Four points of the same star
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Detective Conan .
FOUR POINTS OF THE SAME STAR
Chapter 11
If it's necessary, then...
Agase came out of the kitchen, holding a dish towel in his hand. He was sure that he had heard the phone ring and as he went towards its table down the corridor, he saw Rei hanging up the receiver.
"Rei-kun, who...?" he started to ask but quickly stopped when he noticed the girl's face.
She was pale and her eyes were filled with concern and anxiety. She didn't seem to have noticed him for she was lost in thoughts.
"Rei-kun?" Agase asked softly, approaching her, "What's wrong?"
The girl looked up and it took her a moment to realise where she was and recognize Agase.
"Professor, there is a problem." she said, "I need your help. We don't have time to waste."
"Now the problem is how to get out of here without being noticed." Ryu muttered more to himself than to the others after he gave the earring phone back to Conan. "Maybe, there is a back door or something. We must be there in less than half an hour.. "
"Where should we be in thirty minutes?" Conan asked him.
"Near the station." he replied, "Rei will be waiting for us there."
"Why?" Ai asked, "And what did you mean with -do as we have planned?"
"Listen, I'll explain everything to you but now we must find a way to get out of this bar without passing from the entrance." Ryu remarked, opening the locked bathroom door.
They looked around and found a small door at the very back of the bar. They walked out, trying to be as natural as possible and trying to go unnoticed. They soon found themselves in an alley opposite the main street.
"Well, no one around." Ryu said, looking on both his sides, "Come on, let's go. We have already wasted some minutes."
They began to walk quickly towards the station. Every now and then, one glanced behind to see if someone was following them.
"Now, Ryu." Conan said, as they were going, "Do you want to tell us what you and Rei have planned?"
"All right." he replied, looking down at the kids by his side, "Rei and I have worked out an emergency plan. You know, in case one of us was recognized by a member of the Organisation. Mainly, if they saw me or her. You two are still safe in this form. But... that's not relevant now. The one that was following us has surely recognized me, the same way I immediately knew who he was."
"You know who he is?" Ai questioned, looking up.
Ryu's face darkened.
"Yes, I know him." he replied shortly, "I know him well."
Conan and Ai stared at him and noticed a strange glint in his eyes. They didn't ask anything else because, somehow, they knew that Ryu wouldn't have answered. He seemed to be in a world of his own, thinking of else. The three arrived at the station fifteen minutes later but Rei was not in sight.
"Ryu, how is she coming here?" Conan asked.
"By car." he replied.
"Well, Agase's car's not around." Ai said.
"Yeah..."
Both Conan and Ai looked at the other boy. He was not paying attention to what they were saying. He just answered absently and kept looking around and at his watch. Suddenly something caught Ryu's eye. A grey car was coming towards them and its headlights went on and off twice.
A smile flickered on his face.
'The signal.' he thought.
"She's here." he said, turning to the others.
Conan and Ai hadn't even realized what was going on that the car had already braked in front of them and Ryu opened the back door to let them inside.
"Come on." he urged and they scrambled in while he closed the door and sat in the front.
"Ok, Rei, let's go." he said to the driver.
"All right." she replied and they sped away.
Nobody spoke for a few minutes. Rei went on driving while Ryu kept looking at the rear-view mirror, checking if someone was following them. Conan and Ai kept silent, waiting for the right moment to ask questions but both noticed that there were four backpacks under the seat.
At last, Ryu let out a small sigh of relief.
"Nobody in sight." he said, "We are safe.. for the moment."
"Can you explain me what has happened?" Rei asked him, "You didn't tell much on the phone."
"There's not much to say." he replied, "They have recognized me and we must go away. Speaking of going away, did you do everything?"
"Yes, all done. We should be covered for a couple of days."
"Hey, you two, do you mind explaining us what's going on?" Conan asked, gesturing to Ai and himself. Rei turned to Ryu with a questioning look and he smiled sheepishly.
"Er.. I didn't tell them anything." he remarked, "I had other things in my mind."
"Oh, all right." she huffed and glanced at the two kids at the back through the mirror, "We have worked out a plan in case the Organisation was around; if we had even the hint that they were here, we had to leave."
"Wait a minute... we're running away?" Conan asked in disbelief, "Is that your plan?"
"No, we're not running away. We just have to make them believe that we have left." Ryu remarked, "It was obvious that they would have controlled this area since they've met Sherry here. You've seen Gin and Vodka at the Haido City Hotel, right?"
"Yes." Ai replied.
"We thought that they would have probably left someone to keep an eye on the situation and this would have been dangerous for Ryu and me." Rei said.
"We can be recognized easily; a cap and a pair of glasses are not much of a disguise." Ryu added, "You two are safe because of your shrunken form but since you were with me before, you would have been in danger anyway. That's why you're coming with us now but don't worry, you'll be back home in two days."
"Hey, wait!" Conan cut in, "What do you mean with -you will be back? What about you and Rei?"
The two at the front glanced at each other.
"We will see what to do." Ryu said, "It depends on what will happen."
"Are you planning to leave for America?" Ai asked.
"No. Not yet." Rei replied, "There still are loads of files to work out and, by the way, it would be problematic if one of us showed up. Everyone thinks that I've killed myself."
"And everyone considers me a traitor." Ryu stated, "Even if we managed to contact Matt, we would be exposed too much."
"So, where are we going?" Ai asked.
"Out of Tokyo for the moment." Ryu replied, "There is a small town nearby, surrounded by woods. Perfect place for camping."
"Camping?" Conan and Ai repeated together.
"Yes, that's the covering to explain our sudden disappearance." Rei said, "By the way, Shinichi, Agase informed Mouri-san that he was taking you and Ai out for a camping trip and that you'd be back in two days."
"Did Ran believe him?" Conan asked.
"I don't know. I was too busy packing the backpacks to ask him anything. Then I just rushed out to rent this car."
"Why didn't you take Agase's?"
"His yellow Beetle can be identified easily." Ryu remarked, "They could track down the owner through the licence plate and that could put Agase in danger. That's why we didn't drop you at his house; since they have seen you too, they could have followed you to see how you were involved with me or worse, they could have kidnapped you to let me come out and face them."
Conan and Ai looked at both with a slightly amazed expression. It seemed that Ryu and Rei had foreseen all of the Organisation's moves.
"Rei, did you put everything in the bags?" Ryu asked after a short moment of silence.
"Yes, everything." she replied, looking at him. She then glanced at the other two through the rear view mirror, "I took your backpacks and packed them; I took enough clothes for two days and I also put in some other things. Why don't you look in? You too, Ryu."
Conan, Ai and Ryu took the bags and opened them.
Conan found clothes but also hypodermic needles for his stun-gun watch, waterproof matches, a pocket knife and the battery-recharge for his glasses and his earring telephone.
Ai found clothes, a first aid kit, a compass, a lighter and rope.
Ryu found his two guns, an automatic and a revolver, with spare chargers, a map and a flashlight along with his clothes. They also had a bottle of water and a package of food each.
"What do you have in your bag, Rei?" Conan asked, cramming his school bag in the backpack.
"Besides clothes, food and water like you, I've got my gun with chargers, rope and a transceiver." she replied.
"Well, you packed only the essential." Ryu remarked, "It should be enough for two days. If we have to send Conan and Ai back, then..."
"Wait. Why should we leave?" Conan retorted.
"Listen, it's for our safety." Ryu said, "If something goes wrong, someone has to continue our work to bring the Organisation down and send it to Matt. Rei and I can't go back:; they would find us immediately but you two can since they don't know of your physical change. You could keep on working undisturbed and we could contact you every now and then."
"I have already told Agase that if he doesn't receive any news from us for at least two days, he has to call Matt and inform him of the situation and decide what to do." Rei added, "However, this will occur only if something goes wrong. If they believe that we've gone away.. well, if they believe that Ryu's gone, they'll probably leave Tokyo too and then we could all go back home."
The car went silent afterwards.
Conan was still wondering why, in case of danger, he and Ai must be sent away rather than facing the Organisation's men. He wasn't so useless.
Ai, on the other hand, was watching Ryu intently. The boy was looking out of the window but his stare was empty, unfocused as though he was thinking of something else. She had noticed that he hadn't mentioned that he knew who was following them before.
"Ryu, who was following us?" she dared to ask, coming to the conclusion that they all had to know who they were facing.
"Yes, you said that you know him." Conan said, snapping out of his thoughts.
Rei looked at Ryu in surprise. She was going to say something, question him when she noticed a strange glint flash in his eyes. It was sorrow mixed with... Rei couldn't believe it. Anger?
Was it possible?
'Something is wrong..' she thought turning to look at the street again but eyeing her companion.
"Yes, I know him." Ryu replied quietly, still looking absently at the distance, "He's Scotch, my.. Martini's partner back in the Organisation."
"Scotch?" Rei asked in shock, whipping around to him, "Are you sure, Ryu?"
"Do you think that I could mistake him for another?" he retorted coolly.
"No." she muttered and her face darkened, "Of course not."
Conan and Ai watched them and understood that something was wrong. They had never seen Ryu and Rei with such dark faces.
'They are hiding something.' they both thought.
"Is there something that we don't know?" Conan voiced loudly but he didn't get a reply.
After a ten minutes of complete silence, Rei slowed down and stopped the car close to the woods where they would seek hiding.
"I think that we should leave the car here." she said.
Ryu looked around; the trees and the bushes hid the car pretty well and even if it was found, it wouldn't be a great loss. As long as they were not found.. He turned around and nodded and the four got out of the car.
"Ok, let's go." the engineer said, "We have to walk a bit to reach the cabin."
"Where?" Ai asked, putting the backpack.
"There is a small log cabin in the middle of the woods. It's usually used by hunters or animal watchers but in this time of the year nobody comes up here." He noticed the questioning look on her face. "Rei did a research to find a suitable place to hide. We have made this emergency plan only a few weeks ago and she didn't find much. This place seemed to be the best one available."
"Come on, let's go." Rei said and the others nodded.
They started to walk along a twisting path. They didn't talk and just walked silently, paying attention to every noise around them. After a while, they came across a big oak tree and they decided to stop there for a break. As they sat on the ground, opening their bags to get the bottles and have a drink of water, Rei glanced at Ryu. It seemed that she was asking him something, asking permission and he just nodded, understanding what she meant.
Rei took a deep breath and turned around.
"Shinichi, Ai. There is something you have to know before we go on." she said and the two looked up. It seemed that they had decided to speak at last.
"Do you remember when I said that I had found out of my parents' death in the files of the Organisation?"
"Yes and Ryu found out of his family in the same way." Conan remarked.
"Yes, this happened months ago. Well... there is a something we didn't tell you. " The girl looked at the two kids. "We also know who is the killer of our parents and it's the same person that's following us now."
Conan and Ai were both thunderstruck.
"You mean... Scotch?" Conan asked slowly and Rei nodded.
Ai turned to Ryu who was sitting behind Rei and that had been silent the whole time.
"He's the one that killed your family?" she asked him.
"Yes." he replied quietly "I recognized him immediately, from the moment I first saw him back in the Organisation headquarter. I knew that I was looking at the man that had been pointing a gun to my mother and father five years ago."
"And you worked with him?" Ai asked in disbelief.
"I didn't have other choice." he said shortly. He looked up and Ai was startled to see his face. It was cold, emotionless but his eyes were full of pain and anger in total contrast with his expression.
Conan had noticed Ryu's eyes, too and felt a chill run down his spine for he had seen that very look many other times.
Unfortunately, he knew what it meant.
'Vengeance..' he thought.
"Didn't you say that he's a scientist?" Conan asked Ryu, trying to stir him from his thoughts, "Didn't the high members usually kil.. I mean weren't they the ones involved in murders?"
Ryu nodded.
"Scotch used to be a high member." he replied with a cool tone. "But he was demoted to the scientists' level after two mistakes he had done during his missions: leaving me and Rei alive."
"Yes, it was also on some files of the archive." Rei said quietly, "The leaders decided to demote him because he didn't do a clean work. He didn't get me after my parents' death since I was sent to Europe for my safety by my guardian. I think that they knew that I could have annoyed them later and wanted to finish me off; while in Ryu's case.. well.. he's an eyewitness. He told what he had seen but they managed to cover up everything. Then, Ryu disappeared and even if they found him, they couldn't hurt him since he lived with an FBI inspector."
"Wait a second..They knew all this things about you?" Conan asked, looking at both. "How?"
"They probably did researches on us for the past five years." Rei replied, "And the fact that we are both FBI agents must have helped them even more. They surely found all the information about us on the main database."
"The Organisation doesn't forget easily who has been on its way." Ryu remarked, "And neither does Scotch. He probably wants Rei and me dead since we are the reason of his demotion. He's a terribly ambitious man: I noticed it while we worked together. He will not surrender till he gets what he wants. He must have tracked me down the same way Rei did. By entering the airport system."
"But you're safe now, right?" Conan said, "He doesn't know that you're here."
"I hope so." he replied, getting up. "He didn't follow us: I've been looking every minute. So unless he knew where we were heading or has been following us by very long distance, we're safe." He swept a hand through his hair. "At the mome... Rei, what's wrong?"
The girl had got up with a start and was deadly pale.
"We.. have forgotten.. the research by satellite." she remarked softly.
It took Ryu a few moments to understand what she meant. His eyes widened.
"Damn it." he muttered.
Conan knew that the research by satellite was a system installed in many cars that was used by the driver as a navigator but it also worked against thefts. If the car was stolen, the police could track down the car thanks to the satellite research. Ai knew this too.
Then it hit them both.
"If Scotch had foreseen that you would have rented a car, he could enter the satellite research system and..." Conan started.
"And... track us down." Ai finished, "He could already know where we are."
"Yes. He knows already." Ryu said, "That's why he didn't follow us. He knew that we would have rented a car.. which name did you give, Rei? Don't tell me..."
But the girl nodded desperately.
"I gave my name." she said.
"So, he knows that your death was a feign... Great." Ryu ran his hand through his hair again, thinking of a way out. "Scotch is one of the best agents I've ever met. If he has foreseen our moves then he must have done some researches too. I bet he knows that we're going to the cabin."
"We have to go somewhere else." Conan remarked.
Ryu glanced at him and at Ai. He then turned to Rei with a significant look. She nodded slowly.
"I think that we should split here." he said, at the end, "You two must go back to Agase's house."
"What?" Conan asked in disbelief. Ai didn't react.
"Shinichi, listen." Rei joined the conversation, "At the moment, you and Ai are the only ones among the four of us that can't be easily recognized. Scotch probably knows that I'm alive because of my mistake of giving my name when I rented the car and he saw Ryu. We are his main targets."
"We were with Ryu, too." Conan retorted, "He could recognize us and by the way, we're not certain that he's coming."
"I'm sure he's coming here." Ryu said, "And we don't know if he's alone or with other agents. We can't go back because we would put in danger all the people around us but you two can. If there's even a small possibility for you to reach Tokyo without being harmed, then Rei and I will try to help you leave."
Conan was going to retort again when Ai stepped in.
"How can you be so sure that the Organisation doesn't know that Kudo and I are in this form?" she asked bluntly.
This took both Ryu and Rei by surprise. They turned in unison to the little girl.
"What?" Ryu asked, "They might know it?"
"They could. If another scientist carried on my work on the APTX-4869, the flaw in the project that made us turn children might be noticed." Ai replied, "And if they do notice it, then I'm traceable as much as you are. They have photos of me as a child. It will take them less than a day to find me."
"What about you, Shinichi?" Rei asked, turning to the boy, "Who knows that you are in this form? Besides Agase and your parents?"
"There's.. Vermouth, or Chris Vineyard that might know who I am. She might have suspects on my identity." he replied after a moment of silence, "I spoke of my condition just to one person and that's Hattori."
"Who?"
"Heiji Hattori. He's a detective in Osaka and son of the chief inspector, Heizo Hattori. I've told him the truth because he could have helped me track down the Organisation."
"Is he trustworthy?" Ryu asked.
"Yes. He's a loyal friend and also a good detective."
"Well, this Hattori sounds ok. Is there anyone else that knows or that might know who you really are?"
"No... no one el.. Hey wait! Kid knows who I am."
Ryu and Rei looked at him with a startled look when they heard this.
"Phantom thief Kid?"
"You mean, 1412?"
"Yes, him." Conan replied, slightly surprised by their reactions, "You know him already?"
"He was mentioned on a file regarding the Organisation." Rei answered, "It was one of the last ones I was working on."
"We don't know how he's involved with them." Ryu added, "We don't know if he's an ally or an enemy. And if he's on their side, then he could have informed them of your state." He sighed. "Well, this surely changes our plans. If there's a chance that they know about your shrinking and of your real identities, you're in our same situation. We can't split: it would be dangerous. Any ideas?"
"We could try to get away with the car." Conan suggested.
"There's the research by satellite in." Ryu reminded him "Scotch will find us again."
"But if we remove it or maybe modify it, he won't be able to find us, right?" Rei remarked, "I can go back to the car and try to work on it."
"No, wait a minute, Rei. Scotch could be nearby. If he sees you, you're good as dead. Don't forget that he's a professional. And by the way, you don't have the necessary tools to work."
Rei opened her backpack and drew out a small leather case.
"Agase gave me this before I left." she said, "He said that it could have been useful."
She opened the case, revealing two small screwdrivers, a few wires, a cutter, pliers. There was also a small object, not bigger than a wallet and a pair of sunglasses.
Rei noticed the others puzzled faces. She took the wallet-sized object in her hand.
"This is a mini computer: it's not very powerful but I can link it to my laptop and have access to data in it. And these glasses have a special radar built in: it works with x-rays and detects any organic presence in a range of twenty meters." she explained, "They are Agase's last inventions: he warned me that he didn't have time to test them but he gave them to me anyway, in case we were in trouble."
"Well, you do have the equipment then." Conan said, "I can come with you."
Rei shook her head.
"It'd better if I go alone." she said, "In two we can be easily noticed."
"But.."
"No buts, Shinichi. I'll go alone and don't worry I've got a weapon." she said, taking out her revolver. Ryu stepped forward and handed her a fistful of bullets.
"Take these." he said, "Just in case."
"Thanks, Ryu." she said, slipping the bullets in her jacket's pocket. "But what about you?"
"Don't worry." he reassured her, "I've got the automatic."
"What will you three do?"
"We'll look around and see if there's another place where we can stay. It will be dark in a couple of hours: I don't think it would be wise to stay out. We would be exposed." He turned to the kids. "What do you think?"
"I agree." Conan said, "Maybe we could find a cave or an old shed."
"How will you keep in contact, Rei?" Ai asked.
"I'll use the transceiver on the glasses.." she replied, "It's on the same wave-length of Shinichi and Ryu's glasses."
Conan looked up.
"Agase modified your glasses?" he asked.
"Yes, they're like yours now." Ryu replied, "Transceiver, radar and device built-in."
"By the way, where should we meet?" Rei asked, picking up her backpack.
"What about here?" Conan suggested.
"Yeah, why not?" Ryu remarked with a nod, "In front of this oak tree in about.. two hours, all right? It took us more than half an hour to come here. I think that's enough time to go and come back. What do you think, Rei?"
"Yes, all right." she said, "Well, I'll go and see what I can do with the car. If something goes wrong, I'll use the transceiver."
"We'll do the same." Conan said. Ryu and Ai nodded.
"Ok, see you later. Be careful." she said, "All of you."
"You're the one that has to be careful." Ryu remarked with a small smile, "Don't worry, we won't do anything rash."
"Remember those words." she told him warningly. Rei turned around and walked down the path, disappearing a few moments later.
'Be careful, Rei.' Ryu thought.
He opened his backpack, drew out the revolver and turned around to Ai.
"You know how to use a gun, right?" he asked, "Take this. There are only six shots but I think it should be enough."
Ai took the gun and put it in her jacket pocket.
"Do you expect that we'll have to use guns?" she asked.
"I'm not sure but knowing what Scotch is able to do, I think that it's better to be prepared." he replied, "We're all armed and if something happens, we can defend ourselves. Anyway, Conan, Ai, you two must always stick together, all right?"
"Why?" they asked together.
"One has a transceiver, the other has a gun. If we are separated for some reason, we have to communicate and the stun-gun won't do much against a gun." he replied, "And most of all, you have to help each other since you're both in a.. er.. reduced form."
"All right." Ai said. Conan didn't reply.
He had the feeling that Ryu was up to something. All the safety measures that he was taking for his and Haibara's safety and, most of all, the look that he had on his face a few moments before made his detective bells ring in alarm.
It was ..suspicious.
"Ryu, why are you supposing that we'll be divided?" he asked after a bit.
"Just in case." the blond replied, "It's better to be prepared in advance than face a danger without knowing what to do."
He glanced at the smaller boy and saw doubt in his eyes.
'Well, he's a detective, after all.' he thought, understanding what he was thinking of.
"Conan, if you want to tell me something, please say it clearly." Ryu remarked bluntly and faced him. Conan nodded.
"I think that if Scotch shows up, you will find a way to face him alone." he said seriously. "Sending me and Haibara away."
"It might be..." Ryu asserted.
"I'm not going to let you do that."
"Why not?"
"You would do a foolish thing. A very foolish thing staying with him alone."
"Do you think that I won't be able to control myself?"
"You are able to be perfectly self-controlled in your normal state but I have my doubts of how you'd react now."
"How do you know what I might do?"
"I can recognize certain stares."
Ryu didn't answer; instead, he opened his backpack and took out the map. Conan took a sip of water from his bottle. A strange silence fell between them.
Ai had been watching them the whole time and was surprised, even though she didn't show it openly. She had noticed Ryu's strange behaviour too but hadn't realized immediately what it could mean as Conan had.
If Ryu met Scotch, all the hatred, the anger and the pain that he had been shutting down in his heart would just come up at full force and who knows what he might do.
She knew what it meant. She had felt the same when she met Gin at the Haido City Hotel months ago.
But the thing that had surprised her most was the boys' attitude.
Conan and Ryu had always gone well together as though they had known each other for years but now, they were behaving as though the were two strangers. Conan had the cool tone he adopted when he solved a case and talked to the criminal while Ryu was emotionless as when she had met him in the Organisation when he was Martini. Their argument had been short without shouts or angry outbursts. It had been cold, emotionless and so.. harsh.
Ryu folded the map and put it in his jacket pocket.
"I think we should move." he said quietly, picking up his backpack, "Rei will be back in two hours if everything goes well and we have to find a safe place for the night." He looked at the others, "What do you think? Shall we go?"
Conan and Ai nodded and the three began to go into the depths of the woods.
"This wire.. then this one here.."
A soft typing sound was heard, followed by a small click.
Rei closed the small computer and quickly put away all the tools. It had taken her forty minutes to reach the car. She had to walk silently and slowly in the woods so that no one would have noticed her and Agase's special sunglasses had been useful too. She didn't meet anyone on her way.
She looked at her watch: disconnecting the satellite researcher had taken nearly half an hour. It was getting late.
'I have to meet the others near the oak tree in less than an hour.' she thought, 'They didn't call so.. nothing has happened... I hope.'
She didn't know why but ever since she had left Conan, Ai and Ryu, she had been feeling strangely alarmed.
It was not only her nerves but something else. It was a..
Bad feeling.
She picked her backpack and was about to leave the car when she saw something silvery fall down on the car's carpet. Rei instinctively grabbed it before it went down.
It was a silver chain with a silver crucifix hanging on it. She instinctively touched her neck and felt it bare. It was hers. A smile made its way on her face as a memory surfaced back to her mind.
-:-
Ryu and her were in Agase's lab, working as usual.
Shinichi and Ai were still at school and Professor was busy in the kitchen, probably cooking or fixing one of his inventions.
She slowly stretched, putting her laptop in standby. There were many files to work out and even though she had divided them all with Ryu, Ai and Shinichi, the amount of work was still considerable.
Moreover, Ryu was working on the radar for his devices and Ai was busy with the antidote for the APTX-4869. It often happened that the three of them worked till it was late at night. They went to sleep mainly because Agase chased them away from the lab.
Shinichi had his work too. Since he couldn't stay with them too much time without making Mouri suspicious, he came to Agase's house every afternoon after school and on weekends to help with the files but most of all, he kept them informed of what happened around them; since Kogoroh was considered the most skilled detective around, Inspector Megure always came to his agency to ask for help. Shinichi managed to be there every time and his duty was to inform the others if something strange happened, like odd deaths, thefts or something.
She smiled slightly. They made a good team and they all went well with each other. She was getting used to this situation.
'I hope it will last long..' she thought, 'We are close to bring the Organisation down now: it would be nice if we stayed this close after.. as four normal teenagers.'
"Rei? Are you all right?"
She looked up and turned to her side.
"Come again?"
"I asked if you were all right. You were smiling all by yourself."
"I was just thinking about a thing." she replied, "Don't worry, Ryu, I'm not going mad."
"Well, I hope not." he said smiling. He put his laptop on standby and got up, stretching. "Conan and Ai will be here in another half an hour." He glanced at the clock on the wall, "What about a break, Rei? Till they come?"
She glanced at him and nodded.
"Why not?" she said, getting up, "We're working from this morning."
She got up and stretched again not noticing that Ryu's eyes were fixed on her.
"Rei?" he asked, rather uncertainly, "What did you do to your hair?"
"What?" she asked, turning to him.
"Well, it seems different... I don't know ..I thought they were longer. When we met last time in America, I remember that they reached your shoulder blades or more."
She was slightly surprised.
"I never thought someone would notice it." she replied, "Well, Matt told me that I had to disguise myself otherwise I risked to be recognized so I cut my hair and began to dress differently. Not much, mind you, just jeans, denim jacket, baseball cap always lowered on my eyes. No one recognized me besides Yukiko-san." She looked at him with a smile,"I underestimated your powers of observation, Ryu."
"Ehm.. right." he replied pretty embarrassed.
"Ryu, can I ask you a question?" she said, after a while.
"Sure." he answered.
"Remember when you talked with us last week? Why did you flinch when Ai and Shinichi mentioned Vermouth?"
Ryu frowned slightly.
"I don't like her at all." he replied.
"You've met her?" she asked, "You didn't tell us that."
"I met her a few times while I was in the Organisation back in America. She's one of the best agents along with Gin, Vodka and Shuichi Akai. There were rumours about them that gave me creeps: they were the best murderers around.." Ryu had a expression of pure disgust on his face, remembering them. "But speaking of Vermouth, I didn't like her because ..er.. she was rather flirtatious with me."
"What?" she asked in disbelief. She felt a strange twitch in her stomach and the sudden urge to strangle Chris Vineyard. For the first time, she felt jealous.
"Yeah. She tried to.. seduce me.. but I didn't let her. You know me, I get pretty uncomfortable in these kind of situations but with her it was different. I was only disgusted: knowing who she was, what she had done and also knowing that she had some kind of relationship with Gin. So, I also imagined what kind of woman she was." He shuddered slightly and didn't notice that Rei had sighed with relief.
"What's so special about me?" he asked, probably to himself.
She looked at him.
" Everything." she said truthfully with a mischievous smile and Ryu blushed again.
"By the way, I've also noticed another thing about you." he said, looking up when he didn't feel his face hot anymore. He slipped his hand in his jeans pocket and took out a silver chain with crucifix. He approached the girl, leaned over her shoulders and put on the chain for her.
"What... are you doing?" she asked. She hoped that her voice wasn't as embarrassed as she heard it.
He backed a few steps from her without saying a word and gestured her to see her reflection on the window. She did as he asked, then she turned around with a puzzled smile.
"Ryu, what is this for?" she asked, touching the chain.
"You had to leave your chain to Matt, right?" he said, "It was the final evidence to make everyone believe that the suicide girl is you. And since you had to put on this act because of me, to find me I mean, I thought that I had to repay you in some way. That's my chain: I've always had it since I was small but now it's yours."
"No, Ryu, I can't.." she said but he stopped her.
"You can't refuse, Rei." he said, "Listen, when all this business will be over, you will probably get your chain back, right? You can give me the chain back only when this will happen."
He smiled at her and she felt her heart melt like ice. He was the only one that she knew that had this particular effect on her.
"All right." she managed to reply softly, looking at him straight in the eyes, "Thank you, Ryu."
He smiled at her again and they both left the lab.
-:-
Rei quickly put the chain on.
She was not superstitious but its sudden fall summed to her growing agitation were making her feel uneasy.
'It's better if I hurry up.' she thought, shutting the car's door, 'All these worries will disappear as soon as I see Ai, Ryu and Shinichi.'
She put the sunglasses on and checked if there was anyone around. As soon as she was sure to be alone, she headed towards the path. It was getting close to dusk so she decided to keep the glasses.
'Great! I don't have a flashlight!' she thought, 'I forgot to pack it in my bag. Well, Agase's x-ray glasses are providential. I only hope that no one sees me. They could think I'm crazy since I wear sunglasses with nearly no light.'
She gave one last check around and walked on the path, heading to the oak tree where the others would be waiting her.
After an hour of walking and searching around, Conan, Ai and Ryu hadn't still found a safe place for the night. They had only found a cave. It could have been a good place since it was well hidden by some bushes but it had two entrances; actually, it was more like a short tunnel than a cave.
Ryu had remarked that it would have been hard to guard two entrances at a time, so he suggested to look around another bit. If they didn't find anything better till Rei's arrival, then they would have stayed in the cave for the night.
"Better than nothing." Ryu stated.
Conan and Ryu had continued to keep a cool attitude towards each other. Ai didn't say anything. She just trailed behind the boys while they discussed what they had to do. Her starting surprise for their behaviour had now changed into two different feelings. Comprehension and slight irritation.
Ryu looked at his watch.
"We have forty minutes before our meeting with Rei at the oak tree." he said, "We still have a bit of time to find something better than that tunnel-cave"
"Well, we've been looking everywhere." Conan remarked, "I think that we'll have to go even further in this forest if we want a more satisfactory place for the night."
"You could be right." Ryu said, "But we can't go to far."
"Yes, we could be late and Rei might think something had happened to us." Ai remarked.
"Well, what should we ..?" Ryu stopped talking abruptly.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Conan asked but the other boy gestured him and Ai to keep silent and to get near the bushes on their side.
Ryu slowly looked around, his heart beating faster. He was sure he had heard a noise.
'Somebody's here.' he thought, 'That noise seemed to be like a broken stick or twig. Someone's walking around us.'
He was going to move towards the source of the sound when...
Hadn't it been for his reflexes and to instinct mixed together, he would have been hurt.
Ryu quickly dodged to his left, avoiding the thing that whizzed at him at full speed. He turned around immediately to see if Conan and Ai were fine. They were standing on either sides of a tree, eyes fixed on the tree's log and pale as sheets.
Ryu approached them and saw what had got stuck on the log.
It was an arrow. He took it out and examined it. A metallic arrow with a very sharp arrow-head.
"This is a crossbow arrow." he said quietly.
"He's here..."
Ryu looked down at Ai. It was a statement not a question. She must have sensed him just as he had.
"Scotch uses crossbows sometimes." he replied, "It's his way to give the victim a warning."
"Warning?" Conan asked.
"Don't forget that he's a murderer. He likes to kill. I think that shooting an arrow is his idea of playing with the victim." Ryu grasped the arrow in his hand. "It's a way to make the victim get nervous and when it finally looses control, Scotch shows up and finishes the work with the gun."
Conan and Ai didn't say anything. They couldn't. They had both realised the danger they were going against.
Ryu looked around again. Everything seemed normal but he knew that Scotch was there.
Hidden somewhere close to them.
His mind was racing: he had to think of something quickly. Scotch wanted him but he wouldn't have left Conan and Ai alive.
'He won't make the same mistake twice.' he thought, 'No eyewitness.'
"Conan, Ai, follow me." he said a few moments later.
The two kids did as he said and they walked through the woods until they reached the tunnel-cave they had previously found and went in. The cave was well lit by the outside light. They didn't even need to use their flashlights.
Ryu stopped abruptly and Conan nearly crashed on him.
"What the..?" the little boy asked, straightening up. "Why did you stop?"
Ryu didn't answer. He put his backpack down and took of his black leather jacket.
"Ryu, what are you doing?" Ai asked, slightly alarmed by his actions, "We can't stay here. Scotch has probably followed us. He will find us."
Still no answer. Ryu opened his backpack and drew out his automatic and quickly loaded it.
"Are you going to face him alone?" Conan asked and Ryu nodded slightly. "No way, you can't. If you face him, you could..."
"Kill him." Ryu finished. "You wanted to say that, right?"
Conan clenched his fists on his side.
"Yes." he replied, "I can't let you do that: it's a crime"
Ai looked at him with disbelief.
'A member of the Organisation, a murderer, is after us and he thinks of justice?' she thought.
Ryu looked down at Conan.
"I'm not going to kill Scotch." he said firmly, "I've been working with him for more than a year, knowing who he was and what he had done. If I wanted to kill him, I could have done it before."
"You were in their headquarters." Conan retorted, "If you even tried to point a gun at him, you would have died but now it's different: Haibara and I are the only witnesses."
"So, you think that I could take advantage of this situation and take my revenge on Scotch." Ryu remarked coolly. "No witnesses except two kids; could be my great chance."
Ai looked at Ryu, wondering if he was speaking seriously since his face and tone were emotionless. But she had to admit that it would have been the perfect moment for him to get revenge and, somehow, she didn't think that it would have been a mistake.
Scotch had killed Ryu's family and had also murdered Rei's parents. It was true that killing was wrong but she thought that there could be an exception in this case.
Scotch was a murderer; if Ryu killed him, she would have understood.
Ai often wondered what she would do if she faced Gin, the murderer of her sister. If she had a gun, she would probably shoot him to death.
Ai snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Conan say the last thing she ever expected to hear.
"If you kill him, Ryu, I will report you."
Ai was thunderstruck. Could he really report a friend without afterthoughts? Was he really capable of being so.. heartless? Her surprise changed into anger.
'Doesn't he understand how Ryu feels?' she thought, 'That man's the murderer of his family. I can't believe that Kudo's ideal of justice outstrips his friendship with Ryu.'
She glanced at Ryu and she saw with great surprise that he was smiling.
He bent down and put a hand on Conan's shoulder.
"I was hoping that you'd say that." he said, "I give you my word that I will not kill Scotch. I might hurt him but I won't kill him."
Conan nodded while Ai didn't know what to think anymore.
"Now listen carefully, both of you." Ryu remarked seriously, "Scotch has seen me; that arrow was a warning for me but if he's here, it means that he knows everything of Rei, too. We are his main targets and he won't rest till we're both dead. He must have seen you two so you are in danger, too. But we could take advantage of this."
"What do you mean?" Conan asked.
"Scotch doesn't know who you really are. He thinks that you are two simple seven year old kids. He probably thinks that he can finish you slowly in a second time. Listen, I'll wait here and face Scotch but you two must leave immediately. Get out of here, meet Rei and then, as soon as you three are together, leave this place immediately."
"Wait, what will you do afterwards?" Ai asked.
"Yes, you can't catch him single-handed." Conan added, "I.. we could stay and help you. We're all armed."
Ryu shook his head.
"You don't understand." he said, "If he wanted, he could have killed me before with that arrow. He's a professional; if you're not fully prepared he'll kill you without giving you time to realize it. I saw him in action, remember? I saw him kill my parents. You are just kids now and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to face him. I'm not sure I will be able to do it either."
"Then.. you.." Conan's eyes widened as he realized what Ryu was up to.
"I'll be a decoy." he said, nodding, "It's the only way to let you escape."
"No, you can't sacrifice yourself." Conan said quietly.
"It's not a sacrifice. I have to do it." he said, " Our lives are entwined since the day we met; if one of us is caught, the others will be in danger too. We are like a team now and every member has his responsibilities. I realized this in the past weeks while we were together; if something goes wrong or someone makes a mistake, it's not just one person in danger. You two, Rei, me but also Agase and Matt.. We all get involved. So, if I can do something to let you escape, I'll try. Even if it's dangerous."
"But.. you could die." Ai whispered.
"If it's necessary, then.. I'll risk." Ryu said. He put a hand on their shoulders. "Just trust me and give me a chance. I'll make it somehow but you two have to escape. All right, Conan? Ai?"
He looked at both but they didn't answer. Ryu only saw concern in their eyes. His eyes softened; even though he knew that they were seventeen like him, he saw them as two simple seven-year old kids. Two kids that were his friends. Good friends.
"I didn't manage to help my sister five years ago because I didn't know what to do in a dangerous moment." he said softly, "But now, it's different; I can do something or, at least I'll try to do something. Please go away: I don't want to risk to loose someone I care again."
His words seemed to stir the other two. They looked up and nodded slightly. Ryu smiled. He took of his cap and put it on Ai's head.
"Just in case." he said, seeing her puzzled look, "Scotch might have seen you while you were in the Organisation. It's better not to risk." He then took his jacket and draped it around their shoulders. "You must always stick together. Since it's getting dark, if you hear any strange noise, cover yourselves with this. It's black and it should hide you well."
Conan didn't know what to say. Ryu was worried about them while he was the one that was going to face the greatest danger. He felt a strange feeling inside: concern, anxiety but also... anger.
Conan was mad with himself for being totally useless. He had just realized that even if he was in his true form, he wouldn't have been able to help Ryu a lot. He didn't know how to use a gun properly and he didn't have great fighting skills.
'I'd be a burden for him both as Conan and as Shinichi.' he thought bitterly, 'Haibara would be more useful than me: she has a training. I only know how to kick and how to use the stun-gun.'
Ryu glanced at him and saw the glint in his eyes. He seemed to understand how he was feeling: he had felt the same five years before. Then he heard a noise. Conan and Ai heard it too. They all froze, listening. Then unexpectedly a bang echoed throughout the cave.
A gun shot.
"Down!" Ryu shouted, pulling Ai and Conan to a side. The bullet hit the rock face of the cave, a few inches from where Conan had been.
Ryu looked up and he heard approaching footsteps.
'He's coming.' he thought, 'He must have shot from outside the cave. Another warning.'
"Conan, Ai go away." he said quickly, taking out his gun.
"But.." Conan said.
"You have to go." Ryu said, cutting him, "Go and find Rei. She's in danger since she's Scotch's other target. Please, tell her to leave with you." Conan still looked doubtful. "Don't worry, Co.. Shinichi, I gave you my word. I always keep promises and if I don't do as I told you, then you have my permission to report me."
Conan looked up and nodded, giving him a trusting smile.
"All right, Ryu." he said, "Be careful."
Ryu nodded.
"You too." he said and turned to Ai. "You must be careful, too. Ok, sis?"
Ai hugged him.
"You are the one that has to be careful, Ryu-nichan." she said softly. "Take care."
"I will. Don't forget I told Rei that I won't do anything rash: she'll kill me if I break the promise." he said with a slight smile."Go now." He straightened up, "See you...later."
Conan and Ai ran towards the cave's back entrance. Ryu watched them till they disappeared from sight then turned around, taking a deep breath.
'Martini must come back.' he thought, 'For the last time..'
"Scotch!" he called loudly, "Come out and show yourself. Don't tell me that you're scared of me?"
Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
Ryu fingered the gun in his jeans back pocket as he saw a shadow approaching from the other side of the cave. He was going to see him, the man that he probably hated most. Ryu felt anger surging through his entire body but he managed to control himself.
He had to be cool and keep his calm to face Scotch. If his feelings overcame him, he was as good as dead.
"Scared of a bloody spy? I thought you knew me better, Martini." a cold voice drawled and Scotch appeared shortly after. Tall with dark hair and dressed in black, as all the other agents of the Organisation but the thing that struck most were his eyes.
Cruel grey eyes that could be compared to the eyes of a bird of prey.
"Oh, my apologies, I should call you with your real name." Scotch remarked ironically, "Am I right, Ryuji Kazama?"
Ryu smirked.
"Pleased to meet you again." he said with a mocking bow, "How come you're here, Scotch? Missed your faithful assistant?"
"Go on joking till you can." Scotch replied, " Where are the two brats that were hanging with you?"
"Leave them out of this." Ryu hissed, "You only want me."
"I'll take care of them later. Two kids won't be a problem." Scotch muttered. He didn't even listen to what Ryu had said. "Where's that other damn agent? Ikeda?"
"She died months ago."
"Oh, really?" Scotch stated and laughed. A cruel laughter that made a shiver run down Ryu's spine. "You really thought that I would have fallen in that girl's trap?"
Ryu felt his mouth go dry.
He didn't expect this. If the Organisation hadn't believed in Rei's death, they might have sent agents to find her. And if she got caught, it meant her death.
Scotch noticed the look on Ryu's face and sneered.
"Seems that I've guessed it right, Martini." he said, "I must admit that she had a clever idea. Everyone thinks that she's dead, including that fools of the high agents."
Ryu looked up, slightly surprised.
"They don't know?" he asked before he could stop himself.
"I was the only one that suspected something. They were all too busy finding you and Sherry: the two traitors. If Ikeda was dead, it only meant less problems for them. And speaking of trouble, this brings me in the story." He approached Ryu and stopped a few feet from him. "You and Ikeda have given me great trouble, both as two twelve year old brats and now as two FBI agents." He fingered his coat pocket with an evil grin to tell Ryu that a gun was there. " You were the reason of my demotion and now the Organisation thinks that I'm in collusion with you. They have threatened to kill me if something else happens."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Ryu remarked sarcastically.
Scotch drew out his gun and pointed it to Ryu's head in a flash.
"You're playing with death, Martini." he hissed but the boy didn't react. He just stared at him colourlessly. Scotch smirked and put the gun away.
"You're brave and that's a quality I appreciate." he said, "I'm really tempted to wipe that damn smirk from your face but.. business first..."
Ryu raised an eyebrow.
"Business?" he repeated.
"The devices, Martini. I want the devices your father was working on."
"The project has been destroyed. You destroyed it when you set my house on fire." Ryu was struggling to keep his anger down but it was getting harder every moment.
"You'd better not lie to me. I know that you have carried on the project. I've controlled all the work you've done for the Organisation and I noticed that every time you took some material. The necessary material to make the devices."
"So, why do you want the devices?" Ryu asked, taking his time. "Wait, let me guess; if you take the devices to the Organisation, they will forget your previous mistakes and probably trust you more, right? Otherwise, let's see... You could try to take me to your side and then find out where the devices are. But in both cases you would get rid of me, right? I was troublesome for you, Scotch. A skilled engineer that could take your place..."
There was fire in Scotch's eyes but his tone was cold as usual.
"Nearly all right, Martini. I would have never taken you to our side, not because I feared you but because you're son of your father."
"What's my father got to do with this?" Ryu asked as a his insides squirmed unpleasantly.
"I was working on a project, I found a company to back me up but then.. Misaki Kazama showed up." Scotch snarled, "His project interested the company and they decided to back him, neglecting my work. I wanted to make him pay and I found the way to get my revenge when the Organisation ordered me to get rid of a scientist that had refused to cooperate." Scotch smiled evilly. "Vengeance is sweet. You don't know how much I hoped to be the one that would have finished Kazama. You should have seen his face when I shot him. He didn't even realize that he was dying. Still too shocked by his wife's death. -Oh, but you know that, don't you? You saw everything."
Ryu didn't answer. He was actually trembling with fury, fists clenched on his sides.
"Angry, are you?" Scotch remarked, "So, Martini, are you giving me the devices?"
"No." Ryu replied, "I'd rather kill myself than give you my father's work."
"The same thing your father said when they asked him to enter the Organisation. I'd rather kill myself than give you my work." Scotch's eyes were fixed on Ryu."I must admit that you look a lot like him. When you first showed up, I noticed some similarities. I didn't trust you but the others did and they also let you work for us. You sure know how to act, Martini. No one ever thought you were an infiltrate.. But the past is past." Scotch fingered his pocket again, "Since you don't want to cooperate, I'll have to treat you in the way traitors are usually treated."
Ryu slowly stepped to his right, next to a big rock.
"If you kill me, you'll never know where the devices are." he said.
"I'll try to get something from the kids that were with you. They probably know where you live and I could find something interesting there." Scotch replied, a twisted smile creeping on his face again, "Otherwise, if Ikeda is around, I could torture one of the kids to let her come out and finish her too. I don't know, I'll think about it later. First you."
He drew out his gun in a flash and fired towards Ryu but he dodged just in time, shielding himself behind the rock at his side.
The sound of the shot reverberated throughout the cave hiding every other noise. Ryu steadied himself and jumped out and threw himself against Scotch. The gun was knocked out of the man's hand and flew a few feet away. Scotch, expecting some kind of attack, was not unprepared and stepped back, balancing Ryu's weight with his, without falling over. The boy hit the man hard in the stomach, hoping it could hurt him but it didn't have a great effect. He had underestimated the other's strength.
Scotch grabbed him around the shoulder and just threw him against the rocky walls of the cave. All the air left his body at the impact with the hard surface and before the boy could realize what had happened, Scotch grabbed him again and threw on the other side of the cave. Ryu got hit frontally this time; he felt a sharp jolt at his chest and tasted dust mingled with his own blood. Instinct took over and when Scotch tugged at his arm again, Ryu managed to turn around and dodged the punch directed at his face,
'It's now or never.' he thought, focusing on his opponent.
He dropped on a knee and kicked the man's feet with the other leg. Scotch lost his balance and fell to the ground; in the meanwhile, Ryu had already slipped behind him, pinning his arm on his back and blocked him, face down, on the ground. He took his gun from his pocket and pointed it to Scotch's head. Scotch struggled but Ryu's grip was firm.
Ryu was breathing hard and his heart was pounding in his chest. The fight had been hard and his body was aching all over but only now he realised the enormity of the situation.
He was pointing a gun to the murderer of his family.
Ever since he knew who Scotch was, he had always been tempted to shoot him. Every time he saw him while he worked in the Organisation as Martini, he felt anger and hatred overcome him. It took all his willpower to control himself and maintain his calm. He couldn't react then because he had his work to do. He was an FBI agent undercover, not a murderer.
But now.. it was different.
'FBI considers me a traitor and my life's in danger because the Organisation wants me dead.' he thought, still pointing the gun to Scotch, 'It's easy... The gun's already loaded. One shot and it's all.. over... all the anger, the hatred and the feelings of revenge that I've felt for five years will vanish...'
Images flashed in his mind.
His family. His mother, his father, his sister.. The moments they had spent together. While they were having dinner together, talking and laughing or just being together.
Then it changed. The images turned black and white, the happiness was sucked away.
His mother and his father shot, the blood stain on their chests enlarging. His sister screaming for help, huddled in the far corner of her bed as the fire got closer to her.
Ryu was trembling. The gun was trembling in his hands. Scotch noticed it.
"Martini, why don't you kill me?" he whispered, "It's easy: just pull the trigger. The gun does the rest. That's what I did to your parents. Nothing easier."
The taunt about his parents rang in Ryu's ears as though Scotch had shouted it.
The image of Françoise flashed in his mind.
A boiling hatred erupted in Ryu's chest, leaving no place for doubts. He grasped the gun tightly and loaded it. A soft click echoed in the cave.
"You're right." he said coldly, "It's easy: one shot and you disappear. You don't deserve to live after what you have done."
'What do I care if he dies?' he thought, 'He's only a damn murderer! He killed my family, Rei's parents and who knows how many others. I'd just do a favour to the world... I'll do a favour to myself. I'll feel better and my pain will reduce.'
The moment he thought this, other images came to his mind.
Mr and Mrs Xanders. They had treated him as a son, welcoming his in their house and loving him as though he was really their child. Matt. His friend, the one that behaved as an elder brother to him. Agase that had made him stay in his house even though he was a stranger for him.
Then other three people's images revolved in his head.
Conan who was a good friend and that was so alike to him, Ai who resembled so much to his sister and was like one for him, besides being a friend and then... Rei who was a friend, a confidante and also.. the person he cared most.
"You would do a foolish thing. A very foolish thing staying alone with him."
"I give you my word I won't kill, Scotch."
The promise that he had made to Conan came back to his mind. He thought of his little friend who was actually seventeen like him.
'He knew that this would happen.' he thought, 'That's why he didn't want to leave. He knew that I would have doubted.. that I'd be tempted. If I shoot Scotch now... if I kill him.. I won't even be able to look at him.. or Ai... or Rei or anyone else without feeling like a criminal. What difference will there be between me and Scotch then? Nothing. We'd both be cold-blooded murderers.'
Ryu slowly glanced at his right hand. The gun was still there. He felt its cold metallic surface against his sweaty hand.
"Well, Martini, what are you doing?" Scotch provoked him, " Too coward to kill a man? Come on.."
Anger surged in his heart again but Ryu knew what to do this time. He shook his head, as though shaking off all the negative feelings in his mind and smirked.
"No." he said, "I'm not like you."
He hit Scotch on the head. The man passed out and Ryu slipped the gun in his pocket again. He suddenly felt lighter.
Ryu got up and headed to his backpack. He needed to drink some water and maybe clean his face. He had smashed against the wall and he felt a trickle of blood going down his cheek. He winced slightly as he walked as his ribs were aching painfully.
He had hardly reached the bag that he heard a soft click behind him. He turned around slowly and saw Scotch on his feet, a line of blood oozing down his front, pointing his gun to him. He had that devilish smile on his face again and Ryu felt cold shivers run down his spine.
"Never be tender with an enemy, Martini." Scotch warned, "Never."
The trigger was pulled before Ryu had the chance to duck or even move. The bullet hit him and he doubled over for the searing pain at his waist and fell to the ground. Blood soaked his shirt, glasses askew on his face.
Scotch approached him.
"Don't worry, Martini, you won't suffer for long." he hissed, towering over the limp figure, "I'll go and take care of that kids and of Ikeda, if she's here. You can't help them. I don't think you'll be able to move. You'll die for blood-loss. You should thank me actually. You'll meet your parents soon.
Goodbye, Martini.. no.. Ryuji Kazama."
Ryu looked up and saw his shadow leave the cave. The light was growing dimmer around him..
As the pain grew stronger, images flashed in his mind again..
"Be careful, Ryu."
"Take care, Ryu-nichan."
"I'm sorry Rei... Ai." he whispered softly, coughing. A trickle of blood came out of his mouth. "I've broken my promise..."
Then it was all black.
Minor changes have been made.
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