Chapter Twenty-Four: The Second Victim Of Pandora I

Ran's POV

I was staying in the library for two hours when my phone suddenly starts vibrating through the desk I put it into.

I closed the book, put a mark where I left off, and took the phone right off the bat. When I took it, I saw Haibara's number calling.

I immediately clicked the answer button and put the speaker onto my ears.

"Hello?" I asked, crossing my legs to wait for an answer.

"Mouri-san?" It's Haibara's voice, clear with a shaking tone. "Y-You need to go here right away."

I frowned. "Wait, what happened? Where are you?"

"In Agasa Hakase's house. Right now. There's something happening to Agasa Hakase. Please go now," she replied. Her voice was trembling.

"Okay, okay. I'll be there in a minute. Should I call Shinichi?"

"N-No. Don't call Jimmy!-- I-I mean, don't call Kudo-kun. Just, please. I needed some help here. Agasa Hakase's health might be worsened if you don't come."

There's something wrong with her voice but I couldn't catch it up. "Well, see you in a minute then," I said and ended the call.

I rushed, exiting to the big two wooden doors as I ran passed the living room and the kitchen arch. I exited the house with a flash and came to Agasa Hakase's house, slamming the door open but when I came there, I saw nothing but the cleanliness of the house.

The eerie feeling of the building was like being abandoned for several hours. I frowned as I felt the coldness of the whole place.

This isn't how it was used to be.

"Welcome... Ran-san." My eyes widened as I heard the familiar voice. My eyes averted to the side and my eyes dilated as I saw Agasa Hakase's mouth taped, eyeglasses were broken, and hands were chained together.

But what was surprising even more was that I saw Haibara just standing right on Hayley's right side, hands clasped together as her head was down low. She is wearing a coronation pink dress below her knees and a white robe on top of it.

My eyes turn into slits as I looked at Haibara with curiosity. "Haibara, what happened here? Care to tell me why did you call?"

"Oh, she's not the who called, I am," Hayley butted in, making my gaze averted to hers.

"Wait, what? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I used a voice changer. An old-fashioned thing of my darling years ago as what Haibara said," Hayley replied, putting the red ribbon right in front of my very eyes. "It's too easy to mimic Sherry's voice."

"What do you want from me?" I asked. My fists were clenched so tight.

"Oh, I just wanted you to come with me and let the party begins," she said, eyes widening with a big smirk plastered on her lips.

I looked Haibara whose head was down all along. "Haibara, help me."

"Oh, she's no help for you anymore," Hayley butted in again with those big smirk up to her ears. "She doesn't recognize you anymore, at least."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"She's back to Sherry again. I told her to do an antidote to make herself forget everything so I started to reprogram her again as my assistant now."

"She's not a puppet to control!"

"But she is now," Hayley replied. "Sherry, get her and knocked her unconscious."

As what Haibara's told, she's like a marionette that came into rush towards me with a syringe in hand. There was a blue liquid into it. It was a drug made by her.

I immediately get out of my spot, snatched her wrist, and locked her arms. I tried not to hurt her as much as possible. She's not in her state of mind but I'll make her go back to normal as much as I can.

"Haibara, don't do this," I tried to convince her by calling her fake name but she still wouldn't budge. Her eyes were blank like a puppet.

"I'm not Haibara," she said without any emotion.

It was too late when I felt the drug came into my whole body, weakening all of my muscles and putting me in my weak state causing me to fall down on my knees. My sight is becoming blurry.

Slowly by slowly, the seconds continue, my body felt weaker and weaker until I can't make myself move anymore. The lights were shut down as the loneliness of the dark came into my sight completely.

Shinichi's POV

I suddenly felt out of place when my mind was shouting Ran's name. My heart was like being struck three times.

"Kudo....kun?" My head turned to Detective Sato when I heard her calling my name. "Are you alright? You're out of focus."

I scratched my head, completely distracted by the sudden link to my mind. "Sorry. My mind was saying I should go home."

"Why so?"

My heart beats faster than usual as I heard her question and the answer just leaves my mouth out of the blue, "Ran was in danger."

"What?!" They all cried in unison.

I stood up from my seat, hurriedly picking up my coat and put it on. "I should explain everything later. The case was now closed. I'll be sending the summary later for the criminal to get caught."

Megure-keibu stood up. "No. We need to finish our job first as detectives and a police chief here. I would not go forward to our next scene without this case to get closed."

I sighed heavily. My head was spinning with thoughts as my heart keeps on beating faster. My mind is still making me distracted with my case.

"Okay, okay. I'll end the case once and for all, then we'll get to my house."

Inspector Megure nodded and we proceed to the case.

A few minutes later...

We had arrived at my house and parked the police car right in front of it. I immediately get out of the vehicle as I ran towards the entrance of the house and search if Ran was in there, but I saw nothing. Only the appliances were left and the empty silence.

Maybe I should go ask Haibara and Agasa Hakase what was going on. I thought and ran towards Agasa Hakase's house without any explanation going on to the police officers and to the inspector.

As I opened the door and called both of the professor's names, it gave me no answer. I searched for all the rooms but found nothing.

My head was starting to ache for all of what's happening. My heart pounds as I felt my heart screaming to see my half. I know it's too cliche thinking but I have no time to waste.

My head hangs low as I think of where Ran would go to but my eyebrows suddenly knitted as I saw a syringe right in front of my shoes. I picked it up with a handkerchief and smell it.

"A drug," I whispered to myself and inspect more. "It was just being used. Fresh." And that made me curious even more. I searched through the whole house again and found some things missing and empty.

I went back to Sato-keibu, Takagi-keibu, and Megure-keibu to explain what I saw and they all nodded in response.

"I suggest calling every possible people we need to help us get to find Ran. Haibara and Agasa Hakase were also gone. We need also many police officers to come for the protection needed when it was in a grave state."

Third Person's View

Several hours ago...

They all came but Nakamori-keibu interrupted the whole start of the conversation when he saw Kaito wearing Kaito Kid's uniform.

"Catch him! He's in our reach now!" Nakamori-keibu shouted as he pointed to Kaito Kid who immediately flew by his glider.

"Oi, oi! I'm not here for some thief and inspector games. I'm here to help."

"Liar, I'm not believing in some thief like you!"

"If you don't believe me, might as well let the Detective of the East explain to you that I'm not a bad guy anymore," Kaito said.

"Your reason to come here is to steal things. That's what thieves do," Nakamori-keibu replied, not listening to what Kaito is saying.

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Maybe your daughter should get a little bit of explanation about my identity."

The inspector frowned and looked at his daughter. "Aoko?" he questioningly said. He frowned even more. "What is his real identity anyways?"

Aoko crossed her arms. "I think Kaito Kid would be fine to tell his true identity to you, Dad."

Kaito was suddenly dumbfounded by what Aoko had said. "Wait. Why me?"

"You still have a payment to do, remember, Kaito Kid-chan?" Aoko said in a cute, annoying voice.

Kaito frowned as he remembered the moment when Aoko called him out of the blue.

FLASHBACK:

"NE, KAITOOOOOOOOOOO?!!!" Aoko's voice came out of the phone that almost Kaito's eardrums break.

Kaito put the phone back to his ears after a minute of adjusting his ears. "Naniyo?" he asked boringly.

"Can you come to Tokyo with me and with my Dad?"

"Sorry. Can't come," he answered boringly.

"WHYYYYYYYY?!!!" Aoko whined. Lips were pouting.

"I'll go as Kaito KId then if you keep whining there. Just don't tell your Dad I'm Kaito Kid."

"How could I tell when I keep it as a secret? You're going to be in trouble again, Kaito! You're really an idiot."

"Well, I'm an idiot but loves you," he said with a smirk plastered on his lips.

"Ewww~~ That's super cringey."

"Well, get dress or I'll see you in your panties," he joked, laughing so hard by his own joke while Aoko is pouting on the other side.

"That's not funny."

"Oh, it is. Come on."

"No, it's not. I'll be hanging up now and don't call for help if you need me. Bye."

Oh. She ended the call. He thought as he stared at the empty screen of his phone, completely dumbfounded.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Oh, that? That's nothing. I'm your idol. I should know everything," Kaito said and put his hands to his waist, laughing awkwardly.

He cleared his throat after a few fake laughs before looked at the inspector.

"My real name is Kuroba Kaito a.k.a. Kaito Kid. Boyfriend of your daughter, Nakamori Ao--"

"I KNEW YOU ARE THE BASTARD KID THIEF!" Inspector Nakamori shouted and tried to catch Kaito by the feet but he can't reach him. "COME DOWN HERE, KID!"

"Dad! Stop making a fuss here. This is the least of your concern now, okay? Now, we have a bigger issue here," Aoko said to her father and looked at Shinichi. "Ne, tantei?"

Shinichi nodded and looked at everyone. Kazuha, Heiji, Inspector Nakamori and his police officers, Megure-keibu and the two main detective officers, a few police officers from the Beika Police Department, Suzuki Sonoko and a few strong bodyguards from their clan, Masumi Sera and Mama, The Detective Boys and Kuroba Kaito a.k.a. Kaito Kid with his girlfriend, Nakamori Aoko.

"One important woman and two scientists are gone," Megure-keibu started to explain as the room's mood's getting heavier. "Our plan was to track their location first before executing to fight."

"Wait. What happened to Ran nee-chan?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"She got kidnapped and as of the two professors, we have evidences proving one of them got tied up and the other one was forced to put and make a drug to kidnap Ran easily," Shinichi answered.

"How will we track down their location? The Tokyo was too big. They might even come to other places like Osaka," Aoko said, suggesting.

"My pops would be in charge of finding our friend to Osaka. I'll give him a call later," Heiji volunteered, raising his hand.

"I'll make sure to check the areas near and in the edges of the city. Grandpa might volunteer to help if I asked him to," Sonoko volunteered, seconding the motion.

Shinichi nodded by their every suggestion. It makes him feel a little bit more light.

"I volunteer to take a flight to the air with Aoko to locate their location," Kaito said, raising his hand in the midst of the conversation.

"WHAT?!" Nakamori-keibu shouted. "NO WAY! THERE'S NOW WAY I WOULD EVER LET ANYONE TOUCH MY DAUGHTER! NOT YOU, KID!"

Aoko rolled her eyes and go near Kaito who just came to foot down his feet on the ground. She puts her hand on Kaito's chest and puts her head on his shoulder, pouting as her cheeks were tinting red.

"What's the matter of hanging out with Kaito Kid? He's my boyfriend! He's Kaito, Dad! He's just here to help. Geez. You're making a fuss here for nothing."

"Nothing? This is NOTHING?! Aoko, did you know how much information I wanted to know about Kaito Kid and when I found out the truth, I WAS FLABBERGASTED that I could not even think if I should put him behind the bars or just let him free."

"Hey, I'm not into stealing things! It's not even practically real sapphires, diamonds, or even emeralds or rubies. You're being fooled by guarding some fake crystallines."

"Kaito..." Aoko warned, eyes were widening.

"What? It's not all real, Aoko. I'm saying the truth here."

"Don't. Make. A. Fight. Here. That's what I am saying, Kaito," Aoko said and looked at Shinichi. "Sorry. My Dad and Kaito were kind of rivals."

"Yeah. Kind of feel that feeling too when Kaito still stealing and doing magic tricks," Shinichi replied, looking at Kaito. Kaito smirked in response.

Inspector Megure explained the rest of their plans and execute it right away from the moment they're finished plotting down.

But, when they was about to move to track down the objective, Shinichi received a message. It was sent like this:

From: Hayley

Hi, baby. Miss your girlfriend? Well, here's a little but a big thing for you. Maybe, you should work out your brain first before making to our location hmm?

R0s3s 4r3 r3d

V10l3ts 4r3 6Lu3

C4n u Cr4ck tH3 C0D3

C4nʼ7 Y0u?

Pu771n9 4 l07 0f 3ff047

70 937 H3R 0u7 0f my 94m3

F1nD h3R D3f1n173 L0c4t10n

B3fo43 17ʼs 700 l473.

P. S. Oh! And I think you should wanna know where the two professors are so I think I should sent it also this to you.

Right below it was a video link. Shinichi clicked it and the video started playing.

All of them watched the video and Shinichi was surprised by what the two professors are doing. It ended there.

"Why does Ai-chan and Agasa Hakase standing there with their white robes while holding some testing tubes?" Kazuha asked so suddenly, worry evident on her eyes and curiosity slide through her tongue.

"I don't know," Shinichi replied and looked up to Kazuha. "For now, we just need to find the exact location for where they could be."

Shinichi looked at Kaito and nodded. Kaito nodded back and informed Aoko they would leave.

"Make sure to bring my daughter back alive, you brat!" Nakamori-keibu shouted as Kaito flew with his glider, Aoko in his hands with her arms wrapped around his neck.