Authors Notes:

I acsadently replaced this chapter with the last one when cleaning up some small mistakes... so the original notes to this chapter are gone... but the story itself should be the same. let me know if you notice anything off.

Warnings: Foul language… blood and violence. Animal mutilation… and murder… you know how it goes.

The Lycanthropy of a Shrunken Detective

Chapter Ten

As the overall mood of the room started to settle from the tense atmosphere that often followed the discovery of a body Ran finally felt free to move. So stilling her heart and her worries she marched forward. "Ran?" Kudo pulled himself immediately away from Yamamura's excited gushing when he noticed her move. He clearly had noticed how tense her shoulders were and looked her over with concern.

"Not now Shinichi…" Ran said waving him off, and it left a pang in her heart to see the hurt and worry on his face but she had a mission. Stopping next to the dark-skinned detective she felt her hands settle on her hips as she glared him down. Just a breath away from taking a martial stance. "Hattori, where is Conan?"

"Uh…" Hattori rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, ya see, about that…"

"Conan?" Kudo said stepping up beside them. "The little glasses kid… I'm sure he'll turn up."

"Don't even start!" Ran snapped feeling all too irritated with the current situation. A murder was bad enough but Conan disappearing after he'd run away but maybe a night before was nothing to brush off. "I'm not going to be reassured by the king of running off, that is unless you're going to tell me where you've been this time?" She leveled a glare at him.

Kudo opened then shut his mouth; his shoulders rising and his head lowering as he took a step back. "Mouri, look. Conan's around. No one was allowed ta leave remember? I bet he's just in the bathroom or somethin'."

"More importantly," Kudo said wiping his brow. "I would like to do a sweep of the building… there's got to be a few more clues as to why this happened. It's a shame there aren't any cameras…"

"More important?" Ran felt a growl growing in her chest and Kudo looked surprised by her reaction. "We're talking about a missing child Shinichi!"

"I think what he meant ta say was that there's no way we won't find him while we search." Hattori said holding up his hands.

Ran narrowed her eyes at the two, suspicious, quietly fighting back old theories. "Fine. Me and Kazuha are going to go look for him."

"He'll turn up soon." Kudo said. "I promise."

The weak smile he gave her made Ran pause. "Will you be here long?" She asked hesitantly.

The brittle smile that he gave her was answer enough but his words only sealed it. "I don't think so… I may not even be able to stay for the whole case…"

"What?" Hattori's voice was as surprised as she felt. Kudo Shinichi never left a case unsolved.

"Hattori's here, I'm sure he has it practically solved already." Kudo said nudging the other detective's side eliciting an irritated frown from Hattori. "I'm… waiting on a… call… and when it comes I'll have to go."

"What are you doing that has you running off so much?" Ran asked barely able to keep the hysterics out of her voice.

A flash of sadness ran across Kudo's face before he buried it under determination. "If it weren't important I wouldn't let it keep me away. You know that, right? I would do anything- I'm doing everything I can… Ran." Kudo looked away as he cringed his hand rubbing at his chest.

"Are you okay?" Ran asked worriedly.

Kudo gasped curling slightly clearly in pain. "I feel like I'm about to get that call… Hattori… I'll leave it to you."

"Wait!" Ran called as Kudo took off down the hall. "Where are you going? We're supposed to… stay here…"

"Come on!" Kazuha took hold of Ran's hand and pulled her along as she took chase. "I won't let him get away!"

"Oi!" Hattori called running after them. "Kazuha! What the hell do ya think yer doin'?"

"K-Kazuha… I don't think-"

"I'm tired of watching him leave ya sad!" Kazuha said. "We'll follow him- then he won't have no secrets ta keep from ya!"

"I don't- I appreciate the thought but…" Ran trailed off as they rounded the corner to a dead end. Only doors leading to private baths lined the left wall.

"Where'd he go?"

Kazuha stomped over to the nearest of the doors and pushed it open. "There's only a few places he coulda gone."

"Kazuha." Hattori was being jittery as he hesitated to stop her knowing that getting in her way when she was like this could be potentially painful. "Please. Leave Kudo alone. We don't need ta be doin' this. I'm sure Yamamura is curious as ta where we've gone."

"Since when do ya care about stuff like that?" Kazuha asked pushing the next door open.

"Hattori's right…" Ran said hesitantly. "Knowing Shinichi he's long gone by now…"

"One last door!" Kazuha declared.

Hattori stiffened before stepping in front of her, blocking her way to the door. "Kazuha, please!"

"Out of the way ya moron!"

"I'm telln' ya there's nothin' here! Moron!"

"Guys…" Ran tried, but all three froze at the sound of a splash and a murmured sound.

"That's it!" Kazuha growled shoving Hattori aside and pulling the door open. She blinked as she looked into the room seeing the water rippling around a gasping Edogawa Conan. "CONAN?!"

"What?" Ran pushed inside to see the sputtering boy. "What are you doing in here?"

"Uh… relaxing?" Conan said rubbing the back of his head with a weak laugh coughing slightly.

"You shouldn't even be in here!"

"S-sorry…" Conan stuttered shrinking into himself slightly.

Ran let out a relieved sigh. "I'm just glad we found you. There's been a murder and we need to be in the lobby right now."

Kazuha nodded. "Where are yer clothes? We should get ya dressed real quick and go."

"Uh… in the locker room…?"

Hattori groaned rubbing his face in apparent frustration. "I'll go get 'um. Ya all wait here." With that, he was all but stomping down the hall.

Kudo, let out a long sigh from little Edogawa's lungs. Glancing at the corner where Hattori's borrowed clothes were bundled up. That had been too close. When he'd heard voice's so close he'd decided to go into the water- because as shitty as the experience had been Hattori's fast thinking had helped keep his secret in the bath- unfortunately the pain combined with the disorientation of the change had him borderline choking on bathwater halfway through the transformation. Unless he wanted to risk drowning this was not an ideal method for hiding the change. Not to mention that having a body of water to half drown himself in wouldn't always be available anyway.

"Conan…" Ran sounded disappointed now and he felt his head tilt slightly in confusion.

'Did I do something wrong?' The thought flicked quickly through his brain and he frowned. Ran was frowning at him as she pulled him out of the bath.

"You aren't supposed to put your head under the water! You should know better."

Anxiety rolled in his stomach at the reprimand. Normally he'd just laugh it off, she was assuming he was being unruly when in actuality he was just… hiding from her…

Something in his gut twisted. "I'm sorry…" He said feeling horrible all of the sudden. He grabbed the glasses he'd set next to the bath and slipped them on. Feeling himself shrink even more into himself. 'What's wrong with me?' He wondered.

Heiji slipped out of the locker room giving a small wave to the officer's who were checking the lockers. Tucking Conan's clothes under his arm he started his way back to the others. "After what you said to me this morning." Mr. Mizushima was all but growling at Fujioka. "You're fraternization is much worse in my eyes. At least Sora didn't feel the need to hide."

Fujioka frowned. "It was… wrong of me… probably, to associate with her like that. I still think I'm right. You were considering giving your daughter a second chance! Even after that!"

"You're engaged. This does not put you in a good light." Mr. Mizushima did growl this time.

"I was going to call it off… we were considering being more open."

"Is that the truth or just what you want everyone to believe? How can I trust that you aren't keeping more secrets?" The owner said. "Naomi isn't here to confirm or deny your relationship. How do I know you didn't play a hand in her death?"

"I would never-

"I don't want to hear it right now." Mr. Mizushima snapped. Fujioka snapped his mouth closed and looked away, his face dark with anger.

Hattori frowned looking down the hall where the two were talking they were passed the lockers still in sight of the lounge but way outside it. The cops were being pretty lax with that. 'As long as no one leaves I guess it's okay…' Heiji thought, deciding to let the two sort out their own matters.

As he entered the lounge area he saw that the groups hadn't really changed much. The mother and child were sitting near the window. The older couple not too far from them sitting on a cream-colored couch. The two teen girls were sitting on the complete opposite side near the hall he was needing to go to.

It looked like Yamamura was interviewing the flirt near the desk.

"Look." Shiori was saying to Inspector Yamamura. "I told you I saw her not long before she came flying out of the trees."

Hattori slowed, curious. "You saw her here, at the desk?" The investigator asked.

"Of course."

"Did you see her face?" Heiji couldn't help but ask.

"Of course I…" Shiori trailed off his face scrunching up in thought. "Actually… no, I didn't… she was turned away from me… putting some file's away… She didn't look at me… not even once. Weird."

"How so?" Yamamura asked.

"Usually she glares me down… like some kind of standoff. I think she's trying to assert her dominance. It's really frikin' hot."

"Interesting…" Yamamura said scribbling energetically into his memo pad.

Hattori cringed as he continued on, he was curious but on a mission. Though his ears were always alert. Right before he exited the lounge he caught onto another conversation. Mizushima Sora was crying. "I just can't believe she's gone."

"I know… but at least she won't hurt us anymore…" Moto was trying to comfort.

"They were just words. She didn't understand and I was okay with that!" Sora said. "I'm not okay with this!"

Moto's fist balled and her head fell. "I'm… sorry… I'm so sorry Sora…"

"It's not your fault." Sora said brushing the other girl's hair back as she gave a light kiss to her forehead. Moto pulled away and coughed slightly. "I- I'm going to go… to the bathroom real quick… Don't…" She hesitated. "Don't go anywhere."

Sora chuckled a bit whipping her eyes. "Where would I go?"

Moto gave a sad smile as she stood. As she looked his way Hattori noticed then that he'd stopped moving and was staring slightly. Moto glared at him as she walked up to him. "What? Never seen a couple before?"

"No- I uh… a couple?"

Moto sneered. "Don't pretend you weren't watching. I know you saw the kiss. I'm so sick of people pretending like what we have isn't real."

Heiji held up his hands feeling a slight blush cross his cheeks. "I wasn't… it's not any of my business."

"Hitomi." Sora said sternly.

Moto flinched before looking back to Sora with a sheepish smile. "Right… I'll be going now." She gave Heiji one more scathing look before she was down the hall he'd just come from.

"Sorry about Hitomi… she get's short-fused when she's stressed."

"Short fused…" Heiji said frowning after the girl. "She ever get violent?"

Sora blinked. "What? No. She's only ever just been mean. Though I can usually talk her down."

"How long have ya know her?"

"Since middle school. We've been close for a long time…" Sora blushed. "Though we've only been dating for less than a week."

"Oh…" Heiji shuffled. "She ask you out?"

Sora laughed. "No… she's too shy… I made the first move." She was super red but there was a huge smile on her face. Heiji huffed feeling one pull at his lips as well. It was an innocent kind of happiness. For some reason it made him think of Kazuha…

"Hey what's the holdup."

'Think of the devil…' Heiji felt himself jump a bit.

"Sorry, I was just talkin' to Ms. Mizushima here…"

"Well, Conan's gonna catch cold if ya don't hurry."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Good talkin' to ya." Heiji said as he joined Kazuha.

"You think she's cute?" Kazuha asked looking the girl up and down.

Heiji chuckled. "I mean I guess… but she's taken anyway. Let's just take care of Conan alright?"

Kazuha looked skeptical but conceded. "If ya say so…"

Heiji wrapped an arm around her shoulder dragging her along. "I do… now come on. Do ya really have to screen all the girls I might like?"

Kazuha frowned. "I don't screen! I'm- it's- ARG!" With that, she threw her hands up in the air and stomped ahead.

Heiji hesitated. "Was it somethin' I said?"

Words used 2258.