Author's Note: I can't believe it took me a year to finish this story arc. Well, as long as I finish it, it's okay with me. Sorry again for the wait, I'm sure you know the reason why, so I'll just happy to present to you the final chapter for the Reminiscence arc. The original story line finally continues the next chapter. As for how long this series will last, I'll give you a hint. It'll be over before you know it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

The Moment Where Everything Was Lost

Part I: The Eclipse

"I loved the way how a photo could capture a moment before it was gone."

Susie Salmon (The Lovely Bones)

Chapter XXV: Reminiscence Part VI – Denouement

Mashiro's point of view

20 minutes before the explosion…

Despite the burden and responsibility carried upon our shoulders, I was realizing a long forgotten feeling that I left behind in the past, a feeling that I thought to be long gone. It certainly was weird how love can bloom at the darkest of time.

We were headed towards them, and so far, we had no plan. We were too focused at catching up with them that I had lost track of being realistic. Were we really going to march there like this? We'll be killed even before we set eyes on them. I only caught grasp of reality when I came to realize that Saiko's life might be endangered. Though I've only been with her for the past couple of days, it doesn't take a genius to see how you have feelings towards a woman. I can't let her go with me.

"Saiko, I need you to leave," I said. "What are you saying? We're almost there, and you're bailing out?" she said. "I'm saying I'll go ahead," I replied. "Alone? I'm not letting you go there alone," she said. "Nor will I let you come with me," I said.

"Why the change of heart all of sudden?" she questioned me.

"Because…because…because, I can't stand the possibility of letting you get hurt!" I exclaimed stopping the car at the side of the road. She sat there glaring at me. "Do you think I don't feel the same way about you," she blankly said.

"Do you think that when you go there alone, I won't worry my heart out? We both know what we risked here. I'd rather go with you and face them than to wait every minute that pass by and wonder if you're alright," she explained. I followed my instincts and pulled her towards me. I closed my eyes and let our lips connect. This went on for at least a minute until she pulled away.

"We'll get pass this. Don't worry," she said while caressing my hand. "I know," I replied. We went back to pursuing them, and as we become nearer and nearer, the anxiety within me, grew.

"I already contacted the police department. It seems they're almost there," she noted. "Well that's good. We'll just wait for them; because, we're here already," I said. I parked the car in a far off distance from the warehouse. "I'll check the surrounding. Don't worry, I won't go in," I said. "Be careful," she said.

It was a large warehouse that from the looks of it, you could guess that a lot of illegal things happened in it. Faced paced, I walked towards the side and tried to find any opening I can find. There seems to be windows, but they're way too up high for me to look in it. The front entrance is most likely the only way for me and Saiko to enter.

I thought the police could easily break through this wall, but we might be too late when that happens. I went to look at the entrance to look for possible passageways, but something else caught my attention upon stepping near the entrance. It was a note. A note was tapped on the wall near the door. I took it and read what was written. My eyes grew large at what I saw.

"It's wrong to leave a girl alone. In the world we live in, you might never know what happens to her."

I dropped the note and ran towards the car as fast as I could. I couldn't dare imagine at the possibilities. I closed my mind, but these thoughts are just too intrusive. I only kept saying, "Please be safe," to myself over and over to ease these notions. The car was within my sight, and I scurried faster to it, but as I arrived, I was too late.

She was gone. All that was left was a note saying, "Stop us if you can."

Author's point of view

Back to the present time…

"Drop your gun. We don't know what you're talking about," Vermouth said. "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Mashiro exploded at the top of his voice. "If you don't drop your gun, I'll shoot you. I know well enough just by looking at you that you can't shoot me," Vermouth said.

"LET HER G-," gunfire echoed as he shouted and didn't finish. He merely looked at his chest only to see it bleeding. He fell to his knees and eventually falling face front onto the ground. "There's no room for hesitation here. Hesitate and it'll leave you wide open," she said holding the gun that shot him.

"Now, who's the real mastermind here? He's got to be working behind the scenes," Vermouth said to herself. She was looking around, trying to find out who the puppet master may be. "I know you're here," Vermouth taunted, but no one replied. She went to see what the situation was outside, but she froze the moment she heard a gunshot being shot.

She tumbled gripping her legs that were now flowing with blood.

"You brat! I didn't know you had it in you," she exclaimed. "Let her go first!" he said, trying to desperately stand up. "Didn't I tell you? We don't know. Someone else is pulling all the strings," she explained. "The who is it?" Mashiro shouted.

"It was me," a voice all of a sudden appeared behind us. It was Ayesagawa.

"I told you not to interfere," he said. "It was you?" Mashiro asked looking dumbfounded. "I tried to not involve you. I'm grateful that you saved me, but the instance that you become a burden to my goal. I won't hesitate to finish you," he replied. "The coward finally appeared on his show. I'll give you credit for getting this far, but you won't succeed," she said.

"Then you don't know what I'm planning," he confidently replied. Vermouth bit her lip at his answer. He was right. She utterly had no idea what his plan was. It only led her standing still, wondering what his next move will be. The situation was getting out of hand. Even the organization itself seemed to be lost.

"I don't have enough time. I need to finish this," he said. "Vermouth wasn't just going to stand there and watch. She took matter into her own hands by standing up and pointing the gun at Ayesagawa.

"Whoever said that I'd listen to you?" looking at Ayesagawa with piercing eyes. She was the type of woman who won't easily be ordered around. Just her presence indicated authority. Mashiro, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about Saiko's safety. It's the only thing in his mind lately. Even his original goal to protect the city has vanished due to his will-driven obligation to save Saiko.

Eventually, Mashiro drifted to desperation and snapped. With a swift jerk to his own arms, he was able to carry his weight, just enough for him to carry his arm. A shot came after his action.

"You bastard," Vermouth muttered just before she fell on the ground. "Do whatever you want. Just tell me where she is," he begged. "Take this key. Unlock the ropes from the pole just outside here. Also inform the cops outside to not try anything or else. Also come back here after you let her down. Try to escape and you know what happens," he threatened him. "Why do you want us back?" Mashiro asked. "I'm repaying a favor," he said. Despite the threats, Mashiro could sense sincerity in his words. He didn't mind and went outside to follow his orders.

A large crowd filled with cops and ordinary filled my sight. Mashiro approached them and said, "Don't shoot. He's got hostages there. I'm only following his orders or else he'll blow us up."

He went near the pole and unlocked the ropes tying her down. He didn't hesitate holding her between his shoulders alongside with crying. She was conscious, but her head was all bloody as well as her chest.

"I thought I lost you for good," he sobbed, clenching her in his hands. She merely smiled as a reply, for her weakened state wouldn't allow her to say a single word. "Let's go back in. Don't worry, I got things under control," he lied.

Mashiro went back in carrying Saiko on his back. He saw Vermouth on the flooring staring at Ayesagawa, but Ayesagawa's eyes were fixed on Mashiro. He was silently remembering the feeling of being loved and the feeling of having someone there when you're in need. Those feelings that we're forcibly taken away from him were slowly tracing back to his thoughts as he watched who Mashiro struggles to take care of.

A tear fell from his eye the moment he flashed back to those fragmented memories of his wife and children. They were all gone now, and all the more does he realize that useless will his life become. Although he was desperately finding a reason to live after all of these, he couldn't find one. From now on, the only life laid out for him is a life of torture and imprisonment. Either way, he was good as dead.

"Doctor, choose, the people or your loved one?" she asked in a deep dark tone. "Neither! I'll save them both if I have to!" he furiously replied. "Hmph,…then let me ask you this, do you believe in justice?" he asked. "Yes," he replied.

"Look around you."

He did what Ayesagawa asked him to do. He didn't notice it before, but a gruesome sight surrounded him. Where he was wasn't an ordinary warehouse.

It was a slaughterhouse.

Traces of dried blood could be seen on the walls and floor, and on one side of the room, different devices of torture were displayed. Mashiro also saw the specimen chained to a chair in the middle of the room, and while her thought that they were alone, he was wrong. On the second floor verandas, men in black were all watching at us.

"The only reason that they don't move is because they know that if they move, whatever they're standing on will explode, so back to what I was saying, can you see justice here?" he asked. He bowed down and couldn't say a word. There wasn't justice here, and he knew it.

"Justice is everywhere. Its existence entirely depends on the person's judgment. Its existence entirely depends on the person, so stop spouting nonsense where you're not in the right position to say anything about it, "Vermouth answered him. Ayesagawa turned to her and said, "You stop talking as if you know anything about justice. The reason why justice isn't here is because of you!"

"Then show me your so-called justice!" she stood and shot the gun at Ayesagawa. "You fool! Half of this organization's troops are on the way here. You never stood a chance against us," she shouted in glee. "So," he staggered to say.

"You're all coming here? Then, good," he then on continued.

"You're crazy," she spat. "You two, go far behind. It's going to get ugly here," he said. Out of impulse, Mashiro tackled Vermouth. The troops from the upper floor were on their way down. He didn't know why he did that, but something inside him told to do so. He was struggling with Vermouth when Ayesagawa took both of their wrists and handcuffed them together.

Ayesagawa dragged the two of them and tied them along with the specimen. He also placed Saiko beside them. "What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" Vermouth shouted. "Ayesagawa! Stop this! This isn't right! Let's talk it out!" Mashiro begged.

"It's too late. Not every problem can be solved my mere communication alone. There's a limit to what I can take," he said.

He walked towards Pike and took the syringe. He closed his eyes and injected the drug within his veins. He ran after and never looked back. He soon acted weird. His movements were different. Judging from his view, he was in pain. Despite falling, he still ran father away from them. He reached the other side and opened the entrance. Outside, the people started roaring in shock at his sight.

The men from above finally got down and saw what happened. "After him!" Vermouth shouted and his men followed. They all went outside and the doors to the warehouse shut the moment all of them were out.

And not long after that, the first scream echoed from within. All of them grew silent as each second, more and more screams echoed throughout their surroundings, ringing and repeating in their minds, and for three days, they were there, alone, trapped and most of all, terrified while the screams grew louder as each day pass by.

For three days, they were enduring a far worse torture than death itself. They were simply sitting there, listening to the outside world die.

Author's Note: And with that, the Reminiscence arc finally concludes. I hope the entire arc gives you some enlightenment on this fanfic of mine. Some may think that this arc is useless, but trust me, it isn't. You'll come back to what happened here in the coming chapters and especially in the second part of the series. Some asked me if this somewhat happened in the anime. My answer is no. This whole Reminiscence arc is original. Well, except for some of the characters that is. Thank you for waiting. Keep tuned in to reading the future chapters. I promise to update more often.

Coming Soon: Chapter 26: Conclusions