Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan. I don't even own the computer I used to type this.

Notes: Since this is pretty much a wrap-up and I already had an idea how it's supposed to go, I was able to finish this faster than the second part.

It's always a welcome sight for me to see heroes get bullied at their own game, especially those who seem to win all the time. Then again, Amuro is the (anti)hero in this story, so I guess that doesn't add up. Anyway, thank you so much reading this little experiment of mine!

"Mahjong and beer, you say? Sure, I'm in as soon as I finish up here," Iroha Sushi's owner and head chef tells Amuro while wiping some soy sauce residue off his counter. "By the way, is Mouri coming? I'd love to hear about that case he just solved."

"Master's calling him over now, and from the looks of it, there's a good chance he'll be joining in," the waiter answered. "Anyway, I should get going now."

"Say hi to Azusa-chan for me, alright?"

"No sweat." Exiting Iroha's door, Amuro completed Poirot's last task for the day. A last-minute errand the boss asked of him on his way out, to be exact - instead of an apron, he already had on his coat when he dropped by, even getting mistaken for a last-minute customer.

Unlike these diners though, Amuro's day is far from over. After hearing about the latest Sleeping Kogorou case on the evening news, Azusa felt like she had as much of responsibility in it as Amuro since she allowed her colleague to stand in for her, pushing him into the argument with the engineers that could have stimulated their instinct for murder. Reassuring her that she didn't do anything wrong at all, Amuro asked Azusa out to unwind and try to forget about the incident they somehow kindled by refusing a couple of unscrupulous customers business. It's Friday, so there's more than enough places around Tokyo that are open 'til daybreak, and it's also their day-off tomorrow.

Waiting for his date outside their workplace, Amuro checks his phone for investigation requests delivered during the day. He really didn't have to bother with any of them now that he's in Detective Mouri's circle, but occasionally a case great for reference and practice would turn up. He received nothing of the sort today. There's also the report to Vermouth, but he decided to save that for another time. The fact that he doesn't have anything worth telling her aside, it isn't likely she'll get worked up not hearing from him for a day.

A fuel-operated car ripped through the road, leaving a trail of odious smog that forced a couple of weak-lunged pedestrians to use their palms as instant masks on reflex. The effort proved ineffective; they still coughed as they walked past Amuro. "As easy as this, a person can be defiled, twisted into thinking, doing, feeling things they normally wouldn't want to," he thought, stashing the phone back in the slit it was taken from. What happened with the engineers earlier was entirely incidental. After all, he knew only the base facts and devised a theory that fit the infrastructure scam. There's probably more into it than he could scavenge through the web, motives only the victim and the culprits are aware of. For one, Matsuda might be blackmailing them ever since he got hurt, and when they finally refused his demands, threatened to go to the police.

But whatever those variables are, all Amuro's guilty of is lighting a fuse that, in all likelihood, was already on fire long before they got to the coffee shop, as well as convincing Kogorou Mouri who, like the engineers, had the chance to say no but didn't, to go after them shortly after which practically squares the deal. And in a place where an individual could influence the lives of strangers for a few seconds, something like this can happen everyday. The potential frightens Amuro, yet part of him can't resist feeling exhilarated thinking about the filthy affairs he can unravel when he returns to shift the day after tomorrow. It's an acquired taste for crime fighters, they say.

Suddenly, amidst the noises of engines running, murmurs escalating and feet stomping, a voice bitterly beckons to the waiter. "You provoked those engineers, didn't you... Forced their hand into committing murder..."

Amuro easily identified the voice as Conan Edogawa's, finding him by the stairwell, looking straight at him with eyes full of abhorrence. Since there was nobody anywhere near the street who is likely going to take interest in what they're talking about, he drops the pretense as well. "I may have threatened them to some extent, yes... But for you to confront me about it now, I'm sure you've heard of my fairly acceptable reasons from Mouri-sensei as well."

"Acceptable?! Don't you even realize what you've done?!"

He gives the boy an ingenious look. "What did I do, exactly? Did I tell them to kill that man? All I remember is that I defended the honor of my co-worker using my best talents while avoiding unnecessary violence that could've gotten the shop under fire. You can ask Azusa-san if you want. She heard and saw everything."

"Don't drag Azusa-san into this! Someone died because of you, and now you have the guts to use her to justify yourself?! Do you think she'd appreciate that kind of protection?!"

"Well, you can ask her yourself, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until tomorrow for that. Listening to Mouri-sensei's remarks during the interview though, I imagine they used a very complicated trick to go about with the killing. Something they couldn't possibly think of on such short notice, logically-speaking at least." Conan was stumped, as if holding his retorts so he wouldn't accidentally vomit over what he was hearing. Assuming that this is a confirmation of his inference, Amuro continues. "Don't get me wrong. I do regret that it had to come to this... But what those engineers did was something I couldn't have manipulated or predicted. They killed him on their own discretion, and you know it. Mouri-sensei knows it. Inspector Megure knows it. Everyone at Poirot knows it." Knowing fully that he's in full control of this particular debate, the blonde capitalizes on it further by flashing a grateful smile. "You know what, I probably should thank Mouri-sensei for catching them before they tried something on me and Azusa-san..." Except I can't, since he probably didn't do it on his own.

Conan shakes his head violently, dispelling his hesitation and Amuro's gratitude. "Stop messing around! All of this could have been avoided if you handled things differently, and you know it!"

Listening to the boy's attempts at trying to elicit his conscience, the blonde bursts into an unfeeling snicker. "Seriously... Between us, its you who should stop messing around." Once all humor was out of his system, Bourbon takes center-stage again, asserting his vindictive will. "As detectives, sometimes we need the blood of others to wash away our restrictions so we could finally expose the evil that spilled it. If you think about it, there was no guarantee that they'd be put to jail for embezzling company funds especially if they have a good lawyer covering their backs, and had the project continued without anyone finding out about the cheap materials due to all the bribery involved, more people could have gotten hurt. Matsuda-san's death, if anything, prevented an even bigger catastrophe from happening. Even the great Sherlock Holmes would be able to accept this loss easily, as devoted as he is to satisfying his own interests than helping people and upholding justice."

His principles as a detective laughed at and his hero stepped on like it never stood for anything, all Conan could do is bite on his lower lip and ball both his hands into tiny fists. "...You have no right to say such things about Sherlock Holmes... Not... Not a murderer like you..." He wanted to hit Amuro so hard, but he didn't have the strength to make sure the message was sent loud and clear. Knowing how impossible it is even for Shinichi Kudou's adult body doubled his frustration.

"Fine. Blame me for this one if its gonna help you sleep peacefully later," Amuro says, shrugging. "But let me remind you that I also asked Mouri-sensei to look into this case before the murder even happened, and that Banba Raita-san's still a free man because of me. Who knows what would've happened if the cake didn't slip from my hands that time?" Confident that the argument is decidedly in his favor, the waiter ends it by delivering a biting advice, on the house. "Don't talk as if you don't know anyone else who has provided a murderer a spark or an opportunity to kill someone before."

Just then, Azusa emerges from the café, now in her coat as well. While she's totally oblivious of what the two detectives are talking about, her timing couldn't have been more impeccable. "I'm so sorry, I still had to freshen up a little. Did I keep you waiting too long, Amuro-san?"

"Not at all," he replied, beaming at her the instant she stepped out. "Conan-kun's kept me company all the while."

Walking towards Amuro, Azusa peers over to the stairwell and finds the boy, petrified. "H-hello there, Conan-kun," she greets hesitantly, feeling the awkward vibe immediately. "W-why are you still up so late?" Conan didn't respond.

"He's probably waiting for Ran-san," Amuro answers in his behalf, saving him the trouble of having to pretend being okay. "It's pretty late already and she hasn't come back, it seems..." At the sudden allusion to Ran's absence, Conan mutters an inaudible curse.

"Is something wrong with him? He doesn't look too well," she asks her colleague.

"I don't know..." He shrugs again, a little more jokingly this time. "Maybe he's just worried sick... Or maybe he thinks I spat on his cola earlier or something... You know how kids are... Hard to tell what they want sometimes."

"Don't tell me you're still picking on him up to now," Azusa said, looking at Amuro with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe a little... Couldn't resist after seeing him get so worked up a while ago," he confessed with a cheeky grin. At the corner of his eye, Amuro spots Ran Mouri fast approaching their home, her Karate gi and schoolbag on one hand, and something like a doggie bag on the other, probably containing food. "Looks like you're right about her being able to take care of herself. Guess there's really nothing to worry about," he told Conan apologetically as he nears the flight. Leaning towards the child, he adds in whisper, "for now."

Refusing to extend his chatter with the vexed little detective or make an unnecessary one with the forbidden angel, Amuro pulled away and rejoined Azusa. "Let's go. We still have to get my car," he said, imploring her to walk slightly ahead as a gentlemanly gesture.

"Sooo... Where are we going anyway?" Azusa gives him an expectant look.

"Hmm... How about Ginza-cho? I know a couple of great places that are open all night."

"Okay! But it's gonna be your treat."

"Well, that's the plan."

The End.

written by akaisherry47