Chapter Thirty: Eclipse's Comeback I

Third Person's View

A year ago...

"Woi, oi, don't make Ojou-sama wait for you all to line up properly!"

A smirk appeared on the devil queen's lips as the loud tapping of her boots became nearer and nearer to the pavilion. The long robe attached to her "costume", like a knight in her armor, flew blissfully to the wind. Her golden hair swiftly brushed to her back and her elegance drives all the humans waiting for her to be amazed as she stopped in the pavilion.

A smirk formed her lips as she raised her palms and speaks, "Everyone! We are here to discuss the war and take revenge for the sake of the Black Organization! Those who will back off shall not be standing here!"

All the people with black cloaks roared aloud as they put their fists to the sky.

A wide grin appeared on the black witch's lips as she muttered, "Payback time."

~~~

"Mouri Ran! Stop being so risky again! Your health is important, you know!" Sonoko shouted to the long-haired brown woman.

"Geez, as if you are really a good girl," Ran pouted as she puts back the dress in the hamper.

They are in the mall, and Sonoko was pulled once again by Ran to escape from Shinichi's house.

"Well, I might as well want to spend time with you but THERE'S NO TIME FOR THAT!"

Ran rolled her eyes as she puts the dress back in its place. "You know, sometimes we need to get out of our cage," Ran said reasonably as she looked at Sonoko with pleading eyes.

Her friend rolled her eyes as she facepalmed herself. She couldn't resist her only friend. "Fine, but I need to inform Shinichi about this."

Ran pouted and crossed her arms. "Why do we need him anyway?" she asked.

"Uhm, because he's your lover? Hello, he is also very worried to you when the day of you, losing your memories, came. How could you just say that?"

"I mean, I feel like he's being overprotective of me and—"

"He is because the battle isn't over yet," Sonoko said as she took her phone and texts Shinichi.

Ran frowned as she stares at her friend. "Battle? What battle?"

Her friend stopped typing and looked at her with a horrifying look. She lets out an awkward laugh and put back her phone on her sling bag before turning Ran to a pile of clothes hanging and pushed her towards it.

"Now, now. There's no time to waste. I just approved to Shinichi that we are just shopping and taking a stroll for you to have fresh air once again."

Ran could feel something was off. She is hiding something, she thought as Sonoko lets out a smile at her while talking. She looked down and think. What is this battle she's talking about? Is this the incident they're discussing while my memories were still trapped to nothingness? I need to find out what this 'battle' she is talking about and help them as possible.

~~~

"We have news," one officer concludes as he stopped in front of the inspector and the famous detective. The two both looked at the officer with a paper, holding to his left hand.

"Please, continue," Shinichi insisted as he sat down to the guest chair and crossed his legs, and clasped his hands together.

"The news we were informed are both good and bad news," the officer said.

"Then, let's hear the good news first," Inspector Megure said as he stares at his comrade with a stern look.

"We and the other officers that accepted this mission found several hideouts all over Japan and that also includes the house from America, where Hayley Ford-san lived in, an apartment and also, an old house in the middle of the woods abandoned by its previous owner because of some illness," the officer explained.

"And, what's the bad news?" Shinichi asked as he recollects every information he heard.

"We also have found the location of the two jailbreakers. The bad news is... they're on their move. I had heard that there are targets but still, we can't confirm how they manage to cast the plan. The only thing we have is how they manage to break out to jail."

"Any signs of them going forth?"

"The investigation just focuses on how they will move next-- the base of theirs, I mean. To clarify things, the main focus is to investigate whether it is the possible base or not," the police officer answered.

"So, the headquarters doesn't move to the offense and defense mechanisms then," Shinichi said. "Inspector Megure, leave the mission to these guys. I need to make a follow up for the next plan."

Megure-keibu frowned as he looked at the famous detective. "Plan? For what, Kudo-kun?"

"Hayley breaks out of jail and we have nowhere else to go whether their hideout is. The only thing they could come out with a plan is to make a counterattack for them to bring the police headquarters down, wiped out the pieces of evidence if needed, and broke down the records. Meaning, everything that was about the case a year ago would be wiped out in a sec once they get the handle of it.

"Also, their motive and their target. The only thing we knew was Haibara is dead and Ran was the only survivor who has the effects of the previous case, traumas had been made and memories were sealed by the antidote 'The Pandora'. Possibly, the targeted were me or Ran."

"Huh? But why does she wants to target both of you?"

"Hayley became my girlfriend in America when I lost my memory. She was in the same university as I did and she was obsessed with me being her boyfriend. She thinks she's the first love I ever had and also, the first lover. She targets Ran, however, because she seems to be a disturbance in our relationship. Ever since I moved here in Japan without any memories with Ran, Ran always runs between our time like it was fate. Hayley got irritated because of my sudden closeness to her. She has been rejected many times by me and of course, it was because I have reasons. So, yeah, kind of Ran was a rival of hers against the word, 'love'."

"O~kay, Kudo-kun. Calm down," Megure-keibu said and sighed. "I know you're thinking of some ways of how to put all of these things into pieces but remember that you're not alone. Besides, a new ally is on our side, right if I heard it correct to one of your young friends?"

"Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko-kun? Yes, he met a girl who gave him the antidote for Ran's memories to come back. We made her take it slowly with her food. It is working slowly but she's still being a hardheaded woman. She always came to the mall with Sonoko." Shinichi frowned as he recalled many times he found out Ran was gone to her room and Sonoko texted and calling him numerous times because of his girlfriend. He sighed and looked seriously at the inspector. "Megure-keibu, call Sato-keiji and Takagi-keiji. I have a plan in mind." He looked at the police officer who told them about the latest case. "And you, take care of your mission in replacement of Megure-keibu."

"Yes, sir," he said and left.