Déjà Vu

[Aeyra 260]

*So, the people who've seen my drawing of Little Heiji with the bloody arm know I've mentioned a fanfiction I was planning to write for my dear Hei-chan. ^^ So here I am, presenting it to DCW. It's actually almost weird. I posted it on ff.net first instead of here... I usually post new stories here first, but that's not the point. I want to say I'm glad you clicked the link and I hope you enjoy reading this story! Prologue first!*

"Damn that Kudo, saying we should just check out this weird place in Tokyo, maybe the Organization's here, and then leavin' me alone and runnin' away. Where could little bastard have gone?" bitched Heiji irritatedly, cursing Conan under his breath as he tried to make his way through the darkness of the warehouse, searching for light that could lead him out. He scraped his hand against a rough surface in front of him, noting that he had once again hit wall. He couldn’t even see his fingers in the inky black, much less his surroundings. What an annoying situation to be in.

He had lent his flashlight to the little elementary schooler who had promised to give it back right after he was finished. Conan had run into the building, and after a couple of minutes that felt like hours of painful waiting, Heiji had followed, searching feverishly for the shrunken teenager, unable to locate him, overcome with the worry that something- something had happened to the faux child. If he was found by somebody dangerous, then only Heiji could help him. Well, now Heiji was stuck in the building with hardly any idea of where the exit was. Not a very ‘helpful’ position to be in.

Placing his hand on a wall, he sighed, starting to wonder if he should just sleep on the ground and wait till morning. There were worse places to spend a night- after being trapped in a musky attic with a gun pointed to his head, it didn’t really matter to him anymore. There didn’t seem to be any real danger. After all, there was no evidence that the syndicate had ever put a foot in the abandoned building. He could hear some rats squeaking, see a tiny sliver of light through the ceiling, but it didn’t really reach the ground. The worst thing that could happen was a rodent bite or catching a cold from the fall chill. He didn’t even worry about the syndicate.

Conan's 'lead' simply had to be false- wouldn't they be dead right now if the Organization was truly here? Sheesh- the little twerp had some guts to call him all the way to Tokyo in such a futile attempt in his quest to take down those men in black with only a ‘this place looks weird!’ Like that was a sufficient amount of information to convince anyone of their existence.

And why did he need a friend with him to scout the place if he hadn't asked Heiji to watch his back? He had just said, “Wait here for me.” Then he scampered into the warehouse, quietly entering without a single peep. Maybe Heiji was supposed to keep watch, but the little brat should have known he simply didn’t have the patience for that kind of thing. He was called a hot-blooded detective for a reason.

Heiji sighed as he plopped down onto the hard ground, letting out yet another curse as he hit the floor faster than he thought he would, bad temper taking over after his initial irritation. However, the injury seemed to make him think twice about the mini-investigation.

Strange... he mused, noticing something strange, tapping the concrete below him, hearing an echo like knocking on an empty fish tank. This sounds... hollow... Could it be their base is underneath here? Maybe Kudo was right after all!

He immediately got on all fours, using touch alone to try and find a secret entrance of some sort. "If only Kudo hadn't taken the flashlight!" he groaned noisily, giving up as he realized it was hopeless. "I can't see a thing!" He blocked his mouth as he realized he had said the words too loud. What if someone realized that an intruder had discovered the place?

He held his breath as best as he could, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle the fear that threatened to spill out, revealing his location. Taking a pen out of his pocket- he had kept it with him since he’d rushed to Tokyo right after school was over- he tossed it a distance away, waiting, waiting for footsteps to follow the clattering. But nothing happened except for the sudden cawing of a crow outside, and some more high-pitched squeaks and scratches of the rats.

It felt like years, eons before he finally relaxed, satisfied that he wouldn't be murdered tonight. Luck seemed to be in his favor. He let out a smirk, lying down again, about to give in to slumber before seeing a light in the distance. Kudo?

He cautiously walked over, fear still clinging to his mind, unable to see the possessor of the flashlight’s face due to both distance and poor lighting. The footsteps came closer, as did the dim yellow bulb, illuminating the gray, dreary walls. It passed over him when the figure was about fifty feet away, and he realized that wasn't the shrunken child. Shit! I’m definitely, very, very screwed!

He yelped as a bullet whizzed by his cheek, almost burning the skin, feeling the tiny wind blow his hair, and ducked as another bullet flew towards him, backing out of the light. There was a low chuckle, and a muffled bang rang out, and this time, Heiji could feel the pain in his shoulder, the burning sensation that tickled up and down his arm.

He bit back a scream of agony as the wound stung, blood seeping into his clothes, running down his back and front. Weaving, he sprinted to where a spot of moonlight had appeared on the ground, praying that it was an exit, not some window located ten feet up the wall.

A small stone jabbed his ankle as the bullet made impact with the solid ground, cracking it and sending bits of the concrete flying. Heiji cursed under his breath, mind numb with unparalleled terror, clutching his injured shoulder as he increased his speed even more, sprinting like a wild animal.

"Come back here you little rat," purred a sinister voice, arrogant and challenging, echoing across the enclosed space. "Aren't you having fun? We’re not done with our game yet."

Heiji gave no answer, much too concerned with escaping, charging out the exit he had discovered by following the moonlight. He knew better than to look back- but from the noise he knew his lead was definitely shortening. His pursuer was not too far behind him, still shooting as the sound of his footsteps came closer.

One last pull of the trigger launched the missile at Heiji's side, causing him to stagger over after getting a good three hundred feet into the surrounding woods, writhing as he gasped in reaction to the sudden pain, brambles cutting into his bare skin. He breathed hard, closing his eyes as his hunter approached, expecting another bullet to blow off his head, end it all right there.

"Looks like my gun's out of ammo," explained the man cheekily after allowing his victim a minute to wonder about why he was still, examining the fallen teenager with an air of curiosity, nudging him with the toe of his coal-black boots. "Seems as if I'll have to use a different method to get rid of you." A hand pulled the boy up, the helpless teen opening his eyes with a gasp, letting out a whimper-like noise as he stared into the hard, cold eyes of his hunter.

The rest of the man's face was still shrouded in shadows, hidden from Heiji's view except for a wisp of dark brown hair near his ears. He pulled out a small silver case, opening it to reveal small red and white capsules labeled for words too small for Heiji to focus on even if he could focus on something other than the pain of the gun wounds. He waved them in front of the suffering youth, giving him a good glimpse of his doom.

"These should do the trick." Heiji felt something cold and smooth slide into his mouth as two slim fingers parted his lips futher, followed by a swish of water to wash down the poisonous pill. "Hattori Heiji, is it? I’ve seen this face before. So what does the great detective of the west think of this?" asked the man conversationally, as if this was a nice friend-to-friend meeting.

Heiji thought he was being burned over an open flame, salt poured into all his open wounds. He wanted to scream, but it was like someone was clutching his throat, keeping him from breathing. He was unaware the man who had shot him was dragging him to a more secluded area, lowering the chance of his body being discovered. He couldn’t think through the pain, he couldn’t move through the fire.

The man let him go; satisfied with the position he left the teenage boy in. Heiji opened his eyes a little bit to see the man running away, leaving him lying on the muddy ground, dying. He took one last breath before closing his eyes and drifting off into oblivion.

***************************************

“Yes boss. I took care of that intruder. He won’t speak a word about us.” The man said, eyes glowing with menace as he stared forward at a shining screen, eyeing the shadowy figure warily.

There was a snicker on the other side, before a clear, deep voice answered, “Good job, Bourbon.”

[Misaki-chan 164]

Awesome! I love it! Keep up the good work! d(^_____^)b

[Aeyra 260]

*Chapter 1 is here, as promised, before the week is out! *cheers* I feel so accomplished. (like, seriously) I'm happy about all the enthusiasm for the story, and I hope I can fulfill expectations. ^^ (this is copy and pasted right from ff.net)*

Chapter 1

"Hattori, you really shouldn't leave without me you know," said Conan with an air of annoyance, entering the room he and Heiji were sharing in the professor's house eyes searching for Heiji's shape. When there was no response, he strained his ears in an attempt to hear snoring, but the room was silence. In a sudden moment of terror, he flicked the lights on- slamming the switch as a warm white glow illuminated the room, revealing the bed, the futon, Heiji's bag, Conan's 'sleepover supplies', and- and- no Heiji.

Conan shook his head, knowing that the only reasons his best friend wouldn't be here were either a.) he was playing a prank on him and hiding somewhere in the house or b.) he was still at the warehouse, maybe searching for Conan and c.), he wasn't even going to think about that option. "Hattori, it's seriously not funny," he admonished into the silent air, trying the best he could to keep his voice from shaking. The silence quickly snapped something inside him, his calm instantly breaking. "Cut it out, cut it out now!" he yelled angrily, the sound echoing throughout the house.

He heard a squeak, and swiveled his head around, expecting to see the tall, caramel-skinned teenager in the hallway behind him snorting and holding his side in laughter for successfully tricking him. There was a figure walking towards him, and for a moment, Conan breathed a sigh of relief. Then he realized it was much too small to be Heiji.

"Edogawa-kun, I assume you have a very good reason for screaming so loudly at two o'clock in the morning," she said placidly, staring at the boy with icy eyes, yawning tiredly. Stretching a bit, she asked, "So tell me, what's your reason?" In the language of 'Haibara Ai', this basically meant, "Tell me why the hell you woke me up or I'll kill you." However, Conan was much too concerned about his Osakan friend to be worried about this now.

"Haibara, Hattori's not here," he whispered, fast and steadily, knowing that if he freaked out, Haibara would be even more scared than him. "I thought he came back early, but he's not here. You didn't happen to- you didn't happen to see him, did you?" His voice sounded like a whimpering puppy, begging to be let inside after spending a night outside.

"No, you're the only one that came home. Kudo-kun, I thought you said this was safe!" she exclaimed, clutching his shoulders tightly, shaking. "If they find out Hattori-kun was there, they'll end up targeting his friends, and eventually they'll find you! I should've stopped you from going! I should have!"

"I-I'm going to try and call him," comforted Conan, knowing he shouldn't have shared his panic with her. Perhaps- perhaps Heiji had just gotten lost in the unfamiliar streets of Tokyo. That was a reasonably likely answer. But Hattori's smart enough to find his way… thought Conan, doubt eating him from the inside out. If he doesn't answer, it's because of you.

He held the cell phone close to his ear, hoping to hear Heiji's rough, accented voice emanate from the other end, asking him why he had left him there. For a second he worried about the consequences if Heiji had been captured and that Conan's name- his number- would be on the screen, and that the end would fall even sooner. He had the urge to end the call right there, but knew that this might be the only chance to communicate with Heiji. Come on, Hattori, pick up, pick up please!

"You have reached my voice mail, if you have anything you really want to tell me, leave a message, if not, well, then don't I guess. I'll try and get back to you soon!" Conan numbly held the phone out in front of him, as if staring real hard at the screen would somehow get the real Heiji to answer.

"I think he turned his phone off because he didn't want it to ring," he mumbled Conan, unwilling to believe the worst. "I'm going to go back and get him- that hot-headed bastard probably thought I got hurt or something and tried to search for me."

"Wait, Kudo-kun, did you find any evidence that the Organization was there?" asked Ai, trying to stay calm. "If they are, then going is suicide! He wouldn't be able to be saved!"

"There was- there was enough evidence. I went back outside to tell him we should leave, but he wasn't there. I thought since I didn't hear him inside, it was too dark to see, I thought he left without me. I didn't use the flashlights except for seconds at a time to see if there were any strange markings on the ground or where the exit was. I took his flashlight because I thought if I didn't, he'd follow me if I didn't come back soon enough- I thought he was smart enough to know he shouldn't enter a place like that without light- and now- and now- DAMMIT!" he cursed, banging his fist against the wall, and then holding back a hiss of pain. "I want to go back and check, but if the Organization really is there, going back is much too risky. Dammit, why did I have to invite Hattori over? Why?"

"Kudo-kun," whispered Ai, trying to find words that could comfort him, instead coming up with words that would sound fake, unconvincing, and she knew that he needed the truth. But silence could also be a remedy.

"Haibara, I don't mean this rudely or anything, but could you please leave?" His voice was almost inaudible, and it was obvious that he was choking back tears. His hair and the glare of his glasses shielded his eyes, so the only emotion Ai could see was his twitching mouth, and she backed away, closing the door behind her quietly.

Now that Ai was gone, he could finally just curl up and cry. He collapsed onto the futon, Heiji's futon, and yanked his glasses off of his face, throwing them across the room, wishing that they weren't bulletproof so they would crack like any other regular object. Why did he have to be so stupid? He could have easily scouted the place himself, but no, somehow, he felt it would be better if he took his best friend with him. And now his best friend was probably dead because of him.

"Shit, why does this kind of stuff always happen to me?" he groaned, murmuring to himself, taking a pillow off the ground and pressing his face into it. "I go to an amusement park with Ran just to have my life stolen, I have to live each and every day wondering if I'll get killed, and now Hattori's most likely somewhere with a bullet in his head. Haven't I lost enough?"

Ai stood outside of the door, ear pressed to the wood as she listened to his whimpers, wishing that he would let her so she could try and comfort him. Even Conan needed help sometimes. But she knew his pride was much too high for that, so all she could do was listen, just listen to his private grieving. She wondered if she should be the one to break the news, or if they should let Heiji's disappearance air first. They hadn't told anybody Heiji was in Tokyo.

I guess I'll leave it to you, Kudo-kun, she decided, walking away from the door where she started to hear hints of sobbing, fighting the temptation to go back. It's your decision either way. I warned you that the Organization was this powerful- all you needed to do was listen.

Hattori… thought Conan, clinging onto his cool by the edges, trying his best to hold onto hope, and yet at the same time he was trying to convince himself that the impossible had happened. You can't be dead yet! You promised me- you promised me we'd take them down together! We were partners in this! A cry escaped him and he choked down the crushing feeling in his throat, swallowing it as the weight landed in the pit of his stomach, feeling like butterflies. His eyes closed, warm tears spilling out as the boy gave in to despair, burying his face in Heiji's pillow, which still kind of smelled like the Osakan teenager. Hattori…

"Hmm…" muttered Vermouth, scouting the surrounding woods. "If I'm correct, Bourbon said he killed the boy around here. Who does he think he is, telling me to come out here and check if the kid's dead or not. Of course the boss just has to like him; I hate that cold, lying bastard. And now, here I am, searching through forest and garbage to find a corpse. Peachy." She usually wasn't one to speak to herself, but she was getting more than a bit irritated about Bourbon. It had been barely six months since had joined the Organization- six months and he was already the boss's new favorite. That was Vermouth's position. And she'd had it stolen from right under her nose.

There was a bundle of green cloth lying in a patch of grass, the morning sun piercing through the trees to dapple the figure with both light and shadow. Blood stained what seemed to be the arm of a hoodie, and a pale yellow cap lay strewn on the ground a foot away, and Vermouth knew she found what she was looking for.

She walked forwards a little bit, noticing that the clothing was- flat was the best way to describe it- as if somebody had stepped out of them and left the shirt lying on the ground. However, there was a lump in the middle of the pile, and that had to be the body. Vermouth gave a snicker- Bourbon had said he used poison. It was quite a funny coincidence that she- the only one who knew of the potential side effects of the APTX-4869- would be asked to scrounge around for its latest victim.

"Well isn't this dandy for the silver bullet?" she murmured, eyes never leaving the bundle on the ground, watching the cloth rise by less than a quarter of an inch, than falling in sync with the boy's breathing. "Perhaps Hattori-kun can even give him information on Bourbon. Even if he can't, with both working together, they'll form an even stronger bullet. Especially since Hattori-kun will finally have met the syndicate and our evils himself."

She bent down, pulling the hood down to reveal the pale, unconscious face of an elementary Hattori Heiji, confirming her assumptions. I'm lucky I decided to bring my Porsche today instead of motorcycle as usual, she thought, picking him up, thankful that he couldn't weigh more than 50 pounds. I can just bring him to my private apartment without any difficulties. Good thing I don't have an assignment right now.

Knowing that it would be like giving herself a death sentence to walk through the warehouse with the boy in her arms, she weaved her way through the surrounding trees, making sure that it would be nearly impossible to see her through the foliage. She tread lightly, carefully avoiding the fallen leaves to make sure the occasional crunches of the ground could be a small animal's doing instead of the uniform steps of a human.

When she finally made her way to the abandoned lot where she'd parked her Porsche (it was sheltered by a low overhang so it wouldn't be obvious at first glance) she quickly scanned her surroundings before stepping out with her shrunken burden.

After settling the child in the back seat, taking her time to carefully conceal his face, she quickly dialed the boss's number, the melody of 'Seven Children' quickly playing in little pings, she only waited seconds before somebody picked up. She leaned back in her seat, placing the cap she had picked up into the shotgun seat.

"Vermouth, did you find the body?" asked a voice on the other end, a voice Vermouth recognized very well. She could tell if it was lying, if it was trying to trick or deceive her. She could also trick it.

"I found it exactly where Bourbon said it'd be. I took the liberty of placing it even farther into the woods, so there's close to no possibility that it will be discovered. However, we have to consider the possibility that he had a partner. Therefore, we should destroy this base." She could only trick it if she lied convincingly however. She had a feeling that it suspected she was not completely for the Organization. "If we don't, we risk discovery of the body and maybe even a police investigation that could lead to our end. It would be safest to carry out what I said as soon as possible." Sometimes I wonder who really calls all the shots... thought Vermouth, feeling the urge to slam her foot on the gas so she could continue with her plan.

"I was thinking the very same thing myself. I didn't expect anything less from you- you'll be my successor if I happen to die anyways." And when that time comes... I will kill this Organization myself.

"If that's all, may I spend the rest of the day at home? It's been a while since my last break," she said, carefully tuning her voice between wistful and eagerness.

"Feel free. However, I have a new assignment for you tomorrow." And just like that, a click signaled the end of the conversation.

Vermouth made sure to choose the closest spot to the elevator as possible, no need to take unnecessary risks. Not like there was many people up at six in the morning anyways.

She made it up to her room without a hassle, and with the door locked, she could finally explain her plan to Heiji without interruptions. Grabbing bandages and some rubbing alcohol for his gun wound along with a couple other useful things, she strolled back to the couch where she had placed the shrunken teen. Taking an ammonia-soaked cloth, she placed it in front of his mouth and nose to wake him. He jolted up with a gasp, though it sounded merely surprised, not scared as she would have expected.

"W-who are you?" Heiji stared with big, round green eyes at Vermouth, confusedly wondering what was going on, where he was, and so forth.

"I'm Vermouth. I'm sure my dear Silver Bullet-kun has at least mentioned my name to you, ne?" she questioned, waiting for realization to hit his much too calm expression, turn it into fear or at least surprise. Nothing.

"Silver Bullet?" he repeated sounding thoroughly puzzled and not the least bit afraid. "Vermouth? Those are pretty funny names! I've never heard 'em before though!" He gave a small, friendly smile, causing Vermouth to wonder if the boy was still half asleep. The Great Detective of the West couldn't be this clueless, could he? "Is Silver Bullet an English word?"

"I mean Edogawa-kun. And you can't tell me you don't recognize that name either." Hattori-kun, what the hell is wrong...?

"Umm... I know that's a name, but I don't think I've met anyone named that before. Oh, there's a mystery writer called Edogawa Rampo! Is that who you're talking about?"he asked eagerly, quite willing to share his thoughts, which for some strange reason, weren't working the way they should have. "By the way, what's going on, Vermouth-neesan?" The way he said the words, so innocently and childishly, had Vermouth frozen in shock.

It can't be! Could he have lost his- no- he has to remember something!"Do you know someone named Hattori Heiji-kun?" she tested warily, steeling herself for the answer. "He's a famous detective from Osaka, a high school one of that. Have you heard of him before?"

The boy thought for a moment, a serious expression on his face before he shook his head sadly, replying, "I don't know anyone you're talking about. It's really confusing, Vermouth-neesan," he whined, blinking his emerald eyes in an almost puppy-like manner.

Wait, he's talking like a kid too... noticed Vermouth, and she looked behind her to see a Japanese novel lying on her coffee table. This would be a good way to prove her theory correct or incorrect."Can you read the title for me? I want to see if you can."

Heiji squinted, giving a long hmmm as he considered what the kanji could be in his head, trying to figure out what word the strokes and lines formed. He gave up with a big sigh, crossing his arms and saying,"I don't know what it says. Is that a bad thing?"

Biting her lip, holding back disappointment, she replied, "No, it's perfectly fine." She had to keep herself from banging her head against a wall; this unexpected turn in events completely threw her off guard. How could this have happened? Conan had at least retained his intelligence- Heiji was nothing more than an elementary school kid in that regard.

Vermouth shut her eyes, quickly formulating a plan that would take Heiji off of her hands. There was no way she could take care of a child even if she wanted to- she hardly even used this apartment. There was only one person who could she could trust, and there was only one way to get to him. With a smile, started preparing, first putting bandages on Heiji's arm and telling him to stay put while she bought some new clothes for him.

She walked out of the building, clutching her jacket to while she zippered it to keep out the autumn chill, running towards the nearest shopping center. It was easier to think out here, and she finalized her plans, thinking, So Hattori-kun doesn't even remember anything he learned past first grade... Silver Bullet, I'll entrust him to you.

*By the way... If you'd like to see my drawing of the shrunken Heiji, check out my DA gallery! iluvshadowclaw.deviantart.com! I'd appreciate comments on just about all of the drawings! (even the Death Note ones.) XD Please review! I'll try to update ASAP!*

[mabel 59]

*Chapter 1 is here, as promised, before the week is out! *cheers* I feel so accomplished. (like, seriously) I'm happy about all the enthusiasm for the story, and I hope I can fulfill expectations. ^^ (this is copy and pasted right from ff.net)*

Chapter 1

"Hattori, you really shouldn't leave without me you know," said Conan with an air of annoyance, entering the room he and Heiji were sharing in the professor's house eyes searching for Heiji's shape. When there was no response, he strained his ears in an attempt to hear snoring, but the room was silence. In a sudden moment of terror, he flicked the lights on- slamming the switch as a warm white glow illuminated the room, revealing the bed, the futon, Heiji's bag, Conan's 'sleepover supplies', and- and- no Heiji.

Conan shook his head, knowing that the only reasons his best friend wouldn't be here were either a.) he was playing a prank on him and hiding somewhere in the house or b.) he was still at the warehouse, maybe searching for Conan and c.), he wasn't even going to think about that option. "Hattori, it's seriously not funny," he admonished into the silent air, trying the best he could to keep his voice from shaking. The silence quickly snapped something inside him, his calm instantly breaking. "Cut it out, cut it out now!" he yelled angrily, the sound echoing throughout the house.

He heard a squeak, and swiveled his head around, expecting to see the tall, caramel-skinned teenager in the hallway behind him snorting and holding his side in laughter for successfully tricking him. There was a figure walking towards him, and for a moment, Conan breathed a sigh of relief. Then he realized it was much too small to be Heiji.

"Edogawa-kun, I assume you have a very good reason for screaming so loudly at two o'clock in the morning," she said placidly, staring at the boy with icy eyes, yawning tiredly. Stretching a bit, she asked, "So tell me, what's your reason?" In the language of 'Haibara Ai', this basically meant, "Tell me why the hell you woke me up or I'll kill you." However, Conan was much too concerned about his Osakan friend to be worried about this now.

"Haibara, Hattori's not here," he whispered, fast and steadily, knowing that if he freaked out, Haibara would be even more scared than him. "I thought he came back early, but he's not here. You didn't happen to- you didn't happen to see him, did you?" His voice sounded like a whimpering puppy, begging to be let inside after spending a night outside.

"No, you're the only one that came home. Kudo-kun, I thought you said this was safe!" she exclaimed, clutching his shoulders tightly, shaking. "If they find out Hattori-kun was there, they'll end up targeting his friends, and eventually they'll find you! I should've stopped you from going! I should have!"

"I-I'm going to try and call him," comforted Conan, knowing he shouldn't have shared his panic with her. Perhaps- perhaps Heiji had just gotten lost in the unfamiliar streets of Tokyo. That was a reasonably likely answer. But Hattori's smart enough to find his way… thought Conan, doubt eating him from the inside out. If he doesn't answer, it's because of you.

He held the cell phone close to his ear, hoping to hear Heiji's rough, accented voice emanate from the other end, asking him why he had left him there. For a second he worried about the consequences if Heiji had been captured and that Conan's name- his number- would be on the screen, and that the end would fall even sooner. He had the urge to end the call right there, but knew that this might be the only chance to communicate with Heiji. Come on, Hattori, pick up, pick up please!

"You have reached my voice mail, if you have anything you really want to tell me, leave a message, if not, well, then don't I guess. I'll try and get back to you soon!" Conan numbly held the phone out in front of him, as if staring real hard at the screen would somehow get the real Heiji to answer.

"I think he turned his phone off because he didn't want it to ring," he mumbled Conan, unwilling to believe the worst. "I'm going to go back and get him- that hot-headed bastard probably thought I got hurt or something and tried to search for me."

"Wait, Kudo-kun, did you find any evidence that the Organization was there?" asked Ai, trying to stay calm. "If they are, then going is suicide! He wouldn't be able to be saved!"

"There was- there was enough evidence. I went back outside to tell him we should leave, but he wasn't there. I thought since I didn't hear him inside, it was too dark to see, I thought he left without me. I didn't use the flashlights except for seconds at a time to see if there were any strange markings on the ground or where the exit was. I took his flashlight because I thought if I didn't, he'd follow me if I didn't come back soon enough- I thought he was smart enough to know he shouldn't enter a place like that without light- and now- and now- DAMMIT!" he cursed, banging his fist against the wall, and then holding back a hiss of pain. "I want to go back and check, but if the Organization really is there, going back is much too risky. Dammit, why did I have to invite Hattori over? Why?"

"Kudo-kun," whispered Ai, trying to find words that could comfort him, instead coming up with words that would sound fake, unconvincing, and she knew that he needed the truth. But silence could also be a remedy.

"Haibara, I don't mean this rudely or anything, but could you please leave?" His voice was almost inaudible, and it was obvious that he was choking back tears. His hair and the glare of his glasses shielded his eyes, so the only emotion Ai could see was his twitching mouth, and she backed away, closing the door behind her quietly.

Now that Ai was gone, he could finally just curl up and cry. He collapsed onto the futon, Heiji's futon, and yanked his glasses off of his face, throwing them across the room, wishing that they weren't bulletproof so they would crack like any other regular object. Why did he have to be so stupid? He could have easily scouted the place himself, but no, somehow, he felt it would be better if he took his best friend with him. And now his best friend was probably dead because of him.

"Shit, why does this kind of stuff always happen to me?" he groaned, murmuring to himself, taking a pillow off the ground and pressing his face into it. "I go to an amusement park with Ran just to have my life stolen, I have to live each and every day wondering if I'll get killed, and now Hattori's most likely somewhere with a bullet in his head. Haven't I lost enough?"

Ai stood outside of the door, ear pressed to the wood as she listened to his whimpers, wishing that he would let her so she could try and comfort him. Even Conan needed help sometimes. But she knew his pride was much too high for that, so all she could do was listen, just listen to his private grieving. She wondered if she should be the one to break the news, or if they should let Heiji's disappearance air first. They hadn't told anybody Heiji was in Tokyo.

I guess I'll leave it to you, Kudo-kun, she decided, walking away from the door where she started to hear hints of sobbing, fighting the temptation to go back. It's your decision either way. I warned you that the Organization was this powerful- all you needed to do was listen.

Hattori… thought Conan, clinging onto his cool by the edges, trying his best to hold onto hope, and yet at the same time he was trying to convince himself that the impossible had happened. You can't be dead yet! You promised me- you promised me we'd take them down together! We were partners in this! A cry escaped him and he choked down the crushing feeling in his throat, swallowing it as the weight landed in the pit of his stomach, feeling like butterflies. His eyes closed, warm tears spilling out as the boy gave in to despair, burying his face in Heiji's pillow, which still kind of smelled like the Osakan teenager. Hattori…

"Hmm…" muttered Vermouth, scouting the surrounding woods. "If I'm correct, Bourbon said he killed the boy around here. Who does he think he is, telling me to come out here and check if the kid's dead or not. Of course the boss just has to like him; I hate that cold, lying bastard. And now, here I am, searching through forest and garbage to find a corpse. Peachy." She usually wasn't one to speak to herself, but she was getting more than a bit irritated about Bourbon. It had been barely six months since had joined the Organization- six months and he was already the boss's new favorite. That was Vermouth's position. And she'd had it stolen from right under her nose.

There was a bundle of green cloth lying in a patch of grass, the morning sun piercing through the trees to dapple the figure with both light and shadow. Blood stained what seemed to be the arm of a hoodie, and a pale yellow cap lay strewn on the ground a foot away, and Vermouth knew she found what she was looking for.

She walked forwards a little bit, noticing that the clothing was- flat was the best way to describe it- as if somebody had stepped out of them and left the shirt lying on the ground. However, there was a lump in the middle of the pile, and that had to be the body. Vermouth gave a snicker- Bourbon had said he used poison. It was quite a funny coincidence that she- the only one who knew of the potential side effects of the APTX-4869- would be asked to scrounge around for its latest victim.

"Well isn't this dandy for the silver bullet?" she murmured, eyes never leaving the bundle on the ground, watching the cloth rise by less than a quarter of an inch, than falling in sync with the boy's breathing. "Perhaps Hattori-kun can even give him information on Bourbon. Even if he can't, with both working together, they'll form an even stronger bullet. Especially since Hattori-kun will finally have met the syndicate and our evils himself."

She bent down, pulling the hood down to reveal the pale, unconscious face of an elementary Hattori Heiji, confirming her assumptions. I'm lucky I decided to bring my Porsche today instead of motorcycle as usual, she thought, picking him up, thankful that he couldn't weigh more than 50 pounds. I can just bring him to my private apartment without any difficulties. Good thing I don't have an assignment right now.

Knowing that it would be like giving herself a death sentence to walk through the warehouse with the boy in her arms, she weaved her way through the surrounding trees, making sure that it would be nearly impossible to see her through the foliage. She tread lightly, carefully avoiding the fallen leaves to make sure the occasional crunches of the ground could be a small animal's doing instead of the uniform steps of a human.

When she finally made her way to the abandoned lot where she'd parked her Porsche (it was sheltered by a low overhang so it wouldn't be obvious at first glance) she quickly scanned her surroundings before stepping out with her shrunken burden.

After settling the child in the back seat, taking her time to carefully conceal his face, she quickly dialed the boss's number, the melody of 'Seven Children' quickly playing in little pings, she only waited seconds before somebody picked up. She leaned back in her seat, placing the cap she had picked up into the shotgun seat.

"Vermouth, did you find the body?" asked a voice on the other end, a voice Vermouth recognized very well. She could tell if it was lying, if it was trying to trick or deceive her. She could also trick it.

"I found it exactly where Bourbon said it'd be. I took the liberty of placing it even farther into the woods, so there's close to no possibility that it will be discovered. However, we have to consider the possibility that he had a partner. Therefore, we should destroy this base." She could only trick it if she lied convincingly however. She had a feeling that it suspected she was not completely for the Organization. "If we don't, we risk discovery of the body and maybe even a police investigation that could lead to our end. It would be safest to carry out what I said as soon as possible." Sometimes I wonder who really calls all the shots... thought Vermouth, feeling the urge to slam her foot on the gas so she could continue with her plan.

"I was thinking the very same thing myself. I didn't expect anything less from you- you'll be my successor if I happen to die anyways." And when that time comes... I will kill this Organization myself.

"If that's all, may I spend the rest of the day at home? It's been a while since my last break," she said, carefully tuning her voice between wistful and eagerness.

"Feel free. However, I have a new assignment for you tomorrow." And just like that, a click signaled the end of the conversation.

Vermouth made sure to choose the closest spot to the elevator as possible, no need to take unnecessary risks. Not like there was many people up at six in the morning anyways.

She made it up to her room without a hassle, and with the door locked, she could finally explain her plan to Heiji without interruptions. Grabbing bandages and some rubbing alcohol for his gun wound along with a couple other useful things, she strolled back to the couch where she had placed the shrunken teen. Taking an ammonia-soaked cloth, she placed it in front of his mouth and nose to wake him. He jolted up with a gasp, though it sounded merely surprised, not scared as she would have expected.

"W-who are you?" Heiji stared with big, round green eyes at Vermouth, confusedly wondering what was going on, where he was, and so forth.

"I'm Vermouth. I'm sure my dear Silver Bullet-kun has at least mentioned my name to you, ne?" she questioned, waiting for realization to hit his much too calm expression, turn it into fear or at least surprise. Nothing.

"Silver Bullet?" he repeated sounding thoroughly puzzled and not the least bit afraid. "Vermouth? Those are pretty funny names! I've never heard 'em before though!" He gave a small, friendly smile, causing Vermouth to wonder if the boy was still half asleep. The Great Detective of the West couldn't be this clueless, could he? "Is Silver Bullet an English word?"

"I mean Edogawa-kun. And you can't tell me you don't recognize that name either." Hattori-kun, what the hell is wrong...?

"Umm... I know that's a name, but I don't think I've met anyone named that before. Oh, there's a mystery writer called Edogawa Rampo! Is that who you're talking about?"he asked eagerly, quite willing to share his thoughts, which for some strange reason, weren't working the way they should have. "By the way, what's going on, Vermouth-neesan?" The way he said the words, so innocently and childishly, had Vermouth frozen in shock.

It can't be! Could he have lost his- no- he has to remember something!"Do you know someone named Hattori Heiji-kun?" she tested warily, steeling herself for the answer. "He's a famous detective from Osaka, a high school one of that. Have you heard of him before?"

The boy thought for a moment, a serious expression on his face before he shook his head sadly, replying, "I don't know anyone you're talking about. It's really confusing, Vermouth-neesan," he whined, blinking his emerald eyes in an almost puppy-like manner.

Wait, he's talking like a kid too... noticed Vermouth, and she looked behind her to see a Japanese novel lying on her coffee table. This would be a good way to prove her theory correct or incorrect."Can you read the title for me? I want to see if you can."

Heiji squinted, giving a long hmmm as he considered what the kanji could be in his head, trying to figure out what word the strokes and lines formed. He gave up with a big sigh, crossing his arms and saying,"I don't know what it says. Is that a bad thing?"

Biting her lip, holding back disappointment, she replied, "No, it's perfectly fine." She had to keep herself from banging her head against a wall; this unexpected turn in events completely threw her off guard. How could this have happened? Conan had at least retained his intelligence- Heiji was nothing more than an elementary school kid in that regard.

Vermouth shut her eyes, quickly formulating a plan that would take Heiji off of her hands. There was no way she could take care of a child even if she wanted to- she hardly even used this apartment. There was only one person who could she could trust, and there was only one way to get to him. With a smile, started preparing, first putting bandages on Heiji's arm and telling him to stay put while she bought some new clothes for him.

She walked out of the building, clutching her jacket to while she zippered it to keep out the autumn chill, running towards the nearest shopping center. It was easier to think out here, and she finalized her plans, thinking, So Hattori-kun doesn't even remember anything he learned past first grade... Silver Bullet, I'll entrust him to you.

*By the way... If you'd like to see my drawing of the shrunken Heiji, check out my DA gallery! iluvshadowclaw.deviantart.com! I'd appreciate comments on just about all of the drawings! (even the Death Note ones.) XD Please review! I'll try to update ASAP!*

Another well written story! You should be making plots for Gosho....

[Lupin of the Heisei Era 248]

cool! i love it!

[Amaranth 52]

I read this on FF and I thought "Hey, this is great."

I reread it here and I'm thinking "This is awesome!"

I'm a fan of plots where the boys get shrunk. And YOUR STORIES ARE GREATGREAT AMAZING!!!

[Aeyra 260]

Update... After a long, long time. *meh*

Chapter 2

I'll have to leave Hattori-kun in Edogawa-kun's care it seems...thought Vermouth, watching Heiji running in front of a large mirror, trying to figure out which one of his new outfits he liked best. She smiled; it wasn't often that her actions actually brought joy. If it weren't for the fact that it would be much too dangerous, she would have actually considered keeping him with her.

"Ellery-kun," she called, motioning him over with her long pointer finger. "I've managed to enroll you into school; but I have instructions for you that need to be followed."

"What are they, Vermouth-neesan?" asked Heiji innocently, deciding the light green sweatshirt he had on was the best.

"I'll drop you off at school, but you won't see me again later, Ellery-kun," she started casually, hoping the boy would take this in the same, easy manner as with everything else.

"Why? Being with Vermouth-neesan is fun! And I don't really know anyone else," he whined, taking a baseball cap from a pile of clothes and sticking it on his head. "Why can't I come back?"

I wonder how many years he really lost... 10 years is probably a good estimate, but it could differ depending on the person. Perhaps right now he's only four or five? That might explain why it's been so simple to manipulate him. All I had to do was call him by a random name and he basically flew with it.

She snickered as she remembered how she'd created the name- if Edogawa Conan was the pairing of mystery writers, then perhaps Heiji could follow the same style. She decided on the name 'Ellery' from 'Ellery Queen', something just as queer as 'Conan'. For his surname she selected a Japanese writer, Matsumoto /fill in the blank/. This way, Conan would have absolutely no doubts about Heiji's identity when she would drop him off at Teitan Elementary.

"Ellery-kun," she crooned, bending down and placing her hands on his small shoulders, staring into his bright jade eyes. "Just be a good boy and do what I say. I promise that the person who takes you home will be just as fun as me." She took a notepad from the table behind her and scribbled something on the top page, using English to ensure that it only Conan and Ai could understand. As long as Heiji- no Ellery- didn't hand it to the teacher, the secrets would stay safe. "When you go to class, give this to a boy named Edogawa Conan-kun when there's as few people around as possible. But make sure you give it to him."

Ellery took the note, scrutinizingly analyzing it before declaring, "I can't read this."

"But Edogawa-kun can. Ask him to tell you what it means when you meet him." She glanced at the clock- 9:00 AM. They would be late, but he could still attend school today.

"Okay," he replied, drawing the word out so it almost sounded like a question.

"Have you packed up your things, Ellery-kun?" Vermouth motioned to the various articles of clothing strewn all over the brown leather sofa. "You might want to keep these things- I'll put them at the bottom of your bag for you."

"Thanks, Vermouth-neesan. Ne, why are you doing all these nice things for me even though I just met you today?"

So he at least noticed that much... I wonder why he hasn't asked about the past yet. "Because I care, that's why," she answered, giving him a warm smile. "We should be getting to school now, Ellery-kun."

She grabbed a pair of sunglasses on the way out of her apartment as well as putting her hair up in a ponytail. It would be hard to recognize her at just a passing glance, and it would help keeping Ellery from being discovered by the Organization if some member happened to see her on the street.

Driving her Porsche to the school was way too noticeable- someone would wonder why such a fancy car was in front of a public school. A taxi would also be strange- hardly anyone took a taxi to school. Vermouth decided on walking, holding Ellery's hand tightly. While it might just have been her paranoia, one couldn't be too careful about the syndicate- its members were everywhere.

The school was a ten minutes from the apartment, and Vermouth had Ellery repeat over and over what he was supposed to do once he entered the classroom. He answered perfectly the very first time, word for word as Vermouth herself said it, causing her to give a tiny jolt of surprise. The boy had a perfect memory of what had been told to him- at least a perfect memory of what he understood. She wondered for a moment if she should tell him his true identity, but figured it'd just confuse him and maybe bring unprecedented trouble if he revealed it in public.

"Here we are, Ellery-kun," she said, letting go of his hand, the tiny caramel fingers sliding out of her grasp. "Have a good day at school, okay?"

Ellery frowned, a sad expression falling over his face before a weak smile replaced it. "Bye bye, Vermouth-neesan!"

"Good bye, Ellery-kun." Good luck, Hattori Heiji-kun...

************************

Class was boring. Just like usual. How many times did you need to teach a single character of kanji for kids to get it? Edogawa Conan sat at his desk, leaning against the back of his chair, watching everyone else doing the assignment he'd already completed.

It was definitely one of his bad days. His eyes were red and he had barely gotten any sleep the night before. After he realized Heiji was gone, he'd cried for hours on end-something he'd never admit doing even under the threat of death- going to sleep and waking up right before he'd be late to school. Despite the fact Ai said it wasn't necessary to go, he knew that it'd be better than lying in a bed all day.

Even if time seemed to move slower than a slug during school, at least it could distract his mind the tiniest bit. He'd have to do work and he'd have to keep a facade of crankiness, not the full-blown depression he was sinking into. The full-blown depression he wanted to sink into. Anything would be better than pretending to just be bored, when inside he was suffering the pain of having sent his best friend to his death.

Heiji was dead; he was certainly, most definitely dead. Unless he was being held as a hostage or something. But he would still die anyways. And it would be his fault. He had invited Heiji over to help him investigate, didn't search when for his friend, didn't realize Heiji was missing until he came home and saw that Heiji wasn't in his futon where he wasn't supposed to be. What kind of friendship was that?

He felt his pencil crack under his stiffening fingers, but didn't care. It was just a pencil, nothing more. Ai cast him a sympathetic glance, while a few of his younger classmates stared at him with curiosity. That was what caused Conan to give a small 'heh heh', putting up his Poker Face once more. Ai nudged him on the shoulder.

"Kudo-kun, you just have to survive today. Don't show that anything's wrong, you have to try at least," she whispered, not looking up from her completed paper. On most days, Kobayashi-sensei would have collected them, but she currently wasn't in the classroom.

That reminded Conan- where was the teacher anyways? He swiveled his around to the left, then to the right, and then vaguely remembered Kobayashi-sensei announcing something before heading to the office. "Haibara, what did Kobayashi-sensei say when she left?" he asked, voice vapid.

"She said there was a new student and she was going to pick him up from the office," sighed Ai, leaning back in her chair and stretching. "She didn't give his name before you ask."

Conan nodded numbly, before copying Ai's movements and struggling to relax a little bit. "A new student. If only-" He bit his lip, tasting the salty, metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

"Kudo-kun, don't get your hopes up," said Ai sadly, giving a small shake of her head. "Just because the last two new students in this class happened to be poisoned teenager doesn't mean the third will. You'll have to learn to let it go, please. It makes everything easier. I promise." But it doesn't erase the guilt in the end… Ai recalled the memory of learning of her sister's death, and the reason behind it. She'd been crushed, and she still wasn't fully healed. However, she was happy, and her sister's memory was no longer the greatest thing in her life.

"I know it will. But he just left yesterday, Haibara. Nobody else knows where he is, we can't tell anybody, and he'll just have disappeared off the face of the earth as far as anybody's concerned. At least I could convince everybody I left to go solve some inexistent murder, but Hattori- he won't be to tell anybody anything. Because of me." The raw grief was apparent at the edge of his voice, and he had to swallow down the choking grip in his throat. "And I have to pretend nothing happened. I have to pretend that I don't know that he's dead, that he's not coming back, that I'm just as clueless as the next person to where he is. If I could just change last night-" He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. If he could change last night, he'd do it at all costs…

At that moment, he heard a pair of footsteps from outside the door, and it registered that Kobayashi-sensei had probably returned with the new student. He wished it would be Heiji, but knew the chances of that was so slim, it wasn't even worth counting. Better not to even hope. To dream. To even imagine the possibility.

The door creaked as it opened, and Kobayashi-sensei walked in with a small boy who shyly clutched her hand. He held a pale yellow hat in his fingers, SAX logo written on the front, his skin the color of cinnamon. His huge emerald eyes stared anxiously at the class, filled with uncertainty. Conan's mouth gaped open with shock, as Ai gasped beside him.

The boy was none other than the 'dead' Hattori Heiji.

[IdentityUnknown 216]

Nice job as usual. Nice twist you have on Heiji's memory as well.

[Aeyra 260]

Nice job as usual. Nice twist you have on Heiji's memory as well.

That was quick. XD (with the comment) I didn't know you read my stories. :3(or at least, I forgot...)

[IdentityUnknown 216]

That was quick. XD (with the comment) I didn't know you read my stories. :3(or at least, I forgot...)

As quoted from HDF-chan:

I'm just one of those stalkerish-readers that reads everything but never reviews.

Actually that's not true. But I did read this story. Quickly. :V

*is reminded of the current angst story that Sam is berating her over because it's too "depressing"* :V

[Amaranth 52]

Amazing as usual and what a great clincher!

[Aeyra 260]

Amazing as usual and what a great clincher!

Thanks! ^^ I'm... Somewhat halfway through the next chapter. :3 I'll just write this story short and sweet. XD

[Amaranth 52]

Thanks! ^^ I'm... Somewhat halfway through the next chapter. :3 I'll just write this story short and sweet. XD

[-The Rising Angel- 48]

Your stories= genial

[Sherlock Lupin 41]

Amazing as always, Aeyra.

[Aeyra 260]

Amazing as always, Aeyra.

Thanks! ^^

[KawanoMino 1]

This is an amazing story. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

[Cindy-Chen 82]

Wow! Love this story.

Simply amazing!

[anniemay 2]

It's great!Thank you for continuing.I really want to know what happens!