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Chapter Text

Megure sighed as he arrived once again at a crime scene, and was awaited by the very familiar faces of those children that somehow managed to attract death to any place they went. ‘What were they involved in this time?’

“Takagi!”

He wanted to quickly finish with this case so that he could return to his office. After all, he was being sent to his care today.

**

Art made his way to the place where the incident had occurred as fast as he could. Originally the meet-up point had been the inspector’s office at the police station, but he had arrived slightly late (he would have to speak to Nice later about that), only to find that the one he was to work with had already left.

It had been a number of months since Moral had fatally wounded him, and only with Nice’s search for him, along with his healing minimum had he survived. Earlier attempts by him at returning to work had been met with opposition not only by Nice, but also by the members of the police force.

Normally, in the other cases where he had been injured in the line of work, upon his return he would simply have been filled in by Gasuke, or, when the absence was long enough, whoever had been tasked with the role of acting superintendent.

Then again, the situation he had been involved in had been anything but normal.

Art sighed. Of course, he had to have been put on probation for his reckless actions during the Moral case. While previously it seemed that his superiors were willing to turn a blind eye to a certain extent, so long as it yielded results, but it seemed that he was out of luck this time. Officially, anyway. However, the truth of the matter was that his superiors were likely looking to evaluate whether he would be fit to work again, and he could understand where they were coming from. Most officers in the same situation who miraculously managed to recover physically, had resulting trauma for the rest of their lives.

In any case, he needed a bit of time to readjust to his role after being out of practise for so long. Though he did wonder whether Gasuke had had anything to do with his temporary transfer. Whether he wanted him to be spared from the memories that had plagued him since the beginning of Moral’s involvement.

He flashed his badge at the officers at the perimeter of the scene for them to allow him to enter, but many began moving aside for him even before he had he had fully presented it to them. It seemed that most knew of the superintendent that narrowly managed to escape death in one of the most chilling incidents of recent history.

Chapter Text

“… The victim was a 27 year old male who worked in …., and the only other people there at the time were-“

“It’s so pretty,” Ayumi gazed adoringly to look beyond where Inspector Megure was laying out the case, causing the others to turn at her sudden exclamation.

“Ayumi, what are you -”

A new arrival had arrived at the scene, and almost immediately Conan could tell what had attracted her gaze. The man’s was a rare light purple, seeming almost to glow faintly in the morning light. “That’s…”

“ - youngest superintendent who was the face of Yokohama recruitment - ”

“cornered at his brother’s grave by the serial killer his department was seeking to arrest –“

“miraculously stabilised after sustaining a stab wound to the abdomen, and multiple shots to the chest”

Half a second was all he needed to recognise the man, who had swept through news channels and the online community like a storm.

Not that he blamed them exactly. The serial killer had had the audacity to broadcast the act to the police force and to the wider public as the attack was happening.

“Oi, what is–“ Before Megure’s lack of awareness when it came to technology could dig him further into a grave, Takagi exclaimed in awe, “Superintendent Art!”

For a moment, the Inspector’s face was framed in an almost comical light, before he coughed to mask his discomfort. “Ah, that’s right, you are the new transfer. I’ve heard about your situation.”

Art was inwardly bemused; had assumed that the Inspector would have received the file with his information already, or if not he would have at least been able to recognise him from the media frenzy. It was rather refreshing

“I apologise for the indiscretion. I had been informed that you had received my file, but likewise in the interest of politeness I should have introduced myself.” Art bowed, smiling. “My name is Art, I will temporarily be joining 1^st Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Chapter Text

Takagi’s cry of surprise to this was loud, to say the least.

“Oi, how long is this going to take?” The man, one of the suspects, Conan noted, impatiently tapped his finger against the timepiece on his wrist. “I have places to be, you know.”

As if breaking the wall of a dam, the others also joint in with their complaints.

Megure held up his hands placatingly. “Now, now-”

“I apologise,” Art flashed a disarming smile at the suspects, and bowed slightly in their direction, “it was my arrival here that caused the disturbance. Even so, I would really appreciate it if you could continue to provide your assistance in this matter. Would you?”

The man’s hostility seemed to suddenly deflate, and the group nodded their heads in understanding, even if they were still slightly disgruntled.

‘Huh. That was actually kind of impressive.’

Art appeared to almost unconsciously take the lead in the situation. “So Inspector Megure, I have gathered that the suspects are the three over there, but could you briefly explain the situation once more?”

“Conan-kun found it.” Megure explained.

“Conan-kun?” Art raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, I forgot, the two of you haven’t met yet,” Takagi smiled sheepishly. “Well, Inspector Megure would probably say-”

“You’ll see that brat around soon enough,” Megure grumbled, pointing to Conan, “He has a penchant for being involved in these murder cases.”

Art followed the direction his finger was pointing, to a young boy, probably no older than 6 or 7 years old, wearing large-framed glasses that covered much of his face, before returning his gaze to the Inspector. For an instant, he could have sworn that he saw intensity in his eyes, one that would be hard-pressed to find in an adult, let alone a child, but it quickly settled once again.

“Poor boy” He murmured.

Megure snorted in response. ‘The unfortunate ones are the ones that are around him,’ he seemed to be saying, much to the indignation of the children.

In the end, the case was solved and closed, with no intervention on Conan’s part other than that little part at the start.

The superintendent was competent, as befitting his previously held position, and he had quickly deduced both the method and motive of the murder. Well, someone who managed to recover and return to the force after such a traumatising event had to be dedicated to his job.

But the one thing that was bothering him, was not this, or the case, but…

The other man that had arrived moments after the completion of the case, had taken one look at him before immediately saying, “You’re not what you seem, are you?” Then he had just walked away, as if it didn’t concern him at all, what it was that he was.

The man that the Superintendent had acknowledged as a friend, and then chided for following him, Art crossing his arms, and acting the most childish he had since his arrival.

The man called…