Detective Conan: The Road To Hell

Fall Apart

It's a saying: 
Sometimes, when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.
(つ･･)つ¤=[]::::::>

Kudou's door was open when Heiji got to the top of the stairs. Heiji stood in the doorway, rapped his knuckles on the door. "Mornin', Kudou. How awake are ya?"

Kudou yawned, sat up in his futon. "Not very. I'm not sure if I ever really fell asleep. I couldn't get comfortable." He stretched. "Did I miss anything fun last night?"

Heiji shrugged, leaning against the door. "'Bout half an hour after you went to sleep, another one of Akagi-han's friends came back with everyone else who was at camp. I went an' confirmed it— this is Akagi-han's house." Kudou raised his eyebrows, standing up. "Oh, nee-chan brought your clothes. They're behind ya." Heiji pointed to Conan's suitcase, propped against the wall.

"Ah, thank you." He began digging through his suitcase, searching for a new set of clothes. "If this is Akagi-san's house, where is he? I didn't see him anywhere last night. You yelled pretty loud when you tripped coming up the stairs– I'd think a die-hard fan of yours like him would come running to greet you."

Folding his arms, Heiji shook his head. "He never came home last night. The guy who found us was lookin' for Akagi-han. The other guy lookin' came back empty-handed around the time everyone else showed up, too."

"What about Akagi-san's brother? He mentioned he lived with his wife and brother, right?"

"Akagi Kenshin-han said he didn't see his brother at all. He got too drunk and was still recoverin' from the hangover. Nakano-han found us, an' Kakei-han's the other one who went looking for Akagi-han."

"Who brought everyone else here?"

"That's Ishiwatari-han. I'm thinkin' he's got some sorta sketchy job, 'cause of—" his hulking frame; all those rings; that bulge in his pocket— "Nah, you'll get it when ya see him."

"Speaking of the kids, where are they? I'm surprised Genta and Mitsuhiko aren't trailing you as we speak."

"Oh, that." Heiji glanced out the window. The wreckage from the storm still littered the ground. "Agasa-hakase took all of 'em back ta the campsite. They wanted ta make sure they got all their stuff. They left 'bout an hour ago."

"Even Haibara?"

Shaking his head, Heiji stole a quick glance at his phone to check the time. "The little nee-chan woke up early this mornin'. After takin' your vitals, she went right back ta sleep. She's in the other room." Wagging his finger, he mimicked Ai. "'Make sure he doesn't go anywhere,' she told me. She got real worried when I told her 'bout Nakano-han's quote-unquote 'medicine.'"

Kudou shrugged on a new shirt. "I guess it's because of Kyoto. If you remember, the Paikaru worked when I gave myself a nasty cold."

"Hmm." Heiji lifted his hand to his chin, thinking for a moment. "Have ya felt anythin'?" He gestured vaguely to Kudou's chest, where he seemed to grab each time he got big or small.

Fear flashed across Kudou's face, blink-and-miss-it. With a well concealed deep inhale, he pulled a pair of new pants from his suitcase. "I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary," he said after a brief moment's hesitation.

Heiji's face dropped into a frown, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Don't lie to me."

Kudou remained silent as he pulled on his pants, and Heiji looked away to give him a bit of privacy. "The possibility's there, an' if ya're gonna get a growth spurt, we need to get you outta here. As much as I'd love ta have ya on the same level, we're not really in the best of situations. It's a thin line ya're walkin'."