"Ah, i'm sorry for being late, Mr. Andy."

Woah, woah, woah!

Hold on. This's too much of a coincidence.

My meat chop shop's delivery boy is Subaru, better known as Shuichi?

Either fate's really on my side, or the FBI actually held interest in me.

Or perhaps, somehow the meat shop boss's a Russian agent that committed unforgivable sins in California.

Whatever that is, this could be interesting.

"Sir?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry for gazing out. I just...had a bad day today."

"I can see that." He said with his fake slit eyes looked at the still unfixed door, only its frame remains.

"Yeah. If i just has the right tool, this door would've been fixed since an hour ago. Too bad that many of my stuffs hasn't been sent here yet."

The house had absolutely no tools for self-repair by the occupant. Quiet expected since it was a vacation house of a friend, but it's still annoying for someone who likes to do things himself.

Then again, my stuffs included my own car, which meant that the officers possibly had a bad time in filling the form.

"Well, pardon me sir," Said Subaru suddenly, "But i think i saw you somewhere before."

"If you're talking about the Andy that has different popularity depending on region, then you're looking at the right man."

"Ah, so it checks out. It's rare to find a name who named Andy in Japan, and it's even rarer to meet a rather big Indonesian man." Said him in succession. "But i should've known earlier. Only a particular Andy would want his meat to be included with many fats, peppermint, and other spices that leaned on the sweet side."

"If you put it like that, then of course you're right. Only a certain Andy in this world that prefers most his food to be mint and sweet flavored. You don't happen to be a detective that trying to look at my stuffs, don't you? You memorized too much little details for an ordinary delivery man." I said. Let's see how good an FBI agent could lie in instant. Although my rented body already knew their tricks, my real mind did not.

One thing for certain, though. I wonder how Shuichi could convince Ai that he's just your ordinary evil B.O.?

"Oh, no no." Said him waved his hands, although his demeanor stayed calm. "I'm just an ordinary University student who just got his part-time job last week. Although you're half-correct about me being a detective. I'm an amateur sleuth myself, solved several cases already, and it's a honor for me to meet the real bird of prey eyes to eyes. I'd even went further; you're the modern Poirot. And it's an honor for me, even if i'm actually a Sherlockian myself."

"While i'm flattered for being called as real modern Poirot, frankly i don't think it's quiet apt. For the start, i'm at least one foot taller than him. Also, i don't recall Poirot being a good fighter."

"That's true, but i'm talking about some of your traits. Peculiar foods, and your insistence to focus on wearing out the suspects' psychology wall rather than simple clues. Particularly cases you deemed 'too air-tight.' "

"Ah. Those air-tight cases. Exact reason why many Holmes wannabee claimed that i'm not a good detective because i never search or find those littlest clues in the first place. Why won't they understand that not everyone working in the same way?"

"Seems like the rumor that you dislike fictional detectives is true as well, in a way." Said him as he took a seat. Seemed like he's not going somewhere soon. Nevertheless, i took mine as well. "Don't worry. This's my last delivery. As long as i give the money tomorrow morning, i'm free to go today."

"Ah." I simply stated before i went back into the fictional detective tirades. "Well, it's not that i don't appreciate positive influences, like Agatha's in inventing new storytelling twists, or those intriguing stories encourages smart people like you. I'm talking about the effect on making public simplified or glorified investigators work. Like making forensic work looked much, much faster than in reality, or making it sounded like we could capture killers with logic that would fall apart if we get the details wrong at a time."

"How do you know i'm smart? I could be just a poor ordinary college student who would do any job he could find."

"You can call it an intuition. Although, from fact checks, i'd say that you're that new amateur detective in town. Sharp fox eyes and all. Observant for the small details. Not something you'd find for anyone who don't even care one bit for detectives." I concluded easily.

"For a Sherlock hater, you used his same scan as well. Is that one of your psychological methods to make someone complied with you better?"

"Just a habit. Although, the real reason why i know about you already is because of some articles about the new detective in Beika City."

"Ah. So i'm already has some fame. How could it? I've making it clear to police that i don't want to be publicized for a while."

"Alongside that dark-skinned young man, Kogoro's apprentice they said." His face remains unchanged. Damn, he's good. "Very hard to avoid unwanted press when your competency level is equal with your good look. Although don't worry, they still have enough decency to left your name out."

"Ah, i see. Glad to hear that i'm still protected in a way."

"In hiding or something?" I asked, half-joking.

"That would be a great spy story sir, an agent in hiding with fake identity as he unsolved the crime of the most diabolical organization in the world, but alas, i'm just a college student still desiring quietness for many years."

Way too suspicious. It's almost like the FBI wants to make me not surprised anymore when i somehow got tangled into their business here. "Yeah. Sometimes i-"

At that moment, my phone rang. A distraction. Great. "If you excuse me..."

I took some steps into another room, and grabbed my phone there. Unknown caller, huh.

"Hello?"

"M...Mr. Andy?"

"Chiba?" I said, slightly furrowed my eyebrows. "You sound kinda in a hurry. Is something happened there, like the puzzle revealed something horrific?"

"Eh, we still working on the puzzle, yeah-i mean, no- I..." There was a deep breath heard through my phone. Well, he's not the most hardened officer here, but something that frightened police officer's still something i should be worried about. "Remember that gang you captured?"

"Yeah." I took my worst guess. "They want revenge on me?"

"Sort of." He paused a little while, once again tried to catch his breath and lowered his blood pressure. "Their initiation thing, the new imprisoned gang member revealed to be more than just the initial initiation. There's more initiation, like...like made you a man in Mafia, man of honor, good fella, Aniki! One of the way to gain the status as a made man in here, is the supremacist way. So they will get a chance to hunt a high profile gaijin, and do anything to him, or her, to show and prove their honor."

"So we have a Yakuza wannabees with Mafia complex want to hunt me in old mafia style? Fascinating."

"You're seriously not worried a bit about this? I mean, hunting a high profile gaijin is huge, they would do more than just hit and run. The cement shoes, that...Scream hang scene, made to commit suicide. Oh god-"

"Relax, Chiba. I don't think they will do anything so notorious just for those initiations."

"So it's the cement shoes then? I mean, chances are you're going to be missing for few days if it's gonna be that."

"Chiba," I had to roll my eyes at the insistence. "I'm going to be fine. I'm one of the literally toughest detective, remember? And besides, how do you know it's going to be me? There are many high profile gaijins in Tokyo everyday."

"The guy saw your name in their log. Not to mention that, uh...you're the one who captured them in the first place."

For the first time, my heart got a goosebumps. "Don't tell me that somehow the police dropped my name."

"O-of course not! We're professional, and if i somehow did that, i will take responsibility, full, without compromises! I swear, i don't know how you became their list in the first place!"

"Chiba, calm down. I'm not questioning your integrity."

"Okay." As far as i concerned, all polices in Conan were calm as Dante's deepest hell. How bad could this be? "It's just, today's the initiation day. And kami-sama! I swear, that guy literally holding the information until last hour just to piss on us! It's almost like his loyalty's because he liked someone to suffer!"

So this's Chiba's first impression with a true psychopath, i take it? "I think you'd better send someone here."

"That's another thing. We're...already spread thin here. There's many people other than you on the list. And since it's so sudden, we have no time to be mobilize to boot."

"I guess somehow i ended up being low in priority despite my previous counter with them." I deadpanned in spite of the situation.

"As i said, it's too sudden. We ended up disjointed with officers from Beika prefecture, so it took them more time to mobilize. They could've just send two man for everyone, but it could've just lend to two killed officers. for nothing And that bastard...he literally left your name until the last seconds!"

I see. There's definitely an effort to get me, even if they did not know about my involvement in saving Sonoko back there. "I see. I'd better do something by myself first."

"Okay. Just...be careful."

And with that, the call ended.

"I see something bad'll going to happen."

"Yes, Okiya-kun. There's a bunch of gangster going after me, all because i'm on their list for reasons that as far as i concern, nothing but to exert their hubris and bigotry. I think you should get away before an innocent get hurt. I don't think they'll miss out the chance to take out two detectives, especially when one of them don't look as menacing."

Oh, how i wish i could say 'please protect me, FBI agent who managed to fake his death in front of the biggest crime org in the world!, but here i am, pretending that he's a weak pretty boy.'

"I can protect myself if i somehow crossed with them, Andy-san, but how about yourself?"

Same trick, huh?

"Well, aside from having to protect myself because the police are going to be late, i'm feeling fine." I said as i took my phone. "I took my first interest in technology just few years ago, back when i got hit by one of my biggest smear job yet all over Eastern Europe. I was fascinated at how crude, and yet believable those bots were. Luckily, my magician friend happened to know so much about technology, as he's one of those electronic magicians who used everything for his tricks."

"So how's it going to help us? And why's it even matter, in the first place?"

"My new friend," I said as i looked up the folder 'psychological tricks' in my phone. "I'm confident with our ability to fend off these deplorable by sheer might, but if this went smoothly, we may not even need to receive few scratches and stab wounds."

"A peaceful confrontation? Interesting. How much does it cost for you to make them back away?"

"Another meat order." I said simply. It seemed that my new FBI acquaintance thought that i had something more elaborate. "Looks like your boss's going to have me as his regular customer for a while."

-cc-

"We're close to him." Said the cop.

"Thinks it's been too late?" The friend asked.

"Never for a good investigation."

"Wait a minute. Isn't that..."

"The gang member!" Said the police as he recognized the initiation jacket that man wore.

Both policeman reached for their baton and gun, prepared for the worst. This was the rising gang that somehow managed to elude the police from sniffing their modus operandi for years after all. The members were not just brutal, they're also some of the smarter and elaborated gang in the city.

But for some reasons, the gang member was...bawling and running for his life?

"HWAAA! Save me, officer!"

"The hell? Gah! Get off of me!"

"You!" Said the other policeman, aimed his gun at the criminal. "

"Th..there's a bigger criminal than us out there, officer! He's in that red house over there. Don't you want to protect citizens from menace of society?"

"Kid, i don't like telling anyone this, but have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?"

The gang did not retaliate at the insult. Instead, he freaked out. "WAAAAAAH! THEY WON'T INVESTIGATE THE CANNIBAL! HE ALREADY EATEN ONE OF MY FRIEND!"

"Cannibal?!" Both officers screamed in confusion and slight fear. There hadn't been any report of cannibal since many years in Tokyo and surrounding regions, so how on earth could someone infiltrate the house of an Interpol higher agent, possibly killed and eaten the top caliber detective that taken temporary resident in the house, and now already assaulted several gang members on their harassment initiation?

None of them not had a mixed thought on the event, as either were both terrified and wondered if it just happened that the acid just kicked into the skull of the gang member.

"Patrol officers for target #003, how's it going over there?"

One of the officer grabbed the radio to speak with the voice who called them, Chiba. "We already secured one of the suspect. Can you look for the other inside the house? Seem like there's another kind of danger out there."

"Is it possible to just lock the man to the suspect enclosure until we get there?"

"Um, negative. Our suspect's genuinely in panic now. It's impossible to just left him here without doing serious damage to his psyche."

"How bad it could be there, i mean...this's hardened gang members we're talking about."

"Um, we're not too sure, but he's been babbling and screaming about cannibal..."

-cc-

"Cannibal? In Beika city?"

"Could be some crazy drifters we haven't find out yet."

"But why he decided to ditch out all planning and went out loud out of nowhere, Shiratori?"

"We might find out now." Said Shiratori as he opened the door quietly. Both had their gun drawn.

Neither split up, knowing that the risk of said cannibal taking them out. Completely justified since both were facing a cannibal who managed to took out one of the strongest detective in the world and gang members on rise. Both took their interests on the bloody kitchen. And mortified at the sight of what's been cooking.

A plastic with brain inside.

"This is so fucked up."

Chiba did not even dared to look. Good thing that the cannibal had some decency to pour so much spices and herbs to drown out the smell of the flesh. Otherwise, he might emptied his stomach already.

However, no sign of either identifiable victim or the killer, so they decided to look for another clues.

"There are blood on the stairs. Could he be there..."

Both went upstairs, readied themselves for the worst outcome that could ever happened. The trail of blood went to the darkened room, but both decided to not turn their flashlight on immediately. Instead, they decided to look for another room first.

"Plastic bag, with hole for breathing. This's probably what he wear as he butchered them. Smeared with something crimson. Judging by the smell of it, cannot be blood."

"Why he not simply use the blood?"

"Probably he wore it first before he went in to scare them." Shiratori said so as he took the mask to his hand.

"But wouldn't he smeared himself with their blood?"

"Yeah, if we're simply looking at his record of banality here and there." He said before he took the mask. "It's strange. We're facing a butcher who's mad enough to left all these trails, but somehow methodical enough to plan his attacks. What made the elusive killer ended up so mad that he left so many clues from an operation that should went much quieter?"

"Could it be that he, or she, has so many hatred against Yakuza and any other criminal gang?" Chiba chimed his analysis.

"Hmm...possibly."

"Because there's no killer in the first place." Said a figure from the dark. The massive shadow of the figure with soft voice

"Andy! You...you're alive!" "Okiya-san? Your head! How come you're still..."

"He's going to be fine, Chiiba-san. I think it's better to give the mask back." Another figure, much bigger appeared. Everyone in the room were familiar enough to know that this was the man who occupied this house.

"You mean...you're the butcher and said cannibal?" Said both surprised, yet they did not get the urge to draw their weapons.

"As i said before, there's no killer in the first place." The man said it again. "Why don't we explain it tomorrow? The least i could do to Delia, is to clean this place tonight. Oh, and Subaru-san. Could i ask you to buy some home tools? I don't think i could sleep with my front door broken."

"It's not like i'm going to my campus today..."

"Could you...at least elaborate on some events that happened tonight?"

"Well, three of them were traumatized with my antics, and two were knocked out by us. If you asked my relationship with Subaru, he's happened to be an employee of a meat shop where i ordered cow meats."

-cc-

"So you're using some kind of dyes and mixed them with cow blood as substitute for blood, using them to dress up some mannequin as the butchered victim, had Subaru played the victim who got dragged by the cannibal, which was you on plastic bag and slouched to look shorter, and hypnotized one of the gang member to make it seemed undeniable that there's really a loose cannibal in the house?"

"In short, yes."

"Well...that's quiet of a ploy you pulled yesterday. But how much did it cost you?" Shiratori asked me.

As their way to say sorry for nearly snared me in danger, Shiratori offered me to take me to the Ekoda school with the police car. I suspected that there were another thing to discuss as well, but why should i refuse the offer? The house's being renovated with Chiba supervised it (since the house should be filled with police lines instead), so i had to do other things. And what else i could do other than completing my assessment on Tokyo's finest future minds than the school where one of the greatest young thief and detective studied?

"Aside from had to clean the whole house all night, and another repaired furniture? Nil."

"So...no one hurt, every single involved gang members were arrested, and all of them are more cooperative than ever. Detective, i'm impressed at how you managed to turn an event that's 90% likely to be very bloody turned to be bloodless...excluding the cows, of course. I could run so many possible outcomes from the event, and none of them would come as happy as it is."

"Honestly, i got lucky. We actually wanted to caught everyone, but the whole thing went too fast because they're much less careful than i thought they would be, so one of them managed to escape. I'm glad that it's you guys who handled this. Had this was handled by the original team sent to protect me, i wouldn't even know how to hide the whole thing from the escaped gang member. Also, i'm afraid that they won't be the same after yesterday event."

"And none of them ended with everyone stay well, and you already gave us the hypnotize mind cleaner for the hypnotized Yakuza. I think overall, it's still the best outcome. You're left with no single scratch, and their intelligence now at disarray. They might be bickering right now, talking about your real whereabouts. You might not even need to hide somewhere if they decided that you're not here!"

"Their intelligence network's too sophisticated for a merely rising gang." I said suddenly, changed the theme of conversation. "There's something insidious behind them, backing their position into something this strong. And the event yesterday just proved it."

"What i did there yesterday, was an actualization of propaganda, where the enemies are both too strong and too stupid at the same time. The purpose was to see if someone's smart enough to see through everything. As you can see yourself, the result was nil. And these are supposed to be the initiation to become the higher ranked members. Clearly, for a gang which boasted their massively improved network intelligence, somehow their gang members does not hold themselves to the same standard."

"So what are you saying, is that so many things about this gang, including their standards for operational members and intel, do not add up and contradicted each others, that there might be an external help?"

"Correct." I stated my agreement. "I think they have help from the outside. I don't know their price, but judging by how they added so much integrity to the otherwise would be mediocre wannabe Yakuza, i'd suggest it would be pretty high."

"Well, well. This could be complicated. I mean, it's a possibility that they merely got help from the Yakuza network they want to join, but secretly, they actually wanted to destroy the gang once they cannot catch up with their standards."

"Whatever that is, as i said, the price would be very high. And if their help came not from a very massive gang, but an international threat..."

"Oh, please stop, Mr. Andy. We don't want to face a potential crisis that made tin-foiled hats mind look reasonable."

As i feared. Most would be in disbelief had a clue about something as sinister as Black Organization appeared. Even if it's not that far-fetched compared to theory of Yakuza who wanted to secretly sink those gangs they seen as threat by offering helps they cannot afford.

"Pardon me, Officer, but i've fought exactly this exact national threat before, where a massive international criminal was linked to the rise of several illegal organizations in South Asia. And as you know, detectives are looking for the truth, even the most improbable."

"I appreciate the thought, detective, but as i said, there's still no proof for either thing. But still, i agreed that everything's too jarring. We'll do what we exactly have to do; find more proof to explain everything. And thanks to you, we might be able to sort our priorities, to look for the big fish."

"I know. There's no proof but the disjointed standards. I'm just trying to warn you of what international crime org can do."

"And...what could it be?" He asked, seemingly very confused by his tone.

"Truth exhaustion. They'll not just trying to fool you, but also put so much doubt into yourself, and public. That's the point of modern propaganda. They're not just trying to push their agenda, but also exhaust the truth seekers so much to the point that it just does not worth it anymore. If it came into that, then we're facing not just violent Yakuza gang, but also organization who want to do things to Japan, including planting seeds of doubt to everyone, to destabilize and caused chaos." I turned to Shiratori, who looked more agitated than ever. "Be careful, Shiratori. This matter would be too big for Tokyo Police Department once it came into that. There would be no choice but to working together with many others, even foreign governments."

Neither of us talked anymore until when i stepped out of the car. Simple parting and all. I wonder if it's just because the matter became too much for a mere police officer...

Or because he's secretly in cahoot with the bad guys, like what some fanfics portrayed him as such.

-cc-

"Um, excuse me, but could you point me the location of school library?"

"Sure! It's way down there, and...hey! Are you that detective Andy?"

"Oooh! I'm so excited. Could you sign my book?"

"Um, sure."

Now that i take good look at her...she looked a lot like Ran and Aoko.

So...another Aoyama protagonist? But from where?

"Um, nothing. It's just...most of girls are idolizing detectives that are around their age, so it's unusual for an old man like me to meet any young fans."

"Hey! Just because i also oogle at attractive guys, doesn't mean i couldn't appreciate what the old man can do!"

"Agree. But still," I gave the signature to the girl. "It's still unusual."

"Hey, Sayaka! Can we go home now?"

"Patient, Yaiba!"

What? Yaiba's here?

Oh yeah, i forgot that Yaiba had the ending where Kaito finally dated Aoko!

But wait. Wasn't that Yaiba disappeared long after his final battle and appeared just after the last tournament?

Seemed like this's an alternate universe after all.

"Come on Sayaka! I'm hungry!"

Yaiba now looked taller, as expected from being growing up, but still on the shorter side compared to the usual protagonists. He still wore his usual gi uniform, so it could be just simply

"You look strong. Wanna battle?"

"Yaiba! That's not the right to said to a stranger!" Sayaka said, obviously infuriated. "And besides, Andy the Detective is not a sword user! It won't be a fair match for him."

"But i can sense his toughness! He's definitely a tough fighter!"

"Yaiba!" The girl screamed again.

"Pardon me, young man, but wasn't that you said you're very hungry?"

"Oh yeah." Still very simple-minded. "Well, i hope we'll meet again soon!"

Well, well. This's getting interesting since Yaiba's basically Gosho's Dragon Ball. Had he got into the way of B.O., he could wiped them easily.

"Did you hear that King of Diamond's gonna be displayed next Saturday in Tokyo Dome Hotel?" Suddenly, i heard a girl spoke.

"That big ass Diamond? OOH! I hope that means Kaitou Kid's going to be here!"

Girl, if it's a big jewelry, that meant yes.

"You really want him to steal it?" Said a boy joined them.

"Isn't that obvious? Kid is always going to give a good show. And it's not like he's never returned them back, so why not? Everybody win, even the guy who owned the jewelry."

"But i read somewhere that sometimes, there are people got hurt because they're in a way of Kid heists. Remember that leak from Hopper Magic Show's insurance company? Or his second to last heist, where several guards got shot by mysterious shooters?"

"But look at the context, because it's not Kid, it's his enemies!"

"Either way, it can be dangerous for us to look at his next heist."

"Come on. It's not like we're gonna follow him like Paparazzi..."

Well, it's definitely interesting.

Looks like this would be my first shot against Snake. The question's, how i could give my support behind Kid, without hurting my approval rating across the world again?

But bah! If i had to, i would just do the right thing again and again. After all, the truth would prevail, would it?

And besides, i got four teenagers to grill here...

-cs-

So that's my return to this fic. And how on earth would a Yaiba translated into this fiction? Would he get nerfed like his opponent, Okata? Or he made everything so disjointed, reality became unrealistic? Well, find out next soon, on Case Solved!

And yeah, sorry for being so late, but while i still like writing everything, i just often lazed around. But don't worry, i'll be in vacation soon, so my stories will get updated fast...i hope so.