Chapter 3: Indestructible

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Memory and forgetfulness are as life and death to one another. To live is to remember and to remember is to live. To die is to forget and to forget is to die... There is never either absolute memory or absolute forgetfulness, absolute life or absolute death. So with light and darkness, heat and cold, you never get either all the light or all the heat out of anything. Everything is like a door swinging backwards and forwards. Everything has a little of that from which it is most remote and to which it is most opposed...

- Samuel Butler

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If she hadn't have opened her eyes back up, needing to know if she had just allowed another to be killed instead of her, she would have missed it.

Kid may have been injured but even hurt, the thief was faster than Ran on one of her best days. His expression changed from accepting to aggressive as he crouched down to avoid the shot and used the heel of his hand to knock the gun out of the man in black's grip.

Out of all the occupants, Hakuba was the one who saw this coming and dove for the gun, grabbing it from off the floor and practically falling over the bed in his attempt to get as far away as fast as possible. The door was unlocked and thrown open and Hakuba stood in the open pathway, aiming his prize at their captor. "Don't move!"

Kid was knocked backwards towards her and he hit the wall hard, sliding to the floor. The man stared death at him but manage to tear his gaze away to watch the blond who had the pistol aimed at its handler.

"You're just a smart-ass kid. You won't shoot me."

Ran made her way over to Kid. He put a hand to the back of his head but seemed alright for the time being. She turned back to watch the standoff. Hakuba moved his finger to the trigger and aimed at the man's chest.

"You- you're trying to kill everyone here. I think I'll make an exception this time."

"No." Kid's whispered plea was only heard by her. Ran kept her eyes focused on the deadlock, thinking the same thing. There was no other option open to her but to try and knock out the big man. That would mean getting in a good hit before he could fight back. If she didn't knock him out, a shout from him would get the other men's attention and they wouldn't have the upper hand anymore. As much as she hated it, didn't want it, was constantly thinking of some alternative- she wouldn't stop it if Hakuba shot him.

Kid caught her expression, turning his head to the side and facing away from her. "What if it was Kudo-kun?"

"What?" Ran whispered back. Kid wouldn't face her, though he did fix his cap so that it was on straight and made his face hard to read once again.

"What if it wasn't Hakuba-kun, what if it was Kudo-kun. Would you still want him to do it?"

Shinichi. Would she want him to shoot a man? No. Shinichi was never allowed to be a murderer. She knew her friend and knew how much it would haunt him if he were forced into something like that. Kid nodded. Ran wasn't sure how he knew what she was thinking because he still wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Do you think they're so different?"

Of course not. Ran looked back at the blond. He was stiff. He may have known how to fire a gun, how to hold it, but he wasn't ready to use one. Ran saw, as much as he was trying to compensate for it, his aim wasn't steady.

A bark of laughter made the poor guy cringe and Ran thought he might pull the trigger on accident. Hakuba shook it off in seconds, eyes dead set and ready.

"Boy, don't make me laugh. Maybe in another hundred years you'll be ready, but not now. You don't know what you're missing. Killing someone is one of the greatest thrills you can feel. Let me show you."

The man was coming towards them. Kid braced himself against the wall, ready to get up again. Ran was half bent over him and had no time to protect herself if it came down to it.

"Stop!"

Hakuba's words had no effect on the man as he continued over towards them, taking the last few feet in seconds.

"Get as far away from me as possible and try to hold your breath."

Ran started numbly down, not sure if she'd heard the words, but she must have. Kid nodded and, before the man could do anything, he charged at him, hitting him around the waist. Ran was already running, trying to make it across the room to where the blond was still standing, struck by Kid's actions as much as she was. Ran breathed a sigh of relief when his finger moved out of the trigger guard.

There was a hissing noise from somewhere but Ran didn't see anything different in the room. Once she reached Hakuba, she took in a big breath of air. Hakuba's eyes widened when her saw her do it and raise a hand to cover his own mouth and nose. It came on so fast that she hadn't pasted together what was going on before her brain went foggy. The world swayed around her, only Hakuba holding up her arm with his free hand stopped her from falling. The blond was affected too, and he took a few hesitant footsteps out the door, making sure he that he wasn't going to walk into anything, before he pulled her down the hallway. He let her go after they'd gotten far enough away and started panting.

"Stupid idiot." He raised the hand that wasn't still holding the gun and wiped away more blood that had started to slide down into his eye. The both stood there, panting, and waiting for the sleeping gas to dissipate.

Kid stumbled out of the room, holding something small and gray up to his face. Instead of coming over to them, he went for the wall across the door and sat at the base of it, head bent forward. Ran took in a breath before heading over to him, Hakuba reaching out to stop her before taking in oxygen of his own and following.

"Kid," Ran said quietly, trying to keep in the air so she wouldn't pass out. She waited for him to look at her. Kid tipped the cap up, removing the breathing device so that he could grin.

"I'm fine."

He didn't look fine. Where he had slid down the wall was a smear of blood, not thick but it had to be wet to get on there. There were several dark, angry red marks on the side of his face where the man must have grabbed him when he tried to pry Kid off. The ones that stood out the most, which Ran almost missed because of the dark house and the shadow of the cap, were bruising marks around his neck. His arm had similar marks when he raised it to tip the hat.

"You don't look fine." Ran had to take in a breath and it left her dizzy. Hakuba grabbed the back of her arm and dragged her away from the room.

"Get up. Unlike you, it's hard for us to talk with that stupid gas of yours."

"My apologies." Ran saw him use the wall to get up and follow them a safe distance away so that they wouldn't be breathing it in anymore.

"Here" Kid handed Hakuba a bottle with a cloth wrapped around it. She thought he was only using the material to keep his fingerprints off, but the blond took both and poured some of the liquid onto the handkerchief. The next thing she knew it was in her face, making her push the blond's hand away and rubbing her noise.

"What is that?" It burned when she'd breathed it in, but Hakuba didn't seem worried. The world was suddenly much clearer as she watched him breathe it in.

"Don't worry Mouri-san, it's only smelling salt." Kid took the bottle back, waiting as Hakuba gave him the cloth, also putting his fingers down the length of his nose as she had.

"Works better than I thought it would. I have to say I've never had the pleasure of using it before." Hakuba rubbed some more of the blood off his face but it seemed to be drying. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"He won't be out for long." Kid turned back to the room. Ran didn't want to go in there again. Hakuba may still be holding his gun, but that man scared her. "We have to make sure he can't move."

"I don't have anything for that," Hakuba raised his hands. "I had a pair of handcuffs but they were taken from me when they gathered us together."

"I don't carry those types of items," Kid said with a grin. She didn't know how, considering he must have been in a lot of pain, that he could push all his injuries off as if it were nothing. She didn't have time to think about that. No one did. There was a man in there, most certainly a killer, and they had to find some way to keep him from hurting anyone else.

"I have a rope, but it's too thick. He'll be able to get out of it."

"What about clothes?" Ran asked. They were in a house. A nice long sleeve sweeter could do it.

Kid shrugged. "I don't know, Mouri-san. He may be able to rip it. If we tie it well enough, it might work."

"Better than anything I can think of. How long exactly will the sleeping gas work?"

"With his body mass?" Kid seemed to think about it for a second. "I don't know. Maybe fifteen minutes if we're lucky."

"It will only need to hold him for a while until we can get the police here. I don't have my cell phone on me, another unfortunate loss to their earlier actions."

"I still have mine."

Kid and Hakuba looked at her wide eyed.

"I don't have mine either. I completely forgot that he never check you." Kid held out his hands. "Give me the phone. I know how to get the police here."

Ran took it out of her back pocket, holding it in both hands as she refused to give it up. It was a present from Shinichi. She couldn't just give it to Kid. The thief wasn't wearing gloves and Ran knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave evidence. He might not give it back.

Kid sighed, keeping his hands out. "I'll give it back, don't worry about it."

They waited. No one moved.

"I promise I'll return your phone. I'll swear on anything you ask. We don't have time."

If he shared any similarities with Shinichi besides physical ones, he wasn't lying. Ran tore the phone away from herself and placed it in his hands. Her eyes widened when her fingertips brushed against his palm. Kid was freezing.

"Don't get angry at me Mouri-san, I'm doing this so that they'll take me seriously." Kid's eyes stared hard at her, pushing in the numbers and waiting for the call to go through. "Just don't hit me."

Why would she hit him? She didn't need to wait long to find out.

"Hello?" Kid was using Shinichi's voice again and Ran couldn't help clenching her fists. Kid saw, opening both his eyes, though one was still terribly blood shot, and pleading with her not to do anything. She kept her fist at her side. "This is Kudo-kun, I need to speak with Megure-keibu immediately. Tell him it's an emergency."

"How much about us do you know?" Ran asked under her breath. Kid turned the bottom of the phone away so he could whisper back.

"As much as I have to, to keep everyone safe. Tell me, do you think they would listen if I told them who I really was?"

No, they wouldn't. Shinichi had made a name for himself among the police officers. Inspector Megure in particular seemed to praise him more than the others. A message coming from Shinichi would take priority. Ran stopped brooding for a while to listen to what Kid was saying when he turned back to the phone.

"Yes, Inspector? I need you to listen to me very carefully. A group of armed men have taken the police officers and the civilian's hostage. They were apparently after Kid but things got out of hand. I heard from Ran that there was a ransom demand over the phone. Don't listen to it. These people are dangerous. I need you out there in ten minutes, but don't let them know when you get there. If things go according to plan, the hostages will come to you and then you can arrest the people inside." Kid clicked the phone shut before the Inspector had a chance to say anything in response. He didn't ever bother wiping off his prints before he handed the phone back.

"What did you mean by that? You have a plan?"

Kid turned to the other boy, leaving Ran to put her phone away without it being stolen back. She wondered why he left such damning evidence in her care.

"Yes I do, but we need to take care of him first." Kid tilted his head back, showing off the bruising around his throat. "I said that he'd be out fifteen minutes if we're lucky. He'll be waking up now if we aren't."

"Then I'll help you with that. Ran-san, you stay out here and warn us if someone's coming." Hakuba went searching for a room that had clothes, since the guest room would be empty. Kid stayed at her side, leaving the task to the blond.

"I'm sorry. I had to." Kid's voice was back to his own, not the one she had heard earlier or Shinichi's, but close enough to both of them that there was no doubt anymore that Ran now knew what Kid's real voice sounded like.

"I know." She didn't say anything more about the phone conversation and Kid seemed happy not to have to talk with her. Soon Hakuba was back, carrying several shirts and handing them over to Kid.

"Here, your turn."

"Why, thank you." Kid flipped a pair of scissors out of nowhere.

"You have those but you don't have string?"

Kid laughed at her expression. "I have rope and thread, but neither will work. The rope was to get down from the roof if my gilder didn't work, and the thread was something I left in my pocket. I didn't come prepared to tie everyone up. That wouldn't be much fun. Scissors, when used the right way, can have many purposes."

Ran ignored him, watching as Kid laid the shirts down and cut the area from sleeve to sleeve so they were left with six decent length binding material.

"He won't be able to rip them apart, but some time alone and enough patience and he might get out. I'll tie him up. I know it'll sound silly but we have to secure him to the bed or he'll be able to untie his feet and get out. That and a gag should stop him from causing any more trouble." Kid wince, getting his last word out before his put a hand to his chest. He kept it there and lowered his head so that they couldn't see his face.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ran asked, bending over to see under the brim. Kid moved away from her, not saying anything. They waited for a minute, before the thief lowered his hand and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm fine. Sorry about that."

"You're not fine, and so help me if I see you tomorrow I won't let it go. You're getting yourself some help and some sleep."

Ran had no idea why Hakuba had thought he'd see Kid the next day, but didn't have time to ask him about it before Kid nodded, keeping the cap low, and headed back to the room. Hakuba followed with her, entering while she stood watch at the door.

"Here". Kid handed him three of the pieces. "Tie them together tight first and then..."

...

"Kid?"

Kid stood where he was, trying to catch his breath. "I'm sorry, just give me a second."

They waited again for the attack to pass. When the pain faded, Kid went back to his explanation. "Tie them together first, then tie one around each ankle and the third one to the bed."

Hakuba nodded, already at work making the tightest knot he could. Kid did the same with his, wrapping it around the man's wrists as tightly as he could, cutting off the circulation. This time, Ran was sure that none of them felt guilty about causing harm. Hakuba finished soon after and they both had trouble moving the man over to the bed. They turned him sideways so that his back was to the frame, tying up his hands and legs so that he wouldn't be able to reach them. Kid was panting when they were done, Hakuba and Ran looking at him with worry.

Ran owed him. Owed him a lot. Not to mention that he'd been nothing but kind to her since their run in. It made her feel guilty about how she'd been treating him. To back of the guilt, Hakuba had no reason to worry over the criminal, and yet his was, so that must have meant he saw that the Kid was doing the right thing. Ran wished she'd noticed sooner. She wouldn't have been so hard on him.

"I'll get something we can use as a gag. Give me those scissors."

Kid stayed where he was knelt on the floor, his hand going into his back pocket and handing them over without any compliant. Hakuba pushed past her to find another room that had clothing to use.

Ran felt something, not necessarily painful, but heavy, as she made a decision. "Stay. Let them take you to a hospital. I won't tell anyone who you are."

Kid turned to her with a smile and a laugh, two things that were made to go hand-in-hand with the thief. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not staying. I'll be able to get help on my own."

"I won't tell anyone either." Hakuba's voice beside her made Ran jump. "She'll never have to know. As long as Ran-san and I don't reveal anything, you could pretend you were here as a fan. She'll believe it and so will they."

Ran didn't know what Hakuba was talking about. Who was she? It must have meant something to Kid because he took the brim of the cap and stared at nothing as he thought. A smile less than a minute later told Ran what the answer was.

"I don't know what you're talking about Hakuba-san. I need no assistance from the two of you. Worry about your own safety. We're on a schedule right now and I have to get to work before the police officers decide to jump the gun before everything's ready."

"You never did tell me what you were planning to do."

"And why should I?" Kid stood up, all perfection and confidence, as the bruising was hidden by the shadows on his face. "You won't be needed."

"What do you mean?"

The man moved and all three of them jumped, Kid falling back several feet since he was still close to him. Other than the shift and a sniffled moan, there was not further movement.

"Let's discuss this outside." Kid put a hand on her shoulder, forcing Ran out of the room and closing the door. Hakuba backed up and stood with his arms folded in front of his chest.

"Okay fine. Now what are you planning while you expect me to sit back and watch?"

"The police will be able to find the men that are hiding in the surrounding property. That will stir up the men in the house. Since they don't have their leader, they'll go looking for him. We obviously can't let things get that far. During the time their looking, the commotion outside will draw their attention and rile them out. Fear makes people do stupid things. I wouldn't put it past them to start firing into the crowd."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Ran asked. Conan couldn't be hurt. Her father, her friends, no one. There had to be some way to stop this.

"You two can't do anything but get in my way. I'll draw their attention from everyone, further into the house. They won't be stupid enough to go outside. Most of them will leave the room, maybe half. I can have them running in circles in the back of the house. I'll get the rest of them after."

"You think you can have that many people clueless to what you're attempting? Don't be a fool."

"Even if there was another way, there's nothing either of you could do that I couldn't pull off better." Kid couldn't keep his act up for long periods of time. He stuck his hand out on the wall as Ran saw him sway. "Seeing either of you when you were supposed to be with their boss will worry them even more. I have anonymity."

"You're pretty distinguishable right now."

No flash or smoke, just a sudden movement of his hand as if to remove the cap and his outfit changed from careless teenager to the unmistakable white of the lawless crook that he was. The monocle on his right eye hide the damage done earlier and for the entire world he looked ready to take on anything.

"Nice disguise," Hakuba murmured under his breath. Ran was confused because he'd make it sound like Kid had just disguised himself instead of changed out of one. The teen that he had been before was the lie, wasn't it?

"It doesn't matter much what you think, Hakuba-san, they'll follow me and they won't follow you. I'm going to do what I can, while I can." Kid dropped his hand from the brim of his hat and walked off towards where the rest of the household was being held. Ran followed after him. She wasn't sure why and she knew that it was the wrong thing to do, but that didn't stop her from putting one foot in front of the other. Hakuba was next to her, both of them less than five feet from Kid.

Murmurs were heard down the hall when they got close, Kid not bothering to try and hide himself. Ran didn't let up her pace. The one who stopped was Kid.

"We said we were going with you," Hakuba whispered fiercely to him. Ran watched as Kid turned back to them, no smile but visible eye clear.

"You can. I can- I know how to fix this" Kid backed up, forcing both of the way they had come. "Go hide. I'll be back. Don't worry, I need the both of you."

"Well... good." Ran took the handle of the door closest to them and stepped inside. The knob told her where she was before she had a chance to look around. It was the bathroom she'd first been in. "We'll wait then, but you'd better come back." She had to make sure everyone was okay. Kid was her only way of making that possible.

"I will, promise." Once they were both in, he closed the door. Ran sat down on the toilet and Hakuba tried to open it to watch what was going on.

"It won't work, the knobs broken."

"What?" Hakuba turned back to her. "So Kid just locked us in a bathroom?"

"No." Ran had made the decision to go in there. "He can open the door easily, and it stops anyone from finding us before he comes back."

"Fine." Hakuba let go of the handle. "This is some mess. I finally come back from England and the world decides to go to Hell around me. Perfect."

"First time, huh?" Ran smiled. She couldn't say she'd been in worse, but the world seemed to fall apart around her whenever it was given the chance. Killers, terrorists, the lot. She let out a small laugh thinking about it. The only difference was that Conan had been in the thick of things. Now, hopefully, he was safe. That thought gave her some comfort.

"Sounds like your no stranger to this type of situation. I wondered how you were taking it so calmly. I can't say I find having a gun shoved at my head enjoyable, and for me at least, it was a first." Hakuba went up close to her and leaned against the wall at her side. "For the greenhorn of the group, I have to say I think I've kept myself as profession as could be expected."

"It's not something you get used to. I think it gets harder as you go on, not easier."

Hakuba was staring down at her. Ran met his gaze. She knew what she was talking about. Every time someone's life was in danger, someone was kidnapped, someone was murdered- it was harder and harder to face it. She felt like a stone that was being slowly warn away by the ocean that never stopped pushing. His lighter eyes stared into hers and Ran wished she had the right words to explain the trials with, but there weren't any. It was something that had to be experienced.

"Forgive me. I made light of the situation and it wasn't the time or place in which to do so. It's so easy for me to forget these things when he's around."

"It's okay. So, how'd you know he was Kid?"

"Ah- It's... difficult to explain." Hakuba left it at that and she didn't pry.

"What can you talk about then? I don't feel like sitting here and hearing whatever out there for me to pick up on. What about that girl you were with, who was she?"

"A classmate." The blond smiled at that. It was lighthearted thing that made her forget about where they were for a moment. "I would like to say that I'm fond of her, really, but there are- complications. My priorities are one of them. I should never have brought her here. I didn't know that this would happen, but- the responsibility still lies with me. It was my decision and a foolish one at that."

"If you like her that much, tell her. It can't be that hard." She thought traitorously of how close she'd come to telling Shinichi, had thought she had told him at one point, but she didn't. It wasn't as if she didn't want to. Shinichi always had a way of distracting her. When she had gotten up the courage, she'd lost it quickly just upon hearing his voice. She didn't want to lose what she already had with him. If things changed, even if he said he loved her as well, it may be different, and she may not like different. Ran cleared her throat. "Or don't tell her. You didn't know any of this was going to happen. If you did, you wouldn't have brought her, right? So it's not your fault and I'm sure she doesn't blame you."

"No, she's not one to condemn others."

Noises at the door came, breaking apart the world they had made together and bringing them back to reality. Kid slid in, all white and obvious before closing the door behind him slowly.

"Get in the bathtub for a minute or two," Kid told them as he turned around, something black wadded up in his arms.

"Do what?" Hakuba stared at the bathtub fixture. It was an Americanized type that Ran wasn't familiar with. There were three glass panels standing out from the wall, frosted over like ice that made it impossible to see more than a blur of color out of them. "Why in the world do you want me to go in there?"

"Because I have to change. If I don't take my time and get this right- let's just say that being in the shower will be the least of your worries." Kid put the clothes down, taking off his coat and ties. "I'm serious, get in there."

"I already-"

"Hakuba!" Kid growled.

Kid and the blond stared at one another, not moving. Ran didn't think it was that big of a deal. She opened the door and stepped inside, careful of her socks on the slick floor.

"Come on, it's not like it's wet."

"Fine."

Kid waited until they were both inside and the door was closed before taking off anything more. Ran had seen that his blue shirt was stained. The bandages couldn't be doing much good.

"You are going to change them, right?"

"Yes" came Kid's voice, but it was hushed. "Be quiet. This room echos."

Ran shut up, turning to face Hakuba. She didn't understand why he looked so uncomfortable. The shower stall was large and they were a good foot away from each other. He was on the trail of her thinking and explained himself.

"It's not something I expected. It only feels strange, there's nothing wrong with it." The blond turned to her. He wasn't smiling anymore. Looking back, the only time he had was when he was talking about the other girl.

"Okay, you can come out. Don't get too excited."

"What is there to get ex-"

They both froze where they were with the door partially opened. The man who had tried to kill them was standing there, watching them.

"Again, don't get excited."

"That's brilliant," Hakuba said, taking the steps necessary to get him out. "I didn't even think about it at the time. We can go back in as if nothing happened."

"For a few minutes, Hakuba-san. I hit him with another dose of gas, but it won't be very affective. I can keep everyone safe this way but it, by no means, lets me get them out the door and to safety."

Kid's voice came from the man. Ran stepped closer, eyeing the dark trench coat. She didn't know how Kid gave himself the inches he needed to make himself taller but she was too amazed to think on it.

"You're really good."

The man smiled but with Kid behind the skin, he somehow made it gentle. "Thank you."

"Let's get back then, before they get suspicious."

Kid held out his hand. "Gun first."

"Oh, right." Hakuba handed it over. Besides when they'd tied up the man, he'd been holding onto it almost like a safety net. Kid pointed it at the floor and tipped his head towards the door.

"Don't smile, don't laugh, don't tell anyone that they look like a baboon's butt, and we'll be good."

"As if I would." Hakuba paused at the door, trying the handle before remembering it was broken. "Hurry up and open it."

"Someone's bossy." Kid slipped something from his side pocket into the gap and it opened. "After you."

Hakuba left, glaring at Kid in a way Ran hadn't seen from him before. She walked out next and Kid grabbed her arm.

"You're supposed to be scared, Mouri-san. If anything, try and pull of worried or upset."

"How?"

Hakuba came back to her. "Keep your eyes open for as long as you can, like you do in a staring contest. It should make you tear up. The rest, I'm afraid, takes work."

Ran waited but it was easier than she thought to get her eyes to water up. She nodded to the both of them, folding her hands in front of her and looking down. "How's that."

"It'll be fine." Kid pushed them ahead. "Now hurry up before we run out of time."

Reentering the room was nothing like it had been the first time. Worried glances still came there way, but she wasn't sacred. As hard as she was trying to pretend she was, she couldn't. That didn't mean she wasn't nervous so she used that to her advantage.

"Boss, what are you doing? I thought you were taking care of them?" One of the men ran up to Kid, forcing them all to stop.

"I was going too but I learned something interesting when I made the call. This brat here has a lot of money. His family is willing to pay as much as we want to get him back. The girl's father is also famous. I'm sure we can get whatever else we could need out of him."

This seemed like a great idea to the lackey, who nodded enthusiastically before returning to his post.

"Ran..." Sonoko had tears in her eyes when Ran caught sight of her. Hakuba grabbed her arm before she could move, fingers pressed hard against her wrist. Kid noticed the movement.

"Go sit down and wait. I don't want to kill you before I get my money but that doesn't mean I won't." The voice, the tone, everything made Ran freeze up. Knowing that there was no real danger behind the words only came to her after and she was grateful. Kid was making it easier to act.

Ran nodded, heading for her spot from earlier. Hakuba started to move when Kid grabbed the back of his shirt. "I didn't say you could go anywhere!" Ran stopped. The gun was pressed against Hakuba's back and the teen looked scared. His expression changed for a moment, but only Ran and Kid caught it.

"You heard the boss! Sit down!" Ran jumped as one of the men close to her yelled. She walked away from Kid and Hakuba, feeling her hands shake when she was startled.

"Ran, are you okay?" Sonoko grabbed onto her sleeve tightly, scanning to her make sure she was in one piece.

"I'm fine."

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry." Ran put her hand on top of Sonoko's and they smiled at one another. Conan quickly made his presence known, coming up behind her friend, eyes searching more thoroughly than Sonoko's.

"Ran-neechan..."

"Don't worry Conan-kun, there's not a scratch on me." Ran held out her arms and picked up the young boy into her lap, wrapping him as close to her as she could without hurting him. "I'm so glad you did get into any trouble. I was afraid I'd come back and-" She didn't finish the though.

"I wouldn't do that Ran-neechan. I won't die."

The words sounded strange coming from a child, but that's how Conan was. Her little Shinichi. "I won't die either. Don't worry about me. I have to wait for Shinichi after all. I can't die yet." Her voice went quiet. She felt much better after knowing Conan was safe. He'd been in so many dangerous situations that she couldn't get him out of, and, as strange as it sounded to her now, Kid was always the one who had helped them out when those situations sprang up. He must have had a soft spot for Conan, like she did, making her feel more relaxed knowing that Kid was the one in control now. "Listen to me. Don't do anything. Kid's helping us and the police should be here soon."

"Where is he? And where are the police?" Conan's voice had taken on the monotone that made him sound older, more like her childhood friend, than the little boy he was.

"Kid's the man." Ran didn't move but she knew Conan would understand. "The police should be somewhere outside." Ran felt him nod into her shirt, pulling away from her with a serious expression. "Conan-kun, I don't want you doing anything." She brushed against the bruise across the left side of his face, seeing him close one of his eyes and wince. "Don't get yourself hurt anymore."

"I won't." Conan smiled at her, and for the first time Shinichi wasn't the one she thought he resembled. He looked just like Kid. The moment passed quickly and Ran let him go. Conan gave her a curious glance but she didn't tell him where her thoughts had gone.

"What do you want with us?! I thought you wanted that stupid, idiot thief?! Can't you tell he-" The girl from earlier was silence by the Inspector. Ran had no doubt that the man must have been her father. He had a hand over her mouth and his other one wrapped around her and resting on her shoulder.

"I'll use you for whatever purposes I want and you'll sit there and shut up!" Kid shouted across the room at her. Ran wondered briefly if the girl would end up giving them away. Kid could threaten all he wanted, but he wasn't going to hurt any of them- at least, Ran didn't think he would.

Hakuba seemed ready to say something but he stopped himself, masking a glare at Kid as a way to look around the room. Ran thought of what a good idea that was. She took in the faces of all the armed men around her. There were seven of them, not including Kid. Three were near her, spread out in an arch, and the other three were in the same position on the other side of the room. Kid was in front of the hallway and there was a man across from him who was blocking the door. Ran knew that way led into the main room, where there were lamps and items that could be used as weapons. It was probably why they were kept in, what appeared to be, the lobby. After the main room was freedom. They would only need to run through two set of doors to get out of the house and be safe with the police.

"Let me go!" The girl fought against her dad. "This isn't fair!"

The Inspector was speaking quietly to her, trying to keep her under control. He didn't want to force his daughter into anything, but she was putting her life at risk. She shoved his hand away from her and got up before he could grab her. No one tried to stop her from walking up to Kid, afraid that he'd kill them in retaliation. Ran made a move to get up but Sonoko's grip on her sleeve kept her down.

"Aoko-kun, don't..." Hakuba shot a glance back at Kid. The thief wasn't veiling his fear. Until the girl was in front of him, Kid couldn't find a way around the new developments. When she stopped, with just a few feet separating them, he pushed Hakuba out of the way and grinned at her. Ran couldn't tell how someone so nice could pull it off.

"So, you think standing up to me is going to make any difference? Getting you killed faster is all it will do."

"You're going to kill us anyway! We all know it!"

Kid grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, pulling her in close to him and leaving the wicked smile in place while he whispered something into her ear. The girl's- Hakuba had called Aoko- frown disappeared. She suddenly played the part of a deer in the headlights. Kid whispered something else that had Aoko frowning again, trying to pry him off her clothes.

"Now sit down and be a good girl, or you'll force me to do something I really don't want to do." Kid let her go, dismissing her. Ran turned to Sonoko.

"I'm going to bring her by us. I don't want her to get into anymore trouble."

"But Ran, he'll kill you!" Sonoko was worried but Ran couldn't tell her that the man was no danger to them. Being close to the wall meant she was close to one of the gunman. She didn't want to ruin their plan, as flimsy as it already was. Ran shook her hand and Sonoko let her go. Standing, she walked slowly up to them and grabbed Aoko's wrist, dragging her back to her spot.

"You jerk!" The girl screamed once more. Ran winced, pulling the girl up beside her and making her sit down.

"Shhh. You shouldn't do that. You're going to get put us all in danger." Ran let her go and the girl folded her arms in front of her chest. The other girl was angry, focusing cobalt eyes on her, seeing as they didn't know each other and Ran had just forced her across the room.

"I don't care!"

"You should care. Please. I know we don't know each other, but I was talking with Hakuba-kun. The police are nearby and we're trying to get everyone out, so could you calm down?"

The girl relaxed her arms, eyes softening at her words. "They're coming? We're really going to get out of here?"

Ran put a finger up to her lips. Sonoko caught it as well and she saw her friend beam at her. One of the male house servants over heard.

"The police are coming?!"

Ran closed her eyes tightly. The man had done what she feared and spoken loud enough for the room to hear. Anything could happen now and the next actions from the people in the room would tell whether it was for better or worse.

"Don't worry." Hakuba was there, speaking with her. He took Aoko's wrist and nodded to Ran. "We're getting out of here. Now."

"Boss, what's going on?" Several of the men around the room had already broke formation and turned to Kid. The thief chuckled darkly, staring up at the men.

"Now boys, we all leave before the police outside catch us. I'm sure you don't want to be thrown in jail anymore than I do."

"But the plan-"

"Has changed." Kid tore off the coat and any thoughts Ran had of things ending the easy way. "Your boss is gone. If you don't want to be next, I'd advise you to flee while you can."

Seven heavily alarmed men raised their guns at the thief. Two of them hesitated. Kid's words spread through their mind like wild fire. Your boss is gone. Ran watched as the closest man to the hallway kept the gun level until the last second when he made a beeline for the back of house. Several of his companions were swayed by the desertion. Kid, if anything, was good at stirring up trouble.

"So, only one of you ran away. Smart. The rest of you, well- You're in a room full of police officers that you've been threatening for the better part of two hours. I'm sure they and their fellow officers will have something to say about that. And let's not forget," Kid reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun that she'd only seen once, less than a month ago on the zeppelin. "I have something to say about it as well."

Several cards were aimed in her direction as Kid fired at the people near her first. The thief followed their path, making for the window. Chaos ensued after that, several police officers jumping the assailants. A few rounds were shot off but Ran didn't think anyone had gotten hurt. The noise caused more confusion and terror. Soon people were running around the room, hostages and aggressors alike in a rush to get out. Kid paused before leaving, pushing past several people and getting knocked around before he made it to their group who were huddled where they stood.

"Come on Hakuba-san, can't you even get out on your own?"

All Ran could hear was noise but Kid's voice managed to cut through it, like magic.

"I'm trying." Someone elbowed Hakuba in the side and she didn't mind when it knocked him into her, though Ran felt a blush on her face. Aoko was between them, trying to search the crowd.

"I can't leave without my dad!" The girl stomped her foot down and refused to move.

"Come on. Your dad will be fine. Mine-" Conan. Ran stopped arguing. She couldn't leave him. There were so many people and he was so small. It would be so easy for him to be killed in the pandemonium.

"I've got the kid." The thief disappeared without her even having to ask. Hakuba watched, but the white was quickly lost in the mob of bodies.

"Aoko-kun, we have to get out. Your father knows how to take care of himself. Staying in here to find him will only make him worry if he's gotten out first and is waiting for you. If he's still in the room, it's because he's staying here to take care of whatever men they managed to catch. We'll be interfering."

"I don't care. I need to find him!"

Ran put a hand on the girl's shoulders, meeting her eyes again. "Come on. It will be fine. My dad's in there somewhere too. If we stay, we'll get hurt. I don't think they'd want that."

Aoko's shoulders sagged but she let Hakuba take her along. Ran led the group, trying to push people as best she could in the direction she knew the door was. Keeping everyone in such a small room may have made it easier for them to be watched, but evacuating was a nightmare.

"Kid! I'm not letting you get away with this!"

The voice made the blood rush out of her. Hakuba even stopped in escaping as he turned to try and find where the man was. The leader escaped. He was somewhere in the crowd.

The next thing she knew, something exploded. The mass of screaming bodies turned into a wave and Ran felt as she was shoved away from the other two. Hakuba tried to get back to her, but noise and sound and terror only pushed them farther apart. Ran was shoved every which way until she wasn't sure where the exit was anymore. She was scared. Smoke was filling the room, making it impossible for her to see. The flood of people was fading, but the fumes filling the air made it hard for her to breath and even harder to think. Several times she found the wall, losing it when someone would run past her. It felt like minutes had passed and still she found no doorway.

She was so tired. I'll just let myself rest for a minute, she thought as she used the wall to sit on the ground and away from the worst of the smoke. Just a minute or two.

Though the air was full of fumes, there wasn't much heat. Ran sat there, enjoying it and letting herself relax after all that trouble. Every breath made her noise itch but it was easy to ignore when her eyelids felt so heavy and her brain was already shutting down.

"Ran!" The voice. The new voice. It wasn't the old voice. The old voice wasn't here. The old voice would never be back again. The new voice wasn't bad though. The new voice was safe and kind and magic. "Ran!"

She couldn't acknowledge him. Moving was too difficult and her body felt weighed down. Someone found her. It wasn't Shinichi. She knew it wouldn't be him. But Kid wasn't an unwelcome sight.

"Hey!" He shook her by the shoulders. "Don't fall asleep!" He coughed and Ran thought she heard a laugh. "I'm in no condition for this. Here," Kid brought one of her arms around his neck. "Try and hang on. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

She nodded but she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to. Everything was fuzzy around the edges.

"Damn it, where's that window?" Kid was practically carrying her. Ran couldn't coordinate her feet correctly to follow his lead. More time in the blurry world had her distorting time, when they seemed to come to the sought-out window only seconds later. Kid tried to hold her so that he could kick it out, but quickly discovered that doing so would throw them off balance. He swore under his breath and took his elbow before smashing the window. It didn't shatter, but the cracks were big enough that, one more hit, and they were falling apart. Kid took the larger shards that clung to the frame and threw them inside the smoke-filled room. The wind tried to fight back against the black clouds as they were escaping out of the gap.

"Here," Kid placed her hands around his neck and grabbed one of her legs. "Hold on for a second so I can get us out of here." He jumped. Ran felt like she was flying for a moment. He trip himself up on the frame and they both fell out of the house coughing.

"Well, not perfect but that works." Kid turned to her. "Ran, are you okay?"

The world was clearing around her, but her thoughts from earlier had not faded. The new voice wasn't so bad. "Shinichi." She grabbed onto the front of his coat and laid there in the grass with him. She didn't know if anyone was around to watch what she was doing, but she didn't care.

"No." Kid's voice was firm. He knew where he had to press to get her to let go of him. "I'm not who you've been waiting for. Ran, you can't give up. Believe me, even if it takes an eternity, Kudo-kun cares about you. Don't give up this easily."

Ran could feel the tears making it down her face that was covered with soot. A soft, cool hand wiped them away.

"Don't worry. I know its hard. Whatever you do though, whether you decide to find someone else or not, don't replace Kudo. If someone else comes along that you love, it won't be a replacement, it will be something new and completely different. I'm just a ghost. Don't go looking for shadows of what you had."

He helped her sit up and she looked at Kid. He was dirty and there was blood on his shirt again. The bruises on his face and neck were darkening as they aged. He shouldn't have been the one comforting her.

Shinichi. No. There would never be another Shinichi. She would never replace him. To wait was a burden she wasn't sure she could bare, but for the time being, it was hers.

"Thank you," Ran's voice same out in a whisper after all the smoke. "For saving me and Conan-"

"He's fine," Kid reassured her. "I made sure he got out first. When you didn't follow, I had to stop him from rushing back in to find you. Everyone's gathering by the officers from division one in front of the building. Can you make it there?"

Ran nodded, watching Kid get up and walk away. "I'll see you around, Mouri-san."

She stood, using the building for leverage. Yes, she would most likely see him again, but not like this. She knew so much about him, but she wouldn't do anything about it. This was part of the way she could repay her debt to him, though it wasn't nearly as much as he deserved.

"Ran-san!" Hakuba came around the side of the building, holding out his hand that she accepted with thanks. "Where's Kid?"

"He left." Ran didn't bother glancing over her shoulder. She knew he was gone. "Tell me, is he a good guy, or a bad guy?"

"Hm." Hakuba led her away, back to her normal life. "It's hard to say. He saves lives and breaks the law at his leisure. If had had to label him, vigilante would be the closest I could get."

"So the world's greatest criminal takes on the job of the super heroes in comic books." Ran laughed. "I guess that sounds right."

"Hakuba-kun?" Aoko popped her head around the corner of the building. "I was wondering where you went. Hurry up, the buildings on fire and my dad was worried about you." The girl ran off, seeming satisfied that she had found him in one piece.

"Why don't you tell her?" Ran asked, seeing Hakuba staring after her as Aoko ran to hug her father in the large group a people they encountered when they followed her around the corner.

"Because there's an obstacle in the way that I'm not sure I can get through."

"What?"

"Him." Hakuba stared behind them where the person who had unintentionally started this whole mess had left, without anybody knowing he was gone. Ran couldn't help smiling.

"That's one big obstacle."

"Ran-neechan." Conan ran over to her, his eyes behind the glasses tormented. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Did you breathe in the smoke?"

Ran held in the cough that was bothering her lungs. Maybe waiting wasn't as hard as she thought. She had Conan. He may not have been Shinichi, but he cared for her. She had seen the boy risk his life for her which was more than she ever wanted from him. Selfish. She was being selfish. And if she was, maybe she'd let Shinichi get away with being selfish for a while too.

"I'm fine, Conan-kun." Fine with waiting. Fine with her life and the people in it. Fine with knowing that she loved someone who could never be replaced. "Just fine."