Through the Lens

Chapter 2: Phone Frenzy

"Get Edogawa Conan-kun under police protection! Now!"

The Metropolitan Police erupted into a frenzy of activity at the orders. Shiratori-kun who had been the one to bring the fax pulled out his cell phone and dialed Conan-kun's teacher, Kobayashi Sumiko-sensei. Takagi-kun dialed Conan-kun directly, Satou-kun called Ran-kun, while Chiba-kun called Mouri-kun's cell. Megure-keibu, for his part, decided to call the detective agency, figuring Mouri-kun might be more likely to answer the landline if his mobile was upstairs.

The flurry and rush of activity began with the order and preciseness honed from years of experience and long hours working with each other. However, the urgency and worry came from the collective department's fondness for the young boy featured in the fax's picture, worry that something would befall the young sleuth who had, as the faxes described, helped out the department.

"Ran-san's phone says it's switched off!" Satou-kun replied angrily even as she dialed the number again.

"Conan-kun's too," Takagi-kun said forlornly. He began dialing another number, going on his instincts.

"Mouri-kun's cell is saying it's also switched off," Chiba-kun reported.

Megure-keibu let out a hushed curse as the landline kept ringing. He stuck his head from his doorway, barking orders to keep trying. Several other plainclothes detectives said that they had alerted the traffic department to keep an eye out for the child.

"Kobayashi-sensei says that the children left the school just a few minutes ago! She's going along their usual route to try and catch up with them now," Shiratori-kun informed them in a rush.

"Ah, Mitsuhiko-kun! Yes, yes, it's very important. Is Conan-kun with you right now? He's not? He just left? Where are you? It's very serious!" Takagi-kun's urgent voice rang with worry, carrying shrilly through the police department.

The sound of Ran answering on the landline almost startled Megure-keibu as his focus had been listening in on Takagi-kun's conversation.

"Ran-kun! Are you alright? No one is answering their phones. The Detective Agency's line has been ringing for ages too. Is everyone okay?...Yes? That's good. Is Conan-kun with you there?...What?...No, no...About five minutes," Megure-keibu had to pull the phone away from his ear as he heard Ran-kun yelling at her father for being a lazy, incompetent man. With a loud clack, clink, clank, Megure-keibu realized that there had been a subtle sound of a horse racing game in the background that had been (clearly) turned off by an irate Ran-kun.

"So sorry, Megure-keibu," Ran-kun apologized. "Is everything okay? What do you need Conan-kun for? He should be on his way home from school now."

"We were concerned as we couldn't get in touch with any of you over the phone."

"Well, the truth is, we ended up getting soaking wet last night – long story – all of our phone batteries are in rice right now."

"Rice?" Megure-keibu asked, confused. "Ah, no, no. I don't really need to know. I just need to know if you know where Conan-kun is. It's urgent."

"Is something wrong?" Ran-kun breathed, worried. The line time's up flittered through his mind, but as he didn't know what that meant for Conan-kun, he decided not to bring it up. Yet.

"It seems so. We need to find Conan-kun as soon as possible."

"What's the brat done now?" Mouri-san's slurred voice came from the background. For a moment, Megure-keibu hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let this piece of information come out over the phone in such an impersonal manner, but they needed to know.

"We think someone might be trying to hurt Conan-kun. There were threats sent to us in regards to him."

"What?!" both Mouri-san and Ran-kun screeched. "But his phone's here! We can't contact him!" Ran-kun added hysterically.

"Sir!" Shiratori reported in, cutting off Megure-keibu's conversation. "Kobayashi-sensei has met up with the other shounen-tantei-dan. Ai-chan was the last one to see him, but they can't get in contact with him."

"Mitsuhiko-kun and the other children have been trying to call him on their detective badges, but for some reason, Conan-kun isn't picking up," Takagi-kun added.

"Ai-chan says she saw him heading home along the usual route he travels when he leaves her, but they haven't been able to catch up with him. They're back tracking now to see if he wandered off somewhere," Satou-kun announced.

"Why are you all still here? We have a general idea of where he should be. Chiba! Satou! Takagi! Go look for him!" Megure-keibu bellowed.

"Hai!" his detectives chorused, each one jumping up and rushing out the door. Megure-keibu gave Ran-kun an update, telling her to stay put while the others looked for Conan just in case he came home and for Ran to contact them the moment he did.

Megure-keibu's attention was drawn from his phone conversation at the sudden gasp Shiratori-kun had let out.

"Shiratori-kun, any new news?" Megure-keibu wondered. Shiratori-kun 's face looked suddenly pale.

"They say they found him...he's...he's on the side of a building dangling from a window ledge!"

"What?! Get me that address! Let Takagi-kun and Satou-kun know!"

"Where is he?" Ran-kun demanded. Megure-keibu passed on the information, unsurprised but frustrated when she hung up the phone, clearly dashing to Conan-kun's side. Megure-keibu grabbed his jacket and adjusted his hat.

"Shiratori-kun, let's go!"

Next Chapter: Unforeseen Dangers


Let me know your thoughts. :) ~ Jelp