InuYasha Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ *What* Insertion? ❯ Clandestine Notions ( Chapter 20 )

[ A - All Readers ]

*WHAT* INSERTION?
by Curtis Wildcat


Chapter Twenty --- Clandestine Notions

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(Cue theme)

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Time: Thursday, April 18, 1996; 4:02p.m.
Location: Local bowling alley

One of several bowling alleys in Beika, King Lanes---thanks in part to its low prices---attracted not only senior bowlers but also a fairly-high percentage of younger clients. A cluster of them were gathered around the third lane, watching a grade-school kid play his game.

At times, Jim Hawking's employer would give him a small bonus and tell him to spend it in any way he wished. Aisha June, to his chagrin, would usually find someplace to spend the money right away. The two of them were sitting at the third lane, but neither of them were acting interested in playing right away; instead, they were watching the aforementioned kid play. Several others---including Rachel and the Junior Detective League in its entirety---were sitting a short ways off.

The kid had scraggly brown hair and was shorter than Jim, but not by much...and had a certain roundness to him. He had a green flannel shirt and blue jeans, and wore a thin pair of glasses that he adjusted each time he released the bowling ball. The fact that he kept getting strikes every few frames wasn't what was wrong; it was how he was managing to get a consistent score at his age. He even managed to heft a 12-pound ball without any difficulty.

After managing a spare and a seven-pin knockdown on the final frame of his current game, he turned---and almost did a double-take. "Um, what's going on here?" the kid asked. "Why's everyone hanging around watching me?"

"The guy at the counter said we could play," Aisha said, "but with that league going on at the other end, these two lanes are the only ones we can use without bothering anyone."

"What she's saying is that we're waiting for you to finish," Mitch clarified.

"We've already paid, too," Jim added. "How long are you going to be?"

The kid blinked. "Oh. Well, I've just finished my third game, so I'm done for now. You can take over."

"Alright. Thanks," Rachel said, shrugging. She smiled. "By the way, my name's Rachel Moore. What's yours?"

The kid started to say something, then covered his mouth as a yawn escaped him. "Excuse me. I'm Curtis," he said, removing his glasses and rubbing a finger against his brown eyes as they began watering. "Nice to meet all of you."

------

After everyone else introduced themselves briefly to him, Rachel and Aisha went to get the lanes set up. As Jim and the Junior Detective League went to choose bowling bowls suited for their size, Curtis sat down at the next lane's table to switch shoes. Thanks for letting me have control this afternoon, Phibrizzo, he said silently.

"Don't get used to it," Phibrizzo warned, for once not looking perturbed about being trapped inside the liquid pillar. "Once you're done here, it's all me from then until dusk. What made you decide you wanted to talk to Conan in person, anyway?"

Ever since that evening we talked to him about the break-in at Jimmy Kudo's house, I've been thinking about different stuff. Curtis got off his chair and went to take the bowling shoes back to the counter. After your fight against Arnold Long, Project: Clandestine DNA jumped to the top of the list.

"What's Conan got to do with it? He wasn't involved with the project," Inuyasha pointed out.

True. After giving back the shoes, Curtis went back to his chair and sat down again. But like Conan's obsession with restoring his age, there are too many mysteries hanging around. Take Aisha June's appearance, for example.

"What about it?"

She's a humanoid, Inuyasha. She's human for the most part, but she has cat's ears, enhanced senses, and the strength of a tiger. That's not natural, is it? And remember what happened that day when Maria Cliffowski tried to kidnap Aisha's mother and frame the girl for it? She basically implied that Robin wasn't any better than her daughter. That should tell you something.

"So you're guessing that ultimately, Robin June's connected in some way to the Project," Phibrizzo surmised. "...And through her, Miss Aisha."

Unless there are other freaky genetics experiments going on behind everyone's backs, yes. So, if I get the chance, I'm going to find out where Robin lives and talk to her. If it means trailing Aisha, that's fine with me.

"Why don't you just---"

Phibrizzo was interrupted by a familiar voice. "So, you finally came out?"

Curtis turned to his right, seeing Conan sitting next to him. "Yeah," he said in a low tone, holding out a hand. Conan took hold of it and shook it in greeting. "Glad to talk to you in person."

"Really? How come?"

Curtis looked up briefly as someone across the alley picked up a strike, then returned his focus to Conan. "Well, there were one or two things I wanted to hear your take on."

Conan blinked a few times. "My take? On what?"

Curtis waved a hand around. "Different things. You know, like that Project you've heard Sherry mention before. I don't suppose you've come across anything in the past related to it, have you?"

"No, I haven't. You think that project really took place, huh?"

Curtis glanced at Aisha, who was talking to Rachel over how the lineup was going to go. "Looking at Aisha and thinking of Robin June, I'd have to say 'yes'. And, of course, there's Arnold Long. The shark-man. By the way, was he convicted? I haven't heard."

Conan frowned for a few seconds...then smiled. "He tried to dispose of the evidence before the trial even started. Someone second-guessed him and hid the evidence elsewhere; the newspaper pictures had him looking pretty frustrated later. No one knows who did it, but with everything piling up against him..." He paused long enough to chuckle. "...Since the crimes he committed in America take precedence, I imagine there's a few life sentences waiting for him in the States. Nami Keeler will see to that, I'm sure."

"I imagine so." Curtis checked to see if Rachel and Aisha were finished yet. Seeing that they were almost done setting things up, he said to Conan: "On second thought, I guess I can get your opinions later. Now's not really a good time, I guess."

Amy, George and the others filed back in front of the lanes, having found the bowling balls they wanted to use. "Right," Conan murmured. "When's a good time to talk to you? Provided that Richard doesn't get any cases tonight, we could probably discuss things later."

"Fine with me. See ya." Curtis nodded his head, then headed off towards the restroom.

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Once he got inside the empty room, Curtis put his glasses away and returned control to Phibrizzo. The half-mazoku exchanged the flannel and blue jeans for his fireball T-shirt and black jean shorts, and slipped his broken bracelet and wristband back in their usual spots. Fully prepared, he teleported out of the bowling alley and clear into a neighborhood halfway between Beika and Nerima. He looked around to see if anyone noticed his arrival, and---seeing no one suspicious---began strolling freely.

Walking down the street and ignoring the other pedestrians in the area, Phibrizzo allowed his thoughts to wander. I'm starting to think that we should do something.

"We are," Curtis said. The fat human had settled back into his chair and started channel surfing in order to pass the time. "You're walking around, I'm sitting around, and Inuyasha's laying around. That's something."

I mean something big, idiot. Most of my time is spent walking circles around Tokyo, sampling the various cuisines, visiting various tourist attractions and staring in wonder at technology that would give Dolphin seizures. When we aren't doing that, I'm either doing homework or wasting time by sitting on my bed.

"You could turn another one of your pictures into a shirt design," Inuyasha suggested.

"...You could put on another one of your flute performances for people," Curtis added, settling on a hockey game and setting his remote control aside.

Sounds like fun, but I'll probably wait until later. Phibrizzo pulled a pamphlet out of subspace, slowing down just a little as he read it. Besides, we don't know what companies around here handle classical music and the like.

Curtis rotated to look at the P.A. speaker in his chamber, surprised. "...Companies?"

Yeah. It's nice of 'father' and 'mother' to give me that allowance, but I figure I ought to pay them back somehow. I could submit a demonstration to the company under another name, then record some songs. It won't be anything too major, and I could get them something useful.

"...I have the feeling I'm missing something here," Curtis said dryly as he turned back to the hockey game.

"Julieennn!" someone called out.

Phibrizzo froze. "Uh-oh..." He turned and looked every which way, finally locating Azusa Shiratori closing in on him. "I knew things were too good to be true," he groaned, jerking into motion. "How much time does that girl have on her hands!?"

"We hadn't seen her since that one incident," Inuyasha reminded him. "Figured you were due."

"When I said I was missing something, I don't think I was talking about this," Curtis said, propping his head on his hand as he watched his game.

You are not helping!

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A block or so away in a secluded parking lot, several men were in a heated discussion. One of them wore a black trench coat and fedora; the other one was skinny, had a pin-striped suit, and otherwise seemed rather nondescript.

"...you can threaten me all you want," the latter said conclusively, his voice the utter picture of calmness. "The fact remains that I'm not going to sell my shares in the company to you. I don't make deals with anyone who tries to corner me on the street like an animal."

The first man smiled darkly. "Then I'll just have to purchase the shares from you post-mortem, then."

Before he could draw his gun, Phibrizzo---with Azusa in hot pursuit---scampered into the parking lot. "Gangway! Gangway!" he shouted, motioning for them to clear out. "Coming through! Coming through!"

Both men turned, although the black-coated man was the one who spoke. "What the---"

The second man, though, noticed a spark of recognition in the boy's eyes as they pointed towards his assailant. In a heartbeat, the child's expression turned serious as he spurred himself to run faster...if that was possible. He must know who the man works for!

The child threw himself forward, tackling the skinny man's attacker headfirst. As soon as he was on the ground, Phibrizzo pushed himself to his feet and continued his mad run...

...straight into the office building adjacent to the parking lot.

And from the way the teenage girl followed him in, it didn't look like security was going to be successful in making them leave. Shaking his head, the thin man pulled out a cell phone in order to call the police. As he started to make the call, a lone thought coerced a smile out of him:

If I had known it would be this easy, I would not have tried to search for him.

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The security guard at the desk looked up, then jumped out of his seat as Phibrizzo and Azusa barged on in. "Hey, you two! This isn't a playground!"

"Does it look like I'm playing!?" Phibrizzo spat as he shot past the desk. "This is my life we're talking about! If you want to help me, get her out of here!" He shouted to Azusa: "Life does not revolve around chasing me, you psycho klepto!"

"I know!" Azusa shouted back. "It doesn't help that you have 'cute' labelled on your forehead!"

Blast! I could've picked someone ordinary to look like, but noooo... Phibrizzo looked up as the security guard joined the chase, but his thoughts didn't stray far. What's with that crazy girl?

"I don't know, but you better pick it up before they catch you," Inuyasha said lazily, smirking at the whole procedure.

Azusa dived in an attempt to grab him; the security guard likewise dived after Azusa. Phibrizzo jumped as both attempts missed, then ran off down the hall in hopes of finding an elevator. "If you just stayed away from me," he complained, "none of this wouldn't be happening!"

"I don't get paid enough for this," the guard muttered in kind as the chase continued. "Chasing kids around was not in the job description!"

"There's always going to be something not covered in the manual," Phibrizzo answered, turning a corner. As the others followed suit, he added: "You should've thought of that before you took the job!"

"You are going to be in so much trouble---!"

Phibrizzo grimaced. "Save it for someone who cares! Just get that klepto off my back so I can get going! Errr...why am I dealing with this, anyway!?"

"Because you're there, silly!" was Azusa's answer. "And because I can!"

Somewhere, a quiet ding cut through the noises of the chase. Recognizing an elevator when he heard one, Curtis directed Phibrizzo towards it. The elevator slid open, and its lone occupant stepped out---and hurriedly rushed off as she caught sight of the rampaging trio. Picking up speed, Phibrizzo was able to scamper into the elevator a second before it closed.

A muffled 'thump' signalled Azusa's collision with the doors. Sighing in relief, Phibrizzo pushed a button and slid down to the floor as the elevator rose to the fifth level.

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"Um, Mr. Jett, sir..."

The pinstripe-suited man glanced at the security guard, ignoring the sulking Azusa as she stomped off the property. "Yes?"

"The other kid escaped into the elevator. Should I have someone go after him?"

"Don't bother," Mr. Jett said. "In fact, I'd like to meet him myself. Have someone direct him towards my office."

A pause. "Sir?..."

"Get to it."

"Um...okay, sir."

The guard walked into the building as Jett opted to wait outside for the police. Spotting a costumed woman who was idly examining some artwork on the wall, he said: "Excuse me. I don't mean to bother you, but would you mind asking this kid upstairs to meet with Mr. Jett in his office?"

"Yeah, yeah," the woman said, acting bored out of her skull as she shuffled off down the hall.

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Location: Unknown

Much like how Jimmy Kudo didn't like leaving a mystery unsolved, Sherry didn't like leaving facts to gather dust.

During the fiasco at Icearc Arena, Phibrizzo's techniques had dented the metal of her beliefs. Dolphin and her water-dog cracked them open shortly thereafter. It took Inuyasha's capture of Driver at Jimmy Kudo's house to splinter them completely, and she no longer tried hiding the notion that she didn't know what to believe.

When Sherry had taken time off to recover from the mild injury she'd been willing to deal with, she started examining some new facts. After mulling over them for several days, she'd decided that---contrary to what he told her---that Phibrizzo and his sister were related in some way to Project: Clandestine DNA. For several weeks, she hadn't known how to check on that; rumors clearly stated that all records were destroyed in the explosion that---most likely---had taken the young prodigy's own life.

Then, just a few days ago, she lit upon a breakthrough. Running a casual search in the organization's database on unclassified chemicals, she came upon an article that hinted that it was possible to alter a person's skin condition by running several specific compounds through an electrical field; said field would then need to be run through a person's body. It was mildly simple stuff in comparison to what Sherry would go on to read; it jump-started her search into the realms of the unnatural. At times she marveled at the audacity of the author, whoever he was.

Today, digging even deeper into the database while everyone else was gone, she had located three large text documents, each over seven hundred kilobytes. Each of them were encrypted and tagged with the label Classified, and requested three passwords when she tried to open them. Not wanting to go through potentially volatile material when there was a chance that someone was watching her, she instead took a different approach: she e-mailed the files to a seperate account. The documents could be protected against access and deletion, but there wasn't any saving them from being copied and sent.

The rumors of the Clandestine Project have lasted long enough, Sherry decided as she logged off the system. It's time I found out for myself what they've tried to hide. The science department is supposed to have full access to this material. What's so important that they had to conceal this from us?

She hadn't made it ten steps outside the science department's lab when something clocked her from behind. Her vision tilted---just enough to see a smirking Gin glaring at her---before she hit the floor.

"Really...you'd think that we weren't monitoring our employees' computer access," Gin said condescendingly to the unconscious figure. "It's classified for a reason, you know."

-------

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Phibrizzo snuck out into the hallway. Hearing voices, he slipped through the nearest open door...which, thankfully, turned out to be a storage room for cleaning supplies. As he left the door open a fraction, he noticed that one of the voices seemed to ooze with enthusiasm. Not wanting to be in close proximity to it for very long, he cautiously peeked through the hole in time to see a lock of pink hair vanish around a corner.

Waiting until the voice faded behind a closing door, he sighed in relief. "Might as well go down and apologize to security for making them mad," he told himself, exiting the storage room and stepping over to the elevator. Pressing the "1" button, he stepped back and waited.

The elevator, which had picked up a passenger down on the first floor, finally returned to the fifth floor and opened up. Phibrizzo started to step in, then abruptly halted as someone stepped out.

The woman was decked out almost entirely in purple and black; although her hair and eyes were shielded from view, Phibrizzo was certain they were similar colors. The two of them glared at each others' faces for a minute before Phibrizzo lost his patience. "What are you staring at me for?" he snapped. "Never see a child here before?"

"Would you shut up? I'm not in a talkative mood right now," the woman complained, her voice filled with loathing and dryness. "One of the company's top managers wants to meet you, though. He didn't say why."

"Oh. Where is his office?"

"Upstairs, sixth floor," the woman said, turning her back on him and walking off. "Look for the name 'C. Jett' on the door."

"One more thing," Phibrizzo called after her. "What's with the cheesy costume?"

"Japanese must not be your first language," the woman responded sarcastically as she left him behind. "This building's owned by Zaxon Records. This lousy costume's for a music video that's being shot. Now, would you just go on, squirt?"

"I was just asking," Phibrizzo muttered, opening the elevator doors and walking in. "You don't have to get snotty."

"I heard that!" the woman's voice shouted...but by then the doors closed and prevented Phibrizzo from shooting off a snappy reply.

Phibrizzo glared at the ceiling as he told the elevator to go up one floor. Now you see why I have such a low opinion of the human race, he told the others. They're rude and disrespectful even when no one tells them to.

"Kind of like you?" Inuyasha asked, smiling.

...I don't like you, Inuyasha.

"So you've said."

"That woman's voice was pretty familiar," Curtis said, looking frustrated. "For some reason, I just can't tell who it was."

The doors opened. Warily, Phibrizzo entered the halls and began his search for C. Jett's office, whoever he was. Just as well. Whenever we meet someone you recognize, we get dragged on some crazy quest...Conan, Aisha, Richie, and I forget who else; and if you even say that agent's name, I'm going to start my Principal Kuno imitation just to drive you mad.

Curtis' voice darkened a tad. "In that case, I'll see your Kuno imitation and raise you one Seyruunian snake."

Phibrizzo shuddered; Inuyasha and Curtis's chambers briefly turned pink. In the name of sanity, please, please don't mention her name! Just thinking of her is bad enough!

"Well, if it makes you feel better," Curtis said as Phibrizzo stopped outside of C. Jett's office, "I have an idea for your next T-shirt printing. You could draw a picture of Amelia being chased around a hockey arena by an NHL goalie. That should offset the horror a little."

"Isn't that hypocritical?" Inuyasha pointed out. "I thought you liked Amelia."

"I do, and I believe she gets a bad rap at times. I just think the idea of her being chased around the arena by Patrick Roy is hilarious in itself."

"Roy...Roy..." Inuyasha tapped the ground a few times before realizing: "Hey, wasn't he one of those guys who played against your home team?"

"Got it in one. If the rivalry between the two teams isn't in full swing by this point in time, it will be soon enough."

Phibrizzo folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. I'll think about it. Right now, let's wait for that Jett person to show up.

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It took an extra ten minutes for C. Jett to return to his office. The police apprehended the man that Phibrizzo caught off-guard and questioned his target, who explained that the man was trying to take away some equipment without the company's permission. After he explained all the details, he stated that he had some business to attend to. Finally, the police decided---since he was obviously an extremely busy person---not to occupy his time any further.

Once he came back, he welcomed Phibrizzo into his office and followed him in, closing the door behind him. Gesturing for him to sit down, the man took his seat behind his desk. "It's a pleasure to meet you," the man said. "I'm Claude Jett. May I ask your name?"

A nod. "It's Phibrizzo Kaden. Good to meet you, too. Um...why am I here? I thought I was going to get thrown out after they got that maniac girl away from me."

Claude smiled politely. "That man you ran into outside was threatening me. You actually saved from a very distressing situation; I thank you for that. Is there something you'd like to have? Consider it a token of the company's gratitude for protecting one of their top managers."

Phibrizzo pretending to think about this for a few moments. "Well, this cranky woman told me that this office is owned by...Zaxon Records, I think she said..."

"That's right," Claude confirmed. "We've been in business for three years, and ever since our formation, we've been searching for fresh talent."

"Well, if it's talent you want..." Phibrizzo put on another show of thinking before finishing: "Your company handles classical-style music as well, don't you?"

"Yes, we do," the manager explained. "We have space enough for solo artists, small groups, and even a hall sized for an orchestra." An eyebrow arched. "Are you suggesting that you have talents of your own?"

"As far as musical talents go, I'm a flutist." Phibrizzo folded his arms. "I generally make up my own music, but in the past week or so I've managed to turn one of Brahms' own works into something I could play on the flute. If you need a demo tape, I could have it prepared by tomorrow morning and drop it off before I get to school."

Claude managed to keep the surprise off his face. "No offense, but I find it a little hard to believe that you could be so skilled at your age. And why are you interested in joining with a recording label?"

"Well, this may sound a bit silly..."

"Go ahead."

"Well, it's related to this allowance I've been getting from my foster parents. It's real nice of them to do that, but I can't help but feel that I need to give something back to them. I decided that if I left some of my music behind so that other artists could build something around it, I could pay my parents back with some of the royalties I'd get."

"Hmm..." This isn't your normal grade-schooler. He's talking as if he really knows what he's saying. I wonder... "Pardon me for asking, but may I ask how old you are?"

"I'd rather that remained a mystery," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "If you want to think of me as an eight-year-old, though, go right ahead. So, about that demo tape..."

Interesting... Claude smiled politely. "Very well. You may prepare a demo tape and submit it at your earliest convenience. If we approve, then we will notify you so that we can work things out and arrange a recording session. Is there some way for us to contact you?"

Phibrizzo slipped him a piece of paper with his cell phone number. "Here you go. You can reach me anytime between 3:30 and 9:30pm on weekdays. I go out of town to visit my sister on weekends, so that's really your best time to get a hold of me. In the meantime, you'll have the demo tape by morning."

Claude nodded, reaching out his hand. Phibrizzo accepted it and shook it, answering the man's smile with his own.

----------

Looking out his office window as Phibrizzo left the building and strolled away, Claude maintained his polite smile. His thoughts, though, didn't quite match up with his face. It couldn't have gotten any easier. Not only have I discovered him without actively searching for him, he deliberately walked on in with his plans mapped out. Now that we have his location pinned down, it's just a matter of seeing his capabilites, where his heart lies and what his connection is to the Project...after all, no matter how much he denies it, it's clear that his abilities originated from him.

The smile turned a trifle sinister. And when that man is found, my ambitions will come full circle.

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That turned out well, Phibrizzo thought as he walked down the street, eyes peeled in case Azusa came back. Who knows? Maybe I can surprise everyone with this.

"That man's scent was surprising enough," Inuyasha said, sitting casually against the chamber's back wall. "He smelled vaguely like a cat, but at the same time it wasn't like he'd been near them recently...or at all. Weird."

It's not something threatening, is it? Because if it is---

Inuyasha smirked. "Not likely. With a face like that, he couldn't even scare that little Amy brat who hangs around Conan and the others. He practically jumped at the chance to allow you to send your music on over."

Then it's official; I'm going to find a quiet spot somewhere so Curtis can record some flute music. How about it, chubby?

Curtis didn't say anything. Wondering what was keeping him from talking, Phibrizzo checked his chamber and found that the human was staring straight at nothing. Hey, Moby, are you listening?

"....."

Phibrizzo sighed to himself, trying to fight back the urge to insult him further. Curtis, are you in there?

Curtis blinked a few times and slumped in his chair, his expression one of pure dread. "Phibrizzo," he said darkly, "there is something about that man I really don't like. Watch your step."

Don't tell me you recognized him from somewhere...again, Phibrizzo growled, scowling. The idea of you recognizing cultural icons from your homeworld still irks me a little.

"I wouldn't call it recognition," Curtis stated, his tone still dark. "I thought I knew that face from somewhere, but like that costumed person you saw earlier, I'm still not putting two and two together. All I'm getting is the feeling that Claude Jett's more dangerous than he appears."

Curtis---

Curtis interrupted him. "We'll go ahead with the demo tape and all that...just keep an eye on him in case he tries anything funny. Could you just trust me, here? I've seen kids in school act the same ways towards me, and they wound up changing their tune not long after. Something's up with that man...honestly."

No one said anything for several minutes. Still unsure, Phibrizzo walked about half a mile before saying: You really don't trust him, do you?

"No. I don't. Until enough time goes by without him doing anything suspicious, it's going to stay that way."

Fine, then. I'll be cautious...but if nothing comes of it, I'm going to ignore you for a while.

Curtis shrugged. "Fair deal. I'll get a tape and set things up, then."

Nodding just a little, Phibrizzo decided to find a place to sit down and snack on something. If he was going to find someplace undisturbed enough for him to play his flute, he was going to need the energy.

-----------

Time: 5:45p.m.

As Sherry finally came to, the images in her vision seemed to swirl a little before becoming clearer. Wondering what had happened, the events of earlier slowly came back to her. I'd sent out the files, started to leave...and then Gin attacked me. Does he know something I don't, or were they just watching us in case we tried anything?

Looking up, she became aware of a pulsing headache. She tried to raise a hand to her head, but found that she couldn't. Turning her head enough to see why, she saw a glint of metal wrapped around a thin pole...enough for her to deduce that her hands were restrained. Looking around, she tried to identify her surroundings; but other than some thick carpeting, she couldn't tell what anything was. Most of the room was bathed in darkness...

...darkness that suddenly gave way to light as Gin, Vodka, and a third man that Sherry---squinting through the sudden brightness---recognized by his build and facial features: Tequila. Gin conversed quietly with him; the large man nodded, then exited the room.

Once the door was closed, Vodka took a position near the door while Gin took a few steps closer to her. "So, you know why you're being detained yet?"

"I can take a wild guess," Sherry muttered, the headache dwindling slightly. "But what I don't get is why the files are even there in the first place. If you don't want anyone getting a hold of them, why not just delete them?"

"The science department is not permitted to view material of that nature," Gin explained. "When we noticed that you had been viewing the 'skin condition' article, the boss's agents were suspicious. You had not accessed any forbidden materials, though, so we didn't act. But when we received a message that you were trying to load the encrypted files, we decided to take action. As for why the files are still there..."

"Yes?"

"Only the boss and those in the organization's upper echelon are permitted to read that information. We have never bothered asking why, but then again we've never really cared who read what as long as everything went along the way they were.

"In your case, Sherry, the situation is different. Due in part to your...relationships, we've come to understand that you have no special love for your work in the organization. If you were allowed to read such materials, you would lose the reason you had to stick around."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sherry answered coldly. "My focus is on science and genetics. Why would they cause me to try to leave unless they were unscientific?"

"When he said that you would 'lose the reason you had to stick around'," Vodka stated, "he wasn't referring to their contents."

"Well, what was he referring to?"

"He was talking about your sister."

The chill in Sherry's voice left her as the implications hit home. "What!? You wouldn't dare!" she shouted, her eyes widening.

-------------

The partially-unused office/warehouse was one of the various places where the organization had set up shop in Tokyo, as well as the surrounding area. The first two floors contained an advertising firm that shielded the organization's activities from sight, and also acted as a minor source of income in some cases. The remaining floors---especially the office's basement---were used by various agents to plan activities, and was also home to one of the organization's various science departments.

Although somewhat secluded from the hussle and bussle of everyday life, the neighborhood still attracted pedestrians who didn't know the secrets that the building hid. While the conversation between the various black-coated operatives took place, Phibrizzo was passing through after having completed a ten-minute flute demo.

Neither Phibrizzo nor Curtis heard the disbelieving shout, but---since they were a stone's throw from the building---the noise didn't escape Inuyasha's notice. "Phibrizzo," he growled, his ears twitching.

Phibrizzo stopped walking, catching the warning in Inuyasha's tone. What?

"You have two minutes to call your mother and tell her you're going to be a little bit late," Inuyasha snarled as he jumped to his feet. "I'm switching over."

What's going on!? Phibrizzo asked indignantly, grabbing his cell phone out of subspace and running towards a suitable hiding spot.

"Yeah! What's gotten you in such a hurry?" Curtis wanted to know.

"Someone we know's in a bind!" Inuyasha barked. "Now go!"

Phibrizzo forced himself to run faster, dialing his home phone. I'm going, I'm going!

------------

"Hello?...Oh. Hi, Phibrizzo. Is something wrong?...Someone you know is being threatened? Okay, but hurry back as soon as you're done, understand?...Alright. Take care of yourself. I'll see you shortly."

Sylvia hung up the phone, wondering once again at what Phibrizzo was up to. For being a miniature monster, he sure isn't shy about helping someone.

------------

"Quiet down, Sherry," Gin emphasized warningly. "We don't want anyone up top getting concerned, do we?" He removed a small packet from his coat. "After all, it's not like it will change anything. The materials were classified. End of story. Anyone who disregards this will wind up...shall we say...indisposed."

Sherry eyed the packet nervously. "Is that...?"

"Yes." Gin smiled nastily, reaching out of Sherry's line of sight and retrieving a small water bottle. "This is the very pill that you helped develop. It's a fitting end, really; and it won't be long before your sister starts putting the facts together. At that point, she'll meet the same fate."

"Don't you dare!" Sherry snarled venomously, realizing as she said it that it wouldn't work.

"Oh, we'll do more than just 'dare'," Vodka added. "Just to drive it home, all departments not used by our ad agency are listening in right now. You're basically going to be an example to everyone else."

There was deep silence for a handful of seconds as Sherry exchanged glares with them, pondering what was going to happen. This is what I get for trying to satisfy my curiosity? The loss of my life and closest family...why does it have to end like this?

Phibrizzo, you little brat. Do you see what you've done?

At last, Gin shrugged. "Anything you'd like to say to that, Sherry?"

Sherry grimaced. "No. I think I've already made my thoughts clear."

"So be it, then." Gin stepped forward, opening the water bottle and protective packet in sequence. Sherry tried to shrink back, but to no avail...

------------

Having done this before, it didn't take long for Inuyasha and Phibrizzo to exchange personas and attire. With the Tetsusaiga in place, Inuyasha leaped from his hiding place like a canine kangaroo, entered through the closest back door, and took the first staircase down that he could find.

One man---a large man with a hefty build---was blocking the way, but Inuyasha didn't hesitate for an instant. Knocking him aside before he could raise the alarm, he raised one hand, and...

"Iron Reaver!"

...slashed the hinges right off the door, then kicked it in.

There were two startled men inside, but Inuyasha completely ignored them as he dived for the quivering bundle on the floor. One of them dropped a water bottle on the floor and reached for his gun, but Inuyasha was too fast. Sweeping the bundle off its feet and slicing through the handcuffs that kept it bound, he bolted for the room's exit and was gone well ahead of the ensuing gunshots.

--------

Vodka gaped at the door. "Was that---"

"Blast it," Gin spat. "It's not enough that he has to bother us at night, is it? After him!"

--------

Inuyasha leapt up the stairs five at a time, careful not to unbalance the load he was carrying. Reaching the top of the steps, he ignored the back door and instead continued on up the stairs, stopping only when he reached the top floor. Unseen from prying eyes, he burrowed Phibrizzo's teleportation ability and warped to a safe vantage point: the roof of an office tower in the heart of Tokyo.

By the time Gin and Vodka reached the place where Inuyasha had been, he was long gone. They were upset enough as it was; but when they realized that the other departments had heard what was going on, the two of them almost forgot that they weren't supposed to let anger get the best of them.

---------

Gently setting Sherry down on the roof, Inuyasha took a few seconds to enjoy the breeze that blew on through at this height. "That was too close," he muttered. "Good thing she let off that yell in time."

"Those were the guys Conan was looking for: Gin and Vodka," Curtis said, realizing as he said this that they now knew where one of the organization's offices were. Completely by accident, too, he noted.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered quietly. "But what's going on? I thought she worked for those guys. Did she get in trouble for doing something she wasn't supposed to?"

Phibrizzo and Curtis didn't say anything, so Inuyasha decided to add something else. Something weird, though. When I was going up the stairs, I thought for sure that she was gradually becoming lighter.

Curtis looked up. "Huh? Lighter?"

Yeah. Don't ask me how, but...it was getting lighter...and shrinking, too.

"Shrinking?" Phibrizzo and Curtis spoke simultaneously.

Yeah.

Wondering why that was happening, Inuyasha stared down at the quivering bundle and adjusted the collar of the white lab coat it wore...and jumped back as it let out a shuddering gasp. "What---"

"H-help...s-someo-one..." a voice struggled to say before its source suddenly quivered and rolled onto its side, facing Inuyasha with a shellshocked look. "Help..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he realized what had happened to the person. Curtis and Phibrizzo both gasped, both out of disbelief and anger...and as one, all three growled: "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

Within the last few minutes, Sherry became one of the few who survived the poisonous pill's power...but the dangerous side effects, much like they had done with Jimmy Kudo, had taken their toll...

...and shrunk her down to a younger form.

"Inuyasha?"

Yeah, Phibrizzo?

"This bites the dust worse than a terrier with false teeth."

For once, Inuyasha didn't have an angry retort. Instead, he took a few steps away and looked out over the horizon, reminding himself of what he told Invesigator Landon: that he was going to take down the organization, piece by piece.

--------

I'm...I'm alive...? I'm alive!

The spasms finally wearing away, Sherry found the strength she needed to sit up. Feeling a gust of wind brush against her and not knowing what to expect, she looked around. I must've been taken out of there...where am I? Where's Gin and the others? What was that shout I heard?...

Someone cleared his throat. "Are you coherent?"

Surprised, Sherry turned towards the voice; sure enough, Inuyasha was standing there. "What kind of question is that? Of course I---" she started to say, but cut herself off when she realized how she was talking. My voice...it sounds like I'm...

Inuyasha cleared his throat again, regaining her attention. He reached behind him and pulled out a mirror, then knelt near her and held it up to her face.

Caught off-guard by her reflection, Sherry tried to scramble back but only succeeded in tripping. Working herself up, she looked at her hands and at Inuyasha in turn. The vigilante only shrugged and said: "So, who wants to say it?"

Realizing that this is what must have happened to Kudo, Sherry was finally able to work the words out of her mouth. "I've...been shrunk!"

"Well, at least someone said it." Inuyasha put the mirror away and sat down. "You alright?"

As the events of the past few hours re-entered her memory, Sherry couldn't repress a childish snarl. "Am I alright? My associates tried to kill me because I wanted to learn more about the Project, my sister's in danger, and now I'm maturity-challenged! No, I'm not alright!"

"Get a handle on yourself, woman," Inuyasha growled back. "If I hadn't been passing by and heard you shout, you wouldn't even be alive right now. I'd appreciate some gratitude instead of some stupid temper tantrum!"

"...You're right." Sherry took a deep breath. "Sorry. I've got to calm down. Nothing's going to be solved like this..."

"You said your sister was in danger," Inuyasha prodded.

A note of urgency entered her voice. "Yes. Gin told me that he was going to kill her, too. She's does occasional work for them, but otherwise stays free of the group on the condition that I work even harder. She's the closest family I have, and I don't want to lose her!"

Inuyasha smirked. "That shouldn't be a problem. Does Gin have a cell phone number?"

Blink. "Yes...but how's that going to help?"

"You have your own cell phone with you?"

Sherry checked one of the pockets on her lab coat, retrieving it and handing it to Inuyasha. "What are you going to do?"

"Only one way to find out. Sherry, give me Gin's number."

----------

In the middle of berating Tequila and several technicians for the momentary security lapse, Gin's cell phone went off. Irritated, he took it out and flicked it on. "This is Gin..."

"You people really know how to tick me off, do you?"

Gin grimaced. "You..."

"Me. Your point?"

"..."

"Don't have one, huh? Right. So...Sherry cares nothing for your line of work, and neither do I. You're actually planning on offing her sister as compensation, huh? I'm calling to issue a warning: if you so much as blink in her general direction, your organization's going to go through a major 'staff cut', I think the expression is."

"And that means what?"

"I know the location of that office," Inuyasha's smug voice explained. "A single phone call will be all it takes to set the police loose; and if they fail, I'll be there to back them up. Is a humiliating defeat enough to get you off her case, or should I start pushing harder?"

Gin glanced sideways at Vodka and Tequila, who nodded and walked off with the technicians in tow. "You know we could just ignore you and go ahead anyway," he said. "You'd be too late to stop us, in that case."

"You could, but you won't," Inuyasha answered. "Like I said to your pal Driver, I'm anything but your average human. I just may have a few surprises in store for the next time we meet." There was the unmistakable sound of a sword being unsheathed. "Like this, for example. Now, I'm only going to tell you once: let Sherry's sister off the hook. Remember: this dog's on guard duty!"

Click.

Gin looked at the cell phone, switching it off. He knew that Inuyasha would up his words with force; he captured a fair number of agents already, and the black-coated operative suspected that he was the reason why the man at Zaxon Records hadn't reported back.

Vodka re-entered the room. "Everything's all set. Should we go ahead?"

The boss wasn't going to like this. "No. Tell all operatives not involved with the ad agency to pack up their equipment and head to the next location. Also, we're going to leave Sherry's family alone for now."

Vodka seemed taken back by this. "Are you serious? You're really going to let that child vigilante influence you like that?"

"Perhaps you would like fight someone immune to guns and blunt impacts." Gin's cold glare nailed Vodka to the floor. "In spite of the boss's orders, I'm not willing to take a chance and risk that kid's anger. I'm beginning to think that he's much older than he seems."

Vodka thought about this. "You think maybe he's genetically enhanced, and that his youth was a side effect?"

"He claims he wasn't," Gin said. "But until the analyzations of him are finished, that's still up in the air. Now, tell everyone to get moving. I'll take responsibility the next time we speak with the boss."

As Vodka left, Gin folded his arms and stared in the exit's general direction. I detest not finishing an operation once it's begun, but if he keeps it up at his pace, there may not be an operation to finish. That kid's an enigma...

...and, if I have anything to say about it, the organization's Number One Enemy.

He smirked. Everything has a weakness; it's all a matter of finding his. And when the time comes, I'll be the one to take advantage of it.

----------

After he hung up the phone and gave it back to Sherry, the scientist-turned-kid looked skeptically at Inuyasha. "You really think it's that easy? They could just ignore you."

"If they're smart, they won't," Inuyasha said. "That's all I have to say. If it makes you feel better, you could have your sister move elsewhere...like, say, Nerima."

"You're crazy," Sherry deadpanned, sweatdropping. "Why would I want my sister to move there? She wouldn't last a week over there. The one time I went there, I barely lasted an hour."

"She wouldn't need to worry about fighting or anything," Inuyasha explained. "The Nerima martial artists usually don't fight anyone who can't fight back. A few of them are a bit delusional, but they're kept in check by those that aren't. I've heard that the property damage they cause keeps the local construction people in business."

"So, you don't live over there, do you?"

Inuyasha's eyes closed part-way. "No."

"Why not?"

"If I had no power, it might be different. But as it is, I don't like being attacked by delusional kendoists and what not."

Sherry sighed. "Right. I'll pass, thank you. Now that we've settled that, what are we going to do?"

Inuyasha looked at her curiously. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm probably smaller than you now," Sherry complained. "How are we going to explain this to anyone...especially my sister?"

"Your sister knows what you did for them, right?"

"Yes."

Inuyasha frowned. "Then we tell her the truth."

"What?"

"While you're at it, you can get yourself a childhood, too."

Sherry stood up, ignoring the blouse and lab coat that were draped over her like a curtain. "I am a child! Do I look grown-up to you? Do I?"

"Be quiet for a second, woman, and let me explain!" Inuyasha growled loudly, jumping to his feet. "You obviously can't stay with me, and there's absolutely no way I'm dropping you someplace unfamiliar. After you tell her the truth, at least you have a few options to follow; otherwise, you've got nothing!"

Sherry's eyes narrowed. "What are my options?"

"One, you could stay at wherever your sister lives. It'll be risky knowing that those black-coated men are still around, but at least you're with someone you care about. And two, I could lead you someplace where you could be safe from those men and give you the chance to get yourself some friends."

"You're implying that I've never had any," Sherry warned, folding her arms and trying to look imposing. Since they were staring eye-to-eye, it was rather hard.

"It doesn't need implied," Inuyasha said, his voice softer. "I thought it was obvious from the start."

Sherry stared towards the roof they were on. "...Wherever I go, it doesn't matter. You heard me say that I was curious about the Project earlier?"

"You mean that DNA thing? Yeah."

"Well, I was able to send a few password-protected files to an e-mail account I have, so wherever I live I would need to have computer access."

Inuyasha blinked, looking curious. "And...what's that supposed to mean?"

Sherry almost slapped her forehead in exasparation. "Ergh...never mind. Just get me to my sister's house. I have an explanation to make. Now, is there some number I can reach you at?"

"Hmm..." Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a few moments, then rattled off a number. It was Phibrizzo's, of course, but Sherry didn't know that. "Can you remember that?"

"No problem. Can we go now?"

"Why? You don't like it up here?"

"What do you mean, 'up here?'"

"It's an office tower somewhere in Tokyo's center. Whatever you do, don't look down."

Sherry's forehead fell into her hands as she felt her headache coming back. "I don't want to know. I just don't want to know."

"Well, you're about to find out." Inuyasha held out his hand. "Grab on. We're getting out of here."

"I wondered why it was so windy up here," Sherry grumbled as she grabbed his hand.

One teleportation later, the roof was clear.

----------

Location: Elsewhere
Time: Thirty minutes later

Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring.

In a very well-to-do room decorated with baseball posters, technological tidbits and math equations, Wanda Fitzgerald perked up from her laptop and flicked on a nearby speakerphone. "Fitzgerald residence. Little Wanda speaking."

After an instant of hesitation, a young girl's voice filled the air. "Excuse me...but someone told me you'd be able to help me."

Wanda smiled. "Who said that?"

"Inuyasha."

Her smile was gone, replaced by concern. "I don't even know the kid...how'd he know about me helping anyone?"

"He said that he knows someone who knows you...Phibrizzo, he says."

Switching moods quicker than a singer changes his key, Wanda sniggered for several moments. "Figures that he had something to do with it! May I ask who I'm helping, and what it's about?"

Her caller sighed; Wanda wasn't an expert, but she thought she detected a note of defeat. "My name's Shiho Miyano. If I give you my screen name and password, can I trust you to crack open a few password-protected files I sent to my account?"

If Wanda had been drinking anything, she would've done a quick spit-take. She started wondering what in the world was going on, and whether there were more kids out there with troublesome pasts. Hearing about Inuyasha was one thing, and meeting Phibrizzo was another...but counting herself, that made four.

Some time later, when Wanda defeated the encryption on the documents, she changed her mind pretty quickly. Upon opening the first document, her mouth fell open in astonishment...and she began cackling madly. Amazing...it's him! It's really him!

"If you're done laughing," Shiho's voice interrupted her harshly, "could you put those files on some disks or something and give them to Phibrizzo tomorrow? I think he'll be interested in what they contain. In the meantime, expect me to start attending your school sometime tomorrow."

That cut through Wanda's mood and destroyed it like an overinflated balloon. Her face froze in mid-laugh, then she hung her head and pouted. "Spoilsport."

-------

As it happened, Conan had to tag along with Richard and Rachel when the former was called out on a case that evening. After Phibrizzo explained his whereabouts---leaving out Inuyasha's presence and Sherry's dilemma---to Sylvia and ate dinner with both parents, he went upstairs to begin sketching the picture Curtis had suggested earlier; he needed some rest from the constant teleporting that had been done, anyway. He knew that between delivering the demo tape to Zaxon Records, 'Shiho''s arrival at Teitan Elementary and finding what was in the files she had taken, tomorrow promised to be a busy day.

Meanwhile, another conversation was taking place elsewhere:

"Shiho, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I don't have a choice. If I stay with you, I'd risk getting identified. I don't want you to go through any scrapes like the one you almost experienced today."

"...Alright. I'll call this Doctor you heard about and arrange things for you. But if anything happens, you can come back. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome...little sister."

"Agh...You were waiting to say that, weren't you?"

-------

Chapter Twenty concluded. Chapter Twenty-One soon to commence

Author's Notes

I don't know why I found this chapter so easy to write; most of it was actually done within the last few days. Anyhow...a lot's going on here, and it's getting to be a bit much to keep track of, huh?

Some time ago I'd planned on basing a chapter on Curtis's first official meeting with Conan, but the opening scenes were about as far as I got before the content started wandering off course. This is what I get for planning ahead.

Azusa's resumed chasing after Phibrizzo again. Once you've been to Nerima, you take a little of the craziness with you everywhere you go; he's found that out the hard way. Heh, heh.

There's another crossover hidden in here, but it won't become evident until much later on. If anyone managed to guess, then Kudos to you (pardon the pun).

The impact of Phibrizzo's arrival is starting to become known. Much like a lot of other stuff in the story, I hadn't planned on Sherry being forced to take her own drug this soon in the timeline. Things are going to be really messed up by the time the story's done, mark my words.

I haven't decided whether I'll stick with Haibara Ai or go with whatever name Funimation chose for her when it comes time for her next appearance. Depends on how things go.

Time for Chapter Twenty-One. And no, there are no playing cards involved.