Standard: a symbol of a person or group; a flag. The chapter name refers to the old military position (very old) of standard-bearer. Taking up a standard after the original standard-bearer was lost was a way to rally an army, to convince them to continue to fight even though their flag had once fallen.

Also, I'm sad at the lack of reviews for the last chapter. Have I depressed my readers so badly...?

Well, it is a depressing storyline, I suppose. One more in this mini-series, to be named 'Taking Chances'.

5
To Lift the Standard

Haibara told him everything. From her own part in Shinichi's death (the guilt she felt was more than enough punishment, and she had only been trying to protect the only family she had. Kaito could understand that and Shinichi had never blamed her, so how then could Kaito?) to everything they'd managed to gather on their enemies, to what few allies they had, even those who'd only ever known 'Edogawa Conan' and his precocious intelligence.

Kaito planned.

And… there was one thing left, that might grant the Mouris and Conan's friends at least a little comfort, a little hope.

But he would not state falsely, not in this. So. Not—quite—a riddle, no cheerily mocking little doodle. There was nothing to mock in this.

A note with a single blue rose* taped to it was left on Mouri Kogoro's desk for him and his daughter to find come morning.

x

I have not forgotten my favorite critic, whose all-seeing eyes were never deceived.
I will not forget my Tantei-kun.
Kaitou Kid

x

As for the Black… he would destroy them.

xxxx

*Blue roses stand for many things, but all of them have something to do with uniqueness or impossibility (probably due to being impossible to naturally breed, as roses lack the gene for blue pigment. Gene tampering and dye are the only ways to get them). In this case, the intended meaning is 'uniquely wonderful and unattained/impossible', with the 'impossible' part being 'impossible to forget', though the Mouris wouldn't know that just by looking up possible meanings.