A/N: Hey, guys! 8D This chapter was fun to write because I liked making her lair. XDD Also, the heist note is finally sent! ^^ Just a short break chapter before we get to another case. (Laughs) Enjoy? 8D
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form.
Chapter Thirty Five
School the next day was peaceful. Even though I was still couldn't hear anything, I'd been allowed to go; the teachers informed of what happened, so that they didn't think I was just ignoring their questions, should they ask any. As per expected, when lunch came around, the Detective Boys and Conan were quick to crowd around. Their lips moved and I tried to follow their words, but I wasn't the best at lip-reading.
Mitsuhiko was the first to ask if I was okay and I nodded, sending him a grin. "Perfectly fine, Tsuburaya-kun." I commented quietly, trying not to sound loud since I couldn't tell if I was being noisy or not. It was kind of irritating; no wonder deaf people usually used sign-language, too. It was just easier, I suppose.
My eyes darted to Ayumi and Genta, who were speaking in unison. …Something about visiting a banana? My brows furrowed in confusion and I felt a nervous bead of sweat run down my cheek. Conan seemed to get that I didn't understand what they were saying and grabbed a nearby piece of paper, writing on it swiftly and holding it up.
They said that they're sorry for not coming to visit you in the hospital, but your sister, the one with red hair, didn't let them in the room.
I blinked before deadpanning, letting out a sigh. "Ah, sorry about that. She's… I really don't have any excuse for her…," I mumbled dryly. I should've expected that of Akako; why she had denied them was beyond me, though. Who knows what's running through that woman's head, really.
I saw the kids chuckle at my obvious annoyance with my 'sister' and I quirked a smile at them. My eyes turned to Conan, who still had his head wrapped in bandages. "And you, Edogawa-kun? You're okay, right?" I questioned curiously, though I already knew the answer.
He nodded, smirking slightly at the obvious change of subject, his mouth moving as he voiced a confirmation, sliding an absent finger over his bandages. I think I caught an 'I'll be able to take this off tonight', but I couldn't be sure. Leaving the conversation of what happened yesterday, we all got out our bentos to eat lunch.
ooOOoo
I watched Kaito blankly as he swept the kitchen floor, looking bored out of his mind. I was just as bored as him, feeling tired and incredibly lethargic. I flinched as my phone buzzed in my pocket and I quickly grabbed it and flipped it open, seeing 'Koizumi Akako' flashing in bold letters. I rolled my eyes, opening her text to see what she needed. I blinked at the words before I grinned sharply. Come over. You said you wanted a 'lair' of sorts for your thief persona, am I correct?
Yes, I had said that. You're wonderful, Akako~! I hummed internally, getting off the couch and sliding my phone back into my pocket as Kaito turned to look at me curiously. His mouth moved, forming the words 'where are you going?'. I smiled reassuringly, "I'm just going to Akako-neesan's. She wants to show me something." He furrowed his brow, not really liking the idea, but nodded all the same. With a wave to him, I ran out of the house, now dawning my bright blue converse that were finally starting to get worn around the edges. Kin followed me out the door.
I quickly made it over to the woods before Akako's house and as I was about to enter the still-somewhat-creepy woods, I noticed a figure standing by a tree. "Akako?" I called, walking a bit closer and indeed seeing the red-haired witch, "What are you doing over here?" Akako smirked down at me, her arms crossed easily as she straightened from leaning on the tree behind her. The shade from the forest covered both of us in cool air and she didn't bother saying anything, knowing I couldn't hear, and instead gestured me over deeper in.
I followed close behind, branches scratching along my arms and legs in a welcoming way, carefully avoiding my eyes and face. She led me through unfamiliar territory, the shadows growing darker and the scenery plants seemed to die more along the way, tainting the usually green path an unpleasant yellow and brown. Even the trees seemed to wilt, scraggly and thin, before the thinned out to stray branches and weeping willows – the only trees that didn't seem to die, but fit the scenery enough to look like they were.
Leaves sprinkled the path, making it hard to follow, and I could see several creepy crows lined in the branches above, watching us diligently, like some type of strange guardians. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as we arrived at our destination, a clearing filled with dead grass – all a putrid yellow – and a broken, shed of a building. Windows were shattered in, glass scattered around the outside, and it looked like it would fall apart if you stepped foot in it, but it gave the sense of a strong fortress, oddly enough.
"This is…," I trailed, not knowing how to put it.
She sent me an amused smirk before beckoning me forward, disregarding my trailing completely. Hesitantly, I went forward, the tall, dead, grass brushing my shins roughly. Kin didn't seem to like the grass, either, as he clawed his way up my clothes to perch on my shoulders, far from the floor. Rolling my eyes with a sigh, I finally made it to the door, pushing it open gently. I could almost imagine the eerie creak it would have let out, if I had been able to hear it.
Peering into the dark room, I realized that it has three rooms – the main one, a side one, and one in the back, hidden by a closed door. There was also a bathroom, in the far corner of the main room; it looked to be the cleanest and less creepy place of the whole building and I thanked Akako internally for not giving me a place with a nasty bathroom. I would've bopped her a good one if she had, since I would have probably been the one to have to clean it. That would've sucked…
My eyes surveyed the main room; there was some pieces of glass on the floor and there were crates in the corner, labeled 'EXPLOSIVES' – oi, oi… – and the floor was filled with clutter, random objects and dust covering most of the room. I'd definitely have to clean this place, I thought, as I spotted injection needles sprawled near a dartboard. There's no way I can just keep the place this way. Moving further in, I walked to the side room, coughing into my hand as dust clouded my throat.
The side room was a kitchen, with a small, steel, sink and a mini fridge in the corner. It was a small room, with floor titles pulled off in some places, revealing the mucky cement underneath, and walls that were colored a faded blue. There was a tiny window above the sink, surprisingly not broken, but dirty and only allowing tainted light into the room, some streams brighter than others; the room fully lighted in different ways. It was relatively clean, but would definitely need some work, I decided, walking out of it and to the door at the base of the back of the main room, next to the crates.
I grabbed the rusted knob cautiously before I pulled it open – it was strangely heavy and I realized the material of the door easily, thick and bulletproof; steel. Very nice, I quirked a smile, spotting a peephole higher up on the door and a small, rectangular, space that probably was a 'What's the password?'-esque opening that was currently closed. Getting in the room, I gaped at the several locks on the inside – there was a chain lock, about five bolt locks – all that didn't need a key and could only be unlocked and locked from the inside –, two key locks, a padlock that needed a combination, and a large metal frame that you needed to pull over the door before it clicked into place – it'd only be released, it seemed, by inputting a code in the security code pad near the door.
And they were all only visible on the inside, so they were also impossible to pick. It was a bit….extreme.
Brows furrowed, I disregarded the locks for the moment and took in the rest of the room. It was smaller than the large, main room, but it was bigger than the tiny kitchen. There was a book case with several books missing and some thrown onto the floor carelessly and a mahogany desk – covered with piles of magazines – at the far end of the room, a big, cushiony, spinning chair behind it, giving the sense of 'I've been expecting you'. It was definitely the cleanest room in the house, second to the bathroom.
Akako walked in, immediately heading to the left side, opposite to the bookcase (which only took up half of the right side; a large, walk-in, closet taking up the rest of the space), where there was a chalkboard and whiteboard pinned up. She grabbed a whiteboard marker, writing swiftly on the board. What do you think? This is the most secure room, doubling as a bedroom. The main room can be used however you decide and the kitchen is for pre-heist snacks or if you just feel like hanging out here while planning.
"It's really nice." I said honestly. It wasn't crisp and bright and clean like the KID lair, but it was definitely more comfortable – in a way that I didn't have to worry about things getting messy – and it was a lot more my style, to be truthful. I couldn't see myself working in a place like the KID lair; I'd feel too claustrophobic with the fluorescent lights and surrounding white. "It's a lot more cluttered than I expected, but that's alright. I definitely like this room." I chuckled, eyes darting to the front of the room, seeing a standing lamp beside the door, to easily be turned on when entering.
Once again, she wrote on the board with her elegant kanji. That's good. You can always change things as you see fit, too. This building now belongs to you, do with it what you will. I've been meaning to get rid of it, but you offered me a reason to give it away. Not most people know of this place, either. It's actually pretty far from my house and deeper into the woods than one would expect. We just passed through a barrier field that transported us further in, since we were on our way there. Anyone who isn't searching for this place will continue going through the barrier and ending up in a different part of the woods. No one can find this place accidently.
"Oh~! That's a cool feature!" I exclaimed, grinning happily. "I'll definitely use this place! Thanks, Akako-neesan!" I chirped, rubbing my cheek absently against Kin's.
She smiled at me for a moment before turning to write something on the board once more. Either way, you should give the police, at least, a week to decode the heist note you wrote the other day at my house. I saw you looking through several different websites and grinning like a manic, so I'm assuming it's something amusing to you. You should deliver it today, since the heist will take place this weekend.
I hummed, nodding as my hand went up to my chin. "True, true. The problem is how to send it….," I mumbled. The museum was out on the outskirts of Haido, so if I sent it myself, I'd have to go all the way through Beika and through Haido. It'd just be tiring and it was already pretty late. I bit my lip, thinking before blinking over at Kin, who licked my cheek in a focused way, trying to 'groom' me once again.
I sent him a dry smile before realization filtered through my mind. Slowly, my mouth curled upwards in a smirk. "Hey, Kin-chan…,"
Erasing the whiteboard, Akako snickered in amusement, fully amused with my antics.
ooOOoo
On the outskirts of Haido, a man gasped. "Hey, come look at this!" He called over to the other security guard on duty. The other hurried over before peering over his coworkers shoulder, his face growing surprised, "Woah! Is that seriously…?" He began, shocked. In all the time of working here, they hadn't had one; probably because the museum was a virtually low-scale one and not very popular, not for gems or for artifacts. The other man nodded, "Yeah, it is. I don't think someone would waste so much time on a prank." He said, reading it over and not understanding a word of it.
In the corner of the supposed heist note, there was a small drawing of a bell on a string, shaded in carefully. The handwriting was neat, yet scrawling and pointed out in a strange way, looking almost like they were trying to escape from the kanji.
Krustallos and sapphire drop into baby blue tears that fall from Marius Scotus' eyes as cameo bracelets sing songs of Saturn mournfully.
To the tune of the song, pandas do workouts - 16 pushups and 7 crunches.
An unexpected "swoop" and the tear will be "gone", swept up into the ocean of "black" in your monochrome world.
Sincerely,
37.4 F, the 333-9.
In a nearby alley, a black cat with glowing, golden, eyes cleaned off his paw lazily before stalking off back home, blending into the surrounding darkness; job done.
Review Replies:
To: Echo Andalice – Yup, it's the longest so far in this series. XD I've actually written something longer before, but never posted it, lol. Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I adore the Conan movies, so I decided, "why not?". XDDD The Sherlock Holmes game one is also a favorite of mine! 8DD It's awesome. X3 Ah, that's okay. It's kind of a bad code, since the only hint is literature. XD;;; And that sounds awesome! By camera, do you mean that Alice/Midori would be able to see what Conan sees because it's connected to his glasses, or…? It's definitely a cool idea, so I'll have to add it when I get the chance. XD She'll usually get new gadgets when Conan does, lol. Thanks for your review! ^^
-Can anybody deduct the heist note? 8D
"Next Conan's Hint: Paint!"