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The Detective Prince Chapter 44 Sea Top Incident He sat to the passenger seat with the window rolled down, allowing for the air to glide through his hair. It wasn't long after that they reached their destination, skimming around the parking lot to find an empty space. "There's one," Dick said pointing to a spot which sat to a shaded area. "Can't get any better than that." The two stepped out once parked, making sure to lock the doors before closing them. "I brought you to TWB bank just like you asked," Hiroshi said. "So what is it you're hoping to find out?" "Mr. Salvonte has three banks he has done business with in the past month," Dick began. "What I want to know is why he chose this one in particular for his transaction with Luthor." "How do you plan on finding that out?" "By setting up an account of course, this way we'll have insight on how business is done here," Dick replied. "And if we know why he chose TWB, that might just put us one step closer to finding out what's really going on." "Great thinking Grayson," Hiroshi complimented. "Would you like me to accompany you inside?" "No need to," Dick replied. "But if you would like to escape the heat then be my guest." He took him up on his offer. The two of them walked in through the front entrance, hoping they'd be able to shed some light on this already complex situation. They had walked for nearly twenty minutes, neither speaking a word the whole time. Conan became more and more curious as to where they were going with each passing minute. "I wonder if we're almost to this mystery place he has us walking to." Conan then looked up to Tim who finally came to a stop. "We're here." Conan turned his head to the left to find a large building towering high above. "What are we doing here?" Conan asked as Tim walked forward. "Right this way," Tim instructed. "We're almost there." Conan followed him to the right side of the building where they came across a steel door. It was stiff, but that didn't stop Conan from easily pulling it to the side. Tim walked in first to find a stairwell. "Perfect, this should take us all the way to the top." "Why are we going up there," Conan asked. "I don't see the meaning in this." "Trust me," Tim said. "This is something you'll want to see." "I'll take your word for it, but remember we only have an hour before we have to be back." Conan reminded. "I haven't forgotten," Tim said. "Besides I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we're just a few minutes late." "And you'll be the one explaining if that turns out to be the case." "Then let's hurry, it shouldn't take us very long to reach the top." With that the two began their path up the stairs. It was nearly pitch dark, the exit lights on each floor being the only source of light to guide their way. They came across several spider webs on their way up, causing him to become slightly suspicious. "Are you sure you've been up this way," Conan questioned. "If you ask me I'd say no one has walked up through here in quite some time." "That might be the case considering I've never actually taken the stairs." Tim said. "Ok, that makes sense." They made their way up past five additional floors from where they stood, finally reaching the end to come across a large door. Tim shoved it open to have a gust of wind blow right past them. "And here we are." The door flew shut once the two stepped out onto the roof. Conan made his way to the edge of the building, looking down to catch a wonderful view of the city. He could see miles and miles out from each side. "Wow, how long have you known about this place?" Conan asked. "For awhile now," Tim replied. "It helps me think when I'm here." "Have you shown Dick yet?" "No, your the first." "What is this place anyway?" Conan asked while turning back to him. "Not sure to tell you the truth," Tim replied. "I just call it the bell tower." "Why's that?" "Because of that large bell." Tim said pointing to the left. "Now I see." Conan said giving it a look. Tim made his way over to the edge of the building where he took a seat, letting his legs hang over the side. Conan joined him soon after, having a seat right next to him. "You should see the city from here at night," Tim said. "Best view you can get." "There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Conan said. "Besides English and Japanese, what other languages can you speak?" "Spanish, German, French, Russian, and a little bit of Cantonese," Tim answered. "Why'd you want to know?" "With all the traveling you must do I thought you might know a couple." "It's nothing in comparison to how many Bruce knows," Tim said. "Then there's the task in becoming fluent, which of course takes a lot of time and practice." They sat for awhile longer, welcoming the warm breeze which pushed from one side to the other. Conan looked down at his watch a minute later, feeling it was about time they headed back. "Why did you really bring me here," Conan asked. "Isn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?" "I think it's you who has something to share with me." "Excuse me?" "Back after that little incident at ROTI you said you had something to tell me," Tim reminded. "You never did tell me what." "Like I told you before, it was nothing." "You're a decent liar, and even better at playing it off," Tim commented. "But here's the thing, I received a call from Sonoko this morning." "What's that have to do with me?" "Nothing, It was actually about Ran," Tim said. "It appears she's had something on her mind she's been wanting to tell Sonoko about, something that happened at ROTI." "If that's the case, then why call you about it?" "Apparently it has something to do with some boy she knows, Sonoko assumed it was me," Tim replied. "But we both know I didn't arrive until after she was unconscious, so... that leaves you." Conan looked away, leaving a couple passing seconds of silence. He waited, hoping he'd get an answer from him. "Ok... you win," Conan said giving in. "We did it." "Did what?" "We kissed," Conan finally blurted. "Well... at least I think we did." "What do you mean you think?" "You're the one who said the gas I inhaled could have caused hallucinations." Conan stated. "That's what made me have doubts about it actually happening." "I guess there's only one way to find out." "Don't you dare say anything to her about this," Conan snapped. "This stays between you and I." "That's not what I had in mind." "It's not?" "What I was going to have you do is tell me everything you remember about those few moments you shared," Tim replied. "Can you do that for me?" Conan nodded. "So tell me, what was it like," Tim asked. "Do you remember tasting anything?" He received a glare in return. "I swear this isn't for some inside fantasy," Tim laughingly said. "I just need your input to help diagnose if it really happened." Conan looked away, trying to recall what had happened in that small cell just a little over a week ago. "I remember closing my eyes, still moving closer once I did," Conan began. "And that's when it happened." "Come on will ya," Tim said looking down at his watch. "We're already on the borderline of time here, I need a distinct detail." "Cut me some slack Tim, telling you is already embarrassing enough as it is." Conan said. "Sorry, you won't hear another word out of me." He thought about what he had said, 'A distinct detail.' The more he thought, the more that came back to him. "Grape, that's kind of what I remember tasting." "Yea... you might have been hallucinating," Tim said. "A very wild hallucination." Conan breathed out relief. "That's good to hear," Conan said. "I'd never want something like that to happen when it did." "Even if you were about to die?" Tim asked. "Can we just go," Conan said sitting up. "We're already going to be late, let's not extend onto that." "Wait up." Tim said following after him. He sat with his back rested to one of the chairs in the waiting area. He found his attention directed to a TV pinned to the upper wall, helping the time go by. It took over fifteen minutes for him to return. "How did it go?" Dr. Agasa asked sitting up from the chair. "Didn't find anything out of the ordinary." "What were you hoping to find?" "I checked for benefits and interest ratings," Dick replied. "Unfortunately neither of those two things answers why he chose this bank over the others." "Have you looked into the other banks as well for comparison?" "Checked online this morning," Dick confirmed. "But I wanted to give TWB a closer look since this is the one he chose." "Perhaps if we knew more about Mr. Salvonte it would be easier to understand his motive." Dr. Agasa said. "You and I may not know him," Dick said. "But Conan and Tim do, we'll just have to rely on them for this task." "For what," Dr. Agasa questioned. "Do you have something in mind?" "Maybe." "Would you like me to call Shinichi?" "No need to, I'll sort all that out later," Dick said. "Do you still think you can access the information on that account?" "If it hasn't been locked down then I don't see why not." "Good, because I think it's time we gave it another look." They took their time as they walked down the last street, both resting their hands into the comfort of their pockets. "Now that we're almost there, I think it's time you told me what's on the agenda for the rest of the day." "What do you mean?" Tim asked. "I thought you said you had some place in mind you wanted the three of us to go." "Oh that." Tim said bringing a hand to his chin. Conan looked up to see a lost and clueless expression on his face. "Let me guess," Conan said. "You never had anything planned, did you?" "Nope." "Can't say I'm surprised," Conan said. "If you wanted to talk to me why didn't you just call?" "I did, but you didn't pick up," Tim stated. "And when she answered the door with that look on her face, I found myself a little lost for words." "I'm starting to believe your excessive computer time is beginning to damage your social skills," Conan said. "So what do you plan to say when we get there?" "We still have about a minute," Tim said bringing his watch up to his eyes. "That means we still have time to come up with something." "We... don't you mean you," Conan corrected. "This was your idea remember?" "But you know this area better than I do," Tim said. "So I'm pretty sure you could come up with something quicker." "It would have really helped if you had mentioned this a little sooner." "I was still in the process of thinking up something myself." "Well keep thinking." Conan said. "Between the two of us we should be able to come up with something." Without really realizing they found themselves stalling with each step. They came to a stop once reaching the front, deciding not to go up just yet. "Have you come up with anything?" Tim asked. "Not yet, but we better hurry," Conan replied. "We don't want to keep her waiting too much longer." They then turned at the sound of someone heading down the staircase, stepping to the side as she joined the both of them. "I thought I might find the two of you down here," Ran said with a smile. "So where are we going?" Conan and Tim looked to one another, expecting the other to answer. "There's actually been a change in plans." Tim said turning back to her. "What do you mean?" "The place I had in mind is closed on Sundays," Tim said. "And since that's the case we'll let you decide what we're going to do." "Oh really," Ran said in excitement. "I know just the place." "And where's that?" Tim asked. "You'll just have to wait and see," Ran said turning to walk. "Right this way." "Look on the bright side," Tim said looking down to Conan. "It could have turned out a lot worse." "Who says I'm complaining?" Conan said following after her. "I wonder where we're going." Tim thought. He sat in silence the whole ride back, listening to the radio for any incoming news. "We're here." Hiroshi said as they pulled in. They stepped out once parked, making their way in through the front door. "Where's Haibara," Dick asked. "I could have sworn I saw her before we left." "She's around somewhere," Hiroshi said taking a seat in front of the computer. "It'll only take me a few minutes to get it on screen, so sit tight." "No need to hurry Agasa, I'm not in a rush." He found his eyes wondering around the as he waited, observing the many things that filled the room. "How'd the testing on that flying hand of yours go?" "It had a slight disfunction during my last session," Hiroshi replied. "I'll have to fix it up a bit before any further testing can be done." "Good luck with that, I know how tough that stuff can be." "Oh no." "What's wrong?" Dick asked looking to the screen. "The account has been locked," Hiroshi informed. "Whatever they were using that account for is clearly over." "And finding out what isn't going to be easy," Dick said. "There's got to be something else linking the two companies together." "What do you propose we do from here?" "It's time to do some digging," Dick said with a step back. "Some deep digging." "You mean on the two companies?" "Not exactly," Dick answered. "If we ever plan on finding out what we need to know, we're going to have to move in from a different angle." "I see you have something in mind." "My phones running on low right now, so if you happen to see Conan or Tim around let them know I'll be a little busy." Dick said as he headed for the door. "Where are you going?" "To go begin my search." "Will you be needing a ride?" Hiroshi asked. "No need to, it's not very far from here," Dick replied. "Besides, I could use the walk." "Until next time." "I look forward to it." Dick said before walking out the front door. "Me too." The two of them dragged along from the rare, following close behind as she went into yet another small shop. "The mall, oh why did it have to be the mall?" Tim muttered. "Stop your bickering," Conan said. "You're the one who jinxed this anyway." "What do you mean," Tim questioned. "I didn't jinx anything." "Whatever you say ring tone man." "Ok, you win," Tim said giving in. "You won't hear another complaint out of me." She came back out before they could enter, leaving the two of them a little surprised. "I think you just set a record for entering and exiting." Tim said. "I walked into the wrong place," Ran said. "It doesn't happen very often." "So what place are you looking for?" Tim asked. "There," Ran pointed. "It's right over there." The three of them walked past a small group of people, coming to a stop once reaching the front entrance. "A beauty shop," Tim questioned. "I think I'll just wait out hear, there's nothing in there for me." "I'll stay with you," Conan said. "This isn't my kind of store either." "Well that's to bad," Ran stated. "Because you're both coming in." "... Why?" Tim asked. "Because we're supposed to be spending the day together," Ran reminded. "I promise this will be my last stop, then we can go anywhere you two want to go." "Sounds like a deal to me." Conan said. "Ok, I can defiantly agree to that." "Great," Ran said heading for the door. "I knew we could come to some kind of agreement." With that the three of them headed in. They looked to the right to see a table with multiple types of hair sprays lined up. Directly across the room to the left stood a stack of several brands of perfume. "Try to find something to keep yourselves entertained," Ran said. "I won't be long." They stood in place as she took to the back end of the store. Tim was the first to make a move, walking over to a shelf in the right corner. Conan seeing this decided to follow after him. "What are you doing," Conan asked. "Don't tell me you're actually going to buy something." "What color do you want," Tim asked holding out two separate containers. "Purple or a baby soft blue?" "And since when do I wear eye shadow?" Conan asked with the cross of his arms. "Lighten up a little," Tim said setting them back to the shelf. "I'm just trying to keep us entertained like Ran suggested." "You sure have a creative way of doing that." "Hey, at least I'm trying." Just as they were about to head back to the front someone could be heard approaching from their blind side, both turning to immediately recognize who it was. "Out of all people, I never expected to see the two of you here." "You're Akiye Samurakami right," Conan asked. "We saw you at that party where the shooting took place." "That would be the one." Akiye said. "What happened to you after the explosion occurred," Conan asked. "You were one of the many people who went missing after the smoke cleared." "I left to avoid any further possible attacks." "So what are you doing here," Tim asked. "Keeping up with the latest hair blends?" "I'm actually the manager of this store," Akiye stated. "Now if you don't mind me asking, what are the two of you doing here?" "We're actually with her." Tim said pointing to the back of the store. "Who's she, your girlfriend?" "Close, but she's actually involved with my little friend here," Tim said patting Conan to the top of his head. "Don't let his size fool you, he's got some extreme game." "I'm not even going to respond to that," Akiye said turning away. "Just let it be known, I've got my eyes on the two of you." They watched as she walked to the other side of the store, a smile coming to Tim's face as she did. "You think I creeped her out?" Tim asked. "If that was your intent, mission accomplished." Conan said giving him the thumbs up. Ran returned to the front shortly after, finding the two of them hanging over near the hair sprays. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Conan asked. "They didn't have the right kind," Ran replied. "I'll check back in about a week or so." "Now what," Tim questioned. "What do you guys want to do next?" "It's hot out, so why don't we head to the ice cream shop?" Ran suggested. "What do you say Conan, you up for an ice cone?" Tim asked. "Sounds good to me." "Then it's settled," Ran said. "It's not far from here, we just past it on our way here." They didn't waste any time, back tracking from where they had come. After receiving their ice cream cones they left the shopping center. "That sure was refreshing." Ran said. "You can say that again." Conan said in agreement. Tim leveled a hand just above his eyes, observing the darkened clouds in the far distance, slowly moving their way. "It looks like we could get some rain in the next few hours." Tim said. "Any idea what the two of you want to do before that happens?" Conan shrugged his shoulders. "How about we go skating?" "Pass." Tim rejected. "Seconded." Conan agreed. "I don't exactly see either of you coming up with anything," Ran said. "Or would you prefer to go back to the mall?" "Skating sounds good to me." Tim said. "Skating it is." Conan added. "Follow me," Ran said taking lead once more. "It's located just down this street." They spent a few hours hours at the skating center. Once finished they headed to a bowling alley which took up an additional two hours. Still looking for something else to do they ended up becoming spectators for a live performance on the streets. As the day came closer to an end they managed to come across a photo booth, walking in to take a few shots. Conan looked down at his watch as the sky continued to darken. "How come you didn't come out and skate with us earlier?" Ran asked. "I only agreed to put them on," Tim replied. "I never said I was actually going to skate." "What's wrong, you don't know how to?" "It has nothing to do with that," Tim said. "My left ankle has been giving me troubles for the past few days." "Well that's funny, because you seem to have been able to walk just fine throughout the day." "Yea.. that's because." "Ran it's almost eight O'clock," Conan said cutting in. "Don't you think we should be heading home right about now, we do have school tomorrow after all." "Thanks for the save." Tim whispered. Ran gave her watch a look as well, confirming his claim. "I guess it is getting a bit late." "Then I think it's time we called it a night." Tim said. "I had a lot of fun, we'll have to do it again some time," Ran said. "We could even have Sonoko come along next time." "Sounds like a solid plan too me," Tim agreed. "You two be safe on your way home, I better be getting back as well." "I'll see you tomorrow." Ran waved as Tim headed in the opposite direction of the two. "What a day this turned out to be." Conan thought. "But there's something about Ms. Samurakami, I don't know what it is, but something just seems so... secretive." This laid to the back of his mind the whole walk home. After another hour or so the rain they had been expecting had finally arrived, drizzling down for miles out. It was well past ten when he finally decided to look over to the clock, shaking his sleepiness off as he continued his examination. The door to the room slid open not long after. "How'd you know I'd be here?" "You're a late bird," Dick replied. "I'd never expect you to be in bed this early." "What are you doing here anyway?" Tim asked. "I need you to have another talk with Bondo Salvonte." "About what?" Tim asked. "I had a little visit with Agasa today, that account between Lexcorp and ROTI has been locked down," Dick informed. "I've done a little searching, but I want you to have a word with Salvonte." "What do you want me to ask," Tim questioned. "It's not like I can just go in and ask him about his business with Lex without seeming suspicious." "That's not the approach I had in mind," Dick said. "It's much more discreet." "And what might that be?" "Tell you what, we'll discuss it over lunch tomorrow," Dick said. "As I can see you're a little busy." "It's nothing serious, just looking over this diamond Makoto lent me," Tim said. "The Gueto as it's called." Dick moved in closer to catch a glimpse of something on the computer screen, which grabbed his attention. "What's that you have there?" "A woman was killed on top of a club house I was supposed to attend," Tim informed. "I'm still looking into the case from here in Tokyo." "I'll let you get back to that," Dick said heading for the door. "I'll send you a message with the directions where to meet me some time tomorrow." "I might be a little late," Tim said. "There's someone I need to talk to after school." "That doesn't concern me one bit, I'm sure I can find something to keep me occupied," Dick said. "I'll see you then." Tim nodded, focusing his attention back to the diamond as Dick exited the room. The next morning was an early start. He walked to school with his eyes dazed into the distance, still feeling the affects of an extended weekend. He took his time crossing the street, not exactly ready to go back. "One more day off would have been nice." He made it to the school grounds shortly after, looking over to see his friends waiting for him by the side of the wall. "I told you he'd be here soon." Mitsuhiko said. "What took you so long?" Ai asked as he joined the four of them. "I was actually contemplating on whether or not to sleep in for another hour." Conan replied. "But then you would have been late for class." Ayumi stated. "I was kidding," Conan said with a smile. "Though I do wish we had one more day off." "Couldn't agree more," Genta said. "Though we never did go see that movie you guys." "How about Wednesday," Mitsuhiko suggested. "Is everyone open on that day." "I'll have to check with my parents." Ayumi said. "Me too." Genta added. "Wednesday works for me," Conan said. "What about you Haibara?" She nodded in response. "Great, now all we have to do is wait and see if you two can come on that day." Mitsuhiko said. "I'm almost afraid to ask what we're going to go see." Conan thought. "We better get to class, we only have a few minutes until the bell rings." Genta said. They didn't waste any time, heading straight to class from there. Conan could see her glimpse over at him as they walked, knowing there was probably something she wanted to talk to him about. Mid day had finally arrived. He made his way down to the roadside, signaling for a taxi once there. He checked his watch every few minutes as they drove. They came to a stop after a long twenty minute drive. "Is this the place?" The driver asked turning in his seat. He looked out the window to his left to to locate a sign which read 'Sea Top'. "Yes, this will do." He stepped out once paying, making his way into the restaurant. He was immediately recognized by the woman standing at the front desk. "Wait a minute, haven't I seen you before," She asked giving him a closer look. "Oh yes, your the famous detective Mouri." "That would be me." Kogoro confirmed. "How may I help you today?" "I'm actually supposed to meet with someone." Kogoro informed. "Could you possibly give me a name," She asked. "I could let you know if they've come in yet." "I'm sorry, but that's confidential." "I see, you're working with a client," She said. "In that case you can just walk right on in." "Thank you for your time.. Ms. Sulak." Kogoro said looking down at her name tag. With that he made his way into the seating area, looking to see many people gathered around the center of the room. "I wonder what's going on here." He looked down at his watch to check the time as he made his way to a seat located in the far back. "This is where he said he'd meat me." Kogoro thought while having a seat. He kept his attention to those around him, watching as a man with a cap lowered over his eyes walked over and leaned to one of the walls. "I wonder what that guy is up to?" It wasn't until that second that he felt the presence of someone standing to the side of him. "Eri, what are you doing here?" Kogoro asked. "I could ask you the same thing." "I'm here to meet with a client," Kogoro answered. "And you?" "I was invited by Chef Renin to come see the show." "What show?" "He and another Chef are supposed to have a little cook out competition." "That would explain why no one is seated but me." "I'm going to head to the front for a better view," Eri said turning to walk. "Good luck with your meeting." He sat back as he continued to wait, giving his watch another look. The same mysterious man from early still stood to the side of the wall. Kogoro ignored him, looking to the other side of the room to see a man in shades and a scarf heading his way. "Thanks for coming detective." He said having a seat across from him. "It's good to finally meet you Anguó." "If you don't mind, I'd like to dive right into it." "Fine by me," Kogoro said easing in. "So tell me, what has been bothering you?" "It's my wife," Anguó began. "I believe she's been having an affair." "And how long do you think this has been going on for?" He took a few moments to think about it, looking back up once ready to answer. "I'd say for roughly two months." "Any idea who this other man may be?" Anguó nodded, pointing to the front of the room to where everyone else had their eyes focused to. "His name's Chef Renin." "Who's the other guy next to him?" Kogoro asked. "Chef Yuki, he's supposed to be competing with Renin." "How often do you believe your wife sees him?" Kogoro asked. "Pretty much everyday." "What," Kogoro exclaimed. "How so?" "Because she works here," Anguó informed. "You probably met Bik on your way in." "Don't tell me your wife is Mrs. Sulak!" "Bik Sulak to be exact," Anguó said. "And I'm Anguó Sulak." "We appreciate all your patience," Chef Renin spoke loudly. "We will begin very shortly." The two of them turned just in time to see her walk into the back room with both Chefs right behind. "What do you think is going on now?" Kogoro asked. "They're probably making last minute preparations before they begin."Anguó replied. "So, will you help me find out if she really has been involved with him?" "Of course," Kogoro answered. "That's what I do." The two of them sat in wait for a time to come. Bik returned from the back after a good five minutes, making her way back to the front desk. Others made their way in and out through the doors, neither of them really paying attention to this. "So how do you plan on figuring out this whole thing?" Anguó asked. "We'll wait for the show to end, then I'll make my move from there." Minutes passed as they continued to wait. The doors to the kitchen flew wide open as the Chef Yuki came walking out with the push of a table with all the contents hidden under a large blanket. "Looks like it's show time." He stopped once reaching the center of the room, giving everyone a warming smile before taking a step forward. "I'm glad you were all able to come," Chef Yuki said. "I will go first, then we'll all have the luxury of seeing what Mr. Renin has to offer." "So how does the voting work?" Someone asked. "That doesn't come until the end," Chef Yuki replied. "Are there anymore questions?" There was no hands raised, everyone keeping their eyes set to him. "Then let us begin." He reached down to grab the blanket, tossing it to the side as everyones eyes shot wide in horror. Many screamed out as they pushed back. "What's going on?"Anguó questioned. "Stay here." Kogoro instructed as he jumped from his seat. He pushed his way through the crowd, arriving to the front to find out what had been hidden behind the blanket. It was none other than Chef Renin, his body laid out to the table. "It wasn't me!" Chef Yuki said backing away. "Alright everyone," Kogoro said facing the crowd. "I need everyone to move back, this is now a crime scene." Kogoro then caught sight of Eri who gave him a look. He didn't know what to think at first, continuing to get everyone to clear the way. Everyone did as instructed except for Eri who walked right up to him. "What are you doing," Kogoro said becoming impatient. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of getting things settled?" "I thought you might want to know about the guy tampering with the scene behind you." "What guy?!" Kogoro yelled as he spun around. It was none other than him, the man he had seen standing in the corner earlier. "Hey, what are you doing?!" "Two cut's to the lower abdomen, one to the back of the neck," He said as he examined the body. "I'd say he died within twenty seconds of the encounter." "Did you not hear me," Kogoro stomped while coming to a stop directly behind him. "This is a crime scene, and I need everyone to get back which includes you!" "Sorry about that, I just wanted to give the body a look myself." The capped man said turning to face him. "Usually people jump back at the sight of a dead body, but you seem rather comfortable," Kogoro stated. "Who are you anyway." "Dick Grayson." He replied tipping his hat up. To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 43 The Count Down It was an early start for him that Saturday morning. He traveled around the city to get himself further accustomed to the many locations. His phone rang as he exited from an electronics shop, pulling it to his ear once stopping under a small tree. "Hey," Dick said answering the call. "What happened yesterday, where'd you disappear to when we got back?" "Sorry about that," Tim said. "There was something important I needed to attend to." "No need to apologize, It's not like I lost any sleep or anything like that." "I figured you wouldn't, or I'd have called to touch base," Tim said. "On another note, are you busy at the moment?" "Nope, just giving myself a little tour of the city," Dick replied. "Why, did you want me to come over?" "As a matter a fact I do," Tim said. "How soon can you be here?" "Stay put, I'll be right over." With that he slipped the phone back into his pocket. He whistled a low tune on his way there, looking down at his watch which read five after eleven. He was surprised when he arrived to find the two of them standing outside of the apartment complex. "I didn't know Conan was with you." Dick said stopping in front of the two. "He came over about an hour ago." Tim informed. "Why are we meeting down here," Dick asked. "Is there something you guys wanted to show me?" "There's actually someone we want you to meet." Tim said. "Let me guess, that doctor friend of yours," Dick said . "Mr. Agasa if I recall." "Right on both accounts." Conan confirmed. "How far is this place from here?" "It's in walking distance, so a cab won't be necessary." Tim replied. "Besides the temperature is mild today." "That's one good thing," Conan said. "We've had some pretty hot conditions for the past couple days, this is a nice change in pace." "Careful you two, you wouldn't want to jinx it now would you?" That was the last mention of the weather. They made their way down one street to the next, Conan pointing out several places Dick was unfamiliar with. This resulted in them becoming a little sidetracked. It wasn't until an hour later that they finally arrived to where they had set out to be. "We're almost there," Conan said. "It's just down this street." They could see him standing in the middle of the yard with his eyes aimed to the sky, noticing a large remote in his hands. "What's he doing?" Tim questioned. "Your guess is as good as mine." Conan said. Out of curiosity they to looked up at the sky, watching as a metallic hand grabbed hold of a tennis ball falling down toward them. "Oh what a surprise," Dr. Agasa said noticing the three. "I was not expecting you boys over." "What's this you have flying around?" Conan asked as they approached. "Just a little something I've been working on for quite some time," Hiroshi replied. "It's quite useful when working at a desk, it allows for you to grab anything you may need." "Interesting stuff doc," Tim said. "Next you'll be telling us about some telekinetic device you put together." "That's a little far fetched, something that would take years and much research to create." "Well if anyone is able to do it, I'd put my money on you." Tim said. "So who is this with you," Hiroshi asked lowering the metallic hand to the grass. "Are you a friend of Timothy?" "More than that, we're basically family," Tim answered. "We've already told him all about you, so no need for an introduction." "It's great to have you on our side Dr. Agasa." Dick said. "Oh I see, you're part of their little operation," Hiroshi said. "So how long have you been here?" "Just arrived last week," Dick answered. "It's been an interesting one to say the least." "Where's Haibara," Conan asked. "Is she inside?" "Yes, she's working with something on the computer," Hiroshi informed. "Would the three of you like to come inside?" "I don't see why not, we have nowhere else to be at the moment." Tim said. Dr. Agasa picked the hand up from the ground, the three of them following behind as he walked through the front door. "With all that's on my mind I almost forgot to ask you your name." "Grayson, Dick Grayson." "Well Mr. Grayson, it's good to meet you." They closed the door behind them once in. Agasa then lead them across the room to where the computer sat. "Ai, we have a guests who has come to meet you." It took her a few seconds to respond. After finishing the last of what she was typing Ai took the time to look back to give them her attention. "Hi, I'm Dick Grayson." "Pleasure to meet you." Ai said facing the computer once again. "I'll let the four of you get acquainted," Hiroshi said leaving the room. "I still have a few more tests to run on this thing." She could hear him moving in from behind as she read over something, deciding she'd put it on hold. "I take it you're friends with Tim?" "More like brothers, we're always looking out for each other," Dick confirmed. "Though I must say, I'm really starting to warm up to Conan over here." "Guess that makes the two of us." Conan said. "I heard Tim gave you a stuffed animal at some theme park you all went to." Dick said directing his attention back to her. "What did you think of that?" "It was nice of him." Ai replied. "Do you cuddle with it at night?" Dick asked with a grin forming. "What's he up to now?" Tim thought to himself. Ai didn't respond to his question. The chair slightly moved forward that next second, Ai glimpsing up to see Dick leaning at the side of the chair. "So, I see you like computers." ".. I suppose I do." "That's cool, Tim happens to like computers to." Dick informed. Tim brought a palm to his face with the shake of his head. Conan noticing this couldn't help but giggle. At this point it was obvious what he was trying to do. Tim quickly pressed down to his phone with a plan in mind. "Oh look, Ran just sent me a message," Tim said. "It looks like she wants us to meet her at the mall." "That's strange, because this morning I could have sworn that she told me she would be." Conan began only to have Tim put a hand over his mouth. "Whelp, I guess we better get down there A.S.A.P," Tim said keeping his hand steady. "We all know how much Ran hates waiting." "That was a little unexpected," Dick said pushing away from the chair. "It was nice meeting you Haibara, we'll be sure to stop by some time." She watched as the three of them made their way over to the front door, leaving her to the silence of the room like a couple minutes prior. "I don't know what it was about them, but they're defiantly up to something." He finally slowed down once they reached the end of the block, waiting for the light to turn red for them to be able to cross the roadway. "Why are we trying to cross here," Conan asked. "The malls that way." "We're not going to the mall," Tim said. "I made that whole thing up." "But I heard your phone ring," Conan said. "If that wasn't Ran who sent you a message then who was it?" "It was no one," Tim informed. "I simply changed my ring tone in hopes of fooling the two of you." "Why'd you do that?" Dick asked. "You should be the last to ask," Tim said. "You were the one trying to instigate something back there." "Come on Tim, you know I was only trying to have a little fun." Dick said with a smile. "Yea, at my expense." "Well you can't blame me, you're just to easy to pick on." "Shinichi, back me up here will ya?" "This is between you and him, I don't want any part of it." "Huh, some sidekick you're turning out to be." Tim mumbled. "Sidekick," Conan questioned . "Since when was it established that I'm your sidekick?" "Well.. you have done a good job at following his orders." Dick replied. "What orders, we're on equal ground here." Conan declared with the turn of his head. "Nice, you're just as fun to pick on as Tim." Dick said patting him on his shoulder. "Glad to be able to entertain you." Conan said rolling his eyes. They walked for minutes to come. It didn't take long for them to realize they had no true sense of where they were going. Dick was the first to come to a stop, Conan and Tim doing the same after seeing him do so. "Where now are we going?" Dick asked. "I don't know, I was just following." Conan replied. "I was under the impression we were burning off time." "For what," Dick questioned. "I didn't know we were waiting on something." "The main computer is going through an update, and once it's finished I can give those images a closer look." "What images?" Conan asked. "Something Heiji gave me back on my trip to Osaka." Tim replied. "A few close up shots of an incident that occurred." "I don't see a point to us walking in circles," Conan said. "Let's head back to see if the scan is complete." "Agreed, we're wasting time that could be used planning our next move." Dick added. Tim looked at his watch to see it had been three hours since the scan had begun. "It's had plenty of time to run its course," Tim thought while lowering his arm back to his side. "By the time we arrive the scan should be complete." Not much was said on their way to the base. They were more focused than they had been all day. The sound of an alarm on the computer could be heard as they entered in through the entrance door. Tim took a seat at the computer chair, immediately shutting off the alarm that beeped loud to their ears. "What was that all about?" Conan asked. "Just a notification to let me know the scan is complete." Tim replied. Dick sat at the other chair from behind, leaning back in relaxation. Conan on the other hand stood at the side of Tim, watching as he went to work on enhancing the photos. The room stayed silent for a good few minutes. "How much longer until we have clear shots?" He didn't reply. "Hey Tim, how long do you think it will take you?" Conan crossed his arms at his second failed attempt at getting his attention. "Sorry about that Conan," Dick said. "Tim can become a little mute when it comes to his computers." "As I can see." "We'll have to forgive him, he's somewhat of a geek in that regard." "Oh really," Conan said with a smile falling upon his face. "I always took him more for a nerd." "Aren't they pretty much the same thing?" "Point taken." "Actually, they're not." Tim said looking up from the computer. Both Conan and Dick looked to him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Conan asked. "A geek should not be confused with a nerd," Tim said. "Though similar, both have their distinct differences." He could feel it within him, holding himself back as best as he could. "Whatever you say Tim," Dick said laughingly. "They're the same as far as I know." "A nerd is someone who is highly intelligent, yet very independent," Tim began. "They are considered by most to be loners, not usually very attractive, and tend to only work with those with a similar mind set." They looked to one another, shocked he was actually giving them a full rundown. "Geeks on the other hand have high imagination and aren't nearly as distant," Tim continued. "They're extremely advanced when it comes to computers and technology, their devotion to what they do out weighs that of your average ordinary person." "... Hold on a second," Conan said uncrossing his arms. "You did not just tell us the difference between a geek and a nerd?" "I actually wasn't finished," Tim informed. "I can break it down even further if you'd like, that's where you have the dorks and dweebs." Dick couldn't contain himself any longer, shedding out the laughter which he contained inside. Conan did the same in the seconds that passed. Tim rolled his eyes at his two laughing comrades, directing his attention back to the computer screen. "Is it so hard to have a mature discussion, even if it was for just one time?" Their laughter came to a stop shortly after. Conan made his way to Dick's side, whispering into his ear once coming to a stop. "So which one is he?" "A geek, defiantly a geek." Dick replied. "Couldn't agree more." Conan said. They patiently waited for him to finish up with the pictures he had obtained. Every minute that passed seemingly longer than the last. Conan walked forward after hearing the snap of Tim's finger. "What is it," Conan asked. "Have you finished editing the pictures taken?" "Yep, everything's a go." Tim confirmed. "Now we're talking," Conan said. "So what do we have?" "Most everything here is pictures of the victims at the scene," Tim replied. "But check out the photo at the top right corner." He enlarged it to where it took up the full screen. "This is what we really should be looking at," Tim pointed. "Take a good look at that sideways 'w' imprinted on the back of his neck." Conan pushed up to give it a closer look. It wasn't much but, everything seemed to be slowly coming together. "That's not a 'w', it's an 'e'," Conan said. "I recognize that typeface, Bauhaus 93." "Exactly, it's an 'e' that closely resembles a sideways 'w'," Tim said. "According to Heiji, Ryo also had this same marking on the back of his neck." "What do you think it symbolizes," Conan asked. "If he and Ryo both were Black Yangs it must stand for something." The two stood in thought for seconds to come, just as clueless as the other. "Dick, what do you think?" Tim asked looking over at him. "I'm just as stumped as you two." "Maybe not." Conan said removing his hands from his pocket. "It's a hunch, but I think I may have an idea." "An idea huh," Tim said. "Go ahead, I'd like to hear this." "Do you remember when Heiji and I were captured by Scar Eyes?" Conan asked. "Scar Eyes... Oh yea now I remember, he's one of the Outworlders," Tim said. "Down at the docks, right?" Conan nodded in confirmation. "When we were held captive, Scar Eyes said he was from down west," Conan informed. "Osaka to be exact." "Where are you going with this?" Tim asked. "I had Dr. Agasa do a little digging for me shortly after our last encounter with Brutho," Conan said. "Turns out he lives down west himself." "I see, so you think the Outworlders originated from down that way." Dick said. "And if what I think those markings represent turn out to be true, that means the Black Yangs are from the east." Conan said. "In that case the White Tiger could be closer than we think," Tim said. "He could even be somewhere here in Tokyo." "It's funny how much we can learn in such a short amount of time," Dick said sitting up from the chair. "Now the question becomes, where to start looking." "We're on a bit of a short leash," Conan said. "We'll need more than tatts and a few bodies if we plan on finding out where he's operating from." "Which won't be easy." Dick said. "They're right," Tim thought. "And choosing what to do next won't be easy, especially since we don't have much on this White Tiger or the Black Yangs for that matter." The three remained silent for a short time, figuring out what their next move would be. Conan leaned against the walls as his phone went off. He pulled it from within his pocket, looking to the others after reading the message. "I gotta go," Conan said. "Ran needs me back at the house." "You sure this isn't a ring change?" Dick jokingly asked. "I assure you this isn't another ring tone change," Conan said turning for the door. "That's Tim's playbook." "You hear that Tim," Dick said. "You have your own little scheme book now." "At least I'm not the one who sported pixie boots and underwear for all those years." "Pixie boots and underwear," Conan questioned while looking back at the two of them. "What was that I heard?" "Oh it's nothing," Dick said waving his hands back and forth with a smile coming to his face. "Run along now, we'll call you whenever we have any new information." With that he left the room, the electronic door closing behind shortly after. "I wonder what that was all about." Conan thought to himself. To his pleasure the temperature had not risen much from what it had been earlier. He slowly made his way home, taking each step at a time. Once there he darted up the stairs, anxious to find out what it was she had messaged him about. He walked in through the front door to immediately see Ran come out from within her room. "Sorry I called you away from your friends," Ran apologized. "I'm glad you were able to make it here so quickly." "It's ok, we can always reschedule for a later time." Conan said. "So which one do you think I should wear?" Ran asked pulling two different shirts from behind her back. "The purple one." Conan answered. "That's exactly what I was thinking." Ran said heading back into her room. He leaned to the side of the wall as he waited for her to return. Surprisingly it didn't take long for her to do so. "So how do I look?" "Perfect," Conan replied. "So what's this all about, are we going somewhere?" "As a matter a fact we are, I think today is the perfect time for the three of us to go out," Ran confirmed. "You didn't say anything to him, did you?" "Of course not," Conan replied. "Where is he, I didn't see him in the office on my way up." "I spoke with him over the phone about thirty minutes ago," Ran said. "He should be here any minute now." Within a couple seconds they could hear the door to the office room slam shut. "Sounds like he's home." Conan said. "Stay here," Ran instructed. "I'm going to go check on him." "I wonder what has him so heated." Conan thought. Everything had remained consistently busy throughout the day up until sun down. He sat in the darkness of his office, the trail of the days events looming on his mind. A soft knock came from the other side of the door. "Come in, the doors unlocked." The door slowly slid open in the following seconds. "It's so dark in here Megure," Miwako said entering. "Why do you have the lights off?" "I needed some time to think, and that was the best way to help me do so," Juzo replied. "So what is it you want to speak to me about?" "It's about the latest case involving another dead officer," Miwako answered. "I thought now would be a good time to go over the latest details." "Sounds good to me," Juzo said. "Have they diagnosed a cause of death?" "Death by drowning is what has been recorded." Miwako turned at the sudden sound of someone running in from behind. "Sorry I'm late Inspector Megure," Wataru said catching his breath. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" "Sato could you give the two of us a minute," Juzo asked. "We won't be long." "Yes sir." He waited for her to leave, sitting up in his chair once she did. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Wataru asked. "Tell me Takagi, how have you been feeling for these past few weeks?" "How have I been feeling," Wataru questioned. "What do you mean by that?" "You know you're one of my most trusted men, right?" "Of course," Wataru said walking toward him. "What's wrong, is there something important you need to tell me?" "Yes, and I also need you to keep a secret." "A secret... what kind of secret?" The door to the room flew shut from behind, causing him to jump. It was pitch dark for the first few seconds before the lights turned on. "Takagi, there's someone I want you to meet." Juzo pointed. He turned around, and there he was, standing with his back leaned against the door. "It's great to finally meet you, Officer Takagi." "I'm sure you recognize him," Juzo said standing from his chair. "His names Red Robin." "But Inspector," Wataru said looking back at him. "Why, I don't understand." "He's not what you think," Juzo said. "Red Robin may not be a lawman but he's defiantly on our side, him saving my life is sealed proof of that." "He saved your life," Wataru questioned. "Now I'm a little confused." "Try not to be," Red Robin said stepping up to him. "We'll explain the best way we can." "So you're not a killer or thief?" Wataru asked. "Correct, I'm neither of those things," Red Robin replied. "All I want is to put a stop to these recent ongoing activities." "You mean the random killings of the many police officers?" He nodded. "There's more to it than that, but that's on the surface of it all." Red Robin said. "Inspector, about what time was it when the latest body was discovered." "Earlier this evening around 6 PM behind a restaurant," Juzo informed. "Death has been declared by drowning, a water hose was found near the body." "Someone must have forced it into their throat," Red Robin said. "What a way to go." "There was also a slash mark on the chest area," Juzo added. "At this point we can assume it's the killers signature." "Was a message left at the scene as well?" "No, but the killer did leave another note behind," Juzo said. "This time with the number nine attached." Red Robin stood back in silence, absorbing in all they knew. Megure walked up to his side after a few passing moments. "What are you thinking?" Juzo asked. "The numbers," Red Robin replied. "I can't help but think they represent some kind of count down." "A count down," Juzo questioned. "For what?" "Don't know yet," Red Robin answered. "Then we have the change in the culprit's method of killing, the water hose may in fact be a hint at what's to come." "Great thinking," Juzo commented. "I'll have my men work that angle." "Good, because we need to try and be prepared for whatever this guy may have planned." "So why me," Wataru asked coming back into the picture. "Out of all the others, why choose me to help you?" "It was actually between you and two others," Megure informed. "After I gave him a description on the three of you, he chose you out of the select few." "Let's hope I made the right choice," Red Robin said turning for the window. "Give him a complete rundown Inspector, I'll be seeing the two of you in the next few days." "Leaving so soon?" Juzo asked. "Crime never takes a break, and I have somewhere I need to be." They watched as he leaped out of the window, leaving them to the quietness of the room. Red Robin swinged to a building nearby where he awaited, landing right at the side of him. "How'd it go in there?" "He had questions just as we thought," Red Robin replied. "But I think once it sinks in he'll make for a valuable ally." "So when are you going to introduce me?" "I didn't think bringing Takagi into the fold and introducing you all in the same night would have flowed very well," Red Robin said. "But come our next meeting Nightwing shall attend." "Sounds good, but I still feel you should have chosen Officer Sato out of the three," Nightwing said. "I heard the girl has some pretty spiffy moves." "That or you just find her attractive." "And you don't?" "I'm heading back to the base," Red Robin said reaching for his grappler. "I want to look over those images once more, I'll see you tomorrow." "See you then." Nightwing said watching as he swung off into the night. He had slept through most of the night without any complications. It wasn't until around nine the next morning that someone called, awaking him from his deep sleep. He rolled out of bed to find his phone laying on the ground. "I wonder who could be calling at this time." Conan said reaching down and pulling it up to his ear. "Hello?" "I'm glad you picked up." "Oh hey Haibara," Conan said. "What promoted you to call?" "It's about yesterday," Ai replied. "Your friends were acting rather strange." "Don't pay them any mind," Conan said. "They can be a little outgoing when they're together." "And if that wasn't enough, Mr. Grayson just showed up here about fifteen minutes ago." Ai informed. "Did he now," Conan said. "What's he doing there?" "He and Agasa took off in the car to go somewhere," Ai replied. "He said they wouldn't be long." "Maybe Dick's just interested in his line of work," Conan said. "He seemed pretty thrilled after seeing Agasa's flying hand yesterday." "Be careful Shinichi, there's something suspicious about those Gotham boys." He could hear his name being called from the other room as he sat on the side of the bed. "I'm going to have to call you back," Conan said. "Ran's calling me." "Well, get back to me as soon as you can." "Will do Haibara." After hanging up Conan walked over to the dresser to find something to wear for the day. Once dressed he placed a cap on the top of his head, making his way out. He looked to find Ran chatting with Tim near the front entrance. "There you are," Ran said turning his way. "What took you so long?" "I was getting dressed." Conan answered. "Ran told me about what happened yesterday," Tim said. "I'm sorry about your planned day being put on hold, those killings must have really put him on edge." "No worries, we plan on trying again tomorrow." Ran said. "Why not today?" Conan asked. "Tim's already asked for our company today." Ran replied. "So what are we going to do?" Conan asked looking up at him. "Why ruin the surprise," Tim said opening the door. "You'll find out in a few hours, in the mean time there's something I need to talk to you about." "What do you need to talk to him about?" Ran asked. "Guy talk," Tim replied. "Come on Conan." Conan followed him out through the front door. Ran watched them from the top of the stairs as they headed out. "We'll be back no later than an hour." Tim said. "I'll be waiting." Ran said. "And don't you be taking him anywhere someone his age shouldn't be." "Your request has been well noted." "That's all I needed to hear." Ran said as she closed the door. Conan looked up at Tim as they continued to walk, resting his hands into the comfort of his pocket. "What is it you want to talk about?" Conan asked. "Not here," Tim replied. "We'll talk as soon as we get there." "There," Conan thought. "Where is he taking me?" To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 42 The Unexpected The Detective Prince Chapter 42 The Unexpected All was rested on the mind, drifting away into a deep sleep with each passing second. It ringed clear to his ear, startling him ever so slightly. He tiresly looked to his side, reaching over and grabbing the phone while rolling onto his back. "Hello." Conan softly spoke. "Thank goodness you answered, I have a favor to ask." "Tim, is that you," Conan asked sitting up in bed. "Why did your number ring up as unknown?" "Never mind that," Red Robin said. "Where are you now?" "Trying to get some sleep," Conan replied with a yawn. "What took you so long to call anyway?" "Been busy." "How's Sonoko doing?" Conan asked with a tone change in his voice. "I don't even have time to go there," Red Robin said. "What I need is for you to head to the base, I'm in a bit of a situation." "How does me going to the base help you?" "Just do it, times running short." "Sounds like you've really put yourself in a hole this time," Conan said removing the sheets from over himself. "I'm on my way now." He dropped down from the bed, finding a pair of clothes to slip into before opening the door. All the lights were off in the next room, the TV being the only source of light. "We have a little problem." Conan whispered. "What's wrong?" "Ran hasn't gone to her room yet." Conan replied. "Is she awake?" Conan gave her a long hard look, watching as her head slightly repositioned from where it lay to the table. "I'd say she's half way out." Conan finally answered. "Good, you should be able to sneak right past." "What if she wakes up?" Conan questioned. "Then shoot her with your stun gun," Red Robin replied. "That will assure she stays put." "Are you insane?!" Conan said raising his voice just a tad. "Relax, I was only kidding," Red Robin said laughingly. "Call me back when you get there, gotta go." "That was not funny." Conan said ending the transition. With that he put the phone into his pocket, quietly making his way toward the front door. He stopped at the sudden shift of her left hand, waiting a few extra before continuing on. Once clear he slowly turned the knob to the door, taking a deep breath as he stepped out in success. "That was close," Conan said closing the door behind. "I thought for sure she was going to awake." He paced himself on the way down the stairs, not wanting to alarm anyone of his departure. The sound of the doors plowing open to the floor below could be heard, the two of them knowing they were coming their way. "Who was that you were talking with?" "Another friend," Red Robin replied. "We don't have much time, is there another way out besides back tracking from where we came?" "Each temple has a few hidden rooms, but I'm afraid I can't pin point any of them," Makoto replied. "That was something Sensei Karu always kept to himself." "Guess that leaves us with only one way out." There was nowhere to hide, and running up to the next floor would only delay what they knew what they had to do. "Are you ready?" "Let's make this quick." Red Robin replied pulling out his staff. The sound of them running got louder with each passing second, both standing ready as the armed men came barging into the room. They all were dressed in casual clothing, each carrying a different type of firearm. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little company." One of them said flashing a light over. "This must be the Grandmaster we heard so much about," Another said pointing a gun his way. "All that karate stuff don't mean nothing, if you can't dodge a bullet." Confused by their statement, Makoto looked at his side to find Red Robin was nowhere to be seen. "Whatever he's planning, he better make it quick." "So what do you say," He remarked approaching with his finger to the trigger. "Think you can dodge a bullet." "What do you think?" Makoto asked playing along. "I think if you don't hand over the Gueto we're going to have test that out." "Never heard of it." "So now you want to play the smart guy, bad move," He said pointing the gun at his head. "Wanna try again?" Makoto responded using his instincts, knocking the weapon from his hand while flipping him to the ground. This was the perfect opportunity, the moment. He dropped down from the ceiling with the toss of a few birdrangs, knocking away a few of their weapons. "Fire!!" Makoto and Red Robin both jumped to separate sides of the room, figuring out what their next move was going to be. "Five of them are still armed, gotta take them down before the others can get back to their weapons." He leaped forward with the extention of his staff, Makoto with a fast approach on the other side to keep their eyes busy at who to choose. This resulted in slight hesitation, working into their advantage. Makoto landed a cold strike to the neck, glimpsing over at Red Robin who took two more down with a powerful spinning jump kick. "Enough, kill the masked man first then we'll worry about the..!" He yelled receiving a smashing blow to the skull. Red Robin then swung his staff just past Makoto's face, knocking two more of the gunmen to the ground. "Move, now!" Red Robin instructed throwing a smoke bomb toward the ground. Makoto followed close at his side, the two of them taking this time to head to the next floor. Neither looked back as they made their way up, already planning their next move. "Why are we running," Makoto questioned. "We had the advantage." "Three of them got ahold of their guns, don't think I could have disarmed them quick enough," Red Robin stated. "And with you not having any kind of protective armor I didn't want to risk it." They came to a stop once reaching the next room, tightly closing and locking the door. "That should slow them down." "But for how long?" Makoto questioned. The two of them jumped, startled at the sound of something crashing through the window from behind. They turned around to see him flip to his feet. "Air glider, never leave home without it." "Nightwing," Red Robin said pleased to see him. "Didn't expect you to arrive so fast." "Have I missed anything," Nightwing asked walking over. "And who is this with you, I thought you were alone." "His names Makoto Kyogoku," Red Robin replied. "A very formidable martial artists." "So I take it you two know each other." Makoto said looking from one to the other. A loud slam could be heard from the other side of the door, followed by another. "Looks like they're back for more." Red Robin said. "How many are we talking?" Nightwing asked. "There was eleven when we began," Makoto informed. "Red Robin and I were able to take a few of them down, there's no telling how many of them are still active." "Let's keep moving," Red Robin said. "We still have to buy a little more time." "You have a plan?" Nightwing asked. "Kind of," Red Robin replied directing his attention to Makoto. "How many more floors until we reach the top?" "Exactly two more." "Then let's hurry, I don't think that doors going to hold up much longer." Once again they ran to the next floor, locking it on their way to the final level. The last room was different than the others, several weapons could be found strapped across the wall. This ranged from swords to unique designed shurikens. Most decorating of all was the painting of the sky that filled the ceiling. "Where are we?" Nightwing questioned. "The armory," Makoto replied grabbing hold of a table next to the wall. "Help me lift this to put over the door." "Good idea, that should buy us a little extra needed time." Nightwing said in compliance. With the strength of the two of them combined, they stashed the table in front of the door, taking a step back after it was securely in place. They could hear them bagging on the door on the floor below, time running short with each passing second. "So what's the plan?" Nightwing asked looking at Red Robin who leaned up against wall. He didn't reply, keeping his sights set to the ground. Makoto and Nightwing looked at one another, a little taken back by this. "I thought you said you had a plan." "I do," Red Robin said. "I'm just waiting for the call." "What call," Nightwing questioned. "We don't have time to just sit around." "Trust me," Red Robin said. "If all goes well we'll have all that we need to take control of the situation." "How do we know that?" Makoto asked. "I planted a little something to one of the walls on the second floor," Red Robin replied. "It's signal is linked to my computer." "How does that help us," Makoto asked. "Your computer isn't even here." "Kudo better hurry, the times ticking." The sound of them breaking into the room below could be heard, listening on as they trotted along up the stairs. "We're down to our last line of defense," Nightwing said. "I think it's time we had a change in strategy." "What did you have in mind?" Makoto asked. "I'm still working on that." Nightwing replied looking around the room. Whatever they were to do had to be fast, they were closing in with every moment that past. The standing armor in the back corner of the room caught his attention. Could it be used as a distraction? It sparked much tension in the room, the sound of them hitting to the other side of the door. "Whatever it is you have planned, nows the time to let us in on it," Makoto said. "They're here." All it took was a few good hits, plowing the door open with the use of their weapons. They kicked the table to the side while entering the room, the shadowed figure being the first thing coming to their attention. "There he is!!" They opened fire on the spot, only taking them a few seconds to realize what they were shooting at. "It's a decoy," One said looking to the falling armor. "And to think you fellas fell for it." Nightwing said jumping down to trip two of them to the ground. "Who's this guy, I thought there was only two of them!" "No matter," Another said. "They will all share the same fate." Makoto yanked a boomerang from the wall from where he stood, slinging it over to successfully disarm three men. Red Robin finished up the assault by whacking the three of them to the ground. "That leaves five more." "Kyogoku think fast." Nightwing said tossing something his way. Makoto caught it into his hand, watching as a gas surfaced in the following seconds. He placed the mask onto his face to keep from breathing in whatever was in the air, watching as Nightwing and Red Robin finished off the remaining gunmen. It didn't take long for the gas to clear the room, the three of them removing the gas masks. "What was that?" Makoto asked. "Tear gas," Nightwing replied. "I'd say it did the trick." The sound of something driving near could be heard from outside the window. Curious to see what it was, the three walked over to have a look. "Looks like we have some more company." Makoto said. "And they're driving the same types of trucks as the other guys did." Red Robin added. "Four trucks in all," Nightwing said counting them off. "There's no telling how many of them there are." "Makes you wonder what's so important about that diamond." Makoto said. It couldn't have happened at a more opportune time, hearing the codec ring in his cowl. "Good timing, didn't expect you there so quick." "I used my turbo enhanced skateboard," Conan informed. "What is it you wanted me to do?" "Are you on the computer?" "Can't get in," Conan said. "It requires a password." "You already know the password." "No I don't." "Oh yes you do." A few seconds was all that it took, remembering exactly what it was. "Ok, I'm in," Conan said. "Now what?" "There should be an alert on the side of the screen," Red Robin said. "I need you to click on it." Conan did as instructed, watching as a layout of some kind came onto the screen. "What is this?" "The red dot you can see is me," Red Robin said. "We're in a bit of a situation." "What do you want me to do?" "We need another way out," Red Robin informed. "Makoto said this place has a few hidden rooms, is there possibly one nearby?" "Makoto," Conan question. "You mean to tell me you're with Makoto Kyogoku?" "It's a long story." He took a few moments to make sense of it all, this wasn't a type of blueprint he was used to dealing with. "Try pushing down on the wall to the left of you," Conan said. "From the readings I'm getting it looks like it's hallow, a little passage way which should take you to the roof." "Thanks Shinichi, we'll give it a go." Once finished he looked back at the others who still had their sights set out the window. He made his way over to see what the situation was, glimpsing down to see the newcomers loading up on ammunition. "There's thirty in all." Nightwing informed. "Good thing is we don't have to engage them," Red Robin said. "If we head to the roof we could make our way to the top of one of the other temples." "This window is much to small," Makoto said. "How do you propose we get to the roof from here?" "Through that wall." Red Robin pointed. It streamed loud from the distance, the three of them ducking down at the sound of shots being fired. "You think they saw us?" Makoto asked. "Not sure," Nightwing replied. "Sounded like the shots were fired from a good distance away." Everything became dead silent after several rounds were fired, the three of them slowly peaking up to have a look. What they saw left them stunned, the bodies of all thirty men laid out to the ground, motionless. They couldn't find words to express what to feel, Red Robin catching sight of someone kneeling on a large hill afar. Using his cowl he zoomed in, receiving a thumbs up by the shooter who held the rifle tightly at his side. "No... it can't be." "What's wrong?" Nightwing asked noticing the disturbance on his face. "It was him," Red Robin said looking directly into his eyes. "It was Deadshot." "Deadshot," Nightwing questioned looking to the far distance. "..I don't see anyone." Red Robin brought his attention back to the hill as well, he was gone. A small emptiness came over him, feeling as if it had all been some kind of allusion. And just like so many other nights, more questions were left than answers. What was so important about the diamond? Why had Deadshot killed those men, was it in attempt to aid them? "What happens from here?" Makoto asked. "You stay here and call the police," Nightwing replied. "I think they better come down and have a look at all of this." "Of course." "When they arrive just tell them you came across this whole mess," Nightwing said. "The truth might be a little too much for them to handle at this point." "What about the two of you?" "The night's young, and we still have a lot of work to do," Nightwing replied. "We'll be sure to find you if we need anything." Makoto nodded, standing aside as the two made their way out. He took a step forward, something that had been on his mind since the journey here. "Wait, back there you didn't give it your all, did you?" He stopped in his tracks, looking back at him for a last time. "What do you mean?" "Back on the roof," Makoto continued. "You weren't trying against me." "Of course not," Red Robin said with a smile. "We're on the same side." "I want you to promise me two things." Makoto said. "And what might that be?" "That diamond given to you is important to my Sensei, be sure you take good care of it," "Like I said before, I'll have it back to you as soon as this is all over." "And next time we meet... don't hold back." Red Robin nodded. "I'll give you my best," Red Robin said turning to walk once more. "Until then, Kyogoku." He had done just as planned, telling the police what he had come upon arriving to Royal Mountain. It was the story to the front page that next morning, most news channels covering it as well. They had accomplished what they had set out to do, meeting at the forest like they had the previous day. "Glad I was able to help." "And we were happy to have your assistance Heiji." Dick said in response. "The train back to Tokyo leaves in about an hour," Tim said looking at his watch. "What of yours?" "Don't have to head to the station for at least for another two," Heiji replied. "The train to Osaka doesn't depart until four." "Hopefully we'll see you again, and soon." Dick said. "You can count on it," Heiji said. "Give everyone my best." "We will," Tim said. "You be sure to do the same." With that they parted ways. They made it to the train station within the next thirty, Dick tapping him on the shoulder as they made their way down to the waiting area. "It's going to be a long ride back, that should give us plenty of time to really catch up on some things." "Is this before or after I'm done getting scolded?" Tim asked. "What are you talking about," Dick asked with a laugh. "Why would I scold you?" "I wasn't referring to you." They touched down from the last step, everything becoming clear after seeing her sitting to one of the benches. She immediately noticed them, glaring as they approached. "Oh I see," Dick said giving him a nudge. "Isn't that, that girl you have a few classes with?" "Yep." "Didn't know you brought her along," Dick said. "She looks peeved, did you do something to make her angry?" "Yep." Not another word was spoken, bracing himself for what she was going to say. "So this is why you didn't show up last night," Sonoko said standing up to him. "You have a good time with big brother?" "Look, I'm sorry," Tim explained. "The meeting turned out to be a lot longer than I thought." "Why do I get the feeling there was no meeting," Sonoko questioned while looking to Dick. "Were you there as well?" "I had no knowledge of any kind of meeting." Dick replied not wanting to get involved. Tim gulped, knowing this wasn't going to end well. She continued to mouth him off all the way up until they boarded, Tim taking a seat to the far back just like any other time. Dick sat directly across, reading the paper he had received earlier that morning. "And to make matters worse, Makoto had to leave the party to attend a meeting as well," Sonoko ravaged on. "What's up with you boys and your meetings anyway, I swear that trend of excuse has risen in the past month." "I'm sure it was important," Tim said. "Kyogoku not the kind of guy who just leaves unless it's important." "Or it's the fact he's been talking with you too much," Sonoko declared. "Who's to say the two of you didn't go out for a little guy time?" "We'd never do that." Tim said. "I'm done talking with you on the matter," Sonoko said turning away. "I'll just sit with him, he couldn't possibly be as annoying as you." Dick kept steady from where he sat, keeping his eyes focused on the paper with a flip of the page. Sonoko sat at the seat directly next to him, doing the best she could to calm her nerves. "Hope you don't mind a little company." "Not at all," Dick said looking up from the paper. "Sorry about Tim giving you such a hard time, he has a hard time communicating with others in certain situations." "Why's that?" "Good question," Dick said. "But let's not talk about that." "Ok, then what would you like to talk about?" "How about you," Dick said. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, what do you like to do?" He could hear the mention of his name from time to time as they talked, slouching back into his seat with the shake of his head. "Why is it I'm always made out to be the bad guy?" Tim thought with the close of his eyes. The train took off shortly after. He listened to the wheels pouncing down on the track, feeling himself fading throughout the hour. He had kept to himself for most of the ride, occasionally glimpsing out the window to view the scenery. They arrived back in Tokyo hours later, finding the sky to be darkened by the clouds that populated it. He had managed to slip away as they talked without either noticing, locating a bus stop which happened to be across the street from where he was. "I might get an ear full later for doing this, but I think I've had enough excitement for one trip." He remained silent throughout the bus ride, reaching his destination after a good twenty minutes. The clouds continued to darken as he walked through the forest, stopping once coming upon the hidden base to the ground. He jumped in with the top closing overhead, walking over with the entrance door sliding open. "What are you doing here?" Tim asked in surprise. Conan laid back in the chair with his hands rested behind his head, a striking proud look on his face. "Oh hey Tim," Conan said looking his way. "Didn't expect you here so quick, thought you'd go to your apartment first." "That did cross my mind, but decided to come here first," Tim said. "I assume Heiji called and told you I was on my way back, but what are you doing here?" "Playing a little online chess." Conan said with a sinister look and rub of his hands. "Ok, now that was just creepy," Tim said coming to his side. "Who are you playing anyway?" "Someone challenged me from your friends list," Conan informed. "I've won three straight, and it's about to be four.... he has no way out." They waited for the next move to be made, each second more intense then the last. An instant message appeared to the screen, Both looking at what it said. "get a life outside the comp, u cheating spiky haired hacking no good geeking newb." With that the username dropped from the side of the screen. Conan crossed his arms with Tim laughing out to the side of him. "What a sore loser," Conan pouted. "And to top it off, I don't even get my well earned points." "At least you didn't lose," Tim said continuing to laugh. "I wouldn't have heard the end of it." "Who was it I was playing?" Conan asked. "A really good friend of mine, Bart Allen," Tim replied. "He probably thought you were me." "I see he's not much of a fan when it comes to losing," Conan said. "But then who is?" "Good point," Tim said. "I'm pretty sure you didn't come looking for a game of chess, so what brought you here?" Conan leaned up in the seat, tossing an article in the paper up to him. Tim gave it a quick read, looking down at Conan once finished. "The city plans to auction off a rare black pearl, what does this have to do with anything?" "Nakamori Ginzo has been present up at the station for the past few day." Conan informed. "Nakamori..," Tim questioned. "I've heard that name somewhere." "Of course you have, that's Aoko's last name," Conan reminded. "And Ginzo is her father, who just happens to be one of the top guys trying to trap and capture Kaitou Kid." "I see," Tim said. "So you think this whole pearl bit is to try and spring him out?" "Not just him, but probably you as well," Conan said. "With the speculation of you two working together it's not to far fetched that they may be hoping to catch you both." "Two birds with one stone." "You'd better let Dick know as well, I'm almost positive they have increased security throughout the city." "Nice little deduction Shinichi, I'm impressed," Tim complimented. "Speaking of which, I'm due to have another meeting with Megure pretty soon here." "Not to turn gears or anything, but I'm still wondering about your trip to Fukuoka," Conan said. "I had no idea Makoto was going to be there." "It's a long story." "Does he know you and Red Robin are one in the same?" "No, he has no knowledge of that," Tim replied. "Believe it or not, teaming with Kyogoku wasn't the most surprising thing to occur." "Can't wait to hear this." "Deadshot was there," Tim informed. "He killed a group of men we got in a little scuffle with." "You mean at the Royal Mountain," Conan asked flipping through the paper once more. "I read about it this morning, so he was the one to kill those thirty men?" "That right, but how he was able to find us and why he helped is still a mystery in itself." Conan dropped down, kicking the soccer ball that lay to the side of the chair into his arms. "Where's Dick," Conan asked. "I thought he'd be with you." "Let's just say he was a little occupied when we arrived back," Tim replied. "I'm sure we'll see him tomorrow some time." "Occupied, what do you mean?" "We'll save that for another time," Tim said patting him on the shoulder. "I have some things I need to do, but we'll hook up some time tomorrow." He nodded, heading for the exit while balancing the ball from one foot to the other. It came storming back to him, remembering a certain suggestion he had to make. "Oh, and Tim," Conan said turning back. "One last thing." "What is it?" "About that password... you really need to change it." "Is that all?" "No other complaints." Conan replied. "I'll keep that in mind." Conan smiled at this, walking out while continuing to juggle the ball through the air. "I love that password." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 41 Undercover Alliance "Now what, I'm a sitting duck." There was no other way out, frozen to where he stood. Several scenarios went through his mind as the entrance door flew wide, watching as they raised and pointed their weapons to all sides of the room. He was unable to move, unsure how they'd respond at any attempt of doing so. The sound of a window shattering from behind caused him to budge just slightly, feeling himself taken to the ground as the first shots were fired. It was no surprise when he turned to see who had taken him to the ground. "Stay down." Heiji did as instructed, rolling onto his stomach to see Freil taking cover behind a chair. Many screamed as the shooting escalated, all rifles quickly aiming at him. "Who is this guy?!" One yelled finding his shots missing wide. "It must be Red Robin, make sure he doesn't escape," Another replied pulling down to the trigger to lose sight of him. "Where'd he go?" "There's no Red Robin here folks," Dick said touching down behind the two. "The names Nightwing." They immediately spun around only to be kicked to the ground. The three remaining men took aim once more, having their guns knocked from their hands with the use of his escrima sticks. "Are we done yet," Nightwing asked. "Or would you boys like to dance some more?" "What in the hell are you doing here," One of them spat. "This has nothing to do with you." "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" Nightwing asked tauntingly. "Yea, and you're going to wish you hadn't." "Well, better make it fast," Nightwing informed. "The police station is just up the block, I can hear the sirens heading our way already." They became hesitant, looking to one another. The police sirens became louder with each passing second, everyone on the ground keeping their positions. It didn't take long for them to give in, running for the door with the grab of their weapons. "The times ticking freak," One of them yelled as they ran. "You haven't seen the last of us, that's a guarantee!" They made it back into their vehicles in a quick fashion, speeding off right on the spot. Heiji slowly pushed to his knees, watching as Nightwing slammed a pair of smoke bombs to the ground. He inhaled some of what came his way, feeling the muscles tense up to the chest, his eyes lingering with a burning sensation. He coughed out with the grip of his chest, feeling himself lifted from the ground. No action had been taken yet, both waiting for the other to make the first move. He took a step away from the body, keeping eye connection with him the whole way. "You have to believe me, I'm not the one who did this." "So you just happened to be swooping by and saw the body laying here," Makoto said not giving in one bit. "Now the question becomes, what you did with the other body." "Other body," Red Robin questioned. "There was someone else up here?" "Don't play the lost lamb, you know what I'm talking about." "You misunderstand, I came up here after hearing a few gun shots fired." Red Robin said. "Lucky you, being in right place at the right time to hear all of this," Makoto said undoing his tie. "Between this and running from the police, you've given me little to believe anything you say." "He has a point," Red Robin thought. "And there's nothing I can say to change his mind, gotta think fast, his patience with me is dwindling with every passing second." He stood firm as Makoto approached, running out of ideas to weather down the situation. "You have one last chance," Makoto said stopping just inches away. "Turn yourself in, it's the only rationale thing to do." "Not happening." "Then you leave me with no choice," Makoto said rolling up his sleeves. "I'll have to take you in myself." "Good luck with that." Red Robin said taking a fierce kick to the chest which caused him to lose his footing. "Woh, this guys quick," Red Robin thought readying himself for combat. "Gotta be on my toes, there's no telling what I'm in for." Makoto followed up with a quick jab at the head as a distraction, landing a punishing knee to the gut. He finished his assault with a power roundhouse kick to the head, sending him to the ground in success. He popped right up only to have Kyogoku jump at him with the wrap of his legs around his neck, taking them both to the ground this time. Makoto instantly flipped back to his feet, taking into his stance once again. He laid there for a few moments longer, feeling the head aching affects of landing face first to the ground. "...Ok, now that was just embarrassing," Red Robin said slowly pushing up. "Guess I underestimated him just a bit, that's not going to happen again." "Are we done yet?" Makoto asked. "Not a chance." "Have it your way, but I'd advice against continuing this fight for your sake." "Then let's not," Red Robin said. "We could figure out what happened to this woman, together." "Enough," Makoto said launching forward. "I will not be deceived by your continuous denial of having any involvement." Red Robin unleashed a damaging uppercut on contact, sending him flying to the ground. Makoto landed to his right hand, swinging a kick at Red Robin who dodged it with a backward jump. "Wow he's got some extreme balance, I'm impressed." With his left hand touching down as well, he flipped right back into action. "I don't think words are going to shift his mind," Red Robin thought to himself. "But I think I know what might just do the trick." Makoto continued his pursuit, engaging him once more. They continued to exchange hits, feeling the advantage slipping his way the longer it went on. "He's falling back," Makoto thought as they neared the edge of the roof. "I've got him right where I want him." He elbowed him to the side of the jaw keeping him on his backward decline. The opportunity had finally risen. Makoto leaped forward with a clean kick to his chest plate, sending him flying off the side. He tried to grab his cape but missed, feeling a cold emptiness come over him. "That wasn't supposed to happen." Makoto said racing toward the ledge. He looked down below to the streets, there was no sign of him, where had he gone? "Boo." Makoto spun around to see the grin on his face. Stunned within the moment, he was kicked from the roof himself, feeling the air glide through his hair the whole way down. It didn't take long for the airway in his lungs to clear, standing to his feet on the rooftop they found themselves upon. "What kind of smoke bombs did you unleash back there," Heiji asked bringing a hand to his still burning eyes. "Don't see why you didn't just leave me behind, those guys were taking off anyway." "The police were coming, didn't want you to have to get questioned about the whole thing," Nightwing replied. "Besides, I'm almost positive Freil and his business buddy had no plans on sticking around either." "What were those gunmen doing there anyway?" "An obvious hit, I doubt they came to steal a platter of donuts," Dick said. "Tossed a tracer on one of their trucks on the way in." "Nice going Grayson, now we'll be able to track them," Heiji commented. "What about Freil, who knows when they'll reschedule their little meeting to give us a chance at exposing them." "Who knows, but I did manage to get a shot of the paper work Freil was looking over," Nightwing informed pointing to a mini wrist camera. "Slid this on earlier, looks like it came in handy." "I'd say so." "I'll analyze the footage a little later," Nightwing said. "But first I think we should give Tim a call, I'm sure he'd like an update." "Already ahead of you," Heiji said reaching into his pocket. "I'll tell him everything he needs to know." Things didn't happen as he'd planned, closing his eyes at the sight of the sidewalk just a couple yards away. He gasped out, feeling something wrap aroud his left ankle which caused him to stop in mid air. It took him a few seconds to realize he was being reeled back to the roof, looking into his eyes once in view. "I see you're not much of a free faller." Red Robin said keeping a grip to the hook line. "You kept me from reaching the roadway, why?" Makoto asked. "Not to beat on the same door we've been through already," Red Robin replied. "But we're on the same side." "How do I know that for sure?" "Well for one, I stopped you from hitting turf," Red Robin began. "And two, I could still drop you if I wanted." He hung in place for a few seconds longer, paying some mind to the situation as a whole. What he had said made sense, if he truly wasn't on his side he could have let him fall to his death. "So what do you say," Red Robin asked in a calming matter. "Is it possible for us to see eye to eye?" Makoto gave it one last thought, nodding in return. He pulled him back onto the roof, both men looking at the other for the first passing seconds. "Who are you exactly?" Makoto asked. "Red Robin." "I know that," Makoto stated. "I was referring more on the lines of what you do." "That's a complex question, something I don't have much time to answer," Red Robin said. "Finding out what happened to this woman is my main concern." "Is this the way you found her." Makoto asked as the two approached the body. He nodded in response, kneeling down to further examine the body. There was a red mark upon her upper right shoulder, something he had not taken notice of earlier. Sitting a few feet away laid a phone, Red Robin reaching over to see who her last call was to. "She tried reaching the police before her death, that means they could be here any minute now," Red Robin thought. "And what about that mark on her shoulder, how did that get there?" Makoto stood at the side of him, tapping his left shoulder to gain his attention. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "You said something about someone else being up here with her," Red Robin said. "Could you give me a description of what they looked like?" "Of course," Makoto replied recalling what he saw. "She had short black hair, wearing some stylish green dress with a pair of tan high heels." "Nice color configuration," Red Robin side commented. "What about her eyes, did you get a good look at them?" "Wasn't really paying attention to that," Makoto admitted. "But if memory serves, I'd say she had dark brown eyes." "Typical enough." Red Robin thought. He stood back to his feet, looking downward as he walked from one end of the roof to the other. This was repeated an additional two times. Makoto didn't know what to think of this, waiting for him to finish whatever it was he was doing. "Kyogoku, did you happen to see if she was carrying anything," Red Robin asked. "A purse perhaps?" "As a matter a fact she did," Makoto confirmed. "Looked pretty pricey." "Looks like it's missing," Red Robin pointed out. "Whoever took it must have yanked it from her, that would explain the bruise on her shoulder." "What is it you were looking for on the ground?" "Anything that may have evaded to any kind of scuffle," Red Robin replied. "There's also a pair of stairs connected to the left side of the wall, the other woman you mentioned must have used them to leave." "You think she did it?" "Can't be to sure," Red Robin answered. "There's still too many unanswered questions regarding this whole ordeal." He took to a knee once more, giving the body another look. There had to be something that could shed light on what had happened, finding just that could be key. "Then there's the gun shots I heard, yet there's no bullets here whatsoever." He then looked at the surrounding buildings. Had the shooting taken place elsewhere? It was something that was left unanswered for the time being, hearing the ring of the codec in his ear as he stood back up. "Hold on, this'll only take a second." Makoto gave him his space, taking a few steps back. "How'd it go?" "A little good, and some unexpected," Nightwing replied. "You didn't answer your phone when Heiji called, where are you?" "Running a little investigation," Red Robin said. "I guess you could say I've run into the unexpected myself." "I'm just about to chase down a couple runaways," Nightwing informed. "There's no telling how many may be at their base, how soon until you can join me?" "Don't know, I've hit somewhat of a roadblock," Red Robin replied. "On another note, what were the two of you able to find out about Freil's meeting?" "They didn't say anything, but they were going over some papers," Nightwing informed. "Some kind of demography, with the top of the page reading Royal Mountain." "Royal Mountain," Red Robin questioned. "Do you have any idea what that is?" "Nope, haven't looked into it yet," Nightwing said. "I will as soon as I take care of business here, call if you need anything." "Gotcha." "Nightwing out." He took a couple seconds to stand there and sort his thoughts, looking back to face him after doing so. "Who was that?" "A friend." "Not that I was trying to listen in or anything, but I heard you mention Royal Mountain." "That's correct," Red Robin said. "Would you happen to know what it is?" "Of course, I've been there several times," Makoto said. "It's only about eight miles east from here." "Is that so?" "What business do you have there?" "Don't know... yet," Red Robin replied. "I have to go, but the police should be here anytime now." "The police?" "Before her death she managed to call them," Red Robin informed. "I want you to stay here and point out the things I was able to find." "And what about you?" Makoto asked with the cross of his arms. "I'm going to head to Royal Mountain," Red Robin replied. "Lets just say it's a place of interest." "Then I'm going with you." "No, you're not," Red Robin rejected. "You're going to stay here and wait for the police to arrive." "Royal Mountain is a sacred place, they don't allow outsiders to enter very often," Makoto informed. "Besides you'd need security clearance to get through the main gate." "My stealth skills should be more than enough to keep me hidden," Red Robin said. "And I'm sure I can get past any security that may stand in my way." "No need to waste your time hiding around," Makoto said pulling a key card from his pocket. "When I could get us right through with the slide of a card." "Why do you care to help so much?" "Royal Mountain is an important place to me," Makoto replied. "If something is going on, I wanna know about it, besides I know the grounds very well." There was no reasoning with him, turning away with a deep breath. He then pressed down to his ear piece, ready to set a plan in action. "Nightwing it's me," Red Robin radioed. "Change in plans." "What do you mean?" "I need you to put your little chase on hold," Red Robin replied. "I want you to head back to wherever you've set up shop and clear up those pictures you took." "Why, did you find something?" "I'm going to go to Royal Mountain," Red Robin replied. "I need to know what I should be looking for." "You work quick, not even five minutes later and you know where this place is," Nightwing said. "I'll head back to the hotel right away." "Keep me updated." With that he turned back to Makoto. "You win," Red Robin said. "But we do things my way, understand?" "Understood." Makoto said with a nod. "Here's how we're going to do this," Red Robin said. "You're going to go down and catch a cab which will take you to the location, I'll follow you from up above." "Anything else?" "That's it for now," Red Robin said. "We'll figure out how everything else will work when we get there." He had finally went into his room for the night after watching a couple sport highlights, tossing on his night clothes before diving into bed. Conan laid his phone to the side of him, closing his eyes in the following seconds. "I guess there's no harm in leaving it on," Conan thought. "Maybe he'll decide to finally call back." Getting back to the hotel didn't take him very long. Sliding the camera device from his wrist, he plugged it into the computer. Heiji stood at his right side, waiting for it to load up. It didn't take very long for it to do so, Nightwing quickly going to work on it through an image program. "How long do you think it will take for you to fully enhance it?" "Not long," Nightwing replied. "Not long at all." "So Drake's already on his way to this place," Heiji questioned. "Did he tell you how he found the location?" "Nope," Nightwing said. "But he knows what he's doing, he'll be fine." "Does he know what he's looking for?" "Not yet, that's for us to find out." "I see," Heiji said. "Guess that answers that." It had been a long forty minutes, the cab finally coming to a stop once reaching a small bridge. "This will be far enough." He exited from the cab, closing the door behind. The water below the bridge sparkled from the presence of the moon, calmly drifting along down stream in an endless cycle. He could hear him drop down from behind, continuing to move forward. "We walk from here." "How much further?" Red Robin asked. "About a ten minute walk," Makoto replied. "We should be there shortly." It was dark, only that of the moon lighting their way. They followed along a dirt road, accompanied by the many tree's and bushes that surround them. The more they walked the more they found their minds rested, hearing the chirping of the crickets in the near distance. "You're so quiet," Red Robin said. "Did something happen on the ride here?" "You wouldn't understand." "A woman?" "Surprised you were able to figure." "You're right," Red Robin said. "That's one complicated subject I can't seem to wrap my finger around." It finally came into view, standing high above all the trees. He followed close behind as they pushed through a few bushes, gazing up at the three large temples which patrolled the sky. "We're here." Makoto said as they neared the gate. "Now I see why they call this place Royal Mountain," Red Robin said. "From afar you could mistake these structures as a pair of mountains, especially at this time of night." Makoto pulled the card key from his pocket after reaching the gate, sliding it downward to get a security clearance. "There's no lights on," Makoto said looking over at the temples. "It's not like that for the Grandmaster to close up so early." "Grandmaster huh, what is this place exactly?" "A place of reckoning and soul searching," Makoto replied. "Sensei Karu is one of the most gifted martial artists I've ever been able to train under." "We'll wait here a little longer," Red Robin said. "I still need to hold off until I know what we're looking for." With every passing second, the image became sharper and more clear then it had. He snapped his finger after completing the enhancements, thrilled to have everything laid out. "So what's it say?" Heiji asked coming at his side. "They're readings to something," Nightwing replied. "Readings to some kind of diamond." "You think this diamond is at the Royal Mountain somewhere." Heiji asked coming in closer. "It must be," Nightwing replied. "Which means we know what Tim should be looking for." "Time to call it in." Makoto waited at the side as Red Robin finished up yet another conversation. No light in the temple bothered him, Karu usually always left a light on come night. "Looks like we know what to look for," Red Robin said. "Would you happen to know where they'd keep jewels, or any valuables?" "That would be to the first temple, second floor," Makoto replied. "What is it you hope to find?" "A rare diamond, I'll know when I see it." "Follow me," Makoto said. "I'll take you to the gallery." They walked through the short cut grass, entering the temple at the far left. It was pitch dark once in, Red Robin pulling a flash light from his belt to guide the way. There was a purple carpet laid out to the ground, passing by many artistic features that sat pinned across the wall. Most were paintings, few being that of mounted in weaponry. This same trend stayed consistent all the way onto the second floor. They knew right away something was wrong once reaching the room, looking to see much scattered around the ground. "What happened here?" Red Robin questioned. The sound of shallow breaths could be heard in the darkness of the room, flashing his light to the center of the floor to see a man laying on his back. "Grandmaster," Makoto called out running to his side. "What happened?" His eyes opened at the sound of his voice. "Makoto.." He weakling spoke. "You're here." "Who did this?" "They came for.. for Gueto." "Gueto," Makoto question. "Sansei, who is Gueto?" He slowly reached from his side, placing a shinning diamond into his hand. "Take it," Karu said with the close of his eyes. "It's in your hands now." A long moment of silence went by, Red Robin coming to his side. "Is he...?" "No, just unconscious," Makoto replied. "What do you think he was talking about?" "I'd say it had something to do with them." Red Robin said flashing his light to reveal three laying bodies. "I'm betting those guys came to steal that diamond, looks like your Grandmaster got the better of them." Makoto stood back up, not sure what to think on the matter. Everything was happening so fast. "Here," Red Robin said holding his hand out. "Give me the diamond, I promise I'll return it as soon as this is all over." "What makes you think something's going on?" "They attacked your sensei," Red Robin stated. "Who's to say there aren't more to come?" Makoto took a few seconds to take his words in, deciding to hand him the diamond. Tim slid it into an empty slot in his belt, hearing the codec ring in his ear once more. "What's going on?" "It's me, Heiji." "I thought Nightwing would be the one to call." "He's already on his way there." "Why," Red Robin asked. "I already have what we need." "Those guys back at the donut shop, well there kinda heading your way." Heiji informed. "How do you know that?" "Dick placed a tracer on one of their trucks, remember?" "Red Robin I think you better come have a look." Makoto said looking out of one of the windows. He made his way to the window as well, watching as three large trucks parked to the front of the temple they stood in. "Who are these guys?" "My bet, they're here for that diamond," Red Robin replied. "The Gueto." They continued to look on, seeing them load up on ammunition as they headed in. "We're screwed." "Royally." Red Robin added. He spun away from the window side, thinking up a plan. He shot a small device onto one of the walls, making his first move for their escape. Waiting for Nightwing was not an option, for they had no idea how long it'd take for him to arrive. "Time to make the call, Kudo might just be our way out." To Be Continued