The Littlest Detective
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Detective Conan. At all. (:
Summary: L holds true to his promise and keeps on the lookout for the BO. At the same time, he has taken on the Kira Case. Shortly after meeting the task force for the first time, L makes a shocking discovery
Notes: Hii, I'm back. Sorry about not keeping my promise to update in December, I've been playing Xbox haha, not gunna even lie. I hope this update is satisfactory, even though I'm not entirely happy. I don't think the characters are entirely ..right. I'm usually really picky with keeping things in-character, but this time around I feel they're a little off. Hope you like it, though, and thank you to everyone who commented so far! I'll hopefully be working some more on this during the week. I also need a little time to get re-acquainted with the Death Note storyline, so I'll be doing that while writing. Hang in here with me!
"Ryusaki-san?" This wasn't the situation Conan expected to be in. He left the house for school this morning, finally content with the fact that he had to do elementary school work, again, when he was stopped by a flashy black car. For a moment, he feared that somehow Gin had figured out his identity, or worse yet, figured out Haibara's, who had clutched onto Conan's arm quite fiercely with obviously the same thoughts in mind. When the man who stepped out was in fact, not Gin or even Vodka, or any member he was familiar with, he nearly let out a huge sigh of relief, but saved it until he knew for sure who this man was.
He was old, that was made certain by his grayed hair and wrinkled skin. He wore all black, which made him nervous for obvious reasons, but he remained impassive as he looked up at the man, who returned his gaze with a quick nod.
"You are Edogawa Conan, correct?" he asked, though Conan had the feeling the man already knew that he was. He hesitated in confirming his identity, but since he felt he had little choice, he nodded in affirmation. The man looked at the children surrounding Conan, glaring up at him with speculative eyes, wondering who this stranger was that was talking to their friend. He then made a sign at the back window of the car, and the tinted window rolled itself down slowly. The figure behind the window kept itself partially in shadow, so that the most the children could see from their vantage point was the silhouette of another man, but Conan knew just by the characteristic hunch in the silhouette's back that this man was L− the L that he had met briefly on a case not all that long ago.
"It's good to see you again, Conan-kun," he said, sounding every bit the normal person, but Conan knew otherwise.
"Ryusaki-san?" Conan barely managed to question. His time as Conan was the only thing that kept the emotions from running rampant on his face – which surely would have been a mixture of adoration and confusion, blatant and obvious for anyone with eyes to see.
"I apologize for stopping you while you're on your way to school. I went to your place of residence, but that Mouri fellow had told me you already left, so I hoped I could catch you before you arrived," he explained.
"You know this stranger, Conan?" Genta interrupted, stopping Conan from asking another question. Conan was hesitant to answer his friend, he didn't know how much he could say, but upon looking back to the silhouetted figure of the famous detective, and the man he could only assume to be his partner, he knew he had to make something up.
"Uh, yeah. Ryusaki-san and I met on a case," he said vaguely, hoping they would accept that answer. It wasn't a lie, after all.
"A case? How come you never tell us about all your cases? We want to hear about them!" Ayumi protested. Conan apologized sheepishly and turned back to L and the old man.
"What was is that you needed?" he asked curiously. L shifted, as if thinking for a way to phrase what it was he wanted to say, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.
"I have a problem that I need your assistance with," he said slowly. Before Conan could ask, he was once again beat to the punch by the children.
"A case?" the three, minus Haibara, yelled in unison. Conan raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that whatever it was L needed, he wouldn't need the three children poking their nose in it. It was most likely far larger than they could even hope to imagine.
"I… apologize, but Conan-kun is the only one I can bring in," L said, and the effect of his words was immediate as the faces of the three kids all fell at once.
"That's not fair! Why can't we help?" Mitsuhiko protested first, followed by the agreements of Ayumi and Genta. Haibara remained in the back, watching the scene unfold with her signature blank expression.
"He is the only one I can take, but you can help," he responded, causing the Shounen Tantei's ears to all perk and they leaned forward, waiting to hear what they could do. Watari looked down at the window and gave a nod, turning back to the children.
"You children can help us by not speaking of this to anyone. This is a top secret mission, and if you tell it to anyone, our entire operation could be jeopardized. What you need to do is make sure no one is suspicious around school or in your neighborhood about Conan-kun's activities, he's going to be with us for a little while," Watari explained, obviously using exaggerated words like 'mission' and 'operation' to make the kids more willing to listen.
"Top secret!" Ayumi exclaimed quietly, excitement shining in her eyes.
"We will take care of explaining things to Mouri-san, so you four won't need to worry about that. Just tell your friends at school that Conan-kun is with his parents for a while, and will come back soon," he explained further. Conan was silent this entire time, busy wondering what L could possibly need him for so urgently that he would take him away from his entire life. Was it the BO? Or was it something else? It was obviously urgent, so as Watari opened the car door for him and he was scooting himself inside, seating himself next to the crouching form of L, he did not protest or say a word.
The rest of the Shounen Tantei wished him good luck, and with determination in their eyes, they ran off down the street in the direction of their school. Haibara held back, looking at Conan in the eye, some sort of message hidden behind the scientist's eyes, before she walked off hesistantly, moving down the road after the children at a leisurely pace.
As the car door closed and Watari stepped in behind the wheel, Conan turned his gaze to L, who was now sucking on a lollipop and finally felt safe to ask the questions he really wanted to have answered.
"Why do you need me?" he asked bluntly. L didn't meet his gaze and continued sucking on the lolli, and it took quite a few moments before he finally removed the sweet from his mouth and answered, face as blank as ever.
"The BO is moving, and it's not looking good." This simple answer made Conan's face pale. He remembered L saying that he would keep on the look out for him, but he never expected that he'd make any progress. His words made Conan nervous. What kind of movement would make the great detective L worry enough to personally pick him up off the street and take him from his life? He wanted to ask, right then and there, but he also was hesitant, not wanting to know.
As it turned out, he didn't need to ask. L continued without needing to be provoked.
"A man named Gin, I believe you are familiar with him?" he asked, obviously seeing the sudden tensing in Conan's expression and shoulders.
"Yes," Conan answered quietly, waiting for L to continue.
"Apparently he has found some reason to suspect you as Conan, he has painted a target on you. Hopefully taking you away now will keep him from doing anything to the Mouri's sheltering you, but if not… I don't have any way to protect your loved ones, Conan-kun," L said, his voice never wavering, even in the small moment of hesitance. Conan's face blanched, but he picked up on the note in the end of L's sentence.
"I may have someone who can keep watch over them, for the time being. But they're busy trying to catch the BO too, I don't know how much I can ask of them."
"Ask them. I will try my best to keep looking into them, but I am quite busy at the moment. I have taken on the Kira case as well," L said. Conan's eyes immediately widened.
"You took on the Kira case? Where have I been? Has anything been aired on the news about it?"
"Indeed. Quite a fuss was made recently, in fact. I would have thought you had already been aware of my involvement." Conan wanted to smack himself. How hadn't he known?
"Agh! I haven't been watching the news at all lately! The Shounen Tantei have been busy dragging me from here to there. I mean, we've talked about Kira, but nothing's come up about you working the case," he explained, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"You do not need to beat yourself up for not being aware. You must be informed, however, that there is a task force working with me. They will question your presence. You must be prepared ahead of time if you wish to make excuses. I will try my best to convince them I have a valid reason, but they are still wary of me as well." Conan nodded, a bit nervous now, but mentally preparing himself.
"I think I've got a pretty good poker face nowadays," he responded with a grin, just as they pulled up in front of a hotel.
"Then perhaps you should put it on now, we have arrived," L said, before stepping out of the black car. Conan sighed, rubbing his temples before hopping out behind the awkward detective.
Yeah, it's kinda short, I know. But it's better than last time! Hah. More plot to come!