"And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her."― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Chapter 50
Of Thieves, Scientists, and a Shrunken Detective
"A bomb!" Sonoko gasped after hearing Shiho over the badge. Glancing at Natsu and Aoki immediately. Both men had not heard her and were still occupied with the Takizaki family. Natsu was still interrogating Junichiro while Aoki was adjusting the video cameras. A live confession had been extracted, and Shinichi was sure Natsu had plans with the recording.
"Sonoko," chided Ran. Having been untied from the rope that bound them, Sonoko, Ran, Jirokichi, and Inspector Nakamori acted as hostages while shielding Shinichi from the two men who threatened the vessel's sanctity.
The hostages were shell-shocked by Junichiro's admissions. Though they remained fearful, they were distracted by the images on the projector screen. The photograph of the old man smiling was still displayed. He was an individual who, most probably, had close connections to Natsu Ito.
"I know, I know," Sonoko breathed to calm herself. "But...this is a bomb we're talking about!"
"How many?" Inspector Nakamori whispered urgently.
"Ten," Shiho answered coolly. Shinichi was relieved to know that she at least was unharmed. "We're checking it out, but it's not looking good, Edogawa-kun."
A rustle came from behind her, and he could only frown at her companion's voice. As suspected—
He was with her.
"They are soldered to the ship's hull. They can't be removed."
"Is that the Kaitou Kid!?" Jirokichi almost exclaimed but held back. Sonoko, Inspector Nakamori, and the old man stared at the badge, bugged-eyed. Shinichi turned around, keeping the pesky thief hunters and rabid fans at bay. They would only cause a delay, and he had no plans of making the situation more complicated than it needed to be.
"Could you defuse them?" Shinichi asked.
"Well, hello to you too," the thief snorted.
"Yes, or no."
"No," Kaitou kid replied bluntly. "As far as I know, they're wired to be manually triggered."
Hearing this, Shinichi turns to Natsu and Aoki. Though they were armed with guns and wore bulletproof vests, Shinichi couldn't see any evidence of a trigger.
But—
Maybe they could…
"What exactly is going on with these guys? Who are they?" The Kaitou Kid interrupts the formation of his plan.
"Yakuza members," Shinichi explained, ignoring Jirokichi, Inspector Nakamori, and Sonoko's pointed stares. Ran, who had been attentive for some time, was now actively studying the developing situation.
"They are involved with the Takizaki family…though the reasons still elude us."
"Don't tell me..." the thief trails off, "That this is another train incident!"
"How did I get involved again!?" He gasped rather dramatically.
"Stuck while trying to steal a 32-carat diamond? That's just karma, Kid," Shinichi snorted.
"Why you ungrateful little devil," the thief snapped.
"It's—" Shinichi smirks.
"You're no better," Shiho interjects bitingly. "Corpse Magnet."
Jaw dropping, Shinichi clasped tighter to the badge. "What do you mean!?"
"Oh yes, tell him, Ojou-chan," the thief laughed. Shinichi's scowl deepened, and he was about to protest when the Kaitou Kid's triumph was met by the tundra retort of the scientist.
"He isn't wrong, though," Shiho silenced the thief with what Shinichi could only imagine was her signature glare.
"But—"
"Haibara—"
"If you two," she sneers, "are done with your lover's spat, can we focus on the situation at hand."
"Lovers!? I'd rather kiss a cactus!" the thief snapped.
"Likewise. I'd rather hug a porcupine!" Shinichi retorts.
Resulting in Ran's disapproval and Jirokichi, Inspector Nakamori, and Sonoko's confusion.
Although Shinichi knew he was being childish, he couldn't help the extreme irritation that came with the knowledge that it was the Kaitou Kid, of all people, who had not only saved Shiho from a dangerous predicament but was, at present, the only one who could possibly protect her. Just picturing the thief's cunning-like smirk made his blood boil.
"You can both indulge in your fetishes later," Shiho remarks, "but for now, we have a bomb to worry about."
Her statements left them speechless.
"That…is not a fetish," Kaitou Kid mumbled.
Shinichi sighed, swallowing his pride. Aware of the incoming teases he would get from a shrunken scientist regarding his behavior towards the moonlight thief, he could only curse at his immaturity.
"We'll probably be able to apprehend them here," he added, "but we'll need a distraction. Though, I'm not sure if they're holding the trigger for the explosives."
"So, we're going in based on speculation?"
"Do you have a better plan?" Shinichi snapped at the moonlight thief.
"No, I just don't fancy being shot."
"Ara," Shiho snorts, "But I thought dodging bullets was part of your daily routine."
"You—" Kaitou Kid struggling to come up with an answer, could only grumble.
Shinichi smirked. Glad, for once, that he wasn't on the receiving end of her sharp retorts.
"Fine," the thief said a few seconds after Shinichi explained his makeshift plan. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was still a start.
"What do we have to—"
A loud pop was heard. Shinichi glanced over at Junichiro and his family as he hid the badge in his pocket. It seemed that Natsu had grown tired of waiting and had fired the pistol. As the hostages fell into another state of panic, screams erupted. Aoki and Natsu not bothering to silence the crowd this time. Instead, the Yakuza leader held the smoking pistol to Junichiro's forehead, laughing madly with bloodshot eyes.
"You don't remember him, do you?" Natsu spoke, controlled and slow, like a dormant volcano.
"Please..." Junichiro, mentally and physically exhausted from the abuse, begged Natsu to free his family. "Please, I never intended it to go that far...I just—"
"That is not an excuse!" Natsu roared, "He was my teacher, mentor, adopted father!"
The halls went silent as he screamed. At that moment, the Yakuza leader, who had threatened and held them, was a lost kid, crying out from the bottom of his heart.
"Sure, he had no name and was homeless, but he kept us safe! He gave us kids with nowhere to go, a home! A life!"
Junichiro, unable to process it, was shaking in his seat.
"All he wanted was a chance...to turn his life around. He was actually hopeful of the prospects," The Yakuza leader seething, "Then you took it," Natsu jabbed the pistol into Junichiro's chest, digging it in. "And killed him!"
The sight was gut-wrenching. It was hard to process the sorrow the man felt, and a fleeting sense of pity for Natsu washed over Shinichi.
"A shelter," Aoki continues. "He checked into a shelter run by your company. He told us about it on the day he left...but when we returned to visit him, he was gone. Just like that."
The screen changes, showing images of laboratories, research facilities, and cargo containers carrying—
Stacked corpses.
Shinichi gasped, remembering Junichiro's conversation with Satoru earlier. About lost cargo. About Rum…about—
"The coffee-colored sludge dumped into the port is mostly composed of water, carboxylate salts, and glycerol..." Heiji had revealed. "Soap…"
When Shinichi realized what they had done, he doubled over. Even though the answer he derived was too horrific to even imagine, he was glad that—
"Conan-kun," Ran asked, concerned. He shook his head, regaining his composure.
Shiho was spared from seeing this.
"It was difficult, yes," Aoki continued the slide show, clicking through the photographs, eventually stopping on one. Displayed on the projector screen was a scene from a remote warehouse. Junichiro and Satoru shaking hands with a few figures in black, wearing signature black bowler hats.
"It took time, but we gathered enough information to determine that the shelters were nothing more than a cover for something sinister. Of a group of individuals who work for you with animal-like codenames."
"Fabricated!" Satoru sneered, wanting to drown out his crimes.
Aoki ignored the old man while pointing at the screen, facing the hostages. "This is the true face of the Takizakis!" he revealed, "the most revered family in Japan!"
Natsu smirked at Satoru, who was seething on the stage. "Of course, that's not all...tell us," Aoki edged towards the old man who flinched, "The fates of those you trafficked."
"They were nothing!" Satoru shouted. "Useless, nobodies who would be nothing but a burden to society!"
The deranged cries of the man were met with the harsh silence of two Yakuza members and the hostages. Shinichi couldn't believe the words coming from Satoru's lips, and it would seem neither could Jirokichi, Ran, Sonoko, or Inspector Nakamori. The four and the hostages regarded Takizaki with disgust.
"He might be nothing to you," Natsu starts, collecting himself from the outburst and reaching into his shirt pockets.
This…
"But he was everything to me."
Was not good.
"Conan-kun!" Ran alerted him to the trigger raised in Natsu's hands. The Yakuza leader grins widely.
"Junichiro Takizaki, tell the world what you've done or," Natsu chuckled dryly, "I'll sink the ship."
What does it all mean?
He was left reeling by the revelation provided by the Yakuza members who had held the cruise hostage. Were the Takizakis really leaders of an organization with animal-like codenames?
Snake.
Kaito pressed his hand against his disguise as he struggled to process the information. A wry smirk crossed his lips. Well, this was unprecedented. Kaito had only intended to investigate the matter of the imposter using his name—but what he had not expected was the identity of the organization that had murdered his father.
Kuroba Toichi.
His fists clenched as he stared at the badge held by the girl.
"Hey," the strawberry-blonde nudges him. Frowning, she regarded him with hands on her hips. "Focus," she prodded him, "we can't have you daydreaming."
Taken aback by her sharp words, and the insensitivity, he scowled.
"You can think about that later," she murmured, clearly disturbed by the admissions. Her robotic gaze regards Kaito. Dark pools, he thought, like his own. Holding secrets that neither she nor he could reveal. "We have bombs to take care of."
Her ironic smirk reveals nothing as it forms on her lips. It was reminiscent of the first time he'd interacted with her. On a wet, soaked night, underneath the stars, seated on a roof, surrounded by rushing waters. In an elaborate treasure hunt gone wrong, a trap opened. He'd saved the children and two shrunken teenagers from certain death.
Poker face. Aware of the secrets hidden behind a doll-like mask of a strawberry blonde, his father's words came back to him.
"In poker, no matter what hand you're dealt, you must never let it show on your face. It's the same with magic. Listen well, Kaito. Always wear a poker face, no matter what."
As he smiled at the memory, he turned to face the girl speaking into the badge. Developing a plan with a detective adamant about saving the Takizakis and the hostages.
Good or bad…in any situation, huh...
Taking off his disguise, he unveiled his signature white suit. Twirling his top hat stylishly as he placed it on his head.
"Never reveal your tricks, right, Tou-san," he muttered. He could ponder the information he had learned later, but at the moment, he needed to focus on more pressing issues.
"Magicians and detectives…are all alike, aren't they?" the girl snorted as she examined his suit. Tapping his silver monocle, he faced her with his signature smirk.
"What do you mean, exactly?"
"Must you always make such dramatic entrances?"
"Why? Jealous? I could always teach you."
The girl eyed him pointedly before gesturing back to the freezer where the unconscious Yakuza member lay, and he complied.
"He must have the means to communicate with Natsu Ito and Aoki," the pint-sized detective elaborated through the badge. While navigating and hiding from the perpetrators who were still threatening the Takizaki family, he spoke in hushed tones. The situation worsened when Aoki pointed the rifle at his wife and child once again. Through the badge, they could hear the whimpers and soft cries of terrified hostages. It wasn't a pretty scenario—and Kaito's last memory of the Yakuza members shooting down the bodyguards near the corridors was still fresh in his mind.
Guilt struck, and he grimaced at his inability to help. Despite the loss of lives, he could only find comfort in the fact that he, at least, managed to save her.
Walking down the dark cargo hull, through the narrow, dimly lighted corridors towards the freezer, Kaito stole a glance at the "little" girl in front.
"I need your assistance," a pint-sized detective had asked on a train speeding down the tracks. It was the first time Kaito had seen Kudou Shinichi that desperate. As he could not turn down the request, he obliged—whether out of honor or respect, Kaito would never know.
To say he was shocked was an understatement. The revelation that the snarky girl he'd met was not a little girl at all, was something he was not prepared for. Listening to her speak through an earpiece while answering questions posed by the member Bourbon who held him at gunpoint, was unnerving, to say the least.
A mysterious organization. Killers. Psychopaths. A situation that Kaito could barely grasp, held on by theories he formulated.
"What have you gotten yourself involved with, Kudou?" was the question as soon as he escaped the explosion of a burning carriage.
They valued her. Not a kid, but a scientist. An important one, no less. After the incident, newspapers and stories of the black organization and a woman named Satsuki Fujita were ones he followed closely. The organization's signature black hat and suit are similar to those worn by his enemies. Snake.
In the days that followed, he had lied to himself.
No, they can't be related.
No, there was just no way.
And yet, the proof of the matter was right in his grasp. The girl was here, in this ship, with the pint-sized detective. Not for him, Kaito was sure of it now—no…but for…
"How?" he asked as they stood over the unconscious form of Touma Suzuki. The man, tied and gagged, was moaning in his state. "Did you know that the perpetrators were Yakuza members?"
Kaito reached into the man's pockets to retrieve the walkie-talkie he'd seen him use earlier. "What is your involvement?" he faced her, "With the Takizaki family?"
They stood apart, the girl's reticent facade dropping slightly. He spotted a wince and grimace as she struggled to collect her thoughts. Then she motioned to the walkie-talkie in his hands and the decks above.
"We've got to move. There's not much time left."
Her refusal to provide answers fuelled his desire. Without much thought, he catches up to her. "Are they involved?"
She remained silent, purposely talking to the badge.
"Hey?"
Continuing down the corridors, she ignored him and headed for the stairs. He frowned at her blatant act. Sighing, he followed, only to catch her as she stumbled.
Cold—was his first thought. Hands brushing against skin, Kaito realized the sweat which had formed on her temple. Her lips were quivering slightly and tinged a light blue. Green pools looking ahead, unable to focus.
"Are you…ok?"
"It's none of your business," she quipped, shaking his hand away. As stubborn as the shrunken detective, she refused to explain. Yet—
"Your parents?" he had asked as he stumbled his way through the smoke-filled carriage. On a train hurtling through certain doom, disguised as a woman that the pint-sized detective had shown him, snippets of her past were slowly revealed in short phrases.
Suffering from fever and the after-effects of severe stress, the woman-turned-girl had no choice but to share her past with him. Kaito could only comply as he listened. "They're dead," she muttered. Coughing through the rancid smoke, Kaito winced.
Deceased parents. Sisters. A family destroyed, ruined by an organization that wanted nothing more but to use. Hunted by killers, she was forced to run. An individual with a cure for all illnesses named Satsuki Fujita. A hostage situation in the news station that left three dead. An operation near the abandoned Beika docks that ended a corrupt empire. Kaito learns of her past through fragments he gathered following the news after the train accident. Data he collected that a shrunken detective refused to explain, even when probed.
However, Kaito had pieced it together. Eventually, curiosity became sympathy and then—understanding.
"It's not easy, isn't it?" he muttered. Though he had lost his father many years ago, sometimes it felt like yesterday. They said it was an accident trapped on a flaming roller coaster in a stunt gone wrong—a fiery death caught on live television. Young Kaito could barely fathom the scale nor the truth which Jii-chan had revealed.
He recognized the longing—for something lost. The pursuit of an unattainable figment. One that you could never gain back.
Tou-san…
"Again," The girl scoffed as she continued up the stairs, "It's none of your business. We have a—"
Instead of letting her finish, he picked her up in a princess-like manner. He smirked as her lips parted, green eyes regarding him first with shock and then irritation.
"Put me down," she ordered sharply.
"Nuh-uh," he said as he approached the deck area. "It's faster this way."
"I won't repeat myself."
"Besides," he dismisses her, "It's not my style to ignore a girl who clearly is distressed."
He grins, unable to hold back his cheeky comment. "Enjoy it. Most girls would love to be in your position."
"I am not," she emphasized, "your fan."
"Why? Not as charming as your boyfriend, Ojou-chan?" he chuckles.
"Put me down," she repeats.
"Oh no," he smirked, "I don't plan to be the pint-sized detective's next target."
Having no retort to offer, she scowled. A slight blush spread across her cheeks, and he chuckled.
They eventually reached the deck. Kaito peered at the levels leading to the bridge of the cruise. Having confirmed the hostages' location long ago, Kaito looked to the girl for further instructions with the walkie-talkie in hand.
"Wait for my signal," Kudou Shinichi dished out. As usual, he paid no attention to the inconvenience he would be causing. " Things are getting worse. If we make a mistake, we'll be in trouble. Be careful, Haibara," he warned, "they have guns and Kid…"
There it was.
"You better take good care of her."
"I can handle myself," she snorted. The boy launched another rant, giving orders that only aggravated Kaito's growing annoyance.
"How can you stand that," he yawned when she ended the call. "Bossy twerp?"
"It comes in a package," she answered, as they waited for their cue, "In exchange for leaving an organization, one must put up with," she faced him, "a corpse magnet and friends."
"Friends?" Kaito frowned at her insinuations, "Since when were me and that pint-sized detective…friends?"
"Ara, would you rather be star-crossed lovers?"
"No, thank you, I have female fans I can't disappoint."
"I'm sure they'll allow it," she smirked deviously, "I mean…there is a fan club dedicated to the relationship between…"
He placed a finger against her lips.
"What was the phrase?" he countered, "To never open Pandora's box?"
"Well," she remarks, "Speak of the devil," raising the badge, Shinichi's orders ring through.
"You're never letting that go, right?" Kaito sighed.
"You ready?" she asked, "Magician in the Moonlight-san?"
His father, Kuroba Toichi. The Takizaki Family. Snake. An organization with animal-like names, a shrunken detective, and—a scientist.
Tilting his hat, he faced the young woman with his trademark smile.
"Always," he states, spinning the walkie-talkie deftly in his fingers, "Miyano...Shiho-san."
"Tell them!" Natsu yelled, raising the trigger and holding it over Junichiro like an executioner's ax. And the man crumbles. The photos displayed on the projector broke his resolve. As his wife screamed hysterically, she squeezed tightly on their daughter, struggling to keep the last remnants of sanity she could.
The crimes perpetrated by her husband and father-in-law are too hard to bear. Trafficking of humans by an organization the Takizakis was in charge of. Shinichi uncovered the mysterious group while reviewing various files locked under duress while studying the black organization databases. They were a separate group, kept secret even to Renya himself.
What was his objective? His goal?
"I've found it."
Again, memories of that night assault Shinichi's mind. Under a torrid rain, filled with the scent of blood. The malice of a one-eyed beast revealed itself in a triumphant grin. A madness so deep he was willing—to sacrifice Soma Karasuma, his sole benefactor.
Heir of the Karasuma fortune. He is the son of an empire worth billions. In a sunset mansion, a treaty was signed under oath. The key to unlocking it all lies buried within their weakest link.
The Takizakis. Doing it not because they want to. No, Junichiro's behavior is motivated by fear rather than purpose.
A fear passed through a generation, carried by his father, Satoru Takizaki, who at that moment was more willing to let sleeping sharks lie than save the hostages caught in their crimes.
The old man, still bleeding from his bullet wound, regarded Natsu with resigned mirth. Knowing there was no way out, he actively taunted the Yakuza leader, playing the villain he was never portrayed as.
"Will anything change?" he scoffed. "Sinking this ship, killing us...would change nothing."
Seeing the old man, once highly respected, deteriorate before their eyes, Shinichi recalled the movie he had watched with the children. The story was about a reptilian who posed as a man. It had wanted to engage with humankind but could not understand the intricacies of empathy and emotions. Ultimately, it killed them all.
Shinichi had to comfort the children later as they screamed in horror. Shiho shares in his burden. Eventually, they calmed down and were curious about Haibara Ai and Edogawa Conan's apparent nerves of steel.
"Ai-chan, Conan-kun, why aren't you scared?" Ayumi asked innocently, untainted by the evils of the world.
"Because he's superman," Shiho answered mockingly, speaking in riddles to tease the children. The girl later shared a wordless glance. A crooked smile conceals the knowledge they both share.
There were some humans—who weren't all that different.
"Human experiments," Aoki growled, pushing past Natsu and slamming the rifle tip against Satoru's chest. "That's what you did. Did you know how many have died!? Were they just animals in your eyes!"
"How could you!? Junichiro, Satoru-san! How could you!" exclaimed Satomi, hugging her child.
"What if they were?" Satoru sneered. "They were vagrants, drug addicts, what society deemed as scum. You've seen them and treated them with the same indifference as everyone else. So spare me the hypocrisy. They were nobodies, unwanted. Pestilence that needed to be rid of, and I'm simply aiding the process."
Blind to his madness, Satoru could not see the evils of his way.
"You know…I remembered that thing," Satoru smirked. "That creature you so care about...it had been whimpering to the very end. Calling out names, we ignored them. I see now…it had a family. I apologize, we must have made a mistake. But if you must know, it's swimming with the fishes now, dissolved in a vat of lye. A curious thing about such chemicals. Did you know...nothing...not even bones...would remain? A fitting end, don't you think for such a," he spat, "Pest."
"Satoru Takizaki!" Aoki roared, pulling the trigger. There were loud pops, and screams erupted as bullets strayed from their course and hit the ceiling. The chandelier fell to the ground, smashing into the bodies of the bodyguards as it dislodged from its chains. Panic erupts, and Shinichi takes the chance to untie the last of the undercover agents that have been bound around the room.
The maneuver had been challenging. After all, moving carefully without being noticed by Natsu and Aoki was difficult enough. Being a child had its advantages, and ironically...he had to thank Satoru for distracting them.
Aoki was stopped by Natsu. The scarred face leader was glaring at his subordinate with tremendous restraint. Blood flowed down his lips, and veins were visible on his temple. It was evident that he had been affected by the old man's rants but, unlike Aoki, had seen through Satoru Takizaki's ruse.
With one hand grasping the tip of the rifle, which has been shoved upwards, and the other gripping tightly to Satoru's unrestrained hands, he smirked.
Satoru had managed to untie himself somewhere between his attempts to rile Aoki and Natsu up. The old man made statements intentionally intended to make the Yakuza members lose their composure. He probably wanted to get close enough to snatch the video recording from them. Unfortunately, it was too late.
"The tenacity you show is commendable," Natsu sneered. "Getting information about your dirty deeds hasn't been easy. Moreover, we are well aware that you have paid bribes to silence many of your opponents. We know you are powerful and backed by forces too formidable for us to comprehend, but you seem to have got something wrong...old man. I'm not here for justice," Natsu smirked. "I'm here for blood."
"W...what are you..." Junichiro shouted as Natsu raised the trigger button. The situation had reached its boiling point. It was now or never.
"Haibara," Shinichi whispered into the badge. "Do it!"
Rapping, followed by a series of knocks, distracted the Yakuza men. The exits blocked by the furniture were being slammed.
Perplexed, the Yakuza members looked at each other. "Did you miss anybody?" Natsu asked Aoki icily. The burly man simply frowned before shaking his head.
"Touma?" he yelled, and the rapping stopped.
"Yeah, it's me," a gruff, slightly rough voice called over the walkie-talkie. "There's a problem."
"A problem?" Aoki snapped. "You promised the explosives worked fine!"
"I'm aware, but could you let me in? It's hard to explain the problem without showing it to you."
"Seriously?" Aoki grumbled, moving towards the reinforced door. Shinichi smirked before hesitating when he noticed Natsu pointing the rifle toward the door.
"Move," he commanded. Finger on the trigger about to pull.
"Wha—" Aoki stuttered, shocked by the change of events.
"I said move!"
No!
Time was of the essence. Natsu had seen through the trap. Though the Kaitou Kid was capable of imitating a variety of voices, acting out a personality was not so simple.
"Ran now!" He shouted.
They didn't need to be told twice. Before Natsu could fire, Ran dashed forward, followed by a group of undercover officers Shinichi had freed. The charge was led by Inspector Nakamori as Jirokichi tackled Aoki.
As Ran executed a perfect round horse kick, Sonoko exclaimed in delight. The girl knocked the rifle and trigger device out of Natsu's hands. It had happened in a couple of seconds, leaving the Yakuza men no chance to react.
Natsu wasn't done yet. The highly skilled man whipped out a .45 caliber Glock and pointed it at Ran. Shinichi was barely able to utter a warning. A loud pop was followed by the stench of blood mixed with gunpowder. Screams erupted as Inspector Nakamori fell to the ground, clutching his wounded shoulder. The man manages to push Ran away at the last second.
"Inspector!" His men screamed and Ran charged forward. With a somersault and a high-waisted kick, she managed to yank the gun out of Natsu's grasp. Striking his chest with a series of hard, calculated jabs. The Yakuza member blocked them, wincing as he did so, stumbling back from the force of impact.
With a shout and a leap, Ran accomplished a feat that Shinichi never imagined was possible with the human body. In mid-air, spinning like a top, her legs struck hard against Natsu's neck, like a knife cutting through fruit.
There was a loud snap, and Natsu collapsed, groaning in pain. Undercover cops pinned him to the ground as he struggled, but he was eventually subdued.
There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by cheers from hostages who had watched the scene unfold.
They had accomplished their goal. A catastrophe had been avoided. There would be no more bloodshed.
"Seize them now!" Jirokichi ordered the undercover agents. "Release the hostages and tend to the injured. In the meantime, I'll," He picked up the video recording lying on the ground. "Will deal with this personally."
Jirokichi Suzuki glared at Satoru and Junichiro, who were now gawking at their previous supporter.
The Takizaki family would finally answer for their crimes.
As cries of relief filled the ballroom, some hostages cast dirty looks at Satoru and Junichiro Takizaki, who were still in shock, and Shinichi sighed. He strolled over to the raven-haired beauty who was massaging her fist.
"Are you ok, Ran?" He was still impressed with her martial arts skills.
"It was scary," she admitted, visibly shaken but grinning widely, "but it was cathartic."
"Remind me never to anger you again."
"A reminder indeed," Ran said as he prepared to respond.
"Are you alright, Edogawa-kun?" Shiho's voice interrupts through the badge.
Clasping onto it, he smiles briefly, "Yes, it's been taken care of—"
A shrill scream rang out. Turning to the source, they found Sonoko standing by the tables, blocking the exit. Her attempts to remove them had failed.
"Sonoko, what's wrong?" Concerned for her best friend, Ran ran over to find the heiress flipping open the white linen draped over the furniture and gasping.
An outburst of terror erupts, and Shinichi rushes over to examine the beeping devices hidden beneath the tables.
"Edogawa-kun, what's wrong?"
"What happened, chibisuke?" Kaitou kid pipes in.
"Run, Haibara!" He warned, realizing that Shiho and the thief were at the opposite end of the blocked exit. "Kid, take her and run!"
Shinichi is unable to keep the urgency from his voice.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong!" Shiho demanded, stubborn as a mule, the girl would not budge, and he cursed.
"There are time bombs!"
They were beeping away five minutes left on the clock. Defusing a single one would be a feat, but four! That would be a miracle.
A malicious laugh erupted from Natsu's lips. The Yakuza leader and Aoki were bound by the police, who were equally shocked by the revelations.
"Told you, didn't I," he repeated, "I'm not here for justice," worn gray eyes lingered on Junichiro and Satoru, "I'm here for...blood."
Several cries rang out again, and panic hysteria mixed in with hurried prayers and pleas for help.
"Run, Haibara!" Shinichi shouted while struggling to pry the bombs off from under the table. They were positively stuck, and he had no strength to—
"Let me!" Ran yells as she, along with Jirokichi and an injured Inspector Nakamori, begin tugging at the devices. Using all their strength, they managed to dislodge it, and the bombs, linked together, fell to the ground with a thump.
Shinichi grabs them and runs towards the windows. Taking up a stray chair, he flings it against the glass to break it. Upon hitting the windows, it crashed to the ground.
Shit!
It was...reinforced!
Polycarbonate glass, to be exact.
Four minutes left!
"Ran!" He shouted desperately, picking up the chair and throwing it again, "Jirokichi Oji-san! Inspector Nakamori! Everyone! Break the windows!"
A flurry of action followed his cries. As undercover agents, Ran, Inspector Nakamori, Sonoko, Jirokichi, and some released hostages threw whatever they could find to break the windows leading to the ocean below. Narrow cracks began to appear, but it was too slow, so Jirokichi ordered them to step away from the glass.
Three minutes...
Brandishing the pistol that Natsu had dropped, he fired it into the glass. There was a slight ping, the jarring sound of something being lodged tight. Holding their breaths, the hostages groaned in anguish at the sight.
The bullet, as suspected, had not worked. The glass had held, and the metal piece lodged into the pane.
Shit!
Another chair was hurled at the window, and Shinichi watched helplessly as it bounced away.
"Edogawa-kun!" Shiho desperate cries came from the other end of the badge.
"What are you doing!?" He yelled in frustration, "Run! Get out of here! Didn't I tell you to—"
"No," she declared, soft but firm, carrying with it a stubborn determination. A familiar tone she'd used when she reached a resolve.
Two minutes...
"Never, Shinichi," she was barely audible, "please," her voice quivered, pleading, begging him to—
"You promised."
Bellowing, he snatched the pistol from Jirokichi and pulled the trigger. Consecutive bullets struck the glass. More cracks formed, but it was not enough. However, his renewed determination riled the others, and they began to slam desperately against the glass. Doing anything they can to break it.
He could not give up now.
She was waiting.
He had a promise to keep!
As the gun emptied and the magazine dropped, he threw the pistol against the glass, slamming his fist against it.
One minute...
No! There has to be a way!
The beeping got louder, the numbers blurred, and he gasped at the mirage of a sickle curled around his neck.
"Shiho..."
Was this the end?
"Well, this is a dilemma, isn't it?"
He didn't have time to process it. Hanging upside down, holding a protractor-like device, Kaitou Kid smirked. Moving his arms deftly, he cuts through the glass before rapping the window twice. There was a split, as a circular hole was made. The piece fell to the ground, bouncing across the carpets.
Immediately, smoke filled the room, causing chaos. Intensely stinging his eyes, Shinichi tried to keep them open.
"How?!" Shinichi gasped as a gloved hand snatched the time bombs from his grasp. The thief smirked in his wake, adjusting his monocle.
30 seconds…
"Did you really think," the thief tips his hat, raising a hand in salute, before falling back with a mocking wave, "I came here unprepared?"
Snapping into place, a glider emerges, sailing smoothly through the skies. Shinichi watched in awe as the thief, like a white dove, soared gracefully across the blue ocean. As the sun dipped across the horizon, its reddish glow cast deep purple and orange hues across the sky. Beyond, the calm seas swelled with golden ripples.
All was still—the salty breeze mixed with the squawks of passing seagulls.
Then—
The deafening sound of metal ripping, coupled with a series of loud bangs, was met with the spectacle of giant sparks stretching, creating a blaze of smoke and a ring of fire. A powerful impact rattles the reinforced windows. Shinichi ducks to protect himself from passing debris.
There were a couple of shrieks, then quiet.
Looking to the horizon, he spots the moonlight thief. The glider flew dangerously low before disappearing.
Sinking to his knees, Shinichi sighs.
"It seems," he smirks, "I owe you one, Kid."
"Erm…Ran!" Sonoko's hush whispers, which, frankly, were pretty loud, came from behind. No attempt was made by the heiress to mask her shock and delight. She smacked the raven-haired beauty repeatedly. "What exactly did I witness? When did this happen? How did this happen!? Aren't they a little too young!"
With no control over the matter, Ran could only drag the hyperactive heiress away. The cause of her outburst was probably linked to the manner she found the two shrunken teenagers in.
It had been too close of a call. The sheer panic Shiho had experienced upon hearing Shinichi's desperate request on the other end of the badges was enough to make her heart stop.
As soon as the furniture blocking the exit was cleared, Shiho enters the room without a second thought. The first view of the ballroom was not pleasant. A chandelier that had been smashed against Takizaki's private bodyguards was mixed with the stench of blood and smoke.
There were wounded hostages, one dead, along with screaming Yakuza members spitting expletives and cursing at Junichiro and Satoru Takizaki, both of whom were apprehended by the police. Jirokichi took charge of their arrest. Junichiro's daughter and wife were still in hysterics over what had been divulged.
Shiho had not seen the photographs, but a heinous act had been unveiled from the fragments shouted by Natsu, Satoru, Aoki, and Junichiro.
And something tells Shiho that this was simply the tip of an insidious plot.
That, however, was not a priority.
She spots Ran first, followed by Sonoko. Then, she sees him. A hand covered his eyes as he lay prone on the ground. For a second, she freezes, unsure of his predicament. But then he picks himself up, removing cracked glass from his hair, and she rushes forward, unable to hold back her relief that overflowed.
It was uncharacteristic, to say the least, but she didn't care. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, wrapping her arms around him. There was a faint odor of smoke and blood on him. Not pleasant, but he, at least, was—alive.
While holding him closer, she felt arms wrap around her body. "Haibara," he whispered, pulling away for a moment. He faced her with the familiar cocky smirk he always wore, "I'm ok."
Sighing, she squeezed him tighter, unwilling to let go.
It took a while. There was still no resolution to the turmoil that unfolded. Upon interrogation with the uncooperative Yakuza members, the undercover police discovered the degree of damage unleashed on the cruise.
The engines, as well as the navigation systems, were destroyed. In the middle of the ocean, they were practically a sitting duck. Fortunately, the jammers preventing communication with the outside world were also destroyed. With the help of an emergency satellite phone held in the captain's office, arrangements for rescue were made.
As they sat by the deck, covered in sheets provided by the recently released crew members locked in the first class suite, Shiho observed a flustered Jirokichi and Inspector Nakamori lamenting at a broken cylindrical case that had been broken into. The prize, a "Jewel of the East," was stolen from under their noses. Both Jirokichi and Inspector Nakamori were stripped of their keys.
"How!?" Jirokichi shouted, raging at the coming night. Inspector Nakamori pulled his hair out, almost frothing from his lips. It was comical to watch two grown men arguing over a missing diamond, and she slumped against a shrunken detective in exhaustion.
A couple of scratches were visible on Shinichi's cheeks. Smudges of blood and glass debris nestled in his mussy black hair. Cracked spectacles, and the swollen knuckles on his fist, showed Shiho of his desperation to live…to get back to her, and she couldn't help but swallow the lump that formed.
"Hey," he nudges her. "Shiho…what's wrong?"
She couldn't answer, her sister's memory resurfacing from the depths of her mind like a torrid dream.
"Don't worry, Shiho. I'll be ok."
Promise broken, Akemi was returned in a body bag and buried in an undisclosed grave.
Chest hosting a sharp ache, she holds back the sudden hot tears that threaten to fall. It wasn't like her to be this emotional, but she remembers it.
Staring at her own swollen knuckles. Banging against the blocked exit of the ballroom, unable to enter, as a thief held her back.
The helplessness. The hopelessness of losing something important again was deliberating.
"You could have…" she trailed off, unable to continue.
Died.
For a second, her vision blurs. A slight weight was felt, and she fell silent at his knowing smile. Feathery fingers, tucking a stray hair away, Shinichi positions the cracked navigation glasses over her eyes.
"A word of advice, Kiddo," Anne's words reverberate, "Don't make him wait too long."
"Shiho," he smiles, "I'm still here."
She couldn't.
Recollections of trauma stirred. The heat she felt disappeared—and the callous nature of Gin's melodious laughter echoes in her ears. Again, chains from her past circled her ankles, and cries from those she had doomed threatened to consume her, but Shinichi held on, doing everything he could to keep her afloat.
It would be…too dangerous.
Nothing was settled.
Yet—
An impertinent glow of a setting sun casts a soft glow across his face. Dipping from the horizon, azure pools peered into hers, carrying within an intensity, a warmth—a promise.
In the roar of crashing waves, her fear fizzled.
What am I waiting for?
Taking a step forward, she pressed her lips against his. The shrunken detective held his breath and let out a soft gasp. Shocked, he eventually leans closer, trapping her in his arms.
Life was unpredictable, wasn't it? There were memories engraved in her body. Scars—still burning. Still hurting. However, he remained, emerging from the darkness where thorns grew. Hacking his way through solid wall, breaking down everything she knew.
His lips were dry, rough…but—it wasn't Gin.
Forcing the flashbacks aside, she focused on the moment. A soft pressure, lips parted as heat seeped in. He exhaled softly, a murmured satisfaction fading into a gentle hum. Words she could not say, desires locked away, expressed in a simple kiss.
Separating briefly, they rested their foreheads against each other. His breath tickled, sending pleasant tingles as deep-bodied chuckles emerged from his lips. And he regarded her—eyes bright with joy.
"Is this—" Shinichi murmured breathlessly.
It was how Sonoko discovered them. Shrieking like a banshee, drunk with excitement, she carried the decibel of a high-pitched whale. Realizing their predicament, Shiho became painfully aware of what she'd done. As her cheeks turn a deep scarlet, her natural aversion to physical intimacy returns. Cursing, she struggled against him, wanting to flee—but he stopped her.
"Took you," he cups her cheeks again, catching her lips in his. "Long enough."
It had been a hectic day. Even Kaito had to admit. Whistling as he held the diamond in his hands, he leaned against the banister of a stationary cruise. Since the explosions had destroyed the engine and the glider has a limited range, he'll have to stay here for a while. Magic or not, even the Kaitou Kid had no ability to teleport.
He holds the jewel in his hand and raises it to the moonlight. It was a deep sapphire blue. Vibrant in nature and though extremely beautiful, it withholds none of the secrets he sought. Returning it to his pockets, he relaxed into open palms, gazing out into the silvery sheen of night waves crashing gently against the ship's hull.
A peaceful night, despite the tumultuous day. The criminals were apprehended, and with rescue on its way, it was now a waiting game. And though his mission in retrieving the jewel had been successful, recollections of what the Yakuza men had revealed about the Takizaki family kept coming back.
A connection had been made. As if…
He'd been intentionally lured.
The calling card that was sent in his name...
Was still a mystery?
Hearing soft footsteps against the steel floors, he whips around. Preparing for a confrontation, he hesitated at the sight of glasses. A pint-sized detective holding hands with a strawberry blonde emerges from the darkness like a silent phantom. His signature smirk mirrors his own.
"Another disguise?" the detective mocks.
"You can never be too careful," Kaito relaxes.
"But really, do you have to rub salt on his wound?"
"He was the easiest," Kaito taps the mask. A disguise of Inspector Nakamori.
"I see," the detective he'd known was Kudou Shinichi, answered.
"How did you find me anyway?"
The scary woman-girl motioned to the tail end of his jacket. Scowling, he reached for a device hidden under his tail-coat. It was a familiar "B"-shaped gadget he had seen them use occasionally.
That sly fox.
She'd tucked it there when he'd been distracted.
Cursing himself for not catching such a rookie mistake, he resigned himself to their presence.
"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" Kaito notices the closeness of the two shrunken teenagers, grinning devilishly at the teases he concocted. "Here to capture me? Offer a truce? Duel? Or, brag about your…girlfriend?"
He was met with silence. A sigh from the shrunken scientist and the bored visage of a pint-sized detective.
"Are you sure you want assistance from this man-child, Shinichi?" the girl speaks, dropping all pretenses, using their real names in his presence. Intriguing as it was, Kaito couldn't help but be a little offended.
"Hey—"
He stops as soon as he spots the white card in Shinichi's hands.
As suspected—
That pint-sized midget!
About to launch a smoke bomb, he reached into his pockets, only to hesitate at the detective's coy question.
"Have you ever heard…of Pandora gem?"
How would he know about the—
Kaito gasped, seizing Shinichi by the shoulders.
"You have answers?!"
"Not quite," Shinichi reveals, "but if we're going up against Pandora's box itself...I figured we could use some..."
It was clear that the detective and his partner had intentionally forged and lured him with his own calling card. Answers he sought implicitly linked to the organization they fought. Beaten at his own game, a pact had been formed. Kaito frowns, resigning himself to the sneaky ploy.
"Assistance."
Episodes used:
Magic Kaito 1412: Episode 3, 24
This was long due :D. Initially, I planned to have this scene earlier. However, I realized that in order for the story to work, some parts needed to be fleshed out, and I wanted more developments on Shinichi and Shiho's relationship before they take the next step. (They have a lot to work out for sure)
And well, it's a prelude to something that I had planned to write since the start of this story.
Also, I know this doesn't follow canon, and that the organizations from the Kaito universe, and the detective conan universe...might be different, but I thought linking it together, will make this more interesting. I hope it doesn't offend anyone XD.
Anyway, I had fun writing this chapter, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it too :).
The story would be moving to its next arc now :D The set pieces have been established, and if anyone wants a clue :D I suggest re-reading chapter 14, Isonade and Human Nature :D
Thank you for the reviews and support. Wishing you guys a good week ahead.