Note: Shinichi = KID in disguise

Aoko Nakamori stomped towards her childhood friend's desk and slammed the newspaper down in front of him. Kaito Kuroba, who was busy browsing his tablet for the latest news, looked at the irritated girl and raised his brow.

"What's up, Aoko?"

The girl grumbled some unintelligible phrases before answering, "That dumb thief has a goddamn heist in Osaka!"

Kaito set his tablet down and leaned towards Aoko. "Who?"

"Kaitou KID! He just announced that he's going to steal some jewel in Osaka and now Aoko's dad will be going to Osaka leaving Aoko alone…"

'Aoko…' Kaito frowned. "Why didn't you ask to go with him?"

Aoko stared flatly at Kaito. "Stupid, we have school!"

"So?"

"Aoko's not like you, Bakaito. Aoko doesn't skip school just for that. Hmph, his heist is full of stupid fangirls anyway so maybe it's better for Aoko to not go there. Aoko just wanted to cheer on Aoko's father because that stupid KID always humiliates him." Aoko pouted. "And Aoko still doesn't see any reason why you should idolize him, Kaito."

The magician grinned while ruffling the girl's hair. "Heh, a little girl like you won't understand my— wait. Did you say that Kaitou KID will have a heist in Osaka?"

Aoko, ignoring her best friend's defilement of her hair, stared incredulously at her best friend. "Kaito, did you hit your head on something? That's what Aoko said the first time Aoko talked to you!"

Kaito almost dropped his jaw on the floor but luckily, he immediately plastered his pokerface and grinned at Aoko.

"Nah, I was just testing you. Also Aoko—"

And in a blink of an eye, Kaito was able to flip Aoko's skirt so that her underwear was exposed to the world.

"—are you trying to be sexy? What lacy underwear you have in there, my dear! And oooooh, it's black! So is this your way to rebel against KID?" Kaito finished with a wolfish grin.

Aoko's face flushed in embarrassment while she fumbled on her skirt in an effort to salvage her decency. Or what was left of it. In a few moments, her embarrassment turned into rage as she brandished her trusty mop out of nowhere and started their typical chase around the room.

"KAITOOOOO!"

"And it begins…" Keiko shook her head along with the whole class and tried to continue with the lesson, ignoring their bickering married couple.

It was just another typical day at Ekoda High School Class 2-B.

School finally ended and after getting away unscathed from Aoko's mop, Kaito rushed home to meet Jii on Blue Parrot.

(He never forgot to leave a red rose on her hair though as an apology for not walking her home.)

Setting his school bag on the bar counter, Kaito sat down on one of the stools and said, "Jii-chan, have you heard the news?"

Jii nodded grimly while he wiped one of his wine glasses clean. "Yes, Bocchama. According to the heist notice, the fake KID is going to get the Unnamed Brown at Osaka on the next blue moon which is coincidentally, our next target. We were supposed to send a notice beforehand but…"

"Someone got onto it first, huh…" Kaito placed his chin on his palm while leaning on the counter.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Bocchama."

"Me, too. But it's interesting, right?" Kaito grinned. "They even included Meitantei-san in the notice. I have a feeling that the instigator of this fake notice wants to lure someone…"

"Snake..?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know if we don't act upon it. If it was Snake, then he can come at me. I'll probably get the jewel anyway and if it is Pandora, then we both know what will happen. But if it's not, then let's leave it to the detectives roaming around the place to solve it. I'll try my best to lend my assistance by exposing that this heist was not started by KID but I'm not going to be deeply involved in that."

"Do you have a plan, Kaito-bocchama?"

"I always do, Jii-chan. I always do. But there's still a chance that it will fail so we need to have a back-up plan. We need to come up with all the possibilities of infiltration and exit in this heist. This diamond… is really large. There's a high possibility of it being a doublet to encase another jewel inside it. If it really is Pandora then, KID's mission will be done soon. And then we'll…" Kaito clenched his fists.

"Bocchama…"

"So to that person who sent the notice, I want to thank them for making things very interesting." Kaito cracked his knuckles after stretching his arms. "I've read on the news that no one was able to reach Kudo Shinichi so they decided to invite the brat instead since they're connected to Kudo anyway. I'm still not sure about that so can you confirm it for me please, Jii-chan? I need to be a hundred percent sure that he's not going to attend or else I'll need to construct another plan."

"Sure thing, Kaito-bocchama. I'll also prepare your things while you study the blueprints of Umeda Sky Building that I have recently acquired. I've already booked our flights so no worries about our transport to Osaka."

Kaito smiled at the old man then bowed. "You're reliable as always, Jii-chan. Thank you for everything."

The elderly assistant tapped the young magician's shoulders to make him stand normally. "No need for thanks, Bocchama. Toichi-sama would be so proud in heaven, I'm sure." Jii smiled sadly.

Kaito was silent for a few moments. "I hope so, Jii-chan. I hope… that this is it. That I could finally bring him to justice very soon. I really, really hope so."

After Jii confirmed that Kudo Shinichi will not be able to attend the heist, Kaito quickly set his plans in motion. After all, what's a more perfect disguise to use than the one who is about to be lured?

But before leaving Ekoda, he called Aoko to tell her his alibi— that his mom suddenly wanted him to accompany her to somewhere so he isn't able to attend school for a few days. He knew he heard a tinge of sadness in the girl's voice but Aoko stood strong and decided to have a sleepover with Keiko while her dad was away. Kaito, feeling a bit sorry for the girl because it was basically his fault that her father was always absent, told her that he'll buy her gifts when he comes home. He smiled when he heard the girl's cheers followed by a lecture on using magic to prank other people.

"Be good, Kaito! Don't trouble your mother too much okay? And don't pull some pranks on innocent people! Aoko will hit you with a mop if you did. Aoko will ask your mom, don't think that Aoko won't! You better listen to Aoko, okay?

…and take care, Kaito. Aoko will be waiting for you."

Kaito shook his head while he recalled the silly girl's reminders. He really doesn't need to remember how smooth and pleasing to the ear her voice has been when she told him that she'll be waiting for him. It will just make him feel weird. And feeling weird isn't good when he's infiltrating. He'll find a way make it up to her when he comes back but for now, he has to bury it deep inside his head to fully internalize his disguise. After all, the crowd that he was aiming to infiltrate was already on sight.

The Great Detective of the West, his girlfriend, Ran Mouri and Tantei-kun accompanied by a police officer named Otaki were gathered around the center. While he quietly approached, he listened in to the conversation that the group was having.

"I wonder if KID's going to have his way today— especially when the KID Killer and the Great High School Detective of the West are here to witness the heist." Otaki-keiji mused. "Whatever the results will be, I'm sure it will definitely going to be interesting. But of course, I'm siding with the police."

And at that moment, KID decided that it was the perfect time to announce his presence to his acquaintances.

"I would agree with you, Otaki-keiji. It would be very interesting, indeed." He hid a smirk when he observed the amusing reactions that he got in his arrival. 'Look at their faces, it seemed like they have seen a ghost.'

"K-K…"

"Shinichi?"

"Yo Ran." Kaitou KID, disguised as Shinichi Kudo, sheepishly smiled and waved his hand in greeting. "Sorry for the unannounced arrival. I didn't think that the case I was working on will be done early but since it did, I caught on the earliest flight that I could have so here I am."

Kaito noticed that Hattori was still gaping and Ran… he shivered at the look on her face.

'Why does she look very… intimidating? Not that I'm affected but I'm guessing that Meitantei-san owes her something. But what did Meitantei-san did to her? Maybe he screwed up— Oh crap, she's coming!'

Ran squeezed Conan's hand for the last time and let it go. The boy looked at her in worry but she just smiled and silently reassured him that everything's under control.

Ran approached Shinichi and gently patted his arm. "I didn't think that you'll be able to come. You just literally messaged me a few minutes ago so this was surprising." She waved her phone in front of Shinichi to prove her point. "But setting that aside, can we talk for a bit?"

Shinichi raised his eyebrow but nodded anyway. "Sure, there's still some time before the heist begins so let's walk around for a bit?"

"Oi—!" Heiji tried to protest but Kazuha prevented him from doing so.

"Ahou! This is their long-awaited meetin' so dun interfere!"

"But Kudo—"

"Ran-neechan will be fine, Heiji-niichan! After all, it's Shinichi-niichan who's with her, right?" Conan beamed at Shinichi. "So no doubt, she'll be safe with him!"

The kid might be smiling brightly at the newcomer but his eyes were telling something else.

'I dare you to touch her even a single millimeter and I'll be sending some soccer balls your way.'

"Of course, I won't hurt Ran, geez…" Shinichi stared flatly at Hattori, who replied with a glare. He inwardly smirked. 'So Tantei-kun and figured it out, eh?'

"Oh Shinichi before we go…" Ran pinched Shinichi's cheeks hard.

"Ow! What are you doing, Ran!?"

"Eh, just checking if you're really Shinichi. Since this is a KID heist, we need to be careful about disguises, right?" Ran smiled. "We'll be back in a bit, Otaki-keiji, Hattori-kun, Kazuha-chan. Please take care of Conan-kun for a while, okay?"

Kazuha spoke while sealing Heiji's mouth with her hand. "Sure, Ran-chan!"

"See you later, Ran-neechan!" Conan cheered but he couldn't help but wonder what Ran was planning. He is sure that Ran can take care of herself and KID won't do something outrageous to her but… there's something else that's bugging him.

'Could it be that Ran will…' Conan rubbed his chin in thought. 'If that is so then… I pity the poor thief.'

Finally breaking free from Kazuha's grip, Heiji went to Conan's side and harshly whispered. "Oi Kudo! That's definitely KID! Why did ya let Neechan go?"

The boy sighed. "I do not keep a leash on her so she can do whatever she wanted to do, Hattori. And don't worry, he'll never touch Ran. I've already given him a warning and he's smart enough to obey it."

'Besides, it gives me a bit of a comfort that Ran already knows who she's dealing with. So it will be fine.

…hopefully.'

Ran and Shinichi decided to go into a slightly secluded part of the sky garden. The girl leaned on the railings, letting her long brown hair dance freely with the cold summer wind.

Shinichi, who was already calculating on how the conversation will go, stopped a few steps behind her.

After moments of silence, the girl suddenly spoke up.

"Ne, Shinichi."

"Yes, Ran?"

Ran turned slightly towards Shinichi and tucked her hair in the ear. "Thank you again for giving me this pair of earrings. They're beautiful."

Shinichi tried to shake away the familiar images of a certain mop-wielding childhood friend in his head when he saw that scene but failed due to the uncanny resemblance of the two. He swallowed and turned away from the smiling woman. "Of course. I gave it to you so you better treasure it."

"Of course. I was shocked when you suddenly threw a box at me saying that it's something to make up for the lost times. Stupid, Shinichi." Ran pouted. "Though it's better than you kicking it…"

"Ba'rou. I didn't throw it! I tossed it to you and I knew that you will be able to catch it because you have quick reflexes." Shinichi reasoned.

"Ah, I see." Ran had a small smile on her lips before she turned her attention to the sky again. "So I was wondering, do you have any idea why you were invited in this heist?"

'Hmm, so this was what she wanted to talk about?'

Shinichi dug his hands in his pockets and looked up to the sky. "To be honest, I don't know. Maybe he wanted a repeat performance of last time at the clock tower? Either way, I'll be able to predict his moves and drive that thief into a corner."

'As if.'

The girl pressed on. "So care to share your plans with me? Oh don't look at me like that, I've known you well enough to know that you already have at least one in mind."

Shinichi chortled. "Fine, fine. I've already studied the blueprints of this building and came up with ways on how KID will enter or exit the building. There's a high chance that he'll escape from here, since the winds are favorable for gliding tonight. Of course, Nakamori-keibu will still be in-charge of the catching and I will just provide additional help on the sidelines."

"But Shinichi, do you really believe that it was KID who sent the notice?"

'Wow, having an insight like that is… She asks interesting questions, eh?' KID mused.

Ran continued. "To be honest, I doubt it. Because I'm just an average person and that notice was way too easy for me to decipher. KID usually put riddles in his notices, right? So I'm not sure but… maybe someone out there wants to lure you, Shinichi." Ran nervously laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you. You were keeping a low profile recently for a case and now KID suddenly pops up this stint and I thought that it was going to ruin your cover…"

'She really cares for that Meitantei, eh? He's really a lucky guy. Too bad, it's not him she's talking to.'

Shinichi gave Ran a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ran. Thank you for worrying. You're right, we cannot dismiss the possibility that it was not KID who sent the notice. It was too unrefined, to be honest. Even for that thief, he still maintains an air of class and refinery in his heists. I've noticed in some of his previous heists that there were intruders who were persistent in targeting KID. Nakamori-keibu doesn't use those barbaric means of catching KID so they're definitely not from the police force but these unknown people seem dangerous. Nobody knows what their motives are but it's definitely not good. But if those people were the ones responsible for the notice, then why invite me?" Shinichi furrowed his eyebrows.

'I have a feeling that Meitantei-san's scarce attendance recently was due to something else… Could it be that we have similar enemies? After all, Mouri-san mentioned about him keeping a low profile and about a cover…'

Ran was quiet after he spoke. It sort of unnerved him because he really didn't know the girl personally so he couldn't guess what the silence was for. He might have disguised as her at the Black Star heist but women are unpredictable. Why did this girl pull him away from her friends when they can openly discuss this with them?

Moments later, Ran finally spoke.

"Thanks for telling me, Shinichi."

And suddenly, Kaito didn't like the tone of voice that Ran used in pronouncing Meitantei-san's name.

Ran pushed away from the railings and faced Shinichi. She walked a few steps towards the boy until she's a foot away from him. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

Then pinched him hard on both cheeks.

"Ran!?" Shinichi exclaimed while nursing his sore cheeks.

"Hmm." Ran contemplated. "So you really do look like Shinichi, eh? Maybe the hairstyle's just different because I've noticed that your hair's more stiff than usual. I can smell the scent of hair wax on you, see? And I'm not sure but I think I've already seen someone like you before…"

"W-What are you saying, Ran? Of course I will look like him because I am Shinichi! Ba'rou, did you hit your head or something?" Shinichi placed a hand on Ran's forehead but the girl shook his hand away.

"And I'm not sure if that's your real voice but if it is, wow! It's like you're long lost twins or something. Clones, maybe?"

Shinichi's eyebrow twitched. "This is ridiculous, Ran."

Ran wagged her finger in front of Shinichi's face. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. That's what you taught me, right?"

"…right."

"You lied about the earring."

Shinichi froze.

"Well, I'm not blaming you if you didn't know. Shinichi gave it to me but it was Conan-kun who delivered the jewelry to my hands. In secret. So it's impossible for you to 'toss' the box to me. And Shinichi is not one to forget about the smaller details, mind you. He's a detective and it just happens that he has an eidetic memory, which makes it hard for him to not remember things. Especially when it's a promise about his return to me." At the end of her speech, looked sternly at Shinichi. "And Shinichi was right. It was not you who sent the notice but someone else. And we think that the sender is either after Shinichi or..."

Shinichi— Kaitou KID knew that resistance was futile. He wasn't prepared for this confrontation after all. Instead of digging a deeper grave, he dropped his act and smiled at Ran. "Ojou-san, you should have been a detective for your brilliant deduction."

Ran stepped back, sensing the man's resignation and waved her hand in dismissal. "One detective is enough in our relationship. Oh also, Shinichi called me moments before you arrived so that's why I knew you weren't him."

'Though that was a lie and he was actually shooting lasers towards your way earlier.' Ran thought.

KID barked a laugh at Ran's humor. "You are a very interesting person, my lady. So what is the true purpose of this conversation, hm? I suppose you have another topic in mind then?"

Ran laughed. "That's right, KID-san. Aside from asking you about your view on the heist, I also seek something from you. It is a personal request."

The magician raised his eyebrow. "Mademoiselle, the only thing I stole from you is the face of your lover, which I will return when the night's over. And I don't work for other people so I deeply apologize if your request will be denied."

"Yes, I appreciate that and I also understand where you're coming from but KID-san…" A sweet smile appeared on the maiden's face. "You're basically showing me your civilian face right now. I am a girl so I know if someone is wearing make up or prosthetics." Ran tapped her chin in thought. "As I've told you earlier, I vaguely remember crossing paths with someone whom I thought as Shinichi before. I tried to chase him so that I could deck him for spending another time with a girl while I was waiting for his return but I was mistaken and the person that day was probably you. I am friends with the heiress of Suzuki empire and I can ask her for help in finding you based on the CCTV coverage of that area on that specific day. Or I can just ask the police. Which do you prefer, Magician under the Moonlight-san?"

Kaito almost fell on the floor with that statement. 'This young lady is exceptionally dangerous! Meitantei-san has been subconsciously nurturing a deadly weapon by his side!'

Ran shrugged when she was met with silence. "Growing up with detectives, a lawyer, a mystery novelist, and an internationally renowned actress has its perks, you know?"

KID sighed in resignation. Again. 'This lady is impossible. How can that Meitantei handle her?'

From a distance, Conan suddenly sneezed.

"Oh no, Conan-kun, are ya okay?" Kazuha fussed.

"I'm okay, Kazuha-neechan! It felt kinda chilly for a bit there but I'm fine!" The boy reassured the taller girl.

"If ya say so. Ran-chan will worry if I didn't take care of ya. So tell me if somethin' went wrong, eh?"

"Okay!" Conan chirped.

'Someone must be talking about me. Not that surprising since I'm invited in this heist but… come on.'

Conan sneezed again.

'Seriously?'

"So what is your request then?"

Ran beamed and shook the thief's hands in gratitude. "Thank you, KID-san! But first, you must promise me not to tell this to anyone, okay? Yes, even Shinichi. This is a conversation between you and I only so everything that will be discussed here will never come out in the open— at least until the task is over. So will you hear my request?"

KID released an exasperated sigh. "What can I do, Mouri-san? You've basically trapped me in my own domain. If I resist, you'll just throw me off the deck with your karate. I could fly but I doubt you'll spare me from having some broken bones during that and I can't have that before the heist even started. Also, I brought sleeping gas with me but it's very… flashy so people will notice. So it's a deal. But make it quick, the heist will start soon."

"Thank you again, KID-san! I'm sure you'll be interested in what I'm going to say." Ran smiled.

KID laughed. "I'm sure it is, Mouri-san. Truly."

Ran never thought, not even once, that she could unmask a certain phantom thief in her lifetime. No, she didn't even desire to do that in the first place but her concern for a certain shrunken detective drove her to gather all her wits and go all out on the elusive criminal to ensure his safety.

The girl didn't know if what she have discussed with KID would be useful but she just hoped that someday, this small deal will somehow be of help even for a bit.

After their talk, KID suggested that he'll put her to sleep and then remove his current disguise in public to announce to the world that the Kudo Shinichi who contacted the police and the person who suddenly showed up in the heist was just KID in disguise. Ran agreed because she knew that this will somehow erase the suspicions of the people who were after the Great High School Detective of the East, if they were really after Shinichi.

"I apologize Mouri-san for what I'm about to do."

"It's okay KID-san. I am the one who should apologize. I truly didn't want to unmask you but love makes us do weird things, ne?" Ran chuckled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "So thank you again, for hearing me out, KID-san. After this, just… bring me to Conan-kun, okay?" KID noticed the hint of affection in her voice when she uttered the mini-detective's name.

'They're really close, eh? I'm guessing that he'll throw something at me because I sort of broke his warnings but well, I have something more important to uphold and I can just avoid his 'punishment'. No biggie. I hope.'

"Okay Mouri-san. Ready?" KID readied his smoke bomb and waited for the girl's approval to strike.

"Okay. But before that, please call me Ran-san, okay? Mouri-san is my dad so…"

KID chuckled. "No problem, Ran-san. On the count of three, I'll drop the bomb. Don't worry, I'll catch you."

'Well if I didn't, two hounds will definitely come after me.'

Ran smiled then nodded. KID pulled the sleeping gas bomb out of nowhere and raised his hand. His other hand pulled out a gas mask and placed it on his face.

"One."

Ran closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Two."

KID checked his surroundings for the last time and started to lower his hand, its momentum increasing as the time ticked.

"Three."

He dropped the bomb and stayed behind Ran to catch her falling body from colliding with the floor. He hoisted the unconscious girl up and walked towards the direction of Tantei-kun's group.

He wasn't that surprised to see that Conan was already sprinting towards them. He could also see the spark of anger in the kid's eyes and he knew that he was going to make him pay for what he did to his Ran-neechan. But he had an oath to fulfill and he's not going to stop until the little lady gets what she wants.

KID stopped walking and smirked at the obviously tensed miniature detective. The child was already aiming his watch at him but he knew that the thing will not fire until he sets the princess down.

"Hello, Tantei-kun." He greeted with much enthusiasm.

"KID." Conan deadpanned.

"I apologize for the mishap. I accidentally dropped my smoke bomb once this little lady figured out who I was so this happened. Don't worry, she is unharmed." KID gently placed Ran down on the floor and stepped back.

"So you chickened out because you knew that she's definitely going to kick your ass, right?"

"Oh Tantei-kun, please. Don't use such an unrefined word in referring to me. Ran-san had more taste in choosing her statements than you, you know?"

Conan clicked his tongue and carefully approached the unconscious girl, checking for her vital signs. His eyes softened once he confirmed the girl's state from her light breathing. "Ran…"

"I assure you Tantei-kun, she will be conscious in no time. But for now, I will…" KID smirked once again and dropped a smoke bomb which made Conan's vision blurry. "…take my leave and start my show to satisfy my ever loyal audience."

The faux boy kicked a soccer ball towards KID but when the smoke cleared, the ball was met by nothing.

'Shit, he got away again!'

"See you later, Tantei-kun!"

Conan cursed. KID crossed a lot of lines today and he was not amused. Did he really have to make Ran sleep—

'Wait… did he just say that he dropped the gas because… Ran discovered his identity!?'

Conan's jaw dropped but immediately recovered to rouse his childhood friend from her forced slumber.

"Ran! Ran! Come on…"

The girl just grumbled and went back to sleep.

"Oi, oi." Conan dryly laughed and turned his attention towards his Osakan friend. "Hattori!"

"On it!" The Osakan high school detective rushed to where the jewel was placed, just a hundred meters away from their current location. Kazuha hurriedly walked to Ran's side instead of following Heiji and assured the boy that she'll take care of his caretaker while he take care of his business. Dropping a kiss on Ran's forehead then softly praised her for a job well done, Conan dashed after Heiji and stopped when they heard a familiar arrogant voice booming on the deck's sound system.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

.

.

.

.

.

Conan just hoped that the weird sensation in his chest that was bugging him ever since the night started is not some kind of a bad premonition.

Ran woke up feeling like she had the worst hangover ever. She's definitely going to deck KID next time for making his sleeping gas that potent.

Trying to find her ground, she found herself in Kazuha's arms— who was currently sporting a face filled with horror and shock.

"Kazuha…chan?"

Ran patted her shoulder but Kazuha did not move. She called her friend once more but it proved to be futile so she followed the girl's gaze to find out what was making her freeze.

And then Ran suddenly understood.

Surrounded by a sea of unconscious police officers, stood KID. Her heart leapt on her chest when she did not immediately find Shinichi. She hurriedly searched for the shrunken teen and felt immediate relief when she found him standing meters away from the thief. KID, whose face was still as blank as ever, was holding his card gun towards the men in black, specifically to the one who was holding an unconscious beaten up girl who resembled like…

"Me…?" Ran was shocked at the resemblance of the girl to her own self. It was so uncanny that the only difference was the messy hair and some curves here and there. She felt chills creeping up her spine as she noticed the girl's poor state.

"R-Ran-chan…"

"Kazuha-chan!" Ran sat up immediately and hugged the shocked girl. "Kazuha-chan, are you alright?" She whispered.

"Heiji…"

Ran's eyes widened. Her eyes went back to the horrible scene and found Hattori unconscious behind Conan. "Oh no, Hattori-kun… What happened, Kazuha-chan?"

Luckily, the two girls were behind a giant pillar so their location was blocked from view. Kazuha kept her voice low as possible as she relayed the course of events to Ran.

"Conan-kun left ya in my care an' they went near KID. It was a typical heist, KID was taunting the police and Nakamori-han was shouting. KID released a kind of sleeping gas in order to make everyone asleep but luckily, Conan-kun an' Heiji brought some masks. But the ahou gave me 'is so that's why I'm still awake now. An' look where it got 'im now!" Kazuha wiped her tears hastily.

"Anyway, KID announced that he already got the jewel an' he was about to flee when suddenly… there was a gunshot. It hit KID but I think he was wearin' a bulletproof vest because I didn't see any blood. Then some people wearin' black clothes appeared and oh god…" Kazuha suppressed a sob. "I thought it was ya, Ran-chan. But it was impossible since I had ya in my arms. They brought the girl in and fer a moment, I saw KID losin' his composure. The man who was holdin' the girl was pointin' a gun on her temple an'… an' demanded that KID give the jewel to them. An' that's when ya woke up Ran-chan…"

"I see…"

Ran rubbed Kazuha's back to soothe the crying girl. "It's okay, Kazuha-chan. Thank you for telling me. And I believe that Hattori-kun is safe since he was only knocked out by the sleeping gas. He'll probably wake up around the same time as I did and for sure, he'll be staying low until he finds an opportunity to strike. So for now let's keep a low profile so that we won't get noticed, too."

Kazuha took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, Ran-chan. Sorry about freezing like that. I'm fine now."

Ran flashed a reassuring smile towards her Osakan friend. "All we can do is hope for the best Kazuha-chan. For now. We can ambush them but…"

"I know. It's hard to quietly approach them especially when they have a hostage. One mistake and that poor girl will…"

"Let's have faith in them. And pray that we get an opening so that we'll catch the enemies off guard. But for now, we have to stay alert and observe."

"I agree, Ran-chan." Kazuha grasped Ran's hand, seeking for comfort. "I believe in Heiji."

Ran squeezed her hand in return. "I also believe in them."

'Be safe, all of you. Be safe.'

Ran was blazing with fury. She felt— no she knew that girl. She was the one who was with KID on that rainy day. And with the way KID's hands were slightly trembling, it confirmed her suspicion that the girl is a very important person in his life. Under his flawless mask, Ran knew that KID was completely terrified when he saw the poor girl's state.

These men in black... was KID also suffering the same thing as Shinichi? Finding an elusive organization in order to hunt them down?

She couldn't contact Shinichi to ask him if those men in black were the very same enemies that he's searching for but she knew one thing and it wasn't good.

The night will not end smoothly and there's a high chance that nobody will walk away unscathed.

Hello! Wow I updated earlier than usual! Well, still longer than a week but hey, 10 days! just 3 days longer than a week haha!

And I'm going to take this opportunity to thank the reviewers for leaving me nice things for this fic. Thank you for the continued support!

(Even though this fic is a total mess hahahaha)

I'm still not sure how this heist will end but it'll come to me when I write ch7 ;;;

Sorry I did that to Aokooooooo, I didn't really intend to add that when I was planning the chapter and when I was writing it, BOOM. AOKO. HUHUHU. MY BABY. Don't worry, she'll live.

Until next time! ;D