This is a sequel to K.K.S (both versions)
POWERS will not be mentioned for the sake of a common plot~ this sequel is on both ffn and wattpad.
This may contain spoilers and stuff I back up from here to there and vice versa. Who knows~ but if you read any of them (before I removed the chapters or are currently up-to-date on ch 13), then go ahead and scroll down.
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Glad you made it :D
Jap list:
Mata aou: see you later
Italic sentences are KID's thoughts. Some are irony, they work with both xD
Kindly comment-review
enjoy~
…oOo...
Aoko and KID
'ke ke ke, tonight's gonna be exciting!' Kuroba Kaito felt the adrenaline rush through his veins. There were a few things he liked, like the things that brought fun and laughter, for example. So far, the excitement came when he performed amazing tricks to random people he met in random places, aside from that, the excitement came when he met a good challenge. And Jirokichi Suzuki was a formidable entertainer when it came to challenging KID.
Kuroba never really minded, those were fun, especially when the old man shot surprised eyes whenever KID managed to break past the security system and precautions with the slightest ease.
Of course, he preferred to have certain guests at his marvelous heists, but sadly they weren't able to make it. 'Darn cases' why did the pint-sized brat even stumble on cases on a daily bases? 'Humph, I guess he's really cursed!'
Unfortunately, the brit couldn't make it either as he was in London, so KID was stuck with the task force and the geezer. They weren't going to be any fun.
Kaito glanced again through the air vent above the display. The pearl was a cream color, slightly bigger than the Black Star he stole last year. He could see the strong shine from where he was, he couldn't resist a smile or a chuckle from escaping his lips.
Seriously, didn't the guy learn by now? Why did they have to make fakes every single time? He knew from the strong shine that it was fake, just like the trick used back during that heist. Too bad he didn't have anyone to impersonate…
Yet~
He really wanted to find new faces, maybe he should disguise himself as one of the fans waiting behind the red banners? There were teens among them.
The younger the loyal~
He was sure none of them would mind anyway~ on the contrary, they'd be honored
Oh…
There she was, standing beside her father with an uninterested look glued on her face, wearing her school uniform and bag on her left shoulder. At least she had the decency to ditch the 'Don't come KID' sign this time.
But seriously… his luck was turning to the worst
Or maybe to the better~
He could always impersonate her and stand right beside the display. Nevertheless, he couldn't move her anyway right now, unless he used a distractor.
KID grinned, unpocketed his phone and pressed her contact. The girl noticed the call and got her phone out.
It felt awesome to watch everything from up there, he honestly didn't expect her to look so surprised when she stared at the caller ID. She walked further from the men's ear range. That done, she picked the call up.
"Yo, Aoko~ how are you doing?" he said casually, voice hushed, and away from the vent lid. 'Can't alert everyone to my voice~'
"Kaito! Aoko thought you were busy tonight!"
"Yeah, I was~" he chuckled, "look Aoko, we finished real early. How about we go watch a movie or something? I haven't kept my promise last week…" she hesitated, "Y-you're busy?"
"Not really, Aoko is at the heist…" she paused.
"Oh…"
"Yeah, but KID didn't show up yet. There's ten minutes left till the notice time"
"Oh, well that's too bad..." He paused, "Oi! Aoko, how can you go to see KID-sama's heist without me!" he made sure he sounded between pissed and sad, yet not too much to not get her sad. "Jeez!"
Aoko chuckled, "Gomen gomen~ you said you had plans to do. Aoko didn't want Kaito to miss the practice" He felt a smile on his face. Her tone went from hesitant to curious. "Where are you now?"
"I'm beside the cake buffet store we went to last time," he said, "in Kenza" her eyes went wide.
"Oh, that's beside Aoko!" she clapped her hands together, "Lucky~" she was obviously happy. "You know what? Aoko doesn't really want to see the heist or KID even," perfect, everything was going as he planned. "Stay where you are and Aoko will meet you from the back side of the museum"
He pretended to hesitate, "B-but Aoko... it's KID's heist... you were excited to see your dad catch him..." he paused, "we can meet up after they finish"
"Nah, Aoko doesn't even want to see KID. We'll meet now"
"Are you sure?" and she nodded, "alrighty then, Aoko, you're a lifesaver!" he felt bad a bit, he was going to use her as his entrance.
Oh well, she'll forgive him someday.
Would she?
She chuckled, "Aoko will always blow a heist for Kaito, we're friends after all~"
"Aw, I'm flattered~" and ashamed. "Well, see you soon... Thanks, Aoko" That done, he pushed the phone back into his pocket.
He could reach the back entrance if he went straight from the air vent he was in now.
'On with the plan! Ten minutes are more than enough!' he crawled to the end of the vent, went down and waited for her to catch up. He saw her running towards his direction and stopped to catch a breath. He kept his hands tucked in his pockets, blinking and talking with a surprised expression. "Oh, it didn't take you long!" he blinked surprised.
She looked at him and grinned, funny how she always fell for the poker face act. "That's the advantage of being an inspector's daughter~" they laughed. "Ne, Kaito, which movie do you want to see?"
"Umm… Why don't you pick one?... I'm not up-to-date on the latest releases..." she chuckled and nodded. "Oh and let's get some refreshment, I need a little hydration!"
They bought the drinks and came back towards the vent he jumped from. He slipped a sedative into her can (which he opened out of courteously)
The girl began to fall asleep and dropped safely into his arms.
Gomen, Aoko
He held her in his arms and brought her through the vent (don't ask how) and stopped above the restroom at the far end of the museum.
Above the last stall was a vent, he got her down from it without anyone noticing and placed her gently on the seat. He strode out and stuck an 'out of order' paper on the stall's door.
He looked around him, there was practically no one in sight, save it for one stall that was occupied. He dismissed it. It could be anyone. He entered the stall beside Aoko's and disguised himself as her, then returned to her father.
"Aoko? I thought Kaito-kun was taking you to the movies?" Nakamori Ginzo said surprised.
Aoko smiled softly, "we were going… but he got a call from the old man. He said he needed help with the shop… that something came up..." Ginzo stared at her, "it's not like Aoko can leave tousan to catch KID alone!" yup that did it, he bought the full act. Kaito knew her well, tricking her dad was a child's play. "So, did that thief show up or yet?" she asked with half eyes and turned her gaze to every officer. "Aoko hopes he isn't already here_
"Ha! That white sinner can't get in here!"
Aoko and Ginzo turned to see Jirokichi with a smug plastered on his face. You say that every time, old man…
Ginzo nodded, "Ha! I want to see him try!" he added a laugh. Behind his mask, KID sighed. Did they really think he wouldn't be able to enter with such modest security?
"He won't!" Jirokichi laughed with the inspector. "I have fifty men on each floor, twenty in front of the exit and, three metal detectors by the entrance, in case he uses his glider, the machines will quickly blow his cover!" he said with a sly smirk, he knew the glider always came with the suit. "Besides, I blocked all the air vents and stopped the elevators too" KID yawned mentally. So far nothing impressed him and he knew beforehand what they did and where. He already surpassed similar securities, nothing was new. "And my secret weapon"
Just the thing he was waiting to hear about.
Aoko took the heat vision glasses from her father. "Oh! You mean that cage over there!" she pointed at it, "and the laser in front of it?" he asked innocently with Aoko's voice. "but…" Jirokichi gave a twitch from his eye. "Aoko saw KID pass those before... what makes you think he isn't already here..." he knew what they were counting on. And he DID trick them.
"If he was here, my cameras would have spotted him!" Ginzo said confidently
"And I have men blending with the fans, they'll notice and tell me"
"Oh," she said down and turned her gaze, "But you don't have anyone next to the display…"
"That's because I don't want him to blend in with them. Anyone moving from that direction to there," he pointed towards the banners, "will be seen. No amount of smoke screen can cover that distance!"
'That's what you think~' he never came with limited amounts anyway. They came in handy every time.
Can't run out of ammo~
"Keibu, two minutes until KID shows up!" someone's voice came from the earpiece the inspector had on.
Aoko remained silent as she heard everything said through the small device in her ears. The mask Kuroba was wearing kept his earpiece totally hidden.
"Alright, stay on alert!" The inspector said and the old man was silent. "Watch everything and everyone, he might appear from anywhere! Keep your eyes peeled!" the voice on the other side nodded and the device sank in silence.
Aoko watched the room once more, there wasn't anything interesting inside. He wanted to challenge the cars and bikes outside to chase him once he exited the building.
'They did tire themselves and go outside…" Kuroba's reasoning wasn't weird, he should give them a good chase as a reward for their hard work. After all, they'd be sad if they didn't get to chase him.
Ginzo placed his hand on Aoko's shoulder, "Aoko, are you sure you want to stay here until he shows up?" did he suspect a switch? "I don't want KID to use you for his escape. I'll beat him up if he gets near you!" He went silent, watching the blank expression on her face. "I don't want the events of Sun Halo to repeat. The ba_
"Tousan!" Kaito interrupted with a hiss as the girl usually did. "Aoko can take care of herself! KID will be sorry he showed up!" she always said that anyway~
Jirokichi laughed, "You bet he will!" he looked at his watch, his heart felt like it would stop. "... Thirty seconds…"
The crowd outside the building began the countdown when the seconds fell down to three. Ginzo and Jirokichi were prepared. Aoko's eyes pretended to help and watched every officer and the possible escape routes. Her hands remained in her pockets (ready to set off the generator)
Three
Two
One...
KID grinned and pressed the button.
(Blackout)
The fans inside cheered and the ruckus outside directly followed it.
"He's here!" Inspector Nakamori said through his radio, "The cameras! You should still receive feedback if the second generator is running!" he shouted at the wireless radio in his hand, nearly coving it with saliva.
"…K-k-Kei-keibu!"
"WHAT?" Ginzo roared at the device, he sighed. "Don't panic, he's… it's KID for crying out loud!"
Kuroba rolled his eyes away, 'Honestly, why do they panic when a harmless criminal shows up?' he needed to know. Sometimes he got disappointed when they acted that way, they were his loyal audience and they never turned him down whenever he scheduled a heist.
He waited for the generator to switch on and once it did, he took it as his cue and spoke with a cheerful welcoming tone. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" cheers escaped the fans' lips when they saw him standing on the glass showcase. He bowed gracefully with a smile on his face.
He was standing calmly with his sharp unshaken grin, his top hat casting a shadow over his eyes, concealing his face from the inspector standing with locked fists, two meters facing him.
You gotta loved enforced glass for acrobatic jumps~
KID took a quick look around at the increased security. "Oh, how nice of you to bring more officers to my show~ I didn't know you cared, Nakamori-keibu~"
Jirokichi and Ginzo laughed, "Fool, you're trapped!" they laughed again.
KID threw his gaze around him. "Trapped?" he tilted his head, "… I don't see any walls or bars..." he said in a confused tone, "You must be mistaking~" he added a playful tone then smirked.
"That's what you think, KID!" the geezer quickly pulled a remote out of his pocket and slammed the large red button with busting excitement and laughs. KID smirked, glad they the bait so easily.
As always~
A large thick bared cage fell down and he was (looked) trapped inside.
The thief smirked. "Oh, you did use one... again" everyone could see how he was playing them. The fans chuckled.
Ginzo's eyes twitched, "Idiot, that's not the only thing I brought to catch you!" that said, he grabbed the remote from Jirokichi and pressed the green button. Laser beams flashed inside the cage in all directions and made it too crowded in the two meters cage.
KID stood entirely comfortable and shrugged. "Humph, how do I get out of this one... I wonder..." he looked at the cage from all directions, "oh, I guess you were right... I am trapped inside~" the fans chuckled.
Ginzo grimaced yet didn't show defeat, he knew KID had the means to escape. "... let's see how you'll get out then!" he really didn't want to see. Twenty years of chasing the same thief were enough for him.
The Kaitou raised his finger to his mouth, "oh, I'm afraid I can't show you, Keibu~" he grinned, "after all, a magician never reveals his secrets~" a wink followed.
Ginzo wavered between yelling and laughing. Was the thief an idiot? Or did he really have an escape route?
Knowing the mischievous showoff, he DID.
KID raised his hand to hold the brim of his hat lower, one eye showed, he proceeded. "I am sorry to leave so soon and cut the merry chase, but I will return tomorrow at this time and claim the real pearl" Jirokichi winced at the statement, "now, gentlemen if you excuse me, I shall take my leave~"
The officers were ready, Ginzo and the old man watched closely. "And just so you know, the only thing new was the laser cage. I'm impressed," that earned him a grin from both. "Although, you should know that nothing can contain a phantom~" with a distracting wave from his right hand, his left hand secretly dropped a small ball and pink smoke erupted immediately.
Once it dissipated, the cage was empty.
The task force didn't barge in (in case he was still there somehow and was waiting for them to open the cage~) and waited for the camera's heat reading vision. The staff there informed the inspector that the thief wasn't inside the cage anymore.
"Keibu… KID is in the vents!" said one of them, looking at the sensors readings on his screen. "It's a straight signal. He is heading to the exit near the roof!"
Ginzo turned to his men, his face was enough to tell them what they had to do. The task force charged on the stairs to the upper floor where KID was heading. 'We'll reach the roof before he gets out of the vents' the inspector's grin was scary.
Real scary...
…oOo…
When Kaito was watching through the vent before the time came, he was really impressed to see the good change. He lied to the men about not expecting the laser. What he was referring to was the heat sensors, but to mention his knowledge about them would ruin the inspector's cheerful mood~
He knew they would reach the roof before him, that's why he decided to let them think they outsmarted him. So he crawled slowly and watched the feed he was getting from the small camera he had on the roof's door. The officers slammed the door down and waited for him to catch up.
Kaito pressed the tiny button on his monocle and shut the feed. Probably the ones in the security room where giving them his current location, so he should hurry before they think he was heading to another place.
As far as his Intel went, there were no helicopters involved this time. He had to admit they had him under their watch with those heat vision. The everyday hide in plain sight wasn't going to work today. So the only options left were either to impersonate an officer or to fly out.
He snuck the glider yesterday when he came as one of the staff instilling the detectors and the sensors in the vents. And he also tampered with them on the way too~
He had nothing to do now, so he should probably get up there before they get tired of waiting.
Once he reached the destined exist, he heard the noises on the other end die out. He smirked. 'Typical Task Force' He really loved having them around. 'If Nakamori-keibu gets a close call at catching me, he will never be told to leave the task force again... That's fine by me~'
He took out his tools and made sure they could hear him unscrewing the vent. Then he took the lid out and placed it inside to his right. He already saw a few pairs of shoes when he was unscrewing the vent.
Mentally, he wanted to laugh, but doing so would alert them to his knowledge about the whole scheme.
That wouldn't be gentlemen-like, now would it?
The officers were silent, except for the fact that Kaito could still hear their muffled breaths. Being a thief had its advantages~
He took a breath in and prepared to make it appear like he was caught off guard. He threw a smoke bomb and waited for the smoke to clear. Once it did and he heard the chocking officers, he decided to make his appearance.
"Oh, what do I owe this great welcome? ~" he stood still, his back to the vents and his hands in his pocket. His grin was wide and playful, Nakamori really wanted to strangle him for his stupid confidence.
The inspector laughed, "you're cornered KID! There's no way out now"
"I can't say I'm not surprised! My, you really outdid yourselves today" that earned a grin for the smirking man, "you caught me by surprise!"
Nakamori laughed, "I told you I will catch you today, KID!"
"Fortunately for me, I still have one way out~ as sadly, you managed to block two... such a misfortune"
"Ha ha!" the guy was really happy. "Now, catch him!" ten officers jumped at him, pilling up on top of each other.
"Mata aou, Keibu~"
They turned to see KID waving, then jumped off the roof and flew away. Ginzo grinned his teeth, "I'll catch you tomorrow!" he yelled at the triangle, "you better come prepared!"
'I always come prepared for everything, Keibu~' he turned, "I'm not the kind to turn my biggest challenger down~"
"You better!"
Their voices died off completely.
…oOo…
(The next day)
"Nakamori-Keibu is in an even better mood!" Kuroba watched the people gathered below on the streets. he leaned back behind the roof's edge. After an entire year of thievery, he was certain the force officers were his biggest fans. They might not show it, but they enjoy the thrill and shows he makes.
'Beats the murders…' imagine most criminals like him… 'that would be fun~'
He pushed the binoculars away and entered the vent to reach the lower floor. There were twenty minutes left and he preferred to enter the building ten minutes before, like yesterday.
They were going to use the same tricks, but there was one additional external problem. He saw them standing on the building ahead when he first landed. They were probably waiting for him to fly away from the museum. He already said it a hundred times, but they still demanded their little traitor. The Kaitou wasn't going to hand him over no matter what.
He never heard of anything from Aoko, aside from finding herself in the restrooms and discovering KID used her as his disguise. She was a bit mad, yet not that mad. "So KID uses a lot of people, Aoko won't take it personally, but he is getting it if he tries again"
"I better not try again" Kuroba chuckled, he learned his lesson, especially after the Sun Halo heist. 'She got so close,' if she discovered his real identity, their entire friendship would be thrown out the window, but they'd have one thing in common then, FIENDSHIP
Besides, angering her was a major no-no (not that he didn't already know it)
He kept his device jamming the heat sensors and advanced to the same room hosting the prize. He stood beside the vent and peered down to see most of the procedures were enabled early. Humph, so they knew he was inside all along.
'They didn't know I was in the vents, they thought I impersonated Aoko to get inside yesterday. Good, I still have a few tricks up my sleeves'
Nakamori Ginzo was shouting his 'hushed orders' to his team, Kaito heard most of them and took precautions too. So far, no one noticed the men on the second building, just like every time. And thankfully, his critics failed to attend today too, that will keep the trouble magnet safe (and himself).
He should keep his eyes on leaving without getting anyone dragged into his mess.
He glanced at his wristwatch, 'five minutes left,' perhaps this time he should use a dummy?
Nah, too lame~
'I want to see their surprised faces personally~'
"Three minutes left!" the inspector shouted, his men got prepared (not that it would help much)
The officers below stood like stones, their eyes watched every inch and every corner. Time began to tick high and slow. Ginzo felt his sweat drop, his eyes traveled to the vent above the case. 'Wait a minute… KID was first next to me as Aoko, then he jumped up to the vent! Since Aoko isn't here, he could_' he grabbed his radio and demanded the sensor reading.
"Negative, Keibu!"
Ginzo cursed, 'I thought I had him, darn!'
Kaito laughed, 'the sweet sensors are on my side~' time was nearing,
Three... Two... one…
His fans were dear loyal people, he really enjoyed their countdown. It was huge support~ in addition to gathering and filling the streets.
Being KID is fun~
If you ignore Snake and his team tailing you
His hand moved above the vent and he dropped a small ball down on the floor beside the case.
A poof of smoke exploded and covered the entire exhibition room. Kaito took his chance during the smokescreen, he snatched the pearl and carefully examined it. His fingers brushed against the surface and resulted in the formation of some powder. The surface itself wasn't perfect...
Jackpot~
As the smoke began to clear, he hoped on the case and stood confidently, waiting for them to notice him. Ginzo was already shouting, yet stopped when he saw the white figure. "I see you brought the real pearl~" the thief said calmly as he held the pearl in the center of his hand, he continued, "So, any surprises today? I hate to get caught off guard" he kept his face from being shown to the camera behind the inspector. His grin made everyone realize he was only toying with them.
Ginzo grimaced, "That's not the only thing that you'll hate!"
yup, that's a signal for the jump pile~
ke ke ke, this is gonna be fun~
Kuroba dashed easily and watched the mountain of forty officers. His laugh brought their attention to his escape, again. "If you gentlemen excuse me, I gotta run~" and he literary ran out of the room, the officers and inspector dashed behind him. Ginzo yelling for him to stop.
Why did he even bother yelling to stop?
Scratch that... Why did anyone yell in the first place? It's not like the criminals will actually listen to them...
"Get him!" the voice of the pissed inspector filled every place they ran towards, as it gathered more and more officers for the merry chase.
Kaito kept his cool and led them far from the exhibition room. He had to take them far from Snake too. So when he reached a window, he activated the wiring around it and shattered it. He jumped in front of his loyal task force (sent a dummy to fly and send them far away) and flew away.
What he actually did was that he put on a black hood, climbed up the exterior of the building and reached the roof. He took off the black hood there and peered through his binoculars to spot the killer. He heard a clicking sound.
A gun?
"That's as far as you go, kid!"
If I had a dime for every time he said that...
Kuroba went to full poker face, he turned to them with a calm expression and his shark grin. It didn't matter to him, Snake and the entire syndicate knew who he was, but they still needed him to find the gem. He wasn't dumb to not realize what they were up to. "I would like to say the same to you. You seem to never get it through your thick skull"
The response was a gun aimed at his head. The members with him were eight, all of them aimed their guns as their leader aimed his. "Fool, I will no longer be patient!"
...You never were...
"Tonight you will die, boy"
'I don't think so~' then he let out a mocking laugh, "you can never kill me, I'm a phantom"
Snake grimaced, "What you are, is a thorn in my back! I cannot let you bullets live!"
"Unfortunately for you, I don't intend to die before I destroy your precious gem"
"As if I will let you, Kuroba boy" he said with much annoyance in his tone, "Having our weapon does not make us vulnerable. Like you, he. is. disposable"
Kaito eyes fiercely glared him. His partner wasn't a weapon in their hands and he wasn't going to let them use him. "Over my dead body"
"Gladly"
Kuroba watched the trigger as if it was pressed in slow motion. His card gun was always present for such missions, ready to knock the real guns out every time. But tonight wasn't going to assure that. Because right behind the nine men in grey trench coats, he caught a glimpse of a person who disappeared behind the door.
They were definitely going to interfere.
Whoever they were, they weren't with Snake. That was enough to keep them far from the said person.
The bullet whizzed beside the Kaitou as he sped aside and threw a knock-out bomb. He ran swiftly towards the door, ceased the person from his arm and ran down with him. The first thing that hit Kuroba's head was a hand_ a familiar one_ as he focused on getting them far from the killers.
"LET GO!"
The Kaitou stopped to a sudden halt
Oh, God...
Of all people to be caught in the mess, it did not have to be his childhood friend. "I am sorry, Ojou-san, but we must get away from those guys"
Aoko pouted, "Aoko can take care of herself!"
"Not tonight" he grabbed her hand (without exerting any pressure or squeezing it), "no one gets hurt under my watch"
"Yeah, yeah, your number one rule... bla, bla, bla!" she blathered and tried to keep up with his quick pace. Her eyes watched his face from the side, "you're a criminal, idiot!"
"True, yet the safety of my audience is my priority, Ojou-san. Plus, I'm not an idiot, it's not polite coming from a la_"
"Zip it!" She pondered and turned her face in the opposite direction. Unwillingly, she allowed him to lead her away. "What do they want from you?"
"That is between them and me"
"Showoff"
He laughed, "No, it's called protecting innocents" he snapped his fingers and a black hood covered her entirely. Aoko looked at him surprised, "This will keep them from knowing who you are. Please understand..." he said as they turned to a corner, "they'll go to you and kill you. So keep that hood on your face" Reluctantly, the girl obeyed.
After running down two floors, he took a left turn and they stopped behind a wall. "Stay here," he said cautiously and took a step away. His right hand went to his monocle and the object emitted a frosty visual. He signed in relief and turned to see Aoko glaring him with sharp eyes and crossed arms. "I believe I already said my answer. I won't explain the situation to you"
"We'll see about that," she took one step forward and he took one step back. "You have people after you, killers, and you are going against them without real weapons" he watched her as she advanced. He felt the cold wall against his back, she was so close. "ARE YOU AN IDIOT?"
He blinked, "Now, now, that wasn't the first time I faced them without weapons. Phantoms don't need them~"
"... You are such an idiot"
"Then explain, how this idiot managed to leave without a scratch? Every time?" he pointed his fingers at himself and spoke with a playful smile. "With all due respect, I'm Kaitou KID. I do the impossible~"
"You know, someday Aoko will shred you to pieces"
"Feel free to do that once you are in safe hands," he said gently and took out a wireless radio. "Nakamori-keibu," he began with his KID voice.
"KID!" the voice screamed in his ear.
Kaito pushed the device away from his ear as his finger rubbed it. "You'll find two things in street 3, kindly pick them up before midnight," That said, he turned the device off.
Aoko looked at her wristwatch. 11:50. She blinked at him, "What things?"
He threw her the pearl, "that is one and you are the second. I'll make sure you return safely to your father" as he expected, she grimaced. "I have no intention to let you get hurt. And let's be honest, I might lose two fans if they get mad at me~"
That pretty much earned him a hit in the gut, "Aoko and tousan are not your fans. Ba kaitou!"
Both froze to the reference then quickly covered it.
"How un-lady like~" another hit to the rib. "Anyway, we must meet your father, Ojou-san"
"What about you, KID?" her eyes stared confusingly into his eyes. "You threw a knock-out gas, they'll soon wake and follow you"
"I have enough time to disappear before they do" he gestured for her to follow and they exited the building.
…oOo…
(The following day) at Ekoda high school
Aoko sat at her desk impatiently, her eyes went to the empty desk beside her. She sighed. Kuroba was nowhere in sight and the first period was about to start. She turned her gaze to the blackboard, her fingers tapped the surface of the desk's wood for five minutes.
tap
tap
tap
Then she suddenly stood up and slammed her hands on the desk. "What in the world is he up to now!"
Someone knocked at the closed door, opened it with caution and peered in. "Is it safe to enter?"
Keiko had worried eyes, her fingers clenched the door frame as if she didn't want to get sucked into a wormhole.
From her place, Aoko chuckled. She saw a few ten heads behind the brunette. "He's not here. Aoko doesn't think it's a prank… yet~" that was encouraging enough for most of the students to rush in and examine their seats and desks.
The girl walked slowly and took her seat, her eyes watched every inch and corner for anything changed or added.
"Ne, Keiko," the sound of Aoko's voice made her return back to reality. "Did you see Hakuba-kun?"
The girl shook her head, "He won't arrive until the afternoon. He probably wants to escape the welcome back party Kaito-kun will throw into his face" Aoko blinked.
Why was everyone so scared lately?
Oh right
The rampage Kuroba pulled last week...
'And Aoko just managed to forget...' she shrugged, she cast her gaze to the window, "until the afternoon… hmmm"
Keiko was watching her with a pair of curious brown sparkling eyes. "You needed something from him?"
"N-no, Aoko just wanted to ask him about something" her hesitant tone was an obvious hint for Momoi to not push any further. Aoko had been acting weird for a while now. ever since their trip to the Sun Halo heist, she and Saguru had been both acting weird.
"Ne, Aoko, you're not dating Hakuba-kun, are you?"
Aoko blinked, "NO!"
The bell rang and the door opened, Professor Kanno walked calmly to her desk and sat down.
She spoke with a strong firm face and closed eyes as if she was holding back a pilling amount of headaches. "Please tell me... Kuroba-kun is on a sick leave..."
The class chuckled, "we don't know yet~" responded Koizumi, her hand covered her mouth as she laughed. Kanno sighed. "He probably stayed up all night for his show~"
Aoko looked away. "That bakaito" she froze at the reference to KID last night. What was she thinking?
The door opened and a panting Kuroba stood with his hands on his knees. Once he collected his breath, he turned his eyes to the teacher. "Sorry for being late... I just woke!" He scratched the back of his neck. "Gomen, Kanno-sensei…"
The teacher sighed and told him to take his seat, not truly buying the lame excuse. Him, just woke? Yeah… there was a trick… a horrifying one behind that shaky smile of his.
Aoko threw her eyes towards him when he sat down. Once he was settled, she pocked him. He just smiled and turned to the teacher and the students who shot daggers at him.
"What?" he blinked, surprised. "Oh!" God that poker face looked real. He broke into a loud chuckle. "You can all relax. I didn't have time to lay traps" they exhaled in relief. "That will change soon though~"
His shark-like smirk was never anything assuring…
The class sighed altogether, they decided to embrace the worst.
…oOo…
"KAITO!"
He snapped out of his musings at the sudden voice in his ears. Aoko was in front of him, waving her hand in front of his face. He blinked back. "Jeez, Kaito. Don't skip out like that!"
"Gomen, Aoko~ I got a little-distracted ~"
"A little? You've been like this for three hours! Bakaito"
He glared at her, "What can I say! I got bored!" he wanted to put limits and pretend nothing was wrong. Yesterday was a thorn in his back, he barely managed to bring her out without anyone seeing her face. Now he had to protect two people from Snake. he sighed, "Stop staring at me like that!"
"Are you up to anything?" Her face was glued to his, her squinting eyes fixed in his. He coughed and pulled himself away. She sighed and pulled herself to the back, crossed her arms and spoke with a high voice. "Why were you late today?"
"My alarm didn't go on!" he threw his hands around. "Not my fault!"
"Please, as if Aoko will buy that"
"No, really! I'm saying the truth!" he moved his hands in a defeated manner. "It didn't go on…or I didn't wake. Yesterday was hard! I got so tired practicing_
She rolled her eyes away and he noticed. "So, you were there?" there came an innocent nod. "Right ... and it had nothing to do with you being anywhere near Kenza…?"
Behind his straight face, he felt his heart skip a beat. Wait a minute, she had been acting weird all day. 'And distancing herself too' technically, the Kaito who invited her to the movies was KID in disguise…
He cleared his throat, "That was last month! We went together for a cake tour. Taku Aoko, you're becoming forgetful" he said confidently and noticed how she turned her gaze to the side. "I didn't plan anything fun without you!" he didn't know if it would work, chances were, she suspected him to be KID. And again, chances were, she heard Snake call KID 'Kuroba'.
"Aoko understands…" she turned away, "Kaito doesn't want to tell Aoko. Aoko is fine with that"
Guilt accumulated in his throat, "Aoko…"
"Save it. Kaito will lie. Kaito always lies… like Kai-
"Kaito"
She blinked confusedly. He only smiled, "If I don't act like myself, I'm not Kuroba Kaito then~"
"Bakaito" she shot her tongue out and walked away. The bell rang and she stopped. "Thanks to you, we skipped lunch break!"
"Hey, you didn't have to wait for me!"
The door opened and the students walked inside with more caution. If Kuroba was in there all the time, there was definitely a big creepy trap.
Aoko and Kaito chuckled, aware of where their train of thoughts went. "Ke ke ke, who knew you were that afraid of little old harmless me~"
That earned him a petrifying glare and a hit to the head from Aoko.
'How did she get here so fast!' he rubbed the lump on his head. 'Creepy girl...'
"Guys, can we all forget what happened last Wednesday…?"
Silence filled the classroom.
"Oh come on! I…" he stumbled over the right words. "Fine! I was excited, sheesh! It's not every day you get to be challenged for pulling of the most creative trick!"
"And he got accepted into the group, give him some break! That sort of preparations needs hours"
As if he couldn't have arrived earlier or prepared them the previous night. Kuroba had never been sane since…
Let's just say…He was always like that.
The level only increased every few weeks.
he laughed sheepishly, 'I don't blame them~'
…oOo…
"Keibu!"
"WHAT!" Ginzo glanced over the piles of papers he was reading. Two of his officers were standing with a plastic sealed bag hosting three 5 mm bullets. "Where did you get those?" he said surprised.
"We found them in the second building where last night's heist was"
"You told us to check yesterday if something happened" the inspector looked at them with a blank face. "When your daughter said people were gunning at KID"
"Oh!" Ginzo face-palmed himself. "What about the footage?"
"We couldn't see anything. The range couldn't reach the building. We should ask Aoko-kun, she probably knows more"
"No," he said and stashed his hands in his pockets as he stood up. "I don't want her to know, she begged me not to look into it"
"Then why did you ask us to_"
"Because she told me to be careful next time if they show up. According to Hakuba-kun, there have been multiple attempts on KID's life before. Nothing was ever left aside bullet holes, so we need to know who they are and what they want"
"Keibu, what if they were just thieves?"
"We'll have to catch them anyway"
Another officer came running towards them. "Keibu! The news!"
Inspector Nakamori quickly turned the handing TV on, aware that it was a heist notice from his dear thief. 'Perfect, now we get to ask him'
The reporter giving the news was a young male, wearing a black shirt and pants, looking at the thief with a strange resemblance to him.
And Kuroba too.
'He looks more innocent though...'
The teen looked surprised, "Ano… KID-san...?" the thief was standing facing him. Two cameras were directed at him as the thief raised a grin and turned to the cameramen. The boy approached his microphone to him. "Is there anything you want to say...?"
The background was the front doors of the Nichuiri channel building. KID was standing in his full attire, hands in his pockets and a mischievous smirk on his face. The gleam in his eyes indicated trouble (to the police) and pure excitement (to the fans).
For KID to stop by (personally) to the channel, must be important. The thief cleared his throat, nodded and turned to the teen, "I hope you're broadcasting this live?" the boy nodded, "Then, let's get on with my message to the Japanese police"
That didn't mean anything good. "I'm going to claim some records from your possession, so do expect my arrival tomorrow morning at 8:00. Don't expect me to be the gentleman this time" Ginzo felt his mind turn around a few hundred questions, "You have gathered the information you were not supposed to have. So I'll steal it. Don't expect me to return it to anyone aside from myself" he grinned.
The teen beside him blinked, "The heist is at the station at 8?" the thief nodded, with that said, he disappeared. The reporter turned to the camera, "Well that certainly ain't good..." he paused, "We'll be broadcasting the heist tomorrow. Look forward to it! Nichuiri Channel, have a good day!" he ended the live broadcast.
Ginzo snapped the cigarette between his shark teeth. His yell roared in the entire station and extended to the nearby buildings.
Japan knew he saw the news