Monitors surrounded the room Able was in, all turned to various News reports about the airport bombing.
Scattered on the floor around him were various reports from different agencies as well, also about the incident.
Able's eyes darted from file to file as he listened to the reports. Searching for something the investigators missed. Or for something Z had left for him to find.
He knew Z was good, and the only way that Able was going to get close to him was if Z decided to let him find him.
The door creaked open and Able turned to see Near walking in.
"Any progress Able?" Near asked.
"Not a damn thing," Able said, tossing the files he had into the pile, "And there's not going to be any until Z wants to continue. Except maybe one thing."
"And that is?"
"Z mentioned Coil and Danuve in his message. If we can find out something about them, where they were seen last or what case they might have been working on, then we might find something connecting them to Z."
"That does sound like one option," Near told him.
"It's the only option," Able responded as he bit on his thumb. Just one of the many habits he picked up from L along the way.
A red light began blinking on a console in the room, and Near went over, punching a button that switched one of the monitors to the camera positioned near the front door to the hotel they were using as their cover.
"Able, she showed up."
"Of course she did," he sighed, "I knew she was stubborn from the day I met her, but wanting to go up against Z? She must have a death wish."
"We're going up against him," Near reminded him.
"That's different, and you know it."
There was silence in the room till Able composed himself.
"Well then, let's see our guest's up here," He said as he left the room with Near.
Able and Near left the room and took the elevator down to the lobby of the head quarters, meeting Sera and Conan there.
"Why'd you bring the kid," Able questioned them.
Not that I wasn't expecting him though, Able thought as he narrowed his eyes at Conan, Just who are you, Conan Edogawa?
"He followed me here," Sera told them, "He wants to help in the case too, and he's smart enough to do it."
"Sera, it's nothing to get upset about," Conan said, trying to calm her down.
"Conan," Near spoke up, "Can I speak with you over here for a moment?"
"E-eh? Um, Okay," Conan answered, and walked away with Near, leaving Able and Sera alone in the lobby.
"Wait," Sera protested, "Conan!"
"It's Fine," Able spoke up, "Near's probably just telling him a few things about the case to see if he's up for this."
And probably trying to figure out a few things about him as well.
"Come on Able," Sera grumbled, "He was with us at the dinner, you know how smart he is and he can help with this case."
"I know he's smart, but this isn't some money grubbing girlfriend and her lover plotting a death. This is a lunatic whose willing to kill hundreds of people or more just to prove a point," Able told her, concern showing in his eyes.
Seeing Able now, the light shinning through the windows, Sera could see how tired he looked, compared to the two nights she'd seen him before. Sera looked at him, and the tension in her face slowly faded as she did, and she put a hand on his shoulder.
"Able," Sera spoke to him softly, "I'm going to work this case, no matter what, and something tells me Conan will too. But at least if we're working on it together, you can keep an eye on us. Right?"
"Fine," Able sighed, "We'll bring you in."
Sera smiled, and soon Able did too.
"You're such a pain, you know that Sera?"
"Who are you Conan?" Near asked the young boy.
Near had taken Conan and stepped around a corner, leaving them out of ear shot of Able and Sera.
"W-What do you mean," Conan stuttered as Near stared him down, "My name is Conan, i'm a friend of Sera's."
"That's who you are now anyways," Near continued to stare, playing with his hair as he spoke, "But I want to know who you are Conan Edogawa. You're not a normal child."
Crap, how has he figured me out already? Conan thought to himself.
"I'll convince Able to let you help with this case," Near told him, "but I should let you know now Conan, I'll find out the truth, and the only variable is rather you tell me now, or if I find it on my own."
With that, Near went to go back around the corner to the lobby, leaving Conan standing in shock with a choice on rather to give up his secret now, or roll the dice by letting Near investigate him.
I can't just tell him who I am. Hell for all I know these two could be working for the organization. They seem well enough connected. Haibara would know for sure though, but can I risk exposing her to them?
Everyone re-grouped in the Lobby, and Near and Able led Conan, who was keeping a wearily eye on Near, and Sera to the Elevator, taking them to the base of operations on the upper floor of the building.
Able opened the door to the room he was in earlier, the monitors still showing different news channels reports on the bombing, and the documents still littered the floor where he was looking for any clue he could find.
"What a messy room," Conan said, his fake childishness coming through.
"Don't move anything without permission," Able grumbled, "Just cause it looks messy to you doesn't mean it is too me."
Able was more of an Organized Chaos kind of person. Even if the room looked like a hurricane came in and threw all the papers around, Able knew where everything he wanted was, because he was the one who put it there.
Near went and sat amongst the files, beginning to search through them, while Able turned to Conan and Sera, ready to address them on the case at hand.
"All right you two, listen up. The man we're searching for is known only as Z."
"Z," Sera questioned, "That's all?"
"Z was an orphan at a place called Wammy House," Able continued, seemingly ignoring Sera's question, "He was one of the candidates there to take over for the detective known as L."
"L," This time it was Conan's turn, "I've heard rumors about him. Isn't he some world famous detective?"
"Yeah," Sera spoke up as well," I remember my older brother mentioning him once before. He's supposedly a genius and the worlds greatest detective, but he always acts through a proxy. No one knows who he really is."
"Was," Able interrupted the two of them, "L is dead."
"What?" Conan and Sera shouted in unison.
"L died during the Kira investigation. Near here is his successor."
"Though that was your title once upon a time," Near spoke, not looking away from his papers.
"N-no way," Sera stammered, looking at the two boys speaking so nonchalantly about the situation, "That legendary detective is dead, and this kid is what? His replacement? Something that you were too?"
"Pretty much," Able told her, "Though I don't really care for the world replacement. Every child at Wammy house was taking in because they had the potential to be L's successor. This includes Z as well."
Conan and Sera stood in the room, awe struck. Not only was the person they're up against an insane, psychopathic lunatic, but he was also in line to be the worlds greatest detective, and now they're up against him alongside two more people from that same world.
Sera and Conan shared a glance with each other before looking back at Able and Near who stared back, to emotion being expressed on either of their faces.
"So, after hearing all of this, after knowing you're up against someone who is in league with a legendary detective, do you still want to get involved?" Able asked them.
There was silence in the room for a few short minutes, minutes that seemed to drag on and on, before Conan and Sera looked to one another and nodded. They turned to face the two detectives, and with determination showing in their eyes they answered them.
"Yeah, we do."
