"When Professor Shibuya hired us to locate that taxidermized eagle, the value itself as we were looking into it was although expensive, it wouldn't have warranted us a good reason over why he did not want cops to be involved, despite knowing The Snake has an interest towards it."

Ranran's gaze remained unwavering as the children and adults stared at her as if she were the main star of her own show, "The Snake can easily obtain this from the black market rather than simply target Professor Shibuya, yet, why did he send a man there to break in the second time? The answer was pretty straightforward actually: It's that 'something' Professor Shibuya secretly took from his former workplace in NASA that The Snake is after, concealed in that eagle, that was enough to get The Snake to kill his own men when the plan backfired."

Ranran's deduction echoed through the souvenir shop, each word landing like a revelation. The atmosphere grew charged with anticipation.

"So, you think you're quite the little detective, don't you?" The Snake's voice held a hint of begrudging admiration. "Go on, tell me what you think I'm after."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"Professor Shibuya cried.

"I do," Ranran met his gaze with confidence. "And to confirm my theory, during a school trip to New York City, Shinichi and I infiltrated a fancy event of your former workplace, where there were rumours that since that 'project' was the one that held the most promising results had secured fundings, it was rumoured that you faked one when that scandal of you allegedly embezzling money forced you to resign."

The professor's eyes widened in shock. "You...you two did what?"

"Let's just say we have our ways of finding the truth," Shinichi interjected, his voice steady.

"Wait, so that is why you both lied during that event?!" Ran found herself asking no one in particular.

But Ranran ignored their former member's question as she probed the professor, "You worked in that company, devoting your blood, tears and soul for so many decades. From the moment you graduated to the time those false allegations surfaced, you felt cheated. You'd been publicly disgraced with lies as they marred your dream as a distinguished rocket scientist. Your reputation was ruined by mere words alone, let alone, jealousy. Which is why....you have to seek revenge. So you stole the real blueprints of that new nuclear rocket plans you'd been designing for them, and then have it hidden in the eagle."

The Snake's eyes narrowed, his mask unable to hide the surprise in his gaze. "Those idiots at NASA told you?! Upfront!?"

"In the first place, they were very drunk when the two headed there," Takuma adds.

Emiko and the others watched her with admiration. They were always amazed by the way she could put a theory together from lots of different facts. Ran meanwhile had mixed feelings, since she still had some inferiority towards Ranran, she found herself caught between irritation and begrudging respect. She always seemed to get the better of her.

"Can you blame me!? After everything that had happened!?" Rated Professor Shibuya, "It's one thing if I did them wrong, but the fact that they spoke ill of me out of jealousy.....where is the professionalism in that!?"

"So a year ago, you decided to return here and brought this little secret with you," Ranran carried on. She began pacing while meeting the professor's rage with a steely gaze. "Too bad, somehow The Snake found out about this secret, he had to have his hands on it. But Professor, you knew calling the cops would not do you good, since you technically stole something meant for NASA after all. And if you do mention any of your rocket scientist past, then your former workplace would be alerted. The last solution was to see our service towards the bitter end."

The Snake watched the exchange with cold amusement, but his grip on the gun tightened. He wasn't about to let the situation slip from his control. "Smart, but did it not occur to you that it could've been gold, jewellery or diamonds?"

"Not possible," Ranran shook her head at the criminal mastermind, "You could've just broken into a bank easily rather than go through such a troublesome thing. A blueprint of a nuclear rocket however is way high in value, especially since you knew Professor Shibuya wasn't in a position to talk, it was perfect to rob him without alerting the cops."

That made Ran and Junko gasped. While Michio snapped his fingers. "Of course! That made sense now!" he cried.

"Even so, Professor Shibuya, didn't you take this too far!?" Ran's jaw dropped as Junko yelled in anger, "It is nuclear rocket plans!"

"Exactly! If it falls to the wrong hands, it would be Hiroshima all over again!" Takuma and Emiko grumbled.

The Snake seemed to be weighing his options. "You children are certainly full of surprises. But I must admit, I'm impressed that you managed to unravel this much."

But Ranran ignored his sardonic praise. Instead, she folded her arms and stared at the master criminal."Then came the next problem. Now we all have to wonder, how did The snake even know about the eagle's secret?'' she asked. She then walked across to Professor Shibuya to confront, "Professor Shibuya, about those plans....have you ever shared with anyone over what you did? Or did you keep it a secret for over a year till recently?"

The room hung in suspense, awaiting Professor Shibuya's response. His gaze wavered, torn between guilt and fear.

"I... I didn't tell anyone," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I swear, I kept it a secret all this time. I never thought anyone would find out."

"Professor always had lived a secretive reclusive life long before the Rocket scientist scandal tainted his reputation. There was no way in hell he was going to tell anyone about what he did. What he did could, after all, land him in prison. Then I realize....wait a minute....what if someone finds out by accident....that they decide to take advantage of him?" Ranran muses.

Ranran's deduction was met with a tense silence. The implications of her words hung heavy in the room, casting an ominous shadow over the group.

The Snake's eyes narrowed, his masked expression giving away nothing. "Very astute, young detective. It seems you have a knack for seeing through people's facades."

"By accident?" Junko blinked behind her glasses, "How?"

"Be his friend, head to his place. Accidentally knock down the eagle, or overhear Professor Shibuya's words." Shinichi listed out the possibilities to the members of the Tantei Association before revealing, "And unfortunately, that one friend in his life....decided to push him under the bus."Shinichi said solemnly.

"Wait, by that 'someone', you mean...." Michio and the others figured out who the apprentice was referring to.

"Yes, Mouri. "Shinichi nodded, before revealing, "That 'someone' who did this to him, that landed him here now, is none other than Professor Hoga Eiichiro."

The revelation hung in the air like a thunderclap. The room grew still, the weight of the truth settling over them all. "Wait, what!?" Michio gasped in shock.

Professor Shibuya who was listening to all of this, shook his head in disbelief, "Eichi-san did this!? As in.....rat me out to The Snake!?"

"Who else could it have been aside from him then?" countered Takuma as everything began to make sense for him. "You were after all his only friend who entered in and out of the place."

"Not to mention," It suddenly dawned on Emiko, "When the second robbery took place, only the upper stairs were ransacked, which meant the culprit knew Professor Shibuya placed the eagle upstairs, and the only one who knew was none other than his friend/junior!"

"That's right!" Junko and Ran exchanged knowing looks.

"But why would Professor Hoga betray his friend?"Ran wanted to know, "Aren't they friends!?"

"Jealousy," Ranran replied as her gaze did not waver.

"Jealousy?! Over what?!" Ran frowned.

After Emiko quickly fills her in on the investigation she missed out on upon quitting Tantei Association, Ranran reveals, "Can't you tell? He is still a lecturer at the university after all those years, while his old friend Professor Shibuya has become a world-famous rocket scientist. If we look at it in the status quo, it is an embarrassment, no, a mockery to Professor Hoga, even in the world of science in his eyes. I mean, the fact that Professor Shibuya was doing so well to a point he can ever fly overseas to the United States, "Ranran chuckles.

"That is true," Michio snaps his finger, recalling, "At the Teitan University where Professor Hoga works, he has yet to achieve a single achievement despite being a lecturer for so many decades."

"And there used to be tons of awards under Professor Shibuya displayed at the memorabilia cabinet there when he was still working for NASA since Professor Shibuya was also formerly a student at Teitan University. That was until the scandal broke out." Junko guessed.

"Even the pay gap is big," Emiko frowned.

Then Ran was able to figure out, "Hang on...then that complaint about Professor Shibuya stealing his company's funding.....Professor Hoga is behind it, huh!? It was to ruin Professor Shibuya's career as a rocket scientist!" The pieces had fallen into place, revealing a sinister plot that spanned years. Professor Shibuya's life had been marred by the betrayal of a friend consumed by envy. "But wait a minute, even though he ruined his life....then why go after the blueprints?! He ruined his entire career! Ain't that enough?"

"No, not when he had a debt to settle," Ranran shrugs.

"Wait, debt!?" Professor Shibuya's eyes grew big, "Eichi-san can't be in debt!"

"Oh, he is very much in debt alright," Ranran glanced at Professor Shibuya, her expression serious. "By a total of 8.5 million yen," she finished her words hanging heavily in the air.

Professor Shibuya's face contorted with disbelief. "How... How do you know this?"

"He took loans for his research projects," Michio added, "Apparently, his obsession with being the top scientist and a sense of superiority in the academic community drove him to drastic measures. He borrowed heavily to fund his own 'revolutionary' experiments and projects, thinking that would finally put him on the map. And when those projects failed to yield results, he found himself in a hole he couldn't climb out of."

"What!? He ain't the type to simply throw his money around like a buffoon!"

"Man," Ranran met Professor Shibuya's gaze with a steady, knowing look. "It seems like you never really knew your friend, Professor. He was drowning in gambling debt, mostly from underground casinos."

"Gambling...? Eichi-san?" Professor Shibuya's voice trembled in shock.

"It started small, poker games and such, to cover his losses for those failed projects," Junko revealed. "But he got desperate. Then came the betting on horse racing, and it all spiraled out of control. We know this because we asked around the people living near his place, You should've seen the red splashed paint on that low-end apartment when Michio and I headed there, it was awful."

"Low-end a-a-apartment!?" The more Professor Shibuya heard all of this from the children, the more he was in disbelief, "But I went there the other day, there was no paint!"

"He paid people to paint his place not long after you left, we did check on that as well." Michio groaned.

"But why didn't he just borrow money from the bank or something? I heard nowadays adults can do that." Emiko asked.

"He had already exhausted all those options," Junko answered. "He even tried to borrow from loan sharks, but they demanded astronomical interest rates.

"In other words.....?" Ran grew puzzled.

"He was trapped." Shinichi sighed. "Big time."

"Which is why he later contacted The Snake for his service, and then probably split profit, am I wrong?" Ranran turned to The Snake. 

"Absolutely, girl," The Snake nodded."If there is one thing about Hoga Eiichiro, is that he is nothing more than a greedy little man who betrayed his friend. He told me that certain foreign powers would pay billions in yen to have those rocket plans. Naturally, I was very interested. In fact, he even told me where was Professor Shibuya moving after that second break-in, which is why I was able to bring his 150 plus birds here."

"But what about those phone calls Professor Hoga told us about? From the man with the nasty voice?"Emiko asked.

"There were nothing but lies to distract us from the truth."Shinichi huffed.

"We're wasting time," growled The Snake."I don't want to talk about Hoga!"He cocked his gun at Ranran."You still haven't told me where the rocket plans are!"

The rest of the kids panicked while Ranran's expression didn't falter under the gun's cold gaze. She held her ground with dominance. "She told you already over the phone yesterday," Shinichi wrinkled his forehead. "In the stuffed eagle, you stole!"

"They're NOT" Roared The Snake before directing their attention to the stuffed eagle. "Look at the stupid bird! It's in perfect condition! It's never been cut open or damaged in any way I even had it x-rayed it! There's nothing so far! NOTHING! Why do you think I sent one of my men to search the professor's house? And why do you think I kidnapped Professor Shibuya in the first place? I want the truth!"

"The truth," Shinichi grinned. "That's a strange word coming from you, Snake!"

The Colt Python whipped around and jabbed hard into Shinichi's chest."Shinichi!" Ran panicked.

"Don't give me another reason to use this gun, now, girl, "The Snake warned before turning to Ranran, "Unless you want the boy to die, where is it!?"

Without staring at Shinichi, Ranran walked across to the taxidermized eagle before cooly telling everyone. "Mina-san, come closer and inspect this bird, tell me what you all see," she invited them over.

The children gathered around the stuffed eagle, their eyes scanning its preserved form. Professor Shibuya, still bound and helpless, watched with bated breath.

Ran shivered as she approached it. Shinichi soon joins next to Ranran while the others get closer to the eagle. "It is just a bird." Ran frantically searching around.

"It looks perfectly normal to me," Junko commented, peering closely.

"Yeah, no signs of tampering," Takuma added, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"It doesn't seem like anything's hidden in it," Emiko remarked, her fingers lightly tracing the feathers.

Michio leaned in, examining the bird with precision. "Everything seems intact."

Ranran watched their inspection with a calm demeanour, waiting for their realization.

Finally, Junko looked up, puzzled. "I don't get it. If the plans aren't in the bird, where are they?"

"It's still in the bird," Shinichi insists.

"Eh? No, it ain't." Ran frowned.

"It is, and you are all not searching it right," Shinichi revealed.

More confusion arose among the other children as Ranran grinned before them, "Exactly what Professor Shibuya intended," grinned Ranran, "Like everyone else, for the past several days before the school trip to New York City, we kept on speculating what sort of object is capable of being fitted into the taxidermized eagle. A pen drive is possible, as well as a microfilm."

"But then problems came up with this theory," Ranran interjected as she deduced, "This bird here," Shinichi pointed before The Snake, "Is in tip-top condition. And then during our first meeting with Professor Shibuya, you mentioned treasuring all of your 150 plus alive birds, the same ones The Snake brought here in this very aviary like your own children."

"So?" Junko and the others were not clear on where she was heading with this.

"You love those birds so much so, you will never want to cut the head of the stuffed bald-headed eagle and simply insert any of those rocket plans inside of the body. Because that would've meant you would end up damaging your favourite stuffed bird. Even if the plans had been reduced to microfilm and hidden in its body, they would easily show up if the bird were ever x-rayed. So, if there is nothing inside the eagle, then it must be on the outside."

Ranran confronted the bounded Professor Shibuya.

"You're talking nonsense!"Professor Shibuya's voice grew more desperate, his composure slipping as everyone realised they must be onto something.

"Heh....." The Snake grew amused at the professor's reaction, "We tortured you for so many days, we barely got this reaction from you."

"Try looking at it again."Ranran encouraged them to inspect the stuffed eagle, "He put it somewhere outside this eagle."

Emiko, Michio, Takuma, Junko, and Ran leaned in closer, their eyes scanning every inch of the stuffed eagle. They examined its plumage, its wings, its talons, searching for any sign of tampering.

"There's got to be something we're missing," Michio mumbled, his fingers tracing the feathers.

"Wait... look here," Junko's voice trembled with excitement as she pointed to the bird's eyes.

As the children gathered around to see where she was pointing, the eagle's glassy eyes seemed to glisten with an unusual shine.

"That is right, he made it into a lens before embedding it into the eagle's eye," Shinichi nodded."And, unless I'm mistaken, the professor reduced the rocket plans to something really small... much smaller than microfilm, more like a microdot and embedded it in one of the eagle's eyeballs."

The Snake signalled to the man next to him, who sprinted across to the eagle. He produced a knife, ready to dig out the bird's eyes.

"NO!" screamed Professor Shibuya, "Don't damage the bird! You don't need to do that. I'll get it for you!"

The Snake's man cut him loose as Professor Shibuya reached over and gently began turning one of the eagle's eyes. When he had unscrewed it, he gripped it between his thumb and forefinger. Soon, everyone watched the frantic scientist squeezing the eye until it popped open and a plastic disk slipped into the palm of his hand. 

"When did you guys realize that Professor Shibuya could've used a lens and have it hidden at the eagle's eye?" Emiko asked.

"It was just a mere hunch," Shinichi smiled, his gaze never leaving the precious lens now in Professor Shibuya's trembling hand. "The Snake himself is someone who had connections in the criminal world, which an empire worth around 8 million yen. With that much money, he definitely uses everything at his disposal to examine the eagle with an X-ray machine and all. Considering he didn't, plus the fact Professor Shibuya was really desperate to have us look into this case without the police involvement, I can naturally assume he has to have put it outside the eagle."

The Snake soon snatched the plans from him. His reptile-skin mask rippled with pleasure.

Professor Shibuya turned deathly pale."You've been very clever, kids, but now that The Snake has got what he wants, our lives are worth nothing."

The room grew tense once more, the air thick with apprehension. The Snake's sinister laughter filled the space, echoing off the walls.

"Now, you see, none of you are necessary anymore," he sneered, waving the microdot in front of them. "I have what I came for. And as for you, Professor Shibuya, you've outlived your usefulness."

As the man with the snake tattoo stepped forward, brandishing a gun, the children braced themselves for what was to come before Ranran suddenly asked, "Since we are about to die, I might as well have one more question to ask you directly."

The Snake regarded her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "Ask away. It won't change your fate."

"Professor Hoga Eichiro, the guy who hired you to do this to Professor Shibuya, where did you put him anyway?" Ranran questioned the criminal.

Wondering what Ranran was talking about, the Snake turned to her asking in annoyance, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"You admitted that he hired you to do that to Professor Shibuya, so where is he?" Again, Ranran demanded.

"In the first place, although he did hire me, I have no idea what happened to him later on." Snapped The Snake towards the little girl.

"You are probably lying!" Michio confronted, "He went missing around an hour after we dropped by his office, and the same day after Professor Shibuya hurriedly moved out of his house!"

"Also, you even admitted that Professor Hoga ratted Professor Shibuya off regarding his whereabouts!" Shinichi argued, "Why isn't he here anyway? Did you both have a nasty fallout over splitting the profit regarding the nuclear rocket plans?"

"Oh no, if anything, he ghosted me." The Snake spat.

"Ghosted you?! As if anyone who believes that!" Takuma spat, his disbelief on the expression was clear alongside Emiko, Ran and Junko.

Professor Shibuya, who had been watching this exchange with a mix of relief and curiosity, finally spoke up. "Wait, Eichi-san is missing!? For how long!?"

"A week plus I think," Emiko answered.

The Snake's frustration was evident as he faced the relentless questioning from the young detectives. He scowled beneath his mask, "Wherever he is, I had no idea. Around the same day after Professor Hoga tipped me off over where Professor Shibuya was, I had sent men over to confront him about whether he intentionally lied about the eagle to get back at his jealousy towards Professor Shibuya, because at that time I was unable to locate the blueprints after putting it under an X-ray, but he wasn't at his apartment when my men arrived. Even when I made several calls to his phone, he didn't pick up."

"You are bluffing!" Ran too was in doubt. 

"Believe all you want, so around the same day we assumed he was out at work at Teitan University, We had men stationed around that neighbourhood, and he has yet to return to his apartment since!" The Snake scoffed with a shrug, "Well since he could not be located, his profit is his loss then."

"Where could he have gone?" Professor Shibuya mused, his earlier anger now replaced with concern.

"Make a better deal than The Snake, of course."

The voice came from the shadows at the bottom of the stairs. Professor Hoga had arrived quietly, flanked by three armed men in black hoods."Your old enemies, The Crows, made me an offer I couldn't refuse..."

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

"No way! I thought everyone who worked for The Crows was all in jail!"Junko gasped. "The police caught them when they tried to steal the white tiger!"

"Most of us, but not all," Said one of the members. "When we heard what The Snake was up to, we persuaded Professor Hoga to cross to our side."

"I didn't have much choice," Hoga admitted sharply, "You kinda force me."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the souvenir shop. The unexpected arrival of Professor Hoga, now aligned with the criminal organization known as The Crows, shifted the balance of power once again.

"You bastards!" swore The Snake in anger as he confronted The Crows, "How dare you mess with my plans!?"

"How dare we? How dare you try to backstab us!" One of the members seethes their teeth as he recounts that incident, "When we made an alliance on attempting to smuggle that white tiger back then, didn't you all plan to betray us all!?"

"Your stupid incompetent leader back then wanted to charge us with additional interest when I was the one who is supplying most of the tools, facilities and men to do that operation!" The Snake blasted angrily while aiming a gun at The Crows, "You can't blame me wholely when it was all of your incompetence that led that heist to ruins. He got too greedy! Which is why our men agreed to do this! It was a mutual vote decision!"

"Hah! Who are you to say that your group is the smart one?" One of them laughed in a mocking tone, "When our leader heard you had planted that stupid gambler asshole bought over the damn circus at that time, he immediately knew that was a recipe for disaster! If you had listened to him about moving that ringleader of that circus troupe back then and replacing him with someone competent, the majority of our men would've been out of prison!"

"Also, you wanted to paint one of the tigers with white paint back then before smuggling the real one out! This is the era of smartphones and the Internet nowadays, even a cockeye man can tell if that Bengal tiger that was painted in white is a fraud!" Another man of The Crows screeched, "Since your men ditch us to die or be arrested, it only seems fair that we retrieve our compensation by taking away those blueprints!"

"Also, the guy whom you all sent to pick up that jailbird back then to collect him in that car, it was thanks to your incompetence for forgetting to replace the faulty tire, that got us into this mess! So it only seems fair that we redeem our dues from you, dickhead!"

"Who is the dickhead, you piece of crap! How rude can you be!? Did your parents not teach you anything about manners!?" The Snake snarled.

"I am sorry, I don't have manners towards rude criminals like you!"

The tension in the room reached a boiling point as the two criminal factions clashed in words and threats. The Snake and The Crows exchanged heated accusations, each blaming the other for the failed heist involving the white tiger while the children detectives plus Professor Shibuya are at a loss over what to do here.

"Screw it, Snake, give them the microdot," Hoga replied.

But before anyone could stop him, Professor Shibuya, who was already fuming in rage over his friend's betrayal after Ranran and Shinichi's revelation, so much so, that he had lunged across the room and seized his old friend by the throat.

"You bastard!" he screamed accusingly "How dare you betray me over jealousy?! I thought we were friends!"

"Friends my foot!" Professor Hoga struggled to free himself, "How dare you hit me, you old fool! Quit hitting me!"

"You deserve it, you prick!"

The room had descended into chaos, with shouts and accusations flying from all directions. The Snake, The Crows, Professor Shibuya, and Professor Hoga were caught in a whirlwind of rage and betrayal.

Ranran, Shinichi, and the rest of the children stood back, stunned by the sudden turn of events. They exchanged confused glances, unsure of how to intervene in this escalating confrontation.

In the mix of the confusion, one of the Crows had darted across toward The Snake. He planted himself in front of the master criminal, his gun gripped in both hands.

"Hand over the microdot, now!'' he barked."One...two-"

The gunshot was deafening in the small room. The Crows gangster saw his gun fly from his grasp when a bullet slammed into its barrel. He rolled to the ground, clutching his wounded fingers, screaming in pain. "You are not to lay a hand on my father, alright?!"

10-year-old Adeline jumped down from the stairs, her eyes blazing, her gun sweeping the room as the other Crows dropped their weapons and raised their hands

"Perfect timing, my dear." The Snake congratulated her, "And excellent shooting. Now I think it's time we left." He signalled to his men. They closed in on the The Crows,, pushed them toward the stairs, and scooped up their guns. "We'll take these gentlemen with us and dispose of them later!" mocked The Snake.

He was about to follow when he cast a lingering look at the eagle.

"I will leave you with your precious bird, Professor Shibuya," he decided, "You have first betrayed your own workplace, then you stole the rocket secrets, then Professor Hoga betrayed your trust. Do we call this karma? Isn't it strange how life works out..."

Hoga then threw Shibuya aside. "Snake, we had a deal. Half a million yen, you said!

"I would have honoured it had you not backstabbed me in the first place," The Snake laughed in his face and held up the microdot triumphantly "But right now, you no longer have anything to offer me. However, I'm sure the police will be interested to hear your story.''

Finally, The Snake turned to Ranran.

"It seems, my young girl, that you are the loser this time. No hard feelings, I trust?" His reptile-skin mask twisted into a smirk.

"You wanna bet, "The little red lip detective girl smirks at him.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm bell echoed through the souvenir shop. The sudden blare of the alarm startled everyone in the room. The sound reverberated, drowning out any further words or threats.

"What's going on!?" The Snake barked, his composure cracking.

"Father! It must be the police!" Adeline screamed a warning. "Run!"

Without hesitation, The Snake immediately bolted for the stairs alongside his daughter.

"No hard feelings I hope, Snake," Ranran taunted, and ducked when a bullet whined over her head.

"Ranran!" Shinichi grew horrified as panic gripped the room. The shrill alarm continued to wail, its sound reverberating off the walls, while sudden chaos created a whirlwind of confusion, giving the children a moment to gather their bearings.

"I won't let you get away this time!" Ranran's voice echoed with determination. Ignoring the chaos around her, she sprinted towards the stairs, her eyes locked on where The Snake had vanished.

"Ranran, wait up!" Shinichi's urgent cry followed, his instincts propelling him after his mentor.

"Shinichi!" Ran called out to him, but he didn't turn his back on her.

"Shit!" Professor Hoga gritted his teeth before he made an attempt to escape.

"Guys, get him!" Takuma shouted, pointing to Professor Hoga's attempted escape.

As chaos unfolded around them, the children of the Tantei Association swiftly organized themselves. The 4 remaining members of Tantei Association, as well as 1 former member, sprang into action, chasing after the fleeing professor before five children ended up seizing him and pinned his arms to his side. However, since they are smaller than an adult, he nearly escaped until Professor Shibuya joined in.

"Oh no you don't!" Professor Shibuya snapped before finally joining in the struggle. Together, they managed to subdue Professor Hoga, his struggles growing weaker as he realized the futility of resisting.

They peered out through the windows of the souvenir shop.

"It is the police!" Junko pointed into the sky from where a throbbing sound was growing louder, the police label evident on the helicopter flying above them.

Michio's eyes lit up, "I thought I heard a chopper when we were in the van."

"That would mean Ranran and Shinichi must have gotten Sergeant Genzo involved the whole time!"Emiko jumps up.

"Eeeeh!?" Ran and the other gasped before Ran sighed as she facepalmed herself, "Then if that were the case, I would've had to rush over to warn Shinichi off about doing something reckless in the first place! Mou! Why didn't he say anything!?"

Takuma, however, didn't hold back his criticism. He confronted Ran directly. "In the first place, you are Shinichi's former friend. Plus, you didn't treat him and Ranran well these past 2 months, so he doesn't even need to share with any of you such details. Plus, you are no longer a member anymore!"

Ran winced at the accusation, realizing that her actions had consequences and that they had affected her relationship with Shinichi. She lowered her head, feeling a mix of guilt and regret.

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

Two police helicopters were swooping down on the bird park. One was going to land in the courtyard. The other would land by the main gate. In other words, The Snake would be trapped. There is no way out.

But if that was the case, Ranran is certain Adeline will think of this too and figure a way out.

Which is why Ranran better get to them, as quickly as possible.

Outside, Adeline had jumped to the same conclusion.

With police helicopters around the area, even if they had managed to escape, it wouldn't do Adeline and her criminal father good. Since they could see them above the sky.

Even so, Adeline has a plan for that.

She ran to a control panel set in the fence by one of the bird park's massive enclosures. She reached for a lever labelled EMERGENCY and hauled down on it.

The next moment, the roofs of the aviaries opened automatically like giant wire lids.

Thousands of birds flew into the freedom of the sky, rising in a dense mass, wheeling and circling, squawking and screeching. Hawks, parrots, cranes kingfish and flamingoes formed a swirling, whirling cloud of colour. Adeline's plan was both daring and effective. As the aviary roofs swung open, a cacophony of bird calls erupted, filling the air with a chaotic symphony. Birds of all shapes and sizes burst forth, taking to the sky in a riot of feathers and wings.

The sight was breathtaking, a living kaleidoscope of colours and shapes dancing in the air. Hawks soared alongside parrots, cranes glided with kingfishers, and flamingos added their elegant grace to the mix.

The sudden surge of avian life created a distraction, unlike anything the police or the Tantei Association had anticipated. The helicopters overhead were forced to swerve and adjust their altitude to avoid the swirling mass of birds.

In the midst of this avian frenzy, The Snake and Adeline seized their chance. With a final, defiant glance back at the chaotic scene they had orchestrated, they slipped away. Ranran watched as Adeline leapt into the van. Seconds with a sickening squeal, it sped toward the main gate. 

By the time Ranran raced outside, followed by Shinichi, they helplessly watched as The Snake made his getaway. "Ah, damn it!"Ranran's frustration mirrored their collective sentiment. "We were so close!"

Shinichi's jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the van. The moment slipped through their grasp, leaving a bitter taste of defeat.

Soon, Ran, Michio, Takuma, Junko, and Emiko joined them, their breaths heavy from the chase. They exchanged disappointed glances, their determination undiminished, but their current position offered no immediate solutions.

Meanwhile, the swirling mass of birds continued to fill the sky, creating a mesmerizing display of avian acrobatics. The police helicopters hovered cautiously, their blades cutting through the air as they navigated the unexpected obstacle.

"Now that The Snake has the plans, we are going to end up in a Hiroshima state, aren't we!?" Takuma and the rest of the children's eyes grew wide with horror.

Before Ranran could respond, they heard a weary laugh behind them, Ranran spun round. Professor Shibuya reverently nursing his stuffed eagle, was also watching the van vanish into the distance.

Ranran frowned. "You don't seem very worried Professor."

"I'm not," Professor Shibuya told him. "Let The Snake have those plans. They're worthless. Anyone following those diagrams will build a rocket that will blow up when they try to launch it."

Junko shook her head. "I don't understand."

"What's the old fool talking about!?" The furious yet screaming Professor Hoga struggled to escape desperately, but Michio and the rest of the children held him firmly.

Slowly Professor Shibuya began to twist the other eye of the eagle. When he'd unscrewed it, he carefully popped it open to reveal another microdot. "This is the microdot he really wanted, "Professor Shibuya explained. "This one contains the actual plans." Then he dropped the merоdot to the concrete and ground it under his heel.

"Wait, there were two?!" Shinichi and the rest of the children's brows shot up.

"Yes," Professor Shibuya later revealed, "When I was under investigation over those fake allegations thanks to him," He glared at Professor Hoga before explaining to the children, "Since I was under the impression that I was too much of a threat to the other jealous competitors who did not manage to secure the fundings, I knew they wouldn't do a proper investigation into the lies spread about me, let alone, are more than happy to kick me out. So during that period, I made up fake rocket nuclear plans next to the real ones, in case they did kick me out which they did, they will never be able to replicate the project I suggested to them."

"Eh, so those rumours when I asked through those employees at NASA were true after all." Ranran grinned "In the end, The snake wasn't as eagle-eyed as he thought."

"Well, pun intended, "Shinichi chuckles.

"I can't believe it!" Professor Hoga whined in despair and anger towards Professor Shibuya, "So when you told me this secret after you quit NASA a year ago, you did this to get me into serious trouble, didn't you!? Putting that bird on your office table, then purposefully dropping it in front of me while acting all so protective over it after that conversation of you jokingly stealing those plans!"

"No, that was by accident."

"Eh?!"

"In the first place, I didn't think you would end up betraying me and go about hiring criminals to break into my place. By the way, about those failed science projects, especially since you kept on borrowing from loansharks.....why didn't you tell me any of this? The Eichiro I knew back then never cared when it came to failures!"

"Huh, who are you to say that, when you yourself couldn't even be honest with me." Eichiro gave him a snarky response. 

"What are you talking about?!"

"Were you yourself not going to bother to tell me? That over the past several decades, you were born from a wealthy family, Shibuya-san?"

Professor Shibuya's expression shifted from one of stern resolve to one of astonishment. He stared at Professor Hoga, his eyes wide with surprise. "What... How did you...?" he stammered.

"Just answer the question, Shibuya-san."

The revelation hung heavy in the air, adding another layer of complexity to their already tangled history.