Chapter 262: Scarred Akai
But Jodie quickly reined in the stray thought, her professional focus snapping back into place.
"I am here with my child, Qiqi…" Baizhu gently patted Qiqi's head, prompting the little girl to look up at him with a blank, questioning gaze. "…and her friends, to make a deposit at the bank."
Jodie nodded, her expression grim as she relayed the situation. "There are still four robbers outside, and they all have guns…"
Before she could finish, Baizhu's hand suddenly shot out, covering her mouth. Jodie's eyes widened in shock, her muffled protest lost against his palm as she stared at him in utter confusion.
With a tense expression, Baizhu brought a finger to his own lips and whispered, "Shh… someone's coming!"
At that exact moment, Qiqi also looked up at Jodie, her little face as impassive as ever. "People," she stated softly. "Coming. Two."
Hearing Qiqi's confirmation, Jodie's gaze instantly sharpened. Her training took over, and she immediately whipped her head toward the restroom door, her body coiling like a spring, ready to confront any threat.
The children seemed to grasp the sudden danger. With a shared, silent understanding, they all clamped their small hands over their mouths, trying their best not to make a single sound.
A grim line formed on Conan's lips. He stared intently at the door, his mind racing. 'Are these two armed?' he wondered. If they were, this situation was about to become infinitely more complicated.
Seeing that Jodie understood, Baizhu removed his hand. He used a subtle glance to gesture for them to hide on either side of the door, clearly intending to ambush the robbers together when they entered.
Conan had planned to stay back, ready to use his Stun-Gun Wristwatch if an opportunity arose. Unfortunately for him, Qiqi, with surprising strength, simply grabbed the back of his collar and hauled him into the cramped stall. She completely ignored his indignant squirming, earning him a faint, knowing smirk from Haibara, who seemed amused that he couldn't even break free from a little girl.
The sound of footsteps grew steadily closer. The first robber to enter the restroom wasn't holding a gun, but his eyes were sharp, and he immediately sensed that something was off near the door.
The moment he hesitated, Jodie struck. Seeing she'd been noticed, she abandoned stealth and moved with decisive force, engaging him in close-quarters combat.
The second robber, right behind the first, instantly recognized her. "It's that meddling woman from the lobby!" he snarled, rushing into the restroom and leveling his pistol at Jodie's back.
In that critical instant, Baizhu commanded his Gossamer Sprite. A flicker of emerald light, the tiny spirit zipped through the air and jabbed the pressure point on the armed robber's wrist. The man cried out as his hand went numb, his grip failing as the firearm clattered to the tiled floor. Before he could even register the pain, the sprite darted upwards, delivering a sharp, precise blow to the back of his neck. He crumpled without another sound.
The commotion drew the attention of the first robber, who was still locked in a struggle with Jodie. A flicker of triumph ignited in Jodie's eyes; with one down, only her opponent remained.
Panic flashed across the remaining robber's face. His attacks grew wild and desperate, and it became clear he was trying to create enough noise to alert his companions in the lobby.
Jodie sensed his intention. Freed from the threat of a second gunman and no longer needing to worry about being quiet, she stopped holding back. With a swift, efficient series of strikes, she overpowered him, and a final, solid blow sent him slumping to the floor, unconscious.
Three robbers down. Now, only two remained in the bank lobby.
With the immediate threat neutralized, the atmosphere in the restroom eased. Jodie and Baizhu exchanged a look, a silent discussion passing between them. Should they press their advantage? Scout the lobby and see if they could take down the last two, ending this standoff before anyone else got hurt?
Baizhu gave a firm nod, agreeing without hesitation.
Hearing that Ms. Jodie and Dr. Baizhu were going to take on the robbers, the members of the Detective Boys, who had just cautiously emerged from the stall, couldn't stay put. They all eagerly volunteered to help.
Baizhu considered it for a moment before nodding. 'Better to keep them under my watch,' he reasoned. These children were far too active. If left to their own devices, there was no telling what kind of trouble they might get into.
However, he gave them a stern warning. "Do not run around," he said, his gaze firm. He then turned to the small, silent girl beside him. "And Qiqi, please keep a close eye on Conan. He's the most unstable factor here."
A few of the other children had to stifle their giggles.
A vein throbbed at Conan's temple. 'Hey, is that really necessary?'he thought, deeply frustrated.'I know what I'm doing!'
Their plan set, the small group crept slowly toward the lobby, pressing themselves against the wall to observe the situation from the relative safety of the hallway.
"Ah! It's the Professor!" Genta pointed toward a figure in the middle of the huddled hostages and whispered excitedly.
"Great, the Professor is okay," Ayumi said, a relieved smile gracing her face.
Haibara's expression softened as well. She had been quietly worried that Professor Agasa, who had been alone in the lobby, might have been hurt. Seeing him unharmed was a deep relief.
Jodie's gaze swept past the professor, searching the back of the crowd. Her breath caught. There, still sitting on the floor where she'd last seen him, was the man with the burn scar on his face—the man who looked exactly like Shuichi. It hadn't been an illusion. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips.
But was it really him? Was it really Shuichi?
Baizhu noticed the sudden shift in Jodie's demeanor beside him and turned to her with a questioning look.
An idea formed in Jodie's mind. Baizhu had met Shuichi a few times; his perspective would be more objective than her own emotionally compromised one. Unable to help herself, she subtly pointed toward the man. "Dr. Baizhu," she whispered, "what do you think?"
Following her gesture, Baizhu's eyes landed on "Scarred Akai," who was sitting amongst the hostages, his hands bound with duct tape.
Baizhu knew, of course, that this was almost certainly Toru Amuro in disguise, a ploy to test the FBI's reaction to Akai's apparent survival. But he obviously couldn't say that.
He pretended to observe the man carefully for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. "He certainly bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Akai," Baizhu finally said, his voice low and measured. "But… I am still inclined to believe that is not him."
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]