Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds

[Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds]

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds

Chapter 8

One Upped

The shadow that hid within the darkness was slender and athletic in figure, giving off a display in stance which could only be described as devious. No move was made on his part, anticipating that the one standing no more than five yards away would soon take the honor. Moments passed with neither flinching an inch. Amused he finally stepping forward with the first words to convey.

"I know who you are," Kaitou Kid enunciated. The one standing within the shadows did not respond, not even a nod of acknowledgement. He huffed before continuing. "You're the one who impersonated me at Skytale."

A light chuckle came in response of the claimed. The one in the dark clapped as they set foot into the light to reveal themselves in full. The one now standing before him was identical in appearance, the only difference being the taunting smirk across their face. "I'm pleased you were able to deduce the code, you fulfill me with your presence."

He was not interested in small talk, evident by the maintained look. "Who are you, and what do you want with me." Kaitou Kid questioned staring deep into his imposters eyes.

"Not with, from," There was now a look of concern on their face. "There's something that I desire unconditionally that can only be gained from you, there's a troubled situation that embraces this very moment."

His eyes perked at the spoken. While he had no idea what was meant by this, he found himself intrigued none the less. "Don't stop there."

Commencing, the imposter reached into their jacket. Their hand rifled through the contents of what lay hidden away. A thirteen inch blade surfaced in the grasp of their hand soon after. "Do you know what this represents?"

His eyes widened as a rush of emotions spiraled within. He looked to the sword then back to the empty look on their face, unsure of what it was they were hinting at. Before he had a chance to inquire further the sound of shattering glass was heard from above. Instinct took his eyes to the ceiling as four dark figures dropped in.

"Friends of yours," asked Kaitou Kid looking back to make an alarming discovery. "He's gone." This was no time to detract himself from the situation at hand. His eyes aligned back to the other side to face the five newcomers who had arrived.

They stood only a few feet away. He looked each of them over, detailing the telling apparel worn by all of them. Standing on the far left was a woman. She was athletic in form, slightly shorter than him in height. She had on white face makeup that covered most of her face. Her long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, with her bangs settling over her eyebrows. Over her eyes sat a black domino mask, one in the shape of an upside down spade.. mysterious was the thought that set in mind. His eyes trailed further down to the white shirt with a large black spade in the center of it. Further down was her black skirt which fell just above her knees. Even though they weren't very large in size he noticed a pattern of white spades that resided at the end of the skirt, a pattern circling around from front to back. She wore knee high socks which were black and white in a stripe pattern. The last detail to note was her black shoes and the single black cut glove on her left hand.

His eyes then traced to the woman next to her. While lean as well, she wasn't as athletic in build. Her face was covered in white makeup as well. Her hair was a blood dark red, measuring down to her jaw. Grasping her body was a black leather suit. She wore red boots, both of which had a golden spade on the outside in design. Complementing this was a pair of soft red silk gloves on her hands. His eyes then took note of the golden belt strapped around her waist. Of everything worn by her, the item of highest visual hierarchy was the golden tiara sitting firmly atop her head.

The next subject his focus landed on was the man who stood in the middle of the pack. He was big in stature, standing at an estimated six two. The first thing drew his attention was the gold crown resting on top of his head. "Do these people think they're some kind of royalty?" Just as the others there was white face makeup present on his face. He had long curly blonde hair that was shoulder length in reach. He wore a white long sleeves button shirt, the buttons being in the shape of spades and gold in color. Further down was a pair of white dress pants and gold boots. Like his comrade at his side he too sported a gold belt. Resting atop his shoulders was a white cape, one with a rich gold lacing on the boarders of it.

Not wasting another moment he turned to the next man who had a huge grin on his face that couldn't be missed. He was smaller in build, no more than five eleven in height from what he was able to make out. He too was covered in white face makeup. Sitting on top of his head was a dark brown top hat. Kid's eyes slightly narrowed at the sight of seeing his hair tied in pigtails. Pushing past this detail he looked to the three piece suit worn by him. The suit itself was dark brown in color, complementing the hat nicely. The under shit was white, topped with a purple tie that brought a white designed pattern of spades. His right hand was tucked away within his pocket, grasping what appeared to be a gold chain. "A pocket watch?" But if that were the case then why did he have a watch on his left wrist? This was something that he kept in mind before looking to the final person standing amongst them.

He was the largest of them all, clearly topping out in height at, at least six foot six. He wore a complete tight body black suit which covered his face as well, hiding any defining features to make note of. Clamped to the chest of the suit was a large white single spade.

His eyes flickered, he could see it.. they were studying him just as much as he did them. If there was one defining detail to note, it was the 'Spade'. Each of them wore a spade in one form or another. After gazing over them all for a second time he finally decided to speak. "So.. you people must be the Council of Spades Night Stalkers," Kaitou Kid jokingly remarked. He looked over them, expecting one of them would say something in response. This however did not occur. Regardless he pressed once again. "You bunch sure are gifted speakers, that much I can say."

The man in the three piece suit softly chuckled in light of this, the others however were less than amused. The silence of the group would come to an end as the man standing in the middle stepped forward. He grunted, looking him up and down before speaking. "You, I recognize you," He said showcasing a look of realization. "Yes, you're that famous Kaitou Kid of Japan, the Kid thief."

He grinned as a way of acknowledgement of the suspected, all while planting his hands to his waists in prideful fashion. "My reputation precedes me."

"Perhaps," The man in the suit of white conveyed. "You're well respected and admired globally by people like us, there is no mistaking that. But don't delude yourself boy, we will not be outdone by the likes of you."

With just those words he learned something about the opposition. "People like us?" What was meant by this?

"I never expected to see you here, let alone cross you myself," The caped man continued. "Which leads to my stance of inquiry; what brings the great Kid thief of Tokyo to the grand city of Gotham?"

His arms dropped from his waist, knowing he couldn't reveal what truly brought him here. There was too much still unanswered, and besides his business was his own. Looking him dead in the eyes he answered with the most logical explanation to give. "Little dance, little sightseeing," Kaitou Kid began with the resurgence of his grin. "Little something that has caught this thief's eye, and I must collect." He turned, pointing to the two samurai beauties directly behind. "These here are the lucky goats."

"Well," The caped man said with a pause. "That poses a problem, because you see.. that's what we seek, and we will have it."

There was no backtracking now. He rubbed his hands together as he looked back to the man standing across from him with a new energy in his eyes. "Just who are you people anyway?" Kaitou Kid finally asked. "It's only common courtesy that I ask."

"Oh, how rude of me, while we're knowledgeable about you we failed to introduce ourselves. My name is King," The man in a cape and crown revealed proudly. He then focused his attention to the man standing at the end of the line left of him. He pointed to the large man in the full body black suit before speaking. "That there is Ace, he doesn't talk much so I took the honor of introducing him myself."

His eyes then traced to the man directly beside him. "And this here is." King began only to be cut off.

"The name's Jack mate." The man in the three piece suit nodded with the tip of his hat. There was a significant confidence that sprung in his words, with an added cockiness. This was something he had noticed the moment he laid eyes on him.

The next one to introduce themselves was the woman with the tiara residing on the top of her head. She took a step forward, gazing deep into his eyes as she spoke her intro. "I am Queen," She reveled with a sharpen narrow of her eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you boy thief of Japan."

"It's Kid." Jack said quick to correct.

"The honor is mine." Kid replied. Whether they got his name right or wrong didn't bother him in the least. Even then she still stared him down. Of them all it was clear she was the most calculative, she watched his every move, his every expression even.

This left one final person to reveal their name to him. The woman on the far left raised her eyes from where they stared down at the ground before softly conveying her name. "..Ten." She softly spoke. She said nothing more, dropping eye contact with him almost as soon as it was made.

King swayed his arm from left to right, showcasing a look of pride before making his next announcement. "Together we are the Royal Flush Gang!"

He managed another smile. "Royal Flush Gang huh, can't say I've ever heard of you guys," Kaitou Kid admitted. "But from what I've been able to gather thus far, would I be right in assuming you guys are a band of thieves?"

"That would be correct." King confirmed.

"So we're all one big happy family then, this has all been one gigantic misunderstanding," Kaitou Kid said raising his right arm into the air. "I will now see my exit from this dance; whatever remains is yours to take." With that he opened his hand, dropping a capsule of some kind to the ground below. It exploded on contact, bringing a large cloud of smoke.

Once it cleared he was gone, but not just him.. but the two prized items as well.

His eyes twitched upon this realization. "Ummmm, did he just get away," Jack questioned. "And with the Revenant Warriors?!"

"Dammit!" King hissed under his breath. "Last I checked, this guy wasn't a meta."

Regardless there was one amongst them who was far from worried. "Relax yourselves, he hasn't gotten away," Queen said looking back up to the broken window where they crashed in from. "Just a head start."

Both King and Jack looked to one another, confusion set on both of their faces. They then looked to her, wanting an explanation for what it was she spoke. "What do you mean he has a head start?" King asked.

"If we waste any more time it won't be just a head start," Queen said sidestepping the asked. "He will get away. Come comrades, we have a boy thief to catch."

…

There was nothing but silence within, listening as the time ticked away on the outside. He continued to wrap his mind around it all, feeling as if the answer he sought lay within arm's length.

"Time's running out, I need to solve this."

He knew with every passing moment that the planned finale was one step closer to erupting. But what were the details surrounding it, and if anything what could he do to prevent it? This however would receive a dagger on point, hearing the sound of an explosion that was no more than a block away from where he currently stood.

"Just what I need, a distraction."

The grappler sitting in place was reached for, grabbing hold of it at about the same time the sound of gunfire snapped through the air.

"Something is definitely going on," Batman said slightly shifting his head right. "No doubt the Ghost Dragons are making their next move."

There was no time for delay or for sidetracking himself from the matter that was unfolding, like any uproars such as this, life and death always seemed to weigh in the balance. He aimed the grappler in the direction of choice, lunging into the air while pressing down to the trigger that launched the line.

"This ends now."

That first swing brought the alerting sound of a ring in his left ear, letting him know of an incoming call. After touching down to the neighboring building he took the call, not surprised to hear who was on the other end.

"Master Bruce there is something that has come up that you might be interested to hear."

"I'm listening Alfred." Batman said as he continued on his pursuit to the location where he believed the gunfire originated.

"There's been a break in sir," Alfred informed. "At the Gotham City museum."

"Is that right," Batman said with a brief pause. "Have the police been alerted?"

"Already on their way."

"You said before this news would be something I'd be interested in hearing, agreed," Batman commented. "This could very well be the Kid Thief's first move."

"First move?"

"I believe there are two things he plans on setting in motion tonight," Batman replied. "This is all solely based on the criteria of his note left for us."

"Is that right?"

"I can't go after Kaitou now, is Robin with you?" Batman asked.

"Master Damian left minutes ago, where his travels have taken him is unknown to me," Alfred informed. "I've tried contacting him but have had no luck, perhaps you would have better luck?"

"No time," Batman stated. "The Ghost Dragons have in fact remerged, they are top priority."

"So your concerns have panned out, I see," Alfred said. "I take it this is what resulted in you taking to the streets so soon?"

"Yes, their actions already have them crossing fire with the police."

"Oh dear," Alfred gulped. "I never expected they would go on the offensive the moment of their return."

"Alfred, I want you to contact Batgirl."

"For?"

"Instruct her to head to the museum, if Kaitou Kid is there he won't get away," Batman said certain of this. "I'll round up as many of the Dragons as I can."

"Will do sir, is there anything else that I can do for you?"

"Keep me posted on any other activity."

"You have my word."

"Batman out."

The transmission between the two came to an end with that, leaving him to focus strictly on the task at hand. The sound of gunfire had since ceased since hearing their calls only seconds ago. After a soaring glide down to a smaller building he focused his attention to the alley now within his window of sight. "This was where the sound of gunfire came from," Batman said surveying his eyes from end to end."Yet no one is here?"

He kept his eyes sharp. There was no sign of the police or the Ghost Dragons. Shots had just been fired moments ago, and since there was no one to be seen it raised the question of where they might have gone. That was only his initial thought. There were no injured spotted, could it be that the target of the fired was not another person? If so, then what?

There was no telling what it could have been from his position. He'd have to move in closer to gain a better understanding. There was no second guessing, he leaped down from the ledge of the building into the darkness of the alley in hopes light would shed some truth to the mystery that presented itself.

The ground was reached momentarily. He immediately went to work on scouting the area, taking all but one step before noticing something on the ground directly below.

"What's this?"

He kneeled down, grabbing hold of what had caught his attention. He raised it in hand to find exactly what it was. "A bullet."

…..

He moved with persuasion, feeling the delight of success inside as the warm breeze of the night passed through his hair as he leaped from one building to the next. And though he had obtained the sought what was next? If his imposter was truly after them then there was no doubt they'd be coming for them. Had they truly been scared off by the Royal Flush Gang, or was there more to it? But above all, what did they want with him?

After all they had lured him to Gotham. "I have no doubt I'll cross with my lookalike again, but just who are they," Kaitou Kid questioned. If one thing was clear it was that there was something they needed of him. But what? Above all, who were they? He would need more before being able to determine the face on the opposite side of the coin. Just as he landed on top of another roof he heard something zoom by from above. "What was that?"

He looked up into the sky to find an unexpected sight. It was the Royal Flush Gang; and they were floating in midair due to the hover boards they stood upon, ones that resembled spade playing cards.

"Did you really think you could escape us?" King said descending down to join him.

Kaitou Kid smiled as he watched King drop down from the hover board. "Nice ride! Can your mom make me one?" Kaitou Kid teasingly taunted.

Ignoring him King pushed straight to the subject. "Give them to me," King demanded as he clutched his fist. "Hand over the Revenant Warriors."

"Revenant Warriors… that must be the name of the samurais," Kaitou Kid realized. He huffed, turning his back to him before speaking his decline. "Forgive me my king, for I cannot concede to your plea."

He immediately launched himself toward the next building.

"Get him!" King commanded.

And thus the chase began. He trotted from one building to the next in attempt to stay ahead of those who he found now in pursuit of him.

"I have to admit, those things are quite handy."

There was no slow in their pursuit, soaring from side to side as they closed the gap with every passing second. They were clearly faster then, knowing he'd have to make up for a lack thereof speed with his maneuverability.

"How long do you plan on keeping this up," Kaitou Kid asked. "No way you'll be able to catch a talent such as myself.

"Your arrogance clouds you boy." Queen jeered in response.

"If you say so, girl." Kaitou Kid grinningly retorted.

This irked her, but she made sure as not to let it show.

"Being the first to capture you will be an honor." Jack noted.

He smiled in light of this.

"No way I'm going to escape given the current circumstances.. I need leeway for an escape." Kid plotted in mind.

He knew what needed to be done, picking up in length with each stride while maintaining a balance as not to throw himself off point as he continued to run. His adrenaline was pumping on all cylinders now. Without warning Ten drilled past him with an igniting burst, stopping directly in his path as the two locked eyes. His reaction had to be immediate, planting his left foot roughly before shifting his sights right and lunging off of the building with a launching jump.

"He cannot escape!" King roared.

"That was close." Kaitou Kid said to himself as he free fell in midair. Expectedly he unleashed his glider to grant him flight.

"Bad move boy," Queen quipped. "The skies favor us."

"You can't really be expecting to out gain us with a simple glider." Jack added.

"You're right, that would be foolish for me to believe," Kaitou Kid agreed. "This is why we are going to play a little game of catch the snake."

"Catch..?" Ten murmured to herself.

None of them could have been prepared for what happened next. Without warning he took a drastic nose dive with the motion of his glider.

"Is he crazy!" King stated as he and the rest of the Royal Flush gang took off after him.

He listened to the whistle of the air current. "Good, they're following." Everything was going as planned. With a shift in push he leveled upward once again, catching a boost from the wind that headed in the direction of choice. This sudden move put him above the gang of thieves who now chased, just as he anticipated. He reached into his jacket to extract the next part in his plan. "Hey princess," Kaitou Kid said glancing over his left shoulder. He looked directly into Queen's eyes before releasing something from his jacket, an item which was tossed directly toward her. "Catch."

"It's the Snake Revenant, he just tossed it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Don't let it hit the ground!" King roared.

The pressure fell squarely on her shoulder as she sized the 'prize' up, accounting not only for the swirling path it fell in but for the wind conditions as well. This all lasted but two seconds, reaching out and grabbing hold of it before it could fall past her. "Got it!" Just as those words blew past her lips a beaming flash of light exploded, blinding all who had set eye on the warrior statue; in this case being all members of the Royal Flush Gang.

It took many seconds before their eyes readjusted to what surrounded them. She immediately looked down into the possession of her hands, confirming it was indeed the Revenant Snake warrior that had been thrown her way. But this was only one of two. The Dragon warrior statue was gone, and so was Kid.

"Damn him," King venomously hissed under his breath. He calmed himself, looking into the clear to find nothing but an empty sky. "The Kid thief just crossed the wrong pack. No one crosses the Royal Flush Gang."

To Be Continued

[Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds]

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds

Chapter 4

A Trip to Take

He was attentive to the one who took center stage, ready to hear what it was he had to share.

"It's just as I had expected," Flash began. "Central City is the location for where your guy has been getting his stuff produced."

He was surprised to learn this, but didn't allow it to be expressed in the least. "Is that right?"

"I infiltrated the place ten minutes ago, it was all there," Flash added. "From the supplies they were using to produce the toxin, along with a list of all upcoming shipments."

"And Crane?"

He lightly chuckled for what he was to be conveyed next. "Now here is the funny part.. depending what you consider humorous this might not be funny at all," Flash continued with a sudden pause. "Crane was nowhere to be found, or anyone for that matter."

There was an awkward shift in his eyes to see in light of receiving this news. "What?"

"It is just as it sounds."

He was finding this hard to believe. "Are you certain of this?"

"I searched the lab up and down, and then some."

"I see," Bruce said. Silence fell between the two for seconds to come. He took the time to process everything collected to this point before speaking further. "Tell me about the scheduled shipments you obtained."

"Yea, about that," Flash replied laughing softly. "There's just one problem."

"What?"

"I've tried, but haven't been able to open any of the files as of yet."

"Then how did you come to conclude that they have a set schedule for shipments for Crane's toxin?"

"There are names on each folder that were found on the hard drive I took from the facility, each folder is encrypted with a password," Flash informed. "And since that is the case we won't be able to open any of the files until the."

"Security lock is bypassed." Bruce interjected.

"The detective marks his spot."

"Send me all files now," Bruce instructed. "I'll have everything decoded before."

"Already did," Flash noted. "The second I made contact with you was the moment all collected data was forwarded to you."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Besides the files and the chemicals discovered there was something else I came across," Flash conveyed. "Something that not only pertains to Central City but Gotham as well, this whole thing is a lot deeper than just the selling and shipping of Dr. Crane's fear toxin."

"How so?"

"I can't confirm anything at this exact moment," Flash said in response. "But if I wind up with something concrete on my hunch you can be rest assured you'll be the first one to hear from me."

"If you have nothing more, I'd like to focus my efforts on getting these files open."

The man in a suit of gold and red nodded. "Good luck."

"Wait.." Bruce said with another thought coming to mind.

"What is it?"

"Have you alerted the police about your findings?"

"No, you're the first to learn of the situation," Flash answered. "I'm going to call and inform them as soon as."

"Don't," Bruce interrupted. "If the police are to learn of this matter all details are bound to be released to the public, that would give Crane the chance to adjust any further plans he may have."

"You're right," Flash said coming to the same realization. "This also in affect gives us the advantage, we could plan an approach f surprise."

"Exactly."

There was now a clear understanding between them. "Keep me informed, Flash out."

The transmission between the two ended, leaving the large monitor above blank. He immediately opened a new window which showed he had a newly received message.

"There it is," Bruce said opening the message to find the content inside. "Here are the files Barry sent."

"I find this all to be rather intriguing, don't you sir."

His comments led to him shifting in position, slightly turning in the chair to glimpse back at him. "What do you mean?"

"You and Mr. Allen," Alfred clarified. "Outside of your work with the League you both rarely find yourselves intertwined in a mission that calls for a correlation between you two."

"That may be true, but when a situation arises such as this I'm open collaborating with Barry," Bruce said in response to this. "He's a detective in his own right, and is excellent in his studied field of forensics."

"As are you."

"Time is our greatest challenge," Bruce said turning back for the computer. "I need to decode these files as soon as possible."

….

The search had been launched. They waited patiently with an anticipation that could clearly be felt among them. The amount of time that passed since beginning was uncertain. His hands were now down at his side, all attention on the screen as the given search seemingly came to an end with a small list of results coming in.

"Is this it?"

"Yes," Hiroshi replied as he looked over the listed names. "From what you diagnosed earlier the list has now been narrowed down to four companies, three in Tampa with only one registering from Gotham."

"An improvement," Conan acknowledged as he crossed of his arms over his chest. "But we've still got a ways to go, finding out which company is behind the shipments is our ultimate goal."

He couldn't agree anymore. "Which would you prefer we start with?" Hiroshi asked.

"The obvious is Gotham, being that only one result came up in its corner we may be able to eliminate that city from the equation completely pending what we learn about the company in question," Conan replied. "That would then lead us with only Tampa Florida to focus on."

"Excellent decision Shinichi, I'm inclined to agree."

With the decision made he clicked on the link which resided under the line which read 'Gotham'. After doing so a new page appeared, one which revealed the title of the company.

"Wayne Enterprises," Conan read as he uncrossed his arms. There was an immediate familiarity, one which he voiced. "I've heard of some of their services they have to offer, particularly with their technology and aerospace programs."

"There is a full list of all services here," Hiroshi pointed out with a move of the computer mouse. "Why don't we take a look?"

There was no reason not to, standing there as a new window popped up with a list to show. "Wow, this list is longer than I had been expecting." Conan admitted. What was at the top was the two branches that had already been mentioned.

"So we have Wayne Industries, Electronics, a medical department," Hiroshi began as his eyes traced down the list. "Then there's a research institute, there is even a couple running foundations."

The broad list brought much to consider. He looked over each titled branch individually, mentally subjecting them in line with the case they now found themselves intertwined with.

"Wayne Chemicals," Conan pointed. This was definitely one that caught his interest. "Take us to that page."

"As you wish." Hiroshi said complying with what was asked of him.

After navigating to another page a description was given about Wayne Chemicals. He raised a hand to his chin as he began reading through the information.

He watched him the entire time as he did. "So what do you think?" Hiroshi asked looking back at him.

"It appears Wayne Chemicals is primarily a development and research firm, and not what I was expecting initially."

"And what do you make of that?"

"Even so Wayne Enterprises can't be eliminated from consideration," Conan responded. "Let's shift our focus on those who run and operate the company."

"In the case of that don't you think we should begin from the top?"

"That would be a good start, yes." Conan replied in agreement.

"There's none higher on that list than the owner of the company himself, Bruce Wayne," Hiroshi noted. "Whether he's someone we should suspecting in the spread of this new drug is another question in itself."

"Until further notice everyone in high position will be in consideration," Conan declared. "That goes for the other three companies as well."

"I expected that much."

"We know he owns the company in name, but is it also true he runs the daily operations?" Conan asked.

"One moment."

He navigated once more, heading back to the main page which featured the sought information. Once there it didn't take long for a name to be spotted with the listed position. "It says here the company's operations are mainly handled by a man named Lucius Fox," Hiroshi pointed. "Which isn't all that surprising, it is common that owners of large corporations leave the running of their business to others."

".. I see."

"So, what do you think?"

"Wayne Enterprises is definitely worth looking into," Conan concluded. "But before we go any further with our investigation I would first like to have a look at the other companies, the sooner we can get the list narrowed down the better."

"Then let us continue."

The decision was anonymous.

"I'll find out what's going on, the reveal of the truth is inevitable."

….

For most a task such as this would be considered a top end difficulty, a skill which required a substantial amount of time to master. To his credit this was something he had put much time into. It was due to this fact that an ending was reached within a short period. He opened the sitting folder with the click of a button.

"It's all here," Bruce announced. "The Scarecrow's toxin has been being distributed in high quantities throughout several regions of the world just as I had predicted."

"How soon until the next load is shipped out?" Alfred asked upon hearing this.

He continued to the next line of information to find out just that.

"Less than two hours from now," Bruce informed. "Lucky for us they're shipping the toxin from the Gotham airport which means I'll be able to get there in time to intercept the load."

"What airline is being used to ship the gas?"

He clutched his right fist after reading over the next bit of information, keeping his eyes to the screen as he conveyed the information to him with a subtle bitterness in tone. "They're using a private plane, one from Wayne Electronics."

His eyes widened after learning this. "What?!"

"I for one didn't authorize this," Bruce stated. He stood up from the chair with an added motivation. "That's a question in itself, one which I don't have the time to dwell on momentarily."

"What now Master Bruce?"

"What needs to be done, I'm going to board that plane," Bruce declared. "I need to know who is receiving the toxin and who's buying, above all I need to confirm that what was decoded from those files is true."

"You have your doubts?"

"Flash said Crane nor anyone else was at the site when he infiltrated the place," Bruce reminded. "Something isn't adding up."

"What about the plane, how do you plan on entering without being seen?"

"I've got an idea or two," Bruce assured. He faced him with intent now burning in his eyes. "Alfred, I want you to call Wayne Enterprises to schedule a meeting for tomorrow evening."

"For what reason?"

"I need an alibi."

He was confused now more than ever. "I don't understand?"

"I'll explain later," Bruce promised. "If they ask for what reason, tell them it's to address the incident that occurred at Skytale."

"Understood sir," Alfred said with the nod of his head. "I do have one final question."

"What is it?"

"Where is the fear toxin being shipped," Alfred asked. "Where will your travels be taking you?"

He turned to face him with two words to give. "Novosibirsk, Russia."

…

There was nothing to see or predict. And how could there be? As it stood there was only a blank board that sat atop the table in front of him, not a single piece had yet to be set in place. It wasn't a matter of when it would begin, because it already had. The only thing to remain was to stamp everything to where it was in their favor, no.. to where victory was guaranteed. The silence of this very thought was broken by the crack of the door on the far end of the room, bringing in a small streak of light in its wake. There was no denying the presence of another, tilting his head with an obvious irritation with the first words to give.

"I see you've returned, how did your... presentation go?" He inquired.

"I have been accepted," A voice of another spoke pleased to announce. "I did what was required, the Organization was nothing short of impressed."

"Outstanding Tia.." They began only to be cut off.

"It is Horilka now."

Nothing was spoken for many seconds. "With this our plan can now move forward."

"Undisputedly."

"My base of operation requires a presence in Japan, will that be a problem?" Horilka asked.

"No, not at all," He answered. "We will do what we must to see our vision through."

"Even so we must remain weary; it will only be a matter of time before he suspects."

Moments passed following the spoken. "I've already accounted for the, Sleeping Kogoro," He insisted. "When the green light hits, him nor anyone else will have a clue as to what is going on; not with all eight phases that have been put into play."

"So what's our plan once I've taken out the visionary, will we spring our entrance then?"

"Your comprehension of my words fall short, it only begins there," He continued. "When all hits the entire world will feel the affects of the change to come, and when that occurs not even the Earth's so called defenders will be able to stop the chain reaction; in short laying seed for another symbol in the form of our cause."

"We do not have the means to take on the League, or even a nations army for that matter," Horilka quickly reminded. "We are in no position to allow arrogance to cloud."

"Patience," He interrupted. "While the structure of your mind might be primitive in nature, you too will come to understand that no matter what they do they won't be able to fight us.. for my dear, we will be one of them."

To Be Continued

[Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds]

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds

Chapter 3

Piece to the Puzzle

Could it be any more climatic? The stakes were on the brink of peaking over the edge. One move right or wrong would ultimately decide the outcome to an end for an encounter that had seemingly carried on for a lifetime. Only a distance and the darkness of the shadows that peered stood between him and the chased. And with the gap closing with each moment there was still the fact of the unknown, a path which lead only to that of the faceless.

He was close. A scent came on strong from the surrounding area. A cool breeze blew in the opposite direction, whispering as if to convey a message.. a warning? All seemingly slowed to the mind; feeling as if each step taken was in an eternity in itself. A heart leaped at the excitement of the chase.

Had they truly heard the call of the one they pursued, or was it his own beat that had rung clear to him? A disturbance launched from within, finding his legs depart as he fell forward with the clutch of his chest. There was no stopping the fall to the ground, toppling to his backside with a wail of pain to release. It was here that a wetness fell from above, an obvious drizzle of rain which seemed only there as a means of taunting. The sharpness in his chest only broadened, watching as a dark figure appeared, standing over him with a plain look to express. There was nothing to make out, nothing but those dark eyes that seemed to gaze right into his soul, a stare which sent a shock through his heart which snapped him back into reality.

He pushed up with the open of his eyes, coming to a realization that couldn't be more comforting. "A dream… just another dream." The room was nearly pitch dark, the only lighting coming from the moon that peaked in through the window deeper into the room. It was only at this moment that he found his right hand gripped to his chest just as it had in the dream, lowering it as he took a deep breath of sighing realization. "That's the third one in the last two weeks.."

He closed his eyes for several seconds, reopening them shortly after. He shifted in position to glance over at the digital clock aside the bed.

'11:26 P.M.'

The day had gone, his time had come. As he stepped out of bed a knock could be heard at the door on the far side of the room. "I'll be there in just a moment." He grabbed hold of a pair of pants and a shirt that had been sitting atop the dresser on his way across. Once the door was reached he opened it to a routine greeting.

"Good evening Master Wayne, I take it your rest was serviceable?"

Pulling the shirt over his head he responded. "Alfred, has there been an update on the situation in the last hour?"

"No," The trusty butler replied. "The investigation is still pending."

His eyes narrowed in contemplating fashion. ".. I see."

"You don't sound surprised."

"When it comes to Crane, there's bound to be a crossroads."

With nothing further to add he turned for the left side, beginning to walk down the long dark hall as his hands found place in his pockets. "Master Wayne, where are you going?" Alfred inquired.

"The cave."

It was now time to clear out all doubts and anything that cluttered the path from the truth itself. There was only one thing that mattered, the mission, one which now found its path tangled with a face a familiarity. It was not only dark but relatively silent as he walked along, hearing only the occasional sound of the wind that soared by from the outsides of the mansion. He slightly leaned forward in position after beginning his ascension down the staircase to the floor below. There was a growing fear of uncertainty to be felt with each passing moment, something he couldn't quite grasp his conscious around for why. Was there any true barring to it?

The main floor was reached with yet another step taken, immediately turning his attention left to a door directly across the way. "Almost there." The door was reached a short time after. He opened the door to find himself in the room the 'family' had come to know as 'The Study'. There would be no stopping there. He made way toward a large Grandfather Clock, one which stood even over him in height. He stopped, taking note of the presence of another in the room.

"Will you be coming down as well, Alfred?" Bruce asked turning back to see him standing in the doorway.

"Not my intent sir," Alfred replied. "There's actually something else I wanted to bring to your attention."

"About?"

"A business concern," Alfred informed. "A message was left for you from a representative at Wayne Enterprises detailing an incident that they felt should be brought to your attention."

He paused at the thought of it. There was already a lot on his plate, but he had a feeling this was something that should not be ignored. "Come," Bruce said turning back for the clock. "You can tell me all about it down in the cave."

 

…..

The details had been discussed in full, both were now on the same page pertaining to the situation. All deaths were gone over in full, keeping note of all important details which included; time of death, location, and the age of each of the victims. In each case there was nothing decisive to determine. The time and place for where each of the deceased was discovered was different in all cases, the age range varied on a large scale. He tapped his right index finger upon his left wrist after learning of this. It was frustrating not to have any solid leads; with what they had there wasn't much they could do to counter this current epidemic.

"So that's it," He began after looking up from where he stared. "That's the only information we have on this new drug?"

"Afraid so," Miwako replied from where she sat now in front of his desk. "Based from the results of the autopsies that were done on each of the deceased the only thing that can be determined is that all victims ultimately passed due to heart failure."

"The key element being fear, we can't forget that," Kiyonaga said quick to remind. "You said it yourself, all who died might have experienced severe episodes of an inner fear or phobia which resulted in the heart attacks."

"While that seems to be the case," Miwako agreed. "There's still room for other possibilities. The only certainty is that none of the victims were in the right state of mind leading up to their deaths."

"I'm almost certain you wouldn't have brought all this information to my attention unless you had some plan for action."

"A fair assumption," Miwako replied not denying the claim. "Here's the thing, the first steps taken in this operation will be vital to success."

"Agreed, but first there's something I'd like for you to do Sato," Kiyonaga began with a pause. "As we know this drug came into the light in this past month."

"That is correct."

"With that known fact we have a timetable for when the drug was in all likelihood first being distributed," Kiyonaga continued. "And since we have knowledge of this, we might have an idea for when an appearance was made."

"I don't quite understand."

"Let's skip the small talk and get straight to the point, here's what I want you to do," Kiyonaga announced leaning forward in his position. "Pull up all records that you can in the last two months."

"Of?"

"Files detailing information for any outsiders who came to Japan within a two month period, specifically for those who have made several trips back and forth," Kiyonaga replied. "And after you've successfully done that, we'll narrow down the list by process of elimination."

 

…

 

The names had already been chosen and stamped to the front; all that remained was to determine which one was the true beginning for where it had spawned. This was the only thing on his mind, looking further into the matter while his eyes traced from one end of the screen to the other. There wasn't much that could serve as a distraction, one exception being that of the sound of the doorbell.

He immediately put a hold to his searches upon hearing this. "That must be him." He hurried toward the door, not wanting to keep them waiting. One quick move was made to open the door, looking downward to see him standing there with that same inner intensity that always showed when the situation called for it.

"Shinichi," Hiroshi welcomed. He opened the door wide following this. "Come in."

He nodded, accepting the invitation in. "Have you made any progress since the last time we spoke?"

"Unfortunately not," Hiroshi replied closing the door after watching him step through. "At least not yet."

He removed his shoes before surveying the room with an inquiring look forming. "Where is Haibara?" Conan asked looking up at him.

"Still asleep." Hiroshi informed before making a move back for the other end of the room.

"That's the late hours for you," Conan smilingly noted as he followed at his side. "Either way let's get started, we can always get her up to date on any new information gathered."

Once the computer was reached he took a seat in the chair as he had before. "So tell me," Conan asked with the cross of his arms. "What have you been looking into while I was on my way here?"

"Shipments," Hiroshi answered. "All shipments from both Tampa and Gotham; in correlation with Novosibirsk of course."

"And how many companies came up in your cross-reference?"

"Too many," Hiroshi simply put. "We're going to need to substantially narrow the list down if we're going to make any real progress."

"Large cooperation's, ones that have a record for doing overseas business in large," Conan conceptualized uncrossing his arms. "Let's focus on those types of companies first."

"Are you sure?"

He couldn't be any more confident, nodding his head confidently. "If my hunch is correct, we'll have this case closed in no time."

 

….

There was only one face to be seen documented on the large screen above. Below the visual was an extended list of successful heists, each detailing the many different tactics used in each case to obtain what was taken. His name sat at the very top of the page, one which he read aloud as if to greet someone for the first time.

"Kaitou Kid.."

"Precisely sir," Alfred said from his position aside the chair. "He's the famous thief of Japan."

"Many claim his actions are run by nothing but the thrill of the chase," Bruce said voicing his knowledge of the Kid thief. He eased back in the seat as he thought deeper on the matter. "Kaitou Kid adventures are typically within the borderlines of Japan."

"He has traveled overseas before in regard to his activities if he sees fit," Alfred quickly noted. "Which reminds me of another night dweller I'm familiar with."

Ignoring the obvious comparison he continued. "I'm aware of Kaitou's out of state travels," Bruce acknowledged. "His latest actions have managed to graze the boarder of my radar due to his infiltration of the Skytale building in Japan."

"Yes, the museum funded heavily by Wayne Enterprises," Alfred pointed out. "Not to mention the buildings surveillance is tied to the company as well."

"Which leaves a big question mark as to how he bypassed security, and escaped for that matter," Bruce said bringing a hand to his chin. "Furthermore the diamond he came to seize was left in the wake of it all, but why... the move makes little sense, why go through all the trouble only not to collect?"

"Perhaps there's more to the story than we know?"

"Maybe… or it could be the police are withholding additional information," Bruce stated. "Information they're still in the process of examining."

"It sounds to me like you've taken an interest in this case?"

"I don't have time to be chasing down thieves, there are immediate matters that are far more important here in Gotham," Bruce relayed in response. "However I will keep an eye on the situation in the case things.. escalate."

"I'd find it hard not to agree," Alfred said. "For starters you've yet to track down Scarecrow, or figure out the reasoning behind his latest moves."

"Tomorrow will make a month and two weeks since he's been on the loose," Bruce reminded. He lowered his hand from his chin. "And already he's taken large strides, globally."

"Yes, from the reports coming in from the international news stations Cranes fear toxin has shown up in South America, a few locations in Europe, and Japan," Alfred detailed. "Unfortunately for most, they have no knowledge on how to combat the toxin."

"I've already put a plan in place to get the vaccine out there, however to truly end this we need to find the source," Bruce declared. "Which means determining the location of where his fear toxin is being produced; and where he is shipping the product out from."

"That would seem to be the inquire of the day, since finding out about the gas's shipment internationally two days ago," Alfred began. "You've searched the city from top to bottom with no leads to gain."

"This is why collaboration is needed." Bruce devised.

"What do you mean?"

It was with that question posed that an alert came upon the computer screen, one which read 'Incoming Transmission'.

"It's him." Bruce said after sighting the number.

"Who is it?" Alfred asked.

"An outside source."

The call was accepted, both watching as a familiar face appeared on the large screen. "Batman," A man in a suit of red and lighting yellow spoke. "It's me, I've got an update for you."

His eyes perked in surprise. "The Flash, well this is unexpected." Alfred voiced.

"It has been two days," Bruce said easing back in the chair once again. "What do you have for me Allen?"

"Something you'll be interested in knowing."

"Alright then," Bruce said handing the floor over to him. "Tell us what you've learned."

To Be Continued

[Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds]

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds

Chapter 2

The Shows Beginning

 

Several Months ago, When it began

After time and preparation the day finally arrived. The stage was set, and with a week’s notification the chase was about to begin. There was no real secrecy in his approach as he entered the secure room to find the glass case in the center, concealing the prized possession he had set out to obtain. Another step only triggered the alarm, something that came as no surprise. There was no stop in their step as they diligently proceeded forward. Its announcement ignited soon after, the echoing sound of footsteps traveling through the walls on all sides.

A notorious smile came upon his face. “They’re on their way, excellent.”

The clarity in its tune only heightened, an indication they were nearing. With another step the glass case was finally reached. Swaying his left hand up he reached into the right side of the worn jacket, reeling out a paddle of some kind. “Batter up.” He chorused grinningly as he took one clean swipe at the top of the glass case. It didn’t shatter, something he had anticipated.

“Just as I thought.”

With those words leaving his lips the room was raided from the doorway behind. Glancing over his shoulder he came to find several armed officers standing in the clear with guns pointed directly at him.

“Hands in the air, and turn around,” One of the officers in a suit of armor demanded. The opposition’s smirk only widened as he complied with the given command. Feeling a level of control the officer sighed in relief before speaking her next order. “Now, put your hands behind your head and get on your knees.”

All weapons in hand were held tightly, keeping locked onto the target as they waited for his move to make.

“As you wish, fellow officers,” He responded by dropping to his knees all while raising both hands to the back of his head in a circular motion. The assurance in his voice only put them on full alert, sensing a deception in the mist. “So what happens now.. is this the part where you arrest me?”

His indirect taunt was ignored as the officer with the sway of her hand signaled for two of the others to walk over and apprehend the sitting target. Even with things seemingly at a breaths success there was still a looming tension. The distance between them and him came to within a few yards before a booming sound launched; one which sounded as if something was being sprayed from an unknown area of the room.

“What is that?!” Another officer exclaimed.

The grin from before was replaced by a look of testimony, a given look which was followed by the drop of their arms back to their side. “The call of test is complete, now onto the Prince’s saddle.” The captive dispensed to all.

That moment brought a blinding dust of smoke that filled the room, taking away all sight from those who dared to gaze at its arrival.

“No, don’t let him get away,” The head officer exclaimed. There was no way of acting on this given their current predicament. After seconds of a fog infested room the smoke cleared out in gradual fashion. Their biggest fear came into fruition with their vision now clear. The man they sought was nowhere to be seen. The leading officer hissed in disgust. “Dammit, he got away!”

Her surge of anger was soon weathered down, replaced by an undoubtable confusion. The targeted diamond was still in place, securely sitting behind the glass case. But why… why hadn’t it been taken? It was in the thought of this that she noticed something lying on the ground directly in-front of the table where the glass case resided.

“What is that,” She questioned as she marched over. Once in distance she dropped down with an obvious curiosity. Once in range she grabbed hold of what had caught her attention, bringing the item to eye to find it was only a card, one sporting the so very iconic insignia many had come recognize. A tap fell upon her shoulder the next second resulting in her turning around.

“Officer, Officer Sato,” One called from where they stood. “He’s gone, what do we do now?”

She stood back to her feet, turning to face him as she did.

“Search the room, the entire facility.”

“But..”

“If he’s still here there’s a chance we can still apprehend him.”

“But shouldn’t we call it in?”

“Leave that to me, you just worry about getting that search started.”

“Got it.”

He did as instructed, turning back to command the others who were clearly waiting for further instruction. This left her the chance to sink back into her thoughts, but instead of choosing to do so she reached for something in her pocket, taking little navigation before recovering her phone. A number was immediately dialed, raising the phone to her ear which brought the tune of a ring.

“Hello,” A soft and lively voice answered moments later. “This is the Tokyo Police Headquarters, how may I help you?”

“This is Officer Sato,” She informed. “I’d like to speak with the superintendent; we have had an unexpected turn of events with the… thief.”

“Please hold, I’ll see if he’s around.”

With those final words the wait began. It was also in this time a rehash of thoughts flooded to the surface, particularly pertaining to the card found on the ground. Why not take what he had come here for, why leave behind a card with no explanation to give? But above all there was one thing that loomed above all else in her mind.

“How did I get myself into this?”

-------------------------------

Even with the absence of several clouds that had been present the night before the scent left in its wake could still breathed clear. The crack of dawn had finally arrived. After what seemed to be an endless trial of escaping the unavoidable the run seemingly came to a halt. They extended their arm outward in attempt to lean upon a light pole that had been reached. The rush could still be felt from the lengths traveled, the distance an uncertainty.

After the many turns, twists, roads passed, and intersection crossed had the race finally come to an end? As time passed their heart tabbed down to normal levels. They breathed out in a sigh of relief as they pushed away from the light pole with a tiring grunt.

“Finally, it’s over.”

They pressed on from where they stood, feeling a growing stress in their legs. The pain was blocked into the far reaches of their mind, feeding into its pain would do them no good. Even as they continued to trot along they remained weary, constantly looking from one end of the street to the other, glancing behind every so often to make sure nothing lurked.

Without warning their heart began to dance once more, triggered by something from above. A chill fell down their spine as they looked to the sky to find nothing soaring in the clear. This only heightened the tension within. Was it paranoia, had they lost all reason? Through instinct they ran once again. The end of the block was coming in range; however they chose to stop due to a sudden sound that whistled from their blind side.

“What was that?”

There was nothing to spot on hindsight, however there was a subtle growl that wisped as they slowly turned and locked eyes with the beast which flashed its fangs as if to present a challenge.

“No, not again!!!!”

Not waiting for its move to make they raced forward only to catch eye of a large snake slithering down a light pole at the end of the block. Panic soared in wake of this. Fear reached its max with the roar from the skies above, looking upward as several ravens zoned in on him from all sides.

“No, why?!!”

There would be no giving in, attempting to run only to trip over something at ground level. A means to an end closed in immediately with the hiss of the snake, the bark of the beast, and the calling of the ravens above. They were to weakened to move, knowing their fate was now sealed. The fear had run its course, finally exceeding the breaking point as they reached across their body to clutch their chest. They coughed out with one last breath to give, feeling as all life was sucked from within.

……………………………………..

With every success loomed a fail. Of all assignments given to them since taking the next step in progression this was the first met with fail. But regardless of this there would be no backing down in light of a single slip. The mechanical doors to the building were reached, watching as they automatically slid off to the side upon her arrival.

The front desk was the place of destination, holding up ID for the clerk working the lobby to see as they passed.

“Welcome back Sato-san, the boss has been expecting you.”

She simply nodded, heading straight for the elevators that resided further up. Contemplating on what she was to say once she came face to face with the boss was something that had been on her mind since the previous night. After entering the elevator they made way to the third floor, exiting to see the door to the office clear down the hall. It took small time for her to fall within range of the door. Once there she reached out with a moderate knock, gaining the response from the person on the other side.

“It’s open, come in.”

The invitation was accepted. She walked in to find him standing by the window side left of the room. He shifted with the turn of his broad shoulders to lock eyes with her own, stepping away from the window to greet her in full.

“Superintendent, I tried getting in contact with you last night,” Miwako began as she closed the door she had entered through. “Unfortunately you had left the office by that time.”

“Yes, this information was conveyed to me earlier today,” Kiyonaga replied. “And while your efforts might have come up short in your assignment in assisting the SCU, don’t let it discourage you.”

“I will not,” Miwako assured. She paused for a moments time before taking another step deeper into the room. “And by now you’re probably already aware the mission was a fail, despite the SCU’s set up and reactive efforts we were not able to catch Kid.”

“Yes, I’m fully aware of that,” Kiyonaga acknowledged. “But you shouldn’t be disappointed as you seem to be, Kaitou Kid never makes it easy for whomever is coming after him, and besides last night had you out of your element.”

“I know, but...”

“But the details of how he got away aren’t as interesting as what was left behind,” Kiyonaga began as he leaned back against the wall. “The jewel in question, has anyone been able to determine why Kaitou Kid left it behind?”

“Not as of yet sir,” Miwako replied before pulling something out from her top pocket. “But that wasn’t the only thing left at the scene, but this as well.”

He walked forward, holding out the item which had been sealed away in a plastic covering. “A card.” Miwako informed before handing it over to her superior.

“I see, and one with the insignia of the kid thief himself,” Kiyonaga analyzed while flipping it over to the opposite side to find another marking. “A check mark?”

“Yes, none from the SCU were able to determine the relevance behind it, what do you think,” She stood in silence for seconds to come, wondering if he would be able to make something out of it. “Well?”

“The checkmark is obviously hinting at something,” Kiyonaga answered giving eye contact once again. “I’m sorry to say, but admittedly I’m just clueless as to what it represents myself.”

With that said the card was handed back to her before he stepped around his desk to have a seat on the other side.

“The Kid is no longer our problem regardless,” Kiyonaga said looking to shift topics. “Now onto why I specifically had you summoned.”

“There’s something else you wanted to discuss?”

“Yes there is, a problem I’m sure that has been brought to your attention at some point this week,” Kiyonaga began. The change in tone and the altered look in expression called for her full attention. “There is a new drug on the street, one which has taken the lives of over fifty eight people from what has been documented.”

……………..........................

What had started off as a quiet beginning to the day had now shifted to what most would consider less than typical. But in his case answering to a call such as this was considered protocol. The sun looked on from above, hanging high to reveal all to the eye. There was only one thing in mind, what would they come to find? Shortly thereafter up to four police patrol cars could be seen, letting them know they had arrived. Crime scene tape masked off the area from the general public.

Their vehicle came to a halt soon after. He was the second to ascend from the cab, choosing to stick to the rare as the two made their way over to where the activity was underway. They weren’t engaged until reaching the first patrol car, greeted by a welcoming and familiar smile that could be found upon his face.

“Good to see you Mouri-san, we’re glad you could make it on such short notice.”

“Luckily you called when you did; I was just getting ready to head out at the time.” Kogoro notified.

“Nothing of importance I hope?”

“Not more than this,” Kogoro assured while surveying the area. “Where’s Inspector Megure Takagi-san, I thought for sure he’d be here.”

“He just received the call ten minutes ago,” Wataru replied. “It shouldn’t take long for him to make an appearance.”

It was after this the he took notice of him standing down at his side.

“Conan-kun,” Wataru said with surprise to be heard in his voice. “I had no idea you’d be coming as well.”

“He insisted, I agreed only under the condition that he doesn’t get in the way,” Kogoro said glaring down at him in a suggestive matter. “Something we’re both completely clear on.”

“You have my word Oji-san.” Conan smilingly promised.

“I’ll hold you to it,” Kogoro murmured before turning back to face him. “So what’s the deal, the details of this case given to me over the phone were pretty vague.”

“Come, I’ll explain after you get a look for yourself.”

He directed the two of them with the wave of his hand, both stepping past the crime scene tape as they followed him around a patrol car sitting before them. It was after breaking this barrier that the body in question came into view, lying just feet away on the sidewalk face down.

“Who was he?” Kogoro asked immediately.

“Rio Tanakai,” Wataru replied. “According to the ID taken from his wallet.”

“Cause of death?”

“It seems to be a heart attack,” Wataru replied. “One which was triggered by something.”

“Was he intoxicated?”

“Yes,” Wataru confirmed. “But not by alcohol, but rather a drug.”

“A drug?”

“Yes, a new drug that has come to our attention within this last month,” Wataru continued. “It appears this drug affects the mind in particular, causing anyone to use it to experience… how should I say, terrifying episodes.”

“What do you mean?”

“The people found alive after taking or being exposed to this unmarked drug have shown to fear anything or anyone near them, even the subtlest of sounds seem to rattle anyone under the influence.”

“A paranoia?” Conan questioned.

Wataru nodded in response. “More or less.”

“Not what I was expecting to hear,” Kogoro admitted. “How many cases have been called in involving this new drug?”

“Well over a hundred,” Wataru replied. “Two hundred fourteen deaths in all thus far; fifty eight of them occurring here in Tokyo.”

There was a curiosity after hearing this. “What other cities has this drug been reported to have been used in?” Conan asked.

“Sendai and Nagoya, respectively.”

“What about the drugs origin, do we know where it came from?”

“Given the compounds found in the drug we believe it’s being shipped in internationally,” Wataru answered. “Though we’ve yet to confirm that.”

“And you’re sure the deceased died from this mentioned drug?” Kogoro asked.

“His blood was tested with the results coming back green,” Wataru confirmed. “There’s no doubt about it.”

“And the person to have discovered the body?”

“Over there,” Wataru said pointing to the left. “I’ll take you over if you wish to speak with her.”

“I’d ask for nothing more.”

“Alright then,” Wataru said heading that way. “Follow me.”

With the two leaving the immediate scene this left him alone to reflect on all details known. A hand found way to his chin as he walked forward.

“While speaking of the drug itself officer Takagi mentioned the word ‘exposed’… that’s a detail in itself,” Conan thought. “That would imply the drug wasn’t taken by injection, but rather through inhaling or absorption through the skin.”

The body of the victim was reached in those next moments, beginning examination right away. They were covered from top to bottom in clothing, from the sweatpants and sweatshirt to the sneakers and black gloves upon their hands.

“It’s a relatively warm day, the amount in apparel worn by the deceased supports that they were afraid of something, why else wear so much clothing,” Conan detailed. “They might have truly believed someone was after them which in turn made them feel the need to conceal their identity.”

He lowered himself to a knee to have a look into the victim’s eyes which were still open, able to see an anxiety and exhaust within them. After sighting this he took notice of the deceased’s right arm buried under his body. With further examination he was able to find the victim had been gripping the area around their heart.

“Consistent with the determination of a heart attack just like he said,” Conan noted as he stood back to his feet to search the terrain. “But why here, what caused it all to end here at this very spot?”

With that question looming his eyes fixated on a crack in the sidewalk a few feet away from the body, now starting to get a visual of how things might have unfolded.

“No doubt he unintentionally tripped in attempt to run after passing that crack in the ground,” Conan determined. “Given the position of the body and the crack in the ground that must mean he was traveling from the west, which means there’s a high possibility he walked through the mall center.. if that is so one of the city camera’s is bound to have caught him on tape.”

But finding out the details of his last hours wasn’t enough, not in his mind. And to top it off, there was no way he was going to crack the case by what was here. He’d have to investigate elsewhere.

“To truly solve this would be to go directly to the source to prevent further incidents,” Conan stated before reaching into his pocket. “Which means finding out who is manufacturing and shipping the drug.”

The navigation to what he wanted was grabbed in no time, pulling out his phone to call the person best suited to help him figure out just that. Within moments his voice spoke from the other end.

“Shinichi..”

“Dr. Agasa, I need your help,” Conan announced. “There’s something I need you to look into for me.”

“What’s going on,” Hiroshi questioned. “Does this have something to do with a case?”

“Yes, apparently some new drug has found its way to the street,” Conan began. “One that is deadly.”

“Are you speaking of the drug that has sent its users into a paranoid frenzy?”

“You’ve heard of it?” Conan asked almost surprised by this.

“It was being covered on the news late last night; I knew it would only be a matter of time before you learned of it and took interest,” Hiroshi informed. “Which is why I took the liberty of investigating the matter myself.”

“I can always count on you,” Conan said as he came upon a cross intersection. He made sure all was clear before making way to the other side. “So what turned up in your search?”

“As I’m certain you already know the drug has turned up in Nagoya, Tokyo, and Sendai,” Hiroshi began. “Taking in the possibility that the drug was shipped in from out of state I looked into all international purchases that were sent into each city.”

“And?”

“Mongolia and Novosibirsk Russia,” Hiroshi replied. “But nothing that would call for suspicion.”

“I thought that much, being that the police came to the same conclusion,” Conan said. “Let’s think of it this way, if someone was sending out drugs wouldn’t they want to keep their business concealed with some kind of insurance, that can be done by shipping it through various locations before reaching its true point.”

“That makes sense.”

“Furthermore according to Officer Takagi this episode began a month ago, which gives us a timeline to work with.”

“Indeed.”

“Here’s my thinking, whoever is sending the drugs isn’t doing it through direct connection, but possibly from a third destination,” Conan theorized. “Which means our answer lies within finding out shipments sent to both Russia and Mongolia from other locations within the last month; and if all goes right we should find the site of origin.”

“Which has been done.”

A look of surprise fell upon his face after hearing this. “What, you already looked into the possibility?”

“Yes, admittedly it was Ai’s initiative which led to this,” Hiroshi credited. “She thought you might come to the same conclusion.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Conan spoke softly. “And what did the results amount to?”

“Of the two possibilities Novosibirsk is the one we believe there is a connection to be made.”

“How so?”

“While there is several shipments to be documented sent from place to place worldwide Novosibirsk has seen an increasing amount of goods sent in from two locations in North America,” Hiroshi informed. “All which began just over a month ago.”

“Is that right,” Conan said taking an obvious interest. “And the names of these two places?”

“Tampa Florida; and a city further north of there known as Gotham.” Hiroshi informed.

“That’s a start,” Conan commented. “This gives us a foundation to work off of, thank you Doc.”

“What now Shinichi?”

“Wait there,” Conan replied. “I’m on my way.”

“Then I’ll see you soon.”

With that the conversation came to an end. And though there was still much to discover, his confidence couldn’t be any more leveled.

“Not matter the distance away or deception used by the ones responsible, only one thing is certain… truth will prevail, and I’ll be there to see it through.”

To Be Continued

[Batman/Detective Conan_Deck of Minds]

Another Batman/Detective Conan crossover.

 

A Peak into Tomorrow

Darkness… a gap in time before the beginning of life

The same in the arrival of death

In between,

A fine line to walk

From the dawn of creation one is built through the road in which one creates, gaining through the given experiences that life sweeps one's way. Through this character is achieved, a cemented makeup that defines ones very essence as an individual.. a barrier that cannot be broken.

"Or so I thought."

What happens when all you've been taught is challenged? And when all prior belief sinks into doubt? How are you to look to those you trust for guidance when those same friends and allies are truly a hidden enemy? A tear in foundation is sure to ensue, one which will foster its reach throughout the confines of one's very soul.

No more trust, only an undeniable betrayal of those who had offered a hope

No more strength, lost to my body and mind alike

No more drive, all determination had come to seize in wake of my obtained failure

No more hope, my faith has collapsed in finding a means to an end

There is only one thing that has remained for me through it all, darkness.

His remaining strength was little, evident by how he weakly descended down the long fleet of stairs toward the destined location that awaited his arrival. With each step a phrase of set words conveyed to him several months ago played back in his mind repeatedly, months which now felt as if years had come to pass.

"Close your eyes, and in that time allow darkness to carry you to the other side. And when you shed eye once again, you will have arrived."

It wasn't until now that those words began forming into clarity. He pressed on in staggering exhaustion, breathing heavily as a knifing pain soared through his legs. The end was soon reached. It was here that his heart began to race in full stride, glancing directly into the eye of the demon that called for his presence across the way. Even in the wake of his doubt there was no turning back. A heated line of sweat slid down the left side of his face as he commenced, bringing a burn to the small cut on his left cheek.

The gap fell to just inches between him and the opposition after just moments. With the choice to be made there would be no turning back, the life once knew would seize its place to anew. But in doing so he would make the ultimate sacrifice, betraying a promise made to a close friend and ally who had stood by his side from the very beginning of what had come to conspire. A stream of tears formed within his eyes, trailing downward like flakes of water drops upon an oak tree after a passing storm. In disgust his sights retorted toward the floor below in a rejecting defiance to what he knew was to come. With a final cry of emotion to give he spoke a final claim, knowing their partnership of so long would now come to an untimely end.

"Kudo, Shinichi… forgive me," Silence ensued as he focused eye to the one who awaited his decision to make. He inhaled once more before closing his eyes with those defining words returning. "Close your eyes, and in that time allow darkness to carry you to the other side. And when you shed eye once again, you will have arrived."

With the final line clocking through mind his heart seemingly stopped, bringing about an undeniable fright that was capped off by the chanting sound of an army of swarming bats in the clear. In that moment there was nothing but fear, one of death accompanied by only darkness. If the other side was to be reached, could there perhaps be light?

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds

 

To Be Continued

 

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 101

Challenge of the Doubled Edged Murder (Part 2)

He kept up with him from a few feet behind as they walked. Voices could clearly be heard coming from around the corner as they neared the location where the elevators stood. They arrived to find several police officers standing in the middle of the hall in conversation, which included Celek who had arrived there before the two of them.

"Looks like they're having a meet of some kind," Heiji said. "Must have something to do with the elevator Celek spoke of."

"Only one way of finding out," Tim said. "And that's to ask directly."

"Let's hope it's not too serious of a problem."

"This is the part where we need to keep a notable distance between us," Tim said. "Like we agreed, we don't want them to suspect you of working with anyone outside of their unit."

"No need to remind me, I haven't forgotten."

"Good, then we're clear."

With nothing further said the two separated with their next steps taken, steadily moving apart as they did so. He moved further to the right, closing in on officer Celek who was in the middle of a conversation with a woman who stood across from him. He chose not to interrupt the two, simply standing off to the side in wait. It didn't take long for Celek to notice him, more than glad to see he had come.

"There you are, that wasn't a long wait at all."

"What happened," Heiji asked. "Did they figure out what was wrong with the elevators?"

"Not elevators, only the individual," Officer Celek corrected. "One elevator in particular has been causing troubles all morning."

"What kind of problem?"

"A delay is what they're saying," Officer Celek replied. "Some kind of discrepancy with the weight limit."

"As in too many people being on the elevator at once?"

"That is correct."

"What is the weight limit on these elevators?"

"1145 ibs is what I've been told."

"It would take at least eight people to go over that limit," Heiji said. "Is the elevator in question currently unresponsive?"

"It was, but finally began functioning once after a minute of waiting." The woman from across spoke.

"And you are?"

"Carol, Carol Flowers," She replied. "CCO, Chief content officer of the company."

"They said you would be coming in."

"That must make you detective Hattori, correct?"

"You know me?"

"Lonard mentioned you in a discussion we had yesterday evening."

"What did he say?"

"Not much, just that you would be helping with a personal dilemma."

"What about the elevator," Heiji asked looking back his way. "Do they plan on giving it a look?"

"There's mechanics on the way as we speak," Officer Celek replied. "They should be here soon enough."

"Since we're past all introductions, mind if I ask you a couple questions regarding your hours put in last night Ms. Flowers?"

"Well of course," Carol replied. "After all, that's why I'm here."

"Alright, we'll start with the basics," Heiji began. "Did you see anything unusual last night, or hear anything you normally wouldn't?"

"Not from my office, no."

"Your office, where is that?"

"Below us," Carol replied. "On the eighteenth floor."

"Do you recall what time you left the building?"

"After two, I don't remember the exact time."

"Did you happen to come across anyone at that given time?" Officer Celek asked.

"What do you mean?"

"On your way out, did you see any of the other employees who were working late such as yourself?"

"Now that you mention it, yes," Carol replied. "I did see someone on my way out."

"Who was it that you saw?"

"Mr. Hamilton," Carol answered. "The man who works the front desk in the lobby."

"Is that so," Heiji remarked. "Is there a storage room on that floor?"

"Yes," Carol confirmed. "How did you know that?"

"I heard it from Hamilton himself, he told me he had gone to the storage room before he was to take off," Heiji said. "Can you confirm this?"

"I didn't actually see him go in, but he was heading in that direction," Carol replied. "Sorry, but that is all I can give."

"Which is good enough for now," Heiji said. "Though it's odd."

"What?"

"When asked not once did Anthony Hamilton mention seeing you on his way to the storage room."

"Think there's some meaning to it?" Officer Celek asked.

"I'll go and revisit Hamilton soon, but first I'd like to have another word with Fournier about a little something."

"Does that mean we're done here?" Carol asked.

"For now yes," Heiji replied. "But stick around, we may need another statement from you in the coming minutes."

"Understood, I have no intent on leaving," Carol said. "I'd like to find out exactly what went down last night."

"Go on ahead, I'm going to wait here until the mechanics arrive," Officer Celek said. "I'll keep you updated on the situation."

"Sounds good to me," Heiji said. "I'll return as soon as I'm finished."

"And I'll be here."

With that he turned for the left, heading back to the office with his head leaned over in thought.

"Looks like the elevator situation was nothing but a side ploy, probably nothing to worry about."

It wasn't long after that the presence of someone could be felt from his side. He turned to see him keeping pace with him from the right.

"You catch all of that?"

"No, I actually asked one of the other security guards," Tim replied. "He told me the circumstances surrounding the elevator, I only followed you after seeing that you were headed back to the office."

"I'm surprised Kudo didn't join us, he's usually the one to look into every possible lead," Heiji said. "Though this one turned out to be unrelated."

"I don't blame him," Tim said. "That room is the center piece to everything."

"That I can agree on, but we still need to gather as much information surrounding the situation as a whole."

"Now that we got that all cleared up, what do you plan on doing next?"

"I want to go and search Grahm Fournier's office, I have a feeling there might be something to find," Heiji replied. "That is after I've spoken with his brother first."

"Bout time," Tim said. "I was wondering when Grahm's office would register to your radar."

"In any case, why don't you go and find Kudo," Heiji suggested. "Let him know about the whole elevator situation, I'm sure he's wondering how that all turned out."

"Sure thing," Tim agreed. "We'll regroup with you soon."

"Sounds good to me."

They parted ways from there, only taking a couple more steps before reaching the door to the office. He took to the left side of the room once in, looking ahead to still see Lonard at the comfort of his chair. He reached him soon after, laying a hand to the desk to gain his attention.

"You're back, good," Lonard said. "What happened out there?"

"No one is entirely sure yet, the only thing we do know is one of the elevators has been experiencing minor problems," Heiji informed. "The mechanics are on their way now, so I'm sure they'll have that cleared up in no time."

"I see," Lonard said with the grip of his tie. "Anything else you have to report to me?"

"No, but I do have another question," Heiji replied. "With all the surveillance that is staged throughout the facility, are there any surveillance camera's in this room as well?"

"Unfortunately not, we hadn't gotten around to doing so."

"How long has this room been your office?"

"Roughly two weeks now," Lonard replied. "The old one was two floors below, decided to move up here for the additional space."

"So when is it you planned on having camera's set up in this room?"

"Tomorrow was the planned date."

"And was Grahm to be the one to have that all taken care of?"

The office phone set out on the desk began to ring before a response could be given.

"Would you hold on for a moment, this could be important."

"Take all the time you need." Heiji replied.

He reached for the phone, leaning back in the chair while answering it. What the discussion was about was unknown to him. He waited for over a minute for him to finally lay the phone back onto the hook.

"Alright, now what was it you were fixing to ask?"

"The camera's that were scheduled to be installed in this room, was your brother going to be the one to have wired it all up?"

"Him and his unit, yes."

"That leads into my second question, his office," Heiji said. "Where might I find it?"

"It depends on what you mean," Lonard said. "There's the security back room where he spent most of his time, but he also had an individual office of his own where he filed most of his paper work."

"Where might that office be?"

"Look no further." Lonard pointed.

He turned to where he had pointed, looking across the room to see a door located on the far right wall.

"That door there is a direct link to his office from mine."

"Mind if I take a look inside?"

"Not at all, there's already a small group looking through the room as we speak," Lonard informed. "I'm sure they'll give you an update on what they've gone through thus far."

"Before I go there's one last thing I'd like to clarify."

"Which is?"

"You spent a majority of last night on the lower levels, at any time did you visit any of the higher floors?"

"I did, the twenty first floor," Lonard confirmed. "I went to retrieve a diagram for something I was working on."

"At what time was that?"

"Anywhere frome ten to twenty after one," Lonard replied. "You can check the security cameras to get an exact time."

"Appreciate the talk," Heiji said before turning away. "It's about time I paid that office a visit."

He trailed off to the other side from there, pleasantly surprised to find a clear path to the door. He opened it after reaching it, taking a look inside to see a few others in the room like he had been told. He looked to the right wall to see a large board clamped to the wall with several small notes clipped in place. He then looked to the left to see the two of them standing behind a small desk at the corner.

"Looks like they beat me here."

He moved further into the room, taking a step around the desk to join the two of them.

"Had no idea I'd find the two of you in here," Heiji said. "Anyone try to question why the two of you are in here?"

"We've pretty much blended in up til this point," Tim replied. "Besides they're more focused on those notes on the board than anything else."

"Come across anything worth the mention from this end?"

"There might be something," Shinichi replied before sliding on a latex glove. "I found this while checking the outlet where all the cords are running through in this room."

Using the protective glove he reached into his pocket to pull out a plastic bag, what was inside was a bit hard for him to make out at first glance.

"What is that?" Heiji asked.

"Tape," Shinichi replied. "I found it attached to the phone line."

"What do you make of it?"

"We believe someone might have been listening in on his phone conversations while in this room," Tim replied. "It was found in a secure location where a recorder could have been placed."

"If so, the who and why is our next question to figure." Shinichi added before placing the plastic bag back into his pocket.

"Did you already tell him about the situation surrounding the elevator?"

"Was the first thing." Tim replied.

"What about you and Fournier," Shinichi asked. "What did you two discuss just now?"

"Not much, just a couple questions here and there regarding the security angle."

"I'm going to need you to go and see him once more," Shinichi said. "We need to find out what calls were made and received from this phone, I'm sure if you ask he'll have the records dug up for you."

"Sure thing."

"When you do happen to do go, make sure you ask for all phone records," Tim added. "Not just for this room, but for all phones throughout this entire building."

"Why," Heiji asked. "I thought our only concern was with the one here."

"It's for a good reason," Tim replied. "I'll let you in on it later."

Shinichi looked at him after hearing this.

".. Does he know?"

"I'll go and see him now, the sooner we get this done the better."

"We'll follow you," Tim said. "We're done here."

"Agreed," Shinichi said. "With this latest development there's something else I'd like to look into."

"What is that exactly?" Heiji asked as they began to walk.

"All other phones on this floor," Shinichi replied. "If the phone here was in fact tampered with in any kind of way there's a chance others could have received the same treatment."

They walked out soon after, closing the door in the process.

"Smart thinking, that might actually lead to something," Heiji said. "What about the notes clipped onto that board, either of you check that out?"

"Was the first thing looked at when I entered the room," Tim replied. "It was nothing but annotations for his daily routine."

"See anything that might shed light on the situation?"

"Everything seemed pretty normal from a business stand point."

"Did you check the drawers of the desk?"

"Only his working supplies remained," Shinichi informed. "All documents that could be found had already been removed by the time I had arrived."

"Which puts that out of the equation for the time being." Heiji said coming to an unexpected stop after another step taken.

"What is it?"

"Fournier is no longer at his desk," Heiji replied beginning a quick skim of the room. "I wonder where he could have went."

"I'm sure he didn't go far," Tim said. "If you wait here he'll probably reappear soon."

"This leaves the perfect opportunity," Shinichi said. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Heiji asked.

"To check the phone line at his desk," Shinichi replied. "Would you like to come along?"

"You go on ahead, we'll be right here."

"Suit yourself." Shinichi said before taking off for that very task.

He stood there for seconds, monitoring the door for his return. This lasted for a bit to come, lowering his head as he went through all details learned up to this point. In the mist of it all something snapped, almost as if a missing link to the puzzle had been attached.

"Could it be..?"

"What is it?"

"The elevator," Heiji replied. "We need to get back to the elevator."

He headed for the door with nothing further said, looking to find he followed at his side.

"Mind telling me what this is about?" Tim asked.

"I think I know what caused the malfunctions with that elevator." Heiji replied.

"Is that so?"

"At first I thought it had nothing to do with this, but if what I believe is true that might not be the case."

"What's the connection between Grahm Fournier's death and this elevator?"

"That is yet to be revealed," Heiji said as they exited the room. "Let's hurry, we have to be sure no one attempts to move that elevator."

Unsure on what he meant by this he followed none the less. They strolled down the hall, not stopping until after reaching those who still stood around the elevators.

"Back so soon?" Officer Celek said being the first to greet them.

"The elevator, has anyone tried operating it since the last I was here?" Heiji asked.

"Of course not," Officer Celek replied. "We're still awaiting the arrival of the mechanics."

"We don't have time," Heiji said. "There's something that could prove crucial."

"You mean something involving the elevator," Officer Celek questioned. "Like what?"

"According to the statements collected the weight limit went off when using the first elevator there on the left," Heiji pointed. "As we know it would take at least eight people to exceed the weight limit of each."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I had a little chat with Mr. Hamilton on my visit to the lobby earlier," Heiji informed. "Last night before clocking out from his shift he claims to have heard a noise."

"What kind of noise?"

"The sound of what appeared to be something that dropped down from a distance, which he said was on a floor above from where he had been."

"Which floor was he on at the time?" Officer Celek asked.

"The eighteenth," Heiji replied. "He wasn't the only to hear it, but Ms. Flowers as well."

"Is that true?" Officer Celek asked turning to her.

"That is correct," Carol confirmed. "It happened some time after two."

"So the two of them heard a sound," Officer Celek said turning back to face him. "I hardly see how that relates to the elevator problem."

"Think about it," Heiji said with a pause. "They could hear whatever dropped from where they were, and being that it was on another floor at a large facility such as this that could mean something."

"What are you suggesting," Officer Celek asked. "That something large fell over?"

"Not only that," Heiji said. "I'm thinking whatever they heard might have been the sound of something falling on top of the elevator."

"That's a wild prediction, but makes sense when you add in all the known facts," Officer Celek said. "That now begs the question, if something fell on top of the elevator.. how did it get there?"

"I was thinking whatever generated that noise was evidence linked to the crime," Heiji said. "Maybe even the weapon used in the act."

"You've got me thinking," Officer Celek said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a look into your deduction before the mechanics arrive."

"How do you propose we do that?" Carol questioned.

"We have someone send that elevator to the twenty fourth floor," Heiji replied. "Then we can open the doors from here, thus allowing for us to look down to see if anything is in fact weighing down on the elevator."

"Brilliant idea," Officer Celek said in agreement. "I'll have someone set it up right away, you wait here."

"Had no intent on moving." Heiji said in response.

He stepped off to the side, approaching a security official who stood at the right side of the wall. He watched as the two dove into conversation, looking on as progressions were made. With that underway, he then looked to the opposite wall to see Tim who still stood in the same spot as before.

"You sure did put a lot of thought into this," Carol said regaining his attention. "I must say, I'm impressed."

"Can you elaborate on something for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"When you heard that sound," Heiji said. "Do you think you could give an estimation for how many floors up it came from?"

"I couldn't really tell you," Carol replied. "It all happened so fast, I would guess at least two floors up but that's just a guess."

"Don't worry," Heiji said. "We'll eventually get around to finding out the answer to that."

They were then rejoined by Celek who returned from his quick discussion he had with the security guard.

"Good news, everything is a go," Officer Celek informed. "They're sending someone down to the floor below to call for that elevator, which will allow for a clear view of the top of the elevator from our position."

"I'm almost certain it will be rather dark," Heiji said. "Do you happen to have some source of lighting we could use?"

"Of course," Officer Celek replied holding up a flash light held down at his side. "I borrowed this from him before he and two others left for the twenty fourth floor."

"Smart thinking," Heiji commented. "Any idea how we're going to open these elevators doors to have a look down when the time comes?"

"Already accounted for," Officer Celek replied. "Once they're set they're going to alert Cyless of security to manually open the elevator door from the back room, leaving us with the task of checking out the top of the elevator from up here."

"Sounds easy enough."

"I'd say so myself," Officer Celek said. "What about Fournier, did you let him in on your sudden analogy?"

"Would have, but couldn't find him," Heiji replied. "When I returned to his office after checking out Grahm's office he was nowhere to be found."

"I wonder where he could have gone."

"No idea," Heiji said. "But I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

"I'd assume so, it's probably something business related that has opted for his brief absence."

It was only a second later that the vibration of his phone could be felt from his belt. He reached down to answer it, taking all but a few moments for the conversation to end.

"That didn't take long, who was that?" Heiji asked.

"They just lowered the elevator to their level," Officer Celek replied. "We should be expecting the doors to open any time now."

"Let's do this."

"Right after you." Officer Celek said as the two turned for the first elevator located on the left wall.

They stopped immediately after reaching it, knowing they didn't have much longer to wait until the next stage in the process was to begin. He looked off to the side to see Ms. Flowers who patiently awaited the open of the doors as well. The longer this went on the more anxious he became. Before any of them knew it the elevator doors opened just like any other time when normally summoned.

"This is it." Officer Celek said being the first of the two to make a move.

The two stepped up, making sure to keep a safe distance between them and the edge. He flashed the light, allowing for the two of them to peer downward to see if something indeed had landed atop the elevator. What came to their sight left them in a frozen state of shock, neither expecting to find what was laid out below. Curious as to what silenced the two, Ms. Flowers stepped up to the both from behind.

"What is it," Carol asked. "What can you see?"

The two looked to one another before then looking back to her.

"It's not a weapon like we had originally considered, but rather." Officer Celek began.

"A body." Heiji completed.

"A body," Carol questioned. "Are they..?"

"Dead, yes," Heiji replied. "There's high amounts of blood that can be seen, and there appears to be an object that was struck into the right side of their skull."

"If you ask me I'd say it's an axe." Office Celek said having another peak with the flash of the light.

"Call it in," Heiji instructed. "We need another unit working this immediately."

"Do you think this has anything to do with what happened to the late Grahm Fournier?" Carol asked.

"Two deaths in the same building in less than a twenty four hour span, I'm certain there's some kind of connection between the two."

"That must be the guys from below," Officer Celek said at another incoming call. "Better let them know the situation."

"While you do that I'm going to go and find Fournier," Heiji said. "Chances are the body belongs to someone who works here, who better than Lonard to identify the body."

"Go on ahead," Officer Celek said in agreement. "I'll take care of the procedures here."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that he turned back into the direction leading to the office where it all had began. It didn't take long for him to notice he had rejoined his side as he walked.

"You hear all of that?"

"Every word," Tim confirmed. "Could you distinguish if the body was male or female?"

"Defiantly male," Heiji replied. "We'll only be able to ID who it is by getting a closer look."

"You mentioned a blow to the right side of his head," Tim said. "Were there any other notable wounds you could see from your position?"

"There was too much blood, we'll only know by getting in closer."

"Nice work with your deduction by the way," Tim complimented. "Had no idea that elevator would lead to such a big reveal."

"Now comes the fun part, piecing its relation to the death of Grahm Fournier."

"I'll go and inform Shinichi of your findings, I'm sure he's almost completed his task of checking all the phone lines on this floor."

"How many rooms are on this floor anyway?"

"No more than ten," Tim replied. "I took note of that the second time I walked through here."

They arrived back to the office soon after, taking a look inside to find Shinichi was nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like he has yet to return," Heiji said before locating Fournier who had returned to his desk.

"No matter, I'll go in search of him," Tim said. "I'll be back as soon as I do, that leaves you to break the news to Lonard."

"I'm already looking forward to it." Heiji said heading toward the desk.

He went through his choice of words as he approached, thinking of the best way of breaking the unexpected news to him. He stopped once reaching the desk, silently waiting for him to take notice.

"There you are," Lonard said raising his head. "I was told you were looking for me, what is it you wanted?"

"That can wait, I have some disturbing news to bring," Heiji replied. "Another body was just found."

His eyes shot wide at this news, sitting there in shock for seconds to come.

"Another body," Lonard questioned with the wipe of sweat from his forehead. "Where, how long have they been dead?"

"We don't know, the body was just discovered laying on top of the elevator that had demonstrated problems earlier in the day," Heiji informed. "If you don't mind I'd like for you to come with me, we need someone to identify the body."

"You think it's an employee of Nano High?"

"That would be my first pick," Heiji replied. "Only one way to find out."

"Come," Lonard said pushing up from the chair. "Let us go."

"Yes of course." Heiji said turning back for the door.

He followed at his side as they walked out of the room. Yet again he returned to the scene that had unfolded by the elevators, quickly sighting Celek who seemed to be handing out instructions to those who surrounded him.

"Who was the one to make the discovery?" Lonard asked.

"Officer Celek and myself," Heiji replied. "Though I was the one to suggest that we take a look, turns out it was for the best."

He turned at the sound of their voices, delighted to have his return.

"Good to see you were able to find him," Officer Celek said. "Have you been brought up to speed on the situation?"

"He told me everything while in the office," Lonard confirmed. "Which elevator was this body found on?"

"The first one on the left," Officer Celek pointed. "Follow me."

He did just that, following him close to the edge before stopping. He pulled out the flash light from before, pointing it downward to give him a clear view of the body.

"And there it is," Officer Celek said. "Do you recognize who that is?"

He brought an arm to his face as he looked away in disgust, shaking his head in response.

"I have no idea who that person is," Lonard replied. "I'd need a closer look to make a determination."

"And we will soon," Officer Celek said. "The mechanics will be here shortly."

"Fournier, do you think I could have a word with you?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, of course."

The two stepped off to the side, giving them privacy away from the others who stood in the general area.

"Alright then, what is it?"

"Before any of this had been discovered I had tried looking for you," Heiji said. "Where were you exactly?"

"Taking a call in another room, I was given further details on my brothers death," Lonard informed. "They're now saying he was shot from afar, and not at close range like we had originally thought."

"I see," Heiji said with a pause. "Well that sure changes up the elements to the scenario."

"You're telling me."

"Did they have an estimation for how far away the culprit was when he took the shot?"

"No," Lonard replied. "Only that they're certain it was more than ten yards."

"That's not much to go off of, but does alter the dynamics no matter how you look at it," Heiji said. "Do you mind waiting here until the mechanics arrive?"

"I had not planned on leaving, at least not until an identification is made on this body."

"Good."

"What about you," Lonard asked. "You plan on sticking around for the duration of this?"

"You'll see me here and there, but right now there's someone I need to see," Heiji said in response. "I'll be back in time."

"Then go," Lonard said. "You have a job to do."

He nodded, turning for the other side of the hall before taking off once more. He trailed all the way back to the office, walking in to see the room still being examined for additional evidence that had yet to be obtained. To his delight it didn't take long for him to see the two of them standing in front of the office desk. It was only a matter of seconds for them notice him walking their way.

"How did your scavenger hunt go?"

"Result filled," Shinichi replied. "There was one other phone line that I discovered small amounts of tape connected to it."

"Which was?"

"The phone at this desk," Shinichi pointed. "Which means both Fournier brothers were intertwined in some kind of agenda."

"One which could be at the center of this whole ordeal," Tim added. "On the flip side how did things go out there, was Lonard able to identify the body?"

"Not on his first look, the body was too far down for him to see," Heiji replied. "He'll have another look when the mechanics arrive, once they reel the body into position we should have a clearer view on things."

"Guess it's wait and see from here."

"Not entirely," Heiji said. "We now know that Grahm Fournier was not shot from close range like we had originally thought, that gives us a whole nother angle to work."

"Are you certain of this?"

"I heard directly from Lonard."

"That more than changes the outlook on things," Shinichi said. "It even gives more depth to the glass window being opened at some point."

"Which means we could be dealing with a sniper," Tim said. "Did he clarify an exact distance?"

"Nothing set in stone, only that the shooter was at least ten yards away from where he stood when the trigger was pulled."

"Not much to take away from that," Tim said. "But it does beg the question of where the shooter was when the shots were fired."

"Nows there's the body that was just discovered on the elevator which only further complicates things."

"You're right," Shinichi agreed. "The chance of the two murders being connected is high, but before making anymore analogies I'd like to have a look at the body myself."

"That might take some time for it to be accessible," Heiji said. "But I could give you a brief run down of what I saw."

"That'll have to do for now," Shinichi said in response. "I'm listening."

"First and foremost, the cause of death appeared to be a blow to the right side of his head," Heiji began. "From what I could tell it appeared that an axe was embedded into the contents of his skull."

"The right side huh, interesting," Shinichi remarked. "Any other notable cuts or bruises for that matter?"

"Couldn't tell, I wasn't close enough," Heiji replied. "But I'd say it's more than likely, the amount of blood surrounding the body would seem to imply multiple wounds."

"We'll have to wait for further observation to gain anything significant." Tim said.

"It would seem that way."

The next moment brought a subtle sound, to where it was coming from was uncertain.

"That noise.. do you hear it?"

"It's me," Tim answered before diving a hand into his side pocket. "My phone to be precise."

He pulled it from within his jacket before holding it out to see the incoming call.

"Who is it?" Shinichi asked.

"Bruce," Tim replied. "I wasn't expecting to hear from him so soon, it must be important."

Just as he was to answer the call he heard a loud whistle from behind, all three turning to see officer Celek enter the room.

"I didn't realize you two were still here," Officer Celek said. "I was recently informed we are not to let anyone use their phones while in the building at this given time."

"Under what circumstances?" Tim asked.

"No detailed answer was given, I'm only going by what was told to me."

Going in compliance with his wishes he lowered the phone back into the security of his pocket.

"I apologize for the inconvenience."

"No need to say," Tim said in response. "Orders are orders."

"What brought you back here anyway," Heiji asked. "I thought you were going to wait out there until the mechanics arrived."

"That was the plan," Officer Celek said. "But to speed up the process the ever so handy man Cyless was able to get the elevator into position to where the investigation could begin."

"And the body, was Lonard able to identify who it was?"

"It seems our supposed ghost has been found," Officer Celek replied. "The body belongs to none other than Nathan Bennet."

"Nathan Bennet?!"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 100

Challenge of the Doubled Edged Murder

"Hold on," Officer Celek said stepping in between the two. "You know this kid?"

"Yea, he's a close friend of mine," Heiji said in response. "Though I must say, I never expected to see him here."

"Is that right," Officer Celek said turning to face him. "So, what's your name?"

"It's.. Nogort, call me Nogort."

"Nogort?" Officer Celek said with a pause.

"That's a very unusual name," Bernadea said. "Can't say I've heard that one before."

"You're not the only one, I've never met anyone else with the same name as my own," Shinichi said. "It's rather unique, one which my parents decided on after much discussion."

"How very creative of them."

"I'd say so myself."

"You look familiar in some way," Bernadea said looking him over. "Have we met somewhere before?"

"I don't believe so," Shinichi replied. "I'm usually good with faces, I'm sure I would remember if I had seen you before."

"You're probably right, it must have been someone else who shared a similar resemblance."

"Could be."

"I'm sorry about the delay before," Officer Celek said rejoining the fray. "I had no idea you were here on business with the Wayne representative here."

"Don't mention it," Shinichi replied. "All is forgiven."

"Officer do you think I could talk to.. Nogort alone," Heiji asked. "You know, to catch up and all."

"Of course you can," Officer Celek replied. "I was actually getting ready to go over and let Lonard in on what we discovered on the surveillance tapes."

"I assure you this won't take long."

"I'll come with you," Bernadea said. "My father asked for me to join him after he finished with his phone conversation, that was three minutes ago."

"I'll regroup with you as soon as I'm finished here."

"No hurry," Officer Celek nodded. "We still have much time before this all going to be sorted out anyway."

With that he turned for the other side of the room, going in search of Lonard Fournier along with Bernadea at his side. This left just the three of them.

"Ok," Heiji said looking from one to the other. "So who's going to tell me what in the world is going on?"

"The jury is still out on that one." Shinichi replied.

"What do you mean the jury's still out on that one?!"

"In short, we don't really know," Tim said stepping in. "Well, at least not yet."

"Was he like this when you returned back to the house?"

"Yes."

"Ok," Heiji said facing him. "What do you remember happening prior to your transformation?"

"It was like any other time, but slightly different," Shinichi replied. "There was no real pain, it was like I was intoxicated with something.. something that kept me from feeling any physical stress during the process."

"How did it start," Heiji asked. "Any noticeable symptoms?"

"My heart, it was a staggering feeling that provoked enduring pain," Shinichi replied. "But that was only at first, my entire body collapsed in a way I had never felt soon after."

"Then what happened?"

"I fell into the tub against my own power," Shinichi answered. "With the little strength that I had I was luckily able to maneuver myself to where my head didn't go under, drowning could have been a high possibility if that had been the case."

"So you fell into the tub, at what point did the affects of your growth begin to kick in?"

"Almost instantly, no more than twenty seconds," Shinichi replied. "My body was completely unresponsive to any move attempted by myself."

"Ok, and at what point did you show up in all of this?" Heiji asked directing his attention to him.

"And I think that's about where the story ends," Tim replied. "I don't believe the fine details are necessary for us to dive into, we should really be focused on the case, we can always discuss this later."

"He's right," Shinichi agreed. "Why don't you get us up to speed on what's been going on during our absence?"

"Ok, but first," Heiji said lowering his hands into his pocket. "How much do you know?"

"Everything that was learned from you before my departure," Tim replied. "I already briefed him in on the way here."

"Great, that saves time."

"Anything new we should know," Tim asked. "Did you finally build a case for a list of suspects?"

"You'll be happy to know that we have."

"Alright then, who are the chain of suspects?"

"All of the employees of Nano High currently in this room," Heiji replied. "Anthony Hamilton of of the front desk, Edward Canoe who works in the lower labs, and Lonard himself."

"Anthony Hamilton, I saw him on my last visit here," Shinichi said. "What lead to your line up of suspects?"

"Not anything through suspicion, I'm strictly going off of who was working at the time of Grahm's estimated death."

"And what time was that?"

"Twelve midnight."

"And those are the only three employees who were working at that given hour?" Tim asked.

"Them and two others who have been called in for that very reason, they should be here shortly," Heiji replied. "This case may not be what it seems on the surface, which is why we need to examine every possible approach."

"Not what it may seem," Shinichi questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Officer Celek and I were invited into the security back room where we were allowed to go over video footage that was recorded around the time of his death."

"And what did you see?"

"It confirmed all who were signed in were indeed here," Heiji replied. "It wasn't until later in the tape that things got interesting."

"In what way?" Tim asked.

"After two this morning a man by the name of Nathan Bennet checked in," Heiji informed. "Thing is he used a security clearance card that registered as Grahm Fournier, who of course was already dead."

They looked to one another at the sound of this, surprised yet intrigued to learn more.

"What's wrong?" Heiji asked at their sudden silence.

"Nathan Bennet, we know him," Tim replied. "He's Bernadea Fournier's fiance."

"As I was informed not long ago."

"Do you believe he had something to do with this?"

"I'm not quite sure," Heiji replied. "But there's certainly something not adding up."

"What do you mean?"

"There's footage of Bennet entering the building, but after checking the camera located in the west wing at that exact time there was no sign of him in that vicinity," Heiji informed. "There was no sign of him anywhere, it's almost as if he vanished with out a trace."

"Any sign of him exiting?" Shinichi asked.

"No, he went in and was never seen again," Heiji replied. "You'd think he was some kind of ghost or something."

"There has to be a logical explanation for this," Shinichi said. "If there is footage of him entering yet none of him leaving, there's a chance he could still be here."

"I thought that at first myself until speaking with Bernadea," Heiji said. "According to her he's currently out doing something, something which requires his full attention."

"I'd hate to believe he'd be involved with this some how, but we have to take everything into consideration with the uprise of this news," Shinichi said. "What about the body, who was the one to discover it?"

"Ms. Fournier," Heiji replied. "I heard it from her myself."

"Did she say anything that might be key to what conspired?" Tim asked.

"There were no lights on upon her entering, and the room was cold," Heiji replied. "Yet no window was open."

"Air conditioning perhaps?"

"According to here it's currently non functional."

"That puts a dent in that," Tim said. "But that doesn't mean there wasn't a window open at some point in time."

"We'll need more than a gut feeling to prove that."

"Was there anything else she mentioned," Shinichi asked. "Maybe something along the lines of the surrounding area of where the body laid?"

"That's just the thing, once she laid her eyes to the body she took off in shock," Heiji informed. "The next ones to enter that room as we were told was the security official who was working at that time."

"Are they looking at him as a suspect as well?" Tim asked.

"Not at this time," Heiji replied. "They have surveillance sighting him in the main lobby, which showed him there for hours."

"In affect giving him an alibi," Shinichi said. "Anything else we should know?"

"Small details here and there, but it's mostly from the ground up from here," Heiji replied. "Though I must say, don't you think it would be in your best interest to sit this one out?"

"Why would I do that?"

"To avoid the publicity of course," Heiji answered. "After all you don't want a certain organization tailing in at the mention of you."

"He's right," Tim agreed. "And if you in fact saw Korn last night like you said it makes even more sense for you to leave this to Heiji and I."

"A member of the Black Organization attended the Futures Building grand opening?"

"According to Shinichi, yes."

"Were you seen?" Heiji asked looking his way.

"I don't believe so, but I can't be sure since I lost consciousness."

"Doubtful," Tim said on the matter. "You were surrounded rather quickly after your unexpected fall, there wouldn't have been much of a chance for him to get a look."

"Regardless, I think you had better sit this one out." Heiji said.

"Are you saying you don't want my help?"

"That's a strong way of putting it," Heiji replied. "As much as we could use you, I think I can handle this one on my own."

"He's right, I think it'd be best if you remained on the side line for this," Tim said in agreement. "I'll call Alfred and have him come and pick you up, I'm sure the blood samples taken from you will reveal what caused your sudden change."

"I appreciate the concern, I really do," Shinichi said. "But this is a case I need to work, there might be more to this than appears."

"If you're thinking conspiracy within the company, than I've already got that accounted for," Heiji said. "I was just getting ready to discuss those very details with Fournier."

"It's deeper than that."

"Deeper than what?"

"We'll have to hold off on that, we've got company." Shinichi pointed out.

They turned at his signal, looking to see a smiling Lonard heading their way.

"Hello gentlemen, I hope you don't mind if I join you."

"Of course not, this is your office after all." Tim said.

"Non sense, you're free to discuss anything amongst yourselves," Lonard said in response. "Speaking of which, who is this with you?"

"The name's Nogort." Shinichi replied.

"What a unique name that is," Lonard said holding out his left hand. "It's a pleasure."

He looked down at his hand with a brief pause, taking seconds before finally shaking it.

"As is it for me."

"Detective Hattori," Lonard said focusing in on him. "When you're finished here would you mind joining me over at my desk?"

"Of course not, I'll be there as soon as we're finished here."

"Good, I'll be waiting."

He turned back for the left side of the room, heading back to where he had come.

"Alright, I'm going to go and see what he wants," Heiji said. "I think it'd be best if the two of you left now."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Nor am I," Shinichi stated. "Not until this thing is solved."

"I said I have it under control, what part of that do you not understand?"

"Now I see what this is all about," Shinichi grinned in realization. "You just want the glory of solving it yourself."

"What difference would it make," Heiji questioned. "You're ill, we need to make sure nothing further will erupt in the wake of this all."

"Not goanna happen, I'm going to see this thing through."

"Come on Drake, let him know the importance of getting a further check up." Heiji said facing him.

"I feel fine, never better," Shinichi protested. "No need to worry, I'll have this thing unraveled in no time."

"You solving it, you haven't even looked over any of the evidence for yourself."

"I think you both are being ridiculous," Tim said. "I see no need for this to become an argument."

"The only one who's ridiculous is Kudo," Heiji stated. "He's obviously just interested in his track record."

"Now who's being ridiculous?" Shinichi backfired.

Tim couldn't help but shake his head, bringing a palm to his face in response to their back and forth bickering.

"At this rate nothing is going to get solved."

"Fine, since you're obviously not backing out you can try solving it yourself," Heiji said. "The last thing we want is for the police to think I'm collaborating with you two on the matter."

"We'll stay subtle," Shinichi said. "Which will mean checking in with you at the most convenient times."

"Guess you better look to Drake for assistance," Heiji remarked with a grin. "You'll need the handicap if you're going to solve this sooner than me."

"Is that right?"

"Let's put it to the test."

He turned for the other side of the room with nothing further said, leaving the two as he went in search of Lonard. Tim immediately looked to Shinichi, surprised to see a smirk across his face.

"One moment you're arguing, the next you're both smiling," Tim said. "I don't get it."

"Don't look too far into it," Shinichi said in response. "It's in our competitive nature."

"So that whole thing just now was."

"A friendly challenge if you will." Shinichi replied in mid sentence.

"I understand your determination, but aren't you concerned about your current state in the slightest," Tim asked. "For all we know there could be something brewing inside you."

"There's that chance, but as important as that may be," Shinichi said. "I think I'll be needed for this one."

"You're too much."

"Trust me, this won't take long."

"You have an idea of who might of done this?"

"As a matter a fact I do, but nothing solid to back my claim," Shinichi replied. "I'm going to need proof to shed light on any of this."

"So where do you stand on this," Tim asked. "Think Heiji will solve this thing before the two of us, let's not forget about the police force in his corner."

"Are you in doubt?"

"Not even for a second."

"Where do you suggest we kick off from?"

"By now we're both aware there might be an internal problem within this organization."

"Yes."

"If that is the case then this whole event might have chained off from that, we need to find out who was at the center of this disturbance."

"You're right, and I doubt Fournier will talk to either of us regarding the situation."

"Right, he'll only discus that with Heiji or the police officers brought in for that very task," Tim said. "Which means we'll have to do a little digging of our own."

"On what front?"

"Finances, business deals, you name it," Tim answered. "If this company was experiencing any problems we can find out, all it will take is a call to check all records."

"And you're sure they'll give you this information?"

"They're now linked with Wayne Enterprises, and as a representative it shouldn't be a problem."

"So what's the plan?"

"You try and sniff out and expose the culprit, they're bound to have a miss step," Tim replied. "Me on the other hand, I'll see if I can dig up motive for cross reference."

"Like the plan." Shinichi said.

"I thought you might."

"Alright, we'll give it a go," Shinichi said. "But first there's one lingering detail I'd like to go over first."

"Which is?"

"The temperature the room was at when Bernadea found the body," Shinichi said. "According to Hattori she said it was rather cool, yet the air conditioning is currently down."

"This morning presented degrees lowest as forty eight, so it is possible a window could have been open."

"If so who closed it, and why?"

"What advantage could the shooter have had with an open window," Tim questioned. "The only thing that would come of that is the chance for someone to hear from outside of the building, I'd hardly see that as a logical thing to do."

"Do we know the type of gun used in the attack?"

"The lab results haven't come back," Tim replied. "But we should know soon enough, they've been examining the body for over an hour now."

"What about surveillance, are you telling me the shooting wasn't caught on camera?"

"Apparently not."

"Guess it's wait and see from here in that regard," Shinichi said. "In the mean time I think we had better gather as much information as we can, paticularly on the victim."

"Gaining information on Grahm Fournier won't be hard."

"On what field do you mean," Shinichi asked. "Do you plan on checking in on his community records?"

"That's something to think about, but not what I had in mind," Tim replied. "What better way to learn about a man than going to those closest to him?"

"You plan on gaining this information from his brother?"

"Lonard is busy as of now, I think it would be best if we spoke with his daughter instead," Tim replied. "I'm sure she'd be willing to share with us what her uncle was like from her experiences."

"Not that I wouldn't mind joining you and all, but don't you think you should talk with her alone," Shinichi said. "She doesn't exactly know me, well not the real me if you know what I mean."

"You're concerned about her comfortability level, I understand where your coming from," Tim said. "Especially with what has occurred here today."

"Think she'll have it in her to speak to you about him?"

"Hopefully," Tim replied. "Only one way of finding out."

"While you do that I'm going to run a quick search of the room," Shinichi said. "I'd like to further familiarize myself with the crime scene."

"Let me know if anything crucial turns up," Tim said before scouring the room in search of her. "This won't take long, I'll meet back up with you as soon as I've finished."

"I'll keep a look out for you," Shinichi said before heading his way. "Good luck with her."

He nodded, finally sighting her on the far left side of the room. He took no time in walking toward her.

"Let's hope she's up for it."

He had found himself a seat at his chair, sorting through the many papers that were laid out before him. Not a moment past that he looked across to see him standing at the edge of the desk.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Of course," Lonard replied. "I take it you have questions of your own, would you like to have a seat?"

"No thanks," Heiji declined. "I'd rather stand."

"Very well, I'll leave you to your decision," Lonard said. "So what is it that you'd like to ask of me?"

"You were here at the estimated time of your brothers death," Heiji began. "Do you remember what you were doing at the time of twelve last night?"

"I was down in the projection room, watching a mandatory tape which all employees will soon have to see as well," Lonard replied. "You can check the camera's, it will confirm what I've said."

"And your brother, when do you recall seeing him last?"

"Some time after ten, can't remember exactly," Lonard replied. "He claimed he had something to attend to in the office, that's the last I saw of him."

"Where was this?"

"When we crossed paths in the lobby."

"Was anyone with him," Heiji asked. "Did he say he was to meet with someone?"

He shook his head in response.

"He said nothing of that nature, or anything that would remotely imply that," Lonard answered. "Sounded more like it had to do with desk work."

"I see."

"Will that be all?"

"Actually there's one last topic I'd like to cover with you," Heiji replied. "You called and said you wanted to discuss with me the inner problems of the company, do you think that might have had something to do with this?"

"It's a possibility, but can't be certain."

"When you called yesterday night it sounded like you were on the brink of discovering something," Heiji said. "Do you know who might be at the heart of the internal problem?"

"It's nothing of concern as I had originally thought, I looked into the situation myself this morning before coming in," Lonard informed. "It was nothing but a false alarm."

"Completely understood, it's a regular occurrence when it comes to these things."

"Do you have anything further you'd like to go over with me?"

"Not at this very moment, but rest assured I will most likely return to speak with you at some point," Heiji replied. "I'll leave you to your work until then."

"I appreciate that, let me know if you come across something of importance."

"That's a definite." Heiji replied before turning back for the crime scene.

He made his way around two police officials who were examining the blood stains on the ground, slowing down on his approach as he closed in. It didn't take long for her to take notice of his presence, letting out a half smile at the sight of him.

"You're still here, I thought you would haven taken off by now," Bernadea said. "What are you still doing here, I'm sure a guy of your status must have something better to do."

"Perhaps, but there's nothing I'd rather being doing right now than helping out here," Tim said in response. "Mind if I ask you a question or two?"

"What kind of questions?"

"About your late uncle," Tim replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to know a little more about him."

"I already went through this with the other detectives," Bernadea stated. "Did someone put you up to this?"

"It has nothing to do with that," Tim explained. "Was just hoping for a little information on him is all."

"Regarding his position here at Nano High?"

"That would be a good place to start."

"He was head man of security," Bernadea began. "He even helped put together all of the surveillance throughout the building."

"Sounds like a man of his work."

"He was."

"Anything else he worked on outside of security?"

"He helped with a lot of the electronic stuff," Bernadea replied. "Such as the computers and power lines that were set into place."

"You said the air conditioning system is currently down, in the case of that would your uncle have been the one to fix it?"

"Most certainly," Bernadea replied. "He's always been the family hands on guy, an admirable quality."

"If I were a stranger to him outside of this company, is there something you could tell me about him that I wouldn't know," Tim asked. "Maybe something you as family would only know?"

She didn't respond at first, taking seconds for her to process the question presented.

"Acting," Bernadea said looking up at him. "He took years of acting class."

"Acting class?"

"He did great work in the field, and his impersonations of many you may know were pretty spot on," Bernadea said. "You'd have been amazed to have seen an example."

"I bet I would have," Tim said. "Is there anything else you might be able to tell me?"

"Not that I can think of at the top of my head."

"That's alright, you've helped greatly."

"I have," Bernadea said a little surprised by his claim. "I'm glad I was able to be of service."

"If you remember anything that just happens to surface to your mind come and find me, I'll be around."

"Most certainly."

"Good talk." Tim smiled before turning for the opposite direction.

He left as casually as he had come, looking directly ahead to those throughout the room.

"Now to go and touch base."

He skimmed the room from end to the other, taking all but a few moments to sight him following the outline of the wall.

"Is he onto something?"

Curious as to what he was doing he steadily made his way toward him. He could see the strong focus on his face as he neared, doing his best not to distract him from whatever it was he was looking into. He stopped once reaching the right wall, looking over his shoulder to see he had returned.

"You're back, that didn't take long," Shinichi said. "What did you learn from the delightful Bernadea?"

"Grahm Fournier was head of security, he controlled virtually everything weighing under that department," Tim informed. "I was also given information about one of his lesser known qualities."

"Which is?"

"Acting," Tim replied. "Something she said he had worked on for years."

"Did he ever star in anything?"

"Not anything I've seen if so, but interesting to know none the least," Tim answered. "What about you, has your search mounted up to anything?"

"Unfortunately not," Shinichi replied. "I checked the air conditioner first, it's just as she said."

"Any idea what caused it to break down?"

"We'd have to open it up to find out the answer to that, I then looked for any traces of blood where the body wasn't," Shinichi continued. "If someone shot him at close range there might of been a chance they took a step in the large puddle left behind."

"I see, you were hoping to find a print of some kind."

"Which was ultimately shot down," Shinichi said. "I didn't find any evidence of someone walking out of here after the attack."

"What were you doing just now with the walls?"

"Looking for any potential evidence, if there was some kind of trick involved the culprit is bound to have left something behind," Shinichi replied. "And if that is the case, I will find it."

"Glad to see you're at the top of your game," Tim said. "But what do you say we check out our line of suspects first, we've already spoken with Lonard."

"Agreed, it's important that we find out what everyone else was doing at the time of the murder last night," Shinichi said. "If there is any faulty in any of their statements we'll catch it."

"I'll take Edward Canoe, he's a pretty stand up guy."

"That leaves Anthony Hamilton to me," Shinichi said. "Not to mention the two other suspects who have yet to arrive."

"We'll deal with them when they do," Tim said. "Meet you back here in six."

"I'll be here."

He nodded, heading into the opposite direction of him in search of Mr. Canoe.

He had finished his last task, contemplating on what he was to do next. The two crossed paths as they walked, stopping at the sight of the other.

"I see you've finished chatting with your friend," Officer Celek said. "How did it go?"

"Rather well, nothing unexpected." Heiji replied.

"Has he left the building?"

"He's actually still here, he plans to stick around for awhile," Heiji answered. "That's Kudo for you."

"Kudo..," Officer Celek questioned. "But I thought his name to be Nogort?"

"Oh yea, his last name," Heiji smilingly clarified. "Nogort Kudo."

"Ok, that makes sense."

"Have you checked back in with Cyless of security," Heiji asked. "He might have an update regarding the tapes we went over."

"That crossed my mind, I'll go in and check with him as soon as I've spoken with Carol Flowers."

"Carol Flowers?"

"One of the other employees who was still working past mid night when Grahm was estimated to have been shot."

"That's right, you told me that before," Heiji said. "What about the other guy who was here, is he also on his way?"

"It's been reported he fell ill this morning and is unable to come in at this time," Officer Celek informed. "But not to worry, two officers have already been sent to his home to question him there."

"That keeps us right on schedule," Heiji said. "I'll tell you what, why don't you go and check in with Cyless while I wait here for Carol Flowers."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Heiji replied. "I'd like to speak with her myself if you don't mind."

"Of course not, I'll leave it to you."

"Where might I find her when she arrives?"

"I'd stay right here, she's bound to pass through here," Officer Celek replied. "No way you can miss her, being that all who work here are required to wear their name tags when asked to come in."

"I'll keep an eye out for her."

"If anyone asks, you know where to find me," Officer Celek said turning for the right. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He left with nothing further needed to be said, heading down the hall toward where the security back room was located.

He had searched more than half of the room, finally sighting him in the the upper corner of the left wall with his arms crossed. There was no one within five feet of him, signaling he was alone for at least the moment. Taking advantage of this opportunity he headed straight for him.

"Hello there," Tim said stopping upon reaching him. "Edward Canoe right?"

"Who are you, another detective looking to humor me with more questions?"

"Well kind of, if you want to put it that way."

"Like I told the others before you, I didn't hear or see anything," Edward explained. "I was in the basement labs the entire night."

"And at what time did you leave the building?"

"Three thirty sharp, are we done?"

"Did you notice anything unusual at that time?"

"Not until this morning when I returned to find you and your group of investigators ransacking the building."

He shook his head at this remark.

"What a joy this is turning out to be," Tim thought. "Hopefully Shinichi is having better luck."

He stood in place as the downward ascension continued, setting his eyes to the number pallete which shifted to '1' soon after. The elevator door opened moments afterward. He stepped out, heading left to where the main lobby was located. It took little time for him to make his way around the corner, looking across the room to see Mr. Hamilton back in his place behind the front desk. He wasted no time in walking toward him.

"Mr. Hamilton, mind if I have a word?"

"Of course not, customer service is number one on my resume," Anthony replied. "How is it that I may help you?"

"I'm actually here on behalf of a friend, a detective helping with the investigation of the death of your college."

"I already gave my statement."

"I was sent down for another," Shinichi informed. "We're trying to get every detail down to the last thread."

"Alright, what is it you'd like to know?"

"Let's start with the time of the murder," Shinichi said. "Do you recall hearing or seeing anything around that particular time?"

"Which would have been at about mid night correct?"

"That's right."

"I was down here at the lobby at that time, but I did hear something about two hours later," Anthony informed. "While walking I heard a loud thump from above, like the sound of a brick hitting dirt ground."

"Where exactly did you hear this?"

"While on the eighteenth floor," Anthony replied. "I had gone up there in storage to grab a couple supplies before clocking out to head home."

"Storage," Shinichi asked. "You were in a storage room when you heard this noise?"

"On my way to it," Anthony replied. "I heard that noise while still in the hall, don't know how relevant that could be."

"True, being that the murder occurred two hours prior," Shinichi said. "I'm sure it was nothing to worry about."

"I was thinking the same."

"Have you shared any of this information with anyone else?"

"Yea, that young looking detective," Anthony replied. "The one with the cap."

"Appreciate your cooperation, I'll be sure to stop back by if I have any more questions."

"Works for me, won't be going anywhere for awhile."

He turned back to the other side of the room, taking only a few steps before hearing the automatic entry doors slide open. He immediately looked to the right to see a woman being escorted in by six police officers who covered both sides of her.

"Must be one of the others who was working past twelve last night," Shinichi thought as he watched them walk across the room. "Looks like they're heading for the elevators, might as well follow them."

He did just that, following the small group around the corner to where the elevators could be found. He stood a few feet away from the seven, glimpsing over at her to see she had on a lab jacket similar to the one he had seen Mr. Canoe wearing.

"Looks like I was right, her attire all but confirms it."

Just as he was to make a move toward her the arrival of the elevator left of him opened wide for all to enter. He watched as the seven stepped in, deciding he'd wait for the next one.

"That one's crowded enough, there's no harm in waiting for the next."

He pressed down to the pad, signaling for an elevator of his own which didn't take long for it to come.

"Now to see what kind of progress the other two have made in my absence." Shinichi said before walking in with the doors sliding shut from behind.

He took to the center as the ascension back to the top floor began. It didn't take long for it to reach the twenty fifth floor. He walked out, surprised not to see the woman and the six officers that had been at her side.

"Where did they go, no way they could have reached the room in such a short amount of time," Shinichi said. "I wasn't that far behind."

He stood there for only a few seconds more, finally making his way back to Mr. Fournier's office where most everyone else was. He arrived back to the room only to move off to the right side at the sound of something being sprayed from the left. He turned after doing so to see a security official with an air spray in hand.

"That will about do it, no need to spray anymore," Lonard instructed. "That should be enough to close out that foul odor."

"Yes of course." The officer replied.

He paused at this, standing there for moments to come before having someone step up to his side.

"How did your meet go?"

"He was very forth coming," Shinichi replied facing him. "Hamilton told me everything he had been doing at the estimated time of death and beyond."

"Great, wish I could say the same," Tim said. "Mr. Canoe seemed more interested in asking questions of his own rather than answering any that were posed."

"Think he's got something to hide?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Tim said. "But if he is, he most certainly didn't show any signs of it in his speech pattern."

"Want me to try and give it a go?"

"No need for now," Tim replied. "Besides, I'm sure you would receive similar results."

"Did he say anything at all?"

"He claims he was in the low levels labs at the time mid night rolled around," Tim answered. "According to him he didn't hear or see anything."

"Typical for most to say."

"What about the clerk man," Tim asked. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"At the time of twelve he claimed to have been down in the lobby," Shinichi replied. "He said we could check the security camera's to back his story."

"Anything else?"

"Roughly two hours later he said he heard a noise while on the eighteenth floor."

"What was he doing on the eighteenth floor?"

"On his way to the storage room to collect something before heading home."

"What kind of noise was described?"

"The sound of something dropping with heavy force," Shinichi replied. "He said it came from one of the floors above."

"That's a new twist."

"It's something to think about, but probably has no barring to what we're dealing with now."

"You're probably right."

"Right about what?"

The two looked over at the sound of his voice to see he had rejoined them.

"How's the case coming along?" Heiji asked.

"Progress." Shinichi replied.

"Same here," Heiji said. "Nothing clear on who committed the crime as of yet from my end, how about either of you?"

"Let's just say I'm weighing in on a possibility, a very subtle one," Tim replied. "I have found no truth to it as of yet, just a hunch."

"Something of that nature has come to me as well." Shinichi said.

"Like what," Heiji said stepping forward. "Don't leave me hanging."

"What happened with your talk with Lonard," Tim asked. "What did he say concerning the problem within the company?"

"He claims he was onto something, but when investigated turned out to be a red herring."

"Could it be," Tim said. ".. A mirror sided performance?"

"What now?"

He wasn't given the chance to answer, interrupted by Officer Celek who joined the them.

"Hattori, there's a problem that requires our immediate attention," Officer Celek said. "I was informed on my way back from the security room."

"What kind of problem?" Heiji asked.

"Apparently it has something to do with one of the elevators." Officer Celek replied.

"Don't they have hired mechanics for that, we should be focused in on the death of Grahm Fournier."

"I feel the same way, but they have asked for our attendance," Officer Celek stated. "I'll meet you out there."

With that he turned for where he had come, heading straight for the door.

"I guess I better go ahead and follow him," Heiji said. "Either of you planning on coming?"

"Might as well," Tim replied. "Who knows what this might mount up to."

"You two go, I'll catch up with you soon."

"Your call," Tim said. "Come on, let's go see what this is all about."

"Right with you."

With Heiji leading the way the two headed for the door. He simply stood there, feeling the edge was near, one flipped by complete deception. He stood straight in his stance, turning back to where the blood stain could clearly be seen.

"The entrance, the known inconsistency.. could he have been the one to commit the crime," Shinichi thought to himself. "And what of the tapes, key sequences are missing from the recordings... what could it possibly mean?"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 99

Alteration in Ego

A strong scent of an ongoing shower came to him. He opened his eyes, feeling the smooth surface below him. The first moments were that of a blur, taking time for his vision to clear up. He looked down to see he was laid out on a couch. Knowing this he turned his head to the right to find himself in an unfamiliar environment.

"Where am I?"

He slowly sat up from where he laid, removing the light blanket that had been placed over him. He then browsed the rest of the room, looking to the wall opposite of himself to see a fish tank set up atop a dresser. He then focused his attention to the left, finding an opened window in the clear where small drops continued to drift in.

"What is this place?"

Not a moment later did it take for him to realize that something was off, reaching for his face to find that his glasses were not in place. This raised more questions than before. Not wanting to sit around any longer he dropped down from the couch, taking notice of a door on the right side.

"That could be my way out, pending that it's not locked from the other side."

Making little noise as possible he quietly made his way to the door, not wanting the possibility of someone to hear.

"Step one complete."

He reached for the knob once there, slowly turning it only to hear the sound of a voice from behind.

"No need for the stealth, it's just the two of us."

"Let me guess," Conan said turning around. "You were there the whole time."

"Only for the past five minutes." Tim replied stepping away from the wall.

"Guess this is what happens when you don't check the whole room," Conan said. "What is this place, and why did you bring me here?"

"We had a dispute with the time and all last night, so we came to the decision to bring you here," Tim answered. "My place."

"Ok, that explains," Conan said. "But what about my glasses, where did you put them?"

"I thought you would have been more concerned with what happened after that black out of yours."

"I blacked out?"

"You don't remember?"

He took the next seconds to try and rehash what had happened, trailing his way back to the sofa as he did. He took a seat once there, bringing a hand to his head with the shake of his head.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

"The last thing I recall is going on a search of the room."

"As I was told," Tim said. "Something about finding a way out of there right?"

"Yea, that's right," Conan said sliding down from the couch. "The thief, what happened with him?"

"One topic at a time, you first," Tim said. "What's the last thing you remember from last nights occasion, preferably what you remember seeing last?"

"Let's see here."

He brought a hand to his chin, stepping around the couch as he did.

"So you went in search of the room, then what happened?"

"If I'm not mistaken I followed the the outer wall on the left side in hopes of finding an unattended vent."

"For what?"

"I had the intent of planting a recorder onto it," Conan replied. "It was all part of the plan."

"So you're following the outline of the wall, at any point did you stop for any given reason?"

"I don't recall.."

He paused, giving it a couple seconds to think back.

"Now that you mention it there was something," Conan said looking up at him. "That man, he was there."

"What man," Tim asked. "Anybody I might know?"

"Korn, I'm sure of it."

"Wait, you don't mean the less than talkative Korn from the Organization do you?"

"I know it sounds far fetched but I'm positive it was him I saw."

"Ok, let's say this is true," Tim said. "What would he being doing here in Gotham?"

"I don't know," Conan replied. "It could be a variety of things, a planned hit would be my first guess."

"I was thinking the same."

"Was anyone hurt or maybe killed last night that you might know of?"

"Not at the convention," Tim replied. "If that was indeed him, there might be another reason for his attendance."

"And I doubt he was there for the big reveal."

"What exactly did you see him doing, was he with anyone?"

"No, he was alone," Conan replied. "I didn't notice him at first, he had a newspaper covering his face."

"Sounds to me like he might have been waiting for someone."

"That must have been around the time I lost conscious," Conan said. "That leaves us with no real way of finding out."

"Not necessarily," Tim stated. "We can still get ahold of the security tapes, that might reveal just what we're hoping to find."

"I didn't even think about that," Conan said. "How soon do you think we can get our hands on these tapes?"

"Not completely sure, we'll have to call in and set up a time," Tim replied. "Shouldn't take any longer than a day at max."

"Let's hope we can cut it shorter than that."

"And you're sure that's all you saw," Tim asked. "Are you certain you didn't see him make eye contact with anyone, perhaps a guest who might have approached him?"

"Sorry, but that's all I can remember," Conan said. "Whatever happened next is unknown to me."

"I see."

"Not that I really care to know, but how did everyone react when I fell over," Conan asked. "How did Bruce take it?"

"I didn't see his initial reaction, but that woman," Tim said. "Ademia Kefalas, she was one of the first to come to your side."

"She was?"

"She even called for an ambulance," Tim informed. "That's when I stepped in and said I'd take over."

"She sounds like a really decent woman, you're not still suspicious of her are you?"

"Don't know, but that's not what we should be focused in on."

"You're right, now it's your turn," Conan declared. "What happened with the thief?"

"Unfortunately he got away."

"I was afraid that'd be the outcome," Conan said with the shake of his head. "Are we any closer to finding out who this guy is?"

"I tried asking Damian about what happened last night, but he completely refused to answer," Tim replied. "I left it up to Bruce and Dick to handle the situation from there, that's when I brought you here."

"What about Hattori, is he around?"

"Out looking into something, and soon will I," Tim said. "Bruce plans to brief me in on what he learned about our run away thief."

"I want to come with."

"I don't think so," Tim declined. "I agreed to make sure you stayed put, at least until the blood results come back on the blood sample collected."

"And how long is that going to take?"

"Some time to day," Tim answered. "If something is wrong with you, which appears to be the case, we'll know what soon enough."

"Leaving me to sit here and wait while you guys get to handle the case," Conan remarked. "Sounds like a joy."

"I've always found reading to be a helpful way of passing time, there's actually quite a selection to choose from in the up stairs room," Tim notified. "I could take you there now if you'd like."

"No thanks," Conan declined. "I'd rather not."

"You feeling ok?"

"I'm fine, maybe just a little tired is all," Conan replied. "You never did answer my question to where you put my glasses."

"Hold on for a minute, I'll go and grab them," Tim said before heading for the door. "I left them sitting on the kitchen counter."

"Great, I'll come with you." Conan said following from close behind.

"Fine by me."

After over an hour of driving they had finally arrived. He tipped the cab driver before stepping out, waving him off before watching him drive into the clear.

"Finally, now maybe we'll get some answers."

He checked his watch, wanting to clarify the time they had discussed.

"Thirty five after ten, this might be pushing it," Heiji thought to himself. "Good thing I don't plan on staying long."

He made his way to the entrance from there, looking to see the parking lot was more than half full.

"Never expected business to begin on such a high note."

He continued toward the building, looking up to the print upon the sign which read 'Living Green'. He entered in as a group of people exited, wasting no time in trying to sight an employee.

"Excuse me." Heiji said approaching someone working in front of a set of flower pots.

They immediately turned to face him.

"What is it I can do for you?"

"It's actually quite simple," Heiji replied. "Would you happen to know where I might find Mr. Matthews, Steve Matthews to be precise?"

"Oh yes, he's working today."

"In which department?"

"If I'm not mistaken he should be out back watering the outside plants, that would be the best place to look."

"Thanks."

Knowing where to go next he left with no further questions needed. He checked the time once more, wanting to make sure he remained on schedule. After reaching the other side of the room he followed the wall all the way to the back, stopping after reaching the door. He pushed it aside with ease, looking into the near distance to see a lone man standing with a water hose in hand.

"That must be him."

He removed his hands from within his pockets as he approached, coming to a halt after reaching his side.

"Matthews?"

He turned to face him, lowering the hose as he did.

"That would be me," Steve confirmed. "You must be the one who wished to speak with me."

"That is correct." Heiji replied before pulling out his phone.

"What's this?"

"A picture," Heiji replied holding the phone out for him to see. "This woman, I was told you've seen her before."

"Let me see here."

He moved in for a closer look, shaking his head at what he saw.

"That's right," Steve confirmed. "She comes in every few days or so."

"I was told her name was Sam."

"Not Sam, Pam," Steve corrected. "Or at least that's what she told me."

"What else do you know about her," Heiji asked. "I heard you two spoke on a regular basis."

"Only about the merchandise," Steve said. "From the types of plants we have here to the ones we would be importing in."

"At any point did she discuss anything regarding her personal life?"

They were interrupted by the sound of his phone. He pulled it out to see the incoming number.

"It's from the station," Heiji said. "I have to take this."

"The station?"

He turned his back to him to take the call.

"This is Heiji."

Not much needed to be said on his part, only listening to what was told to him. The conversation didn't take long, shocked by the information that was given to him.

"I'm sorry," Heiji said turning back to face him. "But I must go."

"You mentioned something about a station, are you some kind of investigator or something?"

"Something like that," Heiji replied. "Appreciate the information, I'll leave you back to your work, we're done here."

"Nice talk." Steve said as he watched him walk off.

He followed him down the stairs, letting him take the lead as the two made their way toward the door. They entered to find him sitting at the desk. He looked up at the two, almost as if he had been expecting them.

"I checked for traces of DNA on that hang glider like you asked," Dick informed. "It came up negative."

"I'm not surprised," Bruce said. "Especially after pulling the file on the presumed thief."

"So is it true, is that guy really who he said he was?"

"From the description you gave I'd say we have a match," Bruce confirmed. "He goes by the name of Kaitou Kid, a well known and successful thief who operates predominantly in Japan."

"Never heard of the guy prior to last night," Damian commented. "His skills were slightly above mediocre, but did have the edge to catch me by surprise."

"Japan isn't his only known playing field," Bruce continued. "I had heard about some of his other activities that have taken shape over the past year or so, only now has he brought his travels here to Gotham."

"Any clue as to why that may be?" Dick asked.

"If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be sitting here," Bruce replied. "Finding out what he's after is our main priority."

"What exactly was it that he stole?" Dick asked.

"It was known as a G3 Power Emitter," Bruce replied. "It was said to have had enough energy to power a half a city the size of Gotham."

"That can't be right," Damian spoke out. "There's no way the device I saw him stash away within his jacket could be capable of that length of power."

"You wouldn't think," Bruce agreed. "But you'd be surprised, I saw the prints for the device myself this morning."

"So we know the what, now only the why remains," Dick said. "Any ideas as to why this guy might have taken the gizmo?"

"Unfortunately not," Bruce replied. "There's nothing in his profile evading toward an item such as the one taken, commonly what sparks his interest is jewels."

"Any particular type?"

"A variety."

"Why does his routine even matter at this point," Damian said taking a spot to the wall. "I doubt we're even going to find him, if he's smart he's probably hiding it out somewhere."

"What are you implying, that we should just give up?" Dick said looking his way.

"Father said he went after something he normally wouldn't right, that means there's a high possibility he was hired for the job," Damian said. "Which means instead of looking for the clown in white, we should be looking for someone who'd have something to gain with a device like that."

"Taking a methodical approach I see," Dick commented. "I'm impressed."

"The question is, will we be receiving another riddle?"

"I was wondering that very question myself."

"Then let it be put to rest," Bruce said regaining their attention. "Before worrying about anything that has yet to occur, we need to figure out the other message presented in the riddle."

"Another message?" Dick said looking at him in confusion.

"the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see," Bruce reminded. "That phrase was clearly referring to the Futures Building."

"Right.."

"Then there's the second part of that riddle," Bruce continued. "the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ0-(-30) 105 accounted in."

"Which was the link between important structures throughout the city."

"But had little to do with what unfolded last night," Bruce said. "Let's not blind ourselves from the importance of the (X) at the beginning of the riddle and the (Y) that closed it off."

"Which we've concluded as placement and distance," Dick said. "But besides the Futures Building, what else could we be looking into as a place of interest?"

"All locations that lead us to where we are now," Bruce replied. "Cennals Inc, Delmore Industries, Syclons, Salvon's Bridge, Silver Engineering, Kelver Side Crafts, and Wayne Enterprises."

"Are you sure about this?"

"He got ahold of one of the Wayne helicopters, I'd say he knows a thing or two about the company and how we work business," Bruce replied. "And probably a sufficient amount of information on the other companies as well."

"Makes sense when you put it that way."

"From this point forward this is now one of our top priorities."

"From the sounds of it I'd say you're taking this whole thing rather personal." Damian stated.

"The moment that Kaitou Kid impersonated me to see his mission through was the moment it became personal."

"Oh.. kay then," Dick said. "Where do we start?"

"While reading through the many reports involving Kid I happened to sight a certain someone who seemed to be at the middle of several of the encounters."

"Someone we know?"

"Correct," Bruce confirmed. "I want you to bring me the boy, if there's a quick counter to Kid he's our best option."

"You mean Conan?"

"He knows this guy better than any of us as it would appear."

"Wow, talk about desperate measures." Damian remarked.

"I'll give Tim a call in a bit to see if he's awake," Dick said. "Speaking of which, did you get the results back on that blood test you ran?"

"Still in the process." Bruce answered at the ring of his phone.

Not sure as to who was calling he removed the phone from in his pocket, surprised at who was was calling. He answered it, listening to the person on the other line who delivered some unfortunate and disturbing news. He understood what was needed of him, hanging up after nearly a minute of conversation.

"What is it," Dick asked after seeing the look on his face. "What happened?"

"It's Mr. Fournier," Bruce said resting his phone to the desk. "He's dead."

"Mr. Fournier, as in Lonard Fournier?"

"No, but his brother," Bruce replied. "Grahm Fournier."

"How?"

"They're saying he was shot," Bruce replied. "And that's the only information that was given to me."

"But why call you, I don't understand."

"They're gathering everyone who made contact with the company in the last twenty four hours," Bruce replied. "I told them I couldn't make it but would send a representative in my place regarding the business aspect of things."

"I'll go."

"No, I want you here working the Kaitou Kid case while I go check on that blood sample," Bruce said sitting up from the chair. "I'll call Tim and have him head down there."

"Either way works."

"I'll be back shortly," Bruce said. "If you unexpectedly need me for whatever reason, you know where to find me."

"Of course," Dick said. "Damian and I will see what we can come up with."

"Good, then I'll leave it to you."

With that he turned for the other side, exiting the room with the push of the door.

"Now what?"

"We do as asked of us," Dick replied. "Our best bet is to decode the remainder of the message, with any luck that will lead us right to him."

"And if it doesn't?"

"It will," Dick said in response. "After hearing what he had to say and revisiting the riddle, I'm certain of it."

"I sure hope you're right about this one."

"Don't over think it, you'll see in time," Dick said. "Now, what do you say we get this investigation underway?"

"The tables yours."

He followed him out of the room they had been in, leading into a larger one. He observed the place as they walked, taking in every little detail that came to view. There were a set of stairs leading to another floor, but most notable were the unique paintings of art that filled the wall. They stopped upon reaching a door on the far side, walking in past it which lead to yet another room.

"And here we are." Tim said walking over to the counter located on the left side.

He reached down, grabbing hold of the desired item before turning back to hand it to him.

"I take it this are what you wanted."

"Thanks." Conan said taking the glasses into hand before placing them on.

"I don't get it, why wear them when you're here," Tim questioned. "It's not like you have vision problems or need to disguise your appearance from anyone around here."

"It's more of a habit, and in case a situation arises where they're needed."

"Sticking with the simple approach I see, we'll go with that."

"Not a bad place by the way, not as big as the mansion," Conan commented. "But still spaced out none the less."

"Would you like anything," Tim asked. "Perhaps something to eat or drink?"

"No thanks, I think I'll be fine for awhile." Conan said bringing a hand to his forehead.

"You ok?"

"It's nothing," Conan assured. "Just a minor headache is all."

"I know just the thing," Tim said with the snap of his finger. "How about a bath, if anything it could at least help mellow down the headache you've got going."

He took a few moments to give it some thought, looking back up at him after coming to a decision.

"You know.. that might not be a bad idea."

"Great, the bath water has already been set," Tim informed. "It should still be relatively warm, I took care of that right before coming to check on you."

"You had this all planned out didn't you?"

"You seemed warm when I checked last, so I thought it might be a good idea," Tim replied. "You'll find the bathroom first door on the left upstairs."

"Back onto what happened last night," Conan said shifting the subject. "How did the general public take it, do the police know what went on?"

"Only parts here and there," Tim replied. "Not as much information as we have on the matter."

"I guess it's a wait and see approach."

"That's one way of putting it." Tim said to hear the sound of his phone.

"Who is it?" Conan asked out of curiosity.

"Bruce."

"Think it's about what happened last night?"

"Only one way of finding out." Tim said taking the call.

He kept his position from where he stood, watching as the look on his face gradually changed from what it had been. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not, waiting over a minute for his conversation to come to an end.

"What was it, what did he say?"

"There's a problem at the Nano High building," Tim replied. "Grahm Fournier was found dead in his brother's office."

"What happened?"

"He was murdered, one bullet to the head."

"I can't believe it."

"It's surprising news for us all," Tim said. "Anyway, Bruce wants me to head up there for certain proceedings."

"Can I come," Conan asked with a step taken. "There's bound to be a case."

"I thought that's what your response might be, but the answer is no," Tim said declining his request. "More important thing in your regard right now is getting some rest."

"Is Heiji going to be there?"

"I'm not certain, but there's a chance," Tim said. "I'll tell you what, why don't you hold onto this."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a familiar device which he handed to him.

"A codec piece," Conan questioned. "What for?"

"This way you can hear all that goes on while still here."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better on the matter?"

"No, but it does give you an option besides being completely left out."

"Alright," Conan said placing it into his ear. "Can't get any worse than this."

"Bruce also wishes to speak with you about something," Tim informed. "I said I'd swing you back once business is wrapped up at Nano High."

"Did he tell you what about?"

"No idea," Tim replied. "But it sounded important."

"Not much to take away from that."

"I guess I better be going, they want me down there as soon as possible."

"I understand."

"If there's anything you want or need while I'm away just give me a ring, I'll try and get back to you whenever I can."

"Of course."

"Good, then I better be getting on my way."

He turned for the other side, exiting out of the kitchen through the same door he had entered.

"Grahm Fournier..," Conan thought. "What could have possibly lead to his death?"

He sat in silence as the cab drove along, taking a peak out of the window side to see the building was finally coming into view. He took a deep breath, readying himself for what was to come next.

"So, this is Nano High."

The cab came to a stop shortly there after. The two of them looked on, coming to find a large group of people from newscasters to police officers occupying the area.

"Is this good enough?"

"Yes, this will do," Heiji replied. "I can walk the rest of the way from here."

"Big crowd I see, any idea to what's going on over there?"

"Still don't have the full story myself," Heiji replied. "The only thing to my knowledge is that an important man has died."

"Good luck getting through there."

"Thanks."

With that he stepped out, gently closing the door before stepping up to the sidewalk. He made his way toward the building, finding it difficult to do so with the many that stood in his path. It wasn't just the reporters that surrounded the area, but a fleet of spectators coming to see what had occurred.

"Didn't expect a showing quite like this."

He continued to push his way toward the exit, surprised to see a man in a dress suit waving over at him in the near distance.

"Hey Hattori, over here."

"He knows my name."

There was something familiar, but he couldn't quite pin point where he had seen him. None the less he made his way toward the man who stood a few yards away.

"You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yea, I'm your ticket in," The man replied. "They won't let anyone in unattended without a police officer."

"That's right," Heiji said having it all come back to him. "I saw you at the City Hall, officer Celek right?"

"So you do remember me."

"Didn't recognize you at first," Heiji admitted. "Being that you're out of uniform."

"Glad we're on the same page," Celek said. "Now come, they wish to see you as soon as possible."

"Me," Heiji questioned. "Why?"

"On behalf of Lonard's wishes," Celek replied. "You must have left a good impression."

"You don't say," Heiji said. "So what's the deal, he wants me to try and piece together what happened?"

"I'd assume."

"That would explain."

"On another note, have you spoken with Gordon?"

"No, why," Heiji asked. "Did he want to see me?"

"He wanted to have a conversation with you about what happened last night at the Futures Building," Celek replied. "Looks like you may have been correct in your deduction."

"Yet it wasn't enough to catch the guy before making his move."

"Not all is lost," Celek said in response. "The diamond, the one left behind in the devices place."

"What of it?"

"It was stolen from Kelver Side Crafts exactly a month from yesterday." Celek informed.

"Is that right?"

"They're already running it for prints at the lab, with any luck it might lead to something," Celek continued. "Maybe even to who took that device."

"You don't know how helpful you've been."

"I'm glad to hear," Celek said. "Has something come to mind?"

"Not yet, but it is certainly an angle to work."

"Come, it'd be in our best interest not to keep them waiting any longer."

"Sure, but I must ask," Heiji said as they began to walk. "Why are you in a regular suit and not in uniform?"

"For undercover purposes," Celek informed. "My goal is to look out for any suspicious activity amongst the many employees."

"Why is that?"

"It seems there's been a bit of a subtle problem within the company," Celek replied. "It appearers that."

"No need to go on," Heiji said cutting him off. "Lonard had already come to me with this exact problem, the plan was for me to meet with him on the matter today."

"Looks like you're caught up with the situation even more so than myself."

"Besides you, who else is here to see this case through?"

"Just a couple of the locals," Celek replied. "Many of the other are still piecing together where that thief might have run off to."

"On the subject of Kelver Side, how did things turn out last night," Heiji asked. "I didn't hear of any incident, am I to assume all went well?"

"About as good as you would expect," Celek replied. "Which in affect confirms the one to write the riddles was in fact a guest at the Futures Building."

"That nails it," Heiji said. "But there's still one thing that bothers me."

"What?"

"The last riddle given out," Heiji said. "How was the thief able to deliver it to all of the stations and have it so they were all discovered at the same time?"

".. That's a really good question."

"An answer which may not be easy to come by."

The two became quiet as they pressed on, slowly making their way around those who stood in their path toward the front entrance. It took much patience, finally reaching the door nearly a minute later. The flash of several lights past by, turning to see it was only camera's. The door was immediately closed upon the two stepping in, greeted by a man who stood in what appeared to be a lab suit.

"Welcome to Nano High, you must be the detective I was informed about."

"And you are?"

"Edward Canoe," He replied pointing to his name tag. "But you can call me Professor Canoe, I've been helping with a lot of the hands on stuff we've been working on in the lab right beneath us."

"Professor Canoe it is."

They were then joined by another man who made his way over from the large desk on the left side.

"This here is Anthony Hamilton, the front clerk who checks in all guests." Edward introduced.

"This must be detective Hattori," Anthony said. "That must mean we're all set to head up."

"To where?" Heiji asked looking to him.

"The top floor," Edward replied. "That is where the the crime occurred, and is also where they would like us all to gather."

"Is this all of us, or are more to show?" Celek asked.

"As far as I know this is it," Edward said turning for the right side. "Come, the elevators are just around the corner."

"Has the problem been fixed?" Anthony asked.

"It hasn't given anyone trouble for the past thirty minutes, so I think we're good to go." Edward replied.

"Problem," Heiji questioned. "What kind of problem?"

"We had a little malfunction with one of the elevators, but it is now all clear," Edward assured. "It is no longer anything to worry about."

"I still think we better have someone give it a look later just in case," Anthony said. "You just never know with these things."

"Agreed, but right now our focus is needed elsewhere," Edward said. "Now what do you say we all head on up?"

"No argument there." Celek agreed.

With that they made their way for the elevators just ahead.

Things had become completely silent from the time he had left, taking his time as he made his way up the stairs. The door on the left mentioned to him before could clearly be seen as he neared the top. Each taken step seemed more draining than the last, stopping for a brief moment after reaching the top. The headache from before had escalated, no matter how minor it may be. He brought a hand to his forehead at the same time his phone began to ring. Not wanting to delay the call he reached down and grabbed hold of it, answering it on the spot.

"Hello."

"Conan," A comforting voice softly spoke. "Conan is that you?"

"Ran?"

"It's good to hear your voice again, I'm sorry your phone burned out the last we spoke."

"Oh yea," Conan laughingly agreed. "It had been on for most of the day."

"So are you doing ok?"

"Couldn't be better, it's been a great run so far."

"Speaking of which, where are the two of you now?"

"What?"

"Heiji told me about your travels," Ran clarified. "I was just wondering where it is you two are now."

"Oh yes," Conan said with a sudden pause. "We're actually in Chicago now, but plan on taking our journeys further east in the next day or so."

"Sounds like fun."

"It has been, what about you," Conan asked. "How have things been since your return?"

"Still settling in, but it is good to be home," Ran replied. "Though of course it's not the same without you, when do you plan on coming back anyway?"

"Five days, a week maybe."

"Don't cut it too long, after all school's back in session a week and a half from now." Ran reminded.

"I haven't forgotten."

"Good, then I'm going to let you go," Ran said. "I think it's about time I got a little sleep, it's been a long day."

"You're right," Conan said having a peak down at his watch. "It's after eleven PM there."

"If I don't hear from you soon, I'll be sure to call back in the next couple days."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Conan replied. "Good night Ran."

"Hope to see you soon."

He lowered the phone from his ear after ending the transmission, placing it back into his pocket before heading for the door once again.

"It sure was nice to hear her voice," Conan thought. "Hopefully she's doing better than me."

The elevator finally came to a stop upon reaching the twenty fifth floor. They all exited one by one, following Edward Canoe who lead them down the left side. He could hear voices in the clear, only getting louder the closer they got. He signaled for everyone to stop after reaching a door halfway down the hall.

"And here we are," Edward said turning the knob. "Once in they should update you with the details you need to know."

Without further ado he opened the door, being the first out of the four to step in. It was just as expected, everything set up just like any other crime scene. The first thing that came to view was the small area blocked off by crime scene tape on the other side of the room.

"That must be where the body was found."

He moved in, coming to a stop only after reaching the tape. Large amounts of blood could be seen embedded in the carpet below, there was no mistaking it, this had been where Grahm Fournier had been shot.

"This is defiantly where it happened." Heiji thought as someone joined up at his side.

"Hello there," An unknown officer greeted. "You must be that other detective who Lonard requested for."

"That'd be me," Heiji confirmed. "Was this where the body was found?"

"That is correct."

"At approximately what time was that?"

"Eight twenty four this morning."

"Who was the one to find the body?"

"Ms. Fournier," The officer replied. "The niece of the late Mr. Grahm Fournier."

"That's never a good way to start the day," Heiji stated. "Do we have an estimated time for when he was shot and killed?"

"They're working on that at the lab as we speak, we should have an answer to that soon enough."

"Good."

"In the mean time why don't you go and let Lonard know you're here," The officer suggested. "I'm sure he'd like to have a word with you."

"I'd assume so," Heiji said. "Where is he now?"

"Right over there accompanying his daughter," The officer said pointing to the left side. "As you can see she's very distraught over this whole ordeal."

"Which is understandable, its not every day you walk in to find a dead family member," Heiji said turning to where he had pointed. "Thanks for the information."

"Anytime kid."

He made his way into that direction from there, looking ahead to see Lonard who was still comforting his daughter through the current procedures. It took all but a few seconds for him to look up to see he had finally arrived.

"Detective Hattori, " Lonard greeted. "I'm so glad you were able to make it on such short notice."

"I wouldn't exactly call it short notice, after all we were scheduled to meet about an hour from now."

"You're very right," Lonard said. "That completely fell to the back of my mind with all that has happened."

"Which is understandable."

"I'm sure by now you know why you've been summoned here."

"To investigate the circumstances surrounding your brothers death."

"Exactly," Lonard confirmed. "The more people we have working on this the better, I want the one responsible for this held accountable for their actions."

"As do we all, but first I'd like to start off by asking a couple questions."

"Of course."

"Starting with your daughter if that's alright with you."

"Well my dear," Lonard said looking down at her. "Are you feeling up to it?"

She didn't respond for the first moments, taking her a time to finally give him the nod.

"Are you sure Bernadea?" Lonard asked.

"I want to help in anyway that I can." Bernadea replied.

"Very well," Lonard said. "In the mean time I'll be over there speaking with the Lieutenant, I'll return as soon as I can."

"I'll be right here." Bernadea said.

He nodded, turning for the opposite side of the room with nothing further said. That left just the two of them. He wasted no time, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Tell me," Heiji said stepping up to her. "What was it like when you entered the room at the time, was it dark?"

"To a degree, yes," Bernadea replied wiping the visible tears from her eyes. "There were no lights on, only the sun which was in the mist of rising provided a visual."

"I'd ask you about the position of the body, but I'm sure they have photos that could cover that field for me," Heiji said. "Could you clarify the time when you came across the body."

"Twenty something after."

"At what hour?"

"Eight this morning."

"Alright I'll check it down as eight twenty for now," Heiji said. "Besides the time, is there anything else of importance you might be able to tell me?"

"The room, it was cool," Bernadea said. "Almost as if someone had left the window open."

"Was it?"

"Not when I walked in."

"Air conditioning maybe?"

"It's currently a no go," Bernadea informed. "When I reported that bit of information they checked for that very possibility only to find that the air conditioning was non functional."

"How long do you believe it was out?"

"It was working just fine yesterday afternoon before I left."

"That's strange."

"Do you think there's some meaning to it?"

"Can't say for sure," Heiji replied. "While we're still on the subject, is there anything else out of the ordinary that you noticed or can tell me?"

"That was virtually it, once I saw the body seconds after I freaked," Bernadea said. "I left to go and find help immediately."

"What you've given me is good enough, and could prove useful."

"So are we done?"

"For now, yes," Heiji replied. "Of course I'll come back if there is anything else that needs to be asked."

"I'm glad I was able to help."

"Keep your spirits high, we'll eventually get this thing solved."

With that he turned for the other side, thinking about all he had just learned from his conversation with her.

"The estimated time of death will prove key," Heiji thought. "Then there's the temperature deal.. could someone have tried to change the apparent time of death?"

He finally reached the bathroom, closing the door on his way in. It was then that the thoughts of what could be going on at Nano High came back to him.

"I wonder if he has arrived at the facility yet," Conan thought. "I'm sure he'll inform me when he does."

Wanting to keep a close link as possible he activated the ear piece given to him, only hearing the sound of static in the first moments.

"Doesn't sound like anything is going on," Conan said. "Either he hasn't arrived or this thing is out of commission."

He looked ahead to the tub a few feet away, coming to find it had been filled with water like he had been told.

"This might actually be a good idea," Conan said. "Besides I could use the relaxation."

His shirt was the first of his clothing to be removed. Only then did he stop at a sharp pain in his chest. He anticipated it would only last seconds but quickly found that not to be case. It started with his chest but escalated to his head. He tried to reach for his chest to grab hold but found the pain to be too damaging.

"My body, I feel so... so cold inside."

Feeling this was urgent he dropped a hand into his pocket for his phone, finding it hard to get a good handle on it.

"Must call .. must let them know."

He finally brought the phone to his sight after a minor struggle, quickly dialing the last number that had been called. He raised the phone to his ear only to hear it ring twice before having it fall out of his hand. The pain from within pushed onward, causing him to fall forward into the tub with the clutch of his chest. What happened next was unknown, falling into an unconscious state.

The next minutes that came were spent in search of the room, spanning from one wall to the other. All was clear, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He then decided to rejoin the others who stood around the tape where body had been found, tapping officer Celek on the shoulder who turned to face him.

"Find anything worth mentioning?"

"Not upon my first look," Heiji replied. "This here seems to be the vocal point to where it all happened."

"Everything seems to point that way."

"When was the body removed from this room?"

"Roughly ten O'clock," Officer Celek replied. "Of course after all the necessary precautions were taken."

"How about pictures of the body," Heiji asked. "Would you happen to have a shot of the scene before the body was removed?"

"Most certainly." Officer Celek replied before reaching into his jacket.

He pulled out a lot of three photos, handing all three to him within that very moment. The first of the photo taken was the most graphic of them all, a clear picture of where the bullet had entered just below his forehead. He then flipped through the other two, giving him a better understanding of where the body had landed after being shot.

"Positioning is just as key as any other factor," Heiji said dissecting the third photo even further. "From the looks of it the body landed around two yards and a half away from the center window."

He then looked to the door leading to the room for further reference.

"I didn't notice that."

"Notice what?" Officer Celek asked overhearing his side comment.

"The center window, where the body was found, and the door leading to this room are all aligned." Heiji replied looking back to him.

"Could there be a deeper meaning to it?"

"Possibly," Heiji replied. "Defiantly something to take note of."

"Now what?"

"We find out the times every employee left last night," Heiji replied. "We also need to know who's responsible for working the air conditioning system in this room."

"I'm inclined to agree," Officer Celek said. "Wait here, I'll see what I can find out."

"Good luck." Heiji said as he watched him make a move for the other side of the room.

He looked to the stained carpet of blood once more, wanting to give the near area a more in depth skim. Before getting the chance to do so he heard someone step up to his right side.

"So, how's the investigation coming along?"

"Tim," Heiji said twirling around. "How did you get in here?"

"Same way as you," Tim replied. "Security escort."

"I see."

"You didn't answer my question about your status concerning this case."

"Still feeling my way around," Heiji replied. "If you'd like I could fill you in."

"Sure thing, but first I need to speak with Lonard," Tim replied. "After all he was the one who wished for Bruce to come, I'm only here on his behalf."

"What about Kudo, was he awake when you left?"

"He sure was."

"How was he feeling?"

"Besides what he explained as a minor headache, I'd say he was alright," Tim replied. "He actually called about three minutes ago."

"What did he want?"

"Don't know, unfortunately I missed the call," Tim replied. "And he didn't even leave a message."

"Did you try calling back?"

"He didn't pick up," Tim answered. "I'll try again as soon as everything is situated here."

"I'll try giving him a ring myself."

Before an attempt could be made he looked to the other side to see Lonard was in approach of the two of them.

"Hello again," Lonard said rejoining the fray. "How did your talk with my daughter go?"

"As expected," Heiji replied. "She gave everything I was hoping to hear with a little extra."

"How did she react afterward?"

"Seemed fine, but you can go check on her for yourself if you'd like."

"I see Wayne has sent one of his young accomplices in his place," Lonard said focusing his attention to him. "Good to see you my boy."

"I'm sorry he wasn't able to make it himself, he deeply apologizes for his non attendance," Tim informed. "He has another line of work he had to take care of."

"Which is quite understandable."

"What is it you wished to speak with him about?"

"There's actually a set of files I wanted him to take a look at," Lonard replied. "Since you're here I'll hand it over to you to forward to him."

"That works for me."

"Good, then I'll go and grab the folder."

"Wait," Heiji said stepping in his path. "Before you go there's something I'd like to ask."

"What is?"

"Would you happen to know who was responsible for working the air conditioning in here?"

"That was one of Grahm's many jobs." Lonard replied.

"One of his many jobs.. what else did he work on?" Heiji asked.

"Well, he was head of security," Lonard added. "So anything running from surveillance to those hired in that field was his job to handle."

"Thank you," Heiji said with a nod. "That's all I needed to know."

"Stay put," Lonard instructed. "I'll be right back with that case file."

"I'll be right here." Tim assured.

He smilingly made his way to the other side toward his large desk in the corner. With a little time to spare he pulled out his phone, dialing his number once more in hopes of reaching him.

"Anything?"

"He's still not answering." Tim said in response.

"You're not worried are you?"

"With the spontaneous black outs he's showcased within this last week I'd say that raises a level of concern."

"Point taken," Heiji said. "After he retrieves that file I think you had better go check on him before visiting Bruce."

"That's the plan," Tim said. "Think you can handle things here?"

"Don't see why not, I've made strides of progress from the moment I walked in up until now."

"Good."

"While we're still on the subject, have you heard from any of the others regarding what happened last night," Heiji asked. "We never were informed on what Damian encountered out there."

"I'd rather talk with Bruce about that in person, which I will do after the check up."

"Keep me informed."

"Of course."

It wasn't long after that they were rejoined by Lonard who brought a folder along just as said.

"Here you are my boy, be sure that Wayne gets ahold of this," Lonard stated. "Every sheet inside is just as important as the next."

"I'll be sure to let him know," Tim said. "What is this for, in the case that he asks?"

"He'll know."

"Alrighty then," Tim said holding it close. "I think it's about that time."

"Leaving so soon?" Lonard asked.

"There's an important matter that calls for my immediate attention."

"I'll have security see you out," Lonard said in response. "Right this way."

He followed him from there, leaving Heiji to stand alone once again. He scoured the room once again from where he stood, noticing Bernadea was still standing in the same corner, looking even more worried than before.

"I wonder what's got her so tangled."

Concerned by her position he decided to walk over. As he closed in he caught sight of something held tightly to her chest, unsure of what it was.

"Fournier, what is it you've got there?" Heiji asked upon reaching her.

"He's not answering."

"What now?"

"Nathan," Bernadea clarified. "My fiance, I've been trying to contact him all morning."

"When is the last time you saw him?"

"When he dropped me off this morning."

"At about time was that?"

"Some time after one."

"Your sure he's not just at home still asleep?"

"I've called several times, it's not like him not to pick up," Bernadea exclaimed. "Especially if he knew it was me."

"I'll talk with your father and see what we can do," Heiji said. "In the mean time try not to worry, I'm sure he's fine."

"Ok."

He smiled on his departure, giving her a small level of comfort. He returned to the center of things, beginning yet another search of the room. Several minutes carried along in the process, a quick five turning into thirty without even realizing. He tried dialing both numbers to check up on the situation after completing his analysis, only to receive a ring in return.

"Neither are answering, I hope everything is ok."

He became more and more concerned by the minute, finding himself distracted by it. He turned to the other side of the room at the sound of someone entering in past the door, coming to find officer Celek had returned.

"Sorry about the wait, but you'll be glad to hear I was able to gain some very valuable information."

"I'm listening."

"Grahm Fournier was shot at the estimated time of twelve midnight," Officer Celek informed. "We have a list of all of those who were still here at that given time."

"Alright, who are we talking?"

"Most of the employees who are in here now," Officer Celek replied. "Canoe Edward, Hamilton Anthony, and Fournier Lonard himself."

"That would make those three our prime suspects."

"There were two others, a Carol Flowers and another young gentleman who was here," Celek added. "We've already called each of them, they should be in soon."

"That extends the list of suspects, but not by much," Heiji said. "How did you know they were all here at that given time?"

"They have clearance cards that they use to swap in and out."

"Makes sense."

"I was just about to head to the security back room to check the cameras, I thought you might want to come along."

"You thought right," Heiji said. "Where is this room?"

"Just down the hall from here," Officer Celek replied. "I'll show you the way."

"Right behind you."

He remained in deep thought, scrambling everything they had learned throughout his mind in hopes of finding the true message to it all. He unintentionally found his finger tapping down to the table, looking across from where he sat to see him writing something down on a sheet of paper.

"Wow, it's not often you see him putting in work dealing with the investigation stages."

He continued to watch him for awhile longer, finally speaking out a short time later.

"What is it you're jotting down there?"

"I listed out all of the locations that were referenced in alphabetical order," Damian replied. "I'm just now adding the distances between each, that may give us a hint to his next move."

"Points for the reflexive thinking." Dick complimented.

The door flew open in the next moment, causing the two to look over to see he had entered to room.

"What was that about," Dick asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I finally got the results back on the blood test I ran on his blood," Bruce informed. "I now know what's been aggravating him."

"What?"

"Shinichi is in serious trouble," Bruce stated. "We need to get to him as soon as possible."

He had quietly followed from behind, which lead to a large door at the end of the hall. Celek gave it a knock, taking all but a couple seconds for someone to open it which allowed for the both of them to walk in. They entered a dark room filled with many TV screens, accompanied by a set of computers.

"This is it fellas, our very own security lounge."

"And you are?" Heiji asked.

"You can call me Cyless," He replied having a seat in front of one of the computers. "Most everyone does."

"Alright then, Cyless it is."

"What is it you wanted to see?"

"We need to see the footage recorded from eleven last night all the way until two this morning." Officer Celek replied.

"At what speed would you like it set?"

"4x should be sufficient enough."

"That might take some time to get through all the footage."

"Which is fine," Officer Celek said. "We'll take all the time we need."

"Your wish is my command."

With that he played back the tapes to the specified time which took a couple minutes to do. The three watched on from there, taking note of all activity that occurred between those given hours. They all focused their sights to separate screens, making sure to have an eye on every exit and entrance there was. Nearly thirty minutes passed from the time they had began watching when someone finally appeared to the screen he was keeping tabs on.

"Wait, pause it there," Heiji pointed. "Which entrance is that?"

He paused all footage in compliance with his wishes, given them the chance to have a look at what had caught his attention.

"That's the west side entryway, only employees can gain access to the building from that side." Cyless informed.

"What about the person approaching the door," Heiji asked. "Do you recognize them?"

"Let's see here."

He zoomed in on the imagery in question, giving him a closer look at the blurred figure.

"If I'm not mistaken I'd say that's Bennet."

"Bennet?"

"That's right, Nathan Bennet," Cyless said. "The guy always closely collaborated with Grahm on anything he worked on."

"And you're sure this is Bennet?" Officer Celek asked.

"I'm almost certain of it," Cyless replied. "There is one way to find out, we can check to see who entered the building at that given time."

"Which would have made it at the time of thirteen after two." Heiji said noting the time at the bottom of the screen.

"One second, this won't take long." Cyless said.

The two looked on from over his shoulders, watching as he brought a log with a list of names to the screen.

"Let's see here." Cyless said navigating down the list.

It took under a minute for him to locate the sought out time, leaving them all in shock at the name that was displayed by the time of thirteen after two.

"Grahm Fournier, it can't be," Heiji said. "He was already dead."

"Which means this Nathan guy must have got ahold of his card some how," Officer Celek said. "Do you think he was the one to do Grahm Fournier in?"

"Not sure how that's possible since he wasn't present in the building at the time of Grahm's death," Heiji said. "But that doesn't mean we can't follow his activities further, would you happen to have a camera set up on the other side of the west side door?"

"Of course, that is the case with all entrances and exits."

"Good, then let's see where he went on from that point."

He did as instructed, switching to the camera inside the west hall to that given time. To their surprise they saw nothing but an empty hall. This left them speechless for a time to come. He checked all other cameras, generating the same results.

"I don't get it," Officer Celek said with the shake of his head. "Where could he have gone to?"

"Try fast forwarding the tapes," Heiji said. "Maybe we'll see when he exited."

"Roger that."

They watched on for minutes to come, coming to find he had never exited after apparently entering thirty minutes earlier into the tape.

"I don't get it," Heiji said. "It's like.. it's like he disappeared."

"This is some crazy stuff." Cyless added.

"I think we better head back and rejoin the others in Mr. Fournier's office, we've been gone for nearly an hour now," Officer Celek said. "Cyless if you happen to come across anything, let us know."

"I'll see what I can find."

"Good luck."

With that officer Celek took charge like he had done before, being the first of the two to exit out. He followed at his side. Nothing was said between the two, both thinking about how he seemingly vanished without a trace.

"We never saw him leave, nor a clear shot that he ever entered," Heiji thought. "Could this Nathan guy still be in the building somewhere?"

It didn't take long for the two to return to the crime scene. They were greeted at the door by another officer who was exiting out as they entered.

"Where are you going?" Celek asked out of curiosity.

"It seems there's a situation down stairs."

"What kind of situation?"

"Some foreign kid is trying to come up," The officer replied. "He claims to have some important business to see to in this room."

"Is he from an outside unit?"

"No idea, only saw him from the camera," The officer replied. "I'm heading down now."

"Would this foreign kid happen to be a young boy wearing glasses?" Heiji asked.

"He had on no glasses, nor is he as young as you seem to implying."

"Never mind," Heiji said. "It's not who I thought it might be."

"If anything I'd say he's your age, not too far from it in any case."

"Mind if I come with you," Officer Celek asked. "I'd like to check out this guy for myself."

"Be my guest."

The two left from there, exiting the room in a hurry. He walked further into the room, stopping after reaching the crime scene tape once again.

"This case is about as complex as they come, we need to gain more ground some how."

He studied the area for a long period of time, losing track of how long he stood to that very spot. He caught a glimpse of her approaching from the left, not surprised when she stopped after reaching him.

"How did things go in the security room, did you find out who shot uncle Grahm?"

"Not yet, but we're still working on it," Heiji replied. "You seem like you're in higher strengths, did you ever hear back from your fiance?"

"Oh yes, he called about twenty minutes ago."

"What did he say?"

"Not much, he said he was busy but would call back in the next hour or so."

"You see, I told you not to worry," Heiji said. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the name of your fiance again?"

"Nathan," Bernadea replied. "Nathan Bennet."

He froze at the sound of this.

"You said you parted ways with him around one, correct?"

"That's right," Bernadea replied. "We had spent most of the evening and night together."

"Where at?"

"At an amusement park called Mount Zomoph," Bernadea replied. "It's actually not very far from here."

"I'm sure you had plenty of fun."

"As always." Bernadea said flashing a smile.

"Great, that leaves him with an alibi," Heiji thought. "The estimated time of death has been set at twelve midnight, no way he could have done it if he was with her at a theme park."

"Are you alright?" Bernadea asked taking notice of his sudden change in tone.

"I'm fine, just thinking is all."

"You should really stop by there some time," Bernadea suggested. "It's one of the better amusement parks in town."

"I'd listen to her, Mount Zomoph is an experience of wonders." Someone spoke from behind.

"That voice.. could it be."

He spun around to see Tim had returned with detective Celek as well. But it was the person in between the two who had spoken.

"Kudo?!"

"You seem excited, why don't we save the claps and cheers until after we've caught the culprit ok." Shinichi remarked with the subtlest of grins.

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 98

Planned Escape

He stood his ground, keeping an eye out for anything in the surrounding area. He was surprised, disappointed even. He looked back to the boy standing before him to see he had changed the form in how he stood.

"So, you really are the only one to have accepted my invite."

"What were you expecting, the whole city as your audience," Robin questioned. "Sorry to disappoint, but they believe you to be elsewhere."

"Kelver Side Crafts."

"You knew?"

"A planned red herring, one which I was hoping most would bypass."

"It wasn't hard to figure, after we caught onto your motto it was only a matter of time before we closed in on you."

"We.. so I see you're not the only one after all," Kaitou Kid said. "I'm not surprised, after all I wouldn't expect someone such as yourself to be able to comprehend my riddles to their fullest."

"Why, the predictability you've showcased was most evident."

"If that were true then why are you the only standing here," Kaitou Kid questioned. "Where are these so called acquaintances of yours?"

"Patience."

"Then you'll have to give them my best wishes," Kaitou Kid said stashing the device away into his jacket. "For I don't plan on sticking around for much longer."

"And here I thought you wanted a major showing of guests."

"Perhaps, but I have somewhere I must be."

"Why so soon, the main event is just about to start."

"Finally something we can agree on, you're right," Kaitou Kid said. "The event is about to take flight, but not quite the main event like you've spoken."

"What's so important about that gizmo you put so much effort into obtaining?"

"That's my little secret."

"If you wanted it why not just take it, why the whole big set up orchestrated here tonight," Robin asked. "Why the invitations?"

"You were able to locate me, I'd figure you'd be able to find that out for yourself."

"Sorry to say, but the games over," Robin stated. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, your choice."

"I prefer an option of my own."

"Which involves running no doubt."

"You're one to rush to conclusions, none of it is that simple," Kaitou Kid commented. "None of what I do ever is."

"So you plan on sticking around for the authorities is that it?"

"Oh no, I do have a set schedule to keep."

"Sorry to put a clamp on your claim, but you're not going anywhere."

"Humerus, but it's not like there's anything stopping me from doing so."

He felt opposed by this statement, readying himself for the next move to be made.

"Try me."

He remained attentive as possible, listening to everything that was brought to his attention. The conclusion was the same, just like the others he had not been anticipating a move to be made quite like this.

"So let me get this straight, the person who impersonated me has already escaped?"

"Through a window in one of the rooms back stage." Tim confirmed.

"We need to catch whoever this person is."

"They shouldn't get far, Damian has already spotted them," Tim confirmed. "I tried to pressing him to stay put until I got ahold of Dick, but he cut me off before the chance could arrive."

"Call him now," Bruce instructed. "We need to keep this guy locked in."

"Already on it." Tim said stepping off to the side.

"Anything we can do to help?" Conan asked.

"Don't see how," Heiji said. "We're stuck in here, and I don't think Mr. Armond plans on releasing anyone until they've got this whole thing situated."

"Actually there is something you can do to help."

"There is?"

"You're here with that group from the police force right?"

"Yea, detective Gates came along with the five other chosen guys."

"Good, then go to Mr. Gates and have him call in all the other units to this location," Bruce said. "That way if this thief makes a run for the north side they'll be able to corner them."

"Of course, I almost forgot," Heiji said. "I'll go and tell him right away."

He left the group from there in search of detective Gates who was standing on the other side of the room.

"Guess that leaves the two of us," Conan said. "What happens now?"

"We wait," Bruce replied. "Let's see if our preparations hold up to form."

He had yet to make a move like he presumably hinted to, electing to stand his ground for seconds to come with nothing such as a blink.

"I don't get it, why hasn't he made a run for it.. is this another one of his riddles?"

In his mind it was now time to engage. Without warning he launched forward, racing toward him at him at top speed.

"That's it, come to me."

He swiftly leaped over his attempt, landing to the spot he had been standing just moments prior.

"Thanks for the opening boy," Kaitou Kid remarked. "I guess this is the part where I check out."

He let out a grin, this time following up on his claim as he turned to make a run for it.

"Lucky move."

He wasted no time in following after him, exploding with a surge of energy that had been waiting to be unleashed. He chased after him with extreme persuasion, looking ahead to see the edge of the roof was near. Even more obvious was the gap between the Futures Building and the closets structure across the way.

"No way he's making that jump."

With that he began to pull back on his strides, anticipating he'd do the same after reaching what was a seemingly dead end. That wasn't the case, he pushed on with a powering force which resulted in him diving off the side of the roof.

"Did he just?"

He ran to the edge, looking downward to see him soaring away on what appeared to be a hang glider of some kind.

"Where in the world did he get that, no way he had that stored away on his body," Robin said keying in on his grappler. "Dare I say some kind of magic."

He jumped down, launching the cable free as he homed in on him.

"Magic or not, no way he's getting away."

Closing in wasn't going to be an easy task, due to the winds working in his favor, carrying him in the direction he seeked. Unaware if he was being followed or not he took a peak back to observe that was in fact the case.

"What's this, some kind of hook line," Kaitou Kid said. "I thought for sure the path would have been cut, no matter, it shouldn't take very long to lose him."

With that thought in mind he slightly angled downward, picking up speed in the process. He immediately took note of this, knowing he'd have to speed up in his progressions.

"He knows I'm tailing him, which makes things just that more difficult," Robin said to himself. "Gotta close the distance some how."

The two of them had remained in the same spot, anxiously awaiting the return of the others. He checked the time, coming to find it was now forty five after six, fifteen minutes before he thought his speech was to be held. He looked ahead just in time to see him maneuvering his way back to the two of them.

"How did it go," Conan asked. "Were you able to get in contact with him?"

"I informed him of the situation, Dick's already in pursuit of them," Tim replied. "According to him, Damian is already on the move."

"In what direction?" Bruce asked.

"Exactly what we didn't want," Tim replied. "That being the east where he was supposed to stand guard, the one to take the device must have gotten past him some how."

"I wonder how that could have happened." Conan remarked.

"What about Heiji, has he spoken with that detective?"

"They're contacting the others stationed around Kelver Side as we speak." Bruce confirmed.

"By the time they get here it will be too late, the thief will most likely be out of sight by then," Conan said. "Are you sure there's nothing more we can do?"

"Maybe," Bruce said skimming the room. "But first, we'll need to find a way out of here."

"Which won't be easy, considering they have no plans on releasing anyone until they retrieve whatever it was that was taken."

"Then we'll have to plan up something to cause for a change in scenery." Tim said.

"How about an alarm," Conan questioned. "This place should have a fire alarm right?"

"That might have been idea if the security guard hadn't been standing right beneath it." Bruce pointed out.

"Glad to know you're both on the same page," Tim said. "But that's not what I had in mind."

"Can't wait to hear this." Conan said looking directly to him.

Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of a man none of them had ever seen before.

"Mr. Wayne there's someone who'd like to have a quick word with you," He informed. "Are you in the middle of something?"

"Of course not, I'd be happy to speak with them," Bruce replied turning to face him. "Where might I find this person?"

"Look no further," He answered pointing to the left. "They're already on their way over."

".. They?"

He repositioned his stance, turning to see a young man and woman standing aside one another as they approached. The mans dark brown hair was slicked back, accompanied by a bright smile that could clearly be made out. He wore a casual brown suit with a purple tie. The woman had a strand of long black hair which was pulled back as well, knotted up in a pony tail. The color scheme of her clothing was the same as his, a dark brown dress with a purple shirt beneath. They arrived seconds there after, stopping after reaching him.

"After a long weeks tour it's a pleasure to finally meet you," The man spoke holding out his hand. "Bruce Wayne."

"And you are?" Bruce said shaking his hand in acceptance.

"Galen," He replied. "Galen Kefalas."

"You mentioned a a tour, I'm assuming you mean of the city."

"That is correct," Galen replied. "This is the fourth city we've visited in the last six months, we've spent an extended period in each before moving on to the next."

"Sounds like a promising journey," Bruce said. "Where is it you're from?"

"Thessaloniki Greece."

"That's a long way from home," Bruce commented. "What is it the two of seek or hope to gain on your travels across the world?"

"You're not the first to ask that, and most certainly won't be the last," Galen replied. "We're actually checking in on the other facilities, it's for a major project the company we work for plans to launch."

"What's the name of this company?"

"You're probably quite familiar with it," Galen stated. "After all there is one located here in Gotham."

"There are too many to count, even if you only look at the ones that have overseas business," Bruce said. "Which company would you happen to be referring to?"

"Nano High," Galen replied. "The largest growing company in the use of creating new resources in many different fields."

"Of course."

"We heard about your recent partnership with us, and wanted the chance to meet you in person after hearing so," Galen said. "Which I'm glad came into fruition."

"I'm honored," Bruce said before setting his sights elsewhere. "And who is this beautiful woman at your side?"

"Ademia Kefalas," She answered with a twinkling sparkle in her eye. "I appreciate your very amiable remark Wayne."

"That was my intent."

"And who is this young man beside you?" Galen asked taking notice of him.

"Timothy," Bruce replied. "But he usually goes by Tim."

"Nice to meet you." Tim said holding out his hand.

"Alright then Tim." Galen said with the shake of his hand.

"And this here is a guest of mine who's been staying at my place for about a week now," Bruce said dropping a hand down to his shoulder. "This is Conan."

"Hi." Conan said waving up to the two.

Galen became wide eyed, finding himself frozen within the moment. He was snapped out of it by a pinch at his side from Ademia, Tim being the only to take notice of this.

"What was that for?" Galen muttered turning to face her.

She simply glared at him, saying nothing in response to his complaint.

"Is everything alright?" Bruce asked.

"I was just surprised to see someone of this boy's age at an event such as this," Galen replied. "He seems to be the only minor here."

"I hadn't really paid any attention to that," Bruce said. "But he doesn't mind, Conan here loves the big crowds."

"I did as well when I was his age," Galen said tightening his tie. "Well it was nice to meet the three of you, I actually have a call to make so.."

"We understand," Bruce said. "Maybe we'll see you again before you head off to the next city on your radar."

"I'll see to it," Galen said reaching for his phone. "Until that time."

He left the group from there, turning for the left side of the room in the process.

"I'm sorry about the sudden departure, it's always business with him first." Ademia said.

"It's not a problem," Bruce said. "I for one know how consuming work on a level such as this can be."

"I knew you would," Ademia said turning to walk. "Keeping our lives balanced between work and family is of high importance to me."

"He's lucky to have you."

"As what I feel about him."

"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you two been together?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, how long have you been married?"

"If that's the way you've viewed it then you're completely wrong Mr. Wayne," Ademia said flashing her eyes back at him once more. "Galen isn't my spouse, he's my brother."

"I guess I had it all wrong," Bruce said. "But please call me Bruce, most everyone does."

She managed a smile before pushing on once more. He couldn't help but look on, watching as she disappeared into the depths of the crowd.

"There's something about her." Tim said.

"Yes, there most certainly is." Bruce smilingly agreed.

"I don't think we're on the same page." Tim said looking up at him.

"I didn't sense anything wrong," Conan said. "Everything seemed normal about her to me, what exactly shot out to you?"

"It wasn't just her, but that Galen as well."

"Now that you mention it, they did share a brief moment," Conan said. "But I doubt it's anything to concern ourselves with."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Sounds like you're pushing it more than anything," Conan said. "They seemed relatively normal from my angle."

".. Maybe."

"Whatever the case it'll have to wait," Bruce said. "We have more important matters to concern ourselves with."

"Have you thought up a way out of here?"

"Not just yet, but I'm working on it," Bruce replied. "In the mean time I'd like for you to recontact Dick, get an update on his position."

"I'll see to it." Tim said.

"Do you think he's caught up to them yet?" Conan asked.

"It all depends on the pace they're moving at," Bruce replied. "Dick knows the layout of this city just as well as the next, he'll reach them eventually, it's only a matter of when."

"Hopefully before the guy somehow manages to escape."

"He won't," Bruce said. "I'm sure of it."

They were clearly watched from all sides, several spectators looking on as the two pressed on with high energy. He was unaware of where he was headed exactly, but had a small sense that it would soon all come to an end. He glimpsed back, confirming that he was still in the process of being pursued.

"I'm surprised to see he's keeping up, especially for someone his age," Kaitou Kid thought. "But that begs the question of why, he's obviously working for someone or some group."

Gaining the audience of an even larger group at this point was now something he wasn't looking to have.

"It's only a matter of time before the police catch on, pending that they've not already been briefed about my whereabouts."

He knew whatever it was he was to do needed to happen soon. The sound of sirens from many blocks away could faintly be heard, driving the dagger even further into the time limit.

"No matter the city, they never seem to disappoint."

He smilingly weighed his options as his descension toward the ground continued. A breath of strong wind blew past sailing him higher into the air, in affect buying him extra time. It was at that moment that he saw a large pick up truck driving along on the road below. An instant idea popped into his mind, resulting in him soaring down toward it. Robin seeing this followed after him.

"What is he up to?"

He landed to the top of the truck, letting the hang glider fall to his side. He turned to see Robin drop down a yard or two away from where he stood.

"Nowhere else to glide, you just sealed your fate but touching down here."

He showed little to no emotion in response to this, simply waving him his way.

"Things would seem to appear that way, now don't they," Kaitou Kid remarked. "If you're so confident, why don't you come over here and apprehend me?"

It was all too convincing, but deep down he knew there was some kind of catch to this, a hidden trick.

Discussions for many sustained as he continued to plot a means of finding a way out of their current situation. All of that was put on hold as he looked ahead to see him step through the crowd to rejoin them.

"You're back," Conan said. "Got an update for us?"

"I spoke with detective Gates on the matter, I told him of our suspicions," Heiji replied. "Half of the unit that was stationed at Kelver Side Crafts is already in pursuit of the situation."

"That's all good and said, but how will they know where to find him," Conan questioned. "He's obviously still on the move."

"It hasn't been hard since calls have been coming in about two guys flying across town," Heiji answered before turning back to Bruce. "Any word from Grayson on the matter, has he reached the two as of yet?"

"We're uncertain," Bruce replied. "As long as Robin keeps pace, that will give him the time to catch up and rotate the tables into our favor."

"So I guess that leaves us to sit around and wait for results huh?"

"Maybe not for too much longer," Bruce said. "I'm going to walk over and have a word with Armond Stanton."

"Anything you'd like us to do in the mean time?"

"Stay put," Bruce replied. "I won't be long."

"Sure thing."

They did as instructed, observing as he made his way back to stage side. He didn't let the latest command stop him from skimming the room once more. It wasn't long after that an idea popped into his mind, but he needed to look over the outer walls to confirm his claims.

"Be right back, I think I might have a way out."

"What do you mean," Heiji questioned. "Bruce said he'd handle it."

"In the case that it doesn't work I might have an alternate solution."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"No, I can handle this on my own," Conan replied. "I won't be long, when Bruce returns tell him I'll be back shortly."

"Care to let me in on this plan of yours?"

"I have no fill to if it will work or not, it all depends on if someone is standing guard throughout the main hall."

"The main hall?"

"The one leading to this room," Conan clarified. "I'm going to go and check it out, stay here."

"Ok," Heiji said as he watched him walk off. "Whatever you say."

He took off for the left wall as planned, stepping around those who anxiously waited for their questions to be answered. He reached the wall soon there after with little effort made, checking to make sure no one was looking out for his ongoing activity.

"All is clear, now to find a place to set the recorder."

He continued on his path along the wall, keeping his sights to the trimmings below. He stopped about halfway through, looking ahead to see a man leaned to the wall with a newspaper in hand which covered his face. This was only a minor set back, but knew he'd have to wait for him to move before pushing on.

"Great," Conan thought in displeasure. "Now I'm presented with the task of some how getting this guy to reposition to somewhere else."

He looked over his shoulder to see Bruce was still on stage, letting him know he still had time. Just when he was to take another step the man with the paper in hand lowered it to reveal his face. His eyes widened at what he saw, those same dark shades covering the very essence of what was behind the man. His heart raced at this, resulting in him reaching for his chest as he took to a knee. There was no mistaking it, he knew who the man was, standing not even ten yards away from where he was.

"It can't be," Conan gasped in disbelief. "Korn, but what's he doing here.. could it be?"

All else fell to complete darkness as his body fell forward, toppling to the ground below. Those who stood nearby gathered around in concern, alerting security of what had happened.

A move had yet to be made by either. He stared over at him, surprised he had yet to attempt a move. The deceleration of the truck became evident in the following seconds that past, alerting him of a nearby street intersection. His eyes wondered at the thought of this.

"What's the hold up, devising a master plan to assure my arrest?" Kaitou Kid remarked.

"He's given himself up for attack much too easily, my next move will be as important as any."

"You seem less verbal than before.. oh, now I get it," Kaitou Kid said with the snap of his finger. "I'm receiving the silent treatment."

He blocked out everything that was said, knowing it was only a form of distraction. He slightly crouched in his current position, lowering his right hand down to the utility belt as he did. The bell was just seconds away from ringing, execution was now the deciding factor to what would happened next. The street light flashed to his eye, turning red in the wake of it all.

"Now!"

He darted forward at the anticipated stop of the vehicle, slinging a birdrang into his direction in hopes of it posing as a distraction. He easily saw through this, moving off to the side as it flew by.

"Kind of predicatable don't you think?" Kaitou Kid deviously grinned.

There was no decline in his rush toward him, leaping at him with a left hook only to have his arm grabbed.

"Perfect." Kaitou Kid said springing out what appeared to be a whip from his sleeve.

"Lucky move." Robin said before following up with another punch.

He welcomed this, grabbing hold of his right arm as well before locking it down to his left with the use of the whip.

"I must say you've made for great entertainment," Kaitou Kid said kicking the hang glider up from the ground to his right hand. "But I'm afraid we're going to have to put a hold on our little session."

"That's what you think."

Before he could even attempt to release his arms from the grasp of the whip he felt the hang glider get attached to him.

"Toodle-oo kid."

The next thing he knew he was kicked from behind, sending him gliding toward a dark ally across the way. He landed directly into a dumpster, feeling the glider crush under him. He used his gauntlets to cut free of the whip, looking back to the street to see Kaitou Kid give him the salute just as the truck started up once again.

"I don't think so."

Just as he was to push up a banana peel caused him to slip, resulting in the garbage caving in on itself along with him. The top of the dumpster fell shut in the process. This only infuriated him further. He powered out with one single push, dropping to the ground to see the truck was no longer in sight.

"No, I can not let that no good show boater get away."

He raced forward only to have someone drop down in front, blocking his path. He raised his head to see him, the look in his eyes telling the whole story.

"Nightwing I."

"Where is he?"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 97

Face of The Unknown Revealed

The gathering they came to see upon arriving in front of the large building far exceeded their expectations. Finding a place to park was no easy task. There were many vehicles swirling in all directions which made for a bit of a jam.

"Here we are," Heiji said looking out the window to the giant structure in the wait. "This wasn't hard to find."

"I had heard there would be a large number of guests in attendance, but I could have never imagined a showing quite like this."

"Nor did I," Heiji agreed. "It's nearly impossible to find a parking space in this vicinity with the conditions like this."

"Why don't I pull up to the sidewalk and let you out there," Alfred suggested. "That is if you don't mind walking a short distance to the entrance."

"That would be perfectly fine," Heiji said. "No need to drive around any longer."

"Very well."

He did just that, pulling up to the walkway before unlocking the door.

"I'll see you soon." Heiji said before exiting.

"Good luck." Alfred replied with the tip of his hat.

He brushed off the sides of the shirt as he headed for the entrance which was a couple yards away. He kept his eyes wide as he walked, not familiar with anyone who stood around the front of the building.

"No sign of Rick, maybe he's already inside," Heiji said. "That or he has yet to arrive."

He reached the entrance in no time, stopping for a brief moment before looking upward.

"So this is it huh.. the Futures Building."

Both doors were locked off to the side, making for an easy transition in. Where to go next was the question. There was a long straight ahead with two different directions to choose from. He listened to the voices that carried throughout, making for an easy decision. He followed the voices which lead him to the right, eventually finding his way to a large room filled with many people.

"This must be it," Heiji said. "The foyer Wayne was referring to."

He reached into his pocket to pull out the piece of paper, looking over the layout of the building in relation to his position.

"This is the place alright."

He put it away soon after, no longer feeling the need for it at that given moment. He then checked the time, coming to find there was a little over forty five minutes until six.

"They had better hurry, there's not much time left before the show begins."

He looked around the room once more, this time only to have someone step up to his side from behind.

"I see you made it in a timely fashion."

"Rick," Heiji said turning at the sound of his voice. "I didn't see you on my way in, did you just get here?"

"I've actually been here with the other guys setting up shop for the past hour, I was actually wondering when you'd show," Rick said. "Have trouble finding the place?"

"Not at all," Heiji replied. "It would be hard to miss, it's one of the larger structures around."

"You have a point," Rick said. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the other guys."

"Where are they?" Heiji asked.

"Located throughout the place."

"You lead the way."

After minutes of shooting it down their efforts were finally awarded. The fire had finally been put out, all that remained was the ruble left behind from the explosion. Many still continued to gather around, wanting an explanation for what had happened.

"Alright everyone, get back," One of the security guards instructed. "We need this area cleared out."

They did a good job of moving everyone back, setting up crime scene tape around the area in the moments that followed. He stood in place, still monitoring the movements of the man who had taken off.

"Looks like he's in a real hurry, he's already left the premiss."

It was then that he felt a tap at his shoulder, looking up to come face to face with on of the officers.

"Hey there little boy, I'm going to need you to keep moving back," He instructed. "We need to close this area off as best we can."

"Yes sir."

Just as he was to make a move for the other side of the park they were joined by another security guard who showed distress in his face. Seeing this he pulled back with each step taken to try and hear what was to be said.

"Natt we have a problem."

"Yea I know, we're handling it now."

"I wasn't referring to the explosion."

"Do I even want to hear this?"

"If the bathroom incident wasn't enough, one of our employees was found stripped and tied down to a chair in one of the lower level closets."

"Someone tied up..?" Conan mumbled.

"You're not serious, who was it?"

"That janitor, the new guy."

"You mean Garrett?"

"That'd be him."

"What away to open up on your second week on the job."

"Yea, no kidding."

He had heard enough, finding it was now time to move on.

"Looks like we don't have a name after all," Conan thought as he walked. "The tracer planted is our only link to this guy now."

He grabbed hold of his phone as he walked, quickly dialing his number before bringing it to his ear.

"Hey it's me, we have a problem."

"Yea, I know."

He looked up at the sound of his voice, putting his phone away in the process.

"There you are," Conan said. "I was wondering when you'd come."

"I heard all of the commotion clear from the other side of the park," Tim said. "I came as soon as I could, what happened?"

"The bathrooms on this side of the park exploded."

"Something like that doesn't just happen by chance."

"They have things under wrap here, our focus is needed elsewhere."

"You running away from a potential case, never would have predicted that."

"I think catching the criminal is just as important as the analyzing process."

"Criminal," Tim questioned. "You saw who did this?"

"And I have a good idea of how they set it up."

"Did you get a look at their face?"

"Clear as day," Conan confirmed. "Believe it or not, I think it's the same man I encountered on the bus the other night."

"The shooter?"

"Yes."

"Small world."

"And a lucky break," Conan said. "Come on, he's still on the move."

"You managed to place a tracer on him?"

"He's currently moving across the parking lot," Conan confirmed. "We better hurry before he falls out of my range."

"How do you know he was the one to cause the bathrooms to explode?"

"A series of things," Conan replied as the two began to walk. "I'll give you all details on the way out, if not later."

The clock struck past twenty after, inching in closer to the widely anticipated opening for the Futures Building. He sat at the edge of the bed, all possible scenarios looming large to his mind. A gentle knock came from the other side of the room, ejecting him from his train of thought.

"Just a moment."

He stood up from where he sat, taking each step at a time as he made his way for the door. He opened it to see the two of them standing there.

"I got your message, I came as soon as I could."

"Come on in." Bruce invited.

"I'm surprised you haven't left yet," Dick said. "The opening is set to erupt in less than twenty minutes from now."

"And my appearance isn't scheduled until roughly seven," Bruce informed. "There's still plenty of time between now and then."

"I already visited both locations you'd like us to stand guard," Dick said. "Everything is a go."

"Good," Bruce said. "Have you gone over the details with him once more?"

"I know the plan," Damian declared. "I'll be watching out for any suspicious activity east of the facility."

"And in the case you see anyone making a run for it you redirect their escape route to the north," Bruce instructed. "Which will take them to where Kelver Side Crafts is located, also where a large sum of police officials will be."

"In the case that doesn't work out, force them to the west," Dick said. "You can be sure I'll lock them in."

"We've already gone over this," Damian said. "Besides, what are the chances someone would be foolish enough to try and escape on foot with a big crowd such as this?"

"Never doubt a method," Bruce stated. "Nearly anything is possible if planned to high excellence, and executed with just as much care."

"What time do you want us to get into position?" Dick asked.

"Anytime around six thirty, the main event doesn't begin until seven," Bruce said. "Whatever they plan to steal most likely won't be revealed until then."

"Sounds good to me."

"I need top focus tonight from you all, this is our moment," Bruce said. "The one we've been waiting for."

The signal remained strong, moving at the same pace as it had been before. They continued to follow it, exiting out from where they had entered. He explained all details as they walked, becoming clear on all events leading to what had happened. Only a couple more steps were taken before coming to a stop just before reaching the parking lot.

"What's wrong, why are we stopping?"

"Because he has," Conan replied. "He's about sixty two yards from where we stand, directly ahead."

He looked into that direction in response to this information.

"An apartment complex and a series of smaller city buildings."

"You think he's camping it out somewhere?"

"That's a possibility, which is why we need to move in with extreme caution," Tim said. "If this is the man you say you saw on that bus, then there's a chance that he could be armed."

"That's the thing that bothered me about this latest incident," Conan said. "All other kills were in the use of a firearms or blade, why the sudden change to an explosive?"

"Anything to get the job done is the way I see it."

"How long do you think we should give it before progressing on?"

"No longer than five minutes, unless they make a move before then," Tim said looking down at his watch. ".. Let the time begin."

They were joined by several others who exited the theme park as well.

"You think they're evacuating everyone from the park?" Conan asked.

"That or they all might have been rattled enough to want to leave," Tim replied. "At most I think they'd simply close off that small section in particular."

"So what happens when we apprehend this guy, are we going to hand him over to the police?"

"The jury's still out on that one, I'm not certain we're going to bring him in just yet."

"What, why not?"

"We need to learn as much about him and his operation as we can," Tim replied. "he's bound to have acquaintances, if we take him down on the spot I'm betting he won't be too forthcoming with any of that information."

"So what do you suggest, that we spy on him for a period?"

"That might be our best option."

"I can't disagree," Conan said. "Besides wiring his home and any potential software he may have, how else shall do you propose we proceed?"

"Once we know his game plan, we'll insert ourselves into the fray."

"Close and personal, that seems to be your ace card."

"Fastest way to get to the core of things."

He continued to monitor the time, closing in on two minutes before their move was to be made.

"Any movement from our run away?"

"Nope, he still in the same spot."

They stood there for a little longer, still watching as those from the park continued to move past. It was at that second that the heard their names called, turning to see two familiar faces heading in their direction.

"Bernadea Fournier and Nathan," Tim greeted. "What a surprise this is."

"We could say the same," Nathan replied. "We had no idea we'd run into the two of you here."

"Just another day in the park." Tim stated.

"How long have the two of you been here?"

"For over two hours," Tim replied. "We were actually just on our way out."

"Did you have fun?" Bernadea asked looking down at him.

"Tons," Conan replied. "Just as advertised."

"On the way through the parking lot we heard there was some kind of disturbance," Nathan said. "Either of you know what they were talking about?"

"Some kind of explosion," Tim replied. "Wasn't there when it erupted, only heard it from a distance."

"Is that why the two of you are leaving?" Bernadea asked.

"Oh no," Tim assured. "We just have somewhere else to be."

"Do you think it will be safe to go in?"

"The incident occurred off to the side, yards away from the entertainment areas," Conan informed. "Everything should be a go."

"That's good to know," Nathan said. "Any idea if anyone was hurt?"

".. No one knows yet." Tim quickly replied after slight hesitation.

"Let's hope not."

"What's in the bag." Conan asked taking notice of the long strap across his shoulder.

"Yea no kidding," Tim said. "Looks like you could fit a sword of staff in that thing."

"I asked him that very question on the way here," Bernadea said. "But he refuses to tell me."

"Like I said before," Nathan said. "It's a surprise, I'll reveal what's inside at the end of the evening."

"I hate surprises." Bernadea muttered.

"Well I guess it's about that time," Nathan said. "Maybe we'll catch the two of you around again some time."

"We'll be looking forward to it."

"As will we, later you two." Bernadea waved as the two of them took off for the entrance.

He reactivated the tracker at that given time, coming to find little to no movement had been made.

"He has yet to make another move," Conan said. "Are you ready to move in?"

"Let's go, we've held off long enough."

Everything had finally been set in motion, all that remained was the arrival of the others. In his mind the game had already begun. He searched the room for anything less than normal, quickly coming to find nothing alarming.

"You've been rather quiet for the last minutes," Rick said. "Is everything alright?"

"Nothing to worry about," Heiji assured. "Just looking around."

"You expecting someone?"

"Maybe a friend or two."

"Just remember to keep your focus on the task," Rick reminded. "If the thief is in fact here we're going to need all eyes and ears."

"Of course."

"We've already got two guys covering the front exit and two watching the back," Rick said. "That leaves you, detective Galldon, and I to observe everything that goes on in here."

"We still have time before the big reveal, if we could some how figure out what they're after we'd be a step closer to stopping them in their tracks."

"How do we figure," Rick questioned. "We have no leads to their true intent."

"Of course we do, it's all within the riddle."

"And what part might that be?"

"We've accounted for almost all sequences, all for except two lines," Heiji said. "a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)' and 'for the Diamonds eye is for all to see'."

"Ok."

"Minus the 'misdirection' and 'red', which seems to be this guys theme, I believe lies our next hint," Heiji said. "A tune to hear (1)."

"I'm clueless as to what that could mean," Rick said. "Unless they're hosting an opera here tonight we've yet to be informed of."

"It's more subtle than that."

"Then there's the second part of the riddle you mentioned," Rick said. "'for the Diamonds eye is for all to see."

"What of it?"

"That's exactly why Kelver Side Crafts makes the most sense, they're hosting an auction tonight," Rick said. "Which of course will also include many rare brands of jewels."

"Did it ever occur to you that's what the thief wants you to belive," Heiji questioned. "Yes the riddle mentions a diamond, one that could be symbolic for something else."

"Like what?"

"The 1... which in affect could mean the ultimate prize."

"What now?"

His phone rang from below before he had the chance to respond.

"One moment," Heiji said after checking the incoming number. "I better take this."

"Who is it," Rick asked out of curiosity. "The commissioner?"

"Just an off to the side assignment." Heiji replied before turning for the opposite wall.

He immediately brought the phone to his ear before answering the call.

"It's Lonard, I have an update for you."

The signal became stronger the closer they got, still showing no sign of movement. This only kept him more alert for anything to come.

"Any change in his position?"

"No, he still seems to be sitting it out in the same location," Conan replied. "Makes you wonder what he's up to."

"I don't like it."

"You actually think he might know someone has caught onto his trail?"

"Why else would he be sitting still?"

"I guess we're about to find out, we're almost there."

"Wait, we better make a plan for an approachment," Tim said. "The last thing we want is a casualty."

"I don't think there will be cause for concern if I move in alone."

"We still don't know exactly where he is," Tim said. "For all we know he could be camping it out in one of the buildings here with a rifle in hand."

"You're thinking way to into this." Conan said as they continued to walk.

"How close are we now?"

"Less than fifteen yards away." Conan replied before slowing it up.

He stopped after reaching the front of an apartment building, seeing that they were now in the red zone of things.

"Wait here."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to move in a little closer, there's a light pole right over there," Conan said pointing to the left. "I'll take cover there before moving in any closer."

"You sure about this?"

"As long as you watch my blind side."

"I'll see to it."

Without further ado he turned for the other side, heading straight for the light pole just as he said he would. He leaned to it once there, checking his location versus that of where the tracer was.

"According to the tracker he should be directly behind a little over ten yards from this spot."

He peaked around the pole to see an alley in the wait. He then took a deep breath, taking a step away from the light pole as he made his way in that direction.

"Shinichi, wait." Tim whispered from where he stood.

He had already made up his decision, paying no mind to what was said as he carried on. He kept a straight face, resting his hands into his pocket to look as casual as possible. The signal continued to heighten, leading him further into the unknown of the alley. It lead him all the way near the back, coming to find the signal was coming from a garbage bin.

"There's no way he'd be hiding it out here, he must have dumped the clothes."

There was only one way of finding out. He lifted the top open, coming to find the clothes that were worn by the man along with the tracer laying there.

"Just as I thought, he ditched the clothes," Conan said. "That puts us right back where we started."

He reached in, removing the tracer from the shirt before turning back from where he had come.

"The coast is clear," Conan loudly spoke. "He's not here, only the clothes and the tracer were left behind."

It took all but a few moments for him to appear from around the corner. He made his way toward him, stopping halfway through the alley. There was something wrong, he could see it in his eyes. He chose not to say anything, at least not for the first seconds that passed. He watched as he pulled out a small square shaped device from his jacket before pressing down to it.

"What is that?" Conan asked.

He didn't answer at first, letting a little extra time go by before looking up to him once again.

"It's a signal disrupter."

"Signal disrupter," Conan questioned. "Why?"

"We've been had."

"What do you mean?"

"The guy you planted a tracer on must have found out about it relatively quickly, he set up a video camera to the wall right behind." Tim pointed.

He looked into the direction pointed out, and there it was, clamped down to the side of a window.

"I can't believe it."

"This guy is much more organized than we originally thought." Tim said reaching up to grab the small camera.

"Are you sure it was him who set it up?"

"Now I do," Tim said bringing the camera into his possession. "There's a wire attached enabling for wireless viewing."

"How far from here are we talking?"

"Sixty, a little over a hundred yards maybe," Tim replied. "Less than a mile for sure."

"How did you know that it was there?"

"The shade," Tim said pointing to the shaded area of the alley. "Light from the sun projected off of the lenses which gave me the heads up."

"How did you know there was a wired feed before using that signal disrupter?"

"I didn't," Tim admitted. "I used it in case there was."

"Smart thinking," Conan said. "Are you saying they didn't get a clear shot of your face?"

"Correct, only one of my back side."

"I see."

"Whoever this guy is now has a clear shot of you, not that he's unfamiliar with you since the two of you have met on more than one occasion."

"But now he probably knows I was the one to plant that tracer," Conan said. "Fortunately that's all he got, thankfully he didn't get a good shot of you."

"We need to be really careful with this from here on out," Tim said. "The bad part about this is this guy now has more on us than we do on him."

"Not necessarily," Conan said. "Let's not forget I got a distinctive look at him as well, good enough to produce a sketch."

"Point taken."

"What about the camera?"

"I'll take it with me, though I doubt there will be anything to find," Tim said checking the time. "And it looks like we're going to be late for our appointment at the Futures Building, Bruce isn't going to be pleased?"

"For being late or for what occurred here?"

"Double jeopardy."

"You want me to explain?"

"No, I think it'd be better if I did the talking," Tim replied stashing the camera away. "Come on, we better get moving before the real rush hits."

"Right behind you." Conan said following from behind.

Six was now fast approaching, only twenty five minutes remaining before the scheduled time. He watched as the room continued to fill with those in attendance. The longer this went on the more impatient he became.

"I guess I'm the only one who remembers the importance of tonights proceedings."

Following up on his train of thought was the ring of his phone from in his pocket.

"Please let it be who I think it is."

He reached down to grab it, answering almost immediately after bringing it to his ear.

"Hello."

"It's Dick."

"Where are you?" Heiji asked.

"Just about ready to get into position," Dick replied. "How are things looking from your end?"

"Besides the absence of the others, relatively normal."

"Bruce should be there soon, I just spoke with him a minute ago," Dick informed. "Have you tried contacting the others?"

"Neither responded."

"I'll try giving them a ring myself, in the mean time sit tight and stay focused," Dick said. "There's no telling when this guy will make his move."

"You're telling me, it's been a hassle looking out for things on my own till this point," Heiji said. "Of course there's the hired guards and the officers sent in by Gordon, but it would be nice to get the other guys involved as soon as possible."

"I'll see to it, stay sharp," Dick said. "You'll hear back from me soon enough."

"Loud and clear."

He put an end to the transmission, bringing his complete focus back to the task at hand. He put the phone away before looking across the room to see Rick heading toward him.

"Where did you run off to?"

"Just checked in with the guys monitoring the front and back entrances, everything is clear thus far," Rick replied. "No sign anyone of suspicions nature entering."

"And I don't think there will be, whoever wrote the riddle is probably already registered to the guest list."

"Have you had a look at the list yourself?"

"Yes, but at this point they're all just names," Heiji said. "We don't exactly have enough time to run a background check on each and everyone attending."

"You don't say," Rick said checking his watch. "We have less than an hour until the presentation begins."

"There's still a margin of time before now and then, giving us a small time frame to try and figure what they're after."

"Sounds to me like you're working another case." Someone spoke from behind.

He turned at the sound of the voice, coming to find a familiar face.

"Hello Heiji Hattori."

"Matthew Thompson right, or is it that you preferred Matt?"

"So you do remember me, I'm pleased."

"You know each other?" Rick asked.

"Yea, we met at the City hall days ago." Heiji confirmed.

"I couldn't help but over hear the two of you talking," Matt admitted. "Is there something going on?"

"We believe so, and that is all I'm entitled to say." Heiji replied.

"I fully understand."

"What about you," Heiji asked. "Where is the rest of your crew, are you here alone?"

"Not quite, Aldon Boomer plans to come as well," Matt replied. "Last we spoke he was on his way."

"When was that?"

"About twenty minutes ago," Matt replied. "But with the traffic on this side of town I'd give it a couple more before he makes an appearance."

"Spoken for the truth." Rick commented.

"I'd hate to interrupt what you've got going, so I'll go find amusement elsewhere until the showing begins."

"I'll catch you later then."

Before he could make a move for the other side of the room a loud sound could be heard peering in through the walls, a sound similar to that of a helicopter finding its way down to ground levels. High pitches of joy soon followed, pitching through the halls all the way into the room where they stood.

"What's going on out there?" Heiji questioned.

"I think that one's pretty self explanatory," Matthew stated. "It can only be the arrival of Gotham's favorite son."

"And who might that be?"

"The Bruce Wayne himself," Matthew replied. "Don't tell me you've forgotten him already, he was attending the town hall meet along with us the other night."

"Bruce Wayne, yes of course," Heiji said. "How could I forget, he was one of the many interviewed in the questioning process."

The voices and and excitement only heightened with the seconds that followed. There prediction of his arrival was proven correct in the short time to come, all eyes looking to the left side of the room upon him entering.

"That's Wayne alright, his popularity always seems to stay intact," Matthew said taking a step forward. "If you don't mind I'd like to go over and give him a proper greeting."

"Be my guest," Rick said. "You can do it for the all of us."

"Will do," Matthew said. "See you gentlemen around."

With that he made his way forward, carefully making his way through the crowd to the other side of the room.

"Grayson and the kid are already in place, and Bruce has arrived," Heiji thought. "That only leaves the other two, where they are is anyones guess."

He was determined to answer that very question. Just as he reached for his phone it ringed once again, not hesitating to answer.

"It's me again."

"Any luck getting into contact with any of the others?"

"They're still unresponsive," Dick replied. "Whatever they're tangled in must require a set of distance, I'm sure they'll reach us when all is cleared."

"I'll try asking Bruce, he just arrived a few moments ago."

"Yea, I saw the Wayne helicopter pass by not too long ago," Dick said. "Keep me updated on anything going on in there, I'll move in if need be."

"That's the plan."

"Good, then I'll leave it to you and the others," Dick said. "Gotta go."

He hung up with those final words spoken, placing his phone back into the security of his pocket before making a move for the other side of the room.

"Where are you headed off to now?" Rick asked taking notice of this.

"I have to speak with someone, I won't be long."

"Remember to keep your eyes peeled for any ongoing activity."

"No worries," Heiji assured. "I haven't lost sight of the importance of our task, this will take all but a moment."

"Your claim is well trusted, I'll keep an eye on things on this side of the room."

"Thanks."

He carefully moved through the crowd, closing in with each step taken. He finally reached him, joining the several others who were crowded around.

"Well look who it is," Bruce said taking notice of him almost instantly. "I'm glad to see you were able to make it."

"That was always the plan remember?"

"Oh yes, that's right."

"Wayne, I wasn't expecting you so soon," A man dressed in a suit of white said joining the fray. "I was told you wouldn't arrive until close to seven."

"I had a change in plan Mr. Irvin."

"Works out for the better, there's actually a couple guys I'd like you to meet."

"In time, I have some preparations to see to first."

"Of course, I'll catch up with you at a more convent time."

"I'll keep an eye out for you." Bruce said watching as he turned for the other end of the room.

"Bruce," Heiji said redirecting his attention. "I haven't been able to get ahold of Drake, any luck with you?"

"Oh.. yes, he'll be here soon," Bruce replied. "There's just a little something he had to, to take care of."

"I figured that much," Heiji said. "I wonder why he didn't call and let me know."

"Why don't you ask him when he arrives detective, I'm sure he'll give you the answer to that," Bruce said. "Now if you would, I have some important matters to see through."

"Wait, what about our?"

There was no use in talking on any further. He watched as he wrapped his arm around a woman who followed him to the far side of the room, still accompanied by the few who had greeted him upon his arrival.

"Detective... when does he refer to me by that?"

He continued to watch him from afar, taking note of his every move from his departure to the other side of the room.

"What's he doing, he doesn't seem to be taking our task very seriously," Heiji said. "Unless of course this is an act of his to deeply blend in with the other guests, which does pose for advantage on our side."

He left it as that for the time being, focusing his attention to all other areas of the room. He began to walk along once more, moving at a pace matched with everyone else's. Rick could be seen standing under a vent across the room, clearly scaling the room for any suspicious activity as he was in the process of doing. He stopped after circling half the room, finding he was now in an ideal location to keep an eye on most of what could possibly take shape. He remained there for several minutes to come, watching as someone took to the stage straight ahead for the introduction speech.

"It's ten after six, where are they?"

This question lingered on as he continued to wait.

"Didn't recognize you without that cap of yours." Someone spoke from behind.

He turned at the sound of the familiar voice. There she was, standing in a black dress with a matching fitted flat hat atop her head.

"Selina," Heiji said. "Selina Kyle."

"Pleasure you remember me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," Selina replied. "You've been up and down the room since you arrived."

"With good reason."

"I bet."

"How did you know my name?"

"Pardon?"

"The first we met at Starlest you knew my name without any mention of it," Heiji clarified. "You also disappeared around the time the diamonds were stolen from that glass case, the same ones you had been talking about before the incident occurred."

"I thought they caught the person responsible for that."

"No, they haven't."

"Tells you how much I follow the news." Selina said pushing away from the wall.

"Where did you disappear off to after we talked?"

"Are you suspecting me?"

"Should I be?"

"I had to leave on short notice, I received an emergency call from the fire station about a toxic leakage around my apartment complex," Selina informed. "You can check my phone records if you don't believe me."

He felt a tap at his shoulder, turning to face someone he had never encountered before.

"Excuse me sir, but someone has asked to speak with you."

"With me?" Heiji asked.

"Yes, he said it was important." The young woman replied.

"And who might that be?"

"That little boy," She replied. "He's the only one of that age that I believe is in attendance."

"Where did you see him?"

"He should still be next to the door leading into this room, that's where he pointed you out to me."

"Thanks, I'll go look into this right away." Heiji said before heading for that direction

"Does that mean we're done?"

He turned back to face her, that same astute look still present across her face.

"Yea, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, after all you have an investigation to run."

"How did you.."

"You questioning me about what happened the other day at Starlest and your obvious moping around tonight tells it all," Selina said cutting him off. "It doesn't take a detective to figure what you're doing here."

"Fair enough," Heiji said. "But that still doesn't answer how you knew my name."

"You're one for questions aren't you?"

"Only if necessary."

"I thought you might say that."

The sound of a ring interrupted, taking only a couple moments to find it was none other than her own phone from below.

"We'll have to continue this another time," Selina said. "This is an important call that I must take."

"Of course."

She stepped away while answering the phone. He turned for the other side of the room in that very moment, heading in the direction he was told he was needed. Most everyone had their eyes fixated to the stage, now listening to the second speaker to take the stage.

"She's too comfortable.. confident, I had better continue to keep an eye on her."

He slowly moved along, not wanting to disturb anyone in his path. It didn't take long for him to sight the two of them, joining the pair within the next steps taken.

"Where in the world have you two been, you didn't answer when I called."

"We got stuck up with a little something." Tim informed.

"How do we look," Conan asked. "We picked these suits up on the fly."

"Presentable," Heiji replied. "Now onto what happened."

"The same man I crossed paths with on the bus nights ago was at the theme park we were investigating," Conan informed. "Turns out he had an agenda of his own."

"What happened?"

"Long story short, he's increased his body count by one," Tim replied. "And now has a visual of the two of us."

"How did that happen?"

"Another story to tell."

"That must mean he knows we're onto him."

"Unfortunately, yes," Tim answered. "Assuming he was the one to plant the camera."

"Camera?"

"We'll explain later," Conan said. "How have things gone here thus far?"

"One person of interest," Heiji replied. "Other than that everything's been straight forward."

"Who should we be looking at?" Tim asked scouring the room.

"Ms. Kyle."

"Didn't expect her to be here."

"Nor did I."

"Am I to assume that was the woman you were speaking with just now?" Conan asked.

"That'd be the one."

"Good, then you keep an eye on her," Tim instructed. "Shinichi and I will focus our sights to everything else."

"Before you go I think you had better have a word with Bruce."

"Why?" Tim asked a bit surprised by this.

"I spoke with him when he arrived, something seemed odd," Heiji stated. "Like something was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Like when I asked about your whereabouts, he was a little hesitant in his response."

"Hmm, I'll speak with him when the chance presents itself," Tim said in response to this. "In the mean time we better get started."

"No argument there."

"Here, I already gave a pair to Shinichi in the case things do flip a one eighty on us."

He looked down to what was handed to him, raising it up to see what appeared to be some type of goggles.

"What's this for?"

"Night vision," Tim replied. "There's always the possibility of a staged black out, especially if the thief plans to get away with a prized item undetected."

"The goggles are a form of insurance so to speak." Conan added.

"Sounds simple enough."

"Alright, I'll take the east side of the room," Tim said. "Shinichi, the west is yours."

"And me?"

"You're keeping an eye on Selina remember, that's a whole task in itself."

"I'm curious as to what you means by that."

"Stay sharp, that's all that is required of you," Tim replied. "Of us all."

"I've already set my phone to vibrate, I think it'd be best if you two did the same," Conan said. "That way if we need to contact one another through phone it won't cause a scene."

"Agreed," Tim said. "Especially if someone is in the middle of a speech."

"So this is it huh, anything else we should know before we part ways?" Heiji asked.

"That's it, what happens next squarely falls on us," Tim replied. "Let's not disappoint."

"Not once did that cross my mind." Conan thought as he made his way further to the west side of the room.

Everything seemed normal on his initial look of things. This prompted him to dig deeper, looking to the expressions showcased across their faces to the posture everyone showed. Everything was clear in that regard as well.

"Whoever plans to rob this place isn't showing any signs, that must be a sign of comfortability," Conan said. "Or.. or could it be we're not looking out for the right person?"

In his mind this was something he felt needed the time of thought, taking all but a few moments for his mind to revert back to the riddle. It wasn't the individual messages that crossed his mind, but the constant theme that covered it as a whole.

"It's all about deception, from the beginning and most likely to the end," Conan thought as he looked to those towered around him. "What could the thief possibly have up their sleeve that fits the criteria?"

All that came to a halt as he looked to the stage ahead to see Bruce had taken to the center, which resulted in a positive response from most.

"Thank you, I thank you all for the warm hospitality I've received since arriving," Bruce began. "I'd first like to direct everyones attention to the man standing beside me, Armond Stanton, CEO of the Futures Building."

"I'm glad to be joined by you all," Armond commented. "This facility wasn't built for the intent of today or next week, but for the future which is always so forthcoming."

"Which is why I agreed to speak here on behalf of the cause," Bruce said. "I will also be the first to reveal one of the new devices this company has been working on for the past year."

He focused his attention to a box laid out to the side of the podium, reaching inside to pull out a triangular shaped device.

"I wonder what that is?" Heiji thought.

"This here is the beginning of what is to come," Bruce said setting it to the podium. "The very item that signifies what this company plans to achieve, the one device that symbolizes all other production."

He froze at this statement, something subtle clicking from within.

"misdirection Red (1).. could this be it, the 1," Heiji thought. "Could this in fact be the item referred to in the riddle?"

He looked back to the stage, only to hear the sound of a loud pop ring from all sides. Most everyone reacted by covering their ears. This was it, the moment had finally come, but in no way was he prepared for what happened next. Unaware of where it came a flash of light streaked across the room, blinding anyone who looked on. He brought a hand to his eye in the wake of it all, slowly removing it to find his vision to be jittered about. This lasted for seconds to come, rubbing his eyes as his vision slowly began to mellow back into place.

"What the hell just happened?!" One questioned from the near distance.

"I was just about to ask the same thing." Another spoke.

Many other complaints followed in the seconds that came. He paid no mind to this, looking straight ahead to the podium to see the device that had been set there was now gone, replaced by a red diamond of beauty.

"I don't believe it," Heiji said. "That device is gone."

It didn't take long for the others to notice this as well after regaining their stance on the matter. Bruce looked down at the diamond laid out before him in shock, turning to Armond who was just as surprised.

"What just happened?" Bruce asked.

"Our four million dollar hand held device is now gone," Armond replied. "We need to contact the police, seal all exits, no one is to leave."

Those who stood amongst the crowd were as confused as ever, some more verbal than the others.

"Hey, what's going on," A man standing near the front spat. "What was that bright flash of light all about?!"

"We're looking into that as we speak," Armond replied. "In no way was that planned."

"This diamond, where could it have come from." Bruce questioned.

"Whoever took the device must have switched it out," Armond said in response. "The question is, why?"

He still stood at the west side of the room, his vision finally settling in after a small period of time.

"So much for the night vision goggles." Conan thought with the roll of his eyes.

He looked to the stage, coming to realize the device that had been there was now gone, replaced by a diamond that seemingly captivated the sights of everyone in the room.

"Can't say I saw this coming."

He paused within that moment, feeling there was a connection.

"for the Diamonds eye is for all to see," Conan said thinking back to the riddle. "This must be the first part of their trick, I'm certain whoever took the diamond is still amongst us.. but who?"

He searched the room once more, most everyone he laid an eye to more rattled than anything from what had happened.

"Everything seems normal considering the circumstances," Conan said. "I've observed all guests, could it potentially be one of the employees who staged this?"

He looked to the stage once again, seeing a group of security guards had taken to the center stage of things.

"Looks like the investigation is underway," Conan said. "Speaking of which, where did Bruce run off to, he was there moment ago."

He checked the surrounding area, finding no sign of him there either.

"Wait, could it be?"

He stood in place, looking around the room to try and relocate her position.

"Great, I lost her." Heiji said.

"Lost who?" Tim asked stepping up to his side.

"What are you doing, aren't you watching things on the right side of the room?"

"No one has shown any signs to call for our attention, besides the first move has already been made," Tim said. "It's time we changed up in strategy."

"Yea no kidding."

"What they were after was obviously that device Bruce was showcasing," Heiji said. "I discovered that while in the middle of his speech."

"As did I," Tim said. "Which bothered me about it."

"What do you mean?"

"If I recall Bruce had no idea what they would be presenting tonight."

"Yea, so?"

"When he was up there speaking I got the impression he was very familiar with the material, like he had been briefed ahead of time."

"Maybe he did."

"Not to the level of familiarity he showcased in a matter of minutes."

"You make a good point."

"You said something seemed strange about him when he arrived, right?"

"What are you implying?"

He didn't reply, simply looking to the stage to find he was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't tell me," Heiji said. "You're thinking."

"We need to find him, and now."

Before either could make a move the sound of a phone rang from below.

"It's mine." Tim said reaching down for it.

He answered the phone on contact, his claims confirmed by the sound of his voice.

"I just arrived, I'm on my way down the hall now, anything I should know about concerning the situation thus far?"

"Bruce?"

"You sound surprised, is everything alright?"

"No it's not," Tim replied. "We have a serious situation."

"I'll be right there."

He hung up, looking to Heiji who did the same in return.

"Yea, you were right to worry," Tim said. "That man who took the stage wasn't Bruce."

"How do you know?"

"I just spoke with him, he's on his way now."

"If that wasn't him, then who?"

"Stay here," Tim instructed. "I'm going after our imposter."

He took off before anything further could be said, heading straight for the stage. He wasn't left alone for long, joined by Conan who came running to his side.

"We have a problem."

"Is this under the lines of Bruce not being what he seems?"

"So you figured it out too."

"It was actually Tim who made the claim," Heiji said. "He went to go and confront the look alike as we speak."

"I guess it's our job to make sure they don't try and re-route past us."

"How did you know that it wasn't Bruce?" Heiji questioned

"That blinding flash of light," Conan replied. "Given the circumstances and our knowledge of a potential thief don't you think he'd have tightly held onto the object in hand, to the point where no one could disarm it from him?"

"I see."

"He was the only one near the podium who could have set the diamond there and hid that device away within the security of his jacket in such a short amount of time," Conan continued. "And with everyone blinded for those very few moments it gave him the time he needed."

"What made you become suspicious?"

"Your earlier comments about him seeming off," Conan replied. "That coupled in with everything I just said along with the riddle."

"The riddle?"

"The thiefs motto has been deception, what better way to deceive us all then by taking the face of one of this cities finest."

"You really put some thought into that didn't you?"

"Let's just hope Tim gets to them in time."

He had made his way to the stage, no one clear as to where the imposer had gone off to. He finally approached Armond Stanton who was nervously pacing in one area of the stage.

"Mr. Stanton," Tim said stopping in front of him. "Would you happen to know where Bruce went to after his short lived speech."

"Back stage," Armond replied looking to him. "He said his eyes were still bothering him."

"Mind if I go back and check on him?"

"Fine by me, as long as you're escorted by one of the security guards."

"Well understood."

"Very well."

He looked to one of the guards, signaling for him to come to his side. It took all but a few seconds for him to walk over.

"Could you escort our good friend here back stage, he wishes to speak with Mr. Wayne."

"Yes of course," The guard said turning toward him. "Right this way."

He followed him past the curtain that concealed a small set of stairs which lead to the lower levels. He followed him down, stopping once reaching the door at the bottom of the stairs.

"This is it, the room I saw him enter."

"Thanks."

He opened the door, greeted by a cool chill that drifted by the two. What they saw laying on the ground left them in a state of shock. The suit that had been worn along with a latex mask could be seen in the center of the room.

"What in the world?!"

"Someone was posing is Bruce Wayne."

"I can clearly see that."

"Whoever it was is now gone, you had better go and inform Mr. Stanton."

"How can you be so sure of this?"

"The opened window," Tim said pointing to the right corner of the room. "There's not many who couldn't exit through there."

"I don't believe this." The guard said taking off.

Time was now slim and he knew it. He pressed down to the codec piece inserted in his ear, contacting him immediately.

"Please tell me you have something, things have been that of a bore these last thirty minutes."

"That all might change, someone might be headed out."

"From where?"

"The Futures Building, don't take your eyes off of it," Tim said. "And report back to me if you do indeed come across something."

"I'll leave that option open, Robin out."

The transmission ended with that.

"Better go and let the others know what's going on."

He took off in the heat of things, heading back into the direction he had come. He returned to the stage to see Armond was already being informed about the situation. He skimmed over the crowd, quickly finding where the two of them stood. He dropped down from the stage, wasting no time in rejoining the two.

"So what's the verdict?" Heiji asked.

"Too late," Tim replied. "Whoever orchestrated this escaped through a window, but no worriers I've already got Damian keeping an eye on the situation."

"I'm even more worried than I was before." Conan mumbled.

"What about Selina," Tim asked. "Have you relocated her yet?"

"Been looking," Heiji replied. "Can't seem to single her out."

The ear piece buzzed, informing him of an incoming message.

"What do you have?" Tim asked pressing down to the ear piece.

"Someone's defiantly on the roof, I can see them from here." Robin informed.

"We can't seem to pin point Selina's location, would you say this figure resembles her?"

"The cat lady Selina?"

"Yea."

"Don't think so." Robin replied.

"Are you sure?"

"When's the last time you saw her sporting a cape?"

"A cape," Tim questioned. "Stay put I don't want you making any further moves until."

His message was cut short by the disconnection of the transmission.

"I don't believe it."

"What happened?" Heiji asked.

"The darn kid just cut off our link," Tim replied. "I better call Dick and inform him about the situation."

"Before you do that, I'd like to know exactly what is going on."

They turned at the sound of his voice, coming to find Bruce had finally arrived. The look on his face said it all, nothing but business.

"Alright Tim," Conan said stepping aside. "You said you'd handle the talking."

He watched from afar, waiting for their next move to be made before springing in with one of his own. The figure held something into the air as if to examine it. What it was, was unclear to him. This left them in a state with their sights set to something else other than their surroundings, leaving it open for him to move in undetected. But that's not the approach he had in mind. He lunged from where he stood, free falling with an air diving glide toward the figure standing atop the Futures Building. He landed a few feet behind with a loud thump, springing to his feet almost immediately. He got a clearer view of the unknown.

"The game ends here, place the item down and hands in the air."

He received no response at his first attempt, stepping in closer to further his point.

"Let me guess, you have hearing disability?"

"I was not expecting any company tonight." A soft and comforting voice spoke in return.

"Funny that you should say, being that you're the one who sent out that invitation for many to have."

"Yet you're the only one to attend, or are there to be more?"

"I'm not here to carry conversation," Robin stated. "Who are you?"

"I was wondering the same," The dark figure replied turning to face him. "By the looks of your apparel I'd associate you with some kind of Robin Hood."

"Minus the hood and you've got a winner."

"Robin it is."

"Enough, you have one last chance to answer to me thief," Robin snapped. "If you don't I can't fully be held accountable for what happens to you next."

"My what a brash one you are, but if you're going to address me by name I'd advice to get it right," The figure said moving toward him. "For the new kid is in town."

He stepped out into the light generated from the moon, smiling down at him with a pleased look in his eye.

"Joy meeting you Robin," He said stopping a few feet across from him. "Call me Kaito Kid."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 96

The Closing Hours

It was just after ten upon his arrival. He wasted no time, heading straight for the station doors. The room wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been on his last visit after entering, only two officers who stood behind the front desk were present. He made his way up to the two, placing his hand to the desk after coming to a stop.

"The commissioner, where is he," Heiji asked. "It's urgent that I have a word with him."

"Who are you?" One of them asked.

"Don't mind him," The other answered. "He's been lending a helping hand as of late."

"I had no idea."

"Gordon came in earlier today, if I'm not mistaken he should still be up in his office," The officer replied looking back to him. "I haven't seen him come down since."

"Appreciate the help, I'll go take a look."

"Won't you be needing a key to access the stairwell?" A familiar voice spoke from behind.

"Rick," Heiji said turning to face him. "Just the person I was hoping I'd run into."

"What so important that requires you to meet with the commissioner?"

"Walk with me."

".. Ok." Rick said following with a look of confusion falling to his face.

They walked to the door located on the right side of the room. From there he removed the set of keys attached to his belt before unlocking the door, allowing for the two to progress into the stairwell.

"So," Rick said snapping the keys back into place. "What is it that has you so wired up?"

"What gave you that assumption?"

"Well, you do seem to be a little more anxious than usual."

"With good reason, Kelver Side Crafts isn't where the thief plans to be tonight."

"How can you be so sure?"

"The riddle would seem to point otherwise."

"Ok then," Rick said as the two began their ascension up the stairs. "If not Kelver Side Crafts, then where?"

"A structure known as the Futures Building."

"The Futures Building," Rick questioned. "You mean that place holding its grand opening?"

"That'd be the one."

"I've read over the riddles several times myself, I don't see why that'd be the place."

"You'll know soon enough," Heiji said. "All will be explained when we reach his office."

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Rick thought to himself. "Then again, he hasn't been wrong yet."

They continued onward, finally arriving to the third floor. The two advanced down the hall, turning to see his office sitting in the waits. They could clearly hear voices coming from the other side prompting them to stop.

"Sounds like he's already in the middle of something, think we should hold off until he's finished?"

"Nonsense," Rick said. "Especially not with something as important as what you have to share."

He stepped up to the door with a light knock, gaining the attention they were hoping to get.

"The doors unlocked, come on in."

They did just that, entering to find Gordon sitting at his desk accompanied by two other officials sitting across from him.

"Sorry to disturb you commissioner, but our good friend here believes to have some important information to share."

"Well of course," Jim said. "Why don't you pull up that chair from the corner there."

"No need, I don't plan on being long." Heiji declined.

"Alright then, tell me what's on your mind."

"The riddles and the thief ."

"Then you've come to the right place," Jim said. "I was just discussing that very disturbance with our guests here."

"Major Gaffeny," One of the men spoke turning in his seat. "From the Marple Philadelphia region."

"And this gentleman here is Lieutenant Herman," Jim said pointing to the man seated opposite of him. "A well respected man from West Virginia."

"It's a pleasure to be joined by you all." The Lieutenant spoke.

"We're all here for the matter you speak of," Major Gaffeny said. "So if you would, what information might you have regarding tonights event at Kelver Side Crafts?"

"That's just the thing, all signs point elsewhere," Heiji said. "I don't think that's where the thief plans to show."

"Say what?"

"The Futures Building," Heiji replied. "I'm sure you've been informed of its opening by now, which of course happens to be tonight as well."

"On what grounds lead you to believe that's where this heist is to be launched?"

"The riddles," Heiji replied. "The very same riddles we've all been going through for the past days."

"I can assure you Kelver Side is the place," Lieutenant Herman said. "I've gone over the riddles several times myself, as have many other trained experts."

"Every one who has read the riddle including myself agrees that Kelver Side Crafts is the place," Major Gaffeny added. "Not only does it fit the category, but also has cause for interruption."

"By that, he means the bidding to be held," Lieutenant Herman clarified. "That would be an idle scenario for a thief to want to make an attempt."

"If you let me explain you'll see that."

"We've already set up for tonights event, which we've intensely prepared for in the last twenty four hours," Major Gaffeny interrupted. "Pulling out now isn't an option, especially with all departments lined in to see this all come to an end."

"Unless you can present to us solid proof of your claims legitimacy I'm afraid we aren't looking to move elsewhere." Lieutenant Herman said. "There's too much riding on this."

"I understand your uncertainty, but if no one is there to scale the Futures Building the thief may get away again." Heiji declared.

"Which could also be the case at Kelver Side Crafts."

"I'm not suggesting an overhaul of all units transporting from Kelver Side Crafts to the Futures Building," Heiji clarified. "But if we could at least get a sum of men on both ends that would be of great help."

"Like I said, everyone is already in position for what is to come." Major Gaffeny restated.

"Lieutenant Herman and Major Gaffeny, do you think I could have a minute alone with these two?"

"Well of course," Lieutenant Herman said standing to his feet. "Take all the time you need."

Major Gaffeny nodded, following Lieutenant Herman who made his way out. He waited for the close of the door, looking to the two of them as he stood up from where he sat.

"You seem pretty certain about this." Jim said.

"I am."

He turned to the window side, placing his hand to the wall. He stood there for a time to come, neither aware of what was running through his mind.

"Four.. six men."

"What?"

"I'll have six men from this department join you at the Futures Building tonight," Jim said turning back to face him. "One which will include Mr. Gates here."

"Thank you," Heiji said. "You won't regret this."

"Will you be joining us?" Rick asked.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to join you, as you know my presence is expected at Kelver Side Crafts."

"I understand."

"If anything does happen to unfold from your end, don't hesitate to contact me," Jim said. "We'll get all units in your direction if you are indeed correct."

"Loud and clear."

"Good, now you're free to go," Jim said. "I'm sure you have some setting up to do before tonight."

"Yes, of course."

"Detective Gates would you send both Major Gaffeny and the Lieutenant back in on your way out?"

"I'll see to it."

The two turned for the door, stepping out into the hall to see the two of them standing against the wall across from the door.

"We're done here," Rick said. "The commissioner would like to resume talks with the two of you."

"We'll head right on in." Gaffeny said in response.

They did just that after the two passed. The two of them continued down the hall, heading back in the direction of the stairwell.

"I'm surprised."

"Surprised, surprised at what?" Rick questioned.

"Not once did he ask about the details surrounding my claim," Heiji said. "You would have at least thought he'd have wanted to know my thought process on the matter before giving the nod for this to take shape."

"That was rather unexpected, but your deductions up until this point have been stellar," Rick complimented. "That might have played a hand in his decision."

"Doesn't sound too far fetched."

"Besides there will only be six of us, if you're wrong we'll only suffer a small margin of miscue," Rick said. "But if you're right, you'll be the hero after all is said and done."

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"It doesn't matter how you choose to view it, that's what the headline will label," Rick said in response. "Now come, we have some arrangements to see through."

The sound of the bell could clearly be heard from his position in the kitchen. He hurried along, making his way to the front door with the check of his watch.

"I wonder who this could be, I'm expecting any visitors at this time."

He pulled the door aside within that instance.

"Tim," Bruce said a bit surprised. "Why ring the bell, you could have just walked in."

"The door was locked, and I just so happened to leave my spare back at the house."

"I see," Bruce said moving aside to make a path for entry. "So, have you acquired any new information?"

"It's just as we thought," Tim said stepping in. "The Starlest that was first victimized by the thief is completely aligned with the police headquarters."

"And were you able to determine what was located directly in between the two?" Bruce asked shutting the door.

"There was nothing but a road intersection, but catch this," Tim said. "If driving at a pace of thirty miles per hour further to the west from that spot you will reach a theme park known as Mount Zomoph in a time of exactly an hour and five minutes."

"30, and 1: 05 minutes could be referring to the 105 in the riddle," Bruce said. "The key numbers in the latest riddle."

"It doesn't end there, believe it or not Mount Zomoph is in the location where the first Starlest was planned to be built four years ago," Tim informed. "I happened to come across that bit of information upon my deeper searches."

"One hour and five minutes, what are the details surrounding that," Bruce asked. "Does that include traffic estimation as well?"

"Using a computer simulation I eliminated all turns and disturbances that were present and created a straight line from the road intersection all the way to point B."

"Long night I presume."

"I'd say," Tim admitted. "But I still don't know how Mount Zomoph relates to this all."

"Only one way to find out," Bruce said. "You'll have to make a trip down there, taking a closer look at the grounds might lead to something insightful."

"Maybe even a hint to what they plan to steal or do tonight."

"Tell me, how long has this theme park been in fruition?"

"This will be its second year in business."

"Doesn't sound like an important detail."

"You plan on coming along, right," Tim asked. "There's plenty of ground to cover."

"You'll have to collaborate with one of the others in that regard," Bruce replied. "I still have some final arrangements to make before tonights big event."

"The others are busy with a lot as well, looks like I'll be tackling this one solo."

"Trip, what trip?"

The two turned at the sound of his voice, looking to see he was already half way down the staircase.

"You've finally come from your room," Bruce said. "How do you feel?"

"Remotely better," Conan said stepping down to the main floor. "Did you get the results back on my blood."

"Not yet, but I'll get to it soon."

"So this trip," Conan said directing his attention to Tim. "Where exactly are you going?

"To a theme park located a little over an hour from here," Tim replied. "We think it might have something to do with the thief has on their agenda."

"I'd like to hear how your searches mounted up to that."

"It's nothing more than a hunch at this point, but we're looking at everything that comes our way."

"Mind if I come along, I could use a breath of fresh air," Conan said. "Especially after being stashed in here for the last day."

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it," Tim questioned. "You don't plan on falling unresponsive on me do you?"

"I can assure you I'm fine, I'm feeling more than up to the task."

"Alright."

"An alright as in yes I can come?"

"Yea, just be sure to alert me if any of those unusual symptoms resurface," Tim said. "Or anything else strange for that matter."

"So, when are we leaving?"

"As soon as possible," Tim said checking his watch. "If we were to go now we'd get there at around three thirty."

"And the grand opening at the Futures Building is set to take shape at six this evening," Bruce added. "We don't have much time, only a matter of hours."

"Which means getting a move on," Tim said looking back to Conan. "Is there anything you need to do before we head out?"

"No, but I do have one last question," Conan replied. "What is considered this cities greatest structure?"

He had done his fair share of traveling that morning, finding himself standing in wait for the arrival of yet another bus. Without realizing he leaned back to the light pole, feeling the vibration of his phone around the same time. He looked down, taking all but a few moments for him to recognize the number before taking the call.

"Mr. Fournier," Heiji said. "I was wondering when I'd hear back from you again."

"I have more details concerning the matter we discussed."

"Have you gotten any closer to finding the employee in question?"

"Not quite, but I have a lot of information to share with you," Lonard replied. "With your expertise I'm sure you'll have this under wraps in no time."

"I'll do my best," Heiji said. "When would you like to meet to discuss these new emerged details?"

"As soon as tomorrow," Lonard replied. "Between the times of eleven and noon, sound good to you?"

"Works perfectly."

"Great, I'll get back to you later on with information in regards to a meeting place."

"Take your time, we've got a full day ahead of us."

"Of course," Lonard said. "Pleasure speaking with you again detective."

"With you as well," Heiji said. "Until tomorrow then."

Their conversation ended with those final word. He put his phone away just in time to see the bus heading his way from the end of the block.

"This couldn't have been timed any better."

The voices carried throughout, from those standing in line all the way from the other side of the wall. They had been waiting in line for a little over three minutes, quickly finding their way close to the front.

"Things are moving along much quicker than expected, just a minute ago we were near the back." Conan said.

"They must have good transitioning."

"What time do you have?"

"Thirty two after three," Tim replied. "Right on schedule, with time to spare even."

"How long do you envision this search lasting?"

"Any range from an hour and a half to an hour," Tim replied. "That leaves us with a tight window, but still enough time to get back and prepare for the journey to the Futures Building."

"Now the question becomes what to look for."

"I've been contemplating that the whole way here."

That very questioned loomed largely as the line continued to move forward. They arrived to the ticket booth shortly there after, purchasing their tickets before joining all others who had already inhabited the inside of the park.

"So this is Mount Zomoph," Tim said observing the surrounding area. "Now, where to start?"

"So what's the plan," Conan asked. "Do we look around together or split?"

"We'll get this done a lot sooner if we take our searches in separate corners of this place."

"My thoughts exact."

"We'll keep in contact by the minute, if you see or hear anything give me a ring," Tim said. "Even a gut feeling about something."

"I'll take everything to the right," Conan said. "I'll leave everything on the left for you."

"Either way, let's just try not to leave this place empty handed."

"That never crossed my mind."

"Then it's settled," Tim said turning for the left. "Keep your eyes peeled, I'll check back in with you soon."

"I'll be waiting." Conan said before turning for the right.

He casually headed in his chosen direction, passing by a set of slot machines where another line could be seen. He stopped not too much further ahead, looking from one side of the park to the other in hopes of finding something that might relate back to the riddle. He saw nothing of this sort, only that of much amusement on all fronts.

"Nothing yet," Conan thought. "I need to keep looking, there has to be something."

The premises had finally come into view after a time of driving. The cab came to a stop upon reaching the gate. He stepped out, giving him the wave to see the cab head back in the direction they had come.

"Time to report in."

He headed toward the gate only to have it open before reaching it.

"Looks like they've been expecting me."

The gate automatically closed behind him after stepping in. He made his way across the lawn to the fleet of stairs in the short distance away. He trotted up to the top before coming to a stop after reaching the door. He lifted his hand to give it a knock, only to have the door open before an attempt could be made.

"Come in," Bruce greeted. "I've been expecting you."

"You don't say," Heiji said accepting his invitation in. "I presume it was you who unlocked the gate."

"Using the remote," Bruce confirmed. "How did things go at the station?"

"A couple of the guys were skeptical as expected," Heiji replied. "But regardless of that Gordon made the decision to have six of his men attend the grand opening for the Futures Building tonight."

"I would expect no less," Bruce said. "I'm familiar with several of the employed officers in town, did he happen to mention who he'd be sending?"

"Detective Gates will be there, as for the others no idea," Heiji replied. "Does it really matter?"

"In these parts, yes."

"I could call to find out if you'd like."

"Don't bother, it's not as important as seeing the mission through," Bruce said. "As long as we keep our positions as discussed we should be in good condition, regardless of any other outside elements."

"Just so we're clear, where is it you wanted me to be?"

"You'll stand in the foyer along with the other guests," Bruce replied. "Your objective will be to scour the crowd for any suspicious people or out of the ordinary ongoing activity."

"Sounds easy enough," Heiji said. "And where will you be?"

"I haven't been given the full schedule for this evenings events, but I'd imagine I'll be dinning in more than one spot over the course of the night."

"Which means the rest of us need to be at the top of our game," Heiji said. "Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing else that concerns your task, I'll handle the rest."

"While we're on the subject, where's Drake," Heiji asked. "He said he'd be stopping by hear at some point today."

"He left to check on a lead that was brought to his attention."

"And Kudo?"

"He went with him," Bruce answered. "That was over an hour ago, I don't expect their return until at least five."

"That's a tight window, that must mean they plan on meeting us at the Futures Building," Heiji said. "Speaking of which I better head back to the house."

"For what?"

"My apparel," Heiji replied. "I need to dress in something more presentable than what I have on now."

"Don't bother, we've got a wide selection of clothing here," Bruce said turning for the stairs. "I'm certain we have something in your size."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course," Bruce replied. "Besides, it'll save us some time."

"Alright," Heiji said following his lead. "Right behind you."

Every activity had been looked into, from the many rides that filled the park to the additional side ploys that occurred off to the side. He had completed his search of things on his side of the theme park, coming to a stop after reaching a gift shop he had passed by just minutes prior. He stood there for a time to come, now focusing his sights to those moving about. This lasted for minutes to come, finding nothing out of the ordinary in anyones behavior.

"I'm starting to think there's nothing to find here," Conan thought. "He might have been off on his deduction all together, but could it be coincidence that this location is where Starlest was planned to be built?"

He tried keeping a flexible view on things as he leaned to the wall, finding his eyes staring to the large ferris wheel that occupied the center of the park. In the brink of the moment he saw it, standing high and vast as it had been his first time seeing it.

"Nano High," Conan said pushing away from the wall. "I had no idea we were on this side of town."

He found himself in that position for seconds to come, thinking of any other possible areas he might have neglected to check in the process.

"The bathrooms, I have yet to check any of them," Conan said with the snap of his finger. "Now.. where to find them."

It didn't take long for him to spot one, looking over to the left from where he stood to see them in the near distance. He casually made his way over, dropping his hands to his pockets as he did. About half way across he was stopped in his tracks, blocked off by a man in an orange jump suit and cap who stepped in front of him. He had no idea who it was, staring up to have a pair of dark blue eyes gazing down at him.

"You looking to use the bathroom kid?"

".. Yea."

"Sorry to say, but this one's currently out of order." The man informed.

He then took notice of something hanging from out of his pocket, an antenna of some kind.

"Who are you?"

"Janitor Garrett." He replied pointing to the badge upon his shirt. "If it's urgent there is another bathroom on the other side of the park."

"What's wrong with this one?" Conan asked.

"Trust me," Janitor Garrett said standing tall. "It would be an awful sight to see, a deadly experience even."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It isn't, but I should have this trash taken out in the coming minutes," Janitor Garrett said with a deepening tone. "But I think it would be best if you didn't wait around, I can't guarantee a quick finish."

"Alright," Conan childly responded. "I'll just let my dad know."

"See you around kid."

With that he turned back from where he had come, and that's when he saw it, a sinister smirk finding its way to his lips.

"What was that all about?"

He stopped after only a few steps taken, looking back to see the janitor smilingly waving to him. He smiled back before moving forward once again.

"It's probably nothing.. but I can't help it," Conan thought. "I feel like I've seen him somewhere, just can't seem to quite pin point the place."

This quickly dropped from his mind as a young man could be seen heading his way, moving at a rather fast pace with his hand clutched to his chest. He didn't know what to make of this at first glance, simply stepping off to the side to allow him a clear path by.

"His eyes," Conan said just barely getting a peak at them. "Were they blood shot?"

He decided to follow his every move, watching as he made it all the way to the bathroom without being confronted.

"That's strange, I wonder where Janitor Garrett disappeared off to in such a hurry." Conan said as the sound of his phone rang below.

He wasted no time in answering the call, not surprised to hear his voice from the other end.

"Anything?"

"Nothing to report on the matter," Conan replied. "Just a couple off task encounters, what about you?"

"I spoke with Alfred just before contacting you, I had him look into something," Tim replied. "Looks like we might have the answer to what we were looking for."

"Which is?"

"Meet me at the entrance, we no longer need to hang around here," Tim replied. "I'll tell you everything on the way out."

"Be right there."

"I'll be waiting."

He hung up from there, dropping the phone back into place.

"I guess that about wraps up business here."

With those words spoken a booming sound of high proportions ignited from behind, soaring in all directions. An anguish of many screams quickly followed in response, ringing loud for all to hear.

"That noise, an explosion?"

He spun around, looking to see the spewing flames flashing to his eyes. No longer could the bathrooms be seen that had been there moments ago.

"You've got to be kidding."

Almost all adjustments had made, the only thing remaining was to button the loose sleeves. He looked himself over in the large mirror once finished, nodding his head in acceptance after doing.

"What do you think?" Alfred asked from where he stood on the other side of the room.

"Perfect," Heiji replied slightly tightening the tie in place. "It fits perfectly."

"I figured it would."

"We've got roughly an hour and thirty until six," Heiji said checking the time. "How much longer do you propose we wait before heading out there?"

"I've already removed the car from the garage, I thought it might be in our best interest for one of you to arrive early," Alfred said. "After all you're supposed to meet with those folks from the police station, correct?"

"You make a good point, and could prove beneficial," Heiji said. "What about Bruce, is he coming as well?"

"He's in his room making final preparations for his speech," Alfred replied. "He'll soon join you at the Futures Building once he's finished."

"That's fine with me, I should be able to hold off on my own for the next hour or so."

"I'll go down and bring the car around front." Alfred said turning for the door.

"Hold on," Heiji said following after him. "I'm coming with you."

"Very well."

He exited the room at his side, feeling they were just hours away from closing this chapter that had plagued them for the last week.

"Futures Building, here I come."

The attention it had brought in the aftermath was to be expected. The flames continued to sway, steadily declining in strength from the water that fell down upon it from the water hoses that were being fired. Observing the efforts to put out the fire became the least of his concerns as he focused his attention to those standing amongst the crowd.

"Where is he?"

His searches came to a quick end after re-sighting him, standing across the way in between a large group of people.

"Janitor Garrett, there you are." Conan said pleased to relocate him.

He witnessed a devilish grin slip to his face in the coming seconds, one which he took full note of.

"I don't know what in the world just happened, but I'm certain this guy is the center of... wait."

The same feeling from before came back to him within the heart of the moment, a sense of familiarity he couldn't quite key in on. He stressed the matter deeply, tightly closing his eyes. That's when it opened up, rehashing where he believed to have seen him before.

"That's him," Conan thought springing his eyes wide. "The one from the other night, the man from the bus!"

He was most sure of this, wasting no time in raising his hand to take aim.

"Confronting him directly will only produce false claims from his behalf," Conan said. "But placing a tracker to him will assure me of his whereabouts, maybe even leading to whoever he's working with."

He extended his arm out in front of him, steadily holding it in place as he chose his point of attack.

"There."

He pressed down to the gizmo, watching as the tracer spiraled toward its intended target. It touched down with light force, connecting to where he envisioned it would. He lowered his arm in succes, finding it hard to hold back a smile of his own. It was at that moment that the man he came to know as janitor Garrett slowly faded into the depths of the crowd. He showed no sign in following after him, simply clicking the side of his glasses to activate the display screen to see what direction he was headed in.

"You can run, but you most certainly can't hide."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 95

Preparation For the Big Dance

He sat at the back of the bus, holding the phone out in front as he dialed the number once more. There was still no response, resulting in him putting the phone away. He looked out the window to a street sign, knowing his destination was fast approaching. He exited the bus upon reaching the next stop, being the only one to do so. He immediately checked the time on his watch, coming to find it was now eight after ten.

"Only a couple miles left, catching a cab the rest of the way there seems fit."

He trailed along side the road looking to do just that.

The energy that followed was a delight. After all the twists that had passed there was now a sense of accomplishment, a feeling that seemed far fetched in the previous hours. He remained seated, going through everything in his head once more to keep it all clear to his mind. Several sounds generated throughout, even coming from the cracked window across from where he sat. None of this disturbed him in the least, he welcomed it even. The door opened without warning, not surprised to be rejoined.

"You've been sitting here in silence for over twenty minutes now, why don't you go up stairs and get some rest." Bruce suggested.

"Not just yet," Conan declined. "There's one last thing I'd like to clear up."

"Your call," Bruce said. "What about Heiji, does he still plan on stopping by?"

"From my knowledge nothing has changed from the last we spoke."

"It's been almost an hour since then, he should be here relatively soon."

"So what happens two nights from now?" Conan asked slightly shifting the subject.

"Pardon?"

"When you attend the Futures building," Conan replied. "Is the plan for me to stick to the side lines once again?"

"There's no telling what they're after, let alone what they've got planned if they're successful," Bruce replied. "I'm going to need all eyes this time around, which will require your services."

"That leads into my second question, what's the task exactly," Conan questioned. "To look out for anything unusual?"

"Simply put, which directly ties in with the main objective."

"What happens if they discover our whereabouts before hand?"

"That's something to account for, which will heavily rely on our positioning," Bruce replied. "I'm familiar with the layout of the structure and have a good lock on all known exits."

"That leaves us set in that regard."

"But only a fraction of what we need," Bruce said. "We still need to find out what they're after, the sooner we know that the sooner we can build measures for counter."

"Now that we've got the location, my first guess would be they're eyeing something that is scheduled to be revealed," Conan said. "Maybe something that was created in the Scnapp Labs below."

"I'm inclined to agree, but we need to be sure," Bruce said. "Which will be difficult to figure since they're keeping a lid on what they plan to show until the night of the event."

"Regardless, I'm sure somewhere the riddle hints at the content of interest," Conan said. "I'll see if I can at least pin point that."

"I'll do the same when I return, but tight now I have somewhere to be," Bruce said. "If there's anything to report, you know how to contact me."

"Of course."

Bruce left the room with nothing further to be said. He rested his hands to the back of his head as he leaned to the seat. There was no need for him to look to the riddles again, each line sitting with a clear distinction in his mind. He sat there for a time to come, going through everything that had been discovered up to this point.

"There's no apparent nod to what they're after, perhaps there's more than one meaning to each phrase," Conan thought to himself. "Or one complete hidden message within the riddle as a whole."

Most questioning of all was the numbers surrounding the riddles, he hadn't quite determined their complete meaning evolving around the riddles.

"Then there's the lambda figure in the most recent riddle," Conan said with a slight turn in the chair. "The relevance in that defiantly has something to do with place or distance, maybe even a hint at what they plan to do."

All possibilities laid dormant to the back of his mind as he pushed up, heading straight for the book shelf for something he'd come across earlier in his searches. He stopped just before reaching out, feeling a sudden coolness pass through his body. It was then that a bright light flashed past the window, it was brief but just enough to catch his attention.

"He's here."

He put a hold to the investigation, heading out of the room with the switch of the light. The main room was dark as it had been before. He approached the front door, hearing the sound of more than one set of foot steps heading up the stairs from the other side. The door pushed open seconds later, causing him to step off to the side.

"Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long." Heiji said entering along with Alfred at his side.

"I had no idea you had left the premises," Conan said. "Were you the one to pick him up?"

"No, I simply opened the gate upon his arrival," Alfred replied with the close of the door. "He pulled up in a cab."

"I thought that much," Conan said. "I saw the tail lights while in the book room."

"I take it you can handles yourselves from here, if needed I'll be up stairs." Alfred said before making his way along.

"Have you leaned anything since the past hour?"

"More than we could have asked for."

"Perfect."

"And Ran," Conan asked. "Did you get a hold of her?"

"She didn't pick up, but I'm certain she'll call back at her earliest convenience."

"Did you leave a message?"

"I'd rather I speak with her on the matter rather than leave a message."

"So tell me, what did you come across on your searches?"

"The Futures Building is the place, I'm sure of it," Conan said in response. "Bruce seems to agree."

"Alright then, what closed your decision between the two?"

"The riddle of course, but not just the riddle itself," Conan replied. "The distribution of the last riddle played a hand in our belief."

"I thought that might prove to be a deciding factor."

"With that in mind we looked to the cause of each, the audience can be just as important as the product."

"No disagreement there."

"What I came to find is the event being held at Delmore Industries is targeted at the locals, while the other has sparked an interest on a global level," Conan continued. "Why else spread the riddle across and out of town, it was a hint to where they plan to be."

"Clever, and their motive?"

"Still unclear," Conan replied. "I've gone through all the riddles an uncountable of times and can't seem to pin point what they're hoping to gain."

"Thankfully we've got time on our side."

"Not much."

"But it'll have to do," Heiji said. "Any analogy to what the lambda represents in relation to the location?"

"Haven't quite figured that out either," Conan replied. "Nor have we been able to deduce the role of the numbers."

"What if it's not dealing with location, but rather time and position?"

"Perhaps, but then there's also the deceptive nature of the individual in question," Conan said. "Instead of trying to understand what the numbers represent, why don't we try leveling our minds within a zone relative to theirs?"

"Putting ourselves in their shoes?"

"We have a small understanding on how the culprit thinks, that gives us a tweak of light to exploit," Conan said. "From what we've learned thus far, if you were the fugitive what would the numbers be used to symbolize?"

"That's a good question." Heiji said giving it some thought.

Neither had an answer, both diving deeper to try and gain an understanding of what they should prepare for. He looked to him with the shake of his head, seeing he to had nothing to say concerning the angle.

"Trying to match our psyche with whoever we're dealing with isn't exactly an easy task." Conan thought.

"There has to be something," Heiji said. "It doesn't fit the criteria for someone to give us a time and location but no hidden cause."

"Maybe not, but that might be the point," Conan said. "Instead of figuring out what we don't have, why don't we keep our focus to what we do."

"What are you thinking," Heiji questioned. "That this might lead to what they're hoping to obtain?"

"Possibly."

"Not what I had in mind, but we're thin on leads as it is."

"I was thinking we should start with the location, the Futures Building," Conan began. "That's one known fact we now know."

"As well as the time."

"What if we inserted the location into the riddle itself?"

"Insert the location?"

"the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ_0-(-30) 105 accounted in (Y)," Conan repeated. "The zero aside the underscore is what caught my attention."

"Why so?"

"Zero is usually the starting or center point on a coordinance, what if that point in this case is the Futures Building?"

"Ok, let's say this is true," Heiji said. "What about the -30 and 105?"

"Maybe two important locations aligned with the Futures building, or even something within it."

"Clever, and there's no telling since we don't know what the distances represented here are," Heiji said. "It could be miles, yards, even inches from point zero for all we know."

"Taking into account we still don't have a confirmed position for point zero, we should also look into other potential sites."

"Any that may be of interest, perhaps Starlest," Heiji said. "That's where this whole thing began."

"Then of course there's the center of the city itself, don't know what the odds are of that being the main point of focus."

"It's up in the air right now."

"How to narrow the list down from here is the question."

"How about starting with the first part of the last riddle," Heiji suggested. "(X) the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see."

"That first line seems to pack a message of its own."

"I got the same feeling while reading over it on the way here." Heiji said as the sound of his phone buzzed from within his jacket.

"Who is it?"

"One moment." Heiji said pulling it out to have a look.

He held the phone out in front of him, getting a clear view of the incoming call.

"Who is it?" Conan asked once more.

"It's Ran, keep it quiet for a second," Heiji said. "You speak with her as soon as I'm finished explaining."

"What are you going to say?" Conan asked with skepticism in his tone.

"Relax, I'll keep this as straight forward as possible."

He took his word for it, taking a step away as he watched him bring the phone to his ear as he answered the call.

"Good to hear from you, I heard about your adventure to that camp."

"How'd you find out?"

"From a mutual friend of your fathers," Heiji replied. "So, how did you like it?"

"It was a wonderful experience," Ran answered with high energy. "There's a plan for another around this time next year."

"And you plan to return?"

"Possibly," Ran replied. "I saw that you had called, why didn't you leave a message?"

"I was in the middle of something at the time, still am."

"Am I to assume it has something to do with a case?"

"You hit it right on the nail." Heiji confirmed.

"Where are you anyway," Ran asked. "When you called earlier your number registered as long distance."

"That's exactly what I wanted to speak with you about," Heiji said. "I'm actually on a trip of my own, been out here for the past week or so."

"Past week, where are you?"

"We're currently here in Chicago, but plan on taking our investigation to Ohio in the next two days."

"We, what do you mean we?"

"Well you see," Heiji laughingly said. "The kid's actually been accompanying me on my travels."

"You mean Conan," Ran questioned. "I was told he was in Gotham."

"That was the case four days ago."

"So you've been with him this whole time?"

"From day one."

"And why are you dragging him along on this case you're working?" Ran asked becoming short in her tone.

"Sightseeing was the planned agenda, things just happened to take an unfortunate turn."

"Where is he now," Ran asked. "Can I speak with him?"

"Of course," Heiji said dropping a hand down to his shoulder. "He right here next to me, I'll put him on right away."

"I'd really appreciate that."

He lowered the phone down to him taking a step off to the side after doing so. He immediately brought the phone to his ear, standing there for a brief period time before finally bringing himself to speak.

"Ran."

"Conan, are you ok?"

It was only shallow at first, increasing with each moment that passed..

"Conan..?"

The surging streak coolness from within took over, rendering him speechless. His sense of feel became lost to which resulted in the phone releasing from his grasp. His vision followed as he toppled forward into what could have been a pit of darkness.

The sound of the drops trailing along the window side served as a lullaby, even while his mind was closed off from all else around. A flash of light passed from afar, doing just enough to alarm him. He was unsure of where he was, only feeling a sharp pain on his left arm and the smooth surface below. His eyes slowly opened, rolling to his side to see the rain pouring down from outside. He then pushed up, taking little time to look to his left arm to see something wrapped to the upper half. He was back, back to the room registered to him from the day he had arrived.

"My arm.. I wonder what happened to it." Conan said slightly moving his it to test it.

He quickly stopped in response to the expanding pain. He then brought his right hand to his head, trying to recall what had put him in his current position. Bits came back little by little. He then looked to the window again to see the sun making its descension to the other side. It seemed to have gotten lighter from what he remembered.

"I wonder how long I was out?"

He looked down to his wrist to answer that very question only to find his watch no where to be seen. Before another attempted move could be made the door opened.

"I see you've finally awoken." Alfred said closing the door upon entering.

"What happened?"

"We're still in the process of figuring that out."

Feeling light he leaned back to the headboard of the bed as he looked to the ceiling.

"How long was I out, about an hour or so?"

"Afraid not," Alfred replied. "You were out for nearly twenty four hours."

"Twenty four hours?!"

"We've been monitoring your condition ever since your unexpected fall."

"What about my arm," Conan said focusing his sights downward. "Why is it wrapped up, did I hurt it on my fall to the ground?"

"As I said before we've been monitoring your condition," Alfred stated. "After you didn't awake by noon of today we decided to extract blood from your system to have a closer look."

"And the results?"

"Master Wayne hasn't gotten around to that just yet," Alfred replied. "He and the others are down stairs discussing the plans for tomorrow nights big event."

"That's right, the Futures building." Conan said making a move to get out of bed.

"I strongly object, in no way should you be up and about at this time," Alfred said. "The last thing we'd want is for your condition to worsen."

"How long do you propose I sit it out here?"

"At least until the morning," Alfred replied. "If you show convincing progress I see no harm in you rejoining the others, but until then it would be wise for you to rest for the time being."

He was hesitant but found it in himself to stash himself back under the sheets.

"Is Heiji here as well?"

"They all are." Alfred confirmed with a nod.

"Before he leaves do you think you could send him up, there's something I'd like to ask."

"Of course, I'll gladly let him know," Alfred said. "If there's anything you may need, call and I'll be here."

With that he turned for the door, exiting as swiftly as he had entered.

They all stood gathered around the table, watching as a large sheet was placed out in front for all of them to view. Each section was just as complex as the other in form.

"This is it," Bruce said. "The floor plans for the Futures building."

The next moments were taken to familiarte themselves with each divided section, taking note of the marked areas.

"What do the red areas represent?" Heiji asked.

"Where each of us will be positioned, I also circled in all the exits in blue," Bruce pointed out. "Knowing all potential escape routes is just as important as finding out what they're after."

"So besides Grayson and Damian the rest of will be in attendance?"

"Correct," Bruce confirmed. "They will be watching the outer boundaries as we discussed."

"Why don't we go over the fine details once more just so we're all certain everyone is on the same page." Dick suggested.

"Agreed," Tim said. "We've only got one nab at this, we've gotta make it count."

"Then we'll start with the perimeter," Bruce said. "Our other sites to account for."

"Which means referring back to the riddle," Heiji said. "We've all come to agree the zero is the vocal point, being the Futures building."

"Then there's the -30 and 105, and with the lambda attached it points directly to longitude," Dick added. "With that known fact the Futures building should be viewed as the Prime Meridian, for this case."

"The only given coordinates are a -30 and 105," Tim continued. "All numbers east of the Prime Meridian are viewed as positive, on the flipped side all numbers located west of point zero are negative."

"And exactly 0.0597 of a mile to the east of the Futures building you have the Starlest that was originally targeted," Bruce said. "While 0.01704549 of a mile to the west of the Futures building is where the original Starlest facility is located, and exactly thirty miles to the north of that is the Gotham City Police Head Quarters."

"0.0597 and 0.01704549 when converted into yards amounts up to 30 and 105 yards respectively." Heiji added.

"Though each of those locations have played a prominent role in our investigation, we still don't know what their relation is to the planned heist." Dick said.

"Which is why you'll be covering the west side within a two mile radius from the Futures building," Bruce said. "I'll leave the east end for Damian to watch."

"And what is it we should be looking out for?" Damian asked.

"Anything out of the ordinary," Bruce replied. "Remember to keep your sights on Starlest, if anything comes your way be sure to radio before pursuing after anything."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Which leaves the rest of us to occupy the insides of the chosen target." Heiji said.

"You almost sound displeased." Dick commented.

"Not at all, I'd take this over sitting in wait any time of the week."

"So now that we've got everything lined up, what happens next?" Heiji asked.

"We keep digging until there is nothing else to find, starting with what is directly located in between the first Starlest hit and the Police headquarters," Bruce said. "The connection between the two as opposed to the Futures building may prove worth while."

"I'll look into it as soon as I touch base with something else I've been working on." Tim volunteered.

"Good," Bruce said turning his sights elsewhere. "The police seem adamant this thief will make their move at Kelver's, Heiji I'd like for you to have a word with Gordon."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Present to him what we've discussed," Bruce replied. "At less we'll get a small margin to attend the Futures building tomorrow night."

"I'll head there first thing tomorrow morning."

"Will that be all?" Dick asked.

"I'm going to call their center to check for scheduling, but other than that it's a wait and see approach." Bruce replied.

The door opened just as they were closing up, all looking over to see Alfred enter in.

"I've come with some pleasing news," Alfred informed. "The boy has finally awoke."

"How is he?" Heiji asked

"He seems fine, but advised for him to stay put until tomorrow," Alfred replied. "He asked to see you, you're welcome to go up any time."

"I think I'll do that."

"I'll come with you." Tim said.

The two of them left the room in that given moment with Alfred following in their trail. That left the three of them as the only to remain in the room.

"I must say, I'm surprised in your decision to have Heiji talk with Gordon on the subject rather than going to him yourself."

"Getting in contact with him these past two days has been difficult, being with the schedule I'm on," Bruce said. "He also wasn't in his office when I stopped by yesterday night, he was probably out making preparations for what he believes is to occur at Kelver Side Crafts."

"I really don't see the use in police force involvement," Damian said. "This is a light task, one which we should be able to handle with little to no problem."

"Having an extra pair of eyes isn't always a bad thing," Dick said in response to his comment. "Not to mention having areas watched we're not able to account for with our small numbers."

"Seeking the help of anyone to increase our numbers far exceeds what is required," Damian said. "My instinct tells me we're dealing with nothing but a push over, one which will fold easily once discovered."

"Never doubt the unknown boy," Bruce warned. "As soon as you do, it will run circles right past you."

"That works both ways," Damian said. "They too have no idea what they're dealing with."

".. Maybe."

Every minute that past brought a higher level of comfort, easing back down as he looked to the ceiling once again. He laid there for a small amount of time, remembering almost everything that had happened before he had fallen under. He turned his head at the sound of the door, sitting up as he watched the two of them enter.

"Look who finally decided to rejoin us," Tim said. "How do you feel?"

"A little light headed," Conan replied. "But other than that, I'll live."

"That's good to know, we were worried about you there for a second."

"How much did I miss?"

"We believe we solved almost all elements of the riddles," Heiji replied. "Only a few minor points remain to be addressed."

"Any change on where we think the thief will appear?"

"No, the Futures Building seems to be the place," Tim replied. "Though other locations have been added to the mix, we're still in the process of determining their relevance."

"And where are these other places located?"

"Why don't we save that for a little later, now's not the time to over load your mind with anything," Tim said. "We came up strictly to check on you."

"Alfred said there was something you wanted to ask," Heiji said. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the moments following your fall."

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask about," Conan confirmed. "What happened with Ran, what did you tell her?"

"Nothing," Heiji replied. "I hung up."

"You what?"

"That was the best decision that came to mind at the time," Heiji said. "I didn't want to come up with something on the fly, I was more concerned with your condition more than anything else."

"Please tell me you've called her back since then to clarify what happened?"

"Of course," Heiji said. "I simply told her the battery to the phone juiced out during your conversation."

"I guess you can't go wrong there, did she ask for me when you recalled?"

"I told her you were asleep," Heiji replied. "Which worked out for the best since she tried reaching you through your phone as well."

"I better call her back within the next twenty four hours before she becomes worried."

"We've got a lengthy road ahead of us," Tim said checking the time. "Is there anything you need or want before we take off?"

"A sheet of paper and a pen would be nice."

"I don't think so, no riddle solving for you tonight," Tim said. "What you need is some shut eye, we'll evaluate your status come tomorrow."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being punished?"

"Laying it low isn't always the funnest of things," Tim said. "But it's a good idea at this point, at least until we know what you've come down with."

"Don't worry Kudo, we'll keep you filled in every step of the way." Heiji added.

"I'd rather be a part of it, not just as a spectator." Conan mumbled.

"Well, it's about that time." Tim said. "You should expect my return some time tomorrow morning."

"You plan on coming as well?" Conan asked sitting up even further.

"Don't know," Heiji replied. "I have a trip to make to the police station, how much time that will take up is uncertain."

"And I get to camp it out here, what a joy."

"It might not be for much longer, but until then try to keep a limit on your activity." Tim said turning for the door. "I'll be back no later than ten tomorrow."

The two left the room with nothing further said, shutting the door on their way out. He dropped back to the pillow, setting his sights to the ceiling once again.

The coming hours brought a brightening sky, no clouds to be seen within the seeable distance. He sat there in the quietness of the room, finding it hard to hold back a sinister grin that found its way to his face. He stood up from the chair in the coming moments, pulling an envelope from his jacket as he did.

"It is near."

What was laid away within the envelope was quickly unraveled, staring down at the invitation before him. He traced his finger along the letters, following all the way through to the final line which read out as 'Grand Opening Of The Futures Building'.

"Only one day remains, then the domino will be set in motion."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 94

Shocked

All gathered material had been taken to the book room to be further examined, keeping it in order from the right side to left. They used the computer to surf for any additional information unknown to them surrounding the names listed. After skimming through each once more, he looked down to the slip of paper in hand before placing it down to the table as well.

"Cennals Inc, Delmore Industries, Scnapp Labs, Syclons, and Wayne Enterprises," Heiji read. "The five companies tangled in a partnership with Starlest."

"Which isn't something you'd normally find as linked associates," Conan said. "All companies excluding Syclons are all technology based."

"Starlest doesn't exactly fit the criteria either, they put out common accessories for clothes and shoes," Heiji said. "And of course the expected jewelry line they're known for."

"Why don't we start with Syclons," Conan said looking down at the printed sheet. "It's a small company that distributes goods from this city to others, and vice versa."

"Besides Starlest, Syclons is in a partnership with another shipping company in the area," Heiji said. "Which has two stations located here in Gotham."

"I hardly see that as a place of gathering," Conan said. "I think it's safe to assume Syclons isn't the place referred to in the riddle."

"Next we have Cennals Inc, a computer company," Heiji said. "Their expertise being in the field of design, in the form of architectural construction."

"And the companies linked with it?"

"Salvon's Bridge and Silver Engineering," Heiji replied. "All in the same line of work."

"Starlest would be the odd apple amongst the four," Conan said before looking back to the list. "What about Scnapp Labs?"

"The only company of the lot with only one connected associate," Heiji said. "Scnapp Labs is under the radar, located at the bottom of a building near the center of the city."

"And the name?"

"Futures Building," Heiji replied. "That's what it is called."

"And this Futures Building is directly connected with the Scnapp Labs?"

"That's what it says here," Heiji replied referring back to the sheet. "The lab was created first, with the building being built on top of it roughly a year later after beginning their project."

"Any mention of what these projects are?"

"That has yet to be reveled, but we'll know soon enough," Heiji informed. "They plan on answering that very question at their grand opening set for two nights from now."

"That leaves Delmore Industries and Wayne Enterprises."

"Always the best for last."

"So what do we know about Delmore Industries?"

"They're a company that manufactures sophisticated systems to collect and store important data on a large scale."

"What kind of data?"

"It didn't say, must be some real secretive stuff," Heiji replied. "And that's only their main operative."

"What else are they commonly known for?"

"Nothing that doesn't fall under the same category."

"That leaves Wayne Enterprises, which we're already quite familiar with."

"Now comes the task of linking one of these companies to the riddle."

"Using the process of elimination could prove key," Conan said. "Starting with Syclons."

"You think it's a possibility?"

"It has no set facility for their operation, only several smaller buildings throughout."

"Right," Heiji said catching on. "Syclons has no true vocal point, making it next to impossible for a gathering as foreshadowed in the riddle."

"That's one of twelve," Conan said. "We still need to narrow it down."

"Why don't we focus on the purpose of each," Heiji suggested. "The product and the demand for the companies tells a story in itself."

"Not a bad route to go."

"Eliminating Libits from the equation next seems fit."

"Why's that?"

"It's secluded, and they rarely receive visitors," Heiji replied. "As stated by one of the employees on my visit."

"I'd say that's a safe bet then," Conan said. "Next we have the company for collecting data, Delmore Industries."

"They didn't have detailed information surrounding the contents of their facility, so we'd have to go in for a visit to gain further information," Heiji said. "They do happen to be holding an open house event in the next couple days."

"Which could be the affair referred to in the riddle," Conan said. "How many people are estimated to show?"

"They're expecting a full house, however many that may be."

"Which leads into my second question, what is this open house event for?"

"A test run for updates they've made to a margin of their software."

"Think you could get a list of all software that will be shown?"

"One call should do the trick," Heiji replied. "What's your take on Cennals Inc?"

"I'd rule that out," Conan said in response. "I doubt a center for architectural design sparks for the highest interest, which wouldn't be a place the thief would choose."

"Then there's Scnapp Labs, located under the Futures Building," Heiji continued on. "They've also got an upcoming event of their own."

"Key point, between that and Delmore Industries I'd say we have a set out of the two."

"Yea, but which one?"

The door opened in that moment, causing both to look across the way.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Tim said upon entering,"Any made progress?"

"We're heading in that way," Heiji replied. "We've got the list narrowed down to two locations."

"Scnapp Labs and a company known as Delmore Industries." Conan elaborated.

"Which one is favored at this given time?"

"We're still undecided," Heiji replied. "We've referred back to the riddle several times to help make a determination."

"At least it's coming along," Tim said. "I thought I'd drop in to let you know I'm on my way out."

"Where to?" Conan asked.

"Back to the city."

"What about that virus of yours, did you run a scan?"

"Already launched the trial," Tim confirmed. "So there's no need to stick around, especially when there's more to attend."

"Wait up," Heiji said. "I'll come with you, there's a stop I'd like to make myself."

"Fine by me."

"Think you can handle this in my absence?" Heiji said looking down to him.

"I'll keep you informed."

"Hold on," Tim said. "Have the two of you discussed what we talked about earlier?"

"That completely crossed my mind." Conan replied.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"I received a call from Ran earlier today, unfortunately my phone must have been off at the time."

"So you missed a call, I don't see the big deal in that?"

"In most cases it wouldn't, but she probably just found out about my trip here."

"What do you mean she just found out?"

"She received an invitation for a sporting event about a month ago, which she accepted," Conan informed. "That's where she's been for the past three weeks or so."

"Oh, that's right," Heiji said recalling this. "And the facility where this was held had no signal for you to reach her by phone, correct?"

"That's right."

"So what did you need to speak with me about?"

"I thought it'd be a good idea for you to let her know the two of you traveled here together," Tim replied. "There's a higher level of comfort if you know what I mean."

"Can't disagree with the idea." Conan said.

"Sure, I'll give her a call tonight."

"I was actually thinking I'd tell her myself." Conan said in protest.

"Don't worry, I've got this one covered Kudo," Heiji said laying a hand to his shoulder. "You just focus on those riddles, you can speak with her as soon as I've explained everything."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Remember to call if anything comes up," Heiji said heading for the door. "I'll leave my phone on for your services."

"As will I," Tim said. "I'll be calling in the next hour to check on your progress."

"I'll be sure not to disappoint."

He watched as he to left the room, finding himself as the lone investigator to go through everything laid out along the table. He walked back to the chair, taking a seat as he looked directly to the most recent riddle

"(X) the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see.... the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ0-(-30) 105 accounted in (Y)."

"Delmore Industries and Scnapp Labs, this is what it comes down to," Conan said. "But it can only be one out of the pair, so.. which one is it?"

He looked over all collected riddles as a whole, memorizing each sequence of numbers and structured messages, bringing it all to the surface of his conscious to try and untwine the mystery at hand.

"There's something wrong... something's missing," Conan thought with a long pause. "One key element still lays abstruse, and until that's figured we'll be stuck in this same position."

The ride there had been a smooth one, taking over an hour for him to finally arrive. He stepped out of the vehicle after stalling at the side of the street, heading straight for the entrance doors in the near distance. Things were quiet and calm as opposed to the earlier hours, which was to be expected visiting the police station at this time. He slid up his sleeve to look down at his watch, coming to find it was roughly forty after eight.

"Got here much sooner than anticipated."

He arrived to the doors, walking in to surprisingly find the room half full of those standing around.

"It's getting late, I wasn't expecting to find so many still here at this hour."

It didn't take long for him to realize something was taking place. Very few spoke as he made his way further into the room, still unclear what the matter was at hand. He stopped once reaching the center of the room, surrounded on all sides by those who stood in wait. It was then that he felt a hand weigh down to his right shoulder, turning to see him with a smile on his face.

"What a surprise, you're here too," Heiji said. "Any idea what's going on?"

"I'm just as surprised to see you," Rick said in response. "We're all actually here for an update on the case."

"And which one is that?"

"The riddles of course," Rick replied. "And what of you, who called you in?"

"No one did, I'm here on my own accordance," Heiji replied. "Believe it or not, I'm here with a potential lead of my own."

"That doesn't surprise me," Rick said. "I assume you've been at that from the time we parted ways earlier?"

"It's been on the back of my mind the whole day," Heiji said looking around the room. "I'd say this meet isn't squarely based on a hunch, not with this many people showing up at this given time."

The two of them then turned at the sound of the entry doors sliding open, looking to see five others join them in the room.

"How many officers are expected to show anyway?"

"Can't say, we've got guys coming in from all across town," Rick replied. "And this isn't the only meet being held."

"From the way you've put it, it would seem they believe they know where the thief plans to make their move."

"That was my first impression when I walked in to see everyone gathered."

"Who's supposed to be the one dropping down this newly acquired information to us?"

"The commissioner himself." Rick replied.

"Gotcha."

"You said you had a lead of your own, mind sharing?"

"I have an idea or two," Heiji replied. "I'll let you in on it as soon as we've heard what the commissioner has to say."

"Sounds like a deal."

They continued to stand around for a time to come, watching as the room gradually filled with those who came in through the entryway. Checking the time on his watch became very apparent the longer this lasted, coming to find the wait was now over twenty minutes from the time he had arrived.

"Time sure is passing, makes you wonder how long they plan on keeping us waiting."

Unknown to them they didn't have much longer to wait. The door located to the right side of them room flew open, captivating everyones attention who stood throughout the room.

"Bout time we got this thing underway." Rick said in delight.

"How long have you been here?" Heiji asked.

"Arrived about fifteen minutes before you."

The two then directed their attention to the front of the room to see Gordon making his way there assisted by two police officials at his side. The room gradually fell silent as this occurred, leaving it open for him to take the floor.

"I appreciate everyones attendance as well as your patience during this process, as you all know we have a situation on our hands," Jim began. "The daunting riddles that have circulated throughout this city, and most recently to others surrounding our own."

"But from the ground we've covered in these past two days, we're certain this will be put to an end very soon." An officer aside him spoke.

"We now have a selected location to where we think this thief will appear to preform their next act," Jim informed. "A place known as Kelver Side Crafts."

"Kelver Side Crafts," Heiji questioned. "What's that?"

"It's an art museum," Rick whispered back. "Pretty popular with the locals if you know what I mean, not too bad with the many visitors either."

"Gotcha."

"Most who don't follow Kelver's schedule wouldn't know about the auction they're holding two nights from now, high profiled items are listed for any to gain at the right price," Jim continued. "We've already made plans for security measures that will be taken."

"And we've also alerted all other stations across the way about our findings," The unnamed officer spoke once more. "They two will play a hand in making sure this thief is properly apprehended before any further damage can be done."

"And what makes you so sure Kelver Side Crafts is the place?" Someone asked from amongst the crowd.

"Those details will be addressed tomorrow, but right now I'd like to discuss how everyone will be positioned for the big night."

What was said from there on became lost to him, feeling they were ultimately wrong in the direction they were taking.

"There's no way this Kelver Side Crafts is the chosen target, not once did it flash to our radar," Heiji thought to himself. "But there's no way of getting them to look elsewhere until I've gained more evidence in my corner, Scnapp Labs or Delmore Industries has to be the true destination of the affair."

He stood there for awhile longer, continuing to listen in on what was instructed to the others. Without warning a deepening feel came over him, that same feeling he ever got when standing in the mist of it all.. an unclear view in a small sense.

"There's no telling when the clock on the deadline will come to an end, it could be as early as tomorrow," Heiji thought. "The times ticking, which means finding the true location before it's too late."

His speech lasted for a short time more, only catching small amounts of what was said. It didn't take long for them to start heading for the doors once he was finished, clearing out the room one by one. He looked back to the front of the room to see the commissioner still standing along with three others who continued to engage in conversation.

"Can't go to him yet, there's not enough to support my belief just yet."

"So," Rick said coming back to his side. "What was this hunch you have locked away?"

"Never mind it," Heiji replied. "What I've heard tonight sounds much more plausible."

"So what now, plan on heading home?"

"Maybe after a stop or two."

"Need a ride?"

"No thanks, I think I'll be able to manage."

"Your call," Rick said turning for the door. "Until next time."

He elected not to follow, standing there for awhile longer to figure what he would do next before the nights end. He didn't have to wait long for a distraction to arise, feeling the vibration of his phone from below. He raised it to his eye level, thankful to see the number on the screen.

"Please tell me you've got something." Heiji said answering the call.

"You'll be pleased to know that I do," Conan replied. "You sound a little distressed, everything alright?"

"The police say they have a lead, I disagree," Heiji replied. "We're going to need more than we have to convince them otherwise."

"Not to worry, though we don't have a clear cut answer I've made some progress."

"Ok, what do you have?"

"As you know the Futures building is where the Scnapp Lab is located."

"Yea."

"And we also know they're getting ready to have their grand opening," Conan continuied. "Then you have Delmore Industries, they have an event scheduled as well."

"Ok, so what's the connection?"

"Not necessarily a connection, but the opening event for the Futures building is two nights from now," Conan informed. "As is the event at Delmore industries."

"Meaning we now have a set date for when the thief plans to make their move," Heiji said. "We have less than two days to figure out the correct location of the two."

"There's no stop there," Conan said. "There's also a big time auction being held at an art museum."

"Kelver Side Crafts?"

"I see you've heard of it."

"That seems to be the wild card of the day," Heiji replied. "What's your take on it?"

"Unlike the other two locations, Kelver Side Crafts doesn't connect with the riddle on all fronts."

"So what you're saying is you don't believe Kelver is part of the equation."

"Correct," Conan confirmed. "No matter how you look at it, it just doesn't key in with all elements in the riddle."

"If that is true, then what brought your attention to it?"

"During my cross examination between Scnapp Labs and Delmore Industries," Conan replied. "After finding both had scheduled events for the same night I checked for any other planned activity within that time frame."

"And that's when you discovered the auction to be held at the art museum?"

"It didn't take long," Conan confirmed. "But I do have a question for you, why do the police believe Kelver Side Crafts is the place where the thief plans to make their mark?"

"Don't know," Heiji replied. "They chose to remain mum on that tonight, but said we'll be enlightened tomorrow."

"We've got less than forty eight hours to make the correct call, every minute is vital at this point."

"I know that just as well as you."

"Delmore Industries is having an open house for newly acquired products while the Futures Building is hosting their grand opening," Conan said. "As common as the two may seem, on a business stand point there's bound to be a denominator that separates the two."

"And figuring that should give us the answer we seek."

"I'll see what I can find."

"That's all I can ask."

"Not to direct the subject elsewhere, but have you spoken with Ran since the time you left?"

"Planned on doing so after catching the bus."

"What do you plan on saying when you get a hold of her?"

"I haven't put much thought into that, but don't worry," Heiji assured. "I'll keep it simple, just a couple of guys taking a tour around the world right?"

"Careful not to over shoot it."

"Think you'll be up in the next hour?"

"Why, do you plan on stopping by again?"

"Well of course," Heiji replied. "The sooner we crack this thing the more time we'll have to figure out what exactly they're after."

"I'll hold down the fort in the mean time."

"Good, I'll be there as soon as I can."

He lowered the phone from his ear, tucking it away into a secure area within his jacket. He then turned for the door, coming to find the room had nearly been emptied.

"That didn't take long, I suppose they all left to make preparations for where they think the heist is to take place."

He too made his way for the exit in those following seconds, not once turning back on his way out. Not many could be seen as he walked to the end of the block. He stopped once there, having a seat at the bench located right next to the bus stop. He sat there for minutes to come in wait of the bus.

All file work he had set out was dealt with just as planned, feeling a small sense of relief as he stepped up from where he sat. He shut the light off on his way out, entering the front room to find it darkened. The only flash of light cracking through the door of the book room. Unaware of who was inside he made a move toward the room, pulling the door aside to see him sitting at the table with his eyes glued to whatever was rested upon the table.

"You're still down here, I thought you'd be up in the room by now."

"Not quite yet," Conan said taking the time to look away from the material. "I guess I can be a bit of a night person myself, especially if there's work to be done."

"What is it you've got laid out?" Bruce asked moving in.

"All the evidence surrounding the riddles that have sparked a wide audience."

"And how has that been coming along?"

"We've got two possible locations and only two days left until the thief's planned grand finale."

"Sounds like progress to me."

"If you're not too busy, there's something I'd like to ask."

"What is it?"

He glanced back to the table, directing his focus to the second line of the riddle.

"the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ0-(-30) 105 accounted in (Y)," Conan read before looking back to him. "I believe that part of the riddle is profiling a location."

"And to what did you have in mind?"

"Don't know yet, but I've got an idea or two," Conan replied. "I have a feeling the zero is the center point of it all."

"Maybe."

"Is there a location throughout the city considered to be the mid or center point?"

"That would be the area in between the Gotham reservoir and Robinson Park," Bruce replied. "That area is widely considered to be the heart of the city in many peoples minds."

"That helps, though I may need to pull out the map for further reference."

"Why don't we stop there for a moment," Bruce said. "Tell me the names of both places where you think our unnamed thief plans to emerge?"

"Scnapp Labs and Delmore Industries."

"I know them both," Bruce said. "What lead you to this assumption?"

"As you know the episode that occurred at Starlest was nothing but a red herring," Conan began. "And after reading this line from the riddle, we took our searches to companies associated with Starlest."

He reached back down to the table, grabbing the riddle in question before handing it over for him to read.

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, at the Affair shall I appear."

He read over it for a second time before setting it aside.

"I agree, a plausible response to what was written."

"We didn't find anything on our first initial look, so we branched off even further which brought us to the second list of companies," Conan continued. "And out of the set both Delmore Industries and Scnapp Labs came to interest, both are holding events that are sure to attract a crowd."

"What is being held at Delmore Industries?"

"An annual event we came to find that is held every year."

He didn't say anything in response to to the news gained. He brought a hand to his chin as he took a step back in thought.

"Event.. grand finale, that must mean."

The door pushed open within that moment, causing both to turn to see who had entered.

"Oh, it's just the two of you," Alfred said. "Just checking to see if anyone was in here."

"And perfect timing," Bruce said. "I want you to call that representative back from the Futures Building, let them know I've accepted their invitation."

"Couldn't agree more on the decision."

"This visit will benefit us in more than one way."

"I'll make the call right away." Alfred said before stepping out of the room.

"Invitation?" Conan questioned.

"For their grand opening," Bruce informed. "I was asked if I could deliver a speech."

"So you knew about the event set to take place in two days?"

"Only at first was I hesitant on accepting, but now I've decided to make an appearance," Bruce said. "Because I now know that's where the thief plans to be."

"Wait," Conan questioned. "How can you be sure?"

"I'm familiar with the activities being held at Delmore Industries, since I've had the luxury of visiting myself," Bruce said. "Most of what they do is meant to attract the locals more than anyone else."

"And the Futures building?"

"It is their grand opening, and also the time to reveal the new technology they've been working on in the Scnapp Labs," Bruce replied. "Several from across the globe are expected to come for a first hand look."

"Ok, but that doesn't explain why the choice over.."

It all came to him within that moment, all details resurfacing with a clarity not seen before.

"It makes sense, the reason other police stations outside of Gotham received the latest riddle," Conan said. "It was to broadcast their big move to be made on the biggest stage this city has to offer."

"Exactly."

"As you said before, this event is expected to grab the attention of many across the nation," Conan said. "The distrubuted riddle in the latest case is directly linked with the expected turn out in guests."

"But why Gotham?" Bruce questioned not expecting an answer.

"Guess we'll have to catch this guy to find out the answer."

"How soon do you think you can get a hold of Heiji?"

"He's already on his way now."

"Good, we now have the location," Bruce said. "All that remains... the who and why."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 93

Full List

The demonstration had finally gone underway, starting with the slow deterioration of the walls that kept everything intact. It then escalated to the main drive, spreading its damages from one file to the next at an increasing rate. This lasted for a short time more, both looking on to see everything wiped clean right before their very eyes. Not a single file remained, nothing but an empty system.

"Excellent, it works better than I had imagined," Bruce commented. "And to think this is only the beta, which only shows flashes of its full potential."

"That's what it'll do to a hard drive with an average security wall." Tim said.

"And have you tested it against a formidable security system?"

"A system similar to my own, one created just for the occasion."

"And the result?"

"It took a timely two days to wipe the slate completely clean," Tim replied. "Which shows an adequate security wall can cause for a delay in its progress, the amount of files within a system can also alter the time."

"Is there anything this virus can't bypass?"

"Stumbles in the road have been recorded, but the Red Eye evolves as it migrates," Tim replied. "Nothing has been seen to completely contain it."

"What about an anti virus?"

"Already working on it."

"I'd like for you to launch another trial."

"What security level?"

"Clearance ten," Bruce replied. "That will tell us where we're at with this project."

"Taking it to the extreme I see."

"How long before you can have it all set up?"

"In the next three hours at most," Time replied. "Generating results of course will take time."

"Which is not a concern."

The door opened in that next second, causing the both to look over to see who had entered.

"I see you've begun testing."

"We were actually wrapping up for the time being," Tim said. "It'll take time for the next test to be set."

"And the first was a success?"

"Affirmative," Bruce replied. "The Red Eyed MB after entering the system showcased its flexibility in shutting down all systems, regardless of the conditions that were presented."

"And you plan on using this virus in the field?"

"If a situation calls for it, then yes," Bruce replied. "With the increase in technology having something like this at our disposal could prove useful."

"On another subject, I have some saddening news to bring," Alfred said. "Unfortunately young Mr. Collins of Nitro technologies has past."

"Mr. Collins the CEO?" Tim asked.

"Correction, his son." Alfred replied.

"What was the cause death?"

"Said to be a heart attack as of now."

"And how old was this guy?"

"Just turned twenty last week."

"What an age to be taken," Tim said. "Did he have any prior heart complications before hand?"

"I was told no upon asking."

"Think it could be related to the uproar in deaths involving the heart attacks?" Tim asked looking to Bruce.

"Only one way to find out," Bruce replied. "I'll have to see if we can get a hold of the file surrounding the details of his death, if there is a correlation between this and the other deaths we'll know by checking the brain."

"Might be our only way of finding out."

"I'll make the call." Bruce said reaching for his phone.

Conversation between the two remained to a distance as they paved the way along the road side. They had accomplished what they had set out to do, gathering needed information from both chosen facilities visited in the last hours. He looked over the sheet of data laying in his lap, memorizing anything of importance that came to mind.

"Six out of the eleven poisonus mushrooms found at Libits were lethal enough to cause next to fatal damage within a week, if absorbed by the body," Heiji thought. "The question now left to answer, what exactly was the victim given before their death."

He took a moment away from the wheel after reaching a street light, looking across to see he was hard in thought. Not wanting to disturb he decided to face forward, only a short time passing before the light reverted back to green. He pushed down to the pedal just in time to hear the sound of his voice from his side.

"How long do you think it will take for Mr. Jones to get this all analyzed?"

"It depends," Rick replied. "Let's hope he's down in the lab when we arrive, that way he can get this kick started right away."

"We're on a short leash of time as it is."

"So what's your final verdict on Libits," Rick asked. "Think we should return for a second visit?"

"If anything uncovered points that way."

"That Sal guy sure calls for suspicion, I got the feeling he was hiding something."

"I have to agree, but also the way he spoke," Heiji said. "Almost everything we asked was never directly answered."

"I know what you mean," Rick said. "His response to your question about his job at Libits is most evident."

"We won't worry about that too much," Heiji said. "After all, our objective is to find out what happened to the person who was found in the aftermath of that explosion, not to investigate Mr. Sal."

"Agreed," Rick said looking ahead once more. "Not much longer to go, we're nearly there."

He marched down from the upper floor, much still weighing down on his mind. There was no one to be seen upon reaching the bottom, the silence only reinforcing the emptiness that filled the area. Where everyone had gone was the first thing to come to mind.

"It seems like everyone around here is always out doing something."

A familiar sound found its way to his ear, turning to the right to see exactly where it was coming from. He followed the beep that continued, almost certain it was coming from the study. It was no surprise when he opened the door to see him sitting at the desk in front of a computer.

"I had no idea you were here," Conan said walking in. "I heard the alarm from the computer, what are you working on?"

"Setting up a system for a trial we're scheduled to run in a bit here."

"What kind of trial?"

"For a computer virus I've been constructing over the past year," Tim replied. "The Red Eyed MB."

"And why are you constructing a computer virus," Conan asked. "I don't see the reasoning in that."

"Accounting for anything that may come your way is key," Tim replied. "The meaning of this exercise is to give us an edge against those looking to hack or take over high security systems all together."

"Ok, makes sense," Conan said. "That the only reason?"

"And for studying purposes, as of now."

"So it's called the Red Eyed MB," Conan said. "Just curious as to what the MB stands for."

"Manipulating Boundaries," Tim replied. "A virus that continuously evolves, changing with every cross road that may stand in its way."

"Almost sounds like a common flu the way you put it," Conan said. "Always changing in its genetic form every wave in which it moves."

"Which also calls for an updated vaccine year after next."

"How dangerous is this Red Eyed MB," Conan asked. "Have you found away to contain it from spreading if by chance your system was infected?"

"Not yet, but progress is being made."

"Good luck with that."

"You're free to observe next trial, and who knows," Tim said. "You might find it interesting."

"Goanna have to pass," Conan declined. "I'd rather work on the riddles."

"Make any progress?"

"Was just looking to ask you the same."

"No, but something did come to mind," Tim replied. "It's only a hunch, but there could be some depth to it."

"I'm listening."

"We looked into all businesses associated with Starlest," Tim began. "But what if it's deeper than that, maybe we should branch off even further."

"Furthering our searches to the other companies," Conan said. "Maybe one of them is connected to the company named in the riddle."

"Simply put."

"What do you say we look into it now?"

"I'm busy with this," Tim smilingly said. "But that's why there's two of us."

"I had a feeling you'd say something to that degree." Conan said as his phone buzzed from below.

Without looking he reached down to grab it, bringing it to his eye to see the number displayed.

"Who is it?"

"A missed call." Conan replied.

"That's strange, I didn't hear your phone ring earlier," Tim said. "Who was it that called.

"Ran."

It was as quiet as any other time walking down that empty hall, finding their way past all security measures before finally arriving to the forensics lab. A strong odor came to their senses almost instantly, being alerted of the dead body laid out atop the table before sighting it.

"Welcome back," Harold said appearing from the right side. "You two have returned at a very convenient time."

"Hopefully that means you've got something for us."

"I followed up with the examination of the body found at the explosion site," Harold said. "Focusing paticularly on their dental."

"And?"

"I was able to get a match, the victim was listed in the database."

"Great," Heiji said. "So what's this guy's name?"

"She," Harold corrected. "The body discovered belonged to a woman by the name of Leian Foster."

"Any immediate relatives that can be contacted on the matter?"

"That has already been taken care of."

"Good," Rick said. "So what do we know about Leian, any criminal record?"

"Quite the opposite, she put in a lot for the community," Harold informed. "She even participated in a group created for collecting and donating canned goods on a weekly basis."

"Looks like we'll have to dig deep on this one."

"Maybe not," Heiji said. "Some times the surface isn't always what it appears, we should hold off on judgment until we've spoken with those who were closest to her."

"Up for another drive?"

"Sure, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves," Heiji said reaching into his jacket. "The samples, collected from our travels."

"You're right."

"What samples?" Harold asked.

He waited only moments before his question was answered, watching as two zip locked bags were pulled from from within his jacket.

"I gathered debris from both Living Green and Libits," Heiji informed. "When you've got the time could compare these samples gathered to what was found on Leian Fosters back side?"

"I'll get to it as soon as I'm finished here."

"Thanks." Heiji said handing him the two enclosed bags.

"I also purchased a set of mushrooms from Living Green," Rick informed. "I'll leave them on the counter for your convenience, maybe one of them will match what was found on the body."

"We can only hope."

"Time will tell," Rick said. "We better be on our way, contact me if you come across anything worth mentioning."

"As always detective Gates."

"Come Hattori, we've got some relatives to visit." Rick said turning for the door.

He followed from right behind, glimpsing back at the lab after walking out.

"We now have all that we could possibly need, let's just hope it leads to the results we're looking for."

The next hour had arrived with yet another call coming to his phone, deciding not to answer it before dropping it back down to his side.

"So let me get this straight, you think it'd be beneficial if I had a story lined up before calling back?"

"You disagree?"

"I don't see any reasoning to your claim."

"Your journey here is bound to spark many questions."

"Point taken, but I don't see the harm in telling her I flew out for a short visit."

"Too sudden," Tim said. "That could lead to unintended suspicion."

"You sure do have a talent for making things more difficult than they need to."

"I'd suggest correlating a story with Heiji before calling," Tim stated. "No way you can go wrong with that."

"I'm almost inclined to agree," Conan said checking the time. "It's six now, which would make it about seven in the morning there."

"When do you plan on calling?"

"As soon as I get this all situated, which should be in the next hour or so," Conan replied. "Which is also about the same time of her morning jog."

"That's more than enough time, being that Heiji's already on his way here," Tim informed. "I received a message from him a short time ago."

"Where's he coming from?"

"Returning from a trip he and detective Gates went out on."

"No doubt something dealing with the body found at the explosion site."

"Heard you got a peak of the body yourself while visiting the GCPD Lab," Tim said. "How did that go?"

"Let's just say they were more than surprised to see me," Conan replied. "Speaking of cases, what's the update on that woman?"

"No luck at all, she never returned to that cavern," Tim replied. "Her current whereabouts are next to none."

"That's only one of three that have gone cold," Conan said. "We're still in relatively good position considering."

"Don't you mean four," Tim corrected. "There's still that loose cannon of a gunman we've yet to apprehend."

"Don't you find it odd, the shooter has not made a move in the last few days," Conan said. "Think their spree has come to an end?"

"No way of telling for sure," Tim replied. "They could still be on the move, only on more discreet terms."

"Maybe," Conan said. "But that wouldn't explain the dramatic change in form if they were truly keeping it under the radar, in both incidents all bodies were found in the public where they could easily be discovered."

"Fair point."

"I think it's time we moved in on this from another angle."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Instead of focusing in on what he did do, why don't we direct our investigation to what he didn't." Conan suggested. "Starting with the weapons."

"Those were intentionally left behind, probably to elude us deeper into a scheme set in place," Tim said. "Which would fall under the category of what was done."

"Agreed."

"Establishing what was intentional and what wasn't will be difficult to figure."

"You're right," Conan said. "Since all incidents happened out in the open, time had to be a high priority."

"Which would include potentially being spotted."

"We've got the weapons used, location, and the time of day," Conan said. "Yet no cause."

"And the only thing they seemingly didn't do was."

"Leave any hint to the why." Conan finished.

The two then turned at the sudden sound of the door, looking to see they had been joined.

"I just received information on Mr. Collins medical history," Bruce said walking toward them. "Turns out he had no prior heart problems."

"Sounds like one of ours."

"I put in a request to get an x-ray of the brain which his father agreed to, we should have the results back soon enough."

"And what did he make of your request?"

"I told him it was strictly for researching purposes," Bruce replied. "So naturally he accepted."

"Any other reported heart attacks in the past day?" Conan asked.

"Not someone of high profile," Bruce replied. "But we're keeping tabs as they come in, we should have a wide scale update in the next hour."

"This only continues to escalate, and all nations have experienced a loss over it," Tim said. "The cause must be wide spread, maybe even an unnatural virus of some kind."

"I don't think so."

"If not a virus, then what?"

"Something being distrubuted, maybe not appearing to be harmful at first glance."

"Are you suggesting a product of some kind?" Tim asked.

"A possibility, yes."

"If that is true, that would raise an important question," Conan thought. "Could someone intentionally be causing this outbreak?"

"I'll be upstairs if needed, there's a call I need to make," Bruce said turning for the door only to come to a quick stop. "Oh, and give this to Heiji when he gets in."

He reached down to his side, pulling out a small sheet of paper.

"When he gets in," Conan questioned. "Has he already arrived?"

"They're just now pulling in past the gate." Bruce replied before exiting the room.

"I didn't hear anything."

"Don't mind it, he's got really good ears," Tim said heading for the door as well. "What do you say we go and greet them?"

"Anything to get out of this room, even if it is only for a minute."

He followed from close behind as the two made their way through the main room all the way to the front door. They stepped out just as the car came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, watching as the passenger door slid open in the seconds that followed.

"How'd the trip across town go," Tim asked. "Gain any insight?"

"Hopefully so," Heiji replied with the close of the car door. "I left some collected samples at the lab to be tested."

"Samples for what?" Tim asked on their descension down the stairs.

"I collected debris samples from both Living Green and Libits," Heiji informed. "Two facilities that could be where our mystery victim took their last breaths before being stashed away."

"Anything else?"

"That's pretty much it in a days wrap," Heiji replied. "Didn't quite get around to anything else, though it's all been on my mind."

"Happens all the time."

"And what of you, any luck with any of the cases."

"Been busy working on an outside assignment."

"Some virus," Conan added. "What they're calling the Red Eyed MB."

"I heard you mention that before," Heiji said. "What purpose does this project serve?"

"Only time will tell, but we have work to do," Tim replied reaching into his pocket. "Here, Bruce asked for me to give this to you."

"What is it?" Heiji asked accepting the slip of paper.

"No idea."

He unrolled the folded slip of paper, finding a small list of names sitting in place.

"This saves me the trouble," Heiji said more than pleased. "I had planned on looking into this tonight."

"What is it?" Conan asked.

"A full web of companies associated with Starlest," Heiji replied. "Branched from its main partners within the circle."

"One of them has to be the chosen site referred to in the riddles," Conan said. "Now's the time we compare notes with each and every location."

"I don't believe it." Heiji said sighting it as he went down the names.

"What is it?"

"Libits," Heiji replied. "It's one of twelve companies listed."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 92

The Drain

They drove for several blocks more. The increase in traffic could clearly be seen as it picked up with each passing minute. The lot was empty upon their arrival, quite the opposite of what it had been on their previous visit. He found an empty space near the front entrance before locking it all down

"And here we are." Rick said with the detachment of his seat belt.

"There's no other vehicles here besides us," Heiji said. "You're sure there's someone waiting inside for us?"

"They probably parked around back somewhere," Rick said unlocking the door to his side. "Come on, the sooner we handle business here the sooner we can head to the next location."

Not wanting to cause a further delay he did the same in response.

"What a clear view it is," Rick said looking up at the sky after exiting. "It's looking to be another good one."

"It appeares that way." Heiji said being the first of the two to head toward the front doors.

He observed a display of life sized statues beside the building wall as he walked, something he hadn't seen on their last visit.

"They've clearly brought in new merchandise," Heiji thought. "If this is truly the place where our first victim was killed, one can only hope the scene hasn't been too altered since then."

They closed in on the entrance with each step taken, both caught by surprise with the open of the doors before reaching it.

"You must be Mrs. Baker," Rick greeted. "We spoke over the phone, if I'm correct."

"Detective Gates?"

"One and only around here."

"Then you've come to the right place," She said with a welcoming smile. "I had no idea the two of you would arrive so soon after contact."

"I was already on the road when I called," Rick informed. "I thought it'd be best if we handled this matter before opening hours."

"I can't disagree with that," Mrs. Baker said in agreement. "Right this way, I'll take you to where our mushroom samples are held."

"Jumping right on in I see." Rick said following after her.

He trailed from behind, having a good idea on where they were headed from the last time they had come.

"Mrs. Baker," Heiji spoke out. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ann, call me Ann."

"Alright then, Ann," Heiji said. "About the mushrooms here at Living Green, what type are they?"

"Well let's see," Ann said giving it some thought. "We carry high quantities of cremmini, morels, enokitake, and even have a sustainable amount of maitake's."

"Poisonous," Heiji said shortening the field. "Are any of the mushrooms in stock here poisonous?"

"Not at all," Ann replied. "All mushrooms sold here are edible and non harmful."

"That's all I needed to know."

They continued to walk along the left wall, which lead them to the back corner where a large steel door could be found.

"Is this the door we were told leads to the outside facility?" Rick asked.

"You guessed right."

"You first." Rick said opening the door.

They looked directly ahead to see a smaller structure surrounded by several yards of empty land. The growing products were very apparent at first glance, from the bushes nearby to the tall trees afar.

"And are we to assume that is where the mushrooms are held?" Rick asked.

"Some, but most of it grown throughout the fields," Ann pointed. "We have added business with our export of certain products."

"Why don't we start with the out house." Rick suggested.

"Your call," Ann said. "Right this way."

She lead him across the field to where the smaller structure was located, fiddling with a set of keys as they neared.

"Here we are." Ann said grabbing hold of the correct one.

"That's quite a bit of keys you have there," Rick commented. "Are they all used for this facility?"

"Partially," Ann replied. "Between here and the other Living Green facility."

"Another Living Green," Rick questioned. "I thought this to be the only one."

"The other is only about a seven mile drive from here." Ann informed with the turn of the key.

She unlocked the door, allowing for him to walk in. The glass cieling from above made for a clear view of all contents throughout the room. He cited many different materials stocked on each side, scouring the room from one end to the other with the rotation of his head.

"I don't see them," Rick declared turning back to face her. "Where do you usually stall the mushrooms?"

"There, in the far right corner," Ann pointed. "I'll show you to them."

"Right after you."

It was then that he noticed, looking behind to see he was nowhere to be found.

"No sign of Hattori," Rick thought to himself. "I wonder what could have caused his sudden disappearance."

He then looked ahead, carefully stepping around a vase of flowers as they headed deeper into the room. They reached the back corner shortly there after, arriving to come upon a large shelf filled with merchandise of many brands.

"Here they are," Ann said. "The mushrooms we have in stock are on the bottom shelf."

"I really appreciate this." Rick said taking to a knee.

"And what of your other friend," Ann said looking around. "It appearers he's taken off."

"I'm sure it's something of importance," Rick said. "He's usually not one to walk off without saying something first."

He laid his eyes to the different packaged mushrooms, grabbing a dose of each before standing back to his feet.

"This should about do it," Rick said keeping a grasp to each. "If you don't mind I'd like to purchase these."

"Your intent is well understood." Ann said turning back to where they had come.

"Every lead will be checked, speaking of which," Rick said. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about the other facility close to here?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Do they carry a sum of mushrooms as they do here?"

"Since a large portion of what we put on the shelves comes from the fields here, all mushrooms found there would have been here at some point or another," Ann replied. "That's not to say we don't mange business overseas."

"And this other facility doesn't have a field of its own to output sales?"

"Afraid not," Ann replied. "This here is the heart of all production."

They arrived back to the door they had entered through shortly after. It was then that he saw him standing in the distance out in the field, seeing an enclosed ziplock bag in his hand.

"What's he doing out there?"

What he had stashed away inside was another mystery in itself. He could hear the lock of the door from behind, turning just in time to have her rejoin his side.

"I see you've spotted your friend," Ann said. "It seems something has caught his attention."

"That might explain why he didn't follow us in."

"Any idea what it could be?"

"Only one way to find out."

Before either knew it he was trotting back into their direction, a look of a satisfacation more than apparent.

"What were you doing over there?" Rick called out as he neared.

Nothing was said in return, only coming to a stop after reaching the two.

"What's that you've got your arms wrapped around?" Heiji asked taking note of the packaged items in his possession.

"Mushrooms that were located in the out house here," Rick pointed. "I'm going to run these back to the lab to have Harold take a look, that way we can have him compare the mushroom residue found on the body in comparison with these."

"And you belive whatever happened might have taken place here?" Ann asked.

"Like I said, we're checking all possibilities." Rick replied.

"Here, why don't you let me take take a load off," Ann said reaching for the sealed packages. "I'll go ahead and ring these up for you at the counter."

"Thanks, that would be great." Rick said handing them over.

She took lead once again as the three headed back for the main building. The sound of several vehicles roaring past from the other side fell clear to their ears as they moved on. He couldn't help but look down at the bag still in his hand, more than curious to know what was inside.

"Is something wrong?" Heiji asked after noticing this.

"What do you have locked away inside there," Rick asked. "Does it have something to do with what you were just doing?"

"Just a little something for Mr. Jones to examine," Heiji replied. "Let's not forget there were other compounds found on the victims backside besides mushroom residue, such as minerals found in dirt."

"Good point," Rick said. "So you gathered some samples from the field?"

"Not just any plain old samples," Heiji confirmed. "But that from the vicinity of where mushrooms were present."

"Nice going," Rick complimented. "That's not something that didn't cross my mind."

"That's why we're here to help one another."

"No way can we go wrong there." Rick said as they came upon the door.

They made their way back in shortly there after, with the snapping close of the door from behind.

"Making minimal progress is better than none, but we still have one more stop to take before heading back to the lab," Heiji thought. "Libits, the only other known location to have mushroom production in this city."

The collaboration between the two was next to none, both keeping to themselves while working over the riddles. He had been at this since the moment he'd awoken, feeling they were no further along than the previous day.

"We've checked all companies associated with Starlest, but none are hosting or involved with anything that the riddle could be referring to," Conan thought to himself. "It might be in our best interest to look at this whole thing from another perspective."

He kept that in mind as he moved forward with his analysis.

(X) the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see."

Feeling the need to crack the code was now greater than before, knowing the time to do so was gradually slipping away. It seemed with each passing minute the temperature pushed to new heights, feeling the drain of his focus fall south as he leaned back in the chair.

"Why are things so heated all of a sudden... I feel like I've just stepped out from a running lane."

A skid of sweat slouched down the back side of his neck, following with a sudden exhaustion that sprang throughout.

"That's what happens when you spend all night working on a single matter such as this." Damian said from his position on the other side of the table.

"I got six hours of sleep," Conan said in response. "I hardly see that as a large lack of rest."

"Or maybe it's the fact you've spent too much time on this," Damian said. "Why don't you take a back seat and let me take over for a couple of hours."

"Can I ask you something?"

"About?"

"This case, what is your interest in it?"

"Does that even require a response?"

"From the time this incident became known to us you didn't show any interest in it," Conan said. "Let alone any detective work since I arrived, why the sudden change?"

"Maybe because I'm tired of this night show running free," Damian said stepping down from his seat. "And make no mistake, the plug to their little operation is soon to be discharged."

Nothing further needed to be said in his mind, keeping his sights set forward as he made his way for the door. This left him alone, feeling the silence that seemed to be looming large.. patiently waiting to be revealed.

"He seems determined.. but determination doesn't equal cause," Conan thought. "There must be a reason for his shift involving the matter, then again.. I could be wrong."

He brushed off what had just conspired in the wake of it all, knowing his importance lied with decoding the true message of the riddles.

They cruised along the road at normal speeds, feeling their findings would have them in position to solving where it all had occurred. He stashed the sealed bag into the depths of his jacket before pulling out another that resembled it in comparison.

"I see you have another zip lock bag," Rick said. "Planning on collecting another sample?"

"That's the plan," Heiji replied. "So tell me, what do you know about this Libits?"

"Not much, haven't been there myself," Rick replied. "Though unlike Living Green, Libits is a researches based company."

"Research huh, what kind of research?"

"In the medical field," Rick answered. "That's about as much as I know regarding the matter."

"Guess we'll find out the full story when we arrive."

"Which won't take long," Rick said as a structure located at the end of the block slowly came into view. "We're here."

"That didn't take long at all."

"That's due to the short cut we took, I know these parts inside out like the contents in the rule book."

"What rule book."

"That's a story for another time."

They reached the front of the building soon after, driving in to find a much smaller parking lot than the one they had previously visited. The two stepped out of the car once parked, looking ahead to see a well aged structure standing in the wait. The derailment of the paint surrounding the walls was most evident. Once a bright white, only now milked down to a damp brown from erosion that occurred over time. They finally began their path toward the front entrance after a short time of observing the place. It didn't take long for either to notice an electric sign pinned against the right wall as they walked, glimpsing up as it sparked a small current of electricity from its field.

"Libits," Rick said reading the sign. "This is defiantly the place."

"What a difference this is from the last site we visited."

"That's an understatement."

They reached the door soon after. It showed ware just as the rest of the building. The handle was rough and rigid, listening to the whispers that cracked free as he pulled the door open. They stared into a dark room, what to do next was unclear to both.

"Think we should come back," Rick questioned. "Doesn't look like anyone is here."

"Yet the door is unlocked," Heiji said. "Someone must be here."

He stepped in with nothing further said. The window aside the door was the only source that allowed for a lighted path into the room. He followed the strand of light to the left side which brought him to a desk. It took moments for his eyes to adjust to what was laid out across the table, which turned out to be a; pile of papers, jar of pens, and what appeared to be a mini bell.

"Hey, what do you say we come back," Rick said restating his claim. "I really don't think anyone is here, that or they're not open for business at this given time."

"It might appear that way, but why don't I give this a try first."

"Give what a try?"

It was too dark for him to see what he was reaching for, only hearing the sound of a bell ring to his ears in the following seconds.

"You're not serious are you?"

"Hey, maybe this is the method used by customers for service." Heiji said placing the bell back onto the desk.

Nothing happened in the moments that passed.

"Maybe you're right, it doesn't appear anyone is currently here."

"We could take what we have back to the lab, and then drive back in about an hour." Rick suggested.

"I don't see the problem in that." Heiji said looking back his way.

Just as the two were to leave a faint light came to view, carrying through the hall from behind the desk.

"Looks like we spoke too soon." Heiji said.

The sound of someone pacing in their direction could clearly be made out. The light that fumed throughout brightened with each second that past.

"That's strange, are they carrying a flash light of some kind?"

His suspicions were soon answered with the appearance of a man from the back room who held a lit lantern in hand. He flashed his eyes from the fogged glasses, studying each with a quick glance. The only thing to be made out was the dusted top hat upon his head, along with the rugged sweater he wore.

"Who are you people?"

"I was prompted to ask you the same," Rick said in response. "Are you an employee here?"

"One of four, yes." He replied resting the lantern to the desk. "And who might you folks be?"

"We're investigating a murder," Rick said holding out his ID. "Detectives."

"I see," He said with a pause. "And how is it that I may be of assistance to you.. detective?"

The way he spoke raised an alert, giving both a shady impression.

"Your name would be a start."

"Sal," He replied. "You can call me Sal."

"Don't know if you have a thing for lanterns," Heiji remarked. "But what's with the electricity in this place, don't you have any lights?"

"Very few," Sal replied. "A lot of the specimens we're working with are very reactive to lighted areas."

"Specimens?"

"You mentioned you were here in regards to a murder," Sal said. "What relation does that have with Libits?"

"We were told you have access to a margin of mushrooms, is that true?" Rick asked.

"Several," Sal confirmed. "Is there a type in particular you had in mind?"

"Undetermined at this time," Heiji replied. "But if you would be so kind to take us to where you keep them, that would be most appreciated."

"Is there an option?"

"Either that, or we can go and fetch a warrant if you'd prefer." Rick said in response.

"That won't be necessary," Sal said reaching back for the lantern. "I have nothing to hide, but please do tell me what this is all about."

"And we will, but first lead us to where the mushrooms are stalled."

"Of course," Sal replied signaling for the two of them to walk around the desk. "Watch your step, I've got some.. accessories sitting around."

"Thanks for the heads up." Rick said doing as told.

"Which direction to the spot?" Heiji asked.

"We take a left."

They stepped around the desk, following his every move from there. Laying next to one another near the wall was a set of boxes. They made sure not to touch anything, carefully making their way around all contents that sat on the ground. The hall they entered was darker than the room they had left, only the light of the lantern providing for visibility.

"So there's no lights for even the non working areas." Rick asked as they continued on.

"There are a few exceptions."

"You said a lot of the subjects you're working with take an affect to light," Heiji said. "What kind of specimens did you mean?"

"That all depends on the complexity of your question."

"What do you mean?"

"Are we talking plants, or animals?"

"So this is basically a holding facility for the night life?" Rick questioned

"I wouldn't necessarily put it that way," Sal replied. "It just so happens that a majority of our subjects in testing are in favor of the dark."

"We were told this was a medical researchers facility," Rick said. "What exactly is being researched here?"

"Depends on who you ask," Sal replied. "The four of us are all focused in on our own outline of work."

"Sounds like a lot to handle, wouldn't it be easier if you all focused in on one goal at a time?"

"We're all experienced in this line of work, we can bare the weight of our own assignments," Sal replied. "Of course collaboration is immanent in certain situations."

They followed him for a little over a minute which brought them to a closed off door with a large lock hanging from the door.

"Here we are."

He reached down for a stash of keys hanging from the side of his belt, almost instantly sighting the correct one. He took little time in unlocking the door, stepping off to the side after doing so.

"Do you usually keep all rooms locked at this place?"

"Only when the danger level exceeds that of level three," Sal replied. "A system we've set up here at Libits."

"And what percentage of the rooms do you have on high alert?"

"Six, including this one."

"That's quite a bit if," Heiji said. "Especially for a public place like this."

"We rarely ever have the luxury of having a visitor, let alone two," Sal said clamping the keys back into place. "Your presence here today marks the fifth visitor we've had in the past seven months."

"You're not serious?" Rick asked.

"Besides us who work here, only those who have interest in our progress care to drop in occasionally."

"Progress..?"

"Anything we should know before entering?" Rick asked.

"I'd advice not to touch anything, at least not before checking with me first," Sal replied. "A majority of what is behind these doors can cause harm."

"So what are we waiting for, I'm ready to see what's inside."

"As you wish."

He reached for the handle, pulling the door open which allowed them to peak inside. It was nearly pitch dark, but something could be seen from the tips of their eyes, something sitting deep within the room. Neither could tell what it was at first glance, casually moving in to get a closer look.

"What is that back there," Rick asked. "It looks as if something is lighting up."

"You said you wanted to see the mushrooms, correct?"

"You don't mean?"

"Mycena chlorophos, one of the few types of mushrooms that have the capability to glow." Sal said stepping into the dark room.

He reached to his left, pushing upward on a switch to flash on the dimmest of lights. What they saw left them in a bit of a surprise. Rather than coming to find a room compiled with common lab materials, they looked on to see what appeared to be an inside garden of sorts. The ground was nothing but grass, surrounded by the several plants on each side of the room. Small amounts of water found its way down the right wall from a pipe above, scaling in velocity on its descension downward.

"Come, and be sure to step only to the stones." Sal said looking back to the two before advancing further.

He shut off the lantern in the moments that followed, leaving only the shallow lighting from above the only means for a clear path throughout the room.. They did as instructed, following the stones set in place. He took note of anything that came to sight, from the layout of the room to everything that clothed it. The most notable that came to view was the mushrooms, accounting for at least six different brands sprouting from the grounds. He finally came to a halt after reaching the center of the room, a grin dropping to his face as he turned to face the two.

"Well, I'm not sure what you're hoping to find but this is it."

"These mushrooms," Heiji said. "Are any of them poisonous?"

"A few of them are, yes," Sal replied. "We have Amanitas for example, which all contain amanitin."

"Amanitin..," Rick said giving it a seconds thought. "I've heard of that somewhere."

"Amanitin is an extremely poisonus amatoxin," Heiji informed. "One which can be found throughout nature in many places."

"Very good detective, I see you're familiar with the material." Sal commented.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like a list of all the mushrooms that have poisonus roots."

"I'll see to it," Sal said in compliance. "Give me a moment to go and fetch you a copy of the data list."

"I'd really appreciate that, thanks."

"I'd advice for the both of you to stay put in my brief absence, we wouldn't want for an unplanned.. accident now would we?"

"You have our word we won't move until your return."

"I'll be no more than a minute."

The lights above flickered as he made his way out, both holding true to their word as they waited in place.

"So what do you think?" Rick asked after Sal fell out of view.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think this could be the place where our mystery victim engaged in the scuffle before their death," Rick asked. "After all, there's plenty of mushrooms and dirt surrounding this room that could account for the residue found on the victims back side."

"I've already sealed samples away collected from this room," Heiji informed. "It'll be up to Mr. Jones to make a diagnosis of what has been collected from both scenes to draw a conclusion."

"One thing that I thought I should point out," Rick said looking to the right. "The walls are built of brick in this room, yet different in the rest of the building."

"They're steel enforced."

"How do you know that?"

"If you look to the pipeline you'll see a clear path leading to the inner wall, or second layer of it."

"Nice find, I guess that puts that suspicion to rest."

"It's not the walls I'm concerned with," Heiji said. "If there's anything to worry about, it's our tour guide."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

"It's not just Sal that leaves me deeply disgruntled," Heiji thought to himself. "This place... there's just something about it that doesn't quite feel right, but what?"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 91

Breaking It Down

The tune from above struck in response to the hand moving once more, signaling the arrival of the next hour. He looked up to the clock to see it was now five, knowing he didn't have long until the chosen time was to arrive in a short time.

"Hate to cut it short but it's about time I headed out."

"Where are you going," Heiji asked. "I thought you were in on this one."

"And I'll let you know if anything comes to mind while on my travels," Tim said. "But right now I have to return to that cavern in the city, if that woman shows up I'd hate not to be there to greet her."

"Hopefully all goes well, it's about time we caught this woman in her tracks," Conan said. "In the mean time the two of us will handle this."

"Good, then I'll be going," Tim said turning for the door. "If either of you unravel a location of interest wait for my return before making any moves, we need to be as careful as possible with this."

"We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then we're all clear," Tim said. "Keep your phones close, I'll call with any updates on the situation."

"And if we find anything," Heiji questioned. "Would you like us to call."

"I might not respond depending on the situation," Tim replied. "In that case take your findings to Bruce."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Good to know we're all on the same page." Tim said continuing on.

They stood aside which allowed him to make his way to the other side.

"I probably should have informed him about that Steve Matthews I was alerted about while visiting Living Green," Heiji thought. "But then again.. I didn't exactly learn anything, chances are he finds her tonight, leaving that whole scenario irrelevant."

He quickly refocused himself back to the task at hand, looking down to his side to see Conan closely reading through the riddle once again.

"From your expression I'd say you're onto something."

"Maybe," Conan said in response. "These numbers, there's something about them."

"Yea, I noticed that as well," Heiji said. "Coupled in with the x and y, it does seem to pertain to a hidden location."

"Or a broader area," Conan added. "0, -30, and 105 can all be found on a map of the earth drawn out in a longitude form."

"That did cross my mind," Heiji said. "But wouldn't that be a little too wide spread, it's obvious this person is focusing in on a particular area."

"But they've spread their message," Conan reminded. "Let's remember this isn't the only city to receive the riddle."

"You're right."

"But let's not let that blind us to the sought out prize," Conan stated. "The vocal point is defiantly here in Gotham, after all this is where it all began."

"And it's our job to find out the who and why."

"Let's take it a step back," Conan said reverting back. "We have two parts of the first riddle figured, 'a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)' and 'i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins'."

"They both happen to be the first part of the riddle for each separate sequence."

"Then we have the follow up in each," Conan continued. "..'superior to my the Deceiver' and 'at the Affair shall I appear'."

"I've given both some thought, and have a good feeling neither has yet to occur," Heiji said. "If what I believe is true, those parts of the riddle are referring to what will happen the day or night of the planned heist."

"Which then leaves us with this most recent riddle."

"Let's not forget, we still haven't accounted for the '1' inclosed in between the two brackets right after 'a misdirection Red'."

"That's something that can easily be over looked," Conan said. "It's always the subtle points that hold the deepest meaning."

"It's referring to one of two things, either a reference to the location of where they plan to hit or something about them in particular," Heiji said. "All riddles up to this point have showcased these elements."

"That's a good analogy, but let's be sure to keep our minds open to anything," Conan said. "A curveball could be handed to us at anytime."

"Which wouldn't be surprising," Heiji said. "The thief in question seems to have a nag for deception, yet another theme within the riddles."

"There's still no telling when the thief will launch their spectacle for all to see," Conan thought. "Which just means we'll have to pick it up on our search."

"With all the thought we've put into the riddle involving the Lambda, we've almost neglected to talk about the first part of the riddle."

"the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present," Conan read. "for the Diamonds eye is for all to see."

"The second line fits the criteria for all the riddles we've dealt with up to this point," Heiji said. "But there's something about that first arrangement of words, it doesn't quite seem to fit in."

"Past and present are the key words," Conan said signaling them out. "So in the since we're dealing with time and distance."

"In some twisted form."

"No one ever said this was going to be easy."

"And from your expression I'd say you're taking a delight to that." Heiji commented.

"One thing still doesn't add up," Conan said looking up from the sheet. "How did the thief get all of those riddles distrubuted around from city to city, let alone have them all discovered at the same time?"

"That's a really good question," Heiji said. "Another thing to think about is the acceleration in their agenda."

"What do you mean?"

"Starlest wasn't the first company to be targeted in the past two months like I said before," Heiji reminded. "In each case after one riddle was discovered at a facility another wouldn't appear for at least another week."

"But with this last, only a matter of days," Conan said. "Their trend has defiantly picked up speed."

"This whole thing started off with some no named small shop as the first target, then escalated to a common convience store throughout the city," Heiji said. "Their trend is quite obvious at this point."

"Moving right up the ladder," Conan said catching on. "And it appears they're closing in on their ultimate target."

"Through all of these phrases and messages there seems to be one key element absent in each," Heiji said. "What is it they're after, or want for that matter?"

"Maybe it's not what they're after per say.. but rather" Conan said with a pause. "What they have to gain."

"You know, you might just be on to something," Heiji said. "That would explain the lack of any known motive."

A distant surge of energy erupted from within, sending an impulse of proportions throughout. He reached for his chest, feeling the staggering pain from the other end.

"Kudo," Heiji said taking notice of this. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Conan assured lowering his hand back to his side. "It's nothing to worry about."

"I wouldn't hold off on that, I think you'd better go in and see a doctor," Heiji suggested. "Have you experienced any other complications since coming here?"

"I'm fine, I promise," Conan said. "What matters right now is to solve this riddle, we have to."

"Alright.. so we've got a list of numbers from the most recent riddle, and the known companies associated with Starlest," Heiji said. "Between the two I believe lies our answer to where our thief will launch their finale."

"Good analysis," Conan agreed. "Now comes the part where we piece this whole thing into clarity."

"Starting with familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the city."

"Key points or popular features should be a main focus," Conan added. "It's possible the numbers could also be referring to an important structure."

"I had the same thing in mind." Heiji said. "Now, how do you propose we gather all of this information?"

"We could use the internet," Conan answered. "But with a database of limitless information in our corner, I'd say that'd be even better."

"What database?"

"The Library of course."

The hours quietly drifted along, bringing a clear sky in the wake of the night. There was little disturbance from where he sat, continuing to monitor the screen in front of him. Occasionally someone appeared as they passed by. He also keyed in on all sounds fed back to him.

"It's almost here, this is what it has all mounted to... from the day upon my arrival."

Through the darkness of the room a door cracked, listening to the sound of someone approaching from behind. He wasn't startled in the least, fully aware of who had come to his services.

"I wish not to disturb you, only to have a check in on the progress."

"We're set, on all fronts."

"And the subject?"

"Not to worry, he'll most certainly be there... they'll all be there."

"As anticipated."

"Only one final phase remains.. then the true test will begin."

The room was silent, which it had been for several minutes. There was a feel of distance and uncertainty, though the voice continued to play back in his mind.

"The devil dances, till dawns beginning."

This laid within the presence of his conscious. He knew so little about him, yet there was a level of something common. He took to the computer, bringing up the faint image of the man he had crossed on that night. There was nothing to gain, but he still felt the need to do so.

"No known name or alias," Bruce thought. "Who are you?"

They stayed hard at work from the other room, checking for anything that registered to them as a possible sight of interest.

"I've circled all local parks, big named facilities, and even the bridges," Heiji informed with the look over his shoulder. "What is that you're reading there?"

"Digging further into the city's history," Conan replied. "The answers we seek may lie within the past rather than in the present."

"There may be some truth to that, let me know what you find."

"Annotating as I go along." Conan said adding another line of notes to the sheet of paper.

It was then that his phone sitting across the table began to buzz, ejecting him from his searches for the time being. He reached across, wondering who could be trying to contact him at this hour. He brought the phone to his sights, not surprised at the incoming call.

"I've been expecting to hear from you doc," Conan said. "I wanted to thank you for sending the accessories I asked for."

"I wouldn't have had it any other way, I'm sorry for the delay it took for me to respond."

"No worries," Conan assured. "I'm fully aware of the time difference between us."

"I appreciate the thanks, but what about you?" Hiroshi asked.

"I'm coping along just fine," Conan replied dropping down from where he sat. "Enjoying myself even."

"That's good to know."

"Do you have any updates for me on the matter we discussed before my departure?"

"No, there has been no sign of him," Hiroshi replied. "I even past by the agency yesterday to take a look for further measures."

"Still laying it low I see."

"You'll be the first to know if any of that changes."

"I appreciate that," Conan commented. "Next time the others are around, be sure to give them my best."

"As always," Hiroshi said. "Hope to hear from you soon."

"I'll be in contact."

He hung up with the close of the phone all in one motion, wasting no time in heading back to his position to pick up where he had left off. Nothing was said for the first moments, simply looking across to see him skimming through the materials laid out in front of him.

"Who was that you were just speaking with?"

He put a hold to things once again to give him his attention.

"That was Agasa," Conan replied. "It was merely him checking up on me."

"I figured that much," Heiji said. "But I heard you mention some kind of disturbance, is there something I should know about?"

"So you heard."."

"Is everything ok?"

"I can't tell you to be honest," Conan replied. "Just someone we've been keeping a look out for."

"Some kind of stalker?"

"That could be one way to put," Conan confirmed. "But he's only made two appearances, so any label at this point isn't set in stone."

"Where and when exactly did you see this guy?"

"The first was across from the detective agency, which was months ago," Conan replied. "I saw him talking with Kogoro, they were obviously discussing something business related."

"And that's what lead to your suspicions?"

"It had more to do with the way they talked," Conan clarified."Of course they were open with one another, but everything seemed so discreet."

"And you're expecting this guy to make some kind of return?"

"That's what we're anticipating, but not in the case of that," Conan said. "Which leads into the second time I came across him, a day or two after seeing him the first time."

"And where did that happen to be?"

"At some pre-opening event we were attending for a company," Conan informed. "He was sitting towards the back of the room in the final row, and since I recognized him I decided to go and investigate."

"Were you able to find out what he was doing there?"

"Not fully, but did pick up some small details here and there from a device I planted under the table," Conan replied. "He was talking with someone over the phone about some.. project, I still have the recording saved away if you'd like to hear it for yourself."

"At any point did you catch the name of the man in question?"

"No, but I did gain that of one of his acquaintances," Conan said. "...Valden, if I'm not mistaken."

"Which is most certainly a code name."

"That's what I made of it."

"And you believe this project they spoke of some how relates to Mouri?"

"It wasn't him he had his eye on that night," Conan said. "It was Haibara he had his sights set on."

"And you're sure of this?"

"He was looking directly at the table, it had to have been her."

"Am I to assume this has something to do with that organization?" Heiji asked.

"Not this time around," Conan said. "From the way they spoke, it seemed as if they wanted her for something rather than to cause any harm."

"That clears out a few scenarios from the equation," Heiji said. "And this mystery man has yet to follow up with anything talked about on that night?"

"That's been the story," Conan confirmed. "But we're staying alert."

"I'd like to hear that recording whenever you get the chance," Heiji said. "I'd like to evaluate it myself."

"An evaluation of what?"

The two of them turned at the sound of his voice.

"Well if it isn't my favorite little sword expert,." Heiji commented upon seeing him aside the door. "Talk about a stealthy entrance, how long have you been standing there for?"

"Not long at all," Damian replied walking their way. "I've only come to fish from you any information you may have gained on the matter at hand."

"And you plan on catching this thief yourself?"

"If that's what it comes down to, I'll see to it that I'm successful."

"What a delusionist." Conan faintly muttered.

"So are you going to fill me in or what?"

"That all depends," Heiji said. "How much do you know thus far?"

"Very little, which is the only reason I've come to you for insight," Damian replied. "Now if you would, the sooner I'm caught up, the sooner we can sketch out a plan of counter."

"Alrighty then," Heiji said. "What do you say we start from the ground up?"

"I'd prefer to see the riddles for myself, anything further can be discussed after I've made my analogy."

"Your call." Heiji said reaching into his jacket.

"I can't believe we're actually collaborating with him, especially one with a stretched ego such as his."

He sat in place for the next moments in silence, watching as Damian laid his eyes to the riddles presented before him.

"I don't get it, he showed no signs of interest in the case prior to now," Conan thought. "Why the sudden change... could he possibly be up to something?"

He finally found it in himself to regain focus, looking back to the books stacked out in front of him.

"Each degree in the form of longitude is sub divided into sixty minutes, with each accounting for sixty seconds."

He tapped the pencil to the side of the desk, continuing his deep accession of of all points.

"This of course presents it in a sexagesimal notion, written out as 23° 27′ 30" E," Conan said jotting it down to the piece of paper. "That could be a hint in relation to the thirty."

He then focused to the other numbers.

"The Prime Meridian is defined to be 0°," Conan said. "And we've also got a zero placed in the riddle, that could be pointing to the main point."

What remained was the 105, staring down at it for seconds to come. Nothing came to him at the top of his head.

"105, could it be referring to a western location.. one within this city maybe even."

This and much more circulated throughout his mind as he continued to think.

"We have everything we need from city statues to museums accounted for, then you have the location based riddles," Conan thought to himself. "With all parts lined up there's only one thing left to do, to piece it all together."

The sky remained clear for hours to come. It was just another typical low end night. He continued to observe from where he crouched, his findings mounting up to nothing from his time spent. A gust of driven wind blew from behind just as the a ring came to his ear piece. He wasted little time in pressing down to activate it, keeping his eyes to the grounds below.

"Nightwing here."

"Where are you now?"

"The east end, no luck here either."

"I was afraid that'd be the case."

"I even checked in on a few of his contacts, he hasn't tried to reach any of them."

"Keep searching, we need to find Dent before he plays his hand."

"You really believe he's got something planned, don't you?"

"He's not one to stay hidden with nothing in mind."

"At this point I'm not sure who we should be more worried about," Nightwing said. "Harvey, or the person who busted him out of the asylum."

"Find one, we're bound to have both," Batman said. "Then we won't have either to concern ourselves with."

"My thoughts exact," Nightwing said. "What about you, find any leads on the case you're working?"

"I'm currently standing watch in front of the Iceberg Lounge," Batman informed. "If Cobblepot was truly involved with the death of Salomon Green, I'm bound to find my answers here."

"See anything out of the ordinary?"

"Few have come in and out over the past hour, most customers looking for a night out."

"Sounds normal enough."

"Besides that, a few of the employees have been carrying in crates,"

"Crates huh, sounds promising."

"They're importing them in from a pick up truck that arrived roughly thirty minutes ago," Batman informed. "Already traced all production back to an electronics company which confirms its legitimacy."

"I see," Nightwing said with a pause. "I wanted to ask you something, about the boy."

"..."

"I know it's a security and trust thing to a degree, but do you ever plan on showing either of them inner parts of the mansion," Nightwing asked. "I only ask because the resources you have to offer could prove useful in their investigation."

"I see no need for access to the cave, that would be setting the stage to higher limits and this isn't their battle to fight," Batman stated. "I allowed them freedom to work the riddles because of the low danger level, and with Red Robin's added involvement."

"You've seen them in the field of play, you know how formidable they are," Nightwing continued. "It's true we haven't seen how they'd fair under distress, but their work from the sidelines have proven to be most useful."

"Was that your intent when you brought him here, to have him help crack a case here and there?"

"Not quite," Nightwing said in response. "It was actually the spring of these recent heart attacks that originated in Japan that opted my decision, gaining his knowledge on the matter was always planned."

"You can vouch for them as much as you want, but I won't have any unneeded casualties under my watch," Batman said. "As the situation stands now, I'm fine with."

"Then your answer is.."

"This discussion is over, but if you find anything on Harvey let me know," Batman replied. "I'll be active for a majority of the night."

"Of course, Nightwing out."

The transmission between the two finally came to an end, leaving only the sounds generated by the city to be heard. He continued with what he had set out to do, monitoring the Lounge for hours to come.

The sky remained clear throughout the night, making way for an early view of the sun. They started off on a quick note, pleased to find their way down a manageable road of light traffic.

"Now this is the way to start a day, with little distraction." Rick said keeping a firm grip to the wheel.

"You're sure Living Green is open for business this early," Heiji asked checking his watch. "It's only a couple minutes past seven fifteen."

"They always open at eight on week days, I already spoke with one of the managers over the phone," Rick informed. "They've already been alerted we're headed their way."

"That clears things up a little," Heiji said. "Did you also fill them in on why we're coming?"

"Of course," Rick replied. "That was made clear right away."

"Good, then that means we can skip all introductions and get straight to the task at hand."

"Glad to see you're as prepared as always."

They drove for several minutes more, watching as the hidden areas of the city began to appear upon the continuing ascension of the sun. He paid little attention to what was being broadcasted over the radio, his mind still wrapped around the hidden messages locked within the riddles set for them to solve. His irritation that plagued him for most of the previous day had mellowed down into a form fascination, finding the growing challenge of the unknown to be a satisfying task. It didn't take long for him to see the half smile across his face, resulting in a grin of his own.

"You look pleased, has something potentially of importance come to mind?"

"I'll let you know if anything is concrete."

"I can agree to that, we can't afford to be off in any of our findings," Rick said. "Before we arrive, there's something I wanted to ask."

"I'm listening."

"It's not so much of a question as it is a clarification," Rick began. "You know how some things may not be what they appear to be, some times stepping to higher measures to see the job through?"

"That's the case in most fields, reworking or redefining the way you approach an unfamiliar task is a part of the job."

"Those you collaborate with on a frequent basis is also a key component to consider, knowing who to trust can be a difficult task in itself these days," Rick said. "People just like any case can be hard to figure at times, catch my drift?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Your trust," Rick replied. "I want to be certain that I have it, that I can count on you at any time."

"If you didn't have my trust I wouldn't be here right now," Heiji said. "Have no doubt, I'm in your corner."

"Good," Rick said looking back to the road. "That's all I needed to hear."

He leveled back into the seat, refocusing his thoughts back to the task in the wait.

"We've got the time and cause, the only thing that remains in the unanswered death of the mystery man found in Green's home is the location it all took place," Heiji thought. "The clear may be uncertain as it has been for days, but with the recent findings we might just be near to having that answered... yet there's still something about this that doesn't quite stack up."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 90

All Called to the Show

The tempo within that hour made for an easy path along the roadside. He periodically checked his watch as they journeyed on, pleased to see they were right on schedule. Nothing was said between the two for several minutes, the tension throughout was most apparent. He kept his eyes centered to the clear, watching as they turned at the next intersection to finally see the facility come into view.

"That didn't take long."

The sight of several officers standing outside the headquarters made it very apparent something was in progress. They carefully made their way into the lot past those standing in wait, stepping out of the car after coming to a stop.

"Why's everyone out here," Heiji asked. "Is there something going on inside?"

"It sure seems that way," Rick said looking over the crowd. "There's the commissioner over there, I'm sure he should be able to give us the answer to what is going on here."

"Right next to you." Heiji said in agreement following him across.

They made their way along, stepping around the many who stood in their path. He could see them approaching from the side of his eye, almost certain they were headed over to have a word with him.

"Well if it isn't the two men of the hour," James said watching as they stopped before him. "I was expecting your arrival would come soon."

"Gordon, what is the meaning of all of this?" Rick asked.

"For precautionary reasons of course," James replied. "We've sent in a group of experts to make sure there are not anymore hidden explosives."

"Good call."

"This explosive that went off," Heiji said relieving his hands from his inner pockets. "How lethal was it, strong enough to cause any real harm?"

"The only impact in the aftermath was a burn mark on the wall," James replied. "Other than that, there were no real casualties."

"Sounds like someone wanted attention rather than to cause any real harm."

"That's what I made of it," James said. "But we're taking additional measures just to be safe."

"We were told some kind of note was left behind," Rick said. "Would you happen to know what it had written to it?"

"I don't have the original with me," James replied. "But did elect to have copies made."

He lowered his hand down to his side, pulling out a slip of paper that rested in the side of his pocket.

"Here, you're free to have a look for yourself."

He reached out to grab the sheet, laying his eyes upon what was written on the paper. He took the next couple seconds to try and make sense of what was written, lowering the sheet with the shake of his head after a short period.

"Though I don't understand the message, there seems to be a familiar tone."

"A familiar tone," Heiji questioned. "What do you mean?"

"The feel of the message closely resembles that of the other riddles we've been handling," Rick replied. "Here, have a look for yourself."

He held out the piece of paper, giving him the luxry of looking over it himself.

"(X) the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see," Heiji read with a pause. "the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ_0-(-30) 105 accounted in (Y)."

He was unsure what to make of it at first glance, looking up to see they were waiting for his opinion on the matter.

"So what do you think," Rick asked. "Seems like the same pattern of displaced words wrapped in a hidden message, think it could be the same guy?"

"It's certainly a possibility."

"Which is why I've decided to have the both of you take lead in this one," James said. "I want you to share all information gathered up to this point with everyone throughout the department."

"Understood, but I do have one question," Rick said reaching back for the riddle. "This symbol here, any idea what it represents?"

The two looked to see what he was pointing to, finding his finger directly under the 'λ'.

"Lambda."

"Lambda?"

"It is the eleventh letter in the Greek alphabet," Heiji informed. "Of course in the context here, I'd say we're looking further into its roots."

"Pardon?"

"Minutes, degrees, and seconds," Heiji continued. "That is the denote of the Lambda when dealing with a geographic coordinate we're all quite familiar with."

"Which is?"

"Longitude."

"Longitude," James said looking back down at the riddle. "You don't say."

"Wait, do you think he's right?" Rick asked.

"It would appear that way," James replied looking back up to face him. "The numbers after the λ would seem to indicate this."

"Let's say all of this is true," Rick said. "What could possibly be the message?"

"A location is a possibility," Heiji replied. "After all the 'λ' maps out all locations east and west of the Prime Meridian within the system."

"Ok then," Rick said. "From the numbers displayed, where do you propose we start looking?"

"That's just the thing," Heiji said dropping his hand back into his pockets. "That's too simple, nothing has been with this guy up until this point."

"If it's not referring to a location, than what?"

"I haven't quite figured that one out," Heiji admitted. "But I do believe the 0, -30, and 105 represent something significant to a location."

"Perhaps where there next move will be made."

"Exactly," Heiji said. "Let's also not forget other hints have been dropped about the unknown location."

"You're right," Rick recalled. "At the affair shall I appear."

"And most recently with this riddle," Heiji added. "With the referral of the show's beginning."

"So how are we supposed to find this place?"

"By finding out this person's motive," James replied. "That would be the best action to take at this point, we find that out.. we might just catch our thief in the clutch of their act."

"Not an easy task," Rick said. "They haven't exactly shown anything that calls for demand on their part."

"Which is why we need to get a move on."

"That's the plan sir."

Before anything further could be said between the three, the sound of a loud buzz could be heard from below.

"One moment, I need to take this."

The two of them stood in silence as they watched him answer the phone.

"I wonder who that could be."

The conversation lasted all but a couple seconds before he looked back their way.

"That didn't last long," Rick said. "Who was it?"

"It seems we weren't the only station to be ignited by this surprise," James informed. "But several police stations located here all the way to Plymouth, Minnesota."

"You're not serious?"

"I wish I wasn't."

"Did every station receive the same message?"

"That's what I was told."

"That would also explain the chain of calls received within that small period back at Starlest."

"Things are getting crazier by the minute, I can't wait to see how Basell reacts to the news." Rick said.

"Where is he now?" James asked.

"Looking into the production of some diamonds."

"Diamonds?"

"It has something to do with a case we're currently working."

"Several other police stations in a mile spread received the same riddle... but why," Heiji thought. "Is this the same thief from Starlest, or something completely unrelated?"

The complexity of what to expect next was becoming more of a blur with each new task presented.

"This whole fiasco has just risen to another level," Heiji thought. "Whatever we plan to do better come soon, I don't think we have much longer until they pull out the true stops."

He took a step away from those who stood around, turning for the other side of the street.

"Where are you going?" Rick asked taking notice of this.

"There's something I'd like to revisit."

"Would you like a ride?"

"Not this time around," Heiji said in response. "Besides you're needed here, one of us has to catch everyone up on the situation."

"Ok then," Rick said. "But keep your phone active, if anything is learned you'll be the first I call."

"Ditto." Heiji said before turning away once more.

They watched on from the front of the station, taking little time for him to fall out of sight.

"I sure hope he knows what he's doing."

He reached into the depths of his thoughts, trying to rehash all that had been seen on that night. Everything slowly resurfaced to his mind in the minutes that passed, bit by bit.

"The height.. what about his height?"

"No taller than six foot," Conan replied. "It had to be somewhere in that vicinity."

He typed it into the blank field before looking down to the next.

"Weight.. that might be a little tougher to figure." Conan said.

"You can always jot down an estimation." Tim said.

He gave it some thought, leaning back in the chair as the image of the ski capped man visually came back to him.

"I'd say anywhere from 218 to 229 Ibs."

"Are you sure?"

"From what I could tell, I'd say that's defiantly within the ball park." Conan replied before filling in the empty void.

"So now we have the weight, height, gender, and body structure filled in," Tim said. "And you're positive you didn't see the color of his eyes?"

"Sorry, but no," Conan said in response. "That cap not only covered his hair, but his eyes as well."

"This guy must really want to keep his identity a secret."

"You're telling me," Conan said looking back to the screen. "Now what do you say we launch another search?"

"Ready when you are."

He did just that, clicking down to the search bar as a new set of results appeared before them. What they saw wasn't too surprising to find.

"We've narrowed down the list of suspects down to a little over one hundred ninety."

"Still too much," Tim said. "We're going to have to chop it down more than that."

"Doesn't help we know next to nothing about this guy," Conan said. "Which makes it tough to diagnose a possible occupation."

"You're right, and there's no telling where he picked up those skills he put on display."

"There has to be something we can go off of," Conan said. "The last thing we want is another count of bodies to help make a determination."

"The nature of the victims up till this point doesn't help all that much, given there gang history, " Tim said. "That leaves the possibilities wide to who may have wanted them dead."

"Which is the area of known fact," Conan said. "It would be in our best interest to stick with that angle, there's no telling what may turn up."

"That is a possibility, but still broad list to sort," Tim said. "Let's remember, it wasn't just one group that was targeted in these attacks."

"An important point," Conan acknowledged. "The odds of two separate gang groups targeted in the way that they were is more than coincidence."

"With the circumstances in each, I'm inclined to agree," Tim said. "It could be the work of another gang all together, but something about this whole thing just doesn't feel right.. I just can't quite pin point what."

"He's right, there's something about this case that doesn't quite feel right," Conan thought. "The culprits talent for shielding their presence from any surveillance at each scene is most notable, but most questioning of all... why leave behind the weapons used to commit the crime?"

His travels had lead him from one facility to the next, coming to a conclusion that brought him back to where he had started.. little progress. The feeling was subtle, in some ways what he was expecting his journeys would amount up to. He took his time up the stairs, deeply fixated on the hindering obstacles surrounding each riddle. He lost himself within the moment, not aware of the door opening before reaching it.

"How nice of you to join us."

He lifted his head at the sound of the voice, coming to find him standing in the doorway.

"You seem remotely disturbed," Alfred said. "Is everything alright?"

"For the most part."

"Did you happen to take part in the excitement at the police station?"

"You know about that?"

"It's being covered on the news as we speak," Alfred said. "Master Bruce is in the other room keeping an eye on the growing situation, you're free to join him if you'd like."

"You know, I think I'll do just that," Heiji said stepping in past him. "Thanks for the heads up."

He hurried along, heading to the right side to hear the sound of the TV passing through the wall. He opened the door leading to the dinning room, making his way to the other side to see him standing in the next room in front of the tv. He slowly approached, listening to what was being reported.

"The boy's up stairs, if that's who you're here to see."

"How'd you know it was me?" Heiji asked.

"I had a feeling you'd come," Bruce replied turning to face him. "With questions."

"As I do." Heiji confirmed.

"Not much has been reported on the matter, only that several police stations have been broken into," Bruce said. "And of course, the unexplained messages left behind."

"I might have a little extra insight for you."

"Tell me, this riddle," Bruce said with a step forward. "Do you believe it to be directly linked to the case you've been currently working?"

"How did you know the message left at the scene was in the form of a riddle?"

"The news anchor mentioned the message uncovered at the scene was still in the process of being unraveled."

"Keeping it low key until they have a clear answer, not a bad idea at this point," Heiji commented. "And to answer your question, there might be a chance the two incidents are related."

"I thought that much," Bruce said. "And how far along are you on profiling the thief in question?"

"Smoothly would be a good way of putting it," Heiji replied. "I've already got down a few of their tendencies, it's only a matter of time before this mystery person is revealed."

"I take it you heard from Mr. Fournier by now?"

"As a matter a fact I did," Heiji confirmed. "He called about a problem within his company."

"And?"

"I agreed to have a look into it," Heiji replied. "He said he'd call me back with further information and a time to meet."

"And do you feel you can handle that while juggling these riddles?"

"No problem at all."

"That's all I needed to hear."

He turned back for the television within that instance, shutting it off with the remote before tossing it to the couch. He then made his way to the other side, walking through the dinning room to the door on the far side.

"Wait up." Heiji said following after him.

He pushed on with long strides, not catching up to him until reaching the bottom of the staircase in the next room.

"Where are you going in such a hurry," Heiji questioned. "Didn't you want to know what was written on the most recent riddle?"

He stopped at the sound of this.

"Didn't you say you had it all under control?"

"Yea, but I thought you.."

"Look here, I have enough to work on as it is," Bruce said tuning back to face him. "We have an unpredictable shooter running freely and a gang war in the mist just waiting to erupt, and that might just be the least of our worries."

"What are you trying to say?"

"From the beginning this was your case to handle, and I'm counting on you to deliver," Bruce said turning for the other side of the room once again. "But if at any point you feel it's too much for you to sustain on your own, you're free to pass it my way ."

He had nothing to say in response, simply watching as he continued to the other side of the room. He stood there for moments to come, feeling it all sink into place.

"Least of our worries... what did he mean by that?"

"What was that all about?" A familiar voice spoke from the right side.

"Kudo." Heiji said looking up to the staircase to see the two of them heading down.

"You never called to tell us you'd be coming." Tim said.

"It was kind of a last minute thing," Heiji said. "What are you doing here, I thought you had a lead to look into."

"I wanted to go over that database with Shinichi first," Tim said. "Looks like we're in a bit of a hole, we don't have enough to go off of to narrow down the list in the case of those shootings."

"How many suspects are we looking at currently?"

"From those registered to the database, nearly two hundred," Conan replied. "Which is still a hefty margin."

"Did you give each profile that appeared on the list a look?"

"We decided to hold off on that," Tim replied. "We couldn't be sure even if he did see a common resemblance, he wasn't able to get a clear look at the shooters face."

"How unfortunate."

"You still have yet to answer my question," Conan said. "What just happened between you and Bruce?"

"I don't know to tell you the truth," Heiji replied. "I thought he would be interested in knowing the inner details surrounding the case."

"You mean the case revolving around those riddles?"

"That'd be the one."

"And that's what you two of you were arguing about?"

"There was no argument, just a misunderstanding," Heiji clarified. "I was under the impression he wanted to help work the case."

"Did he ask you if you had everything under control?" Tim asked

"As a matter a fact he did."

"Then nothing further needed to be said," Tim stated. "When declaring you have a hold on things, it's essentially your assignment from that point on."

"So am I to believe you guys don't come to each other for opinions when handling different cases?"

"That's not what I was getting at," Tim said. ".. Let's put it this way, we only seek the assistance of one another if we're stumped or completely lost on a matter."

"What kind of team work is that," Heiji remarked. "Sounds more like a group of loners operating in the same city."

"There's no winning with you is there?"

"I didn't know we were competing."

"Ok, on a fair note I did tell Bruce I'd help work this case on your behalf," Tim informed. "So that might explain the leverage he's given you on this."

"That sheds some light," Heiji said. "But that still doesn't explain why he responded the way that he did when I furthered the discussion."

"That's his way of communicating a strong message," Tim informed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"One step at a time, I still haven't got past the whole donning of capes and masks," Heiji said. "I don't see the harm in representing as a police official, or private eye detective for that matter."

"It's not something you can observe or for me to explain to you, gaining a true understanding can only be obtained by walking the path which is not what we're here to discuss," Tim said quickly changing the subject. "The riddle, I'd like to see it."

"Sure thing," Heiji said reaching into his jacket. "The commissioner had a couple extra copies made and was kind enough to let me have one."

He held out his hand to receive the paper, reading the newly acquired riddle for himself. Several moments of silence passed as he tried making a diagnosis of his own.

"Hey, do you think I could have a look?" Conan asked tugging at his pant leg.

"Are you sure that will do us any good," Heiji questioned. "You haven't had the luxury of reading the previous riddles, there's a good chance this one could be connected with the."

"Tim already wrote them down for me to see," Conan said cutting him off. "He even showed me the rearrangement of the letters you orchestrated."

"What did you make of it?"

"One second," Conan said taking the slip of paper into hand. "I'll get back to you momentarily."

He too laid his eyes to the riddle, taking everything in as one piece to a larger puzzle.

"(X) the prosper of growth isn't fostered within the past or present, for the Diamonds eye is for all to see... the Shows beginning shall proceed with all λ_0-(-30) 105 accounted in (Y)."

He read through the riddle several times, doing his best to try and process a distinction between what was hidden in between the lines.

"So, what do you think?" Heiji asked looking from one to the other.

"I'd say we're most likely dealing with the same person, the speech pattern closely resembles the first set of riddles placed at Starlest," Tim said. "It also appears they're setting the stage to its highest peak, the capitalization of 'shows' would seem to point to this."

"I noticed something else, this is the second time the thief has used the word 'eye' to map out one of their riddles," Conan pointed out. "I'm sure their is some relevance to this."

"You're right," Heiji recalled. "i am solely for the 'eye' beyond all affiliated kins."

"Exactly."

"So now that we're on the same page," Heiji said lowering his hands. "What do you say we get this thing untwined?"

"That's why we're here."

"One thing that's been bothering me about this riddle in particular is the 'x' at the beginning, and the 'y' in the closing."

"Weren't you the one who said one step at a time?" Tim reminded.

"Yea, what of it?" Heiji asked looking to him in a bit of confusion.

"We can't finish the construction of a bridge without making sure all links are securely locked in place before pushing on," Tim said. "If they're not, you can't complete the rest of the bridge."

"What?"

"In other words, we can't move on until we've solved the previous riddle," Conan said. "This latest stunt is just a means of directing our attention ahead instead of piecing it from ground up like we've been doing, how we're supposed to."

"Ok then, where do you propose we start?"

"How about with the sequence you just mentioned," Conan suggested. "i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins."

"I guess that spots as good as any other to begin," Heiji said in agreement. "What's your take on it?"

"Equivalent to mine," Tim said. "I've been giving this whole thing some thought since the time you presented it all to me."

"Do you have an idea where the culprit will appear next?"

"Affiliated kins," Tim said in response. "Another way of putting it would be associated cousins or a relation of ancestors in a sense, now implement that into the context of this riddle."

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins."

He took a step to the side, feeling the need to pace as he buried his hands further into his pockets. That phrase scattered throughout his mind, feeling it all slowly fall into place right before his very eyes.

"That's it," Heiji said. "solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, it must be referring to something linked to Starlest.. another company or endorser even."

"Now you're thinking." Tim said with a nod.

"All I have to do is call, I should be able to get in contact with a representative," Heiji said reaching for his phone. "They should have any information I may need on the matter."

"Don't bother," Tim said. "I already took the liberty of writing out a list."

"You already knew?"

"About a day after you showed me the riddle."

"And then informed me of his findings today," Conan added. "Which in the process caught me up to where we are now."

"This list," Heiji said with a step taken back to them. "Would you happen to have it on you?"

"I had a feeling that'd be your next question," Tim said pulling out a folded paper from within his pocket. "It's all here."

He took the paper in hand, wasting no time in unfolding it to see what written.

"Let's see, what do we have here," Heiji said gliding his eyes across the list. "Cennals Inc, Delmore Industries, Scnapp Labs, Syclons, and.. Wayne Enterprises."

He stood in silent for moments to come, looking across to see him still standing in place.

"Does Bruce know about this?"

"Of course, Bruce was there when I made the deduction," Tim replied. "I too had the intention of calling Starlest just as you were going to."

"Why didn't you?"

"Bruce already knew every company associated with Starlest."

"Off the top of his head?"

"He makes it his business to know what's going on around the city," Tim said in response. "Especially anything with tides to Wayne Enterprises."

"He masterly played the part of pretending to know little about the case," Heiji thought. "That man sure is hard to figure."

"Now that we have our ducks aligned and stones placed," Conan stated. "What do you say we decoding this thing?"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 89

Unfolding The Truth

He had finally arrived back after his trip to the city. He took little time trailing up the stairs, reaching for the keys stalled away within his jacket. Upon reaching the last step he had the door open before him.

"How did things turn out on your visit to the city?"

"Just fine Alfred," Bruce replied. "I past by several of the construction sights on my way back."

"And what did you make of it?"

"It's coming along well, promising even," Bruce replied. "From the looks of things that area should be cleared up by the end of next month."

"That's good to hear."

He moved off to the side, allowing for him to step into the house.

"It's queit," Bruce said listening to the door close from behind. "Where is everyone?"

"Conan was in the study for a period of time, but just recently strolled off into the book room to look into something," Alfred replied. "Damian on the other hand has yet to appear from his room."

"He's usually out by now."

"Would you like for me to go and check on him again?"

"Don't bother," Bruce said in response. "He'll be out when he's ready."

"Of course."

"I'll be right back."

"Where are you heading off to now?" Alfred asked.

"To the book room to check on our progress," Bruce replied. "The police still have no idea who killed Salomon and the other person found in the wreckage, it's up to us to help speed the process."

"I'm open if there is anything I can help with."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With nothing further he looked the other side, heading directly for the book room. The door was slightly cracked open upon reaching it, taking a look inside to see him sitting at the desk with many books piled about.

"Mind if I join you?" Bruce asked taking a step in.

"Not at all," Conan said looking his way. "Between the computer and these books, I've been digging up as much as I can on the Quetzal."

"And what have you found?"

"Stints here and there, but nothing significant that relates back to the crime," Conan replied. "It might be in our best interest to take another route, maybe with that printed symbol you mentioned."

"You mean the triangular colon inclosed within the oval?"

"Wasn't that the only emblem drawn on the wall?"

"On the wall yes, but after revisiting the imagery obtained from the scene there were other symbols marked out along the ground," Bruce informed. "I've already done a hard search on each and produced no results in conclusion."

"I guess that holds us at square one," Conan said. "What about the markings on the floor, do you think I could have a look at them for myself?"

"Of course," Bruce replied. "I'll print out a copy of them, I'll have it to you by the end of the day."

"And what of that man you saw in the dark," Conan asked. "The one who sent that place up in flames?"

"I enhanced the lighting and clarity of the image taken of him, the same symbol that was on the wall was around his neck," Bruce informed. "In the form of a necklace."

"That adds some depth to the equation," Conan said. "Anything else worth mentioning?"

"Though he had on a hood I did get a clear shot of his hair type, cut low," Bruce added. "Which is identified as a buzz cut."

"That hardly narrows down the list," Conan said. "But it does inch us in just that closer."

"Who said it was just one guy?"

"You think there were more involved?"

"Embedded within the blood on the ground were foot prints, there were at least five different sets," Bruce informed. "Possibly more."

"And the only way they could have gotten there was after Saloman was drained of his blood," Conan said. "Makes sense, now all we have to do is find out who his enemies were or anyone with cause to want him dead."

"We might not have to look too far," Bruce said. "I have a feeling this is connected to the death of Eldelmon."

"I'm almost inclined to agree, but if that is the case" Conan said. "Why the dramatic difference in the way they may have been killed, one appears to have died from a heart attack while the other endured severe abuse."

"I'm uncertain," Bruce said. "But if we can somehow find that woman, we might get the answers we're looking for."

"Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"You've done enough, but if anything comes up," Bruce said turning for the door. "I'll let you know."

He made his way out, leaving the room in a state of silence. He sat for seconds to come, rearranging the books in front of him before returning each to their proper place on the shelf. He then brought his watch to his eyes to check the time.

"It's much too early, I'll give it another hour or two."

The impasse of the roads began to mellow down as they made their way further to the south-west side of the city. He leaned back, allowing his head to fall back into the comfort of the seat. He then stared out to the right side, seeing the many cars heading in the opposite direction.

"You've been rather quiet for the past couple minutes," Rick said still facing the road. "You ok?"

"Got a lot on my mind, it's nothing to worry about."

"I guess we all do."

"How much further until we reach this place?" Heiji asked turning in his seat.

"Funny that you ask," Rick said with the nod of his head. "We're here."

He looked ahead, watching as they entered a lot located next to a large facility.

"Wow, this one is much larger than the last," Heiji commented. "Makes the other look like a convenience store in comparison."

"No big surprise there," Rick said upon bringing the car to a complete stop. "This is the most recently built of the four, the grandest of them all as they're calling it."

"Have you been here before?"

"No, this will be my first as well," Rick replied. "What a treat this should be."

The two of them exited the car in the following moments, making sure all doors were securely locked before heading for the entrance. They stepped inside, coming to find a spectacle more eye grabbing than what they had seen from the outside.

"This place is larger than I thought it'd be." Heiji said.

"No kidding."

"So where's the crime scene located?" Heiji asked.

"The third floor is where I was told," Rick replied looking around to spot a staircase on the right side of the room. "That should lead us right to it, hopefully we're not late for the party."

"I see no problem in that," Heiji said as the two headed for the stairs. "As long as we show."

His investigation had started from that point on, surveying the facility as they ascended from one floor to the next. He took note of all visible exits, including the windows overhead. Before he knew it they had arrived to the third floor, noticing a section of the room on the left side blocked off by crime scene tape.

"That didn't take long." Rick said.

"Not at all."

"Here we go again." Rick said marching forward.

He followed at his side, still observing the elements of the room as they carried on. Just as they arrived at the scene they were confronted by a police office, stopping at the sight of the raise of his hand.

"I'm sorry, but this section of the third floor is on a bit of a lock down."

"They're ok officer," A familiar voice spoke from the left side. "They're the detectives I told you would be coming on my behalf."

They looked that way, coming to find Mr. Ellson standing aside them.

"I'm glad you two were able to make it, as you can see we have ourselves a bit of a situation," Ellson said. "I don't think any of us were expecting this thief to strike here."

"Maybe not all of us," Rick corrected. "But Hattori here had it sniffed out before hand, we were just about to contact you on the matter after finishing up with a little check in we were on."

"What are you doing here anyway," Heiji asked. "Aren't you the manager of the other Starlest?"

"Once I heard of what had happened, I knew right away it had something to do with the riddles," Ellson replied. "So tell me, how did you know the thief would strike here."

"It was what was written in the riddle," Heiji replied. "Detective Gates, why don't you take the time to explain it to him while I go give the scene a look."

"Sure thing."

"Before I go," Heiji said. "Is there anything important I should know, the state of the crime perhaps?"

"They suffered surveillance problems just like we had," Ellson replied. "Other than that, the rest is for you to figure."

"That can't be coincidence."

He then looked back to the scene to see a smile across the officers face.

"Right through here." The officer instructed with the lift of the tape blocking the path.

He nodded before walking through.

"He's really on top of it, isn't he?" Ellson asked.

"It's not too hard to tell," Rick confirmed. "Hell, he's made my job just that much easier since he hopped aboard."

He followed the trace of glass shards along the ground, following the path all the way to a glass case where he accompanied four other officers.

"I heard they would be sending in reinforcements, but I had no idea you'd be one of them."

"Officer Basell," Heiji said immediately recognizing him. "So good to see you."

"I'm surprise you remembered my name, most don't for the first couple meetings."

"How could I forget, you treated me with such hospitality when we first met at the police headquarters." Heiji remarked.

"Well of course," Officer Basell said. "Are you ready for a run down?"

"I was ready from the time I stepped into this place."

"That's the spirit," Basell said turning for the glass case. "It's being reported nothing was taken, just a few set up measures tampered with."

"And what was it that was rearranged?" Heiji asked walking up to his side.

"Look here," Officer Basell said pointing downward. "This area of the case was filled with jewelery, someone moved all objects aside and placed these three diamonds in their place."

He looked at the three diamonds presented before him, diagnosing the differences in each of their properties. The one in the middle was the largest of the bunch with the two on the opposing sides being the same.

"The one on the right is near colorless, if going by a diamond color scale," Heiji said. "The one in the middle is rather clear, but with a subtle tint of blue."

"Do you think there's a meaning to this set up?"

"Possibly," Heiji replied. "Then you have the last, which is clearly a light yellow."

"You must know your diamonds."

"I know a thing or two, but we'll need more than that," Heiji said. "Starting with where each of these diamonds came from."

"Do you mean where they were imported from?"

"Correct."

It was then that he took notice of the unique designs, that of the rings each of the three diamonds were attached to.

"While were at it, I think we better give the rings a look up," Heiji said. "There's a possibility the message is referring to those rather than the rings themselves."

"A message.. what are you talking about?" Officer Basell asked.

Before he could answer he felt the vibration of his phone from within his pocket.

"One moment," Heiji said stepping off to the side. "I've got an incoming call."

He pulled out his phone, raising it to his eye to see an unfamiliar number.

"Who could this be?"

He answered after little hesitation.

"Hello?"

"Great, I'm glad I was able to reach you," A voice spoke. "Was this a convenient time to call?"

"I'm in the middle of something, but I have a second," Heiji replied. "Who is this by the way?"

"It is I, Fournier Lonard," He answered. "We met at Wayne Enterprises just the other day."

"Oh yea, I remember you," Heiji said. "How may I be of service to you?"

"It wasn't until recently that you being a detective was brought to my knowledge," Lonard replied. "I have a little problem, and was wondering if you would be interested in a little job."

He had finally finished setting things back into place after a short time, spending several more minutes in the room pacing around in thought. He looked up to the clock on the far wall to see the next hour was fast approaching.

"Didn't realize I had been in here so long, I wonder what the others are up to."

He made his way for the door, stepping out to see Alfred passing by to the other side of the room.

"I take it you found what you were looking for?"

"Unfortunately not." Conan replied.

"Oh well, it happens to us all on occasion."

"Not that I'm worried, but where's Damian," Conan asked. "I haven't seen him all day."

"Still in the confinement of his room, which has been for most of the day," Alfred replied. "I was just getting ready to go and check on him."

"Don't bother," Conan said. "I'll go and give him a knock."

"Well appreciated."

He turned for the stairs, taking his time on the way up.

"What could that boy be up to now," Conan thought. "No telling when it comes to him."

He reached the next floor in no time, heading straight for the door leading to the narrow hall. He walked with his head aimed to the ground, hearing the sound of something swaying from side to side in the near distance.

"Is that.. is that coming from his room?"

He moved in closer with each step taken, listening as the sound became clearer. He pressed his ear to the door, confirming his suspicion. He then reached for the knob, giving the door a slight nudge to force it open. What he saw swiped the breath from within, gazing upward to see a long black cloth from the ceiling slowly swinging from side to side.

"Oh no!" Conan said forcing the door wide.

What he saw next left him in a state of confusion. His eyes opened at the sound of the commotion, just as surprised to see him standing before him.

"What are you doing in here?" Damian asked with the cross of his arms.

"Why are you hanging upside down connected to.. to whatever that is?"

"It's a polyester fabric, quite comforting," Damian replied. "What, did you think this was some kind of fatal hanging?"

"..Well, um."

"Sorry to break it to you Kudo, but I'm not one of your self centered emtionally damaged suicidal victims you deal with on a monthly bases," Damian said raising himself up to untie to long cloth attached to his ankles. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have some kind of fetish for death."

"How did I get myself into this?" Conan muttered with the shake of his head.

"I understand your concern," Damian said dropping to the ground. "But if I'm ever in the clutches of danger, I'm more than capable of handling myself."

"Why were you hanging from the wall like that anyway?"

"Why did you come in unannounced?"

"I'm not here to argue, just volunteered to check on you," Conan replied. "And you?"

"It's a form of exercise," Damian replied. "I must keep in top condition, the mission requires that of us all."

"At that age I was reading novels and solving puzzles," Conan thought. "This kid is taking this whole crime fighting thing way too serious."

"I guess this makes us even."

"Even," Conan questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I barged into your room uninvited your first night here," Damian replied. "From here on out, we knock."

"I'll hold you to that."

"As will I," Damian said in response. "Now if you would, your presence is no longer warranted."

Not wanting to disappoint he turned away, closing the door on his exit out.

"First and last room check up, from here on out."

He shut the phone once finished, looking back to the scene to see an additional two officers had joined the fray.

"Who was that," Rick asked appearing from his blind side. "Another task to add to the already circulating list?"

"They just keep piling up." Heiji confirmed.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"I've got it covered," Heiji assuringly replied. "How'd things go with Ellson?"

"It took me a couple times to get him to understand the complexity of the riddle, it's hard enough with me still absorbing this all in."

"We better tell the others as well, the more who know about this the better."

"Agreed."

"Speaking of the others," Heiji said looking back to the group. "Where did officer Basell run off to?"

"He went to gather some information on the rings and diamonds attached," Rick replied. "I thought you knew, he said it was on your request."

"Good, that could prove to be a key element." Heiji said moving forward.

"Where are you going?"

"To check the glass once more," Heiji replied. "There could be some significance to how the glass shards were laid out."

"Don't tell me you actually believe that?"

"Since the camera's were down, the broken glass could give us a hint to what was used to shatter it."

"Ok, you have a point." Rick said as his phone rang loudly from below.

"Hold on, this will only take a couple."

What happened next was more than alarming, gazing around the room as several other officers throughout reached for their ringing phones one by one.

"Feels like a domino affect," Heiji thought. "This can't be good."

He stood there for seconds to come, watching as the expression on his comrades face drastically changed from what it had been. He dropped the phone down to his side shortly there after.

"What's wrong," Heiji asked. "Who was that?"

"Lieutenant Lucas of the GCPD," Rick replied. "It seems we've got a problem back at the station."

"Problem, what kind of problem?"

"Someone broke into our weapons center."

"That's not good," Heiji said. "What did they take?"

"Nothing has been reported missing as of yet," Rick replied. "It's what was left behind that calls for concern?"

"I can't wait to hear this."

"A note," Rick replied. "In the form of a riddle."

"You're not serious are you?"

"Afraid so," Rick said. "Some small explosion went off alerting everyone of the situation."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Fortunately not."

"That's a relief," Heiji said. "So what did this riddle say?"

"I wasn't told," Rick replied. "But I think it would be best if I headed down there now."

"I'd like to come along if that's alright with you," Heiji said. "I think we've seen all we need to see here."

"Are you sure?"

"We can always come back or look over the photos taken here today," Heiji said. "On the plus side, this gives us something to work on while officer Basell gathers information on those rings."

"Alrighty then," Rick said. "What do you say we go and tackle this?"

"Right at your side."

The day smoothly progressed, bringing a showering sprinkle in the coming hours. He laid rested to the bed, leaning his head back into the comfort of his palms. The phone sat to the side of him, glancing that way in the anticipation of its ring.

"I wonder what's with the hold up, he usually responds by now."

He leveled his eyes back to the ceiling, listening to the bickering of the rain tapping against the window side. He took a degree of delight to this. Just as he was to close his eyes a sound soaked through the wall, the familiar sound of someone approaching from the hall.

"Looks like I've got some company." Conan thought pushing up from where he laid.

As expected a knock came to the door in a matter of seconds.

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

He jumped down from the bed as his visitor entered the room.

"Hope this isn't a bad time." Tim said.

"Most certainly not," Conan said. "I've just been sitting around waiting for a call."

"I went to that cavern last night, she didn't show."

"I was afraid that'd be the case."

"Which was to be expected."

"So what now, you try again tonight?"

"Possibly, I'm undecided," Tim replied. "But that's not why I'm here."

"It's not?"

"That database, the one carrying the list of criminals," Tim began. "Have you found the time to navigate through it all?"

"Not as of yet, I completely spaced out on that to be honest," Conan admitted. "But we have made some progress in the case of Salomon Green, as little as it may be."

"As I've heard," Tim said. "I did a little investigating of my own on the matter."

"What were you able to find?"

"I searched his financial records for the past two years," Tim replied. "Bruce said Green had several crates stashed away in his attic, the merchandise within each must have been purchased and then brought in."

"Makes sense," Conan said. "I take it you found something?"

"Lots of pricey transactions over the past five months, I'd say he received his collection within that time span."

"Do you know where he was getting this stuff from?"

"I looked into just that, which turned out to be Miami Florida.. at first glance that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Every business deal done between him and his accomplices was through computer," Tim answered. "With that known fact I tracked all messages sent to him in the process of theses deals."

"And?"

"The person sending the messages to Salomon wasn't in Miami, not even remotely close."

"If not in Miami, than where?"

"Here," Tim replied. "Here in Gotham."

"But why," Conan questioned. "There must be a reason why he lead him to believe he was in another state."

"Which could prove key."

"So, do we know anything about the people he was in contact with?"

"Though I wasn't able to trace an exact location for the computer, I did learn of its IP address," Tim informed. "Whoever is running the show shut down shop from the other end two weeks ago."

"Just our luck," Conan commented. "What about these messages you mentioned, did this mystery person ever mention their name?"

"Not by name, but by code," Tim replied. "The individual referred to them self as.. 'The Keeper'."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 88

Stage Two

Mid day had fast approached, finding himself in a minor back up in traffic. His phone was set to speaker, listening to the incoming information from the other line.

"Affirmative, the sample of blood you were able to obtain belongs to that of the Resplendent Quetzal," Conan confirmed. "They are most notably found in the western parts of Panama all the way to Mexico."

"What else do you have on this bird?"

"They're part of a larger family known as the Trogonidae," Conan replied. "Thirty nine species in all within the group."

"Now we need to find out why this bird in particular was chosen for the cause."

"Not to mention the paint mixed in with it."

"See if you can find anything further on the subject."

"What did you have in mind," Conan asked. "There's a lot of directions we can take."

"Let's stick with the bird, be sure to expand your searches past the Resplendent," Bruce said. "Check the entire Trogonidae family."

"Already on it," Conan said. "I'll call if I come across anything worth mentioning."

"Good luck."

The transmission fell blank within that instance. He turned back for the road, looking ahead to see the next intersection was fast incoming. He looked down at his watch to find there were twenty minutes remaining before thirty after one.

"Not much further to go," Bruce thought. "At this rate I'll arrive with time to spare."

The sun shined bright from the window side, feeling a sense of comfort as he waited for his return. Several cars zipped by from his blindside, keeping him attentive to the task in play. Just as he was to switch on the radio he caught sight of him making his way out of the gas station.

"That didn't take long."

He continued around the car, dragging his hand along the top on his path to the driver side.

"Smooth as usual." Rick said re-entering the car.

"So, how did things go in there," Heiji asked. "Was this friend of yours able to hand us a lead?"

"He never disappoints," Rick replied. "There's a place called Living Green just two miles from here, a facility for plants."

"And they have mushrooms?"

"That's what he said, and then we've got this other joint clear across town," Rick continued. "Some place called Libits."

"Ok, where to first?"

"I say we take it to the green," Rick replied. "It requires we pass through there to reach Libits anyway."

"I'm all in."

"Sit tight, I'll have us there in no time."

He put his foot to the pedal, backing out from the lot. Within no time they were back on the freeway, finding themselves cruising along for minutes to come. They slowed up after a couple miles driven upon finding themselves in a traffic jam.

"Talk about timing," Rick said. "With this clog in traffic I doubt we make it to Living Green until at least another hour."

"I see no problem in that," Heiji said. "It's not like we're in a rush of any kind."

"I guess you're right."

"Besides, that gives me the time to look over some of this other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

He didn't respond, simply pulling out the note stashed away within pocket. He resumed from where he had left off, looking at everything as as a whole. The more he read over it, the more invigorating it became, feeling as if he was getting a clearer understanding to who may have written the note. Then something came to him, staring it dead in the eye with the raise his head.

"That's it," Heiji exclaimed. "How could I have not seen it earlier."

"What," Rick questioned looking his way. "Does this have something to do with one of the bodies?"

"The riddle," Heiji said holding up the sheet. "The thief has already let us know what their next move will be."

"The riddles from Starlest," Rick questioned. "I thought we were keeping our focus on the two dead men."

"Multi tasking never hurts."

"Ok then," Rick said. "You know where this guy will strike next?"

"Or woman, the gender of our thief is still unknown," Heiji corrected. "All we know is there's a message within the context of the riddle itself."

"I'm as clueless as the next guy," Rick admitted. "Would you be so kind to elaborate what you speak of?"

"Here," Heiji said handing him the slip of paper. "Why don't you have another look."

He accepted the sheet into hand, wasting no time in directing his focus down to the print before him.

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

He read through it a couple times, looking back to him with the shake of his head.

"Sorry, but I'm not seeing anything I didn't notice before."

"Read the second line," Heiji said. "It's just as important as the first."

"If you insist," Rick said taking a deep breath before setting his sights to the riddle once again. "superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

He gained nothing from reading this, feeling just as lost as before.

"Care to throw an inflated life vest, I'm drowning here."

"That's how I felt before," Heiji said. "That was until I realized looking at it as a whole was incorrect, but rather as pieces."

"Pieces?"

"Pieces that need to be connected, and rearranged."

"Ok, now you've just added more confusion to the matter."

"Stay with me, I promise all will make sense in the coming minutes."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Alright, then let us start with the second phrase of the first riddle," Heiji said. "a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1), notice the key words being hear and red."

"So what of it?"

"What happens if you remove all other letters and swap the two words?"

"You end up with 'red hear'," Rick stated. "Is there some significance to this?"

"Maybe with a step forward, how about a red-herring?"

"A red herring," Rick questioned. "How did you come up with that?"

"Misdirection is due to this, the word within that sequence," Heiji replied. "Not only do I believe it was referring to its own riddle, but the message as a whole."

"As a whole?"

"With that in mind, I rearranged how I think the riddle should play out."

He reached into his jacket, pulling out a notepad that had been tightly tucked away. He took little time in writing out what he had in mind, handing him the notepad once finished.

"There," Heiji said. "Give it a read."

He gave it a look, doing as he instructed.

"a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1), superior to my the Deceiver," Rick read with a pause. "i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, at the Affair shall I appear."

Silence ensued for seconds to come as he read over it a few times more.

"You've rearranged the set up, now that you put it this way it does make a bit more sense," Rick admitted. "But I still don't quite get the meaning of it it all."

"Think about it," Heiji said. "The first part of the riddle is hidden with misdirection and deception, that alone links the two separate phrases together."

"Nice find," Rick commented. "But you said you knew where they would strike next, mind sharing?"

"Starlest."

"Say what?"

"Their next showing will be at Starlest, I'm certain of it."

"But why," Rick asked. "The thief already completed a successful heist there."

"We can't be sure that last incident was done by the person who left the riddle."

"Ok, let's say this deduction of yours is correct," Rick said. "Why Starlest?"

"That's where the riddles were left to be found," Heiji replied. "But don't get too caught up in it."

"What do you mean?"

"If what I think is correct, whatever is set to occur at Starlest will be nothing but a dry run."

"Dry run," Rick questioned looking back to the road. "What do you mean by that?"

"Haven't you been following along, the culprit wants us to focus our attention to the targeted facility," Heiji continued. "In this case being Starlest, this of course is to keep our attention elsewhere while they prep for their true heist."

"And how can you be so sure of this?"

"The second part of the riddle all but confirms this," Heiji replied. "Though hints have been dropped, I'm still unsure of the where."

Rick took another look at the second part of the riddle, reading it for himself.

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, at the Affair shall I appear," Rick read. "You're right, it does sound as if they're planning something big."

"And I can't quite pin point the where, especially when I still haven't accounted for all elements within the riddle," Heiji said. "Particularly the (1) directly after red, I'm sure there's some significance to it."

"So what happens now," Rick asked. "We contact Mr. Ellson and let him know about this latest development?"

"We will, but first answer me this," Heiji said tucking the notepad back into place. "How many Starlest facilities are located here in Gotham?"

He was hard at work, taking ample amount of time in digging up what he could on the subject at hand. Most of what was found was typical and expected, only coming across small details worth mentioning. The door cracked open from the other side of the room, keeping his sights to the screen as the sound of someone approaching became apparent.

"How are things coming along?"

"Little progress Alfred," Conan replied. "But I might have something note worthy, in regards to the Resplendent Quetzal in particular."

"What have you learned?"

"The Resplendent is one of the more well known birds from the Trogonidae circle," Conan informed. "For starters it's the national bird of Guatemala, even having a place on their flag."

"That's quite the find."

"I also found an interesting story, a mythology if you will."

"Carry on."

"According to legend, the Resplendent Quetzal was looked upon as a figure of worship or a divine."

"Like a god?"

"Simply put," Conan confirmed. "There's much to the story, but the fine details are what stand out."

"Which is?"

"What its main feature represents," Conan replied. "For example its green tail feathers are a symbol for spring plant growth."

"I see."

"Then you have the ancient Maya and Aztecs who viewed the quetzal as the god of the air," Conan added. "Symbolizing goodness and light."

"Am I to assume this legend has something to do with the events leading to Salomon's Green's death?"

"I can't say for sure," Conan replied. "But with the blood of a resplendent quetzal making an appearance at the scene, I'd say that warrants for a look."

"I'm inclined to agree."

"If there is some kind of ritual in this regard, I haven't found it yet."

"Keep at it," Alfred said. "If there is something to find, you will."

"Hopefully something that leads us to whoever is responsible for the murder of Salomon Green," Conan replied. "From the intensity of the crime, I'm getting the vibe this was the first act of many to come."

"That's not too far fetched."

"Which means finding this guy before he kills again."

After a measurable amount of time spent on the road they had finally reached their destination, pulling into the large parking lot which was already next to full. They exited the car once parked, turning for the building standing in the wait.

"This is it," Rick said with the close of the door. "Welcome to Living Green."

"Did you call and let them know we'd be coming?"

"I've always preferred the surprise approach."

"Right after you."

The two moved on with nothing further, advancing toward the entrance with a step up to the sidewalk. They quickly gained ground, only a matter of time before they were to reach the doors. He looked to him as they walked, seeing something in him he hadn't before.

"He's so different than most, so direct and decisive.. yet calm," Rick thought in the mist of the moment. "This string of sheer raw talent is hard to come by, especially in youth such as he."

Not once did he take notice of him, his mind completely fixated on the task presented before them. They reached the doors within moments, stepping inside to see several other individuals strolling about.

"Now," Heiji said looking around. "Where to find a manager."

"That's a really good question," Rick said having a look himself. "There should be someone close we could talk with."

"How about that clerk there." Heiji pointed.

"That'll do."

The two of them made their way across the room, careful as not to make contact with some who darted past.

"A lot of someone must be in a hurry."

"Or we've walked in on a day where things are on sale." Heiji said taking note of the advertising signs.

"That to is a possibility." Rick said noticing the signs as well.

They stepped around a stand of plants which posed a strong scent, walking over to greet the clerk who stood behind the register.

"Hello there," Rick said upon coming stopping. "Could you point us in the direction of your mushrooms?"

"Most certainly," The young man said in response. "They are located in the outside part of our department."

"Which is where?"

"Follow the wall there, it will take you to a door leading to the back." He instructed pointing to the left.

"And how might we get in contact with a manager," Rick asked. "We have a couple questions we'd like to ask."

"Hold on, I'll get one to this register immediately."

"Appreciate the help."

He then turned, coming to find him looking over something that was on his phone.

"Who's that there," Rick asked coming to his side. "Someone you know?"

"Not exactly," Heiji replied. "But it is someone I'm hoping to find."

"Let me guess," Rick said. "Another case you're fiddling with on your multi task list."

"You could put it that way."

He overheard the two speak, immediately recognizing the person in question after laying his eyes down to the phone from where he stood.

"Hold on, I've seen that person before."

The two of them turned at the sound of the voice, coming to find it was the same clerk they had just spoken with.

"You've seen this woman," Heiji said holding out his phone. "Are you positive?"

"Undisputedly," He confirmed with a nod. "I recognize her apparel, she tends to wear that same outfit every time she drops in."

"And when was the last time you saw her?"

"Three days ago if I'm not mistaken."

"What do you know about her?" Heiji asked pushing for information.

"Not much, you should probably ask Steve about her," The clerk suggested. "He talks with her every time she comes in."

"Does this Steve have a last name?"

"Matthews, Steve Matthews."

"Would he happen to be working today?"

"No, and he's off for the next two days."

"What about the woman," Heiji asked. "Has he ever mentioned her name to you?"

"... Sam, I belive that's what he addressed her by," He replied. "If I'm not mistaken."

"What about a last name?"

"If he knows, never mentioned it to me," The clerk replied. "Why do you want to know, is she in some kind of trouble?"

"No, just want to talk."

It was at that moment that his phone began to ring, stepping off to the side as he answered. Heiji could only stand in wait, watching as he engaged in conversation.

"What a lucky break this is, having her name speaks volumes," Heiji thought. "Pending that the information holds true, we're just that much closer to tracking this woman down."

The conversation had been brief, setting his phone away with a deep breath. He could see the disturbance in his eyes, knowing something wasn't right.

"What's wrong, did something happen?"

"That was Mr. Ellson of Starlest," Rick answered. "He wants us to meet with him right away."

"For what?"

"It seems you were right," Rick replied. "The thief has left their next mark."

"A thief, what's going on?" The clerk asked.

"Don't worry," Heiji assured. "It has nothing to do with here."

"Who are you people anyway?"

"Detectives," Heiji replied turning back to face him before reaching into his jacket. "Here's my number, would you be so kind to have Mr. Matthews call me the next time he's in?"

"Sure thing," The clerk replied. "What about the manager, what would you like me to tell her when she arrives?"

"Let her know we had somewhere to be," Rick replied. "But rest assured, we will return."

"Understood."

The two turned back for the entrance, much running through each of their minds as they pressed on for the exit.

"Any idea what was taken from the scene?" Heiji asked.

"That's the thing," Rick said. "They're unsure."

"Unsure?"

"All they've found thus far is some broken glass and a few rearranged items."

"But nothing missing?"

"Not from what I was told."

"Then I guess we'll find out when we get there," Heiji said. "Which should only be about a ten twenty minute drive from our location."

"Better make that thirty five," Rick corrected. "This Starlest is not the same as before."

"I had a feeling that'd be the case."

"Let's hurry, the sooner we get there, the better."

"Nothing missing, broken glass, and a couple items rearranged," Heiji thought. "That might just be our next hint."

The last hours were spent along the road side, taking enjoyment in the ever lasting hill tops that were passed in the process. The sight of the many people gathered around the streets in the near distance gave him the clear, knowing he was closing in on his destination.

"Looks like the carnivals just getting started, this is defiantly the place."

He slowed up in the seconds that followed, finding a place next to a public tree. He dropped down from the bike, keeping the helmet to the top of his head as to keep his appearance hidden. He pulled out a piece of paper, one filled with decisive instructions to follow. He casually made his way along the sidewalk, keeping his eyes peeled for a lone phone booth.

"According to this there should be one close."

It was then that he saw it sitting directly across the way. With no vehicles currently passing by he quickly made his way to the other side. He headed directly for the phone booth once there. He stepped inside, gazing to the ground to find a batch of yellow chrysanthemum flowers tied together with an envelope attached.

"This is it."

He reached down to grab it, feeling a spec of water touch down to his wrist upon escaping a petal. He took the time to tuck the flowers away, separating it from the envelope from them in the process. Just as he was to find what was concealed inside, the phone within the booth went off. He was almost certain who was on the other line. Thinking quickly he pulled out a small device, connecting it to the phone as he answered it.

"I'm here."

"You've done well Light Knight, it's only a matter of time before they catch on."

"What happens now?"

"Open the envelope, you're next task has been set," A faded voice spoke in response. "Remember, I'm all counting on you."

The line fell dead in the passing seconds, dropping the phone back to the hook after removing the device he'd attached to the phone.

"You have my services for now, but we'll see how long that lasts."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 87

New Trail

The time seemingly dragged along, patiently awaiting his return. He looked to the clock hanging from the wall several times over in the time that passed.

"How much longer must we wait for?"

He lowered his eyes from the clock, looking just in time to see him heading back into their direction.

"The results are finally in," Harold said upon his return. "It took some time to distinguish what kind of wood was found on his arms and back."

"So what's the verdict," Rick asked. "Are the wood chips found on his arm the same as the one found in the wound?"

"Negative," Harold replied. "The two samples are different."

"As expected."

"What are the differences between the two?" Rick asked.

"The wood found in his surrounding wound was that of red oak," Harold informed. "While on the flipped side the wood present on his body was poplar based."

"So now we have two different types of woods, that probably means there were two attackers after all."

"I don't think so," Conan said stepping from behind the table. "The wood chips around his body weren't deep enough to imply he was hit."

"The boy's right," Harold said in his agreement. "The poplar found on his back and arms seem to imply something less than force."

"Like what?"

"Maybe his body dropped , or was stalled away in something made of poplar," Conan replied. "That would explain why there were several wood bits covering his body."

"Exactly what I had in mind."

"But how can we be sure," Rick questioned. "Do you have anything additional that supports this claim?"

"Then you're not looking at the details hard enough Mr. Gates," Harold said. "Everything is laid out in front of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious," Heiji said. "The poplar found on his body doesn't appear to have been forced into his skin, unlike the oak."

"They said that before."

"Which in affect could imply after his death the body was laid away to be hidden," Conan said. "Perhaps in a coffin or crate."

"Made of poplar." Heiji finished.

"Ok, maybe you two are onto something."

"I'll have to examine the body further before we can draw any conclusions," Harold said. "But at least we're making progress."

"That's a plus," Conan thought. "But if his body was really stalled away in a poplar crate, what was it doing in Salomon's home?"

"What about this guy here," Heiji said looking back to the body. "Was there atropine found in his system as well?"

"Most certainly not," Harold replied. "But there is something else, I have not yet diagnosed what it is at this point."

"So we have a guy who was tortured and another who suffered a fatal blow to the chest, then both are left to explode postmortem," Rick said. "Why?"

"The simple answer would be to destroy evidence," Heiji said. "But I get the feeling there's more to it than that."

"As do I."

"I'll continue my assessment of both bodies," Harold said. "With any luck maybe something we missed will turn up."

"I better be heading back up," Rick said after checking the time. "I still have that other unsolved case file on my desk."

"We'll come with you," Heiji said. "There's not much more we can do until more is learned, which will take some time."

"You'll be the first to know if anything additional is learned."

"I look forward to that," Rick said. "I'll try to gain as much ground as I can."

With that the three of them made their way out past the door.

"That went well, considering."

"I'd say so myself," Rick said. "But to avoid any unwanted confrontation with any of the others, I'd tuck your little pal back into hiding."

He stopped in his tracks, looking back to see him trailing from behind.

"You know.. he's got a point."

The skyline fell darkened from the scouring clouds in the surrounding area. They had little difficulty finding there way to the window side of the apartment regardless of the little light. He reached for the window, finding it to be unlocked like it had been from his last visit. The two of them dropped into the dark room, making little to no sound.

"Everything looks the same, it's clear no one has been here post my last visit."

He quietly moved forward, following the path of the visible light from where the moon flashed. He walked on, looking to the contents laid out upon the kitchen table on the left side of the room.

"You still haven't told me why we're here."

"To investigate the disappearance of Danielle Walden and his daughter Mera," Batman replied. "This is a missing persons case."

"Several people go missing every day, what's so important about this case in particular?"

He stopped after taking another step, standing there for seconds to come.

"Because I made a promise," Batman replied. "A promise I'd find them."

"Am I to assume this is where our missing pair lived?" Robin asked.

"Which is warranted for a second search." Batman confirmed.

"And what is it we should be looking for?"

"Anything, from the most apparent portrait to the single scrap of yarn," Batman replied looking his way. "Every subtle detail must be taken in as a piece of an incomplete puzzle."

He then turned for the other side, heading towards a door on the far right. Each step taken was in proportion with the last, scanning the room from top to bottom as he moved.

"If they are truly alive there could be something here, something I may have missed shadowing to their whereabouts."

He stopped once reaching the door, wasting no time in examining the door nob, looking to the hinges to check for any damages. He found nothing out of the ordinary in the process.

"The lock and door are in well condition, this is looking less and less as a break in."

He then focused his sights to the other sections of the room, seeing his partner was already hard at work in his search.

"I think I've found something." Robin declared upon reaching the center of the room.

He kneeled down, holding out his hand to grab what was before him.

"False alarm," Robin said hearing him approach from behind. "It's just a loose button and a patch."

"Let me have a look."

"I don't see the importance, but if you insist."

He handed him both items with nothing further said. He looked them both over for a short period, placing them into an empty slot in his utility after doing so.

"You're not serious," Robin questioned. "Do you really think those have any relevance to their absence?"

"To the single thread of yarn." Batman said in response.

"I'd hardly call that evidence, they could have been laying there for months for all we know."

"Well noted, but needs to be taken in for consideration regardless."

"Where do you want to check next?"

"We go."

"What," Robin questioned. "You find two little specs and we're already on our way out?"

"We have what we need," Batman said. "Besides, everything in here looks unchanged from the last time I visited."

"And you're positive this was the last place where they were seen?"

"That is according to the complex cameras," Batman confirmed. "There was no footage captured of them leaving this building."

"And where are these cameras?"

"The parking lot, front entrance, and the elevators."

"What of the stairwell?"

"Where I'm assuming they exited or were apprehended," Batman said. "That is the only section of this department without the luxury of surveillance."

"And you've checked the stairs for yourself?"

"Enough not to feel the need to look again," Batman replied. "Come, we've spent enough time here as it is."

He turned back for the window, exiting just as quietly as they had upon entering. He did just the same, following in his foot steps.

"What a waste of time this turned out to be."

After a lengths time of navigating the skies, the clouds released a shallow rain which lightly touched down with a soft grace. This lasted for several hours, mellowing down into the phase of dawn. He awoke with little sun to be seen, already seated in place as he continued his examination of the samples obtained. Another sweep was ran, not taking long for the results to feed back to him.

"Still nothing."

In some ways it was what he was expecting to receive, the same results again and again. He was joined shortly there after, hearing the sound of the door crack open shortly there after.

"You're up awfully early, I expected you'd be in bed for at least another hour or so."

"I can't put this on hold any longer Alfred," Bruce said. "Finding out the connection between the blood and the emblem left on the wall is most staggering."

"Have you gotten any closer to uncovering what it means?"

"Unfortunately I'm still in the process of that," Bruce replied. "I've already scanned through multiple species, ranging from insects to even bats."

"It's only a matter of time."

"I've launched another scan, which will account for all reptilian DNA."

"And if that's not a success?"

"That would leave one final group to search," Bruce replied. "Birds."

"I wish you the best of luck," Alfred said. "But that's not why I'm here, I've come with another subject in mind."

"I'm listening."

"I received a call this morning from a representative at the Halloway Future's building, they wanted to thank you for the endorsement." Alfred informed.

"I see."

"They also wanted to know if you would be interested in attending the party opening in the coming weeks," Alfred continued. "As far as delivering a speech of your own."

"I'll look at my schedule and then get back to them, later this week of course."

"I'll let them know right away."

"Thank you."

He left the room from there, leaving the door open. The scan went underway in the seconds that followed. He closely watched as more and more reptiles were blacked out from the list of possibilities.

"What I don't understand is the use of blood completely unrelated to the crime," Bruce thought. "Something's got to give."

He sat in the company of his thoughts for a time to come. The sound of the door bell came clear to his ears while he sat in observation. He stood up, pushing the chair in as he did. He quickly left the room, heading directly for the front door.

"It's only ten after eight, who could possibly be here to see me this early?"

He reached the door after a couple more steps taken, opening it to find someone standing from across.

"Special delivery."

"A special delivery.. I don't remember ordering anything."

"All I need is for you to sign here Mr. Wayne."

He received a clip board and pen, doing as instructed before handing both items back.

"Will that be all?"

"That's is it," He confirmed with the shake of his head. "I hope you find your purchase to your liking."

It was then that a box was handed to him.

"You're free to call our office if there is anything wrong with your item, until next time."

He turned away, heading down the fleet of stairs he had come. He watched him for the first few moments only to focus his attention to the package given to him.

"Now, what do we have here?" Bruce thought with the close of the door.

The sound of someone trotting down from the floor above could be heard. Dropping the box to his side he turned to see who was to join him.

"You're awake."

"Who was that at the door?" Conan asked.

"A special delivery." Bruce replied.

"For who?"

He looked down at the package, coming to find who it was addressed to.

"Perfect timing," Bruce replied. "Says here it's for you."

"For me," Conan questioned. "From whom?"

"Here, why don't you have a look for yourself," Bruce said holding the box out in front of him. "If you're unsure of who sent it I could examine it first."

"Let's see here."

He dropped down from the staircase, walking over to have a look at the box himself.

"It has no return address," Bruce informed handing him the package. "Were you expecting to receive something from someone?"

"Now that you mention it, I was expecting a little mail," Conan said looking down at the box in hand. "Just not this soon."

"What have you been expecting to get?"

"A couple supplements, as some would call it." Conan replied.

He removed the tape from the sides of the box, feeling a sudden weakness come over him. His fingers dawdled in the moments that followed, hearing the sound of the box touch down to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Bruce asked in concern taking a step toward him.

"I'm fine," Conan assured. "Just a little tired is all."

He reached down for the box, bringing it back into his possession. He opened the box with little effort, revealing the contents from within.

"A pair of shades and some shoes, what do you needs those for," Bruce asked. "If you wanted, we could have gotten you some from the store."

"These aren't your ordinary shoes or every day shades," Conan stated. "They both allow for useful enhancements, like a gadget if you will."

"I see," Bruce said. "But why no return address?"

"I don't know," Conan replied. "I'll have to ask him about that."

"I'm going out on a little drive," Bruce said. "Would you mind keeping a watch out for the results?"

"Not at all," Conan replied. "I was just about to ask about that in fact, where do we stand on the matter?"

"All that is left to account for are reptiles and birds,." Bruce replied. "The scan is in affect now, so we should know soon enough."

"I'll keep an eye on it."

"If I'm needed, just call."

"Of course."

"Good, now if you will excuse me," Bruce said turning for the other side. "I have something I must do before I head out."

He moved aside, allowing for him to make his way to the kitchen. He then placed both items back into the box before making his way toward the study.

"Talk about fast shipping, I'll have to call and thank Dr. Agasa," Conan said. "There's no telling when I might need these."

Not much went on from the spot he worked, occasionally hearing the sound of someone moving past from the other side of the wall. Just as he was to have a seat in front of the computer the door could be heard pushing off to the side. This prompted him to turn around, coming to find the two of them entering the lab.

"Back so soon, you two must be very anxious to learn the conditions surrounding this case."

"Indeed we are."

"Where's your other little friend," Harold asked. "I was half expecting you'd bring him along again."

"Not this time, he has somewhere to hang for the time being."

"Have you learned anything since the last we met?" Rick asked.

"I try never to disappoint detective Gates," Harold replied. "I now know the true cause of death in the case of the first victim."

"Are you saying the wooden stake to his chest didn't do him in?"

"That was done postmortem, for what purposes I do not know at this time."

"Give it to us straight," Heiji said. "What happened?"

"There were high traces of orellanine found in his system," Harold informed. "From the amount found, I'd say he received regular dose of it over a few day period."

"Which ultimately lead to respiratory heart failure, correct?"

"Right you are Hattori."

"You mean to tell me he was poisoned," Rick asked. "What about the place of death, were you able to distinguish that?"

"Not an exact location, but I did find something else worth mentioning," Harold informed. "Found surrounding his body rested mushroom residue."

"Mushrooms, of course," Heiji said. "Were they all of the same brand?"

"No, I've accounted for five different types thus far."

"So the guy was slipped some poisonous mushrooms," Rick said. "I hardly see how that leads us to where he was killed."

"Then don't look at it as a whole," Heiji said. "This in the least narrows down the playing field."

"Come again."

"Like Mr. Jones said, mushroom residue was found on his body," Heiji said. "It's one thing to have poison in your system, but another to have pieces of the material used in the death connected to ones body."

"I don't follow."

"Tell me," Heiji said with a step taken. "How many facilities usually carry around poisonous mushrooms, particularly in an environment such as this?"

"You're right, stuff like that is usually imported from out of state," Rick said with the snap of his finger. "That's not something you can easily come by."

"Which means coming up with a list of all places in this city that carry or have access to mushrooms," Heiji said. "Then we'll be a step closer to finding out what played a hand in our mystery persons death."

"And you're certain some kind of mushroom is what killed him?" Rick asked looking back toward Harold.

"Not the mushroom, but rather a fungi," Heiji answered. "Orellanine is a crystalline alkaloid which is found in certain fungi's, which was most likely attached to the mushrooms the victim was forced to take."

"Thanks for the quick run down," Harold said. "And very true."

"So, he died from some kind of fungi?"

"That's right," Harold confirmed with the shake of his head. "I hope you can put this information to good use."

"More so than you may think," Heiji said. "We'll leave you to the comfort of your lab, we now have some stops to make."

"Right behind you." Rick said as both turned for the door.

"Be sure to drop in later some time," Harold said. "There's no telling what I might have for you."

"We'll keep that option open," Rick said glimpsing back. "Later captain."

He was the second of the two to make his way out, looking forward to see him gazing over something in hand.

"What's that you've got there?" Rick asked coming to his side.

"The note of riddles left for the employees at Starlest."

"Have you been able to untwine the true meaning for each one?"

"I'm still working on that," Heiji replied. "Just thinking about it left me awake for the majority of last night."

"Why don't you seek some help from that little detective friend of yours?"

"You're not serious are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be," Rick replied with a slap on the shoulder. "He's one bright kid, and that's a compliment."

"I'll be sure he receives your praise," Heiji said. "But on the topic of things, where do you suggest we begin our search?"

"That's a good question," Rick replied. "I know just the guy who might be able to point us in the right direction."

The last set of profiles had generated the same results as before, coming to yet another dead end. He sat back as the final scan proceeded, feeling the urge to fall completely under in the process of waiting. Ten minutes quickly turned into untimely hour. Before he knew it his eyes had closed, drifting away with little to the mind. It was then that the computer alarm ring loudly, flashing his eyes wide to see what was laid onto the screen.

"Match," Conan read pushing up with a renewed energy. "We now have a match to the blood that was on the wall."

He reached for the computer mouse, pressing down to view the inner details of the findings. The profile that came to the screen came as a surprise, far from what he was expecting to see.

"This is far from the left field, which raises questions more than anything," Conan said. "I better call Bruce and let him know."

"Let him know what?"

He looked across the way to see Alfred had entered the room.

"We now know the type of blood that was present at the scene," Conan informed. "It belongs to a bird known as the Resplendent Quetzal."

"A Quetzal?"

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 86

Aftermath

"Another corpse, where?" Tim asked.

"It was found beneath the rubble in the aftermath of the explosion."

"Are we to assume this person found was dead prior to the explosion?"

"I have no real insight to the circumstances," Bruce replied. "And we won't know until an autopsy is done."

"Speaking of bodies, the results came back in on Eldelmon," Dick informed. "The cause of death was a heart attack."

"What about those three who went in to see him around the time of his death," Bruce asked. "Do you believe they had any involvement?"

"Unless they used some kind of opiate, which we have no knowledge of," Dick said. "At least not at this point."

"What about the condition of the body," Heiji asked. "How would you explain its appearance?"

"I didn't see the body for myself, only overheard two officers discussing it," Bruce replied. "When asked for details they rejected to comment."

"No surprise there," Dick said. "After all, it is a murder investigation."

"And when you throw in a margin of drugs, you have a recipe for police force secrecy." Bruce stated.

"Now we'll have to wait for the inner details," Conan thought. "No telling what the time table will be for that."

"Why don't we take a drop in now," Heiji said. "I could give detective Gates a call, he should be authorized to go over any of the evidence found at the crime scene."

"Couldn't have thought of something better," Dick said in agreement. "What do you say Bruce?"

"I see no problem in it," Bruce replied. "Not only does it free up time, but cancels out another trip I planned to make tonight."

"I take that as a yes." Heiji said.

"In the case of that, why don't I give you a ride to the station," Dick offered."I had already planned on driving through that area anyway."

"There's no declining that."

"Mind if I come along," Conan asked. "I'd like a closer look at things myself."

"Fine by me." Dick said. "We might need an extra set of eyes."

"Where's this mutual friend of yours now?" Conan asked looking to his opposite shoulder.

"Last we spoke, he was at the office going over details of the case he's been handling," Heiji replied. "The one revolving around the events that occurred at Starlest."

"Good, then maybe he's still there."

"I'll give him a call."

He stepped off to the side from there, pulling out his phone in the process."

"Now that we've got that all sorted, I think it's about time I went my way as well."

"Where to?" Conan asked.

"I've got a blind date with a special woman at the Stepler Cavern." Tim replied.

"Sounds promising," Dick said. "Think she'll actually show?"

"That's what I'm hoping for," Tim said. "It's long overdue we brought this scavenger hunt to an end."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Not necessarily," Tim replied. "Regardless, getting Heiji to the evidence lab is just as important."

"What about you?" Dick asked looking toward Bruce.

"The first thing is to compare the blood found at the scene," Bruce replied. "Something has to match that blood used in the postmortem decory of the wall."

"What about that symbol found on the wall," Tim asked. "Have you found any leads to its true meaning?"

"Not yet, all searches are pending the results of the crucial blood type," Bruce replied. "The possibilities are endless, hopefully this next step will shed light on this ordeal."

"You're not suggesting?"

"A ritual is always a possibility," Bruce said. "Just keeping all possibilities open."

The door to the room reopened in that instance, all looking to see him re-enter

"Just got done speaking with detective Rick."

"And?" Dick asked.

"He gave me the ok," Heiji replied. "We're supposed to meet him in the lobby at the Gotham police department."

"Then let us not keep him waiting."

"Where is this forensics lab holding the bodies located," Conan asked. "At the station itself?"

"That's what I was told," Heiji confirmed. "Located on one of the lower levels of the facility, haven't seen it for myself though."

"There's a first time for everything," Dick said. "Now what do you say we get this thing on the road?"

"No arguments here."

"How far is the station from here?" Conan asked.

"Clear across town," Dick replied. "How long it takes to get there will depend on traffic."

"Gotcha."

"We've delayed for long enough," Dick said before turning back to face the other two. "I'll contact you with any information we're able to learn."

"Ditto." Tim said in response.

"Come," Dick said turning for the door. "We have a long trip ahead of us."

"Right behind you." Heiji said following his lead.

He took a few steps in their tracks before looking back once more.

"Good luck at the cavern." Conan said.

He then walked off, closing the door on his way out.

"Think they'll have any luck with the forensics?"

"I'm certain they will," Bruce replied. "There's always something to find."

"On another note, with both Jefferson and Salomon dead we only have two leads to whoever is responsible," Tim said. "Norio Hue and."

"Cobblepot." Bruce finished.

"Either one could have played a part in their deaths."

"There's nothing conclusive to back that claim, from what we know they were all intertwined in one large business deal," Bruce said. "That's not to say things didn't became sour between the parties involved."

"It's about time we payed these two a visit, in the coming days sounds proficient," Tim said. "The last thing we want is the rise in body count."

"Penguin is mine," Bruce declared. "I'll leave the task of hunting down and questioning Norio Hue to you."

"Loud and clear."

He then turned for the other side of the room, wasting no time in making his way around the desk to find himself a seat in front of the computer.

"What are you doing now?" Damian finally spoke after a long period of silence.

"It's time we generated some much needed results," Bruce replied. "Which means analyzing the blood."

"I still don't understand the misuse in time, why create that drawings on the wall if their intent was to blow the place," Damian questioned. "Why make the drawings in the first place if no one would see it?"

"Everything doesn't always fall in place, this is one chapter we'll have to figure for ourselves," Bruce replied. "Between the blood sample and the symbol created with its use I believe lies the hidden meaning, or message."

"What kind of meaning?"

"I think that's pretty self explanatory," Tim said. "It's to signify something, a hint to his next move even."

"Or to let us know something about himself," Bruce added on. "Whatever the case we don't have time to dawdle, there's no telling when he'll resurface."

"Let's hope we can put one of these to rest come nights end." Tim said checking his watch.

"You actually think this woman will show up at this cavern?" Damian asked.

"According to the guy who worked the bar she was there last night, and appearers every other day," Tim said. "So there's a chance she might not be there, going off of what we've been told."

"And if she does?"

"Plant a tracer on her of course," Tim replied. "There has to be others she's collaborating with, planting a tracer could lead us right to them."

"Sounds legitimate enough," Damian remarked. "Now all we need is for her to make an appearance."

"That's what I'm anticipating," Tim said. "Speaking of which, I think it's about time I headed that way."

"Why so soon," Bruce asked. "There's still an ample amount of time before nine."

"I'd like to set up before hand."

"It never does hurt to be early," Bruce said. "Would a ride be serviceable at this time?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I've got it covered," Tim replied. "You're free to focus strictly on that blood."

"Which is time," Bruce said setting his sights to the screen. "To begin the search."

The doors slid aside upon his arrival, just like any other day. He took the first few moments to scour the room from where he stood, trying to locate where he was.

"Over here." A voice spoke from across the room.

He looked to see him waving over at him

"Detective Gates, so glad to see you." Heiji said heading his way.

He walked with persuasion and a sense of care, feeling the weight bearing down just below his chest.

"You're here awfully quick from the last we spoke," Rick said. "You must have already been on the way when you called."

"That, or I had the luxury of a driver who knows the streets from in and out," Heiji said. "Short cuts always make for great time management."

"Spoken for the truth my friend," Rick said. "Why don't I get you to the lab, after all that's what has brought you here."

"Your lead." Heiji said with the nod of his head.

He followed him to the door leading to the stairwell, moving off to the side as he watched him unlock the door with the use of a key.

"Almost forgot you guys keep this door locked."

"Security measures of course."

"As I've been told."

"Right after you." Rick said stepping aside with the open of the door.

He walked in from there, stopping once reaching the stairs themselves.

"Down there, correct?"

"That'd be the location of the lab," Rick confirmed taking the lead once again. "Though I must know, why do you want to see these two bodies in particular?"

"This case interests me," Heiji replied. "I saw it being covered on the morning news and wanted to get down here as soon as I could."

"I figured it'd be something to that affect."

"So what do we know thus far, anything uncovered I should know about?"

"I know just about as much as you involving this case," Rick said in response. "This is my first time coming down here since the time the bodies were shipped to our lab."

"I see."

They continued downward. He carefully took each step at a time, tightly wrapping his arms from one side of his chest to the other. Rick took notice of his shift in posture, not entirely sure what to make of it.

"This kid sure is acting strange today."

After another spiraling turn and a sequence of stairs they finally reached the bottom. They continued down a long hall, not coming to a stop until reaching a large steel door.

"So what happens from here, we give this thing a knock?"

"In most cases, yes," Rick said reaching into his pocket. "But when you have a security level four clearance card, that's not necessary."

"Even better." Heiji said watching as he swiped the card across the handle.

A subtle beep followed with the unlock of the door.

"You first." Heiji insisted.

The two moved on once again. The pattern in the way he walked from the time they had exited the stairwell was most noticeable. They passed an automatic door on their travels which lead to another long space of area. He knew they were fast approaching, smelling the potent odor that drifted through. They finally stopped once reaching a heavily enforced glass door.

"Another task for your reliable card I presume?"

"That and typing in the right code." Rick said pointing down to a security key pad attached to the door.

He wasted no time in typing the code, finishing it off with the slide of his card.

"And here we have the GCPD forensics lab," Rick said. "Now, without further adieu."

The two stepped in, allowing the door to close from behind. He immediately brought his attention to the four steel tables lined up at the wall across from where they stood. Each had something resting on it, covered with a blanket.

"I'm betting two of those are our guys."

Something from the right caught his attention, looking to the far side of the room to see someone sitting in front of a computer.

"I see you're hard at work as always captain."

He turned at the sound of his voice.

"Detective Gates, what a surprise this is."

He stood up from where he sat, the two standing in wait as the man with long shaggy brown hair approached.

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Not at all, I was just rounding up the results from the latest report," He said in response. "You don't usually bring guests, who is this with you?"

"He's the kid I told you about, the one helping me take on the diamonds case," Rick clarified. "The name's Heiji."

"Nice to meet you Heiji," He said holding out his hand. "I'm Harold Jones."

"And also the laboratory analyst." Rick added.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Heiji said shaking his hand.

"So what brings you down here," Harold asked directing his attention back to Rick. "Is there something you need examined in regards to the case you're working?"

"I'm actually here on behalf of Hattori." Rick pointed out.

"And what is it I can help you with?" Harold said facing him.

"I was told the two bodies found at the recent explosion site were brought here for examination," Heiji replied. "I was wondering if you could give me the run down on what you've been able to diagnose thus far."

"I'd be more than happy to," Harold said. "But I do have one question for you."

"I'll answer anything you may want to know."

"Can you please explain to me the bulkiness of your jacket," Harold asked. "Is it a trending new style amongst your age group these days?"

"I noticed that too," Rick said. "It's a very awkward look to say the least."

"Oh that," Heiji laughingly said. "It's not exactly a style, but rather."

He reached for his zipper, pulling downward to reveal what was hidden from beneath.

"It's just this kid."

"Who the hell is that?!" Rick exclaimed watching as a young boy dropped to the ground.

"He's my.. I'm watching him for a close relative."

"That's all good and said, but why did you bring him here," Rick questioned. "This is far from authorized."

"Sorry, but I had no one to watch him for the time being."

"How nice of you to join us," Harold greeted. "And what is your name?"

"Conan, Conan Edogawa," Conan replied. "Junior detective."

"A stalled away junior detective," Rick muttered. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had this planned from the start."

Heiji found humor to this with a light laugh in response.

"Looks like we'll have to amplify our security." Harold jokingly said.

"Would it be ok if he stayed for the procedure," Heiji asked. "He's usually good at not getting in the way."

"Usually," Rick questioned with the cross of his arms. "How many crime labs have you and your little buddy here infiltrated exactly?"

"I didn't mean it in that regard."

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Harold finally spoke on the matter.

"Come on, just this one time," Heiji plead. "Besides, he has the stomach for this kind of stuff."

"How so?" Rick asked with the narrow of his eyes.

"On the TV," Conan replied. "I've always wanted to see the real thing."

He took the next few moments to access the situation, giving him the nod after coming to a decision.

"It's against the rules for civilians to be in here, let alone minors," Harold said. "But I'll let it pass just this one time, and only this time."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

"As do I." Conan added.

"Let's just be thankful the surveillance in this room is currently down," Harold said. "I'd hate to have to explain myself to Lucas."

"The surveillance is down in this room?" Heiji asked.

"That's right, since the time I clocked in this morning," Harold confirmed. "Though things should be up and running by mid night."

"What a coincidence," Heiji thought. "It seems everywhere we go there's some kind of security problem."

"What do you say we get this started," Harold said turning for the other side of the room. "I have yet to make my final inspection of the bodies, so they're still resting on the lab tables there."

They followed him over to the first table, watching as he pulled the blanket to reveal what was underneath.

"This is it," Harold said. "The body of the second victim, Salomon Green."

"The second victim," Heiji questioned. "Are you saying Salomon was the second of the two to die?"

"That's right," Harold confirmed. "From the tests run, I'd say there is about a three day gap in between the time of both of their deaths."

"Guess that rules out the intruder Bruce came across." Conan thought.

"If Green died second, then who was victim number one?" Heiji asked.

"We haven't come up with an identification yet, and the severe burns from the explosion has made it difficult to do so," Harold replied. "So we've resulted to focusing in on his dental, that might be the easiest way to get a match to who they were."

"Let's hope that leads to something." Rick said.

"So can you tell us what his last hours were like," Heiji asked. "Particularly in the hours right before his death?"

"As a matter a fact I can," Harold replied. "I was able to detect certain components within the body that were unusual?"

"Some kind of drug?" Conan asked.

"Clever guess my boy, that would be it," Harold confirmed. "An over dose of atropine to be exact."

"That's unexpected."

"I also checked the physical condition of his structure."

"And?"

"From what I was able to find, I'd say Mr. Green endured several hours of physical torcher leading up to his death."

"And looking at the situation, we can also assume mental tactics were applied," Conan said. "Atropine can act as a hallucinogen if over exposed to the body."

"A very clever deduction my lad," Harold commented. "You're very acute minded for someone your age if I must say."

"Thanks." Conan smilingly said in response.

"I think it's safe to assume this is more than just your every day homicide," Heiji said. "Since he was kept alive for a period, someone must have wanted something from him."

"That seems to be a rationale conclusion," Rick said. "Now to figure out the why."

"That wraps up the condition of Mr. Green," Harold said sliding the sheet back into place. "Now why don't we have a look at our second subject?"

They followed him to the next table located on the right, stopping after reaching it. He did as he had done with the last, removing the blanket from atop the body for all to see. The appearance of the figure was just as unrecognizable as the other.

"And this here my friends is our mystery man." Harold said.

"You claimed he died days before the explosion, have you been able to diagnose the cause?" Heiji asked.

"One clean blow to the chest," Harold replied. "Mini wood chips were found within the deep opening of his chest, indicating a wooden object of some kind was used in the assault."

Hearing this he looked down to the chest area, noticing the large open area.

"I get that much," Rick said. "But what was his body doing in Salomon's home?"

"I'm afraid that's something you'll have to uncover for yourself detective," Harold replied. "I have no answer for you at this moment."

He slowly walked around the table, carefully examining every detail that came to sight, Looking any distinguishing details not yet accounted for. He kept in mind the alteration in evidence in the wake of the explosion. It was about half way that he finally stopped, noticing something scattered about upon the lower part of his arm.

"Is that... is that what I think it is?"

He took the next seconds to access the situation further, coming to find the alarming details on parts of the back as well.

"Mr. Jones, I found something really interesting." Conan called out.

"Is that so." Harold said making his way to his position.

The others followed, stepping around the lab table to join him on the right side.

"What is it that has been brought to your attention?" Harold asked.

"There," Conan pointed. "On his arm."

"I don't see anything." Rick said after taking a quick look.

"Well let's see here." Harold said leaning in for a closer look.

It took seconds for his eyes to adjust to what was in front of him, everything falling clear within the moment.

"What is it," Rick asked. "Have you found something?"

"We indeed have."

He reached into the side pocket of his jacket, pulling out a set of tweezers before reaching forward to grab hold of what was embedded within the arm.

"Well, well, what a speakable finding my boy," Harold commented. "You sure have an eye for detail little detective."

"Don't keep us in suspense," Rick stated. "What have you found?"

"More wood chips, except smaller than the last," Harold replied bringing the tweezers close to his eyes.. "No doubt about it."

"Just as expected," Conan thought. "That's one more step, but there has to be something else... something that points to where it all happened."

"That's two places now where wood was found," Rick said. "He must have been trying to defend himself from the attacker, thus resulting in the wood bits on his back and arms as well."

"We can't be too sure," Conan said from below. "It needs to be tested."

"Tested, tested for what?"

"He's right," Heiji said. "We have to clarify the wood bits found on the arm match the ones found in the fatal wound."

"Ok, but what for," Rick questioned. "Are you thinking there was more than one attacker, both using separate weapons?"

"It's a possibility."

"Or it could point to something even more disturbing." Conan said.

"I'll test it right away," Harold said standing to his feet. "Sit tight, this shouldn't take too long."

He watched as he made his way across the room for the first seconds, finding his eyes drifting elsewhere. His eyes fell to him, having a feeling inside he rarely ever got.

"I don't know if it's intention or luck, but this kid is off the charts for a child his age," Rick thought. "He's good.. maybe a little too good."

He stood there in wait, glimpsing up at his comrade who looked back in return. His confidence only grew, knowing they were reeling in the truth behind the two murders.

"I can see it in his eyes, Hattori has caught on as well," Conan thought. "It's a long shot, but this might be our most prized deduction thus far in this case."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 85

Two Count

All had frozen within that instant, stopping in his path after hearing the results read off to him.

"Not human," Bruce questioned. "If the blood isn't human based, then what?"

"Can't say, it just reads as unidentifiable," Conan replied. "Is there anything I can do to find out?"

"Leave it for now, I'll attend to it when I return," Bruce said in response. "In the mean time I want you to run a search on Ocean Sea Bound Labs, find out as much as you can about who they are and what they do."

"Business line, numbers, addresses, got it," Conan said. "Anything else?"

"For now, no."

"I'll contact you with any information gained."

"If I don't answer right away it's because I'm meeting with someone."

"Thanks for the heads up," Conan said. "Let's just hope this uncovers something case worthy."

"It will," Bruce said. "I'm sure of it."

He hung up from there, lowering the phone from his ear.

"What was that all about?" Tim asked walking up to his side.

"The results came back from the scan," Bruce replied. "The materials used to create the drawing on the wall was paint and blood."

"From the same blood on the ground?"

"Negative," Bruce replied. "According to what Conan, it's not even human."

"Not human," Heiji questioned. "If the blood sample isn't human, then what?"

"We won't know until I compare the results found with a broader search," Bruce replied. "Once I've done that I'll let you know."

"Makes you wonder what other surprises await us around the corner." Tim said.

They continued through the hall in silence, reaching the lobby a short time later. He saw him standing at the front desk, instantly recognizing the visitor.

"Lonard," Bruce said wasting no time in approaching him. "Lonard Fournier, what a pleasant surprise."

"I hope this isn't a bad time," Lonard said holding up a folder. "I don't attend on staying long, just dropped in to give you the mapped out layout for the plan we discussed."

"I've been looking forward to seeing what you had in mind." Bruce said accepting the folder.

"It took all night to finish up the final touches," Lonard said. "Let me know what you think once you've sorted through it all, you can reach me at the office if you're unable to through my cell."

"Nonsense," Bruce said. "I'd love to hear what you came up with first hand."

"Let's see," Lonard said checking his watch. "I do have some time to spare, where do you propose we discuss this?"

"No better place than my office." Bruce replied.

"Very well," Lonard said noticing the two at his side. "Who are these young gentlemen with you?"

"Heiji Hattori," Heiji greeted. "I don't necessarily work here, but I have come to Gotham on business."

"Nice to meet you."

"And this is Tim," Bruce introduced. "Someone you'll occasionally see around the office from time to time."

"I look forward to working with you as well." Lonard said.

"Right this way Mr. Fournier, I think you'll find my office to be most comforting."

"Of course," Lonard said turning to follow. "Until next time."

The two of them took off from there, heading straight for the elevator on the right side.

"What now?" Heiji asked.

"We have some researching to do, but first," Tim said looking his way. "We have a stop to make."

The search carried on for several minutes before finally putting it on hold, shutting down the computer before dropping down from the chair. He left the room, softly closing the door in the process.

"I see you've finally finished."

He turned at the sound of his voice, looking to see him standing aside the staircase.

"What did you turn up?"

"I wasn't able to generate any results on Ocean Sea Bound Labs," Conan replied. "Whoever they are, they won't be found with the simple use of the search engine."

"And the profiles?"

"I put it on hold for now."

"That lab you mentioned, what relevance does it serve to us?" Damian asked.

"Don't know yet, it was something Bruce asked me to look into."

"And you're certain there was nothing to find on this place?"

"Not on a casual search," Conan replied. "If you asked me I'd say whoever is running things wishes not to be found."

"We'll see how long that works out for them."

In the mist of finishing his sentence the front door pushed open, both looking to see he had arrived.

"Got here as fast as I could," Dick said entering with the close of the door. "Where's everyone else, are you the only two here?"

"Alfred should be around, Bruce on the other hand went out on some business," Conan informed. "From the sounds of it he shouldn't be too long."

"Not surprising, he did mention something about Wayne Enterprises this morning."

"That's where he is," Conan confirmed. "Mind telling us what you've uncovered?"

"Very well," Dick said removing a bag from his shoulder. "We'll start with the captured surveillance footage."

"Do you know how those visitors the night of Jefferson's death got past security?"

"Turns out the hospital was notified before hand that they'd be coming in at that time, and had already given them the ok."

"Does that include the woman who came in minutes after the first two had left?"

"Affirmative."

"I for one find it odd they'd allow for visitations at that time of day," Damian said. "And it only adds suspicion when you end up with a dead man."

"I think we can all agree on that," Dick said. "But that's not the biggest connection I came to find upon further review."

"This should be good." Conan said watching as the bag was zipped open.

He reached inside, pulling out a a few sheets of paper.

"Here we are."

"What's this?" Damian questioned.

"The results," Dick replied. "We now have the knowledge of what caused Jefferson Eldelmon's death."

"Some more needed news," Conan commented. "So what's the scoop?"

"Why don't you have a look for yourself," Dick said holding out the folder. "It's all here in the file."

He took the set of paper into his possession, wasting little time in looking down to view the content before him.

"Says here he died from a heart attack, what a way to go," Conan said. "On the bright side, it could have been worse."

"Don't stop there," Dick said. "There's another sheet I think you better take a look at."

He did as suggested, bringing the sheet from underneath to the top to get a clear view of it.

"A cat scan of a brain," Conan said looking it over. "Is it of Mr. Eldelmon's?"

"That is correct."

"On who's request were these shots taken?"

"Upon mine," Dick answered. "Thanks to a mutual friend I was able to get in touch with."

"The volume levels in the prefrontal cortex of his brain were noticeably low at the time of his death." Conan said looking over the image once again.

"And that suggests?" Damian questioned.

"Could be a number of things, plumbism for example," Conan said with a pause. "Wait a minute.."

"What's wrong?" Damian asked.

"Low volumes in the prefrontal cortexe, isn't that just like the."

"Other victims who sustained fatal heart attacks in the past few months," Dick finished. "It seems the lead poisoning driven heart attack has claimed yet another life."

"That's right," Conan recalled. "You told me about it the first day I arrived."

"Eldelmon isn't the only one who passed away with the same shown affects in the past week," Dick informed. "Eighteen others to be precise."

"That's frequent for something that supposed to be a rare cause of death," Conan said. "I think it's time we really focused in on this."

"Don't tell me you guys actually think someone is behind this."

"Maybe not intentionally," Dick said. "But something must be causing these recent chain of events."

"Or it's just coincidence."

"You said these fatal heat attacks began in Japan, where did it escalate to next?" Conan asked.

"After the first five, the next ten occurred within the following three days," Dick informed. "Which ranged from western India all the way to Rhode Island."

"And they all showed sufficient brain damage?"

"Indeed, that's the common fact." Dick confirmed.

"How many have passed away from this up until this point." Conan asked.

"Over one twenty in the past three months combined, possibly more," Dick replied. "Several people die from heart complications on a weekly basis, it would be next to impossible to track down every incident that matches our trend."

"Not to mention running brain tests on every patient who suffered a heart attack would be next to unnecessary in most cases."

"Did any of these people have heart problems prior to their deaths?" Damian asked.

"Only a small margin." Dick replied.

"Still think this is coincidence?" Conan remarked.

"Let's say it's not," Damian said. "Who or what should we be looking for as the source of the problem?"

"That's the thing," Dick smilingly said. "I haven't quite figured that out, no one has."

"No one," Conan questioned lowering the paper down to his side. "Who else has taken notice of this besides us?"

"You might find it surprising, but quite a few people actually," Dick informed. "Most of them working in the medical field, the other small percentage being in the law enforcement."

"If that is true, then how come none of this has been broadcasted?"

"Maybe not yet," Dick said. "But at the rate we're going, it's only a matter of time before this story gets some real face time."

"Which means it is time to start producing some answers." Conan said.

Things went along smoothly. He took his time in critiquing everything that was laid out in front of him, taking a liking to most of what was presented. He reached the final sheet of mapped out blue prints, giving it a close look as he had done the others.

"So," Lonard said from across where he sat. "Which fits best for the safe house?"

"This last one intrigues me greatly," Bruce replied. "Between this and the second, I'd say we have recipe for success."

"I had a feeling you'd be locked in between the two," Lonard said. "Once you've come to a decision we can begin planning for a fitting location."

"Mind if I keep a copy, I'd like the opportunity to look into these further."

"Fine by me Mr. Wayne, these so happen to be duplicates as is," Lonard said standing from where he sat. "If you don't get back to me within the next three days, I'll be sure to contact you before the end of the week."

He turned for the door located on the far side of the room, only taking a couple steps before stopping. He stood there for seconds to come, showing no sign for the delay.

"Is something wrong?"

"This is probably something I shouldn't be coming to you about," Lonard said looking back into his direction. "But if you don't mind, I'd like your opinion on something."

"Come and have a seat," Bruce suggested. "I'd be more than willing to hear what's on your mind."

"Very well."

He took him up on his offer, retaking back to the chair from across the desk. He didn't speak for the first seconds, simply resting his hands to the top of the desk with a sequence of shallow breaths that followed.

"Talk to me."

"There's somewhat of a problem, or.. at least there might be."

"I sensed a bit of distress upon your arrival," Bruce said. "Most of my associates tend to call before coming to see me."

"I apologize for that, but I found this latest development to be urgent."

"Well then, tell me what has been brought to your attention."

"I haven't been able to confirm it as of yet," Lonard began. "But I believe there to be a conspirator within the company."

"A conspirator?"

"Yes, one of our workers to be exact."

"And what has lead you to these suspicions?"

"Several company materials have gone missing over the past two weeks," Lonard informed. "Specifically from our technologies lab."

"Don't you have surveillance?"

"We've been having some problems with that."

"And who do you believe is responsible for this recent disturbance?" Bruce asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out."

"Any possibility it's an outside job?"

"I don't believe so, you have to have a security card to gain clearance to the lab area," Lonard replied. "That's where most of our top notch resources are kept."

"That doesn't mean an outsider couldn't have gotten hold of one of these cards."

"True, but an eye scan is also required when entering any of the storage rooms."

"That shoots down that possibility," Bruce said leaning back. "But why come to me about all of this, why not go to the police?"

"I don't wish for any of this to get out in the open, I wish to keep this as discreet as possible."

"I understand," Bruce said. "You're afraid whoever is behind this will lay low if they see anyone snooping around."

"I've only lived here in Gotham for three years now Mr. Wayne, and a good portion of that has been spent on business trips," Lonard said. "Who you can trust is all in the measure of time."

"Very true."

"So I'm asking, who do you trust," Lonard asked. "Who would you trust enough to go to at a time like this?"

He laid his hands to the top of the desk as well, staring directly into his eyes.

"I know just the guy who can help you put this all to rest," Bruce said. "A detective, one who helped me in a time of need once."

"I knew it'd be a good idea to come here," Lonard said reaching into his jacket to pull out a piece of paper and a pen. "And how might I contact this.. detective?"

They spent the next hours going over every detail that was before them, trying to find a link between all the victims who had suffered the same fate.

"Most of those who died from this had no prior heart problems," Conan said. "Only twenty eight of the lot had a previous heart scare before hand."

"And with all the victims recorded on our agenda, the age range averages out to about twenty seven," Dick added. "No one under the age of seventeen has died from this."

"Hopefully it stays that way," Conan said. "But the age range doesn't help us pin point what is causing this outbreak."

"True, it's too wide spread," Dick said. "Which means we'll have to focus our sights elsewhere."

"It has to be something on the move that is causing this," Conan said with a pause. "Or maybe like a product of some kind."

"And what kind of product would cause lead poisoning at such a rate," Damian questioned. "Let alone lead to heart attacks?"

"That's for us to find out, if that is in fact the case."

"The key to finding out what did this is to locate the source," Dick said. "It could be something they came into contact with, inhaled even."

"Perhaps we should look to the CT scans to answer that." Damian suggested.

"We have been, there's just nothing there linking anything to the actual cause."

"Maybe it's not the scans we should be analyzing." Conan said

"What do you mean?" Dick asked.

"We've been set on examining one small area," Conan began. "I think it's about time we expanded our search."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Their agendas, there has to be something in common they all shared," Conan replied. "Maybe something they did, somewhere they traveled."

"Smart approach," Dick commented. "You might be onto something."

"That's all well and said," Damian stated. "But how are we supposed to check every single one of their whereabouts for the past month, it's not like we were keeping tabs on any of them."

"Easy," Conan replied. "Credit cards, checks, and even flight tickets will give us a further look into what occurred in the days leading up to their deaths."

"That's a stretch."

"Of course, but it's one of the many possibilities we need to account for."

The sound of the door opening in the other room could be heard, causing them to put a hold on everything. The clang of foot steps approaching their position followed.

"I wonder who that could be."

The door opened moments later, revealing who had entered the house.

"Oh, it's just him." Conan muttered.

"Have we missed anything?" Heiji asked being the first of the two to step into the room.

"Not much," Dick replied. "Where have you been all day?"

"All over the city," Tim replied. "We've been looking into some leads, and a couple breaks here and there of course."

"Find out anything?"

"As a matter a fact we did," Heiji replied. "Turns out the woman who we've been looking for has been visiting this night club for the past few days."

"How do you figure?"

"We confirmed it with a bartender, he recognized her apparel after showing him a photo."

"How often did he claim she stopped by?"

"Every other day."

"Believe it or not, it's the same club we first gathered imagery of her." Tim added.

"What's the name of the place?" Conan asked.

"Stepler Cavern," Tim replied. "Located on the far west end of Gotham."

"Any chance she'll return again?"

"That's what we're hoping for," Tim said. "And if she does, I'll be waiting for her."

"That must mean you know her favorable visiting times." Dick said.

"Between the hours of nine and eleven." Heiji confirmed.

"Nice work," Dick commented. "What about the sniper who killed those men, any leads on him?"

"No luck in that department, I was actually hoping Shinichi here would have gained some ground in that field," Tim said looking his way. "Didn't you navigate through the database given to you?"

"I stopped searching after about two hours."

"Why's that, did you run into some difficulties?"

"No, but it would help if there was some way of narrowing down the search," Conan replied. "It was just one page after another, the same results as the last."

"Why didn't you hit control P?"

"Control P," Conan questioned. "What's that supposed to do?"

"It would have brought up the profiling dialog box," Tim informed. "From there you could have typed in any necessary information, from the height to the broadness of ones shoulders."

"That would have helped had I known before hand."

"Not to change subjects, but have you heard from Bruce," Dick asked. "I haven't been able to get into contact with him for the past few hours."

"Last time we spoke was just after six," Tim said checking his watch. "Which was a little over an hour ago."

"Any idea where he is?"

"He chose to stop by Green's place again, even though it's surrounded by the authorities," Tim replied. "My guess is he's hoping to find something he might have missed the first time around."

"He shouldn't be long, being that he said he'd meet us here from the last time we spoke," Heiji added. "Speaking of time, what have the three of you been doing here for the past hours?"

"Going over the ascending details of these recent deaths," Conan replied "The ones involving the heat attacks."

"What heart attacks?"

"There's been a series of fatal heart attacks linked to severe brain conditions," Dick detailed. "Saturnism to be exact."

"Lead poisoning and heart failure, what a rare combination," Heiji said. "I understand the concern, but what exactly is there to investigate?"

"It may seem as coincidence, but the inner details suggest otherwise."

"Let me get this straight, you think something is causing these brain deficiencies?"

"We don't have much to support it, but yes," Dick replied. "The uproar in these particular deaths does call for question."

"Which is something we'll have to put on hold for the time being."

They all turned at the sound of his voice, looking just in time to see him enter.

"Speak of the devil," Heiji said. "We were just on the topic of you."

"How did things go at the scene?" Tim asked.

"It was crowded," Bruce replied. "As expected."

"Did you find what you were hoping to see?"

"Not what I was wanting or expecting to see," Bruce replied. "But I do have something additional to share, something I had failed to come across while in the house."

"And what was it you missed?" Conan asked with a step forward.

"I should warn you, its nature is most disturbing," Bruce said. "It seems we have yet another corpse on our hands."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 84

Unexpected Results

The door advanced to the side upon him reaching it. He stopped once inside, taking the time to survey the large room from top to bottom. He shook his head in approval. He then looked ahead to see the front desk where someone stood guard. He steadily walked over with the release of his hands from the sides of his pocket.

"How may I help you today?" The clerk asked.

"Where might I find the waiting area?"

"Right down that hall there," The clerk pointed. "If you follow the trail it will lead you straight to it."

"Thanks, I appreciate your time."

He listened to what was instructed, heading toward the left side of the room. He strolled down a long hall, hearing the sound of many voices echoing throughout the large facility. He reached the waiting area soon after, entering to see him sitting at one of the many chairs throughout. He wasted little time in walking over to join him.

"You're thirty five minutes early," Tim said looking up. "We weren't supposed to meet here until eleven."

"Is there a problem?"

"Not at all," Tim replied. "Why don't rest a pair and have a seat?"

"With pleasure," Heiji said taking him up on his offer with another look around the room. "So, this is Wayne Enterprises."

"What do you think?"

"Not bad from what I've seen."

"How did you get here so soon?"

"A cab of course," Heiji replied. "How else would I have gotten here?"

"I thought you might have had one of your friends from the station give you a lift," Tim replied. "Speaking of which, how did things go with your meet with Gordon yesterday?"

"Turns out he wasn't there when I arrived," Heiji informed. "I ended up being accompanied by a man known as Detective Gates."

"I've heard of him, he's been with the GCPD for a little over a year now," Tim said. "So what exactly did you meet with Gates about?"

"He was summoned to handle a case at a place known as Starlest," Heiji replied. "I came in as the extra set of eyes, if you want to put it that way."

"What kind of case?"

"Someone's been stealing valuable jewels from companies similar to that of Starlest," Heiji informed. "They just happened to be the next chosen target."

"The next target," Tim questioned. "Is this a pattern of robberies?"

"Wasn't hard to figure, being that the one pulling the strings sends a note to each facility they plan to steal from next."

"Our list of suspects narrows down with that known mo," Tim said. "Leaving clues behind to any planned heist doesn't happen all that often."

"Sounds like you might have an idea who we're dealing with."

"Maybe," Tim said. "But I'll need to know a little more before anything can be determined."

"I actually have the note left at Starlest with me if you'd like to give it a look yourself."

"Now is as good as anytime."

"Great, I was hoping I could get your input."

He reached down to his side, searching the contents of his pocket for the folded slip of paper. It didn't take long for him to retrieve it, holding the written riddle out for him to observe.

"Here it is, this is what was left for us to find."

He took the slip of paper into his hand, setting his sights to the first riddle.

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

He glanced down at it for a period to come. After gaining small ground he finally looked to the second riddle beneath it.

"superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

Both left him in a state of thought. He looked on from his side, tapping him on the shoulder to regain his attention.

"So what do you think?" Heiji asked.

"Too early to tell," Tim replied. "But whatever this person has planned sounds big."

"My thoughts exact," Heiji agreed. "No matter how you read in between the lines, it seems to be pointing to something... something to a bigger stage than most."

"I was getting that same vibe, there next move could in deed be their true coming out party."

"That might be true."

"None of these incidents have yet to appear on the evening news," Tim said. "That may be due to what was taken, and where these events occurred."

"So you're thinking these incidents were overshadowed by the many others."

"To a certain degree, yes," Tim said in response. "Burglary has been a rising avocation, in these past couple weeks in particular."

"That might explain."

"Tell me, what happened at this Starlest?"

"That all depends," Heiji said. "Which case are we talking?"

"There was another case?"

"Turns out during our investigation of the riddles someone stole a pair of diamonds from right under us."

"Did you catch who did it?"

"Unfortunately not, they cleanly got away."

"How did that happen," Tim questioned. "Didn't they have surveillance rolling throughout?"

"They did," Heiji said. "But let's just say they were experiencing some.. technical difficulties."

"And these technical difficulties just happened to occur on the same day someone sought out a set of diamonds," Tim remarked. "Doubt it's coincidence."

"Maybe not," Heiji said. "But they had already been dealing with problems regarding their security system."

"Perhaps the one responsible knew this, taking advantage of the situation."

"Are you suggesting one of the employees?"

"Or anyone who had knowledge the security deficiencies."

"Not a large handful to say the least."

"What's your diagnoses of the situation," Tim asked. "After all you were there at the time of the crime."

"There wasn't much that called for my attention," Heiji said. "Other than this woman I crossed paths with."

"A woman huh, why don't you start from the beginning."

"The first thing I did after meeting with detective Gates was following him up to the security back room," Heiji began. "It was there where I was introduced to both Ed and Ellson the store manager."

"Did they know you'd be coming in to help?"

"Not me in particular, but they knew there'd be two of us," Heiji replied. "That's when they informed me of their plan to blend in amongst the other customers, acting as one of them."

"While checking for any suspicious activity, got it."

"Gates and I agreed to play along, it wasn't long after that I encountered the woman mentioned," Heiji continued. "We had a little run in if you know what I mean."

"All plans can't be perfect."

"The story I came up with for why I was there didn't quite hold up, thus resulting in her referring me to a few other stores I might try for better luck."

"So she gives you a list of of places, then what happened?"

"We parted ways."

"So what's the big deal," Tim asked. "I don't see what was so alarming."

"My name, she knew my name," Heiji said. "Right before returning to the second floor she addressed me by my name, without any pre knowledge of it."

"Was that all?"

"Of course not," Heiji replied. "It wasn't until after the fact that I recalled her little speech about the newly acquired synthetic diamonds Starlest had just imported in."

"And the diamonds stolen were synthetic, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Sounds like someone we should defiantly check up on, by any chance did you happen to catch her name?"

"I remember it clearly," Heiji replied. "Selina Kyle."

"I'd say we've hit the bullseye."

"I take it you know her?"

"You could say that."

"Think she was the one who stole the diamonds?"

"The fact she knew your name is an eye opener, she might have known you'd be there to investigate those riddles."

"Are you suggesting she knew about the riddles before hand," Heiji questioned. "You'd have to have inside information to know about that."

"She's a very resourceful woman."

"At first I believed both cases to be separate, but maybe..," Heiji said with a pause. "Maybe she wrote out those riddles in hopes of luring us there."

"You can put that idea to rest," Tim said. "Not her style, nor does she usually operate during that time of day."

"So now you're saying it's not her?"

"Never said she was, nor am I ready to draw any conclusions," Tim replied. "But from what I've heard from you, it alludes away from her mo how she operates."

"You're giving me a erratic mixture of possibility, forgive me if I don't follow."

"Didn't say she wasn't up to something, just not convinced she took the diamonds."

"I see."

"There's something I would like you to elaborate on," Tim asked taking a step back. "I'm still finding it hard to believe someone getting past security undetected with merchandise, shouldn't the alarms have gone off?"

"Their security linked system was experiencing a reboot at the time, in direct result of the store alarms going off," Heiji informed. "There was a man who walked out with a clothes tag clamped onto the side of his bag."

"Which I'm guessing erupted the whole scenario," Tim said. "Any idea how it got there?"

"No, and the camera's didn't pick it up how it got there either."

"Figures."

"It was about that time we presume the diamonds were taken from the glass case," Heiji said. "I was too busy examining the gentleman's baggage to really focus in on what was going on from behind."

"While you were investigating I'd assume someone was keeping guard from the security room, shouldn't they have seen something?"

"Ed was at the time, but he heard something that prompted him to depart from the room for a brief moment," Heiji replied. "Once out, he found some sound based device laying on the ground."

"Was it custom made?"

"Correct."

"Clever move by the thief if I must say."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're taking a delight to all of this."

"The road to untwine is always the fun part, not even you can deny that Heiji."

"So what now," Heiji questioned. "In the case that Selina wasn't the one who did it, who should we be looking for?"

"I've got an idea or two," Tim said. "Of course anyone else in that store could have pulled it off."

"So we're in agreement that the diamonds taken and the riddles left at the scene are unrelated."

"Agreed, I haven't heard anything that would point other wise," Tim said in response. "So what's your call, think you can tackle this one on your own or would you like my extended assistance?"

"I'm more than capable of handling this along with Gates, you have a lot on your agenda as is," Heiji replied. "But if you do happen to come across anything incriminating be sure to let me know."

"Gotcha."

"Mind telling me why you chose to invite me here," Heiji asked. "It's an interesting sight don't get me wrong."

"Wasn't my call, but he's here now." Tim said with the nod of his head.

"He?" Heiji question turning his head back into the direction he had come.

He looked just in time to see him enter the room, remaining seated as he approached.

"I see you both have already arrived, good," Bruce said finding a spot across from the two. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all," Tim said. "We kept ourselves entertained for what it was."

"I had a feeling you would."

"You wanted to see me?" Heiji asked leaning forward.

"Yes," Bruce said looking his way. "You came into direct contact with Salomon Green the night you tracked down Mr. Eldelmon, correct?"

"Yea, that's right."

"Tell me, what did you make of him," Bruce asked. "What was he like?"

".. He seemed pretty casual, like an every day guy even."

"And his relationship with Eldelmon?"

"He was one of the few to show concern for Jefferson when he showed chest complications that night."

"I see."

"I thought we were investigating the death of Jefferson Eldelmon," Heiji said. "So why do you want to know about Salomon?"

"I went to pay him a visit last night," Bruce informed. "When I arrived he was dead, strapped to a chair in barb wire."

"These guys within this circle are dropping like flies," Tim said. "I saw his home went up in flames after watching the morning news, but I didn't know we'd be dealing with something quite as disturbing as this."

"Disturbing would be putting it lightly," Bruce stated. "His genitals were missing, and someone drained him of his blood with the use of some tube which I found hanging out of his side."

"I think it's safe to say he found himself caught up in something," Heiji commented. "Any idea where they took his blood?"

"Nowhere," Bruce replied. "They allowed it to drain onto the ground where his body rested."

"And his genitals?" Tim asked.

"Nowhere to be found." Bruce replied.

"So I take it you infiltrated his home before the explosion erupted," Tim said. "At about what time was that?"

"Around midnight."

"I didn't catch the story this morning," Heiji admitted. "But I must ask, were you there at the time when the house went up in smoke?"

"Yes, but fortunately I was able to have a look around before that occured." Bruce confirmed.

"Which leads into my next question, being the how," Heiji said. "What caused the explosion in the first place?"

"Believe it or not, the blood found on the ground was mixed in with a dose of gasoline."

"This just keeps getting stranger by the second."

"It wasn't until then that I noticed a pair of wires leading to a closet in the back corner," Bruce continued. "What I found on the other side was two tanks from where the wires were attached."

"So what happened then," Heiji asked. "Some kind of timer went off?"

"Not exactly, there was someone else there besides me," Bruce informed. "The gasoline soaked floor was ignited by a lighter tossed to the ground, which of course advanced toward the tanks."

"Got it," Heiji said. "So what about this mystery guy, did you get a look at his face?"

"Too dark, but it's nothing to worry about," Bruce assured. "I collected enough from the scene which could help lead to us finding him, and anyone else involved."

"Do you know why someone would want him dead?" Heiji asked.

"I have a few ideas, but some things just aren't adding up."

"So we have a dead victim, his missing genitals, and the floor marinated in his blood," Tim said. "Did I miss any other important details?"

"There's more, I happened to come across a hidden collection of his while in the attic," Bruce informed. "There were several crates stacked about, seeing this I decided to give one of them a peak."

"And what did you find?"

"Drugs, which can be expected when you find large shipment like that," Bruce said. "But what I was surprised to see was the gnome decoratives that filled the crate as well."

"Gnomes," Heiji questioned. "You mean like the ones people use to decorate their yards?"

"That'd be the ones."

"I see, you're thinking those drugs might have had something to do with his death?"

"At first, but if that were true," Bruce said. "Why not remove the crates from the home before the explosion, there could have been much profit to gain."

"Good point," Heiji agreed. "That almost kills that as motive."

"There was one final detail I came across while examining the body."

"Can't wait to hear this."

"There was something drawn out on the wall, some kind of emblem if I'm not mistaken."

"You think it's some kind of a message left behind?" Heiji asked.

"Not a message, but rather a marking to represent their presence."

"And what did this drawing look like?" Tim asked.

"Here, why don't you have a look for yourself," Bruce said tossing a small device toward him. "I managed to take a shot of what was printed on the wall before everything went south."

He caught the squared device in hand, taking the time to look it over.

"How do you turn this thing on?"

"The power button is located on the bottom left side, holding it down should turn it on.."

He did just that, watching as an image appeared on the screen.

"What is that?" Heiji questioned after getting a look himself.

"Looks like an eye with a triangular colon in the center, representing the pupil."

"That's what I made of it." Bruce said.

"Any idea what was used to draw this out," Heiji asked. "I'd say it's blood, but you can never be too sure."

"I managed to get a swap of what was on that wall during my escape, I didn't get much," Bruce admitted. "But it should be enough."

"What's that supposed to mean," Heiji asked. "You running some kind of scan?"

"As a matter a fact I am, on the computer back at the manor," Bruce informed. "I'll know when the results come in."

"So what now?"

"We wait," Bruce replied. "I'd like to go over everything from last night's incident once more before we decide on what to do next."

"Your call." Tim said.

"On another note, how did things go in the board room?"

"Pretty good considering the short notice, Mr. Barron handled himself fairly well being that it was his first live presentation."

"What did you think of him?"

"He's a genuine guy, a perfect fit for the chief communications officer."

"I got that feeling from when I first spoke with him."

He looked at the image for a last time, taking in each detail as a whole.

"Could you go over what you saw once more," Heiji asked tossing the device back to him. "I know it was dark, but you should have been able to make out something about that guy."

"I got a few shots of him with the cowl, those photos are being processed as we speak," Bruce informed. "As far as any distinguishing details, there was none I was able to make out."

"How about a size," Tim asked. "How would you profile his figure?"

"As someone who participates in a daily routine to keep in shape," Bruce answered. "He couldn't have been any taller than five eleven."

"That's a start."

"I'd say so."

"While we've got time, why don't you tell Bruce about what happened at Starlest." Tim said.

"Are you referring to that burglary?"

"You already knew?" Heiji asked.

"It was something that was brought to my attention late last night," Bruce confirmed. "But I had no idea you were there."

"Mr. Wayne."

He turned at the sound of his name called, coming to find someone heading straight toward him.

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Not at all," Bruce said standing to his feet. "We were just talking about you Mr. Barron, I heard you did well in the small conference."

"I tried anyway."

"What is it I can help you with?"

"There's actually someone here to see you," Antonio informed. "They sent me here to let you know."

"Someone here to see me," Bruce questioned. "I don't recall having anything scheduled for now."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Antonio said. "He's waiting at the front desk for you if you do decide to meet with him."

"Let him know I'll be right there."

"Alright," Antonio said with a nod. "I'll let him know you're coming."

He took off from there, strolling back into the direction he had come.

"So what happens now, we wait for your return?" Heiji asked standing to his feet as well

"That's up to you both, I'm heading back to the mansion once I'm finished here," Bruce said. "I haven't gotten the time to really sit down and give everything an in depth look."

"I'd come with you, but I have a lot of work to do with the Red Eyed MB," Tim said pushing up from where he sat. "It should be completed within the next month or so."

"Send me a copy once you've finished, I'd like to give it a test run myself." Bruce said before turning to walk.

"Sure thing." Tim said following.

"Should I even know what that is?" Heiji asked.

"It's something I've been working on," Tim replied. "I'd show it to you, but I'm sure you'd become disinterested fairly quick."

He took a few more steps, reaching for his phone as they made their way along.

"Who are you calling?" Tim asked from behind.

"Getting the next part of this investigation underway." Bruce replied.

Each page investigated produced the same results, breathing out with a light tap of the desk before moving on once again. The sound of the clock ringed from the other room, carrying its low tuned lullaby past his ears for yet another time.

"Another hour has passed.. time sure does fly sitting around in this room."

He clicked down to the mouse once more, hearing the sound of the door slide open.

"I can't believe you're actually still in here, I thought you might have thrown the towel in on that by now."

"Never," Conan said. "This task isn't finished until we find this guy, the least I can do is go through this list of possible suspects."

"Have it your way."

"What brought you back anyway," Conan asked. "Were you hoping to find me?"

"Grayson's on his way now," Damian informed. "He said he has discovered how those visitors got past security at the hospital the other night."

"Good, at least we're making some kind of progress." Conan said as his phone rang from where it laid.

He reached over to grab it, looking down to see an incoming call from an unfamiliar number.

"Who could this be?"

After slight hesitation he decided to answer it.

"Hello."

"It's me."

"Bruce," Conan said recognizing the sound of his voice. "I was expecting I'd hear from you soon."

"I have a favor to ask."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Where are you now?"

"In the book room skimming through this database on the computer." Conan replied.

"Good, I want you to put that on hold on that for a bit," Bruce said. "I want you to run a search on an Ocean Sea Bound Labs."

"Ocean Sea Bound Labs?"

"It should be the name of a company."

"Loud and clear, I'll get on it right away." Conan said as an alert appeared to the screen followed by a beeping sound.

"What's that?"

"Whatever you had running has completed," Conan replied. "Looks like some kind of scan."

"Perfect," Bruce said from the other end. "Now open it and and tell me the results of the scan."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you run a scan on?"

"There was something drawn out on the wall at Green's home, I ran the test to see if his blood was used as a prop for that very cause."

"Gotcha, I'm on it." Conan said with a click.

He slightly leaned back in the chair, watching as a new window came to the screen. He took the next few moments to make an understanding of what was sitting before him.

"What are you seeing?"

"Looks like there were high traces of solvent in whatever you got your hands on."

"Which is one of the predominant elements in paint," Bruce said. "Looks like we've got the medium diagnosed."

"That's not it," Conan continued. "There's also traces of blood."

"That must mean he used a dose of Salomon's blood to complete his work."

"Not a chance," Conan informed. "The blood doesn't match his."

"If not his, then who?"

"Not who, but rather what," Conan corrected. "Because the blood found isn't human."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 83

Lead Into The Ashes

Gaining further access to his file wasn't hard to accomplish after some extra searching.

"He's got a little nice history there," Tim commented. "No run ins with the law at all."

"That, or he's extremely careful about how he carries himself." Conan said.

"His billing history shows little to no activity within the past four months." Bruce said.

"There must be a good reason for that."

"He received a check for thirty thousand, only to deposit that same amount two days after," Bruce said. "That was three months ago."

"Which would explain why there hasn't been any recent activity in his account," Tim said. "He must be living off of that thirty two thousand for the time being."

"Which makes it difficult to track his whereabouts," Conan said. "That also means every transaction made within the last few months was done through cash, meaning we won't be able to check for any of his recent spendings."

"One thing we do know is that he was recently working in Michigan." Tim said.

"What part?" Bruce asked.

"Don't know," Tim replied. "But it sounded like he was out there on business."

"With the lack of information regarding his recent activities, there's no telling how many other cities he might have inhabited for a period of time." Conan added.

"He's now here in Gotham," Bruce said. "Which means it's time we tracked him down."

"And how do we do that," Conan asked. "We have nothing on him."

"The easy way." Tim said lowering him back to the ground.

"The easy way," Conan questioned. "I'm betting more complicated."

"Isn't that the fun part?"

"Didn't say I was complaining."

"Fair enough," Tim said before turning toward Bruce. "Looks like we have more on our hands than at first glance."

"Then we better get started."

"Which means it's time to hit the road," Tim said turning for the other side of the room. "I'll contact you with any information in regards to Hue, if I'm able to dig up anything additional."

"Wait up," Conan said following after him. "I'll walk you to the door."

The two of them exited out from there, heading straight for the front door.

"What's up," Tim questioned. "Is there something you wanted to ask?"

"It's about your friend."

"You mean Conner?"

"Yea, that'd be the one." Conan confirmed.

"Ok, what about him?"

"I found out about his secret," Conan said. "Well, sort of."

"That's more than good to hear," Tim said. "Because we had a little wager on how long it'd take you."

"He didn't really tell me anything," Conan stated. "We were in the mist of parting ways before he could, so I didn't get any real details."

"And he told you to ask me, right?"

"Pretty much."

"I'm in a bit of a rush myself," Tim said stopping after reaching the front door. "But here."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a mini device before turning and tossing it to him.

"What's this?"

"A web database if you will," Tim replied. "It has anything you may want or need to know."

"A database?"

"I spent months renewing it from the old one I had created, it has all the names of everyone in good status," Tim informed. "As well as profiles of the lower branched criminals all the way to the high level ends."

"So why are you giving it to me," Conan asked. "Don't you need it for yourself?"

"I've got it set up on my main computer," Tim replied. "Not to mention a couple of spares."

"So why give me a copy?"

"For a couple of reasons," Tim replied. "But none more important than for the task at hand."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to go and search through each profile," Tim answered. "If we're lucky maybe he's already on our radar of fugitives."

"You mean the guy from the bus I encountered?"

"That'd be the one."

"So what happens in the case that I do pick him out," Conan asked. "Do you have a way of tracking him down?"

"That's the plan," Tim said. "I thought you might want a little something to do, beats sitting around with nothing to do?"

"Of course I don't mind," Conan answered. "Anything note worthy you need to let me know, perhaps with the navigation process?"

"It's all pretty self explanatory, nothing you shouldn't be able to figure out on your own."

"Sounds simple enough."

"If any questions may arise, be sure to give me a call," Tim said before opening the front door. "I'll do my best to answer anything that may come to mind."

He exited from there, only taking a couple steps out before turning around to face him for a final time.

"What's wrong?" Conan asked.

"Typing in his public name won't produce you any wanted results," Tim informed. "If you wish to know more about Conner, you'll have to type in his classified name."

"Classified name?"

"Kon El," Tim informed. "That being with a 'k'."

"Gotcha, I'll keep that in mind."

"Gotta get going, but I'll be stopping by soon enough," Tim said. "Good luck hunting down our guy, if you're unable to reach me you can always ask for assistance from any of the others."

He nodded in response, watching as he walked off from there. He closed the door in the seconds that followed, turning back for the house in the process.

"I don't know who we should be more worried about," Conan thought. "The hooded woman who seems to be in every direction we arrive, or the mystery man running rabid with no clear motive at this given point."

This remained on his mind as he made his way back in the direction of the study. There was no one to be seen upon his return, only the sight of the laptop computer which still sat in place was present in the room.

"That's strange.... where," Conan thought. "I don't recall him leaving the room, and I'm more than certain I would have seen if he had gone by."

He looked from one end of the room to the other before laying his eyes back to the desk.

"Everyone seems to be in a hurry today," Conan said placing the device given to him into his pocket. "Everyone but me that is."

He gave the room a last look as he stepped out, closing the door behind him. The next hours were spent accounting for everything laid out, piecing it all together was the difficult part. He wrote down every detail that had been learned in the process, adding anything that came to mind in relation to each case. Before he knew it another hour had passed, hearing the subtle sound of the crooning clock in the next room.

"Nine O'clock," Conan said checking his watch. "Which makes it just past eleven in Tokyo."

He pulled up his phone which rested at his side, wasting no time in giving her the go ahead call. It rang for the first few moments, waiting it out till the sound of her voice spoke from the other end.

"Hello."

"Haibara, it's me."

"I was wondering when I'd hear from you again."

"It hasn't been that long since our last discussion," Conan stated. "Two days if I can recall."

"That sounds about right."

"Anyway, I called on behalf of your message received last night," Conan said. "Is everything ok?"

"A message," Ai questioned. "I never sent you a message."

"Are you sure," Conan asked. "The message I received was transmitted from your phone."

"What did this message say?"

"I remember it clearly, being how far field it was," Conan said. "A day to commence."

"A day to commence?"

"That's right," Conan confirmed. "That's what the message read."

"That's strange, I don't remember sending out any messages like that," Ai said. "Let alone anything to you."

"At any time did you lose sight of your phone," Conan asked. "While out of the house perhaps?"

"I don't recall, no."

A brief moment of silence ensued.

"It''s probably nothing," Conan finally said pushing the topic aside. "So, how's everyone else been doing?"

"They're doing fine," Ai replied. "They stopped by just yesterday in fact."

"What about Agasa," Conan asked. "Is he currently available, there's something I'd like to ask of him."

"He's not here now, but I could forward the message to him."

"That will work," Conan said. "Here's the thing, I'm going to need a little insurance."

The higher up he went, the more daring the nightly wind pressed. His destination was well within grasp, pulling his way up to the top of the large city building he climbed to see the grand mansion across the way. He stood there for minutes to come, not because there was a problem per say, but to observe the very layout of its perimeter. It didn't take long for him to pin point all security measures, knowing he'd have to carefully move in at the point of attack. It was within that moment that the common light shined bright from the far distance, signaling for his attention.

"Looks like I'm needed at the other end of town, don't have time to answer the call," Batman said looking back toward the mansion. "I have an important meet here to attend."

He relocated the few security cameras from where he stood, three to be exact. He took note of this as he planned what his next move would be.

"Two on the right, one on the left," Batman said completing his scour of the area. "I'm betting there's more around the front side of the house as well."

He looked on for a time to come, every seconds used to plot out how he'd get in undetected. It was the cameras in particular that had the luxury of his attention, watching their every movement as they pivoted from one side to another.

"There's about a twenty second gap in between the time where none of the camera's have the mid section of the yard accounted for," Batman said reaching to the side of his belt. "From this given spot I'm approximately 56.6 meters away from the mansion, which is about sixty two yards."

He held the line gun out in front of him, taking aim at the roof across the way.

"If I can get a decent initiation I should be able to zip over there in under fifteen seconds," Batman said. "Timing will be key."

Finding the right spot was the question, keeping his eyes set to the mid section of the roof.

"There, that's about as clear of a path I'm going to get."

He kept his eyes to each of the cameras as he took aim once more, knowing his timing had to be second to none. He waited for their routine rotation to pass once more, wanting to be sure about his earlier observations.

"Only have one shot to make this work."

He took aim once more, steadily holding it in place. He kept his poise up until the moment it was time to release.

"Now."

He launched forward with the spring of the hook line, precisely connecting with the chosen spot of the roof as he found himself soaring down to his destination. He touched down with little to no sound, pleased after looking back to see he had beaten the rotation of the security cameras.

"Now," Batman said standing from where he hunkered. "To get some answers."

The stream from nearby echoed past his ears, picking up its fresh scent throughout the air. He took note of something at the right side of the roof just as he was to walk. It was too dark to tell what it was from his position.

"What do we have here?"

He strolled over to come across something he was not expecting to find, kneeling down to give it a closer look.

"Just as I thought, a velux," Batman said turning to see another further up. "Now to see if it's unlocked."

He placed his hand onto the window, feeling his way around to become familiarized with its set up. He felt something standing in place as he outlined the right side of the window, uncertain of what it was.

"It feels like some kind of handle, maybe if I," Batman said giving it a tug to pull it aside. "It doesn't get any easier than that."

He looked down into the dark room below, unable to see anything from where he stood. He switched the cowl's lenses to night vision, coming to find what appeared to be a storage room of some kind. With that in mind he dropped down with a light thump, standing to his feet soon after.

"Now to have a word with Mr. Green."

Even with the lenses set to night vision it was still difficult to make out several of the items scattered throughout the room. Crates were stacked on each side, doing his best to carefully manuver around each with little to no sound. He finally reached the door at the opposite side of the room before turning back to notice something printed on one of the crates.

"What's this?"

He moved in to get a closer look, focusing in on the visible print.

"Ocean Sea Bound Labs," Batman read. "I don't believe I've heard of this company."

He then checked the other crates, confirming they as well had the same name stamped upon them. More than curious he stepped up to one of the crates, giving the top a slight tug to remove it. What he found inside was nothing short of the unexpected.

"Gnome yard decorations and several pounds of enclosed cocaine," Batman said before laying the top back into place. "Not exactly your common heavy artillery, I wonder if this is the case with the rest of the crates."

He turned back for the door, reaching out to grab the handle with a turn.

"Don't have time to check them all, but I'll make it a priority to ask Salomon about his pricey collection he's got concealed here."

He quietly closed the door after stepping out, finding himself standing atop a fleet of curving stairs that lead to the lower levels. He moved with care, as not to make any sound on his way down. Though he had not detected it upon entering, the further he descended the more he felt something was off. It was then that he picked up the faint scent, knowing something had happened.

"That odor... could it be?"

He reached the base of the stairs a short time later, stepping down to the next floor. He turned to the right, following the scent which continued down the long hall. His guard was now higher than ever, glancing up at a portrait on the left wall as he walked. The odor only became stronger, coming to a stop after reaching a door on the right side.

"This is it, it's coming from inside this room."

He turned the handle to find it unlocked, slowly cracking the door open to have a peak inside. The light generated from the moon gazed in from the left window, lighting a small portion of the room. It was then that he saw it, looking to the center of the room to see someone strapped down to a chair. He didn't have to move in any closer, already knowing it was too late.

"Not exactly the encounter I was hoping for."

He took a step in, caught by the surprise of a splash from under foot. He wasn't sure what it was, more concerned with the condition of the dead man tied to the chair. He reached the body with a couple steps taken, wasting no time in beginning his examination.

"No clothes, and strapped down with barb wire," Batman said leaning in for a clear look at his face. "This is Salomon Green alright, but what could have conspired that lead to this?"

He knelt down to a knee to give the rest of the body a look. And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse he took notice of the disturbance from below.

"His genitals are missing, that changes the outlook of of this whole occurrence."

The sound of something touching down to the ground grabbed his attention. It was then that he noticed a tube hanging out from his right rib, watching as what remained of his blood continued to drip down to the ground. Everything became clear at that point, knowing what he had stepped on upon entering the room.

"He's nearly been drained dry, with the floor being filled with his blood," Batman thought. "But who would do this, and why go to such extreme lengths."

The bitter smell continued to kick in with each second. He slightly leveled his head up to see something had been drawn out along the wall, wasting no time in recording a shot of it with the use of his cowl. As he stood back to his feet to go and give the drawings a closer look he took note of other shoe prints embedded in the blood soaked floor besides his own.

"There's at least three different sets of prints there other than my own," Batman said. "Which means there was more than one person involved in this little episode, now to try and determine the time of death."

He turned to face the body once again, laying his hand on the side of his neck to check the temperature of the body.

"Algor mortis has long kicked in," Batman said. "I'd say he's been dead for at least an hour and a half, maybe two."

Yet another odor came to his senses within the next moment, though not quite as potent in its scent as that of the blood.

"That stench..... gasoline," Batman thought. "But where, where is it coming from?"

He then looked to the ground once again, reaching down to swap a portion of the blood into the palm of his hand. After giving it a smell it was clear where he had picked up the additional aroma.

"There's gasoline mixed in with his blood, this whole visit is becoming more complex by the second," Batman said. "The question is, why drain him of his blood?"

He then took notice of something stretched out across the ground toward the darker ends of the room., moving in closer to find what appeared to be two cords.

"I wonder where these lead to."

He followed the trail of the cords, glimpsing over at the drawing on the wall as he did. They eventually lead him to a closet in the far right corner. He reached out to pull it open, finding it to be rather stiff as he did. The path of the cords came to an end, coming to find that they were connected to two separate fairly large propane tanks.

"So I see, they're not cords after all," Batman said. "But rather thick wires connected to these tanks."

It was then that all fell into place, gaining a spark of realization within that very moment.

"A murder scene, gasoline mixed blood, and a batch of loaded tanks," Batman thought. "This can only mean..."

The sound of the door cracked open from behind, almost instantly spinning around to see someone standing in the doorway. His view of the figure was something of a blur, memorizing what details he could as he watched them raise a hand.

"Who are you?!" Batman demanded.

He received nothing in return, only that of the figure switching on a lighter which they held in their left raised hand.

"The devil dances, till dawns beginning." A soft voices poke.

The mystery man then tossed the lighter into the air before falling out of sight back into the hall. He had no time to chase after him, darting straight for the window on the left side before the lighter could reach the ground. He lunged forward with a leap, shattering the glass on his narrow escape out. The mansion exploded on his descend down to the river below, holding his breath just before crashing into the water. He resufaced moments later to see the whole area had disbursed into flames from the explosion, knowing he had just let one go.

"Looks like I was more than late."

He continued to gaze up at the sight of destruction as he flowed down stream.

"Who was that man, and what was he doing there," Batman thought. "I may have failed tonight, but... this is far from over."

The night had come and gone. Only fragments and the ashes remained of the Green mansion come that next morning, small portions being carried away by the daily breeze come dawn.

It was an early start for him that next morning, navigating from page to page with an increased pace every minute that past. He leaned back in the chair after observing yet another page.

"Giving in so soon?" Damian asked from aside one of the many book shelves.

"I've looked through many of the profiles on this device for over an hour now, and haven't found anything," Conan said in response. "I think a break at this point is warranted."

"I would take over, but I have no idea what this guy looks like."

"I'm having a hard time remembering myself," Conan said. "Everything happened so fast."

"I still don't see how you didn't get a clear view of his face," Damian said. "Being that you were on the bus with him for a period of time."

"Like I said before, he had a ski cap over his eyes," Conan reminded. "That made it difficult to see his face."

"What about his arms, any distinct details," Damian asked. "Scars, tattoos perhaps?"

"Can't say for sure, he had on a jacket," Conan replied. "He was basically covered from head to toe."

"And going off of his choice of garbs isn't going to gain anything," Damian said. "That is unless he wore anything custom made."

"No depth there either," Conan said. "Nothing he wore from what I could tell had his name sewn on it."

"Not even initials?"

"No, but even then that would have been pushing it," Conan said. "For now we're stuck with a sketch, and this database of possible suspects."

"And to think, you couldn't even plant a tracker on this no named bloke," Damian remarked. "Can't get anymore incompetent than that."

"That didn't take long." Conan muttered.

He quickly brushed this off, attending back to the profiles just as the door to the room slid open.

"I thought I might find the both of you here in the book room," Alfred said stepping in. "What is it you're working on there?"

"I'm using this computer to navigate through a series of profiles within a database that Tim set up."

"May I ask why?"

"To see if anyone within this database resembles the man I saw the night before last."

"If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Of course," Conan said. "Speaking of which, have you heard from Tim anytime today?"

"Oh yes, he's currently at Wayne Enterprises awaiting an important meet."

"What about my father," Damian asked. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"He never returned from last nights occasion, he only called," Alfred informed. "He said he had something important to look into."

"So he never returned, at all?" Conan questioned.

"If he did it would have been after I turned in for the night," Alfred replied. "Which would have been after two some time."

"Any idea what happened last night," Conan asked. "I mean, he must have a good reason for not returning."

"The man he had hoped to speak with was found dead in his home last night," Alfred informed. "Salomon Green."

"And there goes our link," Conan thought. "Right down the drain."

To Be Continued

[Detective Conan/Batman Crossover]

The Detective Prince

Chapter 82

A Face to Remember

The search took no longer than a minute to produce results, finding exactly what they hoped they would.

"Salomon Anderson Green," Bruce said turning in his seat. "Is this the man you saw with Eldelmon that night?"

"I didn't actually see him," Tim replied. "Only heard his voice over a conmlink."

"He's the only registered Salomon Green who lives here in Gotham," Bruce said. "Unless he's using that name as an alias, this looks to be our guy."

"Got an address?"

"His residents is overlooking the Sprang river on the west side of town."

"Can't say I disapprove of the view," Tim said. "You plan on paying him a visit in the next few days?"

"Tonight is as good as any."

"You want me to tag along?"

"I'd rather you focus in on our other man of interest," Bruce answered. "The one they referred to as the straight shot."

"Your call," Tim said. "Now all we have to do is run a search on Mr. Hue."

"And we will," Bruce said. "But first, I wanted to touch base with you about something."

"The carpet's yours."

"The main computer was finally able to pick up that virus," Bruce informed. "The one flowing throughout the Mini Lon."

"Any luck diagnosing what or where it originated?"

"No, but I did find something to be odd," Bruce said. "It took days to finally find traces of the virus, when it took all but a few moments for your security system to pick it up."

"Now that you mention it, that does present a question," Tim said giving it some thought. "There's a difference between instantly picking up a virus."

"And going to great lengths to dig for one." Bruce finished.

"Do you think this virus is regressing some how," Tim questioned. "That would explain why it took you so long to sight it."

"Not this one," Bruce replied. "It was only spreading, just not in the usual way most viruses do."

"How long before those using the Mini Lon take notice of the spread of a virus?"

"Days, weeks, months even," Bruce answered. "It's hard to tell, given its erratic nature."

"I'll take another look at it when I get the chance."

"As will I."

"There's something else I've been meaning to, why have you been operating from here rather than down in the cave?"

The door flew open in that instance, the both of them turning to see the two of them re-enter the room.

"Finished with that TV so soon, I thought it would have taken a bit longer." Bruce said.

"We need to talk." Dick said walking forward.

The minutes that followed from the time they had learned of the sound recorder brought a rally of silence. Without clear evidence linking someone specific to the crime, it left them at an untimely dead end.

"I think we better head down to the station," Rick said looking down at his watch. "It's fifteen past three already, and I would like to get that device found examined as soon as possible."

"I understand," Ellson said. "Keep us informed, I'd like to know what the verdict on that thing as soon as you do."

"That's the plan."

"I do have one last question," Heiji said turning toward Ed. "That cloth, was it wrapped around that recorder when you first discovered it?"

"No, I actually used that handkerchief to haul it in," Ed informed. "I wasn't sure what it was and wanted to be careful as possible."

"Well you made the right decision," Heiji said. "Now we won't have to worry about excluding your finger prints from any others that might be on it."

"Do you really think you'll find something," Ellson questioned. "It's not that I don't have my trust in the process, it's just whoever set this up has been next to flawless in their preparation."

"There's a possibility we won't find any prints," Rick acknowledged. "But we'll hold off on any reaction until we've got it tested."

"How long until we should hear back from you?"

"Before the days end," Rick answered. "We'll keep you up to speed on any progressions made."

"I appreciate that," Ellson said. "But I must know, do you beileve this whole scenario was pre meditated by the one who left the riddle for us to find?"

"It's much too early to come to any conclusions," Rick replied. "But it is most certainly a possibility."

"I figured that much," Ellson said. "Then I guess we better let the two of you get going, if anything happens from our end we'll call immediately."

"And we'll respond as soon as we can." Rick declared with a nod.

The two of them then turned for the door with nothing further, making their way out for yet another time. It was apparent most things had returned to normal on their way down, coming into contact with one of the security guards from earlier after reaching the first floor.

"How did things unfold up there, were you able to see who took the diamonds from the videos?"

"Unfortunately not," Rick replied. "But the good news is we found something that might be viable to solving who did."

"That's better than no leads."

"How's everything been holding up down here?" Rick asked

"We've sharpened up security, we even called in another guy from our unit," The security guard informed. "He's outside looking on for any unusual activity while we've got everything covered inside."

"Couldn't have planned that better myself."

"Well good luck with whatever it is you uncovered, we hope to hear back from you soon."

"And you will," Rick assured. "Thanks."

The two of them moved on from there, finding a clear path to the exit. The sky had slightly darkened from the time they had arrived, finding a horde of clouds floating across the way.

"What an affair this has turned out to be," Rick remarked as they walked. "One of the most fluctuant cases I've handled in awhile."

"Which one," Heiji asked. "The first, or the second?"

"What do you mean," Rick asked. "There's only one thing we were brought here to solve, and we let that thief skip right past us to their chosen prize."

"There was not one thing that happened here today that convinces me that the note left behind was related to what just occurred."

"You don't mean?"

"I believe this was a separate incident," Heiji said. "Our riddle leaving culprit has yet to play their card."

"How can you be so sure?"

"If you read in between the lines of what was written, none of it adds up to what just conspired."

"So you're saying we're dealing with two thieves," Rick said not quite convinced. "And they just so happen to be targeting the same company, that can't be coincidence."

"Maybe not, but here," Heiji said reaching into his pocket. "The sound recorder found is yours now, I trust that you'll get it into the right hands for examination."

"Of course." Rick said accepting the device.

He wasted no time in storing it away in his jacket. He then pulled out a pair of keys from within his pocket.

"Need a ride." Rick asked as they neared a car aside the road.

"I'd hate to put a hold on anything."

"Don't mind yourself," Rick stated. "Besides, I've got a little time to spare."

".. Sure," Heiji accepted after a seconds thought. "Why not."

He listened to what he had to say, which didn't take long. He then compared it to what he had come across the previous night.

"So, what's the final verdict?"

"It sounds like we're dealing with the same shooter," Bruce replied. "It's not often you have two separate individuals intentionally leave behind the weapons used in a murder all in the same night."

"My thoughts exact." Dick said.

"Might I suggest a timetable," Tim said adding his input. "That would give us a correlation of the time in between each sequence."

"The three dead men were found a couple blocks away from Amusement Mile," Dick informed. "The time of death is estimated at twelve after nine."

"Which is a solid length after the first set of deaths," Bruce said. "That would have given the killer plenty of time to travel across town to commit the next set of murders."

"I failed to ask earlier,’ Conan said. “But did you happen to run a background check on any of the deceased men, it could prove key.”

"Why’s that?” Dick asked.

"The nine men found outside of the sporting complex were all members of the Sprang Bridge Soldiers,” Bruce informed. “If the three men you found are part of the same group that would give us a direct connection.”

"Now I see,” Dick said. “I haven’t quite looked into any of that as of yet.”

"What about the weapon used in the assault,” Tim asked. “Have you attempted to trace it back to its owner?”

"Haven’t got to that either,” Dick replied. “Like I said before, I planned on cracking down on things as soon as I pay a visit to that hospital.”

"I’d go with you,” Tim said. “But I have something to attend to myself.”

"Now all we have to do is gather enough information to dish out a list of suspects.” Dick said.

"We won't have to start completely from scratch,” Bruce said. “Conan encountered someone last night.”

“Someone involved?”

"A possibility is where we stand."

"It was a man I saw while riding the bus," Conan said. "It didn't take much for him to attract my attention."

"What was so eye grabbing about this individual?" Dick asked.

"Besides the handle I saw hanging from out of his boot, the redness on his sleeve," Conan replied. "From my angle I'd say it was blood that had dried recently."

"He sounds more than suspicious," Dick said. "Please tell me you put a tracer on this guy."

"I didn't get the chance to," Conan said. "I took my eyes off of him for one second, and the next moment he was gone."

"That always seems to be the case doesn't it."

"Where again did you say these murders occurred?" Bruce asked.

"Right outside of Amusement Mile," Dick repeated. "Why, is there some relevance to that?"

".. Maybe," Bruce said looking toward Conan. "Tell me, what stop did you finally get off of the bus?"

"I don't remember the street name, but I do know the bus only had one more stop to make before completing its scheduled route."

"And you were on the '72' bus, correct?"

"That'd be the one."

"Elmer street, six minutes away from Amusement High," Bruce stated. "And you exited the bus at about five after nine right?"

"Five exact." Conan confirmed.

"And the estimated time of death for the three men was fourteen after," Dick said. "Anyone who got off of that bus could have made it over to where those killings took place before fourteen after."

"That only raises this mystery man on our list of suspects." Tim said.

"So what do we know about this guy?" Dick asked.

"Besides a drawn out sketch, nothing," Bruce replied before turning to Conan. "You couldn't have gotten very far from when you got off the bus up until fourteen after."

"That's right, you should have heard something." Dick said.

"Come to think of it, I did hear shots fired," Conan recalled. "It was right after witnessing a burglary unfold right across from where I hid behind a news stand."

"Why were you hiding behind a newsstand?" Tim asked.

"That's a whole nother story."

"How many shots do you remember hearing?" Dick asked.

"More than three, less than seven."

"Close," Dick said. "Five were fired to be exact, all connecting with the three victims except for one."

"One missed," Tim questioned. "Where did it hit?"

"It took out one of the street lights," Dick replied. "Anyone who may have been standing nearby would have found it hard to see what was going on."

"So now we have a sharp marksman and a strategist."

"Now I see," Conan said. "That would explain why he took off so fast after getting off the bus, he must have been anticipating he'd run into those three."

"Tell me, at any point on the bus ride did you see him engage in any kind of activity?" Bruce asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Did he call or perhaps text anyone during the time on the bus?"

"Not at all," Conan replied. "He was pretty mute throughout, rarely did he react to anything."

"If he is indeed our guy, that raises a question," Tim said. "How did he know exactly where those three men would be if he didn't formally contact them?"

"First thing's first," Bruce said. "We need to see if there is a connection between them and the other nine men."

"Agreed," Dick said in response. "Things will go a lot smoother if that's determined, I'll try and have an answer to that by night fall."

"Be sure to let us know what those tapes reveal at the hospital," Tim reminded. "I think it's time we put an end to our hooded woman's little venture."

"Long overdue," Dick said turning for the door. "Keep me updated on anything learned, I'll do the same."

He left from there, closing the door on his way out.

"I guess this is the part where we dissect what we have."

"Right you are," Bruce said. "Now that we have the times set out, I think it's time we focused in on the victims."

"Shouldn't our attention be more directed on the weapons used?" Tim asked.

"I've already given that angle a peak, only to come to a dead end," Bruce said in response. "I think we'll have better luck confirming who did this by focusing in on their personal lives."

"I'm inclined to agree," Conan said. "Let's not forget the first set of nine men knew who their attacker was."

"And if we're able to connect these three additional killings with the first ones that may clear up some things." Bruce added.

"I don't have to leave until four, which is twenty minutes from now," Tim said checking his watch. "Would you like me to look into each of their backgrounds?"

"We'll leave that for Dick to handle," Bruce replied. "I want you to find as much as you can on Norio Hue."

"Why don't we run a light search on him now," Tim suggested. "I've got plenty of time."

"I'd like to have a look at this guy myself." Conan agreed.

"I don't see the problem in that."

He closed all open programs before opening a new window. The two of them stood in wait as he launched a search. The results they were hoping to gain came to the screen within seconds after typing in his name.

"There he is," Bruce said. "Norio Hue."

Though he could not see from where he stood, the expression on his face was very apparent.

"What's wrong?" Conan asked.

"Why don't you have a look for yourself." Tim said reaching down to grab him.

He looked forward while being lifted, laying his eyes onto the image before him. Not much registered to the mind upon having his first look. It wasn't until everything mellowed in that it finally came back to him.

"This man," Conan said giving the image a hard long look. "I don't know where, but I've seen him somewhere before."

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked.

"No doubt."

"He's right," Tim said still holding him in place. "Because I've seen him as well."

They continued to move on, following the path instructed to him. The police headquaters came into view as they drove, finding his way to the parking lot before coming to a stop.

"Why are we stopping here?"

"For that device of course," Rick replied. "I'd like to get it to the lab for examination as soon as possible."

"Oh, that's right."

"You wait here, I'll only be a moment," Rick said. "If anyone try's to radio me let it be, I'll get back to them in time."

With nothing further he exited the car, heading straight for the entryway. There was much weighing in on his mind as he sat in wait. There was the uncertainty of the riddles along with the successful heist he had failed to sniff out before it was launched. He pulled out the slip of paper once again to give it yet another read.

"i am solely for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

The seconds that followed were used to try and comprehend what it all meant. Whether the diamonds stolen had anything to do with the riddles left behind was still a mystery. He then looked to the second part of the written riddle.

"superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

It was at second that he really took notice, something he hadn't given much thought to earlier.

"An affair," Heiji thought. "What could that possibly refer to?"

This ran through his mind for minutes to come. The door on the driver side reopened a short time later, turning just in time to see detective Gates retake the wheel.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all," Heiji said. "So how'd things go inside?"

"As planned," Rick replied. "The examination process will begin shortly."

"Good, maybe we'll catch a break with some left behind prints."

"What's wrong," Rick questioned. "You don't sound all that confident."

"Whoever took those diamonds set out with a solid plan, and executed just as well," Heiji added. "What's the chance they left behind finger prints on something they know would most certainly get examined?"

"..Good point," Rick said facing forward. "So what now?"

"We wait," Heiji replied. "And in the mean time I'll try to unravel the true meaning of the riddles, I'm almost certain todays events were nothing short of a side ploy."

"You still want me to drive you across town?"

"Yes," Heiji replied. "The best thing for us to do at this point is reevaluate all that we have."

"Well stated," Rick agreed. "Things have taken a turn from the moment we took on this case."

He stuck the key into the ignition from there, pulling out of the lot with a turn for the road. The two fell quiet in that instance, both wondering what would be the next made move by the thief on their hands.

There was no mistaking it, there was no doubt in their mind that they had seen this man.

"Norio Hue," Tim said. "I knew I had heard his name somewhere before."

"It took a few seconds for it to come back to me as well."

"You both seem sure you've seen this man somewhere before," Bruce said. "Now where did you?"

"It was when we were aboard the Seawolf," Conan informed. "A cruise we went on back in Japan months ago."

"A cruise?"

"It's a long story." Tim said.

"Well, you can give me the scoop in time," Bruce said. "Right now I'd like for you to tell me everything you know about Mr. Hue, what did you learn about him while on this cruise?"

"We didn't actually talk with him all that much," Conan replied. "He was more recluse than anything throughout the ride, though we did occasionally see him in the pool room along with a few others."

"He never did mention his last name during the introduction process," Tim said. "That's what took so long for everything to finally register back to me."

"Besides a few pool matches, was there anything else you found out about him," Bruce asked. "Any tendencies perhaps?"

"Nothing to that degree," Conan replied. "But we do know he has a solid military background, he said so himself."

"That's a start."

"With all that in mind, it does raise one alarming question," Conan said. "What's he doing here in Gotham, clear across the globe from home?"

To Be Continued