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Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds Chapter 7 Time's Ticking The alert stopped upon answering the call. What came to the eye was live feed of an ongoing shootout between authorities and another unknown group. Finding out who was priority. He continued to watch, pausing the footage at the sight of a notable detail. "There." He zoomed in on the point of interest, spotting a tattoo that resided on the left arm of one of the gunmen who returned fire against the police. He recognized the mark on immediately, knowing exactly who was in a quarrel with the police force after making this discovery. "The Ghost Dragons," Bruce noted. He crossed his arms as he continued to monitor the footage. "It has been quite some time since they have been active." "The Ghost Dragons," Barbara questioned. She took a closer look at the footage herself. She wasn't completely convinced. "Are you positive it's them?" "There's no mistaking it; the marking on that individual's arm is the gangs insignia," Bruce pointed. He paused, leaning back ever so slightly in inquiring fashion. "Why now.. after a timed hiatus, what is their reasoning for reappearing?" "And in the fashion that they have," Barbara added. "Not exactly the subtlest way of getting back into the game, so to speak." "Furthermore this is in Robbinsville," Bruce stated uncrossing his arms. "Something isn't adding up." She looked over at him after hearing this. "What do you mean?" "Robbinsville is not grounds the Ghost Dragons are known for operating." "Maybe they're looking to expand?" ".. Perhaps." "So do you want me to." "You'll come as well," Bruce confirmed. "Besides this, we still have another matter on our hands. Which means you could very well be needed." "That thief, right?" Sidestepping the posed he asked a question of his own. "Your suit, did you bring it?" "Never leave home without it." He turned away from the computer monitor with a taken step. "Let's not waste another moment, there is work to be done." She shifted in the seat as he made a move for the left side of the room. "So have you figured out where Kaitou Kid plans to strike?" Barbara asked. "I have an idea or two." Bruce answered. Just as he was to make another move someone marched down from the stairs to join them down in the confines of the cave. "Master Bruce I have a disturbance to bring to your." "The shootout in Robbinsville, I'm already aware," informed Bruce. "We're getting ready to head there now." "I suspected that much," Alfred said before moving to his next point. "Would you like for me to go and summon Damian?" "Only to keep him on reserve here," Bruce spoke in agreement. "There is too much uncertainty surrounding this situation, and I still haven't pin pointed where Kaitou plans to strike, let alone what he's after. Having Robin here gives a line for leeway.. in case of the unexpected." Neither was sure was what was meant by this. The only certainty, there was a situation that called for their attention. … The room was dark; the only source of light came from a lamp which sat atop a coffee table left of where they sat. It could be looked at as either half done or incomplete. In either case there was still ground to be gained before a finish could be declared. A single piece to the ultimate bigger picture was held in hand, taking several moments before the fitted spot was determined. They couldn't be any more pleased by this development, pushing them one step further to the inevitable conclusion. However this was only a means of putting things into perspective, accounting for the unexpected was not something that could be factored in, given their current stance. But with each push that came with the passing of another day it was clear it was only a matter of time before their time would come to step into the spotlight. "It's not the beginning, nor the build that sets the outcome… but rather the decision made at the crucial moment that will ultimately cement the means to an end." Even without the first hand to truly be played there was something inside that came as an alarm, knowing that what appeared on the surface was nothing but a mere tease at what was really to come. What that would come to be was unknown. All they could do was wait, certain that it would all truly begin soon. But would they be ready? ….. The gear was now in full force, steaming down the roadside. The feed coming in from the police radio was followed in full. This kept him updated on the matter as he made way to the scene that awaited them. "It has been awhile since I took a ride in this thing." Commented Batgirl in reference to the Batmobile. There was an unconditional focus to be seen on his face. What he was thinking was an uncertainty. He spoke without warning. "The check has been made in complete success, all that remains is to collect the ultimate prize.. the blanket of armor falls come thirty after eight tonight, thus revealing the ultimate fail," Batman said rehashing the words left in the message. "But what does it mean, and what is Kaitou after?" "Perhaps we should try unraveling its content piece by piece." Batgirl suggested. "Which I've been attempting to do since the moment I read the note, I've particularly been focusing on the first line," Batman said. "From what's implied I'd say the first written words detail a connection with what occurred at Skytale, however I'm still uncertain what the success referred to is hinting at." "What about the ultimate prize mentioned," Batgirl asked. "Have you given any thought to what that might be?" "To reach a conclusion is to first solve the core of the question," Batman said in response. "Which in this case being what he accomplished while at Skytale." "He didn't take the jewel that everyone expected him to take. At this point your guess is as good as mine," Batgirl said. "But if not that then what, why go through all the trouble only to leave empty handed? I don't see any success to gain with the decision he made." "Success can come in many forms," Batman reminded. "Finding out the one reached at Skytale is what I need to figure." After speaking this a live update came from the police radio. "Unit six to base, the attackers have split wide," An officer dispatched to all other listening in. "A large number of them have headed East with a smaller group setting out to the West end, I repeat the attackers have split, all are armed and dangerous." This information only complicated things further. "So what now?" Batgirl asked in light of this new information. "West is yours," Batman replied bringing them to a complete stop. "Leave the East to me." "What about Kaitou Kid?" "That'll have to wait," Batman said unlocking the top of the Batmobile. "We have a more important problem to deal with." This was an understatement. She nodded before being the first to leap out from the passenger's side. He jumped out as well before having the Batmobile drive off in autopilot. The two went their separate ways in the wake of this. He grabbed hold of the grappler clamped at his side before using it to spring to the rooftops above. "She's right," Batman thought swiftly touching down to the roof of choice. "We don't have much time before Eight thirty hits, which means I'm going to have to solve the coded message while tracking down the Ghost Dragons." The time was now forty nine after seven. There was less than an hour remaining before the spoken time of the planned move was to be made. "The check has been made in complete success." That line repeated throughout his mind several times over, feeling this was the key to all hidden secrets that lied beneath. He charged on for minutes, leaping from one building to the next with the thought of the note stemming on the mind. "Looks like we have something." He stopped after dropping to yet another rooftop, gazing down to the streets below to find a solid gathering of police officers searching the area. "Where did they go?" One of them questioned. "It's like they disappeared." Another added. There was no doubt in his mind who they spoke of. "The Ghost Dragons," Batman murmured looking down at the streets. His eyes traveled further ahead to find anyone who fit the visual of the sought. "They must be close, no way could they have gotten far if they were just seen a short time ago." He pressed on once again, finding his thoughts fade back to the other matter with something clicking in mind. This resulted in an instant stop. "That's it, the card.. the check mark coupled in with Kaitou Kid's insignia," Batman began feeling an opening had finally been reached. "As I figured before Kaitou was never looking for an accomplishment that could be held in hand or looked upon as a trophy, but rather to test if he could bypass Skytales security… Wayne's security." He brought a hand to his chin as he continued his contemplation on the situation internally. "The check has been made in complete success, all that remains is to collect the ultimate prize.. the blanket of armor falls come thirty after eight tonight, thus revealing the ultimate fail," Batman repeated in thought. "There's something that seems off about the sequence in which the message is written… the theme here is deception, could it be?" He dove into the hunch presented in mind, rearranging the written lines in which order he believed would lead to the truth. "The check has been made in complete success, the blanket of armor falls come thirty after eight tonight," Batman cemented. "It makes sense now, the blanket of armor mentioned in the riddle is a clear continuation of what was achieved at Skytale, Kid plans to go after something guarded by Wayne security, and if successful in doing so that would deem Wayne security unreliable in his mind and the minds of many more." That answer could squarely lie in the second half of the message, turning to just that to hopefully find the answer. "Thus revealing the ultimate fail, all that remains is to collect the ultimate prize.. fail," Batman quarreled mentally at the thought of it. "What is the ultimate fail hinting at, and more importantly what is the sought prize?" Time was quickly ticking away, if an answer wasn't determined soon there was no doubt the Kid thief's goal would be achieved, something he was not about to let happen. ….. The final plug pulled on the security feed sparked the beginning of the heist that had been set in motion exactly three months and eight days ago. The glass window was pulled aside after being cut from its hinges. This left him with a clear path to the empty room which was several feet below. A jump was made with no hesitation, touching down quietly. A look of uncertainty formed across his face as he pressed down to the device sitting in his left ear. "This is Kaitou Kid, I'm in," He dispatched. "Keep me alerted for any approaching activity." "Will do sir." Someone spoke in response. "I'm counting on you, Kid out." The transmission ended. This left his focus to drift back to what brought him to this very location. "I'm exactly on schedule," Kaitou Kid noted after checking his watch. He then scoured the room with the turn of his head, looking from one side to the other. "So, where's my inviter?" He moved further into the darkness, feeling something crush under foot. He looked down to find what it was. "Glass.." His eyes then looked to the walls above, coming in direct contact with a window that was shattered. For what was the cause was clear in his mind. His sights dropped back to ground level before pressing on. There was just enough light falling in through the windows above to guide him. He soon came within inches of a table, staring at what resided atop it. There were two humanoid twelve inch figures to be found sealed behind a protective glass case. Both resembled samurai warriors who held a katana blade in their right hands. The armor on both was sculpted in pure gold, not a single difference in stance or style. But they were not completely identical, one distinctive difference, their heads. The one on the left sported the head of a rattle snake while the other resembled that of a dragon. "Beautiful," Kaitou Kid remarked as he looked into the eyes of the snake, recognizing what they were made out of on contact. Even in the dark they sparkled a fascinating pink shine. "Golconda, the most desirable diamonds by most collectors." He then looked into the demanding eyes of the ferocious dragon. Its eyes were an instant allure, captivating him completely. He felt as if he could stare into its purple shine for eternity. "Amethyst Gemstones, magnificent." Even with his drawn fascination he knew he had to maintain focus for what truly brought him here. "This is what they're after.. so why then aren't they here?" Just as those words slipped past his mouth a dark shadow loomed over him from behind. A scolding look of challenge came to his face as he turned to face the opposition. "Now, for the moment of truth." To Be Continued

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds Chapter 6 A Connection? The winds pushed in defiance of the taken path. By this time the speed in which was traveled had drastically decreased. The destined location was now in sight. And with a mission now checked complete, there were more questions to be asked than what was learned. The next moment came with a nose dive, soaring with a burst of speed that blasted downward. Within feet of reaching the ground a passageway opened to allow entry into the dark depths. Now in a dark tunnel he followed a trail of lights found along each wall that guided his path further. An end to his travels came soon after, bringing the aircraft to a stop after reaching his destination.. the cave. A large platform sat in the clear, the obvious land mark for where he was to land. Once he touched down he lunged out from the cockpit, finding that his travels back clocked in at a notable two hours and ten minutes. His attention was immediately honed in on the sound of someone taking a step toward him from his blind side. "Welcome back Master Bruce," Alfred greeted. "How was the first test of the upgraded bat plane?" "Its sonic speeds worked precisely as I had imagined." Batman noted. He was now ready to proceed with the task at hand. "I take it you will now commence with Kid thief matter?" "While I was away were you able to find anything additional regarding him?" Batman inquired before turning for the stairs left of where they stood. "I downloaded every record there is in connection to the Kaitou Kid," Alfred replied. "And while I looked over every file extensively there was nothing that I found that incriminates him in relation to this fear gas fiasco." "That has yet to be seen." Batman noted. "What about the toxin sir," Alfred questioned. "Did you find what was suspected?" He was just a step away from reaching the stairs, stopping after hearing the asked. "Yes, I did.. but what I found was not what I was expecting," Batman relayed. A hint of uncertainty found way to his face after hearing this. Before continuing he faced him completely. "What I discovered in three of crates in that storage room of Skytale was not Crane's toxin, but rather a powdered substance that only makes up one third of the Fear Gas." The shock on his face couldn't be any more evident. "But what does this mean?" "It's clear Alfred, Crane has been shipping the supplies necessary to produce the toxin not only separately; but from different locations as well." Batman revealed. "How did you determine that?" "Admittedly I was unsure myself when I first came upon the crates in question, but then I remembered.. something that was said," Batman began. "Before breaking free of the box I was in I overheard a discussion by two of the individuals who had taken all products to the Skytale museum." "And what was it you heard?" "The other two thirds of the chemicals needed to produce the Fear Toxin was transported to Japan by other means, there is only one thing to make of this," Batman said assured. "The fear gas is being produced overseas, and not being sent off as a finished product as I originally believed." "That certainly complicates things." "Scarecrow is using this method of business for one purposes, and that is to ensure his toxin isn't apprehended before the shipping process," Batman deduced. "So if we're to put an end to this there is only one solution." "To find Scarecrow." "Exactly." "What about the crates, surely you didn't just leave them there?" "I tagged each of them with a tracker," Batman informed. "Whoever comes to pick those crates up will lead me straight to where the gas is being made in Tokyo, and while that doesn't account for all other locations tied in all of this it is a start." His words were finished with him turning back for the stairs. "Alfred, did you save all the files on Kid as well?" "Already on the main hard drive," Alfred confirmed. "I even took the liberty of saving it to a backup drive for you." He nodded as a way of showing his appreciation. He made his way to the next floor where the super computer resided. His eyes made way to the large monitor just in time to see an image of something fall from the screen only to have another appear. This was an indication someone was looking over something, but who was it? He had no clue for who it could be as he moved in. Once the computer was reached the person sitting in the chair looked up to face him, clearly expecting his arrival. "Welcome back Bruce." "Barbara," Batman said expressing his surprise. "What are you still doing here?" "And here I was hoping for a thank you, after all I did play a hand in getting you shipped off." He ignored her remark completely. "You didn't answer my question." "Working the case of course," Barbara replied as she turned to face the monitor once more. "After learning about Kaitou Kid's note sent to you I decided to step in to see if I could lend a helping hand." "Have you come to any conclusions?" "Still working on it." His eyes looked up to the monitor as well. After analyzing the provided information he inquired about one of the most prominent details. "Kaitou Kid sent a letter to Bruce Wayne," Batman spoke with his eyes still in study of the screen. "Would we happen to have a copy of that letter?" Her attention was immediately dropped from the computer before looking to him once again. "You bet," Barbara confirmed. She reached past the computer mouse to grab hold of a white envelope which she held up for him to take. "Here you are." He accepted it as he posed yet another question. "Is this the original?" She nodded in confirmation "Yep." His investigation was now to truly begin. The envelope was dark red in color. The print was a glittering green which read 'Mr. Wayne'. He wasn't sure what to make of this at first glance, wondering if there was any relevance to the design. This was something that fell to the back of the mind for the time being, reaching in to pull out the note which rested inside. The surprises only continued to stack from what was pulled out. The scheme was now in reverse. The sheet of paper was green while the print of the message was red. "Hmmmm.." This was a detail he made sure to account for. With his eyes now on the written message he read aloud what had been sent directly to him. "The check has been made in complete success, all that remains is to collect the ultimate prize," Bruce read while surveying to the second line. "The blanket of armor falls come thirty after eight tonight, thus revealing the ultimate fail." He paused upon finishing, noting the iconic signature that was associated with the Kid Thief himself. No words were spoken for several moments. Curious as to his thoughts on the matter she finally spoke. "So what do you think," Barbara asked breaking the silence. "Any ideas to where he plans to strike, or take for that matter?" "I am unsure," Batman admitted. "But based from what's hinted at, I can only assume he's after more than just some dated portrait or prized diamond." "But what?" "I will find out," Batman assured. "Barbara I need you to check into something." "What is it?" She asked. "The incident that occurred at Skytale involving Kid, I want a list of all the people who were there that day of the incident." She brought her hands back to the keyboard before doing just that. "Loud and clear." Alfred joined the two of them with only one thing to make of this. "Are you thinking there might be a connection to find between the incident and the letter sent to you?" "Yes, and if there is we have less than twenty hours to make the connection before Kid plays his hand," Batman replied. "Alfred, has my meeting with the public on yesterday's matter at Skytale been set?" "Yes, for five O' clock this evening." "Good." "What's so important about addressing what occurred at Skytale?" Barbara asked still focused on the computer. "Insurance is always key." She was tempted to press for more but quickly decided against it. "… I'm not even going to touch that one." "What time is it now?" Batman asked. "Thirteen after two," Barbara answered. "Is there something you need to do?" "That's more than enough time." Batman replied while turning for the other side of the cave. "Where are you going?" "Upstairs," Batman replied with the removal of the cowl from atop his head. "I'll return soon, keep me updated if anything additional comes up." "Ok.. will do." With that the conversation came to an end between the two, leaving her to investigate on her own from there. ….. A new day arrived, and yet little resolve to speak of. With the hand of the clock making its next move, it alerted him another minute had past. Not that he was really paying attention. There was an endless cycle of cases that had found way to his desk, giving him nothing but an added determination to drive on. A sudden knock at the door across the room broke all silence, taking a deep breath as he gave the ok'ing response. "It's unlocked." He kept his eyes centered as the door opened, pleased to see who came walking through the door. "Sato, you have returned," Kiyonaga greeted. "I was not expecting you to be working this time of hour." "Getting this case closed is all that's been on my mind," Miwako said in response to this. "And there won't be any stopping until that goal is reached Superintendent." She marched forward, not coming to a stop until reaching his desk. It was here that she placed a folder in front of him. "What is this?" Kiyonaga asked. "The names," Miwako said pleased to announce. "The names of all who have come and gone throughout Japan in the last two months, traveling in and out at least seven different times." "Good work Sato." Kiyonaga thanked before opening the folder to view what was inside. What he came to find was not what most would consider to be expected. "Only twelve names?" Kiyonaga inquired before looking up at her once again. "Process of elimination, of the names that turned up in the search these twelve individuals are the ones that caught my eye," Miwako began. "All of the listed not only spent more than a week here in Japan, but were apparently here on business, this of course was all determined by the financial records I was able to pull on each and every one of them." "Excellent work." Kiyonaga commented after hearing her given rundown. Without further ado he focused all attention to the list that now sat before him to note all names that fell down in a straight row; Nella Kelmoe Jarvis Jellson Kanae Salvan Nelgar Jefferson Sandra Wu-San Thomas Garrfield Danielle Peerman Sukia Lemnai Tiasa Herman Lonnie Machin Frederic Gormon Aldor Sunshine After reading through all listed names he directed his attention back to the one who stood before him. "And do we have contact information for each of the listed individuals?" "Yes," Miwako confirmed. "However I have not yet determined all home addresses for all of them." "Which is alright, something you can see to tomorrow," Kiyonaga said closing his eyes for a brief moment with a staggering tiredness to be seen. "It is possible that none of these people have any involvement with the spread of this new drug, but this at least gives us a base to work from, good work Sato." "Is there anything you have for me?" "No, you may go," Kiyonaga replied. "We'll pick up where we've locked down tomorrow, is ten a good time for you?" She nodded in response. "Yes, ten will work perfectly." This stamped the end of their conversation, leaving him to look over the list of names for a second time. "Could one of these listed truly be the one we're searching for?" ….... Hours passed since making his return, after finishing with what he considered a successful conference he now found himself walking down the long fleet of stairs, ones which lead to the darkest and deepest of depths, a place where his ultimate secret resided. "I'm back." Bruce announced after walking down past the final step. Her long hair swayed as she swirled in the seat to face him, a clear look shown that she had been anticipating his return. "How was the conference?" "As expected," Bruce replied. He removed his hands from the depths of the worn jacket. After doing so he looked down at his watch. "It's now twenty after three, I only have a couple hours to get this solved." "Whether you want my help or not, I gathered all information on what happened at Skytale," Barbara said pointing at the computer monitor. "It's all here." He wasted no time in making his way over to her side, looking up to lay his eyes on what now resided on screen. "A playing card," Bruce noted after sighting the two images stacked aside one another. "Are these images of the same card?" "Yes," Barbara confirmed. "Front and back." "One side holds Kaitou's insignia, while the other showcases a check mark." "I've yet to determine what it signifies." Barbra admitted. "Which might not be possible looking at it as one piece," Bruce noted. "But what if we add it to the equation?" She was unsure of what he meant but was intrigued none the less. "What do you mean?" "This card is clearly a message, one which could directly be linked to the note received by Wayne Enterprises addressed to me." "You really think so?" "Think about it, Skytale's security is directly linked to Wayne tech," Bruce began. "Kaitou Kid infiltrated the museum only not to take what he set out to retrieve, why?" "Your point?" "Then he decides to leave a custom card behind for police to find, a move which I believe is the connection to make," Bruce hypothesized. "The letter sent to Wayne Enterprises is nothing more than an extension of the card collected by the Tokyo police force, he never intended to take the jewel.. his real goal was nothing more than to test the security set up at Skytale." "When you put it that way it kind of makes sense," Barbara realized. "But even so, do you have any ideas what his ultimate plan will lead to?" "No," Bruce admitted with a hand coming to his chin. "But time is of the essence, whether we crack his code or not Kaitou will make his move. He won't get away for a second time." It was with those final words that the alarming signal from the bat computer erupted, alerting him of an unrelated situation unfolding in the city. "And just when I thought things couldn't become any more complex." … The brightening sky from hours before was now weighed down by an early darkness from the several rain clouds that peered over the city. The position from where he stood was the grandest of them all, able to pin point everything there was to see with the turn of his head. The winds were calm, massaging the sides of his long white cape which fluttered in its wake. The moment was perfect, bringing a grin to his lips as he leaned forward to gaze down at the plane below. "Only two hours remain for the ultimate prize to hold, a monument of the Kid Thief himself.. in service and bound shall I have." This wasn't just a feel of confidence, but an almost certainty that could not be mistaken. And with the clock continuing to tick away, it would only be a matter of time before everything fell into place of the planned. To Be Continued

Lightest of Nights: A Deck of Minds Chapter 5 Connection to Make The second stage was now underway. He had no basis for how long it would be before he would finish. He sighed before turning in the chair, looking down to see him still standing there; clearly in a quarrel with his own thoughts. He was hesitant, but chose to speak. "Shinichi," Hiroshi said. "You don't have to stay here and wait, I can always call you once I have searched through everything we've gathered to this point." He nodded in light of this. "That might not be a bad idea," Conan agreed. "If anything I should return to the crime scene." He was surprised by this. "For what purpose," Hiroshi inquired. "Surely you took everything into accounted the first trip around?" "Yes, but there's always the possibility something new came to the light after my departure," Conan replied. "And by new, I'm referring to the victim himself; Tanakai-san." "True, other than his name you received no further information on the deceased," Hiroshi said coming to an understanding. "Who knows, perhaps his background could give us a clue as to where he might have come in contact with this 'new' drug." "I'll call if anything comes up." Conan assured. "You can expect the same from me," Hiroshi promised. He then turned back to the monitor to see back to the task at hand. "Do you have a set time for when you may return?" "I am uncertain," Conan said in response. "We'll see how everything plays out." "Very well," Hiroshi said now focusing entirely to the task at hand. "I'll keep my ears open for any calls, oh.. and don't forget to lock the front door on your way out." "Of course." Conan nodded. Following this he made way toward the other side of the room. Nothing more was spoken on the matter. Even with a clear path being paved there was still an uncertainty of what the end would hold, a fact that loomed without saying. …..... The last of what needed to be placed into the holding area of the aircraft was now underway. All merchandise was looked over before being tagged and loaded into the dock. Everything was either sealed in a box, or one of the many crates. "Looks like we're all done here," A man in possession of notepad filled with a checklist announced to three others who stood before him. "Let's get it all locked up." Just as they were to comply with what was instructed of them the sound of someone approaching could be heard. The three of them turned just as a woman came walking over, all while reeling a large crate along. "Hold on," She stated. The woman did not stop until coming within feet of the trio. "We've got one more." He gazed over the checklist, raising a brow as he looked back up to address her. "According to the list we have all the scheduled, whatever you have there was not included.. would you happen to know what's inside?" "Not a clue," The woman admitted. "I was instructed by the clerk at the front desk to make sure this box of goods gets loaded onto the plane headed to Novosibirsk." "Hmmmm…must be one of those last minute orders," The man concluded. "Bring it over, we'll make sure it reaches its destination." "Will do," The woman said before moving forward once again. "Not that it means anything to me, but is all of this stuff going to Novosibirsk?" "Yes," The man confirmed. "Nonstop." "That's at least a thirteen hour flight, correct?" "Not with this new line of tech these planes are tanking," One of the others noted "It should only take a little over ten hours for Novosibirsk to be reached." "I knew these line of planes were fast, but not to that degree." "You're not the only one," The man said in response. "Wayne tech excels in producing some of the most highly advanced aircrafts, on all fronts if I should say so myself." "I see." "But enough about that," He said with the sway of his hand. "Let's get this crate aboard with all other shipments; we have a schedule to keep." With nothing more the final crate was loaded onto the plane along with everything else before locking up the holding block. ….. He glided along masterfully down one street to the next. The wheels beneath swayed ever so smoothly with every turn made. Before he knew it the crime scene came back into view. By this time the body was being placed onto a stretcher, a sign that they were now moving on with the next stage in the investigation. He didn't let this stop him from skating over, only stopping after reaching the crime scene tape which was still present. Once there he surveyed the area. After a short search he spotted the person he was hoping to find. "Officer Takagi." Conan called out. He caught wind of his call, immediately looking his way. "Conan-kun." Wataru said surprised to find that he had returned. He walked over to join him in that instance, pushing past the crime scene tape in the process. "Why have you come back," Wataru asked. "I was under the impression you took off with Mouri-san when he went to the station ten minutes ago." He used this bit of information to his advantage. "It was Kogoro-no-ojisan who sent me back," Conan clarafied. "There's something he wanted me to ask of you." "What is it?" "Details about the victim," Conan replied. "Has his age, or even occupation been determined?" "We don't have an exact age as of yet," Wataru admitted. "But we most certainly have a narrowed range for what that could be." This was a start. "You do?" "Yes, besides the identification card that we found on him earlier we also came across another ID he was carrying," Wataru informed. "His school ID." His mind froze at the given. "He was a student." This fact coupled in with the victims appearance gave him a solid estimation for what grade they might be in. Pressing for more information he continued. "Really, where did he attend?" "Ekoda High." Wataru informed. His head leveled down ever so slightly. "A high school students, this shifts things to a whole nother perspective," Conan collected in mind. "And that's not a good thing, if a school kid was able to get his hands on a lethal drug as the one we're dealing with now there's no telling how complex things will get." His thoughts would be broken in that split second. "Was there anything else Mouri-san wished to know?" "No, that's all he wanted to know," Conan smilingly thanked with that child innocence in his eyes flashing. "I'll be sure he receives the details." "I'm glad I was able to be of assistance." Wataru boasted proudly. With that he walked off. It was now time to factor in the newly learned information into the already cycling equation. The fact that the drug in question had been obtained by a student increased the bar of possibility, an indication the drug could possibly be being distributed in a public place easily accessible to teens… but where? No matter the circumstances to be presented, he was determined to crack this case. "This is turning out to be broader than I originally thought." … After hours of travel the destination was now in reach. The wheels touched down to the solid surface, an impact which could be felt throughout. It was a concrete indication that they had truly arrived. His stance had to be maintained throughout; knowing even the subtlest of movement could blow his cover. The aircraft came to a complete stop after what only seemed to be a couple minutes. What was next? This question would soon be answered, feeling as the large crate he found himself hidden within was lifted. Few words were exchanged by those on the outside. What they were discussing was less than clear, but that wasn't of importance… but rather, where they would be going next. After being carried for what was estimated three minutes he was finally placed down once more, hearing as several other shipments were stacked down around him. He moved a little in position, shaking off a stiffness that had crept in. "Everything has been transferred, but to where?" There was no doubt about it. Possibilities began to scatter in mind as the sound of an engine erupted, followed by movement of the vehicle he now found himself riding in. The drive to wherever he was now being taken lasted for a little over twenty minutes. A short time after coming to a stop his crate was pulled into the grasp of two individuals. He made no movement from his end, as not to draw suspicion. The longer they traveled the more curious he became as to where they were going. After a short time he heard a sound on the outside which gave off a hint of sorts. "Stairs.." There was an undeniable descend to be felt, concluding he was being taken down a fleet of stairs due to the bumps in the path to be felt. This lasted for a marginable time. Eventually an electrical sound found way to his ear. But was it? The sound of automatic door perhaps? All movement seized soon after, a sign he had been placed down. Soon after conversation ensued between those on the outside, this time able to pick up what was being said. "So this is it, we're just going to leave all the goods here?" "Yes, our job here is done," Another spoke. "Next step is for the captains to come and collect, they get the task of dishing out the picks that are being transferred in from the other two locations." "Let's get going," A third interjected. "They'll be expecting us back within the usual thirty minute time frame; you know how the boss doesn't like to be kept waiting." "Don't have to tell me twice." The only sound to follow was that of footsteps, a sound which faded with every second that passed. There was only one thing to make of this. ".. They're gone." With a fierce explosion of strength the crate was shattered from within. He stepped out, minding the several wood bits that were now scattered across the ground. The room was dark. But even still he could make out how large it was in space. "Now, let's see where my travels have landed me." Before another move was made a ring came from the com-link within his ear, alerting him of an incoming call. "Alfred.." "The systems showcased an increased movement from you Master Bruce, so I assume you arrived?" "Yes, I have," Batman confirmed. "But where that is, is still unclear." "By what do you mean by that?" "Once we touched down in Novosibirsk the crate I was hidden within along with all other shipments was then exported to another plane before taking off once more." "That would explain why it took so long for me to pick up any activity from you." With the coast clear he moved forward. "Where I am is an uncertainty. The room I walk now is significantly dark, but from the looks of things I'd say I'm in a storage space of some kind." "Which should come as no surprise." With another step walked he activated the night vision within his cowl, giving him a better view of the path he now trailed. "If Crane's product is here I will find it." "I have no doubt." Alfred spoke assured. "What about the bat plane," Batman questioned. "Has it been sent?" "Autopilot," Alfred confirmed. "Wherever you are now it will track onto your signal." "I'll have things wrapped up here soon enough." With that said he reached down for his utility belt as he stepped forward, pulling out a small device of some kind. "This will allow me to pick up which box Crane's product is stashed in." There were several crates and boxes that could be holding the sought subject. He commenced through the dark room, listening to the sound of the signal that strengthen with each taken step. He made the decision to go right, following the wall on that side as he hovered the device over every box passed to try and find what had brought him here. In doing so there was something on the wall that caught his attention, a mark. His search was put on hold as he inched in closer to find that is was actually a print, one which brought an alarming discovery. "Alfred," Batman radioed. "I know where I am and where Scarecrow's toxin has been getting shipped to." "Where?" "Tokyo, Japan," Batman reported. "I've discovered Skytale's insignia on a wall down here, there is no doubt about it." "Well that sure adds another unexpected kink in the road," Alfred noted. "Not only was one of your planes being used to help in the transportation process, and now we've come to find that destination of the chemicals is none other than a museum associated with Wayne Enterprises." He brought a hand to his chin with his thoughts taking center stage. Yesterday's incident at this very location was one of the very first things to come to mind. It was almost too convenient. "The Kid Thief infiltrated this facility yesterday night by bypassing the security set up in this building by Wayne Tech, and yet when he had the sought possession in reach he decided not to take it," Batman spoke aloud. "And instead chose to leave behind a note, why… could he possibly be involved with this whole ordeal in some way?" It was certainly a possibility, one which he wasn't going to let stay refrigerated. "Alfred." "Yes Master Bruce?" "I have a favor to ask," Batman replied. "I want all files on Kaitou Kid, from case files to any sightings that have been reported on him worked into my data base." "For what reason?" "He might be involved with this in some capacity," Batman replied. "Every possible lead needs to be covered, including this one." "What do you hope to accomplish?" "Finding and bringing the Kid Thief in for questioning," Batman declared. "Even if it means by force, finding him will be the first step." "Something you won't have to try hard." "What do you mean?" "Just about two hours ago Wayne Enterprises received something, a letter… one which was addressed to Bruce Wayne," Alfred informed. "I had hoped to bring it up to you once your mission was complete. But this moment seems appropriate as any other to bring you up to speed. Believe it or not the letter in question was sent from none other than Kaitou Kid himself." His eyes flickered at the announced. "What?" "And sir, he plans to make a move on one of your most prized valuables," Alfred informed. "Well, at least that's what I was able to make from the written message." "How soon?" "If what I think is to be true," Alfred began. "Less than twenty four hours." And with that, an inner clock began its spin as he muttered his name. "Kaitou Kid.." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 140 Enter the Birds Den There was an optimism to be felt, one which was completely centered on an unknown at the highest of levels. There was no hint at what circumstances would bring in the coming moments, mentally preparing for anything that came to mind. His inner cycle of thoughts were cut to a close soon after at the sound of steps from before closing in further. A few yards, a couple feet? There was no way of truly knowing the gap in distance, each step locked with an echo that spanned throughout the walls on all sides. It didn’t matter either way, for it was only a matter of time before an appearance was to be made. It was with his last line of thoughts that two dark figures appeared before the cell he found himself locked away within. Both stood tall in stature with notable bulky attire each had on. Were they wearing armor of some kind? There was no real way of knowing with the darkness that filled the room. "Step up to the bars and hold out your hands." This demand came without warning, something that caught him by surprise. He was frozen for the moment, one which quickly came to pass as he began moving forward in compliance with what had been instructed. "Make sure those palms are open." The same voice spoke once more. He was more than skeptical of this but did as asked, knowing his current position left him with very limited options in approach. The steel bars were reached in little time, holding out his hands with the open of his palms just as planned. It was with this move to make that the steel bars were unlocked. The man on the left leaned forward with something clearly in hand; there was no telling what it was at first glance. This of course was answered soon after with the feel of the cold metal clamping down to both of his wrists. ".. Handcuffs." There was no secret to it, he was more than sure. "Come," The man standing right of him spoke. "Follow us, it’s time." There was no telling for where they would be going, knowing the next seconds would be crucial in getting himself in a position to set things into his corner. But before he could do that assessment would be required, something which was launched as they began their way down a dark long narrow hall. Fortunately small cracks in the wall every few feet down provided for just the visual he needed. His eyes slowly peered from left to right, examining both men who were now escorting him down the hall. It was just as he expected, finding both to have armored chest pieces of some kind. This wasn’t even the most alarming detail of all, quickly coming to discover that both were armed with firearms, strapped in place on different parts of their bodies. He faded to the left side at the sight of this, making contact with one of the armed men who pushed him back with rough retaliation. "What the hell are you doing?!" He bellowed angrily. "My legs, they’re tired." Kaito enunciated. "Don’t stagger again or I’ll give you more than just a shove the next time," He guaranteed. "I’m sure a guy like you can manage; besides we don’t have much further to go." "You got it boss man." Kaito jested in a humored matter. This was an attempt to push at the button further so to speak, one which didn’t amount to a response like he had been predicting. No further words were exchanged as they continued the walk through the darkness, growingly finding himself becoming more interested in where it was they were going. "I’m certain any questions I ask of these two are bound to be shot down, which means I’ll have to play the patient card for now." This was the best move to play for the time being. To his delight they came upon a fleet of stairs soon after, an indication they may not be too far off from reaching the destined location. The man standing on the right side of him was the first to begin the walk up the stairs before feeling a light push from behind. "Get moving." The instructions were clear, heading forward with yet another witty remark to pass. "Aye master, your command has been received in full clarity." The top was reached in little time which now brought them in range of a large wooden door. It was pushed aside with moderate difficulty by the man who still held his position in the front. This in turn brought a light which made it to where he could now clearly see everything that resided around him. There was no stopping there, continuing forward which brought them into a large room. The area was massive in size, something you would associate with a foyer or ballroom through his eyes. There was another set of stairs a ways ahead that lead to yet another floor. "How far down are we?" Kaito thought upon noting this. His eyes then fell from the stairs to what could clearly be seen lying in the center of the room. "What is that?" He couldn’t tell what it was from the current gap in distance, only closing in with every step taken. What lied there became all too apparent after closing in within feet, feeling his heart rate increase in speed at the sight of it. "A body," Kaito thought with a pause. "But whom?" They came to a stop after a couple steps more, gazing down at the motionless body to make a gut wrenching discovery. "That’s… that’s Simon Lain." There was no denying it, this was the same man he had been finding himself trailing for the past couple days. It was clear from the inflicted wounds that he endured some form of torcher, only making him wonder exactly he had been out. "Now you’ve seen it for yourself," The man to the right stated. "Now if you don’t want to end up like your friend you had better tell us everything we want to know." ".. My friend?" Kaito questioned. "What’s that?" "You called the deceased my friend," Kaito replied looking his way. "How can that be so when I’ve never seen this man before?" "You’re lying, you were there when we started firing last night." "So it was your bullets that pieced me, I see," Kaito said with a pause. "But I should let you know I was only on my way to the library on that street, which by your statement makes it sound as if I was caught up in the crossfire." "What?!" "Dammit Lovob, I told you he was nothing more than a bystander." The other man spoke. "Quiet Twharne, you know as well as I we couldn’t have taken the chance that he wasn’t." "Now what?" "We’ll do the only thing that we can, we’ll have to kill this guy as well," Lovob replied. "We all know the drill, no loose ends." "The boss won’t be too happy when he finds out about this." "Maybe not but either way we need to take care of this now, the sooner we get this done the better off." The sound of a what appeared to be a shot gun interjected their conversation, all eyes immediately looking toward the large staircase in the clear. It was there that the two of them laid eyes on him, immediately dropping to their knees almost immediately after. "Boss." Twharne said at the sight of him. Neither dare made a move as the man in a three piece suit and top hat gradually made his way down the towering set of stairs. It seemed as if an eternity passed before he finally reached the bottom, heading straight for Kaito who gazed down at the man who fell short of him in height by more than just an inch. "Who the hell are you?" Kaito inquired in an almost a welcoming matter. This only provoked a smile from the newcomer. "How dare you speak to our boss that." Twharne began only to be cut off. "Silence," The man who had joined them all spat. "You’ve said enough." With that taken care of he immediately turned back to give his full undivided attention to the person of interest. "You’re a unique one aren’t you," The man in the suit of black began. "One of the few who chooses to be one curve ahead of the game and all players." "I’m sorry," Kaito said shifting his body completely to align with him. "But were those statements directed at me?" "You’ve got quite the rampant mouth, but what do you say we drop the clueless lamb act and get to the point?" These statements were followed up with him walking up to him, once there he reached into the left side of Kaito’s jacket to reveal a gun. "Dammit.. how did he know?" "He had a gun," Lovob questioned. "I swear when we checked him earlier he was unarmed." "That’s because he relieved you of one of your own firearms when he leaned on you while you were escorting him here you damned imbecile, I witnessed it all on the security room." "What?" "If there’s anything I despise more than a bad situation, it is consistent incompetence," He continued on. "Something you two display better than anyone else." Feeling he had made his point he turned back to see the look in his eyes from before had maintained, even with the change in circumstance there was still a look of confidence to the highest of level to see. "You seemed less than affected by the shift in condition, I can only assume that’s because you’re planning your next move to play." "Aren’t we always?" Kaito said in response to this. "A green end response, I’m actually starting to favor your life," He said now pointing the seized weapon at him. "Here’s the deal, you’ve got two choices." "Either serve under you or die?" "You catch on quickly, I could use someone of your reflexive intellect," He stated. "Perhaps you could change the primitive nature of how most of the other guys think around here." He knew there wasn’t much choice at this point, going ahead with the only choice that made sense. "I’m willing to give your offer a chance under a condition." Kaito announced. "Oh yea, and what’s that?" "Only that you relive me of these forsaken handcuffs," Kaito replied holding out his hands. "They make me feel claustrophobic in some strange way." He couldn’t help but find himself humored by this claim which resulted in a genuine laugh, pulling out a key from his pocket which he then used to unlock the cuffs. "Much better." Kaito said as he watched the man in the top hat turn back for the stairs. "Follow me." He instructed. "Sure thing… wait," Kaito said taking a step forward. "How would you like me to address you?" He stopped at the question posed, turning back to face him with a clear response to give. "Oswald Cobblepot," He answered with the tip of his hat. "But as the street requires, you can call me Penguin." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 139 Stance Given There was no light to be shed from the outside, almost as if they had awoken to nothing but darkness itself. The only thing providing light was that of a flickering torch a lengths away from where he lay. There was very little to feel within the body, tightening his fist to find an obvious numbness. This was no different with the rest of the body. There was a weakness to be felt with the first attempt made to ease up from the position he found himself in. He fell back with a light wail of pain to escape his lips. It was after this occurrence that the staggering pain revealed itself, one which could be felt down at his left side. That’s all it took for it all to come pouring in, rehashing bit by bit what had happened in the hours that had passed. "The motel, the library… that’s right," He thought with a realization. "That’s when I was shot… but where am I now?" This was the question of the hour. He didn’t waste any time, reaching down to trace his finger over where the pain was at its peak to make an alarming discovery. "My wound, it’s bandaged up." This only raised his curiosity further. Where was he, and who had taken the time to see to his injury? Was he now in a medical center of some kind? His eyes were gradually adjusting to the darkness, starting to make out small details in the surrounding area. There was nothing immediate on either side of the bed, also finding he had been relieved of all personal belongings. He then focused to the distances ahead which brought a heightened clarity due to the flaming torch directly across yards from where he laid. It was within those first moments that the outline of bars were hinted, leaning forward with a sharpened look only confirmed this. Only then did the thought come to mind. "Am I being held captive?" And if so he knew there would not be any room for error with what was to come next, which would be devising a plan of escape. Between his injury and the unknown of his current location he knew this would be no simple task. What came next only pressed the matter, hearing a shocking sound that erupted throughout the walls with no warning to give. "A scream… but who?" It was clear he had no interest in learning what was going on. There was no doubt or second guess, it was now a race against time in his mind. "I have to find a way out of here, and soon." 　 …………………………… 　 A fourth attempt was applied before taking a step back. The results were the same as they had been before, receiving no response from the other side. With a concern coming to the fold he reached forward with the turn of the knob, pulling the door off to the side to find the room empty. "He’s not here?" This absence was almost surprising given that the time was only ten after seven. He had never come to the room at this time to find him unavailable. "Where could he have possibly gone?" There weren’t too many ideas that came to mind, closing the door as he made his way down the long hall. It was a quiet morning, even able to hear his own breath with each exhale. It was almost as if he was the only one present in the house. With all rooms checked there was only one area that had yet to be checked, having a good feeling that’s just where he might be. He descended to the lower level, entering the room which would be considered the main entrance to the closet of secrets itself, grabbing holding of the pendulum with a tight pull to signal the open. This allowed him entry, walking in with the clock sliding back into place after doing so. There was a presence to be felt with the distance narrowing, only becoming more apparent with the echo of voices to be heard. "I thought I might find you down here." Alfred said after sighting him aside the computer chair. It wasn’t hard for him to detect who the message was directed to. Knowing this he turned to face him with direct contact made. "I take it you were looking for me?" The last steps were taken down the staircase bringing him to ground level. "That is correct," Alfred confirmed. "You received a call." "A call," Shinichi asked becoming fully attentive. "From who?" "That can wait," Bruce announced from his seat in front of the computer. "We have more important matters to deal with at the immediate time." "What is it the two of you have been doing down here?" Alfred asked. "Review." Bruce replied with his focus still on the computer. "Review for what?" "Everything," Bruce answered. "Stemming from Salomon Green’s death, the Mount Zomoph incident, all the way to the unsolved murders that occurred months ago in Japan." "I see, and have further tests been run our guests condition?" "Yes," Bruce replied. "We’ll have the results back in the next hour." "So Shinichi," Alfred said looking his way. "How are you feeling?" "No different than I have the past few days," Shinichi replied. "Which I’d depict as normal standards." "There’s another bit of news I’ve come with." "What is it?" Bruce inquired. "A call came in for you from Wayne Enterprises a few minutes ago." "About?" "Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about the yearly Gotham funding event, for which you agreed you’d heavily be taking part in this year," Alfred reminded. "Only two days left." "I haven’t forgotten." Bruce assured glimpsing back at him for a brief moment. "If I must say I believe bringing along a companion would be something to consider," Alfred advised. "Adding image to go along with the goal is never a bad idea." "Something I’ll consider." "I thought that you might," Alfred said. "If you need me I’ll be outside, there’s work that needs to be done." "I’ll keep that in mind." A nod was given in response, seeing himself off as he headed back for the stairs. This left just the two of them once again, both with the same thing on mind.. finding a means to an end for all the cases set before them. "Before we continue there’s some ground we need to cover." Bruce spoke sparking conversation once more. "I’m listening." "I’d first like to say that when I first heard you’d be coming to Gotham I wasn’t planning for you to get involved in any of this, I’m still no fond of the idea," Bruce admitted. "So don’t give me a reason to change the decision I’m about to make." "Which is?" "I’m releasing the leash so to speak, which will give you more flexibility going forward with the investigation," Bruce continued. "But if an order is given I expect that you’ll follow it, and if you don’t.. all tides are cut." "I understand." "Good," Bruce said standing up from the chair to lock eyes with him with a sheer look of focus to share. "Then our true mission begins, Detective Kudo." 　 …………………………………………….. 　 The screams had long since faded, almost as if death had overtaken with the loss of the cries. The belief from before couldn’t be any clearer, he was in a locked up cell of some kind. His nerves had now peaked, only strengthening his urge to find the inner power to wield him out of the current predicament he found himself in. The torch continued burning strong in its flame, shadowing his figure as he dropped down to the coldness of the ground which brought a shrill of uncertainty within. What was his next move going to be? There was no time to calculate or plan, there was no telling for when they would come. And with that thought coming to find a sound could be heard, one which didn’t sound too far off from his position. "A door… is someone coming?" This left him frozen, but only for a moment. There could be no panic, and nor would he show it. A stomp of a foot called out, a sound which would suggest someone walking down from an upper level. There was no more denying it, someone was in fact coming. With nothing to work to his advantage and no knowledge of the cell he found himself in he knew an escape would come down to the first seconds once the door was unlocked. The steps only increased in pace, finding the rhythm in each taken to be off beat. There was only one conclusion that could be determined from this. "There’s more than one person." There was no doubt, he was sure of it. With a kick start in thought and a goal to reach a smile fell in place. All that remained was an execution that could be nothing short of perfection, a factor which could mean life or death. To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 138 A Case Resurfaces There was much that could have been taken away from those comments. There was no certainty to what it was he was referring to. He was prompted to question him on the matter, but chose not as a move was made for the other side of the room. “Where’s he going?” His every movement was followed, tracing all motion which led to the grandfather clock just feet away from where the desk resided. No words were said, simply watching as an attempt to pull the glass away covering the inner parts of the clock was made. “What’s he up to now?” This activity was bizarre to say the least, having no idea what exactly it was he was hoping to achieve with the latest move made. His uncertainty would soon come to an end, one turning into a curiosity as the glass was carefully pushed off to the side. There was no stopping there. His next move was to reach inside to grab hold of the pendulum, swaying it back in forth with equal force several times over. The count came up to twelve before finally stopping. What came next was giving the pendulum a downward tug; a move which resulted in the spark of a sound which no one in the room could deny hearing. But it was what came next that caught him by surprise most, watching as the grandfather clock gradually slid left from its current position on the wall to reveal what appeared to be a hidden passage way. There were no words that came to mind in what to say next. Fortunately it wouldn’t be his move to make. “Come,” Bruce instructed with the wave of his hand. “Follow me.” There was little hesitation as he opted to do what was asked. He brought his hands to his pocket as he began to walk, bracing himself for whatever was to come next. The opening that had been revealed in the wake of the move of the clock presented that of a dark path, only imagination presented for the many possibilities of what could be within. “All will make sense soon,” Bruce assured. “All will be made clear soon.” With that he walked forward, fading into the darkness set before them. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he took his first step in. “Watch your step,” Bruce warned. “The path will become steep closer to the bottom.” “Thanks for the tip.” It became easier with the next steps taken, feeling a sense of comfort the further they descended into the darkness. The clock could be heard sliding back into place shortly after, something that didn’t come as a surprise. A cool air surfaced from the depths below soon after, one which reminded him of his first thoughts when entering the study for the first time. “So this is it,” Shinichi thought. “This must be where that cold air I felt from on that day was coming from.” His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark path being walked; only becoming more curious as to where they were going with each passing second. It was at that time that a sound could be heard, one which echoed throughout the stone cold walls on each side. There was no visual for what it was or where it was coming from, only its ever growing whisper letting them know the destination was near. “If I’m not mistaking that’s the sound of something dripping.” This thought was only heightened with the fresh scent of water reaching with the next steps taken. By this time they had been walking for close to a minute, hearing as all movement out in front came to an end. He did the same, waiting for what was to come next. “We’re here.” Bruce announced. There was no telling for what had been reached; adjusting his eyes further to see what was in the darkness ahead. But even with his keen perception of the distance between them and what was ahead, there was no real way of knowing exactly what they came upon. The answer would come soon, taking Bruce only moments more to raise a lever located on the right side of the wall that sparked a path of lights. And with that moment all was revealed, stemming from the large computer across the way to the several additional floors which showcased several different electronics at each station. He could only look on in awe, not fully clear on what it was he had come witnessed to. “What is this place?” Shinichi inquired while still surveying the large area. He turned to him with one simple answer to give. “The Batcave.” ……………………………………………………………….. The rain drizzled lightly as it made a push for the ground, contacting softly with minimal sound to release. It was no different than any other scene of trauma. There was interest to be raised, crowds to be found in the wake of it all. The death toll was unclear, continuing to watching as one body after another were removed from the vehicles that had countless shots from unidentified firearms. He had gotten there just minutes after the police, scaling the area several times only to find a phone, one which showed traces of blood. Could it be his? But there was no body for confirmation either way, which was nowhere to be found. His body had not been sighted with the others being reeled off into the trucks that arrived on the scene, nor was he standing amongst the crowd. It was almost as if he had disappeared. But why would he leave, and where would he go to without letting him know first? Several scenarios went through his mind as the rain continued to fall, looking down at the phone as the question of them all surfaced once again. “Master Kuroba… where are you?” ………………………………………………… To speak its name only would be that of less than an introduction, following him as he headed over to where the large computer could be found. Once there he took a seat in the soft cushioned chair sitting in place before focusing his sights to the large monitor before him. “Let me guess,” Shinichi said removing his hands from his pockets. “The Bat-computer.” “No, I actually got around to calling it the super computer,” Bruce stated. “Not the most creative, but has worked fine none the less.” “You called this place the Batcave,” Shinichi said having a look over to the left side of the room. “But what is this place exactly, from what I can tell I’d say you’ve got a nice little headquarters set up.” “Listen up,” Bruce said with a change in tone to be heard. “I brought you down here for two reasons, one being to further analyze your condition.” “Which probably won’t require a trip to the medical center,” Shinichi remarked after taking a deeper look around the room. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a set station for everything.” “Resources are necessary for keeping a balance in the line of work from my position.” “So other than my condition,” Shinichi said turning back to face him. “What’s the other reason you brought me down here?” “Months ago in Japan there was a series of unsolved murders,” Bruce began. “Left at each scene was a hint to the play at hand, a riddle if you will.” “How could I forget.” “I didn’t think you would.” “But something doesn’t make sense,” Shinichi said with the slight raise of his hand. “With how much effort was put in the culprit simply stopped, never to strike again.” “That is until last night.” Bruce reported. “What, where?” “Right where we reside now,” Bruce replied locking eyes with him. “Here in Gotham.” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince 137 Door Opened The area was darkened, nothing but the sound of the wind brushing past the window on the other side being the only reminder of his whereabouts. There were many things circulating throughout the mind, almost startled by the sound of something coming from the other side of the room. His head was slightly turned, wondering just what it was. The seconds to come revealed just that, listening as it became louder in result giving him a clear indication of what it was. “Someone’s coming.” He pushed up with moderate difficulty, shaking off the sleepiness that had washed over him since finding his way to the room just over an hour ago. The steps that could be heard trotting throughout the walls came to a stop soon after, not surprised when a knock came at the door with no warning given. “Hold on, I’ll be right there.” With a push he stepped up from the bed, maneuvering his way through the dark room to find his hand grasping hold of the door knob a short time later. The door was immediately pulled to the side to find him standing there with a pleasant smile. “Good evening Shinichi,” Alfred greeted. “The master wishes to see you.” “No doubt for the second sample of blood to be collected.” Shinichi guessed having a step out to join him. “Is he down in the study?” “Yes,” Alfred enunciated. “I’ll escort you there.” He found no wrong in this, simply following him as the two began their walk down the hall. “I couldn’t help but notice the light being off when you greeted me at the door,” Alfred pointed out. “Did I by any chance wake you?” “Not at all, I was only thinking.” “About what,” Alfred posed. “If you don’t mind me asking of course.” “… Everything.” There was no other way of wording, fully understanding the response in full. “That seems to be the case for us all.” Alfred said as the door at the end of the hall was reached. Silence came back to the fold moving forward, carefully walking down the stairs just like any other time. Once at the bottom they headed straight for the study, finding the door unlocked upon reaching it. The two walked in while looking toward the left side of the room to see him standing there with his arms crossed, staring up at the moon which could be seen gazing down at them through the window. “Master Bruce I’ve returned with Shinichi as requested.” “Thank you,” Bruce replied. “Would you mind leaving us, I’d like to speak with him alone.” “Very well.” He did as asked of him, closing the door on the way out giving the two privacy. A wait ensued, one which lasted for several moments to come. He chose not to speak, waiting for him to deliver the first word. The first move came without warning, watching as his once crossed arms fell down to his sides. “I assume you know why you were summoned?” “Of course,” Shinichi replied. “To extract another sample of blood from my system to give us an update on my current state.” “Is that all?” “What do you mean,” Shinichi inquired with a change in expression. “Isn’t that why you called for my appearance?” “Yes but that is not all, there is something else,” Bruce continued. “Something that may require your service.” This caught him by surprise, feeling his hands falling from where they clung at the sides of his pockets. “You need my help?” “Yes, but before we can proceed there’s something you need to see,” Bruce replied finally looking away from the window side to face him. “Come with me, it’s time.” “Where are we going,” Shinichi asked as he approached. “And what do you mean it’s time?” “We’re going to where we will commence,” Bruce replied closing the gap further. “I’ve waited long enough in withholding all secrets; it is time you learned… that you know everything.” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 136 Blind Shot The course of the day brought about much planning as much as it did promise. But with the door of opportunity closing in with each passing minute would the chips fall into place as planned? There was no doubt in his mind that this would come to be, checking the time on the watch strapped to his wrist to find only twenty minutes remained. This was more than enough time. He placed his hand to the seat in front, tapping it to get the attention of the driver. “Is something wrong?” “This will be far enough.” They nodded in compliance, immediately turning back for the road ahead. They pulled up to an empty spot along the right side before turning back to face him. “Will this be ok?” “Perfect.” He exited as soon as he tipped the driver, taking those first moments to scour the area as a whole as he walked. The buildings came next, finding everything to be clear from that view as well. “It doesn’t appear I’m being watched or followed, good.” After traveling for another couple yards he came upon a newsstand, finding this to be an ideal place to set up for what was to come next. He reached down into the left pocket of the worn jacket, grabbing hold of the only thing that could be felt inside. It was that of a phone. He took the next second to check the time once more before making another move. “It’s closing in on fifteen minutes.” The wait would continue, keeping the phone tight in hand as he peaked around the corner from where he stood, looking directly to the entrance several yards away further up the street. Many could be seen exiting, very few could be seen going in as opposed to those walking out. This was a high pointer, letting him know the time was nearing. But with the wait coming to an end a strange feeling crept in, almost as if something unexpected was to come. Whether it be good or bad was unknown. This raised his awareness, finding his focus at the top of his limits as the wait continued. ________________________________________________________________ The night was now taking form by this time. With darkness crawling in this called for him to bring light to the room with the flip of the switch. The outlook was the same as when the day had begun, a standstill. No matter how long spent in one area or what angle tested it all seemed to fall back to where it began. It wasn’t just the mystery of the where, but the test in itself of figuring out the when and why. Had they been taken, or did they leave the site on their own free will? At this point all possibilities now had to be considered. Regardless of the end may bring he was determined to figuring out where the missing pair had gone. It was in the thought of this that the presence of someone entering the room could be felt, glimpsing up from all gathered evidence atop the desk to see him standing just feet away from where he sat. “It’s not often you leave the door open while you’re working sir,” Alfred said quick to point out. “Well at least not lately.” “It doesn’t make sense Alfred.” “What’s that?” “The disappearance of Danielle Walden and his daughter.” Bruce replied. “What is it that doesn’t make sense?” “The scenario which most have pointed to,” Bruce replied. “Abduction.” “Are you saying you don’t believe they were abducted?” “According to evidence, yes.” “Perhaps a runaway?” “Doubtful,” Bruce replied. “Danielle and his former wife Kalien, and the mother of their daughter Mera does not see that as a high possibility.” “And you agree?” “Given the circumstances, yes,” Bruce replied. “On a personal level Kalien and Danielle seemed to have been on good terms.” “And legally?” “Joined custody,” Bruce informed. “And being that Kalien had their daughter for only weekends, Danielle running off with her wouldn’t make much sense, especially since she stayed with him the majority of the time as the two had agreed upon.” “Even with that being the case, I for one still wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Mr. Walden taking off with the girl.” “I’ve checked all his cards, if he had skipped town I’m sure a transaction in the last week would have been made to one of the two banks he’s linked with,” Bruce said. “There were also no large withdraws made from any of his accounts, this only adds more weight to why it’s unlikely he left town along with his daughter.” “With all the facts presented I can’t disagree.” “That still doesn’t rule out the possibility completely,” Bruce said standing up from the chair. “At this given time there’s no telling what conspired up until the day of their disappearance.” He stepped from around the desk, heading over to the far left of the room where the window could be found. He stopped after reaching it, staring into the arrived night with several things in mind. This only brought about a silence, one which spanned over the next several moments. There was no movement in his stance during this time, bringing a raising concern from his perspective. “Master Bruce.. ?” Seconds more ticked away before a response was given. “Alfred, bring Shinichi to me,” Bruce instructed. “It’s time.” Not another word needed to be said, immediately turning for the door upon hearing his request. The night was young and still had long to go. But by its end he hoped with the dawn of light would bring a much needed light on the case at hand. ________________________________________________________________ After a day’s plotting and the fall of the sun past the length of the horizon, the time had finally come. The full view of the moon could now be seen, only slightly covered by few clouds that drifted by. The phone was still firmly held in hand, raising it as he watched a car came to a stop at the front entrance of the location he had his sights set on. “That’s the fourth vehicle in the last minute, they must be arriving.” He continued to keep a look out as the phone held down at his side released a subtle vibration. “Right on schedule.” The phone was brought to their ear, taking the call with no hesitation. “Master Kuroba, what’s the situation?” “Standing outside of the library now,” Kaito replied. “From the recent activity I’d say the guests have arrived.” “Have they gone in?” “That’s the strange part, of the automobiles that have pulled up alongside the road in the past minutes no one has yet to exit.” “That is strange if I must say,” Konosuke agreed. “What will you do?” “I’ve waited for long enough,” Kaito replied. “I’m getting ready to make the next move.” “I understand.” “Do you have the flyers set as planned?” “Of course, everything is a go,” Konosuke replied. “The rest is up to you.” “If all goes well I’ll see you in approximately an hour,” Kaito replied. “If you call and I don’t answer don’t stress it, it only means the task is underway.” “I would assume that much,” Konosuke said. “But let it be known I’ll only contact if need be.” “For the best,” Kaito said. “Remember, don’t roll in until the signal is given.” “You have my word.” Their talk came to an end with that final exchange, both feeling positive on the plan that had been set. There was only one thing that remained, execution. He chose not to move from his current position, continuing to watch the vehicles which had recently parked aside the street. “I don’t understand, why hasn’t anyone ascended?” This thought remained on his mind for another minute. After the short time past he adjusted his eyes to the car nearest him, catching a vague visual of someone on the passenger side. “A phone… could they be talking to someone?” This brought up another possibility in his mind, could everyone be waiting for someone… or something? This very thought only gained weight with every passing moment. Given the distance between him and the darkened figure within the car there was no way of confirming they were in contact with someone. It was at that moment that the decision was made. “I’ll have to get in closer.” It now became about posture and approach, tucking both hands into his pocket as he watched a young pair walk right past. “The timing couldn’t have been any better.” Taking advantage of this he casually followed along, dampening his view with the decision to lower the cap above his eyes. This move was made to keep his appearance shielded, at least for the time being. He inched in with every step taken, slightly glimpsing up to see the car a mere few yards away. “Almost there.” It was with the next step that all would take a major turn to the unexpected, hearing an earthshattering sound that sent a stunning shock throughout his body. All fell numb, feeling as if a substantial amount of his energy had been drained from his body. Without warning he fell forward, unable to find the strength to keep himself from doing so. It was only then that he saw, the sight of a glaring wound which stared back at him. “I’ve been … shot.” His mind became clouded, who could have done this… and why? He quickly reached into his pocket to grab hold of his phone with a burst of energy. There was no control to be had, almost immediately losing control of it just before making impact with the ground. All fell completely blank from there, nothing but a complete darkness to be found. Had the end of the road been reached? To Be Continued

The Detective Prince 135 Day before the Turn It was now only hours away, clocking down to when it would begin. All preparations needed had already been made, feeling confident by the day’s end everything would roll into their favor. But there was always that outside variable, the one which couldn't be controlled... that of the unknown. This weighed heavily on his mind, trying to calculate everything that could possibly occur come night fall. It was in the mist of this that he looked to the phone sitting beside him. After little thought he reached down to grab it, immediately heading to where all contacts could be found. There was no delay in what came next, scrolling down to where the name could be found, one which read 'Mom'. He held out a finger to hit dial only to become hesitant. It was at that moment that a strange feeling came over him, almost as if something bad was to come. It was frightening in a way, but pressed down to the send button none the less, only getting the sound of a ring in return. This was short lived, placing the phone back onto the bed just in time to hear the sound of the door swing open from the left side. "You're back later than expected." "It couldn’t be helped." Konosuke said walking into the room with a bag in hand. "What's that you've got there?" Kaito asked out of curiosity. "A little souvenir I think will benefit us both." Without further ado he removed what was hidden inside, holding it out for him to see. "Another laptop computer," Kaito said surprised to find. "Don’t you think two is enough?" "Having a variety never hurts," Konosuke said in response. "And I can assure you I purchased this with marginable intentions in mind." "I have no doubt." He took that next moment to place the purchased hardware onto the bed nearest to the door before turning back to face him. “So what have you been doing during the time of my absence?” “Thinking.” “About what?” “Everything,” Kaito replied before falling back to the bed. “Particularly with how we’re going to play thing’s tonight.” “Speaking of which, I ran that errand you asked of me.” He had caught himself staring up at the ceiling, barely hearing what had been said. “What was that?” “I returned to the library to see if there was an update for tonight’s event.” “And?” “The clerk working the desk at the time was more than helpful,” Konosuke replied. “It would appear sometime last night Mr. Lain made a stop in at the library himself.” “For what?” Kaito asked finding himself becoming interested. “To set the stage if you will, a sign in sheet.” Learning this caused him to push up from where he laid. “How many people were listed to attend?” Kaito asked looking over at him. “Twelve in all,” Konosuke replied. “Including Lain himself.” “I see,” Kaito said bringing a hand to his chin with a long pause. “Tell me, is there anything else planned for tonight?” “I’m afraid I don’t understand your question Master Kuroba,” Konosuke said. “Could you possibly elaborate?” “At the library,” Kaito replied standing up from where he sat. “Besides the chess gathering being hosted by Mr. Lain is there anything else being held tonight?” “No, not to my knowledge.” “Good, that keeps the dynamics into our favor.” Kaito said sitting up from the bed. “How so?” “The less distractions the better,” Kaito replied. “Besides I’d like to study him before we move in, having more space to work with is always a plus.” He was completely lost on what he meant by this but took his word for it. “And did the scheduled time remain the same?” He nodded in response. “Yes,” Konosuke replied. “They are still set to begin at five O’clock this evening.” “Good, that means everything is still on schedule,” Kaito said pleased to know. “I’ve held out long enough, it’s time I shared with you what the plan is.” From there he looked on, watching as he headed for the dresser directly across. Several seconds past as he watched, surfing through the top drawer for something. “Found it.” Kaito said before re-facing him. “What’s inside?” Konosuke asked taking notice of the plastic bag in hand. He simply grinned, taking only seconds for him to reveal what was hidden away within the bag. “Here we are.” He laid his onto what was held up, getting a mixed feeling of what was presented. “Is that … a flyer?” “Yes,” Kaito confirmed. “It may not make sense now but it will after I explain.” There was no argument with this claim, choosing to let him continue on with no further words spoken. “Alright,” Kaito began. “Listen up.” His full attention was given, more than interested to learn the reasoning behind the flyers that had been brought to his attention. _______________________________________________________________ It had been nothing but silence since the last hour, scouring over one sheet of information to the other. Everything seemed blank on the surface, but deep within it all he knew there had to be something… a lead to find. The longer this went on the more determined he found himself becoming. The occasional ring of the phone could be heard, echoing its way through the walls to where he sat. This was only followed by the sound of the door, looking up in time just as he entered the room. “Master Bruce that was yet another call for you,” Alfred informed. “That’s the third time they’ve called in the last hour according to the caller ID.” He casually looked back to what was set out in front of him before responding. “Who were the calls from?” Bruce asked. “Wayne Enterprises.” “Did you answer the last?” “No,” Alfred replied. “I just happened to step in from outside, but if they do happen to call again I’d be more than willing to take a message for you.” “Don’t bother,” Bruce said in response. “If they call again I’ll answer it myself.” “Very well.” With that he turned back for the hall, only taking a step before looking back at him. This didn’t take long for him to notice. “Is something wrong?” Bruce asked. “No,” Alfred replied. “I was just wondering what it was you’ve been working on in here for the past hour or so.” “The Walden’s case,” Bruce replied. “The disappearance of one of Dr. Thompkins patients and his daughter.” “Oh yes, I remember now,” Alfred said. “And have you made any progress with that?” “It’s slow going, but it’s only a matter of time before a trail is linked.” “I hope you’re right,” Alfred said. “Is there anything I can do to possibly help?” “For now, no.” He nodded upon hearing this. “Very well,” Alfred said turning back for the hall. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” He left the door open on his way out, making it easier for him to hear if the phone ringed in the coming minutes. But this wasn’t what was on his mind, but rather… the mystery surrounding the disappearance or Danielle and Mera Walden. There would be no resting until an answer was found. ____________________________________________________________ The drive had been a long one, seemingly more draining than the first trip around. But that always seemed to be the case, especially when it came to road trips. The amount of time that had passed since the trip had begun had become lost over the duration of the drive. It was soon after that the large ‘Welcome’ sign aside the road could be seen, letting her know there wasn’t too much longer to go. Little had been said between the two over the course of the drive. There was only one thing on their minds, the case at hand. A street light was reached soon after, giving her the opportunity to peak over to the passenger seat. There was only one thing to be seen, a look of determination. She turned back for the road just as the sound of his voice could be heard. “Detective Norwich.” This caught her by surprise, immediately turning back to face him in response. “What is it?” “I wanted your opinion on something.” Heiji replied with his eyes still overlooking the road. “Alright, what is it you wanted my opinion on?” “Tell me, what’s your outlook on what we’ve been given thus far?” She took the next seconds to think up a response, finding it hard to come up with an appropriate answer. “I don’t quite understand the base of the question you pose.” “Two options, one choice,” Heiji said. “Half full or half empty, what would you describe our current position on the case as?” This caught her by surprise, taking several moments to think about the question asked. No matter how long she juggled the two options in her mind she couldn’t bring herself to choose between the two. But above all, she didn’t understand what difference it would make between choosing either. He could clearly sense the hesitation. “Take some time to think it over,” Heiji said. “Give me your response tomorrow; that should give you more than enough time to distinctively choose between the two.” By this time the street light had reverted back to green, allowing for them to drive on. Silence took over once again, and though the question didn’t ring clear it was the only thing on her mind forward. ______________________________________________________________ Hours had passed, showing in the sky which was now beginning to darken. But regardless of the unfolding in time no progress had been made. With every passing minute the further away the truth seemed to sail. A ring could be heard from the phone in the other room, one which barely registered to the mind. There was only one thing that kept him driving in the face of road blocks, a determination to find the answer. It was a sheer focus which had now taken form. It was because of this that he hadn’t noticed that someone had entered the room. “Master Bruce.” His eyes strayed from the file in front of him as he took the time to face him. “Sorry I was.” “I understand sir, no need to explain,” Alfred said in response. “Now onto the matter, I’ve come with a message from Wayne Enterprises.” “What is it?” “It appears you had a visitor the other day,” Alfred informed. “Someone who wishes to meet with you in person.” “Probably has something to do with tomorrow’s meeting no doubt.” “I’m afraid you’re wrong in that regard.” Alfred said in response. His eyes slightly widened after hearing this. “Were you given information for who wanted to see me?” Bruce asked finding himself becoming more interested. “Yes, and it’s not the usual business associate you would expect,” Alfred replied. “An actress, Chris Vineyard.” “The name does sound a little familiar,” Bruce said. “But that does raise the question of what her business interest is?” “What led you to believe this is business related?” “Only an initial feeling,” Bruce replied. “Was it said when she wished to meet?” “No, which means you have the choice to call her yourself if you so choose to set a time,” Alfred replied. “From what the clerk said, I’d say it’s something of high importance.” “Was a number given?” “Yes, I even took the time to jot it down for you,” Alfred confirmed before place a notepad onto the desk. “I’ll leave that decision to you, if you need me I’ll be in the next room.” With that he turned back for the hall, leaving the door open on his way out like he had before. This left him alone once again. He looked down at the number set before him, more than surprised by this development. But it was odd, for some reason he found himself intrigued at what was to come next. “… Chris Vineyard, where have I heard the name?” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 134 Unfolding He followed, not wanting to fall behind. The time seemed to slow with each step taken, unsure of what he would come to learn in the coming minutes. The door was reached soon after, both walking in past it which brought them into the dining room. It was there that he saw the pile, a few sheets of paper stacked at the middle of the table. “Is that the file you spoke of?” Shinichi asked. “Yes.” Bruce confirmed with a couple steps taken toward where it laid. He reached the set in seconds, bringing all four sheets into his hand before turning back to face him. “Here,” Bruce said feeling the need to hand over all sheets over to him. “I think it would be best if you took a look for yourself.” He did not decline, feeling this was the best option at this point. Tension was now at its height, only pushing the limit when his hand came in contact with the paper. He slowly reeled it in his way, raising it up to clearly see the information that was typed out on the first sheet. The next moments were spent in silence, using that time to examine what was in front of him. What he came to find caught him by surprise, something he would have never expected. “A change in my body heat and my oxygen levels?” “Yes,” Bruce said. “It would appear your body has been aggravated in some kind of way, if you read on you’ll see that there are signs of abnormal stress.” Not wanting to be kept in the dark any longer, reading on to learn the complexity of this claim. It took several seconds, finally coming across the line which had been referred to. “You’re right,” Shinichi said looking back up to face him. “But I must ask, which parts of my body are bound to take the most impact if this continues?” "If you go on to the next pages you'll see that most strain is being put on your muscles as of now, what happens from here going forward is unknown," Bruce replied. "At this given time I doubt you'd feel any of the effects." "Why's that?" "It's the level of the stress your body is being put through, which is slight levels beyond normal but clearly increasing," Bruce replied. "With that said we're going to have to monitor your progress throughout the coming days." "So it's only the muscles," Shinichi said relieved to hear. "But I have no doubt if this continues to escalate this problem may even reach levels that could affect my organs." "A possibility." "From what we know now, what's the worst case scenario?" "From the data collected thus far there are a number of possibilities that could occur, the most probable being heat failure," Bruce replied. "And if your oxygen levels along with your body temperature continue to rise you’re could possibly be looking at accelerated aging." "Now that you mention it the symptoms do seem to point to those possibilities," Shinichi said. "Now, what about finding a solution for returning things to the way they were before?" "That will be our next step," Bruce replied. "Which will require further tests, more than just getting additional blood samples from you." "I had a feeling that would be the case," Shinichi said. "So when will further testing begin?" "Tonight,” Bruce replied. “In the meantime I want you to take it easy, the less moving around you do the better.” He understood this completely, agreeing on all fronts. “Fair enough.” “Good, then it’s settled.” With those final words he turned for the opposite side, heading for the door leading back to where they had come. “Where are you going now?” Shinichi asked out of curiosity. He stopped soon after with only a step taken. “Preparation,” Bruce replied. “There’s much that requires my immediate attention, we’ll get started once all else is taken care of.” Nothing more needed to be said in his mind. He stayed in place for seconds to come, watching as he walked out past the door. This left him alone, only with his thoughts to juggle with. ___________________________________________________________________ It was that of the unknown, going through all the possibilities of what they would come to learn as they walked. The entrance was reached soon after, greeted by a cool breeze of fresh air that blew by once the doors slid open. “After you.” Detective Noles said allowing for the two of them to step in first. They did nothing short of accepting, entering to see a familiar man in a three piece suite standing at the large desk straight across. “Welcome, we’ve been expecting you two.” “You’re Lieutenant Brock.” “That is correct.” “I thought I recognized you,” Heiji said as they came to a stop a few feet shy of reaching him. “You must be the one who wished to speak with us.” “Yes,” Lieutenant Brock replied. “That is correct, through last night’s investigation we can now say we’ve gained important information on the matter.” “That’s what I was hoping to hear.” Kylane said. “I thought you would.” “Tell us,” Kylane said. “Do we know the identity of the victim that was discovered in that car?” “Yes, and he’s one of yours,” Lieutenant Brock replied. “Alfrez Tulak.” “Can’t say I’ve heard of him.” Heiji said playing the clueless role. “Tulak was well known for his activities in Gotham,” Kylane informed. “Particularly with his… apparent involvement in several drug imports.” “What do you mean by apparent?” “In each case he found himself linked to there was never any solid proof to charge in,” Kylane replied. “Well at least not on a broad level.” “I see.” "This is quite unexpected, especially for someone like Tulak," Kylane said. "Robbery has never been a thing with him, or involvement with weapons for that matter." "Perhaps so, but there's several other elements of this case that don't quite add up." "What do you mean by that?" "It's as it sounds," Lieutenant Brock said in response. "In regards to this case there are more holes than any of us could have anticipated upon first glance." "No doubt," Heiji thought to himself. "After what was revealed to me by detective Allen last night there's no way in denying it." "I've already forwarded all known information to the police commissioner of the GCPD." Lieutenant Brock informed. "Good," Kylane said. "With anything linked to Gotham he's bound to also want to be kept up to speed on what's going on." "I don't know if he's gotten in contact with either of you since we spoke, but if not I think now would be the time to say." "What is it?" Heiji asked. "He made it clear he wanted the two of you to return to Gotham as soon as possible." "I don't understand," Kylane said. "Why would he want us to return so soon when we've merely begun?" "This has become bigger than any of us could have anticipated," Lieutenant Brock said. "This spreads far beyond just any ordinary heist.” “What do you mean?” “This whole thing stems from a murder case which occurred in Gotham,” Lieutenant Brock informed. “The blood of this crime spread from one city to another, possibly more.” “You’re not serious are you?” “Unfortunately,” Lieutenant Brock replied keeping a straight face. “I’d love to discuss the details with you but I’m sure the commissioner of the GCPD would prefer if I left him with that bit of information to share with you both.” “I wouldn’t doubt it,” Kylane said before turning to her right to see him standing there in apparent thought. “Are you alright?” The concern heard in her voice triggered him to look her way. “Yes, I’m fine.” “We’re going to go ahead and return to Gotham,” Kylane said. “It would seem our assistance is needed.” “If we learn anything from our end you can rest assure all information will be forwarded your way.” Lieutenant Brock said. “We’ll be sure to do the same,” Kylane said turning for the exit. “Let’s go.” He followed after a small moment’s delay, only one thing on his mind as they made their way toward the doors. “Could the information he’s referring to be the reason why we’ve been called back… and what if it’s not,” Heiji thought with a long pause. “What could be so important that it requires us to return to Gotham?” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 133 A Wave of Time The internal clock was now ticking, more prevalent than it had been before. The day was finally here, ready to make the first move which would ultimately lead to the prized possession itself. He stood with his hands leveled upon the railing, staring into the far distance ahead. “Tonight can’t come any sooner.” The presence of another a pproaching could be felt soonafter, glimpsing over his shoulder to see he had been joined on the balcony side. “You’ve been standing here for a while now Master Kuroba,” Konosuke said after reaching his side. “It almost feels as if you’re waiting for something.” “Not waiting,” Kaito said in response. “Preparing.” “I don’t understand,” Konosuke said upon hearing this. “What exactly is it you’re preparing for?” “For what is to come.” “By what is to come would you referring to tonight’s date with Mr. Lane?” “I don’t recall a gathering for business interest in a game of chess amongst employees to be considered a date,” Kaito said in response. “But I can appreciate the humor.” “I didn’t hear an answer within all of that.” “To truly reach our goal will be to not only get ourselves acquainted but to look past tonight’s events in the process.” “By that you mean to set up for future reference, am I right in saying so?” “Yes,” Kaito confirmed. “There’s no simpler way of putting it.” “With that out of the way there’s only one thing left unanswered that I’d like for you to share with me.” He turned to face him at the mention of this. “What is it you wanted to know?” “The plan master Kuroba, the full plan,” Konosuke replied. “I want to know what you have in mind for how we’re going to get our hands on that device.” “Agreed,” Kaito said. “I’ve held off on giving you the full details for long enough.” “That’s not all.” He expressed a look of surprise upon hearing this. “It isn’t?” “No,” Konosuke replied. “I think it’s time we discussed matters dealing with our… friend.” “Oh,” Kaito said turning back for the railing side. “You’re thinking of the contractor.” “Precisely,” Konosuke said in response. “With all that’s been going on we’ve had very little time to focus on this mystery guy.” “Don’t you mean person,” Kaito corrected. “There is no confirmation that the individual we’re dealing with is a man.” “Sure sounded to be the case from the call you recorded on the initial contact,” Konosuke said. “But then they could have been using a voice disrupter of some kind.” “Man or woman, I think it’s a safe bet some kind of device was used to shadow their true voice.” “Something we can agree on,” Konosuke said. “But how do you propose we go about finding whoever this person is?” “Like a thread and needle.” “… What?” “Through absolute patience,” Kaito clarified. “They’ve obviously got some hidden agenda we’ve yet to be informed of.” “And I don’t think we will.” “A fair assumption,” Kaito agreed. “Which is why we’ll have to try figuring for ourselves, through time and patience.” “Yes.” “Whatever they’ve got going won’t hold for long,” Kaito continued. “They’re bound to have a misstep at some point, and when they do.” “We’ll capitalize.” “Exactly,” Kaito said. “But there’s more to it than that.” “And what is it you mean by that?” “The elements,” Kaito replied turning back to face him. “The outside circumstances we can’t fully control.” “I don’t believe I fully understand what you mean by that master Kuroba.” “It’s all in the reaction,” Kaito replied before setting his sights to the clear once more. “With every action we made we can surely expect a reaction of sorts.” “Well of course,” Konosuke said. “That’s with anything.” “Perhaps so,” Kaito said. “But for what comes next will only raise the stage, whether we like it or not… the spot light will be on us.” There was no real way of describing, no clearer way of putting it in his mind. Only one thing could be felt, uncertainty. A small sequence of time had passed since the news had been broken, looking up at him with only one question to ask. “How long?” He was given the eye contact that he seeked, clearly finding there would be nothing hidden behind the truth. “.. I don’t know.” “Is there anything,” Shinichi asked. “An estimation even?” “Hours, days, weeks,” Bruce began. “Maybe even as far as a month.” “I don’t understand,” Shinichi said with the shake of his head. “How do we not know?” He took only one step more after hearing this, coming to a complete stop as he turned to face him once more. “It is as I said before,” Bruce finally replied. “The state of your current condition is erratic, unpredictable to the point of where no conclusions can be made.” “But you just said it yourself,” Shinichi reminded. “The fact that I’m supposedly succumbing to something.” “Though true there is no real time table to measure on.” “Being that this is obviously something new to you as it is to me it wouldn’t expect for you to know more on the matter,” Shinichi said. “But at least answer me this, what are we looking at?” He was a little taken back by this, sensing no fear of uncertainty regarding his current state or the thought of what was to come. “Very well,” Bruce said turning back for the house. “Right this way.” He immediately followed as instructed, taking very little time for him to speak on the matter once again. “Where are we going?” “The book room.” “Why there?” “That’s where I was reading over your blood results before meeting with you,” Bruce replied. “I could explain everything, but I think everything would make a lot more sense if you saw it for yourself rather than for me to try and explain.” It was now that an uncertainty slid in, starting to wonder if he really wanted to see the results from the blood test. Either way, he was soon to find out. The day’s journey was just getting started, looking out across the way as they trailed along the high ends of the city. There was something different, something that didn’t take long for them to take notice of. It was quiet, more so than it had ever been with the two traveling together. It was in the thought of this that they came upon a red light, giving an opportunity to address the matter. “You’re not you’re not as talkative as before,” Kylane said briefly glancing over at him. “Is everything alright?” He showed no signs of movement for the first moments, finally looking her way as she began to drive once more. “I’m fine,” Heiji replied in an assuring matter before turning back for the window side. “There’s just a lot to think about.” “Like what?” “Everything.” He was unsure if that was the best way to depict it, but was the first thing that came to mind. Nothing further was said on the matter, both keeping to themselves as they traveled on. Everything was now going full circle throughout his mind. It was first the stolen weapons, which ended up leading to the death scene from the day before. But what was most questioning of all was the link, the link between the man found dead and Salomon Green. This stayed clear to the mind the rest of the way, taking only minutes for them to reach the police station of Central City. They pulled into the lot soon after, taking very little time to find an open space. “Let’s do this.” Kylane said being the first of the two to unbuckle and find her way out of the car. He joined her soon after, stepping out from the passenger side with the lock of the door before closing it. “After you.” Heiji said seeing to it that she lead the way. It was only then that they took notice of someone in uniform heading their way. The two of them recognized who it was only after a couple steps taken. “Detective Norwich, Hattori.. so glad you were able to make it.” “Good to see you again as well detective Noles.” Heiji said being the first to reach out his hand to greet his. “It’s clear you’ve been expecting us.” Kylane said. “Yes, we all have.” Detective Noles said looking her way. “Perhaps so,” Heiji said. “But it isn’t very often that we’re greeted out in the parking lot.” “That’s only because I was asked to do so.” “You were asked to meet us out here,” Heiji more than surprised to learn this. “Why?” “Come,” Detective Noles instructed. “There’s something the two of you must absolutely see.” They looked to one another before facing back to see he had already begun walking. Neither had any idea what they would come to find. This unknown only brought about a high interst, one which could be felt for the both of them. “Maybe now we’ve come to a real break in the case.” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 132 Broken News It stayed in place throughout the night, resting in his subconscious even while in sleep. The day had long begun for him, sitting at the edge of the bed with one thing in mind… a faint image. "Who are you?" The sketch was sitting beside him, one which he had no need for. The image of his face had been cemented in his mind, from the moment he had first crossed paths with him. He stood up from the bed in those following moments, finding himself thinking on the matter now deeper than before. It wasn’t now just the sight of his face, but the thought of all known details. Not only the connection between all those who were killed but how, each method could be a message in itself. He now found himself covering both sides of the room as he walked, not coming to a realization of this until hearing a sudden knock at the door. His immediate reaction was to walk over and open the door, not surprised to find who stood on the other side after doing. "I’d take the honor of greeting you a good morning, but it would appear noon is just minutes away." "Good, I thought I might find you in here," Alfred said pleased to see him. "When I found that you weren’t down in the book room I decided to come here." "I’ve yet to leave the room for an extended period today." Shinichi admitted. "That would explain why I hadn’t seen you moving about." "Is there something you wanted to tell me?" "Oh yes," Alfred said. "Master Bruce has called for you." He wasn’t all too surprised to learn this. "Where is he now?" "Last I checked he was in the dining room," Alfred replied. "That was nearly ten minutes ago, there’s no telling where he’s run off to now." "Did he say what he wanted to see me about?" "No," Alfred replied. "Only that it was something of importance." "I see." "Would you like for me to go and let him know you’ll be on your way down?" "No need," Shinichi replied with the shake of his head. "I’ll go and find him myself." "Then I’ll leave that to you." With those last words spoken he turned for the right, heading further down the narrow hall. He watched, only for a moment before walking back into the room. "What could it be," Shinichi thought. "Could he possibly now know who the man in the sketch is?" This was the very thought on his mind, staying in place as he made his way over to the bed. He stopped soon after, reaching down to grab hold of the drawing which could be found still sitting in place. He held it out at arm’s length, the same question coming to his mind as any other time. "Who are you?" It was a question that would remain until answered. It had been a long night, one which had spanned out further than most. The room was silent, only very few sounds making its way into the room. But it wasn’t until the sound of three solid knocks at the door did his eyes open, immediately looking over at the clock to find it was already minutes after noon. He quickly brushed off any tiredness that he might have, daggling himself along as he made his way through the dark room toward the door. He reached it soon after, placing on a shirt before opening it to see her standing there already in full uniform. "Detective Norwich." "I see you’re not ready to travel to the station." "Long night," Heiji said in response. "Why to the station, did someone call for us?" "Yes, but wasn’t given all details on the updated situation," Kylane replied. "But it’s clear it has to do with yesterday’s incident." "Figures." "I’m sure we’ll learn more on the way there." Kylane said. "You’re right," Heiji agreed. "No doubt one of the local radio stations will be covering the news on the matter." She then turned, heading for the left side. "Down stairs to check out," Kylane replied. "Think you can be there in ten?" "Not a problem at all." "Then I’ll see you then." With that he said nothing further, fading back into the room with the close of the door. "Something possibly new found in the case… I wonder what it could be?" This gave a boost of energy, ready to learn what had been further determined on the matter. It didn’t take long for him to ready himself, finding himself walking down the silent hall toward the large door in the clear. It took a small amount of time for him to reach it, pulling the door aside to now find himself in the front room. There was no one to be seen at first glance, looking from one side all the way down to the floor below. "Perhaps he’s still in the dining room." Feeling this to be the case he made a move for the stairs, casually making his way down with his hands finding a place within his pockets. He reached the first floor soon after, immediately turning for the left where the far door could be seen. He stopped roughly halfway across, being that of the call of his name from behind. "I figured it wouldn’t take long to find you, or in this case you coming across me first," Shinichi said turning to face him. "You wanted to speak with me?" "Yes," Bruce replied. "There’s something we need to go over." "Does this relate to that drawing you created?" "No, but we’ll get around to that as well." "If it isn’t the drawing you wanted to discuss then what?" He didn’t respond, simply waving his hand over as he turned for the door. "Follow me." He didn’t know what to make of this, but did as asked none the less. He reached the front door in no time, stepping out past it after doing so. "Are we going somewhere?" "Yes," Bruce replied before closing the door. "On a little stroll." "A stroll?" "This won’t take long," Bruce said taking the first step down the stairs. "Come." He didn’t know where this would lead, but followed none the less. It wasn’t until they reached the bottom that he began to speak once again. "So tell me," Bruce asked. "How do you feel?" ".. How do I feel?" "Yes," Bruce replied as he began walking once more. "How have you been feeling?" He followed him to the right, taking moments to think about the question posed. "Fine I suppose." "Any complications?" "Not since reverting to my normal size, no." "I see." Bruce said looking away. "I don’t understand," Shinichi said stopping in his tracks. "What’s with the left field questions all of a sudden?" He stopped after taking only another two steps, leaving only a few feet between the two. The fact he didn’t immediately respond brought a small sense of concern, slowly beginning to get a feeling for where all of this was coming from. "This is about that sample isn’t it, from the blood you extracted from me?" There was no need in denying, confirming his belief with a slight nod of the head. "Yes.. it is." "What is it," Shinichi asked with a step taken. "What did the results reveal?" Tension was now at its highest, waiting several moments before a response was given. "It has progressed to unstable levels." "Progressed to unstable levels… what, what is that supposed to mean?" "Shinichi," Bruce said slowly turning back to face him with two final words to deliver. "You’re dying." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 131 A Connection Made There were no words to describe it, and nor did there need to be. The look on his face told the whole story. "You’re surprised," Flash said. "Not that it shouldn’t be expected." "That pretty much answers my question about your association with Wayne," Heiji said. "I expected close tides, but this." "Not the first thing that would come to mind," Flash said. "But let’s skip the small talk for now; we have a lot to go over." "Are you referring to the case?" "Yes." "I’m ready to hear what you have." "I try never to disappoint," Flash said with a nod to the other side of the room. "Right this way." He followed him to where the examination tables could be found, not stopping until reaching the second one across. "Wait here." Flash instructed. He did what was asked, wondering just what it was he was up to. His eyes traced him all the way to the other side of the room where he watched him come to a stop after reaching something. "What’s that?" Heiji asked not wanting to be kept in the dark on the matter. It took a few seconds before he replied, clearly seeing that him reaching down to press something. "A projector," Flash replied. "We’re going to use it to go over all of the evidence collected up until this point." The projector released a sound soon after, clearly loading in its progressions. He continued to look on as he reached up to grab what he believed to be a projection screen. His prediction was proven correct within seconds. "The information should be ready for display in the next minute or so," Flash informed heading back toward him. "In the meantime I think it would be best if we started going over my latest findings." "Let’s hear it." Heiji said more than ready to listen. He came back within close range soon after, diving right into it. "Let’s get right into it," Flash said. "Starting with the cause of death, it’s just as we had anticipated." "Which?" "The gun recovered at the scene wasn’t what was used in the assault." "Something that was obvious from the start," Heiji said not surprised. "The gun found showed no signs of being fired." "My thoughts exact." "Has the identity of the deceased been determined?" "Yes," Barry said quick to reply. "Alfrez, Alfrez Tulak." "That name… I’ve heard it somewhere before," Heiji said giving it some thought. "That’s right, it came up in a discussion we had with Bruce last week some time." "I’m not surprised," Flash said. "He was a big time drug distributor down in those parts." "You mean Gotham?" He nodded in response. "Handling weapons was never a thing to be found on his resume," Flash continued. "Which makes it strange to find he was caught up in a heist such as this." "Whenever there’s money to be made you just never know who might come to the table." "I can’t argue that," Flash agreed. "But there’s more to this than just uncanny circumstances." "What do you mean?" "The time of death," Flash replied. "After running further tests the results came to show that Mr. Tulak had been dead for nearly two hours before the body had been discovered." "No way, I checked the body myself," Heiji said in disbelief. "It couldn’t have been more than an hour, and even that might have been pushing it." "I felt the same, but the evidence doesn’t lie," Flash said. "Someone must have found a way to slow the process of the body breaking down before placing it into the car." "Placing the body into the car," Heiji questioned. "Hold on, what do you mean?" "It would appear he was killed and then had his eyes removed for some unknown reason," Flash continued. "We believe sometime shortly after that his body was placed into the stolen car." "That only brings more questions to be asked." "Which leads into the second mystery we crossed," Flash said. "The path in which the blood had spewed." "Let’s hear it." "As if this whole thing couldn’t become any more bizarre, the majority of the blood found at the scene wasn’t even his." "What," Heiji exclaimed. "If not his, then who?" The projector was now fully functional. Flash took this time to direct his attention to the imagery sitting in place. It was then that his eyes came into contact with a profile. "That man there," Flash informed. "Another resident of Gotham City, Salomon Green." His eyes widened, instantly recognizing the picture and name that could be seen on the screen. "Salomon Green… it can’t be." Flash turned at the sound in his tone, seeing a subtle look in his eyes he had not seen up until now. "You know of this man?" "You have no idea," Heiji said with his eyes still glued to the projection. "This case has gotten just that much more, interesting." "I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Salomon Green is already." "Dead, already knew," Heiji replied. "His body was discovered in the ruins of where his home had exploded." "Jeez," Flash said rubbing the top of his head. "So much for getting you up to speed, no pun intended." "It’s all starting to come together." Heiji said bringing a hand to his chin. He stood there for several moments to come, thinking back to the details surrounding what had happened to Mr. Green. "According to Bruce, Green endured some form of torture and had his blood drained which is now intertwined with this case," Heiji thought. "What could this all possibly mean?" A sudden tap came from his right side, turning to see him standing with a genuine look on his face. "Not to interrupt, but do you think you can fill me in on what you know about Salomon Green’s death," Flash asked. "Since it’s obvious you’re more educated on the matter." "The full extent surrounding his death is still unclear," Heiji replied. "The only thing that is certain is that he was caught up in something he probably shouldn’t have been involved with." "Maybe so, but any idea how his blood might have gotten in that car," Flash asked. "No way anyone could have extracted that amount of blood from him after the explosion." "That’s because they didn’t," Heiji said. "When his body was first discovered we came to find his body had been drained of a substantial amount of his blood." "Are you saying you came into contact with the body before the house went up in flames?" "Not me, but Bruce," Heiji replied. "From the investigation we had been running our findings lead a direct trail to him." "And when did Bruce discover the body?" "The night of his death," Heiji replied. "He barely escaped the explosion of the house itself." "Not surprised," Flash said. "Cutting it close has always been his thing." "There’s more to it than that," Heiji stated. "It wasn’t just the removal of his blood, but the scene as a whole." "What do you mean?" "What little of his blood that was present at the house had been spread out along the ground, mixed with an oil." Really now." "And that wasn’t even the most unprecedented detail to find," Heiji continued. "There was a symbol that was found, drawn out in blood along one of the walls." "Green’s blood?" "That’s what we all believed, at least at first," Heiji replied. "That was until the results came back from the run tests." "And?" "A bird," Heiji replied. "The blood type belonged to that of a bird known as the Trogon." "Can’t say I’ve ever heard of that type of bird before." "Nor had I." "I think it’s obvious these two cases are linked," Flash said. "The only question is, how?" "That is for us to determine." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 130 Other Side to the Man “What?!” With the handkerchief still in hand he pulled out from the back seat, returning to the driver side of the car within seconds after learning this. It was then that he witnessed it, looking down to find the emptiness of where a left eye had once been. “The more we learn, the more bizarre the situation is turning out to be.” Barry said. “What about his right eye,” Heiji asked. “Have you checked there as well?” He nodded, closing the eye lid of the left before leaning out from the car seat across. “Yes,” Barry confirmed. “It was surgically taken out just as the left.” “And done well.” “Only adding onto the disturbance.” “Makes you wonder if we’re dealing with someone who was working in the medical field,” Heiji said bringing a hand to his chin. “But it certainly raises more questions.” “No kidding.” “When could the eyes been taken out, surely after he was dead,” Heiji said with a pause. “But who would spend the time to do that on the side of the road, they would take a high risk of being spotted.” “It takes time to precisely remove someone’s eyes like we’ve seen here,” Barry said. “There’s a lot not adding up.” “This makes no sense,” Heiji said. “Why remove the eyes… is there a real purpose for doing so?” “Maybe not on the surface of things,” Barry said. “But there might be a few possibilities to consider, there’s only very few that come to mind at the top of my head.” It was in mid-sentence that he glimpsed down, taking notice of the elegant piece of cloth which could be found in his grasp. “What’s that you’ve got there?” Barry asked. “Oh, you mean this,” Heiji said holding it up. “I found it in the back seat, I’m not sure of its relevance to the case, if any at all.” He handed it over to him with nothing further. “I’ll take this to the lab as well,” Barry said yanking an empty plastic bag from his pocket. “We’ll find out if there is any importance to it.” The blue piece of cloth was then sealed away, placed into the top pocket of his shirt after doing so. “Was there anything else you came across when searching the back seats?” “The rest was clear, nothing of disturbance in hindsight,” Heiji replied. “But I’d still check for prints, there might be something to find.” “Which will be done.” “There’s still one place we’ve yet to check,” Heiji stated. “The trunk of the car.” “They already had a look before your arrival,” Barry informed. “The only thing to be found was a tool box and a spare tire.” “Are those items still there?” Heiji asked looking toward the back of the car. “No, all items have already been taken to the lab for tests,” Barry replied. “And since we’ve gone through our first look I’d like to get the rest of this stuff to the crime lab as well.” “Already,” Heiji said surprised by this. “Why so soon?” “I think we both can agree we’re not going to get any answers out here,” Barry said in response. “There are just too many holes.” “Can’t really disagree.” “Here,” Barry said pulling something from his back pocket. “You’ll be needing this.” He held out his hand, accepting a card of some kind into his hand. He took the next seconds to look it over before looking back up to face him. “What’s this for?” “Clearance.” “Clearance,” Heiji asked. “For what?” “You’re going to need it to get past the security doors leading to the forensics lab at the Central City Police Department, I want you to meet me there tonight.” “But won’t you need it,” Heiji asked. “How are you supposed to get in?” "You don't worry about me," Barry said. "There are other methods of getting into the lab besides the front door." "I don't know what you mean, but I'll take your word for it," Heiji said. "And you're sure who's ever running security will let me pass?" "As long as you have that card you should be alright," Barry replied. "But in the case you do run into any problems just say I sent you." "Sounds simple enough," Heiji said. "And at about what time did you have in mind?" "Midnight," Barry replied. "No later no earlier." "Interesting decision." "Maybe so," Barry agreed. "But by that time most everyone will have cleared out for the night, leaving everything in the lab for the two of us." "You make a good point." "Going over the evidence for this case is not all I had in mind," Barry said. "There's a lot I'd like to discuss with you about... other matters." "I'm intrigued," Heiji admitted. "Anything you need me to bring?" "Just yourself." Barry smilingly replied. The two were joined in the following moments by the detective who had been standing guard in front of the crime scene tape. "Detective Allen," He said after reaching the two. "The news reporters are all but a minute away, what would you like me to report when they arrive?" "Keep it basic as you can," Barry replied. "There are still too much unanswered questions to depict what has happened here." "Roger that.” It was at that moment that the three of them were joined by detective Norwich who had come from the left side. “It’s confirmed,” Kylane reported. “The Grande Puissance 35 found in the car was one of the weapons stolen from that shop where the robbery occurred.” “There’s one question answered.” Heiji said pleased to hear. “And about a dozen more to go,” Barry commented. “But at least that’s a start.” Several spectators could be seen driving by at this time, interest clearly rising at the current situation. They were joined by yet another officer within no time. “Lieutenant Brock,” Barry said looking over his shoulder. “I didn’t realize you were here.” “Not until about two minutes back,” He informed. “I was told two detectives from the GCPD are linked to this.” “Then you heard correctly,” Kylane said holding out a hand. “Detective Norwich.” “It’s a pleasure.” Lieutenant Brock said shaking her hand. “And this here is Heiji Hattori.” Kylane said with the nod of her head. He immediately turned to face him after learning this. “It’s good to have you here as well.” He met his hand halfway, giving a firm grip which was gained in response. “I hope we’re able to help make a difference in the outcome of this.” Heiji said. “Don’t we all.” Lieutenant Brock said in an agreeing manner. He looked to the left at the sight of him coming to his side. “I thought you had office duties today, but since you’re here I can only assume you were sent to gather information on the situation,” Barry said. “Unless you’ve to see me that is.” “You’re right, on count one,” Lieutenant Brock confirmed. “I was sent to collect information on the situation, directly from the commissioner himself.” “He loves having you on the front lines,” Barry remarked. “But given your recorded success on the field I can’t argue against the call.” “Do we have a name for the victim?” Lieutenant Brock asked taking a peak over at the driver side of the car. “There was no form of Identification found on him.” “Time of death?” “Only an estimation as of now.” “What was the type of gun used in the shooting?” “That is still yet to be determined.” Barry replied “Why don’t you start off by telling him what we do know?” Heiji said re-entering the conversation. “Good thinking.” Barry said looking his way. “Best way of approach if I must say.” Lieutenant Brock said agreeing in full. “Then it’s settled,” Barry said. “I’ll tell you everything there is to know once we get to the station.” “Why not now?” “We’re getting ready to relocate all evidence to the lab,” Barry replied. “We’ve found all we can learn while here, picking up at the lab would be the best option at this point.” “What about the body?” “It can be moved separately,” Barry replied. “All necessary photos and searches have already been made.” “Good,” Lieutenant Brock. “And I’d imagine they’ve already called for the transportation truck.” “Already on its way.” Barry confirmed. “Excellent,” Lieutenant Brock said pleased to hear. “I’m going to go ahead and return to the office, I’ll see you there.” “Twenty sharp.” He nodded, finding his way into the direction where most patrol cars could be seen parked. It was now just the three of them once again. He turned to face the two before speaking. “Looks like we’ve wrapped up stage one of these proceedings,” Barry said. “I appreciate the two of you coming down here and confirming the car for us.” “I hope you don’t plan on getting rid of us so soon.” Kylane said in response. “What’s that?” “I spoke with the commissioner of the GCPD while I was on my phone as well,” Kylane informed. “He wants the identification of the victim to be confirmed before we return back to Gotham.” “Not sure how long that may take,” Barry admitted. “It could be hours, days; a week even.” “We’re up for the wait,” Kylane said. “It’s part of the job.” “Love the mentality.” “He mentioned it could be days,” Heiji said quickly to remind. “In the case of that where would we stay?” “There’s a little place I know of not from here,” Kylane said. “We’ll swing by there once all has been handled here.” “Sounds good,” Barry said. “Maybe I’ll see the both of you again sooner rather than later.” “I’m looking forward to it.” “As you know there’s still much to be done.” “This must be the part where we part ways.” “For now, yes,” Barry said. “But only for now, if anything is learned at the lab you’ll be the first two that I’ll call.” With that he turned for where all parked vehicles were located, heading that way with nothing further to be said. “Wait,” Heiji said putting a stall in his path. “It’d make it a lot easier to contact us if you had my number.” “Don’t mind it,” Barry said glimpsing back at him. “I already got it from Wayne, and you’ve got mine.” “I do?” “Check your left pocket.” He did just that, coming to feel a slip of paper. “When did he get the chance to…?” He pulled it out, seeing a written number with his name in bold print beneath. By the time he looked up he was already clear out of the normal chatting range. “Should I be surprised?” He regained his focus soon after, turning his sights back to his assigned partner who had already begun walking back to where the patrol car had been parked. “So much for the heads up.” Without any further delay he followed after her. The day had gone as planned thus far, the pacing fitting in line with what they had planned. But above all an important bridge of opportunity had been created, leaving room for error if it did come to occur. The hall was silent, nothing that wasn’t expected at this time of day. Several doors were passed as they walked, finally reaching their destination. They reached for the keys in the left pocket, hearing the ring upon raising them. Before the proper key could be pulled from the bunch the door opened without warning. "You're back earlier than expected Master Kuroba," Konosuke said pleased to greet him. "How did it go?" "As planned,” Kaito replied. “No better, no worse.” "Well done," Konosuke said taking a step off to the side. "Come on in." He did nothing short of accepting as he walked through, not coming to a stop until after reaching the second bed. He took a seat once there before removing the bag weighing down on his shoulders. "So," Konosuke said after locking the door. "Were you able to learn anything new about Simon E. Lain?" "No, and that was never the plan," Kaito replied. "I only wished to learn more about that chess club you brought to my attention." "I take it you registered for participation?" "That can only be done through the one who runs the club, in this case being through Simon himself," Kaito said in response. "Fortunately I know the day for when their next meet is to be held, and rest assured… we will be there." “We?” “That’s right,” Kaito replied. “Not only will I be making an appearance, but you as well.” “Is that so?” “You’ll play a small role, no rehearsal needed.” "I see you’ve taken my advice on keeping an open mind for other approaches,” Konosuke said pleased to learn. “Though I’m still anxious to know the details surrounding your initial plan on how we’re going to get our hands on the Networks Pivotal Equalizer.” "I’ll go over that with you soon enough," Kaitoassured. "If all goes as planned we should have it within our hands in seven days." “I’m all in with the sound of that.” “Good,” Kaito said glad to hear. “Because the first move to be made will be tomorrow.” All was blocked to the mind, leaving nothing but one clear image to depict. The lids twitched every other moment; a sense reflection was center stage. The hair line, any visible marks, the lips, ears, and then there were those eyes… the ones that seemed to tell the hidden story, a story cracked in proportions like a puzzle. It was all there, sealed away with every last detail thatcould be rehashed. His eyes slid open, looking toward the sketch that had been created from his memory of that face. “How does it look,” Bruce asked holding up the final product. “Does this look like the man you encountered on the bus that night?” He paced himself over to his side, grabbing hold of the sketch that had been created. There was no lingering doubt; this was a mere image of the face sealed in his mind. “That’s him,” Shinichi said with the shake of his head. “This defiantly the man I encountered at Mount Zomoph.” “That’s one step in the right direction.” “Not a bad job drawing it up,” Shinichi complimented before handing the sheet back to him. “Any chance you recognize him?” He took the sketch into hand, absorbing all features with one quick look. “No,” Bruce replied. “I can’t say that I have.” “And here I was hoping for a jump start,” Shinichi said. “That keeps us at the same position we were already in.” “Maybe so, but at least the rest of us now have a visual of who we should be looking for,” Bruce said. “We don’t have much, but waiting for them to make their next move is not an option. “A belief we all share no doubt.” Shinichi said as he made his way over to the window side. He stood there, staring out the window toward the city in the far distance. “There’s just one thing,” Shinichi thought. “How are we going to find this guy before he makes another move with so little we know?” It was the obvious thought on both of their minds, not another word coming between the two for those next minutes to come. Everything was going as planned. They checked the time as they trailed down the stairs leading to the side walk. It was now forty three after eleven, more than enough time to reach the destined location before the agreed time. There was no stopping, not doing so until after reaching the edge of the roadside. It took only a short time for a cab to appear after signaling for. They took to the back seat, closing the door in the process ofdoing so. It was only a matter of seconds into the ride that the drive looked back at them. “Where to?” The driver asked with a smile. “The Police Headquarters.” “Not often I get that request, I’ll have you there in no time.” With that they faced the front, all focus now on the road ahead. Not another word was said as the true ride began. There was much to observe as they drove, gaining a familiarity of their surroundings they hadn’t had before. Time became lost to the mind after a short period, almost surprised to look up when the station was in view. “This is it.” With that the cab driver pulled up to the front doors before bringing the vehicle to a stop. “I hope I got you here in a timely fashion.” “With time to spare.” He was pleased to hear this, taking only seconds before they were paid for the service. “Come back any time.” They nodded before exiting the vehicle. The time was fast approaching, only five minutes remaining until midnight. They walked in past the automatic doors, looking directly ahead to see what appeared to be the front desk clear across the room. They reached into their pocket as they neared, pulling out the key that had been given to them earlier in that day. An officer could be seen standing behind the desk, clearly reading over something that was set out in front of them. “Good evening,” The officer said taking notice of them. “It’s not usual we get people coming in this late, most tend to call.” “I don’t have a problem; I’m only here to visit the forensics lab.” “That must make you detective Hattori,” The officer said. “Barry informed us you might be coming in, do you have a security card that gives you passage through our secure areas?” “I assume you’re talking about this.” Heiji said holding up the card key. “That’d be the one,” The officer said with a nod. “Head to the right down that hall, last door on the left is where the lab is located.” “Thanks,” Heiji said walking that way. “I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.” He hurried along, following what had been instructed. There were very few doors located along the walls as he followed the path. He stopped once reaching the end, looking to the left door as told. The card was given one clean swipe, gaining clearance on the first attempt. “That works.” There was no hesitation, simply pushing past the door which now brought him into a now relatively dark surrounding. There were only two lights flashing from the ceiling, both very dim at that. It wasn’t too much of a bother, easily able to find his where the lab tables could be found on the right side of the room. There were four tables in all, quickly seeing there was no body to be found. “I see,” Heiji thought. “They must have closed up shop for the night.” He checked his watch, sighting there was only one minute away before midnight was to hit. “Can’t examine the situation without a body,” Heiji said pulling out his phone. “Better go ahead and give him a call.” The number had already been saved into his contacts, only taking the click of the button. It took merely one ring before his voice could be heard from the other end. “This is Barry.” “Detective Allen, it’s me,” Heiji said. “Where are you?” “Oh, it’s you,” Barry said almost surprised to hear. “Just got out of the shower.” “Just got out of the shower,” Heiji questioned as he began pacing in place. “We agreed we’d meet at the Central City forensics lab at midnight… which is now.” “Oops, I completely forgot about that,” Barry laughingly admitted. “Give me one second.” “How long do you think it will take for.” Heiji began only to hear that the transmission between them had ended. “Wait… did he just hang?” There wasn’t much time given for him to think on the matter, only moments passing before an erratic sound could be heard from behind, one which he had never heard before. By the time he turned the noise had stopped, nearly jumping at the sight of a dark figure standing in the shadows across the way. “I told you I’d only be a second.” “Ba.. Barry?” “One and only.” “But weren’t you just at your house,” Heiji asked. “And how in the world did you get in here?” “By a means which most do on a daily basis, running.” He slowly moved forward, stepping into the light which caused his eyes to widen… never expecting to see what he was now facing. “Barry you’re wearing..” “Let us not stand on unfamiliar ground, that will help this investigation go by smoother,” Barry said stopping him in his words. “You can call me The Flash.” To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 129 An Eye for a Koenigsegg He met his hand with demanding force, knowing first impressions were as important as anything else. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Officer Allen.” Heiji said releasing his grip. “Ditto, I look forward to working with you.” He then directed his attention to the other the officer standing next to him. “You must be Detective Norwich, the one to give first word on the situation to our department.” Barry said shaking her hand as well. She nodded giving confirmation. “In all fairness it wasn’t my suspicions that lead to the call,” Kylane admitted. “It was Detective Hattori who pressed on the situation.” “Is that right,” Barry said not surprised to hear. “So, what do you say we get right into it?” “That works for us,” Kylane said. “But first, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.” “I’m all ears.” “When the car was discovered, was there any weapons found,” Kylane asked. “Particularly any guns that might have been in new condition?” “The situation has yet to fully be accessed,” Barry replied. “Only the first stage of the investigation has begun, our photographers are working as quickly as they can, once they’ve finished their initial shots we’ll move on with the search.” “Who was the first to discover the vehicle?” Heiji asked. “It was first seen by a civilian who had been driving by,” Barry replied. “After giving a written statement they were released.” “I see,” Heiji said. “And who was the first officer to arrive on the scene?” “That would be detective Noles.” “What’s with the minor questions?” Kylane asked. “Just getting everything lined up from the base up.” Heiji replied. “I like the way you think,” Barry said. “I tend to approach things in a similar matter, that way less questions are needed to be asked later.” “Just curious,” Heiji said dropping his hands into his pocket. “What’s the field you work within the force?” “Forensics.” “Forensics huh, I bet that’s a lot of fun.” “It has its ups and downs, but it keeps the days interesting,” Barry said. “So I can’t complain.” “How long do you think it will be before we’re allowed to cross?” Kylane asked re-entering the conversation. “How long you ask,” Barry said turning back for the crime scene tape. “Right this way.” The two shared a brief glance while following after him. They came upon the same officer who had confronted them when they arrived. He gave the two a nod before lifting the yellow tape to allow both to pass. He had stopped, waiting for the two of them to find their way to his side. “And here we are,” Barry pointed. “You’re free to examine the car from a distance, can you confirm that this is the Koenigsegg Agera R you reported?” “I think I’ll do just that.” Heiji said taking him up on this. He immediately pulled out his phone which he then turned on. There was no time to waste, taking only seconds for him to bring the video footage of the car to the screen. “Here we are.” The video was paused after a clear view of the license plate could clearly be seen, and with that he walked further left to get a look at the backside of the car. He came to a stop in no time, pleased to find his thoughts confirmed. “This is it,” Heiji said turning back to face the two who weren’t far. “This is defiantly the same black Agera R car seen in the video, the license plate found here is a perfect match.” He stepped back as another police official made their way around the car, taking photos as they did. Not wanting to get in the way of things he headed back over to rejoin the other two. “It shouldn’t be too much longer before we begin the next step,” Barry said checking his watch. “I’d give it another five at most.” “Is there anything else you can tell us about the circumstances,” Heiji asked. “Was there anything unusual that you came to find when you arrived?” “Maybe not anything unusual given the situation, but something worth noting,” Barry replied. “There was no wallet found on the deceased, no form of identification whatsoever.” “That heats things up a little.” “More work for us,” Barry agreed. “But once we get a fix on his blood type and I check his dental work once the body is taken to the lab we should have an answer for who this guy is sooner rather than later.” The sound of a ring intruded at that given time, both looking to see it had come from detective Norwich’s phone. She brought it to her eyes before finding herself turning away from the two of them. “This is one I need to take,” Kylane said before strolling off. “I shouldn’t be long.” He watched as she walked, the first time he had really paid attention to her figure. It was then that he discovered that her height weighed heavily on the length of her legs. He looked away soon after to find Barry had been doing the same. “I heard today is the day you and detective Norwich met, and also your first investigation together,” Barry said. “That’s a pretty quick pace if you ask me.” “Who’d you hear that from?” “Wayne let me in on it.” Barry replied. “Wayne,” Heiji questioned. “Are you referring to Bruce Wayne?” “One and only,” Barry confirmed. “And when I heard you would be coming to Central City I made sure I’d be here to assist you.” “All in courtesy of Bruce no doubt,” Heiji said. “That would explain why he didn’t respond to my messages I sent to him earlier, he must have been getting in contact with you on the situation.” “Not something that should surprise you,” Barry said. “Well, at least after knowing him for a while.” “Perhaps.” “So tell me,” Barry said. “What do you think of her?” “What’s that?” “Detective Norwich, how’s the first step coming along?” “It has had its up’s and down’s.” Heiji said not afraid to admit. “First argument already?” Barry said quickly coming to figure. “How’d you figure?” “Your response, and from what I’ve monitored between the two of you since you arrived,” Barry replied. “Everything that has come from the both of you has been direct, usually toward me; sparing any of the smaller details.” “Touché.” “Hey, the sooner the first argument the better,” Barry said putting it into perspective. “It makes future collaboration much smoother.” “Interesting way of putting it.” “Hey, I’m just going off of experience,” Barry said with a growing smile. “No way you can go wrong there.” He took that moment to look across the way, coming to find she was now engaged in conversation before turning back to face him. “Since we’ve got a little time to ourselves I think now would be an appropriate time to ask.” Heiji said. “What is it?” “Your connection with Bruce Wayne,” Heiji replied cutting to straight to the point. “How do you know him?” He took a long hard look into his eyes, taking little time for him to come to an obvious realization. “He hasn’t told you… has he?” “About what?” Heiji asked. “About me.” Barry clarified. “No,” Heiji replied. “You haven’t come up in any conversations I’ve had with him.” “I see,” Barry said with a smile coming to his face. “I guess that does leave a bit of a wedge in certainty.” “What can I say, I’m curious.” “I’ll tell you what,” Barry said turning back for the car. “Once we’re done here I’ll cover that in full with you, sound fair?” “That works for me.” They stood there for a short time longer, rejoined by detective Norwich who walked up from behind the two. “Anything new to report?” Kylane asked. “Not yet,” Heiji replied. “We’re still waiting.” “It shouldn’t be too much longer.” Barry said checking his watch once more. The wait continued, all three keeping a high degree of patience during this process. The city was now in the heat of things as the middle of the day took form. The increase in traffic was one of many signs showcasing this. There was no need in waiting for a bus or waving for a cab. They had only walked for minutes, clearly sighting what they believed to be the building they were looking for. They moved in closer, quickly finding a sign stamped onto the front of the building. “Noun One Library.” They only stopped for a mere second, walking up the stairs soon after. “This is the place.” There was no doubt about it; this was the name of the library that had been brought to their attention. There was much to find upon entering. Straight ahead was a series of book cases, all lined up in proportion to one another. On the right was a number of tables which they assumed to be where most went to read after checking out a book. Last to come was what they were looking for, the front desk. It was located on the left side of the room, heading in that direction straight away. “Welcome to Noun One library,” A smilingly librarian greeted. “Is there anything I can help you with?” “Yes,” The visitor replied. “I would like to apply for a library card at this time if possible.” “Well of course,” The clerk said happy to inform. “Just give me a second to get to the main screen.” They immediately turned for a computer sitting atop the desk, typing only a few lines before they were approached with yet another question. “I was told of this library from a friend,” The visitor began. “He said there were many activities that are held here on weekly bases, can you confirm this?” “There’s a lot that goes on here,” The clerk said in response. “Do you think you could be a little more specific on what you’re detailing?” “Chess,” The visitor replied. “I was told there is a popular chess club that is held here once every month.” “Then you heard right.” “Any idea when the next exact meet is to be held,” The visitor asked. “That’s something that could be of interest to me.” “It should be in the next few days if I’m mistaken.” “Excellent.” They turned back toward the computer screen at that given time, coming to find everything was now in place for the next step to begin. “Alright, we’re ready to get you started.” “Sounds good.” “Now,” The clerk said looking up to face them. “First I’m going to need your first and last name.” “Kindly,” They replied dropping a hand to the desk. “Kuroba, Kaito.” The lights continued to flash with each given click. It was a seemingly never ending process, waiting with patience the whole way through. His phone had been turned off by this point, not wanting anything from the outside to cause for any distraction. Nothing had been said since the last exchanged words, all three waiting to get the ok to move on with the next phase of the investigation. “It’s been nearly fifteen minutes now, it doesn’t usually take this long for the initial look,” Heiji thought. “Especially since they began before we even arrived.” He turned to the right for no specific reason, coming to find a uniformed officer heading straight toward them. He stopped once reaching the three, holding out his right hand to reveal a box. “What’s this, a box of latex gloves?” Barry asked. “Yes,” The unnamed officer confirmed. “They’ve just finished up with the shots needed, as you know moving forward we’ll need you all to slip on a pair.” “Already ahead of you.” Barry said holding up his hands to reveal the gloves sitting in place. The other two didn’t waste any time in grabbing a set of their own before securely sliding them on. “Right this way.” Barry said taking charge. The two followed from behind, taking no time for them to reach the car which was now only surrounded by two other detectives. They didn’t stop until reaching the man who was down onto a knee, examining something around the trunk of the car. “Detective Noles,” Barry said calling out his name. “What have you gone over thus far.” “Not much,” Detective Noles replied. “Just dusting for prints, already took care of all doors.” “And the evidence?” “Already sealed away,” Detective Noles replied pointing to a black bag sitting aside him. “I’ll hand everything over to you when we return to the lab.” “That will be just fine,” Barry said in response. “Just make sure it’s all sorted properly this time around.” “You bet.” Just from hearing that he was able to determine his stature, even if it was meaningless. “It’s pretty clear Mr. Noles is new to the police force,” Heiji said. “Or at least to how things are done within this particular unit.” Just as he was to turn back to face the two his name could be heard called from the passenger side of the vehicle. “Allen I think you had better come have a look at this.” This not only raised interest for him, but for the other two as well. He immediately responded to his call, stepping around the car to see what he had discovered. “What is it?” Barry asked a few feet away from reaching him. “Look what we have here.” The police investigator said turning around to reveal what was now in his possession. “A gun?” “Yes, and it still has the tag attached.” The officer added. He lifted the tag for all to see in that next second. “Well what do you know.” Kylane said becoming intrigued. “Where did you find it?” Barry asked. “In the glove compartment on the passenger side.” “Go ahead and report that to the others.” Barry instructed. “Right away.” He handed the gun over to him before taking off completely. Barry took the next few seconds to examine it before turning back to face her with an update. “It’s a Grande Puissance 35,” Barry informed. “I recognize the design.” “It looks to be that way.” Kylane agreed. “This could very we’ll be one of the stolen weapons mentioned in your report,” Barry said. “And since the tag is still intact we should be able to confirm with them is this gun was in fact taken from their shop.” “I took the liberty of saving their number to my contacts before coming here,” Kylane said reaching for her phone. “I’ll give them a call right away.” “Here,” Barry said tossing her the gun. “You might need this.” “I’ll return it to you once I’m finished.” “There will be no need,” Barry said in response. “You can go ahead and hand the gun over to detective Jellson, he usually handles the big time accessories found at a scene.” “Detective Jellson?” “That would be the same officer who discovered the GP 35 in the glove compartment of the car just now.” “I’ll see to that once I’m finished.” She took off from there, walking around the car to the other side. It was no sooner after that he was joined by detective Noles. “Allen,” Detective Noles said coming to a stop upon reaching him. “I’ve finished collecting prints from all sides of the car, would you like for me to begin searching on the inside?” “Don’t bother,” Barry said in response. “I’ll see to that myself, you just go ahead and get all that stuff back to the lab.” “I’ll have it waiting for you on your desk, sorted of course.” Detective Noles smilingly promised. “If we need you back here you can expect to receive a call from me,” Barry said. “So be sure to have your phone on.” “No problem there,” Detective Noles replied. “But I’m still curious about one thing.” “What is it?” “About the way this man died,” Detective Noles replied. “If he was shot while driving, don’t you think it would have been hard for him to stay on the course of the road?” “You’re right,” Barry said understanding the positioning of the car. “In this particular case it looks as if they had been parked at the time of the shooting.” “That might be a true statement.” The two turned at the sound of his voice, coming to find he was already on the driver side of the car. “Please do enlighten us.” Barry said interested to hear. “There’s a burn mark at the top hash of where the bullet entered,” Heiji informed. “And with that known fact it’s safe to assume that they were shot at close range.” “I didn’t notice that on my first initial look at the body,” Detective Noles admitted. “Wouldn’t something like that usually indicate suicide?” “In many cases,” Heiji agreed. “But there was no gun to be found near the body that could have been used in the incident.” “Good point.” “Is there anything else you have to add?” Barry asked. “Not from this angle,” Heiji replied. “I’ve only observed the situation from where I stand; we’ll need to search the car deeper before making any further assumptions.” That was something he could agree on, turning back to face his comrade who still stood at his side. “Go on and head back to the lab Noles,” Barry instructed. “Detective Hattori and I will handle things going forward from here.” “Understood.” “When I’m through here I’ll contact you to let you know when I’m on my way back.” He nodded in response. “I’ll be waiting for the call.” With that he gripped the bag on his shoulder, turning for the other side before walking to where his patrol car was located. "That leaves the main stage for us." Barry said looking his way. "Since I'm here under an assistantship I think it would be appropriate to ask how you'd like to proceed." "No need to worry," Barry assured. "Why don't you take that side of the car since you're already there, leave everything on this end to me." "Works for me." "All doors have already been unlocked," Barry informed. "So you should be good to go." He gave him the thumbs up before attending to matters himself. The time had finally come, reaching down for the door knob with one simple tug. The door fell open, revealing the full story of the scene. His analysis began from there, starting with the path of the blood spatter. Its path could be found flowing down all sides of the seat, almost like a spill on a counter top. He found this to be strange, the first note he took to himself. Next came the window located on the driver side which was more than halfway rolled down. His suspicions furthered with yet another discovery. "There's no blood." Both sides were checked just to be sure of this, even the top edges. Yet there wasn't so much as a spec of blood to be spotted. Wanting to expand his searches further he looked to the ceiling of where the body sat, only adding on to the growing mystery. "No blood there either." "So you've noticed." He looked across the way to see Barry had already started his search as well. "You would have thought after being shot a streak of his blood would have traveled to this side," Barry said. "Yet there is none to be found in the passenger seat, nor on any portion of this side of the car." "Something's not adding up," Heiji agreed. "I don't think I've ever examined a scene quite like this to be honest with you." "That makes two of us." "The victim is covered in blood almost from the head down," Heiji said. "Including the driver seat, but everything else seems untouched for the most part." "Something which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Barry said. “We’ll try and work through this the best we can, then when everything is transported to the lab we’ll be able to dissect this even further.” “That’s ultimately what it will come down to, in both cases,” Heiji said. “After all we don’t even have a positive identification for who this man was.” “Nothing our forensics won’t be able to determine,” Barry said before slightly shifting his focus. “Mind checking the glove compartment of the driver side, there might be something in there of importance.” He took him up on this, reaching across to pull it open. What was found inside was a flash light, an unopened set of batteries, a map, and two notepads. “Doesn’t look like something you wouldn’t normally find in this case,” Heiji said. “I’d say we’re pretty clear here.” “Go ahead and close it up,” Barry instructed. “We’ll have a further look at the contents of that glove compartment when this car is taken to the Central City Police lab.” He did as asked of him, slowly pushing away from the body after doing so. It was in that instance that something else that really came to his attention. “His eyes,” Heiji said. “They’re completely closed.” “Yea, I noticed that as well,” Barry said. “There’s still a chance the culprit in question closed his eyes after shooting.” “True,” Heiji agreed. “But what really would there to gain out of this?” “That’s a really good question.” “The bodies all yours,” Heiji said completely removing himself from the equation. “I’ll check the back seats for anything additional.” He decided to leave the door open, stepping to the back half of the vehicle to find his hand to the door knob. The door was opened all in one motion, his first motive was to look for any traces of blood. The seats were the first to be checked, followed by the floor below. It was clear from the moment he opened the door, there was no blood to be found. But was that possible? Had someone cleaned a majority of the mess… and if so for what purpose?” He leaned further in, continuing his skim of the back seats. It wasn’t long after that he noticed something, a small fabric of some kind lying on the far seat across. “What is that?” He reached across, bringing the smooth dark blue cloth into his hand. Even with the gloves on a familiar smoothness could be felt as he glided his hand across. “… I recognize this fabric, Italian silk,” Heiji thought. “I’d say it’s a handkerchief of some kind.” The cloth was held out at arm’s length, taking the time to further examine it. “What in the flying space pigs?!” He turned at the sound of his voice almost instantly. “What’s wrong?” Heiji asked. “His eyes,” Barry replied from the front seat. “They’re gone…” To Be Continued