A/N: this chapter was created from an ask one of my followers on AO3 and Tumblr sent to my Tumblr Ask Box. Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: How I Met Your Mother (And How I Met Your Father)

Bonding Arc

Chapter Seven: Kyoko's First Cyber Investigation!

Present Day

"So who did you bond with next, Mommy?"

"Well, to explain that, I must first explain the circumstances that led me to interact with them. You see, I was in a meeting at the Police Station when I was assigned a case…"

XXX

May 23, 2014

"Ten Million Yen?"

The Chief nodded, confirming "That's right. Ten Million Yen was stolen from the local bank last night, but we haven't found any signs of breaking and entering, no fingerprints, no locks being picked, nothing. We think this might have been done electronically."

"I see. So you think the culprit might have transferred the money to another account without actually entering the building?"

Nodding, the Chief replied "Yes. I know that your specialty is murder cases and not robbery or cyber cases, but all of our other Detectives have their hands full with other cases."

"So since I'm the only inactive Detective at the moment, you're asking me to take this on, correct?" Seeing the Chief nod, Kyoko closed her eyes, a momentary silence passing between the participants before Kyoko opened her eyes again and declared "I'll do it."

Looking at her appreciatively, the Chief praised "As expected from the Ultimate Detective. Good luck, Kirigiri-chan."

With that, the meeting concluded and Kyoko went back to campus to get a good night's sleep, determined to tackle this case with a refreshed mind.

XXX

Present Day

"And you solved the case in record time, right Mommy? Mommy can solve anything!"

Giggling at her daughter's enthusiasm, Kyoko replied "Actually Kiki, I had a rather tough time with it. It was the first case I was legitimately stumped on, and I didn't exactly take to running into a brick wall very well…"

XXX

May 24, 2014

Kyoko slammed her head against her desk, frustrated by her lack of progress. She was indeed a prodigy among Detectives, and her title combined with her pride as a Kirigiri ensured that she took on every case that was assigned to her. However, she specialized in cases that involved physical, tangible evidence. As such, this was her first case involving cybercrime, and the lack of physical evidence made her feel out of her element.

She was currently in her room, staring at her laptop as she tried to google some of the relevant terminology, only for her frustration to increase as things just weren't clicking.

"Bot? Cookie? Phishing? What do these even mean? And who came up with this lingo anyway?"

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down and came to a realization; she needed help. The old Kyoko would have insisted on pain of death of doing things by herself, insisting that partners would only slow her down. But this was the new Kyoko, one who acknowledged that there was strength in bonding with people and seeking out help. A lesson she would never have learned were it not for Makoto.

"Unfortunately, he's probably not going to be what I need right now. I need someone who can teach me the theory of cybercrime so I can apply it to this case. Let's see…I could try Taka…but he only studies what's taught in school, so he may not possess the knowledge I need. Togami-kun runs a conglomerate; he might know something about how a company uses cyber technology…no, he's more the kind to give orders, not offer help…"

Kyoko mulled over her options until a light bulb flashed in her head and she came to a realization.

"Fujisaki-san! She's the Ultimate Programmer, so surely she knows something about cdyber crime and hacking. It's worth a shot…"

Her path clear, the Ultimate Detective stood up, closing her laptop and exiting her room.

XXX

*Ding, Dong*

Before long, the door opened to reveal the petite Chihiro Fujisaki, a surprised and somewhat nervous expression on her face.

"Oh! Kirigiri-san. Can I…help you?"

Nodding Kyoko explained "Yes; I'm working on a case and I require your assistance."

At those words, Chihiro blanched, turning as pale as a ghost as she stammered "A ca…case? With…mu…murders? But I'm…I'm totally useless! I'm not str…strong at all! I'd just drag…drag you down!"

"Fujisaki-san, I think you might have the…"

Closing her eyes, Chihiro started to cry, apologizing, "I…I'm sorry…" before gently closing the door in Kyoko's face.

…Well, that didn't go well. I didn't even get to tell her what I needed her help for. Although…I guess my line of work can be a little intimidating to the uninitiated… She reflected, looking back on her request for Makoto's help in April. I may need his help to clear things up…

XXX

May 25, 2014

*Knock, Knock*

Chihiro opened the door, smiling as she greeted "Oh, Makoto!" Looking at who was next to him, she asked with confusion "And…Kirigiri-san?"

Nodding, Makoto explained "Kyoko said that she needed your help with a case…"

Her eyes widening in fear, Chihiro retorted "But…I already told her I'd be useless at investigating murder scenes…"

"Chihiro…" Makoto soothed, the sound of his voice making the Ultimate Programmer relax as he explained "Kyoko's not gonna make you accompany her to a crime scene. This case isn't even a murder case at all."

"It…it's not?"

Nodding, Kyoko took over and explained "A couple days ago, there was a bank robbery that my higher-ups believe was committed via electronic transmission. I was asked to investigate, but my experience with computers is minimal, and my experience with hacking is zero. I need someone to explain the theory of hacking to me so I can conduct my investigation."

Her eyes widening in realization, she asked "You mean…someone as talented as you…doesn't know much about computers?"

Nodding, Kyoko admitted "Until fairly recently, my grandfather didn't even permit me to own a cell phone."

Nodding in understanding, Chihiro replied "Oh, I see. In that case…" Chihiro had a rare, determined expression as she vowed "Then…I'm gonna do my best!"

Opening the door fully, she gestured for them to come inside, Makoto smiling and Kyoko nodding in gratitude as they came in, Makoto closing the door gently behind them. Chihiro pulled up a spare chair, booting up her laptop as Kyoko took a seat, Makoto standing behind them watching the two work.

Kyoko looked at the main screen, trying to analyze the layout until her eyes settled on an icon, reading "Alter…"

Immediately, Chihiro turned her laptop out of view and yelled "DON'T!" Kyoko flinched in surprise, making Chihiro look down in guilt as she apologized "Sorry…that icon is just related to an NDA I signed with a company, so I can't let anyone know about it right now. Let me just get a web browser up and we can continue."

Nodding, Kyoko averted her gaze until Chihiro nodded, turning the screen back into Kyoko's line of sight.

"Okay, so this case involved an electronic robbery?"

Nodding, Kyoko explained "Yes, we believe that the culprit was able to withdraw the money remotely. So how would someone transfer money remotely?"

Nodding to signal her comprehension, Chihiro explained "Well…they probably were able to hack into the bank's central computer that stores all the account information. Once they got in, it's really just a matter of programming a transfer to a separate account."

Nodding, Kyoko asked "Okay, so how do they get in the computer?"

"Well, there's two likely paths. The first would be that they got the credentials from someone who already has clearance."

Nodding, Kyoko mused "So, there's a chance that the culprit could have been at the bank, then pocketed the information from an employee?"

Thinking for a moment, Chihiro answered "It's possible…they could have phished for it." Seeing Kyoko's confused stare, Chihiro explained "Phishing means that they could have sent an e-mail pretending to be someone the user knows and tried to get them to disclose the credentials."

"Okay…and what's the second path?"

"They could have found a back door…a way around needing the credentials, then accessed the central computer. It would require a specific hacking software, though."

Nodding, Kyoko asked "And are there multiple varieties of hacking software."

"Yes, hacking has become something of its own industry. I can give you a list of popular ones so you know what to look for."

"…Thank you. Is there any way to track them after they hack in?"

"Hmm…" Chihiro thought long and hard before answering "Well, if it was accessed remotely, then they probably left their IP address. It's a string of numbers that basically acts as a computer's ID. Once you have that, you could use a GPS to track where it was being used."

Nodding, Kyoko thanked her "Thank you, Fujisaki-san. You've been a great help." Getting up, she continued "Excuse me, but I need some time to digest all of this information."

"Oh, okay. Good night, Kirigiri-san."

Nodding, she dismissed her "Goodbye."

"Thanks again for helping!" Makoto called out before following Kyoko outside.

XXX

May 31, 2014

"Fujisaki-san."

Chihiro looked up from the dining table to see Kyoko looking down at him, asking "A moment of your time?"

Nodding meekly, Chihiro followed Kyoko to the table where she and Makoto usually occupied. Kyoko gestured for Chihiro to sit down. Obeying, the Ultimate Programmer took her seat across from Kyoko, squirming in her seat as though she had just earned a trip to the Headmaster's office.

"Ano…Kirigiri-san…is everything…"

"I'm not upset with you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Y…you're not?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko explained "On the contrary, I've come to express my gratitude." At Chihiro's incredulous stare, Kyoko continued "Your instruction came in very handy. We were able to track down the culprit's IP address to an Internet Café. From there the manager was able to give us the name of the person who occupied it at the time of the transaction. Congratulations, Fujisaki-san; you helped put away a criminal."

Chihiro sat there in disbelief; never in a million years did she imagine her talents would lead to this. If you had asked her what her future entailed, she would have been more likely to say programming video games, or computer applications, or advancing A.I.

"You mean…My talents…were that beneficial?" Seeing Kyoko nod, Chihiro beamed, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear as she squealed "YAY!"

Seeing the normally nervous and shy Chihiro so happy warmed Kyoko's heart, a warmth she realized was not so different from the optimism she felt from Makoto's aura.

She's…genuinely pleasant to be around…and we have some common ground, so… Clearing her throat, Kyoko offered "Chihiro, if you don't mind…I wouldn't mind if you would teach me more of what you know about the theory and applications of computer hacking. My boss is already talking about putting me on more cybercrime cases, so some additional education in your field could really benefit my abilities as a Detective."

Gasping, Chihiro asked "You mean…you want to learn more…about what I do?" Seeing Kyoko nod, Chihiro leapt out of her seat and bounced up and down, giving off the impression of a cute bunny rabbit as she squealed "YAY! Thank you! Don't worry, Kyoko. I'll be sure to do my best! I'll teach you as much as I know! Oh, I've got to come up with lesson plans! See you in class, Kyoko!"

"Fujisaki-san, no running!"

Kyoko watched as Chihiro ran back to her dorm, tailed by Taka who was trying to lecture her for not walking more leisurely. Kyoko chuckled at her antics as Makoto finally walked in, as though tagging in with Chihiro.

Taking is seat, Makoto remarked "Chihiro sure seems happy; did something happen?"

Nodding, Kyoko replied "Her instructions helped to solve my case. I realized that I still have much to learn about cybercrime, so I asked if she wouldn't mind teaching me more about programming and hacking."

Smiling, Makoto praised "That's great! You're really connecting with people on your own now, Kyoko."

"…I suppose I am…" Kyoko mused. "Still, the fact that we have some common ground is probably more coincidental than anything else. And it wouldn't have happened at all if you hadn't eased Chihiro's nerves."

"Come on, give yourself a little more credit Kyoko. You did all the hard work; I just gave a little…nudge, that's all."

Chuckling, Kyoko admitted "I suppose it is getting easier with each classmate."

"Plus you're smiling more; that's real progress, Kyoko!"

Barely hiding a blush, Kyoko averted her gaze, protesting "You don't have to exaggerate so much."

Seeing that she was trying to hide her flustered state, Makoto took pity on her and dropped his compliments before things got out of hand.

Standing up, Kyoko offered "I'm going to grab some lunch. Care to join me?"

Nodding, Makoto followed the Detective as they went to grab some grub, both pleased with how her interactions with Chihiro had turned out.

XXX

Present Day

"Chihiro sounds really cool, Mommy! Just one question…what's hacking?"

Makoto turned to face his daughter, informing her "It's something you're a little too young to grasp just yet, Kiki. Once you enter middle school, we'll tell you what it is."

"But that's so looonnngggg!"

Chuckling, Kyoko ruffled Kiki's hair, encouraging her "Be patient, sweetie. Treasure your childhood; it'll be gone before you know it!"

"…Okay…" Kiki groaned, her parents smiling at her pout.

It was then that Kyoko announced "Okay, Kiki; time for bed."

Once Kiki had nestled into her pillow, her parents brought the blanket up to her chin, tucking her in before kissing her good night.

"Good night, Kiki. We love you."

*Yawn* "…You too."

Makoto and Kyoko smiled at the sight of their snoring daughter, reluctantly turning away to sleep in their own bed.