Hello everyone! I am so glad everyone likes this so far. Special thank you to Moon Luna Ninja, whose questions make me think about what I am writing and make the story better as I look at things from a new perspective. I was thinking about doing the movies, but farther along down the line, considering they won't be for a while. This chapter is episode 425.

I walk down the sidewalk after getting a bite to eat at a local ramen place for lunch. I was constantly alert under the facade of calmness. It was during a peaceful period. The crows had snuck back into hiding, leaving us with nothing to follow and at a standstill.

Jodie told me that Shiho had refused the offer to go into the Witness Protection Program. I am slightly confused by this action. Why would she stay in the same place after Vermouth already knows where she is? As a matter of fact, that info is actually what is making me so unsettled. Why hasn't Rotten Apple tried again to capture or kill Sherry? Sure, she is injured, but she could pass the information onto any other operative and Shiho would be dead, simple as that. Yet, there was no other suspicious movement around the girl's vicinity.

Jodie had told me all that had transpired that night. Apparently the Edogawa boy had disguised himself as Shiho, trying to keep the girl out of danger. I have to be grateful for at least trying to keep her out of trouble, although it seems Shiho isn't the type to be the damsel in distress, and she came anyway, shattering the boy's plan of keeping her safe. Points for trying, even though it didn't work.

Jodie had also asked what had happened after he had been taken by Vermouth. He didn't give details, just saying he woke up in the abandoned car and had called Agasa to pick him up, which I don't buy. He is hiding something.

How far was this boy in to investigating the organization? Was he even investigating, or was he just trying to protect Shiho? Jodie said that he fashioned himself as a detective, so maybe he was investigating, which is incredibly stupid. Sure they wouldn't expect a child to be following them, but on the other hand as a kid he didn't know what he was getting into. He was dangerous, in more than one way.

Jodie was currently following up on another lead, a woman by the name of Mizunashi Rena. She was a reporter for a well-known TV station, and was seen going frequently to visit Dr. Araide when Vermouth was disguised as him. Jodie was just checking to make sure she wasn't an agent, but that left me with nearly nothing to do. As much as I love not getting targeted and having to fight the organization, times like these made me feel like I was wasting valuable time, that while I was sitting here taking a leisurely stroll they could be assassinating, dealing with shady characters, and other nefarious deeds.

I blink as a drop hit my cheek. It was going to rain again. I ducked into a nearby alleyway that had an overhanging, just to stay for a little while. I was just about to call James when my phone started ringing. Why was Jodie calling me? Did the lead pan out?

"Jodie? What is it?"

"Shu, the announcer I was tailing is in fact part of the organization."

I leaned back against the wall, looking up at the sky as I feel a pang of excitement.

"Are we still following her?"

We need to be able to act to capture her if that was the case. Jodie answered quickly and I hear a muffled engine in the background, as well barely audible mumblings of people.

"Yes, apparently she is coordinating an assassination of Domon Yusuteru who is running for Shuugiin. We are going there now to try and stop it."

We can't act too carelessly, however if it is to save a life.

"Wait, I will be there shortly."

"There is one more thing Shu. Remember Edogawa Conan I told you about?"

…of course that guy is involved.

"Yes, what about him?"

"We are currently tracking Mizunashi Rena and hearing their plans by a transmitter and wireless tap that accidentally stuck to her shoe that was placed by him. This is our only connection to them right now as they keep giving us information, however if they find out about it…it could put more people in danger. The first suspect will be Mouri Kogoro, who was the last one in her apartment."

I internally face palm. Of course the boy did something like that. The boy probably didn't have gloves on either, so if they do find it they could easily find out who placed it by seeing the fingerprints.

"I see."

I hang up before letting Jodie explain further. I have a pretty good picture of what is going on. Mouri Kogoro was the detective that had risen to fame recently, with the daughter of Mouri Ran, and now kind of father to the boy. The first person they will look to would be him.

So Edogawa Conan was tied up in this, doing reckless things again. Was the boy stupid? Although, how was he to know that the woman was part of the organization. This was an accident for sure, but it only takes one mistake to get you killed.

No, stupid is not the word to describe the boy. Inexperienced was a better term. He was still young, way too young to be meddling in affairs such as this. Even things like chasing underground organizations take practice. He hasn't had too many experiences yet to learn from. He is good, but sometimes mistakes such as these act as a learning experience, if everything comes out all right and no blood is spilt. Agents only get experienced by being in the field for awhile, gaining valuable experiences and failures. I couldn't blame him for making a rookie mistake when I doubt he has chased down evil organizations in his free time. Nevertheless, I feel like I should help the boy out, not only because he was Jodie's favorite thing to talk about, but for also trying to protect Shiho.

Now, how was I going to remedy this situation? I can't let the organization find and kill an innocent man, and they might also get the connection between the boy and Shiho. I couldn't let that happen. What would be the easiest way to deal with the problem?

The thing about strategizing is to not only take a look at the big picture, but also to predict the enemy's movements. Gin is probably involved in this, and predicting him isn't too hard. He will want to cut off the source immediately, even cancelling the assassination of Domon if necessary; even if he has the slightest inkling the man was involved. He didn't like to take chances. he was meticulous and ruthless like that. So he would probably head over and try to kill him as soon as he finds the the thing, which doesn't leave me with a lot of time. Assassination means Chianti and Korn probably, sniping Domon from a different location. Instead of a face to face confrontation with Mouri Kogoro, they would probably take the sniping route.

What if I shifted the blame? They already know us FBI were here in Japan, well at least Vermouth did. If I could make it seem like the FBI used him as a trap for the black organization and set up an ambush outside the agency, the suspicion would fall off of the man and they would focus on the FBI. That could work, and that was definitely how Gin would think would happen. They would assume that we placed the mic and tracer, to lure them into killing Mouri Kogoro, and that he was completely unrelated to us. it would be a simple lure and trap, and the detective would be none the wiser.

I have to hurry. I don't know when they will find the transmitter and tap, so I have to get there as soon as I can. It is a quick trip back to my room as I ignore the rain coming down. I open my closet and pull out my sniper rifle bag. I assemble it quickly; checking to make sure everything is clean and in working order. i glance down the barrel and attach the scope, looking through it at the wall. it is straight and unbent. I place it back in the bag and make sure to pack plenty of ammunition. Perfect, now to go stake out the Mouri Detective agency and wait for the crows to fall into the trap.

A quick drive and a short walk and I am standing in front of the detective agency. It appears that both the man and his daughter are out, whether by coincidence or if Jodie managed to get them out of there for safety. I observe the upper window carefully from across the street. It is obvious that there is a desk and well used chair right by the window, perfect for a sniper. Although the problem would be this building here.

I shift my gaze to the building directly across the street from the agency. It is higher than the buildings around it, and it blocks the window mostly from a longer shot. If they were going to shoot him, it would be from this building. Sniping a sniper is just like strategizing, you find the perfect spot for you to shoot the target, and then you find the perfect sniping position for the first one. It is all about predicting. That was the good thing about snipers; we all think alike usually. the only differences are different spots based on ability.

It is easy to get on the opposite roof. I stare down into the room. Such a clear view; it would be a piece of cake to make such a shot, especially for snipers like Korn and Chianti. They may be good, however I am better. I take out my binoculars looking around at the buildings surrounding the area. It has to be a high enough angle for the shot to make it, and has to be a distance outside their range. There, a skyscraper about seven hundred meters away. I know for a fact the last time I fraternized with them, they couldn't shoot over 550, maybe they have improved, but i doubt it was that much, and this shot would not be that difficult for me.

A place where I could hit them as much as I want and they couldn't touch me back. Perfect. I pack up my binoculars and go back to my truck.

Fifteen minutes later has me on the roof of the high rise, waiting patiently as I survey the roof of that building. They would come I know, it is now just a matter of time. I can't be reckless either. The first priority would be to destroy the transmitter and wireless tap. Then I can hit them with as many bullets as I want. That is the first thing to destroy, because they would hide it if they knew I was aiming for it. I would have to wait for my chance.

I wonder how thwarting the assassination attempt is going. I don't know when it was supposed to happen; I just know that Gin will be here soon. My blood thrums in anticipation. It has been such a long time since I have seen my old partner and he has seen me. I can't wait to put a bullet in him. We have a simple understanding between us; we both want the other dead and are willing to do anything to make it so. I can't wait to see his look of surprise and loathing when he realizes that I am here.

It feels like hours later when I spot movement. Vodka is the first on the rooftop, looking around suspiciously before letting Korn and Chianti follow after. I lay down my binoculars and pick up my rifle. I lean against the wall, trying to stabilize myself as I sight down the scope at the rooftop. My breathing falls into a natural rhythm as I place my finger on the trigger and remove the safety. My body instinctively falls into sniper mode as I watch the rooftop carefully. Wait until I see the transmitter before I attack.

I stiffen only slightly before relaxing again when I see Gin come onto the scene. He is holding something, but I can't shoot it at the angle he is standing at. I bide my time. My chance will come.

Chianti and Korn take position by the railing. I can't do anything if they decide to shoot the man now. If I do there is no chance of destroying the transmitter.

Suddenly they all jumped and looked down into the street. Did something happen? Well it distracted them long enough for them not to take the shot. I wonder if it is Jodie trying to pull some strings, or the Edogawa boy. Ah crap, they are getting into position to snipe again. This was bad. They might kill the person who interfered as well as the detective. This was about to get real messy really fast.

Gin abruptly pulled out his Beretta, aiming it at Vermouth's head. Woah, wait a minute, why? Did she try to protect him perhaps? It is possible, since the man is close to both Angel and Cool Guy. I will probably never understand that woman's motives.

Gin puts the gun back in his pocket and draws out something tiny that he holds in between his fingers gently. That had to be the transmitter and wireless tap. I take in a deep breath, lining up the reticle in the scope. I exhale slowly and I squeeze the trigger in the same movement.

The bullet fires and I watch its progress with satisfaction as it decimates the small object that caused so much trouble. The bullet somehow misses Gin's fingers and dings off the railing in between Korn and Chianti. All of them jump in surprise and turn toward my general direction. I see Chianti look through her scope trying to find me and I chuckle a little at Vodka's stunned and disbelieving face. Yes, I can kill you, but you can't touch me. I had five of the crows like sitting ducks in the line of my fire.

Gin rips the sniper rifle out of Korn's hands. I smirk, waiting and lining up my own shot as he looks through the scope at me, scowling angrily at having his plans messed up. Our eyes meet for a half a second, and I see his eyes widen, his lips mouth my name. Yes Gin. It is me. I am back. I send the message with a second bullet. The smirk widens as it destroys the scope and slices neatly through Gin's cheek while Chianti attempts to shoot me in an act of futility.

We finally meet. My lovely, lovely archrival. Koibito-san.

Ignoring the bullet that imbeds in the concrete not a foot away from my elbow, I shoot twice more, seeing the bullets shoot Gin in the torso. Crap, it looks like he is wearing bulletproof gear. I don't aim for the others. My scope, my bullets, only belong in Gin in this moment. I don't need a lot, just enough to scare them off of the scent of Mouri Kogoro. I need to push them into leaving, not fighting back which could leave to civilian casualties. He staggers, and I see the smirk. Ah, he figured out what I wanted him to figure out. Good, my job here is done.

I see the five little crows hurry to flee the scene. I wait a few more seconds, making sure they truly left, before raising my rifle with a smile. Mission successful.

Why did James call me to this hospital? I slam my truck door shut and step toward the door. Jodie greeted me ecstatically.

"Shu, was that your sniping? Thank you."

I nod.

"Why are we here?"

James gestured inside.

"We have caught Mizunashi Rena, however there was an accident so she is now unconscious."

We caught a member of the organization? This I must see. I step ahead of them, toward the room that James indicated.

"Did you see the news this morning?"

James answered Jodie's question.

"Yeah, I heard Domon-san postponed running for the election this time."

"The reason is that they are suspicious that Domon-san's father, the former bureaucrat, committed adultery almost twenty years ago."

"The deal was that Nichiuri would get a special interview from Domon-san instead of letting this news get spread to the public, but it seems that Mizunashi Rena planned that on her own. The television station knew nothing about the deal."

Ah so that was how Mizunashi Rena met with such a person, such convenient blackmail material. The black organization could get information on anybody.

"Well, if they knew he was the type of person who easily give up running over such a tiny thing, then they wouldn't have gone through all that trouble."

Wait a minute, could Mizunashi Rena have wanted this to happen? Could she have leaked the information on purpose to make him back down without resulting in his death. No, it couldn't be. That was just a hypothesis, not only impossible to prove but also with no evidence to back it up. i shake the thought away. Jodie sighed regretfully.

"But those people, if only we had caught two or three of them."

I smirk.

"Then we could have shot their legs or something. It ended by just putting bullets in their bulletproof jackets. If I pushed it too much and the shooting broke out in the city, then there could have been victims from the public. Making them think the transmitter and wireless tap was planted by the FBI was the top priority right?"

Catching more than one would have been incredibly lucky. They know how to cover their traps and do everything possible to escape capture, even resorting to committing suicide. It's like trying to catch eels with your bare hands. The fact that we caught just one is a miracle all in itself.

"But…"

Jodie protested. I understand how she feels. I would love to have at least Vermouth and Gin behind bars; however Rome didn't fall in a day. Baby steps need to be taken first, chip away slowly at the block of marble. That's how masterpieces are created. We already have the first cut.

"The connection between them hasn't entirely been cut off."

I open the door the hospital room. One of our agents is lounging by the door, and a woman who must be Mizunashi Rena lies on the bed, comatose.

"There is no harm to her life."

"But she's not returning to consciousness yet."

That is fine. The longer she is unconscious the more we can set the trap for the crows who will come for her. They can't afford for her to spill their secrets and leave one of their own in enemy hands. They will come for her eventually. However the opposite is also true. The longer she is unconscious, she can't give us information and the more likely the organization will take her back with us gaining nothing.

"It seems we will have to wait for her to recover. The fact that she is hospitalized here is a secret."

James made an observation that I was toying with.

"But if an announcer disappears all of a sudden, then the TV station won't keep quiet about it."

Yes, it would be easier to explain if she wasn't seen by thousands of people. The television station would make it a story, which would be followed closely by the crows, and the probability of her being found quickly is high as the station, and police will search high and low for her. Jodie smiled as she walked over to the window, drawing back the curtain.

"Don't worry, that kid will take care of it smoothly."

I crane my neck to see Edogawa Conan, dialing a number into a cellphone.

"It's that boy again."

I keep running into him, at least when the organization was involved. Why was he going so far? Now that Shiho is kind of protected, he should stay out of the organization's way and not draw attention to them.

"Who is he?"

That was the real question. In all of my research of the kid, I have found next to nothing. There are no files, no birth certificates, nothing. He technically shouldn't exist. He is a walking and talking enigma, one that I want to learn more about. I haven't had the chance to talk with Jodie much, considering she has been undercover and dealing with other problems, but she has had more dealings with him. Jodie smiled fondly.

"A detective. My favorite detective."

I glance over at her.

"Why is he your favorite?"

She gave a small giggle.

"He reminds me a lot of you Shu."

I don't know whether to be offended or complimented. She continued.

"He is brilliant, and capable, able to see things that normal people wouldn't even think of. You should see him at a crime scene. It is quite entertaining to watch."

She turned toward me with a small smile.

"Did I tell you he investigated me? It was quite well done. He and his friend completely made a fool of me. I think he thought I was part of the organization, being a foreigner with a personality meant to drop people's guard. They managed to intimidate me from investigating him, and take the film of the camera I was using to snap a few photos. All in all he is very reliable."

I glance again toward the child.

"Except for today. He almost got in serious trouble."

Jodie snorted.

"If it wasn't for him Domon-san would be dead. He came up with the plan for me to shoot the sprinklers, so that Domon-san would raise his umbrella over his head and the snipers couldn't shoot him. He also figured out both assassination points when they were both in code. He is like a mini agent."

A mini agent huh? Well I can tell that both James and Jodie have taken a liking to this boy so he might be involved in future plans even if he is a child, and maybe soon I can see him work up close and personal. I hope so, so I can make my own opinion of the boy. So far my judgement has been based on faraway observations and other people telling me what he is like. It should be pretty interesting. In the meantime, I should investigate this Mizunashi Rena. Something about her bugs me.