LJ community "many cases one truth" challenge swap.

Together, we shall...

The plan is simple enough, although it is, for obvious reasons, risky.
Inspector Megure, Shiratori, and that FBI agent, James Black, supervise the whole operation while we, a mixture of FBI agents, special intervention force, and crime investigators, plunge into the building at their signal.
Precedent of such an alliance of police forces is unheard of.

And all this thanks to Kudo.
Shinichi Kudo, the teenage detective of whom I had heard so much praise.

Takagi and inspector Megure were both overjoyed when the boy had said he could be coming back in Tokyo for good. It hadn't taken them much, after hearing of the case and the help asked of us, for the inspector to accept and take the steps needed.
The boy already had the FBI on his side.

I am glad of this occasion to work with him at last.
He is exactly as described.
Innocent and sharp, he focuses so much on each case, and yet makes everything appear so easy.
His ideas are inventive and more often then not reliable. It also helps that he is as charming as he is handsome.

Despite all this, he is particularly tense today... And I have a strange feeling about him.
He seems so familiar to me... And I can't help but wonder at some of the things he says.
Like how did he know I was detective Sato? I doubt my face has the fame his had not so long ago.
... But now is not the time to think of all that.

I prepare my weapon, check my headset is in place, and brace myself for the moment to rush in.
And now the obligatory not-so-random thought chooses to show itself.
Takagi is at the opposite side of the building with Himura and an American Agent called Pember.
I hope he'll be alright.

And at inspector Megure, James Black and inspector Shiratori's joint signal, all the men rush into the building, throwing smoke bombs ahead of them and intercepting any other person they encounter on the grounds.
"Make sure not to let them kill themselves!" Shouts Kudo, as he passes by with FBI agent Jodie Starling and a trouper.

His message is relayed on to the others, and soon every arrested syndicate member is ridded of their guns, knives and pills, their hands cuffed behind their backs.
Now the forces are climbing the stairs up to the higher floors, holding back on the smoke bombs now, so as not to inadvertently alert their quarries.

And indeed, most of the syndicate members on the higher floors are unaware of the police operation taking place.
They carry on with their usual activities, their programming, and their experiments, not hearing any of the raucous below.
Not all however.

"Boss, they're here."

"I know, Vodka." The leader of the syndicate turns away from the obvious display on the computer screen.
"How unfortunate that I be here, and without any power to prevent this sticky situation." He sighs.

The stocky subordinate in sunshades loads his gun and places his thumb on the safety catch, ready to shoot if needed.
The Boss does so as well.

"Boss..." A shadow looms at the door, just beside the inert body of the former safety guard beside him.

"Ah. Gin, I was wondering where you were." The calm tone in the leader's voice is chilling.

The taller man nods appreciatively at Vodka, before replying to his superior.
"I've checked the perimeter. They've surrounded the area, and have helicopters only waiting for a chance to fly. Our best chance of escape is out the fire escape ladder, through the fourth lab window. Limited numbers, of course."

"Of course. I was afraid it would come to that. I take it they have entire control over the lower floors and elevator system? Yes, of course they have..."

And without another word, the three men leave the surveillance post, go down the corridor and up a few steps, towards the labs.
The computer screen behind them flickers, as a film of blood appears to slowly cover the display. The computer virus, Night Baron, is already being activated throughout the building's network. The only warning the remaining members will get.

"Agent Pember, are you sure this is wise?" Says Himura in his gruff voice. The three men are climbing up the fire ladder on the outside of the building. Pember looks down at the two Japanese nationals.

"If there's one thing I'm sure of, it is that this," he points to a window two floors higher, "is the only way out that remains for those bastards inside."

"And why's that already?" Retorts Himura, rolling his eyes at the Japano-American's language. "And why must all three of us climb?"

Below him, Detective Takagi lets out a panicked squeak, as he scrabbles to get his footing back on the ladder rungs.
He then sighs before lifting his head, and joining the conversation.
"You know Pember, Himura does have a point. It would be much safer if we stayed on the ground. I already have enough trouble on my record as it is."

The American merely glares at them both as if they were idiots. Himura glares back while Takagi whimpers inside. If only Pember hadn't tricked them into following him up the ladder in the first place.
"Look. You'll thank me later." Is the only concession the FBI agent makes.

He scrambles up the remaining rungs, and reaches out to the window. Apart from the doors originally planned to use the escape ladder, it is the only opening in the building to allow a human being access to the ladder. The doors, they know, have all been electronically locked by the police unit from inside the building.
Pember grins, as he slides the window open.

"Hey, look! What did I tell you?"
He seems to be the only one enjoying himself. Himura is busy thinking up what names to call the upstart, while Takagi silently wishes he was with the more peaceful Sato or Megure.

Finally, one by one, they enter through the window.
They are greeted by several tiled surfaces with sinks, gas taps, and multiple scientific looking tools and recipients.
A computer hums in the corner.

"What is this place?" exclaims Takagi, who'd thought the building to be merely administrative.

"Looks like some science Lab." Answers Himura dismissively.

Pember is already heading towards the door to look out into the corridor.

"Really. That guy gets on my nerves. I wonder where he found his FBI ident, in a kiddies meal?"

It's true, now that Takagi thinks about it, that Pember's attitude is strange. However, he has never really worked with the FBI before, so is holding back his judgement for the moment. But, he has been a crime scene officer for a good few years now, and, as such, is immediately drawn to the computer in the corner. What kind of scientist leaves such a machine running in an empty lab?

He soon finds out the answer to that question. A scientist on the floor, behind the counter, shot dead.
"Hi... Himura! There's a...?"

And much to Takagi's surprise, Himura has his hands up, his eyes nervously staring at the gun aiming in between them.
"Hey... Agent Pember, what do you think you're doing? I know you guys don't get along but..."

A click is heard, and Takagi turns slowly towards the door.

"Hi there."
Both Pember and the man wearing black shades grin.

Takagi can only stare, his mouth gaping, as a man with long silvery blond hair walks in, followed by another, more familiar looking man.
"Oh shit." He thinks.

"What shall we do with them Boss?" Says Pember, his voice suddenly both female, and devoid of American accent. "We can't let them live, especially since they've seen your face."

"Indeed, Vermouth," chuckles the fourth man, as if he wasn't talking about putting two members of the Japanese Police force to death.

"Let's shoot them." Says Sunshades. "It's not as if we'd alert the authorities any more..." The square-built man smirks, his grip on the trigger tightening.
Takagi's mind is racing as he tries to find a way to get himself and Himura out of this tight spot. If only they'd stayed by the window. If only they hadn't followed Pember, the turn-coat, the fake agent.

"No Vodka." Interrupts the Blond man, holding up a hand. "I have a feeling we'll be needing those bullets later."

"You're right, Gin." Adds the one Pember called Boss. "I'm sure we could use that useless detective now... Still no news of Sherry?"
Gin grunts, as he takes a pillbox out of an inside pocket of his trench coat.

"Useless detective?" Thinks Takagi, hurt. "I need to show them just how useless I am not."

And for the first time in his life, Takagi is glad his communicator was the deficient one.
His hands-free ear piece has slipped out of his ear, and now the microphone is dangling barely inches away from his finger tips.
As Himura suddenly lurches at Pember, shouting as he grabs Pember's arm, Takagi grabs the mike and ducks behind the counter, beside the scientist's corpse, calling out repeatedly to Inspectors Megure and Shiratori. "Boss is escaping via Fire-Exit, fourth floor. Pember is a Traitor. Hurry!"

It's not long, however, before both he and Himura are subdued, and force-fed a pill of poison each, the syndicate members escaping via the ladder as announced, rather than give the police force the time to react appropriately.
And it burns him to know they manage to escape. His whole body burns in fact...

"Sato..." He whispers.

Upon hearing Takagi's message relayed through the headset, I immediately forget the safety guidelines given to us and run upstairs to the fourth floor, startling random syndicate members who, strangely enough, pose no threat to me, as if they had not been alerted to our presence.

Kudo is heading upstairs as well, his appearance both frantic and bothered.
He and a couple of other agents reach the lab before I do, having apparently inquired as to the room beforehand, unlike me.
My gun at the ready, I burst in, hoping that I'm not too late.

There's a dead body on the floor. It's Himura. The police agent kneeling beside him shakes his head and closes Himura's listless eyes.
There's another dead body behind the counter. I can see the arm and sleeve from where I stand. The man who went to check it out has turned away and is looking dreadfully pale. Can't be a pretty sight then... Doesn't seem to be Takagi or Pember though.

But what of Takagi?
Takagi, you dolt, where are you!

And then I notice Kudo.
I step forward to see what it is he is kneeling by...
"Shit..." He mutters. I recognize Takagi's shoes...

Not wanting to see my fears come true, I force myself not to look, to head to the window, to look out down the fire escape ladder, and try and find those bastards. I'm not crying. I'm too angry to cry. I'm not crying dam'mit.
No one. I wipe my eyes and look again.
They're gone. They made their getaway. Closest I see is the four bodies on the concrete at the mouth of the dead-end. Dead police men and FBI agents.

"Dammit..." I swear and stare out the window, not really knowing what to do.

There's a commotion in the corridor, as it seems the syndicate members on this floor have at last realised what is happening. A few shots are exchanged by the door.
Kudo and the force agents in the room are having a muffled conversation. I hear one talking to inspector Megure and another to Black on their transmitters, but my thoughts are too angry and unfocused to listen.

"Miss Sato?" A little voice speaks up.
I don't hear it at first.
"Miss Sato? Are you all right?"

Somehow the note of anxiety grabs my attention. That, and the fact that it's a child's voice. Certainly they couldn't have children in the building!
I turn to see a small boy, around 9 or 10, looking up at me with big worried brown eyes.
For a moment I expected to see one of the Detective Boys, but I have never seen this child before.

He grabs my jacket, his concern and worry almost unnatural for his boyish features.
"Are you alright? It's me! Takagi!"

I'm dreaming, I must be. That can't be Takagi. Takagi is...
I laugh, as I sink to my knees beside the boy.
But wait, this isn't a dream. I'm wide awake, I didn't fall to sleep. And I can't see Takagi's body from here... Just his shoes, and his clothes are loosely hanging on the boys gangly frame.

"You... It can't be?"
Yet those big brown eyes, that ruffled fringe, the high cheek bones in his face... That typical look of hesitation and fear...
"Takagi...?"
The small and sad smile on his face confirms the truth of what I see.

After that, things got a bit awkward... After asking the other agents to leave the room, Shinichi Kudo had a fainting fit, and it turned out he too suffered from this mysterious condition... But he had obtained, thanks to the raid, more information on the poison that had caused the problem in the first place, and with it, hope of a permanent cure. Himura and Takagi had merely been unfortunate victims.But at least, Takagi had survived.

Kudo returned to being Conan Edogawa for a while, during which time, I took Takagi under my wing, telling mom he was a witness in a case and needed police protection.
The search for the boss of the syndicate, as well as the three, Vodka, Vermouth and Gin, continues. The same for the cure. Kudo tells us his associate has been making bounds of progress, and the antidote should be ready soon.

Takagi knows who the syndicate boss is, and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to him after this.
Together, we shall fight their crimes.

FIN (or is it?)

For phantom Kaito. Theme (obviously) was Takagi gets shrunk.