Chapter Twenty-Four: The Second Victim of Pandora III

Shinichi's POV

"We saw their hideout. Got a little tricky there because of the guards," Kaito said as he descended from the sky and put Aoko down.

"Where is it?" I asked, worried about Ran's condition.

"Well, I may say. It's not really getting good inside that abandoned building. I saw your girl conscious now and talk to the 'evil queen' of yours and also, I saw the two professors. One woman and one old man, right?"

"How are they?" Mitsuhiko asked..

"The old man was fine. I could still see the emotion in his eyes while looking at the two girls, but the woman scientist--well, um... I think it could get a little tricky to get her back," he said while scratching his nape.

"What do you mean we could get a little tricky to get Haibara back?" Mitsuhiko asked, suddenly get annoyed.

"She seemed under control by that evil queen. She's doing what she's saying. Not that I'm lying," Kaito said.

"Well, we couldn't trust you with all of these pieces of information," Nakamori-keibu said while pointing at Kaito. The thief just shrugged in response.

"It's true, Dad. I also have seen it and it might seem a little bit tricky. Not to mention all of the guards are holding long weapons," Aoko said.

"What's the plan, Kudo?" Hattori asked as he puts his right hand on my shoulder.

"We need to go there and end the battle here. Police officers will take care of going forward. Kaito, go with Aoko and make sure to check up high if there are any suspicious or hidden leagues behind them. Hattori, Sonoko, Kazuha, go with the officers and me, I'm going to make sure to take Ran, Agasa Hakase and Haibara safe."

"What about us?" Genta suddenly asked.

I looked back at him and think of what they could do. They can't just simply run towards the organization. It's too dangerous, especially they are just two kids.

"Hmm... Mitsuhiko, can you handle all the technologies in Agasa Hakase's house well?"

Mitsuhiko nodded. "Agasa Hakase showed me a few tricks of how to handle his things whenever he's gone to buy things for his experiments with Haibara."

"Well then, get yourself into place for monitoring with Genta."

Mitsuhiko nodded and grin while Genta was perplexed. "I'm not good at technologies!"

"Then, standby. We need someone to monitor us when we get there. Can you handle a flying drone?"

Genta sighed as his hands slumped down his side. "Well, if you ask just that. All kids knew how to make it fly, of course."

"Well, then. You'll be in charge to make it fly--"

"Really?! Oh, I'm so excited--"

"--but make sure to make it fly with us while we take the plan on hand. Got it?"

Genta quickly nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Got it."

Ran's POV

"H-Haibara, where are we?" I immediately asked her as my eyes landed to hers first. She didn't answer. She just stared at me with curiosity in her eyes.

My eyes explored her facial features. It changed. Her lips plumped, her eyes came into dull, her hair became much shorter and the shape of her face slightly became slim. She's also wearing a different outfit from the last time I saw her.

"Oh! You're awake!" I rendered from my thoughts and looked at the woman shouted with glee. My eyes immediately turned into slits as I saw her. "Oh, don't give me that look, silly."

"Why should I? You're an evil person."

"I knew that I was evil. I'll take that as a compliment then. Well, if you ask why Sherry can't answer you, ask her."

"I knew you did something to her. It's obvious her facial features changed and how she dresses. I'm positive you're the one who caused this."

"Oh! Does it seem so obvious?" she said. Hands were on her mouth and her eyes were popped. "Well, I really made it obvious for you to notice."

While talking to Hayley, I have been seeing Haibara looking at us with that questioning look on her eyes. It seemed that Hayley noticed that I was looking at Haibara so she gave me a smirk and said, "Adios!" and left us both to that room with the quiet Professor Agasa beside her.

"Who are you?" That's the first question Haibara asked me when Hayley left and that left a scar deep down my heart.

"Don't you remember me, Ai-chan? It's me, Mouri Ran, a friend," I replied with a tight smile on my lips.

She doesn't seem to care for my reply and asks one more time, "Why are you sleeping for a long time there like Sleeping Beauty?"

With that question, my brain came back through what she did by Hayley's order. I remained quiet. I don't want Haibara to know that she's the one who made me unconscious for the past hours. I don't want to confuse her more.

"Why aren't you answering me?" she asked, putting the tubes back to their place.

I stared at her and keep my mouth shut to say the answer. "Look into my eyes and you'll see the answer."

Her eyes turned into slits as she stared at my eyes. She looks too determined to put an end to her own question, but she could justify it by herself--- She's just... forgets everything-- that's the problem I have to endure.

"Ran-kun, I don't think she will--"

"Oh! Shut up, will you, old man?" Haibara frustratingly said as she turned to look at Agasa Hakase.

"Ai-chan, don't shout at him! He's not--"

"What I think he is?" Haibara said, turning to look at me now with a grumpy look all over her face. She walks towards me while her hands are on her waist, one eyebrow raised as she looks at me so mad.

"Are you cutting me off, woman?" she said. "It seems like you are just a victim of being kidnapped by My Lady and you still try to act dominant upon me."

"Excuse me? Ai-chan, I'm not dominating you. I'm just saying that--"

"The old man calls me Ai-kun or Haibara and also you're calling me Ai-chan? I'm not that person! Can you stop calling me Ai or Haibara? My name's Sherry!"

"No. You're real name is Miyano Shiho," I said, making her suddenly froze. "You don't notice, aren't you? I'm stopping you to shout at Agasa Hakase because he is a companion. You are our companion. Why are you doing this?"

She looked away from me and turned her back at me. "I don't know what you are talking about. I am Sherry of the Black Organization and I will never fail my duty to be their scientist."

"You're sister isn't here anymore, Ai-chan. She's dead, long gone. The organization you seemed to know now would not cause good to you. They are just manipulating your mind."

"Manipulate my ass. Perhaps I knew you are the one who looks like manipulating me," she said with sarcasm.

"Ai-chan, I don't have any intentions to--"

"So... Are your conversation still continuing?" My words cut off when I hear Hayley's voice from behind. I glance at her, glaring as she walked pass on my side with a smirk on her lips.

"Nothing much. She's just trying to manipulate me, My Lady," Haibara said, continuing what she is doing with the tubes.

Hayley walked towards me and put her hands to her knees, propping down to get on my level. "Hey there, Ran-san. Getting a headache because of Sherry?"

"Let her go, Hayley. She has nothing involved with this."

"Oh, she does. She's really involved with this. She's also one of the walls that have been bothering me with her kind words even though she really loves the person I am saving from your grasp."

I scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you didn't know that your 'BFF' loves your love, did you? You're too selfish that you can't even seem to notice your friend's true feelings. Never asked her if she has a person whom she likes, right?"

"I-I never thought she loves Shinichi. She isn't telling me anything."

"Well, now that you knew it, it's too late to say sorry. She can't remember you now, in fact, she really can't seem to know you even you are just in front of you so just bye-bye to Ai Haibara and welcome Sherry of the Black Organization."

"Her real name is Miyano Shiho, you idiot."

"I know but she didn't know that was her real name."

"I told her her real name."

"Oh, you did? Sorry, but she still didn't believe you, right? She only listens to me and even though you're going to say anything about you or her friends and companions, she will not listen to you. Not even once or twice, but much more until you could feel her rejection in your every story just like you ignored her own feelings for your own selfish needs."

"It's not intentional, Shinichi is really mine."

"So, that's not selfishness? Oh, come on. You even stole him away from me."

"Don't fight with me, Hayley. I knew that Shinichi was mine. It doesn't mean I'm selfish. I'm sure Haibara knew that she could make the right decision."

"Oh, really? Putting up yourself to be the good angel here now, huh? Well done talking, Ran-san..." She puts her forefinger blow my chin and pushes it up and our faces were near to each other, barely touching each other's noses. "...because the battle is yet to start."

She gets away with me and as if nothing happened, she gave me the brightest smile that I could ever cringe on.

"So... are you hungry? Wanna have bread and water?" she asked sweetly.

I rolled my eyes as I looked away from her. "No, thank you. I'm fine to die in peace without eating your poisonous bread and water."

"I'm being a good Samaritan here, Ran-san."

"Don't be because that's not who you are. Stop acting nonsense. You're just faking yourself and causing many sins down to your list."

Her smile faded and looked at me with no gusto. "So, you want me to be the bad guy here huh? Then, I'll do it for you, honey," she said and smirked.

I rolled my eyes again. My whole body was itching to paint some bruises from the head down to Hayley's toes. I stared at her as she is moving towards Haibara.

"Is it done yet?" she asked.

"Takes a couple of hours to finish it, My Lady. It'll be over soon, I promise," Haibara said as she transfers the blue liquid to a red one, forming a new color.

Hayley nodded and turned back at me. She walked towards me with the slightest smirk on her lips. I'm ready to have a trash-talking fight with her once more but she went into my back.

My eyes widened as I felt pain sucked through my body. My eyes are getting heavy. I turned to look at Hayley but all I see was a blurred image of her before my eyelids closed completely.

Hayley's POV

"Will she be alright?" I turned to look at Sherry who's looking now at the unconscious lawyer.

"She's fine and whoopsie! I think the electric gun had much more electricity than I thought it would be."

"I guess it kind of works on her."

My smirk faded and glared at her. "Stop blabbering and go to continue your work. Make sure to end the antidote before this woman wakes up."

Two hours ago...

"Here you go." Sherry handed the syringe with 'The Pandora' inside and I immediately walked towards Ran's unconscious body.

"Good night forever, Mouri Ran," I said before sticking in the pointy object inside her body.