Chapter One: Through the Fire

I felt a sharp pain as something impacted against my right hand. The Amsterdam Diamond flew across the floor and scattered to a halt near the wall in front of me. I tucked my injured hand beneath me and rolled towards the gem. The little light coming off and the moon didn't help me locate the white shine from the lesser diamonds around its edge.

Of course the light switches didn't work thanks to Inspector Nakamori.

Nakamori-san had been clever this time. They had secretly taken the diamond to a hotel room down the street from the museum that was currently showing it. He had brought along five or six of his men without verbal communication. Hakuba-kun had tried to be part of the operation but it seemed like they were able to shake him off. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to locate it but luck was on my side and Inspector Nakamori had passed Aoko and me as we were going to pick up a notebook she wanted to buy, while I was going to scope out the area.

It also seemed that Tantei-kun had managed to follow them, or me, now that I thought about it. We were currently in room 1623, on the 16th floor. I had used my hang-glider and had descended down the side of the 48-story building. I wouldn't have been impossible for him to see me fly over. We had originally been in room 1629 but it seemed like I hadn't managed to fool the young detective in the mist of the smoke I released after acquiring my prize.

I grabbed around blindingly near the edge of wall, too far away from the window or door to feel comfortable. I could practically feel the tranquillizer dart being aimed at my back as I fumbled around, an easy target in my white outfit even in the dark.

A sound caught my attention. It wasn't very loud or in any way disturbing but I couldn't ignore it. I shocked myself when I noticed that I stilled my hands and blocked out the world around me to see if I could hear the faint noise any better.

A part of my consciousness expected the dart to hit me at any second while I lay in the trance but it never came. I cocked my head to the side out of habit; it didn't really allow me to hear any better it just made me feel more at ease. The shouts and stomps of the Kaito Kid Task Force made the indistinct sounds even harder to decipher.

"What is it?" I heard Tantei-kun murmured behind me. He obviously couldn't hear anything and it wasn't like I could tell why such a quiet and far off sound had that kind of effect on me.

I didn't answer him but calmly walked over to the window to try and escape the loud noises coming from down the hall. I purposely didn't place my hands on the sill so whatever kind of truce he and I had come to wouldn't be broken.

I felt a shiver run down my spine but the reason for it still remained a mystery. Even at the open window, the sounds were clearly coming from the other side of the building. A few cracks and bangs were loud enough that I was sure he was able to hear them too.

I turned to face Kudo Shinichi. Some part of my subconscious had shut down and the instincts I usually relied on to escape weren't there to tap.

He still held his watch ready but the look on my face startled him enough to drop it. I couldn't guess what he saw, I didn't know myself.

I peeked out the door in time to see two officers running frantically past me towards the stairs. I looked to the right but the rest of the hall was deserted.

Quietly, I opened the door all the way with Tantei-kun at my heels. Some part of my brain must have been working because I caught myself placing my dark green cap on my head, swiping the monocle, and grabbing a long dark jacket out to hide most of the costume and cape. The detective never moved to stop me but he was keeping close.

We both made our way quickly down the stairs. I ducked onto either the forth for fifth floor hallway as one of the officers came running back up. It occurred to me that his attitude didn't seem any more unusual then normal during one of my heists. Tantei-kun raised his eyebrows at me, still not sure if he should be letting me move around so freely.

It was at this point that I started thinking. Whatever it was that had caught my attention obviously wasn't important. I was still incredibly curious but my thoughts now wandered to evading my small rival.

We made our way to the lobby but there were four officers blocking the door. I could have slipped away from him at this point but some honor bound part of me wouldn't allow it. It would appear, after all, as if I had deceived him in less honorable ways then I was accustomed to if I did.

I grabbed the kid and, with some protest, lifted him onto my shoulders as I tipped the hat to cover more of my face. From inside one of my pockets I grabbed a fake mustache and another hat that I carelessly placed on his head; it was going to be too big no matter how I angled it.

The police I encountered at the door let us through easily enough after I lowered my voice and, after a little surprise, Tantei-kun backed me up.

My pants still stood out enough that I stuck close to the wall as I made my way around the building. Outside wasn't nearly as calm as inside had been. There were people running through the streets, clearly upset but not panicked.

I could see plenty of police lights down the street but as I turned the corner I realized what had distracted me so thoroughly.

The apartment down the street was on fire.

I looked up in time to see one of the windows on the seventh floor, of the eight story building, blow out. Flames licked at the entire section and smoke was coming out of the one above it.

I did a quick survey of my surroundings. There were plenty of police since the museum they were 'guarding' was nearby but there were no firefighters. The fire must have started around the time of my heist so everyone was busy focusing on me instead of the danger.

I quickly took Tantei-kun off my shoulders and ran around the side hotel I just left to find the nozzle for a hose on the outside. I turned it on and made sure I soaked my hair and clothes before turning it off. Tantei-kun quickly turned it back on and soaked himself as well.

"You are not going in there." I amended with a smile and picked him up by the hood of his jacket. I could feel my body shake from a mix of adrenaline and frostbite.

"If you stop me, I'll stop you." He found a way to turn himself around and aim his watch at me.

"You can't help anyone in your current condition. Accept what you can't control." My smile remained in place as I tried to make him complacent as soon as I could.

"There are plenty of cops here and I could stop you, that's in my control." The steel in his eyes showed that he wasn't going to let this go. I sighed.

"Do as you please, just don't get into any danger."

He chuckled sadistically "We're running into a burning building and you don't want me to get into danger."

"Don't get in any more danger, Tantei-kun." I tore off the mustache and put the hat lower on my head. I also grabbed the young detective's hood and threw it over the cap.

A large crowd of onlookers and, most likely, the escaped inhabitants surrounded the police. It took no more than a second to get around an officer near the police line they formed. None were guarding the door, afraid if they got too close that they'd get hit with falling glass. The police weren't experience with dealing with fires and didn't know whether they sould enter the building or try to keep the crowd docile.

As I shoved the door open one of them shouted something to me but I didn't catch it before the door closed behind Kudo.

Having Kudo come along wasn't the best option but I didn't have any doubts that he would have stopped me if I hadn't allowed him to come. My sleeping gas was too far in my coat to reach quickly enough and getting myself arrested was not going to help get anyone trapped in the building.

We ran up the few flights of stairs without witness. The sixth floor stairway, however, was completely blocked off with smoke. I drew out part of my cape before slamming my body into the door that led to the apartments. I knew better then to try the handle and luckily my small frame had enough momentum that the burnt wood gave way.

I was immediately suffocated by thick clouds of smoke seeking a way to escape. Kudo had it easier being closer to the ground but I heard him start to cough.

I ducked down lower to escape the worst of it. Visibility was almost gone and if anyone was on this floor, odds of them being alive, let alone conscious, were slim to none.

Flames spread down the corridor a few feet in front of us. I took off the heavy jacket and draped it over the small detective.

"Stay here, if there's anyone…" I was cut off by a fit of coughing. "…you won't be able to help." I finished quickly before I could be cut off again. Unfortunately I still continued to cough.

Kudo understood the situation well enough and covered his head and body fully with the large coat. Good, one liability out of the way.

I felt the flames lick at my ankles as I made my way to the first apartment. The door was already open and a quick look around all the rooms inside showed that no one was there.

I went down the apartments, breaking down doors when necessary, burning black marks onto my long white sleeves. On the fifth and last one I was really starting to feel the smoke get to me when I heard a noise.

I made my way further into but didn't hear the sound again. "Hello?" I asked, the words coming out hoarse and not nearly as loud as I wanted.

A loud crack and the sound of wood giving way drowned out any answer I may have received. Damn it. I swore silently. The rest of the apartment was filled with flames and I would have to get passed them to explore the remaining area.

The entire living room was on fire. The small kitchen was the only area that wasn't engulfed in flames since there was nothing to feed them. I shoved my head in there quickly but saw nothing. Most of the apartments had two bedrooms and I quickly broke down the door to the first one I came to.

I staggered and almost collapsed into the fire before I found my balance. My eyes were dry and itched terribly. I wasn't sure if it was because of that or all the smoke, but my vision was hazy and the furniture was taking on really unique blobby shapes. I went over to the window and broke it with my elbow, it hurt, but the few gasps of fresh air I received made it worth it.

I sharply took in a breath that burned on its way down my throat before facing the room again. After a few seconds I let the air out in a sigh when I realized no one was there. Maybe I hadn't really heard anything. The creaking noises of the floor were getting worse but I wasn't going to leave it to chance, I only had one room left.

The door to the other room was closed as well; being further in the back of the apartment meant the flames hadn't had a chance to get all the way through yet.

Breaking this door down was more difficult because it wasn't damaged or charred. It took me four tries to finally have the door give in. I was coughing badly again and my vision was starting to blur. I noticed blood at the base of my pants and lifted my right arm up, seeing the bloody and scorched skin on my shoulder and forearm. That was going to hurt later.

"Hello?" I was barely able to call out. I felt so tired of all this. When were the firefighters going to arrive? I still had the floor above to check so I couldn't give up just yet even with fatigue fighting against my every action.

I was just able to hear a small noise. My hearing was shot and I couldn't tell what direction it came from but I was sure I heard it.

The room I was in wasn't on fire yet, just the edges of the carpet from where I opened the door, so I had free reign. There was no one in the room.

"Must be going crazy." I mumbled to myself. I was about to leave when I noticed the closet door open a little and heard a small cough followed by a quiet, high pitched, call for help.

I quickly ran over to the closet to be met with a small girl no older than eight. She had long black hair tied in two loose ponytails. Her eyes were full of tears and her face was ashen but other than that she looked fine.

"Come here, I'm going to get you out." I said gently as I could, my voice not helping to sooth her. The minute she saw me the hope that had entered her eyes on my arrival vanished. She moved further into the closet, away from me.

"What's the matter? Don't worry about the fire; I'll make sure you're safe." I tried to console her but she just shook her head and hid behind her knees.

"My daddy says you're a bad guy. And daddy says I should never talk to bad guys." She winced as I reached towards her.

I pulled my hand back, not wanting to scare her. I could just drag her out of the closet and get her to safety but she might fight and get herself burned.

"What can I do to make you get out of the closet so I…" I started coughing, the room was quickly being attacked by the fire and smoke, it wouldn't be long before it reached the closet.

"Please let me help you, would a bad guy really run into a fire to help you?" I asked her sincerely. I was running out of options fast. I pulled a rose out of thin air and handed it to her with a strained smile. "Please trust me until I get you out of this, then you don't have to be anywhere near me."

Given the choice between going with me and dying the girl nodded after a moment of consideration.

I took my cape off which was dry at this point and wrapped it around her body and face. "Try not to breathe too much…." My words slowly died on my lips, not having enough moisture to carry on.

I continued back to the staircase. Little coughs from the both of us were the only thing that could be heard over the collapsing floor. When I made it to the stairs I found them covered with flames. It stopped after the first few steps and I found Kudo on the floor below.

I fell to my knees, exhausted. "Get the girl out of here." I told him as I unwrapped her from my cape. I didn't take it away from her because she was clutching onto it like a safety blanket. I didn't need it anyway.

Kudo looked at me scrupulously. Now that I was out of the fire I could hear sirens coming from outside. "You should get out of here too." He replied, his eyes meeting mine. I smiled.

"Not just yet." I picked myself back off the ground and headed up the stairs to the top floor.

"I'll be back." I heard him shout before escorting the girl down the stairs. She turned to me before I fell out of view and I heard a quiet 'thank you' follow me up the stairs.

The top floor hallway was just as bad as the lower one but it didn't seem like the fire reached far into any of the rooms. I went for the open door first and made quick work of the first few apartments. It looked like most of the residents were able to evacuate before the fire got deadly.

The next few rooms I entered weren't as clear of flames as the first few, some were even worse than the floor below if that were even possible. With the fire spread in such a spastic manner, it made me think it was done maliciously. I wasn't a detective so I let the thought fall silent for the time being.

Halfway down the hall I could hear hushed voices.

"Is anyone in there?"

I was greeted by silence before I heard a woman call out.

"Yes, there are seven of us in here and we can't break down the door." I could hear the tears in her voice. Seven I thought; this was going to be hard.

"Get away from the door." I commanded. My shoulder was killing me, and the door looked solid. I took a breath and hit it as hard as I could. I grunted and clenched my teeth together as the door stayed standing. I took a step back to get more force and felt the flame start to burn through my shoes. Great, hopefully my feet wouldn't get burned before I made it out.

I shoved again but it wasn't until the third time that I was able to break it down. When I got my bearings back together I was shocked to see an equally startled face looking back into my own.

Hakuba.