Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Revelations 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Revelations
by Valerie Chow
yeohk@pacific.net.sg

Disclaimers: Standard Disclaimers apply.

Please people, some C & C would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

Chapter 6

*******************

After picking himself up from the floor, Shinichi glared at the smirking Akai. "Was that really necessary?"

"It alleviated the tension." Akai shrugged.

Shinichi snorted. "That was the worst joke I had ever heard. Quoting Star Wars is NOT going to help you out of this.
You are still going to tell me everything."

"What makes you think it was a joke?" Akai looked faintly amused.

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "If your age is anything to go by, you can't possibly have fathered me. Besides, I know
Oka-san too well. She may moan and complain about Otou-san all she likes. But I know for sure that she would never betray
him. And if Otou-san ever cheated on Oka-san, there would be hell to pay for him. He won't be alive now. Now STOP trying
to change the subject and answer my QUESTION! And don't try to say that you haven't kept anything back!"

"I haven't kept anything back." Akai said blandly.

Shinichi grabbed the lapels of Akai's jacket and looked at him straight in the eye. "Don't play GAMES with me!"

Akai just stared back at him evenly until Shinichi finally let go off his jacket. Slowly.

Carelessly straightening his jacket, Akai just looked at him coldly and said in a voice as icy as the winds of Artic.
"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."

Even when he didn't want to give him the satisfaction, Shinichi was still the one to look away first. And he didn't
like it one bit. Akai Shuichi, despite his easy banter and careless attitude, was a dangerous man. A very hard and cold
one.

"Don't treat me like a fool, Akai-san. I know there is something you haven't told me. Something important. And it
may mean the success or failure of this operation. So tell me."

Akai looked amused. "You are so sure." He walked towards the window and looked out. "What makes you think that what
I have concealed would make or break this operation? And under what obligations, am I to tell you? This is my own private
business. Nobody, and least of all, you, have any right to make me reveal it." Akai turned and looked at Shinichi
contemptuously. "You may think you are very clever and intelligent; that you are sharp and observant. But I can tell you
little boy, you know nothing, NOTHING of the real world out there. You are better off knowing nothing."

"I do think that I should be the judge of that. Don't underestimate me, Akai-san," Shinichi snarled. He was getting
really tired of all the verbal fencing with this man in front of him. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically. His
body was screaming for him to rest, to recuperate from the added strain of the antidote he just took to his barely
recovered body. Some of it must have been reflected on his face, for Akai looked at him for a while, then turned away.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"It's not going to be easy."

"I can take it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Shinichi said nothing. Akai sighed. Hands in pockets, he strolled to the door and
looked back at Shinichi. "Let's go some place more comfortable to talk."


*************************

"As you surmised, Hara Yoshiaki is my friend." Seated at the study of Kudo Yusaku, across two cups of steaming
coffee is not precisely the way Shinichi had envisioned his talk with Akai Shuichi would be like. Glancing across the
table at Akai, Shinichi thought they looked just as if they were two friends settling down one evening for a friendly chat.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Then you look closer, and notice Akai's cold, hard eyes. Felt his visible tension. And realize that everything wasn't so pleasant.

"Was, I should say." Akai took a sip of coffee and leaned back on his chair. "So was she." His eyes grew even icier,
and Shinichi shivered. Was it his imagination or did the room suddenly dropped a few degrees in temperature? Not that the
room was very warm in the first place. Shinichi managed to suppress a slight shiver. He didn't want to give Akai a bigger
advantage than he already got.

"She?"

Akai nodded. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He wasn't sure why he was telling all this to the boy.
He had always prided himself on being able to keep his feelings to himself. Nobody has succeeded in piercing his outer
shell. Even Kudo Yusaku did not, despite his attempts to. HE had only gotten to the tip of the iceberg. But Akai found
himself considering telling Kudo Shinichi the whole story. He wasn't sure why it was so. Maybe because he had seen
something of himself in the boy. The desire to get to the bottom of everything, and the will to do it. That was why he had
joined the FBI after all. Perhaps the two of them aren't that different from each other, in spite of everything. He smiled
inwardly. He wondered how Kudo Shinichi would react to THAT if he knew.

But back to business.

"Yoshiaki was my best friend, almost like my brother. We went into the Academy together, trained together. His air of
innocence and naivety made him an ideal candidate for certain undercover missions. But make no mistake. He wasn't at all
as simple as he seems."

Shinichi thought back to the Hara Yoshiaki he had met and known before. He hadn't even noticed anything different
about him from the others. And even after he died, it took him quite some time to notice and realize that there was
something different about him. He was really good at his job. Mentally, he applauded the long-dead programmer. It took a
lot to pull wool over his eyes. Few ever did. Akai was speaking again in that clinical tone of his, and with an effort,
Shinichi focused on his words. His head was getting dizzy and he shook it slightly to clear it. He couldn't stop now. Not
when Akai was finally telling him all the secrets. Then maybe, just MAYBE, he can finally place all the pieces of the
puzzle together and get the whole picture.

"Then when we graduated and were sent on our first real mission, we met her." Akai reflectively gripped his teacup
harder without realizing it. Shinichi however, could see the small tiny cracks appearing on the side of the cup.

"A jaded young socialite with a famous mother, two undercover agents with possible discovered identities, thrown
together by circumstances. She helped us. Whether it was due to boredom or other plans for us, I don't know. The fact
remains, however, she helped us, and as a result, the mission was successful."

"Later on, when the whole business was over, the three of us had a talk. I wasn't particularly willing, but she
persisted. And Yoshiaki agreed with her. She helped us, he insisted. It's only right that we meet her. To thank her at the
very least. So we met. And we talked."

Akai sighed. 'That was one foolish mistake you made old friend', he thought. 'We shouldn't have trusted her. I knew
when I first saw her that she was bad news. But you thought she was someone who could help us because of her connections.
And for that, you paid for it with your life.' He shook his head mentally to dispel the long dead memories and concentrated
on the matter in hand.

"She wanted to help us with our work. Particularly undercover work. She was bored, and helping us complete the
mission had given her a taste of what danger was like. She was hungry for more. Besides, she had the connections we need
to get to the upper classes. Something we need desperately to solve the case because our mission was only one small part
of the whole. And she knew it."

"I told her I couldn't do anything without my superior's permission. She just smiled slyly and said we don't NEED his
permission. Just her help and discretion. Besides, meeting her and telling her almost the whole picture was also done
without his permission, so what's keeping one more secret from him? She wasn't after official recognition or anything. She
just wanted in."

"I didn't take her seriously at first. Plainly, the woman in front of me was simply bored with life and wanted some
excitement. And thought that playing cops and robbers would be her ticket out of her dreary life. She had no real
understanding of the seriousness and danger that accompanies our job. She was simply looking for fun. And even if she was
serious, she was a civilian. If anything goes wrong, she is expendable. We are not obligated to offer her any help."

"I made that very clear to her. I thought that would deter her. After all, these privileged upper class would never
risk a skin off their shinny hide. But she surprised me. She went and got disguise-lessons from her mother and turned up
at our next assignment. I didn't know how she found out, but I can guess. Yoshiaki probably told her."

Akai sighed. "He always WAS a sucker for a pretty face. So I told her she could join us. But in an unofficial
capacity. And what I told her before still stands. If she is found out, she is on her own. We won't lift a finger to help
her. I wasn't very happy with it, but I knew Yoshiaki would keep on feeding her the locations about our assignments until
she joined us, so I thought I would save myself, and him all the trouble and just let her in. Besides, the first sight of
real danger, and she would run away as fast as her little legs could carry her."

"She stayed on with us however. I was surprised. Then I began to respect her guts for doing such a thing. She never
squirmed from anything we told her to do. Even with all the blood and gore that is part of our profession. The inevitable
thing happened. We fell in love. Or rather, we thought we fell in love."

Akai laughed mirthlessly and his face had a very hard, closed look. "A few months after we were together, I received
the appointment to be the commander of the operation to gather information on the so-called Black Organization. She seemed
uncommonly interested in this Organization, but I thought she was just curious and bored because there weren't any new
missions for the past few months. When I decided to send Yoshiaki to undercover in the Organization, she wanted to go to.
I thought I knew her because we've known each other for a quite a long time already, I agreed. Besides Yoshiaki, she WAS
the best undercover agent I knew off. Even unofficially. If BOTH of them entered the Organization, chances of us breaking
the case was higher. And it would be safer with two people. Or so I thought. Of course, I sent others in too, but the
others didn't know each other. That was the precaution I took so that if one got found out, the others wouldn't be dragged
in. Ruthless I know, but that is life."

"They went in. Things were just getting on quite well, when she sent me a note telling me that she was finished with
me and was joining the Organization. For real."

"It was a shock. And I was furious. Not only at her, but also at myself. Because of my stupidity, I almost condemned
all my men to death. I quickly gave the order for those still remaining to draw out, but it was too late. They were all
eliminated within days of each other. Except for Yoshiaki. I commanded him to move out, but he refused. He couldn't believe
she would betray us. He wanted to ask her, to confront her." Akai snorted contemptuously. "Like I said, he was a sucker for
a pretty face."

"He didn't listen to me. We had a fight when we met up and he left, determined that all this was a trick, a
misunderstanding and that just as soon as he could find her, all will be resolved. That, was the last time I heard from
him. The next information I received was that he had died, holding a silver knife in his hand."

"That was when I declared war."

"Who was 'she'?"

"You really want to know?"

It hurt for him to think. His mind was getting foggy and it hurts. HURTS. What was happening?

"That goes without saying."

"She is the daughter of the famous actress, Sharon Vineyard."

His body began to feel warm. And HOT. What was happening?

"She went by the name of Vermouth in the Black Organization."

With an effort, he forced himself to concentrate on what Akai was saying.

"And from what you said just now, in the living room, she may be the Jodie Saintemillion you are suspecting."

Silence. Outside, the sounds of crickets. Someone sneezed, but Shinichi was too occupied to notice that it sounded
suspiciously near.

Pieces of a puzzle.

Pieces. Treading together with the arrival of this man in front of him. Strangely, Shinichi didn't find it weird to
find out that Jodie Saintemillion was actually Vermouth as well as Chris Vineyard. Perhaps some part of him had already
felt it. Had already KNOWN it. It just hadn't reached his brain until it was all set out in front of him.

An almost visible tension was in the air when Akai had finished his story and leaned back against his chair, sipping
his coffee. His eyes were fixed on the boy sitting motionless in front of him, plainly waiting for a reaction.

Shinichi on his part, was feeling very uncomfortable. Figuratively and literally. After the initial shock, he had
realized, too late, that he had forced himself into a part of Akai Shuichi that was very private. A part that was rarely
shown to anyone. He didn't know how to react to the story. He didn't think Akai would take kindly to pity and he wasn't
sure he wanted to sympathize with Akai. Why Akai decided to tell him the story was another question he wasn't sure he
wanted the answer too. There was such a thing as knowing too much.

But with the story, came understanding. Somewhat. He doubted he would ever really understand the man before him.

The pieces of the puzzles that were given into his keeping were now falling into place. Piece by piece. There was
now only one more missing piece. A piece he suspected Akai would ALSO be able to supply. He forced his brain to keep on
working, to looked at the near-to-completion puzzle that now laid in his mind. But he found that the mush in his brain was
making it hard for him to think. And the room was starting to swirl around him too. He wasn't feeling hot anymore, he was
now COLD. He pressed his hand against his temple, and doggedly reached for the cup in front of him. A drink would do him
good. Clear the fog in his brain.

Just as his fingers touched the cup however, he felt strength leave his body. NO. Not NOW. Then Akai was there, his
hands pushing his cup away from him, and easing him down onto the couch, his touch surprisingly tender.

Shinichi forced his eyes to open and he looked at the rapidly dimming image in front of him. "I still....don't really
...trust you." With an effort, he made himself loud enough to be heard by the other man.

"You shouldn't. I don't expect you to, either." And that was the last thing he heard before he sank into
unconsciousness completely.

Akai Shuichi straightened up and looked towards the open doorway. "You can come out now."

Sheepishly, Kudo Yusaku and Kudo Yukiko emerged from the door and stood before him, looking for all in the world like
two errant children caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. "How did you know?"

Akai shrugged. "It wasn't hard. I could smell Yukiko-san's perfume and you sneezed once, Kudo-san. It wasn't
noticeable, but I was trained to hear everything." He smiled grimly. "If your son wasn't tired out and stressed, he would
have heard you too."

Yukiko went over to the sleeping Shinichi, worried. "Don't worry, Yukiko-san. Your son is alright. He is just tired
from all the things that had happened to him so far. That and the strain the antidote is putting on his weaken body. He's
just asleep. Now, if you would excuse me, I will be seeking my own bed now too."

Yusaku nodded to Akai as he walked past him. "Thank you for taking care of my son, Akai-san."

Akai Shuichi didn't answer.

After he left the room, Yukiko looked up at Yusaku worriedly. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

"We have no choice, do we?" Yusaku sighed. "Come Yukiko. Let us put our wayward son back into his bed. We'll think
of something tomorrow."

******************************************************< br>
".........So in the end, she turned to the dark side and left him?" Hattori Heiji asked Kudo Shinichi. Shinichi was
filling Heiji in on the things that happened yesterday when he was absent. The two boys were seated on the veranda in
Shinichi's house that morning after. Sunlight filtered in though the branches of the trees in the courtyard, giving them
ample light without much heat. Even so, the two boys were dressed casually in thin shirts to combat the heat. Summertime
in Tokyo was not to be taken lightly.

Shinichi just stared at Heiji. Then he buried his face in his hands.

"If someone else comes up to me and tells me Ran is my sister next, I'm going to KILL that person*." He said
muffledly from behind his hands.

Heiji just stared at him. Both Kazuha and him had came over to the Kudo house early that morning to find out how
things were going and had met Ran on the way. Well, HE did anyway, Kazuha was still in the dark about the situation,
though she did shoot him one or two suspicious looks when he insisted on going to Kudo's house and since he couldn't leave
Kazuha alone in the hotel without him, he had forced Kazuha to go along with him. And no, Kazuha was just trying to cover
her tail feathers when she told Ran that SHE was the one doing the dragging because he woke up late.

Heiji blinked. Twice. "Neechan is your SISTER??" He gasped in confusion. "But...but...isn't that incest or something?
To love your SISTER? And why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Shinichi just sighed. "Never mind, Hattori."

Heiji snickered. "Relex, Kudo. I get what you mean. I watch movies too you know."

Shinichi glared. Heiji raised up his hands in mock surrender, "Come on, Kudo, can't take a joke?" Shinichi just
rubbed his temples and sighed again.

Silence descended on the two boys as they sat there, contemplating the garden that spread out before them. Birds
chirped from the nearby tree. Shinichi took a sip from his coke, mind still on the enigma that was Akai Shuichi when Heiji
broke the silence between them.

"So. How are you bearing up, Kudo?"

"Huh?" Shinichi turned his head and looked at Heiji, puzzlement in his eyes.

"You can't lie to me Kudo. You have been pressing your head every few minutes and rubbing your eyes. There are very
heavy shadows below your eyes, which I can see, no matter how much foundation you have on. You may be able to bluff it past
Neechan and the others, but not me. I AM the Detective of the West you know. And I would like to know where DID you get the
foundation from?"

Shinichi gave a hoarse laugh. "I never really thought it would. Sometimes, you are the only one besides Ran who know
me that well." He sighed. "I don't know Hattori. I really don't know. Maybe taking the antidote right now is taxing my body
too much at this point of time. I've been getting headaches every few hours since yesterday. I get tired very easily, much
more than the other time when I changed back. And no matter how much I rest or eat, I always seem to feel weak."

Shinichi continued in an emotionless tone, looking at a point beyond Heiji's face. "I don't want to feel weak Hattori.
Not at this time. I want to feel like myself again. Able to kick football and think logically and critically. Not to have
to waddle through tons of mush in my brain to reach the correct solution tucked away just at that little corner in my head." The empty coke can in his hand was
crusted as his hands flexed automatically. He threw it towards the dustbin nearby, only to watch it bounce on the edge and
fall to the ground.

"Damn."

Heiji studied the morose boy on the other side of the table. "Give it some time, Kudo. You have only just recovered from
your injuries. Perhaps the weakness is a result of your incomplete recovery from the incident." He tried to comfort his
friend. It wasn't LIKE Shinichi to look so depressed and lifeless. It scared him. More than he dared to admit. For as long
as he had known him, Kudo Shinichi had always seemed a very confident, if a bit corky young man. Slightly full of himself
but clever and resourceful. Someone he could rely on. Someone he could trust. Looking now at the tired young man with old eyes sitting
before him, Heiji suddenly had a very horrible feeling that he would never see Kudo again. He shook his head to dispel the
feeling, but couldn't really dismiss it. Remembering the last time he had a dream about Kudo* and what happened after
didn't help matters either.

Luckily, the girls came out of the house at that moment, breaking up the somber mood. Looking at the two girls
dressed attractively and simply in blouses and skirts, Heiji couldn't help but let out a whistle of admiration. Then he
noticed how short Kazuha's skirt was.

"Kazuha! What were you thinking, wearing a skirt THAT short?" He nearly shouted. He couldn't BELIEVE Kazuha was
really considering wearing a skirt THAT short out. It was...it was....well, it was SHORT! Much too short for her to be
wearing out in Tokyo, with so many other idiot men around. What would her father think?

Kazuha stared at the fuming Heiji and laughed. "You were right, Ran-chan," she said cryptically. She turned to Heiji.
"Heiji, what I wear, is my business. Who are you to dictate what I am to wear and what not? You are not my anybody! Besides,
Ran-chan is wearing a skirt as short as mine is, so why are you not saying anything to her?" Kazuha's eyes were wide, and
deliberately guiless.

Heiji spluttered. "I'm your...I'm your....." Kazuha just laughed merrily and winked at Ran. Ran however was studying
Shinichi thoughtfully. She frowned and was about to raise her hand to touch his face, only to be intercepted by him.

Shinichi smiled. "Where are you going with Kazuha-san? And in such a short skirt too." He put it mildly, unlike
Heiji, who was making a sound like a teakettle ready to boil over. His face was already as red as a tomato. Ran, however,
could see the steel in Shinichi's eyes as he said this, and the wordless plea for her not to ask. She decided to just go
along with him for the moment but promised herself she would get to the bottom of it when she came back. Whether he liked
it or not. Besides, it was fun to rile him up. It was not everyday she could get him to be jealous.

"It's not THAT short, Shinichi. That's the normal length. There's a reason they're called mini-skirts you know." She
laughed at the outraged expression in both the boys' faces. "We're just going out to get some stuff. Kazuha-chan wants to
get a new pair of sandals and I was thinking of getting some flowers for your house and all. Its dreary."

Shinichi looked out at the garden in front of him. "Flowers?" He raised an eyebrow.

Ran giggled. "Yes, flowers. What you have now in your garden, Oh Great-Detective-of-the-East, are weeds." Saying she
tweaked his nose before planting a kiss on his forehead.

Shinichi looked bemused as Ran took the starry-eyed Kazuha's hand and walked towards the gate. Heiji was still doing
his best to impersonate a landed fish. "We'll be back for lunch, don't worry! And Shinichi?" Ran called.

"Yes?" Shinichi grinned slightly at the now blushing Ran. Sunlight reflected off the silver necklace he gave her the
night before, making him squint slightly to see her clearly.

"You take care of yourself okay? I don't want to come back to see you flat on your back or back at the hospital
again. Hattori-kun! I'm holding you responsible for his health!" With that last parting shot, the two girls went out the
gates, turned a corner, and disappeared, leaving only the sounds of their laughter still in the air.

Shinichi was still smiling slightly before the sight of Heiji's cheeky grin brought him back to Earth abruptly.
"What?" He asked irritably.

"Nothing, nothing," the grin on Heiji's face belied his words.

Shinichi huffed. "We're meeting Megure-kebu at 10am, we should be getting ready soon."

"Yes, oh-wise-Great-Detective-of-the-East-who-can't-differenciate-weeds-from-flow ers." Heiji mock-bowed.

Shinichi glared at him. The he looked at him again. Smirked. "Well, then
Oh-Great-Detective-of-the-West-who-is-still-in-a-state-of-denial, how are things with Kazuha-san recently?"

Predictably, Heiji went red. "Its none of your business! We are just FRIENDS! FRIENDS! Nothing more, you hear me? She
is just an annoying, irritable girl whom I just happen to grow up with! That's all!"

"Sure, Hattori, whatever you say."

The two boys went back into the house, with Heiji protesting his innocence every step of the way. To no avail
unfortunately.

***************************************** ***

"Ran."

Ran turned around from the rack of clothes she was looking through to face her friend. They were at a small but
trendy shop near the town center after getting the required items.

Kazuha was standing right behind her with a very steady expression on her face. Her fingers were gripping the bags
tightly. There was an air of determination around her that Ran knew had been building up ever since they had left the
house this morning. She knew what Kazuha was feeling. Like her, Kazuha was never one to be wrapped up in satin and silk then
shut up in an ivory tower, regardless what the male population around them thought. And since the said male population
wasn't being very forthcoming with information, Kazuha was now going to grill her. Actually, she had been expecting it
ever since Kazuha expressed a wish for a shopping trip this morning.

"Talk?" Ran smiled wryly.

"Talk. But not here. There was a coffee shop nearby, do you...?" Kazuha gestured vaguely.

"No. Let's go then."

They were halfway there before they were stopped.

****************************

Kazuha's eyes darted from one face to the other. Ran was acting weirdly ever since they met this lady teacher of
hers. Well, to be honest, she was acting weirdly ever since Heiji and she arrived in Tokyo. Hell, everyone was acting
weirdly, what with Conan-kun sent to the hospital because of bullet wounds, _again_, Kudo Shinichi turning up, _again_ out
of nowhere, Heiji acting all mysterious and jittery and all those lame excuses that everyone was making to get her out of
the way. Oh yes, she wasn't stupid. Neither was she blind. Kazuha knew that something was up, and she was out of it where
else everyone was in. Not something she liked.

And it was beginning to seem that while this lady teacher was here, she wasn't going to get anything out of Ran
either. Darn.

Ran was still looking alternatively freaked out and just a bit hostile. The lady teacher, Jodie-sensei, Kazuha
thought Ran said, was looking amused and was there just a spark of anticipation in her eye? God. Kazuha didn't like the
looks of this at all.

Ran suddenly erupted from her chair and pulled Kazuha up along with her. "Jodie-sensei! I'm sorry, but I need to go
to the ladies. Kazuha-chan. Come with me." It wasn't a question, and before Kazuha knew it, she was being dragged away.

Once in the ladies, Kazuha looked on incredulously as Ran rapidly tried the tiny windows on top of the walls, even
so far as to stand on one of the toilet bowls to reach a high skylight.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Ran-chan!"

"Hush, Kazuha-chan, can't you see that I'm busy here? You need to get out of here. Now! It isn't safe. She knows
that I know. So you need to get away. I'll tell her err...you had something on and had to rush off. Or something. I will
think of something, but right now, the most important thing is for you to get away!"

An animal-like growl erupted from her throat. She noticed that Ran-chan didn't mention anything about herself getting
away. She was sick and tired of everyone keeping things from her and treating her like a child that needed protection from 'those nasty things outside', as she once heard her nursery school teacher said. She never did like her teacher much. Kazuha scowled. This ends NOW! Before
she did something she regretted. Heiji was already on her list of 'make someone regret they ever crossed her'. She didn't
want to add Ran-chan onto the list too.

"Mouri Ran! I am NOT going anywhere unless you tell me exactly what the hell is going on here! I am sick and tired
of being in the dark about everything! And if you think that I'm leaving you here while I run away like a scared little dog
with it's tail tucked between its legs, you've got another thing coming!" Kazuha took a deep breath to calm her jagged
nerves.

"Please Ran-chan. Tell me what is going on. I need to know. _You_ understand, right? Please Ran-chan?"

Ran faltered in her act of prying open the locked and bolted window at one corner of the toilet.

"I'm sorry Kazuha-chan. I really mean to tell you all about it, but then, _this_ had to come up. But please believe
me! I didn't mean to keep things from you, but now is not the time to tell you everything! You need to leave! Before _she_
comes in here to check why we are gone so long. It's too dangerous for you to stay here! We can't let her have too much of
a leverage over us! Just...just trust me, please Kazuha-chan."

Kazuha's eyes softened, then hardened again. "No. If I'm in danger, so are you. Doubly so, since you seem to know
what is going on. And if you think I am going to willingly leave you alone to face whatever it is that is going to happen,
you really don't know me that well, do you? Come on Ran-chan. I gather that this Jodie-sensei is someone dangerous, from
the way you are acting, but really Ran-chan, what can she do to us? We are in the middle of the coffee shop you know? She
can't possibly knock us out or gag us and then kidnap us, can she?"

***********************

Apparently, she could.

Ran scowled and cursed internally for her moment of weakness in letting Kazuha stay. Truth to be told, she was rather
glad that Kazuha was staying with her while she try to see this whole show to the end-she felt better knowing she at least
had someone she knew and trusted with her-but on the other hand, she shuddered as she thought of what Hattori would say.
No, best not to dwell on that. She needed to focus on the present.

Staring down at that innocent cup of tea set down in front of her while she and Kazuha were at the ladies, she
noticed that there were a few grains of something brown at the bottom. Some sort of anaesthetics? She hadn't expect her
teacher to be that obvious. She sneaked a look at Kazuha beside her. She was also staring at her cup too, with a wary
expression on her face. Jodie-sensei, she noticed, was idly tapping one perfectly manicured fingernail on the tabletop.
Her nails were painted a brilliant red, she noticed. Funny, how one remembered such things under conditions of extreme
stress. Ran's stomach twisted painfully as she continued her contemplation of that nearly perfect teacup. With it's nearly
perfect tea inside. Anticipating something when you know what was going to happen sucks. She looked up at Jodie-sensei.

"What's the matter, Mouri-san? Is the tea not to your, err _satisfaction_?" Jodie-sensei smiled innocently.

She knew. She knew that Ran knew about the tea. Her smile grew even wider as realization flashed across Ran's brain.
She knew! And she didn't care! She was waiting, like a predatory cat, setting a trap for the little mouse and watching what
the little mouse would do once it realized the trap. Suddenly, Ran was glad that Kazuha-chan had managed to convince her to
call her father's recording machine back at the agency to leave a message before they left the toilet. At least they would
know where they were when they didn't return on time.

Ran swallowed. Don't back off now. Remember, this is for Shinichi. She took up the innocent looking teacup and with
a last glance at Kazuha beside her, drowned it down in one gulp.

Her sight became blurry and things started to spin. 'These things sure work very quickly,' she thought somewhat fuzzily.

The last thing she saw was those blood red fingernails tapping a light rhythm on the tabletop.

Then darkness.


***************

The one known as Jodie Saintemillion and Chris Vineyard curled her lips as the two girls sitting in front of her
slumped forward onto the table, unconscious.

"Ninmu kanryou**," she quoted with a smirk on her face.

It was silly and pathetic. Walking straight into the trap when you knew precisely there was one. And the one also
known as Vermouth hated pathetic people. Oh she knew what Mouri-san was trying to do. She was just about as transparent as a piece of
glass. She was trying to get information out of her. By sending herself straight into her arms.

She snorted. And she had _such_ high hopes for her too. She even liked Mouri-san. A little. Her little
Angel, as her mother would say.

Oh well, it was all to the best really. They both got what they wanted and she could then afford to play with her
_real_ toy just a little longer. The Osaka girl was just another bonus. The more the merrier, or so they say.

She shrugged. Smiled. Snapped her fingers. The prompt arrival of the coffee shop proprietor just emphasized how much
everything was within her plan. And the naivety of those who thought to oppose her.

"You know what to do." The proprietor nodded. Within minutes, the two unconscious girls were bundled up and
transferred into a nearby vehicle with none the wiser. It was really easy, how one could just do as one wished if one knew
the correct people.

Or belonged to the correct organization.

After the proprietor collected the two, shall we say, souvenirs from Vermouth and left, she stood up, brushed away
an imaginary lint on her light gray blouse.

Time for her to get to work.

tbc...

**************

* Anyone caught the reference? It's a pun on Star Wars. No? Anybody? ::silence::
::sweatdrops:: Never mind.
* *This is from Gundam Wing. Heero Yuy::snickers:: I'm on a Gundam Wing kick lately.

Author's notes: Darn. Only two people got my Star Wars pun at the last chapter. ::Sighs:: I must be doing something wrong.
Oh well. I'm sorry it took so long to get it out. ::sweatdrops:: I got...distracted, for the lack of a better word.
*laughs* I had wanted to get it out a few weeks ago, when Star Wars Episode Two came out, to sort of commemorate it, but
sadly, it is not to be. ::sighs::
Please people, some C & C would be nice to tell me where I am doing wrong and right? Please??? ::hopeful look::