Opening Move

"So your new boyfriend finally decided to come back, eh?" Sonoko teased Sera when they got to the airport.

"He's not my boyfriend," Sera shouted, but got quiet when everyone started staring, "He's just a fellow detective in arms is all!"

"Oh yeah," Sonoko kept on, "Is that why you decided to ask him on a date when you first met?"

Sera rolled up a sleeve, ready to strangle Sonoko when Ran stepped in.

"S-Sonoko, maybe you shouldn't tease Sera about this so much," she said as she tried to lower the tension.

"Hey Sera," Conan tugged at her pants leg to get her attention, "this is the same guy from the restaurant a few weeks ago right? The one who helped with the murder case?"

"Yeah, that's right," she told him, "why do you ask?"

"No reason, I was just curious is all."

Other than the fact that he strikes my as a weirdo is all, Conan thought to himself.

"Hey! Sera!" A voice yelled out from down the hall.

The group turned to see Able and Near coming down the hall to meet them.

"Hey Ryuzaki," Sera waved at him.

Able noticed Near staring up at him.

"...It's the first thing that came into mind."

He kept staring.

"...Shut up."

"Huh?" Sera noticed Near when he and Able joined the group, "whose your little friend here Ryuzaki?"

"Oh, this is my little brother," Able told her. It was close enough to the truth anyways.

"Nice to meet you," Sera held her hand out to Near's "what's your na-"

"ABLE LOOK OUT!" Near shouted and pulled him down.

A gun shot rang out, and people started screaming.

Sera ducked down, and Ran laid on top of Conan, covering him.

"Able!" the gunman started shouting, "You just said Able! Get out here now!"

"What's going on? Who is this guy?" Sera asked.

"I'll explain everything when we take care of this, but first we have to-"

Another gun shot rang out, and the gunman grabbed a girl who was cowering on the floor.

"I SAID GET OUT HERE ABLE! GET OUT HERE OR THE GIRL DIES!" he screamed, the gun pointed at her head.

Able went to raise up, when Near tugged his sleeve and shook his head.

"I have to Near," Able looked up at the gunman, "It's my move now."

Able stood up, arms raised, and stared down the gunman.

"Alright, here I am. Right here. Now let the girl go," Able told him.

"Sorry kid," The gunman shot the hostage in the head, killing her instantly, "those weren't the rules I was given."

"She didn't need to die!" Able shouted.

"Yes, she did," The gunman smiled ear to ear and started to laugh, "because that's exactly the thing you hate. Senseless death, right?"

The gunman pulled out a switch from his jacket and held it in the air.

"And it's my job to piss you off", he said as he shot another hostage, "And also to show you this."

He pushed the button on the remote, and all the monitors flicked to a white screen, with a crimson red 'Z' plastered on it.

"Hello Able," an electronic voice came through the speakers, "Did you enjoy your flight? And what about the show? I'm sure you weren't expecting something this spectacular am I right?"

"Z, you bastard," Able gritted his teeth in anger. He know Z would do something crazy to get his attention. He knew it would be something dangerous, but this? Able underestimated just how insane Z really is.

"Well I just wanted to let you know that I'll be in touch with you VERY soon Able, I do so wish to make up for not meeting you in person, but I am such a busy person, I'm having to clean up after a rather rude house guest. You may know him actually. Does the name Coil ring a bell? Oh what I sight he had to endure, especially after the mess Danurve left me with, but just adding to it? Such a lack of manners the two of them had," Z let out a hysteric cackle at the last part before the screens all cut out.

Coil? Danurve? Able thought to himself, What is he talking about? What did he do to them?

Before Able had time to think any further the gunman opened his jacket and showed a bomb with the timer just seconds away from ending. The gunman broke into hysterics just like Z. Laughing like a madman, certain of his demise and choosing to embrace it.

"No," Able stared, "NO!"

"Get down!" he heard a voice before someone knocked him to the ground.

The bomb went off.

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"And that's when we heard the bomb go off," Ran finished giving her testimony to the detective.

She looked over to see Able and Near sitting on the curb, getting patched up by some EMT's.

"You guys should be alright, just some scratches from debris. You two are very lucky," he told them before going to treat the next person.

"Lucky? How the fuck is this lucky?" Able balled his fists.

"Able."

He looked up and Sera was standing over him.

"Why was that man calling you Able? Who was he? Who are you?"

Able looked at Sera in her eyes. He thought about asking her for help, he could tell how smart she was ever since they first met. But he wasn't going to anymore. Not after what just happened. Not after seeing first hand what he's up against.

"I'm sorry I involved you like that," Able stood up, "it won't happen again. Let's go Near."

Able turned to walk away but Sera grabbed his wrist and made him face her.

"ANSWER ME!" She screamed at him, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN THERE!"

"BECAUSE IT'S MY NAME," he shouted back, "I don't know who he is, but I know who gave the orders. And all of It happened because of me," he told her, his voice was low now, but the anger was still there, "all those people screaming, the bomb...the screams stopping...it was all because of me."

He yanked his arm free of Sera's grip.

"All those people. Every. Single. One. Because of me. I'm a detective Sera. And the man who had this done was a psycho path. And I'm going to stop him."

"Well so am I," Sera said, he voice firm, "All those people-"

"Were killed by a mad man, with some insane point to prove. And he'll kill you too just because it would help him screw with me." Able told her.

As the two argued, Near noticed Conan behind one of the ambulances, observing the conversation.

That's the boy Able mentioned. Conan Edogawa. He was right, there is something...strange about him.

He turned is attention back to Able and Sera, and put his arm on Able's shoulder.

"Able, you said you trusted this woman right?" Near asked him.

"Of course I trust her! But that doesn't mean i'm going to-"

"You're not making her do anything right now, or even asking her," Near told him, "She's making the choice to help you on her own."

Able paused and collected his thoughts for a moment. He looked back and saw that Sera was still firm about helping catch Z. He reached in his pocket and handed her a card from it.

"Be at that address by noon tomorrow, or don't bother showing up. Then i'll tell you everything."

"You're damn right you will mister."

And with that, Near and Able left the scene, and Sera went back to check on Ran and Sonoko.

Meanwhile, Conan had also made a decision. He was going to follow Sera tomorrow.

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"AHAHAHHhhehehahaehahahheahAHAHhehahHA" Z laughed and rolled on the floor with the news report on.

"And no less than 40 people are confirmed dead from the blast, with another 20 confirmed injured, and the numbers continue to grow. Police have stated that they have no leads at the moment but are still questioning witnesses who survived the explosion. Also reports state that the airport cameras were all in disrepair at the time, with police suspecting it was done by the bomber."

"AHAHAHEAHEHESHAHAHEAHH," z continued to laugh, "ONLY 40 PEOPLE!? WHAT A USELESS PAWN! AHAHAHEHAHEAHAH"

Z finally stopped his fit and rolled on his back and sighed.

"But I guess it made for one hell of an...explosive...opening. Eh Able? ha. Haaha. HahahahahaahahaahahHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHA"

Z began to break into hysterics again at his own joke.

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