Beyond Expectations

"Give others freedom to be themselves. Appreciate the differences between their ways an yours."
-Unknown

"This shouldn't keep happening, it's not fair to Kid," the teen said, staring at the bloody murder scene, watching as the criminal was lead out in cuffs by Nakamori and the Osaka police.

"Excuse me?"

Kaito turned, looking up at the teenage detective next to him, shrugging lightly. "Murders on heists, it's not fair to the thief's reputation, to be mired in the cloudiness and darkness. He deserves better, is better then such...nastiness."

Heiji raised an eyebrow, looking the teen over. "Fan of his then?"

Kaito grinned. "A bit. He fascinates me. He's a paradox, not to mention a wicked magician."

"He's a criminal."

"Ah, but is he? He's never kept anything he's stolen...at most, he's merely borrowing."

"Without permission, that generally makes one a thief, or a criminal."

Kaito shrugged again, before offering his hand to Heiji in a western greeting. "Kuroba Kaito, Magician."

Heiji smiled, shaking the offered hand firmly. "Hattori Heiji, detective."

"Ah, 'Hot Blooded-kun!" Kaito said, pronouncing the nickname with a British accent.

Heiji growled, eyes narrowing. "I take it you've had the...pleasure of meting Hakuba Saguru?"

Kaito laughed. "If you can call it that. We attend the same high school, sadly he is in my class."

"I pity your misfortune then."

"Eh, he's not so bad...great fodder for my pranks." Kaito winked at Heiji who laughed, both teens turning back to the crime scene, laughter fading as they stared at the small, sheet covered body. "She was just a child," Kaito said softly, staring sadly at the scene. "No one deserves to be killed but a child..."

"I know, I wish..."

But whatever Heiji wished was lost as two sweet smelling clothes covered the teen's mouth's and noses. Heiji and Kaito struggled, but the dizziness effecting them proved counter-productive to their struggles, and soon both boys were limp in their captor's arms.

Saguru found the cloths a few moments later in a scene clean-up and frowned, staring at the trick rose next to them.

--

Heiji came too with a groan, head spinning as he blinked open his eyes only to find more un-relenting darkness. Or at least he did until a light clicked on to his left. Wincing at the light that was far too bright for his addled brain, he let his head roll to the side, blinking at the young magician sitting catty corner to him, a small flashlight between his fingers.

Rolling his head back to the front, he blinked again, staring at the shadowed room, shadows fading bit by bit as his eyes adjusted to the small and not quite atiquite light. "We're in a room," he mused intelligently and Kaito laughed.

"I figured that out right about in the same amount of time," Kaito said companionably before sobering. "We're also chained up, annoyingly quite well, in what I'm assuming is either a basement or a cellar judging by the water seepage, and don't think too hard, it'll hurt." Kaito was obviously saying so from experience, judging by the pained look on his face.

Heiji nodded slightly before rolling his head back towards Kaito. "Any ideas on why we're in such wondrous conditions?"

"A few, but I'm not quite sure why we're together if any of my theories are correct. I don't recall us having the same enemies."

Heiji quirked an eyebrow at this, smiling weakly. "You have enemies?"

"A few, here or there," Kaito said with an enigmatic smile. "You might want to roll your head the other way for a moment, the light's going to shift."

Heiji did as he was told, wincing as the light grew brighter around him. He rolled his head back, really wishing his brain would wake up enough to control his neck properly, looking at Kaito again as the light dimmed. He then blinked, blatantly staring.

Something wasn't right.

He watched Kaito rubbing his wrists, trying to get circulation back into them before the magician leaned forward, nearly bent in half as he stretched for his ankles, fingers working quickly, twisting two tools between nimble fingers as he picked the lock securing the chains that bound his feet. Heiji knew many people who knew how to pick locks, hell, he could do it himself, but he had never met anyone who could work the tools so easily, who moved so quickly.

The lock snapped open and Kaito stood, shaking out his limbs before turning a grinning face to Heiji. "And for my next trick!" He moved closer to the bound detective who had wiped the look of suspicion from his face, giving Kaito an easy smile and turning his wrists so the lock was closer to the boy.

Heiji watched Kaito closely as the teen worked, studying the intense, concentrating look on a face that was obviously more prone to smiling then anything else. That look, the smile Kaito had flashed him...it all looked so damn familiar. He couldn't for the life of him place it, except for some reason it reminded him of Kudo and he had no idea why as it wasn't the kid's smile.

"You have a talent for picking locks," he said, giving Kaito a grin as his arms were released. He drew his arms down, rubbing his wrists as he watched the teen through his lashes as Kaito moved to unlock Heiji's feet.

Kaito shrugged, a mere rolling of his shoulders. "Comes in handy if I swallow the key," he said, giving Heiji another grin as the lock around his feet clicked open. Kaito moved closer to Heiji as the detective started to stand, offering him a hand which Heiji was grateful for, his body swaying slightly as it tried to get under his brain's control once more.

Now free, the pair could get a closer look at their surroundings, which consisted of nothing more of three bare stone walls (minus of course the barred window on the left wall), and a fourth that was dominated by a rotting wooden staircase, leading to a metal door.

Heiji studied the door, clinging tightly to the only solid piece of wood on the stairs as he examined every inch. "No lock." he murmured and Kaito looked up at him, positioned below the stairs in case they broke away under Heiji's weight.

"What?"

"No lock. Not even a handle or knob." he rapped lightly on the door and frowned at the solid echo that returned to him. "No opening either."

"A double door," Kaito murmured before cursing softly in English.

Heiji started back down the stairs, Kaito following him until the pair were standing side by side. Kaito gave an annoyed huff and Heiji turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow at the sound that wasn't like what (admittedly little) he knew of Kaito. Kaito smiled, an embarrassed look on his face. "I'm getting a little frustrated with people kidnapping me."

"Happen often?"

"Once before, highly annoying mad man hit me over the head on my way home from school, nothing big." If one could count killer look alike robots as nothing big.

"Hmm, sounds about normal." Heiji said before sighing and sitting on the last of the steps, resting his chin in his hand. "So apparently, we're locked in here by unknown persons for unknown reasons, yet something that has to do with both you and me."

"Charmingly good looks?" Kaito offered, taking a seat on the ground next to Heiji, but turned slightly so he could see the detective without looking up.

"Doubt it," Heiji said, turning to give Kaito a look. He was turning back towards the blank wall he had been staring at while the thought over the problem, when something went 'ping' in the back of his brain. Slowly, he turned his head back, staring at Kaito.

Kaito was turned slightly, almost more then half of his face in shadow, the other illuminated by the flashlight across the room. Heiji moved down the step and knelt in front of Kaito, ignoring the boy's questioning glance as he raised a hand up, covering the half of the face in shadow. He then used his other hand to throw shadows on Kaito's forehead and half over his uncovered eye, staring at the bit of face left.

Heiji's heart started to pound as the pieces started to fall into place, each interlocking together to form a rather disturbing picture.

A picture bathed in moonlight and laughter.

Heiji removed his hands and Kaito shifted, wondering what the detective was up to. As the teen shifted something else caught the light and Heiji's eyes were drawn to the flash of metal. Reaching, he grabbed it, pulling an odd-looking gun from Kaito's waist, staring at the barrel. Curiously, and quite sure of the action, he raised the gun, cocking it and firing off to the side, watching as a playing card embedded itself into the stone wall.

"Who are you?" he demanded, turning to look back at the teen and Kaito's face blanked. There was no other word for it. One moment there was a questioning, curious look and the next there was nothing, as if the boy's face was a white board one could wipe clean at any moment.

And then, he laughed.

Heiji stumbled back, staring at the teen, the laughter raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He hated that laugh, had hated it every time he heard it from the open skies as he arrived just shy of too late.

"Very good, Tantei-han." Kaito said, his voice no longer full of smiles and cheer but deeper, filled with the same laughter. A smirk crossed over Kaito's lips and Heiji found himself coughing on a cloud of smoke.

Waving his hand, trying to clear the air in front of him, a gloved hand entered his vision, palm up, waiting. Heiji debated for a moment before placing the gun in Kid's hand, looking up into the monocled face peering down at him. Kid put the safety on the gun before sliding it into the shoulder harness under his coat, buttoning it after the action. "So what now, Tantei-han? Shall I offer you my wrists for you to lock shiny metal bracelets around?" Kid held out hit wrists, as if in offering for Heiji to arrest him.

Heiji stared at the thief, his mind traveling on a million different tracks at once. Standing before him was the ultimate prize, the crown in any detective's career. If he brought in Kaitou Kid, he would have done what no one else had ever come close to managing to do, not even that stuck up British ass, Hakuba.

But, Kid was in the same predicament he was. Kidnapped, for unknown reasons by unknown perpetrators. If they worked together, they could accomplish far more then they could singly. And he had learned before, Kid was a capable, if undesirable partner. Quick thinking, talented, and if nothing else, extremely damn lucky.

"Or," Kid said, his head bowed, light glinting off the glass of his monocle. "Perhaps, a truce? For the night at least."

"No tricks." It wasn't a request so much as an order, though no one could really order Kid to do anything. "No gas, no ropes, no smoke."

"Of course, Tantei-han." Kid said with a bow before sweeping his top hat from his head, running a gloved hand through disheveled brown locks. He turned the hat over and over in his hands as he stared off into space, apparently thinking. He stopped the hat when it was upside down and looked down into it. Reaching in, there was a cooing sound and Heiji's mouth dropped open as Kid's hand came out of the hat, a beautiful, white dove resting contently on the thief's finger. Kid waved the hand holding his hat and it vanished to places unknown, while he raised the dove up, gently nuzzling it's head. The dove cooed and snuggled against it's master, before blinking at Heiji as if he were intruding.

Kid laughed at the look his bird gave Heiji and nuzzled it's head again, making the bird coo happily, completely ignoring Heiji. Kid then flicked his hand, and Heiji half expected the bird to disappear again but instead, the dove fluttered in the air for a few moments before settling on Kid's shoulder, rubbing it's head against the thief's cheek as Kid moved across the room and studied the lone barred window.

"So, Hot Blooded-kun, do you think you could remove this troublesome glass?"

"You want me to bust open the window? Why?"

Kid just smiled and stepped away. He made an odd hand motion and a white towel appeared in his hands. He offered it to Heiji, who accepted it and wrapped it around his hand. Heiji stared at the window for a moment before slamming his fist through the glass, hissing as his knuckles impacted the bars. He shook his hand for a moment before re-wrapping it and hitting the glass again, breaking out another piece and then another, until there was a sizable hole. He stepped away, un-wrapping his hand, nursing his bruised knuckles as he watched Kid pull a piece of scrap paper and a felt tipped black marker from an inner pocket of his suit.

Heiji moved closer, watching over Kid's shoulder as the thief sketched a caricature of himself bound in chains, before folding the paper up and sliding it into a small capsule that had been removed from somewhere around his collar. He attached the capsule to the dove's leg, giving her a kiss as he carried the bird to the window and carefully held her outside the broken glass, through the bars just barley wide enough to fit her.

"Take that to the Little Miss," He ordered softly, just barley loud enough for Heiji to hear. The dove flapped it's wings, taking off into the night, soon a white speck amongst the stars.

"Little Miss?" Heiji questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I guess the rumor's are true."

"Weither or not they are, she is the only one who can help us now. Unless you wish to rely on Hakuba-san?"

"I'd rather not, thanks." Heiji said, shuddering at what Saguru could come up with from him being locked up.

Kid nodded, staring up at the sky above them, now visible through the broken glass. He reached out, just shy of the shards of glass, almost as if reaching for the sky before giving an out of character sigh, his hand dropping back to his side.

Heiji watched the suddenly depressed looking thief, curious as to the rare show of emotion. He wondered about it, before Kaito's words from earlier that evening suddenly came back to him, the tone of loss and desperation colouring his words.

"You couldn't have saved her," Heiji said softly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I should have been able to," Kid said, turning back to the sky, watching the slow passing of the stars orbits. "It shouldn't have ever been a possibility. No one gets hurt."

"You can't protect everyone connected with a heist, Kid. She would have died weither you had been there or not, at least with you there, her murder was discovered faster then it would have been otherwise."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Kid asked, turning his head to the side, though he was looking more at the floor then Heiji.

"No, but it's the truth." Heiji turned his own face to the strip of stars he could see, his head tilted back to even get the view. "What would you have done anyway? How would you have stopped someone so intent to take another life?"

"I could have..." Kid trailed off and Heiji laughed, re-focusing on the shadowed figure.

"Could have...what? Stepped in front of his knife? Gotten yourself and probably her killed? Or maybe you would have shot him with that annoying gun of yours. How fast do those cards travel anyway? And at close range, would the speed matter, when the cards are sharp enough to cut stone? Would you stain those pure little gloves of yours, to save her? Take another's life?"

"I would have done something! Anything!" Kid snapped, turning to face Heiji, a bit of his true personality showing through the perfect mask. "She was...she was..." Kid's eyes widened and a gloved hand clamped over his mouth.

Heiji darted across the room, latching onto Kid just as the thief bent over, retching, the memories of the night too for him, the picture of those sightless blue eyes staring up at him, accusing him too much. Heiji absently rubbed the other teen's back, mumbling nonsense words of comfort as the thief vomited. Kid had emptied his stomach and still he retched, tears flowing down his face, the emotional pain mixing with physical as he gagged again, struggling to breath.

As Kid's body started to calm, Heiji pulled him back, away from the mess. Getting the thief settled on the ground as far as he could from the stench, hoping the fresher air calmed the thief who was still gagging occasionally. Kid tilted his head back, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, tears still slipping out and joining their brethren as he tried to calm his body. Heiji was silent, un-buttoning Kid's jacket and sliding it off of the thief, before loosening the tie and unbuttoning a few buttons of the thief's shirt, allowing air to cool the thief as he searched the jacket for something to give the thief to clean his face.

Finding nothing Heiji pulled off his t-shirt, handing it to Kid who stared at it for a moment before simply draping it over his face. Ungloved hands re-appeared, dangling a monocle that he held out to Heiji. Heiji took the monocle, staring down at the twisting bit of glass and metal before cramming it into his pants pocket, knowing there would never be a chance of him getting out of the basement with the eyepiece.

The pair remained silent for a moment, Heiji finally shifting and leaning against the wall, the night catching up to him, forcing a yawn from him that caused his eyes to tear. A bit of movement caught his eye and he watched as Kid wiped his sweaty face with the shirt, dropping it into his lap as he pressed the heels of his still bare hands to his eyes, as if he could stop the tears by force. Kid dropped his hand to his lap before looking up at Heiji, bright, teary blue eyes looking up at him.

"You should be congratulated, Tantei-han."

"Why is that?"

"Because you have the one thing Saguru lacks to identify me. Proof." Kid leaned his head back again, closing his eyes.

"Why do you do this, Kaito-kun?"

"Kid, if you please." the thief said, before cracking one eye open. "And my apologizes, but that answer is reserved for somebody else...when he gets a clue." he smiled and closed the eye again. "But I can tell you, this wasn't what I dreamed of as a child."

"I never is," Heiji said softly, before smiling. He wondered, if Hakuba knew of the fond tone Kid held when he spoke of the detective, even in passing.

"Tantei-han?"

"Hmm?"

"Where was Kudo-kun tonight?"

"Kudo-kun?" Heiji quired, looking at Kid nervously.

Kid opened his eyes and smiled. "Yes, Kudo-kun, midget tantei, tends to go by the atrocious name of Edogowa Conan, wears big glasses?"

"I...you know?"

Kid nodded, once more closing his sensitive eyes. "I know. Well, I know who he is, I just don't know..." he waved his hand, searching for the words before smiling. "Why he is."

"Ah," Heiji said, and left it at that. It wasn't his secret to tell. "He had a sleep over he couldn't get out of."

"Pity." Kid said, sitting up and pulling on his gloves again. "It's always so enjoyable, when the three of you are together."

"Have you ever been around the three of us together?"

Kid tilted his head in though, before looking amused. "I guess I haven't. It appears I have only met you three in pairs."

"And which do you find more challenging?" Heiji asked curiously, sliding down the wall to sit next to the thief, stretching out his legs.

"Hmm, singularly it would have to be Kudo-kun, in any size. Paired, most certainly Kudo-kun and Saguru-kun."

"I think I feel insulted," Heiji said, a slight scowl on his face.

Kid laughed, covering his eyes with his hand, shielding them from the light as he waited for the tears to dry up and his eyes to get used to the dim light again. "It's nothing against you, Hattori-kun. It's just that you are..." He searched for the right words. "Not as observant. For a detective you are good, logic and facts impeccable, but Kudo-kun and Saguru-kun are students of the classical detectives, they drink in the scenes and people surrounding them. Neither technique is flawless and neither is wrong, they are just different. At times, I prefer your approach, not just because it's easier to maneuver around you, but far more enjoyable in the chase." He smiled at Heiji who huffed, still slightly put out but figuring it didn't really matter.

Suddenly there came muffled thumps and yelling from upstairs and Kid stood, retrieving the monocle from Heiji's pants and slipping it on. "It seems, the cavalry has arrived," he mused, waving his hand, top hat appearing in his hand.

"Wha..." Heiji was cut off as an explosion occurred in the window, just as the metal door up the stairs crashed open, Saguru and Nakamori nearly falling down the stairs.

"KID!" Nakamori yelled, dashing down the stairs towards the thief.

"I'm afraid this is where we part, Tantei-han. I hope, someday soon, you visit Tokyo Tower." He touched his hand to his hat brim in a slight bow to Heiji before a silver smoke capsule slid from his sleeve. Nakamori roared and jumped into the smoke cloud, followed by Saguru. The sound of flesh hitting the stone floor could be heard along with the lilting laughter as Kid escaped from the now blown out window.

Heiji sighed, shaking his head, partially annoyed by the fact Kid could have escaped at any time, yet amused that the thief had stayed for no other reason then the desire to.

"I will never understand him," Heiji said, watching as Nakamori and Saguru sorted themselves out.

--

"Don't you ever tire of heights?" Heiji asked the white shadow on the edge of the platform.

"Not really. It's...peaceful." Kid said, watching the city below them.

"I spoke with Hakuba after you...left. He told me a very interesting story about a young classmate of his, who came to his home in a fit, telling some bizarre story about a thief who had been captured by a mad scientist interested in boys with high IQ's."

"Really? He must cut back on those after heist drinks of his."

"Hmm, yes. Though her story was remarkably similar to an elderly gentleman, a retired scientist, who owned the house we were so graciously accommodated in. Apparently, this man has a fascination with the mind, and had very thick files on four young men that was found in his study. Including one Kuroba Kaito and Hattori Heiji."

"Really?"

"Yes, and amazingly enough this man had purchased a large amount of chloroform, linked chain, and supposedly unbreakable padlocks just days before we were found in his basement."

"How unusual."

"Who is Koizumi Akako to you, Kid?"

Kid turned, looking at Heiji, smiling. "An annoying stalker."

"Seems to match up with what Hakuba said." Heiji shoved his hands into his pockets, stepping out onto the edge of the platform, just shy of the balancing act Kid was performing. He too stared down at city, watching the twinkling lights. "Thank you."

"For what, Hattori-kun?"

"Staying behind."

The pair was silent for a moment, each lost to their own thoughts. Heiji startled slightly, as a hand touched his shoulder. "I should be thanking you," Kid said softly, not looking at Heiji, instead staring up at the stars.

"Why did you stay behind?" Heiji asked softly and Kid smiled bitterly.

"Because there was someone to listen."

The hand slid from Heiji's shoulder and Kid fell forward into the night, his glider popping open after the thief fell a few feet, the thief soaring away to the scene of tonight's heist.

Heiji watched Kid, until the thief landed on the roof of the hotel he was targeting, slender white form dashing across the building, heading for his entrance.

"If you ever need an ear," he whispered, turning away from the scene. "I'm around." He started for the lift, knowing he would be far too late for the heist, but maybe, he could watch the thief soar again.

Fin