SailorStar9: After getting the anime version out, this is bound to happen. So, here's the live-action version of 'Codename: Athena'. No Sailor Senshi in this version, just the Planetary Guardians from my 'Bonded' fic. Pairings remain the same. So, read and review.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the pairing.
Chapter 1: Tantei Gakuen Q: Episode One
The scene opens with Okada Ritsuko hurrying off to the underground library of her school. Going through the shelves, she finally found the book she was looking for and she tore open the back cover.
"Found it." she grinned, pulling out the hidden CD.
Keeping the CD, she was shocked to hear footsteps in the supposedly abandoned library. Replacing the book, she paced out of the bookshelf, constantly looking behind her for the intruder. After going through the rows of bookshelves, she proceeded to head back to the surface, only to find the person who was stalking her behind her. In a frantic, she scrambled to get out, tripping over her feet in the process.
"No!" she screamed in fear as the stalker closed in on her, unable able to move due to a sprained ankle.
That night, lightning crackled across the sky, the unfortunate girl being killed by the unnamed stalker, her blood spluttering across the wall, the building's key and a notebook beside the corpse.
The next day...
Kyu was browsing through a book store when his hand phone rang.
"There's a blond woman with black sunglasses in front of the Akihabara Manseri Bridge." he read the message. "Follow her and secure some evidence. Eh? Right now?" he exclaimed.
"My name is Kyu." he started the introduction, after paying for his books and taking off hurriedly. "I'm part of the 'Q Class in Dan Detective School, established by the famous Dan Morihiko. This is a special class established to gather the candidates for the future successor of Dan Morihiko. Only one successor will be chosen, so in a way, the members of 'Q Class' are rivals, but for me, they're important friends. Sometimes, the lessons would start without warning, just like today. But this is also quite thrilling, you know?"
"Ah" he shouted, almost crashing into Kinta. "Kinta!"
"Kyu!" Kinta looked at the boy.
"Is this training, or is it the real thing?" Kyu inquired.
"Are you scared?" Kinta joked.
"That's not it!" Kyu protested.
"Don't force yourself." Kinta chided. "Just hide behind me or something." and the two took off to their destination.
"Alright." Kinta remarked, he and Kyu hiding behind a wall. "Looks like the others aren't here yet."
"Hey, Deko Boko, you stand out too much." Megu stated.
"Stupid, hide!" Kinta pulled her over.
"The two of you are more suspicious." Megu remarked, licking her ice lolly.
"Megu, what's up with that outfit?" Kyu gestured to her maid uniform.
"I'm helping at my onee-chan's shop." Megu replied. "There're a lot of customers who favors me."
"Shop?" Kyu echoed. "Like a Maid Cafe?"
"Hm?" Megu wondered. "Kyu, you like things like this?"
"Eh?" Kyu stammered. "Of course not."
"What are you flustering for, stupid?" Kinta wracked his head with the plastic fan. "Megu, stop enjoying your ice drop and. Hurry up and look already."
"It doesn't really matter." Megu shrugged. "But she's leaving."
"Ah." the two boys gasped and hurried off after their target, with Megu in tow.
In his transport...
Kazuma was using the city's security cameras to keep track of the target.
"Analog." he muttered, the trio were captured on screen.
In front of a departmental store...
"Alright, I'll go through the back." Kinta replied, the three hiding behind a wall as their target rode the escalator.
"Okay." the three split up.
Ryu arrived at the departmental store just as Kyu and Megu took the escalator.
In the departmental store...
Kyu and Megu arrived on the second floor to find their target was nowhere in sight.
"Huh?" Kyu blinked. "She's not here."
"Ah, sorry." Kinta apologized to a shopper he bumped into when he entered from the fire escape.
"Kinta." Kyu went over to the elder teen as Megu scanned the shoppers, her photographic memory enabling her to recognize the shopper at the counter had the same type of nail decorations as their target.
"Kinta." Kyu picked up the wig the target dropped. "Disguise, it was a disguise."
"It was a scheme?" Kinta exclaimed. "Oh no, I can't remember anything except the fact that she was blond. Ah, where's Megu?"
"Photographic memory!" Kyu realized.
"Ah!" Kinta exclaimed and the two took off after Megu.
In the streets...
Megu was trailing their target.
"Whoa, I won!" she looked at her ice lolly stick.
Pinning herself against the tree, she peered at her target who had then disappeared into a corner and Megu took off.
Turning into the alley, she looked around to find her target was gone and she walked along the road. A sound caused her to turn around, hands poised to attack, before letting her guard down when she saw no one was behind her. Turning back, she was then assaulted by her intended target, the woman pressing a nitrite oxide gas mask onto her nose, forcing her to inhale the gas.
"Funny." Megu stumbled out of the alley.
In his transport...
"Hmm?" Kazuma blinked, the camera showing that the target was moving towards his vehicle. "Ah!" he exclaimed when the woman placed a disruptor on the back of his car, the images on his laptop fizzling out.
In the streets...
Ryu stepped into the streets, having trailed the woman after receiving a challenge via SMS from the last member of Q Class which read: Kazuma's taken out. Race you to the finish!. With a smirk, he took out a ball of trace marker and threw it on the road to let the others know where he was heading.
Elsewhere...
"Megu!" Kinta and Kyu found the giggling girl.
"She inhaled some laughing gas." Kyu reasoned.
"My winning popsicle stick was stolen." Megu replied.
"Are you laughing ? Or are you angry?" Kinta wondered. "Which is it?"
"Look!" Kyu noticed the paint mark Ryu left behind.
"Hey!" Kinta pulled Megu along. "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"
"It's a pursuit marker!" Kyu realized.
"Hm?" Megu muttered. Kinta clapped his hands to snap Megu awake and the three took off.
"This way!" Kyu turned.
"Kazuma!" Kinta called. "What?" he joked, running up to the dejected boy. "She got you too?"
"Getting me with something this elemental..." Kazuma sighed. "I'm starting to hate myself." he tossed the disruptor away.
"Stupid, you're giving up too early." Kinta chided. "Come on."
"Kinta." Kyu and Megu came back. "Oh Kazuma, this way, this way. Hurry."
"Ah, let's go." Kinta gestured. "Come on."
On a building's rooftop...
The woman arrived to her destination and hurried to the garbage chute.
Hidden behind the shed, Ryu snapped a picture.
"Ryu, the pursuit marker helped a lot." Kyu whispered, the rest hurrying in.
"It's nothing special." Ryu replied. "I just applied what I learned in class."
The woman then threw open the chute, only to find the suitcase she was looking for missing.
"And the woman?" Kinta asked.
"Looking for this?" Ami's question answered Kinta's inquiry.
Everyone ran to the front of the shed, the last member of Q Class tossing the suitcase to the ground.
"The money in the suitcase..." Kyu blinked as the case flew open. "Amazing, Ami."
"Really, not only are your disguises getting weirder, they're also getting creepier." Ami remarked. "Nanami-sensei." she smirked.
"EH?" the rest echoed.
"Just as expected from the most experienced one of the lot." Nanami-sensei laughed and pulled off his disguise.
"It's times like this I always ask, what did I do in a past life to deserve this?" Ami muttered.
"Sheesh, that's harsh." Nanami-sensei complained. "And you guys call yourselves candidates for the future successor of Principal Dan? You didn't properly execute the techniques of trailing that I've taught in class."
"Overlooking the special trait of the criminal?" he looked at Kyu.
"Letting your guard down and becoming a dead avenger?" he turned to Megu.
"Trusting too much in your own ability?" this was directed as Kazuma. "The only ones who calmly evaluated the situation and took the best action were Amakusa and Mizuno. Sheesh. What's wrong?" he looked at the silent group. "Ah!" he gushed. "Are you that surprised with my disguise technique? When you do things, you have to be completely thorough. For example, just like this?" he flashed his butt. "Wow!"
"Um, being proud of that pathetic outfit..." Kyu started.
"Or should I say, that's just being a pervert." Kazuma added, the group approaching Nanami-sensei.
"Give me back my winning popsicle stick." Megu demanded.
"I really shouldn't have gotten out of bed today." Ami sighed as Kinta fanned their sensei's butt with his fan just as Nanami-sensei's cellphone rang.
"Yes? It's Nanami." Nanami-sensei answered the call. "Dan-sensei!" he gasped, causing the teens to stand at attention. "Eh?" he blinked. "The members of Q Class? I understand. Go here immediately." he headed a poster to Ami.
"Huh?" Kinta blinked at the 'Loop, Dart and Amusement Bar' poster.
In the bar...
"Ah..." Megu gushed as the group entered the bar, with Ami in the lead, poster in hand.
"What's this?" Kazuma blinked.
"Eh?" Kyu was next
"Wait." Kinta started. "Oh? Eh? Here?"
"It's the left door at the end." the waitress informed the group. "Please press the emergency button."
"This is it." Kyu led the group to the side door as Ryu pressed the red button, enabling Kyu to open the door. "Whoa!" he blinked, entering the underground room. "Eh?"
"Wow!" the more verbal of the group gaped as Ami flipped the lights on.
"Ah..." Kyu gashed.
"Amazing." Megu agreed, the group splitting up to explore the place.
"So, this is the Dan Detective Office's Mission Room?" Kyu took a seat at the table in the center of the room.
"Amazing." Megu sat on the sofa. "If I ran away from home, I'd be staying here."
Ami, however, was led to the book shelf by instinct, her hand resting on one of the reference books as she unwittingly invoked her psychopathy, every single bit of the room's history flooded her mind, her head reeling from the sudden rush of images.
"You okay?" Ryu managed to stabilize her before she stumbled.
"Yeah." Ami replied, rubbing her temples to ease her throbbing head. "Head rush."
"I can see that." Ryu remarked amusedly.
"Funny." Ami muttered.
"Everyone!" Kazuma alerted the group, having found the mission disc on the table. Kyu closed the blinds as the screen rolled down, the disc having been placed into the disc player.
"Members of Q Class." Dan-sensei came on screen, the group standing at attention. "How do you do? The room that you're in now is a room that I've used as my office when I was just a novice. In short, it's my starting point. From now on, think of it as your classroom. The reason I've offered this room for you is none other than for you to investigate a certain case."
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"1 week ago," Dan-sensei continued, showing the group a picture of a building. "A high schoolgirl's body was found in the building in Akihabara. The victim's name is Okada Ritsuko, a 3rd year student in Koureijou High School. The cause of death is loss of blood due to stabbing. The police is investigating it as a murder case, but they've reached a dead end. This is because the key has been left inside the room where the murder took place. And so, it's a completely sealed room. After receiving a request from the police to help out with the investigation, I've boldly decided to dispatch you all. Utilizing each of your own abilities, I would like you to solve this case. I pray for your success." with that, he ended the video.
"Murder in a sealed room." Kyu echoed.
Later...
"Investigate, investigate." Kinta echoed, the group arriving at the building where the body was found and the group entered the building via a hole in the wall.
"What are you being scared of, you weirdo?" Megu chided, Kyu having stopped in his tracks upon shining his touch light on a masquerade.
Upon entering the room...
"On the day of the crime, the entrance door was locked from the inside and the door leading to this room was also closed." Ryu started, the chalked outline of the body clearly drawn on the floor.
"A doubly locked room." Ami summarized.
"Moreover, the key to the room was beside the victim." Kazuma added.
"But who was in charge of the key to this room?" Kinta inquired.
"The real estate manager managing this building." Kazuma replied. "Seems like it was stolen from there."
"If you make a copy of that key, it's no longer a sealed room." Kinta reasoned.
"Thing is, you can't make a copy of the key without an ID card." Ami pointed out. "It's a special type of key."
"Who is that?" Megu whispered, the group suddenly on alert when they heard a click behind them.
"They say that a criminal always return to the scene of the crime, right?" Kyu surmised.
"What? What?" Kinta blinked as the younger teens pushed him forward.
"You're useful during times like this, right?" Megu reasoned. "If you die, I'll pick up your bones properly."
"Don't kill me off just like that." Kinta protested.
"Children." Ami shook her head. Taking her place by the door and pretty much ignoring the looks everyone else was giving her, she slid her hand into her thigh as the footsteps drew nearer, revealing a stiletto dagger. Grabbing the intruder by his wrist, she flung him over her shoulder effortlessly, a knee to the intruder's throat as she poised her knife beside his neck.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" the inspector winced. "Who are you?"
"That should be my question." Ami retorted. "Who in the world are you?"
"Detective Moroboshi!" the detective stammered, showing his badge.
"Detective?" Ami echoed, releasing her hold on the older man.
"Detective?" Kyu blinked, the rest of the group having hid behind a stack of crates.
"I'm getting too old of this." Ami muttered, letting the detective up.
At the police station...
"In short, after receiving a request from the police to help with the investigation, and in order to investigate the crime scene, you went in there?" Moroboshi summarized. "Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct." Kyu answered for the group.
"I see." Moroboshi noted. "Do you think I'd believe that? There's no way we would ask for help from such brats like you guys."
"This is going to be one long night." Ami muttered.
"Ah well, the orders from someone higher, higher..." Kyu gestured.
"Give it up already." Kinta chided. "These guys only judge people by their appearance. Just because they have a badge, these guys will never listen."
"Hey you, are you trying to pick a fight?" Moroboshi demanded.
"That's fine with me." Kinta accepted the challenge. "Come at me. Don't think I'll back down!"
"Kinta..." Ami growled a warning, everyone else suddenly shivering at the sudden drop in temperature.
"Ah, such a kid." Megu sighed.
"Moroboshi-san." Nekoda entered the room.
"Ah!" Megu gasped.
"What?" Moroboshi inquired.
"Ah, um, the truth is..." Nekoda replied and whispered into his superior's ear.
"What?" Moroboshi exclaimed. "A notification from the police to support you people." he told the teens.
"See?" Kinta remarked, amidst the relieved sighs of the younger teens. "If you understand the situation, hurry and show us the investigation data."
"No." it was here where Moroboshi drew the line. "If you want to investigate, do it yourselves."
"I so expected that." Ami muttered.
"And..." Kyu prodded. "Now what? Alright!" he whooped. "Let's combine our powers and solve this case!"
"I need my caffeine." Ami muttered, getting up.
"Give me a break." Ryu remarked, following suit.
"I can't stand this anymore." Megu added.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked as the group proceeded to leave. "Everyone, why? Why won't we investigate together?"
"Kyu." Kazuma started.
"Yeah?" Kyu blinked.
"We're in the middle of a competition." Kazuma reminded.
"It's because there's only one successor of Dan-sensei, isn't it?" Kyu knew what he was getting at.
"Q Class isn't a friendship group, we're rivals." Kazuma added.
"If you're not confident enough, then why don't you stay in the room." Kinta asked.
"Hey, everyone, we're rivals, but we're friends, right?" Kyu called.
"Kyu, to be honest," Megu poked her head in. "You're annoying."
"Fine, if you're going that far, I'll do it myself." Kyu retorted. "Even I... I can do things properly when I need to. Yeah..."
"What's the betting he'll end up chickening out?" Ami snickered.
"I'm not taking that bet." Ryu replied, already knowing where this would lead to.
"Spoilsport." Ami stuck out her tongue out. "Guys?" she turned to the other three.
"Two to one!" the rest of the group chorused and laughed.
The next day...
"Hey, yesterday, didn't you say you were gonna investigate on your own?" Megu reminded, when truth to Ami's prediction, Kyu had ended up chickening out on his promise and had followed her to the school.
"I thought you'd be lonely if you investigated on your own." Kyu replied.
"Aren't you the one who's scared?" Megu joked.
"We're only junior high students." Kyu reminded as they entered the school hall. "If they find out, we'll be in trouble."
"If you don't want to, then go home." Megu retorted. "The victim's a high school student, so the best way to gather information is to ask classmates."
"I know, but..." Kyu noted, before noticing Megu was missing.
"I wanted to wear this uniform, just once." Megu admired herself in the standing mirror.
"Do you really want to do this?" Kyu wondered.
Elsewhere...
"Good morning." the storekeeper greeted.
"You're the same as usual, huh?" Kinta remarked.
"Hey Boss, the things you've ordered have arrived!" the store assistant hollered.
"Alright, I'll come get it later." Kinta replied.
"Okay." the delivery boy nodded. "Ah, Kinta-san, it's been awhile."
"How are you?" Kinta asked.
"I've been terrible, Kinta-san." the assistant replied.
"Yeah, I got it, I got it." Kinta replied, heading upstairs.
"As usual, plenty of free time, huh?" he inquired.
"Because of that, I can do what I want." Haruka replied. "Call it elegance." She then looked at the paper bag he handed to her. "I've been looking for this." she pulled out the plastic model.
"The data?" Kinta prodded. Gushing over the newest addition, she passed the envelope over.
"Seems that this case is unusually deep-rooted." Haruka noted.
"Huh?" Kinta blinked.
In Koureijou High School...
"The group that the late Okada Ritsuko belonged to..." Megu noted, the pair stopping before the 'Art and Literature Club, Mystery Research Club, Occult Research Club, Literature Research Club' room. "Excuse me! Um who here personally knows Okada Ritsuko-san?"
"So blunt..." Kyu muttered.
"Who are you?" one of the club members stopped his pen.
"Newly transferred 1st year students." Megu replied.
"Why would some newly transferred students be sniffing around Okada?" the club member questioned.
"Well, it's..." she pulled Kyu forward.
"Uh no, well..." Kyu stammered. "We were thinking of joining the 'Art and Literature Club, but while researching it through some classmates, a member of the club was killed one week ago, right? Plus, it was a sealed room murder. So as mystery lovers, naturally, we became interested."
"It's useless to investigate because Okada was cursed." the club members told them.
"Cursed?" Kyu echoed.
"Yeah." the club member replied. "By Nishimura Shizuka's ghost."
"Ghost?" Megu echoed, Kyu silenced her with a raised hand.
"Ah, who is it?" Kyu asked. "Nishimura Shizuka?"
"A member of the 'Art and Literature Club'." Yoshimura replied, flinging the covers off herself a she sat up from the sofa. "She died one month ago."
Meanwhile...
"Nishimura Shizuka's body was found at the school's emergency staircase." Haruka stated. "The police classified it as an accident from falling but due to this recent incident, the possibility of that it's not has come up."
"What do you mean?" Kinta asked.
"At the scene of the crime where Okada Ritsuko was killed, the notebook of Nishimura Shizuka was found." Haruka replied. "The problem lies in its content."
"Just hurry and spit it out." Kinta pressed. "What was inside?"
"The ghost of the girl whose murder was feigned as an accident, will be taking revenge, one after the other, on her friends, who were her true murderers." Haruka replied. "The way she died is similar to this current incident."
"Are you serious?" Kinta muttered.
"In short, in this case..." Haruka added.
In Koureijou High School...
"The curse of the late Shizuka..." Yoshimura trailed.
"Those two look dangerous." Megu whispered.
"That story seems to have a sequel." Yoshimura added.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"According to the police, two more will be killed." Yoshimura supplied. "Members of the same 'Art and Literature Club'."
"And those two are..." Megu prodded.
"Even if two are interested in Occult, this is way too awful." the two mentioned club' members burst in.
"We're just telling them the truth." Yoshimura shrugged.
"Then that's saying that Ritsuko killed Shizuka." Madoka protested.
"Sasaki Madoka." the male club member looked at her. "Why are you being nervous?"
"Or are you remembering something?" Yoshimura pressed.
"You..." Madoka tried to slap her, only to have her hand forced into a standstill.
"What are you guys doing?" Yoneyama-sensei interrupted the fight, "Yoshimura-san, did something happen? And you two?" she asked after the two walked out.
"Eh?" Megu blinked. "We're 1st year students interested in joining the club. Are you the teacher-in-charge?"
"Yes, that's right." Yoneyama-sensei nodded.
"Um what did they mean when they said that Okada Ritsuko was killed by the curse of Nishimura Shizuka?" Megu asked.
"Eh?" Yoneyama-sensei blinked
"Did any kind of trouble occur inside the 'Art and Literature Club'?" Megu pressed.
"Why did you ask?" Yoneyama-sensei inquired.
"Pure curiosity." Megu replied.
"I'm only a teacher-in-charge by name." Yoneyama-sensei replied. "I've made it a rule not to interfere into my students' private life. Plus... a curse?"
"Please, wait a minute." Kyu stopped her. "Before we join the club, we'd like to know more about what's going on inside. That way it's easier for us to conduct ourselves here. We promise to keep it a secret from our senpais. So, please tell us what happened. Please!" he bowed.
On the dirt path...
"The girl, Nishimura Shizuka, was the winner of this year's Novice Mystery Novel Writing Competition, a genius at writing." Yoneyama-sensei supplied.
Flashback
"I have written the plot myself." Shizuka informed the press."
"She's been praised as a 'young, charismatic mystery writer', and requests for her second novel flooded over." Yoneyama-sensei added. "But she has quite an arrogant personality. Within the 'Art and Literature Club', she always acted like the queen snob. Moreover, Okada-san and the others were used for researching for topics or data."
"So that means those 3 had a motive to kill Nishimura-san?" Kyu mused.
"Don't say something so stupid." Yoneyama-sensei scoffed. "Killing someone because of that. Plus, I may just be thinking too much. It's not like those girls asked for my advice."
"Is that how you've always feigned ignorance?" Megu retorted.
"Eh?" Yoneyama-sensei blinked.
"All school teachers are like that." Megu replied. "In order to protect their own reputation, they'll permit anything convenient. They'll even trample on their students' hearts. Students never protected by their teacher, you've never even thought of their feelings, have you?"
"Ah, wait.." Kyu blinked as Megu stormed off. "I'm sorry." he apologized to the teacher and took off after the fuming girl. "Megu!"
"What's wrong?" he caught up with her.
"That teacher is too irresponsible." Megu replied. "I just wanted to be a little mean to her. That's all. With that aside, I have to get a copy of Nishimura Shizuka's notebook."
At the police station...
"Nekoda-san." Megu sang, stepping out of the tree she was hiding behind when she saw the detective run out of the station. "I was shocked. I had no idea that a regular customer at my onee-chan's shop would be a detective."
"An unexpected meeting, wasn't it?" Nekoda remarked.
"You're always staring at me, aren't you?" Megu pressed.
"I duuno." Nekoda replied.
"Hey." Megu started. "I have a favor to ask from you, Nekoda-san."
"A favor?" Nekoda echoed
Megu nodded and whispered into his ear.
"That's too much." Nekoda protested. "If I do that, I'll be killed by Moroboshi-san."
"Is that so?" Megu wondered. "Then you don't want... my..." she revealed a picture of her in her maid's outfit.
"Ah... that's Megu-tan's..." Nekoda gushed. "I'll do it!" he took the photo. "Allow me to do it!"
In the Mission Room...
"Hey Megu." Kyu looked at the girl as he and Kazuma browsed through the notes Megu brought back. "This is amazing. Where'd you get it?"
"Hm?" Megu raised a brow from her sundae. "ESP."
"You're making a fool out of me." Kyu stated. "Aren't you? ESP?"
"The place where the victim was found, and the circumstances of her death, are exactly the same as that novel." Megu cut in. "It says that the next person who'll be murdered will be cut in half exactly. Completely tragic."
"Then the most probable targets are..." Kyu mused.
"Sasaki Madoka and Oomori Kyoko, right?" Megu finished his thought.
"Then tonight, let's do a stakeout!" Kyu suggested.
"I'll pass." Megu replied.
"Me too." Kazuma agreed. "Your way of thinking is analog, Kyu."
"What?" Kyu looked at the computer genius. "Are you saying that if you input some data into a computer, it'll tell you who the criminal is?"
"We might be dealing with a ghost, you know?" Kazuma reminded. "We'll just arrest them using the occult. Okay."
"What's this?" Kyu asked when Kazuma pulled out a mystic circle.
"It's called runes." Kazuma replied. "It's part of the Norse mythology. It's a magical oracle introduced by Odin. Just watch, I'll communicate with Nishimura Shizuka's spirit and reveal the truth!" that said, he tossed down the pebbles. "Ah, this is the Holy Spirit of Darkness, Nauthiz, which means suffering." he picked up a pebble.
"He has a serious look in his eyes though." Kyu noted.
"If he doesn't go digital, we'll just have to do it ourselves." Megu concluded.
"This combination!" Kazuma gasped. "What was it?"
Elsewhere...
"Excuse me." Kinta voiced.
"Who are you?" Shizuka's father asked.
"I'm Touyama Kintarou." Kinta replied. "I would like to ask a few questions regarding the late Nishimura Shizuka.
Back at the building...
Ryu had returned the the crime scene.
"I've been wondering when you'll show up." Ami cut off his musing, causing Ryu to blink at her. "Guess you missed the 'Never return to the crime scene without backup.' memo." she grinned playfully at the Lone Wolf of the group.
"Whatever." Ryu muttered. "On the day of the crime, the door leading outside is also closed and locked." he spoke into the tape recorder. "There's an approximate 10 cm opening by the entrance. The room is pretty hot." he opened the door and entered with his impromptu partner. I'm guessing the temperature is above 40 degrees."
"46.3 degrees." Ami corrected. "Believe me, I've checked."
Looking around, Ryu accidentally dropped the container where he had his pursuit marks in.
"What the..." Ami blinked as the balls rolled into the next room.
"Could this arrangement be..." Ryu mused and he knelt down to take a closer look. "So that's how it is, huh?"
A flash of metal coming from his partner alerted him and Ryu turned to see Ami had pulled out her stiletto knife in a reverse grip as the security-guard-disguised Cerberus stepped into the room. In a flash, Ami attacked, forcing Cerberus to drop the chloroform cloth he had in his hand. His hand nicked, Cerberus managed to deliver a punch into Ami's gut, knocking her unconscious. "Ryu-sama." he greeted the teen who had managed to catch Ami before she fell to the ground and was currently glaring at him. "Please." he gestured.
On the streets...
"How was it?" Moroboshi asked when Nekoda returned to the car.
"It looks like she's really scared.
"I think we'll be able to solve the crime quickly if we investigate together, but no one has replied yet." Kyu mused on the other side of the street.
"I found you, Kyu." Megu declared in her kimono. "Ta-da! Cute?"
"What's with your outfit?" Kyu blinked.
"It's not cute?" Megu deathpanned.
"No, it's cute." Kyu corrected. "Super cute. But why are you wearing a yukata?"
"Eh? Just to cool myself down." Megu replied. "I was worried that you might be lonely."
"No, not really." Kyu replied. "It's not like I came here to have fun."
"Hey, do you think the victim will seriously be cut in half?" Megu asked as the two sat on the staircase.
"No matter what the reason is, I don't want to believe that a person can be that brutal." Kyu replied.
In Madoka's room...
Madoka panicked when she saw the Nishimura Shizuka on the caller ID of her cellphone.
On the streets...
"Detective!" Madoka's mother exclaimed frantically. "Madoka... Madoka's gone!"
"What?" Moroboshi gasped.
"Megu." Kyu started, awaking the dozing Megu up.
"Go check the room with her." Moroboshi instructed.
"Okay." Nekoda replied. "Please come with me." he led Madoka's mother off.
"Detective!" Kyu and Megu hurried over.
"You guys again?" Moroboshi inquired.
"Did something happen?" Kyu asked.
"Sasaki Madoka has disappeared from home." Moroboshi replied.
"Eh?" Kyu echoed. "Let's contact the others."
"Yeah." Megu nodded and pulled out her cellphone.
"Sensei!" Kyu blinked as Yoneyama-sensei hurried off the cab.
"Why are you guys here?" Yoneyama-sensei asked.
"We'll explain later." Kyu replied. "Is something wrong?
"Sasaki-san phoned a awhile ago, crying and asking for help." Yoneyama-sensei replied.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"Detective." Yoneyama-sensei handed her ringing cellphone to Moroboshi.
"Hello, this is the police." Moroboshi took the call. "Where are you right now? Where are you?"
"The room where Ritsuko was killed." Madoka replied. "Hurry and save us!"
"Where are the girls?" Yoneyama-sensei pressed "Are they safe?"
"The building where Okada Ritsuko's body was found." Moroboshi replied. "What happened?"
"Seems like she left through the back door." Nekoda reported.
"Alright, let's go back to Akihabara." Moroboshi instructed.
"I'm going with you too." Yoneyama-sensei insisted.
"Kyu, what are you doing?" Megu pulled the musing boy along. "Let's go with them."
"Ah, yeah." Kyu nodded.
In the room...
"This is the police!" Moroboshi burst in. "Is someone here?"
"Moroboshi-san..." Nekoda added, the two detectives having shone their touch-lights in the room to reveal Madoka's body sawn into half.
"It's me." Moroboshi reported back to headquarters after finding the lower half of the body. "We found another body regarding the current case. Please hurry and send someone over."
Unable to take it anymore, Megu stumbled out. "NO!" she let out a horrified scream as the images of death flashed past her mind.
"Megu, what' s wrong?" Kyu hurried over to the ventilating girl. "Hey, Megu."
"Take her outside, hurry." Yoneyama-sensei urged.
"Okay." Kyu nodded and the two helped Megu up.
"Whoa!" Both detectives gasped as an explosion was heard. "What was that?"
"I don't know." Nekoda replied.
"Hurry." Yoneyama-sensei pressed.
Outside...
"What happened here?" Moroboshi blinked as the police car was brimming in smoke.
"Moroboshi-san, it's probably the work of the murderer." Nekoda mused.
"If that's the case, then the murderer's still around." Moroboshi noted. "Investigate around here." "I'll track back from the crime scene."
"Okay." Nekoda took off.
"It's okay, it's okay." Yoneyama-sensei soothed the frightened girl.
"Hello?" Moroboshi answered the call. "What? I got it. We'll do a search immediately."
"What's wrong?" Kyu asked.
"Seems like Oomori Kyoko has disappeared from home too." Moroboshi replied.
"Eh?" Kyu gasped.
"It's alright, it's alright." Yoneyama-sensei consoled.
"Um..." Kyu started, looking at Yoneyama-sensei . "I'll leave Megu in your care."
In the room...
"The body disappeared!" Moroboshi blinked, having returned to the crime scene with Kyu to find the body had vanished.
"Why?" Kyu wondered. "Why?"
"Where did it go?" Moroboshi inquired.
Elsewhere...
"A notification from your grandfather." Yurie informed Ryu after they met. "Don't get involved in this case."
"If that's how it is, I don't want to back down even more." Ryu replied.
"Ryu-sama." Yurie mused as the teen walked off.
In the Mission Room...
"What am I doing?" Kyu mused. "Even though I was there, I couldn't save her."
"I was pretty shocked too." Kazuma added. "Finding something like this."
"Eh?" Kyu blinked. "Why are you going through somebody else's bag?" he demanded when Kazuma pulled out the video.
"I didn't know you had a maid complex." Kazuma remarked.
"Guess we learn something new every day." Ami grinned jokingly from the sofa.
"That's not it!" Kyu protested. "It's because I bumped into someone at the video store."
"If you're going to go that far to lie, you're just going to make things more interesting." Kazuma pointed out.
"I'm not lying." Kyu insisted.
"You just dug a deeper hole, Kyu." Ami smirked as the door opened.
"You were together." Kyu noted as Ryu and Megu entered together.
"Sorry for making you worry." Megu apologized.
"I'm not surprised." Kyu replied. "Seeing something like that.
"Having a photographic memory means never forgetting something that you've seen even just once." Ami voiced as Megu took her seat beside her. "Or should I say," she looked sympathetically at Megu. "Even if you wanted to forget, you wouldn't be able to."
"It's rather convenient." Megu admitted. "But unexpectedly harsh."
"I heard yesterday's story from Megu." Ryu cut in.
"It's pathetic, I wasn't able to do anything." Kyu admitted.
"But, it's starting to become more interesting." Ryu noted.
"Interesting?" Kyu echoed. "This isn't a game." he exploded. "People are really dying."
"I'm only interested in solving the mystery and figuring out who the murderer is." Ryu replied. "That's why even during this time, I hope the mystery goes deeper."
"Boys are so confusing." Ami remarked.
"Hey." Megu cut in. "Want to try thinking about the trick behind the body disappearing?"
"The time we went outside to the time we got back to the crime scene was about 3 minutes." Kyu mused. "Within just 3 minutes, the body disappeared without a trace."
"Carrying out a body in just 3 minutes." Megu thought. "It's impossible no matter how you think about it, right?"
"Moreover, the cardboard box and the blue sheet on the floor..." Kyu added. "Why were they taken too?"
"It's a ghost after..." Kazuma remarked.
"And why would the murderer go through the trouble of carrying the body out?" Ami posted a question.
"It's not like he or she's a Magi Shinji." Megu agreed. "What's so funny in scaring us?"
"Magi Shinji?" Kazuma echoed.
"Not again..." Ami sighed.
"Oh no..." Kyu muttered. "We haven't solved the mystery of the sealed room."
"Oh." Ryu started. "Ami and I, we've already solved that."
"Eh?" the other three looked at them.
Back at the building...
"First, the murderer murdered the victim." Ryu started. "Then, locked the door from outside. Then using this opening, the key was brought next to the victim."
"But how?" Kazuma wondered. "What kind of tool was used?"
"There's no need for any tools." Ami corrected. "Just by placing the key through this opening, the key will reach the inner room automatically."
"No way." Kazuma remarked. "Are you saying that the key will walk on its own?"
"It's not going to walk." Ryu noted. "It's going to roll."
"Eh? Ice?" Kyu blinked as Ryu took out the ice ball from the heat-insulated bag Ami brought along.
"Watch carefully." Ryu placed the ball through the gap and let it roll.
"Why?" Megu wondered as the ice ball continued to roll. "Why won't it stop?"
"I see." Kyu realized. "It's the inclination."
"Yeah, you won't notice it by just looking." Ryu confirmed. "Bit this room's floor is inclined in a certain way."
"And these boxes too." Ami added. "They were purposefully arranged in such a way that won't interfere with the ball as it rolls. The temperature of the room will go up to 46.3 degrees." she continued as the group followed the ball's trail.
"Once the ice melts, only the key will be left on the floor." Ryu concluded. "This is the trick behind the sealed room murder."
"Ryu, Ami, that's amazing." Kyu gushed.
"Happy-go-lucky person." Megu sighed.
"Celebrate after you find out who the murderer is or after solving the trick behind the disappearing body." Kazuma reminded.
"You're vexed, aren't you, Kazuma?" Megu joked, tossing the ice ball to Kazuma. "Because Ryu and Ami beat you to it."
"Not really." Kazuma caught the ball. "My priority was to find the criminal."
"When you were obsessed with a weird fortune-telling." Megu teased.
"I did what I'm supposed to do." Kazuma protested. "On Nishimura Shizuka's fan-site, they talk about a phantom novel that she's left behind."
"She finished a new novel?" Ami blinked. "That's fast."
"Yeah." Kazuma replied. "When I went to meet her publisher, it seems that just before she died, she sent an informal email, 'I'll be hiding a copy of my next novel in the school library, I will transfer the contract to whoever finds it first.' The hint is: A book that will never be read."
"As expected from the Queen of Mysteries." Megu noted. "She has shrouded it with another mystery."
"And so, did someone find the manuscript?" Kyu asked.
"No, they used different methods in order to find the manuscript, but it still hasn't been found." Kazuma replied. "There's a possibility that the manuscript is still in her computer. But, because of the crash when she died, seems like there's no way to find out."
"But, a book that will never be read?" Megu mused as Kyu caught the ice ball Kazuma threw at him.
"Hey, for example, if you've read a serial story of a manga what will you do if one of them is missing?" Kyu posted a question.
"Like it or not, he's got a point." Ami grinned.
In Koureijou High School's library...
"The answer lies in a book with a sequel." Kyu answered his own question as he checked the library computer. "One that doesn't have the first volume. You can't proceed to the last volume without the first one, right? Here! The 'Dwelling of the Dead', last volume."
"Found it." Ami pulled out the book from the bookshelf.
"Someone's already taken it." Ryu looked at the torn out back cover.
"Who in the world...?" Megu wondered.
"No way." Kyu gaped when Yoshimura paced a hand on Megu's shoulder, frightening the group.
"Someone beat us to it already?" Yoshimura wondered.
"Has anyone ever read that new novel?" Ryu asked.
"Ritsuko and the others probably read it." Yoshimura replied. "Before a deadline, Shizuka would always ask them to re-read things over. Plus, the teacher-in-charge, Yoneyama-sensei."
"That sensei too?" Kyu blinked.
"She may not look like it, but before, she was trying to become a mystery writer." Yoshimura added. "They even say that she abandoned her family for it, so it's nothing half-hearted."
"And so, was she able to debut?" Megu asked.
"In the end, she failed because of lack of talent." Yoshimura replied. "But, she's an accurate critic. Even that prideful Shizuka actually listened to her advice."
"Ryu?" Ami blinked when the teen walked off to make a call.
In a massage parlor...
"Master, your cellphone is ringing." one of the massagers replied.
"Thanks." Kazuma took the call. "Hello. Eh? Got it, I'll look into it immediately."
In Koureijou High School...
"Detective!" Kyu started, the four dashing in.
"Ah, you guys again?" Moroboshi noted.
"Did something happen?" Kyu asked.
"Oomori Kyoko's body is found here." Moroboshi replied.
"Eh?" Kyu gasped.
"Again?" Ami exclaimed.
"Megu, you probably shouldn't..." Kyu noted as the four approached the crime scene.
"Eh?" Megu blinked.
"You might start panicking again." Kyu reasoned.
"What naïve words are you saying?" Ryu snorted.
"Eh?" Kyu looked over.
"She was born with that ability, wasn't she?" Ryu asked. "Why won't you let her use it?"
"You can only say that because you didn't see Megu when she was scared." Kyu retorted.
"Then quit trying to become a detective right now." Ryu pointed out.
"Ryu, everyone has something they're weak at and afraid of." Kyu reasoned. "It's friends who help each other out."
"Sorry." Ryu stated. "But I have no need of that. I've always lived this way."
"Detective." Kyu went back to the matter at hand.
"It's Oomori Kyoko." Moroboshi confirmed. "The cause of death is premeditated murder." and he lifted the white covers.
"Megu." Kyu ran after the girl who had walked off after seeing the corpse.
"Kyu, I'm alright." Megu assured, Kyu having used his body to shield Megu's eyes from the body.
"But..." Kyu protested.
"I really have to overcome this." Megu insisted. "I want my abilities to be of use."
"I understand." Kyu nodded. "If that's your decision, I won't stop you anymore. But, Megu, you're not alone. Me, Ami, and Ryu are by your side."
Decided, Megu looked at the corpse, before her attention was caught by the three moles on Kyoko's thigh.
"Are you okay?" Moroboshi asked as Megu turned around.
"This is weird." Megu stated. "She has the same set of moles as Sasaki-san."
"What do you mean?" Kyu asked.
"The amputated lower half of Sasaki-san's body has the same moles as Oomori-san." Megu replied.
Kyu went back to take a closer look at the corpse. "I see." he realized what it was all about. Last night, what we saw wasn't Sasaki-san's body. That was Sasaki-san and Oomori-san, each acting a part of the dead body."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Moroboshi inquired.
"It's the magic trick of cutting people into half." Kyu replied. "They each enacted the top and bottom half of the body by burying themselves in the boxes. The bombing of the car was probably just a trap to get us to go outside. Then, the moment we left the room, they slipped out of the box, and left the crime scene. There really was a reason for taking the cardboard box and blue sheet. Because if the police investigate it, the trick will be all for nothing. Megu, thank you. I got it because of you."
"Eh?" Megu blinked.
"We were caught by such a simple trick?" Moroboshi echoed.
"The death of the first victim, Okada Ritsuko, was patterned in the notebook." Kyu added. "That's why we had the impression that Sasaki-san will also be killed by being cut into half, like it's written in the notebook. It's an ingenious trick."
"But what's the need of going through all that trouble?" Moroboshi wondered.
"In order to make an alibi." Ryu replied.
"Right." Kyu agreed. "I'm sure both of them are threatened by the criminal. 'If you don't do as you're told, I'll reveal that you've killed Nishimura Shizuka-san."
"Then, the true identity criminal is..." Megu gasped.
"I can't think of anyone else but that person." Kyu replied.
Just then, Ami caught something at the corner of her eye and she snapped back.
Cerberus! Her eyes widened. Just as I thought... Pluto is behind this!
In an underground carpark...
"Are you going somewhere, sensei?" Kyu asked, the five younger teens having cornered Yoneyama-sensei as she was wheeling a suitcase away.
"Like to get rid of the content in that suitcase?" Megu added.
"We've solved all the tricks." Kyu revealed. "You're the criminal in this serial murder case, aren't you?"
"What are you talking about?" Yoneyama-sensei inquired. "I have no idea what you mean by that."
"Ball of ice," Ami supplied.
"And magically cutting people into half using two people." Ryu added. "Are those words enough?"
"I've always been curious." Kyu remarked. "If you normally avoid contact with your students, why did Sasaki-san send you an SOS call? Because you were with us, it would create an alibi to prove your innocence."
"That's too much of an delusion." Yoneyama-sensei protested.
"Then, why did you say that?" Kyu pressed.
"Eh?" Yoneyama-sensei blinked.
"The time when Police Inspector Moroboshi received Sasaki-san's phone call." Kyu replied. "At that time, we only knew of one missing person, and that was Sasaki-san. But without thinking, you said 'those girls'. Wasn't it because you knew that Sasaki-san and Oomori-san were at the murder scene?"
"Show us the contents of that suitcase." Ami requested.
"Sensei." Kyu started. "Why... did you do such a cruel thing? Why?"
"Revenge for your daughter who was killed?" Kinta supplied.
"Kinta!" Megu blinked.
"Where did you disappear to?" Ami wondered.
"I've been investigating Nishimura Shizuka." Kinta replied. "Seems that she's the daughter of this lady here. Right after your child was born, you couldn't give up your dream of becoming a novelist, so you abandoned your family. But, no matter how hard you worked, the dream remained a dream. During that time, you met your daughter again at school."
"It was undeniable that we were related by blood." Yoneyama-sensei said. "When I was reunited with Shizuka after 16 years, she was also engrossed in mysteries, plus she was naturally endowed in talent. I was so happy when she received her certificate at the contest. I felt that my dream had come true. But those happy days didn't last for a long... I overheard their conversation at that time."
Flashback
"Looks like we've somehow deceived the police." Ritsuko remarked.
"The perfect crime." Madoka smiled, as she recalled how they had literally thrown Shizuka over the railing.
"Ordering us around just because she's a little talented." Ritsuko chuckled. "She got way too elated."
"She deserved to die." Oomori agreed.
"They were laughing." Yoneyama-sensei continued. "Those girls who stole my daughter's future had no right to live."
"Hm?" Ryu snorted. "She was your real daughter. Revenge for your daughter, huh? How can you say such white-washed words?"
"What do you mean?" Ami asked the teen beside her.
"She sent a novel to the Novice Writer's Contest, but it was Nishimura Shizuka's phantom novel that was hidden in the library." Kazuma replied.
"So, that phone call at that time..." Ami trailed.
"Yeah." Ryu confirmed. "By the time we figured out the possibilities, it was already in someone else's hands. That's why I asked Kazuma to investigate whether there was a publisher who had acquired her novel or not."
"But no publisher had the manuscript." Kazuma added.
"If the aim wasn't for the publisher to acquire it, then there's only one possible answer." Ryu remarked.
"To release the manuscript as your own." Ami realized.
"When I assembled the list of applicants from the chairman of the contest, I magnificently found Sensei's name." Kazuma added.
"But how did you know that it was the one that Nishimura Shizuka left behind?" Kinta asked.
"Writers would often use their mailbox to backup their work." Ami replied.
"When I started hacking it, there it was, Nishimura Shizuka's original manuscript." Kazuma added.
"But in order to make her novel your own, you were faced with one problem." Ryu stated. "There are people who have read it already."
"The victims who were killed." Ami realized.
"Yeah." Ryu replied. "She wasn't trying to avenge her daughter. She killed all 3 girls so that her plagiarism won't be revealed."
"No..." Yoneyama-sensei protested. "No! For Shizuka's sake..."
"Then, why didn't you submit it in your daughter's name on it?" Ryu barked. "You've sold your soul to the devil!"
Flashback
"I can understand why you're worried." Cerberus remarked after Yoneyama-sensei returned the murder plans back to him.
"I can't kill anyone at all." Yoneyama-sensei admitted.
"Our only job is to draw up a plan." Cerberus reminded. "To carry it out or not, is up to the client."
"I'm sorry." Yoneyama-sensei apologized. "I'll give revenge for my daughter."
"The novel your daughter left behind hasn't been found out yet." Cerberus stopped her in her tracks as she turned to leave.
"Eh?" Yoneyama-sensei blinked.
"Regrettable, isn't it?" Cerberus prodded. "Now that the writer has died, the chance for someone else to own it can be attained. Of course, Yoneyama-san, you have a chance, too."
"Are you telling me to use my daughter's work?"Yoneyama-sensei realized Cerberus' implication.
Wordlessly, Cerberus revealed his pendent, invoking his hypnosis on her. "You're the one who understands your daughter's work the most." he reminded. If you kill them, you can avenge your daughter, and your dream to be a novelist will also come true. I'm sure your daughter's who is killed will also be happy."
Just then, Moroboshi and his team arrived to nab the murderer.
"Please leave the corpse to us and allow us to escort you to the precinct." Moroboshi told Yoneyama-sensei after Nekoda confirmed it held Oomori's body.
"Please wait!" Kyu called. "I absolutely cannot believe that you would kill someone for the sake of such ugly greed."
"Kyu." Ryu voiced. "This is the reality of this world. The reality that we're fighting against."
"No!" Kyu protested. "That's not true! Because she hugged Megu, when Megu saw the dead body and started panicking, gently, like a mother."
"Ryu," Ami added. "The facts don't always show the whole truth. Solving the crime is important, but I think, seeing through the hidden truth, is also an important role of a detective. And through that, it becomes possible to save people."
"People might think I'm naïve and simple, but I want to believe." Kyu admitted. "That this person too." he looked at Yoneyama-sensei. "Has warm blood in here." he rested his fist over his heart. "That's why, I believe she still has a heart that feels the pain and suffering of others."
"You're a stupid kid." Yoneyama-sensei remarked. "Believing in a woman like me."
"Sensei..." Kyu started.
"Thank you." Yoneyama-sensei turned back.
"You're analog through and through." Kazuma remarked, after Megu gave Kyu an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"You're too cheeky for a brat." Kinta snorted.
In Dan-sensei's office...
"The members of Q Class have somehow solved the case." Yoshimura reported.
"Is that so?" Dan-sensei noted.
"But in the end, 3 people died." Yoshimura pulled off her disguise to reveal Nanami-sensei underneath. "So it's not something to be praised. But Sensei, what in the world are you plotting? Throwing those kids into an actual case, I didn't think it's something you'd do."
"They've started to move again." Dan-sensei replied.
"Eh?" Nanami-sensei blinked.
"Pluto has started to move again." Dan-sensei explained. "Mizuno has sensed it."
"Eh?" Nanami-sensei gasped, before Dan-sensei showed him a photo of Shizuka's award ceremony with Cerberus in the background.
In the underground carpark...
"How dare you waste my masterpiece." Cerberus stated, as Yoneyama-sensei entered the police car, showing her his pendent and invoking the mental suggestion he had placed in her mind.
With a silent scream, Yoneyama-sensei grabbed the revolver from the driver's holster and shot herself in the head.
"Hey, hey!" the sudden bang sent the group running over. "What happened?" Moroboshi pulled the door open. "Call an ambulance." he barked, seeing Yoneyama-sensei's lifeless body in the backseat. "Don't move her! Don't move her! Hurry, call an ambulance!"
Megu knelt onto the ground in stunned shock as Kazuma turned around to throw up
"Just as I thought..." Ami hissed, clutching her fist tightly as Kinta and Ryu looked on, expressionless.
Outside...
The whistling Cerberus skipped out of the scene.
In the underground carpark...
"Why?" Kyu wondered. "Why did this..."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
