"Who were you calling, kid?" a menacing voice breathed in his ear.

Takuma tried to shake himself free"My friend..."

The old man dragged him under the bridge and spun him around. Takuma stare in horror at the man's cruel face."Do you know who I am?" growled the criminal, his scar twitching as he spoke. Takuma shook his head, swallowing a scream, "You are lying," hissed the old man." you know I have escaped from jail, don't you?"

Takuma shuddered with terror, "Y-y-yes.."

The old man nodded "I thought so. Even a kid can too tell who I am. Ahh......" he sighs, "Don't worry, kiddo, I may be a thief, but not a child killer. If I did...I honestly don't know how to face my nephew if he hears of this."

Suddenly he released Takuma and sat down.

"My name is Watanabe, Watanabe Ikeda. You probably know this by the news or radio you heard," he said as he was running his hand over his weary eyes."Well, what they (referring to the media and newspapers)didn't bother to tell you was, I didn't want to escape."That made Takuma frown at him a little, as he doubt his story for a moment."I only needed to wait for 3 months, and that I would have gone out a freeman."

Takuma forgets his fear as Watanabe no longer look dangerous. He was an old man who needed help. At least for now. Right now, he is an old man with a mysterious secret."Then why didn't you just wait?"Takuma asked him, wanting answers from him.

"Because I was instructed to escape, at all cost."Watanabe explained " I got a note instructing me what to do. Then my cell door was left unlocked and when I got to the wall, a rope, a bundle of spare clothes and some money were already there for me. Someone was supposed to pick me up, but they didn't. So I ran and caught a bus to the city and decided to hide under this bridge. I have nowhere else to go..."

"Wait, why did someone want to get you out of jail? What did they go to all that trouble?"Takuma wondered out loud.

"Because they want something from me!"Sweat rolled down his face. His haunted eyes darted from side to side." I am in someone's debt, I have to pay them back, or else- well, that will be the end of me. That is how the criminal world works, kid. Freedom itself isn't without a price."

Takuma thought about it"My friend Ranran can find out what is going on so that you will not get into more trouble."

Watanabe's eyebrow shot up as he looks at him, "Aren't you a kid yourself?"

"Hey, I may be 6 years old and still heading to school, but you'd be surprised with my friend. She is one of a kind."

"Do you...think your friend can help me?"

"Ask her yourself."Takuma pointed to where Ranran was placing her wheels back into her compact roller skating shoes on the other side of the road. At the moment, a long black car with dark tinted windows swept towards the bridge. One of the windows was open. A hand appeared holding a gun.

Watanabe threw Takuma to the ground." They have found me!" he yelled. Bang! Takuma heard a loud bang and seconds later a bullet shaved a chip of the concrete from the bridge. The car sped away and by the time the girl looked up, the old man was gone too.

Ranran raced to his side as Takuma struggled to his feet."Takuma, you okay?"Ranran grabbed his arm.

"Did I just hear gunshots?" he asked breathlessly.

"Did someone just try to shoot you?"Takuma nodded as he looked around anxiously "Did you see where Watanabe went?"

Ranran shook her head, "The car block my view. Could you see what was in it? "

"No, just someone's hand. "He brushed off the dirt from his pants."The windows were black."

"Criminals always have tinted windows, just like they do in the movies "Observed Ranran.

"Unfortunately this isn't a movie "Takuma commented with a faint smile. He then told her what happened."Do you think he was telling the truth?"

Ranran couldn't help but wonder."As much as he is a criminal, after that shooting from that car earlier...I have a hunch he may be telling the truth. I mean, as you said, what moron would remain in the same place instead of flying overseas, Ranran?"Takuma replied," And he was scared of them. Scared but he said that they will kill him if he didn't do what they wanted. Anyway, I gave him your number if he needs our help. "

Ranran's eyes lit up, before thinking solemnly, "If he calls... I guess we can solve the case one step ahead of the police. He probably would lay low for the time being, probably....within two weeks or so. So that gives me two weeks to plan." she then frowned, "Still... Why would someone want to bust him out with only him having 3 months left?"Then she figured it out, "Unless.....they need him to commit a crime."

"What!? A crime!?What sort kind of crime?"Takuma scratched his chin.

"One that would need a talent that is beyond their typical average criminal, from what I know."Then Ranran looked around their surroundings," I think we better get out of here. That black car might come back in ensuring they finished the job, in the meantime, Takuma, don't come here fishing anymore till this is over."

"What do you think is going on, Ranran?", wondered Takuma as he was scooping up his fishing rod and phone.

"I don't know, but I have a gut feeling it may be a lot larger than assumed. Since he mentions things like the possibility that someone breaks him out, I am going to assume this ain't a one-man job alone."Ranran couldn't help but say.

The two children distance themselves further and further from where they were, till finally, they reached back into the city. There, Takuma spilt everything about his conversation with the jailbird, "You said earlier that they picked a talent beyond an average criminal, Ranran....are you saying they targeted him on purpose out of all the criminals in prison? How certain are you over that?"Takuma couldn't help but ask.

"To break an average criminal alone without getting caught is hard enough. Try breaking a well-known criminal where security is tighter than the average, especially with the chance that anyone can easily recognize him besides an average killer. Definitely not a one-man show."Ranran was in deep thought, before looking toward Takuma, "I let you know in a few days..."

"Wait, you are going to do this on your own?"Takuma couldn't help but worry.

"Is there a problem?"

"Don't get me wrong, Ranran, but since you, yourself said it is likely not a 'one-man show', won't that mean you be tackling against a group of adults on your own?!"

"Taku-"

"Ranran, as your friend, I have to remind you that this ain't your typical runaway fugitive situation! Those people who break him out could strike onto us anytime anywhere! This ain't the world of the movies where you be like some karate guy fighting a punch of bad guys! They have guns for God's Sakes."

"Don't worry, I can handle this, "Ranran spoke in reassurance.

"Even so....this involved a criminal ring, why not get that Kudo Shinichi to help you out?"

"No." Ranran shakes her head as she chuckles darkly at the mere mention of his name."Ranran-"

"Hikari Takuma, "Ranran spoke his name as if she was speaking towards Shinichi with distaste, "If you even knew what kind of person he is in person, the last person I would want to find me if I were to go missing one day, is him!"

"I don't see why you wouldn't have him around to your aid, Ranran. He is, after all, has the talent of a Tantei."

"Talent? Hmph!"Ranran huffed, "It is pointless to have such talent if his ideals of justice are unreasonable."

Whom Takuma was referring to was none other than their 6-year-old classmate, Kudo Shinichi. He is a huge crime mystery enthusiast and has an observant talent. Still, that is the only thing good about him, to say the least."Sometimes I have a hard time believing that you two are even related."Takuma scratches his head regarding that fact.

"We ain't," She rolled her eyes, before saying, "we have ties within the family, and that is where it ends."

"Is it a problem seeking help from him, to be honest?" he asked her.

"Honestly......no, I don't think of it to be a problem. He could help regarding this case."

"If that were the case....why not have him with you?"

"If you think he is going to be one of those detectives we watch in all those anime shows, where he barely makes a bad decision I was accused of, he is greatly mistaken. He is nothing but an invasive and prying little nuisance that I'd seen with my own eyes." Ranran chuckles darkly.

"I don't understand. What did he do to make you hate him so?"

"Eh? Do you really wanna know?" Her words were harsh, bitter, the same tone she used to use on Takuma back then.

The little boy just stared, having grown used to her harsh demeanour without a sense of fear, "You don't have to tell me, Ranran. Whatever it is.....I know you probably do this for a reason."

The first time he has gotten to know her properly after his reputation was restored....is that she had a tremendous hate towards Shinichi. 

Even before the infamous parkour incident that took place last year at a mall, the hate towards him was clear. Rumor speculated that due to the fact that the two had different mothers lead to a ugly bloodbath of epic proportions, at least in child context. But the rumors about the two tend to be overly exaggerated as Takuma experience in school, so he didn't think much of it back then.

At least, not till today.

Reina seems to know why, which is why she did warn him beforehand not to bring up his name in front of the tantei girl.

"Alright, then why not pretend to befriend him, then make use of his popularity and market it into some sort of merchandise and make money out of him to teach him a lesson regarding his arrogance?"Takuma suggests.

"Oh, believe me, I would have loved doing so, but then he will try to unturn every single stone of my life that I too want to keep private from anyone."

"Unturn.....every single stone?"Takuma can't quite grasp what it meant.

"Digging out every single info of my personal life."She explained to him.

"My God! Hell no I would want someone like that around!"Takuma spat in horror.

"There you go, Someone like him ain't worth the value in terms of money, attention and time."Ranran grins.

Whenever Takuma get a glimpse of Ranran's relationship with Shinichi, to outsiders, it may look like a typical cat vs dog situation. But to him, he sees it more like those Cock fights one of his ex-neighbours used to have held in his house before the police raided it, that is if Takuma may say so himself.

Two chickens that will fight to the death, that is how he sees it.

Although they never feud publicly, you can tell the tension is high. What struck everyone whenever Ranran and Shinichi happen to be standing side by side, you would notice that both of their appearances look similar, aside from having similar surnames themselves. With such similarities, people often referred to them as 'The Kudo twins'.

But similar aside of appearances, surnames and families alike, that is where it ends."Are you still mad at him over what he tried to do to you when you were 4?" Takuma couldn't help but point it out.

"Mad at someone is one thing, I barely know what he went through as a person. To me, he is still a stranger. But since he was going to look down at my capabilities and made fun of it, I might as well thought him a well thought out lesson."

"Ah....as expected from you."Takuma can't help but sigh.

A brief mention, when Ranran and Shinichi were 4 years old, the family took them to a parkour event as they met for the first time at Beikai mall. Though it wasn't clear to everyone what has truly transpired, it had appeared that Ranran was pushed down to the ground by Shinichi from a high obstacle course, after having a huge bickering match over the fact that 'girls can never jump this far' sort of feud. For some reason, she ended up breaking her leg, and a huge fallout within the family (amongst their grandparents that is).

If that wasn't bad enough, that incident cast Shinichi in a bad light, ended up having given a cold glance by the other children for the entire two years of Elementary school, till they've forgiven him.

But if one looks deeply into it, there was a lot more to it.

And Takuma is certain Ranran somehow instigated him into doing so. Not that he is gonna rat her out, given that she had helped him from that scandal. "I just don't understand why he has it in you, like, you guys just met for the first time that day, right?"Takuma became puzzled.

Takuma gazes at her, "He has inferiority, he needs my failure to fuel his precious pride!"

"His....pride?"

"Exactly, did you see how arrogant he was when he found the stolen lunch money in our class? As a Tantei, pride is nothing! This isn't about your poor solving reputation, it is about delivering justice and less about judging others (if you can help it)! He barely fits the role of a proper Tantei. It is like these observation power fell into the wrong hands."

"Ah....sou? But Ranran, "Takuma frowned at his friend, "You too do it for selfish reasons."

"Not really, "Ranran shook her head to refute that, "I did it if only someone gets in my way. He did it because he finds it fun. Like, do you recall what happened recently regarding Shinichi and Ran with....whoever that boy is from their soccer club?"

"Ah....you are aware of it too, huh?"

What happened between Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran back in their Teitan Elementary school was something every kid is aware of. From the way words have passed around, it seems as though he had gotten into a huge altercation with one of the elder boys in that club. For what it was, it was rather unclear, but everyone knew it has something to do with Ran, and his alleged confrontation of said 'evidence' that suggested the elder boy wasn't living a 'saint life' as everyone presumed. Even as his so-called 'friends' and schoolmates hounded him for details, he had been tight-lipped after it was decided that the alleged boy's family, the one who is behind the feud, be moving away into another neighbourhood since the alleged incident took place. Of course, they were no match for the way he would corner a suspect. How unfair it was that someone so determined to keep his personal life private away from this Tantei field, would be so adamant about coming after you, prying for your secrets.

"Even a man like Sherlock Holmes made a mistake. He admitted his faults. But Kudo Shinichi though is another story. A Tantei who never admit to his own wrongdoings, not even to his own childhood friend, that Mouri Ran, that is a problematic Tantei I wouldn't want to be with as a partner."

"Everyone has faults, Ranran."

"Yes, but he ain't one of them, "Ranran justifies, "Just to let you know, till he acknowledges his own faults, I will not seek help from him."

"....not even if you are close to dying?"

"No." Ranran replied firmly as she explains why, "Someone who can't handle his private issues with those two morons is not capable of solving this, Takuma." Takuma falls silent by her statement."Anyway, while I head back home to figure out how this is going to work out, let Reina know about the situation. At least she would know to protect herself from them, alright?"

"Ah, you don't worry about that. I will let her know."Takuma reassures her.

As soon as Ranran leaves Takuma while they are headed back to their homes, Takuma begins to ponder how Ranran was going to locate the mastermind.

"Seriously....that girl sometimes need someone to rely on."Takuma spoke to himself with a sigh as he heads home, before he wondered, "What kind of person Shinichi is to her to deserve that much hate?"

.......................................................................................

Meanwhile, as Ranran was heading home, she realizes something.

The route all the way back to her house.....she is bound to cross paths around that bastard's house. God, why did their grandparents have to buy her family's house that happens to be located behind his?

"I didn't even ask for Shinichi-no wait, we were born an only child before all of this had happened."She spat bitterly to herself, as she rushes over quickly to her house, ensuring Shinichi didn't come out of the house before she finally made it home safely.

She sighs, damn adults, they are so selfish.

If only she remained back in the U.K...if only...

A lot of kids at school had wished to have siblings, but Kudo Ranran was out of the question.

She was very content with being born an only child cause she didn't have to share a thing. Whenever a kid congratulated the other on having a baby brother or sister back then in kindergarten, at first they go all so thankful mode for being blessed, to later being exhausted, short-tempered, and eventually, resentful having to fight for literally almost everything in the house. From tv remote control to eating other's food, to even going as far as stealing clothes, she heard endless complaints about having grown up. It was at that time, she decided she was gonna remind her parents she didn't want one.

So when the first 3 years went by, she was happy.

Then, the unexpected bombshell- Shinichi exist.

How Shinichi ended up living with another family and hers living on the other side of the world, no one knew. The bottom line was....they are related.

When she first found out about it, instead of being happy about it, she honestly didn't know what to think of this. Unlike the friends she made, if she and they are no longer friends anymore, she can live without seeing them anymore.

But siblings however is a total gamechanger.

Whether she or he likes it or not, this is irreversible. It's like....a bloodstain on clothes she can never wash, it is there for the rest of her life. Worst, his personality.....that is so incompatible unlike hers.

.......................................................................................

"Alright...." she took out her shoes to put away, not before heading over to her bedroom while she mused about the case she spoke with Takuma about earlier, speaking from the angle of a criminal," If I aided a jailbird out of prison, and yet, he fled away from me, I definitely wouldn't feel thankful about it. So the first thing I would do is to go after him and capture him. Yet he ended up bumping into a couple of brats....what would I do later on if I were him? Rely on children for help? When he doesn't even trust the cops in the city? What sort of person is this guy truly is?"

"Ranran, why are you like this!?"

Hearing her name being called, she turned to see her father pinching his nose bridge in the living room, trying to make sense of all the things his daughter had recently done to the unfortunate boy. 

"What did I what?" Ranran blinked in confusion before entering the living room.

"You know what you did, Ranran!" Irene yelled at her unflinching 6-year-old daughter with a glare. "What is the meaning of this!? Torturing a boy!?"

"What boy?" That made her annoyed over who she was referring to.

"You know which one! The one whose legs you mangled!" The woman in the living room screeched at the unfazed child.

"Mangled?"

To straightened things out, it appears that her family had gathered in the family living room to discuss about her 'actions', after word got to her father that there was an alleged sighting of a child in a Fox mask having set bear traps onto a little boy, let alone, suffering 1st-degree burns is currently hospitalized around 2 days ago at the darkest part of the city. "Be more specific, which one?" Ranran confronted.

"Which - Are you kidding me, Ranran!? You meant there were others besides him when you set those bear traps onto that boy!?" The woman was losing it, not that the child cared which made her more irritated than ever.

"Bear Traps?" Then memories of that day came afloat to the girl.

.....................................................................

Days earlier, the little girl found herself, once again, torturing a little boy as he lay on the hard concrete in front of his own house, his stomach churning and his eyes stinging with tears with red sores all over him. Based on an investigation regarding the death of another little boy, she learn that this little runt was apparently the said bully who made his life a living hell.

The victim didn't have a mother who love him, only a father who beat him with bottles and burn him with cigarette butts. Putting together the clues, she learns that while trying to flee from his bully, the same one whom Ranran was busy having her version of 'fun' with him, the victim eventually fell to his death from the flyover while the bully approached him intentionally with a pit bull on the leash.

Of course, she knew he will easily claim all of this is nothing but an accident, and the law will turn a blind eye. Then he would live life as normal. Since the aggressor is a minor after all, barely minors as young as them will ever be punished for their crimes in Japan, similarly to the ones in the U.K. Even if they do, it is merely touch and go with their identity covered up by the government, with hopes that they would be 'rehabilitated'.

Unfortunately, they probably were not aware that it is due to such circumstances that psychopaths and sociopaths like the one begging before Ranran thrive to go after one victim after the other gleefully with no consequences until it is too late.

Which is why Ranran decided since she too herself is a minor, she was going to use this loophole to full effect for her own benefit.  

With a half extinguish cigarette she found from a smoker having tossed it not long ago, she took it and press the burning tobacco butt into the boy's left thigh, then moved onto the right one, and repeated the action over and over.

There the coward was crying helplessly, begging her to stop. Ever since The Fox got involved, he had been having sleepless nights as she continue to torture him in all sorts of unimaginable forms. She even knows everything about his life, where he lived, his school, his circle of friends - everything about him. She schemed it in such a way, that life was too unbearable. His mother would always be angry, his father would be disappointed, and the friends he had would be gone.

Hell, she even killed his dog by reporting it to the authorities and having it euthanised, but not before recording the entire process and sending it through his phone, his email, and even to his ailing grandmother, who later had a heart attack and fell into a coma for 2 weeks! And she would continue to repeatedly spam his phone using an anonymous number. If only he knew who is The Fox, he can't wait to smash her damn skull!

Worst, as soon as she figures he was all alone at home, she somehow manages to scare him out, only to step on two bear traps The Fox stole from his dad's haunting shed, laying in front of the entrance, only to snap shut on his ankles, their sharp teeth slicing into his pale flesh.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

He screamed, and screamed, and screamed, but no one heard him. He was all alone at home. The Fox made sure of it by having the police and the fire department being summoned elsewhere, with no one in the area hearing his cry.

After several minutes of alternating screaming, shouting for help, cursing and thrashing to try and escape, he finally fell silent, exhausted by her efforts and her adrenaline expended. The bully leaned back, sobbing despairingly, gritting his teeth at the pain. "Why? Why? What did I ever do to deserve this? Why- why is this happening to me? I- I don't want to die yet!"

"You know, I found this interesting thing in your father's shed. It'll be the perfect tool to 'roast' someone, get it? Roast?"As the bully sobbed in agony and fear, a loud popping sound emerged as a blowtorch ignited."It's time you be roasted for the murder you laughed about the other day."

The Bully's eyes widened in abject horror."Noooo!! Wait! No!! I'll repent! I swear!"

"Yeah right, "The Fox chuckled darkly, "You were laughing after the police let you off."

"No- no, no, no!" He thrashed, "I beg of you, please, no! Stop! Stop! Sto- ARGHHHH!!!"

.....................................................................

"Oh, him?" Ranran grew amused at this, "Still alive, huh?"

"STILL ALIVE!?" Her mother's voice rattled in anger, "Were you expecting him to die!?"

"I mean he was begging to die from me, which I thought I granted it to him. Considering he is still alive meant....he was too much of a coward to finish the job himself." She tilted her head, eyes glinting with something dark and almost predatory, "As expected, bullies are cowards."

"Ranran-"

"Listen, even if he ever find out it was me, if Japanese laws are that useless enough to spare kids like them from punishment anyway, I should still be spared as well. Don't need to be all so emotional about it, mother. Not like your 6-year-old daughter will be that stupid enough to end up in prison." Ranran shrugs casually as if it was no big deal.

"Ranran, this has gone too far!"Her mother blasted her daughter for being so heartless. She is freaking six years old! When did she decide to go all so south!?

"What has?"

"All of the torturing you have been doing since we moved here for over a year! If their parents find out it was you, did you not think they won't proceed to sue us?!"

"There is no way they are ever going to find out anyway, cause I made sure to pick a venue where the CCTV are no longer functioning."

"And may I ask....why are those cameras barely working again?" Her father expressed with a sigh.

"The money that was supposed to be used to fix it ended up in the pockets of those corrupted cops, remember? So we will be perfectly spared if should they try to complain to any of the cops that is within my control. Besides, "Ranran chuckles, "Anyone who attempts to look into our background is asking for death. Also, he was laughing nonstop when he got away with bullying his victim to death."

"You better-"

"Go to my room? Sure," Ranran responded, before heading up the stairs. Before starting at the two of them, Ranran ended it with, "Rather that berating unnecessary anger, at least I am doing a proper job for society benefit, unlike those back in my old hometown who barely lifted a finger. Let alone, here. And that is a fact neither of you can argue."

And that little taunting voice nearly shattered her mother, while making her father's eyes grew wide.

The impact of it on Ranran regarding this Fox thing was what they were most afraid of. It seemed like their little girl had grown too fast, and is now more aware of her surroundings than she ever was. The thought of her daughter never understanding her mother's words killed her.

Once the door is shut, her mother closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and starts thinking, "Where did it all go wrong....?"

"Let her be, "Her husband shifted closer and laid his hand on her shoulder."The way I see it, at least she is getting out of the house more and no longer lock up in her room."

"I don't think that is praise, considering she set fire to a child! Let alone, did you even see the photos of the bear trap caught mangling his legs?!"

"Give it time, eventually I am certain she will mellow out eventually."The husband reassures his wife before adding, "I mean I once killed a dog that wasn't vaccinated and hung it on a flag pole, and I turned out just fine."

"I guess so, "The wife sighs reluctantly, before looking up the stairs, "I'll talk to her later when she cools off."

As the woman stood up to clean up the tea Ranran left behind, Ranran's mother shifted her attention to her husband to ask, "Are you sure that the reports you have gathered confirmed that she made friends here?"

"Positive, in fact, I heard she made 3 or 4 in total."

"Are they aware of her-"

"Yes."

"And they proceed to befriend her anyway?"

"Hey, I have friends too around her age despite the way I was back then."

"Yours wasn't quite severe, unlike hers," his wife replied, her voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and frustration. "I don't know if this is comforting or horrifying to know that they accepted her despite everything she's done."

"I mean I received no report of complaints that she went around harming her own friends. If anything, their quality of life in school has turned for the better after becoming her friend."

"Huh?!"

"They were ostracized before, you know? Outcasts, the kind of kids nobody paid attention to. But since they got close to Ranran, it's like they've suddenly found a sense of belonging. I heard one of them was getting bullied constantly for being 'different' and now? Now they walk around like they own the place. It's like they've gained confidence, power—whatever it is that Ranran brings with her."

Irene stood frozen, processing his words. "What the hel-"

"Exactly. I also verified that her friends' bullies were dumped unconscious in front of their front porch with bruises covering their bodies. And those kids I did a background check are utterly rotten to the core due to poor parenting, so I had to cut it off before things got worse," her husband continued, his tone almost too casual.

Irene stared at him, struggling to process the gravity of his words before sighing, "This is all of that damn boy's fault! She is what she is now all thanks to him!"

"Irene..."

"I really hate that damn boy! Forgive me...I know that he is no longer with us, and that this isn't completely his fault, but it was clearly his fault for teaching her all those things!"The woman pointed out.

"It is. But you can't blame him, given his circumstances at that time."

"I know...." The woman slumped, "To be honest, if I had known in advance that the bloody woman been abusing him for years, I would've march up straight to their door and beat the crap out of her for poorly raising him, let alone, for beating him before taking that boy with us!"

"You know you can't do that, right?" Her husband sighed deeply, "That would've meant 'kidnapping'."

"Anything....even if I had done as you said, 'kidnap' him, at least this would've prevented him from dragging our daughter into running that business!"

She blasted at no one, as she stares bitterly into her coffee during the day. Her husband meanwhile stared silently at it without touching it before he commented, "Did you....still see him as 'that woman's' son?"

Silence, the woman became a little remorseful for saying those things."I can't help it, honey. It's just-"

"I know."He sighs, casting his eyes onto a photo of his wife's childhood photo with a little boy and girl, beaming in front of a Gothic-liked building, "Your bad blood with 'that woman' is justifiable. She ruined the lives of the two childhood friends you adored growing up."

The memories flooded back as Irene stared at the old photograph, her mind drifting to the days when she and the two children in the photo were inseparable friends. They had grown up together, sharing dreams and secrets until everything changed.

"At least....if I had done something about it....." The woman ponders sadly, stirring her drink to melt the sugar into the coffee, "There are times whenever I see his son...his appearance reminds me of Oliver, yet....there are times when I look at him and see no one but her in him. The way she would calculatedly execute horrible deeds towards others, the ambition... it's all her in that boy."

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, the pain of years past still fresh in her heart. She set the spoon down, the clink against the ceramic barely breaking the heavy silence that hung between them.

"Multiple wrongs can't make things right,"Her husband replies, silencing his wife, before proceeding to continue with his idea, "But given that he...is no longer with us, adding that what we had uncover about his life leading up to the present.....let us not forget he was force to do it....which is why he dragged Ranran into 'that business'."

She knew he was right, but the bitterness still lingered, woven into the fabric of their shared history.

"But does that justify everything? She was 3 when all of this was going on!" she countered softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. "I can't forget how it all unraveled...especially how Ranran got dragged into that dark world. And since then....it's like a nightmare that never ends after Ranran....changed."

The wife's pain is palpable in the trembling of her voice and the deep sorrow etched into her features. "I am honestly scared...for Ranran. After everything had happened, especially with Edgewood Academy, I..." His mother was crying now.

It was a pitiful sight, really; a frail woman trying to keep it together.

"Let her be The Fox. At least for several months till the takedown is over. Ranran needs to take her anger elsewhere. You saw what she did with that Shinichi boy, right?" Her father concluded, "Otherwise....do you want her to spend her days as a young Hikikamori again? After what happened to that boy?"

Irene couldn't find a proper answer to the questions her husband had posed.

.............................................................................................

Ranran meanwhile unaware of the drama occurring downstairs hopped onto the computer chair and ponder hard about this. According to Takuma, Watanabe mentioned not wanting to kill him since he be upsetting his nephew if he finds out-

"Wait...nephew?"

Watanabe had a nephew? Also, what did he mean by that? His nephew being upset-

"Could it be....his nephew is roughly a child like us?"

Yes, that could've made total sense to say such a thing. If Watanabe's nephew is an adult, would the escaped jailbird make such comment? Later she should look into his family background.

"The identity of this person......it couldn't be none other than that man by the name of 'Echis', deshou?"

The reason she thinks so is that normally people who break out of prison take a while to locate. Depending on the area, if one is very familiar with it, the easier it is to locate the suspect.

However, there were challenges she has to see to it. One, due to the corruption situation before last month's takes down (or last year since it happened in December) in the core of the Police HQ across Japan thanks to the said criminal by the name of 'Echis', a lot of those in power practically mass hired low experience officials (or in her own words, lack of talent in the field of investigations).

The reason behind the move is simple: they are convenient puppets to keep themselves in power above the law, and better yet for them, she thinks they are too much of a coward to speak against them for the fear of losing their jobs. After the arrests were made, there isn't many well-experienced police officers they have at their disposal to locate the missing jailbird since they are too inexperienced to even conduct a proper manhunt search. So she can't even rely on her tousan to get this up and running. Even if the corruption hadn't taken place, it would've taken a day or two roughly to locate him.

Man, she has her work cut out for her.

She thinks of the identity of the mastermind, the one who fired gunshots at her and Takuma. Does Watanabe (the jailbird) didn't know the person who broke him out of prison? Or was he lying?

Normally, to escape prison, you rely on people you can trust. The chances of a successful escape would increase if they could get someone they know outside of prison, as well as the inside.

However...Ranran frowned, based on Takuma's account, it seems like the jailbird does not know who is this person who broke him out. Also, all he had to go on was a note telling him to. For someone who has been in and out of prison, would you trust a bloody note telling you that there is an escape route? Did he not worry that perhaps it could be a trap set up by the inmates and stuff?

This makes Ranran deeply uneasy.

Whatever the answer is, she needs to dig more about it. The only way to start is, to begin with, his nephew.

Just great, her first-ever huge case to handle, and yet, school is about to start. Just great.  She gotta figure out a way to juggle school, this case, and above all, not attract the suspicion of that boy. The last thing she needs is him around.

But as if the universe hates her, it's about to go against her one after another.