"Ahh…" our heroine yawns.

"Neesan, are you sure you wanted me to wake you up this early?" concerned, our heroine's little sister asks her.

"Hm?" our heroine looks at the clock, "Yep, one hour before…ahh…you normally wake up is fine…"

"But…you seem really tired…" our heroine's little sister is still very concerned.

"It's okay…ahh…" our heroine yawns again then gets up, "Okay, I'll just go to school now…"

"I-Ittarashai…" our heroine's little sister greets her.

"It…ahh…tekimasu…" our heroine takes her two bags and leaves.

SukuRan and Sherlock Holmes are not mine, as always…
References to several of Sherlock Holmes adventures will appear in the following chapters!

#3 Detective Council

(Before School)

A day after the museum field trip, a tired Tenma makes her way to school to make an early start on her investigation…and her costume in a plastic bag.

Upon reaching the school, she is greeted by Akira…wearing a moustache, a hat, and a big black coat, "Ohayou, Sherlock Holmes."

Tenma yelps, "Aki— no, Watson! Is that you?!"

"Yes, I am," Akira replies.

"Ahem, my dear Watson, where shall we be going today?" Tenma gets into character. Apparently, her tiredness was replaced with excitement.

"First, you must get into your signature look, Master Holmes," Akira explains.

"Ah! Right!" Tenma responds. With that, Tenma takes out the huge coat and dons it, along with the deerstalker cap. She takes the magnifying glass and (bubble) calabash pipe and hides them in one of the pockets of the coat. Tenma then turns to Akira, "How do I look?"

"Like you're ready to solve the case of the speckled band," Akira replies.

Tenma makes a hero pose, "Okay! I, Sherlock Holmes, will now— um…"

"We must first enlist the aid of the Conan Council," Akira explains.

"Uh, right! Lead the way, Sir Watson!" Tenma is already giggling.

"Yes, Master Holmes," Akira replies as she turns to lead Tenma to the club room of the Conan Council.

"This is so cool!" Tenma squeals with excitement.

Once outside the club room, Tenma knocks on the door to show some respect to those who are inside.

"Come in!" a voice from inside the room calls.

"Ah, let's go, Sir Watson!" Tenma opens the door and enters the club room.

Inside, they find two people apparently killing time before class starts.

Although the clubroom is a little small, it has quite a number of bookcases and, surprisingly, well kept…as in, the books are shelved neatly and apparently arranged by date. In the center of the room lies an old rectangular wooden table, fully wood-polished. On it are several text books and multiple sheets of paper. Seven office chairs are neatly arranged to the wooden table. The only chair of notice is the old wooden rocking chair, fully wood-polished, as well.

"Anything I can do for you two— Huh?!" one of the members of the club seems surprised. (Well, duh. How'd you react to see a girl of Tenma's height dressed as Sherlock Holmes and a girl dressed up as Watson, including the moustache?) From his appearance, he's a senior from a different section. His natural red hair is long enough to pass his chin and is parted from the middle. His green eyes emanate a sense of sorrow. As far as the rest of his appearance goes, he's apparently not just Japanese.

"Adel-kun, this manga is really interesting…but I'll take mahou-shojou over this every time!" the girl sitting on the rocking chair comments to the member about the manga, a Detective Conan, she's reading.

"Mai, I don't know why the chairman even allows you hang out here, when you're not going to join. Besides, I think I've got new recruits," Adel points to Tenma and Akira.

"Yeah, and I'll need your help to solve a case!" Tenma spontaneously yells.

"Oh…and the get up?" Adel points at Tenma's and Akira's attires.

"I'm Sherlock Holmes!" Tenma squeals.

"I am Watson," Akira states.

Adel sighs then teases, "Okay, Sherlock, why would a great detective like you need the assistance of us— amateur detectives?"

"Uh…" Tenma tries to think.

"We require all the help we can get to solve this case!" Akira states, saving Tenma the pressure of having to think of a reason.

Adel scoffs, "Okay…Well, I don't think I have—"

"We'll take it!!" Mai yells spontaneously.

"WH-WHAT!?" Adel yells from having heard that.

"Thank you so much…uh…" Tenma tries to remember her name.

"Tsukamoto-chan, it's me— Otsuka Mai…from last year! Did you forget?!" Mai scolds Tenma.

"Uh…Who are you?" Tenma has apparently forgotten.

"How could you forget? I've been class representative for ten straight years!" Mai yells, "Although…I'm not in your class this year. I'm in class 3-E!"

"Ah! Sorry about that, Otsuka-chan," Tenma sighs, although showing semi-obvious signs that she doesn't really remember.

"'Tsokay. So, what's the case?" Mai sounds excited.

Tenma begins to explain, "Well, you see—"

"Ch-Chotto matte!" Adel cuts in, "Mai, you're not even part of the club!"

"So, what? My skills obtained from that manga will help me!" Mai boasts.

"Dream on…" Adel could only comment, "I think I should introduce myself—"

"My name is Adelheid Ignitz. My mother is Japanese, and my father is German…and from class 3-E," Adel introduces himself.

"I'm Tsukamoto Tenma from class 3-D," Tenma introduces herself then gestures them to Akira, "and this is Takano Akira. She's my classmate and one of my best friends!"

"Huh?" Adel looks puzzled, "Tsukamoto-chan, you're a senior?"

"Yeah, why?" Tenma asks cutely.

"You're too short to be a senior…!" Adel snickers.

"Huh?! That's mean!" Tenma yells in reaction.

"Adel-kun, that is mean!" Mai remarks.

"What? I'm just saying!" Adel snickers again.

"Big fat meanie! You think you're so big, because you're taller than I am!" Tenma yells.

Adel just yawns then replies, "Yeah, you're right. I think a lot bigger than you, because I'm taller than you!"

"Huh?!" Tenma yells, "MEANIE!!"

"Adel-kun…" Mai slaps her forehead then sighs, "Okay, Adel-kun, maybe we should focus on the case now."

"Okay…we'll start helping you at lunch, okay, Little Tsukamoto-chan," Adel pats Tenma's head.

"Cut it out!" Tenma shoves Adel's hand away and, in doing so, makes her deerstalker cap fall to the floor, "Meanie!"

"Adel-kun…" Mai says sinisterly.

"Yeah?" Adel turns to her.

"CUT IT OUT!!" Mai takes a giant paper fan (from hammerspace) and slams it to the back of Adel's head…knocking him down to the ground.

"Oh, yeah! Now I really remember you, Otsuka-chan!" Tenma acts her usually way.

"You remembered me for hitting somebody?! How mean is that!?" Mai sounds discouraged.

"I guess…you do have violent tendencies sometimes…" Adel gets up, as if the hit only unbalanced him, but not hurt him.

"…So, what's the case, Tsukamoto-chan?" Mai picks up the deerstalker cap, as she asks Tenma.

"I need to find the culprit of the rumor that has been spreading!" Tenma proclaims.

"Ah," upon hearing that Adel flinches a bit.

"Which rumor? There have been many rumors going around the school," Mai asks Tenma.

Adel makes a sigh of relief.

"About my friend Yamazaki Keiichi," Tenma replies to Mai.

"Ch!" Adel finches again and begins to perspire a bit.

Mai thinks for a while then replies, "Oh, you mean the rumor about him being a two-timer and trying to get girls alone and—"

"Yep!" Tenma cutely answers before Mai finishes.

"Ch," Adel turns away and appears to be in deep thought then gets an idea, "I'll take the case!"

"Really?!" Tenma is ecstatic, "Akira-chan isn't that nice!"

"Yeah, it isn't…" Akira replies.

"So, when will we start the investigation?" Tenma asks Adel.

"As I said before, we'll start at lunch…We'll find your culprit in no time!" Adel sounds proud.

"Yay!" Tenma is ecstatic again.

"Act more like Sherlock Holmes, Tsukamoto-chan," Mai tries to correct her.

"Oh! Um…Of course, we must remain calm in these situations. As I will find the culprit…" Tenma ends by blowing bubbles out of her fake calabash pipe.

"…Okay…" Adel stares at Tenma's antics.

(Afternoon Break)

"Okay, you may take your afternoon break now," Kazenaka-sensei says before leaving the classroom.

Amidst the students' chatter, Keiichi takes his bentou from out of his bag, "I should ask Tenma about the museum field trip!"

Upon taking his bentou out, he turns to Tenma…or rather, where Tenma was, "T-Tenma?"

Actually, Tenma and Akira had disappeared to the Conan Council club room.

"Okay, Watson, we will now get Otsuka-chan and Adel-kun to help us with the case!" Tenma (in her Sherlock Holmes outfit) marches towards the club room.

"…I do not think that they would be as willing as you to sacrifice their afternoon break for this case," Akira (in her Watson outfit) explains.

"Nonsense! A case is more important to detectives than anything else!" Tenma explains.

Akira just stays her silent self.

Upon reaching the club room, Tenma barges in, "Okay, continuing with…the…case— What are you guys doing?!"

"…Eating," Mai replies as she takes another bite of her Taco-san Wieners (hotdogs that look kinda like octopus due to the way they are cut).

"…Combing my hair…up to 500 strokes," Adel replies.

"Wa, I thought you guys would help me with the case!" Tenma whines.

"After I finish eating, Tsukamoto-chan," Mai continues eating after having said that.

"My beauty is more important than any case!" Adel explains.

"…Next thing you know, you're going to be splashing make-up all over yourself!" Tenma yells, "Come on! We have to finish the case before summer!"

"It'll be fine!" Mai assures Tenma, "We have lots of time!"

"…Aki— no, I mean, Sir Watson, please explain to the importance of this case!" Tenma whines to Akira.

"Sherlock Holmes is supposed to be a master of convincing people…" Akira replies.

"I am?" Tenma thinks for a while, "I mean, of course I am!"

"So, master sleuth, are you really going to try to convince us? Emphasis on the 'try'!" Adel says rhetorically.

"Yes…and what was that?" Tenma is a little confused about what Adel said in English.

"Oh, nothing. 228, 229, 230…" Adel responds, as he continues combing his hair.

"Okay! Otsuka-chan, you really, really, really, really have to help me now! I don't know how much time we're gonna lose, if we eat now!" Tenma begs and hugs Mai's leg.

"Alright! Alright! I'll help now! Now let go of my leg!" Mai tries to shake Tenma off.

"Okay, I'm still here combing…only 363 more strokes!" Adel sighs.

"Um, are you sure that it's 365 strokes?" Tenma asks.

"I said 363 strokes," Adel explains.

"I'm sure you said 362 strokes!" Tenma replies.

"No, I said 365 strokes!" Adel yells, "…no, wait! It's…I lost count!"

"Great! Now that you have to start over, you'll have to come with us now!" Tenma takes Adel's arm.

"What sense does that make?!" Adel yells.

"Okay! Ikuyo!" Mai, wearing a yellow hat and a yellow trench coat, yells.

Adel is completely dumbfound, "Who are you? Dick Tracy…?"

Mai just giggles and replies, "A mix of him and Conan's false personality!"

"No time to waste!" Tenma yells, pulling on Adel's arm.

"Cho-Chotto matte!" Adel tries to struggle but somehow does get pulled. (Which is really pathetic considering Tenma's physical prowess, which is close to zero.)

Outside the club room, the quartet of amateur detectives makes their way to Class 3-F, where the first possible lead is.

"Okay, we have something to ask!" Tenma yells through the open door.

The entire class, full of students, just freezes due to the number of weird people that just entered their classroom.

Tenma yells again, "We are investigating—"

"I did it!" a normal guy yells, "I didn't mean for anybody to get hurt!"

Tenma grins a little; Akira is emotionless; Adel is a little shocked; and Mai is already cheering.

"I just wanted to get back at Doi-sensei for giving me low grades! It was all his fault!" the guy falls to his knees.

Upon hearing that, Mai interrupts him, "You do know that we're investigating a rumor, right?"

"Oh? You were?" the guy recomposes himself, "Well, forget I said anything, okay? I was just kidding…heheh…"

"O…kay…" Adel raises an eyebrow.

"I should have known that this case would be more difficult to solve!" Tenma says to herself.

"Anyway…we're looking for information about the origin of that rumor about Yamazaki Keiichi!" Mai explains.

After a few minutes of the class talking amongst themselves, one student steps forward and explains, "The first one to hear of that rumor said that she heard that rumor from 3-B."

"Thank you for your assistance," Tenma sighs and blows bubbles out of her bubble pipe.

Within minutes, Tenma and the other amateur detectives leave the room and return to the clubroom.

"I can't believe just one bit of information took that long…" Adel sighs.

"Well, that's life— detective life," Mai takes her hat and trench coat off.

"We'll come back after class, okay?" Tenma, taking off her coat and revealing her seifuku, reminds them, "So, don't leave, okay?"

"We won't!" Mai and Adel say simultaneously…Mai having the excited and hyperactive voice and Adel having the monotonous and uninterested voice.

"Okay, Akira-chan, let's go before we're late for our next class!" Tenma takes her bag, containing her Sherlock Holmes outfit, and leaves.

"Okay…" Akira, in her seifuku, leaves with the briefcase containing her Watson outfit.

(After School)

After classes are over, the students have cleaning duty, and that goes for at least half of the class…including Tenma and Akira, who have apparently abandoned the duty for the day…

"I can't believe that I stayed for cleaning duty again…but Tenma-chan's not here…" Kenji sighs as he wipes the chalkboard clean.

Where Tenma is…should be obvious…the Conan Council clubroom. Tenma, Akira, and Mai, all in their costumes, are with Adel, doing their first post-school hours discussion of the case.

"Okay…this is the information we have collected so far…" Adel takes out a folder.

"Okay," Tenma takes the folder and checks the contents and finds that the information is printed on to the paper, "Wow! Adel-kun, when did you print this?"

"I left my classroom early to do it," Adel leans back on his chair, relaxing.

"Wow! You're so fast! Adel-kun wa sugoi!" Tenma is amazed.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Adel ends with a chuckle.

"Anyway…" Mai snatches the folder out from Tenma's hands, "here's the info! Okay, our first lead was gained from Tenma's eavesdropping—"

"Right!" Tenma quickly gets up and exclaims…then she thought about the words Mai used, "Hey! I overheard!"

"Oh, sorry, Tsukamoto-chan!" Mai apologizes.

"That's basically the same thing…!" Adel scoffs.

"No, it's not!" Tenma retorts, "'Eavesdropping' is—"

"Enough with this nonsense!" Adel shouts, causing Tenma to quietly take her seat, "Just get on with it, Mai!"

"Okay…" Mai stares at Adel.

"You don't have to shout, Adel-kun…" Tenma comments.

"Ch," Adel scoffs. After which, he takes a comb from his pocket and starts combing his hair.

"Well, that led us to Class 3-F…" Mai continues, "From there, one of the students said that she first heard that rumor from Class 3-B…"

"So we shall continue our case there now!" Tenma punches the air above her.

Before Tenma rushes to the door, Akira grabs Tenma's coat, "Tenma…"

Tenma feels the tug and turns back to the rest of the group, "Huh? What?"

"Classes are dismissed…" Mai explains.

"There won't be anyone from that section to interrogate…now that they're all out of the classroom…" Adel sighs then continues counting his strokes, "47, 48, 49…"

"Oh…" Tenma, dumbfounded, recomposes herself, "How's about we start again tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Mai emphatically replies.

"Yeah, but in the afternoon…" Adel replies.

"Wh-Why?" Tenma asks cutely.

"Mai and I have a test tomorrow morning," Adel explains, "We'll have to cram…"

"Oh, okay…" Tenma sighs, "So, tomorrow afternoon, then!"

"Moron…" Adel says under his breath.

"Hidoi!!" Tenma whines.

Mai sighs, "Adel-kun, out of all the people I have met: in friendliness, you probably rank sixty-eight!"

Upon hearing that, Adel abruptly stops combing his hair, "Mai, you made me lose count!"

Tenma: Next time on School Rumble! Watson, Scotland Yards, and I, the great Sherlock Holmes, will continue our investigation!

Mai: Alright! Scotland Yards is ready for duty!

Adel: You do realize that Mai is NOT part of the Conan Council, right?

Tenma: Okay, then…how about Scotland Yards and a detective-in-training?

Adel: Better…

Akira: Next time…

#4 Independent Factions

Tenma: I still think Adel-kun looks suspicious!

Adel: Why don't you stop thinking?!

Random Notes:
Wow…Sorry for the long wait! I just got back from vacation to my birthplace! Yeah…and my uncle did not have a computer! Aside from that, I've had to prepare for my enrollment for my second year in college!
Anyway, sorry about that!
Also, sorry that it isn't as good as I was planning it to be. I'll keep trying, though!
I should have the next chapter up in about 8-10 days…Considering, I don't have loads of paperwork to do! Nonetheless, sorry for the delays.