edogawa-kun… Have you had any weird dreams lately?" Tsukiko asked, flipping the page of a magazine. Jodie was out so it was safe to talk.
"Eeeh? No… Why do you ask?" Oh, he was such a poor liar.
"Nothing… I just had really weird dream on the night before last… I was thinking if you had one too…"
"No, I haven't had anything the like. The only funny thing I've encountered was a beetle with a 'V' taped on its back." The chibi detective answered.
"V taped on a beetle's back?" Why did that sound familiar? Wait a minute… A dream of a cover blown, a beetle, a serial killer and… She glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was almost the 7th of July, Tanabata. The Raven Chaser!
"Yeah, but I think it was just a prank."
"Well… Sometimes even the most insignificant things matter the most." Tsukiko stated. "But I'll be at the station then. Does Mouri-tantei know yet?"
"No, but if you butter him enough, he'll let you come just fine."
"Okay…See ya then."
"Yeah, see ya."
Tsukiko hug up the call and folded her magazine. "Raven Chaser, huh? I better keep quiet about this then. Don't want the FBI messing up the Plot."
Kogoro accepted Tsukiko with them just fine when the girl gushed how she had read about his cases. Other factor that helped in this was the fact that she was a female.
"I acted just like Eisuke did, didn't I?" Tsukiko asked Conan when Kogoro had gone to the conference room.
"Yeah, a bit."
They sat down next to a vending machine to listen to the conversation in between the officers and Kogoro. Tsukiko used an extra earpiece that Conan had brought with him. They had just heard the part where Yamamura introduced himself as a police inspector so they both sweatdropped.
"Say, did the boy with glasses come?" Yokomizo Sango asked Kogoro.
"The boy with glasses? You mean Conan?" The sleeping detective confirmed.
"Right, right! Edogawa Conan-kun. When he is around, cases always seem to be solved somehow!"
"Come to think of it, that's happened to me as well." Yokomizo Juugo agreed.
"It's happened to me also!" Yamamura butted in.
"You guys too?" Takagi asked, obviously delighted that he wasn't the only one witnessing the enigma that was Edogawa Conan. It probably creeped him out more or less.
"Actually, it's also happened to us." Sato nodded.
"And then…" Yamamura continued. "You'd lose consciousness and the next thing you knew, the case would be solved, right?"
When the other officers disagreed, Conan and Tsukiko shared a glance.
"Be more careful." The girl mouthed to him. Unfortunately they couldn't talk since Ran was sitting right next to Tsukiko.
"Ahem. I'd like to commence the conference now." Inspector Megure had arrived with Shiratori and Superintendent Matsumoto. The other officers hurried to their seats. The meeting was about to start.
"For starters… The common factor between the previous five cases but not the sixth was that all of the victims were stabbed to death with a large knife." Shiratori told the room. "And judging from the puncture wounds the killer raised their right arm and then plunged the knife downward.
"Also, the victims in each of the five cases were attacked with a stun gun, kidnapped and killed and left at the primary crime scenes."
"In the other words the locations mark something…" Tsukiko muttered.
"Did you say something, Okiya-chan?" Ran looked up from the book she was reading.
"Ah, nothing, nothing… Just thinking stuff." The blonde girl laughed nervously.
"Be more careful." Conan mouthed to her when the karate champion's attention was off the blonde.
"Now, one question surfaces." Shiratori continued. "Why did our suspect, after disabling the victims take all of the extra time to relocate them and then proceed to kill."
"I told you the places matter… You don't need to be a genius to profile that the killer is a perfectionist." Tsukiko thought angrily. Geez, the people were slow. And they were police officers!
"Next, on the bodies in all six cases we found Mahjong tile with red circles on the front and alphabet letters with a black vertical lines on the back. These appear to be messages left by out killer."
"Otava…(Big Dipper in Finnish)"
"About the red circles…" Ogino Ayami from Saitama prefecture began. "On the 7-Pin tiles, only the top-right and bottom-left of four bottom circles are left unmarked."
"The alphabet letters look like two A's, E, H, Z…" Yokomizo Sango continued. "Along with an upside-down L."
"In the other words this case is all Greek for you guys." Tsukiko thought drily.
"Also, among the accessories often carried by the six victims, one of each item was taken away." Shiratori continued.
"Could they have merely been dropped while they were being kidnapped by the suspect?" Chiba asked.
"No, when it comes to only one of each item missing… It's natural for us to assume they were taken by the suspect." Shiratori answered.
"Our main question should be what the messages are supposed to mean." Megure stated, putting down his papers.
"There is one other message." Shiratori told then. "Left by our sixth victim, Ryuuzaki-san, were the words: 'Tanabata… Kyo.' That was his dying message."
"Ryuuzaki-san was probably at the rest house in Mount Daikan when his brake oil was leaked out." Yokomizo Juugo thought aloud. "Which must also be where he saw his eventual murderer."
When Kogoro stood up to present his opinion, Tsukiko promptly tuned him out. He did have something useful there too but around the point was just a mesh of words that mislead.
"But if it were that simple motive… The killer wouldn't drag the victims around. And with this explanation there would be no point with the letters and the vertical line on the back of the tiles." Tsukiko wrote on her small notebook she had taken with her and showed it to Conan who nodded.
"Umm… What do the alphabet letters mean then?" Ogino asked.
"Why did the suspect take extra time to transport the victims elsewhere for his kills?" Yamato Kansuke added.
"Also… Regarding Ryuuzaki-san's dying message, what does it…" Takagi began.
"Yes, thank you…" The girl thought. At least someone didn't believe blindly in Kogoro's 'deductions'. And Yamato Kansuke was one of Tsukiko's favorite officers.
"Let's ponder the significance of those six locations to the suspect." Superintended Matsumoto announced. "Should there be any significance, it could very well lead up right to out killer."
"And it had to be Irish to put the investigation back on the tracks…"
"As for the six victims… They're bound to be related to the suspect somehow. Discovering the common factor among these six will be the fastest way to get to the killer. It's still possible that the connecting link lies in a game of Mahjong, as Mouri-kun suggested. Also, the alphabet letter and black lines on the back of the mahjong tiles… along with the dying message 'Tanabata… Kyo' are problems you need to unravel."
"Yeah, you said it…" Tsukiko chuckled mentally. Organization was obviously worried about their NOC list. Hmm… It shouldn't be too hard to switch a memory card to another before Irish gets it… and Kaito had trained Tsukiko well not only with the lock-picking but quick hands as well.
"Listen up everyone. It's extremely likely our suspect will commit another crime. We have to bet our pride as police and put a stop to this. At times like this, we much put aside our territorial imperatives and rivalries and promote the free exchange of information with one another in order to capture out suspect as soon as possible. I urge you to do your best in your investigations."
"Yes, sir!" Everyone in the room chorused.
"Uhuhuhuu… Using the Japanese sense of honor for your own purposes… Well done Irish." Tsukiko mused with a great amusement, taking the earpiece off when the officers started to pour out of the room.
"Looks like the meeting is over." Ran smiled and closer her book when Yamamura had ran past them to the bathroom. Behind him walked a disguised officer who Tsukiko knew to be Vermouth.
"Looks like it." Conan nodded.
"Yeah, I wonder what the case is about." Tsukiko grinned and slipped the earpiece to Conan's pocket. The three got up from the bench when the local officers went past.
"Oh, Inspector Matsumoto." Ran smiled, making the man to turn around. "Long time no see. Is Sayuri-sensei doing well?"
"Ah, you're Mouri's… My daughter is doing just fine." Nice save, Irish… "Well, Mouri. I'm counting on you."
When Kogoro saluted and expressed his 'vow', Tsukiko looked pointedly away from him, suppressing her laughter. The man simply was too amusing.
"Chiba-keiji, did you lose a little weight?" Conan asked when Matsumoto and Megure were gone.
"Oh, you noticed? I'm on a diet now." The detective told proudly. "It's popular on that morning TV program, you know?"
"Speaking of weight… Shiratori… Haven't you gained some by comparison?" Kogoro asked. The man in question stopped.
"Let's not joke around, Mouri-san." The curly-haired inspector sweated at the accusation. "I go to the gym twice a week, you know."
Behind the Tokyoite inspector the Yokomizo brothers were having a conversation.
"How unusual." Juugo stated. "Big bro drinking black coffee."
"Yeah, the doctor put a limit on my sugar intake." Sango replied. "And speaking of which, didn't you hate sweet stuff?"
"Three murder cases in a row on my desk. I can't function without glucose."
"But luckily the case of Ikkaku Rock is already out of the way, right?" Tsukiko smiled, making the younger of two brothers look at her.
"Eh, you again…"
"Yup, me."
"What are you doing here?" The inspector frowned.
"Edogawa-kun invited me." The blonde girl grinned.
"Ikkaku Rock?" Yokomizo Sango repeated from his brother's side. "Oh, I heard of it. You are Okiya Tsukiko-san, right?"
"Yes, that's me." Tsukiko paused. "Is something wrong?"
"Is that really your hair color?" The man asked, eyeing curiously the girl's blonde hair.
"Yes, it is. Why does everyone ask about it when they meet me? I obviously don't have dark roots showing, do I?" The girl sighed.
"Well, it's very unusual color."
"I know…"
The Yokomizo's went to separate ways, the elder one only stopping to talk with Ogino who asked about Conan. Tsukiko smiled faintly. When she had seen the movie she had found the woman suspicious but in the end it had been just a red herring.
"Karasu~, naze nakuno~…" Yamamura was coming back from the bathroom. Conan and Tsukiko both turned towards the source of the song. "Karasu wa yama ni~…"
"Kawaii nanatsu no…" Tsukiko whispered when Conan ran to the newly promoted inspector. "Ko ga aru kara yo…"
"Yamamura-keiji, that song…" The boy began.
"I see you haven't noticed yet." Yamamura flashed his badge.
"Yes, we can see that. But would you tell us what made you sing that particular song?" Tsukiko smiled. "Yamamura-keibu?"
"'Why' you ask… Well, I just heard it outside the bathroom. It sounded like push-button dial tones."
"That officer with glasses…" The blonde girl mumbled with a frown.
"Exactly, I saw him dialing on his cell phone when exiting the bathroom."
"Okay, sorry, gotta dash." The girl sprinted down the hall with Conan.
"Don't tell me, those guys…" The chibi detective ran and ran.
"Tantei-chan you are thinking aloud." Tsukiko remarked, making the boy looking up at her. "But there is no doubt of it, is there? One of the crows was here snooping the investigation." She said with a low voice when Conan jumped to look out of the window.
"There…" The boy spotted the officer and dashed to stairs, past Megure and Matsumoto. "Going to bathroom!"
"I'll make sure he won't get lost!" Tsukiko added, running after the faux-child.
They reached outside just in time to see the officer getting to a black Porsche 356A, Gin's car. Tsukiko gulped nervously as she recalled her nightmare. The car drove away.
"Now the question remains why they were snooping around." The girl stated, looking at the boy. "What do you think? Let's make this our own investigation."
Conan looked up. Seeing the smile, the one she had practically copied from Akai, on her face, he nodded.
"I'm going to tell the professor about this but…"
"No Haibara, no Subaru and no FBI. Just us two."
"Fine." The detective nodded, extending his hand to the girl who took it. "Just us."
"It's settled then, Kudou."
"Yeah, Okiya."
"How was the day, Tsukiko-chan?" Jodie asked when she finally arrived home.
"Just fine. I'm going to sleep now though. Tomorrow will be a long day for me." The girl got up from the couch she had been lounging on and reading her notes about the case while waiting for the agent to come home.
"Long day? Something special then?"
"Yeah, Edogawa-kun and I are going to investigate one case so we're going on a trip with professor Agasa."
"Ooh, sounds exciting!" Jodie smiled to her. "What sort of case is it?"
"A serial killer one. We eavesdropped to a police conference today so…"
"But isn't tomorrow a school day?" The agent noticed suddenly.
"Yeah, but I thought I could take two days off since I'm already ahead of others. And if this is really a serial killer with only one victim left, we need to move fast to find clues." Yes, thanks for Finnish school system Tsukiko was indeed ahead of her classmates in some subjects. She could afford being absent two days. She hadn't taken any other days off school after all.
"Alright, you have my permission. Just be careful and good luck." Jodie smiled.
"Thank you, Jodie-san!"
Road trip. That described the situation quite well. Conan read the map while Agasa drove and Tsukiko browsed Internet with her cell phone to find any clues concerning 'Tanabata… Kyo'. Of course the girl knew everything about the case already but it was fun to look for the facts and clues on her own. Moreover, this was a great opportunity to see places in Japan.
"So… Did Haibara find out?" Was a question Tsukiko wanted to ask but couldn't risk it in front of the professor. He was bound to blurt it out to the shrunken scientist at one point.
Visiting the places was quite a quiet affair. Conan looked around for clues, Tsukiko scribbled notes and Agasa stood on the background. But by the end of the day it was done and Tsukiko just collapsed on her bed when she got home. Even Jodie didn't bother her with questions seeing as the next day was a school day for the girl.
"Ano, Tsukiko-chan, where have you been the last two days?" Miyoshi asked when the girl sat on her seat.
"I thought I was going to get a cold so I decided to stay at home." The blonde answered.
"A cold? It's summer now."
"Yes, it is. But common cold can be gotten at any time of the year. I'm sure you've noticed."
"Uh, yes I have indeed. My cousin got a cold two years ago. In August. It wasn't a nice one even. He was bedridden for a week."
"That's nasty."
After school Tsukiko received a mail from Conan, telling about the police operation in the mall. She smiled before replying: 'I'll be there soon'.
And she was. The girl crouched on the floor beside the boy and they followed the scene unfold in front of them. The suspect arrived and boarded an escalator. The police officers started whispering furiously while Conan took off his backpack. Tsukiko narrowed her eyes slightly when she spotted Vermouth in disguise approaching the suspect.
"That woman…"
"Yeah."
And the Black Organization member was taken as a hostage.
"Oh dear…" Tsukiko let out a shirt laugh but Conan jumped into action. The soccer ball fell across the web of escalators and hit the suspect, Fukase Minoru. In the mess the police officers neglected to notice Fukase's girlfriend picking up the knife. And Vermouth left the scene quietly.
"Let's go, Okiya." Conan ran to the escalators, the girl right behind him.
"Yeah."
They went all the way to the underground parking garage where Tsukiko hid behind a pillar while Conan confronted the woman. After all Tsukiko's face wasn't exactly known to the Organization. And if it was, it wasn't as an opposing force.
"Is it alright? To walk away like that?" Conan asked. "Isn't there something you want from that guy? Vermouth."
"There's nothing that can be done. And didn't you want me to leave like that?" The mistress of disguises answered. "Not to mention… That man likely isn't the killer."
"Yeah. That's true."
"A man who can't even raise his right arm to use a knife can't be our assailant."
"Assuming he didn't hurt it after committing the crime, that is."
"Beyond that… I'm impressed you managed to figure me out. Or was it your friend who did it?" Vermouth obviously enjoyed the face Conan made when Tsukiko was mentioned. "She's right there, isn't she?" The woman nodded her head towards the pillar behind which the blonde girl was hiding. At that, Tsukiko stepped out.
"The echo of the footsteps, eh?" The girl cringed. "Tantei-chan's steps were too light to catch properly but mine… were a whole other case."
"Oh, it isn't our mystery girl is it? FBI's little protégé." The female Raven smiled smugly. "I remember seeing you. Twice."
"I remember seeing you too. Twice. No, thrice. " Tsukiko said calmly. "But I bet you don't have my name do you?"
"I could find it out if I wanted to. But now, how did you figure my disguise out?"
"Your ankle." Conan smiled.
"Ankle?"
"Yea, there was a bulge near your right ankle. You have a gun concealed there, right?" Tsukiko smirked.
"And even after that guy wounded your face with a knife, I don't see any blood seeping from it." Conan added. This made the woman touch the 'wound' and then pull the disguise off.
"I guess I'll have to make a blood-seeping mask next time, huh?" She stated while examining the mask. At that Tsukiko had a chance to take a good look on her. The actress was beautiful indeed and it was great to see her face to face but at the same time the girl couldn't help but thinking what a manipulative bitch she was. Still one of her favorites though.
"I think you purposely made yourself his hostage and planned to utilize you gun to turn the tables on him once you were out of the police's sight." Conan told, waking the girl from her thoughts. "Well, I doubt you would really put your gun to use, anyway."
"And I didn't expect to receive a compliment from you." Vermouth smiled after she had taken her ankle holster off.
"Maybe so, but why is your organization following this serial murder case?" Tsukiko asked, crossing her arms on her chest.
"My, how straightforward."
"Just tell it. I wonder what would the FBI do if they were aware about this operation."
"NOC. And you wouldn't really tell it, would you? You haven't told yet so why would you now."
"It's never too late. What does NOC has to do with this?"
"Non-official cover…" Conan whispered. "A member of yours working undercover as a civilian became one of the victims?"
"Right. That NOC, perhaps seeking some sort of insurance, carried a memory card containing our entire NOC list." The woman admitted.
"Entire list… You actually have your entire NOC list in one place where they got it?" Tsukiko snorted.
"Well, the Organization had planned to get rid of them shortly anyways. However…" Vermouth lit a cigarette.
"That person was killed by someone else first." Conan concluded the thought.
"Correct. And now, their killer…"
"The memory card was in one of the items the killer took." Tsukiko smirked. "It would be quite bad for you guys if the police would get a look into that database. But isn't it lucky though… If the killer hadn't taken it, the police most likely would have investigated it anyways and would already know the contents of that card."
"Wait, the fact that you're here means the NOC was at the conference." Conan realized suddenly. "No, that's not it… You had one of your partners disguise as an officer. That's why you infiltrated the conference, was it not? You wanted to ensure that your partner's disguise was still airtight! And if it weren't, you would've continued your own infiltration."
Vermouth listened all this calmly, like amused, which she definitely was while Tsukiko regarded the woman from her own place.
"Who is it? Who are they disguised as!? Is the real officer safe?!"
"Tsk, tsk…" The woman smirked. "Our conversation has come to an end. It's on you two to solve the rest. Their code name is… Irish."
"Irish." The boy repeated.
"Right. Irish whiskey is nicely distilled, with a mild taste." Vermouth explained before changing her behavior completely. "Excuse me, security guard? These two look lost."
"They're lost?" The security guard asked from the other side of the hall. Conan turned around.
"No…" And on that moment Vermouth slipped into her car.
"Good luck. I wish you the best." She sped out of the parking garage, Conan running after her a few steps. Tsukiko followed him with a calmer pace.
"What's with the villains and their flashy cars?" The girl asked aloud.
The duo walked to the place where Conan had left his backpack and Tsukiko her school bag.
"I'm heading home now. See you tomorrow, Kudou." She stated while glancing the time from her wrist watch.
"Were you serious though?" Conan asked. "About telling the FBI."
"No. Which leads to my question I intended to ask earlier… Did Haibara find out?"
"Yeah, she heard professor and I. I'll tell her the details we got today to find out if she knows anything."
"Okay, call me then."
"Yeah…"
Tsukiko was checking her mails when the call came.
"Kudou, what is it? Did you miss my voice that much?" The girl grinned when answering and leaning back in her chair until she was balancing on the hind legs of it. She was the only person in the classroom at the moment.
"Don't play around Okiya. They've found the seventh victim, Shindou Sumire, from Ayase city in Kanagawa prefecture."
"Oh, I see… That's bad then. The killer might try to disappear now."
"Yeah. And behind the Mahjong tile was a triangle this time."
"A triangle? That's weird… What could it possibly me-..." Tsukiko cut herself off as people started to come into the classroom. "I'll call you later."
"Eh, cho-chotto matte-."
"Ohayoo, Tsukiko-chan." Miyoshi greeted the girl as she took her seat next to the blonde.
"Ohayoo, Mai-san." Tsukiko smiled and was about to strike up a conversation when…
"Hey, did you already hear?!" Somehow Hanajima had appeared in front of Tsukiko's desk once again.
"Hear what?" Miyoshi glared.
"The Dark Knight's helmet has been stolen. The one Kudou-Shinichi-san used in the school play!"
"Eh? Really?" Miyoshi's eyes widened when she took in the news.
"'The one'? You mean there's more of those?" Tsukiko asked.
"No, not at all. But the thing is… the whole drama club is worried. You should've seen Mouri when she heard of it." Hanajima babbled.
"But what is this thing about Kudou Shinichi? I thought he disappeared from the face of the earth." The blonde continued.
"Oh, right. You don't know." The gossiper gasped. "He appeared in a school play and solved a murder that one of our school's late students committed there during the play. But this has to be kept quiet. We don't want our school's reputation to go into an ashtray."
"No worries. I won't tell anyone."
"Eh, I said I'm sorry…" Tsukiko said to her phone. "Mai-san wants to discuss with me about something. I'll meet with you later then."
"Okay, I'll tell you than what I'll find out."
"Yep, see ya, Tantei-chan." And she hung up. She was right outside the school and out of sight. She wasn't going to meet with Miyoshi but buy a memory card identical to the one in the good luck charm. And then she'd try switching them in an undetectable way. And she'd probably need a new one anyways for her cell phone so she could record Conan's deductions and the culprit's confession when at the Touto Tower.
"The 7th of July…" The girl mused as she looked at the date in the corner of her cell phone. "Tanabata."
"Geez, back home I'd have summer holiday now." She shrugged, heading towards the closest electronic store. On the way there she wrote up an e-mail to Agasa. The professor had sent her a picture about the beetle with tape on its back for some reason.
The Beatles are brilliant, aren't they?
I especially like their song 'Help'.
-Okiya Tsukiko
"Khihihihi."
It was already the night when Tsukiko headed to Touto Tower. She had discussed with Conan about what he had found out about the case with Heiji via phone and the boy had told the girl then that he'd go to talk with Mizutani Kousuke who'd be framed for the murders. Together, they made plan how they would proceed.
The girl boarded the elevator well before the police arrived to the tower, her hand fumbling the memory card nervously in her jeans' pocket. When in the right floor, she hid behind the structure to listen to the conversation between the little detective and the man who was as victim as the others had been. She began the recording according to their plan.
"But it's too bad, huh?" Conan stated. "To have so close to the sky and not be able to see the stars."
"No. I can see them." Mizutani replied. "Whenever, wherever… Only those stars…"
Tsukiko pulled her cell phone and started writing a message. She dug out a business card she had gotten after the Ikkaku Rock and from there she got the address. With a grin she sent it.
"Hey, Mizutani-san… After drinking that wine you are planning to commit a suicide, right?" Conan continued the conversation. "'There are eight people I cannot forgive. Now, only one remains.' The one that still remains… Mizutani-san… It's you isn't it?"
Yokomizo Juugo took out his cell phone when a message arrived, certain that the only reason a message would come, would be extra information about the case. When he opened it he was surprised though.
"What is it, Juugo?" Sango asked his brother.
"An e-mail message…"
"Is it something important?" Matsumoto asked in turn.
"Yes, it is very important." Juugo looked up at the rest of the officers who had stopped for a moment when they all had reached the viewing platform. "You aren't Superintendent Matsumoto, are you?"
"What have you gotten in your head now?" Matsumoto/Irish frowned.
"Then answer to this question: When your daughter Sayuri was poisoned in her own weddings, who was the culprit and what was the motive."
"Her husband was it. They are happily married now though."
"And the motive?"
"How would I know? It wasn't in the files." And with that the impostor attacked.
"The shock and the anger when you learned the details of Nanako-san's death… I think I understand it. That's why you went to the hotel in Kyoto and investigated those seven people, right?" Conan was still in his explanation. Tsukiko checked the time from her watch and let out a small sigh. The situation was nerve-wrecking. Nervously she pulled her cap deeper in her head and made sure her hair was hidden underneath it. The organization had spotted her once(Vermouth didn't count) and if it saw and recognized her for the second time… It would be disastrous for her and for Subaru. And then for Kir too…
"Just as you said…" Mizutani sighed. "On that fateful day, two years ago if I hadn't gone to meet my friend Nana wouldn't have died. When I think of that I can't forgive myself."
"But you mustn't commit suicide! That just means you're murdering your-." When Conan's attention was completely on Mizutani, Tsukiko walked quietly to the table with a backpack and a wine bottle and swiftly changed the memory card inside the good luck charm. She had managed to buy the exact brand but she guessed the organization wouldn't notice even if it wasn't the exactly same one.
"I know that! I know that, but… I can no longer bear to live in a world without Nana. Not to mention I'll get a death sentence anyway…"
"It won't be a death sentence. After all Mizutani-san, you didn't kill anyone. Wasn't there someone who asked you, with your kind heart, to take guilt on yourself and commit suicide in exchange for them killing those seven people?" Conan asked gently and on that Tsukiko stepped in. The memory card was safely in the breast pocket of her jacket inside a small metal case.
"We don't object to your desire to take responsibility for Nanako-san's death. But the one that other person really despises and wishes to kill is actually you, Mizutani-san. And it's because you were the one who took away his beloved sister." She told the man as she walked forward in her dark attire that consisted of a black cap, dark violet thin jacket and dark grey skinny jeans. Glasses she had left home with her bag.
"Yes… Isn't that right, Nanako-san's big brother Honjou Kazuki-san?" The two detectives turned to face the real culprit of this all.
"Oniisan!" Mizutani exclaimed in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Bastard, you have no right to address me that way!" Honjou hissed and turned to address Conan. "Brat… How did you know I did it?"
"I made no sense, no matter how I looked at it." The young detective answered. "If Mizutani-san had been the culprit the logic behind choosing the positions of Polaris and the Big Dipper as the crime scenes wouldn't have made sense."
"Because that would've stained his precious stars with blood." Tsukiko stated sadly yet a tad smugly. "Thus staining all his memories with Nanako-san as well."
"As such, I thought this may have been a plan someone alse had come up with in order to make the star-loving Mizutani-san their scapegoat. When I realized that, everything came together."
"Since the beginning it was clear that the positions of the crime scenes meant something. They mirrored exactly position of the Big Dipper and Polaris which meant that the killer was a perfectionist."
"But, the sing on Mizutani-san't apartment door was slightly crooked and the handwriting wasn't very tidy either. And by comparison the phone number written on your name card was in very neat handwriting. There was even a faint pencil line, to ensure the writing was straight. And inside your organizer even the names and addresses of those that sent flowers were clearly recorded."
"And everything this shows that you are a perfectionist, doesn't it?" The blonde girl grinned. "Just the person we are looking for."
"You… Just who are you, really?" Honjou seemed to recoil slightly, like preparing to attack or to shield himself from Conan's piercing gaze and Tsukiko's wide grin(adopted from Kaito).
"Edogawa Conan…"
"And Okiya Tsukiko…"
"Tantei-san." The duo finished in unison. It was official now. Tsukiko was a detective just like Conan, Heiji and eventually Sera too.
"The one who told Mizutani-san the whole story of how Nanako-san died… It was you, wasn't it?" Conan asked.
"Yeah… That day when I heard from this guy that Shindou Sumire, the artist, was staying in the same hotel on the same floor, I went to her personal art exhibition to ask some questions." Honjou told. "At that time, I happened to overhear Sumire and Ryuuzaki talking."
"And you passed on the information to Mizutani-san while adding your own lies." When Mizutani looked down at Conan in confusion, the kid provided an explanation. "On the first anniversary of Nanako-san's death, everyone who had been on the 6th floor brought flowers."
"If it was that they were guilty, only one or two would have come but all seven came." Tsukiko sighed. "The only possible reason for that was that they wanted to express their gratitude. They wanted to say, 'Thank you' for allowing them to board the elevator."
"Then, could it be… Nanako wasn't chased out…" Mizutani asked uncertainly. "But instead voluntarily…"
"Yeah, that's right." Honjou nodded. "Nanako was that kind of a girl. But even still! That doesn't change the fact that it was because of them boarding that elevator that she died!"
"So you decided to taint your sister's memory and her kind-heartedness! Her sacrifice saved the lives of seven people that you took then! You made her death be in vain!" Tsukiko hissed. "Just how pathetic are you?"
"Mizutani-san… Indeed, Nanako-san did die in place of those seven people." Conan said seriously. "However…even though you're also a substitute by taking Honjou-san'd place and killing yourself to atone for his sins, there's a world of difference there! And that difference is as great as that of a star in the sky and a stone rolling on the ground."
"Nana…" Mizutani's shoulders slumped slightly. "I quit…"
"What?" Honjou gasped.
"I'm sorry. I won't be committing a suicide. This boy's words brought me to my senses." The young man walked to the table on which the wine bottle and his bag were. "And I'm sure that Nana in heaven wouldn't want me to commit suicide either. I'm returning this to you." It was a small pouch containing the stolen items plus the memory card Tsukiko had switched. "I have no need for it now. Please turn yourself in, oniisan."
"Damn!"
"Honjou-san." The bespectacled kid drew the killer's attention once again. "Those are the items you took from the seven victims, right? You handed these to him and assured him that, if he dies with these on him, he would be presumed to be the murderer, right?"
"Tsk, it's a good thing I came." Honjou sneered. "When I heard that Mouri-tantei was investigating I rushed here fearing I would be exposed. I lied to you because I was hoping you would be the one taking revenge on them. But you didn't have the courage to do so. That's why I had to do it myself!"
"That isn't courage! It's merely self-satisfaction!" Conan shouted.
"Shut up!" A knife was drawn. Conan and Tsukiko both took an instinctive step back. A frown appeared on the girl's face. "Since Mouri-tantei isn't here, that must mean you two came alone! Don't belittle me!" The killer attacked.
"Look out, Edogawa-kun!" Tsukiko dashed forward from the side while Conan backed up. She didn't manage to do anything though.
Bang!
The knife clattered off to a distance, Honjou slumped on the floor and Tsukiko skidded to a stop, looking to the direction where the shot had come from. She exchanged a glance with Conan then and the same thought was going on in their heads.
"Damn, that part of the plan failed…"
"Did I make it in time?" The fake Matsumoto asked when he took out the badge of the original one. "I'm Matsumoto from the Police Headquaters."
"Police Headquaters?" Mizutani repeated. Tsukiko took several steps back and stopped the recording her cell phone had been doing in her jacket pocket when Conan readied his stun gun wristwatch.
"Are you injured?" Irish continued.
"No…"
"Come with me to the station." The impostor lifted Honjou off the floor. The dart flew through the air but hit Mizutani instead of Irish. The young man fainted and Tsukiko caught him, laying him on the floor. Now the Organization member's attention went to Conan for a second.
"Shit! Like I'd be caught by the likes of you!" Honjou tried to attack with a stunner but the fake Matsumoto knocked him out.
"As I thought…" Conan said, his body language telling he was ready to flee at any moment. "You're Irish, aren't you?"
The tall man straightened up and flashed a manic grin to the boy. Tsukiko, finishing dragging Mizutani to a safe corner(from the helicopter machinegun in the future) walked forward too, making sure she was on the opposite side of Irish than Conan.
"What have you done with Superintendent Matsumoto?" Conan asked when Irish emptied the contents of the pouch on the table with the wine and picked up the good luck charm. Tsukiko made sure to stay behind his back once again and this time… This time she wasn't smiling like she had with previous cases. This case was dead serious and there was a chance that she'd die. With everything else she had given a bit sociopathic image of herself since she tended to smile/smirk/grin as she followed the cases proceeding. It was simply so exciting to witness the case solving and she still hadn't really wrapped herself around the idea that she was in a fictional world. A fictional world she could as well die. The girl was still half waiting that she'd wake up back home and be disappointed that it all had been just a dream.
But not anymore. The nightmare almost a week ago had been a wake-up call to reality. In future –if she were to survive this case – she would probably still be giddy about the cases but she would also understand that they were real people dying and she could die for real.
"Don't tell me…"
"Nah, he's still alive. But tell me which one of you boys sent the message to Yokomizo? Now he can't be my scapegoat anymore."
"'Boys'? Did it happen again?" Tsukiko sweatdropped. Sometimes when she had tied her hair on a low ponytail and worn a cap and a black baggy fleece jacket, she had been mistaken for a boy, but now she had a violet jacket! And it wasn't unisex styled one! Well… Conan wore pink sometimes so maybe the color codes weren't as strict in this world…
"I did it. Besides I bet the original one is found by now." The girl stated, deciding not to correct the man for getting her gender wrong. She could always use that confusion for her advantage after all.
"Ah, you. Vermouth mentioned you. Called you Shadow."
"Kage(Shadow)?"
"Yes, a shadow that tails the organization." Irish fished the fake memory card from the charm.
"I'm assuming that's the memory card containing the Organization's NOC list." Conan stated.
"Yeah, might be. When did you find out I was a fake?" Mr. Codename asked after pocketing the card. Tsukiko let a small smirk grace her lips before it slid away.
"I had a general idea." The young detective shrugged smugly. "If Vermouth, the master of disguises, had sent someone else to infiltrate in her stead, that could have been made impossible due the difference in body stature. And when I thought along those lines… you were the first one to come to my mind."
"And cancelling out the suspects helped." Tsukiko added. "Yamamura is too goofy and he was singing Nanatsu no ko after hearing the dial tones Vermouth caused. Megure-keibu got stabbed by the first suspect's girlfriend. Yokomizo Juugo recognized me from Ikkaku Rock and when his brother Sango mentioned hearing about the case form him, he didn't deny it."
"I see, as expected of Kudou Shinichi… and the Shadow." At Irish words Conan tensed visibly. Tsukiko leaned slightly forward, ready to act despite the fact she had never really practiced karate or anything. K-chan had taught her a few Kung Fu moves but that's it. She should probably ask Subaru to teach her a bit. "Before matching the fingerprints, I was skeptical too."
"Have you already reported this to your boss?" The shrunken teen asked, shoulders still tense.
"No, not yet. I haven't told anyone."
"Not even Gin?" Tsukiko asked. "After all he's the one who supposedly killed Kudou."
"Yeah…" The man mused, sinking into a flashback for a moment.
"Why?" Conan demanded.
"There was once a time when he shot a fellow member of the Organization that made a mistake. He left the body to burn there at Haido City Hotel where it eventually turned to ashes. That member was someone I respected like a father."
"Pisco!?"
"Heh. You've investigated us thoroughly, haven't you? To have failed in killing Kudou Shinichi and then failing to see through your true identity… he's made a huge oversight. I'll be taking you to meet that person to have you act as a witness in order to overthrow that conceited and cold-blooded bastard."
"Interesting scenario." Tsukiko mused aloud. "Since we are talking about who knows whom… how many people exactly knows about me then? I know that Chianti holds a grudge over me for scratching her car – accidentally that is – and I met Vermouth who obviously told you about me… but anyone else? Do they even know about the Shadow?"
"No one. Vermouth was certain I'd meet you here so she gave me that codename. Said you know more than you let on. Talked about Shadow thinking like the Organization, predicting them." Irish glanced at the girl, obviously not noticing the identifying mistake he made earlier, before focusing on Conan again.
"Perhaps I do." The blonde said quietly. "Perhaps…"
There was a second when both of the detectives' attention was off the man and that's when he attacked. Conan fell across the airspace of the viewing platform, hitting Tsukiko and knocking her down too.
"Have no fear…" Irish told the boy when he put his gun behind the waistband of his trousers and approached him. "I'm just going to knock you unconscious. Unless I bring you back alive I should think you being Kudou Shinichi, is something that person would find hard to believe."
The boy had managed to get his glasses back on his face. Tsukiko got on her feet slowly but didn't stand up yet. She hadn't anticipated that move at all.
Conan shouted when he flew and landed on the floor again. Tsukiko had been lying on the floor for a minute now. She had tried to fight back but as she had thought before… she had no proper skills for that. Only what she had seen on TV and been taught by her friend. The girl managed to look up just when Conan slumped against a pillar and Ran dashed into the room with a security guard. The blonde couldn't be seen by either of them though.
"Conan-kun!" The long haired girl ran to the injured boy. "Conan-kun! What happened?"
"Ran…-neechan…" The boy struggled to speak.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"Are the two of you alright?" Irish ran towards them. Tsukiko managed to get her upper body off the floor.
"Detective Matsumoto! It's serious!" Ran got up. "The other detectives downstairs were…"
"Attacked by the culprit?"
Conan got Ran's attention by touching her leg.
"No good… Run…" The boy told her. She kneeled down, not hearing him properly. "Run… He's…"
"Mouri-senpai! That's not the real Matsumoto!" Tsukiko yelled before coughing: Irish had stricken her by the throat but she had managed to avoid the worst damage. Now the security guard went down and the gun was pointed at Ran. The karate champion stood up once again.
"Not the real Superintendent Matsumoto?" The girl repeated at the gunpoint. Her hand clenched into a fist.
"Don't…" Conan struggled to stand up and was still half crouching on the floor.
"It's alright." The dark haired girl reassured the boy, a determined look in her eyes. A confident smile appeared on her face.
"What's so funny?" Irish asked. "Don't tell me that you think you can dodge a bullet."
"That's exactly it."
"Interesting. Let's give it a try."
Bang!
Ran dodged the bullet and attacked, knocking the gun out of the man's hand. Irish slumped on the floor after a hit to the jaw. Conan glanced at the bullet hole near his head in the pillar.
"Amazing…" The kid muttered but soon his focus was back on the man who was getting his bearing together.
"I have to hand it to you, little lady." Irish spoke as he got up. "I had forgotten that you're a karate expert." And he attacked Ran. The girl was quick to answer to the offence with her own.
By the opposite wall, Tsukiko got slowly on her feet, still massaging her throat. She better not interfere to the fight.
"Damn, I really need Subaru to teach me…" She thought just when Ran managed to kick the impostor in the face, ripping the bottom half of the mask. When she saw what she had done, she froze.
"Focus, Mouri-senpai!" Tsukiko yelled, straining her throat again, but in vain. The other girl took all the following hits and lost her consciousness when she heard Conan reassuring her with Shinichi's voice that everything would be fine.
When Irish shed the remains of his disguise both Conan and Tsukiko were gone, both of them having gained some of their strength back.
"Run, run… Allow me to enjoy this even more." The man called after them. Conan set a trap by leaving his wristwatch with the light on into a closet and then kicking a soccer ball at the man. He managed to only hit the flashlight from the man, not knock him out like intended. And the second shot didn't come when Irish broke the boy's belt mechanism.
"One… One… Four… One…" Tsukiko counted in her head the shots Irish had fired with the gun.
"What a pity… You were so close there." The man taunted the boy.
Bang!
The shoes were useless now too.
"Eight…"
"What's wrong? Already out of ideas?"
Bang!
A bullet hit the floor between Conan and Tsukiko.
"Nine…" The girl didn't say anything, just scooped the boy by his waist and ran away. Thank god the boy was light!
"Yeah, that's the way." Irish urged them tauntingly, firing the gun again. Tenth shot. He'd reload the gun now.
When the two got outside the Tower it had already started to rain. Tsukiko let the boy down to ran on his own. They rounded a corner and Conan got to the stairs up. Three bullets whizzed right past Tsukiko. Irish wasn't even aiming at her. She wasn't an obstacle nor anything useful. Or then she was. Useful that is.
Irish pulled the girl away from the stairs and threw her against the railing. It hit painfully in the small of her back.
"Gah!"
"And the shadow shall sleep." Tsukiko slumped on the ground, barely conscious.
"Let's end this game of cat-and-mouse, shall we?" Iris suggested when starting to climb up the stairs. Just then Conan dashed around the corner and knocked him down, seizing his gun in the process.
"How the tables have turned." The detective stated, aiming the weapon at the man. "Now… Hand over the memory card!"
Right then the lights of the Touto Tower went off.
"They're here, huh?" Irish muttered. A black helicopter with a spot light flew on their level. Conan got blinded and Irish took the opportunity to get his gun back and threaten the boy. The man's cell phone interrupted the intimidating moment though and he got up to answer it.
"It's me."
"How is it? Have you secured the memory card?" Gin asked from the other end of the line in the helicopter.
"Yeah." Irish took the card from his pocket.
"And who's that?" Came the question, referring to Tsukiko lying by Irish's feet.
"The boy? Just a nuisance. Dead."
He was lying. Tsukiko realized that. 'Why' was the question. Maybe there was no reason to kill her or then… the reason was the same that protecting Conan. After all she had already changed the plot by telling Irish the Superintendent was found. And the fact his cover was blown had been the reason why the man had been originally killed. Maybe he had realized the possibility by now.
"I can't really see you. Hold it out further."
Irish did as told after tsk'ing a bit.
"That's right. A little more." Without the man noticing, Chianti aimed at him and the fake card. "Now!"
Bang!
Tsukiko tried not to flinch when she heard the shot and Irish collapsed. Thankfully the attention of the other members was entirely on the man. Irish fell near Conan by the stairs while his cell phone fell near the girl, allowing her to hear the conversation in the helicopter.
"Bingo!" Chianti rejoiced after the successful shot.
"I wanted to shoot." Korn complained halfheartedly.
"Aniki…"Vodka began, unsure why the shot had been fired to kill the other 'agent'.
"Look below." Gin said as an explanation.
"That's…"
"He has no means of escape. Thanks for your service, Irish." But then the silver haired man noticed the tip of Conan's shoe in the monitor. "There's someone else down there!"
"Hey, pull yourself together! Wake up, come on!" The boy was kneeling beside Irish's limp body. He lifted the man up. "It's alright! It didn't hit your vital points! Once we take care of them…"
"That won't work, Kudou." Tsukiko said behind the bespectacled kid. The boy risked a look at her and noticed that her gloved hand had disconnected the call. "The Organization will finish him off. After all the real Matsumoto should be found by now. The Police is coming up."
"No, we just need medical treatment." Conan protested.
"I see it now…" Irish whispered. "Why Vermouth speaks so highly of you two… Silver Bullet and Shadow."
Bang!
Chianti fired at Conan from the helicopters new position but Irish pushed the boy's head down.
Bang!
The second shot hit the man on the back and he moaned in pain.
"Irish!"
"Kudou Shinichi… Keep coming after us…" The man was gone.
"Irish!"
"Kudou!" Tsukiko called. "Toss his gun to me and run!"
"Okiya!" The boy looked up.
"Quickly! Those guys can do anything now they noticed you. They think me I'm dead so I've the element of surprise. I'll go to protect Mouri-senpai! I count three and go… Three!"
"Yes!"
The gun slid right next to Tsukiko's hand and she seized it quickly. Somehow the feel of cool and hard metal gave reassurance to the girl. The helicopter decided to move to the position it had been earlier.
"Two!" Conan prepared to run.
"One!" The girl stood up quickly and aimed the gun at the helicopter.
"He was alive?!" Probably rang in the copter.
"Go!" She fired once before taking off running. And right then the machinegun attached to the copter began to fire. The Organization's attention went to Conan though who started running the stairs up, just like in the Plot. The helicopter followed him to upper parts of the Tower.
Tsukiko skidded to the viewing platform and to Ran. Bullets tore the glass and the shards flew everywhere.
"Guah!" One bullet hit Tsukiko on her left side, right between ribs and hipbone. She stumbled on the ground and moved to shield the older girl from the shards.
"Dammit…" Thanks for the adrenaline she didn't really feel any pain yet but she knew the blood loss would be big if she didn't do something. But not now though, she needed to make sure Ran was alright. All she heard was the bullets hitting the metal structure of the Tower.
Then the bullets stopped.
"Bungee jump now?" The girl thought, looking up. And right on cue there was an explosion heard. A smirk spread on Tsukiko's lips when she sat up against the wall next to Ran. "Great work… Kudou."
But then she flinched from the pain radiating from her bullet wound.
"Great, I feel like Catherine Willows…" She mused sarcastically, referring to the two last episodes of C.S.I. where the character in question had appeared. "Shot with a machine gun on the left side…"
The helicopter crashed on the right of Vermouth who drove along a highway with her V-Rod.
"As expected of the Silver Bullet. He has his ways. I hope he'll also keep the Shadow close…"
There was voices from the direction of the stairs leading to the elevators on Tsukiko's right. She lifted up the gun instinctively while pressing down on her wound with her left hand.
"Who's there?" She called. "Identify yourself!"
"The Police." Came a reply. "You are safe."
"How can I be sure? Identify yourself!" The girl demanded.
"Okiya-san. Everything is fine now." Another voice joined. A voice that Tsukiko recognized.
"Yokomizo-keibu?"
"Yes, I got your message." The man appeared with a few other officers that Tsukiko didn't recognize and Megure. The gun she had been holding clattered on the floor and with her now freed hand, the girl took off her cap, letting her hair fall down.
"Thank god…" She sighed just when the lights of the viewing platform lit up again. "Say… How did you know it was from me? I didn't sign it."
"Well, you did write 'this impostor needs the same treatment than the Mackerel guy'… Did he get it?"
"No… I tried though."
"You can save your chat for later." Megure interrupted. "You both need medical attention as well as Ran-kun."
"'kay…" Tsukiko got on her feet carefully but slumped against the wall then. The blood loss was making her dizzy. Thankfully one of the unnamed officers came to her help.
"You need to go to hospital, miss."
"Alright…"
The police officers that were injured by Irish were patched up now. Tsukiko was lying on a strecher and her wound had been tied tightly. She wasn't going to the hospital yet though as she had demanded to talk with Conan before going. Her statement would be taken when she'd be in the hospital and felt better.
"Hi, Tsukiko-neechan." The boy greeted the girl for the appearance's sake.
"Hi, Edogawa-kun." The girl smiled weakly. "I'm going to hospital soon… but I wanted to talk with you first."
"I wanted to talk with you too."
"About what?"
"You did great today."
"Thanks… But I didn't really do anything. You were the one to chase away the copter and you solved the case about completely."
"You realized who was the fake officer."
"Nah, I just got a picture message from Agasa-hakase about the weird beetles the kids found and how he had intercepted the code. After cancelling out officers, Matsumoto popped out almost immediately. He's Beatles generation anyways, isn't he?"
"…You are really Shadow then. Predicting the Organization's moves since the hospital."
"I have no idea how Vermouth got that idea. Speaking of whom… what am I going to tell Jodie-san and Subaru-nii? They're bound to ask how I got shot." The girl flinched slightly again.
"Tell about a third party but don't say it was the Organization… That's what I'd tell." Conan looked on the side, as if checking no one was too near to listen.
"Are you going to tell Haibara then? About my involvement."
"Probably… But as a person who don't know about my real identity but treats me properly. Like the FBI does."
"Okay… Heh… the painkillers are kicking in. Head's getting dizzy. Gotta sleep now." And with that she fell into a slumber. Conan was about to turn around and walk away when she grabbed his wrist.
"Hey, Kudou… You know you can trust me. Right? We're on the same side." The girl asked tiredly. The boy's gaze softened at the uncertainty in her words and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah… I know it now."
A/N: Phew! Did you know that the Document Manager butcher some of the words when a file is uploaded? I had to correct some of them while putting the page breaks.
As you can see, there has been a new step in the relationship between Conan and Tsukiko. Mutual respect and trust towards each other. But Tsuki still won't tell him about her real origin.
If you are wondering about some things that happened here, fear not! The next chapter is fillery aftermath where things will be cleared. And by the way, Tsukiko was lying face down and her feet towards Conan and Irish when outside the tower. So the occupants in the helicopter couldn't see her properly and thought she was a boy too. And I've been once confused for a boy.
Review-replies:
-Akai4Ever:
Here is the chapter. Thank you. :)
-zXFallenAngelsXz:
Ah, it's alright, I understand. Thank you very much, I also wanted to eat sushi despite it being used as a murder weapon.
Ah, the feeling will be explained eventually. But it's not because of Akai.
Tsukiko badass? Maybe so... My character Sierra Adler from a similar fic from this one(but Doctor Who) is definitely badass so maybe I'm mirroring her too. And those culprits deserve all they get.
Ehe, my wrist gets hurt everytime after exam weeks but I've never needed to use a brace like my friend V-chan.
Raven Chaser is here! I'm not going to do all the movies from this on. Only the ones I can see Tsukiko in in a natural way. And the ones I actually liked(no 15 or 16).
Heh, it's alright. I'm just glad to hear from you. :D
-chibianimefan26:
Yes, it's here! The movie took a while to write up.
Conan is on tail but at the same time he is not.
Well, Tsukiko isn't with Eisuke officially but people hint it(Sonoko, Jodie and even Conan). And yeah, I've seen people saying that Eisuke is a useless character and stuff like that. I don't see similar talk about Araide even though he was only used in only one story arc like Eisuke.
The next(and possibly last) movie 18 will come the 19th April. I can't wait for that! It seems awesome! I love the movies too. :)
Okay, see ya!