Disclaimer- I do not own DC or MK
Chapter 5 The hunt begins
Kogoro sat down on the couch in the living room, waiting for Kaito to get the drinks for Kogoro. "Here's your coffee, don't worry, I didn't put anything in it." Kaito puts the tray of coffee cups down on the coffee table. Kogoro grabs the coffee and takes a sip. The detective smiled. For a punk, he knew how to make a damn good cup of coffee.
"This is good, but I need to talk to you about the people that tried to kill Conan. He's the boy you met back at the friendly ghost scare." Kogoro puts down the cup. Kaito nods and grabs a cup of coffee. "Their called the onyx conglomerate." This made Kogoro almost choke on his coffee.
"One of the most powerful company in Japan!?" Kaito nods.
"The very same. The scary part is that they can get away with everything, from stealing to blackmail to murder." Kaito said grimly.
"I can stop their evil ways! BWAHAAHAHAHA!" Kogoro laughed.
"You can't, they have too much power." Kaito pulls out some pictures of men in trench coat armed with automatic weapons, with a man in black, armed with a simple pistol. "They own their own private military, armed with deadly weapons that cut down anyone and everyone. From the rich to the poor. They are monsters." Kaito glared at the picture.
"Well if you have evidence, then you can turn this into the police and get them arrest them." Kogoro grabbed his cup and took a drink. Kaito shook his head.
"Power controls everything... They have lawyers and friends on the prime minister's cabinet. I could be discredited and then killed." Kaito sighed and takes a sip of coffee.
"They just can't outright kill you!" Kogoro exclaimed, Kaito groaned.
"What part of power controls everything are you not getting. Do I have to word it differently? Like might makes right. No one can stop them... At least not yet. We just need them to slip up and make a very big mistake." Kaito finishes his coffee. "The reason they tried to kill Conan-kun is because he got in the way of their search." This shocked Kogoro, sure the brat got in the way from time to time, but that didn't mean that he deserved to die.
"What were they looking for?" Kogoro asked.
"Something that can grant immortality." This made Kogoro laugh.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! Are they crazy!" Kogoro laughed, but stopped when Kaito had his poker face on.
"Hai, which makes them dangerous." This shuts Kogoro up.
"So... What do we do about them?" Kogoro asked.
"Nothing, we just wait, remember." Kaito reminded him. "Well look at the time, it's almost dinner time. Do you want something to eat?"
"Don't you have your kaa-san make dinner." Kogoro asked. Kaito shook his head.
"She's enjoying the her time in the U.S." Kaito briefly explained. "So what's tickles your fancy?"
Beika street (5:10PM)
Takagi and Satou ran after the attack throughout the streets. The two manage to corner the man in a dead end. "You're under arrest for the assault of a minor!" Satou and Takagi pointed their guns at the man. He hissed and charged at the officers. The two open fire on the man, he fell to the ground and looked dead.
"Did we kill him..." Takagi asked in a uneasy tone, it was the first time that he killed a man.
"We gave him a chance and he didn't take it, in the end it was his fault." Satou puts away her gun. "Let's call Megure-"
"GAHHHHH!" Takagi screamed. The man that they brought down got up and began to attack Takagi and slash him with his nails. "GET HIM OFF ME!" Takagi started to freak out.
"Takagi-kun!" She pointed her gun at the attacker. "Damn... I can't... Get a shot..." The struggled was making thing difficult. "Takagi-kun, hold him still!" Satou ordered. Takagi obeyed and held the man still. It hissed at as it tried to rip open Takagi's throat. Satou manged to pull the trigger and hit the attacker in the head. The thing fell on Takagi and he quickly moved the corpse off of him.
"W-w-we killed it this time... R-right...?" Takagi was shocked. They shot him six times and he got back up.
"Takagi-kun, Satou-kun..." Behind them, Megure approached the two officers.
"He wouldn't stop attacking Megure-keibu, we had no-" Satou was cut off by a vile hissing noise. The man began to thrash about and began to get up again. "Impossible... I shot him in the head..." Satou was greatly shocked. What would it take to bring him down.
"Don't move!" Megure pulled out his pistol and aimed at the undying man. It cackled at them.
"I cannot die! I must have the vessel!" The man pushed aside Takagi and tried to escape, but Megure shot him in the leg. "GAHHH!" The man tripped and slid on the asphalt face first. Using his weight, Megure pinned the smaller man on the ground and put him in a headlock.
"You're under arrest!" The man keep on struggling Satou-kun, Takagi-kun, help me with the culprit!" After a bit more struggling the man stopped and cuffed. "That was close... Let's get you patched up Takagi-kun." The detective nodded. A bit shocked about the incident. 'How is he still alive...' Takagi wondered. They shot the man many times and he didn't die, how did he live and what is the vessel.
Aokigahara (8:00PM)
Ran, Sonoko and Sera stood before the entrance to one of the most haunted places in all of Japan, the forest of suicides, Aokigahara. All the girls were dressed accordingly. Ran was wearing a white fall jacket with a blue sweater, skin tight jeans and sneakers on her feet. Sonoko was wearing the a tan fall coat with skin tight jeans and heel boots. Sera was wearing her standard attier that she wore when they met on the bus. "Well here we are... The forest of suicides..." Ran said with a flashlight in her hand.
"Yep..." Sonoko nodded.
"A forest that is haunted and home to hundred of lost souls." Ran added.
"Yep..." Sonoko nodded again.
"... So who feels like going back to Beika and having a sleep over at Sonoko's place." Ran and Sonoko began to turn there back to the entrance.
"That sounds good-" Sonoko and Ran were stopped by Sera.
"Hold it! We're here to find out what happened to Conan-kun!" Sera reminded them. "We can't turn back now." Ran looked down in shame.
"You're right, but this place is scary!" Ran shivered. Sonoko nodded.
"That's right! I don't want to step on some dead guy's bones, they'll ruin my boots!" Sonoko exclaimed.
"Don't worry you two! Ghost don't exist!" Sera reminded them.
"Yeah but this place is just..." Ran stopped. "Evil..."
"C'mon you two, let's go!" The three begin to make their way into the forest. Step after step, the three made their way deeper into the forest. Just then, Ran stepped on something. She looked down and saw a skull. Ran turned sickly pale, screamed and ran deeper into the forest. "Ran-chan! Wait!" Sera and Sonoko run after her. After three minutes of running, the two caught up to Ran.
"Ran! What did you see that scared you so bad?" Sonoko asked.
"I saw... I saw... A skull..." Ran whimpered. Sera sighed.
"Don't worry Ran, everything will be fine." The three made their way deeper into the forest. Coming acrossed litter, bones, and other remains.
"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well." Sonoko picked up a skull.
"Sonoko! Don't touch the bones while quoting shakespere!" Ran scolded.
"Sorry..." Sonoko placed the skull back down. "So... What are we looking for?"
"I'm not sure..." Ran said, discouraged. She didn't know what she was looking for in the forest. Sera stopped in her place and stopped the others.
"Wait... I heard something, follow me." Sera follows the sound. It was the sound of chanting. The three got closer until they found the source of the chanting. The culprit was a man, cloaked in a black hood and robe. He was holding a staff with a skull on the top of it, and a pentagram at his feet and torches of fire on each point on the pentagram.
"What-" Sera hushes Ran by clasping her mouth with her own hand.
"Shhh..." Sonoko nodded and stayed quiet.
"It seems that one of my reavers has been capture... Impressive, It's not everyday that you ensnare a reaver." The man mused. "It's a good thing I got myself another 'volunteer' to help me." The man walked into the dark and dragged back a man. The man was looked like he was in his late teens but more importantly, he was dead. His clothes were a torn blue jacket with a sweater under the coat, baggy pants with old green tennis shoes. "Another poor soul, lost, confused, and purposeless. I shall give you a reason to live again." The robed man placed the teen in the center of the circle. "Arise one more!" The flames turn purple and spread from the torches down into the ground. The flames light the teens body on fire and slowly, he rose again.
"I'm... Alive..." The teen looked at himself.
"To serve me as my slave!" The robed man roared. "I filled your body with my dark power, soon your body and mind will rot into nothingness... Unless you get me the vessel of Pandora." The robe man explained. "If you drink the blood of Pandora, you will live FOREVER!" The man exclaimed. This shocked the three girls There was a way to become immortal.
"How will I find this vessel?" The teen asked.
"Your enhanced senses will guide you, now go!" The teen left to find Pandora. The man turned into the direction where the girls are hiding. "I know your there, show yourself!" With their cover blown, the girls decided to run off as fast as they can. "The collected might of three girls cannot defeat me!" The man laughed diabolically.
The three girls ran as fast as they can with the thought of being chased by the man and his zombies. After one straight hour of running, the three return to the start of the forest. They were shock at what they saw. "T-t-t-that man... H-he... Revived someone that was... Dead..." Ran stammered.
"That's impossible... No one can just revive the dead!" Sera yelled.
"But we saw it happened... And that guy is after someone called the 'vessel of Pandora'." Sonoko was deathly pale. Sera nodded.
"Who ever this vessel is can make people immortal." Sera cupped her chin with her hand. "If anyone else finds out about this, they'll fight and kill others to get the vessel." Sera said grimly.
"You think that people would wage war to get Pandora?" Ran asked in a unsteady tone. Sonoko laughed.
"C'mon Ran, that's ridiculous!" Sonoko looked at Sera. "Right?" Sera shook her head.
"Image if a country had a way to halt age, heal any wound and live forever, but won't share the secret. Meanwhile a illness plagues your country, and people slowly die, what would the most likely outcome..." Sera said darkly.
"That would be horrible..." Sonoko shivered.
"We have to find the vessel!" Ran proclaimed. Sera and Sonoko looked at Ran. "This vessel has to be protected from that wizard and his zombies!" The two nod.
"You're right, whoever this vessel is has to be protected. Let's get back to Kawaguchiko and get some rest. Then by morning, we return to Beika and search for the vessel!" Sera exclaimed as she pumped her fist in the air. As they began to make there leave, they hear someone call out to them.
"Glad to see you girls didn't kill yourselves." It was the police sheriff of Kawaguchiko. "Need a ride back to town? The dark plays mind games with ya."
"Thank you Keiji-san!" Ran exclaimed, anything to get herself out of here faster. They rode in the police car making small talk.
"It might be a place for suicide, but Aokigahara is beautiful place. You can really become attune with nature here. That is if you can ignore the bones and corpses!" The sheriff laughed. "Some black comedy for you." There was an awkward silence. "It's a shame that those fat cat business people came down and closed down the friendly ghost scare. It was gonna be a great for the kids..." The sheriff sighed. As the other two girls talked to the man, Ran was in deep thought.
'I'll make sure that the vessel stays safe, no matter what!' Ran thought, determined.
Mouri detective agency (10:00PM)
"The brat was attacked by an addict!?" Kogoro was shocked. Shiratori nodded.
"Hai. But something the sensei said was weird. According to him, Conan-kun was choked with the force to snap a child's neck." This made Conan flinch.
"Hmm... I guess he's more tough then I thought." Kogoro commented. "Well, it's late. It's time for bed." Conan nodded and made his way to the living room. "Hey!" Conan turned to Kogoro. "Ran is spending the night with her friends. She'll be back tomorrow." Conan nodded. "Now go to bed." Conan goes to the room that the two share. "So about the addict-"
"He's dead." This shocked the detective.
"How?" Kogoro asked. Shiratori pulled out a notebook. "According to Megure-keibu, Takagi and Satou-keiji shot the culprit many times and even then he didn't fall. After arresting him, the culprit died in the holding cell."
"Did he die from his wounds?" Kogoro asked. It would make sense since the attacker was shot about six times. Shiratori shook his head.
"According to the autopsy, the man has been dead for a long time. His organs showed a great amount of decay. The doctors believe that the culprit died three weeks ago." A bolt of realization struck Kogoro.
"Today, I visited a brat by the name of Kaito Kuroba. he told me about a group by the name of the onyx conglomerate." This got Shiratori's attention.
"The most powerful company in Japan? What do they have to with the case?" He asked.
"According to the kid, the group is looking for a stone that can make people immortal. It might sound strange, but the kid says that these guys are crazy." Kogoro explained.
"Mouri-tantei, that sound completely ridiculous." Shiratori laughed.
"Hai, but they could be crazy enough to make something that could re- um reani-"
"Reanimate the dead?" Shiratori finished. Kogoro nodded. "Keep looking into this Mouri-tantei, unlike you, I don't have time to spend to pursue this lead. Good luck." Shiratori bowed and took his leave. Kogoro decided to go to his room. He got dressed for bed, stepped over Conan and laid down. Little did the tantei know, he was being listened to by two people. Conan heard what Kogoro and Shiratori were talking about thanks to his small button transmitter.
'It's him...' Pandora hissed.
'Who?' Conan asked.
'Ten years ago, a man found me and learned of my powers. Instead of making himself immortal, he channeled my unto himself. He used my life giving power and turned my gift into something demented. Reanimation, the power to revive the dead. He gave himself the title of dead lord and planned to unleash an army of darkness across the world.' Conan could feel Pandora become angry. Then she calmed down. 'However, the white magician with the help of a witch defeated him and sealed me inside the cave.'
'The white magician, you mean Kaito Kuroba-"
'No, it was his father that sealed me away. The reason why I'm scared of Kaito is because I sensed his determination to destroy me.' Pandora explained. 'But if I end up in the hands of the dead lord, then all is lost...' She shivered.
'We'll worry about him later, for now lets rest.' Pandora agreed and fell asleep.
Ekoda (10:55PM)
"So my oyji defeated a necromancer and hid Pandora, only to have it found by someone who doesn't believe in magic." Kaito groaned, things were about to get complicated. During Kogoro's visit, he placed a transmitter in Kogoro's jacket pocket. He called Akako over to his house since she knows more about magic. When she heard the conversation she knew what Conan and Kaito would be up against in the future.
"Indeed, if it weren't for my okaa-sama and your otou-san, then Japan would be populated by the undead." Akako explained. "And to make things worse, the dead lord has returned as a lich. Of course he's not invincible, immortality has loop holes. Lich's are undead wizards that cannot be killed by normal means."
"So what can we do about this 'lich'?" Kaito asked.
"Take away his source of power. He is using the forest to keep himself alive, by disrupting the flow of energy with a much more powerful energy source." Akako explained.
"...Pandora." Kaito said with realization. Akako nods.
"The power of Pandora will be able to block out the energies of Aokigahara. After his power is drained and he dies, his body must be destroy." Akako pulled out an amulet. "Leave the final blow to me, Pandora will disrupt his power with the help of Conan-kun and yourself." Kaito nodded.
"When do we start?" Kaito asked.
"Upon the second attack." Akako cryptically said. "See you tomorrow Kuroba-kun." With that, Akako took her leave for the Kuroba household. Kaito got ready for bed.
"I'll find a way to separate the two of them, somehow..." Kaito fell asleep.
A/N Next time, someone discovers Conan's immortality but who? Tomorrow I have a job interview, wish me luck.