Ran frowned at the clock. Conan was late. Heiji had specifically said that he'd have the boy back home before midnight. And yet it was now half past the designated hour. Why had she even let them go to the KID heist, anyway? Conan had school the next morning. Then Ran remembered. Turns out, two whining detective following you all around the house can be pretty convincing. Though they hadn't actually convinced her of anything. Rather, they annoyed her to the point where she snapped and chased them out of the house with the threat of a roundhouse kick to the head.

That was all the encouragement they needed. In under a minute, they were gone.

With a huff, the karate master pulled out her cell phone, about to dial his number. Suddenly, the door slammed open. Yelping loudly, she whirled around. There, at the door, was Conan. The boy's glasses were askew and his cheeks were flushed with exertion. Behind him was none other than the Kaitou KID, looking just as exhausted and disheveled. "What?" She began, only to be cut off.

"RAN NEE-CHAN, LET'S GO!" Conan shouted. His voice was urgent and laced with panic. In her shock, Ran could only blink owlishly at him.

"Come on!" KID urged. "Tantei-han can only hold them off for so long!" When she still didn't react, he cursed and darted forward, picking her up bridal style. She squealed and clutched at his arm as her legs were swept off the ground. Moments later, KID and Conan were darting down the stairs. They bolted through the now-empty cafe under the Agency and out the doors.

As they ran, Conan snapped, "Of you touch her the wrong way-"

"Tantei-kun," KID cut in. "Our lives are at stake here. Do you really think I'm doing anything perverted?"

"Knowing you, yes," Conan growled. On the street, a car that Ran recognized as Sato's was parked. The two boys made a beeline for it, piling inside without hesitation. Sure enough, the officer was at the wheel. "Drive!" Conan yelped. With a quick nod, Sato floored the gas pedal. They shot off down the street like a bullet.

"This is going to get me fired," Sato muttered. Conan gave her an apologetic glance.

"Sorry, Sato-keiji. And thank you. We'd be goners without you."

Ran's mind finally snapped into gear. "Wait a minute!" She exclaimed. "What's going on? Where's Hattori-kun?" The faces of Conan and KID darkened instantly. The two of them exchanged guilty, mournful looks.

"I'll never forgive myself," Conan whimpered in a soft voice.

KID placed a comforting hand on the little detective's shoulder. "He was a good man," The thief said, trying to sound strong. "We'll never forget his sacrifice."

In the front seat, Sato blanched. "They got Hattori-kun?" She choked out. Conan nodded sorrowfully. By then, they had left Beika and were speeding along the empty road. After a moment of silence, Sato recovered and said, "We're almost at Ekoda. Where should I go?"

"The high school," KID told her immediately. "It's big, and they wouldn't expect us to hide there. And if we need to, we could probably escape."

Hide? Escape? Who were they running from? Completely lost now, Ran turned to face Conan. "What's going on?" She demanded.

The boy shivered. "I was stupid," He murmured. "I got too well known. Between KID heists and murder cases, my name grew more and more famous until..." He gulped and fell silent, seemingly unable to continue. Whatever was pursuing them had terrified the bespectacled detective.

Ran blinked. Hoping to get a straight answer, she turned to KID. "Then why are the two of you working together?"

"Common interest," The thief answered shortly. He offered no other explanation. Instead, he kept staring out the windows, as though expecting the road to burst into flames.

Frustration gnawed at Ran. Finally, she snapped. "WOULD SOMEONE TELL ME JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" No one did. Their faces remained solemn, with a hint of lingering horror in their eyes. Suddenly Ran wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

All of a sudden, Sato jerked the wheel to the side. The car spun, tires squealing. KID and Conan yelped in alarm while Ran screamed, clinging for dear life to both of them. The car came to an abrupt stop, rattling slightly. They were in front of Ekoda High. "Go!" Sato commanded. KID threw opened his door and Conan did the same. The small boy grabbed Ran's hand, pulling her out with him. As soon as the doors were shut, Sato hit the gas and was gone.

Suddenly Ran was being yanked towards the building. They raced for a line of windows, stopping by a particular one. KID's gloved fingers traced the bottom of the window. Seeming to find a latch or handle of some sort, the thief threw the window open with a triumphant cry. He climbed through the opening with cat-like skill, landing neatly on the other side.

Conan scowled. "Once a thief, always a thief," He grumbled. KID only rolled his eyes as Ran lifted the boy and passed him over. With that done, she climbed in herself(taking care to keep her skirt down).

After that, the window was shut and locked and the three of them were huddling silently underneath it. "Alright," Ran hissed. "Start explaining." Then she paused. There was a noise, like footsteps. Everyone froze and went silent, staring wide=eyed at the door.

click-clack-click-clack

Ran's heart was hammering against her ribs. They all stared until the sound faded, and then waited a few more minutes to make sure it didn't return. When the coast was clear, Conan breathed out a sigh of relief. Then he looked feafully at KID. "Do you think they're armed?" He asked quietly.

KID gave him a scornful and disbelieving look. "Of course they are! It's Them!"

"I don't deal with Them on a daily basis!" Conan snapped.

The thief hissed back, "Neither do I. They only appear at heists."

"Wait, who's they?" Ran asked. She was lost. Again.

With a sigh, Conan and KID stood. They both peered out the window. After making sure they were alone, the two turned to her and simultaneously said...

"Fangirls."