"You've reached Kudo Shinichi. I'm not home at the moment. If you have a case for me, please leave a message."
That had been the same voicemail [Name] had reached a dozen times already, the voicemail of her friend's house which kept telling her that he still wasn't home. Usually, she would have just been annoyed with him for running off on his own without warning anybody first and just doing what he pleased.
But this time it was different.
It wasn't just about her gut screaming at her that something was wrong but also the fact that those guys were there. And Shinichi had been extremely interested in them.
She shut her flip phone with a sigh, her emerald pools quivering in concern, I hope he didn't do anything stupid...
That being said, she was sure he had done something like that.
"By the way... what are you doing here, Ran?" her deadpanned eyes trailed to the side where said girl was angrily stomping, fists tight by her sides, "I'm going to teach him a lesson for you, obviously."
"You really don't have to..." she sweatdropped.
But her friend just huffed forward, "Of course I do! That damn mystery otaku just left you behind in the middle of the night to go home on your own! He'll pay for this!"
[Name] chuckled warily, brows furrowed, "A-Aa... Thanks..."
"Sorry, [Name]! Go on ahead without me!"
Remembering his words, she gritted her teeth and her nails dug into her palms. But she knew that right now she could only go to his house to hopefully find some reassurance that he didn't go to find trouble with those two men in black. She hadn't even had the time to go by her house to change because of it.
"Ah! I knew it!"
Ran's yell brought her back to the present and she turned on the same direction her childhood friend was staring at, seeing the lights on inside the Kudo mansion.
Trembling in rage, the brunette stormed inside the house since the door was left open, "Shinichi! Where are you?! I know you're here!" [Name]'s shoulders slumped and she followed behind her, rubbing her head, "I'm really surrounded by insane people, aren't I?"
Knowing the mystery nerd, she headed in the direction of the library, her steps growing faster when she saw the light below the door, "Are you in here, Shinichi? I was worried, you know. Why would you do something like that all of a sudden?"
Her concern began being replaced by anger the closer she got and she slammed the door open, "Shinichi! Eh...? Agasa Hakase?"
"Ah! [Name]! What are you doing here?" the professor scrambled, hands waving around as he was still unprepared. Quickly glancing back and forth between her and the desk, something that didn't go unnoticed by the underworld criminal.
Crossing her arms with narrowed pools, she walked closer to him, "I was looking for Shinichi. Have you seen him? I was worried since he wasn't answering and thought maybe something happened."
"O-Oh, there's no need for that. I'm sure he'll be back soon." Professor Agasa moved his body so that he was blocking her path to the desk.
Though that just made her more suspicious. Even more so once she heard a strange noise coming from the place he was trying to hide. Looking around the man, [Name] walked past him to the desk, this time Agasa not being able to stop her. She kneeled on the floor, seeing the young boy who was putting his glasses on, "Ara, and who might you be?"
The little boy, or more like Shinichi turned into a ten year younger version of himself, flinched at the sound of her voice. Slowly and fearfully twisting around to face her.
"A-Ah... H-Hi..."
[Name] tilted her head to the side and smiled warmly, not wanting to scare him anymore, "My, aren't you just adorable?" then she glanced back to the professor, "Who's this boy, Hakase?"
Sweating heavily, he tried to come up with something quickly, "He's... a relative's child."
"You never mentioned anything like that." she pouted to him, facing the boy again, "So? What's your name?"
Scrambling back, Shinichi hit the bookshelf, "My name is Shin... no... It's..." he tried to think of something, of anything, as the girl watched him in confusion and a little suspicion. But thankfully for him, he didn't have to think much harder as his blue eyes fell on the books behind him. Concentrating on two certain names that he certainly admired.
Edogawa Rampo.
And Ser Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Conan! My name is Edogawa Conan!"
The [Hair Color]ette sighing internally, So even now, I can't get rid of that name, can I? Shinichi would have loved meeting someone named that. "Gokigenyou*(Nice to meet you), Conan-kun."
"U-Un!" he nodded, sweating heavily.
[Name] kept observing his movements, trailing off, Though this kid... Her thoughts being cut off by Ran coming into the room still flared up, "Is Shinichi here?!"
"Ah, Ran." Midori stood up from the ground with Conan in tow, "It's just these two. That idiot isn't back yet, I'm afraid. He must still be in his case."
"Tch. He got lucky. For now."
Shinichi shrinking back in fear, The moment I come back, I'm dead meat...
Finally noting how her friend had said two, Ran's eyes fell on the little boy behind [Name], "Who's this little boy?"
"Ah, this is Edogawa Conan. Hakase says he's a relative of his." she explained to the brunette who cheerily skipped to where Shinichi was, forgetting about her anger entirely, and tightly hugged him, "Whoa! He's so cute!"
Watching the three of them, Agasa hit the palm of his hand as he came to a conclusion, "Oh, yeah, Ran-kun! Sorry about this, but can you take this child and let him live with you for a little while?"
"Stop joking!" yelled Conan and grabbed him by the collar, Agasa wrapping his arms around him and muffling his voice with his huge belly, "This child's parents are in the hospital because of an accident, so they asked me to look after him, but I'm a single man..."
Understanding what he meant, the blue-eyed girl nodded, "I can do it, but I'll need to discuss it with my dad first."
"If it comes to it, I can always help since I spend most of my time in your place anyways." said [Name] to her friend who smiled gratefully.
"Really? Could you do that?" Agasa put the boy back on the ground, "That's great, Conan."
As the man crouched on the ground beside him, the detective whispered in annoyance, "You want me to live at Ran's house? What should I do if she or [Name] discover my identity?"
"If you want to return to your normal self, then you'll need to find those men in black first, right? Ran-kun's home is a detective agency." muttered back the professor, Shinichi smiling in understanding, "Maybe news about those guys will turn up."
"That's right."
The two girls shared a look at the two scheming males, shrugging their shoulders.
Once they were done, they left the house with still no answers of where Kudo Shinichi might be or what he was doing. They had no idea what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into this time.
Ran held the boy's hand, glancing from time to time to her friend who kept staring at her phone expectantly while also debating if she should try calling again.
Trying to reassure her, Ran placed her free hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry so much, [Name]. Shinichi does this all the time. I'm sure he'll be back soon and tell you about his case nonstop."
"I sure hope so." she muttered, placing the phone back in her pocket.
Grinning mischievously, Ran leaned closer to Conan and muttered to him loud enough for the girl to also hear, "Ne, did you know, Conan-kun, that there is someone who [Name] really likes?"
"Ah, Ran!" she scrambled to her side, trying to stop her from saying anything else.
Shinichi widened his eyes at the news, panicking inside, Oe, oe! That's not true, is it?!
Giggling at [Name]'s reaction, Ran waved her hand in a carefree manner, "Don't worry so much. Conan-kun won't tell anybody. Right, Conan-kun?"
"H-Hai..." nervously nodded the teen detective, glaring into nothing at the idea of her having someone she already liked. Wanting to find out who his rival was, he flipped his acting switch and began acting like the kid he was supposed to be, "And who is it that [Name]-nee-chan likes?"
"A-Ah, well, that's..." her cheeks were coated pink and she looked away, playing with her fingers nervously as she fidgeted uncomfortably. Her reaction making Shinichi clench his jaw. Of course, his expression becoming the complete opposite once she answered.
"Shinichi. The one I like is Shinichi."
Conan blushed heavily, smoke beginning to come out of his ears, W-W-What are you saying now out of all times?!!
Ran chuckled, staring directly at her friend, "It really came as a surprise to Sonoko and I. You guys were always arguing, though at the same time, you did everything together. But I still can't believe you fell for that mystery otaku."
"Me neither really." [Name] sneered and grumped out, "I mean, he's an inconsiderate idiot who just cares about Holmes and mysteries. He causes nothing but trouble and because of whatever curse he has, we always end up stuck in some case. Every single time. He's super annoying."
Oe, oe...
"I really don't get it..." she continued, this time her voice softer, something the boy noticed as he stared at her pained face in concern, knowing it was his fault that she looked like that.
"Even though he's all of those things... He's also..." Midori didn't get to finish her sentence and just trailed off, Conan wanting to know the rest, "What is he also?"
[Name] looked back at him and winked, placing her index finger in front of her lips, "Not telling~. That's just for me to know."
"Ah, mou. I also want to know what you see on that mystery otaku." grumbled Ran, only receiving a chuckle from her friend, "That's something I'll only ever tell Shinichi if I confess one day."
"No fair. That's something you might never do." muttered the auburn-haired girl to herself.
Shinichi freezing in his spot at her words, "N-Nande...? If you like Shinichi-niichan, why not just tell him?"
The criminal stopped on her tracks to look back to the boy, "Well, I mean, it's not that easy to tell someone how you feel about them. Mostly when is someone so popular with so many girls who would love to date him. Plus... I don't want to make things weird if he doesn't feel the same way. Even if it's just as friends, as long as I get to be by his side, then I'm content."
As she walked further ahead from them, a shadow fell over her face, Though, truthfully... I'm not the kind of person who should be by his side...
"I live right here." announced Ran once they got to the agency, a small but nice restaurant on the floor below. An entrance with a flight of stairs to the agency at the side.
"I just hope Kogoro-san will agree." muttered [Name], already knowing how the self-proclaimed detective usually was. The brunette letting out a sigh of agreement, "Me, too. It would be like I've finally got a cute little brother."
"Maybe if you threaten him with dinner he'll agree." grinned the criminal mischievously. Though it's not like Ran was objecting either, "Hmm. That could actually work."
Oe, oe. sweatdropped the detective.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! I'm coming!"
They looked up the stairs at the stampede that was approaching, moving out of the way just in time as Mouri Kogoro rushed down and tripped over his own feet, slamming against the ground.
Not feeling the pain at all, he beamed back to his daughter, "The first job in six months! A rich man's daughter has been kidnapped! A witness said that the kidnapper was a man in black!"
"It's that something you should be happy about...?" [Name] deadpanned.
"Man in black?!" gasped Conan, his mind immediately proceeding to the possibility of the people who did that to him being involved with the case. Seeing Kogoro getting inside a taxi, the young detective went right after him. The girls following him in shock, "Conan!" "Conan-kun!"
Inside the taxi, Mouri Kogoro chuckled under his breathe arrogantly, "The crime is summoning me, the Great Detective, Mouri Kogoro!"
Though that's when he finally saw the trio who were staring at him with more emotions than could be described. But one thing was obvious from their faces, they wished they didn't know him.
"Why are you in the car?!" he questioned, Ran screaming back while [Name] sat with Conan on her lap in between them and tried to shrink down. "It's because this child came in on his own!"
"A car! A car! Wow!" chirped Shinichi, actually glad for the first time in his life that his mother had given him some of her acting talents.
Kogoro getting on his face in anger, "Who is he?!"
"He is Agasa Hakase's relative." explained Ran simply, her father getting even more pissed off, "You'll get in the way of my work! Get out of the car now!"
"How can we do that?! We are on the highway!"
[Name] lowered more into her seat, hugging a blushing Conan tighter, "See what you've done? You can't just run off on your own, you know. You're so like Shinichi."
The young detective sweating as he exploded inside, We're too close!! Too close!!!
With no other choice, the four of them went together to the Tani Household, the older detective just telling them to stay out of his way and not bother him.
The mansion was traditional with a large backyard which is where they were currently at. The head of the family and the servants in front of them.
"The child that was kidnapped is my only daughter, her name is Tani Akiko and she's 10-years-old." explained Mr. Tani, showing them a picture of his daughter hugging a dog, "My housekeeper, Asao, saw it with his own eyes."
The kidnapping of a young rich girl... That opens the door for a lot of suspects. sighed [Name], frowning a little as she thought of the young child.
Her way of thought was broken though when Conan suddenly spoke, "Could you describe the kidnapping?"
Everyone turned their attention to him, Tani wondering who he was. To what Kogoro trembled in place, "Nobody! He's my friend's..." Not finishing his sentence, he grabbed the boy by the back of his collar and threw him to the girls, "Could you please look after this child?!" then did a 180 when he turned back to the butler, "Now then, Asao-san, can you describe the kidnapping in details?"
"At that time, the young miss had just came back from school and she was playing in the garden." began to describe the butler, his tone then shifting, "Suddenly, from the corner of the garden, a man in black jumped out and grabbed her. He then said, 'Tell your master, if he wants his daughter back in one piece he needs to shut down his company for a month! If he tries to contact the police, his daughter is as good as dead!' After he said that, the criminal climbed up the pine tree, jumped over the fence and escaped."
While the others listened patiently, the certain girl in their group who was a criminal working for a huge organization squinted her green orbs suspiciously, What kind of idiotic person would do that...? He could have just taken her in the early morning when she is going to school.
"Can you described the man's face?" asked Conan, Kogoro raging beside him.
Not taking notice of the older detective, the butler answered, "My eyesight isn't very good, so I didn't see his face clearly."
"That is a problem." stated the boy.
On cue, Kogoro hit him over the head and left a huge bump.
Ran crouching a little as she stared at the boy anxiously, "Conan-kun, you shouldn't get in the way of dad's work."
"Right, did anyone else hear the criminal's voice or any other strange noises?" questioned the male Mouri, an old woman wearing a green kimono nodding, "Hai, I heard Asao-san shout, 'The young miss has been kidnapped!' but I didn't hear any other noises."
"So, Asao-san is the only one who saw the criminal?" confirmed Mouri.
[Name] frowning even more from beside her childhood friend, "That's weird, isn't it? Wouldn't a child usually scream in that kind of situation at first?"
Shinichi subconsciously nodded, agreeing with the situation being quite suspicious.
Not having heard her since she had muttered it lowly, Kogoro continued with his reasoning beside the members of the household, "Judging by the criminal's request, I would assume that he is working for a rival company."
"Kuso! Not only does he want my company shut down, he also wants my money!" yelled Tani, a sweaty Asao snapping his head to the man in astonishment, "Money?!"
"The kidnapper just phoned, he wants 300,000,000 yens of unmarked bills!" shouted Tani, his butler once again scrambling, "Dannasama, maybe you misunderstood the request?"
His words only angering the Head of the family, "Stop saying that! Shut up!"
Kogoro dismissed their quarreling and continued asking questions. Though by then, [Name] had completely zoned out and had stopped listening.
She was concerned for the little girl, that was true. But this useless back and forth was nothing other than annoying. If only Shinichi was here, she was sure he would have solved everything in an instant.
Speaking of that mystery nerd, she wondered what had happened to him. Gin seemed to have shown some interest in him when they spoke but he was the type of person who quickly forgot other people's faces and names. Mostly those of his victims.
Even if he had done something to him... asking him would be useless.
The thought made her grit her teeth, now wanting even more to be able to get out of here and look for him. Shinichi was smart, but sometimes he could be too reckless and get into deep trouble.
Though that also made her think about the little boy she had found in the Kudo mansion with Professor Agasa. Edogawa Conan was his name. He really resembled Shinichi in so many ways.
She shook her head at the thought, pushing it to the back of her mind. Nearly slapping herself for even considering such an impossible option.
The Organization kept tabs on everything new that was designed, and she personally liked checking all the interesting things they had found. And she had never heard of any way people can lose ten years of their lives and the professor didn't have anything like that either from the last time she checked.
Either way, if something like that truly existed, that could be a multimillion dollar industry since people still searched for some sort of Fountain of Youth.
Plus, she really didn't want to think that she just confessed her love to Shinichi without her knowing.
BARK BARK
The loud barking of a dog broke her back to the present and she sprinted to where it had come from, immediately seeing the little boy, "Conan-kun!"
Only for everyone to let out a sigh of relief at seeing the huge dog just licking his face while wagging its tail happily.
[Name] kneeled behind Shinichi, holding his shoulders, "Please stop doing such scary things. You're really going to get hurt if you keep this up."
"How strange. Jumbo is usually only friendly to people within the household." muttered Tani.
Conan and [Name] widening their eyes at that.
Then, how would the kidnapper have come in and left...? she looked up the pine tree right beside the dog house where Jumbo was tied by his collar.
Though there was really no reason for her to ask such a foolish question when she already knew the answer. Slightly glaring at the butler without the others seeing, He lied.
"This dog will bark if it sees a stranger, right?" wondered Conan with his childish tone while stroking the animal's head with one hand and holding a ball with the other.
"Right, because Jumbo is one of the best guard dogs around." simply replied Tani, not seeing what Conan was signaling to. But Kogoro did, But, the servants in the house all said, 'Except for the housekeeper's voice, there weren't any other noises.'
The butler didn't waste any time in trying to sneak away from the scene, the older detective stopping him, "Where are you going, Asao-san?"
He actually noticed... thought [Name], knowing her friend's father was too much of an idiot to see even the most obvious of clues. However, the only reason he had seen that was because of Edogawa Conan.
Kogoro marched to where Asao was frozen at, getting on his face, "There are a lot of questionable points in what you've said. If the criminal came in the garden using the pine tree, and took the girl and then used the pine tree to escape. Why didn't that dog bark?"
"It's... It's because..." tried to explain the butler but the detective went on, "And also, there are many other inconsistencies in your statement! The truth is that there wasn't any man in black, was there, Asao-san?" Mouri grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, "Iya! Instead... you are the criminal who kidnapped the young miss, right?"
"Asao, kisama...!" scowled Tani, the old man bowing again and again on the ground, "Dannasama, I am really sorry."
In disbelief at what his trusted servant had done, Tani interrogated, "Why have you done such a thing?! Who told you to do that?!"
Asao immediately raising his head, "Nobody, all of this was done by me!"
"Then, where is the girl now?" questioned Kogoro, the butler truthfully replying, "In a nearby restaurant."
They stood in silence for a moment before Kogoro beamed like an idiot and cheered, "It's all clear now! Only when I, the Great Detective Mouri Kogoro, appears, the hardest cases are solved!"
"Baka." grumped [Name] with her arms crossed, her friend chuckling beside her though she could not agree more. Sometimes her father really acted like an idiot.
Suddenly, the old lady from before rushed to them, holding the receiver of the house's phone and offering it to the CEO, "D-Dannasama, your phone!"
"Tell them I'm busy, ask them to call back later." ordered Tani, the woman insisting fearfully. Knowing she would not have bothered them during such a time unless it was important, the Head of the family grabbed the phone, "Hello? I'm Tani."
"Is the 300,000,000 ready?" said the voice on the other side, making Tani scream, "Dareda omae wa*(Who are you)?!"
"Didn't I just call you? I'm the one who kidnapped your daughter." spoke the unknown male on the other side. He was sitting calmly in the dark, smirking as he spoke.
Hearing this, Tani gasped, "It's impossible! The criminal has already..."
Kogoro practically strangling Asao, "So, you do have partners."
"I don't. It's only me. Please believe me!" begged the poor butler, his voice raspy since he could barely breathe now.
"Papa, please help me!" cried the little girl, Tani nearly breaking out at his daughter's voice, "Akiko!"
The unknown male took back the phone, chuckling darkly, "My patience is running thin. If you don't provide the 300,000,000 in time, who knows what will happen to your daughter."
Tani fell to his knees, pleading to him, "Please! I'll get the money! Can you just let Akiko return home safely?"
"Keep talking to him... try to make him tell us his location." murmured Kogoro to the man, Tani foolishly answering Mouri in place of doing as told, "His location?"
The unknown criminal not missing it, "Who is there with you? It wouldn't be the police, right?"
Both men scrambling back at being found out, Tani hastily trying to explain, "No! He isn't the police!"
Having heard them also, Akiko shouted out where they were, "Papa, I'm in a school's storage room! There's a big chimney outside the window-! Ah!"
"Akiko!" Tani shook in fear, listening intently to the kidnapper who placed his hand against the tied up girl's mouth to stop her from saying anything else, "I'll phone you in an hour! By that time, you'd better have the money!"
With that, he hung up.
The fear did not disappear and Mouri tried to calm him down by going through what Akiko had told them, "One can see a big chimney from the window of a school's storage room, with just this clue, we can't be certain which school it is. But, just in case, you should prepare the money."
"H-Hai!" replied Tani.
Ignoring them, [Name] played the mental map of the city that she had memorized around five years ago before she had entered the Organization. Marking every school in the near area since under this circumstances the kidnapper probably didn't take her that far. Then crossed out those that didn't have any sort of chimney around.
Hmm... That would be five in total. We should be able to check them all out in an hour.
As she stared around, she caught Conan looking over a map which who knows where he had gotten it from. [Name] narrowed her eyes at him but didn't get the chance to ask since Ran beat her to it.
Looking up at the brunette, Shinichi easily replied, "It hasn't been long since the time of the kidnapping. I'm sure they must be somewhere nearby..."
"That's right! With a little girl, he cannot go far." understood the private detective, expression becoming firmer, "If it's a school nearby..."
Before he could finish his way of thought, Conan got on top of Jumbo and rushed off, Ran yelling after him, "Conan-kun, where are you going?!"
Seeing what he was trying to do, [Name] sprinted after them easily even with her high heels. Kogoro following right after, "Ran! Follow that dog!"
Because Jumbo was much faster, Conan quickly disappeared from their sight, but they didn't stop and continued trying to follow him.
[Name] got to the fifth school they had gone by, not bothering in going in since the boy had probably already checked to see if Akiko was inside. If he left, that meant she wasn't there.
"Sigh... There they are..." she panted a little, trying to regain her breathing first before taking another step.
It was true that she had trained a lot as a member of the Organization and even before that so she had a lot of stamina. But this much running was no joke.
Seeing them rush off, [Name] stared at their retreating figures in confusion, "Where are they going...? That was the last school, wasn't it?"
Choosing not to waste any time on questions that wouldn't be answered, she began running once again after them just as the Mouris had neared her side.
Kogoro stopped for a minute, sweating from head to toe, tongue sticking out, "Was she... always this fast...?"
"Huh? Un, sometimes." nods Ran, though mostly to herself. Now that she really thought about it, [Name] didn't usually seem like the most athletic person. She wasn't even in any clubs at the school and kept away from the physical classes. Yet, there were times she was pretty strong and agile. She should really ask her sometime where and when she trained.
Meanwhile, [Name] kept going after Jumbo and Conan, her emerald eyes catching the large building they were going around. As she passed it, her orbs widened, "Don't tell me...!"
She stopped when she stood with one side of the building in front of her. The other side had some lights on it, but this one only had the two red ones at the top which could be easily covered by a small window in a storage room. From this angle and with the dark of the night, it looked like a long chimney just as Akiko had described.
Grinning to herself, she inhaled as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek, "Just who is that boy?"
Since she had lost sight of him again and until now she had only been able to keep up because she an idea of where he was going, [Name] played the map once again in her head. Finding only one school that would see the building from this angle.
"Futatsubashi, ka?" she moved a strand of her [Hair Color] locks that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear and turned her body so she was facing the street.
Taking a deep breath, she moved her legs as fast as she could. Eyes trained on the direction the school was.
Seeing the building, she let a smile form on her face and sped up, only stopping once she was at the entrance. The halls were dark and she could barely see a thing.
With no idea of where the storage room might be, she closed her eyes and sharpened her ears for even the slightest of sounds. Orbs snapping open once she heard Jumbo's barking.
"I'm coming... Conan-kun... Akiko-chan..."
"YAMETTE!!"
She got to the door just as Akiko screamed, instantly seeing the kidnapper hovering over a beaten up Conan and lowering the metal bat on his hands toward him.
In a flash, [Name] appeared in front of the man and stopped the bat with one hand, shocking him.
Meeting her heated glare, the man lost his composure even more and backed away. Though it was useless as she moved right in front of him, her palm hitting him under the chin and pushing him back.
While his body was falling to the floor, she kicked him on the face and he was sent flying against the boxes in the room. Falling unconscious on the ground.
"Sugee..." gaped Conan.
Hands fell on her hips and she glared at the fallen criminal, "Humph. Next time I won't go this easy on you, you bastard."
Spinning around, she rushed to the little girl and untied her, glancing between her and Conan, "It's alright now, Akiko-chan. We'll take you back to your father."
The girl smiling happily, "Arigatou, oneechan."
"How did you know we were here?" wondered Conan, standing up while holding his injured stomach.
"Ah, that..." she sweated a little, instantaneously coming up with a lie. It's not like she could tell him that she had memorized the map of the entire city now, could she?
"I just followed you, of course. It was a little hard since you were so fast with Jumbo, but after we lost you, I saw Jumbo coming back without you."
Conan nodded slowly, buying her lie.
It had always been that way, really. What she had told Gin about why Shinichi wouldn't figure out who she was was the truth. He really only saw what he wanted to see.
Just then, the dog came back with Kogoro and Ran in tow, going to the little girl and licking her face happily.
"[Name], Conan-kun, are you both okay?" asked the auburn-haired girl, voice filled with concern. Her childhood friend nodding with a soft smile, "Un. They should be checked by a doctor, though. Mostly Conan-kun since that guy beat him up good."
Not questioning how the kidnapper had been defeated, Ran crouched down in front of the boy and asked question after question.
"You are the criminal?" the older detective stood over said man's body, kicking him a couple of times before posing victoriously, "The kidnapper has been caught by me, the Great Detective, Mouri Kogoro!"
That was me! [Name] sweatdropped, and so did Shinichi as he deadpanned at the man, Ttaku...
Though as he stared at the defeated man, his blue pools trailed to the girl he had liked since kindergarten. Furrowing his brows, Though... how did [Name] beat him...?
"I was the one who planned the kidnapping."
The Mouris and the father of the little girl jumped back at Akiko's declaration in disbelief. Her words having come suddenly once they had brought her home and taken her to her father. All of them standing on the courtyard for what was supposed to be a warm reunion but had turned into this.
The child lowered her head as she continued, Asao doing the same, "Because you only care about work every day and not about me, so I asked Asao-san to help me arrange this kidnapping. I thought if papa's company was closed, you could take me out to play!"
"Naruhodo. The first kidnapping was a fake." muttered Kogoro to himself, [Name] giving him a sideway glance, "You just figured it our now?"
Tani closed his eyes, directing his words to Asao "Even if it was my daughter who asked, you shouldn't have done it! Do you understand, Asao?"
The old man lowering his head even more, "H-Hai..."
"As for your punishment, you have to book a one-week trip for two that will start tomorrow. The destination is Australia!"
Asao cheered up instantly, looking at his master in admiration, "Ah! Dannasama!"
Any anger he had felt was now gone and Tani was now kneeling in front of his daughter with a sweet beam, "Of course, it's for Akiko and I. We're going together."
"Papa!" the girl happily hugged him, her father returning it gladly.
"It seems like it all worked out in the end." chirped [Name], smiling at the family. And as she stared at them, their image was replaced by a younger version of herself hugging her own father.
[Name] lowered her head, a shadow covering her face, Tousan... I promise I will finish what you started...
With the case now completely solved as requested, the four of them exited the mansion with the Tanis and their butler following. The Head still being quite impressed by their work, "Using the dog to find my daughter... No wonder you're a Great Detective."
"It was nothing, really. It's all thanks to my experience!" bragged Kogoro, tongue sticking out.
"Then, I'll give you your reward as soon as possible." said Tani before going back into the mansion, Kogoro bowing, his hands rubbing against each other greedily, "Hai, hai, I'll be waiting for it."
As they were going inside, Akiko turned around and faced Conan, "Arigatou, Tantei-san."
"Huh?" the boy glanced up at her, Ran giving him a look, "Tantei-san?"
Shinichi immediately scrambling as he tried to explain and pointed at the laughing Kogoro, "Not me, she must be talking about Ojisan!"
[Name] leaning a bit closer to his face and staring right into his eyes. The boy returned the stare nervously, the girl just straightening up and walking off, arms crossed behind her head, "Whatever you say, Conan-kun."
The four of them took a taxi back to the agency, Ran finally finishing her former conversation with her father about Conan's situation and if he could stay with them.
The man happily agreeing, calling him his lucky charm.
When he finds out that his called "lucky charm" was actually the high school detective he so much hated, Shinichi was sure going to suffer hell.
Well, he was going to suffer hell either way. He was sure of that.
Once they got off the taxi, [Name] waved goodnight at her friend, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ran. You too, Conan-kun."
"Be careful on your way home!" called Ran while also waving to her. But as she watched her figure grow smaller the further away she got, she frowned a little, "I wonder... if she's really alright..."
"Huh?" Shinichi lifted his head to look at Ran, the girl holding her hands together to her chest, "She's probably really worried about Shinichi, but she won't talk to me. She has always been that way... ever since we were kids..."
[Name]... his lips twitched downwards, his blue pools locked on her, I will definitely come back to you.
The lock of her apartment's entrance door clicked open as she turned the key, walking inside as she sighed heavily because of how tired she was both mentally and physically.
She took off her heels and placed them to the side, stepping into the entrance hallway.
Just as she took the first step, she halted. Her pools sharpening and she began slowly approaching her Livingroom, hand hovering over her right hip.
The moment she stepped into the room, her right hand flew below her skirt and grabbed a handgun, pointing it at the figure sitting on her sofa. Her eyes icy as they were trained on the person unblinkingly.
"You're late, Midori." said the person without flinching, not moving from his place.
Letting out a puff of air, her eyes went back to their usual cheery ones and she lowered her hand with the weapon. Scowling, her hands fell on her hips and she glared at him, "What the hell are you doing here, Gin? One of these days I might accidentally shoot you if you keep coming in here like that."
The man not reacting at all to her words, "I would like to see you try."
Grumping under her breath, she slumped on a smaller sofa in front of him and placed her weapon on the table in between them, "Seeing you twice in one night is rare. So? What do you want?"
"I just got a call from the boss. He has a job for you." said Gin and slid a folder on the table, surprising the girl, "Directly from the boss?"
"Aa. It seems you got their attention. Don't disappoint them." he stood up and moved to leave, stopping first right in front of her, "Though, where were you?"
Her brows furrowed at his question, head leaning on her hand, "Ran's father was called to solve the kidnapping of Tani's daughter and I got dragged into it. Either way, since when it's that any of your business, Gin?"
"Anything that is related to you is my business. More so now that you're going up the ranks."
[Name] didn't answer, looking away from his cold gaze which somehow turned only slightly softer when looking at her. But it was just slightly. She knew that if she ever messed up, he would kill her without hesitation like he had done with everyone else who got in their way.
That was just the kind of man he was.
Though Vodka had once told her he doubted that. She wasn't so sure he was right, but he did know Gin better than she ever would.
He walked away from her and to the stand by the side, lifting the picture of when she was but a small child oblivious to the world, laughing with her three childhood friends. His gaze piercing into it, "They are useful, huh..."
"They gave it to me years ago. I'm just keeping it since it would be nice decorum for when I finish my 'education.'" she stated, seeing what he was getting at.
It was true she cared for her friends and she had told the Organization they were only useful and that's why she stayed with those three even after joining the Organization. She knew they had no need for someone who had attachments in the outside world, for someone who cared and loved.
She was left with no choice but to say they did not matter to her in any way and that each one had certain connections which she could use later on. Something she had to constantly prove for the last five years since she had joined the Organization.
Using the people she cared about wasn't something she enjoyed, but she was sure they would be eliminated if they ever found out she had lied about their bond.
"Humph. That woman has really sharpened your talent for acting even more. It's hard to tell whether you're lying or not anymore." he muttered mostly to himself, his cold stare returning to her, "This better be the truth. You know the consequences, don't you, Midori?"
She returned his stare just as intensely, emerald pools not flinching from his, "You know I do. I know all of your rules and consequences perfectly, Gin. There's no need to constantly remind me anymore."
He kept looking at her for a moment longer before turning his back to her, his long hair fluttering behind him as he walked away and into the shadows of her hallway, "We'll see about that. I'll be waiting for the results of your mission. Do not fail, Midori. I would hate for such a useful weapon like yourself to go to waste."